#but also looking at some of the topics i'm like. i know some of this already. eh whatever

[creativiteaa]

Mac from Date Everything is an innacurate wheelchair design, let's talk about it! Also, before anyone says, "they were going for a computer theme!" I am aware! That does not change that this is a bad design.

For anyone who does not know me, hello! I'm Solstice. I'm a full-time wheelchair user and functionally non-ambulatory. I know my way around a wheelchair considering I use one in my everyday life.

First off, Mac has a hospital style wheelchair. a hospital style is essentially any wheelchair you'd get or use in a hospital. I'd like to clarify that I know some disabled and chronically ill people use hospital style wheelchairs, but a lot of the time in media, depictions of wheelchair users show hospital style wheelchairs NOT for representation, but out of ignorance for active ultralightweight manual wheelchairs.

On the left is a Drive brand hospital style wheelchair. On the right is my personal custom wheelchair.

Mac's armrests are also disproportionate to the rest of the wheelchair. There are definitely people who have armrests on their custom wheelchairs! I have armrests but have taken them off, personally. The issue on Mac's wheelchair arises when their armrests are not only incredibly high, but their drive wheels (the big wheels in the back) are disproportionately small. And while on the topic of their drive wheels, they have no push rims, and no other features like a joystick to show that this is a power chair. The camber tube (tube between the two drive wheels under the seat of the chair) is also way too low. The camber tube goes towards the bottom of the wheel, not even the center of the wheels. Those drive wheels would be unable to roll.

Mac's castors are also very big. Castors can range in size but Mac's castors are so big I don't think that wheelchair could turn- the castors would hit either the footplates or the drive wheels! And with the castor assembly, Mac's castor has an axle system instead of a fork system. Those castors couldn't even turn because they can't freely swivel!

Mac's backrest looks hard and uncomfortable, and it's very tall. Some people need or opt to have high backrests, but this is not accurate to what a rigid backrest would be like. Mac also does not have a cushion, or a very tiny cushion, which would cause pressure sores and also just be uncomfortable.

I'd like to conclude that I hold no ill will towards the artist, designer, devs, fans, etc. But I did want to talk about this since Mac's wheelchair design feels like it wasn't researched much at all. I love that the devs wanted to include a disabled character, but you have to do research. I was really interested in playing this game but Mac's design really did turn me off from the game. I hope this is something that could potentially be amended.

My ask box is also open to questions, comments, concerns, etc.!

[ariaxco]

do you have any fun journaling topics?

omg i love journaling!! here are some of my favorite topics :

things that made me smile today

random thoughts that live in my head rent-free

people i'm grateful for and why

songs that hit different lately

what i'm looking forward to this week

things i want to remember about right now

moments when i felt proud of myself

what's been on my mind lately

things i'm learning about myself

favorite memories from this month

what i want more of in my life

things that inspire me

how i've been feeling lately (the real stuff)

what i'm excited about

little wins that nobody else knows about

things i want to try

what makes me feel most like me

thoughts i have in the shower

things i wish i could tell someone

what i'm curious about right now

i also have different types of journals which are so fun!! like a gratitude journal, a dream journal, one just for quotes that hit me, and even a silly one for random observations. each one feels like its own little world!!

the best part? there's no wrong way to do it. sometimes i write pages, sometimes just a sentence. it's like having coffee with yourself 🤍

lmk if i should do more i have many more ideas!!

[hyperlexichypatia]

Because I talk a lot about antipsychiatry/ Mad liberation/ neurodiversity/ abolition, I get a lot of people asking for advice about their emotional distress or "mental health" issues, and, like... I am not good at giving advice on that. I'm not. And... I mean, look, I don't want to say I don't care. As a person, I care. I don't want you to be suffering! I care about that! But it's not... really relevant to the topic.

It's more like. If someone is talking about the social and political construction of marriage as a legal and economic institution, property rights, and the marriage equality movement, and you jumped in to ask "My wife and I fight all the time, do you think we should get divorced?" Like. That's a valid question! And maybe you should seek advice on that! But it's not actually The Topic.

And when I'm talking about the social construction of "mental health" and psychiatric oppression and the legal and cultural implications of conceptualizing cultural issues as a function of "the brain" and the invocation of "the brain" and "intelligence" and "mental health" moral panic to justify infringement of civil liberties... and you ask me "But I'm really depressed, so what should I do about that?" Like. It's not that I don't care! I do care! I don't want you to be depressed! It's just not that relevant to what I'm talking about, and also, I'm absolutely, I cannot emphasize this enough, supremely unqualified to give advice on that topic.

To be abundantly clear, I don't mean that I'm unqualified to give advice on that topic because you should ask a therapist or psychiatrist instead. My whole point is that they also probably won't help you with this. But that doesn't mean I can. I mean. For me personally, my entire strategy for dealing with emotional distress is a degree of emotional repression that would make Surak of Vulcan say "I think you're taking this a little far." But for some reason I'm not supposed to go around recommending that strategy.

But if I say that, then I get "Oh-HO, so you throw stones at psychiatry, but you don't offer any alternative solutions to the problem!" which. To be clear. I don't accept the framing of. I don't believe that the intent or function of psychiatry is to solve the problem of emotional distress. The intent and function of psychiatry is to classify humans into Correct and Incorrect Cognition-Types, and draw boundaries around which Cognition-Types are so Incorrect that those people can ethically be stripped of all human rights. Any effect, positive or negative, on emotional distress, is purely incidental. And, you see, I do, in fact, have an alternative solution to the problem -- the alternative solution is to abolish the concept of Correct and Incorrect Cognition-Types and extend human rights to all humans. I don't feel especially obligated to come up with an "alternative solution" for human emotional distress, because that's a largely unrelated problem.

But I hate saying this to people who ask me for advice on emotional distress, because it sounds like I'm saying I don't care about your problems. I do care. It's just not what I know about or can particularly offer any insight into.

[echodr3ad]

Need some more Noob x Reader for Forsaken, I love this shy non-binary baddie. (You will see me more)

-Milkdunked Anon

ᯓᡣ𐭩.ᐟ ⊹ Noob General Dating Hcs

Pairings: Noob x GN Reader

Warnings: None

Authors Note: Man I love Noob SO much aswell, specially their party skin they look SOO CUTEEE!! Sorry for taking a bit Milkdunked Anon, I had exams... Scary, but i'm officially on vacations now! So I can now work on requests! (Yipee!!) Since you didn't specify anything, i'll just be doing general hcs, I hope that's okay with you.

✮ Noob is quite an affectionate partner, they love to cuddle you, hold your hand, kiss your cheek and the like.

✮ What they specially like to do is linking their arms with yours. To them, it feels more intimate and special.

✮ They are a bit shy though, so it may take them a little while before they start becoming affectionate.

✮ You two are the power couple, it's a rarity to see one of you without the other.

✮ If that's the case, it's either because one of you went down or wasn't sent to participate in the round.

✮ The other survivors always ask Noob about you when they don't seem you with them, it's the first thing they ask, like "Hey Noob, where's [Name]?"

✮ They also ask you about Noob if you're the one that's left alone.

✮ Noob will clumsily throw themselves into danger to protect you. Either trying to distract the killer or taking hits for you.

✮ They always blame themselves when you go down, even when it wasn't their fault at all (please comfort them, they need it).

✮ Whenever they find an item, such as another Bloxy Cola or a medkit, you're the first person to receive it, no matter what, even if they might need it more than you do.

✮ But they refuse to take them for themselves. The only way you can force them to take a medkit for themselves is if they're on low HP and Elliot has gone down already.

✮ Speaking of Bloxy Cola, they love sharing theirs with you. It brings them so much joy being able to share something they like so much with you.

✮ They will probably ramble to you about how much more bland it tastes here than in normal Robloxia.

✮ Noob also likes to share all of their snacks with you, usually they wouldn't really like sharing, but since it's you they don't mind. They always ask if you want something.

✮ Whenever you two have the time, they like to take you stargazing since it's always nighttime.

✮ They definitly don't know the names of any constelations, but they make new ones up.

✮ They named one after you, and one after them! They always try to look for those two stars every time they stargaze with you.

✮ Believe it or not, Noob is actually quite the chatterbox. They always have a conversation topic.

✮ Your conversation could start off talking about what happened last round and end up being about something entirely different.

✮ They like to make you matching bracelets for the both of you to wear. The goofy smile they have whenever they see you wearing it is quite adorable.

✮ They don't get really mad or if they see you broke it, specially if they see that you're upset over breaking it. They know it probably wasn't your fault.

✮ They'll gladly make you another bracelet that's even better than the other one!

✮ Noob likes to try and slow dance with you, they aren't exactly good at it, but they like doing so anyway because they think it's really romantic.

✮ They also like cooking with you! They think it's super fun, specially if you're baking together.

✮ They also aren't very good with cooking, but if you are, they'll gladly pass you the ingredients you need and give you moral support with their presence.

✮ If you aren't, the both of you do your best not to screw up, even if it usually happens anyway.

✮ You end up needing to call Elliot for help, and he flawlessly fixes the issue in under a second. He truly is in a different league.

✮ Noob is definitly the type to eat the batter when you're baking, so watch over them.

[leebrontide]

Hello!

I'm Lee (any pronouns), a middle aged queer writer from the midwest of the US. It's been a bit, so I'm doing another writeblr intro, to find more potential writeblr folks to chat with!

What I write:

- Mostly scifi! I have a bit of fantasy brewing in a collab project, but mostly, scifi.

- Queer stuff. Lots of different types of queerness.

- Community. Both in the group-hugs-and-support variety and the extreme-mess/everybodies-traumas-keep-smashing-into-each-other variety. I have training as a family therapist and am endlessly fascinated by interpersonal dynamics. This is the meat of my work.

- Grounded worldbuilding. My main project right now is near future scifi that diverges from our timeline around 2001. I'm enjoying the hell out of playing the US I know with some very key tweaks that changed society. I know a lot about medical systems, criminal justice systems, and legal systems and like using fantasy and scifi elements to show them as I know them. But like, in a way that should appeal to people who give 0 shits about US institutions.

- Disability stuff. Not that after-school-special shit. I am just tired of characters being generic pretty dolls whose physical attributes don't impact how they move through the world. That means not only writing a variety of different disabilities, but also different bodies. My characters aren't "inspiration porn" or just waiting around for less disabled characters to come save them. They are messy, with a wide array of relationships to their limitations and the things they use to cope with those limitations.

- YA into new adult. Not exclusively, but mostly. I really like taking characters from YA into early adulthood. Not just a standard coming-of-age arc, but the actually moving from a self-concept of a dependent teen into someone with legal responsibility for themselves, jobs, college, etc. Especially when combined with all of the above. I love a nice long character arc with lots of sub-arcs along the way.

What I have out, now.

- I have two books out so far, Secondhand Origin Stories and Names in Their Blood. I'm working on book 3 in that planned 5 book series now, which is currently titled Brittle Idols.

- I have a free monthly newsletter called Shed Letters where I talk about psychology, tech, queerness, storytelling, and the creative process, plus whatever random topic I've been researching for my books recently. Also contains pictures of my three very photogenic cats.

- Newsletter subscribers also have access to a novella I wrote that goes between Secondhand Origin Stories and Names in Their Blood, that's about an fictional AI (the only kind I like) trying to decide on a body for themself.

- I also draw and animate, with my first and still in-progress animation project being a "trailer" for Secondhand Origin Stories.

What I'm looking for

- writeblrs - especially writeblrs that aren't JUST writeblrs. I want to feel like I'm meeting people, at least in some manner, rather than just hearing about a product in process. That doesn't have to mean deep confessions or private information, but honestly I'm not likely to remember you for your writing project alone. Sorry. Please show me what else you care about!

- Bonus points for queer or disabled scifi or fantasy writers.

- I am white for most intents and purposes but I always want to find more AOC who write sci fi.

- Also always excited to meet more YA authors- especially the currently kinda sidelined YA scifi.

- People who care about where society is going but aren't posting that everything is doomed and pointless. I mean you post whatever you want but I don't need that on my dash. That shit is not helping me help.

I sometimes do ask games? It's fun when I have the time. It'd be fun to have more folks to do them with, provided those folks are patient.

Please interact if this has piqued your interest!

[destinysbounty]

On the topic of mergeswap AUs, most of the ninja could be shuffled around to different Merge scenarios with equally compelling results, but I maintain that by far the most *interesting* swap would be Lloyd-Zane. That is to say, Lloyd gets put in the coma pod while Zane is left alone in the monastery.

Out of all the post-Merge scenarios, I think Lloyd would most severely be fucked up by completely sleeping through it - he wakes up to find that not only is the world different, but his friends have spent *years* struggling to survive without his help. He's supposed to be their leader, their guide, the chosen savior of prophecy. It's his job to look out for them, isn't it? But he wasn't there. The world fell apart, his team is in shambles, and everyone has suffered innumerable traumas as a result...and he wasn't there for any of it. Knowing Lloyd, the self-imposed guilt would absolutely eat him alive. Also, once again he is chronologically displaced - before it was the age of his mind and body being mismatched, and now he is once again missing several years of his life.

(Also I think it's funny if we put Lloyd in Zane's pod specifically, especially if he's still the Conduit. Because that means he woke up, immediately jumped into the fight against Imperium, and then like 10 minutes later volunteered to take on life-changing god powers from some random talking dragon. All without any context for anything that is going on whatsoever.)

As for Zane...god, where do I even start.

So, putting Zane in the monastery is fascinating for a number of reasons.

Out of everyone on the team, the ones who consistently cope with isolation the worst are Cole and Zane. That's not to say the others enjoy it, per se, but they're all at least able to lock in and get shit done as needed, trauma be damned. But Cole is very community-oriented and comes a bit unglued in the absence of a community to rely on (DotD, s10), and Zane...oh boy.

Zane is usually the one to die, so he is rarely put in a position of grieving the others. His only instances of mourning the absenceof a loved one are:

His father, which happened off-screen so we don't know how he handled that initially (he seems to be okay in s3, but knowing Zane he probably just repressed the feeling and moved on)

Nya in Seabound, which he was so ill-equipped to deal with that he turned off his emotions entirely

Pixal in DR, where he was so unable to handle her absence that he straight up stapled a photo of her to a broom and started talking to it. Also with Kai getting lost in superhell, which we don't really see him grieving over but also we don't see much of that from anyone so uhhh I'm choosing to ignore that for now.

Picture it. Zane, alone in the monastery, with none of his friends around and no way of knowing what happened to them. All he can do is sit and hold vigil in the hopes that they will eventually come back (something something Echo Zane lighthouse parallels). I'm not saying Zane would start taping his friends' photos to random appliances by the end of week 1 and cry over his tenth ice sculpture of Pix by week 2, but uhhhh....actually no that's exactly what I'm saying. Provided he doesn't miraculously find a way to get himself killed while chilling in the monastery, I give him like 6 months before his sanity completely unravels.

Another reason for swapping Zane into Lloyd's spot is that whoever is in the monastery at the start of DR also gets to be the mentor to the new ninja. And that puts Zane in a *very* interesting position.

Zane is, on both a meta and narrative level, a support character. He's your medic, your backup, your HQ, and he can even be your damsel in distress. He's not really a leader by nature, and it is rare for him to take charge or assume a position of authority unless the situation demands it of him. He's generally content to sit back and let everyone else take charge - he let Cole take the lead during the prison break in s4, he's one of the only ones not to express pushback when Lloyd officially becomes the leader, etc.

It's actually a bit odd how rare it is for him to lead, bc it feels like everyone else has way more instances of flexing their leadership skills. Off the top of my head, i can think of exactly three occasions where Zane assumes a position of authority:

For about 10 mins in s5, which ends in him glitching out and talking backwards

In s14 when he became Captain Zane, but that was mostly for comedic effect, and authority goes back to Lloyd and Nya once the situation actually gets serious

In s11 when he became Ice Emperor, but he had to be magically corrupted, mind-wiped, AND gaslit in order for that to even happen.

(You could argue he took charge during the Snake Jaguar incident, but he didn’t take charge of the whole team and also it didn't end well.)

All this to say, Zane doesn't have a positive track record with being in charge. Probably even worse, now that he has all that Ice Emperor baggage to deal with.

So what do you do with a character like that? Naturally, you give him a gaggle of wide-eyed children to look after and tell him to teach them how to be ninja. Lloyd was already hesitant to be their master in canon, but Zane would be even worse.

Furthermore, Zane, uh...doesn't really have many friends outside of the ninja (aside from his falcon, who hasnt existed in the show for years). Cole has the Upply and the Finders, Nya is close to Ronin and became good friends with Bentho, Kai has Skylor and Wyldfyre, Lloyd had the resistance and Akita and now the next-gen kids, Jay started an entire cult in Prime Empire and also seems to be on good terms with Unagami, and even Wu is close to Faith...but who does Zane have outside of the team? Vex, maybe? Possibly Borg, even though that relationship isn't explored onscreen? Sally, who gets one whole episode spotlighting her and Zane before vanishing into obscurity?

This even continues in DR, too. Theres a new cast of characters to befriend and connect with, many of whom share a lot in common with Zane, but he doesn't really interact at length with anyone but his old friends and Frohickey.

True, a lot of that can be blamed on Zane's gradual narrative dehumanization depriving him of meaningful personal connections, but in-universe you could also attribute that to his self worth. Zane is so wrapped up in his belief that he exists to serve and protect, and he is so strongly devoted to the ninja that he can be a bit one-track-minded about it. He loves his family so much that he doesn't have time to care for anyone else in the same way. They are his world, his everything, his life's purpose...without them, he is nothing. Can you say "codependent"?

But now, he's alone in the monastery. He doesn't know if his friends are alive. All he can do is sit and pray and hope they come back to him. And after years of waiting, he crosses paths not with his family, but with two new kids. They want him to teach them to be ninja. But Zane is too afraid - afraid of leaving his post, afraid that being in charge will bring out his inner Ice Emperor...afraid of betraying his family by finding a new one.

He does agree to help them in the end, if only because he exists to protect and they need protection. But the whole time, he is afraid, and anxious, and painfully unsure of himself. But just as he teaches them how to be strong, how to fight, how to be brave and kind and selfless...they teach him how to believe in himself. How to reclaim his sense of identity. How to stand on his own without his friends, and how to make new ones. How to live for his loved ones, rather than dying for them.

(And yeah, okay, a small part of it this is definitely spite for the way he's been unilaterally snubbed by DR canon. I won't deny that)

Personally, if I were to write a mergeswap AU that's probably the direction I'd take. But then again, I might just be on some next-level copium and desperately trying to make Zane actually relevant to DR in some meager way

[klemmensss]

Hello! Since it's Pride Month and I love Satoru with all my heart, I wrote a wholesome, short fanfic about going to the Pride Parade with Satoru. And some headcanons about his relationship with ftm reader. English is not my first language so please forgive any mistakes.

Satoru Gojo x Ftm!Reader headcanons & going to the Pride Parade with him!

It is implied that Satoru is pansexual.

I think there are no warnings needed, it is only mentioned that transphobia exists but it is not described.

• You and Satoru started dating when you were at Jujutsu High. It was always known that you were trans; the chest surgery and all, Satoru was there when you went through your mutation and started growing masculine facial hair. He never cared about it, after all it was still you, it didn't change his feelings for you either. He never thought about it, he just loved you the way you are.

Likewise, he never thought about the fact that he was dating a man and that it was something 'strange'. It was just like that and he loved you and he was convinced that if you were a woman he would love you too.

• You practically started to live together after you graduated from Jujutsu High, after all, Satoru could easily afford to buy an apartment and you wanted to move out of your parents' house.

That was the first time he saw that you were experiencing something called gender dysmorphia. He discovered things he didn't know, for example even though you are a man, you have periods.

"Whaaat-" he was honestly surprised, when you complained about your period cramps "Damn, I didn't know boys could have periods too! That's so terrible, baby."

It's not that he was ignorant, he just didn't realize how difficult a topic you were dealing with. Also, just because it was normal for him didn't mean it was normal for others; when you told him about dealing with transphobia and misunderstanding, he was very supportive.

• That's why when he heard that there was a Pride Parade going on nearby, he suggested that you two should go. You agreed of course, not only is it a fight for your rights, but you will also spend a nice time together.

You were very surprised when the next day Satoru showed you the banner he made himself.

"Baby, look!" He ran up to you, proud of himself, holding a rather large piece of cardboard in his hands. There was an inscription on it: I have a trans bf and I'm proud of it. He even drew a heart and colored it pink, blue and white. "You like it??" He asked enthusiastically, while your heart was practically swelling with affection for him right now. It was so cute, you didn't even know how to react, so you just hugged him. He was so effortlessly cute.

"Of course" I muttered, while he was nuzzling his nose against your cheek. It's nothing new that he's awfully clingy. "I love you so much.."

"And I love you mooore!"

• During the march he held your hand tightly the entire time and carried his banner in the other hand. Because of his height, everyone could see that Satoru has a trans boyfriend and he is proud of it, and you were incredibly proud to have someone like him.

Plus you painted a flag on his cheek because he asked for it and he looked so beautiful. It was your first pride parade where you weren't worried about your safety at all, after all, you held the hand of the strongest sorcerer of the modern age.

[shiningwonderland]

Ai Mikaze (All Star) Memorial

Memorial 01 - I refused

Translator: Nadie (Twitter: NmoniaG)

Proofreader: Raz (Twitter: agnadance)

Editors: Noemi (Twitter: dreaminbeyond)

Haruka Nanami came to me and said that she wanted to be my partner.

How unexpected.

For someone like me, who didn't want to pair up with anyone, it was a rather unwanted favor.

But in this case, it was a respectable piece of work, and the agency did have its policies.

Besides this work, there were several things to consider to see if she'd be qualified to be my partner.

If she doesn't have any potential, it's better to decline.

As soon as I got the call from the agency, I went to my room and booted up my PC. If it was a simple background check, I could do it from here.

"...It was Haruka Nanami."

I typed in the name and hit the search button.

The background information that I saw was really quite ordinary.

Normal family background, normal birthplace, raised normally, took piano lessons.

That's when she began wanting to become a composer, and passed the Saotome Academy entrance exam.

After graduation, she joined Shining Agency and gained some experience through various jobs, but her chance to debut never came.

Then at the press conference the other day, she was invited by Shining and ended up with us… it seems.

"...That's enough of a background check."

I couldn't get sufficient information out of it. It would be best to investigate the humans close to her later.

…Humans close to her. Who could they be?

I kept thinking to myself the next day as I walked down the hallway of the agency.

"Oh! Ai-chan!"

Suddenly, a voice called out to me.

"Hey, long time no see! But we might see each other more often from now on!"

"We are also starring in this upcoming movie~!"

I saw Syo and Natsuki at the resting area of the lobby. Both of them held the same handouts in their hands as I did.

"Ah, it's you two. I had just received the documents for this as well..."

"Ai, you're the lead actor, right? That's amazing! We only play small roles, but I'm glad we can be in the same movie!"

Carefree smiles flashed across Syo and Natsuki's faces.

The two of them had gathered around a table and appeared to be checking their handouts.

That reminded me that those two were Haruka Nanami's classmates.

I wanted to know more, so I approached them.

"You two haven't changed. Syo doesn't seem to have grown, either."

"H-hey! Don't talk about my height the moment we meet! But I'll let you off easy this time since I've been working out!"

Syo flexed his arm. It seemed that the special training during the Master Course bore fruit—he seemed to have gained some muscles.

As for the other one…

"Natsuki, you've been eating sweets recklessly since the end of the Master Course, haven't you?"

"Hehehe, I'm properly abstaining from sweets!"

From the looks of it, his appearance hasn't changed. Maybe it's because I drilled him on how to maintain his shape.

"I'm still using the calorie chart you gave me, Ai-chan~! That's why—look! I brought a homemade smoothie!"

He walked toward me with a large tumbler in his hand and then opened the lid.

"Hm, I'm impressed."

"It has a lot of vegetables and fruits in it, it's really healthy! It also makes your skin smooth! Ah, Syo-chan, should I teach you how to make it? It also has lots of milk and yogurt in it, so maybe it can help you grow taller?"

"No, I'll pass."

"I suppose since 'small animals' and 'beauty' are popular keywords among women, wouldn't it be good to be equipped with both as an idol?"

"You…! No, at times like these, I've learned it's less of a pain to just let things go. Yup."

As Syo nodded profoundly, I thought that this would be a good time to change the topic.

"By the way... what kind of girl is Haruka Nanami?"

"Huh?" "Nanami-san?"

Syo and Natsuki had blank stares.

I suspect they were so surprised because I was expressing interest in another person.

However, it's my top priority right now to ask them what kind of person she is.

"I can't go into any details, but I have to get to know more about her. She is... a composer, right? You both work with her frequently, and more importantly, you know each other from your academy days. So what kind of girl is she?"

"...Um, er… What kind… Well, she's normal...? She's just a regular good girl."

"A good girl, huh? What about her talent and knowledge of music? Does she have a promising future as a composer?"

"A p-promising future? Come on, don't ask me such tricky questions! Now that I think about it, she hasn't had a chance to debut yet..."

...So she's a lost cause.

As I was thinking, Syo started mumbling.

"Her music is, how can I put it... it has the power to make people happy."

"The power to make people happy?"

"That's right. She's still inexperienced, but she's also a hard worker, so she's sure to become popular."

Natsuki, who had been silent the whole time, put the tumbler to his mouth and smiled softly. Syo continued.

"By the way, have you heard the main theme song?"

"Theme song? Not yet."

"I tell you, you have to listen to the song first, then you'll get it! Talking to people is not her strong point, although she's very withdrawn, she's the type to communicate through her music."

"Hehe, that's right. Nanami-san's personality really shines through in her compositions."

"Hm, her personality, you say? Alright, I'll give her song a listen."

"Yeah, do that!"

It would be a hassle, but if I went back to the agency, I would at least be able to get a demo sample of the song.

Natsuki put the tumbler down and clapped his hands together.

"That's right! While you are at it, will you listen to my favorite song?"

"And that would be?"

Instead of answering, Natsuki pulled out his bag and started rummaging through it.

"Some time ago, Nanami-san made a song during her free time as she was helping me with a recording. Um, I think I have it on my music player... Huh?"

Natsuki restlessly rustled through his bag.

"Leave it for now. First I have to go back to the agency and try to find her song."

"In that case, I will send it to you later, Ai-chan."

Then we talked a little bit about work and that's where I left them.

After I had asked several people at the agency about her, I went back home.

Once I settled down, I listened to the song I've retrieved from the agency.

"...Not bad."

The personality that Syo and Natsuki mentioned was audible in the song, but only to the extent that I could tell that she was an earnest person.

Judging her work from a professional point of view, it had many unrefined parts, but her expressive range was wide, and she had a certain kind of originality.

Could this... have potential?

"But it's just her compositions."

I stood up and turned away from my PC.

Apart from composing, she was unremarkable. She also seemed to be a very withdrawn person.

Although she has the talent, her timidity seems to have prevented her from moving forward, which explains why she hasn't been able to debut yet.

As I had planned from the beginning, if she has no potential, I'd refuse. That would be the best solution for the both of us.

I grabbed the documents for my upcoming movie.

This was my first leading role. I had to put all my efforts into this challenge.

I had my own work to do and my own purpose to fulfill.

A partnership would only put me through the trouble of training a newcomer. Besides, I've already done that within the Master Course.

Especially in my case...

"I'll refuse."

I stopped thinking and reached for my phone.

I called the agency and informed them briefly of my refusal.

From there, she would get a call from the agency. Everything was settled. Everything was going smoothly.

I ended the call and looked at the time.

"9 PM... I need to prepare for tomorrow's work."

I had wasted a considerable amount of time. To grab the documents on the desk, I reached out my hand.

"...Uh."

I heard a rustling sound, as my hand must have knocked the papers down, they all fell to the ground.

"Ah, come on... now I have to clean this up, or it'll look just like the professor's place..."

As I was sorting through the documents I had placed on the keyboard, I noticed an email popping up.

"It's from Syo...? What could it be?"

From: Syo Kurusu This is Nanami's song. Natsuki doesn't know how to send it, so I'm doing it for him. For reference.

...Ah, so it's about the song Natsuki liked.

I decided to give it a listen and waited for the download to finish. Soon a piano accompaniment could be heard. It's a rather simple melody.

The melody played as my BGM as I continued to clean up.

"Gal-gal-gal-gal! Galpi-kun ♪ Soft and delicious! Juicy beef ♪"

Natsuki's voice rang out from the speakers.

"What...?!"

"Po-po-po-po! Pork-chan ♪ Gently smiling Piglet-san ♪"

Caught by surprise, my hands stopped while the song continued next to me. Though you could hardly call it that. It was more of a play song with a childish melody.

"Strong! Mighty! Sticky Mochi ♪ Amazing things~ The world is round ♪"

"And here I thought her compositions had potential..."

I take it back. There was no potential. Useless. What a pointless song. What were you even thinking, making him sing such a song?

The song continued. Aside from the piano and Natsuki's singing, there was another laughing voice.

Occasionally, the piano would stop and the clapping of hands could be heard instead.

"Maybe 'It sounds like fun' would be more accurate..."

With a strange feeling in my chest, I moved my hand to stop the song.

"Well... at least it seems to be popular with them."

I muttered to myself. After I finished sorting, I began the next task.

[blackcatxmagic]

Luckily Jamie didn't ask Vale about his accident, and it helped Vale move past the uncomfortable (for him at least) moment. If he explained to Jamie what had happened, the man would understand why this was a sensitive topic, sure, but it would also kill the mood, not to mention open himself up to a lot of questions he didn't want to answer. So Vale just nodded and agreed, "Yeah, it does." Jamie understood the importance of discretion, that much was clear, and Vale appreciated that about the guy.

Shopping with Jamie was fun. Vale had never been much of a shopper, but he thought he might enjoy it more if he did it with a friend. "I wonder what it's like, looking like him," Vale said as they moved away from the deli counter, though he glanced back at the man, admiring the view one last time. "I mean, I wonder if people are just constantly throwing themselves at him, you know?" They moved through the aisles quickly, not that Vale was in a hurry because once their shopping was done, that might be the end of this fever dream of an encounter. Vale had gone from nearly breaking his own car window to shopping with a cute boy while checking out other cute boys. The day had certainly taken a turn for the better.

Vale couldn't help it: he started laughing at Jamie's comment. "I'm definitely not a rancher," he responded. "I live and work on my brother's ranch, but I'm..." Vale trailed off, trying to think of how he wanted to word this. "I'm...sort of a fish out of water there. My parents thought it was best I leave Seattle for awhile, and I didn't really have anywhere else to go." Vale didn't present this like some sob story - he didn't want or need any sympathy. It was just a statement of fact. "My brother is more of what you'd expect a rancher to be like," he went on. "Maybe I should get a cowboy hat. Do you think I could pull it off?" As he took the basket, Vale laughed, smiling at Jamie. "I only do this for the really cute guys, just so you know," he teased.

There was something about the way Jamie answered Vale's question that felt...well not dishonest, but like he was leaving parts out. But that was fine - Jamie didn't owe him anything, and Vale had left some of his own backstory out too. "So are you happy here now?" Vale asked Jamie. "Or are you still looking for your place? I can relate to that." Vale liked Cardinal Hill, but it didn't really feel like he belonged - here or anywhere else for that matter. "I'm good," he answered, "though I want some Nerds while we're here. Those are probably at the counter, right?"

Jamie had been ribbing him playfully, but he sensed the shift in Vale's demeanor when he talked about having gotten into an accident in the past and being careful since then. He was quiet for a moment and nodded. "Sorry to hear that. That sucks," he said, not pressing too hard into the matter. Maybe it was something hard to talk about, or maybe it wasn't. Jamie wasn't there to pry into the matters of someone he'd only just met.

When they hit the deli counter, Jamie smirked when he noticed Vale checking out the guy behind the counter after the comment he'd made. "Anyone with eyes would be hard pressed to pass him up, I think," he mused, moving past and continuing to grab the things he needed. It wasn't a lot, really. Mostly basics so he wouldn't starve to death at home. Bread, lunch meat, cheese. He was a quick shopper too, picking up everything without too much fuss.

It wasn't surprising to learn Vale was from Cardinal Hill. A lot of people Jamie knew were locals, or local-adjacent. "You're a rancher? You don't look like one, but then again you're the only rancher I've ever met, I think," he teased. Jamie always envisioned grizzled cowboys. When Vale asked to hold the basket, Jamie handed it over without fuss, glad that someone else wanted to hold it for him. "I could get used to this," he joked. Then the question was turned on him, on what brought him to this place.

"I kinda closed my eyes, threw a dart on a map, and it landed here," he said. "I wasn't happy where I was from. Decided to go make a life somewhere else." It wasn't a lie. It wasn't the whole truth either, but it wasn't something Jamie was ready to talk about to Vale, or anyone else for that matter. "I think I'm all set with this. You need anything else?" he asked, feeling like he was ready to head out.

[egophiliac]

still ruminating over Lost In the Book With Spooky Skeletons Part 1, so here's a selection of some of my favorite little bits! (...some more loosely paraphrased than others) (I just feel like Idia has no room to criticize in general, okay)

anyway, I'm sure we're just going to have a fun time celebrating Halloween and nothing bad is going to happen whatsoever! :)

[madwomansapologist]

i see all might as a father figure. i think i want to cry for attention so he can hold me and say everything will be fine because he is there

[jamiebluewind]

Today has been one of those "Sorry! I couldn't hear you over the texture of my socks" days.

[kahahns]

Oh hon, I wouldn’t say it's ignorant at all, it's certainly a topic of knowledge you either know a minimum about in general...or you're deep diving, and i've only been on the latter for a couple years. It's all intertwined, and i do love me some crystals. which, i love knowing, even within different cultures it's kind of a middle ground and that to me is pretty rad. That shade of amethyst purple is honestly the most beautiful colour there may actually ever be, it's a signal of bringing in peace so that's certainly matches the feeling anyone would get from just looking at one. I'm a major fan of a rose or white quartz, at the core it's kinda harmony of one self. I also know a lot of people who honestly just have crystal's for the sheer beauty, even within jewellery like you mentioned, so hey, i say get yourself some, honey.

I have always heard of people mentioning the moon phases but never really looked into it all, despite finding it to be pretty interesting. I'm not sure if it's me not believing in it, or I'm just kind of ignorant when it comes down to understanding it. I have learned bits and pieces about crystals, though. They are a pretty big thing even over here where I live. I see lots of people wear them as necklaces too. I think the only one I really understand is the amethyst. Which crystal is your favorite?

[silent-sentinels]

i think it'd be cool to like. let other select plurals know we're plural without letting everyone know we're plural. like some kind of secret passphrase in our bio on main that only plurals used. limp wristing at the gays yknow.

[son-of-avraham]

Me: I am interested in judaism ONLY. Show me content about jewish life, intellectualism, history, and daily life

The Algorithm, apparently: does this mean you're interested in mormonism... how about jehova's witness............... this is all you'll get recommended by the way

[matteoberrettini]

oh btw i finally started translating a matteo interview i've been meaning to translate for like 2 months. it's gonna take me a long fucking time bc it's around 1h long and the hardest part is not even translating it it's making subtitles lol. and the reward will be maybe 5 notes on here but <3 spreading the matteo is a funny down to earth sweetheart who deserves the world agenda to even just one person will be worth it. also i always think that i want to get better at translating so it's good practice