#case in point: ayaka getting a new skin

[hoonietual]

im gonna rant a lil about genshin's "diversity" in the playable characters cause i realized the problem goes beyond there being very few characters with darker skin (though i honestly only consider xinyan and kaeya to ACTUALLY have dark skin -- xinyan's skin tone is actually very similar to mine)

all of the characters with darker skin (except kaeya) aren't really meta and their kits are either dysfunctional or someone does the job better. xinyan has the split scaling, cyno is considered underwhelming (tho again, i'm pretty sure quickbloom is his best team), candace's kit is a bit weird but still functional, but now dehya is a mess.

and tbh this feels more like a genshin problem, which is... weird. in honkai, i think i told you that there is one playable character who is black (though her skin tone is more like cyno/candace's. xinyan, who is not canonically black, has darker skin than the canon black girl 💀) she is a physical support who specializes in breaking shields. though she can be replaced, she is the best at what she does and, if you need a shield breaker, carole's most likely your gal.

it feels so weird how genshin is based off of real-life, yet it can't even represent all the characters somewhat equally in the meta/gameplay. this makes me worried for natlan tbh :/ i don't have much hope for that nation in terms of playable characters. it's kind of a stupid move on hoyo's part to mess up most of sumeru, when they decided which region it would be based on.

sorry for the rant. i just wanted to say it for someone KJGSEKJG

no cuz literally. ever since the sumeru leaks the question on my mind has always been 'are they TRYING to sabotage their OWN characters????' but i guess racism and colourism will make people act like idiots 👍🏽 even weirder considering the entire sumeru plot was about the oppression and discrimination of the desert folk who largely are shown to have darker skin than their forest counterparts. its like theres no communication between the character designers and story writers which... you know. makes sense actually.

kit functionality is another thing though. genshin has more underwhelming characters than xinyan and dehya and candace, and the concept of meta characters has always been iffy. cyno is absolutely good on his own and kaeya has story relevancy and hes also a good unit, people just like to complain. it does feel to me like, as the character roster grows, the less the devs know what to do with the playable ones lol

but absolutely keep ur expectations for natlan VERY low LMAO. they might take inspiration from latin american countries but ultimately theyre a chinese game dev studio who have to cater to chinese and white audiences first and foremost, considering those are always the biggest sources of revenue for everything that isnt contained within national borders. and unfortunately the husbandos and waifus who sell well are always the fair skinned characters lol

[dutybcrne]

Anon said : 💓 - What are some signs your muse has fallen for someone? (Kaeya, Wrio, Kazuha, Ayaka, Xingqiu) 『 Meme || Accepting』

Kaeya: For Kae, it's in the way he reacts to his beloved’s touch. Most folks would presume his charming behavior or teasing tends to hold some tell of his interest, if not how he goes out of his way to help or see others he claims to find interesting. And in some cases it can be. But, truly, it’s this more subtle sign that only someone with a keen eye or who knows him well would catch. It’s all in the way his breath sort of catches upon feeling their skin on his own, a little widening of his eye and parting of his lips. It may even linger after they’ve pulled back, his own hand unconsciously moving to touch at fading warmth before he’d pull himself together and seemingly hastily move right along, when really, he'd be left thinking about it for the rest of the day. Gifts of jewelry in particular are also a very favorable sign, since he doesn't do that for just anyone.

Wriothesley: Puppy behavior. The man might seem calm and composed, but truly, if he's really taken by someone, it still manifests in a warm, playful ( sometimes clumsy/awkward ) series of behaviors one would attribute to a puppy following after its owner, to the point where even imagining a tail wagging behind him comes with ease. And while special treatment isn't something new when it comes to his certain few, when it comes to actively going seriously out of his way to have meals with them ( esp cooking for them himself & more frequent invitations to a teatime snack ), granting gifts ( of which he used every effort he could to commit to memory their likes/preferences ), and offering his aid in any way, shape or form he can, that level of dedication is definitely far out of the ordinary, even for those of his inner circle. He wants to make sure his person is well provided for, after all. Most notably, the biggest sign of his affections is him gifting them then something with his personal emblem on it. That in particular typically would even prelude a confession on his part, depending on how favorably he’s seen it received.

Kazuha: in lingering gazes. Truthfully, if he holds interest in someone, he isn’t one to refrain from making it known to them, especially after the Vision Hunt Decree came to an end. But he still gives himself away in these glances anyway, ones that betray of longing to stand by their sides or having their smiles directed at him. It’s also shown in his poetry, through a more subtle hint of their influence amid his words, through metaphors of flowers and streams they remind him of. Of stars and landscapes he may traverse, that stir his heart the way they do.

Ayaka: She’s such a open book, near every interaction can be a dead giveaway. Flusteredness in proximity, compliments and shy little gestures. Sparing each moment she can by their sides and wanting to personally show them the very best of her nation, of what she herself can offer. She’s never been In Love before, so it’s almost endearingly obvious. There are certain times where she does hold feelings for someone yet isn't actually aware of them for herself. In such cases, the telling signs are more centered around her time around and trust in them, how easily she can let her guard down and be at ease. In both cases, a special little gift from her is perhaps the most telling sign of just how strong her feelings actually are.

Xingqiu: Similarly to Ayaka, his interest for someone can be quite obvious. Contrary to his usual beliefs, his tells tends to manifest in an unconscious urge to impress them, looking for their favor and almost wilting when he fails to. It most definitely shows in the mischief he’d rope them into, finding creative ways to spend time around them, as well as poke fun at them a little, to get their attention, and possibly see them laugh with him. Even if that tends to give him the opposite reaction. And that’s without mentioning his clumsy attempts at wooing then, like the tales he’s read of. And his attempts to actually ensure his handwriting can be read by them, when he tries to write them a poem or invitation to something.

[atsukawolfcat]

Genshin Impact x City of the Dead Idea

My little angsty heart literally has me up at 5AM and pumping me with oxygen-rich blood to have my brain fuel my need for ANGST

So if you have NO idea what the City of the Dead is, it's a song. Cuz it's me and I am not original. I will link the nightcore version here (its the one I was listening to when I thought of this, even did the tippy tap dance when I was on my way to open my laptop and write this post) and the normal version here for you normal people that don't need nightcore in your lives. Anyway, this is a long one, so buckle up!

Gosh, this is so hard to put into words what my idea is. Basically, you have control over the souls of those who passed, either in the past, present or future. This was a power handed to you by the Creator as you have earned yourself a spot within their guard. Being very new makes it hard to control your newfound power, but you have trained in it enough to keep it in check.

But imagine meeting any character that has lost a loved one and was majorly affected by it like Diluc, Kaeya, the Archons, Ayato and Ayaka, Shenhe, Xiao and etc. You have your memories intact, and you know their stories so as your heart is pained for what they went through, you lose slight control of your power. So you accidentally materialize their loved one.

Basically, imagine the following (this will be an example for Zhongli and Diluc cuz why not and you have met all the characters at the same time as the Traveller):

You had joined the Traveller in the quest to find their sibling, mostly because you found it fascinating how their power and aura contrasted with yours. You had met Zhongli, and while the Traveller left off to prepare for the trip to Inazuma, you stayed with Zhongli as he told you the history of Liyue. Zhongli and you were walking alongside each other when you felt the familiar shiver across your exposed skin. Zhongli had led you to where Guizong had died and was telling you the story. As he spoke, his eyes gleamed and gave you the sense of a long painful longing. Your heart squeezed at this, and for a moment you let go of the control of your power, which in turn made Guizhong materialize from the past. Guizhong looked around in confusion, as this was not the land she was from that she could immediately recognize. Zhongli immediately stopped his story to stare at her, only to whisper her name in confusion as he lifted his hand to touch her face. Just before he did, she disappears once more, as you immediately controlled your power upon seeing the woman appear. Zhongli could only stare at where she once was, as she had been lost to him once again.

Diluc would always nearly recklessly dance with death, so you essentially hovered over him while he overworked himself to the point of exhaustion. The Traveller had moved on to Liyue, but you had stayed behind because of this redheaded madman. You did admit, you liked him quite a bit before, but now meeting him face to face made you want to slap some sense into him. You had talked to him that it would do no one any good to go around as a husk as he was, even if it was for the "greater" good. Luckily, he was convinced after the 10th time, so you decided to tail him in the case he didn't follow through. You surprisingly, see that he did follow through and that he had met Kaeya during his walk around Mondstadt. They both went to the place where their father had passed and reminisced over the shenanigans they would pull as children. You lost control over your power for a split second, as you felt the tears fall from your eyes while they talked. Crepus has manifested, in front of the two men. You gained your control back as soon as you saw him appear, but he was already seen. You were tempted to bring him back once more, to give the two at least an hour with their father, but you couldn't. Not when they both had cried "Father!" with so much sorrow when he disappeared again.

You basically get the idea (I hope), that if you go to a location where strong feelings are lingering or you meet certain criteria, you can accidentally create some drama.

Yeah, this could work with angst very well. I also had this idea for the Reincarnated!Reader, where they had died but go back in time. Yeah, the same trend that's with some of these comics and manhwas lately, but I like them cuz its so good, and the angst is always above 90%. This time though, your goal would be basically to save you and your S/O character (I am this obsession with Diluc so yeah him for myself but I also am torn between everyone else as well) from some danger outside of normal parameters. So you die over and over again to prevent it, and basically make multiple timelines to use to your advantage. Still an idea though, but simplest version to see would be from Puella Magi Madoka Magica, your role being Homura's.

[bunchofstraydogs]

You asked for it :> So may I request the rest of BSD playing Genshin? 😘🥰

Darling, since I can't write that many characters in one go, I thought I should give you something special. I present... 💫 women 💫

Women of BSD as Genshin Impact players

tw: you're in bsd fandom, you know all the tw there are by now

Kyouka Izumi- Assasin in the streets, babysitter in the... Genshin Impact

Kyouka is that cute, stubborn kid that overfixates on things. Atsushi is things. Look, we all know Kyo-chan is mad intelligent and talented and it shows in her game play. Right off the bat she got the sense of the gameplay of every type of character and decided what works best for her. She knows what type of team she's going for and knows how to manage her materials wisely.

When she plays alone, Kyouka works towards bettering her characters and pushing through the storyline. Her favourite way to play the game is with Atsushi, whether alone or in co-op with others. Playing with Jinko is a huge win-win situation for her - she helps him beat up whatever he needs to take down and complete puzzles, he gives her praises and gratitude. And materials, but seldom does she take them.

Her main job, though, is to protect Atsushi and his world from the otherworldly evil known as the suicidal maniac, Dazai Osamu. She's fairly successful.

Main Team: MC, Klee, Keqing, Rosaria

Sub Team: MC, Qiqi, Fischl, Hu Tao

Mains MC, both for her flexibility with elements and because she likes being the little sister to Atsushi's male MC.

Yosano Akiko- retired nurse, now a terrorist

Did you really think she'd stay a healer without having the sadistic satisfaction of hurting people in grotesque ways? Nay. She doesn't have a single healer on team. She either has a teammate who's a healer like Haruno, or she wastes abundance of food until she can teleport to a statue of the seven.

Her game play is on crack, basically. She has several energy spurs, sometimes several times a day, where she rages through the game, before losing interest and going shopping. It's very possible with her that days can pass before she feels like playing again. Then she binges the game for hours and repeat.

When i say she acts like on crack i mean it. She has rage in her veins instead of blood. She tanks her characters and goes out looking for fights with worst possible opponents. Hell, she'll under equip her party just to see how many mofos can she take down in weak state. Spoilers, a fair few. She does die quite a bit, and is almost always out of food, but she's just as stubborn as she's crazy. Those two thing correlate probably. Which is why she made Azdaha her bitch. Her party consists either of strong, hot milfs women like herself, or twinks. You won't see someone like Childe disrespecting her vibe.

Main Team: Beido, Venti, Hu Tao, Rozaria

Sub Team: Lisa, Yanfei, Ningguang, Xingqiu

Beido and Lisa main. Bad bitches only.

Naomi Tanizaki- the fangirl player

She basically collects the cutest characters possible.. That's how she chooses her characters, based on cuteness. She went for the hot ones first to pull her brother but she got jealous and changed her tactic. You know she's spending her money on character skins and certain banners. She's insanely lucky tho?? She got Qiqi on the standard banner as her first 5*, pulled Klee on her banner in little over four 10 pulles and got Diona eventually anyway. Baraba and Xiangling were free and she mained Xiangling untill Klee rolled in. She spent some money on Venti and was already in pity when Ganyu came around. She's fully ready to whale for Kokomi though.

Now i know i said she's incredibly lucky, right? Yeahh that luck has to turn against something to keep the balance and well... she's still crying over Chongyun.

She usually co-ops with her brother, it's a daily ritual. Loves co oping with everyone though, mostly Haruno, Atsushi and Kyouka. She made online friends as well. Actually, there is one person she co ops with almost as much as she does with her brother. IchiGawa is her Genshin bestie and they talk about their crushes and infatuations besides the game itself. Her friend is the only secret she keeps from her brother.

Main Team: Klee, Diona, Venti, Barbara

Sub Team: Razor, Xiangling, Xingqiu, Qiqi

A Klee main.

Haruno Kirako- the healer

Literal angel. You need her, i need her, ADA needs her, the president needs her, just... yes. Her whole team consists of support- healers and crowd control characters. She was a f2p at first, but realised she earns her own money and can spend it however she wishes and she chose the monthly cards.

She's a necessity, point blank. She can get intimidated by new foe at first, but when backed up by her friends, she becomes determined and flexible. Pays good attention to her teammates, most importantly, their health bars, and acts accordingly.

The only reason most of them made it as far as they have, being as reckless as they are.

Main Team: Albedo, Barbara, Jean, Venti

Sub Team: Qiqi, Noel, Jean, Xinyan

Mains Albedo and Barbara

Fan fact: She's very fascinated infatuated with Albedo!! He's even her home screen and has posters and key chain of him.

Gin Akutagawa- that cottagecore assassin

You may be wondering what that could even mean. Let me tell you, she brought Animal Crossing to Genshin Impact. Sure she takes care of her characters and they're pretty powerful, but she kicks ass in real life as well. The game is her little getaway, especially since Serenity pot has been introduced. She's been making away her home for her and her brother characters. You can see her chop wood, collect materials, taking pictures with her friends and her brother, sometimes of pretty scenery and cute moments. A very wholesome player.

She's the type to help her friends explore their world and help them find oculi, open chests, shrines, collect flowers, mine... She's very patient, but if she sees her co-op teammates struggle with something, she'll jump in to help do it herself untill told to back off. In which case she will listen and silently give her support, usually with the cheering stickers in the chat.

She's f2p! Sure, she could get the monthly card at least, as Ryunosuke told her, but she really wants to enjoy the game on her own terms and have what she does through her own effort and hard work. It just feels satisfying to her and more personal.

Main Team: Jean, Ayaka, Diluc, Barbara

Sub Team: Doesn't have one! She just changes characters if certain elements are needed.

Jean main!! She admirers the relationship her and Barbara have. While she's the younger of the two, she's taken the mantle of the older sibling, in a way, and is looking after her reckless as heck brother and cares for him like Jean does for Barbara. Jean is also a wonderful person in her eyes and Gin harbours great respect for the blonde.

Higuchi Ichiyo- IchiGawa 🤡

I love Higuchi so much, but my girl is a mess and a half. Help her, please. No, really, she needs help. She's been over compensating for not being dramatic and eye catching in the battlefield, and has now found a new way to prove herself to her Akutagawa-san. Problem is, as soon as she sees a potentially powerful character, she has to get them and boost them to the havens... yeahh, good thing you can't do loans in the game, otherwise she'd have sharks on her ass for having a bill as dramatic and eye catching as Tsunade's from Naruto. Our girl out there turning heads for wrong reasons. She's definitely spent her pay checks on the game "oh no no, i just buy the monthly subscription, ehe" ehe my ass, you bankrupt bitch. Baal is coming and she's looking to sell a kidney. No, it's not her own and no, it doesn't have anything to do with the game. It's a mission, for God's sake.

But hey, the game is a good investment for her! She even made a friend, one that totally understands her how she feels!! They're very alike as well, ready to do anything for the person they love. The two talk about love a lot and have bonded over it. Higuchi is actually a jealous and a protective type of person, so she hides her friend from Gin and Tachihara like snake hides it's legs. If only they knew 🤡. But it's better this way as they both have a certain sense of normalcy and familiarity they were missing in their daily lives. (Higuchi and Naomi meeting scenario when?)

Main Team: Xiao, Fischl, Xingqiu, Diluc

Sub Team: Baal (soon?), Venti, Ganyu, Zhongli

She mains Xiao because he reminds her of Akutagawa-san and yes, she uses characters from her sub team when playing with others.

Fan Fact: when she was asked why her username is IchiGawa, she said she's like a river 🤡 No, it does absolutely not stand for Ichiyo Akutagawa.

Ozaki Kouyo- the husbando and loli collector

Don't get the wrong idea when i said loli collector. She just needs to adopt them and look after them. She also enjoys watching her precious babies kick ass like her Kyouka. But that's a two way sword, because she gets angry when they die. Savage.

And yeahh, the real reason she's playing the game... Mr Zhongli. She switches often between eng and jpn audios because she can't decide which sounds sexier. Also, Mr Diluc? Yes, she would like to be served one sex on the beach please and thank you! Ah, Mr Kaeya, a perfect window of opportunity, yes.

She has a huge spot for the teenager group as well. Razor, Bennett, Fishl, Xiangling, Xingqiu and Chongyun are also her kids. She just finds them very precious (don't we all?).

Main Team: Zhongli, Kaeya, Bennett, Diluc

Sub Team: Diona, Klee, Qiqi, Sayu

A Zhongli and Diluc main.

Bonus:

Elise- the evil lackadaisical player

Mori found out about the game from Higuchi and Tachihara and introduced it to Elise, telling her she should make a team of sweet little girls like herself and have fun going on adventures around Teyvat. In response, Elise made a team that, not only does it not have a single child in it, but is using it to gaslight and bully Rintarou.

"Why aren't you smart and inventive like Albedo?"

"Why aren't you as passionate and persistent as Sucrose?"

"Look how capable, loved and admired Ningguang is. You could never."

"I wish i had someone as strong, caring, handsome and rich like Childe looking after me. He would treat me like a real princess. "

Mori has been crying rivers ever since.

Thing is, Elise isn't even that interest in the story. Actually, she couldn't care less. Some characters are interesting to her and she likes the graphics, but other than that, she's mostly playing the game to torture the greasy doctor (as she should).

Main Team: Albedo, Sucrose, Ningguang, Childe

Sub Team: doesn't have one

Doesn't have a main either, she plays whoever she feels like playing.

I wanted to add Lucy too, but my mind wasn't cooperating ;-; Sorry about that. I do hope you liked this, Eli 💛

[chilucult]

Party at Angel's Share

Pairings: Rosaria x Ayaka

Warnings: alcohol

Word count: ~1.5k

part 1 of college au series (masterlist) -> part 2

fic under the cut! (ao3 link)

important note! inspired by art from the wonderful @ar-ma the link will take you to the art!

Ayaka burst into Thoma’s bedroom just as he was finishing putting the last of his shirts away in his closet. He may or may not have been procrastinating unpacking all of his belongings in the new apartment he was sharing with his childhood friend. Said childhood friend was currently lying on her stomach on his bed, her legs kicking behind her, looking at him with a glint in her eyes that said she wanted something.

Thoma eyed her warily. “Can I help you with something, m’lady?” He chuckled as Ayaka’s nose scrunched in distaste at the nickname.

She hummed, looking around the room. “Oh, just wanted to see how the unpacking was coming along, that’s all,” she said, an easy smile on her face.

Thoma knew her better than that, the glint in her eyes still there. He made a show of waving his arms around the room, showing off the fact that he had unpacked everything. “As you can see, everything is in its place.” He dropped his arms as Ayaka nodded along. “Now, what do you really want?”

Ayaka’s legs stopped their aimless swinging, crossing at the ankles behind her instead. She gave Thoma a look, her eyes sparkling and the corners of her lips twitched up into a small smirk. “You wouldn’t happen to have any plans tonight, would you?”

Thoma frowned. It was the evening before their first day of classes, of course he didn’t have plans. Honestly, he was kind of planning to be in bed and asleep by 10pm, wanting to get a good night’s rest before the first day. “No… why, did you have something in mind?”

The smirk on Ayaka’s lips only grew. “I heard there’s always a party at the Angel’s Share the night before the first day. We’re going,” she decided for the both of them. She rolled off of Thoma’s bed elegantly, making to leave the room. “Get dressed, we’re leaving in an hour.”

With that, Ayaka was gone. Thoma sighed, looking at the clothes that he had just finished putting away, knowing they were going to be strewn across the room as he tried to find an outfit. Neither him nor Ayaka were big party goers, but he figured if Ayaka wanted to go, then who was he to not tag along?

They made it to the bar only thirty minutes later than Ayaka had originally planned. The place was already packed with people, the party in full swing. They stand by the door for a few moments, just taking in the chaotic surroundings, before the door opens behind them, pushing them further into the sea of people.

Ayaka instinctively grabbed Thoma’s wrist, not wanting to be separated from him in the crowd. She leaned up on her tiptoes, using her grip on Thoma’s wrist to pull him down. “Let’s go over by the bar,” she all but shouted into his ear, straining to be heard over the loud music and the thrumming buzz of everyone talking.

Thoma nodded, grabbing her hand to lead them over to the bar. They didn’t go to parties often, but they had been in crowded situations such as these enough times that they knew to have Thoma push through the crowd, using his height as an advantage.

They made it to the bar, feeling a moment of reprieve as they noticed there were slightly less people there. They, miraculously, found two empty barstools by the end of the bar, and sat down.

The man working the bar eventually made his way over to them, and they requested their drinks. Ayaka decided to try the ever-so-popular dandelion wine that came from overseas, while Thoma just opted for a water. Even though they had just walked to the bar from their apartment, they always agreed that one of them would stay sober, just in case of emergency. Tonight, it was Thoma’s turn.

After a few minutes, their drinks arrived, and Thoma grabbed his wallet to pay. Ayaka always cursed the fact that the cutest dresses never had pockets, but at least she was usually accompanied by Thoma, who never complained about carrying her things for her. Thoma made sure to leave the bartender a generous tip, noticing that he was the only one working the bar on such a busy night.

Ayaka took a sip of her drink. “Ooooh, this is good, you’ll have to try it whenever we come here again!”

“I’ll try to remember,” Thoma laughed. He glanced around the bar a bit before returning his attention to Ayaka. “See anyone here you know?”

She looked around the place. She noticed that most of the people were crowded around the speaker system in the back, where the loud music was coming from. There were a few pool tables near the entrance, but only a handful of people were actually making use of them. Around the bar, there were booths and tables that were filled with people chatting and-

Ayaka immediately averted her gaze as she saw a couple making out in one of the booths. In the process of trying to find literally anywhere else to look, her eyes landed on the most captivating woman she had ever seen.

The girl had dark red, almost pink hair that was cut short, the strands framing her face a bit longer than the rest. Her leather skirt ended just above her knees, a slit on one side going up to her hip and exposing more of her fishnet-clad legs. She wore a deep red leather jacket over a v-neck crop top that showed off her pale skin.

Ayaka had only just noticed that the girl’s shirt was straining to contain her breasts before she tore her eyes away, glaring hard at the dandelion wine in front of her as she felt her cheeks flare with heat. “No, no I don’t see anyone I know,” she said, answering Thoma’s earlier question.

Thoma, being the ever so observant friend that he was, noticed Ayaka eyeing up the girl brooding in the corner. He felt a smirk tug at the corners of his mouth. “See anyone you’d like to get to know?” He asked teasingly, his all-knowing smirk growing.

Ayaka’s eyes darted back to the girl in the corner, before she returned them to glare at Thoma. “Shut up,” she mumbled, knowing she didn’t even have anything she could defend herself with.

Thoma had no shame about looking at the girl who had piqued Ayaka’s interest. He only laughed at the glare Ayaka sent his way. “Hey, I’m not going to judge your… interesting taste in women. I guess she is kinda hot in that mysterious, might actually be a murderer kind of way.”

Ayaka pushed him off the barstool, displeased when he landed easily on his feet and sat back down again. He was still staring at the girl in the corner. So much for being discreet, she thought to herself. “Oh my god, will you stop looking at her?” She hissed; she really didn’t want to be noticed.

Thoma chuckled in amusement. It had been a while since Ayaka had had a crush on anyone, he almost forgot how flustered she could get. “Why? I think you should go say hi, she’s over there all alone,” he suggested, knowing Ayaka would probably rather jump off a bridge.

Just as he said that, however, he noticed a man walk up to the girl in the corner, leaning against the wall next to her easily to exchange a few words. He was a curious looking man, dark blue hair pulled over his shoulder in a ponytail, and a flashy outfit that just demanded attention. He had a confident aura about him too, one that told Thoma that the man knew he was the center of attention, and thrived on it.

Thoma floundered a bit when the man turned to look directly at him, noticing the girl discreetly pointing in their direction. He copied Ayaka’s earlier move and glared hard at the empty water glass in front of him, hoping that maybe if he ignored everything, this whole situation would go away.

Thoma was panicking. He really didn’t mean to stare at the girl or make her uncomfortable, he was just trying to get a better read on the person who had caught Ayaka’s attention. But now this man, maybe the girl’s boyfriend his mind supplied unhelpfully, was headed his way and would probably be wondering why he was staring. And if he really was her boyfriend he could be angry at Thoma, could drag him outside the bar to beat him up. Thoma really didn’t want to be found dead in a ditch the next morning.

Thoma tensed as the man took a seat next to him, refusing to so much as glance in his direction. Out of the very corner of his eye, he noticed the man lean his elbow on the bar, propping his head in his hand facing towards Thoma. He opened his mouth to speak. Oh god, here it comes, Thoma thought to himself.

“Hey cutie, wanna dance with me?”

Wait, what?

[writingpaperghost]

I Would Offer It Happy With a Smile on My Face (Chapter 2)

Chapter 2: Just a Tiny Star in a Different Form

It’s time for the city to see that Ultrawoman Grigio is here to help.

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24860734/chapters/60213679

“Aren’t those the same clothes you were wearing yesterday?” Tomomi had insisted on making breakfast that morning, mumbling something about how Asahi being there giving him a reason to actually make it in the first place. Asahi figured that maybe he was one of those people who didn’t always eat breakfast, or at least not very much.

She looks down at her clothes, which were a little dirty after her fight with that Gomess the day before. Other than that though, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell she was wearing them for a second day. “Well... Yeah.” She responded, “I didn’t exactly plan to come here, so I couldn’t really pack any extra clothes.”

Tomomi didn’t immediately respond, instead finishing up breakfast, his face neutral. After they began to eat was when he spoke again, “I suppose we’ll have to see about getting you a few changes of clothes.” 

“Oh! That’s nice of you, but it’s not super necessary!” Really, he was already being far nicer than most people would be, especially given she’d just kind of shown up.

He raises his eyebrow, “Well,” He said, “You can’t exactly run around wearing he same clothes every day.”

Ah...Well, he does have a point... But still! Still... Okay she really couldn’t come up with much of an argument. At least... not one that she wasn’t positive Tomomi would reason away. Yeah, okay, so he had a point.

Noticing her lack of argument, Tomomi thought for a moment, “Tomorrow,” He decided, “Tomorrow we can get you some new clothes.”

Asahi decided that it wasn’t worth trying to argue otherwise. So she didn’t. Instead she cheerfully responds, “Yeah! Sounds good.”

Once they finished breakfast, Tomomi began gathering his things. Asahi watches him, not really sure what else to do with herself. He had said he was a journalist, so she supposed he probably had some work to do today, or something like that. But he was taking his time, so he must not have been in any real hurry.

“Hey, Tomomi?” She called, to which he responded with something that sounded like a “yeah” but she couldn’t make out exactly what he said. It didn’t matter though, she had his attention. “Can you tell me more about what Gomess can do? In case it shows up again today.”

He stops what he’s doing for a moment and looks at her, before returning to it. He thinks for a moment before answering, “The main things you need to watch out for, as you saw yesterday, is it’s fangs and it’s ability to dig underground.”

“Right!” Asahi nodded, recalling her previous fight with Gomess. It’s fangs weren’t horrible, she could pretty easily deal with that, but the digging might be harder. She couldn’t really find where it was when it did that. Maybe her best bet was to try to keep it from going underground... Yeah, probably.

“What ways does KPaRS have to deal with Kaijus?” They hadn’t really done much the day before, other than fly around. She was worried that they didn’t really have any way to defend against Kaijus.

“KPaRS mainly uses containment procedures.” He tells her, “Unfortunately, something about these rampaging Kaiju seems to prevent a lot of the sedatives from working. Without the sedatives, the nets and such used to remove them from the city are broken pretty easily.”

“So they just fly around and hope for the best?”

“Now,” He hefts his bag onto his shoulder, “It can certainly appear that way. Rumor is they’re developing more... violent means to try to stop the rampages, but for now they don’t seem to have anything special.”

Asahi nods, “Got it, so I might need to keep an eye on them for now. Would want anything to happen.”

“Right...” Tomomi grabs his phone off the table, “Now, I have stuff to do and will be busy until this evening. I’d recommend trying to familiarize yourself with the city, but you do whatever.”

“Okay!” She smiles in response, “See you later!” He waves and leaves, Asahi watching as he went. She was alone now, leaving her with her thoughts... She hoped her family wasn’t worrying too much...

Oh, who was she kidding? They were probably worried sick! She just falls through a portal and is no where to be found! But she didn’t have anyway to get in contact with them... Hell, even if she could, it wasn’t exactly like they had anyway to get to her or her to them. While their mom still had that device that can open portals to another dimension, Asahi wasn’t really sure how effective that would be here. Not that it mattered, they didn’t know she was here.

With a frustrated groan, Asahi stands up, deciding to take Tomomi’s advice. She was going to explore. She’d just have to make sure she didn’t get lost. Yep! That sounds like a great idea! Besides, if a monster shows up, she’ll be able to jump into dealing with it quicker.

Kurokita was like any other city she’d seen, which may not have been a lot, but still. She wasn’t even really sure where she was going, so was kind of just wandering. That was fine, she was mainly just kind of trying to just get a lay of the land, learn the city so she could run around without getting lost.

It was... a nice city, she supposed. There wasn’t exactly a lot to say, there wasn’t something in particular that stood out. Kurokita was, by all means, a normal city. It just happens to be on an Earth that has a Kaijus that just sort of... mind their own business, generally. Apparently.

To the side, like the day before, the news drones on, reporting on the attack yesterday. Asahi pauses to look at it, listening in on to what was being said. The newscaster, same as the day before, spoke “The giant appeared to be fighting the monster. We have little information as to why the giant has appeared or where it has came from.” They were talking about her. Or rather Grigio, which she needed to stop associating as a different person.

“KPaRS has released a statement, which declares that they will continue to try to contain the monsters, and if needed, this giant.” Well that wasn’t very friendly. Of course, even back on her Earth, even back in Ayaka, people still had mixed opinions about Rosso, Blu, and Grigio. It was worse when they first showed up, so she figured public opinion might change the longer she’s here.

“Honestly,” There’s a woman to her right, and the woman scoffed. “All anyone wants to talk about now is that giant.” Asahi looks at her. She had black hair pulled up into a bun and her skin was a bit darker than you’d normally see, but her physical characteristics weren’t what stood out. It was the clothing she was wearing. Dark red goggles lay around her neck, but more interesting was her jacket, a light grayish blue with orangeish yellow on the sides, high collar, and the end of the sleeves. On the front left was a logo, and that was the interesting part. It said “Kaiju Pacification and Reaction Squad”. This woman was apart of KPaRS, which might explain her annoyance. That and she clearly wasn’t very fond of Grigio.

“I guess you’re not fond of Gri- of the giant?” The woman spins around, clearly surprised that Asahi had responded. Judging by the look on her face, she might not have even realized that she had said anything at all.

“Well,” The woman began, “You have to admit, it’s kind of suspicious.”

She was expecting a fair amount of responses. She’d heard plenty of opinions about Ultras before, about her brothers and herself. But just saying “it’s kind of suspicious”? She hadn’t really heard that before.

“Suspicious?” Asahi echoed, “What do you mean?”

“That giant- it shows up right after these monsters start freaking out? They’re clearly connected.” She sounds pretty annoyed, but beyond that, there was clear suspicion in her voice.

“Maybe the giant showed up to help with the monsters?” Asahi offered, though it was a tad weak. Really, how does one respond to being accused of something like that, except you can’t say it’s you they’re accusing? She sure didn’t know, but she was trying.

The woman pondered that for a brief moment. A very brief moment. “Maybe... Or maybe it’s why the monsters are causing all this chaos.” She’s quiet, before shrugging and saying, “I don’t even know why I’m talking to you.”

“Boredom?”

A shrug is her only response, or at least the only response to that suggestion. Instead, the woman changes the subject, “Ugh, I should be going.” Then much more quietly, almost beneath her breath, “ Can’t have anything happen and I have to run to base because I’m not there...”

Something tells Asahi she should keep KPaRS close, so to speak. She wasn’t sure if it was intuition or something else, but it seemed important. They wanted the same thing, after all. Asahi hated destroying Kaijus, she felt bad enough when her brothers did it. The main solace she could take back home is that the monsters there were usually summoned or created by something or someone else. But here that wasn’t the case.

“Hey!” She calls out, “You work for KPaRS, right?”

The woman raises her eyebrow, crosses her arms and responds, “Yeah, what of it?”

“Oh! Nothing, really!” Asahi waves her arms, “I just really appreciate how you all have been trying to calm the monsters and all. I’m sure a lot of people would find it just... easier to just kill them, or something...”

The woman scoffs, “You’re not wrong...” She stretches her arms, “Probably one of the first to appreciate what we do, though.”

“Ah... well... Hurting Kaijus unnecessarily is not happy!”

“Sounds like you’d fit in at KPaRS,” The woman laughed. She didn’t seem to put too much thought into her comment, at least not right away. “Pretty much everyone there feels the same way.”

“Even you?”

“Even me.” Asahi pondered the response for a bit. While the topic of Grigio may have been a bit sour for this woman, she clearly took her job seriously. 

“You ever thought about joining KPaRS?” The question really just came out of nowhere and took Asahi back a bit. “Always looking for more people. Especially now that it seems things have been... changing.”

Asahi quickly put together what she thought would be a logical response. “I’ve never really thought about it...” Which was the truth. “But I might start.”

“You do that,” The woman said, placing her hand on her hip, “Name’s Jun Kumagai. I work as a pilot for KPaRS. And I’d love to stay and chat more, but I have to get to work.”

“Of course!” Asahi agrees, “It’s nice to meet you!” Jun soon disappeared into the crowd. It was only after she left that Asahi realized that she never introduced herself to Jun.

Well... She’d have to hope they cross passed again. Not to mention that it was an interesting conversation. Just from talking with Jun, Asahi felt like she got a better understanding of KPaRS as a whole, assuming that Jun was telling the truth.

Asahi continues to wander around the city after that. Nothing particularly special happened, the rest of the time she spent wandering was uneventful. After an hour or so of walking, she decided that she wanted to return to Tomomi’s home, tired of wandering around.

Thump... thud... thump... thud...

Oh, she recognized that sound, she’s heard it before. That was the sound of something very large walking around. And those quieter little sounds were probably things getting stepped on, cars and such. Which meant there was two options of what was causing those sounds. And since an evacuation is being announced, it was pretty clear what it is.

Looking around, she finds it. Gomess.

Right, time to deal with a Kaiju, and this time, she wasn’t going to get beat up. She was going to stop it, and she was going to prevent as much damage as possible. She would show everyone who doubt her, who doubt Grigio, that she was only here to help.

“Color me with your power, Grigio!”

She hadn’t noticed if it had happened the day before, but this time, at least, when she appeared, Gomess turned it’s attention immediately to her. Like the Kaiju she was fighting before she fell through the portal back in Ayaka. That was strange. Immediately, she summons her bow and launches a few arrows at the monster, wincing internally. She felt a bit bad about it.

Gomess roars and runs at her, baring it’s fangs like the day before. Except this time, Grigio made sure there was much more distance between them, so she could properly block the attack.

“Grigio Barrier!” The monster crashes into the barrier, unable to stop itself. It seemed a bit confused, for a moment, long enough for Grigio to pull an arrow back and launch a Grigio Scatter Shot.

As the monster staggered back, she reviewed her plan. She needed to tire and weaken the monster enough that when she bound it with Grigio Bind, it wouldn’t be able to break free like the day before. Hopefully, KPaRS would be able to take the monster away, or whatever it is they do with rampaging Kaiju.

Unfortunately, Grigio didn’t really have a lot of offensive moves. She was going to have to either get creative, or hope that Gomess didn’t learn how to dodge her arrows. She wasn’t sure how close she wanted to get to it, but at the same time, she needed to keep it from running away again.

She sees KPaRS’ jet fly into the fight, feeling a momentary twinge of annoyance. But she remembered her conversation with Jun earlier. Clearly KPaRS wanted to help, just like her. So she chased away the annoyance and just hoped that they would be fine.

Gomess roars, then begins to swat at the jet whenever it got remotely close. Shit. That wouldn’t be good. She’d have to keep it’s attention. So she levels her bow again and draws back, another arrow ready. She fires several arrows and more scatters shots, successfully bringing it’s attention back to her. The fight had reached a minute long and between that and the amount of arrows and scatter shots she’d used, she was starting to feel the drain of the fight.

Grigio couldn’t keep this up. She fired an arrow again, but this time, Gomess dodged. Crap. It learned how to dodge her arrows. Okay, she needed to change her strategy. Which meant she was probably going to have to use some hand to hand. Great.

She drops her bow down, letting it disappear from her grasp. She slips into a proper fighting stance and takes a deep breath. The monster begins to ran at her and she herself runs to meet it. It swings at her and she ducks, punching it in the stomach area. “Grigio Punch!”

The monster stumbles backward and she leaps away, trying to keep some distance as it swung it’s tail at her. She grabs at the tail, though it slips from her grasp and the monster swings it arm at her again. Grigio swings a kick at it, followed by another punch.

Gomess’ movements are slower now, so Grigio quickly moves back, putting as much distance between them as possible. As her color timer began to flash and beep, she prepares to finish the fight.

“Grigio Shot!” She crosses her arms into a the shape of a plus sign. From there a beam fires, nailing the monster in the chest, causing it to stumble back. Right, time to tie this up. “Grigio Bind!” This time, when Gomess is bound, it’s unable to break free, ultimately falling to it’s side in it’s struggling.

KPaRS flies by, seeming to examine the monster. Grigio gives them a wave and then jumps away, taking off into the sky to leave. She’d find somewhere to change back and then return to Tomomi’s home. 

---

When Tomomi gets home, several hours after Grigio’s fight with Gomess, he doesn’t seem horribly surprised to see Asahi. Which, to be fair, even if Gomess hadn’t appeared, she would have came back before him anyways.

“I take it you had an interesting day, huh?”

Asahi laughed, “No kidding!” She’s smiling, though, “I managed to tie him up and everything.”

Tomomi sets his bag down and gives her a smile, “Yeah, I think people will start to like you more... Though that brings the question, what’s your name, like that? When you’re a giant?”

“Oh!” She forgot she’d never told him, “Ultrawoman Grigio!”

“Ultrawoman?” His brow furrows, “Interesting name.”

She shrugs, “I’d give you a reason if I knew it.”

“And the flashing light?”

“Flashing light?”

“The one on Grigio’s- on your chest.” Tomomi clarified, pointing at his own chest.

Oh, “That’s my color timer. It starts flashing red and beeping after three minutes or when I’ve taken too much damage.”

“Why three minutes?”

“I’m not quite sure the reasoning,” Asahi said, “But I think I was told at some point that it had something to do with the Earth’s atmosphere blocking out sunlight or something. Since Ultras are beings of light - or something like that- on some planets we’re limited in how long we can stay in that form...”

“Or something like that?” He finishes, a smile curling on his lips.

She laughs in response, “Or something like that!”

---

A New Force of Good - Ultrawoman Grigio

By Tomomi Hashimoto

At the beginning of the week, the citizens of Kurokita found themselves witnessing an odd increase in violent Kaiju rampages. Two days ago, during one of those rampages, a silver and yellow giant appeared in a form of light. This giant fought the Kaiju, though she was unable to defeat it. Yesterday, that Kaiju returned, and so too did the giant. She fights and she fights until she has weakened it. Once weakened, the giant ties up the monster, allowing for KPaRS to safely move the Kaiju to a preservation for study.

Many may wonder who this giant is, where she came from, what her motivations are and her goals. All of those cannot be answered currently, though there is little doubt that this is the last we’ll see of her. There is a clear correlation between the monster’s appearance and the giant’s. But it’s not a negative one, clearly this giant seeks to defeat and contain the monsters, much like KPaRS. 

Regardless of where she came from, her goals are clear. She will protect us, during this time where we ourselves are struggling to do so. This leaves but one question. Who is this giant? What shall we call her?

Ultrawoman Grigio. And she will be a force of good.

The article caught Asahi’s attention right away. Or rather, the heading of the article. Well, she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised by it, Tomomi is a journalist. Maybe this can help people see she wants to help.

Asahi finishes reading it and smiles.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hey, do you know any fics where Johnlock are in a queerplatonic relationship? I've read exactly one, Awakening by Guanin, and I'm craving more. Bonus points if either of them are aroace or apsec in any way :D

Hi Lovely!!

I know of a few!!! Funny story: I thought I only knew of two… when I started tag-searching, turns out I know more than I thought I knew I’ve also added the one you suggested, since I haven’t read that one yet!!

QUEERPLATONIC / ACE RELATIONSHIPS

See also: 

Platonics and Domestics

Platonics & Domestics Pt 2 / Hugs, Cuddles & Kisses Pt. 3 / Tooth-Rotting Fluff Pt. 4 / Love Confessions, Slow Burn & Dev. Rel. Pt. 2 / Established Relationship Pt. 3

Platonics / Bromance / Friendship Pt. 3

Do You Love Me? by whitchry9 (K, 641 w. || Friendship, Family, Epic Bromance) – John asks Sherlock perhaps the most important question. 

Settling In by PorcupineGirl (T, 1,030 w. || Ace Sherlock/Straight-Biromo John, Queerplatonic Relationship, Fluff) – Asexual!Sherlock/Straight!John in a queerplatonic romantic relationship. It’s a bit of an oddball, but anything fluffy and loving and nonporny will be endlessly and forever adored. It’s always fun to see the two work out that hey, we’re in love, we don’t have sex, but it’s still a wonderful and meaningful relationship.

Cuddling by GraciousK (G, 1,107 w. || Angst, Cuddling, Hypothermia, Dev. Rel., Fluff and Angst) - John finds Sherlock and he’s delirious. John saves Sherlock, semi-happy ending.

The Cure for Snoring by Goddess_of_the_Night (G, 1,278 w. || Sleepy Conversations, Bed Sharing, Cuddling, Fluff, Domestic, Platonic / Sleepy Cuddles) – Sherlock and John spend the night in Scotland after finishing a case. The sole Inn in town only has one room left…one bed. This would be fine - if not a bit awkward - if Sherlock hadn’t developed a habit of snoring loudly. John suffers through many hours of sleeplessness before he discovers that skin-to-skin contact stops the noise. Part 1 of Dreamscapes

Random Numbers by songlin (T, 1,671 w. || Ace Sherlock / Straight John, Cuddling / Snuggling, Massage, Hand Holding, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Post-TRF, Slice of Life) – A collection of moments in the relationship of asexual!Sherlock and straight!John.

the fearful passage of death-mark’d love by flibbertygigget (T, 1,980 w. || Magical Realism, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Life Partners, Name Marks, Referenced Deaths) – The first time that John meets Sherlock Holmes, the younger man has his sleeves pushed up to his elbows, wrists bare of any hint of ink. Within 48 hours, John has added “Jefferson Hope” to his clavicle. (Or: The One Where, When You Kill Someone, Their Name Shows Up On Your Arm)

Tangential by Bitenomnom (NR, 2,047 w. || Ace Sherlock, Fluff and Love, Cuddles, Friendship, Sherlock is a Kept Man, Sherlock Divorces his Work, Nightmares) – In which John stitches up Sherlock’s head (but not really), Sherlock comes into John’s room at night to take his laptop (but not really), Sherlock is married to his Work (but not really), and John is more than proficient at keeping Sherlock (really, definitely). Part 48 of Mathematical Proof

L'Esprit D'Escalier by TheSoulOfAStrawberry (K, 2,011 w. || Ace Sherlock, Romance, H/C, Pining) – A lack of understanding leads to a misunderstanding, which in turn leads to two confused men dealing with something they should have sorted out earlier, rather than on John’s wedding day.

Rooftop Confession by Random_Nexus (T, 2,514 w. || Ace Sherlock, Developing Relationship, Friendship / Love, Angsty Fluff) – Sherlock asks John to join him for a slightly unexpected discussion.

As You Wish by PipMer (K, 3,311 w. || Bromance/Pre-Slash/Epic Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, John Whump, Hospitals) – When John woke from his coma, he wasn’t at all surprised to see the wrong Holmes brother sitting at his bedside. Disappointed, but not surprised. 

The Second Law of Thermodynamics by entanglednow (T, 3,614 || Asexual Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Sharing Body Heat) – In which there’s no heating and there’s a dead owl in Sherlock’s bed. Part 1 of Thermodynamics

The Genetic Algorithm by Bitenomnom (NR, 3,786 w. || Ace Sherlock, Friendship, Cuddling Fluff, Sherlock Experiments on John, Alternating First Person POV) – Some problems defy the usage of cold, clean-cut linear logic. It is impossible to devise a way to take steps that ultimately lead exactly to an optimal answer. Sherlock believes John Watson is one of those problems. Part 28 of Mathematical Proof

Breakfast, acronyms and brotherhood by Rose de Sharon (K+, 4,074 w. || TBB Fic, Friendship/Bromance, Hurt/Comfort, Protective John, Fluff) – Set after The Blind Banker: my take of Sherlock and John’s conversation over breakfast. S/J friendship, bromance, no slash.

Bed-Sharing Between Flatmates by testosterone_tea (T, 5,053 w. || 5 and Ones, Bed Sharing, PTSD John, Science, Whump, Insecure Sherlock, Asexual Sherlock) – 5 times Sherlock had an excuse to share John’s bed, and the one time he didn’t need one.

The Important Bit by Solshine (G, 9,984 w. || Platonic Marriage, Domestics, Asexual Sherlock) – Just where exactly is the line between “to love” and “to be in love”? What difference is required between “flatmate” and “husband”? (Besides the rings, obviously.) No, the important bit is that they have each other. Thirty years, give or take, in an atypical marriage. Basically a long bit of platonic domestic fluff.

A Is For Aftermath by ElvendorkInfinity (T, 10,567 w. || Injury / Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship/Pre-Slash/Bromance/Platonics, Hallucinations, Introspection, Insecure / Worried John, Big Brother Mycroft, Alternating POV, Anxious Sherlock, Self-Deprecating, Mildly Possessive Sherlock, 3G Moment) – John is still hallucinating, Sherlock cannot sleep, and Lestrade has a new case for them. But will life at 221B ever be able to return to normal? Epilogue to M is for Moriarty.

Catastrophe Medicine by LaSuen (T, 11,550 w. || Hurt / Comfort, Suspense, Adventure, Whump, Hard Core Bromance) – Chasing after a pyromaniac bomber Sherlock and John wind up in a deserted building which explodes and leaves them trapped under the rubble, both severely injured.

Always the sun by Rose de Sharon (K+, 12,377 w. || Song Fic, Alternate Post-TGG, Friendship/Bromance, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection / Reflection, Injury Recovery, Obsessive / Protective Sherlock, Nightmares, John’s Past, Bed Sharing / Cuddles) – Sherlock ponders about how much his life has changed since John has become his flatmate.

Shuteye Shenanigans by Ayakae (K+, 13,263 w. || Post-TRF, Friendship / Epic Bromance, John’s Nightmares, Angsty Fluff, Bed Sharing, Humour, Cuddles, Taking Care of Each Other, Domestics) – John Watson has never slept with Sherlock Holmes. Never ever ever. And never will, thank you very much. Well, there was that one time, but John didn’t count that. It was completely different, just like the second time it happened. And the third. And the fourth. Epic bromance, but it can be read as pre-slash if you wish.

Hope for Heroes by Richefic (K+, 16,887 w. || Post-TGG Fic, Introspection / Flashbacks, Friendship/Epic Bromance, Hurt/Comfort, Worried/Anxious Sherlock, Sherlock Admires John, BAMF John, John Deduces, Fancy Party, John’s Self Esteem, Domestics) – In the final moments of “The Great Game” Holmes hopes he will have the chance to tell his flatmate that he was wrong. Heroes do exist after all and the one in front of him is called Dr John Watson.

Sherlock’s Head, John’s Heart by Altego (T, 17,252 w. || Tragedy, Heavy Angst, Heavy Bromance, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Mary is Nice, Friendship) – After Mary dies, John tries to cope, and Sherlock blames himself but tries to make John understand how important John is in his life.

Checkmate to a Castled King by LaSuen (T, 18,290 w. || Friendship/Bromance, Hurt / Comfort, Sick Sherlock, Rev. Reich.) - John dies. Or at least everyone thinks he does.

An Experiment in Apathy Series by belovedmuerto (G to E, 28,701 w. across 13 stories || Empath John, Empath-by-Proxy Sherlock, Epic Bromance Becomes Romance, Angst, Nightmares, Experiments, Trauma, Dreams) – “No man is an island, John. You less so than most.” A sequel to the EiE Series, wherein John and Sherlock explore their relationship.

A Week is Just Seven Days Isn’t It? by scifigrl47 (T, 39,906 w. || Humour, Friendship/Bromance, Stroppy Sherlock, Undercover/Army John, Texting, Pining-ish Sherlock, John Whump) – When John heads overseas for a week, Sherlock’s forced to fend for himself. It goes about as well as anyone could have anticipated. Which is to say, very, very poorly. Don’t worry, things’ll be fine in just seven days.

Awakenings by Guanin (T, 41,034 w. || Post-S1, Cuddling & Snuggling, Ace!Sherlock, Aro!Sherlock, Bisexuality, Queerplatonic Relationships) – John’s breath shook the collar of Sherlock’s shirt, breath which was pleasantly warm and bathed the skin of Sherlock’s neck and collarbone in a tantalizing way that Sherlock wasn’t sure if he wished to analyze at the moment, yet was doing anyway, because how couldn’t he? It incited a slight tremble in his skin at first, the slightest pricking sensation as his breath shuddered to a stop in his throat at the sudden and unexpected intimacy of it. John’s breath, John’s, brushing against him and Sherlock letting it remain so close as if it belonged there, no more alien to his own body than the clothes he wore. Because it was John’s. {{TO READ}}

Holmes is where the heart is by Rose de Sharon (T, 49,636 w. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Post-TRF, Reunion Fic, Bromance, Empty House Inspired, Adventure) – Three years after the Reichenbach Fall. On the anniversary of Sherlock’s death, John pays a visit at 221 B Baker Street… and he gets the shock of his life.

A Love with No Name Series by aceofhearts61 (G to M, 49,955 w. across 20 stories || Asexual Sherlock / Straight John, Est. Rel, Queerplatonic Relationship, Romance, Cuddling, Fluff, Platonic Romance, Domestics) – In which Asexual!Sherlock and Straight!John are platonically in love life partners.

An Experiment in Empathy Series by belovedmuerto (T, 62,397 w. across 13 stories || Empath AU || Psychic John, Psychic-by-Proxy Sherlock, Empathy, Psychic Bond, Romance / Bromance) – In which John is an empath, Sherlock is Sherlock, and an epic bromance happens. In the aftermath of The Great Game, John creates an unexpected bond between himself and Sherlock. Now they have to learn how to deal with it. John is better at this than Sherlock is.

The Green Blade by verityburns (T, 72,929 w. || Casefic, Bromance) – As a serial killer hits the headlines, the police are out of their depth and the next victim is out of time. With faith in Sherlock Holmes at an all time low, this is a case which will push loyalties to the limit…

Unkissed Series by 221b_hound (T to E, 184,168 w. across 46 works || Established Relationship, Ace Sherlock) – Sherlock returned from the dead a year ago. John returned to Baker Street six months ago. They’ve been in a couple since then. or at least, not NOT a couple. For two smart men, they sure can be dumb. Luckily, an art thief tries to drown Sherlock, Sherlock has a fever dream and things are about to change.

[hotcocosharing]

Lose To Win Chapter 1: The Reunion (HLITF & KBTBB )

Title: Lose To Win Chapter 1 Fandom: Her Love In The Force & Kiss By The Baddest Bidder & Metro PD: Close To You Rated: Drama, Thriller, Angst, Fluff, Smut HLITF & MPD’s MC: Mika HIJIKATA KBTBB’s MC: Mia SAKATA Characters: Goto, Kaga, Ishigami, Soma, Ayumu, Namba, Eisuke, Soryu, Mamoru, Baba, Ota, Kirisawa Summary: Smut with Kaga! Fans of HLITF / Kaga, the game needs more love. Background: This series occurs (6 months) after the previous series Switching Places , click on the link if you’re interested or confused at any point.

Mika first encounter with them again 2 months after the fail operation, it was Baba’s birthday and it led to a 4 parts Epilogue with 3 parts smut. At last, Mika had moved and avoided all contacts with the bidders, making it clear to Mia that she couldn’t meet them under any circumstances.

Another 6 months later, she was back at the Tres Spades Hotel under Eisuke’s request. (Order) Notes: sunflowerblackrabbit / ladystar0710 / medievalbingeprincess69 / silver-red-rose / makingastar / ayaka-oh / mirandaflamel / dms-903 / vmendoza1901 / tsuki-tsundere

Special thanks to my beta reader- @nitelotus​

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

[ Another 6 months have passed since you last saw the bidders, they recently returned to Tokyo from Dubai ]

Slowly lifting your head up from a bow to another guest, you let out a sigh and impatiently pace around the lobby. It’s a quiet day at the hotel and it’s boring the hell out of you, given the fact that this isn’t even an actual mission. Six months, you’ve had complete control of you life again, solving cases, arresting criminals, interrogating suspects and occasional one night stands.

Six wonderful months with no bidders, no auctions, no Eisuke the ass or the mobster you’d finally stop thinking of. Mia has moved to Dubai with them for the new hotel and you couldn’t be happier. Until the moment Eisuke is sitting in the chief’s office and “requires” your assistance- the lucky bastard just always gets his way. However, it concerns Mia and it’s a rather easy task so why not? As long as the pervert isn’t laying his hands on her, following him and sees what he’s hiding would be a piece of cake.

Half an hour later, the target has arrived, giving you a big unpleasant grin and hugs as soon as he spots you. “I’ve got some business to attend love, then I’ll see ya at the penthouse. Would be best if we’re alone, if ya know what I mean?” You force a smile and head to his floor shortly after.  Looking through the peephole from the room across his since Eisuke has given you a master key, it doesn’t take long til he has a visitor- a man you actually recognize.

Nishimura, a drug dealer you’ve arrested quite a few times. Eisuke’s target is buying and selling drugs in his hotel, the guy must have a death wish. Just as your hands reach the doorknob, a figure appears from the shadow and kneels down in front of the door opposite, sliding a spy camera underneath. The tall man moves quickly but you’d partly make out of his face structure, those determined eyes and messy dark brown hair. You know this man, you’d recognize his back anywhere, since you’ve dug your nails into it so many times, embracing it from behind for years- his back has been your sanctuary, your very own safe place. How could you ever forget?

Returning his camera back to his inner pocket, he enters the room in no time. Seconds later, you go in to find them lying unconscious on the floor while the only man standing points a gun at you. “Hello, Kaga.”

He stares at you blankly, clearly struggles to find the right words and before you could the door is burst open, your heart almost stop. “What da fuck did ya do kid?” Soryu has already drawn his gun out and Kaga quickly aims his at the mobster, “Okay clam down, don’t shoot!” You step in between, arms out and reach for both their guns. “Eisuke ain’t gonna be happy.” Mamoru sighs while few men from the Ice Dragons comes in to carry the two unconscious men. “Please, he’s hardly ever happy.” You can’t help with the comment, Mamoru grins, “Who’s this?”

Expressionlessly as usual, Kaga sets his eyes on them, particularly Soryu. Anyone in the force would know his face, “A friend.” You mutter, “He’s coming with us obviously.” Kaga averts his questioning gaze at you with Mamoru’s words and you respond with a nod, indicating that it will be okay, what’d possibly happen now since you’ve already gone through the worst? Soryu remains silent throughout the entire time, only whispers the basics to Eisuke upon their arrival. As expected, the King is not amused. Ota and Baba’s eyes sparkle when they see you but their instinct is right, this isn’t the time to cheer and welcome you. “What happened?” His cold eyes scanning both you and Kaga, clearly irritated.

“Give me 5 minute,” You suggest, “can we borrow your office?” Pulling Kaga’s elbow towards upstairs as you hear Eisuke clicks his tongue but agrees. “5 minute, sharp.”

“Make it 10.” Kaga shrugs, “It’s a long story.”

Eisuke rolls his eyes then focuses back to his laptop, “You better get on with it then.”

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ SMUT

Before the door has even closed Kaga holds your wrist high and spins you around, wrapping his arms around you. One inhale of his musky scent which can easily make you cry so you shake your head instead and break away, “What the hell are you doing?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” His tongue slides into your mouth, seizing your voice with a wicked grin on his face. Hmmmm is the only sound you’d made, what a weak way to protest. With hands down your ass, he lifts you up and slams you against the window, making you gasp as the cool window’s glass hits your back with his lips trailing down your neck. Breaking away shortly, he rips your blouse open leaving you feeling exposed in your purple lace bra. Musing out with a smirk, his hands gropes your breasts and kisses them furiously, holding nothing back. “Fuck, I miss them!”

A dry laugh leave your mouth and your hands reach his messy hair, “We’ve only got 10 minutes.”

“Plenty of time then, we have done it in much shorter time.” His lips are moist and warm against your skin and it reminds you how much you’ve longed for this, no one else ever touches or kisses you the way he does. So rough and yet so gentle, so full of affection. Tilting your head to make way for him to kiss further down while his hands travels up and down your waist. There is no time to waste, he pulls up your skirt which you know for sure that he’d much prefer to see you fully naked, well today is not the day.

You can’t move, his fingers have somehow short circuited your mind in the best possible way, you have done it so many times and still, never a dull moment. He losses his belt as you open his shirt, revealing his toned abs. And you secretly curse in your head, that’s what you seriously miss!!! He’s so fucking hot! It’s impossible not to notice his bulge which is growing by the second, Hyogo Kaga is truly a sight to behold.

He kisses you hungrily, pushing his tongue between your lips, your body is writhing beneath his. One touch and that’s all it takes, it has always been this way with him. You feel electricity runs through your body, all there is left is passion, intense and intoxicating. Your eyes lock and you see the devilish satisfaction in his before dipping his head and licks your nipples. The motion sends a wave of desire through your very core and the next thing you know, he’s already slammed into you hard. The wave of pleasure hit you and after the first thrust he allows you some time to adjust right before he pulls out and thrusts back in.

His thrusts become faster and harder, impossible for you to keep quiet and by the looks of it, he’s doing it on purpose. “Your moan still turn me on so much.” “Harder.” You moan.

Swiping your hair to one side and bite your neck, daring to leave his mark. His thrusts become erratic and you’d hear him breathing heavily.“Are you close?” You whimper with all the strength you’ve left because he isn’t and you know it. Moving one hand down, Kaga begins circling your clit. “Let’s make you cum first.” He grins as he speeds up and that’s all you need to come undone. The orgasm is so intense that your whole body keep shivering. You give out a loud cry which he soons muffles with a rough kiss.

He keeps on thrusting but not for his own release, the on going stimulation send your mind to go blank. “Wait, I just ..”

“You haven’t moan my name yet,” he hisses and fucks harder.

“Oh god!” Squeezing your eyes shut as each thrust hits your sensitive spot over and over, “Kaga!!!” The one word put you over the edge and you come again, harder than the first. “Good to see you too, Mika.” He teases. With your legs wrap around his hip and his hands cupping your face for a long steamy kiss, the door flies open with three pair of angry eyes glaring at your direction.

Kaga gently lowers you down but your knees are failing, you’d collapse without him holding you tight. “Our 10 minutes up, I suppose?” You pinch Kaga on the arm to shut him up but the three bidders are obviously pissed. Feeling mortified and awkward, you mutter a sorry. Not entirely sure if you’re apologizing for the turn of events or the fact that your moan have proven how much more you enjoy this 10 minutes quickie than your previous encounters with these three men staring by the door.

Kaga turns around as you button up behind him, you sense the strong hostility between their gazes. And by the time you all return downstairs, a familiar cheerful voice calls out in surprise. “Oniisan ?!” (brother/brother in law)

Chapter 2 Here