#for once i’d like to not get spoiled for a game but eh

[galarfiend]

im like fully spoiled for all of scarlet at this point and it sucks ass but also thats just more time to draw the characters and cry about songs

[conditionaljewel]

time for my expert analysis and thoughts about Pokemon Scarlet (and Violet, but from a Scarlet perspective) spoiler free as best as possible

- okay so getting past the graphical glitches from time to time, and the slowed fps in some instances, and the clipping and pop-in and ...

- i think this really might be my favorite main entries of games of the whole series (overall, second behind legends arceus)

- gameplay starts out slow but once you’re unleashed into the open world, is really is nearly a truly open world. fucking finally. needed it.

- the lets go feature needs some fine-tuning but i really love the concept because it makes grinding at the endgame so much easier

- getting to the endgame really never felt like a grind at any point because all the while during the lengths of time between badge acquisitions, i was exploring, catching, evolving, tera-raiding, and battling the trainers, so nothing felt like it was being done in excess or overkill

- WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH THIS GAME MAKING ME CRY NOT ONCE NOT TWICE BUT THRICE EH I DIDNT SIGN UP FOR EMOTIONS I SIGNED UP FOR CUTESIFIED COCK FIGHTING AND GAMBLING

- i had the endgame accidentally kind of spoiled for me (without context) so i had some kind of something about what was going on but i did not expect those various twists of the rails on the coaster, it was such a great story i gotta say they did an amazing job with it (they got me to cry like i said)

- that all said, mommy sada and daddy turo are still 10/10 would bang

- after 9 generations i think i can definitively say that the elite four is meant to be the truest challenge of the game as far as the main storyline, and (with the exception of Cynthia *her theme music plays softly in the distance*) the champions are easier than the Elite 4, because no E4 challenged me as much as this one did (going in spoiler-free) only to be practically walking over the champion (maaaaaaybe I had trouble as a younger kid with a few of the champions, but all things considered, the Elite Fours were always the most difficult part as compared to the Champions)

- all of that said, there’s only a few things i would change: obviously those graphics need fixed, pls get us a patch somehow... but also, can we get evolutions through lets go? would make the moments of true grinding a little easier... i’d also really love the chimes for shiny pokemon to come back on the overworld when they spawn bc i’m sure i’ve missed at least one running around by now

- also for dlc can we get a handful more of the paradox pokemon? like i know spoilers and endgame shit but also just saying i want morrrrre

anyway that’s all i’ve got to say so i guess i’d give it an overall 8/10, which is lower than the average game but those graphics issues and glitching really are the only issue, fix them and add a few other little things and tweaks and it’d be perfect.

okay i’m going back to grinding in the crater now, bye.

[tarohonii]

So uhm i have this headcanon where subin has a black card BAHSHDHJAHSJA.

So uhm i think it's a fruit tea order with subin jiwoo jisuk and wooin (basically the gang ehe) with how subin uses her black card and spends it with the group (and also boasting it in front of jisuk lmao) if that makes sense?

Basically 30% sweetness and 50% tanginess (??) Cause the squad can't have a day without being chaotic lmao

I'm sorry if this is a hard order i just can't help myself jsksjkajska

Have a nice day! :>

↳ Response: ooh I adore his headcanon so much. We as a fandom don't talk enough about Rich Kids Jisuk and Subin and I think that's a problem. Also the fact that you added the sweetness preference I;;; much affection for you

꒰Subin Black Card HCs ༉‧₊˚✧

꒰ ⌨ A new order has come in! ··· ꒱

↷ Base: Fruit Tea [No reader]

↷ Boba: how Subin uses her black card

↷Allergies (Warnings): none

↷Sweetness preference: 30% sweetness, 50% tanginess

↷ Additional Notes: None

Subin doesn’t seem like the type of person to throw away money Just Because, but also the type to spend half of her allotted budget on arcade games that are obviously scams 

Actually didn’t realize what it meant to have a black card until she whipped it out at school to buy a soda from the vending machine. The vending machine. Subin is really quite something. 

Usually quite generous in treating for people, but gets stupidly stubborn about it when it comes to Jisuk. 

“You think I’d waste this hard-earned money on you?!” “That isn’t even your money, you stingy bitch.” 

Half of the expenses is covering Wooin’s food. 

Jisuk called Subin Wooin’s “sugar mommy” once and he ended up in the hospital for a week 

Both she and Jisuk are planning to cover Jiwoo and Wooin’s tuition if/when they head into college

Considering both Subin and Jisuk’s positions, it make a lot more sense for Subin to have a black card and not Jisuk 

Subin was described to be treated like a princess, and never had much discipline enforced on her. A black card probably would’ve been one of the first things she was given once she was able to speak. 

The reason Jisuk wouldn’t have a black card? Jiyoung is a damn strict sister. I think she wouldn’t approve of Jisuk spending money recklessly despite his status, and although allows him to use the Shinwha budget, he has to get her approval first and get money loaned to him (as seen when he asks Jiyoung for an allowance) 

She’d probably enforce more sensible ideals onto Jisuk, and a black card is way out of the question. I don’t think Jisuk would even care or want a black card, either. Maybe it’s more convenient, but other than that, it doesn’t matter to him. 

That is, until Subin started flexing that stupid little black piece of plastic, and nothing gets Jisuk going more than feeling inferior to Subin. 

(Spoiler alert: He never got a black card, and sulked about it for weeks) 

She has lent her card to Wooin and Jiwoo several times-which started becoming an even more common occurrence when she figured out their means of transportation. Although they are regularly sponsored by Shinwha and the Union for flights and carrides, they’re still unaffiliated, which means they don’t exactly sit in the lap of luxury. 

Anyways, Subin changed that. Whenever they’re travelling somewhere, she has literally sneaked her card into their pockets so they can use it to get the best rental cars, hotels and airlines (all of which are benefits of having a black card) 

They keep on telling her it’s too much, but homegirl deadass Does Not Care. You call it spoiling her friends, she calls it expressing her affection. 

The type to use her black card for free trials, then completely forget to turn it off after the 30 days and get charged 

Thank you for reading!

[jayeray-hq]

How He Shows You Affection: Kageyama Tobio

Thank you again for requesting anon!

Post Time Skip/Manga Ending Spoilers!

Warnings: None all fluff!

How He Shows You Affection Masterlist - Character Masterlist

Thank you as usual to the amazing Tay @deathcab4daddy​ I know you’re busy so I really really appreciate it! 🥺💖

He Dotes on You

           Kageyama had always been a bit socially awkward, which had at times made it difficult for both you and others to see how very much he cared about you. It had taken you a good long while to realize that despite the stilted, often abrupt, and abrasive, words that came out of his mouth that he truly loved you. He was even doing everything in his power to show you, since he couldn’t seem to vocalize how he felt with any sort of eloquence. It was in the little things he did, every day and in every moment that showed he was thinking about you.

It was how whenever he went to the vending machines, he always came back with his milk in one hand and your favorite drink in the other. It was in the way he ensured you never ran out of your favorite treats at home, restocking them every time he went to the store and never forgetting them. It was how there was always a seat reserved for you at all his games, even the ones you couldn’t come to because he wanted to remind you that you were always welcome and that he was always thinking of you.

             The little things he did never failed to make your heart warm, each gesture stating how much he loved you loud and clear for anyone who cared to look. After all, each gesture was catered to you and to the things you loved. It surprised every single person who asked about your relationship, but after the first few mistakes where you stated your preferences to him clearly, Kageyama hadn’t ever gifted you something you didn’t like.

             Your volleyball crazy boyfriend had proved over and over that the only things he paid attention to and bothered to memorize were about the things he loved. It was why he’d struggled so much in school, and yet he never seemed to forget a single detail about you. He knew your favorite dessert, the things you craved, when your cycle was, your hobbies, and the little things you did or that he could do to brighten your day. He memorized it all, carefully and meticulously and pulled those details out when he needed them to help him prove to you how very much he cared.

             It meant when the two of you went shopping that if you happened to mention you liked or wanted something, you could almost always count on having it show up sometime in the near future. It made things a little difficult at times as your boyfriend, with all his adorable awkwardness, didn’t seem to know the meaning of the word excessive. You couldn’t help but find that part of him incredibly cute. It just meant you’d had to learn to watch your words so you wouldn’t accidentally take advantage of the way he wanted to spoil you.

             However, the clearest and most obvious sign of his adoration for you was when you asked him for something, he almost never said no, even if doing it for you made him a bit uncomfortable at times. If you asked him for a hug, he gave it, even if it was in public in front of his team, or even in front of reporters and fans despite the fact that public displays of affection made him uncomfortable. He would blush the whole time, and maybe be a little stiff and awkward, but if you asked, or even so much as hinted that you might need it he would do it without hesitation.

             It was another thing you were very careful never to take for granted, unwilling to make him uncomfortable or unhappy for your own selfish reasons. However, you really appreciated that he was willing to step out of his comfort zone for you, to do whatever it took to make you feel loved.

             A lot of people over the years had asked you how you could be with someone who seemed so cold. You’d always scoffed at those people, because it was very clear to you and everyone who truly knew him. Kageyama was the exact opposite of cold. Sure he struggled sometimes, but it was clear to you that he was doing his best to show you how much he truly loved you, and in the end that was all that mattered.

 He Makes Time for You

             You waited patiently up in the stands, watching as your boyfriend practiced his setting for Hoshiumi, Ushijima, and Romero below clearly working on something or another. You honestly loved watching your boyfriend practice, the look on his face was unlike anywhere else, the sheer joy and concentration in his expression clear to anyone who cared to look.

             It was very clear to you that the volleyball court was where Kageyama belonged, and where he felt most comfortable. However, these days you liked to think volleyball wasn’t the only thing that could make his face light up with joy, a feeling that was only confirmed as he glanced up after a successful toss to meet your eyes.

             It was a habit he’d formed fairly early on in your relationship, searching out your face in the crowd, almost as if seeking your approval, something in his face clearly asking ‘did you see that? Did you see what I did?’. The answer of course was always yes, because when he was playing you could hardly ever tear your eyes away from him, which was part of the reason the two of you had gotten together in the first place.

             However today wasn’t about volleyball, or enjoying watching him set for hours on end. No today was supposed to be about the two of you. It was an important date after all, Valentine’s Day, and one he’d promised to you. He clearly hadn’t forgotten, judging from the lovely bouquet of your favorite flowers that had arrived while you were at work, and as he caught your eye, he nodded to you in acknowledgment before turning to his teammates.

             You weren’t sure what exactly it was he said to them, but it had Hoshiumi letting out a surprised shout, and Ushijima raising a brow at your boyfriend. Romero, whose Japanese had improved a lot recently, simply clapped your boyfriend on the shoulder in a clearly congratulatory manner before gently pushing him off the court.

             Kageyama went, though not before meeting your eyes and gesturing that he would meet up with you in the lobby. You waved in acknowledgment, a wide affectionate smile on your face as you stood to leave, even if it would take him at least ten minutes to shower and dress.

             Your departure however was stopped by a shout from Hoshiumi. Curious, you turned to find all three of the players who’d been practicing with your boyfriend, along with the team captain Hirugami, Fukurou, all gathered below the bleachers clearly looking to speak with you.

             “How did you do it?” Hoshiumi asked you bluntly, his eyes wide with shocked awe as he stared up at you.

             “Do what?” you asked him, a little dumbfounded by the question. Hoshiumi was a bit of an odd one, and though you didn’t know him well you did know he was the kind of guy that was almost impossible to predict.

             “How did you convince Kageyama to leave practice early?” he asked, his voice getting louder and louder with each word, clearly baffled, “We can hardly ever get him to leave the building period, but somehow he’s ditching us early?”

             “Kageyama is very diligent,” Ushijima added thoughtfully, also looking a bit baffled as to why anyone would want to leave practice. The compliment was a high one though, especially from Ushijima who was honestly the epitome of diligence.

             “But I didn’t,” you told them, unable to help the fond smile that pulled at your lips as you realized that your boyfriend had clearly made special plans for the two of you, especially if he was leaving practice early, “Tobio was the one who told me what time I needed to be here. He insisted on making the plans for today.”

             Hoshiumi made a clearly disbelieving noise, but Romero who had been listening intently and quietly asking Hirugami for clarification at certain points simply nodded voicing, “Is the power of love, sí?”

             You flushed a bit at having it pointed out so bluntly, especially when Hoshiumi squawked in clear surprise and Hirugami started in on a coughing fit, clearly trying to cover his laugh. However, the beaming smile on your face no doubt gave you away.

             “Kageyama told me a couple weeks ago that he’d be leaving practice early today,” Hirugami told the group, once he’d recovered from his fit, “It surprised me and the coaches too. Apparently, he’s more of a romantic than I thought.”

             “I never thought I’d see the day Kageyama loved something as much or more than volleyball,” Hoshiumi voiced with a frown, “I’ve known that kid since high school, and never would’ve guessed he had room in his head or heart for anything more than the game. Guess you must be pretty special to him eh?”

             You didn’t get a chance to respond to the surprisingly perceptive question from the white-haired wing spiker, as your conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the man himself. He was dressed surprisingly nicely, in dark pants and a deep blue button down that no doubt had been picked for him by his older sister Miwa. He had a bit of an impatient look on his face, clearly suspicious as he glanced between you and the members of his team who’d gathered to speak to you.

             “Oy, come on, we’re going to be late,” he informed you bluntly, holding his hand out to you.

 “You look nice Tobio,” you acknowledged, immediately accepting his hand, smiling up at him, and enjoying the faint pale blush you could see across his cheeks. He was clearly a little flustered at the compliment, simply dipping his head, unable to collect himself to return the compliment just yet.

 However, he did carefully guide you out of the bleachers, ensuring you didn’t slip on the stairs because of the heels you’d worn to match your date night outfit. The soft, admiring look he gave you every time he looked at you more than enough of a return compliment, and reward for dolling yourself up for the night.

 You waved in acknowledgment as the team wished the two of you a good evening together. You stepped out hand in hand with your boyfriend ready to enjoy the evening and celebrate your love, one that he’d more than proved already, simply by taking the time off to be with you.

 He Vocalizes it to You (and only to you)

             “Tobio is something wrong?” you asked your boyfriend, deeply concerned with the way he’d been acting all evening. He’d been fidgety and restless, casting you furtive looks out of the corner of his eye that he clearly thought were subtle but were actually anything but.

             Usually when he got a bit agitated or when something was bothering him, you could get him to relax by cuddling up together on the couch and running your fingers through his hair as you watched something mindless on tv. Tonight however, even that surefire method had failed. You weren’t sure what was wrong, only that something was.

             Kageyama fidgeted for several seconds, clearly fighting with himself as you waited patiently. By this point in your relationship, you were well aware that sometimes the best thing to do with him when you wanted answers was to quietly wait him out and give him some time to get his thoughts together.

 You didn’t mind. The fact that Kageyama was able to communicate effectively with you at all was, according to some of his old high school senpai, a minor miracle. After all, verbal communication was one of the areas your boyfriend struggled with the most, and had led to quite a few misunderstandings and hurt feelings on both sides from the people he’d known over the years.

 He’d gotten much better though as he got older and a little more patient. It was something he credited Sugawara, Hinata, and Oikawa of all people with, which had always baffled you a bit. Oikawa himself had squawked rather indignantly when your boyfriend had mentioned as such in his hearing which, while hilarious, had done nothing to clear up your confusion.

 You were grateful for it nonetheless as it had certainly helped ease things in your relationship. The two of you had, had more than a few bumps along the way, especially at first, but these days you liked to think the two of you had a good system worked out and communicated rather well.

 “I love you,” your boyfriend blurted suddenly, the words pulling you from your reminiscence about the past rather abruptly and startling you a bit with their volume.

 “I love you too, Tobio,” you told him immediately, a little taken aback, but warmed nonetheless about his declaration of affection, even if the delivery hadn’t been all that smooth. He didn’t say it as often as some, and never where anyone else could overhear, too shy to do so, but when the two of you were home, he never failed to tell you and it warmed your heart every time.

 “You- you know I love you,” he continued hesitantly, peering up at you from where he’d been resting on your lap, his deep blue eyes clearly troubled as he asked, “right?”

 “Of course,” you answered, more than a bit baffled about what had brought this on all of a sudden, “And, you know I love you back, right?”

 “I know,” he murmured his voice quiet, but filled with affection as he peered up at you, his face full or adoration even if the worry hadn’t completely left his eyes.

 “I just wanted to make sure you knew,” he told you earnestly, his ears burning red, clearly embarrassed but determined to keep going despite that, “Because everyone says it isn’t obvious, and I just thought, maybe it might not be obvious to you.”

 “Everyone says?” you repeated a little baffled, before remembering the article that you and one of your friends had been laughing at over lunch earlier in the day. It was one of those stupid gossip rags that made up random news articles about celebrities. This particular one had proclaimed that it was clear your boyfriend wasn’t in love with you, because he was never affectionate or loving toward you when the two of you were in public.

 It had even gone on to proclaim this was because he was in love with another woman, and included a grainy picture of him hugging her as clear ‘evidence’. You’d nearly laughed yourself to tears seeing the photo as it was clear how incredibly uncomfortable he’d been, stiff as a board in the embrace. Even funnier was that you’d recognized the ‘other woman’ in the photo as his sister Miwa.

 You hadn’t given it a second thought other than to ask your boyfriend if the PR team of the Adlers was going to do anything about it. He’d immediately responded with an affirmative, and you’d seen the magazine had been forced to print a retraction and an apology just an hour or two later. You’d honestly forgotten about the incident completely, but apparently your boyfriend hadn’t.

 “Tobio, you know I don’t care about what anyone else says about our relationship right?” you told him gently, “As long as you know I love you, and I know you love me that’s all that matters. As long as you keep talking to me, keep telling me you love me that’s all I could ever need to know how you feel.”

 Kageyama still looked a bit concerned, the furrow that appeared whenever he was thinking hard about something still evident between his brows. You meant the words though, really and truly. You knew how hard they were for him to say, both because he struggled with communication in general and because he was shy about expressing his feelings. Which was why it meant the world to you that he went out of his way to say them to you. You didn’t need him to proclaim them to the world, him just saying them to you was more than enough.

 “I love you,” you told him earnestly, peering down at him, gently smoothing the crease in his brow until his face relaxed, into the soft look he reserved for you.

 “I love you too,” he told you sincerely, sitting up to press a sweet, lingering kiss to your lips.

 “Then that’s all you have to say,” you assured him, nuzzling your face into his affectionately, relishing in his presence, and basking both in his love and the words he saved for you and you alone.

[nautiscarader]

Marichat 1

Smutember day 1 - Strip Poker, Marichat (ML)

(Ao3)

With apologies to anyone, who knows how to play poker.

Also I hope you will apprciate all the ice puns. You will soon see why.

What killed the dinosaurs? THE ICE AGE

===========

At this point, Marinette thought she'd be used to having a boyfriend with a slightly unusual method of dropping by. She heard the scratching on the trapdoor, and when she opened it, she was welcomed with an upside-down face of her feline companion.

With his trademark agility he indeed dropped in, landing on all fours and jumped back up, his tail coiling around her waist to bring her into his arms.

- Quite a bold move, kitty. - she smiled. - Well, you know me. - How did you know I'd be free tonight, though? College is forcing me to stay a lot in the libraries, even in the evening... I was about to hit the hay... - she pointed to her rather skimpy clothing. - I guess it was a bluff.

His hands slid up and down her thighs, while her legs gently parted his. It was true, her university did embark a toll on her private life, giving the two way less time to spend together.

And as the two were about to kiss, a word from him gave Marinette an idea.

- How about strip poker? - Marinette asked, raising her eyebrow - If you think your bluff game is so strong... - Sounds like a slightly more complicated way of getting you out your clothes, princess... - Chat replied cockily.

Marinette gave him a gentle kiss and jumped onto her back. She straightened the sheets, took the deck, shuffled it, and shot Chat with a smile.

- I assume an alley cat like you-you know how to play poker? - she added with just a tinge of hesitation. - Ah, of course - he replied with a similar moment of worry - Were you thinking of some other, simpler game? - Well...

Marinette began, and she lost control of her deck, temporarily scattering cards all over her laps.

- There-there is this card mini game in this, uh, app game called Mister... - Penguino! - Chat finished, and coughed, sounding a bit too excited - I heard, I mean. We can, uh play that simplified version, just to humour you. - Yeah, I mean, even pros need a break once in a while.

The two shared a long, silent connection, as Marinette shuffled and dealt the cards. She hid her face behind them, wishing she could have seen the tooltips that automatically suggested the desired highest combo...

She sneaked a quick look at Chat, but she was used to him hiding his thoughts, and it seemed for once he might have an upper hand, or claw...

She repositioned a few cards, and with a firm move, she put two of them down, sending her opponent a faint smile.

- I've got... one pair of snowshoes! - and she proudly uncovered two queens. Chat smiled back. - Guess I've invited you to ice-skate ring for a date.

And revealed four cards from his hand.

- Two pairs.

Marinette's smile faded, and knowing he wouldn't look away, she undid her ponytails, tossing away her hair ties.

- Come on, that barely counts as clothing. - Chat protested. - Be glad I undid them both at the time. - she smiled and took more cards.

This time, the pause did not last as long, as Marinette didn't even wait for Chat.

- Four of a kindle! - Eh, pass.

And with that, Marinette watched as he ditched his gloves. After a few ties, her winning streak returned, as she got a regular Strait, followed by Icy Strait, much to Chat's surprise.

- In hindsight, I should have thought this through, wearing one-piece outfit isn't the best strategy...

Marinette just nodded, watching as he lost his shoes and Chat Noir-themed socks. And she had to restrain herself from giggling when she looked at her next hand.

- Full Igloo! in your face!

Chat Noir swallowed, and knowing that she will watch every move of his slowly pulled down the golden bell, revealing his lean, but muscular chest, and, as he let his costume fell to the floor, Marinette's eyes fixated on his...

- Boxers!? - Marinette protested - What? - they were bundled with socks - And he pointed to his pawprints his boxers were dotted with.

Marinette grumbled. It seemed her luck has ran out temporarily. Two Snowmen and one Ho-Ho later, she found herself without her jacket and pants. She suddenly found herself wished she had worn socks...

But then, with a triumphant smile, she laid down five cards down.

- Slushy Strait.

She spoke, looking at four cards Chat put down that were nowhere close to topping hers.

And with a faint smile, Chat stood up and reached to his boxers, where a faint trace of his erection was visible. Marinette bit her lip, and watched as the dark material slides down, until his biology performed an admirable jolt, when his cock sprung to life once he was freed.

- Well, looks like you've won. - Chat sat down, and was about to shuffle the cards back when Marinette stopped him. - Not yet. You still have your mask.

Adrien swallowed loudly, as Marinette's smile widened to an almost Cheshire-cat length.

- My... My princess... - Deal the cards. - she cut him off quickly, trying not to have her mind clouded with the image of his cock.

But the smile faded away equally quickly. Next turn forced Marinette to take her top, and in two more, she found herself whether to choose her bra, or her panties, which have revealed her readiness already. And knowing that, she opted for them, hoping the sight of her sex would throw her opponent off.

Chat smiled, watching as Marinette lifted her legs into the air and undid her panties, pretending to hide her puffy lips from him, when in reality she made sure that her night lamp would show a few droplets of her arousal.

The two stared at each other and reached for more cards. This time, her face remained frozen and motionless, and she put down five cards.

Chat Noir, with equally stoic demeanour, did the same.

At the same time, they both revealed them.

- Icy Slushy Strait! - Marinette howled - Finally, I will know the identity of my boyfriend... - Five of a kindle. - What?!

Marinette watched, as Chat flipped each card, one ace at a time, finishing with a comedic depiction of a medieval jester.

She looked up, unable to believe his luck. Instead of any explanation, she just saw a glimmer in his green eyes.

She reached her hand behind her back and undid her bra, rendering her completely naked, while Chat licked his lips at the sight of her breasts.

- Can we stop pretending? - Yeah, I guess.

Marinette grumbled, and she welcomed the feeling of his lips on hers, as he jumped onto her, pinning her naked body to her comfy bed.

But he wasn't interested in immobilising her, as Chat was clearly drawn to her sex, now positively glistening with her juices, and a single lick of his made Marinette howl, as her legs flailed around his head.

Chat drove her insane for a couple of minutes, knowing she wasn't even trying to hide her oncoming climax. The feeling of his fingers, instead of claws brought a much needed comfort and tenderness to his foreplay, especially when he traced her clit.

And just as with the final hand, this one brought Marinette to her loss. She buried her face in a pillow, while she soaked her lover with her arousal, thrashing around him, much yo his pleasure.

Adrien thought she would remain like that for long, but her shaking arms were soon around his neck, as she brought him onto her.

She let out a moan under his pleasant, heavenly weight, but when his aggressive behaviour drove him between her legs, she had to stop him.

- Ah, ah, ah - Marinette spoke, as Chat looked at her, stumped - Forgot about something?

She reached to her nightstand, and to his surprise, she produced a condom in a black package depicting a handsome man with green eyes and cat ears, clearly from the same set as his underwear.

- I feel I should file for copyright claim. - They make ones with Ladybug as well... - Marinette added with a mixture of annoyance and odd bit of pride in her voice - I know we were stripping down, but this will suit you.

She let out a giggle when his cock twitched in her hand, as she coiled her fingers around him and slid the condom on, feeing each of his vein under her fingertips.

- Sorry kitty, but I'm not ready for your kittens yet... maybe next month...

She joked and gasped, as Chat positioned himself between her legs, feeling his tip brushed her wet opening.

Spoiled by his delicate treatment before, it was time for Chat to utilise his pent-up energy, as he slid inside her with ease, earning another languorous moan from his lover, as she dug her nails into his back.

With each thrust, she spilled his name into his ear, feeling his cock spreading and tearing her in half, as buried himself deeper and deeper.

- Chat... Chat... Chaton!

She knew he was on the edge of his climax too, brought by their shared taunting, and though she preferred long, slow love-making, she would gladly welcome another "little death", as it was called in her language.

She listened to his guttural, low groans, and when his back arched, so did hers, almost as if to give him chance to reach her depths, while he filled his condom with seed, and her ears with her name.

The two joined bodies pulsed and shuddered, as Chat delivered his potency into the rubber, her body milking him for more in a futile attempts at executive the biological imperative Marinette protected herself from.

Their groans and moans subsided, as their lips met, and with that, the gentle creaking of the bed stopped as well, replaced by smacking sound of their hungry mouths.

- Well, looks like I won, Chat huffed, lifting himself from his position, marvelling at the sight of Marinette's slightly sweaty body and her ruffled hair. - Are-are you sure?

Marinette's lips curled in a cocky smile and she showed him her hand, holding four aces and a joker she must have picked up when they were basking in their shared afterglow.

- But... - But what kitty? Look, my sleeves are empty - she raised her arms to mock him further - My princess, that's cheating! - All's fair in love and war - she spoke without missing a beat - Your mask, Chaton

Cold sweat rushed down his spine, strengthened by her piercing gaze and a sly smile. For quite a while neither of them spoke, each fixated at their partner's face.

- Although, I can accept this as alternative.

Marinette spoke and grabbed his cock, sliding underneath it, until it hovered over her face. Her fingers pinched the tip of the condom, filed with his seed and she stuck her tongue out, waiting for her reward as she slid it from his length.

Inch by inch, as Marinette disrobed her lover, globs of his potent spunk landed in her mouth, guided by her skilled tongue that traced his undercock, causing him to shudder and twitch.

And even after the condom was off, Marinette squeezed it to ensure that none of his hard and tasty work would be wasted, letting out loud and unabashed sounds of satisfaction as she tasted her salty treat, making sure to not look away from Chat's enamoured face.

Despite being disrobed, Marinette won, proudly wearing a smile and his cum on her face.

- That... that was quite a move, Marinette. - Chat admitted and bowed gently, sneaking a kiss to her ankle, as he helped her collect her clothes. - Always pleasure to win with someone, who knows how to lose. - she giggled in return. - Next time you will be the one begging for mercy. - Oh, I sure hope so.

Marinette raised her arms and put her wrists next to the headboard of her bed, as if she was tied. She watched, as his cock twitched again through his latex clothes.

- Oh, and by the way... I'd still win. - he said as he climber up - I still had my tail.

He closed the door, and only after a while Marinette let out a gasp when she realised how his tail could have been attached to his naked body once he got out of his suit...

[dialovers-translations]

DIABOLIK LOVERS MORE, MORE BLOOD Vol.13 Kino [Track 4]

Original title: ラビリンス

Source: Diabolik Lovers More, More Blood Vol. 13 Kino [CD not owned by me]

Audio: Here (38:03 ~ 48:00)

Seiyuu: Tomoaki Maeno

Translator’s note: The plot thickens!! I’m definitely enjoying the different approach taken in this CD. When there’s 13 CDs all with the same basic plot, it’s nice to see they put in some effort to make every one of them unique. Overall, I think the MMB series was handled quite well, but this is soon turning out to be one of my favorites even though I have very little attachment to Kino as a character!

Track 1 ll Track 2 ll Track 3 ll Track 4 ll Track 5 + Epilogue

→  LIKE MY TRANSLATIONS? SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI!

Track 4: Labyrinth

“Ah-aah~ We’re finally done! After repeating the announcement so many times, I guess it only makes sense I remembered the text by heart. But it wasn’t half bad! I’m sure you had fun as well, no? After all, I took such ‘great’ (1) care of you~”

You protest.

“Huh? What a cold reaction...Are you upset, perhaps? Because I used the Hourglass to my heart’s content and sucked your blood time after time?”

You shake your head.

“Hmm~? So you’re upset about something else? Let me just tell you, but you’re the one who failed to suppress their voice, so you only have yourself to blame for how the announcement ultimately turned out. I’m not to blame.”

You complain about Kino not rewinding at the very end.

“Hahaha! What are you saying? Why would I rewind the last time? Your performance was broadcasted across the entire school after all. Hehe~ I’m curious what kind of rumors will be spreading tomorrow. ...Still, it’s odd. I figured a raging teacher would come bursting it at some point. Maybe people don’t actually pay attention to the school intercom at all.

ーー Or rather, there doesn’t seem to be anyone around in general. I wonder if everyone went home already? ...In that case, what was even the point of our announcement? Guess we should grab our stuff and hurry back home too.”

Kino turns his head towards you.

“So? We’re still not at our classroom?”

You seem confused.

“What do you mean, ‘if I recall correctly’...? Don’t tell me you spaced out and got ourselves lost again? I visited the broadcasting room for the first time today, so I don’t remember the way back to our classroom.”

He looks around.

“I’d be able to tell once we reach familiar territory but...Say? Isn’t there something off about this atmosphere? Classes may have already ended, but it still seems too deserted. I feel as if there’s way too many doors as well...? 

Kino comes to a halt.

“Rather than just a hunch, there’s actually too many, right? ...Say, which part of the campus are we currently at?”

You explain.

“Eh? Nearby our classroom? No way, right? I should be able to recognize it by now. There were never this many doors around!”

You insist that you know where you’re going.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s try opening one up then. At this point, any classroom will do. I’m not in the mood to get lost with you.”

*Rattle*

“...Eh!?”

You ask him what is wrong.

“I-It’s...a hallway.”

You seem skeptical.

“You should take a look as well!”

You peek inside the room.

“See? I wasn’t lying, right? Don’t tell me...There’s hallways which lead to another hallway in the human world as well?”

You shake your head.

“Well...I guess so. It doesn’t make sense, huh? Then how do you explain this?”

You shrug.

“Guess there’s no way you’d know. Anyway, we have to get back to our classroom. Somehow I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

*Rattle*

“This is...No, let’s not. These kind of places usually have traps.”

He continues walking.

“I mean, there’s no way this door leads to another hallway as well, riーー”

*Rattle*

“...!! No way...”

You rush to his side.

*Rattle*

“This one too...”

You continue following Kino around.

“As you can see, all of them connect to other hallways...Say, something really messed up is going on over here, no?”

You start to panic.

“Even if you ask me what to do...All we’ve got to work with is this row of doors, nor do we know what is going on outside. Guess we’ve got no other choice. Let’s try and walk down this hallway. We might be able to find a way out somehow. Worst-case-scenario, I could always use my magic to blast through the wall.”

You agree as the two of you continue walking.

“This hallway has a bunch of doors as well...Not exactly something I want to see right now. Let’s try opening them one by one starting from the corner. Can you handle the opposite end?”

You nod.

“Mmh. Let’s get started then.”

*Rattle*

“...Another hallway!? How about yours!?”

*Rattle*

“...No luck, huh? Try opening them all! There might be one leading to something else! I’m sure!”

*Rattle*

“Ugh...This one too...Fuck!”

Kino continues opening all the doors but to no avail.

“...!? What is going on!? All doors lead to hallways!?”

You finish opening all doors on the opposite end.

“...Ah. No luck on your end either? This sucks...There’s still some doors left, but we don’t even know how long this hallway is exactly...This reminds me of a game bug. I was having so much fun using the Hourglass as well...So why did this have to happen!? ...!! Hourglass...Time...”

You tilt your head to the side.

“No...But perhaps...This might be a result of turning back time.”

You seem shocked.

“Think about it. You remember, don’t you? You got the classroom we had to move to wrong earlier today, no? So we ended up spending time on the rooftop instead. You were having trouble locating the cafeteria as well and inside the broadcasting room, the start button swapped places. That switch...I remember very well because it was right by my hand. I’m fairly certain it didn’t move until after I had used the Hourglass.”

*Cling*

“If time and space warped every time I used this to rewind time...Then this bug-like situation isn’t entirely unthinkable. We repeated the process several times, so it wouldn’t be strange for the distortion caused by that to draw forth this kind of situation...”

*Cling*

“Whoever made this item must have had one hell of a rotten personality. I’d ‘love’ to meet them.”

You grow scared.

“Ah, no need to tear up. In that case...While I do feel kind of bad for the school, I’ll just blow away this whole hallway. Stay back for a bit, okay?”

You step away.

“Here I go...”

Kino charges his magic before charging it at the wall.

“...Hahー!!”

*BOOM*

“...!! Why...!? It won’t even budge...This is bad. The magic is blocking it. It’s almost as if even my magic is being warped and rendered null...I guess that means the Hourglass’ energy is flowing through this entire airspace...Fuck! If we don’t play our cards right, we might not be able to make it out and remain stuck in here forever...”

You grow desperate.

“...! No need to cry. ...There’s no way there isn’t a single exit at least. There’s a solution to any problem. ...Don’t you think so as well?”

You nod.

“See? So you do understand after all. ...Well then, why don’t we start from scratch and try opening the doors again? We have to quickly solve this predicament...For your sake as well. There’s nothing fun about seeing you tremble in fear over something or someone other than me after all.”

*Smooch*

“...Bet you wondered why I would do that given the circumstances, huh? However, I felt like doing it exactly because of this current situation.”

You frown.

“Ah! That wasn’t meant as a death flag or anything so rest assured! Well then...Shall we get going? Let’s hold hands...So we don’t get separated.”

Kino grabs hold of your hand before the two of you walk off.

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) The term かわいがる or ‘kawaigaru’ can be used in an ironic fashion. In that case, it does not mean ‘to spoil/to dote on’, but ‘to tease’. 

[eralisse]

Brothers Conflict: Passion Pink - Kaname - Sleepovers Part 1

I swear, the romance gems in this game are hidden in the non-major scenes.

So in this game, the sleepovers are split into 3-4 segments; 1) in the hallway, 2) in the romance interest's room and in bed, 3) in bed after waking up in the middle of the night (maybe), and 4) in the room the next morning. I don't know if a particular scene 1 leads to a particular scene 2, but I've chosen here to select the scenes that I liked the best in this sequence.

Brothers Conflict Translations Index

At the door

Kaname: Oh? Imouto-chan. What are you doing here at this time?

Ema: Kaname-san… Good evening.

Kaname: Good evening. What’s up? Did you come here to see me?

Ema: Um… That’s not it.

Kaname: Ehh, you didn’t?

Ema: No, that’s, um…. I came to see you.

Kaname: Haha! How cute, Imouto-chan. However… Hmm. I’m happy you came here to see me, but the truth is, I have a memorial service tomorrow.

Ema: Ah, is that so? Pardon me. In that case, I’ll just go back for today…

Kaname: No… If you can cheer me up, I’d rather you stay.

Ema: Cheer you up…?

Kaname: Right. In a memorial service, facing the deceased is a given, but another important part is facing the bereaved family. Even here, I must steel myself. So, because it means my willpower will be replenished… I want you to cheer me up.

(Kaname-san… Normally he’s pretty lighthearted, but at times like this he’s really like a monk…)

Kaname: For example, if Imouto-chan can cuddle with me all night long, and kiss me the whole time, I think I’ll be filled with energy then.

(I take it back…!)

Ema: … I can’t do that!

Kaname: That’s disappointing~ Hmm, what to do. That was a joke. If Imouto-chan stays in my room, I can be cheered up. So by all means, I would like you to come in.

---

In the room

Ema: Ah, Kaname-san. I went to the 5th floor earlier and got some sweets. Would you like some?

Kaname: ... Hm? Ah, thank you.

Ema: By the way, may I borrow your kitchen? I’ll make some tea.

Kaname: … Sure.

(...?)

Ema: Say, Kaname-san. What’s going on? Do you feel sick..?

Kaname: Eh? What do you mean?

Ema: Um… Somehow, your responses are a little dull.

Kaname: …

Ema: Was I imagining it?

Kaname: ... No. You’ve caught me…

Ema: … Has something happened? If you don’t mind, you can talk to me about it.

Kaname: Ah… Hm… This is on rare occasions, mind you… It’s when there’s memorial services. I get pulled into the mourners’ suffering.

Ema: Pulled into... suffering?

Kaname: Primarily, monks exist to save those who are worried or suffering. However, if I sympathize with the mourners, not only will I not be able to save those who have come to rely on me, I will lose my spirit to the deceased as well. Therefore, on the surface, I work to save people’s souls and fulfill my duties as a monk. But, sometimes… After a memorial service, I’ll suddenly remember the mourners’ anguished faces, and can’t get them out of my mind. When that happens, it takes a little time for me to recover… Haha.

Ema: Kaname-san…

Kaname: But, how did you know? That I was a little off. … No one else… None of my older or younger brothers have ever noticed.

Ema: … I noticed, because… I’m always looking at you…

Kaname: Eh…?

(... Ah, um. It appears that I said something incredible just now…)

Kaname: You’re always looking? At me?

Ema: … Uh, umm. That’s…

Kaname: … Haha, I’m glad. Then, sorry… For just a little bit, let me be spoiled by you.

Ema: Eh…?

---

(Kaname-san’s arms reached out towards my body…)

Kaname: … Is it alright if I hugged you?

Ema: … It’s fine.

Kaname: … Good.

(... Even though Kaname-san is an adult… I wonder why, but he seems really vulnerable right now…)

Ema: Um, Kaname-san.

Kaname: Hm…?

Ema: I don’t really understand too much about monks, but… I think I would want a kind person who can worry, suffer, and be sad with me, to save me. Kaname-san is a kind person…

Kaname: … Hey, Ema.

(What was that? Just now…)

Kaname: When a man is vulnerable, it’s not good to say those sorts of things. … They’ll easily fall.

Ema: Fall…?

Kaname: … Yup. They’ll want to do things like this…

[Kaname kisses Ema.]

Ema: …!

(Just now, he touched my lips…)

Kaname: … You’re skilled at pampering. I didn’t think this would become such a mess, showing you something unseemly.

Ema: That’s not…

Kaname: It’s fine. That’s just what I think. Hey. Even though I said it was just for a little bit, would it be alright to sleep like this tonight?... I want to sleep while holding you.

Ema: … Yes.

Kaname: Thank you…

(... I hope Kaname-san can sleep well… Good night.)

---

In the morning

Kaname: Good morning… Imouto-chan.

(Mm…? This voice, Kaname-san…?)

Kaname: Still sleepy?

Ema: Eh? What? Is it already morning…?

Kaname: Yep. It’s still quite early though. You can stay and sleep a little more.

Ema: What about you…?

Kaname: After doing some meditation, I’ve got roadwork. I’ve left a spare key on top of the table, so please lock up when you leave.

Ema: … Okay.

Kaname: It’s alright if you don’t return the key.

Ema: … I’ll return it properly.

Kaname: Haha. Even with such a bleary-eyed face, your responses are good. Well, I’m off. … Once again, good night, my cute Imouto-chan.

[Kaname leaves the room,]

Ema: … I wonder if it’s alright to sleep. … I’m going back to sleep.

(... Oh, what’s this, this smell from the futon… Is it incense? It’s Kaname-san’s… It feels safe, like I’m being embraced by Kaname-san…)

---

Comments

I still haven't gotten around to finishing the game, but this is probably the closest that Ema has gotten to explicitly confessing. Most of the other scenes I've seen, where it's obvious that they like each other, also involve a lot of tedious back-and-forth. Mainly where Kaname flirts, and Ema denies him, and "we're siblings" blah blah blah. (One of the other sleepover sequences, in all 3 segments, is just like that the whole time. So, so tedious.) Here, in this set, everything's a lot more tender.

It also gives us a little more insight on Kaname's job. Although I'm still confused on just what his whole job description is. He's a host, so that involves shifts entertaining women, and then additional late nights (??) where he gives sermons with his "gracious words". And then here he holds memorial services for the dead, and also spends a lot of time with people that are worried or suffering. I'm sure that there are worried/suffering women that go attend Club Buddha, but how do the memorial services fit into that?

And finally, there's the bit where even the other brothers can't tell when Kaname is feeling down. Really makes me think that his usual lightheartedness/flirting is part of a mask. That, and it's sad that while he runs around taking care of his brothers, who takes care of him? (Especially after what Iori does to him! That's trauma material right there.) I get that as one of the eldest brothers, he probably puts on a brave front to not worry the others, but still, surely someone should care enough to be able to tell. But who am I kidding; there's examples of family not being able to tell in real life all the time.

[basicjetsetter]

Part V

♡ Pairing: Peter Parker x Black!FemaleReader

▹ Warnings: Fluffy scenes, anxious moments, cliff-hanger

▹ Words: 3.3k

▹ A/N: We are reaching the eye of the storm. Happy reading!

“ ‘Kay, so there’s no way they’re gonna win this game without him turning into the Wolf, right?”

“Finish watching it, Peter.”

Peter musingly shakes his head, mouthful of his fourth slice of pizza. “There’s no way.”

You level a patient smirk at him and point to the television, wordlessly telling him to see for himself.

The screen’s brightness fills your otherwise dark living room, casting shadows along the angles of Peter’s concentrated face. His body is sloped forward, and if he didn’t possess the body control of an enhanced being, he’d fall face-first into your carpet.

Tonight’s movie selection was your choice, and you didn’t want to disappoint. So when Peter said he’d never seen Teen Wolf, you were over the moon. Usually, you’d watch every single second of the classic film, but with Peter sitting cross-legged next to you, his hip pressed against yours as your crossed leg rests on top of his, you spent the entire time covertly peeking at his fascinated expressions.

Well into the third month of your friendship, Peter’s presence in your apartment remains to be an odd sight in a good way. Out of your ordinary. His first time in your apartment came on a day you both chose to escape the sun’s sweltering heat with A/C and ice cream, and like your first conversation in Hal’s, he never made it weird.

It was effortless. Every moment with Peter was like breathing.

If anyone else suggested Friday-night movie nights, you’d have spared no time shutting them down. But your yes to Peter harbored no resistance.

“No way!” An excited smile spreads across Peter’s face as Scott steps to the baseline to take the game-winning free throw shots. “Is he seriously gonna make these?”

You seal your lips, choosing not to spoil the moment, but Peter doesn’t see. His eyes never stray from the screen, and his lips slightly part from the nail-biting suspense. As the last shot falls through the hoop, Peter’s whole jaw drops.

When the end credits roll, he slowly claps. “That was awesome. Like I’ve got some serious chills. How am I going to top that?”

“Eh, you probably won’t,” you reply with a boastful grin. Hidden joy thrums through your body from his excitement. “Might as well call a wrap on movie nights.”

Peter playfully nudges you with his elbow, then checks his watch. “Ah, man, it’s late. I needed to be on patrol half an hour ago.” He’s up in a flash, slipping his shoes on and chewing up the rest of his pizza.

“Do you have to go?” A hint of sadness tinges your words. 

“Yeah, the city would be a mess without me,” he jokes, but you weren’t remiss of his undertone sincerity. “Oh! That reminds me. Some bad guys are out on a robbing spree lately, tailing people at night, so if you work late, can you ask Chris to walk you home? Y’know, just in case I’m not there.”

He does this every time he’s over. Each week, there’s a new thing or group to be leery of, and each time he asks, you immediately nod to erase the gut-sinking concern in his brown eyes.

You rise from the couch and follow Peter to the door. He turns just as he’s about to twist the handle, stalls for a second, then envelopes you into a small, reluctant hug, leaving his arms lax just in case you wanted to pull away. 

Hugging is new, something you’ve only done about five times. The first was an unplanned disaster featuring a hard shove, repeated apologies, and a long, awkward moment of silence. 

You didn’t mean to push him away. It was one of those moments where, even though the urge to reciprocate was there, you couldn’t allow yourself to find comfort in such an innocent gesture. You weren’t ready. He respected that.

You knew your rash reaction bruised Peter more than he let on, but he learned to ease his way into your comfort zone with small touches. An intentional brush of his hand against yours, scooching closer to you on the couch, hi-fives with minimally laced fingers.

It took a while for the second hug-attempt, but you were cautiously prepared when it happened.

This time around, you return the gesture, winding your arms around his middle and setting your chin on his shoulder, resisting the urge to nuzzle your nose against his warm neck. His closeness frazzles you, even more so when he diminishes the gap between you, holding you tighter to his chest before releasing you and clearing his throat.

“Be safe,” you warn softly.

He puffs out his chest. “I have nothing to fear except fear itself.”

“That confident, huh?”

“Comes with the job. You get knocked down enough times, you get pretty confident once you realize you can always get back up.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And yet you still have a fear of heights.”

“Never said I wasn’t afraid of falling. Just that it gets easier getting back up. ‘Sides, most of those petty offenders scare easy. All I gotta do is say I can plant eggs in ‘em.” He shudders at the idea himself.

“Please, Peter,” you implore, a smile sullying your stern frown.

Peter’s grin, always so wholesome and calming, blankets over your nerves. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“Well, I think Spider-Man needs someone to worry about him, sometimes. Even if he can get back up. Just… let caution work alongside confidence.”

He heeds your words with a more allayed smile, curtly nodding. “Vigilance. I can do that.”

You’re tempted to wrap him back into your arms to protect him from whatever dangers lie outside of your apartment. Instead, you exchange simple goodnights and shut the door once he reaches the stairwell.

The room and your shirt preserve his crisp evergreen scent long after he’s gone. It lingers as you crawl into bed. An aromatic reminder of his caress and warm skin.

As far as friendships go, you’ve never had one quite like this. The line you drew in the sand moves. Accommodates. Shrinks. Whether he’s aware of it or not, the time you spend cracking jokes with Peter at Hal’s, listening to his adventurous feats, becoming comfortable with his physical proximity, seeing his smile and the way his eyes light up when you smile at something funny or interesting he’s said, you fall just an inch.

He's growing on you. His presence. His laughter. His beaconing smile. His tentative touch. His uncanny ability to endear himself to your foreclosed heart.

It was easier to deny the connection when you didn’t know Peter. But now that you do, every moment you’re with him intensifies what you’ve painstakingly tried to avoid.

You’re falling in love with your Soulmate.

✦ ✧✦ ✧

Once again, it’s the Saturday brunch rush, and once again, Hal’s is up to its neck in bloodthirsty customers. All the booths are packed, as well as the stools. Some of the parties compact a seat meant for two with four people, and the aisle clogs with those who just came to grab a cup of coffee and conversation.

Chris is in his element, swinging from one booth to the next like a controlled tornado collecting orders, while you and Wendy are the unfortunate bunch who have to clean up desecrated tables and feed the greedy.

“If someone asks me what the specials are one more time, I’m going to rip my hair out,” Wendy grouses behind the counter as she puts away five menus.

You grumble back the same sentiments. Menus exist for a reason. And most of these people aren’t new to Hal’s, so the fact that they always have to ask grinds your gears.

11:30 a.m. is your saving grace. If you can hold on until Peter gets here, you’ll be fine.

Chris stops by the bar, pocketing what appears to be a twenty-dollar bill. “Lighten up, ladies. At least you’re off tomorrow.”

Wendy, in her 5’3’’ stature, looks feral. “I want to be off now.”

A rowdy group of high-schoolers sitting in the farthest booth is holding a contest to see who could drink a milkshake the fastest, and the two unlucky contestants shriek like banshees from self-inflicted brain-freeze. All three of you wince.

“We don’t get paid enough for this.”

Hal shouts from the back. “Order up! And stop slackin’ off out there!”

Wendy’s eye twitches as she marches to the back to pick up the orders. You’d have acted the same way if you didn’t have something to look forward to.

“They’re not going to tip me. I just know it,” Chris says to you, despondently looking over at the teens’ table again.

“They’ll come around. No one can resist this moneymaker.” You lightly bump him on the chin to indicate his smile. Heck, his whole chiseled face is a moneymaker, but that exuberant smile sells it all.

Over the last three months, just like your friendship with Peter, your friendship with Chris has improved. Even with Wendy. You aren’t at each other’s throats nearly as much as you used to be. Last week, she complimented your hairstyle, though it was immediately followed up with a snide comment: progress, either way.

Chris laughs. “And here I thought my friendly personality racked up all the tips.”

“It’s a bonus.”

He chuckles again, then blows out a hesitant breath. “So, Y/N…”

“So, Chris…”

“There’s, um, there’s gonna be another music festival in Cunningham Park tonight, and I was wondering if, y’know, you and Peter might want to come and hang?”

You and Peter… As if you were a pair. An item. A couple. To unsuspecting eyes, you knew you and Peter seemed to be just really good friends. Not even Hal questioned why you spent half an hour talking to him every weekday. If he had an inkling of who Peter actually was to you, he’d have confronted you by now.

Chris, on the other hand, kept a sharp eye on you when Peter was around. As meticulous as you were about keeping up pretenses in public, sometimes you’d slip. Your smile would be a tad too bright when Peter walked through the door and took his usual seat. You’d giggle at his jokes too loud. You’d stare into his eyes too long. Signs too blatant for Chris to miss.

You’re just waiting for him to put the last piece in the puzzle.

“I’d… I’d have to ask Peter.” You take a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “But, yeah, I’ll go.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Sure. Sounds like it’ll be fun. What time is it?”

Chris lays a hand on your forehead. “Temp seems fine. Pupils aren’t dilated. How many fingers am I holding up?”

You swat his hand down with a laugh. “Shut up.”

“Look, I know you probably don’t want me saying this out loud, but I’m glad you met Peter. We all are.”

“Why?” Evidently, you’re not that great at hiding your feelings as you thought.

Chris leans against the bar top, keeping an eye on the door just in case customers walked in. “Well, for starters, you literally just agreed to hang out with me for the first time since you started working here, which was—what—two years ago. And… you… I don’t know. You’re more open, y’know? Smiling and such.”

“I smiled before,” you say, a little defensive.

“Not like you do now. Before, it was all—,” Chris screws his mouth up. It’s strange. Alienated and wire-tight. The corners of his lips don’t fully come up, and it barely reaches his eyes. You instantly recognize it—the smile you hid behind.

Did you really smile like that? How is it that you never noticed how off-putting it was? If a server ever smiled at you like that, you’d assume they wished you disappeared off the face of the earth. Is that the smile people saw? More importantly, when did you stop putting it on?

“Two more strawberry milkshakes over here!” shouted one of the brain-freeze victims.

Chris hops to it. Always the perfect server. On his way to make the shakes, he says, “7 p.m.”

“I’ll be there.”

You weren’t going to confirm for Peter until he was there to answer for himself, but he doesn’t show. 11:30 a.m. and the rest of your shift flies by without a sight of him, which is strange, but not uncommon. Homework might have him tied up. September is a pretty busy month for schoolwork, and mid-terms are approaching, so he might be buried in assignments.

Worry doesn’t settle in until you’re getting ready for the music festival at 6:30 p.m., and Peter still hasn’t sent so much as a voicemail.

Evening summer sunlight filters in through your open window, the active sounds of Queens’ busy streets and subway station not allowing your room to fall quiet. Nights like this are perfect for outdoor festivals because it’s warm enough to sit in the grass and not bring a jacket.

Rather than enjoy the idea of getting out for the first time in years, your mind remains hooked on Peter.

It’s not like him not to leave a text if he’s caught up in other things. He’d make sure to tell you where he is, how far away. Since the beginning of this friendship, starting with his little notes, Peter’s constant communication wasn’t something you expected. But now that you do, this behavior just doesn’t match what you’re used to.

You pace the floor of your small bedroom, back and forth, wall to wall, abusively chewing your lower lip and turning your phone around in your hand, working up the nerve to call him, summoning up the will to voice your concern if he did answer.

When you do call, you get his voicemail. Trying again, you end up with the same result. Okay. He’s not picking up his phone.

Fear foregrounds your frustration. It bleeds into your words as you leave your fifth message. One after the other, they morph from mild concern to despairing panic. As the sun dips lower and lower on the horizon and the orange sunlight dwindles, so does your desire to go out.

Because… maybe you shouldn’t go. Maybe you should search for Peter. Finding any trace of him at all would be a stretch, and Chris might be upset about you ditching your plans the next time you see him, but you can’t possibly go out knowing something may be horribly wrong with Peter.

No. No, you won’t cancel plans like that. Peter is fine. Of course, he’s fine. He’s Spider-Man. His duties as a hero come first, no matter what. And he wouldn’t want you to stress so much about him.

Wherever he is, whatever he’s doing, he is okay. He’s alive. You feel it.

Somehow, you break the trance of your pacing and convince yourself to grab a cab ride to the park. When you arrive, the festival appears to be at a content standstill. It’s not as crowded as you assumed it would be for a Saturday night. Many of the attendants, ranging from all ages, are sitting on the grass, soaking up the fading rays of the sun while the bands finish up prepping. You’re greeted by the distinctive smell of hotdog vendors intermingled with ripening leaves.

There is nothing truly scenic about Cunningham Park, aside from the interspersed trees and trails. You’d been here a handful of times when you were younger, hanging out with friends during summer break, and one thing you loved about the park back then is how the sun shone through the leaves, casting an ethereal glow on nature.

You’re more appreciative of its beauty without the sun’s effect.

It wasn’t that hard finding Chris. All you had to do was look for the person most likely garnering friends from other groups. He’s on a blanket, seated in the center of the crowd and chatting with a group of three people.

When you’re close enough to be spotted, Chris’s face mouth out into a wide smile.

“You came!” Then his eyes roamed around. “Where’s Peter?”

You try for a carefree grin but let it fall when the effort became too much. “He couldn’t make it. School stuff.”

“Oh, well, that’s fine.” His smile drops fractionally, less joyful and more sympathetic. “I’m really glad you made it. Hey, guys. This is Y/N, my friend from work.”

You wave a little and hope for a genuine smile to grace your lips as they all scoot to make room for you on the blanket.

Chris introduces them all. He points to a buff, curly-haired guy named Dez, who you wouldn’t have guessed would be the type of guy to enjoy small park festivals. He looks like the kind of person who regularly crowd-surfs at huge concerts and somehow always winds up with a VIP pass. The next person is a slender girl named Asha, who has thick black hair knotted into a messy soccer bun and a glowing smile. 

The last person Chris introduces you to is his Soulmate. You knew just by the way he said his name. Resounding. Reverent. Borderline fanatic. His name is Quint, and unlike the others, he wraps you up in a surprising hug. What’s even more surprising is you hugging back.

“Nice to finally meet you.” His voice is richly robust, exactly how you would expect someone with his Adonis-like face to sound. Two gorgeous, outgoing Soulmates just seems unfair.

“Nice to meet you, too.” You can’t help looking from Quint’s face to Chris’s, then back again, and wondering if this is what people see when they see you and Peter—a perfect match. “Chris has told me a lot about you. All great things.”

“He better,” Quint says, jokingly gazing at Chris as a blush flared across Chris’s cheeks. “And he’s told me a lot about you and Peter.”

There it goes again: people pairing you two. It’s hard not to notice how natural that sounds, as though you two were meant to be spoken about as an inseparable whole.

You brush off your startled expression as best you can and ask, “Good things, right?”

He nods, then shares a smile with Chris. “I would’ve liked to meet him.” You roughly translate that to mean, ‘I would’ve liked to meet you both.’ The blush on Chris’s face deepens into an embarrassingly bright shade of red when he catches your eye.

A plucked, low-pitched guitar string echoes out to the crowd and effectively commences the start of the music festival. You must’ve missed the band's introduction because they got right into their music, playing a melancholic pop song that sounded pretty good. You were more interested in the guitar riffs and melodic piano notes than the lyrics, but they’re no doubt about love.

Halfway into their set, your stomach growls, and you remember that you didn’t have anything to eat since you got off work. The whole thing with Peter staved off your hunger. He’s still in the front of your mind, but you’re doing your best to enjoy the night with Chris and his friends.

Standing up, you tell Chris, “I’m gonna get a hotdog.”

He tilts his chin up in acknowledgment, then goes back to swaying his head to the music.

You got up just in time to beat the line. There are only two vendors in the park, and they’d be slammed once the music hits its intermission. The one you’re at resides near the outskirts of the crowd, closest to where you left the group, and two people are in front of you.

You wish Peter were here.

Your hand touches the outline of your phone in your back pocket while you wrestle with the idea of calling him again. Maybe he’ll pick up this time.

You’re just about to unlock your phone when you hear someone calling your name—a girl.

The voice gets closer and more breathless, like they’re running at you full speed ahead and couldn’t reach you fast enough. You turn to the sound just as the body slams into you, yanking you out of line and clutching you to their frame.

“Where the hell have you been?!”

You pull away and stare straight into her face, not trusting your own eyes. “Manda?"

...

Taglist: @alexandria-euphoria​

[lokilickedme]

Sneak Peek

I don’t have a new chapter for this week (natural disasters and all that) but I do have this excerpt from my upcoming new fic Stop The World (And Melt With You), which will start posting after The Department concludes.  It’s a Tom Hiddleston/OFC/Hozier fic centered in the music industry and revolving around rival artist managers that used to be married years ago, but split up due to the pressures of their respective careers and a scandal neither of them has ever quite come to terms with.

After successfully avoiding each other for the better part of a decade following their messy divorce, Thomas Casey and Kinsie O’Dell suddenly and unhappily find themselves having to work together again when their clients, who were likewise a couple in the past, start an artistic collaboration at the behest of their record labels.

Jaimie is a wild Irish rockstar with a laundry list of bad habits, Arielle is an Italian pop diva with the attitude and spoiled entitlement of a rabid chihuahua.  Before either of them was famous they were a couple, but a vicious split sent them in opposite directions, fighting endlessly over music they wrote while they were together.  Now that they’re both big names in the industry, the battle over rights to their old work is raging.  And the public loves it.  So when their record labels insist on a studio collaboration followed by a world tour as a duo, Jaimie and Arielle start to fall back in love...much to the absolute horror of their managers.

Thomas and Kinsie have no choice but to keep doing their jobs, babysitting the hot blooded youngsters while they reattach to each other and doing their best to avoid the same fate themselves.  Will they manage to keep their distance from each other despite long nights on the tour bus, endless hotel rooms, and being in each other’s faces nonstop for the better part of a year while their young charges croon about love and passion on stage in a new city every night?  Will their past be a protective lesson to them, or will the memory of the good times override their common sense and good judgement?

Moving forward using all my breath Making love to you was never second best I saw the world crashing all around your face

I’ll stop the world and melt with you

- Modern English, 1982

***************************************************************

"We were good.  For a long while there, we were real damn good, weren't we babe."

"Eh, it depends on what your definition of good is."  I gave him a sideways glance, careful to avoid those hot blue eyes that I could feel boring into my face.  That was the only way I’d ever been able to accurately describe the way he looked at people - bored, as in drove his gaze straight through them, leaving devastation in the wake of that billion dollar stare.  "But yeah, we were pretty good.  Until you cheated."

He sat back with a loud huff and a grimly muttered Here we go as he raked his hands through his hair.  It was shaggy again, making him look more like the music industry road-managerial type he was on the surface and less of the sophisticated gentleman I knew he was underneath it.  "How many times do we have to go through this?  I never cheated on you and you know it."

"Oh sorry, I meant to say Until the allegations that you cheated became too convincing to deny a second longer - "

"Oh for fucks sake Kinsie, I never slept with that woman!"

"And I never slept with Jaimie, so I guess we're both innocent."

His eyes went wide, and I swear to god his mouth went slack till it almost fell open.  Misdirection had always been my strong point, and he never in all the years I’d known him had ever learned how to either anticipate or counter it.

"You slept with Jaimie?"

"I just said I didn't, weren't you listening?"

"He's...he's fifteen, no wait he's twenty years younger than you!"

"Good thing I didn't sleep with him then, that would be gross."  I sneaked a peek over the top of my Coke, slurping so that the ice made rude noises.  He always hated that.  The man was all but sputtering with rage, cheeks flushed, eyes bright, hair standing on end where he kept dragging his hands through it roughly.  "Oh come on, I'm just as likely to sleep with Jaimie as you are to sleep with Arielle."

"I don't sleep with Arielle!"

"Good because you'd be in jail if you did."

He didn't say anything else - I knew him well enough to know he'd hit his limit and that his next action would be to get up and storm out of the room, slamming the door dramatically behind him.  He never could beat me in a game of words, not once in twenty years.  It was the thing about me that frustrated him the most.  And making unnecessary noise was his only way to strike back at it.

"Don't bang the door on your way out, Jaimie's asleep next door."

 "Fuck Jaimie!"

I gave him a wink over the top of my cup around another rude slurp.  "I thought we'd established that wasn't an issue of contention."

The level of red in his cheeks was almost alarming.  He stared at me for several more long seconds, then turned and strode purposefully to the door, grabbed the knob, and yanked it open.  He stood there glaring at me from the doorway until I shook my head and sighed.

"Don't you do it, Thomas Casey."

His eyes narrowed, and the look of sheer malicious glee that twisted his lips into a vengeful grin was almost lost to the door slamming shut so hard the framed sunset on the wall across from the bathroom shuddered on its nail.  And then I heard him beating on the door to the room next to mine, just to add insult to injury.

Goddammit.  As much as I loved irritating that man, I hated the long night that was coming even more. In just about thirty seconds my phone was going to ring and my very awake, very hungry charge was going to complain about the noise and ask me to order room service and watch movies with him for the rest of the night.  It never failed.   Jaimie’s insomnia was legendary, as was his ability to eat like a rhino despite resembling not much more than a hairy stop sign.  A familiar impotent rage overtook me and I yanked the door open to step out into the hall and yell at the retreating backside of the man I'd once loved hard enough to marry.

"You better get your goddamned little princess under control, Casey!  Now!!"

He yelled back without turning around.

"Maybe if you'd make your rock star keep his dick in his pants we wouldn't be having this problem!"

"Arielle is a hack!"

"Jaimie's a fucking pothead!"

He turned the corner at the end of the hall, and god help me I waited, half expecting and fully hoping he would pause just long enough for dramatic effect before turning around and coming back.  I wasn't even ashamed of the fact that I planned to push the door open and be on the bed before he even made it.

But he didn't come back, and after several long seconds I realized I was making a fool of myself.  Waiting for Thomas Casey had been my downfall all those years ago and it hurt just a little bit to see myself so willing to do it now, a decade down the road.

Damn him.

The door next room up clicked open and Jaimie stood there in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes and peering down the hall to see what I was looking at.

"Somebody kicked my door."

I looked at him, at his sleepy face with his thick glasses askew in testament to the fact that he'd fallen asleep reading again, and stepped aside so he could go into my room.  "I know baby.  It was just Casey."

His face brightened.  For some stupid reason he liked Casey.  "Yeah?  You two been hanging out?"

"Just business."

"Huh." He shuffled past me into the room, making himself comfortable on my kingsize before the door even fell shut behind me, already clicking through the channels on the TV and helping himself to what was left of my Coke.  "You two were good together, you should try to get along."

Good together. That was the second time I'd heard those words come from someone's mouth tonight in reference to me and Thomas Casey, and it was just about two times too many.  I sat down on the edge of the bed with a tragic sigh.

"Scoot over sweetie.”

[ga-yuu]

~Kurama~Main Story Chapter 22~

Warning!! The story has a lot of violence and blood.

Chapter 21

*

*

*

---------Part 1---------

Kurama: "Stop! Ibuki-----" 

 Yoshino: "......!!" 

 Kurama pushes me and I fall to the ground. The next moment, I felt a splash of blood on my face.

 I realized it was Kurama's blood. 

 Yoshino: "Kurama...what..." 

 Kurama: "Nn.....Didn't I order you not to get scratched by other men?"

(No! Don’t lie to me anymore...I hate it...)

Ibuki: “That’s a great result. I knew my instincts were good. I’m glad I gave you Yoshino.”

Kurama: “.......”

A ragged breath escapes from Kurama’s clenched lips, and a gust of wind with the smell of death rolls in.

Ibuki: “Well, that’s quite an injury you got there.”

The lightning flashes from across the wind dazzle the eye.

(Lend me the power of the nine-tail fox----)

Ibuki: “I like you. I like people who don’t give up, who struggle in vain.”

The greatsword split the wind and closed in on me as I tried to drown out the alien power.

(Almost there----)

Kurama: “Don’t touch what’s mine.”

Kurama hugs me tightly as he covers me.

Yoshino: “Kurama!”

Kurama: “...don’t...make a fuss...”

Black wings fluttered from his back as he took the brunt of Ibuki’s attack.

His limbs began to weaken and he barely managed to hold on.

(Why are you defending me to such an extent?)

Ibuki: “.....Nnn...”

Ibuki, whose shoulder was ripped open by the tornado, stepped back holding his wound.

(But it’s only a matter of time before he’ll kill us...)

Kurama: “Yoshino, you have to run away!”

Yoshino: “But.”

Kurama: “Hurry up! You have to...”

(I don’t like it.)

Ibuki: “If you, who have trampled on the weak, should be defeated by the stronger, that would be just providence. It was fun, Kurama. You’re good as dead now.”

Yoshino: “Stop!”

Kurama: “!!”

I thrust my palms forward, feeling the lightning and roar with my body.

(Nn...hot....)

Yoshino; “Nnn....nn...”

The unquenchable heat burned my skin and the pain was so intense that I cried.

Kurama: “Idiot....why are you....doing this....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. My body moved on it’s own...

2. I won’t leave Kurama...

3. I told you, I wanna fight together...(+4/+4)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yoshino: “No....I told you..already...I’ll fight together with you...”

Kurama: “Tch...No. I will not allow you to put yourself in danger anymore.”

I tried staying on my two feet, but I was too weak....

Ibuki: “It’s a beautiful feeling. Unfortunately, it won’t work against me.”

Ibuki walks up to me through the sand and looks down at me in amusement.

(No....)

I tried my best to resist being picked up by him.

Yoshino: “Nn....”

The palm of his hand pressed lightly against my back, and I became numb. I felt my body slowly losing its power.

Ibuki: “I don’t mind you struggling. But I’m tired and you’re too.”

Kurama: “Let go---Yoshino!”

--------Part 2---------

Kurama: “Let go---Yoshino!”

Kurama crawls towards me on Ibuki’s shoulders and reaches out for my hand.

Ibuki: “Sorry. I gave her as a toy once, but now, I’m taking her away. I wish I could have played with you longer, but now it’s time to say goodbye, Kurama.”

Kurama: “Ibuki!”

Ibuki: “....Hahaha. I love to watch you dying with that cute face .” (For this, I can’t deny. Because when Kurama glares, it looks incredibly cute.)

As Ibuki said, the light in Kurama’s red eyes is not spoiled even at times like this.

It was glittering and glowing with rage.

Yoshino: “No! Stop---!”

Just as Ibuki raises his great sword-------

???: “How dare you make my Yoshino cry, Shuten Doji.”

Ibuki: “...!”

(This voice-----)

Suddenly, we're surrounded by blue flames and Ibuki turns around.

Ibuki: “-----Foxfires.”

Tamamo: “Correct.”

Yoshino: “Tamamo!”

Kurama: “...why are...you....”

I looked at him in amazement at how much I had missed him.

(Did you come to help...?)

Tamamo walks up to us, his beautiful silver hair fluttering.

Tamamo: “Release Yoshino, right now.”

Ibuki: “No can do, Nine-tail fox.”

With an uncanny calmness, Ibuki distances himself from Tamamo.

Ibuki: “It would be churlish to spoil the fun.”

Tamamo: “According to my aesthetics, no amount of bad taste play can disturb me. I was the first to arrive on the scene when I heard of the raid on the Imperial Court.....Following the trail of the magic, I didn’t expect this.”

Ibuki: “Oh dear, I stayed back for too long. But, how are you going to attack me when I have this woman in my arms?”

Tamamo: “Hmm...what should I do?”

He smiled and nodded his head.

Tamamo: “Let’s just make sure we don’t hit Yoshino, I guess.”

With the words, small foxfires emerge around Ibuki.

(When did you...!)

Ibuki: “Heh, you are really careful, aren’t you?”

Ibuki’s great sword swept away the blue flames that were coming at us all at once.

Ibuki: “.....!”

One of the fox fires scorches Ibuki from the front.

Ibuki: “The rest of them were illusions, huh----I hate you already.”

(Amazing! Such a skill on a spur of the moment----)

Tamamo: “Sorry, I’m so good at concocting spells, aren’t I?”

He snapped his fingers and said in a droll tone.

Then the foxfire floated in the air again......

Ibuki: “You’re blowing, you little fox. You’ll never bring me to my knees with your petty attacks.”

Tamamo: “I suppose so. Trouble is, my power is far from recovered.”

--------Part 3-------

Tamamo: “I suppose so. Trouble is, my power is far from recovered. But....”

He snapped his fingers once more, and all at once, the foxfires exploded.

Tamamo shouts to drown out the sound.

Tamamo: “You’re not the kind of lad who sleeps around here, are you? Kurama!”

Kurama: “You don’t have to tell me that!”

(Kurama....)

The wind whipped up with a roar.

Ibuki: “....You’re a dead man, you know that?”

Cut and bleeding by a blade of wind, Ibuki still smiles thinly.

Tamamo: “Are you ready to give up and give Yoshino to us?”

Ibuki: “No way. We’ll just play our trump card. Don’t just stand there and watch. Give me a hand, Yasuchika!”

(Eh!?)

Kurama and Tamamo: “.......”

In a breathless moment, the space in the shadow of the grove to which Ibuki’s gaze was directed, was distorted.

Yasuchika: “......I hope you don’t try to use it as a convenience.”

Yoshino: “Yasuchika..san...!?”

Yasuchika-san emerged from the distortion.

He had a cold face, unlike the aloofness I know him to be.

Tamamo: “I knew you would come, Yasuchika.”

Kurama: “.....”

The foxfire and the blade of the wind flew towards Yasuchika at the same time.

Yoshino: “Nn....”

The purple light spreads like a net to prevent the foxfire and the wind blade.

I found him holding a piece of paper with an intricate pattern on it at his fingertips.

(Is that...a talisman?)

Yasuchika: “Hi, Tamamo-chin and Kura-rin. Also, fox princess, how are you doing?”

Though he’s smiling, I can’t read his mind at all.

(It’s not like the fear of Kurama or Ibuki. I don’t know what to say.)

Ibuki: “Brilliant, Yasuchika.”

Yasuchika: “In Onmyoji arts, unlike the powers of demons, there is a price to pay for great skill. Ibuki. You know this very well, but you’re playing on the assumption that I’ll clean up after you.”

Ibuki: “I’m doing it for ‘him.”

Yasuchika: “I hate you, because you know I’ll shut up when you say his name....Now, let's go.”

In the next moment, the purple net changes shape like smoke.

Tamamo: “Tch...smokescreen.”

Kurama: “Wait! Give her back to me! She’s mine----”

Kurama tried to run at us from behind a thick smokescreen, but an invisible wall blocked his way.

Yoshino: “Ku..rama...”

(I wish I could be near you right now.)

I want to hold your bleeding body and tell you not to be reckless, but I can’t do that now.

Soon purple smoke blocked the view....

Ibuki: “Sleep for now.”

Ibuki’s voice rumbled inside my head and my consciousness crashed into darkness.

......................

By the time the purple smoke had cleared, Ibuki, Yasuchika, and Yoshino were already gone.

Kurama: “.............”

Tamamo: “Where are you going, Kurama?”

--------Part 4------

Tamamo: “Where are you going, Kurama?”

Kurama stands up, bleeding, and Tamamo stands in front of him.

Kurama: “I’ll follow them. I’ll follow the traces of his magic....”

Tamamo: “I’m sure Yasuchika will be well prepared. And with your body, Ibuki will finish you off....or will you risk your life and stab each other in the back?”

Kurama: “It’s better than being humiliated.”

Tamamo quietly met his gaze, which was filled with icy anger.

Tamamo: “I know it’s a lot to ask of you to endure----but, Yoshino would be destroyed if she knew you died for her.”

Kurama clicked his tongue hearing Tamamo’s words.

....................

(Mmm......)

The shock to the body wakes me up.

Ibuki: “You’re up. Just in time.”

(Ibuki! Where are we-----)

I jumped up in a panic and found that I had been lowered to the ground inside a tent.

Yasuchika: “Sorry to wake you up from your sleep, so early but I’d like to introduce you to someone.”

Yoshino: “...?”

Still, with a confused mind, I turn to the direction indicated by Yasuchika-san.

???: “We finally meet, fox princess.” (AHHHHHH MY HEART!!!!!)

(Who is this man?)

In a graceful robe and a mysterious tone.

His quiet beautiful eyes seem to draw me in as I look at him.

Yoshino: “Who are you....?”

When I ask him, he gives me a soft, languid smile.

???: “A lot of people call me Sutokuin or Your Majesty. I don’t really like it, it’s too ostentatious.”

( ‘Sutokuin’....you mean the Emperor who gave up his throne. right?”

Yoshino: “Don’t joke about it! No member of the Imperial family would be here.”

???: “That’s right too. So, will you call me Akihito?”

Yoshino: “Akihito-san?”

Akihito: “Mm. I like it. Hearing ‘san’ next to my name feels fresh. But if you want, you can call me like how you call Ibuki.”

Yasuchika: “.....Akihito-sama. We don’t have time to play games.”

(Onmyoji is supposed to be a high-status profession, isn’t it? I can’t believe that Yasuchika-san calls him “sama”)

As I looked at them in surprise, Yasuchika-san turned to me.

Yasuchika: “Yoshino-san. It’s understandable that you don’t believe us, but.....Akihito-sama is the former Emperor of Hinomoto(Japan)”

(No way...)

Still, in doubt, a new question arises.

Yoshino: “You mean...”

Akihito: “I'll be straightforward. In the eyes of the world, I should have been dead by now.”

-------Part 5--------

Akihito: “ “I'll be straightforward. In the eyes of the world, I should have been dead by now. It’s kind of like the same situation as Yoshitsune.”

Ibuki: “I think your situation is somewhat more complicated than his.”

(It’s too far-fetched to be a lie to make any sense. Then...?)

Yoshino: “Wait, if that’s true....and aside from Yasuchika-san, there is one more person responsible for all this chaos------”

I was surprised.

Yoshino: “Does that mean, the one who made a deal with Ibuki-----is you?”

Akihito: “You’re clever.”

Ibuki: “Isn’t it ironic. A man with the noblest blood in the land of Japan is bound to a demon.” (Ironic and badass!!)

Yasuchika: “It’s not the worst mistake. As for me, I’d kill that demon any day.”

Yasuchika-san replied to Ibuki with a smile.

(Ibuki made a deal with the former emperor...so he got some of his powers as well?)

Yoshino: “Then Akihito-sama....what is your purpose?”

Akihito: “Akihito-sama’...well, there’s nothing that can be done about that now.”

Akihito-sama murmured, unfortunately.

Akihito: “I’m not averse to straightforward questions. I’ve got a grudge against the whole Hinomoto. So I’m going to curse and destroy all of them.”

His voice is so soothing that I’m willing to listen to it forever.

The softness of his speech made it all the more strikingly different.

Yoshino: “....Are you serious?”

Akihito: “Nope. I lied.”

The smile on his face is both deceptive and sorrowful.

(What kind of life do you have to live to make you laugh like this?)

Ibuki: “Don’t scare her, Akihito.”

Akihito: “I didn’t mean to.”

Yasuchika: “Now that the introduction is over, let’s get to the main subject.”

Softly, Yasuchika-san interrupts us.

Yasuchika: “Have the Shogunate and the Rebels reached the battlefield?”

Akihito: “Yes. The advance team is arriving on both sides. I’ve just had private soldiers attack each end of the line and pass on the information. The Shogunate was defrauded by the Rebels, and the Rebels by the Shogunate, who broke their promise to hand over the prisoners.”

(That’s...!)

Yoshino: “Yoritomo-sama and Yoshitsune-sama will be sure of the truth.”

Akihito: “The main body will arrive a little later. Will they be able to control it all the way to the end? All we need is to make a small edge of a big crowd suspicious.”

Ibuki: “If one of us gets carried away and starts a fight, it can quickly spread to the whole of them and cause a huge fire. Because humans are cute but stupid creatures.”

Then Akihito-san turns to me.

Akihito: “What is your name again?”

Yoshino: “....Yoshino.”

Akihito: “Yoshino. I’ll remember you.”

Then Akihito-sama lowered his eyelashes as if he was slightly troubled.

Akihito: “I want to apologize to you. You can hate me all you want. One more curse on me now won’t make much difference.”

(What are you going to me....?)

Chapter 23

[keelywolfe]

FIC: A Lonely Impulse of Despair (standalone)

Summary:  They knew about the anomaly and the resets, but forewarned is not always forearmed.

Notes:  I got this idea into my head that what-if all the skeletons knew at least something about the anomaly and the resets and this is where it went. Read the tags!

Tags: Spicyhoney, References to Undertale Genocide Route, Dark, Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Rough Sex, Lemony

Read it on AO3

or

Read it here!

~~*~~

Snowdin always lived in darkness, broken only by the lighted lamps along the streets, powered by the core. There was no sun underground, no illusion of dawn and dusk. It was morning simply because the clocks stated it to be so, and that morning, Edge left his home to walk down the empty streets to the shops at the far end of town.

The other houses in town stood vacant. There was an occasional window lit, flickering light casting shadows out onto the snowdrifts, but their former inhabitants were gone.

There was no sign of any violence in those homes. None of those windows were broken, the doors undamaged. He’d gone into one where the door was standing open and found dishes in the sink, a pie sitting on the back of the counter for an upcoming dessert. Half-folded laundry sat in a basket, books and toys strewn about as if they were only waiting for their owners to return.

Edge touched nothing, only left and closed the door carefully behind him.

On this morning, snow was falling in a silent flurry. The flakes were piling up on streets that were no longer cleared daily by the Bun family. It was barely a hinderance. His boots cut easily through the loose drifts as he walked, alone, down to the other side of town.

There were children here once. Not so carefree as the ones he’d seen in the other Universes but even here on clear days they played in the snow until their parents called them back inside as the more dangerous night hours came.

A ridiculous notion. The illusion of safety during the day hours was just that, an illusion. There was no difference in the Underground and every minute of any day could bring treacherous events.

From a distance, Edge could see the lights were still on in the store. He’d left them on the day before when he’d come this same way. The store was the closest building to the edge of town that led into the woods surrounding it. If anyone were still out there, those lights could guide them into Snowdin.

The bell over the door rang as Edge pushed it open, a cheery warning to no one at all. The shop was as empty as the homes. The shelves had never been fully stocked at any time in Edge’s memory and the meagre offerings lining them were thinner than ever. There were no more fresh baked goods and only a handful of dried food remained. Most of the commodities left were canned, their lids coated with a thin layer of dust.

(dust, so much dust, how could it be)

Half of the remaining stock would have fit in Edge’s knapsack. It would make more sense to take all the food there and bring it home with him. Spare him the walk out in the open, keep him with necessary provisions for a time. Sensible.

Edge only took enough for the day and carefully noted what remained so he would know if anyone else came scavenging. Monster food would not rot or spoil, but eventually, he was going to run out of rations.

He gathered up the day’s supplies into his knapsack and went back outside into the swirling snow. He didn’t follow his half-buried tracks back home, instead going around the outskirts of town along the perimeter. None of his traps were disturbed, there was no indication that anyone had traveled this way. Just as it had been yesterday and the day before and the day before that. No signs, no people, no other Monsters.

There was nothing in the woods but hungry shadows that beckoned and cajoled for him to join them. Come to us, they said, there is nothing left for you in that town but emptiness and death. Come with us into the swirling snow and listen to secrets that only the mountain knows.

Edge ignored their call. He stopped at the borders of Waterfall where the snow began to melt into sludge and turned back, heading into town along the main road. He was nearly home when he caught sight of something that stopped him in his tracks. A figure in a familiar orange hoodie was sitting on his front porch steps, casually disregarding of the signs to ‘keep out’ and ‘beware’ that were strung on the barbed wire fence around it. There was a lit cigarette in his hand and Edge watched him lift it to his mouth and take a long drag, the exhaled smoke lost in the falling snow.

He hitched his knapsack higher on his shoulder and resumed his stride. Stretch didn’t look at him as he approached. “hey.”

Edge said nothing.

“you’re still here,” Stretch said. He tapped ash from his cigarette, exposing burning red at the tip. “thought maybe you’d’ve headed into new home.” He tipped his head back and looked up at what was not sky, but the high ceiling of a cave deep beneath the mountain that was both their prison and their home. “might be other refugees there keeping ahead of—” He hesitated, then added in a voice like hollow ice, “the anomaly.”

The anomaly, yes. The Human child whose soul offered no salvation, only death and dust.

A child, that was what Edge saw in that one brief instant when he came upon them on the road leading into Snowdin. An innocent child, and in his shock, he didn’t consider how they’d gotten past the Dogs or the traps. He didn’t notice the dust coating their clothes, didn’t even notice the knife in their hand. All he saw was the striped shirt, the round, cherubic face and in that instant, he was so taken aback that he paused. That moment of hesitation was all it took.

If Edge saw them again, he wouldn’t hesitate to strike them down, Edge told himself. He would cut that angelic head from their striped shoulders with a single cutting blow and leave them dead where they stood, even knowing he would never get the answer to his one question.

Why didn’t you kill me?

He told himself that was what he would do the next time and knew it wasn’t true.

It never was.

Stretch finished his cigarette and flicked the butt into the snow. “doesn’t help much to know this,” Stretch sighed, “but what the hell. you’re gonna forget this all. one morning you’ll wake up and it’ll be an all-new day. you’ll forget everything, the kid, the pain.” His grimace twisted into a crooked smile. “you’ll even forget me, for a little while. silver linings, am i right?”

“Why are you here?” How many days had it been since he’d last spoken? Edge wasn’t certain, but to his hearing, his voice was harsh with disuse, painfully hoarse.

Stretch rolled his shoulders in an approximation of a hug. “checking in. no one’s heard from this ‘verse in a couple weeks. wasn’t too hard to figure out what was going down.”

Not a difficult guess at all, he was sure. They all knew about the resets, all of them. They knew an anomaly came and what it did, and the price Monsters paid for their hubris was death. He’d known what was coming, he’d been braced for it since his brother took him down to the basement and showed the machine, the path to the other worlds where skeletons with faces that resembled their own lived in towns that were not their home. Anomalies, they explained, resets where time flowed backwards and took memory with it.

He’d known and he’d still failed, failed, because he hadn’t expected death would come with the face of a child.

“Come inside.” Edge didn’t wait to see if Stretch followed.

Inside, Stretch paused on the doormat, glancing around the living room. “keeping the homestead clean, i see, i—whoa!”

His breath left him in a grunt as Edge took hold of his sweatshirt and swung him around, shoving him up against the closed door. The faces were inches apart as Edge gritted out, “Why are you here?”

There was no fear on Stretch’s face, only that same irritating smirk beneath a deadened gaze. “told you, wanted to check on you.” He shrugged again, this time tight and nervous. “no one else was gonna. no one’s real sure what’ll happen if the reset comes while someone from another ‘verse is in town. probably shouldn’t even be here, but, eh, guess i ain’t too bright.”

The question of what would happen if you were in a different universe when the reset occurred had been asked before and it was one without an answer. There was simply no way of knowing if anyone had already tested it. For all anyone knew, they might all once have had an elder brother who tested the theory and found the price was a high one. “You might be leaving your brother alone.”

“heh.” A soft laugh, but Stretch’s gaze shifted, moving to look past Edge at the wall on the other side. “ain’t like i’ve ever been able to save him, anyway.”

Edge didn’t step back, but he loosened his grip on Stretch’s sweatshirt, let him slide a little down until his feet were firm on the floor. “If you’re here to try to convince me to leave Underfell—"

“nah. wouldn’t do that to you. see, i’d ask and you’d say no but you’d feel bad about it.” Stretch shook his head. “nah, you already don’t want to travel, i’m not about to send you on a guilt trip. who’s to say it’s safer, anyway. maybe you’d come over to visit and when the reset hit here, it’d drag you back on home through time and space. not my idea of fun.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Edge demanded. “For fun? Come to see Underfell at its safest?” He stepped back enough to wave a hand towards the window as mockingly as Mettaton on their latest game show. “Please, feel free. Wander through the woods, stroll down main street. But I warn you, the scenery will disappoint. There’s nothing out there. I’ve looked. There’s no one, nothing.” His voice was rising, going shrill and Edge shut his mouth, teeth clicking together painfully.

Patiently, hinting at petulance, Stretch said, “i told you, came here to check on you. it’s hard to be the last one around, all you can do is sweep up, put the chairs on the table, and wait for them to turn the open sign on again.”

Edge searched his face. Their skulls were more malleable than simple bone, their magic gave them life and Stretch’s skull was creased from worry, wearing his exhaustion like a skin. Beneath his sockets were grey shadows that spoke of sleepless nights.

They’d never gotten along, he and Stretch. Something about the other skeleton grated on him past the fact that he despite his face, he was more like Red—

(don’t, don’t think about him, don’t)

--than Edge. Not his twin, but a reversal, a twisted mirror image come to visit from the other side of the looking glass.

Despite his smiles, right now he looked more like Edge than ever, blank and bone-weary.

There was nothing inside Edge. Even his soul was empty, its contents drained by loss, cold and bitter as the snow that danced as it fell.

Yet, deep in the dregs of soul’s ashes there was a single spark left, and Edge reached for it, desperate for any lingering warmth. He leaned up and kissed Stretch, their teeth grinding together almost painfully.

Between their mouths, Stretch made a startled sound, but he made no attempt to pull away. He stood there with his shoulders pressed to the door and let Edge take his mouth, their tongues meeting in a furious tangle. He tasted sweet and did not flinch from the jaggedness of Edge’s teeth, licking daringly at the points in a silent, mocking challenge.

The spark inside him flared, kindling caught, and Edge tore away, panting. Before Stretch could offer a word, taunting or otherwise, Edge took him by the wrist and dragged him stumblingly over to the sofa. He pushed Stretch down, bent him over the threadbare cushion of the arm. Tall as he was, if he’d chosen to struggle, it would have been difficult to pin him. Instead, he sagged willingly down against the sofa arm, let it angle his pelvis upward even as he shifted in a deliberate writhe of offering.

The gray that had haunted Edge’s vision for days receded, like a shroud pulled from over his sockets. He took hold of Stretch’s ridiculous, saggy pants and yanked them down to his ankles to rest on top of his dirty sneakers. Beneath them he was bare, his magic forming in his pelvis. The bright orange filled his sight to overflowing and the slit of his cunt glistened like a taunt.

Without warning, Edge pressed two careless fingers to the opening, slipping both inside and Stretch lurched under him, a strangled cry escaping him. He was merely damp, not nearly wet enough for what Edge intended.

He kept a hand at Stretch’s hip to hold him still and dropped to his knees to bury his face against those soft folds, pushing his tongue in alongside his fingers. A sudden buck nearly threw him off and Edge held him down more firmly, slicking his tongue up that cleft between his scissoring fingers, wetting him thoroughly. Stretch whimpered, shivering, his hips rocking back desperately against fingers and mouth both.

“oh, fuck,” Stretch whined. His breath came in ragged blurts, catching and resuming in a shattered cadence. “edge, your mouth…fuck!” His fingers were curled into the sofa cushion beneath his skull, gripping tightly as Edge pushed his tongue deeply inside, tasting a sudden blurt of honey-sweet wetness that allowed his fingers to move easier.

Slowly, Edge stood, letting his fingers slip free and wiping them on his pantleg. He stood there a moment, taking in the sight in front of him. The quiver in Stretch’s shoulders, the perfect arch of his spine beneath his rucked-up sweatshirt, his femurs spread as wide as his hobbling pants allowed. The shift of his hips was as eager as the wet pussy between them and wordlessly, Edge unzipped his trousers and pulled out his cock. He spit in his hand and spread the wetness on his shaft before lining up. He held there a moment, pussy lips parted around the broad head and the slippery opening clenching around it as if trying to suck him inside.

Over his own unsteady breathing was a constant stream of obscenity and begging, words spilling endlessly from Stretch. With a long, slow thrust, Edge pressed inside, ignoring Stretch’s increasingly desperate pleading and the urgent rise of his hips. When he was hilted inside, their pelvic girdles grazing against each other, Edge was forced to pause, closing his sockets at the unbearable intimacy of it. Edge couldn’t remember the last time he’d touched someone else, but it was before the anomaly (child) ever came here. Even the person he was closest to, his brother, never touched him, not since he was small and they curled up together to sleep, less affection and more to share their body warmth.

The slick tight heat surrounding his shaft was an overload to his touch deprivation, the rippling clench dragging a ragged cry from him as he tried not to come in an instant. Edge took a steading breath, licked his teeth and tasted his own sweat mingled with the sweetness of cunt, and only then did he move.

“nnngg, god!” Stretch sobbed out, his limp body battered against the sofa as Edge found a rhythm, pounding into him with a metronome-steady pace. His scant ectoflesh offered little cushion, their pelvic bones clacking together achingly. Edge ignored the discomfort, thrusting harder still and listening for protests that did not come.

Beneath him, Stretch covered his mouth with a hand, stifling himself even as he pleaded for more, for harder, fuck me harder, you bastard. His other struggled to reach beneath him, his skinny fingers briefly jabbing where they were joined as he sought out his clit. Edge felt it from within as he found it, the strangling clench of his cunt around him, and choked on a curse as he fucked in hard, his driving rhythm faltering, breaking, as orgasm struck him. He was empty inside, but he filled Stretch with the heat of his come, spilled in thick, hot pulses as Stretch whined and quivered, accepting his offering.

Withdrawing was difficult, made harder by both the spasming clutch of cunt and his own reluctance. In the end, Edge snatched himself free with the haste of someone (a child) pulling off a band-aid from a barely healed wound. He watched the crimson spill of his magic as it followed, wet streaks dripping down to paint the inside of Stretch’s femurs. Stretch didn’t move, his breathing still coming in hitched gasps as he laid in a half-crumpled drape over the sofa arm, his long legs still splayed, leaving him used and exposed.

Edge tugged his pants closed, his zipper loud in the silence. “You need to go.”

“heh.” Stretch stirred, his sockets slitting opened as he shifted enough to look over his shoulder. “kicking me out already? your afterglow sucks.”

“Be that as it may, you can’t be here when it resets.”

Perhaps something of the kindled spark in Edge transferred to Stretch somehow, in his kiss, in his come, in his words, he didn’t know which. There was some emotion in the smirk Stretch offered him, his gaze less empty as he asked, “worried about me, edgelord?”

“Yes.” The raw honesty was all he could muster.

Stretch exhaled, long and slow, turning his face briefly into the cushions where they’d all sat once, crowded together on the cushions to watch silly movies that were scavenged from the dump. With a low grunt, he slowly pushed up to his feet. He staggered and Edge caught him by the arm, holding him up as Stretch reached awkwardly for his pants, hauling them up over his stained femurs.

“yeah, i should probably go,” Stretch said. He didn’t move, his hands fluttering nervously to his pockets as if to reach for his cigarettes then aborting, moving aimlessly before returning to his pockets before repeating (resetting) again. “listen, you won’t remember this after and my memory is gonna get all smudgy again, but.” For one moment, Stretch’s gaze was entirely unshielded. Edge couldn’t decipher what he saw in his eyelights before he took reached out, taking hold of Edge’s face between both hands as he leaned in to kiss him, softly. A brief, gentle meeting of mouths still sore from the brutality of earlier, then he pulled away. “maybe we can do this again sometimes.” Unguarded eye lights above a crooked smile, then Stretch turned away as he added, carelessly. “hell, could be we already did.”

“Stretch.” He paused at the door, browbones raised, and Edge blurted out, “Do you think they remember what they’ve done? After a reset, do they know?”

A brief silence, then Stretch said, slowly, “to be honest? i’m not even sure it’s the same kid every time.” Stretch shrugged, a loose roll of his shoulders as if his ligaments still weren’t too tight. “maybe somewhere out there someone is sharing a controller. anyway, your bro should be sending ‘em back to the start menu soon enough.”

“Yes.” His brother. If he was still alive and don’t, don’t, don’t.

Stretch left without another word, the door closing softly behind him, and Edge gathered up his knapsack from where he’d dropped it to get his supplies.

He ate directly from the cans and tasted nothing.

Afterward, Edge curled up on the sofa that smelled of their sex, his cheekbone resting on the faded fabric close to the still-damp stains as he waited for the world to end or to begin again.

Whichever came first.

-fin

[elizabeatrice]

Episode 12 - The Little Mermaid

Let’s Talk About JSHK Anime #3

Warning: Manga spoilers for The Little Mermaid arc, The Clock Keeper arc, and chapter 64!!! (just a bit, skip point no. 5, 6, and 10 if you don’t want to get spoiled) Also … this ended up way longer than I intended.

Well that was one heck of a feels trip. It’s probably my new favorite episode, just because everyone is here being wholesome lmao.

This is mostly hananene meta I ain’t even gonna lie.

Before we begin, shout out to Black Canyon, our newest anime cutie pie. Just look at him, folks. Just chilling with his sunflower seed.

He has no idea the kind of life his owner leads.

I said before that the best part of episode 12 is how it made Daydream worse, so now I’m gonna ramble about it.

“Maybe different species can’t understand each other after all.”

“Maybe it would be better if I were an apparition too.”

This is my favorite part of the episode. And no, not in the sense that I want Nene to die just so that she and Hanako can be together. But because of how Lerche actually explored deeper what was said only once in the manga.

Well, both in the manga and anime Nene ended up accepting the mermaid’s blood because of her desire to be popular, but the anime decided to revisit what she said earlier in the episode.

Not only did that make her decision kinda less selfish, it’s also just … sad. Thinking that your friend, someone you really cared about, doesn’t trust you enough to tell you things about themselves, to the point where you’re willing to go to such lengths as turning into an apparition just to understand them.

And if you think about it, isn’t this part of her true wish? To have her feelings be reciprocated? Man I just realized that as I wrote this and I am mindblown.

She thought she finally got her wish with Hanako. I mean, he said it himself in the first ep (”You wanted someone, anyone, to return your feelings, right? And as far as you’re concerned, sharing a bond with someone is the same thing, right?”). So it must’ve hit her really hard when she thought he didn’t trust her. Especially with all the wrong ideas the fishes were feeding her mind.

Then we got this little flashback. At first I was like, “Girl, you really be thinking that he doesn’t care about you while recalling the moment he apologized to you and hugged you? Are you insane?”

But after some thinking of my own, it occurred to me. Maybe she was too used to having her feelings not reciprocated, she couldn’t believe it when someone finally did. Not to mention Hanako did kinda trick her with his fake confession a while back (heh, he’s not the only one with trust issues, eh?). And that just made the entire thing even sadder.

So when Nene said, “But I thought, if I were an apparition like you, I could get closer to you. Then, maybe I’d be able to understand you, Hanako-kun. Although I know I probably don’t mean anything to you.”

That was a harsh wake up call for Hanako.

(Btw even more full circle, Hanako brought up Nene’s wish to become human again in the first episode. Nice.)

So. We got one daikon girl who’s afraid of not having her feelings reciprocated, and one ghost boy who’s afraid that daikon girl wouldn’t be his friend anymore if she knew about his past.

While in actuality, said daikon girl already decided she wanted to and would be his friend no matter what, and ghost boy had grown to care about her more than he thought he would.

He heard what she said to Tsuchigomori. He knew all about regret, too.  I mean, honestly, I think if she had said no, he’d let her walk away right then and there, no questions asked. But she didn’t.

Nene’s wish finally came true here. And the best part? It wasn’t the work of magic or curses. Just Hanako finally shoving his fear aside, offering himself as he was, and letting her decide.

And she still chose to be with him.

Heh. Lemme just. Sob for a bit.

Is my hananene trash brain reading too much into this? Idk. Maybe.

So props to the production team for managing to add even more weight to this arc. Which, they had to, since it’s the season finale and all. But I love what they did!

Onto my commentaries!

1. The KouNene

Good shit. She was worried about him but he didn’t want her to worry so he just smiled it off? These two are precious. Thought they were gonna interact. Sadly not. Buuuut! (see point 12)

2. Hanako’s classroom visit

He. Is. So. Adorable. Someone please take his babey license away he’s too dangerous.

Hanako’s classroom visit is like my absolute favorite clingy Hanako moment, so I’m really happy I get to see it this season. Ugh. My kokoro. Hugging her from behind, that semi confession vibe … Smooth mf.

The Mokke brushing Nene’s hair!!! The radish hairdo tho lmao.

On a sidenote, as a history nerd I appreciate that they’re actually putting lessons in the background. And the teacher talked about Apollo 11 again??? While my boy was in the room? That ish both hurt and pleased me.

3. The Clock Keeper rumor drop

Heeeeeehhhhh? What’s thiiiiiissss?

4. This freaking thing

*flips table* Darn production team been knew I’m hananene trash how dare they do this to me.

And lookie here there’s Kodama chilling.

5. Fishies! (!!!manga spoiler for The Little Mermaid arc!!!)

Pufferfish didn’t die. Well, good for him. Also I can’t believe they just call the other fish ‘yeah yeah’ lmao what the freak. Has it always been like that in the manga?

6. AOI AND AKANE (!!!spoilers for chapter 64!!!)

I swear I did not intend this numbering coincidence.

*claps* Boi. Nene asking Aoi about cutting ties with someone she’s interested in? And then Akane just swooped in and say he’d rather cut his head off than cut ties with Aoi? What about getting impaled, huh, boy? Would that do?

The not-so-subtle call out to these two pairs’ parallel? BOI.

7. Nene and Yako

These two just chilling together having girl talk, and Yako let Nene pet her? That’s some adorable shit right there. Admit it Yako you like her.

Yako also be really hitting home with what she said. It was extra heavy coming from her, considering what happened to her and Misaki. Boiiiiii.

8. Tsuchigomori

Oh my God, his laughter. Just … oh my God.

Tsuchigomori in dad mode is always one of the highlights of the episode/chapter.

By the way, in this scene according to the sub, Nene asked Tsuchigomori who Tsukasa is. But she knew who he is already. Is it possible that the sub misinterpreted it? ‘Cause I think what she actually meant was, “What happened to him and Tsukasa-kun in the past?”

If someone who speaks Japanese could share their wisdom, please do!

9. The 5 pm bell and twilight

Look how pretty they are!!!

Lo and behold, another important hananene interaction while the 5 pm bell plays in the background. Also, twilight? Y’all giving me Kimi no Na wa flashbacks.

“Twilight, when it’s neither day or night. When the world blurs and one might encounter something not human.”

Huh … kinda fits the ‘boundary’ concept but it still hurt.

Anyway they still had Hanako tell her what she already knew. And I did say in my ‘Walking Blind’ post that it’d be redundant. But since the episode kinda emphasized Nene’s desire to understand Hanako, having him actually tell her himself, even though she already knew it, was a big deal. It’s not about what she knows, it’s about him opening up to her. So I’m super cool with it.

10. The Broadcasting Club (!!!spoilers for The Clock Keeper arc!!!)

I love how Natsuhiko and Sakura are actually decent people. When he told Mitsuba that he was free to choose to stay with them or not? That’s solid, man. Though, of course, Tsukasa might not be as kind.

Speaking of, I know it couldn’t be anything else, but I’m still not sure if Tsukasa’s drawing was confirmation for season 2. Don’t wanna get my hopes up. Imma just enjoy what I currently have.

Kinda curious, though. Because Clock Keeper wasn’t Tsukasa’s doing. Maybe he was the one who released Mirai? But tbh I’d prefer if it wasn’t so. Because having more cases of supernaturals going loco without it being one of Tsukasa’s games is interesting, and kinda underlines the need of The Seven Wonders to keep supernaturals in check.

11. Kodama just chilling

12. The Adventures of Minamoto and the Summer Vegetables

You go, Kou! I’m rooting for you oh my God you’re so precious.

And look at that ikemen smile! Him supporting Kou is just top notch sweet y’all I can’t-

Ngl this was the biggest surprise of the episode. Teru finding out that summer vegetables = Nene? Broooooo. Interesting. I don’t think this little addition warrants any changes to their future interaction, so it should be safe. Clever replacement, too, those veggies.

It’s so sweet that Nene delivered those veggies to Kou! Just imagine the Minamoto family having veggies for dinner. Awww.

(Also, Nene wrote her name in hiragana instead of kanji. Is that a reference to how bad Kou is with kanji? Lol, so sweet)

13. The Coda!!!

Look at him. Just look at him. Look how lovesick he is y’all I can’t-

THEY’RE SO ADORABLE.

All in all, I love this episode. Sorry for how long this post is. I’m just dealing with so many feels right now. Gaaahhhhh.

[lame-adventures]

Authors Note: So I know this is more than a week late but I got really busy and haven’t had a chance to publish it until now. I considered abandoning this, but I want to make it apart of holiday themed series. Enjoy!

A perfect Halloween

October 31st, 2020 - A Muggle Quarantine AU

“Oh bloody hell.” Lily murmured to herself, taking in the messy sight of her bathroom. “James! Harry! Get your butts in here.” She stuck her head out the bathroom door and hollered down the hallway.

“Yes love?” James Potter said, clambering down the hallway, holding his two year old daughter at his waist.

“What is it Mum?” Harry asked politely, hoping to avoid an overly-dramatic scolding from a nine-month pregnant Lily Potter.

“Someone care to explain?” Lily said, gesturing to the mess scattered throughout their bathroom.

Wet towels sat in piles on the floor, a whole roll of toilet paper was wrapped across the sink and shaving cream had been sprayed into the toilet itself.

“What the-?”James began, stopping himself from cussing in front of his children.

“Mum you’re a nutter. I would never.” Harry began lamely, rolling his eyes.

Lily eyed him suspiciously, her thirteen year old boy had been known to stir up quite a bit of mischief. And being quarantined inside for the past eight months, had spurred a new level of prankster in the boy.

(Of course it didn’t help that her husband egged on their child every chance he got.)

“Harry James.” James began sternly, his daughter shyly nuzzling her head deep into his shoulder. “This is too far.”

“I didn’t do that.” Harry whined, “I’m not a bloody child.”

“Oi. Language!” Lily snapped at him, she crossed her arms delicately on top of her protruding belly, and tapped her foot anxiously.

“Well? Who did this then?” James asked, setting down the two year old Sophie.

“Why doesn’t Hannah ever get this sort of inquisition?” Harry asked, referring to his eleven year old sister.

“Why are you using words like inquisition?” Lily asked while James bellowed down the stairs for Hannah to join them upstairs.

The Potter’s were, of course, a very rambunctious bunch. Constantly bugging each other and playing childish pranks. But Hannah took after her Mother, the same brightly colored ginger hair and vivid green eyes. Childish pranks were not Hannah’s forte, and her eyes went wide at the mess of the bathroom once she finally met the rest of her family upstairs.

“Oh,” She said, somewhat sheepishly, eyes turned downwards. “That was Sophie.”

“Soph?” James asked incredulously, the two year old in question cowered behind her Mother’s legs.

“Yup it was all Sophie. I saw her a little while ago, before you guys got up.” Hannah tattled.

“And why? In Gods name,” Lily began lowly, “did you not stop her?”

“Or get us?”

“Not my responsibility,” Hannah said firmly placing her hands on her hips.

“Han.” Harry said lowly. “You know this isn’t fair to Mum and Dad.”

“Well Dad kept yelling at me for being a tattletale.” She replied, a knowing smirk growing on her face. It was true in fact, that James had scolded her several times over the past few months for consistent need to tell her Mum and Dad whenever Harry did something slightly wrong.

“Welp. I’m going to put Soph in time out.” Lily said, bending down slightly to pick up the two year old who now sat innocently on the floor, sucking contently on her pacifier and purposely ignoring the conflict in front of her.

“You got this?” Lily asked James, before walking down the long hallway to their shared bedroom.

Lily heard yelling and groaning behind her as she shut the bedroom door, eyeing the armchair that sat in the corner of her bedroom. It had a pile of clothes on it, and with her free arm, Lily pushed the clothes on to the floor and set the squirmy toddler down.

She squatted as best as she could, with her large tummy in the way, and met Sophie’s eye level.

“You do not play in the bathroom.” Lily spoke sternly. “You do not make messes.”

The toddler stared at her mother, suppressing a smile as she sucked on her pacifier.

“This is not funny Sophie Lynn Potter.”

Sophie squealed in response, and Lily groaned loudly in frustration, standing up and pulling the pacifier out of Sophie’s mouth. This prompted the girl to begin screaming, and Lily walked towards her dressing table in agitation.

Her baby sat low inside her, kicking a sore spot near her ribs all morning, and Lily was in no mood to put up with screaming a two year old and bickering children.

It was the morning Halloween; normally her kids would be bouncing with excitement at the thought of classroom Halloween parties, and a night of trick or treating. Unfortunately this year, their new normal involved isolation inside their home while the world raged on outside in a mix of political chaos and a health crisis.

Lily still shudders thinking back to March earlier that year, in the same week the world had shut down and Lily had found out she was pregnant with her fourth child.

For the safety of both her and her unborn baby it was decided Lily would not leave their home at all, lest she come into contact with the virus. And Therefore, Lily has not left her home in eight months.

She looked sadly into her mirror, and took in her worn down appearance. At 33, Lily was at the typical age in which one would have babies. She was always attending some sort of baby shower event for her work colleagues, so getting pregnant at this age was completely normal. Of course she and James had done things a bit out of the normal when they started their family. James was at university, working on being scouted by some of the national football teams, while Lily was working towards a degree in journalism. They had only been dating for eight months when Lily fell pregnant for the first time. They were terrified of course, having a child so young, with so many unknowns of their future hanging in front of them. But once Lily gave birth to Harry, and she held him in her arms for the first time, they fell in love with the baby boy.

James earned a spot on Manchester United’s team, as a second string forward, and Lily got a job as a political commentator for BuzzFeed England. They bought a three story townhouse in the bustling downtown area of Manchester and got married on a chilly Halloween night, soon after they learned that Lily was once again pregnant.

Hannah was born, and for eight years the young family of four lived boisterously and happily. Her friends fawned over her children, and her co-workers cooed in delight when she announced once again she was pregnant when she was 30.

Sophie joined the Potter family in May, albeit her addition was unexpected, and Lily’s children were thrown for a loop with the shock of having to share their parents. Sophie was welcomed with so much overwhelming love that the youngest Potter quickly became spoiled with attention.

When the world locked down, and the five Potter’s learned that they would become six, Lily had been shaken with anxiety this time around. Frustrated with her government, growing bored with being home bound and irritated with her kids constantly yelling, Lily felt like crying.

She buried her face in her hands, and felt her baby kick her gently on the inside. She smiled softly, with as shitty as 2020 had been, there would definitely be a good ending for the Potter family.

James walked into the room, and pointedly ignored the screaming two year old. James and Lily quickly learned that the best way to deal with Sophie’s tantrums was to not give her the attention she was acting out for.

He walked around the side of the bed and wrapped his arms around Lily.

“Happy Anniversary love.” He said, kissing her cheek. “I’m sorry our kids had to start the day out like this.”

“Eh,” she shrugged, sinking into his arms. “I’d be bored without the chaos.”

She moved away from him, peeling off the large tee-shirt she had stolen from him years earlier and threw on a bright orange sweater. A big pumpkin displayed proudly across her belly.

“I made Hannah clean up, Harry is supervising.”

“That’ll end well I’m sure.” She laughed, throwing her hair up into a sloppy ponytail.

“You still up for our plans tonight?” He asked, scooping up Sophie in his arms once she finally stopped crying, and sitting down in the arm chair. He picked up the remote and flicked on the Telly to the morning news.

“Yes, It’ll have to get done soon anyways.” She said, patting her tummy, and smiling when she felt a small kick near her hand. The baby was due in two weeks, and they had yet to put the nursery together.

With four children, their house would quickly become crowded and James had taken to several quarantine projects in effort to make more room for his family. He began with converting the upstairs attack into a room for Harry, complete with his own Telly, a new gaming system and a mini fridge. James then began the task of converting Harry’s old bedroom into a nursery for the new baby.

They had decided to wait on the sex of their child, and opted to paint the bedroom yellow. Marlene had come by a week prior and painted a mural of characters from Lily’s favorite book to read to her kids, Winnie the Pooh.

Harry and Hannah would be spending the evening at the Weasley’s and James’ Mother would be stopping by this afternoon to pick up Sophie for an evening of spoiling, giving James and Lily some much needed alone time. They had incredibly exciting plans, of eating take-away and preparing the nursery.

Soon enough, James had declared he was taking Harry and Hannah to the market to do a little bit of shopping, and Lily sat at home with Sophie. She planted the child in front of the Telly in her bedroom, whilst Lily sat on her bed, editing her latest article for Buzzfeed. This was the last article she had to write before starting maternity leave, and she was hellbent in making it one of her best ones yet.

Her back ached, and she sighed as she noticed Sophie beginning to get restless. Quarantine had been rough for everyone, and being locked up with a whiny toddler began to take a toll only Lily’s nerves.

She slammed her laptop shut and sighed out in frustration, taking in the sight of her daughter. The girl mimicked her Mother, with curly red hair and freckles skin. But she took James' playful smile, and his aptitude for mischief. It wasn’t Sophie’s fault that she misbehaved so often of course, she was bored. Two year olds needed to be out exploring the world, and Sophie was locked inside with her anxious parents.

When the shut downs began, Lily was still required to work. Most days, she was shut away, writing articles and having conferences over zoom. James hasn’t worked since March, and he was tasked with entertaining the kids most days.

Thankfully Harry and Hannah could occupy themselves with school, and once summer came around they got to see their friends again.

But poor Sophie rarely got the sole attention from her Mother anymore, and so Lily took this as an opportunity to spend some much needed one on one time with her youngest daughter.

They made sugar cookies, and the rest of her family came home to find Lily and Sophie sitting in a mess of orange icing, surrounded by dozens of pumpkin shaped cookies.

James presented Lily with a bouquet of sunflowers and she squealed in delight when Harry gave her a box of chocolates and a card.

“It’s from all of us.” He said nonchalantly. “Happy Anniversary.”

James grinned, rustling Harry’s hair and pointed towards a framed photo on the wall next to the stove. It was of James, Lily and Harry as a baby. The day they got married.

“It’s a shame you don’t remember it. You were throwing up from all the cake Uncle Sirius let you eat.”

“It was a beautiful day.” Lily said, shoving a cookie towards Harry. “Let’s not dwell on when Harry threw up all over me.”

At three that afternoon, Mia Potter entered their home, with bags of Halloween treats for Harry and Hannah. She came with her digital camera, demanding the kids get dressed in their costumes for an impromptu Halloween photo op. James had struggled to get Sophie into her Peppa Pig costume, and Harry and Hannah had squeezed into their wizard costumes from the previous year.

Lily begrudgingly got through the picture part of the afternoon, and sat patiently in the living room while James served the tea.

“Any signs of arrival?” Mia asked, the elder Mrs Potter was nearing eighty now. She waited nearly fifty years for her only son, and was more than thrilled when her grandchildren had been born.

“Not yet,” Lily said. “Unfortunately. I’m starting to feel like I’ll be pregnant forever. But I’m trying to enjoy it, because this is definitely the last one.”

“You said that after Hannah.” Mia reminded her.

“We mean it this time.” James said, sitting next to Lily and handing her a mug of tea. “We are stopping at four.”

“Yeah we are out of room here.” Harry said assuredly. “And you don’t want to turn into the Weasley’s.”

James laughed at that, he couldn’t even fathom seven children. The thought of having four was already quelling lots of new anxieties.

“Oh well. I’ve already got four perfect grandchildren.” Mia said, standing up and patting Hannah on the head.

“We best be getting off though, I have quite the evening planned for this sweet girl.” She said, picking up Sophie and kissed her cheek.

Lily kissed her goodbye, and made her way to the kitchen while James accompanied his Mother outside.

“Harry go help Mum clean up.” She heard Hannah whine.

“Well why don’t you?”

“You two better not bring this bickering over to the Weasley’s.” Lily interrupted the brewing fight.

“Sorry Mum.” Hannah said sheepishly, taking the kettle of her Mother’s hands. “We’ll behave.” She said pointedly, staring at Harry.

“Yes. I promise.” Harry said, kissing his mother’s cheek. “Enjoy your night with Dad.”

“What time are they expecting you lot?” Lily asked, leading the way to the kitchen.

“Dad said he’ll drive us over there at seven.” Harry said, moving to load the dishwasher.

“Make sure you take some of those cookies over there with you.” Lily said, it broke her heart slightly. That her kids were at the age where they would rather spend Halloween with their friends rather than their parents.

Halloween had always been a bit of a weird holiday for the Potter’s. It began in their first year of University, when James and Lily met at a party that James and his friends were throwing. Remus had practically begged Lily to join him at their party, insisting she would get along greatly with his friends. Lily’s roommate Marlene had excitedly encouraged Lily to “get drinks and get laid.” Lily did get laid that night, after immediately hitting it off with James. They spent hours talking together, laughing and drinking and dancing. They ended up in bed, in a drunken tangle of limbs, and Lily fell in love. (James had been in love the moment he laid eyes on her.)

The second Halloween spent together was presumed to be when Harry was conceived, again at a party that James had been throwing. Sirius had given Lily a brownie with a little “surprise ingredient,” and she had failed to make sure that James was using a condom that night.

They would never forget their fourth Halloween together. It left a number of scars, and an emotional strain on the young couple for years to come. It had begun with a disasterly dreadful dinner with her sister and her oaf of a husband. They had met at a posh restaurant near Lily’s hometown and the night had ended with Lily in tears after Petunia’s verbal attack. It was the same old conversation; that Lily was a disappointment to her Mother, that Lily was a freak, a failure. A slut for having a baby at such a young age.

She was silent as she walked to the car, hand in hand with James while he struggled to carry their crying infant son at his hip. She insisted on driving, that driving was calming, and James didn’t want to upset her further. He strapped his son into his car seat and climbed into the front seat, plugging in his phone and scrolling through his playlist to find Lily’s favorite artist.

He didn’t notice the red light, the rain was coming down too hard and he was focused on trying to calm the screaming baby in the back. A truck had barreled into them, flipping their car and nearly killing the young family.

Harry was left with a terrible scar on his forehead. The baby had a concussion and slept for days after the accident. James too had a concussion, and shattered his arm. Lily had been in a coma for nearly a month.

They nearly died that Halloween, James and Lily shudder at the thought of everything they could have lost. And they are thankful everyday for the family that they have.

The following year they decided to make Halloween into a happy memory. That morning Lily had taken a pregnancy test and a pink plus sign glared back at her. She cried for most of the morning, frustrated with her inability to use contraception. James was quick to ease Lily’s frustrations, reminding her that they wanted more kids in the future anyways, and that Harry was unplanned and ‘look at how good we are at making babies’. They took Harry Trick or Treating for the first time, dressed in a dog costume and laughed at Uncle Sirius’ tricks.

Afterwards they eloped, James had declared that they waited long enough, and they found a twenty four hour chapel. Halloween was the anniversary of when they met, and when they became a family. It was the day their family lived, and the day that their family was growing. It was the perfect day to get married.

Halloween in 2020 would be different of course. Harry and Hannah hadn’t bought costumes that year, and Sophie would miss out on her first chance to go trick or treating. Lily sat at her kitchen table and thought about this sadly, she had a few hours left before Harry and Hannah left and she wanted to make the most of it.

“Would you like to watch a movie?” She asked, smiling at her kids as they finished cleaning up from their afternoon tea.

“Erm.” Harry said, anxious to get upstairs on his Xbox before he left tonight.

“Han? C’mon guys. We never get time like this. We can watch something scary.”

Hannah agreed, and after Lily said she would make cheesy popcorn, Harry agreed too.

James joined them, and excitedly picked out The Conjuring declaring that Hannah was old enough to watch it.

Lily sat contently, as her daughter curled up next to her and they shared a bowl of popcorn. She observed James as he sat cross legged on the floor, leaning up against the couch, throwing popcorn at Harry.

Lily dozed off after a while, and her family dared not to wake her. Once the credits rolled, Lily stirred and found Harry and Hannah at the front door with their overnight bags.

“Behave.” She told Harry sternly, “I don’t want any calls from Mrs.Weasley tonight. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him Mum.”

“Please don’t.” James interjected, “that will just cause a fight. Don’t embarrass yourselves.”

Hannah rolled her eyes, and Lily laughed as she planted one last kiss on her daughter’s forehead.

“Any requests for dinner love?” James asked her before leaving to drive the kids to the Weasley's.

“Something fried.” Lily said, shutting the door behind him.

By the end of the night Lily was ready to sleep for a century. Once James had returned with bags of take-away, she had eaten her weight in fish and chips and spent the rest organizing the nursery. James had mastered putting cribs together by now, and had easily built this new one within an hour. He had put together the dresser, and was now working on the changing table while Lily began to organize the drawers of the dresser.

“You know this is probably going to be the last time we are alone for a long time.” James said, sitting down on the floor and throwing his tools back into the tool box.

“Yeah.” She bit her lip sadly, things were about to get chaotic. They both knew that when they decided to have a fourth baby. “I just wish this was happening at a different time. I mean I won’t even be able to give birth in a hospital. It’s really scary.”

“It’ll be alright.” He said, she moved to sit down next to him. It was awkward of course, she moved slowly, and James reached his arm around her waist to help steady her to the ground. She sat with her legs stretched out infront of her, and her hands resting carelessly on top of her belly.

“Just a few more weeks.” James mused, setting his hand on top of hers. “Are you nervous?”

“Very.” She nodded.

“Me too. But it’ll be fine.” He willed himself to believe it. He had hoped that the pandemic would have been controlled enough by now that Lily would be able to go to the hospital to deliver their baby. But her doctor had advised against it, saying that Lily was healthy enough to deliver on her own and to do so in a hospital would be an unnecessary risk.

“We have a plan for the moment labor starts. Mum, Sirius, and Marlene are ready to spring into action the second we call them.” James spoke simply, the best way to calm down a spiraling Lily was to talk her through it.

He turned his head to kiss her on the temple, and he softly whispered into her hair. “You’ve done this three times already Lil. You’re great at it. Everything will be okay.”

“I guess it will be kinda nice being at home this time. And in my own bed.” She said lowly.

“See? Look on the bright side. And just think love, in a few weeks she’ll be here and things will be better. I promise you.”

Lily looked at him incredulously, “she?”

“Yea. She. It’s a girl, I know it.”

“It’s a boy James. We’ve talked about this.”

“Blah blah. ‘Mothers intuition’ and all that.” He rolled his eyes, “you have been wrong about our other two girls. I don’t trust your intuition.”

“I want Harry to have a brother. It’s not fair he’s going to be outnumbered.”

“You and Hannah were outnumbered for years.” James laughed, reminding her of the years spent with Sirius and Remus as part of her family.

“Exactly! I don’t want Harry to feel like that.”

“Whatever, I’m happy with whatever we get. Even if it means you're wrong.”

She was wrong of course. Her baby came later that night, weeks before her due date, and after hours of screaming at James for putting her in this spot; she gave birth to a tiny, precious girl.

They called her Phoebe, she was small, and wrinkly and very pink. She had a mess of thick black hair and her tiny fingers curled around Lily’s finger while she held her daughter in adoration.

Labor came suddenly, and Lily couldn’t remember her other children hurting this badly. She laid in her bed and cried for her Mother, while James panicked. He called Marlene over, she was a nurse and Lily had insisted that she would only feel comfortable giving birth at home if Marlene was there to act as a midwife.

By midnight Lily was crying into James' chest as she pushed her daughter out into the world.

James held Lily tight, as Lily held her daughter to her chest and began to feed her. He took a quick picture of the newborn, and sent it to Harry and his mother. And whispered to Lily, “you did amazing. Again.”

She looked up at him, smiling wildly. “Shes lovely James, we did this.”

“Well obviously. But you did the hard part.”

“It’s okay.” She sighed, labor had been a bitch. She was horribly sore, and exhausted. She smiled down at the baby in her arms, “it was worth it.”

“Happy anniversary love.” He said.

“Happy Halloween.” She beamed at him.

Halloween was good for the Potter family. They had another happy Halloween story to add to their collection, the day Phoebe was born.

This year may have been shit, but it was ending happily within the chaos of the Potter home.

“Happy Birthday.” James leaned down and kissed his daughter's tiny head.

[thelustrousyellowdiamond]

The Scavenger Hunt Part 1

Steven was trying to enjoy his birthday. But a certain someone that he invited didn’t want to participate. It was very frustrating for him, especially with the rest of his family trying to get him to stop trying to help everyone else and just enjoy himself for a bit. But he couldn’t help it. Helping others was his whole life, if someone else wasn’t as happy as he was then he couldn’t be happy until they were happy.

Blue and Yellow Pearl invited him over so they could share something important with him. “I think it’s called a... scavenger hunt?” Yellow Pearl said in an uncertain manner.

“You follow the clues to find the surprises until the end where there’s some kind of big reveal,” added Blue Pearl.

“Look, guys,” said Steven. “Thanks for everything, and I really appreciate all the kind gestures, but I’ve already got a renovated house, that pocket telescope Connie gave me, and that party suit from you two, so I don’t really need any more gifts. I just want everyone to have a good time.”

“But you deserve some fun too, Steven,” said Amethyst, who was nearby. “Would it hurt to be spoiled a bit for just one day?”

“I mean, it might...” Steven uttered sheepishly. “Dad often talks about how-”

“Dude, forget it!”

“Besides, we’ve already set everything up,” Yellow Pearl stated. “Everything would go to waste if you said no.”

Steven sighed. “Alright, fine, I’ll humor you this once. But it’s just so we can have fun, got it?”

Blue Pearl nodded. “You may want to get into your adventure appearance modifiers for this one, Steven.”

Connie and decided to join the Pearls along with Amethyst and Steven for this hunt. However the others were rather partied out and opted instead to collapse on the sofas in the expanded house and just chat.

Steven looked at his first clue:

A carrier the shape of a sweet

Lies in the hands of some new old friends

Just down the street.

Steven was confused. “Which street? There are lots of them in Beach City.”

Yellow Pearl blushed. “Uh, we hadn’t really thought that out.”

“Alright, just follow us then,” said Blue Pearl.

“Not much of a hunt then now,” Amethyst grumbled.

“Come on guys,” said Connie. “They’re trying to do they’re best. We should have fun regardless.”

Steven frowned. “I just don’t get it. They’re up to something and I don’t understand why they would do all this for me.”

The three of them followed the Pearls all the way to the end of Beach City, right around where the water tower was. Steven was quite surprised to say the least, not by the gift itself, but by who was presenting it.

“FAMETHYST!?!?” exclaimed Steven and Amethyst at the same time.

“So these are all the gems you met up in space when you were rescuing your dad?” asked Connie.

“Only a few of us,” said Amethyst 8XJ (the Amethyst with the curl) “The rest of the humans and quartzes are back at the zoo. J-10 and Y-6 just decided to tag along. We’ve even been able to unbubble the Rose Quartzes and cruise the galaxy as we please.”

“Woah!” exclaimed Amethyst. “How did you guys convince Holly Blue?”

“We didn’t,” stated Skinny Jasper.

“She got fired and reassigned somewhere else!” shouted Carnelian. “We’re rid of her for good!”

“Ste-van! We were told to give this to you,” said Y-6. He handed him a strange looking drawstring bag. “Happy fifteenth birthday!”

“It’s an ice cream cone drawstring bag from the Wacky Sacks Supply Company!” Steven looked puzzled. “But where did you get this? How did the Pearls get you guys in on this thing?”

8XJ shrugged. “We dunno. We were just doing our jobs and then Holly Blue Agate got a notice of termination. With her out of the way, we figured that we could finally do as we please, take joyrides, relax in the pools, explore other planets, and just hang out!”

“We kinda just bumped into the Pearls while exploring Earth a little bit, and then we had this brilliant idea to say hello to all of you!” said Carnelian.

The Amethysts including 8XM all went into for a group hug. “Whatever the case may be, it sure is nice to see you guys again,” she said. “Feel free to drop by the temple anytime! I could even show you my room and all the junk I’ve collected over thousands of years of living here!”

“Steven, I think it see a note attached to the bag,” said Connie. “It must be another clue!”

“Why don’t you do this one, Connie?” replied Steven.

“Well, okay. I do hope you get to do at least one though.”

The next clue you seek

Involves song, not speech

For under a stage on your way

Is a special recording

For a special day.

“This one is easy!” said Connie. “It’s gotta be the stage that they set up for special events like speeches, Beach-A-Palooza, and concerts!”

Steven was confused. “But they aren’t holding anything special in Beach City today. The stage would have to be folded up and put away somewhere.”

“Well, maybe we can just ask around,” Amethyst suggested. “Didn’t you want this to be a bit more of a challenge?”

However, it didn’t take that long. Since Sadie Killer and the Suspects often had to help set up, Sour Cream was able to point them in the direction of the abandoned warehouse where the stage parts were normally kept in storage. It only took about ten minutes of digging before they found a VHS tape with the words BIRTHDAY BALL BASH written on it.

When Steven found a TV to start the video however, the Pearls got quite flustered and fast forwarded the entire thing, obscuring the screen so that all Steven could hear was high pitched indiscernible lyrics.

“Hey! What gives?” Steven asked, frustrated.

“Eh heh heh...” muttered Yellow Pearl.

“This video was chock full of embarrassing and cringey moments,” Blue Pearl bluntly stated. “We’re doing you a favor by skipping the entire thing.”

“And here it is! The final clue!” interjected Yellow Pearl. “It’s at the end of all this awful footage!”

“Wait, seriously? It’s already the end!?!?” Amethyst blurted. “You guys are terrible at planning scavenger hunts!”

“Amethyst, don’t be rude!” snapped Steven. He turned to the Pearls. “I am really sorry about all of this, I know you’re trying your best.”

At the hill’s apex

Is where you’ll want to go next.

A spotlight will uncover

Your last gift concealed

And all shall be revealed.

“The lighthouse!” exclaimed Steven. “It is rather far from here on foot though.”

“That’s okay! We can just walk back leisurely,” said Connie. “Even if this whole thing was super easy, we can just take our time. It’s been a while since the two of us got a moment to just relax together anyway.”

“Well, I’m always up for long walks on the beach with my best friend,” Steven blushed contentedly. “I’m game!”

After spending about an hour trekking to the lighthouse, the two of them looked over the edge of the lighthouse by the telescope together. By that time, the sun was beginning to set.

““Wow...” Connie said. “I know that Beach City sunsets were beautiful, but I’ve never seen one from this view before...”

“Yeah...” Steven trailed off. The sunset’s glow lit up Connie’s face in sight a beautiful manner that he felt like he could just gaze into her eyes forever.

“Do you think we could stay up and watch the stars come out?” asked Connie. I don’t think I’ve ever been able to study them up close with this kind of telescope.”

Steven looked back and laughed. “I think if we did, the Pearls would get even more impatient. They’ve been trying to cheer me up, I think.” He slowly took Connie’s hand. “But if we may, I... I’d like to share this moment with you. We’ve been through so much together, and- and I don’t think we’ve had much time to make it official, but... will you be my girlfriend?”

“Oh! I didn’t think you’d ask-”

“You don’t wanna be my girlfriend?”

“No! I mean, yes! I mean, I didn’t think you would ask right here and right now, but yes. I would love to be your girlfriend.”

However, their moment was interrupted by cheering and shouting below.

“YEAH! WOO!”

“GO GET ‘ER!”

“I just can’t wait to help plan your wedding!” said Sapphire giddily.

“Wh-what!?” exclaimed Connie.

Both Steven and Sapphire looked very awkward. “Oh, sorry! I got so caught up in it that I must have been looking too far into the future...”

“WHAT!?”

“FORGET SHE SAID THAT!” shouted Ruby. “WE’RE JUST VERY HAPPY FOR YOU!”

“Hold up!” Steven called down to them. “First of all, I wasn’t proposing marriage, I just asked Connie to be my girlfriend! Second, what were you doing spying on us like that!? We were having a moment!”

[persona345]

So I’ve Played Persona 5 Strikers...

And man... it was way, way, waaaaaaaay better than I expected. Couldn’t recommend it more than enough. Tbh, I wasn’t all that excited for it at first since the P5 cast isn’t really my favorite. Sure, I like them, but not as much as P3 (I’m sorry for my bias, Phantom Thieves ^^”). I also didn’t follow any other news about this game, so I was coming in 99% blind? All I knew was that it’s a musou-type game and that there’s a new character or two? Also that it’s about their summer vacation or something. I didn’t know that it was gonna be a roadtrip.  Color me surprised when I started off with the gameplay. I’ve played Dynasty Warriors with my brother before, so I thought it was gonna be similar, buuut...... no, it felt different? I got worried at first since when I started out, there were so many things to learn and I wasn’t sure if I can handle it, so I just thought to myself, ‘eh, it’s a spin off. I can handle this’....... and welp. Turned out to be the most difficult Persona game I’ve played yet? Ol< Once I’ve gotten accustomed to the controls, the game got more fun. I had a blast with the battle system, even though I died so many times... I do love me some challenge, though I did tend to use cowardly tactics, but hey-if it works, then HA. Now for the story... it’s not super deep, but I’d say I got more feels with this than I did with P5. I swear, I probably teared up like 3 or 4 times? The villains are much more sympathetic than P5′s, and most of them were kind of relatable to me. The finale was also great. P5 still did give me that catharsis of exacting revenge on Shido :3. Somehow, I did feel that P5S feels closer to ‘You are slave. Do you want emancipation?‘ tagline of P5 when it was teased back in the days, and I liked that. And of course, the characters.................. CAN I JUST SAY I LOVED ZENKICHI? I JUST LAUGH EVERYTIME HE’S ON SCREEN. I think... he might be my favorite P5 character, and that’s bad cause he’s a spin off character so who knows if he’ll ever get screen time again ORZ If there’s a P5 Arena with him, I’ll get it even though I’m not even a fan of fighting games Ol< Ironically enough, P5S made me feel closer to the P5 cast than P5 did. By the end of the game, I didn’t want it to end yet, and hoped that there’s a sequel T_T That aside, I don’t wanna spoil anything, so that’s all I have to say. If anyone knows cute fluffy family fanfics with Zenkichi, or just fanfics of him just hanging out with the Thieves (bonus if hilarity ensues), pls tell me. I need more content >_<

[lu-undy]

Un-alone, Chapter 7

Here it is!

“Hello…? Yeah, Dad, we’re here. Yeah, everything’s fine. No, no, we’re at Uncle Phil’s… Mum? Yeah, she’s alright. She’s talking to him right now so I thought I might just call and tell you we’re here, for you not to worry too much… Yeah, I can put her on the phone, hold on… Mum? Dad wants you on the phone!”

“Tell him I’m coming!” Caroline looked at her brother. “Hold on Phil, Mike’s going to worry otherwise.” 

“Go ahead, Carrie.”

The sixty-odd year old woman rose from the sofa and went to the telephone, leaving her brother on his sofa. 

"Thanks, Micky, go with your Uncle, I'll be a minute." She gently tapped her son's arm and the tall man nodded.

He went to his uncle and sat on the armchair next to the sofa. The Aussie put his hat and his aviators on the coffee table.

"So, Micky, how're you? How was the flight and all? Oh by the way, here… Your mum's poured you a cup of tea while you were on the phone…”

“Oh, thanks…” Mundy took the cup that his uncle was handing him and nodded in thanks. Micky was the nickname that his family used with him. “Flight’s been bloody long. America’s so far from home and New Mexico’s not on the East coast either so, eh... I slept for most of it but Mum was a bit restless.”

“Ah, I’m not surprised. I know your Mum, she’s always been active and energetic like that.” Phil chuckled. “But all went well on your way here?”

“Yeah, not too bad.” Mundy took a sip of his tea. “Had to drive to the airport for a few hours first. Dropped the van to be delivered here soon hopefully, and then we took the plane with Mum.”

“I see. And what're you doin' now? Still hunting?" Philip drank his tea and offered some biscuits to his nephew.

"Ah, thanks. And uh, yeah, same old." Mundy smiled. "I still hunt."

"Dad still angry about it?" 

"Not really angry. He's more than used to it by now. But he'd rather I just helped in the farm, for sure." 

"Ah, can't blame him. Guns are dangerous, eh."

They nodded and both took a sip of their tea. 

"You make tea exactly like Mum." Mundy chuckled.

"Bah, y'know your mum, she didn't let me do it! She made that herself… Gosh, Caroline! I told her, you took the car for hours and then the plane for hours, you must be dead tired. But y'know how you can't reason with your mum, eh?"

"Yeah, I do…" Mundy smiled.

"So what's new back home?"

"Bah, not much… Mum and Dad are still lookin' after the chickens and geese. I help in between contracts. But you, Uncle Phil? You got injured? Mum told me it was at work…?" 

Philip nodded. 

"Yeah, y'know, bein' a policeman here ain't always easy."

"What happened?"

"Got beaten up by a group of thugs."

"Mum said something about gunshots." 

"Yeah, it was two gangs goin' at each other. Young folks, really. Such a shame to see kids like this these days. But yeah, there were a few gunshots and one caught my leg."

"Oh wow…" Mundy nodded. "When did that happen?" 

"About a few weeks ago now…? Yeah, a couple of weeks ago." 

"And you still walk with a cane and a limp, eh?" Mundy asked, nodding at the cane resting against the side of the couch. 

"Yeah…" Philip frowned and scratched his bushy moustache. "Goin' through therapy, but y'know, I ain't young anymore so it'll take a long time before it'll go back to normal."

"That what the doctors said?" 

"Yeah." Philip nodded. "They said I might even retire before it's complete history." 

"Oh, bugger… Can you work again at least or…?" 

"Well, I'll only do desk stuff but no field work." Philip seemed saddened by it. 

"Ah, I'm sorry, Uncle Phil…" Mundy scratched his short, brown hair.

"Bah, I was due to retire in a few months, so it doesn't change much. Just means I can take it easy a few months in advance." 

"But you really liked your job, right?" Mundy asked. 

"Oh yeah, as much as you yours." 

They smiled and nodded at each other. Caroline came back and sat next to her brother on the sofa. 

"Alright, Mike's alright. I told him about the van." She said, looking at her son, Mundy. 

"What's wrong with it?" Philip asked. 

"They said it's gonna arrive in a week or so." Caroline answered. "They’re having delays for some reason."

"You're welcome to use my car whenever you need, eh." Philip offered. “You didn’t need to get Mike’s van over the ocean.”

"Oh, thanks, Phil'. It'll come in handy, I'm sure. And it’s Micky’s van now." She chuckled and was interrupted by Philip's dog coming to lay on Mundy's lap. 

"Marty, get off of Micky's lap, you big boy…!" 

Marty was a German shepherd. He was Philip's life companion for the past decade now. 

"He's fine, Uncle Phil, let him do… Yeah, good boy…!" Mundy was spoiling the dog with pets and scratches. The canine went to fetch a toy and brought it to the Aussie. 

"You can take him to the backyard and play there with him if you want, Micky." 

"Oh, for sure, c'mon, let's go, big boy…!" Mundy collected his hat and aviators from the coffee table before he exited the living-room through the French window, closely followed by the dog. 

That left Caroline and Philip chatting together. 

"Micky's told me Mike still doesn't like his huntin', eh?" Philip asked and his sister nodded. 

“To be honest, we never agreed to it or liked the idea. It’s dangerous. I mean, you’re livin’ proof that carryin’ a gun can get you at the wrong end of another one.”

“Yeah, but he’s not huntin’ people, is he? They're just beasts.”

“Beasts that could rip your leg off better than that bullet you took, Phil’.” Caroline sipped on her tea. “Nah, we’ve tried to get him interested in anything else. We got him to play in a pub.”

“Play?” Phil repeated.

“The sax. He’s quite decent.” Caroline explained and pushed her pink glasses back up her nose. 

“But?” Phil anticipated.

“But he likes to do it on the side… He really likes huntin’ and he’s the best at it. He’s now got a reputation. Sometimes, he says he has work, takes the van and drives off for days. We don’t know where he goes, what he does, but he comes back with heaps of money…!”

“You don’t think he’s doin’ anything dodgy, is he?” Phil asked, his policeman instincts kicking in.

“I don’t know. We’ve asked him countless times and he always says that it’s the price for capturing rare game but…” Caroline shook her head. “I can’t help but think there’s more to it. Once, the police came along with some men who didn’t look like regular police. They took him away to have a chat. In the end, he told us he landed a contract that paid generously, and oh boy it did! We redid part of the house with that money…! But what the job was exactly, he couldn’t tell us. He said the police asked him to be quiet about it.”

“Well if it’s the police askin’ and he’s free, that means he helped them, he wasn’t against them, so I wouldn’t worry.”

“I can’t help it…” Caroline raised her eyes and saw Mundy play with the dog through the French window.

"Hey, Carrie, the boy's a grown up man now. And if the police comes for him to work, that means he's real good… How old is he now?"

"Almost forty."

"And still livin' with you and Mike?" 

"Nah, yeah…" 

"He doesn't wanna go?" Phil asked. 

"I don't know. We never really discussed it."

“D’you think he does the huntin' work only for the money? If he earns a lot of it, he might just continue it for the cash.” Phil asked.

“Yeah, nah.” Caroline shook her head. “It's not for the money. He takes a lot of work for free…"

"For free? Hell…" Phil chuckled. "And what about, y'know, findin' a good woman and all?" 

"Oh God, if only I knew what was goin' on with him…" Caroline shook her head. "He never brings anyone home and he never talks about these things. Even with his dad. He's never, y'know, just checked a sheila out or let his eyes linger. It's like he doesn't feel a thing for them."

"I can ask. Maybe he can't talk to y'all about it but is happy to open up to someone else?"

"Maybe."

There was a pause. 

"He doesn't seem too unhappy about it all, eh?" Phil nodded to Mundy who was playing fetch with Marty. 

"Nah, he doesn't but… We'd love to see him bring someone home, y'know. I wonder if he does have someone but just hides it."

"Why would he do that?" 

"I don't know. Last time he talked about a pretty sheila, he was back in primary school. Since then, it's been different." 

"Hm." Phil finished his tea. "And what about Mike? How's he? You left him alone to come and see me?"

Caroline shook her head.

"Yeah, nah, he’s got his brother over and it’s rugby season. I just have to call them to stay away from havin’ barbies everyday.” She chuckled. 

“Oh I’m sure he’ll be reasonable.” Phil joined her chuckles. 

“Yeah, as long as I call him enough…!”

“I’m happy you could visit, Carrie.”

Brother and sister exchanged smiles. 

“It’s been a while since we last saw each other. Micky was much younger. He’s a man and a half now. And not bad-lookin’ at all!” Phil added.

“Yeah, he’s a fine bloke. And you need someone to help with that leg of yours… You should have called and told me right when it happened! Why wait a few weeks?”

“Yeah, like I’d stop middle of the shootin’ to go to the nearest phone, call in Oz’ and tell you about it…!” Phil joked and chuckled.

“You know that’s not what I meant, Phil..!”

“I know, I know, just jokin’. But I just didn’t want to scare y’all. You’re far from me and if I’d called you and said ‘oh hey, Carrie, I just got shot but everythin’s fine’, you'd have jumped in the first plane with your old age and your even older Mike to come and see me…!”

“Oi, you’re older than me and Mike’s your age!” She answered with a laugh. “Besides, here I am anyway with Micky.”

“Yeah, thanks for visitin’, really. I’m sure you’ll help a lot.”

“Of course I will…!”

“But yeah, you convinced Micky to come and Mike to stay?” Phil asked, his tone coming back to being a bit more serious.

“To be honest…” Caroline cast a glance over to Mundy. He was busy and far in the backyard, beyond the French window. In a word, he was out of earshot. “We had to kind of push him.”

“Push him to do what?”

“To come with me.” Caroline explained. 

“He wanted to stay with his Dad?”

“Yeah, nah, he just… He didn’t wanna stay with his Dad per se, but he likes to stick to the van. He practically lives there, you know, when he disappears off.”

“Ah, I see.” Phil nodded. “But don’t worry, Carrie. I’d be proud if I were you.”

“What? Why?” She raised a curious eyebrow.

“If the police come to him for help, he’s really good.” The old man poured more tea for his sister and himself. “We don’t get other folks to do our job, and if we ever do, we’re either forced to, or they’re so good that it hurts for us to admit it. Micky might be both.”

Caroline nodded but bobbed her head left and right.

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Why force him to come?”

“I’m old, Phil, and I don’t like travellin’ that much.”

“Neither does he, from what you’re tellin’ me.”

“Yeah but... “

“Carrie?”

Caroline raised her eyes to her elder brother.

“I know you’re hidin’ somethin’. Tell me.”

She bit her lip and looked through the window again. Mundy was still absorbed in whatever he was doing with the dog.

“I’m a bit worried. I think he… He might be happy at work but…”

“But what?”

“That’s the thing, I don’t even know…!”

-- A few days later --

“Here, let me help…”

“Nah, it’s alright, Micky.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah! Look, I just need to put the cane first, then this leg and - oof!- this one…! Ah, thanks, son.”

  Mundy helped his uncle get in the car anyway. 

“Alright, you’ll have to guide me, Uncle Phil.” The younger man hopped in the car.

“Yeah, it’s not too far. Let’s get to the café that I like and you’ll tell me what you think of their coffee, yeah?”

“Mum’s not comin’?” Mundy asked.

“Nah, she wants some quiet time without boys ruinin’ her cleanin’ the house. I got told off this mornin’ cause the house wasn’t clean enough for her standards!” 

“Sounds like Mum alright.” Both chuckled and Mundy adjusted the mirrors and the driver’s seat, fastening his seatbelt.

“Alright, let’s go, son.”

The drive was quiet. Phil told his nephew about the neighbourhood and how it had changed over the years, on the few occasions that they stopped at a red light. 

“Where can we park?”

“Behind the thing, take it left here… And there.”

Mundy parked and went around to help his uncle out. 

“The place looks nice and cosy, eh?” The young man said.

“Yeah, that’s why I like it.” Philip answered and they made their way in. “Here, that’s my table.”

The gentle smell of coffee wrapped them up as Mundy discovered the decor. Cosy was the right word for it. It practically looked like a living-room with the sofas and fireplace, the coffee table and magazines. The rest of the room had the classic restaurant/café layout with tables and chairs but that living-room corner looked very comfortable indeed. The walls were wooden and the beams of dark wood in the ceiling were clearly quite old. It reinforced the overall rustic yet familiar atmosphere.

“Oh hey, Phil!” The café owner greeted him.

“Hey Bob, how are ya?”

“Alright. Who’s this friend with you?” Bob asked as he made his way to Philip and his younger nephew. He was a big man in his late fifties for sure. Salt and pepper hair with more salt than pepper already and big square glasses on a nose that went with the proportions of the large man. Bob wore an apron with the colors and logo of the café and threw the tea towel he was holding on his shoulder.

“That here's my nephew, Micky. He’s come with his Mum to help out, while my bad leg heals up.”

“Oh, brilliant! Where are you guys from?” Bob looked at Mundy who took a seat opposite his uncle. He removed his hat but kept the aviators on. 

“From Australia.”

“That’s quite the trip, eh?”

“Yeah.” Mundy smiled.

“Alrighty then, I’ll let you make up your mind. Coffee’s on me, Phil. No, no, don’t even try to argue!” 

The three men exchanged a chuckle.

“Alright, Bobby, can you give us your classic. Make it two, I want the kid here to try it. Careful, he knows his way around coffees, eh?” Philip answered. 

“Sure thing! Two of Phil’s usual, on their way…!” Bob left Phil and his nephew in peace.

“So, how d’you find America so far, Micky?”

“Not so different from home. You just drive on the right, which confused me a bit but now I think I’m getting used to it.”

“Here, two classics. Enjoy, folks!” Bob put the two cups on the table and added a packet of chocolate for each before leaving them. 

Mundy and Phil were sitting in a corner of the café, next to the window. 

“Go ahead, son, and tell me.”

Mundy took a careful sip and let it invade his mouth, cover his palate and hug his tongue warmly. It was the beginning of October now and the weather was colder than in his native Australia, so the hot coffee was very welcome. 

“Mh… I like it.”

“Yeah?” Phil insisted.

“Yeah, I think so. It’s not too strong or bitter. It’s well balanced without being fruity or too sweet.”

“Gosh, listen to you talk,...!” Phil laughed. “You sound like one of those so called experts they bring on TV or somethin’, heh.”

“I’m just used to drinkin’ loads of coffee.” Mundy explained.

“Drink it when you work?”

“Yeah, all the time.” Mundy nodded and smiled. “I really like it.”

“Even when you’re in the desert, scorchin’ sun and all?” Phil asked.

“Oh yeah, absolutely.” Mundy answered. “It’s really good to drink something hot when it's hot. Helps you sweat and regulate your body temperature. They do that in the Sahara, only with tea and not coffee.”

“Right, right, I didn’t know that, but now that you say it, it kinda makes sense. So talkin’ about your work, tell me what it’s like.”

“What?” Mundy chuckled.

“You a hunter, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So tell me how and what you hunt, son!”

“Oh, uh, you sure?” Mundy asked, raising a surprised eyebrow.

“O’course! Why d’you sound shocked?”

“Cause Mum and Dad don’t really like what I’m doin’ so I don’t really uh… I’m not used to talkin’ about it, is all.” Mundy lowered his head, as if ashamed.

“Yeah and I understand your folks but I’m not them. Besides, I’m a policeman. I’m sure your Mum doesn’t like my job either for the same reason she’s not fond of yours.”

“Fair, yeah.” Mundy nodded, raising his head back for his eyes to meet with his uncle’s.

“So, go ahead! Tell me everythin’!”

Seeing his uncle’s enthusiasm made him blush for an instant. Mundy felt put on the spot. He looked around them and the other customers in the café didn’t pay the last bit of attention to them. He smiled and took a bit of air before starting.