#future writing project

[biteofcherry]

What would Lloyd & Little Mermiad reader consist of?

Little Mermaid is dating John Walker, who thinks he's all that shit and that he can be the new power in the mobsters world. But he's annoyed a few really dangerous people with his behavior and lack of respect, so his name and picture is delivered to Lloyd as his next target.

When John and Little Mermaid are on a boat, him boasting about his plans to take over some businesses, that's when Lloyd attacks. You try to swim away, but the boat blows up - to mask the murder; it will look like an engine failure.

But since you caught Lloyd's eye, he dives into the water to save you. Well, save you for himself 😏

The rest will be all about that carnal saving and making you all his.

[polybiusplayer]

Anxious habit.

[viperwhispered]

Too Little

Part three of Jamil (not) dealing with feels here we go. Jamil x reader, Jamil’s pov Previous parts: part one, part two

This was stupid.

Here he was, rolling around in bed, unable to sleep because thoughts of you filled his mind.

It had been futile of Jamil to think that he could simply brush your presence aside, that he could treat you like just another schoolmate and not let you consume his mind. 

Not when every quiet moment had him reach for his phone in hopes of a new message from you.

Not when you kept on finding new ways to make his heart skip a beat every time he saw you.

Not when he missed you more acutely every time you weren’t there.

So, despite his best efforts, his mind treaded those same paths, time and again, occupied by all the parts of you. Your expressions, your mannerisms, your words, every single detail committed to his memory and played over and over.

He suspected that at this point he’d be able to recreate most of your expressions just from memory. Your voice, too, playing so clearly in his mind.

Not to even mention those oh so tantalizing what ifs, supplying him with even sweeter temptations than the confines of reality and memory could provide.

What it would feel like to touch you, to hold you, to kiss you, to-

No. No no no. He would not go there.

Jamil could feel the heat burning in his cheeks and he rolled over, groaning into his pillow.

This was ridiculous. Absolutely preposterous.

Yet, there was no getting out of it.

He wanted you.

He wanted more of you, so much more than what he had.

Because each taste of you left him craving more, each glimpse made him want to uncover everything there was to you.

Even the parts you might consider ugly, as sappy as that was.

What kind of people did you like, anyway?

Charming? Intelligent? Funny?

Rich and influential? 

Did you even like guys? Or relationships in general?

Just the thought - relationship - made Jamil's cheeks burn even brighter, made his legs twitch under the covers.

Yet, somehow, it did not sound so bad.

To have you.

To be yours.

To know and be known.

He huffed and turned over onto his back.

As if his duties left room for something for himself, left enough of him to share with someone like that.

And would you like what you saw in him, anyway?

Yet, his excuses were beginning to sound more and more hollow.

After all, he was nothing if not resourceful, and so far you’d shown no signs of shying away, even as you dug your way deeper.

Jamil stared at the canopy over his bed with unseeing eyes.

He’d have to do something about this.

Because if he didn’t, he might just lose his mind.

But was the alternative any better? Could he even handle it? The full force of you, if - and it was a big if - you were to accept him.

Even now, when you looked at him in that particular way of yours… He never could hold your eyes for long when that happened. The softness and the warmth he saw were far too overwhelming, always forcing him to turn away lest he made a complete fool of himself.

If he were to have that, with the full force of affection intention behind it… How could he even bear it?

Like the other day… You’d found Jamil in the middle of his chores and dragged him away, his to-do list crumbling when you grabbed his hand and led him outside.

He was all too aware of how his protests had been half-hearted at best. How your sudden appearance, your touch had shut down every sensible part of him, leaving him unpleasantly raw.

And by the time he’d gathered himself, nearly convinced himself he had other things he should be doing instead, you were sharing ice creams outside Sam’s, to celebrate the first warm day of the year.

As if it wasn’t warm in Scarabia year round.

As if he hadn’t been too preoccupied by your happiness and enthusiasm to bring himself to heel.

Sometimes, it was all he could do not to be swept away by you, barely keeping his head above the surface.

So, what choice did he have but to act?

You’d made a home in his heart already, whether he asked for it or not.

All he could do was take control of what he could.

Eta: you can find part 4 here and part 5 / the final part here. Oh dear I'm starting to get tempted to write this from the reader's pov as well. Or maybe I'll just have to ramble about the thought process behind this at some point to get that out of my system. I also considered going to a more horny direction with this but decided to go with this kind of yearning in the end. But, if the horny version is of interest for y'all, maybe I can do that as an alternative / supplementary thing to this series, or some sort of a standalone at some point. Hope y'all enjoyed! One or two more parts are still to come. Tag list: @colliope @crystallizsch @diodellet @jamilsimpno69 @jamilvapologist @mazapanmiau @perilous-pasta @twstgo If you'd like to be tagged for any future works, do let me know! Also feel free to specify if you only want tags for particular kinds of works (like sfw/nsfw for example).

[libraryofgage]

The Prince and the Metalhead (2)

Part of: Steve Deserves Good Parents, Actually

Debbie and Fester Addams One | Two | Three | Four Rick and Evelyn O'Connell One | Two | Three Harley Quinn One 10th Doctor and Rose One | Two (on the way!) Scooby Gang (there are plans for this one lmao, so plz be patient with me orz) Jedidiah and Octavius (from Night at the Museum) One Queen Clarisse Renaldi One | Two (you're here!)

I know I just posted part one but I've got Thoughts for this AU that include: Steve's first birthday in Genovia and then his 16th, his conversation with his grandmother about attending public school in America for his senior year, and then we get into him attending Hawkins High and meeting Eddie!

So, yeah, plans lmao

Anyway, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;)

------

"You'll have a rotating course schedule. Mondays and Wednesdays will focus on math and social studies. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be science and literature. Friday will be Royalty lessons and the history of Genovia. We can also include an elective, if you'd like."

Steve blinks, staring at Sue for a moment before glancing at Jonathan and Robin. Jonathan is looking through a book of photography and Robin is idly scratching behind Dart’s ears. "Will we all have the same elective?" Steve asks.

"Not unless Jonathan and Robin want to join you," Sue says, looking at Steve expectantly. She's got a pen at the ready to write down what he says, and it suddenly feels like a lot of pressure.

Is there a wrong answer here? Is there an answer that gets him sent back to his parents? He looks down, biting the inside of his cheek so hard he tastes blood. Before he can lose himself in his thoughts, a cold and wet nose presses against his hand. Steve blinks, smiling at Dart and picking her up to hold close. "What kind of electives are there?" he asks.

Sue hums softly, flipping to another page on her clipboard. "Possible electives include art, music, theatrical performance, physical education, equestrian studies, botany, and foreign languages, to name a few."

"I'll be taking photography lessons," Jonathan says, looking up at Steve and gesturing to his book.

Robin nods and leans back on her palms. "I'll be doing the physical stuff. Like learning how to fight and practicing ballet to improve my balance," she says, leveling a look at Steve that dares him to say anything about the ballet.

Steve wouldn't, though. He doesn't want to make Robin angry enough to ditch him. He looks down at Dart, thinking for a moment before asking, "Can I take more than one?"

"Of course, but you're limited to three for now," Sue says.

What would be the most helpful? Foreign languages, probably, since he'll definitely have to speak with ambassadors from other countries at some point. He should also learn something that can be shown off, a skill that he could pull out at functions to make his grandmother proud or distract guests.

"What language should I learn?" he asks.

Sue thinks for a moment, tapping her pen against her chin. "Mandarin. It's a business language, and we have close relations with a few representatives from China and Hong Kong. If you'd like to learn a Romantic language first, though, Spanish is good."

"I'll learn Mandarin," Steve decides, nodding once to himself. "And music. I want to learn to play...hmm...the piano."

With a nod, Sue writes his electives down. "Let me know if you'd like to add an elective later, Your Highness. In my opinion, though, your current courses will keep you properly challenged for now."

------------------------

Sue wasn't kidding about his academics being challenging. Steve struggles in math, muddles his way through science, drags himself through literature, and is ready to drop when he hits social studies. He'd ask the tutors to spend more time on topics, but Robin and Jonathan seem to have no problem keeping up, and Steve can't bring himself to disrupt their pace.

His Mandarin lessons are going just slightly better if only because the tutor seems to recognize that slower is better for him. After almost a month, he's starting to understand intonation and vocal variation better, and he can recognize a few characters on sight.

Piano lessons are also going well. His tutor there doesn't burden him with theory; she introduces the keys, shows him how to read sheet music, and then lets him choose songs to learn. Steve feels the most at ease when he's squinting at sheet music and slowly pressing piano keys into something recognizable.

The lessons he really looks forward to, however, are the ones for his Royalty Education. He gets to see his grandmother then, and she spends the whole day with him. Even better, something about this stuff just clicks. He's good at fixing his posture and memorizing silverware placement. He bows just right on his first try and his grandmother compliments his wave.

By the end of the lesson, she'll be smiling, her pride obvious, and take him for a walk in the gardens or to eat cookies in the kitchen.

"Royalty requires maintenance," Clarisse says, standing in front of Steve with relaxed shoulders. "You maintain your demeanor, your image, your knowledge of foreign dignitaries, your understanding of the people’s needs, and your humility. But you must also maintain your pride and your boundaries."

"That sounds like a lot," Steve says, idly tugging at the hem of his shirt.

"It can be overwhelming, but it becomes second nature in time," Clarisse explains, smiling reassuringly. "When you're royalty, you are constantly watched. Many eyes are kind or curious, but others are malicious, and you want to do everything you can to disappoint the malicious ones."

"How?"

"By acting like the Crown Prince you are."

"What kind of prince am I?" Steve asks, finally voicing the question that's been lingering since these lessons started. What kind of prince does his grandmother want? What kind of prince would best serve the people? What kind of prince will be so loved by all that nobody could even think of thinking about getting rid of him?

Clarisse hums, thinking for a moment. "I suppose a good one," she says, her slight smile telling Steve that she's only lightly teasing. "My hope is that you'll be kind and competent. You will make Genovia prosperous without compromising tradition. You won't allow politics to stand in the way of doing what's right by the people of Genovia. But this is a tiring job, so I hope you'll learn how to balance your duties with relaxation."

It's a lot, but Steve can do it. He can be that kind of prince, especially for the country and grandmother that's offered everything he's ever wanted and more. He nods once. "Okay," he says, "What do I need to learn, then?"

Clarisse smiles fondly at him. "Let's start by reviewing Genovian history. Only by knowing the past can you face the future."

With that, she places a book on Steve's desk and doesn't wait for him to open it before telling him about Genovia's founding.

------------------------

Steve has weekends off from classes, which leaves him with more free time than he knows what to do with when he doesn't have to clean a house or make his own meals. So, he's bored, and telling Robin that he was bored was a huge mistake after she suggested riding bikes around the garden only to learn Steve didn't know how.

She'd insisted that he should learn, insisted that Clarisse be the one who teaches him, and insisted on hearing no objections.

And now he's here, standing in front of Clarisse's desk and staring down at his feet as she finishes writing something on the paper in front of her. Joe is standing just to her right, hands behind his back.

"Okay," Clarisse says, gently placing her pen on the desk before looking at Steve with an encouraging smile. "What did you want to ask me, Steve?"

Steve bites the inside of his cheek, takes a deep breath, and looks up. "Well, um, Robin wants to ride bikes, but I don't know how," he says.

"Well, that's easily fixed," Clarisse says, reaching for a phone at the corner of her desk. "I'm sure a member of staff is free to teach you."

Before she can pick up the phone, Steve finds himself blurting out, "Well, I...I was hoping...you could teach me."

Clarisse freezes, blinking twice with confusion before looking at Steve. "You want me to teach you?" she asks. When Steve nods once, she sighs softly. "A queen does not ride bikes. Besides, I have too much work to complete. Perhaps I could accompany you for a walk this evening to make up for it."

Despite himself, despite bracing for rejection, it still hurts. In the three months he's been in Genovia, Clarisse has agreed to just about every request he's made. Every held breath as he waits for cruel words has been released with unprecedented relief when none came. Even when he broke something---a priceless vase, according to Jonathan---his grandmother had simply surveyed the damage, thanked him for being honest, and asked him to avoid kicking soccer balls in the presence of priceless vases in the future.

Perhaps Steve has gotten too comfortable. He shouldn't be pushing like this. If he wants his grandmother's affection, he should know when to hold himself back.

So, despite the unfamiliar urge to ask again in case Clarisse might change her mind, Steve nods once. "I look forward to walking with you, Grandmother," he says, his voice quiet. He glances up, waiting long enough to see Clarisse's smile before turning on his heel and leaving the office as quickly as he can.

Clarisse watches him go, her head slightly tilted as the door closes silently behind Steve. She nods once, glad that Steve is sensible enough to understand things like work and propriety, and picks up her pen once more.

"If I may speak freely, Your Majesty?" Joe asks.

"At this point, Joe, you may as well assume the answer is yes."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, and please pardon my French, my experience has been that assuming makes an ass out of you and me."

It takes a moment for Clarisse to understand the joke. When she does, she can't help her amused smile. "Fair enough," she says, "Go ahead, Joe."

"Do you remember what I said about being Steve's grandmother?"

"Yes, of course."

"Perhaps now is one of those moments where being a grandmother is more important than being a queen. His Highness does not ask for much, and he is not the kind to ask more than once, even if he really wants something. I imagine it took a significant amount of courage to ask you to teach him in the first place."

"Are you suggesting that I...I risk making a fool of myself for all to see?" Clarisse asks.

"I am suggesting you spend time with your grandson, who asks very little of you because he does not believe he can ask for anything."

Clarisse is silent a moment, letting Joe's words process and settle in her brain. Finally, she sighs and gestures to the papers on her desk. "I have work to complete," she says.

"Your Majesty, editing these proposals was on your schedule two weeks from now. You are ahead of your work. A break would not be unreasonable or unwarranted."

Well, when he puts it like that.

Clarisse sighs, leans back in her chair, and looks up at Joe. He's still staring at the door, giving no indication that he feels her eyes on him, but she knows he does. "Have a groundskeeper retrieve bikes and safety gear and meet us in the garden," she says, standing from her chair and bracing herself to look like an utter fool.

Her apprehension fades away fifteen minutes later. It can't hold last when she sees Steve's surprised and delighted expression at her presence. As she helps him put on knee and elbow pads, shows him how to pull the helmet's strap tight, and holds the bike steady as he sits on it, Clarisse decides a little foolishness is perfectly fine (necessary, even) if it will keep the smile on Steve's face.

------------

Tag List (let me know if you'd like to be added to future parts!)

@y4r3luv, @potato-of-the-lord,

[raineandsky]

#115

The villain slips out of sight, and civilians crowd the hero before they can think to follow. Several microphones materialise half an inch from their face.

“What does it mean for the city when villains get away like this?”

“Why is this villain so difficult to catch?”

“[Hero], this way!”

“[Hero]!”

They can see one reporter elbowing his way to the front of the crowd. He nudges his glasses up his nose awkwardly, a clipboard in one hand and a voice recorder in the other. He looks like an old school nerd, in a way.

He manages to wrestle his way to the front of the mob, miraculously. The hero isn’t convinced even they could do that. He clears his throat, adjusts his shirt against his neck, and presses a button on his recorder.

“What are your relations to [Villain]?”

The hero could’ve not spotted him and it would’ve been the loudest question of them all. Their gaze snaps to him traitorously before they can stop themself. He stands there expectantly, his voice recorder raised slightly towards them.

“My relation to them is that they’re a criminal,” they say carefully, a response well-practised, “and I am the person who will put them behind bars.”

That prompts a flurry of more questions, but the hero can only watch this one reporter. He nods, and they’re not sure if he’s trained to stay neutral or if he doesn’t believe them. Their stomach flips uncertainly.

“Can you really be the one to put them away if they keep evading you?”

The hero wants to smite him where he stands. They try to force a confident smile that probably looks more pained. “Then the victory will be all the sweeter when I finally catch them.”

“Are you helping them?”

There it is. The other reporters go quiet, curious. The hero’s aware they probably look like a cornered animal, but they can explain that away later. They were worried that the masses are losing faith in them, perhaps. They can throw a speech together tonight.

“Why would I be helping a criminal, sorry?”

“I’ve done some of my own research.” The reporter pushes his glasses up again as he looks down at his clipboard. “The villain’s getaway car looks alarmingly similar to yours.”

Another flip. Would it be bad to claim they have somewhere to be? They don’t have any answers prepared for this. The reporter’s watching them with an intensity that’s making them feel sick. Avoiding the question is worse, surely.

“It’s not my fault if [Villain] has impeccable taste.” They glance out over the sea of people, trying to seem distracted. Fuck it. Time to go. “Look, guys, I’ll answer everyone’s questions when I’m not actively chasing a criminal. Job first, interviews second.”

The hero flees like the fury of god is chasing them. They can feel eyes on them as they go, that little pain in the ass watching them the most intently.

They practically throw themself into their car, slamming the door like it’ll hide them from the outside. “Took you long enough,” the villain says from the backseat.

“Reporters,” the hero explains shortly. The villain hums thoughtfully.

“Always is.” The villain sighs, tearing their gaze from their phone and up to the hero. “What’s this week’s conspiracy?”

The hero turns the car on to ignore the question for a moment. “They think I’m working with you.”

The villain barks a laugh at that. “Can you imagine?” Their eyes turn back down to their phone amusedly. “A’ight, let’s get outta here.”

Gladly. The hero pulls out of the little alleyway, checking the streets for reporters, unexpectedly nervous, and onto the road. They always take the back roads like this. They don’t need any more reason for people to get suspicious. One reporter putting the thought in people’s heads is enough.

“Don’t get any ideas, by the way,” the villain pipes up after a bout of silence. The hero was quite content to listen to the rumble of the engine all the way back. “You work for me, not with me. Let’s keep it that way.”

The hero nods. The less they have at stake in this stupid little charade, the easier it’ll be to get the hell out at the first opportunity anyway.

[rotyolk]

нoiнoiнoiнoi-san

[shurisneakers]

ok and if i wrote harmless in a different font. so what

[dumping-ideas]

About Tsukasa's Commissioned Songs and Featured VS

The most important part of Yama-san 1,5-hour stream about Mr.Showtime is:

There's a specific reason why Luka is chosen for Mr. Showtime, but the reason is confidential.

SO THERE IS SOME SIGNIFICANCE IN THE FEATURED VS (or at least for Tsukasa's commissioned songs)!!!

I mean, the reason might be that they need more Luka in their commissioned songs, and Tsukasa getting KAITO again (even though he's in desperate need of one) would be getting kinda stale, but, BUT, what if there's some story significance to the featured VS in Tsukasa's commissioned songs...? Especially because there is one specific thing that is both mentioned in Sasakure-san's interview about Tondemo Wonderz and in Yama-san rambling:

There has to be some kind of mood dissonance in Tsukasa's commissioned songs. Just brightness is no good, but just darkness is no good either.

TONDEMO-WONDERZ have some JP comments (in the original version) that said there's just something slightly off(?) about that song---how even though it sounds upbeat and playful some parts of the lyrics are quite questionable when they pay more attention to it. I've mentioned that Tsukasa is hinted to be posing a lot to make everyone smile (which is hinted again in 88☆彡 and confirmed in Mr. Showtime lyrics), so the mood dissonance in TONDEMO-WONDERZ is probably about the incongruity between the music and the deeper reading of the lyrics. Sure, the singers are super happy about it, but is it fine to feel confident in your boisterous act and won't ever let anyone see what's behind that act...? The dissonance is only there if people pay more attention to the lyrics, but other than that, you can read the song as about never giving up no matter how many failures they faced and will face. So, yeah, super positive on the surface, kinda disturbing if you dig deeper into it.

The featured VS, WxS!KAITO has been largely recognized by fans (with hints in multiple event stories) as Tsukasa's ideal self. A gentle, reliable, mature leader who can do anything and is always able to give a solution to everyone's problem that everyone depends on. Some fans also have a small critique before about how TONDEMO-WONDERZ doesn't feel like a Tsukasa commissioned song at all and feels more like a WxS ensemble song, but that's because that's what WMS is about on the surface---the story of WxS and how far they have come. Read deeper and you realize that it is a Tsukasa focus event with multiple layers, and so is TONDEMO-WONDERZ.

So, the reason why KAITO is the featured VS (other than because he's one of the OG VS of Wonderland SEKAI) might be because Tsukasa is still showing off the 'him' that he wants everyone to see. Sure, he might be putting up a bravado, but he will never give up! He will embrace both successes and failures, and no matter what happens he'll keep getting back up, like a phoenix! He will make everyone smile!! That's the Tsukasa that everyone knows and loves! He's the dependable leader of WxS, as WMS demonstrate perfectly well.

88☆彡 (still my favorite commissioned song next to Kanade Tomosu Sora) is properly recognized as Tsukasa's commissioned song, not only because Tsukasa has a vocal focus (although shared with Rui and Nene), but because it's also a song that conveys a side of him that people might not realize before Dazzling Stage. Both the song and the lyrics are warm and kind, and between Tsukasa praying for everyone to be happy and WxS telling us it's okay to rest between rushing to our dreams, it feels like being hugged by the warmth of a gentle sun and pushed forward by encouraging friends to the point of tears.

(okay, I'm gonna stop my gushing now)

The mood dissonance in 88☆彡 is not a constant presence like it is in TONDEMO-WONDERZ, but in the early part of the song. How the singer 'realizes' along the way that 'this' is only a child's play (or only something that can only trick children), and that he's 'the anticipated pierrot who's not discouraged' and as long as everyone smiles without restraint, he can laugh as well. I think everyone is of the opinion that there's just something not right about how happy the singer is to play the pierrot just to make everyone smile. In fact, the part about the pierrot is later kinda confirmed but also debunked in Mr. Showtime (and Tsukasa's trained card in Sky's Edge).

One thing to note about 88☆彡 is the reff is about the importance of taking a rest. We've spoken about how everyone in Wonderland SEKAI relies on KAITO, but another running storyline in Wonderland SEKAI (especially after Dazzling Stage) is that everyone in Wonderland SEKAI wants KAITO to rest and take a break from all his responsibilities. However, none of the VS and other residents of SEKAI is capable of replacing him, and so he has to step up again. Of course, he isn't mad, and it's more about gag shenanigans, sure, but tilt your head, squint your eyes, and you can kinda read it as KAITO not being able to step down from his 'reliable leader' role yet---and that is what Tsukasa still feel at this point in the game. This Tsukasa is the Tsukasa who has faced his pain and childhood loneliness, but I think this is just the surface.

KAITO might be chosen for 88☆彡 because this song conveys Tsukasa's caring and gentle personality that influences KAITO, and also how he should take a rest from his 'reliable leader' act. But Tsukasa couldn't (and wouldn't) step down that easily because everyone is still expecting him to fill that role, to be 'Tenma Tsukasa' that never waver.

However, Mr. Showtime and Sky's Edge finally shows the 'ugly' side of Tsukasa behind all his posing in TONDEMO-WONDERZ and his gentleness in 88☆彡. In other words, the other side of the 'reliable leader' that he has been showing to WxS, everyone around him, and even himself all this time.

Mr. Showtime... Oh, I wonder where I should start with this... Rather than a mood dissonance, this song sounds like a mysterious, secret, late-night circus show where everyone is laughing and having fun but you know there's something off about the circus... There's just some lurking darkness(?) and a deep melancholy in the music no matter how stylish it sounds. Fitting, because even if the song is about how the singer doesn't give up on shows (life) no matter how ugly and hopeless he feels, some highlights from the lyrics alone we have these lines:

The monologue echoes in the world (stage) where I was left alone

Is it impossible for me to do this and that?

I can't reach out at all. I don't think I can. To the stars I wished on.

Why? How come? I feel pathetic......

Popcorn didn't pop (I can't hear any hand clapping). It's getting burned, and it's a flavor of (tastes like) defeat. It tastes so bitter

Am I taking the long way? Am I making a fruitless effort?

This is not funny at all. I'm pathetic. I can't satisfy myself.

Even when the sky is dark at night, even when warm tears are shed blow away my melancholy.

Oh, flowers (lights) and songs (sounds), please comfort me; see?

The greed of an ordinary man; crawl to move forward.

Narcissist fools himself; give it your all and act like you are the brightest star.

Bluffing is fine! Am I having too much confidence?

Huge bluffing on the stage; even if I get scolded harshly.

So many negative thoughts compared to his previous commissioned songs, wow. Tsukasa really doesn't hold himself back when he decides to stop fooling everyone and himself, isn't he?

And this song might even reference his previous commissioned songs! The part about bluffing might be referencing how he's 'posing' to save everyone and make everyone smile in TONDEMO WONDERZ, and also the 'pierrot' in 88☆彡 (in all songs this is treated as a good thing, although Mr. Showtime tells us the 'pierrot' isn't as strong as previous songs hinted he is) , and the part about 'taking the long way' and 'the merry-go-round (thought process)' might be referencing the 'going around in circles' in 88☆彡 (while previously it's treated as something positive, it's treated as a negative thing in Mr. Showtime).

But geez, now it's really blatant who Tsukasa is, isn't he? It's not like he doesn't have any worries, it's just that he only 'presents' the confident part of himself in front of everyone---for everyone's sake, including himself, so he can always be the 'reliable leader' and the 'never-gives-up pierrot' that everyone can rely on. He manages to work around his problems due to his unrelenting diligence in front of challenging hurdles, but his worries about his acting skills all the way back in Pop in My Heart only finally comes to a climax in Sky's Edge, where he breaks down in tears because he knows he's pathetic and hopeless and still so far away from the place he wants to reach.

And that's probably why Luka is chosen to be the featured VS for Mr. Showtime.

See, even in the story lore itself, although we have so many details about Wonderland SEKAI, the game hints that we need to know Tsukasa more to know more about his SEKAI which, judging by how WxS storyline never touched Wonderland SEKAI and their mechanics, might be something of a plot point in the future. And the side story has hinted that there's something slightly off about Luka's sleeping tendencies. We know that she's sleeping when everyone is happy... but Wonderland VS never gives Rui and the players the exact why she is the way she is, just that it's involving Tsukasa's feelings somehow. However, the fans speculated (and the game also hints) that because Luka is sleeping when everyone is happy, she's awake when someone feels troubled over something---in Mr. Showtime, it's Tsukasa.

Back to Mr. Showtime, the fans (in JP, EN and KR from what I've observed) have noticed that Luka only opens her eyes in a few scenes---the reffs, the bridge, every time she appears with Tsukasa, and one where her lyrics is 'Until the day comes (the hands of the clock point to the closing time)'. Possibly hinting that this isn't the end of his worries.

So, it can be said that Luka is chosen because this is (one of(?)) Tsukasa's worries. Mr. Showtime is Tsukasa's first commissioned song where he doesn't try to hide the 'lesser' parts of himself with a happy-go-lucky attitude or purer feelings, unlike the songs where KAITO (his ideal) is featured.

However, he's still 'not there' yet because he's going back-and-forth by treating his life as only a show. Remember that the commissioned songs are canonically born from the character's feelings, so what does that say about Tsukasa where he still hides behind the pretense of a show, and even calls himself by the moniker Mr. Showtime? It might be because for Tsukasa, he is an actor in his show/life, only pretending to be the future star that he calls himself as, and/or maybe because he's not ready to show others his 'ugly' side yet.

But it's not like the song is all gloom and doom, because the song is about trying to reach your dream with ladders, no matter how ugly, pathetic, hopeless, and useless your effort and struggle is.

......Putting it like that sounds super depressing, but the fact still stands that even despite feeling all that, the singer doesn't want to give up. Only just now, compared to the two previous commissioned songs, Tsukasa manages to voice out his anxieties better(?).

But I don't think this is not the depth of Tsukasa's darkness(?). Somehow this feels just like the tip of the iceberg. We haven't even touched his baggage from his childhood days yet, only getting a glimpse of it here and there.

And with Tsukasa saying Show Must Go On---Mr. Showtime's show still doesn't end yet. He's still playing the 'reliable leader' and the 'anticipated pierrot' for everyone's sake, as can be seen in Sky's Edge too. That's why Luka's presence in this song doesn't feel like this is the end of his worries but the start of finally seeing him behind all his 'pierrot posing' and 'puppet-mastering'. And with the hints that we might get to see Tsukasa's origin in his next group event banner, I can't wait to see and hear his next commissioned song....... which will probably be a 3DMV (please be another 2DMV).

Other info that I can gather from Yama-san half-drunken (lol) ramblings about Mr. Showtime are:

The song is finished in September, and the final touches are done in November

The one who decides on who singing what part is the sound director in pjsk team with some input from the lyricist (in this case Hitoshizuku-P), not Yama-san.

Confirmed that in the original version, Len is in Tsukasa's position and vice versa.

The theme they are given are showtime, stage, and circus(?). They read the main story, HItoshizuku-san iirc read all of WxS key stories to write the lyrics. Yama-san has no particular feelings for any WxS members.

They are asked to keep the characters (esp. the one they were commissioned for) in mind when writing the lyrics.

Whether they were told about the backsides of the characters (things that aren't mentioned in event stories yet) or the content of the event story they were commissioned for is confidential.

Also, Sasakure.UK said Tsukasa's light is very bright because he overcame a deep darkness... but did he, though? Sky's Edge has him just properly faced how difficult it might be to be the star he wishes he will be. Who knows, Tsukasa might have just forgotten about the dark feelings he had like TONDEMO-WONDERZ and Dazzling Stage implied.

[yardsards]

a pet headcanon of mine is that after they're done with the sigil removal, emira expands her horizons and starts studying the psychological side of healing, pulling in some resources from the human realm and combining it with boiling isles methods (i imagine the field of psychology in the boiling isles, while existent, was often pushed aside as just a lesser branch of the healing coven back when belos was in charge. i do imagine there's often magic like the memory tweezers involved)

and i imagine she ends up focusing in on like, art therapy and self-expression, because she knows how important that can be, after having her individuality stifled so hard when she was young

[mythologicalbiologist]

A world of hostility, threat, danger, and potential...

A world of magic and technology, intermingling as one...

A world of many lives, faces, livelihoods, natures, and needs,

The World Around Chrysanthemum!

Welcome to The World Around Chrysanthemum, a tabletop roleplaying game hosted by yours truly, mythologicalbiologist!

This is a not-so-new project that i have been working on in my downtime.

What is Chrysanthemum?

Chrysanthemum is a city, set in a post modern time, in a world surrounded by magic of all ends and nearly all kinds! Technology has advanced drastically, intermingling with magic to create a small, yet grandiose city!

Regarded as the safest place in the world, chrysanthemum has surpassed many other civilizations, with its leader, lysander, fronting the charge. many kinds of people and creatures, humanoids and beasts participate to survive from the threats far and wide, some small, yet deadly, with some wielding the size and strength to hold up entire mountains!

Prepare for anything with magic in abundance and options applenty, changing out gameplans and making careful actions along the fly.

Live, try, wonder, and die with one another as you venture through the city and far outside of it to civilizations small and slighly less small, while weathering torrents of wildlife, magic, dragons, and opportunities from end to end of the planet, all to save chrysanthemum from itself as its sour center is revealed further and further to both you and the world around it.

What do i want from The World Around Chrysanthemum?

Idealy, i want The World Around Chrysanthemum to pose an interesting, complex, and various world that will allow for a vast potential of options regarding how one can make characters do various actions through a *hopefully* unique system of deeply and vastly customizable magic, not just encouraging, but expecting and enforcing a wide breadth of experimentation and testing with various formations of abilities that interact with one another in order to allow oneself to survive in an otherwise incredibly harsh, unwelcome environment.

I also hopefully want to tell an interesting story of it that provides a solid worldbuilding groundwork for many varieties of expansion, while also being able to tell an interesting story as a baseline.

What do i expect from The World Around Chrysanthemum?

Well, as someone who has never made (and has rarely played) a tabletop before, i dont expect my inexperience to win me any awards. If anything im expecting overambition to get the best of me at points, considering that this comes from a blend of a heavy history of roleplaying and a desire to make videogames

But regardless of whether it ends up being messy or overambitious, i expect my thoughts and whimsy to be put on display, and for my years of writing experience to shine through to make something at least a few people will want to take a look at!

And so we forge ahead, ourselves forever and onward!

Expect to see more about it soon, from future posts of lore, mechanics, and characters, to even potential art or news!

[dirtytransmasc]

Modern Aocorro high school au: what if Spider was a harpist in his high school orchestra and Ao'nung was down bad about it.

Spider was already your classic high school heart throb. He was popular, buff, handsome, a little rough around the edges, yet still a total sweetheart.

For Eywa's sake, he carpooled his siblings to school or rode his skateboard to school, volunteered around town 24/7, used reusable straws, he'd hand his pocket change to anyone in need, and was known for getting into fights with bullies in the parking lot.

Not to mention that he had the prettiest golden curls and brown eyes anyone had ever seen (at least in Ao'nung's opinion).

So to say Ao'nung was crushing, hard, was probably the understatement of the century, and could you even blame him? The guy was perfect, an angel, and it was driving him insane.

He'd catch himself staring during gym practice, marveling at his muscles, cheeks flushing, or in the locker room when he took his shirt off to change, his heart pounding away in his chest.

he thought he couldn't be even more down bad for that boy than he already was, his confident personality rendered null and void when he was around, his tongue caught in the back of his throat, unable to do so much as squeak at him… until the day he caught him in the orchestra room, practicing.

Now, he had heard Spider was in orchestra and had even seen him rolling around some large black case around the school before, but he'd never actually caught what he played.

But walking past that half-opened door was how he found out the love of his life wasn't only a sweet handsome hunk of a guy, but he played the harp, the instrument of an angel.

The sheer audacity of this boy was getting out of hand, he swore to Eywa, he was gonna kill him one of these days with his impossibly hot antics.

He stands and watches as Spider presses up against his harp, eyes focused on his sheet music, hair tied up in a messy bun but a single golden curl hangs he keeps blowing out of his face, and his fingers strum along the strings, working the muscles throughout his hands and arms.

The sound of gentle music flowed from the gap in the door, and it sounded just as pretty as Spider looked, soft and sweet, but still robust, still full of base and bravado. It was so fitting.

Watching Spider's face quirk with focus and frustration and pride as he worked through the song made the other's heart swoon, he swore it must be palpating or maybe skipping beats. He just knows it wasn't beating right, especially as he rubs his hand over his chest and feels how heavy it beats against his ribs.

And thats when Spider just so happens to turn to see who was gawking at him from the hallway, and instead of telling him to stop staring or throwing a pissed-off glance like Ao'nung is sure most other's would do if they caught someone staring like he had been, Spider just smiled.

"Like what you hear?" he quipped, leaning forward to turn the page of his music binder.

"Y-Yeah, yeah, you're... amazing," he choked out an answer, coughing into his fist to try and cover up the stammer in his voice and the blush on his cheeks.

"You flatter me," he replied, sitting back and looking Ao'nung right in the eye before he looked away with an even brighter smile, and it was like his skin was set on fire by just that single glance. "Are you gonna come in or are you gonna keep standing out their like some weirdo?"

"Oh, I-I wouldn't want to bother, I was j-just passing by,"

"It's free period, it's why I'm in here all by my lonesome," he puts on a fake pout and bats his lashes in his direction for show, "keep my company yeah? I'm sure you've got nothing to do if you've already spent so much time staring."

He moved his bag off the chair next to him before patting it.

"Sit," his tone was warm and inviting and his eyes were soft and almost pleading, so he did, with a deep breath, he sat next to the other boy.

He managed to be even prettier up close, and Ao'nung had to tear his eyes away so he didn't make a fool of himself. He decided to turn his attention to the harp. It was beautiful, made of a soft, warm-toned wood, intricately carved and painted with the image of flowers he couldn't name off the top of his head.

"She's a beauty isn't she?" Spider asked

he only nodded at first, before feeling the urge to touch, his hand moving before he could think better of it, but he managed to stop himself before he made contact with he wood.

"Can I?" he asked, quite pitifully, finally making his own eye contact with the blonde. Eywa save him, he was too pretty, it was unfair. He felt butterflies tickling his stomach and his head getting fuzzy. Why didn't he run when he had the chance?

"Go ahead," he answered with a huff of laughter.

He tried to steady himself as he stroked a hand down the curved wood that he saw resting against Spider's chest earlier when he was playing, feeling the warmth from the other boy's skin still clinging to the wood.

His fingers sought out the strings Spider's rested on moments ago, the metal threading bit into his flesh ever so slightly when he ran his fingers down them.

"I catch you staring all the time y'know, you're not very good at hiding it."

Ao'nung feels his heart drop through the floor and into the stone-cold basement beneath them. Fuck. He fucked up, he fucked up so bad, Spider must think he's a freak-

"It's cute."

"What?" he didn't mean to ask that out loud, but when he did, he said it far too loud.

Spider just laughs at him, gently and without malice, his eyes crinkling into almost nothing, his cheeks going a little red, his nose scrunching a little. Ao'nung feels his heart swell.

"Oh, it's never subtle, especially since you turn bright red, and the second you realize I'm looking back, you turn tail and run away like you have the devil on your heels," he pauses to wipe the tears from his eyes, "It's just cute, adorable even. I kinda like having a not so secret admirer."

"You don't think I'm some total freak?"

"Nah dude.... who's to say I'm not staring back?" he said nonchalantly.

Ao'nung was sure his brain was melting, cause he just found out his crush might like him back? Potentially. And that was just simply mind-boggling, cause, he wasn't gonna sell himself short, but he never thought he could be on Spider's radar.

They hung out with different people, and he used to be an ass to his siblings before he transferred to be here, and sure he apologized and made up with them, he always seemed to hold a bit of a grudge.

"You are?" he had to ask.

"Mmmmmm, maybe a little," he replied with a cheeky grin plastered on his face. "I will admit, at first it was because I was trying to make sure you weren't being an ass, but, things might be changing."

Ao'nung nodded to himself, clearing his throat, trying to decipher what that could even mean. Was Spider saying he was starting to like him too? did he have a shot with him?

"Listen, the bells about to ring, so why don't I give you this," he pulled a pen from the spine of his binder, tearing the corner off of one of his sheet music, which felt oddly intimate, and wrote something down on it, before handing it to him.

It was his number. Spider just gave him his number.

"Text me? we can start gettign to actually know each other, and maybe you could start joining me in here during free period, I could give you some lessons on the harp if you'd like?" now Spider sounded a little sheepish.

Which somehow made Ao'nung feel a bit more confident, so for the first time in seemingly forever, he answered Spider with some level of confidence.

"Yeah, I'd like that, I'd like that a lot."

"Good, good, I'd like that too."

They were both smiling now. The bell rang. They both hesitated to break eye contact.

"I'll text you, promise." Eywa, he was making promises. Already. He really was a hopeless sap. But it felt right when Spider huffed a laugh at it, a hand coming up to cover his smile a little. He was flattered.

"You better, stalker," Spider laughed, finally starting to pack up his stuff.

"Rude," he faked a gasped, lingering in the door, knowing he had to get to class, and he needed to let Spider pack up so he wouldn't be late himself, but wanting to let the moment last just a little longer.

"I think staring is rude, but I think I'll give you a pass, so long as you stop running away when I catch you, deal?"

"Deal."

"And you have to meet me here tomorrow."

"I will, it's a date," the words slipped out of his mouth without thinking about how it could be interpreted, "oh, not like-"

"It's a date" Spider repeated.

Ao'nung found he could only nod. It's a date. Even if it wasn't like that, it was still nice to think about. a date with an angel.

"Now go, before you're late, wouldn't want you to get in any trouble." Spider crossed his arms and jutted out his hip like he was some disappointed mom or something.

"Right, bye Spider."

He waved goodbye. It was corny and childish, but he waved. Spider waved back. He had his number clutched tightly in his other palm. Spider had his phone clutched in his hands as if he couldn't wait for the message to come any longer.

"Bye Stalker."

He has a feeling he's gonna have to get used to that nickname, but as he rounds the corner, his chest still feeling warm and full of butterflies, he doesn't think he minds all that much.

[biteofcherry]

Will you ever write anything for Curtis? 🥺 You write CE characters so good I know you'd just make something soooo good with him. Please say you'll write Curtis 🙏🏻

I'm planning on it 😎 That gunplay I promised to write? It's going to happen with dark mafia Curtis.

His office walls are a display of various guns, knives and axes. He's a collector.

[wienners]

"is gooseworx upset about digital circus becoming a cocomelon ass thing id be so angry lol" I cannot express to you how much they have achieved the DREAM for an online indie animator. they got millions of views with A PILOT ALONE! the original characters are already being cosplayed and the models are being thrown into random ass meme videos as if its a massively famous IP! all that with an indie 3D studio! AND the cg actually looks incredible!!! think they're gonna be okay if some content farms use their models for some brainrot finger family video.

[eothawne]

i’m gonna come right out and say it. i hate the way cx-2 was handled. i understand the point: that all the cx clones were valuable whether they were named or not, that it’s horrible that they were tortured and turned into what they were. i understand that.

but i also hate how they were used almost as a “gotcha! bet you were expecting them to be someone significant!” instead of just allowing the viewer to understand their pain on its own. it’s like filoni saw us all theorizing online about tech’s death, saying “well in star wars, if you don’t die on screen, you could always come back!” and took personal offense to it. just because we recognized a pattern in his showrunning and writing style and pointed it out. he did the same thing in ahsoka with that one inquisitor, but at least he wasn’t a red herring for a specific fan-favorite character.

like star wars is literally built off of The trope - the hero’s journey. and as we branch off and create more and more content for the franchise, it gets to be more difficult for creators to feel as if what they’re making is original and valuable. and with that comes some shitty decisions in order to justify to yourself that you have range, or originality, or whatever the fuck.

if tech is dead, have him be dead. have the batch mourn him, even if it’s just in the epilogue or something. it leaves a bad taste in my mouth for the most explicitly autistic character to be killed off, and then his fans are strung along through an incredibly elaborate red herring that ultimately uses their pattern recognition as a means to fuck them over. we were not crazy for theorizing that cx-2 was tech. cx-2 was specifically designed (and i mean his actual character design, before even looking at the scenes he’s in and how he’s portrayed on screen) as a red herring for tech in particular.

personally, i hate heavily fan-referential decisions in media. i hate it when creators specifically create with the intention of certain fan reactions used to garner hype and speculation. i hate when creators throw out good literary and filmography devices just so no one will be able to sniff out their big reveal ahead of time. i hate spoiler culture.

[lucksea]

this is not solid on the sheepoid form still but its like coalescing slowly in my mind. beginning to take shape

[jessieren]

Tuesdays are such good eye candy....

Happy Tux day everyone :)

I wonder if he realises how much I lose my shit every time I see him in a tux