#gotta look at a wiki page

[lab-trash]

Yknow, I'm genuinely surprised there hasn't been some sort of weird horror/adult adaptation of The Magic Tree House.

Like, an It style thing. And I don't know why that surprises me. The books weren't particularly scary, and I don't know if I ever read the origins book, so I don't know how it ended up there or why those kids are there in it all the time.

But it's still really weird to me. Like, it feels like the perfect recipe for some sort of weird, dystopian horror. An isekai horror, if you will. These two early-to-mid teenagers getting shoved into the past or future or different dimension or however you have it. And they need to get home or whatever.

[sysig]

I can’t stop drawing tiny Watchdogs (Patreon)

[krenenbaker]

I love that the sole card I have with a skill animation has the most suggestive animation possible (｡-ω-)

[crest-of-gautier]

pq posting before i go to bed! a shorter session (3 hours) but it was nice and i'm happy to say that i finished you in wonderland!

THIS WAS SO FUNNY... honestly i don't think i give enough credit to akihiko and mitsuru's dynamic they're literally so good i really enjoy how well they know each other but also they're like.. a constant in each other's life and i do enjoy their interactions a lot even if i never vocalize it...

wow yosuke, who would've thought that you two are partners, this guy literally introduced himself as your wife /s (i kinda regret naming souji yosuke wifey but im glad i wrote the y in lowercase bc otherwise i wouldn't be able to tell their dialogue apart 💀

and finally, yosuke <3

some more elaborate thoughts (aka speculation) under the cut because i learned my lesson from last time

ok unfortunately i can't say that im going to go AS INSANE as i did last time when i was spitballing in the tags for the second pq posting just because i feel like i aired out most of my "AAAA WHO IS ZEN AND REI??" there but.

i do have to say that i'm very glad i'm at the point where p3 and p4's casts are able to interact! i can't tell if it's because the writing feels like it shines a little bit better here rather than the solo casts (sometimes i roll my eyes at how junpei and akihiko are with some of the traits the writers play up), or if it's because i'm a guy who's very endeared by crossovers and interactions from characters who didn't exist in the original source material.

i had a lot of times where i was writing things down in my notes software during the crossover segments and im just?? really endeared and creatively inspired by it, to be honest. i really like this aspect of pq.

i think something that catches my interest with zen and rei at the moment is the difference in how they're.. regaining their memories. like... it's interesting to me that zen is able to get some of his memories back from the stuffed rabbit marked with "niko," but rei doesn't. i don't really know how much i can speculate off of this atm (i feel like this is something i'd get more info on when i progress through the second labyrinth, or it's something i'm missing out on because i can't use intertextuality to piece things together. i dont know shit about alice in wonderland.)

like it does make me think that maybe these two are like.. separate entities in that respect (rather than a shared one? but i could be wrong, and i welcome that!). but also there's something that makes my brain go "AAA" about how adamant zen is about wanting to protect rei despite not having any memories, because my brains like "WELL WHAT IF ZEN'S TRUE IDENTITIES AND MEMORIES ARE ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE, AND DON'T WANT GOOD THINGS FOR REI." poorly phrased but like, it's about the irony, y'know.

i have no fucking clue what rei is supposed to be if we're going under the notion that they're two different things that have lost their memory (she is so head empty only food and its precious tbh). but like my brain just thinks that zen is just... going to end up being some awful incarnation or something like idk. there's something about persona characters with amnesia that make me raise my eyebrow... like just look at ryoji and marie and teddie...

and i guess as another thought on the matter, the way zen and rei work mechanically speaking does make me ponder a bit because like.. obviously, yeah, they can't equip a subpersona because they're... GESTURES. not persona users but FUCK, the way zen and rei have very distinct skillsets just make me wonder if those can allude to what they symbolize. like zen's skills are much more.. destructive and im just like (AIGIS VOICE) "YOU ARE DANGEROUS."

anyways. i am very much invested in the identities of zen and rei but i am also glad that the crossover stuff is here too because i think the sillies will keep me inspired... and also im just happy to see yosuke... i really like yosuke even if i forget that i do a lot of the time..

last thought, after seeing souji talk and move, i think i'd definitely want to look into p4 side... because um. 🥴 i'm really simple guy. i need more minato in my life. (everyone rolls their eyes. i'm predictable!) i want to see minato move and talk. i want to think about him. he's my boyfriend. he's my wife. he's my universe. im being so cringe about him but I DONT THINK THIS IS A SURPRISE TO ANYONE... i like him a lot (NO SHIT, LIZZ). but!!! idk if this'll be something that i watch or play, it depends on what the NG+ functionality in this game is like...

anyway gn!! thanks for reading my delusions im very much enjoying this game and im happy to be playin git.

[donuts4evry1]

sobbing. /lh

i'm looking at wikipedia articles in other languages i'm learning to try and determine my comprehension in-context ('s fun too) and. this is all jellies get in tagalog :(((

WHAT????? THATS ILLEGAL WE NEED TO GET TAGALOG SPEAKER JELLY FANS IN ON THIS!!!!!

[irlkenku]

im gonna dress up as danger days gerard way for a ‘dress as ur queer awakening’ halloween party and even just trying on parts of the outfit is so so good for whatever the fuck gender im doing rn

[ibroughtyoumybullets-ningy]

he was only in the one game,

[starpros-sunshine]

helloooo!!!

niki is SO skrunkly he's doing his best i love him so much :(

he feels like such a protagonist-like character to me, surrounded by chaos that Maybe he'd do better without, but he's made a home there. and rereading date plan, i just love his passion and attempts at trying to understand things that are difficult– i think it takes a lot of courage to say you don't understand something, rather than pretending to. (also love how crazy:b help him in understanding too ueuueue) N HIM AND MITSURU ARE CUTE. friends for life i feel

he just wants the best for himself and others!!! i need him to know he's loved

Yes!!! Everything you said is so true!!!! I sometimes feel sorry for him for constantly being dragged into Rinnes shenanigans he must have nerves of steel from dealing with that for basically half of his childhood

And yes him and Mitsuru are so adorable together!!!! Especially in that recent scout story where they went to look for that one dessert together

He deserves the world fr

[fantasticalchaos]

Ah yes… randomly placing characters from one fandom into a crossover with my older, more obscure fandoms for no particular reason other than pure self-indulgence! (Context: I sorted OM characters and TWST characters into Skylander elements today) ☺️

… Now that I think about most of the crossovers I have in the drafts are just made out of pure self-indulgence

[scaramoucheirl]

It’s so funny when people say Madara is 5’10 just bcs that’s what you get on a quick Google search when he’s actually not even 5’9

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Bread Debut: Miitopia

Hey, everyone, look! It's Bread! Did you know? Bread is the best thing since sliced bread. Some of you might argue that Bread is sliced bread but consider: Bread is an enemy in a Video's Game. Can sliced bread say that? I didn't think so.

Bread is one of the very first enemies encountered in Peculia, and from this first encounter, the theme of the world becomes immediately apparent: Funny! Yes the game has been funny up to this point, but this is the Funny world, so they need to show you some especially funny enemies to make that clear. Enter Bread! And also Running Nose, who is also delightful and might get its own post someday.

But not today, Buster! Today is Bread's time to shine! Despite how wacky it is, Bread is a pretty standard enemy. All it can do is float up to you and tackle you. Nary a Special Attack to be seen! But that's okay, I think. Even without any condiments, Bread adds flavor to the game! Unless the eyeballs count as a condiment? Maybe if you're Shrek.

For some reason, the Miitopia Wiki has these descriptions for every enemy that don't exist anywhere in-game and are completely made up. Personally I think we shouldn't be insulting the Darker Lord for using their imagination. I think it was an inspired choice of them to make Bread into an enemy. Some of us would benefit from taking each others' eyes and putting them on random everyday objects to create new and exciting monsters. You know, for perspective. Maybe one of us can even become the living forks in Miitopia 2!

Now, as you're probably aware, Miitopia is an RPG, and every good RPG's bread and butter is introducing Stronger Color Variations. But alas, Miitopia does not have Buttered Bread, nor does it have Wheat Bread, Burnt Bread, or Very Lightly Toasted Bread...

...Because it goes above and beyond!

Meet Ham Sandwich! More than a mere Stronger Color Variation, Ham Sandwich not only gets two slices of grilled bread, but also Ham and Cheese! And lettuce. There's also lettuce.

Unlike Bread, Ham Sandwich does in fact get a Special Attack, called Wide Attack, which as the name implies, is a Wide Attack that can hit three Miis at once.

...Okay, it's not really that special, but is getting attacked by Ham Sandwich not special enough for you already? You gotta savor the occasion.

But remember to make room for dessert! Today's dessert? A Bread Sandwich! This is "Traveler" Bread, which takes the Dugtrio approach of giving us three slices of Bread at once! The more, the merrier, I say! And if that wasn't enough for you, "Traveler" Bread is a BOSS FIGHT!

Traveler Bread takes a page out of Ham Sandwich's book, once again getting the Wide Attack, but unlike Ham Sandwich, it gets TWO turns, meaning it can hit three Miis at twice! And that's it really. A small change to the Bread formula, sure, but it's okay. It's hard to improve upon perfection.

And that's it for the post. BEGONE!

[rzyraffek]

You did a request on fainting in front of Brahms, so how would the Sinclair Brothers react to reader fainting? Thank you! Y’all have a good one! :3

Yay! My writing spirit came back! So now imma spam you all with fanfics!! I also wrote a bit more that JUST Sinclair bros

They/them, sfw, Request Open

Slashers with s/o that faints

Bo sinclair

Will immediately pick them up, check for any damage.

Will be stressed af, and get so protective i swear

Will overthink it, he kinda has anger issues so he might think he did something that casued it??? Idk

When s/o wakes up he gonna be so realived. They really gave him a scare

Will ask if anyone hurt them? Or is it like normal for them

Overall 7/10 probably died 5times while waiting for you to wake up

Vincent Sinclair

Tralala vibing with my love lala HU- WHY ARE THRT ON FLOOR??? UHH BO? BO! S/O IS IN FLOOR

Will knee and check breathing and heart beat. Of thank god at least they are alive

With bo's help carried them to bed room and he didnt leave their side! Holding their hand whole time

When they wake up he gonna shower them with kisses and hugs!!! Yay so you are alive!!! Yay!!

Will lay in bed with them, moving his legs in air while s/o turns into Wiki page and tells him all sympptoms, what to do ect

Overall 8/10 live laugh love Vincent

Lester Sinclair

S/o got to tell this man about their 'fainting problem' before it happends

Bcs this dude might cry, or have mental break down

Especially if it happend when yall where in Forest, AWAY FROM ANYONE THAT COULD HELP OR COMFORT

S/o probavly gonna wake up in middle of car ride home and this guy will be so relived

Guy will acually take notes of stuff he needs to know about their fainting problem, so in case he panics next time he has everything written down

Overall 9/10 boy is doing his best

Jason Voorhees

P.A.N.I.C

Immediately picks them up, so so worried, will check their heartbeat by putting his ear on their chest

Lays them down on the most comfy bed he could find in this god forsaken camp

Sits down next to it (probably in chair or if there's non he will just sit on ground)

When they wake up he will be so so happy but also so so puzzled? Did you ate something bad? Were you too hot? Too tired? Too worried? What happened! Tell him

You gotta to tell him step by step how to react, how to notice that s/o will faint and what to do afterwards

Man will be on full alert after every time they pass out. Like this guy will lay them gently down, put water bottle right next to them so it's close and litteraly stab anyone in 100meter radius (boi gets protective)

Overall 8/10 good care taker

Myers Micheal

... okay? So your sleeping now??? Weird

Nah but fr he was in ASYLUM for FEW years, he probably saw plenty of people who pass out, due to stress, emotions, self destructive stuff ect ect

So he knows what to do and how to do. But he simply doesn't want to lol

Hes sure that you will be fine. He will just make sure that you didht break anything or that you are laying in position that makes you able to breath of course

S/o gonna wake up with muscle pain and headache :(

Gonna tell micheal that. No babe you arent edgy, you are just an asshole

Next time he gonna sigh loudly and put s/o back to bed. Only because they gonna be mad at him afterwards.. its not that he cares! Pfff micheal? He totally doesn't care pfff

Overall 4/10 will judge the position you passed out in

Billy lenz

Will sit on their chest, litteraly he gonna choke them frfr. But he didnt mean to so it doesnt count!

Will talk to them while they are passed out

Will drag them to couch because no way in hell hes going to drag them all way upstairs

Will get bored and lonley >:(

When s/o wakes up they have to explain to him that, no s/o wasn't sleeping, they were timed out of life

Gonna bring them glas of water

Gonna look at them with his goblin eyes,and be like 'sooo can we play uno now?' 'Honey I see everything doubled now 'okay... so can we play uno now'

Next time they pass out he is gonna put them in so many blankets they turn into burrito (not only in looks but also its probably extremely hot)

Overall 6/10 would rather play uno

Asa emory

"Ooh honey..." picks them up✅, carries to bed✅, puts in right position✅, grabs water and mess from kitchen✅

He is so ✅✅✅

Will ask them about how they feel, do they need to puke? Maybe stronger meds? Are you cold? Or maybe too hot?

But he isn't very 'in your face' with all those questions, he asks them just like doctor would, with absolute no emotion or huge facial reactions. He knows it might be stressful or overwhelming

Will give space if needed

He also made sure to reread books and articles about people who pass out randomly to make sure to read theirs body language

Dont worry little butterfly you can rest now

Overall 10/10 but made you watch his beatle collections while you couldn't leave bed

[quicquam-dot-com]

Why do americans call it tuna fish?

SO I WENT DOWN A RABBIT HOLE (unsurprising if you know me) about why americans (and ONLY americans) call canned tuna "tuna fish". If you look at Wikipedia's page for tuna, it'll tell you that it's because the german for tuna sounds like tuna fish. That doesn't make sense, given people in wildly different regions (for example, Connecticut and Louisiana) were calling it tuna fish in the 70s, and why ONLY americans call it tuna fish. It had to be something other than that.

So began my search. In my research, I found that tuna only started being sold to americans in cans in 1908, further strengthening my thought that it couldn't just be because german. After about an hour of fruitless searching, I realized if it's only americans, it had to be something that wouldn't have escaped much past the bounds of america. Advertising in american magazines. I somehow managed to land on an etsy listing for an ad for White Star tuna FISH from the 1930s, and off I went.

The earliest written evidence I could find (not a professional researcher or historian at all) of the use of the phrase "tuna fish" was in a 1919 court case regarding labels between the Southern California Fish Co. and White Star Canning Co., which describes the White Star label as saying "tuna fish" on it. I then found other (White Star) ads (and a can label) from the 20s, 30s, and 50s (I can't find the one from the 50s but I swear I saw one), and then an ad for Bumblebee tuna from the 70s that says "tunafish" on it. So there we go. Advertising in american magazines. I don't know why White Star decided to include the fish, but it seems like they're the reason we do.

(It's a little hard to find much useful information on the White Star Canning Co, both because White Star is the name of the ship company that had the Titanic (so you gotta include the canning part and that might be limiting out some relevant stuff) and also because the White Star Canning Co was merged in 1922 with the company that became Chicken of the Sea)

Sources:

https://iiab.me/kiwix/wikipedia_en_all_maxi_2022-05/A/Albert_P._Halfhill

https://casetext.com/case/so-cal-f-co-v-white-star-c-co

https://www.palosverdespulse.com/blog/2021/6/25/it-tastes-like-chicken-how-local-canneries-marketed-fish-in-a-can-by-marifrances-trivelli-director-los-angeles-maritime-museum

https://www.etsy.com/listing/608947310/retro-printable-tuna-advertising-from-a

https://www.ebay.com/itm/186146432914

https://www.ebay.com/itm/143760191768

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Van_Camp

[mister-qi]

Mr. Qi Friendship and Romance Mod: 4/19 Progress Update

It's a working title, I'm trying to come up with something less wordy that still will pop up in Nexus searches.

I wanted to be able to track my progress, mainly for myself, but if you're curious, this is the state of the mod right now:

Writing:

Heart Events - the 2 heart event is fully written (with blocking directions), and the 6, 8, and 10 heart events are outlined. The 4 heart cutscene currently has me a bit stumped; I have ideas, but nothing concrete yet. I definitely now understand why Sam's 4 heart cutscene is him dropping an egg. 14 hearts is on the back-burner as a little treat to myself once I get further into things.

Generic Daily Dialogues - about 1/3 done, probably the highest priority for writing. I'm leaving his vanilla casino dialogue as the two heart dialogue, and the vanilla Walnut Room dialogue as his four heart dialogue, with a few small changes. And, since it's me, I have more marriage dialogue written than anything else...

Day-Specific Dialogues - very few written, lower priority. Hoping to have a lot of these made eventually, and I have plenty of ideas, but they aren't necessary for the core of the mod so they're on the back-burner for now.

Gift Dialogues - all 5 generic gift response dialogues are written, with an additional 22 dialogue lines for specific items/groups of items. I'm also up to around item 530 in figuring out what item corresponds to which dialogue/whether or not he likes it. Certain item groups, like cooked food, still need more lines, however. This is definitely something that should be low priority, but also something I'm really enjoying working on. Some personal favorites so far are-

[if given a fish (hated)]: "Eugh, it's all slimy..."

[if given a legendary fish (disliked)]: "If you must give me one of the rarest fish in the valley, can you at least wrap it so I don't have to touch it with my bare hands?"

And I think that's pretty funny.

Art

Portraits - 3 new portraits finished: "deep frown" "glint" and "glasses-less". I'll probably be messing with "glasses-less" for a looong while; it's first shown at a dramatic moment so it needs to look good. Blushing portraits are next on the docket.

Here's "glint" btw, with a background thrown on so I can have a custom icon. You know I gotta make him do the anime glasses thing a few times.

Sprites - no progress yet. Walk cycle is up next after I finish the blushing portraits. Did you know he doesn't have a walk cycle at all? [1.6 spoilers] in the cheated Summit cutscene where he attacks(?) you, he literally just slides at you very fast. Anyways, I may also change his map sprite a bit as well, since it was drawn to match his old portrait and doesn't actually have the same color scheme as his sprites. Note to self: is it possible to make the sparkles on his outfit prismatic?

Maps - no progress yet. The 6 heart and 10 heart cutscenes both require custom maps, with the 6 heart one being a fully custom asset. 10 heart recycles some existing assets but will still need some custom stuff done as well.

Misc Sprites - in my head, there's a dream version of the 8 heart cutscene that has so, so many unique sprites. Like an incredible amount of stuff. I think it'll kick ass, but also that sequence could be done with a few lines of text. So, for now, it's low priority. But maybe in a few months I'll put out a request for help.

Implementation

Not totally sure how to split this into sections yet, as I'm very much still in the preliminary stages so far. To say that I'm feeling overwhelmed is an understatement; documentation on the wiki swings wildly between "an asset is a file in a video game" and "this is an advanced tutorial. Read these 4 other pages first before continuing."

I've started using Ms. Coriel's NPC Creator which has been good for setting up the basic file structure, but ultimately doesn't cover some of the more complex stuff I want to do. EDIT: Turns out it's completely outdated for 1.6! Had to throw out a bit of work, but I still learned from it so it's fiiine.

I think setting up his "schedule" will be a challenge, in that I don't actually want him to have a real schedule like most NPCs. Not to pull back the curtain too much here, but I want him to "exist" in both the Casino and the Walnut Room simultaneously, which is to say, he does not exist in two places at once in the narrative, just in the code. This will change after marriage, however.

My next goal is to set up placeholder cutscenes for each of the heart events, and then to implement the generic daily dialogues once those are finished.

Final Notes

God, this will be a work in progress for a while, but I'm enjoying it! Definitely enjoying the writing more than anything else, but hey, that's how it be. I've got around 70 lines of dialogue written, a bit of art done, and I've started learning how to actually get stuff in game. I've always been more of a designer than a coder, but it's getting there!

ADDITIONALLY I've decided that if I abandon this project for more than 8 months, anyone is welcome to request my work so far and use it for their own mod. If this blog hasn't posted in a long while, feel free to send me an ask or message! I may say no, however.

Ultimately, I want this mod to exist in some fashion. While there is an existing one, I have a pretty different take on the character and I want to share it with you all! Every line of dialogue, every heart event, every little detail needs to share something interesting about a character and their world. Yet, Mr. Qi is a mysterious guy, and I think some things should be left up to player interpretation. And I think it's crucial to be able to match his tone and voice to the vanilla game, while also expanding on his characterization. It's a fun challenge to write, and I hope the finished product, uh, well I hope it gets finished mostly, but I think it'll be pretty good.

Thanks for reading all this. This is largely just a stream of consciousness for myself, but I hope it's...interesting, or something?

[archangeldyke-all]

Hi! I don’t know if you’ve been seeing my request recently because Tumblr is being an ass to me, but I’ve got more ideas 🗣️‼️‼️

Based on episodes that showed Finn and his wiki page, he’s already kind of an ass 😭 BUT what if Sevika’s gf would be Finn’s younger sister? Like, Sev would just find out after having a talk with Finn when the reader is like: “yeah that’s my older brother, sorry about him” and Sevika is just like:

BWAHAHAHA

men and minors dni

no, 'cause could you imagine? she'd be like, "you!? him!?" pointing between you and finn where he stands across the bar. you'd just shrug.

"that tends to be the reaction." you say.

"but he's a dick! he's so stupid and cocky and you--" she cuts herself off, and you laugh.

"i'm not?" you ask. she nods.

"well, obviously." she says. "but... i was gonna say something else." she admits, not looking at you. you raise an eyebrow at her. and she sighs. "i just-- you're very attractive." she says. "your brother... isn't." she says.

you burst into laughter. "hey watch it!" you say between your giggles. "he's still my brother y'know. gotta defend him and all." you say. sevika just shrugs.

"it's true." she says. "fuck, i can't believe i'm crushing on finn's little sister." she mumbles.

you blink. sevika freezes. then, you grin.

"he was pretty pissed to find out i was crushing on you, too." you say. she gulps, then smiles.

"yeah?" she asks. you snort then nod.

"he punched a hole in the wall. he was all 'why her? she hates my guts!'" you imitate your brother, making sevika laugh.

"you wanna do something that'll really piss him off?" she asks. you grin, then reach forward to take her hand.

"lead the way." you say, laughing.

taglist!

@lesbeaniegreenie @fyeahnix @sapphicsgirl @half-of-a-gay @ellabslut @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner @shimtarofstupidity @love-sugarr @chuucanchuucan @222danielaa @badbye666 @femme-historian @lia-winther @gr0ssz0mbi3 @ellsss @sevikaspillowprincess @leomatsuzaki

[wren-dy-flowergarden]

Hello, there! Since you got the final request slot open, can I request a fluffy scenario in which Leona and his fem! s/o share a kiss in the rain. Takes place during the Tamashina Mina event. If you can't write Leona or don't know much about him, I understand if you don't wanna write him. Thank you!

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴A/N: You want fluff- I gotchu fam. Also disclaimer- I only played half of this event in Japanese and had to go find the end on a wiki page lolllll. I'm not sure if this is accurate but fluffy hehe I'm sure it is. I hope my rendition of Leona is still in character let me know your thoughts on this sweet request hehe (´∀｀)♡

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴Leona x f!Reader (can be read as gn!Reader)

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴WC: 1.2k

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴Tags: kisses in the rain, fluff, possessive Leona, mine mine mine, gotta do anything to win mindset, good luck rituals

The score is not looking good.

You glance around at the team. Lillia has already been disqualified for using magic, which in your understanding should have been nothing more than a penalty! Which is worse? Being disqualified or that imperial guard cracking his head on the slate after being pushed off the ring?

Vil's ankle is swelling more and more, and it further cements the idea in you that Lillia should still be in the tournament as you see Kalim ready his stance.

Jack was their third member and would have been perfect for the last round but he was already out due to a heatstroke from before.

You're on the edge of your seat as the referee calls the match for Kalim. A stroke of luck that his opponent was the bus driver they helped earlier in the week. Another tick on the board for NRC. That doesn't make you any less nervous, though. 

Grim already moved a couple spaces after you accidentally squished him too hard. That left you to fidget with the end of Leona's outfit as you tried to make plays, any plausible strategies for the last round with the players you had left. 

The fabric that ties around his tunic in golden sunset weaves through your anxiety as you fiddle.

"Nervous Herbivore?"

You jump, looking to your left where you see a Leona, his ears are perked up. Kalim exits the stage for the second time. Two small beast men jump on to clean the stage for its last round, giving you a little more time to think. 

"You're asking me that now? We have no more viable players, and you are going to stay here for an entire week if we don’t win!" You cry as the fabric strains against your pulls. "How are you not nervous?"

It seems like the question went in one ear and out the other, because all Leona is repeats with that sly grin is, "Ah~ So what you're saying is that the little herbivore will miss me?"

Bullseye. 

You stupor for a mere second. "N-No! I'll just miss Ruggie cooking extra for you." In reality, you will miss the late afternoon naps in the garden with Leona. He was like your personal blanket as he wrapped around you in the grass. You never felt better rested after a long day of classes. 

"Oh, really now?" He's closer and you feel warmer than usual even with the pockets of clouds coming in. He knows your lying.

A cough interrupts the both of you as the royal Chamberlin clears his throat, stone eyes not even remotely moving from the empty stage. "It be best for you both to focus right now."

You feel red and turn back to the stage, giving Leona a small push with your shoulder. Of course, her doesn't budge, but you can feel the pleasant hum run through his body into your own as you nudge him. You wish he stop that. "Yeah, focus or else you're giving lessons for a week at least."

Leona, with his signature smirk, lowers the mask on top of his head. You can only see his emerald eyes contrasting against gold. "Don't worry herbivore this is the last play before checkmate."

You stop fiddling with the end of his robes as he stands up, abruptly grabbing your hand leading you towards the staircase leaving the assortment of the NRC team and a few others in confusion.

"And I'm going to be borrowing you."

You hold your hands out, like a private hanger for Leona as he strips down his robes to the tunic beneath. You're a blushing mess as you see the way he slides fabric off bare muscle. He’s such a tease, the way Leona languidly slides his arm through one sleeve of the robes before depositing it in your arms.

Another piece of ornament clinks around your neck you grunt. "Is this really going to work?" Another trail of beaded gems and you swear your arms will start to buckle if he continues, "We look nothing alike ack-!"

A scarf covers your head, and you flail for a moment, before Leona hushes you, "I'm not tucking my tail between my legs and letting that prissy Vil fight with that leg." Large hands wrap the scarf a couple times around you head until you can see Leona's eyes again, "Heh- you sort of look like a wild monkey.”

You open your mouth to rebuttal that comment but the smell of fresh water touches your nose and soon your head, then your cheeks. Rain is falling.

"Ah..." Leona groans. You look up, and he looks displeased.

"What?" You ask, the tip of your lips becoming a smile. "You never told me you were part cat?"

His tail whips against your thigh and you almost drop his clothing out of reaction, "It was just a joke!"

Hu huffs, bringing a hand up to the rain. It was becoming heavier now. "There's nothing to joke about." His tail is swinging back and forward now, a frown etched on your face as he clicks his tongue. You look up into the sky and even with it raining so heavily you can still see the sun peeking through some parts of the clouds.

You blink rain falling down your lashes, "It’s kind of nice it started raining already. Like a good omen of sorts,"

He pauses. "What are you even talking about. Rain is supposed to fall for the victor." Leona crosses his arms over his chest, and you shrug the best you can with everything holding you down.

"Well, yah silly. That’s you.”

Maybe this is why he kept you so close. The way you speak your mind, unhindered by others. The way you break through walls in his life with full force. Something akin to shock is plastered on his face before it quickly disintegrates with laughter. Shoulders bobbing up and down. 

"That's some type of logic there Herbivore."

"Yes, so please hurry and go win.” You joke. The rain is seeping into the fabric around your arms and is starting to drag you down, "Especially if I have to hold this the whole match." The muffle of the announcement echoes in the stadium for the last round.

You're about to make your way inside the arena, but a cool yet warm heat enters your back as Leona holds you still. The ornamental beads trail off his mask onto your head as he tucks his head above, a warm chuckles leave his throat. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

You tilt your head upward to be met with his usual smirk. He’s playing games with you again, but you're not the type to back down.

Twisting around, still captured in his arms you look at his eyes hidden by layers of gold and precious gems hanging off the edges. "Hmmm, no you still look just as pompous as ever."

He huffs as he pulls you closer, you would be chest to chest, but you're carrying his dirty laundry- or soaking laundry. That doesn't stop you from feeling a little abashed though with the proximity. 

"Before battle, there is a tradition of sorts, beast men would receive a trinket from their king before going to battle. Sacrificing themselves for the kingdom."

"We went over this before.” You hum, "I thought you served no king?"

It the same type of rumble in his chest that you fall asleep to those quiet afternoons, "I don't."

"Well Mr. I-don't-follow-anyone, I'm not sure what I can give you." You beam. You want to make him ask for it. They were reserved for special occasions after all.

It's a quiet growl Leona makes close to your ear. The rain is slipping off the two of you, you can it dripping down his cheekbones down to you, you feel the headscarf becoming heavier as it slips of you head onto the back of your neck as you tilt you head to the side, playfully.

"Wasn't it Kifaj saying how a prince should have manners?" You ask as he digs closer into you.

"You can't deny me Herbivore." He mumbles, the strings of gems give a cold tickle on your face as he moves, he mask to his forehead exposing his face.

You laugh, he can be so cute when he wants to be. "I can you can't, but I'm feeling rather nice and I'm sure there will not wait any longer for,"me" to go on stage so just one.”

You tilt your head, and he leans closer than your lips touch. It's sweeter than usual. He tastes like the mix of hibiscus and coconut juices you have been drinking the past weekend.

It's also different from the small pecks you shared in NRC or the sessions you had when no one was watching. The chill of rain soaking you to the bone, the weight of fabric clinging to your skin wanting to drag you down if you were not careful. Leona's hand felt like fire against your back as he held you still, the other rubbing gently massaging your cheek. Gems would clink against gold in a soft chimes vibrant against the pelting of the rain on the concrete. 

He wants to deepen it, you can feel his tongue asking for permission as he swipes against your lips. To explore you deeper in a more intimate fashion compared to other times. It’s so quiet here and you almost let him if you didn't hear the microphone boom again.

NRC last contestant. Make way to the arena immediately or risk disqualification! I repeat-

You break away with a breath and Leona looks irritated as his ears twitch in annoyance. "Damn committee, can't they wait a couple more minutes?"

A laugh erupts out of you push against him escaping towards the arena, "We can continue later 'me'! Back at NRC when you win."

It's a little comedic to see a lion soaking in the rain by himself. You don't even hear him call anything back not that you needed that.

Words are useless in front of actions.