#i hope you enjoy the story all the same!

[gabriellaeva2005]

I really cannot express how much this piece of work means to me! As corny as it sounds I really found this story at the perfect point in my life, I initially started reading the impulse 1995 comics when I was 14 and I ended up falling upon this story when I was 17 I just immediately fell in love! The concept was so creative and fit into the pre-existing plot line perfectly! All the new characters are so enjoyable to read, Nathaniel and Jude have such a wonderful and also sad dynamic, as a twin my self every scene with them just really hit me in the heart! Six especially in the first several chapters was so comically annoying and clearly insecure, in a way that I think a lot of us can relate to, one way or another especially when we got to here is internal monologue, I’ve always been a sucker for the asshole character with an air of insouciance and superiority, who by the end of the story, just ends up being a pretty all right guy! And Five oh my god five! I love this guy so much! he’s just so genuine and someone who clearly cares deeply, and him being technically the physically oldest in the room, but also being the one with the least amount of experience is a very literal take on an experience I think a lot of people have felt, myself included, And I think we all know I’m a Three apologist, his whole story is just so devastating and haunting, part of me is always rooting for him, whilst also being terrified for what he might do to the other characters, there is so much complexity with his relationships with the other characters, such as five and four, every time theirs a seen with three and four the writing always makes me feel so on edge and is really able to puts me in three’s shoes! And god! The way three and five interact is so sweet and sad there relationship is just too much! The last chapter absolutely destroyed me!! And Bart and Thad are so perfectly characterized it truly just feels like a natural progression of their characters, the way they both are just really struggling to deal with the inevitability of change hit me so hard, like I said I started reading the impulse comics when I was 14 so these characters have such a place in my heart, so now being able to read about them going through these struggles, when I was also experiencing a lot of change, is such a comfort to me, it was like in a way these characters got older with me, and you know it’s always nice to see some of your childhood characters going through the same stuff as you, currently being a slightly terrified 18 year old, it was great to be able to read about two other slightly terrified 18 year olds, anyways I wanted to post some of my sketches from the past few weeks, and don’t worry there are definitely more to come cause I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop drawing these guys!

@cryptocism you really sent me on a journey, thank you for that!💖💖

[puppyeared]

i feel like im not making any sense but does anyone else feel like there are stories that let u run with them and ones that spell everything out for you

[strawbubbysugar]

Ough as the end draws near I’m seeing more and more comments that are making me nervous that the ending won’t live up to all the hype & expectations aaaa aa

[phoenix-clan]

i appreciate everyone waiting so patiently for the next part. it seems with every new part i upload more and more people see my art and become interested in this little story i started, and i just want to say that i really appreciate it all. thank you all so much :)

[theflyingfeeling]

💖 it's here, it's pink, it's sparkly, and full of fluff 💖

Hiiiiii and welcome to witness my attempt at an Olli/Allu Advent Calendar, in which I'll give you ~a cute little something~ about these two idiots in love almost every day until December 24! My plan is to use prompts from this list to either write a fic based on the prompt or just some good ol' delulu thoughts if all else fails. I cannot guarantee there'll be a post literally every day, but I'm really excited to try this out and I thank you for your support along the way in advance 💝

The biggest thanks and a million hugs go to one of my favourite human beings @kraeuterhexchen for making the adorable banner!! I mean helloooooo?? 😭 Go show them some love ❣️

For December 1, the prompt list is titled One True Pairing Moments, and the prompt I chose was 'calling just to hear their voice' 🥺 You can read the fic below, I hope you like it <3

.

PS. Even though this is an advent calendar of sorts, I'm not planning on making this particularly Christmassy. I hope no one minds terribly!

~

Falling for Aleksi had, in a way, sneaked up on Olli, at least if he fooled himself a little. He could pretend he didn’t feel any different about the man than he did about, say, Joonas or Tommi, but that strategy only worked for so long – that is to say, approximately until Aleksi as much as smiled softly at him from across a room or bumped his shoulder into his jovially when walking down the street and Olli would feel his breath getting caught in his throat or stumble in his words, his tongue tangled like shoelaces, which was so unlike him as well and frustrated him to no end. It really took a special kind of fool to not only develop some level of feelings for a friend, a colleague, a bandmate for Christ’s sake, but also become so hopelessly enamored with him that you rolled awake in bed in the dead of night, grabbing your phone and tossing it back on the nightstand again and again because you couldn’t decide whether or not you should, on some erratic 2 o’clock impulse, call him to let him know he was the very reason for your insomnia. 

Turning on his back, Olli groaned (only a little desperately) as he remembered losing himself in the lingering hug they had shared just before the arrivals lobby at the airport, inhaling Aleksi’s scent and wishing they wouldn’t have to go home just yet, even if Olli was more than ready to finally sleep in his own bed again. Ironically, ever since they had returned home from tour, Olli had spent night after sleepless night missing Aleksi terribly: his stupid jokes and playful banter that bordered on being flirtatious if Olli allowed himself the benefit of delusion; his quick, subtle smiles that probably meant nothing; his little touches Olli hoped meant something; his smell and his touch and the softness of his hair at the back of his neck, compared to which the blanket Olli was grasping in his fist was like sandpaper. (How he had come to know of the qualities of Aleksi’s hair in such detail, he preferred not to dwell on too much to save himself from the heartache, so let’s just leave it at ‘stressful, emotional week far away from home’ and ‘a little too much to drink’).

Above all, Olli missed Aleksi’s voice. He hadn’t even thought that was possible, until the other morning when Olli had woken up to a voice message Aleksi had left just hours earlier, rambling about a song idea he had gotten in the middle of the night – something he did from time to time – and Olli had spent the next several minutes replaying it over and over again as he had lied in bed procrastinating getting up and and instead closing his eyes to better imagine Aleksi lying there beside him, turned on his side to face Olli, talking to him sleepily like they often did when they shared a room on tour and were just too lazy to join others at breakfast. Much like the hug at the airport, Olli wished those moments would have lasted way longer than they did, often ending abruptly when either of their phones would go off with Santeri’s name on the screen, a passive-aggressive interruption to the soft, low tone of Aleksi’s early-morning thoughts. (Sometimes, when Olli was lucky enough, he had been blessed with the bliss of feeling the light touch of a fingertip tracing along his collarbone, cut short just as frustratingly by their well-meaning tour manager politely enquiring whether the two of them had plans of dragging themselves downstairs for some toast and coffee, or if they’d rather starve until lunchtime, for which he wasn’t at all sure they’d even have time that day.)

The lovesick idiot that he was, his thumb hovered over the ‘play’ button of Aleksi’s voice message, probably for the millionth time that week. The chest-carving hesitation turned into a heart flip when he noticed Aleksi was online.

Then Aleksi began to type, and Olli held his breath the entire time until a new message appeared in the thread, anticipation holding him by his throat.

You awake?

Olli exhaled and typed his affirmative reply, leaving out the reason why.

He blinked at the screen, waiting for Aleksi to ask him a random question that clearly couldn’t wait until morning, or perhaps talk about something related to another late-night Twitch stream (from what Olli had gathered, Aleksi had been doing a lot of those recently, and with his last remaining braincell Olli had managed to resist the temptation to watch every single one of them, because he knew that if he did, it would only dig his grave of pining and longing deeper, seeing Aleksi smile and giggle about but not being able to do that with him or snuggle up next to him when he was wearing that flannel Olli often used as a blanket in the tour bus). But instead of another text appearing on the screen, Olli’s phone began to vibrate in his hand, and it took him an embarrassingly long while to understand it was because Aleksi was calling him. 

“Hi,” he sighed when he finally collected himself enough to speak. He prayed he’d be able to hear what Aleksi was going to say from the thumping heartbeat echoing in his ears.

“Hi,” a soft voice said. “Sorry, I know it’s late…”

“No, not at all,” Olli hurried to say, “I mean, I wasn’t sleeping. Not even close, actually.” Part of him hoped Aleksi wouldn’t ask about it, but in some foolhardy way the possibility intrigued him. 

Nothing much, he would have likely said anyway, but what would happen if he told Aleksi how it really was? That he squeezed his pillow imagining it was him instead, or wailed into it because something had reminded him of a moment-that-was-probably-not-a-Moment™ they had shared? What would Aleksi say if he knew Olli sometimes touched himself the way Aleksi had touched him That One Night they never talked about? The only obstacle between Olli and that knowledge was a bottomless ocean of cold sweat and cowardice, and Olli had never been a great swimmer.

“So, ummm…,” Olli said when Aleksi’s end stayed silent. “What’s up?”

A short breath of laughter sounded through the phone line.

“Honestly? I don’t know, I… It’s just been a… weird week, I guess.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, like… my head’s just been so full of… everything and… I’ve been so busy and kinda tense and… fuck, this is going to sound crazy,” Aleksi laughed that brief laugh again, although to Olli it didn’t sound particularly cheerful. Tired, more like. Strained, somehow. Not sad, but definitely a little troubled, and Olli intended to find out why.

“I’m all for crazy, you know.” Olli hoped his sorry attempt to lighten Aleksi’s mood would work, and so he smiled in relief when he heard Aleksi chuckle at his comment.

“I know,” Aleksi said softly, in that tone of voice that had Olli melt against his bedsheets. “So yeah, it’s been a rough week, but… in between all that stupid shit, I’ve been thinking a lot about… umm… well, the tour and– and… about you, for some reason,” (the troubled laugh made its return) “and… yeah. That’s sort of helped me a lot recently.”

Olli listened to the words carefully, not fully believing what he was hearing, yet clinging on to them until they were all but swirling around in his otherwise empty head like dry leaves in October wind.

“And tonight I just couldn’t fucking sleep for some reason and nothing I did seemed to help and so I thought I’d call you. And I’m–” If it hadn’t been dead silent otherwise, Olli wouldn’t have heard the shaky breath Aleksi paused to take, “I’m sorry I’m calling you at this hour and bothering you with this all but I guess I just… wanted to hear your voice. To see if that would help.”

“Does it?” Olli asked. Aleksi’s confession had made him clasp his blanket close to his chest, as if that would do anything about his rapidly beating heart.

“Yeah. It does. So maybe just… keep talking?”

Despite his mind living a life of its own, completely unfit to form a single coherent thought, for Aleksi’s sake Olli tried his best to think of something to say, but everything he came up with was something he was not ready to tell him quite yet. 

“Uuummmm…” he said to buy himself some time, but while he waited for his useless brain and mouth to form any actual words, Aleksi spoke again.

“Fuck, I’m– I’m sorry, this is too weird, I shouldn’t have– I’ll let you go back to–”

“I miss you,” Olli blurted before Aleksi would hang up on him. He squeezed his eyes shut when Aleksi went silent, too silent for too long for it to mean any good.

The line stayed open, however, which Olli took as a positive sign, even if the seconds during which all Olli could hear was Aleksi's quiet breathing seemed endless.

“And I you,” Aleksi finally replied. “A little too much, probably, or at least that’s what it feels like,” he chuckled. Olli almost missed the quiet sniff that followed.

He had to steel himself for his next question.

“What do you mean?”

“Just… forget it.” Aleksi said quietly. Contrary to Aleksi’s request, Olli knew he was going to all but ‘forget it’ for the next 3-5 business days; mentally he booked all his evenings as well as most of his mornings and noons for pondering what exactly had been in Aleksi’s mind in that moment or why he had sounded so sombre, almost disappointed. He’d probably never come to any satisfactory conclusion about it though, at least not without a little help from Aleksi himself. 

A ridiculous idea popped into his head, and before he could stop himself, the words flooded out of his mouth.

“Do you wanna come over some time? To hang out? When your schedule’s a little less tight, I mean.” He sucked on his lips and closed his eyes as he waited for Aleksi’s answer, ready to hang up the moment he’d decline the offer on some obvious and logical reason for why Aleksi couldn’t possibly make nor want to take a trip to the north to see him, such as ‘didn’t we just spend over two months on the road together?’ or ‘damn, buddy, I miss you alright but not quite that much, I’ve done enough sitting in public transportation for one year, thank you very much lol’ or ‘what about Rilla?’

“You could take Rilla with you, you know.” Olli hurried to say, just in case, the deranged part of his brain thinking there might be a chance Aleksi might be at least considering it.

“Oh! Well, umm… I actually might have time next week? If– if you’re actually being serious about this.”

Funny you should ask, Aleksi; I’ve actually never been more serious about anything in my entire life than I am about having you here with me so that I can hold you and be held by you and see your face when I wake up in the morning and say goodnight to your annoyingly cute face instead of via text message and maybe, if the stars are in position and the northern wind won’t discourage me too much, I might actually be brave enough to torment you with the knowledge of just how miserable I’ve been since we last saw each other.

“I think it would be cool,” he said, because he had a feeling what he wanted to say would’ve been a tad too much and sudden. “I mean, if you’re up for it, of course. I understand if you can’t make it though, I know you have all those side projects.”

“No, I think it might actually do me some good to get out of the capital area for change.” Then there was a muffled ‘ouch’, followed by a laugh that sounded much brighter than any of the other ones Olli had heard from Aleksi that night. “Sorry, correction, it might do us some good. Rilla just told me she’s most definitely coming too. Rilla, stop nibbling on my toes!”

Olli smiled tiredly at the mental image that was painted in his mind of Aleksi and Rilla cuddling in bed, both minding their own business from what it seemed while still minding each other as well, very much indeed.

“I’ll be sure to set up a bed for her in the guest room.”

“The guest room? Do you not know her at all? If she’s not getting the master bedroom, she’ll ruin all your rugs and most of your shoes. Probably also gossip about you to all the neighbourhood dogs. And she’s brutal.”

Olli held his stomach as he laughed, tears almost forming in the corners of his eyes. In his defence, it was late and he was finally becoming tired, thus too far gone to help himself, let alone feel embarrassed about being in stitches about something Aleksi had said that was only mildly amusing. (It wasn’t the first time that had happened either, and likely not the last time.)

“So yeah, ummm, I can take a look at some flight options for next week and let you know, alright? I’m gonna let you sleep now and… I should get some myself too.”

Olli wanted to tell Aleksi he’d love to stay up chatting until dawn, but the yawn he let out when he opened his mouth to speak implied Aleksi had a point.

“Yeah, let me know. And… thanks for calling, I… you have no idea how much I needed this tonight.”

That was as close to a confession as Olli was able to get as of now.

“Probably not half as much as I did.”

Olli chuckled at Aleksi’s response, mostly to hide his own agony.

If only you knew. If only I knew how to tell you.

It didn’t take long for Olli to doze off after they hung up, and when he woke up to the kids from next door having a snowball fight under his window in the morning, he noticed new messages from Aleksi, sent half an hour after their phone call had ended, complete with screen captions of airplane schedules.

Would these days work for you? I might be free all week actually 😇

Olli cuddled into his pillow while typing his reply, hoping it wouldn’t wake up Aleksi.

yeah I’m free as well. I’ll pick you two up from the airport 🖤

From then on, Olli started counting the days until he’d see Aleksi again.

[galacticlamps]

I just wanted to apologize to my classic whotuals for all the dead boy detectives spamming, but it's also important to me that you guys know two things:

a) I've become aware that a lot of what appeals to me about dead boy detectives is, on a kind of conceptual/thematic level, the same stuff that I love about my favorite eras of dr who, and 6b in particular

And I tell you this not as an advertising tactic but as a genuine PSA for anyone following me because:

b) Being me & having realized this, I know I'm definitely gonna wind up posting some unnecessarily long-winded analysis/comparison, pop it in the main tags for the sake of organization on my own blog, and subsequently confuse a hell of a lot of people there who either have no idea what I'm talking about or simply don't view either piece of media in the same light as I do to begin with

So I just wanted to reassure everyone that at least you're not suffering alone, as I will soon be inflicting the reverse bait-and-switch upon others!

That's all! continue w ur scrolling <3

[morathicain]

Haterant- Callout post - Hello:

So apparently there are SandRay fans on twitter (haven't seen the take here, thank the gods) who hate the RayMew kiss. Not because Mew was manipulating and using Ray to hurt Top and without having feelings for him while both were on drugs and drunk, which Ray had started, BUT because they perceive both as bottoms and they think two bottoms kissing each other is BAD and YIKES and it would have been better if Top and Sand kissed WHICH WOULDN'T EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE PLOTWISE YOU DIPSHITS!

Fans of the ship really out there vomiting up the worst of takes although we fought for years to move on from the Top/Bottom take (and Jojo himself has bludgeoned the damn take in his shows).

Ngl but those fans are more toxic than any of the characters on the show and have proven with this that they don't care for the plot or the characters but only their faves and ships (oh, also apparently they say SandRay are not popular? What?????)! It's truly sad how little reading comprehension is in the last braincell of some of them and how much disrespect for an intriguing story and the characters' background stories and development.

Please, just stop watching the show, nuances are wasted on you, thank you.

(plus this might just NOT be your kind of show - and that's okay)

(this also includes the ones who demand more sweet SandRay scenes and are outraged that they fuck up and that they're such a mess and no soulmates - we were never promised a sweet rom com but exactly the toxic, complicated mess we're getting now - live with it and stop watching! it's okay if it's not your kind of show - there's no need to watch just because your faves are in it)

[roomofshitposts]

made this when i heard the ros finale dropped and forgot to toss it here they call me a dumbass o(-(

hi hello, it's been a long while since i posted here and i think i'll call it quits about now for this blog

i'm not super active on any tumblr/twitter accounts these days but my handle is @aureminate if anyone wants to see art once in a blue moon

right now i don't know if i'll deactivate roomofshitposts or just leave it up, or i guess if anyone wants to have the handle they can send me a message?

and that's all from me, goodbye !!

[britishchick09]

@cestlefantome has the rewrite!!! :D

[universestreasures]

My Brother Is Also My Dad…?

(A Drabble Requested By @shacchou )

"It's time for my Final Phase and time to finish you off, Akatsuki! Impact Call! I pay 3 Gauge To evolve Bal into an Impact Monster!" Mokuba declares, three of the floating cards in his gauge meter turning into stars as their energy floods into the monster located to his right area.

"Bal…Bal will do his super best, bal!"

"Bal is now a Size Two monster, with 1100 attack and 6000 defense and a critical of five thanks to having Bal Knuckle equipped! And his attacks cannot be nulified, meaning that Art of Body Replacement card I know you have in your hand is useless!"

"Oh no! I knew I should have used that to guard your item's attack earlier, but with only one card left in your hand, I didn't think you could have possibly had your Impact Monster!" His ninja friend panics, realizing his mistake as soon as Mokuba pointed it out. Seems like he still had a long way to go to catch up to his brother in terms of Buddyfighting.

"Go for it, Bal!"

"Bal Burst Smasher!!!!"

And the attack succeds, the impact of Bal's attack reducing Akatsuki's remaining life points in record time. The young Kaiba had outplayed his opponent by anaylzing the situation and predicting what cards they may hold. Mokuba truly did learn a lot about gaming by watching his brother, and was using that knowledge even in a game his brother hadn't played. He was a Kaiba and a gamer in his own right, and his victory today was a showcase of why.

"Game End. Winner: Mokuba Kaiba."

The sound coming from Mokuba's Core Gadget, which took the form of a floating capsule akin to those found in Capsule Monsters Chess, signaling the end of the match. The effects of the fight vanished immediately as Akatsuki's Katana World flag shattered, and the proud Sun Dragon returned to his mini form in a flash of light.

"Mokuba and Bal won, bal!"

"We sure did! We totally kicked their butt! Up top, Bal!" The raising of his hand for a high five was soon met with the dragon's own palm, both winners giggling and celebrating their victory. Mokuba really had come to get good at Gao's Scorching Sun Dragon Deck that Baku had made not too long after he met Bal. In fact, some suspected if Mokuba became more than just a casual Buddyfighter, that Bal might have become his buddy instead of Gao's.

With the dragon now atop his fluffy hair, Mokuba moves to exit the Castle's Buddyfight arena to meet his opponent and his Buddy Monster, both understandably disheartened by the loss. Noticing this, the Kaiba approaches them, offering them a friendly handshake of good sportsmanship that Bal then mimics.

"Hey, don't look so down, guys! You both played well today. If I didn't have that Green Dragon Shield in my hand on the previous turn, Byakuya's Shadow Dive mulit-attack combo would have taken the rest of my life points! Besides, I had a lot of fun playing with you guys today!"

"Bal loves Buddyfighting with Akatsuki and Byakuya, bal!" The dragon adds, his innocence and sunshine smile, along with Mokuba's kind words, seeming to improve the other's moods rather quickly. Both monster and Buddyfighter return the handshakes, a confident expression now facing Akatsuki's face.

"Yeah…that was pretty fun! We did almost have you. But next time Mokuba, it will be us who are the winner! Big Z and I are going to go through a special training together soon! When we're finished, no one will be able to beat us!"

"I look forward to seeing the results of that training, Akatsuki."

The two boys and two monsters then both laugh together. Following his adoption, never did he celebrate a match with his opponent like this, win or lose. This change in his behavior was a sure sign that his friends, as well as Yugi Muto and his own crew, really had rubbed off on him. It…It felt good to be able to share games like this again with others. Now he just needed to get into doing them regularly with his brother, a task that seemed more impossible than one might realize.

"That was a great fight, everyone!"

The voice of Gao Mikado breaks through their laughter, Bal immediately waving to his Buddy and the others who were accompanying him. Among the group included Gao's other Buddy, Drum Bunker Dragon, in addition to Gao's two friends Baku and Kuguru. Mokuba may not be as close with the Mighty Sun Fighter's deck builder and analyst as he was with the Buddyfighter proper, but he had come to call the pair his friends in their own right.

"Gao saw Bal and Mokuba's fight, bal!?" The dragon asked, quickly jumping off from Mokuba to instead land right ontop of Gao's shoulder.

"I sure did, buddy. You two were totally in sync out there! It was so cool to watch, and I think I may have picked up a strategy or two by watching ya!"

"I'm surprised you played the deck I made to match Gao's fight style so well, Mokuba. Call me impressed, bro." Baku adds, the compliment being a high one from a deck builder of his caliber.

"I saw no holes in your strategy, either. You took advantage of the Sun Dragon's unique skills perfectly." Kuguru then comments, pulling up her tablet to then show Mokuba the statistics she took during the match that support her claims. "Your Impact Call in particular was perfectly timed. Your attack formation and demeanor threw your opponent off from using his defensive spell prior."

"N-No need to rub it in..." The young ninja says, his expression looking disheartened. That's when he feels Byakuya gently pat his back, offering his Buddy some comfort.

"If he's getting high praise from you two, then that just proves it! Mokuba, you're an amazing Buddyfighter!"

The wave of compliments hit him hard, elating the young boy's heart. It was, after all, not a common occurrence that he was complimented for his gaming skills. Seto always took the spotlight when it came to that, and while he certainly thinks his brother is deserving of such praise, it felt good to hear it for himself too. Mokuba was a gamer in his own right, and he took pride in that fact, a pride not too dissimilar to Seto's own.

"Keh. Would you expect anything less from me? We Kaiba's are Gamemasters, after all! Mastering multiple games is our trademark!" Mokuba says with a prideful smile and hands on his hips for a few moments, soaking in the attention. He then takes his now de-transformed Core Deck Case out of his pocket and removes the deck out of it to hand back to Gao. "But…thank you for letting me borrow your Scorching Sun Dragon deck, Gao. It's always a blast to fight with Bal!"

"You can use it anytime! You know Bal is down for it!"

"Bal wants to fight everyone with Mokuba, bal! That be the best day ever, bal! Everyone Buddyfighting together, bal!"

"Huh…" The youngest Kaiba speaks, his mind formulating an idea sparked on by the dragon's words. "You know? That isn't a bad idea, Bal. We should…We should do something to make that happen. Like…throw our own Buddyfight tournament, with the winner getting some kind of prize! That way, everyone will be playing seriously!"

"A tournament with all our friends, huh? Now that sounds interesting! I'm in!" Gao's signature grin appears on his face, matching the one Mokuba formed on his own.

"You'd invite Big Z to this tournament too, right Mokuba?"

"Of course, Akatsuki! Can't leave you or your brother out of this! Same goes for Tasuku and Suzuha too!" Mokuba would invite his own brother if he was interested in playing the game, which he no doubt wasn't. He was too obsessed with Duel Monsters to probably even think of trying it. Besides, this kind of thing was so not Seto's vibe.

"I'd wanna invite all the best Buddyfighters you guys know, too! Like your classmates and upperclassmen, Gao! It won't be any kind of official event or anything, but I'm sure it will be fun! Plus, we can have it at my house! If…If…"

Mokuba then pauses for a moment, his expression changing from one of excitement to one that looked slightly disheartened. He takes out his phone then, staring at his home screen which contained a more recent photo of himself and Seto he took at Kaiba Land.

"If what, bal?"

"If I can get permission from Seto, first. He needs to approve any and all social gatherings that happen at the house, whether it's something like this or even just having one person over to play games." That's why Mokuba often hung out with his friends in public places or in their own homes. The process was much easier. "On top of that, he'd probably want background checks on everyone who'd be coming over who he isn't familiar with, Buddy Monsters included. Not to mention just selling him on the idea to begin with…"

The idea did seem like it be a tough sell, considering it's size and scale. It's not like this was a promotion event or anything related to the business. This was just something he wanted to do for fun with his friends, and while Seto respected Mokuba's choice to pursue what he wished, this was…different. He would be agreeing to invite multiple strangers, a whole group of them that included monsters with supernatural abilities, into his home. It was a massive security risk, as well as a distraction.

He hates to admit it, but…as much as he wanted it to happen, he just can't see Seto agreeing to it. This reality is shown on his face, Mokuba sighing heavily in defeat before the battle even began.

"Man…That's…That's tough, Mokuba." Gao comments, gritting his teeth as he looks to the side. "He's stricter with you than my mom is with me, and that's saying something."

"Lord Seto's even stricter than Big Z is with me!" Akatsuki chimes in. "I remember when you told me he banned energy drinks from your house and at Kaiba Corp just because you drank one too many one day!"

"Never met the guy personally, but it really does sound like he's basically your dad, bro. And a very, very overprotective one at that. I think he needs to chill out a bit, if you ask me."

Baku's comment takes Mokuba aback a few short moments, his purple hues blinking in utter confusion at the deck builder. "What…What do you mean by that, Baku? Seto isn't…isn't my dad. He's my big brother, always has been. And the stuff he does…is just what big brothers do. He's looking out for me, that's all."

"Big bros look out for their siblings, sure. But…" He then sticks a lollipop from his pocket into his mouth, Baku always being one to snack on something during almost any occasion. "I don't think it's the norm for little bros to ask their big bro for permission for everything, or for big bros to ban things from the house or want background checks on people coming into their house. Those are things that parents typically do. Gao, do you do that kind of stuff for Hana?"

"No way, Baku! That's Mom and Dad's job! I just do my part to look out for her, that's all. Though, if anything, she looks out for me! We all wouldn't get up on time if she wasn't there." Gao says, Bal and Drum nodding their heads in agreement.

"And Akatsuki, does Zanya do that kind of stuff for you?"

"Sorta…Big Z does a lot of things for me, but…he more enforces Father's rules when it comes to discipline. He…He tries to be like him when he's not around."

"And Mokuba. Isn't your big bro your legal guardian?"

"Y-Yeah…B-But that's because…because…" The words stop coming from his mouth, Mokuba unable to find an answer. He was completely stumped here, despite always having some sort of line to say when it came to his brother.

"He's the one responsible for you? The one who is raising you? The one who goes to parent-teacher conferences? Just face it, he's essentially your dad too, bro."

Those words from the deck builder, ones that Mokuba could not understand but was unable to fight against, caused him to stare back at the picture of Seto on his phone again. To him, everything Seto had done since they were kids was normal sibling behavior. Sure, they were in different circumstances compared to other children, but all of it seemed normal to him. But…he sometimes forgets how different his life was compared to those around him, and how that shaped his worldview.

"I…I should get going. It is getting late. Don't want to cause my br-" He pauses for a moment before changing his word. "Seto to worry. I'll…I'll get back to you guys on the tournament idea. If…If it doesn't work at my place, I'm sure Suzuha can host it just fine. That girl has multiple Buddyfight arenas underground at her castle."

That's when he starts to leave the area, putting some pep in his step. His heart and mind were a bag of mixed feelings that he just couldn't comprehend right now. He only stops his exit when he hears the voice of Kuguru calling his name. Mokuba turns around then, his eyes glancing upon the analyst.

"What Baku dear said…He didn't mean it as a bad thing, right Baku?" Kuguru glances at the other with a sharpness behind her glasses, her gaze a signal that he better answer correctly.

"O-Of course not. I'm…I'm sorry if what I said upset you at all. My bad, bro. Sometimes I can be a bit too blunt…" Baku answers, taking his candy out of his mouth, his face portraying his regret. He wasn't too close with Mokuba compared to some of the others here, and if he had, he probably wouldn't have made this comment to begin with. Anyone who knew the Kaiba knew he was sensitive when it came to his brother.

"Your brother may be a bit overprotective like a parent, but what big brother isn't overprotective of their precious sibling?" Kuguru speaks, glancing over at Atatsuki and Gao.

"I can confirm Lord Zanya is very, very protective of Lord Akatsuki. Like there was this one time when someone tried to-" The words of Byakuya are then cut off as Akatsuki covers his mouth, no doubt trying to stop the chatterbox of a monster from saying something highly embarrassing.

"Yota…protected me in his own way. Even when he was in the hospital, he did all he could to help protect my spirits and…leave me hope for the future." Gao says, sunshine hues glancing up at his hat which was a signature part of his Mighty Sun Fighter uniform, the one his mother originally made for Yota to wear. "And I try to keep that hope alive…for Hana."

Drum then steps forward from Gao's side, walking over to meet Mokuba directly. "Listen, kid. Your brother may be one of the grumpiest humans I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, but…in a lot of ways, he reminds me of how we dragons are. Not all dragons…get to be raised by their parents. I'm one of the lucky ones who has, and let me tell you, my old man is worse than your brother could ever hope to be when it comes to discipline. He threw me across worlds to train because I didn't get his stupid riddle right!"

Mokuba, and the others for that matter, start to laugh a bit at the story. Normally such a display would upset Drum, but right now, he was clearly more focused on the younger Kaiba than himself. He certainly has matured since arriving to Earth, that's for sure. His father would be proud.

"My point is that what your family looks like or what you decide to call what they do isn't what really matters. What does is that you all care about each other, take care of each other, and your brother…cares about you more than most people, monster or human, I've ever met. That's something you should treasure, kid." Drum's words are followed by a nod and smile from everyone, Baku included.

The vice president, on instinct then, moves to open his pendent, staring at the picture of his brother when they were children. Waves of memories flood back to him, of the times Seto cared for him, did everything for him. Looking back, what Seto did for him did somewhat align with what he remembers his father doing for him back when he was alive. Deep down, Mokuba could have made the connection sooner if he wanted to, but it was clear he didn't.

His father was his father. His brother was his brother.

Those were what Mokuba knew them to be and that wasn't going to change. And even if in practicality, the roles of both of those individuals overlapped in Seto's behavior following his father's death, as his friends pointed out, what was important is that Seto loved him. His love was clearly shown through his actions, including the strict ones. He had always done all he could to look out for Mokuba, and if this conversation has reminded him of anything, it was to really appreciate everything his brother goes out of his way to do for him, despite the teen not initially understanding them at the time.

"I will." He says softly as he closes his pendant, gathering up his bag and preparing to head out. "Now, I better get going before my…big brother starts to worry about me. He can be quite the worry wort, and I don't want to be grounded! See you at school tommorow, Akatsuki! And keep an eye out for updates about the tournament, guys! I'm…I'm going to ask Seto, and maybe by some miracle, he'll actually agree to it!"

With that hopeful statement said, Mokuba takes his leave. He thought about asking Isano to drive him home, but he decided it would be faster if he ran. He…He wanted to see his big brother right now, to see him and give him a hug, a hug as a show of appreciation for all he's done for him…as a brother and beloved member of his family.

[rucow]

saw too many ppl having awful takes on nerevar and voryn and the tribunal etc etc on twitter, so now im drawing soft sweet nerevoryn bc i can. im going to balance out all the negative energies in this fandom, one drawing at a time 🫶😊

[noxious-fennec]

It was national traditional dress day a couple of days ago so I drew some of the characters from the CN:epilogues/sequel in their daily attire

[4giorno]

okay im enjoying getting these dialogues i previously missed so much. literally astarion when you ask what? will you miss me: "HA!

why not!!!"

[nabooro]

The Tale of King Dod Veruna and Enshadu

The full moon celebrations in Ojian were different to the ones in Theed. Dn. Sabrun told them all to hold hands in at least pairs and make sure nobody got lost as she led them through crowded streets filled with stalls of rice cakes and sweet breads dipped in thick syrups and large flat breads filled with meat that made her stomach growl just to hear it sizzle on its pans. Dn. Sabrun had promised them a good meal, though, and that where they were going was better than any of these distractions, so Padmé held onto Nura's hand and kept to the group, tugging Nura back whenever she started to get distracted.

Their teacher led them to the very coast, where a small crowd had gathered on a makeshift theatre, temporary seats and lights arranged, and even some tables in the back. Padmé followed her friends to their seats and sat with them, just close enough to Dn. Sabrun that she might hear anything she told them.

"Have any of you seen a theatre performance before?" Dn. Sabrun asked, as the performers began to set up. All of them were masked, some in plain enshué of tasse or synthsteel, the most of them white. Padmé wondered idly what the play was about.

One of the girls in the class raised her hand, though in the dim light Padmé couldn't see who. Dn. Sabrun said, "Have you seen the tale of King Dod Veruna and the Dark Lady?"

The girl hesitated. "No, but I saw Shiraya's Last Days."

Someone else said, "I've seen the holo!"

Several others chimed in, though Padmé did not. She hadn't seen the play before, but she didn't want to say it, not when many of the others had. Though she wasn't alone; several others were only looking among themselves.

Padmé knew the story, of course, or some of them, but if it was her choice, she liked watching Zenda—her mother said that was natural, because Zenda had the best adventures—and if it was her mother's choice, she would always watch Shiraya's stories. And if it was Sola's, it was cartoons. Enshadu had not featured much in their watching.

"This story is best watched," Dn. Sabrun said. "So pay attention, now."

Padmé adjusted in her seat and turned her attention to the beach, where the holo of a palace had been set up, and a performer in a King Dod Veruna enshué and a kua so long it dragged behind him stood, hands crossed behind his back.

In the background, one of the musicians began a low, haunting melody.

The séame began, "Ri cu nanké soc Veshinc, co fuâd re ké tugoné."

——————

Behind her, Anakin said, "Padmé."

Padmé looked up, and Anakin laughed. "What?" she asked, frowning.

"As much as I'd like to, I won't understand much of the holo if it's in Naboo."

Padmé sighed. She hadn't even realised the holovid, so familiar to her, would be basically gibberish to Anakin. "You could learn faster," she suggested, and Anakin laughed again.

"I will, I promise," he said, his eyes flashing to her stomach—still relatively flat, but Padmé knew that would probably not last. So he had noticed her murmuring to herself—well, to their child—in Nabooro. Nothing important, but it felt right, even here on Coruscant. Anakin had been meaning to learn Nabooro for the last three years, but it was only after she told him she was pregnant that his attempts had really gained any meaning. Until then, it had been only "I love you," and "dearest," and the few words she had taught him, all along similar lines. "But can we watch it in Basic now?"

"If you insist," Padmé said, teasing, and Anakin smiled, tucking his nose into her neck as she rewound the 'vid and changed the language settings to Basic.

The séame began once more. "Once upon a time," he said. Padmé repressed the wish to roll her eyes. The voice of the narrator in Basic was somebody with a deep and dignified voice and a Coruscant accent that reminded her a little bit of Master Kenobi. Anakin seemed to hear the resemblance, too, because he pressed a smile into her skin. "There was a just and fair King."

——————

The king's castle sat atop the moon, whence he watched all that happened in the Kingdom. This king was true and generous, brave and kind… but he had one flaw, and that was his pride.

One night, as the moon rose in the sky, the King's eyes fell for the first time on a part of his land where his light did not reach. Where all of his land seemed to shine back at him, this place sat dark and mysterious. Curious about this place, the King put away his royal cloak and his crown of silver, and wore simple clothing to descend to his kingdom, so he may have truthful answers. There, he asked in the surrounding villages about this strange, dark part of his world.

"That is the home of the Dark Lady," he was told. "She protects us from the creatures of the Deep, whom even the moon's light cannot protect us from."

This angered the King, whose pride in his light and his ability to protect every corner of his kingdom had sometime turned into arrogance. At once he took to the home of this Dark Lady… and found that the Dark Lady was only a woman, and nothing more. What could a simple woman do that his light, the light of the moon itself, was not capable of?

He asked her so.

The Dark Lady said, "The light of the moon cannot touch the Deep, and in truth never should."

——————

The performer that played Enshadu had not donned the traditional enshué, but a deep black one with a single tear limned in silver. Padmé watched as King Dod Veruna and Enshadu began a battle with their staffs, their long sleeves and cloaks fluttering around them as they did. It was beautiful—the moon caught upon the silver-threaded embroidery on their clothing and turned them almost into holos of themselves.

"Who do you think will win?" Dn. Sabrun asked.

"They can't fight," Suvane said, sounding shocked. "King Dod Veruna and Enshadu love each other!"

Padmé frowned. That was true, and she knew that, but the sight of their battle had made her think that this was a different tale, or an older one.

"They will," Dn. Sabrun said.

Nura seemed to be in agreement with Padmé. "How?" she asked, pouting. "They're fighting."

Dn. Sabrun seemed amused. "Are they fighting?" she asked. "Or are they dancing?"

——————

The King, angered, said, "There is no place in my kingdom that my light cannot touch." And revealing himself as the King who lived upon the Moon, he ordered every lantern upon the moon lit, until each river in his kingdom shone back the veins of his land. His servants hurried to obey, but the King found the Dark Lady's home unchanged, still under shadow.

"Even now," the Dark Lady said, "the moon's light does not touch the Deep."

Growing angrier still, the King now had great mirrors built, and turned them thus that his own light may shine even brighter, until every lake in his kingdom became a mirror in itself and turned his own light back to him.

"Even now," the Dark Lady said, saddened, "the moon's light does not touch the Deep."

Finally, unable to relinquish his pride and furious to have twice failed, the King summoned the light of the sun to himself, and shone bright enough to illuminate all in the world, even the very shadows themselves. And as the light of the moon finally touched the Deep, all its creatures came forth, great beasts with teeth sharp as knives and mouths as wide as caverns. For these were creatures that had once been kept at bay by the Dark Lady's power, and upon seeing the brightness now they emerged.

"What have you done, King?" the Dark Lady asked, mournful, at the sight of these beasts, who began to crawl over the land, destroying villages and harvests, cities and forests, with no impunity.

Realising his error, the King pulled away his light. First, the King returned the Sun's light, which had never been his to keep. And still the creatures of the Deep crawled over the land, until his kingdom's towns and cities began to crumble.

Then, he dimmed his lanterns, and still the creatures of the Deep ravaged his kingdom, until the people of his land had to lift their own weapons, afraid that their King could not protect them against these beasts.

Finally, he shattered his great mirrors and spread them through the skies, each piece too small to reflect more than a point of light… and even then, emboldened now, the light of the moon was sufficient for these creatures, who did not cease their horrors.

"What have I done?" the King asked, as the people of his kingdom died before him.

——————

Anakin looked mildly horrified as the exaggerated bodré continued their destruction of cities that deeply resembled Moenia and Theed, though of course they wouldn't have. "Padmé," he said, slowly, "this is a story you tell children?"

Padmé raised her chin in the air. "It was my favourite when I was young," she said. On the holo, something exploded. "Children love explosions."

Anakin snorted. "I… you're not wrong," he murmured. "Ahsoka's been telling me some of the popular stories in the creche, ones I never really heard. They're violent." He huffed, a noise of quick amusement. "But the Jedi wouldn't like all this talk of Light and Dark. Definitely not when the Light unleashes, ah, all these beasts."

Padmé shifted in his arms. "This isn't about the Force, though I can see the similarity. It's the moon's light. King Dod Veruna illuminates… the injustices and horrors people believe they can hide under the cover of the dark."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "Why do I get the feeling you don't like the Dark Lady very much?"

Padmé paused, surprised. "They're not opposites, you know," she said. "If you follow the metaphor, it may look like Enshadu is just espousing ignorance, but that isn't it at all. She's the protector of the damned and the outcasts. She protects her bodré just as much as she protects the people in those villages. This holo is… simplifying it a little."

"Monsters need protection, too?"

Padmé raised an eyebrow. "Is it better to pretend they don't exist than to offer them… aid, if they're willing to accept it? Enshadu's presence is a reminder." She looked over at the holo, paused upon a still of Enshadu watching the destruction. The holo had her in tears, but Padmé remembered her own preferred version: a play she had watched recently, in which Enshadu wept not for the villagers, but for the creatures that did not know what to do with so much light.

"An unwelcome one, for most," Anakin murmured, as she continued the 'vid and King Dod Veruna's devastated features rose.

Padmé eyed him thoughtfully. "They're lovers, you know," she said. "King Dod Veruna and Enshadu. And protectors of lovers, together. Our own ceremony invoked them… heavily."

Anakin opened his mouth, then closed his mouth. "Play the 'vid," he muttered, and Padmé laughed.

——————

"Only the darkness is protection from the creatures of the Deep," the Dark Lady said. "Would that you had understood this, King."

"I bow to your wisdom," the King said. "Please teach me what it is I may do to end this senseless violence." And seeing that his humility was true, the Dark Lady pulled him into her embrace. As she did so, the black of her long neem wrapped around him, head to toe, and finally the moon, too, was hidden entirely.

As the light disappeared, the creatures of the Deep, blind once more, began to stumble back into their depths, and the villages of the kingdom were safe once more, though not unchanged from this time.

The King was moved and humbled by this act, and for the first time he gained an appreciation for the dark, which he realised was as much a part of his kingdom as his own light. He thanked the Dark Lady, but as he did, he saw that she could not see. "My eyes were not made for such light," she said, sorrow in her voice. "Having once seen it has changed me. I cannot see in my own dark. How, now, will I protect our people?"

And so, the King once more lit his lanterns, but wary of his past mistakes, he lit only those that would shine upon the surface of her home, and allow her to see.

And even to this day, you may find the moon shining upon the waters of the home of his beloved Dark Lady.

——————

Before them, King Dod Veruna unmasked Enshadu, and pulled her to him for a kiss, tying off a new enshué behind her head before they separated. This mask was the one Padmé knew—deep black, with a streak of silver down the forehead, over the nose, and past the lips: the streak moonlight left on the Dark Lady.

"Any questions?" Dn. Sabrun asked.

There were lots. "Why did he help her?" "Why did she help him?" "Why wasn't Zenda there?" "Why doesn't he wear his neem?"

"What does it mean?" Padmé asked Dn. Sabrun, as the performers parted to to mark just where the moon—not Veruna, but Ohma D'un—cast a bright halo across the lake, rippling out almost to the beach itself.

Dn. Sabrun said, "It means different things to different people," she said, patient. "What do you think it means?"

Padmé stopped. "What does it mean to you?" she asked.

Dn. Sabrun said, "To me, it means we all have much to learn, from the oldest and wisest of us to the youngest. And that we must help each other learn, whenever we can."

——————

"What does it mean?"

Padmé looked over her shoulder. "What did it mean to you?" she asked.

Anakin shrugged, but he looked thoughtful. "There's more than one way to skin a womp rat?"

Padmé grinned, carding her fingers through his hair. "You're not wrong. I've always seen it as a story of… ignorance, and its cost. Where even good intentions can fail." She paused, and rolled over to face Anakin. "And I've always found the lovers very romantic."

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "What's romantic about that? I assume the light and dark thing means they never meet again?"

Padmé shrugged. "That can be romantic! It's the sacrifice, I think: he gives her a little bit of his light just so she can see, and doesn't see her again so she can… be who she is without suffering. Do what she's meant to do, even if that means sacrificing his pride."

"He doesn't seem to have much to offer, considering he's the one who blinded her in the first place."

Padmé stroked her fingers across his forehead. "This is a kid's holo, but… there's this poem, Cu Saétâto so Enshadu, where Enshadu talks about how nothing she's ever seen before and nothing she'll ever see again will compare to the singular moment in which she was surrounded by King Dod Veruna's light. It's an erotic poem," she added, and Anakin's attention shifted.

"Is it? Tell me more about this… erotic poem."

——————

"What do you think it meant?"

Leia frowned. "Well, from one point of view, the King was responsible for all of the destruction himself. So perhaps it's about… ignorance and its consequences." She snorted. "Or it's a commentary on the carelessness and arrogance of royalty."

"You're royalty," Luke said.

Leia shrugged. "Self-awareness is a useful quality."

Luke shook his head. "I thought it was about forgiveness. The King was responsible, but—what happened wasn't what he intended."

"That doesn't change everything that was lost," Leia said. Luke nodded.

"I know. But if the Dark Lady hadn't forgiven him, it would never have ended." Leia gave him a wry look, like she knew what he was doing. Luke could feel his shoulders slowly rising to his ears, and he sat up straight again. "What are you giving me that look for? I haven't seen this before any more than you have."

Leia shook her head, but she was smiling. "I want to look into the Dark Lady more. All this beasts from the Deep and Dark nonsense just sounds like Imperial propaganda—how old is this 'vid, anyway?"

Luke checked. "Just a few years, but I don't think the story can be that different from the traditional ones." He clicked through a few articles, then slowed. "They're lovers, traditionally," he said. "The King and the Dark Lady. Enshadu." The name was strange in his mouth, unfamiliar. He imagined what it might sound like with practice, and said it again. "Enshadu."

"I wouldn't have guessed that from this."

Luke nodded. "I'd like to hear the real story, though. If they're lovers, then really, isn't this a story of everyone trying to protect the ones they love? Even if it doesn't always go well."

Leia's expression softened. "I suppose so. If you ever find a better 'vid, one that doesn't look like it was made to pander to Palpatine… well, you know where to find me."

Luke grinned. "I'll find something. Stories like this—they're always being told."

[posts-from-employee-427]

hey so my friend and I were the people who caused the whole mint situation by accident (I was the one doing gnarly anon, my friend was mint anon) and I kinda got invested so I made a meme as a lil thank you gift for putting up with our antics :] (featuring gnarly's official?? design?? tbh i dont know whats going on with them atm)

anyways the whole "mint sandwich" thing is an inside joke from my friendgroup, and we felt bad about possibly sidetracking the story's plot if there was one pre-planned, so we decided to make it an "ending" just in case? but it was still really rad that you were really cool about it op!!! cause it was really fun to be apart of!!!

anyways i'll probably doodle more stuff for this blog, cause its really cute and fun and I love it a whole lot

(dude, that's so cool! Let me explain the process of this blog actually in case anyone was confused. There's no real, overarching story, until an opportunity for one arises, such as this. It's just a build up of things I posted in the past that I think hey I can spend today exploring that concept further, or things from asks where I'm like ok I can go somewhere with this. Or!! I'll see @the-narrators-ramblings post something and think of how I can bounce off of that. Most of the time, it's a combination of all three(go follow them or else). So really this is a glorified improv shitpost rp blog. No interupting a 'main' plot line, there is no main one! it's a bunch of small stories and paths that all together make up a larger story. sound familiar?)

[werewolfstory]

i will be in my actual like. horticulture class learning about various plants and stuff and then like hollyhock or something will be mentioned and i just have to go "wow like in werewolfstory'' (<has no idea who hollyhock is actually or hollyhock's role in the story)

This is the true werewolfstory experience