#i really had trouble reading over this again and being like hm. is this actually a possibility or do i just want it to be

[catchyhuh]

What sort of hobbies or interests do you imagine the Gang having (outside thievery or arresting said thieves)? And do they influence the way they go about their usual antics, or are they mostly Unrelated to everything else in their lives? :0c

oohhooohoho this is a good one because i have a small handful of actual canonical hobbies/interests that come up occasionally and then i have the ones that solely exist in my mind palace. at least until tms decides to let a random little shrimp from america take the reins on their most longrunning successful franchise anyway,

lupin:

i can’t remember if i mentioned lupin loves puzzles. wait yes i did in the video game list SORRY I’M ALREADY HAVING TROUBLE REMEMBERING WHAT I HAVE AND HAVEN’T GONE OFF ABOUT but yes in canon lupin LOVES puzzles. less like, jigsaw puzzles, more like shapey puzzles. but hell man if you can get him to sit still long enough he might like a jigsaw one just to pass the time

i think he likes cooking. him, jigen and goemon all seem to really Get it. so count this under all of them, they just love yummy food and occasionally the process of making it too

he likes to draw :) somebody has to be behind all the slightly different variants of his little mascot guy. SOMEBODY has to redraw bank floor plans so they can plan out each tiny step of the heist. somebody has to scribble over his own wanted posters to put funny little devil horns on the image CMON now!!

jigen:

only jigen could be in a fucking arcade theater complex and pull out a fucking crossword puzzle. why is this dude honestly trying to speedrun being a grouchy old man before he even turns 40. i mean no hate, no hate to crossword puzzles, they are cool but i’m more of a wordsearch guy. BUT THERE’S OTHER STUFF TO DO JIGEN!! at least he’s not going for sudoku though

very random but i think he might like sewing in a passive sense. with how particular he is about his hat and really ANY clothes on his person, he probably just picked up a needle one day to fix a tear and then was like Huh. this isn't too bad actually. kinda repetitive and calming. and then the others found out and tried to get him to fix all their stuff too SO HALF PLEASANT AND HALF NOT SO PLEASANT

fujiko:

you may think i’m insane but fujiko must genuinely have some sort of fondness for computers and technology. more than she lets on at least, because. how DO you know how to fly every type of aircraft. how DO you know how to crack into almost any computer firewall? how do you know how to isolate a computer virus as it’s ALREADY corrupted HALF OF THE SYSTEM?? this goes beyond job necessity to me she must really have some hidden underlying passion for this stuff

i think it’d be cute if she took up some kinda journaling. i mean god knows she’s not writing about her FEELINGS in that little leather notebook, and she doesn’t really have the time to commit to like, scrapbook shit (even if she had the time, she’s not sentimental like that) but something simple like “this is a list of m&m variants in order of how disgusting to not disgusting they taste to me <3” with little candy stickers and gel pen hearts drawn in. the next page has a bloodstain on it and the only thing written is “dw about that lol”

goemon:

okay i KNOW i’ve pushed the Arts Enjoyer goe agenda before but i recently saw that part 3 production art again of him chilling with the pottery wheel so i must state, once again, goemon LOVES sculpting shit in all forms. chip away at some rock, throw zantetsuken at a block of wood, actually invest in some clay for fucking once, whatever he uses, he’ll make something pretty good. and even if it wasn’t good it’s still a fun hobby for him. keeps his hands loose but precise

oh my god you know what he would love. dominoes. you know when people make those like crazy long domino strings that form a pattern when they’ve all fallen. if anybody here could have the precision and strangely placed patience to do shit like that it’s definitely this guy

zenigata:

going through this list easily and eagerly typing up little funfacts about things i do know they like outside of their. “jobs” and then slowly realizing as i get to zenigata that i... cannot think of anything he. uh. does for fun. damn. he DOES talk about movies a lil bit from time to time, and knowing his mixture of a freakish eye for detail and also missing the most obvious things ever i bet hearing him talk about a movie is twice as fun as actually watching it. i would pay HUNDREDS to hear him try to explain what he thinks of space odyssey to me

it would be-- i have no reasoning for this but it would be so cute and hilarious if he did like. tiny magic tricks. you know? like card appearing out of thin air, coin behind your ear type shit. tiny stuff he figured out on his brief off time. we know lupin can do little stuff like that too but it'd just be hilarious if zenigata, completely unawarely and unintentionally for once, ended up being better than him at some inconsequential shit like making a pair of keys disappear

and i guess in light of recent discoveries they all like golf. apparently. well. no one is perfect

[clairewritesjjkxreader]

Sukuna’s Wife and Yuuji’s Onee-chan (Sukuna x Reincarnated!Y/N) Part 4

Part 3

Request from @gojodeluluwifeu

Yuuji Itadori slowly awoke. With only the flames of several candles to illuminate this prison-like room with paper seals, he almost felt like a doomed protagonist in a horror movie. For better or worse, he had a companion sitting across from him.

Satoru Gojo wore a nonchalant, expectant grin. “Yo.”

“You are… !” The memories of the monster attack hit him like a train and he fussed around in his seat, soon realizing that his arms were bound behind him. He whipped his head towards Gojo. “Where is my sister? What happened to my friends? Are they still alive–”

“Hm, you’re not really in a position to be worrying about other people. Actually, you know what, I guess we should talk about your sister. Though I already know she’s just a neighbor.”

“Huh?”

Gojo pulled out a tablet and opened a file for Yuuji to see. At first glance it appeared to be your resume, as it had a 2x2 ID photo of you in formal wear and your basic information written right next to the image, but the more Yuuji read, he realized that it was far more terrifying than a simple resume. 

Gojo used his finger to scroll down the document, which had to be around fifty pages at least. “Age, birth place, height and weight… even her three measurements are here.”

Yuuji stomped his feet. “Why do you–”

Gojo turned the tablet around and began to read, “No clubs or extracurriculars. All her grades are either slightly below or slightly above the school average. Only two instances of getting called to office, once in middle school, and again in high school, both times were because teachers suspected that she was being bullied, but both times she told the adults involved ‘not to worry’ and that she ‘just doesn’t like socializing.’ 

Other notes from previous teachers were similar: ‘That kid was always quiet, never caused trouble,’ ‘She doesn’t seem to be hated but no one ever approaches her… she doesn’t approach anyone either,’ ‘I don’t know if she’s shy or maybe she really likes her space, either way, she won’t go far in life if she keeps to herself like this,’ ‘She never skipped class, though whenever she called in to say that she couldn’t come it was due to a family emergency,’ hm…

Her classmates and former employers didn’t have much to say about her, too. They kept using the same words: ‘keeps to herself,’ ‘doesn’t cause trouble but doesn’t talk either,’ ‘I don’t remember much about her,’ uwah–there is even a detailed calendar here full of her class and work schedules. Let’s see… apparently she missed school whenever you or your grandfather were sick or hospitalized. Same thing with her part-time jobs.” 

Gojo read on, nodding his head.

“Ichiji is surprisingly talented at this. It’s almost creepy.”

“Wait! What’s going on? Why do you have records on Y/N-nee?!”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”

“???”

“According to the other people in your neighborhood, you’re not blood-related and she’s not even your step-sister or adoptive sister, she’s literally just the girl from next door. And you’ve heard the things other people have to say about her, there is nothing special about that person. If anything, she has to be one of the most boring people I know.”

“Don’t insult her! S-sure she’s quiet and doesn’t like interacting beyond the bare minimum, but towards me she’s kind and selfless and even a bit overprotective! She’s not perfect but she’s not boring or average or horrible!”

“... Do you know what happened to her parents?”

If he were thinking more clearly, Yuuji would’ve kept his mouth shut but he was furious and couldn’t help himself. “They’re abroad. They send money regularly but Nee-chan has always been alone in that house. That’s why grandpa and I let her sleep over sometimes. She’s always been…alone.” Wait. Yuuji scrunched his eyebrows. Alone? That can’t be right.

“‘They’re abroad,’ is what she said to you.”

“That’s right.”

“Itadori, there are no records of her parents ever leaving the country.”

“Well, you’re wrong. Grandpa said that she told us that the first day we met her.”

“Hm. Itadori-kun, do you recall the date that you moved in with your grandfather?”

Yuuji didn’t remember much about his childhood before his grandfather, the two of them have always been together for as long as he could remember. It was the same with you. Always together…

Gojo showed him a page from the tablet. It was an affidavit of ownership. “Before that, let me ask you, do you know whose house your ‘sister’ used to live in? The one next to your grandfather’s.” 

“What kind of question is that? Obviously it belonged to her–her parents, of course. That’s her last name.” 

“This house belongs to a family with the last name L/N. But look here.” Gojo scrolled down and showed a picture of a family of five. There was a father, a mother, two young boys in middle school, a boy no older than two, and a dog. “This photo was taken back in 2003, a year before your birthday. They’re the only family members who lived in that house.”

“So? She’s probably a distant relative.”

Gojo shook his head. “We actually asked the other neighbors. Everyone also believes that she’s some cousin from the province. But it’s strange that you all believed that she belonged to that family when no one should be living there in the first place.”

“You just said that that family owned it.”

“Yup, you’re right, they owned that house.”

Yuuji blinked. What?

“I hope you have a tough stomach.” Gojo scrolled down. 

Yuuji’s stomach stirred and he bent over as far as his bondage would allow him. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to cry. He refused to look up, the image of those poor parents hugging their children will forever be burned in his memory. “Why are you showing me this?”

“This L/N family was brutally murdered on the night of **** **, ****.”

“That… that’s…

“That’s the same date your grandfather took you in, isn’t it?”

Yuuji doesn’t remember it himself, but his grandfather told him once and you often mentioned that date when you brought up his toddler days. 

He reluctantly opened his mouth. “Did… did she…” He couldn’t say it. He couldn’t even think about it. Memories of you smiling, laughing, taking care of him and grandpa, and welcoming him home flooded Yuuji’s senses. 

“Ah,” Gojo interrupted, “she didn’t kill them if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Eh?”

“The doggie bit one of the burglars. Hard. And she bit him in the *ahem* boxers. He and his partner were caught almost immediately.” Gojo showed him the mug shots.

Yuuji: ??????

“She had nothing to do with this murder, but after the funeral, the house was bought immediately. After further investigation, we discovered that it was bought under a fake name. She was a child when the land was purchased, but it couldn’t have been her parents, and there are no signs of other people having lived there other than her. Not to mention, the whole neighborhood bought into her lie that she was a visiting cousin. Isn’t that odd?”

Odd? Major understatement. There were many holes. Number one thing was that no one seemed to remember the murders. Even if it was fifteen years ago, Yuuji would’ve heard of it, if not for his grandfather then from the other kids. Children love horror stories after all. And yet…

“You’re telling me that…Nee-chan has been sleeping, eating and bathing in a murder house?”

“Well, I assure you, there are no curses or ghosts in that area. Luckily, the family passed on without any grudges, perhaps because they were with each other when they died? Anyway, normal humans have no way of knowing that the house is clean. Usually, unless you’re dirt poor or an idiot, you would never even consider living in a potentially haunted house.”

“That’s…!” Yuuji stopped himself. “Wait. What did you mean earlier that her parents couldn’t have possibly bought the house?”

Gojo tilted his head. “Because they’re dead.”

He presented an old newspaper article. It was dated a few weeks before the family’s death. The headline read: COUPLE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR OWN HOME, ***-OLD DAUGHTER NOWHERE TO BE FOUND.

“The bodies were described as having been ‘torn apart from the inside,’ but there were no weapons that fit the wounds. There was only a large puddle of water soaking the corpses… ‘Based on testimonies from neighbors, the couple were suspected of abusing their daughter, whose current whereabouts remain unknown. It is likely that she has been kidnapped.’” Gojo glanced at him. “You get it, right? The couple mentioned here are Y/N’s birth parents. They lived in a rural area with a town population of less than 5000. They don’t even have a convenience store–or a mall. Ouch.”

Gojo looked at Yuuji. “The murder itself was brutal but it never reached national news. Still, a lot of things don’t add up.”

“...I-if they’re dead then…” then why did you act like they were still alive and well? How could you smile and walk around as if everything was fine?

“Well, anyway, those things are minor.”

“Hah?!” Minor?!

“The crux of the matter is this: you ate a finger of a cursed spirit known as Ryomen Sukuna, and he called Y/N his wife. Not to mention, just before passing out, she called you her child.”

“...!”

“From what I can tell, Sukuna seems to treasure her a lot, and yet there is nothing about her background that points to her being any more special than the average Jane. What are you? And what is your relationship with that woman?”

Yuuji gritted his teeth. ‘That woman’ was his precious older sister, who took care of him when Grandpa was at work, who cleaned up his wounds when he got hurt playing, who loved him so much she couldn’t stand by as a monster attacked him.

“She…”

***

Over a decade ago, in a tiny house by the foot of a mountain, you watched as gigantic icicles–bigger than yourself–tear through your mother. She was arguing with your father, who was now on the floor, gasping and clutching at his chest. He too had large pieces of jagged ice pierced all over him. 

When he caught you in the corner, a wry grin made its way to his face, that was the only time you ever saw a semblance of a smile from him. He reached out his arm towards you. “H-hurry up, c…call s-s-someone–ARGH!” 

The hand reaching out to you was cut by a blade of ice. 

He squirmed and screamed before another cold knife cut his face in half. The kitchen fell silent. 

At that time, did you feel afraid? Did you feel sad? You couldn’t remember.

“This servant deeply apologizes for being so late.” A handsome woman, or maybe they were a pretty man, stepped out of the shadows and walked towards you. 

The doll-like person with snow white skin and wearing traditional clothes knelt down. They offered you a small smile. “I offer my greetings to the madam.”

“...are you… going to kill me, too?”

He shook his head. “This servant would never.”

“Then…” 

“I came here to ensure that you were living peacefully until the lord’s return, but regretfully, even in this life you are treated like this. I tried to make them suffer before dying, but my temper has gotten the best of me. This servant apologizes.”

The person said things you didn’t understand, but you at least knew this much: they weren’t going to hurt you. 

“My lady, I’m afraid you can’t live here anymore.”

The beautiful, doll-like creature that introduced themselves as “Uraume” packed what few materials that belonged to you and led you away. Their skin was colder than the air of a fridge, yet you never felt more safe and warm than when they held your hand on the way to your new abode.

“Uraume-san–”

“Please just call me ‘Uraume,’ my lady, this servant doesn’t dare to be referred to in any other way.”

“R-right. Uraume, you said that I will be living in a different neighborhood.”

“Yes. I handled everything. Though humans have evolved into being more efficient, the paperwork was too much.”

“Will I be living alone?”

They gave you a sad smile. “It would be the highest honor to wait on the lady, but I still have much to prepare for Sukuna-sama’s arrival.”

“Sukuna…sama?”

“He has never tired of searching for you, I’m sure he will be very happy to know that you are now safe and well.”

“Does that mean… that he cares for me?”

Their eyes seemed to sparkle. “Such words are too light to describe the weight of his feelings. Sukuna-sama has devoted every part of himself to you. When you died, he never remarried, and when other sorcerers or village chiefs offered him brides, he would slaughter them all without hesitation. He was especially mad when the women looked like you in any way, be it height, skin color or hair color. This servant personally put their severed heads on poles to be displayed for all to see as a warning. One time, he…”

You didn’t really get it. This person spouted out a lot of information that you didn’t grasp, like a hardcore fan talking about their idol to a normie. 

They seemed to be having fun so you let them talk the entire trip to your new house. 

“Do you like it, madam?” Uraume asked as you examined the residence from outside. “It’s small, but putting you in an apartment complex was out of the question. It would’ve been nice if we got you a mansion but the people I spoke to claimed that only this house was available. Unbelievable, Sukuna-sama would never have tolerated this–”

“I like it.”

“Hm?”

You turned to Uraume and smiled. “I like it, Uraume. Thank you for your efforts.”

Uraume blinked. Then they slowly covered their mouth. “M-my lady, your smile is as radiant as I remember.”

“Are you crying?”

“This servant will go and organize everything so please relax as much as you like!” They then dashed inside.

What an odd person, you thought. But you didn’t want to go inside just yet, not because you were afraid of potential ghosts. Uraume explained the truth about the house before the drive here, and they didn’t seem bothered with it so why should you? 

However, the house was still full of movers carrying furniture and whatnot, and you’d rather avoid people. 

As you thought about where to pass time, something tugged the hem of your dress.

“Fwah…”

You glanced down and found a toddler pulling on your skirt. “Huh? Go away.”

“Mm?” The baby raised his head and met your eyes, and time stopped.

Your head felt heavy and everything around the toddler turned blurry. 

“Yuu…ji?” 

Huh? Did you say something just now? 

“There you are, Yuuji! You almost gave me a heart attack. I’m pretty sure I locked the door, how do you keep escaping?” An old man came over and picked up the child from the ground. “What on Earth am I going to do with you…hm?”

The old man finally noticed you. “I’ve never seen you here before.”

You kept your eyes on the child, who was clapping his hands. “I…I just moved in.”

“Moved in? Where? Oh.” He scratched his stubble when he realized it. “That’s unfortunate.”

You stared at the baby in his arms. Its cheeks were so chubby. You wanted to pinch them until he cried. 

“It’s not my place to say this but… maybe you and your family would be better off going someplace else…” The man whispered.

“What do you mean?” You finally looked away from the toddler.

He sighed. “It’s complicated, but since your parents bought the land they probably already know. It’s a pity. This little one and I will be moving out soon and you could’ve gotten our house instead.”

“Moving out?”

“It’s nothing a kid like you should concern yourself with. Let’s just say that after everything, it’d be bad luck to stay here, right, Yuuji?”

“Ehehe,” the baby garbled out a laugh, making a spit bubble. 

“You can’t leave…” 

“What’s that?” The man turned to you.

You gazed deep into his eyes and repeated, “You can’t leave.”

“We have to, little miss. It’s the best thing for us. I’m not sentimental but I don’t believe in tempting fate. I don’t know if you’re aware but living in this street feels wrong after the mur–ahem, after the incident.”

“What incident?”

“Like I said, you’re too young–”

“There wasn’t any incident.”

“What’re you talking about? Ah, I guess your parents didn’t tell you, after all.”

“There wasn’t any incident,” you said again, never breaking eye contact. “Nothing happened, everything is fine. You’re not going anywhere.”

Your mouth was moving but you couldn’t hear yourself. Your mind was muddied. 

The old man stared back at you, unblinking and silent for a whole minute, before his lips moved, “I haven’t seen you before.”

“No. I just moved in with the L/N’s.” You pointed at your new house. 

“Ah, I see. Are you a visiting cousin or something?”

“Yes. My parents are working abroad so my aunt and uncle decided to take me in.”

“Aha, I see. They’re good people, your aunt and uncle, though their sons are a bit rowdy.”

“Yes, they are.” You turned to the baby who was now looking at you with curious eyes.

The old man noticed and proceeded to introduce himself and the kid. “I’m your neighbor, Wasuke Itadori, and this one’s named Yuuji. His parents are… not here, so I’m in charge of him.”

The baby beamed before reaching out his fat sausage arm towards you.

You offered him a finger and he grabbed it tightly as he giggled.

“Nice to meet you. My name is…”

You opened your eyes, a bit groggy from a dream you could no longer remember. 

“Finally awake?” A woman asked. She had long brown hair and wore a lab coat. A doctor. “Hello, I’m Shoko Ieiri. Do you remember who you are?”

You rose to a sitting position, but didn’t answer. 

“Do you know today’s date?”

You stared at her. “Where is Yuuji?”

“Hm… how do you know that name?”

“Yuuji is my neighbor but we’re more like family. Where is he?”

“He was right…” Shoko murmured as she wrote something on her clipboard. When she noticed you glaring, she put it away and grinned. “Don’t worry, he’s indisposed but otherwise in good health. You’ll be able to meet up with him in a few minutes. We need to focus on your condition right now.”

“I’m perfectly healthy.” You raised your arms in an attempt to show how fine you were. “Nothing hurts and I remember my own name and the date today. Please let me see him.” 

Before she could reply, her phone buzzed and she excused herself.

As she stepped out to answer the call, you stared at your hands as they pulled on your blanket. 

“Yuuji…”

@shadowywizardarcade @hannya-exists @nineooooo @lilachaeyo @pumpkindudeishere @jessbeinme15 @fluffy-koalala @cringeycookies @frogzxch @isimpfordanielpark @marvelsgirl4ever @sanzusmom @sheccidoscar @alastorhazbin @satosuguswife @lumanii @leahlovesreading @blackstaw @boba–12 @certainduckanchor @langweile @amitiel-truth @qualityprincessrunaway @thatoneweirdgirl17 @lilith-snape

A/N: This took longer than expected. But anyway, happy human holidays, everyone! Comments are always appreciated.

[auspicioustidings]

We talk a lot about Ghost teaching Soap. But Soap makes Captain right? So Price teaching Soap? Price teaching Soap how to take care of his ‘belongings’. Price showing Soap how to treat you right? 👀🤷🏻‍♀️ maybe? Maybe not? I dunno 🤷🏻‍♀️

First off read this immediately because it serves these vibes way better than I ever could like truly Bunny is God's gift to thirsty PriceSoap girlies.

I cannot prepare a dish quite as satisfying but here is a short little tease anyway! Sorry I cannot actually write smut rn, I'm ill and pathetic about it.

Affirm

Words: 700

CWs: light bdsm

“Right, the two of you in my office now.”

You bristled. How was it that you were getting into trouble here? This was all stupid Soap's fault. It was him that started it. 

The two of you were constantly at each other's throats these days. Wasn't really professional but then you hated that he kept talking down to you. The way the word corporal came out of his damn mouth was always with a smug arrogance that made you want to go for blood. 

It wasn't like you bit back during an actual op, you both knew better than that. But he pushed and pushed and pushed whenever you had down time at base and you weren't about to let it go unanswered. Fucking asshole. And now he was getting you into trouble with the Captain? God he was the worst.

“Captain he-”

“Don't want to hear it Corporal.”

“Aye too fucking right, dinnae want te-”

“You can shut the fuck up as well. Pair of absolute muppets.”

Price ripped open one of his desk drawers and produced a bottle of Scotch, pouring himself a glass and sitting in his chair regarding the two of you across the table. Both of you knew you were in for it, standing at attention and keeping your mouths shut while he took a languid sip.

“Cannot believe I've been put in this situation again. Did you know I had Ghost and Gaz standing right where you are now? Before either of you joined. They just couldn't get along.”

That was a surprise. Ghost and Gaz got along just fine now. You couldn't really imagine a world in which they fought the way you and Johnny did. Sure they might have some little arguments, but whenever it happened they would go off and have a chat and come back settled. There was no way you and Johnny being alone would settle anything.

“You know why they get along Sergeant?”

“Gaz kens who's in charge.”

Johnny sounded almost resigned? Something was happening, he knew something you didn't. You hated that, you hated how Price spoke to him as if you weren't even in the room.

“Hm. And who's in charge between the two of you then?”

You felt a shiver run up your spine at how Price said it, his voice in a low purr that spoke to some primal part of your brain. What the fuck? Why did you feel suddenly like this was a dangerous situation? You considered speaking up but could only yelp in surprise when Johnny kicked one of your legs to put you off balance and bent you over the desk.

Your heart was liable to beat itself into an early grave. You looked at your Captain and found he only watched, sipping his drink. You twisted to look at Johnny who was holding both of your wrists in one of his hands. 

“I'm in charge. Affirm corporal.”

Oh God, you didn't think you had ever heard Soap with that level of authority in his voice. Only all it made you want was to get him to do it again. You needed him to do it again, to put you in your place.

“Fuck you."

The first smack to your ass was hard enough that you jolted forward and your hip bone smashed into the desk. 

“Affirm corporal. Ye ken who's In charge, now say it.”

Oh this was several shades of fucked up but my God if you didn't crave more. You needed it, you needed him to break you into pieces so he could put them back together. You needed the freedom that came with being shattered.

You fought against him until Price finally guided him to be harder with you, to really let you have it. And he had. He had destroyed you fully, left you a boneless raw mess. Then Price had guided him to bring you back. 

It settled you. For weeks you and Johnny existed in peace with one another, calm. And when you started to butt heads again? Well, Johnny had learned exactly how to handle that.

[forest-hashira]

Better Than Sake

hi everyone! this is the first in what will hopefully be a series of little one shots for the Noble Blood universe! some will be timestamps/scenes i want to write but don't fit into the overall fic for various reasons, some will be AUs within the AU. (& yes, i promise i'm still working on the main fic!!!)

shoko and utahime are about 16 or so in this. don't drink underage kids!!! especially not sake that shit is Strong (imo)

series masterlist here | read on ao3 here | wc: ~1.2k | cw: underage drinking, coming out (sort of, it's not made a big deal), love confessions (also kinda), first kisses, this is just shokohime, no other characters involved

“Are you sure we’re not going to get in trouble?” Utahime asked in a whisper, glancing over her shoulder for a moment, checking for at least the dozenth time in the last two minutes that they hadn’t been followed.

“I never said I was sure,” Shoko replied. “I said I was pretty sure, which is not the same thing. That’s why I didn’t bring Ryoji, and why I told you to leave Patience at home.”

“Shoko!”

“Sh!” the brunette shushed, turning and pressing a finger to the other girl’s lips. “If you keep fretting like that, someone’s gonna hear us, and then we’ll definitely get in trouble.”

Utahime frowned, but she nodded, not saying another word as Shoko took her hand and guided her down to the beach. Though it was late, it wasn’t cold, like it had been the last few weeks; it was finally warming up, and for that the girls were thankful.

They sat a short distance from the water, pressed side to side, when Shoko held up a bottle of sake.

“Want some?”

“Where were you even carrying that?”

“A magician never reveals her secrets.” With a smirk, Shoko pulled the cork from the bottle. “Do you want the first taste?”

There was a brief silence as Utahime considered the question; she didn’t really want to have the first drink, but she also knew the odds that shoko would try to drink the entire bottle by herself if she said no were high.

“Fine,” the darker haired girl sighed, holding out her hand for the bottle. 

“That’s my girl.” Shoko passed the bottle to the other girl, and though she noticed the way her words had made Utahime’s face go pink, she said nothing. 

Eager to distract herself from the way Shoko’s words made her heart skip a beat, Utahime was quick to snatch the bottle, pressing it to her lips and taking a much bigger swig than she intended to.

“Ugh, Sho, that is disgusting,” she complained, though she did manage to swallow the alcohol before speaking.

“Is it?” Shoko took the bottle back, taking her own drink, though hers was admittedly more controlled than Utahime’s had been. She swallowed, her only outward reaction being a slight wrinkling of her nose, and she shrugged. “I’ve had to take medicine worse than that,” she said simply, taking another sip before offering the bottle to the other girl again.

“Do I even want to know what kinds of medicines you’re taking if they taste worse than this?” Utahime mumbled, mostly to herself, as she accepted the bottle and took another, albeit much smaller, sip. “Don’t answer that question,” she added, when she saw Shoko open her mouth out of the corner of her eye. “I don’t need to know what you get up to that requires nasty medicine.”

Shoko just laughed. “You’re blushing, Hime,” she teased.

“Am not.”

“Are too. You just even more red, actually.” 

Utahime took another drink. She doesn’t have to look so smug, she thought to herself.

“What’s on your mind, hm? Thinkin’ about what I must be doing to need to take all that medicine if I’m not sick?”

“No,” the darker haired girl answered, too quickly.

“I think you are.”

A small groan, another sip from the bottle before shoving it back at her friend. “Shut up, Sho.”

The brunette relented for a moment, accepting the sake and taking another drink of her own. “Whatever you think I’m doing, you’re probably wrong.”

Utahime startled slightly. “Huh?”

“I’m not sick,” Shoko answered. “Well, not sick sick, but it's hard to work with sick people all the time and not catch something every once in a while. And I don’t take medicine for the same things some of the boys that live here do. I know you’ve heard them talk.”

If it was even possible, Utahime felt her face heat even more. She had heard some of the other boys from around the settlement talk about what caused their… medical problems; they were always so vulgar, and generally rather demeaning about the girls they were fooling around with. “Yeah, I have.”

“That’s not my issue, though. I don’t mess around with boys.”

“Because your parents would kill you if you got a disease from one of them?” It was a poor attempt at a joke, but it made the corner of Shoko’s lips twitch into a smile for a moment.

“No.” She took another drink from the bottle – quite a big one, Utahime noticed – and held it in her mouth for a moment before swallowing, as if she were stalling, or bracing herself for something. 

Though she couldn’t deny how curious she was about what could have her best friend, who was normally so laid back and unbothered, acting so hesitant, Utahime was willing to be patient.

“I don’t mess around with boys because I don’t like boys.”

“Neither do I.” Because really, what was there to like about boys, especially at their age? The only respectful boy she knew was Kento, and he wasn’t appealing to her like that. No boy had ever appealed to her that way, actually, now that she thought about it.

Shoko turned to face her, a slightly wary look in her eye. “I mean I’m not attracted to boys, Hime.”

“Oh.” There’s a beat of silence, then another. “Who are you attracted to, then?” 

Shoko tilted her head slightly, and Utahime found herself caught up – even more than usual – in the way her pretty brown hair swayed around her shoulders and framed her pretty face. Is she always this pretty? Utahime thought, Or am I drunk? Does being drunk even work like that?

“I’m attracted to you.”

When did she get that close? Was she that close the whole time? Oh my god— the slightly older girl’s mind raced, and without even thinking about it, she started leaning in a little closer. “Y-you— you are?”

“Mmhm,” Shoko hummed. Her own face was flushed a bit now, though not quite as much as her friend’s, and her pupils had dilated a bit more. “Yeah, I am. Have been for a while now, I think…”

I want to kiss you so bad right now.

“I wanna kiss you too.”

“I said that out loud?” Utahime asked, not nearly as embarrassed about it as she thought she would be.

“Yeah. Did you not mean to?”

“Not really. But I do want to kiss you.”

“Good. I’m gonna kiss you now.”

Utahime wasn’t sure what she expected from her first kiss, but it certainly wasn’t this. Shoko’s lips were soft, and her touch was gentle, more affectionate and sweet than any boy likely would have been. Utahime let out a small, somewhat muffled hum and pressed a bit closer for a moment, her eyes fluttering shut until Shoko pulled away, presumably to catch her breath. 

She opened her eyes again then, licking her lips without thinking about it. “You taste like—”

“Sake?” Shoko guessed, a slight smile on her lips. “Better than sake,” Utahime replied, smiling back. “Much better.”

taglist: @ghost-1-y @kentohours @whatthefucksatan @mitsuristoleme @lu-dao-writes @peachdues @lik0 @deepestartisanhumanoidshark @here-for-the-tea-baby @staryukis @roselleviennesstuff @witchbybirth @marinnnnnnnnn if your url is crossed out, it's because tumblr won't let me tag you for whatever reason. i apologize! & if you want to be added to the taglist, just drop a reply to the post/put it in the tags of your reblog!

divider by cafekitsune

[cielcreations]

Ending 5: Made With Love (Dead Plate)

Trigger Warning: Cannibalism at the very end. Also a bit of mature content. Nothing too graphic, just grinding, but it's still there so if you don't like, ignore.

"Oh, wow, you actually showed up for training." The man said in a deep, gruff voice.

"On time, too!" The energetic man smiled.

"Barely." He sighed, putting one hand on his hips, "This is a highly sought after position, Rody. Be grateful you're even getting the benefit of being told how to do your job. Your resume showed many... many jobs in the service industry, so I assume you already have this down." He sighed again, "Though, I am choosing to ignore the rate at which you got new positions."

"Hey! Having 28 service industry jobs over the course of seven years is pretty impressive when you think about it, Vincent!" Rody smiled sheepishly.

"And even less impressive when you think about it for five more seconds." The chef groaned, crossing his arms over his chest, "But with those jobs, you likely already know how to seat customers. Keep in mind how many people are dining. You don't want a large group crowding around a private area. Once they're ready, they'll put their menu down and you'll go check on them."

Rody grabbed a menu, reading through it, "'What we're serving today?'" He read aloud, questioning.

"Yes, patrons don't pick what they eat, instead we have a strict menu that changes daily." Vincent narrowed his eyes, "You would know that if you read the interview."

"I, uh, skimmed it..."

"Hm." The chef hummed, unimpressed, "Once you have their meal ticket, bring it to the marker between the window and the door, that'll send it to the kitchen. The cooks will start working on whatever order you have right away, but keep in mind they prioritize cooking the dessert, side, meal, and appetizer. In that order. Do not pester or distract any of the cooks if it's taking too long. Once the order is ready, you'll find it at the window to then serve to the customers. They'll ask for more after their appetizer, so do not make them wait too long. Once they're ready for the bill, go behind the counter to check them out. Once they're done with their meal, make sure to clean their table. I don't want guests thinking we leave messes out in the open. The garbage is in the kitchen, right next to the back door. Take the trash and bring it out to the alley behind the kitchen to throw it out."

"Got it!" Rody nodded, taking it all in.

Vincent then took a menu and handed it to the redhead, "Here's a menu. Make sure to study it. Now that you know the basics, make sure you do a good job. I don't want our customers thinking we're anything less than professional."

"But, I'm not-"

"Exactly." Vincent waved him off, "If you need me, I'll be in the back. Good luck."

With Vincent in the back, Rody cleaned off the tables and began his shift. He made sure to seat and smile at the customers, taking their orders and sending it off to the chefs like it was nothing. He cleaned and bused the tables, making sure to take out the trash when needed. He mainly kept his head down the first day, that way he wouldn't get in any trouble and Vincent wouldn't feel the need to either yell or fire him for messing up.

He finished cleaning the last table, washing the dishes, and taking out the trash one last time.

"Rody." Vincent called.

The redhead stiffened a bit but turned around, "Yes?"

Vincent held out a plate, "Green Onion Rolls."

Rody stared at the plate, "...What about them?"

The chef sighed, "Take them home. We had leftovers, the food is for you."

"Really?!" Rody exclaimed excitedly, smiling, "Thank you! Do we have a to-go box or something?"

Vincent looked around. He took an empty box and slid the plate inside it, "It's not a to-go box, but it will make do."

The redhead smiled at the chef, "Thank you, Vince!"

He then went back to his apartment. Once inside, he sat on the couch, reaching for the phone. He dialed her number, waiting. When all he got was the phone ringing, he sighed. Guess she's busy. He thought. He opened his box and stood up, walking to the utensils drawer. He took out a fork, eating the Green Onion Rolls.

"Wow!" Rody exclaimed, smiling brightly, "I'll have to thank Vince again, these are amazing!"

He ate them all and went to bed.

***

"Sorry I'm late..."

"'Sorry?'" Vincent repeated as he turned around, slowly looking up from his papers, "Sorry doesn't cut it, it's only your second day and you're already-" He stopped himself, eyes widening as he finally faced Rody, "-Why do you look like that?"

"I, uh, thought biking through the rain would dry me as I go..." Rody explained, standing on the porch as he squeezed the water out of his shirt, "Turns out? It soaks you faster."

Vincent took a deep breath. He grabbed Rody's wrist, dragging him inside and to his office.

"Sit." Vincent demanded, the redhead doing so. The chef took out two towels, wrapping one around Rody's shoulders, using a smaller towel to begin to dry off his hair, "Dry off. You can't be seen by customers looking like this."

Rody hugged the towel more around his body as Vincent continued to dry off his hair.

"You do know umbrellas exist for a reason, yes?"

"I don't own one!"

The chef widened his eyes, pausing his movements. He seemed to process the words before continuing to help dry him off, lowering the towel to the back of his neck, "I'll give you mine for the ride back. Make sure this doesn't happen again."

"Oh, uh, thanks! But-" The redhead tilted his head back to look up at Vincent, "-how are you gonna be getting home without it?"

"I live here."

"...Like, in the restaurant or-?"

"My apartment is upstairs." He pushed Rody's head down, continuing to dry it.

"Oh." The redhead blinked, "That makes a lot more sense now."

"Is there a problem." Vincent asked, the last word a bit harsher than the rest.

"Nah, it's just... isn't that worrying?" Rody looked up again, "Like, if something happens to the building, it's all gonna be gone."

Vincent dropped the towel on his face, earning a squeak, "If you have enough time to talk nonsense, then you're ready for work."

Rody laughed and moved the towel off his face. He quickly dried the last little bits of his hair and smiled at the chef, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. It's only appropriate. I can't have customers thinking I find that acceptable."

The redhead nodded and folded the towels, placing them on Vincent's desk, "Well, still, thank you."

He walked out of the office and readied himself for work before seating the first people who walked in. He seated everyone, took their orders, served them, cleaned the tables, and checked people out, being able to balance it out very easily. Eventually, when everyone had left, he took out the trash, throwing it away in the back alley before coming back inside. He saw Vincent, staring at the chefs, walking over.

"Hey, Vince, can I ask you something?"

"It's Chef." Vincent corrected.

"Right, uh, Chef, can I ask you something?" Rody once again questioned.

"I doubt you have this much free time to be asking me so many questions, on your second day, no less."

Rody ignored his quip, "Why do you just stand back here?"

"My job is to observe and monitor the chefs. They are to cook my dishes to perfection. If they are to even slightly stray from the way I would cook, I must step in." 

"No wonder your food is so good!" The redhead smiled brightly.

Vincent didn't say anything, merely raising an eyebrow.

"Your food was delicious! I've never tasted something so good! It filled me up and made me crave for more!" The redhead giggled, "No wonder you're an amazing chef, your food makes me feel warm inside!"

A light pink dusted the chef's cheeks as he looked away, "...Get back to work, Rody."

The redhead giggled and nodded, going back out to the dining room. He continued on with his work, seating people and taking their orders once more. After another few hours, his shift ended. He finished cleaning what he needed to and got ready to leave.

"Rody, wait." The redhead turned. Vincent walked over, offering his umbrella as well as a small box, "Inside is Blueberry Crepes. You said you liked the food I made, and there was extra. Here."

The redhead smiled brightly, "Awesome! Thank you, Vince!"

Vincent merely nodded in response. With the chef's umbrella and the food in his hand, Rody went home. Once he got back to his apartment, he once again sat on the couch, looking at the phone. This time, he was a bit hesitant with calling her. However, she once again didn't answer. Guess she's still busy. Rody thought. He changed into his pajamas before sitting on the couch to eat the crepes. He hummed, smiling brightly. They were so fluffy and light, making him smile as he ate the entire plate.

Vincent is such an amazing chef. He thought, smiling slightly, ...So considerate too...

He put the dirty dishes in the sink before laying on the couch to fall asleep.

***

The shift started out normal. He seated who needed to be seated, took the orders to the kitchen, served the food, checked them out, and bussed tables. He was beginning to make very decent tips and was extremely upbeat and happy with his progress. Eventually the trash got full and he had to take it out-

"Ow!" Rody exclaimed, looking at his hand, dropping the bag, "C-Crap-"

"Rody."

The redhead turned, facing Vincent, who was staring at him. He turned panic, "I-I'm sorry! T-There's something i-in the trash!" He looked at his hand, "I-I think it m-may have ripped the b-bag open w-when I dropped it a-a-and-"

"Rody." The chef repeated, taking a step forward.

Blood spilled from his palm, a large cut on it, "I-It cut me! I-I swear, I didn't throw a-anything I-I wasn't suppose to, I-I'll clean it up-"

"You don't need to worry about that. Let me see." Vincent said gently, face remaining calm. He gently took Rody's wrist in one hand, spreading his fingers with the other to see the damage of the wound, "It's a shallow cut, nothing too serious."

"I-I'm sorry-"

"Hush, Rody. This way."

"But the mess-"

"I said you don't have to worry about that. Someone else will clean it." Vincent turned to face the chefs, two immediately jumping to do so. He then led Rody into his office, sitting him in a chair as he carefully applied ointment to the redhead's hand, "You can't be serving customers with this."

"I-I'm really sorry." Rody looked down as Vincent wrapped his hand.

"Accidents happen. It's alright."

"Am I fired?"

"Was this intentional?"

"N-No, of course not-"

"Then there's no reason to be fired." The chef reassured, "Is that why you got freaked out?"

The redhead remained silent.

"Your silence speaks volumes." Vincent stood up, "Stay here for a moment. Collect yourself."

"I-I can-"

"Rody, I'm not asking." The chef interrupted, "You are a little shaken up. That is fine. I can handle the customers for a few minutes. In the meantime, collect yourself. It's alright."

Rody stared at the man before smiling gratefully, "T-Thank you."

Vincent nodded in response. He walked out of his office and Rody sat for a few minutes, calming himself down from his panic attack. When he felt he had calmed down enough, he left the office. He went out to the floor, where Vincent had just finished giving an order to the kitchen.

"I'll tag in!" Rody exclaimed, offering a high five.

The chef rolled his eyes, but let out a small chuckle, gently tapping his hand against the redhead's, "Good. You're feeling better. I'm terrible with customers."

"Never would have guessed." He said sarcastically.

Vincent chuckled once more before disappearing into the kitchen. Rody finished his shift and cleaned everything up. Once he was sure everything was ready for tomorrow, he went into the kitchen to bid his goodbyes. Vincent gave him a plate of Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp, Rody thanking his profusely. He went home once more, sitting on the couch. He stared at the phone for a minute.

Should I call her? Rody thought. He hesitated but did. He dialed in her number and, with every passing digit, he couldn't help but hope she... wouldn't answer. He didn't want her too, which felt odd when a few days ago, he would have begged her to answer his calls. When she didn't pick up, he sort of sighed in relief. She must be busy. He sat back into the couch, taking a bite of the pasta.

Rody smiled brightly, eating the entire portion, "Man, I totally have to get something to properly thank Vince for all this delicious food!"

He watched a little TV before falling asleep.

***

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

Rody wasn't sure what he walked in on. He was working his shift and was bringing in some dirty dishes to take out the trash when he saw Vincent standing in front of another cook, glaring with such hate and malice.

"I-I apologize, Chef-"

"A 'sorry' doesn't fucking cut it, now does it?" Vincent hissed, accenting his words.

Rody shut the door behind him, not wanting customers to hear as he watched the scene.

"Do you think a dish like that is at all acceptable in my kitchen?!" Vincent gestured to the plate.

"N-No, Chef-"

"Then why did you make it?!"

"I-I don't know, Chef, I m-must've-"

"'You don't know?!'" Vincent raised his voice, his burning hate becoming more pronounced in his voice.

"I-It must've slipped my mind, Chef!" The cook managed to squeak out, "S-Some flour had been left near the stove and I-I didn't want to get burnt-"

Vincent put the man's hands behind his back. One of the Chef's hand held the cook's arms in place as the other grabbed the man by the back of his hair. He then shoved the man's face towards the burner stove, keeping it out of reach of the flames, the man squeaking, Rody gasping.

"Don't back talk me in my own fucking kitchen, you damn pig." Vincent growled, "If you plan on being a semi-decent cook, you have no conceivable reason to be scared of something like a stove. If you get burnt, you keep cooking. If you can't follow simple safety regulations, it'd be your own damn fault."

The cook gulped, whispering out, "Y-Yes, Chef."

"I can't hear you."

"Y-YES, CHEF!" The cook yelled.

Vincent hummed. He lifted the man back up and let go, "Get the hell back to work." He demanded before turning. His eyes met Rody, the redhead staring with... awe.

Vincent walked to the back corner of the room to once again watch the cooks, Rody moving to stand beside him, "What? Are you going to tell me how what I did was wrong?"

"Are you single?"

"P-Pardon?!" Vincent exclaimed, his composure breaking. He coughed into his hand, quickly regaining it, "W-Why do you ask?"

Rody giggled, smirking, "Was wondering if that's how you treat your lady~!"

"I-I beg your pardon?!" Vincent's composure broke once more, his face turning bright red.

The redhead laughed before he waved his hand around, "I'm teasing, I'm teasing!" He giggled, "I mainly ask because I wanted to know a bit more about you! You must be a ladies man, right? With owning your own restaurant and all?"

"I-I suppose I am..." Vincent cringed.

"So, do you plan to settle down? Maybe have a wife and some kids, hire a manager to run the place?"

"...This is me settling down. I do this for myself."

"You still didn't answer my question."

"What?"

"Are you single?" Rody hummed, smiling.

"...Yes, I am." Vincent admitted, "And no, I don't wish to have a wife."

Rody widened his eyes a bit, "...You bi or something?"

"If you must know, I label myself as gay." Vincent blushed, "Are you satisfied with knowing my nonexistent love life?"

"Yep!" Rody stood in front of Vincent, winking as he smiled slyly, "Cause now I know I might have a chance!"

Before Vincent could respond, the redhead quickly moved to clean his dishes and get back to work. He finished his shift and went to the kitchen. Vincent had a proper to-go box ready for him, the Chef giving it to him and turning away, face still a light shade of red. Rody giggled, winking once more before leaving. He got home and opened the to-go box.

Strawberry Shortcake.

The redhead happily ate the food before turning on the TV. He then grabbed a magazine that was dropped off with the daily newspaper. He browsed through it and looked at all the ads before he widened his eyes. Oh, that's it! That's what I need! He thought. Rody shut the TV off, grabbed a marker, and circled it before laying down on the couch.

He looked at the phone. He reached out before stopping himself, shaking his hand as he closed his eyes.

She's probably busy, and I don't care. Rody thought, falling asleep.

***

The next two days were uneventful in terms of work. Rody and Vincent continued to talk between shifts when they could, the redhead smiling every time and standing a bit closer each time they did talk. Vincent didn't seem to mind. In fact, his stiff posture was loosened as they talked. His shoulders would slump, he wouldn't look so stern. He still tried to maintain a blank face, but he couldn't help the occasional smile that fell on his lips. Rody was sent home with a Croque Madame and a Lemon Tart the previous two days, which he ate and made sure to praise Vincent for.

However, the third day, Rody went into the kitchen and Vincent wasn't there to give him a plate of food. In fact, Vincent wasn't there, period. He looked around, even knocked on his office door. The Chef just wasn't there. He sighed. Granted, he wasn't owed any food, but he did appreciate the food and he did want it, simply because he loved Vincent's cooking.

No matter, he went home and got changed, beginning to think of what to order offline. However, the phone started to ring.

Rody answered, "Hello?"

"Rody?" The deep voice on the other sighed asked.

"A-Ah, Vince!" The redhead cleared his throat, smiling, "Hi! What's up?"

"Are you free tonight?" Vincent asked.

"Huh?" He blushed.

"I'm hosting a dinner party at my apartment and was checking if you're available."

Oh, that's what you meant. Rody thought, frowning a bit, "Yes, I am..."

"Good. Be here in the next few minutes. Oh, and, I..." Vincent trailed off.

"Vince?"

"I apologize."

"For what?"

"I... I disappeared before you came into the kitchen and I wasn't able to give you a plate of food. I apologize."

Rody smiled, He remembered? "It's fine Vince-"

"No, it isn't. I... I like cooking for you."

The redhead blushed, "...Well, I like eating your food."

"Good, you'll have plenty of it tonight."

Vincent hung up and Rody chuckled. He put the phone down changing to a more casual outfit before going back to the restaurant. Vincent was waiting outside, the chef holding out his hand to the redhead. Rody was confused and placed his hand on the Chef's. The man gently intertwined their fingers and led Rody inside the restaurant. The redhead blushed as he was pulled along up the stairs and to Vincent's home.

"Wow, this place looks..." Rody took everything in, from the bright red couches and loveseats, to the triangle coffee table, to the cow hide rug they stood on. He smiled awkwardly, "No offense, but stick to being a chef."

"Excuse me?"

"Wait, I thought you said this was a dinner party?" Rody changed the subject, "Where are the other people?"

"They will arrive shortly. I-" Vincent looked away, "-wanted you to get here first..."

Rody blushed. Vincent led him to the couch and had him sit before leaving to the kitchen to grab some plates. When the Chef returned, he was balancing three plates; a plate of escargots, a cheese plater, and deviled eggs. Rody smiled brightly and happily took a couple of eggs and a bit of cheese, smiling brightly as he ate. Vincent smiled softly as he watched other.

"Your food is so good!" Rody smiled brightly, "I could eat it forever!"

Vincent smiled, "I'm glad."

Before they could continue, the doorbell rang. Vincent sighed before he stood up, going to the door. He allowed the people in, Rody watching as the people came in. He stood up, the people coming in and beginning to mingle. The redhead, feeling nervous and out of place, moved to stand in the corner as Vincent left to get some wine and champagne for everyone. The redhead stood to the corner, looking over the rewards Vincent had gotten.

"Is that-? Hey, Rody!"

The redhead turned around. A tan man with dark brown hair walked over, smiling brightly.

"Uh...?"

"It's me, Richard!"

Rody stared.

"From econ? College? You were majoring in hospitality, right?" The man offered.

"Oh, y-yeah, hey!" Rody exclaimed, "S-Sorry, college is kinda... fuzzy, I guess?"

"I stopped seeing you after awhile, did you switch majors?"

Rody stiffened a bit, before smiled awkwardly, "You must be thinking of someone else."

"Huh? No, it was definitely-"

"Not me. You're thinking of someone else."

"I could have sworn-"

"You're thinking of someone else." Rody hissed before stepping away, "I need to piss."

"Huh, wait, Rody-"

The redhead pushed passed the man, going into the kitchen. He went into the kitchen and then into the connecting hallway, walking down it. He pushed the door open and walked inside, closing it behind him. He leaned his back against it, sighing and shaking a bit. Rody took a deep breath and looked up before gasping.

"O-Oh, crap, this is not- wait..." Rody blinked, staring at the scene in front of him, "...This is Vincent's room... I wonder if I can find anything interesting!" He giggled.

The redhead looked around the room. At the back corner, there was a desk with some paperwork. It looked like it was for the restaurant, but the handwriting was barely eligible. He hummed before he looked at the typewriter, seeing Vincent must've been typing out recipes. The shelf beside the desk was filled with books and the Chef's diploma was resting on the top. He walked towards the bedside table, opening the drawer.

A key? Oh, the freezer key! He thought, putting it in his pocket. He closed the drawer and turned towards the window.

"Looking for anything specific?"

[TW: Mature part here. Again, it's just grinding, but still, don't like, don't read.]

"AH!" Rody turned around, seeing Vincent, "Ah! Vincent, you scared me!"

"You didn't answer my question."

"I-I, um, was looking for the bathroom?" Rody smiled awkwardly, shrugging.

"Uh huh?" Vincent stepped closer, Rody stepping towards the window, "And when you realized this wasn't the bathroom, you didn't leave?"

"Well..." He trailed off, "Would you believe me if I said I had short term memory loss and got distracted?"

"Not a chance." The Chef chuckled, now in front of him.

Rody smiled, one hand dancing on Vincent's shoulder, "Would you believe me if I said I just wanted to get to know you on a more personal level?"

"That's more believable. But I would think you're crazy." Vincent placed his hands on the redhead's hips.

"Didn't you already know that?" Rody teased, leaning towards him as his arms wrapped around Vincent's neck.

Vincent leaned forward, gently pressing his lips to the other's forehead, then his ears, then his neck, "Yes, but I don't believe I know the extent."

Rody shivered as the Chef kissed and sucked at his neck, "W-Want to find out? H-How crazy I am?"

"More than you know." Vincent pushed his leg between Rody's.

The redhead moaned as he leaned into him. He glanced out the window and widened his eyes. He gently pushed Vincent back.

"Is something the matter? Did I-"

"S-Someone's out there."

[End of Mature part.]

Vincent stared at the redhead for a moment before looking out the window. He narrowed his eyes and sighed, looking at Rody, who stared at the shadow of the figure, "...Why don't you go home?"

"Oh, uh- w-wait, what about the party?" Rody looked at the other.

"It's over. It was more of a work related party. Marketing and such. You just made it more bearable." Vincent offered his hand, "Come, I'll see you out."

Rody blinked before he smiled, nodding, "S-Sorry about f-freaking out."

"It's only natural. I'll deal with it." Vincent reassured.

They walked to the front door of the restaurant, where Vincent stopped. He shut the door behind him as the two men stared at each other. Rody hesitantly leaned forward, Vincent following his lead. It was a small kiss, nothing to major, but it made the redhead's heart burst into butterflies as they kissed. When they pulled back, Rody smiled brightly and blushed at the Chef, who smiled softly back.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Rody."

"See you tomorrow, Vince."

***

Rody came into work the next day, heart racing, a smile as bright as the sun resting on his face, butterflies fluttering in his stomach and chest. He set up the tables and did all the cleaning he needed to before going into the kitchen. He didn't see Vincent anywhere. He walked to the Chef's office and knocked, hearing no response. He was confused before remembering the freezer key in his pocket. He was curious as to what's in it...

He opened the freezer door and walked inside. Rody looked around it, seeing blood. It wasn't too abnormal, it was from the animal meat.

At least, that was the assumption.

Rody saw something sparkle. He turned his head to the meat grinder. He blinked, walking towards it and picking up a golden locket. He widened his eyes, opening it to see...

Him.

Him and her.

Him and Manon.

"What..."

THUNK!

***

Rody fluttered his eyes open, confused. He was bound in ropes, laying on the freezer floor. He blinked and looked around, not bothering to struggle. His lip quivered as he curled into a ball. The door opened and he looked towards it. He managed to sit up, glaring at the Chef.

"Get away from me, don't come any closer, you-"

"Stop, stop." Vincent cooed as he cleaned a sharp looking knife, "Calm down, you don't have to be doing any of that."

"WAS IT ALL A LIE?!"

The Chef widened his eyes, staring down at Rody.

"All that flirting?! All that bonding?! I-I actually thought y-you liked me..." The redhead's tears began to fall, despite how hard he tried not to, "Y-You played me! I-If you were just g-going to kill me to get to Manon, w-why didn't you just do it?!"

"What are you talking about, Rody?!" Vincent yelled, swinging his knife down, "I was never going to kill you to get to her! I told you before, I have no interest in women! What would be the point?!"

Rody blinked, "...T-Then... why do you have the locket?"

"I forgot to throw it away after I killed her. A simple mistake, honestly." 

The redhead blinked again, "So then... the blood? The meat?"

"Was from her. I was going to make you a dish and-"

"Is it done?"

Vincent widened his eyes, staring down at Rody. The redhead stared up at him, green eyes wide in wonder and awe.

"Vince, is it done?"

"...Pardon?"

"I wanna taste it, is it done?! Please tell me it's done! I want it!" Rody smiled brightly, crawling forward, "Please!"

"You... want to taste it...?"

"Of course!" The redhead giggled, leaning into the Chef's legs, "It's your food! You're gonna cook her so well! I-Is it going to be smoked?! Grilled?! Boiled?! What sides are you going to serve with her?! Are you going to serve all of her?! Oh my fucking god, Vince, you have to tell me!"

Vincent knelt down, cupping Rody's cheeks, smirking deviously, "Are you that desperate to eat her?"

"No, it's not about the fact that it's made from Manon!" Rody leaned into the Chef's hand, smile manic, "It's the fact it's your food. I don't care what you cook for me, you could server me horse dong and I'd still eat it!"

"I would never serve you that-"

"The point is-" Rody interrupted, leaning forward, brushing their noses against one another, "-I will eat anything you make me. I want it. So bad. Your cooking makes me feel so warm. It makes me feel so good. I want it so bad, I need it. I need your cooking more than I need to breathe, please-"

Vincent shut the other up with a kiss. Rody moaned into it, kissing back as the Chef cut the ropes around him. The redhead wrapped his arms around Vincent's neck, moving to sit in his lap as he deepened the kiss. Vincent held Rody's hips as they pulled away, the redhead smiling brightly down at the chef.

"How are you going to cook her?" Rody asked, giggling.

Vincent cupped his cheek, "Let me surprise you."

***

[TW: Cannibalism part here. You don't miss out on a lot if you don't want to read.]

Rody sat on the bed, swinging his legs as he hummed a tune to himself. He waited patiently (okay, not patiently, but he still waited!), barely able to control his excitement. The doorknob twisted and he smiled brightly as the Chef walked in, a plate in his hand.

"Is it done?!"

"I wouldn't have brought it up if it wasn't." Vincent chuckled at the redhead's eagerness. He offered the plate, "Dinner is served, Coal-Fired Heart."

Rody smiled brightly, accepting the plate. He took his fork and knife, cutting into the meat. Once he had a small piece, he put it on his tongue, chewing slowly, savoring the food.

"Well?" Vincent cupped his cheek, rubbing his thumb across it.

Rody smiled brightly, genuinely, lovingly, "Amazing as always, Vince."

Vincent smiled, "I will cook for you for the rest of our days." He kissed Rody's forehead.

"I'm holding you to that." Rody giggled, taking another bite.

[desceros]

Hello! Big fan! I had a couple of questions that I'd been wondering about. I hope they don't sound accusatory, I don't mean them that way, I was just curious to see if I was understanding. Basically, I started re-reading to catch all the little differences and I noticed two things:

April was touching Donnie pretty regularly out the gate. Does he not have trouble with her touch?

2. In light of chapter 23, I'm curious how Donnie can notice the second Viola-chan is upset through a mask, but missed all the romantic cues?

Feel free to answer, one, none, or both. I'm sorry if they've been asked before and, again, just thank you for sharing your work with all of us! Have a wonderful day!

wow!! excellent eye, anon-chan! that's the first time someone has noticed! or at least mentioned it. i'm very impressed! :0

so this hasn't come up yet, but to some extent, april can touch donnie, sort of, over his clothes and on his shell. he really prefers her not to and gets irritable when she does, but when there's something going on (...like donnie being nasty to viola-chan in chapter 2) she's going to do something about it (like pinching him or smacking his shell; also to stop him from saying something nasty after mistaking viola-chan for an anti-mutant bigot). but that's as far as they go. anything more than a brief touch, donnie doesn't tolerate it, and it's quite rare.

you may have noticed that april is less surprised than the others when she hears that donnie touches viola-chan, and that's why. to her, it's not as. hm. shocking? there's actually a scene coming up uh... soon-ish... chapter after next maybe? where april talks to viola-chan about this very thing. so i shan't say more on the topic!

as for your second question, donnie doesn't know what's wrong with viola-chan in chapter 23. all he knows is that, for some reason, she's masking, and that disturbs him. it's quite common for autistic people to study others in an attempt to learn how to mirror their emotions and to mask. (i do this myself without realizing it often times, and on purpose if i'm, like, in a business meeting or talking to someone important.)

donnie, being the way he is, over the course of turtle time and also just from spending time with viola-chan, has done this to an extreme. he's meticulously catalogued every little twitch her face can make, across a wide berth of emotional states. recordings of her voice. thorough examinations of her movements. he knows her. so when she starts acting strangely out of nowhere, in a manner that seems artificial, he takes note. then, when he sees how viola-chan reacts to leo, that's when he puts together that the masking is something from a place of harm, and that leo is likely the cause. hence begins the interrogation.

i'd go into a deeper analysis of donnie's emotional state for viola-chan and romance specifically, but... hm.... that's perhaps leaning a bit into spoiler territory. by which i mean i started to answer this like. three different ways and kept butting against spoilers, hahaha so i shan't say any more on that, either!

anywho thank you for your ask, and i hope that cleared things up. uh. a little tiny bit since a lot of it is "you'll learn soon" as an answer hahahaha

[dwaynes-leather-jacket]

Ch. 2 Misty Boardwalks And Vampires, Oh My!

Dwayne x fem!reader

Masterlist

[A/N]: Sorry it's taken so long to update, but man has life really hit me and wrecked me. I'm starting to get the creative juices going again, so here y'all go and now the story will begin to pick up! I actually forgot I had this sitting in my drafts and forgot to cue it!

Word Count: 1k

I shielded my face in his shoulder from the chilly breeze that whizzed passed us while we drove down the road. For the first time in a good while, I felt at peace.

It seemed like all my stress and fears were melting away, and it was then I realized that maybe I needed a little freedom and room to unwind rather than allowing my life to revolve around being a full-time babysitter and staying inside all the time out of fear.

I couldn’t let fear control me either, and being able to set my fears aside and just live a little made me realize that, though I was still scared to leave the house and nothing will ever change that.

Occasionally, I shouted directions at Dwayne, though he seemed to know the area quite well.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity in him though, as if I’ve known him before but I’m not quite sure how. At this point, I was afraid to ask. I have a feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me that I’m not quite ready for the answer yet.

When we arrived in front of my home, I hopped off the bike and readjusted my bag. When I looked back at him, he was leaning forward with a smirk.

"What? No goodnight kiss?" He teased with a chuckle.

I rolled my eyes and raised an eyebrow. "I hardly know you."

"Relax, I was kidding. I don't kiss on first dates, sweets." He winked playfully.

"Huh? I- That wasn't a date." I replied in confusion. I had only taken the night as a friendly gesture, not exactly as something serious.

“Well let’s make it official then, hm? How about I take you out Saturday night? There’s supposed to be a festival in town for the weekend. It could be fun.” Dwayne suggested, his voice sounding somewhere between teasing and sickly sweet.

It wasn’t exactly an offer I’d say no to, and it was awfully tempting though my mind was screaming at me continuously over being cautious with the new stranger, and repeatedly reminding me about the insane crime rates here.

Looking into his eyes, he seemed lonely despite being with his friends each time I’ve seen him.

I bit my lip, debating an answer until I saw the light to my parents’ bedroom flicker on. I quickly turned to Dwayne, giving him a quick hug and ran towards the side door. “Pick me up at 10! I’ll come up with something!” I half whisper yelled while making my way.

Dwayne grinned and got on his bike again, taking the lights as a sign to leave. Once he was sure I was in safely, he sped off.

As soon as I made it inside, I shut and locked the door as quietly as I could without making too much noise and made my way to my room.

I closed the door to my room carefully, wincing when I heard it creak slightly then plopped down on my bed, heaving a sigh of relief that I made it back without any trouble.

I glanced at my clock, seeing it was 2:46 now, and I put my pajamas on then laid in bed as I felt the adrenaline wear off and slowly the sleep was kicking in, along with what just happened.

I sat up in bed realizing I had spent practically half the night with Dwayne, and I actually enjoyed it. Not only that, but I even got my hands on a good copy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. As soon as I remembered it, I opened my bag that I left by my bedside and reached in to grab the book, only to pull out a comic book that I don’t remember getting.

“Vampires Everywhere?” I mumble to myself and turn on my lamp to get a better look at it.

It was obviously some cheesy vampire comic, but curiosity got the best of me yet again and I opened it to read it.

I read it a little while and felt my eyes growing heavy, deciding to go to bed. I set the book aside and turned off my light, drifting off into sleep.

However, I wouldn’t be sleeping tonight.

I dreamt I was walking around the fairgrounds looking for Silas, and thinking I saw him, I walked towards a darker side of the grounds where a shadow hid amongst the trees.

I couldn’t see who the figure was, but it sent a chill running down my spine and caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand at attention.

“Silas?” I called out, thinking maybe it was Silas afterall.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Silas run passed me and deeper into the darkness. “Silas wait!” I cried out and followed him. I desperately didn’t want him getting lost or hurt so late at night.

In the distance, I could hear the sounds of laughter and screaming from the fair, which only grew softer and softer once the lights dimmed, being obscured by the trees and their leaves.

I gulped as it grew darker the further I walked until I was suddenly pinned by a tree, a pair of glowing eyes boring into my own. I had never felt any sense of terror this bad in my entire life and let out a mortified scream, only to be cut off by a sharp pain in my neck near my jugular.

I bolted upright in bed as I awoke, my chest heaving and tears pouring from my eyes while I tried to remind myself it was only a dream.

I shakily went downstairs for a glass of water and turned to go back up the stairs, freezing when I saw the same pair of eyes from my dream, the glass slipping from my hand and shattering on the floor by my feet.

I couldn’t move, nor could I speak. I felt the lump in my throat from wanting to scream, but it just wouldn’t come out.

In the same speed from which I’d seen the figure, it disappeared when I glanced at the mess and back up at it. Thankfully, whatever it was, it was outside, though I feared for how long now that it knew where I lived.

~~

Next

Tag list:

@noodle81937

@goodiesinthecloset21

[save-the-villainous-cat]

hey! i’m the relationship anon from some time earlier and this time i’m here with a request, i hope you don’t mind :)

first of all your writing is absolutely the best and you’re super talented!! i found your blog earlier than i first sent you a message and i must say reading your snippets always brings me emotions- i absolutely love you (as a writer and you seem a great person)!

now for the request itself i guess :) may i please read something soft? not anything new/unusual in my request but anyway, maybe with either the hero or the villain being touch starved and the other finding it out, and then some teasing and overall kinda fluff? please- :)

thanks in advance and no problem at all if you don’t wanna do it!

“Your hands are so soft,” the villain mumbled. They got on top of the hero and buried their face in their neck. It was astounding that someone so tall and muscular could also be so tender. Everything about the villain screamed intimidating and yet, they always melted in the hero’s arms.

Out of reflex, the hero’s hands slipped under the villain’s shirt and drew slow shapes into the skin of their lover’s back. The hero chuckled lightheartedly. “Someone’s a bit touchy today, hm?”

As a reply, the villain hummed contently, their voice vibrating lovingly on the hero’s chest. The hero often remembered a time in which they had felt like they were the loneliest person on earth. For years, the hero had thought themselves to be unlovable, unworthy of any kind of affection. Waking up alone, eating alone, going to bed alone — it was painful.

Sometimes, they still felt this everlasting dread on them. They were breathing it in like thick fog, consuming it and without a warning they got hurled back into that time.

That only happened when the villain wasn’t around.

“Sweetheart, you stayed out of trouble this week, yes?” the hero whispered, taking the villain’s jaw in their hand to make them look at them.

“Uhm—” The hero could see their blush crawling down their body, disappearing under their shirt. “I actually did. I didn’t notice but I did.”

“I’m proud of you.” The villain averted their gaze.

“Seducing me to the good side, huh?” they mumbled. It was adorable how they played with the seam of the hero’s shirt nervously, their eyes darting in the air.

“Well, it looks good on you. Helping people, making someone else smile. I watched you play with the kids you saved the other day. You let them play with your cape,” the hero said. Sometimes, the villain went too far when they were fighting. Old habits are hard to kill. But the hero was working on that with them.

“They were asking for it. Couldn’t really say no when their parents stood right next to me,” the villain answered. It was a rather hilarious excuse.

“You could’ve said you were busy.”

“I…” Defeated, the villain buried their face in the hero’s chest again while their lover scratched their scalp carefully, running fingers through their hair with a warm precision.

“Is it that bad?” the hero asked, smiling.

“No…” the villain admitted. “It feels good to be loved. I always thought violence is all I am capable of. But maybe there’s something else.”

They pressed their face deeper into the hero’s clothes. If that was even possible.

“I think so too. You’re a good person.”

“Wish I could be like you, though. You’re so selfless it makes me want to vomit,” the villain mumbled into their shirt.

Laughing at the attempted disgust in the villain’s voice — which failed graciously — the hero lifted their lover’s face again. Without hesitation, they touched the villain’s cheeks. Palms gliding over skin. It made their villain close their eyes, muscles relaxing, breath slowing.

“I used to be very selfish. Very hot-headed and I learnt my lesson more than once. Learning compassion can be very hard when you didn’t grow up with it. You know how it is. Sickness comes from sickness. Feeds on it.”

The hero looked at their lover who seemed quite unsure now, staring at them with big eyes.

“What I’m saying is, it’s not your fault. You’re starting fresh. You can’t control the past. No need to dwell on it.”

When their villain nodded, the hint of a sleepy smile on their face, the hero wished they could live for eternity in this moment.

But when they thought about it again, they knew they could die happily tomorrow, having seen this.

[dizzyjelly]

My Perfect Girl

Word Count: 1.2k

Summary: your friends leave you feeling more insecure than you already were, but Ellie comforts you and yells at your dickhead friends

Cw: body insecurity, mentions of feeling/being fat+ugly, troubles eating

You struggled to breathe as you lied in bed curled into a ball, crying your eyes out. Your crying fit had been a result of a rather hurtful conversation with your "friends." Your body faced the wall as tour hands came to cover your face, your palms wetting with tears. Time passed, you didn't know how much, but you'd heard a voice behind you and the bedroom door creaking open.

"Baby? What's going on, what happened?" Ellies voice was laced with concern and worry as she rushed to your side, rubbing your back.

You sniffled as you turned to face her, tears still streaming down your face as you picked up your phone and opened up your grouochat then handing it to her. Your breaths were ragged and quick as you watched her read, hee brows furrowed in worry quickly arched with anger as she did.

Y/n: guys I feel like I look bad today *image attached*

Ryan: wdym

Rosa: yeah u look the same lol

Y/n: idk like I feel ugly and like fat :(

Ryan: I don't see any difference 💀

Rosa: ong you look like u always do

Ryan: yeah ur just being dramatic lmao

Rosa: she probably just wants attention to be really honest

Ryan: omg you're right tho, fishing for compliments haha

Y/n: guys stop I'm not kidding.

Ryan: come on yk were right

Rosa: yeah just calm down bro

Y/n: whatever I'm done talking to you guys.

"What the fuck." Ellie muttered under her breath.

"Ellie, I look terrible and they're just making fun of me." Your bottom lip quivered.

"Baby, you don't. I promise they're just being assholes for no reason." She tried to reassure you, rubbing at your arm up and down.

You turned away from her, facing the wall again as you cried harder. You couldn't believe a word she said, you just felt insecure. It wasn't the first day you've felt like this, but it never got easier. It was days like these where you couldn't even bring yourself to look in the mirror, shower, or take care of yourself in general.

She let out a deep sigh, bringing a hand to rub your back gently, occasionally combing through your hair with her fingers. She looked at your phone again, then stood to leave the room.

"I'm gonna talk to them." She stated before exiting and calling the group.

Your friends picked up and were confused, seeing Ellies face instead of your own. It's not like they didn't recognize your girlfriend, but they wondered why she was the one calling them.

"Oh hey Ellie." Ryan greeted with a smile.

"Hi. So what the fuck is wrong with you guys?"

Rosa laughed a bit, her brows furrowing.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"Whyd you guys say that shit to Y/n? Seriously what kind of fucking friends are you?" She asked in return, as if it was obvious.

"Oh come on, she knows we were kidding!" Ryan argued.

"Yeah, she's probably being dramatic anyways." Rosa chimed in.

"I bet you're only asking because she told you to." Ryan spoke smugly.

"Um, no actually I'm asking because clearly she's upset and you guys are just being assholes. And if she knows you were joking why'd I come home to her crying, hm? Terrible fucking jokes by the way." Ellie argued, feeling angrier at your friends poor reactions.

"She was crying? Oh shit, sorry." Suddenly Ryan seemed to feel bad.

"Yeah you fuckin should be, she's probably gonna be worked uo for days now. Great fucking job you two." And with that Ellie hung up, as she couldn't bear to speak to them any longer.

She shut off your phone and set it at the bedside table, sitting down and glancing over at you as you let out a heavy sigh. You silently cursed as your stomach grumbled.

"Babe, you hungry?" Ellie asked, leaning down to rest her chin on your shoulder.

"No." You lied, shaking your head.

"Ok, well have you eaten today?" She asked, already sure she knew the answer.

"No." You were quiet now, feeling ashamed at your inability to care for yourself, how you know you should be.

"Alright well come on then, let's put something in that belly of yours." She tried to turn you around, take you to the kitchen.

But you wouldn't budge, tears falling from your eyes once again as you shook your head furiously.

"No! I-I'm already fat enough I don't need to eat anymore!" You protested, believing everything you said.

"What? Stop it, that's nonsense and you know it. Come on, just come have something. Please." She frowned as she held your hands in her own, it hurt her to see you so upset.

"I can't." You choked out and she pulled you into a hug.

You immediately leaned into her relaxing touch, wrapping your arms around her back as you nuzzled your head into her shoulder.

"Baby, you can. I know you can, you're stronger than you think. And your body is perfect" She pulled away, holding your face in her hands as she peppered kisses over your face, "I love every part of it, and you. You're amazing and your brain is just lying to you." She reminded you.

"Love you too." You responded, sniffling and leaning your forehead against her own.

You finally followed her to the kitchen, still hesitant but you'd get past that. You sat at the table and watched as she made pasta for the two of you, mainly because she knew it was your comfort food. A smile made its way to your face as she brought over two bowls, giving on to you. Ellie smiled ten times as big as you did, rubbing her thumb over your cheek fondly. It made her happier than anything to see you smiling after you'd had such a tough time that day.

Once you finished eating, Ellie insisted on doing the dishes. You felt bad for not helping out, but she reassured you that she was more than happy to do it herself. She told you to go sit down and pick a movie, and of course you did.

You'd selected something happier, usually you two watched horror together but tonight you just didn't feel like it. You sat with your knees pulled to your chest, a fuzzy blanket engulfing you as you waited for your girlfriend. She was sitting beside you in no time, pulling you into her side. You hummed contently, leaning into her touch with a smile as you leaned your head on her shoulder.

About halfway through the movie, Ellie placed a kiss to your forehead then placed a hand on your chin to make you look at her.

"Is my girl finally feeling better?" She asked.

"Mostly, thank you for helping me." You smiled before leaning in to give her a kiss.

"Of course Baby. You tired yet?" She asked, looking at her watch and noting that it was getting late.

You just nodded before placing your head back on her shoulder and closing your eyes. She chuckled a bit at you, rubbing your side lovingly then letting her head fall against your own as she waited until you fell asleep before carrying you into your shared bedroom. She laid you down then climbed in next to you, pulling you in. You let out a small groan as you hiked your leg over her own, wrapping your arm around her stomach.

A/n: sorry ik it's kinda short! Hope u still liked tho :)))

[mcflymemes]

AS SAID BY VARRIC TETHRAS  *  assorted dialogue from dragon age: inquisition

who designs a place that takes this many keys to get inside?

look at all the shit that's happened to you.

this shit is ruining my boots.

you've got to be kidding me.

i really am in the ass-end of nowhere now.

i'll take your word for it.

have we reached the stage where we gossip about each other's love lives?

we'll talk later.

nothing's stopping us from going back up.

one of those things would be impossible. all of them together? that's a miracle.

there was nothing simple about it.

you think we could take a couple of these books back with us?

my guess is another earthquake... that hits when we're halfway across the bridge.

i've had to write some letters.

no tantalizing secrets to divulge?

considering the company, i'm surprised it didn't feel longer.

does anybody else smell that? seriously? just me?

we're done here, right?

just take care of yourself.

i tried to warn you.

so it was just you, alone in the vast wilderness?

so we're getting the band back together? that's exciting.

let's try not to poke around someone else's grave, all right?

that had to hurt!

are you blushing?

let's not talk about it.

something about this place gives me the creeps.

i have no idea why places like this exist.

are we sure this is a good idea?

just because two people dislike each other doesn't mean they're about to kiss.

let's talk about your dark and troubled past.

i can almost promise you trouble when you arrive.

great place to get crapped on by a bird.

sounds like you two would have made a happy couple.

well, that screams "up to no good."

that's the seventh root i've tripped over in the last ten minutes.

i'm providing a service.

back me up!

how about dalliances? liaisons? illicit affairs?

you don't want to talk about yourself. i can respect that. so what do we talk about, then?

i'd also like to avoid falling.

i could help, you know.

i make up for it elsewhere.

are you going to blame me for that, too?

well, no one would peg you as a spy.

what? no! why would you even ask that?

let's try not to get eaten, shall we?

good spot for it. i wouldn't look here for anything.

my money's on this being a trap.

i'll keep that in mind.

maybe the locals will lend us a boat.

some things never change.

too attached to hitting things with your fists?

well, you've got to give me something.

personally i think it's some kind of compensation thing.

anybody else vote that we never come here again?

all this fresh air is making me lightheaded.

you remind me of someone.

are you all right?

i got to ask, does any of this shit make sense to you?

i'm not sure what that even means.

of course i'm concerned! i don't need you prodding me with a stick to prove it.

i hate caves.

thank you for not torturing me. i'm so much happier now.

we'll have to find another way.

how do you like being described?

poor bastards.

be still my heart. i've grown on you.

whatever it does, it's probably ancient and invaluable.

so what do we expect to find here?

you're asking me?

i'm hoping if i ignore it, it'll go away.

there's a lot of work to do.

just what we needed.

i didn't specify whose ass, did i?

you want to get shit done, right?

have you been reading the inscriptions?

it's just... all that niceness.

the only thing they seem to have in common is a tendency to burn things.

so there's a rational explanation after all.

well... that's gruesome.

where's the sneaking? the plotting? the subtle machinations?

most people are like cats. they either puff up to look dangerous or they crouch down and hope you don't see them.

it generally helps to respect local traditions now and then.

i've heard some people actually enjoy walking in the wilderness.

anyone know the name of this river?

someone remembered to bring water, right?

it's... hard to explain.

if they're busy staring at your hat, they're ignoring all your other flaws.

beg your pardon? i didn't catch that.

hm... i don't want to bore people.

how could you possibly be a spy?

ooh, that's a tough one.

look, i have to complain, or you'll forget i'm even here and trip over me!

how are you holding up? you've been quiet for a while.

i don't know what you're complaining about. you're taller than i am.

if you love a character, you give them pain, ruin their lives, make them suffer. maybe even throw in a heroic death.

you doing all right? i heard you breathing a little hard after the last fight.

no, no... that was good.

i will try my best not to do the impossible.

no argument there.

you seem the type.

you think i get any fun hanging out with them?

well, what you do doesn't make sense.

it seems like you're not having the effect you could.

keep acting like a big shot and hope it sticks.

[twilightmalachite]

Raison d’être - A Premature Burial 2

Author: Akira

Characters: Nazuna, Kuro, Mika, Shu

Translator: Mika Enstars

"You’re cryin’ like a cat… Seriously, what’s up~? There, there. You’ll be graduating from high school soon, won’t you, Kagehira~?"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Starmony Dorms (Exterior)

Nazuna: Hm~? Actually, I heard something about you being summoned by Itsuki to the house he was boarding at, Kagehira.

Was he unkind to you again? That guy… If he was cruel to you, I’ll complain to him myself, ‘kay?

Mika: Nnah, Nazuna-nii—

Nazuna-nii~! W-W-W, What do I do? I-I don’t know what t’do anymore…!

Nazuna: Uhyah? Dyon’t jump on mwe like that, you’re gettin’ heavier an’ more filled out these days!

Mika: Nnah~, nnaaah~… But, I, I—

Nazuna: You’re cryin’ like a cat… Seriously, what’s up~? There, there. You’ll be graduating from high school soon, won’t you, Kagehira~? You’re a grown man now, aren’t you~?

Mika: Sniff! But, Nazuna-nii~… It’s horrible. Truth is, Oshi-san’s Grandpa, he…

Kuro: Hmm? What’s happened with his grandfather? I’d heard that he’s been in poor health and bedridden since last winter.

Mika: Ya didn’t hear either, “Ryuu~-kun”-san? Aah, ya are rather estranged from each other now, arent’cha?

Um. I’m still tryna confirm the truth, but… …It appears that Oshi-san’s Grandfather has passed away.

Kuro: Wha?

Mika: He used t’let me freeload at his house, so it’s got to do with me too!

So, I hurried back to the country myself—T-The funeral… I’ve gotta prepare fer it…!

Kuro: Ah~… This again?

Mika: Nnah? W-What do you mean by, “this again”?

Kuro: Nah, maybe its for real this time… So, I won’t go sayin’ anythin’ careless.

As far as I know, this is ‘bout… the 17th time Itsuki’s gramps has passed away.

Mika: Nnah…?

Nazuna: Ah~, that happened once back when Valkyrie was just Itsuki and I.

I don’t know Itsukis’ gramps personally, but from what I’ve heard, he seems like a preeetty mischievous guy. Pretends to die every so often, for whatever reason.

Mika: P-Pretend to die…? Eh? Yer kiddin’, why would he do somethin’ like that?

Nazuna: Who knows… By the time I learned of it, Itsuki’s family had already gotten used to it.

They’d be like, “I’m so sick of Grandfather’s antics.” Only Itsuki would panic, because he really seems to love his gramps.

Kuro: That’s right~… I’d feel real sorry for him too, at first. I’d take care of him like he was a kid and treat him to sweets to comfort him and such.

But once you hit the fifth time, it starts t’get tiresome’… I’d just end up sayin’ “I see. That’s horrible.” whenever I heard it.

Mika: Whaaa…?

Kuro: Just sayin’. If it were for real this time, it’d be no joke, but don’t take it too hard—‘Kay, Kagehira?

Itsuki too. That gramps that Itsuki’s the most attached to, is the type of person who’s too exhaustin’ to take seriously.

Mika: … …

Location: Paris Townscape

Shu: “Alright. Now then, I’ll be going.”[1]

“Yes, I know that—Given that by any chance, that is the case. Grandfather is old and has been in poor health since winter last year.”

“If it were simply that attention-seeking old man acting stupid and playing around with those around him… It would be better if it were a prank like that.”

“I shall return to Japan briefly to confirm the truth with my own eyes. Yes, it is still cold out, so take care of your health as well.”

“Now then, if you’d excuse me.”

“…Yes? Hmm? What is it?”

“It’s possible that, mayhaps it had gotten mixed in what I had mailed Kagehira—Ahh, a work partner of mine’s luggage.”

“Yes, I had mailed some of my work over to him… Doing so, some of the items from the atelier might have gotten mixed in.”

“Yes. I’ll try to find it. Oh, no, that doesn’t belong to me.”

“Hm. Could it have originally been Grandfather’s? Rather than returning it back here, in the case Grandfather has really passed, it might be good to place it at his graveside, wouldn’t it?”

“Hm, you would advise against it? It might get you in trouble? What do you mean by that…?”

“I’m not quite sure, but understood. Right. Now then, again, if you’d excuse me.”

Shu: (…Goodness gracious. Grandfather causes such a commotion every time.)

(Then again, there is the case of the boy who cried wolf. The last time I had visited him, he was so gaunt he looked like a completely different person…)

(So this time around, it’s possible…)

(Ahh, I hate this. No matter how much time passes, I can’t get accustomed to the concept of death.)

(I wish everyone were all dolls.)

(I wish they could all be put on display in my kingdom for eternity, never to deteriorate.)

Shu: … …

[ ☆ ]

← prev | story directory | next →

1. The quotation marks here signify he is speaking in French. He is talking to the landlady of the house he boards at.

[doppotranslations]

Why didn’t you ask Ichiro?

===============================

Hypmic ARB in-game event story (Doppo, Saburo, Hitoya)

Recording Link: https://youtu.be/PCP9jVypO6Q (in case you wanna read along with the in-game voice lines and sound effects :D)

Warning: mentions of stalking, mentions of attempted suicide

===============================

Chapter 1

Ichiro: Jiro, well done! Seriously, you were a great help!

Jiro: Hehe… It wasn’t that big of a deal!

Saburo: Ichi-nii, what did Jiro do?

Ichiro: Umm? Oh, I got a pretty troublesome odd-job. Jiro managed to take care of it all by himself. I really needed the help since I’m getting lots of jobs lately.

Saburo: I see…

Jiro: Big bro, you can count on me for any job! I can help you again any time!

Ichiro: Haha! As long as you do your best!

Jiro: Hehe!

Saburo: (That damn Jiro… getting carried away so easily… I am so much more talented than you!... just you wait and see!)

[The next day, at school]

Saburo: (... I wonder what I could do to prove I am way better than Jiro…)

Schoolgirl: Ummm… Saburo-kun, do you have a moment?

Saburo: Hm? What is it?

Schoolgirl: There is something I want to talk about with you.

Saburo: I’m thinking right now, so do make it quick.

Schoolgirl: …Thanks! …I actually got stalked recently…

Saburo: Huh?! Stalked?

Schoolgirl: Umm… Yeah, I need you to help me with it by introducing me to your older brother Ichiro.

Saburo: …Wouldn’t it be faster to go to the police?

Schoolgirl: Every day… in the morning and on my way home I receive a silent phone call… It feels like I am being followed every time. I don’t think going to the police will be of any help.

Saburo: It’s pretty hard to believe with no evidence…

Schoolgirl: But, I’m so scared…

Saburo: Sounds pretty bad… I guess it’s too late to get evidence after something had already happened. Understood. I’ll talk to Ichi-nii- (Wait… If I can solve this issue all by myself then I could prove to Ichi-nii that I am better than Jiro, right?)

Schoolgirl: Saburo-kun…?

Saburo: Actually, I’ll be the one helping you instead.

Schoolgirl: Whaat? Really?

Saburo: Yes, of course! I can’t let my classmate’s troubles go unnoticed.

Schoolgirl: Thanks, Saburo-kun!

Saburo: For the sake of my classmate, I’ll even make the fee a little cheaper.

[At the park]

Doppo: Phew… Finally reached a deal… I’m so tired of having so many troublesome projects… really. (Lately I’ve been coming to Ikebukuro so much for business that the morning and evening coffee I drink in this park have been my only way to relax.) It sure is a nice and peaceful park… (Every morning, every morning, taking the same train at the same time, following the same route and spending time in the same park to relax…) Ahaha… what the hell… Isn’t it bad to be like this just before 30… even my fellow classmates are married and have kids. Meanwhile, I was scolded by my bald boss and even my clients were making fun of me… Maybe I should go drinking after work…

???: Hey! You, over there!

===============================

Chapter 2

Hitoya: I’ll be returning home tomorrow. Maybe I could get a drink on my way back to the hotel. *his phone starts ringing* …Jyushi? *picks up the phone* Hello?

Jyushi: Oh! Hitoya-san!

Hitoya: Can I help you?

Jyushi: Hitoya-san, you’re now in Tokyo on a business trip, right?

Hitoya: Yeah… how the hell do you know that?

Jyushi: When I passed by your office the receptionist told me.

Hitoya: How many times have you come to my office for no reason?

Jyushi: Hitoya-san! If you’re in Tokyo could you buy me something?!

Hitoya: What is it…?

Jyushi: Dreams and Gods’s new album!

Hitoya: You can buy it in Nagoya too… Why are you nagging me about buying it from here?

Jyushi: The store Tower Records in Ikebukuro has special offers for the latest musical releases!

Hitoya: Oh, is that so?

Jyushi: It’s all I could ever wish for!

Hitoya: Guess it can’t be helped… I’ll buy it for you then.

Jyushi: Thank you so much! As expected of Hitoya-san! Hitoya-san’s kindness is unmatched in all 3000 worlds!

Hitoya: 3000 worlds…? I don’t understand what the hell you’re saying. *enters the store* Woah, this place is huge… I guess it would be faster to ask than to search around?... Umm, excuse me.

Store employee: Yes?

Hitoya: Do you have the latest release from the band “Dreams and Gods are imitations”?

Store employee: I’m sorry, sir. I’m afraid it’s sold out.

Hitoya: I see…

Store employee: However, we’ll bring in more stock tomorrow. Shall I reserve the CD for you?

Hitoya: That would be great.

Store employee: Alright, then please come over to the counter, sir.

Hitoya: Sure thing.

Store employee: We’ll be waiting for you tomorrow then.

Hitoya: (...It’s such a pain that I have to come back tomorrow… however, Jyushi’s reaction to me not buying his CD would be an even bigger pain in the ass…)

[Back to the park]

???: Hey, you! The salaryman over there!!

Doppo: Uh!

Saburo: …

Doppo: W-wha-... you are Ikebukuro’s…

Saburo: You are… Kankonsosaizaka…Doremi?

Doppo: It’s Kannonzaka Doppo…

Saburo: Shut the hell up! I don’t care what your name is!

Doppo: Ah…ahaha… that’s right… my name truly doesn’t matter.

Saburo: Hey! Shut it! I know you’re a stalker!

Doppo: Huh? What… stalker?

Saburo: I’ll report you to the police!

Doppo: P-please w-wait a s-second… I don’t remember doing any of this at all!

Saburo: Get the hell out with that business talk, you stalker! You can’t fool me this easily!

Doppo: *gasps* (W-What the hell… what the hell is he saying?!… What did I do?!... this is it. I’m gonna get accused of a crime I didn’t commit, then I’ll lose my job and my life will be over… I hate this.)

Saburo: Come on! Let’s go!

Doppo: Uh! *runs away*

Saburo: Hey! Wait! Where the hell do you think you’re going!?

Doppo: *pants* (Run until you die! No, run even if you die, Doppo Kannonzaka!!! If you get arrested your whole life will have been a joke!!) UWOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

???: Woah!

Doppo: *bumps into him* Ow-! It huuurts… H-hey, I’m s-sorry…Oh! You are…

===============================

Chapter 3

???: Woah!

Doppo: *bumps into him* Ow-! It huuurts… H-hey, I’m s-sorry…Oh! You are…

Hitoya: Owch… watch where you’re going…!... Oh, you are Shinjuku’s…

Doppo: H-hello… I am Kannonzaka… um… I am truly sorry for this!

Hitoya: Oh… no, it’s fine… What were you in a hurry for?

Doppo: Oh, r-right!... *sighs* looks like he’s gone…

Hitoya: Was someone chasing you?

Doppo: Ahaha… I am in a pretty strange situation right now. (I can’t just tell him I was mistaken for a stalker and then chased by a middle schooler for it…) W-well… Hitoya-san… was it? Why are you in Ikebukuro?

Hitoya: I have a little work to do around here.

Doppo: I s-see… I’m really sorry for bumping into you at such a time then!

Hitoya: Right… don’t worry about it anymore. I just wanted to go out for a drink anyway.

Doppo: Is that so? … well… 

Hitoya: What is it?

Doppo: As an apology for running into you, could I buy you a drink?

Hitoya: You don’t have to go that far...

Doppo: No, I truly feel sorry about it, so please let me treat you!

Hitoya: Alright, if you say so, then I’ll take it.

Doppo: Thank you very much! Let’s go then!

Hitoya: Why are you thanking me if it's your treat?

Saburo: *pants* …Damn! I lost him! (But that guy… is he really a stalker?... According to her story, it’s a salaryman in a dull suit who always sits in that park… Maybe I should check tomorrow too…) This case… I absolutely have to solve it by myself!

[At the bar]

Hitoya: …

Doppo: Puwa….! That’s right, Hitoya-san! I’m alwaysh always alwaaays being treated like shit by that fat bald boss!!!

Hitoya: You’re right… that’s so weird, isn’t it…?

Doppo: Weird doesn’t even begin to describe it! At this rate I’ll end up being just as bald and short as that short bald bastard!

Hitoya: If it brings you so much pain, why not sue him for power harassment? If you’d like, I can give you a consultation for cheap.

Doppo: Thank you for the offer… If I do that, my position at the company…

Hitoya: If they lower your score on the performance review for this, then you’d better consider changing jobs as soon as possible.

Doppo: Aaaaaa! How easy would it be if I could actually do that!! I cannot change jobs so easily... I have no time to look for a new job…!! AAAAAAA! I hate it! I hate everything in this world!! Aaaaa, at this rate, my spirit is going to collapse!

Hitoya: Calm down, Kannonzaka… 

Doppo: How the hell should I calm down!!? Today, as I was hanging out in East-Ikebukuro Park as usual, a middle schooler kept calling me a stalker, so I had to run away!!

Hitoya: You were chased by a middle schooler?

Doppo: Uhhh… what could he possibly have had against me…

Hitoya: What the hell, that’s all kinds of weird…

Doppo: Fuck… Now I have to watch out both for that bald bastard and for this middle schooler… even if by some miracle things got better… I don’t think I could forgive them even if they apologized.

Hitoya: Look, Kannonzaka. We’re drinking here! Let’s have some fun, ok?

Doppo: Y-you’re right… I was getting really embarrassing there… 

Hitoya: Hey, if you’re not guilty of anything you should feel proud, right? Riight?

Doppo: R-right! I should feel proud… how hard could that be, right? I’ll do my best!

Hitoya: Yeah! Well, then, cheers again!

Doppo: C-cheers!

===============================

Chapter 4

[At the park, the next morning]

Doppo: Phew… After the incident that happened yesterday, Hitoya-san advised me to be more bold, so I’m going to drink this coffee proudly. Yeah! That’s right! I’m sure the whole thing was a misunderstanding! I should just stop overthinking it and focus on doing my best for the work I still have to do!

Saburo: Are you sure the guy sitting over there is the stalker? 

Schoolgirl: Yeah… For sure… 

Saburo: As I thought… that perverted bastard… You should wait here. I’ll go confront him by myself.

Schoolgirl: Thanks!

Hitoya: Hello…

Store employee: Thank you, sir~!

Hitoya: (Alright, now I can go home) Oh, there seems to be a shortcut here.

Doppo: Alright! I’ll do my best to reach an agreement on that contract!! *gets grabbed by Saburo* Uh! W-what the…!

Saburo: Don't play dumb! You fucking stalker!

Doppo: Waaaah!! Get away from meeee!!

Saburo: Woah, stop acting like you just saw a ghost!

Doppo: O-ok… tell me what I did.

Saburo: Shut up! I’ve caught you once and for all! You can’t escape now!

Doppo: B-but…I haven’t done anything…

Saburo: Shut up and come with me!!

Doppo: N-noooo! Somebody! Help me~!!

Schoolgirl: KYAAAAAAAAAA!!

Doppo and Saburo: !!

Stalker: Fuuu… Fuuu… you’re so bad… because you made me come this far…

Schoolgirl: Hey, let go!!!

Doppo: Woah, he has a knife!

Saburo: Oi! Let go of the girl!!

Stalker: Tch, don’t get close!!

Hitoya: Hey, what’s going on?!

Doppo: Oh, Hitoya-san!

Stalker: T-this girl and I will be together in eternity!

Hitoya: O-oi! Put the knife down…!

Stalker: Shut up, shut up, shut up!!! I’ll kill this girl and then myself!!!

Schoolgirl: H-help!!!!

Doppo: H-hey… I-If I die and go to hell with you instead, will you release this young girl with a bright future…?

Hitoya: W-who the hell would want to pass away with an old man like you?!

Doppo: U-uhhh… You’re right…

Hitoya: Oi… do you guys have your mics with you?

Saburo: Y-yeah…

Doppo: Y-yes…

Hitoya: Since it came to this… let’s beat the crap out of this guy.

Stalker: L-let’s go then!!!

Schoolgirl: Kyaaaaaaaa!!!

Hitoya: OOOOOO!!

Saburo: Haaaaa!!

Doppo: Waaaaa!!

Stalker: Ugyoraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

Hitoya: Phew… somehow we got out of that ruckus…

Doppo: R-right…

Saburo: Are you ok?

Schoolgirl: Y-yeah… ummm, thanks!

Saburo: You should thank those two guys instead… so it turns out that guy was the stalker. Why did you think Kannonzaka was the stalker?

Schoolgirl: It’s because… I felt like he was following me every single morning in the same vehicle, and then on my way home I saw him every time in this park, always sitting on the same bench…

Doppo: I d-didn’t do all that…! I was really just going to work at the same time, taking the same train, and then resting in the same place at the same time…

Hitoya: In other words, it was just a misunderstanding.

Schoolgirl: I… I’m sorry!

Saburo: Same here… Kannonzaka… I’m sorry I doubted you….

Hitoya: What will you do, Kannonzaka? Will you sue Yamada Saburo for defamation?

Saburo: Uh! … I was the one who caused all this. I’ll accept any punishment.

Doppo: H-hey, what’s with all this talk of suing…?! Anyone can make mistakes. Not to mention, he’s just a middle schooler… I’m not angry about this.

Hitoya: Right…

Saburo: I appreciate your generous response… however…

Doppo: ?

Saburo: Don’t go treating me like a child! You damn underpaid salaryman!!

Doppo: Underpaid, huh… T-that’s true, but truth can sometimes feel like a blade stabbing you deeply in the heart…

Saburo: Shut up! I’m not a child!!

Doppo: W-why do I feel like I’m getting angry now…

Hitoya: Heh…what the hell are you two fussing and crying about? You’re acting like I’m not even here.

[blackbird-brewster]

2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 30, 32, 38, 47, 57, 69, 83, 84

I will answer your ask here shortly! But I didn't want you to think I forgot to ask you ✌️❤️😘

[Send my Writer Asks] TY for so many number!! <3

2. talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

Basically any and every fic with JJ in it is this exact thing. JJ is notorious for going off-script and just doing whatever the hell she wants. I have had to re-write entire fic outlines bc of this. She's a nuisance (affectionate).

4. what is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

I often look at the 4 chapters I wrote for an early season CM fic that's sorta like 'You've Got Mail' (it's a 2006 online dating fic) and lament that I've never finished it. I even *know* the reason why too, it's simply because the coding to do entire chapters in 'e-mail' form on AO3 would require me to build custom skins to make it look like emails and such (yea, I know I don't HAVE to make it look like that, but my brain says You Gotta) and god, I just really hate coding.

5. have you ever made a playlist about something you were writing as an elaborate means to procrastinate when you could have been actually writing and if yes drop a link, son

I currently have over *30* CM character/fanfic related playlists. You should check out this masterlist for all the links plus summaries of each playlist, or just give me a follow on Spotify

12. do you ever have trouble focusing on writing? how do you get around that? 

Sorry, what? I missed the question because I was staring out the window and procrastinating again. The answer -- YES, of course I do. I'm AudHD and I live in a house with three other people, a cat who's an asshole, and on a street where multiple houses are being built. 😭 I try my best to be at my desk at regular hours each week, usually about 10am-4pm M-F. And I close any windows/apps on my laptop that aren't my writing one and put my phone out of reach. Then I set the focus timer on for a designated time and try to write until it goes off. This helps TONS.

13. talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you.

When I wrote what was supposed to be a Emily/Rebecca hate-sex one-shot, I didn't think anyone would read it. Then, when I expanded it into what became 'Do What I Want (Over What's Right)' I was absolutely blown away by the great convos I had with readers in each chapter's comment section. I even met a new best buddy via that fic! (hiiii @swpf)

30. most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you.

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love." - Dr Seuss

32. do characters influence your writing style?

Can do, sometimes. My style itself doesn't change all that much, I don't think? I mean, I can look at old fics and see how far I've come since first writing them, but that's less about the characters themself and more about me as a weird little guy.

38. how many stories do you work on at one time?

One. As mentioned above, I'm far too distractable to have multiple-WIP at one time. The exception to this rule is, sometimes, I'll crank out a one-shot while working on a longer project too. But 99% of the time, I only have one WIP going.

47. what story are you most proud of?

Forever and ever, Head Full of Doubt (Jemily, High School AU). That fic explores mental health, friendship, depression, and the pressures of being a teenager. It is my forever proudest achievement as a writer.

57. what is the last thing that a fic made you google when you were reading it?

While reading? Hm, this is gonna sound so petty, but I recently pulled up the fandom wiki to double check a continuity point in a fic. Not because I was judging the author, more because my brain was trying to figure out the timeline they were presenting.

69. how do you write emotional scenes? do you ever feel what the characters feel?

I have such a visceral imagination. I not only see my characters, but I definitely also feel their feels too as part of getting into their heads. When I write emotional scenes, I am usually sobbing myself. On the flip side, my partner knows when I'm writing smut bc my breath gets all soft and short 🫠

83. less is more or more is more?

Do whatever you want forever. Period. No rules, just do you!

84. said: overused or underused?

Again, do whatever you want forever. I use said/replied lots, but I also use more specific indicators to get tone across depending on the conversation and scene.

[thefreakymunson]

Hiii!!!! I know you were looking for new non smut stuff! I HAVE ONE!!!

Okay okay okay hear me out.

Eddie and reader best friend are 100% dense about them both being ass over tea kettle for one another and so Robin and Steve meddle and have them go to the mall with them right? And then Ditch them with a note saying “have a nice date you two don’t do anything we wouldn’t do.”

Eddie: -bright red- a…a date? Ahem. I mean if you are amenable.

Reader: -blushes- I um… yes?

Both of them pause Eddie: -frowns- there isn’t much those two idiots wouldn’t do.

I’ll leave the rest up to you but have a moment where Robin and Steve pop out of somewhere “JUST KISS ALREADY!!!!”

“You know he’s totally into you, right?” Robin had said the previous night on the phone. You had been talking for hours at that point, the two of you gushing over your crushes when you finally let it slip that you had been crushing hard on the guy you called your best friend for years now. Eddie Munson.

“Rob, you’re so full of shit.” You huffed into the phone.

“Dude, when you’re not around and it’s just him and Steve and I, he will not shut up about you. It’d be cute if it wasn’t so annoying, actually.”

You should’ve seen the warning signs a mile away that she was up to something that night when she told you that she wanted you, Eddie, Steve, and herself to all meet up at Scoops Ahoy after closing time the next night.

You should’ve seen the warning signs when she told you to dress nice. You should’ve seen the warning signs when you called Scoops earlier that day and asked if everything was still on for the night and she giggled.

But now, here you were, standing outside of a closed Scoops Ahoy, Eddie leaned up against the door beside of you as you clutched a piece of paper that said:

“Dear Y/N and Eddie, Have a fun night, just the two of you. Have a little date. Don’t get yourselves in trouble because we don’t have bail money, but don’t do anything we wouldn’t do.

Love, S + R.”

You read the note several times and looked around to make sure this wasn’t one of their elaborate pranks and they weren’t going to come running out from the fake plants. You passed the note to Eddie who read it over and over again, his face beet red by the time he looked up at you.

“A date?” He scratched the back of his neck, “What’s that about?”

“I guess they’ve got the rogue idea that we have a crush on each other.” You shrugged, your cheeks tinted as red as his. You didn’t dare look at him. Not until he spoke again and you felt those butterflies flurry.

“I mean, I guess they’re not too far off.” He snorted, “It’s not like I haven’t had a crush on you for the past three years.”

Your eyes snapped up to his and you swallowed harshly. Did he just say...three years? You couldn’t talk. Your mouth felt dry and you swore you lost the ability to speak. How was he so casual about this?

“I mean...if you’ve got something better to do...we can just forget this ever happened.” Eddie shrugged as he straightened himself up and acted as if he was going to walk off, “Since we were...ya know...ditched?”

“No, I – I’d go out on a date with you.” You said, way too enthusiastically, as you gripped his leather clad arm. Way to play it cool. “I mean...we can hang out, yeah?”

“You sure?” He snorted, “Cause it looks like you’re about ready to run away from me now that I told you I was crushing on you.”

“No,” you laughed softly as you shook your head, “I guess I just...can’t believe it. I mean...you’re not exactly the only one that’s had a three year crush.”

“Really?” His voice was soft, “You’re not just saying that to make me feel like less of an asshole, hm?”

“No,” you smiled up at him, “I’m not.”

You caught the smile that was splayed across his face as he looked down at his boots and then back up at you after he had regained a semblance of composure, “So...maybe we can go to the food court or something? It’s late...and there’s probably nothing else open right now.”

“Yeah, that’s fine with me.” You nodded, trying so hard to not be awkward but failing miserably.

The two of you walked quietly to the food court, both of you ordering a milkshake and a order of fries to share. You found the farthest table from everyone else and slid into the booth, sliding around until you were sitting next to him, your thighs touching from the closeness. You were afraid it was going to feel weird now but it just still felt like you were hanging out with your best friend.

He was quiet for a minute before he snorted slightly and nodded towards the opposite end of the food court.

“There’s two sailors staring at us from across the food court right now,” Eddie said and you followed his line of sight across the dining tables and to a corner. You bit back a laugh when you saw Steve and Robin passing back and forth a pair of binoculars.

“Guess we’ve got some spies,” you laughed, propping your head up on your hand as you looked over at him. He seemed a bit quieter than usual and you wondered if something was bothering him.

“You okay?” You asked softly.

“Uh...yes and no,” he nodded, “I guess this isn’t how I wanted you to find out...I wanted you to tell you when I was ready. Guess I’m a little upset this wasn’t done on our time but...maybe they realized we were both too stubborn.”

“We are a little stubborn, aren’t we?” You laughed softly, catching his gaze as he turned to look at you. You leaned into him, your chest against his arm as you asked softly,“What else is on your mind, Eds?”

“...I just really want to kiss you right now,” he nodded, his eyes drifting down to your mouth.

His kiss was everything you had ever dreamed of. Soft and gentle, taking a bit more desperate edge once you didn’t pull away. You could faintly hear cheers coming from the opposite end of the food court as one of his hands came up to cup the back of your head and through a peeking eye, you could see he was flipping the two cheerleaders off.

“It’s about time!” Steve shouted from the corner.

“Get a room, lovebirds!” Robin laughed right along with him.

[termagax]

essentially i just think its an interesting topic w him because like he does kind of embody a sort of machismo and its hard to tell how much of that is a genuine self-expression and how much of that is a persona but that is his whole thing innit. how much of "roadhog" is a mask and how much of it is just. his face.

i feel like its easy to point to the gap moe and just say see. femme behaviour. and i think that kicks ass as a reading but to me i think. hm. like i just think that these two parts of him are not neccessarily "one is the true self and one is a protective persona" as always i think its more complicated than that. and honestly i dont know how much HE knows the distinction between the two either.

part of my personal read on him is that he was a majorly troubled kind of social outcast kid and i think it would take him a while to come around to being comfortable in his own skin, yk? for a LOT of reasons i wont get into here. and im sure that that would give you that defensive layer of machismo and aggression thats difficult to break through but a)at this point its been baked into his life for like. 40 years. and b)he doesnt seem particularly interested in breaking it down at all. i think even the version of him we see in the game where he seems a lot more comfortable with the goofy, cutesy parts of himself he is still very much a Big Dog type of man and he seems to enjoy it a lot. just generally it doesnt ever seem to me that he has much resentment for that part of himself, at least not now? BUT at the same time i absolutely think that he does struggle with feeling alienated from himself and his identity especially wrt the idea of Mako and how he conceptualizes essentially this dead boy inside of him. and i think in my read of him that he felt like mako was dead way before roadhog ever got to come out. again i read him as a bullied outcast kid who grew up into this angry insecure adult with something to prove, and i think that machismo and need to hide the Soft Parts is something hes had for way long yk. so i guess i do read him as kind of gnc although again i dont think this is something hes really interested in reflecting on hes got a job rn so he dont care abt that.

but i do think his willingness to be anything other than an unapproachable brick wall of a man has ebbed and flowed thru his whole life. ikind of read it as peaking through his teen years - early 20s and then mellowing out a bit, so by the time he met fish* they wouldve known him as a lot more comfortable with himself and their relationship wouldve probably facilitated the closest he ever got to actually thinking abt himself in regards to gender. but i think it would spike again once the apocalypse starts happening and its very useful to be the biggest roughest meanest bastard in the wasteland and very bad to be any kind of vulnerable. and i think this would mellow out over time because i think at some point his reputation gets ahead of him and he feels like he can essentially do whatever he wants and rest easy in the knowledge that anyone who says anything will get their teeth punched in. altho i do think hed be more cagey about it around people hes close with during that period mostly because that requires being honest abt anything and. frankly emotional intimacy is just not a part of his and fishs relationship in that period. and the again i think the point we see him at during the games is probably the most chill and normal hes ever been with it because i think hes really kind of found a comfortable place with himself, like i think at that point he feels like he knows who he is and he doesnt feel the need to explain it or dissect it or find that line between roadhog and mako i think hes fine being in the grey area. i will not go on a tangent here abt how fish and rat play into that self-perception thematically but do know i have that locked and loaded.

this is a lot of words to say i think hes dubiously nonbinary and if he were placed in any different less hostile circumstances maybe he couldve done something about that but at this point in his life i dont think he feels the need to yk. theyre chilling.

[bluegekk0]

I hope you feel better soon!

Just wanted to share a few words of encouragement. I really love your AU. I’ve been following it for some time now and it’s just gotten better and better. I love popping online and seeing the latest asks and the lore behind these sillies. Your art is incredible too. This AU is truly a labor of love and it’s great that you’ve taken as much comfort in it as I have. I love seeing AUs that take a different sort of route than canon while staying true to their source material, and I feel like yours does just that. It’s very emotionally balanced, too, with pretty equal amounts of angst and wholesome, which I feel like is a hard thing to achieve in AUs. All in all I’ve really enjoyed keeping up to date with this AU and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

It’s that time again! What’s something you want to infodump about but haven’t gotten the chance? Anything at all. I am READY!

awh thank you so much ❤

this means a lot, really. it's something i worry about all the time, i know it's my au and i can do what i want with it, but i still overthink it way more often than i'd like. i try my best to find a balance between something i personally enjoy and something that doesn't stray too far from the canon, so hearing this is very reassuring. so thank you, i really appreciate your words, and i'm glad you enjoy the au 💖

as for the infodump... hm. well, a topic came up on my friends discord server about fpk's sense of humor, so perhaps i'll take this as an opportunity to talk about what each of the main characters finds funny? that could be quite a fun ramble. i'll put it under a read more thingy cause it'll probably be very long

i guess i'll start with fpk. he's a bit slow when it comes to humor, he's always had trouble catching irony and double-meanings, but after the hibernation he's even slower at getting more nuanced jokes. he'll understand them eventually, but it might take him a few seconds to even process what was said, let alone decide that it was a joke. it doesn't help that he's a serial overthinker, so his first instinct is to take things literally, and that means that in some cases the joke might go completely over his head, especially if it's a topic he's particularly sensitive about. it also carries over to his ability to tell jokes - let's just say he's not very good at it. there aren't many things that he finds funny, most of the time it's something related to his hobby, which unfortunately means most people won't really understand the joke. in other cases, he'll unintentionally say something that's actually really funny, and then get a bit confused when he hears a laugh in response. aside from that, he gravitates towards self-deprecating, dry humor, which can be quite amusing if you contrast it with the more outright funny jokes told by others

grimm, on the other hand, is much more well-versed in comedy. though, probably quite unexpectedly, his humor can be quite immature. he loves jokes that are flirty and filled to the brim with innuendos, which he most often targets at fpk (who needs a second or two to realize what grimm means, before his face turns all red haha). in general his sense of humor can be quite... off putting, let's say. he's the type to make the kind of jokes where you can't exactly tell if he's being serious or not. sometimes you can catch him staring at your neck and commenting on your blood type in a humorous tone, which to him is very funny, but to others might be a bit too ominous. on top of that, he very much enjoys irritating or intimidating others, he finds their reactions very amusing. particularly with hornet, they engage in banter almost constantly - he'll get on her nerves to cause a reaction, and she'll fire back with a mean comeback. to them it's all in a good fun, but to an outsider it would be quite a strange dynamic to witness. of course, he's not all immature, he knows when to stop, and whenever he's away from his family, his demeanor changes and he becomes a lot more serious. it's clear that he's more comfortable and approachable whenever he's around his loved ones, as he basically turns into a completely different person the moment he returns to dirtmouth

hornet has a very mean type of humor. she has a lot of built-up anger, and mean jokes are a way for her to release it. it most certainly borders on being rude and cruel, though she tones it down whenever she's around her family. you have to know her well enough to realize that she's just joking, otherwise her attempts at humor might come off as genuinely insulting. it's certainly something she works on throughout the events of the au, there were a few instances of her saying something mean as a joke towards fpk or holly which was severely misinterpreted, and she wants to avoid repeating that mistake. most of the time, she doesn't actually mean what she says, but unfortunately not everyone sees it that way. i mentioned that she engages in banter with grimm all the time, but even then she tries to control her words. grimm wouldn't get offended, he doesn't take himself that seriously, but it's still something that she pays attention to. of course, if he annoys her, she'll fire at him with a mean joke, which he then laughs off. there's clearly a degree of understanding between them, and it's one of the reasons why they're actually a lot closer than you'd expect. but it's just them, she has to be a lot more careful with her humor around the other members of the family, particularly fpk, who she knows is especially paranoid about upsetting her - she wouldn't want to make him think that she's actually angry at him, so she makes sure to tone down her nasty humor in his presence

holly... well, it's quite difficult to be a jokester if you can't speak. they do understand humor, perhaps not as well as they'd hope, but they're not oblivious to it. unfortunately, they can't really practice it too well - sure, they can attempt to make humorous sketches in their notebook, but the time consuming nature of it means that they're not able to actively participate in comedic banter. though their inability to respond does still lead to humorous moments occasionally. for example, they'd be the "stares into the camera like they're starring in the office" type. their seemingly confused, blank expression happens to make some people laugh, and i think they would quickly catch onto that and embrace it rather than feel embarrassed about it. they also play the straight man whenever they're around more comedic personalities like grimm, or people whose whole presence causes others to laugh, such as zote. of course, it didn't start as something they did entirely by choice, but they would naturally excel at it. and i don't think they mind that, at the end of the day they just want to make others laugh, and if that's what works best, then they're happy

and of course zote is zote. he doesn't really make jokes, but his tendency to blurt things out without thinking and over-confidence lead to many comedic situations. you can't find a funnier guy than him, and he does it completely unintentionally. grimm finds him extremely entertaining, so he'll often say things that will specifically get zote to say dumb things. for example, whenever zote starts one of his rambles about all the places he's allegedly been to, grimm will start asking questions that will get zote to say more made up things, to the point where he completely stops making sense. it's quite mean when you think about it, but that's just how grimm operates (he does actually care for zote in his own strange way). but back to the funny man himself - most of the humor comes from all the wacky situations he gets himself into. that being said, he doesn't like being laughed at, it's a very unpleasant childhood memory that unfortunately makes him react in anger, and that often causes even more people to laugh. i think the rest of the family would catch on, though, and avoid laughing at him, even if they do find his antics very funny. i think this is why he's kind of a honorary family member - he may act all confident and cocky, but deep down he really just wants to be a part of a family, and it just so happens that this bunch of weirdos accept him as one of their own. i imagine he's dealt with a lot of bullying in his childhood, he's got a lot of issues which he weaponizes into all of his nonsense, but that's a topic for another day. as for things he'd laugh at, i do think he would find the misfortune of others amusing. in some ways, he shares hornet's mean sense of humor, though he's not as quick-witted as her haha

as for lewk, he's still a child, so his sense of humor isn't particularly elaborate. he laughs at the things you'd expect a child to laugh at, it doesn't really get much deeper than that. though growing up around grimm and hornet, i could absolutely see him absorbing all of the banter he witnesses and developing a similar type of humor as he ages. he's a lot more sensitive, though, so i don't think he'd ever reach the same levels of mean humor as hornet, or find much amusement in intimidating others like grimm. after all, he does also spend a lot of time around fpk, so perhaps he'd learn some of his "nerd" humor? he's still young, so we'll have to wait and see, i'm constantly thinking of his personality so it's something i can't say for sure just yet