#it was a lot of fun though and I’m excited to see the other perspectives

[krysmcscience]

It’s finally done, guys – five whole pages of Narilamb AU comic AND MORE be upon you! (If you have trouble reading any of the text, view the full-size! These pages are huge!)

Yeesh, this took forever. <:)

There’s probably a ton of inconsistencies and anatomy/perspective wonkeries, but this was mostly just comic practice, so Oh Hekkin Well, Lol <:D

(Yes, I am aware the Gateway’s door isn’t present in the Afterlife, and the actual way in is just a pentagram portal. Yes, I put the door in there anyway because Artistic License, i.e. it felt more impactful for there to be a prison door of sorts to walk through to freedom, rather than just a bland boring portal on the ground. 😠)

anyway, i hate backgrounds so much lmao

Alternate ending and a buttload of bonus art under the cut, followed by goofy AU rambles and headcanon stuff:

I’m calling it the Revival AU. It’s not all that creative a title, and someone else has probably used it already, but I am too lazy to really care, LOL

Alternate ending page, which you will Definitely need to view the full-size for, Whoopsie Daisy:

The alternate ending was actually the first ending I finished things off with, because I had a brief badbrain moment where I forgot the emotional beat I initially wanted the comic to end on, and I tend to write comedy, anyway. I later remembered and drew out the proper ending, but I preserved and finished this one, too, because it still makes me giggle.

They had to go back for the followers off-screen in the AU’s real ending. And by ‘they’ I mean just the Lamb, because they weren’t about to ask three newly freed cats to go back into what used to be their prison. The Lamb DID spend some time watching Narinder and the bois enjoying the outdoors first, though:

In other news, here’s the Lamb and me making fun of my anatomy-drawing ‘skills’:

Meanwhile, if you’re wondering why the Lamb is just a-okay with how things went down vis a vis Their Murder, this bonus comic should answer at least some of your questions:

Ah, yes, also this is how they get engaged outside of the alternate ending. Forgot to mention that bit. XD (I already refuse to believe that Narinder is capable of flirting normally, so why would his initial marriage proposal be any better???)

Oh, and before any of them get a chance to actually head back to the cult grounds, there is one potential problem:

And by ‘problem’ I mean something Narinder intends to ignore for At Minimum a thousand years. Cuz he’s a petty bitch like that. :D

what do you mean i drew the lamb too tall compared to the background? clearly they’re standing on top of baal and aym lmao, why else would you think those two aren’t in this one??? (aym and baal got way too excited about finally being outside, you see, and their silly modes are nothing to sneeze at)

And, speaking of heading back to the cult grounds, I’m sure y’all would love to know how the Lamb’s followers felt about the brand new change in management:

It all went better than expected. <:D Tiny ramble now, feel free to skip down to the next comic.

Before you ask, no, the Lamb does not have any actual powers anymore, other than the immortality Narinder definitely grants them. The Red Crown just thinks it’s funny to suggest otherwise, and Narinder does nothing to discourage this. Also, the Lamb and Narinder aren’t actually married here yet, but, uh. Pretty safe to say that particular ritual directly follows the events of this comic. XD

Given how quickly he mellows out in canon, Narinder probably chills out a lot in this AU once he’s in charge of the cult, too, if only because 1.) He’s finally free, and 2.) He’s equally smitten with and distracted by the Lamb. He’s definitely in charge at least 95% of the time, though, because the Lamb never actually wanted to be a cult leader and, now that their time as a vessel is done, they just want to be a normal(ish) sheep who’s wholly devoted to their hot new divine husband.

Some followers do still have some valid concerns about these two being together, though, which I’m sure at least a few of you might share…

Unfortunately for any such concerns, the Lamb is a bonafide masochist in this AU. :D

They’re also 100% a sub, obviously

Anyone at all: Your relationship is problematic and potentially toxic

The Lamb: fuck yeah it is, it’s so hot~ OuO

Here’s just the last panel, made transparent for whatever nefarious purposes y’all might have for it:

Additional exchange Narinder and the Lamb have at some point, probably after the Lamb does a fatal whoopsie while out on a mission trip or in response to things getting a little too sadistic in the bedroom, ahaha:

Look, there is a very important distinction between life and death, and if you don’t understand that, then you’re probably not worthy of being the God of Death, anyway. (At least, according to Narinder, and ONLY Narinder.)

Last but not least, have these shittens:

~Such creative naming conventions I have utilized, lololol~ :D Anyway, there's a few deets on them in the rambles down below.

The rest is all ramble, so before I get to that, I’ll just say – likes and especially reblogs are very much appreciated!!! :D If you happen to really really REALLY like my stuff, meanwhile, I do have a link in my bio to my ko-fi page, where I’m accepting commissions and donations if you’re especially generous… ÓuÒ

Now, BE FREE IF YOU AIN’T DOWN FOR READING MY GOOFY RAMBLES

First ramble is re: Baal’s question of ‘Did it really work?’, since I didn’t feel like expanding on it in the comic proper, and it’s arguably pretty vague? He doesn’t ask because he doubts Narinder or his capabilities, exactly, but because neither Baal nor Aym have ever actually seen their god at full power before (he’s still technically not at full power here, either). It’s not expressly stated how soon the brothers were brought to Narinder after his imprisonment, but whether it was early on or after a length of time for Shamura to (somewhat) recover from his attack, he must have already been weakened, since I have no doubts that there was a huge battle that accompanied the Bishops working together to trap him. So, between that fight with all four of his siblings, sharing his power with a variety of vessels over time, and being chained immobile for a thousand years, he must have been severely weakened by the time he lent the Red Crown out to the Lamb, which would have only weakened him further.

I like to think this is how the Lamb is able to defeat him if they refuse to be sacrificed, despite how it took all four Bishops working together to subdue and chain Narinder in the first place.

All that aside, the three cats have been trapped in the Afterlife for so long that Baal also wanted verbal reassurance that they are all, indeed, actually able to leave it now – something that I headcanon isn’t possible without a significant amount of power (i.e. the Red Crown’s cooperation with its bearer/vessel).

(On a semi-related note, I don’t headcanon Aym and Baal as twins. I like sweetheart big bro Baal and snarky little goth bro Aym too much to have them be that close in age.)

Ah, teeny thing: If you noticed I switched up the art style for Narinder on the second page, that was intentional. It's sort of a visual indicator that there has been a Big Change for him - that being, how much power he has after sacrificing the Lamb. As for why I changed up his arms in the grass rollin' pic, I don't really subscribe to the notion that his arms are spooky bones because they're horrifically injured (beyond chain-chafing scars, that is), but rather just because he's the Bishop of Death, so he can change how normal-to-spooky they look at will. At some point I might doodle out how I imagine his appearance to range between least to most eldritch... 🤔

Next ramble, regarding Narinder’s feelings towards the Lamb...he was initially too focused on being freed from his imprisonment to form any real attachment to them. They were a tool for his use, first and foremost, but he did notice their intense devotion towards him. It was impossible not to notice, because the Lamb was always very happy to see him, even if it was because they died during a crusade (yet again). He wasn’t originally planning to revive them once he was freed, either, because he saw no real point to it – after all, they were already dead when they first met him, just as any other mortal would be when meeting him in the Afterlife, so death has very little real consequence in his eyes. But, once the chains were off, and it really sank in that he stood to lose the most devoted follower he’s ever had, he decided…why put their soul to rest for good or leave them stuck in the Afterlife when he could just as easily revive them again? And why not reward them for their hard work, anyway? Not only would it cost him nothing by comparison, but the future devotion that could come of it would surely make up for his (bare minimum) effort in reviving them.

He wasn’t expecting to get a full dose of that devotion and a smiling face so soon after killing them, though~ :3c (because the Lamb is a bonafide freak, and not-so-secretly into the fucked up power dynamics going on here, lol)

I should mention here that I am firmly of the belief that any non-god/vessel who crosses through the Gateway and into the Afterlife just straight up dies. So, Aym and Baal? Also straight up dead, from the second Shamura brought them through. Their souls were just never put to rest so that Narinder could have some company – if only according to Shamura. Narinder kept the two around mostly out of bewilderment, because honestly, who are these kittens, and what is Shamura’s game here, anyway??? They never even explained anything, they just tossed these kittens into the Afterlife and LEFT!!! At any rate, Aym and Baal being dead is how I explain why their souls apparently become lost in the void if they’re killed, along with the added complications required to revive the two because of it.

So, with those deets in mind, and given a bit of time, if Narinder hadn’t chosen to revive the Lamb, and also hadn’t chosen to put their soul to rest, they still would have woken up at some point, despite being as straight up dead as Aym and Baal. Who, don’t worry, were also properly revived while Narinder was waiting for the Lamb to wake up. Because I am also firmly of the belief that, first, the dead cannot leave the Afterlife without the use of a ritual/relic (and can't stay in the living world for long regardless), and second, dead followers’ devotion isn’t anywhere near as potent as that of the living, given how much more the living stand to lose.

Final ramble, regarding the Lamb’s feelings towards Narinder, and why they’re so devoted to him…

Well, you don’t spend most of your life on the run with your steadily-dwindling herd, trying to evade the ongoing genocide of your species, without becoming a little fucked up in the head. Maybe a lot fucked up in the head. Life is suffering, so might as well have fun with it, right? Maybe start finding death and pain to be kind of hilarious, even a little bit hot, once everyone you know and love is dead and gone, leaving you all alone? And maybe after that, there’s something comforting in how, despite the cold, cruel uncertainties of life, at least you can always count on the inevitability of death, patiently waiting for you until your very last breath? Who knows. Either way, as soon as the Lamb was killed, and they learned that the literal God of Death was offering them a second chance at life and vengeance via effective immortality, they were 100% ride-or-die-devoted all at once. Turns out death is kinder than life – go figure. (Of course, it helps that Narinder is 100% their type.)

They weren’t put off by Narinder’s thinly-veiled sadism or manipulations, either – they’re not too different in those regards, albeit opting for vastly different methods. It’s a very ‘two sides of the same coin’ sort of deal. In order to stay alive once they were made the last of their kind, the Lamb had no qualms with using others to their advantage, and that did not change once they were revived and expected to run a cult. They didn’t care for the position of authority, though – being a sheep and all, they’re much more of a follower than a leader, and thus greatly appreciated Narinder’s need for control. With how they had to keep on their toes for so long, the Lamb was also pretty good at reading people by the time they died, so they could recognize that a lot of Narinder’s posturing was just that – posturing. Dude’s 95% bluster and only 5% bite. He could obviously be vicious when he wanted or needed to (the Bishops' injuries were clear proof of that), but underneath his outer layer of cruelty was a generous layer of tsundere, and underneath all THAT was a soft squishy middle sibling velcro cat in desperate need of attention and affection.

(Which, for the record, he Did Not feel comfortable getting from Aym and Baal – Narinder still has no idea why the fuck Shamura sent them to him, beyond acting as keepers at best or trying to sabotage his attempts to escape at worst. Which, he thought HE sabotaged in turn, by guiding the kittens into being his devoted disciples instead. He thought he was very clever for it. ‘I outsmarted Shamura!’ he thought, despite that there was never anything there to outsmart. ‘What do you mean, Shamura sent your kittens to me for company?’ he demands of Forneus later. It may or may not lead him to pull Shamura out of Purgatory just so he can shake them and scream about how they should have Fucking Explained that!!!)

But, getting back on track as to why the Lamb was so willing to be sacrificed, I cannot stress this enough – if you pay even a minimal amount of attention to what he’s saying, Narinder is REALLY NOT SUBTLE about his intentions. ‘Death is of little consequence.’ ‘Followers are for you to use to your advantage.’ ‘Sacrifice a follower to absorb more power.’ So, yeah, the Lamb knew exactly what would be expected of them once the other Bishops were dead. They knew Narinder would expect them to die for him one last time. But, after all, death is of little consequence (not to mention hot), so when the time came, they wanted to see him freed, even if it meant oblivion for them in the end.

He’d given them a second life, and the ability to avenge their kin, and they felt indebted to him for that – so, while they were still pretty glum about the possibility that they might not get to see him free of his chains, nothing beyond their devotion and debt to him mattered. They never wanted all the drama and expectations that came with the Red Crown’s power, anyway, so, better for Narinder to have it back so that he could deal with it. What he did with the Lamb afterward would be up to him, and seeing as he was their god, they’d accept his decision gladly.

Were they in love with him by that point? Oh, obsessively so, but only in the devotional sense – romance was nowhere on their mind nor radar. That is, until he unexpectedly revived them again, told them he still needed them, and then offered down his hand to help them up.

The Lamb fell HARD for him in that moment. :3c

And now, a tiny shitten ramble. Lu and Li are twins, because sheep tend to have those a lot, and are conceived not long after the Lamb and Narinder’s marriage ceremony. Lu is the minutes older one, but Li is much more mature. I have put no further thought into these two, other than that they are utter menaces, birthed by the Lamb, cling hard to both their parents but especially Narinder (who spoils them rotten), and they are both genderfluid, using whichever pronouns/names they feel like at any given time. They are also both intersex, same as the Lamb, who was initially infertile up until Something Something Vague Magic, which I have also put no further thought into ¯\_(シ)_/¯

oh, and before anyone tries to suggest i headcanon this AU’s lamb as trending more female due to them giving birth or whatever, no, no, a thousand times no, they might have a vag, but they've also got a dick, and even if it's not as big as they'd like, they still know how to use it

Finally, the very tentative name for the Lamb in this AU is Yazdi, which is really just another name for the Baluchi breed of sheep XD (Not that the Lamb is this specific breed, I just didn’t like any of the other sheep-related names I found, ahaha...)

THAT’S ALL FOR NOW (collapses into an exhausted pile of goopy limbs)

[jjkamochoso]

Braids and Mochi Escapades

Fluff

Obanai x female reader

Mitsuri braids reader’s hair, Obanai can’t handle the cuteness!

Warnings: none

Being a hashira, your life involved seeing lots of blood, guts, and other horrible things. It didn’t consist of much light and happiness but that all changed one day when you seized the opportunity to work with another hashira and your whole perspective on life changed. You had never had so much fun than when you and Mitsuri slayed demons together. She was a formidable opponent and even taught you many skills you now utilized in your own missions. Not to mention, she was kind, funny, and naturally, very loving. These were traits you had embodied before your life darkened because of demons but Mitsuri showed you that you could still embrace and seek out good times even when all else seems hopeless. That’s how you found yourself having a sleepover with the Love Hashira after your semi annual hashira meeting was adjourned. The hashiras were all granted a few days’ rest before accepting any more missions so when Mitsuri invited you over for a girl’s night, you couldn’t say no (Shinobu did, though—she was always busy with some sort of research). You ordered as much sakura mochi the kitchen could begrudgingly make for you guys and made your way to Mitsuri’s room to hang out while the food was being prepared. You didn’t have the chance to announce yourself before her screen opened and the excitable girl wrapped you in a hug.

“Y/N! I’ve been looking forward to this all day! Come in, come in!”

She dragged you inside and you let out a sigh of relief when her strong grip finally released you. Putting down your futon and extra blankets, you felt your stomach flutter with happiness. You hadn’t had a sleepover since you were very young and were relishing the fact you could have a normal few days without the stressors of being a hashira.

“I ordered us sakura mochi from the kitchens, I hope that’s alright,” you said, a bit shy. You knew it was her favorite but you didn’t want to come off as overbearing. Your worries were instantly quelled by the huge smile that graced her face as she pulled you in for another hug, thank you’s flowing out of her mouth nonstop. You giggled, already feeling content at how the night was going and you hadn’t been there for over a minute.

“So, is there anything in particular you want to do while we wait? I’m not well versed on sleepover activities yet, I apologize,” you said sheepishly.

Mitsuri just gave you a kind smile. “Don’t apologize! Tonight’s going to be so much fun! Ooh! I know! I can braid your hair!”

You instantly lit up. You were always envious of how pretty Mitsuri’s hair was and you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t tried her signature hairstyle on yourself many times. However, you could never make it look as cute as she does so you were ecstatic that she would bestow her skills upon your head. She brought over a box of ribbons, all different colors of the rainbow, to tie at the ends of your hair as you released the pulled back style you had kept your strands in. When Mitsuri sat behind you and began to gently detangle your hair, you felt a wave of relaxation run through you. It felt nice to have someone so eager to take care of you for a change. You two basked in the comfortable silence until the talkative girl spoke up.

“So, y/n, do you have a crush on anyone?”

Your eyes that were previously closed opened up in a flash. Of course she would ask that, she’s the Love Hashira! But you were embarrassed that you had allowed yourself to succumb to such a weakness like love. Not even love, just unrequited affection toward a man that barely acknowledged you. It was humiliating to let her know of the truth of your heart but you couldn’t find it within yourself to lie to her.

“Unfortunately, yes, I do. He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever had the chance to lay eyes on but we’ve only spoken once out of all the years we’ve known each other. I watch him from afar but refuse to speak to him first out of fear. It’s shameful, I know.”

You were glad she couldn’t see your face as you spoke because you weren’t used to being this vulnerable. You were pleasantly surprised when she kept braiding, not skipping a beat.

“Oh, y/n, that’s so romantic! Pining and yearning are just two pillars of the many that make up love. It’s not shameful. Love is a complicated thing, especially for us, but if you face fear head on you’ll find that most things aren’t as scary as you think they might be. If you like him, he must have a good heart. Don’t be afraid to strike up conversation. He’ll come around eventually.”

You didn’t know how she did it but you instantly felt better. “You’re right, Mitsuri. Thank you.”

A few seconds passed.

“May I know who it is that’s captured your heart?”

You grimaced, knowing this would happen. “Um, I’m not sure I-”

“It’s probably Tengen, isn’t it? He’s so dreamy! If you’re into guys like that. Wait, you two have spoken many times so that doesn’t fit your description. Ugh, it isn’t Giyuu, is it?”

You tried your best not to laugh. Poor Giyuu, you didn’t know why no one liked him but even though you held a soft spot in your heart for him, it was the wrong man.

“No. Different raven haired man.”

She went quiet for a moment before gasping. “Obanai?”

You shook your head slightly in affirmation and she let out a high pitched squeal, inadvertently yanking on your finished braid in excitement. “Oh my gosh! You like Obanai? That’s so cute! You HAVE to talk to him, he’s such a sweetie!”

You grabbed onto your tender scalp in an attempt to soothe it after she almost ripped out all of your strands. “Now that the whole compound knows of my feelings,” you muttered, “I think my confidence to face him is completely shattered.”

Mitsuri gave you a pouty face. “No, don’t say that! You’re a beautiful girl and any man would be lucky to have you. He’s shy, you’re shy, it’s a tough combination but if you’ll allow me, I can tell him of your affections to see where it goes.”

“Oh, that’s alright, no need. If it’s meant to be, it will be. But thank you. And thank you for this gorgeous hair! Maybe this will give me the confidence boost I need to approach Obanai.” You gave the pink and green haired girl a hug and then inspected her work in a mirror. She had tied your (h/c) hair with ribbons, but they were mismatched colors. You were going to ask if she did that on accident before the realization of what the colors reminded you of set in. She had used one yellow ribbon and one turquoise ribbon, perfectly coordinating with Obanai’s eyes. Your mouth hung open in shock as Mitsuri giggled at your reaction.

“I hope you don’t mind! I was originally going to use just turquoise but when you mentioned your feelings for Obanai I thought this might be a way for you to feel closer to him. And it’s a great conversation starter.”

You gave her another huge hug, amazed at and grateful for her quick thinking. “Now that you’ve got me looking this good, we’re ready to get our food!”

Mitsuri clapped her hands in excitement and grabbed your arm as you two raced out the door of her room and into the warm summer night. The hot, sticky air permeated through your haori and left a slight sheen of sweat on your skin. You took a second to appreciate the quiet stillness of the compound, the smell of wisteria giving you comfort. You knew it was impossible for demons to be around, so why did it still feel like someone was watching you intently in secret? You shook it off, thinking you just weren't allowing yourself to let your guard down.

You laughed a little, turning to Mitsuri. "I'm not used to this relaxation time-"

She was gone. You would've been majorly freaked out if you hadn't spotted her entering a building beyond where you stood. Maybe her appetite turned ravenous and couldn't wait another second for food so she ran to the kitchen? You were confused and ready to catch up with her but your attention was turned to the rustling noise from above you. You stood under a wisteria tree and hanging over your braided head was a snake. Its white body slithered through the branches, staring at you and occasionally sticking its tongue out. You weren't familiar with snake behaviors but this one seemed friendly enough so you cautiously reached your hand toward it in an attempt to pet it. It didn't bite you when your fingers touched its smooth head so you took that as a good sign. You were extremely surprised, though, when it fell out of the branches, instead opting to rest on your shoulders. You tried to calm your breathing and before you could get too freaked out at your predicament, you almost facepalmed in realization that there was nothing to worry about. It was Kaburamaru, Obanai's snake friend, that had found his way to you. You were both looking at each other with curious eyes and you gave him a smile, trying to guess at what he was thinking.

"Mitsuri did my hair, Kaburamaru! That's why I look different. Though you probably recognized me by my scent from the other meetings you've attended, hmm?"

Being a snake, he obviously didn't answer you, but he did seem like he understood what you were saying, so you kept talking. "Are you hungry? We could try and find some frogs at the pond if you'd like."

He lifted his head and you could've sworn he shook it in disagreement.

"Alright then. Should we go find Obanai? It's a little late for you to be out here all by yourself."

"He's not by himself."

You nearly jumped out of your skin when you heard Obanai's voice from above you. You looked up and saw the bandaged face of your crush peering at you from some higher up branches, nearly in the same position you had found Kaburamaru.

"O-Obanai! I apologize for not greeting you. I hadn't noticed your presence." You bowed and hoped he would forgive you. He climbed out of the tree and landed at your feet, black hair moving effortlessly around him. Your mouth went dry and any words that could've been said had died in your throat the moment your eyes met his. He was even more beautiful at ground level when you could observe him up close. His eyes glistened in the full moon's light that blessed the Master's compound. The man of short stature had such a strong, powerful aura about him that almost made you dizzy, yet was so intoxicating that it drew you in. Neither of you shared any words for the next minute or so, unsure of what to say.

"Your hair's... different," muttered Obanai, taking in your appearance and then suddenly looking away.

"Mitsuri did it for me! I was telling Kaburamaru all about it. He seemed to notice as well," you said, the warmth of embarrassment creeping on your face as you registered that what you said suggested that you were conversing with a snake. If Obanai didn't think you were a weirdo before, he definitely did now.

"He's very perceptible," Obanai agreed, making you feel at ease about your previous panic. You two found yourselves in another awkward silence and you prayed to any god that would listen that Mitsuri would come back with your food soon.

"So what brings you out here this time of night?" you asked.

He cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you despised small talk."

Your eyes opened the tiniest bit wider. How had he known that? You barely interacted with him in all the years you had worked together yet he was aware of that little fact about you. Had he been noticing you all this time and you were too ignorant to see it?

"I do." You took in a breath. Time to be brave, y/n. "I just... wanted to talk to you. About anything. Get to know you better." Now it was your turn to look away as you cringed at how that sounded. You wished you had gone to Tengen for flirting lessons before ever coming in contact with Obanai.

"Why?"

Your head turned back to face him again as you answered with a shrug. "Because you're interesting." And because you're ridiculously handsome and I'm hopelessly in love with you!

His eyes narrowed. "Interesting enough to mock me with your hair bows?" He pointed accusingly to your hair, the ends of your mismatched ribbons adorning Kaburamaru as he continuously slid over your body.

"What? No, you have the wrong idea! I swear, I'm not mocking you, I-" You didn't know how to respond and your time was running out before Obanai hated your guts. You resigned to telling him the truth; you'd rather be hated for that than for something that was blatantly false. "I told Mitsuri I found you handsome but was too shy to speak to you so she thought matching the ribbons to your eyes would be a way for me to feel closer to you." He had an unreadable look on his face and you wished you could melt into a puddle on the ground and evaporate away from this conversation. You reached your hands to your hair and began to undo the ribbons. "It was a bad idea, I'm sorry for-"

"N-no! Don't!" Obanai's hands shot out so fast you never saw them coming. He grasped your fingers, stopping them from their job of removing the ribbon. When you felt his cool skin on yours, goosebumps made their way across your entire being. "They look pretty. Y-you look... pretty." Was it a trick of the light or was Obanai... blushing? You couldn't believe your ears. Did he just call you pretty? You thought your night was going to be amazing just being at a sleepover with your friend and now your crush was practically holding your hand and calling you pretty. Obanai was about to remove his hand from yours when Kaburamaru quickly wrapped himself around your conjoined appendages, not allowing either of you to let go. The Serpent Hashira was left in a state of blushing and stuttering apologies for his friend's indecencies and you were certain the snake was laughing at you both.

As if summoned by pounding heartbeats and gauche attempts at confessing feelings, Mitsuri finally appeared, copious amounts of sakura mochi toppling out of the bags she held.

"Oh my gosh, you two are SO cute together! Did y/n finally tell you that she likes you?" She asked Obanai, mochi flying out of her mouth as she took another bite. As he was always someone who had a snarky comeback or venomous reply, you had never seen him unable to produce words like at this moment when he was floundering for the right thing to say.

"I, well... she, umm... What's it to you anyway?" He finally spit out, but Mitsuri just laughed.

"I'm the LOVE Hashira, silly, I'm the expert at this stuff. Although, I must admit, Kaburamaru did most of my heavy lifting, didn't you?" She beamed at him as he finally released you and Obanai from each other to receive a big helping of raw meat from the pink and green haired girl. You stared at her incredulously.

"You're telling me that you worked together with a snake to set us up?"

"Kaburamaru found me earlier today and brought me to Shinazugawa who told me that he was tired of Obanai dancing around his feelings for you, y/n. He also mentioned that Obanai was probably talking about you nonstop to his closest friend, Kaburamaru, and that he was also done with the inaction. So, we devised a plan and now here we are. Isn't that adorable?"

"I told you he was perceptive," said Obanai, clearly embarrassed, but you found the whole thing to be strangely sweet. You decided it was time to get back to your sleepover where you and Mitsuri could fangirl over this moment for the rest of the night so you bid Obanai and his snake farewell. Before you could turn away to leave, Obanai got your attention one last time.

"I hope that one day I'll be strong and worthy enough to speak of my truest, deepest feelings for you myself, but until then," he reached up to pick a small bunch of wisteria off the tree and tucked it behind your ear, "please accept this gift and the meaning I've imposed on it."

You smiled shyly. "Thank you Obanai. I hope our paths continue to cross in the future." As you made your way back into Mitsuri's room, Obanai watched you until you closed the screen door behind you and for a little while after that. He couldn't promise to love you in a conventional way, but he swore from that day on, he would keep you as safe as possible in this unpredictable world you lived in.

BONUS:

On the day of the hashira's departure from the safety of Ubuyashiki's lands, you felt your heart sink at the remembrance of the danger you and Obanai had to go back out and face. However, your aching chest was abated by the raven haired man that entered your view, timidly thrusting a lump of something into your palms. You quickly unraveled the folded fabric and you were greeted with two knee high socks with the same black and white striped pattern as Obanai's haori.

"Obanai, that's so thoughtful of you! I'll treasure these forever."

"You don't need to treasure them, they're just socks," he grumbled, not meeting your eyes.

You giggled. "But they're from you. How could I not want to keep something so precious in good condition?"

"If they rip, I'll buy you more. So don't worry about it."

"Thank you so much for the kind gift." Your gaze softened at him as you frowned the tiniest bit. "I'm sorry I didn't get you anything, I feel bad."

"I don't need anything. Just..." He finally looked at you. Your hair ribbons mirrored his eyes once more (you swore to wear them like that until the day you died and then in every reincarnation you were born into) and he felt his heart beat against the walls of his chest. "Just don't die. That's all I ask of you. Let me be able to see you again."

Your own heart panged with the weight of his words. "I promise. I'll see you soon, Obanai Iguro."

[fgumi]

ꕥ physics; — jake drabble, wc: 1.4k, genre: romance, fluff

jake sim had always been the golden boy of the university—star soccer player, physics major, and the type of person who could light up a room with his smile. but beneath all that charm was someone who genuinely loved learning, especially physics. during the off-season, he’d often find himself in the professor’s office, chatting about the latest theories and concepts, eager to expand his knowledge.

you, on the other hand, found physics to be your worst subject. it was the bane of your academic existence, and no matter how much you studied, the concepts never seemed to stick. desperate to pass the class, you started attending office hours regularly, hoping for some kind of breakthrough. but most of the time, you ended up feeling more confused than when you walked in.

one day, during one of these office hours, the professor noticed both you and jake sitting in his office—jake, as usual, engaged in an intense discussion about quantum mechanics, and you, flipping through your textbook with a frustrated frown.

“you know,” the professor said, a twinkle in his eye as he looked between the two of you, “jake here could tutor you. he’s quite good at explaining these concepts, and it might help you to see them from a different perspective.”

before you could politely decline, not wanting to impose on jake’s time, he readily agreed, his friendly nature shining through. “i’d love to help! i mean, i’m here anyway, right?” he said with a grin.

you hesitated, still unsure. “are you sure? you’re a soccer player, after all… i don’t want to burden you.”

jake waved off your concerns with a laugh. “it’s off-season anyway. besides, i love physics, and it’d be fun to share that with someone else. let’s plan a weekly session?”

you reluctantly agreed, not wanting to seem ungrateful. “okay, but only if it fits around your schedule.”

“deal!” jake said, pumping his fist in the air. “i’ll make sure we find time. don’t worry about it.”

true to his word, jake worked with you to plan a weekly tutoring session. sometimes, his availability was a bit strange because of soccer practice, but you always reassured him that it was fine. you were just grateful for the help. as the weeks went by, you found yourself looking forward to those sessions—not just because your grades were improving, but because you genuinely enjoyed spending time with jake. he was so knowledgeable, patient, and passionate about physics that it made you admire him even more. a small crush began to bloom, though you tried to push it aside, telling yourself it was just because of how kind he was.

your grades began to improve, and jake was just as excited as you were. “i knew you could do it!” he celebrated with you after your first big test score came back. “see? you’re getting it!”

you smiled, feeling a warm sense of pride. “i couldn’t have done it without you, jake.”

jake’s grin widened. “well, i think you’ve got a real knack for this. how about we bump up our sessions to twice a week? you're doing so good and i’m having a great time! it gives me a nice break from soccer.”

you were concerned about his busy schedule and hesitated. “are you sure? i don’t want to take up too much of your time…”

“i’m sure!” jake said, pumping the air again. “besides, i’m determined to make you the next albert einstein.”

your heart fluttered at his enthusiasm, and you shyly agreed. jake’s determination was infectious, and you couldn’t help but feel excited too.

as soccer season began, jake’s schedule got even busier, but he still managed to find time for your sessions. one day, he invited you to one of his games. at first, you were unsure—you didn’t want to be a distraction or make things awkward—but jake practically begged you to come.

“please? it’d mean a lot to me if you were there,” he said, looking at you with those big, puppy-dog eyes that made it impossible to say no.

“okay, okay,” you laughed, giving in. “i’ll come.”

when you showed up to the game, jake spotted you almost immediately. his heart leapt in his chest, and for a moment, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world. with you in the stands, he played better than ever, scoring a hat trick and leading his team to victory.

after the game, he exchanged the usual “good game” with the opposing team, but his mind was already on you. as soon as he could, he sprinted towards the bleachers, his face lighting up when he saw you.

“you came! thank you so much for coming!” he exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement. as he babbled on about how much it meant to him, you couldn’t help but compare him to a golden retriever—so full of energy and happiness. it was at that moment that you realized you had fallen for him, hard.

the weeks flew by, and before you knew it, finals season had rolled around. jake apologized and asked to go back to once-a-week tutoring sessions, very reluctantly.

“i’m so sorry,” he said, his voice laced with guilt. “i just have so much on my plate with finals and soccer… but we can still meet once a week?”

you nodded in understanding. “of course, jake. you’ve already done so much for me, i wouldn’t ask for more.”

the night before your physics final, you were in the library, studying late when your phone buzzed. it was a text from jake.

jake: hey, are you studying right now?

you: yeah, trying to cram in everything last minute. 😅

jake: mind if i join you?

your heart skipped a beat, and you quickly replied.

you: sure, i’d love that.

a little while later, jake showed up, freshly showered and in comfortable clothes that made your cheeks warm—he looked so effortlessly good, like he was straight out of a cozy winter ad. the sight of him in sweatpants and a hoodie, with slightly damp hair, made your thoughts wander to how boyfriend-esque he looked.

you two studied together for hours, jake patiently answering any questions you had and explaining the more complex concepts. when you finally called it a night, jake offered to walk you home.

“you don’t have to, really,” you protested, not wanting to inconvenience him.

but jake wasn’t having it. he playfully scolded you. “what kind of guy would i be if i let you walk home alone at night? come on, i insist.”

at your door, the two of you lingered, chatting a bit more. as you thanked him for everything, jake hesitated for a moment before pulling you into a warm hug. “you’re going to do great tomorrow,” he murmured, trying to assuage your worries about the final.

realizing what he had done, jake pulled away, blushing furiously. “uh, good luck tomorrow,” he stammered before quickly leaving, his heart racing.

the next day, after your physics final, you were surprised to see jake waiting in the hall. he had finished before you, at least 20 minutes earlier, and you wondered if he had been waiting for you all that time.

“hey,” he greeted you, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “so… how did it go?”

“i think it went okay,” you replied, still a bit dazed from the exam.

jake’s relief was palpable. “i’m glad. you worked so hard; i knew you’d do well.”

there was a brief pause before jake gathered his courage. “um, i was wondering… if maybe we could keep seeing each other? i mean, not just for tutoring, but, you know, just to hang out? this term has been one of the most enjoyable, relaxing ones i’ve had, and… i think it’s because of you.”

your heart skipped a beat, and you shyly agreed. “i’d like that, too.”

jake’s face lit up in a grin, and in his excitement, he shouted, “yes!” before quickly ducking in embarrassment as he caught his professor’s raised eyebrow through the door’s window. sheepishly, he waved, causing you to giggle.

“uh, have you eaten yet?” he asked, trying to regain his composure.

you shook your head, and jake smiled. “great! it’s a date then. i’ll take you to my favorite place.”

realizing what he’d just said, he started to apologize, but when he met your soft gaze, he froze.

“i’d like that,” you said, your voice warm and reassuring.

jake turned bright red but managed to offer you his hand. you gingerly took it, feeling the warmth of his palm against yours, and together, you walked hand in hand to lunch, both of you smiling at the unexpected turn your relationship had taken.

disclaimer: this, in no way, reflects the idol. this is purely fiction. a/n: there's no way we were about to lose jake sim to soccer and physics... ✧ comments are appreciated! ✧ !nanamlist

[toutvatoujoursbien]

midnight thoughts (i hope i don't regret this)

Let me preface this by saying that these are just (very, very long) ramblings I’ve had in my head over the past few days and are MY opinions. I never post to Tumblr, but my level of emotional unhinged-ness right now needs an outlet so that I can process everything and feel, well, less unhinged.

I have never been this enamored with any celebrity or promo for a show like I have for this season of Bridgerton. Admittedly, I am a fan of the books and Penelope & Colin are my favorite couple. I’m going to age myself by saying that I read the series almost 20-ish years ago; past me could have never imagined I would actually get to see a Regency romance on my screen. Romances are for the girlies, and what the girlies like tends to be mocked, ridiculed, and not taken seriously - I’ve seen this time and time again across many different fandoms. I also really enjoy the tv series for being its own creative adaptation. I’ve liked many (though not all) of the changes they’ve made to the show; and I’ve liked all the little nods to the books that have been sprinkled in. Are the books or show perfect? Of course not, but that doesn’t mean I can’t love them for bringing me some entertainment and joy and escapism. I think that’s the beauty of it, I get to have the best of both worlds, so to speak. And for me personally, it’s been so fun to watch the press coverage over the past six or so months. As a fandom, I think we’ve been EXTREMELY well fed. 

Having Nicola and Luke as the leads has been a true blessing; I think/hope folks can tell how much they clearly love and understand their characters/roles. I know everyone has been talking nonstop about their chemistry and their close friendship, which I think is beautiful, truly unique and special. How can you not enjoy watching two people, who seem to genuinely like one other, talk endlessly about a project that they love and have poured so much into? And the way they have supported one another, not only during promo, but during their years of friendship? Astonishing, really. So while I am old enough to know better than to ship real people, I would’t blame anyone (myself included) if they got caught up in the whirlwind excitement and couldn’t help but wonder a sincere “What if?” (At least that was the case for me.) Isn’t that the beauty of hope and possibility and potential? Like, I knew rationally and intellectually that the likelihood of them being together was low, but damn if I didn’t feel giddy seeing their interviews, reading articles, and watching video after video.

“Oh, but it’s all PR!” they cry. Maybe, but like most of life, I don’t think it’s so simple or clear. I think there’s been a lot of nuance and perhaps some blurring of the lines during this promo tour. As long as we are respectful about it and realize that at the end of the day, the only opinions that matter in regards to their relationship are N & L’s, I don’t think some lighthearted dreaming is unheard of. We have to remember, though, that what we’re shown is only a fraction of their true selves, carefully and deliberately curated to accommodate their status as actors/celebrities/those in the public eye. 

(And yes, I know this is the internet and therefore everyone has an opinion - again, myself included. But I struggle to understand why some people think that their opinions should be deemed THE most important to the discussion or would have an impact on any type of outcome, especially in this particular scenario… I hope it’s obvious I’m referring to the very vocal people that chose to expend their energy in hateful, negative ways. Aren’t you exhausted?

However, as a longtime lurker, I have to admit it’s been absolutely fascinating reading all the different perspectives and takes on this too. I think reading other POVs and seeing people articulate points that challenge me and make me think is a good thing - again, as long as it’s all in a respectful manner. 

Also I have spent literal years curating and cultivating a social media bubble that doesn’t make me want to cry or give up on life. I don’t seek out negativity and hate - constructive criticism for a thing is a different matter. It may be “putting blinders up,” but honestly, real life can be a shitty enough place that I would like to spend my limited time online looking at cute things and learning or reading about stuff that makes me feel less alone in the world.)

Last week, I stayed off social media to avoid Bridgerton spoilers until I could watch Part 2. I did open Twitter on Thursday to check on something that was entirely unrelated, saw the absolute meltdown of a shitstorm brewing and quickly NOPED out of it. (I was also reminded of why Twitter scares me at times. And I'm not calling it X because that is stupid.) When I finally caught up over the weekend (both with Bridgerton and… all the other stuff 😅), I felt like I was experiencing mental and emotional whiplash.

Look, ultimately, I don’t know them personally and know even less about their private lives. As an outside observer (even though, yes, I have a vested interest in them), Nicola is fucking amazing and Luke seems to be a nice, sweet guy. I think they are each others support, and it has been mentioned many times that she has helped him deal with the intensity/anxiety of being in the spotlight this season. So here are some potentially hot takes: I just think, when they’re together, it’s like he’s a different, better person. When he soaks up even a little bit of her light (sorry, I had to), I can see all the qualities in him that she is constantly gushing about. But, and again this is my take on it, I also think he has a lot of growing up to do. I don’t know much about his supposed “hot/fuck boy summer,” but it seems to me that he’s perhaps going through his own Colin phase, which he can totally do. I genuinely want to see him and Nic succeed. However, I do think he’s got to get a better handling on his media image now (this whole thing reeks of a PR nightmare, but I need to take off my comms professional hat). The way this has all played out has been, imo, a clusterfuck. There are other issues that I’m also not going to get into at the moment. 

The thing that frustrated me the most is the timing of those “leaked” photos. You’re telling me that N&L went through SIX months of a - literal - worldwide promo tour, building up hype, doing countless interviews and appearances, etc., only to have these pap pictures “captured” on the night of the Pt. 2 London premiere??? And yes, while I’m aware there were rumblings of a gf being at various events/locations, I didn’t pay much attention to it (read: my curated social media bubble, lol). And I think the lack of confirmation up to that point from Luke and his team just mades things even more tricky/messy. So when the inevitable backlash played out online, piled on top of the hate Polin seems to get from many corners of the internet (Is it ship wars? Regular trolls just trolling? Polin and/or Lukola antis? People who, for whatever reason, don’t like the actors themselves or, worse, don’t like the creative choices/decisions made by the higher-ups and therefore deem it okay to spread hate online? All of the above, most likely.), I know I felt like I had been hit by a train.

Here’s my point: I think what should have been a moment of triumph and a joyous occasion for Nic, Luke, and Bridgerton season 3, was sadly overshadowed by the aforementioned shitstorm. And that’s a damn shame. Too many cast and crew put in a lot of time, effort, and blood sweat and tears, to pull this all together. I was happy with Season 3, which perhaps I will deep dive about in another post because this one has already spiraled out of control. Were there things I wished they had included or, rather, things that could have been left out? Yes, of course. But at the end of the day, I think we got a beautiful story led by two actors who love Polin as much as we do. And I cannot wait to see them back for Season 4. Plus, seriously, those viewing numbers alone should have been mostly what people are talking about. I hope all this doesn’t take away from the overall impact of the show and season.

I think it’s okay to be disappointed by all the stuff that has come out over the last few days. I think it’s perfectly human to want/need to process your thoughts and emotions. What is NOT OKAY is sending hate to anyone, period. And I hope you don’t let all that has happened sour your enjoyment of Season 3 and/or Polin.

Lastly, if you take anything away from this long ass post, it’s that Nicola is a GODDAMN QUEEN. Anyone who says otherwise is speaking slander and we do not stand for that in this house. She has carried herself during this time with grace, charm, and poise, consistently and constantly. And she is always ready for a mega fashion moment. She must be exhausted - already on to her next film/job but also perpetually online, and even stepping up to defend her costar. I may have to do a whole separate post just gushing about her and add to all the people already singing her praises. (And as a big fuck you to all the haters.)

Geez Louise, I clearly have a lot of feelings (more than I allowed myself to believe I did…). But I would love to hear what others think! Please, I need friends with whom I can have rational (okay, maybe slightly unhinged), spirited, deep analyses and discussion of this whole thing, or anything else we might have in common!

[tashacee]

Hallo! Came straight over from ao3 after receiving your reply! I really loved reading Aspects of a Hero: Master Mode! I also happened to be the kind of person who loves what-ifs! Therefore I have a request: another chapter BUT from the perspective of one of the non-cursed heroes, specifically pertaining their reactions to seeing their cursed comrades as hylians! There is so much potential DRAMA! I’d want to hear their first impressions of each other, I’d love to hear them get to know each other again, hear how they adjust to their new group dynamics - I’d just love to see what you can do with it! Don’t feel pressured to write though! But I’m sure it’s a challenge and a perspective you’d enjoy tackling! ;)

Master of Change

Wind loved his weird family. Sure, two of them were literal animals, four more were magical creatures who couldn’t communicate with them, and one was a ghost, but grandma always said that variety is the spice of life! And, as grandma is always right, then this was a good thing!

Wind just. He loved them all. He loved Warriors, his big brother, who he had thought he’d never see again. He loved Sky, how gentle he was and how fearsome in battle. Spirit seemed custom built to be his best friend, and Wind’s only regret was that he couldn’t actually hug his ghostly brother. 

Twi, despite being a literal wolf, was gentle and nurturing and always up to snuggle. Legend was a grumpy little bun bun, but Wind could usually talk him round to sit on his lap. 

Four and Hyrule, despite their size, were fun and always up to cause mischief. Four was frustrated that no one recognised his sign and Hyrule didn’t seem to have ever learned sign at all, and they were slowly starting to pick up a few phrases that the rest could understand. It wasn’t perfect - they were still just beginning after all and. Well. The two were tiny. 

And then there was Time and Wild. The two largest of the chain. The sailor couldn’t tell how many nights he had fallen asleep snuggled into one of their arms, cuddled up and listening to gentle purrs or the soft creaking of wood. 

So yes. Wind loved his brothers. He accepted them as they were, no ifs, no buts, no conditions. 

And then, suddenly, his brothers were… less weird?

They were all hylian???

Wind wasn’t complaining! Not in the slightest! He could finally hug Spirit, which was like, pretty much his entire life’s mission up until that moment. And it felt good.

But then there was the rest of them. Hyrule wasn’t a two inch tall fairy, he was a hylian guy with messy hair, ragged clothes, and seemed even more shy than before. Four was still admittedly tiny, but was the size of a child rather than a mouse, and was VERY excited to be understood again.

Wild still had his scars but was short and blond. Legend was a whole ass adult with a husband and a bad attitude. Wolfie was possibly the coolest rancher dude Wind had ever met. And Time-

Time was Mask. But, like. Old.

Wind was man enough to admit that… okay yeah. He sobbed like a baby when he realised Time was his baby brother all grown up. All this time he’d been wondering and worrying that Mask hadn’t joined them and here he was!

It was a lot to get used to. Their previous camping arrangements didn’t work now that they were all hylian, and what was more, they suddenly had Opinions from members of the chain who couldn’t speak before. Even Twilight, who it turned out was still unable to talk, was more than competent in multiple signs and both could and would use that to give his two rupees

But… it wasn’t bad. SURE it was an adjustment. Warriors looked vaguely constipated and like he needed a drink, but honestly, that was his general expression these days.But they were all brothers, and they were finally properly united.

Wind grinned as he thought over all that had changed in the last few weeks. He was snuggled up with Spirit, and nearby he could hear Time and Wild chatting quietly and laughing with Four.

Yeah, it was weird. It was a lot to get used to.But it was good. And, frankly, that was all that mattered.

[borathae]

↳ Index [Chapter 06 - Hay]

Warnings: so many fluffy sweet moments, the four of them help on the farm, her grandparents are couple goals, Yoongi being the best magic teacher, he's so funny without trying, she is so cool <3, Tae and Koo being tiny horndogs, just a tiny bit, everything about this chapter is fluffy and sweet though hehe

Wordcount: 8.7k

a/n: this story is so healing <3 i love that they're so happy together <3

Taehyung smiles fondly at the memory of yesterday and nods his head.

“Yes, Jungkook and I went to the woods to paint. We had a picnic hence we were absent during dinner”, he says with giddiness in his eyes.

“I see. I hope you had a lot of fun.”

“We did. We talked so much and truly bonded”, Taehyung says and smiles when you kiss his cheek.

“That’s good to hear, my darling. I’m so happy that you had time to get to know each other better”, you say, playing with his hair.

Taehyung meets your fond eyes, giving you a smile, “thank you.”

“Mhm, my darling”, you say with a soft pinch to his cheek, “are you feeling okay today? Honest answers only.”

“I feel good”, Taehyung says, feeling his heart flutter at the realisation that you care about him. The memory of yesterday is good to him, but he also knows how unstable he acted when he believed that he needed to serve Jungkook. It feels good to know that you care for him.

“That’s good to hear, my sweetest darling”, you say, following it with a kiss to his cheek and stand back up, “are you making cherry pie, grandma?”

“We are”, your grandmother confirms.

“That’s wonderful. I’m so excited already. I love your pies so much”, you say as you are busy dancing around Yoongi as you and he both try to look into the fridge. 

He looks at you and steps aside, giving you view of the contents.

“Did you have breakfast already?” you ask the others.

“We did. There’s probably more eggs outside if you want to eat some”, your grandfather answers you.

You look at Yoongi. He knows what you want to say without needing to hear it.

“Do you want to get them?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, let’s go”, he says and snatches the egg basket, “we’re outside. Do you need more eggs for the pie, Agatha?”

“No thank you, dear.” 

Sunlight floods the clearing and the air smells like fresh flowers. The humming of bees and other helpful insects surrounds you, high above your heads the birds greet the new day in happy songs. Truly, you feel like singing yourself. It has been days and the happiness of being here just doesn’t shrink. 

You intertwine your fingers with Yoongi, swinging your arms back and forth as you skip along the path. He glances at you, smiling fondly.

“You seem happy.”

“I am happy. Today’s such a sunny day and we’re getting gram’s cherry pie later, we can eat fresh eggs for breakfast and I get to hold your hand. There’s no reason not to be happy today.” 

“Yeah true. It sounds like a good day”, Yoongi agrees, letting you swing your arms. He listens to the soft humming you do and thinks to himself that he is lucky to have someone as positive as you for his love. He thought the day to be okay, but your perspective on it makes him see it in a brighter light. 

The chicken coop is open. The hens are running around their part of the garden, chatting to themselves between picking for worms and bugs. They let you and Yoongi pass, gurgling curiously but never daring to approach. You still greet every single one of them, while Yoongi follows with the basket. 

The door – the big, human sized door that is – to the coop was open. Maybe Taehyung or your grandparents left it open accidentally. You step inside the spacious coop, meeting Jungkook there. He is sitting cross-legged on the ground with a full egg basket next to him and a brown chicken atop his lap.

“Kookie? Hey, what are you doing here?” 

He lifts his head and shushes you loudly. He even goes as far as to furrow his brows.

“What are you doing here?” you whisper. 

“I was getting eggs for brekkie”, he is whispering, “and then Jolene climbed into my lap and asked for pets. So I gave her pets and now she’s fallen asleep”, he explains.

The small head of the chicken is resting in Jungkook’s palm. Her eyes are closed, small chicken purrs leave her as she slumbers deeply in her cozy nest. 

You and Yoongi snicker.

“That’s so cute though. Look at her snoozing.”

“I know, right? I don’t wanna move, I’m so scared to wake her”, Jungkook says and sobs soundlessly, “I need to pee so bad. I’ve been here for twenty minutes”, he whines. 

“Oh gosh, poor you”, you chuckle, “that’s not that good then.”

“No, it’s not. It’s bad. So bad actually.” 

“Poor baby”, you whine with him, laughing softly afterwards.

“We could try freeing you?” 

“How?” 

“I’ll take her”, Yoongi says and squats down in front of him. He slides his hands under Jolene carefully.

“You’ll wake her”, Jungkook gasps.

“Trust me, I won’t”, Yoongi assures him and moves as slowly as humanly possible. The brown hen leaves Jungkook’s lap, gurgling softly without ever waking. 

“There we go, my girl”, Yoongi whispers and cradles her in his arms like a small baby, “there we go, sleep.” 

The hen rests her head against Yoongi’s arm, slumbering peacefully.

“Crisis averted”, Yoongi tells Jungkook.

“I love you so much. You have no idea how hardcore you just saved me”, he says and stumbles to his feet, “oh god, I’m gonna pee myself, standing up made it so much worse”, he whines and hurries out the coop in typical pre-pee-steps. 

He disappears behind a corner to most definitely use the nearby bushes for his business.

“Poor man”, you say and chuckle.

“Yeah, right.”

“Thankfully we arrived when we did.”

“Yeah.”

You study Yoongi and the peaceful chicken in his arms.

“I thought you couldn’t get any more attractive but I was wrong.”

“What? You mean ‘cause I’m holding a chicken?”

“You’re holding a chicken without managing to wake her. You’re such a safe space, Boongie. Even animals agree.” 

He lowers his eyes shyly, “whatever”, he murmurs. 

You smile fondly and squat down to pick up Jungkook’s egg basket. He managed to collect eight eggs before Jolene occupied his lap. That should be enough for three people. 

“I don’t think we need to get any more eggs. Kook was really diligent”, you say.

“Yeah, it should be good for three people.” 

Yoongi in the meantime carries Jolene to her sleeping spot in the coop, setting her down gently. He even puts more hay around her, making sure that she is cozy. He gives her head a soft pet, “sleep tight, my friend”, he tells her and stands back up.

“I’m back. Wah you guys have no idea how much I just peed”, Jungkook announces himself, standing in the doorway, “where’s Jolene?”

“Her bed, let’s get outta here so we don’t wake her”, Yoongi says and together you leave the coop and the chickens’ garden. 

You walk side by side. The sun warms your faces, the scent of lavender accompanies you.

“You didn’t have breakfast yet either, did you?” you check with Jungkook to which he shakes his head.

“No, I didn’t. I came outside because I wanted scrambled eggs.”

“I figured. Is it okay for us to use the eggs as well?”

“Of course, but should I carry them?”

“No, it’s okay. It’s not heavy”, you assure him.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t mind.”

Knowing Jungkook and his enjoyment of being helpful, it would make him a lot happier to carry the egg basket than stand idly by.

“Fine, thank you so much for offering”, you say and place the basket in his open palms. 

“Of course, I’m happy to be of help”, he says, glowing so much brighter now that he can be your helpful boyfriend. He even seems to walk easier, swinging his head from side to side slightly. He is so cute.

“Were you really in there for twenty minutes?” Yoongi asks.

“I was. Wah seriously, I thought that I might have to pee myself. It was torture.” 

You laugh. Yoongi chuckles. 

“I can imagine. One time, ___ fell asleep on my lap and I almost pissed myself.” 

“Wait. I did?”

“Mhm.”

“When?” 

“The murder mystery night. When we solved that murder on the submarine.” 

“Oh that night. Gosh, I’m sorry I was so tired.”

“I know. It’s okay. I managed.” 

“You’re cute”, Jungkook says, “I think I would have peed myself as well if you fell asleep on my lap because I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to move.” 

You look at him, meeting his sweet smile.

“You’re cute”, you say, reaching for his hand to intertwine your fingers with him. Then you swing your arms back and forth, letting out a small snicker of contentment.

Jungkook smiles, squeezes your hand softly.

“Tae told me that you guys spent the day painting yesterday.”

“Yeah we did. It was nice. I painted the forest. I think it turned out really pretty.”

“You gotta show us later. I really want to see.”

“Yeah, I can show you”, Jungkook says and stops in front the closed door.

Yoongi is the one to open it, holding it so you and Jungkook can get inside first. Taehyung and your grandfather are still on the floor, while your grandmother is washing dishes from a previous breakfast.

“We’re back.”

They look at you.

“Did you get eggs?”

“We did and we saved Kook.”

“Saved? What happened? Are you alright?” Taehyung gasps with widened eyes.

“I almost wasn’t.”

“Why? Are you hurt?”

Jungkook shakes his head, “Jolene climbed into my lap as I was collecting eggs and then fell asleep. I didn’t wanna move, but needed to pee so bad.”

“Oh dear”, Taehyung relaxes and chuckles, “things like that can only happen to you”, he adds and returns to his task of getting the cherries ready.

“Yeah, right”, Jungkook agrees with a smile, then turns his attention to you and Yoongi, “do you want scrambled eggs as well?”

“Yes, please”, you say.

“Sure”, Yoongi says.

“Nice. Sit down guys, I’ll make them for you”, Jungkook says and points at the sofa not far from the kitchen. The sunlight kisses its pillows and makes the dancing dust visible in the warm air.

“I can help you”, Yoongi offers, but Jungkook merely shakes his head and gives his cheek a soft peck. He massages Yoongi’s sides in gentle squeezes, gazing at him with sparkly eyes.

Yoongi gawks at him with parted lips, looking completely and utterly queer-panicked.

“Sit down, hyungie”, Jungkook says and gives his hip a little rub, “I’m not repeating myself, okay?” he adds and snickers with cute eyes.

“Okay, fine”, Yoongi murmurs, turning away shyly. His cheeks are rosy from getting them kissed. He rubs the side of his neck as trots to the sofa, looking oh so flustered from being handled the way Jungkook did.

Jungkook turns and begins preparing breakfast. He sings to the song on the radio.

You and Yoongi sit down on the warmed, sunkissed sofa, sharing one pillow because you instantly cuddle yourself into Yoongi’s side. He hums and drapes his arm over you, kissing your temple. He rests his lips against it afterwards, caressing your upper arm mindlessly.

“Did you sleep well?” you ask him.

“Yeah, I did. You?”

“Yeah, me too. Do you think that the bed’s too small?” 

“I guess a little. You kept breathing into my face during the night.” 

“Oh god, I did?” you gasp.

“You did.”

“Ew, I’m sorry. That’s so unromantic. I hope my breath wasn’t too bad.” 

“It’s fine. I kicked you accidentally once. Did you notice?”

“No, I didn’t.” 

“Good. I felt bad”, he says, making you chuckle.

“It’s okay, I didn’t even feel it.”

“Mhm”, Yoongi hums and settles deeper into the couch pillow.

“What should we do today?” you ask him as your fingers dance over his stomach.

“I don’t know. Do you have something you want to do?”

“Not really. I thought of maybe taking a walk again and then reading a book under a tree.”

“That sounds nice. Do that then.”

“Yeah, but what should we do?” you ask him, craning your neck so you could look into his eyes.

He is craning his neck as well.

“What do you mean?”

You shrug your shoulders, “just us. Together. Don’t you want to do something together as well?”

“Of course. Do you wanna swim again?”

“But the frogs.”

He chuckles softly, shaking his head in fond disbelief. You laugh, beaming up at him.

“Do you really wanna risk it again?” you joke.

“No I guess not”, Yoongi says, letting out a fond scoff.

“Oh Yoongi”, you say, snuggling into him, “you cutie, you.”

“Did you guys go for a swim yesterday?”

You look over your shoulder. Taehyung asked, looking at you with curious eyes.

“We did”, you say and turn on the sofa so you were kneeling and facing him that way. You rest your arms over the pillow, moving your toes mindlessly as you talk, “it was so much fun.”

“That sounds lovely. I had no idea that there was a possibility to swim close from here.”

“There is”, your grandfather says, “not far from here, there is this very nice lake. Agatha and I took our ___ swimming countless times during the summer months.”

“The days were always so nice. I always had so much fun.”

“Except that one time you climbed onto grandpa’s shoulders to jump off. Remember? You got water all up your nose.”

You laugh, “I remember that. I think that’s one of my earliest memories that really stayed.”

Your grandparents chuckle fondly, your boys smile at you.

“The lake’s so nice. It has the perfect temperature and the water’s really clear for a forest lake”, you say.

“I really want to see it now”, Jungkook says.

“Yes me too. I would love to see it”, Taehyung agrees.

“Then let’s go there today. We can take a walk in the forest and then cool down in the lake. Would you guys say yes to that?”

“It sounds like a lovely plan. I would love to do this with you.”

“Me too”, Jungkook says as he is busy plating the eggs. Not long anymore and he can serve them to you and Yoongi.

You glance at Yoongi. He notices and nods his head.

“Sure.”

“Oh you guys”, you squeak a giggle, “that makes me so happy to hear.”

“It seems that you have a lovely day ahead of you”, your grandmother says, “it would be unfair of me to ask you for a favour before you go, wouldn’t it?”

“No of course not, grandma. What do you need?” Jungkook asks.

“Oh well, you see. Harald and I have to go into town soon, but the hayloft needs to be filled with new hay. We were wondering if maybe you could do it while we are in town?”

“Of course we can”, Jungkook says without hesitation, looking at you and the others, “right?”

“Of course”, you say.

“Sure”, Yoongi agrees.

“I would love to help. The hard work would make the swim feel all the more rewarding”, Taehyung says to which you agree with nods of your heads.

“Yes? You are saviours. Thank you so much, my dear ones”, your grandmother says with a smile on her lips.

“We’re just happy to help”, Jungkook says and carries two plates to you and Yoongi, “there you go. Your eggs”, he says, handing them to you.

“Wow Kookie, thank you so much”, you accept your plate, feeling your heart flutter when he kisses your cheek.

“Dig in”, he says and turns his attention to Yoongi, “there you go.”

“Thanks”, Yoongi accepts his plate, waiting with a toothless smile as Jungkook kisses his cheek as well.

“Enjoy, my two lovelies”, Jungkook says, straightening up. He gives your and Yoongi’s chin a gentle pinch then turns to get his own plate from the kitchen counter.

He sits down by the dining table, having a view of the entire room like this. You and Yoongi are on the couch and Taehyung is on the floor with your grandfather. Behind him, your grandmother is beginning to prepare the pie filling. He likes the view a lot. Comfortable silence is present where music and the natural sounds of baking fill it. It makes the morning feel even more healing.

Taehyung and your grandfather soon finish cleaning the cherries. Your grandfather brings them to your grandmother, while Taehyung sits down next to Jungkook. He hugs his arm and kisses it, giving him a shy grin afterwards.

“Hm”, Jungkook smiles with his eyes and pecks Taehyung’s nose, continuing to eat afterwards.

Now happy with the affection he received, Taehyung turns on the chair to look at your grandparents.

“I have a question about this realm.”

“Yes, dear?”

“You spoke of visiting town today. Does this mean that there are communities of witches and their loved ones in this realm?”

“Yes, it does. We don’t pay with money here, but trade with goods or services and everyone will always be ready to help their fellow people.”

“I see. This sounds wonderful. I believe that money truly is the source of most evil. Trading with goods, art and services should be normalised again.”

“You might be right about this, young one”, your grandfather says with a nod of his head.

“I have another question as well.”

“Yes?”

“You say that there is a community of witches and are these witches all from your time period?”

“What do you mean?”

“I was just curious if the witches forming this community all died around the time you died or if there were also witches who died way earlier or later than you.”

“I see. You want to know if this world looks the same for every witch or if there are time differences.”

“Yes, you figured me out.”

“It’s a little complicated to explain. There are differences, but there also aren’t. The Plains isn’t just one big world, but consists of different layers, different plains if you want to call them that, where each witch and their loved ones live. There are meeting points where these plains overlap and time doesn’t exist. We call them towns because over time, these meeting points evolved into town-like places. It’s where we come to trade, meet friends, socialise and ask for help. And it’s also where we can go to other plains.”

“I see. This world is very impressive. It truly is. Is it dangerous to visit other plains?”

“For you it is. This world doesn’t allow living visitors and you are only here because I gave you a connection to my plain. If you were to wander to other plains, it could be very dangerous because your souls could get lost in them.”

Taehyung looks at Yoongi with a heavy heart. The latter, who has been looking at Agatha throughout the entire conversation already, meets his eyes and lowers them. Taehyung looks away, feeling great grief for his friend’s sake.

“I see”, he says quietly, “so there is truly no way for us to visit other plains without getting lost?”

“It is possible, but the chances of getting lost are very high. You would need a very powerful anchor to the real world in order not to get lost. I wouldn’t recommend it, I really wouldn’t.”

“I see. Can people like Harald visit other plains as well?”

“No, because I allowed his soul to be here with me after death, it means that his soul is bound to this plain and if he were to visit other plains, he would get pulled back to my realm the moment he entered another realm.”

“I understand. So he wouldn’t get lost, he would simply return to his world each time he tried to leave.”

“Exactly”, your grandmother says, “but why are you asking me all of this? All of you shouldn’t venture outside this plain.”

“Oh, worry not. Those were solely hypothetical questions. I was curious to know if it was possible for living souls to find the souls of dead loved ones.”

“There is a possibility of sending messages to other witches. The post offices in town aren’t normal post offices, but are there to send magical signals to other plains. My best friend lives on another plain and we regularly send each other signals so we could meet up in town and visit each other’s cottages.”

“Oh, this sounds wonderful. So if I was to plan to meet up with a certain witch, but they don’t know of my presence here yet, I could go to the post office and send a signal to their plain?”

“Yes.”

“And is it warranted that they will receive my signals?”

“Yes, if they would answer you is another question however.”

“Yes, that is very true”, Taehyung says with a laugh, looking at Yoongi again.

The latter has been listening, meeting Taehyung’s eyes and unlike before, he doesn’t look away instantly, but stays connected with him until Taehyung can spot the small hopefulness in his eyes. Taehyung gives him a smile, one Yoongi shyly retorts. And then, only then, does he finally look away, looking at you instead. Taehyung watches him brush his hand down your face and then kiss your cheek to which you ask him why he did it and he tells you that he just felt like it with a bright smile on his face.

Taehyung looks back at your grandmother. He feels hopeful for his friend. Perhaps he can see the other Creators again.

“I thank you for answering my questions. This world is wondrous and very new to me, so I have many questions to ask.”

She smiles, “I’m happy to be of help. You know, I hope that it never happens, but if ___ ever dies, she would enter this plain and if she infused your souls, you would be able to live here with her and us.”

Taehyung smiles, “I must admit that this sounds like a very good afterlife. We would be very happy here.”

They exchange a fond smile and then your grandmother turns to your grandfather, telling him to cut the cherries just a little bigger.

Taehyung turns to Jungkook. He has already finished breakfast and is now doodling on a piece of paper. Taehyung leans his cheek against his shoulder, resting his arm on the backrest of Jungkook’s chair.

“What are you drawing?”

No answer.

“Jungkook?”

“Huh?” Jungkook lets out and gawks at him with big eyes. It is as if Taehyung ripped him out of a trance.

“What are you drawing?” Taehyung repeats his question, pointing at the sketch.

“Oh that? I don’t know, just some doodles”, Jungkook says, drawing again, “I think it’s gonna be the moon with a face on it.”

Taehyung laughs, “what a peculiar thing to doodle.”

“Yeah, I dreamed of it tonight. I don’t know why, but the moon kept talking to me and now I wanna draw how he looked in my dream.”

“I see. This sounds like a confusing dream. Did he say good things?”

“I can’t remember. I just know that he talked to me. I think he said something about chickens. I’m so bad at remembering details, sorry.”

“I see”, Taehyung says and loses to his urges of kissing Jungkook’s cheek. He cuddles into him afterwards, closing his eyes for it.

Jungkook allows it to happen with a faint smile on his lips. He can feel Taehyung’s heart race like crazy in his chest.

You and Yoongi bring your empty plates to the sink.

“We’re gonna wash up now. Do you wanna start with the hayloft afterwards?” you ask them.

“Yes, we could do that”, Taehyung answers for them because Jungkook is already lost in his drawing again.

“Okay, okay”, you say and pull Yoongi with you, “Boongie, you have to help me with my hair, I wanna keep it out of my face and don’t know how.”

“Yeah, I’ll help you. You gotta tell me how to take care of it either way, I wanna learn.”

“Oh Boongie, my love you are so full of love.”

Your conversation drowns out naturally as you disappear upstairs.

Your grandparents exchange a fond look. 

“She got someone who deserves her”, your grandfather says.

“She does. Our honeybee”, your grandmother agrees with love in her eyes.

“Remember how you taught me how to do your hair?”

“Of course I do.”

“He’s gonna be worthy of her, I can feel it.”

“I agree. All of them will be”, she says and places her hands on Taehyung’s and Jungkook’s shoulders, “isn’t that so, my boys?” 

Taehyung and Jungkook look at her with shy yet sparkly eyes, smiling brightly. She chuckles fondly and ruffles their hair.

“Dear ones”, she adds, turning back to Harald and the cherry pie.

Taehyung and Jungkook exchange a giddy look, feeling so good about being worthy that they needed to give each other a kiss. They feel more comfortable doing so in front of your grandparents, knowing how accepted they are.

You meet up outside soon after. Your grandparents are dressed for town. Your grandmother is carrying a bouquet of flowers, while your grandfather pushes their Vespa out of the garage. It is orange in colour and their helmets are green.

“Oh what a wonderful Vespa. I love the colours”, Taehyung gasps, hurrying to it to inspect it.

Your grandfather is by his side, looking highly proud of their little treasure.

“Right? Agatha picked them.”

“She is a beauty. And so wonderfully taken care of. One can truly see your talent for restorations, Harald.”

“Thanks, I tried my best. I did all the painting too.”

“You did? How wonderful. You did an amazing job. Oh, the brushwork is beautiful. May I touch?”

“Sure.”

Taehyung strokes his hand down the front of the Vespa.

“Magnificent. What a beautiful piece of history. I truly cannot get enough of the colour.”

“I really like it too”, you agree, having joined their sides with your grandmother.

Taehyung steps away from the roller and puts his arm around your waist.

“Remember what you called it when you were little?” your grandmother asks you.

“I do. I always called it carrot driver.”

Taehyung laughs fondly, “what an adorable name. It truly fits with the colour scheme.”

“Yeah. Paps always took me for drives.”, 

“I did. They were the highlights of my week. We shared pie somewhere in nature and collected flowers to press later.”

“Gosh, yes we did.”

“This sounds wonderful. Shall we take a trip too once home? I still have my old girl in the garage, she would be perfect for a trip to the coast”, Taehyung suggests to which you nod your head vigorously.

“I’d like this so much, wow.”

“Perfect, it is decided then.”

Your grandparents put on their helmets as you made plans with Taehyung, now getting ready to leave.

You smile at them, “be careful and have fun in town.”

“Thank you, honeybee. Don’t you forget about the cherry pie if you get hungry”, your grandmother says as she climbs on the Vespa.

“We won’t, grandma.”

“Be careful, my girl”, your grandfather says, sitting down behind his wife. He wraps his left arm around her, carrying the flowers with the other. 

Your grandmother starts the Vespa with a skilful kick and lifts her left hand to wave at you. Moments later, they zoom off into the forest, past high trees and along the gravel roads. 

You wave them goodbye until distance swallows them and only the purring of the Vespa can be heard. 

“You have the coolest grandparents ever”, Jungkook says.

“I really do.”

“She drives really fast. She’s gotta be careful on those roads, they’re slippery”, Yoongi says, earning himself fond chuckles from everyone. Of course he’ll worry.

“Gosh, you guys I’m so happy”, you say and turn around with a little jump, “come on, if we start with the hayloft now, we’ll be done early afternoon.”

You lead the way and your boys follow.

“Work like this always reminds me of my time living on a farm”, Taehyung says.

“You lived on a farm?” Jungkook asks.

“Indeed I did. Jimin and I had a quaint, little farm in the French country side. We spent a few decades there together and even had an intense relationship with a person called Ava.”

“What happened to her?”

“They preferred not to be addressed a woman.”

“Oh, sorry. What happened to them?”

“Namjoon killed them.”

“Oh”, Jungkook takes Taehyung’s hand, “I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry. Shit, now I feel twice as bad. First I misgender them and then I ask an insensitive question.”

“Don’t apologise, you couldn’t have known. I like talking about Ava as it keeps their memory alive”, he assures him, “Jimin struggles with talking about them. He really loved them.”

“I see. I’m sorry, I’m sure they were a wonderful person.”

“They really were. I think you and them would have gotten along wonderfully.”

“I’m sure we would have”, Jungkook says, looking at you and Yoongi as well, “did you guys know about Tae’s farm already?”

“I did. He told me about it a while ago.”

“I knew too. It’s still impressive that you lived as a farmer for years and never learned how to cook”, Yoongi teases.

“Hey”, Taehyung gasps, “in my defense, I rarely ate human food back then and Ava insisted on cooking for themselves, so I didn’t need to acquire this skill.”

Yoongi chuckles, “that’s just an excuse.”

“No, it isn’t”, Taehyung laughs and nudges his arm, “you are truly mean, hyung. Besides, I learned how to make cheese during this time. My cheeses were magnificent in taste, I must tell you.”

“I’m just teasing”, Yoongi says and goes to nudge Taehyung’s chin, “spoiled kid.”

Taehyung blushes, looking to the side. Receiving Yoongi’s affection is still flustering him.

“So where should we start? I assume we all know how to fill a hayloft?” you ask.

“I do. Our farm had a hayloft. We shared many heated hours in there.”

“Wasn’t it really pokey?” Jungkook asks.

“It was, but we didn’t care. It is fun. Have you tried?” 

Jungkook flusters, “uhm. Uh.”

“Guys, focus. We’re not here to get steamy in my grandparents’ hayloft”, you say with a fond chuckle.

“It could be very fun however. Imagine a foursome in a mountain of hay”, Taehyung jokes, wiggling his brows.

“Behave, this isn’t the time”, you chuckle and climb up the ladder, “we have so much work to do. Wow, I’m actually really excited for it. I always loved hayloft days at my grandparents because it smelled so good and I could jump into the fresh hay. It was so nice”, you speak while your boys look at you climbing the ladder. 

“I can imagine”, Yoongi says, following after you, “I helped around the stables too sometimes. Time spent was alright.”

“I can imagine. I love horses.”

“We had a hayloft as well”, Jungkook says, climbing after Yoongi, “actually my grandparents had it and we had to help. I didn’t really like it though because my grandpa was really strict and always scolded us.”

“Gosh, poor boy.”

“Mhm yeah, I do miss it these days though. Being immortal is kinda weird in that sense.”

“I can imagine”, you say and welcome him with a little snuggle, “I’m here, yeah?”

He smiles, kissing your cheek, “yeah, I know. Thank you.”

Taehyung is the last to climb the ladder, only doing so after rolling up the sleeves of his linen shirt. He is wearing slacks to it. And dress shoes.

“Don’t you wanna change your clothes?” Yoongi asks.

“No, I haven’t planned on doing so”, he answers him nonchalantly.

“Alright”, Yoongi gives up and looks at you, “I’ll start with the lifting.”

“Sounds good, I’ll do the raking up here.”

“I’ll help you”, Jungkook says.

“And I will help Yoongi”, Taehyung says, “crap, we climbed up here for nothing.”

“Yeah, I guess”, Yoongi says, climbing back down after Taehyung.

Once downstairs, the latter tries to hand him a pitchfork but Yoongi refuses.

“I don’t need tools, thanks”, he says and lifts his hand, guiding a big stack of hay up to the loft this way.

“Woah, how cool”, you gasps.

“Are you using magic, hyungie?” Jungkook gasps.

“Yeah. It’s easier than tools”, Yoongi says and picks up another stack.

“This is so cool, wow.”

“It is truly remarkable”, Taehyung agrees and begins raking the hay into little stacks so Yoongi can pick them up easier.

Now with the lower group having the perfect rhythm, you and Jungkook make up your own rhythm to match. Jungkook welcomes the stacks Yoongi moves and shoves them closer to you so you can get them and move them to the back of the loft. Like this, you are slowly working your way to the front, filling the loft with more and more hay and the day with comfortable silence. 

The work is repetitive and therefore meditative. With Yoongi’s magic, the tedious task of throwing the hay up to the loft is missing as well, saving him and Taehyung a lot of difficult work. It is a time well spent, a time meant to relax and soon the floor downstairs is empty.

“Wow, we already did it?” Jungkook asks with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

“It seems that we did and it only took us”, Taehyung wipes his own forehead and checks his watch, “two and a half hours. Oh goodness, this took longer than it felt.”

“Are you guys thirsty as well?” you ask, sitting down by the edge of the loft. You feel heated.

Jungkook sits down next to you, tangling his feet.

“I am parched actually”, Taehyung says, smacking his dry lips.

“Yeah, me too”, Jungkook agrees.

“I’m not that thirsty”, Yoongi says.

“No wonder. All you have to do is lift your hand.”

“Yeah, I guess. I can get you guys something”, Yoongi says and hurries away. 

“Should I help?” 

“No, it’s okay. Rest for a while.”

“Do you guys wanna rest in the hay?” you ask them to which both men nod their heads. Taehyung climbs up the ladder after you gestured him to come up here.

You get cozy in an especially fluffy stack, snuggling together even if you were hot and sweaty. You are between them.

“God, you two are so hot it’s actually insane”, you whine.

“This is cozy”, Jungkook says.

“It really is”, Taehyung agrees and snuggles into you, kissing your neck, “you smell good.”

“I smell good? I’m sweaty and full of hay.”

“Exactly. The sweat brings out your true scent. You smell so warm and”, he nibbles on your jawline, “rather addictive if I may be honest.”

“Tae”, you shudder, but wiggle away with a giggle, “are you trying to be horny again?”

“No I am not. I am merely speaking the truth”, he defends himself, “Jungkook, smell her. Go on, tell her that I am right.”

Jungkook wraps his arms around you before you can flee, tugging your back against his chest and burying his nose in the crook of your neck.

“Kook”, you squeak, laughing loudly when he inhales dramatically.

“Mhm”, he hums and lifts his face again, “you’re right, Tae. You smell really good, babygirl. Like really good.”

“Don’t you miss being a vampire right now? The scent would be mouth-watering.”

“Mhm, it’d drive me fucking crazy”, Jungkook purrs and gives your neck a soft bite.

You writhe in his arms, grabbing Taehyung’s lower arm to tug yourself away.

“Boys please”, you say, “I’m really trying to keep it PG today.”

“Why? Doesn’t this location make you want to…” Taehyung dances his finger up your arm, “...give yourself to us? Allow us to still our thirsts with…well, you know what I am talking about.”

“I mean, it’s not that I’m not thinking about it but what if my grandparents come back? I would literally have to die on the spot if they caught us. It would already be bad enough if it’s just two of us, but a foursome? I think I would have to kill myself actually just to escape the shame.”

Jungkook laughs, “no, don’t say that. We won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with, don’t worry.”

“Yes, worry not. You know me, I am a flirt who needs to at least shoot his shot, but I would never force you to do anything”, Taehyung says, making you laugh 

“And I love this about you, darling. Keep being a flirt.”

He grins cutely and settles into the hay, holding your hand as he does. He wiggles his feet from side to side. 

“Actually this is too hot”, he decides, taking off his shoes and settling back afterwards. He wiggles his naked toes, “better.”

You settle into the hay as well, holding Jungkook’s hand just as tightly as you do Taehyung’s. Jungkook lies down, resting his head against your shoulder.

“I would actually really, really take you up on your offer if it wasn’t for the location”, you say into the silence, making you two boys snicker.

You have to laugh as well. 

“I’m serious. There’s something about you being hot and sweaty that gets to me. You guys are so sexy when you’re working hard. Gosh you guys, we really gotta build a hayloft at home just so we can bone in peace.”

“Oh my god, baby”, Jungkook laughs.

“Do not tempt me with a good time, I will actually build it”, Taehyung says.

“I wasn’t even kidding. I bet it would be really hot to get steamy there.”

“It really would be”, Jungkook agrees.

“It is. I can tell you from experience that it is very sexy. Especially if it is with the right people. Oh, then it is such a truly wonderful time. Very romantic as well, despite the eroticism of it.”

You glance at Taehyung, giving him a fond smile.

“I like you so much, you know?”

“Oh”, his flushed face flushes even more, “I, uh, I like you too. Wow, uhm, wow you have my heart aflame. Wow”, he stutters, touching his own chest giddily.

“You cutie”, you say and look at Jungkook, “I like you just as much, you know?”

Jungkook cranes his neck, gazing up at you.

“I like you too”, he whispers and puckers his lips. You kiss them, then turn your head to kiss Taehyung just as sweetly, settling into the hay afterwards.

“Do you think Yoongi is still gonna take long?”

“I’m already here”, Yoongi announces himself down below.

“Oh? Hey Boongie. Do you need help?” 

“No, I can manage”, Yoongi says and finally appears in your sight. He carries a tray of snacks and drinks, clearly using magic for it because he can climb at the same time.

The magic disappears once he is up on the loft. He carries the tray to you and sits down facing you, placing the tray in the middle.

“I made lemonade and cut up the cherry pie. I’ve got some water too and crackers with some tuna. I don’t know, I saw the crackers and thought I could make something.”

“It looks so yummy, thank you so much, my love”, you gush, taking a glass of lemonade and a cracker after pecking his cheek.

“You have truly outdone yourself”, Taehyung says.

“You’re the best, hyungie”, Jungkook says.

“Yeah, dig in”, Yoongi mumbles. He takes his stuff last, watching you with hesitant eyes. Only once all three of you hummed in approval, does he take his own first bite, blushing vividly and smiling to himself.

You share the delicious food up on the hayloft where the air smells like summer days and the dust in the air makes the sun rays appear. They enter the barn through windows, warming the hay which in reaction deepens the scents even more. 

“I saw more hay balls outside. I think we need to keep working”, Yoongi says.

“That’s alright. I was actually a little sad that it was over already”, you confess.

“Mhm, me too”, Jungkook agrees.

“I must change shoes before we continue. They are very uncomfortable.”

“See? I told you that you’ll regret them.”

“That you truly did”, Taehyung says and looks at the sunlight. His back and shoulders are relaxed. 

They don’t hunch their backs in the real world. Vampires have perfect postures, so Taehyung told you once. So it is peculiar to see them all slack so much now that they are free of their curse. They look relaxed and so perfectly human.

Taehyung takes a deep breath, “I don’t regret my choices however.”

“Mhm.”

Taehyung runs his eyes over the sunrays. He sips on the lemonade, finishing it this way. 

“This feels healing”, he says.

“It does?”

“Yes, it does. Work is rewarding, the location is relaxing and I find myself counting the specs of dust in the air. Life is so, so…” he takes a deep breath, “...so peaceful. Life is so peaceful.”

“And I’m sure that it will be peaceful from now on”, you say with fondness in your voice. 

“Yes. Yes, I truly hope that it will be.”

“I’m sure of it. We’ve got the worst behind us”, Jungkook says, “right, hyung?” 

“I don’t know”, Yoongi says and stands up, “I’m outside already.”

And with that, he flees.

“Did I say something wrong?” Jungkook gasps.

“No, uhm. Work’s just…waiting.”

He is gone. You exchange a confused look with Taehyung and Jungkook.

“Did I say something wrong?” Jungkook asks again with sad guilt in his big eyes.

“I cannot say.”

“No, you didn’t. I’ll talk to him, okay? You boys clean up the snacks and get started on the hay.”

“Okay, okay.”

“Can you tell him sorry from me?”

“I’ll tell him”, you promise and jump down the last step of the ladder to hurry outside.

Yoongi is by the hay balls behind the shed. He has his back turned to you, doing nothing except standing still.

“Hey, there.”

He looks at you.

“Hey.”

“What happened back there? Did Kook say something wrong?”

“No, it’s just. I just. I uh, sorry I panicked. I, I don’t know if life’s gonna be peaceful. I didn’t wanna, uhm, wanna lie.”

“I see. Well, Kook is really worried that he upset you, so maybe talk to him and assure him that he’s got nothing to worry about, okay? He even told me to tell you sorry.”

“Oh. No, sorry, it’s just…” he hesitates.

“Go on.”

“I’m not ready to share these feelings. Nothing with Kook! Just my own thoughts, I guess.”

“I understand. If you’re ready and you need someone to share them with, I’m here. Okay?”

He nods his head.

“Okay, now let’s do something else to distract ourselves.”

“Yeah”, he smiles, “yeah, I’d like that. Thank you for understanding.”

“Of course, my love.”

You squat down in front of a big cube of hay and try to lift it. 

“Woah, that’s heavy”, you say, having to stand up in defeat, “I tried to be cool and lift it, but no chance in hell.” 

“Wait, let me”, Yoongi says and pushes you to the side gently. He squats down and places his hands under the big cube. Then he lifts it. At least that is what he would do in the real world. The cube doesn’t move an inch. 

“Woah, okay”, Yoongi lets out and straightens up with his hand pressed into his lower back, “I totally forgot that I cannot lift for shit in here. This was one major fail. Phew.”

He makes you laugh. So hard in fact that you stumble and collide with him in a tight hug. 

“Oh Yoongi, this was hilarious. You looked so cute trying to do that.”

Yoongi laughs, blushing like crazy.

“I looked like an idiot. Thank god nobody saw me.”

“No, you didn’t. You looked cute and funny. God”, you snicker, “thank you for that laugh. I really needed it.”

“At least it was good for something”, he says and chuckles, “let’s try to move it with magic, yeah?”

“Oh, we can do that too? I thought it only works with lighter stuff.”

He nods his head, “it works with heavier stuff too.”

“That’s so cool. Okay, okay what do we gotta do? Show me.”

“So the most important thing about this kind of spell is the connection with the object you are trying to move.”

“Okay, connection. So I’m gonna channel it?”

“No, you are gonna channel yourself and use the power to build a connection with the object. Once you did, you can manipulate its whereabouts and lift it.”

“So in a sense I’m just making it float? Because I’m manipulating its location?”

“I guess? Yeah, I guess you could say that you’re just making it float and guiding it with your hands”, he says and squats down, “watch me first.”

“Okay, okay.”

Yoongi’s eyes glimmer purple for a moment as he channels himself. He furrows his brows and touches the log, lifting it off the ground seconds later.

“Wow. Woah, you’re doing it”, you gasp.

“I am, yeah”, Yoongi says and stands up easily. He is holding the log, it looks as if he is carrying it, but his arms are relaxed. No strain, no flexing, just relaxed muscles and tendons. It is the only indicator that the magic is working.

“Is this difficult to do?”

“No, I don’t feel it at all”, Yoongi says and lets go of the log. It stays floating in front of him.

“Woah!” 

“Yeah, pretty cool, isn’t it?” he says and drops it on the ground carefully.

“Woah, that was so cool! You made it fly!”

Yoongi grins, “I did, yeah.”

“You are the coolest person ever, oh my god”, you say and touch his waist, “Boongie, you’re so cool.”

Yoongi brushes his thumb over your chin, gazing at you fondly.

“Do you wanna try it too?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I really do.”

“That’s my girl. Squat down”, he orders and lowers himself.

You obey, squatting down next to him. 

“Now try to find the connection to yourself.”

You glance at him hesitantly.

“Don’t be scared”, he assures you, rubbing your back.

“Do you think that I’m ready for it?”

“I do. For emotion based witches like us, channelling ourselves comes natural. You'll be able to do it really easily. Just like you did when you sent us here.”

“Oh? Oh, yeah I actually did it before”, you say and close your eyes to concentrate better. You try and try and try, but can’t find the connection. Nerves are holding you back.

You open your eyes.

“Sorry”, you whisper.

“You did nothing wrong, keep trying.”

You close your eyes again and try. Try. More trying. The connection is flickering far, far away but you can’t seem to grasp it.

“It’s difficult”, you whisper.

Yoongi rubs his hand down the nape of your neck, leaning in to kiss your cheek.

The connection is instant, flickering to life in sync with the fluttering of your heart.

You open your eyes, meeting Yoongi’s purple eyes. Your own eyes are glowing purple as well.

“There it is”, he says, caressing you under your eyes, “that pretty glow. You did so well, I’m so proud of you.” 

The glow becomes stronger with his praise, the fluttering of your heart does as well.

“Now, touch the log and visualise how your energy is moving it to where you want it to be.”

You follow his instruction, touching the log with both hands and your eyes closed. You imagine how it lifts off the ground and how  you lead it to its new spot.

“Yes, that’s it. Good job”, Yoongi’s proud voice makes you open your eyes.

The log is floating. You are actually doing it.

“I’m doing it! I-” the log drops as you lose connection, “-no! Goddamn it no, I lost it.”

“That’s okay, you did really well for your first time. You got too excited and lost it. Just take a deep breath and try again.”

“Okay, okay I will.”

The hay lifts again. 

“That’s it. Keep it going. Good job”, Yoongi praises you as you stand up slowly with it.

“I’m doing it”, you whisper.

“Yeah, you are. Feel the connection, you’re doing really well like this.”

“Oh wow, I’m doing it. Wow. You’re not helping me secretly, are you?” 

“Of course not. I want you to fail properly, if you do. Mistakes are allowed here, I won’t prevent them. This is all your doing.”

“Oh my god, I’m actually doing it”, you say, taking your first steps with the hay in your arms.

“Good job, you’re such a fast leaner”, Yoongi says and lifts up two hay cubes, carrying them on each shoulder with the help of his magic. 

He walks behind you, keeping the slow pace going for your sake. You are slow, but you are steady. He feels incredibly proud of you. Not many witches learn spells as quickly as you do. 

You manage to carry the hay all the way to the barn, dropping it right in front of Taehyung’s and Jungkook’s feet.

“Tada”, you say, “I carried it all the way here with magic.”

“You did? Wow, baby that’s so cool.”

“You are beyond impressive, my darling.” 

“She really is”, Yoongi agrees and drops the hay next to yours, “I’ll show you another spell. Get up in the loft everyone.”

You follow his order, placing yourselves by the edge of it. Yoongi claims the spot next to Jungkook, draping his arm around his waist.

“Huh?” Jungkook gawks at him with widened eyes.

“You didn’t do anything wrong”, Yoongi says and kisses his jawline softly.

“Oh”, Jungkook leans in with closed eyes and a giddy smile, scrunching his nose in happiness.

“Now”, Yoongi breaks away, “take a few steps back, I need space.” 

You find out the reason for it when seconds later, he drags one of the cubes through the air, making it land where you once shared the snacks.

“Excuse me? You were able to move an entire heap all this time and you let me work my bum off for two and a half hours?” Taehyung squeaks out.

“The heap before was lose, I couldn’t have moved it in one piece. It works when the object is really compact and solid in a sense, once it’s scattered, the magic can’t reach every part of it and therefore I had to move it in small stacks.”

“I understand. Well, that does make sense and I must take my words back.”

“No worries. I get it”, Yoongi assures him, “do you wanna try the spell as well, princess?”

“Yes, I’ll try”, you say, positioning yourself next to Yoongi, “do I have to visualise it floating to me?”

“Yes, form a connection and visualise how you are dragging it to you. It’s more difficult than the other spell, so don’t be sad when it doesn’t-”, he stops talking, watching in delighted surprise how a cube of hay flies past him. It drops next to the one he moved.

You open your eyes, looking at the hay, then at your boys.

“Did I do it?”

“Uh…yeah? Shit princess, that was impressive. You did it right away.”

You smile brightly, “I tried really hard.”

“I couldn’t even tell. It came very natural to you.”

You giggle, “I, I wanna try the last one too.”

“Go ahead.”

You lift both your arms and visualise. Unlike the first one, the second cube of hay flies past you quickly, landing on the ground in a loud bang.

“Oh damn”, you gasp, flinching hard.

Jungkook and Taehyung jumped back in order not to get hit.

“Did I do that?” 

“You did. Nothing happened, but your emotions are getting stronger, so you’ve lost control the second time.”

“Is it because I was so happy about the first time?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Don’t be sad, you still did really well”, Yoongi praises, caressing your arm.

You smile at him shyly.

“Thanks.”

“I am very proud of you too, my darling”, Taehyung says and gives you a grin.

“Yeah, thanks”, you murmur shyly.

“You’re so cool and you saved us a lot of time. Where are the pitchforks? We gotta separate the hay”, Jungkook says.

“Downstairs.”

“Should we use magic to get them?” you ask.

“No, you definitely shouldn’t. If you lost control over it, people could die.”

“Yeah, right. And you?”

“I could, but I don’t wanna risk it. Someone should get them manually.”

“Wait. I’ll get them”, Jungkook says and runs to the edge of the hayloft to jump down like he would do in the real world.

“Jungkook, no!”

[n1ght0f-nyx]

mha girls asking you out 1/2

characters- Ochako Uraraka, kyoka jirou, mina ashido, Momo Yaoyorozu, tsuyu asui, Toru Hagakure notes- no spoilers, yn is genderless but jewerlly is bought for them, first perspective, not proofread obvi Ochako Uraraka I was in the common room of the dorms, flipping through a book absentmindedly, my mind kept drifting back to the events of the day, but mostly to a certain someone who had been on my mind more often than not. Just as I was about to lose myself in thought again, Ochako Uraraka walked in. Her usual bubbly energy seemed a little more subdued, and I noticed she was holding something behind her back.

"Hey, Y/N!" she greeted, her smile as bright as ever, though there was a hint of nervousness in her eyes.

"Hey, Ochako," I replied, closing my book and giving her my full attention. "What's up?"

She hesitated for a moment, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. It was rare to see her like this—usually, she was so confident and full of life. My curiosity piqued as I waited for her to continue.

"Well, um... there's something I've been wanting to tell you," she began, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "It's just that... I really like spending time with you, and I was wondering if you'd like to... go out with me? Like, on a date?" her eyes bubbled with stars, but she fiddled with her fingers anxiously, waiting for my answer

Kyoka Jirou Music echoed through the hallway as I walked towards the practice rooms. I recognized the rhythm immediately—Kyoka Jirou’s bass playing. It was so distinct, like she poured every bit of herself into each note.

As I got closer, the door to her practice room was slightly ajar. I peeked in, watching her as she played, completely lost in the music. Her earphone jacks swayed in time with the beat, and I couldn't help but smile at how cool she looked.

Suddenly, she looked up and noticed me. I panicked for a second, feeling like I’d been caught doing something I shouldn’t. But instead of looking annoyed, she gave me a small, almost shy smile and waved me in.

“Hey, Y/N,” she said, her voice slightly teasing as I stepped inside. “Enjoying the show?”

I chuckled, trying to play it cool. “Always. You’re amazing, Jirou.”

She blushed slightly and looked away, pretending to adjust the knobs on her amp. “Thanks… I’ve been working on this new song for a while. I’m glad you like it.”

There was a moment of silence as she fidgeted with her equipment, and I felt a strange tension in the air. Something was different today, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

“So, uh… Y/N,” she started, her voice a bit softer than usual. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” My heart skipped a beat. “Yeah? What’s up?”

She took a deep breath, twiling her finger around her earphone jacks nervously. “Would you… maybe wanna hang out sometime? Like, just the two of us?”

I blinked, trying to process what she was saying. Was she asking me out?

“You mean like a date?” I asked, my voice coming out more hopeful than I intended.

Her eyes met mine, and she nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. “Yeah… exactly like a date.” mina ashido The school day was winding down, and I found myself lingering by the lockers, my thoughts scattered after a long day of classes and training. I was just about to head out when I noticed Mina Ashido approaching, her usual bubbly energy radiating from her like sunshine.

"Hey, Y/N!" she called out, her voice bright and cheerful. Her pink skin practically glowed under the hallway lights, and her golden eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Hey, Mina," I replied, smiling as she came to a stop in front of me. "What's up?"

She rocked back on her heels, her hands clasped behind her back, a playful grin on her face. "So, I was thinking… we’ve been hanging out a lot lately, right?"

I nodded, curious where this was going. “Yeah, it’s been fun.”

“Right?!” She beamed at me, taking a step closer. “So, I was wondering if you’d maybe wanna hang out… like, officially?”

It took me a second to process what she was saying, and when I did, my heart skipped a beat. “You mean, like… a date?”

Mina’s cheeks darkened to a deeper pink, and she laughed, a little bit of nervousness slipping through her usual confidence. “Yeah, a date. I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while now, but, you know, hero stuff gets in the way sometimes.” momo Yaoyorozu It was a quiet afternoon when I heard a soft knock on my door. I wasn't expecting anyone, so I was surprised to find Momo Yaoyorozu standing there, a shy smile playing on her lips. She looked as elegant as ever, her dark hair falling perfectly over her shoulders. But there was something different about her today, a nervous energy that I hadn't seen before.

"Hi, Momo," I greeted her, trying to hide my own surprise. "What's up?"

"Hello," she replied, her voice gentle but with a hint of nervousness. "I was wondering if you had a moment to talk?"

I nodded, stepping aside to let her in. She walked in gracefully, her hands clutching a small, beautifully wrapped box. I couldn't help but notice it, and my curiosity got the better of me.

"What's that?" I asked, gesturing to the box.

Momo's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she held it out to me. "It's... well, it's for you."

"For me?" I took the box from her, feeling its weight in my hands. "What’s the occasion?"

Momo bit her lip, her gaze flickering from the box to my face. "There’s something I've been wanting to tell you. And... I thought this might help."

My heart started to race as I carefully unwrapped the box. Inside was a delicate necklace, the pendant a beautiful, intricate design that sparkled in the light. It was stunning, and I couldn’t believe she had gotten it for me.

"Momo, this is beautiful," I breathed, looking up at her. "You didn’t have to—"

"I wanted to," she interrupted, taking a step closer. Her eyes were full of determination now, the nerves from earlier slowly fading away. "I really like you, Y/N. More than just a friend. And I’ve been trying to find the right way to tell you."

I felt my breath catch in my throat as her words sank in. "You… you like me?"

Momo nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. "Yes. I’ve liked you for a while now. And I know this might seem sudden, but I wanted to do something special for you, to show you how much you mean to me."

I glanced down at the necklace again, my heart swelling with emotion. It was such a thoughtful, sweet gesture, and knowing that it came from Momo made it even more meaningful.

"I don't know what to say," I whispered, still in awe of the moment.

"You don’t have to say anything right now," Momo replied softly. "But if you feel the same way... maybe you could give us a chance? We could go on a date, see where it takes us?"

I looked into her eyes, seeing the hope and sincerity there. I couldn’t help but smile, feeling a warmth spread through me. tsuyu asui I was walking down the hall when I heard a familiar, soft voice call out to me. Turning around, I saw Tsuyu Asui, her large, round eyes fixed on me with that calm expression she always wore.

"Hey, Y/N, ribbit," she spoke "Do you have a minute?"

"Of course, Tsuyu," I replied, smiling at her. She always had this way of making me feel at ease, like a gentle rain after a hot day.

We walked to a quieter spot near the school's garden. Tsuyu fidgeted slightly, her fingers playing with the hem of her uniform, a rare sign of nerves from her.

"I've been thinking about something," she started, her voice steady, though I could sense the slightest hesitation. "We've been friends for a while now, and I've come to realize... I like spending time with you, ribbit. A lot."

My heart skipped a beat, but I stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue.

"What I’m trying to say is... would you like to go out with me? On a date?" she asked, her gaze meeting mine directly, even though there was a faint blush on her cheeks. Toru Hagakure

I was heading back to the dorms after a long day of training when I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. I turned around, but no one was there. I blinked in confusion, my mind racing until I remembered—Toru Hagakure, the invisible girl.

"Toru?" I asked, trying to figure out where exactly she was.

"Yep, it's me!" Her voice was bubbly, as always, but there was a hint of nervousness that I hadn't noticed before. "I, um, wanted to talk to you about something."

I smiled, trying to put her at ease. "Sure, what's up?"

"Well, you see…" She hesitated, and I could almost picture her fidgeting. "We've been friends for a while now, and I really enjoy spending time with you. You're always so nice and fun to be around, and I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go out with me? Like, on a date?"

The suddenness of her question caught me off guard, and I could feel my cheeks heating up. "A date? You mean, like…"

"Yeah, like a date date," she confirmed, her voice a mix of hope and anxiety. "I totally understand if you're not interested, though! I just thought it was worth asking…"

[cassberry]

(Looking to watch 3rd Life, Last Life or Double Life? Here you go!)

If you are looking for a guide of some Limited Life episodes to catch up on for no particular reason at all (certainly not a new season being around the corner), I've got you covered!

Now I'm not going to lie, trying to curate this list for Limited Life broke me. The mechanics of this season meant that you gained time by killing other players and in doing so it felt like 50 things were happening all at once constantly across the server. As such I haven't been able to get absolutely everything onto this list, but I did try my best to get all the important events and a wide range of perspectives!

WARNING: Incredibly long read more where I go over why I picked certain POV's and what to expect. I do so love to ramble. Spoilers ahead!

SESSION ONE

Skizz - Breaking from tradition from recommending Grian first because you need to watch Skizz's POV first out of everyone unspoiled. The way things unraveled this episode felt like a sitcom in the best and worst ways lol 

Grian - Just a good solid first episode honestly and with the start of the Bad Boys™ how can you not love it. 

Scar -  I really have no words for whatever is the dynamic of the Clockers because you really just have to see it to understand. It’s a fun episode and as Scar, Cleo and Bdubs have set up near spawn, you always get to see something interesting. 

Big B - Big B’s episodes are always a treat as he does super long ones that give you a little more insight into what's happening on the server, rather than just the big events. But if you wanted something specific to watch, his last 10 minutes of this episode were a blast. 

SESSION TWO

Joel - Bad Boys Bread Bridge was both the most amazing and ugliest build on the server and I’m so glad it was made. Also Joel gets some amazing kills this episode that are so tense to watch. 

Martyn - Look this one is here because of a little personal bias. Martyn shouts me out in the episode so I couldn’t not add it lol It’s also a very good episode in of itself in that it introduces the Mean Gills and I’ll always be a Mean Gills supporter. Also that Tilly roast? oof 

Pearl - Pearl is constantly on the move this episode and living up to her Nosy Neighbour title so watch her episode if you want some good gossip and to see the lay of the land. 

Tango - Tango always delivers a solid episode and as he was building the TIES Tower a majority of the time he receives a lot of foot traffic through the area creating some fun interactions. 

SESSION THREE

Scar - And in this episode of Limited Life, Scar rediscovers the joys of minecart TNT. 

Impulse - Impulse is such a fun boogey to watch, and the way he edited this episode around his thought process of who to kill was great. 

Grian - Kind of a different episode this session as Grian was sick so he was afk the entire time. It was very very very funny to watch, but as he wasn’t interacting with anyone you’re going to miss a lot of context if you only watch his POV. You should still give this a watch though! 

Joel - Watching poor Joel run around after Grian trying to keep him safe was incredibly entertaining lmao 

SESSION FOUR

Scott - I believe Grian said it best, but this session felt like a final session with the way the yellows were chasing after the greens. It was pure chaos the entire time and Scott beautifully evading them all until his descent into yellow was perfection. 

Tango - Tango is here for the same reason as Scott but as the last green the final hunt for him was terrifying to watch. 

Cleo - I love Cleo’s episodes and this one was just a joy. She was slightly sick this week but I feel like that only lowered her inhibitions to do some out of pocket stuff. 

Jimmy - The exciting saga of Judge Judy and Executioner continues in Jimmy’s episode this week and if you didn’t know anything about it, that's ok! Neither did anyone else on the server except for Jimmy, Pearl and Big B lmao consider this the best episode to watch if you want this plotline covered. 

SESSION FIVE 

Etho - Considering the episode starts off with Etho having to babysit Bdubs, then an awkward family dinner and an explosive game of catch, I really couldn’t have asked for a better Etho video. 

Big B - This session was a lot more calm than the previous, so there was a lot more alliance talk happening. Big B has a great perspective on all that as he and Pearl get up to a tonne of mischief that causes some problems with some alliances they already had. 

Scott - Once again this was an alliance building week and Scott’s episode really highlights some of the more fun things that happened to make and break some relationships. 

Grian - Poor Bread Bridge o7 you will be missed. Thankfully M-Rye 5 was there at the end to rain chaos from above. (<-sentences that make no sense out of context) 

SESSION SIX 

Cleo & Pearl - I couldn’t choose between either of these two this session. Both Cleo and Pearl were out sick so they handed over their accounts to two other players. I won’t spoil who they are but these episodes were amazing. 

Jimmy - The Bad Boys were going through it this week goddamn lol It never stops being funny how much of a mess everything becomes when they get together. 

Martyn - It was his birthday this session and he’s just a little guy! Surely nothing would go wrong at his birthday party? And certainly not caused by him! 

Tango - The last half of Tango’s episode is just a comical amount of deaths that only get funnier and funnier as the time between them shortens. 

SESSION SEVEN

Skizz - Oh Skizz. You are too good for this world. His ending for this episode was heartbreaking and Affirmation Station will live on in my heart forever.

Scott - I love watching Scott run around the map and hunt people down because he is so good at the game! I believe he had the highest kill count this session and I loved every minute of it. 

Joel - (Major Spoilers) Ah Joel it just wasn’t meant to be! But hearing the desperation in his voice grow higher and higher as the clock ticked down was nail biting. Scar - Just a good Scar episode honestly! Shows what the Clockers are up to during all the chaos and a great view of the server devolving into anarchy.

SESSION EIGHT 

Martyn - WOOOO YESSSS LETS GOOOOOO (<- does that count as spoilers???)

I distinctly remember being on the edge of my seat this whole episode and Martyn delivers in every way possible for a fantastic final episode of the season. 

Impulse - I haven’t mentioned it yet but Impulse’s editing this season went wild and it's none more apparent than in this episode. He and his team went crazy for the finale. 

Etho - Such a fun episode!! The twist at the end with the diamond sword coming into play was everything I could have wanted and more. 

Pearl - It was really a toss up between Pearl and Scott for this last spot, but I loved her perspective for the one last minigame on the server. 

BONUS 

Bdubs - Do you have a spare 12 hours to dedicate to Limited Life? Then oh boy does Bdubs have a video for you! Instead of weekly videos he decided to collate all his episodes into one mammoth video which was an absolute blast to watch over a weekend! It’s a really interesting POV to watch because when LimLife was airing Bdubs would just appear all over the map and we never had any idea what he was doing so it was awesome to have some concrete evidence of his shenanigans. Definitely give this one a watch if you’re in the mood for a marathon! 

IN SUMMARY…

I swear if the next season is as messy as this one, I think I’m going to have to start taking notes when it's airing because I think this took years off my life haha if you think I’ve missed anything please tag it because I would love to see it! I definitely could have added more POV’s per session like I did with the Last Life and 3rd Life guides, but I think a more curated list helps keep down the overwhelming nature of trying to watch a million Limited Life episodes. 

But really, I loved watching Limited Life live so I’m glad I give myself an excuse each new season to go back and watch the season over again. There are so many little foreshadowed moments that you don’t see on the first watch and honestly it all just makes me more excited for the new season! Thanks for reading <3

[how-the-feathers-have-fallen]

OKAY so rangers apprentice is this book series set in medieval europe-adjacent, like it has countries clearly inspired by european regions and the names are usually related to the real world name, so that combined with the locations is not hard to figure out which countries are which

the main character is this 15 year old kid named Will who grows up throughout the series (11 books), and he’s the ranger’s apprentice in question. the Rangers are this ultra-secret group of spy archers who work for the king and a lot of ppl think they’re dark wizards but they’re actually just good at camouflage, so Will is apprenticed to one of the rangers and he ends up saving the country a couple times.

there’s not much of an overarching plot through the whole series but there are smaller arcs that go through a couple books, like books 1-4 are mostly together and then 5-6 could have been one long book, book 7 is a weird outlier that takes place between 4 and 5, and so on.

what’s interesting about the setting tho is that there’s not explicitly magic systems/users, but it’s heavily implied that there’s more to the world than meets the eye (i think there’s demons in a spin-off series? idk haven’t read that one yet) it’s sooooo fun

and the characters are super engaging too!!! there’s Will, the protagnist; Halt, his mentor; Horace, his best friend; Alyss the love interest; and lots more side characters that are interesting too and even tho i described them as how they relate to Will, they all get super interesting development and backstory. this got so long i’m sorry but rangers apprentice is one of the best book series i’ve ever read and i highly recommend it :33

Finally archers getting the attention and spotlight they deserve! (can you tell I’m partial??)

It’s really interesting (in a good way) that there’s a “lack” of over-arching plot. a lot of longer “media” i’ve “consumed” (at least lately) has suffered from a sort of burn-out where the stakes feel wonky and over done, yet underwhelming after going on for so long; it’s often affected other stuff like continuity and character development and consistency (hello supernatural, how goes the Winchester self sacrifice reset?). I’m actually really excited to see how smaller chunks over longer time will feel after so long.

I also love the idea of a magic system not being explicitly stated wether it’s it a star wars-y “long time ago in a galaxy far far away” type thing were it’s implied that you’re reading an in universe recollection where you’re already supposed to “know” or it’s a narrative tool for the author to frame perspective/plot twists etc

I’m gonna go now and start looking for epubs and shit even though my kindles broke :,( (fuck you ryaniar) and i’m looking for a new one

[mrszeoxin]

Cupid Parasite Sweet and Spicy Darling Review

This is the first time I’m playing a game as soon as it comes out! I’m super excited since I just finished the original game this week. I love fandiscs since I love fluff. This does have a new character though, so I’m curious to see what that’s like, but definitely more excited for the main guys.

Merenice

I decided to start with the new guy to get him out of the way. I typically don’t like new routes in these fandiscs, but I’m willing to give it a shot. From what I’ve read he can see people’s future, which is very cool. But kind of like Edward from Twilight, MC is the only person whose future he can’t see, which grabs his attention. I’m hoping this route will be fun.

Honestly I wanted to like this route, and I tried to have an open mind, but I couldn’t get into it. I just don’t like it when they introduce new characters you can romance that weren’t in the original game, and it just felt so rushed and out of place. HOWEVER, this gave us the closest we’ll ever get to an Owen route, and I’m through the roof with joy. The Owen Ending was so good, I love Owen 😭, it’s a crime they didn’t give him a full route in the original game or this one.

Gill

I decided to play the original guys in case order, so that means we start with Gill. Which works for me because I actually liked Gill in the original game (although I now know that not everyone shares my sentiment). Right away, I already noticed the music in this route is much better than the first one I did, which is kind of a relief. When I was playing Merenice’s route I thought the music was way worse than the first game, which made me depressed, but I’m starting to think maybe it was just a his route thing.

I love Gill. No surprise, I really enjoyed his route in this game too. I love how crazy he is, like the things he builds is so nerdy, and sweet, and insane, it’s just so great. I also got some good laughs from his route. Being in an Agape-Agape relationship irl, I really loved when they talked about how self-sacrificing love isn’t the same as straining/suffering for your love, rather it’s being willing to give up certain things mutually and it’s satisfying to love each other like that.

I did play all three endings since I wasn’t sure what to expect. But Sweet and Spicy = Best Ending, Sweet = Normal Ending, and Spicy = Bad Ending, based on what I saw. So I probably won’t do anymore Spicy Endings, as I tend to not like bad endings, but Gill’s Spicy End was very similar to the vibes from that popular Jumin Bad Ending and DLC.

I also really loved his short stories! I love getting to see the male lead’s perspective and thoughts in otome games and books. So it was super fun to get into Gill’s head again and see more of his past.

Shelby

Next up is Case 2, Mr. Shelby Snail himself. Unfortunately he was my least favorite in the original game, so I can’t say I’m super excited. But honestly, I still think his will be cute since at least they are already married. I just need him to not act like a wimp like last game lol.

Okay, this was actually surprisingly fun. As someone who Shelby is my least favorite love interest, I still had such a blast playing his route. It had so many funny scenes, and was just overall so fun to play. I love how real yet hilarious many of the situations in this route were. Like they had a fight, they had doubts, they had *cough* problems in the bedroom *cough*, and it was so funny and entertaining to play. I am a little bummed we didn’t get a SS Cupid joke, since new Cupid’s initials are also SS, but overall super fun to play. I’m pleasantly surprised!

Raul

Next up is Raul! I’m excited since I liked his original route a lot, and he’s about tied with Gill as far as me loving the character. I’m excited to see what we have in his route, I’m sure it’ll be extra fun since we have the whole him being a celebrity trope, plus he knows she’s Cupid. So I’m sure this will be super fun!

Oh my gosh I love Raul so much 😭💕. Raul and MC are just so cute together, and I love their dynamic so much. This route was just so fun. It had so many moments that had me laughing so hard, and others that had me tearing up because it was so sweet. Raul is so wholesome and sweet, which is so counter to the trope he plays. But I love him and his himbo golden retriever energy. I also think the plot for this one was so ridiculous and fun to play. Plus I love his reaction to meeting her dad. Everything was just so sweet.

Ryuki

Let’s go! It’s my favorite from the first game, I love Ryuki and his route so much 🥹💕. I’m so excited to get to play his route in the Fandisc! I hope we get to see him get all flustered again, but I also would love to see him be a little jealous again😅. He’s so cute, and I’m sure I’m going to love this route!

Ryuki is so cute, I can’t 😭💕. As I suspected I loved this route, Ryuki was just as cute as usual, and him and MC have such a cute and authentic “young love” vibe. It’s just so cute and sweet, it was so fun to play! Also when he dyed his hair back to its natural color, that really got to me, I can’t explain why but it got to me. He’s so amazing! Don’t even get me started on his bonus episodes 😭 ahhh I love him so much!!!

Allan

Unfortunately, I’m not super excited for this route. Given I didn’t like Allan that much in the original, I have a feeling I probably won’t love this route. However, I did enjoy Shelby’s in this game, so maybe if this route is funny I can at least enjoy that. I’d also enjoy if they gave MC a bigger change in appearance given she’s a demon now, because the original kinda felt like a cop-out, but I guess we’ll see.

So, I don’t like being a hater, especially since I know Allan is popular, so I’ll try to keep it short. I did not like this route at all. It was not enjoyable for me, I couldn’t get into it and it felt like it was dragging on forever. I just didn’t have any fun, the time skip makes it so we can’t see any of the characters we know in the game which is a bummer, and honestly them living forever just triggered my existential dread of dying. I’m glad she finally looked like a demon at some point, but honestly I just couldn’t get into it. If you like angsty stuff and love Allan you’d probably like it, but I just don’t. The Orpheus and Eurydice parallel also made me upset as someone who loves that myth, because Orpheus turns around BECAUSE his love is so strong, so I didn’t like the implication that somehow Allan’s love is so strong he wouldn’t turn around. Like that’s not the flex the writers think it is, I also didn’t like that Satan plot. They also did my boy Robin dirty in this route. I don’t know, maybe I’m alone here, but this just wasn’t it for me.

Peter

Last route! Let’s go! I’m excited for Peter’s route, he was my second favorite in the original game and so I think I’ll probably enjoy this route. I think it’ll be fun to get to see more of them being Jupiter and Juno, plus Peter is such a cutie I’m sure it’ll be good.

This was a good route! I didn’t love some of the later plot, but I love Peter and so it was enjoyable. He’s so sweet and I love his relationship with MC, it’s such a unique dynamic. I thought it was really enjoyable and fits well as a last route to play for the game.

Overall

I think I really enjoyed this fandisc for the most part. I liked pretty much all the routes, with two making me genuinely laugh a ton. A lot of the CGs were really good too, and it’s fun to see a more domestic life for the couples. However I didn’t like the music as much as the first game, it wasn’t bad, but the first game had such iconic songs that really captured each character and moment. I don’t feel like the music this game felt as special, and there was this sound and song that played that would get on my nerves so bad. But even with the music, I still think the game was super fun. I also loved Robin and his character a bunch. For some reason he reminded me of Yamato from My Forged Wedding, which is my first otome husband, so that made me like Robin even more. Honestly kind of wish we got a Robin or Owen route instead of Merenice. I think if you liked the first game and its humor you’ll probably love this game.

It was really fun getting to play a game when it released, and I’m glad I could post this but too long after. As of now I only played the Sweet and Spicy endings, if I go back and play the other endings later I’ll post an update! Next review will probably be a while until I post it since I’m going to be pretty busy soon.

But I’d love to hear your thoughts on this game if you’ve played it yet.

[devastatinglygreen]

I’m sort of reeling from S3 ending, but have been seeking comfort in all the opinions here including yours.

I was experiencing whiplash with all the disappointed posts on one hand and happy ones on the other (I just had to take a look and spoil myself). I think having watched it all now, I’ve also settled on being 85-90% happy with the way things went - which is ok. Could have done without the sideplots, and more Polin and Colin’s book love confession…. In saying that, I think there will be so much to look back on with fondness when the hype and excitement dies down. Things like how amazing Polin have been in general, Nic and Luke’s press tour, and the exciting speculations and wait we all endured between P1 and 2.

I also think some of us became a victim of believing the spoilers a little too much, specifically some Polin ones and got into it with expectations that were too high. I really enjoyed Bridgerton this season (more so than any others), but the show was never going to be a Pulitzer Prize winner in writing - so on the other hand I wasn’t surprised. It was such a fun ride though and I’m happy Polin got there in the end!

i think there's room to both be happy and be disappointed in what you wanted to happen that didn't but i am also a generally positive person so i rarely focus on the negative, it's just not who i am so i'm just happy to be here for the most part, ha.

i felt like we cut to ben's plot of him in bed an awful lot with no real movement to it. that's honestly my biggest uhhhh okay at the moment. i think colin faded a bit to the background at times but i also appreciated seeing a vulnerable part of how he let himself feel his emotions. you can love and desire someone while being angry with them and i like that they let us see that from a man's perspective.

oh for sure, i think a lot of people assumed all the spoilers were true when nothing is confirmed until it's on screen. it can and will mess with your expectations if you focus on what headcanon or spoiler you want to happen vs watching it as it comes.

we got married, happy polin and honestly i'm pretty happy about that in general.

[justmediocrewriting]

Heya!

Are you open to writing Nami for your NSFW prompt list? I scrolled down to #13 and was like "yep, that sounds like something she would do" lol!

I’m so sorry for the late reply nonnie!

And can I just say that um HELL YES! I am soooo open to writing for Nami for the prompt list. I’m pretty swamped at the moment and I’m editing/finalizing certain things bit by bit, but doing something for Nami does sound quite fun! And I do agree with you that #13 seems like something she’d do.

Post edit note: I didn’t expect to divulge into NSFW headcanon territory with this response, but because it does get a bit spicy and explicit I wanted to add the “read more” tag for those who don’t wish to see it.

For some reason, I see Nami as more of a femdom; I imagine she’d be very assertive in the bedroom, and would probably get more pleasure out of being the one in charge. I do also like to think that she’s a fan of pushing her partner into overstimulation and reducing them to tears — and her own pleasure sort of sits on the back burner for a while.

I also see her as being the queen of eating pussy. She’s super ruthless with it, likes to alternate between taking her time and then just devouring you like she’s starving, only doing enough of one of the other that you just start to get used to it before she’s flipping the script.

I get the distinct feeling she’s also the type to spell your name with her tongue.

She’ll pull at least three orgasms from you before the session is over — but don’t get too comfortable when she finally relents, because then it’s her turn, and she doesn’t take it lightly. Like this chick will downright smother you between her legs, praising and degrading you simultaneously while doing it. She doesn’t really care you eat her out or not, or if you’re too tired to; she will just ride your face until she’s satisfied. I think she’s got a thing for like light hair pulling, both with receiving and giving.

To me, Nami just exudes big “experienced lesbian” energy and my bisexual ass is fucking down for it!

I’m not too sure if you had a specific gender in mind when you asked this, but because I am a woman it’s a bit easier for me to envision fics from the perspective of a woman; though I wouldn’t shy away from attempting to write from a male reader’s perspective — before writing reader inserts, I wrote a lot of gay fanfic, so it’s not like I’m unfamiliar with the male anatomy. I just don’t have a male brain so I’m not sure if I’d be able to correctly articulate a male reader. But as I said, I’m down to try!

I really appreciate this ask, because girl/girl is something I’ve actually NEVER written about (but I’ve wanted to) and I’m just excited to see that there are some who would be open to reading it.

I love you lots dahling!

❥ mama k

[twoa-plus]

dissecting stanford pines and finding organs that don’t exist but like in a metaphorical way

that’s it that’s the title i’m going with. this is a long one folks o7

most of this isn’t sourced or canon at all it’s just personal interpretation/headcanon/whatever else u wanna call it, but!! since more people are seeing my deranged gravity falls ramblings now i figure i should probably give some perspective as to why i like/defend ford as much as i do

(in my other gf posts i do try to stick to canon to back up whatever point i’m making - this is just about my personal opinion of ford as a character, and should be able to be thrown out in regards to my other posts)

so for some background/setup/whatever (it’s important i promise bear with me), different people have different instinctual responses to anxiety/stress. i come from a family (genetics are fun) where the default response is to start (metaphorically ofc) biting and hissing like a cornered animal. this doesn’t necessarily mean there’s any actual hatred or malice or anything towards the people that end up getting scratched - they might just be at the wrong place at the wrong time, they might’ve done something super minor and insignificant that added on to a preexisting pile of stress, etc etc

i cannot stress enough that i am not saying this is ok. you dont need me to tell you that hurting people who don’t deserve it is a bad thing, lol. what i am saying though is that sometimes people can kind of suck for reasons other than just genuinely wanting everyone around them to be miserable

this is the last “background” part i swear BUT another thing thats less genetic and more just me being weird is that i’m the type of person where like. any minor environmental change can really stress me out lol. like even just reorganizing my desk can be pretty emotionally taxing

SO. finally back on topic. stanford pines. i see a lot of the behavior/patterns i just described in him. like i’ve spent my entire life around people like this, and while i understand why a lot of people see him as just some asshole, i can’t help but see him as a guy who’s just kinda going through it lol

just talking about the more recent events as of the series, he’s just spent 30 years god knows where doing and seeing god knows what, he has an abusive ex who wants to murder him and his entire family (plus the whole dimension, really), and in the three decades he’s been gone the entire world - including his own house - has changed and left him behind. add onto that that he went missing in 1982, way before we had all of the emotional/mental health resources we have now, we all saw what the stans’ childhood was like, and that ford is terrible with people - including, imo, himself. if there’s anybody out there who would have Feelings and not understand what they are or where they’re coming from or what to do about them, it’s this guy

this entire setup is the perfect circumstance for fear and anxiety and stress and uncertainty to all get translated into anger. a really big example of this, to me, is how he talks about dipper in journal 3. i’ve talked about this before somewhere so i’ll try to summarize as fast as i can lol

reading his initial entry about dipper would make u think he like. hates this kid lol. but i really don’t think he ever did - he was really excited to meet the kids in the show and already seemed to care about them just by virtue of existing, and his opinion on dipper in journal 3 seems to do a complete 180 pretty quickly which ,,, doesn’t really fit ford as a character. like i love the man but that guy can hold a GRUDGE

here’s how it reads to me:

ford gets back to his home dimension after 30 years and everything is different

he’s subconsciously kind of struggling with the fact that he doesn’t really have a “home” anymore - the sense of familiarity and comfort that would normally come with the word is gone. (i specify that it’s subconscious because, like i said earlier, i do not get the vibe that he’s particularly aware of his own emotions)

he finds out that journal 3 - something he made with his own two hands and considers part of his life’s work - has also changed in the decades he’s been gone. this adds to the feeling of unfamiliarity with the world around him

it’s easier to blame that “final straw” and say that he’s just upset about his work being tampered with rather than address the actual root of the problem, so that’s exactly what he does. this still doesn’t mean that there’s any genuine hatred towards dipper. anger in the moment, yeah, but not hatred

again, this is entirely personal interpretation, and i completely understand if u don’t see it like this!! this is just a pattern of thoughts/behavior that i’m very familiar with, so it’s easy for me to apply it to situations like this even if it’s not really part of the canon

i also think there’s a big problem in this fandom with just ,, not seeing ford as a Person with Emotions? idk how to explain it but it feels like people expect him to always know exactly what to do in every situation just bc he’s old and academically smart. like whenever another character does something objectively bad it’s “well there were extenuating circumstances,” (which is usually true and i agree !!) but ford never really seems to get that treatment. if he does something bad it’s just because he sucks

a big example of this i think is the fight between him and stan (y’know the “you ruined my life”/“you ruined your own life”). you cannot look me dead in the eyes and, in full seriousness, with the context of everything ford was going through with bill at the time, say that he was fully mentally/emotionally stable during that conversation. “oh so you’re blaming stan-“ NO!!! stan was also going through it!!! that’s the entire point - they’re both people with their own lives and emotions and everything else that comes with that, they had very human reactions to their respective situations, and they both ended up hurt!! hopefully i’m explaining this right but i just don’t like it when people pin everything on ford, like there was a lot going on and at the end of the day he’s just a human

wasn’t really sure how to work this in so i’ll just put it here - i don’t think ford ever truly hated stan, either. familial bonds are complicated, and there can be a whole lot of anger towards someone without true hatred being present. i briefly mentioned the stans’ childhood sucking earlier, and i don’t just mean stanley - it’s easier to pinpoint him as a victim of abuse/neglect, but that doesn’t mean ford had it great either. their parents (specifically filbrick, but caryn didn’t exactly do a fantastic job with them either) expected nothing of stan and the world of ford, both of which would weigh heavily on any child. plus, ford being the favorite doesn’t mean all of his emotional needs were met - filbrick seeing him as an opportunity to make money doesn’t mean he was suddenly an emotionally present and caring father towards him. WCT wasn’t just an opportunity for ford to go be a famous scientist or whatever - it was a chance for his father to love him, something both of the stans desperately wanted. (WCT was also on the opposite side of the country from where they lived but i’m sure that’s completely unrelated !!!)

do i think stan deserved anything that happened to him after the science fair incident? no, absolutely not, he was a child. do i think it was right of ford to just stand there as his brother got thrown out? no, absolutely not - but he was a child too. as for them not speaking for a decade after that, like i mentioned earlier ford can hold a grudge like no other. (this doesn’t just apply to stan, either, ford dedicated half of his life to trying to kill his ex lmao.) i think ford’s ability to hold on to anger like that is actually a pretty major part of/flaw in his personality, but again, anger - even the strongest, most long-lived of it - is not synonymous with hatred. stan, who ford has always gone to for help when he truly needed it, it not what ford’s hatred looks like. bill, who ford actively wants to die, is

anyways!! i never know how to close these things lol. ig in summary i just see ford’s behavior (in the show at least) as more of a sign of internal struggle rather than like ,, genuinely hating the people around him and wanting their lives to suck. did/does he have an ego problem? absolutely. is he incapable of love and human connection? no. is he immune to manipulation/abuse/neglect/etc and everything that comes with that? also no

he’s an interdimensional criminal why can’t he go to the theraprism. i think he should

[flightfoot]

do you have any fic recs about the miraculous squad post-canon as adults, that focuses on other characters besides just adrien and marinette?

Hmmm. So I guess for this, I'll look for any fics set in the canon universe where the main characters aren't Adrien or Marinette. Or at least, where other characters get equal billing.

---

The 8 Weddings of Alix Kubdel by The_Rabbit42

The bet is simple: with the Rabbit Miraculous, Alix will be speaking at all of her friends’ weddings. No matter what age they tie the knot, she’ll be there looking the same. From Alix’s perspective, she’s going to each ceremony and reception one right after another in a nonstop bender.

This fic’s a lot of fun! I loved seeing all the different weddings, as well as how Alix slowly felt more and more out of place, with going forwards in time. Some of the weddings could get, uh. Exciting as well XD. And while there’s been years in-between Alix’s appearances for her friends at the wedding, for Alix, it’s only been a few hours, if that…

---

Strangely Familiar by @sunfoxfic

Alya Césaire’s life is perfect. Indeed, between the success of the Ladyblog, how well she’s doing in school, and the fact that she’s a superhero who has never bore the weight of a crisis of epic proportions, her life almost couldn’t be better. Almost. But Alya has always been a go-getter, and so she’ll chase after that perfect life if it kills her. Which is how she ends up rushing to move out of her father’s apartment and in with Marinette, Adrien, and a complete stranger: Nino Lahiffe. And in fact, her life does seem perfect — she and Nino are fast friends. They spend a lot of time together and get to know each other really well. But in the end, fortunate situations will bear unfortunate truths, and she learns things about herself that aren’t quite comfortable. Like I said, though: Alya has always been a go-getter, and she won’t let new feelings deter her from chasing after her perfect life.

This is the single longest DJWifi-centric fic on AO3 (which is a travesty) and it is GLORIOUS. Alya and Nino are both well fleshed-out here, with their own problems and baggage they’re dealing with, but it’s easier together.

---

When Feelings Are Too Big For Words by ClockworkCaptain:

When Luka takes a gig playing for a drag show he’s falls hard and fast for the drag queen Buttercup who uses her performances to work through her own em otions. Meanwhile Adrien’s been using drag to work through his own emotions and thinks maybe Luka coming back into his life and showing interest might mean a second chance. Made for @mlsecretsanta 2022

Published on New Year’s Eve, this just barely makes it to the deadline for this list. I’m glad I don’t need to wait a year to talk about it though! One of the issues I tend to have with Luka shipfics, and with Lukadrien especially (though I think Lukanette actually has this problem worse) is how Luka tends to disappear within the fic and the pairing, feeling more like “The Love Interest” than his own person. Not so here! While most of the intrigue surrounds Adrien, I still got the sense of Luka being his own person, not just existing in the fic for Adrien.

 I adored Adrien getting to display an aspect of himself through persona and performance - that does align well with how he approaches Chat Noir -  and overall I just had a lot of fun with this fic!

---

Everybody's Changing by @coffeebanana

Alya's finding it a little hard to adjust to her new normal, post-Shadow Moth. Which...might be why she's a little more focused on getting Marinette and Adrien to finally figure out they have feelings for each other than actually enjoying her graduation party. She knows she should feel relieved that Shadow Moth's gone, but...things just feel so much more complicated. It's hard to accept that some things just won't be the same, anymore. Thankfully, Nino knows exactly what to say and do to help her figure things out. Or: DJwifi for day 11 of Kiss Prompt November (effervescent)

---

may we write it all down (in cursive light) by @sunfoxfic

Since retiring as a journalist, Alya hasn't been involved in an interview in several years. But now that her identity is out, that's about to change.

---

Number One by christallized

Marc and Nath have been dating for a while, but the rest of the world doesn't have to know that. It's complicated, it brings unwanted questions and anxiety. But the Comic of the Year contest is coming up, and Marc knows that sometimes what matters most isn't the thoughts of the rest of the world. Sometimes it only has to matter to one.

---

raw honey: a coffee with chloe bourgeois by demistories

I meet up with Mlle. Bourgeois at a classy, upscale café just in time for brunch. When I arrive, she’s sitting at an outside table and typing on her phone, glittering nails clicking against the screen. She doesn’t even look up at me when she says, “Fancier than you’re used to, huh, Césaire? Think it’ll break the bank?”  I remind her that she still owes me a meal from the last time we saw each other, and she scoffs and removes her sunglasses.  “You asked me for an interview,” my former classmate says. “The polite thing would be to foot the bill, but I suppose I can cover you just this once.” Her sarcasm is biting, but her smile is genuine.  an interview between alya césaire and her former classmate, chloé bourgeois

---

I hope these satisfy you!

[landofzero-archive]

Battle on the Sugoroku Board - The Die Has Been Cast 1

(Location: Time Street)

Rinne: Fuah, fu……Aa~ So sleepy……

So glad that “Beehive”’s a success. Wasn’t expecting it to be so lively till morning, but it turned out to be a good distraction for me.

Now then. My head’s spinning after that all-nighter, so I guess it’s about time for me to go home and sleep.

Madara: Good Morniiiiiiiing!

Rinne: Shut up……!?

What. Are you just coming home from staying out all night? You’re a bad kid, don’t come to me if the police detain you.

Madara: Hahaha. My bad, my bad. I saw a familiar face, so, ya know.

I’m just being consistent with SS and wanted to return the favouur!

Rinne: Oi oi, are you for real, Mikeneko-chan. (1)

About that, that’s just how that was directed. I can’t compete with someone who goes around raising his voice everywhere.

Madara: Mikeneko-chan?

Rinne: Isn’t it a good nickname for someone with a free spirit? It’s a cuter name than the dangerous bees that sting people ♪

More importantly. Why are you here? Meeting an idol who roams about in a playground isn’t impressive ya know?

Madara: Unfortunately however, I wasn’t out enjoying the nightlife.

Even though MaM’s been feeling like it’s being neglected, lately the jobs have been increasing little by little.

I’ve been loitering around here since morning, trying to take advantage of this momentum and see if it would turn into a job for me.

The shopping district is around here, I’m sure there are lots of people from the industry world who would be returning home in the morning after staying out all night, just like Rinne-san.

Rinne: I see. I really thought you stayed up all night and it got you all excited.

But still, feeling neglected by the entertainment business huh…… That sounds pretty familiar.

The world is relentless in so many ways, right? Rinne-kun’s starting to hate it……!

Madara: CrazyB’s been feeling neglected too huh. I heard about it a lot from Kohaku-san.

Because I get into trouble every time I take up a job, it feels like I only get handed strange jobs that everyone else would shy away from, or something.

Rinne: Yep yep. It’s really horrible. It’s not fun to just be surrounding yourself with people who are goody-two-shoes right?

That’s why I’m rooting for you too, Mikeneko-chan.

’Kay. As an older brother, I’m gonna treat you to a beef bowl!

There’s nothing more delicious to eat than a beef bowl after staying up all night. It’s a farewell gift from me, so eat it! (2)

Madara: A beef bowl? No, I’m not particularly hungry.

Rinne: What, you’re saying you’re not gonna eat my beef bowl?

You’re so cold~ You’re going to reject this Senpai-in-life who’s really raring to go?

Even though I really wanna go eat some food with Mikeneko-chan~?

Madara: I get it, I get it. If you’re insisting that much, I’ll join you.

Mutual fate!(3) Meeting you here must have been some sort of fate. right?

(Location: Season Avenue (In Front of Convenience Store))

(30 minutes later)

Rinne: I ate, I ate ♪

 Wow, after that nourishment resupply, my headache is settling down considerably! Thank you!

Madara: Me too. It was a treat.

Well then, it’s about time I get going. I was actually in the middle of a walk, seee.

I’m going to try to find some interesting job or other while on the walk.

Madara: ……Ohh?

Rinne: What’s this? Mikeneko-chan, your smartphone and mine are ringing at the same time?

Madara: Rinne-san, this is a KiraKira Mail. It seems that a new job request’s come up.

Rinne: “Battle on the Sugoroku Board”——A multiple agency inter-agency competition in which idols from CosPro and NewDi will participate in, huh?

It’s “Open World Sugoroku” where you fight using dice…... I don’t get what that means,but basically, you fight in units based on your agency.

I thought we’re finally going to hit it off, but things never go so smoothly, huh.

”Yesterday’s enemy is today’s enemy too” and all that ♪

Madara: Hahaha. It’s a fitting curtain call for us.

Looking from the perspective of the SS Final competition, it’s like yesterday’s enemy has come to become an opponent once again.

In any case, this is the new job that we’ve been eagerly waiting for.

It’s disappointing that the objective of my walk was realized in an unexpected way, but I can’t say thaat. Let’s reply to this in a positive way.

Rinne: Yeah. Of course I’ll be participating too. It’s sorta rare to get to do jobs from over that side ♪

Welp, I guess it’s time I go home now. Hope you’ll go easy on me the next time we meet ♪

Madara: Ah. I’m looking forward to it toooo. Let’s compete fair and square.

Rinne: Gyaahaha ♪ Coming from you?

Weeell, I’m looking forward to it. In more ways than one ♪

TL Notes 1. Calico kitty. Referencing Mikejima’s name, as the 'Mike' in his name can be read as ‘tri-coloured’ which uses the same kanji as in the word for Calico cat (Mikeneko).

2. Yes he said farewell gift ( 餞別 )…I have no idea why either.

3. 合縁奇縁 - a four character idiom that describes the relationship that happens between two people due to fate.

Previous | Directory | Next

[dirtbra1n]

I’m all ego can u directors comment on the “fascinating” convo. also it’s like Fun to me.

oh I should definitely figure out how to format these. I got excited and just clicked Answer and now I have to think about it. one sec. coming back with hindsight to tell you This gets long. I’ve hind-seen it.

first things first This ask is asking about the very first portion of the yet-unnamed tashiro post that went live on. the gray area between sunday and monday, I think. when’d I post the thing again. whatever. figure I’ll just go at this piece mail You’ll see quick that I came out the gate swinging

he kind of doesn’t know why he does it, didn’t really take the time to think about it. all he knows is that the time read 2:41 a moment ago and changed the second shirahama’s voice crackled over the phone, “what?”

so if you’re a real #DBWRITINGHEAD you might see the emphasis on the time and think Okay so what’s happening here. just happens that I drudged up the reference point recently. specifically this chunk here

so you see there’s kind of a lot already happening.

firstly it tells you that time IS an object, and that it gets blended and molded together and thrown at walls to see if it sticks. and it does. secondly though it gets you familiar with tashiro and shirahama’s banter, and this is an especially good thing because there’s a lot of it moving forward. I love to write these two so much. it comes natural and it’s a riot I could write them sniping at each other forever. third it gives you tashiro’s perspective of an event that a experienced river-reader might have seen already, while also working just fine on its own. and fourth, I guess. just because this chunk is, spiritually. to me. just as part of tashiro post as the other nearly 7k words. So I guess it’s even closer to that number than I’d thought. go figure. FOURTH. if you have this chunk’s post’s context, if you see that time and think, Aw, hell, this is just like that chunk in db’s shirahama post from a few months ago, you might remember its surrounding context and then go, hanzawa and weird situation and almost-but-not-quite confession. Maybe. in a word: foreshadowing.

it’s also, if I say so myself, a pretty strong opening line. I think kiri that I’ve shown you and sunnfish the first line in the note on my phone enough times for you to remember that it DIDN’T start with this one. that was a day-of decision. was a good one.

figure I should also draw the comparison between the two pieces while this chunk is here—shirahama kyouji’s internal monologue, both here and in its prologue-and-chronological-pre-side-and-sequel. or whatever the relationship is on paper. makes use of his given name kyouji, whilst tashiro’s is tashiro, his family name, throughout. this is because tashiro, to me, is so bad at letting people in that he kind of locks himself out too. hasn’t got the keys. just drew a little connection with this other piece in my head right this second but This Ask Wasn’t About That Post, Now, Was It? anyway tashiro’s got himself locked out. so it makes it easier for him to watch himself plummet from the outside looking in. anyway this ask isn’t about that scene either. anyway anyway. Moving on

“gonna tell you something weird.”

“…mhm…?”

tashiro squeezes his eyes shut, groggily rubbing a thumb over quick-drying salt at the outer corner of his eye. “just dreamed about hanzawa senpai dying on me.”

tashiro’s levels of awareness are always really fun to me. because he’s a strange guy in how quick he can get hit with something and roll with it, but he Knows its weird. shirahama is of course a good friend who resolves to deal with this. and boy does he deal! also of course tashiro had at least a few tears leak out of his eyes. his hanzawa senpai just died on him in a dream, after all. tangentially Have you ever been dreaming when you’re about to wake up, and something in the dream is upsetting enough at least conceptually to make you cry, but the unsteadiness of your waning unconsciousness fights the tears from coming out, so what you get is unsatisfying denied catharsis? really makes you think.

“…” shirahama breathes in; tashiro can hear him hold it. similarly, the sound of his hand being dragged over his face is crisp and loud.

the entire scene, barring the opening paragraph, operates in the present moment and its Moments, but this paragraph I feel really does the best job at demonstrating that. you are tashiro, lying in bed, fresh off the water—if you’re wondering, which you probably weren’t until just now, I haven’t written masato’s death from this first time; tashiro has seen hanzawa senpai dying before now, but the key- and weight-bearing word here is ‘on’, implying that he wasn’t troubled enough by that first aesthetically striking drowning to tell anybody—and you’re on the phone with your best friend at probably 2:43 or :44 by now, and you can hear him thinking your words over as if he were right next to you, because that’s where you’ve got your phone.

finally, he says, “fascinating.”

as you well know, kiri, this one was both recommended by and consequently modeled off you. you are tashiro, lying in bed, fresh off the water, and your best friend thinks the whole thing is ‘fascinating.’