#it's got to be the hairtie and charm

[irisintheafterglow]

thoughts are thonkin' about summer camp counselor!gojo

"hmm, let's go with truth."

"do you like any of the other counselors?" ooohhhh. the children in the circle around you lean forward in anticipation. you can practically see the excitement in their eyes and you coyly dodge the question, well aware their reactions would be less than satisfied.

"oh, yeah! i like all the counselors!" you chirp happily and the kids groan, protesting 'not like that!' or 'you know what we mean!' you ignore them and push on, continuing, "shoko's basically my best friend, and i actually met her through this camp a long time ago; geto always lets me borrow his hairties; nanami...i guess i appreciate him for trying his best and coming back year after year." a few of the older campers from the cabin nanami always took charge of (because "they were more mature," in his eyes) snicker at your commentary on their favorite grumpy counselor, but one little girl in a purple tie-dyed shirt persists. you recognize her as one of geto's immediately; he always called dibs on playing 'mother' for the littlest ones in camp.

"what about counselor gojo?" her eyes are big and curious, still intrigued by your answers even when the rest of the group has moved on.

"remember, you can only ask one question per turn," nanami announces blandly from across the circle, though you do notice that the edge to his voice is gentler than usual. as much as he complains about the energy of the younger campers, he always seemed to be softer with them; though, you've never commented on it for fear of him becoming self-aware.

"he's right. that's two questions, my friend," you reply kindly, quickly moving the hot seat to the next camper, one of shoko's wearing a brown camp shirt. "alright, looks like it's your turn. truth or dare?"

"i hope you rascals are behaving. it's laps around the tennis courts if you're not." the front door to the main house opens and shuts, shoko entering with a train of middle schoolers at her heels. they'd embarked into the summer night to retrieve a camper's water bottle that was left at the edge of the lake. now that she's returned, her group eagerly makes room for her and the rest of their cabin until the circle nearly covers the entire living room. "they have behaved, right?"

"of course," you confirm. "they've been nothing but angels since you left." shoko hums and raises her eyebrows once, unamused. "what, you don't believe me?"

"nah, just that gojo's kids must not be here yet." you fight down the smirk that wants to appear on your face when, at the exact moment shoko comments on their absence, the loudest and rowdiest cabin arrives at the house. "speak of the devil-"

"i literally just got relaxed," mumbles suguru while he sits down with a disposable cup of warm tea from the kitchen. his girls lean over to see what he's drinking, asking if they can try some too. "later, later. let's all make room for counselor gojo's cabin, my friends."

"oi, wipe the dirt from your shoes or i throw you in the lake!" his cabin drawls out a half-hearted response, stamping on the welcome mat before filing into the living room. gojo's voice was still outside on the front porch. over the years, you learned he always took up the rear when his cabin was on the move, letting the most energetic of the bunch lead from the front and herding any stragglers at the back. according to your girls, he was the notorious 'hot camp counselor' that all the cabins fawned over. they called him charming, blushing over how carefree he was and how handsome he was when he smiled. you tried not to feed into any rumors about you and gojo having a thing for each other...

but he made it pretty difficult when he shimmied into the seat next to you and stared at you like there weren't several dozen children watching your every move.

"hi. you come here often?" he greets with a blinding smile before turning to the rest of the group. "so, what are we playing?" he sits with his legs crossed and one arm propped up behind you, the arm closest to you so that it occasionally brushes your shoulder. you shoot him a look of warning and he winks at you, going back to camp counselor mode in a split second. "this looks like a great truth or dare circle."

"it was, but there might be too many friends to play that game now. plus, we were only playing it to kill time," suguru says. the current number of campers made it hard to entertain everyone with a simple game like truth or dare, so it was up to the counselors to figure out a different game.

"i think kamo and todo's groups are still at the pool," shoko reminds everyone. "nanami and i can take a group over if you wanna go." a camper from nanami's cabin raises his hand.

"but aren't we still waiting for counselor haibara?" nanami shakes his head, the keys attached to his yellow leopard print lanyard jangling around his neck.

"counselor haibara's cabin is on dishes duty tonight. they're probably gonna go straight to bed when they're done."

"which will be soon for all of you, especially you little ones," you point out, glancing at the girls falling asleep on either side of suguru. all of the conscious campers grumble and you smile. they had so much fun every day of camp that they never wanted to go to sleep. "c'mon, you have to sleep if you still wanna do s'mores at the bonfire tomorrow." this raises their spirits a little bit and they come to the consensus that they need to play one more game before they go to sleep.

"alright kids, whatcha wanna play?" satoru folds his sunglasses and sticks them on the collar of his camp shirt. you ignore the way his bicep flexes under the rainbow tie-dyed fabric, willing the heat in your cheeks to dissipate. "there's heads up seven up, mafia, assassin-"

"can you tell us one of your stories, counselor gojo?"

"yeah, tell us a story from when you guys were campers." you can hear the gears turning in satoru's head and you lay a hand on his shoulder before he can launch into his tale.

"hold on, just so we're clear: you get a story instead of a game, is that okay with everyone? if we're not done by," you glance at the clock, "9:30, we'll save the rest of the story for tomorrow night, good?" the entire group nods their agreement, aside from the littlest ones who were dozing in suguru's arms. the kids get comfortable, leaning on each other and wrapping sweaters around their bodies like blankets. "take it away, then," you say to satoru.

"cool! i think i'm gonna tell you all about how i confessed to my camp crush," he states and you catch every other counselor in the room roll their eyes. somewhere across camp, a shiver probably ran up haibara's spine. evidently, satoru notices too, as he points at the rest of the counselors accusingly and says, "hey, just because you've heard this before doesn't mean i don't get to tell it again!"

"we didn't just hear it before, gojo," shoko says, rolling her eyes. "we were literally there." their beloved counselors becoming like characters in a fairy tale entice the kids even more to listen.

"so, a long, long time ago-"

"like when the dinosaurs were alive?"

"hey, i'm not that old," he frowns and the kids break into giggles. "anyways, a really long time ago, i had the biggest crush on another camper. the first time i saw them was at the lake. i was so shocked by them that i fell off my paddleboard."

"no way!"

"aww, that's so cute!"

"it's true," comments suguru after a sip from his tea. "i was in a kayak right next to him and he was so distracted, he ran into a rock and flew forward." more laughter echoes around the room and you even see nanami trying to hide a small smile.

"so, how'd you start talking to them?" you ask with a sparkle in your eyes.

"that's the thing," satoru continues, waving his arms around in dramatic gestures for emphasis. "for a while, i didn't even talk to them. i was so nervous and they were so pretty, like they were totally out of my league!"

"i don't think anyone's out of your league, counselor gojo," swoons one of the little ones from suguru's cabin. "i bet that person had a crush on you too, but you didn't know it!"

"that's very nice of you to say," satoru replies, briefly meeting suguru's eyes. suguru shrugs over the lid of his cup, his face an expression along the lines of 'i didn't teach them to be that friendly to you.'

"when did you actually start talking to them, counselor gojo?"

"yeah, and what did you talk about?"

"did you kiss them-"

"or did they kiss you first?"

"ew, kissing! gross!" the group teeters on the edge of falling into chaos, but it's exactly where satoru thrives.

"wait, wait, wait. too many questions, friends." all attention in the room snaps back to him. "and for the record, i did not kiss them the first time i talked to them," satoru reiterates with a nervous chuckle.

"then what did you talk about?"

"the easiest thing to talk about when you're here at camp," he replies. "i asked them if they wanted to see the stars with me." the lightbulbs blink to life in each camper's head and they grin in understanding. the area's constellations and views of space were always a fan-favorite, no matter the year. it was the one event every single camper and counselor looked forward to, and each person had a designated 'space buddy' to look at the stars with (and to also ensure no one wandered off in the dark woods alone). "i asked if they wanted to be my space buddy and, thankfully, they said yes."

"who was usually your space buddy, counselor gojo?" suguru wordlessly raises his hand on the other side of the circle. "wait, then who was counselor geto's space buddy?"

"it's how we became friends, actually," answers shoko. "counselor gojo stole my usual space buddy, so i had to partner with someone else."

"aww, that's so cute! wait..." the dots start to connect in the campers' minds and you stiffen, praying they didn't see the connection between the earlier truth-or-dare question and shoko's explanation. one of the older kids narrows his eyes at you, flicking between you and satoru with great suspicion.

"didn't you say earlier that shoko was your-" one of the littles can't hold their question and interjects before the big kid can finish their sudden inquiry.

"counselor shoko, who was your usual space buddy?"

"oh, it was always my best friend," she says without hesitation, looking over at you innocently. "and, if you didn't already know, my best friend is-"

"it's 9:30, big kids pack it up," nanami cuts in and you exhale, wiping your clammy palms on your shorts. a glance at satoru reveals him as suave as ever, but you do notice the single bead of sweat running down the side of his temple. "don't complain. you're already out later than i usually let you."

"that goes for you too, my littles," suguru says, ushering the sleepy children out the door after the bigs. "night, guys," he waves before stepping outside.

"we should probably get going, too. we'll tell the rest of this story tomorrow." as shoko's cabin leaves, satoru catches your eye.

"you wanna head out first or should we?"

"we can head out together, no? our cabins are right next to each other." the tiniest smirk appears on satoru's face.

"sounds good, you lead the way."

as both your group and satoru's walk out of the main house, you linger behind and let your kids navigate back to the cabin. when you're sure none of the kids are watching, you casually brush your hand against satoru's. he reacts immediately, lacing his fingers in yours and giving your hand a squeeze.

"hi, boyfriend," you say low enough that only he can hear.

"two more days," he mutters mostly to himself. "two more days and then i have you back to myself."

"c'mon, shouldn't we give back to the camp that brought us together in the first place?" you keep your voice as quiet as possible to not draw attention from the kids, your conversation blending with the sounds of the swaying forest and calling birds. "it's good karma, don't you think?"

"sure. doesn't mean i don't get mad when i can't love on you." you can hear satoru pouting even when you can't completely see his face. "are we ever gonna tell them about us? it's been a few years; most of the little ones we knew first are with nanami now."

"maybe we can tell them tomorrow. give them a little brain exercise trying to figure out who was your space buddy on that fateful night," you tease. he bumps his shoulder against yours, daring to sneak a kiss on your cheek. "satoru-"

"i know, i know. i just need reassurance that you're still mine, sometimes." the light of the cabins come into view and you reluctantly pull away from satoru. "ouch," he winces like he has a rock in his shoe. "i don't like that at all."

"what, me not holding your hand anymore?"

"mhmm, so don't be surprised if i tell the campers tomorrow," he says with an air of finality. "i'll take the teasing and the pestering as long as you're okay with it. i just can't take not being able to kiss you."

"of course i'm fine with it," you nod, finally catching up to your groups. you give them the signal to go inside and get ready for bed, stalling outside with satoru until you run out of time. "i'll see you in the morning, counselor gojo." he makes a gagging face that forces you to cover up a snort with a fake cough.

"if that sleeping bag isn't warm enough, you know where to find me," he says with a smirk as you begin to walk away. his body moves before his mind knows it, catching you by the wrist before you're too far. "hey. i love you." his gaze flickers between your eyes and your lips. he was so desperately trying not to kiss you.

"i love you too," you murmur, seeing more sparkle in his eyes than in all of the campground. "sweet dreams, my love."

"sweet dreams, space buddy."

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[thinemoonshine]

⋆ ˚｡𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝒶𝒷𝒾𝓉𝓈 ୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

enhypen 8th fem!member x hyung line genre: fluff type: oneshot word count: 723

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ synopsis: in which (y/n), enhypen's 8th member, has certain tendencies that give their boyish dorm teeny touches of femininity... or just plain messes. and eventually, these habits lead to the boys developing their own as well ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

bringing her scrunchies everywhere (l.hs & p.js)

"Use this," Jay says upon noticing (y/n)'s struggle and helps tie her long hair up into a loose ponytail as she eats her breakfast.

(y/n)'s brows raise and she emits a closed-lip gasp of surprise, occupied with chewing her rice before smiling gratefully at him when he takes the seat in front of her. "Thanks! Where'd you find it?"

"On the couch," the older replies with his lips pulled into that casual, charming half smile of his.

"I think I saw one on the coffee table too," Heeseung chimes in and (y/n) makes a mental note to check on it. Later on, she does in fact find her scrunchie— and not just one of them but two.

After leaving her scrunchies and hairties practically everywhere, Heeseung and Jay tend to be the ones picking them up or the ones to find them— leading them to unintentionally be her very own scrunchie lockers.

Award shows? Heeseung will probably have a pink hairtie around his wrist, hiding under his sleeve. Jay will probably have some stuffed into the pocket of his pants.

En-O' Clock? Jay has some new scrunchies he randomly bought for her still in his bag while Heeseung picked her hairtie up from the makeup room when she got dolled up.

Basically anytime in the dorm? Oh, the scrunchies are layered on their arms like warmers. They might even be using one for their own hair— just walking around the dorm with a palm-tree on their crown held together by soft, fluffy rubber ties.

using flowery coasters (s.jy)

"Look at these new ones I made! Aren't they cute?" (y/n) asks excitedly while showcasing Jake her freshly made pieces of crochet coasters on their coffee table.

He gasps dramatically with a hand flying to his mouth, eyes widening and brows raising to express surprise before he grins brightly at the girl. "Wow~~ These are beautiful, (y/n)! I still can't believe how fast you made these! They're perfect!"

"Thank youuuuu!!" She elongates her word, emphasizing her gratitude towards him for complimenting her works before she looks up at him curiously. "Which one do you like most?"

Jake gazes down affectionately into her expectant eyes, chuckling at how purely ebullient she is and hums thoughtfully with narrowed eyes shifted towards the choices of handiwork. "I like that one."

He points to one in beige with dark green-stemmed yellow tulips adorning its circular shape and (y/n) gives him the piece before choosing another with the same design but different coloured tulips to match with his.

"We have matching ones!" She chirps, holding hers next to his before she goes to find the other members to gift the remaining coasters.

Jake smiles warmly at her furthering back before at the soft material in his hand. Ever since then, he's left the coaster on the table and uses it whenever he has a beverage. A hot drink, cold drink, bottled, canned or boba— uses it for every type.

If he finds another member using it, he won't hesitate to just snatch it before putting it under his drink aka. 'its rightful place,' as Jake calls it. As the collection grows, so does his greed. He is not sharing.

giving his arm/hand (p.sh)

(y/n) crochets, paints, does diamond art, basically all that artsy d.i.y stuff. And sometimes, she needs extra hands to keep things steady— and somehow, Sunghoon's always there.

"Can you hold this for me?" She asks Sunghoon to hold her crochet hook while she tries to untangle the knot in her thread. He holds it, and very stably too.

She's doing some diamond painting and accidentally knocks her small tray of colourful jewels— Sunghoon already has his hand out, palm facing upright and (y/n) naturally puts her sticky canvas on it like it's a dish, not wanting to accidentally knock it away while picking up a few fallen beads.

They're having a photoshoot and (y/n)'s called onto the set but has a mini fan in her hold— Sunghoon magically appears to take it from her then proceeding to stand obediently at his post, watching her and waiting patiently until she finishes to give her back her stuff.

She's out shopping for clothes and groceries— Sunghoon's there with a shopping basket hanging on one arm and her clothes on the other.

Some even say that Sunghoon's her personal assistant.

ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹ masterlist ᝰ.ᐟ✮⋆˙

𝜗𝜚 hi, it’s romi here!! thank you so much for reading to the end!! if you enjoyed it, don’t forget to leave a heart and reblog—they give me some motivation, ya know? but please do not spam like!! X♡X♡, romi ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

copyright © 2024 thinemoonshine all rights reserved

[rrat-king]

some Bad Girls accesory headcannons:

adaine

doesn't need glasses but wears blue light ones because the light gives her migraines. the glasses are round silver wire frames that she has broken and cast mending on too many times

she loses her glasses constantly so gorgug made her a glasses chain so they can just hang when she's not wearing them. it has little star charms and blue and silver beads

it's my hc that adaine didn't actually give kristen her pinky back, keeping the philange instead so she has the bone on a little necklace she wears. its morbid but sweet.

she has a leather book holster that ayda made her after she complimented her's so that they are matching. keeps her spellbook in it

has three bracelets from kristen: a red rubber 'vote for applebees' bracelet as well as two woven friendship bracelets, a purple and blue chevron as well as a orange white and blue striped

elf ears are... so stupidly sensitive so she has a hard time wearing earings but she does steal fig's ear cuffs a lot

kristen

wears dog tags with jawbone's number as her emergency contact in case anything happens. he doesn't legally have custody but its a safe way of making sure he gets called over her parents

got her septum peirced with fig in leviathan, was originally a silver barbell but had to take it out when she realized the silver meant that tracker wouldn't kiss her, so wears a little golden hoop instead

has six trillion bracelets. most of them are friendship bracelets she's made herself, but she also has a rubber sig figs bracelet, a pony bead bracelet that says 'little shrimp' as well as a 'WWCD?' she made with her campaign rubbers

bad at wearing rings but has a number of them that she keeps on a carabiner that tracker got her (most of them found in the river while throwing rocks with riz. don't ask her why there are so many lost rings in the river she doesn't question it)

she got rid of her cross necklace after meeting helio but still has the saint necklace she got at first cornmunion. it's saint iree, patron saint of the lost harvest

fig

has one of gorthalaxes guitar picks as a necklace along with a million others

wears rings around her horns, most of which she makes herself but fabian gifted her a few of his that he doesn't wear cuz 'they interfere with my fighting, thank you' that are nice elven gold

has a matching septum with kristen as well as a million other peircings

she. loves. mixing. metals. she wears a million pieces of jewelry and they are all mishmashed but because none of it matches it works

constantly stealing her mom's earings. it drives sandra lynn crazy

hardcore believer in scrunchys over hairties. always has one either in her hair on on her wrist even they somewhat clash with her aesthetic.

wears compression gloves under her fingerless gloves to help with her joints swelling

has a million pins including: some of her mom's old band pins that she let her have, band pins of her own, kristen's campaign buttons as well as kipperlillys but she doodles over those, pins she's made herself out of bottle caps, a little tin skateboard pin gorgug made her, and a red compass pin that ayda gave her that belonged to one of the previous ayda's

(will make one for the boys eventually when i have time to come to terms with riz's new found accessory addiction this season)

[apricity-2]

Alan Becker hair headcannons

Long post ahead ⬇️

RGBY

- Blue is their hairstylist

Red: Couldn't stand maintaining longer hair, chopped it off one night out of annoyance and boredom. Woke up and regretted it. Blue helped style it and fix the uneven ends. He doesn't always wear his bandana when fighting or just in the house. Always wears it going to school

Green: Dreads. Blue and Red help him fix it. He ties it into a half ponytail when adventuring and lets it loose when at home.

Blue:Generally very puffy. Despite being the hair stylist of the group,she doesn't bother to use products or style it. Yellow helps her brush her hair whenever it gets really tangled. She always ties in into a pony tail (looks like a bun) despite where she is. She ties the loose hair when cooking for the CG.

Yellow: Straightens it,doesn't like her puffy hair. It annoys her, especially when working on projects/adventuring. Blue convinced her not to always straighten it so it doesnt become damaged. She makes sure it doesn't get in her face with clips and hair ties.

HollowHead siblings

Victim: She makes sure she looks as presentable as she can. She doesn't like to style it ,hence the short hair. There are some waves coming down to the bottom. She has an abundance of clips in her drawer for when its those kinda days

The Chosen One: She used to have long hair before Dark's death. That was when she truly felt vulnerable to the real world. She cut it very unevenly, so when she was checking up with the kids, Blue offered to fix it for her. Originally had very long hair. Long as in knee length. She barely brushed or untied it. Went through multiple different hairstyles before temporarily sticking with the long braid. Another reason she cut it was because during the showdown, Dark pulled it like a cats tail.

The Dark Lord: He has horrible and unkept long hair. He thinks it makes him look 'radical'. It used to be short in AvA s1. When he works on his projects, he ties it in a ponytail and clips his bangs up.

The Second Coming: He really likes long hair but hates when it's all loose. Blue always helps him tie it into two braids(mirroring tco)

The Royal Family

Purple: Inherited their fathers hair,hates it with a burning passion, and wishes they got their motherss hair. Always tied it into a high pony tail. Likes to use hairties with cute lil charms on them.

RB(Navy): Very spikey. It was originally short,but he grew it out during his father years. For some reason,never cut it. Maybe for memories?

Orchid: Like a cloud. She loves to style it. After the divorce, she slowly stopped properly taking care of it,especially when she got sick. Unrelated, but she got into alcohol post-divorce.

Tango Family

MT'S WIFE MIGHT GET A REDESIGN

Mango Tango(MT): Quite Puffy. During the King arc, it was very unkept. Purple convinced him to finally get a haircut a little bit after the arc. To save money Purple cuts his hair and he cuts theirs.

Marigold Tango: Short and wavy. It was always at least a little messy because Mango wasn't the best at hair styling. Likes pigtails the most.

Avacado Tango/Neon Yellow(according to Alan): Hair Dresser. Wavy at the bottom. Unrelated, but she died due to childbirth.

Thats all lmao

[loganelfreeces]

Umetsuba Headcanon 2

Umemiya gave Tsubaki her favourite hair tie that she uses in her fight with Sugichi.

He wanted to make Tsubaki smile after their first fight with those bullies made her feel so down, so he asked the older girls in Furinen for recommendations on cute hair ties for someone he wants to be friends with in school.

Tsubaki couldn't stop squealing and jumping when she got the hairties, no one has really given her a gift like that before outside of Ito and Yui.

But she asked if Umemiya would keep the one he liked most and would use it as a bracelet or a friendship charm. He keeps it in a small box of treasures and keep sakes his family have given him before.

[anime-love31]

Alucard (Hellsing)- Razors Edge.

———————

Alucard let out a soft groan as you wrapped your legs around his hips, pulling him close to you. The physical change he had taken on in the fight against the German reich was still fairly new to you, you was used to a young, Baby faced vampire, not this older knight. You didn’t mind, you was with Alucard for his love. His physical appearance was always able to change. Alucard tilted his head down to you, his metal clad arms rested on either side of your hips on the sink in the bathroom, his long dark hair flowed freely down over his shoulder and face, practically hiding him. You gently reached your hands up to his face, taking the black hair in your hands, and you bring it behind his head into a loose ponytail, pulling a hairtie from your wrist to keep it off his face. Alucard watched with curious eyes in the mirror behind you as he watched you pull his hair back and reveal his face. Even he was still adjusting to his older(or younger we should say) form, it had been centuries since he was in this form, he was taken to be beheaded the last time he was like this. Your hand’s took his jaw in them, holding his face gently, which brought his gaze back to your own, and it made you smile. Piercing red eyes held your own, and it made Alucard smile at you, he spoke softly “Good Evening.. my charming little devil”. You tan a thumb over his cheek and blushed before you replied “Good Evening Alucard, you look mighty fine on this night.” Alucard let out a lighthearted laugh, his lips bared fangs when he smiled genuinely at you. “A good evening for a drink..” Alucard whispered before he quickly ducked his head and pressed a warm kiss to your neck, causing you to squeal.

You giggled and moved around as he pressed kisses to your neck ever so playfully. Once he was done assaulting your neck with kisses, he leaned back a bit, and looked down to you, one of the metal clad arms moved to rest on your thigh, he still leaned close to you. “Is that.. offer you gave me earlier still on?” Alucard asked softly. You gave a cute little nod, and reached over to the other side of the sink, grabbing a straight razor and some shaving cream. Alucard took a seat on the barstool you had dragged in from the kitchen, he still almost towered you even as you sat on the bathroom sink, sitting he got to rest his forearms on your thighs. Alucard took off his jacket, and taking off his black shirt underneath, leaving himself bare chested, he then dropped his metal gloves off his arms to the ground with his jacket. Your hands instantly entertained themselves by feeling his cool skin and it made you bite your lip, every damn time. Alucard smirked, his arms laid to rest on your thighs again, before he spoke. “Please begin”. You nodded and lathered up your hands with the shaving cream before your hands went to his face and you was smearing the cream all over his face which made him make a low noise it felt strange.

Once you had Alucard’s face covered and all the hair was prepped, you rinsed your hands of the shaving cream, and grabbed the straight razor. “Are you.. sure Alucard?” You wanted to make sure he truly did still want this. He gave a soft nod. “Do it my dear..”. You brought a hand to hold his jaw, before you brought the razor up to his right side of his face, and you began to shave his face off the hair. Ever so gently dragging the sharp razor blade from his cheek to jawline, throwing the hair and cream mix into the sink beside you, you brought it up again for another stripe. Alucard watched with a loving gaze in the mirror over your shoulder as you took gentle and steady breaths when you shaved him. One of his hands tightened along your hip as a show of affection when you turned his head to the other side to begin shaving the left. Eventually you turned him straight to face you, gently tilting his head back a bit to shave the mustache he had, his eyes twinkled with a slight mischievous look. You gently teased him. “Alucard.. or.. well Dracula.. in this form.. don’t look at me like I’m something to eat..” Alucard chuckled lowly, his fingers on his left hand sprawled along your hip and he gave a little squeeze before he spoke lowly “oh.. but you are. The lifeblood that flows through your veins.. is delicious. And I would take my time eating you..” his words sent heat through your belly and it made your thighs give a small tremble. Alucard laughed deeply. You shook your head and reached for a clean rag, soaking it with water. Alucard slid his hands down to your thighs where his rather large hands gripped them tightly, causing you to make a moan and blush heavily. You gave him a gentle thump to the head before you began to rinse off his cleanly shaven face with the water and rag. Alucard gave a look of desire. You then grabbed a clean towel and dried off his face, giving him the chance to look at you over the fabric of the towel, his eyes gleamed.

Before you could protest, Alucard had you leaned back against the mirror, he had discarded the bottoms and underwear you had on, and his head was keeping your thighs apart, along with his right hand on your thigh, his left had your shoulder back against the glass, his tongue was pressing to you, causing you to whimper and tangle your hands into the loose ponytail, taking it out. His long, dark hair fell, allowing you to tangle both hands in it as he ate to his hearts desire. He had your thighs shaking as his fangs met and dragged across the skin, he slurped hungrily. Red eyes met yours as he stopped for a moment to speak. “Give me your sweet essence.. little one” Alucard returned his head between your thighs, he had you shaking and crying on his tongue. He smirked against you when you cried out his name and came with a loud whimper. Alucard drank every drop you gave him, when he sat up, his tongue shot over his fangs, the sight made you bite your lip hard, and Alucard laughed. He spoke low and seductive. “Come my little night demon.. I have a cock that is craving you..”

[strljaem]

“life’s too short for neat ponytails.”

In the quaint little town of Rivervale, the breeze was gentle and carried the scent of lilacs through the narrow streets. The golden rays of the setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, casting a warm glow over Rivervale High School as the day drew to a close. I was sitting on a bench in the schoolyard, my hair neatly tied back in a ponytail, just as my mother had always advised.

"Keep your hair out of your face, honey," she'd say, and I always complied. It was tidy, efficient, and comfortable. But Jaemin, the class clown, never let me have a tidy ponytail for long. Jaemin was known for his playful antics and infectious laughter. He was the guy who could make even the most serious teacher crack a smile, the kind of boy who could turn a dull math class into a comedy show.

As I sat on the bench, flipping through a novel, I felt a gentle tug on my hair. Before I could turn around, my hairtie snapped, and my hair cascaded down my back like a waterfall. I turned to see Jaemin standing there, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Gotcha!" he exclaimed, twirling my hairtie around his finger. "You look so much better with your hair down, you know?"

I sighed, rolling my eyes but unable to hide my smile. "Jaemin, why do you always do this?" I asked, trying to sound annoyed, though my cheeks were already flushing.

"Because you look beautiful with your hair down," he replied with a wink. "And besides, life’s too short for neat ponytails."

I couldn't help but laugh at his cheekiness. He had a way of brightening everyone's day, and I had to admit, I enjoyed his playful attention. Though I preferred my hair tied back, it was hard to stay mad at Jaemin. He had a way of making everything feel a little more fun, a little less ordinary.

Over the following weeks, Jaemin continued his playful pranks, always finding new ways to make me laugh. Whether it was sneaking up behind me to pull my hairtie or leaving funny notes in my locker, he kept me on my toes. But I started to notice something else, too—Jaemin was more than just a joker. He had a kind heart, and he paid attention to the little things. He'd bring me my favorite snacks when he noticed I skipped lunch, and he'd walk me home when it got dark outside.

One crisp autumn evening, as we walked through the park, the leaves crunching beneath our feet, Jaemin turned to me with a soft smile. "You know, I've been thinking," he said, his tone unusually serious.

"About what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"About how much I like spending time with you," he replied, his gaze locking with mine. "I know I'm always joking around, but I really like you, and I'd like to take you out on a proper date."

His words caught me off guard. The Jaemin I knew was playful and lighthearted, but there was a sincerity in his eyes that made my heart skip a beat. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and nodded slowly. "I'd like that," I replied, feeling my cheeks grow warm.

That weekend, Jaemin took me to a small café by the river, where we sat on the terrace, watching the boats glide by. We talked about our dreams and aspirations, sharing stories from our childhoods. It was a simple date, but it was perfect. I let my hair flow freely, and Jaemin couldn't stop complimenting how beautiful it looked.

As the night came to a close and he walked me home, Jaemin slipped his hand into mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I like it when your hair is down," he said with a smile. "But I like you, no matter how you wear it."

I laughed, feeling a sense of warmth and contentment. "And I like you, even if you're a joker," I replied, squeezing his hand back.

In the end, it wasn't about the hairties or the pranks. It was about the moments we shared, the laughter, and the genuine connection that grew between us. And in that moment, I knew that Jaemin, with his playful charm, had found a place in my heart, hair down or not.

[bibururokku]

Narcissus Game

Angst? — In which the resident heartbreaking womanizers of Blue Lock get played at their own game by some random girl. [Author's Note]: This came about because I was thinking about making an OC that matched Aiku and Otoya's energy, so that's why this is centered around those two, but you could honestly switch out the one time I mentioned their names for someone else. Anyway, I got carried away with my thinking and planning, which brings us here to this imagine. Enjoy(?)!

She was someone who fit their standards and matched the description of their ideal types, though Otoya's preferences change a lot, so maybe she doesn't actually, but he did say his type was someone bright and honest, and she was exactly that. A refreshingly bright and honest girl who was very charming and charismatic, too. Y'know, the one who can say the most shocking and outrageous things and get away with it because that's just how she is. Aiku's type is someone who looks like they aren't a hassle to break up with, and she's exactly that. Cute with an easygoing vibe, she was popular and constantly surrounded by people. The type who'd draw others in like a moth to a flame, and that's how she gets them.

Like all their flings, it was nothing serious. Just a few dates, maybe a bit of intimacy here and there, but it was all for fun.

Perhaps a bit too fun, like a game. One that they would all want to play over and over and over again.

That's why there were others in their so-called relationship, but she never bat an eye over them. Makeup? Clothes? Perfume? Hairties? Another woman in her entirety? Absolutely nothing. Seeing her ignore the constant affairs was kind of sweet, if not downright pathetic.

Nonetheless, to these egoists, it was like a dream come true.

Surely, she just loved them so much that she turned a blind eye to everything. No, she has to. Just like that, whether they were aware of it or not, their affairs started to dwindle, and they never took it too far because they were sure of it.

She had to be the one.

It isn't until they see her with the other that their dreams become a nightmare. But it made sense. Neither one of them paid much attention to her, and why would she hound them if she also had a plethora of lovers herself? These poor boys, so full of themselves that they couldn't even fathom being sidepieces as well, and the fact that she perfectly matched their ideal type just added salt to the wound.

Maybe it was because they loved her that she was so bright to them at the moment that it burned as she gave them the most honest and brutal breakup they'd ever experienced with no hassle. Or perhaps it was because they were sore losers who knew that with the two of them, love was a game, and she just won. All because they fell for the behavior she reflected back at them, like the narcissists they were.

[littleeyesofpallas]

[Kanto] [Johto] [Hoenn] [Sinnoh] [Unova] [Kalos] [Alola] [Galar] [Hisui] [Champs] [Paldea] [Paldea2] [Paldea3] [Teams] [Misc.]

Ya know who else I've totally neglected in this series of posts? The Battle Frontier bosses.

Anabel's name is LILA[リラ] from Lilac, hence her color scheme. That one's super straight forward.

Spencer's name was UKON[ウコン] from ukon[鬱金] the name for tumeric, a type of ginger root that is very popular traditional chinese medicine.

Noland's name was DATURA[ダツラ] from the genus of poisonous flowers in the Nightshade family, as well as other such charming common names as Devil's Trumpet, Hell's Bells, and Devil's Weed. They are all not only extremely poisonous but psychoactive

Brandon's name was JINDAI[ジンダイ] a neat pun as the common Japanese name of this cactus, jindai[神代], means "god time" as in "age of the gods/myth" in other words, "ancient," which of course lends to his role as Ruins Maniac/Pyramid King.

Tucker's name is HEATH[ヒース] which funny enough means he shares a namesake with Erika, and with Heath, aka HEATHER, Briar's ancestor that wrote the violet/scarlet book.

Greta's name is KOGOMI[コゴミ] from kogomi[屈] the Japanese name for the fiddlehead fern, used in cooking. They have a super distinctive curled shape which is where she gets her hair.

and then Lucy's name is AZAMI[アザミ] as in Azami[薊]: "thistle," appropriate for her prickly demeanor.

Technically I already did Darach's once, but I'll go over it again here. His name is KOKURAN[コクラン] as in kokuran[黒蘭], lit. "Black Orchid" and as a play on that Caitlin is actually named Cattleya[カトレア] from the Catelleya genus of orchids. His ancestor Anthe was named Sharon[シャロン] in reference to the Rose of Sharon, which is actually a common name of a few unrelated flowers, including the national flower of South Korea. (Oddly she seems to bear absolutely no relation to the Orchid theme between Kokuran and Cattleya. )

Argenta's original name was KEITO[ケイト] from keitou[鶏頭] the Japanese name for the Silver Cockscomb, which has very obvious color associations that lend to her design. Also the Silver Cockscomb's scientific name is the Celosia argenta, which is where they got her English name.

Palmer's name is KURUTSUGU[クロツグ] after kurutsugu[桄榔] the Kaong Sugar palm

Thorton's name was NEJIKI[ネジキ] from nejiki[捩木] the Japanese name of the Anyaar/Angeri(Lyonia ovalifolia). They have thee adorable little white bell flowers.

and finally for this batch, it's Dahlia who was in fact just named DAHLIA[ダリア]. For the image i picked a yellow Spider Dahlia specifically since it seemed to match her color scheme and hair

Oh and just to round out this little batch of extras, Barry's name is actually JUN[ジュン] from Junichi Masuda, game director of the core Pokemon series. It's a play on Gary's name being SHIGERU[シゲル], after Shigeru Miyamoto. But sadly it has nothing to do with his dad's name.

While I'm here...

Cheryl's name was MOMI[モミ] from momi[籾] which is a word that refers to unhulled rice specifically. Unrelated to her ancestor Wasabi's name.

Marley's name is MAI[マイ] from mai[米], which is just the word for "Rice" as a food staple, so depending on context it can implicitly mean when hulled, because the alternative would be momi, but it does also generally to the crop and even the food industry. (Ironically Mai in Hisui was actually named YONE[ヨネ] which is an alternate reading of the same kanji for "rice" [米], yet they named her Mai in English, Marley's actual Japanese name...)

Go figure, Buck's name is in fact BAKU[バク] and it's the Japanese word baku[麦] for Wheat or Barley. By sheer coincidence it is how Japanese phoneticizes "Buck" but it does not actually refer to Buck Wheat. Also he has nothing to do with his brother, nor their ancestor's names.

Mira's name is MIRU[ミル] from "Millet." It's also where her little hairtie design comes from.

and finally, Riley's name is GEN[ゲン] from genmai[玄米] the name for brown rice, which is a kind of earthier more nutritious rice.

So oddly, there is a concept in Chinese agriculture and cooking called Wu Gu[五穀]: "The Five Grains" that refers to the 5 staple crops of Chinese agriculture dating back to ancient times, and several far et cultures have their own variations on this... but despite the obvious grain theming the 5 stat specialist trainers don't actually match any specific version of the 5 Grains?? It definitely feels like that was the intended reference, yet it sort of falls apart in the specifics... maybe just a disagreement on what made fora good name or not?

Oh and as for a few other oddball ancestors...

Sabi, Mai, and Zisu I've all technically covered before in one form or another but the quick overview is that Sabi was named WASABI[ワサビ], YONE we mentioned above, and Zisu was named PERILLA[ペリーラ], after the same type of redleaf mint that Flint, aka OBA[オーバ], was named after.

Pesselle's name is KINE[キネ] from kine[杵]: "(mortar &)pestel" which is both a cute play on Millet and on her role as head of the medical division and the grinding of medicinal herbs.

and Riley's ancestor Rye is actually named HAKU[ハク] as in haku[白]"white"but sensibly a reference to hakumai[白米]:"White rice" in parallel to Gen's gen[玄] also reading literally as "Black/Dark" when referring to "brown rice."

[flapjackthekandikid]

omg can I know where you got the fry and block beads from this https://www.tumblr.com/flapjackthekandikid/29541971736/some-more-kandi-i-made-this-week-i-was-super post?? or just where you get your beads in general! sorry if you've gotten this question before!

the fry charm was a plastic hairtie I got in a big pack of them in the wholesale wig and salon supply district of dtla, and the cube beads I got in the craft district in a big sack of them and I just put dollarstore stickers on the sides and coated them with clear nail polish after haha.

most of my stuff either comes from dtla with a wholesale license or I now import a lot of stuff in bulk direct from suppliers in guangzhou with a TIN for various little toys and clothes/etc. imports haha. I have considered doing a little shop online though for weird beads I can only order in bulk weights at some point. The majority is just in-person finds though

[honeysbunchesofoats]

I learned of this device at the renaissance festival and it's so cool! it's a metal spiral and you hook it on the bottom of your ponytail holder and wrap it around your hair. it is both really cool and also so so nice when you need to get your hair out of the way. it's like if braiding was easier and also stayed together better and also added cool dwarf vibes. even with layers it pretty much stayed in place all day, I just twisted my hair while I put it in. and it has cool charms on the end (I added my own moon and star theme as well). I think with more practice I'll be able to get the metal to start up higher on the ponytail and maybe cover some of the hairtie? I got a 6 second demo from an employee, so it can only go up from here

the whole thing is maybe a foot long and they come in different sizes, for thicker or thinner hair and different lengths. very neat stuff.

[delirious-lycan]

to build a home pt 2 - the kitchen

Zack lets himself into Sephiroth’s apartment Saturday morning with the key that the First had given him the day after they’d finished remodeling the living room, and he casts his eyes around until he spots the man curled up on the couch, snoozing. The sight brings a grin to his face, and he walks over to him and settles crosslegged on the floor, content to wait for his friend to wake up.

“What do you want?” The sleepy mumble rumbles out of the pile of hair and muscle.

“Well, someone told me that they wanted to get a start in on the kitchen today, but it looks like they decided it was naptime instead,” Zack says, smiling as Sephiroth gives a languid, almost felid stretch, baring his fangs and all. He props his head up on one hand, looking at Zack with a fond, if not tired, expression.

“I suppose I did say that, didn’t I?” He says, and Zack gives an enthusiastic nod.

“Yup! That means we get to commit acts of demolition to your poor sink!”

“Charming.” With that, Sephiroth pulls himself to his feet and gives yet another stretch, this time drawing his arms high above his head and reveling in the pops of his spine and neck. Zack does his very best not to ogle, he really does, but when Sephiroth puts all his muscles on display like that, well.

Zack finds himself a weak man from time to time. If Sephiroth notices Zack staring at his biceps, he has the good grace to not comment on it.

“Well, let’s get started, shall we?” Sephiroth says, flashing a sharp-toothed grin at his best friend.

Together, they wreak havoc on the simple, bland minimalist kitchen. Zack wonders if Genesis is in the apartment next door, and if he is, what he thinks of the sounds of beating and banging as they tear down the ugly mass produced particleboard cabinets and accidentally shatter the kitchen sink-- a good thing they were planning on replacing that today anyways. 

With their demolition derby done for the moment, they each take turns taking a shower to knock off the dust and grit from the exploding particle board fragments. Sephiroth throws on a black t-shirt and some black denim jeans, held together with-- to no one’s surprise-- a black leather belt.

“One of these days I’ll get some color in that wardrobe of yours,” Zack says, and Sephiroth smirks.

“Sure you will,” he says, pulling his rapidly drying hair over his shoulder and quickly twisting it into a rope braid and then securing it with hairties in four different intervals. It’s really the only way to keep his hair both contained and clean when doing work like this, but ShinRa’s PR team always hates it when he contains his hair. Never mind that it’s more convenient for him to have it up.

“To the hardware store?” Sephiroth asks.

“To the hardware store!” Zack exclaims.

“We should totally go, like, retro, you know? That classic homey vibe, but like, old school. What do you think?” Zack asks, showing Sephiroth pictures of his visionary thoughts on his PHS.

"It is... Appealing, though I'm not sure I'm quite so fond of how... Round it looks. Or how bold the colors are," Sephiroth says, and Zack tilts his head in thought.

"Yeah, I guess I can see that! You'd probably dig a more classical, Victorian look then. Let's see what we can make happen," Zack says, tappinn a few more buttons. "Does this suit your fancy a bit more?"

"It does."

"Alright, so we gotta make it harmonize with the living room too, since you've got an open concept apartment. I'm thinking black appliances, red oak cabinets with a nice dark finish, ivory brick-tile walls. Marble flooring and black granite countertops for sure, to add to that elegant look. Gold accents? Nah, that's too much. Hm, we could do black accenting though. It would make the floors pop out more too."

Sephiroth listens to Zack ramble, thinking about a possible different world where neither of them are SOLDIER. Perhaps Zack has a life as an interior designer, and Sephiroth... Sephiroth doesn't know what he would be if he wasn't SOLDIER. Maybe a farmer, with little tiny chickens. He's content to just listen to his friend, though, and as they walk through the store picking and choosing items to decorate the kitchen with, he wonders at the strange feeling that sometimes tickles at his belly when he's around Zack. It's nothing he's ever felt before, though the closest he can compare it to is anxiety. It's different than anxiety, though. It feels... Warm.

It magnifies everytime their arms brush up against each other, and listening to Zack and focusing on the shorter SOLDIER fully allows him to ignore the stares from the people around them. He's not here as Sephiroth of ShinRa, he owes these people nothing. He's here as Zack's friend, and that's all he needs.

It's hours and hours and once more hours later that they finally begin assembling the poor kitchen, though the countertops and flooring will have to be done via installation with a third party. This means, tragically, that there are no countertops or floors down at the moment. It's a survivable tragedy, however, as in true ADHD fashion they both pile whatever happens to be in their hands onto the exposed cabinet drawers and promptly forget about them forever.

The two of them head into the living room together after a long day of hard work, and Sephiroth makes for the bean bag in the cozy corner. Following him over, Zack plops down next to him on it and then immediately squawks when the beanbag shifts underneath him and slams him into Sephiroth's side. The other man let's out a surprised off, but after a moment of shuffling and a strong enough blush to be starkly visible against Zack's brown skin, they settle together on the beanbag pressed against each other, side by side. Zack's heart is jack rabbiting in his chest, and he's certain Sephiroth can hear it.

Sephiroth can hear it, but his own heart rate is elevated to an unusual degree. He's not sure what's causing it, but he doesn't mind it. Cuddled together close like this with Zack, it feels right.

He's not sure what they're moving towards, but he knows he wants more of whatever this feeling is.

[sysig]

Requestober sketches 2021

Day 1 wasn’t too different from sketch to final, mostly just in framing (what is it about Vargases needing to be moved around in the foreground or background lol). I like drawing hairties being held in one’s mouth, I think the last time I doodled that was with Mousey a bit back lol. I even got to keep the sparkles around Shmee in the preview!

I like my little arrow’d note of “Edgar’s helping :)” lol

This was the warmup for the day, he’s finally got a knife lol

For Day 2, I made the prelim sketch before I redesigned Marshmallow Fluff’s outfit, but everything else stayed mostly the same other than some pretty serious refining lol I actually digitally sketched everything the day before it was posted to make sure I’d get it done in time since I knew I’d be a little out of whack, and boy was I right lol

I sketched out a different pose for Charm as well, but I ended up liking the original better, so I had to scrap it. Still cute tho!

For Day 8, I did exactly one test sketch of Pneuma and was like “Well it’s obviously gotta be something about those ears, come on now.” Almost no changes from sketch to final! Expressive ears are fun, especially when I can scallop the fluff lol

Day 18, the dip ♥ Scriabin’s was pretty solid from the get-go, Edgar’s hips were re-angled and his back was leveled a bit - drawing from the pose inspiration really helped! Especially on getting the hands to interact, pulling back from the shoulder far enough to have Edgar’s arm at full extension was a little tricky but I think I got it in the end :)

Even this one had a sketch haha ♪ Scriabin’s gotta be goading

Hm? The kiss pose? Haha weird, could’ve sworn I made some kiss doodles-

Ah right those haha. None of them ended up even close! S’cause I couldn’t figure out how to angle them traditionally, it was so much easier to do digitally. Didn’t stop me from making a bunch of test doodles anyway lol. I’m almost happy with the top center one except their jaw heights are inconsistent and it annoys me. I do like the lower right one tho, their jaws make up one straight line haha ♪

I got the prompt for Day 25 pretty late at night so I scribbled it down fairly quickly before bed. All the important parts are visible, like Scriabin being squished up into a snuggle, they look very cozy ♪

Day 31, my day! I doodled down the idea about a week? before committing to it since there weren’t any prompts for Halloween, I mostly wanted to see just how flashy I could get the scales to look lol. I was trying (unsuccessfully) to draw Edgar and an old art adage of “snake spine” hit me upside the head and then this ✨

Not much changed from pencils to digital! A little cleaning and some toning and a lot of fun with my scale brushes haha ♪ I’m happy I can translate from page to screen without too much fuss! Scriabin’s fang does look particularly pointy here tho lol

And that was everything for this year’s Requestober! Thanks to those who participated :)

[sailorfailures]

I fell in love with these postcards from the Girl’s Night Out popup cafe the moment I saw them! I knew I had to get my hands on them, and the lovely @blaze-rocket was able to help that happen.

I cannot get over how perfect these postcards are. To me, this is what Sailor Moon is; a testament to the little moments from the series that made us fall in love with the characters, especially how their personal preferences were reflected in their fashion choices. In a world of merch where it’s easy to just slap a random crescent moon on something pink and say “look, it’s Usagi,” the designer responsible for these graphics went the extra mile to take imagery from the show itself that needles its way deep into our nostalgia-cortexes.

How many references do you recognise? Quiz yourself against this comprehensive (image-heavy) list! 👇

The inners’ postcards all reference the eye-catching sign for Game Center Crown, the iconic arcade where Motoki Furuhata worked and the gang would all congregate to play games and share information.

Starting in R they switched to hanging out at Fruits Parlor Crown, a cafe attached to the arcade staffed by Motoki’s sister Unazuki, which the Inners’ postcards all also reference. They would often get brightly-coloured drinks there, but the drinks pictured on these postcards seem to specifically line up with the real drinks available at the Girls Night Out popup cafe.

Sailors Neptune, Uranus, and Pluto’s postcards all reference “Café Étrangère,” which was the name of the cafe they were seen dining at in the Sailor Moon S movie. Even the logo is replicated faithfully from a scene only a few seconds long.

All the girls’ clothes are hanging on coat hangers shaped like Luna/Artemis/Diana.

Ami / Sailor Mercury’s references:

Ami’s casual outfit is an unusual choice since she only wore it a handful of times over the entire series, and half the times she wore it, it was given a different colour scheme with a green jacket instead of the yellow version pictured here.

Her “mini data computer” is her most iconic tool/weapon/accessory, revealed in episode 009, directly after her introduction.

The pink package is how Usagi and the other girls wrapped up her transformation stick and communicator watch as Ami’s going-away present in episode 062.

The ice cream may be a reference to the same episode, as she shared a cone with Chibi-Usa before she left, and returned to the store to protect her friends from the Droid Nihpasu.

The flash cards are a method Ami commonly used to help her study, and are particularly similar to the ones shown in the SuperS short “Ami’s First Love”.

Rei / Sailor Mars’s References:

Rei wore her casual outfit fairly frequently, starting and most notably in the beginning of the Sailor Moon R movie.

The small red o-mamori charm is from Hikawa Shrine, seen frequently but introduced in episode 010.

The paper ofuda ward was used frequently by Rei to fight evil, even before she could transform, but most notably in the attack sequence for “Akuryou, Taisan” (“Foul Spirit, Begone”).

To my knowledge the purple bag isn’t a specific reference, but Rei did throw a similar purse at a Cardian as a makeshift weapon in episode 048 before she got her Guardian memories back.

The gift-wrapped shopping boxes are the exact same ones as carried by Rei in the Sailor Moon Sailor Stars opening sequence before she trips and falls, right down to the patterns on the paper...

... which in itself may be a reference/callback to Rei’s tendency to make Yuuichirou carry her shopping (maybe so she doesn’t trip).

The phoenix-shaped pendant is a reference to episode 183; it’s made of glazed ceramic, crafted by Rei’s cousin Kengo Ibuki, given to her as a child after she convinced him not to smash it even though he his pottery a “failure”.

Makoto / Sailor Jupiter’s References:

Makoto didn’t start wearing her casual outfit until around S, but she wore it frequently after that, especially as she became more confident wearing “feminine” clothing. They even remembered her iconic gold wrist watch worn over her sleeve!

Her uniquely decorated bento bag debuted in episode 026, her introductory episode, along with the rounded green cutlery. The pouch has been featured a few more times since and its design is a mainstay in almost every Sailor Moon canon.

The teal hairtie and the rose-shaped earrings are two of Makoto’s iconic accessories, some of the only non-magical fashion accessories in the entire series to stay the same whether the character is transformed or not (the other being Minako’s infamous red bow). Her earrings also served a dual purpose as makeshift projectile weapons in episode 025.

The blue book is 月夜の天馬 (Tsukiyo no Tenma, “The Moonlit Pegasus”), a novel which was written by Tomoko Takase and introduced in epsode 134. Makoto knew Tomoko from her old middle school, before she transferred, and was the first one to read her first draft after retrieving it from bullies. She encouraged Tomoko to try and get it published. Makoto meets with her again and helps her overcome her writer’s block to finish her sequel, 天馬幻想 (Tenma Gensou, “Pegasus Fantasy”).

Minako / Sailor Venus’s References:

This is one of Minako’s most-worn casual outfits, especially if you consider the additional outfits based off it. Despite its prevalence, she didn’t start wearing it until the beginning of S.

Minako’s red hair ribbon is her most iconic accessory, but did you know why she started wearing it? The Codename: Sailor V prequel manga explains that she started wearing the ribbon instead of her usual red hairtie on the suggestion of her “first crush” Higashi. But when he turns out to be an enemy in disguise, she decides she looks good with a ribbon anyway, and keeps wearing it for her own benefit.

The red mask is a reference to Minako’s role as Sailor V before joining the team as Sailor Venus. Sailor V was known as a mysterious vigilante superhero and a fictional video game character as early as episode 001, but in episode 033 Minako revealed herself to the rest of the Sailor Team, dramatically removing her mask one final time.

Minako was known to be a skilled volleyball player, especially in the manga, and it was especially relevant in episode 100 where she had to delicately return the serve of an energy sphere containing the Pure Heart of her old volleyball crush, Asai.

The sign with Minako’s name can be seen hanging off the front of her bedroom door in episode 192.

[Manga scan courtesy of Miss Dream.]

Usagi / Sailor Moon’s References:

Usagi wore this outfit in the Sailor Moon R movie, making it a memorable choice. Although the movie aired roughly midway through R, Usagi didn’t start to wear this outfit casually again until the S season.

Usagi is shown eating a lot of food, especially sweets, but she seems to have a particular fondness for crepes, snacking on them in several different episodes.

In episode 143 we can see that Usagi is very technologically trendy - for the times. She’s carrying that blue-and-pink pager which she and Mamoru use to contact each other by way of goroawase, that is, deciphering messages based on the different pronunciations of numbers, a precursor to modern texting. Mamoru pages her the numbers 84 51, which could be read as hachi yon go ichi; reading only the first syllables, and substituting go for the related sound ko, Usagi would interpret the message as hayo koi, which sounds a bit like “come quick” - she’s late for their date. Oops!

By the way, pagers were often called “pocket bells” (pokeberu) in Japan, and became so rapidly popular they even found their way into the lyrics of Rashiku Ikimasho, the ending song for the SuperS season; 「泣きたい時には ポケベルならしてよんで、戦士の休息」 [Nakitai toki ni wa POKEBELL narashite yonde, senshi no kyuusoku] “If you feel like crying, send a page thru the Pocket Bell, take a break from [being a] Guardian”

Chibi-Usa / Sailor Chibi Moon’s References:

Chibi-Usa doesn’t technically have a school uniform, but her casual clothes are often styled after sailor suits as a reflection of both her idolisation of the figure of “Sailor Moon” and of her desire to be seen as older and more mature than she appears. She changes “uniforms” every season, and this pinafore outfit is the version she wears in SuperS. She wore the other outfit in the SuperS premiere episode.

The handgun is from episode 060, Chibi-Usa’s introduction to the series and arguably one of the most iconic absurdist scenes in all of Sailor Moon. The gun itself is actually a toy, probably a transformation of the Luna-P sphere, which Chibi-Usa uses to try and threaten Usagi into giving her the Legendary Silver Crystal. When she “shoots” Usagi, the bullet is revealed to be nothing but a suction-cup flower, also pictured. (By the way, if you were wondering, Chibi-Usa’s fake gun is based on a real Colt M1911A1.) She transforms the Luna-P into a toy gun to shoot Sailor Moon again in the Sailor Moon R movie, this time as a way to motivate Usagi to fight.

The Luna-P sphere was a mysterious gadget Chibi-Usa kept with her for the duration of R and parts of S. It’s unknown where it came from, but it could be assumed to have been created from advanced 30th century technology. It was a combination toy and tool which could transform itself into a variety of objects, formulas, and even weapons, though none were shown to be particularly powerful. It could also be used to communicate with Sailor Pluto at the Time-Space Door. When Chibi-Usa was manipulated into becoming Wicked Lady in episode 085, the Luna-P sphere also transformed into an “evil” and much more dangerous version.

The Space-Time Key was a special tool given to her by Sailor Pluto that allowed her to travel between the past and the future, though it was difficult for her to wield effectively.

The sunhat was given to Chibi-Usa by Ikuko, so she treasured it greatly. In episode 112 it got blown away and was retrieved by Hotaru Tomoe, which allowed her to meet Chibi-Usa and marked the beginning of their close friendship.

The blue-and-red package was a gift containing two manga books (”Drop Drop” vol. 1 & 2 by Ukon Katakuri) which Chibi-Usa intended to give to her new friend Hotaru in episode 113.

In episode 127, Chibi-Usa returned home to the future, and the girls all made her some going-away gifts. Ami made her a floppy disk (lol) to help her study, Rei made her a casette tape (double lol) of her music, Makoto packed her a lunch, and Minako made her a photo album of their time together. Usagi hand-sewed Chibi-Usa the rabbit-shaped backpack using a real outfit she used to love when she was a child.

Michiru / Sailor Neptune’s References:

This is a somewhat unusual choice for Michiru’s casual outfit, as she only wore it for two episodes, and that’s only because they made up a two-part story. But perhaps because the episodes were so pivotal - with Haruka and Michiru almost learning Usagi’s true identity - the outfit itself became more memorable.

Not only do they include Michiru’s violin, but they included the lemon she bounced off the instrument as she played to show off her skills in episode 093.

The teacup, teaspoon and saucer are the same set Michiru was seen drinking from at Fruits Parlor Crown in episode 094.

Michiru and Haruka both reference episode 095, where they had to enter a “true love” contest as part of their investigation. The contestants were asked to find their partner’s hand in an anonymous lineup, and Haruka was able to identify Michiru’s hand immediately.

Michiru used Haruka as a model for an illustration in her green sketchbook in episode 106.

Michiru’s Talisman is the Deep Aqua Mirror, revealed in episode 110 and used in her attack Submarine Reflection. She could also use it to receive prophetic visions. Visually, it was based on real-life art nouveau hand mirrors, and symbolically represented the mirror from the Three Sacred Treasures.

Haruka / Sailor Uranus’s References:

Conversely, Haruka wore this outfit a lot. Maybe more than she should’ve.

The teacup and saucer is the same set Haruka was seen drinking from at Fruits Parlor Crown in episode 094.

Haruka’s postcard also references the lovers contest in episode 095 (see above).

The purple scarf is from episode 096; Haruka was wearing it as a necktie when she almost ran into Makoto on her motorcycle. Haruka used the scarf to bandage Makoto’s road rash, which she returned later, though now smitten.

Not only is Haruka’s motorcycle included, they also referenced (one of) her car(s), the 1968 Toyota 2000GT.

Haruka’s Talisman is the Space Sword, revealed in episode 110 and used in her attack Space Sword Blaster. Symbolically it represented the sword from the Three Sacred Treasures.

Setsuna / Sailor Pluto’s References:

Setsuna didn’t have a school uniform, since she wasn’t a student, so she got to double-up on her casual outfits. Her mauve outfit is her most recognisable, wearing it so often it may as well have been her uniform. In fact, she was rarely seen wearing anything else until Sailor Stars, where she started experimenting with other outfits, including the Time Lord-esque suit on the right.

The potted plant is a Tellun, the energy-draining plant created by Tellu in episode 121. Setsuna was investigating it when it attempted to attack her, but she was protected by her Talisman, the Garnet Orb (also pictured, representing the jewel in the Three Sacred Treasures). She then went on to destroy the remaining Tellun plants and defeat Tellu with the help of Sailor Moon, Sailor Chibi Moon, and Tuxedo Mask.

The teacup and saucer are the same set Setsuna is seen drinking from at Cafe Etranger in the Sailor Moon S movie.

In episode 182, the girls are discussing the mysterious arrival of Chibi Chibi while eating ice cream on a hot summer’s day. Setsuna appears out of nowhere to confirm their suspicions... carrying that popsicle of her own.

Hotaru / Sailor Saturn’s References:

Hotaru tended to wear the same thing, mostly all-black, but she did occasionally adventure into rich colours like this bottle green two-piece outfit and iconic raspberry beret.

The sunhat belonged to Chibi-Usa; it symbolises the beginning of their friendship, when Hotaru caught it after it blew away in episode 112.

Chibi-Usa gave Hotaru the rabbit backpack in episode 116, using it to pass a note inviting her on a picnic.

Hotaru collects lamps, and the two referenced here are seen in her bedroom, which she keeps dimly lit to manage her pain.

The window might seem random, but it was random in the series, too - it’s one of the curtained window which looks out from Hotaru’s bedroom, and when a Daimon experiment goes terribly wrong in episode 118 and transforms her house into a Bamboozled-like inter-dimensional maze, one window overlooks a vast ocean while the other overlooks a strange jungle.

Hotaru’s weapon as Sailor Saturn is the Silence Glaive. It’s said that she possesses enough power to destroy the world with a single drop of her scythe.

That’s it! You made it! How many references did YOU know? 🌙

[writtenbynath]

The henchman

Because we couldn't really play at Charmed, I wrote about a scene we might have had. If you like this story and want to see more, please consider supporting me on Patreon.

With a click of the lock, he let us into his hotel room. As he walked into the room to turn on the lights and close the curtains, I pushed her up against the wall to kiss her. She answered enthusiastically by groping my breasts and ass through my dress. She was delicious in every way, her full lips, her hands all over me, the happy giggle that came with every move I made to press her against the wall and grind against her. Then I noticed him standing in the middle of the room looking at us.

"You don't mind, do you?" I grinned at him and she giggled.

He smiled warmly. "As wonderful as you two are to watch, we did have a plan I'm eager to get to." He walked over to the closet and started to take out the things we would need for our plan.

With a nod and a smile, I backed away so she could walk into the room. "There will be time for me to ravish you later…"

She kicked off her shoes, went over to the bed and laid down to give us space to make preparations. I leaned against the wall for a moment, just staring at her, I had never told her this, but she reminded me of that girl I knew back in college. The reason I knew for certain that I am bi, despite all the erasure and preconceptions life threw at me. Sure, I like guys, I like people well enough and I think beauty is more than just skin deep. But oh my… She was my type. She was the prettiest, cutest woman I had ever laid hands on. 

I took a deep breath and turned to watch him start to take off his clothes and get ready to put on the latex bodysuit. A bottle of lube stood ready to help him. For a moment, I was overcome by how he had welcomed me into this whole situation, I felt so honoured that he wanted to do this with me, that he had cast me in this role. When I first met him, I had admired how suave and debonair he was from afar, looking up at him as an accomplished kinkster, much moreso than I. And now, here I was…

I turned to look in the mirror beside the closet. "Do I need to change?" I asked.

"I wouldn't mind... if you want…." She giggled as she lay on her chest, showing off her cleavage and wiggling her bare feet up in the air. She was shy to flirt with me, but I appreciated the effort.

He glanced at me as he was putting on the latex. "I really like the dress. Maybe lose the fluffy shrug and put your hair up to make it more stern?"

"Good thinking." I hung the shrug on the coat rack by the door and got a hairtie out of my handbag to put my hair up into a tight bun.

"You should both know that I'm actually a terrible wimp who doesn't want to hurt anyone." I said as I did my hair. "I'm going to rely heavily on you to let me know that you're still enjoying what we're doing, or I won't dare to go on." I turned to give him a meaningful look as I referenced something we had previously done together. "You know how I move forward very carefully and look for signs that you want to keep going."

He nodded as he carefully pulled his arms through the tight latex sleeves. "And you know that I will find ways to signal 'green' to you."

"I probably can't even hide how much I'm enjoying the struggle." She supported her head with her hands as she lay on the bed. "The meaner you are, the more I'll like it." She blushed and hid her face in her hands.

I cleared my throat. "I also want you both to know that any suggestions or triggers I give you will only last until this scene ends and we leave the room again. This is a fantasy."

She nodded at me. "Of course."

"No worries." He managed to smile at me again, even though he was busy pulling the suit up around his shoulders and making sure the elbows were in the right place.

I excused myself to go to the bathroom and touch up my makeup. When I returned looking all smooth and pale again, she was helping him close the zipper of the bodysuit. He was all glistening blackness now with his strong shoulders and his V-shaped body. He put on the hood with the shiny gasmask and asked in a muffled voice: "Where do you want me?"

I moved in to embrace him and grab his ass, running my hands over the slick surface of the suit. "I want you right here." I moaned playfully.

She gasped, watching us with excited eyes as she sat back down on the bed.

He stood up straight as I groped him, trying to remain still, but I could feel a bulge starting to grow under the suit against my hip. I took pleasure in that for a moment, but I realised that they were both being so quiet because they were ready to begin. It was my move now.

I looked around the room for things I could use and I noticed the mirror on the wall next to the closet. I let go of him, stepped aside and slapped him on the ass with a playful grin. "Get the chair and place it facing the mirror. I want you to sit there looking at yourself."

He did exactly as I asked, his movements stiff and slow, but I couldn't tell whether that was because he was getting into character or because the suit was restrictive. When he sat down, I leaned against the closet so he could probably see me from the corner of his eyes, while he was looking ahead into the mirror. Truth be told, I couldn't see his face under the shiny black mask at all, but he had assured me previously that his vision was great in this mask.

"As you look at the drone in front of you…" I found my softer, deeper hypnotist voice as I started to build the fantasy. "I want you to imagine the brainwashing facility, where there are rows upon rows of faceless drones like this. Sitting still while the gas that flows through the masks subdues them into an open, suggestible state. So that the recording that plays through the headphones they're wearing can blank their minds, take away their will and mold them into mindless, obedient drones."

I glanced at her as she sat on the bed, watching and listening, quietly but visibly excited by the scene I was describing. And perhaps by the sound of my voice too.

"I want you to remember how you sat there in that facility," I continued to him. "So still and warm, encased in shiny slickness. Inhaling the gas with every breath. Feeling yourself become more and more mindless and obedient with every word that reverberates in your empty head. Resistance is futile. None of the other drones have managed it, so why would you be able to? The gas makes you compliant, that's just how it works on a hormonal level in your body, no matter how much willpower you might have had when this all began. You don't remember how long ago. Your will is gone now. You are just a drone in my army, obedient to me. Brainwashed to help me subdue and recruit more people. And every order you obey just emphasises how mindless and compliant you are."

I watched him sit there for a moment, the image of long rows of identical shiny, black suits lingering on my mind as well. I couldn't resist running my fingers over the smooth black surface again, so I touched his shoulder. And then I forcefully grabbed the back of his neck. 

"Drone six. Get up." I commanded him as I stood behind the chair.

He immediately stood up from the chair, his back straight, his shiny mask blank.

"Put the chair in the corner." I ordered, pointing.

There was a pronounced robotic quality to his movements as he lifted up the chair and walked towards the door of the hotel room to set it down there.

"And lock the door, drone." The cold, commanding tone in my voice contrasted with the way I casually walked over to the other side of the room. I locked eyes with her, still sitting on the bed. "So she can't escape."

She gasped. It was her move now. She looked at me, standing near the window, and then at him, blocking the door with the chair and locking it with a loud click. She glanced at the bathroom door, probably wondering if she could reach it and hide in there.

"Seize her!" I commanded.

The drone spun around and launched towards her, catching her just as she reached the edge of the bed. The struggle was violent but quick. He pinned her arms behind her back and held them there with one hand, holding her tightly around the waist with the other arm.

I stepped into the open space at the foot of the bed and beckoned him. "Bring her here." 

His footsteps stomped on the carpet as he pushed her towards me. She squirmed weakly in his grip, making delicious high-pitched noises. As she got closer to me, she lowered her head to look down at her feet. He was much taller and he just lifted her up with every other heavy step, as he brought her towards me. 

I stepped in and grasped her by the neck and chin to lift her head up. "Look at me."

Her eyes were large and full of doubt. Did she want to look at me? The memory of being hypnotised by staring into my eyes in a previous encounter was still fresh in her mind. Or was she afraid to look at me? Afraid that I would take away her will and her mind and make her into a mindless drone as well? She bit her lip and I could feel her swallow under my hand.

I remembered how she hand assured me that meaner would be better. And I noticed how the drone nodded at me and pushed her forward into my grip. So I gripped her chin more firmly, letting some of my fingers squeeze the soft skin of her throat. "You cannot escape." I let my voice drop to a whisper. "You could struggle, in theory. But that would only take time. I will overpower your mind, just like my drone has overpowered you physically. In a direct battle of your will against mine, you know that you're losing. Losing control. Losing the will to fight me…"

There was a change in her eyes. They could no longer focus on me, and the eyelids with the sparkly makeup started to droop. Her lips parted with an inaudible gasp.

"So you surrender." I concluded as I pulled her head down until it flopped forward and her eyes closed. I felt a rush of power; I was in control.

As she slumped in his arms, the drone shifted on his feet, but somehow despite the glossy black mask I could tell that was not just about shifting her weight in his arms. He was enjoying this too.

I leaned in, my lips brushing against her cheek as I whispered in her ear. "You are helpless against my power. And I just want to toy with you right now. Even when you wake up in a moment, you'll find that you're so open to my suggestions, everything I say becomes real to you. You can squirm and struggle and feel ashamed that your helplessness is turning you on, and all of that. But you are my plaything now." I kissed her cheek. She smelled so delicious that I trailed little kisses to her lips and I gently cupped her jaw to give her a long, hot kiss.

Even though her eyes were closed and her mind was open, she was such a wonderful kisser. Her lips moved, her tongue touched mine and she moaned softly. When I finally retreated, she lifted up her face towards me wit a moan full of yearning.

I gave my henchman a mischievous look to let him know something was coming. And then I aimed carefully and slapped her on the cheek. "Wake up!"

He braced accordingly and held her tightly so she could hardly jolt and stumble from the shock. She did however squeal delightfully, and she gave me a priceless look of shock.

"There you are, my plaything." I chuckled and lazily reclined on the bed.

"Let me go!" She struggled in his arms and he didn't even move an inch. The mask was blank and emotionless but in the crotch of the suit I could spy that bulge that told me he was happy.

I smiled benevolently. "You want him to release you?"

She strained and tried to wiggle out of his grip. "Yes!"

With a nonchalant gesture, I snapped my fingers. "Release her. And stand to attention."

Immediately, he let her go. He took one step away from her as she hugged herself, and then he put his hands behind his back and raised his chin up as if he were looking at the ceiling fan above the bed.

She stood there for a moment, stretching after being held so tightly for so long. 

"You're not sure what to do now, are you my plaything?" I noticed how my voice turned into an amused sing-song, and I leaned into that. "Are you confused?"

"I eh…" She looked around the room, as if looking for answers. "I guess…" Her eyes rested on the drone in the shiny black suit and it gave me an idea.

"Do you recognise him?" I asked as I scooted towards the edge of the bed. "He used to be your lover before he became my mindless drone."

He flinched. It was hard to tell what it meant exactly, but his breathing became more visible, his shoulders rising and falling a little faster than before. He made an effort to not move, but something was definitely going on behind that glossy black surface.

She stared at him, and tentatively reached out to him with her hand. "Can you hear me?"

I chuckled. "Of course he can hear you. The drone is fully functional. He just doesn't remember you, nor does he feel anything. He has been brainwashed to be obedient and compliant." I fell into my hypnotist voice, to help him feel more like a mindless drone. "Turn towards her, drone. You can see her, you can hear her. But her words mean nothing to you. The only thing you understand are my commands. Remember the mantras that echoed in your empty head. You must obey."

With two heavy steps, he turned towards her. His shoulders were straight and his arms were rigid. His chin was still up, as if he was looking over the top of her head into the distance.

Her hand touched his chest, ever so slightly pressing into the smooth black surface. "Don't you remember me?" She looked up at him, almost pleading.

"Push her away, drone." I grinned as I watched them.

His strong arms mercilessly pushed her away and it turned into another struggle. He remained rigid and robotic while she passionately fought to touch him, proclaiming her love for him, begging him to listen to her. After shoving her away a few times, he resolved the situation by grabbing her in another tight hold, one hand around her wrists, and his other hand holding her by the hair on the back of her head. It was a weakness we both knew about her; if you grabbed her by the hair she melted in your hands. She stared up at the glossy black surface of the mask as if her gaze might pierce it, and it gave me another idea.

I had been watching them with baited breath, biting my lip, but this was the perfect moment for me to speak. "Well done, drone." I couldn't help that my hypnotist voice turned sultry and smouldering, they were turning me on so much. "You've got her in the right grip for the brainwashing unit in your hand to connect to her brain."

Her eyes grew large and she squirmed, trying to move her head. His grip was strong however, and her renewed struggle only resulted in a tremble and a shake.

I got up from the bed to touch her and bring my voice closer to her ears, knowing that would help with the suggestions. "As the unit connects to your nervous system, you might feel an electric jolt that travels down through your spine to your crotch. It's an unfortunate side-effect that can't be helped."

She gasped, shuddering in his grip. To my surprise, the drone moved too. His breathing quickened and there was a jerk in his hips.

"But as we developed the technique more over time, we've found that the arousal that grows in the subject actually helps the brainwashing take hold. It's very hard to resist something that feels so good, isn't it?" I hovered around her, keeping a close eye on both of them. "Feel how the connection is made in the back of your head, and the current travels through your body, washing away your resistance. Look at him, so mindless and empty. He couldn't fight it, and neither can you. You'll end up just like him as you feel my control creep into your head."

She swayed in his grip, her eyes glossing over as she stared up at the shiny surface of the mask. He let go of her wrists and her arms fell limply to her sides. Her shivering body slumped a little, as if the only thing holding her up was the strong hand on the back of her head.

I groped her breasts, trying to find and tweak her nipples through her shirt, as I continued to narrate the fantasy. "We haven't worked out why or how the brainwashing causes this strong arousal, but we've noticed that when the brainwashing unit in a drone's hand is activated to turn a new subject, both the subject and the drone suffer from it. As my power travels through your body and takes hold of your neural pathways, it fills you with sexual pleasure. If you are feeling any pleasure at the moment, that means you are under my control. And as the pleasure builds and grows inside you, it washes away your thoughts, making you more mindless and obedient."

Her eyes rolled up into her head and her lips parted as she moaned. Meanwhile, he bucked his hips and the bulge under his suit twitched and moved as his breathing became more laboured, making his shoulders rise and fall more quickly.

I licked my lips at this delicious scene I had crafted. "The pleasure is an essential part of the process now. The more you submit to this arousal, the faster it will take hold of you, the more helpless and compliant you become, and when you eventually come, that means the process is complete and you are my mindless drone. So you want to surrender to it, don't you?"

[dailydianakko]

Diana vs. The Webcam

I’m back, and with another one-shot! This is kinda a gift for Mod Nightly! Also I do recall getting an ask about Diana struggling with technology, so I guess this fits? Kinda? Anyway, this is my longest fic yet, clocking in at around 2,600 words. A big thank you to R5H for helping me edit!

Diana booted up the old computer in her study.  While she waited for the old thing to finish starting up, she let her eyes roam over the old room. Had it not been for the perfectionist tendencies of Anna, Diana figured the whole study would’ve been covered in dust. Much of it was as she had left it. This room had been her hideaway last school break. Anna may have cleaned it, but the books had been meticulously put back in the same skewed positions as Diana had left them. The obvious overflow of the literature made Diana make a mental note to either find better space, or perhaps put the lesser used books back into the family library. Tapping the mouse in a staccato beat, her eyes ran from the bookshelves to the paintings on the wall. Diana wasn’t attached to the multiple portraits of fruits; perhaps she would replace them with more personal pictures soon. She doubted it though, this room stayed the same. She may claim it would be renovated, but in the end she found that she rather liked the room and its timeless charm. It would always look the way she expected it to be. Like grandmother’s study.

A chime interrupted her thoughts and her attention turned back to the screen. The blue glow caused her to squint and quickly turn on the desk lamp. It eased the strain on her eyes and allowed her to log into the old contraption. The keyboard was bulky and grey, making loud clacks as the password was hastily typed in. Now to hook up a “webcam” as Akko had called it. The stubborn brunette had refused to allow Diana to purchase her a crystal ball and instead had presented Diana with a box. Inside had been the “webcam”. Akko had demanded that Diana “Get her head out of the 1800s and learn how to be a modern witch”. Diana let out a huff as she recalled that particular spat. Although, she was planning on looking into modern technologies anyway. Just in case Croix tried something again that would put Akko at risk.

Diana cracked open the webcam box, and flipped foremost to the instruction manual. As she quickly skimmed through the pamphlet, small disgruntled noises fell from her lips. “What in Beatrice’s name is a MicroSD, and how does one insert it into a computer?” This may take longer than she originally thought. Diana snapped the hairtie she was wearing over her wrist and pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. After rolling up her sleeves, she removed her wand from the holster she kept on her hip. Muttering a quick chant and performing the proper wand movements, she summoned a wispy green spirit. “Please tell Anna that I request some tea and refreshment to the southern study.” The tiny spirit saluted and Diana covered her mouth, lest she let out a giggle and draw the ire of the small fae. With a nod, Diana dismissed the spirit and watched it zip through the door.

Once the spirit had left, she turned back to the task at hand. She wanted to at least have some sort of an idea before Anna saw her in this miserable state of confusion. This was why crystal balls were superior to mundane tech; you didn’t have to add anything. All it required was the right sort of spell. Although, now that Diana had a proper moment to reflect, Akko would most definitely have a harder time conjuring the required spells. While the excitable witch had made progress in leaps and bounds, the magic that required more finesse still left the brunette floundering. If Akko was trying hard in the more magical aspect for Diana, Diana could try hard in the more mundane aspect for Akko. Diana figured she had at least forty minutes for proper snacks to be made and for the tea to boil. She wouldn’t confirm nor deny knowing that the snacks meant for this evening had disappeared rather early today after she had passed by the kitchens.

Thirty minutes later Diana was feeling rather frazzled. Small curses she would never be caught dead uttering were flying from her mouth at an astounding rate. Her hair was messy, her back ached from frustration, and nothing was going right. Anna was due in the room at any minute, and Diana would rather she uphold her current reputation as a level headed and intelligent witch. She counted her blessings that O’Neill wasn’t here, lest the obnoxious redhead never let Diana live down her inability to hook up a webcam, and saying ‘fuck’. It had been uttered at least twelve times now. 

“Fucking hell” 

Thirteen.

Sitting up and taking a breath, Diana tugged on one of her loose bangs. She was an intelligent witch. She could do this. She twirled the desk chair once and got comfortable. Squaring her shoulders, she picked up the accursed instructions and gave them another look. As she was absorbed in sifting through the obscure text, a knock softly rang through the room in a pattern. One, two-two, one- one, one, two. “Come in, Anna,” Diana said as her eyes continued to scan the page. She absentmindedly waved her hand .

Her nursemaid glided into the room, tea tray in hand. It was piled with cucumber sandwiches, scones, and assorted tea cookies. An elegant teapot with a gilt rose design and matching teacup sat elegantly in the middle of the tray. Anna stood next to Diana and gave her a look of rebuke. The young heir was sprawled in the chair, one leg draped over the armrest, the other on the ground. Diana was using that leg to make tiny half revolutions as she slouched in the chair, one hand holding the instruction book, the other tugging her bangs. Anna cleared her throat, and Diana didn’t even flinch. Her hand flailed around, grabbed a sandwich. She began gnawing at it irately as she focused harder on the task at hand.

“Lady Cavendish.” Anna’s eyebrow raised and the frown lines on her face deepened. “Please refrain from such behavior.”  Diana froze mid bite into her sandwich. With a scramble of one moving for their life, she quickly straightened her posture. Smoothing her hair and practically tossing the sandwich back onto the tray, she faced Anna. The instruction manual fell abandoned at her feet. Diana would rather she not make a fool of herself trying to grab for it. Nine knows she had made a fool of herself already.

“Anna. Thank you for the refreshments. I ask that you forgive my behavior, I have been,” Diana glanced at the computer screen. It had gone back into sleep mode some time ago. “Rather occupied.”

“Of course, Diana. I only ask that you emulate the behavior of a lady when necessary. It would not do for you to show a sloppy side in front of those of a lower station.” Anna rested the tray on the desk and gently straightened Diana’s messy hair with a gentle hand. “Now, may I inquire what has you so distressed?”

Diana’s faced flushed as she glanced at the fallen manual. She cleared her throat in an attempt to buy some time to formulate an answer. “I wish to add a webcam to my computer, but much of this does not make as much sense as I wish it would.” Diana kicked the evil pamphlet gently. Her arms wound themselves around her torso and she pouted slightly. “I just want to video call my dearest friend, Akko”

Anna did a quick sign of the cross and muttered a Hail Mary at the mention of Akko’s name. She straightened up and gave Diana a faint smile. “Together we can puzzle through this, Diana. May I offer my assistance?”

Diana gave a tiny nod and quickly moved out of her seat. She wrapped Anna in a quick blink-and-you-miss-it sort of hug, and then flashed back into her seat. Anna let out a nearly inaudible chuckle at her young charge’s affection. Diana didn’t often like to be vulnerable. Weakness was easily taken advantage of in high society. Diana had caught on that regrettably quickly after the passing of her mother, Bernadette. Anna had done her best for her young mistress in a house absent of love. Seeing Diana smile more and act like a child was refreshing, even if it was improper. Anna crouched down and picked up the manual. “Now let’s take a crack at this together. Please eat while I go over and see what you could’ve missed.”

It took a full two hours, one and a half pots of tea, and at least ten cookies before the two had finally figured out the problem. As soon as the proper window had finally popped up, Diana let out a joyful cry and latched onto Anna, giggling. Anna couldn’t help but smile, and she indulged a minute or two in her almost adoptive daughter’s embrace. All too soon she extricated herself from Diana’s grip. “I’ll bring a fresh plate of cookies, Diana. Why don’t you call your friend?” Diana’s eyes lit up even further.

“That would be acceptable. I shall call Akko right now.” Diana practically wiggled in her seat. She then froze as if coming to a realization. Frantically she tidied her desk area and clothes. She took out her ponytail and grabbed her wand once more to cast a spell to neaten her hair. She had to look her best for Akko. A quick look to the wall clock told Diana it was about 9:25PM in Japan. Surely Akko would still be up. Anna hid a smile and quickly exited the room. Diana still had some cookies on her plate, and Anna wanted to leave the two girls alone for a bit.

Diana hastily booted up the program and went through the steps to call Akko. She waited with bated breath as the dots loaded across the screen. She looked as if she was in a silent prayer, hands clasped as she chewed on her lip.

“Konbanwa….” A messy haired Akko filled Diana’s screen. The hair that usually was stowed away in her little pigtail was practically sitting straight up. “Oh! Diana!” Akko’s accent had gotten even thicker during the few days she had been at home. The brunette rambled a few more words in her native tongue until she caught herself. “So!” Akko ran a hair through her adorably spiked hair. “Finally got the webcam up, huh, Diana?”

Diana blinked. She had been caught up in memorizing Akko’s cute bedhead. “Yes, it was quite a simple matter once I figured the instructions out. Took merely minutes to install.” Diana flicked her hair away from her face and stared Akko right in the eyes.

“Diana~ Your teeth are gonna rot from telling lies! You only ever do that hair thingie when you’re not being honest! I bet it took you hours. Did someone help you?” Akko flicked her screen and her picture flipped. “Oops.” The brunette deftly righted the mistake and began teasing Diana with that little smirk of hers.

“I’ll have you know-” Akko spun around in her chair, stopping mid spin to pull a face at Diana. “Confound it, Akko!” Diana dissolved into giggles. Akko looked on utterly smitten as Diana laughed. She missed this. Akko was so carefree, truly a breath of fresh air in Diana’s stagnant life. The rapid shutdown of the school due to the virus had sent Akko on a one way plane back home. Away from Diana.

 After Diana managed to compose herself, she noticed Akko had switched positions. Her hand rested her cheek, supporting her head as she looked at Diana in a dreamy manner. The slight knocking noise in the background clued Diana into the fact that Akko was swinging her legs under her desk. It was just like Akko during classes at Luna Nova. She could never truly sit still. Quarantine had made them both a little stir crazy. Seeing each other like this made things seem okay again.

“Atsuko, I truly missed you.” Diana’s eyes had a melty quality to them as she said this. Akko thought they kinda looked like the water in the Fountain of Polaris. Except while the waters in the fountain were cold, Diana’s were warm. Akko wanted nothing more than to give Diana a hug.

“I missed you too ,Diana. But! Guess what, you can finally see my room!” Akko slid her rolling chair away from the computer with a flourish, she gestured to her room. It was smaller than Diana imagined, and quite messy. The bed hadn’t been made and clothes were strewn about. The empty chip bag poking out from under Akko’s bed was especially incriminating. Of course, Diana also saw Shiny Chariot posters and collectibles littering the walls and bookshelves of the room. She noticed some other unknown cartoon characters, and made a mental note to look them up later. Akko’s birthday was coming in three months, and Diana wanted to send a care package to her.  The room was overall warm and lived in, just like Akko herself.

“It’s just as messy as I figured, Akko.” Akko let out a squawk and jerked her head to actually give her room a good look. Scrambling up from her chair, she jerked her sheets over the messiest bits of her bed and kicked her clothes out of view.

“Look, it doesn’t normally look like this,” Akko began to make a gaggle of excuses, each word coming out faster than the last one. She had turned back towards Diana, and was standing in the middle of the room.

“Oh? Now who is the one lying, Atsuko?”  Diana teased gently, a small giggle bubbling forth from her lips.  Akko paused in the middle of her wild gestures.

“I like it when you say my name, Diana.” Akko’s eyes gave a quick blink as her brain caught up with her mouth. Diana began to slowly turn red as she too processed what Akko had said. “I mean-what I want to say is-uh, etto, I really like the sound of your voice.” Akko covered her face and curled in on herself, wiggling from side to side.

“Akko,” Diana said softly, “I like it when you call my name too. I love your voice as well.”

Akko let out a muffled scream and wiggled harder. Her feet stomped lightly on the floor, tiny thuds accompanying her shriek. Diana felt her hands cover her face as well. She wasn’t usually as honest with her feelings as she was now. Akko tended to make Diana do crazy things, like venturing to the top of the stratosphere to stop a giant missile. Or like telling her things she swore never to say. Or actually giving people physical affection.

Akko peeked out from her hands, only to see Diana practically mirroring her embarrassment. “You’re cute, you know?” she blurted out. If Akko was going to die tonight, she might as well make sure she’d be six feet all the way under. It was Diana’s turn to let out a little squeak, so adorably uncharacteristic. “When this is all over, can I take you out to Blytonbury sometime?” Akko crossed her fingers, practically praying whoever was up there to let this work.

Diana peeled her hands from her face and took a deep breath. Looking a nervous Akko in the eyes, she gave her answer. “I suppose I would not be remiss in indulging on an outing with you at a later date. However, perhaps we can do something sooner? I’ve heard marvelous things about the internet.”

Akko let out a cheer and jumped into the air, only to scream as her foot slipped on some discarded shorts she had missed in her mad dash to ‘tidy’ her room. “Daijobu” a weak groan came from the floor as Diana let out a guffaw that evolved into full blown laughter. Akko watched happily from the floor. She would make Diana laugh more in the coming video calls, she hoped.

“So, how about a movie?”