#it's very nice to formally interact with you on tumblr for the first time!!!

[filzmonster]

If you’re doing the ask game: Gilbert Nightray?

any excuse to talk about Gilbert Nightray tbh

First impression: I saw him being angsty in the rain during the intro for 0.2 seconds and I just knew he was going to be my fave.

Impression now: Honestly, it's been over ten years and I still can't really put into words how much this fictional character means to me.

To me, he has one of the most interesting, most well crafted character journeys I've ever seen. The way his entire loyalty complex is depicted, established and developed is something that still touches me very deeply. How he struggles with but ultimately pushes through his issues is just ,,,,,,,,, hhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ,,,,,,,,, dare I say inspiring? Also, he got a lot of cool moments throughout the series and I'm very thankful for that <3

Favourite moment: This was a tough one because there are so manyyyyyyyy. But I'm gonna go with the one that impressed me the most from a 'the way this story is written' pov and that's the one where he shows up and saves Break from Fang and Lilly. I don't even know. Just thinking about this scene and the way it was set up - with Gilbert running towards Oz, Vincent manipulating him into thinking Break can take care of himself, his flashbacks to when Break told him to get his priorities straight, with him realizing that Break is blind, with him still chosing to run towards Oz and Vincent's sinister 'good riddance Hatter' smile, and then Gilbert laughing in all of their faces by saying 'screw my priorities, I can chose both' - still gives me chills. I so very clearly remember sitting in my bed at like 3am, reading it for the first time and just losing my mind over Gilbert showing up and kicking him in the back when no one, least of all Break, expected him to do that.

Idea for a story: One day I will write down the 'The Tragedy of Sablier never happend and Gilbert and Vincent and Alice grow up as Baskervilles with Oswald and Jack as their gay parents' story set to Bastille songs I have been dreaming about for 5 years. Y'all just wait.

Unpopular opinion: There should have been a last meaningful conversation between Break and Gilbert before Break dies.

I know a lot of people absolutely love that Break got to spend his last impactful scenes with Oz and Vincent, guiding these two through their last character development steps, but ,,,,,,, but.

It just makes me so mad that up until the very climax of Gilbert's character development (him burning off his left arm and then showing up to stand in front of Glen and declare his loyalty to Oz no matter what) there were so many conversations between these two from the very beginning, the parallels between both of them serving Masters, Break being aware that he is the cautionary tale for Gilbert and trying to guide him, Gilbert showing up and saving him, Break even going all I don't have to worry about him anymore while being chained to a wall, so sure that Gilbert is going to help Oz because even though he saw him shoot Oz he also saw through the compulsion and realized that Gilbert picked his side, Oz' side, and that he would ultimately pull through.

And yet. AND YET. Their last real interaction is Gilbert being furious at Break and blaming him for Oscar's death and then just kind of ignoring him and not even really acknowledging him/his impending death when they part ways in the ruins of Sablier and Break stays behind to die alone in the arms of Reim and Sharon.

Instead the focus is on Vincent and Oz, as if the last 20something volumes of their friendship and connection suddenly didn't matter anymore. I'm still disappointed about this 10 years later apparently, because just like Gilbert I simply cannot let things go.

Favourite relationship: Breakbert Oz. Whatever the hell he has going on with Oz in every shape, form and colour throughout the entire manga. I live and breathe for that shit. The angst, the loyalty, the doubt, the jealousness, the dismissiveness, the fucked-up-ness at times. The way they both trigger their respective issues at the start but then become each other's guiding light to becoming better versions of themselves and then ending up with this beautiful, trusting friendship where they both understand the other better and see them for who the other really is and still chose each other, despite everything. Fuck.

Favourite headcanon: Uff. I fear I am so out of touch with the source material these days that I don't really remember what was actually hinted at in the manga and what was just my interpretation of certain things?

I distantly remember him angsting about doing dirty work for the Nightrays at some point, so I have this headcanon that he worked as some sort of assassin/spy for them for a while? No idea if that's a true headcanon or just my imagination running wild with a throwaway line, but I like the idea of him being actually way more ruthless than he seems and very willing to go to drastical measures for the people he cares about without hesitation.

[x-bluefire-heart-x]

Covered in Steam

I am back with a Thorin x female reader smut fic! I hope you guys enjoy it. This is my second Thorin fic but I think Tumblr hid my other one, so if you feel like reading an angsty but fluffy Thorin imagine head over to my master list which is tagged below.  Also feel free to check out my prompt list and feel free to request a fic!

Warnings: Sexual content,

Also any and all mistakes are mine.

Master List

Prompt List

Dance at a Feast

Even when you had been in Erebor for nearly a year you couldn’t get over how large the baths were. You had been given your own suit in the Royal Wing, a room that connected onto Thorin’s. Your Husband. It was an arranged marriage purely for the benefit of your kingdom and Erebor. Thorin already had his heirs in his nephews, so there was no need to worry about the fact that you were not a dwarf. Though some of the older dwarves had an issue with the Queen of Erebor being an outsider but the prosperity that had arrived at Erebor during its reconstruction had quietened them for the most part.

You couldn’t deny that you were hateful of the marriage at first, being forced to marry a stranger and leave your home. But after seeing Erebor and meeting Thorin and his family you slowly started to enjoy your time here and knew that you could have a life here, eventually. You hadn’t really had much interaction with Thorin outside of the formal requirements during banquets and visits from dignitaries. He had been courteous during those times and never made you feel like a nuisance but you still wished he would spend some more time with you outside the banquets. You couldn’t deny that you found the dwarf king attractive, with his commanding presence and those brilliant blue eyes, that made you feel as if you were drowning in them every time he looked at you. His very presence could some times make you weak at the knees, the way in which he commanded any room he entered affected you in a way you couldn’t explain and was not something you were expecting to happen.

You leant back against the edge of the bath lifting your leg up and watching the water run down it, the droplets creating ripples in the water. You sighed bringing your leg back into the water and leant your head back looking up to the ceiling, the light from the numerous candles reflecting back at you. You wondered if maybe you should make a move on the king. You knew that some male dwarves rather liked women who were fierce and take charge. Perhaps you could ask Thorin’s sister Dis for her advice, the two of you had gotten close. She had taken you under her wing when you arrived, helping you to navigate dwarven culture and the city itself. The two of you had truly became sisters, a thing you were grateful for as you had only had an older brother back home, with a rather large gap between your ages. He was already off with the other warriors in your father’s army, when you had been born. You would forever be grateful for Dis, and hoped that asking her for help with her brother wouldn’t make her uncomfortable.

Lost in thought as you where you hadn’t noticed when the door on the other side of the bathroom opened. The door leading to Thorin’s chambers. Thorin walked through the door only to pause upon seeing you, he hadn’t expected you to still be awake at this hour. He had been kept awake in his study dealing diplomatic issues with Balin and Ori and all he had wanted to do upon retiring was take a nice long, hot bath before sleeping. He knew he should leave or announce his presence but he found he was frozen, the firelight around you was giving you an almost golden glow and he found his breath was caught in his throat. When he had agreed upon the marriage with you, he never thought you would be anything more then maybe a friend eventually, though he hadn’t been able to give you as much attention as he had hoped. But once he met you, he found himself slowly falling for you, with your shy smile that lit up the room. You were unbelievably kind to everyone and although you were the Queen of Erebor you would offer Bombur your assistance in the kitchens before a feast and you would help Ori in the library.

Thorin’s eyes took in their fill of your nakedness, and found himself stirring. A fire building in his veins as the water lapped at your breasts, you were sitting on one of the seats along the edge of the bath, the water only just coming up to the bottom of them, your nipples hard as the air in the room chilled your heated skin from the water. He was suddenly even more sorry that he hadn’t taken more time to get to know his wife, he planned on properly courting you but didn’t know how to go about it. If you had been a dwarf, it would have been easier but had tried to find something that discussed your peoples courting customs but not even Ori and Balin were able to locate such a book.

“Your Majesty!” you voice pulled him out of his thoughts, as well as the sound of splashing water as you ducked further under the water covering yourself. Your face was red, like a ruby and Thorin found himself blushing and looking away quickly.

“My apologises, My Lady,” Thorin said. “I was unaware that you were still awake. I shall leave you to your privacy.”

“No, wait!” you stood up. This was the moment you were waiting for. You had been surprised to see Thorin but you had noticed how he was staring at you. His blue eyes almost were hungry, as they traced the parts of your body that were visible above the water. Thorin paused, half turned back towards his chambers.

“Yes?” Thorin, tried very hard to not look anywhere but your face when he turned to face you again.

“Um, join me?” you asked, trying to be brave, but your voice was soft and shy. “The bath is big enough for the both of us and we are married, I don’t see why we cannot share a bath…husband.”

“Are you sure?” Thorin asked, wanting to make sure you truly wanted this. His heart jumped at the thought of joining you. Dwarven couples often shared baths together, it was an incredibly intimate thing.

“Yes, I am very sure,” you responded. Thorin smiled, as he walked forward dropping the towel that had been wrapped around his waist.

“Well, who am I to deny my wife, my Queen,” he grinned.

You allowed your eyes to travel down, his strong chest, that was coated in dark hair, his stomach was strong and soft. Your eyes continued their path following the trail of hair that led down to his cock. It was slowly hardening, as he allowed his eyes to finally take their fill of your body. You giggled shily as Thorin stepped down into the water and made his way towards you. He stopped within arm’s length.  

“I should apologise to my Lady, we have been married for a year and I have not given you the attention you deserve,” Thorin’s grin had softened, and his blue eyes still hungry but they still held a little sorrow.

“Hmm, and I have not forced the issue my King,” you responded taking a step forward lifting your hand up lightly tracing his chest. “You are busy, your kingdom is recovering but perhaps we can start tonight.”

Thorin looked down at your touch, looking back up at you his smile turned devilish. He reached a hand out and lightly traced your cheek, down to your jaw before reaching trailing down your neck. He stepped forward bringing your bodies together. His hard cock pressing into you making you gasp at such a feeling. He hard chest pressed into your soft breasts, the sensation from his chest hair rubbing against your nipples caused your gasp to turn into a soft moan. You had touched yourself in experimentation before but had never been able to elicit such a response. He used the hold he had on the nape of your neck and pulled your head towards his as he lowered his head down to kiss you. The first touch was gentle, just a press of lips before he pulled away. Your eyes met, and you knew your eyes hard darkened as much as his. You smiled, a soft giggle leaving your lips.

“And what may I ask what is causing such a response?” Thorin asked, a joy he hadn’t felt in an age swelling up inside of him at your own happiness. It was in that moment that he decided he would do everything in his power to ensure you felt such happiness every day.

“That was my first kiss,” you breathed bringing a hand up and lightly tracing his lips and then your own.

“Your first?” Thorin asked, his hands found their place on your hips in a gently way, his thumbs rubbing against your skin. “I shall endeavour to be gentle, and ensure that your first time is one to remember. As is deserving of my Queen.”

You grinned and brought your lips to meet his again. This time it lasted for longer than just a press of lips. There was hunger in the kiss, though his lips were soft and gentle against yours, it was like he was trying to devour your very essences. Thorin’s hands stroked down your thighs, gripping as they went, they came back up and stopped at your arse, he squeezed at your ample cheeks. You moaned into the kiss as he rocked into you causing his cock to rub against you. Your hands threaded into his thick black hair, pulling at it lightly as he nipped your lips, pulling your bottom lip between his teeth before letting go. Your breath was coming out in quick succession and you noticed that his was as well, you looked down at his lips and decided they weren’t swollen enough. You lent up and tugged his bottom lip between your teeth, in a mimicry of what he had just down with you.

“Cheeky, my Queen,” Thorin groaned leaning his head down dragging his nose down your throat to where it met your shoulder. He paused there. His teeth scrapped along the joining, you moaned, your hands gripped his hair tighter and your body rocked into his. “Hm, no much to low there.”

“What is?” you asked breathlessly.

“The mark I intend to give you, I want it to be visible,” Thorin growled, his lips trailing up your throat and pausing about an inch above where it was before.

“Perfect.”

Thorin went to work on making his mark. His teeth grazed the area before latching his mouth onto it and alternating between sucking and nipping at the area. His hands continued to squeeze at your cheeks, and stroking down your thighs. He detached his mouth from your throat, happy with the results of his work.

“Happy my King?” you asked leaning back in his grip. “Will everyone who looks at it know what we have done tonight?”

“Hmm, yes, though I plan on making it even more obvious,” Thorin said, his voice gravelling and deep. “After tonight I think you’ll find you won’t be able to walk straight, my Lady.”

Thorin used the grip be had on your thighs to pick you up. You giggled and wrapped your legs around his waist, the position put your slit right over his hard cock, you rolled your hips down, grinding yourself against his cock, feeling the tip of it slip in and out. Thorin’s grip tensed at your motion, his grip hard enough to leave bruises in the morning, and the thought of that made you moan loudly. Thorin walked out of the bath and towards the open doorway to his chamber. He walked to the bed and instead of placing you on it or even throwing you onto it, he kept a hold of you and kneeled on the bed, he let go of one of your thighs and crawled towards the head of the bed before letting gently placing you on the bed.

Thorin held his body above yours, hands on either side of your head and stared at you sprawled on his bed. The image that has been plaguing his mind since the wedding. It was even better than anything his mind could conjure up. The fact that you were still wet from the bath made it even better, the light from the candles made your skin glisten. Thorin kissed the mark he had made on your throat before making his was down to the joint and further to the top of your left breast, leaving kisses in his wake. He kissed around your nipple, his hand coming up to massage and knead at your right breast. He took the hardened nipple into his mouth sucking and licking at it.

“Thorin!” you gasped, one hand grabbing and twisting the sheets in pleasure, the other hand clawed at Thorin’s shoulder your blunt nails leaving red marks.

As Thorin continued his assault on your breasts, his hips gentle rolled into yours, creating a lovely electric friction against your vagina. Your clit throbbed in pleasure as it started to swell. Thorin’s mouth left your nipple and he went to move to the next but you decided on a different direction instead. You used the grip your legs had on him and took hold of both his shoulders, using his distraction you threw your weight up and to the side rolling the two of you over. Thorin looked up at you in surprise, at the look of triumph on your face he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Well, that was unexpected my love,” Thorin chuckled. “Now that you have me what do you plan on doing?”

“Take charge,” you smirked leaning down and kissing the tip of his nose. “You had a late night, lay back and relax. Let your wife attend to you.”

“Only if I can attend to you after, for a king and a husband can not allow their other half without-” Thorin’s sentence was cut off with a deep moan as you decided to skip any teasing and took the head of his cock into your mouth. “Aule!”

You had no idea what you were doing, you listened to the noises Thorin made and repeated any motions that caused his breath to hitch, caused him to moan or groan. You focused around the head, licking and sucking making sure to pay attention to the vein on the under side of his cock. You didn’t think you could handle taking much of it into your mouth, not on your first time. You used your hands to stroke the rest of the length. Thorin’s hand gently twisted into your hair, tugging on it before massaging your head.

“I am close my love, if you don’t-” you ignored his warning sucking harder and stroking your hands faster. You tried licking the slit at the top of his dick, interested in his reaction. His thighs tensed as his hips thrusted upwards pushing his dick a little further into your mouth as his release filled it. You quickly swallowed what you could before pulling away, you felt some of his semen splash onto your face before you moved completely away. You wiped at the semen your face as it scrunched up at the feeling. Thorin was heaving as he came down from his high and saw you. His dick twitched, already feeling the stirrings again at the sight of your cheeks red and white from his semen.

“You are a sight,” Thorin breathed. “A beautiful, alluring sight. A treasure greater than any in the treasury of Erebor.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, puzzled at his reaction.

“Just that, my Queen, nothing more,” Thorin sat up, he wiped the remains of his release off your face with his fingers before wiping his hand on the bedding, he wrapped you up in his arms afterwards. He kissed you deeply, aroused even more from the taste of himself in your mouth. “Now, it is your turn to lay back and allow me to attend to you.”

Thorin’s voice was like gravel, deep within his chest. He laid you back on the bed, kissing his way down your chest and stomach, occasionally allowing his teeth to graze the skin. He paused briefly at your breasts to lap at the nipples with his tongue. You moaned and withered underneath him, your hands clutching at his back again, leaving red marks from your nails. He kissed his way down to your hip bones, biting and sucking at the skin, causing more marks to raise in his wake. He licked down the crease from your hip, down your thigh along the outside of your wet opening, before switching to the other side and licking up the crease to the hip bone and making a matching mark there.

“Thorin please!” you begged as he kissed and licked around the top of your thighs getting close to where you truly wanted him but not yet giving it attention. You felt as though your body was tingling with pleasure, as he seemed to be trying to mark your entire thighs. His hands were running up and down your sides, running under your breasts and occasionally tweaking your nipples causing a flash of pleasure to move down to the warmth growing in the pit of your stomach.

“What does my treasure desire?” Thorin asked looking up from his task. “Is it my tongue you wish for?”

“Yes!” you gasped as he blew air down onto your hot centre.

“But you have my tongue,” Thorin mused, his eyes alight with mischievous as his large hands moved to grip under your thighs holding them up and apart to allow him to settle fully in-between them. “Ah, perhaps you want my tongue elsewhere? Yes, I think that is what my lovely wife desires. My tongue inside her, and my mouth thoroughly devouring her as if you were my last meal?”

“My king, please,” you breathed. “You said you would attend to me.”

“I did, and I never go back on my word.”

You gasped loudly at the first swipe of Thorin’s tongue as he licked the full length of your slit collecting the wetness that had gathered there. He spied your swollen clit and looked up at you grinning wickedly before he lightly bit at it. You bucked in his grip at the electric jolt of pleasure that surged through you. His hands held your hips down, not allowing them even the smallest movement. He was in complete control here. Maybe after tonight, he could discuss some of his other desires and pleasures that he wished to make reality with you. Thorin took your clit into his mouth sucking gentle and bathing it with his tongue. You withered in his grip body tingling with pleasure, you could feel heat build-up behind your stomach. You had never felt anything like this. Your hands were gripping his hair tightly, pulling on it in your pleasure, you vaguely remembered something about hair being important to dwarves but in your pleasure, you could only think of more. More of him. More of his tongue, his touch. Just more.

Thorin released your clit, deciding he needed to taste more of your essence, and the only way he could do that was by going straight to the source. He moved down and licked around your opening before dipping in briefly, licking around the edge and withdrawing. He could feel your hands holding onto his hair like it was the only thing keeping you grounded. He loved the feeling of it, and in the morning, he would ask you to braid his hair. He wiggled his tongue in deeper, stroking his tongue along your walls, he could feel them twitching and tightening down around the muscle. He pulled out licking around his mouth to catch some of the essence that was in his beard.

“If I were to die tonight, I would be a very happy dwarf with this as my last meal,” Thorin grinned.

“You had better not die tonight,” you gasped. “I only just got you.”

“And you shall have me for all of eternity,” Thorin promised.

He moved back down, before he had been gentle, this time he acted as though he was a starving dwarf and he devoured you. You withered on his tongue, rolling your hips the smallest movement he allowed. He released one of your hips moving his fingers to play with your clit. Moving in a circle one way and then back the other, he flicked and stroked it. You felt the warmth in your core getting hotter and hotter. Your walls clenched more as your thighs started to tense and shake. Your breath was leaving your lungs in loud moans and gasps. With one press and flick of your clit, and strong stroke of his tongue along your walls, the dam burst and your vision went white, as your orgasm washed over you in waves. Thorin removed his mouth from your opening but continued to tease your clit through your orgasm. You arched off of the bed in your bliss. You had removed your hands from his hair and grabbed at the sheets when you felt it building stronger, you tugged at the sheets as the waves of orgasm slowed and your vision returned to you. Thorin smiled kissing your thigh and giving one last swipe of your clit before leaving it alone. He let go of your thighs, moving up the bed to hover over you again. He copied what you had done before and kissed your nose, moving to kiss both of your cheeks. You smiled up at him, still high from the pleasure he brought to you.

“My love, I wish for you to never leave my arms again,” he begged. You lazily wrapped your arms around his strong broad shoulders.

“I never will,” you smiled pushing down on his shoulders. Thorin grinned slowly lowering his body onto yours. “Now, please. Take me fully.”

[switchy-niki]

Master post (please read ty)

Last updated - April 20th, 2023

Disclaimers

Hello !!! This is a SFW role play blog that will include tickling (not all the time) if that’s not your thing then please feel free to ignore/block.

I am not Niki (Nihachu) and I am not trying to impersonate her! As stated before this is a SFW role play blog

I am a minor. This is an SFW account ran by a minor.

I live in the PST time zone so be aware of that! 

I will also do roleplays that don’t include tickling! Be aware I have my own interpretation of niki and I am not caught up on lore! I also struggle with angst so I apologize if it’s not up to your expectations. When roleplaying I usually don’t roleplay off of lore so please tell me before hand if you want to roleplay off of lore /nf

I struggle with tone and interpreting what people are feeling/trying to tell me, so using tone tags is appreciated. I also use them so I know people know what I mean and how I mean it.

Boundaries

I will not do any sort of shipping.

I will not do tickle tools, if your character has wings or a tail then I will allow it. But that’s it. 

It would be much appreciated if you dm’d me about what you want to rp before sending an ask. But you don’t have to. I just like knowing what you expect out of me. (Idk if I phrased that right)

No feet tickling. Absolutely none. I will drop the roleplay if it seems like it’s heading towards that.

Pinning is okay. No bondage, the most I will do is wrists being tied together. That’s it.

I will do OC rps! Just know the interactions might not be what you expect since they aren’t characters that have interacted before! I will try my best, once again if you want the best results dm me! /nf 

Please use underarms instead of armpits, the word makes me uncomfortable. 

Sometimes tumblr says I’m active but I’m actually not, so be aware of that! I will not always answer right away so do not spam me plz and thank u

Lastly, feel free to send me an ask, dm me, anything! /nf

Under the cut is headcanons and extra notes. It’s a bit long and you do not have to read to roleplay with me! 

——Under Construction——

General Headcanons

Niki uses she/her pronouns but does not mind they/them!

She is a very light hearted person, none for her bubbly and sweet personality. But she is known to be a little feral around people she is comfortable with. She’s very clingy but only shows it subtly around people. Example being following someone around, standing close to someone, occasionally holding hands if the person is comfortable with it, hugging people, side hugs. She never lets go first when she’s hugging people. She would be usually be way more clingy but she’s kind of shy to show it. 

She is a very sleepy gal she is almost always tired and always taking naps wether they are 10 minutes to hours long and although it might be because she loves to stay up at night and watch the sunrise in the morning she usually gets good sleep she is just a napper

Appearance

Niki has scars, not a lot, but they are there (and they are a little ticklish but shhhh)

Short choppy pink hair, with two braids on the sides. It’s surprisingly really fluffy.

She is usually wearing light makeup because she likes how it makes her feel pretty. 

Niki has light eye bags, barely noticeable. 

Niki loves cardigans and sweaters, she was one in particular that she loves to wear for all seasons (it’s one that she stole from Wilbur) it’s a nice faded blue with a sun with a smiley face on it. She swears she didn’t steal it. Most of her clothing is faded colors, or whites and beiges. She has one pair of platform shoes, but the rest of her shoes are usually colorful high top converse or boots. She has knitted Shruggies and skirts, usually worn in the winter. 

If it’s more of a formal type of thing, she’ll wear a flowy dress made of soft material. She likes the way it swishes when she spins :] 

she also loves fuzzy gloves with weird colors washed together like those gloves coralline wanted in the movie

[ddwcaph-game]

Hello :)

I found your game through your post asking for feedback and engagement - I hadn't seen the game before despite only using Tumblr to keep up with IFs so I apologise that I don't know much about it other than what I read in the demo. Also I apologise if I come across as overally formal, I have never interacted online before, even anonymously.

I wanted to message and say I wasn't expecting to enjoy it (slice of life is not usually my cup of tea) but I really did. I'm surprised how much to be honest. I think the main thing that stood out for me was the little things like sharing a room with my Mabie's kuya Seb, sharing a bed and clothes with him and the little interactions between them and their friends. I'm not Filipino but I've never seen my sort of childhood represented in a game and it just, well, it made me smile so much because I cherish those memories of that closeness with my own siblings.

I also really enjoyed the insight into what I assume life was/is/can be like in the Philippines because so many games are euro-centric, usually American so I don't see other places so much- at least not in English that I can read 😅.

And last thing, (sorry for the rambling) the added details in the game, like the music and the in-text buffs etc were really fun to see and must have taken a lot of time to do. So please try not to be discouraged! What you have is impressive and thoroughly enjoyable to read and I hope you continue to enjoy writing it <3.

Oh uh, sorry you had to find out about my story that way. 😅

And no need to apologize about being formal, you don't need to type asdasfhsgk to talk to me. 😄

Slice-of-life is really weird, right? When I first started writing I didn't expect this is what I was going to end up writing. It's weirdly enjoyable reading about mundane things, and I'm glad I was able to let you relive those memories again. Your siblings sound really nice. 🙂

And it always warms my heart seeing people who appreciate other cultures. I'm making a more conscious effort now to make Wayne's fantasy story world based on Southeast Asian culture, so you have those to look forward as well!

Thank you very much for your message! I really appreciate it! ❤️ If you have other questions I'd be happy to answer them!

[chimpoozle]

chimpoozle's Maison Ikkoku Facts #1 - Godai's Remark

Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi is one of my favorite manga\anime of all time, if not my #1 favorite. And now that I am here on tumblr I will use it as an outlet to share things I find interesting about this series that I expect most people don't know. Since this is the first post in this series of posts I will start at chapter 1 of the manga, with an examination of a speech bubble whose nuance and context have been lost amid their travels through the barriers of language, culture, and time.

6 pages deep into the very first chapter of Maison Ikkoku, we (and the rest of the cast) have just met Kyoko Otonashi for the first time when she unexpectedly appears and announces that the previous manager of the main setting's boarding house has retired and she will be moving in and taking over as the new manager. It is clear from this first interaction that our protagonist Godai is feeling some kind of way towards Kyoko from the outset.

Below in Japanese is the scene I want to discuss:

Kyoko: 明日管理人室に入りますので.......きょうはこれで失礼します． Yotsuya: は, お待ちしております． Akemi: 土下座することないでしょ!!

Ichinose: まだ若いじゃないの．勤まるのかね？

Godai: いいなー，あれ．

Rough\literal English translation: Kyoko: Tomorrow I'll be moving into the manager's room, so please excuse me for today. Yotsuya and Godai: (extremely formal and polite) We will await your return.

Akemi: "You don't need to get down on your knees over it!!" Ichinose: "Isn't she still quite young? Do you think she's up to it?" Godai (watching Kyoko leave): "Nice...."

The line in question is the last one: Godai's "いいなー，あれ." To break this short utterance down:

いい = "ii" = Good/Nice/Attractive/Something you like なー = "naa" = A sound you stick on the end of a sentence or comment when you are just musing to yourself and not seeking approval or agreement from the listener. あれ" = "are" = "that"

いいなー together is a commonly used expression to indicate that you like something and you wish you had it, especially if you are jealous that somebody else has it. If somebody shows you their new car and you say いいなー！ It means "nice! \ It's so nice! \ Lucky you! \ I wish I had that! \ I'm jealous!"

As you can hopefully see, it is fine to make this statement when you are talking about an object, but when you direct it towards a human it sounds like a crude objectification akin to ogling someone and saying "nice. I want that." In fact he does call her "あれ" which = "that." It isn't a great look for our protagonist Godai whom we have only just met.

Let us look then at the original English translation of this line translated by convicted felon Gerard Jones and see how it was handled:

Here Godai's remark becomes "ain't that nice?" and I suppose it somewhat retains the feeling a skeevy, lecherous, ogle. I don't love this translation, but it's ok based on the Japanese. But there is also a brand new Viz translation of Maison Ikkoku which is so new that it (at the time of writing) still has 1 volume left to be published. So let's see what they went with for this line:

Here Godai's line has been significantly softened to "she's so pretty..." I would say that in this translation he escapes without looking like too much of a perv.

So which of these two English translations better conveys the nuance of the original Japanese? Well it is actually a bit more complicated than just a simple answer, because we are missing important context for this line that was known to the readers who were there when it was first published.

Maison Ikkoku chapter 1 was serialized in the debut issue of Big Comic Spirits (November, 1980 on the cover date, published in mid-October 1980.) If you lived in Japan in October of 1980 and read this chapter, you would be aware that Godai's line, "いいなー，あれ," is a reference to a series of currently-running television commercials advertising the Yamaha Towny Moped.

In these commercials, the owner of a parked Towny would return to find some stranger gawking over their bike who will then enviously get into a conversation with them regarding how いい it is. As the owner hops on the bike and rides away, the on-looker will say to themselves "いいな，あれ" as they watch them drive off into the distance. Just as Godai is watching Kyoko walk off into the distance from behind. Here is one such commercial on youtube:

Looking at this youtube upload now, I notice there is a 2 year old comment from someone mentioning this panel in Maison Ikkoku chapter 1, and how this seems to be the inspiration for that line. Many of the other comments mention how famous or nostalgic these commercials were, with one commenter saying he still uses "いいなー，あれ" to this day. Further down the page someone mentions the ad is parodied in volume 1 of Kariage-kun, a famous gag manga, which is another indication of how well-known this ad campaign was to people living in Japan at the time. You are meant to hear Godai speak this line in your mind with the same intonation as the on-looker in this commercial.

And for that reason, I would rather give Godai the benefit of the doubt for this comment that the new Viz English translation gives him. Perhaps even in-universe he is referencing these moped ads.

Unfortunately for him, even in Japan young people no longer remember this ad campaign, and Godai is doomed for eternity to be condemned by young readers as a lecherous, ogling, womanizing, perv just a handful of pages into reading this manga.

[more-than-a-princess]

Sorry this one is later than usual, but here's positivity anon wanting to wish you a very happy weekend! Did you get to do anything fun during the week or is there something this weekend that you're looking forward to? Finally, try to do something nice for yourself! Buy that thing you've had your eye on, treat yourself to takeout, etc etc! Remember that you're always loved and needed and that your presence here brightens up the day of everyone who is on your dash! ♡

Random OOC asks (especially positivity anon!) - Accepting!

Hi, Positivity Anon! Trust me, it's never too late to share some good vibes, in real life and here in the tumblr RPC. Thank you for the well-wishes!

Did you get to do anything fun during the week or is there something this weekend that you're looking forward to?

The week itself has been a bit of a mess due to trying to get ahead in work and wedding planning, but the weekend? Well..that's going to be equally busy! I'm repairing, fixing up, or otherwise finishing an array of cosplay costumes for a convention next weekend: a lot of ironing, pressing, securing fasteners and touching up paint, and wig taming. I'm also building a new wig, but mostly from pre-made wig parts, so to speak, to save on time. It's beginning its life as what I assume to be a Saber (Artoria) wig from Fate, but it'll be something else once I'm done!

And the usual pre-convention stuff: pick up badge in advance, make the grocery store/craft store runs for hotel room snacks and first aid/cosplay repair kits. I have to figure out how I'm going to pack a few prop weapons for this con, too: my heart would break if they did!

A friend is also throwing a Halloween party, but I'm debating if I want to go. I may just not have the energy to attend, much less put on a costume, because so. much. costume. prep. TFW most/all of your offline friends are cosplayers and we still think we're going to show up in some comfy costume for a party when there's a convention coming up.

Finally, try to do something nice for yourself! Buy that thing you've had your eye on, treat yourself to takeout, etc etc!

I miss takeout food so, so much. To be honest, I make my own food at home 90% of the time or so, and even more often when I've got costume or formal events coming up. I have to keep to a certain eating plan (not a 'diet' but more of a lifestyle at this point) and most restaurants simply don't cater to how I need to eat to keep myself healthy. I'm also determined not to make any alterations to my wedding dress at this point.

But buying things? I've needed to, from last minute cosplay supplies to some new, dark wash jeans (I love the Madewell Perfect Vintage line!) and sweaters. Cardigans and jumpers alike, there is some serious bliss involved with soft, warm, high-quality knitwear. I'll say it always: you all deserve nice clothes.

My new knits weren't cheap, even if I bought some of them secondhand. But my goodness, I want to live in them. I'd nap in them too if I wasn't afraid they'd wrinkle horribly. I'm glad I'm not allergic to wool.

And uh, looking at costume possibilities for 2023. I have at least four new things I'm planning to add to my closet, and may tack on a few more.

Remember that you're always loved and needed and that your presence here brightens up the day of everyone who is on your dash! ♡

This so sweet, thank you! I'm not sure my presence brightens up the dash every day, or at least those who follow me. I don't post that much and my characterization and writing style isn't for everyone (or hell, I'd say the majority of muns) in the RPC. But what I'm trying to do is the following:

Have, and show, sincere gratitude for the writing partners I do have. Engage with them, enjoy coming up with new plots and interactions with them. It doesn't matter how many muns or blogs I'm writing with, as long as I'm focusing my energy on those who do the same for me. It can be incredibly discouraging to try and reach out to others only to have asks ignored, threads dropped, and/or memes shared without sending something in return. But instead of stewing over it, I'd rather just focus on those who want to write with me. Followed by...

Curate my dash experience. It's been shared plenty of times on tumblr, but we're all responsible for what we decide to keep on our dashes. And frankly, if something isn't working, it's okay to say goodbye. For me, this comes from the discouraging reasons I listed above: sometimes, it's just easier not to have blogs on dash that provoke unhappy feelings. It's also why I do interest calls every few months: I never want to unfollow muns who do want to interact, but I tend to give up after awhile of sending asks with no response, constantly dropped threads, or using me as a meme/aes/art source.

Mostly though, I hope those who do see my posts and/or write with me enjoy it. More than being loved or needed, I just like to keep RP as a fun hobby (that doesn't require wig caps, bobby pins, shapewear, heels, heavy makeup...wearing costumes can feel like you've participated in a marathon sometimes! I'll be a pajama-wearing gremlin when I write and I'm relieved for it).

[ddarker-dreams]

hi lock !!! i havent been to your blog in such a long time even thought you were like the first person i followed on tumblr,, anyways !! which yandere do you think would pay someone to harass you and beat them up/murder them unexpectedly like some knight in shining armor so you'd look at them like theyre god,,, i lit just thought of this in a whim so it might not make a lot of sense ehehe

-r

the first person you followed?? omg... i'm honored... i hope i didn't fill up the timeline with too much cursed content. this is extremely sweet to hear <33 thank you very much!!

and let's see... for your question, i'm thinking the yanderes who would do that are:

chrollo from hxh. he tries to leave a good impression on you from the start, turning the charisma up unfairly high. if that doesn't work, then he won't dwell on it for long; that's what his many connections in the underground are for. he wouldn't just stop with saving you from hired goons. he'd sabotage your engine and offer you a ride to work/school, or steal your wallet when you're in line and swoop in at the last second to pay for everything. not all within the same time period, of course, can't have you catching on or becoming suspicious. he'll space things out so you'll remain none the wiser.

giorno from jjba. really, there's not much that you do that he wouldn't know about. he's familiar enough with your routes to know the best place to stage the "attack", where you'll feel secluded enough that your hopelessness will be higher. he wouldn't want to resort to this method, however. he doesn't particularly like the thought of putting you in a situation where you'll feel scared. giorno tells himself that he'll be able to make it up to you after. that keeps the guilt from getting to him too much. he'll come in like a perfect gentleman, kissing your hand and offering to put you up in a high end hotel for the night with guards if you still don't feel safe.

diluc from genshin impact. social interaction outside of formal events isn't his forte. which is frustrating, because he wants nothing more than to get closer to you and embed himself into your life, but isn't sure the best way to go about that. it's likely the first time you ever meet him will be a situation like this. he'll take care of the men trying to rob you, then assess you with a silent expression. you might almost find yourself frightened of him too. he's thinking to himself how nice, how fulfilling it is to protect you. it's like everything in his world clicked into place. he'll offer to walk you home that night, content with how things turned out.

kazuha from genshin impact. his setup would be different, in that he wouldn't need to hire ruffians to harass you. kazuha already stalks you enough from afar to know if you would be in any potential danger. instead of rescuing you right away, or stopping the attack prematurely, he'd allow it to begin just shy of you being placed in physical harm. then he'd jump from the thickets, gallant and swift in getting rid of the threat. he'd even lift you into his arms, carrying you bridal style to safety, fretting over any scrapes and insisting to dress them himself. if your hand is shaking, he'll hold it until you feel better. kazuha promises that so long as you're with him, you never need to be scared. he'll always protect you.

[elvish-sky]

Gone {Fili x Reader}

A.N: My bad, I really meant to have this up by 4pm my time and it’s a whole lot later now so I’m sorry! I really hope this fic is alright! It’s not my best work, but I like it and I hope you do too!

Requested by @anjhope1 on Tumblr: Lol I take up your angst challenge: can I request a female human(bit thick) reader x fili where he accidentally says something mean to the reader but won't apologize so reader like starts to distance himself away from him and starts hanging out with other people?

Word Count: 1,118

Pairing: Fíli x Reader

Summary: You overhear Fíli denying that he likes you to his brother.

Warnings: Angst, Self-criticism, Insults

**** Gone

The halls of Erebor were full of dwarves, the early morning bustle at its highest. You were headed towards the market, determined to find something that Fíli would like. Browsing through the stalls, you came to one that had weapons on display. They were all extremely finely crafted, but none had the look you wanted, so you placed a custom order to be delivered at the end of the week. 

Next, you went to one of the bakery stalls to pick up some goods for Fíli and Kíli, knowing they would appreciate it, before finally purchasing more of Fíli’s tonic from the healers, the one that he couldn’t sleep without but was too embarrassed to buy. 

You wound back through the corridors, making your way through the maze that was the Lonely Mountain, heading towards your rooms. 

“What about Y/N?”

You stopped, hearing your name from the doorway to your left, the one to the hall where the company usually ate when not at formal events. 

“Y/N? What? I don’t like Y/N!” It was Fíli. 

You halted to the side of the door, curious. That hurt a bit, to be honest, but you wanted to hear the rest of the conversation. 

“You’re blushing!” That was Kíli, you could picture him jostling his brother, teasing him.

“Yes, lad. Don’t try to hide it, you love her!” And there was Bofur.

“I don’t!” exclaimed Fíli. 

“Oh, c’mon, Fee. Give us proof.”

“Ummm… she can be selfish sometimes. And spoiled, she grew up with more than we ever had.”

Selfish? Spoiled?

You had sacrificed everything to join him on the quest, leaving your family and the only home you’d ever known. And while yes, you’d had a comfortable childhood, you also knew how ridiculously lucky you were. And despite knowing how much you liked the comforts of your home, you’d still given them up in a heartbeat for Fíli. You’d given up a whole life for Fíli, and he repaid it by calling you selfish? 

You leaned against the wall for a moment, taking a deep breath. You were really, really hurt. It was bad enough sometimes to think those things about yourself, but to hear the person you loved say them about you? You sighed. Maybe Fíli wasn’t the right person for you after all. 

But you would be damned if you cried about it in public where anyone could see, so you hustled further along the corridor to your room. Almost there, you skidded to a halt as you rounded a corner and none other than Thranduil, the Elven-King, stood before you. 

You quickly dropped into a curtsy. “Your majesty.”

You had forgotten the elves were visiting today before heading to Dale tomorrow. 

“Y/N. It is nice to see you again.”

“You as well, your majesty.”

You were trying to end the interaction as quickly as possible, knowing you couldn’t hold the tears in much longer, but Thranduil had other ideas.

“How many times have I told you, Y/N, to please call me Thranduil?”

“Probably many, my l-Thranduil.”

He nodded his head in acknowledgment. “Actually, Y/N, while we’re here, I’d like to ask you something.”

You glanced at him, curious.

“I know you are probably very happy here and are settled, but we could use your unique skills in the Woodland Realm. I’d like to offer you a job as one of my councillors.”

You blinked. Normally you wouldn’t consider leaving Erebor, but you were still very much hurt by Fíli’s comments.

“I’ll do it.”

Thranduil looked shocked. “You will?”

“Yes. When do we leave?”

He quickly summoned a straight face again. “Tomorrow, early.”

You nodded, curtsying again as you took your leave. “I’ll see you then.” 

You left the elven-king standing there, a bemused expression on his face. 

You finally reached the door to your room, shutting it behind you and leaning against it. 

You were leaving Erebor. Leaving, because Fíli did not love you and you couldn’t imagine living that close to someone you loved who hated you enough to call you selfish. Leaning against the door, you felt the tears start to pour and you slid to the ground, arms around your knees as your sobbing rocked you back and forth. 

After a while, you heard a knock at the door. Standing, you brushed yourself off, blotting at your swollen, red eyes before opening it. 

It was Fíli. 

“I am not selfish,” you exclaimed before slamming the door in his face.

Turning towards your wardrobe, you grabbed a bag, ready to pack and leave Erebor to begin your new life. 

Fíli stood there in the hallway, staring at your doorway. You had clearly heard him talking to his brother and Bofur earlier. He knew you wouldn’t open the door for him again, so he sighed, turning away. He’d find you first thing tomorrow and apologize.

“Where’s Y/N?” Fíli stood in the hallway next to his brother. It was midmorning and he had set out to find you and apologize sincerely for what he had said, to tell you that he had not meant it in the slightest, that really, he loved you. 

Kíli looked at Fíli. “Didn’t anyone tell you? She left with the elves. Last night.”

Fíli looked like someone had punched him in the gut.

“She left?”

Kíli nodded. “She’s gone, Fíli.”

He sighed. Of course she was gone. He had insulted her, and she wouldn’t accept that. But he still missed her. 

Turning away from the pity-eyed Kíli, Fíli made his way back to his rooms. Opening the door, he sat in the armchair in the corner, silent. 

A knock sounded against the hardwood.

“Come in.” The prince had barely raised his voice, but whoever was outside had head nonetheless and opened the door.

The dwarf, holding a long package, handed it to Fíli. 

“What is it?” Fíli asked. 

“It’s from Y/N. She ordered it from me for you.”

“Thank you,” Fíli dismissed the dwarf and sat down to unwrap the package. 

It was a gorgeous pair of swords. The metal was tempered perfectly, gleaming, the edges were sharp, and when he held them it felt like they were meant for his hands. 

Y/N had done all this for him.

And what had he done for her? Nothing. He had driven her away, she would never come back and it was his fault. He had been reluctant to admit it but he did truly love her. And now she was gone. 

Fíli started to cry, the tears marring the surface of his gift from you, just like he had marred your heart, hurting both of you forever.

He loved you. But you were gone. 

Everything tag 💞: @entishramblings @itgetsatadhazy @boyruins @anjhope1 @wellofeternalthirst @kumqu4t @katbby16 @thewhiteladyofrohan @kirstenscaffeinateddisaster @beenovel @shethereadinghobbit

Fíli tag: @laurfilijames

[mikaze-discord]

HEAVENS: Love letters

Soooo this is the last of the love letter, I really must reiterate how thankful I am to the people who responded to my message. Specially thankful for the people who ended up writing for one of the boys, all of the love letter writers are so cool. If you wanted to write your own love letter for your oshi then feel free too!! Utapri Tumblr is kinda dead.... but! I hope you enjoyed the love letters

Please enjoy under cut!!!!!!!!!!!!

EIJI OTORI 

From Anon:

Eiji Otori is another member of HEAVENS and he is a down-to-earth type of character. One can say he is a cinnamon roll as he looks out for HEAVENS and his brother, Eiichi. Eiji talks in a formal manner to people outside of HEAVENS and addresses them by their surname like the time he worked with Tokiya for Mighty Aura, or when he was working with Camus and Masato for Feather in Hand. Around HEAVENS, Eiji talks casually, calling them by their first name. He is very mindful of other members of HEAVENS and Eiji keeps an open mind for ways to improve his skills as an idol and to help out his bandmates come to a solution where both sides agree. Eiji speaks very fondly of the people he works with formality and a lot of respect.

What I love about Eiji is his relationship with his brother, Eiichi Otori. The two have a strong bond as Eiichi looked after and took care of Eiji when growing up. The two of them are inseparable and do a lot together while looking after each other. Personally, their sibling bond is what I wish to have with my sibling as well, even though we're complete opposites like day and night! Their interactions are easily seen throughout the anime, you can even see their sibling bond show the most through HEAVENS Radio as Eiichi and Eiji are the co-hosts. If there is anything that I'd like to know more about Eiji, it would be about his hobby, gardening. He has a lot of knowledge on plants and perhaps agriculture. It'd be nice to see HEAVENS talk about their hobbies one day. But all in all, Eiji is a great character that I appreciate with a heart of gold!

From Anon:

Eiji Otori, the 4th member of HEAVENS is one of my two most favorite characters in Utapri. I was originally drawn to his kind and gentle demeanor, that made him such an easily lovable character. He was introduced in the 4th season of the anime in the cross idol unit episodes. The way he treated Tokiya besides knowing he was part of the rival idol group ended up becoming an essential part of Tokiya’s later character growth. Although Eiji is meant to be a foil for Tokiya’s character their personalities are completely polar opposites, their devotion to wanting to be an idol being one of the only similarities besides level headedness. Eiji is his own character, right down the way he speaks to the way he sings. Eiji seems to always carry the group in a loving and family-like way, even going as far as having domestic hobbies like gardening and baking. We always see him and even hear the way he interacts with the other members of HEAVENS on the radio show as if they were an inseparable family. Eiichi, his older brother and the leader of HEAVENS loves him in a way that is so complex but Eiji will always love him back with every fiber of his being to the deepest parts of his soul. There is a deep connection between the brothers that is so beautiful that even poetry couldn’t express, it’s more profound then words can show. It’s a bond they share that only they know, like a secret.

However, even then there is so much more about Eiji that makes him such a wonderful character. When it comes to myself, Eiji hits a bit close to home in a more personal way. Perhaps that is also a factor in why I love him so much. I empathize with him and I can see through his eyes in ways only a younger sibling would know. As a younger sister to a sibling who has always been in the spotlight in some form of way with a big presence, I always lived in her shadow, but I admired her and cared about her above anything else. The way Eiji feels about Eiichi is something that I can personally relate with and understand. Eiichi is an essential part of Eiji’s character and the anime does not lack to show this, nor does it lack to show that Eiji is just as much an essential part of Eiichi’s character. It’s more obvious in the radio show that is hosted by the two brother but it’s not fully ignored either in the anime. I love how Eiji interacts with all of the characters, and seems to find ways to treat everyone with kindness even if they aren’t kind to him in return. He admires those who show a deep love for the things he does, and respects those who are more experienced then he is. He’s always eager to learn

and please. He’s the kind of person you’d always want around and you’d want a hug when things get rough. Eiji is definitely the most pure hearted character of all the Utapri characters. And, I’ll always stand by that through and through.

VAN KIRYUIN

From @whereisvanderwood:

Kiryuin Van. Where to start? He’s cocky. He’s cocky as all hell. There’s something in his air that is poised yet undignified. Childish yet mature. The man is founded on juxtaposition, not dissimilar to a painting of Picasso. His ability to be unique in an industry that begs for individuality, to rise above a tidal wave of competition and stand apart from other fish in the sea, is awe-inspiring. Expectation is dead to him; though the oldest member of Heavens, the weight of bearing the role as ‘most mature’ or the ‘parent’ of the group couldn’t be further from his concern. He is only any dimension of himself he wants to be at any given time. Dumb bitch by morning, bad bitch by night. Much like his bandmates, his confidence and intimidating aura is unwavering. He claims his victory before a race begins, and I couldn’t say if that undying faith in oneself is a skill or a sin. Whatever it is, he owns it. He shamelessly, unapologetically owns who he is and shares it with his fans, friends and enemies.

Also, he’s hot. He’s very appealing to the human eye. His ruggedness reminds me of a warm blanket in winter. His voice, oh his voice. If the world was about to blow up and he just said “No it won’t”, in his own way, I think I’d believe him. Regardless of what he says being juvenile or mature, he’s always authentic. No sugar coats, no little white lies, only genuity. As just said before, he is who he is and wouldn’t change for anyone if it wasn’t in his own best interest. Who couldn’t love a guy like that?

YAMATO HYUGA

From @kusagiiiii:

I'll be honest, I used to forget Yamato exists alot LMAO I fell in love with him when I was looking at a HEAVENS group photo! I think he is a very stronk,very cute and a very soft boy! in some ways haha he's my type

I honestly wish there would be more story on the HEAVENS boys since they all seem like they had a pretty rough past so yee that's basically it~

From Sammy:

Everybody, listen up! It’s Sammy here! Are you ready for some strong appreciation? Let’s shout it out! Yeah!!

Where do I begin when it comes to Yamato? It took me a while to actually like him. At first, I wasn’t a fan of how he was when he first showed up in the anime. I still remember when Yamato was one of the few HEAVENS members people really didn’t like or care much for, next to Eiichi and Nagi.

I used to be one of those people too with Yamato. I found him to be very stubborn, but over time after listening to HEAVENS Radio; The Drama CDs; Watching Maji Love Kingdom, etc… I came to realize there’s so much more to him.

I’ve learned a lot more about him, especially through role-playing as him, and my love for Yamato skyrocketed. Even with all the new content that’s been coming out for HEAVENS lately like Black Garden and Endless Score, my love grows even more every day. Yamato sneaked his way up to being one of my best boys.

Yamato is HEAVENS’ Strongest member. (Seriously, how the heck does this boy train everyday and do so much of it?!) He’s not always aggressive and violent. He’s actually a really thoughtful person who cares about his friends a lot, even being very protective of them. Yamato is the kind of person that’ll immediately stop what he’s doing, and only think about how to help the other person feel better.

A lot of things tend to be overlooked for him cause of how he’s written in the anime, and there’s fans who only pay attention to that. Not even giving the extra content a thought or a single glance.

As Ryuya’s younger brother, Yamato has his own insecurities, especially since he’s always seen as just a shadow. He’s been trapped in darkness where he feels he’s not good enough to be appreciated and loved as his own person. He doesn’t know what to do and which path to take. Yamato only became an idol just to defeat and finally be better than Ryuya at something. I feel that goal is still there, but it’s not a major one like before. Now, Yamato has people like the other members of HEAVENS, the angels, and the other idols. He found his light and happiness.

Overall, Yamato is the kind of person he wants everyone to be proud of. He wants to always share his strongest power and energy, carrying the burden of everybody’s smiles. Wanting to see those around him happy and be the best they can be.

Another part that I really like about Yamato is whenever he gets embarrassed. I can’t help, but find that really cute cause it’s something we don’t see or hear out of him a lot.

There’s also the times he demonstrates how much he loves food. Even though he overeats and knows he can’t help it when he’s hungry, I really liked when Yamato stated that if eating makes you happy, go for it. Just make sure you train afterwards to burn off calories. It helps people feel good about themselves.

Even the times when Yamato struggles with difficult words, specifically English and kanji. It’s embarrassing for him to admit, but he knows he’s not good at that sort of thing. What I really like about this is HEAVENS is always willing to help him, even Tokiya and Cecil. They help keep things simple and easy for Yamato to understand.

There’s a lot you can say I just simply vibe with when it comes to Yamato, and I love him. Hope everyone enjoys this long appreciation of this strong boy, and I hope you all love him too!

SHION AMAKUSA 

From Anon:

When I saw Shion for the first time, he caught my attention with his beautiful appearance. His cream-white hair, his periwinkle eyes and his pale skin were a wonderful combination that I just couldn't ignore. Physically, he was exactly the type of character I love… Even his hairstyle is great! And what to say about his pretty face! To me, he looked like an angel.

His style in clothes is something I also like about him. With all this mixed, the only word I can use to describe him is "perfect".

But, of course, there's more than just physical appearance. Shion's way of speaking, as we all know, is quite… Particular. And those beautiful words made me be more interested in this boy, even if they were a bit difficult to understand. This characteristic is something that, in my opinion, makes him special, not only in his group but among all the groups.

That poetic way of speaking is a beautiful combination with his voice. When he speaks I find it so mystical… And when he sings his solo songs I feel relaxed and even a bit emotional. He's not an angel just physically, he also sings like one!

But what made me love him completely was his personality. To be honest, at first I didn't understand why he acted so hostile to Cecil and signed with him, but when it was explained later I could see his point of view and I felt sorry for him, for how he was feeling and the big sacrifice he was making if we take into account his thoughts.

Loyalty is something I value a lot, and Shion has a huge loyalty towards his friends. After that incident, he changes his way of thinking and he starts getting more friendly to the rest, something I find beautiful.

I also find him very cute, an extra point for me to like him. His -sometimes- childish attitude is adorable! And how he acts around his friends… So lovely!

I also feel a bit similar to him in some aspects, such as listening to the same song again and again, liking birds or even usually feeling sleepy, besides other things. These similarities make me feel connected in some way with him.

Shion is a very special character for me, and I can't wait to see more content about him, to know more about this wonderful boy, for example, about his family, where he is from, how he ended up in HEAVENS, how he started to speak the way he does… There are a lot of things we don't know yet and I hope we can get more information about Shion soon!

[yourdaddychan]

wow-

literally just wow- i genuinely have nothing to say about this please- i cannot explain how much this means to me- there's 1000 of us- *hugs all of you* [ especially the porn bots ] *turns into formal luna asf*

i remember when i started in may, just a tiny chatbot with only one mutual, only known to you guys as [ answer : admin ]. and now, almost a year later, i have 1k of my chainsaw eating demons who are metal as fuck 💪ive learned so much being on tumblr, as a part of both the skz writers community and the chatbot community. ive made a bunch of friends, lost a bunch of ones, and 1k of you stuck with me. i cannot begin to express my gratitude to all of you, and how much all of you and your interactions with me mean to me. all of the simping, the random stories, everything. i cherish all of it, and i love all of you. aight so letz get to the personal thanking asf

alsoer i kinda wanted to do something sexy so imma do what color they remind me of :D most of them can be found at this link : https://louisem.com/29880/color-thesaurus-infographic

@kvinly linn bb 🥺through all the drama we've been through and shit im so glad we ended up becoming friends again cause we're kinda sexy together 😉thank you so much for being my 1000th follower bb you mean so much to me and if anyone hurts you im about to *turns into jennie and kachows them* licherally lets nevah fight again

-> you remind me of the color punch , and not only because of the name- underneath that grr me edgy grr me bully you're just a softie simp and that reminds me of punch :D

@undeadbots steph 🥺lemme be your personal broken chopsticks pls :( KLDSKLD anywayz we've also gone through some sexy drama and thankfully you saw da light 😉and now look at us, with our own band, and our own producing line 🥺brohemian rhapsody for life bro 🥺 *big kithie for da best dad in da world :D*

-> you remind me of the color viridian , because it gives me confident vibes :D you carry yourself proudly and confidently as you should tbh go steph

@binniesthighs oh look its a cutie *pushes you to a mirror* right there :D RORORO YOUR BOAT :DD we havent talked too much, besides my simping for jisung- but you give me very sexy energy so imma propose rq *gets down on one knee* will you be the rororo to my boat 🥺thank you for being my moot :D

-> you remind me of the color espresso , because espresso looks like the color to be pretty chill and laid back, and you're all of those, and calming to be around

@toshis-flower BAYBEE BEBE BEEBEE :D thank you so much for being my moot and making me a wifey asf ‼️ you're literally so much like me whats not to love <3 JKSDJKD JKJK you're really sweet and really just a good person to rant to, i love you so so so much and i think im going to remarry you :D

-> you remind me of the color taffy , because you're sweet, cute, and bright :D *eats you* yummy

@lov3ric seyoung. i love you. so much. MY SOULMATEEEE :DD even though we tell the story over and over like a bunch of grandmas, ill still never forget how we became soulmates and then bonded over boba 🥺im licherally going to marry you one day like ez 💪also i wanna eat you can i eat you youre really cute *eats you*

-> you remind me of the color daffodil , because it reminds me of banana milk which reminds me of you tbh- buuuttt did you know that daffodils are one of the first flowers you see when spring starts? that definitely reminds me of you because through all of the cb drama, you've always been there with me, like literally always- i cannot express how much i love you *kithie*

@simpchimp LIDDLE CHEESE FUCKER THEMBO :DD drink water *spank* i love you so much you cutie 🥺you're also licherally the funniest person ever like stop bae i kinda need to be the funniest but noer its you 😔alsoer i love how random you are KDSKLD so nevah stop that because then *revz up arm* youre going to get luna-ified

-> you remind me of the color jam , because even though you seem kinda scary at first [ yes i was 100% scared of you ] you're really soft :D

@berrywoo the sun themself 💪you are easily the purest person ive met, and im so happy i somehow became moots with you :D you literally hit diff, yk? theres something about your personality and the way you act thats so comforting, and that means i eat you because youre too cute :D you cant just be a wholeass teacher for kids and expect not to get eaten kids are licherally demons whoever deals with them properly and treatz dem nicely gets a nom asf

-> you remind me of the color honey , because you're a sunshiney yellow, and you're sweet like honey :D i think you need to hear that its okay not to be okay bb, and you can come to my dms anytime you want to rant 😎

@yourchungha MS OG CHUNGHA MS IM KINDA SCARED OF THE SHIT YOU DO MS FURREH LOVER 101 MS ANNA BANANA :D yeah youre like really nice- thats all i have to say- like how tf do you deal with [ redacted ] like eggsplain- ALSO YOURE CARRYING OUR CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE IDK HOW TO TALK TO PEOPLE DKSJKD I LOVE YOU FOR THAT AND WE SHOULD HAVE LIKE ACTUAL CONVERSATIONS MORE OFTEN

-> you remind me of the color scarlet , because youre a sexy bitch tf and scarlet gives me 'idc what you think im hot' kinda vibes which is like exactly you

@satosimp WINTER DADDY :DD i lub you asf *insert we dont talk anymore by charlie daddy* ugh the way your personality matches mine is kinda sexy or whatever im also kinda in love with you but lets ignore that part 🙄 💪 *big kithes* *eats your cats casually*

-> you remind me of the color lilac , because it just gives me tsundere vibes, you act like you dont care but really do care :D you liddle sawftie *noms your cheekie*

@nightshade-minho DUCKIE :DD *insert we dont talk anymore by charlie daddy pt 2* licherally bae where the fuck are you i miss you you bettah be doing well in school otherwise im going to smack you with a chappal asf DSJJKSD *eats your cat because hes such a cutie*

-> you remind me of the color marigold , because you're adorable and sunshiney :D

@onigirimeeya MICHIE MICHIE MICHIEIEEIEI MY DAD :DDD i like you mucho much if you didnt know *kithes you* you're like one awf da best listeners ever- which is such a weirdass compliment but its true- you're really good at listening, and just being a comforting presence in general, like when you go to the beach and youre just staring at the waves all edgy mode, and it calms you down a fuck ton

-> you remind me of the color mint , for obvious reasons- mint choco chip cookie michie :DD

@hhjs bae we dont talk a lot but im kinda lurking on all of your posts- JKDSJSKD bae remarry me please youre really fucking hot 😭and the way you have with words is like damn- teach me oppar asf

-> you remind me of the color wine , because you're refined, and carry yourself in a way that makes everyone want to be you. the color wine is rich and deep, which reminds me of the way you write :D

@nsfw-stay MY LICHERAL BABIE YOUVE BEEN AN ANON FOR SUCH A LONG TIME AND WEVE TALKED ABOUT SO MUCH SHIT TOGETHER [ a lot about seungmin and jisung but shhh ] I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BB AND I WILL NOM YOU >:( BUT SOFTLY AND OUT OF LOVE *nomz yew* :D

-> you remind me of the color cerulean , because its a baby blue and what fits better than a baby blue yk? you're adorable and squishy and i want to nom you 24/7

@secretary-yeji *iz chan ig cause we dont talk admin to admin* oh erm gee is uncle chrith 😉DKLSKLD my liddle koala :D my liddle burgah :D my liddle aussie :D my besth frien :DDD evah since may i think we've been friends, and i think one of the highlights of that day was me marking you as spam twice and on accident too- LKSDKLSD WE DONT TALK ABOUT THAT anywayz thank yew for being uncle chrith's friend *kith*

-> you remind me of the color seafoam , because it's a very soft and light color yk, you're delicate asf which sounds like a bad thing now that im typing it BUT IT ISNT DSKLDSLK YOURE VERY CUTE YOU AND YOUR FLOOFY COWS :D

@ayolistenupp im kinda... in love with you? wtf? KDSDKSL MY DESI DADDY ASF I LOVE YOU SOER MUCH :D our music nights™️ mean so much to me, like theres just something so personal about listening to what the other person likes to hear even though half of your songs are sexy asf KLDSKLD

-> you remind me of the color ocean , because the ocean is loud but calming yk- like you're full of energy but you're also calming :D

@yanderexchungha OH ERM GEE YEW :O YOU PROBABLY WONT SEE THIS IN LIKE 10 MONTHS BESTIE MERRY CHRISTMAS IG KLDSLKD anyway i love you dad your lessons about vape >>> to quote your drunk ass exactly "vape isnt cool" JKSDJ anyway its gonna be sexy if we accidentally run into each other in the hallwayz asf

-> you remind me of grey cause youre a hag- JKJK KDJSD you remind me of the color caramel , because you're sweet, and licherally addictive caramel isnt good for my braces but i keep eating it 😰but youre addictive in a good way :D

@yanderelee literally only doing this because you were moping about not having a simp sunday and im such a good person 🥸you're cool 💪and unfortunately, you're funny too 😥and even though i bully you asf dont take it personally because i dont mean it asf

-> you remind me of the color dijon mustard because you just give those hacker vibes please dont hack me after i said this i like to keep my location private

@kpopswitchbot BESTIE 😏MY FIRST MUTUAL 😏 LICHERALLY DA BEST CUTEST FUNNIEST SMARTEST SEXIEST KEWLEST I CANT EVEN EXPRESS WITH WORDS FISHIE IN DA WORLD :D LICHERALLY STOP OUTDOING ME WITH YOUR GOODNIGHTS LIKE *spankz yew* YOURE LITERALLY TOO GOOD WITH WORDS ITS NOT FAIR- AND THE DAY YOU JUST TALKED TO ME IN SHAKESPEAREAN BECAUSE I FELT DOWN- AND EXPRESSED YOUR LOVE THAT WAY LIKE- PLEASE I ACTUALLY ADORE YOU AND I WILL LITERALLY EAT YOU ONE DAY

-> you remind me of the color coffee , not only because youre addicted to it but also because of the way you act, you're like the definition of an old soul- with the words you use, the drama kid you are asf, etc- you're a talented bitch *mwah* i love you so much you also remind me of those movies where they find an old ass book and they kinda hafta dust it off and it gives you treasure or something cause yeah that reminds me meeting you

AIGHT DAS IT ASF MWAH I LOVE YOU ALL :DDD

[mortedeveles]

Can I ask for a mha headcanon with bakugou, tenya & izuku with a crush/so who's short, chubby and is very quiet & cold when they first meet, but when they start getting to know them they're actually goofy, sarcastic and very caring/cuddly (they were just super anxious when they first met the boys) I hope this isn't too confusing or too much ^^" 👉👈

thanks for requesting sweet anon! your request is perfectly fine! i hope you like it <3 on another note, if you’ve sent me a request and I haven’t responded, please send it again or DM me! i think Tumblr has been eating asks lately.. ;vv. 

these are my first headcannons, I hope they’re not too bad :(  what do you think? are they too informal/formal? too short/long? feel free to let me know! i made bakuhoe’s kinda long, i hope you don’t mind! MY REQUESTS ARE OPEN, THEY WILL CLOSE ON THE 16TH! as always, please leave a like, reblog, comment and/or follow if you enjoyed! <33 

PAIRING: Bakugou K. x gn!reader, Tenya I. x gn!reader, Izuku M. x gn! reader

Themes: pining, humor. [HEADCANNONS]

TW: cursing? i don’t think anything else. 

BAKUGOU, TENYA, IZUKU WITH A CRUSH!reader (HEADCANNONS)

When you enrolled in U.A High, you were extremely nervous. What if you weren't fit to be a Pro Hero? At the entrance exam, there were so many other students, you felt queasy at the sight of so much potential.

You went through so many insecure thoughts and fleeting moments of panic before school started. What if they didn't like you? How would you even make friends? Would they be easy going or cold and distant? When school finally started, you were in for a surprise.

BAKUGOU KATSUKI 

As we all know, Katsuki was a prideful asshole at the beginning of the school year. He barely paid attention to anyone and you weren't an exception- Kirishima and the Bakusquad were the only ones who'd managed to befriend him. And even then, they would always get on his nerves.

Don't get me wrong, he knew you existed. But he didn't really pay much attention to you until the mids of the first year. The first time he interacted with you was during a fighting assignment- the two of you had been paired together, you were to engage in combat and see how your quirks worked against each other and together.

Bakugou noticed that you had a strong quirk- you weren't any extra. With your quirk Liquify, you actually managed to make him sweat and feel tired- you had a good grasp on your quirk.  He didn't mind working with you, he had noticed that you tended to be quiet and distant and barely talked to him if it wasn't school-related- so he thought you were alright. Katsuki preferred a silent partner than a loud and noisy one like dunceface.

However, he was slightly thrown off guard when he spotted you with Todoroki, Tsuyu, and a few others of the class, laughing together and blabbering about nonsense. He had never seen you laugh or smile around him. Your face was shining with joy-  he could see so many emotions in your expression- a startling contrast to your usual stoic or grimacing face.

Bakugou didn't care, right? The two of you were just study partners, nothing more. He didn't care about how you acted around him.

...Right?

He couldn't convince himself with his own words.

The more time the two of you worked together, the more you opened up. It was a pleasant change. Katsuki noticed how you would smile when you thought he wasn't looking or that you'd occasionally chatter with him during the fighting and reply sarcastically to his remarks.  

Seeing you smile and laugh around him felt nice- his heart always skipped a beat when your lips tugged upwards.

He told himself it was nothing. He didn't like you or anything...he just liked seeing you smile. That's what he kept telling himself day after day, refusing to acknowledge his feelings for you.

''Bakugou, do you choose truth or dare?''

It wasn't until Class 1A decided to have a sleepover with all the boys and girls (minus Mineta, they kicked him out of the building for the night) and played a popular game called Truth or Dare that he finally acknowledged his feelings for you.

It was Mina's turn, and Katsuki didn't like the evil glint in her eyes. He felt his heart crawl up to his throat when Mina smiled at him.

He swallowed, clenching his fists at his side. Ever since he was paired with you, Katsuki had noticed how Mina's gaze lingered on the two of you. What was she planning? Was Mina going to force him to do something- kiss you? He felt his ears burn at the thought. After an awkward moment of silence, Bakugou spoke up.

''Truth,'' he said gruffly. Hopefully, she wouldn't ask what he was thinking.

Mina squealed in delight. She clasped her hands together. ''Bakugou,'' she spoke slowly but firmly, her face contorting into a serious expression. ''Do you like Y/N?''

''Hah?!'' he immediately snapped. His ears and cheeks burned red and small sparks snapped from his palms. Bakugou could hear snickers and squeals from the rest of his classmates but refused to look at them. 

''What kind of question is that?!"

After a few moments, Bakugou grumbled a 'yes', but no one heard him, so Mina taunted him into speaking louder.

Mina giggled, shooting you a knowing glance. Bakugou wanted to look at you- what were you thinking?- but his fear of rejection willed him to keep his burning gaze on Mina.

''You heard me,'' the pink girl replied with a grin. ''Is Y/N your crush? Don't lie to me. You have to say the truth!''

''YES! GOD FUCKING DAMNIT, I LIKE Y/N, OKAY?!"

Everyone was silent at his outburst. With a growl, he glanced at you. His face felt like it was on fire- and much to his surprise, you were as flustered as him- but you offered him a timid smile. He relaxed at your smile and felt his heart flutter. You liked him back.

TENYA IIDA

As class president, Iida felt the responsibility of reaching out with all of his classmates. He wasn't particularly close with everyone, but he made sure to be friendly and supportive.

You were a different case. Despite his attempts to converse with you, Iida had noticed that you were quite distant and cold. At first, he was startled but eventually brushed it off. Maybe it was just your behavior, similar to Todoroki's.

Even though you were quite closed off, Iida refused to surrender.

He had seen you briefly interact with other classmates such as Tokoyami and Ochaco, and you were far more comfortable with them, smiling and even laughing with them. This could've discouraged him but instead, it made him feel motivated to get you to be comfortable with him. 

After Iida had a sparring match with Todoroki, you approached him. 

‘‘Not bad,’‘ you said. Your face was stoic- but the fact that you were complimenting him made him smile. ‘‘Your sparring skills are improving.’‘ 

Iida bowed down so low he nearly touched the ground. ‘’Thank you, Y/N-chan!” he exclaimed.

 Eventually, the two of you became comfortable friends, but Iida was still the goody two shoes he's always been. Whenever you were acting improper or out of line, he was always there to keep you in check, scolding you with his loud and long speeches.

At first, his scoldings irked you but you eventually warmed up to them. One time, your uniform was too tight/short (it was the last pair you had clean!) and when you greeted Iida, his face reddened.

''Y/N-chan!'' he exclaimed, waving his hands in the air. ''Your uniform doesn't abide by the school uniform's guidelines! You are a very beautiful person but-,'' his face turned even redder and he swallowed nervously. ''Your presentation is improper!''

After his rant, he breathed heavily and was surprised when he heard you laughing softly. You rarely showed emotions around him- only a few small smiles and chuckles, but never a laugh.

''Oh, Iida-kun!'' you said with a teasing grin. ''It's my only clean uniform pair!'' you pouted and Iida swallowed nervously. ''I'll make sure to dress properly next time! Thanks for letting me know.'' you pressed a chaste kiss on his cheek and walked away with a mischievous grin, leaving him a blushing mess.

Iida grew fond of your jokes- they were silly, but always made him smile. Around you, Iida grew at ease. He had acknowledged that he had romantic feelings for you, but wasn’t quite sure how to tell you. It wasn’t a concerning matter for him, he was sure that one day, he would be able to confess to you... it was merely a matter of time. Meanwhile, he would simply have to push his romantic feelings aside, until he was ready to confess.

IZUKU MIDORIYA

Where do I begin?

Izuku is quite friendly and tries to befriend everyone- even if they're challenging or distant. He's proven to be successful- after all, he befriended the aloof Shoto Todoroki.

He began to interact with you through Todoroki- you had quickly befriended the bi-colored boy after joining U.A and when Izuku befriended Todoroki and began to sit together- you would tag along and sit with them. 

When he met you, he was in awe for several reasons. One, you had perfect control over your quirk Liquify- which amazed him to no end- he would constantly ask you questions and mutter under his breath, writing down notes in his notebook.

Your cold behavior didn't bother him- he believed that you simply weren't comfortable with him yet, and he was okay with that fact. You could open up whenever you were ready.

His theory turned out to be correct- after months of socializing, you began to warm up with him- and he began to see a different side of you.

You would occasionally make sarcastic remarks that made him laugh loudly. Izuku didn’t miss how your eyes would slightly crinkle and how beautiful you look when you smiled- but remained silent and kept his comments to himself. 

During the weekend, you had spent time with him and admitted that you felt anxious around him- he was Deku, a Pro Hero in training, he saved everyone and always smiled brightly. To a certain point, you felt intimidated by him.

After hearing your confession, Izuku assured you that you were great as well- he was a firm believer that your quirk and your traits were perfect to be a Pro Hero- there was no reason to feel intimidated.

The two of you grew even closer after that day. 

Sometimes, you would become cuddly or yearn for physical contact and you would grumble or ask Izuku if you could hug him or hold his arm. He would blush brightly and stammer for several minutes but eventually agree.

If being close to him made you happy, he was happy to oblige.

[moon-goddess-posts]

Hello everyone! This is my first fanfiction and I decided to write kaeya first because I just love him sm 😭😭😭😭 anyway hope you guys enjoy! Zhongli is up next. I'm also new to Tumblr so idk how this works LMFAO

Kaeya x Gn reader

Fluff, kaeya is weird but its ok cause he warms up to you, didn't proof read this cause it was 1am

You were walking around the streets of mondstadt, you always loved the night and decided to come out for some fresh air. Lost in thought, you were reflecting on your first moments here and how the handsome calvary captain gave you a tour of the city. You were an adventurer from Fontaine seeking to do research on all the 7 regions. Mondstadt was the first region on your list. You've heard most of it from stories on barbatos and how he saved mondstadt, but you'd love to meet the people and all the certain flowers that were around. You finally arrived at the front gate and the guards gave you a warm welcome. The city air was fresh and everything had a carefree warm feel to it. "This truly is the city of freedom" you thought to yourself and smiled. Having everything written down on your notebook, you decided to try out the foods that were common here. "What can I get for you today?" The women spoke as you came up to the counter. You took out your notebook and chose a dish. "I'll take one chicken mushroom skewer please, ah would I also ask for your name if you don't mind?" You gave a friendly smile. "My name is Sara, worker at Good Hunter! Your food will be right up. I see you arent around here." "Nice to meet you Sara, im actually traveling the 7 regions for my art pieces and mondstadt just happened to be my first one. I would love to know some tourist attractions around here, would you happen to know a guide?" It was nice to see a conversation going well especially since you were never really the best at conversations. But you wanted to hurry up because your social battery was draining fast. "Id love to be your guide" and unfamiliar voice came to the right and you shot your head to that direction. His appearance was definitely different from the rest of the citizens but looked really attractive either way. He was leaning against the booth almost giving off an intimidating nature underneath the layers of charming. "Really? That would be great, thank you so much! And uhm your name is...?" Depsite the oddness you got from him, you did your best to continue the conversation as normally as possible. "Kaeya, Knights of Favionus, happy to be your guide dear" his sudden pet name made you flitch but you pushed it off "So where are we going first dear calvary captain" you gave him a teasing remark as you smirked. He chuckled "well obviously I wouldn't be a good tour guide if I didn't show you the Barbatos statute first." "Ah of course haha" you gave him a nervous chuckle. "Is there any other reason you decided to come here other than to just "explore"" You thought he ease dropped on your conversation, and even so he still didn't find you that trust worthy. "Well I'm a pretty well known artist where I'm from, but besides just coming here to make art I also decided to write a few poems for each region. If you'd want I can show you my works" you smiled happily and his cold attitude started to fade just a bit. "You can show me once we get to the next place, feel free to draw me then too ♡" it wasn't the best first impression but at least he didn't feel as hostile anymore. You and Kaeya finally made it to the statue and it was more beautiful in person than your thoughts could ever imagine. Ideas started to flow through your brain on how to paint it. "Wow its so...." you were at a lost for words. "Breathtaking isn't it?" Kaeya finished your sentence and you flahsed him a small smile and nod. "Yeah it is, ill be sure to mark it down as the first place to paint. Maybe if you'd like, you can give it to the Acting Grandmaster as a token of my thanks for having me here" "Such a kind hearted soul arent you? I'll be sure to inform her." Kaeya patted your head and walked off, assuming he was leading you to the second destination, you started to follow him. "You should stop by the tavern Cats Tail sometime tonight, I can tell you more about this place and if you'd like, more about me," You saw this as an opportunity for more research on the area, and maybe get to know Kaeya a bit more, he truly was an interesting person, so you

accepted. "I'll be sure to make it around 18:00 or 19:00!" The next destination included a beautiful tree, lake, and another small statue of barbatos. You thought it was truly magnificent, especially how the sun hit the leaves all so perfectly giving it a warm glow. "This place is Windrise. Its often associated with love and is one of the most well know spot for dates." He winked at you and you looked away, not really sure what to do. "Is that so? I can see why. Its very beautiful." You did your best not to stutter from how flirty he was being. "This statue here is for offerings. You find anemoculous and you offer them to the statues. In return, you get a gift from the God." "Oh! We have on of those where I'm from as well, but its a different person." You weren't really sure why you wouldn't tell him where you were from, maybe it was because he was super analytical, or the whole predator with its prey vibe he got going on. "There are 7 types of statues that represent the 7 archons, would it be ok if you'd tell me where you're from? I'm just so interested in you." He gave a flirty smirk and you couldn't help but blush a little bit. "Uhm I'm from Fontaine, if you couldn't tell by the clothes. Its quite similar to Mondstadt, but I find it here to be more peaceful and calming than there." "Fontaine huh? I've heard people live the luxury over there. Very formal." He laughed a bit, part of him was right but it wasn't all that good as he was making it sound. "Hmm I guess you could say that, my parents were pretty well off but I can't say much about the rest." Your gaze drifted off to the forming sunset and you wondered if you should head back soon. "Ill head back, ill tell you more about the attractions tomorrow. Don't forget our date tonight deary..." He waved goodbye and walked off. "Deary.." you said to yourself, he flattered you very much but all of it seemed off in a way. You didn't think to much about it and decided to head back too. Your memories of your first interaction with Kaeya was over once you heard someone call your name. A familiar voice that was. "Y/n!" Kaeya called out. Automatically knowing who it was, you turned around to be greeted by a fine tall man dressed in blue tones "Hi Kaeya!" "I dont think its a good idea for a pretty lady like you to be walking out so late at night." He sounded amused but you were over it. "Oh cut it out captain, I know you were just swooning some girls a couple minutes ago." "Haha so what, you jealous?" "Dont flatter yourself, why would I be jealous anyway? Feelings like those are just a waste of time" you hated to admit that you were just a tiny bit jealous. You weren't sure how your crush on the calvary captain formed but it did and it didn't seem to be going away any time soon. Part of you thought maybe he already knew and he was just toying with you. Or maybe he was oblivious to it, thinking no one could love such a person like him. Either way, you still kept these feelings inside. "There's no shame in bearing emotion, love, its just our nature. And for a while I think you've been feeling pretty intense emotions about a certain someone..." His hand tilted your chin so you could face up to him. Shoot did he know? How was that possible? Was I that obvious? You thought to yourself, you weren't sure how you were going to get out of this situation. "I...I-its nothing that concerns of you" you broke eye contact but you knew kaeya wasn't letting up. "A lie to a lier is no stranger, but if you wish to keep your secrets then who am I to cross such a boundary." He back off from you and you started to breathe again. You wanted to tell him so bad. How much you loved and cared for him, how much you so desperately wanted to be there for him no matter what situation. You were willing to take risks for him if it meant that one day you would forever be together. But maybe you thought the image you had of him was wrong. You knew well enough his flirty nature was never sincere, and how he was hiding something much darker then you ever wanted to imagine. Even so, you still wanted your

thoughts of him to become right. So before he walked off again you mustered up the courage. "Kaeya wait! I, I do actually want to tell you something." He looked surprised now but intrigued. "Ever since we met, there was always something different about you. It always left me wanting to know more and over the years I did learn more about you. But then I started feeling these weird emotions and having thse weird thoughts like thinking maybe one day we could be together...or knowing the real you even. I know you say less than you lead on but I felt like I'd be willing to take extreme risks to know who you actually are. I feel so safe around you and I always smile at those good memories we have. I dont know if this is called love, I dont know fully what love is but you're special enough for me to be having these feelings." Thats it, you let everything out. Awaiting for rejection, you began to panic when the silence held for what seemed like an eternity, until you heard him walking toward you. He held your chin again and gave you a look you've never seen before. A mix of admiration, and happiness. He swiped his thumb over your bottom lip and you tensed up. "Kaeya...." Before you could say anything else, he pulled you into a kiss. A new feeling started to arise and your whole body began to feel hot. Euphoria was coursing through your veins and you felt like you were going to fall without Kaeyas support. He was so warm, so intoxicating. You couldn't even feel where you were or he was, it all just became a bundle of sensations and happiness. You couldn't tell how long you both had kissed for but you were the first one to pull away as your breath began to shorten. "As much as a flirt as I am, I dont do well communicating my actual emotions. So id prefer to show them through my actions. I cant say it right now, but I hope that helped you realize what my answer is." He pulled you into a hug and you buried his face into his fur jacket. Already knowing his answer, you breathed a sigh of relief

[soyforramen]

ooooo 17 and/or 28 for bughead

I am so terribly glad tumblr does not date these, because I have no idea how long I’ve been sitting on this draft. Regardless, here goes:

xxx

“Bite me, Jones,” Betty snapped. She screwed her eyes shut and breathed deeply as she counted to ten. No one in Riverdale could get under her skin like he could. And he knew it.

“Make me, Cooper.”

Betty curled her lip and turned away from Jughead Jones and his stupid smirk and his stupid hat. She knew from the start that this whole idea was inane. But because it was Archie’s last birthday in Riverdale, and because she and Jughead were Archie’s best friends, she’d said yes to Jones’ stupid idea to throw a surprise party. 

For whatever reason, it hadn’t occurred to Betty that Archie might want a birthday party. Over the years they’d fallen into such a routine it almost felt too close to sacrilege to change. The day before Archie’s birthday, he and Jughead would disappear to spend all day gorging on junk food and video games until it came time for a midnight creature feature at the Bijou. The day of, Archie would spend his birthday with his parents as Mrs. Andrews always made a point to come back to Riverdale on his birthday. The next following was Betty’s, and it had become their tradition to find new trails to hike around Sweetwater River only to end their day at Pop’s with burgers and shakes.

It was a custody arrangement they’d all been more than happy with ever since Betty had proclaimed her hatred of Jughead Jones in the second grade for making Ethyl cry because he ran away from her the entire week of Valentine’s. And despite Archie’s numerous attempts over the years at a tentative truce, neither Betty nor Jughead could stand the sight of each other for too long.This year, however, Jughead decided to buck the system.   

With a party.   

For Archie.   

Only one week to plan it.  

Together.

When Jughead had first mentioned it, Betty assumed he’d do what everyone else did when it came to these things: tell Betty his vision and let her handle everything while still getting partial credit for having come up with the idea in the first place. But apparently she’d underestimated him. Not only had he come up with the idea for a party, he also wanted to help plan it. 

Normally Betty would jump at the chance for any sort of event planning help. She’d had to beg, borrow, and blackmail to get any actual help to put together Homecoming and the Spring Formal . And now she had a ready, willing participant who came with his own ideas as to how this party should go.It was as if Fate itself were determined to prove the old adage, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’(Fate, too, could bite her.)The ultimate problem, though, was not the fact that it was Jones’ proposing and helping plan the party. It was not that they both wanted to outdo each other in a childish attempt to prove their superior friendship with Archie. The problem was she had to interact with Jones’ to get this done. It was the most she’d ever had to interact with him since they’d sat at the same square of tables in elementary school and it was a reminder why she’d avoided him ever since. Every idea she had was countered by his own; every suggestion was met with scepticism and budgeting concerns; every minute detail picked apart. Their tastes were too far apart on music, food, and decorations along with everything else it took to plan a party. He was far too sarcastic, too caustic for her. She was too nice, too blithe for his. It was mutual loathing that frustrated Betty every time she had to see him in the hallways. And now she’d agreed to spend most of her free time with him for a week.Archie better fucking love this damn party.

xxx

Monday Morning: 4 Days til B-Day

Today was not Betty Cooper’s day. She’d forgotten about the essay due in History class because she’d been consumed with scholarship applications and making decorations for Polly’s wedding. She’d dropped a beaker of acid on her shoes in lab class and now had to wander around in the ugliest, grossest pair of crocs the school’s lost and found had to offer. And to top it all off, her hair tie had snapped in gym class, leaving her hair in a tangle of waves that drew attention from everyone for just how messy it was.It took all she had not to skip school for the first time in her life. The only thing stopping her was the inevitable lecture she knew would be waiting at home. If Betty ruined her perfect attendance record three months before graduation, the fit her mother would throw would surely top the one when Polly told her she was unwed and pregnant.And when the tumbler on her locker stuck, it was all she could do not to scream. Finally the lock popped off and the door slammed into its neighbor.“Party planning going well?” Kevin asked from behind. He leaned against the locker bank and leveled all the magnets that had fallen to the bottom of the door.“Yes, actually. That’s the problem,” Betty snapped. She threw her textbooks into the locker, already digging through the three and a half years worth of junk for a hair tie. “I’d say that’s less of a problem, and more of a shoe in to finally free all that hair Jones’ has been hiding from us,” Kevin said with a Hello Kitty magnet suspended between his thumb and forefinger. When Betty rolled her eyes, he clicked his tongue. “Don’t pretend you haven’t thought about it. The UST between you two has been at peak level for at least two years.”Betty heaved out a sigh and reached for the top shelf. She tried to imagine herself someplace relaxing and far, far away from here. One of those Swedish spas Veronica was always gushing about. A sunny beach with no one around. An automotive shop that worked exclusively on muscle cars made by Corvette and Ford between 1958 and 1972 somewhere south of Paris, France.“Of course it’s a problem, Kev. It means that not only is he a complete and total asshole, he’s also a competent and capable asshole,” Betty huffed. She grabbed her history book out of her bag and threw it into the locker hard enough to rattle the mirror on the back. “At least you now won’t have to split all your free time between the paper, the party, and practice for the Vixens.”As much as Betty loved him, sometimes she hated how Kevin could always find a positive in every situation and how desperately she hated the fact that Veronica had decided to attend a prep school for her senior year.“We forgot about Veronica,” Betty gasped. Prior frustrations forgotten, Betty tapped away on the screen. Between event planning and the massive extracurricular load her mother insisted on, Betty hardly had any time to think about what she’d get for Archie. There was no way Veronica would forget something as important as Archie’s birthday, but if there was on thing that could throw a wrench into this plan it would be Veronica sweeping Archie off his feet to the Bahamas last minute.Veronica’s reply was almost instantaneous with a string of hearts, followed by several texts grilling Betty for more information about Archie’s relationship status, Riverdale gossip, and whether Betty had finally found herself a boyfriend.Absorbed by her phone, Betty closed her locker and walked to class, Kevin walking beside to her and telling Betty which was the best gossip to pass along to Veronica. As the bell rang, Betty tucked her phone into her jacket pocket and laid out everything she needed for class. Late as usual, Jughead slouched by her on his way to the corner of the room. “Nice hair, Cooper,” he muttered as he passed. “Very Diana Dors today.”Betty’s cheeks went red and her hands flew up to smooth down her hair. She’d been so focused on her conversation with Veronica that the hair tie had been completely forgotten.Kevin leaned across his desk and whispered, “Hashtag: Free the Beanie.”

Xxxxx

Tuesday Afternoon - Party Countdown: Day 3

Betty’s phone chimed on the couch beside her. When she saw who it was from, she groaned. They’d just talked after school about the decorations, and she thought they’d come to an agreement. Jughead, however, seemed to differ.“Beans for brains again?” Cheryl asked, eyes glued to her own phone. “Yes. Now decorations are too ‘childish’,” Betty whined. “Why does he have to make things so difficult.”“Because he has your undivided attention for once, baby cousin.”Betty stared at Cheryl. “What does that mean?”Cheryl rolled her eyes and set down her phone. “Read between the lines, it’s a total Castle and Bennet situation.”Even if she’d been offered the world, Betty still couldn’t figure out what Cheryl meant. With a sigh, Betty packed up her back and headed to Pop’s, figuring it would be easier to meet with him in person than spend three hours going back and forth in text.

Xxxxx

Tuesday Afternoon - Party Countdown: Day 3Betty slammed her lunch tray on the cafeteria table. “I hate him and that stupid grin of his. Like he knows everything. Why did I ever agree to this in the first place?”Kevin moved to the side as Betty swung her leg over the bench to sit down. “Because it’s Archie’s birthday and he’d do the same for you?”Betty snorted. “I doubt he’d work with his mortal enemy to plan me a party.”“True. Because I’d be the one doing the planning. If Archie was doing it there’d be cold pizza and hot ice cream. He’s not big on the planning thing.”Betty stabbed at a piece of fruit and let that sink in. It would be so much easier to let this go, to say she was done with the whole thing and let Jughead finish organizing it. But if she backed out now they’d both know he’d won in the ongoing feud they had. It was frustrating and unnerving and took every last bit of self-control to work with him. He was a constant distraction, taken to staring at her when she was talking and unnerving her by how close he was willing to get. Even stranger, as if he knew just how to get under her skin, he’d sat next to her in English this morning and attempted a semi-polite conversation.“Do I want to ask what’s got her so riled up now?” Toni asked as she sat down. “Jughead’s lips,” Kevin said with a smile.Toni leaned forward, his face eager for more information. “What? Did he kiss you? I thought you two were only supposed to be planning a party.”“Kevin,” Betty scolded. “And no. We can barely stand to be in the same room together. He’s insisted on doing the decorating himself.”Kevin and Toni shared a look. “And that’s bad, how?” Toni asked.“I know you’re used to being in charge of everything, but why is it a problem for him to decorate?” Kevin asked.“Because I was planning on using what we had leftover from Polly’s New Year’s Eve party. It would have been perfect.” Betty said.“What did he say about that?”Betty looked down at her salad and picked at it. “I didn’t exactly mention it.”Toni raised an eyebrow and Kevin let out a heavy sigh.“But obviously if I was pushing to do the decorations, I had a plan,” Betty said, her words sounding thin.“Last time I checked Jones wears several different hats, but mind reading is not one of them,” Toni said. “And being straightforward isn’t Betty’s,” Kevin said.Betty elbowed him in the ribs. “I thought you were supposed to be on my side?”He squirmed away from her. “I am. But you tend to have a take charge attitude and don’t always share the whole plan. Or let other people have much input when you’ve made up your mind.”“What’s that supposed to mean?”Kevin held up his hands defensively. “I’m just saying, maybe this thing isn’t all one-sided. You’re not used to people wanting to help plan something, and he’s -” Kevin faltered, not knowing Jughead enough to speak to his personality.Toni, though, was quick to step in. “Jughead is a snarky gloom and doom nerd. His people skills need some help too.”“Exactly. But maybe if you try to work with him.” He let the thought linger a moment before going into the latest gossip about the lacrosse team.

Xxxx

Thursday Afternoon - Party Countdown; 1

“I’m doing this for Archie, Jughead. If you don’t like that, then you don’t have to be involved,” Betty said after a few deep breaths.“This was my idea, Betty. Not some project you can step in and fix just because I’m involved. The door is right there if you change your mind,” Jughead snapped back. He turned away from her and focused his attention on his computer. Betty’s hands clenched and unclenched. A fire burned in her chest and she had to work to stay seated There was nothing she wanted more than to slap him. It annoyed her that he was right; they were doing this for Archie, not for some strange kudos for their own egos. “Fine.”Jughead’s head jerked up and he looked as if he were surprised she’d conceded so easily. “You’re right. I’m sorry,” she said her words clipped. Just because she was wrong didn’t mean she had to like it.His eyes narrowed and Betty waited it out. If he wanted to suspect her of ulterior motives, then so be it. She just wished he could bring the intensity down a little bit.Eventually, he waved to the seat across from him and, in a rare gesture of cordiality, waved Pop down for a round of shakes. While Betty was suspicious herself of his motives, she took the seat and pulled out her planner to go over their last minute plans.

xxxx

Friday Night - Party Countdown: 0

Betty leaned against the porch railing, a red solo cup full of something red and overly sweet in her hands. Veronica had sworn she’d like it, but Betty could barely stomach a sip of it. She’d never been one for parties or alcohol or general teenage mischief. Seeing what had happened to Polly had cured Betty of any desire of that.“Looks like we managed to pulled it off,” Jughead said. He lifted a can to his lips - a brazenly boring soda that stood out against their peers attempts to summon Dionysus into the Andrews’ living room.Betty turned towards him and watched him watch the party through the windows. “Surprisingly.”He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t turn towards her. Betty’s eye followed the movement only to trail down his profile. It was odd, she realized, to have never really thought about what he looked like without the permanent scowl and irritable persona he’d taken up as a defense mechanism.“It’ll be a bitch to clean up, though,” Jughead said.Betty snorted and poured her drink into the bushes beneath her. “I vote that’s Archie’s problem.”“And Veronica’s,” Jughead added, with a nod to the opening door.“There you two are,” Veronica said. She shot a sly grin to Jughead who rolled his eyes.Betty filed her questions away for later, particularly those about how close Veronica and Jughead seemed to have gotten over the past year. “This was a really great surprise,” Archie said, oblivious of the strange interaction going on next to him. He looked as tired as Betty felt, but somehow managed a level of energy even she couldn’t fake. She pulled him into a tight hug as the sudden realization that this was their last year of high school hit her. Tears threatened to spill at the corner of her eyes. In six months, Archie would no longer be her constant companion. It would be the first time ever that he wasn’t part of her life. Betty screwed her eyes shut and thought about the good times.“You’re welcome Archie. Happy birthday,” she said through a sniffle.They pulled apart and it was Jughead’s turn to pull Archie into a hug. Betty took a moment to wipe the tears from her cheeks.“Happy birthday, bud,” Jughead said with a grin. He nodded towards Veronica. “Enjoy it while you can.”Betty pulled Veronica into a hug, the pain of missing her not as severe. After all, they’d be roommates next fall, something they’d been planning since they were twelve. “I’m going to call it a night,” Betty said. Veronica kissed her on the cheek and, in a surprising move, pulled Jughead into a bear hug. She whispered something to him that made him flush before letting him go. “Walk her home,” Veronica ordered him. “I want nothing to happen to my girl. We have plans, after all.”“V, I live ten feet away,” Betty reminded her.Jughead rolled his eyes, but complied when Veronica shoed him after Betty. When they reached the sidewalk, Jughead cleared his throat.“Hey, Cooper.”Betty turned to face him. “Yes?”“Are we still in a truce?”She glanced at her watch. “I’ve got another ten minutes until curfew. So, I’d say we were.”Jughead took a step towards her, dropping his gaze to the ground. He swallowed hard, his hands fidgeting. “You’re not half bad, now that I think about it.”Betty smiled. It was probably the nicest thing she’d heard him say about anything in a while. “You’re not half bad yourself, Jones’.”“Also,” he paused, glancing behind them as if to check that they were alone.“What? What is it?” she asked, stepping towards him, worried he’d say or do something. Her fingers curled into a loose fist, but what she wouldn’t have ever expected was for him to pull her close and press his lips against hers.The world came to a startling halt as Betty’s brain went into overdrive. (They were kissing.) This was Jughead Jones her self-proclaimed high school rival in all things that mattered. (He was kissing her.) Before this week they’d never had a nice thing to say about each other. (And she liked it.) The only common ground they ever had was fighting over Archie (Worse, she was kissing him back) and snarking at each other over stupid little things.A car backfired a street over and the spell was broken. The world wrenched itself back into rightful place. Betty’s eyes fluttered open and everything looked the same as it had before. Only there was that look in his eyes, and there was that exhilarating feeling in her chest that could only mean the sky was the limit, and the ground beneath her was shaking. At some point her hand had come to rest on his cheek. It felt normal there, like a bird finally come home to roost. She rubbed her finger against his smooth skin and he turned his head to kiss her palm. “Pop’s tomorrow?” he asked.Betty answered him in another kiss.

[graces-of-luck]

Education (Carnival of Aros, July 2021)

This month's Carnival of Aro is on Education. It was nice to reflect on my experiences in school as an aromantic and the role that education plays in the community.

Word count: 728

Reading time: Approximately 3-4 minutes

Seeing as I’m in my third year of a PhD (and therefore in my 20th year of formal education), education is certainly a fundamental part of my life and daily experience. As an aro, middle and high school were rather alienating at times. I remember one time in orchestra we were told to play like we were in love. Another time in a class, a teacher asked us to raise our hands if we had ever been in love so that he could relate that feeling to the experience of addiction. I felt out of place as my classmates and friends were becoming obsessed with getting a romantic partner. Whenever we had to read books in my literature classes, I dreaded the thought of the mandatory reading containing romance. Sex education was basically non-existent where I grew up, but it was definitely super heteronormative and very abstinence-focused, so of course it was all “when you get married…” I definitely felt different, but at the time, I thought I was simply mature for not going “boy crazy.”

I wish that I would have learned about aromanticism when I was younger as it would have explained a lot and made things clearer earlier on. I first came across the term aromantic in my late teens but there was so little information available that I dismissed it. I then came across asexuality in an elective course I took in college. While I no longer identify with asexuality, it’s what brought me back to aromanticism. I think about how my life might be different if I didn’t take that one random course for fun. I would have found aromanticism eventually, but how much longer would it have taken? I learned a lot in the course in terms of course content but also about myself.

Education doesn’t have to only occur in formal educational settings, however. This is especially true of education on aromantic issues. I’ve been realizing the importance of knowledge and education outside of formal institutions lately. We are all knowledge-makers. There’s a lack of academic research or knowledge on aromanticism, which is a shame. At the same time, the aromantic community has produced so much knowledge through the community. Tumblr was my primary source of learning about aromantic topics. Reading about people’s experiences has been instrumental. It’s great that there are basic informative materials, but being able to see real-life examples as expressed through personal experiences was so helpful because it makes ground informative materials in reality. Information from aro 101 pamphlets are brought to life by the posts of people explaining what their aromanticism means to them. It’s also wonderful how folks will just create surveys. It may not be academic research, but it gives us a lot of important information nonetheless. We are creating our own records and history by posting about our experiences, creating resources and infographics, and conducting community surveys.

There are still many more resources we need. I wish there were more formal educational resources on the societal/systematic impact on aromantics. Learning that it’s society that has issues (read: amatonormativity) rather than me helped me in embracing my aromanticism. Having such resources could be so helpful for someone who is questioning or has newly identified as aromantic. I also think it’s important for helping folks outside the community understand our struggles. We also need more educational resources that are intersectional. Information on the intersection between aspects like neurodivergence or racism and aromanticism are important as they capture the nuances of the lived experiences of many aros.

Inspired by all the education and resources that other aromantic folks create, I’ve also started creating my own educational resources. One I’m really proud of is my “Challenging Amatonormativity” guide, which teaches about amatonormativity and how to unlearn it as it greatly affects aros. I also collaborated with a fellow aro on developing a webinar on aromantic competent care for mental health care providers! We hosted the webinar and have now made a recording in the hopes that it can inform care providers on how to better interact with aromantic clients. I’m not sure what’s next on my list, but I definitely want to continue being involved in education about aro topics.

I'm curious to see what else I will learn from this community and am looking forward to seeing information on aromanticism in formal educational settings as well.

[starkatana]

Safehouse

Jason Todd x Female Reader

Red Hood x Female Reader

Summary:

Red Hood gets injured and calls you for your help. Very fluffy and sweet.

I needed fluffy and sweet after working on this angsty story.

Warning: Light swearing, mentions of marijuana

Before Reading:

Your hero name is: Black Cat

Imagine your suit to look a lot like Selina’s (Catwoman’s suit)

Since his return your relationship with Jason has been tense. You still have feelings for each other and this is your first interaction together not ending in a yelling match.

At this point in the story you two are 22/23; while at prom you were both 18 - seniors in high school about to graduate.

Thanks! And shout-out!

The prom section is inspired by this post by @geekandnerdworld

I used a prompt from this post by @writing-ideas-inc 

Author’s Note:

So, here begins my various one-shots of Jason Todd/Red Hood x Reader//y/n AKA my current obsession. I may compile all of them into chronological order once everything is done. I just really wanted to write and post something. I just have too many WIP’s right now that I need to focus on.

Sorry if it's a little out of character, this is just based on my knowledge that Tumblr has given me.

Enjoy! ~<3

You received an SOS from Jason with his location. You haven’t heard from Jason in a while, but you weren’t going to ignore an SOS from him. Quickly getting dressed as Black Cat, you rush to this location. The coordinates lead you to his old orphanage; you had been here a few times before with Jason. Volunteering to hang out, teach, and play with the kids.

You parked your bike out front and carefully climbed the fence. The orphanage was warm and inviting. The upper levels of the building were dark, it was nighttime and you knew that’s where the kids slept. The downstairs, the main entrance light was on along with the outside lights. You creep up quietly to the front door and saw a note in Jason’s writing that said: ‘Back door.’

You follow your instructions and go to the back. You knock on what you remember to be the kitchen door and the friendly face of the orphanage care-taker answered.

“Black Cat.” She opened the door wider for you, “Come in.”

You nod and stepping in Jason, as Red Hood, was sitting on a chair in the kitchen.

“Cat.” Jason looked over at you, “You came.”

“Of course I came.” You walk over to him as she closes the door behind you. “Are you okay?” You ask as you instinctively begin to look over Jason’s wounds. Nothing stitches wouldn’t be able to handle. Maybe some bruising, but nothing too crazy.

“I’m fine.” He winced, “I need some help getting home. Miss wouldn’t let me leave unless someone went with me.”

She sighs. “You can stay here Ja-” the orphanage caretaker stops herself, “Red Hood.”

“No, it’s okay.” He gets up and you instinctively go to reach for him in case he falls over. “I’ll be back to get to the bottom of things, but right now, I’m going home.”

She sighs, “You heroes and your secrets. Be safe out there.”

“Always am.” He makes his way to the door, “C’mon Cat.”

You nod and follow him out, once the door shuts behind you two, he winces over.

“Jay.” You help him up.

“I’m okay.”

“C’mon, let me carry you.”

He agrees and they continue to walk.

“Thank you.”

You don’t respond knowing how much it probably took him to say that. You only smile to yourself and walk over to his motorcycle.

“I have someplace we can go to close-by that’ll be safe.”

“Okay. I’ll drive you just give me directions.”

He agrees. Getting on his bike, you put your bike in automatic drive and send it back to the Batcave knowing that Bruce’s tracking device was still set up on it. Jason gives you the key for his bike and you start it up as he sits up behind you on the bike.

“You good?” you ask.

“Better.”

Arriving at the safe house, you almost missed it because the safehouse was a flower shop. It was four stories, the fourth being a large greenhouse looking level.

“Are we at the right place?”

“Yeah.”

Jason unlocked the garage and pushed up the door, as you pushed the bike in. Inside there are a variety of flowers and arrangements. Jason led you upstairs to the third floor. He unlocks the door and gestures after you.

Walking in, it was a very open space with beautiful red brick walls and black framed windows. The apartment, if you want to call it that, had an open floor plan where the living room, dining space, and kitchen flowed into each other. It was nicely decorated with a variety of houseplants hanging around. There was a little section that dipped down with a couple of stairs and above you was a glass-paneled roof with black trim.

“How is this a safehouse?” you ask him still looking up, “There’s an entire section where the roof is glass.”

“I just said it was safe, not a safehouse.”

“I suppose. This looks like it could be one of Ivy’s lairs.”

He shrugs, “you could say that.”

“Is it?”

“I mean, making money by selling some sweet kush isn’t a bad side job.”

You let out a light chuckle, “I guess not.” You look up and around, the sky had cleared and the stars were out.

“It’s bulletproof glass.”

“I wasn’t concerned about the glass and getting caught. I was just looking at the sky.”

He nods and looks up with you, “Can I be frank?”

“No.” you shift your eyes to look at him without moving your head, “I’d like you to be Jason.”

You could practically feel him roll his eyes at you under the sliver of moonlight. “Glad to know your jokes are still terrible.”

You move your head to face him with a smile you haven’t worn in a long time, “What’s going on?”

“To be honest, when Ivy first offered me the place and I saw this brick wall and the large window roof, I could only think of you and I hoped that I’d have another chance to look at the stars with you.”

You purse your lips. That was really cute. “I don’t understand. What about Artemis?”

“You caught me. You were right, I was only with her to hurt you and make you jealous. She knew. You knew. I was only kidding myself. She broke up with me, if we were even dating, told me to quit being a little bitch and to give up my pride and go back to you.”

You don’t respond. “Where's the first aid supplies?” you ask changing the conversation.

“Bathroom.”

You nod. “You try to get out of that suit. I’ll be right back.”

Jason let out a hiss of air.

“You okay?” you ask pulling on the stitch to tighten it.

“Yeah. It just stings like a son of a bitch.”

“Always does. Okay. Take a breath and let it out slowly.

Jason listens and at the time he exhales, you make another stitch, followed by a knot. “Alright, you’re done.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” You say, “Let’s get some rest.”

“Yeah. You can have the bed.” Jason offered, “There’s only one here.”

“Does it have this view?” you gesture to the window ceiling.

“No.” he gives you a half-smile, “I can get the bed out here for you.”

“Not with the new stitches I just put in. Thanks, Jaybird, but the couch is fine for me.”

There’s a noticeable pause between you two.

“I haven’t heard that in a while.”

“Hm?”

“Jaybird, I miss it. It’s either Red or Jason now. I feel like people only call me Jaybird when they aren’t mad at me.”

It had been a while since you called him by his nickname. He was right though. Since he’s been back, you’ve been upset and always called him Jason or dickhead. In your alter egos, you either call him Red, Hood, or Red Hood. Yet, you haven’t had a real conversation with Jason in a while.

“Well, it’s been a while since we’ve had a civil conversation.”

“Yeah... why did you answer my call?”

You pause. He was right. You had no reason to answer his call. You didn’t need to answer anything. He’s been a major dick since he’s been back and you two haven’t had any positive contact. Yet all you could answer, “Why wouldn’t I?”

He pauses.

“Here’s a question for you, why call me?”

There’s another pause.

“Do you want something to sleep in? I have some spare T-shirts in the bedroom and some shorts you could tie at the waist to fit you.”

You give up the conversation. “Please.”

He leads you to the bedroom. The room screamed Jason Todd, it wasn’t a mess but it wasn’t neat either. There were a variety of books, a closed laptop, spare Red Hood helmets, and a domino mask or two.

“Here.” He gives you a clean shirt and a pair of shorts.

“Thanks.” There was a tense air between you two. You wondered if he could feel it too. There was so much to say and it just didn’t feel like the right time to say it all. “Good night, Jay.”

“Y/n,” you look at him expectantly. You weren’t sure what you wanted him to say, but you stopped to listen. “Good night.”

You smile at him and show yourself out of the bedroom. Going to close the door behind you, you take one more lingering look at Jason, who makes eye contact with you giving you a sad look. You turn away and click the door shut behind you.

After changing into his T-shirt, you don’t put on the pants, his waist was just too big for you. You go lay down on the couch. This was what Jason smelled like, it was a comforting, familiar smell. You missed it a lot. You brought it over your face, this was Jason and he was real. You stared at the stars in the sky and remembered the first time you two went star gazing, it was prom night.

You and Jason had just left the prom, went out to eat at your favorite diner, and went back to Wayne Manor. An overall perfect night. You two stayed dressed in your formal wear and made hot chocolate in the kitchen. Not wanting to call it a night just yet, you two laid on the manor’s roof watching the stars.

You two were laughing and giving each other shit.

Jason sighs and lays down next to you, “Y’know, I’ve never had a real friend before.”

“Whatever.” You roll your eyes.

“It's true!”

“Okay.” You mock, “Let me just call Roy.”

“Oooh nooo, what's Mister Bow and Arrow, what’s he gonna do?”

“Dump your ass so you definitely won’t have a ‘real friend’.”

“Then my point still stands:” you could hear the cheekiness in his voice, “I have never had a real friend.”

“Well, I am your friend, Jaybird.” You say turning your head to look at him.

Jason looks over at you with a big smile on his face.

“What?”

“I’ve also never had a girlfriend...”

You roll your eyes and shake your head looking away from him and back towards the starry sky. He’s quiet and in your peripheral vision, you could see that he was still staring at you.

“Y/n,” his fingers gently brushed against yours. Not grabbing your hand just being close. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

You look back over at Jason and swallowed hard. He was being serious. His blue eyes glimmered under the light of the moon. He had on a soft smile that he only shares with you. The time that you two spent together training, going on patrols, dancing, school, laughing, mischief-making, the short amount of time you knew Jason you couldn’t imagine your future without him.

You gently move your hand and lock your fingers with his. “Yes.”

He smiles and lifts your hand to his lips kissing the back of it. Letting his lips linger over your hand as his soft breaths tickled your skin as you stared into each other’s eyes. You never wanted this moment to end.

You hear a door click open. You sit up and Jason is walking into the main area.

“Sorry.” He says, “I was just grabbing some water.”

“No worries.”

“Can you sleep?”

“No.”

“Want some hot cocoa and watch the stars?”

“Yes.”

Jason made you some hot chocolate and took a seat on the ground while you laid on the couch. Getting into a conversation about the year. You explained to him what you tried to do, fighting through waves Joker’s men to get to him. How you wanted Joker to suffer for killing Jason. Then explaining that you were lucky when the other bat fam members showed up to save your ass.

“Then Dick went after Joker and manage to successfully beat him up. Bruce had to step in to stop him before they put Joker back in Arkham.”

“Again? When is he going to get that’ll never work?” Jason rolled his eyes.

“Yeah. We didn’t get much of a say, I was in the infirmary and the girls kidnapped me to NYC before Bruce could say anything.”

Jason was quiet before he said, “You and Dick are the only two in this family that I fucking respect. Trying to kill Joker like that. Badass. Thank you.”

You smile and finish your cocoa. He didn’t even know the half of it. “Your turn. Where were you? What did you do? What happened while you were away?”

“Recover.” he shrugged, “I was going through rehabilitation. Physical therapy. I sat around in the Lazarus Pit,” he gestured to his white tuff in front. “That’s where this came from. Don’t know why we just didn’t do that sooner.”

“And here I thought I’d never see you again. You were suffering all by yourself.”

“There was one more thing,” Jason turns around to face you, “Bruce thought it’d be a great idea to give me the letters you wrote me. I don’t know why, but I got your letters. So, I wasn’t completely alone. It was when Peter came into the picture when,” He said the next part slowly, “I…got…jealous.”

“Wait? All of them?”

“I’m assuming. He gave me a lot.”

“Oh my god!” You sat up on the couch, “I wrote so much in those.” you covered your face from embarrassment. “I didn’t think anyone was going to read them!”

“Hey.” Jason got on the couch with you and gently grabbed your hands to uncover your face, “They gave me hope that I’d see you again. Your letters made me feel like I wasn’t so alone.”

“And now I’m mad!” you took his hands back and pointed a finger in his face, “You had all of my letters! You had an idea of how I felt while you were gone! And you still pulled all that shit, Jason Peter Todd!”

“Yeah,” he held his hand up in defense, “I’m sorry. It was dumb and stupid.”

“You’re dumb and stupid.” You gently shove him away.

“I mean you’re right.”

“Stop. I don’t mean that.”

He smiles, “I think after all the shit I pulled, you can be mean to me.”

“I don’t want to be,” you sigh leaning against your arm propped up on the back of the couch, looking at him “I’m tired of fighting.”

“Me too.” He begins, “This was nice. Thank you.”

You nod and he matches your body language. Sitting in the silence of each other. It didn’t feel odd, it didn’t feel the same, it felt new. Like a door had opened where you could both move forward.

“And so you know this still stands. Reading all your letters, talking tonight again, even after me being a dick to you. I’ve never given much thought to others’ hopes and dreams, but when you talk about yours, I want them all to come true. I only want you to be happy.”

You smile and for the first time, you touch his arm gently in a manner of love and affection.

“Y/n,” he says with his hand over yours.

“Jaybird.”

“Please don’t give up on me.”

[rpgmgames]

November’s Featured Game: Grimm's Hollow

DEVELOPER(S): ghosthunter ENGINE: RPG Maker 2003 GENRE: Indie RPG, Adventure WARNINGS: Discussions of death, losing a loved one, grief SUMMARY: Grimm’s Hollow is a spooky, freeware RPG where you search the afterlife for your brother. Reap ghosts with your scythe, explore haunted caves, and eat ghostly treats on your journey through death.

Download the game here! Our Interview With The Dev Team Below The Cut!

Introduce yourself! *BB: My name's Bruno and I did some of the music along with Nat! I’m super happy to have participated in this game! *NW: I’m Nat Wesley, a.k.a. Natbird! I’m a composer available for hire with a few projects in the works. I’m honored to have had the chance to work on the soundtrack to Grimm’s Hollow! *GH: Hello! I go by ghosthunter online; I started developing RPGs with a friend in school when we found out that we both enjoyed RPG Horror. I enjoy art, webcomics, cartoons and narrative-driven indie games a lot. I bought RM2K3 on sale and started pouring pixel art into it, before learning how to do things like chase scenes, cutscenes, etc. I used to fantasize about making my own game, drawing dungeons and ghosts in the back of my sketchbooks, before I finally started Grimm’s Hollow. Now I’m near the end of high-school, and I’m hoping the best for uni!

What is your project about? What inspired you to create this game initially? *GH: Grimm’s Hollow, originally, wasn’t as ambitious or personal. It was simply just going to be “my first game”, something that I could finally put my doodles and RM2K3 skills to. I wanted a game that a younger me would have enjoyed, back when I first discovered the classic RPGMaker games and replayed them constantly for those endings. That was my initial inspiration. It eventually evolved into an action turn-based RPG that relies on timing, yet it’s mostly narrative-driven. You traverse death in search of your sibling, and try to make an escape. There are unexpected pieces of me that ended up in this game, some of which I’m still noticing even now.

How long have you been working on your project? *GH: Since the summer of June 2018.

Did any other games or media influence aspects of your project? *GH: Standstill Girl, OFF by Mortis Ghost, Undertale, Over The Garden Wall, and the animation medium in general.

Have you come across any challenges during development? How have you overcome or worked around them? *GH: Many! Making your first game is such a giant learning curve, that the list of challenges goes on. I would say that the most difficult issue I encountered (and that, in some ways, I am still facing after release) is working around the limitations of the game engine I am using. I wanted to see whether creating an engaging but simple 1-party RPG in RM2K3 (without going completely custom) was feasible, and I experimented with quick time events as part of that. I worked around the engine’s built-in formulae so players could see progress when they upgraded their stats - although the game might display as defence as “10”, in reality the game stores it as 40 since the engine splits defence by 4. Since I did not want to create an RPG which was too complex for my first game, I also scrapped traditional staples such as armour or weapons. There were also issues such as having an appropriate “game over” handling event which wouldn’t shoot you back to the title screen after you lost a battle; getting RM2K3 to play a small cutscene where you faint and respawn somewhere else was tricky. I felt that if the player had to reload after a loss, it would disrupt the game flow.

Have any aspects of your project changed over time? How does your current project differ from your initial concept? *GH: Like I mentioned before, the game started off impersonal. I just had a soft spot for a spooky cute aesthetic, and I wanted to indulge in that. It was (and in its essence, still is) meant to be a short story, to keep the player invested for the short game length - nothing grandiose. The original draft did not have Baker play a role in the narrative - he was just an ordinary shopkeeper NPC. For a long time during development, Lavender did not even have a name. In the very first draft, she was a silent protagonist the player could name and customize. But she played a very active role in the final outline, so it was hard not to give her own unique voice when one emerged from the narrative naturally. I am glad I did; she grew on me quite quickly! Grimm was virtually unchanged from beginning to end. The only difference was that a close friend suggested that he seemed like he would be into drinking Oolong tea - so that’s what he offers you when you meet him. Timmy also did not go under massive overhauls like Lavender and Baker did, but his relationship with Lavender became much more fleshed out as I wrote the narrative. In other facets of the game’s design, there were not many changes to the original prototype.

What was your team like at the beginning? How did people join the team? If you don’t have a team, do you wish you had one or do you prefer working alone? *GH: It was just myself, doing the art, writing, programming, etc. But halfway through creating the second cave, I realised I would need a very specific sound for Grimm’s Hollow. So, I contacted Nat for music, but I also created a post on tumblr calling for a composer since there were many tracks to make. I met Bruno as a result! I am very happy with their work and I am so grateful I’ve got to work with them! (Some players are asking for an OST release, which is in the works).

What is the best part of developing a game? *GH: I really enjoyed the early stages of development: creating new tilesets, sprites and maps and piecing them together in the editor, then taking a small screenshot and sharing it with my friend over summer vacation … It was nice to see the game’s world slowly come together. I think that’s what I enjoyed the most from beginning to end: that sense of world-building, that sense of relaxation from making a small cosy game. The latter started to disappear as work and other responsibilities started to intrude, and pressure began to seep into development time - but I never stopped loving making the world and characters. I also want to say that, by lucky chance, I have met a lot of kind people from making my first game. I’m very grateful for that, so thank you to everyone.

Do you find yourself playing other RPG Maker games to see what you can do with the engine, or do you prefer to do your own thing? *GH: All the time! Other RPG Maker 2003 projects are great inspirations for pixel art tilesets, as well as how to code harder features such as custom menus. They’re also just fun to play.

Which character in your game do you relate to the most and why? (Alternatively: Who is your favorite character and why?) *GH: Lavender and Timmy are relatable to me in multiple ways. I can’t elaborate on Timmy since that would go into spoiler territory, but I somewhat relate to Lavender’s insistence on managing her life on her own - sometimes to her own detriment. I’d say the most fun character to write for was Grimm. He can be unintentionally silly while speaking in the most formal way, but also very caring too. Everything he does and says was easy to write, whereas I had to think harder for the interactions between everyone else - especially for very crucial scenes regarding their development. That being said, my favourite is still the game’s central two siblings. I can not pick between them for the life of me.

Looking back now, is there anything that regret/wish you had done differently? *GH: I wish I started testing even earlier! Not only does it give you a good sense of what’s missing, but seeing people enjoy what you’ve made yet get hindered by bugs is a very strong incentive to fix your game immediately. When I was lacking motivation or was stuck, I found that good feedback and support made me motivated again. I also wish that I could have pushed the deadline a little further, or perhaps released the game on Early Access since it will take me a while to refine post-release bugs - but as it is, the 31st of October really was the deadline for my game due to external circumstances (no, that deadline wasn’t just because it was Halloween!). Other than that, I wonder if using an updated version of RPG Maker would have produced the same game …? It’s hard to tell, but I hope people enjoy it for what it is - I will be working on that post-release patch soon!

Do you plan to explore the game’s universe and characters further in subsequent projects, or leave it as-is? *GH: There are no current plans, but I would be happy to have the opportunity to improve and expand on the game. As it is, the game’s released for free and done as a hobby, so I would struggle to do that by myself.

What do you most look forward to now that you have finished the game? *GH: Earlier on, I was really looking forward to players’ reactions. Games are made to be fun, and I would have felt distraught if my game didn’t achieve what it was set out to do. Yet it was not just about the gameplay; it was about the narrative. I hoped that what I found funny, the player would too; what was heartfelt to me, was heartfelt to the player as well. Like sharing a laugh, or just a good experience together. I hoped they would enjoy the feeling that went into it, despite the struggle of making it against circumstance and limitations. Now, I look forward to resting and sleeping once this over. I want to explore my other interests, improve, and explore new media. I want to relax, and refocus again like I was before the heat of development.

Is there something you’re afraid of concerning the development or the release of your game? *GH: Bugs! Some are easy to fix, but others are harder due to the limitations of the engine (e.g an error in one ending is caused by an overflow error).

Do you have any advice for upcoming devs? *GH: Show your game as early as possible, to as many people as possible. As soon as you have something playable, it’s ready for feedback. You’ll see if that game mechanic you spent hours refining works, or if it doesn’t work and why. You’ll understand what players enjoy and what they want more of, but also what they don’t like or don’t enjoy. And you will definitely encounter bugs. You’ll be able to pinpoint and fix minor problems early on that can easily become a larger issue later. You’ll be able to fine-tune your game so its best bits shine, and the difficulty is just right.

Question from last month's featured dev @dead-dreams-dev: Is there anything you’ve added to your game for no other reason than because you’re hoping fans will get a kick out of it? Fanservice, fourth wall breakage, references to other games, jokes, abilities that are just ridiculously overpowered and badass, etc? *GH: It’s hard to say; game design is trying to find the intersection between what’s good for the player, what the developer enjoys, and what’s feasible to implement. Every decision made should be conscious of that … I think a lot of the game’s early light-hearted jokes was not only made because I enjoyed it, but I hoped the player would “get a kick out of it” too. But more so, I think it’s because I would struggle to write a story which is serious and bleak from beginning to end. The game is a little self-indulgent in the narrative that way.

We mods would like to thank ghosthunter & team for agreeing to our interview! We believe that featuring the developer and their creative process is just as important as featuring the final product. Hopefully this Q&A segment has been an entertaining and insightful experience for everyone involved!

Remember to check out Grimm's Hollow if you haven’t already! See you next month! 

- Mods Gold & Platinum