#its not even april fools anymore

[windwenn]

Crying at the boop thing i cant believe i only just noticed

[wereh0gz]

Oh my god. What a ride

[pearwaldorf]

I hate that you can't see a tweet thread anymore if you're not logged into Twitter (as a gesture of disrespect I refuse to call it by its rebranded name). Here is a copypasta of a thread from Dan Olson, a Canadian documentary filmmaker, expanding upon camera quality, the guilt trips Somerton used to goose his Patreon subscriptions, and how the best tools will never make up for lack of dedication or patience. I have added clarifications in [[double brackets]] where I feel it is necessary.

START OF THREAD

Okay, so, back in April I snapped at James in reply to a tweet that was linking to this video (which James has since delisted but not deleted) and I want to talk about the full context of that but I don't want to make a video, put your beatdown memes away. [[The video has since been deleted. I can see the title of the video is "Maybe the end (not an April Fool's Day thing".]]

The first bit of context is that I initially got keyed into James to fact-check his claims about indie filmmaking in Canada. As a filmmaker the entire Telos venture was immediately obvious as a juvenile fantasy dreamed up by someone with no idea how to make a movie.

Just wild claims about their plans that weren't worth debunking because they bordered Not Even Wrong. But in watching one of these pitch videos I noticed that he had a $4000 current-gen camera in the background as a prop, and that seemed both pretentious and weird.

You don't use your best camera as a prop, you use your second best camera as a prop. So being an obsessive weirdo I needed to know, and I watched his BTS stuff until I spotted his main rig, a $6000 camera with about $1000 in accessories.

Now, these in isolation are unremarkable because his Patreon at the time was bringing in ~$8000 per month, his channel was a full on Business business, and so investing in some professional equipment of that level is maybe a bit indulgent but justifiable.

What was weird is that he doesn't shoot multi-cam, doesn't shoot outdoors, doesn't shoot on location, and in a studio the two cameras kinda really step on each others' toes. Basically if you already have one and don't need a B cam there's no reason to get the other.

Again, on its own, this says nothing, it's just indicative of poor financial decisions, maybe impulsive purchasing, Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Biblical sins, but not crimes.

Paired with the constantly inflating fantasy scope of the Telos films it was clearly an expression of a very, very common bad filmmaker habit of "if I just get the right gear then my movie will basically make itself" Buying stuff because it feels like progress.

At the end of February he tweets "I want to start shooting anamorphic" and then three weeks later in March he posts the worst, out of focus, under-exposed "I just got a new lens!" video I've ever seen, showing off his trash-covered bedroom.

Based on what's available for his cameras and the lead time, that's enough time to get a Laowa Nanomorph or Sirui Saturn from B&H but not enough time to get a Great Joy from the UK or a Vazen from China. And with the flaring blah blah blah, $1300 lens.

Again, [gear acquisition syndrome] is not a crime and these lenses are budget options. Bit of a pointless impulse purchase since he only used it for the Showgirls video. But this is what he was doing just a few weeks before that above video came out: effortlessly impulse purchasing lenses.

James has (had?) a habit of regularly, aggressively driving viewers to Patreon by claiming that videos were getting demonetized. While tacky, it is something a lot of queer YouTubers have dealt with, so there's precedent there. But people were noticing he did it a lot.

Mid-March he humble brags about needing to work so hard to make 6 videos in April because he has over-booked sponsorships.

Then March 29th James posts this whole incel screed on Twitter about how sex work should be "subsidized as a mental health service."

[two image descriptions.

1. "For the majority of people sex (and human contact) can be imperative to a healthy state of mind. A kind and talented sex worker can make someone feel wanted for the first time in their life. I know sex workers who have pulled people back from suicide just by being there for them." 2. "Not only should (sex work) be legal, but it should be subsidized as a mental health service."]

He spends several days getting absolutely *roasted* for this, just dragged across the pavement and read for filth, and doubles down in the replies the whole way.

So this is the context immediately surrounding James waking up on Friday, and posts the above video and the below tweet.

[image description: "We just got the lowest Patreon payout we've gotten in well over a year. Like, a "maybe we need to rethink things" kind of amount... NOT an April Fools Day thing btw. But I don't know if we'll be making videos much longer."]

Now, this unfolds in kinda two directions. The first is that I'm convinced he was just lying about this income shock in the first place.

There's a million theoretical edge cases about what maybe happened and if maybe he just misunderstood the data or saw a glitch and panicked, maybe one of those happened, I don't believe it, I think he just lied because he was salty about getting dragged and felt owed a win.

A big tell to me is that he doesn't blame Patreon. He says he doesn't know what happened, but let's be real, Patreon screws up all the time, they're the first people anyone blames if anything confusing happens, just as a reflex action, even if it's completely not their fault.

The only reason to not blame Patreon is if you already know that it's not their fault and that any investigation on their part might reveal embarrassing details.

Instead he indirectly blames his viewers for not watching enough, not sharing enough, and not turning on auto-renew.

So regardless of the unknowable truth, this segues into the second, far more offensive direction of the messaging itself. "I don't know if we'll be making videos much longer." "Maybe the end" He explicitly framed this as an immediate existential threat to his channel.

In the video he is vague about everything, leaves a ton of hazy room for plausible deniability on how long the channel can keep going, but the messaging is "I need more patrons right this minute or my YouTube channel is over."

He repeatedly evokes all the "fun stuff" they had planned that would never see the light of day if this didn't turn around right away.

And his audience received this message loud and clear. Tons of people making far, far, far less than him left very heartfelt messages about digging a little deeper to subscribe or up their pledge or unsubscribe from other channels to move their pledge to his.

1200 new patrons in one day.

Since I simply don't believe the income shock was real in the first place that would put his post-"Maybe the end" Patreon income at around $10,000 per month. US. Add YouTube income, he's spent the last seven months making around $18,000 per month.

I have seen creators scale back their capabilities to the bone purely to keep making videos for the love of just, like, making stuff even as their funding evaporated and they needed to go back to a desk job to cover their bills.

You'd have to be so outstandingly reckless with your finances as a channel that a one month spook leads immediately to "channel over, sorry about all the fun stuff we won't get to do with you, our patrons, specifically because you, our patrons, aren't giving us enough money"

And not a spook where you then spend a couple weeks crunching numbers. Oh no. A shock so violent where less than two hours later you're weeping on camera about the channel being over.

Three weeks later he brought a brand new Sony FX6v for $8000 CAD to add to his pile of cinema cameras despite the fact that he was, but scant moments earlier, in such a precarious position that a single bad month would kill his channel.

He stole your money, and for that I'm profoundly sad and angry. That's why I snapped at him in April. I'm sorry I couldn't give you the full context then, and I'm sorry if that anger upset you.

END OF THREAD

[thetimelordbatgirl]

Generally not surprising anymore that even with Scottlands new law against hate speech coming in, JK Rowling is still transphobic, making an entire twitter thread about trans women that is basically throwing a tantrum that they will recieve protection from bigots like her while also basically trying to say all trans women are sex offenders via throwing in non-sex offenders in the thread with sex offenders and at the end, going, "April Fools!" and proceeding to insist they not women, just men. Its just beyond disgusting she's still at it with her followers who I can only assume the worst off if they sticking around even after the holocaust denial incident, let alone that being someone with money, its likely she'll get away with this shit. I'd like to be proven wrong, but I doubt I will be.

[sunnpii]

Haii it's @yourreality-mp3 's main blog‼️ do u have any Yuri hcs?:3😈

USHOUKD NTO HAVE ASKED ME THIS NOW I HAVE AN EXCUSE TO YAP /silly

this is jus a doodle + a few hcs to have something next 2 the doodel.........ihave many more under the cut :3c ..........

- first off . autistic. hits her withmy fucked up autism beam (shes actually so autistic coded its absurd i cluld go on all day about it but we're not heree for that🤔🤔🤔🤔maybe ill save that for another post if u guys r interested) undiagnosed specifically liek she has no idea

- was definitely a weird kid when she was younger (probably creepypasta style weird kid specifically)

- as a kid was also the type to read/watch horror stuff without a care in the world during the day and then as soon as it turns midnight shes shitting herself playing fnaf 4 irl (she probably developed more horror tolerance as she got older tho)

- constantly stays up WAY past the night and into the morning, both accidentally and not accidentally (she has insomnia liek i put in the pic so a lot of the time she cant fall asleep at a reasonable time even if she tries. shes just given up atp)

- sometimes has difficulty wording stuff in a more casual way when she speaks, which makes her sound liek way too formal when she doesnt need to be. in social situations she has to like actively run what she wants to say over in her head to figure out a more "normal" way to say it

- not TERRIBLE at drawing but its not like her number 1 hobby or anything; drew a lot in middle school but doesnt as much anymore (i think natsuki would be pretty good at drawing but we'll savee that for a natsuki hcs post)

- witch perchance guyss do we fw witch yuri

- DEF was a """"gifted kid"""" (specifically in reading) back in elementary school and then got slapped in the face with gifted kid burnout in middle-highschool .noo im not projecting haha what are u talking about what a preposterous suggestion guards take him away

- the type to have an online persona thats like a millionbillion times different than how she acts irl

- dislikes april fools day

- favorite season is fall with winter in close second, then spring, and lastly summer (she cant stand the heat)

- owns Many candles. perhaps Too Many (im not sure if this is canon or not but i think it IS canon she enjoys aromatherapy so i think itd be pretty par for the course)

- and finally........ her fav color is maroon ^.^

[eepyuii]

frostbite — pt. 13

pairing ; childe x gender neutral!reader

content ; childhood friends to “rivals” to lovers, slowburn

cw ; none

notes ; april fools prank where i actually post a new chapter!!! (i actually just speedran finishing this one bc i couldn’t sleep. it’s 2:30 am :3)

anyway, more of these pining idiots (france edition)

previous | next | masterlist

“…fontaine?”

at this point, you’ve forgotten why you were even crying. your heart is still hammering in your ears from childe’s words towards you— recalling his exact wording almost makes you want to sob again, but your head is already thrumming with ache too much for that. childe explains further his reasons for wanting to go to fontaine but you can’t bring yourself to focus, still replaying what happened previously in your mind.

“i’ve been having these strange dreams and mood swings… i think they’re related to the abyss.”

now that gets your attention. the mere mention of the abyss seems to create a flash of everything in your mind, from the day he disappeared to the day he came back, to when you saw foul legacy for the first time, to when he told you about the abyss— it hits you so abruptly that you physically flinch.

“w-wait what..? why?” you ask meekly, pit forming in your stomach at what this could possibly entail.

“well… you remember the sword master i told you about, right? the one that taught me all i know— skirk was her name. at one point while i was learning under her, i asked her why she took me in at all.. and her answer was extremely cryptic. she something along the lines of ‘because i awakened it’ and that i was ‘connected’ to it.”

“…’it’?”

“hah, she never told me what it was, that enigmatic lady.” childe tries to laugh it off and lighten the sober mood, but you can still gauge that it’s really a vexing matter to him.

“but i’ve got a hunch— i think it’s a whale.”

the vivid image of his whale attack blinds you momentarily, like you can still feel the chilling breeze of its waving water anatomy as it launched upward and slammed down on the floors of the golden house. no wonder childe used it while in his foul legacy form.

“a whale… is that why it’s one of your moves?”

“perhaps, that was never my intention though. my hunch isn’t due to that attack specifically either— it’s more about what i see in my dreams. within them, i find myself in the deepest depths of the sea, not a trace of anything except seawater, and then… there it is, a colossally big whale.”

“and- and the mood swings, how do you feel?”

“i don’t know— lately there’s just these moments where my mood completely flips around and i just feel… bad, like there’s something pulling at my throat. and then the next second it goes away.”

almost as if childe’s own description affects you, as a pit forms in your stomach and a clawed grip pulls at the back of your throat. besides the glaring bad news of anything abyss related, you have a feeling that… something might genuinely go wrong. like this is a bad idea.

“a-and you’re sure you want to go to fontaine to investigate that?”

“yep, positive.”

all of this feels entirely off and you’re not willing to take any chances anymore. you’re not losing this idiot to the abyss again, even if it means jumping down there to pull him back up yourself.

“then i’ll come with you.”

the way childe’s face entirely lights up at that makes it seem as though it’s all he’s ever wanted to hear in his life. for a moment you even think you spot a reflection of the inazuman street lamps in his irises, making him seem utterly starry-eyed. as he’s about to exclaim something about how glad he is, he pauses pensively for a moment and hesitates.

“wait— we’d have to go through sumeru again… are you sure you’re okay with that?”

you nod with full certainty. “i’ll be okay, because this time i’ll be with you.”

the two of you simultaneously turn away from each other discreetly the rest of the way to the hotel, as both try to suppress the grins that creep onto your faces and the heat that rises to your cheeks.

—

the trip to fontaine is arduous and tiring.

by the time you’re on land again, you and childe bee-line for your new hotel. after a long night’s sleep, you finally get to take in the breathtaking architecture, the unimaginable technological advancements and the extravagant lifestyles of the hydro nation. it’s almost overwhelming how much there is to see. childe, simultaneously, furthers his investigation in how to battle the champion duelists— spars with some of them even. and the more he does, the more you’re confident he’s signing up to get his ass kicked if he’s looking to go for tougher champions.

today, you’re whiskered away and into a fancy café in an impromptu invitation by the knave before you can even think of choosing where to go next. once lead into a private conversation room in the café, you’re met by the sight of the knave herself and… three teenagers? childe doesn’t seem to be as taken aback by their presence as you are, perhaps he’s known of them prior to the meeting— either way he doesn’t even spare the three a glance, being far too busy trying to contain the tension in his posture upon seeing arlecchino.

you don’t blame him for that either, as the fourth harbinger is someone you’ve only heard poorly of. she was never much present in zapolyarny palace, in fact you can only recall hearing of her staying in snezhnaya at all for the fair lady’s funeral. other than that, it’s only snarls and shuddered comments from childe saying that he does not like her entirely.

alas, all conflict represents a failure in diplomacy. and she doesn’t seem like someone fun to fight.

“childe… and— sargeant y/n, is it? be very welcome to fontaine, i’m glad to see you’ve accepted my invitation for this chat. be assured this meeting is solely meant for cordial conversation, so, please, relax.”

the knave gestures for you both to sit on the loveseat facing hers— assorted sweets, steaming tea atop a table between them and a collected smile on her face. her eyes seem to hold more than just… cordiality in them, in fact her gaze has a predatory hint to it. you feel so utterly scrutinized under her stare that you almost forget the three teenagers still standing at a corner of the room.

“as you might’ve noticed, i’ve brought three of my children from the house of the hearth— lyney, lynette and freminet. i’ve brought them here in the spirit of… first contact, they’ve never met one of my fellow harbingers before.”

oh that’s right, the house of the hearth. for a moment you feel bad for those three kids, having to stand nearly unregarded at the corner like actual children at an awkward family gathering, merely because the orphanage that took them in happened to be associated with the fatui. you wonder if they’re well treated in the house— rather you hope they are, being under the wing of someone you’ve only heard be described as psychopathic.

arlecchino and childe engage in small talk, she asks about his recent comings and goings, family, work and such while he responds with cautious answers. you can tell childe is as on guard as he can be, before someone who is unpredictable even to him. meanwhile you only stare boredly into your teacup, tracing its intricate painted patterns with your fingers.

your eyes trail over to the three kids almost involuntarily and you see that they haven’t moved an inch since you’ve arrived, merely watching carefully with unreadable expressions. well, at least the tallest one of them does, you think you’ve seen his face in flamboyantly decorated posters around the city, perhaps for a spectacle in true fontainian fashion. same goes for the girl, who seems to be a cat hybrid, bears an even more unamused expression than yourself and she seems to be much more entertained in watching her own tail sway back and forth lazily. finally, the other boy is crouched down over a rounded device as he tinkers with it with a screwdriver in his hand, you can’t discern exactly what it is though.

finally, you notice that besides what you, childe and arlecchino have nibbled on, the rest of the food on the coffee table remains untouched. you don’t know what it is, but a small voice in your head tells you to walk over to them.

a few silent steps, unacknowledged by the two still chatting, and you’re standing in front of the three teens. their shoulders immediately tense at your looming stature and it’s then that you’re reminded that you’re fatui— much more fatui than any of these orphans will ever be.

“hey, uh, aren’t you guys hungry?” you whisper awkwardly.

the taller boy seems to be taken aback by the question and his previously guarded expression melts into relieved amusement.

“ah— don’t worry about us, sargeant, we’ve eaten.” he chuckles politely.

you nod, feeling a tinge of embarrassment creep at your fingertips at how simple and foolish your question seemed. your eyes scatter as you search for something else to bring up in conversation.

“o-oh um… this may seem silly to ask but— are you two part of any show? i think i’ve seen these posters on the streets with two people a lot like you.”

“why yes, i am known as the great magician lyney and my sister lynette is my assistant.” lyney presents proudly, giving you a humorous bow— a complete 180 of his demeanor before, while lynette remains stoic and merely nods to you.

you’re intrigued by the reveal. you’ve seen street ‘magicians’ both in snezhnaya and liyue, mere entertainers fooling the naked eye for petty change, but to be titled a great magician in a nation as grandiose as fontaine, it must say something about lyney.

“magician, huh? i’ll be sure to catch one of your shows sometime.” you grin.

the other boy, who through your supernatural investigative skills you determine is named freminet, remains unbothered and undistracted from his activity. you quietly crouch down to his level and watch with intrigue as he works on his device, either unaware of your presence or uncaring of it.

“hi,” you whisper in a gentle tone, grabbing the boy’s attention as he raises his head to show so, even if he doesn’t fully face you. “freminet, right? can i ask what is it that you’re working on?”

“a-ah uhm… i-it’s nothing too intricate, just fixing up my diving helmet.” freminet fidgets with the edge of his helmet— still not once making eye contact with you, rather his eyes scatter back and forth toward the ground, much in the same way you were before.

“woah, a diving helmet? i would’ve never been able to guess that’s what it was. it’s so cool looking… can you see well in it?” you gasp with wonder.

as soon as you ask, it’s once again as if the teen’s entire mood shifts, his posture becomes more relaxed and his eye light up as they finally meet your own. freminet visibly attempts to hold himself back from getting too excited.

“yes! i-i can’t see very well with the visor but… it’s the best i can get for a helmet meant to sustain such high levels of water pressure!”

“oh sweet— i’ve heard that fontaine’s waters have so much to explore… how deep can you go with it?”

“i’d say about thirty five meters. the maximum safe depth for humans is sixty, though.”

“that’s already so far! what do you usually encou-“

“y/n? we should get going.”

childe calls out faintly as he stands by the door, fond smile on his face. you say goodbye to the three, who return it parting smiles, even lynette flashes you the most microscopic grin though you didn’t directly speak to her. scurrying to formally say goodbye to arlecchino, you join childe outside the café. in such a hurry, you don’t even catch the intrigued stare of the knave towards you.

as the two of you return to touring the streets of the city, you notice childe chuckle and grin to himself as he looks away aimlessly, any of his attempts to hide it fail completely.

“what’s gotten you so giggly?” you ask amusedly.

childe has always reddened easily, perhaps it’s a trait of his redheadedness or a trait of his shy nature as a kid— just like then, his ears immediately give away his embarrassment and he can’t hope to evade explanation.

“ah well, it’s just…” he trails off, hand coming up to scratch his nape sheepishly. “i find rather amusing how good you are with kids.”

the answer surprises you and your step halts momentarily.

“w-what do you mean?”

“oh c’mon, y/n… look at how you were talking to those kids. they were so hostile and serious before and then when i looked again, there you were chatting with them and making them feel comfortable. i was surprised anyone could even be that comfortable in a room with that lunatic…” childe grimaces briefly.

“and it’s not the first time this happens. my siblings all adore you, especially teucer and tonia. she always asks about you in our letters.”

as if karmic, heat rises to your own cheeks— you’d say it’s due to the vulnerability that childe brings out with his words, but the back of your head focuses the mere fact that childe paid attention to that at all to the point where he’d smile at the thought and summons pesky butterflies to your stomach.

you’ve found that lately, most times you think about childe those butterflies are there again. you’re not an idiot, you’ve read fairy tale books, but now was the least appropriate time to indulge any further— your best friend has heard callings from the abyss again and it’s affected his well-being, get your head in the fucking game, y/n.

“s-sure but you know that’s not always been the case! don’t you remember when tonia was born? she always cried whenever i was around…” you retaliate in an attempt to dismiss your embarrassment.

childe opens his mouth to reply but his attention is caught by something else. following his gaze you spot a gathering of people and it seems to be rather more confrontational than merely social. looking further, you recognize one of the men as a representative of conferie of cabriere, a shady organization with even unclearer relations to the northland bank branch of fontaine city. while you haven’t bothered to visit the branch, childe has passingly spoken of his findings there about said organization.

you also spot an all too familiar head of blonde hair— the traveler and paimon. before you can ask anything, childe steps briskly ahead, though he does not disturb the conversation just yet and watches from the sideline.

“…that you won’t go running off by the end of this month? i want fifty percent. today. no— seventy percent.” you hear part of what the man says.

“huh?! you…” the woman in front of him exclaims incredulously.

“hey, hold on! before you go trying to collect payments, why don’t you settle your own debts first?” intervenes childe in a taunting tone.

“if confrerie of cabriere wants to poach clients from northland bank, that’s fine, but i’m afraid you still owe the bank a hefty sum of mora. so why don’t we work things out between us first before you get back to your little conversation here?”

the man visibly cowers slightly, chuckling nervously.

“ah, you’re from northland bank? but we said we’ll pay you everything we owe next month. why are you hounding me now?”

in the midst of that, paimon waves from where she and the traveler stand and it catches childe’s attention. he immediately saunters over to them with delighted surprise in his face, as if completely brushing his prior interaction off, and you take that as your que to join him.

“oh, traveler! paimon! didn’t think i’d run into you here in fontaine. what are the chances?”

“we’re surprised to see you too! what are you doing here in fontaine? didn’t want to stay in snezhnaya?”

this time you answer. “ah, we were actually in inazuma before this for a little… leisurely trip.”

at that, the traveler eyes you suspiciously and it’s very clear that both of you catch onto her meaning, as childe chuckles nervously and you fidget with your fingertips. as discreetly as you can, you shake your head at the traveler, who drops her glare with slight disappointment.

“haha! yeah, long story short, we’ve been in fontaine for some time now. and honestly— things here have been pretty mundane. but it seems that fate has brought our paths together today!”

childe throws you a delighted look as his chest puffs up proudly. his demeanor has completely changed from its mellower nature from before, like spotting a conflict to participate in has lightened his mood exponentially— painfully in-character for him. he shows to be as excited as a little kid on their birthday, in such a manner that it almost takes away the weight of the fact that he’s excited to beat the shit out of someone. you won’t anote that verbally though, you know very well he’s been craving a fight ever since you landed in fontainian grounds.

“not only will i have more good friends here now, but ones who always seem to find trouble. either way you look at it, it seems things are going to get a lot more interesting now.”

dear tsaritsa, you know him so well.

paimon chuckles nervously. “pretty sure we’d want to avoid anything you’d find interesting… besides, our trip here has gone pretty well so far, right traveler?”

the traveler shrugs. “i don’t mind a little excitement every once in a while.”

you almost reprimand her for encouraging childe’s tendencies, but instead the sound of someone clearing their throat is heard behind you.

“ahem, uh… hey you, northland bank boy. aren’t ya forgettin’ somethin’?���

“don’t interrupt— it’s not often we’re all reunited like this. why don’t you wait for me over there for a while?”

“hah, you kiddin’?! aren’t ya the one lookin’ for us? you really expect us to sit and twiddle our thumbs while you catch up with your friends?! listen to me, boy. if you want your mora, fine— why don’t you come and take it?”

oh well. rest in peace whoever this asshole was.

“hey! i said not to interrupt. oh! by the way, traveler, y/n i forgot to tell you this one too… the last time i took tonia and teucer ice fishing, teucer said—“

“HEY! that’s way over the line! alright boys, let’s see who has to pay up now!”

“ugh, can you at least let me finish one sentence? fine, though the bank told me not to get rough with our clients…”

you’re not exactly worried about the outcome of this fight, so you just continue the topic childe was interrupted from.

“you still take them ice fishing?” you ask him fondly, warm smile on your face.

childe is rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms as prep, but he still turns his head to throw you a playful wink. “‘course i do. i’ll tell you all about it after i take care of these guys.”

“alright, want me to hold your earring?” you ask teasingly.

“hah hah..” childe feigns a laugh, rather very obviously fake than convincing.

you may fake it all you want in front of other people, but there was no point in lying to yourself and saying you didn’t feel your heart stutter at that wink, it makes you like a silly teenager. the traveler and paimon almost instinctively expect you to try and hold childe back from getting himself into trouble— but when you don’t move an inch to stop him, perhaps too distracted thinking about how heavily your heart strums against your chest, they both give you a judgemental glare.

“what happened to your common sense?” paimon deadpans and you can’t bring yourself to respond.

as expected, childe single-handedly takes down the confrerie’s gaggle of goons without even breaking a sweat. soon enough, only the leader remains standing, already panting heavily and stumbling on his steps.

“what’s your deal brat..? how are you so strong if you’re just a staffer from snezhnaya’s northland bank?! …wait, don’t tell me you’re a—“

“ohoh, now you notice— s’ a little late, don’t you think? just make sure you understand that you don’t mess with northland bank, got it?”

to finish off, childe summons his dual elemental blades… or rather he tries to.

the water swirls into the silhouette of the blades, but when it means to solidify in shape— the water vanishes. you frown in bewilderment almost immediately, did he just change his mind? no, you look towards childe’s expression and see that he’s just as taken aback as you, looking down to the hydro vision at his waist that sits inactive. his opponent takes the distraction as an opportunity to strike, but much to his dismay it takes childe only a punch to knock him out instead.

seeing that all of the men have been taken down definitively, you rush over to childe’s side— you instinctively give him a once over to check for injuries or anything off. the traveler and paimon join you soon after.

“huh, that was weird…” he mutters.

“yeah… safe to say that wasn’t intentional. you okay?”

“what happened?” adds the traveler.

“i’m not… sure. it’s as if i lost control of my hydro powers when i needed them. maybe there’s something wrong with my vision?”

“strange. how could that happen? first time paimon’s ever heard of someone losing control of their vision.”

childe shakes his head dismissively and sighs. “nevermind, it doesn’t matter. if i wanna stay sharp, i shouldn’t be relying too much on my vision anyway. besides, i always have my delusion in case i need it.”

you throw him a glare. “hey, we know better than anyone that a delusion isn’t the remedy for a vision.”

“so what’re you guys actually doing in fontaine? and don’t say it’s work for northland bank…” paimon asks, in hope of changing the subject.

“well… i guess it’s because i’ve been having these bad moods lately.”

“huh? what kinda reason is that? wait, since when do you feel down about anything?”

“haha… i dunno, maybe i still have a lot to learn about myself. but recently, there seems to be some sort of restless power stirring inside of me— and i don’t know why but every now and then, i feel like i’m a in terrible mood.”

at a realization, that familiar anxious feeling returns to your chest, claws at it. it was only just recently that you felt free from it, yet your mind replays the moment where childe’s vision failed him against your will and causes that old weight on shoulders to return.

“what if… that’s why your vision did that? because of ‘it’?” you suggest meekly and childe nods thoughtfully in consideration of the possibility.

“‘it?’” paimon questions.

childe explains his story with the abyss and his swordmaster, almost verbatim to the way he told you. perhaps partially due to deja vu, you can’t bring yourself to listen intently— your mind is far too addled with fleeting and overwhelming whispers of what could happen to childe after this new development. you instinctively start to fidget with your fingers anxiously, as your eyes stare off into nothing while you’re deep in thought. your time for relaxation was dismantled so fast… like the worried thoughts were stalking you from a distance like patient predators— waiting to pounce and overtake all of your neural functions.

there’s a light tap on your shoulder.

coming to, you realize that the traveler and paimon are no longer standing in front of you and your eyes scatter to find them already taking off into the streets, waving goodbye absentmindedly. secondly, you turn to see childe looking down at you with a somber air in his eyes.

“y/n? seems like you spaced out a bit there… you alright?”

you scoff, though the scoff feels more demeaning at yourself than childe. “your powers are malfunctioning and you’re worried about me?”

he laughs. “yeah well… guess i picked that up from someone. listen— it’s fine, maybe it was just a random hiccup, we don’t know anything yet. i was going to tell you that i’ve got to go keep my appointment with the champion duelist but… speaking of my vision, here.”

a palm opens up in front of you, sapphire-esk gem neatly sitting on it.

“…you’re giving me your vision? why?” you frown.

“heh, i know i just said it could’ve been a hiccup but… it’s still not reliable, i’d hate for it to get in the way of my duel.”

as if childe senses your wholehearted reluctancy, he holds up both of your hands, puts his vision in them and closes them beneath his own.

“besides, there’s nobody in this world i’d trust more to keep it safe for me.”

he holds both of your hands there for a moment, a moment in which you realize how warm his hands are and how cold yours are. it’d be easy to say it’s due to his gloves— but he’s always been like this. you still recall how ajax would complain about your ‘subzero temperature hands’ whenever you tried to tickle him. and the irony is even funnier, for you to have received a vision that summons powers of ice and for childe to have received a vision with control over the waters… essentially the warmer version of your powers. perhaps it’s a coincidence, or perhaps a silly little play put on by the gods.

with all the time you’ve had to ponder over all of this, you realize that the two of you are still holding hands— not a falter or pull from either of you. as you’d been looking down aimlessly once again, when you look up to face childe, your gaze is already met by his. like he’d been looking at you the entire time.

at that, your arms start to tremble, seemingly causing childe to realize the reality of the situation himself. he brings a gloved hand up to cover his cheeks, pretending as if he’s scratching something on his face.

finally, he mumbles something about wishing him luck in his duel and takes off briskly.

his vision feels heavier in your hands now that his aren’t there to hold it with you.

taglist ; @kentply @osaemu @rain-and-a-nice-nap @koichirana

[pianocat939]

YAY I FINALLY GOT ONE OF MY RAFFLE FICS DONE AFTER SLACKING OFF FOR 5 MONTS- I leaned toward a slight bit of horror cuz my followers wanted some so just a little bit

Ok so I did this really stupid thing of switching from 2nd person to 3rd person at random times, so I apologize if it gets confusing at any point. Just know for the most part if it says "they" or "you", it's referring to MC.

A Butterfly's Death

Synopsis: Younger Sibling MC goes out alone and gets hurt and Platonic Yan turtles go a tiny bit crazy and panic a lot.

Tw: blood, injury, murder, degradation, decapitation, mildly(?) explicit horror, manipulation, fear, implied panic attacks (I didn't write it that descriptive), I can't think of anymore-

Word Count: 2.1K

You walk through the stone brick paths of the Hidden City, observing the numerous yokai and the questionably-shaped buildings. When you look up, the sky's endless walls of minerals and the earth's rocks greet you, creating a vast colour of brown and grey. The glowing sign lights and the vivid colours of mystic powers thrown around everywhere blind your eyes a small bit, but you don't mind at all. Being able to walk through the streets on your own was exhilarating for you enough.

After leaving the tangles of your brothers' firm rules, you managed to slip out to the Hidden City on your own; with April being the slick butter needed to slide out from their harsh grip. You are forever grateful she was willing to make a cover-up for your disappearance, a genius she was at people. You knew you only had an hour or perhaps another half more at best, so you needed to explore briefly; otherwise, your brothers might come for you and lock you down again. You didn't even want to imagine the consequences Donnie would give with his undying protectiveness: he could be even worse than Raph at times. You wondered when it'll be your turn to have permission to leave alone since Mikey already got his 6 months ago.

While roaming the marketplace, you notice a red glowing spectre behind another yokai. Oddly allured to it, you approach it subtly without causing any suspicion and see a vibrant vermillion-coloured butterfly fluttering slowly through the bustling street. Out of everything that was going on, it was the only thing you could keep your eyes on. How its crystallized wings flap elegantly through such a diminished place is fascinating. You can't help but pursue the butterfly, your feet automatically shuffling toward it. The creature's shine was nothing compared to Donnie's monitors or the neon signs that cover New York City.

After following it through a few streets, you step close enough to it to graze your fingers upon its rouge wings. You reached out your arm slowly to feel the butterfly, your eyes slightly widened in glistening wonder. But right then, you feel a choking pressure on your chest, pain pulsing through your upper body every second. You realize your arms are pinned by some rose-coloured elastic tape binds. With a yelp, you're swished upwards into the air, restrained with only your legs to kick around in a fruitless struggle.

"H-Hey wha- what's going on?!" They stammer in panic, looking around wildly in panic. But then they hear a harsh shrill laugh, loud enough to make you wince from the volume.

"Ah...Look at the stupid little turtle who fell into my trap! I knew I could effortlessly fool a dumb youngling like you!" The villain declared with raging pride. It smiled with a devilish smirk, seemingly finding itself ingenious.

The mutant stares at the yokai in cold fear, their breathing shallow and uneven. Tears welled in their eyes, on the verge of bursting into a stream of terror and helplessness. They were so idiotic to think they could go out alone: in a city full of powerful yokai. They would eventually end up in danger; they should have complied with their brothers' rules. They regret even trying, as look where they ended up: trapped and no means of escape. They knew this villain wasn't an easy douchebag; they could see it was an imaginative mind filled with strategy and max concentration.

While the young one meddled in their guilt, the tape slowly tightened around them, applying more pressure. They immediately winced with the increase of pain, squinting their eyes slightly as if it would block the torture. But the tightening only grew, and soon it was excruciating. As their cries of pain got more voluminous, the villain only laughed with more insanity: enjoying their pain.

But then the turtle started to feel a slow cracking of their leg, bringing more pain with every fracture, and that's when they screamed: their leg had broken into two. Their scream pierced the whole vicinity, startling Yokai from nearby streets, and a small crowd formed. Some tried to save the mutant, but the villain was too powerful. The people ended up getting smacked by the elastic tape.

The villain cackled sadistically before yelling at its captive, "You're nothing but a silly little weakling! Look at you, screaming like a pitiful child!"

Their demonic giggling continued until a distant scream came from above, "YOU DIRTY WATERED MONSTER BETTER GET YOUR NASTY BUBBLEGUM TAPE OFF MY SIBLING, YOU DEMON!" It was Mikey, one of their brothers, and he did not look pleased by any means. Within a few seconds their siblings: Raph, Mikey and Donnie, fire attacks at the villain. From fire to crushing the villain with a mighty fist: it was pure warfare. Meanwhile, the elastic band that restrained them was sliced, and they fell into a pair of stable arms: Leo.

"I got you. Now, let me see your injuries." He softly muttered, his eyes with a look of concern, but they could see the dark fury swirling in his eyes. Leo carried them to a more secure place. Surprisingly the elastic tape didn't follow the pair, as it was too distracted fighting off the others. Once Y/n felt safer about their environment, they clung to Leo, trembling in horror. Leo hugged them, rubbing their back, "Hey, hey, what happened?"

Their voice was shaky and practically silent as they whispered, "I think my leg is broken..." They glance at their right calf, noticing it's visibly swollen and bruised; it was obviously distended in some places. A few tears drip from their eyes, as the pain fully sets in after leaving the danger zone. They glance back at their brother once more and notice his fury, and for a moment, they were terrified of his expression. His face was in a gritted frown, his eyes wide with absolute hatred. Leo rarely revealed his anger, but the times he did: it was a true menace. "L-Leo?" They mumbled, wondering why he didn't say anything.

Suddenly, in a flash, Leo created a portal and cut the now-weakened villain's head clean off, blood gushing and splattering everywhere. "Burn in hell, bastard." He advised quietly; you would almost think he was calm about the situation, but he wasn't. With the fact the villain was slain, all of your brothers rush back to you, surrounding you with worried looks.

"Can you walk?"

"How bad did it hurt you?"

"We're here now ok? You're safe!"

You didn't answer their questions, as you were processing what happened within the last hour. But there was one thing that was putting you through the most shock: you could have died. If it weren't for your brothers arriving in time, you could have been crushed or maybe even worse. You were grateful that you at the very least screamed, as who knows what more could have the villain done to you if you hadn't? In amidst processing all of the events, you burst out into tears, your breathing off the charts.

At the sight of this, your three brothers tried to calm you down. Mikey was hugging you, Raph was patting your hand, and Donnie was scanning your body with his goggles for all the injuries.

"Hey, hey! We're here, we're right here, no need to be scared anymore. You're out from that hellhole now!"

"Yeah, you got your big bros right here to save you. You're gonna be ok."

"Signs of bruises and swelling, increased blood pressure, a broken fibula along with some fractures on the tibula..."

Then Leo pushed himself between Raph and Donnie, holding a small, straight plank of wood along with some gauze and medicinal tape. He kneeled down and wrapped your calf into a makeshift splint. His anger had melted away from his expression, and now replaced with a concentrated face. He hummed a small tune as he worked, the tune sounding grim. When he was done he sighed, before standing up. "There. Now let's go home, where it's safe."

You're then heaved up into Raph's ginormous arms and carried off, as Mikey and Donnie wait for Leo to swiftly form a portal. Right before you leave through the turquoise-coloured glowing gateway, you stare back at the scene. Blood covers the ground and body of the villain; the colours of the elastic tape have dimmed. It's as if a horror scene the main character would stumble upon in a horror movie. You notice the butterfly you chased earlier landed right on the neck of the corpse: right where the head used to be attached. The wisp then slowly faded away into dust, as if it was never there.

——————————————————

Back at the lair, inside the med-bay, you lay on the bed as Leo gives more proper treatment to your injuries. While Donnie and Raph sit next to your bed. Raph held your hand and Donnie typed on his phone, seemingly writing down something important. The sound of an occasional machine beeping is the only noise in the room. Then Raph breaks the silence, "Why did you go out to the Hidden City alone?"

You froze. You knew the time to confess your doings was to come eventually. You felt intense stares at you, and you hated the thick, silent atmosphere. You didn't wish to utter a single sound; just keep your mouth shut and let Leo do his work. But you knew there was no choice, they wouldn't let you sleep for the night unless you confessed. So with all your courage you stated, "Because I hate having to constantly be with someone to go out alone. I...I felt smothered."

"But out of all the places you could have picked to sneak out to, you picked the Hidden City?" Raph interrogated, his tone sad and disappointed. His grip tightened slightly on your hand as he spoke.

"Well there's tons of cool stuff to do there, plus I didn't have to worry about people seeing me." You explained, hoping they would understand at least a small bit of your justifications.

"You know how dangerous it can be. Not only is it Big Mama's domain, but there's yokai who can do far worse things than a human could ever possibly fathom doing." Donnie added, glancing up from his phone. He frowned more, just a slight change.

You knew there was no point in arguing when Donnie's explanation is factual. "I guess you're right about that."

While placing a cast upon your broken calf, Leo chides, "I know you felt like you were smothered, but you really should stick with us when you go out. We can protect you and still let you have fun. We're your brothers, after all, we know your position better than anyone else, right?" He has a slightly humorous tone to his words, slowly returning to his usual self.

"I mean...I guess." You mumble, disappointed you're still not allowed to leave alone.

"I agree. We've lived with you our entire lives; we know what you like best. As well as our older age making us have more experience in combat and being in the public in general." Donnie confirmed, typing on his phone with purpose. Unknown to others, he was typing notes to upgrade the defences and surveillance of the lair.

You then felt gentle but firm arms around your shoulder blades and the feeling of scales slightly nuzzled against your cheek. "You worried me so much! I thought something was gonna happen to you!" Raph whimpered, embracing you close as he was on the verge of tears. "Maybe next year you can go out on your own..." never

After Leo finished up and a few more questions, Mikey walked in, holding in a freshly cooked dish of some sort: your favourite. He sauntered up to you, and carefully put the dish into your lap. "You've gone through a lot today, so I made you your favourite. Bon appétit!" He chirped, attempting to lighten up the silent gloomy atmosphere.

"Oh, thanks a lot, Mikey." You accept the food and started to eat it, hungry from not eating for quite a bit. It was delicious, as expected. Mikey is an excellent chef after all.

"So...I think we can all agree that you shouldn't go out on your own until you can prove to us you'll be safe. Agreed?" Raph proposed, looking around at all the other brothers who nodded in response. "Great. Now you just rest up and heal." He started to caress your head, smiling softly. You felt like a little kid in this situation. You felt like a little kid.

Maybe they were right: you shouldn't go out on your own. Not after what had happened to you in the Hidden City. You were just a little kid, who couldn't fend for themselves. Just a little kid.

And just like the butterfly who dwindled away into dust, so did your urge to rebel.

——————————————————

YAY FINALLY- I GOT ONE OF MY 500 SPECIAL DONE- @lilajjs for the winner-

I think it was like idk January/Febuary when I hit 500 help omg=

Well I hope you enjoyed this random bs-

- Celina

[adhdtsukasa]

good morning everyone, rise and shine, have you thought about the world hasn't even started yet today? nope? then now you do! because with full emukasa and ruinene sekahaji alts finally releasing, it's time for me to (over)analyze my favorite and definitely one of the most underrated wonderlands x showtime's songs that is still haunting the narrative to this day. (haunting the narrative is actually a bit of a dramatic way to call it, but i like to be dramatic and so do wxs.)

in full seriousness, i just really, really like sekahaji's lyrics and it's such a shame it's not getting talked about that much anymore only because that's an old song, especially since pinocchiop is a lyrics genius. so if you're interested in my personal interpretation of sekahaji, including analyzing the foreshadowing of the future events included in the lyrics and analyzing the line distribution not only in the original ver, but in the alt vocals as well, then tune in! because i have a lot to say.

will be using the screenshots from vocaloid lyrics wiki, but i'm going to say who's singing the line anyways, so it's not that much of a problem. i think. (also the alts line distribution is not really that important, it's mostly ruikasa and emunene singing each other's lines with two exceptions. but some lines hurt more when it's the other who sings it, so who am i not to mention it?)

"sekahaji is such a fun song" and then the first lines of the song after the bunch of hey heys and it's showtimes are already giving me a bunch of an emotional damage. oh, man. being a wxs fan sureee is so fun.

while we're at the topic of the first lyrics, it's kinda interesting that rui's the one who says "let's go!" instead of tsukasa, as this is expected from the latter with his position as the troupe leader — but i'm not going to read too much into it, because i doubt it matters lol. if i have to somehow explain it, then i'd say it's because rui's a stage director, so he's in charge of being the one to start the show. sort of. it's not really important.

"with a cast who can use magic and monsters who are burdened with trauma" is such a tsukasa line, honestly. it may seem more rui-like at first, but it fits tsukasa a lot, too. personally, i always interpret it as a spark contrast between who wxs were and who wxs are now — their pasts weren't the most pleasant thing ever (with exception of maybe emu, but even she is still haunted by the grief from her grandpa's death), they indeed were pretty traumatized (especially rui, but you cannot just ignore the rest). they were monsters, because they weren't perfect. and tsukasa is the type of person who strives for perfection.

they're not monsters anymore, however. (they never were, but try to explain it to four traumatized teenagers) now, it's their turn to be the magic-using cast! and the mentioned magic is them putting on shows and spreading shows, obviously. if you read into it a bit more, you can even say that the former cast, the one from when wxs were still these so-called monsters, was their idols, the people who sparked the dream of performing in them — seiichi amami, rakunosuke otori, yuka kazamatsuri and tom gray. (such an insane april fools unit)

in the ruinene alt, rui's the one who sings this line. and this stings a bit, because obviously... he'd think of himself as a monster burdened with trauma. rui...

nene is the one who sings this line in original, and this makes sense. that's a rather logical line, and so is nene. "disappear" isn't meaning death here, as it often means in the proseka terms — "disappear" is just the another word of something passing, something ending. vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas, you can say. i'm sorry that was stronger than me.

the disband arc (i'm so sorry, i know we're way past it. but it is an important part of the wxs lore. i'm not going to shut up about it) had it very beginning in nene, after all. its first mentions appeared in mermaid admiration, which was just a mere start of both the second arc and the second rotation (wxs has only just started getting better, after all!), and then island panic started the domino that was curtain call, amidst a dream and so on, and so on. nene knew that everyone's destined to disappear — to part ways — someday. this was creeping up to her from behind almost from the very start.

in the emukasa anabo, it's emu who got this line. it makes it even worse, because it's what emu's perspective of the disband arc was about. she wanted to stay at wonder stage, nene, rui and tsukasa wanted to go further than it. everyone's destined to disappear someday, because her dream is just too simple for them to share it.

okay, i'm gonna be honest here — i have no clue what to do with this line. i didn't want to skip it, as it's rui's solo line and is surrounded by such impactful words, it surely makes sense, i just don't really see it at this moment. sorry rui. the best i can do is to say that "heartbeat fading over time" may symbolize rui's deteriorating mental state in middle school, but, like... that's an awful reaching.

it makes a bit more sense when you look at it from tsukasa's pov, both because he has this line in the emukasa alt and because it's a song formed from his feelings — the heartbeat here is his real ambition, his want to make everyone smile and the way he forgot it in the main story. still don't know what to do with the ticket that's long past expired. my thoughts are kinda going in the direction of it being wonderland sekai, but i don't have any argument to actually explain it.

finally coming to an end of this part, (not because it's bad, but because it hurts), at this point you can guess that it's a line sung by emu and oh god, it made me suffer so much when i was waiting for our happy ending to release. yep, it's the foreshadowing of the disband arc again, who would've think, right? looking back at it now where the disband arc is finally resolved (for now. it's going to come back one day, surely), it's one of my favorite lines in the song, as it touches emu's internal struggle during these days perfectly.

i'm assuming the "let's come" means "let's come here" as in: come to a certain place (in my interpretation, wonder stage) because i have no idea why the "here" isn't here, as i was pretty much convinced that it was. but whatever. the way i see this line is how emu was always happily inviting the rest of wxs to visit wonder stage, wanting to spend time with them and make everyone smile, yet deep down in herself still knowing that she shouldn't take it as granted. she would want to spend yet another year with wxs by her side, but, back then, it was not a promise. there was always this possibility that next year, she'll be alone once again — because wonder stage is their place to go, but it's not going to be this way for forever.

in the ruinene anabo, nene got this line. i'm not going to say a lot about it, as i've already covered this topic before — it's a mermaid admiration reference, once again. even more so in this very line, because when i think about associating this line with nene, the first thing i see is her mermaid admiration untrained.

i think it's also pretty interesting that while tsukasa and rui got the lines that are more similiar to main story/first arc, emu and nene got the lines about the second arc!

i don't have much to say about it, it's just that rui sings this line and it makes me think about main story — to the wxs fall-out, specifically. the troupe didn't even properly start yet, just like the world!, and yet there are already bad things happening — tsukasa screamed at nene for messing up the show, rui got mad at tsukasa and decided not to come here again, emu is blaming herself for everything, for being unable to make them smile. it's definitely already no-good... just like most of rui's experiences.

as you can probably guess by the way the line distribution is arranged in the alts, tsukasa got this line in emukasa anabo. and this makes a lot of sense after all too, because, well... it was him who messed up. maybe it's about the moment when he finally realizes his true feelings?

the only explanation for this line is that tsukasa's feelings are currently all over the place because he's experiencing overstimulation. the conclusion is that tenma tsukasa has ADHD, thank you, time to pack it up, analysis over, everyone go home

i'm just kidding, but this line has been permanently noted in my brain as "the ADHD tsukasa line" ("why not autism tsukasa line" take a good look at my url. the sole reason is that i'm a bit insane) so it's hard for me to see it as anything else. we're not discussing tsukasa's obvious neurodivergence today, though, so let's move on to me trying to actually make something out of it—

"there's too much noise" part belongs to nene, while the rest of the line is sung by emu. nene (more in the early game than nowadays, but still) is often seen complaining and flinching at loud noises, and this was my first thought, however! emu got this line as well, and she doesn't really have any issue with loud noises as she's a very energetic and cheerful person, right? (and so is tsukasa and yet for some reason he has this line in his very own song. but i'm not going to repeat myself) here comes my second thought — it's referencing the main story fight. it would make sense both for nene (she's the one who is screamed at) and emu (she thinks it's her fault for being "selfish") to have it. this is also one of the two exceptions where it's not just rks emnn singing each other lines — rui and tsukasa in their respective anabos got the "there's too much noise" part. if it was about the fight, it'd make sense for rui as well — after all, he's the one who has to look at his childhood friend getting blamed for something that is partially his fault.

on a slightly unrelated note, i'm a big fan of the way how in emukasa alt tsukasa sings "there's too much noise" in a voice that's close to breaking, while emu is happily going "so much noise! and it keeps getting worse!!" with sparkles and flowers all around her. i love her so much. never change emu.

besides "just as i always have" that's sung by nene, this whole line belongs completely to emu — and i think this says a lot. the "deteriorating, abandoned room" is yet another metaphor for wonder stage, because that's how wonder stage was like when tsukasa sees it for the first time; deteriorated and abandoned, with emu as its only visitor. but emu doesn't give up. emu keeps on dreaming, keeps on wishing for it to return to its former glory.

i didn't say anything about the first line, because, uh. despite being sung by emu, i think it correlates to tsukasa and his ambitions more, etc, etc... but i also don't have a clear enough thought to elaborate on it. sorry!

the deeper we are in the song, the more cheerful the melody and the vibe of it gets, while the lyrics are starting to go in a slightly... different direction. the lyrics are inviting you to a never-ending party, a way to cope with all the bad things that happen to you. it fits wxs a lot, doesn't it? they're the group that is sharing childlike wonder with everyone and wishes to make people smile, while themselves are being often paralleled with niigo and aren't really the happiest and healthiest people in the universe (and they have a habit of not talking about their feelings as well). it would make sense for them to want to cut the negativity in their lives off, not only for their own sake, but also for the sake of the others around them (after all, this was the whole point of smile of a dreamer). wonderland sekai is their place to go, a place where they can drown themselves in the never-ending fun and fight off the negativity. because... they still can do it, right? because the world hasn't even started yet.

at this point, they're much better, obviously. because we're almost four years in the game and now wxs isn't only their escapism anymore, it's the place filled with the people they all love so much. but when we were still at main story, it'd make sense for them to be just like that, as their bond still wasn't as strong as it is now back then.

this part came out a bit too angsty than i wanted and i'm not proud of it, but i don't really know how to express what i mean with it in words. if you actually understood my intention, then you deserve a gold star. i'll have to rewrite it a few months later probably eh

while a lot of people think of this line as of a really dark one, i don't think that's the case! actually, it's a rather positive and optimistic one. the mention of hell can make someone flinch, that's for sure, but it's the same case as the mentioned earlier "monsters burdened with trauma" — it's just wxs self-deprecating themselves because of their past. for most of them, their past experiences surely could be called "hell", because everyone experiences trauma differently. but they're not in this hell anymore. their past is over, they're not alone anymore, they have each other now — this is their happy ending that plays out... from their phones, in form of the untitled.

after all, rui was right! the ending for sure will be a happy one, as long as they are together!

i've noticed that a lot of the sekahaji lyrics are matching with the latter ones, and this is no expection: once again, the first line talks about the first arc events, while the second is leaning more onto the second arc, just like in the first verse.

i'm not a native english speaker, so i have to admit, i had to look up what does thick-skinned mean lol i'm a bit surprised that's actually a rather positive thing? with how tsukasa was acting in the main story, i was expecting it to be more on the negative side. i can't say that it doesn't fit, though. tsukasa's most famous (?) depiction as a king is his wonder magical showtime card, while wonder magical showtime itself is an event focusing on how tsukasa is not going to let go of emu's dream that easily, that even the criticism of the phenniland members that didn't want to help them at first is not going to stop him (although it's been a long time since i watched wms, so correct me if i'm wrong!) — and that's what i understood that thick-skinned means.

meanwhile, rui is the alchemist. he's often described as such and is even depicted as one in his revival my dream card (...but we don't talk about revival my dream). and while "full of desires" doesn't neccesarily mean greedy — it's normal to have wishes and desires, after all — rui is not only called that by himself, but by the game as well, since he, too, has his own desires. and... having too much desires is a dangerous thing. (it kind of sounds like i'm demonizing rui i'm going to cry. that is NOT my intention i swear.)

and as i said earlier, the second line is corresponding to disband arc again. presented as the happy, unbothered group on the surface, wxs is some kind of an utopia, a perfect world, and so is their sekai — but they're always being followed by this feeling of uncertainty, of impending goodbye. or rather, were followed. whether you think disband arc is going to come back one day or not, i think it's safe to assume that sekahaji's references are not going further than our happy ending. at the point of the wxs story where we are now, the disband arc is resolved. of course, one day their utopia will cease to exist and they'll truly be forced to leave their attachments behind, returning to the real world. but this day is not today. today, they can still be happy. because the world hasn't even started yet. (or has it, it's just more pleasant that they were expecting?)

i didn't mention who's singing these lines earlier, but... i've already covered this topic many times. tsukasa (rui in ruinene anabo) is singing the first, nene (emu in emukasa anabo) is singing the second. and my explanation for it is pretty much similiar to the verses from the very beginning, so... yeah, let's just move on to something more interesting, shall we?

this fragment is matching the fragment starting with "there is too much noise", so that's my yet another argument for it referencing the main story fight — and this part is way more transparent in doing so. "there's too much conflict" is sung only by nene, but the latter part is sung by both her and emu. and as we already know, nene was the one who suffered the most in it, while emu was the one blaming herself the most (interestingly though, nene sings the "i couldn't help but worry" in the full group version!). the boys got "there's too much conflict" in their respective alts as well, so rui singing this line applies to his reaction to the fight, too.

"it's like when our arms are all tangled together" could be the failed show, because that's what happens when you mess up. it's also emu who sings this, and it's a very emu-like way of describing things.

and even though tsukasa is not singing the last line (it's still either emu or nene, depending on the version) it's still his untitled, so i can boldly say that it's about him. he brushed off the dust of his memories and rebooted himself, remembering his true feelings and entering his path to become a better person. the fight has ended and we're nearing the end of the song, just like we're nearing the end of the main story.

you can also say that it's about rebooting robonene. that... would work as well, i guess.

haha, hey, do you know what's happening on nene's mermaid admiration untrained? wxs are playing with fireworks, together. and do you know what they also want to do together? stay like that for forever. it truly was out firework show that lasts a lifespan!

the motif of a firework show appears also in wonder magical showtime, where it's an ending for the show the phenniland cast put on to save phoenix wonderland from being turned into a place that doesn't resemble the old phoenix wonderland at all. it's no wonder wxs would want it to last a lifespan. after all, it's emu's dream for phenniland to never change and always be the place that she remembers from her childhood.

and this is just a description of wonderland sekai, honestly. it has roller coaster in it + they are often seen in the background of various wxs cards. the starry skies are often present as well. it's not like we got two (2) songs with "starry sky" in their name for nothing.

i feel like "the best of the worst of crappy plays" is the show that sparked the main story argument in the first place — it was messed up, so it was crappy and horrible, no doubt for that. but it's also the best — why? because if not its failure, tsukasa wouldn't find his true feelings and wxs wouldn't even form. when such a crappy play made you get closer to your best friends and turned your life for the better, how can you not feel at least slightly grateful for its existence?

the second line is included here as well, because i don't really have an idea what to do with it. it's such a great line, however, so it would be a shame to just leave it out. the only thing i'm going to mention is that it's interesting that the prospect of an ending was there with them from the very, very beginning.

this one i see as a nod to smile of a dreamer and wonder magical showtime — because emu's family already had their own plans about what to do with phoenix wonderland. these were the plans that'd make them a lot of money, so it was their "harmonius future", even though emu didn't agree with it.

emu alone wasn't able to do much, but then she met wxs... and then the entirety of phenniland stood by her side. together, they were able to break the plans for a harmonious future. together, they were able to made her dream come true.

and, finally, the last line i'm going to talk about today! the bell is a symbol for new beginnings, just like this lyric itself says, so the act of ringing it is a new era in tsukasa's, emu's, nene's and rui's lives beginning — the formation of wonderlands x showtime! especially since it's the last line in the song aside of the last the world hasn't even started yet (not counting the hey heys and it's showtimes once again).

this is not the only time the bell is referenced in a wxs song, though — because it made an appearance also in the 2DMV for sekai wo terasu tetrad, once again symbolizing a new beginning, a new era, although this time it's a sekai expansion. and because i mentioned sekai wo terasu tetrad, i can now swiftly go to the conclusion of this post:

sekahaji is such a great song, because despite being the first wxs comm, it's foreshadowing the events way up to the third anni and this is not talked about enough. is this still applying to the events after the third anni? nope! not because they cannot be easily altered so they could still fit the lyrics, but because sekahaji has simply fulfilled its purpose already. i haven't studied sekai wo terasu tetrad's lyrics that much in-depth yet and i don't think it has the same 100% lore value that sekahaji has, as i don't think there's anything that hints tetrad being a canon second untitled, but it's the song released by the occasion of a sekai expansion — and if there are going to be future events foreshadowed, then it's going to happen in tetrad. not going to think about it too much for now, as three events (world link not included) isn't enough to say it for sure imo (unless it's going to be as short as the first arc was), but that's definitely a possibility.

that would be all! there's too much of my rambling in here anyways. i haven't really checked it, so i'm sorry if i ended up saying nonsense — after all, as i always say, i'm a overthinker, not an analyst! everything i said here is just my personal interpretation either way. i hope that you at least enjoyed listening to me babbling about sekahaji for way too much words straight!

and i hope that my main goal has been accomplished and you've just went to listen to the world hasn't even started yet because now you, too, have thought about it. right? <3

[anamericangirl]

I run a fandom blog, but I’ve followed you and constitutionisgayculture for quite a bit. I’m sure you see me in your notifs a lot, I think we even booped each other a bit on April fools!

Anyway, it’s just nice when your posts (or other conservative Christians that I do or don’t follow) come up on my dash. Fandom has its… problems, as I’m sure you’re aware of. Sexually rampant people who think drag shows for kids are OK. Believe all Jews should die. Mock Christianity. The whole nine yards. But much as it dreads my flesh, those people are just as sinful and just as deserving of God’s grace as we are

And despite some of those people being my friends, it is hard sometimes to be bombarded by that frequently. Thank you guys for your courage to speak out and up about things, and also just being fed up with the way the world is nowadays.

God bless! <3

Aw, thanks! I'm sure we probably did boop each other because I was booping everyone lol.

Yeah dude fandoms can be quite toxic, especially on this hellsite. Honestly I admire you and anyone else who goes against the narrative that is able to put up with it still. I couldn't do it and I know because that's why I started this blog lol. I didn't always blog about politics (not that I was ever really in any sort of fandom) and social issues and I wasn't following politics on Tumblr but you still get bombarded with really terrible and disgusting posts echoing everything you mentioned and you feel like you're the only one with any sense and I just couldn't take it anymore so I deleted them and made this one just to start going off on all the crazy I'd seen.

And there are great people in those spaces and it sometimes makes it worth sticking it out.

So I definitely sympathize with what you're experiencing and glad if anything I post ever helps you get a break from the crazy :)

[bonny-kookoo]

"Getting brave now, are we?🤨" + wolf!jk x bunny!reader

:) I'm sorry, not at all original, ik. but, I love it when you write these tropes!😚

Jungkook and you are.. an odd couple to say the least.

With fans absolutely confused at first if the news had been nothing but a April fool's joke (he didn't choose the date to announce it very well to be fair), everyone thought that it couldn't be true. Why would the cute little translator bunny rabbit hybrid ever catch the eyes of Jeon Jungkook, who, growing up, has always been vocal about his admiration for fellow Wolf-hybrids that are both tall and older than him? He's made his type pretty clear from the start-

So why you?

"Hm, gimme a kiss, Bunny." He playfully demands, pulling you closer to where he's sitting so you're standing between his legs, your hands on his shoulders steadying you while he pulls you to sit on his thigh. You don't hesitate these days- pecking his lips happily, with no shyness to it anymore. "Getting brave now, are we?" He laughs a little, arm around your waist to steady you.

"They still don't believe it." You pout, watching staff clear up some stuff not needed for the shooting anymore, another one preparing the camera to shoot some behind the scenes footage later. "They still think you're dating-"

"Yeah well I'm not, I'm dating you." He chuckles, shaking his head and playfully biting at your neck, forcing a little squeak from you. "And very happily so." He comments, grinning from hear to ear when he notices you going a little red.

He'll never fail to make you shy, no matter how brave you'll get.

To escape the situation, you get up and try to walk off- but he's already getting up as well, dramatically going into a pouncing stance, before running after you over the large grassy grounds they've been shooting earlier.

All captured by cameras, though even footage like that won't convince everyone that you are, indeed, a very happy couple. Some people will never accept it, others just won't believe it because they don't want to, and at the end of the day, that'll be a fact that won't ever change. But its fine.

As long as he knows it's real, that's enough for him.

[mothmags]

More Nashi headcannons

This time, her relationships with her family!

part 2 - part 4

Natsu

I said it before and I'll say it again she is a daddys girl

Her and her dad were super close when she was little, and they are still very close now

Natsu is so proud of his little girl.

This mf will brag to everyone about how strong and brave she is

very much like how guildarts acts about cana vibes

she tries to seem humble about it, but it's very obvious that she likes the praise

these two team up to prank people. April fools day is dreded in the dragneel household for this reason alone

he has since learned to knock when entering her apartment after accidentally catching her and maree in the mid romantic moment (they were not having sex THANK GOD)

"their not dating my ass," but he mostly keeps it to himself. they will tell everyone when their ready (totally not connecting that he and lucy had that same kinda relationship when they were younger)

be buys her and her brother a gift if he's gone on a long mission

yall KNOW. He's going to be a great dad

Lucy

when she was a teen, her and her mom had BEEF

nashi would not listen to a word she said even if it was for the best

nashi was just sick of having her tell her what to do

she grew out of it by her late teens' early 20s, tho

they were super close when she was a kid and are becoming closer now that shes out her teenage angst era

even though they had a rocky couple of years, they would still do magic lessons on wednesdays

before they go for their weekly lessons, they get coffee or tea at the local cafe that opened up down the street

Lucy gets a mocha latte and Nashi gets a boba tea

they talk about books and how their week has been and general catch up since sometimes their schedules dont sync up

these two, even in nashis' teen years, they gossip to each other about stuff happening in the guildhall while the other was away

nashi also tells her mom everything shes been working on in her studies at FSI

lucy is always ecstatic since some of it is stuff that isnt public knowledge yet

luxy tries really hard to be a good mother to her kids and now that nashi isnt a kid anymore she sees how much work and love her mom gives to make their family happy

Neil

She low key thinks he's a babied brat

They "fight" a lot. mostly about trivial things, but it never gets serious. its mostly teasing

they dont throw hands often with eachother its mostly verbal

Lucy would ground them for fighting, and they would both be like "moooom >:( we were just having a little fun"

he breaks into her apartment several times a week to steal snack on the way to the guild

when he tries to set up a prank in her apartment maree catches him like 75% of the time

she just kinda backs away and doesn't snitch because she thinks it'll be funny

sometimes hed just break in to knock a drink off her counter and turn the lights off or just generally be a nuisance for a hot second then just leave

nashi never gave him a key. This guy just breaks in through her window.

sometimes loke lets him in tho

he stays with them when his parents are on a long mission

not because he needs someone to watch him but because he gets bored in an empty house

they very much have the "only I'm allowed to be mean to my sibling" dynamic and will fight anyone who tries to break that

when they both were living under the same roof, it was incredibly chaotic but once she moved out he missed her a lot

hed never tell her that tho

Happy

besties for the resties

he joins her on smaller jobs when she can just go by herself

he joins in because "a lady shouldn't travel alone!" but he just wants to hang out with her

when she was younger and more rowdy, he would try to keep her out of trouble but would get wrapped up in whatever prank she was doing at the time

he would join her for mostly every job for this reason, but since neil goes out on jobs alone now, he mostly joins him (and ofc he joins natsu and lucy on theirs aswell when they do big ones)

he steals food from her apartment with neil

he teases her like how he teases lucy but ofc its all light hearted

[innocent-cat]

I like your headcanons. Can I be self-indulgent and ask for headcanons of married life with Soldier 76? (I'd like male!reader, but idk if the gender will even really come up much in this topic lol)

thanks<3 This is the last fic of the night. I've been trying to clear my asks lololol. The last one in there is vex vax and percy, so if thats not your's, i have politely rejected your idea. Sorry, i love you for asking anyway!!<3

Soldier 76 x Reader

Warnings - none

"Husband76", Soldier 76 x Reader

.·:*¨༺༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺༻

oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my goshh

As a worker of overwatch, you were usually scheduled with him for missions when you two first met

When they realized you two worked well together, you were paired up VERY often

to the point where there was teasing towards the both of you

"You sure that's not your 'honey munchkin scurdel'?"

they would say anything to embarrass him its crazy

that implies that they totally knew he had heart eyes for you from the start

he didn't even tell them is the worst part

he just follows you around like a lost puppy

BUT enough of that

MARRIED life??

so so sweet.

yeah you guys are totally old working in an army

but the moments alone at home?

it makes an eternity seem like bliss

he really likes to hug you from behind and bury his face into the nook of your neck

so expect to feel his bristle beard a LOT

his voice is still totally dead, but the words that glide of that tongue? pure sugar.

"Are you okay, dear?"

"Hey."

"You always look amazing. Your beauty never left you from the day I first laid eyes on you."

"Did you need something?"

All of that was said with a smile on his face.

A pure, sappy, genuine smile

he literally smiles whenever he sees you

rizz76

you are his SUN

you go out, he goes out

At headquarters, the teasing died down, but the sound of the younger overwatch members cooing at you got 10x louder

"Aww it's 76 and 77 again! How are you two?"

just smile and wave

You two are definitely called relationship goals constantly

"I wish my boyfriend treated me like that."

(^said after Jack literally does anything romantically standard to you)

They all have low standards

(Save them)

He'd buy you anything you looked at.

Saw something in a window you pointed out?

whatever holiday is closest, he buys it for your gift.

even if it's just april fools.

"April fools!"

"Jack this isn't what you get someone for April fools."

it followed with a laughing fit between the two of you and you thanked him for whatever you pointed out

(he does it just to see you smile)

Sleeping in the same bed will always be the right kind of warm

summer or winter he is holding you

very closely

what if someone steals you in his sleep man??

If it's too hot he turns on the AC just to hold you

hes lowkey crazy for it

old age is getting to him

maybe both of you

Expect many dates

no matter how old the two of you are, he wont ever stop being romantic to you

if you guys ever get into an argument??

He is immediately working it out with you

"Love, what's upsetting you?"

Apologizes for whatever it is

and get this

HE CHANGES

HE CHANGES IT

he LISTENS bro

one time he asked you if he could pick you up

and you said yes

and he legit carried you around everywhere bridal style for a week

hes crazy strong

romantically strong

he'd die for you before he could even think twice

which is why the two of you WILL be together until the end of the world

holds your hand CONSTANTLY.

its like the fucker is glued to you

he has really rough hands

you made him start using lotion though

not as rough anymore!!!

thank god

oh my gosh he loves u sm bro

[writing-in-sin]

KaiShin HC: Yandere

Loosely a continuation to my Kaishin Mutual Obsession & Acceptance HC

Warning: there might be some disturbing themes

Now, when you think of yandere, killing usually comes to mind but that's something I rather explore in a dark kaishin au....murder husbands on the side of justice maybe? Something to think about one day 🤔

Anyways!

This is roughly along the lines of canon-compliant. We've seen Kaito pretending to be Shinichi a number of times and I thought, with their mutual obsession with one another, it could very well cross onto yandere territory

Considering the war against the BO, there'd been a time when Kaito put his life on hold and slips into Shinichi's. Originally, its just his way to help his detective and eventually, he succeeds

Including in fooling Ran too

Maybe in the past, Ran would be able to tell the difference but not anymore

Not in the face of Kaito's obsessive love for Shinichi

Kaito isn't just in love with Shinichi, he wants to completely be a part of who Shinichi is in a way that no one can ever tell where Shinichi ends and Kaito begins

And vice versa

That's why when Shinichi first saw Kaito as Kudou Shinichi standing together with Ran, Sonoko and Masumi on their way to school, it wasn't anger or dread he felt

It was relief

and dare he say it, gleeful joy

Because he knows deep in his bones that Kudou Shinichi is forever safe with KID and even though he didn't really understand it yet, Shinichi also felt an aching pang of longing to do the same-- to be Kuroba Kaito, have him forever be a part of himself

Which he eventually does once he regained his body

April Fools is especially very confusing for their friends and family, more so when they started dating. Because despite the fact they have very different physiques and features as they grew older, it genuinely feels like they're possessing each other

And maybe they are

Everybody has long since accepted that the pair of them are mad for each other so they just let it be

In case of possible suitors? No....just absolutely fucking NO. People learned early on that unless you want to be scarred and traumatized for life, don't even think about it

Ask the catatonic criminals, they know better ever since the first slew were stupid enough to harm either one of the yandere genius pair

The most extreme of their yandere tendencies would be of course in becoming each other as mentioned. While their friends and family have long since accepted it, some bits of it had alarmed them initially. Like knowing secrets and events that only the other should know or the scare the couple almost gave them when both Kaito and Shinichi had seriously considered copying each other's scars

Thankfully that never happened but it gave them all quite a scare

The less said about them being cremated together, the better

So yeah, they're mad and obsessed. They're unhinged. They're unapologetic. But most of all?

They're in love

[tsukikoayanosuke]

Suddenly Magical Boys?! - Ruikasa Week 2024

Day 3: First Meeting

(ft. Colofes magical girl au & mentioned of April Fools 2024)

Magic was something Tsukasa never really considered in life.

It wasn't that he disliked fantasy. No, complete the opposite. He loves fantasy. His favorite plays and stories are fantasy. But he has his limit. He's not a child anymore. He's 17! The perfect adolescent age! He's too old to wish upon a star! He has things to do! Places to be! The cafe to run! Auditions to go!

...

He has an audition to go!

"TOUYA! MINORI! I'm going now!" Tsukasa tossed his apron, accidentally hitting Touya in the face as he reached for his jacket. "There's the pecan pie in the oven!"

"Good luck, Tsukasa-senpai." Touya waved his hand, not even bothering to remove the apron from his face.

"You can do it, Tsukasa!" Minori cheered as she rolled past him on her rollerskate to carry a pudding order.

Tsukasa flashed them a smile as he ran out of the Booo! Cafe. His mind has only one target. There was no time to take in the view of the town Tsukasa had come to be acquainted with in just a few months. This town known as Kazamatsuri is a town at the foot of a mountain. While it is different than his modern hometown of Tokyo City, it doesn't lose its charm for its very environmentally conscious inhabitants. It is as if you're living in a forest; greenery in every corner as the gardening committee takes their positions very seriously. Thus, the air in Kazamatsuri, despite being more advanced in technology, is still as fresh as when you live in the countryside, making it a perfect town for his sister, Saki. It was also a coincidence that their other siblings, Touya and Kanade, also live there.

So now all of them live under one roof and Tsukasa, of course, being the responsible older sibling, took it upon himself to take care of them. Booo! Cafe, where he works together with Minori and Touya, is his source of income as Saki and Kanade help in their own way; Saki with her alien investigation team and Kanade with her band.

But when the local theater, the Devil's Manner, decided to do an open audition for their new production, Tsukasa knew he couldn't miss it.

And thus how he finally arrived at the venue, nearly out of breath. Darn, his legend almost ended before it could begin.

"Alright!" Someone clapped their hand, gaining everyone's attention. A blue-haired man stood in front of the auditionees along with a purple-haired teen who Tsukasa was sure is a the same age as him. "Welcome, everyone. I'm Shion Kaito, the head of Devils' Manner Theater. And this is Kamishiro Rui, our director." 

Already a director at that young age?! Ugh! It was like a stab in the heart for Tsukasa. He needs to do better! He hadn't accomplished great anything yet!

"We'll start with introducing youself." Kamishiro clicked his pen. Oh, wow. His voice is kinda nice- what the heck, Tsukasa?! Get over yourself! "Starting from the right, okay?"

Tsukasa nodded to himself. Alright. First impressions are important. He has to go big.

"Alright." Kamishiro pointed at him. "Your turn."

Tsukasa cleared his throat and stepped forward with a hand on his chest. "My first name is written with the character for ruling, and second with the character for pegasus." He spun around. "I am Tsukasa Tenma, the soaring pegasus born to rule the showbiz world!" And stretched out his hand toward Kamishiro. "Allow me to take my first steps to stardom on one of your stages, and I shall repay you with a plethora of incredible shows the crowds will fall in love with!"

Kamishiro's eyes widened ever so slightly. Good. He made him speechless. "Incredible shows, you say?"

Tsukasa nodded. "I am not merely a star, I am a supernova! I am the miracle-bringer! And now, I am at your service! Give me any role, and I will perform it to 12,000% satisfaction!"

Kamishiro giggled. "We'll see about that, Tenma-kun."

*****

Hours went by and Tsukasa could finally breath. The sun has started to set as he stepped out of the theater. It went better than he expected. Stardom here we come!

'Hey owari wo koete zutto paatii wo Hey mawaritsuzukeru meriigooraundo'

Oh, that was his phone. He picked it up. "Hello."

"Onii-chan!" It was Saki! "How was the audition?"

"It went great!" Tsukasa cheered as he started to walk away. "We'll just hope for the best for now."

"I knew you could do it! We should celebrate! Pizza and movies?"

Tsukasa nodded. "Pizza and movies, as tradition. I'll grab the drinks. Any request?"

He could hear Saki's shout followed by some mumblings from presumably Touya and Kanade. "Milk tea for me and Kanade and Touya wanted iced coffee as usual."

"Alright them, I'll see you later."

"See you!" Tsukasa smiled at his phone screen. He might be the oldest sibling, but that doesn't mean the little ones won't help him back. They only have each other in this town. Tsukasa would do anything to protect them.

To protect. To keep their smile.

He has to...

It's all he can do...

And then, the world shifted. 

Dong... Dong...

"Eh?" Where did that bell come from?

The wind picked up. A cherry blossom petal hit his face.

And then, it happened.

Runes of white light hit the street. 

A kid carrying a soda can tripped on top of it, but before his mother or Tsukasa could help him, time stopped.

Everything froze in a red hue like the sky. An old lady walking a street. Teens roughhousing playfully. A vendor selling takoyaki to a little girl. Nothing moved.

Except for Tsukasa.

"What the..." He looked around, dashing to find anyone who wasn't frozen. "What's going on?!"

The earth cracked and when Tsukasa turned around.

A giant baby with sharp teeth. "OkAy, pRePaRaTiOnS CoMpLeTe!"

A floating ball with millions of heads stood. "ThErE ArEn'T MaNy pEoPlE BuT It'S EnOuGh. LeTs hAvE ThEm."

"ChOw tImE! ChOw tImE!" The baby opened its mouth and people started to glow, covering them with white flame. The flame got sucked into its mouth.

"ItS So dElIcIoUs, sO DeLiCiOuS!" the baby cheered.

"DoNt tAlK WiTh yOuR MoUtH FuLl." the faces scolded it. "ShAmE On yOu."

"OkAy..."

The heads also opened their millions of mouths and sucked more flame from the people.

And Tsukasa just froze there. He couldn't move. Too much in shock.

This must be a dream. A nightmare. A hallucination from the build-up of nervousness of the audition.

There was no way this was real.

"There's no way..."

One of the many faces on the ball finally noticed him. "WhAt iS ThIs? A HuMaN StIlL RoAmInG ArOuNd tHe rEd nIgHt?"

The baby stopped its feast to turn to Tsukasa. "Is iT A MaGiCaL GiRl?"

"CoUlD Be. AnD A StUpId oNe tHaT Is."

The baby giggled and loomed over Tsukasa. "NoT GoInG To tRaNsFoRm?"

And he couldn't do anything as its hand wrapped around him. "CaUgHt yOu! NeVeR HaD A MaGiCaL GiRl bEfOrE. ChOw tImE!"

It opened its mouth and Tsukasa could feel himself getting sleepy. Flames came out from him and flowed into the baby's mouth. 

Oh. 

This is just a dream, isn't it?

A nightmare.

He'll wake up, right?

Someone... Saki... Touya... Kanade...

Wake him up, please.

A twinkle appeared in the distance.

And a shooting star hit the baby in the face.

It screamed, releasing Tsukasa from its garps.

Someone caught him before he could hit the ground. 

In his dazed state, he could see his savior; purple hair with two cyan stripes. A marking of a crescent moon over his right eye. A suit that reminded him of space.

"What are you thinking?!" His savior scolded him. "Why are you doing just standing there?!"

"Huh...?"

"Did you forget to transform? What kind of Magical Boy are you?!"

Magical... "Magic doesn't exist..."

"Then explain all of this."

"A nightmare?"

"A MaGiCaL GiRl..." The ball of a million heads. "A ReAl oNe tHiS OnE."

Tsukasa could feel his savior clutching him tighter.  "Time to go."

"Wha-"

The baby raised its hand about to hit Tsukasa and his savior, but they jumped out of the way. Well, it was more like his savior jumped while carrying Tsukasa's bridal style. That certainly woke Tsukasa up.

"Wait!" He put his arms around his savior's neck, securing himself from falling. "What's going on?"

"Are you new to this job?" his savior asked. "Does no one ever taught you about this stuff?"

"I didn't even know magic even existed!" Tsukasa shouted. "There's no such thing as Magical Girls!"

"You're being saved by one." 

"There's no way!" 

"Look, whether you want to believe or not, this is real." His savior looked down at him and Tsukasa could see constellations in his golden eyes. "Magic is real. Us Magical Boys and Girls are real. And those creatures, the Eaters, are real. They brought upon the Red Night where time stop so they could feast upon humans' soul like your. When a human lost their soul, they will disappear from existence and no one will remember them. Humans aren't supposed to be able to walk around the Red Night, so either you're also a Magical Boy or you have something with magical power to make you move around here." 

"But... I don't..." 

"I know now you aren't one."

They landed on the roof of a building and his savior put him down. "When the Red Night ends, you'll be transported back to your original spot when it was activated. So, stay here." 

Just as he was about to leave, Tsukasa caught his hand. "Wait! What about you?" 

His savior looked ahead toward their previous enemies. "I need to make sure they don't reach you and stop this Red Night early." 

"Why?" 

He chuckled. "I've taken an interest in you. Even if we won't meet again in this condition." 

Right. Tsukasa wasn't supposed to be here. He wasn't supposed to get involved in this mess. "Can I at least know your name?" 

His savior shook his head. "If we meet again in this Red Night. I'll tell you my name. But I'll be sure to look after you in one way or another." 

With that, his savior jumped into battle. With the spectacles that was the shooting stars when Tsukasa gasp- 

And then, the world shifted. 

Dong... Dong...

Everything returned to normal. 

Everything started to move again. 

But he knew some things were missing. 

There was a single teen missing from the roughhousing group. The vendor never sold anything. And the mother whose child previously fallen down just walked passed him. 

They were gone. 

Those who were eaten by those monsters, the Eaters, were gone. As if they never existed in the first place. 

And Magical Boys and Girls, like his savior, were fighting against them. 

Magic... Exists... 

"Tsukasa-senpai!" 

Someone caught him before he could fall down, clutching him for their dear life. "Tou...Ya...?" Wasn't Touya supposed to be back home? 

"You're alright." Touya hugged him tight and close. "You're alright..." 

"How did you get here?" 

"I ran." That's strange. Touya was never one good with physical activity. "You haven't home for a while so I thought-" 

"But time stopped." 

Touya let out a gasp and pulled out from the hug. "How did you-" 

"Are you...magic too?" 

Touya started at him with shock and Tsukasa begged that Touya would laugh or be confused, because this is just too ridiculous to be real.

Magic doesn't exist and everything he saw of Red Night and Eaters and his Magical Boy savior are just a hallucination. 

And yet, Touya reached for Tsukasa's jacket pocket. Touya and Tsukasa's jacket are identical, thus they would often got mixed. It wouldn't be surprise that in earlier rush, Tsukasa took Touya's jacket instead of his own. But it was still a surprise when Touya pulled back his hand while holding something. 

A hairpin. A simple hairpin with two small black orb.  

A hairpin that Touya would wear often. 

"Humans aren't supposed to be able to walk around the Red Night, so either you're also a Magical Boy or you have something with magical power to make you move around here." 

That was what the Magical Boy said. 

Is that Touya's magical item? So Touya is really is a... 

"I promise I will explain everything." Touya said as he pulled Tsukasa into another hug. "I'm glad you're safe..." 

Magic was something Tsukasa never really considered in life. 

But after taking a glimpse of it and knowing how dangerous it is, of how his own siblings in involved, Tsukasa knows there no way he could stay ignorant. 

Perhaps one day, once he learns more about this magical conundrum, he could meet with his savior again.

[justalilpearlie]

im genuinly going so insane over the possibility of a new life series season. like actually. i am so not okay. even if its an april fools. even if its not a real thing. i need to know WHAT it is. i need something. ANYTHING. to happen.

I AM ACTUALLY. so insane ive been looking at all their name mcs and all their social medias i know of and and refreshing youtube channels.

I JUST CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE PLS I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT IS IM GOING INSANE. 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[thefixations-ofmine]

Buck Week 2024 Challenge Day 3, Aug. 14

Prompt: “Stop Lying!” / Walking away / Anger Word count: 1186 Warnings: swearing, mention of possible abortion, implied cheating, Buck needs to go to the hospital again

Main Masterlist | Challenge Masterlist | AO3

-

After trying every trick in the book to stay awake the remainder of his shift, Buck conceded and made himself comfortable in the bunks after folding his last losing hand playing poker with Hen and Eddie. Their day had been (dare he hush, so faintly in the back of his mind) quiet, with the single call that ended up being unusually disturbing for a random Tuesday, the casualties piling up in their memory. There’s a heaviness in the air as Buck finally gets to drift off for a while so he envisions what he wants to do for his date with Tommy the following day.

There’s a dainty hand shaking his shoulder not even twenty minutes later, rough and decisive and it takes a longer time for the voice to make its way to his ears.

“Evan Buckley, wake up!” He knows that voice. Has heard that feminine voice every morning on the radio and has made that voice make plenty of ungodly noises. Buck manages to pry his eyes open, rushed into a bright blur. “Finally!”

“Evan, care to explain?” Tommy is standing on his other side of the bed, arms crossed and apparently just as annoyed as he is by the situation. Buck turns to the distraction and jump-scares when he sees Taylor standing in his room, in his loft, arm stretched out to hand him a piece of paper. He reaches to grab it but keeps his clueless eyes on her, trying to add one-plus-one as to why he ended up here.

“Discharge papers. I need you to sign them so I can go and get an abortion,” Taylor says sternly, but there’s a hint of fear in her tone. With a huff of impatience, she unfolds the document in his lap and leaves to fetch him a pen.

“Evan, let me repeat myself. Please expl-“

“Tommy, I have no idea what’s going on,” Buck whines, still not caring about the document in his lap as his head throbs. He’s frantic, dry-mouthed, unsure how to even take appropriate breaths anymore. Buck doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t know what to think as he watches Tommy leave the room to go downstairs. He’s up in a flash to follow him.

“Here, Buck,” Taylor says as she shuffles a pen across the kitchen island. He places the paper on the surface and just now lets himself read the implications of it. Quite clearly, this is in fact a parental rights resignation document. 

“How- Wha- I don’t understand,” Buck stammers in a whisper, pulling at his hair. “Who took me home from work?” He looks at Tommy and doesn’t enjoy the way his brows fold. There are tears creeping in his eyes as he looks back at Taylor.

“You quit your job two months ago, silly,” Taylor says with a chuckle. “Are you high, Buck?”

“Evan, answer her.” A shiver runs up Buck’s spine at Tommy’s tone.

“I feel like I’m going to throw up.” Is all he can say and Tommy picks up his jacket from the hanger and slips on his shoes. “Wait, wait! Tommy where are you-“

“Are you planning on being honest?” Tommy suggests an opening.

“I… Wha- I am being honest! What the fuck is going on? Tommy we’ve been together for months now, why would I-,” he puffs, choking on his breath, full-on crying now. He feels himself get warm, not loving their little game. He looks at the calendar on his fridge – yep, not April Fools’.

“Stop lying!” Taylor says, throwing her arms in the air. “You called me, drunk, from a bar the day after you quit. Crying about how you lost your family and your dreams. And as your girlfriend, I fucking showed up and took you home. We slept together in the following days because you were finally home all the time, shocker.” Taylor finishes her explanation with a saddened look for Tommy. He seems like a nice guy and despite having to deal with Buck cheating on her, with a man, and getting pregnant, she felt bad that he was brought into the mess. She goes to say some more, but he gets there first:

“Evan, last night was our third date. It’s the first time I slept over, because you always had excuses. Now I get it.” Tommy adds, still ready to leave. When he’s met with Buck’s stunned, agape mouth, Tommy turns the knob and with a dry goodbye, heads out. Buck stands from the stool and rushes to the door but his legs give out. All six-feet-two of him are sprawled on his cold floor, mind buzzing as he’s raging for answers.

“Listen, take the day to sober up and read the document. Call me when you feel like talking.” And without letting him reply, Taylor is out the door and the room starts spinning.

There’s a weight on Evan’s chest and it constricts him momentarily, but he can take deeper breaths now. He feels his body being enveloped, dragged, like he’s floating away but panic has stopped. Then something pinches at his skin and the pressure keeps coming faster on his sternum until he sits straight up with a loud inhale.

“Thank god,” Hen drops her head and lets out a nervous laugh. “Glad you’re back buddy.”

“Wha-“ The syllable feels like sand in his throat.

“Shh, don’t talk. Here, take this.” Bobby is by his side and hands him a glass of blue liquid. Gatorade. His favourite. There’s a collective hum around him and he realizes the entire house is in the room with them: Ravi’s taking off some surgical gloves in the corner and Eddie is sitting on his feet kneeling at his head with a breathing bag in hand. He’s sweaty, teary eyed as he catches his own breath. Then Hen takes on the lead with the explanation:

“I’m not sure what you were thinking, Buck, but those Tylenols you took, were not Tylenols. Thankfully you rolled off the bed and the thud alerted someone.” Buck looks at Bobby as if requesting additional information.

“You took someone’s antibiotics, Buck. You were in anaphylaxis. Thankfully we carry EpiPen’s, but we’re still going to need to get you to a hospital,” he says the words smoothly and it’s reassuring to Buck to see his captain not overly concerned with his current state despite the rattle in his breaths and the shooting pain in his chest caused by sturdy knuckles. Then there’s a sharp pang in his gut.

“T- Tommy,” Buck rumbles with a shaky lip.

“We already called Tommy, he’s going to meet us there,” Hen says, and Buck sighs, letting himself fall back into her embrace. With their help, he’s on his feet and hopping into the gurney to head to his third home. He remembers when Tommy had joked about getting a room for the 118. Maybe he was right. Oh Tommy… Buck gets overwhelmed with guilt and he sniffles a cry. There’s no siren loud enough or a convey fast enough to get him to his man so he can hug him out of this fever dream.

tagging the challenge host @evanbuckleyweek