#kun icons dark

[fractalflare]

367 ASAKO NATSUME ICONS / MY LITTLE MONSTER

TOU – Icons are free to use, free to edit, with or without credit, likes and reblogs are encouraged. Please don’t re-upload or claim as your own. Please let me know about any broken links —  DOWNLOAD

[choerrybombz]

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⤹ 🎩 ˖  ݁ . こ ִֶָ

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⤹ 🎱 ˖  ݁ . こ ִֶָ

[gothdiamond]

                      𝖉🦇𝔫'𝖙 𝖗𝖊𝔭🦇𝔰𝖙

[erotickhaos]

🎃❜ ┊ 𝐌 𝐀 𝐓 𝐂 𝐇 𝐈 𝐍 𝐆 𝐈 𝐂 𝐎 𝐍 𝐒 ::

𝗌𝗑𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗂𝖾𝗑𝖼 (𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦)

- 𝘥𝘮 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬

- 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘴𝘦

- 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬

- 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯, 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘮𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 ( 𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘤𝘤 𝘪𝘴 𝙨𝙭𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙭𝙘 )

[madarasfloofyhair]

okay. my favourite details from the death note musical london performance:

the booklet being paged right to left. with a page at the end saying "you're reading in the wrong direction!"

okay but MISA MISA HAVING LIKE 5 BACK-UP DANCERS LITERALLY ALSO DRESSED UP AS MISA MISA (it was so funny to see them dance around her)

light being dragged along by sayu to misa's concerts. like the Older Brother he is.

misa's concert on stage literally had a rap segment it was WILD

sayu later fangirling over misa's 'latest song' in light's bedroom only for him to be having a life crisis right next to her because of the message in the lyrics. he was sat there like...."ill gladly give you half my years"????

L keeping the "yagami-san", "light-kun" when he talked to them!!!!!! (naturally only happened one time each BUT STILL IT WAS COOL)

ryuk taking any and every opportunity to be sassy. the audience laughed tons at his lines in particular.

like light saying "they're calling it divine justice!" and him responding "or oooh, you know, mass murder. that totally has a ring to it too :D"

L's iconic "well, light...you're the first friend I've ever had." and "what? why are you staring at me? is it...because im the only one who has sweets?" (they changed it slightly cause I think he had marshmallows on a stick? and was walking around with it, gesturing)

after the tennis match, light threw down his racket at L's feet and L held both rackets up awkwardly like a peace offering as he walked towards him

but I swear L nearly DROPPED THEM when misa arrived, I just loved watching him slip into the crowd of fans all eagerly and then the phone call scene afterwards. so iconic.

rem's. vocals. were insane. Borrowed Time. was also amazing.

PUNS ??? during misa's interrogation scene, she's naturally defending light, saying he's not kira, but also defending kira all "kira has saved us all! he's taken away the darkness in society!" ONLY TO HAVE L SNAP BACK "so....light?"

then after this one song finishes, L exclaims "Light!" out of like realisation but then the stage lights actually turn on and he's like.... "oh. convenient :)"

the way the music played in between songs during dialogue was SO GOOD it was really satisfying.

AND THEN THEY REALLY HAD LIGHT SAY "well. they do say the pen is mightier than the sword." near the end. that's just CHEESY

light. laughing. as he was winning against L at the end. "I just wanted to see your face as you realised I won :)" unhinged arrogant boy

only to have him panicking and snivelling on the ground all pathetic as he realises what ryuk's about to do.

and so, at the end. ryuk was sat at the big red chair at the centre after killing light. watching over everything. both dead bodies. the last haunting requiem. it was such a menacing and powerful sight.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Rook, Ortho: Princess Power

BRUH 💀 Go figure, giving the guy obsessed with beauty two of the least flattering screenshots in his background frames… But hey, his groovy is very different from everyone else’s so far! ^^ Very relaxed and peaceful.

Cbjssbjsjskendb new tidbits about pre-Pomefiore Rook?? He used to cut his own hair with a knife and focused on keeping his bangs out of his line of sight… and he wasn’t as confident about his style (mood). It’s also interesting to know that he started doing ballet on Vil’s recommendation, and that has helped a lot with his posture, working out muscles he doesn’t normally use, and appreciating the art of performances. We love Pomefiore out here breaking gender norms 👊

A Tale as Old as Time.

Rook drew out a longing sigh, gently easing into the quiet of the museum. The soft sound lingered, coiling around his fingers like thread from a spool. It, too, did not wish to part ways with the stunning beauty laid out bare before it.

A fair maiden was framed in shining platinum. Hair black as ebony, lips as red as the rose, and skin as white as snow... Truly, she was the fairest in all the land.

Her graceful frame was folded, kneeling on the forest floor to greet the woodland creatures that had gathered. The pale yellow skirt of her gown spilled out, blue bodice and puff sleeves fitted well by her figure. Her face round and gentle, in spite of the high collar encircling it, crowed by a petite red bow.

Here was pure innocence, a young girl reveling in nature.

“Beauté,” he marveled—to no one in particular, but such beauty warranted verbal acknowledgement.

“It seems that this painting has captured your interest, Rook Hunt-san!” a voice chirped. A neon blue light emanated from the darkness, accompanied by the silver flash of metal.

“Bonjour!” Rook greeted Ortho. "I must confess, I have been enchanted by this particular work of art! The brush strokes, masterful! The composition, immaculate!! The subject—oh, how it makes my heart quiver with nostalgia!! I am a man close to being moved to tears!!”

Ortho curiously glanced at the girl and her animal friends. No strong emotions arose within up from him. Perhaps he did not feel as much, or perhaps Rook felt too much. “Is there a sentimental experience or memory you have related to this painting…?”

“Oui! It is a tale as old as time.” Rook gestured to the snow white young lady. “They say that this maiden was a princess forced to flee from her home country, as a hostile presence threatened her life. She retreated into the woods and found comfort in a humble life there. Her tenacity is most admirable!!”

“Tenacity… That’s the value that Pomefiore was founded on!” Ortho, floating overhead, beamed at Rook. “I understand why you would like that story. It has a good moral that sticks with you.”

“That is the beauty of telling tales! They inspire those who hear of it, ensuring that the spirit of the story is never truly extinguished.” The huntsman’s eyes held a keep glint to them. “Tell me, Ortho-kun. What do you believe makes a princess?”

The boy blinked. A split second, and he had already input the term into an internal search engine, the formal definition loaded up to recite.

“Prin-cess, noun. The daughter of a monarch or wife to a prince. A woman having sovereign power.”

“An efficient, succinct answer!” Rook applauded, his cheer never faltering. “However, my desire is to know your interpretation. In Ortho-kun’s own words, what makes a princess?”

“My own…?” The words stretched, unsure, on his tongue. Ortho hesitated—seeking, processing, and analyzing. Rook’s heartbeat sounded where there was the space for the boy to think.

Then, finally, Ortho spoke.

“From what I’ve observed in movies and books, the princess is a pop culture icon. She’s usually presented as a role model for little girls. Someone who is beautiful, dainty, and composed, wearing a pretty dress and a glittering crown."

A pause. Ortho assessed Rook’s hard-to-read, bright expression.

“… Is that closer to the response you were looking for, Rook Hunt-san?” he asked.

To this, the third year’s lips quirked. “There is no correct or incorrect answer! I was curious to see your perspective. Everyone holds one that differs, lenses of all designs and colors with which to see the world through! You have my most heartfelt thanks for sharing your view with me.”

"Oh, I see! You're collecting data from a variety of sources to compare to a standard." The android (literally) lit up from within. "Let me ask the same back! Rook Hunt-san, what do you think makes a princess?"

"Mon dieu! You've set my own trap upon me," Rook teased.

The Beautiful Queen, the Fair Maiden, Vil, his peers... So many fragments of beauty in his collection. Plucked, collected, hoarded.

He ran a finger along his chin, contemplating. The thoughts assembled like a collage. Ideas taken, cut up, and pasted together into a new, glorious artwork.

"A princess can be many things," Rook declared with certainty. "They are a princess to their very core, even when their power is stripped from them or they are dressed in only ashes and rags. What defines them is not royal heritage or political influence, but the strength of their character, their values and virtues. They are not bound by a singular trait, but are aspirations to all in their own ways."

Ortho's eyes swelled. "Eh...? That's so broad! By your definition, anyone could be a princess—even you or I!”

The huntsman threw his head back and laughed. "Broad it may be, but I am of the opinion that we all have it in us to live up to the title~”

He indicated the woman in the platinum frame. Ortho’s gaze obediently followed. "Even without a kingdom to call her own, she remained kind-hearted rather than turn to cruelty. That is why she was, and always will be, a noble soul. A princess who puts out good into the world.”

“Rook Hunt-san…”

“Ortho-kun!” Rook dramatically extended an arm to him. He was practically sparkling in the dim room. “I, too, endeavor to put out as much beauty as what is gifted to me! That is my one true calling as the Hunter of Love: to not only seek out beauty, but to cultivate and to contribute to it!”

Ortho silently stared. Nii-san did warn me that Rook Hunt-san could be eccentric, but… maybe there’s some meaning to be found in it.

Cutting through the numbers and the formulas that governed him was a fuzzy warmth. Not the familiar jolt of electricity that powered his circuits. It was too wild, too unpredictable.

Something undeniably human.

Ortho let out a giggle. "Hehe. Then you must be a princess too!"

Rook's mouth formed a small "o". Unsubtle surprise—or perhaps purposefully exaggerated. "Me? Whatever makes you think that?"

"Strength of character!" Ortho parroted mischievously. "I've never met someone as uplifting as you are. Rook Hunt-san is the type of person that sees a princess in everyone."

The boy lowered himself to a few centimeters off of the ground, pretending to dip into a curtsey. "Your majesty!"

"Fufufu. You're quite charming yourself, Princess Ortho-kun!" Rook bent into a deep bow. "Most clever in all the land, computing complex problems in the blink of an eye!”

Upon straightening, the third year laid both hands over his heart. He lifted his head toward the painting of the fair maiden in the forest. A serene smile at his lips.

It was as if he was pledging his allegiance, making a vow. A worshipper at the altar to pray.

“May we all live happily ever after,” Rook whispered raptly, “like the princesses of old.”

Forever and ever.

[yuikomorii]

is it bad i’m not a big ayato or yui fan but i can’t help but love their cgs the most? they just look so precious together and that makes me want to protect their happiness ☹️❤️

// Don’t worry, you can like a character without being a huge fan. ^^

I agree with you so much though! I talked here about the Diaboys with the best cgs in different categories but when it comes to romance, Ayayui clearly triumphs!

It’s really hard picking favorites but I feel like these ones are the cgs I’m the most fond of:

The way they look at each other in the LP cg is too much for my heart…! Yui looks SO IN LOVE and I like to believe that she showed Ayato the exact same face when she told him “I clearly remember the reason why I fell in love with you, Ayato-kun. But it also feels like I've loved you all my life, and maybe I've gotten addicted to you before I knew it.”, in an official short story. 😭💘💘

It’s cool how both Yui and Ayato look so mature in the HDB good ending cg. Maybe it’s due to their outfits but Ayato in that tuxedo and Yui in Cordelia’s dress will forever stay iconic.

Dark Fate is my favorite game and I hope the artist was paid well too because they absolutely served! Yui smiles so purely there and the way Ayato looks at her makes it even better! Plus, he took her to that flower field in order to cheer her up and it worked uwu.

I talked about the DF wedding cg here but I will never get over it. Hands down the best DL wedding… it looks straight up from a fairlytale! ( ᵒ̴̶̷̥́ ᴗ ᵒ̴̶̷̣̥̀ )

I feel like everyone adores that VC Ayayui cg and no wonder! The hug, the kiss and the fireworks scream PERFECT ROUTE ENDING!

I was actually debating which CL kiss to choose but I ended up with this one because it just looks so romantic?? I mean, just look Ayato’s hand on Yui’s waist & cheek and Yui’s hand on Ayato’s chest~! I feel bad for saying this but that scene makes me cringe so much however, the cg redeems it for sure. 🫶🏻

[multifandomslxt]

REQUESTED: best hair styles the Neos have had

Taeil

I won’t allow y’all to lie to me and tell me that Chain era Taeil was mid. It was not. He saved millions from starvation by serving a full course meal with this hair.🫶🏿😭😭 honestly idk how some people don’t find him attractive. If he told me to get on my knees and suck I’d do it in a heartbeat.

Honorable mention:

Johnny

Honestly, I couldn't choose. But Black Hair Johnny will always have a foot on my throat. Especially when it's wet? oh absolutely.

Taeyong

Call me whatever you want but Taeyong's hair in sticker era changed the trajectory of my life. It was the undercut and flames combo.

Yuta

The long black hair. In a man bun, ponytail, half up half down, or let loose. It doesn't matter. This hairstyle is simply one for the books

Honorable mention: red hair Yuta.

Kun

Red hair Daddy Kun. HE ATE DOWWNNNNN. this was the same hair that caused the iconic "red sweat" incident. All in all, it made him look so damn powerful.

Doyoung

All my Doie bitches to the FRONT!!! Listen I have a lot of favorite hairstyles when it comes to this man, but nothing can beat the hairstyle he had in the resonance era I fear. Honestly, him in dark hair is enough to end me.

Ten

Two words. Phantom. Mullet. Bitch it’s mf Chittaphon Leechaiyahpornkul. He looks good in everything 😭😭. I’m honestly jealous of his ‘slay scale’ in general cuz that butch is always on 10🥹.

Jaehyun

I have two hairstyles. Favorite era and His natural fluffy hair. He is so fucking gorgeous.

WinWin

THIS.

Jungwoo

his sticker hair will always be iconic to me. It was different and it fit him perfectly.

Mark

Listen. When Mark started acting up it was because of this hair. Tallm bout he thought girls liked guys with short hair. No bitch. I'm down bad for him yo. also adding his recent hair too because he caused chaos in NCITY overnight.

Xiaojun

This man is the prettiest bitch I've ever seen in my entire life. He sings fucking amazingly and looks like an angel.

Hendery

Pretty in pink.

Renjun

the iconic two-toned hair. idgaf if you don't like this

I do. I fucking love it. He is the reason I breathe.

Jeno

Can you tell I have a thing for black hair and undercuts? lmaooo

Haechan

Red is his color. I think colors like this match his skin tone perfectly.

Jaemin

Do I really have to defend this? no, no I don't.

YangYang

Our bad bich Yang Yang was giving us Etheral tingz with this lewwkkkk

Chenle

The pink streaks were iconic. GLITCH MODE 4 EVAAA

Jisung

The silver hair made a cultural impact.

[slexenskee]

Running List of No Scrubs Albums

Because even I can't keep up with them anymore lol. I'll update it as I go. Also yes there are 6 official albums with 6 songs each... because Gojo is lame lol. And yes the acoustic albums are 5 songs... because he's extra lame

Spotify Playlist

update as of 09/18/23 bc I'm a f** scrub with commitment issues clearly

1. Thanks, I Hate it Here:

The 2nd album by release order, but first in chronological order of when they played them live. Yes, Gojo was feeling himself in his classic FOB phase real hard on this one lol. I find the evolution of FOB's discography IRL to be really fascinating, so I wanted to emulate it in the fic. This album is almost entirely FOB because Gojo realized flopping around bands and genres was difficult for the rest of his band, so he decided to first focus on one kind of ‘sound’ until they got used to playing together. 

Critics will later call it a bit unpolished and juvenile in comparison to the refined sound, themes, and quality production of later albums, with it's younger and simpler narratives. Thematically it tends to resonate more with a younger crowd, which people accredit to Ru-kun's assumed age of writing at the time (late teens). In other words, it becomes the quintessential 'middle school glory days' playlist for an entire generation of No Scrubs fans.

A Loaded God Complex - (Sugar We're Going Down) FOB

Reinventing the Wheel to Run Myself Over - FOB

In Too Deep - Sum 41

Homesick at Space Camp - FOB

A Little Less Sixteen Candles - FOB

Dance, Dance - FOB

-

2. Good News For People Who Love Bad News

This was No Scrubs' first album ever released on a streaming platform, but it compromises songs more from their 2nd live setlist chronologically. A cult favorite amongst the fans, this album is fun and bratty with a combination of punchy pop punk lyrics, theatrical narratives, and catchy hooks that become unanimous with the band's dramatic flair. No Scrubs always had a rep as an underground alternative band with petty delinquent vibes, but this album definitely solidified them as the patron saint of all the edgy and misunderstood goth punks.

At this point the band had been together for a few years and Gojo definitely felt satisfied with the way the band was coming together and wanted to throw in some more famous mid 2000s pop punk bands into the mix.

Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner - FOB

I'm Not Okay (I promise) - MCR

In One Ear - Cage the Elephant

But It's Better if You Do - Panic!

I Write Sins not Tragedies - Panic!

Jesus of Suburbia - Green Day

-

3. Death Before Decaf

After playing up the 'pop' quite a bit in the last album, No Scrubs digs deep into some gritty grunge roots with their third album, full of noisy amped up rock anthems. Thematically it was considered their strongest album at the time of release, with intense vocals and lyrics covering dark and personal topics beneath the guise of their distinctive and iconic instrumental riffs. The juxtaposition between the catchy sing-along hooks and the depressing deeper meaning to the words made this album an instant classic. It remains a fan favorite of music critics for Ru-kun's scorchingly honest handling of raw and deeply personal themes like suicide, depression, and substance abuses. After the identities of the band members became public, it became a hotly debated album amongst No Scrubs fans, who consider it a cathartic outlet for a lot of the trauma that turned Ru-kun into a villain, but also a worrying one full of suicidal ideation, alcoholism, drugs, and child abuse.

On his part, Gojo was feeling nostalgic for his youth and felt it an affront that the likes of Nirvana and Weezer had never been experienced in the MHA universe. He gets asked about these songs a lot, specifically about Today, Semi-Charmed Life, and Say it Ain't So, which all seem to allude to a dark history. He often tells people Semi-Charmed Life is one of his favorite songs ever, which doesn't help matters, and also alarms several psychologists, who worry he's romanticizing what was clearly a very unhealthy time in his life.

My Own Worst Enemy - Lit

Today is the Greatest - (Today) Smashing Pumpkins

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

Come As You Are - Nirvana

Say It Ain't So - Weezer

Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind

-

4. Glass Onion Heart

Aka the "Baby boy who hurt you???" album inspiring sexuality crises across the world

Glass Onion Heart feels like a wild card of metamorphosis from No Scrubs' prior albums, with the addition of more electronic, pop, and synth instrumental mixing. Combined with the explosive and flashy tour that accompanied the album's release, it felt like a radical departure from the band's classic garage-band sound, into a more streamlined, pop format.

The album was met with divisiveness from fans, not helped by the news of the band's breakup following the album release and subsequent tour. While many adored the new direction, long-time fans mourned the loss of the quintessential indie and underground 'No Scrubs' aesthetic, especially when faced with the thought of their final album. Nonetheless, it was the band's most popular album at time of release by a wide margin. It certainly helped the album's popularity that Ru-kun did the entire tour in drag.

At this point fans the world over became intrigued by No Scrubs and their burgeoning fame, prompting Gojo to name the album 'Glass Onion' after the Beatles song of the same name, because there is no deeper meaning to any of his songs, he's literally ripping them off from bands that don't exist. Fans spend way too long trying to figure out who this album was inspired by - who could have possibly broken their precious Ru-kun's heart?? - and as we enlightened No Scrubs fans know, it was no one. Literally no one. Gojo just really liked this femme fatale vibe, and decided to cross dress the entire tour because of it.

Tokyo - The Wombats

Dance Floor Anthem - Good Charlotte

Thanks for the Memories - Fall Out Boy

I'm the Leading Man - (This Ain't a Scene) Fall Out Boy

Moving to New York - The Wombats

Misery Business - Paramore

-

5. Infinity on High

Hailed as a return to the unfettered, unabashed, anti-establishment garage-band jam-session appeal that had people flocking to No Scrubs in their heyday, this album made an intense splash as No Scrubs' Comeback Album. Despite the return to their signature gritty rock sound, this album was in fact the most produced of any of No Scrubs' albums. This album marks both the return of No Scrubs as well as their launch into global superstardom.

Ironically, Gojo named this after his favorite FOB album (I mean it IS called Infinity lol) despite not including a single FOB track. Fans widely consider "Island in the Sun" to be specifically about Hawks, which Gojo never confirms or denies (although he definitely did think the similarities to their island mission were amusing). In reality, the song that reminds him of Hawks - and himself - the most is Mayonnaise, which might be why it's one of his favorites.

Holiday - Green Day

Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins

Cool Enough - (Mayonnaise) Smashing Pumpkins

1979 - Smashing Pumpkins

Island in the Sun - Weezer

Wake Me Up - (Wake Me Up When September Ends) Green Day

-

Bonus: Don't You Know Who (I Think) I AM? Acoustic Album

The first of Ru-kun's unexpected - and according to Makoto, utterly unplanned - acoustic albums, this bonus LP was met with delight and excitement from fans after Ru-kun had teased its release on Twitter. The intimate and personal nature of the simplistic mixing gave this album a cult following, and brought in a new segment of music fans that No Scrubs' music normally didn't appeal to.

Nobody Puts Baby In the Corner - Fall Out Boy

Grand Theft Autumn - Fall Out Boy

My Heart is the Worst Kind of Weapon - Fall Out Boy

Notion - Rare Occasions

No Such Thing - John Mayer

-

Bonus: Take (Me) With a Grain of Salt

Despite the critical acclaim this acoustic album (and the full band versions eventually released afterwards) it was met with a lot of incendiary response at the time of its release. No Scrubs had finally achieved global stardom and was regularly topping hit charts across the world with the release of their album Infinity on High - and while music critics unanimously praised the EP as a worthy contender for Album of the Year, it was generally acknowledged truth that the album's popularity was owed in no small part to lead singer Ru-kun's sudden infamy that coincided at the same time.

The unfathomable depths of Ru-kun's new celebrity status in parallel to the band's brand of off-label, anti-establishment themes created friction within the fanbase. Many accused them of taking advantage of the current media coverage to promote sales, which bassist and band leader Makoto clapped back as 'just doing smart business'. In general, consensus was positive towards the sentiment; capitalizing on Ru-kun's fame and releasing an album in parallel to his identity reveal was just genius marketing.

However the timing of the release of Ru-kun's second acoustic album kicked up the discourse once again, with fans decrying the release as 'a fake sellout' aimed to exploit current gossip trends. However the album's drop was sudden and unexpected - with little to no pre-release marketing - lending credence to the narrative that Ru-kun wrote this album under the emotional duress of his personal life at the time.

Due to the staggering popularity of the acoustic album, the band eventually recorded and released a B-Side with full band versions.

Disenchanted - MCR

Stay Together For the Kids - Blink-182

Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

How's It Going To Be - Third Eye Blind

All These Things That I've Done - The Killers

[wfagamerants]

I have made it very blatant that I am a fan of Toad.

If you followed me for a while, you also likely have heard me vent about the claim Toad and Captain Toad are different characters, citing multiple contradictions to this claim in the games themselves.

I’m not here to deny official word or push my preferences (though I do have them), rather I want to give my perspective on the whole thing in full and delve a little into how Nintendo handles main members of a Mario species in general.

First, it’s important to recognize that Nintendo is loose with a lot of stuff. Many different people work on these games and you can see different takes on how to present certain species quite frequently.

When we think of Toad, the main way we think of him distinguished from other members of his species is the red spots and blue vest combo. In a large number of games that is indeed the case.

Most spin-offs, Super Mario 3D Land and Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon, only to name some. Those make it simple, red spots and blue vest Toad is THE Toad. Other red Toads have a red vest.

However, not every game makes it so nice and simple. The pre-GameCube games had ALL the basic Toads rock the red spots and blue vest combo. THE Toad was distinguished more by role, being the only Toad in the game or as in Super Mario RPG, being the only Toad to have Toad: in his text box, even in the japanese version I might add, to indicate he is the main one you keep meeting.

The modern games aren’t without occasional screwyness themselves though. Odyssey reverts to the idea of all generic Toads using that look and then you have things like Sunshine or the Baseball games, where there is no red spots & blue vest Toad, but a red vest Toad is identified as THE Toad in things like the manual:

It’s weird, but it should be said the 2000s were still a bit of a transitional era for Mario. It took until 2004 for short sleeves Wario to be consistently used in spin-offs for instance and Peach still had her old dress in Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door. You saw oddities like that around a fair bit.

The only time the Toad thing ever came up again in later years is Puzzles & Dragons SMB Edition and even that one has THE Toad on the cover, despite him having a red vest in the game,

Something that is even stranger given that by then they had stock Red Toad renders around and Nintendo is so overprotective of Mario as an IP, that them letting this slide is notable.

While this kinda stuff muddles things, it doesn’t take away from the fact a THE Toad exists. It’s seemingly more about the iconic visuals, than the detail. That visual of a single red Toad being with the rest of the main cast.

Something that still persists to this very day and will, with the distinctions we prefer to go for (only one blue vest, red spots Toad) even be present in the movie, which Nintendo is directly involved with.

It’s a thing that extends beyond Toad and has been present with other characters representing their species as well. Kamek being the most blatant example of it.

Even prior to Yoshi’s Island, singular important Magikoopas such as a particular Yoshi’s Safari boss, a right-hand man Magikoopa in Super Mario kun’s Super Mario World story or the eeeeeevil Koopa wizard Wizenheimer in the Super Mario World cartoon, had already appeared as important parts of Bowser’s troops.

It’s with Yoshi’s Island that one particular Magikoopa, who was the one who raised Bowser no less, was introduced. While this had no distinct name in Japan, where all Magikoopas are known as Kamek, the localization either consciously or by lucky accident, kept his name as Kamek, giving him a big distinguishing element from his species.

The idea of Kamek the main Magikoopa is one that persists to this day and it makes a lot of sense why. Given his shown connection to Bowser in his debut game, there is no reason to assume the most prominent Magikoopas aren’t this particular one and localization was happy to keep the concept around.

In Japan meanwhile, Kamek the character is not a foreign concept, but many materials do not make a formal distinction between the character and the species. It’s there, just more vague. You can sense that in localizations too, with how there are a couple notable oddities.

Mario Party 9 has a playable Magikoopa who is referred to as such in american localization, is called Kamek in other versions, like the german translation. Whether this is meant to be the character or a generic member of the species is genuinely not clear. Not helping matters is how european translations sometimes call generic Magikoopas like in the first couple Paper Mario games and as recent as Bowser’s Fury, Kameks.

A particularly noteworthy example is Giant Kamek in Super Princess Peach. His status as a boss, the one to guard Luigi no less, makes it easy to take him as Kamek transformed, but then you look at the Glossary:

A Kamek. It’s meant to be a generic member of the species, in a new form.

The truth is that Mario is a very, as I like to call it ‘’function over flavor’’ series. It’s more about the function, such as a main red Toad or a main Magikoopa and not so much the finer details like whether the vest color is correct, even if many games DO take that into account.

Because of this, I think the thing to look for is consistency, whatever fits the consistent image is the most likely answer. We will never know in some cases if the character in question is a generic member of the species or the main one, but that is because Nintendo themselves often don’t put that much stock into it.

On that note, while localizations, despite greater efforts to define things can fumble too, I don’t think that means they don’t ‘’count’’. I generally don’t agree with the idea that only japanese sources have any say with how to interpret Mario stuff, because the series does not have the lore consistency to give that idea weight.

On top of that, we have seen that western influences have affected the franchise at large more than once.  The western Super Mario Bros 2 is the most obvious example of this, with how many elements of it have made it far into the franchise. Most notable though are the Koopalings, who didn’t even have names in the japanese version of SMB3 and adapted their localization given names.

This kind of stuff isn’t like say, Monsteropolis in the US Mega Man manual or the US Sonic CD manual clumsily trying to treat Amy as Sally. This stuff is still with the franchise today and as the movie shows, still matters.

THE Toad is a thing in the movie and as is Kamek. Both clearly defined as such and while the New York backstory is not a western invention, it was more emphasized in the west and that’s back too. It’s even Brooklyn again and I’m not even sure if that was ever specified in japanese material or direct confirmation from Miyamoto.

Mario is not a story centric series where only the original text matters. It’s a extremely loose canon, where what the west did, still matters to this very day and is of equal importance.

With all this in mind, let’s talk Captain Toad.

To understand my point on what I mean with contradictions regarding him and Toad being separate characters, we need to look at what Captain was like in the Galaxy games.

In these games, Captain Toad as a name did not exist, with him being only referred to as ‘’the captain of the Toad Brigade’’ and being specifically shown to be a self proclaimed captain at that. Even his inability to jump was invented later on and is contradicted by many level set pieces he shows up in, as well as this:

Even the headlamp, one of his defining visual features, wasn’t treated as anything that special, with BankToad being able to get it at a certain level of deposited Star Bits in Galaxy 2.

He wasn’t really talked about in any official materials and didn’t even get an official render of any sort, but you know who did and is on the cover of Galaxy 2 no less?

Toad. I have seen the argument that this could be an error, but for that to make it all the way to the cover, the first thing someone would see of the game when buying it, would make that a very massive one. Additionally, Toad also has a render for Galaxy 1, even though he wouldn’t have any presence in either game aside from a Save File icon and a cameo in the story book opening of Galaxy 1, if he’s not Captain. The only existing bios for Toad or Captain in these games, even identify them as the same character.

It does line up with what I said about consistency. Sunshine gave us a group of 5 Toads in different colors, with the red vest and red spots one being singled out to be the main Toad. Galaxy introducing a similar group and making the red Toad, in a franchise where a red Toad is one of the main characters, THE Toad, like in Sunshine or the Baseball games, makes sense because there is precedent.

Then many years later came 3D World, the game where Toad and Captain were supposedly clarified to be different characters, co-existing at the same time.

This is also the game where the main playable Toad is a Blue Toad. THE Toad, has never been portrayed that way before or since, to the point where every time Nintendo reuses one of the Blue Toad renders in this game

They are recolored to fit his proper appearance, because this has NEVER been how he has been portrayed. The game really emphasizes the playable Toad being a blue one too, with how the credits scene even shows Captain with a group of Toads, missing a blue one.

This flies heavily in the face of past established consistency, where between Sunshine, the many spin-offs or Luigi’s Mansion Dark Moon, THE Toad has always been distinguished as the red one, because that’s the first one, who established himself as THE Toad.

One could point to his blue color palette in NES SMB2 and I have seen arguments that it’s an homage to that. We don’t have official word on this, but I find that very hard to buy, because he was never supposed to look like this. When he WAS depicted that way in art, everyone was portrayed with their in-game colors:

And in every other case, everyone had their proper colors:

3D World doesn’t do either. The idea of a homage rings hollow when Mario, Luigi and Peach are the same as usual and those couple spots needing to be recolored to not confuse him with Mario, also doesn’t really make sense, given how drastically different their body types are. 

It goes so far the official Super Mario website even lists red spots specifically as one of Toad’s defining features, which would make him being Blue Toad in 3D World even stranger:

The game also lacks any kind of red spots and blue vest Toad, which 3D Land ensured there was only one of, to identify him as THE Toad. You know who had an icon like that in the reveal trailer though?

Captain Toad. Completely new art no less, that stuck around in the game to be in the reveal trailer, less than half a year away from release.

Also, yah know how you can find Captain Toad in levels and sometimes get a collectible out of it?

Toad did the same thing in 3D Land. Even in terms of gameplay function, the two are extremely similar. Similarities between the two are a running theme from here on out.

Prominent red Toads who throw turnips, give out stars, have Toadette as a partner, act as leaders to other Toads and have been depicted with fairy partners (though in Captain’s case only in concept art).

It is baffling how much they have in common and you can tell that even more by how much the two are linked.

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker has an amiibo bundle, amiibo functionality and a pre-order bonus, centered around a character that, according to some sources, you don’t even play as.

All by Nintendo themselves btw. Same with say, this video title or german eShop description for the game, which refer to the main character as Captain and Toad interchangeably.

This even extends to in-game content:

And an Odyssey developer interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVNYfoFcrZY

Then you got Mario Maker call Toad Captain:

Smash let's Toad’s spirit evolve into Captain, which is tied to gameplay AND in-line with stuff like Shadow becoming Super Shadow or Alm and Celica becoming their adult selves. The game even makes the distinction that THE Toad exists in the tips, where Peach’s Toad is THE Toad and Daisy’s (who is blue ala’ 3D World btw) is a Toad. 

And then you get Mario Kart Tour, the only spin-off Captain Toad is in and the same one where someone like Peachette can be an independent playable character distant from Toadette OR Peach, so yeah. He even shares most of his animations with Toad:

A trait mainly seen with the simpler alts. Pit Stop Toad has more unique animations than Captain has.

VS Tour promos even group him with Toad, right next to him. Same happens with Peachette, who is correctly placed between Toadette and her alts.

Hillariously enough, even LEGO gets in on this, by giving Toad a treasure hunting themed expansion:

As I said, it’s not my intent to ignore official word. Officially, Captain is regarded as a different character, I’m just pointing out how much the games themselves don’t support that and how it requires a lot of justification and ignoring of past patterns to get there and explain away the mountains of counter evidence.

I don’t think it’s fair to dismiss every source that speaks against those claims either, these are just people trying to make sense of the mess Nintendo has left behind and I could just as easily point out that the original confirmation Captain is a separate character, also came with Toads not truly being mushrooms. A claim that contradicts a lot of past descriptions of the species, dialogue mentioning things like spores and Toad showing spore abilities at multiple points.

Not saying this invalidates the entire thing, just pointing out this is a nightmarish mess if you want to maintain consistency.

It’s why Movie Toad is exciting to me.

Giving him the backpack, Captain’s most defining feature these days and thus possibly silently merging them, is to me, the best and least complicated thing they could do. 

Time will tell if this will affect anything, but Nintendo allowing for this at all does tell me they are fine with the characters being linked, which I hope translates to good things for him. Toad has a lot to gain from being Captain, while Captain really struggles to be his own thing, because he IS Toad in all but official word.

[fractalflare]

608 SHIZUKU MIZUTANI ICONS / MY LITTLE MONSTER

TOU – Icons are free to use, free to edit, with or without credit, likes and reblogs are encouraged. Please don’t re-upload or claim as your own. Please let me know about any broken links —  DOWNLOAD

[malaierba]

well since i know that osomatsu-san sold underwear and sex toys as merch i am curious wtf is it even about because all i see are those kinda silly guys. like huh

Oh Osomatsu-san IS silly! It's the modern take on a manga that originally ran in the 60s, Osomatsu-kun. It follows the story of the Matsuno Sextuplets + other inhabitants of a place named Akatsuka (mainly two guys named Chibita and Iyami, who were the real stars in most adaptations except the most recent one)

There's been three anime adaptations of Osomatsu, two of Osomatsu-kun (focusing on the sextuplets as children) and one of Osomatsu-san (focusing on the Sextuplets as 20-something NEETs who are freeloading off their parents lol)

If I had to pitch Osomatsu-san... Imagine the annoying kids at school that were little terrors and everyone was sure they'd end up washed up adults because they were just that rowdy? Fast forward in the future: congratulations you were right 👍

The anime was first released to commemorate the death of Fujio Akatsuka. Many of Fujio's works permeated the pop culture imaginary of Japan, it'd take sooo long to go over his legacy but he's a swell guy who is remembered because several of his character's -isms were references often by real life celebrities, who also had an iconic if slightly off-putting sense of humour (went from silly to silly with dark undertones quickly. After all, with Akatsuka-sensei the protagonists were Chibita (orphan, homeless) and Iyami (conman, often homeless))

Ososan as a modern homage has a lot of range: There's stupid meta humour where it's almost like the sextuplets are aware that their cartoons, then there's stupid in-universe skits that are usually very funny, then there're a few skits that are a bit dark/vulnerable and are often very heartfelt.

So yeah! Parody series, but the characters are modernised and became so memorable that it was an honest to god cultural phenomenon in 2016-2018. Osomatsu-san was EVERYWHERE, there were three mobile games, a PS Vita one and merch was being pumped out at such an absurd speed that we ended up with the things that were being given a pass. There's also a printed manga, a couple of light novels, several live action and several drama CDs.

The fans were such a force to be reckoned with that even the anime pocked fun at them in S2 (the skit was mostly ribbing fangirls which went down poorly since they were the ones that made it a phenomenon in the first place? But I digress)

(not me in the bottom left corner. look away)

If you can, watch this compilation as a little taste test.

The series can be about as serious as you want it to be. A lot of things are done simply because they're funny, but when you look at the way the sextuplets change from season to season, from episode to episode, you can see overall cohesive development in all of them.

There's also just the fact that they were finally given distinctive personalities, and that fact is played to get people looking at them very attentively, trying to find all the instances where they're all the same, only some of them the same, when they each subvert the expectations of their given character archetype, etc.

Like, a big meta-theme is that the sextuplets grew up only knowing how to be one part of a whole made of six pieces, so used to being both treated as unique AND singled out over being sextuplets that they only really knew how to socialise with each other within the group mentality of their little gang. Then at one point they noticed they were socially stunted, so they tried to pull away and become individuals.

And it's that dynamic that's at the core of everything in Osomatsu-san: we are brothers, we are all part of a whole and our own separate individuals, as dissimilar as we (try to) look we're essentially the same in many basic aspects of our core personalities, etc. Sometimes they clash because they're SO similar, sometimes they do because they're SO different. They're the siblings of all time really.

[wosemi-sama]

hii!! im participating @winter-sekai-gift-exchange!! the person i got was @autistic-wxs! the characters were vbs and the prompt was "make them silly" so i decided to write them having a secret santa. hope u like ur gift :3

vivibasu being SILLY‼️‼️‼️🔥🔥🔥

As the snow was falling upon Vivid Street, An was pulling an out of breath Kohane by her wrist, running towards their destination. Kohane was probably wearing at least four layers, while An was simply wearing a dark blue coat and black gloves.

An was gasping for air as they were both going fast, but definitely not as much as Kohane.

"An-chan, slow down!" Kohane was barely getting the words out of her mouth.

"No can do, we're going to be late!" An seemingly picked up the pace, her grip around Kohane's wrist tightened a bit.

After what seemed like forever to Kohane, the two girls finally arrived at Weekend Garage.

An glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh, we're early." She chuckled a bit.

"What?!"

"Sorry, Kohane. I must've read the time wrong" An looked at Kohane with a sorry look on her face.

"It's alright, An-chan. We'll just wait for Shinonome-kun and Aoyagi-san." Kohane sighed a bit before setting the gift bag and gift box she was holding on the floor and putting her various coats on the coat hanger by the door, leaving her in a brown sweater vest with a white dress shirt underneath.

An took off her gloves and put them in the pocket of her coat as Kohane picked up the gifts again. She then took off her coat and put it on the coat hanger. She was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt with a blue short-sleeved shirt on top.

An and Kohane walked over to the counter and sat down on their respective stools. Kohane put the gifts on the counter.

An's dad walked over to where they were sitting from behind the counter and set down two mugs of hot cocoa. The mug Kohane was given was a snowman. An's was a penguin wearing a scarf and a striped hat.

"Thanks, dad!" An took a sip of the hot cocoa. Kohane blew on the surface before taking a sip as well.

"You're welcome." Ken smiled before walking away to grab the two other mugs behind him.

The sound of the door opening could be heard behind them. Toya and Akito were now here. Toya was carrying a box, flawlessly wrapped in green wrapping paper. Akito was carrying a red paper bag that was extremely crumpled. It had a shiny red bow lazily stuck onto it.

"You're late." An said jokingly.

"What? Seriously?" Akito looked concerned. He looked at the clock on the wall. They were five minutes early.

"You liar." Akito huffed before taking off his jacket and putting it on the coat hanger. An snickered.

Toya took off his jacket and walked over to the counter. He set the gift on the counter and sat down on the stool next to Kohane. Akito sat down on the stool next to An and put the red paper bag on the counter.

"Hello Shiraishi, Azusawa." Toya said.

"Hey, Toya!"

"Hello, Aoyagi-kun, Shinonome-kun."

Ken put the remaining two mugs in front of Akito and Toya. They each took a sip and thanked him. Toya's mug was a polar bear wearing a striped hat and scarf. Akito's mug was of Santa Claus with his iconic red hat and white beard.

Ken walked away and disappeared into the back, doing who knows what.

"Alright, now that we're all here, let's get started!" An clapped her hands together and grabbed the green gift bag. "My gift was for Toya. It's not much, but I hope you like it." An looked at Toya with a smile before handing it to him.

Toya opened the small bag and reached inside. He pulled out a coffee mug, hand painted with blue on the outside and gold on the inside.

"This is lovely, Shiraishi. Did you make this?"

An nodded. "Yup! I picked out the colors and painted it."

"Thank you." Toya put the mug back in the bag before setting the bag on the stool next to him.

"Your gift was for Toya? I was for sure you got Kohane." Akito seemed surprised.

"Really? What makes you think that?" An asked while taking a sip of her hot cocoa.

"I dunno...." Akito trailed off and looked away from An.

"I'll go next. My gift was for Azusawa." Toya gently picked up the green gift and gave it to Kohane.

"Really? O-oh, thank you, Aoyagi-kun." Kohane took the box and started unwrapping it. She then put the green wrapping paper aside and took off the tape that was sealing the box.

"I made them myself. I hope you like it." Toya said as Kohane opened the white box. Inside were two neatly folded chunky crochet sweaters. There was a cream colored sweater stacked on top of an identical one. The only difference between the two was color, as the bottom one was white.

"Wow.... thank you Aoyagi-kun! They're so cute and they look so cozy! I can't wait to try them on when I get home." Kohane gave him an appreciative grin. Toya gave her a small smile in return as he took a sip of his hot cocoa.

Akito chugged his hot cocoa and slammed it on the counter, "My gift was for An." He slid the red gift bag in front of An, while everyone's jaws were practically on the floor.

"An-chan?!"

"Shiraishi?"

"Me?!"

Everyone went quiet. The only thing that could be heard was the wind outside and the buzzing of the lights.

"Wow. Alright. I'll open it then..." An stuck her hand into the bag.

An took out the gift and placed it on the counter. Akito had given her a.... box. The box was white and the shape of a rectangle.

"What."

"Just open the box."

"Alright..." An ripped open the box without paying any attention to the fragile sticker on it. A microphone fell out of the huge rip An made in the box. It loudly landed on the counter.

An let out a tiny gasp. "Realy?! Thank you, Akito!!"

"It's... nothing really..." Akito's cheeks slightly flushed from embarrassment.

"Uhm," Kohane hesitated. "My gift was for Shinonome-kun. I hope you like it." Kohane nervously slid the gift in front of Akito.

"Hm. Thanks, Kohane." Akito began unwrapping the gift. He proceeded to crumple up the tape and wrapping paper into one big wad.

He took off the pieces of tape from the shoebox and lifted up the lid.

Inside was a pair of white sneakers. Akito seemed surprised.

"Oh, do you not like them?-" Akito cut Kohane off.

"What? Of course not." He admired them a bit before closing the box and setting it off to the side. "Thank you, Kohane." Akito said as Kohane gave him a smile.

"Wow, are we done already? That went by fast!" An remarked.

"Yeah, I feel like we should do something else."

"What should we do then?" Toya took a long drink of his hot cocoa.

"An, don't you have some board games stored somewhere?" Kohane asked before also taking a drink of her hot cocoa.

"Nah, can we do something other than that?"

"Oh, what to do you have in mind?"

"Guys, why are we debating this?! We literally have the entertainment all out there!" An pointed at the street outside covered in snow through the glass door.

"I didn't bring gloves."

"I'm sure we've got some in a bin somewhere!" An said as Akito rolled his eyes.

In less than five minutes, the four were now outside of Weekend Garage, snowballs in hand.

"Alright, everyone ready?"

They all nodded.

"Okay, ready, set... go!" An shouted, her voice slightly echoing throughout Vivid Street.

Immediately, everyone was throwing snowballs everywhere. Toya's hair was practically white with snow. He was peacefully making snowballs in the corner for Akito as Akito shot them as his targets.

An was making snowballs within seconds. She had somehow formed an alliance with Kohane only a minute in and she was throwing snowballs at anyone who would dare throw one at Kohane.

Unfortunately for Akito, he hadn't quite gotten the memo to leave Kohane alone yet, and he threw a snowball at her back about 7 minutes in the battle.

Immediately, Akito was greeted with a snowball to the face. An started cranking out snowballs like crazy and decking Akito in the face with them. Her arm was a machine gun and Akito was the target.

"Stop! Stop! I get it!" Akito yelled from across the street. An giggled.

"Fine!! I'm cold now, anyways."

"Right, let's head back inside." Toya stood up, leaving the mountain of snowballs he made for Akito on the ground.

Upon reentering Weekend Garage, they all brought trails of snow inside. Akito walked up the counter and grabbed Toya's mug and his shoebox.

"Thanks, guys. But I think we should be leaving now. It's pretty late." Akito walked over to the front door and gave Toya his mug.

"Wait!! We should have a sleepover!" Kohane nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it'd be fun!"

An looked at Akito and Toya, waiting for a response.

Akito turned to Toya. "Toya, what do you say?"

Toya didn't have to think twice. "Sure, I'd like that."

Akito sighed before thinking to himself for a bit.

"Fine. We're not helping you clean that up, though." Akito pointed to the snow on the ground.

"Okay!" An exclaimed with a smile on her face. "Now where is the mop..."

[musedriven]

@dnangelic you better be ready for me to im you about hc's and ideas i am having about sato/krad as I reread these books to icon.

he was so obvious. it was like Niwa was taunting him -- or perhaps it was Dark that was being so obvious. Satoshi wouldn't put it past the 'fallen angel' to behave in such a brazen way. his joints ached with the barely contained fury of Krad at the very idea of being mocked by Dark. a monster clawing at it's cage for a chance to properly strike it's rival down and end it's own curse. too impatient and proud to let anyone else even try to resolve the feud between the artwork cleaved by foolish chance.

just let me out and I will spare us both his miserable existence, master.

" Niwa-kun. " he breathes against the pain, raising himself tall despite the fire threatening to melt him from the inside out. " you should really be more careful of your surroundings. "

[fufukunaga]

#sakuatsu | demiromantic Atsumu

Atsumu who is well aware of Kiyoomi's crush on him. And it boosts his ego like no other. He can tell from the flush of Kiyoomi's ears every time Atsumu flirts with him. He can feel Kiyoomi's eyes on him whenever they're at practice or just any time they're in close proximity.

It feels nice, being liked by Sakusa Kiyoomi who is known for hating everyone. Atsumu shamelessly flirts with him, enjoying the flustered look on his face hidden behind Kiyoomi's scrunched up nose and frown. He'd saying something like "Shut up, Miya" and walk away.

Atsumu likes the attention but he can't see say that he likes Sakusa Kiyoomi. He's not blind. He knows the man is attractive with his dark curly hair and that cute iconic twin moles on his forehead. And he enjoys Kiyoomi's company, loves bantering with him. But romantically?

He's not sure.

When Kiyoomi confesses, Atsumu admits that he already knew, that Kiyoomi wasn't as subtle as he thought he was. That makes the spiker flush once again. Atsumu smirks.

Kiyoomi asks him on a date. Atsumu agrees. He's not really sure why. Maybe he's curious.

How would the Sakusa Kiyoomi try to romance him?

It turns out Kiyoomi doesn't have as much dating experience and is awkward and shy and surprisingly endearing. Atsumu teases him for it, pokes fun at his inexperience. Kiyoomi tries to rebut but it's not as effective with his ears pink.

Kiyoomi offers to walk Atsumu home and finding no reason to decline, Atsumu agrees. When they reach the door to Atsumu's apartment, Kiyoomi leans down for a kiss. This surprises Atsumu. He pulls back.

Kiyoomi's eyes widen but accepts the rejection. He mutters a quick and quiet sorry before he turns around to leave.

"Omi-kun, wait!"

Kiyoomi turns back around. His ears are flushed pink again but it's not as cute and endearing as the previous times it's happened. He's embarrassed from the rejection, he knows. He probably wants to go home more than ever but Atsumu appreciates him staying.

Kiyoomi has always been considerate towards him, Atsumu realizes.

"I—" he stammers. Kiyoomi blinks at him expectantly. Maybe he's holding back tears. "Please, don't take this the wrong way."

Kiyoomi snorts, humorlessly. "How am I supposed to take it, Miya?"

The use of his last name hurts more than Atsumu would think after a night of calling him Atsumu during their date.

"Please," Atsumu pleads, though he's not really sure what he's asking. "I really enjoyed our date. More than I thought I would. And—"

"If you're going to turn me down, better cut it with the lip service and give it to me straight," Kiyoomi snaps. And Atsumu thinks he might've heard his voice break.

"No," Atsumu says. "I— I don't like ya the way ya like me."

"Thanks. Is that all?" Kiyoomi's not looking at him anymore. Atsumu doesn't like that.

"What I meant to say," Atsumu tries again. "Romance is not something I... understand. It's just—" He gestures with his hands, trying to come up with the right word but coming up short. "The whole dating thing— I don't get it but I don't want to lose ya, Omi."

Kiyoomi finally meets his eyes. They're questioning and unsure but Atsumu feels they're getting a little bit closer to understanding each other.

"I don't like ya. At least not yet," Atsumu continues. "I like our friendship. And I trust ya, more than anyone in the world, maybe. But it's not the same as how ya feel, I think."

"What are ya saying, Atsumu?" Kiyoomi asks, walking slowly towards him.

Back to Atsumu, he notes. A good sign.

"What I'm saying is, I want to try," Atsumu says. "With ya. Dating ya. But maybe we can take thingsslow? Like super super super slow? I don't know when I'll get there but I will. It just always takes time for me to... fall in love, I guess."

Kiyoomi's eyes roam around his face, as if looking for something. He doesn't say anything and it's making Atsumu nervous.

"I understand if yer not willing to wait for me for how long. But I really do appreciate our friendship. Yer my best friend, Omi-kun. I can't lose you."

Atsumu's holding onto the sleeves of Kiyoomi's sweater sleeves.

Dating has always been hard for Atsumu. He's tried several times since high school but he always ends up doing casual hookups and short term relationships. He doesn't really understand what he's doing wrong but it seems it's always been hard for him to connect with other people romantically.

Kiyoomi is different. Atsumu knows they have this connection.

It's not an inherently romantic connection but he trusts him. And they've known each other for years. Kiyoomi is safe and comfortable. And Atsumu shudders to think of losing all that and starting again with another person.

"Please just promise me however this ends between us that we still stay friends. /Please./"

"Atsumu."

He doesn't know when Kiyoomi has gotten so close. But he's caressing Atsumu's cheek gently like he's holding something precious.

"I'm not going anywhere," Kiyoomi says. "I'll stay by your side as long as you'll have me. We can take it however slow you like. Even if it's at a snail's pace. I'll take anything you can give me. Okay?"

"Really?"

Kiyoomi nods. His eyes are sparkling with unshed tears but he's smiling. Atsumu's can't help but smile back.

"Okay," he says. "Do ya want to come in?"

Kiyoomi seems taken aback by the question, unsure how to answer.

Astumu smirks, opening his door and letting Kiyoomi in. "I gotta tell ya about this guy I went on a date with."

Kiyoomi chuckles at that as he removes his shoes and enters the apartment. "Oh? How did it go?"

"It was probably the best date I've ever been on," Atsumu says, tension leaving his body. He finally feels relaxed in his own house with his best friend.

They talk for for hours and hours with the TV acting as background noise as they lounge on the couch.

[krismasau]

Grats on the premire! If we can ask production questions: how did you guys settle on everyones designs- even the brief ones?

Thank you so much! We're all blown away by all the positivity and encouragement from the fanbase, and so quickly too!

Multiple people designed multiple characters, some creating the entire design while others taking a sketch and adding lines and color. The most important part in all of our designs is that we kept the character designs, silhouettes, and shape language similar enough to make the characters recognizable.

I'm doing to be talking about my ( @ebenrosetaylor 's ) designs for virovirokun, werewire, and plugboy! If you want to hear about the design process for specific characters like Queen, Spamton, Ralsei, etc... Be sure to send an ask about them!

Viroviro-kun!

This was the first design (aside from Noelle) that I really wanted to nail down to make them as iconic as possible. They always gave off the impression of being very 2D and flat, which matched really well in my head to how gingerbread cookies are! From that point I gathered a variety of gingerbread cookie images around my sketchbook (a lot of my sketches are done digitally and transferred to the computer for cleanup. This same process happened for werewire and tasque as well) and gave it gumdrop buttons and frosting around its body. I also saw the potential for christmas tree shapes in its arrows and altered them a bit more.

When I brought it to the computer I wanted to be sure that the colors made it recognizable as virovirokun while also keeping in mind that the colors needed to carry the idea that it's a gingerbread cookie. I chose a brown that felt like it worked well with the rest of the bright and saturated colors and then worked with the rest of the colors in the original palette!

Werewire and plugboy!

I designed werewire before plugboy, knowing that whatever I did for werewire would have to be reflected in the original lil guy. I struggled with this one a bit because FOR SOME REASON I forgot Christmas lights existed. I toyed with the idea of them being suspended by tinsel or ribbons, but it wasn't clear enough in my original sketches. When I finally got to the conclusion of "oh, christmas lights!" i knew I would have to add on more to it. Otherwise, the only difference would be the lights on the wire itself. So I thought about werewolves and how my friend would always draw them with really fluffy necks and I thought a wreathe would be cool too! the ribbon also sells the point pretty well.

I brought werewire over to the computer to color it and kept most of the colors in their original places. I did have to make the wreathe and the ribbon a slightly darker color so that the green wouldnt blend in with the upper arms.

Plugboy is admittedly my least-inspired character design out of any of the designs in the AU. I forgot about them in the first place and didn't get to their design until after I was storyboarding the part where Kris and Susie enter the dark world! I literally remember saying to myself "Ehh let's just slap a bow on em and call it a day." But hey, the original werewire design is much more visually interesting than the original plugboy design, so it works out in the end!

This was really fun, I'd love to get more asks like these!