#my most favourite background character <3

[habken]

middle school deku makes a friend

continuation of this

[hershelwidget]

BEHOLDE. MASKS PEOPLE IN THEIR GLORY

That format up there is Name - Pronouns - Exact Division - Broader Magical Term - Species

Silly silly shenanigans! They are one of the trios ever I love their friendship so much

frankly I am obsessed

Woahhhh

and. lastly

I love how Rosemary and Charley actually have wings and fly accordingly but Philliam is naturally a floating disembodied skull. And the best part is that’s NOT what Charley is surprised about

I am going to be working on their official ref sheets complete with colours soon!! Might even throw in a photo of the actual irl mask on the sheet :0

Please expect more of these sillies!!

[zosanbrainrot]

part 06!! and the end of Act 1

01 02 03 04 05 06

OK SO THAT'S THAT

I don't have anything else storyboarded right now, I have the dialogues for Act 3 written down, but for the 2nd Act I'm gonna have to rewatch parts of WCI. I'm also thinking of a different approach, more like a series of illustrations not a comic, but idk yet, I'll have to rewatch and see!

It's not like I'm actually using a 3 Act structure as in 'a method of writing a story', I don't know how to and I haven't tried learning that (YET). I just think its neat and reflects how I divided my artistic process. I've always seen this story in my head as 3 parts.

And before I delve into part 06, I can't stop myself from saying that....... part 05 really needed another closeup on Sanji's face. If I ever try and repost it to another site then maybe I'll add it (between the panels of Ichiji & Zoro and the closeup on the spear, it would help the rythym but also strengthen the emotional connection, before Sanji shuts himself off)

Anyhow part 06

Most panels were a breeze, but the last two, my god, I just couldn't get them right for the longest time. In the end my favourite panels are the closeups of Luffy and Nami, I should really draw them more.

Here's how this panel in particular went:

I did like how the pose was looking in my first rough pass, the face is scrunched, the shoulders are high with tension, the direction is consistent

Couldn't execute it though... I think in the first rough sketch the camera is looking at Luffy slightly from above? Like he's leaning into it. That's why the shoulders can be so high up, but I didn't realize what it was when trying to clean it. So when cleaning the sketch I drew the head on the same level as the camera which made the whole pose look flat, also in this weird angle, like it's not fully 3/4, but it's not facing forwards either.

I didn't know what wasn't working, so I doubled down and tried with the lineart, but it didn't magically help. It just looks like he's slouching.

4. so I tried to rethink the pose and commit to a 3/4 view. I like that more of the neck is visible now, you can feel that he's leaning forward with the scream, but I think I could have pushed it a bit more still

5. with linework I made some small changes, like a bit shorter hair, smaller nose and the eyes pushed back a bit. I also added the scratches and filled in the black parts

6. added flat colors & shading!

Last panel with Sanji was even harder to draw hehe

so I thought this would be easy bcs I wanted to basically redraw the panel from the anime

that's why my rough sketch was extremely rough, I didn't think about it much

and then I had so much trouble with it lmao You'd think that it would be easier when you're covering the character's face, but I was in this undecided space of on one hand wanting to show the pain on Sanji's face and staying truthful to the anime scene on the other. I also found it super diffucult to show the emotions without the eyes

4. The pose in 3. also wasn't working so I tried to make him more slouched, like he's curling in on himself more, it was definitely a better direction. I tried going into lineart from here but I didn't like how the fingers were turning out

5. So I decided to get a new ref and took a picture of how I'd make this gesture myself. With this pose I also changed the position and angle of the face slightly, bcs it would have created a very small space between the hand and the nose and I wanted the two shapes to connect

6. I really liked the hand, but was having trouble with the hair, it felt too short, still couldn't get the face right either

7. so I elongated the hair and worked on the face some more and was finally happy with what I had!

8. added colors! At first I had it colored like the other panels, color just on Sanji then gradient on the bottom helping it fade to black, but it wasn't sitting well with me. Maybe because the space above his head was too big and I didn't want to have a background here and also wasn't adding the little floating pieces to the carriage scene (these were reserved for the grass battlefield)

9. SO! I made Sanji's figure darker and also added a darker shade to the whole scene and I think it ended up working really nice. Like he's drowning in the darkness, the only element piercing through it are Luffy's words. It also just fills up the space better lmao, feels less empty visually

Its gonna be A WHILE, before I have updates for this, I'm gonna have to start with the rewatch anyway. Right now I'm gonna have to focus on finishing my extra pieces for the @rdtriozine !! If any of you read this far you may as well check it out lmao I have a full illustration spread there and gonna have spots for a fic too ❤️ I just need to draw them!!! AGHHHH

[gotta-get-back-to-hatchetfield]

Help! I loved Nerdy Prudes Must Die and am curious about Nightmare Time but don't really have time to commit to watching it all... (a handy guide)

For those of you who don't know Nightmare Time was a series of Hatchetfield one shots that starkid wrote and recorded during lockdown, all of which are of course available for free on YouTube. They go a lot deeper into the lore than the 3 Hatchetfield musicals, including explaining and explore the characters we know and love in more detail, sometimes including shocking revelations.

They also introduce new characters to the Hatchetfield universe, including Stephanie Lauter, Grace Chasity and Pete Spankoffski, who we first met in a Nightmare Time episode.

As they were filmed in lockdown the recording quality is somewhat variable, but Season 2 has a much higher production value than Season 1, and in Season 1 Episode 1 in particular they were very clearly trying to find their feet with it. That being said the actual scripts and content of the episodes is solid throughout.

I've decided to put together this handy guide of which Nightmare Time episodes people might want to check out if they want to learn more about certain things we saw in NPMD.

1) Nibbly - Honey Queen (season 2 episode 1)

If you're curious to learn more about the Lords in Black each of them (bar Wiggly) have an episode of Nightmare Time devoted to them.

For Nibbly, Wiggly's hungriest and pinkest brother that episode is 'Honey Queen' in Season 2 Episode 1.

It explores a very entertaining rivalry between Linda Monroe (from Black Friday) and Zoey (the annoying barista from Beanie's in TGWDLM) that naturally turns very very dark. We also get to meet Linda's husband Gerald who she spends most of Black Friday on the phone to.

As a heads up Nibbly doesn't appear until, shall we say, the end of the episode (with Hatchetfield there's always a twist) and he's not in the super sexy form from NPMD but it's a very strong episode and does give a bit of background to Nibbly's deal.

2) Tinky - Time Bastard (season 1 episode 2 part 2)

If you're curious to learn more about this yellow motherfucker played by Curt then you're in luck because he's in my personal favourite episode and one with a lot of interesting lore surrounding it.

If you're curious about what he means when in NPMD he says 'I could add another Spankoffski to my set', Time Bastard is focused around Pete's brother Ted (from TGWDLM) and the dodgy dealings of CCRP.

It's an extremely clever episode, with lots of really fun twists. It's unfortunately season 1 so has slightly lower production quality, but in terms of raw scripting is just outstanding and has some really interesting reveals about people in the Hatchetfield universe who may not be who we think they are...

Also worth noting that this is in the same episode (Youtube video) as a different Nightmare Time episode 'Forever and Always'. Most episodes work like this where you have two different stories per episode, they absolutely can be watched independently but usually have some sort of thematic link (in this case it's the things we do for love and how they will inevitably be thwarted by CCRP being sketch).

3) Blinky - Watcher World (season 1 episode 1 part 2)

And if you're curious about the one who's always watching you, he's actually the first Lord in Black we meet through Nightmare Time, in the very first episode when Bill and Alice Woodward (TGWDLM) go on an ill fated trip to a spooky theme park.

Again this is from the first episode so production quality is low but it's a really solid episode and a very interesting look into these characters.

While this is our first meeting of a lord in black in Nightmare Time, I don't believe he's actually referred to as such, and the concept of the Lords in Blacks being introduced as Wiggly's brothers comes in at point 5 on this list.

4) Pokey - Yellow Jacket (season 2 episode 4)

You've already met Pokey through TGWDLM (yep that was his blue shit that destroyed the world!), but you won't truly realise how fucking scary he is until you meet his incarnation 'Otho' in Yellow Jacket.

A solid episode exploring Lex, Hannah and Ethan in a lot more detail, and in a world and lives where (at least at the start of the episode) things seem to be a lot more stable for them than in Black Friday.

And yeh as I've already mentioned Pokey is fucking s c a r y in it. Also you remember James Tolbert's character, Charles that gets a little cameo in Hatchetown? Well he's the main human antagonist of this episode!

We also learn a lot of lore about 'the gift', the thing that makes Hannah able to do magic.

5) The concept of the Lords in Black generally - The Witch in the Web (season 2 episode 3 part 2)

If you're curious about why everyone's been posting pictures of those evil teddy bears and now even more confused that you've met them all as fucked up high school students, the Witch in the Web is the episode where we're first introduced to the 'they don't care bears' as a set.

This is a really cool episode, again about Lex and Hannah, but it also exploring Uncle Wiley (from Black Friday) in a lot more detail.

We also first meet two characters called Duke and Miss Holloway who together form the ship Holloduke that if you were following any of Starkid tumblr during lockdown you will definitely have heard of. They're really cool!

Here we also meet Webby, Hannah's imaginary friend in Black Friday, who turns out to be the lord in black's sister: a queen in white. And she's dope.

6) Pete Spankoffski, Stephanie Lauter and Grace Chasity - Abstinence Camp (season 2 episode 2 part 2)

We first meet the now beloved characters of Pete and Steph and the slightly less beloved character of Grace in an evangelical abstinence only camp. The episode centers entirely around these characters and plays excellently with tropes of the horror genre.

It also has the best song in all of Nightmare Time and it's up to you to decide if I'm talking about 'oh my god it's the axe-man' or 'virginity rocks' (it's both, the answer is both).

That's pretty much it in terms of Nightmare Time episodes that cover things from NPMD, but in case you're curious here's a quick run down of what the rest are about:

The Hatchetfield Ape Man - season 1 episode 1 part 1. Hidgens makes Ted pretend to be a Tarzan style half monkey, half man thing to con Angela Giarratanna out of her inheretence.

Watcher World - season 1 episode 1 part 2. See bullet 3 above. Alice and Bill Woodward go to a theme park and shit hits the fan.

Forever and Always - season 2 episode 2 part 1. Paul and Emma get married. Things are not as they seem (there are robots). One of my personal favourites.

Time Bastard - season 2 episode 2 part 2. See bullet 2 above. Ted fucks with time travel and things end very badly for him. Best episode imo.

Jane's a Car - season 2 episode 3 part 1. Turns out the soul of Tom Houston's ex-wife Jane, who died in a car crash, transferred into the car. This somewhat complicates his budding relationship with Becky Barnes.

The Witch in the Web - season 2 episode 3 part 2. See bullet 5 above. Hannah Foster's having nightmares and somehow a witch and Uncle Wiley are involved. Luckily a good witch (Miss Holloway) is there to try and help.

Honey Queen - season 2 episode 1. See bullet 1 above. Linda Monroe and Zoey Chambers compete to win the Hatchetfield honey queen beauty pageant and things spiral wildly out of control. My personal favourite episode from season 2.

Perky's Buds - season 2 episode 2 part 1. Emma's finally achieved her dream of owning her own pot farm. Just her, her non-binary farm hand Ziggs and some very evil birds.

Abstinence Camp - season 2 episode 2 part 2. See bullet 6 above. Pete, Steph and Grace go to a retreat in the very creepy woods to learn one way or another about the perils of pre-marital sex.

Daddy - season 2 episode 3 part 1. Remember Sherman Young (Jamie's weird creepy guy from Black Friday)? Turns out there's something very weird going on with his mum. We also learn a lot about Frank Pricely (owner of toyzone from Black Friday) in this episode, who turns out to be a very interesting character.

Killer Track - season 2 episode 3 part 2. Miss Holloway must take extreme action to save a young girl and then the whole world against an evil song that kills anyone who listens to it. We learn a lot more about Holloway as a character and she is soooo cool. Another favourite episode of mine.

Yellow Jacket - season 2 episode 4. See bullet point 4. Hannah seeing her sister struggling to provide for them financially decides to find a way of using her power to earn some spare cash.

Hey Melissa - episode aired only on a livestream, type it into youtube and it'll come up. If you've ever found yourself asking 'what if Mariah's secretary character from the start of TGWDLM was really into dom pup play and Paul Matthews was her little pup bitch and she was also a horrific out of control serial killer?' then a) are you Matt Lang because if not I'm concerned? and b) by god this is the episode for you!. I personally really enjoy it I think it's super funny, but obviously heavy trigger warnings for abuse and sexual content warnings (there's a reason they didn't put this in the real series). Fucking excellent tho.

[dr-spectre]

So.... This game is 2 years old now huh?

Honestly... I don't think i have a TON to say about this game. It's just a great ass fucking video game that has given me a lot of fun and great memories!

This game came out during my final year of school, which is kinda funny considering that Splatoon 3 acts like a "finale" to a trilogy. It's interesting how those kinds of things work out eh? Splatoon 2 came out at the start of my secondary education, and Splatoon 3 came out at the tail end of my final year.

I remember thinking before the game came out, "why do we need a Splatoon 3? This is pointless, it's just more Splatoon 2." And then my mind was quickly changed once i got to play the Splatfest test fire and the actual game itself.....

I completed ROTM in such a short amount of time and i documented my reactions to my friends. Although i was spoiled in that Deep Cut had boss fights and Mr. Grizz was the final boss, ROTM still gave me a giant smile to my face all the way through. It was so fun, so charming and just a really good single player experience.

One of the things that i LOVE about Splatoon 3 is the vibe. I just love the location of Splatsville, i love the aesthetics, the lighting, the model improvements from Splatoon 2, the music, it's my favourite art style/aesthetic out of any of the Splatoon games by far. It just feels so polished, i don't know how to exactly describe it.

Also the fact that this game won best multiplayer game of 2022 over CALL OF DUTY! OVERWATCH 2 AND MULTIVERSUS MAKES ME SO GIDDY AND HAPPY!

PEOPLE GOT MAD ABOUT THIS AND THAT MAKES ME WANNA EVIL LAUGH! All of those fucking depressed and sad Call of Duty players who whine and complain about how "wahh modern gaming sucks!! There's no good games anymore wahhh!! It's all microtransactions wahhh!!" BITCH! SPLATOON 3 IS LITERALLY THE GAME YOU'VE BEEN ASKING FOR!! Yet you won't play it because it's on Nintendo huh? Yeah... You're a fucking PUSSY!! YOU'RE WEAK!! You're SCARED to be seen as less of a manly man!! You only wanna play games with oily dirty buff men.... Yet you call others who play games like Splatoon gay? Hmm..... Sounds like you're a wittle insecureeeeee!!!!

Have fun rotting in microtransaction hell you LOSERS!! GAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyways.... uh.... sorry....

I also fucking love Deep Cut too. I thought i wasn't gonna like these guys and i remember thinking when i first saw them "oh... okayyyy..."

But now? I love these bastards.

I love their dynamic and how they are bandits but they actually wanna help the people back in Splatsville. That is such a cool and unique take to have for Idol characters. The Squid Sisters are very cutesy and so are Off the Hook, but Deep Cut aren't. They are loud, messy, chaotic, in your face, rude, etc. They are about contrast and the character designers did a phenomenal job at conveying that theme via their backgrounds and looks.

Another thing that i love about Splatoon 3 is that it also acts as a celebration of things that have come before, Inkopolis Plaza and Square return as hubs, old colour combos from previous games act as loading screens, most of the music returns in the jukebox, it rewards long time fans for sticking around and for a long running franchise IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT to have that stuff!!!

Seeing the improvements in the model quality from Splatoon 1 to 3 genuinely makes me kinda emotional, it shows how far we've come in just a little under 10 years...

It really homes in on the point that... These characters, have grown up with us.... The Squid Sisters are about to reach their mid 20s, Pearl is nearly 30 fucking years old!!!

And the last thing i wanna bring up before i talk about the Grand Fest...

...Is Side Order.

This fucking DLC... My god... Being able to experience it by myself and just enjoy the stuff i was seeing, being able to SCREAM AND CRY AS MUCH I WANT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO ME DUDE!

When i got to the 10th floor in the tutorial and i saw Marina Agitando staring me down.... I did the loudest gasp a human could possibly do and my jaw was hung to the floor for a solid MINUTE!

Marina's first fucking dev diary made me cry and scream, THAT IS NOT A JOKE!!!! THESE CHARACTERS ARE THAT IMPORTANT TO ME!

And the final boss.... Made me cry, it broke me down, i was singing along to Ebb and Flow as best as i could, it felt like i was brought back to 2018, being in my room, listening to that song on repeat... I feel like a kid again....

I love this song... i love it so much... Like it's not the most hype finale song ever, but, the emotion behind it, the build up from Splatoon 2... The power this song has in it's meaning... It's some good shit man...

So yeah! I love Splatoon 3!!! It's my favourite game out of the series and anyone who is gonna jump into this game now is gonna have a LOT to chew on.

And... It's both sweet and sad that we're at the end. This is it... The moment we've been waiting for. The final Splatfest to end them all. The event 9 years in the making.

The Grand Festival...

I am extremely excited and so FUCKING NERVOUS for this Splatfest!!!! I know i am going to cry and be so overwhelmed with joy. Seeing the Squid Sisters and Off the Hook perform their old songs again after all of these years is gonna make me sob so loudly it's not even funny.

These characters genuinely mean the world to me and it's gonna be so fucking hard for me to watch their final major appearance and say goodbye. Cause after this, we don't know what's gonna happen. I know they will come back, they have to but... In what capacity? That's what I'm scared about...

So yeah, let's savior this moment when it eventually arrives, take all the time you need to be engulfed in the Grand Fest.

Thank you Splatoon 3, you have given me so much.... It's not time to say goodbye just yet but, i wanna watch you as you walk into the sunset with your head held high....

[puckpocketed]

who is #43?

Hello !! First off thank u for visiting. If you clicked read more by accident rip sorry it’s a lot of text. ENJOY!!! <3

1. This was the photo reference I used. I really did mean it when i said he photographs well!! I really like how scrungly he looks at times lol. v paintable

2. here’s a timelapse for your viewing pleasure in video + gif form <3

3. Process breakdown below. I am not formally trained, so don’t take any of this as professional advice!! The way i paint has been compared to channeling some evil contract with a demon also. So um . Im saying that i dont remotely think that this is efficient or correct, its just whats comfortable for me <3

3a) the dreaded lining phase. I have 2 modes of operation when it comes to painting - either i go full-dick with fancy inking/sketching + cel shading (rare, unrefined, haven’t figured out a nice workflow yet) OR i do a very very basic chicken scratch set of lines like so:

It’s less about being realistic here and more about laying down some guide lines for the chaos ahead. If i thought i could get away with it, I would start every rendered painting i do with laying down colours — but unfortchh ive tried that before and it usually ends in really weird proportions. Even with the lines i still need to make adjustments. This is something no people except me would notice but look at the above sketch; the eyes are too big and slightly too far apart, the forehead is too small and thus the hair is also not quite big enough… I have a bad habit of drawing eyes too big on faces, they’re my favourite facial feature to draw.. i barely resisted giving him big cow eyelashes (I love big cow eyelashes… all of my OC’s and most of my more stylised fan art of characters get big cow eyelashes… god…. Big cow eyelashes SAVE ME……….)

Anyway. Structure of the face + hand somewhat established. <3

3b) Underpainting!! Okay stay with me here . Ever since i figured out i dont have to paint in 03925893853 different layers, I’ve joyfully painted on 1 layer as much as possible. I dont have the brain power all the time to be managing layers so I simply dont work with that many layers. For this painting, the skin in its entirety was painted on one layer, the hair on another layer, and the effects on the last layer. There was a placeholder background off-white/grey colour for a while there, and I duplicated the line layer — one for figuring out where to lay colours, and one hidden for later so i could check back to see how accurate to the sketch/proportions were to the actual painting. 6 layers, 2 of which i painted the bulk of the piece on, 1 more at the end.

3c) here’s where I started carving out features. I think about objects in terms of volumes and light rather than lines. i love painting and sculpting because of this!! Here you see where I’ve begun to define his features — his eyelids, his bags, his nostrils. Just refining what was there before. The suggestion of facial hair before i gave it up and left it for later (his face is so naked the WHOLE time)

3d) nose bridge highlight, suggesting his eyebrows, a cheek highlight. A touch more coral red and muted yellow pull away from the grey/blue underpainting. Strategically leaving some of it peeking through.

3e) i truly start messing with the fidelity of his features here. Red lipstick <3 and some violet/blue for shadows on the right side of his face.

3f) the part where it starts looking like q.hughes to me (though, my friend said i got his vibe pretty early on which is such a compliment.. waaaaa…..) I love this part of every painting i do. I know it’s definitely not the Correct order since other parts of the entire painting are simply Not Rendered or Done, but whos gonna stop me?? :3

I love love loveeee painting faces. Adding the little shinies to his eyes + lips + upper lip + nose … you don’t know how much of a difference it makes until you do it. Also i snatched his eyebrows

3g) i really pushed the red/coral/ochre/orange here. Note the yellow highlights on his cheekbones, the forehead, and the thin thin line of pink right between where his bottom lip ends and his chin shadow starts <- very important . To ME!!!!!!! Also highlighting his waterline and adding his lashes was so so fun <3

3h) FACIAL HAIR!!! And I started rendering his hand. Some micro adjustments made to his face for proportion check.

3i) i start painting his hair in earnest and realise his forehead is too small so i make the adjustment. I really love how it falls into his eyes in this photo. <3

3j) i make some final adjustments to his eyes — a bit smaller, closer together. And i refine the outline of his jaw, push the stylisation of it just a little.

3k) Finishing details; his flyaway hairs, his moles, a bit of texture on his face, shadows cast by his hair, his little forehead cut <3

3l) i adjusted his hand here, added more texture to his skin, refined his hair a tiny bit more, and made the decision not to fuck around painting his jersey because i wanted the focus to be his face <3

3m) Canucks blue and green. Captain at 23. His form bleeds into the background. He is the franchise.

theee most fun ive had painting anything. and i finally feel... warmed up? if that makes sense. art for me is like. if i dont do it in a while it feels like nothing goes right when i come back to it. i hate that feeling, and the most difficult hurdle to clear is letting myself feel that until i get back into my Zone. after all this time i feel like im BACK !!!!!!!

i loved painting this fella. hes SO Shaped. <3

Apologies i simply do Not have the energy to write the alt text for all of these so i hope the little blurbs are okay aslkjasdklj. i gotta post and go to bed . if u made it this far, thank you for reading!!

[janearts]

Roisia Lydgate: Character Overview

This is really more of a background introduction to her character, but I'm trying to put as much information in one place for future reference or for anyone who wants to get a better idea of her character. Details underneath the cut!

Meta-Knowledge

Roisia is my Source Hunter from Divinity: Original Sin, but I recreated her in Baldur’s Gate 3 as a way to continue her story albeit in a completely different universe. The story and events of DOS have since become part of her backstory, and tweaked to fit the world of Faerûn.

Name Pronunciation

I’m honestly none too fussed about pronunciation. Her name is an 11th century mediaeval name that would later become “Rose” in Middle English. Roisia is probably meant to be pronounced something like /ɹɔɪːsiːɑ/ (Roy-see-ah) based on other name variants found around the same time. Her nicknames, as given to her by her parents, include: Rose, Rosie, petal, pet, rosebud, bud, so on and so forth.

Personality

Roisia is charming, adventurous, with a voracious curiosity, and a deeply analytical mind. She believes that taking care of the dead and providing a voice for the dead is her life’s calling. She was formerly raised to be a Cleric of Kelemvor, but believes that her god has disowned her since she reanimated her father. She now believes herself to be deemed among the Faithless. She’s compassionate to those in need and is willing to break rules (and the law) to help others. While she is generally a law-abiding citizen, she is dogged in pursuing the whims of her curiosity and will likewise do whatever it takes to solve a puzzle, a mystery, or a murder… or simply answer a question that has occurred to her. She is sociable, prefers when everyone gets along, and will try to talk her way into and out of most situations. This includes charming, reasoning, intimidating, and/or deceiving others to get her desired outcome. Ultimately, she finds solace and comfort in the company of animals, the dead, and books. Her favourite animal is the noble spider, and she breeds and raises some species in her spare time.

Spells and Such

I tried as best I could to replicate Roisia’s DOS character. In DOS, she was classed as a Witch. Witchcraft spells in DOS are a mixture of Necromancy spells and Enchantment spells, and I chose my spells in BG3 to imitate the ones that you get in DOS. As a witch in DOS, Roisia also had the ability to talk to animals and summon a spider. (I cheesed this in BG3 with the Find Familiar spell—technically a Conjuration spell—and having her drink a potion after every long rest.) To be more in keeping with her backstory, I gave her a Guild Artisan background and invested skill points in skills like Medicine.

Backstory

Roisia grew up in Eastway of Baldur’s Gate. Her father worked in the Gray Harbor shipyard as a shipwright and her mother was a Mortarch, running the Eastway Cemetery & Lydgate Funeral Service. She was raised to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a Cleric of Kelemvor, and specifically as a Mortarch, from an early age. She assisted her mother in managing the burial customs and rites for the Lower City’s diverse community (from embalming to ritualistic cannibalism to poisonings), comforting grieving family members of the deceased, and tending to the dead buried in the cemetery.

Her life took an unexpected turn when her father drowned during a sea trial. Grieving for her father, Roisia made her first attempt at Necromancy. She unwittingly used a wish spell in the process and reanimated him as a skeleton. Because it was the wish spell, not her first attempt at a necromantic ritual, that bound the soul of her father to his bones, Roisia is determined to master the School of Necromancy and truly resurrect her father.

She is interrupted in her early studies by the appearance of Eustace, who recruited her into the Source Hunters, an organisation dedicated to eradicating dangerous magic users (like… Necromancers). “We need you,” he said. “… and you need us.” Roisia & Eustace (or Roy & Stacey as they became known to each other) investigated the mysterious murder of a town counsellor and uncovered a Necromantic cult in the process. As they adventured together, Roisia began to develop feelings for Eustace, but as their adventure concluded and they returned to the Source Hunter Academy, Eustace did not return those feelings. Dejected, Roisia left the Source Hunters and returned to her home in Baldur’s Gate.

To “cure” herself of her heartbreak, Roisia drew up a list of lifelong goals for herself. They are:

1. A cemetery or plot of land of her own to oversee. 2. “Tenants”/”Residents” (aka The Deceased) to house and tend to on this land. 3. To master Necromancy such that she can extend indefinitely her own life and the lives of her loved ones. 4. One (1) Spouse (*not of the squeamish variety) 5. Children (*ideally 3-5)

Refocused aggressively on her list, Roisia returned to her duties during the day and her studies during the night. She was abducted by the nautiloid one night while she was off to dig up a new test subject.

Playlist

[azulaaaaaaah]

atla/tlok characters that i think did *it* (but i just can’t prove it)

this is the most unserious post i’ve ever made. (AND I WANT TO PREFACE BY SAYING BY *IT* I MEAN KISSING)

Sozin and Roku

and history will say that they were just great friends…

this is the only one where ill legitimately die on this hill

like i’m 90% sure roku just showed Aang their friendship in the flashbacks to prevent awkwardly explaining to a 12 year old monk that he was romantically and/or physically involved with the person who committed a g*nocide against his people

LIKE CMON WHY IN THE WORLD WAS SOZIN SO PRESSED IN THE BACKGROUND OF ROKU’S WEDDING ??? AND FOR NO REASON?? WHY WAS THEIR FRIENDSHIP SO INTENSE?

sozin i feel loved roku (to an obsessive level) and roku literally dgaf. king shit

Wan and Raava

genuinely what the fuck was going on between these two. like i don’t even have any words

canonically at the very least it was a domestic partnership

S2 korra doesn’t make sense at the best of times. imagine trying to explain the intensity of this pair’s devotion to each other, to someone who hasn’t seen the show- all the while knowing raava is a disembodied spirit practically older than time

she’s the embodiment of everything good and light in the universe and he’s just wan. (and he’s wanough <3)

‘do you think we’re soulmates in every life?’

‘bet’

‘wait that’s not what i-‘

Cabbage Merchant and his cabbages (or at least a cabbage)

yeah i’m not touching this one with a 10 foot pole

Every member of the red lotus squad

ah yes it’s my favourite evil polycule

amidst plans to kidnap children and topple monarchies what else is there to do except… kiss.

let’s be real there’s something so inherently romantic about being apart of an elite, vaguely murderous anarchist squad

they all share one exact bed. it’s canon

(p’li somehow big spoons all of them)

The S2 Nomads

these dudes are the textbook definition of anti-monogamy

like they’re obsessed with love so i fully believe that they think ‘it should be spread amongst others’ or some shit

oh to be a travelling communist nomad in a band, wandering the wilds with my wife, and our several partners

they’re somehow the opposite of the red lotus and yet the same. they all share a single bed/sleep area

The dangerous ladies (but all separately)

i don’t ship any of these particularly and yet can still admit that it’s canon

ty-lee and azula have kissed bc azula probably made up a dumb excuse like ‘oh i don’t want my first kiss with a guy to be… erm… bad’

mai and ty-lee have kissed because they both probably have genuine, vaguely deep rooted romantic feelings for each other

mai and azula have kissed to purely spite zuko (and yknow what ty-lee too)

HOWEVER A KEY ASPECT TO THIS DYNAMIC: azula is completely unaware about the ty-lee and mai thing. it’s uh… better off that way.

Hakoda and Bato

i ship this about 50% but like… it’s got to have happened once right? considering all that down time they spent together on a boat away from the repercussions of water tribe society…

also considering they were leaders i doubt the other warriors were in a position to ever call them out on it

like cmoooooooon what’s a little kiss between the homies every now and again?

hakoda is where sokka gets his rizz/flagrant bisexuality from and i can’t change that guys

[itsnotmourn]

SPOOKY MONTH ASK MEME

⟡ — i haven't seen one on tumblr yet so i figured it might be fun to make one! i tried my best to keep the overall energy positive :3 and sorry for all the "why" questions; i'm just nosey and curious. you're welcome to answer seriously or with silliness !! send a number to the user/reblogger (if they ask for it) for them to answer the question!

1. When did you start watching Spooky Month? Was it the same time you got into the fandom (e.g. interacting with the community, posting art) or was it different?

2. Who is currently your top three (3) favourite characters? Please feel free to explain why!

3. If you have any, share some headcanons of your most favourite character!

4. With any character of your choice, what is a song that you associate with them the most?

5. Is there a ship that you enjoy the most? Why?

6. Who do you think is an underrated character?

7. Who is your favourite villain/antagonist so far, and why?

8. What is currently your favourite episode?

9. What is your favourite shot and/or scene from the animated series?

10. Do you have a favourite background art from the animated series?

11. Do you have a favourite soundtrack/music from the animated series?

12. Which is your favourite end credit artwork so far?

13. What is your favourite official Spooky Month art (stuff that is posted outside of the episodes like posters, prints, doodles, etc.)?

14. Do you own any official merch? If not, what is one piece of existing merch that you wish you own? Is there anything that you wish it existed already?

15. From fanart or fanfiction, did someone's work made you think more positively of a character/ship? Free free to shout them out, whether if it's one person or multiple people!

16. Do you have any Spooky Month OCs you'd like to share and ramble about?

17. From the Tender Treats credit art, who would you eat and/or drink? Assume that it’s not the actual character, just regular food that looks like them.

18. Do you have any theories so far on either the lore or (any) character-specific development? It can be your own or someone else's theory.

19. What is your current prediction of Spooky Month’s ending? It can be as simple, brief or detailed as you want.

20. What do you hope will become a Spooky Short in the future (e.g. seeing character-specific lore, character interaction between x and y, etc.)?

[trans-cuchulainn]

let's be more positive about books for a while! here are some queer historical romance novels that i've been rereading recently that i think do something interesting with making characters feel historical in their mindset and worldview, but are also fairly progressive, diverse queer books that are, frankly, a delight to read

this is by no means exhaustive and to be honest i could put almost anything by cat sebastian or kj charles on a list like this so this is purely the highlights of what i've reread in the past week to take my mind off work, and why i think they're interesting from this specific angle

cat sebastian, the ruin of a rake (turners #3)

this is technically the third in a trilogy but they're only very loosely connected, so you don't need to have read the others if you don't care about knowing who all the background characters are. the others are also good though

why it's interesting: features a character who has had to painstakingly study and learn the rules of polite society in order to claw his way up to respectability, and is now deploying those skills to help another man repair his reputation. shows the complexity of those rules, the social purposes they serve, and the work that goes into living by them, as well as the consequences of breaking them. also explores some of the financial side of aristocracy, and features a character with chronic illness (recurring malaria following repeated infections as a child in india) whose feelings about his illness are very relatable without feeling overly modern.

kj charles, society of gentlemen series.

this trilogy is closely related plot-wise and best read in order. all three explore cross-class romances and characters struggling to reconcile their political views and personal ethics with their desires, in the aftermath of the peterloo massacre, with a strong focus on the political role of the written word. first book is long-lost gentleman raised by seditionists / fashion-minded dandy teaching him to behave in society; second book is tory nobleman submissive / seditious pamphleteer dominant who've been fucking for a year without knowing the other's identity; third book is lord / valet and all the complicated dynamics of consent there with a generous side-helping of crime.

why they're interesting: close attention to the history of political printing and the impact of government censorship and repressive taxes on the freedom of the press; complex ideological disagreements that aren't handwaved as unimportant; examination of trust, consent, and social responsibility across class differences and in situations with problematic power dynamics; most of the characters are progressive for their time without feeling like they have modern attitudes. the second book, a seditious affair, deals most strongly with the revolutionary politics side of things, but all tackle it to some extent.

kj charles, band sinister.

look i'm probably biased because this might be my favourite KJC. it's a standalone about a pair of siblings: the sister wrote a gothic novel heavily inspired by their mysterious and scandalous neighbour whose older brother had an affair with their mum (causing scandal); the brother is a classics nerd. the sister breaks her leg on a ride through their neighbour's estate and can't be moved until she heals so they both have to stay at the house and find out if the neighbour is really as scandalous as he seems.

why it's interesting: discussion of atheism and new ideas about science and creation (very shocking to the brother, who is the viewpoint character); details of agriculture and estate management via main LI's attempt to grow sugar beet, as well as the economics of sugar (including references to slavery); "unexpurgated" latin and greek classics as queer reference points for a character who nevertheless hasn't quite figured out he's queer; material consequences of society scandal

bonus: wonderful sibling dynamic and a diverse cast including a portugese jewish character, which i don't think i've seen in a book before

i will add to this list as i continue to reread both of their backlists! (bc i have read them all enough times and in close enough succession that they blur together in my head unless i've read them very recently)

[emptymasks]

After years of saying I will make cute lil chibi European musical stickers I have finally done it! Forgive me for drawing more Der Tod's than any other character, I'm biased towards him. Hopefully I covered most of everyone's favourite Euro musicals.

They're spread across 2 listings because Etsy only lets you have a max of 70 options in the drop down. Volume 1 has German and Dutch musicals and volume 2 has French and Russian musicals.

All the musicals here: 3 Musketiers / 3 Musketiere, The Count of Monte Cristo / Der Graf von Monte Cristo, Der Besuch der Alten Dame, Elisabeth das Musical, Demon Onegin, The Last Trial, Ludwig2, Master and Margarita, Mozart das Musical, Mozart l'Opéra Rock, Notre Dame de Paris, Rebecca das Musical, Roméo et Juliette, Rudolf Affaire Mayerling, Schikaneder, Tanz der Vampire, Vivaldi.

I can’t link to my Etsy without risking Tumblr hiding the post from tag search results, but the link is in my pinned post, my carrd, I’m emptymasks on Etsy. Reblogs help support artists more than likes ❤️

[ID: Individual pixel art chibi drawings of 70 characters from various European musicals (listed above) that are available as stickers. These drawings are also available as badges where they are placed inside circles to show what they will look like as physical button badges, some of them with plain colour backgrounds and some with 1-3 different pride flags as examples of how you can customise the backgrounds.]

[faebaex]

Hi? It's my first requests, so if you don't mind could you please do GN!MC stingrays × octavinelle?

(I'm sorry if i have grammatical mistake)

Have a great day Author-nim ♡

Octavinelle with a Stringray Reader

author note: hiii welcome! i feel like it is going to become my mission to turn every imaginable sea creature into a reader (✯◡✯) i'm up for the challenge! this was really fun to write! also, accidental sugar daddy Azul? Accidental sugar daddy Azul <(￣︶￣)>

characters: Azul Ashengrotto, Jade Leech, Floyd Leech x GN!Stringray Reader

background:

You are a stringray mer, specifically of Bluespotted Ribbontail species. You are considered quite attractive, and your small stature and timid nature only add to your allure. Despite having quite potent venom, your spinal blade does not carry over to your human form.

Azul Ashengrotto

Oh you poor, sweet summer child.

The first time Azul laid eyes on you, people swear they could see thaumark signs in his eyes.

It was like someone has personally delivered prey to him.

But he was doing you a favour, you know?

With your timid and tender nature, it was only a matter of time before one of the many rogues at this school took advantage of you.

But luckily for you, he can offer you protection. Just sign here and... Perfect. That was easy, wasn't it?

And that is how you began working as a server at the Mostro Lounge, in exchange for Azul's 'protection'.

You quickly became the most popular server at the Lounge, your attractive appearance and nervous, stuttery service becoming a hit with the clientele. Poor little thing, you tug just right on their heartstrings.

Azul was surprised. Whilst he was expecting you to have some popularity (exactly the reason he preyed on you in the first place), he wasn't expecting you to blow up like this.

But he isn't complaining! Celebrating, in fact. Sales have never been better, and seasonal specials have been selling out faster than normal since you joined his staff.

Anyone who goes in the VIP room after hours will see a huge grin on Azul's face as he pours over the business ledgers.

Its because of this that Azul starts to spoil you.

It starts small at first, an extra 15 minute break here and there, a side you hadn't asked for slipped on to your employee meal.

Soon enough, you are granted exclusive access to the VIP room, a perk that was only afforded to the twins up until now.

Oh and what a coincidence, you'll find a study guide for that class you are struggling with on the VIP room table as you take your break. It must have been left out after a client meeting... No harm in you thumbing through it whilst you take your break, Azul would coo.

Azul tries to be discreet, especially once the twins cotton on to your special treatment, with Jade flashing a sharp toothed eerie grin and Floyd complaining that he too wants free study guides.

Azul could justify it, of course, with that you are their best server, in order to maximise the hours you could work, he needed to ensure no other aspect of your life got in the way.

He was definitely justifying it more to himself than he was the twins.

So come, dear. Let him show you your new special uniform for the lunar new year seasonal service...

Jade Leech

You make work so much more fun for him.

Watching you quiver and almost drop a glass when he creeps up behind you and places a hand on your shoulder is just precious.

"Oya, oya. Those glasses are quite delicate. Do be careful."

However, despite the fact that he slyly bullies you for fun, he is a very good manager.

He will always ensure you take your break on time, and that your employee meal is ordered far enough in advance that it is ready for you as soon as you sit down on your break.

And should any particularly rowdy clientele decide to bother you...

Then he will ensure they are dealt with <3

It is his favourite part of the night, after all. How he adores it when you hide behind him.

Jade ropes you into his sneaky work agendas too.

For example, he'll coach you into pushing the mushroom dishes to customers so that he can stop Azul from taking them off the menu.

Probably the least sinister smiles you've received from him are when he beams at you when you deliver a bunch of mushroom dish orders to the kitchen.

Jade will stand with the most innocent smile as Azul looks on in confusion through the order ledger and the sudden influx of mushroom cuisine orders, with you hidden behind Jade.

Azul: "Why are they tucked behind you like that?"

Jade: "They're tired. :) "

Considering the nature of your 'deal' with Azul, Jade's protection of you extends outside of the Lounge into your school life.

But that doesn't mean it is convenient, even if it is effective.

He terrifies you just as much as the people around you, after all.

However it has its perks.

The lunch line is infinitely easier when you have a 190cm eel ensuring that you don't get caught in the lunch crush.

He likes to tell you over lunch how his favourite food is octopus when Azul is sitting right there.

He'll then remark, with the most unassuming of smiles, how he hasn't tried stingray yet.

Funnily enough, you don't feel so hungry anymore.

Floyd Leech

Oh dear.

This man terrorises you.

You're just so cute to him! Especially when you tremble and tear up when he spooks you.

He just wants to tuck you under his arm and keep you <3

Floyd is constantly on your heels when you are working. Whether he is spooking you or draping himself over you, he's always somehow impeding your work.

Azul is constantly scolding Floyd and tries his best to keep you separated, so that Floyd's behaviour does not bother you. Or effect profits.

Jade just looks on in amusement.

Despite the above, your relationship with Floyd isn't all bad.

You and Floyd take your breaks together, simply because he stops working when you do and throws himself over your lap when you sit down to rest.

He's fairly calmer then, passing the time by showing you pictures of clothes he is thinking of buying and asking your opinion on them.

You caused a few mood swings at first when you didn't give a good enough response, but after awhile you got comfortable enough to give him your honest opinion. That makes him happy!

He also shows you his basketball videos, even if most of them are just Ace getting taken out by one of his basketball throws.

He's definitely roped you in to going to practice with him one time. He thinks it would be funny watching you struggle to make the hoop.

Floyd is also the cause of one of your most terrifying incidents at NRC.

On one of your rare days off, you were taking a swim in the Octavinelle pool to relax and reacquaint yourself with the water, and Floyd snuck up on you and scared you.

And well...

You almost skewered him with your spinal blade.

You narrowly missed stabbing him right in the stomach. Even Floyd was shocked but the suddenness of it.

... Until the giddiest grin spread across his face and he started cackling.

You, on the other hand, started bawling your eyes out.

Floyd ended up carrying you to the Lounge because you wouldn't stop crying.

He sat you on a barstool whilst Jade prepared you a drink and Floyd went into the kitchen to steal you some ice cream.

Floyd then gushed to Jade about how cool you were when you almost stabbed him with your tail blade and how sharp it looked.

He looks freakishly delighted when he remarks that maybe next time you'll actually get him.

If you did, he'd probably wear it as a badge of honour and show it off to everyone shamelessly.

Meanwhile, Azul comes to check what all the noise is and pretends to be upset that the twins are giving out free refreshment, like he doesn't do that himself.

[nobodycallsmerae]

01. and every time you breathe his air, just know i was already there

ⓘ now playing: track 01. taste ▷▷ 0:24 ─●──────── 2:37

pairing: student council president!yang jungwon x reader(f) cw: controlling relationship (context, (mostly) in the background), lots of swearing (y/n's love language is cursing basically lol), lmk if i missed anything !

synopsis: it has been months since you and jungwon broke up, so it shouldn't bother you if he's dating your bitchy nemesis, but you still can't help but get into catfights with her because you love to get a reaction out of little miss perfect. definitely not because you still have feelings for jungwon, right?

tags: high school au, exes to lovers(?), lowercase intended

author's note: not my best fic as a writer (since i literally wrote most of this in language class) but its become one of my favourites as i've come to love this fic so much because of all the feels and the character personalities, so i hope someway you'll find yourself here <3 ngl won's character is heavily inspired by en-drama because i'm obsessed. my first try at writing for my fav enha boy so i hope i did well !

word count: 2.8k

“bitch, are you actually crazy,’ with bright orange soda dripping down your shirt, you let out a slow chuckle, “or are you just mad that you taste me when he’s kissing you?” 

“fucking whor—,”

“that’s enough for today, girls, leave some energy for the rest of the day,” mrs. kang, the only teacher in the cafeteria, finally stood up from her seat and walked towards the commotion. 

“you just earned an hour in detention, you lady.” you couldn’t help but smirk when the teacher shot miss. ‘perfect’ a disapproving glare. “stay back tomorrow and maybe help out the volunteers, make yourself useful for once.” 

“but, uh, mrs. kang, she provoked me! she should be the one getting detention!” it was funny how she thought crushing the soda-can in her hands would deem her as innocent. 

“ma’am,” you knew you were a trouble-maker, but the only reason teachers trusted you was because you were sincere— or at least good at pretending you were. “i was only here to have a conversation, but she was the one who assaulted me out of nowhere,” 

one of the reasons you maintained a friendly relationship with the teachers was for situations like this. 

“and you know what ma’am, i’m not even mad that she attacked me, but wastage of food? oh, to think a thirsty kid could’ve been drinking that soda, but for it to get wasted on me like that?”

“that’s enough, y/n; don’t think i don't know your antics.” mrs. kang looked at you through her glasses. “another sentence and you’ll be enjoying detention with your best friend here.”

you flashed her a guilty but thankful smile. "of course ma’am, i understand.”

“and what are you all looking at? the bell’s about to ring, get back to your classes!” the teacher cursed under her breath, the crowd around you disappearing in an instant. 

mrs. kang looked around the cafeteria, and her face instantly lit up when she saw bitch #2. “ah, yang jungwon! thank god at least someone responsible is here.” 

you didn’t give him the satisfaction of looking at him, but you sensed him stand taller and simultaneously become smaller at the acknowledgement. 

“son, please take this menace to the nurse’s room, i don’t trust her enough to send her alone— god knows what more she’ll end up causing.” you flash mrs. kang a guilty smile. “meanwhile, you, young lady, come with me to the staff room.”

as you saw miss perfect follow mrs. kang with her tail between her legs, you couldn’t help but crack a triumphant smile. 

“thank you, ma’am, i’ll remember your kindness for the rest of my life!” you leave the cafeteria, seeing mrs. kang roll her eyes and say something along the lines of ‘i don’t get paid enough for this.’ 

not waiting for what's-his-face, you make your way towards the nurse’s room to find a spare shirt. 

“y/n! wait up,” your pace quickens as naturally as possible when you hear his voice, but jungwon easily catches up to you. “are you okay?”

“what do you want, yang jungwon?” it takes all effort in you to not look at him.

“here, take this,” you turned towards him when he offered his coat to you, his fingers slightly gripping your pocket, keeping you in place. with a glare, you take a step back.  “you're drenched, y/n. you’ll catch a cold like this.” 

“i don't need your charity,” maybe you did feel a chill go through your body, but you'd rather be dead than take help from jungwon. “you don’t have to help me just because a teacher asked you to, mr. president, i’m fine.” 

“y/n,” his tone was pleading but assertive. “don’t be like this,, i’m here as your friend—” 

“don’t even,” you scoffed, an annoyed expression adorning your face. 

“i thought you were my friend, but the way you have been acting lately tells me anything but. i know things are awkward because we broke up, but is human decency too much to ask for? 

"i’m not asking you to take sides, but you could've— nevermind now. i guess years of friendship goes down the drain just because your pretty little girlfriend can’t stand me.”

there goes your shot at being cool and nonchalant.

you didn’t mean to say that all, but words came spilling out of your mouth once you made eye-contact with him. 

jungwon looked shocked, speechless at your unexpected outburst. he took a step back. “i… i’m sorry, y/n.” 

you felt betrayed at yourself when you felt a pang of disappointment when he walked away. 

maybe you had expected him to say something? finally clear out all the misunderstandings and go back to how things were before? 

nonetheless, you also knew you could never go back to being just friends with him, yet you were starting to miss his company, and your aching heart was making it clear that you weren’t even a step closer to getting over him. 

but it didn't even matter now.

you sighed, resuming your journey towards the nurse’s room, your heart growing heavier when you find a bunch of napkins in your pocket where jungwon had touched you.  

“i mean it was kind of stupid to think mrs. kang would let you off the hook for causing a scene like that,” your best friend smirked, clearly enjoying this. 

“hey, whose side are you on?” you half-heartedly throw your eraser at her, slumping into your seat. “oh man, i was so excited to go back home and watch the new episode of the drama with you. guess that'll have to wait because apparently dusting books that people will never even read is way more important, i guess." 

"calm your dramatic ass down," your best friend chuckled, patting your head as you groaned and playfully banged your head on the table. "at least there will be no record of detention on your report." 

"i guess you're right... but i'll miss you," you blow kisses at her, making her laugh. 

"whatever weirdo, love you too," she stood up, giving you a smile. "i'll get going then. you better start your work soon if you don't wanna stay back for another hour." 

"see you soon!" after you wave at her, you stretch out in your chair, giving yourself a pep talk to survive the extra hour of work that was given to you by mrs. kang as "not a punishment, but something that will make you think twice before causing trouble again." 

although you weren't happy about this, you couldn't help but feel a sense of calm as you entered the library and walked through the many bookshelves, finally situating yourself amidst the very last shelves. 

life had gotten pretty hectic lately, so having some time in the library, when not a single soul was there, felt like pressing pause and breathing for a moment. you put on your mask, and some music as you half-heartedly start dusting the old books on the shelves. 

the quiet and solitude was something you longed for, but with nothing better to do, your mind couldn't help but go back to thinking about yang jungwon. 

maybe you were being irrational with him today, because of course, which guy would choose a friend over his girlfriend? you felt guilty, because you realised it was your selfish feelings that made you act that way. 

while you were accusing jungwon of not giving efforts to sustain your friendship, what had you been doing? 

weren't you the one picking the longer route to avoid running into him, or helping random people with their errands whenever he came into the room just to avoid a conversation? 

but you couldn’t bring yourself to face him; not because of the awkwardness, but because you couldn’t see him being with his girlfriend.

jealousy was another thing, but you couldn’t tolerate the way miss perfect treated him— it shouldn’t matter to you that she didn’t understand his niche habits, or that she didn’t let him finish his sentences, so you chose to stay quiet instead of making a scene, because you knew it was of no use anyway. 

“well, so much for not making a scene,” you groaned, glancing at the too-tight shirt you’d borrowed from the nurse’s office. 

finally pulled out of your thoughts by the alarm you’d set on your phone, you looked up at the giant clock at the library, and let out a quiet squeal when you noticed an hour was up. 

as you packed up your phone and belongings and walked towards the front of the library, you were stopped in your tracks as you heard a familiar voice in the otherwise silent room. as you slowly crept towards the front desk, the voice became clearer.

“yes sir, of course. no, i understand. i’ll make sure there’s no— yes sir, sure. right. thank you, sir, thank— oof.” yang jungwon slumped into the chair, his voice immediately losing its energy and him looking more tired than ever as he gently placed his phone on a cluttered table. 

as he closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair and rubbed his face, it gave you the perfect opportunity to walk by, unnoticed, and— 

“won— hey, jungwon,” a small, comforting smile crept up on your face, as you slowly made your way towards him. “what are you doing here so late.” 

your heart fluttered in an act of betrayal when you saw his face instantly light up when he noticed you. 

“y/n! hey, hi. have a seat,” jungwon smiled, quickly trying to push the various open notebooks and leaflets towards himself to make space for you. “i uh, i just had to stay back for some work for next week’s event. what about you, why’re you here so late? everything okay?”

“haha, yes, mrs. kang just made me do some extra work to make up for today,” you took a seat beside him, both of you facing each other. “but wait, don’t tell me you’re doing work here so late? can’t you do it at home?”

“well, yes and no? the teachers are counting on me to look after everything because, you know…” he looked sheepish as he scratched the back of his neck, forever uncomfortable about his position as the president of the student council.

“and since most of the things require me to double check with the faculty and the campus, it’s easier to do these things at school. plus, i’ll have to take the measurements for the posters and all too, so i was planning to get it over by today itself instead of weighing down someone else with the work,” 

“goddamn, i didn’t know you had so much work to do. I could never handle such responsibility,” you let out a slow whistle, but then turned to him with concerned eyes. “it must be hard managing everything. are you okay, though? you can distribute the work between the members, you know? you don’t have to shoulder everything.” you gently put your hand on him, making sure he listens. 

jungwon was the type of person who always took on more work than it was healthy for them to carry out, but he always made sure he completed each and every task with perfection. 

you knew the boy struggled with being a people pleaser and a perfectionist, so you made sure to remind him to relax and take a breath every once in a while whenever you got the chance. 

“giving the work to other people doesn’t make you a bad leader, won, it is literally their job to help you. so, chill out a bit okay? and make sure you take breaks in between and not—”

you were interrupted by the soft hum of jungwon’s ringtone, and as you looked down on it, it was almost as if a bucket of cold water was splashed on you as you saw his girlfriend’s name flash on the screen. 

in an instant, you let go of his hand, your hands reaching up  to play with your hair and hopefully hide the red creeping up on your face. “you… you should probably pick that up.” you hoped your smile did not look lopsided. 

to your surprise, you saw jungwon silence his phone, and place it inside his pocket. “you were saying?” he gave you a small smile, acting as if nothing had happened. 

“um, dude, wasn’t that your girlfriend?” you sounded confused. “you should’ve picked up, i’m okay with it.”

“uh, ex… girlfriend.” 

“what the fuck?” you shrieked in surprise, your face red, both of you looking around to see if anybody heard you. you lowered your voice once again. “bitch what? didn’t we just argue like hours ago? because of you? wait, oh my god, don’t tell me she broke up with you because of me? oh god, i’m so sorry jungwon, i swear, i never meant to—”

your ramble was cut short when jungwon gently placed his hand over your mouth, chuckling at your wide eyes and flushed cheeks. 

“y/n, calm down, i’d broken up with her weeks ago,” this dude literally had the audacity to smile after giving you a mini heart attack. “actually… it's a pretty long story.” he cringed. 

“well i would very much like to know why the fuck i’m wearing some random girl’s shirt if you guys broke up weeks ago?” you huffed; but when you saw his quiet expression, you blushed. “wait, i mean, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. it’s okay, i was just kidding.” 

“No, y/n, its okay.” jungwon had a weird expression on his face. “it’s just that… do you have any idea how much i’ve wanted to talk about this, or just talk like this, with you? i missed us.” 

“won,” you were sure your face was permanently red now. “i’m always here, you know that.” 

“thanks,” he said. “the truth is, i wasn’t really in a happy relationship with her. i don’t know, maybe i didn’t want to admit it to myself too, but at some point it just got too suffocating; it was like being with a tyrant.” 

though jungwon was trying to play it off with a casual demeanour, you could hear the pain still eminent in his voice. the reason he was so closed off, always so busied by his books or duties, it all made sense now. 

“i know it sounds weird, but being in a relationship with her felt like i was constantly being criticised and forced to be someone i’m not. i can’t always be this perfect, responsible, ideal boy friend, and i felt guilty for trying to put on this fake act of being perfect and i…” 

you genuinely ached for him, your heart reaching out to the boy who was finally opening his jar of bottled emotions. 

you wrapped jungwon in a gentle but warm hug, hoping it helps ease him, who was on the verge of breaking down.”

“shh, its okay, won. you’re out of that relationship now, and it takes alot of courage to do that; i’m proud of you, yang jungwon.”

“you know what the funniest part is, she wasn’t willing to break up with me so she acted as if we were still together and telling me that she’ll stop and change and what not, and me being dumb enough, probably did believe her. but it was this morning, when she threw the soda at you, it was almost as if she’d done it to me. 

“it was different when it was just me, but when she’s hurting people i care about?  i know where to draw the line then.” jungwon finally cracked a small smile. “and you know what? i finally understood that i made the right decision when you came here and told me that i don’t have to take on everything on my own. it made me realise that there are people who look out for me, so i’m not worried anymore.”

“of course, you dumb fuck,” you flicked his forehead, laughing to stop yourself from actually tearing up. you felt guilty knowing that he was going through so much on his own, but you also felt beyond ecstatic that he trusted you enough to share all that with you. “too bad you have such a stick up your ass that you didn’t realise that sooner. and its not just me, but all our friends are here for you too. So don’t you ever dare feel alone or suffer through all that by yourself.” 

“I know that now…” jungwon chuckled, his flushed face mirroring yours as he rested his head on the table, looking at you with the softest eyes. “thank you, y/n. You have no idea how grateful i am to you.” 

“shut up up with your cheesy lines, jungwon you slut, or i might just fall in love with you.” you rolled your eyes, playfully covering his face to hide your blush, because you both knew the truth anyway. 

‘i already have,” he smiled. 

author's note: if you see my personal feelings etched into this fic, no you don't :D also did y'all notice the way i didn't even name the ex because like i was so afraid of it breaking the fourth wall like, what if its the name of your best friend or cousin or literally just your name 😭

please leave comments and reblogs because i could really use some motivation, thank you ! 🤍

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[littlebluespoon]

as a big tiddy person can I request something with Octo!König and a reader with a larger chest? He’s canons, drabble, whatever you feel like doing 💕

I do try to write most of my things as neutral as possible so that no one feels excluded, like if I said reader had boobs and you don't, and that takes you out of the fic. That's something I don't want to do to people. That being said, I will absolutely write something specific if requested <3

so here we go!

Female Reader is a civilian and is already married to Octo!König. This got a little carried away and there's not so much focus on the size of readers chest so if you'd like more or different do let me know :)

tw: 18+ MDNI, female masturbation, monster fucking? maybe, tentacles, hybrid character, female anatomy described

Dinner at home without your husband was always hard. It was lonely and sometimes he had been gone so long that it didn't even feel like you were married. Of course you knew what his life was like, you agreed to it but it doesn't mean you can't feel sorry for yourself sometimes.

So tonight dinner was popcorn and whatever sad romcom you found first. In an effort to feel good you had put on the lingerie that made you feel confident and sexy. It was also Königs favourite set on you, it's the one that no matter how crazy it drives him, he refuses to rip it. He takes it off of you slowly, hesitantly so that no harm comes to the delicate lace and he can see you in it again.

---

Popcorn stale, the credits of a movie you didn't pay attention to rolling in the background, everything was drowned out by your own fantasies as your fingers pumped in and out of your pussy, never quite hitting the spot. As you desperately chased a high that wasn't coming you missed the door and your husbands greeting. You didn't even hear as he walked in and right up to the couch you were laying on,

"Missed me Perle?" the voice startled you as you scrambled to cover yourself before realising who it was, " You seem frustrated, would you like some help?"

He fixed his eyes on you, a stare that would make grown men weep but for you, it's a promise of pleasure. A small nod was all it took and his own fingers replaced yours. Thick fingers that knew exactly which spots to hit, how deep to go and how to stroke your clit just right to have you seeing stars.

As you cam down from the high you felt König's fingers leave you and the tell tale suction from his hybrid form make its way across your skin. This was one of his favourite ways to cuddle and destress from work. He burrows his way around your boobs. His head sat squarely in the middle as his arms wrap around your breasts and pull them together, effectively squeezing himself in between them. Of course he can't leave your nipple out in the cold so he always makes sure to cover them with his arms and even takes care to place a sucker right on top, so he can play with you all he wants.

[wordsofelie]

Chapter 6

🔥Phoenix and Ashes

Suna Rintarou x f!reader

Summary: “It’s funny how nobody believed that we could make it work.” - “Well-maybe they were right.”

Meeting Suna Rintarou wasn’t part of your plan. Dating him, either. Getting your heart smashed into the palms of his hand, even less.

Content Warnings: Timeskip, Manga Spoilers, Cursing, Panick Attack, Hurt, Mention of 1 Original Character

Word count: 4.1k

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9

The first crack appears on a Friday night.

“You’re overthinking.”

You are sitting on Suna’s dorm bed. He just came out of the bathroom, his hair is still wet and the smell of his shampoo embalms the room. In any other situation, this would warm your heart and make you want to pull him into a tight embrace, breathing in his scent. But not right now. All you are focused on is his cold expression and detached look.

“I’m sorry,” you start apologising. “I guess I just hoped we would spend the whole weekend together.”

“We’re spending it together. I’ll be with you even if my friends are here.” You can sense the annoyance in his voice, after all, you have been arguing for the past twenty minutes but the conversation is still at the same point: you want to spend the evening with him alone; he had planned to introduce you to his friends in their favourite bar in Hiroshima. The issue here is that in the middle of the argument when he thought he had finally convinced you that his intentions were never against you, you asked him if he was bored with you. You saw the intensity in his eyes shift and since then you can’t find their softness back even after he decided to take a shower to cool his mind.

You know how Suna hates losing his time justifying himself, let alone when he doesn’t understand what he is accused of. The fear of bothering him now mixed with the guilt of pissing him off is strangling you.

“Do whatever you want to do. I’m going anyway.”

He puts his shirt on, back faced to you. You grab the sheets instinctively.

He is taller and broader than when you met him. You remember hiding in the library stacks, telling jokes and giggling at the thought of being caught. You remember watching him during practice, getting up to give him his bottle as soon as the whistle signalled the end of the game. He would thank you and smile. And above anything else, he would look at you, soft and green eyes drowning in yours. This seems like ages ago. When have you started being behind him instead of at his side? When have you faded into the background? Unnoticed. Soundless. You thought Suna had set a fire around him and promised to never let a flame touch you. It’s touching you now.

You look at your clenched fists. Your fingers are becoming ashes.

“I’m coming.”

Umi would scream at you, Osamu would tell you to stay.

He still loves me, you would tell them. Don’t worry.

You’re fast to join him by the door, he lets you go out first.

When you enter the bar, you’re overwhelmed by the crowd and the trembling of the floor. There are people everywhere, Suna tells you to follow him. It’s hard to hear him right, his voice is muffled by the music and the chatters. As you walk in, a wave of anxiety washes over you. This place seems so familiar to Suna, it makes you feel like an outsider stepping into someone else’s world.

“Isn’t it Rin’s girl?”

You don’t realise you’re surrounded by a group of boys until one of them calls out to you. You’re used to sporty and beefy boys (your years in Inarizaki taught you that most of the time, they’re no threat), but you’re still impressed by Suna’s teammates. Your stomach tightens. Maybe it’s because of the proximity mixed with the smell of sweat and alcohol. Or maybe you just don’t like those eight pairs of eyes staring at you.

“I’ll go get you something,” Suna whispers into your ear.

You don’t have the time to go with him, he’s already lost in the crowd.

“So Rin’s girl, what do you like the most about our short middle?” The same guy who was the first to talk, asks you.

You’re about to answer (because there is indeed a long list of things you like about him, it might take the whole night to enumerate them), but he cuts you short and gets closer to you.

“Is it because he likes to play it cold, girls love bad boys. Or is it his eyes? Man, I’ve never seen that shade of green, so I understand, you like the-”

“Kakeru, let her breath.”

You’re thankful for that dark-haired guy who puts his hand on his shoulder to stop him from invading your personal space. Kakeru pouts in response and takes two steps back, allowing you to regain some peace.

“Sorry, Kakeru can be quite chaotic.”

“It’s fine.” You look down. The floor looks like it’s sticking from all the spilt drinks.

“I’m Hori Kento by the way, setter. How was the train from Osaka?”

How unusual for a setter to be this calm, you think. Well, maybe the only model you have being Atsumu, you thought all setters were supposed to be loud and boisterous and fearless.

“It was okay. Thanks for asking.”

He gives a quiet smile that put you at ease, even if just a little.

"You must be pretty special if Rin brought you here," Hori says, his eyes kind.

You chuckle softly, trying to shake off the awkwardness. "I hope so. This place is nice."

"Yeah, we come here a lot after games. It's kind of our spot," the setter explains.

As you chat with Hori, you notice Suna laughing with a girl across the room. She is leaning close, her hand lightly touching his arm. Your stomach twist in knots as you try to focus on the conversation, but your attention keeps drifting back to Suna and the girl.

“Hana-chan is here!”

One of the players shouts making Suna and the girl turn to the group, her smile is bright and perfect. She lights up the place.

“Hana, this is Rin’s girlfriend," Hori says, gesturing towards you. She’s standing in front of you now. She’s looking even more beautiful up close. Another wave of panic comes, you’re trying to look for Rintarou, but he is nowhere to be found. Your fingers manage to grasp the necklace hanging from your neck — it was your second-year anniversary present from Rin. You hold on to it.

"Hi! It’s so nice to meet you," she says, her voice warm and friendly. "I hope the boys aren’t bothering you too much.”

“Huh? We did nothing wrong Hana-chan, I swear.” Kakeru says in defense, she laughs.

"Nice to meet you too," you reply, trying to keep your voice steady. Inside, your heart sinks.

You finally catch sight of Suna, discussing with someone. You hope your stare will make him notice you.

"So, how did you and Rin meet?" Hana asks, genuinely curious.

"We went to high school together,"

"Oh, really? He never told me that," Hana says, looking surprised. It becomes clear that Suna hasn’t mentioned much about you to her. You want to leave this room, hide somewhere. "That's so sweet! You must have a lot of memories together."

"Yeah, we do," you reply, your smile feeling more forced by the second. You’re praying for the conversation to end here. In your ears, you can feel the beatings of your heart, the rushing of your blood. Your vision becomes blurry. You try to concentrate on your breathing to calm you down.

“Your neck is red.” She frowns in concern.

“Is it? I’ll go to the bathroom to-“

“Rintarou.”

She calls him, he immediately turns to her.

Why is he looking at her? Look at me, look at me. You’re begging him in silence.

“Your girlfriend looks really tired. Maybe you should take her home."

Suna glances over you. "Yeah, you okay?" he asks, walking over.

"I’m fine. Don’t worry," you reply, trying to keep your voice light. Your breathing has found a normal pace now that the boy you love is at your side. You try to get closer to feel him. You need to feel him or you might collapse.

“It’s getting really red, what if you’re allergic to something?”

“Hana-chan always cares about others, huh. Good thing you’re our manager. ” Hori interferes but it sounds like a far noise to you in the middle of this chaos. Your mind is reeling. “But she’s right, you should be careful.”

"Let's get you home then," Suna says, putting his arm around your shoulders.

You only feel better once you’re outside. The ride home is quiet, Suna glancing at you occasionally. He only breaks the silence when you reach his dorm.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Suna looks at you, for a second you think he is trying to decipher whether or not you’re lying. You were never the kind to complain when something was wrong. But it was always easy with him. Tonight, it’s not. Some parts of you want him to ask for more, to listen to you, to tell you that everything is fine; because everything is fine. It has to be.

He changes into a clean tee-shirt and shorts, without saying a word. You’re standing in the middle of his room, waiting.

“I’m sorry I - I ruined the evening with your friends.”

“It’s fine, let’s go to bed now.”

“Rin…”

He slips into the sheets and opens his arms; your body moves towards the bed and lies down. He wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you closer to him.

His body is so warm. As always. You discovered that the first night he slept at your house, your father had asked you to prepare him a futon, but behind his back your mother winked at you, giving you the choice to do whatever you wanted.

It was December and the cold seemed relentless, seeping through the walls and into your very being.

Rin, with his usual nonchalance, had shrugged off the cold initially, but you could see the slight shiver in his movements. You, on the other hand, couldn't stop your teeth from chattering. He glanced over at you.

"Come here," he said, his voice low. Without waiting for a response, he pulled you closer, wrapping his arms around you tightly. You hesitated for a moment, feeling the heat radiating from his body, but soon melted into his embrace. His body temperature was surprisingly high, like he was a living furnace. The warmth spread through you almost instantly, driving away the biting chill of the night.

"Better?" he murmured, his breath warm against your ear. You nodded, nuzzling closer into the crook of his neck, where his scent was the strongest.

"Much better," you whispered back, feeling the tension ease out of your muscles.

Since then, you have loved when the temperatures dropped, because you knew you would find yourself instinctively curling up next to your boyfriend, seeking out his fiery heat.

In the summers, it was a different story. The heat made his embrace almost unbearable. You would wriggle and squirm, trying to escape his grip in the sweltering nights. But he would somehow always manage to pull you back, holding you close with a lazy grin.

"You're stuck with me," he would chuckle, his voice a sleepy rumble against the top of your head.

And, despite the heat, despite your protests, you would drift off in his arms.

Right now, you know he is not sleeping, and so are you.

You decide to try.

“You and Hana seem close…”

Is it a question? An accusation? You don’t even know. But it comes out of your mouth anyway. He heard you, you’re sure of it, yet he leaves you stranded.

After what feels like an eternity he finally asks, “is that why you wanted to go home?”

“No… but I’m sorry.”

You squeeze the hand that is resting on the curves of your hipbone. For a second, you muscles relax, and the brief release is enough for him to turn away, leaving you feeling utterly alone.

Your vision becomes blurry again, with tears this time.

You cry and think, it is the price to pay for loving him.

The second crack appears in April.

Today is the beginning of another spring.

You and Umi meet in front of Yokohama Stadium, you haven’t seen her in months due to her overloaded schedule. When she spots you, she starts running and waving at you.

“Oops, I’m late.” She scratches the back of her neck and grins.

“When are you not?”, you tease her.

Seeing her, healthier and brighter than ever, fills your heart with joy. She grabs your arm and leads you to the entrance.

“I was only late once for the entrance ceremony in high school, but that was because Atsumu had lost his tie and I helped him look for it. Not my fault.”

“And when we went to the school trip during our second year, huh?”

“Hmm…” She avoids your starring gaze, “Also Atsumu’s, we were having a conversation that morning and he-”

“He got on the wrong bus, so you had to walk the rest of the way.” You don’t let her finish her story, “I know the song, Umi.”

She sighs, “alright, alright. Whatever you think.”

You start laughing but don’t let her go away with it. As you remember more and more moments, Umi begs you to stop before finally admitting that you might (but just might) be right.

"Hey! I’m so glad you could make it," a soft voice says.

You turn to see who is speaking. And there she is. Hana, dressed in the same jumpsuit as Suna. You return her smile, though your eyes are already searching for your boyfriend among the players stepping off the bus.

“I-nice to see you. This is Umi, my best friend. She lives in Tokyo. Umi, this is Hana, the team manager.”

Hana greets her warmly, but you must give Umi a little nudge in the ribs for her to greet back.

“Hi.” She decides to say with a smile you can only describe as forced.

When you finally see Suna, your heart skips a beat. You make your way over, excusing yourself to Hana and Umi. You’re hoping for a brief moment to talk before the game. But as you approach, his gaze slides past you. He saw you, you know he did, so why didn’t he come to you? Or smile. Or at least wave.

You don’t feel Umi’s presence by your side until she speaks, “Oh my God, that girl is so annoying. She was like, blabla, ‘I’m so grateful for all the support the boys are receiving, thank you for coming to cheer for them.’ As if I care about them. Nothing against Suna, but I’m only here because I wanted to see you and Shirabu is too annoying these days, I needed to escape my apartment.”

You register the words and the way she tries to imitate Hana’s voice; however you don’t find the courage to respond.

“Are you okay?” She asks, perplexed when you don’t answer.

You nod, but the hurt lingers.

“Let’s go.” You break the silence absentmindedly.

You both head to the stands, though your excitement has dampened. As you’re about to sit down, you turn to Umi. “I’m going to the toilets. I’ll be right back.”

You don’t give her the time to stop you and rushes to the lockers room to wait for Suna. When he emerges, his expression is one of surprise.

“Oh hey,” he starts with a lazy voice, “I did not know you would come. It’s cool to see you.”

“Rin I- can we talk a little bit?”

“I can’t right now, the game is about to start,” he says curtly, trying to brush past you.

“Please.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“I just wanted to wish you good luck,” you explain, your voice barely above a whisper.

He glances down at you, a flicker of something—incomprehension? frustration?—crossing his eyes. “Is that it? You could have just texted me.”

Speechless, you let your gaze drop to the floor, where you notice a thin cotton bracelet around his right ankle. “What’s that?” you ask, pointing to it.

Suna sighs, clearly irritated. “It’s a present from Hana.”

A lump forms in your throat. “Of course it is,” you mutter, the words tasting bitter.

Before you can say anything more, he brushes you off. “I have to go.”

“Do you still love me?”

The question was eating you alive, it was becoming insufferable. So, the words leave your lips searching for something (a soft caress, a ‘I do’).

He clicks his tongue.

And a second later, the love of your life walks away. The corridors are empty.

When the game begins, you find your way back to the stands. The crowd roars with excitement, but you can barely focus on what is in front of you. Umi tries to engage you in conversation, but your mind is elsewhere.

The EJP Raijin wins against the VC Kanagawa in the quarterfinals of the V.League playoff matches. The final point is made through an impressive block by Suna, and his team erupts in joy, lifting him high in celebration. Umi applauds (probably not for Suna’s action but because the cheers are contagious), but you find yourself unable to do so.

“I’m so hungry, aren’t you hungry?” you’re taken aback by her question.

You quickly swallow the tears that have been stuck in your throat and force a smile. “Yeah, a little bit,” you lie.

“We should go back to my apartment,” Umi suggests and takes your hand to get up. “We can stop by your favourite sushi place in Shinjuku and get some takeaways. And then we can watch a movie, you pick. Or play some Mario kart.”

You glance one last time at Suna, he is high fiving his manager. Before you explode, you decide that Umi’s idea is not so bad.

Later that night, as you ride the subway in Tokyo (Umi fell asleep, her head on your shoulder), Rintarou sends you a text.

“where are you?” it reads.

“I left with Umi.”

“you could have texted me,” he replies, echoing his earlier words. You apologize, and after a few minutes, another message comes through.

“i don’t think you should come next weekend.” Then “i need some time to think”

The finality of his words hits you like a punch to the gut. At the same moment, you receive a text from Osamu with a picture of his twin eating onigiri (with rice all over the mouth). “Did Suna’s team win? Want to come with me to Atsumu’s game in Chiba next weekend? I guess you’ll be in Hiroshima but if I can convince you just know that I’ll make us some bento for the train :)”

Your fingers tremble but you text him back, “sure.”

It’s not like you have other options now.

You don’t read his next message because you’re interrupted by a whisper, “You deserve better.”

Umi’s eyes are still close, but you know she is awake.

You’re too tired to contradict her even though you think she is wrong. Maybe hope is blurring the lines, but Rin is the one who deserves better. And from now on, you will have to put extra efforts in your relationship to keep him. Because he is worth it all. Even if you are almost chosen by Suna, almost loved, you’ll keep on choosing him. Over and over again.

The third crack appears one morning.

The sky is beautiful and once again you’re on your way to Hiroshima.

You are not supposed to join him, but you do it anyway.

You take the first train of the day. Your carriage is quiet and almost empty. The sun rises before your eyes. It’s a tranquil scene. The sea calm and just woken, rays of sun sparkling on the water, the foam coming and going in waves. How wonderful this place must be, you think. It’s unfair that your mind can’t find peace. Only Rintarou lives in the depths between your thoughts, leaving no room for anything else. You bury your face in your hands. You want him. He means so much to you, maybe more than he should. Maybe more than your own life.

You make it to his dorm, the neighbourhood is the same as before sans all the agitation from the children playing and students chatting.

You take a moment before knocking. You don’t remember raising your fist to the door, nonetheless, your boyfriend appears in front of you like a mirage.

He stays silent for a second, opening and closing his lips a few times.

“What are you doing here?”

His eyes are barely open, he squints to adapt to the light or to adapt to your presence. Maybe both. His hair, shorter than before, falls out at the end, something uniquely Rin.

“I…I took the train and I came here and-”

He opens the door wide and abruptly; you startle to the sound of it hitting the wall.

Each step is heavy as you come inside with him.

When he speaks again, there’s anger in his voice, you find yourself missing how detached and lazy his tone usually is.

“I told you not to come this weekend.”

“I know, Rin.” You simply answer, with a broken voice. Your lips are shaking, and you don’t think you will be able to say more.

His look becomes sharper. He shakes his head. “Then why are you here?”

“I wanted to see you.” You whisper, you thought he did not hear you but when he grunts back, you immediately regret your words.

You take a step forward; your hands raise in urge to cup his face but his whole body becomes stiff, making you stop.

“You should leave.” His back is now faced to you but can imagine the features of his face (tense, strained).

You ignore him, “can we talk first, please.”

“I don’t want to.”

When you don’t answer, don’t move, he decides to finally turn again, his frustration evident. You’re getting on his nerves.

A glass falls on the floor. Probably caused by his sudden movement. It makes a sharp crash. The sound reverberates through the room. Without thinking, you get down to clean up the shards, your hands moving on autopilot. As you gather the broken pieces, a jagged edge slices your palm, but the pain doesn’t register immediately.

“I’ll take care of it. Go home.”

But you’re my home, your guts scream.

Your faces are close now, on the same level.

You open your month to beg him to let you stay, even a morning, even an hour. You would accept anything really. But instead, you’re paralysed by his green eyes raising to meet yours.

“We should stop this.”

This? You ask yourself. Is your relationship of over three years, all your first times, all your i love you, only “this” to him?

“Why - why can’t we stay together?”

Maybe you got it wrong, maybe you just don’t understand the situation and he will explain everything to you. This is all just in your head. The floor is not crumbling beneath your feet, the walls aren’t falling down. The world is not burning.

“We just can’t.”

“I don’t understand. What did I do wrong?” Am I not good enough? You want to add but you’re too afraid of the answer.

“Nothing.”

“Rin, please I know we can make it work, give us a chan-”

He gets up suddenly. “I fucking can’t, okay. That’s just the way it is.”

At this moment, you would have given everything that matters to you not to hear what came after.

You, who wished so many times for Suna to tell you more, talk more, instead of giving short responses.

You thought words couldn’t hurt like silence does. It does. Nothing killed you like those three words did.

“Get over it.”

You getting over him? Oh but Suna, dear, that would take a lifetime.

You almost lose your balance, your shoulder presses against the kitchen counter to find some support. You don’t know where the strength comes from but you manage to get on your feet. You quickly hide your injured hand behind your back.

His morning alarm rings, it’s shrill but at least it covers your sobs. He is about to turn it down when you escape the room and leave.

The cool wind hits you. There are cherry blossoms all around you; shades of pink in the air, petals falling silently. Tomorrow, they will still be there. And the day after. And the day after. Until, they are not.

Nothing lasts forever.

Nor cherry blossoms. Nor love.

You hate yourself for only realising it now.

It hurts, gosh, it hurts.

But the worst is that despite the bleeding cuts and the broken heart, you love Suna Rintarou all the same.

Author notes: a lot of crying, i am sorry 🫠 btw i’m taking advantage of this chapter to remind you guys that you all deserve to be treated with love and respect (being almost chosen & almost loved is NOT OKAY)

take care 🫶🏻

Elie

taglist: @wolffmaiden, @obibiwan, @teyvatsunsets

[silvergarnet12]

Splatoon was the first Nintendo game to push me out of my comfort zone of single player games, and with the closure of it's servers I wanted to draw a tribute to a game that really means a lot to me.

Some long rambles about the game under the cut.

When I first played the Global Testfire I was 15, and the only mutliplayer games I played were with friends in the same room.

Splatoon was also the first shooter I ever picked up, as I always liked bright colours over more realistic graphics in my games, and back then the only shooters I knew about were Halo(and that was only really a name to me!) and the CoD games.

Any worries I had about being bad quickly vanished as the sheer vibe of chaotic fun the game had, particularly when no one had played it before, got rid of any worries, and all I remember is having fun. And choosing to play as the guy instead of the girl for the first time, solely becuase I wanted a ponytail like in real life(I would continue to use the guy through the series as a tradition, a contrast to what I saw most people online doing).

When the game came out I binged the single player, and vividly remember the first time I fought DJ Octavio, and the first time I heard Calamari Inkantation. If ever a game was to convince me that a song could irreversibly change your life, it was Splatoon. Because to teenage me, in that moment, with Calamari Inkantation playing in the background while I fought an octupus DJ, it did.

It gave me terminal brainworms for this series. And here I am, 8 yrs later. Older and more tired, been through some shit, had some good times, tried, succeeded and failed in things throughout the years.

I've always been grateful that they made the decision for the player character from 1 to return, everytime they've shown up it's felt a bit like seeing an old friend, especially since as the games time skips have always had them close to my age(which probably helped my attachement back in the first game). So hi Three, can't believe we both probably pay taxes now.

I have the original two Inkling Amiibos, in a collection that is slowly building, I'm still attached to Marie, and yes I was on her team for the Final Splatfest.

I cried when it was over, just like I did in 2's Final Fest(I was team chaos, two for two baby!) and will probably do so for 3's as well. Something about this series just makes me super attached to it's world and characters.

So booyah Splatoon, my final online game of yours was well and truly years ago, but I replayed story mode to share you with a friend recently, and I think I'll refight Octavio tonight in honour of the good times.

You encouraged me to try out games I wouldn't have otherwise(hello Overwatch and Deep Rock Galactic), and outlasted one of the other major games of my teenage years(...Overwatch 1 I miss you). So thank you for that.

I'll miss Squid Jump, Inkstrike, the og kit for the NZap 89(why does it's new one not vibe with me ;-;), the Squid Sister's broadcasts and the more saturated colours. At least I can always return to the Plaza in 3, and that Spyke isn't dead like I was concerned he was when 3 released, and see the Squid Sisters perform during Splatfests again.

I have so much more to say in my heart about you but no more ways to word it.

You've been a fantastic game, and will always be a treasured experience that I am grateful to have been a apart of from the very beginning.

Now bring back Moray Towers in 3 damn it! It's in 2 but I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY FAVOURITE STAGE IF IT"S NOT IN 4.