#now i have volumes. 1. 4. 6. and 14

[lokh]

SMILES

[kabr0ztrousers]

Kabr0z Writes: A contents page!

The Kabr0z Writes series is a smut anthology that I am writing one per day, every day. Episodes will often not be related to one another, and will be clearly marked if they do.

Each part will have separate CWs at the top of the story, along with any author's notes I feel are pertinent. Please read these as tone veers wildly throughout

If you want to see something, and it doesn't look like it's been written already (or even if it does) please, please, please, send me an ask, a dm, anything, and I'll probably wind up writing it. 365 stories is a lot of stories! I need all the inspiration I can get!

Everything is OK to reblog, remix, copy, paste, whatever. Just please credit me if you do.

There's an Ao3 now as well!

Volume 2!

Volume 3!

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Episode 1: The First Time - in which masc!reader invites a man from the internet for oral sex

Episode 2: The Previous Tenant - in which a presence in a cheap flat invades fem!reader's dreams, then body

Episode 3: A Very Bad Idea; Part 1 - in which fem!reader and a close friend dabble in demonology

Episode 4: A Very Bad Idea; Part 2 - in which things go from bad to worse

Episode 5: A Very Bad Idea; Part 3 - a moment of tenderness, then bad medicine, then mad science, a feeling we haven't seen the last of this

Episode 6: Wedding Dong - Fem!reader goes to an old friend's wedding, meets another old friend, and has a roll in the rhododendrons

Episode 7: The Rowing Team - in which fem!reader attends a party, and gets ganged up on in more ways than one

Episode 8: Concerning Portals - in which fem!reader wears some mysterious underwear on the bus. It turns out to be a bad idea

Episode 9: Farm Work - In which Fem!Reader has a really bad day, culminating in being livestock on a hucow farm, with some added TF fun thrown in

Episode 10: Debt, part 1 - In which Fem!Reader agrees to 3 nebulous tasks in return for enough money to cover her mounting debts

Episode 11: Debt, part 2 - Professor Blaidd takes Fem!Reader to a party, as the main course

Episode 12: Debt, part 3 - The experiment involving Fem!Reader and Professor Blaidd comes to a sloppy conclusion

Episode 13: Tiptoe Through the Tulips - In which a gardening contest is taken too seriously, and leads to some whipping, then some tribbing

Episode 14: Artistic Intent - Fem!reader sits for an art class, then sits on the teacher

Episode 15: German Sausage - A long distance train sees Fem!Reader get very well acquainted with her cervid travelling companion

Episode 16: Fae Deals, part 1 - the start of the third 3 parter, Masc!Reader meets a Fae prince on Grindr and tries to hook up. They go to a second location where Masc!Reader becomes Fem!Reader

Episode 17: Fae Deals, Part 2 - Newly Fem!Reader is turned over to the Fae Prince's friends before being passed around

Episode 18: Fae Deals, Part 3 - Fem!Reader is introduced to her new friends at the hunting lodge. It's... a lot (seriously, read the CWs on this one)

Episode 19: Four Seasons Landscaping - Another palette-cleanser after yesterday. Fem!Reader has a gig to do some "minor weeding" and winds up getting up-close and personal with a flower

Episode 20: Your Minotaur Boyfriend - A quick scene of intense, enthusiastic fucking between fem!Reader and your king-bed sized minotaur boyfriend

Episode 21: The Lake - By request! Fen!Reader goes skinny dipping in a lake and gets got by a tentacle monster. Expect heavy noncon and impregnation

Episode 22: The Ritual, Part 1 - Another request! Fem!Reader is a barmaid with a slightly unconventional selling point. Lots of CNC, enthusiastic consent and multiple men on one woman

Episode 23: The Ritual, Part 2 - Fem!Reader winds up having a bad time at the hands of a cult

Episode 24: The Ritual, part 3 - The conclusion of this 3-parter. Fem!Reader finds out more about her new husband, and enjoys the wedding night

Episode 25: Suddenly Sci-fi - Fem!Reader gets abducted by aliens and probed. Expect drugging, overstim, and the end of human civilization as you know it!

Episode 26: Disciplinary Action - Fem!Reader tries to escape her alien overlord, winds up dispensing refreshments at his upcoming party

Episode 27: The Wounded Beast - Another fantasy! Forest ranger fem!reader is tracking a poacher, winds up meeting a minotaur and has some fun

Episode 28: Mountain Oni - Masc!Reader takes shelter from inclement weather on a mountain hike, gets femdom'ed by a beautiful Oni

Episode 29: Farm Work Part 2 - We return to the hucow farm to follow up on Fem!Reader during the last few weeks of her pregnancy with her monster child. This one actually turned out less dark than expected, which is a nice change

Episode 30: The Hash Slinging Slasher - Fem!Reader doesn't think she fits the MO of the local masked serial killer, turns out she does, and he's got a thing for plump women with great tits

Episode 31: Bug Buzz - Fem!Reader is doing cartography when she gets jumped, stung, and filled with eggs

Episode 32: Homecoming - Fem!Reader's Naga girlfriend is coming back from a business trip, expect fluffy wlw fucking with remarkably few CWs

Episode 33: The Book - Fem!Reader finds a book of summoning magic and decides to get an incubus encounter out of it, this one might get picked up again later

Episode 34: Free Range - A broken down car leads to Fem!Reader getting kidnapped and taken to a free-range hucow farm. Think episode 9 but less awful

Episode 35: Interdiction - Space Explorer FtM!Reader gets got by new life and filled with eggs in a slightly horrifying scene. It's fun, and the closest thing to fanfic I've written so far

Episode 36: Hunter, Hunted - Fem!Reader is hunting a beast terrorising a village, gets hunted in return and mercilessly bred, with some turnabout at the end

Episode 37: Coulrophilia - Fem!Reader doesn't like clowns, then meets a few she winds up really liking. Expect a nice and fluffy clown gangbang

Episode 38: Date Night - Another quick standalone, Fem!Reader gets home from work and has enthusiastic kitchen-table sex with her werewolf husband. Enjoy!

Episode 39: Haunting - Fem!Reader gets the attention of an unpleasant ghost, and duped into releasing its pals

Episode 40: Sanguinare Vampiris - Fem!Reader's vampire boyfriend comes over for dinner and a movie. It's either sorta fluffy or really horrifying depending on how familiar you are with 90's Vampire TTPRGs

Episode 41: Dances with snakes - Fem!Reader is doing an anthropology on an alien world, herself having been made into a snake-hybrid to better survive, ends up in a closer encounter than anticipated. It goes a bit Dune, a bit Foundation, very long

Episode 42: Orc Daddy - Fem!Reader is the only human in the orc village, and her adoptive father has a suitor in mind for her. expect enthusiastic consent, size difference, arranged marriage, and breeding

Episode 43: Getting into the nose - Probably not my best work, Fem!Reader discovers her husband is a part-time clown and gets drawn into the hobby for an afternoon

Episode 44: 'Neath a Pale Moon - Fem!Reader sneaks out of her village to meet her werewolf lover, winds up being able to spend a lot more time with him

Episode 45: Resistance - Fem!Reader is part of a resistance cell fighting the Chitinid forces, a failed act of defiance goes very, very badly for her

Episode 46: Another day in the fields - Following on from episode 34, Fem!Reader has had her child, and is going to get her minotaur lover/owner to giver her another one

Episode 47: One Year Later - It's Fem! Reader's anniversary with Oreg! They fuck! It's good! Enjoy!

Episode 48: Medical Attention - Funtime's over but Professor Blaidd is still stuck in Fem!Reader. Good thing you're both friends with a werewolf doctor who does house calls

Episode 49: Medical Science - Roswell-style aliens abduct and experiment on Fem!Reader using transformation serums. If you like rapid growth, you'll like this one

Episode 50: Hot as Hell - Masc!Reader is having a movie night with some demon friends, one is late, the other goes into rut, he helps out

Episode 51: Daring Escape - Fem!Reader has to escape a fantasy city without being spotted. Help arrives in the form of a centaur and, tied to his belly, the escape is launched. Dubcon cumulation fun abound

Episode 52: Doll - Fem!Reader offends a faerie and gets turned into a clockwork fucktoy. She later gets found, and claimed (a bit shorter tonight, sleep cycle is so out of whack)

Episode 53: Hornyposting - Fem!Reader gets a pair of portal panties off the internet and posts her friend code to a public forum. Then she wears them to a café and really irritates a barista by getting publicly knotted

Episode 54: The In-Laws - Fem!Reader is out of options and needs to stay with her in-laws to keep a roof over her daughter's head. It turns out to be a mixed blessing. CWs for vampires, and I'm not kidding at all when I say gallons of blood

Episode 55: Young Lovers - It's A-level results day and Fem!Reader has done well. She spends the day with her doting werewolf boyfriend and they get up to some fun

Episode 56: Demonic Awakening - Fem!Reader tries to summon a succubus to break her dry spell. It doesn't work, and she gets more than she bargained for

Episode 57: Ranch Hand - Fem!Reader didn't get a job as a hucow, and almost gave up on her ambition to become a professional whore for the three minotaur brothers who run the ranch until a mysterious text message gives her hope (I'm real proud of this one)

Episode 58: Pack Tactics - The world ended several years ago. Fem!Reader has been running with wolves since then. A juvenile takes an interest in her, and one thing leads to another

Episode 59: Sacrifice - Fem!Reader escaped a terrible fate long ago, and now has to come back to her hometown to save her niece from the same. It ends badly

Episode 60: Beauty and the Beasts - It's the 1600s and Fem!Reader has a pair of wolf boyfriends! It's a good time, lots of consensual fucking, lots of exposition about the origin of lupines in the continuity, some implied impregnation

[sweetflanfiction]

Asymetrical Symphony - Part 14

Universe: Arcane (LOL)

Pairing: Viktor x reader

Summary: You had been on the rooftop with Jayce and the Herald and somehow you were sent to a place where things can be different with your help

Disclaimers and Warnings: If you want me to tag you on the chapters let me know! Also leave a comment with your thoughts :D Not finished, not proofread. English isn't my 1st language. All I know about LOL is from google and all I know about Arcane is taken from the show, so inacuracies will be plenty. I have a sort of idea on how to I'm gonna go with magic and runes, so bear with me. The reader will be written as GN (going by they/them) to get everyone involved, but if you see any discrepancies let me know.

A.N: I've made some cute headers for the thing!!! What do you guys think??

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7 • Part 8 • Part 9 • Part 10 • Part 11 • Part 12 • Part 13

• ··········· • ············ •

The respite that was felt after the council decision was welcome, but at the same time it felt very tenuous. Because of your knowledge, it always felt like things were always about to go downhill. It didn’t make you paranoid per se, but it consistently felt like there was a hitch that needed to be scratched somewhere.

The sun was already high when you made your way to the Academy. You had scheduled an appointment to supposedly check on your mother's commission. According to Jayce, everyone who entered that lab after the council decided to supervise it had to be accounted for. 

You asked for the visitor pass at the reception, adjusting your shoulder bag and smiling at the man sitting there.

The morning had been good; your audition for the orchestra had gone amazing, and you were now headed to butt heads with your two favorite brainiacs after leaving your mother on a date with her loving partner.

Today was going to be good.

The door to the lab was ajar, but you knocked, the reflex to open it speaking a rune thwarted as you heard more than the two familiar voices inside. 

“Come in.” Jayce’s voice boomed, and you walked inside.

You tried to keep the good spirits when you noticed not just Salo but Ambessa and Rictus inside the room. 'Trying' being the key word.

You felt your face contort into turmoil as your eyes landed on the general’s bodyguard. His eyes turned back to you in a blank, nonchalant expression. In your head, the words ‘I know how you die’ kept replaying, like a broken lullaby.

The sound of glass shattering made your head snap to the windows of the lab. The skies had turned a deep, dark, grayish purple, the room darkening as well, and the window of the lab kept cracking. The sound of the glass grinding going up in volume. In the middle of the crack, a purple glowing rune appeared. Ragged and jagged and angry.

You tilted your head and kept staring at it. It was almost hypnotic, a weird tingling in your gloved hand. You wanted to use it, and you wanted to use it now.

It was a feeling unlike any other rune appearance. It was a pull to do it; you needed to do it.

You heard someone call your name in the distance, but the pull was too strong. Golden fingertips came into view as they grabbed your arm.

Without thinking, you twisted your arm around the hand and quickly moved it down to escape its grasp. Following the movement, you shoved a hand out to push it out, only to be snapped out of your headspace by the sound of a slap on a cold metal surface and another hand on your wrist.

Blinking, the space around you got back to normal. Rictus stared at you, one of his eyebrows raised, and you did the same, the mask of civility gone and a scowl now etched on your face.

“Rictus…let the heir to the Rainemoure house go…” Ambessa’s voice cut through the silence. Rictus' grip on your wrist slackened, and your arm fell to your side. 

Your gaze shifted to the other people in the room, everyone staring at you in confusion. 

“I…” you started, trying to move your face to a more neutral expression. “I apologize; I don’t like being touched.”

“Then maybe you should acknowledge when someone calls your name.” Salo said, and you nodded, slowly coming to your senses, putting the mask back on.

“I apologize. It’s been a long...morning. You looked at both scientists.

They were both wearing the same worried look. Jayce’s eyes kept shifting from Rictus to you and back, and you noticed he was slowly releasing the handle of a hammer. Viktor was staring at you, trying to decipher what it was that had happened, his cane standing mid-way through a step.

“I completely forgot that you had an appointment.” Jayce said, sneakily moving the hammer away from his hand, trying to divert attention.

“It’s alright. I’ll be at the cafeteria; I haven’t had lunch.” You quickly put your hands up, trying to get away from the lab.

“I’ll accompany you.”. Viktor blurted out.

“I’m sure they can make their way there by themselves. This takes priority.” Salo scoffed, looking you up and down.

“Councillor Salo is correct.” You smiled, mask fully back on. “I do apologize, General. I didn’t mean to surprise or harm your bodyguard.”

She fully turned to you and gave you a wolfish grin, tilting her head to the side.

“No need for apologies. He can take it.” Her eyes twitched as she tried to peek back behind the curtain.

Forcefully, but gracefully, you turned to Rictus.

“I am sorry.” You told him, trying with all your might to not grit your teeth, and he nodded. “Well, I’ll see you two in a bit.”

You waved as you walked out the door before making a dash to the elevator and just standing against a corner of the well-lit box, taking several deep breaths.

Aside from the sudden encounter, the feeling of that rune still lingered. It was like a hunger that would only be satisfied when you devoured it, and at the same time, it felt like a caress, stroking your soul, telling you everything would be fine when you spoke it. It was seared into your mind, and yet you didn’t want to speak it.

The elevator pinged, and you walked out directly to the cafeteria, where your objective lay. Or stood. 

The Academy’s Grand Piano was donated by the PSO. In your universe, it was a shiny black beast with ivory keys. In this universe, it was a matte grey delicate piece that was perfectly tucked into a corner of the cafeteria.

You walked to the small counter that separated the tables from the service area. A young man was behind it, leaning into the counter reading a book and scribbling something in a notebook. A student. Knocking gently on the counter with your knuckles, so as not to frighten him, you watched as even so he jumped a little. He looked up at you, sighing deeply in annoyance.

“Good day, what can I get you??” He marked the book and looked at you, trying to be courteous and failing.

Ordering something quick to snack on, you looked at the piano as the man started to prepare the food.

“Is the piano tuned?” You nodded towards the instrument.

“Yes.”

“Can anyone play it?” 

“Depends.” He placed the latte mug in front of you. “If a person were to just slam on the keys and call that ‘playing it,’ then no…”

“What if a person might just know a bit about it?”

“It’s all yours…”

Little did he know that in your timeline, that piano had been, in fact, yours. Your father donated it to the orchestra, and the orchestra donated it to the Academy. 

You grabbed the mug and the small dish with your sandwich and walked to the piano.

“Do you have any requests?” You asked the kid behind the counter, and he shrugged.

“Something that doesn’t sound like a cat screeching.”

“I can do that.”

You sat at the piano, placing your food on a small table nearby. The audition this morning made you remember how much you enjoyed playing.

It reignited something in you. Playing at home, with your mother and Wyllah listening, was nice, but sitting on a stage, with the spotlight on you and people who had never heard you play sitting there, was another experience.

It soothed you, removing any trace of anger or worry the last few minutes had caused you.

Vivaldi - Winter (The Four Seasons)

Placing your fingers on the keys, they moved on their own. Touching the ivory keys in sync with the music in your head. Much like the runes, this was something that, after learning to do, you did without thinking about it. Your brain played the song, and your fingers moved on the piano or any other instrument you had learned to play. 

And much like the runes, as you added a note to the melody, it became enriched and more intricate. Your hands flew over the black and white keys like muscle memory.

As you kept playing, you looked at the kid behind the bar who had fully stopped what he was doing and looked at you. In a second his impressed expression changed to a blank one, but you saw his little grin as he shrugged.

There was a small crowd of students that had followed the sound and sat on the tables looking at you. Some were eating while others were trying to study.

“Sorry…” You looked at a girl who was looking at you, a book opened in front of her. She smiled and shook her head.

“It’s nice.” She answered. “Please keep going.”

You straightened your back and kept playing. Sometimes you’d play something more upbeat and then go back to something calmer. You’d banter with the young bartender while you played. 

Debussy - Clair de lune

After a few songs, you looked up to see both scientists standing under the arch of the cafeteria entrance looking impressed. Viktor walked towards the piano, followed closely by Jayce.

“I just might start coming to the cafeteria more often…” Viktor announced, leaning into his cane when he got near you.

“You should; the service is quite exceptional…” You said it loud enough that the student behind the bar could hear it.

“Flattery will get you everywhere!” He said, not taking his eyes off his notes.

Jayce grabbed two chairs on his way over and mentioned one to Viktor while sitting on the other. His face had a little concern painted on it.

“What happened up there?” He immediately zeroed in on you, and you sighed.

“Talking about beating around the bush.” You gave Viktor a look, and he shrugged.

“The rage you had in your face when you looked between Rictus and Ambessa…it was murderous.” Jayce whispered. “And then you punched him in the chest.”

“It was a slap at best.” Viktor corrected, placing the cane between his knees, Jayce shooting him a dirty look.

“Listen…” He took a deep breath. “I understand things are... weird for you. Different places, different customs. But that can’t happen, not while Hextech is hanging on the line.”

“It’s not just that…” You sighed and got closer to the edge of the bench. “There was a rune in your lab…”

They exchanged a look, and both got closer, leaning into their knees. The sight of the three of you huddled together must have been something.

“It was different…Like…” You played a few high notes on the piano and then slammed a hand on the low notes. “This…”

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to look at you, the sudden sound catching their attention.

“I don’t know what it was, but..." You tried to explain, "Normally they appear when I need them, and I wouldn’t feel the pressure of using them… but this... this one demanded to be used, like it needed it. Like I needed it.”

“Did it hurt you?” Viktor asked, his eyes roaming your arms and face.

“No. If anything, I hurt it by not speaking it into reality.” 

“It was time that we found a bad word in the language…” Viktor’s jaw clenched, and after a second he got up. “I’m going to need sugar to study this fully…”

You snorted, and Jayce rolled his eyes as Viktor walked towards the cafeteria counter. You followed his rhythmic strolling, smiling as he looked at all the pastries on display, making an unimpressed face at it.

“Rictus did something in your timeline, didn’t he?” Jayce’s voice snapped you out of watching Viktor’s judgment of the pastry.

“It wasn’t Rictus himself. It was Ambessa.” 

“The General?”

“She wants the hextech to be weaponized so she can fight her own enemies…”

“I know…” You looked at Jayce, and he was looking at his feet. “I’ve gathered as much by what Mel tells me about her. Not that she tries to hide it. General Medarda makes some interesting questions.”

You sighed and turned back to the piano, playing some old melody that you knew by heart.

“In my universe…” you started, your tone unsure. “she gets it…She uses it… It doesn’t behave like she wants it, but…in the end…she gets it…”

You steal a glance in Vik’s way as he waits for his order to be prepared. He was chewing on the cheek, deep in thought.

“How?” Jayce frowned in confusion, and after a second, his eyes widened. “Which one of us died?”

• ··········· • ············ •

@marshy-moo @victormydarling @blueesmiski @th3stup1dcat @22carolina08 @httpstes @that-one-shitty-blog @disa-pointment @sseleniaa @moons-lighttrail @aysluxe @fae-doodle @kitewa @local-mr-frog @bakusquadobsessed @cherry-cola-100 @optimistic-but-very-realistic @seeksrsnn @thecordelialetters @notsaelty @lansy-4 @ayupfrogg @sammypotato @wnbrw @lucycarlisleswife @noxturnalmoth @ren-ren23 @furblrwurblr @kapitankarate @mynicknameisgasoline @octo-octopie @birbwithhat @kneelarmhstrung @dedicated2viktor @elvishstudies

[whateversawesome]

Spy x Family Headcanons

All right! Thanks to some mutuals' encouragement, I decided to write down some of my Spy x Family headcanons. Some are more theories than hc, but hey, it's all in good fun 😊

1.Yor will be the one who kisses (or tries to kiss) Twilight. It fits her character arc, there's been some crazy hints and she has a crush on her husband.

2.When Yor confesses to Twilight (or kisses him), he'll have the opportunity to set up a honey trap again. He'll think it's convenient for Operation Strix; he'll rationalize the same thing he did during the bar date and conclude a honey trap is the right thing to do for the mission. However, when he sees Yor's eyes and realizes she's totally in love with him, he's going to freak out and won't be able to go through with it. Which brings me to my next hc...

3.Twilight is going to reject Yor. It will be devastating for both of them. Yor will think she's not good enough for him to love her when it's exactly the opposite: he's in love with her and that's why he rejected her. He doesn't want her to be another honey trap. In fact, this will probably be how Twilight realizes he's in love with his wife.

4.Anya knows her parents are in love. She can read their mind! More on that here.

5.At some point, Twilight and Yor are going to share a bed. It will be very exciting because it will probably happen right when they're both in the middle of figuring out their feelings for each other.

6.Maybe I'm wrong about this one but I still think Martha is somehow involved with The Garden. That whole arc was about her, yet she wasn't in the cover of the volume. I'm thinking her story is not over; we still have to know how she ended up with the Blackbells.

7.The relationship between Damian and Donovan Desmond is a foil of the relationship between [Redacted] and his father. It will be a trigger and mess things up for Twilight, because he will see his own story with adult eyes now.

8.Twilight's dad is alive. And not only that; I suspect he's a double agent. In fact, there's a chance we won't know which side he really belongs until the very end.

9.Anya was an accident. I don't think Project Apple experiments with children, but Anya was just born there so they experimented on her. I'm not sure if she was an accident between two prisoners of war or between a prisoner of war and a scientist, but I think she's one of a kind.

10.There's a third country involved in all this. It has been casually mentioned a few times.

11.Yor will be the one who leaves the Forgers first. Here are some reasons/theories of why this could happen. This, of course, will throw everything out of balance. Which brings me to...

12.Without Yor, there's a chance that Twilight will do something really stupid. Whether it's for the sake of the Operation or even thinking he's protecting Anya. It will be the wrong choice.

13.Yuri is not a bad guy. He's just a kid who has been brainwashed with nationalism. I think he'll be the one who discovers Twilight's identity (he already suspects Loid). At some point, he'll probably have to choose between his family and his duty to his country. He'll choose his family, of course. (More on Yuri here).

And finally, my favorite hc/theory, the [Redacted Theory]:

14.Yor is not in love with Loid or Twilight. She's in love with [Redacted], which means Yor sees the real person behind the mask, that it's impossible for him to hide his true self from the person he loves and, of course, that she's in love with his true self. I love this headcanon so much I wrote a whole fic about it 😊

That's it!

[natihoneybee]

Kagi-kun & the Basketball Team and HiraKagi Theories Post Chapter 29

In my free time, I spent the last few days rereading all of Hirano & Kagiura (including the novel) and then skimming through all of Sasaki & Miyano for Easter eggs. I wanted to compile as many details as I could find that’s related to Kagiura and his basketball team. I’m doing this to organize my thoughts better, and piece together details about the team.

While going through the material, I did come up with more theories for the upcoming chapter(s). But I might have to make a separate thread depending on how long the post gets. Anyway, I want this post to have facts and key details, so I’ll try to include volume and page numbers, too.

The first half of the post about Kagi-kun & the basketball team possibly has some spoilers for Ch. 29 but not really. Just in case I’m putting it under a “read more” line.

What we know about the basketball team

These are the names of basketball players mentioned so far: Shirahama Kyouji, Tomonori Kuda, Yamada, and Muroi Yuuki. These are the basketball players’ numbers we know about so far: Kagiura is #11 and there are two players who are #7 & #4 from a Shirahama flashback (Vol 10, chapter 49, page 18-19).

We know that Kagiura and the basketball team go to the city to watch basketball games or play outside of practice at a gym (Vol 4, chapter 11, page 7). Kagiura tells Hirano that there’s an arena nearby where a pro basketball team plays. And that the school basketball team sometimes takes the school buses (Vol 1, chapter 4, page 17). Based on some paperwork in (Vol 6, chapter 27, page 7), it looks like there is going to be an off-campus basketball retreat in the near future, which I think is going to come up in the next chapter and might be part of a larger arc in the next volume. But I will address that idea at the end in the “Basketball Retreat Theory” section.

Kagiura Akira

*I'm gonna be brief with Kagi's section because I could go on and on about him hehe

I’m really excited to see more of how Kagiura interacts with his teammates on the basketball team. While rereading, I focused on the scenes of Kagi with his basketball teammates and these scenes from (Vol 5, ch 23a) really stood out to me. Kagiura overhears another player complaining about him “getting out of cleaning” (Vol 5, ch 23a, page 3). And when he meets up with Hirano later that chapter, it’s revealed he’s late because he stayed behind and that “they needed help cleaning up” (Vol 5, ch 23a, page 8). I think that really goes to show the type of person Kagi is and how much he cares about the basketball club. He really works hard at it and doesn’t want anyone questioning his dedication to it. I'll get into this trait of his later in the Basketball Retreat Theory.

Jealous-kun

*I saw someone in another post say that this guy^ complaining about Kagi “getting out of cleaning” from (Vol 5, ch 23a, page 3) is the same guy in (Vol 6, chapter 29). And OMGG you are totally right!! GAAAHHH!! Idk his name though. If anyone could come up with a nickname while we wait, that would make talking about him easier (i’ll prob just call him jealous-kun for now). I'm assuming based on the translation, that he's also a second year.

Back to Kagi

Another thing I’ve been thinking about is a scene from (Vol 3, chapter 14, page 10-12) where a girl tries to give chocolates to Kagi on valentines day. I think her near confession is very precious. Kagi is so sweet about kindly turning down her chocolates. He seems really serious about what she has to say to him, too: he’s genuinely listening, asks her for her name, thanks her for watching their games and offers to walk her to the station. And the words she used to describe him “you looked so cool and mature when you were focusing”, definitely stuck with him in the context of Hirano: “I wonder if he’d think I’m cool and fall for me if I acted more mature”. Just something to think about. Now, this valentine’s day scene reminds of a scene in sasamiya with Shirahama, but I’ll get to that in his character section below.

Shirahama Kyouji

Shirahama in HiraKagi

Shirahama and Kagiura seem to be close, they frequently play basketball together even when there’s no practice scheduled, like during lunch (Vol 3, chapter 12, page 9-19) and on weekends (Vol 4, chapter 11, page 7). Someone in another post called them “basketball buddies” hehe. I think we’re definitely going to see more of their friendship as teammates in the upcoming chapters. Shirahama talks a lot about wanting a girlfriend, and often whines about how Kagiura is so popular with girls (Vol 4, chapter 20.6, pages 2-5). In the extra “Something About White Day”, Shirahama learns that Kagi has an unrequited love though, so I’m wondering if they will talk about love later on or if Kagiura will open up about his crush on Hirano to Shirahama. And even though Shirahama lightly complains about Kagi’s popularity with girls, he definitely cares about and respects Kagi enough to defend him from other players who are jealous of Kagi (Vol 5, ch 23a, page 3).

Shirahama in SasaMiya

Now jumping to the sasamiya series real quick in their third year: Something I’ve noticed is shirahama becoming more of a regular character since Vol 8. And we finally get a character name tag for him in (Vol 8, chapter 42, page 4). Since he’s becoming a bigger role in the sasamiya series, this goes back to my idea of shirahama possibly having a bigger role in hirakagi, too (i.e. he and kagi talking more about crushes or relationships). When I reread the parts of how Shirahama reacted to sasaki and miyano’s relationship (with the context of hirakagi) I started thinking: Does Shirahama know something about Kagiura and Hirano (to some extent)? Like maybe he knows that Kagiura has a crush or at this point is in a relationship that’s secret. Before learning about Miyano and Sasaki, maybe shirahama’s only example of how a couple acts was Kagiura and his experiences. Since, Shirahama seemed really surprised that Miyano wasn’t keeping his relationship a secret, I wonder if maybe Kagiura ever confided to Shirahama about his feelings for or eventual relationship with Hirano and if it was kept secret at some point because they were roommates (this is only the case if they start dating while being roommate, but I think they start dating in Kagiura’s third year tbh).

For Reference, here are the page numbers in sasamiya with Shirahama that I’m referring to: (Vol 8, chapter 42, page 4-8), (Vol 9, chapter 43, page 8), (Vol 10, chapter 49, page 18-21). And these are the specific Shirahama scenes/lines that stick out to me in the sasamiya series that may or may not back up my hirakagi theory involving shirahama (or I’m just delulu *shrug*):

In (Vol 8, chapter 42, page 4) Shirahama says “I’m never gonna get the chance to stay late at school getting everything ready for the cultural festival and then leave with a girl after I tell her it’s dangerous so she should let me walk her home!” He says it’s from a sim game, but it’s really specific and actually reminded me of Kagiura on valentine’s day haha. I wonder if this will happen to Kagiura in his 2nd year in the upcoming cultural festival.

“Let’s say I don’t find a girlfriend before college. Then I’m gonna end up getting a job and going out drinking, saying, ‘I wanna get married…!’ I feel like I’m gonna end up sounding like this guy on the team, and I don’t want that.” (vol 8, ch 42, pg 5).

“You scared me…!! You can’t just say that! It’s a secret!” (vol 8, ch 42, pg 7)

Shirahama says “Is that really what couples usually do…? Guess I was overthinking it.” (Vol 9, ch 43, pg 8)

I’m really interested in what y’all think about the scene in (Vol 10, chapter 49, page 18-21). It seems like Shirahama really doesn’t want to miss basketball practice and the flashback scene he recalls actually hits a nerve. Do you think maybe Shirahama is feeling insecure about his role in the basketball club here? Like maybe he’s not always part of the main team in tournaments? I initially thought that this was a Kagi cameo, but the jersey’s say #4 and #7, and I’ve read somewhere that Kagi’s jersey number is #11.

*Side note: I can’t remember which page in sasamiya it was, but Shirahama mentions going on group dates a lot. Is he going with some guys from the basketball team? If anyone knows, please please pleasee let me know. Obviously, I don’t think Kagi would go, but I can imagine him being asked to go to help the other guys out or “evening out the numbers” haha OR being asked NOT to go because he’s too popular with girls. It could be a funny scene to see idk.

Okay, I think that’s all I have to say about Shirahama on the basketball team for now. I’ll probably refer back to him later though.

Tomonori Kuda

I think he’s the one Kagi mentions in these passages in the HiraKagi light novel on pages 22 and 26. And I think that they might have a “rivals to teammates to friends” type of relationship. At least, that’s the impression I got from the novel when Kagi cheers for him at the Sports Festival and thinks “I’ve gotta tell him how glad I am that he joined the basketball team.”

Also, you can see the name “Tomonori Kuda” in Kagiura’s phone call log, and before Hirano called, he was the last person Kagi talked to on the phone (Vol 1, chapter 3, page 31). So, I’m kinda hoping that they’re close and we see more of that. When the regular players are called over at practice, Kagi and Kuda’s names are both called, and we get to put a face to the name (Vol 5, ch 23a, page 4).

Yamada “Run, Yamada!”

Someone is named Yamada (unknown given name) on the basketball team. This is literally just based on this one background character during practice when Shirahama is talking to Sasaki in (SasaMiya Vol 9, chapter 46, page 11 ) lol.

Muroi Yuuki “headband-kun”

I saw someone referring to him as “headband-kun” in a tag and I thought it was the cutest thing. Muroi Yuuki is a newer character we’ve just been introduced to, and we know he’s Kagiura’s kouhai. He’s a first year, while Kagi is a second year. I believe his first appearance is (Vol 6, chapter 27, page 4 & 7). In the scene where Kagi is helping Muroi with paperwork in (Vol 6, chapter 27, page 7), we see a close up of his name and his reason for staying off-campus. We see quite a bit of him in Chapter 29: where he’s on the school bus with the basketball team, he asks Kagiura which activity he’s doing, introduces himself to Hirano telling him he’s on the basketball team and then asks to have Hirano’s contact information. So we know that 1) he will be at the off-campus basketball retreat, 2) he’s a kouhai on the basketball team, 3) He really looks up to Kagiura. I think he’s adorable and I am soooo looking forward to seeing more of Kagiura and Muroi’s kouhai/senpai relationship. I am so glad Kagiura finally has a kouhai of his own! Also, that part where Kagi gives Muroi his phone to watch a game… so cute, it’s giving ipad kid lmao 🤣😭.

HiraKagi Theories (Spoilers for Chapter 29!!!)

Okay! So that’s it for what I have on the basketball team profiles. I’m gonna get into what I think is going happen after Chapter 29. This section is definitely going to have spoilers!

Basketball Retreat Theory

I think there are going to be multiple arcs coming into play during the months May-October of Hirano’s 3rd and Kagiura’s 2nd year (Hirakagi Vol 7 and onward). First, I’m going to address my Basketball Retreat Theory. Based on some paperwork in (Vol 6, chapter 27, page 7), it looks like there is going to be an off-campus basketball retreat in the near future, which I think is actually going to come up in the next chapter and might be part of a larger arc in this coming up volume.

I can’t remember exactly where this image^ is from, but it got me thinking: Does Kagi become the new captain for the basketball team? I don’t think that’s something that has been confirmed or not but it just makes sense, right? I just get the feeling there’s gotta be more behind the question that Hanzawa is asking Shirahama, especially since Hanzawa is so familiar with Kagiura and his character. I mean like Hanzawa had asked Kagi about being an RA at some point. Kagi was in the running for being an RA without even realizing it! Tashiro (who became ping pong captain) mentioned that he started getting scouted for the position during the summer/ cultural festival season, which is coming up soon in the hirakagi timeline.

Now, back to the basketball retreat and upcoming tournaments: If Kagi’s senpais on the basketball team are going to start scouting for the new team captain, I am absolutely positive they are going to partially determine who to choose based on how well things run smoothly at the retreat and tournaments. Going back to Kagiura’s profile from earlier, we know he’s Basketball Team Captain worthy and Hirano has even said to Kagi that “They’re well aware of how hard you’ve been working” (Vol 5, chapter 23b, page 6). Not to even mention, Kagi in his 2nd year has now been training and teaching the younger members too! So, following this theory that Kagi is in the running for becoming the new basketball team captain, I think this definitely adds to the possibility that we will see some basketball team drama. Especially if Jealous-kun is another 2nd year basketball player in the team interested in that position.

Homophobic Jealous-kun Theory

Now, this other theory involves Jealous-kun much more. My other theory is that Jealous-kun, who has a history of intently watching Kagiura, catches Kagiura having a moment with Hirano—and like Hirano with Inchinose—Kagi makes eye contact and realizes they were caught. Only, Jealous-kun isn’t as sweet about it and reacts homophobically. If this does happen, I actually think this might go a really angsty route where Hirano and/or Hanzawa get involved. Like… I’m wondering if there will be a physical fight between Kagi and Jealous-kun (which just thinking about that scares me so much cause idek if Kagi can fight??) But the reason I think this is a huge possibility is because of some clues in both hirakagi and sasamiya series.

It’s been brought up multiple times that Hirano is good in a fight, in (Vol 1, chapter 3, page 14) Sasaki tries to reassure Hanzawa that “Hirano’s good in a fight. If anything happens, he’ll be fine… I think”. To which Hanzawa replies “That ‘I think’ doesn’t really make me feel better”. So I’m wondering if there will be a point in the story where we will see Hirano get in a physical fight. Either he fights someone *cough cough maybe jealous kun?* to defend Kagi or Kagi is in a physical fight with someone *cough cough maybe jealous kun?* and Hirano gets involved to try to split it up.

If this does happen, I think Hanzawa could be a witness to this situation. Fast forward to the scene from sasamiya (Vol 6, chapter 30, page 12). Hanzawa says “Some of the guys in my life are gay, and I’ve seen them get in fights before. It’s scary. Whenever they get hurt, I always worry that something happened with one of their boyfriends…” Now, when I first read this scene I only thought about it in the context of Hanzawa’s brothers past relationships (maybe they dealt with domestic abuse). BUT in the context of hirakagi (it’s interesting that Hirano is pictured here), it’s definitely not the case of domestic abuse or toxic relationships.

I think the wording here is on purpose because 1) Hanzawa used the phrase “some of the guys in my life are gay” instead of just using “brothers”. So I immediately thought of Kagiura. 2) When he says “I always worry that something happened with one of their boyfriends”, I feel like it could have a double meaning where “that something” that “happened with one of their boyfriends” could be Hanzawa and Hirano finding out that Kagiura is in a fight with someone and Hirano dashes to him (we all remember how fast he ran when kagi was overtired).

*sigh* Just thinking about this situation is stressing me out. So for now I’m moving on to another thought process and that’s Hirano’s confession, but I’ll get back to Hanzawa later.

Hirano’s Confession

As of right now it’s May in the hirakagi timeline, the sports festival just happened and in the sasamiya timeline this is when Sasaki (awkwardly) confesses to Miyano. 

In the sasamiya series in (Vol 3, chapter 15, page 21), we have this beautiful moment between Hirano and Sasaki that happens in June. Hmph. So, Hirano’s reaction definitely feels personal, right?? Because there’s definitely a window between May and June, I wouldn’t be surprised if Harusono stretched out that period of time. Still, I’m pretty positive that Hirano is going to confess in June right before or right after this scene with Sasaki. Hirano’s comment: “Stop making excuses and just tell him already!” Absolutely confirms to me that there is going to be something on Hirano’s mind that he might use as an excuse to wait to tell Kagi, that will delay his confession, or that will just make him feel hesitant. And I think that something could be related to the basketball retreat theory, the homophobic jealous kun theory, or how Hanzawa feels about gay relationships (at this point in the series). And when he tells this to Sasaki, I think he’s also saying this to himself (maybe).

Hanzawa’s Involvement

Time to get back to Hanzawa. In the sasamiya timeline, we’re officially introduced to his character with a name tag in (sasamiya Vol 4, chapter 19, page 8). At this time, it’s July. I think it’s really interesting that Harunsono chose this point to officially introduce Hanzawa, especially with Hirano’s dorm life brought up on the same page and Hanzawa seeming to be unphased. Later in (sasamiya Vol 4, chapter 22, page 19-20 & 24) Hanzawa and Miyano are discussing what love is. At this time, it’s September during cultural festival preparations. I saw someone in another post say that it feels like Hanzawa is repeating someone else’s words. I believe this is definitely the case. In the Sasaki and Miyano anime, Hanzawa’s speech actually overlaps with scenes of Hirano & Kagiura and Kuresawa & Ogasawara on the phone with their respective girlfriends. And the reference to Hirano and Kagiura feels like such an obvious clue now looking back at it. The conversation between Hanzawa and Miyano (in the anime and manga) goes like this: 

Miyano: What do you think it means to like someone?

Hanzawa: I think it depends on the person. Like wanting to do stuff with them? Or like wanting to be together. Wanting to hold hands. Wanting to touch them. Wanting to kiss them. Wanting to hold them. Or wanting to have them all to yourself. … Love is when you can’t stop thinking about the other person, or so they say.

Everything that Hanzawa says and uses as an example of Love literally relates back to Hirano and Kagiura. So, it could be that this is a speech that Hirano has said to Hanzawa before. Even the phrasing reminds me of Hirano. Like in hirakagi (chapter 29, pages 12-13 & 16) when Hirano is talking to Ichinose, Hirano asks “Have you ever wanted to kiss someone? … And try various things. … I’m fine with touching them”. Hirano is sorta still figuring out the type of “like/love” he feels for kagiura (although in chapter 29, page 34 it looks like he’s realized it’s the same as kagiura’s like/love), but once he figures it out completely, I think he’s going to share this information with Hanzawa. And explain it to Hanzawa with personal examples: 

Kagiura and Hirano feel love differently (it depends on the person)

Sometimes it’s wanting to try various things (like wanting to do stuff with them?)

Wanting to continue living together as roommates (like wanting to be together)

Wanting to hold hands (something Hirano and Kagiura have done)

Wanting to touch them (the 10 seconds touch everyday)

Wanting to kiss them (something Kagiura or Ichinose want to do when they like someone)

Wanting to hold them (hugging)

Wanting to have them all to yourself (dating and Kagi's "More than anything, I want to be with you" in chapter 29, page 28)

When you can’t stop thinking about the other person (literally Hirano every moment of everyday and Kagi when Hirano leaves)

And I think this is going to happen in July, since that’s when Hanzawa was introduced to the sasamiya series and seems to be more open to gay relationships by this time. I just think that Harusono is very intentional with their characters and would set it up this way. Especially since in (sasamiya Vol 4, chapter 19, page 8) Hanzawa doesn’t seem to be as worried as he did before about Hirano and Kagiura’s dorm life as roommates (him no longer being an RA might be a factor as well, but I think it’s mostly because Hirano has talked it over with Hanzawa regarding his closeness with Kagi).

*Side Note: Now this isn't really about Hanzawa's involvement, but on the topic of Hirano’s feelings and for the sake of sticking to chronological order with referencing chapter 29 so much, I'm going to put it here. Are we going to get a kiss in the next chapter?? Before they were interrupted by Muroi (chapter 29, page 30), it seems like they were talking about trying it (when they have more privacy, like maybe back at the dorm?). Because like… Hirano didn’t say no, just not here. Ya know?

Hirakagi Timeline Post Chapter 29

Okay, so I think I’ve addressed everything I wanted to. But to lay it out in a more organized fashion, here is a timeline based on all my theories and how I think it could pan out post chapter 29:

May -> Right now we’re at the Sports Festival

May - June -> basketball retreat/tournaments/team drama that Kagiura is gonna have to face; the basketball retreat theory, the homophobic jealous-kun theory? (could happen anywhere between May-July)

June -> Hirano’s confession!! (hopefully)

June - July -> Hirano and Hanzawa’s heart to heart moment

September - October -> Cultural festival; possible basketball tournament (shoutout to @rubyrose143 for finding this easter egg in sasamiya chapter 23.1)

December - January -> New Year’s Eve (Kagi is sick; Hirano goes to the shrine with Sasaki and meets Miyano, Kuresawa and Tashiro there in the "Special Drama CD My Wish", also shown as an extra chapter in sasamiya Vol 3)

Well, that's it. I hope this was somewhat helpful and entertaining to read. Thank you all for interacting, please let me know if I missed anything, and please please please tell me what you think! ❤️

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 814: Naruko, run away!!

Pag 1

1: Beppu city, in the Oita Prefecture, a town located inside of a large bay on the east coast of Kyuushu, surrounded on three sides by mountains

2: Known for hot-springs and sight-seeing areas, it's always been visited by a lot of people since old times

The old springs boasts the largest amount annual volume of water in Japan, and it's one of the highest in the world

3: Hot-springs gush out all over the city

4: The “Hell Tour” around the spring ponds is also famous

5: You can enjoy the magnificent mountain scenery, the volcanoes, the seafood, and a panoramic view of the city from the Tsurumi peak at 1375m of altitude

Pag 2

1: Beppu Port, the opening to the sea, connects to Kansai's and Shikoku's main ports and it's an important route for logistics and tourism

2: Started in Kyuushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, the race went south

3: passed the sprint line and the mountain line, then turned towards the Beppu Ferry Terminal and the Minato Parking lot

4: This is where this year's Inter High's

Pag 3

1: first day finish line is

Pag 4

2: Alright, we're in front of the finish line!!

3: On!!

We're in time!!

4: There's the final gate!!

I see it, on!!

Run!!

Yes!

Ye-yes!!

Pag 5

1: Really, when we had to stop at traffic lights twice on the way I thought we wouldn't make it

Ooon!!

2: Rokudaii!!

3: Kaburagi... Danchiku...!!

4: Miki, what's the situation!?

5: The race entered the coastal highway already!!

6: Naruko-kun is running away alone!!

Kyoto is following with two people

Imaizumi-kun is waiting in the group behind!!

There are

Pag 6

1: 3.5km left!!

3: 3500m left!!

Pag 7

1: They're coming!!

There's only one person in the lead!!

Amazing!

He's running away alone!!

It's Sohoku!!

2: So red!

That guy's incredible!

He stands out so much!!

3: Have I shocked, Hakogaku-san!? Didi you attack, Midosuji!?

4: Since I was running in front of Hotshot until I jumped ahead at the 5km mark, they thought I was the assist!!

Pag 8

1: And because of the situation you were expecting, your decision was several seconds too late!!

Those seconds turn into a wide distance in road racing!!

2: The strategy of not deciding an ace sounds good, but should set just one rule?

3: We'll carefully listen to each other's strategy, and if one of us agrees with the other he'll help

Yeah, I'll do my best. If we agree

4: You'll help me so much!!

I don't really trust you

… you think I do?

Oi

5: Alright, I have one thing too

It's trivial, but everything needs a name

6: A name?

8: We won't choose during the race, but

Pag 9

1: That day, whoever passes the finish line first is the “ace”!!

3: Kakaka, nice, let's do it!! Good!!

4: That was interesting, Hotshot

5: If I keep going like this I'll be the one who'll take it!! And with a large difference!!

In road racing...

Pag 10

1: There are two ways to win flashily!!

The “top goal” at the head of a pack of sprinter

2: And another one, is when a single person attacks and jumps ahead alone when no one expects it

3: and he runs away

4: and runs away and shakes off those behind him who are desperately chasing

5: And takes the finish line alone

It's the “escape goal”!!

6: This will be the most exciting thing for the audience today!! I!!

7: Will be at the Inter High's big stage!!

Pag 11

1: I......

2: seeee....

3: youuuuu

Pag 12

1: Naaruukooo!!

Pag 13

2: I saw you!!

3: As expected.... that presence earlier, it was you, Midosuji!!

4: Kakaka so you chased me?

But that's fine, I just won't let you catch up

Let's do it!!

5: You'll come with me to the finish line!!

That way

6: the audience will be even more excited!!

Pag 14

1: Ru-

2: shaaaaaa

Pag 15

1: Waaa what an incredible speed!

The pack is chasing the three people ahead!!

Waaa incredible!

They're so close!

2: The Hakogaku in the lead has a face like a demon!!

3: Huh, “demon”, you said- now that you mention it, two years ago in this race there was the “Straight-line Demon”

Idiot, don't you know it!?

Huh

4: That demon is his little brother!!

Pag 16

2: Shinkai Yuuto!! He's fast!!

3: He's fast, yon!!

Ah, this is road racing's top speed

Mountain bikes are fast on downhills, but this- woah!!

4: This is another kind of risk!!

5: It's amazing, this impetus!!

Pag 17

1: I'm shaking!!

Sorry, Sonomoto-chan, but I'm going ahead!!

2: With this acceleration of Yuuto

3: many people fell behind!!

Pag 18

1: I was left behind....

What's with that acceleration

You can have that acceleration on paved roads....?

2: I'm sorry.... Higashimura-san....

My.... legs.... can't...

3: I had underestimated road racing a little....

4: Please..... Higashimura-san...

Pag 19

1: Ninoshima!!

You entrusted Hiroshima's fate to me!!

2: The ones who fell behind now are Gunma, Ninoshima, and one more person....

3: It's this acceleration.... clinging to them was hard for me too

It's understandable that they fell behind

4: The guy from the “selected team” too

Pag 20

2: 3km left until the finish line!!

[communicationthroughlyrics]

I Work Too Hard, Can You Fuckin' Pay Me?

Part 17 - Y/N moved to escape some of their looming troubles from Westview, to the place that their best friend said would make a difference. New job, new digs, will Y/N make a change for the better, or leave another city with their tail between their legs?

Word Count: 1.7K

Read Pt. 1 HERE Read Pt. 2 HERE Read Pt. 3 HERE Read Pt. 4 HERE Read Pt. 5 HERE Read Pt. 6 HERE Read Pt. 7 HERE Read Pt. 8 HERE Read Pt. 9 HERE Read Pt. 10 HERE - Read Pt. 11 HERE - Read Pt. 12 HERE - Read Pt. 13 HERE- Read Pt. 14 HERE - Read Pt. 15 HERE - Read Pt. 16 HERE

The Guns Will Smoke, But The Bullets Won't Lie

You awoke to the hushed tone of two voices arguing. Pietro and Wanda. You groaned as you tried to shift, the pain in your shoulder reminding you of your recent escapade. The look they shot you as you brought attention to being awake displayed their clear worry.

"You're awake," Wanda said, rushing over to your side. Her eyes searched yours for any signs of distress, her hand reaching out to grasp yours. "What happened?" she demanded, her voice tight with fear.

"Hello to you both, too," you croaked, trying to sit up again. The pain was less intense now, but the memory of the gunshot was a fresh wound in your mind. The nurse had told you that the surgery had been successful and that the bullet had missed any vital organs, but the pain was a stark reminder of how close you had come to dying.

Pietro's eyes searched yours, looking for the truth behind the lie you had told over the phone. "Y/N," he started, his voice thick with concern. "You're not okay. What happened out there?"

"I told you, Piet," you said, wincing as you managed to sit up, the hospital gown rustling around you. "Like I said, that guy shot me when I refused to open the briefcase Val sent me to pick up." Wanda's grip on your hand tightened, her eyes filled with a fierce protectiveness that warmed your heart despite the cold hospital air.

"What was in the briefcase?" Wanda's voice was barely a whisper, her gaze darting between you and the bag that sat on the chair next to the bed.

You shook your head, "I don't know," you admitted. "I never looked. Val made it clear that it wasn't my concern. I told the guy that, and then he shot me. I think he took the case, and that's all I remember, aside from the burning from when I was used for target practice. Next thing I knew, I was here."

Wanda's eyes searched yours, and you could see the fear and anger in them. "Why did you go, Y/N?" she whispered, her grip on your hand tightening. "You could've called for help."

You took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "I had to do it, Wands," you replied, your voice hoarse. "I owed it to you, to all of us. I couldn't let Val keep playing these games without consequences."

"But why did you go alone?" Wanda's eyes searched yours, her voice shaky with emotion. "You should have told us, let us know where you were," she began, setting herself gently on the bed by your legs. "Then, when you went radio silent, I was so scared..."

You nodded, understanding the fear she must have felt. "I know," you murmured, looking down at your hand in hers. "I didn't want to involve you guys anymore. I wanted to protect you both, and I thought that by handling this alone, it would keep you out of Val's crosshairs," you sighed, leaning back onto the pillows behind you. "But my dumbass, never would have thought this literally meant crosshairs." you cringe at the thought, as Wanda and Pietro's faces fell.

"Don't you dare," Wanda warned, her voice low and filled with a mix of anger and fear. "Don't you dare downplay this. You almost fucking died, Y/N." You felt a twinge of pain in your chest, not from the gunshot, but from the raw emotion in her eyes.

"I...I know," you stuttered.

"Do you? Do you really, Y/N?" Wanda continues, her volume increasing as she continues. "We finally hear from you after days of silence, Pietro just showing up at my house and telling me to pack an overnight bag. As we fly here, he fills me in on the bits and pieces, and trust that I know they were bits and pieces, and not the whole truth," she glares at her brother, who drops his head to avoid her stare.

"Then we get here, and have no clue where to find you. You weren't answering your phone, but luckily, there was a news story about someone who had been dumped," her voice cracked as she looked up at the hospital ceiling. "Someone who was dumped on the main drag by an unmarked vehicle after being shot. The news story continued by saying that the only reason that this person survived was that there was a slew of EMTs leaving the hospital, and they watched the whole thing happen."

Wanda's eyes found yours again, "We took a chance, coming to the Ridgefield Park Hospital, not knowing if the anonymous person was you." She took a deep breath, her voice steadying. "We got here and asked if you were here. Of course, as someone with no listed next of kin, convincing the staff that we knew you was not easy."

Pietro stepped closer, placing a hand on Wanda's shoulder, "Wanda, we need to stay calm," he said in a soothing tone. You nodded, understanding her anger but knowing it wasn't going to solve anything. "You scared the shit out of us," she murmured, her voice filled with a mix of anger and relief. "But more than anything, I'm just...I'm just so fucking mad at you," she whispered, her grip on your hand tightening until it almost hurt.

You looked up at her, "I know, Wanda. I understand," you murmured, trying to keep the pain from your voice. "But I had to do something, and she gave this as an out. Val can't keep doing this to us."

"But you can't play hero," she snapped, her eyes flashing. "You're not invincible, Y/N. You could've died."

You squeezed her hand back, feeling the warmth and anger radiating from her. "I know," you whispered. "I had to do something, Wanda. In her words, 'If I want to keep playing house with you,' I needed to do this for her. I know it sounds insane, but I was just trying to end this."

"End what, Y/N?" Wanda's voice was barely above a whisper now, her eyes searching yours for an answer that could possibly justify the situation you had put yourself in. "Based on what I know of her and what Pietro has said, even if you had gotten this briefcase back to her, she likely wouldn't have given up." Her eyes pierced through you as she continued, "What is so important about this briefcase that it was worth risking your life for? Because god knows that she was not going to stop, even if she got what she wanted. And know she really isn't going to stop."

You took a deep breath, the gravity of the situation starting to really set in. "I didn't get that far into this," you admitted. "But I had to try, Wanda. For us, for everyone." You paused, the silence in the room thick enough to cut with a knife.

Pietro broke it, "Y/N, you can't keep playing her games," he said, his voice firm. "You're going to get yourself killed, or worse off, all of us."

You nodded, feeling the truth in his words hit you like a ton of bricks. "I'm sorry," you murmured, squeezing Wanda's hand. "I didn't mean to scare you guys."

Wanda leaned in closer, her eyes searching yours. "While I appreciate the apology, detka, I want to know- what did Val say, exactly?" she asked, her voice a mix of anger and concern.

You took a deep breath. "She said if I didn't get the briefcase, she would come for you," you whispered, the memory of the cold, hard phone against your ear making you shiver. "My guess is that she has something she thinks will ruin me if she exposes it, and I would bet money that she is trying to run me out of any town I may move to until I just come back to Westview."

Wanda's eyes searched yours, her anger morphing into a cold, hard resolve. "What do you think is in that briefcase, Y/N?" she demanded, her grip on your hand never wavering.

"Honestly, Wanda," you said, your voice weary and defeated. "I have no idea. It could be anything, knowing her. I could give two shits about me, I just didn't want anything to harm you or Piet. You guys are the only semblance of family I have left."

Wanda's grip on your hand tightened, the pain in your shoulder a dull throb as you continued to sit up in the hospital bed. "First things first, you are adding either Pietro or me to your emergency contacts and next of kin. So help me god if I have to do this wild goose chase again, you will wish that you had actually died."

You nodded, feeling the weight of her words. "I promise," you murmured, squeezing her hand back. "What are we gonna do about Val?" you asked, looking between the two of them.

Pietro sighed, his eyes dark. "We're going to end this," he said, his voice firm. "No more playing her games. No more hiding. We're going to find out what was in that briefcase, and we're going to use it to take her down. This is blackmail, and for what? Sex? Retribution? Spite?"

Wanda's gaze never left yours, her eyes searching for the truth. "Is there anything else we should know?" she asked, her voice low. "Anything at all that could help us understand what she has on you? A little incident with the police, maybe?”

Oh. Yeah. She was there when Val had called, and you in a valiant attempt to display transparency for trust, put the call on speaker phone so Wanda could hear the call between Val and you.

You let out a deep sigh, not wanting to bring this up right now.

"Wanda, I don't think right now is the time to bring up what she was referring to," you say, looking into her eyes. The pain in your shoulder is a constant reminder of the mess you've gotten into, and the last thing you want to do is add to the tension.

"No, Y/N. Now is absolutely the perfect time. Lay it all out, right now." Wanda's voice was a mix of anger and fear. Her eyes searched yours, demanding the truth. You knew she wouldn't rest until she had it all.

You took a deep breath and told them everything.

[salmalin]

How Many Square Miles is Yurgenschmit? And What is the Air Speed Velocity of an Unladen Swallow Highbeast?

For fic reasons, I decided to figure out how big Yurgenschmidt is. So without further ado, I welcome you to "Sal, Why Are You Doing Math For Fanfiction Again?" Episode number Seriouslywhyareyoustilldoingthis.

(Note: I messed up on the walking math for Tuuli and accidentally did everything in halves in the original version of this post, but the country numbers are still accurate in that version, if you see it floating around.)

Naturally, I am posting my findings for all to enjoy. I will happily do the math so that y'all don't have to.

(If you just want the rough square mileage, just jump to the big red text near the bottom.)

Now, first thing's first—what maps are we working with? Because canon has three available: Ehrenfest's capitol, Ehrenfest Duchy, and Yurgenschmidt.

Now, you might brush off the Ehrenfest Capitol map right off the bat, saying we're trying to figure out large dimensions, but it's actually valid for two reasons. First, it shows how close the forest for foraging is. It's almost immediately outside the gate. It is also, however, about the same distance from the gate that Myne's house is from the gate on the other side.

So here's the city with a grid.

It took about twenty minutes for a child like Tuuli to walk from home to the gate, so I appreciated the water. -Part 1, Volume 1

The average walking speed for an adult is about 4 miles per hour, and for a child about 7 years old it would be close to 2.8 mph, but Tuuli is on the larger side, and very active, so I'd put her at about 3mph. Considering the only perspective applied to the map of the capitol is the angle, and there's no size discrepancy between buildings, we can just apply a grid and not worry about perspective lines.

The line from Myne's house to the main road is 4.6 red blocks, and from there to the gate is 5.7 red blocks. (I did the triangle math so you don't have to.) That's about 10.3 blocks. So at an average speed, a child Tuuli's size can walk about 10 blocks of space (I'm being kind to my decimals) in twenty minutes. This puts Tuuli at about half a block a minute. Since an average adult's speed is 4mph, that means an adult can cover about 13-14 blocks of space in that time, or about .7 blocks a minute. So since 1 mile is 15 minutes at 4mph, and every minute is .7 blocks, which makes 1 mile approximately 10 blocks of space on this scale.

As the distance from South Gate to the temple gate is 24 red blocks, that means the length of the commoner district is 2.4 miles long.

Now, fun fact: Buggies or carts drawn by horses go about 6-8mph. Conveniently double the speed of a child or an adult, respectively. So let's treat them like they go 7MPH. (Yes, I know they'd go faster if the horse were running. They pretty much never do that in reality. Bookworm is shockingly well-grounded in realistic principals for a fantasy series with magic.)

Length of time it would take to get from South Gate to the Temple via main road:

Child (approx 7-9): 48 min.

Adult: 34 min.

Buggy/Carriage: 20 min.

We had arrived at the village. It was about fifteen minutes away from the town gate, and after passing through the entryway, I could hear lots of people talking. -Part 1, Volume 1

"Once we flew over the lower city and passed the outer walls, the griffon immediately began descending. We were heading to the winter mansion of the closest farming town to the south gate, the same town that my neighborhood went to on pig killing day." -Part 2, Volume 3

15 minutes in a cart or buggy at 7 mph is 1.75 miles.

As they are described as "immediately" descending, this implies that they can close two miles in a very short period of time. Since it was described as "immediately", then went straight into describing the town instead of anything about the travel, or even squinting, one can assume that they closed the distance in anywhere between 1-2 minutes. This would put them at a minimum of about 0.0145 miles per second, which is a solid 52 miles per hour. (She was riding with Damuel.) And, of note, at this point, despite "immediately descending" they are described as "high up in the sky". Do even then, they were still above everyone else.

"After that we traveled to the winter mansions of four different farming towns, completing the Spring Prayer at each of them. By the time we were done, the sun was setting and I was exhausted." -Part 2, Volume 3

After Myne falls asleep, she wakes up at Baron Blon's mansion.

As the carriages are already there and unpacked, and this was their first day of travel, this tells us that Baron Blon's residence is close enough for a carriage to reach in one day. This puts it at about 30 miles maximum from Ehrenfest. So, to account for the fact that we don't have a road map, and they were stopping in other towns on the way, let's assume that, as the crow flies, a straight line between the capitol and Blon is approx. 20 miles.

This would make every red block about 5 1/2 miles. And this, folks—this is what we needed.

If every block is 5 1/2 miles long, then we have a general idea of how big the country is. North to south, highest to lowest point, Ehrenfest is about 165 miles long. So without further ado...

Ehrenfest is about 5 1/2 blocks long. That means, strangely conveniently, each of these blocks is 30 miles.

So, at 20 blocks long and 20 blocks wide, being a perfect circle,

Yurgenschmidt is approximately 600 miles across, implying a total area of 282,743 square miles.

Bonus—Clarissa's route to Ehrenfest and the assumed top speed of a highbeast!

Clarissa goes from Dunkelfelger to Ehrenfest in one day by going at top speed on her highbeast, chugging mana potions the whole way. (An appropriate fiance for our very own Hartmut the Horrible.) Now, this is hard to really calculate because we don't know where in Dunkelfelger she's coming from. NOR do we know which gates are open, or where. However, they are described vaguely, and we do know the location of one specific gate that she uses—the Frenbeltag gate!

Now, she absolutely left at first bell, no doubt about it. (Around 4AM.) She is noted to have arrived in Ehrenfest after third bell (~9:45)am. More notably, Myne was wrapping up a meeting when she gets the message. This would put the time at around 10:30 or so, meaning Clarissa had flown for around six hours, considering the time she was briefly detained.

And since using Ahrensbach's gates is described as faster, this likely means the gates in Werkestock and Dunkelfelger are likely in less ideal places than a route through Ahrensbach. Thus I propose a route along these lines for our Favorite Future Mrs. Horrible.

So this is about 14 1/2 blocks. With 30 miles per block, that is roughly 435 miles covered in five hours, or 87 miles per hour.

So highbeasts basically go as fast as cars, the speed limit is 50, laynobles are driving the speed limit, and archnobles can afford the ticket.

As always, thanks for joining me in Hell. <3

[katatonicimpression]

in your opinion, what’s the best sam wilson comic run?

So, a few disclaimers:

I haven't read a huge percentage of Sam's comics. There's so much I haven't read. He's been around since the 60s. There's a lot to read and I'm nowhere near an expert.

So much of Sam's back catalogue is very racist. Anyone who's read a lot of old marvel won't be surprised by this. We're going into this with the assumption that we're all adults here. We're mature readers who are able to parse caricature and trope, understand the popular attitudes at the time that led to their inclusion, and understand that this writing and art being congruous with its place in history doesnt absolve it of anything. We learn context to better understand things, not to excuse them. We're able to recognise and critique what ought to be critiqued and also appreciate the things that do work.

Perhaps surprisingly, this problem doesn't get better over time in a linear way like you might expect.

No sam run is perfect. All of them have flaws and are worthy of criticism. Again, we're mature readers and all that. Many individual comic issues are very good for sam, but they're mostly scattered around the place.

PART 1: Reading Guides

This section was supposed to link to a bunch of Sam comic recs but tumblr is functionally unsearchable. But there's a few recs here, and a reading guide here.

So, let this post also be a call to action for anyone who has a reading guide! Link it! Send it to me and I'll share it! Make. Tumblr. Usable.

For my part, I've been slowly making my way through his appearances chronologically, and also keeping up with his new stuff for the last few years. There's a reason for that approach, which we'll get to in Part 3.

For reference, this is a very detailed list of Sam's comic appearances (probably too detailed, and contains a lot of wordless cameos, and I do hate that website and can't guarantee its not missing anything). This might be useful to refer back to when hopping about through different storylines etc. They're listed by volume number, which is annoying. It's easier to search for comics by the year they started in.

PART 2: Sam's Solo Series

The bulk of Sam's appearances are in supporting roles in Steve's comics. He's also been present in many Avengers runs, but mostly not in a prominant role.

But for now, a list of most of the comics where Sam is a main character, red for solos, blue for ensemble:

Captain America (1963) #117 onwards

He's not in every issue, but he gets actual attention as a protagonist at times so it made the list. Various writers over the years.

Marvel Premiere (1972) #49

Random oneshot with a theme about free speech. It's not good, but it exists and he's the lead. By Mark Evanier

Falcon (1983) #1-4

Sam's first solo title, a mini series. By Jim Owlsey

Marvel Fanfare (1996) #1

"Captain America and the Falcon, together again... for their final adventure!". It's got his name on the cover. Have not read. Assume it's bad, lol. By Jaimie Campos.

Captain America and the Falcon (2004) #1-14

Steve and Sam. Technically sam is a main because he's in the title. By Christopher Priest.

Captain America and the Falcon (2011) #1

Sam and buckycap one-shot. By Rob Williams.

All-New Captain America: Fear Him Infinite Comic (2014) #1-6

Another limited series, iirc there's too much Ian Rogers in it for my liking. By Dennis Hallum

All-New Captain America (2015) #1-6

Samcap, by way of Rick Remender.

Captain America and the Mighty Avengers (2015) #1-9

Hey it's Sam leading the avengers, by Al Ewing.

Captain America: Sam Wilson (2015) #1-24

Samcap again, different title, different author, generally better. By Nick Spencer

All-New, All-Different Avengers (2016) #1-15

Once again, "main character" is a stretch here. But here's sam cap and the avengers. By Mark Waid

Falcon (2017) #1-8

Little solo run, by Rodney Barnes

Falcon & Winter Soldier (2021) #1-5

Limited series about bucky. Sam is also there, retconned into being a therapist so that he look after the most special of boys. By Derek Landy

Captain America: Symbol of Truth (2022) #1-14

Recent solo run. By Tochi Onyebuchi

Avengers (2023) #1-?

Ongoing avengers title, sam gets featured sometimes. Includes the Blood Hunt event. By Jed McKay

Sam Wilson, Captain America (2025) #1-5

Sam's current solo title. So far, a resolved 5 issue arc, no idea what's next for him. By Greg Pak and Evan Narcisse

PART 3: Katatonicimpression's Guide to Sam's Eras

1969- mid 70s - Captain America and the Falcon: Hippy Era

Sam is introduced as a social worker who's into falconry (captain america (1963) #117). He's a pacifist, and politically more radical and to the left of steve. He's explicitly anti government and defends the necessity of violent protest. He's "anti nuclear" which is presumably synedoche for being "ban the bomb"/anti war although he is never allowed to express such sentiment. The politics of these comics were actively censored by the comics code, a mccarthy-era set of rules for limiting subversive/communist messaging in comic books.

On the one hand, it's fun that Sam is a lefty. On the other hand, this stuff is not necessarily handled well. His girlfriend Leila is written as a caricature of a Black activist and radical feminist. Both characters get uncomfortable stereotyped dialogue (all these comics are written by white men) and art (all these comics are drawn by white men).

Nevertheless, this era is what gives us Sam's key traits, expands on his lore (telepathic mutant, wakandan wings) and it's where you'll find figaro the cat. It's sam as a somewhat countercultural figure with internal conflict regarding working with steve, and his own perception within his community.

Late 70s - Captain America and the Falcon: This is why Reagan Won

So, marvel was really into exploitation movies in the 70s (that's why early Luke Cage is like that). And America was really into these narratives about "urban crime".... we know what they mean by that. This is the context from which marvel decided they needed to "fix" sam to make him more in line with their bizarre attitudes about what a black new yorker should be like.

Sam gets retconned into having a criminal backstory (specifically as a local gangster called "snap wilson"... this is where I paused my read through of the cap comics. It's bad you guys). Over time, Leila becomes more of a "belligerent housewife" trope, and still very much hypersexualised. The whole thing is awful. Then jack kirby takes over the series and forgets about sam for a while. Figaro is never seen again. Things get worse. End of an era.

80s - Rounding up the Lineup

Once we're into the 80s proper, sam mostly appears (aside from his one mini solo - which embarassingly features reagan as a character lol) as part of Steve's entourage. Often in a group with Dennis (yay), walker (boo) and jack (literally who cares). Occasionally he has things to do, often not a lot. Characterisation is all over the place tbh.

90s - Barely There

I haven't read many 90s comics with sam in them, and I swear most of the marvel I've read is 90s... but I guess that's mostly xmen. Sam, alas, doesn't get to hang out with those cool kids. He's around, turns up in Avengers teams and as part of Steve's entourage sometimes. He gets retconned into not being a mutant around the turn of the millennium.

00s - early 2010s - Barely There, Cursed Edition

The 00s are just the worst marvel era. I'll die on that hill. Anyway, for sam, this is some horrible art and amongst other things, the most regrettable "romance" arc sam ever had, featuring a character so problematic she is no longer in comics. A lot of ooc appearances and an "I can't be bothered to Google it" approach to his continuity and personality.

Late 00s into the early 2010s sees sam with an increase in credited appearances (the modern era of constant crossover events had begun), but they're mostly small and very much in a supporting role.

2014- late 2010s - Sam Cap 1.0

Woohoo sam matters again! And they undid the snap wilson retcon! Instead, all of that nonsense was false memories implanted by the red skull to fuck with him (oh yeah scifi!Hitler was involved in this whole thing). They still keep him as not a mutant unfortunately.

This era is where we meet joaquin, and sam starts an undefined relationship with Misty Knight. This is when he briefly has those two and Dennis as his team. He's also in the Avengers, where he has an affair with the mighty thor. Sam's slut era, if you will. He gets some decent writing for once, although not perfect. This era basically ends with secret wars/secret empire, when the presence of stevil (evil steve, aka hydra steve) causes him to spiral and eventually quit.

Late 2010s - 2022 - Falcon Sabbatical

Sam's the falcon again. Similar vibes to the cap 1.0 era in terms of characterisation (i.e. sometimes bland and shallow but not usually aggressively awful). This is where we get that falcon and winter soldier comic that I hated. But you might like it. Have your own opinions, as always.

2022 - Present - Sam Cap 2.0

This era starts a little bleak tbh. We have sam and steve as cap simultaneously, but with marvel clearly caring more about steve and publishing a ridiculous amount more of him. Sam's series is symbol of truth, which is okay. I didn't love it but again, form your own opinions. That all culminates in the "cold war" event that was (imo) bad, and had nothing to do with sam either way.

Then we have mckays avengers (2023) which mostly characterises sam well. But it also lacks something in how it utilises his powers and idk... like.. it feels like mckay wanted steve and is just not that interested in sam? But it's not awful. I'd highlight #4 for the sam and tchalla interactions (that are a direct consequence of their scenes in symbol of truth) and #25 which is last months issue (and presumably next month will also be sam focused).

We also have the avengers united infinity comic. The "beware the dreamer" arc (#36-45) by justina Ireland is a solid run for sam. The issues after that are fine. I would warn any sam fan (or any Black reader) that the opening arc by Derek Landy depicts sam being violently beaten in a way that is viscerally uncomfortable to read. It's also a badly written arc. Even if you are comfortable with the violence, the writing fucking sucks.

We also have his most recent solo which is a 5 issue arc. It's okay. Good bird energy.

Samcap 2.0 is an odd vibe. There's a sense of obligation to it, that they made him cap again to be synergistic with the MCU. But at the same time, as I've talked about to no end, it's a good thing that they did it. He's better utilised as cap. He's still with Misty, and still has Joaquin. He's got his frenemies (to lovers arc iktr) with t'challa, and has a growing friendship with Ororo, which is nice to see. There's also his cousin Billie (Wilhemina) and Josiah X (isaiah's son, Eli's uncle)

My point?

I think if you're looking for Sam comics that are free from the very obvious nonsense, then stick with post 2014 stuff. However, as I mentioned with that infinity comic, even stuff from the last year can be staggeringly offensive. Additionally, I do think that a lot of what's needed to really understand Sam as a character is in the early 70s, despite a lot of jank.

PART 4: Answering the Actual Ask

I would want to revisit his 2015 solo (spencer) before recommending it with my whole chest, because while I like a lot of its art (save me daniel acuna save me), it does have some rough patches writing wise.

I feel like the answers you seek are probably in that 2014-17 era.

Unfortunately the only things I've read recently enough to recommend with a fully formed opinion are from the last few years. I would say (assuming you're pirating these), give symbol of truth and avengers 2023 a go, and his 2025 solo. I'd avoid the Captain America crossover events from the last few years, they're not worth it.

Then do what we all do, which is jump around for a bit, then dive in super deep at whatever piques your interest.

This has reminded me to continue my read through of the 1963 title, if nothing else.

[061306]

␥ list of things i’ve successfully manifested !

i discovered manifestation and the law around early 2022 and here's what i have manifested since then! this might not be much but this is to remind me that i am capable of anything and everything!

𖥻 1. clearer skin

i used to have a terrible breakout on the right side of my face + oily skin. now my skin is much better and less oily! i do not have acne anymore.

𖥻 2. weight loss ( 14 kgs )

i went from 69 kgs to 55 kgs in around two months with minimal exercise ( walking ) & a simple diet.

𖥻 3. height increase ( 11cm )

i used to be 150cm but not anymore lol. i got better proportions too!

𖥻 4. text messages & instant replies from people.

i also manifested message from a friend i was no longer in contact with.

𖥻 5. passing exams i thought i was going to fail

accountancy was my weakest subject but i manifested passing several tests and exams. i also manifested getting better in it!

𖥻 6. getting above average % board exams

board examinations are a big deal in my country and i, unfortunately, ended in a stream i was not interested in. i manifested getting ~80% in them despite getting way lesser in school examinations.

𖥻 7. food

one single thought turned into an assumption and i am having whatever i want for dinner!

𖥻 8. storage of my phone increasing

i only have 32gb of storage in my phone lol. so sometimes i have to clear app caches to make space, but not anymore.

𖥻 9. love confession

i simply wanted a love confession and i got it. as easy as it gets.

𖥻 10. an increament in my mom’s salary & money for myself

my mom really wanted an increament and i manifested it! she got increament of 5.5k! also manifested a bonus for her. + got gift money from my parents and relatives!

𖥻 11. letting go of & detaching from several people

i used to be attached some people that hurt me but not anymore. i have let go of them and it feels so much better.

𖥻 12. books & manga ( jjk )

my mom is not the type to let me spend money on buying books ( for leisure reading ), much less a comic book. but i manifested her allowing me to buy 4 books + 1 manga volume! she even paid for them.

𖥻 13. delaying the start of my college, teachers & professors taking leaves, not getting scolded for submitting assignments late

my college was supposed to start from early june but i manifested a delay and it started from mid-july. i have manifested both school teachers and college professors taking leaves on my desired days.

𖥻 14. nice aura + compliments

i have a magnetic aura, people feel comfort around me and i get so many compliments about literally everything i do!

𖥻 15. quick deliveries of my orders

🤭🤭🤭

𖥻 16. winning an elocution competition

i was really worried because i only found about it a day before and some other contestants had been trained by their professors. i was full of nerves but still won the first rank! the judges said my content was unique and everything i did was perfect.

𖥻 17. kitten type beauty

manifested myself big upturned eyes with pretty lashes & a v-shaped face with smooth skin!

𖥻 18. cats loving me

call me a cat whisperer the way cats love me! i can easily befriend any cat!!! ˃ᴗ˂

𖥻 19. desired skincare products for cheap

i really wanted vitamin c serum and face cleanser and sometime later i saw an ad with an offer to get both for 1 rupee! crazy right?

𖥻 20. entering the void on several occasions.

i have entered the void several times albeit unaware. recently i've started becoming aware before snapping out of it!

masterlist. | notes – i've also manifested getting a merch of my bias. i got it from my best friend as gift but i didn't add it on the list because i didn't want break the perfect 20. also this list is as on 04 DEC 2023.

[taomubiji]

25 Facts About Xie Yuchen

1. Xie Yuchen was born on October 3, 1978.

2. Xie Yuchen's stage name, Jie Yuhua, comes from the poem 《蝶恋花（用宜笑之语作）》 by Zhao Shixia.

3. Xie Yuchen and Wu Xie were playmates when Xie Yuchen was five or six years old.

4. Xie Yuchen and Wu Xie are distant cousins.

5. As a child, Xie Yuchen would play Hua Dan and Qingyi (types of female roles) in Chinese opera. As a result, many people, including Wu Xie, thought he was a girl.

6. After Xie Yuchen's uncle, Xie Lianhuan, died, his father died soon after, and then several more of his uncles died.

7. Xie Yuchen had to take over the family business at 8 years old.

8. Xie Yuchen described the experiences he had growing up as "very, very uncomfortable."

9. He lived in a military compound.

10. When a friend of his caused trouble, he bought more than a hundred sheep to make up for it.

11. The first time Xie Yuchen appears he is described by Wu Xie as being dressed in a black suit with a pink shirt underneath and no tie.

12. He originally wore the color pink to offset his murderous aura.

13. When Xie Yuchen and Wu Xie met again as adults, they both smiled "pervertedly" at each other.

14. Xie Yuchen became a guarantor for Wu Xie's debt after Wu Xie's now-legendary disastrous biddings at the Xin Yue Restaurant.

15. In the online version of Sand Sea 2, Xie Yuchen throws Su Wan, Yang Hao, Li Cu, and Liang Wan out the window of a moving train.

16. In The Lost Tombs and Ultimate Note, Xie Yuchen is included much more than in the novels the shows adapted. However, in Reunion and Tomb of the Sea, his role is significantly reduced.

17. He sings every year during the Qingming Festival for Er Yuehong.

18. Wu Xie thinks he is "an extremely difficult person to get along with."

19. Xie Yuchen likes salty foods.

20. He was the biggest contributor in preventing Chinese national treasures from being exported.

21. Xie Yuchen smokes cigarettes but isn't addicted.

22. He has a habit of collecting old buildings.

23. In his free time, he practices Chinese opera, paints, and arranges flowers.

24. Xie Yuchen has used a butterfly knife and an antique dagger as weapons.

25. A the age of seventeen, he had already been surrounded by death and had even heard the words "it’s going to rain blood tonight" by his own mother.

References

English novel references refer to Merebear's translation, Chinese novel references refer to the original Chinese version.

Photo: From NP Entertainment's Merch Weibo

Author Celebrated His Birthday on October 3; Volume 7, Chapter 56; 盗墓笔记7， 第五十一章 (XYC says that he's 26yo, V7 takes place in 2004).

The Mystic Nine Memories Extra; 九门回忆 (Note: it should be Jie Yuhua not Xie Yuhua in merebear's translation)

Volume 7, Chapter 31; 盗墓笔记7，第二十六章

The Mystic Nine (4) Xie-Wu Matchmaking Extra; 吴邪私家笔记，第三卷，九五做媒; 老九门短篇集 肆——九五做媒

Volume 7, Chapter 56; 盗墓笔记7， 第五十一章

Volume 7, Chapter 56; 盗墓笔记7， 第五十一章

Volume 7, Chapter 56; 盗墓笔记7， 第五十一章

Volume 7, Chapter 56; 盗墓笔记7， 第五十一章

Sand Sea, Chapter 112; 沙海3， 第一章

Volume 7, Chapter 35; 盗墓笔记7， 第三十章

Volume 7, Chapter 5; 盗墓笔记6：邛笼石影， 第五章

A Day in the Life of Xie Yuchen Extra; 解语花的一天

Volume 7, Chapter 6; 盗墓笔记6：邛笼石影，第六章

Some of Wu Xie's Thoughts Extra; 吴邪的小心情

Sand Sea, Chapter 73; 沙海2， 第三十四章 (Note: this part was removed in the print version)

Watch the shows; read the books

Xiao Hua’s Annual Party Extra; 小花的年会

Seven Fingers Extra, Chapter 13; 七指，第十三章

Fishing King Extra, Chapter 7; 钓王， 第七章

Sand Sea (Online), Chapter 89; 沙海2 (Online)，第五十章 (Note: this part was removed in the print version)

A Day in the Life of Xie Yuchen Extra; 解语花的一天

A Thousand Faces, Chapters 1, 17; 千面，第一，十七章 (Note: I don't have the published version)

Sand Sea (Online), Chapter 88; 沙海2 (Online)，第四十九章; 沙海2 (Print), 第五十一章

Volume 7, Chapter 31; 盗墓笔记7 第二十五章; Sand Sea (Online), Chapter 75; 沙海2 (Online), 第三十六章; 沙海2 (Print), 第五十章

Volume 8, Chapter 10; 盗墓笔记8 第十章

[phoenixyfriend]

eBay: Comics liquidation

I collected comics from 2014-2021 or so, and I'm now looking to sell off most of my collection. While I'm not going to sell everything, I'm selling off about 80%-90% of what I've got, and that's looking like over 1000 comics.

Here's my new eBay store

The biggest portions of the collection to be sold are Iron Man, Ms Marvel (Kamala), Spider-Man (Miles), and Jane!Thor titles, but there are various others, some of which have already been listed. The vast majority is Marvel, but I do have some Image, Dark Horse, DC, and Aftershock in there.

Each listing comes with a valuation breakdown.

A few of these are not directly linked as that link is about to expire, and I want to get this posted before my free blaze expires, so you can go through to the store itself and check that way. I'll add corrected links in once I can. All links are up to date as of March 31, 2025.

High-ticket items, valued at $40+ USD:

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #1-29 (2019) includes variant covers, Missing #23

ALL-NEW WOLVERINE (2016) #1-35 + ANNUAL, COMPLETE SERIES (10% off my original listing price)

Invincible Iron Man #1-14 (2015) COMPLETE SERIES VOLUME 3

Runaways #1-38 (2017) Volume 5 (Kris Anka and Rainbow Rowell)

Champions #1-27, Annual, Monsters Unleashed (2017) COMPLETE SERIES

Spider-Man #1 Adi Granov Hip Hop Variant SINGLE ISSUE HIGH-VALUE VARIANT

Strange Academy #1-12 (Marvel Comics 2020), includes Variants; FIRST PRINTING

Magnificent Ms. Marvel (2019) #1-18 plus Annual, COMPLETE SERIES

Ironheart #1-12 (2019) Volume 1 COMPLETE SERIES

Invincible Iron Man #593-600, Invincible Iron Man Volume 4 (2017) #1-11

Thor (2020) #1-16, plus Annual

Silk Volume 2 (2015) #1-19, COMPLETE SERIES, includes VARIANTS

Tony Stark: Iron Man #1-19 COMPLETE SERIES (Marvel Comics 2018)

Thor Volume 4 #1-8, Annual (2015)

Spider-Woman #1-17 Volume 6 (Marvel Comics 2016) COMPLETE SERIES

America #1 Hamilton Cover (Marvel Comics May 2017) SINGLE ISSUE HIGH-VALUE VARIANT

Black Cat #1-12 COMPLETE SERIES (Marvel Comics 2019)

Thor #1-16 (2018) COMPLETE SERIES

Secret Wars #1-9, plus FCBD (Marvel Comics 2015) - COMPLETE SERIES

X-23 #1-12 (Marvel Comics 2018), COMPLETE SERIES

Silk #1-7 (Marvel Comics 2015) COMPLETE SERIES

Some examples under the cut:

[theglamorousferal]

Persephone's Binding Part 4

AO3 Prompt Part 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Jazz guided Jason through the halls to the library, it seemed to be in a different wing of the castle from where the living spaces were. When they reached a split between a hallway and a set of stairs she hesitated, placing a hand on one one of the banisters and turning to face him. She looked at him considering before nodding to herself and picking up her skirts to go up the stairs.

"We'll take a shortcut over the wall, because you're death-touched you can safely breathe the air without it overwhelming you with intense emotions and obsessive behavior." She said absentmindedly to him as if air that could cause such things were normal.

"Uh, glad for that then?" He said following her. She opened the door at the top of the stairs and strode outside, not even glancing at the absurd sky.

It was eerie to say the least, swirling Lazarus and emerald green with purples and blacks making the sky look like an oil slick. He expected the air of the dimension that contains all the afterlives to be colder, but it was pleasantly warm with a gentle breeze blowing by. If he closed his eyes he could imagine standing on a hill watching the clouds go by. On one side of the wall they were atop was a courtyard containing plants that Ivy would drool for, it was nearly as overrun as her greenhouse.

He noticed one of the towers had what appears to be an observatory, though he wasn't sure what besides doors, floating islands and general terrifying shapes they would see through it. "What's with the observatory?"

She glanced at it and gained a fond smile on her face. "That's Danny's. He always wanted to be an astronaut but circumstances prevented that. That telescope can connect to any telescope in our home universe. Even the ones in deep space. He's going to IRU right now for aerospace navigation. There's a dimension he was hoping to spend a couple years in before he has to take the crown that has intergalactic space travel as the norm." She seemed to light up when she spoke of her brother, obviously proud of him.

"Wait, Danny's who you're Regent for? Not a son?" Jason wouldn't have minded if she had a kid kicking around, but to find that the kid he met earlier is the future King of Everything In-between was surprising.

"Oh, yes, Right, I'll explain everything I can once we get to the library, it's just through here." Once inside again, she took brisk steps forward to doors directly across the hall. "Here we are, my favorite spot is just this way."

They stepped out onto a second floor balcony of a three story high library. Books spanned from floor to ceiling in a room the size of a small stadium. Shelves and tables made from a purple wood polished to a shine. Deep red velvet seats on all the chairs and couches in each of the reading spaces. Jason stood flabbergasted at the sheer volume of books present. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see a conspiratorial smile in teal eyes. "I had the same reaction when I first came here. Come on, my favorite spot to talk is this way."

They made their way to a corner of the library that had a pair of chairs, a tea table between them and a small fireplace, lit with a ghostly blue flame. They sat and she looked at the fire, then at him, then back at the fire and sighed heavily. She closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts before she spoke.

"Once upon a time there were three scientists in college who wanted to build a portal to the 'Ghost Zone' as they called it so they could study an research entities they referred to as 'ghosts'. Their definition being that any entity that produces, metabolizes or consumes the substance ectoplasm is a 'ghost'." She paused here, clasping her hands together and looking down at them. "There was an accident, I'm not going to go into too many details for now, but just know that one of the scientists became something more than human. The first of his kind in a millennia, a statistical improbability. Some things happened and he believed that he lost the only woman he could ever love to the man that caused him to become something other than human, to become partially one of the creatures they sought to capture and experiment on.

She glanced up and stared into the middle distance, remembering. "Twenty years pass and the two other scientists are now married with children. They've had a lab in their home since they graduated college at the top of their field in ectoscience. They have a daughter and a son, both are born ectocontaminated though they don't know for years later. They've been working on a new portal, this time bigger, large enough to fit a car through." She laughs lightly. "I remember coming down and shoving granola bars and thermoses filled with soup when they were on work binges, determined to get 'just a little bit more done Jazzy-pants, then we'll go to bed'" She gazed wistfully at the fire. "They usually did once they finished whatever food I brought to them, not wanting to have a repeat of the last time they left something with old food in it and it gained sentience and mass enough to chew a few hazmat boots."

She seemed lost for a moment before she cleared her throat. "Sorry, um, where was I?" She blinked before raising a hand up pointing at the ceiling. "Right, the portal. So they spent a good decade start to finish on it. It was going to be their crowning achievement, but when they plugged it in they saw some sparks, but nothing else happened." She folded her hands together on her lap. "They left for a weekend. Went to search for some cryptid they had been meaning to go find for years, but had put off to work on the portal. I was in charge for the weekend, a thing I was used to from whenever they were on design binges. Danny had his friends over and I was in my room studying. I had my headphones on, I don't even remember what band was playing, and I think I was working on chem homework?" She shook herself from the thought. "Anyway, there was this power surge, I remember just thinking that I was mad that it happened right during my favorite part of the song and I was singing into my pencil. When the lights went out, I had the usual expected dread in the pit of my stomach, but something felt especially frightening in this moment. I didn't have time to dwell on it, shaking it off as just being paranoid. I was more concerned with getting my music back on after that. I should have realized something had happened." She tightened her hands until the shook, pale knuckles stood out.

"I'm not telling you details, but there was another accident with a portal, this time it was Danny. He became something more than human. He became the second halfa in a millennia."

"Halfa?"

"Yes, Half human, half ghost. An anomaly, a myth, a statistical outlier. He walks the line between life and death. He will have many titles once he takes the throne, and one of those will be the Balance."

"Damn, that's a lot to put on a kid. How'd that happen?"

"I found out all of this second-hand mind you. I may have known his secret when it all happened, but he didn't know I knew yet."

"How'd he hide suddenly having powers? I don't expect he had particularly good control over them at first, I know several supers who didn't."

Jazz hung her head in shame. "I was too deep in my own head at that point. I was neck-deep in research on how to parent troubled teens because while I missed all his slips for power usage, I did not miss his decline in grades. Especially when the chemistry teacher approached me about the fact he kept 'dropping' equipment." She held up air quotes. "Turns out not being able to control tangibility can cause mass amounts of property damage, who knew?" she shrugged her shoulders.

"So basically, the original halfa guy from earlier managed to gain wealth and power using his powers in increasingly shady ways. He also grew obsessed with my mom and blamed my dad for turning him into a halfa. He wanted revenge. He invited us all to a college reunion where he found out about Danny. Things happened and they became nemeses with Vlad wanting Danny to denounce our father and become his son with my mom at his side. You're allowed to say ew, it was very ew for a long time." She laughed at his scrunched up face. "Anyway, he finds out about ancient ghostly artefacts that are supposed to give the user unimaginable power, and finds out where they are. He finds out they are locked away with the former King of the Realms, and he expects to be able to just grave rob the ruler of the Infinite. He manages to get the Ring before Pariah wakes up, and somehow manages to escape back to out home dimension. All ghosts flee the Realms through the most stable portal available; the one in my family basement. This causes alerts to go out all across the town and my parents put up defenses for people to huddle under during everything. Some stuff happened and it ended up leading to Danny taking a suit our parents had built and defeating the former King Pariah Dark and sealing him away in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep.

"Infinite Realms Law dictates that if the leader is defeated in single combat, and the combatant continues after said encounter, then they are to be crowned High Royal and any family members gain royal titles as well. Danny is, however, too young for his classification. He is too young by human years, he must be twenty-one for that, and too young for halfa standards, he must be a halfa for a decade. He won't be of the majority for at least another five years, and then he must have it on the following solstice. Until that time, he is High Prince and must work on learning leadership and combat skills." She gazed calmly at him, resigned for her brother's fate.

"So how'd you end up Regent?" She sighed and closed her eyes, shoulders dropping.

"We had a council for a while, the Council of Ancients, new and old working alongside the Observants. It worked for a little while, but something happening in my home dimension was causing issues. You see, the ghost problem in our town after the portal opened became a pretty big issue when property damage resulted in the thousands and you can't bill the dead. Danny was doing his best to fight off as much as he could, but he wasn't trained and was very new to his powers. It didn't help that our parents were shooting at him while he was trying to save people." She grumbled and Jason's hands tightened to fists.

"What do you mean they shot at him?" He asked as evenly as he could. He could feel the tinges of old hurts coming to the surface. A Batarang to the throat.

"They never hit him, he dodged every time. They didn't know it was him. They thought it was just a ghost, and to them, all ghosts were evil. They had a lot of bias in the majority of their research, but as soon as they found out who he was they immediately changed tack. They had Danny stay at Vlad's for a weekend, which was it's own can of worms, while they disarmed the house and set everything to ignore his ecto signature." She looked thoughtful. "Apparently Vlad wasn't a complete jerk that weekend either, Danny told him what they found out and Vlad, worried for the second of his species, actually helped him through some emotions and helped him train some. I think it's what started on his redemption actually."

Jason breathed out heavily letting his rage dissipate. "You keep saying 'the second' instead of the 'the only'. There are more?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, yes, there's Ellie and Dante. Ellie is my younger sister, she's a clone of Danny Vlad made, and Dante is an evil alternate timeline version of Danny and Vlad that fused together and is inhabiting a clone of Danny Vlad wasn't able to pull into consciousness." She let him digest that for a moment.

Jason choked out a laugh. "Man, and I thought my sibling situation was weird."

Jazz's eyes narrowed, appraising him almost like a predator eyeing prey. "Hmm. We'll discuss your family situation later." She cleared her throat gathering her thoughts. "Anyway, so the property damage led to the government getting involved. More specifically a branch known as the Ghost Investigation Ward or GIW for short. They were founded on the first research papers my parents produced which were heavily biased against ecto-entities on a whole. They were extremely prejudiced against ghosts.

"They started out as a nuisance. Someone easily distracted by getting their suits dirty or faulty equipment. Then the Anti-Ecto Acts were ratified. Then they got bolder. They paid my parents a fake amount of money to buy the house as-is with the portal. They planned to send a nuke in to destroy the Realms believing it to be full of horrendous monsters. Thankfully the nuke was a dud model and someone definitely got fired that day in ordering. But after that they just started to get worse and worse. They were starting to go after anyone who pinged on their detectors, which were just getting more and more precise as time went on.

"Here's the thing about Amity Park, my hometown. It was founded by witches fleeing the witch trials. It sits at the crossing between ley lines, and it's always been a spot that the veil was thin. Ectoplasm would leak through natural portals that popped up from time to time. Add a stable portal to the mix? The entire town was now ectocontaminated. They were now classified as liminal. They were now death-touched enough that they pinged on the GIW's equipment. They began raiding people's homes, accusing them of harboring ghosts. Danny's entire home room got taken in for questioning one day, they had set up little interrogation rooms like a blood drive in the gymnasium." She chuckled darkly. "They got so close so many times, too many times." Her left hand clenched into a fist.

"My parents found out about Danny when the raids first started. He'd decided it was time to come clean because it was only a matter of time before they came knocking at our door. Thankfully, they came while Danny was at Vlad's and they never had the guts to storm the billionaire's house. I managed to avoid detection by wearing a Specter-Deflector and my parents were always in their hazmat suits so they didn't ping either. Things got worse, Danny had to beg the Council to make an edict to not come through the portal for the foreseeable future.

"It didn't work, various beings saw it as a challenge. They began to lose faith in their future ruler. If he couldn't protect his little town and the people in it, how was he supposed to protect them? It was a common sentiment. It was something I grew tired of hearing during one particular fight." She stared at the blue flames of the fireplace, not seeing the flickering light. "Danny was down. Mom and Dad and Vlad were fighting together to both capture the ghost before they could do more damage and stop the GIW from capturing another ghost to experiment on and dispose of. The ghost was the fourth one that week spouting the same bullshit." She spat the word out like a curse, growling before looking into the middle distance with sad eyes. Softly, she spoke, "There was an explosion." She blinked, coming back to focus. My parents were down. My youngest siblings were now fighting. I made a decision." She squared her shoulders and tightened her jaw, determination filling out her features. "I had been helping Danny study to become King, I had read up on all the important laws. I took the Specter Speeder to the council chambers. I stood before them and declared as the eldest and therefore heir and head of the Nightingale family, the Royal family, and that I was at the majority for my classification, I would be taking the title of Regent until Danny reached his majority. I took the Crown and the Ring and my own suit and went to the fight.

"I told Dante and Ellie to get Danny and go, there was nothing that could be done for our parents. I subdued and contained the ghost and then beat back the GIW until they were at the borders of Amity. Then, using power I had just gained, I pulled the entire town into the Infinite Realms." She held out her hands, gesturing to the general vicinity.

He sat with that for a moment. "Wait, wait wait, you're just gonna skim over the fact your parents died?"

Jazz's eyes hardened. "Never." Her eyes glowed yellow for a moment and her hair seemed to float a bit when she said the word. "I just met you, and it's still a sore wound, I'd rather not get into it if that's alright with you." She held herself rigid as if expecting him to press the issue.

"Whoa, it's okay, nevermind, touchy subject, I get it. Most people I know have their parents as a touchy subject. Especially dead ones." He kept his posture open, slouching a little to show he didn't mean to pry.

She hummed thoughtfully, appraising him once more. "So, I told you my story, earlier you told me some of yours. I think that's enough sharing for one day. I don't know about you, but I am very tired. If you like, you may stay here. Just ring the bell on the mantle and Jeeves will be here to assist you. If not, I'd be glad to walk you back to the guest rooms, they are down the hall from the family rooms." She stood and waited for his response.

"Um, yeah, let's walk back together. I had a couple questions about some of the books in my room?" They walked and talked together as they made their way towards the bedrooms. They parted ways with a promise to read the same book and give each other feedback on it in a week.

"Well, this is me." He said awkwardly indicating the hall his room was in, hers was in the opposite hall.

"Yup, I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to see you tomorrow, I have a full day up until dinner, but I'll see you then?" She looked inquiringly at him.

"Yeah, definitely! See you tomorrow!" He said and turned down the hall. He jogged until he got to the door, opened it and then leaned against it falling to the floor. "Okay, so I may not have entirely screwed this up, but man, she's been through a lot already. Do I want to add my shit to it?" He thought to himself, spiraling until he was clutching his hair. He growled and stood up, then stalked towards the bed and flopped down on it, back first this time.

"I mean, I might be stuck here, so would my baggage really matter that much?" He laid there for a moment before deciding to get ready for bed. Once laying down again, he kept thinking of all the different ways he as a person could fuck this or her up if he pursued a relationship. He worried himself to sleep that night.

[devilart2199-aibi]

IDW collection reading update! :D 📖 (Fixed!)

Phase 2 volume 4 done! This volume included: Monstrosity, RID issues 12-18 and MTMTE issues 14-16!

I ended up reading all the way to Phase 2 volume 6 before finishing this update so my notes are a bit scattered! Anyway! As usual my thoughts are below :3 ⤵️

Monstrosity:

This story is set in the past, when Optimus has assumed leadership on Cybertron after the senate and pervious primes were killed.

This story is, I dunno... For some reason I can't really get into these?? It feels... edgy?? Idk, I feel like that's not the best way to describe it. But there's something about the vibe with these ones in the past (like Autocracy and this one).

Of course everyone is becoming the characters we know since this is in the past. So there is going to be a lot of fumbling and growing from them and things that seem out of character. But given their situation at the time, i can't be super harsh on odd decisions.

They have to deal with the senate and their corruption, as well as that from the previous primes, the Decepticons uprising and wanting to take over, Cybertron running out of resources aaaaand I feel like something else I can't remember rn 🤔 but a lot is going on!! Haha.

There is a scene that references the OG animated movie where they toss Megatron out of Astrotrain and he goes "I still function...!" Which was a pretty cool homage tho.

But this kinda felt like a whole way to just show how badass Megs is meanwhile Optimus is going through it on Cybertron 😂 It was entertaining and interesting at parts, but some things I was 'eh' about

RID: 12-16:

Before i go on, I'm sorry, but... this Megs panel is giving me the same energy as that little alien guy that was in the news months ago 🤣 Now actually⤵️

Megatron returns!! This story was very entertaining!! I feel like I can usually guess where something is going, but I was surprised by a lot of the twists here! There was so many!

The character deaths had me shook! 😭 Wheeljack ahhhh!!! Metalhawk!! Also everything with Prowl and the Constructions! O_O;

I'm sorry Prowl 😔 I was pretty surprised when they started killing off the Decepticons at first, but then went: "Well, I guess he's being super ruthless now" I couldn't see you were brainwashed!! 😭🗿To my defense, him teaming up with Arcee and given Arcee's record, it kinda seemed like the natural progression of things lol 💀

Two things I kinda have mixed feelings about tho are:

1. Arcee just casually being part of the Decepticon gang and no one questioning her being there?? She then easily kills the guy controlling Devastator and that was like... Megatron's big plan. Why didn't she do it sooner? I imagine it was to draw out Meg's, but still it seemed weird.

2. Starscream killing Metalhawk after Metalhawk came to save Starscream. It's in his character and everything, and I'm happy that he did it bc it shows who he is. But OOF I thought he was leaning a different way for a bit and that I had Starscream wrong, But no, he's greedy boy. (I was starting to like Metalhawk T_T)

Anyway! Good guy Swindle!! 🥹

MTMTE 14-16:

💀💀💀💀💀 BIG SAD. But!!! It was a super interesting story!! I really enjoyed learning about Overlord and Chromedome.

Chromedome becoming Trepan's apprentice in the past was crazy!! :O And the whole scene with him and Prowl in Prowl's office. When Prowl asks/threatens Chromedome to go into Overlord's mind 😙👌 *chef's kiss* GET 'EM CHROMEDOME!! 💪👊🔪

The whole thing about how the Phase Sixers are made was very interesting too!! This frame ⤵️ Meg's saying this made me lmao 😂 I can now see the thing between him and Overlord better now.

As for Overlord getting out and obliterating some of the crew... ughhhhh 😭😭😭 Pipes man!! Ratchet protecting the medibay was awesome. Best doctor 🚑😌

I was shocked during the fight with Overlord that Magnus got so injured!! I've read ahead already, but I was sweating it, I thought he was gonna die too 😭😭 Overlord goes right for your spark man 💀

Luckily they got Overlord back to his containment cell, but- 😭😭😭😭 LITTLE MAN 😭😭😭 Why'd he have to hop in there to get the sword??? OTL

Then Chromedome blowing it up once the cell disengaged from the ship 😭 It was a perfectly painful sequence! 👏

When I saw the scene with Whirl and the cannon/ blaster shooting asteroids, I knew it would come around 😔

Also!! Learning that Chromedome has had other deep connections with bots (idk if Brainstorm meant Conjunx' specifically) and given them his innermost energon before and that's why he's dry!! Excuse me as I sob 🤧🤧🤧🤧😭😭😭😭 and then he makes himself forget!!! UGHH OTL My heart man!

The tape that Rewind made too!! 😭🤧

Drift taking one for the team too by getting banished 😔 he's a real one. Also pls come back.

RID 17-18:

We got more Shockwave lore here and I'm a big Shockwave enjoyer so I was very happy!! More heartache of course tho 😢

Him pitching/making the Jhiaxian academy of advanced technology is huge. Then all the experiments he did once he was turned purple 💀💀💀

Him going to Dai Atlas and injuring him before the attack on the senate so that he would escape death was a cool surprise. He's still in there ;_; ahhhh.

There is another story that happens in current time where Bee gets turned into Goldbug, but I think he's called "Goldfire" here? 🤔 He really got injured during the whole thing with Meg's so they had to fix him up with pieces of his old earth form.

It was cool to see included in the story :3

Final Random Thoughts:

This volume had a bunch of great stories in it! And I learned quite a bit about characters I like!

Though it was sad, I'd say my favorite story was the mtmte one with Overlord (The Overlord arc?). The art is always fantastic and so is the story!

I look forward to reading more and I'll be making another reading update very soon since I'm already on volume 6!

I didn't want to lump them all together bc I like using images as the story breaks and Tumblr only let's you use 10 per post 😔 Also... I ramble quite a lot haha, so 3 volumes worth would definitely be too much! 😂

Anyway! See you next time! 👋

[communicationthroughlyrics]

I Work Too Hard, Can You Fuckin' Pay Me?

Part 18 - Y/N moved to escape some of their looming troubles from Westview, to the place that their best friend said would make a difference. New job, new digs, will Y/N make a change for the better, or leave another city with their tail between their legs?

Word Count: 2.2K

Read Pt. 1 HERE Read Pt. 2 HERE Read Pt. 3 HERE Read Pt. 4 HERE Read Pt. 5 HERE Read Pt. 6 HERE Read Pt. 7 HERE Read Pt. 8 HERE Read Pt. 9 HERE Read Pt. 10 HERE - Read Pt. 11 HERE - Read Pt. 12 HERE - Read Pt. 13 HERE- Read Pt. 14 HERE - Read Pt. 15 HERE - Read Pt. 16 HERE - Read Pt. 17 HERE

For Granted, In Vain, I Took Everything

——— FLASHBACK ———

“Piet, what are we doing?” You whisper-yelled as he was sneaking around the back of an upscale single-family home in a part of Westview you hardly ever ventured to.

“Just trust me, Y/N. And be quiet, I don’t wanna get caught because you can’t keep your voice down,” he wheeled around, causing a grunt to escape your lips as you ran into his chest.

The moon cast a soft glow over the well-managed lawns and meticulously trimmed hedges, and the quiet of the night was eerie. The neighborhood was like a ghost town, not a single car driving by or a dog barking in the distance. Just the occasional cricket chirp piercing the silence.

"I have to get something from this house, I guess they stole it from my guy," he whispered, as he began working his way towards the back of the house. "Apparently, it's just inside the door."

"Pietro! That's breaking and entering!" you hissed, the reality of the situation finally sinking in. Your heart was racing, the adrenaline mixing with the booze and drugs already in your system. He wheeled around again, and you narrowly avoided colliding with him again. "Look, I'm all for the occasional illicit activity, as long as it doesn't involve serious jail time," you continued, trying to keep your voice at a low volume. "But breaking and entering? Burglary? Piet, a high isn't worth this."

"It's not just for a high," he said, his eyes serious. "Look, it'll be quick, I swear. In and out. You just need to look out for me. If you see the guy in the office above the door, I need to go in, get up, and use this laser pointer to get my attention." He slapped a little light into the palm of your hand. "Now, go, sit up by the back fence, that should give you enough of a view of what's going on."

You nodded reluctantly, sliding the laser pointer into your pocket. "Fine," you murmured, making your way to the back fence. You sat down, trying to keep your breathing even. Your heart was racing, and you felt a cold sweat breaking out on your forehead despite the warm night. The sound of a window opening made you jump, and you watched as he climbed in with the grace of a cat burglar. You had to admit, he was pretty good at this. "And they call me the bad influence," you whispered to yourself.

The minutes stretched on like hours, the only sounds the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant hum of a car engine. You were about to call it quits and go in after him when you saw the shadow of a figure moving in the room above the door. You flicked on the laser pointer, the red dot dancing on the wall until it found its target.

Pietro quickly looked around, grabbing what you assumed was what he needed, before making his way back out the window. You let out a deep sigh, keeping your eyes on the streaky blonde. But in your relief, you had failed to notice the figure moving from the far side of the house, out onto a balcony, and down into the yard where you both were.

The moment you saw the figure, you knew it was trouble. You leaped to your feet, the laser pointer clattering to the ground, forgotten. "Pietro!" you hiss, trying to get his attention, but he was already halfway out the window. "Fuck! Pietro!" you whisper-shouted, trying not to alert the person moving closer.

You watched in horror as a lithe figure walked around the backyard, the briefest of flickers coming from the lighter they used to ignite their cigarette. The orange ember illuminating the sharp angles of their face briefly before it was engulfed in shadow again. Your heart was in your throat as the figure paused, looking around the yard as if they had heard something.

You crouched down, hoping that the shadows would swallow you whole as the figure approached. Your eyes darted to the ground, searching for a way out. That's when you were trapped by a stunning woman, illuminated by the moonlight. There was an almost reflective white streak in her hair, and you could smell the scent of her expensive perfume from where you were. She had a gun in her hand, and you realized with a sinking feeling that this was not just a simple burglary gone wrong.

"Well, well," she began, a hint of amusement in her voice. You quickly looked behind her to see Pietro stop by the back gate, looking at you. You flicked your head to the side, like you were getting hair out of your face, and he ran out of the yard. She was too busy watching you to notice. "Looks like I've got some extra company tonight."

Your eyes snapped back to her, and you felt your heart drop into your stomach. "Who are you?" you asked, trying to sound more confident than you felt.

The woman took a drag on her cigarette, the end glowing like a malevolent eye in the dark. "The person you don't want to mess with," she replied, her smile cold and knowing. "My name is Val. To what do I owe the pleasure of this disruption?"

You swallowed hard, trying to come up with a lie that would get you out of this. "I... I was just taking a shortcut home," you stuttered. "I didn't know anyone lived here."

She tutted at you, flicking the cigarette onto the ground and stepping closer. "Don't lie to me, darling," Val said, her voice a seductive purr. "Let's try this again," she held the gun up, pointing it right at your chest. "Why are you here?"

"I was told to pick something up," you reply, trying to keep your voice steady. The cold metal of the gun was a stark contrast to the warm night air. You remembered the name of the guy Pitero had been getting his stashes from. "Manny... he needed something from the house," you gesture vaguely towards the window he had just exited. "He told me to come and get it."

Val's eyes narrow, the moonlight glinting off the barrel of the gun. "Manny," she repeats, her voice a whisper. "How interesting." She takes a step closer, the gun still trained on you. "What's in it for you, hm?"

"He... he offered me a large stash," you stuttered out. Val's eyes narrowed further, the gun lowering as she inched towards you.

"All of this," she motioned to the house behind her, "For free drugs?" Val's voice was skeptical, but there was a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.

You nodded, your heart racing. "It's all I care about, I swear."

"Well, darling, if that's all you care about, follow me." Val's smile was cold, and the gun remained at her side as she turned and strode towards the house, not looking back to see if you would follow. You had no choice but to follow her, your legs trembling with fear. She opened the back door and led you through a kitchen that gleamed with marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. "So tell me, just how large of a stash is worth the possibility of jail time, or worse off, death?"

You swallowed hard, trying to keep your voice from shaking. "It's...it's substantial," you murmured, hoping that would be enough to keep her satisfied. Val opened a fridge, pulling out a bottle of vodka and two glasses, setting them down on the counter with a clink.

"I would imagine. But how much?" she asked, her tone mocking. You nodded, watching as she poured a generous amount into each glass. "Here," she handed one to you. "To seal the deal," she said, raising her own in a toast.

You were now sufficiently confused. Val was acting like you weren't just some junkie that stumbled onto her property but rather a guest. "How much?" you asked, taking the glass and downing the contents in one gulp. The alcohol burned your throat, but it helped steady your nerves.

"Yes, darling. How much was Manny going to give you for that pesky little bag?"

You paused, trying to gauge her intentions. "It was... a brick," you finally murmured.

Val's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "A brick? That's quite the compensation," she said, sipping from her glass. "But I'm afraid I can't just let you walk away after I caught you snooping where you don't belong."

You felt a knot form in your stomach, the alcohol doing little to ease your nerves. "What do you want?"

She ignored your question, moving from the bar cart she had been perched by, to a little box in the living room. Reaching in, she grabbed a tiny bag, extending it to you. "Here," she began, wiggling it your way. "Try this."

You took it with trembling hands, eyeing her suspiciously. "What is it?"

"This is you, proving to me that you are the drug user in this situation, not the young man I saw with you. This is you, getting him out of trouble."

You stared at the bag, feeling your stomach drop. The smell was faintly familiar, but you couldn't place it. It wasn't your usual style, and the way Val was looking at you, it was clear that this was a test. A game she wanted you to play, and you had no idea of the rules or the consequences of losing. You typically stuck to the basic stuff, drinking and weed, and let Pietro dabble in the harder things.

With trembling hands, you took the bag and dumped it out onto the counter. A fine white powder spilled out, glinting in the moonlight that streamed through the kitchen window. Your mind raced, trying to figure out what this could be, what she could be trying to do.

She watched you with predatory intent, her eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and malice. "You know what to do with that, don't you, darling?"

"Yeah...yes I do," you began to arrange it into a tight line, in the way you had watched Pietro and his buddies do plenty of times before.

Val leaned over the counter, her nose almost touching yours. "Good," she whispered, her breath hot on your face. "Now snort it."

You hesitated, the fear making your hands tremble even more. The gun was no longer pointing at you, but you could feel it hovering in the air, a silent threat. With a deep breath, you bent down and inhaled the powder. It burned your nose, making your eyes water. You coughed and sneezed, the world around you spinning for a moment. Val chuckled, watching you with a smug smile. "There," she said, patting your back. "Now, we're even."

Before you knew it, your world started to spin, and you fell to the floor.

What brought you back was the flashing lights and feeling of being lifted. As you looked around, you noticed you were on a porch, and there were police cars everywhere. Two cops were now limping you over to the ambulance to be checked out, while Val put on a show to another officer and what you would guess was her husband.

The man looked over, his eyes filled with rage as he saw you being walked away, but Val had a firm grip on his arm and was whispering sweet nothings into his ear. The paramedics were asking you questions, but you couldn't form coherent answers. You were too busy trying to keep your stomach from emptying itself.

Once you had been deemed 'good enough' to go, the cops handcuffed you and placed you into the back of a patrol car. You leaned against the cool glass, watching the scene before you. Suddenly, Val began to shake her head and cry hysterically. She ran to the police car and pulled you from the back seat.

"Just let them go!" She wailed, rattling the handcuffs on your wrists. "They are clearly just hurting, and sending them away won't help!" She yelled again, before turning and winking at you.

"Ma'am, you just admitted that you caught them breaking into your house, and they were using drugs on your counter. Why would we let them go?" The policeman's voice was stern, but there was a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Val's tears were a masterful performance, her mascara leaving dark trails down her cheeks. "Because they're just lost, Officer. They need help, not jail time," she pleaded, her grip on your arm tightening. "I can... I can give them that help. They won't bother anyone again, I promise."

The policeman exchanged a skeptical look with his partner before finally nodding. "Alright, we'll take you up on your offer. But if we catch them around here again, or if you're lying..." he trailed off, unlocking the handcuffs.

You rubbed your wrists, still in a daze from the drug's effects. Val's grip on your arm was like a vice as she led you back towards the house, her smile never faltering. "Thank you, officers," she called over her shoulder. "I'll take good care of them."

[blouisparadise]

Today we have the fifth part of our short fic rec list! All of the fics on this list are a nice quick read that is less than 10k. If you missed the other parts to this rec list, you can find part one here, part two here, part three here, and part four here. Happy reading!

1) Shut Your Mouth, Baby | Explicit | 3,028 words

While fooling around in a closet at a New Year’s Eve party, Louis can’t seem to keep quiet. All he needs to do is hold off until midnight, when Harry will finally uncover his mouth and let him come at full volume.

2) Heaven In These Sheets | Explicit | 3,557 words

Bunny Hybrid Louis has it out for his boyfriend’s phone.

3) Tide’s Deathless Death | Explicit | 4,350 words

The Red Serpent gleamed in all of her marvellous glory from where she was anchored a meagre few miles away from the land. Her flag waving proudly in the afternoon sun. The image was certainly memorable, of the flag, that is; a serpent coiled viciously around a human heart, fangs sunken into the organ and blood oozing from the very spot. If not for the ship herself, the flag had its own repute of conveying the message that the captain was not to be trifled with. There was no single man who had survived after taking up arms against the captain. Well, there was one man, but including him amongst the hoard of common faces would be a foolishness on the feared-by-all captain’s part. That man currently stood silently staring after the captain, palm curled around the handle of his blade, and teeth clenched in anger. He was certainly going to relieve all the navies of their plight by taking down the captain. At least then, in his relatively newfound life of piracy, he would have done one good deed.

4) Always Tell The Truth | Not Rated | 5,027 words

Harry is Louis’ dentist and getting a wisdom tooth removed shouldn’t be the end of the world.

5) I Knew It From The Start | Explicit | 5,233 words

Louis starts calling Harry ‘daddy’. Consequently, Harry discovers that he has a daddy kink.

6) Spaces Between Us, Hold All Our Secrets | Not Rated | 6,441 words

The thing about Harry is, is that he is the most wonderful guy you´ll ever meet. He is kind, compliments you on things you are usually insecure about, which shows he truly pays attention to who you are as a person. And he befriends everyone. Except Louis.

7) Outline Of My Sins | Explicit | 6,551 words

Prompt 453: AU where alpha Harry is an art student who is taking a figure drawing class and omega Louis is the nude model. In the many years that Harry has taken art classes, he has never been more hot and bothered than now, having to stare at a beautiful nude omega model for hours.

8) Shouldn’t Cry (But I Love It) | Explicit | 6,586 words

They're roommates. They're quarantined. There's a small problem coming up.

9) Your Name Is Tattooed To The Bottom Of My Heart | Explicit | 6,613 words

Prompt 114: a PWP where Louis gets an arse tattoo with Harry’s name for his birthday.

10) Leave Like The Summer Breeze | Explicit | 6,551 words

When Louis and Zayn are stranded in Alabama, a farmer offers them shelter. He just asks for one thing in return.

11) Smile for the Camera for It Knows Everything, Hollywood Star| Mature | 6,676 words

Prompt 132- The story of Nancy Reagan being called the blowjob queen of Hollywood but it’s Louis.

12) The Writing On the Wall | Explicit | 6,705 words

When BookToker Louis receives a gift basket filled with all his favorite sweets, wines, and stuffed animals alongside the new Harry Styles book, he’s shocked at the story he finds in the pages.

13) Muffins & Cigarettes| Mature | 7,591 words

Louis pouts. “You can’t pout your way into this, Louis”, Harry said as he was fixing his tie, watch and rings glinting against the soft sunlight filtering through the window. “Of course, I can. Watch me.”

14) The Knothead Neighbor| Mature | 8,058 words

Prompt 3: Neighbors AU, preferably ABO! Harry works evenings/nights (maybe like a surgeon something that requires him to be gone for long hours) and has a cat. The cat has a little kitty door at the back so that it can explore and such. Louis just moved next door and the cat seems to always end up at his door. Eventually, Louis lets the cat in, as he’s new and he’s feeling quite lonely. They become fast friends, so much so that the cat prefers to stay with Louis rather than go home. Harry gets concerned that the cat starts to stay out all day/night so he eventually leaves a note attached to the cat’s collar with its name and phone number. Louis texts him telling him he’s his neighbor and not to worry, the cat just likes to hang with him as it might be lonely. Harry gets pissed that this stranger is stealing his cat so he goes to confront Louis and tell him to stop stealing his cat. Of course, as soon as he sees Louis, he falls in love with him and the rest is history. (If ABO could be cute that both Harry and Louis like to cuddle with the cat because it holds the other’s scent)

15) Kiss It Better | Explicit | 8,080 words

Harry shakes his head with a light laugh and leans down to kiss him again which Louis happily accepts even if he is a little confused by the reaction. "Baby, not a night has gone by that I haven't thought about you in my bed, naked, and begging for my cock." Blinking up at him with wide eyes, Louis opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out. While they did flirt a lot over the last few weeks, Harry had never said anything like that. It shocks him as much as it turns him on. "News to me." "I won't lie and say I like random hookups or casual sex, but to me this isn't what that is." Louis swallows thickly, unsure of what to say to that but once again Harry gives him an out. "So, If you want we can stay up here and I can show you all the things I've thought about doing to you." Another kiss, quick and sweet. "Or, we can go back downstairs and we'll dance all night."

16) Could Start A Cult | Explicit | 8,750 words

He lowers down the top that Louis is wearing, successfully unclasping his nursing bra as well, letting Louis’ tits bounce at the sudden movement. Harry massages both breasts to stimulate the milk flow, and he can feel his cock hardening inside his pants.

17) Should Be, Meant To Be | Explicit | 9,174 words

Prompt #65: Louis signs up for a Sugar Daddy dating website on a drunken dare. He forgets for a while, until one night he gets a notification for a message request from none other than his really hot (really rich) boss, Harry Styles.

18) Into It | Explicit | 9,197 words

Louis meets Harry. They hit it off.

19) Something To Prove | Explicit | 9,425 words

Louis is the first and only omega to work at Red Valley Medical Center. Despite being more than qualified, he still faces prejudice for his career choice everyday. From patients refusing his treatment to condescending alpha doctors intervening with his work, practicing medicine in Boston is more challenging than Louis had ever thought it would be.

20) Sugar Water | Explicit | 9,454 words

When his most familiar begins to feel all too unfamiliar, Harry finds out what it means to love like real people do.

21) Hook You Up (Charm You Down) | Explicit | 9,600 words

Swiftly, Harry raises his right hand to his head. Bringing two ringed fingers up, he touches the brown hat sitting on his head, tipping it with a raise of eyebrows in the direction of Peter Pan. He punctuates the whole action with his signature smirk. The reaction is almost immediate. Like Harry hoped it’d be. Though he expected the grin he received, he can’t say he directly expected the man to come forward his way. But he surely isn’t going to complain. “Captain! Fancy seeing you there,” Peter Pan says when he reaches Harry’s space. And wow. Seeing it from up close, Niall was right. Face of an angel, totally Harry’s type and all that. 

22) Poppies In May | Mature | 9,603 words

And maybe he deserves it, Louis thinks bitterly. His hand curls around the fence tightly, and he feels like if he lets go he’ll slid onto the cold ground and never fucking get up again. Maybe standing here, staring at Harry’s hunched over, retreating back is what he deserves.

23) Wanna Do Nothing With You | Explicit | 9,606 words

The accident happens in the stupidest way possible. One minute Louis is demonstrating a skateboard trick he’d just learned for Lottie, the next he’s waking up in a hospital. He’s told that he wasn’t unconscious the entire ride, but he has absolutely no recollection of it. One second he’s fucking around in his own garden and the next he’s being assaulted with the strong sterile scent of a hospital. So. There’s that.

24) Hello, My Name is Louis | Explicit | 9,686 words

Louis hurried to hang up the phone and take off his headset, throwing it away as if it was burning hot. He hugged himself by the shoulders and hid his face in his knees, sitting in his desk chair like a swimmer ready to dip into a pool, a pool of embarrassment. Not many people got past "Hello, my name is… " and even fewer engaged in a full conversation with him. And if they did, it usually went better than this.

25) Got It Right Such A Long Time Ago | Explicit | 9,699 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

There are a lot of people Harry might expect to find on his doorstep at three o’clock in the afternoon these days. It could be the delivery man, come to drop off the pair of boots Harry impulsively ordered online last week. It could be one of his neighbors, dropping by to complain about how a party he’d thrown weeks ago had clogged up the street. It could also be any number of his friends in L.A., who stop by unannounced most days to mooch off Harry’s food or whisk him away to try some new yogurt shop.    As a rule, it definitely cannot be Louis Tomlinson, although Harry’s blinked at least three times now, and it’s still Louis standing there, a backpack slung over his shoulder and a duffel bag at his feet.

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