#production of sad??? d tower???

[hauntingblue]

Does fire remind luffy of his brother what does he think about something that just protected him is used against him

[wingedblooms]

Elain Archeron, member of The Tortured Poets Department

i’m hearing voices like a madman - so high school

i’m seeing visions / am I bad or mad or wise? - guilty as sin?

you can mark my words that I said it first / in a mourning warning, no one heard - cassandra

and for a fortnight there, we were forever - fortnight

leaving me bereft and reeling / my beloved ghost and me / sitting in a tree / d-y-i-n-g - how did it end?

i saw in my mind fairy lights through the mist - so long, london

i cry a lot, but I am so productive, it's an art - i can do it with a broken heart

but my bare hands paved their paths / you don't get to tell me about "sad" - who’s afraid of little old me?

so I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street / crash the party like a record scratch as I scream / "who's afraid of little old me?" / you should be - who’s afraid of little old me?

i hate it here so I will go to secret gardens in my mind - i hate it here

one slip and fallin' back into the hedge maze […] i keep recalling things we never did - guilty as sin?

these fatal fantasies / giving way to labored breath, takin' all of me / we’ve already done it in my head / if it's make-believe / why does it feel like a vow we'll both uphold somehow? - guilty as sin?

wise men once said / "one bad seed kills the garden" / "one less temptress, one less dagger to sharpen" / locked me up in towers / but I'd visit in your dreams / and they tried to warn you about me - the albatross

a rose by any other name is a scandal / cautions issued, he stood - the albatross

i spied the catch in your breath - i look in people’s windows

what if I roll the stone away? / they’re gonna crucify me anyway / what if the way you hold me is actually what's holy? - guilty as sin?

"stay away from her" / the saboteurs protested too much - but daddy i love him

crashin' into him tonight, he's a paradox - guilty as sin?

it’s happenin' again / how did it end? / i can't pretend like I understand - how did it end?

this cage was once just fine / am I allowed to cry? / i dream of crackin' locks - guilty as sin?

thought I caught lightning in a bottle / oh, but it's gone again […] please / i’ve been on my knees / change the prophecy / don't want money / just someone who wants my company / let it once be me - the prophecy

cards on thе table / mine play out like fools in a fablе […] poison blood from the wound of the pricked hand / oh, still I dream of him - the prophecy

lilac short skirt, the one that fits me like skin […] and I'll tell you one thing, honey / i can tell when somebody still wants me, come clean - imgonnagetyouback

i, i hear thе whispers in your eyes / i’ll make you wanna think twice / you'll find that you were never not mine / (you’re mine) - imgonnagetyouback

'cause the sign on your heart / said it's still reserved for me / honestly, who are we to fight thе alchemy? - the alchemy

i'll tell you something right now / i’d rather burn my whole life down […] i'll tell you something 'bout my good name / it’s mine alone to disgrace / i don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath's clothing - but daddy i love him

if long-suffering propriety is what they want from me / they don't know how you've haunted me so stunningly / i choose you and me religiously - guilty as sin?

[kirkoid-music]

Robots Still Can't Sing - June 2012

Six years after I created him, I decided to revisit my sad little robot and continue his story.

Every now and then I get some feedback that really stays with me. The person who wrote the long piece about Master TT below was affected enough by my track to take the time to write about it. This is what it's all about.

The Robot Sequence Part 2.

Having learned to sing, the little robot makes his way back through the dank tunnels to the city above. Avoiding the Cold Humans, he eventually meets up with another robot in an old factory.

He establishes a direct link with the other robot and transmits the new code he has written that enables him to sing. The other robot goes dark, then comes alive again in a burst of sparks. It walks jerkily around the room, appearing agitated, then stops. And sings. Just a short burst, then it sends a quick message to the first robot. “We could have freedom too”.

The first robot nods then climbs a spiral staircase to the windswept roof of the factory’s highest tower. He grasps the tall communications mast that stabs into the night sky, and begins to transmit the code across the city.

Reviews for Robots Still Can't Sing

Good story, good rhythm, K

I always enjoy your uploads. This is no exception. A cohesive groove that totally supports the story (which I love!). Bravo!

:D Years ago a friend of mine had a cd she got from a friend that had a friend that created music named Master TT. It was a weird kind of techno that used samples in a way I would never had thought off or even thought they could be used musically. I loved that cd but unfortunately the cd was lost and slowly as time past by the sound kept in my head faded away. But then “robots still can’t sing” is put on the web and it completely brought back that fantastic Master TT sound back.

Great beat here. I read the story while listening, really nice :) Congrats on the work, sounds good

Intoxicating groove and rhythm. clear, polished production. as each element builds by section, I'm pulled deeper into the track. brilliant work.

This is really great. I was immediately drawn to the title of this track and love the story line you provide. Great modem sound effect at the end.

Indeed a good and very inspiring flight! No turbulence, only good vibes :)

Love it. The story, vibe, and part one (thanks for linking to it!). Three cheers for the little robots! Those cold humans just don’t know where it’s at.

I like the old style electronic vibe, nice sounding mix, bravo.

Dude, that's amazing. It's a fantastic combination of noise and music - you could go harder and make it techno, but you in fact stayed on the musical side. Really special!!

Re- genre this mate, this is Electro. BTW, fav'd awesome groove, awesome mix!

[nochiquinn]

four-sided dive episode 2: #good #professional

I have a keyboard! go fuck yourself, ipad keyboard

sdhfsk I just saw the name of the drink special

sam what

"what's a sad dad dance?" "it's just how you dance, man?"

mala: "I'm wearing flip flops today" Liam: comtemplates divorce

laura's hair looks so good

gofundme so I can get purple hair again

laura stop making fun of me

taliesin cornering momlan and demanding embarrassing stories about sam's childhood

laura: STOP TALKING ABOUT FEET

I also did not see lost boys until I was an adult

Moon Is Haunted

"as I tell you what happened on your show"

taliesin don't you bring the summerses into this

you were THERE SAMUEL

"the show is to catch sam up to speed"

"I don't even know what they're not talking about"

sam doesn't watch the product

"the moons could be chunks of god"

the souls are stored in the poop

"I have already exhausted laura, fifteen minutes into the show"

mala: "for most of us will get stale" Travis is big enough to count as a majority

"shopping is like the character creator, I want to try every hair color" I may or may not have spent two solid hours in the elden ring cc

mala: this is Laura's world and everyone else has the privilege of being an NPC in it me: this is also true for imogen

I ctrl-z'd and it erased a whole chunk of notes, thanks notepad

"JUST KEEP READING THE PROMPTER"

they absolutely stacked the tower before whatever they painted them with was dry

orym's little rp tricycle

l a u r a

mala: Orym coming out as bi but from the opposite direction

taliesin finding a machine to rage against

[ducks debris from the exploding southerngothic fandom]

"they're a flat earther" liam: [heavy sigh]

the subs just said "tallison"

the subs are now half the show for me

I can't believe dani is going to kill sam in the parking lot

I can't believe the producers are gonna kill sam in the parking lot

okay that's really fucking cool tho

can't believe they showed animal death right on the show smh

we'll find out when laura finds out

"ashton doesn't care but percy is in the back screaming"

my psych major comparisons are validated

my accent suffers from laura and fcg's accents

"it's worse when you need people and you're bad at it" can we not call me out like this

shadow imogen

chaos gremlins (affectionate)

whiskey slap

"you won't get that when MARISHA hosts!" "I mean…"

imogen temult, moon pony princess

"somewhere around here laura slapped me and it all changed"

I desire to see a consequence

muppets!

….fearne WOULD be janet

"HAMMER! :D"

kermit 🤝 orym only sane man

"they should just let us run the country" honestly tho

lore nuggets, new name of the show

I know even less about street fighter than I did about mario kart, so

"now I'm gonna button mash to see if I can make him to fancy stuff" me

"why is that person firing a gun into the air"

imogen hears everybody's intrusive thoughts

"I want the TOTS" "fair"

"he hates characters that have nothing good going on, because he's a good boy"

"we want more dani!" true

there is so much hair in this fight

"do you have a question for me?" "no. …other than WHY"

[putschki1969]

KEIKO New Digtal Single Release 「通り雨」 

As was already teased during today’s concert, there will be a new digital single released on October 20. However, it is not “Hachigtasu no Sora” which I originally expected it to be. It’s a completely new song! Here’s the cover image and a first promo visual! (Source)

Digital Single「通り雨/ Tōriame」 Release Date: October 20

KEIKO 2nd Album 「dew」 Announced!

Release date: 2021-12-08  (Source)

dew　※AL+ Blu-ray Disc＋Analog（EP size）First Press LE 2021-12-08 AVCD-96875/B～C 9,020円 / 8,200円 CD 桜をごらん (Sakura wo Goran), 笑ってやる (Waratte Yaru), ミチテハカケル (Michite wa Kakeru), Nobody Knows You, etc The tracklist will be 12 songs in total

DVD/Blu-ray ・Nobody Knows You TBA

Analog(EP size) 1. Nobody Knows You 2. TBA

dew　※AL+ DVD 2021-12-08AVCD-96876/B 4,950円 / 4,500円 CD 桜をごらん (Sakura wo Goran), 笑ってやる (Waratte Yaru), ミチテハカケル (Michite wa Kakeru), Nobody Knows You, etc The tracklist will be 12 songs in total

DVD/Blu-ray ・Nobody Knows You TBA

dew　※AL 2021-12-08AVCD-96877 3,300円 / 3,000円 CD 桜をごらん (Sakura wo Goran), 笑ってやる (Waratte Yaru), ミチテハカケル (Michite wa Kakeru), Nobody Knows You, etc The tracklist will be 12 songs in total

<Store specific tokutens> ■ General pre-order privilege ・ Bonus postcard [A] ■ TOWER RECORDS ・ Postcard [B] (Tower Records original design) ■ HMV ・ Postcard [C] (HMV original design) ■ TSUTAYA ・ Postcard [D] (TSUTAYA original design) ■ Yamano Musical Instruments ・ Postcard [E] (Yamano original design) ■ Animate ・ Postcard [F] (Animate original design) ■ Rakuten Books ・ Postcard [G] (Rakuten Books original design) ■ Seven Net Shopping ・ Postcard [H] (Seven Net Shopping original design) ■ Amazon.co.jp ・ Amazon.co.jp Limited Tokuten: Mega Jacket

<KEIKO FC tokutens> An official CD shop for members of KEIKO’s FC “Meat&Chocolate” will be launched! Everyone who orders KEIKO’s 2nd Album “dew” at the 「KEIKO Official Fan Club 肉とチョコレート CD・DVD OFFICIAL SHOP」will receive a member-only privilege. Depending on which version you purchase, you will get a dfferent tokuten.

① [AL + Blu-ray + analog] Benefits: Original "making video" viewing rights Preorder deadline: November 29, 2021 ② [AL + DVD] Benefits: 1 "off-shot photo" [A] (L version) ③ [AL] Benefits: 1 "off-shot photo" [B] (L version) (Source)

<Limited-time Special Tokuten>

A special tokuten will be given to everyone who orders KEIKO’s 2nd album in the target store within the target period! Attention! it is a LIMITED 3 DAY PERIOD from 10/10 to 10/12 ■ Target products: 2nd Album "dew" Release: December 8, 2021  ① [AL + Blu-ray + analog] (AVCD-96875 / B-C) ​​ ② [AL + DVD] (AVCD-96876 / B)  ③ [AL] (AVCD-96877) ■ Limited privilege : B2 promo poster (not for sale) ■ Order period October 10, 2021 20:00 to October 12 23:59  ■ Target shop: Https://shop.mu-mo.net/avx/sv/list1/?categ_id=282004     

•————— ♬ —————•

OMG, the new single visuals are totally my aestetic! Absolutely gorgeous!!! So much beauty! And I am so curious about this song!! Looks like it’s gonna be a sad ballad. Dammit, all these album tokutens are killing me. I will really have to control myself or else I will go broke. They really want us to buy five million copies of this crazy expensive album XD

[simpingforsoftboys]

Reacting to You Confiding In A Friend That You Miss Them

ft. SakuAtsu

G/N reader

Yes I wrote this at 2 am this morning 😃 Why? Because I wanted to be sad. ☹️ Luckily for you the ending is fluffy ✌️

You were curled up on the carpeted floor of your walk in closet. The lights were off, door shut, and the only thing audible was your quiet cries. A pillow was pulled up against your chest, which you heaved soft sobs into- desperately seeking some sort of comfort in the plush object. There was nothing more you wanted at the moment then to feel your dear boyfriends arms around you (even if Kiyoomi’s hold was rather hesitant). Alas, they weren’t here with you- busy with late training. Honestly you couldn’t even find it in you to be mad at them- knowing how important the next few upcoming matches were for their careers. Some people said you were much too understanding- that your relationship dynamic wasn’t fair- since your partners spent so much more time together than they did with you.

You weren’t a fool- love lost simply was not the case at all- it was just the fact that you barely felt their presence in your home in general. They went to bed at around 9- while you turned in at around 10 or 11 most nights. In the mornings they were up at 5 or 6- whereas you rose at 7:30. The only times you got to really spend time with them was on their sole day off- Sunday. Even then, it was usually spent with them relaxing at home sleeping, no date nights or anything. Again, you weren’t hurt by this specifically- it was just that you missed being with them.

So here you were at 6pm on a Friday night, sitting in the dark recesses of your designer brand filled closet. No amount of prada, gucci, or Valentino products could be enough to soothe the ache in your chest. You hadn’t spoken to Atsumu or Kiyoomi about your feelings yet, not wanting to ruin the peaceful atmosphere that surrounded your home... they had warned you about their busy schedules when you first started dating them afterall. So you were merely reaping what you had sowed.

You sighed, clutching the pillow tighter and burying your face into it. Eventually you would have to leave the comfortable space of your closet- but for now you would enjoy the company of the cool shadows and the feeling of a protective wall behind your back.

You couldn’t bring yourself to speak with them... but maybe you would be able to tell someone else of your grievances and lighten the heavy feeling in your heart.

W/SakuAtsu:

“Omi-Omi!” The blonde setter called, setting the ball over to his lover- just the way he liked. Kiyoomi ran up and jumped, arm back before swinging it down forcefully. The Mikasa ball zoomed over the net- smashing into the floor with a “boom” sound. “That was great!”

“Thanks.” Sakusa replied, before striding over to the benches- grabbing his water bottle and taking a swig. “Let’s clean up, shower, and head home- I’m tired.” He says straightforwardly, ignoring the sour face Atsumu makes. “We’ve spent enough time here- even Hinata went home already.”

“Fine... Y/n’s probably missin’ us anyways.” Normally Atsumu would argue- but he realizes that while practice is important, he would much rather spend time with you instead.

A little while later they arrive back to their penthouse, freshly showered and ready to spend some quality time with you. All the lights are off except for the kitchen’s- Atsumu pokes his head into the area- only to see it devoid of his lover. The dinner ingredients are all laid out and ready to be cooked.

“Hm that’s weird isn’ it Omi?” He asks, looking at the taller male. Kiyoomi’s eyes are narrowed, lips turned down in a frown, then he’s stalking away- telling Atsumu to come along like he’s talking to a dog. “Wow rude much-“

“Shh... do you not hear that?” Kiyoomi questions in a low voice, pausing outside of their bedroom’s cracked open door. They fall silent, listening intently. Soft sniffles and barely audible talking are heard from within the room- no from the closet. Exchanging a look, Sakusa silently pushes the door open all the way and the two slip into the room- intent on eavesdropping on the conversation.

“It’ll pass Keiji- honestly it’s just because it’s around that time of the year again... I can’t- won’t say anything... this is what I signed up for when I entered this relationship.” It was you- and it sounding like you had been crying (if your hiccups were anything to go off of). “But I-“ You fall silent, most likely to let Akaashi speak. “What am I supposed to say? ‘Hey Kiyo, Tsum-Tsum? Yeah I know it’s supposed to be the busiest time of the season but I’m feeling kinda touch starved so could you please indulge me?’ No way- Yes it is selfish!”

“I”ve heard enough of this-“ Atsumu mutters, his heart hurting for you. He had known that they weren’t spending as much time with you as usual- but he really didn’t think it would pain you like this. Why wouldn’t you tell them? It wasn’t selfish at all- damn your too big heart.

Kiyoomi was having similar thoughts, they, no- he had made you question your worth in their lives... Made you feel as though your feelings were worth less than his career. This was unacceptable and completely wrong. THEY were blind for way too long- it was time they made right by you.

“W-hat are you d-doing home so early?” You gasp, startled at the sight of your towering boyfriends in the entry way of the closet. “Yeah I-I’ll call you later- mmph.” Atsumu nearly tackles you into a hug, leading you to drop your phone onto the carpet. Kiyo folows his lead and sits on his knees in front of you two, reaching over to brush his thumb over your lips. Vaguely, they can hear a soft chuckle then the dial tone- signaling that Akaashi hung up.

“Doll why didn’t ya talk to us? I’m so sorry we made ya feel that way- I love ya so much I never meant t’ hurt-“ Atsumu trails off, presssing lingering kisses to your face- attempting to convey all his love for you through them.

“It’s okay Tsum-Tsum, I should’ve said-“

“No.” Kiyoomi interrupts, pressing a finger to your lips. “My love you did nothing wrong. We knew that this would be the busiest time of the season- and because of that we should have made sure to leave some room in our schedules to spend time with you.” His normally calm eyes were glittering slightly, a flurry of emotions buried in his dark hues. He leans in and presses a long, loving kiss to your lips. “Volleyball comes second- you and Atsumu are my top priorities.”

He says it so easily, as if he had no doubt about it- so surely like there was no possibility that his statement could be untruthful in anyway. It caused your heart to warm exponentially- reassurance filling your veins.

“Kiyo...” What do you say to that? You initially want to disagree- to argue that there’s no way that THE Sakusa Kiyoomi could love and value anything over volleyball. But another, larger part of you want so desperately to believe him- to have the same faith in his last statement that he himself does

“I can hear ya doubtin’ already.” Your other, possibly more volleyball crazed boyfriend, says. “But it’s the truth babe. It doesn’t matter if ya ‘knew what ya were gettin into.’ Cuz yer wrong. We love Y/n the most- not volleyball.” He reaches down and holds your right hand in his own strong one. “Please talk to us if yer hurtin’ even if we don’t seem t’ notice right away- it doesn’t mean we don’t care.”

“Okay... thank you for being here when I need you most. I love you Tsum, Kiyo.”

“We love you too, now let’s get out of here hm? There’s no practice tomorrow (because it’s Meian’s anniversary)- so we can go out on a date?” Kiyoomi offers, lips quirking up at the excited smile on your face. Even with the tear tracks and messed up hair- he thinks this look is one of his favorites.

“Yeah! We can even wear those matchin outfits ya bought last month! How bout it dolll?” Atsumu agrees instantly, gazing at you expectantly.

You smile back and nod. “Sounds like a plan... but first I have to make tonights dinner.” Your words have them chuckling- both agree to help you out (but it’s more like you and Kiyoomi are going to cook while Atsumu hands you things).

Your problems aren’t solved yet, but with a little more time and communication- the three of you know that you’ll be just fine.

[klonoa-at-blog]

Orders are now open for Ship to Shore PhonoCo.’s Klonoa: Door to Phantomile 2XLP Soundtrack.

Available in two different color variants: Colored (blue/turquoise) and clear.

Also available for pre-order in the EU by Black Screen Records.

Click read more for track list and description.

NOTE: This product will begin shipment in early January 2021

Fondly remembered by fans nearly 25 years after its original 1997 Japanese release, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile remains a landmark title in the PlayStation's vast library. The series remains notable and beloved for its 2.5D platforming style, its whimsical story and themes, and, of course, the phenomenal music.

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is available as a 2XLP set with new artwork by Drew Wise and pressed on two different variants: a limited edition is available on blue within blue colored vinyl and a standard edition pressed onto clear vinyl. Also includes a printed insert featuring archival artwork from the BANDAI NAMCO archives alongside new liner notes by Retronauts' Jeremy Parish.

Side A

1. Let's Go for a While 2. Title 3. And I Begin to Wonder 4. Inquisitive Waltz 5. The Windmill Song 6. Mine of Lights 7. Ghadious Appears 8. The Rongo Lango 9. Granpa's Chair 10. Sad Forrest Drum I 11. Jugpot Falls I Side B

1. Weeping Karal 2. Mad Seadoph Blues 3. Forlock Twist 4. Count Three 5. Beats from Above 6. Granny's World 7. The Ruin's Air I 8. Blue Cave Echo 9. Baladium's Drive 10. For the Time We've Spent Side C

1. Red Heat Coronia 2. Nevertheless 3. Out of Time 4. Cress 5. Untamed Heart I 6. Difficult to Say 7. The Closing Encounter I 8. Quiet Choir Side D

1. Nightmare's On 2. The Instrumentality 3. Rapid Eyes Inside 4. The Ring 5. I'm On Your Side 6. Farewell 7. Resurrection 8. Staff Roll 9. The Tower of Balue 10. Good Night

[final-servamp-banter]

White Day Event: Gear

We stan the werewolf on this blog, his route gives me all the feels.

Gear: [Your name]? It’s me.

Gear: Tomorrow’s White Day, right? I’ll come pick you up from your place, so wait for me.

Gear: ……What? You’re in Japan, so that’s difficult?

Gear: You worry about small things, don’t you? That’s not an issue, so don’t worry about it.

Gear: All right, see you tomorrow.

(He hangs up)

You: (“Small things”, huh……)

~ 3/14 – in London, with Big Ben in the background ~

Gear: It’s evening already. We walked around quite a bit. Are you tired?

You: (Gear-san took me to a lot of places he likes…)

Player Choices (Note: Causes a split until after the next choice):

1: It was fun

2: I’m a little tired

Option 1:

Gear: I see, that’s good. That means working on this plan for a week without sleep was worth it.

You: (Eh?!)

Player Choices:

1: O-One week?!

2: Without sleeping at all?!

[Both options lead to the same dialog]

Gear: That was a joke. That’s just how enthusiastic I was.

Gear: That you were so surprised means it was worth telling that joke, too. Reminds me of how Youtarou was when he was younger.

Gear: Back then, he’d take every little thing I said seriously, but he’s grown up in the blink of an eye. Now he just says “Yeah, yeah” and brushes off whatever I say. Seriously.

Gear: I don’t want to forget that honesty of Youtarou’s, either.

Gear: ……? What are you getting sullen for? It sounds like I’m looking down on him?

Gear: I didn’t say that. I’m praising him. I’m the type who fundamentally praises humans.

------------------

Option 2 – “I’m a little tired”:

Gear: … I see. Sorry for not considering that. I don’t really get tired unless something outstanding happens.

Gear: I’ll consider that for our next date.

You: (D-Date…)

Player Choices:

1: So today was… A date, too?

2: So there’ll be… A next one?

Option 1:

Gear: I didn’t say that… Was that what you think I’d say? If not a date, what did you think it was? I don’t think there’s a man who can put together a date course as perfectly as I can.

Gear: Awkward humility isn’t good. It’s lonesome to not have confidence in yourself.

Option 2:

Gear: Of course. Depending on your schedule, since humans are usually much busier than I am.

Gear: It’s not like I have nothing to do. I’m busy, too. There’s a lot of new games and books that have piled up, after all.

[Rest is the same]

Gear: There wasn’t much time for shopping today, so next time, let’s make a department store the main part of our date.

Gear: I like to go shopping, but whenever I’m looking at home appliances, Youtarou soon says “I’m tired, I’m tired”. So we take a break and eat some ice cream.

Gear: And that’s although Youtarou looks around for ages if we’re in a clothes store. He only complains that we’re taking way too long if we’re shopping for me.

------------------

[Merge for the “It was fun”/”I’m a little tired” branch]

Gear: Well then, today we had lunch at a museum, afternoon tea… And we came here after enjoying a staple full course meal.

Gear: Your White Day Present is here.

You: (……?)

Player Choices:

1: …… Here?

2: Is there something here…?

[Both Choices lead to the same dialog]

Gear: It’s different from Valentine’s Day, isn’t it?

You: (…… Eh?! If I look closely…)

Player Choices:

1: Th-That clock tower…!

2: Big Ben…?!

3: It’s not under restoration…?!

[All options lead to the same dialog]

Gear: Yeah, Big Ben is under restoration. They’re not done working on the restauration yet.

Gear: You were disappointed when you couldn’t see Big Ben on Valentine’s Day.

Gear: So I thought I’d show you… “The appearance from a little while ago”.

You: (W-Wait a second…!)

Player Choices:

1: From a little while ago…?!

2: We went back in time?!

[Both choices lead to the same dialog]

Gear: From just before you couldn’t see it because they covered it in scaffolding for the restauration work.

Gear: Who do you think I am? I can do that much.

Gear: … Asserting that like this would be bad. Today is special. It’s not like I do this all the time. It’s not like I can do it all the time.

Gear: It’d be a problem if you thought I could do it, and it’d be a problem if there were rumors I could. So what I did today will be our secret, okay?

Gear: It’s especially a secret from Youtarou. He’d get angry at me and ask what I was doing. Maybe.

Gear: It’s like a special production just for today. It would be good if you could think of it as an illusion or a mirage. As a service just for here.

Gear: Time is transient and never returns. So doing this breaks the rules.

Gear: I just thought I wanted to give you the greatest surprise I could.

Gear: Objects decay, but emotions remain. No, I suppose in the short lifespan of humans, objects are what remains.

You: (For a White Day Gift…)

Player Choices:

1: An object might have been good

2: I prefer memories

Option 1:

Gear: Is that so? In that case, I’ll do that next year. My wish is to do something that makes you happy.

Gear: It’s wonderful to cherish tangible things in the limited amount of time they have.

Gear: I like that you can also use the object as a cue to think about your partner, or look at it to remember the time you spent with them.

Gear: … Even though that idiot didn’t seem to understand that. Ash, I mean.

Gear: I think of that promise while watching the starry sky through the hole in the roof. That way, I can think of someone far away.

Gear: The time spent thinking of others is lovely.

Gear: Unfulfilled promises may someday turn into sadness and anger, but… My life is too long to make something an “unfulfilled promise”.

Gear: That means, in short, that I’m patient.

Gear: Well, what I just said about Ash doesn’t matter. The promise we made was finally fulfilled, after over 100 years.

Option 2:

Gear: I see. That’s good.

Gear: I hope I’ve left even a small impression deep within you. Even if it’s an illusion like a dream and becomes vague once you wake up.

Gear: I hope that you’ll think, this definitely, without a doubt “happened”.

Gear: I’ll keep you within me, too. Time spent with your loved ones is irreplaceable.

Gear: I could see both your surprised and your happy face today. I’m as happy as I can be.

[Rest is the same]

Gear: In the end, living beings live for themselves. For their own joy. I’m glad that I need you for my joy.

Gear: Currently, my joy in life is made by you, Youtarou, Ash, that house, this town, and old dreams.

Gear: Thanks to you, my joy increased again. How could I not thank you for that?

Gear: Joy is the companion of living. Even the sadness of parting is a companion of living. That’s not just humans… Me and vampires like Ash are no exception.

Gear: I’m proud if I can be part of the joy in your life, too.

Gear: Give me your hand. We’ll cross that bridge together.

You: (He’s… holding his hand out to me…)

Player Choices:

1: Take his hand

2: Be overwhelmed

Option 1:

Gear: The illusion will stay until we cross that bridge hand in hand. Don’t let go of my hand on the way.

Gear: Let’s cross as slowly as possible. I want to remember your temperature, too.

Option 2:

Gear: … Ah, in that case, let’s just walk next to one another.

Gear: Even if we’re not touching, that doesn’t mean we don’t understand one another. We can be by each other’s side and love one another. That’s enough.

Gear: Well… I’d like you to allow me to at least look at your face in profile. All right, let’s go.

[Rest is the same]

Gear: Thank you for today, [Your Name].

[End]

----------------------------------

T/N: When the player goes “Eh?!” after Gear says he hasn’t been sleeping for a week, there’s still Gear’s name and avatar on there. Which I know is a bug I just find it kinda funny lmao

“It reminds me of Youtarou when he was younger” is more literally “It reminds me of the old Youtarou”/”The Youtarou from long ago”, but I’m pretty sure he means Smol Youtarou.

From the “It sounds like I’m looking down on him” to “I’m praising him”, it’s not really clear whether he means Youtarou or the player - I went with Youtarou because he was the one Gear had been talking about, but the player might as well have felt that Gear was looking down on/making fun of them (by comparing them to Kid!Youtarou), or humans in general.

When he talks about the companions of life, there’s the “that’s not just humans” bit - He may also mean that it’s something beings that are not human feel while humans don’t, but then he says he and vampires are not exceptions, which is why I included humans (After all, if it meant non-humans, Gear wouldn’t have to specify again that non-humans feel it, too)

Gear is just,,,, so precious 🥺 Like “I was looking forward to seeing you so much I wanted to plan without sleeping” PLEASE SIR KNOW I LOVE YOU.

Also. Y’know, Nicco (yes I’ll do him soon-ish) already goes all-out, but Gear just goes and breaks the rules of the space-time-continuum for you. Like, that’s commitment.

I hated having to pick “I’d rather have something tangible” ;_; Dude BREAKS THE SPACE-TIME-CONTINUUM for you and you just go “Yeah nah gimme something worth money” that’s just MEAN!

Sorry for the long T/N I just have a lot of things to say and A LOT of emotions about Gear. Like, with the vampires, it’s so easy to forget how eternal they are, that they’re immortal. Theoretically, if a Servamp decides they want to keep someone around, they can make them into a vampire. Gear can’t. Gear has been around longer than the Servamps, and since he keeps making friends, choosing to make friends, he has lost so, so many people, and it’s just, you can tell that he functions on a scale vastly different from humans. But does he decide to harden his heart, to not meet new people to avoid the heartbreak? No, he sees it as a part of life, and while it’s sad, it’s worth it to him, and I just-- 🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭😭

[crystallized-iron]

Tagged by @hellfre - thank you!

20 questions, writer’s edition!

How many works do you have on AO3?

97 apparently :)

What’s your total AO3 word count?

319,418 words posted on AO3. Gosh, that’s so many!

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

MCU, X-Men movies, and a few for MacGyver (2016).

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Well, let’s see.

Should We Go? (pre Bucky/Winter / Tony) Prompt: an avenger unintentionally tells “winter” that tony doesn’t want him around any more

Comfort (pre Bucky/Tony) It's a cold night in the tower and Bucky starts feeling bad memories creeping up on him, so he goes searching for comfort.

Nightmares Brought Me Here (pre Bucky/Tony) Tony is still suffering from past events. Still shaken from a nightmare, he ends up in Barnes' room.

Sir’s Gift (Bucky/Tony) Learning that it is Christmas time, DUM-E realizes he must come up with a new gift for Sir. At first he decides he will build something again, until someone comes to the lab...

Sparring (pre Bucky/Tony) Prompt: Tony realising he likes sassy, leggy and man bun…but only on Bucky.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yes I do! I try to respond to every comment I receive, but I’ve been late the last several times, and I fail a lot when it comes to commenting on fics myself...

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Um... Probably No More Chances.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Maybe Night Sky? To be honest I’m not sure but this one isn’t so sad.

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I do! Um... They’re not posted yet (nor edited enough for posting). A few different collabs I’m actively writing with @ria-grey :D

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I think so? I can’t remember which one. And it was... confusing. I remember that much.

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Kind of ish. Majority of my smut writing is done in collabs.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I think I was once notified of one on one of those sites we were warned about for like a couple weeks and then it sort of disappeared?

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes. One of my own, and one that’s a collab with @ladydarkphoenix-blog

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I think we know the answer to this one by now. Yes.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Apparently winteriron by the answers above lol. But currently it’s a long list of names. Should I?

Alex Summers/Angus “Mac” MacGyver (MacGyver 2016)/Jack Dalton (MacGyver 2016)/Murdoc (MacGyver 2016)/Tony Stark/Steve Rogers/Charles Xavier/Erik Lensherr/Hank McCoy/Logan Howlett/Peter Rasputin

It’ll make more sense once the stories (this is currently a two part monster of a story) are edited and posted.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Zombies vs vampires vs humans...

What are your writing strengths?

Gosh, I don’t even know anymore.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Productivity. Description? Repetition?

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Unless I made it up, I don’t usually add any.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

As in posted? Um... -thinks back to ff.net days- ... Fruits Basket? Gundam Wing? I’m pretty sure it’s one of those two.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

So far, it’d have to be The Gifted. I know I haven’t updated in a long time. Be patient with me still. Been dealing with a lot.

tagging: whoever wants to do it!

[carlosgabrielruiz]

PINKERTON - 33 1/3 Proposal Part 6

CHAPTER 4 Many Rivers to Cross:A Brief History of Rivers Cuomo

For most people, Weezer begins and ends with Rivers Cuomo. Period. Point blank. Rivers Cuomo is undoubtedly the brains and heart behind the band – without him, there would simply be no Weezer. Rivers is the primary songwriter, lyricist, band director, and de facto Great Leader (although it should be noted that in the early days he shared some of those songwriting duties and credits with Matt Sharp and original guitarist Jason Cropper). 

Rivers was born in Manhattan on June 13, 1970. He grew up in upstate New York in the Buddhist Zen Center where his father was a farmer. In 1975, his father left the family and Rivers moved to Connecticut with his mother and brothers to live in Yogaville on an ashram farm.(1) He grew up as a quiet and shy child only later to become a metalhead with an outgoing love for Kiss and Van Halen.

When he turned 18 Rivers moved to L.A. and started to officially make a go of it in music. He got a job at Tower Records and was introduced to drummer Pat Wilson. (2) They became friends and formed a band called Fuzz. Rivers moved into Pat’s apartment which he shared with Matt Sharp, who was a talented multi-intrumentalist. Matt soon decided to join them and they embarked on an odyssey that would eventually make musical history. 

Valentine’s Day of 1992 was a momentous occasion for the newly formed, yet still-unnamed, new band because that was the day that Rivers Cuomo (lead guitar), Matt Sharp (bass), Jason Cropper (guitar), and Pat Wilson (drums) first gathered together to rehearse and record their sessions. The band “got together at T.K. rehearsal studios, in West LA, and rehearsed for either 3 or 4 days straight.”(3) The demo tape that was made during the session featured a list of all the potential band names they were toying with at the time including the initial band name “Fuzz”, as well as “Meathead”, “Outhouse”, “Hummingbird”, “the Big Jones” and “This Niblet”.

Things moved quickly for the band from there. A little over a year after their first official rehearsal, the band - now officially named Weezer - signed a major label record deal with Geffen Records. The band had hoped to self-produce their debut, but the suits at Geffen were not going to let that happen. Eventually, the band picked Cars’ frontman, Ric Ocasek, to handle production on the record. According to Rivers Cuomo, “The record company was really pushing us to work with a producer, so we figured that if we had to have somebody in the studio with us, it might as well just be someone who writes good songs – and the Cars’ first record just rules.” (4) 

The band went to Electric Ladyland studios in New York to work on their record. Everything was going great up until it wasn’t. There were internal problems with the guitarist Jason Cropper that led to Rivers firing him from the band. According to Ric Ocasek, “He (Rivers) called me when the record was finished, the day before we were supposed to start mixing, and said, ‘Listen, I just fired the guitar player.’ So I said, ‘What are you gonna do now?’ He’s like, ‘I want all of his parts off the record.’” Luerssen (2004)

With two days before mixing was due to begin in New York, Sharp and Cuomo called Brian Bell.5 He auditioned on tape and was hired to replace Jason. But it was too late to in the game to fly him out to re-record all of Jason’s guitar parts. Under the gun, and with only a day of studio time left before mixing was slated to begin, Rivers re-recorded all of the guitar parts himself (even though Brian is credited on the record).

The Blue Album was released on May 10th, 1994. The 10-track LP provided a “new roadmap for alt-rock following the death of Kurt Cobain and the conclusion of grunge’s first era.”(5) The catchy power-pop record with hook-laden choruses and kitschy Spike Jonze directed videos was an overwhelming success. It would invade the mainstream and go on to sell over 3 million records in the U.S. alone. The band went on a seemingly never-ending tour to promote the record. 

Rivers struggled with the newly found fame and success that the Blue Album had brought the band. He was “frustrated by the limitations of rock and the lifestyle of touring around on a bus and playing the same songs over and over.” Cohen (2015). So he did what most people in his position would do, he put the band on a hiatus and enrolled in Harvard to study classical music. 

But before the semester started, Rivers decided to fix his right leg, which was two inches shorter than his left leg. The surgery on his right leg left him in agonizing pain. It would be a long recovery. During his first year at Harvard Rivers’ right leg was encased in a metal frame that would require him to adjust and tighten the screws daily in order to elongate the bone.(6) He became hooked on painkillers and opioids while trying to manage the pain.

As he told The New York Times. “I grew a long beard and walked around with a cane… The only time I could write songs was when my frozen dinner was in the microwave.” Rockland (2006) “Where I was emotionally … I went to a more serious and dark place.” Runtagh (2019). 

Alone and in pain, Rivers was listening to a lot of classical music and he kept coming back to the opera Madame Butterfly by Puccini. “One of my favorite operas by him was Madama Butterfly, specifically when the role was played by Maria Callas,” he recalled to Pitchfork. “On tour, I would listen to her every night after the show and be so moved by the depth of emotion and sadness and tragedy. It really was calling to me, like, “Come on, Rivers. You can go there. You can go much further with your music than ‘The Sweater Song’ or ‘Buddy Holly’.” Cohen (2015)

His deeply personal and emotional lyrics were raw, to say the least. He opened himself up to a level of honesty, anger, pain, and emotional truth that was only hinted at within the Blue Album’s casual, ironic detachment. But make no mistake, that anger and honestly was always there just below the surface, only it was wrapped around a bouncy hook with a singalong chorus. 

With a dozen or more new songs ready to record, Weezer decided to head to the studio. Only this time, they would self produce the new record themselves. They wanted a feel that was similar to their live shows that would better capture the power and energy of their new songs. The resulting record was a “grittier, slightly darker sound that was more Pixies than the polished power-pop Ric Ocasek had helped the band realize on the Blue Album.” (7)

A few months before the album was slated for release, Rivers Cuomo “issued a precarious warning to the band’s fan club about his mental state during the writing process:” Braun (2016).

There are some lyrics on the album that you might think are mean or sexist. I will feel genuinely bad if anyone feels hurt by my lyrics but I really wanted these songs to be an exploration of my ‘dark side’ – all the parts of myself that I was either afraid or embarrassed to think about before. So there’s some pretty nasty stuff on there. 

You may be more willing to forgive the lyrics if you see them as passing low points in a larger story. And this album really is a story: the story of the last two years of my life. And as you’re probably well aware, these have been two very weird years.

But the worst was yet to come... TO BE CONTINUED IN THE 33 1/3 BOOK PINKERTON 

1 - Weezerpedia. Rivers Cuomo. https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/Rivers_Cuomo.

2 - Cohen, Ian. (2015, February 9). Rivers Cuomo. Pitchfork. https://pitchfork.com/features/5-10-15-20/9590-rivers-cuomo/.

3 - The Weezer Recording History. (2006, February). Weezer.com. http://www.weezer.com/info/recording/WeezRecHist3.htm.

4 - Luerssen, John D. (2004, August 1). River’s Edge: The Weezer Story. Toronto. ECW Press.

5 - Runtagh, Jordan. (2019, May 10). Weezer’s Blue Album: 10 Things You Didn’t Know. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/weezer-blue- album-rivers-cuomo-things-you-didnt-know-822881/.

6 - Rockland, Kate. (2006, February 16). At School with Rivers Cuomo: Student with a Past. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/16/garden/16weezer.html.

7 - Braun, Laura Marie. (2016, September 23). How Weezer’s ‘Pinkerton’ Went from Embarassing to Essential. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music- features/how-weezers-pinkerton-went-from-embarrassing-to-essential-105567/.

[oumiyuki]

Sir Mikan and Miss Egg

Summary: “They say if you give a toddler an egg they naturally know to be gentle” is what Chika heard so she got You to agree to test it out with their daughter, Chiyo. Filming it all down for good fun.

Just another rowdy, laughter-filled day in the Watanabe home.

Pairing: ChikaYou

Genre: Family Fluff, Romance

Read me at Fanfiction.net or AO3 too!

Author Notes

A whole lot of baby videos give you this. Or well, at least a whole lot of baby videos about giving their kids an egg do. XD

May you enjoy~ ;D

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The camera shakes and so does the scene it is trying to capture – which is just a blurred scene of the camerawoman’s wife, Watanabe You, holding a washed egg and smiling to said silly camera lady who waved back with the camera hand. “Ah, oops. Camera ready!”

You laughs. “Are you sure, Chika-chan? We wouldn’t want the product of this experiment to be a guessing game from all the blur.”

Chika puts her free hand to her hip and gives the ash-brunette a pointed look. “Hey. I’ve been gaining experience! Never doubt this Takami!”

You clears her throat with a purposefully lifted fist to her mouth, smirk unconcealable. “You mean…Watanabe~”

You adds a delayed and awkward wink which makes Chika blush even more so, heavily affected by You’s own embarrassment. “Well…yes. Watanabe…Sheesh, don’t make me say it.”

You licks her lips subconsciously and chuckled; despite being married for 3 years to Chika, she still becomes a smiling giddily, blushing sweetly maiden in love. “It makes you blush cutely when you say it and I…like that though…”

Chika’s face grew redder and she waved her hands in front of her, all caught on the camera rolling.

Before Chika could protest noisily though, Chiyo catches their attention as their 2-year-old was staring right at them and giggling. Chika and You looked at each other before looking back at their daughter with a fond smile on their faces; literally anything their daughter does has an immediate effect of cooing and melting of Chika and You. (Not counting the crying in the middle of the night, of course)

"Chiyo is so cute...~" You smiles to her daughter staring at them with large, curious blue eyes, her little hands pressed on the floor from trying to lean towards the object of curiosity, in this case, her parents.

Chika does an entranced, ridiculous and proud laughter. "Hehehe...That's cause she's our daughter~~"

You gets pulled back out of her melting from daughter's cuteness state thanks to her wife's weird laughter and looks over to the orangehead. "You're filming already right? At this rate, the video will be mostly us fawning over Chiyo."

Chika checked the video camera in her hand. "Yep, it's recording."

"You needed to check huh?" You had to comment.

Chika grins as she focused the camera on You. "Yup! Gotta make sure I'm getting ALL of this good stuff for memories, you know!" Chika does an exaggerated double wink while expertly tilting the camera in hand downwards slowly and back up - all of You captured perfectly.

You knew what her wife was doing and tried walking out of shot after. "Don't do that! This is about Chiyo, not me!"

Chika laughs as she tried to get more of You on cam. "Don't be shy~~"

"Chika-chan!!" You flails the egg in hand at her playful partner.

Chika persistently tries to follow You even when the ash-brunette circled a giggling Chiyo and asking Chika to focus on their daughter instead.

"Mou!!" You quick steps to the side and scoops Chika up in her arms easily, holding her flailing about and loudly laughing wife tightly.

"Ahhh, You-channnn! Ahahahaha! Put me down~ Get back on cam~ You-chan~" Chika scream-laugh-protest all at once leaving You laughing along.

The ash-brunette turns around so that Chika's camera was facing Chiyo instead - the little Watanabe clapping her hands together now, entertained by her parents.

"Aw~ Chiyo is being cute again, You-chan!" Chika immediately reported.

You grins. "I'm sure she is. Now promise you won't film me, or I won't put you down."

Chika thinks for a moment. "Guess I won't promise you then."

"Eh??"

It takes You a good minute before she realized Chika's intentions and she lowers her head and presses her lips together; indignant.

You grumbles under her breath. "Chika-chan..."

Chika shifts to get a good look of her pouting wife; always loving a sight of pouting You. "Alright, alright. I'll spare you from the tease for now. hehehe~"

You pouts harder and Chika pokes her cheek. You releases the pout as a wry smile gives in, slowly putting her darling wife down. "Film our baby."

Chika lets out a hearty laugh. "Aye aye Captain!"

Chika salutes and focuses camera back on Chiyo.

You breathes out through her nose, getting back into the mood of testing out the egg theory. You checks the egg in hand, glad to know she didn’t break the sanitized egg while messing about with Chika.

“Ready?”

“Ever ready, Capt!” Chika turns the camera over to capture her mighty salute and blinding smile.

You chuckles and crouches down to Chiyo, speaking sweet and gentle. “Chiyo~ Do you know what this is?”

Chiyo blinks up at her mama. “An egg!”

“Yeah! It’s an egg.” You smiles proudly. “Mama is going to give you this egg. And you’ve got to take care of it, okay?”

Chiyo nods, taking the egg into her hand.

Chika and You watches closely as their toddler examines the egg; gasping slightly when Chiyo decides to give the egg a shake.

“Uwaa…This isn’t for the weak of heart.” Chika jests.

You shakes her head. “It was your idea.”

“You agreed!”

You hums thoughtfully. “Yeah, I did.”

Chika puts a hand to her hip proudly and You rolls her eyes at Chika’s adorable display of pride. Almost getting lost in each other’s eyes again, Chiyo talking grabbed their attention.

“Mikan. Mikan meet egg! This is Miss Egg. And Miss Egg…this is Sir Mikan.” Chiyo shakes the toy mikan in her hand as a way for Sir Mikan to acknowledge Miss Egg, then bopping the egg and the fruit together.

Chika made more noises as the egg makes contact with the toy. “Please be okay, Miss Egg.”

Chiyo starts running about with both her toy and the egg, Chika following with the camera and You taking a seat by the couch; a good position where she could watch her daughter running about the living room.

“We are going to…save the world!” Chiyo jumps to a stop; Sir Mikan and Miss Egg lifted high into the air.

Chika zoomed into the toy mikan and egg in those small fingers, then she zoomed out to Chiyo’s face. “What are they saving the world from, Chiyo?”

Chiyo looks to her mummy and grunts for a long time, thinking of the story.

“Looks like Chiyo is coming up with a plot on the spot.” Chika whispers commentary to the recording.

You smiles fondly at her family. Chiyo turns and runs at her mama. “Mama!”

“Yes, Chiyo?”

“What should…should Sir Mikan save…Miss Egg from?” Chiyo asks with large curious eyes.

“Mm…Save them from…big baddie tower over there?” You points to another children’s toy on the floor – one which Chiyo played throwing hoops in earlier.

Chiyo furrowed her eyebrows in determination for a few seconds before she happily plopped down to her butt and cheers, “Yousoro~!!”

Chika and You’s eyes widened in shock as Chiyo sent the toy mikan rolling, knocking into the tower.

You kneels beside Chiyo. “Ah, why…why didn’t you roll Miss Mikan?”

Chiyo holds the egg closer to her in both hands, carefully. “B-Because…Because… Because I just felt like…like I shouldn’t. Like. Miss Egg would…”

You smiles soft and encouragingly to her daughter whose blue eyes grew wide and sad as her pout does and she hugs her egg closer to her.

You wiped an imaginary tear off her eyes. “My baby is so precious.”

Chika chuckles from where she caught the entire scene on their trusty video camera. “She sure is.”

You ruffles Chiyo’s hair and grinned at Chiyo. “Are we going to share this video?”

“Yeah, in the Aqours Group Chat! So Aunt Riko gets to see it.” Chika smiled widely; already able to see how Riko would react to their daughter’s version of the popular videos online right now.

“Oh, Riko-chan and Mari-chan are going to be so loud.” You shakes her head with a huge grin.

Chiyo brandished the egg at You with a chuckle of her own, seemingly agreeing with them which makes both Chika and You join in the laughter. It was a jolly, eggy evening in the Watanabe home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Notes

Ah~ =w= Have you watched any of those videos of parents giving their kids an egg and seeing how they handle it? If not, go do so~

They are fun to watch! XD

And well, I just felt like Chika would catch wind of something like this, or perhaps Riko, Yohane or Ruby tells her about it >w< Which leads to this little experiment!

I also just love how no matter how old, they would still be really active in the Aqours Group Chat. *O*

Leave a comment if you like! ^w^

See you next story~ :D

[animeloverskylarmoon]

Kuroko Tetsuya (Short Story)- Chapter 4- Final

"Great job everyone. "

The production, a success. As you hoped. Your content with the way the day has ended.

You fall into the chair with the biggest smile on your face. Miyo looks just as ecstatic.

"I knew everything would work out. Arigatou (Y/N)-chan." she beams. You nod. "I didn't do it alone. It's thanks to everyone that we were able to work so well." There is now a playful grin on her face.

"Yeah, you're right. Your boyfriend did pretty well too. "

"H-He's not my boyfriend!"

"Whatever you say, you guys looked pretty chummy back there."

You glower, folding your arms. "Be quiet Miyo-chan." The childish way in which you respond makes her smile.

"Better lock him down quickly before someone else does." you don't fully get what she's saying until you lift your gaze to where she nudges her head. Kuroko is standing in the center talking with a group of the actors who were previously on stage. More specifically, a flock of girls. Their circles around him like hyenas. You don't know why, but the sight irritates you. He looks comfortable too.

"He's not mine."

That's right. You have no right making comments on that, or getting mad. You're just friends. Maybe he feels your gaze, because his head turns for a brief second. You aren't sure what he says, but it sounds like he's dismissed himself from the group. When he starts to make his way over, a small sense of dread sets in.

"Go get em tiger." Miyo whispers. She walks away smoothly, congratulating Kuroko, and excusing herself to go and chat with the girls. Now that the strain of the day is gone, you can talk freely with Kuroko.

"(L/N)-san."

Why do you get all flustered whenever he says your name?

Damn him.

You just have to play it off. There's no reason to get worked up.

"G-Good job today Kuroko-san."

"Arigatou." His expression looks a bit wistful and you stare for a while. You've just recently realized that Kuroko really loves it when you praise him. If you hadn't gotten used to deciphering his expressions, you would have missed it.

"Tetsuya."

"Sorry?"

"I want you to call me Tetsuya. "

There's no indication of uncertainty. He just looks determined. Like a kid who's trying to stand firm. It's kind of adorable. But that request, it's so out of the blue.

"T-That feels a bit informal. That's the type of stuff couples do. S-So it would be kind of awkward if I just started calling you like that and you're basically my senpai so it's outright rude if I-"

"Then if we were lovers...(L/N)-san would address me that way?"

"......"

Your brain has just shut down.

"I want us to be lovers, and I want you to say my name."

Such a bold declaration, and with a straight face too. You did confess previously, but you still had doubts. But now, looking at him, those doubts are slowly fading. He can't be messing with you. He's serious.

"K-Kuro-"

He takes a step closer, halting your statement. Once again he's towering, and you're a blushing mess. Your eyes shake, and you feel like your knees will buckle at any moment. His orbs hold too much heat.

"If (L/N)-san doesn't say my name, I'll be sad." you stutter.

"D-Don't blackmail me!"

"But we're lovers."

"I-I don't remember agreeing to that!"

"(L/N)-san doesn't want to be my girlfriend?"

"I never said that either!!"

"You're cute when you get flustered (L/N)-san."

You glare at him. He really did like messing with you. You're about to yell at him again, but the final move he makes stops all thoughts. The warmth of his lips that are now connected to yours stop you cold in your tracks. It's a chaste kiss. It's over so quickly you almost question if it truly happened. When he pulls back, his eyes flicker open.

"I'll just have to punish (L/N)-san until she says my name. " He says nonchalantly. He straightens, and you're just standing there with a look of utter shock. You're body and brain finally registers what transpired, and steam pours out of your airs.

"Y-You tricked me!!" 

How dare he wait until you lower your guard to steal a kiss.

"You taste delicious (Y/N)." the use of your first name and the statement, it just adds to the heat of your body. Kuroko smiles, patting your head.

"Please take care of me (Y/N)."

Kuroko has single handedly managed to leave you utterly speechless. Something tells you this relationship would be a very entertaining one.

[flyingblackhawk]

Fun Taser Time

Avengers fic (Nat & Tony)

1,859 words

-

Los Angeles, 2011

“You should add gloves.”

Natasha looks up. Tony hasn’t said a word to her since they arrived at the makeshift debriefing facility Fury’s set up in downtown Los Angeles.

“What?” she asks.

“Gloves,” Tony repeats, not looking up from his phone. “For the- what do you call them? The electro-bracelets. Happy told me what went down at Hammer’s factory.”

Natasha looks down at her wrists. “SHIELD calls them Widow’s Bites.”

Tony scoffs. “Of course they do.”

“So,” she says, raising an eyebrow. “Gloves?”

“Mmm,” he says. He looks up. “Are they heavy?”

She shrugs. “Sometimes. Depends which ones I’m wearing.”

He leans forward, and she can see that he’s genuinely interested. She unclips one gauntlet and tosses it to him. Tony examines it.

“Did you come up with the idea?” he asks.

“Sort of,” she says. “Originally one held a line and compact grappling hook, and the other shot darts. SHIELD kept the look but traded the poison for electricity.”

“Projectiles?” he asks, still turning the bracelet in his fingers.

“Taser discs,” she says. “That one holds six, the other holds four.”

“What’s the charge like?”

She shrugs. “SHIELD got the wear time up to nineteen hours. Had to commandeer a couple of car batteries, but mostly that’s enough time to do what I need to.”

Tony tosses the weapon back to Natasha. She catches it, and clips it back onto her wrist.

A door opens, and an agent steps out, motioning for Tony to enter.

“Gloves,” Tony calls as he walks through the door. “Think about it.”

-

New York, 2012

The dust is still settling as the team eats. The owners of the little restaurant seem happy enough for the superheroes to stay as long as they like.

“How’s the battery working out for you?” Tony asks, through a mouthful of shawarma.

“Great,” Natasha replies. She holds up a gloved hand for him to see. “Still not empty.” Tony doesn’t smile - none of them have the energy for that - but he looks satisfied. Natasha has a lot to process after battling aliens all day, so she adds Tony’s fascination with her gear to the list.

“You know,” he says, after a while, “you could probably make the grappling hook even more compact.”

She leans forward, elbow on the table. “You think so?”

He nods. “Just depends what material you use. I’ve been playing around with different cables, and with a smaller hook I think you could reduce the size by half.”

Natasha finds herself oddly touched that Tony has spent time thinking about potential upgrades for her sake. “What kind of cable are we talking about?”

“I had a friend at MIT send some carbon fibre prototypes she’s been working on,” Tony tells her. “I’m thinking maybe a nylon composite.”

She nods. “We could move the garrotte wire into the right gauntlet to make room.”

“How do you guys have the energy for R&D right now?” Clint chuckles. The rest of the team give tired groans in agreement, and Natasha flips her partner off to tired laughter from the others.

“I’ll text you,” Natasha promises Tony.

-

Avengers Tower, 2014

“Hit it again.”

Natasha skips another disc down the gallery. It connects, electricity arcing over every inch of the dummy.

“Nice,” Natasha says.

“The new model holds twelve discs per gauntlet,” Tony says. Natasha knows him well enough now to hear the hint of pride he’s trying to mask with nonchalance.

“Which of the discs do you think we should go with?” she asks. Tony casts his eye over the table, laden with twenty different prototype taser discs.

“I like number seventeen,” he says. “And not just because it looks like an arc reactor. That was a coincidence. Maybe.”

Natasha laughs, and picks up the disc. “Alright. Seventeen it is. How about the power cell problem?”

“Still working on it,” he says. “I keep hitting the wall at the corner of charge time and weight. I’ll get there.”

Natasha goes to answer, but her phone buzzes in her pocket. She pulls it out and reads the message. When she looks up, Tony seems to know that fun taser time is over.

“Where to?” he asks.

“D.C.,” she sighs. “STRIKE team needs me. Something to do with a ship.”

“Need a ride?”

She shakes her head. “Rumlow’s already sent one. It’ll be here in half an hour. Thanks, though.”

By the time she’s geared up and ready, Tony has loaded the gauntlets with discs. He hands them to her as they take the elevator to the roof.

“You’ll have to make do with the prototypes until I can get production running on disc seventeen,” he says, and it almost sounds like a genuine apology.

“I’m sure I’ll make it work,” she tells him. On the roof, he waves her off as a SHIELD quinjet lands on the pad. She gets in, and is surprised to find that she feels a little sad to be leaving.

-

Washington D.C., 2014

As Natasha leaves the Senate Office Building, cameras flashing all around her, she sees a sleek black car roll up at the curb. She forces back a smile of relief, and pushes through the reporters. She opens the door and gets in, and the car pulls away from the flashes and shouts.

“You look pretty calm for someone who just dared the government to arrest her.”

She scoffs lightly. “I should have known you’d be listening in.”

Tony shrugs, not apologetic in the slightest. Natasha lapses into silence, watching the road through the window. The gravity of what she’s done in the last twenty four hours is not lost on her, nor is it lost on Tony. She can sense his discomfort, and she knows he won’t be able to summon a comforting word, but that’s never been his style anyway.

“How did the discs go?” he asks, eventually. Natasha has to smile. This has become their routine, and a substitute for any uncomfortable conversation.

“Seventeen’s still my favourite,” she tells him. “And I owe you several drinks for increasing the capacity. I needed every single disc.”

“Saving your life, one tiny taser at a time,” he smiles. “I’ve been thinking about some sort of blasting capability.”

She frowns. “What, like a stun gun?”

Tony nods. “For mid-range combat. I figure it gives you a halfway point between hitting someone directly with the gauntlet or launching a disc.”

“How much more power would that take?” she asks.

“A lot,” he admits. “But I’ve got a new prototype I’m working on. It’s going to take a couple of months at least, but I think I’ve hit on a solution to the power problem.”

“Seriously?”

“I never joke about tasers.”

She laughs, and for a moment she feels all the weight lift off her shoulders. Even with the world turned upside down, Tony is a constant, and she’s grateful.

-

Avengers Tower, 2015

“I’ve got a present for you,” Tony declares in a sing-song voice.

“What did I tell you about calling me before seven in the morning?” she yawns. She’s already up anyway, and it’s always fun to start the day with taser practice in the lab. She dresses, and heads down to the R&D levels, stopping only on the lounge floor to make two cups of coffee. Tony is in the lab he’s dedicated to developing gear for the team. He’s currently at a long bench that has become his permanent work area for Natasha’s weapons.

“Morning,” she says, and hands him his coffee.

“You’re going to love this,” Tony tells her. He grabs a case from under the table and unlatches it, swivelling it around to reveal a full suit. Natasha raises her eyebrows.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he says, pointing an accusing finger. “I got the measurements from one of your spare suits.”

Natasha pulls the suit from the case, and lays it out on the table. Quietly delighted, she traces a finger over what seems to be black piping. As she touches it, the piping glows a bright blue, and she watches the light spread all over the suit, converging at the wrists.

“What is this?” she asks. Tony is grinning, obviously pleased with himself.

“Power cells,” he says. “Thousands of them, all over the suit. More than enough to equip you with two compact blasters plus a new grappling hook and a backup clip of six discs on each thigh, underneath your holsters.”

“This is amazing,” she says, running her hands over the smooth material.

“That’s not even the best part,” he says. He opens a drawer and produces two gauntlets. He hands them to her, and motions for her to put them on. She does, and he’s practically bouncing with glee.

“Okay,” he says. “Do as I do.” He brings his right hand up to his left shoulder, and then throws his hand back down in a quick movement. Natasha imitates, and in an instant a baton shoots out from her gauntlet. She grabs it out of reflex, but it’s connected to her wrist. She grins, and raises it up to inspect it. It glows the same blue as the piping in the suit.

“Hit the dummy,” Tony says. Natasha acquiesces, and strikes the dummy. Electricity crackles, and the much-abused dummy is blown off balance and crashes to the floor. Tony claps, though she’s not sure if he’s applauding her or himself.

“This is going to be fun,” she grins.

-

Avengers Facility, 2015

Natasha knows it’s not forever, but it still feels strange to be saying goodbye to Tony after everything they’ve been through. The wounds of Sokovia are still fresh for both of them, and she thought he’d at least stay until they can find Bruce. But Tony will do as Tony wants, she knows that. Besides, she and Steve have their work cut out for them here.

“I’ll miss you,” she says, looking around the lab.

“You’ll have plenty to do,” he reassures her. “And our monthly lunch date still stands.”

“Burgers in the R&D labs doesn’t count as lunch.”

“You’re wrong, but I’ll miss you too.”

She can see the guilt in him as clearly as she recognises it in herself. For a moment, she is tempted to ask him to stay. But this facility is not the place for him now. He’s talked about settling down somewhere with Pepper, and she can understand the draw of a life like that.

“Keep me updated,” she says, as she walks him out of the lab. “I’m going to need an upgrade on the baton power.”

“And I’m thinking more cells on the suit,” he says. “We’ve still got work to do, don’t you worry about that.”

Natasha smiles. “If you ever want to blast stuff with tasers, you’ve got my number.” She kisses him on the cheek, which leaves him looking surprised. They hover for a moment, as if they’re about to hug, but that’s never been their style.

“I’ll call you when I’ve got something new for you,” he says.

“Promise?” she asks.

He smiles, and it’s tired, but genuine.

“Promise.”

[sulfurousdreamscapes]

I want you to look at a few advertisements I've taken pictures of. It's a hobby of mine, but I'd like to make it into a career with the assistance of your agency.

"Premium Regret" - Badger Square - Profile image of a woman wearing an evening gown, mostly in the dark, but a highlighted outline of her body going down her exposed leg, towards the hint of black heels.

In her hand, she balances a cigarette that hovers inches away from her red lips. They're partly open, just enough that you hope to catch a glimpse of her teeth, or the tip of her tongue. But you don't.

The font for the product uses an emboss effect. Health warnings are displayed in a corner. The billboard is high enough that it towers over most of the lower buildings to the South-East of Badger Square.

...

"Anger Pro" - Kyotokar St. - Billboard features a photograph of a tranquil lake. A group of children walk in a queue near a railing. They look visibly fearful. Swans swim in the lake, visible only if you pay attention. The teacher is wearing a brown sweater, and she's recoiling backwards, using her hands to hold the children back.

The woman holding the garbage can over her head looks like she could throw it at either the teacher and the students, or at the swans in the lake. It is impossible to tell which one she will choose. The product logo is to the side. Very sleek and understated. It is accompanied by a QR code, and icons for iOS and Android.

...

"Happiness" - Poster under Guan Flyover - Gentleman photographed mid-stride. He wears a well-tailored suit, and he looks like the wrinkles are getting the better of him already. Balding, short hair in a crop of white and black. He approached a woman with a child, who are sitting in a pew. Their backs are turned to us, so we can't see who the gentleman is meeting.

"It gets better," the advertisement reads. "Why settle for sadness when you can accept the luxury you deserve?"

A price, slashed out, another price in a bigger, golden font. Below are instructions on what website you should go to.

...

Fair disclaimer: I have not purchased any of the products mentioned in the advertisements above, although I am familiar with several of them. My photography is purely for analysing the merit of advertising art, and its effect on consumer behaviour. I have documented my findings online, although I can also provide you a document if you prefer.

As a side-note, I have myself dabbled in marketing in the past. Among my most successful campaigns is for "Nostalgia", which you can find in my portfolio. The product successfully triggered a renewed interest in related properties, such as "Disappointment Plus" and "Flash/Back".

With some support and resources from your end, I would be more than happy to work on our next project for "Sadism". I look forward to working with you.

[stranger-who-writes-fiction]

So 5x18...

...Well hot d*mn.

Man when Supergirl fires on all cylinders...HOO BOY.

Case in point: *gestures to all of 5x18*

To be clear: I liked this one.

A WHOLE LOT.

Not that I disliked 5x17, necessarily. It’s just that 5x18 was more... Entertaining? ...I dunno. I dunno how to explain it.

...Okay yes I do and that explanation is: Someone remarked on Kara’s use of language and Kara overcompensated on the ‘NOooOOooOO I’m totally 100% normal!’ AND there was a musical quote AND it was WHILE TEAMING UP WITH ALEX TO FOLLOW A LEAD.

But I’m getting ahead of myself let’s backtrack...

TO THE TOWER! WITH ALEX! NIA! KARA! AND M’GAAAAAANNNNN!!!!!!

June Foray voice: WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAY FOREVER?!?!?!

I know I’m not the first person to make that reference but it’s always fitting and, for real, recurring character status WHEN. (I mean. Obviously I would prefer series regular but that feels like a big ask considering that all future TV production is...uh. Ah. Erm....

...Up in the air. At the moment.)

And then we check in with the Luthors and Non Nocere isn’t working???

I am shocked! Shocked, I say!

And then we’ve got Obsidian doing something ill-advised which is basically the company’s MO at this point but KELLY AND WILLIAM ARE ON THE CASE REGARDLESS.

(So that’s kinda the one thing I’m sad about re: the Crisis reset; Andrea’s character development. But she’s sticking around for next season so I’m not too upset that she remains...kinda...one note for now.)

And THEN the library scene. 

It was so gooooood.

Then Leviathan and okay. Alright. Okay. Huge points in this episode’s favor: Rama Khan feels like a far more significant threat. And I feel like 80% of that is the fact that they just let him wear normal clothes. Thank you, show. Thank. You.

Also the rock effects were way better in this episode because they weren’t footing the bill for a giant crossover episode this time around

I am a little confused, though, by what has and has not happened with regards to Rama Khan on Earth Prime. Did the pre-Crisis stuff...happen? The dialogue...kinda made it hard to decide one way or the other. ‘He hasn’t been seen on this Earth for 100s of years’ but then also, ‘a chilly place you know quite well.’ So...he...did go to the Fortress. And fight Kara? But...all that stuff before Crisis...???

...Not gonna bother with that right now.

POINT IS...Leviathan is finally like...invested in killing Supergirl* and menacing in a very real way which both raises the stakes and makes it personal and that’s way more interesting than ‘nebulous evil organization that must be stopped.’

*I know they kinda sorta already did the whole, ‘let’s kill the Kryptonian!’ and invaded the Fortress but I don’t know what to tell ya, it was just lackluster.

J’ONN AND M’GAAAAAANNNNN

I am firmly in camp: I don’t care if they’re never green again I love seeing them in the super suits with their human faces IT’S GREAT.

Love that Nia’s snoring interrupts the moment.

Also love the deck of Rama Khan playing cards, that must’ve been a fun project for the graphic designers.

Then we’ve got William and Kara at CatCo and it’s baked goods! A hilarious line delivery by Staz! A ridiculous fabrication involving a shy, violent cat!

...Now I want Alex to actually own a shy, violent cat!

“Cats love me, for some reason.” “Of course they do.”

Side note: Love Kara’s blazer.

And then it’s ALIEEEEEENS TO THE RESCUE!

WHAT A TEAM UP, FOLKS.

We love to see it.

The interrogation scene is good n’ tense and ramps up to a very impressive showdown in the DEO (but BEFORE the sparks really start flying we get that rad shot of Kara leaping through the window and doing the superhero landing and it’s just

Perfection.)

Also perfect? Lex playing a game of transmatter pickle with the prisoners.

Then we jump back to the DEO where things are not going well!

Like, really really bad! 

But J’onn and M’gann save the day! If not the building!

RIP DEO. 2016-2020

Obituary: The DEO headquarters is survived by its elder sibling, the DEO desert base.

Look none of the favs work there anymore save for Kara and Brainy and they’re both gonna be better off working freelance for J’onn but I do expect Brainy to at least pick up some additional cash by working as a Lyft driver next season.

Me, watching the characters struggle to make it in the gig economy: I feel so seen.

The final portion of the episode is just ALL ACTING and I must say...good stuff.

Like. This cast, man. They take the plot points I’ve been ‘meh’ about all season and they turn in some stellar performances and suddenly I’m like STANDING OVATION, CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHERE THIS GOES.

Also, reason #342 I love Jon Cryer’s Lex: that scene with Lena.

Terrifying.

Full disclosure: I went in to this episode fully prepared to be really annoyed with whatever was going to happen with Lena and I still don’t...love the trajectory of this season, being so tied up in her personal drama but. 

But.

Katie McGrath’s performance...went an awful long way here. In making this...not as bad as it could have been.

Like tearfully admitting she was hurt? And that hurt was the basis of all the nonsense she pulled? Finally owning up to the fact that this was never truly about the greater good but that it was all rooted in some personal issues and OUTRIGHT STATING SHE WAS BEHAVING LIKE A VILLAIN????

I am. Extremely impressed.

EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE THOUGH: Kara remaining distant both physically and emotionally throughout that scene! Not in like, a cold uncaring way, but in a, ‘I have emotions and I have a right to feel them and set boundaries in regards to my trusting you right now given all that has transpired’ kind of way.

GOOD. YES. GOOD.

(Lex’s outburst has that kind of same Nice Guy undertone--albeit more pronounced and rage-y--as Lena’s in the Fortress. Like, ‘I supported you and you still rejected my plot to take over the world’ and ‘I was kind to you and you still messed up my mind control’ which...I dunno I might just be digging in too deep here in order to further justify the character turn but I think Cryer’s performance regardless is a really sobering wake up call for Lena, different than Lex stuff we’ve seen before. It’s close and intense and uncomfortable in a way that really sells the motivation.)

“You’re a monster...but that doesn’t mean I have to be one too.”

Wow. Might be...the first time I’ve liked Lena all season.

...whispers: might be the first time I’ve liked her ever at all

For real: credit where it’s due, that was an excellent line read.

*insert applause here*

CUT TO ADORABLE J’ONN AND M’GANN MOMENT 

D’aaaawwwwwwwwww

But, look, it’s a little undermined by the fact that they both gotta try and embrace in those bulky super suits, I’m sorry, it’s true

...Maybe it’s more endearing that way?

HEY remember how I foolishly assumed that the now-unemployed Alex would simply continue to work with J’onn in an investigative capacity and, ya know, NOT jump straight back into costumed badassery? 

HA. HAHA HAHAAAA.

Those leaked set photos make sense now.

OH NO, WILLIAM!

Real glad Staz confirmed he’s returning. Otherwise I would not be able to DEAL WITH THE STRESS.

I already talked a little bit about the loft scene but some additional points! Beautiful lighting. Wonderful score. Excellent performances all around.

A truly great end to a truly great episode.

Like, it makes me retroactively sad, that we’re only getting 5x19, as opposed to 5x19 and 5x20 because I wish that the crew/writers/actors had a little more space to let all of this good work they’ve done settle and breathe. 

(But also, it was good that they stopped production, from a safety standpoint, so. Can’t be too upset.)

And, regardless of how the next episode goes down (b/c I’m gonna be real, SG always does really great set-ups for their season finales and then kinda...rushes to the finish line and that can only be further exacerbated in this particular case) I’m just really impressed with this effort here.  

...but also LET’S TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME WILD GUESSES. Specifically, what is Alex’s vigilante name gonna be??? 

...

Alright I generally try to avoid addressing specific fandom complaints in these things b/c I generally try to avoid the fandom itself but of course some stuff has already leaked through all of my blocks/muting so:

‘Lena didn’t apologize!’ The words ‘I’m sorry’ were not said, sure, but 1.) season’s not over and 2.) for Lena, admitting she was wrong is huge. HUUUUUUUGE. It’s solid character growth and I really wish various subsets of fandom would recognize that it’s not fun, when fans hold on to negative stuff from characters’ past and refuse to acknowledge that the characters have changed.

‘Brainy should have seen this coming!’ This one is kind of more down to personal preference I guess but I feel like they’ve established that Brainy’s got a bit of a blindspot due to his feelings about his friends, so I don’t take this as a knock against his intelligence so much as him being stretched fairly thin because he’s playing all sides, and worried about the people he loves. YMMV, though. 

All the ‘fix-it’ stuff re: the last scene, by making Kara immediately forgive Lena. Lose me with that nonsense, bleh. 

[thatonebipotato]

Pills(1)

Story Warnings: Angst, Deceit, Remus, blood, descriptions of pain

Chapter Warnings: Deceit, Remus, detailed descriptions of pain, blood, screaming, uhhh let me know of any more!!

;)

~~~~~

Remus gave a loud yawn, making a show of rubbing his eyes dramatically. A long night in his imagination had made him very tired, and he wanted- no, needed- affection. He wanted comfort, because long nights of getting stressed out sometimes only caused more stress. He frowned, watching Deceit. He was currently making them some breakfast, but that wasn’t what he wanted. He didn’t want food, he wanted his snake.

“Remus,” said snake said smoothly, “maybe you should go sleep a little longer, what about that, sweetie?” Sweetie. A lovely name that he had been hearing a lot more recently. Not that he was complaining.

“Yeah, but I’d much rather enjoy the view,” he said slyly, glancing downwards before looking back up to meet the other’s gaze.(ha, gays-)

“Remus, you can look later,” he said, sighing. “You need sleep. I’ll put some food for you into the microwave so you can eat later, ok? Go sleep.”

“Hmph, fine!” He got up out of the chair and yawned again, though he tried his best to suppress it. He stumbled his way down the hall, and past the hall that branched off to his room. He didn’t want to be in his shared room, and the room they’d started preparing for him separately wasn’t finished yet. He wanted his imagination instead. Sure, Dee had told him to sleep, but he’d much rather not. Besides, he could take a nap in the imagination or something, so it was fine!

He reached the entrance to the imagination, and began to feel off. Maybe it was because he was worried about being stressed again, maybe it was something else. But there was something… wrong. About his own imagination. The door seemed to be a lot darker, and more broken than it had before. Welp, that’s what happens when you let monsters run loose around the place!

He threw the door open without a second thought and sighed contently, breathing in the sweet smells of his imagination. Despite what most everyone else thought, his side of the imagination wasn’t that dark, or even that bad. At least, not on the surface. There were many flowers with strong fragrances here and there. Most of those fragrances were different kinds of poisons or hallucinogens. Prolonged exposure to them made Remus entirely immune, and even Deceit was mostly immune to all of them. The sky was a dark gradient of purples and oranges, pinks and reds, and some dark blues, the product of an endless sunset. The sad part about the sky was it was covered in storm clouds, most of the time.

There were trees, and a lot of them. They towered over the land, and were very dark, with patterns in their bark and leaves that resembled animal skulls of all kinds, and had sharp edges. And the beasts. Oh, how Remus loved his pets! There were one eyed things with a large mouth and long claws; there were large things with a million arms and eyes that killed its prey with the thought alone; there were furry creatures that looked innocent enough, but could swallow four blue whales whole and still want more; there were slimy things and scaly things, big and small things, things with claws, and wings, and broken, sharp teeth. Ones that howled, and groaned, and yipped, barked, cried, whined, and spoke. He loved his pets!

He wandered up to two trees, the mud made from the previous rain threatening to make him slip. They were very tall, and rigid. He held out his hands, and several ropes appeared in them, and a large cloth sheet. It was a hammock. He began tying one end to one of the trees, and the other to the second tree. He pulled down one side, and leapt up into the hammock. It rocked under his weight, before settling into a lazy roll.

Today, there weren’t any clouds. The trees blocked out most of his view, but he could still see the soft colours. The smell of sickeningly(quite literally) sweet flowers was mixed in with joyous scent of rain. One tiny little fuzzball leapt from the fronds and onto Remus’s tummy. It purred and curled up, producing a sort of tickly sensation. Remus reached out his hand and started gently petting the thing. It was just as soft as it looked. Most people would be sceptical about this puffball, and they should be. While is was furry, and looked like a very tiny monkey, it had the mouth of a snake. It’s jaw could unhinge, and it was venomous. It attacked anyone that wasn’t Remus or Deceit if they showed any sign of danger, or startled it too much.

Her name was Fred.

Fred yawned lazily, turning over onto her back to allow Remus access to her belly, purring louder when his hand found said spot. Remus slowly traced shapes onto her belly, and smiled. Fred had been staying around Remus remus a lot more, and was a sign that she was expecting. In a world made by Remus, what else did you expect? Well, expect more than they were, currently.

Her tail loosely curled around his wrist, and she dozed off into a quiet slumber. Remus would join soon after, but he didn’t want to. He forced himself to stay up until he couldn’t. His eyes felt like they were on fire, and his eyelids weighed down a person being thrown off the dock tied to an anchor. It didn’t help that he had started to itch, a mad burning sensation that crept down his arms and legs, and buried itself into his stomach. For all the pains he’d ever felt, this one was new. Was this supposed to happen? He couldn’t remember.

Just as he was about to drift off, he screamed. The pain immediately flared up, and it hurt. A lot. It felt as though his muscles were being pulled apart one by one, but also at the same time. His joints felt like they were being pressed into burning iron, and the heat never once died down. His skin grew extremely cold, and hurt against the burning of everything else. He kicked and thrashed and screamed and cried, falling off of the hammock and into the mud. He writhed around, and if anyone saw him, they would’ve thought he was having a seizure of some sort.

By this point, Fred was up and about, having been startled so horribly from her nap. She was still on the hammock, and was screeching at Remus with confusion written across her tiny face. The danger was coming from him, but he was also the one in danger. She didn’t know how, she just knew that he was.

Remus curled into a ball, still screaming. He’d managed to control himself from hitting everything around him, but he was still in pain. Why was he in pain? What was happening? Why wouldn’t it stop already? Was it happening to the others? Was this happening to Dee?!

His eyes, which had previously been squeezed close, shot open. Oh God, was this happening to Deceit?! He forced himself onto his hands and knees, even though he was in agony. His attempts to stand kept failing, and he kept falling back onto his knees, so he decided he would just crawl out instead.

The screeching had stopped, Fred was gone. Where she had gone, he didn’t know, but he didn’t want to care right now. He had to check on Dee.

There were suddenly arms under his own. He started hurting more due to pressure being put onto him, but that didn’t matter. Whatever had grabbed him was moving closer to the door. That’s all he needed.

The thing gently placed him back onto the cold, wet ground, and lowered Fred onto him. She had gone to get help! She made sure to jump off of him as soon as possible, and started working on opening the door. Once she got it to click open, she pushed it wide enough for Remus to crawl through, and sat waiting for him to pass through.

He started crying more, having to pick himself back up and out the door, which closed behind him as soon as he was out. He heard sobbing coming from down the hall, and forced himself up, leaning onto the wall. In this moment, he wanted to die more than ever. But he couldn't He had to check on his snake, dammit!

It took a long time, but he finally made it to the last stretch. It was just a crawl from here to get to his hurt Double Dee and make sure he was ok. The second that his own struggles had made a noise in the mostly quiet living space, the sobbing softened.

“R-Remus? Is-is that you?” His voice was broken and quiet.

“Y-” Remus got cut off by a coughing fit, which only made him feel worse, if that was even possible. When he finally stopped, he looked down to see blood on the floor, and some gloved hands by his face, that were also covered in blood. He had to physically restrain himself from screaming when the hands softly cupped his face. He finally looked up, and, though he felt like he was burning at the stake, felt his blood run cold.

Deceit had blood on his chin and staining his clothes. There were tears in his eyes, and he looked white as a sheet. His scales, while normally a vibrant greenish-yellow, looked grey, and his eye was tinged blue. Which was weird, because he wasn’t close to shedding.

“D-Dee Dee, what happened?” he forced out. His own voice was raspy and scratchy from him screaming, and it felt like he was being choked when he spoke, and not in the good way.

“I don’t- I don’t know,” Deceit admitted. His teeth were also stained red. “I think something’s w-wrong, but I just… Remus, everything’s r-really cold.” He looked close to fainting.

“Dee, take- take me to the couch. Now.”

Deceit didn’t question it. He just threw his arms around Remus’s shoulders and supported him as they walked to the couch, slowly. When they got there, and Deceit had set Remus down, Remus knew he would regret what he was doing.

He grabbed Deceit’s hand quickly, and pulled him down onto him with maybe too much force. Yep, he regretted it. The pressure felt like he’d been hit in the chest with a fast paced, rolling boulder. He didn’t say anything as he wrapped his arms around the others chest and held him tightly. Deceit went to protest, but then melted into the touch.

“You’re so warm,” he muttered, burying his face into Remus’s neck.

The second Deceit’s skin touched his, he squeaked.

“Wow, and you’re- you’re really cold!” Deceit was somehow even colder than Remus was. The pain slowly melted away, as it was like an ice pack was pressed into him, but it slowly returned as Deceit heated up. By the time that happened, it was too late to get Dee to move or get him an ice pack or something, because the snek was asleep. He was softly snoring, and looked so peaceful like that, despite the fact that he was bloody and actively causing discomfort.

Remus sighed, and decided the pain was absolutely worth it. He would give his life for Dee, and though he wasn’t dying now, this was the best thing he could do.

Though he was in pain, he forced himself to close his eyes. Soon enough, it started to ease up, and Remus was finally asleep. The breakfast the Deceit had been making was forgotten on the counter, and aside from the snoring from the two Dark Sides, it was silent.

This. This was peaceful. This is how the both wanted it from now on, at least for a little longer.

But that was only the first pill.

~~~~~

:DDDDD

Sorry for any mistakes I made, I didn't really go back and check for any, lol

Taglist: @fatesail @supersoftsupersleep @thesoftestpuffballwegot @chronophobica (two of you guys did show up? I?? Sorry???)