#show us the gains 💪

[imaginesig]

"I think he knows... he's gorgeous"

Paul Aron x singer!Reader

SMAU

I had such a hard time hunting down f2 wags so only Estelle is mentioned despite me wanting others-- sorry! Also the timeline doesn't fit reality but I do what I want and I made up a new gp for my own personal gain

Inspired by: Eras Tour Stockholm Night 1 Mashup

All songs mentioned are tagged at the very bottom

yourusername

liked by taylorswift, paularon_, user54, and 829,938 others

yourusername: I've taken my final bow on the eras tour stage today... I'm so upset it's over but so so happy to have had the experience. Taylor, you've been such a fantastic mentor and supporter! Thank you for bringing me along 🫶🫶🫶

tagged: taylorswift

taylorswift it ws an honor to have you!! Can't wait to work with you in the future 🫶🫶🫶

user1 omg collab????

paularon_ you were incredible! now hurry up and get to Melbourne

yourusername otw 🏃‍♀️‍➡️

taylorswift thank you for letting me borrow her on off season!!

user2 my fav opener!!!

user5 lmao Paul's comment 💀

user6 they're literally my fab couple on the grid

user7 same!! I need more songs about him

user3 im so glad I got you for my show!!!!

user4 ugh you put the rest of us swifties to shame

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Paularon_

liked by yourusername, kimi.antonelli, dinobeganovic, and 927,838 others

Paularon_: "I remember how we felt sitting by the water, and every time I look at you it's like the first time"

tagged: yourusername

yourusername you did not need to expose me playing mermaids

paularon_ you looked to cute, what's a man supposed to do 🤷‍♂️

oscarpiastri enjoying Melbourne then??

paularon_ you know it

hitechgp our fav couple 😍😍

user1 the rings 😭

user2 ok Paul with the Taylor caption

user3 he's every girls dream man

user4 I need to know where Y/n got her swimsuit-- I love that color

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yourusername

liked by lettiemng, olliebearman, taylorswift, and 783,939 others

yourusername: 🏄‍♀️🌺

tagged: lettiemng

paularon_ so nice to see you left me out of all the fun

olliebearman right

yourusername you guys had gp stuff

lettiemng plus being a surfing wag was way more entertaining and I got to work on my tan

lettiemng please teach me soon!!!

yourusername ofc ofc

user1 Aussie surfing is the best

user2 this post is to Pinterest

user3 you look gorgeous

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paularon_

liked by user5, user58, hitechgp, and 968,976 others

paularon_: thats P1 in Melbourne!! My good luck charm is back baby🍀❤️

tagged no one

yourusername THATS MY MAN

yourusername WHOOOP WHOOP

yourusername CELEBRATION TIME!!!!!!!

yourusername I LOVE YOU MY CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER

paularon_ I LOVE YOU TOO

user5 I love that they match each others energy

user1 Y/n is the gf we all need

hitechgp there's no way to beat Y/n, but congratulations anyway 👏

user2 yes sir 💪💪

user3 not him calling her his lucky charm 🥹

user4 ugh Pauls out here raising relationship standards one post at a time

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Time Skip: a few races later, about midseason

yourusername

liked by paularon_, danielseavey, user54, and 928,938 others

yourusername: I've spent these past few weeks traveling the world with the love of my life and the best group of friends I could've ever asked for!! I've enjoyed our endless lights of exploring, partying, and racing 🩵 To celebrate, my newest album, "Little Calm," will drop next Friday!!

tagged: no one

taylorswift so excited!!! I can't wait to hear the rest of what you cooked up, Enchanted is already so special 🫶

yourusername thank you for adding you special sparkle to the mix 🫶

danielseavey best writing season ever, thank you for reaching out

yourusername ofc!! It was magical to see how closely our experiences were and how they shaped into such a beautiful song

paularon_ so so proud!! I can't wait to hear it ❤️

yourusername I love you much ❤️ but you've def heard all of these to some degree

paularon_ but I can't wait to hear them all put together

lettiemng ugh the perfect soundtrack for our epic summer ☀️

lettiemng I say we have a windows down in the car listening session

yourusername yesssssss

user1 oh please have songs about Paul!!

user2 right I've listen to Gorgeous so much we NEED more

user3 and they weren't even together when she wrote it, imagine the stuff now!!!

user4 AHHHHH TAYLOR COLLAB

user5 yk its a good summer when Y/n covers One Direction and Billy Joel

user6 duality of man

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paularon_

liked by yourusername, hitechgp, user84, and 244,937 others

paularon_: wonderful album, kullakallis 🩵

tagged: yourusrname

yourusername ma armastan sind 🩵

dinobenganovic wonderful album, me and my gf love it!!

user1 Im not crying you are

user2 who's cutting onions in here 🥹

user3 "we can follow the sparks, ill drive"

user4 not Paul beating all of us (including Y/n) with the post

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yourusername

liked by user4, lettiemnd, user5, and 928,389 others

yourusername: "Little Calm" out now!!

tagged paularon_

user1 omg I NEED surfer Paul content

user2 this IS the summer of Y/n with this drop

paularon_ so so so amazed by you

yourusername so so so amazed by YOU

danielseavey on repeat 🔁

taylorswift adding to the pre-eras playlist now!!!

user3 this album is gonna own my sporty wrapped

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paularon_

liked by yourusername, user5, user9, and 893,039 others

paularon_: "Feels like I'm falling and I / I'm lost in your eyes / You make me crazier"

tagged: yourusername

lettiemng I just looked at my boyfriend and signed

olliebearman HEY

yourusername LMAO ESTELLE

username awww baby 🥹

paularon_ ❤️❤️

user1 God its me again

user2 yes marriage is scary, what if he doesn't treat me like Paul does Y/n

user3 live laugh love PaulY/n

user4 the paddock pic 😭 she's so us

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yourusername

liked by user3, taylorswift, lettiemng, and 829,093 others

yourusername: I'm going on tour!!! Dates/tickets on my website 🩵🩵

tagged: no one

user1 not the tour dates lining up so she can be at Paul's races

user2 we praise him for being the ultimate boyfriend, but Y/n is the ultimate girlfriend

lettiemng do I like that you'll be away from me, no, am I still so so happy, yes

yourusername 💋💋

paularon_ so proud!! You're gonna kill it

yourusername with your support?? Yes I am!!

taylorswift brb grabbing tickets now

user3 just got my tickets!!!

user4 im so excited

user5 wdym Y/n's going on her own tour?? Didn't she just drop her first album?? She's not popular enough for her own?? She's still out little secret??

user6 me fr fr

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Time Skip- a few more races

paularon_

liked by yourusername, hitehcgp, user54, and 839,928 others

paularon_ so blessed to win at my home race!! Thank you to my family for supporting me

tagged: no one

yourusername so so proud baby!!

paularon_ ❤️❤️

user1 this was enough to make me cry

user2 more points closer to the championship

user3 I love this!!!

user4 first I get to watch Paul win and tomorrow I get to see Y/n perform

user5 what a life!!

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paularon_

liked by user3, yourusername, aronralph, and 827,720 others

paularon_: ma armastan sind ❤️

tagged yourusername

yourusername ma armastan sind ❤️

user1 estonia won best show

user2 right im so jelous

user3 a Paul win and a love mashup?? I can't take it

user4 when will it be my turn

user5 looks like ill be sleeping in traffic tonight

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yourusername

liked by taylorswift, paularon_, olliebearman, and 823,929 others

yourusername: Estonia you've been my favorite show, but im a bit bias ;)

tagged paularon_

comments have been disabled

Bonus, sometime in the future

paularon_

liked by auroralf, dinobeganovic, lukebrownracing, and 983, 938 others

paularon_: "Home was a place, now home is a person and you're looking at rings 'cause you swear that you're certain"

tagged yourusername

yourusername ❤️

aronralf I've waited too long for this, congrats!!

lettiemng ahhhh im crying!!!

olliebearman congrats!

dinobeganovic so happy man!!

lukebrownracing party time!!

comments have been limited

~~~

Songs mentioned:

I Think He Knows by Taylor Swift

San Franciso by 5 Seconds of Summer

Fearless by Taylor Swift

You, Me, and the Beat from Liv and Maddie

Crazier from Hannah Montana

You're On Your Own, Kid by Taylor Swift

The Older You Get by Daniel Seavey

Enchanted by Taylor Swift

Live While We're Young by One Direction

Vienna by Billy Joel

Gorgeous by Taylor Swift

[coppernuggets]

i’m a tad bit confused with the second chance AU—Cyn is Cyn, straight up?

i ask because sometimes (even in the show) the differentiation between Cyn and the AbsoluteSolver entity just doesn’t exist so i feel the need to ask

Yep! Cyn is just cyn, no solver attached

While she does act very similar to her usual self in the show, she's gained back morality and understanding of people being people, not toys or food to play with

she can be scared again, she can truly care again, she can be sad again, she can be cyn again

I like to think the solver took on a lot of Cyn's quirks and partially some of her interests, simply because she was the first solver host. Cyn loved her brother, so the solver took it to the extreme. Cyn didn't want to lose tessa, so the solver wore her skin.

However cyn isn't completely innocent, she pitched the idea of disassembly drones in the first place, so the solver executed that idea. While she originally just wanted to get back at people she genuinely hated, the solver used her idea to help destroy planets. In a way, the disassembly drone designs were just her funky ocs in her head. But when the solver started experimenting to make them a reality, sure cyn was petrified at first, but she quickly warmed up to the idea and even partook willingly. First they were only using already gone drones, but when the solver took over more and cyn was pushed into the back of her own mind, the experiments extended to v, n, j and the other drones in the mansion.

alright but I'm rambling

TLDR yea they're different 💪 Cyn is Cyn, the solver used most of her quirks cuz she's the first, but the solver is gone so normal cyn exists once more

[lmanburgseulogy]

One thing about the Pog vs Swag debate I haven’t seen anyone talk about is how much they argued about the past (and i think this gave an advantage to pog in a way.)

Especially when George and Tommy debated, it was like George was trying to rewrite the history. Here’s a quote from him- “I didn’t even blow up L’manburg, I was under dream’s rule.” Yet he shows no sympathy for the ways they suffered when Tommy rebuttals. Plus in classic Dream Team fashion George just completely blames them for the war. He claims this when they value peace in their ideals. (ex: words over weapons, no armor or weapons within the walls) Which of course they break time and time again. It was war. Either way L’manburg still does a better job with it. they showed up to fight Dream dual-wielding sticks and willing to talk. The Dream Team showed up to fight with full netherite and screamed no mercy the entire fucking time until there home was blown up enough.

Now here’s the thing, George can say whatever he wants to about L’manburg. He has the right to if he doesn’t agree with them. But it’s not the greatest decision when you’re trying to win THEIR ELECTION. He talks shit about L’manburg like he’s not trying to gain votes from their citizens but the Greater SMPs. Not the best debate strategy if you ask me.

The voters know the truth and most of them still have bias for L’manburg anyway. They know how it really went. All George has proved is he’s willing to lie when things get heated. They should’ve focused more on the future of the Swag party, because we know the country’s past, but not it’s future. And the past is what L’manburg uses as their greatest asset. They could’ve swept it right from under their feet it they were smarter about it (but i dont think anyone of the dream team has a single thought in their head if you ask me LMANBURG STRONG 💪)

[wintersera]

I just dropped from masters to diamond in Overwatch ranked and I’m gonna cry but besides that

I been thinking of like shy g!p gym rat kazuha that like you go to the gym with her one time and someone is flirting with you in front of her and she just gets mad and fucks you like I have one of the biggest crushes in this girl man

-🐈‍⬛

cw: public sex, g!p kazuha, oral (giving)

anon… please carry me 😭 i used to be hard stuck gold back in ow1. good luck if you’re tryna climb back uo to master!!

but anyways YES shy g!p gym rat zuha you say?? ouhh girly invited you to go to the gym one day with her bc yk workouts RAAAHH💪 GAINS💪💪 jokes-😭 its more of a poor excuse to get you to wear gym clothes (the ones where you can SEE 👀 everything) and its also another poor excuse to get you to see her abs and biceps 🤤

well zuha is,, shy and doesn’t know how to talk to women correctly, even you 😭 yeah you guys are friends and she sees you in a non friend way partner like ooooh she has a crush on youuu 🤭 like she doesn’t even know why you stick around with her bc she doesn’t really talk that much, only bc she doesn’t know what exactly to say to you.

anywayss,,, you two were just doing regular gym stuff. you trying to bench press at least more than you usually do and zuha is spotting you like the good gym rat she is :)) and then a random man had the audacity to talk to you while you were lifting heavy ass weights?? LIKE MOOOVEE?;!;?:??;

“hey cutie, do you want me to help you? those seem too heavy for your pretty hands to hold?”

oh man,, zuha had never felt this pissed off before- like she was getting bolddd,, all that shyness she once had leaves her body as soon as that man opened his mouth.

mhmhm yk where this is going,, had to shove that man away from the bench, like fr shove him tf away 😭😭 she’s strong as hell so she had no issues with pushing a guy out the way- anwyays after she did all that, she grabbed your hand and dragged you to the changing rooms :)) as she was feeling extra bold today she wanted to yk relieve some of the tension AND there’s definitely gonna be some tension relieving 🤭

you noticed her bulge showing through her compression pants (bc she’s simply just that big 🤤) and being the good friend you are, you ask to suck her off? now normally shy zuha would say something like “ah- no it’s okay you don’t have to” :<< BUT SHE WAS FEELING PISSED,, accepting your offer bc she needed to feel less stressed abt the situation-

already ready to get cock sucked, she’s lifting your hair up in a makeshift ponytail, pulling you closer and closer to herd bulge,, you sliding down her sweatpants and her compression pants her cock springs up and hits the side of your face 😳😳

makes you deepthroat her so quickly that i catches you wayyyy off guard. zuha head pusher fr!! like she’s so caught up in the pleasure that she doesn’t realise she’s moving her hands on there own,, having two hands on your head moving it to her will AUGH ZUHAAA?:!/: doesn’t even give you time to breath, her mind thinking of cumming all over your pretty face.

cock twitching in you mouth, her legs starting to shake- ouuhh she was close to cumming. now mind you, you’re in a PUBLIC changing room with those stalls. zuha, on the verge of cumming, bites her lip as continues to rock her hips into your mouth. feeling your hot tongue on the base of her cock, she lets her senses wash over her body- muffled moans as she’s making sure no one could hear her cum,, finally letting go of your head once she’s poured out all her semen down your throat :))

—

a/n: this isn’t proofread yet- it’s 5am and i’m about to snooze i’ll edit it it when i wake up 😭

[tuuna-jsgross]

Donny Lore

(I don’t ever use this account so I’m going to spam my brain rot here)

-Parents divorced when he was in elementary school. His mom cheated and moved to her parents farm house in New Jersey. She wanted zero custody, but took them for summers only to keep what was left of her reputation afloat.

-Louise, who was 15 when it began, hated her and wasn’t afraid to show it. Everytime their mom would verbally abuse Donny (at the time was 12), Louise stood ground, snapping right back at her.

-Donny was more often than not put down for his size. He was overweight as a kid, and even though at school he was popular for his charming personality, his mom would destroy that confidence every summer. School and Dads house was his safe haven- he wasn’t seen as an inconvenience for how tall he was, how big he was, how loud he was.

-To get away from his mom and her all-around destructive behavior, he stayed outside all summer, taking up running to cope with everything. Back at school he took weight class and found he really enjoyed working out and gaining muscle.

-Donny has a huge sweet tooth. Because of the damage done by his mom he’ll never fully admit it, but he’d never refused ruhbarb pie and loves putting a lot of honey in his tea.

-By 11 years old, Donny was 6’ foot. He was always slightly embarrassed, but his friends at school thought he was cool for how tall he was. Then summer would come around.

-By his 20’s he was over 6’6, possibly 6’7.

-He only allowed himself to gain weight after he became a dad. Dad bod don 💪💪

[agentmaineapologist]

Dude, you are a god damn messiah for giving us RVB on drive. all hail the chosen one!!!

Ty ty, ik I'm amazing 💪

I started this drive well before the YouTube purge happened cus I wanted to be able to watch rvb offline. Originally it was only seasons 1-17 and it didn't even have subtitles for them, but after the first few seasons started getting taken down I figured "Yk what, fuck it. I'm decently good at this shit anyway, might as well put it to use for the greater good." And thus it began.

I didn't even think to put the PSAs on there until very last minute, and by then people had begun asking for them anyway. The drive didn't really gain traction until late in the purge and people started asking around for links.

Anyway, I'm glad yall like the Drive so much 💪 and I'm proud to be the provider of one of the most popular drive links in the Fandom!!

I'm thinking about making a second drive with a burner account cus this one is at 98% capacity and I'll be damned before I start paying a monthly fee for access to my favorite show. If that does happen to be the case in the future, drop some things you'd like to be on it! I know I'd put the outtakes on there for sure, and maybe some of the DVD content if I can find it all.

[lachlmomama]

Don't wait for Aug 13 to do something about Jimin's radio play or lack thereof.

I have been saying this since the release but sadly I don't have much followers. I requested big accounts to spread the word but they've been busy with other promotions. Anyway, I have messaged these X accounts to request for WHO. Some have responded to my request positively so that shows that WHO is is gaining attention. Here are some of the radio stations that I message everyday. It's not much but if 1 or 2 reply favorably, that is a win. And if many of us request the song, they have no choice but to listen to us. I am a measly account here on Tumbler and on X. So I ask the big accounts like @roo-bastmoon, etc who have many followers to help me spread the word. Thanks super!

Together, we can help Jimin reach No. 1 organically! 💪🌻💐🩷🩵💚🎵🎶🕺😍

@OnAirRomeo

@OnAirWithRyan

@Channel933

@KISSFMPhoenix

@johnjayandrich

@radiosuzette

@1043MYFM

@Wild949

@itsHOT106

@hits947

@i92knoxville

@KplusArmyhour

@997now

@BigReidRadio

@djclee

@JoJoWright

@1027kiisfm

@itsHOT106

@997now

If you guys have other X radio station accounts that you can add to the list, please feel free to do so. Let us do some guerilla marketing for Jimin. If the big companies won't move to market Jimin's MUSE well, then PJMs will do it for him -like tiny fire ants, we will work together to get MUSE and WHO to the top. Gaja!!! 🌻🌻🌻

[sillygo0fycl0wn]

hi! I’d love to hear your head canons about ryuk x matsuda (matsuryuk?) Like, who falls first, who falls harder, etc, etc. Thanks! :D

Hello omg yes, I’d love to share some headcanons about these two goobers!!

Haven’t been in a writing mood so sorry for any poor grammar/ maybe stereotypical or boring headcanons, but I’ll do my best! :D (Get ready for my massive yapping session 💪)

Spoilers for Death Note ahead!!

<3 <3 <3

• Their ship name is truly a conundrum.. I love ship names that have a bit more silliness to them that aren’t just the squashed together names of the pair but man I’ve been coming up blank for these two sadly :(( I did see someone mention “Applesuit” which I could get behind.. if anyone has any other ideas let me know I’ll 💍

• Matsuda was definitely the one who fell first without realizing it in the beginning, but something just clicked the minute he saw Ryuk and actually got to know the shinigami and his life. Matsuda is really the only person out of the Task Force who was interested in communicating with Ryuk that didn’t strictly involve interrogation - he was curious about other matters and that got them to delve into deeper conversations. It was sort of a strange thing to imagine in Matsuda’s mind that he was actually falling for a literal monster - a threat even who could kill him at any second - but that didn’t matter whatsoever. That monster was surprisingly nice and handsome of course 💅 His slight naivety probably helped push it forward some..

• Ryuk, on the other hand, wouldn’t really come to terms for his feelings for Matsuda until after Light died. Once returning to the shinigami realm, Ryuk went on feeling as if he were missing something in his life but kept pushing it aside as just his boredom until he physically couldn’t get the image of Matsuda out of his mind, figuring out just how dearly he missed the kindness and wonderful attitude from such a human. For the first couple of years, Ryuk stayed and decided to watch over Matsuda, becoming Gelus levels of obsession where he would rarely leave his post to follow the man around. After some time, Ryuk would gain his hands on another Death Note and in this AUish, headcanon world idea I’ve come up with, instead of going to Minoru in the time skip, he would latch onto Matsuda. Not only to spend more proper time with him but also for Ryuk’s slight amusement to see if Matsuda would be willing to use the Death Note to himself. I’d imagine, judging by how Matsuda saw that there was a sense of misguided goodness in Kira beforehand, would be persuaded to use the note although he uses it very sparingly to not bring attention to himself and of course only kills the worst of the worst.

• The question for who fell harder is a bit more complex because while Matsuda is way more outward with his emotions, becoming all giddy and flushed around Ryuk, I think that they still fell equally as hard for the other. Ryuk has this more softer yet still as passionate love for Matsuda, an emotion he can’t grasp until it hits him in the face.

• Matsuda was the only one out of the Task Force concerned in feeding Ryuk and he took this way more seriously than Light or probably anyone else would. Matsuda would be a massive stickler in trying to find the best, ripest, most juiciest apples he could possibly muster (and afford..) for Ryuk and this started the small spark in Ryuk’s brain toward Matsuda for being so thoughtful enough to try and find such wonderful apples.

��� In return, Ryuk shows his appreciation with a tactic known as pebbling (something penguins do and I overall headcanon that this is one of the ways shinigami show their love - platonic or otherwise :3) Pebbling is essentially just an individual finding a cool looking rock to give to their partner/ friend. Anytime Matsuda brought Ryuk a brand new bag of apples, Ryuk would bring Matsuda rocks he found wherever he could. And obviously.. he kept them all 😔 Probably has a little chest and everything filled with nothing but damn rocks

• Matsuda definitely has a hard time concealing his feelings but since Ryuk doesn’t fully grasp the concept of human nature at first (particularly romantic feelings) + he doesn’t believe any human would ever love him, he’s quite oblivious if Matsuda gets super nervous around him or gets all flustered. Misa is the main one who notices and constantly teases Matsuda about it - again, Ryuk just blows it off, not accepting it as fact

• Ryuk seldom left Matsuda’s side during the days of the Task Force (unless forced to) and would often just stand over Matsuda’s shoulder, watching him work. He always cursed himself for getting genuinely excited whenever Matsuda came into work.

• Matsuda often helps out Ryuk in preening his feathers, really only in those hard to reach areas near the center of his back. This was one of their first more intimate moments together when, Ryuk - someone who rarely ever lets anyone touch his wings because he takes great pride in them - ask Matsuda for help in preening during the Task Force days. Lotsa trust there, but Matsuda does a great job at it. No matter how long it takes, he’s sure to be precise.

• Funny thing is that I headcanon shinigami do this to one another on occasion too (only the ones with feathered wings). This allopreening junk is mostly seen in a platonic way since sometimes you just can’t reach those nasty pin feathers 😔 But Ryuk tries to return the favor for Matsuda’s help and by return the favor he sort of.. grooms Matsuda in the way of licking his messy hair cat-style and making it all pretty with his saliva 🫶 good for you Ryuk. He tries 😔

• I don’t believe that Ryuk would ever sacrifice his life at the end of Matsuda’s for a couple reasons. One, Matsuda will still be a mortal being no matter if his life is extended past that previous death date, he will die eventually and there’s no going back against that. The only qualm is that Ryuk is now dead as well. Secondly, the life Matsuda would get after Ryuk’s sacrifice would not be one worth living due to the extensive amount of years that would be put on his person, essentially making him immortal and suffering for it in the process - something Ryuk definitely would never want to leave Matsuda with. However, since they have the mutual agreement that Ryuk will be the one to write Matsuda’s name down when it seems fit, Ryuk would be sure to make his death as painless as possible to ensure the best final ending for his human. Ryuk would, in a bittersweet moment, hold a dying Matsuda in his arms, knuckle gingerly brushing against his cheek, telling him that everything’s going to be alright - that type of angsty junk 😔

To more generalized headcanons..

• Ryuk adores the way humans are so warm and toasty because he has no natural pulse or bloodflow to keep his own body warm so in turn he feels like a literal icicle. He quite likes giving general touches to Matsuda once warming up to the man, particularly holding his hands and touching his face in gentle gestures. The two of them oftentimes will sleep together for this reason. Even though Ryuk doesn’t sleep, he willingly holds onto Matsuda and gets super cozy with how soothing his body temperature is. Matsuda doesn’t even mind the cold because (just like little ol me 💅) he’s always burning up at night so the two cancel each other out into nothing but comfort :3

• Speaking of their sleeping arrangements, their two main positions are holding one another in a tight embrace or having Matsuda sprawled out on top of Ryuk with his arms knitted around Matsuda’s waist.

• (CW: Light talk of panic attacks) Andd speaking of Ryuk’s cold natured self.. this comes in handy if Matsuda ever has really bad days where he may enter panic or otherwise anxiety attacks. One way to help someone refocus during a panic attack is with intense sensations such as holding an ice cube to shock the body into returning to reality. Ryuk is a horrible comforter, he never really knows how to communicate or verbalize properly, so the one way he can help is to hold Matsuda’s hands during these episodes to help calm him down. He’s also really good at making random talk in order to act as a distraction.

• These two cannot kiss each other if their lives depended on it- Matsuda, poor guy, has definitely not been in any serious relationships in his life besides for a couple dates here and there and so he’s a massive kiss virgin. Ryuk.. Where the hell would he find the time to smooch someone. As a result (plus the size difference between the two), they struggle to actually kiss each other without it looking like a hot ass mess.. but they learn and grown together in their relationship, slowly finding ways around it (I wouldn’t recommend making out with Ryuk tho those fangs lord nightmare right there 😬)

• Horrible kissers? Try also horrible bakers- They desperately want to make something for the other but can’t. Matsuda I can imagine wants to bake something simple such as an apple pie, but greatly messes it up and resorts to buying one from the store, while Ryuk tries to make something like breakfast for Matsuda one day only to nearly set the house on fire.. they do their best but unfortunately no dice 😔

• The size difference can come in handy though as Ryuk tends to show his affection in a bit of I suppose not a typical fashion when it comes to physical affection? He’s very handsy in the way that he won’t offer kisses, hand holding, or hugs, but will scoop Matsuda up in his arms and carry him around alongside putting the other in his lap or on his shoulder. He loves coming up behind Matsuda and just surprising him with a giant swoop into his arms. This also makes it easy for Ryuk to bring Matsuda to bed if he fell asleep out on the couch.

• Mmm cheesy love trope for these two - Ryuk calling Matsuda pet names in different languages (overall headcanon that shinigami can speak any language to communicate with all humans). Ryuk goes down the list of just saying “my love” in whatever language he can think of. Works on Matsuda way too well-..

• Ryuk loves to tease Matsuda whether he’s on a phone call, interacting with others that can’t see Ryuk, or just simply working - typically out in a public setting where Ryuk can distract Matsuda with tender touches, small whispers in his ear or even lighthearted kisses. The one time he’s perfectly happy with initiating the physical affection. He’s glad to rile Matsuda up in front of people without them knowing any better.

• Similarly, Ryuk always has to comment on whatever the hell is going on and this will make Matsuda laugh pretty much 100% of the time, often to his dismay because it’s at such inappropriate occasions

• Ryuk loves seeing him laugh though, it makes him happy :3

• Ryuk can’t obviously wear any of Matsuda’s clothes like in that stereotypical love trope way, but he will steal whatever he can get his hands on (shirts, jackets, etc) and snuggle up with them because he still loves the way they smell + Matsuda in general

• Ryuk likes to beg Matsuda for a bite of whatever he’s eating and Matsuda always obliges even though he knows Ryuk will grumble about how ‘nasty’ it is with his picky ass. He just does it to tease ✨

<3 <3 <3

A h a ranting aside, I tried to come up with as many as I could, I tend to be super blehh when it comes to pairing headcanons compared to just singular or species headcanons- Still hope you enjoy though! And thanks so much for making my brain go haywire with this ask 💪

[garf-lover96]

another thing i thought would be cute to do for the anniversary was answering some romance questions (credit for them goes to @/cityandking!!) with Rowan and Julian :333 there were a lot of questions in the original post so i picked just a few!! 9 for August 9th :p

<3

• What did your OC initially think about their partner? What did their partner think about them?

Rowan about Julian: scary tall man with a confusing attitude and nice hair. that impression already started changing upon their first proper meeting at the Rowdy Raven. watching Julian interact with people that seemed to have a high opinion of him definitely made him somehow calmer

Julian about Rowan: the glass jar to his temple definitely left a strong first impression... it made him see Rowan as more dangerous and confident than he actually was :p then he started feeling really bad once he noticed just how unsure Rowan felt most of the time

• Is your OC married to their partner? What are their thoughts about marriage? Would they get married (if they're not already)?

Julian loves the idea of marriage (very romantic), but Rowan doesn't really have a need for it. they love each other, they already live together, they share each other's things... also considering that Rowan is still trying to get his memories back, he subconsciously finds the thought of moving to a 'next chapter of life' without having that closure with his past quite disturbing. they both have come to an agreement about not getting married :) (there's kind of a tangled the series reference here, for those in the know.....)

• Does your OC care about what other people think about their partner and their relationship? Why or why not?

the only opinion about their relationship that truly matters is their own (but it's generally not a problem because Julian is quite well liked)!! they're both shameless and love PDA. Rowan thinks it's a privilege to be loved like this and wants to show it off!!!!

• What is your OC's favorite trait of their partner's? What's their partner's favorite trait of theirs?

if they were to be asked personally, they'd both answer "everything", obviously.... but to be a little more specific

Rowan's favorite Julian traits: hair, nose, the amount of LOVE for the human race that guy has inside of him, his sense of humor and penchant for theatrics!!

Julian's favorite Rowan traits: eyes, smile, determination, his love of the world (he was ecstatic about that when they started traveling), the ability to put up with him💔

• What's one thing about your OC's partner that annoys them? What's one thing about your OC that annoys their partner? How do they deal with that?

Rowan isn't as much annoyed as concerned about the amount of coffee Julian drinks daily. Julian on the other hand gets a little ruffled when proposes that he could try a different drink instead (he's just a little paranoid about Julian dying out of a heart attack someday). one the most tense of situations that ever happen in their household is when Rowan sets down a cup of tea in front of Julian at breakfast and looks down at him with pleading eyes. "it has caffeine in it, i swear, please just try it 🥺🥺 maybe you'll like it, come on......"

• What's the worst memory your OC has of their partner?

ummm Julian getting hanged... Rowan avoids thinking about that sight but whenever he gets nightmares, it always comes back

• What's the best memory your OC has of their partner?

the answer is "every moment spent with Julian is a blessing" but that one time he had to improvise on the stage is one of Rowan's favorites ❤️

• Has your OC's partner ever made them cry? Has your OC ever made their partner cry?

they make each other cry all the time, they're already used to it. they're a disgustingly emotional couple and proud of it 💪

• How has your OC's relationship with their partner changed them?

awww they fixed each other ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Rowan feels a little bit more like himself ever since he gained that stable relationship privilege. he's slowly gaining back his confidence and is in general the happiest lad ever

[ddwcaph-game]

Gameplay Tips

Hello everyone! I'm planning to add a "Show Gameplay Tips" option, and I'm looking for some feedback!

Enabling tips will provide you with explanations on how certain choices and mechanics work, but shouldn't be necessary to understand the game.

This is a bit long, so I'll hide it below:

Please note that the tips will only show up when relevant, they're not all displayed in one page!

Gameplay Tips (listed in order):

This is a flashback! You will be able to select your character and your twin's gender later!

Choices marked with an emoji will give your character a Trait or a Passive. Traits and Passives allow you to customize your character's appearance, personality, and preferences. Most of them unlock special choices and interactions, as well as giving a variety of bonuses. The choice below determines whether you or your twin speak more often when talking to other people.

This choice determines your starting relationship with your twin. Picking a lower starting relationship provides a different story experience—you can think of it as an imaginary difficulty setting.

This choice determines the locket shape of you and your twin. Your twin will have a different personality according to the shape of their locket!

This is your first quest! Completing quests grant a large amount of ✨ Experience Points (EXP), and helps your character level up much faster!

If you change your mind, you can change the notification settings later in the stats screen.

Choosing your favorite genre will also give you a Heritage Passive! Besides unlocking special interactions, Heritage Passives also give unique, powerful bonuses.

The next choice will award your first attribute points! There are four attributes in the game: 💪 Vigor measures your character's overall strength, toughness, and endurance—helpful when scaring away bullies from taking your lunch money. 🦶 Grace measures your character's agility, dexterity, and reflexes—helpful when sneaking around and running away from the villains. 💡 Knowledge measures how much lessons and random trivia you have memorized—useful for passing exams, quizzes, and knowing stuff nobody else knows. 🌟 Charm measures your character's persuasiveness, and overall cuteness—useful when charming adults to let you stay up past bedtime.

Choices marked with the same icon as one of your Traits or Passives are special interactions—they are either unlocked or restricted as a result of having a certain Trait or Passive.

Choices marked with a ⭐ are unlocked or restricted as a result of a previous choice, or your personality stats.

Throughout the story, you will discover secrets. Most secrets can be discovered in multiple ways, and some secrets have multiple variations, depending on how you discovered them. A 🗝️ icon indicates that the secret has been fully discovered—if it doesn’t have this icon, then it means that there’s more to that secret, and it can be updated later when you learn more information. Choices marked with a 🗝️ are unlocked as a result of having discovered a certain secret.

Physical Touch is the best love language, according to Roselyna. It seems like you agree! (This only shows up because there's no way to outright decline the hug in this branch)

If you're not into crushes or puppy love, don't worry! Most friendship scenes will play out the same way and you won't miss out on anything important by following the platonic route for each character.

It's time to select your character class! Your character class will give you a special passive that gives a big bonus to your attributes. If you haven't decided on a dream job yet, don't worry! You will receive a passive that gives you a big bonus to your experience gain which will help you level up faster.

Certain choices will award you with Trinkets! Trinkets are collectible items that provide you with a small bonus, and are stored in your trinket collection. Some are easy to find, and some need additional requirements to be discovered. Go ahead, pick either of the first two options to discover a shiny trinket!

Certain choices will give your character a phobia. They are mostly for roleplaying purposes, but overcoming your fears is also a good source of additional EXP!

Completing sidequests aren't necessary, but they provide a large amount of EXP and are needed to discover certain secrets.

This choice also determines some aspects of your character's vocabulary!

This is your first chance at getting an achievement! Most achievements are hard to get and require an unconventional playstyle, but you will be rewarded with a permanent EXP Bonus across all playthroughs for each achievement you get! (Well, as long as your progress is saved)

Choices marked with a ❤️ indicates romance! Choosing interactions marked with a ❤️ will mark the character as one of your crushes. You can have as many crushes as you want, but you can only confess to one crush option… at least until you no longer have a crush on them. Please note that you don't need a high Charm Stat or the 💘 [Romantic] Trait when pursuing a crush option!

Sometimes, snooping around will unlock secrets or even sidequests…

It's time to pick your bestfriend! Choosing a bestfriend will give you a unique Trait that unlocks special bestfriend scenes, as well as lowering the amount of relationship you lose with them, if you ever get into any disagreements.

[whengeorgiawentblue]

Gotham Knights trending at 12th and 11th position in the US!

Last week trended much lower, at about 50th-55th... but now has much improved, it seems the show is gaining more and more attention. Keep going! 💪

[pillowfort-social]

Help 💸fund us + gain access to new premium features by subscribing to ✨Pillowfort Premium✨!

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[parley-but-sus]

Calling all Will Byers fans‼️

An idea I hope you hear me out on:

Buff Byers in California: the story

Yk how in the school scene will wasn’t bullied at all but el was? They’re basically a carbon copy and I mean cmon look at him I’d bully his ass too, but not a peep? Complete silence from the otherwise ruthless population of Californian teens in the 80s? There’s gotta be a reason behind this. Insert my idea:

Will Byers decides, new state new me. None of the old bullying shit. He starts working out like billy (rest in shit), and the second someone starts opening their mouth in his direction, he knocks em out. No hesitation. Now he’s not one to show off, he’s not in any sports and he’s certainly no hulk, but let there be muscle. Let that boy get a punching bag and USE IT. When he’s not painting, he’s GAINING 💪💪💪💪

Now you may ask, “but what about his sister? If he was able to fend off bullies for himself why not do the same for her?” And to that I bring up a point of my own: headcanon it away. It never happened. Actually el doesn’t get bullied at all, I have no clue what your talking about.

Here’s a picture with my insane editing skills of buff Byers (flag unrelated)

[sabraeal]

If the Mind Is Willing, Chapter 3

[Read on AO3]

Part three of 500 Follower prizes @bubblesthemonsterartist​ earned herself years ago! Only two more and I will have fulfilled all those fics...probably just in time to have a 1K follower raffle

Blue light washes her pink sheets pale, until it’s impossible to tell when cotton ends and her skin begins. The shadows pull longer in its glow, turning her own nearly skeletal as she reaches out a finger, hovering over the link.

“U-J-Kyo?” Chizuru’s mouth wraps around each letter, the sound of them tumbling softly into the muted glow. “But that’s just...?”

The university’s homepage. And her laptop’s, technically, now that Yamazaki helped her set it. Not something she’d normally associate with Souji’s interests, not unless he’s started some new hostilities with the provost’s office again. Their last open letter hung on the fridge until just before Thanksgiving, the second paragraph asking for “certain individuals in the student body“ to “show more conduct becoming of an undergraduate of a prestigious institution” highlighted proudly in lime green.

Dean Kondo dropped by the house only a few days later-- for a friendly visit, he’d said, smile as warm as she remembered. He’d stayed for dinner, complimenting the soup she’d made from their leftovers, and then talked with Souji out on the porch until the swing’s chains started to creak. The letter disappeared the next morning, unremarked, though Souji kept glowering at the bare metal every time he passed through the kitchen.

Chizuru swipes tentatively at the screen, messaging app blooming beneath her finger. The link’s innocuous, known, but Souji has a gift for slipping a sting into any handshake. And if he’s calling it a gift, well--

[ToudouDomination] omg holy shit dude nice knowing u hijikatas gonna kill u 4 sure 💀💀

Professor Hijikata’s taught her enough about Trojans to take that kind of present at face value.

[✨💯GAINS💪💪✨] *skullfuck u mean skullfuck ull b the most beautiful corpse at ur funeral bro

Her lips press tight, clinging to each other as close as the rubber case to her phone. If everyone’s acting like this about it, it’s better that she doesn’t look.

[ToudouDomination] MY funeral???!! what’s this got to do with me??!!

[✨💯GAINS💪💪✨] nah man im not talking ab YOU im talking ab dead man walking over here

She’d regret it if she did, probably.

[Dr 💖💋🤭] jfc I’ll say somethign nice at you’re disciplinery hearing

[ToudouDomination] Me??

[Dr 💖💋🤭] No one’s talking about you Heisuke

It’s an accident, really. Her thumb skims up the side of the screen-- scrolling past the sudden influx of skull and fire emojis the boys heave into the chat-- and the pad of it just barely brushes the link. It flashes under the pressure, blue then purple, selected, and well...

There’s no harm in just letting it happen, is there? It’s only the university homepage, nothing--

Ah. That’s what it should be at least. But instead of the azure and white, there’s text curling across the screen, a half dozen different hand-written poems in blue bic and college rule, tiled across every inch of the background. There’s coffee stains on them too, some in the corner, and some in rings, like they were more used to being coasters than literature. And in the center of it all--

“Oh.” She blinks, tilting her screen to get a better view. “A video?”

Hogyoku Open Mic, it reads at one corner, reflection on water. A strange choice for Souji; he’s never mentioned an interest in poetry, let alone live readings. Frowning, Chizuru tilts her phone, letting the video fill the screen.

It plays, and oh, several things become clear, all at once.

“My heart is pure,” the man on screen promises, words raking over the gravel of his voice-- how little of it there is marks his age more than the lack of lines on his face-- but Chizuru’s isn’t, not when she can’t do much more than stare, fingers numb around the rubber case. “I use my palm as an inkstone.”

The camera pans closer, and yes, above that black dress shirt-- open to its third button, oh goodness gracious-- is Hijikata. Not the one she knows now, the grizzled professor who kicks his feet up on the desk and uses profanity as punctuation, but--

But a much younger man, not much older than her, considering the last little bastions of baby fat clinging to his cheekbones.

[Dr 💖💋🤭] This muts be a hundred pakcs of cigs ago

[✨💯GAINS💪💪✨] 💯

[ToudouDomination] do moths feel desire or is that like a poetic thing he talks about rain a lot too whats that all ab

[✨💯GAINS💪💪✨] its a sex thing

[Dr 💖💋🤭] Shin don’t tell the baby taht

[✨💯GAINS💪💪✨] hes a growing boy he has to learn sometime better he hears it from us hijikata fucks 🍑🍆🍑

[Saito.Hajime] Can I please be removed from this group? Also, congratulations, Souji, on finding a new, creative way to die

[✨💯GAINS💪💪✨] no way if we all have to think think about hijikata fucking u have to suffer too

[Saito.Hajime] I am not certain I care for that logic

[Dr 💖💋🤭] Too bad, bud. Your stukc with us

[✨💯GAINS💪💪✨] yeah bro u signed the housing contract ur here til death comes for u or like u move out or smthn

Chizuru means to stop the video, really she does. It’s not something Hijikata would want them to see-- at least, she assumes so, considering the way he flushes every time Souji brings up his graduate school slam jams, threatening to expel him if he doesn’t ‘shut his damn mouth.’

But the one on the screen smiles as he finishes his set, smouldering out past the stage lights, and she-- she expects snapping, some cool cats with shades and berets nodding their heads to his truth or whatever mood this is supposed to give. A respectful silence, one that gives space to the idea he’s introduced to the space, but instead--

Instead there’s screams. A full audience of women-- and a few particularly enthusiastic men-- loudly voicing their appreciation for what she’s hoping is the poetry.

Ah, maybe Shinpachi is right. It is a sex thing. And she’s watched a full ten minutes of it.

Hijikata can never know. Or worse--

[Susumu Yamazaki] Take this down. Now.

[( ⓛ ω ⓛ *)] eat my ass

Her heart ricochets around her rib cage, panicked, before it lodges itself in her throat. It flutters there, queasily, and-- and there’s no way he could possibly know, but still, guilt seizes her. She shouldn’t have looked, not once she knew. She should have been the first to say it was wrong. Helpers can only help when they know there is a problem, that’s what Father would have said. If you cannot perceive it then you are part of it.

She could say something now. Her hand squeezes tight around the case. No, she should say something now. She has to, because father will ask. She’ll tell him about this frantic midnight showdown, and he’ll say, and what did you say?

And if it is nothing...

[Susumu Yamazaki] Take it down now. Or I will get university IT involved.

[( ⓛ ω ⓛ *)] you don’t have the fucking balls

[Susumu Yamazaki] Try me.

Even with her eyes closed, her failure is inescapable. The words flash behind her eyelids, no longer composed of ones and zeros but scrawled in neon lights instead, reminding her that if she were better she could have fixed this. That if she were good enough, she could have found the magic phrase to get them all to get along. But instead...

Silence, that’s what he’ll give her. A long pause where all his expectations weigh on her, piling on her chest like boulders on a criminal. A cluck of his tongue, and a soft, I thought I raised you better. Any moment now, her phone will ring, and Father will know what a disappointment she is because--

It’s Christmas. Just about everywhere but Hawaii. A couple other islands in the Pacific too, if she’s being fair. It’s Christmas, and he’s supposed to call because that’s the way it’s always been: her staying up late not to catch Santa and his Reindeer but Father emerging from his office. It’s her that would tromp down the hall with all the grace of an elephant, to fling her arms around him and yelp, Merry Christmas!

And it was him who had to be stern, who must put her back down on the carpet and scold her for being out of bed. Who has to wait until she’s nearly shut her door to stop her, to call out, Merry Christmas, Chizuru.

It’s supposed to be her first. The one given moments after midnight, the most real, and-- and--

And she’s spent the whole day waiting for an empty office.

There’s a part of her, one that’s still too short to reach the microwave and can’t bear the kindness next door, that thinks she missed it. That there’s some dead zone in the house that she unwittingly lingered in, or a notification that her phone somehow swallowed whole. That it’s her fault she never presented herself to be loved.

But there’s another part, one that’s growing every day, and that one--

That one’s just tired. 

It’s tired that wins out, in the end.

There’s a weight that drags at her, urging her to stay within the cocoon of her covers, to let the night unfurl across her screen, each blow reported in black and white right before her eyes. A passive observer, an active disappointment, but most importantly: unmoving.

Even still, she gets up, throwing the cloud of her comforter back so that she can slide out from underneath it. Her heels hit the floor with a force that chatters her teeth; or maybe that’s just the chill of the air now that her body heat is no longer trapped up against her skin.

Her phone settles on the nightstand, cozening up to the lamp, and for a long moment, she thinks about turning it on. Every muscle complains as she peels her day clothes off and exchanges them for pajamas, her eyes straining to make out what’s a hole and what’s just dead air, and yet--

Yet it’s easier than facing herself.

The same weight drops her back onto the mattress, an anchor sinking into the endless depths of open water. She isn’t sure when she’ll hit bottom, but staring at the blank screen beside her feels entirely too close to it.

It’s with a trembling finger that she guides the volume from full to vibrate. Even that makes her heart race, makes her wonder if she’s just punishing Father for having priorities besides a fully adult daughter, the same one who had so happily told him she would support his sabbatical wherever it took him. What if he needs to get a hold of her? If there’s an emergency on Borneo or San Cistobal or whatever island his research took him? Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to just keep it on a little, just in case--

Her fingers flex. She deserves to sleep tonight, what little of it there is left. And if this is on...

Vibrate changes to mute. The phone flips over, screen pressed against the wood.

“Good night, Daddy.” She gives the case one last, small tap. “Merry Christmas.”

“Hey, jailbait.” Something warm nudges her shoulder, not gently. Chizuru has the space of exactly one breath to wonder what, before the same something grips both and shakes. “Get up!”

“Haah?” Her hands flail out, but whatever’s gotten hold of her slithers out of her grip, retreating past her arm’s reach. “What...?”

It’s bright when her eyes peel open, the sun already seeping through the curtain even though it can’t be more than--

“Class!” Her limbs fly out, wild as she tries to turn over, tangled up in the tight embrace of her covers. “I’m late for--”

“Hold up a slice, shortcake.” Souji looms over her, tall enough that his knees barely brush the bed to do it. “No classes today.”

“No...?” It’s not as if she has anything to say, brain moving at a snail’s pace that it is, but her mouth keeps moving anyway, as if just working her jaw might help get the gears moving. Which it does, oddly enough, reminding her it’s not a weekend but a holiday, and not just any holiday but Christmas, and--

And Father never called. Unless it came in the night, after she’d put herself to bed. After she’d not only turned off the ringtone but vibrate too, leaving him no chance to hear her voice, forcing any attempts for him to contact her straight to voicemail, like she didn’t even care--

“Hey.” Souji knees the mattress, jolting her outstretched elbow right into the corner of the nightstand. “Get up already.”

Painful tingles race up her arm, bouncing from elbow to shoulder and back and, oh, why is it called the funny bone when it’s not funny at all? “Souji, why are you--?”

A bleary blink turns the blurred numbers on her clock to something like sense.

“Oh!” She bolts upright on the mattress, sending Souji skittering back a step. No wonder he’s deigned to scratch at her door; Harada might be the oldest, but of the three of them, Chizuru’s the only one that can be trusted with the stove. “It’s late! Are you hungry?”

“No.” This close, it’s easy to see that furrow flash between his brows, the quick reassessment of his opinion. “Well, yeah. But that’s not what I want right now.”

This early, her brain’s as bleary as her vision, but it won’t clear no matter how much she blinks. “Then what...?”

He heaves a sigh; her only warning before long fingers clamp around her wrist, cold as iron. “Just come with me already.”

It’s a feat to get untangled from her blankets; there’s a knit one sandwiched between the top sheet and the comforter, plus another for more weight-- and heat, since she shares her thermostat with Shinpachi and Harada, whose bodies both run at a temperature verging on medically alarming if they think sixty-five degrees is comfortable. It’s harder still with Souji yanking at her the whole time; she’s not certain whether he does it because he’s impatient or because her struggling amuses him. Possibly both, knowing Souji.

Impatience, however, wins out. One foot wins free, planting itself on the bedside braided rug, and he snaps, “Hurry up. We don’t have all day.”

She’d love to, if only the comforter hadn’t swallowed her up to the ankle, cinching tight when she tries to pry it apart. “Ah, I know! Just give me one--”

Unless she’d meant to say second-- which she hadn’t, not at all-- Souji doesn’t give it to her. Instead he tugs, and she stumbles off the mattress, dragging half the blankets with her. “Good,” he huffs, barely glancing back. “Let’s go.”

“Wait!” Souji has a terrible habit of making things worse the longer he’s made to wait, but she digs in her heels anyway. Or, well, the one that isn’t still trapped in Poly-Fil. “Can I at least put on my robe?”

“Why? It’s not like there’s anyone to see your cute little Christmas--” he squints “--raccoons?”

“Tanuki.” She smooths her hand over the fabric, one of their round faces peeking playfully out from between her fingers. “They’re just so fluffy.”

Souji stares at her, stone-faced and silent, and-- and it’s longer than that his teasing typically takes. “Right,” he says, stilted. “Whatever. Just hurry it up, Sleeping Beauty.”

Chizuru is keenly conscious of every second Souji suffers her, all-too aware of how impossible it is to win a race against the limits of his patience, but she’s determined to make the most of what she’s given. It’s hopeless to aspire to Hajime’s cool efficiency, but she tries, keeping her movements sharp and purposeful, as if putting on her robe required the same sweeping grace as his kata, and yet--

Yet she barely cinches the knot tight before he’s grabbed her again. “C’mon, princess. We’ve got things to do.”

It’s a struggle just to keep her feet beneath her, but she manages a very eloquent. “Huh?”

His mouth quirks, too pleased, as he tugs and she stumbles, bare feet barely braced against the jamb. “People to piss off.”

Ah, well that’s hardly promising.

When all is said and done, he doesn’t drag her far. A cold comfort, considering.

“This is Hajime’s room,” she informs him. His grin assures her he already knows. “And, Ya-- ah, I mean, Su-- uh, um. S-susu...?”

The name’s foreign in her mouth, tongue stumbling and stuttering around it, and it’s-- it’s just odd not to use it, when she’s so used to Souji and Hajime and Heisuke and Shinpachi and even Sano, if it feels safe to say, instead of intimate. As if she’s letting all the rest of them close while keeping him at arm’s length.

Which isn’t true. But still, she can’t bring herself to say Yamazaki’s first name so casually, not when even Heisuke, who barely lasted three hours before asking if she was cool with nicknames, hasn’t managed it. With the syllables rolling around in her mouth, it’s almost...

Illicit. That’s it. “Is there a reason you need me here?”

Souji’s mouth curls, so satisfied she’s surprised she can’t see feathers between his teeth. “Yes, definitely.”

“But they went home for the holidays.” She frowns. “Did you need something in there? I’m pretty sure it’s--”

His leg kicks back, and with one smooth swing, he completely bypasses the need for a doorknob, the open door shivering from the force.

“-- locked,” she finishes faintly. “Oh my.”

One hand catches the door, long fingers splayed across the grain. “After you, jailbait.”

She nearly balks-- it’s not as if it’s his room; he hardly has the right to invite her-- but the door swings open, and she--

She’s never seen this before. Yamazaki’s room. Or Hajime’s, of course. A tour down the hallway would be enough to get a glimpse into any of the other rooms; Heisuke hadn’t even waited a day to drag her into his, pointing out all his favorite posters. Harada and Shinpachi took a few weeks longer, though she’d spent most of that visit with her hands clapped over her eyes. Even Souji tolerated her shuffling a step over the threshold, even if it was only to ask for him to help her reach one of the taller cabinets. But Yamazaki and Hajime...

Their door has always been carefully shut, not even the slightest gap for a peek. An easy habit to explain away; the both of them value privacy over accessibility, choosing to socialize in the common areas of the house rather than in their room, but still--

It’s almost surprising how normal it is. Not that Chizuru expected it to be wallpapered floor to ceiling with centerfolds, like Harada and Shinpachi’s room, or crowded with collectibles like Heisuke’s, but maybe white walls and stark sheets, monochrome and neat as a pin. The sort of room that would seem unoccupied, if it wasn’t for the monitors on the desks. Sterile.

Instead there’s posters. Not crowding the walls, so close that the corners overlap, but there’s personality, if not chaos. Enough to know that the boy who sleeps under the navy comforter likes movies with kimonos and swords or computers from the 80s, and that charcoal comforter likes wuxia and vintage medical diagrams. And books too, if the stack teetering on his bedside table is any indication.

Chizuru shuffles a step further into the room. It would be rude to rummage, but surely-- surely it wouldn’t hurt if she just read the titles. If she just stooped down the tiniest bit and--

And tripped over Souji, shoulder-deep beneath Yamazaki’s mattress. “W-what are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” he grunts, annoyed. “A guy that uptight’s got to be hiding something. And not just the normal stuff. The kind of something that’s gotta be top shelf fucked up.”

She blinks. “Huh?”

“Oh come on, you know what I mean. Whips and chains.” He drags his arm out with a huff. “Autoerotic asphyxiation. Snuff tapes.” Souji reaches up, flipping over his pillows. “Yiffing. Who could say what a small-dicked little turd like him is into?”

Half those words are unrecognizable, and so it’s not until he’s on his feet, poking through desk drawers that Chizuru realizes, “You mean you’re looking for...for...” Her mouth works, cheeks painfully hot as she manages, “Girlie magazines?”

His fingers still, pressed into a sheaf of glossy page edges. “I’m trying to find porn, Chizuru. That’s what we call it this century.”

The book shuts with a snap, joining its friends on the shelf, and when he reaches for another, she blurts out, “Don’t people just watch that online now?”

Souji laughs, not kind, but abandons the bookshelf. “And everyone thinks you’re so innocent, huh, princess?”

Her hands clap to her cheeks. Ah, she hadn’t realized it could be painful to blush. “I, um...only, ah--” Souji flings open the closet “--I don’t think you should really be--!”

“Jackpot.” The hangers rattle as he slips something off the rack; with only the sunlight eking in around the blinds to light the room, it’s hard to see just what. “What do you think? Would it look good on me?”

The fabric’s black, limp and shapeless on its hanger, utterly unrecognizable. “I don’t...?”

“Nah, no way I could fit into that shrimp’s costumes.” The light might be dim, but Souji’s teeth practically glow when he says, “But you could, half pint. C’mon, get over here.”

She doesn’t have much of a choice, not when he grabs her wrist and yanks. “I don’t understand,” she murmurs, watching him separate a smaller piece from the whole, more uncomfortable by the second. “Why did you need me when you were only going to..um...?”

Steal seems a little strong for the moment. Scrounge falls a little short.

“Ahhh, see, kid, last night I left a little gift for the whole student body. Right on the main page, where everyone could appreciate it.” He steps entirely too close, the warmth of his body filling the space between them. “And our favorite little ass-kisser didn’t appreciate it.”

The scrap slips over her head, cool and smooth where it settles around her neck. “So he took it down. Or got some of his nerd friends to do it. Either way...” Souji shrugs. “It’s rude to give back a gift, isn’t it?”

His wrist twists, the cloth pulling tight against her skin. Tight enough that only a twitch guides her into a nod. “See? That’s what I thought too. Kid needs to learn a thing or two about manners. So that’s what I’m doing.” Souji grins, the fabric loosening as he lets it slip from his fingers. “Teaching him a lesson.”

“B-but...” Her focus stumbles as he steps closer, threading his hand beneath the few inches of her hair that don’t clear the fabric and pulling them free. “I don’t see what that has to do with me.”

“It’s cute that you don’t know.” His smile could cut when he slips the cloth right up over her nose. “This is a hostage situation, jailbait, and you’re going to read from the script. Now look over here.”

She does, blinking right up into the blinding light of flash photography as his arm squeezes her close. “What...?”

“Perfect.” Souji’s lips slant to a smirk, phone pinched delicately between his fingers. “Now I just need to post this in--”

The lights flick on. Neither of them are near the switch.

But Hajime is.

“Just what,” he says, brows drawn down like a storm, “do you think you’re doing in here?”

There have only been three house meetings since Chizuru showed up on their doorstep, hair shorn and all her earthly possessions split between a backpack and a trash bag: the first, called by the professor, to announce that that there would be a new roommate; the second, to decide how exactly to handle the fact that Chizuru wasn’t a boy’s name, nor was she; and the third, well...

I’m not complaining that you invite girls back, Sano, Shinpachi had said, with all the gravitas of a judge, but you can’t let them wander around. She went through our trash, dude!

But this-- it’s different. Not just because of the Christmas lights, festively twinkling through their cycle, or Shinpachi’s sweater blinking through its own.

It’s that they’re all here, Christmas afternoon-- evening really, with how early the sun sets these days-- holidays cut short. Chizuru might not have anyone to spent Christmas with, but Shinpachi did, and Heisuke, and Yamazaki--

And instead they’re all here. Because of her. Not a single one of them is smiling.

It’s too much.

“I’m so sorry!” The words burst out of her, rushed, but it’s important to get them out before anyone else can speak, before they think she’s only sorry because she got caught. “I really didn’t mean to go in! I just...Souji said...”

“Narc.” It’s muffled in his shoulder, just loud enough for her to hear. And maybe others, the way Yamazaki’s brow twitches across the table.

“Chizu, Chizu. Come on.” Shinpachi holds up his hands, as if a half-hearted sweep like that could clear the slate of her worries.. “No one here thinks this is your fault.”

It’s kind of him to say, but that’s...impossible. Not when she’s so clearly transgressed. “I went into Y-Yamazaki and Hajime’s room without permission. That’s against the--”

“No, Yukimura, that’s not--” Yamazaki’s teeth clack down, hard.  “I don’t mind if it’s you. Ah, I mean--” his ears flush the same angry pink that licks up the column of his neck “--it’s, er, different.”

“You are respectful of other people’s personal belongings,” Hajime clarifies. “There is no issue with you in our private space. Souji, however...”

“Oh, come on.” Souji kicks his feet up on the coffee table, baring every hole in the bottom of them. “It’s not like I broke anything.”

Yamazaki’s eyes hone onto him-- or rather, the parts of him only inches from Harada’s iced mocha, so close a flex of a toe could touch the coaster. “Right, you only stole something. Not like that’s a big deal.”

“Stole? Like I want--” with a sweep of his palm, Yamazaki clears the surface of appendages, so precise it doesn’t even disrupt the condensation on the cup “--hey!”

He doesn’t smile, but when Yamazaki glances up at the couch, his satisfaction shines just as bright as one.

“Souji.”

Hajime is not like Shinpachi, using his outdoor voice in every room no matter how small, or Heisuke, unable to control his volume once a conversation gets interesting. He’s soft spoken, serious; the sort of person other people lean in to hear, rather than ask him to speak up.

But today, he pitches his voice to be heard. “You cannot enter someone’s assigned private room without express permission.” With even graver inflection, he adds “It is against the rules put forth in the Signed Housing Agreement.”

Souji snorts, sinking further into the couch cushions. “No one pays attention to that crap.”

Air hisses between Yamazaki’s teeth. “That’s--”

“If I am not allowed to leave the group chat unless a member of the house boots me for a pre-agreed upon duration,” Hajime says, mouth pulling thin, “then you are also not allowed in my room.”

His glare is hardly aimed at her, but it comes close enough that she flinches. Souji doesn’t, refusing to acknowledge it that same way a cat declined to be caught on a curtain, as if reality was simply an opinion he did or did not hold. “I didn’t even touch your stuff. I don’t know why you’re trying to--”

“You did touch Yamazaki’s stuff, though.” Harada shifts in his chair, the vee of his sweater dipping deep enough to bare cleavage. It might be distracting, if it wasn’t already a relief that he was wearing all his clothes. “Which is against the rules.”

“Yeah, that’s fucked up, right?” Shinpachi cracks open a tall boy, cold enough that the beer fizzes out, threatening to drip right across the festive moose on his chest; HORNY AND WELL HUNG according to the words knit into his sweater. “There’s no locks on the doors, man. We’ve all got to trust each other.”

Chizuru blinks. “But I have a lock.”

He pauses, mid-sip. “Well, I guess that makes sense. You’re a girl, after all. Can’t have a girl be alone with a bunch of guys if there no--”

“My room also has a lock.” Hajime frowns, considering the socks Souji’s just returned to the table. “Hardly a good one, if Souji was able to bypass it with just his foot, but...”

“Me too,” Heisuke chimes in. “I just don’t really use it.”

“Wait, what?” Shinpachi swivels between them, lost. “Are me and Sano the only ones who don’t--?”

“I think the best course of action is to inform Professor Hijikata about the infraction.” Kneeling on the carpet next to Shinpachi’s luggage, Yamazaki’s hardly an authority figure, but when he raises his voice the room fritters to silence. “I’m sure he can take it from there.”

Harada hums, unconvinced. “I don’t know about that. Souji’s already got two strikes against him. If we report another one, I’m pretty sure Hijikata’s going to toss him out.”

They might be more suggestions than eyebrows, but still, it makes an impression when Yamazaki furrows them.  “I don’t see why that’s any of my concern.”

“Aw, c’mon, Yamazaki.” They all might tease her about her pleading eyes, but it’s Heisuke that uses them now, as compelling as any puppy in a pet store window. “You know Souji doesn’t have anywhere else to go. You wouldn’t throw him out in the cold just like that, would you?”

His mouth pinches, bracing the way the rest of him is, squared off and utterly implacable. “Souji is a grown man who can make his own decisions. If those decisions lead to him getting tossed out, that hardly has anything to do with me.”

Souji snorts. “None of the people who complained are even here anymore.”

Yamazaki whips around, eyes so cold they could turn any other man to ice. Souji just smirks. “Yes, because of you.”

“Well, I don’t know...” Heisuke hums, thoughtful. “Ryu left because of that art program. You know, the one that had the scholarship.”

“Only after Okita shoved him off--!”

“Oh, c’mon.” Souji’s shoulder twitch, barely summoning up the energy for a full shrug. “That’s all water under the bridge.”

Yamazaki surges to his feet; only Harada’s hand, keeping him from jumping the table too. “You broke his wrist in three places! The only reason he didn’t press charges was because his foster father is somehow an even bigger asshole than you!”

Souji picks his grins the same way a chef picks his knives from the block: with the intention to cut. “No hard feelings.”

“Hard feelings?” Yamazaki chokes out. “You think this is about hard feelings? When Itou left, he--”

“Itou was a prick.”

Hajime doesn’t so much sigh as hum, raspy and dubious. “That doesn’t mean that what you did was right, Souji.”

His eyes narrow, annoyed. “Don’t pretend you miss him running around the place, acting better than everyone.”

“No, no. He’s got a point.” The easy chair grunts as Shinpachi shifts his weight back, crossing his legs ankle to knee. “They both do. You know I don’t want to kick you out, man, but you’ve got a bad habit of taking stuff way past funny right into, well...”

“An actionable offense?” Harada offers, wry.

A blunt nail taps at his can, uncomfortable. “Yeah, that. It’s not good, bro.”

Something happens with Souji’s mouth. A lot of somethings, actually; subtle ones, hidden in the corners and tucked into the cheeks, the sort that happen between one blink and the next. Missable, save for the fact that Chizuru never looks away.

There’s a jut of his lip first, not a pout but its more serious cousin, the kind that’s like a levee to a deluge: one tremble away from a flood. A scowl next, never quite reaching his eyes; good practice for the smile that follows, curving into a smirk the way steel takes an edge: like it’s meant for it.

“All right, all right.” His hands raise up, too lax for a peace offering. It might stand in for a concession, if she tilted her head and squinted, but only a little. “So you’re all mad at me or whatever.”

“For good reason.” It’s a strong stance for Harada; he’s usually the one who’s quick to compromise, so long as it keeps everyone civil.

“Sure, right.” Souji shrugs, unconcerned. “I get it. But consider--” fabric whips out from behind a pillow, matte and black-- “this.”

Chizuru blinks. “Wasn’t that in...?”

Yamazaki’s closet, she doesn’t say. Not when he shakes it out, turning it from cloth to clothing, a whole jumpsuit with fussy embroidery picked out in an even darker black.

“What’s that?” Shinpachi scoots to the edge of his chair, squinting. He must not have his contacts in. “Some sort of ninja costume?”

She knows better than to turn, to draw attention to the statue suddenly sitting across the table, but Chizuru can’t help it, not when Souji is so quick to say, “It is.” There’s enough relish in his tone that she can taste it. “And it’s Yamazaki’s.”

There’s a pause-- for effect, she’s sure, considering the way Souji grins. Like he’s pulled off some magic trick, making his troubles disappear in one hand and then plucking them out from behind Yamazaki’s ear.

“So?” Harada snorts, unimpressed. “Are you surprised? He’s been a ninja for Halloween like, what? Three years running? Since I’ve been here at least. What next? Gonna pull a sexy firefighter out of Shin’s closet?”

“Hey!” A hand presses right over WELL, leaving HORNY and HUNG peeking out from underneath it. “I’ve branched out! This year I was a sexy soldier.”

“How can you tell?” Heisuke mutters, hunched shoulders making his chest even narrower, more concave. “You’re only wearing like half a costume.”

“We’re not talking about Nagakura.” With all the subtlety of a bomb, Souji drops, “We’re talking about Mr Kiss-Ass and how he has like, five of these tucked away for a rainy day.”

It’s been three months since Chizuru managed to insinuate herself into the house, but not once has it been quiet. Even in the night there’s something: Shinpachi snoring, Harada’s flings trying to find the front door, Heisuke up entirely too late typing up papers or-- more likely-- playing video games. Something. But now--

Now it’s a ringing silence that’s left in Souji’s wake, an awkward air that has every shoulder stiff, every eye finding somewhere else to look besides the place where Yamazaki sits, still as a stone.

Or at least, until Hajime slides forward, dexterous fingers smoothing over the raised stitches of the sleeve. “Oh,” he hums, impressed. “Your skills have really improved since your last attempt. I take it this is for next weekend?”

“Ah...” He swallows, loud enough that even Chizuru can hear. “Y-yeah. The new kunai were too heavy for the belt, so I thought if I remade that, I might as well add a few more quality of life adjustments, and, er...”

“Oh my god,” Heisuke breathes, quivering like a corgi at the end of his leash. “Are you a real ninja?”

A broad hand cuffs him on the back of his head. “C’mon,” Harada mutters. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

If Yamazaki’s ears were painted pink before, they’re crimson now, hot enough to burn from touch alone. The square of his shoulders deflates, rounding with the slow leak of his confidence, but--

But Hajime simply nods, stroking his chin. “Perhaps I should look at my own as well. It hardly feels adequate next to all the work you’ve done.”

“Is this like...a sex thing?” Shinpachi’s eyes dart between the two of them. “It’s a sex thing, right?”

“No,” Yamazaki says, stern, immediately undermined by Hajime’s, “A little.”

It’s with a hefty heaping of betrayal that Yamazaki turns to him, glaring as he grounds out, “Absolutely not.”

Hajime’s mouth gives a dubious twist, and he opens it, perhaps to gainsay him, but--

But there’s no time, not when Heisuke practically explodes. “Are you a ninja too, Hajime?”

He blinks. “No.”

“Oh.” Heisuke deflates. “Okay, I guess...”

“I’m a samurai.”

“What--” Harada’s voice strains beneath the words “--is going on?”

“So let me get this straight.” Harada’s fingers pinch at the bridge of his nose, but by the wrinkle above them, Chizuru doubts it helps. “You two...dress up as samurai...?”

“I’m the samurai,” Hajime explains, so helpful. “Yamazaki is currently playing as a ninja. As he typically does.”

“You don’t have to tell them that,” he mutters. “That’s not really the point--”

“Right, of course, but...” Harada grimaces. “This is what you do on the weekends? For fun?”

A narrow shoulder lifts under Hajime’s tee, the closest he comes to a shrug. “An afternoon a month, to be more specific.”

“Once a month?” Heisuke asks, wide-eyed. “That doesn’t seem like a lot.”

“It takes a large amount of effort and dedication to keep up a long-form Live Action Roleplaying campaign,” he explains gravely. “That the organizers are able to run so often is a testament to their skill. And to run a weekend event--”

“So you mean you go there the whole weekend?” Heisuke blinks. “Like just forty-eight hours of samurai stuff?”

Hajime’s correction comes the same way as all his interactions: swiftly and without any judgment. “Seventy-two hours.”

Shinpachi goggles. “That’s a lot of fucking hours.”

“It is to aid with immersion.” Hajime isn’t a man of many words, but now he does not so much pause as he does breathe. “Unlike other games of its kind, Legend of the Five Rings does not focus so much on combat as it does internal conflict, and the robust worldbuilding--”

“This isn’t what they’re asking.” Yamazaki’s gaze darts wide-eyed around the table, never daring to stay longer than a blink. “You don’t have to--”

“--Is based on Sengoku Era Japan,” he continues, heedless. “As gratifying as it is to play on a regular basis, it really isn’t until a few hours into any session that people truly come to embody their roles. The court politics alone--”

“Saito.” Yamazaki may be seated at the opposite end of the living room, but his stare is enough to make even Hajime hesitate. “I think they get the idea.”

Harada looks between them, pained. “So are there...scripts or something?”

“No. Yes.” Hajime frowns. “It’s complicated. Each scene is improvised in character, but the organizers are present to facilitate the flow of the story. It is a collaborative effort.”

“But that’s it?” Heisuke asks. “You’re just like...samurai for a day? Or, er, three of them?”

“Yes.”

“And you do this--” Harada’s eyebrows furrow, pained “--for fun?”

Hajime doesn’t answer so much as cock his head, hands outspread as if to say, what else?

“That’s so...so cool!” Heisuke leaps to his feet, practically tripping over the table in his excitement. “Can I go? You guys gotta bring me!”

“What?” Harada blinks at him. “You want to go to this?”

“Uh, yeah?” His hands clench, too excited. “You get to be a samurai, Sano! Who wouldn’t want to?”

“Hey, so.” Shinpachi leans in, face pinched in curiosity. “Is this like...D&D or whatever?”

“In spirit,” Yamazaki creaks out, looking like death warmed over.

He nods. “Right, right. So like...a total sausage fest, or...?”

“The numbers on many tabletop games typically skews toward male,” Hajime explains, “but Live Action Roleplaying draws a higher percentage of female participants. Possibly due to the cosplay aspect.”

Shinpachi grins. “Oh, then count me in too, sensei.”

Harada stares at him. “Who are you?”

“What?” Shinpachi shrugs. “It’s math with babes. What’s not to love?”

“Ah...” Yamazaki waving hands don’t do much to hide his grimace. “I don’t really think this will be as interesting to you as you think...”

“He’s right,” Harada presses. “You may think it’s a good place to pick up women who aren’t afraid of, er, theoretical numbers--”

“They’re not theoretical,” Shinpachi huffs. “They’re real, it’s just the equations used to describe them are--“

“See? Already my eyes have glazed over.”

“I don’t know,” Chizuru hums, pitched just loud enough to be heard. “I think it sounds...fun?”

Yamazaki’s stare fixes on her. “Really?”

Even as a girl, Chizuru had never been one to play dress up, never been one to play pretend-- father didn’t approve, for one. Not when there were more direct benefits to be had from drilling flashcards or reading books. A second, her daydreams were vivid enough she hardly needed to act them out, not when Father was so apt to remind her, princesses don’t have to pass their medical exams.

But Yamazaki is as serious as they come, a TA for the dean of the pre-med department even before graduating. His acceptance to the medical school almost assured, and he finds this worth his time. Enough to have made a costume-- with his own hands!-- and sign up for a whole weekend away from his studies...

“Y-yeah.” She ducks her head, hoping to hide the heat that pricks at her cheeks. “I mean, as long as it wouldn’t be a bother for me to, um...”

“Ah, no! I mean, yes. Never.” Yamazaki shakes himself, pink staining the high arch of his cheekbones. “It’s not a problem.”

“Yeah, Chizu!” An arm clamps around her shoulders, dragging her against Shinpachi’s personal light display. “That’s right! Let’s all go. House field trip!”

Yamazaki’s jaw drops. “I don’t, er, know about that--!”

“Fine.” Harada sighs, getting to his feet. “If Chizuru wants to go. Count me in.”

“That’s the spirit!” Shinpachi claps him on the back, hard enough that even Harada has to cough. “Now, that just leaves...?”

“Uh-uh.” Souji’s arms fold over his chest, forbidding. “No way I’m going to your nerd party.”

“Aw, c’mon.” Shinpachi drops between them on the couch, arm pulling tight. “Think of it as a group bonding experience.”

Souji scowls. “What makes you think I care about bonding with any of you--”

“Well, if you’re going to be that way about it.” He squeezes tight enough to eke a squeak out of him. “Think about it as, ‘if you go we won’t tell Hijikata about you stealing shit.”

Souji glowers. “Fine,” he grumbles, shoving him off. “But I won’t like it!”

Shinpachi’s smile is all knives when he replies, “Wouldn’t expect you to.”

It’s dark when Chizuru stumbles out into the hall; there’d been daylight still when they’d piled into the parlor, but now night clings to the the edges of dusk, only enough light to gild the snow in golden shadow. It might bother her more if it wasn’t such a relief, a respite from having to scrape at the last reserve of her smiles. And so she takes it; one big breath and the muscles around her mouth slump, aching from use.

Any other night, she might worry about one of the boys following out behind her, but she can hear the ruckus shift from the parlor toward the kitchen, wheeled baggage and Shinpachi’s booming voice all tromping toward the back stair. Her day may have happened in fits and starts, but everyone else has been on the move, going from Christmas to short notice travel to fraught house meeting all within the space of hours. There’s no one who’s going to be worried about her.

Which suits her just fine. A few minutes lying face down on her comforter and she’ll be right as rain. Just a breath or two to herself, and--

Someone huffs behind her. Right behind her.

She whips around so fast, she nearly tumbles Yamazaki into the wall with her. Or at least his arm, half outstretched, now just hanging there in the air between them.

“Oh!” There’s no reason for her to shy back, but she does, guiltier with every inch. “Ah, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to--”

“No, no. It’s my fault.” His hands aren’t large, not like Harada or Shinpachi, but the fingers are long and tapered, digging runnels through the shaggy bristle of his hair. “I should have-- ah, I mean, I just saw you, and er, wanted to make sure that you were all right. After, ah...all that.”

Her first instinct urges her to laugh, to let her nerves giggle out, there’s no need to worry about me--

But Yamazaki stares at her with the same careful intensity as he had in the kitchen-- you’re worth a good meal-- and Chizuru tries deflection instead. “I’m the one who should be asking you that! I went into your room without any permission and all, and Souji--” Yamazaki grimaces at the name “---I just...you have every right to be mad at me!”

“You?” he echoes, incredulous. “It’s not your fault, Yukimura. Okita’s the one who dragged you in there.”

She shakes her head. “I could have chosen to leave any time. I just was too curious to think to question him.”

“Curious?” There’s no inflection to the word, and with the shadows making a muddle of his expressions, there’s only the tilt of his head to tell here there’s a question. “Why would you be curious?”

“Ah, I’d just...never been inside before?” Her palms clap to her cheeks, and oh, she must glow from how hot her cheeks burn. “It’s silly.”

“It’s not! It’s just, ah...unexpected. I...” His mouth opens, as if he might say more, but with a lick of his lips, it closes instead. Or rather, his chin dips down and it follows, gaze dropping from her eyes to somewhere at her neck. As if...

“Oh, did I spill...?” She can’t actually remember what she’s eaten today, whether it could be something that she could walk around wearing, but Yamazaki’s already shaking his head.

“Ah, no, it’s just...you still have...” His fingers curl hesitantly in the air between them. “If you would let me...?”

Every twitching nerve of her stills as he steps close, fingers skimming past her shoulders. Only days ago she’d knotted his scarf, but it feels different now that he’s the one reaching, so close his hand meet behind her neck. He’s not bundled up now, no three layers of wool and thermal and parka to keep her from realizing that he smells nice, like...like something clean with a hint of eucalyptus, and it’s...

It’s a lot.

His fingers knit into the fabric at her nape, too slippery for him to find the end of it by touch. At least, the first time; he gathers it up, hiking it higher and higher until he can slide under it, the flat of his nails smooth and warm against her neck. Her pulse pounds so hard he must feel it, but Yamazaki doesn’t flinch, instead lifting it with surgical precision. The stretchy fabric threads right off her ponytail with no more than that initial brush of fingers, and she--

She stare. It’s the mask. The one Souji put on her. All this time, and she’s-- she’s just been wearing it, like some sort of...scarf. Right over her tanuki pajamas. In front of everyone.

In front of Yamazaki.

If she could melt into the woodwork, it would be a miracle. But as always, reality refuses to oblige her. “Oh, I hadn’t even...ah...”

“Please, don’t worry about it.” His fingers smooth over the fabric, mouth curving into a rueful smile. “It looked better on you than it does on me.”

“Ah!” Her gasp catches in her throat. “That’s not...um...” She hakes her head, hoping that might clear enough room for a sentence or two to compose itself. “I don’t think that’s true.”

Yamazaki glances up at her, amused, and oh-- she hadn’t meant to say that. Not like that.

“You know, I meant to...” He stops himself. Not abruptly, like she does, but a slow, thoughtful halt. Like a train pulling into a station rather than a car braking for a yellow light. “I mean, I don’t think I ever got around to saying it last night, and today, with everything...well”

He hesitates again, a breath hissing between his teeth. But this time his shoulders square, and even though his gaze is lost in the shadow of his brows, she knows he’s looking at her. “Merry Christmas, Yukimura.”

[imjulia-andilikecats]

If Cal had Tik tok he would make thrist traps on there and post them💀

No? Yes? Maybe?

Warning: This will be very unnecessarily long.

Let me explain. Cal is a responsible dude that values professionalism and hard work.

If Cal ever uses Tik Tok, he would have downloaded it for the purpose of understanding a new strategy of getting a younger demographic interested in his family's mylti-million manufacturing company.

He would take note on the type of content and format that would get the most attention.

Cal doing some speedy research on successful video that are "short, exciting, and informative." Which Cal enterprited as making ads, but for viewers with a much shorter attention span.

So he started making tik tok shorts of reviewing tools, car maintenance advice and how to fix it car parts. With him earing a few views and comments that would ask about the video but some would ask if he wants to check their *p@rn website*.

But it didn't deter Cal since he also noticed that the more tiktok shorts he makes, his videos would pop up more on those designated tags.

When he started to get more views, with the comments asking him how he fix the engines. The video would get a good view of his arms and shoulders. (And y'all know how glorious those biceps are💪😘).

So he got messages and comments asking how he got those muscles. Cal thinking, "eh might as well and try to sneak some other products in the video".

Cal started to product gym videos. (But he keeps his face hidden, since his family is well known and he likes to keep his identity private.)

But his 🎇BUFFNESS🎇 was more than enough to get a ton of views and a sizable following of young men who want to build muscles and excersice. Which Cal happily shared (and shoved more product ads in).

Since he was slowly getting quiet famous, some of his workout videos started to gain female viewers (the middle age women that have A LOT of free time on their hands.) Sending thirsty messages amd comments which Cal either blocked or ignored.

Cal is too 👼PIOUS🧼 to share his body like that in a fast paced platform. Keep his content strictly educational, with the occassional dad puns.

Until he saw her....

Cal was done filming a "how to tell if your mechanic is overcharging you" video and was famish. When he arrived in his family's kitchen, he saw a petite girl with wavy brown hair rummaging through the cupboards.

He first that she was a thief, so he quick went up to her asking what on earth is she doing in his house.

The girl turned to him. Cal thought a strong with breezed whipped through him, as his skin prickled at how strikingly pretty this uninvited guest was.

Her dark brow raised and her full lips, slightly pouting at him with annoyance. Only answered, "I'm a guest." Lifting her arms full of snacks that his baby brother kept hidden in the kitchen cabinet.

Cal was left speechless and VERY smitten with Mavey's guest, who apparently was his classmate and they were working on a project that needs to be submitted tomorrow. His baby brother angrily explained, while pulling his guest back to his bedroom and glaring at him as they walked away.

He found it odd that Mavey, often thoughtful and soft spoken, openly looked annoyed with him, but his mind was far too occupied with warm brown eyes and soft, pouty lips.

A few days past, Cal was going quite mad at "how to attract a guest's attention", when he received a notification of someone liking his workout videos and a short comment, "Cool." Was all it said.

But Cal stared hard at the profile, the familiar face and the account name: "lightningmarequeen".

A quick search into her account showed mostly videos of her two older brothers goofing around and a blode guy, around her again, tagging along with their weird stunts.

At that moment, something clicked.

Looking at the video that earned her like and comment. Where he was doing one handed push ups. He finally found a way to get her attention.

Cal started posting more workout videos, each more tiring than the last, with him no longer wearing his usual long sleeves.

It was replaed with short sleeved gym wear and would occassionally change his shirt, and "accidentally" forgot to edit out that part of the video.

The account, lightningmarequeen, would like and comment 1 out of 5 of his videos. Leaving one to two worded comments like. "Cool. Nice. Cool video. Bruh (which Cal had to look up)."

After a month of his strategy, he worked up the courage to send her a private message, asking her if she wanted to meet up and get coffee.

She replied. "Sure, but show me your face first."

Cal inhaled, sending her a picture of him in a suit and tie.

His phone made a sound, and saw that she sent a message.

Cal opened it, excited to see an up close photo of her.

What he got instead was a picture of a very tall, very hairy man that appeared to be her older brother. With a note. "I like your videos dude but hands off my sister."

So, my answer is yes, for love and research.😘

P. S. SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG IN ANSWERING THIS ASK. MY BRAIN WAS NOT BRAINING LATELY.

P. S. P. S. Mare sent the photo of Bree. Cause she is not into thirst traps and has no idea who he was. But worry not, Cal found an opportunity to ask her out (when he waited to make sure Maven was not around, watching her like a hawk).

[paperdemon-arpg]

Night Vision Expansion is here!

Greetings PaperDemons. I'm proud to announce 3 NEW Portal prompts have been added to the PaperDemon Art RPG. These prompts require a Night Vision potion to complete but will DOUBLE the player rewards dropped.

There is one new prompt in Faedin, another in Aridin, and a final one in Eventide Ring.

These prompts were written by Shyftlock! Big thank you to them for writing these prompts.

Here's a peek at the Aridin prompt…

Aridin Prompt #5 - The Lost Temple

While most modern Tura temples are situated on floating islands, many ancient temples used to be situated on the ground or beneath it. One of these temples, the Amell temple, is considered more myth than fact. It is said to rest deep beneath the forests, built from the roots of trees now millenia old. The Amell temple was said to be a library of the traditions and history of the people of Aridin, as well as the home of the earth elemental god of Aridin. Beneath a tangle of vines, a dusty pathway into the darkness penetrable only by a night vision potion waits… Show your character discovering the Amell temple. Your piece must include your character and an underground temple with roots lining the walls.

The night vision potion can be crafted from this crafting page.

Another expansion for the Water Breathing potion will be released later this week!

🧙‍♂️ Draw your character ⚔️ Fight Monsters 💰 Gain loot 💪 Defeat Art Block

▶ PaperDemon: https://bit.ly/3fEHevh