#this a post from your girlie who has big ambitions for this story and what it says about loneliness and is struggling to meet them | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thepenpalhub · 3 years

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Howdy, Y'all! So this is bound to be a super long post, one because I am super excited to find some more penpals, and two because I can’t ever do anything half way! So to sum up some of it I’m a seventeen year old ADHD Legal Studies college senior in Arkansas with a background in Political Science (USA) addicted to coffee looking for some penpals!

I’m currently sitting under the sunrise daydreaming up some new plots for a couple of stories I'm probably going to end up starting. In the process, I obviously started wondering deeper into the cosmos and questioning everything about life, for example, with the way 2020 is going, what's the probability of the zombie apocalypse breaking out? This pondering has lead me here, searching for some friends that hold the intellectual capability to have a serious not serious conversation, because in my opinion penpals and snail mailers are some of the greatest friends yet!

My name is Allison, though I’ve got a whole slew of nicknames that you could pick from if Allison is too much of a hassle ;D! Allie, Elle, and Allis being a few of them!

I’m your normal run-of-the-mill College student, besides the fact that I’m a college senior at seventeen and I graduated high school at thirteen! I’m studying Law, though I have a degree in political science as well! For reference, I will be turning eighteen within a month.

My goals in life include bringing light to the corruption and corrupted in politics and government, helping as many people as possible to better their lives and improve their state of living, and being as much happiness and joy to the world as I reasonably can! My career goals include achieving all the above through politics, public speaking, corporate ventures, and government!

So yeah, I’m a pretty ambitious gal, to the point that some people have claimed I’m overbearing and too interested in myself! While I might come across as overbearing or self-interested, I’m one of the most selfless people I know, and on top of that, I try to be as self-aware as possible so that I can continue to emotionally, intellectually, mentally, and physically improve myself! One of my motos in life is “to know where you're going you must first know where you’ve been”! Plus... I’ve just got a really really big personality!!

Let’s see, I am a Sagittarius, ENFP-t, and enneagram of 8! I am also a Slytherin! In my professional life, I like to compare myself to a much nicer version of Katerina Petrova… or Clarke Griffin (if you ignore the manipulative and kinda bitchy part of both… sometimes)! Though in my private life I tend to take on more of a child-like nature, in the sense of being cheerful, energetic, always curious, and kinda oblivious in certain situations! I do tend to be a bit bratty, blunt, and bossy though!

Moral of the story, you can probably expect some rambling and super cute designs slash miscellaneous things in your letter if we go the snail mail route!

I kinda have some pretty diverse and interesting taste when it comes to things I enjoy! I like to think I have the interests of an elderly person and personality of a child, but you can be the judge of that!

* I love politics, linguistics, diplomacy, history, stock markets, real estate, law, and philosophy!

* Hiking and swimming are probably two of my favorite outdoorsy activities!

* I adore the gun range, it is probably one of my favorite places to go (after malls and libraries)! Very American of me.... I know 😀

* Beekeeping is something I’ve been doing since I was a child, I currently have over four-thousand hives!

* Reading, writing, and painting are also some of my favorite things to do!

I’m a painter, who absolutely loves bright colors (I.e pink and yellow)! I don’t particularly have a favorite music genre, from rock to country and pop to opera/classical I’ll listen to anything (it all depends on mood)!

I like to consider myself the reigning queen of over-energetic happy-go-lucky bubbly people! *Bow down peasants!* Some people have claimed I’ve got major crackhead energy, without the crack! I just blame it on my caffeine addiction paired with really really bad ADHD!

I’m a bit of a girly girl, with a love for the preppy look, and a love for hair bows and leather jackets! I love dancing in the rain, going to parks, blowing bubbles, watching Disney, playing make-believe or whatever, and acting like I’m high on sugar 9/10! I mentioned I had a childish personality, though as I said, some people find it overwhelming!

I love reading and writing (both originals and fanfics... yeah I’m a groupie when it comes to tv/movie/book fanfics)! Currently, I’ve been really invested in fiction works, I’m nearly finished with the CL Stone Academy Ghostbird series (It's a reverse harem for those that don't know, I highly suggest it), which I started last week! Though I obviously have been keeping up with my lovely textbook readings and such (seeing as this week is Midterms and all)!

Oh!! I almost forgot I know three languages (not including English)! Spanish, French, and Russian! Though I’ve never had anyone to use the languages with, and I’m still in the process of learning Russian!

Side note, I'm a full-time college student that has multiple entrepreneurial businesses that I run, so I'm fairly busy! But I'm also super chatty and talkative, so there's that!

As for what I’m looking for! I’d love a best friend, someone that can put up with my amazingly hectic self, while also being able to hole and intelligent conversation.

I’m cool with an email pen-pal, a messaging pen-pal, or a snail mail pen-pal! Admittedly I’m currently in a crafty mood, specifically because the holidays, so snail mailing is probably at the top of my list at the moment! I just moved to a new location, which has been a blast, mountain people are so super sweet (coming from someone who grew up in the city) and I’ve officially managed to get my address and everything squared away! So that should be spectacular!

Age and gender identification don’t really matter to me, though I do connect with people older than myself a tad bit easier because my interests normally don’t line up with my peers! Similarly, people who have life goals, ambitions, and/or self-aware people are a serious weakness of mine, what can I say, I'm a sapiosexual, both in regards to romantic relationships and friendships, the brain is the most beautiful part of the human. Similarly in that fashion, I am also demisexual and pansexual.

I'm looking for something long-term, whenever I start something I pour 100% into it, and I expect 100% back! My time is a delicate thing, and even though I'm ridiculously busy I love sharing it with others! I would also be interested in exchanging photos early on with people that pique my interest, both for verification purposes, and because I prefer to put a face to a name. Similarly, your location does not particularly matter, domestic or international pen pals are welcome! I would love to be able to put some of my languages to use, however, but all cultures are welcome!

Anyways! I’d love to get to know you, so please shoot me a message and we’ll see where it stands and where we land! I’ll try to respond to all messages, but I can’t stand small talk, so if you just send a “hey” with no context or a few other words like “hyd” I probably won’t respond (and imma blame it on my Adhd)! I mean.... I did mention I love long messages!!

Can’t wait to hear from y’all!

And I hope everyone has a spectacular day and night!!

My email is [email protected] for anyone who wants to reach out there! Or you could just message me on Tumblr!!

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ghouls-dream · 5 years

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Ait so that’s the promised smut, sinners. Enjoy!

Dewdrop x Reader

(WARNING!!! SMUT, +18, NSFW for days and please don’t read if you’re too sensitive) I hope you like it guys, I was really nervous before posting it bc I’ve never been this descriptive sooo uhh :”) love u.

“Intoxication“

What was the time again? I didn’t even bother to look once again at the old, stupid clock, hanging over the stone wall. However my eyes unintentionally glimpsed at it. ‘Fuck dammit’ my mind swore. Was it because I did what I really didn’t need to do, or because of the hour. Exactly three thirty in the fucking morning and my head was spinning… Maybe the alcohol was finally kicking in? Or maybe it was the combination of my exhausted self and… Well the damned alcohol. Being a witch in the Church of Ghost, having Imperator as your class teacher and constantly being torn between the need to leave because of pressure, or burn yourself voluntarily was all leading to this state of… Mind?! Or insanity. I was drained - emotionally and physically. Striving to fulfill Imperator’s expectations wasn’t an easy thing and honestly - I was close to giving up on that “fantasy”. I wouldn’t sacrifice my own liver because someone has ambitions bigger than their ass. Alcohol had never been my friend. We weren’t even acquaintances to be fairly honest! Maybe perfect strangers described our “relationship” the best. That night - I didn’t care and that was probably my biggest mistake. Or at least that’s what the sober part of my mind (what was left from it) was trying to tell me. Did I listen? Obviously not, since my legs were already leading me out of my chambers.

I felt myself swinging from side to side, with each step becoming lighter than before, with only one thing on my mind. Only one person to be exact… And to be even more precise, it wasn’t even a person. It was something between a human and a demon, but Hell knows how much I had a taste for trouble and horrible men… Human or not. And Dewdrop was a perfect choice - or at least he seemed like one right now.

I wasn’t sure what I was looking for - sex, fucking, talk, another drink, a shoulder to cry my exhaustion on? It was either all of the things or none, but I was about to find out. One thing I knew for sure - he wouldn’t have hesitated to have me, since his dirty hands, mind, tongue and whatever the hell other part of his body you can think of, was at some point in contact with my own. We’ve always been like magnets me and him… Attracting one another then one of us turns around and… Boom! We don’t speak for weeks until the one of us gives up and… And creates some gossip for the curious Sisters of Sin.

Enough of that… Now more than ever I just wanted to get straight to his room, which seemed like a mission impossible, but then.. A miracle happened! Or at least I hoped it did - I was finally standing before a door. The third door to be exact. I looked around myself, feeling a slight episode of giggle coming out, but luckily - my reflexes were still strong. I put a hand to cover my idiotic chuckles as the other one knocked on the ghoul’s door. 'Shit I hope it’s you’ I thought to myself, realizing what I was doing few moments after. I waited and waited… And waited, until I was almost ready to make an attempt and leave, but the door suddenly opened. My eyes immediately locked on his icy-blue ones, which didn’t make my knees weak, strangely enough… But just fed my need to laugh even harder! And so.. I did!

“Well someone is knocked out…” his raspy, sleepy voice fonded my ears. I blinked a few times before taking a hold of the wall and answered.. Maybe a little too louder than neccessery “Wanna finish me off?” There’s no need to say that the attempt of me trying to sound as seductive as possible was more than miserable. I was making a fool of myself… And strangely enough - I loved it because I couldn’t care less. I let out another chuckle, shaking my head. Dewdrop raised his eyebrows, before putting a playful smirk dance on his lips and spoke quietly “Yeah, there are two things I’m not really into - necrophilia and rape, so I’d pass.”

“But I’m not dead?” I laughed loudly, before feeling his hand dragging me inside his room. He seemed pissed for some reason? Was it me? I gasped slightly at his sudden move, before feeling my back hitting the door that locked behind me. Only now I could see Dew fully. He was still having his black pants on, while his shirt was gone, leaving him only with his not-so-well-defined abs and tattoed, bruised body. I instantly bit my lip as his hands went on both sides of my arms. His eyes were piercing me like spears and it felt… Absolutely insane. “You reek of alcohol, Y/N. Which means you’re drunk. Therefore you’re not thinking straight and that by itself means rape. So my answer is no. Try again in the mornig. I promise you, you’d like it better” Dewdrop whispered against me - his hot minty breathe hitting my lips… And there it was. The weakness in the knees. It showed! Finally - all joined the “game” - my weakness for him, the alcohol and my hormones. All were thriving!

“But I want you…” I whispered, getting closer to his lips as my hands wrapped around his neck. My body immidiately relaxed as I almost dragged him down, before he caught me up and scoffed “The alcohol wants me, not you” “No I do!” I chuckled. Dew rolled his eyes, letting out a deep sigh as I continued my teasing “Come on… I’ve heard "stories” about your… Er… Tastes? The ropes and shit. You like BDSM? I’ve never tried. Come on, give me a ride, Dew. Should I go down on my knees and wait fo…“

"Woah, woah, woah. Who the fuck told you all this?” finally he laughed as well, still holding onto my arms tightly. His blue eyes locked onto mine. He seemed entertained. Finally! I was starting to figure out what I actually came here for… “The sisters? Some of the girls you’ve fucked before? Come on i’m starting to feel less special… I’ll tell Imperator Dewy doesn’t wanna have fun with mee” my voice instantly became a lot more high pitched and childish. The ghoul didn’t seem to like that, judging by his strict expression and the frown. His face became darker, even his lips formed a thin red line… And the weakness in my knees grew bigger in proportion of my heart race.

I swallowed slowly, feeling his grip over my arms becoming a little tighter. The atmospheric change could be sensed as well. It was getting harder to breathe… And also hotter. But maybe that was the Jack Daniels reminding me of himself and my bad decisions. “As much as I want to tuck you in bed, I also want to get you down on your knees and shut that pretty little mouth with something big enough to silence it.” his voice spoke. The way he didn’t even sound angry was making it unbelievably creepy… Because I could feel the rage radiating through his pores. The knot in my throat grew bigger as I opened my mouth slightly and managed to whisper “Please… I want you.” “How? With or without the ropes?” Dewdrop whispered, still not breaking the contact between our eyes. I could sense how he was trying his best not to rip my clothes off.. Because I was feeling exactly the same. My heart was pounding like crazy as his fingers started dancing over my bare arms all the way to my cleavage, pulling it gently just so he could tease me… And he was succeeding! I swallowed hardly finally, before hearing the warm summer wind through the cracks of the stones. One of the near candles was put out as my eyes quickly fixated on the thin smoke. And then my mind was striked… With probably another bad idea.

“Wax” I simply whispered out, stepping a little more confident on my feet. My eyes finally met his confused ones. Dew questioned me “Wax?” “Yes. Use it.” I responded. “It will hurt. You can’t just do it with any wax..” the ghoul tried to speak reason into my already aroused self. I pressed my hips to each other, feeling the wetness growing between them as I whispered next to his lips “Then let it hurt.”

And that was all needed. All needed for Dewdrop to put the most sinister of smiles over his face. He pressed his thin lips onto mine, creating the blissful sensation of euphoria in my body that I craved for so long. His long fingers tangled in my hair, getting a hold of it, his tongue fighting with mine… Pure primitive instincts for domination.

I felt my legs walking again. This time they were led by the ghoul, walking backwards to his bed. While his left hand was pressing me towards his chest, the other one was desperately trying to find something else rather than my hair. This moment he separated from me, leaving me absolutely breathless with… Probably arrhythmia and spoke, while panting “Get on your knees.” Done. I immidiately did what I was told as I watched him taking out on of the candles from its candlesticks. Dewdrop then turned to me, smirking down at my aroused persona “Take off the dress”

Done. Once again without hesitation from my side. My shaky and excited hands quickly removed the black lacy piece of clothing, before throwing it to the side. That was obviously amusing to watch since Dewdrop let out a deep chuckle as he blew out the candle “So impatient… I bet you’ll regret it” “I bet I… Oh!” I tried to speak out, before I felt the hot wax dripping over my exposed skin. It was burning. It felt like hot blades piercing my skin… But just for few seconds. After that it wasn’t this bad at all… Until it hit my left nipple. Dew knew exactly what he was doing. It was entertaining to him for sure!

I squeezed my eyes, letting out a small whimper the moment the wax made a contact with my right one. “You sure you still want that? You can always give up, girly..” the ghoul reminded me, still watching from above. I opened my eyes just to see the blue shades in his gaze becoming… Darker. Filled with lust. Arousal! “Yes…” I moaned out the moment he bent the candle once again and the wax hit the skin over my collarbone. “Oh, I love that sound…” Dew remarked. My gaze immidiately shifted to the growing buldge in his black pants. And suddenly… I couldn’t feel the pain of the burn. Only the need to have whatever it was in there inside me. One way or another!

My hands instinctivly traveled to his zipper, pulling it down slowly, still not breaking the visual contact between us. Dew clenched his jaw which made me smirk. Now I was the one in power! My fingers quickly unbuckled his belt as I pulled his black pants down, along with his boxers… But before that - I made sure to give his still covered memeber the “attention” it deserved. My lips roamed the tip of his head, while my eyes enjoyed th faces Dewdrop pulled off - lip bitting, brows coming together.. He was fighting the urge to shove it in my mouth. Even his hand was giving him out - that poor candle was at the point of breaking thanks to his grip.

“Suck it. Suck it now!” he finally hissed at me, before pulling down his boxers and forcing my mouth into it. I squeezed my eyes immdiately. My reflexes were telling me to pull back, but his hand went behind my head, pushing me to take him all in. His member was hitting that certain spot deep down in my throat that was making me slightly regret my decision… But I did my best not to make much more noises than needed.

Seconds after I started choking, while holding onto Dew’s hips. He grabbed a fistfull of my hair, pulling me away just so he could bend over to my level and “reward me” with the most content, terribly… Insanely aroused face he could pull and a sinnister smirk. He whispered against my face as tears started falling down my eyes. Not because I hated what I was doing, but because it was unexpected… And rough. And I loved it! “I’ll fuck the drunk out of you and leave you sore and sober for days, Y/N.” And this was the moment I lost my words. My mouth formed a small o-shape due the shock of his sentence, but then… Then again I met his member up close. This time not so roughly - Dew felt merciful (on himself of course) for once and only pushed my head towards it. My tongue knew what to do - it licked every inch of his lenght all the way to the tip of the head, where it stopped. Circles and small sucks were all that this specific spot received from my side. “Look at me!” he commanded, reminding me of that action. I immidiately locked eyes with him.

Dew was a frowning, grunting, sweating mess. I smirked to myself before making an attempt to take as much as possible of his erection in my mouth, despite the pain from the sudden deep-throat. My eyes never leaving his as I bopped my head back and forth. And then again… I felt his hand roughly pushing my head towards his member. I squeezed my eyes, gripping his thighs once again, before sensing how my limit was close. I gagged lowdly, as I felt Dewdrop’s hand pulling and pushing my head towards himself… Moans and swears in latin, leaving his mouth. Music for my ears! It was all worth it - mutually! The wetness between my legs was starting to almost drip like the hot wax from few minutes ago….

“Oh, fuck, Y/N!” he growled one last time before tilting his head back. I thought that this was the end of him… But i was wrong and naive. And he - experienced a lot more than me. My tongue was desperately trying to give his member the needed attention - swirling around the lenght of his erection, even my fingers joined the game. I finally opened my eyes just to see him starin at me. Dew whispered “You little harlot… Lay down on the bed and spread your fucking legs for me”. Third time - done! The softness under my back devoured me as I felt the world spinning slightly… Luckily the slight breeze brought me back to my senses, just to find myself beneath Dewdrop’s body. His lips immidiately crashed onto mine - hungrily kissing and abusing them as I traced my nails over his back, leaving red marks. My hips instinctivly buckled up towards his erected member.. All I needed was some sort of friction! Even a touch would have been enough at this point!

Dewdrop chuckled above me, before bitting my lip as I gasped. Everything was so unexpected with him and it was driving me insane! And closer to the edge, which was actually pathetic having in mind he didn’t even touch me the way I needed him to! “Nice nipples you have there…” he whispered towards my lips as I felt his skillfull fingers moving dangerouly close to my right nipple. 'Oh, no..! The wax!’ I thought to myself as I felt the slight pain of his actions - Dew “ripped” the sitffened wax of my sensitive spot and I gasped, arching my back. He smirked before doing the same to the other one… Sweet pain was shooting through my body as I whimpered.

“Should I take it further and drip some hot, melted wax over….” his seductive voice whispered in my ear as I felt his fingers traveling down my body towards my wet, throbbing core. Once they touched it, I instantly moaned, feeling how they sunk deep into me.“Here?” he finished his sentence. “No! No please not there!” I begged throwing my head back to the his pillow. Dew pumped his fingers a few seconds just enough to drive me insane and almost make me come… The knot in my stomach was getting tighter with each movement, before he pulled his two fingers out of me and gave my mouth a hard, passionate kiss.

Immidiately after that I felt his member entering me, making me widen my eyes in surprise as I moaned loudly into his mouth. Dewdrop moved in agonizing speed… It wasn’t too fast, but far from being enough to make me each of us come. The moment he separated his lips from mine, his hand got a hold of my neck and squeezed it slightly. I gasped. “That’s right, Y/N… Tell me now how much you love to get railed by half-demons! I bet you’re so proud of yourself, girly…” Dew remarked as his hair gotten into his face the more and more he thrusted into me. My limbs were way too numb to try and move it away and even if they were capable of doing it, I’d probably get denied by him. Dew’s suddenly pinned my wrists down to the bed, still keeping his speed as my moans became louder and a lot more desperate.

“P-Please…” I managed to speak out. “Please what? Say it and you’ll have it” the ghoul whispered. Looks like the words were true after all - the devil is not an little red man with horns and a tail… Instead he’s a fully grown man with tail, horns and a dirty mind that would make even Satan blush in shame. “Come! Make me come!” I shouted out arching my back as I felt what was left from the wax on my chest breaking. This shot another small sensation of pain through my body as I opened my eyes. Dew smirked at me, before tightening the grip around my wrists… they were starting to hurt.

Suddenly he flipped me over to my stomach. I gasped in surprised as he once again separated my legs as he moved between them. And again - that well known feeling of his member entering my throbbing core. I moaned as he started to thrust harder in me, his hand pulling my hair to his chest as the other one started playing with my sensitive clit. I squeezed my eyes, feeling the bubble in my stomach ready to burst before he growled… Almost inhumanly “Veni!” And for the last (hopefully) forth time this night… I did what i was told. The sweet release of my orgasm hit my body like a lightning, paralyzing every part of my limbs. I got a hold of the wooden bedframe, panting wildly as I felt Dew’s release inside. Still gripping my hair, but this time kissing my left shoulder, he breathed out “A-Are… Are you sober already? Or should we go for round two?”

“No, no… No!” I chuckled, feeling how Dewdrop was pulling me into his soft, warm embrace. He spun me around swiftly, being careful not to make me completely lose control of myself, as he stared into my eyes. “You seem tired” I remarked, gently brushing his cheek with my knuckles as I gave him a sweet smile. My body relaxed into his arms as he made us both lay down on the bed, me putting his head on his chest as Dew whispered “Tired of your bullshit, yeah.” “You dickhead! I’ll never fuck you again!” I squeeled out jokingly, hitting him with his pillow as he laughed, before pulling me back into his arms “We both know that’s a lie… Now rest. You’ll need it.”

#dewdrop ghoul #dewdrop #ghost bc #the band ghost #ghost #the nameless ghouls #dew

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katsukiboom · 5 years

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What The Heart Desires - A Tokoyami Zine piece

A/N: My longest piece yet (which I wrote thinking that the word count had to be a lot longer than it actually was, so much of this right here is brand new content) and it was for the amazing Revelry in The Dark @tokoyamizine! I’m super happy to have been able to work with the amazing people behind it and thoroughly hope you all can enjoy the content if you bought it - their blog will also post every completed piece, so make sure to check that out! ♥

Word Count: 5.125

With a cigarette almost completely out hanging loosely between the edges of his beak, Fumikage Tokoyami looked around the empty street before tossing the cigarette onto the ground and stomping it out. He gently blew the smoke out of his lungs, tracing small images into the night air. He studied them absently, letting his expression soften with a smile.

It had been a calm night overall among the citizens that passed by the area he was in. Although he was surprised with how things had gone so smoothly, he also wished there would’ve been more bustle in the city – he hadn’t made more than ¥6.550, and even if he knew better than to complain about what he could earn, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed with how the night turned out. Still, it was well past 1am and he wanted to go back home as soon as he could, so he lit another cigarette and took a big puff. For the long road ahead, he told himself as the bitter taste of cinder reclaimed its place on his tongue.

His thoughts seemed to be all over the place on the way back as he walked slowly, the soft breeze sending a shiver down his spine as he gripped the handles of his guitar case a bit tighter - Fumikage was never a nostalgic person per se, but anyone with a mind-reading Quirk nearby might think otherwise. It was one of those nights where he’d end up doubting himself and his goals throughout the hours, the various memories coming back to him not helping at all with his sentimentality. He only hoped he could get some sleep along the way, and he looked up at the night sky for a moment only to see a few dots scattered all across the dark canvas above. The brightest stars seemed to twinkle as if saying hello, and he realized how much he missed being able to see more of them, of their beauty.

A memory popped up in his head then, a simple image of him gazing at a beautiful starry sky while sitting on the roof of his house a few years back. The sheer contrast of the white and red dots against the deep blue sky always used to leave him in awe of the world around him, and sometimes he brought his guitar along to sing a ballad to the moon in hopes of making the feeling of solitude go away, something not even the entity inside of him could achieve. He remembered when he was younger and his father used to come along, too, the everlasting support for his son making the young man’s heart swell with joy.

It had also been in that same rooftop that he had had the pleasure of listening to what would quickly become his favourite album of all time, Journey’s Escape – it ignited the spark needed to fuel his passion for music, something that had existed ever since he was a toddler but that had never been truly cemented into him. It was no surprise for anyone when he had claimed he wanted to apply to Yuuei, Japan’s most prestigious performing arts conservatory known to train the best musicians in the country.

Tokoyami hopped on the last bus of the night and threw away his half smoked cigarette while remembering that on that same rooftop, too, had been when he first doubted himself years later; if he was doing the right thing, if it was all just for a whim, or if playing music for a living was truly the end of the road for him and his ambitions. He wanted to know more about the world and there was so much more to learn, and he didn’t want to feel like he was just another wasted talent. Those doubts led him to drop the future Yuuei had offered him once he graduated, instead turning to the streets as a source of living while playing whatever music he wanted on his beloved instrument.

He felt a small rustling beside him along with the sensation of something leaving his own being, a sign that he was no longer the only one in that bus besides the driver - sometimes he did hate having a sentient Quirk. “You sound like you’re having a hard time,” said Dark Shadow from beside him, but it didn’t faze Fumikage in the slightest. The bright light of the vehicle kept it controlled, and for that he was immensely thankful. “You can talk to me, you know? I can sense when you’re not okay, and your thoughts are yelling.”

“Get back in,” was the only reply that left him as he put his forehead to the window glass, the cold material doing little to help his tiredness. “You’re not needed now. I am only…” but the words escaped him before he could explain anything, maybe because he himself wasn’t entirely sure of what was going on through his mind; the images fumbled together and a small headache was starting to appear. “I am only thinking.” And with that, he was left alone again as Dark Shadow retreated, a dejected look on its face.

Whenever his insecurities appeared there was always Dark Shadow to help, and the two had been good friends ever since his Quirk first manifested. Despite being hard to manage when in dark places, Tokoyami made sure to always have at least a source of light on him, be it a small flashlight that he kept well hidden in his backpack or playing in a particularly well-lit spot. He knew it would only be a matter of time until something bad happened so he always tried to stay out of danger’s way, preventing as much of it as possible. The entity acted as his main source of support ever since he had left his family’s house and while there were a lot of things he’d change about it, he felt greatly thankful to have it in his life – it being a part of him meant having little to no secrets, and sometimes it made it easier to let go of the emotional load he tended to keep to himself.

Sighing and fogging the glass a bit, Fumikage replayed the events of that night silently, picking the different moments he found to be the most fulfilling. If there was something interesting about being a street musician he would’ve named the tons of people he got to see every day, imagining their stories and talking to them to find out if he had been right about something. It had become a little game only for himself, but ever since he started his new profession there had been two specific people that stood out to him the most. He liked thinking about them, as they had showed him different sides to something he had always considered to be very black and white.

The first one he met almost by chance, the memory replaying as an overused tape - it had been one of his busiest days and the only time to rest for no more than fifteen minutes came around at dusk time, when he noticed that people were already scattering towards their destinations without really paying attention to their surroundings. With his body feeling as tired as it could be, he walked to his preferred resting spot, an old alley that kept him hidden from the judgemental looks he got sometimes. A sturdy box had been placed against a wall God knows how long ago, and he had taken a liking to sitting there with his guitar, tuning it or just playing whatever came to his mind as he let the stress go. It had been no different that day, just a regular afternoon, until he heard voices coming from the entrance of the alley.

“It’s him, isn’t it?” one of the voices, a high-pitched, unmistakably girly voice said with a hint of amazement in her tone. Without even tearing his gaze away from the instrument on his hands he felt as Dark Shadow came out, but Fumikage felt too focused to even ask him to return. The people outside didn’t seem to notice at all, and he had to thank the dim lighting of the narrow space for that. “He seems like he has such a good Quirk too; he’s probably talented with it too.”

Dark Shadow’s low laugh resonated all the way to his body, and with a low growl the young man wordlessly signalled that he wouldn’t be in the mood to get interrupted any time soon. It had been a long day and social interaction wasn’t exactly on his to-do list at the moment - it was his moment to be alone, his mind needing the space to be able to function properly until the late night. “You should give them a chance,” the entity said before retreating into him, “they look nice enough to have a chat with.”

“Ochaco-chan, why don’t you just go talk to him?” The girl that replied had a slightly lower, more concerned tone as she whispered some more stuff he couldn’t have been bothered enough to eavesdrop in. But soon he heard approaching footsteps, and he closed his eyes in a futile attempt to camouflage himself with the wall behind. “Excuse me, I know that you must be resting, but my friend and I wanted to congratulate you for the amazing performance.” Looking up and opening his eyes he was met with the sight of two big eyes framed by two strands of green hair, staring at him as if trying to pierce right through his soul. She was alone, and he wondered if she had been the braver one out of the two or if she had left her friend behind for another reason.

Once his eyes got used to what little light there was and he got a better look of her he recognized her as one of two girls who had been enjoying his show for a long while and dancing along to some of his repertoire before he took a break, and when he looked to the side he saw the friend that was with her talking on the phone before sending them a curious glance. The two of them formed a weird pair he thought, but by the way they acted with one another was a sign of how strong their friendship was. Her features and gestures reminded him to those of a frog, and he wondered if it had anything to do with her Quirk. “I’m truly glad you enjoyed the show,” he replied shortly while putting his guitar back on its case on the floor, unsure of whether they’d hang around more or if that’d be the last time he’d see them.

With a warm smile, the girl kneeled beside him and pulled her white cardigan a bit more over her chest, the breeze running along the streets already getting colder with each passing second. He noticed she looked smaller beneath the item of clothing. “You’re one of the few people I’ve met in my life that I can tell has true passion for playing an instrument,” she added without a hint of hesitation. “I wish I could play like you.”

“Do you play guitar?”

“Transverse flute and violin, actually - been playing since I was 8.” Silence fell over them and Fumikage felt almost scared of breaking it, and instead leaned against the wall behind - in moments like this he really wanted to be the kind of person that could keep alive a conversation without much effort, cursing his bad luck when it came to interacting with other people. She didn’t seem like she wanted to be a bother, but he did wonder the reason why she had decided to casually spend some time with a simple street artist like him. “I hope I’m not being a nuisance right now; you’re awfully quiet.”

Slightly taken aback by her words, he sighed and turned his attention back to her as he said, “It’s okay, I… enjoy having someone to talk to about this sort of thing. Although I must admit I do feel undeserving of such nice comments.”

“Undeserving? No way!” she retorted, and it was only then that he realized that he was opening up with someone he didn’t even know the name of. “I truly wish I could play like you. I was partly forced to learn so I never really knew what playing for a passion was.” His expression turned into one of understanding as he heard those words, and he smiled down at her with newfound empathy. Her own smile had faded, leaving behind a sad appearance. “It was all my parents’ doing as a means to encourage me I guess - I don’t blame them fully, but I sometimes wonder if it would’ve been different had I learnt because I wanted to. I could’ve never dedicated my life to music like you do, however, but I like meeting people like you.”

The way she spoke about her own experience brought back his doubts and he was ready to tell her about that, but then another voice was heard from the alley entrance, making them both turn around. Her friend was calling out to her - Tsuyu with two cups of what seemed to be boba tea on her hands. With what sounded like a way too hopeful voice for him, he quickly said, “Will you two stick around for a bit longer? I’m about to go back out; if you’d like to, you’re more than welcome to stay.”

“We have to go, but I’ll make sure to come back to watch you play again someday.”

It was only then he realized he had never given her his name.

And as they said their goodbyes she got up and walked away, and the memory came to an abrupt halt as the bus Fumikage was riding stopped so hard in front of a red light it almost made him hit his head on the window and fall off his seat. Mumbling incoherent curses as he sent a death glare toward the driver and wishing Dark Shadow would not come out to tease him about it he sunk back down on the comfortable leather, letting his mind fly back to his trail of thoughts after checking he still had some time to kill before reaching his stop looking through the window glass.

The second most interesting person he met wasn’t someone who had come by to one of his performances - instead, he had been the one to meet him, almost on purpose.

It had been a late night of the last autumn, one that had had just the most delightful weather and that seemed to be made specifically for everyone to enjoy. Armed with his beloved black jacket and a cigarette in his beak, he walked downtown to his favourite bar, hoping to have a nice time while getting away from everything else in the world and its tendency to always make him feel under pressure. He didn’t expect the loud music coming from the inside as soon as he crossed the main doors of the place, or the way people were looking at the band playing like they were the most amazing thing they had ever heard. Just noise to the ears, he thought as he occupied his usual place at a table close to the bar, they all sound monotonous.

However, as he listened more and more and downed a bottle of beer, even a harsh sceptic like himself could find himself bobbing his head to the hard rock being played on the little stage. Fumikage analysed the four people (three boys and a girl) that were playing as if trying to discover a hidden secret, but all he saw was four people just having fun… or three, to be honest. One of them had an angry expression on his scarred face, a sour testament that whatever was going through his mind wasn’t the prettiest of thoughts; the bass he played seemed to be in pretty bad shape, and he wondered how the guy could even play an instrument like that. His red and white hair stuck to his face thanks to the sweat running down his cheeks, and he looked rather threatening.

It took them another two songs before they finally said their goodbyes and walked off the stage to the sound of vigorous clapping, and by that point he felt way too curious about them to just let them walk away. He carefully watched as they high-fived each other, all smiling and seeming happy with their performance, even the two-colour haired guy. He was the one that went to the bar, ordering drinks for him and all his friends, and that’s when Fumikage decided to take the chance to speak up. “Nice work,” he said loud enough to be heard, and the stranger only sent him a side glance. “It is always a pleasure to see someone channel their feelings through music like you’ve done.”

“You a critic or something?” the male replied and Fumikage only shook his head, the bartender being told by the man to take the order to his bandmates after receiving the money for everything. When he was free again, he approached Tokoyami’s table and plopped down on the chair in front of his and let out a long sigh. “I wish we received more comments like yours - it always seems like we play for no one in particular.”

“Everyone here seemed to be enjoying it greatly,” Fumikage added without much spirit and already feeling a bit dizzy; the beer was starting to work its magic on him, and he internally cursed at himself for not having something with alcohol in his system for the longest time. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he introduced himself before asking for one in return

Heterochromatic eyes posed on him and seemed to look at him up and down before reaching a verdict about whether or not he was trustworthy - he hoped he looked the part. “Todoroki,” the stranger said as he reached out and offered his hand above the table, careful about the bottles. Fumikage took it and gave it a little shake before turning around and asking for another beer. “I’m really glad you enjoyed the show.”

The name rung a distant bell in Tokoyami’s mind but he ignored it, instead choosing to talk about the band and its origins as Todoroki’s drink was brought to him. He was told that the others’ names were Bakugou, Jirou and Kaminari and that the four were high school friends that had the same goal in mind: creating meaningful music that could reach to the world and bring people together. It was beautiful, barely poetic, but there was still a long way to go and they knew it. “And did you always play bass or did you start with guitar?”

What he thought was an innocent question suddenly made Todoroki’s body tense, his left hand gripping his own beer bottle just a bit tighter. “I started with piano actually - my old man… he wanted me to play. Forced me, actually. He’d given me a really strict teacher and would embarrass me if I ever got things wrong. You can say I started playing as some sort of revenge towards him, but honestly I don’t care anymore. I left my home about four years ago when I was 16 for personal reasons and I have no plans of coming back any time soon.” The emotional turn of the conversation made Fumikage think he’d committed a mistake by asking, but seeing how naturally Todoroki had opened up to him, someone he had just met, made him think that he wasn’t entirely to blame for it. “Sorry for that,” Todoroki added with a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips, “Shouldn’t have unleashed all of that on you when we’ve barely talked at all.”

“I like knowing more about people,” was the simple response to that, Fumikage’s curious expression turning into a relaxed one with a smile of his own, “And you look like you could use an ear to let out some steam; don’t worry, I’ll be like the deepest tomb and keep everything within me.”

And like that, he felt as if he had gained a new friend as the two talked for a few more minutes about their love for music (Journey had, coincidentally, been the first rock band Todoroki had liked as well, although it was their latest record that had amazed him), the band’s next shows and how much the bassist was looking forward to the recording of their first album. Time passed and they were both just drunk enough to laugh at anything, and in between giggles and snorts they didn’t hear an ash-blond man approaching or shouting at Todoroki until he was close enough to tap his shoulder. When the two looked up, Fumikage recognized him as the drummer of the band.

“You telling me you’re getting drunk without us?” He said with a growl, but Fumikage could tell there was no ill intent behind his words - only tiredness. “No more tomfoolery then, we’re going and if you take longer than five fucking seconds to get out we’re leaving without you.” Despite the harsh tone and the deep frown, his lips were curved up in a smile, and he left without speaking another word. His pose denoted confidence, maybe more than a guy should ever have.

With a sigh, Todoroki left his third beer bottle on the table and offered his new acquaintance a gentle smile. “I’m sorry about that, Bakugou can get quite… heavy sometimes. They actually left without me in two occasions, it wasn’t pretty.” He let out a short laugh, and above the talking and noises around them, Fumikage could hear a note of nervousness in his voice. “Hopefully we’ll see you again the next time.” They both nodded in agreement and without much more left to be said Todoroki got up and left, leaving behind a trail of something akin to happiness.

The rest of the night was all but a blur for Tokoyami, and soon he was back on the bus on the present, the memory now returning to the back of his mind as if trying to hide itself from being seen again. He tried to think if there was something escaping his mind amidst the events he remembered as he pulled his jacket a bit more over his body, the cold of the night now reaching every part of him and making a chill run down his spine. He looked out the window and noticed that it was almost time for him to get off, only a few more stops until he reached his destination.

But before he could do anything more someone tapped his shoulder, prompting him to turn around almost defensively. A green haired boy with big matching eyes returned his surprised gaze with a smile proper of those who had no malice inside. He wondered when he had gotten on the bus and why he hadn’t heard him. “Oh, I’m sorry to have startled you!” Even his voice was kind, and Fumikage could only nod his head before starting to get out of his seat. “I had this feeling in my mind and just wanted to make sure I remembered you correctly - you went to Yuuei as well, right?” The statement almost made Fumikage stop on his tracks but he soon recovered and nodded once more, not really wanting to add more to that. “I knew it; my name is Izuku Midoriya, I was in the same year but in a different class! I don’t expect you to remember but it’s surprising to find you here.”

If the name rung a bell in his mind he greatly ignored it, bent on forgetting most of his experience back at the school. “I live close-by,” he said, getting up while grabbing his guitar and now feeling slightly annoyed that his past had somehow found the way to bite his back once again. “Excuse me but I must make this a short chat, this where I get off,” He added as he clumsily made his way to the rear door and pressed the button to let the driver know he had to stop. Curiosity got the better of him as he saw Midoriya following his actions, and he started to think that he had encountered a possible stalker.

“Don’t worry, this is my stop too,” Izuku replied, “my mom moved to this part of the city last year and I’m visiting her.” Silence fell upon them as they reached their destination, but before they could go their separate ways Izuku spoke up, the breeze lightly playing with his green locks. “So, what model do you play?” The question took Fumikage by surprise, and he replied as he opened his bag to get a cigarette and the lighter - he had wanted to leave but for some reason he didn’t want to go home just yet. It was the same feeling he had whenever he met someone through his performances, and his gut was never wrong when it came to interesting people. They both leaned against a nearby wall and he asked Izuku if he played guitar as well, but the other guy shook his head. “No, but I’d love to start. I just need to find time between practices - I already play three other instruments.”

“And what would those be?”

“Piano, koto and end-blown flute! The first and last I perfected back at the academy but I’ve played koto ever since I was young.”

“Koto?” Fumikage felt his eyes widen at the sole mention of the traditional Japanese instrument, as he had never met anyone his age that could even distinguish it from other stringed instruments. His gaze fixated on the other’s, he felt the need to know more about him growing significantly. “Why did you choose that one?”

Midoriya smiled and looked at the ground beneath his feet, seemingly deep in thought. He took his time to reply and for a moment Fumikage felt he had hit a sensitive cord within him. “Maybe because…” he started slowly, and Fumikage could tell he was trying to pick his words very carefully. “Maybe it was because it can be a happy instrument too. I can’t explain the joy I get when it’s on my hands, and it’s very easy to convey my own feelings through it. In that sense it’s very similar to a guitar, and as long as I can showcase how I’m feeling with it, I’m okay. I just want to create music that’s able to reach people’s hearts and make them happy as well.”

Fumikage listened carefully and witnessed as Izuku’s expression went from soft and tired to content in a matter of seconds, and he was impressed to see the effect that music had on the stranger he couldn’t even remember. Doubts swarmed his mind once more and even if he tried his best to dissipate them he couldn’t, choosing instead to sigh and take a short puff from his cigarette as it would be easier than let his mind wander - the smoke tasted more bitter now and his lips curved into a disgusted gesture, but he still said nothing for another few seconds. “You are very passionate, I see. I am always glad to meet lovers of music, but you might exceed everyone else I have met so far.” Had he ever played for true happiness? He couldn’t remember.

The words left his lips mindlessly, as if he was talking to himself rather than to someone else, yet it felt almost like talking to a known friend. He felt comfortable, attributing it to the things they had in common (which he guessed were more than he knew), and he was pleased he had actually decided to trust the good vibes the guy offered. He threw one more glance at him before taking the cigarette between his right index and thumb fingers and holding it up in front of his eyes, as if the smoke was naught but an inconvenience. He was sure Midoriya couldn’t understand where he was coming from with this, but he certainly didn’t mind.

“Do you feel the same happiness?”

“I have to go, Midoriya-san.” Fumikage was quick to respond as he threw the cigarette to the opposite side of the street, watching it let out a few sparks as it hit the ground. He thought that he’d been doing that a lot that night, much to his dislike. “But I do hope to see you again - I often play nearby the Akihabara station, maybe you can come see me one day.”

He hoped that the small smile he offered Midoriya was enough indication that he was glad to have had that little talk with him, but he greatly ignored if the other man could even see it; pulling away from the wall, he waved goodbye at him as he grabbed his guitar case and started walking fast until he turned around the corner. He didn’t even notice he was holding in a heavy breath until he let it out, long and almost making him dizzy.

As he made his way back home, his heart beat faster too, his own thoughts playing against him - the whole dilemma he felt about whether or not he had taken the right decisions in his life. He froze in place and looked up to the sky, now able to see more stars thanks to the now more obvious darkness of the streets. They all seemed to hold so many untold secrets and he was partly glad he was only a spectator in the big scheme of things.

He felt himself going back to the very first place he started at, one where his uncertainties got the best of him instead of letting him advance and take down the many obstacles he encountered. He felt himself going back to those who had impacted him the most, and tried his best to attach whatever emotion felt best for each of them - innocence for Tsuyu, rebellion for Todoroki and happiness for Midoriya. Scoffing, he remembered there was still so much he could learn from everyone around him, and as he pondered the different ways he could implement that newfound knowledge on himself he resumed his walk.

He felt himself getting lost again, but this time he’d make sure to bring himself out of it all to find the spark he had lost along the way.

#bnha #boku no hero academia #tokoyami fukimage #bnha tokoyami #tokoyami zine #mha #my hero academia #bnha scenarios #bnha imagines #mha scenarios #mha imagines #boku no hero scenarios #boku no hero imagines #my hero academia scenarios #my hero academia imagines

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victuuri-victory · 7 years

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Top 10 Yuri Manga Without A School Setting

edit: removed the “keep reading” line, because it cuts off the post when people reblog it, at least when on mobile

There’s a certain formula for producing bad yuri manga- default highschool setting (+1 if it’s all-girls and all-girls somehow equals all-gay), a unhealthy relationship dynamic, unrealistic-but-stock characters (the shy protagonist and the perfect student council president), strict gender roles of butch x femme, males are never present, you get the idea. There’s lots of great yuri out there that takes place in highschool, but I’ll admit that the saturation of bad stuff has tainted my view of the setting.

That said, regardless of your views on yuri’s default setting, here’s the Top 10 Yuri Manga with a fresh change of scenery!

10. Gouhou Yuri Fuufu Hon

On some days, we just don’t have it in us for serious, literary stuff. I want this list to include cute and relaxing sugary stuff too, and Gouhou Yuuri Fuufu Hon fits right in.

I might have a soft spot for moe art, but Hachishiro makes the sickest covers, I’m not even kidding.

Set in a sort-of-fantasy world where same-sex marriage is accepted and animals ears are a thing, Haru is a shy, younger girl who is married off to Sensei, a novelist oblivious to Haru’s uncertainties on how to be Sensei’s wife. Yes the dynamic is a little stock. You might realize the part on arranged marriage is kinda problematic, but this is a not-serious moe manga that doesn’t go there. It’s nothing mindblowing, and it’s not got much of a plot, but it’s a fluffy and enjoyable slice-of-life piece on marriage and domestic stuff.

The art is cute af, and works very well to convey changes in their emotions.

9. Sweet Guilty Love Bites

Sweet Guilty Love Bites is about four cabaret hostesses who work at Club Rose. It’s separated into “Sweet Guilty” and “Guilty Love”. In “Sweet Guilty”, Kirie returns from a bad night of hostessing, to discover Myata, a young woman sleeping in the streets near her house. In “Guilty Love”, Niina, a hostess and a single mother, has a one-night stand with Mayu, only to discover the next day that Mayu is the preschool teacher of her daughter.

Despite the seriousness of what I just summarized, this is a light and fluffy manga with funny moments, and everything ends happily for our dear characters.Though sometimes, the manga struggles to shift from this lighthearted tone when addressing serious life issues that its characters face.

The art is nothing stunning, but it’s decent and carries the plot just fine.

8. Rock it, GiRL!!

Rock it, GiRL!! is about a street guitarist and vocalist, Kaname, who is approached by a talent agency to be part of a band. But Kaname is not an ambitous person and thinks little of her talents. Nevertheless, she decides to give a band a shot. She discovers, however, that a) the talent agency love her as a guitarist, but thinks lowly of her vocal ability, and b) the girl who will sing the songs in her place, is an arrogant tsundere, much in contrast to Kaname’s mopey, sappy self. Animosity develops between them, but they must rise above this personal drama as the show must go on.

I have to say, the characters aren’t exactly sympathetic, but they’ve got real issues, they are offbeat, and are basically a fresh breath of air, away from the standard “sweet, nice, moe girls in a girl band” cliche. Plus the plot is wild, given the seemingly predictable premise.

The art itself is simple, but in a weirdly cute and silly way.

7. Murcielago

I would like to defend Murcielago’s presence on this list by saying that yes it is trash, HOWEVER, it is the kind of trash that nobody expects from the yuri genre.

Specifically, Murcielago is guilty-pleasure gore trash. It’s what we’ve seen played out again and again with a certain Western genre, but always with a male character depicted: violent movies centered on a loose-cannon anti-villain protagonist, who is tasked with being a criminal detective but who really does kill more people than the police are comfortable with. In the backdrop, some sort of vast conspiracy is brewing, where all the crimes that the detective solves, are actually linked together, and this whole conspiracy is somehow, quite self-aggrandizingly, all about this detective protagonist (we just don’t know how yet).

Yes, that was weirdly specific, but we all know that’s an entire genre.

In that sense, Murcielago is predictable, but it’s also very fun action-packed reading. Plus the gender and lesbian of its protagonist, is something quite unexpected, considering the “cute nice fluffiness” that characterizes most manga lesbians, and the male protags who dominate violent action comics for both manga and Western comics.

You know she’s gonna be able to solve the crime, you know the Villain of the Week is gonna die, but there’s still a perverse excitement in finding out how she does it, and what ridiculous over-the-top crime features in the latest issue.

Read beneath that surface, and Murcielago can be a little deeper than that. Our dear psycho-lesbian detective does spare people, and she justifies it by outwardly saying she spares “cute girls”, but that shallow explanation doesn’t hold water. She’s perfectly ok with mutilating and killing incompetent and immoral “cute girls”, which she has made no comment about. She’s specifically sparing a) completely moral “cute girls”, and hiring b) dangerously competent, morally shadier “cute girls” as her proteges. In fact, when she meets a bomb prodigy, she has no qualms morally corrupting her from a) to b), because she really needs a demolitions expert. She’s secretly building a ruthless army, and we don’t yet know why.

6. Lonely Wolf, Lonely Sheep

Lonely Wolf, Lonely Sheep involves the coincidential meeting of two girls who are coincidentially both named Imari, when their names are called in the hospital waiting room. Even more coincidentially, they are both there for left hand injuries. They declare their meeting one of Fate and the stars.

The dynamic is a little stock- we have the tall tomboyish landscaper “Big Imari”, contrasted with the petite girly artist “Little Imari”. But this short comic serves up more than just a plotless dose of sugary cute, the arc does turn serious. “Little Imari”’s injuries hide a dark secret, and the past is coming to claim her.

5. Octave

Miyashita Yukino is a burnt-out pop idol- the industry is not what she thought it was, and she has no idea where to go with life from thereon. The people of her hometown do not welcome her, and believe she must have had to be a slut to get ahead as an idol. What really cuts deep in this manga, is the portrayal and young age of Yukino- the reality of the pop industry and the sacrifices she had make for her dream, such as dropping out of school, has aged her beyond her years.

She then tries to make a living as a talent manager in Tokyo, but her life still seems devoid of purpose, she is drifting and still yearns for fame. During a regular trip to the nearby laundromat, she meets Setsuko, who is the sister of the laundromat’s owner. She finds some comfort in Setsuko’s company, but her problems do not disappear, and in fact the landromat is facing financial difficulties.

My main problems with Octave is that the characterization can be unsympathetic. Yukino is jaded, and certainly mature in some ways, but she is also emotionally childish- she can be exceedingly mopey, sometimes blames her problems on others, seeks external validation to an unhealthy extent, and generally creates unnecessary drama and conflict with Setsuko, who is emotionally flawed as well. Don’t get me wrong, characters should have flaws, but too much of it, and it rubs me up the wrong way and I kinda want to slap them. The plot also starts to slow rather than speed up as the manga progresses, which is just not to my taste.

However, I would simply chalk those flaws up to the inconsistent quality of Octave, where the quality is high, the manga is amazing, the emotions, the issues and ennui from the characters and the atmosphere, can be quite intensely felt.

4. Gunjo

If you asked me what the manga embodiment of misery is, I might just point you to Gunjo. Gunjo tears your heart out, and then puts it back in for a split second, just so it can tear it out again.

“It begins in the moments after a horrible crime has been committed. A woman has asked someone to kill her husband for her. She has asked someone she knows she can use – another woman, a lesbian, who has been in love with her since high school. The woman who requested the death is abusive, derisive. The woman who committed the crime is passive, almost apathetic. She flinches in the face of the other’s harsh words, but doesn’t fight back.” -(Okazu)

They then go on the run, but how far can they go before they’re caught? Does it make a difference that the cunning, abusive woman who has plotted the murder of her husband, was she herself horrifically abused by this man? Can something resembling love ever develop between two people so violent and broken?

Gunjo is amazing in its fan disservice. The murder succeeds because the killer seduces the man, and kills him while naked. But even in this scene, the violence and her disgust completely detracts from any sexual appeal of her nudity. Even in a kiss between the two main characters, their pain permeates.

My problem with Gunjo however, is specifically that the darkness never lets up. Perhaps it is my own sensitivity, but I found it very hard to complete it.

3. Pulse

It’s a full-color! I love full colors. Anyway, moving on,

Pulse tells the story of Mei, a renowned heart surgeon who is also a cold-hearted playgirl. Lynn is a college student who needs a heart transplant, but she refuses to get one (the risks are high). When they meet, Mei feels a strange kind of pull towards Lynn, almost like she’s truly attracted for once in her life. As they grow closer, Lynn strikes a deal- if she can make Mei fall in love with her, she will get the surgery, but Mei has to be the one to do the surgery. Lynn trusts her.

The premise can create all sorts of problems, but that is surprisingly averted. Mei doesn’t pressure Lynn into sex, nor does she fake romantic attraction. Lynn doesn’t sacrifice for Mei. Basically, Mei is no asshole, she’s just uninterested in people, and Lynn is no pushover. Also, the art is mighty fine.

2. Philosophia

Philosophia is about a college romance wherein the two anti-social, apathetic main characters, Ai and Tomo, bond over smokes and coffee. But these little things are not enough to exorcise their inner demons. As Ai starts to feel for Tomo, she becomes torn up over these emotions- her existing familial relationships are far from ideal, and that has fostered her inability to really understand love. Tomo is strange and disinterested, and it doesn’t seem likely that she will return Ai’s feelings. Furthermore, Tomo wants to leave the country, and the means by which she gets the money she needs, is best kept a secret.

Philosophia has both realistic yet unique characters (they do not fall too far into “always mopey” or “always sweet and excitable”, a common problem even in this list), and also incorporates a series of sobering twists and turns.

1. Collectors

Nito Shinobu and Kanzaki Takako both love shopping. Shinobu collects books and Takako collects clothes. But as they move together, let’s just say there are spaaaaaace constraints.

Collector is nothing grand or wild- this is the Happily Ever After, but Collector is important specifically for showing how life goes on, that it is comedic and fun and relatable.

Yuri tends to face the opposite problem to Western LGBT material of the past. Older Western material is melodramatic and tragic, the gay identity of the couple is frequently mentioned and becomes a source of tragedy as they face persecution, which ultimately results in their suicide or murder. In yuri, the world is often isolated down to the couple- they have feelings for each other, but other characters rarely exist and if they do, these characters do not acknowledge the romance. “Lesbian” is never said, and talks of marriage are only meant as comedy.

There has been a lot of praise for Yuri On Ice (which actually involves a male homosexual couple despite the title) for how the other characters are fleshed out too, for how they recognize and acknowledge the relationship between Viktor and Yuuri. There is a similar kind of realism going on in Collectors. There is a feeling of the world actually existing.

Collectors gives attention to the tender moments, the little things, that make a relationship, instead of it all being grand kisses in front of everyone or a emotionally charged graduation speech. There is no feeling of such performance. Even the fights in Collectors are realistic, not the kind formed from wacky misunderstandings, and in fact the kind with a proper resolution and not where they leave, and then kiss and make up but the problem still exists.

#yuri #lgbt #yuri manga #collectors manga #philosophia #pulse manga #gunjo #octave #murcielago #lonely wolf lonely sheep #rock it girl!!#sweet guilty love bites #gouhou yuri fuufu hon

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zapgraptrash · 7 years

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for the hardmode development questions: Grappler, Slyger, and Sazabi and/or Madnug. GO

i know u mean all 45 questions for all of them and i’m SO MAD AT YOU but i will DO THEM ALL REGARDLESS

i’ll do grappler for this post

1) Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?his sister is 2 years younger than him and she was in fact the family member he was closest to. i haven’t actually thought much about his extended family but i just decided his sister would be the only one close to his age anyway

2) What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?his sister was a lot closer to their mum than he was. he always felt like his mum was vaguely disappointed with him and there was definitely some distance between them

3) What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?see above but instead of vague it’s glaringly obvious that his dad was disappointed with him. and once grappler started showing “signs” of not being Straight, his dad got a lot more vocal and and angry about it. his dad was also one of those guys who had his own insecurities and would take them out on his family and grappler was on the receiving end of that a lot so it was like… constant arguing and yelling

4) Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?probably watching his two best friends slowly die. zapper, slyger, dom and likely granox will end up knowing about this.

5) On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?at least one condom and a tiny fuckin thing of lube because “you never know”. when he’s dating zapper, zapper will point out it’s dumb at any chance he gets like “GRAPPLER WE ARE NEVER GOING TO SPONTANEOUSLY BONE OUTSIDE.” “but you don’t KNOW that” “YES I DO!!!”

6) Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?he doesn’t remember his dreams very often so.

7) Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?see above

8) Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?everyone in the platinum army gets trained to fire guns obviously and all the grunts and lieutenants have to use them. once you get to be a squadron leader you can more or less do what you want and grappler mostly uses stuff like swords and his claw arm because he was never that great at using guns and he prefers to get close up to wreck shit

9) Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?sanctuary’s wage system is like. there are only 4 pay grades and they are dependent on rank rather than job so there’s not a huge amount of class difference. when he was growing up grappler was kinda average middle class

10) Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?since he is now at a point where his body doesn’t feel goddamn alien to him he has almost no problem with wearing less clothing these days.

11) In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?either the time when a former “friend” tried to kill him or the time when he got his arm bitten off.

12) In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?maybe the first time he and zapper decided to not play up the “i h8 you” charade and just fuckin be with each other

13) Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?not even a little bit

14) Does your character remember names or faces easier?faces, he doesn’t even bother with names a lot of the time

15) Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?he likes to have Nice Things. maybe there’s a deeper meaning behind this but i can’t think of it right now asdfghj

16) Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?they’re kind of the same thing to him.

17) What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?not technically toys, but he’s had his own vinyl records and cassettes since he was ~7 so, those. people used to get him too many obviously Girly toys which he never liked anyway.

18) Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?probably wisdom because ambition is more threatening especially when the other person is like him (slyger.)

19) What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?not even fuckin trying to keep/make friends. he was like that as a kid and then there was a brief time when he DID have friends but they all either died or deserted him so he became really closed off again.

20) In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?outwardly he likes to think he’s better than everyone else but really he’s super self critical, but mostly about appearance. during the story he does come to realise he’s a dickhead and needs to work on /that/ too though.

21) If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?he will blame other people.

22) What does your character like in other people?he’ll never admit it but he admires people who are straight out nice to other people and as such have people be nice to THEM too.

23) What does your character dislike in other people?arrogance, being over-dramatic, attention-seeking, basically most traits he has himself lol

24) How quick is your character to trust someone else?Nobody Can Be Trusted

25) How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?he doesn’t give people the chance to do anything to be suspected of. like he will just get what he wants from them and immediately bail

26) How does your character behave around children?either “ew” or will just mess with them for shits and giggles

27) How does your character normally deal with confrontation?he will have the last word or die trying

28) How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?he prefers to insult people but he’s not above cutting someone

29) What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?he wanted to be lead singer in a glam band lmao. (no it did not come true)

30) What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?slyger lmao but not reallyI JUST ASKED BOXY FOR SOMETHING AND SHE SAID BAD SHOES AND DAY OLD POPCORN AND THAT ABSOLUTELY WORKS SO YES.

31) Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.sitting around with friends (SUPPOSING HE HAS ANY but during trashland’s story he does gain some) just chilling and drinking and maybe watching some bad movies

32) Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.during that period after banging a randomer and you’re not entirely sure when it’s acceptable to leave….. and they invite him to stay longer and do somethin else

33) In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?defensive as hell

34) Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?he will try something else

35) How does your character behave around people they like?annoy them at every opportunity

36) How does your character behave around people they dislike?annoy them at every opportunity but a lot meaner

37) Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?protecting his status.

38) Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?removing himself implies the problem wins so he removes the problem

39) Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?THIS IS HOW HE LOST HIS ARM some big alien thing (which i have yet to design but it’s probably gonna be vaguely similar to a large cat) attacked him and straight up bit it off. and u can imagine how losing half an arm would affect someone right. though he actually doesn’t mind jokes about it (unlike zapper who will kill anyone for joking about his eye.)

40) How does your character treat people in service jobs?about what you’d expect for a middle class person born in 1970. maybe not quite that bad but he could definitely be nicer.

41) Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?he feels like he deserves most things he wants especially because he Did His Suffering Already.

42) Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?no but the two best friends he had while he lived in LA were like older siblings to him

43) Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?not entirely dependent but since he IS a squadron leader and has to manage a load of grunts, i guess they somewhat count

44) How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?SUPER FUCKING DIFFICULT he feels like if he says it even when he does mean it it will sound forced or insincere.

45) What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?he believes nothing happens and then people forget you which does in fact scare the shit out of him.

#grappler tag

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studioes-blog · 7 years

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Clark Kent sucks. I’d rather be saved by Kaia.

You should know by now how every blog post starts off. It’s my fourth post so that responsibility is on you. But in case you forgot here is a reminder, it’s SEO.

Studio ES had the privilege to work with Kaia on her Senior pictures at Fort Bragg in the good ol’ state of North Carolina.

Sweet sweet nectar, it’s like my SEO is tearing laps around the backyard but it’s stayin still. Still waters run deep. Carl ATHF

Right now rather than f-stops, color, framing ect. Let’s discuss Kaia and that core element to a person. You will most likely be sick of hearing about how important the interview is with your client. However, your going to have to get used to it because the success of your photo and the connection with your client is dependant on it. With Kaia I called it the core, who is she? what does she want? hopes, dreams, fears? I got answers to all of these. Kaia has big plans for her life, rather than just the ho-hum of a 9 to 5 she is determined to put her life on the line for all of us. Like her father, she has a plan to join the service, and it does not end there either, while in the service she will pursue a law degree with plans for a career in politics.

That was a lot to say, and was equally difficult to express in one shot, not having 50 speed lights, access to the desert or a mountain top, I had to touch roots with my independent film attitude of do the best with what you have. My thoughts immediately went to Clark Kent and his transformation into Superman. That transformation is what Kaia will have to go through and is exactly what I wanted to express, with big plans in law and her serving to protect us all, how could you not think of a superhero? Witnessing Kaia’s ambition and getting to know her better I believe she will make a great leader and like I said in the title I would much prefer Kaia come to my rescue.

I am absolutely itching to talk about f-stops, shadows and gels but I cant, I promised. Stupid promise, hope it dies.

SEO is just so much fun, better be careful as South Park is in the background right now.

Fort Bragg is the home of Studio ES your place for Senior photos, that is a little too advertisy.

How about Senior photos shot by Studio ES at Fort Bragg are awesome. Yeah I like that better. Oh, I forgot the photographer at Studio ES lives in North Carolina. Hahaaa triple kill SEO!

Kaia has depth, and I wanted to touch on more than just a tough inside and out ready for the military life. I learned just like all of us she has a soft spot and has sorrows to deal with. In the interview Kaia shared a moment with me, she told me how her best friend had to move away with her family. Being an active listener in our conversation I picked up on the change in her tone and body language. I asked if it was alright to talk about her friend, she agreed, and I was shown the treasure trove of notes and letters that they send to each other and I was graced to see the red jacket that was left for Kaia to wear. Once again folks interview and get personal with your client, by me seeing these items the frame, emotion, props everything was in place, all I had to do was fire the shutter. I felt if I missed this opportunity I should hang the camera up.

I designed this story to be a two frame piece, in essence the drama and comedy masks. On one side expressing joy even though Kaia’s friend is absent. Let me tell ya shooting this frame was fun. I got to hear many stories about the two young ladies and their adventures. Kaia sold that happiness in her expression so well in many of the takes that I had a hard time to choose which one for delivery. Something that I care more about than your mouth smile is smiling with your eyes, and in this frame Kaia is truly smiling with her eyes. The making of this happy frame shows me that the bond that Kaia and her friend share is unbreakable, cherish that fact ladies.

The first frame expressed happiness and a unending friendship, however, there is a darker side, no matter what you can not deny the fact that there is a great distance between Kaia and friend, We all know even the toughest people need to reach out for your friends embrace once in a while. When its not there we reveal our humanity and show that we are vulnerable. When I was shown the jacket I knew that this was the embodiment of Kaia’s besty and there was only one thing we could do with it, give it a hug.

This is the last frame of Kaia and what happens in my blog when we post a frame? Come on folks you know, it’s a little Search Engine Optimization.

Senior Portraits are best shot with a photographer. In fact other than drawing and painting I don’t know another way. At Fort Bragg you can contact Studio ES for a photographer to shoot your Senior photos. So dry today, I need to inject the humor back into SEO. Hang in there folks I’ll find my voice again. North Carolina just because.

Classic beauty. Kaia has range, from the President of the United States to a girly girl who likes vintage clothing and photography. Hahaa that one was natural SEO. This was the first shot of the morning and just as I titled it a classic beauty shot, whenever I see this frame I hear the words Ilsa and airplane. I wanted to appease Kaia’s appetite for the vintage. While making this frame in the interview Kaia and I decided against the instagram filter look and went to film noir. The loving embrace of black, white and shadow play, no filters just minus color and put the light and shadow where I want them. The beauty in the center of the frame helps a bunch too, I couldn’t have done it with out you Kaia. That is all I have to say about this frame, it worked out exactly as we planned so dear reader, again with the interview, do it, you need it and if you refuse, sell me your gear cheap when you quit.

Kaia has much more to see over at: https://studioes.photoshelter.com/index

I want to wrap this up with my own soft spot. I got to know the Paris family inside and out. Recently I learned that now is their time to move on to the next station, off to Hawaii. I want to give a huge thanks for letting me into your family, showing me their strengths and trusting me with the vulnerabilities. I’ll never forget you guys, safe travels all around. Sauerkraut in jars folks, endless sauerkraut.

#senior portraits #senior photoshoot #photography #portrait #portrait photography #fort bragg #north carolina #photographer #studio es

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