#welcome to the two in one special of i can't draw well and i only draw things from my aus

[sepublic]

Fascinating to me how in the pilot, Luz found the Boiling Isles because of AMITY... Because she's trying to return this exchange student's passport to her. She chases a bus on foot the entire way just to repay her kindness. And so she follows her through the door.

I think the final version works just as well, considering it emphasizes Luz's connection to Eda and King, as well as her relationship with her mother. But there's also something special about how in the pilot, Luz's pretty obvious crush, and hopes of finding a friend in someone who unwittingly showed her kindness (though she doesn't realize it was unintentional) is what leads her into the Boiling Isles. It's what begins everything, it's what starts her journey and helps her find the place and people where she belongs.

There's just kind of a parallel between Luz trying to return the passport, and Luz wanting to hold onto the book, her father's last gift to her representing their mutual weirdness and kinship with one another. And there would’ve been another Lumity in parallel in them being students of two worlds. The crush vibes are so much more explicit and present from the start, it's like the queer aspect of Luz and the show is intertwined, since the beginning, since the very inciting incident, with the weirdness of our cast and their found family dynamics and everything. Like you can't discuss the weirdness without mentioning the queerness, without acknowledging it as just as much the foundation to the story and Luz.

Plus there's Amity rejecting the drawing from Luz, only for it to be appreciated by Eda unknowingly... Once again, someone, unwittingly, is kind to Luz. But in this case Eda is more explicit about encouraging and welcoming Luz, and it makes me wonder if Amity necessarily dismissed the drawing as much, or only did so because she was around her peers? She's much more of a traditional, popular girl prep in the pilot. But then she DOES throw away the drawing, and her seeing Luz later could represent the shift in attitude, her reconsideration.

It's just. You have the mother figure. You have the love interest. And they bring and affirm Luz's ties to the Boiling Isles respectively. Luz doesn't get the approval she was initially looking for, but her quest for it leads her to find approval from someone else; And obviously, her chances with Amity aren't entirely off of the table! Her girlfriend brought her here. She lit up Luz's life in a way, as the final version had Luz barge into Amity's life and light up hers without meaning to.

Plus Eda not being the friend Luz expected or was looking for -they cross paths by pure coincidence- but being the one she truly starts off with in the end. Like how in the final show Luz doesn't quite get what she's looking for, but she finds something else just as great and beautiful. Luz braces herself to be mocked through her drawing by Eda only to be supported and encouraged! All three of these characters are cut from the same cloth, tied together. I love it.

[heartfullofleeches]

Table 9

Yan Customer + Fast Food Worker Reader + Yan Entities (Mascot, Bathroom Succubus) [18+ mdni]

Summary: Tired of a frequent customer's daily attempts to ask you out, you take your spite to the next level

Warnings/Tags: Food/Cum Play, masturbation, handjobs, rimming, Reader's gender unspecified but they have a peen(amab), aphrodisiacs, slight crack

"Pick up for table seven!"

Morning rush - the calm within the neverending storm. Not even a full twelve hours since you've been away from your job, and here you were manning the front as usual. You weren't scheduled to come in until noon, but somewhere around dawn your coworker made the mistake of opening the drive-through window. Pickfork or not, an angry customer banging on the glass was a safer choice that whatever resided in there. While hectic and overwhelming at times, you welcomed the morning hustle with open arms and as big a smile your weary spirit could muster. The distraction kept your mind off what was to come. The dreaded hour and number that itched at the back of your mind with each passing customer. You don't know if you have the strength today.

"Next!"

"Good afternoon... Y/n~"

Oh no. No. Your head snaps towards the clock. 12:00pm. You duck beneath the counter to check the number of table markers left. There's only one remaining - the identifying curve of the digit in the shadows a mocking grin. Spinning to your feet as if nothing happened, you will the smile of someone held at gun point at the familiar face. A well dressed individual stood before you; neat suit, manicured nails. If you had to guess, they were about your age if not a couple years older, but the twinkle in their eye and lack of wrinkles gave them that youthful patience this job was draining you of. All in all, they appeared to be just another business person grabbing a quick meal on their way to work - but you knew better.

"Afternoon! What can I get you today?"

"Oh, I'm sure we know each other well enough by now to know what I want. I'll have the usual." They point up at the menu, but their sight lingers upon you - the only feast they sought after.

A chill worse than a night in the meat locker courses down your spine as their tongue draws over their pearly whites and smooth lips. Table 9 - whereas the number marker of most booths changed with a new order, there was only one that retained its title and customer. A tiny, two seater in the right corner of the establishment - the perfect view point for the various crimes you committed on their assorted beverages.

The first indication there was something truly wrong with this person came when they had reported finding one of your hairs in their food. When you offered to replace it, they merely thanked you for your hard work and placed the stray lock in the locket they currently wore around their neck. You later found your hair to be uneven on one end when you took a shower. The limits of their depravity had no end. You once spat in their cup in viewing range out of retaliation for their insistency on joining them on a nice walk to their van for a nice reward for all your efforts. You came to your senses as soon as the spit flew, but they beckoned you and their treat over before you could throw it out - downing half of it right in front of you. You can't help but repeat the action everytime they enter despite the joy and hunger in their eyes when you pass it off.

"Right - one small vanilla ice cream in a sundae container. Will that be all?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could make it extra special for me. You see, today is my birthday and while I enjoy everything your fire establishment has to offer - I fear I am craving something... different. I do pray I'm not being greedy by saying this, but I simply can't get enough of you."

Something different? If they're referring to you spitting in their cup - what else could they want?

"They want you to jizz in their ice cream."

The plume of heavy perfume and medical herbs assaults your nostrils in the same time that her voice has on the rest of your senses. Your coworker nibbles on the straw of her beverage, offering you a wave and a wink as your eyes shift between her and the customer. They wouldn't want that.

"Ignore her - I'm sure whatever you need won't break anymore health code violations than we already have." You slowly eye the customer up and down. "I'm seventy percent sure whatever you need won't break anymore health code violations than we already have."

Gentle blush dusts their hollow cheek. They hide the curl of their lips with their fist as they glance elsewhere. "W-well.... I wouldn't be opposed to it.

They definitely want that.

Your coworker gently nudges your arm. "Eh, I say you should do it. It's their birthday after all and your break's still an hour away. I'll handle business up here until you get back."

You raise an eyebrow. "Normally you and the rest of them are quick to get rid of anyone who so much as breathes at me after I take their order." Your shoulders slump as the realization hits you. "You predicted this somehow and want to watch me on the security cameras during your next break."

"I totally did - and do. Plus, I'm fairly certain that guy isn't human either and after seeing what those hands in the ball pit can do, I really don't want to get my ass kicked unless you're in real trouble."

"Figures.... Alright, fine - I'll do it." Taking off your apron and setting it on the counter, you smack the customer's hands away from it as you finish their order. You grab the dreaded number from beneath the desk and hand it to them. They wait patiently for your command - you roll your eyes. "Don't just stand there - you know where to go."

"Hm, true - I just wanted to hear your voice longer. To picture the blessed sounds you'll make for me back there."

"Don't push it."

Your coworker thrusts her cup into your hands. "Drink some. It'll help you finish quicker."

You mindlessly wrap your lips around the bitten draw. "How is watered down diet cola supposed to help me?"

"Infused with my spit."

Oh...right. It's fairly easy to forget your coworker is a succubus when she wears contacts to hide the blacks of her eyes and your uniform hat already comes with horns. Your head swims: vision spotty as your breathing grows ragged. Startled and aroused by the soft flesh pressed against your arm, your eyes dart to her as she nestles your arm in her chest - lacey black bra poking from her unbuttoned shirt.

You shutter as she blows against your neck. "If....we ever get that priest out of the ball pit, I'm giving him your address first."

"And I love you too - now get going."

You stumble forward as she pushes you on - shaking legs and a heavy body tugging you through the kitchen; the waypoint task of grabbing a sundae cup near impossible with the weightlessness of your limbs. You tumble your way into the empty break room, dragging your work pants down to mid thigh and your shirt over stomach as you relieve the building strain in your underwear. You flinch as the drooling tip slaps against your navel; hand firm around the base. You fist your cock to full mass as the cup flies across the table; your back hunched as you lurch across the wooden surface. Swallowing the end of your shirt to stifle your panting breaths, the cold, ventilated air nibs at your bare torso and thighs.

The stimulant in your coworker's saliva taking full effect - your mind floods with crude imagery as your cock throbs painfully in your hand. Pressing the plush of your palm to your girth, your thoughts draw back to your dear coworker and her innocent ploy of placing your arm against her breast; how they spilled out of her top daily and the way she battered her eyes when she caught you staring. Rutting your cock between her tits and waiting tongue would be too much for you right about now. You thought about that annoying customer taking her place on their knees before you; eyes cloudy with love-struck awe and desire as you stroked yourself to completion and came down their eager throat.

"S...shit...hah..." You groan loudly, the shift of the table as your hips snap against your wrist perfectly masking the creak of break room door as it glides open. The figure cranes its large body and neck to peer in at you as you attempt to fix the table while still fisting your dick in one hand. You linger in your agonizing high, unaware of its presence - until it begins to whistle.

The mascot.

You turn back in time to see that hulking figure maneuver its curving horns through the doorframe as it enters the room. Its chest extends with a stale breath; unblinking eyes training on your smaller stature and leaking member. The lack of bloodstains on its apron and leather gloves tells you its been unsuccessful with its daily hunts, but something warns it wasn't after human flesh in its preferred cut.

Lambchop the goat demon. Obviously not your choice in naming, but you settled on just calling it what it was. The humanoid devil had been responsible for majority of the disappearances around the restaurant and number four on your headache list. Whether as it met your fellow coworkers with butcher knives and their fallen companions in nugget containers, it greeted you with bouquets of flowers and signals to braid your hair as you worked. It wasn't the most annoying entity, but you'd prefer to have the extra hands it keeps chopping off. You'd never seen under its mask, but considering everything else that went on here you didn't expect to see much.

The Mascot stalks towards you, lowering its clever to the floor and its head in curiousity. You chew your lower lip as its hands come up to your sweaty, quivering thighs. The skin beneath your teeth breaks as it pads a finger to your balls - eyes worked back up at you.

"Make it quick."

You don't need to tell it twice. Gripping your shoulders, the mascot spins you on your heels and takes your cock into its leathery hand, pointed finger tips curling against your abdomen. It tucks its claws into its palm as it rubs your length; the harsh, yet tender pressure to your dick making your head spin as it did the first hit of the aphrodisiac. You hear the tear of fabric and soon find the mascot's slimy tongue coursing the vein lines in your neck - teeth locking around the sensitive flesh of your collar. You whimper at the spill of your blood over its fangs and the shameful ecstasy as it suckles the area and teases your nipple between its fingers. The mascot looks down to see the bounce of your ass against its thigh as you fuck its fist with another bout of sinful cries - suddenly pushing you over as your stomach twists in knots.

"the hell are you.....ngh!"

You grit your teeth as the mascot tanks your pants and shorts down to your ankles. Its long, heavy tongue darts out and licks the precum glazed head, dragging up the underside of your twitching cock to your balls and finally pressing against your asshole. You claw at the table for mercy as the thick appendage works its grithy slime into your tight hole; large hand gripping your cheek and spreading them apart as it wriggles against your walls. Its saliva drips down over your balls as it explodes; staining your cock black as it smears the drool into your shaft as it continues to milk you off your building worth. You clench around the muscle, legs close to giving out before its strong arms and shoulders catch - tongue fucking back atop the creaking table. You reach back to grab its horns with your noodly limbs, all remaining strength lost as you cry out.

"Fuck!... slow...slow down. I can't-"

"Y/n! You almost done in there!?"

You blink away tears as you call out. "Y-yea! I'm...ah- coming... I'll be there soon!"

The mascot slams its tongue into your ass; mixture of its length and thickness reaching deeper than you could with your fingers and hitting all the right spots that made retrieving the cup a feat. You nearly forgot about it, and the whole reason you came in here with your mind void of all thoughts beyond your impending climax. You tug the mascot's horn, begging for pause so you can fit the plastic container beneath you. It completely ignores you and swats your hand away, leaving you to struggle getting it under the table as you rock back on its tongue and snout. Your tip hits the bottom of the cup as your vision whites; full body trembling as you shoot ropes of your milky cum into the container. The mascot drills you vigorously through your earthshaking orgasm, ripping another out of you before you're able to call it off through whines. It stands up and takes the cup lose in your sweaty hands, aiming your dick at its rim as the dribbles of your spend run down its interior. The mascot pulls you up against its clothed chest, patting your head and praising you with soft hums as it picks your pants up off the floor and loops the buckle around your waist all with one hand. It stares, unblinking at you glance back - awaiting its reward. You kiss its cheek as you lower your shirt.

"Thanks."

The mascot nuzzles your cheek with its nose, watching and licking its stained hand as it leaves the way it came. It looks back at the cup - almost remorseful in its stare. Looking down at the cup, you see it filled roughly halfway with your spunk - likely increase by the effects of the naturally produced drug. You cringe as you pick it up, stumbling your way back out the break room and to the ice cream machine. You glare down the dreaded box and the spirit inside as you grab its handle.

"Do not.... fuck with me today."

The machine quietly dispenses the ice cream, the creamy white mostly masking the translucent fluid at the bottom. The machine let's you go about your day with no further issue - ghost hover off, disappointed. "A kiss would've been nice."

You wobble your way to the front; clothes wrinkled and hanging off your shoulders, body sweaty and hair clinging to your face. You fix your hat as you straighten yourself against the counter, slamming the container down - clutching your chest as you breath. "Order for Table... 9..."

"Ah!" The customer snatches the ice cream up, lips aimed directly for the freezing rizz on the edge of the cup. They sight in delight, stiff posture relaxed in favor of their newfound taste of paradise. "Heavenly~ I do pray this will be on the minute in the future."

The customer takes their spoon and another bite as they hum happily to themselves, skipping towards their table. You call up the next customer who points at them.

"Can I get whatever they had?"

".....might want to rethink that decision."

[bnuuygrils]

47news interview with Tamifull

Earlier this month Tamifull, the author of Tsukiatte agetemo ii kana? AKA How Do We Relationship?, did an interview with 47news. I've translated the full text below:

Out of the innumerable manga published every year, there are always a few titles that one simply can't afford to miss. Tamifull-sensei's How Do We Relationship? (Shogakukan) is one of these. It's a story of young love and heartbreak, centering on college students Inuzuka Miwa and Sawatari Saeko. Though fiction, it has a powerful sense of reality that leaves one feeling as if the real Miwa and Saeko might just be out there somewhere right now. If Agasawa Tea's Ramparts of Ice (Shueisha) is the pinnacle of high school romance, then How Do We Relationship? is the pinnacle of college romance. With the help of supervising editor Watanabe Saori-san, we were able to secure an interview with Tamifull-sensei to discuss the story--now on its 12th volume, and at the height of its climax.

The story so far:

Soon after starting college, mild-mannered beauty Inuzuka Miwa joins the light music club and finds herself the center of attention from the boys at the welcoming party. Miwa, who "only likes girls", is rescued from the situation by the energetic Saeko. Saeko, who "prefers women (to men)", buoyed by liquid courage, asks Miwa out on the spot and the two begin dating. But the two are clumsy and inexperienced with love, and fail to be fully honest with each other. By the end of the year, their romance has ended in disaster. After maintaining a sex-only relationship for some time they return to being friends and even move on to new partners... Finally, as their respective relationships have both ended, the two look at each other anew, not as lovers, but as exes, and as absolute allies.

47: How Do We Relationship? has a very unusual structure. Shoujo manga tend to portray a dramatic path to the start of the relationship, but Miwa and Saeko begin dating at the very start of volume 1 and break up in volume 4. As we're now on volume 12, they've actually been exes longer than they were together.

Tamifull: Well, it has stretched a little longer than I expected (laughs), but the story is proceeding as planned from the start. I think rather than starting decisively with some sort of "All right, I'm falling in love now!" moment, real love tends to build up out of small things over time. I didn't want the relationships in How Do We Relationship? to start in this exaggerated, romance story kind of way.

47: And that helps with its sense of reality.

Tamifull: I don't believe dating and breaking up are things that we need to think about in such dramatic terms. It's easy to feel like every relationship has to be perfect, or that you need to have some sort of fated encounter, or that breaking up is a bad thing, something hopeless. Why shouldn't there be manga that throws away those stereotypes? Life is so much longer than a single relationship. It keeps going after you start dating someone, or break up with them. I think that's a message that I've consistently tried to tell with this manga.

47: Can you tell us how it got to be serialized?

Tamifull: It started out as a oneshot I did for Comitia (a doujin festival and marketplace in Tokyo) in 2017. Up until then, I had mainly been drawing yuri--manga about relationships between girls. And I wanted to tell a little bit of a different story at that event. Doujinshi are generally about 20 pages, so usually you introduce the main couple, have them confess, and wrap it up right around there. So I thought, what if they're already in a relationship and we watch them break up? I was basically thinking, "why not draw what I want to read!?"

Watanabe: Ashima Yuki-san, one of the first freelance editors, reached out to Tamifull-san then.

47: At the time, yuri was considered a pretty small market. It felt like unless you got into one of the specialized publications you'd have a very hard time, right?

Tamifull: That's true. There are a lot more varied works coming out now. At the time most of these stories were actually aimed at men, so the relationships would stay platonic, or at most they might kiss. I knew stories like that were easier to market and less likely to ruffle feathers, but I found myself thinking, "If we all settle for that, we'll never get to see what happens next! If no one else is drawing it, why shouldn't I?"

47: What did Ashima-san say to you?

Tamifull: She told me, "I've been wanting to read a story where the characters and relationship feel free like this". I do remember thinking it might be more marketable without the eroticism when I was developing it for serialization (laughs). But I ended up just being like, well, let's see what happens!

47: "Realistic" LGBTQ romance stories tend to end up falling into a handful of patterns. Whether it's manga or movies, you see a lot of stories that feel like "the tragedy of same-sex love", or that seem intended to make you feel sorry for the characters. Like the audience is meant to walk away thinking, "How thought-provoking! I really learned something". But How Do We Relationship? is pretty different, isn't it?

Tamifull: Rather than being "yuri" or being viewed as an "LGBTQ story", I want people to get into the story just because they see it and go "Hey, there's girls dating in here!". Sexual minorities aren't here to be instructional materials for anyone. LGBTQ people live in the same world as everyone else. I want the characters to seem like people you might meet anywhere, and to have relationships you might see anywhere. I want the fact that the relationship isn't heterosexual to just be a detail. That's why Watanabe-san and I decided not to advertise How Do We Relationship? specifically as a yuri manga.

47: Achieving that sense of reality must take a lot of care. I imagine you have to be careful to avoid the set phrases and compositions that readers see all the time in romance manga.

Tamifull: That's true. For example, in the scene where Saeko opens up to Mikkun, their male friend, about her dating Miwa, she asks him if he finds the two of them dating "gross, or wrong, or unnatural", and Mikkun, while looking away, asks in return, "What? Do I have to feel that way about you?". The orthodox move would be to have the handsome guy character looking straight out of the page, smoothly delivering some cool line. But in real life we don't have convenient handsome guys just lying around, and you're not usually looking people straight in the eye. It's not that staged. I think the casual nature of the lines, and the casual nature of the situation, actually make it all the more resonant. I want to keep that natural feeling to the story, and I go out of my way to avoid making it feel "romantic". I think my ideal is for it to feel like a movie.

47: A movie?

Tamifull: That's right. I think one of the strengths of film is the ability to show the drama of everyday life. I always include backgrounds in my panels to try to get closer to that feeling. For instance, in a scene in volume 12, Saeko is on a boat at night looking out over the water with her girlfriend, Yuria. They're talking about breaking up. It's a very romantic setting, but the painful nature of their conversation blots out everything except for the blackness of the water. I want readers to feel like they're there experiencing it alongside the characters.

47: I see. The city you see at night while breaking up with someone certainly does feel different...

Watanabe: And Tamifull-sensei's art has really helped deliver that sense of reality to readers. There are no wasted panels: from the camera placement to how the viewer's eye is led, even the placement of the dialogue, everything serves to guide the reader to what she's showing. Due to my job I read a lot of manga, but there are very few manga artists as skilled as her.

47: Personally, as a reader, it's that sense of reality that has me praying for Saeko and Miwa to end up happy, so next I'd like to ask a little about about how you learned to imbue your writing with such reality, and what techniques you use.

Tamifull: I'll do my best (laughs).

47: First, the depth and internality of your characters. For instance, after breaking up with Saeko, Miwa dates the younger Tamaki. Tamaki is reserved and very low-energy. She's clearly at a loss with the more sexually-motivated Miwa, but nonetheless does her best to reciprocate in her own way. She's straightforward and can be a little childish, but has an intellectual side to her, as well. Accurately portraying such a complex, difficult character must necessitate having an incredibly keen eye for people. How did you learn to understand other people so well?

Tamifull: I think it was mostly my experience in school. In primary and middle school I was low on the pecking order, so I became very sensitive to other people's hostility.

47: Ah, the pecking order... That does happen, doesn't it.

Tamifull: Yes. I'd be in a group of maybe 5 or 6 friends in a class and then once every few months I'd get the silent treatment and end up being ostracized from the group, in this sort of rotation. I'd go through 2 or 3 groups and it would always happen. I think all the time I spent thinking about how to avoid being targeted like that played a big part.

47: Planning out the battle to make it out alive, so to speak.

Tamifull: I think that really helped cultivate my eye (laughs). Like, this girl's the ringleader, and these ones are joining in because they don't want to become the target themselves, but this other girl is actually nice so even when they're ganging up on me she won't join in.

47: I see. Even while you were being mistreated, you were trying to understand things from their perspective. Certainly How Do We Relationship? doesn't have any one character that you would really call a villain.

Tamifull: That's right. Take Kan, who tells Miwa "I hate you" in volume 2, or Tamaki's friend Nagi who calls her "gross" in volume 8. I think it would be too convenient if nobody was ever mean or unpleasant, so it's important to have such characters. But I also try to portray them as having their own reasons. It's not like everyone will be good to each other all the time, but for each person, there's a community out there somewhere that will accept them as themselves. I'm always including that idea, that wish, almost, as I write the various members of the music club.

47: The story has this warmth to it you can really feel, and I think that idea has a lot to do with it. That said, it sounds like you weren't always successful at avoiding bullying. That must have been difficult.

Tamifull: I spent a lot of time wrapped in my futon wondering, why do they treat me like that? As the days went by I'd end up sublimating my anger and frustration by telling myself, "They have their own problems so there's nothing I can do about it." Like, this girl might have a lot of stress at home, about her grades or other things, so she just feels too much pressure and gets pushed into bullying, or things like that. I really got in the habit of thinking about things from their perspective.

47: You are an incredibly kind person. I do think the eye you cultivated that way serves you well in writing characters. For example, in volume 3, we meet Miwa's first crush, Shiho. At home, we see Shiho being horribly mistreated by her parents, who only care for her more academically-minded younger sister, Maho. One day Maho snaps at her, saying "Don't talk back to me, moron! You know how much I have to carry thanks to your stupidity!?". But Shiho just accepts it, and keeps her unhappiness to herself. That's in volume 11, that we finally find out how Maho, who's caused Shiho so much pain, has been feeling.

Tamifull: Maho also feels a lot of pressure from their parents, and she's desperate not to fail. She's under a lot of stress from that. When they were younger, Shiho and Maho were actually very close--Maho loved her older sister--but as grades and examinations started to get involved that connection became twisted... I wasn't able to show all of this in the story, but I always think through these details before drawing.

47: That sort of thing does happen between siblings, doesn't it... Just remembering is a little painful.

Tamifull: But, as much as I analyze people like this, it's very difficult to put into words.

47: In what way?

Tamifull: If you say "Well, this person has this kind of background, so that's why they do these things" then everyone will be like, "And what do you know about them?". You'll end up hurting feelings. So I can't say it about real people, but with How Do We Relationship? I'm the author so I can draw whatever I want. When I hear readers talk about the "realism" I'm always like, "Really? You mean I actually did it?". I secretly get a little happy about it (laughs).

47: Did you always want to become a mangaka, growing up?

Tamifull: I did always like drawing. But when I was pretty young I read one of those "So you want to draw manga?" kind of books and I got very intimidated by all the different erasers and tones and things, and I sort of gave up (laughs). It wasn't until I'd completely retired from extracurriculars in college that I realized I didn't have enough to do and started drawing manga.

47: And then you became a mangaka as soon as you graduated?

Tamifull: Yes, that's right.

47: That's quite something. Not many people manage to do that, right?

Tamifull: The reason I started attending Comitia was because in college I finally learned that editors would be there. Up until then I was working with my childhood knowledge--I thought I had to submit my work to a company and then become an assistant before I could become an author myself. When I found out I was like, "Doujinshi will get me fans and even expose me to editors? What could be better!?". I had my heart set on it.

47: (laughs). What kinds of things were you inspired by when you were a child?

Tamifull: All the way through school I was into stuff that was a little different from whatever was in fashion. I liked watching slightly older anime on Kids' Station, for instance. Like, look at me! I'm not into the same stuff as everybody else! Aren't I cool? (laughs).

47: (laughs).

Tamifull: When everyone else was into Cardcaptor Sakura, I was watching Takahashi Rumiko-sensei's Ranma 1/2 and Maison Ikkoku. I remember when I read one of Ito Junji-sensei's works at a relative's house it left a big impression on me. When I was in college I bought the collector's edition of Tomie at Village Vanguard.

47: You grew up into a bit of an alt college student.

Tamifull: In college, going to Village Vanguard and fishing for manga nobody else had became something of a passion for me.

47: What about Takahashi Rumiko-sensei's work did you like in particular?

Tamifull: I especially liked the way she drew girls. In the early 2000s, when I was in primary school, it was very in fashion for girls to be drawn very slender and light, with delicate limbs.

47: Slenderness was certainly emphasized a lot back then, yes.

Tamifull: I preferred how Rumiko-sensei drew them--a little squishy. As far as the story goes, I loved the ending of Maison Ikkoku, how it portrays the characters moving forward in life. I read it over and over. I think that passion for people comes through a little in How Do We Relationship?.

47: In the afterword of volume 3, you mentioned that from middle school until about halfway through college you lost interest in manga, and were more into drama and music.

Tamifull: That's true. Sometimes I'd draw a buff Pikachu or something on the blackboard to try to get a laugh out of people, but that was about it.

47: A buff Pikachu? (laughs). I wish I could see it.

Tamifull: At co-ed schools I think girls mostly end up ranked by looks, but I went to an all-girls high school, so... It was really about who was the funniest.

47: So art was a way of giving yourself a gimmick.

Tamifull: That's right. That continued into college, so I always had the position of somebody who's just a little bit good at drawing. In college everyone was nice, though.

47: In that same afterword you mentioned that during the time you weren't drawing manga, you really enjoyed making things together with a group.

Tamifull: In high school I was in the school band, and we'd all put on plays together at school festivals. I joined the light music club in college. I did percussion in high school so I mostly played drums, or did vocals.

47: Oooh. What kinds of things did you play in the light music club?

Tamifull: Just normal rock. Popular stuff, like Go! Go! 7188.

47: I have an impression of you as being a little bit countercultural, so rock seems perfect for you (laughs).

Tamifull: In college I was also on the student festival committee, so I was doing double duty a little bit. And as much as I enjoyed making things with other people, I started to feel this hole open up, like inside I'd be thinking "I could do this so much better...". Then I started looking into manga again on a whim and realized everything had gone digital. You don't need to hire a bunch of assistants, and you can do tones with the press of a button. It was like this new environment where I could try my hand at manga by myself was prepared just in time as I came of age. I didn't have to hold myself back for anyone, and could do everything just how I wanted. That's why I've always worked alone.

47: What!? You don't have any assistants even now?

Tamifull: I don't.

47: Watanabe-san, is that normal?

Watanabe: It's extremely precious to us. She's really something, isn't she? I don't know how she puts out so much in just two weeks.

Tamifull: I want every angle and composition just so. I can't really express it well, so when I think about trying to explain it to someone else, I just feel like it would end up taking even more time... But then sometimes I'll be working from my storyboards and I'll be like, "Why did I make myself draw it like this!?" and end up suffering a little (laughs).

47: It's certainly a work that cuts no corners. The dialogue is always so well written and moving--do you start by writing the characters' lines?

Tamifull: Yes, I do. I'll write them all out at once, then adapt them to the storyboards as I go. I think all the time I spent agonizing in my futon when I was younger like "I should've said this..." or "And then they'd say that..." might also help here.

47: You always include afterword comics and omake in the tankoubon releases, so I get a sense that you're quite particular about manga books.

Tamifull: I love manga that includes a lot of little extras. And I want readers to enjoy How Do We Relationship? as much as possible, so I always go all out drawing them.

47: Your first announced works were around 2012, and in 2014 you made your commercial debut with Don't Call me a Goddess! in Bungeisha's 4-koma magazine Manga Time. The main character, Saotome-san, is a bit of a tryhard, and as much as that wins her respect from her peers, it also tends to alienate them. Into her life barrels the far less inhibited Ryou. After that, you had My Little Sister and the Sex Doll (Shueisha) serialized in Tonari no Young Jump, about an innocent and naive high school girl and a talking sex doll. Both manga were comedies.

Tamifull: How Do We Relationship? was a little bit of a break in genre, yes (laughs). My Little Sister and the Sex Doll also started as something I made as a change of pace for Comitia (laughs).

47: It's a very rhythmical work--the talking sex doll's lines are incredibly well crafted.

Tamifull: The editors at Young Jump really liked it. It was a little more crude than what I usually write, so I did have some doubts... but they were very kind in offering me the serialization. I had to exercise my vocabulary to the fullest.

47: As much as it made me laugh, I could also somehow feel your desire to break taboos coming through.

Tamifull: That's true. I was trying to make fun of dirty comics, while making a dirty comic (laughs). Even when there would be the setup for some sort of fanservice scene, with something sexual happening to the girl, I would always interrupt it with a joke and turn it into something decidedly not fanservice.

47: On the other hand, something about the relationship between Saotome-san and Ryou in Don't Call Me a Goddess! feels like it connects to Miwa and Saeko. Are you particularly fond of that sort of relationship?

Tamifull: Honestly, that was... completely unintentional. I think, when it comes to protagonists, I do like a character who is quiet, but unexpectedly stubborn... When I think about my time in school, I had a lot of experiences where there would be another girl, and she'd have this sense of separation, like a bit of a boundary around herself, but when I approached her she'd turn out to actually be really interesting. And I'd have this feeling of "Everyone else doesn't even know how cool she is!? I need to let everyone know!". I think that feeling, almost like wanting to become a producer for girls like that, has led me to write my protagonists that way.

47: You really love girls.

Tamifull: I may have spent long years in fierce battle with them at school, but when I translate it to manga they become strangely appealing. Even when they're a pain, their being a pain is good in of itself (laughs). It's true that characters who aren't straightforward can make a story more interesting, but I also think that's just how people are--you can't sum anyone up in a few words. Don't you agree?

47: Your manga, including How Do We Relationship?, really don't tend to have characters that you can sum up as "the cool one" or "the tsundere" or anything like that.

Tamifull: That's right. I don't want them to be symbols.

47: And that's exactly why, in each case--Saeko and Miwa, Miwa and Tamaki, Saeko and Yuria--when they break up, it's so emotionally impactful. You can't just point at one of them and say, "It's her fault."

Tamifull: Right. In reality, lots of people break up all the time without either one really being at fault. It makes me really happy to hear that people read the story as just being how things ended up for them. It's so easy to assume that when a relationship falls apart, it's because someone's in the wrong. I worked very hard to make sure that Tamaki and Yuria would be charming enough characters for readers to like them, and to accept it when I made them break up with Miwa and Saeko. I always look at readers' reactions and think carefully about how to proceed.

47: How Do We Relationship? really feels like you want to closely examine real, "normal" relationships.

Tamifull: I think it's a pity for the socially accepted image of love to be something so narrow. When two women date, and after breaking up return to being friends, I think people have a tendency to look a little askance at them. But why is that? I always find myself thinking, "Are you okay with living like that?". With How Do We Relationship?, I wanted to create a world where Miwa and Saeko and everyone else's desires wouldn't be crushed by those around them.

47: Especially during the first 3 volumes, you often shine the spotlight on the other characters around Miwa and Saeko. Is that also a part of fleshing out that view of the world?

Tamifull: Something like that. I don't want the idea of someone who likes the same sex to be something fantastical. I want to show that sexual minorities are all around--even around you. I want heterosexual readers to also get into the story, and I was very conscious of that early on in the serialization. I think whether you're gay or straight, you can still understand this story. These characters are just like you. That's the message I've tried to send.

47: It would be really wonderful if we could become a society where everyone views each other with respect. What would that take, I wonder?

Tamifull: Delusions, maybe.

47: Delusions? (laughs).

Tamifull: Yes (laughs). This is just my own experience, but when I meet someone and feel off-put by them, I always thoroughly imagine their background. By the time I'm finished whatever anger I felt has faded, and I feel ready to treat them better--maybe even to become close with them. And if you write stories you can come up with great material this way, so it's two birds with one stone (laughs).

[honeipie]

Hi love! I love your works and writing style so-so much! May I please request Bakugou falling in love with a weak and sick fem!reader that is bound to hospital bed because of her disease (she can walk but she is too weak to do so). They could meet at the hospital while she still had strength to walk. Basically, he falls in love with her watching her wither away.My heart is craving angst and some soft Bakugou💔It's okay if you can't write it. Anyway, thank you!!! Sending you lots of love 🩷🩷

THE PROMISE

katsuki bakugo x fem!sickreader

synopsis: katsuki fell in love with you, but all good things must come to an end

author note: my first writing request i will treasure this forever!

cw: sick reader, the sickness is not specific, mentions of dying

“thank you for coming dynamite! the kids will be excited to see you here!” a woman in scrubs bowed in thanks, which katsuki only grunted at.

“don’t have to bow or anything, but you’re welcome” katsuki dipped his head a bit as a sign of respect. the woman held her clipboard with a smile.

“well aren’t you humble? come on now, the kids are right this way”

the nurse led him through a pair of doors that were decorated with stickers and kids names from top to bottom.

katsuki had decided that he would spend his volunteer days at the local hospital. it was either that or wearing a hairnet at the local soup kitchen. telling kids about some of his battles and even doing a damn craft if he had to.

now he had thought the doors were colorful, but the room was something else. children’s drawings were hung up all over the ceiling being held together by small clothespins and wire. there were shelves of toys and stuffed animals across just one wall, and a playmat for a safe area to have fun in.

though there were no kids on the playmat letting their imaginations run wild with dolls. neither were there at the easel’s painting a new picture to hang up.

they were all sitting at the table enthralled with something in front of them. katsuki was about to get their attention before he heard your voice.

“and then they came in contact with the evil king. he sat on top of his throne which towered above the hero and the princess”

“why’d he make his throne so high up?” one of the kids asked eyebrows scrunched together.

“because the king thought he was better than everyone. thought everyone was small compared to him, but that’s not the right mindset to have” the child nodded in understanding which allowed you to go on “then the king yelled out to the two-“ you looked up finally noticing the pro hero staring into your soul. your next words stopped in your throat at his presence.

blinking your eyes you gained your composure again sending the kids a smile “the king yelled out you’re gonna have to wait until next week to find out” all the the kids screamed ‘no!’ collectively, disappointed that their story time was being cut short. all you could do was laugh as they all gathered near your legs begging you to continue the story.

“i don’t think you’ll want to hear any more of the story when you see the special guest" all of the kids immediately turned around at your words now noticing the big pro hero that had been lingering behind them.

"dynamite!" they all screamed and went over to him as fast as they could. he was now being bombarded with questions and stories about himself.

"guys c'mon! let him breathe" you walked over giving him a smile "sorry, they're just really excited"

katsuki shook his head at your words "it's fine. better then damn villains attacking me-"

"he said a bad word! y/n he said a bad word!" the kids started feeding off of each other's energy until it turned into a full on shouting match.

"i heard it everyone don't worry, but dynamite is an adult so he's allowed to say the bad words" you gently tugged the kids away from dynamite so he could collect himself. some part in you hoped he had something planned, but he just seemed to stand there awkwardly. this was nothing like the hot-headed hero you saw on the television. he shifted his weight from one foot to the other looking at the kids, then up at you again. catching the memo you nodded.

"why don't we all introduce ourselves to dynamite, yeah? go find a seat and then we can start"

he watched as all of the kids followed your instructions without further push back. katsuki sent a subtle nod your way in which you returned "right this way dynamite"

you led him over to the chair you were sitting in "you can sit right here then we can go over names" katsuki sat down in the chair, but had to scoot up to the edge of it. between his hero suit and wide hips fitting in the chair simply wasn't going to happen.

for the next hour you directed as the kids introduced themselves and were able to ask the hero questions. katsuki answered most of the kids questions, well the one's that weren't 'do you have a girlfriend?' or 'why do you look mad all the time?'. your personal favorite being 'why do you sweat so much?'. as soon as it came out of the kid's mouth you burst out in laughter.

dynamite rolled his eyes not even looking at you "glad you found that funny"

"sorry! just- just wasn't expecting that"

by the time the last question was answered it was time for them to go back to their individual rooms "everybody say thank you to dynamite!"

"thank you dynamite!" they yelled out before filing out of the room one by one. there was a smile on your face as you turned to clean up but immediately jumped at the sight of the pro hero that was now particularly close to you.

"hi!" it came out in such a high pitch you had to clear your throat to make sure you were alright "thanks for spending time with the kids. they really enjoyed it i could tell"

"good"

his empty response only left you more confused. blinking away the confusion you put back on that polite smile of yours "well i'm just going to go clean" you stepped away from him walking over to the table. you had gotten the bright idea that each kid should make colorful nametags and give them to the pro hero.

"what was i doing wrong?" he asked quickly, but you still caught it.

"excuse me?"

"what was i doing wrong? cause some of the kids were looking at me like i was stupid when you walked in"

a smile crept onto your lips hearing his words. the katsuki bakugo asking for feedback.

"well i know you're a blunt man, so let me be blunt with you. when you walked in you kinda looked stupid. like you just got shocked by lightning and couldn't move. correct me if i'm wrong. that's probably because you don't have much experience with kids"

he scratched his chin a light stubble growing on his chin. he hasn't had much time to shave "i don't"

you could tell that there was more that he wanted to say, but couldn't bring himself to say it. taking one of the pencil boxes you slid it back into place "if you wanted to visit again. i could teach you some of the things i've learned along the years. i could take you on a walk around the hospital" his eyes stayed glues to the floor making you just a bit nervous "i didn't want to assume but the kids really had fun. plus i know they would love if you came back"

taking his fingers off of his chin he looked up. there was no way the paparazzi was catching him in a hairnet "okay, let’s go, show me around the hospital"

you raised your eyebrow at his swift demands and stepped aside to show him the mess on the table "i know you're some popular pro hero, but here? you're a volunteer. so what we're going to is clean this place up. then we'll see about that walk" you went over and gave him a pat on the shoulder "welcome to the team"

the next two months went by pretty quickly. he would come to hang out with the kids and you'd help him with how to interact with them and setting up activities. and after all the festivities were over you would take him on walks around the hospital.

this was the third month he had come, and you were showing him the gardens. the two of you had established your own kind of relationship with each other built on respect. he even let you call him bakugo now.

"sometimes i like to bring the kids out here and teach them all about the plants and how to garden. they don't like it because they're learning though. they like it because they're big dirtballs and love to play in the flowerbeds"

this made katsuki let out a stiff chuckle. he would take this to his grave, but he was genuinely enjoying the time that he volunteered here. his manager didn't have to threaten him with late night shifts just to blindly pick up volunteer hours anymore. there was some sort of fulfillment he got out of hearing the kids call "mr. dynamite" when they had a question. or when they laughed so hard their tiny stomach's hurt just because he called them "little brats". he watched as you went to sit down on a nearby bench going to make sure that the flowers next to them had been watered recently.

plus, he didn't mind spending alone time with you either.

he sat down next to you moving his focus over to your hands "you know a damn lot about this hospital. how long you been a volunteer?"

you stilled at his question, and he was one to notice details. you pulled your hands away from the flowers going to face him "i actually don't volunteer. i'm a patient" you didn't like people asking questions, so you prepared a speech every time someone asked "i don't know what illness i have. doctors have been running tests for years and they still can't seem to understand. at random times i'll just get things like flareups, or my body will become absolutely exhausted out of nowhere. there’s other symptoms too, but i don’t want to bore you with the details. they won't let me go because it's like every time i walk out of the walls of this hospital something bad happens and i need to go right back to bed rest"

katsuki did something that a lot of people who asked about your sickness didn't know how to do. he listened. he was attentive and never let his eyes leave your face as you explained.

"i've been in and out of here since i was a kid. that's why i know the hospital and the workers so well. that nurse that brought you in the first day? she was just my nurse years ago, but now she's head of the pediatric floor"

it was all coming together now. the way you showed him the most secluded hallways. how you knew what times they would be doing building wide activities. and he was finally making sense of your words that you had told him on his first day.

"you have to know the hospital to really understand the kids. i know it sounds stupid, but this is their home, and some people can't understand that. most of these kids spend more time in the hospital than they do in their own house. so know this hospital. have enough respect for them to at least try and understand what they're going through"

you had felt so deeply about this because you had gone through the same exact thing, and you weren't going to have someone mistreat these kids.

“cool”

your eyebrows raised at his response.

“cool? i just told you about my lifelong sickness and you’re gonna say cool?”

“well whaddya want me to say? you want me to treat you like a fucking dying plant?”

“no”

“then i’m going to say cool and we can move the hell on”

“wow! is the number two hero dynamite really being a sweetheart?”

with one hand he gave you a playful shove “fuck off” he mumbled taking that arm and letting it rest behind you on the bench “and call me katsuki”

as the months pass, katsuki grows more comfortable with the children, and with you. he decided that he should come more frequently. once every month turned into every two weeks. then those two weeks turning into one. the two of you never really defined the relationship. you didn’t need to. all that you needed to know was he cared for you, and you him.

it only took one week to change everything.

katsuki walked onto the children’s floor heading into the room. all of the kids were doing their centers, but you were nowhere to be found. he saw the nurse though, helping one of the children with a computer game. when he walked over he ruffled the hair on top of the kids head “sup brat. mrs. harada, ‘s y/n here?”

mrs. harada’s expression grew soft. she placed a hand on the child’s shoulder letting them know she’d be right back. gently she grabbed katsuki’s forearm and walked him to a corner of the room.

“y/n relapsed. it was a two days after you came to volunteer. she was fine, about to head out from cleaning then just collapsed”

katsuki felt his blood running cold. how the hell could this happen? he just saw you. you were just fine.

why didn’t you call him?

mrs. harada placed a gentle hand on his shoulder “i’m sorry. i know you two are close, and i'm sure you don’t know how to feel. i can tell you her room number so you can see her. i’ll step in for both of you today” she smiled writing it on a sticky note and handed it to him. he gave her a nod then went to storm out “bakugo” she called out to get his attention “i understand you might be feeling betrayed, and you’re allowed to feel that way, but y/n is feeling a lot at the moment. she finally thought she was getting better and- and here we are. so please go easy on her”

katsuki thanked her, then headed out the door.

he walked through the hospital on a mission. he didn't stop to greet anyone or take autographs. the only time that he stopped was when he saw your room number.

the door was cracked open, but he couldn't see you from the angle where he was.

it was strange.

katsuki has trained for more hours than he could count. he had been facing villain's since he was at least fourteen years old. he had been through a whole damn war for crying out loud. and yet, as he stood there he felt a weight he had never felt before.

you glanced up seeing katsuki walk through the door. your heart started beating faster as soon as you saw him. even if you tried to put up a facade about it, your heart monitor gave everything away.

“you found me”

“ ‘s not like you gave me any other choice”

you watched as he stood in the doorway. hand stuffed in the pockets of his sweats. you had recommended that he didn't wear his hero suit since it would probably get uncomfortable after a while.

"katsuki you can come in-"

"why didn't you tell me as soon as it happened?"

"it's complicated"

"then fucking explain it to me" he stared at you his face unmoving.

"fine" you sat up wincing slightly at the pain shooting up your spine. katsuki almost faltered seeing your face contort from the pain "I don't know why I didn't tell you okay? The thought crossed my mind about a thousand times, but I just couldn't do it" a shaky sigh left your body and you tried to fight back the tears "there's just a lot going on.. and- and-"

the door clicked softly behind him, but you hadn't noticed. katsuki had made his way next to your bed and was already climbing in beside you. the bed let out a groan because of the added weight. he wrapped one arm around you and wiped your tears with the other. his thumb had a rough texture from all the explosions they've let out throughout the years. but they were gentle for you, and only you.

"you don't gotta say anymore. i've got you"

you leaned onto his shoulder letting the dam of your emotions break onto him. tears ran down your face, but you let them flow this time.

so you cried, and you cried, and you cried and cried and cried.

and katsuki let you.

it had been a while before you could compose yourself again. the room was filled with comfortable silence and the occasional snuffle from you.

"do you feel better?" he asked turned his head to face you.

"yeah.. 'm sorry you had to deal with that"

"don't fuckin' apologize for crying"

you chuckled at his words going to grab a tissue to wipe any excess. he tilted his head some analyzing a spot on your face closely.

"you got somethin' right.. there" he swiped a piece of tissue that had gotten stuck on your face.

you faced him getting a better look from up close. blond hair stuffed under a black baseball cap. bags under his eyes from all of his night shifts.

katsuki couldn't handle you looking at him like that. eyes still puffy from crying. your tongue running over your lips.

fuck it.

katsuki's hand slid from your cheek to the back of your neck. he pulled you close as gently as he could. your foreheads touched before anything else.

"you don't want to kiss me. my face is disgusting" you whispered making him laugh, genuinely laugh.

"i've seen some disgusting shit and this isn't one of them"

you smiled before closing the distance between the two of you. there was a nice contrast to the kiss. between the roughness of his palm on your neck and his soft lips pressed against yours.

you could stay this way forever.

katsuki sneakily moved his tongue over your lips and pulled away. he made a face shaking his head "salty as shit"

"shut up!" you pushed him playfully making the both of you fall into laughter.

you and katsuki went on like this for months. constant visits, playful kisses, and when he was tired from patrol, he'd even let you read to him until he fell asleep.

but with the good, also came the bad.

your body had been getting weaker throughout the months. it came to the point where you couldn't get out of the bed unless you had help. katsuki had offered to take you on walks by putting you in the wheelchair, but you always refused. that is until you got the news.

"kats" you said causing him to lift his head from your shoulder "i wanna go on a walk"

he was confused at first. the sudden request to do something that you never wanted to was strange. though he didn't ask any questions as he went to get your things set up.

katsuki wrapped his arms around your torso lifting you up to be placed in the wheelchair. he had studied how the nurses did this thousands of times. you were embarrassed that he had to do this for you, but he'd do them a million times over it if meant walking with you.

there were no questions asked on where you wanted to go, you both knew.

katsuki pulled your wheelchair right next to the bench, but ended up putting you in his lap. you leaned against his shoulder looking at the cherry blossoms.

"when i die-"

"y/n don't start with that shit. you're not gonna die. you're gonna come back from this"

your one hand weakly played with the hair on the back of his head "we all die kats. it's okay if i talk about it"

"yeah, but you're talking about dying soon"

with a sad look in your eyes you watched his eyes follow the falling blossoms.

"can you at least promise me something then?"

"yeah"

"when i die, take care of the kids for me. you're so good with them and i don't trust just anybody handling it up there"

katsuki's eyes stayed glued to the trees in front of him.

"I can do that"

"and also-"

"idiot you said one promise!"

"hey! i'm dying i can make as many promises as i want" you smiled weakly at your own joke, but he didn't think it was too funny.

"promise to take care of yourself"

you saw his throat bob up and down at your words.

"you take care of so many other people and don't make time for yourself. learn how to rest kats. i can't have you dying either okay?" you placed a soft kiss on his cheek for good measure "you promise?"

katsuki rubbed one of his hands up and down your arm. a slow, shuddering breath leaving his mouth.

"i promise"

knowing that he would be okay you could finally rest, forever.

[vinestaffery]

hello everyone, it's me again. here to post the lovely teal duo, Scythe! I love these two too, but I am here to ruin some of ya'll's day with this!!! enjoy :3

"This was never the way I wanted it to go, Scythe."

It was probably one of the worst things Scythe had ever heard in a while, especially as her adoptive daughter at the time.

"I'm so sick of what you do, harvesting innocent people's horns for some... Bounty! I never grew up wanting any of this Scythe; you promised to stop."

Scythe refused to see you again after a while.

Medkit tried pushing you to greet her, but why would you trust a demon who can't even face his own fears?

Broker was next to try and convince you.

She was going on so many murder sprees that Ban Hammer lost all proper focus on him and Medkit.

She was going to get herself killed acting like this, and she knew.

She couldn't have you anymore; Scythe was so infatuated with you. You were special.

But you are gone now.

You were gone because she broke one simple promise—something she couldn't even keep to her word.

"C'mon kid, you know 'er for being like this, can't give 'er one chance?"

"I've given her plenty, Broker; I am not going to be a dog with their tail in-between their legs for her anymore."

You completely left the family after a while; the constant ringing of your phone annoyed you.

That's when you went to complete hide-away; you couldn't handle seeing them anymore.

Your family? Gone is your only hope in this god-forsaken world.

You pushed it away because of your own personal boundaries.

Vine Staff came by to support you, and Katana, who welcomed you with open arms to Thieves' Den,

It was like another family, but you couldn't let your old one go.

You refused to go to Cross Roads or even meet up with Vine Staff and Katana at Phighting! Matches because they'd be there.

Scythe had gotten so violent throughout the games that she was nearly removed after giving Slingshot a serious injury, making him unable to play.

You were re-considering going back to forgive her.

But no, you couldn't. You can't.

She was a monster; you couldn't change that out of your mind.

But God, deep down, you missed her. You missed her hugs, her hilarious humor, and her terrifying aura that scared off others in Lost Temple.

Broker and Medkit are fighting one another because Broker got caught once more, making Medkit have to rescue him.

Then Scythe encouraged the behavior even more.

You missed the chaotic household.

"Scythe, leave me alone," you spat.

"Kid, listen 'ere, I swear on my soul." Scythe tried her hardest to draw you in. You shook your head, refusing to give in to the nostalgia. Scythe's manipulative tactics wouldn't work on you this time.

"You can't change that again, Scythe! You killed an innocent girl! What if you killed me? What if you slaughtered me just the same?" Scythe's eyes widened in shock at your words, a flicker of guilt crossing her face before she quickly masked it with defiance. "I had no choice; you have to understand," she pleaded. But you remained unmoved, knowing that her justifications would never erase the blood on her hands.

"What misunderstanding!? That your stupid bastard boss told ya' so?!" Your voice grew louder, and your anger was boiling over as you confronted Scythe. The truth was clear to you now, and nothing she could say would change that.

"You were just following orders, is that it?" You spat, your voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, guess what? That excuse doesn't fly with me anymore." Scythe's facade crumbled as she realized the weight of her actions and the reality of her choices were sinking in.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she finally admitted, "I was wrong." The silence that followed was heavy with the weight of her guilt and your disappointment.

"You sure were wrong." The silence was enough room for her to not move—a small tremble. You could see the internal struggle written all over her face, the conflict between duty and morality tearing her apart. Finally, she whispered, "I'm sorry."

"I ain't looking for a damn apology; I'm done," hands unbuttoning the vest that Scythe had made for you. You threw the handcrafted vest off of your body. The sound of the vest hitting the ground echoed in the room, a physical representation of the shattered trust between you two. She reached out, but you stepped back, shaking your head in disbelief. The bond that once held you together now lies broken at your feet.

"Tell Medkit and Broker I am leaving; I don't want anything from you; I don't want to hear from you at all. Never again," With tears in your eyes, you turned and walked away, the weight of the betrayal heavy on your shoulders. As you left, the finality of your words hung in the air, sealing the fate of your relationship with Scythe.

hihi!! hope you enjoy!! <3 [i hope i made you cry all]

[marymary-diva17]

My snow princess

Hakoda x reader

You had always prayed to the spirts that one day you will find true love, maybe it will be someone within your tribe or another water tribe. It seems like the spirts had already decided on who will be with you in the future, and who you will help make a life with in the southern water tribe.

Y/n " ......." you are out of the village on your own this warm day, as everyone else was going on with their lives.

?????? " y/n" you soon heard your name getting called you soon looked to see your brother boat coming to dock he was also with Hakoda. You had waved them to and soon ran to the dock to meet them.

y/n " so boys how was the fishing trip today"

bato " it was good"

Hakoda " yeah we brought back a good haul you see"

y/n " oh yes I can see that ... bato why do you have ink on your face"

Hakodate " your brother here grabbed a octopus and you can say it was not happy"

bato " yes now I'm a total mess"

y/n " you can off in the water and here dry dry, we don't need you getting sick" you had pulled out a rag from your fur coat pocket, and soon handed it towards bato.

bato " thanks"

y/n " your welcome"

bato " I'm going to clean off I will be back soon and I will help you all move the stuff" bato soon walked away leaving you and Hakoda on the docks.

y/n " why do I have a feeling you were trying to pull a prank with the octopus like last time"

Hakoda " what makes you think I'm the prankster all the times and not your brother"

y/n " you are the one who leads the pranks and my brother follows"

Hakoda " fine you caught me" Hakoda laugh which made you laugh as well, the duo was soon looked each other in the eyes. It soon felt like they were the only ones in the world right now.

Hakoda " y/n"

y/n " Hakoda" the two are very close to each other it seems like they are leaning in for a kiss, they were so close together as the moment was drawing them together. until there was a sound of something hitting the ground getting the duo attention. They soon looked back to see bato and there other young man standing near a fallen brawls.

Hakoda " hey guys"

y/n " you know I remembered there some something that home I need to take care of, so I will see you later bye" you soon rushed off from Hakoda as the moment had been completely ruined, by the on lookers.

later that night

bato " I'm sorry about earlier on the dock I tried ti stop them but it failed"

y/n " it okay it not like moments like that will ever happen again"

bato " I gave toe fools a good yelling to for ruing your time with Hakoda, and I thought leaving you two alone will be good enough"

y/n " bato it fine no need to blame yourself"

????? " hello" you and bato had looked up and saw hakoda was by the entrance.

bato " hakoda what do you honor this evening visit to our home"

hakoda " I was hoping y/n was free for a night walk under the stars"

y/n " umm...."

bato " go it will be okay I can clean up from here"

y/n " thank you" you soon grabbed your fur coat and put it on, as you soon walked out of the home with hakoda. The two of you soon walk out of the village, and were now walking around together.

hakoda " the stars are very beautiful night as we have a clear sky to see everything, even the moon is bright as well"

y/n " yes" the two of you are walking together enjoy the silence and each other company.

y/n " you know the winter solstice is coming up the end of this year, and welcoming a new year as well"

hakoda " yes"

y/n " I can't wait to see what the new year will offer us"

hakoda " all this year I hope not to entering the new year alone"

y/n " oh"

hakoda " yes I hope to hava special women wearing the necklace with me as we enter the new year" hakoda soon showed you his mother betrothal necklace.

Hakoda " I since we were young have always had feeling for you, that have grown over the years and now I'm hoping you feel the same and wish to spend the rest of our lives together ... so will you do me the honor on taking this necklace and becoming my wife in the coming new year"

y/n " yes I will love too" you soon hugged hakoda not notching you two are on unbalance ground, soon leading you two to fall into the snowy ground. Which had an end result of you two being covered in snow.

hakoda " well it seems like you are becoming my snow princess"

y/n " whatever my prankster" you soon kissed hakoda and he had kissed you back, the next day an announcement had been made about the betrothal of you and hakoda and the future wedding to come. In the new year the two of you will be married and soon be blessed with a son named sokk and later on a daughter named katara.

[femd-archive]

BIRTHDAY PRESENT

pairing: haikyuu!! — atsumu x fem!reader

word count: 0.8k

content warning: femdom!reader | sub!atsumu | mommy kink | use of toys (dildo) | oral sex (fem receiving) | praise kink | hair pulling | face-fucking | masturbation (masc.) | hands-free orgasm

summary: atsumu thinks you only had a birthday gift for his brother and forgot about him, but you got him the most special present.

📎 side note: never knew how to write someone eating a woman out lol, so it might be a disaster

"Why is only 'Samu getting a gift? It's ma birthday too!" the blonde twin whined, one of his cheek resting against his girlfriend's shoulder.

"Maybe she likes me better" the black-haired one said, still focus on opening the gift box.

"She's ma girlfriend!" Atsumu whined once again, being quiet down by [Name]'s hand over his mouth and a soft 'shhh'.

The couple focused back on the younger twin, who finally opened the box and took out the items out of it; 3 sets of 9 porcelain rice bowls, coming along with their soup spoon and their pair of chopsticks. In the bottom of the box layed a new apron, with the slogan "Onigiri Miya" along the chest.

"If you liked those there are more in the back of my car, but if you don't we can just go together and buy new ones. Just wanted to help you a little bit with the new things for the shop" shrugging her shoulders, [Name] now became a little bit nervous under the quiet twin's silence, as ironic as that sounds.

Finally looking up, the couple could see the tears that were swimming on Osamu's eyes, quickly making Atsumu mirror his state and bringing fresh tears to his own eyes as well.

Osamu walked to them, envolving [Name] on a warm hug, hidding his face on her neck. Atsumu catches his cap that fell down with the motion, thinking that this wasn't the right time to jokingly whine about [Name] being his girlfriend and that Osamu couldn't touch her. Instead, he ruffled his twin's hair when he heard him sob.

"They are perfect" he mumbles, as clear as he can. "Thank you" he whispers, giving a last little squeeze to the woman's body before letting go from the hug. "'M sorry" he laughed, starting to dry out his tears.

"Aww, look at the crybaby" Atsumu teases, putting the cap back on on Osamu and softly slamming the envelope that he quietly slipped out of his pocket on his twin's chest.

He looked at the blonde with a quizzical look, opening the envelope to only find money, a lot of money.

"Shut up" he closed the envelope once again and tended it to his brother.

"Just take it" Atsumu insisted, pushing Osamu's hand.

"This is too much. I can't accept it, not even from you" Osamu refuses.

"Well, that's what brothers are for…right?" Atsumu shrugged, looking away.

It took a few moments before the two males envolved in another warm hug, both of them holding up the tears on their eyes.

"Jeez, you're gonna make me cry guys" [Name] laughed, pressing her ring fingers on both lacrimals to prevent her from crying.

"Oh man, I'm gonna call ma and tell her about it. She won't even believe that ya have money of yer own" Osamu says, slipping of his phone out of his pocket, walking towards the sliding door of the store to go outside.

"Shut yer mouth!" Atsumu yelled, being flipped off by his brother before he closed the door behind him.

[Name] giggled, even after all these years, she never got tired of the twin's antics.

"Baby?" Atsumu called at her.

"Mmh?"

"Is it true?" he asks, snuggling closer to her.

"What baby?" she welcomed him in her arms, leaving a kiss on the top of his head.

"That you like 'Samu better than me" a pout drawed in his lips, which [Name] was quick to kiss.

"Oh silly 'Tsumu" she leaves another kiss on his nose. "I love you more than anything in this world, please don't doubt that" now she kisses his cheek. "I do have a gift for you, but it's something that I can't give you in front of 'Samu" she whispers over his lips, a grin drawing over hers at the slight face of surprise her boyfriend has now.

"Oh" was the only thing that came out of Atsumu's mouth, making [Name] chuckle, leaving another kiss on his forehead.

"Mhm. So wait a little bit longer like the good boy you are and I shall give it to you, okay baby?"

"Yes mommy" he answers obediently, earnign another kiss on the lips.

"Good boy" she whispers, pinching his cheeks with affection.

[...]

Sitting at the feet of the bed and smiling against her hand, [Name] couldn't tear off her eyes away from her pretty boy Atsumu, who was also at the feet of the bed, on the floor.

"You look so pretty baby" she praised.

"Tha-thank you mommy" the setter whines, hips still working their way slowly on that new pretty dildo, his precious birthday gift.

"How do you like your gift, baby?"

"I love it mommy! Thank you..." he whispers, leaving a kiss on her knee. "Wanna please you...please?" looking up, he gazed at her with his puppy eyes.

"Mmh? But it's your birthday honey" she remembered him, caressing his hair with her fingers

"Then...f-for ma birthday, I wanna make ya feel good" he whined, "please"

And how could she say no to those pretty teary eyes?. Undressing herself from her bottom clothes, [Name] opens her legs in front of Atsumu, who looks dreamily at her pussy.

"Come closer baby" she says with a sweet tone.

The setter barely lifts himself up from his dildo to move closer to his girlfriend, shaky hands bringing the toy along with him to sink over it again as he burries his head between his girlfriend's legs.

His tongue started moving along your folds in search for your clit, and when he finally found it he started to lick and suck on it like a starved man. You throw your head backwards, enjoying your boyfriend's skillful tongue; your hand comes to his hair, fingers running through his strands.

"Good boy 'Tsumu, you're such a good boy for me" your praises fall from your lips like a fountain of honey, and he's drinking it all.

His hips started to move faster on top of his 6 inches new dildo, the tip of it starting to hit his prostate again and again. He moans in your pussy, sending vibrations all over your body.

"F-fuck...baby, you feel so good" you whisper, moving your hips to his face, starting to face-fuck him gently.

Atsumu kept moaning, shivering everytime a praise fell out of your mouth. His dick twitched and leaked over the floor as he used both of his holes. He looked up at you with teary eyes, admiring how beautiful you looked as you lost in pleasure, the pleasure that he's giving you.

"Fuck my face" he whispers agains your folds, "grab my hair, do it harder mommy" he pleads, and you oblige.

Your body separates from the bed as you raise your hips and move them against your boyfriend's hot face. His tongue sticks out of his mouth to let you use it as you please as he keeps on bouncing on his toy.

"Touch yourself baby, you deserve it" you say in between heavy breaths. "Taking it all so good for me, looking so pretty...hah, my pretty birthday boy"

Atsumu obeys and finally wraps a hand around his swollen cock and start pumping it at the same pace of his hips. He was already close, and jacking off bring him closer.

Your grip tightens on his blonde locks, making him moan once again as your move your hips desesperatly.

"Gonna cum baby, gonna cum all over your face" you moan and Atsumu can only nod in agreement. He was close too, and he couldn't hold it any longer.

You ended up cumming hard on Atsumu's mouth, body trembling as you hold into the bed sheets to keep steady.

"Fuck...that was intense" you whisper, legs trembling slightly because of your orgasm. Atsumu looked up at you, same puppy eyes gazing at you as your juices dripped off his chin. "Gonna cum too baby? Want me to help you? or you can cum with your new toy?"

"G-gonna cum with my toy...gonna show you how good I am" he mumbles, starting to ride the dildo once again.

"I know that. You're my good boy baby" your hands cups his cute face, pulling him closer and connect your lips together in a heated kiss.

Loyal to his word, he proved to you that he was a good boy and he enjoyed his birthday gift cumming hands free on the floor. His moans got muffled by your lips as his hips twitched with every rope of cum that spilled from his dick. He gasped for aire once you pulled apart from the kiss.

"There you go baby, you did so well" you praised, leaving little kisses all over his face as he normalized his breath. "Come here baby" you helped him get up f the floor with his trembling legs. You both layed on the bed, Atsumu resting on top of you as he regularize his breath.

"Did you like your birthday present, baby?" you ask softly, leaving a kiss on his forehead.

"I loved it mommy. Thank you" he snuggles closer to you, his eyes feeling heavy with laziness.

Before you can even prevent it, he fell asleep on top of you. You feel all sweaty and sticky, but you're also too tired to stand up and clean the both of you. So, just for this time, you give in into the sloth and feel asleep with your boyfriend in your arms.

You're sure you're gonna regret it in the morning.

[blubberquark]

Your Code Is Hard To Read!

This is one of those posts I make not because I think my followers need to hear them, but because I want to link to them from Discord from time to time. If you are a Moderator, Contributor or "Helpfulie" on the PyGame Community Discord, I would welcome your feedback on this one!

"You posted your code and asked a question. We can't answer your question. Your code is hard to read."

Often when we tell people this, they complain that coding guidelines are just aesthetic preferences, and they didn't ask if their code followed coding guidelines. They asked us to fix the bug. That may be so, but the problem remains: If you ask us to fix your code, we can only help you if we can read it.

Furthermore, if there are many unrelated bugs, architectural problems, and hard to understand control flow, the concept of fixing an isolated bug becomes more and more unclear.

In order to fix unreadable code, you could:

eliminate global variables

replace magic numbers with constants

replace magic strings with enumerations

name classes, functions, constants, variables according to consistent coding standards

have functions that do one thing and one thing only like "collision detection" or "collision handling". If your function does two things at the same time, like rendering AND collision detection, then it must be refactored

rewrite deeply nested and indented code to be shallower

rewrite code that keeps a lot of state in local variables into special-case functions

use data structures that make sense

write comments that explain the program, not comments that explain the programming language

delete unneccessary/unreachable code from the question to make it easier to read or from your program to see if the problem persists

My own programs often violate one or more of those rules, especially when they are one-off throwaway scripts, or written during a game jam, or prototypes. I would never try to ask other people for help on my unreadable code. But I am an experienced programmer. I rarely ask for help in an unhelpful way. Almost never ask for help in a way that makes other experienced programmers ask for more code, or less code, or additional context. I post a minimal example, and I usually know what I am doing. If I don't know what I am doing, or if I need suggestions about solving my problem completely differently, I say so.

Beginner programmers are at a disadvantage here. They don't know what good code looks like, they don't know what good software architecture looks like, they don't know how to pare down a thousand lines of code to a minimal example, and if they try to guess which section of code contains the error, they usually guess wrong.

None of this matters. It may be terribly unfair that I know how to ask smart questions, and beginner programmers ask ill-posed questions or post code that is so bad it would be easier and quicker for an experienced programmer to re-write the whole thing. It is often not feasible to imagine what the author might have intended the code to work like and to fix the bugs one by one while keeping the structure intact. This is not a technical skill, this is a communicative and social skill that software engineers must pick up sooner or later: Writing code for other people to read.

If your code is too hard to read, people can't practically help you.

It gets worse. Unreadable code is sometimes unreadable because it is un-salvageable. It is hard to understand because there is nothing to understand, it would not work, and you need to go back to the drawing board.

Defensive Responses

This is not where the problem ends. Often, after a couple of rounds of back and forth, after questions like "Well, you say there is a bug, but can you tell me what you would want the code to do in the first place?", or "Is this a class or an instance? If it's supposed to be an instance variable, could you give it a lowercase name?" or "Could you give that variable _obj a more descriptive name? It looks like you are assigning different things to this variable in different parts of your loop. Perhaps you could use two variables with different, more descriptive names", you see a defensive response. The original question asker is not interested in making code easy to read, just in making it work. As I explained above, this is a confused way of thinking, because ill-posed questions and unreadable code make it difficult to impossible to make the code work, or to even understand what making it work would look like.

"Style is irrelevant." – This is by far the most common one. Since coding style, comments, variable names, and even re-factoring code into smaller functions do not affect the output, and thus not the correctness of the program.

"I asked for help with bugs, not style." – This is a variation on the first one. As long as there is no concrete and discrete bug, style feedback and questions for clarification can be discarded.

"This is too much work." – The original poster explains that making the code more readable is too much work for them, and fixing the bugs would be easier for others.

"Nobody will see the code anyway" – Nobody will see the code of the finished product, so it's irrelevant. Sometimes there are variations like "We aren't graded on code quality, only correctness" or "This is for a class project, nobody will depend on the code, so we don't need robustness."

"This is just throwaway code, it doesn't have to be good." – Like the previous one, this is frustrating to read because somebody posted the code on a forum for other people to read and asked them to understand it, and then said he doesn't care if it's readable or debuggable.

"I asked you for help." / "I am asking the questions here." – The original poster refuses to answer questions, because he asked, he expects answers, not questions in return.

"Don't blame me, I didn't write it" – We have completely left the realm of correctness and style now. The poster knows the code is unreadable, or doesn't make sense. He tried to protect his reputation. But he doesn't like the tone of the responses. Its not his fault the code doesn't make sense. It's not his fault if it doesn't work. Common variations are "This must be correct, it was the accepted answer on StackOverflow", or "I copied this from a tutorial", or "Don't blame me, this was written by GitHub Copilot". Often part of the problem is that the code has different parts written in different styles, or uses different data structures in different places, and both parts could benefit from a re-write to make them more consistent with each other. At other times the problem is that the code from the book is "correct" for certain purposes from the book, but not really suited for the problem at hand.

"I apologised already" – The poster is frustrated because he said "I am sorry I am a n00b" or "I am sorry for my bad English" already. Then somebody said his code is unreadable or his prose makes no sense. The poster sees readable code, or at least code that is readable enough to understand what the idea was, as a courtesy, as a social custom, not as something necessary to make the whole question and answer thing work. The same goes for a firm grasp of English. The poster apologised already that his English is bad, and you should just see past it. Dealing with this is especially difficult, because Q&A is framed as some kind of status game, and the poster is trying hard to save face already. Push-back will make him feel like he is losing face, and he will only get more defensive.

Causes

So where does the problem begin? Why do people write unreadable code, post it online, and get defensive? I think the answer is a combination of programming skill, social skill, and simplistic mental models.

Software Engineering is Difficult: Obviously, one root cause is that beginner programmers can't already write readable code from the start. Writing readable, well-factored code that is easy to debug, re-use, and adapt is something that comes with experience. Writing code for other people to read can only be learned after one has learned to write code.

Magical Thinking/Limited Cognitive Empathy: The most common and most direct cause of this phenomenon – the refusal to help others read your unreadable code – is not the unreadable code itself. It is the belief that it should be easy for experienced programmers to understand the structure of and intent behind a piece of code, even if the person who wrote it didn't. If you see software as basically magic, and don't see computers as soulless automatons that do what they do because they are built that way, then this is an easy trap to fall into.

A variant of this works for language. If somebody is bad at English, or bad at the technical jargon needed to ask his question, he will often think that the question he thought up in his native Klingon was perfectly well-formed, and that other people should have no trouble reading his words, because they also think in Klingon, so they would translate it into a question that makes sense anyway.

Status-Consciousness: Many beginner programmers feel the desperate need to distinguish themselves from other beginners, and if they have been learning JavaScript for two months now, they want to be seen as real programmers, not as children who play with Scratch and build Redstone contraptions in MineCraft. They want to be taken seriously. This reminds me of a five year old boy who stretches out his arm and tells me he is THIS BIG, and he is already FIVE, going on SIX, and he will go to SCHOOL soon.

Naive Mental Model of De-Bugging: Every program has a certain number of discrete features bugs, and when you remove all bugs, you end up with a program that works. This is of course nonsense. You can write a program that has an indeterminate number of bugs, or a program that implements an algorithm that doesn't quite work, or a useless program, or a program that does random nonsense.

With any luck, sooner or later, programmers will learn the technical side, and the social and collaborative side of software development.

[thecurrator]

𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 @lumiambrose: Itoshi Sae!

Compatability: ███████▒▒▒ 70%

Sae only approaches someone if they interest or benefit him in some way (as seen by him choosing Shidou for the U20 match). And the only thing that really interests him is soccer, so it's likely that you found him interesting and tried to get to know him better.

He makes a sour face whenever you become loud and goofy around someone who matches your energy, as if it annoys him somehow. Let's be real, he's never going to act goofy in his entire life, so he won't be matching your playful energy. But he doesn't mind it, maybe even secretly likes it as you drag him around with your friends, laughing and enjoying an activity together.

He also struggles to make friends, so he does treasure the few that he has. It's obvious by the way he was so loving towards Rin before the incident™. So yeah, he's extremely loyal to the people he chooses to care about. On that note, he certainly appreciates your loyalty towards your loved ones. You both have a mutual trust to always have each other's backs.

He doesn't like your laziness, but as he grows fonder of you, he would be more willing to do small things you can't be bothered to do yourself. Acts of service is one of his main love languages, so he brings you tea and cut fruit often. Quiet moments between the two of you are common, where you'll be on your computer or reading a book and he'll be doing the same. He likes that you both can share a space in comfortable silence like this.

He also doesn't like your sudden switches of dependence to independence, as he's very consistent, but it'll be okay as long as you communicate your feelings. On the flip side, he likes your logical thought process when it comes to your career. He takes his own career very seriously, so it'd be hard for him to get along with someone who doesn't do the same.

Beaches make up some of his core memories, so he really likes them as well. He'll take the initiative to invite you to visit beaches during his holidays, maybe camping depending on which beach you both go to. After sitting and watching the sunset, he'll lie down with you and stargaze. He doesn't know any constellations, so maybe you could help with pointing them out.

He doesn't have much interest in art, but he can enjoy it. He would be so flustered if you drew him and showed him the sketch (but you wouldn't be able to tell from his deadpan expression save for a slight blush). This inspires him to propose doing an activity where you both draw each other. He'll even put on some soft Spanish music in the background while you both work. His drawing probably comes out looking like a cartoon, inspired by "Chibi Maruko-chan", so your drawing of him is guaranteed to look better.

Your love for psychology helps with communicating with him. He's very blunt, but also tends to hide his intentions when he thinks it'll do his loved ones good, so you might have to read between the lines sometimes. He doesn't have much interest in how other people tick, but after knowing him for a while, he'll come to you to ask for help in understanding the people close(r) to him. For example, why is Shidou is like that™?

Gift-giving is definitely his main love language. He mainly buys small things for you like little trinkets and your favourite snacks. Not because he's stingy with his money, but rather he finds the little things more meaningful (there was a time when he bought Rin popsicles after all). The more extravagant gifts are saved for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. He doubts that you'll be able to out-give his gifts, but you're more than welcome to try.

I am a firm believer that Sae is an INTJ (personality-database.com is dead to me) so you both share the same MBTI type! While you're a T type, he's definitely an A type, so again, there would be a difference in lifestyle there. You both do share a dislike of failure though, so that's something you both can agree on. For the most part, the way you both process information and handle important decisions is the same, leading to an understanding relationship.

"Curvy in the right places? I don’t have a pilates princess physique but damn does volleyball do wonders for my thighs and ass."

I'll just leave this here.

Fixation: Buttocks. “You’ll know an athlete’s ability by the shape of their buttocks.”

[tangydreams]

Hello there and welcome to my first time rambling about my thoughts on Monkie Kid's Season 4 Special. Now if you haven't seen the special then please scoll away. Or don't, I can't stop you.

After hearing the news of MK S4S dubbed, I hopped in and watched it. It was tempting to resist because the Special had already released in Chinese but it was worth the watch. So it's time to show my random thoughts of the special down below.

Again, SPOILERS FOR THE SPECIAL!

{Are you still here? Oh good, I can start rambling~}

{Oh snap, the sky is falling apart. Not good, Azure…}

{Poor Nezha, being the one who's injured the most. I hope we get a relaxing episode of him in the future again. But dang, how Tang and Sandy fixes the scoll is the most dumbest but relatable thing they did together.}

{"Can't believe I'm sticking out for Wukong, again." I can, Macaque.}

{LEGO!}

{IT'S THE MONKEY KING BOYS! HE CHATTERS!}

{Awe! The monkey babies loves Macaque~}

{OH MY GOD THAT OUTFIT! I can't decide if I should cringe in agony or laugh in joy when seeing Wukong trying to communicate with humans!}

{THEY FOUND THE THIRD BABY MONKEY IMMEDIATELY.}

{OH! More backstory!}

{Oh…more backstory…Well, honestly I didn't expect to see Macaque to be able to interact with Wukong.}

{Geez, that whole argument is an intense mess. It's like a lot of their feelings that were build up from before had brought out the worst of what's intended. Wukong seems like he expected a chance of escape and Macaque wanted to console the guy. But of course, of the situation at hand, neither of them get what they wanted from each other.}

{Also, THE FOURTH MONKEY! THEY'RE ALL OKAY!}

{OH! THE OTHER PILGRIMS! It's great to see them again! Although, only for a small moment…}

{We all want to know about them too, MK. But not everything has to be explained. Sometimes the past is sensitive to talk about. Like everything else around him, they're not MK.}

{Man, you look exhausted there, Wukong. Like mentally exhausted.}

{THAT WHOLE MOMENT IS BEAUTIFUL. MK saying words to motivate Wukong and Macaque being there to affirm them. Two people that are important to him just as much to them.}

{THE BROTHERHOOD!}

{Awe, Azure. To see him suffering because of what he has seen has taken him in the deep end. I will agree that the Celestials are powerful but careless beings that only act when they think are needed, but now that we see the Jade Emperor and how much of an impact he has maintaining the world is very prominent. I don't know how complicated he was able to deal with that but seeing how Azure isn't doing it well, it shows.}

{Pfft, monkey class. Of course, they have to be in Wukong's house, but I want to see how they led up to that scene.}

{HA I LOVE WUKONG AND NEZHA'S BANTERS! ALSO, FRICKEN CRAYONS!}

{MACAQUE JUMPSCARE! Anyways, the planning they have for each of the Camel Ridge crew sounds plausible. A bit more explanation on how to deal with them would be nice to know.}

{NEZHA I LOVE YOU BUT PLEASE STOP GETTING HURT!}

{Cool, a training sequence~}

{MK'S TURN TO DRAW! Huh, I should've just kept watching on their planning.}

{LOVE MK'S LITTLE DOODLES! Also, they're getting into details, but I'm guessing there's still more to work out on.}

{Okay, it's sweet that Yellowtusk is worried about Azure's stability and interesting to hear how confident Peng believes in Azure's powers, but for them to fight in a place that reminds me the time they once dine happily together makes me concerned for them all. Of course, Azure comes in.}

{MONKEYS IN ARMOR! SO CUTE!}

{PIGSY AND HIS LITTLE MONKEY BUDDY! AWWWEE!}

{Ooh. A glimpse of Wukong trying to console MK about his origin's powers. It going good until the plot progress itself...}

{WOW THAT'S A COOL SHOT OF THE TRIO!}

{MACAQUE VS PENG! MEI'S THERE TOO!}

{PIGSY, TANG, AND SANDY AGAINST YELLOWTUSK! But it's more therapeutic than a fight.}

{AND NOW WUKONG WITH MK FIGHTING AZURE!}

{Cute, MK hugging Wukong to never let him go again. ONLY TO BE PUT THEM INTO MORE TROUBLE.}

{Inky! And with the images of PIF, DBK, LBD, and Nezha(?) too~}

{"Well, one monkey and one unconfirm, but yeah I'd be embarrass for sure." Oh boy, the writers knows what they're teasing with on that line.}

{Oh dang, that's cool! Wukong holding his staff like a bazooka to expand it and Azure holding it off like a champ. THEN MK WOOSHED UP TO TAKE A STEP FURTHER ON THE STAFF!}

{MONKEY BUDDIES DOING THEIR BEHALF! THEY'RE SO CUTE!}

{AND THERE'S MONKEY MECH!}

{PORTY MK! With Wukong's cardboard!?}

{"I hate monkeys." Azure is such a joker.}

{OH! A flashback to Mei's plans!}

{HAHA! I love how witty Mei explains the stuff. It shows how she's improving from the last time they struggle against with LBD's battle.}

{NO THE MONKEY BABIES! NO MK!}

{Awe, Azure. He's so conflicted when he feels up against Wukong and MK. Especially on Wukong because of how high he used to respect Wukong's words back then until it crumbles after being sealed for over hundreds of years with no one to help him.}

{……Monkey MK.}

{The size and power comparison between Azure and MK during their fights are fun.}

{Azure? Lion baby? You're breaking.}

{Oof, MK giving him the "reasons you suck" speech. Also, MK'S MONKEY MONSTER!? THIS SHOW IS WILD.}

{Ugh, poor Azure. The universe is breaking…}

{A Peng insult. Of course, Peng doesn't want to let that slide, but OH MAN THE SMOKE MONSTER AND MEI'S DRAGON LOOKS SO COOL! I wonder if we would get to see Peng again.}

{Oooh~ Positivity is rubbing off on Yellowtusk. It's sweet to see him returning the weapons to Pigsy, Tang, and Sandy. AND THEY GET TO WEAR THEIR OUTFITS!}

{And the hero team is back. Only to see Azure struggling to keep everything together.}

{"How are you here?" And that's one way how the series foreshadows Seasons 5.}

{Seeing Azure realizing his mistakes really pulls my heartstrings. The guys wants to see everything going well in his own way. He knew his risks but it seems like he didn't think it through. A person blinded by his past has brought him more pain than he ever thought. Just…let me hug the cat please.}

{Azure disintegrating…rest in peace.}

{Oh sweet, Nezha is here. Where was he? Neverminded that, at least he's able to maintain the Emperor's powers. For now…}

{Man, those chains around the world are sooo ominous. It's sweet to see that everyone are doing their best to bring it all together.}

{DADSY! TANGY! SANDY BABY! MEI BUDDY! I love how they check on MK first after fighting the most difficult part of their plan!}

{Nezha being a trooper to deal the other half of the situation. Releasing the beings in the scroll, jailing Yellowtusk, containing the Emperor power, and more…I feel bad for the guy…}

{"So long as we leave the world in better shape than we found it, then it's all good, right?" I wish it is, MK.}

{THE BEACH!}

{It's so cute that they include DBK and his family. Like, they missed the majority of this season but THEY'RE HERE!}

{MK putting on sunscreen is fun, even his chat with Wukong is rather light-hearted.}

{Ah, the part that everyone determines is for fanservice: Shadowpeach in DBZ's outfits.}

{An interesting way to end when this will just remind all the Monkie Kid Fans that the perpetrator is out there.}

{And there he is.}

OVERALL!

{The Special did a great job hyping the ending of the season. I was happy to see Wukong's and Macaque's backstory more, understanding the Brotherhood's concerns for each other, and the heroes trying to clean up the mess as much as they can. This balance well with the intense moments and their fighting scenes. But as much as I love most parts of the episode's, there's some that are off to me. I found some of odd choice of voice recording in the show, like Past Macaque's rejecting Past Wukong's help on his scarf and the intensity of MK's voice when he went Monkey Mode. Of course, there's also some parts that ends in plot holes, like where the heck is Peng going!? Is Monkey MK a good thing or a bad thing!? And who freed Azure Lion!? There's those and my bias on seeing much of the Special on a first impression but I still hope to watch more of that being explained. I might watch it again just to see anything else I might've not caught on. In the end, the Season 4's Special feels deserved and I hope we get a time to watch Season 5.

What do you guys think of this season's Special? Do you enjoy it or was there something you hate about? I would be happy to hear your thoughts and share more about mine as we wait for the next chapter of MK's life.

I'm now off to dream~}

[shikasaku-week]

🦌 🌸 ShikaSaku lovers, shippers and supporters, the team here at ShikaSaku Week is absolutely delighted to welcome you to the 9th edition of our bi-annual celebration of our favourite Brains & Brawn™ couple!

Things were tumultuous this year, so the Hanami edition was skipped, but we hope you'll be just as excited for this return as we are! We have a special edition prepared for you all and we're so happy to be back and to share this event with you. ShikaSaku Week means a lot to many people, us included, and we can't wait to see what you'll create this time.

It's with great pleasure that we present ShikaSaku Week 2022! 🌸 🦌

— The Rules

• you can post anywhere! Tumblr, AO3, FF.net, DA, Twitter, Pillowfort, go wild! • if you’re posting outside of tumblr, please send us a link to the fanwork so we can add it to the masterpost • tag it with #shikasakuweek or @shikasaku-week to help us find it on tumblr • the only requirement is for ShikaSaku to be the main pairing in your fanwork. It can be a fic, a fanart, a fanvid, a gifset, an edit, it’s up to you! • if you have any questions, feel free to message us or refer back to our FAQ page

When: October 20 - October 28, 2022.

Please, no character bashing. We’re here to create content for our ship, not ruin other people’s day.

🌸

Your works are to be inspired by the sentence prompt and the overall theme.

— The Prompts theme: what we fight for // battle cries

DAY ONE what died didn’t stay dead: they’re marching home, now

DAY TWO when a good man goes to war (it's not a victory march it's a tragedy)

DAY THREE blood on your brow like benediction

DAY FOUR your bones creaking like so many battle cries

DAY FIVE we reap what’s left of fields, all sprouted bullets

DAY SIX the beat of the war drums always made dead leaves fall

DAY SEVEN i cried out for you/my dear, you are too dead to hear

DAY EIGHT (bonus day) free day or remix challenge

If you’re interested in the remix challenge and didn’t participate in it last edition, here’s a quick explanation: basically, you browse through the masterposts of the previous years and pick a story or art you like a lot. Then you write/draw an interpretation of that fanwork! Summarize in your head what the core idea of the fanwork you picked is and use that to make your own, based on that same premise. We hope you’ll enjoy yourselves and that you’ll rediscover works from previous years!

— The Bingo Card

This year, we wanted to introduce something new, in our continued effort to make each edition feel a little special! So, we came up with a ShikaSaku Week Bingo Board, that you can use during the week! Any fanwork counts, not just writing, so you can make gifs, draw fanart, make playlists, anything at all as long as it fits the bingo space and you'll be able to cross it!

There isn't a big prize or anything, but we'll be making a dedicated post for each fancreator who managed to complete a bingo line or the bingo card, with a link to all their contributions to the bingo card as well as links to their AO3, their tumblr, their pillowfort, anywhere they're active so people who enjoyed their work can find them and follow them!

Here's the bingo card, and have fun!

We’re incredibly lucky to have such a dedicated, inspired, creative community, and once more we’re so excited to be doing this event with all of you. We hope this will inspire you to create, and we’ll see you again in October!

[allisonlol]

aa hi allison!! firstly, i totally understand if you've got too many match up requests already, so no worries if you don't get to this! 💜 AND CONGRATULATIONS ON 2K AGAIN! help i hope i'm not too late—

i'm straight and i'd love a romantic match up, preferably with nsfw!

starting with my appearance, i'm around 1,67m tall, i've got long light blonde hair that reaches to around my hips and is straight — i really like to try out fun hairstyles, such as different braids etc.! —, my eyes are grey and i've got very few freckles and some birthmarks! i'm very pale and have quite a few health problems like constant headaches, being constantly cold and fainting, but my doctors say they can't do anything about that?? 🤨

my aesthetic is very soft; i really like pastel pink and white as colours, i enjoy (faux!) white furs and plush fabrics and i'd say i've got a very feminine style! i don't own any trousers or jeans actually, only skirts and dresses.. liz lisa is one of my favourite brands but it's expensive </3

my hobbies are drawing, writing, reading, learning languages and playing the piano! i also go to dance classes each week — standard dance like slow waltzing etc.! i, uhh, what else... English is my second language and i'm currently learning two more languages for school/uni! i also love to go ice skating and travelling!

special interests of mine are shopping baking and cooking! i just made an apple pie today 👁️ and i often bake whenever i'm stressed or frustrated! makes me feel very housewifey... 🤲🏻 i also like snowy and rainy days and playing card games (even though i'm a bit of a sore loser...)!

i like pop music like Marina and the Diamonds (is that pop? i hope so) and classical music, as well as some soundtracks from video games and movies! the How To Train Your Dragon soundtrack will always be my favourite.....

i'm an ENTP, though i spend most of my time at home by myself! i asked my friends to describe my personality for this occasion only and they said something along the lines of “calm, rational, intelligent”, and i agree with that, though i'm also very soft-hearted!

when i went shopping some time ago i bought the one item in a broken packaging on purpose because i thought no one else would get it and i felt bad </3 help me

i tend to overthink a lot... this might be some sort of anxiety but my mind is constantly making up worst-case scenarios and i can't stop </3 worried 24/7

i'm affectionate but not clingy, and i love animals! i've got three cats and i love them with all my heart... i like dogs as well though they kind of scare me occasionally... i can be pretty sarcastic and teasing, but i'm very adaptive, so if my partner would dislike back talk, i'd just stop </3

i like flirting but i get flustered so easily, blushing sputtering the second someone hits on me in return...

i'm not sure about my love languages; i'm guessing it's quality time and receiving gifts... THIS MAKES IT SOUND LIKE I WANT A SUGAR DADDY THAT'S NOT TRUE but... i do like getting gifts... an occasional necklace or bracelet or so would win my heart very easily... 👉🏻👈🏻

because of my very exhausting overthinking i really crave security, especially in a relationship. i have no idea whether i'd fit more well together with someone introverted or extroverted — i believe intjs are my ideal match based on the mbti types, but i'd give everything a chance! THIS IS KIND OF EMBARRASSING TO ADMIT but i'd love to be with someone who's very confident and has everything under control so i can just.. relax and follow orders, maybe... "brain no more thoughts please i already think too much" is a very relatable meme... The urge to just be a pretty housewife and stay at home and cook and clean and welcome my husband home is big..

i'm not very picky when it comes to dates, though i'd love going out to eat in some fancy restaurant or visiting a theatre etc together! staying at home sounds fun, too, though!

UH NSFW FACTS.. i'm very submissive but i can be a bit of a brat, though i'd also try and be obedient only if that's what he'd prefer. i like quite a lot of things like choking, spanking, anything that makes it less vanilla — or so i say, because i'm still a virgin. help </3 would i let my partner spit in my mouth? yes. anything for him. ANYWAY—

that's about everything i can think of!!

thank you so much already in case you decide to do this!! i'm very excited already! 👁️💜

꧁♥ ᴍᴀᴛᴄʜᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴘʀᴏɢʀᴇss… ♥꧂

i match you with...fyodor dostoevsky!

ok ok hii honey!! first of all, reading this was super relatable like?? we're opposite aesthetics but otherwise u are me </3 also the only person i could think of the whole time was fyodor (and not just cuz u wanted an intj--) i will explain more below but YEA

Relationship

the dynamic here is like the supermodel looking gf and the tired, "on the verge of death" bf (jk--kind of)

but in all seriousness you contrast each other in every way, both physically and mentally

be very glad that your love language is receiving gifts because fyodor showers you with random and expensive gifts

^is he using this as some means of manipulation?? probably but you don't care

you steal his clothes a lot, specifically his coat because it matches you aesthetic. plus, who wouldn't wanna wear it??

fyodor adores your willingness to stay home and away from people so u can be his little housewife <3 you always cook something for when he arrives home or bake him snacks when he's locked up in his office all day :((

^repays you with kisses and rare affection

playing card game together? yes, playing card games together. except with him it's more of a psychoanalysis and u always lose (except rare occasions where he lets you win and goes :0!! great job dear!!)

luckily for you, fyodor is the type of person you can banter with and tease <3 but only in moderation!! too much of it and he shuts that shit down

^if you tease him too much he'll either 1) flirt back but 10x more extreme so you get flustered or 2) ignore you and refuse to give you attention until you quit your antics :((

brings you shopping, traveling, out to eat or to the theatre often, anything you want to do he'll join you on really!! i see his love language as quality time as well so that works out near perfectly

when you go shopping, he enjoys watching you try on all the clothes you want and will give his opinions <33 he's brutally honest tho

suuuuper overprotective, not necessarily jealous since he knows you're all his, but hates when other people look at you for too long and will glare them down >///<

NSFW

oh lord what have u gotten yourself into

as mentioned before, fyodor adores your submissiveness in both innocent and sexual ways

but especially in bed

you are just...so pliant for him?? anything he orders you to do, you usually do so without a fight

i feel that fyodor is rather vanilla (traditional--?) when it comes to sex but when he's riled up, he gets pretty damn kinky

^an easy way to achieve this is by being a brat. teasing him or refusing to do as instructed results in fyodor quickly losing his patience and putting you in your place

^spanking, orgasm denial, choking, etc...

degrades degrades degrades. glares down at you in near disgust while calling you all kinds of names such as "useless whore" and "unsatiable slut" :((

dw he can be nicer sometimes <33 operates on a reward system: the more well behaved you've been, the more praise and affection you will receive

and yes, he does spit in ur mouth <3 gives u a lil pat on the cheek and an approving smile when u swallow it >///<

[echojulietfoxtrot]

PSA - Tumblr, you always draw boobs way too high.

Tumblr femslash artists, I love you all, but the very welcome loosening of the rules recently has made it clear that we are struggling out here in Boobland. We've got some incredible all-over body artists, portrait geniuses, amazing spicemongers of all descriptions - but by God, we just can't draw boobs.

This isn't a subtweet style call out of anyone in particular, because like I say, this is just something I've noticed all over since the rule tweak. Very consistently, everyone's putting their boobs on way too high. And I don't just mean that in a feminist "normalize hang-low boobs!" kind of way, though that's great too - I mean y'all are literally drawing them way too high on the body, where they are not attached.

I get it - gay artist boob fear is a real thing, we all see clothed breasts more often than naked ones, and classical statues by breast-ambivalent dudes have been lying to us for centuries.

But just for fun, stop whoever you're drawing right now, and go lower her breasts by about an inch or two - there's a decent chance she'll make more sense when you do.

There's a succinct and really useful visual guide here to illustrate -

Now, I won't pretend it hasn't been a very long time since I drew anything myself, so feel free to tell me to take a hike, but for whatever it's worth, here are my own two big tips ( 👀 ) for drawing boobs.

Boobs do not behave like pecs.

I think we're all so used to seeing bare Greek style dude chests in art that we might forget this, but boobs aren't just pecs with grandiose aspirations.

Breasts are a distinct and unique anatomical feature - they don't just neatly overlay the same footprint as pectorals, and in fact contain no muscle at all themselves, so they sit and move totally differently to pecs too.

Breasts are actually anchored outside the pectoral wall, and lie almost entirely below the halfway point of the pectoral muscles - even for the funsize editions.

In terms of behaviour, well, among the special, wonderful - and if you don't mind me saying, highly enjoyable - things about boobs, is that, unlike pretty much every other body part, they don't really have rigid structures themselves.

That means they are visibly affected by just about every external influence on them, whether that's the enthusiastic mitts of a partner, or gravity, or even especially tight or inflexible fabric (ie you generally can't see the details of cleavage reflected by the shirt over them, for example, and naked boobs relax compared to clothed ones)

It also means that breasts don't stand, or pop out, or tower, or indeed strut around with the pretence of some haughty aristocrat who thinks she owns the place - rather, they hang, with the kind of easygoing nothing-to-prove confidence of that insanely hot music student you used to know in college who only ever left the house with fifty bucks in her pocket and a single loose house key.

Boobs have nothing to prove, because they're boobs, and they comport themselves with a demeanour of relaxed, self-secure charisma accordingly. They're fantastic and they know it, but they're still cool about it, you know?

As for location, a rule of thumb -

The crease of the armpit marks pretty much the highest point you should maybe indicate the start of the boob, and even then it should just be the start of the slope down to the star of the show. Boobs generally default to a kind of "blunted teardrop" shape, so for most artstyles, there probably shouldn't be a distinct "top" line to the start of the slope - the breast will largely be defined by the sides and underside.

Which takes us to our next point.

Boobs aren't ever spheres.

As we've also already noted, most of the breast sits below the halfway point of the chest.

And those babies are right out there, strolling into every room at chest level with no bony or anatomical structures to hide behind; so, once again, they hang, and they're subject to dynamic physics that more closely resemble "dense liquid in a balloon" than to the muscles, limbs, etc that your art teacher was less embarrassed to have you practice.

This means that on a standing figure, the top side of the breast is a slope and it's under tension, it's extended, with weight hanging from it; while the bottom side of the breast is a curve under compression, with the boobmass condensed, and usually forming a little crease where it rests against the ribcage (note again that the slope up top is more subtle than the resting curve down below)

On a lying figure, breasts are pretty much all compression, they're lying back against the torso. But they also tend to drift away from each other where they're heaviest, out towards the armpits/side of the ribcage - so again, you're not getting either a perfect sphere nor a perfect pectoral overlay. They still default to a kind of teardrop shape, the teardrop is simply flatter, wider, and further apart.

(And on a figure bent over horizontally, they more or less hang straight down.)

What they don't ever do is whatever shit Michelangelo thought was happening here -

So don't overthink it - remember, you just have to be better than Michelangelo.

Regardless of how they're shaped or depicted though, all boobs have one thing in common - they're just fantastic, and frankly I'm just glad to have been invited to any party they're attending.

I hope this was of some value all the same, because I'm a big fan of Tumblr femslash artists, and a big fan of breasts, and it's been wonderful to have my Tumblr feed bring the two back together as nature intended.

[umichenginabroad]

Run Forrest, Run! Tales from the San Fermín Festival

Week 8

With only two more weeks left in my program, I'm already feeling sad about having to leave soon. I like the routine I have with work, I know old town like the back of my hand, and most importantly I'm never let down by my favorite spot for icecream (shoutout Boulevard!). Like the true San Sebastián local that I am, I did a mix of things around the city this week. There's a really cool building called the Tabakalera right by the river and train station that I ended up visiting several times. It used to be a tobacco factory but has now been converted into a cultural center which features exhibitions from local artists, a library, co-working spaces, gastronomy lab, and beautiful view of the city skyline from the top floor. When I was there working on a drawing, I met a woman named Rosalia who does illustrations in her free time. She had something like 60+ drawings on procreate of her comics, and we had a really nice conversation about our shared hobby and how she plans to publish a book of her work in the fall! She also complimented my spanish which really made my day, and I plan to keep in touch with her :).

The main lobby of the Tabakalera! I could spend hours here (more than I already have)

Passing time in Pasaia

Later on in the week, Jayashree, Deidra, and I embarked on a hike from San Sebastián to Pasaia which was around 3 hours total. There was an elevation gain so it was neat to see the city from that vantage point, and the walking itself went pretty smoothly. The trail is part of one of the routes for Camino de Santiago so we crossed paths with some backpackers and had the markings on the trees to guide us. We saw an abandoned fort, cliffsides, bunches of hydrangeas, and a fortress! Sadly could not go up since the path was blocked off. Sorry Rapunzel, we're unfortunately not your rescue crew. There was also a suspicious looking bridge that Jayashree bravely crossed and Deidra slapped a random plant on her arm, but besides that, we all made it out alive. The last time I was in Pasaia I had been stranded with the Penn State kids so this really was a trip down memory/nightmare lane.

Jayashree really does not have an ounce of fear in her body. Can't be seen as well from this pic but the drop from the bridge was pretty steep

Knights of the Wine Table

On Saturday our advisors from the university organized a daytrip for us to a small town called Estella, a monastery, and wine tasting tour at Bodegas Monjardín. We weren't in Estella for very long, but it's special due to having a lot of centuries old medieval architecture. Near the river, we found a super angled bridge (pretty much in the shape of a triangle) which I don't know why it was built that way but interesting nonetheless. The monastery was very intricately designed and had also clearly seen many seasons. Oddly enough, it featured a wine fountain and I have to say that it didn't taste half bad. For an official rating from a self-proclaimed amateur wine enthusiast, 6.5/10 taste and 8/10 experience.

Now, onto the wine tasting. When we first got there, we were welcomed with a glass of the Monjardín rosado and given an introduction to the history of the winery. Everything was in spanish so I really got some listening practice in, but for my friends in the group who didn't know it they just had to rely on catching keywords lol. It was interesting to hear about the fermentation processes and methods of how to make the different wines, such as chardonnay, roble, espumoso etc. In the storehouse area, we got to see some bottles older than us, along with some random taxidermized boar heads. We were then led into a room where the tour guide gave us a spread of bread, cheese, walnuts, olive oil, and two wines to try. It's safe to say that all of us thought the wine was really strong, but Izzy and I made a valiant effort to finish our glasses. At the end of our tour, we left with high spirits for sure.

"When there's a wine, there's a way" -inspired by classic millennial wine captions

Dazed and Crazed in Pamplona

Sunday was the last day for the Running of the Bulls festival in the city of Pamplona. In order to watch, and for my friends who wanted to actually run with them, we had to get there absurdly early. Took the 5 am bus to get there around 6, and stepping out of that bus station felt like entering a separate reality. It was like literal Gotham City or some sort of apocalyptic fallout wasteland with the amount of people passed out, still wandering around drunk from last night's party, and in general just being creatures of the night. Along with that, there was a very noticeable stench wafting through the streets. The best way that I can describe it is an unholy combination of trash, alcohol, smoke, garbage, and pee. One of those smells that you just really can't forget no matter how hard you try (and I've tried). When we made it to the route where the running would take place, I split up from Mateo, Jayashree, Riky, and Ian to claim a spot at the barricade so that I could have a good view. I was on Calle Santo Domingo right across from the town hall, which is one of the first areas that the encierro (running) takes place at. The full route is 875 meters long, and goes straight to the arena as the ending point. My friends were posted up closer to the end so that they could run into the arena and try to juke out the bulls so I unfortunately couldn't watch them. However, being front and center on the fence was very worthwhile since I was able to clearly see the bulls and people run past. It was quite the experience seeing guys do their stretching routines, bless themselves, and throw up right before it all started. Take a look at my POV below:

The runners prepare for battle...

Corre, Corre!

You might be wondering why so many people are wearing the exact same clothes. That's because the official colors of the festival are red and white and you would really stick out if you wore something different. Traditionally, runners usually wear the pañuelo (red bandana) along with the fajín (red sash). However, you don't have to be a runner for that and it's encouraged to wear the full garb. I really ended up taking this to heart and started out with just one of the bandana and sash each, but came out with 3 bandanas and 2 sashes. I fully evolved in the spirit of San Fermín!

The fit is fireeeeeee

I met up with my friends after the events ended in the arena and luckily all of them ended up being okay. Riky got his shirt torn and his side kind of cut by the bull's horn, Mateo saw a guy get trampled behind him as he was running, and Jayashree got pushed into the barricade (and came out unscathed but with someone else's blood on her shirt). I have so much respect for them because I know that I would've ended up worse if I did that. After walking along the streets, seeing some shops, and getting a quick bite to eat, all of us were super exhausted. For a little bit we went to a park and just laid down in the grass to pass the time while waiting for our bus to get there. To summarize this undoubtedly crazy experience, I enjoyed getting to be a part of the festival and see the famous encierro!

¡Viva San Fermín! ¡Viva!

Emily Dobao

Biomedical Engineering

IPE San Sebastian, Spain

July 15th, 2024

[sparkler-sleet]

a reminder for me to look back at in three months: september 27

9:20AM

We got told on Thursday that my only living grandmother might have cancer. Called it a particularly serious case. Said she'll be referred by the end of this week. I haven't really been doing anything else since; I've perhaps overstayed my welcome at her house, but she doesn't want to be alone and I don't want her to be out of reach. Right now she feels too delicate a subject to leave and come back to, in case coming back isn't really in the question. Anyway, after the doctor left last Thursday, she asked me rather feebly if I would think about chumming her along; my father's ten percent man and ninety percent temper, and he isn't really sure what he'd say if his mother was told she was dying. I told her that of course I'll come with you. We can leave Dad in the car, I'll take you for a coffee afterwards. A little girly morning. She laughed, but I guess little girly mornings wouldn't really appeal to me if the subject of mortality was involved at the same time.

So I've been staying with her recently. Two weeks now. Usually I live with my mother and I'm beginning to really miss her. Of course, we talk, our phones are rarely disconnected. But phone calls aren't the same as blocking her bedroom doorway at night so she can't go to bed and leave me sitting on my own. My mother is my best friend, which is embarrassing now, but I'm sure will become very valuable in the future when I don't have that luxury.

We heard nothing back from the doctor yet, which is wreaking havoc on our mental healths, our day-to-days and our patience; my father and I aren't great friends right now and probably won't be until we find out that she will be okay. But perhaps the delay in contact is a blessing, for on Monday, I was invited to a job interview this Friday. Work is scarce where I live, particularly in the field of my career, and I've been unemployed since July. It's the first time in my life that I've been neither employed nor studying, and that too destroyed what was left of my basic sanity. Spring cleans have become calendar-worthy and my library has doubled in size since summer began. And, not too long before I was about to lose hope in any of my job applications, up popped a job in what looks to be the best school in town. The staff are nice, the kids are well-mannered, overtime is available and all of my specialities in teaching are what they're looking for. So it wasn't entirely unexpected when I received this email.

And this is all great, and I'm praying and wishing and crossing fingers for this job, because not only do I really need it but I really want it-I miss helping out and making children smile when they fall and scrape their knee-but I know deep down that if my Nana's hospital appointment cropped up at eleven o'clock on Friday, I'd have been there and my interview would have had to be moved.

The time away from work has given me a lot of thinking space, and I, admittedly, now feel like an entirely different person to the one who could barely see straight for anxiety in her old workplace. That person's first and only priority was work, and she run herself into the ground so badly that she couldn't even sit and form a sentence in an interview regarding extending her contract. This person, if she gets the job, will not do that. Work will be her first and only priority while she is at work, and then she will come home and her brain and her hobbies will be her first and her only priorities. Because I love helping vulnerable children, but that isn't all I am. I want to be an author, I'm amidst the first full draft of my first proper, serious novel. I have a new-found love for baking and also drawing which I never used to like and I am also trying my utmost to make some friends, which is a task I have never taken on throughout my whole life. Friends who will be proud if I get the job but will be equally as proud if I survive a rejection again.

So things are a little wish-washy. After months and months of nothing at all, no feelings or emotions or things to do, so suddenly everything has amped up. I have mountains of excitement for this interview, but I still sink so deeply into the ocean at night when it's dark and I think I might lose my grandmother. But oddly enough, nothing feels overwhelming just yet. I'm not freaking out over anything, these are just things that are happening and nothing that I can do will change either situation. I will try my best at the interview and I will hold my nana's hand while she receives her results, and the true action for me to take will be reacting and surviving both outcomes.

[crystalelemental]

Champion Stadium clears, testing out the new sync pairs, and trying to stay mostly within the F2P lines. There are some exceptions, though...

Vs. Karen BP Barry is really good. Like, this kit rules. Him and base Erika form a really strong partnership to an EX Striker like Lusamine, who may need a bit of crit, and a lot of special attack. Barry supplies it all, with solid defensive profile and Synthesis to sustain. I am exceptionally impressed with his work.

Vs. Will Defensive supports are nice for pairs that are offensively self-sufficient, or for longer modes like Gauntlet. In CS, I feel like defensive supports largely exist for stall. You'll be happy to know, Olivia does this pretty well. X Regen All is nice gradual recovery for the sides to shrug off sync, while her own Protect and First Aid 4 can keep her in place longer than you might expect. I'm not blown away by her performance, but she accomplishes a goal and serves nicely within Stall Meta.

Vs. Koga And now we reach mistakes. A major problem with the BP Master Pairs this time around is that the buffing kit is very poor. Registeel, in particular, kinda sucks. Defensive boosts are decent, but only self-applied, which means sides will obliterate your allies with AoE. Cutting healing in half is a generally smart strat in CS, but Registeel works entirely with recovery so it's hard to facilitate. Its speed boosting, a major draw of its kit, is slow to start up given your two TMs to max defenses, then probably throwing out Potions as needed, resulting in few actual attacks occurring. It's also just not that sturdy. Even with +6, it didn't take much for Koga to overwhelm it. This was carried by Kukui's flinch and Candice's sync bombs, which also needed to remember to reset Hail for Sure Crit or she'd die.

Vs. Bruno Believe it or not, I actually don't respect SEUN on its own. Even aside from how much content these days focuses on off-type, a major issue is that it tends to come with limited offensive support. Dana is a pretty good example of the issue. When looking to the lower tiers that most want this, they can't buff, and she can't help them. The closest we came was Gardenia, who had two problems. One is setup. Without 3/5 Dana, we just didn't have the ability to save a turn off Dire Hit+, or the ability to boost special attack enough for Gardenia to win. The other is bulk. Dana can buff both defenses eventually, but skews special, so a physical stage like this is very difficult for her. I had to settle on SS Erika as the only option with really good self-setup, and to be honest, Erika could've done with this other pairs. This is decisively not Dana's best showing, and I'm feeling very strongly that this is a pair that lives and dies by 3/5 access when considering anything but the elite in self-setup.

Vs. Lance Look, I needed to test out BP Valerie, I adore her. Off-typing Lance it is. This is a particularly scary fight, because of the high BP moves that Lance throws around constantly. Even H!Caitlin has trouble with it. That said, permanent field condition is a choice this time, so welcome to easy street. Caitlin's shields last through Lance's sync, and Colress can debuff accuracy to really cheese round 2. I will say, with concentrated DPS and a flinch off Iron Head, it...legitimately might have been possible to pre-sync clear center. Valerie's pretty impressive on DPS. Sync isn't fantastic without on-type, but we knew that already. Overall though, very satisfied with her performance.

BP Falkner Falkner was the odd man out here. I wasn't exactly confident in his off-type sync potential, so I dropped it. That said, in more closely assessing how he could've been used, I did recognize two things. One is, his speed debuffing is great for Cakewalk. Second, his attack debuffing with Defog would've made something like Bruno much, much easier to handle, as he removes all the shields and offsets parameters. Third, Confuse. This one was especially salient, because I remembered Tate exists, and has hilarious DPS numbers on-type when facilitated, with Cakewalk as the sync. Tate might be Falkner's best F2P partner, facilitating effectively every condition for DPS and Sync that Tate needs. Now if only we had a Psychic Terrain support.