#i always mess up the order of japanese names i never know how to tag them im sorry

[cainternn]

more aib thoughts

#alice in borderland #aib #chishiya #shuntaro chishiya #chishiya shuntaro #ann rizuna #kuina #hikari kuina #kyuma #ginji kyuma #urumi aramaki #oki yaba #sunato banda #my art #i always mess up the order of japanese names i never know how to tag them im sorry #artists on tumblr

[hiddenendings]

Blankshipping - Validating

A/N: I am but a simple furry and gay. Please enjoy. (And let me know what you think, I tried using the English names rather than the Japanese ones for this one.)

Summary: Emmet doesn’t need to prove himself as Ingo’s alpha, but when he thinks about how many ignore his claim as if it wasn’t even there and try to touch what’s his, well… it certainly feels like he does. Besides, Ingo doesn’t seem to be complaining about all the bites and marks Emmet leaves him with.

Inspired by: @unovanhunny​ and their wonderful Omegaverse Blankship AU. You can bet I’ll be writing for more of their AUs. 

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/40092666

Tags: Established Relationship, Pre-PLA, Pre-Hisui, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega Verse, Alpha Emmet, Omega Ingo, Marking, Biting, Incest, Blankshipping, Omega Heat, Request Fill, Explicit Sexual Content

Word Count: 2016

***

Wild, heavy panting bounced off their, thankfully soundproofed, living room walls, Emmet using those walls to the fullest as he sunk his teeth into the meat of his twin’s thigh, eyes locked on the way Ingo’s face scrunched up and he moaned, back arching forwards as hands scratched at his shoulders as if looking for some type of purchase to hang onto. Emmet watched the sight, eyed the way his brother, his twin, his mate, his omega tried to blearily look down at him. Emmet bit harder and listened to the sobbing cry of his name. 

Emmet was a good alpha. He always made sure to take care of Ingo during his heats, making sure his nest on the living room couch had everything that he needed and often starting the heats as he was now; sitting on the floor between Ingo’s legs and seeing how many times he could make him cum from his mouth alone. This heat he was being more than a little selfish, and for as bad as he felt he did nothing to curb his behavior. 

Instead he shifted closer to the couch, encouraging Ingo to hook a leg over his right shoulder in order to spread him further apart. Of course, Ingo didn’t realize that until Emmet had latched his teeth back onto the skin just a bit higher up, pressing yet another mark into his omega’s skin. This time the cry was even louder, accompanied by a moan that had Emmet becoming even more riled up as he thought back to earlier that day. 

It wasn’t that Emmet didn’t trust in his relationship with his twin. Emmet had never doubted Ingo’s feelings for him just as Ingo had never doubted Emmet’s feelings. Ever since the two presented, him as an alpha and Ingo as an omega, a piece of them had always been each other’s. 

That didn’t make it any easier when other alphas tried to move in on what was his. 

“E- Emmet, ” Ingo whined, high and breathless and shaking while wearing nothing but his pure white collar and the ring around his left ring finger. He was already a soaked mess, cum coating his thighs and body trembling and sweaty in his nest of blankets. “Please- Please. Want you, need you, alpha- ” The whine turned high and sharp and breathless when Emmet unlatched his teeth from the patch of skin, licking it tenderly and lapping away at the blood. 

He let his tongue climb higher and trace the crease of Ingo’s thigh, following the rolling drops of sweat back up to his cock, already hard and leaking and ready to go again. Emmet didn’t hesitate to swallow down his most favorite treat, moaning softly and smirking at the way it sent Ingo jerking and sobbing and shaking in his hold. The leg over his shoulder was clenched hard enough to almost hurt, Emmet fully aware that the only reason his head wasn’t being squeezed between his brother’s thighs was because of the hand he had holding up the other thigh; which was also tense and quivering. 

All in all, Ingo was a beautiful sight, one of his arms trying to prop himself up against the couch and another trying to cover his mouth and muffle his noises. Emmet made sure to give him a little nip for that one, enjoying the sharp howl of pleasure-pain that bounced off their walls. Emmet pulled back with a chuckle, licking and sucking at the little nip he had given him. 

“Maybe I should leave a mark there, too,” Emmet teased, hating himself a little for how much he liked the idea. “Remind you just who your alpha is.” 

Ingo looked down at him with hazy eyes, pupils blown wide as he looked at him before his legs relaxed and fell open, giving Emmet all the room he wanted. “A- Alpha. ”

“Oh?” Emmet’s grin curled up higher before he could even try to stop it. “You like that idea.” Emmet ducked lower before he dragged his tongue from Ingo’s balls to the tip of his cock, basking in the keening whine it earned him before he wrapped a hand, still wet, around him to keep stroking him. “Does my omega like the idea of his alpha marking him for everyone to see?”

Mm, but if he were being honest… that would be more for Emmet’s benefit than Ingo’s. Earlier that day, their last day at work before they both took off to deal with Ingo’s heat, an alpha had approached him. 

Some random alpha had been in his big brother’s space, trying to touch him and claim him when he had already long since been claimed. 

Ingo’s sudden sob, sharp and sudden, had Emmet easing his grip from where he had still been stroking him and ah, it was no good to be mean when his precious omega was shuddering and squirming under his hands. But still… it rankled. 

It was one of the reasons Ingo’s thighs were littered in marks, and the main reason Emmet had shifted to his knees, still stroking Ingo’s cock even as his teeth latched onto the skin of his stomach. He bit down hard on the soft skin, lapping at the sweat and taste of a sweet omega in heat. Around him he felt Ingo whine and buck his hips, crying out his name before cum began coating his fingers, cock not even softening and Emmet simply using the cum to keep stroking him and making him a wet mess. 

Emmet chuckled when he pulled back, watching his twin’s blissed out expression as his body slumped more into his nest, body limp and pliable in Emmet’s hands. He didn’t waste it. 

Getting to his feet, Emmet was quick to pull at Ingo and the blanket he was laying on, spinning him around so he was instead laying across the couch cushions and on his back. Ingo barely got to give a confused mumble before Emmet was straddling his hips, trailing his tongue up the center of Ingo’s chest, lapping at the skin and sucking some into his mouth. This skin, much more sensitive and thin, Emmet was careful to not fully bite down on. He didn’t want to hurt Ingo. Although, that didn’t mean he didn’t suck and nibble, making sure to leave an impression that would still be there for some days to come.

As if it wasn’t enough that an imprint of Emmet’s teeth was sunk thick and deep into Ingo’s neck, in the same place he had been placing it since they had first claimed each other. As if Ingo didn’t wear all those wonderful white undershirts with his outfits, a subtle way of claiming that he was Emmet’s mate. Dragons, Ingo had taken to wearing his white collar for years now, as well as their ring, and still- Still. 

Just how much did Emmet need to prove himself? 

“Em- Emmet, ” Ingo sobbed, Emmet giving the skin he was toying with one last lick before answering his brother’s unspoken plea. He barely even had to press into the kiss before Ingo went docile and pliant under him, Emmet licking into his mouth, tracing those cute little sharp points of his teeth, and only pulling back to suck the other’s lower lip into his mouth, nipping at it sweetly. 

He stayed there for a few minutes, maybe an eternity, before shifting his kisses across Ingo’s jaw and down the column of his neck, lapping and kissing at the thick, scarred bite marks there. He had already bit over them when Ingo had first descended into his heat, so they were still fresh and raw, droplets of blood still welling up to the surface of the skin that Emmet was dutiful in licking away. 

A hand settled on the back of his head, Emmet pausing to look back to Ingo. He hadn’t even been knotted yet and already he looked dazed and blissed, that cute little quirked smile-frown on his face as he gently threaded his fingers through Emmet’s hair. “Ingo-?”

“I’m yours.” Emmet froze. The words had him going still and quiet, a wave of feelings crashing into him even as Ingo kept up that gentle stroking motion. Ingo graciously gave him the century he needed before carefully guiding his head back towards him. Emmet didn’t resist the pull, instead letting himself fall into Ingo’s orbit, touch, and kiss. “I’m yours, Emmet. Your brother. Your twin. Your mate. Your omega.” 

Hands settled on his cheeks, thumbs brushing a trail under his eyes and making him shiver before he felt a tongue following the same path. “My alpha…” Ingo’s words, always loud, always warm, so damn soft, pressed against his skin. “You don’t need to prove yourself.” 

“Ahh… that’s no fair,” Emmet sighed, all possible fight draining out of him as he grabbed Ingo’s wrist, turning his head to kiss at the palm, nipping playfully at the skin as he felt his smile return. He hadn’t even realized it had dropped. “Ingooo, that’s no fair. ”

“I’m your older brother, I don’t need to play fair,” Ingo snorted, whining when Emmet ducked in to nip at his ear. “ Emmet. ” 

“If you’re this coherent, then I’m not being a good enough alpha right now,” Emmet teased, worrying and tugging at the skin under his teeth as he dropped a hand to Ingo’s hole, chuckling at the blissed out sigh as Emmet worked a couple fingers inside. He was already warm and wet and eager, opening easily under his fingers.

“Wr- Wrong,” Ingo groaned, low and deep and sending a shudder down Emmet’s spine as his brother’s eyes locked with this, that sharp steel gray now looking like molten metal. “Emmet- Fuck. ” Ah, found it. “ Dragons, yes, please, there-! ”

Emmet chuckled as he mercilessly teased his brother, rubbing against the sensitive spot inside of him that had Ingo jerking in his arms and his mind turning to mush. “Come here, brother.”

Nudging at Ingo’s hips, Emmet pushed a stray pillow under his lower back, shivering as those legs locked around him tightly, his own cock, hard and red and swollen and leaking, begging to bury itself in his omega. It was as he lined himself up and started pushing in that Ingo nipped at his jaw, grabbing his attention. 

“ Perfect alpha, ” he panted, voice shot and breathless and utterly gone. “Mine. My perfect alpha. No one else. Never anyone- Ah-! ” A high, crying moan left his throat, Emmet groaning as he bucked his hips and slid himself the rest of the way in with one smooth stroke. It was so good. It was so good. 

He loved it. He loved being this close to his brother, to Ingo, buried deep within him, the two as close as they could get. He could feel Ingo’s legs tight around him, could almost picture his toes curling in the air like they did when he was close to cumming and was trying to hold off. He could feel Ingo’s arms around his shoulders, loose-limbed and shaking and not even trying to hold on as he trusted Emmet to support him. 

“ Emmet, ” Ingo whined, high and begging and not even giving Emmet a chance to resist before he started rolling his hips, fucking his way into his sweet omega. “Emmet, Emmet, Emmet, alpha, mine, perfect alpha-! ”

Ingo’s cry was loud enough to have Emmet’s ears ringing, Emmet not even caring as he only sunk his teeth in deeper over the other’s neck, shivering as he felt him tighten down and come apart around him with only that.

Ingo might have been right that Emmet didn’t need to prove himself, but… he wanted to. He wanted Ingo to never be in doubt that Emmet loved him. He wanted other alphas — wanted everyone — to know that Ingo was taken, and claimed, and the most well-fucked omega they would ever met. 

If that meant marking Ingo from head to toe everywhere he could before knotting him and fucking him into a blissed out, drooling state, well… 

Emmet had always been a verrry thorough alpha. 

#original #blankshipping #my writing #pspspsps blankshippers come get your food!

[gingersnaaps]

making things right

you and iwaizumi just aren't meant to be, and if he has to fuck some sense into your little brain for you to understand, then so be it.

wc: 3k

tags/tw's(PLEASE PLEASE READ): noncon, self harm(a more accurate tag would be forced assisted self harm??), explicit n*fw, blood, emotional manipulation, emotional sadism, dumbification, degradation, fem!reader with inner genitals, has something resembling an actual plot

a/n: couldn't decide which way i wanted to take the plot so i just did both. read a version of this without the self-harm here

i don't want minors interacting with my content

Oikawa really doesn’t like how much time Iwaizumi has been spending around you lately.

It’s not that he’s jealous, of course - that kind of pettiness is far beneath him - it just doesn’t seem right. It’s not the natural order of things for someone as pretty as you, all soft skin and glowing smiles, to be practically draped around Iwaizumi all the fucking time.

He’s counted, you know, and today was the thirty-eighth time that you’ve visited their lunch table and somehow ended up on Iwaizumi’s lap.

And doesn’t he also have to think of his team? The Spring Interhigh’s coming up, and it wouldn’t do for one of the most important players on the team to be constantly distracted. He’s seen the way Iwaizumi looks at you: it’s adoration encapsulated in a gaze, the kind of tenderness and admiration that he’s only ever seen Iwaizumi direct at himself.

Oikawa’s going to have to fix this, isn’t he? He’s going to have to make everything the way it should be.

-

He finds that he enjoys the constant planning and brainstorming and especially the fantasizing far more than he’d anticipated.

Oikawa notes down which days you go home immediately after school, which days you stay, and the routes you take home. He writes down all your friends in a little notebook, familiarizes himself with the classes you take, and pays extra attention to your mood swings.

Of course, as he spends more and more time detailing every aspect of your life, it’s only natural for his thoughts to… wander. In class, he catches his own attention drifting away from Japanese literature to thoughts of what you’d look like strung out on his cock, eyes squeezing out tears as he stuffs you full and claims your pussy. He thinks about how slutty your skirt looks when you’re bending over, and about how much he’d like to rip it off of you. He likes to imagine how Iwaizumi would react, too - the way he’d cry and sob and finally understand that you don’t belong with someone like him.

He finds that these thoughts allow him to tolerate Iwaizumi’s presence near you a lot better, even though the two of you have only grown closer as of late. When you start getting particularly obnoxious with your flirting, he just has to picture you screaming in pain as he fucks you dry, or think about the bulge in your throat from his cock shoved deep inside your mouth. And when he sees Iwaizumi finally ask you out on a date to the ramen place nearby, he almost feels sorry for how short-lived, how temporary, your romance is going to be.

As the weeks go by and the Interhigh draws near, Oikawa thinks he’s got a pretty good idea of how to make it happen.

It starts off almost too easy.

Oikawa’s usually the one who stays late after practice, slamming his serves into the opposite end of the court until his vision goes dizzy and his arms turn numb. But Iwaizumi - bless his generosity - had planned on staying after to help a few of the first years out with their serves.

He waits at the school gates, scanning the entrance for any sign of you. You should be finishing up with your little club soon if the notes he’d been keeping were any indication, and sure enough, he spots your bright teal jacket scurrying towards the gates after just a few minutes.

Oikawa plasters on his friendliest smile, waving you towards him. “Hey,” he greets. “Iwa-chan told me to wait for you today. Do you want to come over? He’ll be along in just a minute - he’s just cleaning up the gym a bit.”

“Aren’t you the captain?” you tease. “So much for being responsible.”

He forces out a laugh.

Do you realize how insufferable you are? Because you’re really not doing yourself any favors with the way you’re acting. But he pushes down the surge of anger that threatens to spill over, because he knows you’ll change your tune as soon as you arrive at his place, and he can’t wait.

The walk home is filled with empty banter, useless conversation that flits back and forth on the most boring of topics. To be honest, Oikawa appreciates this - it gives him the mental room to think about much more interesting things, like the way your breasts are pushing against the jacket, or the slight sheen of your lip gloss. Or, alternatively, the way your breasts would look spilling out of his hands, and the way your shiny lips would look smeared with spit and cum.

He places a hand on your waist as he guides you inside his house, but you stiffen. “Isn’t Hajime supposed to have caught up to us by now?” you ask.

Hajime.

First name basis, huh?

It’s a small detail, but it’s the kind of change that has him seeing red at the periphery of his vision, the kind that makes him want to grab your throat and claw at the paper-thin skin until all he sees are lines of scarlet and your off white bones. He’s been friends with Iwaizumi for twelve years. Twelve years, and all he’s gotten from him is a nickname. You’ve known him for barely a fucking year, and here you are, sauntering away with his first name.

His hand on your waist tightens, gripping and squeezing at your lovely flesh until he can feel you wince in pain. “I’m afraid it might be a while,” he says, voice brittle.

“What do you mean?” you ask, turning around, your eyes widening.

Oikawa shoves you inside and slams the door. “I mean,” he hisses. “That your precious Hajime won’t be coming around anytime soon.”

Panic rises in your throat, but he slaps a hand over your mouth quicker than you can scream. All that escapes is a strangled cry, weak and thin, one that quickly dies out in the entrance hall of his house. It’s much too quiet to reach any neighbors, you realize with a sinking feeling. The last bit of faint hope you harbor in the back of your mind dies when you realize that there’s no concerned housewife coming to check on the commotion, no fumbling child who might stumble in on you and Oikawa. You’re alone. You’re fucked.

He’d made sure of it.

“Bitches like you are so stupid, aren’t you? Making me spell everything out for you.” His voice drips condescension as he yanks you by the hair towards the bedroom. There’s no reason to put up an act anymore, he thinks, so he can be as rough as he wants with his new toy - he just has to make sure he returns you in one piece to Iwaizumi. Oikawa’s sure he won’t mind if you’re a little beat up around the edges, a little used by the end of this.

As he throws you down on the bed, the thought gives him immense satisfaction. You’d been so eager to do things with Iwaizumi - he’d coaxed out embarrassed confessions from his friend over late-night calls - so he’s almost sure that you’re a needy slut during sex.

Of course, you’re not nearly so eager now.

Who would be in your situation? He holds your squirming body down on the bed with one hand, flicking open a sharp, sharp pocket knife with the other.

“You do realize that this is what you get, right? It’s your fault for being this fucking easy. Should’ve thought a bit harder about going home with me. Did your mommy and daddy never teach you to not trust men?” he says, face curling into a smile.

You’re unable to get a word out, mouth dry and cottony from the fear that pierces you. He watches your eyes flicker between the blade in his hand and his face, uncertain and wary, like a deer caught in headlights. Oikawa can’t help the sick pleasure that bubbles up within him at the look on your face.

“Please,” you say hoarsely. “Please.”

“You have to use your words, you know. You could be begging me to stop, but I think you like this. I think you’re begging me to get on with it,” he says.

Maybe he’s taking it a step too far with the dramatics, but he can’t bring himself to tone it down - not when he’s right about to get to the good bit, and certainly not when he sees those pretty tears trickling down your face.

Oikawa reaches for your arm, grabbing at your wrist. He rubs his thumb in light, tender circles over your skin, like a form of twisted reassurance. It’s the kind of action that would seem almost loving to any outsider, but the malice in his eyes makes it clear what kind of situation this is.

You feel ice in your veins, your vision sluggish - almost dreamlike - as he brings the knife up to rest at your forearm.

“Hold still when I slice up your wrists,” he says. “Wouldn’t want to accidentally cut too deep, yeah?”

Oikawa begins to carve out thin lines of red, angry and harsh against your tender skin. His brow creases in a mockery of concern when you let out a pained cry, jerking away weakly from his cuts, but he only leans closer and presses wet, hot kisses into your neck as the edge of the blade digs at your forearm. A high-pitched whimper slips out from your lips.

“When you go back to class tomorrow,” he whispers. “I want you to wear something pretty for me. Something with short sleeves, like one of your sundresses. I want you to show off these beautiful lines so that everyone knows what a mentally ill whore you are.”

The pocket knife clatters as he throws it to the side, and he looks you up and down appraisingly. He’d always thought you were rather pretty, with your soft halo of hair and your glittering smile - but he can’t deny that there’s a special sort of charm in the way you fidget uncomfortably under his gaze, blood streaming down your wrists and making a mess on his sheets.

It makes him hungry.

As he spreads your thighs apart, all he can think about is how much he wants to claim you, to ruin you, because that’s what he imagines fucking you is like: ownership and victory spread on his tongue while your juices drench his cock. All the filthy dreams he’s had, every fantasy he’s gotten off to late at night, and the stifling heat spreading through his core is begging him to fuck you, to ravish your tight hole until the only name you know is his own.

He doesn’t really want to bother with prep. He’s sure that stretching you out on three - no, maybe four fingers until you scream would be fun, but you don’t deserve that kind of special treatment. Aren’t sluts like you supposed to be wet all the time anyway?

You can feel the outline of his dick dragging along your soft thighs, pressing close to your cunt, a breathy moan escaping his lips from the friction of his sweatpants grinding against your body. It’s not long before he pulls his cock out all the way and strokes it a few times. He grabs at your hips, maneuvering you like a rag doll, and fits the tip of his cock at your fluttering entrance. Nudging at your hole, he pushes in just the head of his cock - enough so you can feel the sting of his girth, but not nearly deep enough to offer any real relief.

You whine involuntarily, and a grin lights up his face. “You’re desperate, aren’t you?” he asks, dragging a thumb against your lips. “Is it because Iwa-chan doesn’t fuck you well enough? Is his pathetic dick too small to fill up that hole of yours properly?” he leers. “I’ve seen his cock before… mine’s bigger, you know.”

“Fuck you,” you mumble. You’re dizzy from the blood loss, but anger still seeps into your veins at his crude words.

Maybe if your head was a bit clearer, you would’ve realized that only stupid girls talk back.

Oikawa’s hips snap into yours harshly, his cock tearing at your insides, and you let out a strangled gasp. You’re not prepared for how well his cock stretches you out - it’s curved in all the right places, ramming into your cervix, brushing up against your tender g-spot - and as he ruthlessly pounds your frail body into the mattress, your mind blanks, overloaded with sensation. You can’t remember who you are, or why you’re getting fucked. The only thing on your mind is the raw feeling of being cunt split wide open, of having your insides rearranged until you’re a drooling, dumb mess.

“Fuck who?” he asks, shoving two fingers inside your sloppy mouth,

“F- fuck…” you whisper. His fingers are gripping at your hips so tightly you can feel the skin beginning to bruise, and there’s just too much to handle. He’s everywhere; his fingers probe around your mouth, making you gag, and his cock drags along your tender walls until you’re left quivering around his length.

He leans down to kiss at your forehead, his lips brushing tenderly against your hair. “You can do it, baby,” he encourages, cooing at you. “You can say it.”

“Fuck me,” you whimper quietly, cheeks burning with shame.

“Good girl,” he says, voice sickly sweet. “I knew you could do it for me.”

Fucking you feels so much better once you’re compliant, he thinks. He slows down a bit, savoring the sensation of your cunt twitching uselessly while you writhe on the bed in pleasure. He feels a sharp jolt of arousal as he looks at the marks he’s left all over you, admiring how the bruises on your arm and waist begin to purple, how the lines cut into your forearms are still dripping scarlet.

You tug at his shirt, sniffling and crying. “Please,” you beg. You’re not sure what you’re asking for anymore, not even sure whether you want Oikawa to stop or continue, but you can’t handle the way he’s slowly fucking you senseless.

He raises an eyebrow. “You want it faster?” he asks cruelly, bouncing you into his cock. There’s no response on your end, but Oikawa thinks he’ll take that as a yes. And if that’s what you want?

Well, that’s what you get.

The hum of pleasure in your core intensifies as he picks up speed again. This time, he angles his cock until it grinds down harshly on your sensitive spot, leaving your legs limp and body helpless as your cunt tightens like a vice. As you shudder from the orgasm that washes over you, he spills into your pussy until your hole is leaking white down your thighs.

You can feel him laughing softly as he pulls out and climbs to rest beside you, leaving you stuck in a pool of your own sweat and cum and blood. He wipes the remaining cum off of his cock, smearing it on your face, but you barely react. You feel so dirty, so tainted and violated, but you’re not sure you could move even if you tried - his cock has left you boneless and made sure that every square inch of your body is sore and aching.

“Well,” he says, breathless. “Better run home unless you want Iwa-chan to find you all used and cut up.”

Hajime? Your eyes widen, welling up with tears as he continues talking.

“I lied at first - he wasn’t going to come over after practice - but I did just send him a text. Told him I had some homework I really needed his help with,” he says, eyes glinting with triumph. “But you don’t want him to see you like this, do you? You look fucking pathetic right now. He’s always suspected you were a slut, and if he sees you now he’ll know that you’re a depressed slut too.”

You feel like screaming, because deep down, you know that Oikawa’s right. If Hajime comes over now, you know you’ll have to explain why you look like a used little sex doll, why you’re all cut up. You can already see the pain in Hajime’s eyes if you were to tell him that his best friend for the past twelve years had ruined you, fucked you so thouroughly that you could barely tell the difference between pain and pleasure.

You don’t want that, you realize miserably. You can’t have that.

Oikawa watches you fumble around for your clothing, entertained by the way you trip and stumble as your weak legs attempt to hold you upright. It makes for an awkward, ugly image - but he can’t deny the warm thrill of satisfaction that runs up his spine as you wipe the blood on your forearms away and slink out of his bedroom.

He’s finally making things right.

-

When you go to school the next day, wearing the sundress that clings to your skin and rides up your thighs and shows off your lovely arms - exactly as he’d ordered - the stares you’re met with aren’t sympathetic. They’re judgemental, and you can feel the shame prickling against the base of your neck and student after student scrutinizes the cuts on your arm.

For the first time ever, you’re glad that you don’t have any classes with Hajime. It makes it easier to avoid him, and you purposely choose to sit as far away as possible from their table in the lunchroom. You don’t bother responding to his messages either, every single text of his sending a bitter jolt of pain through you, and you eventually block his number.

Weeks later, you’re not sure he’d believe you even if you were to explain everything. What would you even say? That the scars on your arm were put there by someone else? By someone he knows and trusts? Oikawa and him seem closer than ever, and you start to wonder at your own stupidity. To think that you could ever get in between a bond as close as theirs - maybe Oikawa was right all along.

You’re walking home alone one day, the hazy late-day sun bathing the roads in a shimmering heat, when you hear footsteps and a voice behind you. Your heart hammers unsteadily, getting ready to run, when you hear three words that make your stomach drop.

“I’ve missed you.”

#don't want to clog up the tag so i'm just keeping this indulgence on my blog #tw.noncon #tw.self harm #tw.blood #tw.manipulation #lin.n*fw #tw.dc

[moxfirefly]

Nobody necessarily asked for these but it’s been a meh few days and I figured I’d write some shit to keep busy (a little stuck on request but a bih is managing)

So I give you, some random headcanons for the guys

Michelangelo

I like to think that this orange lad while the fun type of bf that has you in stitches nearly every minute, has his serious moments

Similar to Don he’s painfully aware that he isn’t normal and while he can be somewhat vain that boy has got some self conscious thoughts running through him all day. Especially with his s/o

That gives way to some depressive episodes 🥺 (hug him pls)

He’s the second best cook of the four (Raph being 1st place) but he’s the best baker though.

Loves being competitive in games with Raph but enjoys playing co-op more with Donnie

The only time you can catch him really concentrating is when he draws. Boy really gets lost in it. Goes without mentioning, yes he draws his s/o and has gifted them some pretty dope ass pieces

Heaviest sleeper, a bomb can go off. You’ve often almost violently shake him which leads to Grumpy Groggy Mikey™️ and he complains cause on the random days he manages to be up before you boy wakes you up super soft and sweetly

Besides Donnie he’s got seniority when it comes to picking the playlist they use for doing chores.

As I’ve stated and will die on that hill: Touch is his love language. He still likes to snuggle up to his bros or give them hugs. He’s basically attached to the hip with his s/o.

Fancies himself a bit of a style icon

He remembers perfectly the firsts: first kiss, first time, first fight, first makeup, first everything

Him and Raph are the dynamic duo but Mikey loves being coddled by Leo because big brother and littlest brother™️

But he feels most comfortable talking about unusual or somewhat embarrasing things with Donnie cause he always hits him with the “yes it’s perfectly normal because *long winded biology esplanation*”

Doesn’t like to cry in front of his brother but breaks apart with Splinter

He Loves™️ the sound of his name when it comes out of his s/o’s mouth. In every sense of the word, angry, happy, surprised, lustful etc

Donatello

Being a genius has its perks but man can it have its downsides.

He’s just ridiculously aware and that leads to many thoughts and those thoughts can turn very negative

He gets depressed pretty easily but he’s got that Keep on Keep Going attitude towards it. His s/o can catch on pretty quickly and there’s a struggle to reach him when his head is too clouded.

He is the Fix It type in all sense of the words. So he’s the bf that will listen to your problems and he’ll try and find a way around it to help you or at least give out a better point of view.

Which means he’s a great listener, like seriously he loves talking and he rambles but he loves when you do too

Loves to be caressed honestly. If his s/o runs a hand down his arms or thigh, if they caress his cheek or run a thumb across his lips.

He reads all manner of things tbh, from repair manuals to romance novels

Goes without saying, gamer boi. He loves doing mods, always wants to play on expert mode, smart sarcastic burns when he’s playing online and somebody is being an insensitive prick

He’s actually a really good sexter. He’s nervous physically cause self image issues but with reassurance etc he gets lowkey cocky

No necessarily the best cook but he’s not bad either. He does like to make you breakfast in bed.

Serotonin hiiiiigh when they bring him coffee

He loves late night drives, usually takes a Raph with him but once he gets his s/o it’s the two of you driving around New York. One some ocassions Raph tags along too

While they get along pretty good, him and Leo can butt heads a lot. It’s not a dick measuring contest like Leo and Raph. They just argue and Donnie gets a smart mouth and Leo well he can be a dick.

Regardless they make up pretty fast.

Leonardo

He’s got a smidge of OCD. He’s very particular of keeping things in a particular order that he knows and nobody really understands but it makes him happy.

Expert folder of clothing so everyone rejoices when it’s his turn to do laundry cause that mofo does some orgami like shit to everyone’s boxers

He reminds everyone to eat fruit and veggies, can’t be pizza every night

Yes he can be a hardass but he’s honestly an absolute softie with those he loves. He’s very attentive with everyone’s needs, especially Splinter

Rooftop star gazing, he likes to decompress and sometimes that means going somewhere by himself. When coupled up he loves doing this with his s/o and it’s a nice way to get some time to themselves

Listen Leo is boyfriend material, he’s husband material. It’s stupid how perfect he is when it comes to being someone’s partner. He remembers the little things like really dumb things that always guts his s/o.

He’s thought about if anything were to happen to him he’d want Raph to step up. Even if they argue and bicker and fight he knows Raph would set the world on fire if it meant protecting his loved ones.

Is learning Japanese and he so wants to see it someday. Has gotten pretty good at speaking it but reading it is still a little hard.

Has snuck into a flower shop after hours to get you a bouquet, it’s cool he leaves the money on the counter

When Casey and April had their first Big Fight™️ and she showed up and started bawling, everyone thought Raph was gonna end Casey but in reality it was Leo, that boy was seething if Donnie hadn’t played mediator it was gonna be ugly

Leo hates to see somebody he loves cry cause somebody was just being an ass

He loves game night and movie night

While he takes his leader duties seriously this boy will sleep away a day away. He’s tired af get him a blanket pls.

Raphael

Grumpy boi lives to exercise and lift weights but he does have other things he enjoys. He loves sneaking out an making his away around the city from rooftop to rooftop

As stated, best cook in the fam. This man takes pride in that. So as his s/o trust me you’re gonna be well fed

Although he will never admit he can’t fall a sleep without you like once y’all start dating and sleeping over he needs you there.

Mikey gets on his last nerve but Christ if anyone messes with him. Raph is ripping their necks. That’s his boy, he’ll always protect him, which is why whenever Leo starts going on Dad Mode he always sides with his little bro.

Sure he’s got his anger issues but honestly he’s probably one of the most sentimental of his brothers. So yeah cry angry but he’s just a ball of emotions and he doesn’t know how to manage them sometimes but he’s trying

He’s protective of Mikey but lord is he protective of April. Like honestly he gave Casey the big brother ‘if you break her heart I’m breaking ya neck’ speech and he fucking means it

Also, he’s really close with April. Those two are always talking and goofing about. He sees her as that little sister (or more so big sister) and he likes having a sister.

He’s super close with Donnie, they’ve often felt like outcast in their own ways. Raph likes helping out, he’s pretty handy.

#tmnt bayverse #tmnt leonardo #tmnt raphael #tmnt donatello #tmnt michelangelo #tmnt leo #tmnt Donnie #tmnt Mikey #tmnt Raph #Leonardo #Raphael #Michelangelo #Donatello #headcanons #I was bored

[mangaycompany]

do you have a favorite rare pair? if so, would you mind writing something that would induce me (and maybe others) to ship these? (I need more rare pairs content TT)

anybody who's ever talked to me at least once knows exactly what i'm going to say

i absolutely LOVE bantai / 万太

bantai isn't AWFULLY rare in the japanese fandom (it's kinda rare but i know worse, like jutai which i also really love), but it's INSANE how little people actually consider it in english :sob: i myself know exactly 4 people who are into it and it breaks my heart because i'm the only english speaking artist who contributes to the tag ever

before i start talking about it more, i'm going to link you to some things

the ao3 tag (in which 3 whole fics are by yours truly <3 they're bad though),

the pixiv tag (my favorite artist is hn, whose works i especially love because of their warm light-hearted stories, as well as their interpretations of the characters (i love how they tend to write 万>太 and 万>(<)太, you don't see banri be the one pining very often and i love it)),

my very self-indulgent spotify playlist (it might not be all that accurate but it's based on my own personal interpretation of characters, keep it in mind :'D)

anyway, time to talk to what just GETS me about this ship

initially i didn't think about it myself, because ANY banri ship will always be overshadowed by sehhyo/banju, but sometime in august last year i realized their dynamic is actually quite interesting

i love this rivalry air the two have developed, it's not quite like the rivalry banri and juza have going on, this one feels much more casual and like something best friends would have going on

there was something that touched my heart in act 3; when taichi confessed about his betrayal, banri was the first one ready to forgive him; he was the one who was willing to open up in order to make taichi feel more comfortable sharing his portrait with everyone

mankai stage

bestie behavior

and they kiß

headcanons

in canon, their bond might seem a little one-sided (we can't have everything :/ ), with taichi being always all over banri about how cool and popular he is, but trying to expand on that thought, i like to think banri's grown too used to taichi's compliments; the moment taichi switches to fawning over juza, something clicks in banri's brain that makes him annoyed with the whole world for the entire day

when they get together, it's something very new for both of them; taichi's never been in any relationship, he doesn't really know how to act around banri and fails to not make a huge deal out of it, due to his hopeless eagerness mixed with personal insecurities, it might keep their relationship stagnated and frustrasting for the first few weeks, he wants to do more and more couple things very badly but is worried about communicating it to banri (he doesn't know why, he can't name his fears really) / banri has been in relationships before, with people of all genders, so you'd think he wouldn't stress out about his new boyfriend all that much, but it's very much not true; he's been in so many relationships and yet this is the first one in which he genuinely fell in love with the other person. he's always found it difficult to be vulnerable and open up to anyone else, but it's something he'll have to overcome for his and taichi's sakes

each of them teaches the other important things; banri teaches taichi to be more confident and to not rely on strangers' opinions so muh, taichi teaches banri to be open and that it's okay to rely on your closest friends

you know banri gets Really jealous when taichi pays any attention to juza (and he obviously does because he looks up to him), but what you wouldn't think is that when taichi realizes it, he starts doing that on purpose just to get attention from his bf

you'd think it'd be hard for these two to keep their relationship a secret, but for the longest time, nobody even suspected a thing; for at least half a year, the only person who knew about them was omi, and it's only because he's taichi's roommate so Of Course He'd Find Out

i feel like they're a kind of couple in which they don't really Talk about their feelings (like love and insecurities) unless things truly require it (banri doesn't want to for obvious reasons, taichi doesn't want to pile it onto banri and make him feel like he HAS to also); for a long time they had a thing going on without even clarifying if they're really dating or not. they rely very strongly on their personal love language, which consists wholly of nonverbal love declarations such as small touches and meaningful glances

because of that, banri probably hadn't even said the word "love" long into their relationship (which must have made taichi cry like a baby when he finally did)

anyway

there's a Lot More on my mind but i'm very bad with words sorry

some other rare ships i love:

太九 [taikyu]: taichi/kumon (very soft and light-hearted :) high energy)

十太 [jutai]: juza/taichi (obvious for taichi's fixation on juza, very soft and delicate kind of ship)

十咲 [jusaku]: juza/sakuya (bond over shared love for acting, very warm and shoujo-esque kinda feel)

丞誉 [tasuhoma]: tasuku/homare (opposites attract, learning to understand each other, thriving off bonding over misunderstandings)

天十 [tenju]: tenma/juza (starting off with private acting tutoring, ending up with... developing a crush?! 😳 light-hearted and sweet, probably has the entirety of summer troupe trying to get tenma to make a move)

ships i'm not sure if they count as rare pairs and i dont feel like checking rn but i feel like i don't see them enough

万九 [bankyu]: banri/kumon

真円 [masumado]: masumi/madoka

東誉 [azuhoma]: azuma/homare

一臣 [kazuomi]: kazunari/omi

志九 [shifukyu]: shifuto/kumon

咲太 [sakutai]: sakuya/taichi

莇椋 [azamuku]: azami/muku

i hope you'll consider at least some of them :) thank you for your time reading this mess of a post

#a3 #a3! #a3! act! addict! actors! #my headcanons #text #bantai #万太 #taichi nanao #banri settsu #long post #mine #headcanons

[beewolfwrites]

An Iron Box - The Eternal Rocks

Apologies for the late update! My life has become a little hectic, so I haven’t been on Tumblr or AO3 as much. Hopefully I can make it up with new scenes that weren’t in AWIAF :) 

If you’re still following this fic, thank you for reading. It means the world <3

The AO3 link is here if you prefer reading it on there.

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

I had stumbled across the copy of Wuthering Heights shortly after becoming an executive member. When I first moved into my room, it was tucked away in a drawer, and judging by the curled pages coated with dust, it had been there a while. I’d never cared enough to discard it, nor had I cared enough to read it. Until now.

The noon sunshine filtered through the windows as I sat on my bed, legs stretched out and book in hand. So far, it was a trivial mess – a ditsy story of childhood friends turned teenage lovers. Of course, this was the kind of book she would read. And if she really did have a Masters degree in literature, chances are she had already read it.

Yesterday, when I was called to the meeting room, I had an inkling as to what the fuss was about. And sure enough, there she was, dragged in like a stray by Niragi of all people. What terrible luck.

Well, for her at least.

Things had panned out just as I expected. If only she had come with me when I’d asked, she wouldn’t have had to deal with Aguni’s militants. They had given me the whole rundown of her Eight of Hearts game... how she’d solved it a little too late... how she’d accidentally set herself up by mentioning my name.

And now, I finally knew her name.

After showing her to her new room yesterday, I’d rolled it over on my tongue, memorising the foreign feel of it, the way the vowels stretched and consonants collided. It suited her, in a way. However, it seemed it would be a while before I could call her by it. According to the grapevine, she had disappeared into her room and hadn’t been seen since.

This morning, when I went downstairs to get breakfast, my eyes had instinctively scanned the crowded room, hoping to catch a familiar doe-eyed stare. But she was nowhere to be found.

‘Who are you looking for?’

Kuina had appeared beside me, balancing a bowl of cereal in one hand.

‘Nobody,’ I told her.

She wagged her finger, and through a mouthful of cereal, insisted, ‘don’t even think about lying to me. I can read you pretty well by now.’

I tried to ignore her noisy chewing. ‘I met a girl in a game.’

Kuina had wiggled her eyebrows at this, and something inside me instantly turned cold. If she thought I was involved in a petty romance then she could think again. I had no interest, and besides, this was hardly the place.

‘I believe we can use her in the plan. Niragi brought her in after a game yesterday.’

‘And there I was thinking you actually had a heart, hm?’ Kuina paused, her spoon dangling between her fingers. ‘I did hear there was a new girl, but nobody’s spoken to her yet. Do you want me to try and talk to her?’

I had mulled it over, but there was no point in rushing things. There was every chance she would emerge in her own time. It was like tempting a frightened animal out of its den and straight into a snare.

‘Not just yet,’ I said. ‘Let her feel hungry.’

‘You think she’ll come down for lunch?’

I smiled. ‘Probably not. But she’ll be hungry enough that when you do pay her a visit, she’ll want to trust you.’ Surveying the busy room, I added. ‘Keep an eye on the rumours. If she doesn’t come down in a few hours, bring her some food.’

‘Why me?’ Kuina scowled. ‘Why can’t you do it?’

Surely the reason was obvious. ‘She’s here because of me. I’m the last person she wants to speak to.’

Kuina had looked uncertain. But she couldn’t argue against it; we both knew I was right.

Now, several hours later, the sun was sinking and Kuina was probably about to pay (name) a visit. But I would leave that up to her. If Kuina befriended her, she would be much more willing to join our plan. Stretching my legs, I focused on the page in front of me.

‘It’s about life and finding meaning and purpose in everything.’

Her words from the pharmacy. Even now, they still rang clearly, haunting every recess of my mind. I didn’t care about finding meaning in life. I didn’t care at all. But I was curious about her obsession with fiction and poetry. What was it that drew her to books?  

What meaning does she see that I can’t?

My eyes landed on the words before me.

“My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary.”

How could love be necessary? It wasn’t food or water. It couldn’t be quantified, had little value in life, and if anything, it was a weakness in the games. I had never once needed it myself, and here I was, still alive and breathing. The whole story was trivial, melodramatic and utterly pointless. And yet, my gaze was drawn to the next line and the next.

I suppose I could read it, even if only to ease this perpetual boredom.

“He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being—”

A bang rattled the windows as the door to my room flew open. Kuina was standing breathlessly in the doorway, that fake cigarette of hers clenched between her teeth.

‘You,’ she said, inviting herself in and moving towards the chest of drawers. ‘I need to borrow one of your hoodies.’

I flipped over to the next page. ‘Why?’

She yanked open each drawer one by one, plundering through the contents before slamming them shut. ‘I need a spare hoodie for (name). Or, you know, anything that’s not a string bikini.’

‘I see, so that’s why she was hiding.’ I smiled, eyes drifting over the page of my book. ‘What a stupid reason.’

Kuina glowered and jabbed a finger at me. ‘Oi, just because you’re too confident for your own good it doesn’t mean everyone else is. Tell me where your hoodies are now.’

I nodded at the cupboard. ‘The grey one on the left-hand side.’

She opened it up and pulled out the grey hoodie. Out of the three I owned this was the smallest. It was also the newest, having never been soiled by blood in a game before. ‘Are you sure?’

I shrugged and turned back to my book. ‘She can keep it.’

It may be useful to create a debt.

I expected Kuina to simply take the hoodie and leave me to read in peace. But she didn’t. She clenched the fabric in her fists, staring at it. Her jaw tightened around her plastic cigarette.  

‘Chishiya, she’s nice. She’s really nice.’

‘Everyone’s nice until you pit them against each other.’

She grimaced, fingers gripping the hoodie. ‘I don’t think... she’s not like that. What did you have planned with her anyway?’

‘We need someone to find the safe where the cards are kept. A guinea pig, so to speak. I’m going to set her up and we’ll take advantage of the distraction.’

Kuina looked uncomfortable with the idea. ‘I’m just not sure about this.’

Sighing, I gave up trying to read and snapped the book shut. ‘If you’re not sure, then drop out. I’ll leave with the cards and you can stay right here.’

Of course, Kuina was smart enough to know what the Beach would descend into once it became apparent that the cards were missing. And if I went missing along with them, she would be the first person they’d turn to. Judging by the look on her face, she seemed to be thinking the same thing.

‘Fine,’ she agreed at last. ‘But of all the people to choose, she really doesn’t deserve this.’

I smiled, thinking back to Niragi’s overdramatic retelling of their game. Apparently, it was a game of laser tag with handguns. She had shot a teenage girl in the chest and emerged without a scratch.

‘Perhaps you’ll think differently if you see her in a Hearts game,’ I said. ‘It’s human nature to be selfish.’

It’s human nature to kill in order to survive.

With a small hiss of disapproval, Kuina trailed out of the room and left me alone, taking the grey hoodie with her.

Finally.

Picking up the book once more, I scanned over the words on the page. The entire plot made no sense. Cathy’s choice was obvious right from the beginning – Linton offered protection and financial security. It was everything she needed to live comfortably, so what was the issue? Why would a person be so caught up just because of a childhood sweetheart? Heathcliff was equally as ridiculous, running away like a brat just because she said a few words behind his back. This was a book for naïve idiots.

No wonder she likes it.

And yet, I read and read until the sun slunk behind the skyline, the darkness creeping in slowly through the curtains until it became too dark to read. I could have easily turned on the bedside lamp and continued, but perhaps it was time to see how things were going with Kuina and (name).

The sooner they were friends, the easier this would become.  

Getting up, I left my room and headed downstairs. It was right before the games began – the time when the Beach was at its most lively, and everyone was busy living in the moment just in case these turned out to be their final moments.

I passed by a couple furiously groping one another behind a pillar.

People are all the same.

Stepping outside onto the patio, I scanned the throngs of drunken idiots stumbling around in a haze of skin, sex and drugs. And then I caught a glimpse of that familiar face, standing by the bar and dressed in my hoodie. A man was beside her.

And you are just like them.

For a moment, I simply watched on as the man – one of Niragi’s troupe – tried to make conversation with her. Considering the sheer volume of the music and her self-taught Japanese, I wondered if she understood him. Taking her drink from the bartender, she smiled and said something undecipherable before taking a step away.

Bad move. A gun glinted, pressing into her side.

Oh?

The look on her face told me everything. She wasn’t flirting with him after all. And now it was all too clear what this man wanted from her.

Such an unpleasant welcome.

Perhaps I should have just left her to it, since this was the true face of the Beach, the drop of cold hard reality hidden behind the façade of a utopia. Perhaps I should have her deal with the situation on her own, for better or worse. But how could I? This was a perfect opportunity to regain her trust.

I sidled up to the bar, glancing between the half-drunken idiot and (name), who was standing there wavering like a ghost. Her expression was detached yet poised, like a rabbit on the verge of fleeing. But she couldn’t – not with the hand wrapped around her wrist and the pistol set just below her ribs.

‘What’s this?’ I leaned against the countertop. ‘I see you’ve met our newest member.’

(Name) blinked, only just noticing my presence. I glanced down at the pistol, the barrel half-hidden in the fabric of her hoodie. My hoodie.

‘You should probably put that thing away. Hatter won’t be too happy if you start messing with her. He’s got high expectations of her.’

The militant only pushed the gun further into her torso, standing up straighter in a useless attempt at intimidating me. ‘You know, Chishiya, I’m pretty sick of you interfering all the time. You should stay out of militant business.’

I almost smiled. This man wasn’t even an executive member. ‘Militant business,’ I said slowly. ‘It’s fascinating what you guys do. You take out the trash and dish out the sentence, but you never check the evidence.’

He bristled, his finger tightening over the trigger. ‘What the hell are you talking about? Just shut up and stay out of this.’

Typical. Do I have to spell things out to everyone?

‘What I’m saying,’ I replied, ‘is that you never bother checking to see if the ‘traitors’ are actually traitors. It’s surprisingly easy to slip a few cards into someone else’s room.’

I met his gaze pointedly, watching as he finally started to come to an understanding. He squeezed (name’s) wrist until her fingers blotched white and purple, before finally letting go.

Pushing his face close to mine, he whispered a slurred mess that sounded a lot like ‘threaten me again and I’ll end you’, before striding off into the crowd. It wasn’t much of a threat, coming from someone who couldn’t quite walk in a straight line. But no matter, I wasn’t here for him.

I was vaguely aware of (name) watching me as I turned back to the bar. The bartender was wiping glasses, unbothered by what had just happened. He saw worse every day.

‘お水をください,’ I said. Water, please.

A glass was placed in front of me, and I calmly sipped my water, waiting patiently for the inevitable. About now, she was probably itching to thank me, but wondering how best to do it. An over-thinker, that’s what she was.

When she finally spoke, it was so quiet I could have easily missed it, if only I hadn’t been expecting it. ‘Thanks... I’m guessing stuff like that’s pretty common around here.’

You catch on fast.

‘Well, there are only three rules,’ I said, assessing the grey hoodie. It had been slightly too small on me but was oversized on her. ‘Right now, you’re not allowed to go roaming the city alone because you’re still new, and that makes you a liability. But the next time you’re in a game, you’ll be paired with one of the executives, or someone else with a high rank. If you ask, they’ll go with you to find new clothes.’

She looked mildly surprised. Had Kuina not mentioned that it was mine? If so, I wonder how she would react once she found out. Perhaps this was a tidbit of information I should keep to myself for now.

Speaking of Kuina, I could see her now, watching me nervously through the crowds from a recliner on the other side of the patio.

‘Of all the people to choose, she really doesn’t deserve this.’

Perhaps not. But that’s what made her perfect for the job.

#alice in borderland #aib #imawa no kuni no arisu #chishiya #chishiya shuntaro #chishiya x oc #chishiya x reader #chishiya alice in borderland

[bunnibai]

Enterance Exam Taiyuu

AAAA ITS HERE students used in order of appearance: Zuruko Kayaki, Nahito Kirai, Sainochi Yurei, Merce (mentioned), Busujima Aki (mentioned), Takeda Yukino (mentioned), Naishin-Sunomu Isejin (mentioned), Naishin-Sunomu Seisho (blink and you miss her), Kokoro Boar

Kayaki had always been very good at hide and seek. 

When she was four, back when the birds still sung in the springtime and the bright yellow flowers dripped with fresh morning dew, Kayaki had been friends with a small gaggle of kids. She would run through the rich mud, splatters of brown dropping on her robin’s egg blue dress in a colorful, careless, fun mess. She would crouch down behind a bush, her hair matching the blossoms that would protect her from the sight of the other kids, keeping her breath silent. Patient. She would have to suppress airy giggles, her right hand over her mouth and the left holding tight to a stuffed animal. 

Of course, as Kayaki grew older, she became much more experienced with the game. Instead of shuffles behind trees and urges to keep quiet, the game was more serious. Stony eyed gazes focused on the black shoes that tap-tap-tapped against the slick concrete. Sidestepping out of the way of flashlights, bright and swishing like a bloodhound. It felt like more than a game; like, instead, life or death. Age tended to make things feel more weighted, that way. 

Long after cottony blue eyes became stormy grey in the cloudy light, Kayaki stood, 15 and holding an umbrella to her side. The forecast had never said anything about rain, but it never hurt to be careful, especially with how the sun itself was hiding in wait to see what the weather would bring. In the quiet residential neighborhood, big houses of pristine white walls were locked by big fences and keypads. It was one of the most secure in the city, maybe the country, and Kayaki felt small lingering by the gate. If someone was to walk down the street, if they were perceptive enough, she was easy to pick out. However, people were rarely perceptive enough for a girl like Kayaki. 

The gate swung open, and Kayaki straightened to attention, not unlike a dog awaiting orders. Kirai adjusted the bag on his arm, looking at her and raising an eyebrow. It wasn’t questioning as much as it was amused, in the way a child might be amused watching a flightless bird struggle in a puddle of water. 

“My, my, how long were you waiting, Kaya-chan? That eager to see me?” 

Kayaki had long since learned to translate her best friend’s passive aggressive jeers into more friendly, conversational Japanese. 

“It’s good to see you, too, Toto-chan.” She patted at her skirt, carefully smoothing out any creases. He looked her outfit up and down, shifting his weight and putting a hand on his hip. 

“Kaya-chan, don’t you think that outfit is a little impractical? You’re going to cry when you fall during the exam, and then I’m not going to stop to help you up. I can’t pull your weight forever.” 

Kayaki hummed, spinning her umbrella and following Kirai a step behind. “You’re worried for me?” She spoke in a soft, questioning tone. Kirai scoffed, crossing his arms.

“I am not worried for you.” 

“I’ll be okay, Toto-chan.” A ghost of a smile traced Kayaki’s lips. It was cute, when he worried about her like that. Of course, Kayaki wasn’t worried. To her, whether or not she passed wasn’t much of an issue. Whether or not Kirai passed felt much more important, all things considered. 

The walk to the train station was mostly silent. That was the thing about Kayaki and Kirai; they had never really been the type to pour their hearts out to one another. Instead, they took value in the ability to be comfortably quiet with one another. It was a level of understanding that was rare in any pair of people. 

Kirai abandoned her the second they found the small cluster of students waiting for the train.

Kayaki watched him stride up to the group, dazzling them with an introduction and a wink. She stayed back, folding her hands behind her and leaning against the wall. She had expected it, of course. Kayaki and Kirai always seemed closer to one another when they were alone. 

It was better this way, anyways, watching everyone excitedly chat with one another, avoiding her by just an inch. 

The train was comfortable, surprisingly so. She found a nice spot towards the corner of the bus, storing her umbrella under her and folding her hands in her lap. A part of her wanted to relax fully; it was a nice, closed space. 

The rational part of her knew otherwise. 

The train had been going for a few minutes when a weight on the seat beside her shifted. 

“You mind if I sit here?” 

Kayaki startled, looking up at the boy hovering by the seat. She nodded, taking a second to find her words. “Uhm—yeah, I don’t mind.” 

He sat down, rummaging in his bag. “What’s your name? I’m Sainochi Yurei.” 

This was more talking than Kayaki had been counting on. He was charming, though, and seemed harmless enough. “Ah… I’m Zuruko.” After a pause, she quickly added, “Kayaki.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Zuruko-san!” He smiled at her, taking out some kind of almost-machine Kayaki couldn’t identify. “Taiyuu, huh? It’s kinda scary, knowing we’re almost there.” 

Kayaki crossed and uncrossed her legs a few times. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, scrunching the familiar fabric against her fingertips, struggling to find a way to carry the conversation without seeming rude. “Yeah, uhm… It’s weird. I wasn’t expecting it to come so soon.” 

Sainochi-san turns a small gear, nodding. “You know, once we get into her school… that’s it. We’re on the path for this forever. I don’t even know if… Well, I know I want to help people, but what if I’m not a good hero? What comes after that?” 

“...I’m not sure if being a hero is my thing, either.” The honesty of Kayaki’s words shocked even herself. “I don’t know… I’m not good at the whole combat thing?” Her face flushed. “I’m sure everyone here is super confident in what they wanna do. But I…” She stilled. 

“...I know what I want to do right now. And I know that that means walking through those doors and passing that exam.” 

Sainochi-san is silent for a moment. “...that’s a good way of thinking of it, Zuruko-san.” He fumbles with his things a bit more. “Uh—music always helps me calm my nerves. If you want…?”

Kayaki smiled appreciatively and took the earbud being offered to her. The music is something that sounds vaguely familiar, although she doesn’t recognize it. 

After a couple songs, Kayaki’s eyes are closed and she’s bobbing her head ever so faintly. 

“Hey—! Uh, uhm, Zu! Check it out!” 

Kayaki startled again, and her eyes opened. “Huh?” 

Sainochi-san pointed to the window, eyes wide. “Look! It’s a freaking—we’re underwater! Isn’t that cool? Imagine the kind of technology needed to do something like this! In order for the air pressure to—,”

Kayaki was not following whatever he was saying. That wasn’t what made her so curious; instead, she was focusing on something totally different, however small it was. Although she felt the telltale buzzing of her quirk right at the back of her neck, however difficult it was for him, Sainochi-san had remembered her name. 

She put the information in the back of her mind and continued to listen to him ramble. 

The rest of the ride went smoothly, but something felt… Off, to Kayaki. As if something was terribly, terribly wrong. She kept glancing around the train scanning the faces, but she couldn’t pick out any particular threat. Eventually, she casted it aside as nothing. 

Getting off the train, Kayaki dusted off her skirt, trailing behind the crowd of kids. They all seemed to be joking about one thing or another; Kayaki herself preferred to hang towards the back. It was easier to get by that way, not being noticed. 

The school was less of a highschool and more of a college campus to Kayaki. The group was led down into the big auditorium building in a poor attempt at a single file line. 

The auditorium was big, and smelled the particular clean, pine-y smell that Kayaki had always associated with newly built places. The floor was lined with carpet, not yet dirtied by the shoes of teenagers or their messy habits. It was well lit, with different teachers set up at the entrance and in the aisles. There was a banner above the stage that read Welcome to Taiyuu High!, big in Japanese and smaller in English at the bottom. Each chair had a little desk that could be slid over, and each chair had a piece of paper with a name on it. 

The seats were randomly assigned. Kayaki was seated at the very back, tucked away in a corner. Kirai, on the other hand, had been sat towards the middle. He was currently turned around in his chair, hand on his chin and chatting with one of the other participants. Kayaki shifted, and he glanced up, raising an eyebrow in a clear question. What are you waiting for? 

Kayaki looked down at the little nametag that designated her seat. She printed out name was the only thing stopping her from changing seats, and for a moment, she considered letting it go. It wasn’t until she saw the empty seat beside him, not yet taken by it’s participant, that she had decided what to do. It was going to be quick. Switch the nametags, sit besides Kirai, easy.

It was not that easy.

“What are you doing?” 

A fellow examinee hovered in the aisle, watching her with muted confusion as she grabbed the other person’s name tag off of the desired chair. They looked plain, even more so than her, shifting a backpack on their shoulder. Kayaki eeped. 

“Sorry! Uhm—is this yours?” She held up the nametag. 

They nodded. “What are you doing with it?” 

Kayaki opened her mouth to come up with some kind of excuse, glancing towards the bag. “We aren’t allowed to have personal items,” She told them, raising her voice a little. They frowned, holding it to their chest. 

“Who has a personal item?” One of the teachers, a young woman with grey hair and a nametag that read Aurora, skips over. “Whoa! We were supposed to leave all belongings at the front.” 

They blink a few times. “But… what am I supposed to use during the exam?” 

“Your own wits and strength! That’s what we’re testing!” She patted them on the shoulder, leading them away as they protested. Out of their sight, Kayaki could feel the buzzing of her quirk as she swapped the nametags. 

By the time the kid had come back, they went straight to find their seat, not even glancing at Kayaki as she nestled in besides Kirai. She almost felt bad for them, now item-less; but she figured that, if she hadn’t used it as a diversion, their bag would have just been taken up later. It wasn’t her fault that she had been the one to point it out, and if she happened to benefit from the diversion, that wasn’t anyone’s business.

Kirai glanced over, having been bickering with one of the other students. “Well,” he sighed, “The exam is about to start. Took you long enough.” 

Kayaki smiled a bit. “I missed you, too, Toto-chan.”

He huffed, rolling his eyes. “I did not miss you. Try not to fail, alright? I know it’ll be hard without my luck.” 

“Thank you, Toto-chan. I hope you pass too.” 

The exam was largely uneventful. The questions all felt repetitive to her, and she had spent more time bubbling in the answers then mulling over the questions. She might have been one of the first to finish, but she had waited, carefully counting out half of the participants before raising her hand. 

Her first event came soon after. Kayaki and the other students were lead to a small clearing, the dewy grass clinging to their shoes and crunching under their feet. The other kids had a cocktail of different emotions; some shifted side to side and glanced around. Others picked at their nails, hand on their hip. Others were standing so straight and alert they might as well have been taking notes. 

Wolfsboon stood at the front of the crowd, arms crossed and looking very unhappy about being in the situation. “The goal is simple,” he called out. “You’re all getting five minutes—and only five minutes—to go hide anywhere in the arena. There’s a ring of tape to stop you from going out of bounds, do it and you’re disqualified. Hurt any of your fellow examinees or the wolves, and you’re disqualified. Sabotage, and you’re disqualified.” 

Someone in the crowd raised their hand. 

“What if I’m caught petting the dogs?” 

Wolf looked confused for a moment, before it was overtaken with annoyance. “You’d be disqualified if the wolf touched you.” 

There was a series of disappointed grumbles in the crowd. Kayaki shifted around antsily, anticipating the start. 

“Is that all?” 

There was a pause. 

“Then your time starts now.” 

The crowd dispersed quickly. Kayaki weaved her way through the trees, glancing around. She knew that the smart option would be to climb a tree. It was so obvious, in fact, she was almost certain there was a catch. She wasn’t one to overthink her situation, though. So she grabbed a branch and hoisted herself up. 

Kayaki had hidden in trees during a game of hide and seek many, many times. It wasn’t too different from this; the rough bark rubbing up against her palms. The way the leaves, ever friendly and rustling with the breeze, would brush up against her face, daring her to do a thing about it. Every creak was a warning of how the tree was feeling about the arrangement, and if it groaned the wrong way, it meant you were about to fall. 

Kayaki heard the whistle blow, and her breath grew quiet. She kept her eyes open, scanning the field, but her mind was somewhere else. 

Quiet. Quiet quiet quiet. Sometimes, people say that if you don’t move, people won’t see you. Those people were right, in Kayaki’s case. She had to control everything, to how her chest raised and fell to whether or not her foot was about to slide. She had been expecting her contestants to do the same thing. 

She saw a girl run just ten or so feet from the base of her tree, footsteps loud and her outfit even louder. She threw a small bomb, and when it exploded, a sticky substance covered the ground behind her. The wolf sprinting out of her slowed, tugging at it’s paws lodged in the goo and whining. She laughed, sticking her tongue out and throwing out a rude gesture. 

“Have fun with that, Puppy!”

She kept running past. Kayaki blinked a few times, listening to her yell out as she went along. 

...well. So much for being quiet. Suddenly, Kayaki became painfully aware that being unnoticed might go easier than she had thought. As time went on, the other kids only got more distracting. She heard screams of the other kids, and at once point, she could have sworn she saw an entire dome grow from the ground. By the time the alarm sounded, a voice came out from the speakers strung along the field. 

“Congratulations to Takeda Yukino, to make it all 15 minutes!” 

Kayaki sighed, annoyed, climbing down from the tree. “She’s not the only one,” she called out, waving her hand halfheartedly. There was a small pause, and a wolf bounded up, sniffing her. Trailing behind them, Wolfsboon walked into the area. 

He slowed to a stop, eyeing her up and down. The wolf trotted in front, sniffing at Kayaki and digging his snout into her side. She smiled, reaching out and petting him. He yipped at her in return.

“Where did you come from?” He asked, eyeing her up and down and cross referencing Kayaki to his clipboard. Kayaki shifted in her spot, frowning. “...I was hiding. In the tree? You never said it was against the rules, so I figured, uhm… it was okay?” 

“It’s fine.” 

Kayaki scratched just under the wolf’s ear. “So… I’m good?” 

“Do you have an ID?”

Silently, she pulled out her ID. He nodded, scanning it over. 

“...Good job, Zuruko-chan.” 

Kayaki, having also been signed up for the next event, only had ten minutes to switch out. She grabbed a drink of water, pulled up her hair, and followed the group of kids to what she was quickly realizing to be the exact same area as before, just a different section of woods. She wondered if the teacher would have nodded to her, if she was any other student. She wasn’t any other student, of course; and most likely, he had long since forgotten the interaction in the second event. 

The wolves were nowhere to be found. They might have all been dismissed; although they weren’t quiet living things in the way traditional animals were, the idea of a creature suddenly… not existing made her nervous. 

“The third event is straightforward.” 

In the crowd, one of the kids raised their hand. Their eyes sparkled with something mixed with curiosity and mischief. “Wolfsboon-sensei?” They bounced on their heels, tucking their hands behind their back. 

“Yes?” 

“What’s the name of this event?” 

“That’s unimportant.” 

“I feel like it’s kinda important, though!” They pressed, flitting their hands in the air. “How else are we supposed to be on an even playing field? As heroes, we need to know all of the information that’s available to us! That means knowing the name of the events! I’m just trying to make use of all my resources.” 

Wolfsboon sighed loudly, rubbing his hand over his face. 

“Dogcatcher.” 

Pleased, the student snickered, their smile still wide. “Thank you, Sensei.” 

“Any more questions before I start actually explaining the rules? I suppose you’d like to know the footsize of my wolves, or their favorite icecream flavor, since we’re going around asking stupid questions.” 

“That might be pretty helpful, actually,” The same kid mused, tapping their chin. Beside them, a taller girl nudged them, muttering something Kayaki couldn’t pick up. 

“Sorry.” 

Wolfsboon went on to explain the rules. They had thirty minutes to catch the wolves running in the woods, and bring them back from a safe zone. At the sound of the bell, Kayaki separated from the group, who had been mostly sticking together. It wasn’t like she’d be much help to them; and even worse, they wouldn’t be all that much help to her. Too loud. It’d give her right away. 

Finding a wolf was easy enough. He was sniffing the ground furiously, his tail wagging. Kayaki, silent as a mouse and with a quirk to cover up any lingering traces of her presence, pressed against a tree. She had done this many, many times. Be quiet. Don’t let them know you’re there. A wolf doesn’t take kindly to a sheep in their den, after all. 

She pounced, colliding with the wolf and the ground. It yelped, squirming and pawing to get out of her grasp. With effort, she held it down.After the struggle came to a standstill, Kayaki noticed a terrible problem with her plan. 

Kayaki was not strong enough to drag a squirming wolf back to the safezone. If she tried to move to hold him better, he would have definitely escaped. She cursed under her breath. 

Footsteps crunched behind her, and Kayaki tensed. She struggled to wiggle her way to see the kid standing by the treeline, eyebrow raised in a silent, judging manor. Well… it seemed judging. Instead of being a completely average person, they had heavily mutated features, like a boar. 

“Uhm. Hi.” Kayaki’s face heated up. They eyed her up and down, before nodding. Their hooves clicked a few times; at first, Kayaki had no idea what they were trying to do. But the tapping had a pattern, one that was… oddly familiar. 

Kayaki stands in pitch black room, cold and unforgiving. She’s crouched close to the ground, straining her ears to listen out. There are footsteps, before they stop, cold. The person’s foot taps on the ground in a pattern. 

.-- .... . .-. . / -.. .. -.. / - .... . -.-- / --. ---

Kayaki grabs her small utensil, hitting it on the ground lightly. 

- --- / --. . - / .- / ... .... .. .--. -- . -. -

Kayaki blinks, holding the wolf tighter. “Repeat that?” 

It takes a second, but Kayaki makes out the message, What are you doing? 

“Oh! Uhm, participating in the event? I mean, trying to. I can’t… Well, I can’t pick up the wolf.” 

How did you pin it down, then? 

“I snuck up on it. Quirk.” Kayaki shrugged. “Why, are you having trouble?” 

They keep hearing me coming.

Kayaki’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Well, uh. I can help with that? I mean—if you don’t mind. I just need you to carry them.” 

After a small consideration, they nodded once. They walked over, picking up the wolf and slinging it over their shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The wolf squirmed, but he wasn’t any match for the kid, who was strong.

“What’s your name?” Kayaki asked halfway to the safezone, trying to keep up with their pace. 

Kokoro.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kokoro-san.”

Kokoro-san handed the wolf back to her right before they got to the zone. Kayaki heaved it over the line, where it flopped over with it’s tail swishing. She looked around. 

“...that’s weird. Were we the first ones to bring a wolf over?” 

They shrugged. 

Does it matter?

“Good point. You got the next wolf, okay?”

They nodded. Not one for conversation, she guessed. They spent five minutes wandering around, looking for any wolves. There were… None. At all. 

“This is weird,” Kayaki muttered, following a trail of paw prints. They had found a few sets, and… They were all going to the same place? They were a lot more straightforward than wolves meant to run away from students should have been. 

Stop.

Kayaki stopped, looking around. Kokoro-san pointed to a small section of woods were the rest of the students gathered. The wolves were crowding around the same kid who had asked the question at the beginning, who was beaming and sprinkling sand over the wolves head. They urged the other kids to take wolves. 

Kayaki stiffened. “What are they doing?” 

Getting the wolves. 

“All of them? Doesn’t that feel a little greedy?” Kayaki kept her voice low, although the group looked preoccupied. “Even if they’re letting kids take the wolves, that defeats the point. No one would be able to show off their skills. It’s making the whole test useless, just so they can show off.” 

Kokoro-san huffed out through their nose, nodding. Annoying.

“Well,” Kayaki frowned, crossing her arms. “I’m not taking any pity wolves.” 

We can grab from the edges.

Kayaki nodded. “...yeah. We should.” She eyed the kid, laughing as they made a joke to the tall girl from earlier. Something made her feel off. She pushed down the annoyed cocktail of emotions, and nodded to Kokoro-san. “Let’s go.”

All in all, with all of the wolves being quickly put to sleep by the group, Kayaki and Kokoro-san only got three each. It was more than she had been expecting, though, and she was fairly pleased with herself. 

“We make a pretty good team, Kokoro-san.” 

They didn’t respond, and she smiled to herself. 

Kayaki was, thankfully, not participating in the next event. She settled in the waiting area, watching as the group of kids completing the 4th event gathered with one another. She spotted Kirai, talking to a taller boy with blue hair and—

Kayaki felt her entire body tense up. She didn’t know him; she didn’t think so, anyways. But something about him made her feel sick and uneasy, like a parasite that clung to its host. She narrowed her eyes, searching her mind. She would have remembered someone like that, she was sure. But nothing quite came to mind. It was like a bad dream, just out of her reach. 

It occurred to her that it might have been because of the way Kirai had a small half smile as he bragged about himself. It was subtle, but it… Well. It was a lot more friendly than Kirai ever was with most kids.

She looked away, clenching her hands and thinking it over. After the event, Kirai came over, sitting beside her and setting his arm on his knees. “Kaya-chan, Darling! It feels like I haven’t talked to you all day! How are—”

“Who is that?” Kayaki interrupted him, frowning. Kirai blinked a few times. “Pardon?” 

“That kid you were talking to earlier. Who is it?” She sounded impatient. Kirai looked back behind him.

“Merce-san?” 

The name didn’t settle right with her, either; it was completely unfamiliar. “Yes.” 

“One of the other applicants. Dumb as a brick. Why?” 

“Just curious.” Kayaki crossed her arms, hugging herself. “How’d your round go, Toto-chan?” 

“I did great, of course.” He smirked. “As if there were any doubts. What about you? It looks bad on me if you do poorly, you know.” 

“I know. I did okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.” 

Kirai nodded. There was a small stretch of silence between them. Kayaki fiddled with her things. “...hey, you wanna sleepover after this, Toto-chan?” He considered it, nodding. “If you’re so desperate to have me over.” Kayaki smiled to herself. “Always.” 

The last event was a run, plain and simple. There weren’t actually many kids competing in this round; none of them looked particularly flashy, either. Kayaki knew that, just running, she would have trouble keeping up with any of them. Her quirk wasn’t going to be of any help; for all intents and purposes, she was going quirkless. 

Or was she? 

Kayaki had an idea. A stupid one that could have gotten her disqualified, but an idea nonetheless. 

When the siren went off, they all started off running. Kayaki verged her way towards the right, eventually drifting into the treeline. Once she was covered, she started slowing down. And down. She spotted the others, trying to overtake one another and tripping over obstacles. 

If she was any one else, Kayaki would have definitely been called out for going out of the bounds. But Kayaki wasn’t one to be noticed for breaking small, tiny rules. 

It was a boring walk, and waiting in the treeline was even more boring. She let herself cool off, watching the teacher check off people as they came up to her and claimed their time. 

After roughly thirty minutes, Unbreakable went over their list. 

“...Zuruko-chan? Has anyone seen Zuruko-chan?” 

Kayaki sped walked out in the clearing. Once she was halfway, she raised her hand. 

“I was here the whole time, Unbreakable-sensei!” 

They squinted at her. “How come I didn’t notice you?” Their voice was suspicious; as it should have been, really. Kayaki shrugged. 

“My quirk probably made you forget? I told you a while ago.” 

They scanned their checklist again, looking confused. “Oh. I guess it does say that’s your quirk, doesn’t it? I’m sorry, Kiddo.” 

Kayaki waved her hand. “It happens all the time.” 

“What was your time again?”

“19 minutes,” She replied smoothly. Not crazy, distinctly in the middle of the times. They wrote it on their list, nodding to themselves. “Make sure to stay here so I remember to write it down. Good luck.” 

“Thank you!” Kayaki smiled. 

She was done. Kayaki took a deep breath, waiting for Kirai so she could head home. He told her he felt pretty good about the whole thing, too. Kayaki was proud of them both. Maybe, she thought, things might just turn out after all.

---

Across Japan, in Osaka, a girl holds up a flyer in her hands. It’s advertising a hero school just off of the coast of the ocean. 

“Hey, hey! Look at this!” 

She points. Her brother comes over, brushing his fingertips over it. “That’s great, but I don’t know what it’s for.” 

“I wanted to scout it out, right? I was thinking of applying—”

He cut her off. “You? To a hero school?” 

“Shush! I thought it might be fun. Anyways, I went to sign up, and guess who I saw! Just guess?” 

“Who,” He said, sounding largely uninterested. 

“Yakizu-chan.” 

The air grew much, much darker.

@taiyuu-oct

#bnha #bnha oc #writing #taiyuu #taiyuu oct #entrance exam #zuruko kayaki

[eugenesmorphine]

My Girl // Merriel “Snafu” Shelton Imagine

AN: Okay so the ask box glitched out, so I couldn’t properly answer, but, I tried my best. So, Anon, I hope you enjoy.

Taglist: @alienoresimagines​ @hihosilvers​ @floydtab​ @punkgeekchic​ @hellitwasyoufirstsergeant​ @adamantiumdragonfly​

Words: 2,786

 Y/N worked endlessly in the hot sun of the Peleliu Island. A wrench in her hand as she went around, fixing mortars and other small gadgets all day. An engineer's work was never done it seemed. Always something breaking or needing to be built in order to keep the Marines safe and or able to continue the fight.

  Her palms and fingers calloused from working her metal wrench and screw drivers day in and day out. Hour by hour. Some oil and grease scattered all over her. Her face had been covered in sweat dirt, and dried blood from a few cuts that littered the female Marine's hands. Beads of sweats dripped from her brow, and onto the hot dirt and sand mixture beneath her boots. Her white tank top forever stained with dirt, grease, oil, and god knows what else. 

  Snafu watched the woman work on a mortar from about twenty feet away. A smirk on his lips while he twisted a toothpick between his teeth. Enjoying every inch of the view in front of him. Her back arched, slightly bent over, dog tags dangling, sweat dripping from her sweet pink lips. Mr. Shelton could sit and watch the woman all day. 

  It was no doubt Merriel Shelton had a thing for Miss Y/N L/N. He was head over heels for this woman, and everyone knew it. It wasn't like one of the Marines just trying to get some because he hadn't seen a woman in years. Well, maybe that is how it was in the start when he first met her, but after a while. When she just kept shooting him down, only made the want for that woman grow more and more. And it almost turned into some sort of need. Just the way his name would roll of her tongue. How she would scoff at his comments. Her insults never even hit him. Each word was just another notch of him falling deeper for the woman.

   Y/N's eyes glanced upwards and met with the Louisiana native. Scoffing at the sight of the wide smirk on his face. "Take a picture why don't you, it'll last longer!" she called out as she stood up the Mortar, wiping the sweat off of her forehead and flicking it off her hand. Snafu whistles with a response, god he thought she was just so pretty. 

 "You know if I could, I would, sugar!" he called back, chuckling slightly. Y/N's cheeks dusted pink as she let out a soft laugh. Dropping the wrench from her hand and into the dirt. A small cloud puffing up in the process. The female approached the male Marine, her canteen filled with water stood besides his right leg. 

  Y/N reached for the metal container, but Snafu saw this as some sort of opening. Snatching up the canteen filled with water, and holding it high above his head. She threw her head back and let out a loud groan at the man.

  "Don't you have work that needs to be done? I just fixed up your stupid Mortar and I deserve a cold sip of water. And not have your filthy little Infantry hands on my canteen!" Y/N she scolded. Jumping up and down, trying her best to grab at the canteen. While Merriel was just getting his jollies.

  "Aw come on, doll. Don't you know that I broke that Mortar just to see the beautiful view of you fixing it?" that was a lie of course. The Mortar had been hit with a large rock while working at the air field that was flung by an Japanese artillery shell. Y/N huffed once more, dropping her hands down to her side and stopping her boot. Her brows furrowed. But the Cajun's smirk just grew wider. His teeth were still pearly white, she would be lying if she had said that she didn't find him at least the slightest bit handsome. Whether seeing him digging gold teeth out of a dead Japanese soldier's mouth, or washing the dirt and blood off of his face. 

   "That's my damn water Merriel, I got more work to do unlike you. And I need some water in this heat!" She huffed. Licking his chapped lips her leaned in closer to her. Her eyes never leaving his.

   "Maybe for a quick kiss from the pretty little lady herself," he spoke lowly. Y/N mentally thanked the muck on her face that covered her cheeks as they turned a deeper shade of red. She laughed softly, thinking maybe he was joking. There wasn't any way possible that he found her pretty. Her hair was greasy and dirty, her uniform stunk along with the rest of her. Bruises and cuts littered her body along with sweat stains, dirt and mud caked over her body, along with patches of dried blood all over her. But when she looked into his eyes and could tell that he was in fact not joking, it made some kind a switch flip inside of her brain. A smirk came to her face as an idea came to mind.

   Y/N got up close to him, pressing her chest against his and slipping one of her legs between his. Catching the Cajun completely off guard. Making him freeze completely. That's right. Merriel "Snafu" Shelton actually froze and shut up. Something nobody would of thought a woman would be able to do with the rather 'forward' Marine. 

   The tips of their noses brushing against each other while their lips only centimetres apart. Her hot breath on his lips. "Well, Mr. Shelton," Y/N trailed off, still capturing all of his attention. Using the time to snake her free hand upwards snatching her metal canteen quickly from his tight grip and pushing away. Laughing loudly as she took a huge gulp of water. Leaving Snafu pouting slightly, but he couldn't help but laugh in response. His stomach had been filled with butterflies, and his heart felt as if it was doing back flips. Something he hadn't felt since he was a teenager. "Thanks for my water back! Now I got some more stuff to fix!" Y/N gathered her composure, a few giggles still slipping from her lips as her cheeks were feeling like they were on fire. 

   Y/N turned and waved him off, plucking her wrench and other tools off of the ground, still having laughter erupt from her mouth as she walked away. Snafu just kept enjoying the view of her hips swaying as she walked away. Placing a cigarette between his lips and pulling out some matches. Staring down at the small package that sat in his palm. Remembering that the woman that had just left him completely starstruck. A smile spreading on his lips remembering the stupid little memory.

/// 

    Patting down his sides, looking for something to light the stick of nicotine that rested between his lips. But he couldn't feel one thing. Strings of swears spilled out of Snafu's mouth as he just kept searching. It had been a long day, the sun had just went down and the heat had began going away. The crave of the nicotine hit him as he just reached his foxhole when night hit, the stress of the day finally washing over him.

  "Hey, Sledge," he whispered to the Marine besides him. Who seemed to be sleeping. He pushed his shoulder lightly, seeing if he would move or wake up. Nothing. He grunted slightly and pushed his shoulder again, this time a little harder. "Sledgehammer! Wake the fuck up!" The Cajun whisper-shouted. With one more hard push, the fellow Mortar-man shot awake. Grabbing his rifle that rested besides him quickly, his eyes wide but still filled with exhaustion. And a slight string of fear. Snafu placed his hand on his shoulder, trying to tell him that there wasn't any threat and he could relax. 

  "Relax, Sledge. Just need to know if you got any matches or a damn lighter on you," he asked, voice sounding almost desperate. The other Marine just yawned and shook his head slightly. 

  "Sorry man, I don't smoke so I don't have either one," was all he said before rolling back over and falling asleep. Snafu huffed as the itch within him to have a smoke just kept messing with him. Throwing his head back and huffing loudly. That was until the sound of someone dropping into the foxhole caught his attention. His head snapped to look at a rather tired looking female who let out a sigh and looked over at him.

 "Need matches?" she asked softly. Noticing the cigarette dangling between his lips and the look of aggravation written on his features. His eyes widened as he nodded quickly. Y/N giggled softly as she dug into one of the pockets on her trousers. Pulling out the pack of matches and holding the small package up to show it to him. She watched as he reached for it, but yanked her hand back when he just almost grasped it. He let out a grunt as he glared at the woman who was deciding to play around.

  "What?" she asked playfully. Snafu actually gave a small plead with his eyes. Y/N rolled her eyes and tossed him the small thing of matches. Laughing softly as she watched him tear open the pack like a wild animal to grab a match and quickly light it and light up his cancer stick. 

///

   A pat on the shoulders brought Snafu out of the memory daze he was in. He looked over to the side of his shoulder, his eyes meeting one of his close buddies Eugene Sledge. He had a small smile on his face as his eyes darted between him and the female who was now far away.

   "You done annoying her?" he asked jokingly. Knowing all about his feelings for the female. Snafu scoffed and turned to look at Sledge, a small smirk quirked up onto his lips.

  "'Annoy'? I am not annoying her, I'm winning her over!" he spoke as he picked up his rifle and started walking the opposite way with his battle buddy. Who just laughed at his comment and shook his head. As they walked, they chatted. 

  "You really like her, don't you Snafu?" asked Sledge with a smile wide on his lips. Snafu chuckled, thinking for a moment. A small sigh left his lips as he lit the cigarette that rested on his lips. Taking a long drag and letting the nicotine filled smoke flow around his lungs for a second or two before exhaling it out into the atmosphere.

   "I'm telling you, Sledgehammer. That is my future wife right there," he retorted. Sledge just let out another laugh, shaking his head slightly. He opened his mouth to say something, but they sound of a loud bang like something exploding was heard. Causing the two Marines to jump and look in the direction of the small explosion. Assuming the worst they quickly ran over to that direction of the sound. 

   When Sledge and Snafu reached the spot, they exhaled a small sigh of relief as they realized that it wasn't any enemy artillery rounds, and no one looked injured or dead. Surveying the small area that more Marines came to observe, Snafu noticed a familiar female, with black soot on the front of her body. She lifted up a pair of goggled that had left huge rings of where now soot was. Y/N looked like a reverse raccoon. The thought caused Snafu to laugh slightly. That was until he saw one of the newer Marines that was probably fresh out of boot camp that stood a few feet from her. 

 See, what happened was Y/N was asked to fix on the new Mortar squads Mortar due to a jam. A small shell was lodged within it. And while Y/N was busy trying to fix the mistake caused by the two privates, one of them was talking her ear off. Trying to catch her attention by complimenting her, boasting about himself and how many Japs he killed. Y/N could care less honestly, she was older than the private and had more rank than him. So she just ignored him, working carefully as she tried to dislodge the Mortar round. Knowing fully well that the slightest hit the wrong way onto the round that it could go off.

   Though, the tuning out of the young Marine seemed to have worked for a while. It was until he placed a hand on her shoulder suddenly. Causing the female Marine to jump and her screw driver hit the tip of Mortar shell. Y/N immediately jumped back. "Shit!" she yelled, grabbing the private and yanking him away from the Mortar. And in seconds, that shell busted within the artillery machine. Completely breaking the Mortar and causing the loud yet small explosion. Dirt and soot covered the two. 

  Anger radiated off of the woman as she pushed herself upwards of the ground, lifting her protective goggles onto the top of her head. She huffed loudly as she stood herself up, looking around at the crowd that was now forming. This made it even worse. But, the private didn't stop there. 

  "Damn, Corporal. I got you falling for me. Maybe I can help you get cleaned up," he smirked. The female Marine just sat there in anger, yet in awe at the fact on how this Marine was acting. Like he didn't almost just blow her up. She slammed her wrench on the ground and began marching up to him. Planning on stinking his head in the blown up Mortar. But was stopped short with a hand wrapping around her waist and pulling her back shortly. Her gaze went up to stare at the person that held her waist tightly. Of course, there stood Snafu. Whose eyes were locked on the new recruit that stood just feet in front of him.

   "Hey, Devil Dog. Don't you ever listen? You could've killed little old, L/N. She is one of the smartest we got. Let me catch you," he looked around at the rest of the new recruits, "Let me catch anyone of you rookies, talking to my girl like that. And or nearly kill her. It won't be no Jap that guts you like a pig," he fumed, his eyes dark. 

   The look of a smug, flirty Marine quickly faded into a intimidated and scared look as his mouth clamped shut and nodded fearfully. Snafu smirked as he looked at a few other Marines. "Clear this shit up, make sure nothing else with these dumb asses happens. I'm taking her to get checked out by the Corpsman," Snafu ordered as he pushed Y/N along. Who was trying protest, but Snafu was having none of it.

/// 

  "God damn it, Snafu! I can take care of myself!" Y/N shouted, finally pushing away from the Marine. She huffed, her chest heaving. Adrenaline still coursed through her veins. She tore off her goggles that rested on her head and through them to the side as she walked into her little hut. Snafu following along side her. Totally ignoring the anger she faced towards him at the moment. She grabbed an old rag and immediately began vigorously scrubbing at the dirt and black soot that was on her arms and face.

   "Now now, Y/N. You keep scrubbing that hard you are gonna ruin that beautiful skin of yours. Why don't I help you-" he flirted. Y/n grunted loudly and stomped her foot.

   "God, Merriel! Why are you so... so-" Snafu saw this chance of her stutter to approach her, a small smirk on his face as usual. Grabbing the rag and taking her arm, wiping down her arm softly. Instead of being so rough and tough like he usually was, it made Y/N's anger melt away so fast, it confused her. Her eyes landed on the hand that held her arm and watched as he softly scrubbed. Her lips hung open, not knowing what to say. 

   "So, gentle all of a sudden..." she finished.  Her eyes went back up to his. Gulping slightly.

   "I can be gentle. Sometimes," his voice raspy, just how she liked it. She chuckled softly, not really knowing what to do. The female Marine just leaned back against a small table, allowing Merriel to continue what he was doing. Not at all disliking the softer attention she was receiving from the rough Marine. 

 "You know, Snafu. I don't mind you calling me your girl. I quite like it, actually," she smiled as the Infantryman looked up at her with his eyes. He smirked and looked back down at what he was doing.

  "Then I'll be glad to continue saying it."

#the pacific #the pacific imagine #HBO Series #hbo #hbo war #hbo imagine #hbo war imagines #Snafu Shelton #snafu x reader #snafu #Merriell Shelton #merriel shelton imagines #snafu imagines #imagines #x reader

[thelonewolf48]

Things you said at 1 am.

One of the new fics I wrote recently, after the shittiest year of my life and that almost makes me stop writing, is based on these list of prompts.

I’m still writing them, little by little, but I posted this one in my AO3 account. Here I did another quick edit (I will edit the one in AO3 soon) so if you read it there and find the little differences don’t worry. It isn’t as different, just some sentence structure and changed a few words.

Anyway, I hope you like it!

A warning, since in here the tags are at the end of the page, it touches the 2021 issue. Don’t read if you don’t want to be reminded of it.

Compared to other nights, it wasn't late.

In fact, Chaeyeon knows that Sakura is able to function for a whole day even if she spent an entire night without sleep, sometimes crashing somewhere and taking small naps. This is something that caused discussions, debates, and fights.

On one side, Chaeyeon – one of the group's motherly figures – worries that, in the long turn, all the irregular sleep patterns Sakura follows will lead to some kind of disease. (Mentally or physically, the feather-like dancer shuddered only with the mere thought of Sakura suffering for both at the same time).

On the other, Sakura always shrugged the worries saying that she was more than used to sleep very little. After all, since the day she debuted back in Japan, her schedules were more packed and hectic. And she’s been following an abnormal patter since she was fourteen.

Sometimes, no one opened their mouths. Because during the fiercest discussions - that began with one girl complaining and the other rolling her eyes. And ended with screams and a pair of doors slamming close at the same time - everyone was too afraid to say something and receive some kind of backlash.

The only brave enough was, of course, Eunbi. She never raised her voice, just sighed tiredly, and let some kind of comment slip. Not about the discussion but about whatever activity the group was having at the moment.

(Breakfast, practice, riding the car, watching movies…)

It never passed long before the anger was over though.

Suddenly, the others would encounter Chaeyeon hugging Sakura, whispering apologies on the stubborn girl’s ears. If they were out in public, the second eldest would nod, awkwardly patting Chaeyeon's back or head (or both), and whisper a fast "I'msorrytoo." It always made Chaeyeon giggle.

If they happened to be at the dorms, Sakura would press her forehead on Chaeyeon's. Cup the other girl's face as delicate as possible (as if Chaeyeon would break with the lightest touch), and give her a full heartwarming apology. No one was surprised to find a flower resting on the dancing machine's bed. A famous Sakura sandwich and juice with the note 'Do not eat unless your name is Chaeyeon.' Accompanied by a little drawing and a warning of 'I'm serious!', in small letters to either Yuri, Wonyoung, Yujin, Yena, or Hyewon. Or some random cute something for Chaeyeon (earrings, make-up, clothes, necklaces…)

It was a little thing.

Their little thing.

So no, Sakura up at one in the morning wasn't surprising.

What surprised Chaeyeon was that the older girl had her eyes glued at some place of the wall that was across her, the television, or maybe on some of the photos of group that were around the TV. Chaeyeon knew Sakura was deep lost on her own thoughts, though. A random worn-out T-shirt, grey sweat pants and, a cup of probably hot chocolate cradled between Sakura's hands. The beverage was still warm, judging by the thin threads of steam.

In silence, to not wake the others up and to not scare Sakura, she moved slowly.

Sitting as softly as she could next to the older girl, Chaeyeon waited. Knowing far well that Sakura noticed her, knowing that she could wait until Sakura was ready. There was no rush. As good as she could dance, Chaeyeon could stay still, too.

A couple of seconds later, both girls silently shared the biggest sofa and looked to someplace in front of them.

"I do not know what I am going to do after this." Chaeyeon turned to look at Sakura, the older girl didn't return the gesture.

It made her frown but suppressed the itch she felt on her lips, swallowing the question forming on the tip of her tongue. Sakura continued.

"I never thought I would be this up. Never imagined that I would reach the top." The girl giggled, "Refer to one of my old dramas," she clarified and Chaeyeon took a mental note to ask either Nako or Hitomi about it. "I was so disappointed when I didn't win the elections back in Japan. I felt like a failure. I failed my group, my family, my fans, Sasshi…"

Chaeyeon slowly reached for Sakura's shoulder, gave it a light squeeze.

"Then I came here, and I failed too. Not about debuting," adding before Chaeyeon could open her mouth, knowing the words that Chaeyeon wanted to say, "but at that time, the trainers yelled at me. They told me how badly my performance affected our group and how we lost on the group battle. Back then, I was disappointing everyone, even the few juniors that looked up to me. What would my juniors think about the pathetic me? What would my own beloved seniors think of such weak junior? How many fans did I lose in the past days after they discovered that I could do nothing decently?

I did not know how to dance, how to sing, how to express myself in Korean, how to stop all my tears and frustrations from haunting me every time I closed my eyes." Finally, Sakura looked at her, with eyes filled with tears threatening to overflow. "I was nothing more than a disappointment. And no matter how hard I pushed myself, nothing worked." Sakura looked down, to the cup on her hands that with each word became colder.

There was a moment of heavy silence, a moment that Chaeyeon took to order her thoughts. To find the right ones to say, something more than just a simple 'it's okay,' or an 'I know what you mean.' Because Chaeyeon could relate. The feeling of failing at something that you were confident at, the pain that caused the heart to break with every harsh word thrown at you, realizing that dreaming of a goal wasn't enough. The frustration of giving your everything to achieve something, only for reality to slap you across the face with the cold truth. Killing your soul with each failure, driving you to think why bother? The nights spent crying, inconsolable.

And then, Chaeyeon understood.

"Is this why you don't want to sleep?" Chaeyeon whispered, so softly that if it weren't for the fact that everyone was sleeping and the younger girl was right next to her, Sakura would have missed it. "Sakura…"

"I'm sorry."

The dam broke.

There was no way that anyone or anything could stop the tears coming from the Japanese girl's eyes. A strained sob broke the silence, Sakura captured the next, biting her lower lip, tramping it there. Chaeyeon took the cup from the older girl's hands, placed it on the small table in front of them. Wrapping one arm around Sakura, she pulled the girl towards herself. The older girl allowed the movement, crashing her face in the space between the neck and shoulder, gripping her hands around each shoulder. And Chaeyeon started crying too, wondering how she endured not releasing any tears until now.

She didn't say anything but tightened the hug and moved both of them gently to and fro.

Time seemed to stop, the darkness covering both like a blanket, and the sobs coming from Sakura were so small and soft that no one awakened. Chaeyeon never loosened her embrace. Not until the other girl's shoulders stopped shaking, her own shoulders were freed, and the sobs turned into little sighs.

There was certain guiltiness on Chaeyeon's stomach. It felt heavy and made her question about how naïve she was.

All that yelling and discussions now tasted bitter. And since it was their thing now Chaeyeon cupped Sakura's face. The touch barely there, but because Sakura's strength was inexistent at the moment, it made her face move up. Foreheads pressed, sharing a sigh.

"I'm always here, Sakura." Chaeyeon barely whispered, "I'm always gonna be here. I want you to remember that."

A few tears fell from Sakura's eyes, that were cleaned by soft thumbs.

"I will return to Japan. I am going to leave, and you are going to be busy with anything you decide to do with your career."

"You do know that phones exist, right?" Chaeyeon teased with a soft smile, making Sakura giggle. "Sakura, the gamer with the latest technology in the basement, forgot that there are many ways to communicate with each other."

Sakura pouted, softly hitting Chaeyeon's shoulder.

"Shut up."

If the other members that shared the apartment with them saw them on the sofa, Sakura in between Chaeyeon's arms, no one mentioned it.

Everyone ignored the bags and redness on both pairs of eyes when they sat on the kitchen table the next day.

And, if with each passing day, they wondered why the discussions and Chaeyeon's insistency for Sakura to sleep more stopped, they reminded silent.

However, they wondered about the two cups that began to appear often in the sink. (Wonyoung, in her innocence, asked because it annoyed her that Chaeyeon never allowed her to leave dirty dishes.) Both girls always shared a look, a smile, and a little blush on their cheeks. Trying their best to not get caught.

They got caught one morning and were scolded by Hitomi when it was her turn to wash the dishes.

"If you both are going to share all-nighters, please clean up your mess."

It made them blush.

#ChaeKura #Hotaru Couple #Miyawaki Sakura #Lee Chaeyeon #IZONE #HKT48 #one-shot #angst with a happy ending #There's gonna be tears #I wonder if it can be considered angst though #Not even myself is sure what is this #Touches the 2021 issue #You've been warned #fluff and angst #Mentions of some of other IZONE's members #TheLoneWolf48 writes

[emeraldeyes23]

Day 2 - Fictober/Fantober 2020

"Tea And Coffee"

„Ouch!"

"Eiji, I know you're new, but can you please pay attention to what you're doing? Many people are waiting for their coffee. So hurry up and stop daydreaming.", Shorter scolded him.

"Sorry!", Eiji apologized immediately and continued preparing people's orders.

He was new in New York. After his pole-vaulting accident, he had gotten a scholarship for college here with Ibe's help. He also worked on some photography projects with him to earn some money on the side. Those projects earned him only money occasionally, though, and money was tight in an expensive city like New York. So, he had taken a part-time job at a café in Manhattan.

Still, he had some difficulties adjusting to the quick pace and the morning rush hour in Manhattan. Manhattan was never standing still; people constantly hurried from one place to another without resting or taking a break. The rush hour with all the people and their complaints, demands and special requests were hard to handle for a country bumpkin like him. It was only his first week, though.

While working, Eiji cast a glance at the only guest who was completely unfazed by all the hectic around him. According to Nadia and Shorter, who owned the café, he was a regular and a good friend. He always sat at the same small table in a corner each day, drinking coffee and reading a newspaper or a book. He never communicated with anyone but Shorter and Nadia, so he just knew he was called Ash. He just sat there reading and seemed to have forgotten the world around him. There was something about him that had caught Eiji's attention. All his co-workers had already made fun of him because he had no poker face, and they had noticed that he was interested in him. They always told him to serve Ash coffee because he knew how flustered he got when approaching him.

Ash looked handsome with his golden, messy hair. Some strands were always falling into his face and hiding his emerald green eyes. Some glasses were resting on the top of his head, and his table was covered in papers, books and newspaper articles. Eiji had never seen anyone who could turn such a small table in utter chaos in under 30 seconds. Despite his young age, he looked like an absent-minded professor.

He had a slim build and was so large and handsome, he could be a supermodel without making an effort. Yet, he had a dangerous aura and an intense gaze that told people to keep their distance. Behind his sarcastic smirk and his green eyes, however, Eiji saw a lonely boy, and sometimes there was such a deep sadness in his eyes that broke Eiji's heart. He desperately wanted to make him laugh or smile, but he didn't know how to do that.

This was his first week, so he didn't know anything about him, except for the rumors circulating about him, which went from a ruthless businessman with ties to the mafia to him being an evil genius. Eiji ignored all of them, knowing perfectly well that rumors were rarely true.

Ash always isolated himself as if there was an invisible wall between him and all the other people. He always kept to himself and flinched at the slightest touch or move in his direction. And the way he always paid careful attention to his surroundings, and of the door, the rear exit and all the customers told Eiji there was more to him than met the eye.

Still, while preparing coffee and tea for the usual business people frequenting this place, he occasionally threw glances Ash's way. This time, however, Ash had caught him, and their gazes met for a fraction of a second. Eiji was so shocked he'd been noticed that he took a step back and nearly spilled the freshly prepared beverage. Luckily, he found his balance again and avoided a disaster at the last second. But when he looked in Ash's direction again, he saw a tiny smile on his face before his poker face returned.

"So, he can smile.", Eiji muttered to himself while preparing the next order, grinning in satisfaction.

_____________

Ash sat at the usual table at the café. He always came here because his best friend Shorter worked here. He was a pain in the ass and always pulled him into his mess with his crazy ideas and stunts, but he always had his back and knew how to cheer him up. The café belonged to his sister Nadia who had more or less raised Shorter on her own and, in part, him as well. If things got bad, he had always escaped here. So, Nadia was like a big sister to him who was strict but had a heart of gold. He liked to chat with them when they had time. But today, it was so crowded that chat would have to wait for later. Ash drank his coffee and then read the newspaper, trying to figure out how to continue his novel. His first novel had surprisingly landed on the bestseller list, and now everyone had high expectations for his next novel. His editor had told him that the writing was excellent, but it was too dark and gloomy. She suggested adding some cheerful scenes to the story to lighten up the mood a little. Really funny, Ash thought, it's more or less an autobiography relating his dark past, only written from someone else's point of view. How was he supposed to add some lighter scenes into that when his life had been literal hell? He rummaged through the paper, and when he was finished, he sighed deeply, opened his notebook, and tried to decipher the handwritten notes his editor had added to his manuscript. Maybe if he observed the other customers, he would get some new ideas for his book. Since he had a pretty dark past, he had never dropped the habit of observing people around him, checking every room for exits, people for weapons, and always watching the entrance. However, if he was perfectly honest, he hadn't been observing the people or the entrance as much as he used to. He had been too busy watching the new guy working behind the counter. At first, he had been annoyed because he kept staring at him and didn't even try to hide it. He had also caught him how he had secretly taken some photos of him with his camera, probably encouraged by Shorter, who had looked at the photos and had grinned wickedly. Still, there was something about the new employee that made him feel better. His name, Eiji, according to his name tag, sounded Asian. Shorter had told him he was Japanese and studi Eiji stood there, speechless for once while the whole room went silent.

Eiji's face immediately went red with embarrassment while he fidgeted with the sleeves of his hoodie.

"I'm so sorry. Somebody bumped into me and I lost my balance. Are you ok?", he asked while handing him a clean towel to dry himself. Ash thanked him and wiped the tea out of his face and his sweater. Eiji was rambling on much too fast, so Ash couldn't keep up with everything he said. But he heard the last two phrases.

"Can I make it up to you? Will you go out with me?"

Ash stared at him in surprise for a moment, then burst out laughing until tears emerged in his eyes. "Thank you, Eiji. You just made my day.", he replied, still laughing.

After a moment, realization of what he had said flashed in his eyes and he looked down at the floor in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I meant to say "Can I invite you to a coffee somewhere else to make up for it?", he explained, obviously feeling uncomfortable.

"It's fine. You don't have to do that. But if it makes you feel better, you can invite me for coffee tomorrow." Eiji beamed at him. "Sure!"

"What about your clothes?", Eiji asked, looking at his damp sweater.

"It's fine. It's just water. What isn't fine is that you served me tea again.", Ash complained while glaring at him. This time, Eiji couldn't hide his smile anymore.

"This isn't funny, Eiji! I hate tea. You should know that by now.", he scolded him. When he saw Eiji's smile, he knew that he hadn't hidden his own smile fast enough.

"I'm sorry. I'll remember it next time.", he apologized. "But I'm so happy I've finally seen it.", Eiji replied honestly, still smiling.

"Seen what?"

"Your smile."

In the background, Shorter grinned mischievously at him. Smug bastard.

#Banana Fish #Ashlynx #Okumuraeiji #Fantober2020 #Fictober2020 #My writing #Fanfiction #My fanfic

[shealynn88]

TWENTY-FOUR CREAM OF THE CROP BDSM FICS!!

There are three main categories:

BDSM Alternate Universe (3): Au trope where everyone is born a dom or a sub.

Safe, Sane and Consensual (10): Mostly AUs where they have some experience in the scene and try to work through things in a healthy way.  It’s not, always, because they’re them and messy and human.  But these are typically on the more realistic side of things (at least the negotiation/agreement side).

Don’t Try This At Home (11) - dark, a lot of pain and bloodplay, characters handling themselves or each other in ways you probably shouldn’t put into practice..but reading them is HOT (for some of us, anyhow).

BDSM Alternate Universe: everyone is born a Dom or a Sub

all the other things by @reallyelegantsharkfish (Destiel) - Words: 8,439

Castiel is a dom at a service for unattached subs.  Dean never knew being a sub didn’t have to hurt.

This is such an incredible story of kindness and healing.  I can’t recommend it enough.  It’s just gorgeous and sweet.

The Meaning On My Skin by @saltnhalo (Destiel) - Words: 82,787

Castiel despises everything about being a dom.  Then he meets Dean, and begins to see there might be another way.

I love the way this weaves in the ‘born a dom’ au, insecure Cas, tattoo artist Dean, a lot of personal growth and some blazing hot, gentle BDSM.

Closer to Bound, Closer to Free by bendingsignpost  (Destiel) - Words: 5,867

Sam is going far, and the country needs his leadership.  So Dean holds off on what he wants to be sure nothing gets complicated.  Even when he meets Cas.

This is an incredible take on the characters - the way Sam serves the greater good, the way Dean serves him.  It’s an incredible take on the BDSM AU - the culture of it, the assumptions, the dynamics...it’s an incredible world built in very few words.  

Safe, Sane, Consensual: trying to do their best in an imperfect world

riptides by @reallyelegantsharkfish (Destiel) - Words: 138,635

“I’m going to kiss you now.”

This is one of the most gorgeous things I’ve read in my existence.  Truly.  It is heartfelt, it is sweet, it is filthy, it gets into a vast number of kinks, the ups and downs of BDSM, delves into some dark and difficult character exploration, and ends up...transcendent.  Read the tags, but then read the fic.  You will not regret it.  

Four Letter Word For Intercourse by @bendingsignpost (Destiel) - Words: 194,739

As a grease monkey turned college freshman, Dean's constantly three seconds away from being stressed out of his mind. It hardly helps that he's finally figuring out his sexuality in his thirties.

What might help with that stress is a little phone number (and a big credit card bill). If he can't figure out how to be bisexual in person, he can at least give it a go over the phone, right?

This is another one that is just...incredible.  It is sweet, it is heartfelt, it is hot, it is a story of self discovery and mistaken identity and bravery, and it is a really great representation of something healthy growing out of a lot of angst and doubt.

Unsolicited by @dangerousnotbroken -  (Destiel) Words: 56,348

Dean get a dick pic from a wrong number...and he cannot believe who it’s from.

Porn star Cas.  Mechanic Dean.  Hotness, sweetness, and a whole lotta fantastic sexy times ensue.  This is just 100% fun and lovely.

Love, light me on fire by ThePornFairy (Destiel) - Words: 3,841

He took a deep breath, wanting nothing more than to turn around and forget this, forget what he was about to do, just go back to never having to deal with it ever again. Instead, he threw the heavy object in his hand on the table before crossing his arms and all but glaring at his husband, whose smile disappeared as his eyes narrowed.

Incredible character exploration and seeing Dean as a masochist with self esteem issues is so true and the way Cas takes care of him is so lovely.  It’s hurt/comfort, S/M style.

Kinetics by kittenbot (Destiel) - Words: 106,440

Set in the modern world without the supernatural, Dean is a sculptor and Castiel is a photographer. Castiel is also a Dom and Bakushi—an expert that ties people up in the traditional Japanese way; his specialty is suspension ties. Cas wants to show Dean how wonderful submission can be and he’s absolutely dying to tie Dean up and suspend him. Dean wants to let him. 

A long, plotty, character exploration and BDSM scene exploration sort of fic.  It will break your heart and heal you.  I love this one so much.

Aesthetics in Autoerotica by @relucant (Destiel) - Words: 8,260(+)  

Cas is a photography student doing an erotic shoot, Dean is a student who needs money and does some modeling on the side.  It ends up being more than either of them expected.

This is incredibly hot and steamy and lovely - it has many of your kinky needs, and the BDSM starts slowly but there are gorgeous rope scenes and soft Dom!Cas is just delicious.

I Wanna Get Outside (Of Me) by emwebb17  (Destiel) - Words: 142,717

Castiel is a diagnosed OCD suffering from PTSD and agoraphobia, mysophobia, and dystychiphobia.  The only outlet that’s been helpful is for him to have control over a sub. Dean is the novice submissive who may be his last hope.

This is lovely.  It deals with some hard things, so read the tags and be ready for some emotional times, but it is beautifully handled, the character development is fantastic and the hotness is off the scales.   

Cloud Nine by Ltleflrt (Destiel) - Words: 2,254

Alpha Cas is a sub, and his Omega is happy to take him apart when he needs it.

Some gorgeous role reversal A/B/O fic.  

Send Me Thorns by nhpw  (Destiel) - Words: 34,297

Castiel is an experienced masochist submissive whose first meeting with Dean doesn’t go well.  But when they end up working together, Cas is forced to consider that there’s more to Dean than he’d realized.

An animal shelter, a masochist, an idiot with a dash of romance and insecurity - this is so lovely in so many ways.  It’s sweet and hot and plotty and wonderful.

Russian to the Altar by @malmuses​ (Destiel) - Words: 144258

It turned out that Castiel was a Russian erotic novelist in need of a ticket to America, and Dean… well, Dean was a last resort.

Picture, if you will, Cas with a Russian accent, Dean baking cooking and cakes, the two of them married and having not a damn clue what to do with each other, except maybe crush from afar.  Until they start having a D/s relationships as friends, which of COURSE isn’t how either of them feel.  Slow burn, but with lots of sex, funny jokes, hot hot hot D/s scenes, a lot of desire to bash them both over the head, and then an ending that makes it all worth it.  So good.

Don’t Try This At Home: it may not be healthy but it’s hot

Countin' One Two Three by Minxchester (ComeAlongPond14)  (Dean/Cas/Sam/Gabriel+) -  Words: 7,963

AU in which Sam and Dean Winchester are not relatively moral hunters who travel around saving people, but are instead road-tripping, bank-robbing, diner-dining rogues with nothing but their car, a slightly-too-intimate sibling relationship, and a passion for double-teaming cute waiters.

This is basically just a smutfest.  If you’re looking for Wincest, it takes a very long time to get there, but it does happen. if you’re looking for WinCasWin, there’s plenty of that to soothe you before you get to any real brotherly sexy times.  This is unabashed porn, and it is on FIRE.

Blind Date by @hazeldomain (Wincest) - Words: 1,489

Sam finds out Dean has a kink for anonymous gang bangs, and takes advantage of that to feed a kink of his own...

Some hot wincest pwp.  Nothing more to say, it’s just smokin’.  Non-con, officially, but ultimately desired.

All Inclusive K!ink by Amazonia_8 (WinCasWin) - Words: 29,552

Castiel has never been in a BDSM relationship, but he’s ready to fully submerge himself in the lifestyle.  Dean has been a dom for a long time, but Cas is something entirely new and irresistable.

The second story in this series is my favorite, but this entire thing is just out of control hotness.  Sub slave Cas, experienced Doms Dean and Sam.  I love this take on the brothers, and on Cas, and the way it shows them working through their insecurities and unwillingness to communicate in order to help them develop a healthier relationship.  Sam is brilliant and insightful and dark.  Dean is sweet and thoughtful and a well meaning mess.  Cas is inexperienced and stubborn, but he knows what he wants.  This is definitely a go-to for me!

SextersAnon.com by @unforth​ (Destiel) - Words: 16,739

SextersAnon.com, is a site that helps like-minded individuals find each other for anonymous sexting.  Dean and Cas have no idea what they’re getting themselves into when they match up!

This and it’s sequel Offline are just incredible.  It is incredibly emotional and goes into a lot of difficult trauma and backstory.  But it is absolutely incredible.  Dean is a sadist, Cas is a masochist and they are a PERFECT match...if only they can get through all the baggage, history and fears that keep them apart.  Grab a tissue box and have a friend available for comfort, and then go read this fic!!!   (Happy ending, just a rough time getting there.)

Dirty Laundry by vipjuly (Destiel) - Words: 28,566

Dr. Castiel Novak is a leading name in the mental health community. When Dean Winchester, self-proclaimed Golden Gardens killer, lies down on his couch for the first time, Castiel feels it.  Dean is exactly who he says he is.

Aw, yeah.  That’s some quality murder husband fic, right there.  This is supremely written dark destiel, and I am HERE FOR IT.  The push/pull of it is very Hannibal-esque...it’s just lovely, dark and deep and stunning in the best ways.

Ancient Cultivars by @wingstocarryon (Sastiel) - Words: 7063

Castiel cries for the first time, and Sam doesn’t know what to do.  He just does what he can.

This is such a deep and heartbreaking and beautiful exploration of Sam and Cas, on the same and opposite sides of the same trauma. It’s panic attacks and feeling at home and using pain to find a way back...it’s stunning and I can’t say enough about it.

Orpheus by sysrae (Destiel) - Words: 84,007

Dean keeps going back because he thinks he deserves what they give him.  But when Castiel picks him up, it’s different.  And it’s just the beginning.

Long, plotty, thought provoking AU exploration of Alistair and Dean and the aftermath of that.  how Cas comes in not understanding any of it, but treating Dean kindly because that’s the way he is, and it’s hard and also needed so deeply.  This is another one that’s just stunning and hard but so worth while.

Willing by @chiisana-sukima (Wincest) - Words: 13,466

After expelling Gadreel, Sam kills himself to close the Gates of Hell. Dean copes poorly alone, and then they cope poorly together.

The atmosphere of this fic is incredible - gritty, noir desaturated feeling to it.  It’s subtle and thought provoking and you see Dean serve in a way he really doesn’t in canon, but the growth of it, the way he gets there, is utterly believable and perfect.  This is absolutely one of my favorites of all time.  

hurt me because you love me by blamethemusk (Sastiel) - Words: 4,374

Sam is a masochist.  Castiel is not a sadist, but he can adapt.

Castiel serving the Winchesters in difficult ways is probably one of my favorite things.  Here, Castiel gives Sam the pain he needs because no one else can.  This is so dark and painful and so full of love.  I can’t explain it.  If you like some loving S/M, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Rise Above It by @silver9mm (Destiel, Wincestiel) - Words: 10,692

Cas wants to show Dean that, despite what he did in Hell, he’s not a monster.  Dean disagrees.

This is the darkest, hardest fic I’ve ever loved.  Definitely heed the tags.  BUT, it’s also gorgeous and full of an incredibly selfless love, and it has such strong characterization and exploration of motives and mindsets...truly a masterpiece. 

Dollars & Cents by ekbe_vile (Destiel) - Words: 4,602

 Dean has a taste for causing pain, and Cas takes it.

Heartbreaking, this one.  But again, so much exploration of character in the giving and receiving of pain.  There are threads of repentance and horror and challenges of self acceptance.  So much packed into so few words.

Been Down So Long by BlindSwandive (Wincest) -  Words: 14,404

Sam’s addicted to demon blood and Dean is willing to do absolutely anything to get him over it.

Dark, dark, dark.  Non-con all the way.  Sam needs demon blood and it’s making Dean crazy.  This is so well done - you can see the downward spiral for them both. Sam is an unreliable narrator while experiencing withdrawal; Dean is coming unraveled trying to take care of an unwilling Sam.  Chilling but gorgeous.  If you like bloodplay/blood-drinking, this is the fic for you.

#shearecsfic

[avaantares]

FFVII:REMAKE - A Review

So I beat the game two weeks ago and started writing down my thoughts while they were fresh in my mind, but I didn’t post anything then because my one IRL friend who is also playing it hadn’t finished it yet and I didn’t want to risk posting anything spoiler-y. But the extra time has allowed me to play through the game again on Hard difficulty, which has allowed me to reconsider and elaborate on some of my thoughts. And frankly at this point I just need to dump my Very Big Opinions somewhere, so... here ya go.

I discuss visuals, gameplay, character and story below. I’ve tried to keep spoilers minimal up front, though obviously if you want to go into the game totally cold, don’t read this. All major spoilers are clearly tagged. All of it is below a cut to spare your dash.

Also, there are pretty pictures, because why not?

First, my background with this franchise: I played through the original FFVII multiple times; I’ve watched and rewatched Advent Children and Last Order, played Crisis Core, gave up on Dirge of Cerberus despite my deep love for Vincent Valentine (sorry, VV, but your game was just a mess), and lamented that Before Crisis wasn’t available in my country. I even played (and own!) Ehrgeiz, the obscure fighting game that featured the main cast. (Still bitter that they didn’t keep Miki Shinichirou as the voice of Sephiroth. He’s one of my faves.)

^ Ehrgeiz, a mediocre fighting game that forever endeared itself to me by including Turks!Vincent Valentine as a playable character. 💖

In short, I’ve been waiting for this game for DECADES.

So. Here we go. My thoughts on Final Fantasy VII: REMAKE.

The good:

The character models are very pretty. With individual pores, threads and scuffs visible, they’re so detailed that it’s almost impossible to reconcile them with the mouthless sprites from the original game – even more so than Advent Children (and dear goodness, that was over a decade ago now, wasn’t it?). Still, they’ve kept the costume details and absurd proportions largely intact (Barret’s fists are literally larger than Tifa’s entire head, yet somehow it works visually), so it’s not too much of a departure from the familiar.

They’ve kept the aesthetic. I was afraid the game would try to update the iconic world of Midgar, but by and large, it’s full of visually-arresting designs that preserve the gritty-industrial look and feel of the original.

Japanese version is included. BLESS YOU, Square Enix, for including the Japanese voices and character animations. Not only is it impossible for me to hear Cloud in anything other than Sakurai Takahiro’s voice, but the Japanese script is a bit nicer to the characters. I’m not really keen on the English dub… but more on that below.

They fixed the spelling of Aerith’s name. This may seem like a minor point, but considering it’s been 20 years and I’m still bitter that Devil May Cry still hasn’t corrected “Nelo Angelo,” it’s a small victory.

Improved combat. Admittedly, I wasn’t sold on the new combat system at first, but after playing through the game twice, I’ve come to really like it. It has a few rough edges and can get chaotic in some battles, but it does a decent job of blending the feel of an action game with turn-based strategy. The fact that you can switch to a more traditional turn-based system if you prefer is also nice. (I haven’t tried Classic mode yet, though.)

Weapon customization. The Skill Points system allows you to upgrade your loadout instead of acquiring new gear. The tutorial was somewhat lacking (I didn’t quite figure out the multiple-core-unlock thing right away), but I appreciated the ability to add materia slots or stat buffs rather than just cycling through a dozen swords that Cloud apparently keeps in his back pocket.

Background dialogue management. On the whole, the conversations as you run through town enhance the story without slogging down the gameplay; you don’t have to stop and talk to every single resident, because snatches of their conversation reach you (and your on-screen chatlog) as you pass. You can stop and listen for more detail if you want, or you can just keep moving. The extra worldbuilding is really nice.

The music. The orchestrated versions of the original themes are excellent (and some of those music cues gave me goosebumps… Did I spend way too many hours immersed in the original game? Probably). I can take or leave some of the collectible jukebox tunes, but the background music in general is good. (But did I earn that Disc Jockey trophy? Yes, yes I did.)

Supporting character development. Jessie, Biggs and Wedge actually have characters! And personalities! Clichéd ones, admittedly, but it’s an improvement over the original game killing them all off within the first few minutes. The game also does justice to the Turks, and actually surprised me with how much depth of character it gave Reno and Rude in particular (perhaps setting them up for a mini redemption arc so players forgive them for dropping a plate on tens of thousands of slum residents?). Their moments of concern for each other and (brief) crises of conscience made them more than the stock villains they were in the original game, more in line with their temporarily good-aligned characters in Advent Children. Tseng, likewise, was on point. However, I do have to qualify all this with one irate question: Where the heck is Elena?! Seems like the female characters are always getting left out… /sigh/

Improved plot devices. REMAKE cleans up some of the more questionable and outdated content from the original. As you likely already know from the demo, the new game somewhat exonerates the protagonists by having Shinra blow up their own mako reactor to turn public opinion against AVALANCHE (possibly because someone finally realized that it’s hard to sympathize with characters who are willing to melt down an entire reactor and kill a bunch of innocent civilians). AVALANCHE are still eco-terrorists, but they’re… terrorists with a conscience? I dunno, at least they feel bad when people die now… Likewise, the weird and uncomfortable Honey Bee Inn segment of the original game has been reborn as an amazing dance extravaganza. Less voyeurism/prostitution, more Vegas floor show (complete with minigame choreography) and makeover. The whole Don Corneo scenario is still hella creepy, but frankly, there’s nothing that can fix that.

Series references. Fans of the original will appreciate all the inside jokes and direct references to the original game and other franchise entries: One-off comments about Chocobo racing; a broken console in Wall Market that shoots at you; a framed picture of the original 32-bit Seventh Heaven; ads for Banora apple juice; side mentions of characters and plot devices from spinoff games; PHS communication… The game definitely pays tribute to its history. They even recreate the original loading screen and several of Cloud’s iconic poses/animations throughout the game:

The neutral:

Recycled gags. Look, I know Advent Children was the ultimate evolution of FFVII for a while, and admittedly, it did some things very well. The running gag with Rude’s sunglasses and the victory fanfare being used as a ringtone are some of the best moments in the film, in part because they were so unexpected. But as much as I enjoyed the repeated nods to AC in this game, they felt a little desperate, like there were no new jokes to insert so they had to double down on the ones they’d used the last time this franchise had a renaissance. (See Rude’s broken sunglasses, below.) And fitting into the series as a whole, it feels a little weird. Why is Rude’s ringtone the same as the clones’ from Advent Children? Does Barret really need to sing the victory fanfare over and over when he defeats an enemy? Is there supposed to be some history behind that song that was left out of the worldbuilding? It just feels too meta.

Arbitrary localization of names. I don’t really grasp why it was necessary to rename so many items and characters for the English market. Some changes make sense for localization (e.g. Whack-a-Box certainly works better for an American audience than Crash Box), but others seem arbitrary, like changing Aniyan Kunyan to Andrea Rhodea or Mugi to Oates (a play on the meaning of his name in Japanese, but... does it matter?). And then… well, I don’t want to spoil A Major Plot Element, but there’s another thing that changes names from one English word (in the Japanese track) to a different English word. Why? No idea. It doesn’t affect gameplay, and it’s not really a problem, but listening to the Japanese track, I found it jarring to have the subtitles contradict what I was hearing.

Underutilized characters. While the whole gamut of original FFVII characters make appearances, several of them aren’t used to full effect, or aren’t used at all to advance the story. Rufus Shinra’s bossfight is a decent challenge, but while his character was vital to both the original FFVII and Advent Children, his presence in this game is little more than a cameo. His fight could be cut or swapped out with any other boss, and it would have zero effect on the plot. Similarly, while Hojo is a key player in the full story (which this game doesn’t cover, since it’s only a fraction of the original timeline), he’s largely wasted here, except as a means of extending play time by making you wander through corridors and fight a bunch of monsters for “research.” (I have no idea what his motivation is; you’d think he’d be more interested in recapturing Aerith or Cloud, but instead he just... opens an elevator and lets them leave? after they beat up some midbosses.) Reeve Tuesti actually has a solid presence in this game, but since he’s ONLY ever active as himself, there’s no explanation for the random Cait Sith cameo in one scene (players new to the franchise probably have no idea why a random cartoon cat showed up for a few seconds and was never mentioned again). Obviously the plot arcs have to change when the game is covering only a few days’ time in a much longer story, and the major players need to be introduced at some point if they’re going to feature in later games in the series, but from a narrative standpoint, there are an awful lot of superfluous characters doing things for no reason in this installment.

The bad:

THE PADDING. Dear goodness, there is so much padding to make this a standalone game instead of just the first chapter of a longer adventure. I got really, really sick of running literally from one end of the map to the other on side quests – and that’s me, an avowed trophy hunter who spends hours scouring dark corners for collectible items in other games, saying that. So much of this game felt like time fill that didn’t really advance the story. It’s also full of unnecessary new characters with improbable Squeenix hair, like Roche the super-annoying motorcycle SOLDIER (below), or Leslie, Don Corneo’s doorman who somehow merits his own backstory and side quest. (Though in fairness, every FFVII sequel has added superfluous characters, with Crisis Core possibly being the worst offender.) But it just felt really drawn-out and bloated for a game of this generation. If this game had been as compact and tightly-written as the other games I typically play, it probably only would have taken me 15 hours to beat instead of 50. (I don’t actually know how many hours I spent on it the first time through, as I didn’t check the play clock before restarting on Hard difficulty. I do know it took me over 110 hours total to complete the game on both modes, though much of the second run was spent dying repeatedly on a handful of nasty fights. Hard mode removes items and MP replenishment, and if you run out of MP at any point during a chapter, you’re going to die. A lot.)

The pacing. Related to the above... the Midgar portion of the original game was just the setup for a larger story. It wasn’t meant to have its own complete dramatic arc so much as to introduce you to the world and the major players. Consequently, there are some really odd beats in this story, as well as a total lack of urgency in your mission. There are no natural places to slot in the side quests and minigames, so they’re shoehorned awkwardly between plot sequences. “Quick, our friend is in mortal peril and needs our help!” "Okay, cool, we’ll go rescue her after we spend ten hours running around town doing random errands for townspeople and playing games with the local kids.” Uh... what?

The graphics just aren’t as good as they should be. While the character models are gorgeous, there are a lot of low-res background textures and weird polygons that don’t quite match up with other components. Most egregious are the Shinra logos, which frequently get close-ups as part of the fixed camera work and, frankly, look like lossy JPEGs. (See image below, screencapped from a PS4 Pro. Those jagged edges on the logo are present throughout the entire game.) There are weird clipping errors and artifacted images and reflective surfaces that don’t reflect, making the game look more like something from the PS3 era than a 4K late-gen PS4 game. (And it’s not that we don’t have the technology: Uncharted 4 was released back in 2016, and the rendering of its vast world was twice as pretty. Devil May Cry 5, released in early 2019, has far more realistic textures and object interaction. Granted, those are different types of games with fewer NPCs to render, but I feel like there’s no excuse for a game this big to look this mediocre.)

The HUD could be better. The lower-corners concept is okay, though it took me a while to train my eyes to travel between both sides of the screen and track the fight action. But for a long time, I didn’t even notice the commands in the upper left corner of the screen, and after playing through the game twice I still have no idea what they say because I couldn’t focus on the tiny text long enough to read them while trying not to die in combat. (I just looked it up; apparently they’re combat control shortcuts? Huh, that would have been useful to know.) It wasn’t until my second time through that I realized there even WERE separate controls on screen during the motorcycle minigames; I had resorted to panicked button mashing to figure it out the first time through because there was no tutorial (you’re just dropped into the action) and, having ignored the small text for the previous hundred combats, I had no reason to look for on-screen instructions there. Not that it would have helped, since on many backgrounds the text in the upper left is really difficult to read (see below). It’s worth noting that I have better than 20/20 vision and played this game on a large TV screen and still had trouble reading some things; on a smaller TV, or for someone with less acute vision (like my sister, who is blind in one eye), I think even the basic menu controls would be difficult to see. While you can resize the font for subtitles, my cursory glance through the menu did not uncover an option to increase the size of the HUD. 

Inter-fight menu mechanics. Specifically, the inability to save (or save loadout settings) between fights in a multi-part sequence. There are several back-to-back fights in which it is necessary to switch characters or change gear between bosses. The game treats them as one continuous fight, though it does allows you to access the equipment menu by holding square during key cutscenes. Which is good, if you only have one of a particular materia or accessory that you need to switch between characters, and in most cases when you die the game lets you restart just before your current fight instead of restarting the whole sequence -- also good, since some multi-stage bosses can easily take 20-30 minutes to beat, and if several of those are strung together in sequence, you’re in for a long play session to get past them. But since it’s treated as one fight, you can’t save between bosses (more than once, I had to leave my PS4 running in Rest Mode overnight and just hoped we didn’t have a power glitch), and if you happen to get killed and need to restart the fight, your loadouts reset. Which means if you’re, say, fighting the end boss on Hard difficulty and get killed in the first two minutes -- which happened to me a lot -- by the time you restart the fight, sit through the unskippable cutscene, access the menu and rearrange all the materia and accessories you need, you’re spending five or six minutes gearing up for two minutes of play, and then doing that over and over again every time you die. It gets really old.

The English dub script. *deep breath* Okay, look, I know I can be a bit elitist about translations, but I really do not like the English adaptation of this game. It makes Cloud come across as less socially-awkward and far more of a deliberate jerk, Aerith is mouthy and even swears (which is not accurate to her original character), and it downplays some of the symbolism that’s more obvious in the Japanese script. One quick example: When Aerith gives Cloud a flower, she says (in Japanese), “In the language of flowers, this means ‘reunion.’” It’s subbed/dubbed in English, “Lovers used to give these when they were reunited.” That’s a subtle difference, but since the concept of “reunion” is a freakin’ huge part of the FFVII plot, and since Sephiroth was on screen literally seconds before that line is delivered, my brain automatically went, “OMG REUNION!!!” while I’m guessing people listening in English only picked up on the romantic subtext. It’s a pretty minor thing, and of course translation is always a complex balancing act between literal meaning and local market understanding, but the English version just seemed to me to have a different vibe overall. (Unfortunately, the English subtitles are the same as the dub, so unless you can understand the Japanese audio you’re kind of stuck with that dialogue.)

-

-

[WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT]

-

- …And my #1 complaint about Final Fantasy VII: REMAKE is…

…it’s not actually a remake.

Sure, the game starts out the same way and covers a lot of the same events, but fundamentally, it’s a sequel, not a retelling. It’s evident from Cloud’s future-oriented visions throughout the game that something else is going on, and the ending MAKES NO SENSE if you don’t already know the story. Heck, even the rest of the game doesn’t really make sense if you don’t know the story -- Sephiroth’s presence is never explained; Zack isn’t even introduced, just shows up randomly at the end; Cloud’s flashbacks of Tifa and her dead father in Nibelheim are left as a complete mystery (and since she evidently remembers the burning of her town, judging by her dialogue outside Aerith’s house, why doesn’t she even react when Sephiroth shows up?).

The core elements of the plot – the Feelers (Whispers) preserving a specific fate; the three entities from the future (whose weapon types just happen to correspond to certain named characters) defending their timeline; the return of post-Advent Children Sephiroth (the only time we’ve seen him in human form with one black wing), who has inhabited the Lifestream since his death and promised that he would never truly disappear, who in the end appeals to Cloud directly for an alliance rather than attempting to control him, because he knows now that Cloud is strong enough to defy the Reunion instinct; the change in the outcome of story events in which Biggs (and, unconfirmed as to which timeline he’s actually in, but quite possibly Zack) now survives his intended death -- all point toward Sephiroth trying to manipulate destiny into an alternate outcome in which he is victorious, and using this naive version of Cloud to facilitate it. That means this game is taking place in an alternate or splinter universe, created at some point after the events of the original Final Fantasy VII, and possibly even after the events of Advent Children.

All of that is fine from an overall continuing-story perspective – it opens up a lot of interesting possibilities, like the fact that Aerith might survive now that Cloud has seen prescient flashes of her death (among other events), and there are opportunities for more story twists and changes from what players might expect. But touting this as a remake of the original game has the potential to confuse players who are new to the franchise. FFVII was groundbreaking back in 1997, and it defined JRPGs for an entire generation of Western gamers. But that was more than two decades ago, and a lot of current gamers weren’t even born then, so while they’ve probably heard of the classic game, they aren’t necessarily steeped in its lore. FFVII:R relies heavily on prior knowledge of the series to carry its twist ending, so it largely fails as a standalone game.

Also, speaking as a longtime fan of the franchise… I honestly found the ending rather lackluster. It was a twist, of sorts, but not the sort of shocking, mind-bending revelation that made the first game so iconic. Granted, it’s hard to follow an act like revealing that your protagonist’s entire identity is a lie, not to mention killing off one of your main characters a third of the way into the story! But when the surprise ending is just, Surprise! We’re going to change things up a bit this time around so you aren’t entirely sure what’s coming! Also, here’s a gratuitous Sephiroth fight because everyone expects that, even though it doesn’t serve the main story at all nor resolve any conflicts previously established within this game! it smacks of Different for the sake of Being Different, not for the sake of a really amazing storyline they’re hiding up their sleeve. It’s a bit of a let-down, and I find that I... just... don’t really care that much. Which, for someone who’s been a fan of the series for nearly a quarter of a century, means there’s a Big Freaking Problem somewhere. If you’re not keeping the attention of your die-hard fans, how do you hope to build a fanbase of players new to the franchise?

Given the pacing and story issues inherent in this game, I’m not convinced that the following game(s) in the franchise are going to be structured any better. Considering the amount of pure side-quest padding they did in Midgar, I have no idea how they’ll maintain that same tone on something the scale of the World Map portion of the original game, unless they just completely eliminate things like Fort Condor and the submarine and the spaceship side quests. I have a feeling the Gold Saucer is going to be reduced to a Jessie flashback, a Chocobo race (probably to win a key item), and a battle arena run like the coliseum in Wall Market in this game. If they include all the story elements and side characters from the original, this series is going to be a dozen games long.

Still, on the whole this game was enjoyable, and I’m glad I played it. It wasn’t as good as I’d hoped, but they haven’t completely killed off my interest, so I’ll probably continue with the series whenever the next game comes out. Though I’m not really sure if the higher-priced edition I pre-ordered was worth the extra money, so I may wait and see how the next game is shaping up before deciding which version to get...

But if they don’t give me a really pretty (playable) Vincent Valentine in the next installment, I may riot. I do have priorities.

#final fantasy vii #final fantasy vii: remake #ff7:r #final fantasy 7: remake #ff7 remake #video games #long post #review

[tamayokny]

Name ten favourite characters from ten different things (books, tv, film, etc.) then tag ten people

This was extremely difficult to do. The first two were easy, since they are my ride or die, but choosing 10 different characters? From ten different things? I don’t know if I even like 10 different things, but I found some loopholes, lol.

tagged by @bpdanakins <3

1. Lara Croft - Tomb Raider

Lara Croft has been one of my idols since I was a small child. My mom had bought Tomb Raider: Starring Lara Croft and Tomb Raider: Adventures of Lara Croft for my sister on the PlayStation. I remember watching my sister play it, and then sometimes I was allowed to play it. I continued the Tomb Raider legacy throughout the years.

Lara Croft is just. Amazing. I love every version of her. Classic Lara deflected the life her parents had wanted her to have, and paid the price for it. Did that stop her? No, it did not! She was able to make her own mark in the world. LAU!Lara wanted to find out what happened to her mother, and honestly I love Keeley Hawes as Lara. She was witty and funny, and Legend is one of my favorite TR games. And Reboot!Lara? I love her. I honestly don’t care what people say, Reboot!Lara is great! Her first game is also fun to play. Each version of Lara Croft offers something different, and I love it. While many of Lara’s core values are in each incarnation (adventurous, ambitious, brave, etc.), each brings a new perspective which I enjoy!

Fun fact: my irl best friend and Lara share the same zodiac sign!

2. Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) - Marvel

I LOVE WANDA MAXIMOFF WITH ALL MY HEART!!! She’s a huge comfort character for me. She’s one of the most powerful mutants (yes, I am ignoring the retcon), and she’s complex. Wanda first appeared in X-Men #4 alongside her brother, Pietro, as members of Magneto’s Brotherhood. Eventually, the twins become heroes and join the Avengers.

Wanda’s mutation is magic; probability, to put it at best. She can warp reality. While she is strong, she is also human. Many remember her best as having a mental breakdown and creates House of M (influenced by her beloved brother). After this, she goes off the radar for a few years before her reincarnated sons find her.

I love Wanda because she has heart, courage, and cares for others. She’s intuitive and sensitive and, in many ways, reminds me of myself. I genuinely love Wanda with all my heart. She remains to be my number one favorite superhero. I wish more people knew her--the real her. The MCU does not do her (or her brother) justice. At all. (At least AOU kind of got their “reluctant villains to heroes” origin story well enough?)

Also: fuck you Marvel for retconning Magneto as the Maximoffs’ father. It’s been 5 years but I still elect to ignore that.

3. Phoebe Halliwell - Charmed

Growing up, Charmed was one of my favorite TV shows. To sum it up, it’s about a group of sisters who discover that they’re witches. Specifically, they’re the Charmed Ones and they protect the innocent. For awhile, I’ve said that Piper is my favorite sister but after my last rewatch, I say that Phoebe is my favorite.

At the beginning of the series, Phoebe was the youngest and the rebel of the family. Before the pilot, Phoebe was living in New York but we see her move back in. We also see that she has a strained relationship with her eldest sister, Prue, due to her scummy fiancé. Phoebe is also the reason why their magic was unlocked. (As children, their powers were bounded in order to keep them safe.)

Over time, we see Phoebe mature more. However, there are a few things that never changes with Phoebe. She’s kind and caring for others, always wanting to help them no matter what. (She shares this trait with the youngest sister, Paige.) She is deeply connected with her emotions (which causes her to gain the power of empathy in season 6). Phoebe has also had rough luck with love (see: Cole the demon, etc.) but no matter how much she gets hurt, Phoebe still has hope. She still has love in her heart. No matter how much she gets knocked down, she finds a way of getting back up, and I admire her a lot for it.

4. Catelyn Stark - A Song of Ice and Fire

Family. Duty. Honor. This is House Tully’s family motto, which is deeply embedded into Catelyn. Catelyn was married to Ned Stark during Robert’s Rebellion, after her former betrothed was murdered in King’s Landing (who, ironically, was Ned’s older brother). Their wedding night resulted in the birth of their firstborn: Robb Stark, heir to Winterfell and King in the North.

Catelyn Stark is the mother of the wolves, and her love for her family is no doubt a core of her character. However, Catelyn is clever and if you mess with her, you will certainly gain her wrath. Her eldest values her for her wisdom, and will turn to her for help. She will do anything for her family, such as freeing Jaime Lannister to get her girls back, or offering herself to save her eldest during the horrific events of the Red Wedding.

Catelyn is murdered, along with majority of the Stark party, at the Red Wedding. However, she is resurrected and becomes Lady Stoneheart. Stoneheart is out for vengeance, because she believes all of her children are gone; taken by the enemy. Stoneheart murders Frey or Lannister alike--whoever is associated with them. She holds no mercy.

There is so much more to Catelyn that I could go on, but I will stop here. (Besides, I need to reread the books again!) I will say this: fuck you, D&D.

5. Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) - Marvel

MAGNETO TIME? MAGNETO TIME.

Erik Lehnsherr was a young boy when World War II happened and because he was Jewish, he was sent to Auschwitz. His family did not survive, but Erik did. Depending on what you follow on, Erik either A) escaped with Magda (who is the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver’s mother) and started a life with her or B) he hunted down the men who worked for Sebastian Shaw (movie universe).

Anyway, Erik had been a mutant since around the time he was sent to the camps and after the horror and trauma he’s faced, Erik decided that mutants would never be accepted by “their less evolved kin”. So, he became Magneto, a protector for mutants and enemy for humans.

Magneto is only one side of the coin, however. Charles Xavier is a longtime frenemy of sorts, both having different perspectives in life. Xavier believes in coexistence, but Magneto believes otherwise. He had seen what humanity is capable of, and he never wants that to happen again. If he must be a villain, than so be it.

Magneto is beautifully complex. He has done some questionable things (I’m thinking of the comics for this one), but he has also done great things for his people. “Never again,” he says. He fights to keep it that way. Magneto is sympathetic at best, and I certainly understand where he comes from. Tell me this: if you were Magneto, what would you have done?

Also: while Michael Fassbender is not Jewish in any way, he did one hell of a job portraying this amazing character.

6. Kira Yukimura - Teen Wolf

I wasn’t planning on adding Teen Wolf to the list, but here I am.

Kira was introduced to us in season 3b, written as a “new love interest” for Scott McCall. I remember a lot of fans of a certain ship were pissed, but whatever. I’m not here to talk about romance.

So, in 3b Kira was a new student, with her dad as the new history teacher at Beacon Hills High School. She’s of both Korean and Japanese descent, and she ends up playing an important role in the story arc. We find out that she’s a Kitsune, thanks to her mother who explains how a Kitsune and a werewolf must come together to defeat the Nogitsune, who happens to be possessing the loveable Stiles Stilinski.

After this, Kira becomes a part of the McCall Pack and Scott’s girlfriend. In my opinion, they’re cute together but many people hate them together. Oh well. Kira also becomes a badass in her own right, as her abilities evolve. However, in season 5, the creators put her on the shelf, as she trains with Skinwalkers and is never seen again. I am so fucking MAD about that.

Like many characters on this list, Kira has heart and courage. She’s a bit of an introvert but she is loyal, and cares for her pack. She’s cute and a bit goofy. She is skilled and deadly. Kira is one of the coolest characters Teen Wolf had, and the way they treated her was disappointed. (Even though after her death, Allison was always mentioned/connected in some way. I like Allison, don’t get me wrong but all I can say is: interesting...)

Fun fact: Arden Cho, the actress, is the VA for Sam Nishimura in Tomb Raider (2013)!

7. Lois Wilkerson - Malcolm in the Middle

The mother of four boys, the matriarch of the Wilkerson household is not one to push around.

Lois has had a rather rough life. Her parents were not the best, and everyone tries to push her down. However, Lois fights back and is not afraid to stand up for what is right. Francis, her oldest, describes her as an absolute menace and while her sons and husband fear her, they also admire her for her strength and courage. Lois is tough as nails, but she can also break, too. However, her family--the family she and Hal created, no one else--is there for her. Lois is incredibly strong willed no matter what, and I love her so much.

8. Theon Greyjoy - A Song of Ice and Fire

No words can describe on how much I love this fashionable war criminal.

Before the start of the series, Theon is a hostage/ward of Lord Stark, as a result of his father’s failed rebellion. Theon was a reminder that if Balon Greyjoy pulled something again, his last (male) heir would get the chopping block. Pretty brutal for a young child, right?

Now, at the start of the series, Theon is nineteen and is seemingly best friends with Robb Stark, the heir to Winterfell and the North. He shows loyalty to Robb and the Starks, claiming that Lord Stark was like a father to him. He’s also skilled with archery and, like I mentioned earlier, fashion.

Then A Clash of Kings occur, and we began to see how Theon Greyjoy is.

Robb Stark has been proclaimed as King of the North, and sends Theon to the Iron Islands in hopes to gain allies with Balon Greyjoy. However, this does not occur. Old Greyjoy says “fuck that and if you’re [Theon] aren’t with us, then you‘re against us.” We see Theon conflicted, but we also see how strained his relationship with his father is. In the end, Theon joins the Greyjoys, and promptly sacks Winterfell. However, that is not the end. Theon is tricked by Ramsay Bolton and this vile man takes Winterfell. I believe while he took the women and children captive, the men were killed...save for Theon, of course.

Theon is held captive by Ramsay Bolton, and is tortured quite brutally. Theon goes through a lot in this time. His appearance had changed drastically: black hair turned white and brittle, he becomes skin and bones, and loses a few fingers and toes. Theon is no longer Theon. He became Reek. The new Reek.

Then, Jeyne Poole (or Sansa; I hate you D&D) arrives, under the guise that she is Arya Stark and she is to wed Ramsay Bolton. Jeyne begged Theon to help her, but he is in no position of power. He is a completely broken man. Time flies by. Jeyne is in absolute misery but with the help of Mance and some spearwives, Theon is able to escape Winterfell with Jeyne during a winter storm. Currently, in the books, Theon is set to be executed by Stannis Baratheon, who is currently holding him captive.

Theon Greyjoy may be a fuckup, but to me he is such an amazing character. He holds much conflict, from being a hostage/ward to Prince to prisoner. Theon Greyjoy may have done a lot of shit, but he is also a survivor. Everything he has been put through, he somehow lives to see another day. Despite holding negative feelings to Lord Stark and everyone around, claiming he owed no one anything (fair enough), he loved Robb. When Theon had found out he was murdered at the Red Wedding, you know what he thought?

I should have been with him. Where was I? I should have died with him.

Theon is far from perfect, but that is what makes him great. He has come so far, and I hope his journey does not end any time soon.

9. Suki - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Zuko may have the best redemption arc (or does he? See above.), but Suki holds a special place in my heart.

We first meet Suki season one, on Kyoshi Island. She is the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, and effectively puts Sokka in his place. However, when Sokka requests a few lessons, Suki is happy to help...as long as he followed the guidelines.

Suki is a certified badass. Although a non-bender, Suki has incredible skill and event went against Azula. However, Suki and the others surrendered (so that Appa would not be captured), leading to her imprisonment at Boiling Rock. Eventually, Sokka and Zuko free her (with the help of Mai). After this, Suki joined the Gaang in ceasing the 100 Year War.

Suki is strong but like many other characters in this list, she has heart. She is an effective leader and fighter, offering her help whenever she can. Too bad she was never mentioned in The Legend of Korra. Suki is underrated and she deserves more love and respect.

10. Max Mayfield - Stranger Things

We first meet Max in season 2 as the new girl in Hawkins. She seems like your average girl but she quickly gets tied into the party after Lucas begs her to show her what has happened with him and the rest of the party. However, there’s a lot more to Max.

Max moved to Hawkins with her mother, stepfather, and stepbrother. It’s easy to see that Max and Billy, her stepbrother, do not get along. Billy is outright mean to her, lashing out at practically every chance he gets. Max fights back, however...especially when he threatens her friends.

In season 3, we finally get to see Max and El bond. (Thank God we didn’t have to put up with the “jealousy” tidbit. I would have--) El believes that Mike is lying and Max is like, “Well yeah. Come on let’s go to the mall!” and the girls have a blast together. I was so happy to see the two bond and have fun. I was so happy that El was spending time with someone other than Mike. I was so happy the girls were having fun by themselves. Honestly, the best part of season 3 was them becoming friends.

I love Max because she is confident and is not afraid to speak her mind. She’s funny and in many ways, we are alike. (Especially with our attitudes on boys and relationships.) However, Max is also vulnerable. We see this with her stepbrother, especially in season 3 I think. Their relationship was drastically different in season 3 and while many didn’t like it (myself included)...I also thought about Max. She’s a young girl and no matter how much bad blood was in between them, it will be traumatizing to see a transformation like this to someone you know quite well. It would be scary.

Anyway, I love Max.

Honorable mentions: Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), Ororo Munroe (Storm), Jean Grey (Phoenix), Anna Marie (Rogue), Sam Nishimura, Malia Tate, all of House Martell, Dustin Henderson...

Thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoyed reading this. Tell me, do I have a certain type of character that I’m attracted to? Also, I’m not sure who has all done this, so if you haven’t it: who are your top 10 favorite characters? Let me know!

#mads makes a text post #about #bpdanakins #tomb raider #marvel #charmed #asoiaf #game of thrones #teen wolf #Malcolm in the middle #atla #stranger things #lara croft #wanda maximoff #phoebe halliwell #Catelyn stark #erik lehnsherr #kira yukimura #lois wilkerson #theon greyjoy #suki #max mayfield

[persephone-chen]

HPHM Character Profile

Thanks for tagging me @changeling-fae !

**Warning: Extremely long post since I put a lot of effort into building Persephone and her life**

-General Information-

Name: Persephone Chen

Age: 17 (currently)

Gender: Female

Nickname(s):

•Pip/my adorable Mei Mei (Jacob)

•Cursed Siblings (other families gossiping)

•Mud-Blood (students who don’t like her)

Date of Birth: August 30th

Astrological/ Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Ethnicity: Chinese/ Siren

Nationality: Chinese

Species: Witch + Siren

Blood Type: O

Blood-Status: Half-Breed

Family:

Father- Qiao Chen

•Qiao name meaning is pretty/handsome in Chinese

•As a child he was a risk taker and a bit of an adrenaline junkie

•Questioning/breaking rules and authority if it didn’t make sense and he did it all without an ounce of guilt

•Pretty popular because of his looks but his troublemaking ways made it impossible for anyone to even think about confessing to him

•Older he matured and was known to do crazy and dangerous missions all the while keeping level headed and was a great leader

•He taught his children to follow what they believe in and took caution with any ministry

•He was the oldest and had a younger brother

•He is the reason Persephone and Jacob can see Thestrals

•How he died is still a mystery

•If he didn’t like someone you would know it (he’s very blunt and not very tactful about it)

•His contribution to the family Grimoire was making a spell that could allow a species to change into another one and phase between the two at Will with no drawbacks

•Has thick skin since there was a huge expectation on all members of the Chen family

•Fell in love with Leta at first glance and was the one to confess

•The scar on his face is a constant reminder of what his younger brother did

•Despite being the oldest since he was not the family head he was sent to America to spread the reach of the Chen family

•Didn’t make any friends outside his house

•Did successfully have the America Ministry under his thumb (aka blackmail on all members at all levels)

•Job: Auror to Curse Breaker after getting second wand (Dogwood is not a quiet wand so element of surprise is lost)

* Owl: Eurasian eagle owl

* Hippogriff (tamed for transportation)

* Patronus: Bear (Learned in last year of Ilvermorny

* House: Ilvermorny: Wampus

* Wand Core: Phoenix Feather

•1st wand:

Redwood wands possess the admirable ability to fall on their feet, to make the right choice, to snatch advantage from catastrophe.

•2nd wand:

Dogwood refuse to perform non-verbal spells +rather noisy. Quirky and mischievous; playful natures and insist upon partners who can provide them with scope for excitement and fun.

Mother- Leta Chen

* Leta is Joyful in Latin considering that was where her origin was

* As a full blood Siren she got separated from her family at a young age and washed up in Japan

* A Japanese Wizard couple who recently lost their daughter to disease adopted her and used magic so she could live on land (short term) and was their replacement daughter who enrolled in Mahoutokoro

* As a child she was pretty quiet and was seen as serious in school since she didn’t want to draw attention to herself

* Since she had the highest markings in class her absences from class were ignored (When the spell wore off and she became a Siren again)

* She was the best Quidditch player in the school and training thru those Tsunamis weren’t a problem because of her Siren blood

* After Graduating and trying to avoid anyone who would try to uncover the secret she went to America where she meet Qiao

* She was the reason Qiao made a spell for the Grimoire

* She always had a mistrust for the Ministry since she was a huge secret from them

* She is very elegant and even tempered. It takes a lot for her to snap

* Her children helped her thru the death of her husband

* Once Persephone and Jacob were adults she went back to the Ocean and became a Siren and never looked back

* Gave each of her child a pearl which is tradition among Sirens

* After her husband’s death she

* moved her family to Europe to keep them safe

* Became a True Seer since they are so rare and held in high regards and would be her ticket for protection

* Job: True Seer

* Owl: Striped owl

* Siren: warm water=exceptionally beautiful use singing voice

* Patronus: occamy

* House: Mahoutokoro, gold robe (highest robe color)

* Pet: Kelpie

* Wand Core: White River Monster Spine- produce spells of force and elegance

•1st wand:

Cedar carries the potential to be a frightening adversary, which often comes as a shock to those who have thoughtlessly challenged them.

•2nd wand:

Cherry is very rare wand wood that makes for a wand of strange power, most highly prized by the wizarding students of the school of Mahoutokoro in Japan, where those who own cherry wands have special prestige. possesses truly lethal power, whatever the core

Brother- Jacob Chen

•Everyone describes Jacob as bright, cheerful, and easy to get along with but that’s just a front

•Seems nice but if people try to get close he gets annoyed and treats them coldly

• make sure he only gets along with others on surface level or enough to charm them if the need to use them ever arise

•He likes messing with his friends and making them stressed and tends to do stupid things with them

•While he seems easy going once someone messes with Persephone he’ll make their life hell and they’ll have no proof to show authority

•Like the rest of his family his grades are amazing but he is a troublemaker

•He sweet talks the female Professors as a front/ attempting to get out of trouble (example: Professor McGonagall you look amazing today as well! Did you do something different with your hat?)

•He originally wanted to be a professional Quidditch Player but after being trapped in the vaults he changed is mind

•He has an affinity for metal so became a Metal charmer (Makes snitches and incorporates magic into metal items without them losing magic over time or when creator dies)

•Professional Quidditch players look up to and aspire to be as good of a player as him

•He’ll sometimes help/ train professional Quidditch players like Victor

•While he doesn’t play pranks as an adult he likes to make people have misconceptions of his job by the way he dresses and loves their reactions of fear and wary

•He’s not as rowdy as when he was younger but he will hold grudges.

•Unlike Rakepick he doesn’t manipulate people into doing what he wants

•He despises his Siren voice because of it and he never sings

•Also for the right price among his friends he’s a very skilled part time thief. (Still liked messing with people for fun and entertainment)

•Was the ace of the Slytherin Quidditch team

•While he is ashamed of his Siren Blood he wears the pearl his mother gave him on the braid in his hair

•When he doesn’t want to put on a facade he’d go hide/hang out in Hagrid’s Hut

•Unlike his sister his fashion sense is more modern Asian street ware

•Owl: Great Horned Owl (are mottled gray-brown, with reddish brown faces and a neat white patch on the throat)

•Half Siren (hides that fact by dying hair gray. As adult isn’t ashamed and use lighter gray dye since he likes that color)

•Patronus:Buzzard

•Fire Crab- Sushi (got as pet from Persephone)

Thunderbird tail feather cores Powerful + difficult to master, particularly prized by Transfigurers. Can sense danger and cast curses on their own.

•1st wand:

Pine independent, individual master who may be perceived as a loner, intriguing and perhaps mysterious. Able to detect, and perform best for, owners who are destined for long lives. most sensitive to non-verbal magic.

•2nd wand:

Hornbeam quickest to adapt to owner’s style and become personalized Others find difficult to even cast simplest of spells. take on owner’s code of honor and refuse to perform acts (good or bad) that doesn’t go with master principles

Bibby: (House Elf of the Chen Family)

* Speaks and referees to themself in third person

* Really likes the Chen family so always does whatever they can to be of assistance

* Loves cooking/ getting items for Persephone

* Cleaning/ polishing Jacob’s broom/ items

* Cleans the house for Leta

* Helps gather info/ spy for family

* While Bibby does a lot for the family they are actually pretty shy but can be very protective of the family

* Despite their shy nature they don’t mind breaking rules/ lying to others to help the Chen family

Chen Family History

•One of the most powerful and influential Wizarding family in China

•Always has blackmail on every Ministry they’re tied to... just in case

•Every member in family will always get a second wand at some time during their life either because they lost it, got it broken, stolen, or sacrificed it... there has never been an exception

•Because of the second wand tradition many call the Chen family cursed

•High expectations is expected from all members regardless of age, gender, or birth order but not required (The family is quite nice to each other)

•When a member picks a field they always excel in it

•They are not new in breaking rules/laws or following a morally gray lifestyle

•No one knows why but the Chen family has never had a ghost in their entire history

•While they can be traditional with arrange marriages they are very adaptable so they have gone thru many traditions which has help them maintain their high status

•Has a secret family Grimoire

•During birth each member is registered by the Grimoire by placing a drop of their blood on the gem on the cover

•Over the generations the Grimoire has become semi sentient

•Each generation adds something to the Grimoire that could chance the whole wizarding world... spells, curses, hexes, potions, plant, creatures, etc.

•If any generation is ever low on funds they can use a page of the Grimoire and share it to the Wizarding world to get their fortune back (granted whatever they share is a way weaker version with drawbacks or requirements)

•Any member can summon the Grimoire and multiply copies can be an existence

•The Grimoire will not allow itself to be used for evil and can revoke any Chen member from its use if attempted

* Many go thru a process of living among muggles for a short time to learn to blend in and learn things so they won’t become heavily reliant on magic

•It is said that if a member of the family produces a Dragon patronus it is a calamity for the family which is odd since dragons are well respected and prized in the family

•Qiao’s younger brother’s patronus is a dragon

•During his time or regime the calamity prophecy was true. There was a rebellion and many of the Chen family members were killed but their knowledge,secrets, and power did not dwindle

•The Chen family is very private and if a member does wrong the family will deal with them behind close doors

•If multiple children are born from the main family one will be chosen as the head and the other sent to a different part of the world to spread their influence

•It is not a dishonor or a punishment if you are not chosen as the head of the family

•If the Head dies and has no heir the remaining sibling will gain the title

•Hence Qiao became the Head

•Among Qiao’s children while each excel in their studies the head was bestow on Jacob Since Persephone has no interest in it

•To the world the Chen family is all but wiped out with the exception of the Qiao’s family...for now

•The remaining Chen family members are currently keeping a low profile and keeping their ear to the ground to find out what happened and how

•No one knows Leta is a Siren except Qiao, Jacob, Bibby, and Persephone

•Hence no one knows Jacob and Persephone is half-Siren

•Only a few friends of the children know

•While Jacob doesn’t seem serious he takes being the head of the Chen family so serious that he ended up resenting his Siren blood until he came to terms with it when he was an adult

Affiliation(s)/ Organization(s):

•Hogwarts (Slytherin)

•Frog Choir

•Hufflepuff tutor

•Magical Creature Reserve Volunteer

•Hospital Wing volunteer

•Head Girl/ Prefect

Occupation(s):

•Magical Creature/ Fantastic Beast disease researcher/ cure developer

Magical Characteristics

•Form of Boggart: Jacob dying a horrible death over and over again and blaming her

•Form of Patronus: Buffalo

•Form of Riddikulus: Jacob doing something reckless that ends up making her laugh because the absurdity of it

•What do they see in the mirror of Erised?: Being surrounded by creatures, her family (immediate and extended) prospering, and a life with her crush

**Check out @thecloveryone . I love how in-depth the wand analysis are and I can’t wait till I get mine done💚**

Wand(s):

•1st wand:

-Wood: Applewood

-Core: Vampire fang

-Length: 10 1/4 inches

-Flexibility: surprisingly swishy

Description: Applewood wand users have an unusual ability to converse with with other magical beings in their native tongue. Vampire Fang Core make wands exceptional potion stirring also good with Charms and divinations.

•2nd wand:

-Wood: Ebony

-Core:Siren hair

-Length: 11 3/4 inches

-Flexibility: surprisingly swishy

Description:Ebony wood Frequently non-conformist, highly individual or comfortable with the status of outsider. Siren hair are good with enchantment and binding.

Animagus: Crow

Amortentia:

•What She smells like to others: A storm by the ocean with a hint of smoke (from a campfire) and whatever lotion she used that day

•What She smell: Max Nightclaw ( @diddy00 I don’t know his scent so I just put his name lol)

Appearance

Height: 5’ 6”

Weight: 120 lbs

Complexion (skin tone/ conditions):

* pale skin

* shimmering when in water

* can get pretty dry so usually stays where it’s a bit damp or slathers on lotion/ body creme

Hair Color/ Style:

* white long wavy hair

* has the tips and root dyed blueish green

* usually kept up in a bun all through school with her wand

* Once grown had hair half down and half up in a ponytail

Eye Color:

•Gold

•Topaz glow whenever underwater

Hogwarts Information

Worst class(es):

* Flying: doesn’t like the way the broom feels when sitting on it and how demanding everyone is in Quidditch so she half assess the class

* Herbology: as a Siren she’s more connected with water than the land

Best class(es):

•Care Of Magical Creatures: Since she always had a great love for them of course she would put in the most effort into her favorite class

•Charms: She seems to have a knack for this class and finds these spells fun

Least favorite teacher(s):

* Rakepick: at first she liked her but as time passed she got on her nerves and then the end of 5th year happened...

Most favorite teacher(s):

* Flitwick: he gives good advice/ hears her out, also one of the few professors that didn’t judge her base on her family, brother, or rumors

Quidditch:

* Not a big fan of playing Quidditch but loves watching her brother play

* Fan of the professional team the Ballycastle Bats because of their cute mascot

* She makes an amazing Beater which is usually rare among witches

Favorite spell(s):

•transformation jinx :Tentaclifor

•Patronus

•Riddikulus

Trivia (random facts about them, future job, face claim, theme song, etc.):

* Home is on an island in the middle of the lake which is connected to a river that leads to sea

* Many water creatures lurk in the lake so they always warn guest not to get in... of course it’s fine for them

* The woods around their house leads to a mountain range which houses the Basilisk, in the deep caves, Jacob and Persephone Hatched by accident when they were children

* Because of an incident where Persephone ended up in a snake pit with a high fever she learned Parseltongue from the Basilisk they accidentally hatched

* Persephone is very good at speaking to creatures (mostly water creatures) in their natural tongue

* Her mother, brother and her are pretty dense when it comes to people flirting with them since they can’t tell if people are interested in them because of the Siren effect or actually interested in them

* The only 3 times Persephone has tried to drown someone using her voice was because they really irritated her... those people being Rita, Emily, and Umbridge

* Only became a Prefect because of their Bathroom

* Is admired/ idolized by all Hufflepuffs

* Favorite prank item is Fanged Frisbee

* Really good terms with Bloody Baron

* Has attempted to fight Whomping Willow

* Is a VIP member of Honeydukes

#hphm #harry potter hogwarts mystery #hogwarts mystery #persephone chen #jacob's sibling #slytherin #jacob chen

[shizekarnstein]

Hi!! Do you want to talk about the other characters who went down the same path Eren's seemingly been going down to? The ones who reminds you of him that you were talking about in your tags? I'd be interested in reading about it!!

Hi sorry it took me so long to answer. I tend to avoid talking about them out of habit and bc I love them so much I could rant and wax poetics for hours, but since you asked...

DO YOU MEAN MY PRECIOUS TRASH LORD ANAKIN SKYWALKER ALIAS DARTH VADER, HUMAN FAILURE EXTRAORDINARY??

Bc I always have a lot of feelings regarding him.

OR MAYBE THE LOSER KNOWN AS LELOUCH VI BRITANNIA WHOM I ALSO LOVE?????

Im on mobile so spoilers for star wars and code geas below.

Anakin in particular is more of an anti hero archetype, but Lelouch fits the mold as well. The difference is that only one of them went closer to the villain border than the other. Also they both died. Anakin tho was the only one who needed redemption, bc his choices oh god his life choices are so horrible. Lelouch at least always remained more or less true to himself since the begging.

Anakin Skywalker started as an innocent bean who lived a harsh life as a slave alongside his mother. Then he was freed and offered with the chance to join the famous Jedi Order. In order to do that he had to leave his mother behind. Years later he reunited with the love of his life, his mom died and he had to fight in a civil war. Since he was like 9 he had a horrible sith lord in disguise whispering sweet poison into his ears, encouraging him to stick to his darker traits. Anakin was prideful, arrogant, quick to anger and a utter failure as a Jedi Knight, because he was never able to master the ability to let go of his attachments in a healthy way. For him it was all or nothing: those precious persons and his love for them weighting more than all institutions and the lives of the Order, the whole galaxy and even himself. When haunted by visions of his secret wife dying he decides to do EVERYTHING to avoid that particular future, pledging himself to the darkside on the promise of learning how to do sith magic that could save her. He renounced his vows as a Jedi, and lead himself the attack to the Jedi Temple with the objetive of wiping out every single one of them. He slaughtered them, even lil children and later the leaders of the other faction of the civil war. And he did it bc he couldn't allow his wife to die. When he thought she had betrayed him by bringing along his old mentor and friend in what he saw an attempt to kill him... he choked her. He force choked his pregnant wife. If that wasn't enough he then engaged in a duel to the death with his old mentor, where he lost all his limbs and was set on fire. Then he became a cyborg and took it as his mission to ensure the might of the new galactic empire was felt. The things he did during that time are unspeakable: genocide, torture, murder, endorsing slavery, you name it. Even when he discovered his son was alive his first instict was to convert him to the darkside and rule the galaxy together. Also he cut off his own sons arm. And tortured his daughter without knowing it was her.

BUT at the end he redeemed himself by choosing to save the life of his son and throwing his horrible mentor and slave master, the emperor, down a tube. He died peacefully in the arms of his son, finally able to do the right thing after more than twenty years of living as a monster. I cry.

Lelouch tho... he's just a 19 yo that commited suicide. As a child his mother was killed, his lil sister crippled and when he demanded answers from his father the emperor, was sent alongside his sister as political hostages to Japan. There the two of them lived as beggars in a shed. They befriend the son of the political figure who was hosting them... and then Japan was invaded. Bc of resources. The three children had to wander through a war raged countryside filled with destruction and corpses. Before parting ways with their friend Susaku (who also is just such a tragic figure) he vowed to one day destroy Britannia.

Years later they reunited and Lelouch mets a witch who gave him a supernatural power called geass, which allowed him to mind control people. He decides to use it to form a rebellion with the japanese people and extract his revenge. But things go horrible wrong: he accidentally killed civillians, including the father of a dear friend of his. An ex aquietance of C.C the witch hunts him down and left him with no other choice but to erase the memory of one of his friends. Also causes his old friend Suzaku to have a breakdown bc as a child he kinda killed his own father??? Suzaku btw joined up with the britannian army and pilots a special robot that always mess with Lelouchs terrorist plans. Then he accidentally gives a command to his half sister, resulting in her giving an order to genocide thousand of civillians bc he loses control over his powers. And decides to capitalise on that and use it to fuel the rebels. Also he kills her. The rebellion fails bc his long lost uncle kidnaps his sister and tells Suzaku that Lelouch was Zero the rebel. Then he gets mindfucked by the emperor, forgetting who he was and even his sister. Then C.C and the rebels find him and restore his memories but has to keep it a secret bc he doesn't know what the emperor could do to his missing sister. That and he has the secret service watching over his every move.

Long story short his second rebellion fails, his false brother dies, his sister apparently dies again, his troops betray him, and if that wasn't enough he discovers his mom wasn't dead but in cohorts with his father to enact a crazy plan to erase individuality and unite humanity as single entity. Also that his parents never loved him and his sister. He kills them and teams up with Suzaku and C.C to enact a fancy plan that involves him presenting himself as a devil and taking over the world, all in hopes of unifying humanity by becoming a symbol of hatred and all the bad things that ever happened. He launches atomic bombs, spills seas of blood and literally chains up his sister who hey was alive and opposing him bc you know he acted as a crazy villain. He also mindcontroled her. In the end he arranges his own suicide by having his best friend dressed as Zero kill him in front of the cameras, and dies in his sisters arms, universally hated by everybody. It's sad as fuck. At least the sequel movie fixed that so cheers?????

Thanks for asking!!!!

#anon replies #anakin skywalker #lelouch vi britannia #my tragic trash sons

[justaramblingromantic]

Hello~~, hopping you had a wonderful holidays, I'd like ask RyoAli for the ship meme, if that's okay with you (and you're still accepting requests, that's it, hehe~), thank you so much in advance😊🤗

~ send me a ship and i’ll tell you who ~

Ello!! Happy holis to you, too! Sorry for the wait, and thanks for the ask! :)  

EiRin here

SouEri here

IshiNene here

RyoAli

curses like a sailor

He cusses with the spitting intensity and burning fervor of an unstoppable machine gun once he really gets going and he doesn’t care too much about what other people think about it, either, and neither does she. She smiles sweetly and easily beside him even when he’s deep in his ‘mad dog’ persona, even when the people around them flinch away with prejudice and cowering fear at his wild, rough-around-the-edges demeanor. They don’t know him like she does and it is amusing the way they label him even before trying to get to know what he is really like. But of course Ryou makes that hard too, with his fierce visage and unapproachable demeanor and that bored thousand yard stare (he is just sleepy as usual). She reaches up and pets him happily on the bicep in the aftermath of one of his episodes - he has emerged victorious, as always, ‘My Ryou is the cutest~’

does the chores voluntarily

Sometimes he looks at himself and wonders what the hell happened - he has become so domesticated it is horrifying. Once, she was nothing more than an irritating rich brat always getting in his way and causing no end of trouble for him, but these days, he has turned into a manservant, a butler, a bodyguard and a nanny rolled into one convenient package, loyally dedicated to the service of said aforementioned rich brat whose never-ending demands he can never quite seem to say ‘no’ to, and even when he does, she pesters him into doing whatever she wants, anyway. He trains his body even more aggressively as if to make up for that self-perceived weakness in character; but she is only all the more delighted with his strength and tag teams with her mother often to praise and tease him until he is flustered and harried and confused by their easy affection and familial warmth. Too late does he realize that they have caught and tamed him with their loving ways; now she bosses him around all the time and he comes to heel willingly like an faithful hound ready to fulfill her every desire. There is an innate, automatic compulsion for him to guard and take care of her that stumps him at first, but eventually he figures it all out -some bonds, once forged, are for life. 

wants to marry their bed

She has to be literally carried out of bed some mornings, all the while whining to have five more minutes of shuteye (it is never just five more minutes, that much he knows by now). She alternates between kicking her legs at him in childish pique and clinging to him for warmth, her grimacing face pushed into the crook of his neck and her eyes squeezed shut as she tries obstinately to resist all his attempts to wake her up, but he is unsympathetic and plants her upright like a turnip on the seat cover of the toilet bowl. Her toothbrush is pressed into her hand and a placidly delivered threat to put her in the shower stall next and switch on the cold water finally has her attention, and she pouts all the way through her morning ablutions. He does not even blink when her pajamas falls to the floor and she flounces out of the bathroom to find her change of clothes; he has seen her in skimpier swimsuits, and more importantly, must she always leave a mess everywhere she goes?  

gets awkward about romantic gestures

Perhaps it’s the fact that they grew up together, but the blithe exchange of casual, demonstrative gestures comes easily and naturally to them, long before they made things official. Even after that subtle change in relationship status, nothing seems too different or entirely new or something strange that either feel that they had to struggle to adjust to. Alice is even touchier than ever, gleefully groping Ryou in places she has always wanted to grope (she has unrestricted special VIP access now), and Ryou puts up with her amorous affection up till the point where he abruptly reaches his limit. His self-control snaps like a proverbial twig then and he drags her off to somewhere quiet so he can mark her back until her legs shake and her voice comes out of her in unsteady, uncontrollable gasps-

stays in the shower for what seems like hours

Ryou enjoys a long, hot shower after a hard, satisfying workout, the kind with temperatures high enough to peel skin.The shower facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art, high pressure, ionising spray jets that Alice has specifically custom ordered for him - supposedly, they have revitalizing and de-stressing effects and can also help to improve blood circulation, particularly effective for soothing sore muscles.They also have a private sauna which they use often, a standard practice derived from their years living in Scandinavia. It is one of the things that Ryou appreciates when it comes to Japan; how the bathing traditions here in this land of the East are so similar to those back home, in the far Nordic North. The Japanese don’t practice winter ice swimming with as much zeal, though, but Alice and Leonora are always in for a treat every end of the year, when Ryou and Soe gamely don snug swim trunks after a nice, long session in the sauna and brave the freezing winter conditions for a few invigorating laps in the freshwater mountain lake that borders the Nakiri winter lodge. 

would adopt a million cats if given the chance

She comes home with a box of squirming kittens one day, fat tears rolling down her puffy face and her reddened nose dribbling like a leaky faucet in reaction to the mewling felines in her arms. He cannot tell if her sorry appearance is due to being moved by the little strays’ sad, abandoned predicament or more due to the fact that the tiny mewling fluffballs are making her body go haywire in allergic reaction - probably a fair mix of both. ‘Ryou!’ she warbles his name with dramatic woe even as he is already rising from his seat and padding towards her. ‘Help; they were crying on the roadside and I couldn’t just leave th- achoo!!’

fixes stuff around the house / apartment

Alice is forbidden from fixing anything in the house, because more often than not, anything she attempts to save eventually ends up damaged beyond repair. Not that Ryou is exactly some miracle fix-it-all/DIY-er himself either; he does well enough when it comes to simple home repairs and improvements and is very knowledgeable with all the workings of his kitchen equipment, and most importantly, at least he hasn’t accidentally almost burned down the house…unlike a certain somebody whose name he shall refrain from mentioning. 

watches too many Disney movies

‘We’re like Beauty and the Beast,’ she tells him with a grin, and he just eyes her with his usual sleepy apathy, not even surprised by her random whimsy. ‘Do you know why? Because Beauty always saves Beast in the end!’ 

gets drunk off of champagne

She is the most ridiculous drunk person ever - one moment, she’s trying to pick a fight with a street post and the next she has somehow teleported across the road one block down, marching into the conbini for a random shopping binge. She runs off again, cackling into the night, while sticking him with the bill for her purchases and his face is deadpan as ever (his forehead is starting to twitch, though) as the convenience store worker blanches at his blandly murderous visage and nervously rings up the haphazard pile of candy, small mountain of junk food, as well as what looks like the conbini’s entire display of condoms even as the three other customers in queue behind him try not to gawk at the impressive hoard of prophylactics in flustered embarrassment. He catches up to her before she can get into any more trouble, herds her loudly singing self around several exposed manholes before she can dance and twirl right into them, scares off three different groups of hoodlums trying to pick her up (by then that look of pure homicide has been permanently etched onto his face, very convenient that) and manages to drag her troublesome behind home before she can pull another Houdini on him again. She throws herself into his arms when they’re in the backseat of the cab, and he is exasperated and pissed after an entire night of running after his ojou and putting up with her shenanigans; anyone would have taken one look at that dark scowl on his face, promptly do an about turn and run for the hills, but of course she climbs onto his lap instead and demands affection. ‘My Ryou is the best~!’ she brags to him looking like someone’s ridiculously proud grandma, and just like that, he feels his aggravation subside a little at her obvious recognition of his worth and ability. That special feeling is quick to disappear, however, when she reaches up to ruffle his hair and coos, ‘Who’s a good boy? My Ryou’s the goodest boy-” 

cries when the ASPCA commercials come on

She quivers and her eyes fill up like she’s going through an allergic episode again, and he fixes half his gaze on her in case she starts to swell up like previously. She does not puff up this time, but she’s…leaky, presumably a side effect of the short video they had been watching. He suffers through her sniffs, snorts and snuffles in silence - and he is very silent and very still, because she seems to have momentarily forgotten about his presence and he wants to keep it that way- but alas his good fortune does not last long. She turns to him with that piteous expression that reminds him very much of Leonora-san when she’s pouting with all her might at Soe-san, and Ryou feels something like doom encroach him at the familiar scenario. His stoic apathy falters before her mien of misery, and he wants to sigh in a very put upon manner. He opens his arms to her instead, and she shuffles into his side. ‘Ryou?’ ‘Yes, milady?’ ‘Let’s adopt a million cats.’ ‘…No.’ 

#Food Wars: Shokugeki no Souma #Shokugeki no Soma #Kurokiba Ryou #Nakiri Alice #RyoAli #harumaki03 #[ there's a certain someone I need to blame now for automatically thinking of Beauty and the Beast when it comes to RyoAli! XD ]