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artofvisualshock · 14 days

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Messages from the GazettE to the fans (Google translations)

〈 RUKI 〉

At the end, he said, "I want the GazettE to be forever." I think what he meant by "forever" was that he hoped that the amazing scenes he saw from the stage in 2023 would continue forever.

The scenes he saw with his fans, the happy faces of his fans, and the scenes where we all sang together were treasures that could not be replaced by anything else, and I think he hoped that moment would continue forever.

I remember him saying that he wanted to perform live soon.

Even now that he's grown up, he was a kind and passionate man who can honestly say, "Even if something bad happens, it's the most fun when we get together like this and laugh with the band members."

I loved that honesty.

This year was no different, and every year on our birthdays we would jokingly tell each other to take care of our health.

The band will never be a four-man band.

No matter what anyone says.

Because you're the only bassist we have.

Because I believe that my soul is always beside me to the right.

I'm sure everyone can feel it, even if they can't see it.

The proof that Reita has built up in the GazettE so far will not disappear and will definitely live on.

I believe that, so I will continue to sing beside him so that his soul can be right beside me.

I will not become the GazettE that Reita hates.

I don't want to make him sad.

Although all humans live in a finite life, I believe that souls never disappear.

Reita's soul, the members, myself, and the fans.

I want to continue to perform live shows that make all the people who loved me want to come back to the stage forever, even after they have become souls.

So it is only with each and every one of our fans that we can create the scenery that we hoped he would be eternal.

That's why I want him to stay by my side and be there, unchanged from now on.

He should look at me and smile, and think, "He was the best guy!", rather than looking at me with a sad face.

We are more determined than ever to protect this band.

We will make Reita's wish for eternity come true.

So, Reita, rest assured that you can come to every live show from heaven.

Your seat will always be there.

You're going to be super busy from now on.

I'll contact you again when the schedule is decided.

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

<Uruha>

To all the fans who have supported REITA up until now.

I think he was a huge support for everyone, and for me.

I myself have not been able to accept and realize the fact that he is no longer here and that we can no longer stand on stage together.

There may be many things that I will come to understand little by little from now on.

However, if I continue to be drowning in sadness, I will not be able to make his wish for eternity come true, and I strongly feel that now is the time for me to have the strength to look forward and move forward.

I also think that the path we walked together until now was irreplaceable for him, and I think it will continue to live in the hearts of everyone and myself.

He gave us so much, and we walked together for so long, and he is still and will always be our best friend.

Please treasure all the words, memories, and love he left behind in your heart.

REITA will continue to exist and live in everyone's hearts.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported and cheered on the GazettE REITA.

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

〈 Aoi 〉

For a long time, the members and a small staff have been working on various projects, saying "this and that," but writing this letter was the last thing I wanted to do.

There have been moments when I felt like giving up on my dreams.

Every time, we talked about it again and again, sometimes pushing each other, and pulling the members' arms so that they wouldn't give up.

Because we were such a band, the GazettE has been able to keep moving forward without stopping.

REITA, you're not the one who wishes for eternity, you're the one who connects eternity.

I can't say something clever like "I'll take care of you."

I wanted to make more music with you, and see more scenery together.

Every scenery is wonderful because we see it with the five of us, surrounded by our fans.

I don't know why, but it's so painful that I can't make it happen even though I have so many things I want to say.

When I get there, I'm going to start with a big lecture. I know it's lonely because we're gone so suddenly, but please take a rest until then.

I have a few more things to do here.

Thank you for walking this long road with me. Rest in peace.

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

〈 Kai 〉

For me, REITA is an immeasurably big presence, saved by his many words and sounds, the mood maker for the band, and all I remember are really fun things, and above all, the sight of him shining on stage.

He is the best partner and the only one in the rhythm section.

That has never changed, and will never change in the future.

I want to continue carrying his feelings and continue with the GazettE with even greater resolve.

Finally, to all the fans and people involved who have supported us for the past 22 years.

Thank you very much.

And from now on, our feelings will remain the same and we would like to continue running as a group of five, so please continue to support us.

REITA

Thank you for all your hard work.

With the same feelings, we will continue to protect the GazettE together with our many friends... I promise.

There are many friends out there who don't want your 22 years to go to waste, and they are waiting for you.

You must come to our shows too!

Let's have some good sake again.

#the gazette #reita #rip #uruha #ruki #aoi #kai

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thenightfolknetwork · 2 months

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I never wanted to be part of the creature community. It isn't that I have anything against anyone--I was just born sapio and didn't ever feel any desire to be Turned. I was happy with my life and myself and I was more busy with my O-Levels and looking to go to uni than anything else. But that's all changed a couple of years ago when...well, I know the technical term, but "Sudden-Onset Apotheosis Syndrome" is just a fancy way of saying "Turned into a god with no discernible reason", yeah? It always makes me feel like a tool and so I try to hide it as best I can--no one wants to hear you complain about how hard it is being given divine powers and all that entails.

But I do have a problem, and I thought I might not be the only one with it, MUST not be, except I can't find anyone talking about it and so here I am? I can't talk to anyone anymore, can barely do even shopping for groceries, I feel paralyzed because all of a sudden now I have to think about a whole lot more than a "five year plan". All around me my old friends and my family, they're all...

...They're all dying. Not of anything particular--yet--but I can't so much as think of them without knowing how they're all going to die one day and I'm...not. I'm going to keep being like this for as close to "forever" that matters. It doesn't matter what I do or what they do, in just a handful of decades everyone I've ever known and loved will just be dust and I'll still look like I'm seventeen. And it isn't just people, it's everything. I thought I was used to the idea of living in a world perpetually sprinting headfirst towards climate disaster or nuclear oblivion, but NOW it's like--what, am I going to just be wandering around the blasted radiated wastelands waiting for the cockroaches to evolve wi-fi? I can't so much as plan for a lunch date tomorrow without working myself into a freezing panic about something that's not going to happen for ten thousand years--what the fuck is wrong with me?

How do any of you manage this sort of lifetime expectancy? How do you not try and Turn everyone on the street out of pure terror that they'll die and you won't? If this is how bad I feel after a few months, how much worse will it be in a year? In ten? In a million?

I'm so glad you've reached out, reader. This sounds to have been an extremely frightening, isolating experience for you, and I'm grateful you feel safe bringing that experience to my door.

The first point I want to talk to is your assertion that you are going to “keep being like this” forever. I recognise that some divine individuals do experience true eternal life, unchanged and unchanging. But they are few and far between, and it doesn't sound from your letter that the condition applies to you. Truly eternal beings do not suffer from panic attacks, for one thing.

You may not change physically, and emotional or intellectual change may be a little more difficult for you than they were before your apotheosis. But over time, I assure you, you will change. You will have new experiences and be shaped by them. And that means you can heal from this.

You ask “what the fuck is wrong” with you. Nothing is wrong with you. You are responding to a desperately frightening situation that has undermined every expectation and hope you had for how your life would play out. Give yourself a little grace, my dear.

This powerful fear response is not a personal failing or a sign of weakness. Your brain and body are trying to keep you safe, urging you to certain actions in a bid to protect you from harm.

The next time that “pure terror” hits you, try to breathe through it. Notice how it's making you want to behave, and acknowledge these impulses as a desire to protect yourself and the people around you. And then, let the suggestions go.

The action – or freezing, panicked inaction – suggested by your fear is not helpful. You can't turn the world, and you can't sit in frozen panic, waiting for the world to end. Take a breath, and ask yourself instead what you can do.

When you feel afraid of losing your friends, focus instead on expressing gratitude for the time you get to share with them. If you're afraid of the effects of climate catastrophe or political conflict, try getting involved in helpful action around these concerns. Let your love for this world and the people in it carry you forwards, not hold you back.

There are many models of god-hood. The detached, eternal observer is only one model of divinity, and not one you have to accept for yourself. Embrace instead your own immanence. You are here in the world. You can connect. You can change. You can make a difference.

We cannot possibly know what the future will hold, for ourselves or anyone else. Perhaps the world will end in fire and fury. Perhaps there will be exciting cockroach internet in our future. And perhaps life will carry on much as it always had, but in shinier outfits and with more spaceships. Who knows. What I do know is that nothing can be gained from worrying about that now.

You do not have to have a ten thousand year plan, dear reader. You do not need to have a ten year plan. It might be helpful to have a plan for the coming week, if only so you can make sure you take enough time to do the weekly shop and catch up with some friends.

Beyond that, remember: you are here with us, experiencing linear time just like everyone else. So please, try to take it as anyone else must – one day at a time.

#answered #the nightfolk network #monstrous agonies #a little later than planned because i borked my schedule but here we are!#had a lot of fun with this one #and also got the phrase “immanatise the tumblr anon” stuck in my head

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lorimnnn · 10 months

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Hi! I really liked your Ghostface crybaby! Post! I was wandering if your requests are open if you’d write a Ghostface with a unrequited survivor/reader/yn where Ghostface has the hots but the survivor/yn just ain’t feeling it. If requests aren’t open plz ignore! But seriously love your work! Totally made my day!

ahhhh i usually hate angsty things like this so I actually considering not doing it.... but the potential was too good to resist. ty for your kind words, i seriously love writing up requests <3

p.s. i accidentally deleted it and got so unmotivated :((((( here it is though

the second he sees you he's convinced the entity has sent him a gift. you're literally his type head to toe and while he's insanely attracted to you, he's twice as excited to kill you

you become his obsession.

over. and over again.

your teammates realise that he will always go after you first if he can and they abuse this fact to an inch of it's life. you understand, of course.

you hate pain. the innocent type, the sweet type. compassionate to a fault even if it's plunged you into pain again and again.

Ghostface wants to break you

there is a perverse thrill in seeing you helpless in the dirt, sobbing, begging him to stop. he has to have mori-d you one thousand times across all the trials you've had together, now. but it never hurts any less and you never get used to it.

you don't seem to understand that this is a game, either. it's like real life.

"God, you're hot." His breath shutters in his throat as he takes you in, bloody and shivering on the ground. The Entity had been feeling generous recently and because of his good behaviour, had put you in a skimpy little dress.

You whimper when he nears.

"No, no no," you say, trying to back away from him. "Please."

"You know it turns me on when you beg, babe."

You sob harder when he crouches, weaving one hand into the back of your hair to haul you upright and against him. As always, he's deceivingly gentle. If not for his wondering hands you'd think he felt bad for you--- but that was never the case.

"Please stop," you say again.

"Now why would I do that?" He combs his gloved hand through your hair. The metallic scent of your blood has him dizzy and plunged into a haze that is purely you. You, you, you. Sometimes he swears he could care less about hurting you. He just wants to see you. Your face, contorting with pain, with a smile, with---

So maybe he liked you a little.

"I know I'm your favourite," he says confidently, and then rearranges you to sit in his lap. You sniffle. He groans.

You're so cute.

And you can't help it, even if you're afraid of him--- by nature you've always been obedient and timid and good. So good. It had costed you everything by the end.

It makes him feel so powerful.

Makes you feel so small.

"I'll give you the hatch if you play nice today," he lies. He rubs your thigh and nuzzles your hair, the plastic probing into your bruised flesh. "Hm? What about it?"

You hate him.

You hate him so much.

And before you know it, it's falling out of your mouth, bitter and harsh and sapping almost all of your remaining energy.

"I hate you. Fuck you."

It's so unexpected that he flinches.

He knows you're not best friends or anything, but he never prepared himself to hear it. and it was different

it actually hurt

and you said in the same way the he claimed to like you--- eternally, unchanging, unaltered

was it the continuous mori-ing?

you had to understand that everything in-trial was purely business, even if he did get a good kick out of it. after a while he'd gotten used to how naive you were and assumed he could twist it to fit his ways

he underestimated you

and he hates himself for feeling like he doesn't know you when you say this, because he's obsessed in every sense of the word. he watches you at the campfire, doting on your teammates. so kind. bright, smiley. then you would cry yourself to sleep and he would only feel the littlest bit bad, but not enough to count

but he should have guessed it

he shouldn't feel hurt by it, either--- you're his victim first and foremost. his beautiful, kind, compassionate victim who he wanted to lock away and protect as much as he wanted to hurt.

he'd never seen you so set in your ways before. so strong. it was a complete contrast to your usual soft-spoken shyness.

He blinked, incredulous. "Aw, sweetheart. I'm sure it isn't personal."

"I hope you die in a ditch."

"You killing me would be hot."

You don't laugh.

Now he's starting to panic a little, because usually he can ignore it. You never laugh. But he can't deny it now.

You hate him.

More than anything in this plane of existence. And that's a problem. Because after this trial, it quickly occurs to him that he doesn't only like you, but likes you a lot. More than he should be allowed. Against his own will he finds his work ethic challenged and his sadistic pleasure dwindling into his guilt, his sole motivation to stay sane in this shitty reality. Now he doesn't know what to make of it.

What was he supposed to do?

He tries everything after that. He genuinely starts trying to give you the hatch and now you're slamming pallets over his head with twice as much of force.

He starts getting artsy with his pictures of you. You're actually alive in these ones. You throw every single one into the fire.

Fuck. He even consults Bubba for help and picks out a bunch of flowers to give to you alongside a heartfelt apology, but you laugh in his face.

it hurts

it hurts even more when you leave and cuddle up to some of the survivors--- the people who left you behind time and time again. the fact that you'd rather them over him spoke volumes and he would find himself incurably jealous.

he couldn't even hurt them to get over it because it would only make you hate him more

for the first time in his life, Jed Olsen regretted killing. It had led him to you and also driven the two of you apart with twice as much force

he hates it

he hates what you've done to him and he hates that he's starting to love you and he hates, most of all---

the fact you will never love him back

#ghostface #ghostface x y/n #ghostface x reader #jed olsen x reader #danny johnson #danny johnson x reader #jed olsen #dbd ghostface x reader #dbd #dbd imagines

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rin-fukuroi · 27 days

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𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐 [𝐋𝐮𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚]

Please do not translate or publish my works without my permission.

If you want to support me and read my other works that won't be on Tumblr, you can always do it on my Boosty~

Part 1

Fandom: Honkai: Star Rail

Pairings: uncle!Luocha x niece!fem!reader

Warnings: NSFW, modern AU, a hint of incest, yandere, some wet fantasies of Luocha.

▶• ılıılııl��ılıılıılı. 黄龄 - 只有猫知道

Note: English is not my native language, so I apologize if there are errors in the text qq

I'm sorry, i completely forgot to upload the second part to Tumblr, although i wrote it a week ago, ahahahah. Someday i'll stop forgetting that i have a Tumblr, and will upload here all the dozens of works that i have written, but were too lazy to translate it into english XD

He thought you were mature enough to realize who really cared for you. A cruel time separated the two of you, but Luocha knew it would be good for you. Separation breeds longing, and longing spreads the petals of dormant feelings. You missed him, and it would be foolish to hide it, because Luocha could see in your face how much you missed him. Of course, because he was the only one who supported you, the only one who cared about you, and the only one you could depend on. And that is the unchanging truth.

Luocha acted rashly as he continued to chastise himself for impatience, which was uncharacteristic of him. With your departure, you left him in a slight state of confusion, covered with a fleur of inexplicable enthusiasm. He replays in his memories the silhouette of your figure, the velvety softness of your skin, those lovely cheeks powdered with embarrassment, and doesn't understand how everything could end so badly… Luocha is a reserved person, patient and compliant when the situation demands it, and he never planned to act so abruptly with you, now wondering what prompted him to do exactly that? You were too beautiful in your loss and gray apathy, which he skillfully decorated with bright colors with just your presence. It's very pleasant to realize that, like life-giving water and light that make fading flowers bloom, he has awakened the old warmth in your wounded heart. You are indeed like the enchanting white lily flower, pure and innocent, that he tried to defame.

And Luocha has no regrets. His only regret is that he made the first move too early.

You both need a little more time. You should get over the stress, calm down, and then you're bound to come to the conclusion that your beloved uncle simply couldn't have wanted to hurt you. And Luocha needs to tame her demons. It's not time to set them free yet, because then he risks destroying what he has been building so diligently for years. And how lucky that you left him a small gift, thanks to which he holds on for a whole week, so as not to snap and show up at your doorstep.

Luocha can clearly see his long fingers sliding over your skin, squeezing your seductive sides as he makes his way to your breasts. Oh, if you only knew how much effort it took for him to restrain himself from falling into that elastic warm flesh. Luocha wanted so badly to feel your nipples harden on his tongue, wanted to know what your naked breasts would look like when you lay beneath him, wanted to hear what your voice would sound like, relaxed and quiet, soaked in pure pleasure. And only these thoughts keep his insane impulses in check.

It's so exciting to be standing at your door. No, not because Luocha feels guilty, but because he can't wait to see you again. He knows you're home, he's seen your car parked outside, but you take so long to open the door that your uncle gets worried. You couldn't have known he was coming, couldn't have seen him coming up to your house, could you? And if you did, do you still hold a grudge against him?

— I'm coming, coming... — Luocha hears your tired voice outside the door and your slow footsteps after the next bell rings, and all worries seem to melt away in sweet anticipation. He'll see you again.

As soon as your footsteps are hushed and your uncle realizes you've come to the door, an uncomfortable silence hangs. You must have seen him through the peephole, but he doesn't hear the click of the lock or any other sounds. As soon as this door opens, he'll be reunited with you, his beloved niece, whose separation lasted like an eternity, but why are you delay? Should he say something?

— What are you doing here? — you ask quietly, and Luocha hears your hand press against the door on the other side.

— Y/N, I'm sorry. I know I've been acting weird, it won't happen again.

«And I'm not lying to you, Y/N»

— Now everything will be different.

«That's right. Now I'll do everything I can to make you want to reach out to me»

— Open the door, let's talk. I'm worried about you.

«No one else in this world cares more about you than I do»

After a few seconds of stifling silence, Luocha hears you cough and his heart flutters in his chest. Are you sick?

There's a loud click, and the doors slowly swing open in front of the tall blond man. Luocha has prepared much better today than in your last meeting. He wants to erase the line that separates you, so he chose the best suit he had in his wardrobe. The black color contrasts so vividly with the white robe that you are usually used to seeing on him, and a small sweet gift in a bag in his hand should cheer you up and diversify the list of familiar treats that he shared with you after the reception.

— I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting guests, so the house is a bit of a mess, but you can come in if you want, — you open the door, and Luocha’s gaze is instantly drawn to the way you wrap your palms around your shaking shoulders, leaning unnaturally against the doorjamb. Your face looks so exhausted, your hair is disheveled as if you haven't touched a comb in days, and your t-shirt and homemade shorts look untidily rumpled.

— Y/N, are you shivering? — long fingers tighten on the handle of the paper bag while worried green irises run over your tired face.

— It's just a cold, nothing special. Like I said, I just wasn't waiting...

— I'm sorry... — your uncle whispers unintelligibly, and just as you're about to ask what he's apologizing for, Luocha leans forward, suddenly placing her palm on top of your head before bending down and pressing his lips to your forehead.

— W-what are you...!

— You have a fever. How long have you been sick? Have you taken any medicine? We need to get you to bed, — Luocha grips your hands anxiously, reflexively pressing his index and middle fingers against one of your wrists, feeling your rapid pulse.

— I don't… I don't know, a couple of days. I thought it was a cold, so I just slept and…

— Where's your bedroom? — your uncle doesn't even seem to be listening, hurriedly slamming the door and casually leaving the package on the table in the hallway.

It's not exactly what he was hoping for.

✧ ✧ ✧

Luocha involuntarily remembers you when you were very young, when he also helped you cope with a cold, hurrying from work as soon as possible after your mother's call. You've grown up, but you still look charmingly helpless when he puts a pill in your mouth, holding a glass of water to your lips. A small, sweet creature, shivering under the covers. Your uncle's heart is splitting apart at the thought of you feeling bad, but surely you can forgive him this little sin of enjoying the fact that you need him?

— Why didn't you call me?

— I didn't want to bother you about nothing.

«Lie»

— Y/N, whatever happens between us, I'll always be ready to come and help you... I know it's hard to forgive my transgression, but you are my family, and that's always the case. Please don't take on any more burdens that you can't carry alone. You're not alone.

There is some peace in wiping your forehead with a damp towel while you pout guiltily, hiding your lips under a fluffy blanket. Luocha wanted to take the first step towards changing your attitude towards him, but in the end he remains for you only a caring uncle who worries about your health. If it wasn't necessary, he would have hated himself the second he allowed his intentions to falter, but now… now he will allow you to see only your close relative and a doctor in him once again, saving your fragile life.

— Thank you... — you mumble softly into the blanket, guiltily averting your gaze, and Luocha's hand stops hanging over your forehead, and the light green eyes widen, fixing their gaze on your trembling eyelashes. — I'm sorry that I, well… ran away then.

Oh, are you really apologizing to him? He didn't hear it, did he?

— I think we were both out of our minds that day. It's okay, — Luocha smiles softly, tucking the wet towel back into the small bowl of water on your bedside table.

— I always thought you were too kind, — you chuckle wryly, then cough and wrap yourself even tighter in the blanket.

— Is it bad?

— I don't know... I'm not sure I deserve it.

— You deserve all the best in the world, Y/N, — did he really say that out loud? For a moment, Luocha’s heart froze in his chest with a prick of consternation, but another of your laughs made the man relax. — Ahem... Okay, you need to rest.

He really should leave you now. Although your uncle really doesn't want to leave you so soon, you'll hardly be happy if he continues to sit on your bed until you fall asleep. He'd like to see you sleep...

— W-wait! — as soon as Luocha gets up from the edge of your bed, you suddenly take your hand out from under the covers, wrapping it around the man's wrist, forcing him to sit back down. What's gotten into you? Do you want him to stay? Why?

— Do you need something else? — he regains his composure, as does that eternal charming smile on Luocha's lips when he covers your palm with his own. Your hands are so small and so cold. If only he could hold them in his for a little longer, but it will definitely make you uncomfortable...

— Since you've traveled so far to see me, maybe... Will you stay the night?

Oh, are you afraid to be alone? Luocha wanted to offer you the same thing, but it would sound… a little awkward from him. But if you ask him to do it yourself, how can he refuse his sweet niece?

— If you need it, Y/N, of course I'll stay. On my way to the bedroom, I noticed a sofa in your living room, so I'll spend the night on it.

— No! — you squeeze Luocha’s wrist harder, suddenly exclaiming loudly before you cough again, burying your nose in the blanket. — I... Can I ask you to lie down with me?

Your uncle allowed for the possibility that you might miss him, but this… Why are you asking him for something like this after the way he behaved in your last meeting?

«Do you really...»

No, no, your attitude towards him couldn't have changed in a week, it's just impossible. But even if that's the case, he still shouldn't let his guard down. You are so seductively asking him for something like this, probably completely unaware of how he feels after such an innocent request that fell from your lips, but he should keep his cool.

Luocha opens his eyes wide and raises eyebrows, looking at you peeking out from under the warm blanket.

— I'm not sure if that would be a good idea...

— P-please... I'm so cold, — you say pitifully, and Luocha falls silent with his lips open before he closes mouth, slowly running his thumb along the back of your palm.

He'll be able to touch you. He'll be able to hug you. He'll be able to inhale the smell coming from your body, and not the things that you recklessly left in his house. He'll be able to hear you breathing steadily, slowly sinking into sleep.

You're probably not yourself because of the fever. What if in the morning, when the temperature drops, you get mad at him again? Luocha can't take that risk, but he's so damn eager to agree to your tempting offer. He's not a gambler, he's used to sticking to a premeditated strategy, even if it will lead him to the goal only after many years. Luocha was willing to wait as long as it took, but wasn't his goal to make you want him? Doesn't what you're asking him for mean that your attitude towards him has already begun to change?

— Okay. I'll stay with you.

Though Luocha can't see your lips, your eyes tell him much more when you loosen your grip on his wrist, tucking your hand back under the blanket. You're glad. And he's the one who makes you smile again.

Luocha gets out of bed, carefully shrugging off his jacket. His hands reflexively reached for the belt on his trousers, but suddenly only paused for a moment on the buckle before moving to the tie, carefully untying it around the collar of the white shirt.

It's so unusual to get on your bed while you crawl closer to the wall, giving up your place on the next pillow and turning to face him. You've never spent a night together before, although Luocha would be blatantly lying if he said that he never wanted this, especially since the day you returned to him two years later.

You sniffle softly, huddling on your side of the bed as Luocha lifts the covers, settling down next to you before covering you both again now. Ah… your bed smells exactly like that bra he keeps carefully under his pillow. A sweet, alluring scent that envelops his heart with warmth, like this very blanket. Everything here smells of you.

— Luocha, your suit...

— Don't worry, I'll come home before my shift.

— You're leaving in the morning? — you ask in an almost upset voice. Probably, Luocha is already asleep and has the most charming dream of all possible.

— If you want, I can try to take a day off...

— No, no, no! No need, I can handle it on my own.

He didn't answer you. He should probably just close his eyes and try to fall asleep, but how hard is it to do that when Luocha hears your breathing so clearly… But it gets even more difficult when you move closer, pressing your forehead against his collarbones. You're shaking, desperately holding onto your own shoulders, and your uncle only hesitates for a couple of seconds before succumbing to the irresistible urge to hug you. He knows like no one else that the chills will stop tormenting you only when the antipyretic takes effect, but his heart breaks to shreds when he sees you so defenseless and reaching for him.

— Thank you… — this is the last thing Luocha heard before the silence in the room was filled with your charming snuffling, and your body relaxed in his arms, gradually ceasing to tremble.

Luocha is a little ashamed that he was coming to you with the intention of destroying this wall separating you from him, however… Why did he feel it crack so clearly at the moment when you first called him by his name?

— Good night, Y/N.

#headcanons #hsr #hsr x reader #honkai:star rail #honkai:star rail x reader #hsr drabbles #luocha #luocha x reader #luocha x you

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blu3-j · 10 months

Note

Hey There! Can I request a Home X Reader please? Like reader is housesitting for Wally?

Knock, Knock, Knocking On My Heart

Home x Puppet! Reader

TW: Small tense scene

Hello, hello, hello, there! Oh, absolutely, you can!! I'm so excited! I've never written for Home before besides headcanons! So new, so exciting!

Oh! Also! New announcement!! I now have interwebs access at my humble abode! This will make putting these up on here much easier. In the meantime, I hope this fanfic will appease you all!

Thump!

You set the last heavy box in the trunk and closed it with a thud. You listened to the hushed voice of Wally comforting Home as you grabbed up his small bag and placed it in the backseat of his car. It was almost never used, as nobody---Wally and yourself included---really had any reason to leave the neighborhood. His car was bright red like a newly ripe apple, and so clean and shiny from not being used you had to keep from looking at many parts of the exterior so you wouldn't go momentarily blind. Today, however, was a special occasion for Wally to finally use it.

Wally had told you him and a few of the other neighbors---Barnaby, Julie, and Frank---would be leaving on a few days trip. Due to Home being alive and Wally caring deeply for his companion building, asked you to watch over them while they were gone. Wally had never specified what the trip was, only making small mention of a convention of some kind and something about fans.

"A convention about fans?" You asked him. "My, why would anyone need to hold a convention about fans? You can just buy them at the Bugdega. Are there really people that like fans that much?" Barnaby laughed, putting his paw on your shoulder, which ended up being more on most of your arm with your size difference.

"But Teacup, it's more than just fans. It's A/Cs, it's freezers, it's---" Barnaby was interrupted by Wally's monotone robotic laugh.

"Oh, Y/N, it's something you'll learn about soon. You're just not ready yet. Maybe we'll take you and show you next time what we really mean." You quirked an eyebrow at your fellow puppet friend. You could never tell what thoughts or knowledge were behind those unchanging eyes of his. Barnaby always knew, though. Plenty of times were had where you wished you could do the same. Kind of like now.

"Oh, Home, it's okay. I'll only be gone for a few days. Y/N will be here to keep you company until I get back. And some of the other neighbors will still be here, too." You turned to face Wally and patiently watched him pat Home's side as the latter continued to protest and whine through their creaks and knocks.

"Wally," You called out to him. Wally paused his hushed comforts to Home, but continued to stare up at it. You noticed in the corner of your eye Home's gaze turned to you. "Wally, it's all packed up. Ready to go whenever you want." Wally patted Home once more and upon meeting Home's gaze, nuzzled his face against Home's wall. Home creaked once more. It was hard not to notice the distinct shattering sound from somewhere inside, but Wally ignored it.

"Oh, Home," Wally cooed. "It's okay. I'll be back soon. I have to go now. Goodbye, Home. I love you." The two of you watched Wally walk away and get in his car. He adjusted the rear view mirror and his smile grew wider upon seeing the two of you. That was the last of him you saw for the next few days as he drove off into the horizon.

Feeling a knot twist up in your stuffing for the old building, you patted Home's side as they stared off where Wally once was. "It's okay, Home." You called out to the building. "He'll be back before you know it." Yet Home's longing stare never left that road. You racked through your felt head for ideas on comforting Home, until finally...

"Aha!" Your yelp finally drug Home's eyes away from the road and down to your small figure. "I know, maybe we can make something for Wally when he gets back! What do you think, Home?" You turned back up to Home and waited. They only stared back. You were beginning to become unsure of your idea working when you heard the faintest creak from the building. You quirked your eyebrow and tilted your head.

Oh, right. You can't understand Home.

It was strange to you. Everyone else in the neighborhood could understand Home to some degree, but for you---as the newest resident only having moved in a month ago---had no idea what Home was ever saying. Usually whenever Home would talk to you, another one of your neighbors would be there to translate. Wally was often the one to most often translate for you due to the two of you being best friends and Barnaby would be the one to translate when Wally wasn't there (which you recall only happening once.) You, Wally, and Barnaby were an unbreakable trio, but now there was just one of the three here: you. With no one to help you understand.

This is going to be a problem.

Home was quick to notice your expression and rolled their eyes. Faintly, the ringing of a phone was inside. Home opened the door for you, and you walked in.

The inside was painted in warm colors and sunlight, and the living room sat as it usually did. With chairs in various colors and shapes and paintings and photos of your friends, Home, and other parts of the neighborhood lining the walls. Memorabilia from the neighborhood’s past adventures sat neatly placed upon a shelf, right beside Wally’s only apple—a fake one Barnaby had secretly replaced when the old one got rotten. You had been sworn to secrecy to never tell the third person of your trio. A small canvas in the corner of your eye caught your attention. You barely noticed it hanging in the corner of a wall, but painted on it was you. Laughing away under a bright colored tree on a warm spring morning. Dirt, grass, and flowers adorned your hair, almost forming a crown upon your dainty head.

"Stay still..." Wally hummed away a tune as he painted on the canvas. You did your best to keep your form as still as it could possibly be. You were sitting under his favorite tree, admiring the sky's clouds to take your mind off of being a muse.

It was quite flattering when the shorter puppet had asked you to be as such. The others nearby encouraged you to take the offer, telling you how great of a muse you would be and how well Wally painted. It wasn't uncommon to the others for Wally to paint them from time to time, and soon enough it would be a common occurrence to you and you'd get used to it. So you did.

Wally's canvas faced towards Home and Barnaby so they could watch the two of you. Barnaby noticed how stiff you were, and decided to begin making jokes. Sarcastic jokes, puns, improv, one liners, everything he knew to get you to laugh. At first Home had scolded him---at least according to Wally---and reminded him how difficult it can be to stay still when you want to laugh. But within the next few minutes, you heard squeaks and creaks from the house and monotone laughter from Wally.

Yet you remained strong. You needed to be still for Wally's painting, after all. But Barnaby continued, pushing even further to make you laugh. It started as a sweet rush, then a bubble, then restrained giggles, until finally you couldn't take it anymore. You broke out in laughter and brought a hand up to stifle it. But---uh oh---!

"Wha---Oof!"

Your body tipped over. Your only support was the very same hand you used to cover your smile and giggles. The others broke out in full uncontrollable laughter. You felt your face go hot. There you were with your new neighbors and friends, laying on the ground from making the dumb decision of using the wrong hand, now with smudges of dirt across your clothes and face along with grass stains. Your head tipped down as your entire face began to feel warm. Home was the one to stop laughing---you assumed that's what it was---and began talking.

"Oh, you're right, Home." Wally responded after his laughter had died down. Barnaby quieted his own laughter to listen as well and things went quiet. You refused to look up at them. How could you? You just made a fool of yourself! You pushed strands of hair out of your face and began smoothing out the wrinkles in your clothing. Maybe you can brush it off like it was nothing. Maybe you can still recover and make it seem like it was on purpose so you won’t look like an idiot. Maybe---

A blue furry hand caught your eye. Barnaby and Wally stood over you. Barnaby was offering you his hand, while Wally held some cleaning wipes.

"You okay there, Teacup? Didn't fall too hard and stop working that head of yours, right?" Barnaby smiled his usual lazy goofy smile down at you. You stammered for an answer, and your face flushed even hotter. After a moment, you reached for his hand, and he pulled you up as if you were light as a feather. Before you could process what was happening, a wet wipe was smudged across your face. It tickled. Your larger friend ruffled your hair and made a few small jokes.

You couldn't help your laughter. It bubbled out of you before you could even stop it. Home was the first to laugh alongside you. Then Barnaby, and finally Wally.

It was such a sunny warm day. The perfect day to laugh with your best friends.

It wasn't uncommon for you to have ever been in Home, but it felt...empty without Wally or Barnaby by your side. Like it had a spark, but it was just a spark on the outside. With no optimism or energy or motivation behind it. It was just a shiny light.

The red phone on the side table continued to ring.

You picked up the receiver and brought it to your ear. Which of your neighbors was calling?

"Yes. I think that'd be a great idea, Y/N." A whisper slithered from the other side.

Your breath hitched. "Who..." You paused. A little twist formed in your stuffing.

It made you feel sick.

"Who is this?" Another pause, but from the other side of the line. Then that same whispering voice.

"Home." The windows turned to eyes to look down at you. In this neighborhood, despite being short, you had never felt small. This was the first time. But the feeling dissipated as soon as it formed.

"Oh, Home!" You chirped. "I didn't know you could do this! That's so cool! I can understand you now!" Your cheeks flushed warm as you noticed the stare of Home. "I'm sorry I couldn't before." Another pause.

The silence was deafening.

"It's okay. You'll learn." Yet another pause. But this time the air felt lighter. Home’s stare wasn’t boring into you as much anymore. That’s right. Home isn’t a threat to you. "What about a painting?"

You nodded and skipped over to a cabinet. Inside were Wally's paints and paintbrushes, and stored in a nearby dresser were his canvases. You quickly set two canvases up for the two of you before a thought occurred to you. So, you put the receiver back to your ear and called to Home.

"How will you be able to paint on the canvas?" There was no answer, only silence. Then a small tap on your shoulder. You bolted around, expecting some figure to be lurking behind you—but instead finding something much more peculiar. A curtain reached out to you as if it were an arm, and the end was balled up to act as a hand. You looked to the other curtain, and in its other make-shift hand was a brush. You gawked at the sight, and Home creaked in a rhythmic tone. It echoed through the walls and halls, and you heard that same whisper laughing through the phone.

"I can do so much more than you think." The voice echoed, a bit less monotone now.

And that was the start of your friendship with Home. Before you had always seen Home as another neighbor, but there was a solid wall between the two of you to keep you from getting closer. And now that wall was demolished. Over the course of the next few days, Home had taught you some basic "building language", the two of you had created many things and done so many activities together, and had conversations that lasted for hours at a time.

The first night you had stayed there, Home had reassured your fears of the dark and monsters in the halls, and talked with you about meaningless things throughout the night until you fell asleep. The second night Home had told you stories of the neighborhood and of a world long ago—long before you even existed, you were sure. The third night you fell asleep with no problems. You were safe with Home. You knew that by now.

You had found Home had many stories to tell, and was much more friendly and wonderful to get to know than you had first realized. With Home, you never had to worry about making a fool of yourself. With Home, you could be yourself completely, and they adored it. They adored you, just as much as you adored them.

By the time Wally, Barnaby, Julie, and Frank came back there was something different between the two of you. The spark that seemed to leave with the others was back stronger than ever shared between you and the colorful building. Stronger than any spark you had with everyone else. More bright, more colorful, more meaningful. You two were inseparable. Well…metaphorically speaking, that is.

Who knew a random average puppet like you would mean so much to a living building? And who knew an average building like Home would mean so much to a wonderful puppet?

#welcome home #welcome home puppet show #welcome home home #welcome home fanfic #welcome home x reader #wally darling #welcome home barnaby #ask box #fanfic #fanfiction #one shot #blu3 j's welcome home fanfics

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precuredaily · 20 days

Text

Precure Daily's Sixth Anniversary

On April 10, 2018, I posted the first review in the project that became Precure Daily. It wasn't actually on tumblr at that time, but on Facebook. The plan was to watch an episode every day and just post some thoughts, but it evolved into reviews and screenshots and that necessitated a whole blog, and here we are. That was six years ago today!

Six years. It's hard to believe. I honestly, truly didn't think I'd still be doing this. Whether I petered out before the end, or managed to get it all done in the 2-3 years I anticipated, I figured I'd have stopped by now. But somehow I haven't given up yet! I'm still watching, still writing, and still getting new fans to share with, and that makes it all worth it.

The past year was slow, I will readily acknowledge it. I only got about 7 reviews out in that time, including the one that just went up earlier today, but one of those was the Go Go movie. That was a whole undertaking, it took me nine months to get out. Granted, for about 6 of those 9 months it was just sitting there unchanged. I'd open it occasionally to poke at it but then not end up getting much done. Maybe it still wasn't the best it could have been but I'm proud of it nonetheless. It was a good review for a good movie. Also, I got to review the very first All Stars, even if it was a short film. Having recently wached the most recent All Stars brings that experience full circle and it's real nice.

One small hiccup is that, at the time of writing, I haven't yet gotten out the traditional Honoka birthday post. I just haven't had time to sit down and gather artwork for it. Hopefully that'll come out in the next day or two!

Outside of the blog, let's look at the wider world of the Precure series over the last year

I said last year that I hadn't finished Delicious Party, and that's still true. When it was on air, I was watching it with a friend and she was really into it; we are going to resume watching together to finally push through it.

HIrogaru Sky's second half was good, it lacked a little bit of the driving power of the first half and the villain plot never properly came together in my opionion. I still love the characters, I think they're my favorite cast in a good while.

I did not watch Otona Precure. Although I've watched Go Go before, I want to finish this current watchthrough for the blog before I jump into it. Maybe I'll even review it as I go, that remains to be seen. I've heard mixed things about it and I'm not very big on the idea that the girls just go back to teenagers when they transform, but I'll reserve judgment.

Wonderful Precure did not appeal to me when information started coming out, and I fell off it for a few weeks when the first couple eps didn't impress me, but I decided to keep going and it's thoroughly enjoyable. I don't think it's going to crack my top 10 but it should be a solid middle of the road series.

I watched the Delicious Party Precure movie and Precure All Stars F with friends in fairly close proximity, and wow do those movies exist on opposite ends of the spectrum. DeliPa's film was one of the weakest Precure movies I've seen, while All Star F was phenomenal. I need to rewatch it.

I did say last year that the blog would look different when I finish Go Go. That is still true. I should be able to wrap that up in a few months, then comes the next phase of things. Deets when it happens.

And also just because I can, here's some recommendations for shows outside of Precure you should watch that came out in the last year-ish:

Oshi no Ko

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (featuring Wonderful Precure's Tanezaki Atsumi as a monotone elf)

SPY x FAMILY (featuring Wonderful Precure's Tanezaki Atsumi as a psychic toddler)

Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger

The Last of Us

And I think that's it for this year's update! Here's to another year of watching and writing about Precure! Thanks as always to my loyal friends and fans for making this project a success: @sailorzombiestar, @vertixscribe, PaintedOutlaw, @hanasaki-tsubomi, yugimon135 (can't tag you for some reason), and my newest fan @nono-bunny.

Here's all my previous sappy anniversary posts if you want to go back and read them.

First Anniversary

Second Aniversary

Third Anniversary

Fourth Anniversary

Fifth Anniversary

#PCD anniversary #PCD sixth anniversary #read this

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allbluedepths · 6 months

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Wake-Up Call

(Explicit | One Piece | Shanks/Mihawk | 1.7k words)

Summary: Shanks was certainly not an early riser. He never had been. There was one exception, however, found in the swordsman sleeping beside him — and the possibilities that came with him still being in his bed come morning.

Read here on AO3 or below! (Please check AO3 posting for notes and tags!)

Shanks was certainly not an early riser. He never had been, always prone to sleeping in until the sun had risen well into the sky, much preferring to stay up long into the night for celebration and camaraderie unless the situation demanded otherwise.

There was one exception, however, found in the swordsman beside him, still fast asleep as the first few rays of dawn filtered through the cabin window. Many believed Shanks would never voluntarily be awake at such an hour, which was true on the whole — but a few specific activities tempted even himself out of slumber. One of which he was intent on taking advantage of that early morning with the once rare, but steadily growing more common, occurrence of Mihawk having stayed the night on the Red Force.

For years, Shanks had just been lucky to have Mihawk stay partway through the night. They had spent more years than not flitting in and out of each other’s lives, dueling and sparring under the harsh daylight but rarely ever together once night truly fell. Even on the lucky times Mihawk did stay past sunset, he was nearly always gone before the morning, no matter how hard Shanks would try and stay awake. Eventually, even Shanks had conceded to Mihawk's unchanging habits, and his visits had soon dissipated alongside their dueling for far too long.

But now, the new, welcome change in their routine made for many possibilities they hadn't had before — ones that his younger, more impatient self may have skipped over, but he surely wouldn't now. Some were simple: just appreciating the presence of the other man, still deep in slumber, sprawled lazily across his sheets.

Others were… more private, but all the more rewarding. Namely involving Mihawk in his bed in other ways. One he had spent many years dreaming about, a thought voiced under nightfall by lips loosened after a few too many drinks in their younger years.

“It can’t be so embarrassing that you won’t tell me,” Shanks needled. Mihawk rarely froze up at anything Shanks asked, no matter how outlandish — but apparently his ask of “something new he’d like to try in bed” was pushing it.

“It’s not embarrassing. It’s simply… not something that would often come up.” The light flush of his cheeks, previously only from the wine, had darkened as he spoke.

“So, embarrassing,” he grinned.

“Red.” Mihawk’s deadpan stare would have been chilling to anyone else, but the heat in his cheeks only made Shanks smile wider, his hands raising in fake surrender.

“I'll stop! But seriously, what is it?”

Mihawk’s eyes flitted away ever so briefly before he resignedly answered, “Being… awoken by such acts is an idea worth merit.” An even sharper blush sparked above his cheekbones. "Your mouth, in particular."

Shanks felt his brain nearly grind to a halt between the alcohol and Mihawk’s revelation. And then, as quickly as it had stopped, it launched into overdrive again alongside wide, interested eyes. The combination of servicing the other man and the trust such an act would imply rushed to his head, more intoxicating than any liquor.

He rolled onto his elbows, eyes practically shining as he leaned over the other man. “So what are you waiting for? Go to sleep!”

“I did not mean right this second, Red,” he drawled, but Shanks could still hear the amusement in his voice. “I said I would stay for a drink, not the night.”

A pout overtook his face, though in truth, he hadn't expected anything different. “Maybe someday, then.”

That someday hadn't come for a long, long while — long enough for Shanks to doubt if it ever would. But it had, and gone was (most of) the impatience of their youth, leaving behind Shanks' sole focus and an appreciation for savoring the good things in life. One of those things — or places, rather — being between his lover's thighs, something Shanks had found his fondness, bordering on obsession, for quite early on.

A lazy smile began to curl on his face as his hand deftly undid the ties of his partner’s trousers, his fingers slowly curling against the thin fabric of his boxers’ waistband as he sunk further beneath the covers. His mouth wandered, leaving a trail of feather-light kisses and suction against the smooth skin of his partner’s thighs as wetness slowly gathered against the thin fabric. Mihawk hadn’t even twitched, deeply asleep — far more than he ever would have been years before. It was a heady sort of knowledge, how far into slumber Mihawk would allow himself to slip in Shanks’ presence.

As much as he would have been happy to stay there forever, idly working against Mihawk’s skin, he had a goal. One he was determined to accomplish, he thought, as his tongue finally flitted against the bare heat of his partner’s entrance. He was well-versed in his partner's body, having gained more than enough practice over the years to swiftly bring Mihawk over the edge, knowing just where to nip and suck to send him unraveling. Soon enough, his wandering appreciation was halted by the first huff of air from his partner; barely noticeable but loud and clear to Shanks’ well-tuned senses to Mihawk’s responses. Such a small sound was practically a moan by his standards, and Shanks would devour any and all of the reactions he was permitted to hear.

With a groan, he nosed back in between his folds, his own hips beginning to lazily roll against the mattress beneath them. Even if he still had his other hand, it would have been focused on Mihawk, not himself, and the slow desperation of soft friction had always driven him mad. He was a pirate; he could be as shameless as he wanted — and besides, Mihawk certainly enjoyed the view, even if he’d never admit it so blatantly. He had idly come more than once from pleasuring the swordsman, the slow-burning fire consuming him just as it did now.

But his pleasure came from Mihawk’s own first and foremost. Getting to take his time in slowly taking his lover apart was a treat he had finally gotten a taste of, and he wouldn’t let go of it now. As his efforts increased, the flat of his tongue exploring every expanse, he was rewarded with more and more reactions, each one more addicting than the last. His lover’s thighs had started to jerk, tightening and twitching around his head in a dreamy haze. A quick glance up confirmed he hadn’t yet fully awoken, but the way his back subtly arched off the mattress sent a rush of pride and greed through him.

He wanted more.

One of the best things about waking Mihawk up in such a state was his rare expressiveness. There was an alluring beauty to his usual stoic nature, but the breathy gasps and moans that had begun to fill the room, his usual restraint far gone, had seared themselves into Shanks’ brain. The wavering pitch of them only spurned him on further, his thumb caressing the soft insides of his lover’s thighs as he lost himself in the repetitive movement. It took only a few moments before a particularly rough keen pulled him out of his ministrations, his own pupils blown as he pulled back just enough to look up at his partner.

Mihawk was finally awake, and he looked positively wrecked, equally mussed with sleep and arousal. He caught barely more than a glimpse before his head was yanked forward, slim fingers tangling in his hair as his nose settled right against the swollen bundle of nerves, the swordsman's hips grinding into his face. His efforts redoubled as strong thighs clamped around his head, lapping and thrusting into the blazing heat like a man starved. Mihawk wouldn’t last much longer, the quickening trembles of his muscles one of Shanks’ favorite tells — and Shanks wouldn’t either, his hips nearly spasming against the mattress, losing their rough semblance of rhythm. He never lasted long, not against the sheer overwhelming force of Mihawk’s own pleasure.

It only took one more groan of his own and a particularly harsh buck of Mihawk’s hips to send his partner tumbling over the edge, the feeling of the other man's legs locking around him and the rush of his orgasm on his tongue setting off Shanks’ own. All coherent thought was wiped away by a pleasant buzz and dizzying aftershocks ringing through his head. His own mouth still hung open and panting as he slowly came back down, a low, satiated hum rumbling from above him.

He couldn’t help the proud, satisfied grin that flickered across his face as Mihawk glanced down at him from between his thighs, his chest still hitching with heavy breaths. “G’morning, gorgeous.”

“A good morning indeed.” The corner of his lips had begun to curl upwards — practically a beaming smile by his standards, leaving Shanks preening as he sat up onto his knees. A flash of amused surprise crossed Mihawk’s face as his eyes drifted lower, no doubt to the growing dark patch on the front of his trousers. “You certainly enjoyed yourself.”

A chuckle escaped him, shameless and breathless still. “What can I say? Your pleasure is my satisfaction.”

The quiet huff he received in return was as beautiful as any laughter, a sign of a job by far well done. An even better sign was the half-swallowed yawn that came afterwards, the other man’s usually piercing golden eyes hazy, already fluttering shut as Shanks pulled himself back up the mattress.

That was another favorite detail Shanks had discovered with time: Mihawk was just as much of a late riser as he was if he allowed himself the luxury.

He certainly wouldn’t complain, he thought to himself as he pulled the covers over the two of them once more. The other best thing about waking up with Mihawk still in his bed was falling back asleep with him, and Shanks was unwilling to give that up now that he had it. His lazy grin only warmed as he heard the beginnings of Mihawk’s soft, sleepy breaths against his collarbone as he settled into the mattress once more.

There were a few good things about early mornings, after all, and he had everything he wanted curled up right there beside him.

#one piece #mishanks #red haired shanks #dracule mihawk #akataka #ao3 #allbluefics #akagami no shanks #takanome mihawk #opla

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drwernicke · 2 months

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I started writing about Miles' feelings in this one-sided camerashipping AU where he's living with the Parks, but then I decided to explore Waylon's side of things as well, and it turned into something like a fic. So uh. I'll just put it down here?

_______________________________________ Miles feels like… what the fuck even is he anymore? Undead? He's a monster, certainly, and that monstrosity is useful, but he feels like a strange warped, mockery of his former self. There's a power in hosting the Walrider, but it comes at the cost of his humanity and he knows he's frightening to Waylon. He's always told himself he doesn't need anyone else, and bringing down Murkoff is what matters, but now that's what he's been locked into, there are no other options /at all/. It's what he's wanted, isn't it? He does want it. But he's also been through something he can't even begin to process, and being the Walrider's host is deeply violating on even the cellular level. But he's not allowed to process that either, because where does that lead? He can't stop it. He shouldn't even want to stop it. He's always been fine alone, he shouldn't want company now.

But still human or not, trauma is a powerful neurochemical. Waylon is the only other man who's been through the same hell, and he's also risked everything he has to bring down Murkoff. They're aligned in their goals and were both willing to risk everything. And Waylon's still human, he has a family who loves him. Miles isn't jealous, but it also drives home how definitively, unchangeably isolated he is now. He's never really been able to connect even with any of the men he'd dated in the past, simply because they weren't ever 100% politically aligned with him, or he found something about them offputting, they were too superficial, etc. Maybe he was making excuses because life was easier alone, and nobody would care about the world like he does. About the things he fucking gives a shit about, like children in third world countries not dying of dehydration. Too bad fucking Brad wanted to talk forever about the shitty coffee at 7/11 instead.

Miles knows he should be grateful for what he's become. But there's so much he misses, now that he can't have it ever -- and he supposes that at least shows he still has a human mind in some way, weak and stupid and flawed. If he's never wanted it, why does he mourn it now? Why does it feel like every time Waylon is kind to him, that his sanity is teetering on the edge of some awful precipice overlooking some awful abyss, at the bottom of which rests a beast known as resentment and violence?

Maybe he's taking everything he can't have, can no longer have, and projecting it on Waylon as a symbol for it all. But there had been a few moments in hell itself, perhaps in the administration block, when he'd wondered what their lives would be like if they survived this nightmare together. There's things you can't go through without it changing you fundamentally from the ground up, and then whether you want it or not, you're entangled with whoever else went through the meat grinder with you, like quantum states. Waylon has more commitment to setting right what he can of the world than any man Miles had ever been with. But Waylon Park is fucking alive, and Miles Upshur is a rotting corpse of a man held upright by a murderous nanohazard.

And the fucking punchline to the whole shitshow: Waylon Park has a wife, and two kids, and there was something comical in that the first crack in Miles' sense of self would be to latch onto a married man. He can tell Waylon's kindness is strained. And why the fuck wouldn't it be? He has a dead man living in his house, and that dead man is a weapon. You show kindness to the weapon, because you don't know if it'll kill you, or worse, make you feel guilty for indirectly killing what it was in the first place.

Most nights, Miles drinks enough coffee it would give him a heart attack if he still had a working heart, because he doesn't trust himself with REM sleep. _______________________________________

Not everyone goes through hell and brings the devil home.

It's not a kind thought, and Waylon hates it, but there's always a kernel of truth at the core of the operating system. Or something like that. Miles Upshur is great company, and most days, Waylon doesn't even think about the fact he's living with the Parks for their own protection. That feels reductive; Miles is far more than that. If it weren't for Miles, Waylon would have never returned to Lisa's arms, bloodied and broken, but whole. But this isn't just about what Miles has done for him, or what he can do for them. If it weren't for Waylon, Miles would have never ended up in Mount Massive. If it weren't for Waylon, Miles would still have his fingers. He does complain about it so often, always in the tones of gallows humor, but Waylon knows there's a deep hurt behind it.

If it weren't for Waylon, Miles would have never become the host.

But this isn't about gratitude or guilt. Miles is genuinely great to have around; he cooks breakfast sometimes. He walks around singing along badly to Madonna, the B-52's. He gets along great with the kids. He's shit at Mario Kart, but so is Waylon. When he, Waylon, and Lisa work together, compile notes and liaise and network with other anti-Murkoff operatives, Miles is efficient and determined on a level that inspires Waylon. He cracks jokes, he rips people to shreds, and it makes Waylon and Lisa laugh. He makes Waylon type up the reports because it takes him forever, and Waylon does so, guilt heavy in his heart.

But this isn't all about guilt.

Miles encourages him through his rehabilitation, as Waylon slowly gains sensation and stability in his leg. Miles likes shitty beer, and Waylon's learned not to complain too much about it. Sometimes--many sometimes--Miles screams in his sleep. The boys have learned to expect it. There's nothing conventional about their childhood, not anymore.

Waylon has learned not to look at Miles through the night vision of a camera.

When Simon Peacock emails them warnings of potential intruders, Miles stays watch like a guard hound, sipping another one of his shitty Pabst Blue Ribbons. On one of those nights, there are terrible screams, but they're not from Miles.

In his dreams, Waylon hears Lisa screaming, his boys, and finally, himself.

They are mutinous dreams. But more mutinous is the waking thought that Miles sometimes lingers in his presence. He always looks away when Waylon looks, and it makes Waylon wonders if he's accidentally fostering something far worse than a monster. But Waylon knows he has his own trauma to work though; he sees attraction where there is none, and wouldn't it make sense to fear something that already elicits fear in most?

Someone. Not something.

There was the time his eldest had cut his hand playing, and Waylon had been so afraid of what in the air could seep into his blood.

He worries himself sick about Lisa. All those phantom pregnancies.

In the early morning, Miles is painstakingly typing away on his laptop, seated at the breakfast table. The sun's rising, warm golden light streaming in through the windows, and Waylon has no doubt Miles has been up all night; the scent of coffee hangs heavy in the air. Waylon wonders if Miles needs, or even wants, to sleep anymore.

Waylon doesn't know what Miles is, aside from on a purely codified level. He doesn't know what Miles wants, aside from on a purely ideological level.

He pours himself a cup of coffee, and wonders what he's breathing in.

#miles upshur #waylon park #camerashipping #outlast #outlast whistleblower #my writing #whatever it's not canon

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jiangwanyinscatmom · 9 months

Note

🔥 Do you think WWX and JC would make up after canon? I personally don't, I think WWX made his boundaries clear but I'd like to hear your takes and reasoning!

No I don't, I've spoken on what I think of this in a similar post some time ago so I'll repost that here again.

I think what was shown within the novel, was as true of a “reconciliation” as the two could have gotten between them.

Wei WuXian, “Uh, I think it’s best if you… also stop keeping it on your mind. I know you’ll definitely always keep it on your mind, but, how should I say it…” He held onto Lan WangJi’s hand, saying to Jiang Cheng, “Right now, I do really think… it’s all in the past. It’s been too long. There’s no need to struggle with it any longer.”

This is Wei Wuxian extending the only thing he can do between them, which is letting things settle in peace, move on safely, to start somewhere new in both of their lives without the other. Wei Wuxian had never wanted Jiang Cheng’s thanks for what he had chosen to do, he had done it out of love, which for Wei Wuxian can’t be measured in debts owed. He is urging Jiang Cheng to let go of a past that will only haunt him unhappily, they can’t gain whatever had been lost. And I think Wei Wuxian had long known that before Jiang Cheng given he does not treat Jiang Cheng and he the same as he once did and had drawn a line of boundaries between each other well before Guanyin Temple. Note that he never once calls Jiang Cheng “shidi” after the timeskip as he once affectionately had.

Wei Wuxian does not ask for apologies to himself, he tells Jiang Cheng to apologize for his remarks to Lan Wangji more than once due his own sense of loyalties for those that extend their kindness to him as his own shame doesn’t take precedent.

Wei WuXian took the flute. Remembering that Jiang Cheng was the one who brought it, he turned over there and commented casually, “Thanks.” He waved Chenqing, “I’ll… be keeping this?”

Jiang Cheng glanced at him, “It was yours in the first place.”

After a moment of hesitation, his lips moved slightly, as though he wanted to say something else. However, Wei WuXian had already turned to Lan WangJi. Seeing this, Jiang Cheng remained silent.

By this point hours later Wei Wuxian is once again subconsciously showing where he has drawn the line. Taking to heart what he had said they should do, not take what had once happened to heart anymore and stop thinking about it. And once Wei Wuxian has made something clear he follows through with exactly what he had said he would do.

I think Wei Wuxian had made his intentions known, and as he says later he would rather remember the kindness and happiness in his life than the worst of it. He doesn’t need a reconciliation, he is with the family he has found and made for himself without being pushed away and takes the unconditional love that is offered to him. I had once likened his inquires in the extras like how someone would about an old past friend, of course you would ask about their well-being and hope the best, but that does not mean you want to ever really see them again in person after that relationship was shut and closed. It is bittersweet, but broken friendships always feel like that, a piece of someone will always care about who they used to be close to and Wei Wuxian was always very caring in his sentimentality even with the bad. But he does not crave for anything else from Jiang Cheng any longer as he has found his happiness with who he wanted.

As for Jiang Cheng, I think he needs to finally learn to ultimately be by himself and learn to be himself without his hold onto past dead hopes. He had built his reputation on that in a world that is ultimately moving on and changing while he stagnated in his unchanging hate for 13 years. But he no longer had that tether to continue it on any longer. His life didn’t end with Wei Wuxian’s death, and it didn’t end when he fully confronted Wei Wuxian with his hate. He’s given a chance to be out of what he thought was forever Wei Wuxian’s shadow, and personally I think, even if he “loved” Wei Wuxian, he never truly liked him as he never tried to understand Wei Wuxian as a person.

There is a lot of matters that can’t be buried between them, as people they are polar opposites in what they want and cherish. They are not what the other needs in their life. I think Jiang Cheng’s lesson is to move past a life that he had made a habit of to be selfish and Wei Wuxian was a passive catalyst that had helped him to fester that. Sometimes, it is just simply the better option to leave each other and move on without the possibility of being friend’s for ones own peace. And reconciliation isn’t always as satisfying as a fairy tale in real life, nor should it be an award for the bare minimum show of humanity to another.

They do not understand the other's way of living. You cannot continue a relationship without understanding what the other needs or their views of life. They will be at a forever impasse because repayment and debts is what they grew up giving the other. Jiang Cheng still barely is able to understand why Wei Wuxian did not say anything, because bringing up that sacrifice would be breaking his soul. To reveal such a secret would shatter the happiness that Wei Wuxian finally earned by himself. It would be dragging Wei Wuxian back into a relationship based upon transactional favors and being granted live in return based on that again, while being able to take it away as Jiang Cheng saw fit.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #wei wuxian #canon jiang cheng #lol reconciliation #wei wuxian doesn't need it except it or want it #sometimes it is sadly that simple to end a relationship

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sobredunia · 9 months

Note

tell me about Fez, please, im looking through your blog and like, i am intrigued

please click read more for an unskippable cutscene

ALRIGHT SO.

FEZ is an indie game created by a (now hated on the internet) guy called Phil Fish. If you wanna find out why he's hated do your own research this isn't about him it's about his videogame

It came out on april 13th of 2012 (yes. homestuck day. i know), and it sold over a million copies by the end of 2013. I've tried finding how many copies have been sold up to this day in total but didn't find anything, but the general gist is that it was pretty much an instant hit, and people absolutely loved it, working together to solve its intricate puzzles even to this day. Yes, there are mysteries hidden in here that an entire community of dedicated fans still hasn't found the solution to 11 years later

(tiny warning here, do not play this game if you have motion sickness or are severely affected by rapidly changing images, there are whole areas that are a doozy to play through. Please stay safe!)

Gameplay

Fez has a singular core mechanic that remains unchanging throughout the entire course of the game, and that is the ability to change perspectives

this is what the game looks like, a 2d pixelated landscape with tons of beautiful colors

but.

this is what the game also looks like

that's right, baby, this shit's actually in 3d

you use this change of perspective nonstop throughout your adventure, to cross gaps like demonstrated in the gif, or to simply access places you couldn't in that current perspective. There are other tiny mechanics that get added, like invisible platforms, crates and buttons, bombs, timed platforms that disappear... they add a bit of flavor, but the main mechanic is always there

There's also a really big emphasis on puzzles towards the latter half of the game, but I'll get more into it later

Story motivations

Your name is Gomez, you are a tiny little guy living in a cozy 2d village that you have never ever left. One day, an old man named Geezer sends you a letter asking you to climb to the top of the village. There, a giant fucking cube appears outta nowhere, teleports you to a satanic ritual, then to the vaccum of space, speaks to you in a strange language you cannot understand, and gives you a free hat. Oh and also he explodes or something

After you're given the hat, the fez, you discover that the world is actually in 3d, and you can now change perspectives. You unlock the core mechanic

After that, you wake up in your room with the fez still on your head, and a being in 4d called Dot is sent from who knows where to tell you that the cube that gave you the hat is called Hexahedron, is actually technically kinda god, and you fucking killed him. Now, your mission is to pick up its 64 pieces and reconstruct him

You see all those tiny golden cubes? You have to collect 8 of them to make a bigger cube, and you need to collect 32 of those

Now hold on, I hear you ask, didn't you just say that you need to collect 64 pieces? Why are you changing your mind and saying 32?

Because, my dear friend, there is another type of cube that you have to also collect

These are called anticubes. Y'know, "a negative for every positive" type of stuff. You have to also collect 32 of those

The main difference between an anticube and a normal cube is that they aren't broken into 8 pieces, when you find one it'll be whole. You can also sometimes encounter full golden cubes btw, but they're rarer than its normal tiny pieces that you collect. Another main difference is that these cubes are much, much harder to find, and I'll go into detail in the next section

There's also this one hub area, with four doors that will only open once you have enough cubes (anticubes also count)

Once you open the door with 16 cubes, you'll enter this one town filled with people that aren't quite like you. In there there's yet another door that will open when you get 32 cubes, so get to gathering motherfucker, you got a long way ahead of you

Puzzles (anticube edition)

When you collect that first anti cube, there is no going back. The floodgates have opened and you are now too deep in. You know too much. You must see this to the very end, for better and especially for the worse

The puzzles in fez are actually surprisingly varied when it comes to difficulty and accessibility. Most likely, the first anticube you'll find will be in this one room. You'll scan the qr code and do the instructions it says, and then the horror of your new life will begin

But this is just the tip of the iceberg, because BOY OH BOY are anticubes convoluted to find in some cases

Sometimes you'll get them by solving relatively easy puzzles, like this one

others will require a bit more thinking, like this one

and then we have the hardest ones where you'll have to learn how to read words, numbers, and commands in the FEZ language

and these arent even the hardest bullshit puzzles the game will pull at you. it gets worse. it gets so much worse

Game ending

Surprisingly enough, you can get a game ending with just 32 cubes. In fact, it is literally impossible to get the 64 cube ending without the 32 cube one unless you have outside help, you know the answer to all puzzles, or you somehow get extremely lucky in a very specific number of rooms

Behind the 32 cube door there's a giant gate that, and I shit you not, teleports you into fucking space

Aliens are canon in the fez lore and they look like squids

Once you reach the top of the alien temple fucking thing, you enter an eye(?) and there you meet the shell of god, the Hexahedron. Since you haven't gathered all 64 cubes, it fails to reconstruct, and it breaks down. This part is pretty dangerous for people with epilepsy, by the way, as there's rapidly changing black and white colors. The 64 cube ending is a bit easier in the eyes, but yeah, just a heads up

In the 32 cube ending, you get sent back home, and you see how the town gets more and more pixelated. Then you see a weird sequence that's like those videos of people really zooming in into things and you see the particles and microscopic stuff?? idk. and then you see Gomez playing the drums :D

After that, you wake up in your room, still with your Fez, and the same sequence at the start of the game plays out. You go to the top of the village, Geezer summons a giant fucking cube, you meet god, but instead of getting another fez, you get cool glasses, that allow you to finally solve a batch of puzzles you couldn't see before and you can finally gather the last anticubes

In the 64 cube ending, the Hexahedron reforms correctly, and instead of zooming in, it zooms out. You see that your world is a tiny cube next to many tiny cubes, and then those tiny cubes form a 4d entity that looks just like Dot, and then those many Dots next to eachother zoom out until they're nothing but static, and then it looks like a tv is turned off, and then the credits roll

They're both very strange endings, and definitely not what a lot of players expected or wanted, but what can you do

Puzzles (hell edition)

NOW.

You thought that was the end?

You thought you could simply walk away scot free?

You thought that this game had no more last "fuck you"s up in its arse?

You thought fucking wrong

Because you know that something's not right

Because you're in too deep

You've played this far. You've scrolled this far.

You have to see how this ends

You have to tie up the last loose ends

You see this? This is the game's map. It actually has a really clever design! Not only are the icons for the areas cubes, but you can also change perspectives like how you do in-game! Pretty cool, right? There are also some small indicators you can see on the bottom left. They mark if you've left any cubes, bits, treasures, or locked doors. They also mark any secrets you might have left! And they turn golden once you've found everything there is in that room, including secrets

If you were normal (let's imagine that for a bit, okay?) and you got the 64 cube ending, that's it, right? You've gathered every cube, you've gathered every map (you need them to get all cubes), you've gotten every key and opened every locked door, that should be it, right? You have everything the game asked you to have, so the whole map should be golden, right?

...right?

No! :D you fucking fool, you poor summer child

In fact, there are three rooms left. Three rooms left with a secret symbol next to them, and one other special room

First, we'll talk about the special room

Once you gather 64 cubes, you'll be able to open a door hidden on an unsuspecting island and access this one special room

kinda weird, right? It has a tileset that appears nowhere else in the game, same with its background. There's also a strange transparent heart over it? Strange

Now, the three ungolden rooms

First, the observatory, the room with the easiest puzzle, at least in comparison with the other two

Second, you have whatever the fuck this is. In order to solve this one, you HAVE to know the Fez language, no ifs or buts. Not only that, but there's a high chance that you were reading the language the wrong way, so in order to have the remote chance to solve this mf you'll have to git gud and realise the error of your ways

And last, but definitely not least

The most infamous room in the entire game aside from maybe the heart room previously shown

This cunt

These three are the hardest challenges the game has to offer, no exaggeration. And also, the first two rooms can be solved at any point of your adventure, but for the third one you HAVE to have completed the 32 cube ending, no workarounds

Now, how to solve them?

If you go to the observatory at night, you'll notice two red blinking stars in the corner. They're speaking in binary code, with one being 1 and the other being 0. Then, that binary has to be translated into a buncha diff languages to be decoded, and once you're done you'll be left with a set of commands that you'll enter in the observatory to get a special red cube that not even Dot, the motherfucker in 4 dimensions that knows things beyond our comprehension, knows what it is

For the second room in fez language, you'll need to answer a question with the cubes provided to you. It's a weird thing where you have to mix this word with the name of the company who made the game, I don't know man. Once you've answered you'll get the second red cube

And now, the third room

Commonly denominated the black monolith room

Why is there no black monolith?

Because you have to make it appear

First, you have to get this burnt map

Behind it, there's a string of code that translates into commands

You need to get into the room, and use the special ability given to you in the 32 cube ending: first perspective mode

You'll have to stand in the tiny square inside this infinity symbol thing that doesn't have a line in it (basically, not the one the screenshot is looking at lol), and then you'll have to do the commands

Once you do it, the black monolith will appear

Okay, you did it

You put the code correctly

Now what?

This isn't a collectable. This isn't a red cube. This doesn't do anything. What is this? How do I solve this puzzle

You wanna know the answer?

Who fucking knows

No one knows the answer to this. No one knows how to solve this. The community solved this a week after launch by bruteforcing it. I shit you not they made a bot that spewed random fez inputs and people just tried them until they got the correct solution

No one knows how it's meant to be solved. To this day, people still go on the r/fez subreddit to give their theories on what the intended solution was meant to be

They have tried everything

The position of the candles, the boiler room, some other random ass rooms that look remotely similar to the black monolith room, a random shower room, it somehow being on a book in the game that's just filled with haikus??, some bullshittery mobius strip mental gymnastics, the other half of the code being in an abandoned airport in Arizona...

...whatever the fuck this is...

by far the most known theory was the release date theory

but that got disproven by one of the devs a few years ago

but anyways, we've already gone through insanity for long enough, it's time to be normal now

Once you've gathered all of the red pieces, they will appear in the heart room

that's it

we're done

...

....almost

there's a secret code

one that was actually intended to be datamined for once lmao

If you look at certain artifacts in the menu and you rotate them a certain way in a certain order, the heart will vanish and the screen will turn white

you'll be sent back to the menu, and if you load that save file and go back into the temple...

there will be nothing waiting for you there

that, my friend, is the true end of Fez

You wanted to know too much, you wanted to learn everything, to the point of wanting to tear open a creation that took blood, sweat, tears, and five years to complete. And now there is nothing. You ignored the game's boundaries of only wanting to let you know this much, and now the game is empty, the love is gone, and there is nothing left for you here

You can leave now, I hope you're satisfied

#ask #ace #long post #fez #fez videogame #fez game #i went very overboard lol #i love this game so much man #fez video game #heho i hope you enjoyed this lighthearted ramble #i promise you it could be worse #nathan's notes

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sunnykeysmash · 1 year

Note

I haven't ever been sure what to make if clip show so I'd love to hear your thoughts about why it's in Dennis's head. And other than the inception reference, why doesn't the top stop spinning?

Okay, this is gonna be long, so I'm gonna have to divide it in sections. This is all obviously my own opinion, feel free to disagree (obligatory disclaimer).

I'll treat these sections sort of like layers, going from the ones that are most on the outside, the cosmetic observations, and slowly get more into the episode itself and my own thoughts. So, here goes.

1. The promotional art

Pretty self explanatory, but the episode was promoted with this drawing.

There are two main school of thoughts about this episode from what I've seen, with valid arguments on both parts. "It's all in Charlie's mind", and "It's all in Dennis' mind".

The drawing is done by Charlie, so technically this can go either way, but notice that the action depicted takes place in Dennis' head.

Other points towards the "it's all in Charlie's head" side that I've seen have been that he manipulates the space by having two of himself, he's the one opening the door at the end and looking up. And these are really valid, so I can't in good conscience say 100% it's one or the other, BUT...

2. The framing

Dennis is being centered here, as the only one behind the counter with the gang on opposite side, they're all gathered around him, with Mac (conveniently?) sitting at the counter, nearer but still not behind the "barrier" of the counter.

He looks like he's being singled out as protagonist just from where he's placed. Then again, it's noteworthy to add that Charlie is at the center of his own side. He's also the one who'll confront Dennis later.

3. Change of position

When said second Charlie enters, Dennis finally comes out from behind the counter, and aside from Charlie, is the only character who substantially moves from his initial position on camera. As far as I remember, Dee, Frank and Mac never even get up (well, aside from Dee falling and then getting ice off-camera). I will get more into why I think this is important in a second, for now just keep it in mind.

4. Grounding and inconsistencies

When Dennis attempts to bring everyone back into reality, the same time-section where he later on will be accused of "attempting to change reality" by "having Mac not live with him", he himself actually first breaks the illusion that they're in reality by questioning Dee about the cut on her forehead.

Now, if Dennis was actually attempting to manipulate reality on purpose, instead of simply losing sight of it, he wouldn't have done that. He would've kept his mouth shut. Instead, this happens: Dennis asks about where the cut went, is confused about what's real and thus attempts to orient himself by asking questions that are supposed to have static answers in his mind.

The questions he poses are as follows:

To Frank: Are you tall and handsome with a full head of hair?

To Charlie: Is the waitress in love with you?

To Dee: Are you a successful actress?

And to Mac: Are you my roommate?

These are the questions Dennis chooses that he believes will have the most obvious and easily determinable answer, the ones whose status stays pretty much unchanged, the ones with the most static answer possible, the ones that determine reality. Not only that, but questions that reflect the receiver's strongest desires and wishes. Something they would think worthwhile to alter reality for.

And when Mac answers "No, of course not", Dennis' immediate interpretation of it is, "there you go, we are in Mac's head." So if the answer is anything but a "yes", then they MUST not be in reality... according to Dennis.

But back up a second... how could we be in Mac's head according to Dennis? We - the audience - are very aware of how painfully in love Mac is with Dennis. But Dennis is not, not post ND at least. So for him, the answer to "are you my roommate?" is supposed to always be "yes" in reality, and he thinks it's Mac that would want otherwise.

Dennis is certainly not altering reality on purpose here, or he wouldn't have asked any question whatsoever. But he thinks Mac doesn't want to be his roommate.

That's a very Dennis centric way of interpreting things post ND.

Not to mention he gets basically overwhelmed by the gang (or what they represent in his mind) asking "Everyone knows that the most annoying person in the world is Mac, so why would you ever want to live with him?" and instead of answering, which he can't since I interpret this is literally him processing complex feelings about the recent events in his mind (more on this later!), everyone gets booted out and back into "reality". Which isn't reality, because as you mentioned, the top keeps spinning, because the entire episode takes place inside someone's mind, and we are just back to a normal basis of it.

"But hold on" I hear you counter, "yes we were in Dennis' head in this specific segment, but how does this say anything about the rest?" and to that I say, good question, let me proceed.

5. Importance and subjectivity in memory altering

As Dennis futilely attempts to ground everyone (and himself) constantly by trying to keep facts straight, reality itself, which we know is still not reality but rather the inside someone's mind, doesn't really reflect what's true.

The gang insists they don't remember Dennis leaving for North Dakota.

Pretty hurtful thing to hear... except we know it's not the truth.

From The Gang Makes Paddy's Great Again:

MAC: "I was super sad about my old roommate leaving, and you said I needed something Dennis-shaped to fill my hole."

CINDY: "No, Mac, I said that you obviously had a Dennis-shaped hole in your life that you needed to fill."

MAC: "How is that not the same thing?"

CINDY: "Okay, I obviously wanted you to, I don't know, maybe start dating or do something, not get a sex doll of your best friend."

DEE: "No, not best friend."

CHARLIE: "Oh, whoa, whoa. Yeah, sorry, not best friend."

DEE: "He didn't like him much. He left him a contact number for where he was gonna be in North Dakota, but it ended up being a mental health line."

CHARLIE: "Yeah."

MAC: "He miswrote one of the digits, and that..."

CHARLIE: "Naaah, he knew what he was doing."

FRANK: "He was avoiding him."

From The Gang Gets New Wheels:

DENNIS: "All those questions that you've got for me about what's going on, go ahead and ask them to me now. You want to ask me if I'm gonna stay or if I'm gonna go."

CHARLIE: "I don't care. Do you?"

DEE: "I mean, it doesn't really..."

DENNIS: "I may go back. Yeah."

FRANK: "Okay."

DENNIS: "So, you guys want to ask me questions about my family."

MAC: "I don't."

So clearly, the take away here is they do remember, they just don't care to bring it up. And who would interpret the second as the first?

The same person who misremembers leaving for North Dakota twice. In fact, that is the only memory to be altered twice. So clearly, it's a memory on which has been placed great importance... by Dennis. The gang saying they don't remember Dennis leaving reflects his feelings on how they reacted to it more closely than the reality of it (which is that they don't care, not that they don't remember, an excuse his brain is making up to cope with it).

And since the gang doesn't care, they also wouldn't bother altering the memory of him leaving twice.

This also explains the belief that Mac doesn't want to be his roommate, as the whole episode is him trying to process everything related to North Dakota. The same way Dennis thinks they don't remember, and this belief bleeds into their reactions, so does he think that Mac didn't stop him because he doesn't actually want to live with him, and that he (Mac) would go as far as to alter reality to make that happen. Once the table is turned on him, he can't answer "why do you want to live with him?".

Because he's not altering any of this on purpose, it's happening on its own as he fails to process the reality.

Additionally, the gang remembers stuff that only Dennis would know about, I'm talking about the doctor which Dennis actually SAYS was just "a figment of his imagination", so how can THEY know about him?

6. Charlie's Double Life

And finally, the core of it all in my opinion. Those two times where I said "more on this later"? This is later.

The two Charlie's presented to us actually represent Dennis' attempt to process, and failure to reconcile, his two lives. Brian, with the child and the girl. Dennis, with Mac, his roommate.

He thinks he can't have both and has to make this impossible choice between the two. They actually are both "selves" that represent him, but he can't reconcile them, as they are two distinct identities that to him exist separately and actively negate each other.

It's clear to me that the episode is blurring things between Charlie and Dennis on purpose, and this whole debate of "is it in Charlie's head?" "is it in Dennis' head?" was crafted pretty much on purpose.

Anyway, seeing the second Charlie enter is the only thing that gets Dennis to exit the confines of the counter, further showing its significance to him.

DENNIS: "You know what, we're in [Frank's] head right now. That's why Charlie was talking about wanting to go back to living with him."

FRANK: "It's insane; Charlie already went back to living with me."

This is presenting us with a situation that pretty much represents Dennis to a T but... not so much Charlie! I don't even think Charlie moved out for any significant amount of time?? Nor did anything about the Waitress being pregnant get brought up past Dennis' Double Life when they attempted to have a child, and by the time Clip Show happens we know it has been a year, thanks to Big Game being a flashback to a year back, with Dennis already absent.

It can't be Charlie wishing he actually had a child with her, because already in DDL and Great Again he is fed up with her attention. Not to mention, at this point in time he would supposedly know the information of whether the Waitress ended up pregnant or not. He also wouldn't imagine all of this to make Frank jealous, because he has no reason to.

It also can't be Frank, because as far as we know, they are currently living together, him and Charlie.

I mean, if there is one person who hasn't been around and would be unsure of whether the Waitress ended up pregnant or not (outside of the audience, which still didn't know at that point, either), it would be Dennis. Whether she is or isn't is not really relevant to the purpose of the scene though, imo.

Because watching his own situation through someone else is probably what Dennis is doing here.

To me, the entire episode makes much more sense if we consider all of it as happening inside Dennis' mind, and as being his growing attempt to process and rationalize complex feelings, such as, in order:

Why doesn't anyone care that I left? ("they don't remember")

What do I really want? ("live with my kid or with my roommate?" he wants both, hence the two Charlies)

Why didn't Mac stop me? ("he doesn't want to be my roommate"; —additionally "Why didn't the gang stop me?" since he also imagines that, which anyway goes back to "they don't remember")

Why did I want him to stop me? (aka "Why do I want to live with him?", he is unable to rationalize this one, despite being cornered by the entire gang, which now I can mention are representing his own internal debate, so he gets booted out of the alteration before he can answer and instead lands on the usual "mac is annoying, I don't actually want to live with him, I was trying to make it stop by leaving" which we know isn't true but it's what he believes to cope)

New Wheels showed us that leaving for ND was a situation which impacted Dennis deeply:

DENNIS: "I know that a lot has been on your minds these last couple weeks since I've been back. Burning questions about my personal life, yeah. I was gone. Now I'm back. That's been confusing for you. It's been overwhelming. The whole thing has been overwhelming for you. And you've danced around the topic for a while now out of respect for my privacy. And I-I really do appreciate that, but I would like for you all to know that I am ready now, and I think it's time to open it up to questions."

Dissecting the obvious projection here for a moment, it has been confusing and overwhelming.

So to me Clip Show is just him trying to work it out in his head, to navigate these overwhelming and confusing feelings regarding his reality. It just makes more sense to me that way, as I don't think Charlie has much to process in regards to the Waitress and all.

6. Except...?

Yeah, I am still not sure why the second Charlie pops up at the end. Charlie looks directly at Dennis though, so that's... something.

I mean, Charlie says "that's how everyone remembers" (watching yourself watch yourself) hence the assumption that this is all in Charlie's mind... but I don't know. It doesn't add up for me personally. It might just be that misremembering that memory of the pregnant waitress ("making stuff up" as Dennis calls it) still affected his mental reality because that's what happens with memories. They become your truth if you believe them, even if they're false.

Dennis seems particularly disturbed at this turn of events. He's been the most preoccupied with keeping things straight.

Another point of debate in my head has been. "Okay, say it takes place in Dennis' head... but when?"

Because as soon as you accept that the whole episode happened inside someone's head just in general, it gets harder to place it on a timeline. It could potentially have happened at any moment.

A part of me sometimes likes to speculate that this could be happening while Dennis himself is still in North Dakota. Maybe he's dealing with the rejection of not being stopped. He's imagining himself back at home. Maybe it's something he did often. Imagining himself at the bar, everything back to his normal, all the important people in his life surrounding him, some (Mac) nearer to his core than others, he still doesn't know how the Waitress thing resolved (hence why two Charlies at the end), and most importantly, in this reality, Mac is his roommate. And when Mac says he isn't, it's destabilizing. There is no conceivable reality where that's not the case.

"All right, Mac, it's clearly you, so snap us out of it, man." he says.

"No. We're not in my head. I swear." Mac answers.

But Dennis insists. "Yes, we are, man. We're in your head. You're trying to alter reality."

Except there is a conceivable reality where that's the case. Because he left. But he doesn't want to believe that there is. And so we get kicked out from "inside his head" and back to the reality where they are roommates.

This is Dennis' unchanging reality: where Frank doesn't have air or is tall, where the Waitress isn't in love with Charlie, where Dee isn't a famous actress (and has the cut on her head), where Mac lives with him.

"Thank God we're back to normal." Dennis says at the end.

Except we aren't in reality, because the top keeps spinning.

#iasip #it's always sunny in philadelphia #always sunny #dennis reynolds #meta #analysis #the gang does a clip show #clip show #AAAAAAND SCENE!#I've wanted to make this post for 2 years lol lmao #please no bully i know im crazy #let's debate clip show like the ancient philosophers #s13 may be worst season but it's MY worst season. my child. my first live watched. i will defend it #i love its promo content. halloween vibes. anyway. s13 is my trash i eat it i consume it i love it ok

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skysometric · 5 months

Text

why, thank you for asking! i've been thinking it through for the last few days, i just wanted to make sure my answer was all written and ready to go first. all... checks notes... 4,000 words of it.

ICYMI, last week i sent asks to a bunch of my friends with a simple question: "what's your favorite game you played this year?" as i hoped, y'all gave a bunch of EXCELLENT answers, all of which i reblogged on my side blog @autumatically! (if you didn't get an ask like this and you want to join in, ping me – i sent too many asks to keep track of and i probably just forgot to send one your way!)

of course i wanted to answer this myself, but i wanted to write about more than just one game! and when i sat down to write, i just kept going, and going, and going...

so we're splitting this up! every day this week, i'll be counting down my top 5 games that i played in 2023. not all of these are games that i've streamed, and only one of them has shown up on anyone else's lists so far, so i'm really excited to reminisce and share my experiences this year 💖

maybe you'll even find a new game to try out? i'm certainly really excited to dig through y'alls lists and try some of the ones i missed out on this year!

to kick things off, let's start with:

Honorable Mentions

two games came out this year that i would probably put in my top 5, no competition. so why didn't i? because i didn't actually play them!

see, as much as i love to play video games, oftentimes i also like to watch them just as much. this has always been great for games that i never intended to play in the first place, like the Final Fantasies and Fortnites of our day… but lately it's also let me take turns with my partner on who plays which new releases.

in fact, for both of the games i'm about to list, i watched my partner play them in full and i've watched no less than two separate people stream them as well. which means, with all that oversaturation, it's probably gonna be a while before i play them myself…

either way! here's my top two games that i didn't play in 2023.

Pizza Tower

this one likely needs no introduction! Wario Land 4 is one of my favorite games of all time, and the way Pizza Tower extends those basic concepts is a masterclass of game design. the moveset is perfectly geared toward accessible speed tech, the level layouts are top notch, the different forms are unique and funny, the art style is GORGEOUS, the combo system adds incredible replay value and pushes the player to their limits…

honestly the only thing stopping me from playing this right now is that the levels are too fresh in my mind, and i'd like a little time to let those memories fade before i dive back in and experience everything in a wave of nostalgia. seeing so much of the game already was totally worth it, though – i had the distinct pleasure of watching my partner learn how to P Rank most of the levels, and the simple joy of watching her build up her skills is one of my standout memories of 2023. proud of you, love!

god, Pizza Tower is a perfect slice of video game. i can't WAIT to play it myself!

Super Mario RPG

as a young kid, i always wanted a physical copy of this game. i could never justify it, though, because i already owned it on Wii Virtual Console, and it was one of the more expensive SNES games i had my eye on… a whole $40 in 2007 money! fast forward to the modern day, and not only do i no longer have easy access to that old Wii copy, but a physical cart now goes for like $90???

blessedly, along comes the Switch remake. i still can't believe this exists – it's a perfect remake in every way, shape, and form! the sprite-based animations are lovingly recreated, the battle system is rebalanced in fun ways, and the music is PERFECTLY re-arranged. even the dialog, which i expected to be completely retranslated… it's smoothed over, but mostly unchanged! the original game's unabashed weirdness and charm is fully intact, and i did NOT expect that out of modern Nintendo.

this is one that i didn't mind watching others play; Super Mario RPG is all about the vibe, and this remake captures that vibe perfectly. i'm excited to play it myself once it's had time to settle! but, for now, i'm perfectly content just vibing with others~

#gaming #writing #top 5 games 2023 #pizza tower #super mario rpg #2023 year in review

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azumasoroshi · 1 year

Text

guess who just found out about the izaya character song, wonderful days!! woo!!!!!!! time to cry my fucking eyes out

i suck at japanese but here's a transcribed version of a lyrics video on youtube from 2011 which means it's extremely accurate ofc:

Subarashii Hibi (Wonderful Days)

We go our separate ways

Even if we met once in a while, there's nothing to talk about

I want to be with you, but there isn't enough time anyway

Let's go someplace where no one's around

If we took a break

Without noticing, we'd also grow older trying to be young

We became excessively informed in nothing but dark conversations

Both of us, busily sweating

It's a wonderful day, power is overflowing

I'm living, throwing everything away

Since you'll forget me

At the same time, I'll be able to meet you soon

Nostalgic songs and even smiling faces,

I'm living, throwing everything away

Even if I were to remember you

I'd do nothing at that time; (but) sleep, sleep

Morning and evening, sometimes I'll sing while daydreaming

Since you'll forget me, if you were to do that, I'd be able to meet you quite soon

also here's another translation i found (AFTER writing all that down) which is a bit more comprehensible

alright so what the FUCK does this mean lmfao

it's probably post-ketsu where he's reflecting on how ikebukuro will forget him and only when it does will he be able to return?

i think he was trying to sing to ikebukuro as a whole, but some character-specific lines jump out with shizuo/shinra "Let's go someplace where no one's around" is pretty hard to generalize to an entire city's population, probably subconsciously pff

the "though we meet up sometimes" confuses me because afaik he doesn't return to ikebukuro in the light novels and has pretty much cut off contact with everyone, so while he's clearly talking about emotional distance im not sure how he can't also be talking about physical distance :sob: isnt he in russia?? maybe i should actually read the light novels

on the other hand the "we meet up sometimes" could imply that this is NOT in fact post-ketsu which makes things like 10x more interesting because now it really fucking sounds like he's singing to shizuo

(lyric-by-lyric analysis of this song from main story izaya's pov under the cut because im merciful)

the "we meet up sometimes" = their fights, "but there's nothing to talk about" they never have any productive conversations during their chase scenes lmfao

"Let's go somewhere where there's no one else around, when we get a break" is interesting because izaya is pretty frequently alone? like he's always in crowds and outside and stuff but he's never really being "observed" per say

maybe it refers to how shizaya's chase scenes are always outside and heavily reliant on ikebukuro's infrastructure, this being in the view of the general populace, and as such their relationship is pretty public knowledge and has a certain set of unchanging expectations regarding it

and it could be like. what if we met outside of ikebukuro, free from the expectations and rumors of our city? what would i say to you if no one was around to witness it?

god im absolutely coming at this with top-down processing because my shizaya goggles are permanently embedded into my skull im so sorry. like im trying to see things from like oh what if he's talking about namie or shinra or something but it just doesnt make as much sense!!!

"All of a sudden, though we meant to stay young, we've grown older too" could refer to how shizaya's whole chasing thing is kind of?? childish?? like they've been at this for 5 years or something, and it's like. that's not OLD but the way they kind of?? retain their youth around each other most of all despite having the longest history with each other is interesting

"We've recklessly ended up knowledgeable on nothing but gloomy stories" is kinda confusing because that mostly applies to Izaya and like. maybe Mikado but not really anyone else? esp not shizuo since he's kinda. clueless to everything that happens, or at least a lot less involved and only becomes involved when there's violence to be had

in reading the "dark conversations" translation i immediately thought of like. back alleys and shady deals and stuff so i thought it was referring to that, which is still an izaya thing im just not sure who he's referring to in the "we" - guess that one applies to all of ikebukuro because rumors and stuff

late disclaimer i have not watched durarara in 5 years i have no idea what im talking about

"We're so busy with our own things we sweat up a storm" is pretty self explanatory; izaya's always busy ruining people's lives, shizuo's always busy dealing with the annoying shit izaya throws at him (not literally) and sometimes russian assassins and mafia lolis

"What wonderful days! Power overflows" definitely fits main story izaya more than post-ketsu, since he very much enjoys his power over ikebukuro and ruining people's lives, although you could interpret it in kind of a sarcastic way, esp since the song isnt exactly happy overall

the "...and i live having thrown everything away" is likely referring to emotional attachments/the concept of a "normal life", standard pathetic izaya stuff

"You will forget me, so when that happens, I'll be able to come see you right away" takes on a vastly different meaning pre-ketsu because this makes it seem more like izaya's scared of being forgotten - despite living in shinjuku he always comes back to ikebukuro, refuses to let it forget him, definitely refuses to let shizuo forget him and keeps tugging the line of their connection because he knows shizuo will only pay attention to him when he sees izaya and normally won't go out of his way to shinjuku

makes me even sadder thinking about how he finally lets it go the end of ketsu :sob: he finally has to step back and let ikebukuro forget him/let his legacy lie, maybe become a living myth like celty in a way

"the nostalgic song and smiling face both - live having thrown everything away" ughHHHH you confuse me izaya. i dont know what this is about i really dont. it would seem to imply post-ketsu again because there's nothing he's really nostalgic for in the main story, and he never really ditches his constant smile until the very end.

if we were to force a main story interpretation i'd say nostalgia for his high school days, or maybe the days before he started getting involved with the mafia/information broker stuff and it was really just him and his sisters because he's a lonely ass bitch

you could say that he might've not had any true smiles since then? or he's never made anyone smile truly because they're usually either glaring at him or smirking or looking at him in fear/horror or something vaguely antagonistic

"If even so I remember you at that time, I'll do nothing and to go sleep" ?? izaya in denial/purposefully denying himself of companionship? what else is new lmao

"While singing both morning and night, sometimes I absentmindedly consider how you will forget me, so should that happen, I'll be able to come see you right away." cant believe izaya admitted he sings about shizuo at morning and at night and thinks about coming to see him what the fuck

ANALYSIS OVER IM DONE IM FINISHED WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS MAN

not the greatest song ive ever heard (character songs rarely are) he sang so slowly that i barely had to pause to type everything out, but hey ill take any izaya crumbs

now time to scrape up translations of SHIZUO's character song woooo

#izaya orihara #orihara izaya #durarara #drrr #shizuo heiwajima #heiwajima shizuo #shizaya #tag spamming on this one just because it took me so long to write lmfaooo

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beantothemax · 28 days

Note

First day of school was fine. Surgically extracted the angst from this fic cause I am NOT writing that!!!!!

Most of Lyn's little makeshift army had returned home. They were always happy to fight tyranny, but now with Lundgren gone, they had little reason to stay. As Lyn said farewell to her friends, she kept wondering about one of them.

They weren't quite friends, Erk was very distant, but she still cared about them.

"Where are you going now?" she asked.

"Visiting my sister. I just got a letter from some asshole who says he's her boyfriend, apparently she's gotten herself sick," Erk rolled her eyes.

Lyn stared at them for several long moments before exclaiming, "YOU HAVE A SISTER!?"

"Parents, too. I'm a biological creature, of course I have family," Erk replied.

Lyn followed Erk and asked at least a million questions as they packed but she was greatly disappointed by the short, unenthusiastic answers.

"I should be off," Erk finally said.

"At least let me escort you to the harbor!" Lyn insisted.

Erk wanted to decline, they truly wanted to make the journey alone but sighed and said yes, in fear that a potential employer may dislike them when they returned.

Big mistake though. Just before Erk could board the ship to Magvel, Lyn insisted on giving her a great hug.

"And take this Sacaean candy! If your sister is sick, this will help her recover," Lyn smiled.

"I'll be sure to give it to her," Erk mumbled.

She boarded the ship and reluctantly waved goodbye to Lyn.

Next stop: Renais castle.

- - -

Artur knew nothing of spider bites and wrote what Lute told him to.

"It's life threatening, I may die," she had said with an unchanging tone and expression, "If I kick the bucket, record all my symptoms and their progression- well, it won't matter if you do because I won't be able to continue my research."

"Lute! Don't say such things, I'll do everything I can to help you," Artur insisted with tears in his eyes, but she dozed off once more.

She had been asleep for just shy of two days, occasionally waking up, but for no longer than some minutes at time. It allowed her to drink, eat, take medicine, and say sarcastic, insensitive things to her friends who worried for her, but little else.

After some days with very little progress, an extraordinarily loud banging on the door awoke her.

"Leave me alone!" she hissed, retreating under the covers.

Artur rose and opened the door, seeing only a young mage who was quite a bit shorter than him.

"Could you please quiet down?" he requested.

"Are you Artur?" they asked plainly.

"Umm... Yes?"

"Step aside," she opened the door wider and walked in.

Artur quickly closed the door behind her so that no light would come in, before returning his attention to the mage.

"Excuse me, you can't be here," he said.

"You wrote me a letter."

"When?"

They pulled the envelope from their pocket and handed it to Artur before shaking Lute awake. He read the first line and finally realized this was the Erk that Lute had mentioned. She never said how short or inconsiderate they were.

"Stop being lazy, you'll be fine, you big baby," Erk muttered.

"Erk!?" Lute yelled.

She sat up suddenly and hugged them tight. Truly, she looked like death. Her skin was pale and grey, eyes hardly open with exhaustion.

She hated being sincere, hated telling people she loved them and especially hated doing it in front of other people, but Lute was the exception. Her dear big sister had been the only one to advocate for her when she said she wanted to study abroad and she had always been there when there was a problem.

When their parents didn't understand Erk's new identity, neither did Lute, but she tried her best for her beloved sibling.

"Sorry I couldn't be here sooner, I had to help overthrow a false marquess. Also, I brought some Lycian medicine, an Etrurian spell book and some Sacaean candy," Erk muttered.

"You leave Magvel once and come back spoiling me," Lute chuckled but the strain made her cough.

Erk let go of her and placed her back on the bed. They looked through every inch of their bag, placing all the medicine on the night stand. While they searched for cough drops, Artur sat silently in the corner. He didn't wish to intrude upon this reunion as Lute said she hadn't seen her darling little sibling in ages.

"You overthrew a marquess?" Lute asked in her weak, hoarse voice.

"Kind of. A man tried to kill his brother, the actual marquess and his estranged granddaughter to take the position for himself," Erk muttered.

"I bet you showed 'em who's boss."

"I did."

They found the cough medicine and poured a spoon of it, holding it to Lute's lips, "This tastes really bad," they warned.

Lute grimaced the moment it touched her lips, but she drank it all.

"My little sibling is all grown up," she smiled.

"Not according to lord Pent, he says I'm hardly qualified to be a mage," Erk snickered.

They laughed and caught up in a fashion Artur couldn't quite understand. They seemed to mock each other, calling each other horrible names but laughing through it all. Erk was in the middle of a story about an obnoxious pink haired girl when Lute yawned one last time before nodding off.

"We should let her rest," Erk said.

Artur followed close behind when she left.

"Are you two upset with each other?" he asked.

"No, why do you think that?"

"You kept insulting each other."

"...Have you no siblings?"

"No."

"That explains it," Erk smiled.

They talked little while Artur showed them to a guest room. She lay down her bags before he hesitantly asked, "Do you think she'll be okay? With the spider bite, I mean."

"She'll be up and walking again in a day or two, those things are rarely fatal. She's just being dramatic," Erk said.

"She usually downplays her injuries though..." Artur thought, "Do you think it's because she wanted to see you?"

"Huh?"

"She said it's been almost three years since you were last home, maybe she saw a chance to see you again and took it."

She thought of the possibility and shrugged, "Maybe."

No one in the family had ever been big on showing affection, but she supposed so much time apart could change that.

"I might stay a while, my teacher was going to give me a break anyway and I'm curious about this 'war of stones' that took place in my absence."

oh erk you are most definitely a creature.

lute going ‘hey if I die write down how I die’ and IMMEDIATLY conking out as artur is just

is fantastic. ten outta ten

AND JUST. WEGH. THEMMMMMMMMMMM… MY SILLY OURPLE MAGE GIRL BESTIES…. AUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#YAY YAY YAYA YIPPEEE YAY YAY YAY ERK AND LUTE SIBLINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!#asks #pie-knight #inbox fic #THEM TALKING WAS SOSOSOS GOOD #JUST #PIE YOU DO VERY GOOD DIALOGUE #sacred beanstones

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crabknee · 29 days

Note

Hey look at this

They weren't quite friends, Erk was very distant, but she still cared about them.

"Where are you going now?" she asked.

"Visiting my sister. I just got a letter from some asshole who says he's her boyfriend, apparently she's gotten herself sick," Erk rolled her eyes.

Lyn stared at them for several long moments before exclaiming, "YOU HAVE A SISTER!?"

"Parents, too. I'm a biological creature, of course I have family," Erk replied.

Lyn followed Erk and asked at least a million questions as they packed but she was greatly disappointed by the short, unenthusiastic answers.

"I should be off," Erk finally said.

"At least let me escort you to the harbor!" Lyn insisted.

Erk wanted to decline, they truly wanted to make the journey alone but sighed and said yes, in fear that a potential employer may dislike them when they returned.

Big mistake though. Just before Erk could board the ship to Magvel, Lyn insisted on giving her a great hug.

"And take this Sacaean candy! If your sister is sick, this will help her recover," Lyn smiled.

"I'll be sure to give it to her," Erk mumbled.

She boarded the ship and reluctantly waved goodbye to Lyn.

Next stop: Renais castle.

- - -

Artur knew nothing of spider bites and wrote what Lute told him to.

"Lute! Don't say such things, I'll do everything I can to help you," Artur insisted with tears in his eyes, but she dozed off once more.

After some days with very little progress, an extraordinarily loud banging on the door awoke her.

"Leave me alone!" she hissed, retreating under the covers.

Artur rose and opened the door, seeing only a young mage who was quite a bit shorter than him.

"Could you please quiet down?" he requested.

"Are you Artur?" they asked plainly.

"Umm... Yes?"

"Step aside," she opened the door wider and walked in.

Artur quickly closed the door behind her so that no light would come in, before returning his attention to the mage.

"Excuse me, you can't be here," he said.

"You wrote me a letter."

"When?"

"Stop being lazy, you'll be fine, you big baby," Erk muttered.

"Erk!?" Lute yelled.

She sat up suddenly and hugged them tight. Truly, she looked like death. Her skin was pale and grey, eyes hardly open with exhaustion.

When their parents didn't understand Erk's new identity, neither did Lute, but she tried her best for her beloved sibling.

"Sorry I couldn't be here sooner, I had to help overthrow a false marquess. Also, I brought some Lycian medicine, an Etrurian spell book and some Sacaean candy," Erk muttered.

"You leave Magvel once and come back spoiling me," Lute chuckled but the strain made her cough.

"You overthrew a marquess?" Lute asked in her weak, hoarse voice.

"Kind of. A man tried to kill his brother, the actual marquess and his estranged granddaughter to take the position for himself," Erk muttered.

"I bet you showed 'em who's boss."

"I did."

They found the cough medicine and poured a spoon of it, holding it to Lute's lips, "This tastes really bad," they warned.

Lute grimaced the moment it touched her lips, but she drank it all.

"My little sibling is all grown up," she smiled.

"Not according to lord Pent, he says I'm hardly qualified to be a mage," Erk snickered.

"We should let her rest," Erk said.

Artur followed close behind when she left.

"Are you two upset with each other?" he asked.

"No, why do you think that?"

"You kept insulting each other."

"...Have you no siblings?"

"No."

"That explains it," Erk smiled.

They talked little while Artur showed them to a guest room. She lay down her bags before he hesitantly asked, "Do you think she'll be okay? With the spider bite, I mean."

"She'll be up and walking again in a day or two, those things are rarely fatal. She's just being dramatic," Erk said.

"She usually downplays her injuries though..." Artur thought, "Do you think it's because she wanted to see you?"

"Huh?"

"She said it's been almost three years since you were last home, maybe she saw a chance to see you again and took it."

She thought of the possibility and shrugged, "Maybe."

No one in the family had ever been big on showing affection, but she supposed so much time apart could change that.

"I might stay a while, my teacher was going to give me a break anyway and I'm curious about this 'war of stones' that took place in my absence."

Omg the sisters everrrrrrrrr

My only qualms with this is that pent would not fucking say that, otherwise this is a VERY good fic

@beantothemax you need to see this as well

#asks #pie #inbox fic #crab emblem

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