#ngl i wanted to do a second artwork that goes with this

[syneester]

Oh, Scar. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

#ngl i wanted to do a second artwork that goes with this #but it didn't look like i wanted so #have this #desert duo fanart #grian fanart #third life fanart #desert duo #third life #grian #mcyt #mcyt fanart #trafficblr #syn.art

[creatively-cosmic]

Hi there!

Just wanted to say that I really like your artwork and am a fan of the Missing Numbers stuff. The way the characters are made/portrayed has me in a chokehold ngl. (Fire and Blue are probably my favorite characters, they look really cool-)

But I was curious/had a question about Fire. The scar he has on his chest, the one surrounded by the rings of Arceus: How did he get it? And because it’s been said that Fire is too important to die: does Arceus heal all of Fire’s wounds or just the fatal ones?

That is all though! Have a good morning/afternoon/evening wherever you are!

first of all THANK YOU SO MUCH??? im so glad you like this insane little story of ours!!! hearing ppl really do care about it only motivates us more to work on it!!

As for your questions, these are very fun ones. You're asking all the right things.

(This got long.)

First: The Scar.

The scar over his heart is a very spiritual one. The rings are a part of it, in fact, not just markings.

Fire was made to be the perfect replacement. A flawless player avatar who was only that, and nothing more. A body to be inhabited, controled, and a face to be remembered and idolized. When a player controls this avatar, especially in Pokemon, it doesn't have any free will of its own. Isn't supposed to. Not allowed to think or feel. Just a window into the world through which you experience it.

Extra care was put into making him fit this, as perhaps the most important "avatar" in the Almighty's eyes, and especially after the critical failure that was Glitchy, who's emotions and freedom led him to not only his demise, but mass corruption of the old world that required a total overwrite.

... When a human is made, it is only natural that they've a heart and soul to them. Free will is something that defines humanity. For this man, however, that was not an option.

To get to the point: The scar is where a hand of the Almighty cut his heart from his chest. His mind was also taken from him- did you notice the Golden scar on his neck?

It wasn't always like this. He was made meek on purpose. Quiet. Complacent. Cold. But it was soon proven by another boy's meddling that not a single risk could be taken, leading to his first death at the hands of frostbite. And the subsequent, forced removal of his free will.

So, he was left after with no heart to feel, and no head to think with. ...That was the plan, at least. But time has a funny way of healing all wounds. Reds have always had a funny way of surpassing expectations, for better or for worse.

Second: The Deaths.

Death is a recurring thing in Missing Numbers- the answer to how Fire survives answers how everyone survives, honestly. It all comes down to the fact that the world of Pokemon is a game. And what do you do, when something goes wrong in a game? When you lose? When you die? And, what does the game do when it breaks? How does it handle that? When it's overwhelmed by impossible demands?

Reset. Restart. Try again.

Of course, you, the player, will remember what happened outside of the resets. That's how you learn, and do better, to avoid losing again. You have a different, higher perspective.

The characters within aren't supposed to remember, though. You can rewind, step back, redo things as much as you need- they'll always be the exact same. Unknowing, unaffected. So when Fire dies? When Blue dies? Those two particularly are in a vicious cycle, where things are always put right back to before they went wrong, but...

A big part of the horror aspect of Missing Numbers is breaking this world enough, that the beings inside of the game see past the veil.

The main four we post about within this story have all already had their perspectives shattered to see beyond that. So even if they can't comprehend it or understand why this happens, they remember it. The more it happens, the more powerless you feel. The more desperate you get for your actions to hold meaning. The more drastic the measures you take will become.

Trying over and over and over and over

and over and over and over and over

and over and over and over and over

and over and over and over and over

and over again.

#had a lot of fun answering this!! i love talking abt missing numbers lore :) #trust me when i say there's a LOT to it #and i am ALWAYS. happy to answer any questions about it #im not cagey about it on purpose i just infodump to my friends on discord instead of for everyone to see on tumblr #so pleasseeeee never be afraid to ask things if you're curious i loved answering this !!!! #missing numbers

[weapon13whitefang]

I have questions! Do you/would roleplay Freddy or Nancy? Do you play DBD (Dead by Daylight)? Whats your favorite scene in ANOES 2010?

And I have answers 😊

I haven’t roleplayed as either but I’d be willing to roleplay on Discord or Tumblr messages with someone if they really wanted to/had a good idea to try.

I do not play DBD. I am not the best at video/computer games unless they’re early 90s click and pick old school games or racing games or button smashers. I wanted to try DBD but I kept seeing very unwelcoming people around the game and was told by a few friends that it’s a toxic environment to play in. And I just decided I would rather watch YouTubers play than try myself. Maybe someday. The artwork people make for the game is pretty awesome though ngl.

Can I give two? Because I have two. And that’s the scene where Nancy walks out of her bathroom into her snowy dream. The visuals are awesome and pretty. But that whole dream scene is creepy vibes. Freddy creeping up on Nancy, then coming right up in her personal space and the macabre and sinister use of the glove to cup her hand and lean in to lick her like that. But then… Then he says the line “you smell different” and every fight or flight instinct goes haywire and a chill of disgust just wracks through my body. Because that is such a twisted and sexual and uncomfortable freak show line that a assailant, an attacker, is saying to his victim that was a child when he last got that close to her. Brrrrrr! Nope! Nope! And it’s my favorite scene because it tells so much about their past and what kind of sick fuck Freddy can be. The way he says that line is almost like he’s disappointed but also teasing and mocking her. Blegh!

Second scene is the “this dress was always one of my favorites” scene. The way Nancy can’t move and is forced into a dress that he most likely did fucked up shit to her in… Nope! Plus it’s very reminiscent of A Nightmare on Elm Street 6: Freddy’s Dead : The Final Nightmare and the scene where Freddy puts Maggie Burroughs (aka his daughter Katherine Krueger) in her childhood little dress she wore as a kid. Different meanings there but the nod to ANOES 6 is a nice touch. Plus - if they’d kept the alternate ending - there would be another homage to that movie because Freddy “goes human” while Maggie is trying to drag him out into the real world in that movie (which we didn’t get to see a lot of human Freddy in the movies so this is a big nod here). And the way he’s caressing her with the blades and the juxtaposition cuts between her awake and asleep… It’s great. I love that scene lol

#anoes 2010 #a nightmare on elm street 2010 #a nightmare on elm street #freddy krueger #anon #ask #fun question

[bloodypeachblog]

My Junji Ito Manga Collection (plus one more!)

Hey, so while I’m still writing part 2 of False Impressions, I ordered 3 manga books to add to my collection. They came in today, so I decided to show them off to you all!

If you told me to tell you who my favorite mangaka is, I would have to say Junji Ito. I love the way he writes his stories, how he makes the most mundane things in life the most terrifying thing imaginable, his body horror, and his ability to make every woman hauntingly alluring. Ever since I discovered his work, I always wanted to write a horror story or manga similar to his version of horror. But alas, that has not come to fruition yet. 

Anyways, let’s start the tour!

First off, this is my shelf. I had to make do with my mother’s cabinet and make my own corner to keep my books in one place. My boyfriend recently got me a plushie of my boy, Inosuke, and I like to think he guards my books with his life. Meanwhile Spleenz is just chilling on top. 

First off, we’ll start with one of his most famous works, Uzumaki. It’s about a city cursed with the concept of a spiral, hence the name ‘Uzumaki’, from the perspective of two people, Kirie and Shuichi. I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say it goes from 0 to 100 real quick. I love this story so much, I admire the idea of making things you see in everyday life, like a spiral, into something horrifying. If you have the chance, go read it. You won’t be disappointed.

Next up is another famous work of his, Tomie. It’s basically a collection of stories with one thing connecting them all, a beautiful girl named Tomie. But there’s something wrong about Tomie... I haven’t fully finished this one yet, but so far, I love it. When you read it, notice that the art starts out as cruder and not as polished as Ito’s other work, because the first chapter was his second work he had ever done, made in 1998. Of course, Tomie is hauntingly beautiful, enough to draw you in for more. So if you’re interested, go ahead and check it out!

This next one is one of the ‘selected stories’ series, which is a collection of his one shot stories. This one, ‘Shiver’, includes famous tales, like The Hanging Balloons, Glyceride, The Long Dream, and the only story from him to actually make my skin crawl, Shiver. These stories are great and you are in for a treat if you read this. But pair it along with the next entry.

This is the second entry in the ‘selected stories’ collection, Smashed. This includes stories starring one of Ito’s most infamous characters, Soichi. But others include ‘Splatter Film’, ‘Blood Slurping Darkness’, and many more. Go ahead and give it a go. 

This is Junji Ito’s retelling of Osamu Dazai’s novel, No Longer Human. It’s a sad tale focused on one man and his life of troubles, his actions making him feel ‘no longer human’. Now it’s needless to say that this story gets real sad and depressing, so heads up if you decide to read it. The ending was pretty haunting, but you’ll have to check it out yourself if you want to know how it ends.

Now this isn’t a manga, it’s more of an artbook showing off Junji Ito’s best art. You’ll see artwork from many of his stories I previously mentioned, and it is amazing. You'll wonder how he was able to draw all of these with such detail and realism, like I have whenever I read them. I would say use this as reference for any large tattoos you want to get, especially the front cover (that would make a sick back tattoo, ngl). 

Now these final three I just got today and I either haven’t read or finished them yet, so I can’t really go into detail that much. Please bear with me.

This is, as you can tell, Junji Ito’s retelling of the Mary Shelley novel, Frankenstein. It also contains other stories, but what, I can’t really tell you until I read them. Now if you haven’t read the actual novel, when you think of Frankenstein’s monster, you’d think of some large dim-witted brute who rarely talks. But in the original novel, he’s actually quite intelligent and very handsome, with white irises and yellow sclera (they’re actually only described as creepy, but I like to think of it as that). But a lil story time for me, I’ve always wanted to make a story focused around Frankenstein’s monster, mostly a romance between the monster and a woman with a dark past. You know, a ‘Beauty and the Beast’ kind of tale. I might talk about that more in depth if anyone is interested, but for now, let’s move on.

This is yet another collection of stories, but it’s not in the ‘selected stories’ collection. This is ‘Venus in The Blind Spot’. It includes stories like ‘The Licking Woman’, ‘The Human Chair’, ‘Army of One’, and his most popular short story, ‘The Enigma of Amigara Fault’. I’ve started to read this one and so far, I’d recommend it for first timers of his work. Interestingly, this includes some color pages of the stories, although they are a bit blurry compared to the text in the speech bubbles. But it goes back to classic black-and-white soon enough. So if you wanna start reading Junji Ito, I recommend starting with this before you go in the big stories.

And finally, in my Ito Collection, we have ‘Remina’. I’ve read a chapter in Uzumaki called ‘Hellstar Remina’, so I think this is a more expanded, fleshed out version of that story. This is also the most recently published work from Ito by Viz Media. The story is basically, there’s a new star discovered by scientists and is named after one of the scientists’ daughter, Remina. However as things go on, this star comes closer to the earth and there’s a reason it’s nicknamed the ‘Hellstar’. This one, I haven’t read yet, but I really look forward to it. 

Bonus: The Poe Clan by Moto Hagio

And finally, we have this classic series by a founding mother of modern shojo manga, Moto Hagio, The Poe Clan. It follows a family of ‘vampirnellas’ and shows their stories of love, loss, and immortality. I discovered this on Amazon and read the summary and went ‘I gotta read this’. And let me tell you, I was HOOKED. I loved the classic art style (fun fact: this was published in the 70s!) and the tragic stories of the characters. The author also worked on stories like ‘The Heart of Thomas’, ‘Lil Leo’, and ‘They Were Eleven’. I already pre-ordered volume 2 of this omnibus series, so I’ll be looking forward to that.

And there we have it. My manga collection as of 2022. I have more miscellaneous manga books, but they’re all in boxes in my garage that I don’t feel like digging out at the moment. So I hope you enjoyed this little tour of my collection! Feel free to recommend me any more horror manga or any other kind of manga and we may talk about it more in the future!

#manga collection #junji ito #moto hagio #the poe clan #uzumaki #tomie #hellstar remina #remina #manga #manga art #horror manga

[300iqprower]

Favorite fgo characters from a design perspective? (Doesn't have to be servants only)

hmm....Well, an easy top pick is Colombus. The artist for him Moto Murabito has what might be my favorite art style ever though so kinda cheating, and I don't like his battle sprites half as much. His final ascension in particular I don't like in battle; I get what it's going for but it just looks cluttered and gaudy (which might be the point given his character) and that's coming from a guy who tends to explicitly love the overdesigned stuff. Which leads me into whether I should pick based on battle sprite or pure artwork but I'm definitely inclined towards the latter while keeping the former in mind.

Someone who's the opposite is Achilles, don't like his general design and especially dislike his portrait arts, but I really like his final ascension battle sprite with the sort of lightweight power-armor motif.

On that note my most recent favorite and possibly my absolute favorite is Aśvatthāman for sure. Every single one of his ascensions is gorgeous to look at and I regularly can't decide if I like his second or third more.

Martha is one of the few Summer servants who I consider to have a flat out better design than their original. You get a nice summer hat and dress, a jacket that wouldn't look out of place on Kazuma Kiryu (personal favorite), or Beach Episode Tifa.

Of course there's Siegfried, a design so good it suckered me into wasting my SR ticket on him cause I stupidly believed the bit people parrot about picking who you want being the most important. Fucking liars this game is a slave to meta. But it's a fantastic design and fuck his summer outfit for covering most of it up. Same goes for Casgil actually. I’m 100% on board with the Siegfried is Fafnir theory and if its true his design is flat out genius.

Lanling/Gao is just fcking infuriatingly gorgeous and possibly my pick for best visual representation of their legend, certainly tied with Siegfried for it. Relatedly Yu Mei Ren in both art style, animations, and against all odds actual outfit is *chef’s kiss*. Funny how a series that so routinely grossly oversexualizes characters got a character literally named Consort Yu PERFECT with a design that fits her origin and character stylization beautifully. The sheer anguish on display in some of her portraits is wonderful as well and very important to nailing her character in lb3 while also being a great contrast when she’s frequently used in gags for events.

“Inferno” has m my favorite portraits of any character in the game, full stop. I take psychic damage every time it shows her sad expression. Ponytail supremacy though!

Nobunaga across all forms is absolutely perfect in just about every sense and is tied with Vlad III for third place after those other 2 for my pick of best representing their counterpart. Docked points for the genderbend but its made up for by sheer art style (especially with avenger nobu) and personality on display.

Some more low key designs that I still very much love include base Nyalter (i ABSOLUTELY HATE her ascensions though) and Kotarou and Billy’s final ascensions (which i can only describe as fcking badass), as well as Vlad as aforementioned for just perfectly capturing the halfway point between himself and Dracula (ngl i do not care for extra vlad’s design.)

Shakespeare’s design is actually what initially drew me to him even more than his identity and all i can say is im so glad such a fantastic character has such a good design AND one of the absolute coolest final ascension artworks; i’m a big sucker for red and black glowing stuff. Tangentially related but Jalter’s base is easily her best form.

Ruler Quetz, Astraea, Barge Chest, and Hassan of Hundred Personas all get mention for being among the only female characters allowed to be jacked as hell. More of that.

Mandricardo, Rider Quetz (despite lack of muscle), and Beni all deserve a spot here just for their masterful use of color throughout their entire designs. Beni also gets special mention alongside Ashtart and Okita Alter for utterly gorgeous sword attack animations, with Okita Alter probably having the best sword np in the game.

Zerkerlot is a unique case, because he looked amazing in Fate Zero but lost that in fgo because the whole reason he looked amazing was the use of cgi to give him this not-quite-human touch to his movements which fit his character perfectly, and it was infinitely better done than whatever tf they did with Herc in Heaven’s Feel.

Mozart and Salieri have got to be another easy pair for the list, not only are they just visually interesting as hell to look at, but Mozart’s is an amazing flip of his origin story and Salieri in everything from portrait to battle sprite to attack animations is absolutely overflowing with character. (Except his np for some ungodly reason that is some weak fcking shot right there)

And lastly there’s Coffin Archer, Gramps, Oberon, and Dantes, all to the surprise of literally no one because those are the free spaces on the favorite fgo design bingo card. There’s nothing i can say about how good their designs are that hasn’t already been said.

In terms of non player characters my favorites are typically those who i feel have designs that fit the character’s intended impact. Goredolf, Romani, ‘Solomon,’ Kadoc, Daybit, ‘Sigurd’, and the Demon God Pillars in the pseudo singularities are ALL examples of what i mean, with the non humans listed there also just looking REALLY fcking cool as a bonus.

Basically i look for three things in a servant design: Color, complexity, and/or authenticity. If a servant’s design isn’t something that screams their identity, then it had better be something interesting on its own. And as for what i dislike, it’s when it’s something completely unfocused on what the character is supposed to be or really anything that prioritizes sexualizing them over having a good design, which is sadly why so many of these picks are sadly male servants. I despise how many female characters are short, model-like and muscleless (even when it’s someone like Quetz who we had to wait for santa quetz to get her with some goddamn muscle despite it supposedly being a defining trait for her) or just utterly stupid in their anatomy for the sake of catering to incels who find the very concept of an independent woman terrifying. It’s why there’s always a catch with female servants be it a motherly obsession, an over sexualized as hell design, a deep seated emotional vulnerability that makes them dependent on the player, or just being absurdly short. Meanwhile the male servants regularly get to actually be designed with their legend and ONLY their legends in mjnd resulting in far more varied yet coherent designs on a lot of fronts. Also every child servent design that isn’t 1st ascension Abby or 2nd ascension Voyager can die in a fire.

Now lets can this on the head with absolute favorites from what ive listed before it turns entirely into another soapbox rant. In no particular order:

Final Salieri

Base Jalter

Dantes

Oberon

Siegfried

Gao/Lanling

Colombus

Aśvatthāman

2nd Summer Martha

Final Billy

Shakespeare

Beni-Enma

Base “Inferno”

Coffin Archer

Kadoc

Humanoid Demon God Pillars

Maou Nobu Trio

Yu Mei Ren

#fgo #fate grand order #character design #long post #positive fate post #fate series #never thought i’d get an ask #FUCK I FORGOT YU MEI DAMNIT

[sailorstarr-chan4]

Manga Updates: Red River

Volumes: 28

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Favorite Characters: Yuri, Kail, Rusafa, Hadi and the twins Shala and Ryui (honestly the main cast is so good)

Favorite Pairing: Yuri x Kail (aaaaaaaaand maybe lowkey Yuri x Rusafa ^^”)

Pros: Where do I start??? Absolutely FANTASTIC and entertaining story; beautiful, crisp, clean artwork, making for smooth reading, gorgeous scenery, and easy-to-follow action scenes; Historical Drama and Angst through the roof; sweeping breathtaking romance; absolutely FANTASTIC character development; a perfect blend of real world history and a time-traveling plot; a giant yet memorable supporting cast; loads of Feels; it’s just really AMAZING, OKAY????

Cons: tw: assault and attempted rape..... *le sigh* This was a 90′s manga and set in B.C. era soooo..... consent is a bit squiffy at best. >.>” Actual rape doesn’t happen (on page, anyway), but a LOT of attempted rape does, as well as one or two fucked up backstories, because... well.... 90′s shoujo manga/historical drama -.-” Basically, it’s definitely more fitting for mature audiences. Proceed with caution. Literally, though that’s its ONLY real problem which is frustrating ngl

Recommended for: Fans of Inuyasha, Fushigi Yuugi, and other “isekai” anime/manga titles that go back in time in our history, or a fantastical part of history. Or anyone who’s a slut for an epic romance like yours truly. 

~~

What is it about: a young modern Japanese girl is pulled (quite literally) back in time through a puddle by an evil ancient queen with water magic who wants to sacrifice her so that her son will become king. Through various close calls, Yuri is nearly killed and assaulted multiple times while her head is still spinning by “WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED TO MEEEEEE???” issue, but eventually is thrust under the protection of Prince Kail, and has to play pretend-concubine with him in order to survive in a palace where the queen wants her dead. (Yes, this totally is a “fake dating” story dkjbngerdhgje) As time goes on, this dangerous game moves deeper into the political web, while Yuri and Kail’s “pretend lovers” scheme grows slowly into actual true love, and Yuri learns to adapt and grow in the harsh world she’s been forced to live in. She embodies the unexpected role of Ishatar, the “goddess of war,” which was initially to keep her safe, and becomes an inspiration to all as she overcomes adversity time and time again. 

Okay. Okay okay okay. *deep inhale*

THIS IS THE SERIOUSLY THE MOST UNDERRATED GEM I’VE EVER HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO COME ACROSS!!! Seriously, if I didn’t see the first volume at my local library three years ago, I probably never would have discovered this title! At the time, I could only read the first volume, but then, earlier this month, I reread it online and plunged onward to the rest of the series, not touching any other manga titles until I finished it. Which is a rarity for me, since I normally juggle a ton of manga titles lol XD

This series has it all: palace intrigue, political schemes, sweeping romance, Soap Opera Drama, multiple dramatic death scenes that hit you right in the feels, battle scenes, attempted assassinations (among other things), mind-control a la water magic, various cool and awesome details about the ancient world, betrayal, truths revealed, excellent characterization, Drama, Angst, Romance, did I mention Drama???

In short: it is well-written, God-Tier Trash and I love every bit of it. 

I say Trash because of the convoluted plots and schemes concocted by Queen Nakia and her sidekick Urhui, as well as the....er.... problematic elements that are ALWAYS interrupted by Kail or someone else coming to Yuri’s rescue (you know, the “oh nooo, I’m about to be raped, but it’s okay because it was interrupted at the literal last minute!” plot device.... *siiiiiiiiiiiigh*). Thankfully, THAT stuff is diminished significantly in the second half of the series, but yeesh... But it’s still God-Tier Trash because it isn’t just some mindless self-indulgent fantasy. There’s just so much heart in this series and so much beauty and detail, and it breaks my heart that it never got its own anime adaptation, nor a strong following. There are fans, yes, as I noticed in the comments on manganelo.com, but so few compared to bigger titles. Perhaps it was published at the wrong time, in the middle of the manga and anime renaissance of the 90s where more popular titles would overshadow the rest.... 

In any case, if you’re intrigued by my fangirling/ramble and think you can handle.... problematic elements, I highly highly recommend this underrated manga title! 

#Red River: the trash I never knew I needed #and it's only Trash because of THAT; I SWEAR IT'S STILL A GREAT SERIES #FHDKJDKHGDKGHCKGHDKGUGIGI #my post #anime and manga updates #Red River #reviews #otaku #otaku issues #life of an otaku

[shikamarubase]

BoruSara Week 2019: Day 1→Years

5 years old.

Sarada still remembers the first time she met Boruto. He hid behind Aunt Hinata’s leg, his small hand clutching the fiber of her trousers, as her mama encouraged her to get along with the blonde boy.

“Hi, I’m Sarada!”

Blue eyes peeked at her and eyed her outstretched hand curiously, but he made no move to return the gesture. Instead his head disappeared behind Hinata’s leg and the only acknowledgement Sarada received was a soft, “Hi...”.

She pouted at his lack of enthusiasm. Her hand dropped back to her side, dejected. Did he not want to be her friend?

“I’m sorry, Sarada-chan. Boruto is a bit shy when he meets new people.”

Sarada nodded slowly at Hinata’s apologetic explanation, but her eyes never left the spot where Boruto hid himself. As fast as her short legs could carry her, Sarada marched around Hinata until she was face to face with the blonde boy wearing a bright pink shirt.

She stretched her hand towards him and flashed her biggest smile. “Boruto, right? Let’s play!”

For a few seconds, he only stared at her with his mouth pressed into a thin line. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His eyes searched hers and saw no underlying motive in her open face. They stood in silence as he gradually came to a decision. Sarada’s smile didn’t cease as she waited for an answer. Their mothers held their breaths when he slowly reached for her hand and clutched it tightly in his.

“Okay!” Sarada’s eyes lit up when Boruto finally returned her smile with one of his own.

She’ll never forget how his smile was as bright as a sun’s that day.

12 years old.

Every once in a while, Sarada would remember their first meeting and scoff. It’s hard to believe how a person can change so much in a few years. Boruto was no longer the shy and quiet boy she once knew. Nowadays he was loud, obnoxious and always in the middle of trouble. Not a day goes by without the two of them bickering about one thing or another.

She thought they would never again get along as well as when they were children.

She saw him as her rival in her path to becoming Hokage. Boruto was the grandson of the 4th and son of the 7th Hokage after all. It wouldn’t be unusual if he wanted to follow the same path.

Yet he told her, “When you become Hokage, I’ll be your right-hand man. I’ll guard you well!” Boruto said this with such confidence, Sarada felt her face turn red.

Boruto had changed.

She could tell from how he stared straight ahead, eyes unclouded. He finally had a goal he was willing to work towards.

A rush of amazement coursed through her veins as she gazed at the boy in front of her.

For the first time, Sarada noticed how much bluer his eyes were underneath the sunlight.

16 years old.

“Boruto!”

Sarada’s feet slapped against the concrete as she chased after his retreating back. She stretched her arm in a desperate attempt to reach for him, even if it was only a few inches closer.

She wasn’t going to stand by and watch him leave.

“Stop!” She managed to wrap her fingers around a chunk of his cloak and pulled him to an abrupt halt.

“Let go, Sarada,” he said in a low voice. He made no move to face her. Although they were only centimeters apart, she felt like she could never truly reach him.

“Why? Why are you leaving the village? Leaving me?” She screamed at him, hoping the volume of her voice would somehow drown the pain in her chest.

“Didn’t you say you’re gonna be my right-hand man when I become Hokage? You liar!” She repeatedly pounded his back as tears escaped her eyes. And yet, Boruto still would not look at her.

He stood, motionless, and took the blows without a single word. Her punches eventually turned into meek slaps until all she could do was clutch his cloak tightly, sobbing.

“Do you trust me?”

Afraid her voice would crack, Sarada could only manage a faint, “Mm.”

“Then have faith in me and in my promise. I’ll come back for you.”

The strength and conviction in his voice urged Sarada to straighten up and wipe her eyes.

“I’ll be waiting for you, so don’t you dare break your promise.” She gave him another powerful slap to the back, this time urging him forward.

Boruto chuckled in relief. He knew he would be feeling that punch for a while.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

Sarada nodded as he walked away. After taking a few steps, he surprised her by turning around and flashing her a big smile.

“See ya later, Sarada!”

The next time she blinked, he was gone.

23 years old.

Instead of preparing for her inauguration, Sarada found herself pacing back and forth at the top of Hokage Rock. She was convinced the anxious feeling in her chest had little to do with the actual ceremony and more on who’s going to be there.

Or rather, she thought with a sinking heart, on who’s not going to be there.

She should be ecstatic—she was so close to achieving her life-long goal of being Hokage—and yet she had never felt emptier.

She hadn’t heard from Boruto in years, not since he left the village.

Not even a single letter, she huffed in annoyance, he could be dead for all she knew!

In her heart, she knew it wasn’t true. Boruto never breaks his promises, even if it took him years to do so. But couldn’t he spare a few minutes to write her a note or something? Sarada felt like she was going to go crazy from the lack of news.

She put her hands around her mouth and yelled, “Boruto, you idiot!!!”

“Wow. Is this the thanks I get for returning?”

Sarada whirled around, half-convinced she imagined the voice, and gasped. Without another moment’s hesitation, she broke into a run and threw herself into Boruto’s waiting arms.

“Missed me?” He breathed into her neck.

“Idiot, what kind of question is that?” She pulled away to look into the pair of clear blue eyes she had longed to see.

“Of course I did.”

Boruto looked past her head and at the view of their entire village from the top. “This place hasn’t changed a bit,” he said, the corners of his mouth turned up into a smile.

“Do you remember the promise I made here?”

Sarada didn’t reply as a wave of nostalgia washed over her. Her memory of that particular day was still vivid in her mind.

“When you become Hokage, I’ll be your right-hand man,” Boruto repeated with a small glint in his eyes. “A lot has happened over the years, but I’m finally back to fulfill that promise.”

With both of them facing the village, Boruto intertwined her hand in his and squeezed tightly.

They may have been separated for a long time, but Boruto and Sarada were ready to face the future.

Together.

——————

A/N: Hope I’m not late to the party! This was sorta inspired by @benteja’s amazing artwork for the first day of bsa week! Ngl I didn’t plan on doing anything for this week cause of my busy sched, but I can’t ignore it when inspiration hits. It’s my first time to write BoruSara so I’m a bit nervous about posting this >///< I hope you all enjoyed. And as always, thank you so much for reading! <3

@borusarafics

#bsaweek19 #borusaraweek19 #borusara #day 1 #uzumaki boruto #uchiha sarada #boruto #sarada #I didnt have time to proofread this so sorry if I made any mistakes! #yes I spent the better half of my day cramming this lmaooo #study who? hw what?

[ice-cream-beat]

Title: Calling

Author: マサラ Circle: うたかた日和。

Series: Tales of Zestiria Main characters: Sorey, Alisha, Mikleo, Rose, Edna Ships: Sorey/Alisha; Mikleo/Alisha; Mikleo/Edna (these are the author’s listed ships, but they’re all super light and can be taken platonically)

Content rating: G Warnings: None Pages: 36 Ease of reading: you don't even need to read | super easy | know some grammar first | tricky | advanced | this was really heckin hard

Summary:

This one’s actually made up of five short stories! Separated by ships, basically, so I’ll also break up the summary accordingly.

Story #1: Calling

This is set right after Alisha first becomes Sorey’s Squire, as she finds herself too tired to sleep after all the excitement that’s happened. She gets up for a drink of water, reflecting on how eerily quiet the inn is, when she’s suddenly grabbed from behind and screams.

Skip ahead a couple minutes and Sorey’s laughing at having spooked her, but he quickly apologizes when she acts miffed and admits he didn’t think he’d scare her that badly. Alisha, being Alisha, feels ashamed as a knight for scaring so easily and admits as much, but Sorey admits that he likes seeing a different side of her--a side that’s more relaxed, a “normal girl” instead of the Dignified Princess behavior he’s used to. She gets a bit flustered and starts to say that she’s concerned about her dignity as a knight, but Sorey interrupts and tells her “It’s not about dignity--because I know that who you are as a knight and princess has no bearing on the Alisha I want to know as a normal girl.”

She’s surprised at being thought of as a “normal girl.” Sorey suggests that, even if it’s just in front of himself and the others, she might enjoy letting her guard down more often. He mentions that he previously had a similar serious mindset, and once said out loud that he needs “to act more like a Shepherd,” which only made Mikleo angry. Alisha’s amused by the thought since it’s easy to picture.

Sorey asks her what she thinks of Mikleo and Lailah, since she saw them for the first time today. She fawns over them quite a bit, saying they’re as beautiful as she imagined, like angels, just like the tales she heard as a child depicted them... She really goes on and on about it, lol. Even Sorey finally cuts her off (”That’s too much praise, Alisha”).

She asks if all seraphim are as lovely as those two, to which he says no and explains that Gramps is an old man. They start talking about Elysia and Alisha’s surprised to learn that there were a lot of seraphim whom she couldn’t see. As honored as she feels to have been to their village, she also feels guilty for disrespecting them with the way she “ignored” them at the time. Sorey assures her that his family took no offense, and then offers that they go there together again one day so she can meet them all properly, as his Squire.

“And this time, I can introduce you to Gramps!”

She says she’s afraid of being a nuisance, but he promises that he and Mikleo will vouch for her.

And then they promise to return together via another pinky-swear, right in my feels, thanks

Story #2: Dreaming Girl

Alisha confronts Sorey and admits that she’s been wanting to try on his Shepherd’s mantle just once. She apologizes for being so selfish, since it is his gift and all, but he of course agrees and tells her she can wear it as much as she wants. She’s excited and grateful and promises to clean it after she’s done, but he tells her not to worry about it.

She tries it on, asking if she looks like a Shepherd now, and he tells her she looks fantastic and that it suits her--but he also points out that it’s pretty baggy on her, and can’t help laughing at the way the back drags on the ground. When it makes her self-conscious, Sorey just points out that she’s small and dainty--which makes her more self-conscious, and she tries to argue that she does in fact have some muscle on her. Sorey humors her and asks to see, so she lets him feel her arms while the two of them sit on his bed (in an aside comment, he’s impressed by how toned her arms are lol).

Naturally, that’s right when Mikleo walks in. He of course gets the wrong idea and starts yelling at Sorey, Alisha tries to explain that this was all her fault, and Sorey finally realizes what he’s implying and everyone’s just yelling and embarrassed.

"You’ve got it wrong, Mikleo!”

Story #3: Show some more!

Mikleo and Alisha are in a library, wondering when Sorey and the others will return from shopping, when she catches a glimpse of his circlet through his bangs. He explains that he’s always worn it since he was little, and when she asks if it’s a memento, he admits he doesn’t know since Gramps never told him anything about it. He just knows it’s important, so he always keeps it close. Alisha likens it to her armor, and they both agree they would like to know the truth one day.

She wonders why he always hides it behind his bangs, especially since it’s so pretty, and Mikleo admits that, as a guy, he thinks he’d be laughed at for wearing something girly. (whispers also his blush is the cutest thing)

“Important or not, you don’t think I’d be laughed at for wearing something made for a woman?”

Alisha decides to try and cheer him up by asking to see it, but he refuses, and they go back and forth a bit until she finally pushes his hair back herself to look at it. There’s an awkward pause as they both blush now, with Alisha realizing how much she’s encroached on his personal space--although he’s puzzled as to why she’s embarrassed.

Story #4: 3:00 snack for you

Edna pokes Mikleo and tells him to go make her some snacks since he’s not doing anything else.

“That’s not how you use an umbrella!”

He yells at her for half a page, ultimately telling her to go make it herself, but she says it’s too much trouble and that her cooking efforts aren’t super great, anyway. That surprises Mikleo, who points out that she just admitted in a rather roundabout way that his cooking is good--which annoys her, and she barks at him not to keep a lady waiting. He gives in, but not before sarcastically addressing her in an obnoxiously formal manner, which gets him smacked again.

Cut to later and he sets a dessert in front of her. She’s surprised that he can make something other than ice cream (he tells her it’s bad to have cold snacks all the time) and that it’s marron glacé. Mikleo awkwardly explains that he figured he should make her favorite dish to be sure she would actually eat it. Edna admits that it was a (surprisingly) clever idea and tries it--and tells him that even though he has a ways to go before he can compare with Eizen’s cooking, it’s still really good.

Mikleo: “As honest as ever, huh.” Edna: “Aren’t we both?”

Story #5: Wonder

Alisha bursts into Rose’s room and asks if she’s seen a notebook anywhere. Rose gets curious and wonders why she’s so distressed over it, and teases her by asking if there might be a picture of the person she likes in there. (Alisha’s hilarious response is just “Oh, be quiet! It’s nothing like that!”)

Alisha leaves and runs into Sorey, who happened to pick the book up earlier. Before Alisha can feel too relieved, Rose pops up and takes it from him, wondering again what’s inside it and admitting that she knows that Alisha’s been writing in it every night. After some curious-but-respectful prodding from Sorey, Alisha finally admits that she’s been keeping a diary of the party’s journey, and that she thought it would be embarrassing if someone read it.

But Sorey is excited and proudly shows her his Celestial Record, which he’s also been using as a diary on their journey.

“Here’s mine, too!”

Rose proposes that instead of Alisha writing about everyone else on her own, they all pitch in on the writing effort and eventually exchange diaries. She starts thinking of good titles that would sell (”A Record of the Lord Shepherd and His Party”), and Sorey points out that she’s going to make Mikleo mad again. (the “again” made me laugh, ngl)

This cheers Alisha up and she thanks them both, saying she’s looking forward to seeing everyone’s diary after the journey’s over. Rose teases her some more, saying she’ll want to sneak peeks at her diary from now on; when Sorey says that he will, too, Alisha objects and confuses him, while Rose seems to catch on to something she isn’t saying.

Impressions:

I love this art style!! It’s so clean and pretty and expressive! And looks better than some of the official artwork if I’m being totally honest, lol. The stories are super cute, and even though it’s SorAli focused, I really like the screentime that other characters/relationships get. The way each ship is kept pretty light so you can take them as either shippy or platonic is pretty neat, too.

The first story is adorable with Sorey being his usual supportive self, + yassss more Elysia family talk, even if it makes me sad for several reasons :C

The second story is so cute I could die. It’s just so wholesome and precious and happy and I love?? these two?? so much??? I would take a bullet for their relationship it’s so pure

I wish the Mikleo/Alisha one had been longer!! I do have what few MikAli doujinshi exist, sans the lone R18 one which appears to have been lost to time, so I can’t really complain BUT STILL Also I am 110% accepting the headcanon that he hides his circlet because he’s embarrassed by it. (first impressions: he wore it openly as a kid because he didn’t realize/care it was “girly,” and then cared as a teenager because Awkward Years, and then got over it after meeting Muse 👀 )

The Mikleo/Edna one is cute! I don’t actively ship it, but I can get behind it, albeit more so as an epilogue thing. (I do have a few doujinshi for them, since they’re more back-and-forth tsundere humor than real “romance,” which I can definitely appreciate.) Otherwise their grudging friendship is ridiculously cute and I love it.

Sorey and Alisha stood out the most in the fifth story, imo. (ngl I am really hard-pressed in finding accurate fan depictions of Rose; I’ve seen some good ones in gen-based and Rose/Dezel doujinshi, but in Sorey/Alisha and even the few Sorey/Rose ones I’ve come across, she tends to be... ehhhnotsogood.) It was still a cute three-way friendship to show off, though! gimme those double Squire AUs pls

#jay reviews doujinshi #LONG ONE #tales of zestiria #sorali #nerd otp #mikali #abandon(ed) ship #sorey #alisha diphda #mikleo #edna #rose #mikuedo #lol idk the english version of this ship name #mikedna #?? #doesn't flow as well rip

[jawbreakers2015]

Player Profile: Hang

avid modder, occasional TO and montage video producer from Germany top 12 in the Jawbreakers Stunfest Qualifier (artwork of Drop by Kagu)

What names do you go by?

I used to go by Troke for the entirety of April. Which was based on a dumb coincidence where I talked to Neer and had one of my usual mobile spelling errors and I wrote "I'm having ha troke" instead of "having a stroke".

I wanted to go away from "Hang Boy" since quite some time as I specifically wanted to get rid of the "Boy" and just "Hang" felt wrong and was still associated to Hang Boy anyway. But I guess I'm back to that now.

Reason to why I wanted to rid myself of "Boy" was as simple as me linking my online persona to my OC (By choosing her for profile pictures on basically any platform) which then of course lead people to believe she is a male based on the thought "Hey this is Hang Boy. So the profile picture must also be Hang Boy".

The name Hang Boy btw occurred just as I started my first step into the internet, when I was a big fan of the Binding of Isaac. So i needed an online name and I ventured through Isaac related things. Which was when I came across the Tarot card "Hanged Man". So I just took that and adjusted a bit.

How do you feel about your performance in this tournament?

Was pretty okay. I didn't expect to get far into it. Although I'm a bit sad I didn't make the Top 8 picture. Only needed one win more as well.

However I would have been disappointed in everyone else, if they allowed for me to reach Top 3. So good that didn't happen.

What was your strategy preparing for and competing in the tournament?

I haven't played Blaze in weeks. The only times I played recently was to get some recordings for a Toxic montage. Right before the tournament I was more worried to finish my Isaac run. Which I did win!

And during the tournament was pretty much just "Turn some nice music on, jam to it, play some Nitro, do some silly cuff shenanigans, do dumb parry grab down throws so the viewers can laugh over something".

I did "fly" with Nitro in one match but sadly it wasn't streamed so only Hellraiser was able to see the glory of Flying Cuff™.

Which was your hardest match of the tournament?

Hellraiser I suppose. He did kick me out of it. I never really played him or saw him play and he didn't fall for my aggressive playstyle, so it was a tough time.

What surprised you most about the tournament?

Cherry's second place finish. I know he's good, I think he's underrated even.

But second place is a really good finish. Even more so beating JawDrop since, in my opinion, he has some of the craziest tech and can be really really confusing to play against.

(Yea he also has weird lag even tho he lives in France but whatever :p)

Is there anyone you didn’t face that you wish you did?

I would have wanted to play Defur if possible. To some degree I see his entrance as a sort of meme entry. But jokes aside and game aside, I can only take my hat off to this man and his effort for the tournament scene.

Sadly didn't get to play Daio. It feels like a tradition to face off against him in FellowsTV hosted tournaments. Which always goes the same way tbf. He counters my playstyle hard, I'm annoyed to play against him, don't bother changing my playstyle in order to win, get demolished. But the tradition counts!

I'd put Neer in the same boat. Hate playing against him but it just kinda has to be.

How did you get into Lethal League?

A friend bought it for me. We played a couple of games, he had to leave. I went into QM, found Garu, got absolutely demolished, he friended me and pulled me into it.

I specifically remember seeing his Latch corpse juggles and thinking "Man this is so cool, I want to be able to do this too". So right of the bat I started to play for the style, which is what I still go by.

Style > Efficiency

It feels bad not having paid for LL nor Blaze but I bought LL for a bunch of friends so guess that checks out.

What's your current Lethal League experience?

450+ hours in LL 340 hours in Blaze (As of now. 26.4.2019) And a giant bunch of hours of community interaction and modding.

I was very excited when asked to be beta testing and it fulfilled a childhood dream of being in video game credits.

Despite only getting into Beta a month before release, I stacked up 90 hours before the game came out. Lots of 9 hour playtime days. It was massive fun.

I bought almost all of the merch...got most signed by Tim & Dion too. I went to the Netherlands twice to meet TR. It was fun, they are cool people. Watching Dion doing a live dance off was pretty rad ngl.

I brought self made cheesecake the second time, but Tim had to get it into the building since they check your bags for normal visitors and it wasn't allowed to bring food.

I'll never forget the sight of Tim with his big bag looking like he's smuggling a bomb into a convention.

Who are your main/side/counter character picks?

Everything. So yes random, it's random.

However I most enjoy playing Nitro because of all the dumb things he can do. Especially flying, cuff storage (specifically for down angle on the ground, to just pull a little bit forward) and half pull.

Doombox is also very fun. Special>bunt>smash>parry>special>repeat can chain pretty often on some opponents and is hilarious.

The only characters I "despise" playing are Toxic and Sonata. But only because I'm really bad with them.

What are your favourite character outfits?

Dust and Ashes. Just their whole design.

For real tho. There's not really skins that stick out to me since I use my own modded ones.

Can you share your favourite/most used custom outfit?

Hm I missed that that's not "outfits"...well take a load of skins! In order

Mothyman Jeviman Spacetor Golden Switch Drop Palette Sonata Supercharged Latch PaDice-a the Rapper Skull Grunt Supercharged Grid Supercharged Doombox Dropbox FYouBox Nitro with a blue, white and mint color scheme I made for every character and lastly my Toxic skin with that same color scheme

What are your stage preferences?

Idc. I play random so who really cares. I guess insert the usual "Paradise field eclipse succs!!!"

What input method do you use?

PS4 Controller Dpad for movement L1 Bunt R1 Swing R2 Grab

I used to play LL on a cheap SNES controller using only face buttons. When I was over at Dutch Comic Con with Serchiot I played a couple games of Blaze with his PS4 controller and really liked his layout and the feel of the controller. So I just sneakily stole his layout and got myself a PS4 controller.

Coming from all face buttons, I needed some time to get used to it. But in my opinion it's just superior this way.

How do you make your character montage videos?

I have two ways of recording clips. Just consciously recording with OBS or putting Shadowplay on and saving every time something cool happens. I usually just boot up Blaze and jump into ranked to get some games in. With the Toxic montage it was a bit different since I now have a 4K monitor but 4K can hardly be recorded at 60fps and setting the output resolution in OBS to 1080p got me weird screen effects. So every time I went to record, I put the resolution of my monitor to 1080p in order to at least get that in good quality. Then I just cut all the good clips out of the recordings and mix ‘n’ match ‘em. What's usually the hardest decision is what music to use. There's been a couple of songs that I'd like to use, but they either don't fit over Blaze gameplay, don't fit my playstyle or were just the wrong length.

My two favourite Montages are definitely for Candyman and Nitro. Candyman took a long way to develop, because I just wanted to show off so much. It's one of the few montages where I actually asked higher skill players for games instead of jumping into ranked. Picking the song was really hard, I was only sure I wanted a Klaus Veen track, but OD V2 was too mainstream and most others were too short. So in the end I opted for two songs with a break in between the montage. Splitting the clips into two sets, each song one. With the second part containing what I considered the more hype bursts.

And for Nitro I actually had the montage pretty much done, but I wasn't too happy with it. Still planned to just upload it like that tho. However when I saw the Nitro voice actor interact with a community member in a way that could only be described as "incredibly wholesome", I was inspired to redo most, if not all, of the clips and do the best I could. For the first time actually going into training mode to lab some combos (mostly corpse juggles tbf) and eventually learning Flying Cuff™ too. Watching JawDrops Blazin' Combo video and taking a slice off the Nitro plays there. Which resulted in a montage I am very happy with.

What other games do you play?

It differs from time to time.

The only games I always come back to are retro games like SMW, CTR or something like Mario Kart 8D. Which I always enjoy playing at local tournaments and pretty successfully so even. People just can't handle it when someone plays with one hand.

Atm I also like playing TBoI Rebirth.

Will you come to Stunfest?

Probably not. Driving/Flying over to France is just very expensive. I would love to meet all my Baguettes (Lusked, Jawdrop, Aru and Lalou, who stated he can't make it due to exams, yes I know). But exams and the neer-ing end of my apprenticeship is leaving a lot of work to be done.

So it probably won't fit into my schedule. However never say no! Trips to Blaze events aren't uncommon for me.

Is there anything else you’d like to say to the community?

Play the game for fun, not for glory.

Stop rubbing yourself for an imaginary title that doesn't mean anything as there's not even any competition for it.

I can't stress enough how great Soda City Funk by Tim Legend is. Go listen to it right now.

And for my last words. Be more like Kota. And remember, We love Ramkat <3

#Jawbreakers #Lethal League Blaze #Player Profile #Hang Boy #Hang #Europe #Jaw Breakers #Lethal League #Team Reptile

[ebony-coffee]

How about some first date with the boyband headcanons? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

This is a good ask THIS IS A GREAT ASK

Noctis

Awkward. So awkward. He’s never been on a first date before this

“Do you… Wanna… Go… Watch a movie?”

Ngl you have to plan the whole thing because this kid is #clueless

The two of you decide to go out later in the day, right before sunset, and you definitely know that he’s planning to sleep right up until an hour before he’s supposed to meet you

He’s also way more nervous than you, though he doesn’t really show it. You think he might be feeling a little shy by the way that he doesn’t look at you when he hands you a small bouquet of flowers

You invite him in while you put them in water and he asks what you had planned for the night, trying so hard to make conversation but just being so awkward that it’s cute

You grin at him. “I was kind of planning to just wander around and see what happens.”

He likes that. He likes that this piece of his day doesn’t have every minute planned out, and it makes him feel kind of normal for once

It’s getting dark out and the two of you still haven’t decided what you want to do. You’re just walking around the city, looking at things, stopping at the street vendors, talking about anything but the fact that Noctis is the prince

The streets are also getting more crowded and Noctis suddenly finds himself kind of scared to lose you, so he grabs your hand with the reddest flush ever

Eventually you decide on a little bistro for dinner. He refuses to let you pay almost as hard as he refuses to eat his vegetables

When he’s walking you home, he stops at that one street vendor to buy you that one piece of artwork you liked. It’s a small and inexpensive thing, but you’re pretty touched

He kind of just stands in front of your door for a minute before he decides to kiss you and mumble a nervous “goodnight I had a nice time I’ll text you when I get home”

Ignis

Everything this man does is classic and effortless. Expect to be swept off your feet and never put down

I see Ignis as a pretty private person, and while he loves classy things, he also wouldn’t want to pressure you or himself

So he’ll just invite you over to his apartment like it’s no big deal

He’d ask you to dress up a bit, and he’d have a button down on and everything. Not white, because that’s what he wears to work. I could see him in a nice lavender or something

So he’d invite you in and there’s a movie playing in the background, something classic, again, like Mr. and Mrs. Smith or something h/c that Iggy definitely loves spies

Oh, and he’s cooking. Nothing too over the top, but maybe he’s trying his hand at Italian. Chicken and pasta is a pretty good first date food, he thinks

He sits you down and just chats with you while he finishes dinner, chats with you through dinner, and chats with you well past the end of the movie

He even goes as far as to brush his fingers over the back of your hand when you rest it on the table. It’s quick and light and he does it while he’s smiling from the eyes and your heart kind of stops

Neither of you can remember anything you talked about, or why you both feel so connected, but, wow

You’ve never felt someone be so interested in you before. He wants to know about your dreams and your passions, asking all kinds of why and how questions that have you talking for hours

Needless to say, there’s a second date talked about before you even go home

He’ll walk you to his door, help you with your coat, and kiss you on the cheek. Nothing more, nothing less

Gladiolus

This guy suggests that you go on a run for your first date and like… You can’t really disagree, can you?

Though you’re definitely cursing him out when you’re putting on that athletic clothes you never use at the crack of dawn

By never use, I mean the pants still have a tag on them that you have to cut off

He totally comes to pick you up, and drives the two of you out to some scenic nature path that you didn’t even know existed

It’s still dark out, and you can tell he’s not trying simply by the fact that he’s running next to you and not ahead of you (also because he’s not at all out of breath while he tells all these jokes and funny stories)

You’re starting to realize that this guy is just so chill. He’s a lot smarter than his reputation suggests, and you kind of like the way he talks

Gladio here isn’t all muscle and #fitspo, kids

He’s also not even flirting with you? You’re just conversing and suddenly you’re watching the sun rise through the trees?

By the time you get back to his car, you know you’re sweaty and red and blotchy, but neither of you care. You’ve never felt better in your life

Neither of you really want to part ways yet, so he offers to take you to breakfast–at which point you sit in a diner at some outpost for hours, laughing so loud that the other customers give you dirty stares, but you can’t even be bothered to feel self conscious about it

He looks like he wants to kiss you, but he doesn’t. Just grins and winks and says he’ll see you the next morning

Sounds like you’ll have to start adjusting your sleep schedule!

Prompto

He literally has so many date ideas, that he doesn’t know which one to pick. He does linger on chocobo riding for a very long while, but eventually he decides that you two are going to go on a food-adventure of Insomnia

You decide to go half-and-half and just pay for yourselves as soon as he suggests the idea

Prompto goes desserts first and gets some fried pastry thing covered in powdered sugar that, on one hand, makes you want to gag, and, on the other, kind of looks really good

He breaks off a piece of it and makes you try it. This becomes the pattern for the night: you two buy different things and split them

You can’t really tell if he’s talking so much because that’s him or because he’s nervous, but the more he breaks up his own stories by laughing, the less nervous you are

So, you start telling him stories too: the funny one about your coworker, the epic one about some prank someone pulled in high school, stuff like that

And he is practically howling with laughter. You’re pretty sure that you’re not that funny, but wow what a confidence boost

Your face hurts because you’re smiling so much

This eventually leads to a lot of banter, food fighting, and even a bit of play wresting in the streets. Every other crown citizen out that night probably hates the mushy disgusting couple that is you and Prompto

It’s been hours and you’re both calming down because you’re out of breath from laughing, and you can’t eat any more, so you two lapse into this really comfortable silence as you walk around a little more

Eventually you’re sitting on a bench together and his arm is kind of around your shoulders, you’re kind of leaning on him, and both of you are kind of grinning ear to ear

“This was… Cool,” he decides to say, “and, um, I’d like to do it again?”

#final fantasy xv #final fantasy xv headcanons #ffxv headcanons #noctis lucis caelum #prompto argentum #gladiolus amicitia #ignis scentia #noctis hc #gladio hc #prompto hc #ignis hc #headcanon #boyband hc