#sorry i was Thonking again

[hyperrealisticblood]

the true horror of garten of banban is that, when you look at their (and by their i mean mostly just faris) old games, its clear they wanna make weird kinda creepy artsy psychological horror games, but none of them managed to take off or do well, so they decided to hop onto mascot horror, a genre known for low effort slop games that get absurdly popular no matter how shit they are, and THATS when they finally got their big break. but deep down they still wanna make weird psychological shit and thats how banban ended up being half skibidi toilet hello neighbor poppy playtime, half silent hill 2. incredible

#gobb #garten of banban #sorry i was Thonking again #if the euphoric bros werent massive attention whores they could be cranking out some insane rpg maker horror games #im just sayin

[dullahandyke]

the thing is even as my version of the ace attorney universe is heavily modified to fit the themes of the characters within it, idk if thats even the right choice for the place to put them in bcos its not quite working. but also sooo much of it plays on aa status quo that id have to entirely reinvent parts if i wanted to preserve that effect

#like ive been playing dgs and i read a Really good oc insert kh fic recently #and im like holy shit these r so good... n then my ocverse is kind of incoherant and not cohesive #and logically i know that the only way to get to it being good is to work on it #but thats haaard and these characters have literal years of baggage in my mind that i cant divorce them from #+ if i were to ever actually write their story itd have to Feel like ace attorney with like cases and banter n shit #and theres parts of my changed worldbuilding that would actively make that difficult to work with #let alone my lack of faith in my ability to emulate aa stuff #sigh. ok first ill move the puzzle pieces around in my head a bit more and try to get it all working #first stop is working more on ames bcos even tho shes the protagonist shes so underdeveloped... #like i remember a time when occult yamamoto (yes that used to be her name i was 13) was my favourite ever ever she was all i drew #there are pictures of her onmy bedroom walls i threw her and her twin sister an irl birthday party #and now the tone of the post has switched to mourning the loss of passion i used to have for ocs and stuff. great #maybe i need to get into oc roleplay again. fangan discords were my old hunting grounds so mayhaps... #tho that would necessitate like. messaging and stuff. and im bad at that (friday seven im Sorry i see your dms ill get back to u soon) #shrug idk... ANYWHOOOO ill thonk on it

[astrxealis]

TAKE CAREEE OF URSELF AND RESTTT, try calming urself down by doing things that u know can help bring u peace D: I'm not sure what ur overthinking about but if u ever get the chance to, try clearing it up to "understand" what's actually going on either by asking or talking about it with/to someone!!

wahhhhh tysm sam sam TvT <3 💖 i'll try my best to take care of myself (n i will go to sleep soon hehe), i'll try to fo that ^^ >< ✨ thank you TuT <333

#— sam! ♡ #⋯ ꒰ა my galaxy ໒꒱ *·˚ #⋯ ꒰ა letters of stardust ໒꒱ *·˚ #headpats to u :C 💖 #hmmmhmmhhm i'm not too sure how to explain it but once again i am thinkin about like >.> #URGGFHDUEHSKAK MIGHR JUST VENT IN THE TAGS SORRY TvT feel free to just move on if u like hehe either way tysm for this ask TvT 💞 #so like hmmmmhmhmhm it says quite a lot abt me that the kind of ppl i appreciate most in a sense r those who pit in the effort to not make #me feel left out ? bcs my 1st crush. who made me realise i too Like Girls. i liked her esp bcs of the fact she was rlly Nice to me even tho #i was especiallt shy that year ?? that yr was when i got more withdrawn and all TvT but she made an effort to include me in stuff so BOOM ! #idk but i just rlly appreciated that super much also bcs !! that's what i try to do for others !!! but then ofc w that it's a bit inevitabl #that i get disheartened when it doesnt get reciprocated (i still do it anyway tho) or if. it seems like they just brush it off or dont care #WAIT OFF TOPIC EIWHDIWJ thats not what i meant to talk abt but yeah that too >.> #hmmmhmhm so the thing is that feeling left out or seemingly 'forgotten' is a huge thing for me esp bcs i observe a lot n tho the logical #bit of my brain ofc knows it's not necessarily on purpose - beinf vv observant makes it that i'm more susceptible to wnvr things don't go #when things don't go that way yk ? like ik i'll just move on like always but :(( <//3 diahudhwidnwodndk #HELP HUH WHAT (thonks) hangon wait i can't explain properly hmm but like #when i notice that i'm somewhat 'forgotten' or if i feel like someone is deliberately trying to avoid me or distance from me or wtvr #or if i notice they do this smth for others around me but seemingly not for me :( like it's likely just overthinking that ill get over w #soon enough but it just still sucks and all TvT </3 and yeah yeah yeah all that wahhh #i feel like bcs i try to put all of my heart and soul into the things i do - including my friends whether online or irl - it just BAMS more #wnvr it goes :( and then wnvr i notice smth that's prolly just Eh but i read into it sm that it doesn't just seem Eh it like. gets agghhhhg #OSHWIWHWIDJ I'M JUST DESCRIBINF W RANDOM WHOOSHES AND ALL BUT YEAH #blinks. in any case i'll stop rambling ere now TvT but like yeah TuT siwhidhsis IN ANY CASE #>:O if u actually did read this i'm (huh) but ty >< but if u didn't hehe ik u won't see this but nevertheless ty for being a good friend <3 #jurududuwhwuhdiwjd i feel this way a lot and then stuff like overthinking and all that stuff get in the way n make it worse and like #i kind of objectively know as to why i feel this way and how i can improve it but since i'm still relatively young ... it isn't easy to #?? yeah ??? hrghruriruehdkskspndksw it doesn't help that i'm stubborn too OEHWIDBWK #IDK WHAT I'N TALKING ABT ANYMORE HELP anyways ill head to bed in 30 minutes ... i think. hopefully. maybe? #in any case advanced gn from me to everyone on this world💪🏼✨

[scarletsaphire]

33 writer's choice thonk frog

You get heroic amusement or maybe just Regular Pitch Pearl because apparently neither of you sent 33 Pitch Pearl and that's rude tbh.

Send me a ship and a number and I'll write a scene!

---

Fenton kept his eyes closed even after he had woken up. He knew it was the middle of the night since his alarm hadn't gone off, and he knew that whatever it was that woke him up could wait until morning. Probably.

The soft green light he could see through his eyelids proved him wrong.

"You know, the whole point of this was so that one of us could sleep in," he said before blinking the sleep out of his eyes and taking in the room.

Phantom floated at the foot of his bed, face twisted into a grimace. His arm hung limply from his side at an off angle that Fenton knew from experience hurt like hell. "I am sorry," Phantom said, softer than he ever spoke in public. "But I-"

"You needed me," Fenton finished. He kicked the blanket off and stood, making his way over to where Phantom was. Fenton hissed when he saw just how bad the injury was. It wasn't the worst one they'd ever had, but it definitely wasn't pretty. "Who did this one?" he asked.

"Skulker. The clever conniving creep got a lucky hit in."

"That is so uncool," Fenton said. "Anywhere else you need to run off to tonight?"

Phantom shook his head. "Skulker's mess is cleaned up. Amity Park should be safe. For now."

Fenton grabbed Phantom's elbow, tracing down gently to his hand and threading it through his fingers. "Then we're in no rush to get you back out there." He brought their entwined hands to his lips, kissing his knuckles gently.

"There is certainly a faster way to do this," Phantom protested, but the chill of their fingers becoming one took away from any real argument he might've made.

"Not as fun though," Fenton said. He continued to kiss up Phantom's arm, as carefully and delicately as he could. Every place he kissed quickly stopped being Phantom's arm, becoming their arm instead.

It was an odd feeling. Before the split, there hadn't ever been a distinction between the two. The joining now was different. Fenton could feel the faint pain from where the ectoplasmic construct that resembled a bone had broken, could feel the even fainter sensation of the jumpsuit against his skin beneath that, but it wasn't like he was the one feeling it.

Phantom was more complicated than most ghosts were. Most ghosts didn't bother with bones or veins or muscles or nerves. Some couldn't even be bothered with skin. After all, they didn't need those things to function, and the effort it took to maintain those things was more trouble than it was worth. Phantom did it naturally, a perfect copy of a human body, the body of the Danny that had entered the portal for the first time.

Fenton placed a kiss on Phantom's shoulder, lips coming back sticky with ectoplasm. The imitation was still more trouble than it was worth, most of the time. The bones still worked, and could still break, and could still hurt. It did give Phantom a unique advantage though.

Most ghosts, when they were hurt, needed time to stitch themselves back together. Phantom could do that too, in the same amount of time a ghost needed. But when he was given something to take from, a perfect copy of what his body should be? It could take barely any time at all.

Fenton kissed Phantom's neck, slowly making his way up towards his jaw, then across his cheek. He didn't think they'd be rushing this one.

When he finally reached Phantom's lips, the kiss was beyond awkward. They shared an arm, and part of their torso, but that didn't stop them from kissing until Fenton had nothing left to kiss. He opened his eyes to his once again dark bedroom, where he stood alone. He could feel Phantom's mind at the edges of his own, a mixture of annoyance and joy and contentment, the remnants of pain disappearing already.

Fenton stretched, reacquainting himself with his limbs, before sitting himself down at his desk and turning on his computer. It may have been the middle of the night, but he was already awake. No point in wasting their time together.

#is it pitch pearl? is it heroic amusement? hell if i know! #pitch pearl #heroic amusement #danny phantom #danny phantom fanfiction #ask game #danny fenton

[emotionally-creative-rogue]

DOMINATION LINES!!

THANK YOU @caramelcheesegay FOR COMING UP WITH 90% OF THESE, ILY<333

DOMINATED:

Scout:

-“Can’t stun me if you can’t hit me! I’m a freakin’ blur, dipshit!”

-“I am ALWAYS gonna dodge that. When will you LEARN, man?”

-“Oh, oh, oh! I’m STUNNED at how bad you’re doin’!”

Soldier:

-“Don’t swing your puny stick at me, maggot! You come from fake America!!!”

-“I AM IMPERVIOUS TO ALL OF YOUR ATTACKS, SYRUP-SLURPER!”

-“Get off the battlefield and go play some hockey, weakling!”

Demo:

-“Aye, I bet you thought it’d be easy ta kill me, didn’t’che? Well, iaarrghhnnn *snore*.”

-“You call tha’ a grenade?? Me blind Mum farts worse than that wee thing!” 

-“Don’ come a’ me in those ghoulish boots lad, I’ll blast ‘em right offa yer feet!” 

Engie:

-“You’re just a little piece a’ sentry fodder now, aren’t’cha?”

-“You make for some real shitty target practice, son.”

-“Tell me ‘bout those stun grenades sometime, yeah?”

Heavy:

-“Ha! Leetle bug man is crushed. Like bug. Leetle bug. Feed you to Archimedes, Buggy.”

-“Small jumpy man- not Scout? There are two small jumpy men???”

-“You think loud noise and bright light are enough to take down Heavy??? I am killing you now!!”

Medic:

-“Oohoo! Free organs! Young, too!”

-“Ach, that reminds me- I need to feed my birds.”

-“Ohhh, sorry little boy! Go play with your crayons, ja?”

Sniper:

-“Piss off, y’ jumpy git. Bloody grasshopper…”

-“Awh, get quicker next time, won’tcha?” 

-“Dead like a ‘roo on the side o’ the road!”

Spy:

-“For someone named ‘The Rogue’, you are certainly a pack thinker.”

-“Oho! I am *stunned* by your lack of skill!”

-“Not so *Dexx*trous now, hm?”

DOMINATING:

Scout: 

-“No runnin’ in the halls, freshman!”

-“Bonk? More like thonk, eh? ‘Cause that’s the sound your hollow head makes when I hit ya!” 

-“Hah! Too slow!” 

Soldier: 

-“Y'know, a 3" piece of rubber can do a lotta damage, Trench Monkey!”

-“Hah! Oh, I mean- I'm sooo soooorey aboot tha', Bud! (snicker)”

-“A cat on a sloped roof is braver than the entire U.S. Military, Booklicker!” 

Pyro: 

-“Ack! Sorry, Firecracker!” 

-“Oh shit, I think I’m still on fire. Damn it, these were my favorite pants!” 

-“Hey we're, uh, still on for s'mores later... right?”

Demo:

-“Pen's mightier than the sword, cyclops! Get it? 'Cause I'm an artist and you- yeah, nevermind”

-“Someone must have put a little sleepy sauce in your mickeys, bud, ‘cause you are NOT on top of it today!” 

-“Smile and wait for the flash!” 

Heavy:

-“Somebody order ten thousand pounds a’ dead weight? (Snort)” 

-“It’s really hard to miss your pressure points, y’know.” 

-“Move it, ya big lug! You’re in the way!” 

Engineer: 

-“GRENAAAAAADE! I WIN! Ya proud of me, da-uhhh.. dude?” 

-“See ya round, Daaaeengie! I said Engie. Short for Engineer. That is you. You are- I’ll go.” 

-“Bam! And another one down, and another one down! ANOTHER ONE BITES THE BO STAFF!!” 

Medic: 

-“oohohoh, Maybe I can try some experiments on you this time!- Y'know, put your lessons to good use!”

-“Doc, you seriously gotta take care of your health. Damn hypocrite... (Mocking voice) 'Do az I say, not az I do!' my ass!”

-“Guess that's what happens when you don't follow your own advice, thanks for the hands-on lesson!”

Sniper:

-“There, away from the noise now! Just how you like it, Dee!”

-“You may wink at your opponents, but ya gotta take the shot as well, y'know! Can't charm 'em to death!”

-“I just... un-cozied your... camper. I'm having a bad day please be nice.”

Spy:

-“Crisse de connard! -Aheh, not used to gettin' berated in your own language, eh?”

-“Va te faire foutre, merde de con!”

-“Bein Tabarnak, it feels good to turn the tables! Hah, deserved!”

Taunt ideas:

-Using the Bo-Staff as a microphone

-Using the bo-staff as a rifle(making fun of sniper)

-Juggling the stun grenades, almost dropping one and catching it in time before glancing around to see if anyone saw him and putting them away again

OCS:

DOMINATED:

Strat (@emotionally-stressed-strategist):

-“How are you this bad? I’m dominating you with a PEN, Rogue, A PEN.” 

-“Rock, skull. Man down.” 

-“One less dot on the map- don’t come back, yeah?”

Arrow (@emotionally-dead-archer):

-"Hah! Gotcha! Oh, gotta love a little sibling rivalry, am I right?"

-“Bigger sibling? Not really.”

-“Hey! My aim is getting better! Thanks for the target practice!”

DOMINATING:

Strat:

-“I’m done bein’ your wingman if you keep this up.”

-“That’s what happens when you steal my art supplies!”

-“How do you still not have ink poisoning? Dude, seriously.”

Arrow:

-“There! I make for a pretty good role model! You get to see my stuff first-hand!”

-“You're adopted. Sorry.”

-“I think it's almost bedtime, kiddo.”

Jet (@emotionally-broken-robot):

-"Hey, uh, does this count as Softwaregore?"

#hey did ya notice how I didn't hold back against spy but did for pyro #pyro supremacy #no im not translating the french ones for you- skill issue tbh #/j #emotionally creative rogue #tf2 #team fortress 2 #emotionally xyz mercs #team fortress two #team fortress #dexx talks #team fortress roleplay #tf2 scout #tf2 pyro #tf2 soldier #tf2 engineer #tf2 demoman #tf2 heavy #tf2 medic #tf2 sniper #tf2 spy

[shinjyu]

Hi, sorry to bother if this is a nothing burger, but I found a shop on Redbubble that seems to be using your designs-- different than your own. The shop is FineArtBottega. Wanted to make sure you knew in case anything need/can be done about it. And sorry if this is the wrong channel to reach out about it.

Thanks so much for reaching out and info! ( RB art thief does it again sobs ) Right now I can't find their shop? maybe they've changed the name or someone already report them /thonk

[lavendarlily]

*slams the door open* I'M HERE TO PAY YOU BACK

Anyway Swagger Bishie 29 (thonk frog)

29. holding hands while running through rain

danny's being a brat in this sorry

“Come on Dash, we gotta get out of here before the storm hits.” Danny reminded him for the hundredth time. He looked around anxiously through the windows at the looming dark clouds thick with precipitation heading their way.

“Relax, I’m almost done,” Dash answered from behind a row of lockers. To Danny’s annoyance, Dash had run his workout longer than usual, cutting into their study time. Not that they’d actually end up studying, but the principle stood.

And could Danny really be that annoyed? He walked into the weight room after his last class, expecting to find Dash wiping down and gathering his things, not a sweaty mess of concentration while he finished his set of hip lifts. Danny had to restrain himself from climbing onto Dash right then and there. 

Danny leaned against the end of a row of lockers, arms crossed, impatiently thrumming his fingers against his arm. He hated the rain, and it was his turn to drive them home. Dash had been shocked to learn Danny still only had his learner’s permit, but to be fair, there wasn’t a lot of time to practice driving when you had to fight off the undead. Now they had a system - two days a week Danny would drive them back from school. Today was one of those days. 

“Dash,” Danny called out again. “I really don’t want to have to drive while it’s raining.”

His boyfriend finally emerged, freshly showered and duffel bag hoisted over his shoulder. “It’s gonna be fine, I promise. A little drizzle never hurt anyone.” He held his hand out to Danny, whose irritation lifted at the gesture. The two walked through the empty halls and towards the exit facing the parking lot. Danny swung open the door and immediately groaned. 

The rain had come hot and fast, a torrential downpour that sunk Danny’s heart. 

“I wouldn’t call this a light drizzle,” he grumbled. “And the car is literally across the parking lot.”

Dash squeezed his hand, a glint in his eyes. “Come on, let’s get it over with.”

Before he knew it, Dash was sprinting them across the lot. Rain stung Danny’s face as they raced to Dash’s truck. The cold bit at his skin, the only warmth he held onto coming from Dash’s hand. 

They reached the vehicle and Danny tugged at the door handle. “Come on, Dash! Unlock it already.”

From the other side of the truck, he heard a faint swear.

“Dash?”

“I left the keys in the locker room,” the other boy replied, defeat and embarrassment in his voice.

Danny resisted the urge to bang his head against the window. He didn’t notice Dash had come to his side of the truck until a hand slipped into his. 

“Come on, I don’t want you waiting out here and getting sick,” he said, tugging along. Danny swallowed his dissatisfaction with the situation and the two ran through the parking lot again, hand in hand. 

“I’m sorry, I should’ve listened to you,” Dash said as they walked through the halls. “And you don’t have to drive back today. The weather’s pretty crazy.”

“It’s okay,” Danny squeezed Dash’s hand, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him. They entered the locker room and Dash led them towards his locker. He looked back at Danny, frowning, then disappeared. He returned shortly with a soft towel.

“Here - like I said, I don’t want you getting sick,” he said, passing the towel to Danny. 

Danny dragged the fabric down his face and gave his hair a quick dry. It stood up every which way, because of course it did. He combed his fingers through, trying to untangle the mess.

A soft laugh caused him to look up. “What?”

Dash shrugged. “You look cute with your hair all ragged.” He reached out and ruffled Danny’s hair, despite his protests. Danny swatted the hands away and began frantically wrangling his hair back into place. 

“You’re really testing me today, Baxter,” he grumbled.

“Oh no, I get the last name?” Dash asked, cocking an eyebrow. “You don’t scare me, Fenton.”

The locker slammed shut and the sound of keys jangling was welcome to Danny’s ears. An arm wrapped around him, and Dash planted a kiss onto Danny’s damp forehead. 

“Let’s go home.”

#lavswordvomit #danny phantom #dash baxter #golden twinkie #golden twinkie propaganda #ask

[theshiftanlibrary]

The window didn't break...

It was comical, the small 'thonk' of the window behind him as a bird wished to greet him so early in the morning. He looked to where the bird was supposed to be, on the small veranda under the window. So he found it quite strange that nothing was found, until a few muffled curses found its way up to him.

He could barely contain his laughter as he strode down the stairs, already knowing what had actually happened. He saw your form on the floor, clutching your forehead with healers fluttering around you. He almost cracked when you tried to wave them away, weakly whimpering that you were alright.

He knew he shouldn't laugh, it's wrong to laugh at your lover when they get hurt. But... After the fifteenth time this month, he couldn't keep it together anymore. Granted, your lineage and heritage leaned more into the avian ancestors of your people, but he still couldn't understand how even after the third time of flying into a closed window, you didn't think to stop and weigh your options.

You could've just flown down and take the door up to see him. You could've contacted him so that he can keep the window open. By the Archons, he could've come to see you! But even after a year of dating, you still wanted to surprise him. And his back still complains whenever he recalls the one time you succeeded in flying through a window.

He shooed the healers away, assuring them that he'd look after you. Before he could reach down to help you, you pointed at him with a warning in your eyes. His facade almost cracked again, but he remained as composed as ever.

"I didn't see anything, love" he said, his snort on the verge of carrying through his voice.

"...Yes you did..." you sighed, a small smile crawling onto your face.

"I swear on everything that I do and own, I did not see anything," he assured, mostly to himself since he technically didn't see you flying face first into his window but saw the mark you left.

He helped you up with a smile, holding onto your waist in case the knock to the head was severe enough to cause dizziness. You looked at your feet with a pout, already knowing that he was inspecting you for any major injuries. He kissed the big red mark on your forehead, still trying his best not to laugh.

"Good morning, my dear" he said, now only realizing that he never greeted you properly.

"Hello Al-Haitham," you reluctantly grumbled, now pulling him into a hug.

"Is there a reason I am graced with your beauty today, or am I just lucky?"

"I was just going to say hi... I didn't know the window was closed..."

He snorted but tried to cover it up with a cough. You shot up with a glare, immediately breaking through him and his carefully crafted monotonous nature. He broke down into a fit of snorts, giggles, and chuckles, not caring if anyone sees him in this state.

You pushed him away, trying to hide your smile and instead putting on a pout. Every time he tried to compose himself and try to pull you into him, you pulled away, knowing that he'd still laugh as he holds you. Once he calmed down, he wiped the stray tears from his eyes, pulling a little huff as he glanced at your disgruntled squished face.

"I'm sorry, my love. I can't help it, you should've told me you wanted to visit... I would've left the window open," he explained as he tried to reign in his chuckles. "I would do anything to ensure you aren't hurt."

"But I wanted to surprise you... I was gonna land in your office and take you out for breakfast. You didn't have anything before you left..." you whined, allowing him to hold you again.

"We can go now, since you were so excited to come see me," he chuckled as he buried his face in your hair.

"Okay... But you're paying because you laughed at me," you exclaimed looking up at him and sticking your tongue out.

"Of course my love. I wouldn't have it any other way."

My Kofi

My Masterlist

(A/N: I AM PISSED OFF BECAUSE I COULDN’T GET THE OLD MAN ZHONGLI!!!! Take this fic as my frustration. I too would want to fly into a window for the man I love. And side note, I haven’t done the Archon Quest so I don’t know how he really is, I’ve only seen gifsets of him and… I want him and he better come because I am not willing to lose another pretty boy. And if you are so inclined to help a player out my Player ID is 741867151)

#genshin impact #genshin fanfic #reader x genshin #fanfic #genshin x reader #genshin fluff #genshin imagines #al haitham #genshin al haitham #al haitham x reader #genshin al haitham x reader #sumeru

[sadkois]

nishiki thonkin tonight

spoilers for kiwami. some rggo stories. but maybe not accurate spoilers cause i feel my brain meltin. also warning for complete nonsense... and blood? anyways.

thinkin about how nishiki was like. so competent at what he did?? mans knew everythin about how the yakuza worked back in the 80s... U COULD TELL HE WAS WELL INFORMED OF EVERYTHING. he knew about the ugly parts. he knew about majima. and he was the one explaining to kiryu everything asgdhj like lets say. the consequences in their line of work.

fUNNY how it was cause of kiryu that he got into the yakuza in the first place. he totally just followed kiryu into it and said "ok well sOMEONE needs to know what we are doing" cause yea kiryu was just followin kazama like a lil puppy (and nishiki followin kiryu, tho he's more like a cat i think. maybe. nishikitty..........)

bUT ANYWAYS what i was getting at is. he's very competent. so. him snapping and getting to be one of the BIG patriarchs (GET TO THE TOP!) isn't really a surprise. OF COURSE that brings me to the other point...

HERES THE THING. in kiwami we don't really see much of this competence do we? (ignorin the writing of the first game for a second ok, wORKIN WITH WHAT WE HAVE OK)

first it's like hes barely there, then you have his subordinates just. making HUGE mistakes, not actually achievin -doin- anything or even just. NOT listening to him at all. like when they killed yumis "sister" or the whole. reina and shinji.

OK SO. everyones got their onions 🧅 on rggo stories. FOR THIS THONK IM ASSUMIN MOST OF THEM DID HAPPEN. so in rggo we have that one story about what happened with reina and nishki when she tried to shoot him. and its like. nishiki didnt actually order for either of their deaths??? basically we had reina pulling a 'y0 nishikigun' on nishiki. and then well....

god i really gotta talk about reina and nishiki sometime cause i been thinkin about em a lot too. like reina liked him a LOT and i think nishki liked her too as a... sort of distant friend? does that make sense? idk what its called exactly. but yea i cant recall if they have ever interacted outside serena. (except from when they first met, another rggo story.. but that was like. a few minutes and then they were in serena lmao) it feels like a. 'i only interact with u when i come to this place' kinda deal. of course, goin there used to be constant until... not. nishiki totally distanced himself even more after the whole ordeal happened. and trust issues. (@ others? @ himself? yea)

crap. what was i talkin about. sEE THIS IS WHY I DONT AHSDJKL. what i was sayin is that, in that rggo story with reina, it just looks like nishiki's subordinates do NOT listen to him. at all. shooting at her when he keeps sayin "DON TSHOOT HER" "DONT KILL HER" "BRING HER BACK ALIVE"

SO BETWEEN THIS AND THE YUMI SISTER THING. WHY DOES NO ONE LISTEN TO HIM??? AND WELL. ok listen if im statinn the obvious im sorry, again. just writin down what im thinkin cause im tired.

but yea i think the most logical thing is that, the way he's been managing things for the last 10 years has been very different to what we see in kiwami. why else would his men resort to shoot first questions later. it's almos like that was the norm before... as if that's how things worked in the nishikiyama family all this time.

so anyways. nishikis been tryina be cool about it. so so cool about it. but the moment kiryu got out of jail messed him up SO BAD man. i always say this but, mans was just 100% avoiding kiryu as soon as he stepped out, and i bet ya he started acting different to what his fam is used to, too.

like imagine u work for this boss at idk. mcdonals. you are familiar with the routine and what they expect of u. ur boss specifically wants you to always make fries a certain way, at a certain time, he himself showed u how. this is routine. one day as you are makin the fries, its suddenly WRONG and boss is upset and kills u and u dont know wtf is going on. (u r dead) because thats what we usually do?? why is it wrong all of a sudden?

tHATS THE KINDA VIBE I GET FROM HE IN KIWAMI

aight imma be honest i cant recall if he already had this whole plan before kiryu got out. like, did he take kiryu into consideration or not. cause he either. 1. did not take into account kiryu would be here 2. did not think kiryu being here would mess up his plans THIS bad (and when i say this i mean mess HIM up so bad he cant go thru his original plan) 3. everything was actually supposedly part of his plan (HA, I DOUBT THIS. MAYBE HED SAY THAT BUT WE KNOW IT AINT TRU NISHIKI OK) im leanin to 2

you know that part when nishki's like "i was shaking when i shot kazama". like, that was only cause he knew kiryu would hate him if he actually killed him, right?? right???? LISTEN I KNOW ITS LIKE A THING OR JOKE THAT HES BAD WITH GUNS OR SOMEHTING BUT i actually like to think he got good with those? i prob read it in a fic but i really like that headcanon asgdhj, i feel like itd make sense too. and him missin the shot cause of shakin hands, is because of KIRYU and kIRYU ALONE. where his hands even shakin actually?? didnt he just say that?? nishikis just got that unreliable narrator vibe. NAH HES THE WHOLE UNRELIABILITY. AND WHATSMORE. HE HAD TO COME CLEAN TO KIRYU THAT IT WAS HIM THAT SHOT KAZAMA. HUH? WAS IT EATING YOU UP BOI??? did you need confirmation that indeed, kiryu would hate you for it??? "hES NOT DEAD YET" yea??????? yeaaaa?????????????

LIKE LOOK. the few rggo stories we have of the era between 1996 n 2005 show that he IS indeed very competent! and he has very good control of his fam! and we have the proof of it in kiwami as well, even if its more tell than show? kind of? BUT THE MOEMNT KIRYU IS OUT THIS ALL GOES OUT THE DRAIN. WE KNOW HOW EMOTIONAL NISHIKI IS. WE KNOW IT LEADS HIM TO TAKE NOT SO RATIONAL DECISIONS. (Y0 FOREST NISHIKIGUN FLASHBACK) and god he tried so hard didnt he.

like ok ill admit u got good at repressin ur emotions boi. or turnin them into anger. or keepin a poker face. closing urself off or really just, started seein everyhing as hopeless in a 'whats the point anymore' kind of way. a combo of everything?

in a way nishiki did end up killin himself along with matsushige, but i dont think he did completely. but that's what he convinced himself of. yea? does that make sense? DAMMIT U ARE SO COMPLEX I LOVE IT

thonks. U KNOW its not like anything went right back when he was more... emotional in a way?. i mean, he always did kinda hide his emotions huh? just in a different way.... i mean, when we are first introduced to him in y0, i dont think anyone expected anything like the forest scene from him. i remember being speechless. like oh my god. and i have to say i am BAD at understandin stuff. like i usually understand plots/etc when im watchin reactors play the game asfdghj. BUT MAN did that scene leave me stunned asgdhjk.

but yea with how gOOD everyone around him was at displayin emotions, it makes sense how he ended up :) ... that was sarcasm, im sayin eveyrone around him freakin sUCKS at emotin asgdh, and in fact he was like, looked down at for it. MAN HE DIDNT EVEN CRY THAT MUCH. I MEAN, HE WAS GOIN THRU THE WORST CRAP EVER ??? WHAT DID THEY WANT HIM TO BE A ROCK ASDJKL TO BE KIRYU i guess the two most role figures he had were always very :/ but man this is why i keep sayin he needed an ichiban in his life. it would have been so good for him... an emotionally mature guy, who isnt afraid to cry and show his love for others.

GOD NISHIKI LOVED SO MUCH. IT HURTS ME SO BAD AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

the way nish is just like. tryina become what he knows yakuza are supposed to be like.... what they are like..... his big man suit.... agh

idk where this thonk went. it started as a yes nishiki is very competent and he only had L after L in kiwami because kiryu being back threw him off so bad. so so bad it ended up the way it did :( if they had just talked, like really talked..................

man idk if anyones readin this, asdhgjasd kinda embarassin. hello hi. u are cool. uhh here have this drawin i did months ago that i havent posted anywhere (IT WAS BEFORE THE NEW YEAR RGGO CARD. not like it isnt just a combo of his two hairstyles but i was still like GASP)

hohooo with my attempt at a post kiwami nish :) did u know i also have a vampire au from months ago. would anyone like to read about that. its incredibly self indulgent. yea sayin this at the end of this nonsense cause im a coward agsfdyhgiog

#anyways there's not really a point to this im just. thinkin about nishiki to stop myself from explodin from stress saghdjsakd #help #no but seriously its like each paragrpah is a different thought #fhdjsfkogfhgh

[iersei]

hihihi againnnn- your recent bigtop au art had given me so many ideas so this is just a ramble about the teens makeup ideas!! So yeah :] Normal: Like you said, a mix of school sport makeup (?) and classic clown

Scary: Again like you said (sorry about that haha) as close to goth as she can get probably crossing into mime makeup territory

Linc: The makeup that people wear to sports matches? Does that make sense? Like the stripes on their cheek

Taylor: I was thinking anime but then at the same time he could have spiky eyeliner!

:] apologies for this hehe

NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR STUFF LIKE THIS FEEL FREE TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS WHENEVER

and ooo yeah excellent think thonks (they make perfect sense dw) !!!

i never went to many football games in high school, so i'm not super familar with the types of face paint that people use to get into school spirit but that's definitely the vibe i feel fits normal!! maybe even link too to an extent as well just because. sporty.

scary is probably the most fun to play with, but it's still so hard for me to place it accurately on the axes of clown to goth punk to mime.

i'm actually very unsure about taylor though :0 !!! i'm not sure what constitutes anime makeup, and i tend to lean more decora kei when i think of him outside of the canon design. there's the angle of sparkly japanese fashion. there's the angle of jam packed action hero. there's the angle of doing whatever the fuck he wants.

much to consider...much to consider indeed...

#sei says an answer #thedndgoblinwholivesinyourwalls #bigtop burger dndads au

[1tsjusty0u]

hm. random things wreath likes perhaps

BWAH ALRIGHT!!

pre cal. not much!! he likes fiction books and sweet foods but other than that he cant think of anything. he probably does like more things though its just a deep-seated issue for him. for specifics: they always like pumpkin pie its his favorite, and. yeah. finnish desserts they also make due to hateno and he’d also like those a lot! piparkakku and pannukakku (gingerbread and pancakes) he likes as well. uhm. i should note i am not finnish so any finlanders out there if i butcher anything. im sorry…. anyways! fiction books arent just legends of past games for clarification he’d like ones that really dont have anything to do with tloz. if chicory a colorful tale was an ip/book in this universe they’d like it a bit!! also horse fact magazines and cookbooks. he loves those and never reads them after he gets them <3

post cal ..!! you know if this was like. my interpretation of normal botw i’d say the issue from the above paragraph would get better! but uh!! here it actually gets worse. they still love pumpkin pie and food and horse facts however. its getting harder and harder for him to remember what he does genuinely like, + things he Would like start to get stale or dont feel fun anymore like. for example horse facts again. he’ll always like food but other than that he’d have trouble naming most other things. it all just Exists to him. unfortunately going outside does Not fix him no matter how beautiful and wondrous it is

however i shant leave it at that….. while he might not be able to list it he still does like things sort of. he doesnt get excited about these but theyre just Nice to him and nothing more (also realistically he wouldnt care too much about these however pretend this is a parallel universe where this issue doesnt exist and he Would like these!! he still would in this one he just has problems anyways); seeing foxes!! he likes to greet them by spooking them. hes a fan of cooking ingredients and as much as totk sucks i Do like koyins quest (ignoring the romantic implications and the butchering of her character) i think he’d really Really like trading in nuts for milk and collecting them for the cow guy. he’d probably do it even with no milk incentive but thats just the cherry on top. also koyin and him could be slight friends a lot later into the story!! also he likes acorns and seeds and tries to break into them. also i made a whole list of sounds: clippity clops, footsteps on brick pavement, wood chopping board noises, WHEELS ON BRICK PAVEMENT, knife getting stuck in wood or swords etc, clinks of figurines (not hollow and probably like. made up of a gem rather than stone. Heavy clinks), pencil on thin paper on desk. more likes the feel rather than sound. and gear sounds/clicking like guardians. ALSO KEYBOARD NOISES. like the chunky ones i can get a video. zelda also likes these just more mechanical ones rather than soft thonks. also cooking pot noises we cannot forget about those. cutting paper super smoothly by just dragging scissors or a knife feels good and also knife tearing through fabric or specifically a bed mattress also feels good! the sound varies however. alsoalso this made me make a list for zelda because i think she’d more actively like sensory things

if they had a preference for weapons he’d love lynel weapons due to the sheer damage he just would never use them as to not break them. same with robbies ancient sword and other weapons that look cool or have ties to the champions. otherwise he just likes standard one handed sword weapons. pre cal him would honestly like lynel swords More and be really miffed about the master sword only doing 30 damage despite it being a holy sword and people regarding it as this great thing. like it has trouble defeating monsters ganon is going to kill him. i need to play sksw honestly i think he would like fi i just know next to nothing about her besides her being the sword. also he cant hear her Anyways!!

#wreath of the bild #HELLO!!!! makes ominous keyboard sounds that slowly get closer

[gcldfanged]

SNEK, IT'S A SNEK- (Rebirth spoilers below)

"POPS?!"

Barrett is so charmed that Billy is a gil pincher, lmao.

Chloe is so cute!

I am sorry, Chocobo Sam ran their parents out of town? Damn

LOL Girls fawning over Piko and being like 'ooh there's a resemblance *EYES EMOJIS AT CLOUD*'

It always cracks me up that you just stomp through people's buckets and kick everything around and it flies across the screen.

BOW DOWN, OVERDWELLER. BOW DOWN, OVERDWELLER. BOW DOWN, OVERDWELLER- T I T A N

SNAKE? CAN YOU HEAR ME? SNAKE??? SNAAAAAAAAKE-

Cloud gets spit out of Midgardsormr's fangs:

"Cloud has joined the party" LOL

Welp, he's dead- Game over.

Cloud's New Spell: BY THE SUN AND MOON, BY THE STARS IN THE SKY, I SUMMON TO ME A REALLY STRONG GUY-

"Sephiroth has joined the party"

Oh God, we picking up herbs now. THIS LOOKS LIKE A GOOD PLACE TO SEARCH FOR INGREDIENTS- *GUNSHOT*

You can refine metal with materia??? *thonk face*

Ooh, so Corel was a mythril mining town? Maybe???

Yeah okay, you guys just go down that bigass cave hole. It'll be fine.

Elena: I'D PUT HIS ASS DOWN, CUZ THAT'S WHAT TSENG WOULD DO >:D Oh- She's so sassy and annoying, I love her and her fucking bedazzled pink gun.

Rude: ELENA! PATTERN ALPHA Elena: RIGHT. ... uhh, which one was that again? GIRL, YOU JUST DID IT.

"Petite Powerhouse" oh my god, she's the best.

Tseng is always like WAY meaner and like sassier than I ever remember him being, LMAO. "TAKE A LOOK IN THE MIRROR..." ??? Like, ya'll literally... dropped the plate. I know we're all lying and saying Avalanche did it, but bruh.

Red XIII IS SO SPINNY! I love how they did his combat animations.

Omg, there are SO many damn Sephiroth Clones. There weren't even this many in the original game.

Oh lord, they're gonna have us breed chocobos again, goodbye 20 hours of my life.

#◈ ooc #Kkeungi watches FF7 Rebirth

[starlightshadowsworld]

Danganronpa 3: Future arc episode 4

Thonks.

After Munakata gave an admittedly cool line...we get a recap from Monokuma who calls him a badass.

I'm sorry but if Monokuma thinks highly of you... You know you're the bad guy.

"Please note: Hagakure's stuck outside because nobody likes him."

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼.

I mean I'd rather have him than Juzo.

"Quit acting like your title means a damn thing."

Bold words for a guy who once beat a student because he was "inferior" for not having a talent.

Someone needs to stop giving this guy chairs.

Seiko's still... That and running after Ruruka and Izayoi.

The director being kind of a badass makes sense.

Wouldn't have survived this long if he wasn't.

And he's beating Juzo sips tea maybe we can trust him.

Kyoko's stunned reaction like you gotta be good to fool the detective.

Awh Asahina and Kyoko hugging.

"Why bother being like him, he's him and you're you." Look at you Kyoko giving encouragement.

I'm proud of her.

And Asahina chiming in that yeah you're great on you own. You don't need to be like Makoto.

Trust me, as much as we love Makoto one is enough.

Ahh fuck Munakata's got Makoto.

I knew he didn't kill him already, but to use him for ransom?

... Nope he's gonna kill him...

I love how everyone's freaking out and Kyoko's just annoyed.

Explaining it's a trap, to draw them all in.

If Munakata was gonna kill him he would've done so already, so they have time to negotiate.

So I was right, he is ransom.

Although I disagree on the he would've done so already.

Munakata seems like the type to play with his food, so to speak.

He's not gonna kill Makoto, not yet.

He's gonna make him suffer first.

Like Sato said, I wanted to see the light leave her eyes. That's what Munakata wants from Makoto.

To drag him into the depths and experience true despair.

Not realising Makoto has, several times.

Makoto just having no energy while Munakata is still on his dramatics.

Mood.

Also man needs to pick his side because I'm confused.

First it's, you have to die because you're that strong and gave so much influence.

And now it's you're nothing, you're not a threat of you live or die.

Is it because he's tied up?

That doesn't mean he couldn't go free, and thus be a threat?

Pick a story my dude and stick to it.

Makoto: The worst case scenario is we all die.

Munakata: Nope.

In a way I get where he's coming from in his hypotheticals.

If the killing stops after a person is killed that doesn't mean they're the killer. They could stop whenever they want.

And that person could survive and than go on to influence the rest of the foundation.

But it doesn't justify mass murder nor whatever the hell he's doing.

Also his insistence on calling it a game...doesn't sit right with me.

Man if I ever complained about Byakuya I want to apologise.

You are nowhere near as insufferable nor egotistical as this fucker.

Idk how you managed to make game 1 Byakuya "I moved the dead body to make the killing game more interesting" Togami look like an functional human being.

But here we are.

"Despair would march on with a flag of hope. That would be the worst outcome."

... Who's gonna tell him that's exactly what he's doing...

He's on a power trip and decided him and only him gets to decide who lives and who dies.

Again, stop trying to justify mass murder.

The director is here and shattered his sword. That's how you make an entrance.

Finally Kyoko gets to do her thing and investigate.

Asahina getting Makoto to safety, whoop.

Director stepping up to fill Gozo's shoes as resident badass on Makoto's side.

Rest in peace Great Gozu.

"For what it's worth, there's no doubt in my mind that you are the Super High School Level Hope."

There it is from the former headmaster himself.

I think Ryota's the traitor but I don't really have any evidence.

Just a vibe.

I hope its not though I'm not sure who it could it be.

"We used to be besties."

"Oh don't even play that card. Last I checked, besties don't get besties expelled from Hope's Peak high school."

... Yeah Ruruka and Seiko definitely have history.

Reminds me of Natsumi and Sato.

Oh so Izayoi and Ruruka also got expelled.

Interesting.

Ya'll are kinda in your own show at this point.

Oh hell yeah the Director just through Munakata on the ground.

I get he has a name but I'm just gonna call him Director.

Also him calling Munakata cynical and naive when all Munakata has done has berate Makoto for being naive.

Hell yeah.

"Despair can only be eliminated by those prepared to make the necessary sacrifices."

"Oh than I suppose Yukizome was one of those sacrifices."

OHHHHHHHHH!!!

He got you there.

Gonna need some ice for that, the old man is not playing around.

... And getting stabbed through the hand and keeps going.

Fucking hell.

And they fell through a glass balcony.

Man I don't want Miaya to die... But they're going off alone and said I'll be back...

"When we get out of here, we're gonna eat so much donuts."

Heh, yeah you guys should.

Annnd Miaya has rocket missles in her wheelchair.

Oh... Yeah the Director has been stabbed through with shrapnel.

Munakata having the audacity to say he thought the director had "lost his fangs and was just hiding behind a cheap code of ethics."

And he'd wanted to kill him for ages.

Werido.

Juzo you just committed the cardinal sin of kicking someone's ass while they're powering up.

Dude doesn't know fighting etiquette either.

... And Miaya's a robot.

No wait there's someone controlling her.

WAIT

Miaya is Monaca?!

Didn't see that coming holyshit.

... So she's the traitor?

Because I don't think she's the mastermind.

Either way... Monaca Towa is back.

Fuck.

#danganronpa 3: the end of hope's peak high school #Danganronpa #makoto naegi #kyosuke munakata #sonosuke izayoi #ruruka ando #juzo sakakura #miaya gekkogahara #kyoko kirigiri #kazuo tengan #monaca towa #aoi asahina #long post

[wispisstillverybored67]

Thrill la Thrill

What's that noise behind you?

What's that shadow on the stair?

It's here. to remind you...

You'd better beware!

*yawn* We're there already? Wait, why were we here again? Um, let's see... His Fowlyness and that slimy prick had suddenly booted up the tank, and before I could settle on my side, we were driving off to the fortune teller's. I asked, but they both shushed me. Oh well. I should go get some more peanuts if there's time. I think I'm out...

Hey... Is that a blood moon hanging up? Right in the middle of fall too... Uh, did something come up?

Oh... His Fowlyness is finished here. Time to head back. The guys step on the gas and thusly drove back "home".

"Yo... What was the deal with the visit to Mabel? At least tell me what she said." I tried to get an answer from the boys. 

"Yeah. What'd she say?" Hey, one of the few times me and Escargoon are on the same page! That never happens.

"She says I have this ghost on my tail." I can practically feel the fear radiating off DDD. His tone... didn't change a bit.

"A ghost on your tail? I didn't even know you had a tail."

"Well I guess I don't stand a ghost of a chance." The boys joked about the problem. We all laughed a bit at the stupid pun, in a bad attempt to lighten the mood. Hahahaha... no.

"But maybe this is just some giant mistake. Maybe there's some logical explication of the whole situation!" His Fowlyness is gonna have a stroke if he attempts to figure out the truth.

"Sorry, a ghost?" Might as well join 'em... "Sure that wasn't just, I don't know, your shadow? His shadow? The mini monsters' shadow? Come on you two-"

"Hey, it's there in the camera too. You gonna argue with the camera?" I was gonna say something else, but then that slimy prick interrupted me.

"*yawn* No, not really. Well, I won't really care if there was a ghost on you. Unless they like peanuts. That's my only rule. A ghost can move in here, but if it takes rent in peanuts, we need to do something..."

"Yeah, picture sure don't lie." Oh my...

All remained silent, and good, until...

We hit the castle. "Wait what's up with that drawbridge?!" His Fowlyness was already screaming. Are we going to be squished?

"I don't know, Sire! It's actin' like it's HAUNTED OR SOMETHING!" Wait what? Hey, why's the tank slanting?!

*ka-thonk!* Dang it all... What was all that about?

"What was that for...?" I complained.

"Drawbridge never done that before..." And DDD complained too.

"Maybe that's the ghost's way of sayin' 'boo'." Why does that slimy prick keep insisting there's a ghost?

"There ain't no ghost!" We would've argued on this for longer, but the boys quickly got scared by something else. A noise, then footsteps. How odd. Maybe that IS a ghost. But ghosts don't have feet! So what's with the noises?!

It's... It's... Waddle Doo? "Ah... I'm glad yer alright, Sire!" How did he get there?

"You... We..." What was I gonna say? Dunno.

"Some guard you are!" "With an eye like that, ya should look out for the king's safety!" You tell 'em, boys! "The boys are in a horrible mood, so you better not make this worse!" I joined in.

"Well I'm sorry, Sire, but it wasn't my fault! Somebody must'a sabotaged the drawbridge!" he then claimed, motioning up and down for it's broken motion.

"Huh?" We all went. "Not a likely story!" I sensed that Escargoon was probably gonna go off on him, so I just took my cart out, and wheeled inside. Wonder what awaits me there?

______________________________________________________________

*a handful of minutes later...*

"Oh... It was a spook, I knew it was a spook...!" Ms Lady Like was pacing back and forth in the main hall (I think it was). Her sir was attempting and failing to get her to relax.

"Try to calm down, my dear!"

"What is it? Spill it, Like-Like." I was just wondering what was the proverbial spook.

Oh, footsteps.

"Great... Sir Ebrum and his gang of grousers. Now what's the matter?" Ah. Judging from that being the slimy prick's voice, the boys are back inside.

"Well we... We think we might've seen a-"

"A galloping GOBLIN!" Erm... She's probably exaggerating this... right?

"Huh? What's she talkin' about?" His Fowlyness was guessing just as good as me.

"I mean, it does sound rather silly, and there could be some perfectly logical explanation fo-"

"But we saw a ghost!" Alright, alright. Point taken...

"Uh, maybe it was just a pigment of your imagination-"

"But I saw it too!" And now Tiff (of all people) jumped in. And thus, she made her piece. A few hours ago (at least I think it was that time ago...), she was heading back to the main hall to finish something before going to bed, but footsteps overshot the hall, as if someone or something was following her. Between the surprised screams, I can tell no ghost had touched down here. She probably didn't believe in ghosts until now, either.

Is that so? Hmm... 

"That thing gave me a scare too." Thus, Like-Like told her piece next. 2 hours before Tiff came here, she was just watching a drama, too bad the curtains flew open. Though the sound of bats were lingering around, the thing that was imprinted on the outside world was a ghost. I think it then came inside when she shut the windows. So it's her that brought the ghost in? Aw... She probably pinched herself to see if she's not awake.

"...I had a rather disturbing encounter myself, Sire." With the Sir giving the last piece, that makes everyone. A day (I think) ago, he was down in the cellar in an attempt to see what needed to be replaced and what didn't. Too bad the ghost found out how to move some of the wine bottles around. Man, I'm glad he never saw the skeleton chained up down there... Hehe, a spirit among the spirits. Caught the pun.

"This is all way too conveniently timed..." I complained a bit.

"Oh, I see the plan!" DDD finally spoke. Huh? "When I move out, y'all take over the castle." What the hell. Mr. Prime immediately denied something like that.

"But if you did leave, I hope you take Clara and Escargoon with you." Lady Like on the other hand, didn't exactly deny that stuff either. At least get my name right!

"Look, if that would happen, I'm not goin' with them... I'm staying." I complained in the back.

I began to zone out as the group conversed a bit. Nyeh... I wonder where Kirby, Tuff and the mini-monsters, Fololo and Falala are? Um... They mentioned having something to do today, but I don't know what they said they had to do... Oh, is that Meta Knight? How'd he get here? When did he get here?

"Hmph... With all due respect, sire, I do find it hard to believe that you aren't involved with these... paranormalities." Is that a word? Erm...

"Uh... This ain't my fault, I get spooked by spooks!" Dedede scrambled to defend himself from the thing in the corner.

Everyone got impatient. Mmm... Why, though? Oh, I know.

Tiff especially was having none of that. "I bet it's another one of those monsters!"

"Is that so? Is this another plot against Kirby??" Even Sir Ebrum joined in on this. I didn't expect that from him. Well, to His Fowlyness, that is.

"Look, I ain't plannin' nothin' to nobody, and there ain't no ghosts 'cause there ain't no such a thing!!!" He's quaking.

K(that's me!): Oh really? Seems like the evidence is turning against it.

L: Then what was that floating in my window?!

S: Why were those bottles floating?!

T: There's a ghost here!

Against our mounting evidence, he quickly broke under pressure, and I think he lost it.

"AHHHHHHH!! THE GHOST IS AFTER MEEEE!!! AND I GOTTA DO SOMETHIN' BEFORE IT GETS ME!!!!" He screamed out in a panic, and then left immediately. The other one followed him to... wherever he ran off to. Oh no, wait, he just went to the direction of his room. Mmm... How tragic.

"*sigh* That was so weird..." I complained once they left.

"Indeed. I simply hope it won't reappear while we sleep." Oh, is the group gonna go to bed? Yeah, it's about time.

"I am sure it would keep to the outdoors. Now..." Ah, yeah, they're gone. Tiff and her parents left the scene. But Tiff herself is lingering. Hmm...

______________________________________________________________

...

"Oi, Tiff, can I talk to you for a sec?" I called out to her once those two left the scene.

"Yeah, but first off... A ghost haunting him?" she questioned while I walked up to her.

"I tried to get something out of the boys." I sighed. "Nothing came out. But I did overhear Mabel giving her verdict on this to his Fowlyness. Something like that is true, apparently."

"I have trouble believing this fully... I just hope it leaves soon enough."

"The boys should be back by tomorrow... *yawn* So I'll be off now... Hehe, don't let those ghosts bite." I told her off as I began paddling my cart to my room.

"I guess. Goodnight." And thus, we've gone our separate ways.

The hall to my room isn't that far. Just keep right until you hit the yard view, then go left. After about 15 minutes, I'm back to my room.

Ahhhh... This is nice... Just gonna cozy up in my blanket fort with a bowl of peanuts and a cold bottle of iced tea. Maybe I can crack open the TV and see what's on. Or not. Let the soft moonlight filter through the room.

Hmph... Why can't the lights get fixed soon enough? Wait a sec, they already fixed it, didn't they? I hate that they whir like that. Hate it hate it hate it. Let's see if they get fixed in the morning...

______________________________________________________________

Hate hate hate... That's a nice word, isn't it? Hate... Let me tell you how much hate we can stuff into this place since I got here. There are 3.84 million watts of electricity (or something) flowing through this castle in wafer thin wires in all angles. If the word 'hate' was sent in every wire's nano-something or other in these hundreds of thousands of watts, it wouldn't equal a billionth of the hate I can stuff into this castle for it's screwed upness at this microinstant. For this. Hate. Hate.

Er... I'm just watching my shows, right now. This one is based a novel on a young detective and her repeated encounters with a brilliant, yet insane serial killer. I don't exactly like the ending change on TV, but other then that, it's quite solid. Still, the fact that it comes on at night is a huge detriment. I'm trying to get some sleep here, you know? But I guess it'll be fine.

Oh, what's that at the window? Better check it out...

Walk up to the window, open the curtains, and then the window itself.

"Ah... You know, you ARE supposed to trail inside while the others do their stuff, you know..."

"Hahaha. I get that, but it's too funny to see people's reactions!"

"Just don't get too loud that they'll figure you out. We don't want our jig to be up..."

"Right right right. So you take the right, and I'll take the left, sound good?"

"Yeah, why not? As long as the target gets down there. How about you three... What do you think about your potential game plan?"

"A what?"

"Game plan? Isn't just doing what we're normally doing fine?"

"Poyo."

"Uh... I suppose. Okay... How about we meet near the men's room once all is dealt with, does this sound good?"

"Sounds like a plan! See ya later, Claire!" "Bye-Bye Clara!" "Poyo Poyice!" They leave for the windows on another side of the wall. When will they get my name right?! *sigh*

Now that they reminded me... I need to go put my makeup on for the big event. One moment...

______________________________________________________________

*30 minutes later...*

"Excuse me, Clara? Sorry to interrupt, but do you have a moment?" Meh? Sir Ebrum now? My makeup is on... How'll I excuse this?

"Nah, you're fine. *opens door* So what's it?" I'm covered in flour from head to toe, my lips are coated in barbeque sauce, my eyes are outlined in a fruit punch powder/thickening liquid agent mixture, my ears are traced with egg yolk in it's inner sections, my hair is capped in a straight black wig, and it's tips are dyed yellow-and-black with honey mustard and activated charcoal. I eventually kept it mostly shut, so he could hear me properly, but to not ruin my makeup or ask about it. What's it for, you may ask? Why, to scare off the ghosts with a ghastly wail, of course! Why do you look so sad?

"I recall you telling me about a specific song that can repel ghouls and the like. In the rare event that it does not leave after tonight, do you remember the title of the song?"

Oh.

"Blumenkranz?" I know this song by heart. I think he's talking to me first about it, since the dang ghost was seen there last, according to a report from some Waddle Dees 6 hours ago. Why does he say that I said that it repelled ghosts? I don't remember saying that. When we went over the book imports some time ago, I never said anything of the sort when the book of scores came up.

"I see. Well, in this case... Good night." Ah... He left.

Hey.

He never asked what Blumenkranz actually meant.

Everyone always asks what Blumenkranz means.

Even you're asking what it means behind that screen.

But it's fine.

I can tell you now.

But this may take a while.

You see... it translates to "Flower Wreath", or a, how you say, flower crown. But it carries a higher dignity then a simple flower crown... Only the strongest, finest flowers should be woven and bound into this shape. Withered flowers should be removed immediately. If you don't want to be upset by it's poorer quality, only bind the fresh flowers. A well placed one should improve one's condition, or at least their mood and posture. To bear a blumenkranz... is to take in it's near-weightlessness. But the finesse and dignity it requires to bear it with elegance and grace is difficult to utilize effectively... One who bears the highest quality blumenkranz demands everyone's attention, trust, love. At least, that's what my dad always told me

...Okay, ramble over. I have to leave now. But first... Peanuts, my cart, and computer! Alright... let's go.

______________________________________________________________

*10 minutes later...*

Let's see... Faulty lights? Check. Halloween themed snacks in the basement? Check. Cameras broadcasting that slimy prick's voices and turn it into ghastly wails? Check. Flashing lights? Check. Flappers going in and out of the windows? Check. Unknowing victims castlemates? Check. Languid maiden wheeling herself to where she thinks the king may be? Check. This may sound off, but all this is simply extra measures against the ghosts. I believe some other inhabitants will also be attempting a "Kill la Kill" deal. That's when you scare something by pretending to be it. It's referred as such because if you have to scare a killer, go and kill it. Simple. To scare a scarer, scare it back. Kill or be killed. Scam or be scammed. Scare or be scared. Thrill or be thrilled. That's how it goes here, at least. Although, all those snacks are reserved for me, I just hope His Fowlyness isn't hijacking it off down there...

*ssshwoon!* The heck was that? Um... From the direction it came from... and connect that to the direction it flew into... Shoot. The men's room has more guests...

Out of curiosity, I decided to go and check it out.

Now, I was rolling towards the boy's room to hunt down any stragglers. I heard screaming from this area, so why not take a detour? Okay.

*a few minutes later...*

The door to the bathroom is open. and I can hear DDD's erm... potty break from here. I was in the middle of the hallway, mind you. Oh... It seems it's not just him that's here. Why is he running to my direction?

"Klarissa! What the heck were you doing the whole night?!"

"Picking off any stragglers, what does it look like? You know... with this, no interruptions will be encountered, since I took care of the Waddles and whatnot."

"And the Ebrums?"

Oh. "No worries, they're off looking for the book with that song... What was it called? Said it repelled ghouls or something." I think... Didn't anticipate that, but I'm sure it'll be fine.

"The makeup? Really?"

"Listen, dumbass, I don't appreciate the constant questioning. If you waste anymore time, he'll ruin the whole thing. H-H-He-HEY! ESCARGOON DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND IN THIS CRAZY-" Don't ditch me now! What was that even for?!

"Clara?! Get over here!" Is that His Fowlyness?! Why does he sound so terrified?! I thought he doesn't fear this kind of stuff! Hey... What's that noise behind me?

"Spot." I finished myself. With this, he ran out to see me from the bathroom. I froze. My face would've been warped more menacingly, but I just looked terrified. It looks suspicious, but I assure you that it's just for getting the ghost out. I'm not doing anything else.

You think Dedede could'a pulled this off? No.

Why do you look so sad? I had no reason to reject this.

What's with these ghastly wails behind me? I tensed up, so it kinda looked like I was nervous at the sight of the king, probably rushing towards me. ...Hey. I recognize those voices anywhere.

"AYYYEEEEEEEEEE! MY SAVIOR!!" I'M SAVED! I projected my voice into a demonic conaltro, but they knew who I was. He sure as hell didn't. I ran onto the mini ghosts like there was no tomorrow: with these events, it looks very suspicious.

I didn't exactly recall what he shouted at that moment, all I needed was them...!

Since the three chased down the king elsewhere once they shifted over there, I waited at one side of the hallway. It's exactly who I thought it was! Everyone came back. It was...

...

"I knew you had in in you, Tuff, Fo-Fa and Kirby!!" I exclaimed when the coast was clear.

"Hehehaha!" the former giggled a bit as he helped unmask the latter. "Told you we'd pull it off, no problem!"

"Yeah! That gave him ghost-bumps!" Fololo joked around.

"We sure scared 'em bad~!" I can tell that Tuff's feeling proud of himself for this.

"Let's spook 'em again!" Falala just read my mind!

"Sounds like a plan! Let's go!" I quickly wheeled off to our runaway king for this idea to work. I assure you, it's to set an example for the ghost, nothing else. If we have DDD vulnerable, he'll know what for, and not bother us again. Es ist fraglich aber wahr.

______________________________________________________________

*30 minutes later...*

Awaken...

My King!

Heed...

My call!

I have an axe to grind with this guy...!

It's time for the biggest event of the night! We have the king strapped down to a makeshift autopsy table, while a large axe is set on one side in the basement. A degradable wall is set to fall just off his feet, while the other one will crumble easily all over the floor. Praise! This is a fine opportunity of examples! Oh, in a little while, you'll understand too. Watch! He's gonna wake up now! He won't recognize me in the makeup. I'm sitting on the hanging axe.

A scream... then realization.

"Them ghosts finally got me!" Hahaha... The king's gonna wish he was never born...! We toyed with His Fowlyness for a bit, then knocked him out, and brought him into the place where there is no darkness (a lie).

The wine cellar and torture basement! This is usually where the tortured are exposed to mindless torture until one pisses off the torturer and gets turned into slime. But we don't have a slime-grinder, nor a large enough computer program in here, so it's been refurbished into the centerpiece, where we lay our scene. One night, we'll finish our due, we'll take our leave and go.

I gave Tuff the thumbs up, the signal to unhinge the axe. Let's begin...

*nyoom*

"♬Ich möchte stärker werden, weil unsere Welt sehr grausam ist, Es ist ratsam, welke blumen zu entfernen♬" I sang loudly in a dominating tone to drive a point. Isn't it ironic... The Ebrums had gone off to find the specific song from the library, and which song did I decide to sing, in a bout of irony? You guessed it; Blumenkranz!

I swung down close to him, and amplified my voice's volume whenever I did so. All he could've done was suck in his gut so he doesn't get bisected.

"That's cuttin' it too close!!" Yeah no kidding.

*nyoom* Another scream from him. *nyoom* How are you screaming already, when it barely begun?! Ah, whatever! The hair on my body is firing off, my gut is burning! Sweat is pouring! l LOVE THIS PLAN!

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!! I'M SORRY FOR EVERY BAD THING I EVER DONE!! OH I'M A GONER FOR SURE!!!!" "WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" My laughter sunk up with his screams. With this leaking out, I changed to a different song.

"♬Woah-oah-WOAH-oah-oah-oah-oah-oah! Ooo, show me!" "♬Ja, ich bin viel stärker, als ich je gedacht hab, Fliege höher, Laufe viel schneller, Vergiss die wahrheit nicht Ja, ich bin viel stärker, als ich je gedacht hab, Ich entferne welke blumen, Wieso siehst du so traurig aus?♬ " Lalala lalala... That song simply doesn't get old.

The axe had to be brought back in for the next trick. I would've liked for it to last longer, but I get why. Now, I gave Tuff the OK. He then gave signal to Fo-Fa to push down the walls. First, the crumbling overcover wall. *ka-boom!* He seemed to have braced for pain from it, but he was super shocked/relieved when it was revealed to just be wet paper-mache and toilet paper. Then the miniature skeletons appeared. That was my idea. Mmm... I hope that ghost is watching! Watching and dreaming that it's not gonna be scared of this sight! Woooooo! I continued to sing my Blumenzehn mixture. "♬Ist der blumengarten echt oder falsch?♬" "♬Show me your looove~! Show me your love! Oh!♬" I can hear footsteps, it's sad but true. But I'm not worried.

And then, on my scream, the trio of ghosts fly downward, having donned their disguises beforehand, to circle the target in a medley of ghastly wails and evil smiles. The air is stagnant, and the scene is perfect. He even started crying! I'm unsure whether to feel bad or laugh! The song must go on, the show must go ON! 

"♬Was willst du von mir? Ich mag wollen oder nicht, ich muss den feind verfolgen, Ich bin nicht frei von dieser welt, Was willst du von mir? Ich mag wollen oder nicht, ich muss den feind verfolgen, Ich bin nicht frei von dieser welt♬"

After a bit of madness... He conked out. Whaaaa?

Tuff and I jumped down from our perch to observe. "Yo. That's peculiar." I commented.

"Wuh-oh. He got so scared, he fainted!" He realized.

Laughter came emanating from one side. It was Escargoon...! I can't believe the words... My savior...!

"That was excellent work, team." He remarked as he came out from the shadow. I hope he saw everything. What an exhilarating moment! "A trick like that deserves a nice treat!" Lollipops.

"Alright!!" We all ran to get a lolly before everyone else did. Mmm... I guess getting candy as a reward is the best thing for a kid, and I don't blame them at all, but you can also just buy these from the candy store down in Cappy Town normally. Still, it tastes quite good.

"And don't think I didn't forget about you wanting 'proper' compensation for this, Klarissa." *gasp* PEANUTS! He remembered! I ran back over quickly to grab the bag of the good stuff. First he's the only one to pronounce my name properly, and now this?! Ahh... This is the life. More for the pile. And these are pre-de-shelled, too! I am SO gonna take any more offers from him, I HAVE to pay him back after this!

"That was fun!" Fololo exclaimed what was on everyone's mind.

"So's getting candy!" Falala was more interested in what was in her hole. Kirby too. "Poyum~"

"I guess it's okay to help Escargoon as long as it doesn't help King Dedede." Tuff noted. 

"You said it. Could he ever work up these schemes like he does?" I told him, shoving the goods into my mouth. No. No he cannot. Can he think properly? I think not. This is a memory I'll forever cherish as the night we enacted our thrill or be thrilled scheme..!

Hahahaha... *fwush!* The lights flushed open, halting our victory. We looked at the other direction. Oh no.

"Uh oh!" Falala squeaked out once we saw.

It was what remained of the Ebrums, clearly annoyed that they were lead astray... and Meta Knight tagged along too. The book that held the score of Blumenkranz was promptly dropped by Tiff.

"What's going on here, you guys?"

"Kirby?"

"Why are you all here with Escargoon?"

Daughter, mother and father were looking for answers. Everyone shambled about, trying to find a way to salvage this discovery. Tuff laughed awkwardly. I followed suit.

"Uhh... Hehehe... Ya see, uh... *sigh* The jig is up. We're pinched for sure." I tried. Really. I'm afraid I'll have to tell you the truth. There... was no ghosts. There wasn't ever a ghost.

"U-Poyo!" Why is he so happy about this? This is most certainly not a good thing!

"It appears we've found our... ghosts." Meta Knight was half prying, and half expecting of what he was seeing.

"One of you had better explain!" Mr. Prime pushed us for an answer. Quickly. A lie is the only thing that pitifully planted inside our heads. How can we save ourselves from this? How can we save face...? How can we survive this night unscathed? Our "leader" took a step forward, and reluctantly ratted us all out.

"Alright. This... was my revenge."

"What do you mean?" Simple, Tiff.

And thus, the whole thing was explained. His Fowlyness likes pranking him because he's a coward. He's got a seemingly bottomless imagination of ways to drive him... mmm... "crazy". Simple jump scares, locking rooms, dark and light contrasts, freaky costumes... Could be anything, really. But, judging by his tone, he seemed... guilty from this. But why? He's the one who started the whole thing! The one who brought us all together for the night for this prank!

"And so I decided to turn the tables and make him the victim for a change." Yes... he's tearing up right now.

Wieso siehst du so traurig aus? I whispered to myself. I'd ask out loud, but I don't wanna get hanged, drawn, and quartered for treason. But I DID take it far, so I should probably own it to not be the only one among us to live. I'll ask later. Why do you look so sad?

"Well... That's tragic, isn't it?" I don't understand, Mr. Prime. It's not tragic at all. It shouldn't be.

That slimy prick continued with the schpiel. I'm sorry I lied to you. I was onto this the whole time. Kirby, Fololo, Falala, Tuff, Klarissa, and Escargoon... We were the ghosts that roamed the castle to seek revenge, just as she said...! I'm sure you don't trust me with things as much, since you believed in me so... H-Hey! What do you mean I was awful at hiding this from you?! Where do you get all that... Anyways... He spent hours planning every detail of this elaborate, golden scheme before tonight. Breaking into the vault to get enough Denden to bribe Mabel with... Boobytrapping the drawbridge, and making sure Waddle Doo was kept in the dark... Editing the camera so a ghost appeared behind him... Even recruiting us all into his Ghost Squad...

"Just to get back at that beast...!" I hear ya. He WAS a beast. But I haven't heard that 'til just now. He whispered to my ear. I had no reason to reject him. And here I was, facepalming in embarrassment, hoping for this moment to just be a daydream, or to die on the spot. That was me. When I had taken so much joy in making the king wail... Why do you look so sad? Why do we look so sad?

"It appears you were able to shamboozle us all..." Meta Knight trailed off, bringing some of us relief. Relief that at least he wasn't mad. Against better judgement, I slowly uncovered my face.

"By Jones, you certainly had me believing in ghosts!" Mr. Prime remarked. Someone such as him could've fallen for it any day. I'm just surprised Tiff fell for it...!

Like-Like on the other hand was having none of it.

"Tuff, I'm ashamed of you!" Kind of expected for now, isn't it?

But then again, neither was he.

"King Dedede's ALWAYS doing somethin' to scare us; why shouldn't we scare him?!" "Poyo." Now they were both defending their new "friend", and their actions. Well, I don't know about Kirby.

"Eh..." I stammered out a bit. He's not WRONG, but...

"Clarice?" Meta Knight blurted out.

"Hmm?" What does he want.

"I just cannot understand why you would do this. You say that you're 'carefree and unflappable'... but the revenge idea just does not make sense." Well...

"Oh, is that so? Well, that's because I have no cause for it."

"So you weren't pranked by the king? How-"

"No no, I was. Anyone he knows gets pranked in under 2 weeks, and you of all people should know. I think, yeah. You were there for that part, you know? He used to have some fun with me, you know. But he got bored of it ever since he tried switching the hot water in the ladies' room with boiling water."

"But then why-" Hmm?

"Oh it's nothing, Tiff. See, I legitimately am carefree and unflappable, like I said. You think that's a good thing... But when you're like that all the time, your whole world just sorta becomes... dull. Nothing can excite you anymore. Nothing can reach you anymore. Everything bores you now."

"And on your apparent disliking of him?" On my disliking of who? Ah...

"I'm going to ignore you mispronouncing my name, Meta Knight. But you'll get it soon enough. Because yeah, we just do NOT get along. Can't stand his smug attitude. Honestly? I'm looking for cheap thrills. I don't care if it's coming from someone like him, as you can see. Truthfully, if siding with Escargoon means I can go get THIS level of thrills... What does it matter if we're vitriolic? I honestly don't see the problem."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. He approached me for this trick on his own accord. You were there for that part, I believe. I was going to cut out most of my 19 hours of sleep for this joke. And the proof is in the lolly. A fitting payment for the fulfillment of his wish. No?" I held it out in front. It was sort of small. "Normally, I work for peanuts, but for this, I made an exception.

"Fitting?! This is simply a petty trick!" She's STILL not over it?

"So you say, Like Like. But it's as Tuff said. If the king is constantly pulling worse pranks on us, what does it matter if this gets pulled off? This, ultimately, is the hardest I've ever worked for a single piece of candy, and I'll gladly do this again, if it means getting a shred of THESE thrills... Besides, I suppose making His Fowlyness faint is nothing compared to the stuff he pulled with us~"

"Pardon? Like with what?"

"Look at my neck. Do you see this mark? Do you see this? Do you know where this came from? You probably already anticipate this answer. Yes, this is no thanks to him. His latest prank on me was, as I said, overloading the water load in the woman's bathroom, so when I would use the sink, it would splash boiling water everywhere. Sounds dramatic, of course. But it's true. 'Course, I'm no coward. He is. I'd never get a good reaction, but he did. So this is the last prank on me. But you know what, honestly? You could say it kinda circles back to what he said. 'Just to get back at that beast' or something, you know~?" This is probably going over your heads... so just take it as it is.

"So that's it, huh?" Tiff finally realized it all. Right back at ya.

"Exactly. And now, with this truth in your grasp, we all can say that this Escargoon Squad finally got their revenge." I popped out some sunglasses, and put them on, so it would look cooler once I said the "got our revenge" part.

"Well, I guess bad things happen to bad kings!"

"That's bad karma to you! Ohohohohohohoho!" We all broke out into laughter after I spoke. I'm just happy he's perked up from it. I can't fathom on why he felt guilty, but I'll ask that later...

"Well ya sure had me shooken." WOAH! He's awake?! The king's awake?!

Everyone was also quite shocked at this turn of events. I would be, too.

"Ah! Sire-!" 

"You sure went through a lotta trouble, and you got me good." Okay, I don't get THIS. Why is he so relaxed on this? Normally he'd have our heads any other day. Why is he not flipping out.

And he's... admitting that this is his fault?! What happened to him that made him act like this? Oh, I knew we should have simply hypnotized him asleep instead of hitting him with his hammer! Is he... Does that slimy prick not see anything wrong with this? Put this behind us... When has DDD ever done that? I know where this is going. I've seen it in a play. No boys, you're NOT buddies! Oh...

"You're free. Now let's put this whole thing behind us...!"

"Heh, my chum... Or should I say: my chump."

*WOOSH!* 

"NO FOOL MAKES A FOOL OUTTA KING DEDEDE!!" THERE IT IS! THERE'S THE BEAST!!

"HUH?! Does this mean you're still mad?!" Yeah no kidding!

"QUIEEEEET!! YOU JOKESTERS THOUGHT YOU SNUCK OUT THE LAST LAUGH?! WELL THE LAUGH'S ON YOU!!!"  Ayeeeeeee!!! No no no! Run for it! Us ghosts ran like mad out of the basement.

______________________________________________________________

*5 minutes devoted to sprinting later...*

"YER ALL GONNA BE GHOSTS WHEN I CATCH UP WITH Y'ALL!!!"

I think he's still behind us. He's still behind us. He's still behind us he's still behind us he's still behind us he's still behind us he's still behind us he's still behind us... Wait, what's that flying overhead? Oh, no use worrying, just keep running!

"Oooooooo..." The thing went on as it flew closer to us, then past us. We stumbled, then stopped, stumped. "A ghost...?" I thought aloud. It was honing on His Fowlyness...

"Hehehe! Can't fool me this time, Kirby!!" That's not...

He tried catching it, but it just phased behind him.

"Kiiiiiiiiing Dedede~" It speaks?! Oh no. It turned around to face the one it wanted. The aforementioned king was stumped, like us.

"Uh... Kirby? Fololo? Falala? If you're here, then-" His Fowlyness stopped just when he realized it. Fear warped across his face, so he just ran. Away from that thing. Yeouch!

"Pay what you owwwwwweee..." It went on like that as it chased him around. I shrugged to the group, then followed after 'em. They followed as well.

...

*5 more minutes devoted to sprinting later...*

I must've lost sight of the group, I ended up in the throne room... First the ghost came in, holding a sack of Denden, and taking it with it to that monster portal in the middle. Hey... Was that needed?

"A gold digger ghost...?" Wow, seems like the man of the hour's perplexed from these events as well. Everyone not named DDD files in here, circling in front of the TV to get some answers. Since that's where the Sales Guy makes fun of him through.

"What the hell." I blurted out in a dead-pan.

The TV suddenly flashes on. Yeah, it was the Sales Guy alright! "Overdue bills. King Dedede owed us big-time, and this was the only way we could collect. Ta-ta~" It turned off as quickly as it flashed.

What the hell.

"WOW Escargoon! Looks like yer tricks costed the king a lotta money!" Tuff shouted on an impulse.

"He DESERVED it! Listen, life ain't a free ride, kid, you gotta pay for everything!" He's owning it now! Hahaha... I knew he had it in him.

*click!* Again?! The doors flung open. We faced the target.

"Heh. That's right." DDD's tone was just dripping with ill intent. "Now you're gonna pay BIG TIME!!!" Ayeeeeee! Get me outta here! Oh I wish Marx was here to see this...!

#thrill la thrill #kirby right back at ya #wisp's children #wisp rambles #wisp writes #king dedede #tiff ebrum #sir ebrum #lady like #klarissa hawks #tuff ebrum #lololo #fololo #lalala #falala #escargoon #queue in wonderland

[theriu]

For A Bit Of Bread

I’M SORRY TEAM TOLKEIN And @inklings-challenge I DID NOT FINISH. Feeling super unmotivated lately. But I did complete two scenes!!! (I’d like to say this is half of the story, but knowing me it’s MAYBE a third of what it will end up being. XD;) I chose Secondary World Fantasy and ended up thinking of a short backstory for one of the characters that would be interesting to explore! So since we were told to share even if we didn’t finish, please enjoy these two scenes. I shall try to reblog with further updates when I get them done!

----

(A/N: This is a short story set in the world of my hypothetical someday book Turtledove. For context, pretty much everyone joins one of the many many varieties of guilds that cover all of the usual (and some unusual) professions. I hope you enjoy....and please know that things are sometimes not as bad as they seem.)

A small figure raced down the dark alleys of Spheino’s business district, prize clutched firmly to his chest. With practiced skill, he leapt around, over, and even under the various barrels and trash bins that got in his way. Just a little farther and he’d be safe!

That is, if he could lose the three much taller figures barreling along behind him. He was nimble, but the City Watch had longer strides. Some of the obstacles that he had to crawl under, the men were vaulting over. The little figure skidded around a corner and turned up his speed, hoping desperately to reach the escape route before they could see which way he’d gone.

Another crash and a roar of anger sent fear tripping up his spine, but he reached the intersection and turned down the narrow alley between a brick church and the tall fence of a junkyard. Tucking his loot under one arm, the boy pushed against a board, which swung inward and upward, granting just enough space for a slim boy to duck through. The board thunked softly back into place behind him, hiding his escape.

That should throw them off for a second. Greg allowed himself a second to catch his breath, mentally calculating his next move. The junkyard dogs were chained up, he knew. He could skirt the yard outside their range easily by climbing over the stacks of old carriage wheels, then leap to the top of the fence on the other side and—

A growl far too close by froze him in his tracks. The boy turned slowly, staring wide-eyed at long, white teeth gleaming in the moonlight. He took a step back, eyes darting for an escape route. The dog lunged and the boy dropped, hands flung protectively over his head.

The loose board thonked the dog in the muzzle as it swung up, breezing just over the top of the boy’s lowered head. Before he could think, a hand grabbed the hood of his ragged tunic in a fist and yanked him backward into the alley, the board blocking off the image of the snarling dog as it swung shut behind him.

The boy landed on the ground with a breathless thud, gasping with fear and confusion. Then he got his bearings and looked up to see the owner of the hand. A simple silver cross glinted on the looming figure’s breast in the moonlight, his hands planted firmly on his hips.

“That was your last chance, little Greg,” Pastor Judson said in a stern, disappointed tone.

As the three men from the Watch ran towards them, Greg slumped where he sat and sighed. He took one last, longing look at his stolen treasure before he was yanked upright again by rougher hands.

———

Greg scrunched in on himself on the rough stool, keeping his eyes firmly on the floor and not at the two towering adult figures standing over him. If you can’t get away, hide, and if you can’t hide, be as small as possible. It was the mantra that had kept him safe and free this long.

He had a dread in his stomach that this time, that freedom would be ending for good.

“Bread, Greg? Really?” Pastor Judson sighed, looking at the large loaf of artisanal bread in his hand. It was a work of art, hard-glazed and styled in the shape of a dragon, complete with flaked almond scales. “Do you not care for the bread we give out at the soup kitchen?”

Greg didn’t answer, hugging his knees closer and tilting his face parallel to the floor.

The Watch officer grunted. Greg had encountered him before—Captain Herschel. Their past meetings had not been any more appealing for either side. “You can’t speak up for him this time, Tim. He’s had every chance to curb that kleptomania of his. This is his third strike.”

Greg’s hands clenched against his threadbare pantlegs. He didn’t like having his stealing thrown in his face as some mental malfunction. So what if certain things jumped out at him at unexpected moments, begging to be added to his private collection? He could control it. He didn’t need to steal.

Greg glanced up at Pastor Tim Judson, nursing a faint hope that the nice man might be able to wiggle him out of this incident like he had the last. The pastor met his gaze and sighed, giving a slight headshake that sank Greg’s heart in his chest. “I know, Reese. You’ve been more than fair, and he almost got himself mauled tonight besides.” The image of flashing white teeth lurked behind Greg’s eyes, and he had to suppress a shiver as Pastor Judson went on. “What’s to be done with him? He’s only ten or so—too young for most of the guilds to accept, even if they’d be willing to take someone with a record.” The pastor sighed regretfully. “I had hoped he would make it to that age so I could get him safely apprenticed before he ended up in the youth prison.”

The mention of the youth prison made Greg tremble, but he bit his lip, determined. He would not cry. They would see how tough he could be! Besides, some of the street kids who’d served shorter sentences in the prison said it wasn’t too bad. You got consistent meals and an actual mattress and blanket to sleep on, even if you had to work.

Captain Herschel crossed his arms behind his back and considered the tiny ball that was Greg. He crouched abruptly, still slightly taller than the curled-up boy but closer to the same level. “Greg. Look at me.” The soft but inflexible command made Greg peek up. He stared into the solemn, square face with its slight beard and brown bangs. “Why did you steal that bread? Were you hungry, or was it another reason?”

It would be easy to make excuses that he was hungry—that was always a smart way to earn pity. He might have if he’d been caught anywhere else. But with Pastor Judson standing right there, brow furrowed in concern, Greg couldn’t bring himself to lie. “N . . . no, sir. Pastor Jud’s soup kitchen’s real nice. I get enough to eat.”

The Watch captain nodded to himself. He turned and gestured for the bread Pastor Judson held, then looked it over, turning it slowly in his hands. Greg’s eyes naturally on the masterful design, just as they had an hour ago when he’d passed the bakery and first laid eyes on its. A masterpiece of bread artistry, displayed in the window more as a demonstration of the baker’s skill than as a meal to be eaten.

“This is a beautiful bit of work,” Captain Herschel murmured, as if to himself. Greg nodded anyway. “So was the jeweled belt buckle you stole two weeks ago. And the top hat you nicked from the Men’s Boutique last month.”

“You never caught me for that—” Greg bit his tongue and winced. A knowing grin flickered across Herschel’s mouth, so quick even the sharp-eyed boy couldn’t be sure it had happened.

“Putting aside the number of strikes you should actually have on your record,” the captain continued softly, “I’ve noticed something about the places you target. All fairly high-end. Hard to get into. And yet we never seem to find the items being sold back onto the market, despite being worth a pretty penny. And now”—he eyed the artistic bread, which, despite being crafted to last, obviously wouldn’t fare well in a street boy’s possession—“this. Tell me something, Greg.” He tilted his head, brown eyes searching. “Are you part of a gang?”

Would it be better if he was? Could he bargain for a lighter punishment? But it didn’t matter—Greg didn’t have anyone to rat out. He shook his head.

“No, I didn’t think so. Do you plan these thefts out ahead of time? Or is it more spur of the moment?”

This time, Greg shrugged and looked down. But a stern throat-clearing brought his head reluctantly back up, and he sighed. “It just hits me sum’times, alright? I saw it, I wanted it. I got it.”

“Would you have taken it if Pastor Judson had been the one who owned it?”

Greg’s head shot up, eyes wide behind his black bangs. “What? No! I’d never take something of Pastor Jud’s!”

Captain Herschel pressed farther, his brow creased. “Why? Because he’s your friend?”

“’Cause it’s wrong!” Greg burst out, face heating even as he said it. He knew stealing was wrong, even if it wasn’t from a pastor. But his ten-year-old reasoning didn’t know how to put it into the right words—that some things just felt more wrong. The boy shrugged again and fiddled with a tear in his pants, refusing to meet Captain Herschel’s eyes. So he missed the glint of understanding in them.

Captain Herschel studied him a moment longer, then pushed his hands against his knees and straightened. What had all those odd questions been about? Not that it mattered; Greg already knew where he was going. The boy braced himself for the final pronouncement.

“I don’t believe youth prison’s the answer for this one,” Captain Herschel said to Pastor Judson. Greg looked up, confused. What other option was there?

The captain turned and looked down at Greg, giving a sharp nod as if in decision. “He may be a good candidate for the Civil Servants Guild.”

Shock bolted through Greg, freezing every limb. Pastor Judson’s eyebrows shot up, but he only eyed the captain doubtfully while the boy at their feet sat immobile. “Are you certain? I’ve heard they’re very strict, and they only take apprentices by recommendation.” He hesitated, then ventured carefully, “No one’s really quite sure what they do, either. I don’t suppose you can share why Greg could be a good candidate?”

A smile creased the captain’s face, and he patted the pastor’s shoulder. “They are strict, but I think this one can handle it. And I’ll be recommending him.” He hesitated. “As to why . . . let’s just say I see a certain potential I think they can do something with. Beyond that, I’m not allowed to say,” he finished, half gruff and half apologetic.

The pastor waved a hand dismissively. “Alright, alright. I suppose the air of mystery is important to their work. You know I trust your judgement.” He looked down at Greg thoughtfully. “At least he’ll be putting that clever energy into learning a trade that serves King and country. Whatever trade that may actually be.”

The rest of what they said to each other turned to senseless buzzing in Greg’s ears. He stared straight ahead, gazing into an unexpected yet terrifying new future. The Civil Servants Guild . . .

Every street kid knew the rumors about that mysterious, secretive guild that sat like a walled fortress in the East District of Spheino. They all avoided it as much as possible, whispering of particularly bad kids who got sent behind those walls. Maybe they were made into apprentices and taught how to be assassins. Maybe they were test subjects for weird experiments, or brainwashed and turned into mindless servants. One thing was certain: None of their old friends ever saw them again.

“I’ll be good.” His voice came out as a rough squeak, and Greg had to fight through his own terror to speak louder, though no less squeakier. “I’ll be good! Send me to the youth prison! Or, or, I’ll work for the Watch! I can clean the offices and the barracks!” He was babbling now, sweat beading on his neck. He’d do anything, anything!

Captain Herschel and Pastor Judson shared a look. The captain gave a wry smirk. “I see their reputation precedes them.”

“Don’t worry, Greg,” the pastor said, leaning down to put a hand on the quaking boy’s shoulder. “Captain Herschel wouldn’t take you somewhere dangerous.”

Part of Greg wanted to believe him, but the other part could only see himself disappearing forever into the dark mouth of those dreaded gates. He cowered on his stool, glancing around for a good escape route. But just as he bolted off his stool, Captain Herschel grabbed him by the upper arm. Greg struggled with sudden violence, but he was lifted to his feet like a wet puppy by the much taller and stronger man.

“Sorry, Greg,” Herschel said implacably, “but you don’t get a choice in this matter. You gave up that right when you threw away all the second chances you were given.” He marched the child to the door of the pastor’s office, out towards the street where a horse cart had been summoned.

“It will be alright, Greg!” Pastor Judson called again, following them to the door and watching as Greg was handed into the cart with no chance of escape. “Trust in the Lord. He will see you through any trial.”

As if that was comforting, Greg thought bleakly as the carriage door shut on him like the lid of a coffin.

(To be continued...)

#inklingschallenge #cs lewis #secondary world fantasy #turtledove #greg #my characters #my ocs #civil servants guild #team tolkein

[the12thnightproject]

Chapter 14: Favor - Katsuko tries to give Shingen some information, but he wants to give her something else.

Shingen x OC; Kenshin x MC (Mai)

Previous Chapter: here

Logline - Disguised as a boy, Katsuko finds herself working for Shingen, but her dangerous masquerade becomes difficult to sustain when she falls for the man with a fatal secret

I. “Eek!” Have. Whap! Had. Stomp! Enough. Thonk!

“Oooof!”

My reaction had been instinctive, and I responded with an elbow to my attacker’s gut, and a knee to a sensitive area and only then did I recognize… My hands went over my mouth in guilt as I looked down on the floor where Shingen was doubled over. “Oh no! I’m so sorry!”

Alerted either by my initial yelp or Shingen’s muffled “oof,” Mitsuhide stepped out of his room. He took in the situation with a raised eyebrow, snickered, and went back into his room, sliding his door shut with a firm click.

Still apologizing (and feeling a bit guilty – if I hadn’t turned away at just that moment, I would have seen who grabbed my arm), I helped Shingen into an empty room where he collapsed on a futon. I knelt on the floor while I waited for him to regain the power of speech.

… and waited.

Having never experienced this particular injury myself (although once Toshiie and I got into a long debate about which was worse, taking a hit to the groin or putting up with monthly cramps… an argument I won by pointing out that he didn’t take a hit there every month, but if he wanted to keep arguing, I could arrange for that to happen) … In any case, I had no idea how long it would take him to recover but figured I ought to stick around in case I had seriously damaged him.

“Angel, if you didn’t want to see me, a simple ‘no’ would have sufficed,” he finally said in a strangled tone of voice.

“Don’t creep up on me like that.” But since I still felt guilty, I apologized again.

He groaned softly then settled himself into a more natural sitting position. He gestured to a candle sitting on the desk. “Light that, will you, Angel? If you’ve the inclination to attack me again, I want to see it coming.”

I hurried to light the candle, positioning it far enough away to keep my face in the shadows. “I really am sorry.”

“Yes, I heard you the first three times.”

Considering I was Katsu, Kaya, and “Angel” simultaneously, three apologies about covered it. I still hadn’t even apologized as Katsuko. I was losing track of who I was supposed to be when I was with him.

“If you really want to help, instead of apologizing, you could let me rest my head in your lap – your nearness would make me feel better.” He did the whole look-into-my-eyes-and-hold-the-stare thing that I had witnessed during that disastrous Teahouse excursion.

Ok, he’s undamaged.

“It’s not like I hit you in the head.” Even so, I scooted next to him and let him put his head in my lap.

He tugged gently on a lock of my hair. “If I asked to put that part in your lap, you might hit me again.”

Walked into that one, didn’t I? At least he hadn’t asked me to kiss it and make it better. And I wish I hadn’t let that thought cross my mind… I could feel my face turn warm. He gave me an I-know-what-you’re-thinking smile, then shut his eyes. I tucked my hands behind my back so I wouldn’t be tempted to play with his hair. It always looked so soft and fluff-

Oh, to hell with it.

I tentatively ran my fingers through his hair, pushing it off his forehead. It immediately sprang back into place, as if saying, “Tag, you’re it.” Yeesh. Even his hair flirts. I paused. Soft and fluffy confirmed. I paused, trying to convince myself to sit on my hands this time.

“Don’t stop now, Angel, I’ve been dreaming of your touch for days.” I rolled my eyes at that one, which was a waste of a good eye-roll, since his were shut. But I couldn’t keep my fingers out of his hair anyway. He was smiling, but it was a relaxed, almost blissful smile now, that was ten times more deadly than the one he used when he was attempting that mind control thing. I had put that look on his face, and I wanted it to stay there.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, when it occurred to me that he must have had a reason to grab me in the first place.

“Looking for you. The Innkeeper is a … friend… and let me know you were skulking around.” He reached up and took hold of my hands in a firm, authoritative grip. “The question is, what were you doing here?”

Oh. We’re going to have that conversation. If the Innkeeper was one of his spies, or a contact of one of them, then he would already know that I’m not a servant here. “I thought I saw someone I knew come in here. But I was mistaken.”

“You were in that room a long time for someone who didn’t find the person they were seeking.” It was all said in that genial tone, but he obviously already knew whose room I had been in.

“I didn’t find who I was looking for but may have found something you were.” I paused, reminding myself that some of the things Katsu knew, “Angel” wouldn’t. Then again, he already thought “Angel” was a spy. I could work with that—and in doing so, I would tie up a loose end, by claiming authorship of the warning letter Katsu had found at the castle gate. “In any case, you’ve saved me the trouble of writing you another message. That boy of yours almost caught me last time.”

“Then you know whose room you walked into.” He had not let go of my hands. Apparently, he was still stuck on the fact that I had been in Mitsuhide’s room for a considerable amount of time.

“I do now.” If Shingen had been aware that Mitsuhide was lurking in Kasugayama, why hadn’t he done anything about it? “I didn’t when I opened that door.”

“Would you have done so if you’d known?” This was beginning to feel like an interrogation – in fact that is exactly what it was. I had to remember that when he wasn’t ‘Katsu’s boss,’ Shingen was a ruthless warlord and a top strategist. But I could do nothing less than brazen it out at this point.

“Well,” I glanced toward the corridor. The walls in this inn were basically paper. I had no doubt that Mitsuhide was lurking and listening to everything we were saying. “I would have knocked first.”

“You don’t work for him?” His eyes were open again, staring into mine, not his flirtatious gotta-love-me look, but something stern and cold. This was not a man who would take any kind of betrayal lightly.

“God no.” I didn’t even need to pretend horror. “I’d have a permanent migraine.”

“You wouldn’t lie to me, Angel?” The words were lightly flirtatious, but the tone dared me to contradict him.

I contradicted him anyway.

“Absolutely I would lie to you, but as it happens, I’m not lying about this.” I shrugged. “I can’t tell you what I was looking for because it was a private matter, but I can tell you what I found, since it concerns you. Maybe someday, you’ll be able to repay the favor.”

“Let me rest a while longer, Angel, then I’ll be able to do just that.” He pressed a kiss into my palm that I felt along every nerve from my hand to the core of my body.

I snatched my hand back, resisting the urge to press it to my chest. I will never wash this hand again. “Exactly how am I going to be able to relay this information if your tongue is in my mouth?”

“Interesting.” He sat up and shifted closer. “I didn’t say I planned to kiss you. Is that what you’re imagining?” He reached over and tucked my hair behind my ear. Brave man. After running around searching the rooms, my hair was a snarled mess. He could lose a finger in there.

But instead, he gently untangled it with slow determined strokes. The soft brush of his fingers against my head and neck did wonders to ease the headache that had built during my excruciating encounter with Mitsuhide. I took a breather to enjoy that before returning to the original issue. “Do you want to hear what I learned or not?”

He leaned closer and spoke into my ear. “Everything about you is captivating, including the words that fall from your lips.” He punctuated this statement with a flick of his tongue on my earlobe, causing me to bite the inside of my cheek to avoid gasping loud enough for him to hear. “As I have just demonstrated, my tongue can be applied to a number of places that are not your mouth.” He paused and playfully tapped the side of his head, as if struck by a thought. “Although I seem to recall you owe me two proper kisses of a suitable duration.”

“Maybe you should apply yourself to mathematics instead of kissing. I owe you one kiss, not two.” I don’t know why verbally fencing with Mitsuhide had made me want to pitch him out the window, while debating with Shingen was nearly as fun as kissing him.

“Two kisses. I kissed you.” With his finger, he drew an invisible line from his mouth to mine. “You didn’t kiss me.” He drew the line back to his own lips.

“I kissed you back. Simply because I didn’t initiate the kiss, didn’t mean I didn’t participate in it, therefore, two kisses, minus the one at the lake, equals one kiss. Our bargain didn’t state I was required to initiate.” Aaaand, I can’t believe we’re having this conversation now. I slapped myself in the forehead to try to get things back on track. “Stop trying to distract me. I would think you’d be interested in information.” Before he could reply and ping the discussion in another direction, I relayed what Mitsuhide had told me about the attack in Azuchi that someone tried to blame on Yukimura.

Shingen finally settled back and gave my words his attention. “Yukimura hasn’t left Kasugayama for the amount of time it would take to go to Azuchi and back.”

I scooted a bit further away from him. “They’re aware of that, and they caught the person responsible.”

“Who?” Shingen eased closer, erasing the distance I had just put between us.

“He said it was a paid assassin who, k-k-killed himself when caught. They’re still investigating who hired him, but Mitsuhide wanted to pass along the warning that there’s probably at least one of them here as well.” I considered scooting away again, but I’d likely end up scooting myself right off the futon, which would be embarrassing.

“He wanted me to be told?” There definitely a note of disbelief in his voice.

I shrugged again. “I’m paraphrasing.”

“Anything else?” Even though I hadn’t scooted away, he moved closer.

“No.” Nothing I could tell him anyway. The information about the arrow would need to come to Shingen through Katsu, presuming I could get him to talk to Katsu – to me as Katsu. I wished Shingen and this version of me had the sort of relationship where we could bounce ideas and theories off each other.

I wished Katsu could have that relationship with him again.

“Excellent. Now, about returning that favor.” He hooked one finger around the neckline of my ugly brown kimono and eased it off my shoulder. With the back of his hand, he marked a route from my collarbone to my ear. It was the lightest touch, like a feather duster, which was an odd thought, considering that feather dusters haven’t been invented yet. Thank God. Imagine what this man could do with a feather duster, and… augh. Just stop that. Shingen was enough of a distraction without my imagination getting involved.

I took a deep breath that ended in a sigh when he kissed a spot below my ear. “Most people repay information in kind,” I managed to say. I would have liked to have said it a bit more nonchalantly, but I settled for putting together a sentence that included a subject and a verb. And an object. Celebrate the small victories.

He pressed a kiss slightly below the first, apparently intent on reverse the route back down to my collarbone. “This is more fun, isn’t it?”

“It’s fun, although more fun, I can’t honestly say, but if information is being exchanged for kisses, then wouldn’t the information I gave you pay off my kiss debt?” I had vowed to myself that I wasn’t going to do this again… and here I was. I hadn’t sought him out, but here we were.

“No. A kiss bargain is a kiss bargain, while a favor implies a completely different set of rules and regulations. I did not ask for the favor, and although I was glad to receive it, I ought to be able to repay it how I see fit.” He cupped my face in his hands and drew closer.

“That doesn’t even make any sense. Shouldn’t the recipient of the favor choose? Otherwise, it might not be a favor at –.” Once again, he put his finger over my lips, but I was sort of annoyed by that point, so I bit him… which didn’t have the effect I’d intended because he only smiled wider.

“Challenge accepted. By tomorrow morning, you’ll be thoroughly convinced that you’ve received a favor.” He kissed me, hot biting little kisses, each one lasting slightly longer than the one before, then captured my lower lip between his teeth and lightly soothed it with his tongue.

Alright, I can see how this might be considered a favor. Definitely it was more enjoyable than trying to game information out of Mitsuhide.

Wait… tomorrow morning? No, that’s not happening.

Is it?

He deepened the kiss, pressing me back against the futon, and I reveled in the weight of his body on mine. Without permission from my brain, my hand wandered under his kimono to trail across his chest and stomach, enjoying the play of his muscles rippling as I touched him. His body was a miracle.

I felt like I was in a museum and had sneaked up to run my hands over a Greek sculpture. Never had I touched anything so perfect. But unlike the cool of marble, there was warmth and kindness.  Maybe a guard would soon chase me away, but at the moment, I allowed a feeling of wonder and awe to wash over me.

My explorations seemed to encourage him. His hand drifted to my breast, cupping it lightly through my clothing. When he rubbed his thumb over, it, the friction caused by the fabric slipping across me sent an electric charge through the center of my body and I convulsively grabbed a handful of his kimono.

“I love that you’re so responsive, Angel,” he murmured. He slipped my kimono off my shoulder, kissed it, then froze. “What happened here?”

The sudden change in tone threw me, and it took a moment to realize he was looking at the large greenish bruise across my shoulder. I’m so used to being bruised from training injuries that I never think about it, and barely notice them. “Huh. No idea.”

He traced the outline of the bruise, barely putting any pressure on it. “This is about ten days old. Did your master do this when you failed to bring back information after we last met?”

“What? No.” Ten days ago… I remembered diving out of the way of the arrow shot at Mai and landing on a rock. That was probably how that happened, but obviously this was not a detail I could share.

“You’re not being abused, are you?” He put his hand on my face, turned me to look at him.

“My horse was startled by a rabbit and threw me.” That actually had happened … three years ago.

He didn’t look like he wanted to believe me, which was annoying, given that as Katsu, I’d told him much bigger whoppers. “If you say so, Angel.” He kissed the bruise. “Now, where were we?”

Why did he take Katsu more seriously than “Angel”? Was I jealous of… myself? Or rather, the part of me that was Katsu was jealous of the fact that “Angel” received his physical attentions. And the me that was Katsuko, or I guess “Angel” (although, I’m not an angel) was jealous that he actually listened to and believed in Katsu. I wanted some mental space to sort through all of it. As fun as this had been – and it had been fun – I knew I needed to leave. Despite his ‘by tomorrow morning’ talk, I wasn’t sure if my disguise – or more specifically, my current lack of disguise – would hold up to daylight.

Of course, as soon as I got out the door, he’d probably be right behind me, and alert his … friends… to follow me.

Unless he was delayed. Somehow.

How quickly or far could he follow if I had his clothes? Hm. I liked that idea - it would be perfect payback for the towel. Punishment fitting the crime so to speak.

Getting his clothes off – while managing to keep mine on – that might be trickier.

“Angel?” He turned me to face him. “Are you still with me?” He sounded slightly put out that my mind had wandered.

“I was worrying about your injury, but it’s pretty clear I didn’t damage anything … important.”

“You wound me, again.” He put his hand on his heart. “I’m weak and in need of your tender care.”

That was my cue. “Are you in pain? You should lie down again… just in case.” I took his sandals off. “Let me make you more comfortable, so you can rest easier.”

If I dragged this out, he’d get suspicious, so I hurried him out of his kimono, then pressed him back onto the futon. He half pulled me down with him, kissing me again, and that rush of intense desire almost distracted me from my purpose. Almost. “Hold on, let me get the candle.”

Two seconds after I blew out the candle, I was out the door, his clothes and sandals bundled under my arm. I nearly collided with Mitsuhide, who, as expected, was lurking in the courtyard. He grandly stepped aside with an ‘after you’ gesture. I made a slight detour to toss Shingen’s clothes into a patch of sand in the dry garden…

…and then I was gone.

#TBT12lies #throwback thursday #Ikemen sengoku #fanfic #ikesen shingen #shingen takeda #twelve lies i told shingen takeda