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cre8inghavoc · 2 months

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What are friends for?

Note:

This is my first ever post, so please be kind! I've been working on this piece for a few days, and there will be more parts to come, but it may take some time to complete. The story will also include text messages between you and your friends (SMAU). I'll do my best to maintain a good length for the story, but there may be some shorter parts. Also, I'm new to this, so there may be a few errors, but I hope you enjoy the story! :)

Status: ongoing!!

Updates: Whenever I can, no set date.

WC: 2756

Description: Characters are aged up. Y/N's stuck in a toxic relationship with her controlling boyfriend, feeling lost and doubting herself. Now, she's facing a crucial choice: stay put or find the courage to break free and reclaim her independence. Pairing: megumi fushiguro x FEM!reader

Genre/Warnings: [18+] This story contains toxic boyfriend, cursing, name calling, self-doubt/hate, angst, breaking up, post-breakup, alcohol, drunk moments, new friends, dating!au, college!au, no curses!au, dark humour, dark jokes. SMAU.

Your friends have been telling you to leave your boyfriend for months now. They warned you about him, about his manipulative, controlling, and narcissistic nature, which contributes to his toxicity. They keep pointing out his flaws – how he always wants. No. NEEDS to tag along wherever you go, how he tries to control what you wear and who you hang out with. And don't even get started on the name-calling and arguments that seem to happen like every single day. But despite all their warnings, you find yourself wondering if maybe it's just his way of showing he cares… it was all out of love wasn’t it? If he didn’t care about you he wouldn’t act the way he does…

Right…?

You're constantly caught in a loophole of conflicting feelings. On one hand, you can't help but notice the red flags they've been waving in your face. But on the other hand, there's a part of you that wants to believe there's genuine love behind his actions. He loves you?

Right…?

Still, you can't help but question: does all this make him a "bad boyfriend"? Sure, he's not physically abusive, but his mood swings leave you feeling like you're walking on eggshells. As you grapple with these thoughts, you can't help but wonder where to draw the line between love and toxicity.

"Y/N!"

You snapped back to reality as Maki's voice cut through your thoughts, finding yourself now parked in front of Yuta's house, a 15-minute drive from your own.

"Are you okay? You've been lost in thought the entire car ride here," Maki asked, a mix of concern and confusion evident in her tone.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was just thinking about the exams coming up," you replied with a forced smile, though it didn't seem to convince her entirely. Luckily for you, she didn't question further.

You made sure to silence your phone before heading out, knowing the argument that would likely occur with your boyfriend over your plans with friends. It wasn't news to you that he disapproved of your friendship with Yuta and Inukami, despite having plenty of female friends himself. Hypocritical isn't it. But today, you decided to take a stand. You were tired of the never-ending arguments and his controlling behaviour. It felt like you couldn't say or do anything without setting him off, and honestly, you were fed up with it.

You felt it was the right decision, even if it meant facing another argument later. You were determined to spend the day enjoying yourself with your friends, and if that meant upsetting him, then you were willing to deal with the consequences. After all, arguments had become a daily occurrence between you two, so what harm would one more do?

You didn’t quite know where this newfound confidence had come from. Normally, the thought of upsetting him would send shivers down your spine, making you hesitant to go against his wishes. But today was different. You were reaching a breaking point, tired of his behaviour and the constant strain it put on you. Mentally, you were drained. Ever since getting together with him, you'd been affected with a sense of unhappiness, a feeling that even your friends had picked up on. All they wanted was to see you happy again, but it felt like an impossible challenge to break free from his control and spend time with them. He dictated every aspect of your life, and you were beginning to realize just how suffocating it had become.

He felt like a never-ending storm cloud, hovering over you wherever you went, casting a shadow of negativity that left you feeling drained and miserable. It was as if his presence drained your strength, both physically and mentally, until you were left feeling defeated. You knew deep down that the only way to find a “cure” was to get rid of him, but it was far from simple. If it were that easy, you would've done it long ago, at the first signs of trouble.

Believe it or not, he wasn't always like this. That's why you were drawn to him in the first place. But as time passed, things only seemed to deteriorate. A part of you held onto hope that he would revert to the person he once was—caring, supportive, and loving. Yet, as months turned into nearly a year, nothing changed. If anything, it only seemed to worsen.

Why? Why did he change? Was it something you did? Was it your fault? Did you somehow fall short? He always made you question your self worth. He made you believe that this was what you deserved—that you deserved to be hurt, to be broken. He convinced you that you weren't worthy of more.

You and Maki entered Yuta's house, using the spare key you both had. It was a common practice among your close group of friends; you all had keys to each other's homes. After all, you practically grew up together, so there was nothing unusual about dropping by unannounced.

Inumaki and Yuta greeted you warmly as you entered the living room, where they were too focused on a video game. As the hours passed, laughter filled the room, followed by playful teasing and occasional cussing at each other due to the intense gaming moments. You all talked about life, ate your favourite meals, and for the first time in a while, you felt a sense of happiness return. It was as if you were reconnecting with the positive, joyful version of yourself that had been buried beneath the weight of recent struggles.

"I'll be right back! Just need to use the bathroom," you announce before grabbing your phone and heading off.

"Do you want us to pause the movie?" Yuta offers, showing his consideration for your absence.

"No, it's okay! Keep watching, I'll be quick," you assure them with a laugh as you slip away.

Time flew by, and before you knew it, it was almost 9pm. Your peaceful day took an abrupt turn when you saw multiple missed phone calls from no other, your loser of a boyfriend.

**5 MISSED PHONE CALLS AND MESSAGES BETWEEN Y/N & BF**

Luckily, Maki, Inukami, and Yuta were too engaged in the movie to notice your lengthened absence. However, tears welled up in your eyes as you read the messages, feeling the weight of self-doubt creeping in once again.

"I’m just a bitch. That’s all I am. I'm nobody," you muttered to yourself, your eyes red as you struggled to contain your emotions. You couldn't afford to show weakness in front of your friends. This shouldn't affect you, you reminded yourself. You knew this was coming, so why did it hurt so much?

Knock Knock

A knock on the bathroom door interrupted your thoughts. "Hey, Y/N. You okay in there?" Maki's concerned voice broke through your internal chaos.

Fuck.

Of course, Maki sensed something was wrong. She had picked up on it the moment she picked you up. She wasn't one to pry, though. She respected your privacy, and if you didn't bring up the issues first, she wouldn't force them out of you. That's why you cherished her friendship so much—she was the best friend anyone could ask for.

You wanted to tell her, you really did, but you knew all too well what her response would be, and frankly, you didn't want to hear it—not today. All you wanted was to be with your friends, to immerse yourself in their company and forget about your troubles, if only for a little while. You didn't want them worrying about you or your mental state. So you took a deep breath and plastered on a smile, hiding all the negativity like you always did.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was just on the phone with my mom," you said, forcing a smile as you opened the bathroom door, only to be met with Maki's skeptical expression. Her raised eyebrow spoke volumes, questioning your excuse without saying a word. But she didn't press further. Instead, she offered a soft smile and placed a comforting hand on your back.

"You're missing the movie. We decided to pause it when you didn't return after five minutes. Come on, let's go," she said gently, leading you back to the living room.

You both made your way downstairs and settled back onto the couch, resuming the movie with the others. After a few minutes, Yuta stood up from his spot and took a seat beside you, leaning in closer to whisper in your ear so only you could hear him.

"Hey, I know you haven't been feeling your best lately, and I understand why... But I want you to know that you can always talk to me. To us. We're here for you, no matter what." he whispered, his words causing your heart to stop for a moment. A soft smile spread across your lips as he leaned back, his eyes meeting yours with warmth.

"Thank you," you replied softly, leaning your head against his shoulder as the movie continued. Resting on each other like this was a familiar gesture among your group—it was something you all did since childhood, a sign of trust and comfort. So when you leaned on Yuta's shoulder, it wasn't a romantic gesture—it was more like seeking comfort from an older brother figure. Your friends have always been there for you, caring and supportive, much like older siblings would be.

Finally the movie finished, with the time now showing 11:16pm—it’s very late, thank god you guys had no classes scheduled for the next two days.

"It's getting late, Y/N. Are you ready to head back?" Maki asked, her expression soft with concern.

Before you could answer, Inukami jumped in with a hopeful tone, asking if you guys could stay a bit longer. You could tell he was really loving the reunion, bringing back memories of all the fun times your group had shared in the past… just like before you got into a relationship.

"Yeah, come on, Maki and Y/N! We haven't had this much fun in a while. It feels good for the group to get back together again," Yuta chimed in, his gaze shifting between Maki and you. The collective attention turned to you, though you knew it wasn't intentional—they subconsciously understood that the decision rested with you, or rather, with your boyfriend's expectations.

Even though it was late, the idea of going home to an empty house, knowing your boyfriend would be out, doing who knows what, filled you with dread. You knew it would only trigger more overthinking and anxiety so with a reassuring smile, you decided against it. Tonight, you didn't feel like going home, and that was perfectly okay.

"Fuck it," you thought, smiling back at them.

"Why don't we have a sleepover?" You ask, breaking the silence. Their eyes widen in shock, the suggestion catches everyone off guard. It's been a while since the last sleepover, back before you started dating your controlling boyfriend. They've tried to organize some since then, but you always declined, due to your boyfriend's disapproval.

Of course. Typical.

Their initial shock quickly turns into smiles and nods as they exchange glances before turning back to you.

"Let's do it!" Maki says with excitement.

All of them cheered in excitement, and the lively conversation continued throughout the night until exhaustion finally led to all of you drifting off to sleep on Yuta's spacious and comfortable couch. Despite the cozy setup, you found it hard to sleep as your mind continued to race, clouded by thoughts of him once again. Unable to find peace, you quietly slipped outside to the backyard, just to get some air.

Yuta awoke shortly afterward, noticing your absence. He got up from the couch, careful not to disturb Maki and Inumaki and began searching the house, half expecting to find you sleeping in his room. But you weren't there. He started to slightly panic as he considered the possibility of you leaving without informing anyone. How did you get home? Was something wrong? Why would you leave without saying anything?

As his mind rushed with worry, Yuta made his way to the backyard door and spotted you sitting on the stairs. Leaning against the door frame for a moment, he gathered his thoughts before joining you outside, silently taking a seat beside you.

"Hey," Yuta says as he settles beside you.

You jump at the sudden sound, caught off guard by his unexpected presence. "Omg, Yuta," you playfully shove his shoulder, "don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry," he chuckles softly, "didn't mean to scare you."

"What are you doing out here this late?" he questions.

"Couldn't fall asleep so I decided to get some air."

"Something on your mind?" He asks with concern.

I smile at him. "No."

"Come on, Y/N. I've known you for years; you think I can't tell when something's on your mind..."

You both sit there in silence for a moment before he speaks up again.

"Is it—"

"Mhm. But I don't want to talk about him. I'm here with you guys today, and that's what's important. Not him," you state, trying to change the conversation away from your boyfriend.

Yuta gives you a reassuring smile and nods, but then an awkward silence settles between you. It's unusual; conversations with your friends usually flow effortlessly, so why does it feel so difficult now?

After a moment, you decide to break the silence.

"Yuta..." you begin hesitantly.

He meets your gaze with a soft look. "Yeah?"

"I'm thinking about breaking up with him, you know," you confess.

Yuta's eyes widened in shock, a spark of excitement shining in him. As your best friend, he genuinely cares about your well-being and wants what's best for you. They all do, and they know that leaving your boyfriend will bring out the best in you, bring back the real you.

"Really?! How come... I mean, I already know why, but I'm just curious after all the times we've mentioned it to you, you never really pa—"

"Yuta," you interject, giggling at his enthusiasm.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking, and being here with you guys today reminded me of the times we used to have together before him and I got together. And honestly... I haven't felt happier and more relaxed in a long time until now. It's like when I'm with you guys, I'm constantly smiling, laughing, talking, and I never feel judged. But with him, I feel so... miserable. I don't even remember the last time he and I actually talked and had a laugh together. It's always arguments, and he's the one who always starts them over nothing."

Yuta places a comforting hand on your shoulder and gently wipes away the tears on your face. You hadn't realized you were crying. You tried your hardest not to cry for months, but while telling Yuta how you felt, you couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Shhh... it's okay, Y/N. I'm glad you feel like yourself when you're with us. You deserve so much better than that jerk," he reassures you, his words bringing a sense of comfort.

He never fails to make you laugh.

"Thanks, Yuta," you say gratefully.

"Hey, what are you guys doing outside?" Maki and Inumaki mumble sleepily as they stand at the door.

Yuta grins mischievously and glances over at them. "What's with that ugly grin?" Maki jokes, prompting laughter from everyone.

"MAKI!" you all shout in unison, teasing her.

Yuta can't contain his excitement any longer. "Y/N is planning on breaking up with her boyfriend!" he blurts out.

If Maki and Inumaki thought they were awake before, they're definitely wide awake now. They exchange shocked glances between you and Yuta, repeating the gesture several times. You can't help but smile; despite the gravity of the situation, you feel a sense of pride. Proud that you've finally gained the courage to do something you've been wanting to do for months.

"You're not messing with us, right? Because I swear to god Y/N, if I find out yo—" Maki begins, her voice tinged with concern.

You cut her off before she can finish her sentence. "I swear I'm not messing with you guys. I'm going to do it tomorrow night."

Yipeee!! Go Y/N!!! finally we've all been waiting for this moment.

im currently working on the next part so please be patient!

Also, thank you so much for reading!

#fushiguro megumi x reader #smau #jjk smau #jjk #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen #jjk fanfic #megumi fushiguro #megumi smau #jjk fluff #megumi fluff #fluff #angst #jjk angst #jujustsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen smau #jujutsu kaisen megumi

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dadrielle · 8 months

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So I have this theory about ships.

I've spent the last 15 years or so raging against "The Moonlighting Curse" as my own personal nemesis (also known more in fannish parlance as Shipping Bed Death). I find the idea that a couple being together is by its very nature boring super fucking maddening. I think if you can't write people in love and together in an interesting way, it just means you haven't learned how to do that yet. It's very often the cook, not the ingredients, you know?

There are a lot of stories that get characters together badly, though, that can't be disputed. Getting a couple together does scuttle some narratives. And while I do think some of it has to do with the fact that "will they/won't they" has a lot of tropes that can act as crutches for bad writers, and interesting and functional couples require more skill to write because there isn't enough of a similar scaffold to work from...there's another aspect I been thinking about lately. And that's intensity.

See, the reason "will they/won't they" is so juicy is because of the sexual tension, right? That intensifies all the interactions between the two characters, which gets us way more invested. A lot of our fav shit, like rivals to lovers, starcrossed lovers, etc etc etc, it's about creating circumstances that also amp up the tension and therefore the intensity.

When the sexual tension breaks, the first thing writers often do is look for new ways of adding in tension. A very large percentage of the time, that's by creating rifts between the characters in question, or tearing them apart in some way. The problem with that - beyond making the fans/viewer/reader feel jerked around - is that it's usually not intensifying the right thing. By focusing on the tension for its own sake, you can miss intensifying the actual draw, which is the power of the relationship itself. You can actually break your ship by trying to intensify it too hard with tension, especially by having characters lie and cheat on each other and otherwise treat each other terribly. Like sure, sometimes people like to experience characters destroying each other from the inside out! But that's not the draw of ships for a lot of people. Sometimes it's just sad, and not even in a fun way.

But here's the thing! Tension is not the only intensifier that exists. You can, for instance, intensify a relationship in canon by making them absolutely batshit insane about each other. My theory is that what we need more of is ships that get together and become fucking Morticia and Gomez Addams about it. Just doing the absolute MOST all the time in a way that no people in their right mind would do in real life. Just make them absolutely bonkers.

Crank that fucking dial baybeeeee. They are so, so in love and it would be alarming if it weren't so beautiful.

#shipping #relationships #writing #meta

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just-jordie-things · 6 months

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omg i love the way u write jjk characters! i was reading ur work and had a scenario that i thought would be so fun to read from you if you like the idea! i was thinking abt if you got drunk with them at the school (like maybe all the students sneak to one persons dorm or something), how they would act drunk, how they would treat u, what would happen etc. my favs are toge and yuji but you could do whoever ofc!

ok idk if this is exactly what you were looking for but since i've wrtten a few fics now where drinking/partying was the theme, i'm gonna assign the jjk crews their party night roles lolol so enjoy

ITADORI YUUJI is the life of the party, obviously. he's the type to bring jello shots to the function and if no one wants them, he'll eat em all himself. he's the guy that you dare to do stuff as the night goes on. he's the guy that somehow, at the end of each party, is missing a shirt. did he go swimming? did someone spill on it? did he spill on it? (most likely) everyone laughs but no one really complains about it. he's always got a fun plan or game in mind to keep the night going, and everyone's happy to have him there.

FUSHIGURO MEGUMI is the shy-at-first guest. he's slow when he first gets there, and always claims he doesn't want to get too fucked up. he's got a never ending amount of excuses up his sleeve as to why he can't take that shot with you, or be your partner for beer pong. but give him an hour to warm up. he'll spend that time lining up a fire playlist and semi-mingling. the trick to getting him to loosen up? just a quick smoke first. don't jump on him with it, but if he sees a joint being passed around, he can't resist just a couple puffs. what's the harm, right? a couple puffs and he's giving in to whatever other party shenanigans come his way.

KUGISAKI NOBARA is in charge of the photography for the evening. everyone's instagrams and snapchat stories are well taken care of when she's around. in the early parts of the evening they're casual photos, fit checks, some candids of the laughing group as they play games or eat pizza. she's quite good with lighting and angles, and no one complains when she shoves her phone in their face. as the night goes on, she probably documents more than she should- toge drawing on yuuta's face while he's passed out, yuuji shirtless and covering himself in whipped cream on a dare- but it's always too funny to go through them the next day and delete half the evidence.

PANDA is the dancer. if he's drinking, he's dancing. it doesn't matter how many drinks are in his system. it doesn't matter if the music is particularly fun- or even playing. he's got too much excitement from hanging out with his friends and is down for a good time. he's also easy to coerce into pranking someone.

INUMAKI TOGE is the coercer of pranks. if someone passes out, he's always got a marker on him. he always has the best dares for truth or dare, and isn't afraid when others want to get their revenge. he's that class-clown energy at the party. sometimes it's annoying, but it's always undeniably funny. he definitely likes those tacky party favors from spencers. especially the big dick shaped syringes for taking shots. he's got a lot of sus 'party decorations'. but let's be real it's really fucking funny when he breaks out the newest one. also if he gets too drunk he will use his cursed speech for the sake of humor.

ZEN'IN MAKI is the bartender and general caretaker of the group. she's the best at mixed drinks and knows everyone's favorite, but always has something new to try. as the designated bartender she's also the one subtly making sure everyone is on a good track for the night. most of the time it just meant keeping an eye on yuuji and toge, reminding them to have some water every once in a while went a long way. and she's not afraid to cut you off if you're getting sloppy. i also think she'd roll the fattest, cleanest joints when she's not mixing drinks.

OKKOTSU YUUTA is the first to fall asleep. he's a good time, don't get me wrong. he loves the games and the dancing and the goofing around, but he's an overworked boy and... a bit of a lightweight. motherfucker takes two hits and is shaking his head the rest of the rotation. it's kinda cute that his eyes get all red after so little before he raids the snack table. maki knows he has a five drink limit before he either needs to drink water or rally or... as usual, he's slumped into the couch and snoozing away. it's a miracle that he can sleep so hard when the music is blasting and everyone has to yell to be heard- especially when it's itadori yelling. by the end of the night, someone's thrown a blanket over him, and toge's vandalized his face with permanent marker.

#THIS WAS SO FUN AAHHH HEHEHE #megumi brainrot #yuuji brainrot #nobara brainrot #maki brainrot #toge brainrot #yuuta brainrot #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk fanfiction #jujtusu kaisen fanfiction #itadori yuuji x reader #fushiguro megumi x reader #inumaki toge x reader #okkotsu yuuta x reader

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factual-fantasy · 1 month

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22 ASKS!! :DD THANK YOU!! :} 🎉🎂🎉

GASPPP!! :DDD I'D LOVE TO!! :}} 💖💖

I've actually been thinking a lot about Louis and his story lately! Though, since drawing is rather taxing on me atm I haven't gotten around to making him a character study post.. Like I did for Cuttlefish.. BUT!! I have still made some story bits for him anyways! :DD 👇👇

I had this idea that he used to be an ordinary flavored cookie of some kind. And he used to live on land as this washed up fisherman that was really down on his luck.. he had lost his job, his home, his arm.. he had no friends.. no family.. nothing. He was really lost and alone..

Its around that time he was somehow welcomed aboard Seafoam's ship. It was just Seafoam, Octo and Ellie at the time. Louis found great comfort and security with this crew. He had never felt more welcome and wanted in his life.. This environment started to break down Louis' anxieties and depression overtime. Slowly turning him into the more jolly and boisterous Louis the crew knows him as today.

But things would take a seemingly bad turn when a curse befell Louis. Turning him into this half cookie, half crab beast. Louis' body had changed significantly, the biggest change being his huge crab arm. Now, most cookies would consider this ghastly new form to be what its intended to be. A curse.. But Louis.. actually didn't mind the changes. In fact, he liked his new body. Quite a lot! And though his new crab arm did cause him quite a bit of aches and pains.. and also took away his ability to swim.. he honestly considered it an upgrade!

Where before he had a missing arm and was completely useless in combat.. now he had this huge intimidating claw in its place! With his new found strength and power, he was a force to be reckoned with! Not only that, but he didn't see his new body as ugly, he thought he looked AWESOME! So he also got a major confidence boost too!

In present day, Louis is a confident, sociable, and all around happy person. And he gives all the credit to Seafoam and his crew for his new found zest for life! :}} ✨🦀💖✨

Anyways-- thank you for taking interest in Louis! :DD rn drawing is rather challenging for me, but I hope to draw him again someday soon! Maybe I can go back and make him his own character study post like I wanted to! 👀👀

I KNOWWW WAAAAAAA 😭😭😭💖💖💖💔💔💖

@pink088

XD Bibi would probably use it to make a cold glass or water for me🥺💖

And hey, thanks for the cake! :DD No doubt Cici will devour it XDD (Bibi allows it)

I suppose if I really wanted to I could learn how. But I don't want to turn my hobby into a job..

I made my first post on December 19th, 2018!! :00 That's roughly 4-5 years or so!

I use FireAlpaca! And I use a xp-pen 13.3 pro tablet ✨✨

As for that Undyne and Papyrus post.. The story behind it is, that Papyrus is from a different timeline. And in his original timeline.. Undyne is dead.. Now, this other Undyne knows that her Papyrus, the "real" Papyrus, is somewhere else in the underground. So this Papyrus is an imposter. She questions this imposter. "Who are you, and why do you look like Papyrus?" She waits for this imposter to answer.. But Papyrus has no words.. since his Undyne died, he hasn't heard her voice in a very long time... he's too shocked to speak..

I DO have a YouTube channel, and I was intending to make animations for it... but I lost my drive. Animations get stolen A LOT. And Animations take a ton of time to make. I was discouraged.. why would I spend so much time on something, if its more likely to be stolen?

Though I have been thinking about making sketch animatic memes... maybe once my health improves I could try to make one-

And hey! Don't worry about my arms, I can make several whether I'm feeling good or bad! :D

AND AAA THANK YOU!! :DD I'm glad you like him and noticed his eye details!! :}}}

(Post in question)

XDD Jangles is chaotic enough to sleep hanging upside down tho lets be real-

@yourstrulylightstar283 (In response to this post)

:DD Bibi gives his thanks!

@cudlycorncornsworthcoberson (In response to this post)

XDD I know right?? Another year has already come and gone, its crazy to think about! :00

And don't worry, I've been focusing all my energy on taking care of myself and drinking lots of water! 👍👍

Awe! Thank you so much!! :DD Right now the main thing I'm battling is my poor mental and physical health.. but I have high hopes that things will improve soon! :)))

@the-woomyverse (Post in question)

:DD Thank you! I'm glad you liked them!! :}}

As for Ludwig and Morton, unfortunately they don't have a lot of story built yet.. but I'm working on it! <:D

Ludwig is intended to be the eldest sibling, and heir to the throne. He's the "Prince of the Koopas". That post shows Ludwig seeming nervous.. and unsure. I'm experimenting with Ludwig taking his role as heir very seriously.. but its stressful. He feels like he's under a lot of pressure and has a loooot of responsibility to look forward to..

Though I'm kind'a going back on that a bit. The canon Ludwig seems pompous and a bit arrogant. Maybe I should keep some of that but in a positive way? I imagine that Bowser wouldn't force Ludwig to do this if he didn't want to. And I imagine that Kamek would have done very well to prepare Ludwig for his future kingly-hood.

What I mean by this is. I think a more.. confident, and level headed version of Ludwig would be appropriate. Rather than a pompous snob or a nervous wreck. He could be a young prince with a lot of wit and discipline. A price that is bound to make a fine king. 👑

For Morton I'm afraid there's even less story built for him 😭💔💔 Right now the main thing I'm experimenting with is Morton having some form of melanism. (Its a mutation where animals are born with excess pigment in their skin. Making their fur/hair/skin very dark/black when it otherwise would not have been.)

I could experiment with Morton not liking this aspect of himself..? Maybe it makes him feel out of place or insecure..? Though I doubt any of the individuals around him would have judged him or treated him differently at all for it.. even his siblings.

Idk, I just need some more time to think about him I suppose! <XDD Sorry!! 😭😭

Thank you!! :DD

@untitled-7613 (Post in question)

Thank you! :DD I'm glad you like them!! :}}

And Jimmy was a lovely gift, though I didn't create him! The factual fam is mostly intended to be made of characters that I can take credit for-

(Note- Jimmy was a nice gift, but please! I stand by only wanting comments <:} 💖💖)

@tallchest13-blog

Dawww, as far as I'm concerned, you've followed me twice! At least in spirit! XD

@couchwow

Hergn... but that takes efforttt... how about you tell me what you like about it first? :0

@neo-metalscottic

No problem!! :D And I wonder that about K Rool. I didn't actually realize that he would be very similar to Bowser.. hmm. Well, I'm thinking that even if he is close to Bowser in size, Bowser's got him beat by his fire breathing ability XDD And King/Big Koopa's overall could just be a tougher species-

As for the Super Stars, they have about the same status as the 1-Up Mushrooms. They are this extremely rare Power up that seems to only show up when its needed.

I've been experimenting with the toad people worshiping 1-Ups and the Delfino people worshiping Super Stars. These bizarre and wonderous powerups that are strongly tied to the prophecy and what not. They're also related to how Peach and Daisy became royalty..

Its a lot of complicated word spaghetti atm but the point I'm getting at- is that there is definitely more than one! And they are so powerful and so.. seemingly sentient, that they are seen as almost.. like.. these holy beings that bring about future events.

I haven't rambled about all that biz yet becuase I cant find proper words to figure out what I'm even thinking <XD Gonna need some more time on that one!--

And yes yes yes! The Commander is still around, and AWWW!! Is he really?? :DD That's so sweet! Thank you so much!! :}} I haven't thought much about what role he's played in raising the Koopalings, though I really should. While he isn't there to actually help raise them, he's always been around as they've grown up. Whether it be following Kamek around or doing some kind of work around the palace.

When it comes to Bowser returning injured.. I wonder. part of me thinks that he wouldn't return right away, so maybe his injury wasn't seen by the Commander. But the news of his defeat would certainly be bone chilling. Commander would be more tense around the palace. And probably extends his night watches a bit longer in an attempt to better protect the Koopalings..

On the last note, Yes! I do plan to redesign him once again XD or at least update him a little- Though drawing is very challenging for me atm.. so that'll have to wait a while!.. <XDD

@littlelightfish

WAAAA THIS ASK GAVE ME LIFFFEEEE!!😭😭💖💖💖 NO ITS NOT TOO INTENSE THE ONLY THING THAT IS INTENSE IS MY PURE JOY AT READING THIS OVER AND OVER WAAAHG THANK YOU SO MUVHCHH!!!💖💖💖💖😭😭💖💖

As for your questions! <XD --I've been thinking more about Tuna's character over the past few days and this got me thinking even more! :D

I imagined that when Tuna started out he was a real brat. Not super great to be around. He had some bottled up stuff for sure and was real rebellious and resistant to authority figures. Nobody was really willing to deal with his crap and always pushed back, which just made him more bratty.. for a while Seafoam wasn't sure what he was gonna do with this kid..

But then he reached some kind of middle ground with Ellie.

I have several ideas in mind for how this could go.. but I'll ramble about this one first- XDD

Ellie has thick skin and could tolerate the snarky remarks he made. She also didn't push back, even through she very easily could have. She knows that this kid has some serious inner battles and he doesn't need her snapping back at him.

And like some of the things you mentioned, it started out with Tuna just bumming around in the kitchen. Since Ellie could tolerate him she never kicked him out. Making the kitchen kind'a like a space where he could.. "get away" from the rest of the crew, in a sense..

Ellie was the first person to crack that outer shell of his. Providing him a consistent source of comfort, with her food and the quiet kitchen.

After some time the snarky remarks or comments would slow down.. over time he just resorts to standing around and watching her cook. Getting closer and closer.. eventually asking questions. "What are ye makin..?" "..what's that do..?" She would always reply genuinely. And as gently as she could considering her usual monotone voice <XD

Eventually it turns into "..where'd you learn to cook?" "..how long have you known Octo..?" "..do you trust Cuttlefish.?"

She could say kind things about the crew which gets Tuna to lighten up around them. "Octo seems mean but actually he's just blah blah blah..." Next time he interacts with Octo he's less tense. "Seafoam is genuinely as kind as he seems. If ye can trust anyone, its him." He starts listening to Seafoam more..

These interactions would continue to develop more and more. I don't know if he'd ever be able to help her cook anything- considering how strict she is about it <XDD But although I have several more ideas for this, I like this idea of Ellie really softening him up over time..

WAAHDH WALL OF TEXT--- Thank you again so much!!! :DD It makes my heart very happy to hear that you love Tuna and Ellie so much!! 🥰🥰

(Sorry for not being able to transfer your cookie gifs to this post! <:0)

Hmm.. that makes me wonder if the cookie run characters have.. cookies. Like, small cookies that THEY eat.

Something tells me they don't.. Which makes me think that seeing someone eat a normal cookie would still be horrifying! <XDD

@mrslilysnow

Awe! Thank you so much! :DD Such a pleasant and wholesome message to read, truly. :}}

I'm working out my feelings with the fandom.. tbh I think I'm just in a place where my emotions are all outa whack. And I'm just avoiding anything and everything that upsets me. 💔

I'm sure in a few weeks when I get my health back on track I'll feel better about the Octonauts fandom. Perhaps I'll even return with more updated designs! XD

@radicalrainbow

:DDD THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I'm so glad to hear that!! :}}}

And huh.. its been a while since I've drawn the FNAF string beans hasn't it? Once I can get my health back on track I should draw them again! <XDD

@lampylamperson

Blue!💙💙 :DD Specifically shades similar to what ever this one is XDD 👇👇

:000....... FISH! :DD

@canonickero

SLJFKSJF THAT DISCRIPTION OF THE PIC XDDD JHASKDEJHV

And thank you! This makes me feel a lot better XDD

@beryl-shade

I think the cookie run games have cake/dog things..? I'm assuming the crews pet would be one of those :00

As for the names you've suggested, I love Patty, Pretzel, Muffin and Cornbread XDD such great names! :DD

#my response #factual fam #bibi #cookie run #cookie run kingdom #cookie run ocs #my ocs #octonauts #undertale #deltarune #super mario bros

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meteormind · 1 year

Text

Respect Her Journey

I want to talk about this piece of art that Horikoshi drew that probably has bkdks hissing and screeching at the sight of, and izuochas fist-pumping and going yeaaah! my ship is endgame!

Nono, don't be afraid, look at it! It'll be okay I promise.

It's beautiful, I hate it, you might say, as a bkdk.

Anyway, this was the tweet I lifted this art from.

Oh yes, pay attention to them falling! Some people might take this to mean falling in love, or whatever. I cannot comment on what Horikoshi meant by this statement, because he has proven to be a cryptic little nuisance of a troll. I will however, examine his inspiration for this piece and tell you why this is not him saying that Izuocha is endgame.

Um, incoming spoilers for Spirited Away if that wasn't obvious. If you've not watched it, I implore you to do so yesterday. It's a one of the greatest movies of all time.

Spirited Away: a story about Chihiro, a timid girl who ventures into the spirit world for the sake of her parents. (Wait? What? Sound familiar?) There's more.

In order to redeem her parents, she starts working in an environment that showcases all the worst parts of capitalist society

She befriends a boy named Haku, who she goes on adventures with

She meets No Face, a child-like spirit who lacks love and eats people while taking on their characteristics

She gives Haku back his name and breaks his curse with the power of love

She saves her parents and returns to the normal world having grown from her adventure and faces the future with confidence

Can we please appreciate the parallels between these two stories?

Bathhouse -> Hero Society: The overseer takes Chihiro's name, who becomes Sen. Just like Ochaco becomes Uravity. The public no longer sees her as a child. She is now a hero and they are free to expect things from her, like to fight in a war on their behalf. Urakaka is now fighting against her own bathhouse.

Haku -> Deku: Chihiro gives Haku his name back, just like Ochaco gives Deku a new meaning to his name, breaking the curse that Deku means "useless". Ochaco draws strength from at first, but she has since come to realize he is not invincible and that he himself needs saving.

No-Face -> Toga Himiko: Chihiro fascinates No-Face. Just like Toga Himiko the unloved girl, is fascinated with Ochaco for her goodness and being everything that she longs to be. Urakaka's character arc is tied up with Himiko and her struggle to save her smile.

There's probably more to unpack here, but these are the few that stood out to me right away. I'm lazy.

Now that we've established that Ochaco is Chihiro and Deku is Haku, remember that this falling scene in the movie is the climax. This is where Chihiro recognizes Haku for who he is and gives him back his identity. It is both a hello and a goodbye.

OOoooh! But Haku and Chihiro are in love! a certain braindead subset might retort--just no. I shouldn't have to mention how problematic it is to ship a ten year old with anybody, or that Chihiro is based on a real ten year old girl that Miyazaki knew--there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Haku is Chihiro's dead older brother, but I won't get into that. Look it up if it interests you. In short, it's platonic. PLATONIC.

Anyway, though Chihiro and Haku have benefitted from their friendship, ultimately they are headed in different directions.

Just like Ochaco and Deku are headed in different directions.

So please, please, don't hate this art. It's beautiful. Just like Ochaco is a beautiful character who has worked hard to be who she is. Stop trying to pigeonhole her as the love interest. It's insulting and she's fought that role kicking and screaming.

I also leave this with you. It is an excerpt from an interview with Miyazaki on his movie Spirited Away:

I felt this country only offered such things as crushes and romance to 10-year-old girls, though, and looking at my young friends, I felt this was not what they held dear in their hearts, not what they wanted. And so I wondered if I could make a movie in which they could be heroines...

I'm not saying that Horikoshi is absolutely taking Miyazaki's intentions as his own, but it's something.

#bkdk #bakudeku #dkbk #dekubaku #bkdk is canon #bkdk meta #mha meta #bnha meta #mha #bnha #uraraka ochaco #midoriya izuku #spirited away

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peterman-spideyparker · 2 years

Text

Mr. Russo (Billy Russo x Secretary!Reader)

Author’s Note: I’ve had this fic and other Billy Russo stories in my drafts for ages, and I figured while I was working on other Daredevil and Moon Knight fics, I’d throw in some of these older ones that I’ve never posted. I think the original intention was for this to be longer and a multi-part series, but I don’t like that idea anymore. I cut about a thousand words, and I might include those as a bonus separate part--I’m not sure yet. Enjoy! :)

Summary: Working for Billy Russo wasn’t a challenge like most people would expect. You know how to do your job and how to do it well. One late night of working allows something about your past come to the surface, changing the trajectory of the relationship you share with your boss.

Warnings: Fluff, Billy softening up, angst (mentions of crappy experience in New York and the foster care system/Billy Russo being brooding and sad/hurt and rage/delicious tension), implied smut, cursing, mentions of addiction (drugs/alcohol)

Other Characters: Frank Castle

Word Count: 5,495

Another day in the books. Although everyday at Anvil is never the same, it can get a little monotonous. You answer the phone, respond to emails, draw up contacts, and do whatever Mr. Russo needs.

Oh, Mr. William Russo.

Intelligent, suave, cultured, and the definition of sex on two legs.

He works so hard in his business, and he cares about what he does. Anything that you can do to make his day less stressful, you’ll do it, and that definitely came in handy today, even if it still is a late night for him. You catch a glimpse at the clock on your screen—7:14pm. With a tired sigh, you hear him shuffle some papers around and push his chair out, moving a short distance to slide on his coat. You hear the click of his Italian leather shoes move closer to where you sit, and you smell his expensive cologne in the gentle breeze he brings by. You watch him as he walks with a purpose when he stops in his tracks, turning around to address you. “Do you ever even go home?” he asks.

“Sir?” you ask, unsure where he’s going with this.

“You’re always here before I get here—no matter how early—and you always stay after me. I just don’t get it.”

“I do my job,” you tell him. “It’s that simple. I do it, and I make sure that I do it well.”

“You also deserve a break—a life. Don’t you have friends around to go out for a drink or anything?”

“No, actually,” you admit. “Last friend I made in New York was one from when I got here. She then took 180 dollars from my wallet and ran away, making me scrape by for food for the rest of that week. My family isn’t nearby, either, if that was your next question. Work—this—is all I have, really.” Oh God, do you sound pathetic.

“Where is your family?” Mr. Russo asks, slowly moving back to your desk.

You scrunch up your bottom lip in a frown and shake your head. “I don’t know. I grew up in the system. I’m assuming whoever my parents are, they live in the Boston area, since that’s were I grew up.”

His expression softens to something to one that you have only seen twice before. It’s not quite pity, but it’s deeper than sadness. “You grew up in the system?” he asks softly.

You give a small nod. “It changes you pretty quickly.”

“It does.” His lips part like he wants to say something more, but he presses them in a tight line and sticks his hand in his jacket pocket, his eyes swirling with a mix of emotions.

“Is there anything I can do for you before you leave, Mr. Russo?”

He blinks a few times before he shakes his head. “N-No,” Billy breathes. “Have a nice night, (Y/N).”

“You too, sir.”

There’s flowers on your desk when you walk in the next morning. How are there flowers on your desk?

“Hello?” you call into the office, sliding pepper spray out of your purse. “Anyone here?” Dead silence. Nothing looks out of place except for the bouquet, and after a quick sweep of the office, you see that you are alone. You look through the flowers and don’t see any card. Logging into your computer, you quickly pull up surveillance to see who delivered these. Your jaw drops when you see Mr. William Russo himself walk in at four in the morning with the same giant vase of flowers to your right. You lean back in your chair, your brain not really comprehending what you just saw. After a few minutes, you move towards the beautiful assortment of white gardenias, yellow lilies, red tulips, and magenta lilacs. You stick your nose to the flowers and take in a perfume of scents that make your chest happy and bring a smile to your face, and that smile remains on your face as you get to work and organize Billy’s day.

“Mornin’,” Billy says with a nod, walking a few hours later, not acknowledging the assortment on your desk.

“Morning,” you respond as he moves closer. “Thank you,” you say just before he enters his office. You don’t need to turn around to know exactly where he is—about a stride and a half from being in the doorway to his office, his right foot mid-step. “They’re beautiful.”

He doesn’t respond, but he takes a minute before he continues his gait into his office.

The rest of the day proceeds as it normally does: you respond to client emails, answer the phones, do other office work, and hand Billy files, briefing him before his meetings.

“Have a nice night, (Y/N),” he says, adjusting his scarf on his peacoat as he walks past your desk.

“You too, sir,” you say. “And remember you have a 7:30 meeting tomorrow morning at the Four Seasons with Thaddeus Ross to discuss security for the SHIELD weapons conference.”

“Thank you for the reminder,” he says, turning to look at you, flashing you the faintest of smiles. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Well, considering you built this company from the ground up, I think you’d manage.” His smile grows a hair bigger. “Safe travels, Mr. Russo.”

The next few weeks proceed as they usually do, but you are dumbfounded yet again when you walk in Monday, about a month after you found the flowers on your desk.

“Morning,” Billy says, placing a coffee cup on your desk as he walks by. “Sweet cream cold brew, right?”

You turn in your chair and look at him, confusion and surprise written all over your face.

“Yeah,” you say. You notice he has a hot cup for himself in his hands. “You hate Starbucks.”

“I needed some extra caffeine this morning,” he shrugs.

“So the ‘shit-water jet fuel’ is what you were craving this morning?”

He nods, taking a sip of the drink in his hand. “Exactly,” he answers after he swallows. You can tell he still hates the brew.

“Well, thank you for thinking of me,” you say. “If you find yourself needing some more caffeine, just let me know and I’ll make a pot.”

His face says I’ll be taking you up on that in five minutes, but his lips say, “Thanks, (Y/N).”

The next morning, there is a bouquet of blush colored peonies, white gardenias, and purple roses on your desk.

“Vultures today, huh?” Billy says as he comes out of his office and to your desk, placing some outgoing mail in your organizer, adjusting some of the flowers in the assortment of roses, chrysanthemums, and asters. “That phone hasn’t stopped ringing all morning.”

“It’s the political season,” you hum as you shift your gaze upward. “All the big wigs want the best security money can buy. You’ve made it clear that you and your people are the ones for that job.”

“You know how to flatter a man,” he chuckles, shaking some nuts you’re snacking on in his hand before plopping them in his mouth.

“While you’re here,” you say, picking up a few slips of paper, handing them to him in an ordered fashion. “These are those calls back you were waiting for, these are inquiries from the three biggest politicians running for Senate, this is a message from Frank wanting to know if you’re on for dinner at Karen’s, and these are the Ulrich files you were waiting on.”

“Thank you, paperwork Santa,” he says, moving his gaze to quickly examine what is in front of him. “And here I thought it was gonna be a slow day.”

“Around here? Unlikely,” you grin.

He is about to say something more when he turns his head to the ringing of his direct line in his office. “Sorry,” he apologizes. “We’ll talk more later.”

You turn back to your computer in astonishment. We’ll talk more later? Is this the same Billy Russo that hired you? And does he mean casual talk or work talk? He would have made it clear, wouldn’t he?

“Anvil, this is (Y/N),” you say as you continue typing a contract on your desktop.

“(Y/N), hi,” you hear Mr. Russo say on the other end of the line.

“Is everything alright, sir?” you ask, spinning around in your chair and watching your boss give you a little wave through the industrial loft windows.

“We’ve been over this, you can call me Billy,” he reminds. “We’ve known each other long enough.”

“Sorry, it’s a force of habit.” You have to suppress a blush. “What’s going on?”

“I just got off of a call about that veteran’s fundraiser,” he says, and you shift to flip through the calendar.

“The one on Saturday night?”

“Exactly. They asked me to present an award and introduce a speaker that night. So in addition to networking and schmoozing, I’m gonna need to do some more things.”

“Let me know what you need to have ready, and it’ll be good to go by Friday night.”

“Actually, I was hoping you’d come with me Saturday. With my upgrade in duties, they gave me a plus one.”

What? “I appreciate the invitation, but I don’t know if I have anything black tie like that,” you say.

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll have it all taken care of. So can I take that as I yes?”

“Y-Yes,” you stutter. “And—.”

“Perfect, you’re the best,” he says, having up the phone with a click.

Did your boss just ask you out? Or is this really just a work engagement?

When you come home from work on Friday, you see a black dress bag hanging off a garment rack with black bag hanging next to it. Locking up and putting down your things on the table by your door, you slowly move over to it.

“Told you I had it taken care of,” the note reads on the bag.

“What did you do, Russo?” you breathe, undoing the zipper. Inside, there is a stunning pine green gown. You look at the label and your mouth drops open: Oscar de la Renta. Taking it out of the bag, you see that it has a v-back, but has fabric coming off of each shoulder to give it a kind of cape effect. You feel like you’re moving in slow motion when you dare look over at the jewelry bag on the right next to it, seeing Harry Winston embossed in gold lettering. Carefully, you take it off of the hangar and peak inside, seeing three boxes neatly arranged. Placing it on your breakfast bar, you pull out the large necklace box, opening it to reveal both a sparkling diamond necklace and its matching earrings. Shocked, you pull the other two boxes out and find that they are the corresponding bracelet and ring. As you look down in disbelief, you catch a Louis Vuitton shoe box at the bottom of the rack.

You sit down on the barstool, lightheaded about the luxury that is around you. As if on cue, you see Billy’s contact light up on your phone.

“I’m assuming you’ve seen what you’ll be wearing tomorrow?” he says after you pick up.

“It’s way too much,” you say. “I appreciate it, but all this is more—it’s too much.”

“It fits the event,” he shrugs off. “It’s a ritzy event full of high-rolling investors, contributors, and other people within the top one per cent. Trust me, you’ll fit right in.”

“I just . . .”

“It’s a lot?” You swear he’s smiling like a devil on the other end.

“A hell of a lot.”

“If it makes you feel any better, the jewelry is on loan,” he says. “But the dress and shoes are yours to keep. Oh, and before I forget, you have an appointment to get your hair and nails done tomorrow with Donna at the Marigold Spa. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Before your brain can think to ask him more, he is off the line, leaving you stunned in your apartment.

“Who is it?” you call from your apartment, responding to the rap at the door.

“Your chariot has arrived,” Billy says through the wood.

“I’m almost ready,” you say, nearly falling over as you try to put on the heels standing up. “Come in! It’s open.” You hear the door open and shut, and the click of expensive shoes against the vinyl floor.

“You know, for someone that works for a security company, leaving the door unlocked isn’t secure,” he teases.

“I knew you’d be over soon and I was still getting ready,” you say. “Just a courtesy.”

“To robbers.”

You chuckle as you successfully gain your footing in one of the shoes. “There’s water in the fridge if you’re thirsty,” you start as you slide on the other shoe, throwing a few last minute things in your clutch, and taking one final look at yourself in the mirror.

“I’m good," you hear him chuckle in a low timbre as you clack your way out of your room. “Thank you, though.”

“Alright, I’m all set to go,” you say as you enter the main living space.

Billy turns toward you and stands stock still. His eyes slowly look over your body from head to toe. It’s as if he’s drinking you in.

“Wow,” he finally says, his dark eyes twinkling in the lights of your kitchen.

“Well, the guy that picked it out has really good taste,” you say with a small grin and a blush rising up from your neck to your cheeks. “Thank you.”

He continues to look at you for a little while longer before he realizes that he’s staring.

“These are for you,” he says, holding out a bouquet of burgundy, cream, and lavender roses. “A little thank you for agreeing to come.”

“They’re beautiful,” you say, smelling them. You move to find a vase, getting the flowers settled before walking back towards Billy.

He puts out his arm for you to take.

“Shall we?”

“I still can’t figure out how you manage to do it,” you say as you walk beside Billy after he schmoozes the last of the big-wigs in tuxedos.

“Do what?” Billy asks with a lift of his eyebrow.

“Work so well with these upper-crusty people. Some of them very clearly just a face at this fundraiser and don’t care the same way you do. I don’t know if I could do that.”

“Unfortunately, that’s just what the business is sometimes,” he sighs. “But then I remember that Anvil gives veterans an outlet when they get home—a legitimate career. Then it makes the schmoozing and pretending to care about their Hamptons houses easier.”

“That’s a great way to think about it,” you say softly.

“Sometimes that’s all you can do.”

Instead of walking to the direction of your table, Billy leads you to the edge of the dance floor.

“Care do dance?” Billy smiles.

“I can’t promise that I won’t step on your toes,” you say, feeling a blush prick at your cheeks and your ears.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll have the band play something slow.”

You wouldn’t be surprised if his Marine-trained ears could hear how hard your heart is beating.

“How can I say no to that, then?” you say with a small smile, your mouth suddenly very dry.

Billy takes your hand and leads you in. As if the band knows, the song shifts to something slow. Billy holds one of your hands in his while the other rests on the small of your back, his palm spread wide, securely holding you as you both move across the floor.

“And here I was thinking you had two left feet,” he grins.

“Well, I guess it helps that it’s not a formal ballroom dance,” you blush. Seriously, he has to know how fast your heart is racing right now.

“Is this what you thought you’d be doing with your life?” Billy asks as you slowly move in a circle. “Being a secretary, dealing with executives and government officials, and going to charity fundraisers?”

“Isn’t it every little girls dream?” you smirk, quirking an eyebrow.

He chuckles, twirling you to the music before he pulls you back into frame.

“No, really,” Billy whispers. “What did you want to be when you were younger?”

You think about it, but only briefly. “An author, I think. With all the time I spent in the system, I always tried to figure out how I could get out or what it would be like when I did. I’d just write about it. It moved from that to creating these different worlds and different people that were everything that I wasn’t and everything that I couldn’t be. Those are what made me happy. Scholarships from those stories is what got me through college to get my undergrad.”

There’s something soft in his eyes, tender even, as he listens to you talk about your childhood dream. It’s soul-churning and completely devastating in every sense of the word.

“What about you?” you return. “I’m assuming that the military wasn’t six-year-old Billy’s dream.”

“No, it wasn’t,” he admits. “I wanted to be a baseball player. But there were things that happened when I was a kid . . .” He clears his throat. You’ve touched a nerve.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—.”

“No, it’s okay. Saying that my childhood was shitty is an understatement, but it made me who I am and brought me here. In a way, I think the Marines was the only thing that made sense for me.” He gives you a gentle smile, pushing away the dark cloud that emerged on his face. “And just think: without it, we wouldn’t have met. And I don’t know about you, but our time together makes me happier.”

Your heart stops and leaps into your throat. He has to just mean as a coworker—maybe just even someone who isn’t an ex-Marine that he gets to see to break up his environment. You can’t let your mind go to these conclusions. It’d just be a disappointment, and he’s my boss. Still, you find yourself unable to look away from his hypnotic gaze, the tenderness in his expression making you melt. The song stops and he drops the frame, and you let your eyes flutter a few times so you can adjust your head out of the haze he has placed you in. Billy keeps his hand in yours as you stand, pointing his head towards your table.

“C’mon,” he says. “I heard the steak was supposed to be amazing.”

“Did you have fun tonight?” Billy asks as you hand him a bottle of water, his elbow cooly leaning against the island.

“Surprisingly, yes,” you admit, taking off the heavy jewels. “I don’t know, I hear fancy fundraiser, and I don’t think ‘party.’”

“That’s cuz you’ve never been to a Billy Russo fundraiser,” he smirks.

“I guess those are the only ones worth going to, then.”

“You know, I’m really glad you came tonight.”

“You are?”

“You sound surprised.”

“Oh,” you blush, but a nagging question starts to echo in the back of your brain. “I-I didn’t mean to. Just tired.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll let you be for the night,” he says with a soft smile, giving you hand a gentle squeeze on the island before he moves away. “See you Monday, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart.

Okay, that’s it.

“Are you only being nice to me because you found out I grew up in foster care?” you blurt as he walks towards the door. There’s no turning back now. “Before, you’d never say more than you needed to to me, and now for five months, you’ve gotten me flowers, you ask about my day, you know my coffee order, and you left me an insanely gorgeous gown and jewelry to wear to a fundraiser that I wasn’t supposed to go to in the first place.” You pause for a moment, processing that you’re probably running a bond that you’ve wanted for a long time, not to mention your job, probably. “What’s changed?”

“You know I grew up in the system?” he asks, his head turned to the side while his back is still to you.

“I do,” you answer. You had done some deep digging when you were applying for the job, trying to find out as much about the company and its founder as possible.

“Then you should realize that I sympathize with you. Pouring your life into something to move yourself as far away from your past as possible.”

“What I’m really hearing is that all of this from the last few months has just been pity,” you say bitterly, and you try to push away the feeling of tears stinging at your waterline. “And if that’s what this job has turned into, then I don’t need it. I know my worth, and it’s more than that—than whatever this is.”

Your statement causes him to spin around so fast you think he’s gonna get whiplash. He strides over to you so quickly you almost can’t process it. He drops his keys to the ground before kissing you hard, one hand on your waist as the other holds onto the back of your head. He almost knocks you off your feet, but his hands on your body assure that it can’t be a possibility. Your hands rest on his shoulder as your lips move against him, kissing him back just as urgently. His beard tickles a little, but you’re not moving in a way that makes it scratch. When Billy finally pulls away, you’re both left panting for air.

“It’s not pity,” he clarifies. “It’s admiration. I had always thought you were some brown-noser with daddy issues, but you always had this integrity and determination. And then . . .” he trails, his eyes intent and glassy. “I know that drive you have, and that fear of being a disappointment. Hell, that’s how I got here. I wanted to show you that we’re not that shit that happened to us. I wanted to show you that I care.”

“It’s a hell of a way to show it,” you say quietly, looking at his big brown eyes. “I, um . . .” you swallow hard and let emotion contort your face, reeling your feelings in before you continue. “Every time someone finds out, they treat me differently. I really didn’t want you to be one of those people. You might not have thought so, but the way you treated me before made me feel like I finally had a place, y’know? I had a purpose to do something. That I was needed and wanted.”

“I know,” he nods.

“I guess I’m just confused why now.”

“You’ve been my secretary for four years. You know things about me that I don’t even know all the time. You know things about me that you don’t need to know, but you care enough to. I’ve always wanted to know those things about you, but . . . I’m not great at communication with people that—.” He stops to clear his throat, furrowing his brows together. “The only good relationships I have are with Frank and Curtis, and that’s because we’ve been through hell and back with and for one another. I didn’t know where to start with you, because you just come in and you’re like this . . . force to be reckoned with. I guess that finding out we had something in common made me think I could know you better.”

Billy tucks some stray hair behind your ear as he looks at you. “I don’t want to go back to what this was before,” he says softly. “I like this. Having a friend. Connecting with someone. And . . . I like to think this has the potential to be more than that. Than friends.”

“Well, I guess I need to know if you kiss all your friends like that.”

A small smile spreads across Billy’s face. “Just the ones that use lemon shampoo and look good in designer dresses.”

“I’m not fired, am I?” you whisper. “Because I think a kiss like that is some kind of HR violation.”

“Not if you don’t want to be,” he responds. “I will say, though, the job market is tough right now.”

“Is this something we can do?”

“I’m willing to make it work if you are.”

You nod your head. “Let’s try it.”

Billy leans back in for a kiss, this one more gentle that the last, but just as deep. Your arms wrap around him and settle on his back, and you feel him lift you up slightly as he pulls you into him.

“We’re gonna do this slowly,” he breathes, brushing his nose against yours, his chocolate eyes staring into your soul.

“Okay,” you quietly agree. “Slow.”

“We have different definitions of slow,” you hum as Billy presses a kiss to the back of your naked shoulder.

“Trust me, I wanted to, but I have a thing for brunettes in designer dresses,” he says, dragging his hands down the bare curves of your body in post-sex bliss. “And it looks just as good on the floor as it did on you tonight.”

You laugh as you roll onto your back, your head resting on his shoulder.

“Hi,” he says with a dreamy look on his face.

“Hi,” you say, returning his gaze. He leans down and presses a soft, tender kiss to your lips before resting his cheek on the crown of your head. You lay like this in blissful silence as his fingers play with yours, the pale moonlight trickling into your bedroom through the curtains. You think he has fallen asleep—and you almost have—when he shifts a little on the mattress.

“Did you ever think of finding them?” he asks quietly. You know exactly who “them” is.

“I did find them,” you say. “I found out all about them, too. A little after I told you about growing up in the system, actually—curiosity got the best of me.” You think about what you know, and the silence weighs heavy in the bedroom. “My father was an alcoholic, and my mother used all kinds of drugs. They had a short and nasty relationship and split before I was born. My dad worked on the docks, showed up one day drunk, hit is head, and drowned. Based on his obituary, I was six when he died. My mom sobered up around that time, got married, and lives in Cape Cod.” You feel hot, angry tears sting at your waterline. “Two kids, and a freakin golden retriever.”

“And I’m guessing you don’t want to reach out?” he asks carefully.

You scoff. “No. Didn’t want me then, won’t want me now. I’m a part of that past that she worked to forget. I don’t want to go near her with a ten-foot pole. Besides, if she wanted to know me, she’d find me. She’d find a way. And she hasn’t. That says all I need to know.”

Billy wraps his arm around you and pulls you close, pressing a long kiss to your forehead.

“She’s missing out on the best person that I know,” he whispers.

Too emotional to respond, you snuggle into him and nuzzle your head into the crook of his neck.

“Have you?” you whisper. “Found yours?”

“I found my mom,” he swallows. “She chose meth over me—she safe-havened me. From then on it was group homes.” He’s quiet for a moment. “I think I’ve made my peace with it all. Can’t change it. But it made me who I am, and I’m okay with who I am.”

You don’t ask any more onto the subject. Instead, you snuggle in closer to him.

“For what it’s worth,” you breathe. “I really like who you are, too.”

Billy turns so you’re huddled together chest-to-chest, his arms holding onto you tightly, kissing your forehead before tucking your head under his chin. You fall asleep to the sound of his beating heart.

You practically jump out of your skin when you feel a pair of arms loosely wrap around your middle.

“Jesus, Billy,” you sigh. “You really don’t make a sound if you’re not wearing Italian leather shoes.”

His laugh comes out as a hum as he places a kiss on the back of your neck, right on a bundle of nerves he found out about last night.

“I woke up and you weren’t there,” he murmurs into your skin. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like?” you grin as you turn the waffle maker.

He kisses your neck again before resting his chin on your shoulder. “I thought the guy was supposed to make breakfast.”

“Not in my house,” you say, running your fingers through his hair as you move to flip some bacon. “My place, my job to make you some food.”

“Fine,” he sighs, moving from you, but not before placing a light smack on your rear. “But I make the coffee.”

“You want any eggs?” you ask.

“Nah,” he says, pouring coffee grounds into the filter. “This all is more than enough. I don’t usually get to enjoy this part.”

“Well, if we’re gonna make a habit of this, it’s something you better get used to.”

You finish making breakfast in harmony, exchanging sections of the newspaper as you eat.

“Wow,” Billy chews, taking a sip of his coffee. “You’re destroying the crossword.”

“It’s a talent,” you smirk as you pause before filling in the rest of your answer. “Now, is it ‘ei’ or ‘ie’ in Steinbeck? I can never remember.”

“I guess you got cocky too soon,” he smiles.

“Yes, and I’m big enough to admit it. Which is it?”

“I’ll tell you, but it’ll cost ya.”

“Oh?” you say as his hand slides into mine, silently inviting you to get up and sit in his lap. You do, and his free hand squeezes your thigh.

“It’s gonna cost you a kiss,” he hums.

“Mm, you run a hard bargain, but I think I can afford that,” you smile, biting your lip as you press your mouth into his. It’s tender, and even with coffee in your systems, there’s something sexily sleepy about the embrace.

“It’s ‘ei’,” he breathes, his lips brushing against yours before placing another kiss on you lips.

“Thank you,” you say, filling in the squares and placing a soft kiss on the freckle just below his eye. His hand then gently holds your cheek, bringing your lips down to his. The kisses grow more needy, and just after he adjusts you so your legs straddle his lap, his phone starts to ring. Reluctantly, he pulls away and looks at his phone.

“Shit,” he hisses before he answers. “Hey, Frankie.”

“Brother, where are you?” you hear Frank ask through the phone.

“Yeah, no, I’m on my way,” he sighs. “I just got a little held up this morning.”

“Mm, yeah,” you hear him chuckle. “Where’d you find this one?”

Billy looks at you with warm, sparkling eyes. “I think she found me.”

“And the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes that day.”

“Yeah, shut up,” he chuckles. “I’ll be there soon.”

Billy hangs up to avoid any more snark over the line from his friend, but not before kissing you once more.

“I didn’t realize it was this late,” he sighs. “I’m sorry. I gotta go.”

“I know: ten o’clock runs with Frank, every Sunday. And if you go by the office, you have some extra workout clothes there so you don’t have to run in a tuxedo.”

“Nothin’ gets by you.”

“Nope,” you smile, popping the ‘p’.

You get up from his lap and begin to clean up the table while Billy moves back to your room to get his clothes.

“I will trade you one dress shirt for one very soft and fluffy robe,” he offers when he comes back into the kitchen, your Hello Kitty robe hanging from his finger.

“I guess I accept,” you sigh dramatically. You slide Billy’s shirt off of your body and hand it to him as he slides the robe onto your shoulders.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asks, adjusting the collar on your robe.

“Tomorrow,” you nod. “Have fun with Frank.”

“Somethin’ tells me I’d be havin’ more fun here.”

He leans down to kiss you, repeatedly procrastinating his delay with each punctuation of his lips.

“Okay,” he kisses. “I’ll see you—.” Kiss. “—tomorrow morning—.” Kiss. “—bright—.” Kiss. “—and—.” Kiss. “—early.”

You giggle as he takes you in for more kisses. You pull away from his reach, only to be swept back in for one final kiss.

“I really gotta go, now,” he sighs, tucking hair behind your ear.

“I know. I’ll see you soon.”

Permanent Taglist: @majesticavenger @steampowerednightvaler @themusingsofmany @just-the-hiddles @toozmanykids @dangertoozmanykids101 @clints-worldavengers @theburningbookshop @itwasthereaminuteago @peter1ismybrother

#billy russo #billy russo x reader #billy russo fluff #billy russo angst #billy russo smut #billy russo x you #billy russo fanfic #billy russo fanfiction #ben barnes #billy russo punisher #the punisher #the punisher netflix #the punisher disney+

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ourmondobongo · 3 months

Text

It isn't something new to Gege's manga style to play and extrapolate in-panel drawing perspectives with the overall design of panel frames and some of the textboxes. He uses this stylistic choice during most intense fights, which makes the reading more dynamic as well as serves to show how "outside the box" he likes to do things.

That said, I just want to highlight how nice these details were put and played around throughout this chapter.

We start with a sword directly pointed at us. It's a salute to the jjk 0 cover, yes, but also - don't you get the feeling that Yuta is breaking out the confines of the page? Like, if we had a virtual or 3D glasses on, he would be about to stab us? Cool!

Here, Rika is divided into three 'batdevil' missiles, and they trespass the limites of the panel, giving a deeper sense that they are fast and really moving at high-speed to attack Sukuna. Meanwhile, Gege also uses sfxs that differ in size and 'font' to emphasize the sharp, clean speed (bats) and the brute fierceness (yuji's punch) while the attacks happen nearly simultaneously.

Ps: I love how Gege keeps showing Sukuna's soul shaking after Yuji's attack. You can feel the 'trembling', almost like when Choso felt Yuji's delayed/double punch in the anime.

Again, Yuta comes extrapolating the limits of the panel framing— but as if he is coming in jumping from somewhere outside the pages. And not only that, but this jump also distorts the solidness of the place to the point that even the 'inked' sfx blurs with it. So cool!

Another panel extrapolation, now featuring Yuji going so fast he is passing through three frames at once +

Sukuna is so tall and physically strong that he holds Yuji between two panels!

And now two of my favs:

The CT is literally so powerful it shatters the panel frame! An awesome detail most ppl might not even notice in the heat of the reading!

And later, there is Sukuna expanding his deadly fingers and cursed slashes beyond the dimensions of the panel he is alone in.

The visual is also clearly inspired by the animation (Maho fight)!

And at last, we come back to the Yuta's sword perspective:

It's interesting how the double pov on Sukuna's character give a little bit of a feeling that there is a David vs Goliath going on. Compared to Sukuna's size and mature features, Yuta looks like what he truly is - a 16yo boy wielding a sword to a 1000yo man who has transcended what lies beyond the horizon of curses and humanity.

And with this worrisome perspective in mind until next week, I hope Gege thinks twice before he does what I fear he might do to my son T_T

#jjk #jjk meta #(kind of lol)#jjk 250 #long post #I didn't finish my sukuna ost meta nor yuta´s DE meta but i had to do this lmfao #gege akutami #yuta okkotsu #itadori yuuji #ryomen sukuna

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beomgyw · 1 month

Text

HOMEBOUND TRAIN

GIF by baeefox

you chose the guitar

you've unlocked a new timeline !! remember that each decision generates more alternative realities, so choose wisely.

if you're new here, go back to the beginning !!

standing in the snaking line to board the train, you can't help but notice the sea of people around you. it's like a mini migration, all headed to geoje-ssi, your hometown. and rightfully so, it´s a beautiful place.

you remember it to be an attractive vacation spot. memories flood back of your childhood, surrounded by tourists snapping photos and getting under your grandma's skin with their incessant chatter. she never missed a chance to curse them under her breath.

as the line inches forward, the station workers call for a second line, reserved for those lugging around massive suitcases, bikes, and other oversized gear.

with your guitar strapped to your back, you let out a heavy sigh as you join the new queue, watching enviously as others breeze past with just their essentials, nothing but a small bag slung over their shoulders. carrying around that guitar you can't even play properly suddenly feels like the dumbest decision ever.

the line inches forward at a snail's pace, thanks to your usual cast of annoying travellers. the lady in front of you who won't stop griping about how delicate her suitcase is, the backpacker dude who suddenly decides it's the perfect time to start disassembling his bike... classic. but finally, you make it onto the train.

the compartments are mostly packed, so you pick one where you can at least avoid being suffocated by a cocktail of five different colognes. as you peek into the compartment, you see only one boy, buried nose-deep in what seemed to be a college textbook.

"hey, mind if i sit here?" you ask politely.

he looks up and answers with a light nod, offering a smile warm enough to convince you that he really does not mind. he then returns to his book, and you can´t help but feel sorry for him. studying at the beginning of summer? rough. he probably had flunked a class and had to make up for it during the break.

you pick the spot by the window (of course) and cozy up for the ride. as the train begins to move, you steal a few glances at the boy as he pores over his pages. but there's something about him that doesn't quite fit the mold of a slacker. with his slick black hair and gentle attire, he's more like a character from a glossy magazine than someone who'd flunk a class.

you notice something else, though it was impossible not to. his phone, perched somewhat carelessly beside him, keeps buzzing with message notifications, each flash of light drawing your gaze. and each time, the boy would glance at the screen, roll his eyes in exasperation, then proceed to ignore the phone. this goes on long enough for your attention to drift away.

the train goes on, and the steady rattling starts lulling you to sleep.

but before you can fall asleep, your phone buzzes with an incoming call. you smile upon discovering the familiar name on the screen. despite having gradually lost touch since you moved out, you had never deleted his contact and apparently he hadn't changed his phone number in 7 years.

"well, this is awkward" he chuckles softly from the other line.

"yeah, kinda." you agree, trying to suppress your own smile. "i mean, i didn't expect you to call like, at all. the old kai i knew would've probably let the awkwardness win."

he let out a light giggle. "guess i'm not that kid anymore. but you're right, it wasn't exactly my initiative. gran insisted i call."

"why's that?"

"to let you know that i'll be picking you up, of course! you didn't think i was gonna leave you stranded at the station, did you? awkward or not, we're top notch hosts, us huenings."

"aw, that's sweet of you, kai, but really, it's fine." you talk while looking at the window, so you don't notice that your conversation seems to have peaked the textbook boy´s interest. you also don't notice that he has finally answered his texts, all while stealing glances at you. "i can just grab a cab or something. no need to go through the trouble."

"but i want to! plus, i've got a surprise for you," he added eagerly.

"really?"

"yep! and trust me, it's a win-win. it'll totally ease the awkwardness of us reuniting after, what, 8 years without a word."

"what's the surprise? tell me, pretty please..."

"see, y/n, i know for sure you're pouting. but we're on the phone, so it has no effect on me..." Kai teased.

"fine. whatever," you chuckled. "i guess i'll have to wait and see."

"you won't have to wait long. what's your ETA?"

"hmm, i should be there around 6pm."

"sweet, i´ll be there! i'm eager to see you again, y/n" he admits, his tone softening. "it's been too long."

"yeah, it has," you agree. "i'm really looking forward to catching up."

"me too. oh, and one more thing," kai added before you could respond. "gran insisted that we picked up those pastries you like so much from dan´s bakery on our way home, so start brainstorming flavours, alright?"

"i will," you said with a smile. "tell grandma i'm excited to see her!"

"will do. see you soon!"

"see you soon, little cousin." even after hanging up the phone, your smile lingers. your little cousin kai had always been the quiet type, shy to a fault, but hearing him on the phone just now, he sounded different—more confident, somehow. it's funny how people change, you think to yourself, a sense of pride swelling in your chest as you picture kai, no longer the timid child you remember, but growing into his own. just like you had, just like everyone must have while you were away.

and that's when the grin started to fade. you're different now, you realize. you've changed. changed a lot, actually. maybe for the better, you like to hope. you've morphed into this conventionally beautiful woman, ticking off all those boxes of academic success. but deep down, that awkward little girl, the one who used to get teased and called names, she's still lurking in that beach town you're heading back to. it's like a part of you never left.

as you were mulling over all this, the train rattling on towards your destination, you hear a shy voice speaking to you.

"h-hey, sorry. i don't want it to seem like i'm eavesdropping, but is the kai you were talking to... huening kai?" he asks, his words stumbling out.

"uh, yeah," you nod slowly, somewhat caught off guard. the boy´s phone keeps insistently notifying that someone really really wants to talk to him, but he flips it over and leaves the screen facing down.

"cool! so you're y/n! i'm... oh," he stops himself, seeing how surprised you were at him knowing your name. "i must sound like a total weirdo right now, sorry. i'm soobin, i'm friends with kai."

"nice to meet you," you chuckle. "and you don't sound like a weirdo, you're good."

he smiles. "he's been going on about you coming over for the summer, huening... he's pretty hyped, i gotta say. i'm just telling you because he probably won't. he missed you."

at this, your heart melts a little. kai has always been cute in his own eccentric way. "how long have you know kai?" you ask. "i don't remember you from middle school..."

"i moved in right after you left. first year high school. huening took it pretty hard, you leaving and all. him and that other girl, yunjin. we promised to go back to geoje for the summer, so..." he begins to say, but he trails off. "they have something going on, those two... or they wish they did. ah..." rather than regretful, his grin was mischievous. "maybe i shouldn't have spilled... i don't know how close you are to huening after so much time."

"oh, no, you probably shouldn't have. he´d be mortified." you admit, amused. "but its not exactly breaking news. kai´s been crushing on yunjin since we were ten."

you share a laugh. if soobin and you were still strangers, you now at least knew that you shared two things; a cozy little beach town and a special love for teasing huening kai.

and then, he gets the call.

though he remains polite, he is clearly annoyed at the person calling him, muttering through a tight smile, "sorry, i have to take this."

"oh, of course. take it!"

he began to leave, but stopped in his tracks. "hey, honestly, you're nice to talk to and we still have a few hours of travel ahead of us." he said. "wanna meet up in the cafeteria compartment? on me!" he suggested, his grin gentle.

"sure, sounds good!" you say, returning the enthusiasm.

"great! i´ll head there as soon as i´m done with the call. see you!"

he leaves the compartment while you gather your belongings, feeling a pang of determination to at least offer to split the bill. grabbing your wallet, you make your way out.

you saunter down the narrow train aisle, the familiar hum of conversations and the rhythmic clatter of wheels against the tracks filling the air. but amidst the mundane sounds of travel, you hear the voice of soobin, coming from the closed door of the toilets, sounding a tad vexed.

"dude, seriously, you're such a pain in the ass." he says, his words slightly muffled by the restroom door. "and what am i supposed to do about it! i don't know, talk to her, ask her out, be normal if that's even possible?!"

cute. you think. one of his friends must be having girl problems. amused, you linger in the doorway, curiosity getting the better of you for just a moment longer. you even entertained yourself with the idea that the lover boy in question could be kai.

"you have got to be kidding me!" soobin´s frustration spilled over. "you've had like a hundred girlfriends since then, that's excluding the flings, and now you're acting like you're twelve! man up!"

yikes. that sounded a bit off character for huening kai. you keep supressing your laughter. apparently, your little cousin was now a man who've had a hundred girlfriends, excluding the flings.

"christ, it´s like you don't know him. huening won't mind. the boy just lacks the halo, of course he won't mind!"

oh? so he wasn't talking to huening. suddenly, the fun of the eavesdropping starts to fade away, replaced by a sinking feeling in your gut. what if huening was about to get hurt by whatever they were discussing?

but then you hear it. clearly, too. soobin mentions your name.

"that's if y/n remembers you, at all."

you recoil from the door as if it had bitten you. listening doesn't feel right anymore, invasive, even. but a nagging curiosity gnaws at you, urging to listen for just a bit longer. you press your ear against the door.

"how am i supposed to know? it was pure chance..." you hear soobin say. "well, she said her name´s y/n and her cousin is huening kai, so... no, she doesn't look like the pic. look, this is totally not my problem. to me she's just a nice girl i met on the train, i'm not taking sides, alright?" he says. "no! i'm not playing the spy for you. it´s childish. seriously man, what's gotten into you? you're supposed to be the cool one."

you're not a particularly gossipy person, bu oh how you wish you could hear the person on the other line.

"i don't know, i guess you'll find out when you talk to her." he says. "of course you´ll get to talk to her, you clown, she'll be staying here all summer!"

a pause follows.

"toddler." soobin scoffs.

another silence.

"but why?"

one more. this one slightly longer.

"...oh."

the last silence. and you guess this one goes both ways.

"well, it'll be fine. she seems nice enough. just don't freak out, alright? k. bye."

as the restroom door creaks open, you scramble away, heart pounding with a mix of confusion and adrenaline. you head to the cafeteria compartment, where you take a seat and try to make sense of it all.

pricking at the label of the water bottle you just ordered, you mull over the conversation. he was talking about you, but you don't know to whom or why. they seemed to know you from the past, they mentioned something about you remember them... and they knew huening too, so maybe it had to be a common friend. someone who knew kai, and soobin and... you? and the most important thing, they were nervous to talk to you. maybe it wasn't really a friend.

then it clicks. someone from your past, someone who perhaps hadn't treated you well before and was now trying to muster up the courage to apologise. it makes sense. or at least, it is the only way you can make sense of it.

as you think this over, soobin walks in with a gentlemanly smile you are starting to register as characteristic of his. and as you stare at him, you decide to give him the benefit of the doubt. whatever the conversation was about, he told the other person he didn't want to lie to you. he is a good person, or principled, at least.

"hello, again!" he smiles.

he seems nice. you don't even know him, but he seems nice. and precisely, because he seems so nice, you...

ask about it. better come clean and avoid any misunderstandings.

let it go. no hard feelings. besides, you can ask kai about it later.

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 1 year

Note

How are dorms different? Pupils take the same lessons, so why is it so important? Maybe it was stated in the beginning but…

Oooh, thank you for the super interesting topic of discussion! 👀

To begin with, there are superficial differences such as valuing a certain trait or looking up to a specific figure in the Great Seven over the others. (For example, students of Scarabia revere the Sorcerer of the Sands, who was known for his mindfulness it seems that the students try to uphold that mindful spirit.) Let's also keep in mind that each dorm itself is a unique setting with its own vibes and history! Additionally, we know of a few traits that dorm members generally share or talents that students of a particular dorm have:

Heartslabyul has nothing of note that I can recall 😅

Savanaclaw tends to have athletic students. Because of this, they dominate in sporting events and competitions.

Octavinelle and Scarabia are said to have very intelligent students; they are often competing with each other for the top marks. Scarabia's students tend to excel in astrology.

Pomefiore produces students that are skilled in curses and potion-making; one of the requirements to become Pomefiore's dorm leader is brewing a potent poison. Generally, Pomefiore students put forth considerable effort to maintain their looks and their manners.

Ignihyde's students tend to be introverted and geeky; they also work well with technology.

Diasomnia usually receives the magical all-rounders or those particularly gifted with magic. However, their students also tend to be extremely arrogant and think of themselves as better than students of the other dorms.

Beyond the details I just listed, I don't think the dorms are honestly that different (based on the information we have right now). The short and simple (and meta) answer to your question would be that the dorms exist because "it makes the game easier to market". Breaking a large cast into smaller groups with easily identifiable traits and color coding makes the characters stick in the mind better. (The almost immediate cultural association with a certain popular magic school with dorms that are heavily centered around certain traits is also sure to draw comparisons, and thus make TWST blow up by that association and word of mouth.)

Buuut that’s not a very exciting response, now is it? 🤔 Well, here’s my take (I’m basing this on my understanding of how public and private high schools, as well as some colleges/institutions of higher learning operate):

It’s not unusual for a boarding school like Night Raven College to have several different dormitories to house their students. Dorms are usually overseen by an RA (Resident Assistants), someone who also lives in said dorm and manages issues contained within it. The purpose of a dormitory is just to house students while they study, so technically it’s just... a glorified living space. Dorms in real life often aren’t often as segmented and defined by traits as NRC’s are; they’re usually named after some rich person that offered a sizable donation to the school or some important alumnus (though there ARE some dorms specifically for students of a similar major or broad organization to live together). In NRC’s case, the dorms are based on important figures: the Great Seven. It just so happens that the Great Seven are associated with certain traits, and so those trickled down into each dorm, as each was modelled after one member of the Seven. And, of course, the RA equivalent at NRC is the title of dorm leader.

From what I understand of NRC’s history, Pomefiore is considered the oldest dorm; this would imply that NRC did not start with seven dorms, because otherwise they would all be roughly the same in age. The logical sequence of events (to me) is that NRC was originally just a single dorm (Pomefiore), but as it grew over the years and gained prestige for itself, it had to expand to new dorms just to deal with the growing student population--and since Pomefiore honored the Beautiful Queen, why not look to the other six of the Seven for the other dorms? ... Then NRC probably capped off its enrollment so it could focus on educating the students their staff could handle.

Then we need to consider that the dorms may have formed over time just because... well, have you SEEN how NRC students behave? They’ll throw fists at a moment’s notice. Grouping them up by similar traits may help to alleviate the fights that break out on campus; when you’re part of a group and living with like-minded individuals, it can minimize conflicts (but unfortunately, it has the potential side effect of isolating students from those with different views than them, which is probably why they continue to have mixed classes to up the exposure).

With the practicality of dorms sorted out, let’s now look to how the dorms may impact the students’ academic and professional lives.

I noticed that the Anon mentioned, “Pupils take the same lessons, so why [are dorms] so important?” That’s an interesting question to pose because we actually don’t know a ton about NRC’s curriculum or their tracks of study 🤔 I’m guessing that this conclusion was reached because the gameplay of TWST (Alchemy, Flying, Magic History) has mixed classes, but I believe that the gameplay is not reflective of the classes the characters actually take because it would contradict the lore given to us elsewhere. For example, in the ongoing Glorious Masquerade event, it is said that second years taking Magic History learn about the Just Judge (which explains why the first years are not familiar with him yet). It is also said (this time in the main story) that first year classes focus on theory rather than doing actual magic, which is reserved for later years. I’m sure there are a lot more examples I could think of, but these two alone effectively illustrate why it wouldn’t make sense to toss students of different grade levels into most of the same classes.

It hasn’t been confirmed whether all pupils take the exact same coursework; in fact, I’d actually argue the opposite is true. I believe that there is a set of “base” or foundational coursework (like Magic History, Alchemy, and Flying) that every student is required to take to graduate; these subjects would be like the equivalent of math, English, history, and science in the real world. These would be “on level” (ie everyone in the same year takes the same class). However, just like in the real world, I think that every student has the opportunity to customize their track via electives so they can pursue their specific interests after high school. These are the classes that would be mixed, as there are instances (irl) of accelerated younger students having already met the prerequisites for more advanced classes. A notable example of a NRC elective is Poison Making, which appears to be an upper level Potionology course; in Cater’s Lab Wear vignettes, it is revealed that Cater, Vil, and Lilia are enrolled in it. Master Chef/Culinary Crucibles is another major example, as it seems to be an elective that students can take to prepare them for making their own meals and taking care of their nutritional needs after graduation.

Typically, the way you choose electives is broken down into different priorities. Older students and students in honors programs tend to get first pick over younger students (who still need to complete prerequisite courses) and non-honors students (who usually have less rigorous coursework). Additionally (in the case of colleges and universities), priority for certain classes may be given to students of a particular major. As an example, life science courses like biology and anatomy and physiology may have more slots for premed majors and other majors directly related to the life sciences before like... a journalism major may have a chance for the same courses. This is because it’s more important for students of certain majors to get their requires coursework done other students interested in taking a course due to individual interest.

“... Okay, that’s all fine and dandy, but what does this have to do with the importance of the dorms?”

Weeell... If we consider all of the previously discussed information as a whole, isn’t it possible that the dorms could actually factor into the students’ future prospects??

Like... think about it.

Each dorm is already designed from the get-go to focus on specific traits and skills, such that is it easy to immediately identify what the strengths of a person may be based SOLELY on glancing at the armband color they have. Then add in how electives are chosen. If you’re already sorting the students into dorms that define what their strengths may be, wouldn’t it make sense to give those students... priority for classes which will further improve those strengths (ie give a Pomefiore student, already presumed to be skilled in potions-making, priority for the Poisons Making elective course)?

And what about their mandatory fourth year internships? I’m assuming the hiring companies will want the best people for the jobs, but it may be difficult for them to parse through so many resumes. They could very well use dorms to help filter through applications, as some dorms are more well-versed in some subjects over others. (I realize that this disregards individual differences and sounds unfair on paper, but this is, unfortunately, sometimes the reality of the job hunt process.) Alternatively, NRC could use the specific traits each dorm boasts to help “sell” their students to employers for internship opportunities (ie NRC to a potion making company: “Pomefiore’s students are skilled at making potions, just like the Beautiful Queen!”).

Finally, let’s talk connections. If dormitories really do play a role in future prospects as I just described, then it means each dorm has a whole network of alumni in fields of specialization which can perpetuate the cycle. Picture a Pomefiore NRC graduate that goes on to start their own Magic Pharmaceuticals company, then their alma mater contacts them to ask about sending some interns their way. The graduate is more likely to say yes, and even more so to students of their same old dorm because the Pomefiore graduate already has established loyalty to said dorm.

Anyway...! I know that was a lot to take in, but I hope I was able to explain my thoughts well enough 😅 I kind of got excited when I saw this ask, so my fingers were struggling to properly type out all the speculation and ideas I had running around in my brain.

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herotome · 8 months

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Special Informal Devlog

Hi-ho, Wudge here! Aaaa. I missed the update last week... as we crawl closer and closer to release, it's become harder for me to write devlogs. I'm making progress every single day, and that makes me so frustrated that it isn't done yet, you know? 😭 Something something curse of perfectionism...

Anyway.

I thought I'd try something a little different with this post by chronicling a specific screen I've worked very hard on, from start to finish!

(Pictured: a preview of where we're gonna end up)

It all began on... August 2021?! Yowza, two years ago! When I posted a poll on tumblr and on itch about how I should handle flirt indicators. The votes were split 50/50 between two popular options, and I was able to surmise that yall would really, really love an option to toggle between the two.

It didn't take me long to figure out how to implement the toggle itself.

The following year (September 2022), I came up with the idea of putting in an illustrated tutorial on how my flirt indication system works - after all, poll participants had told me that they loved the idea and had never seen it before in other games. I was on a treadmill at the time, so I quickly doodled the idea on my phone. It looks like this:

Then when I got home, I did a rough pen draft to solidify the idea...

I worked on the digital version over the next 2-3 weeks, and asked my friends for help with editing the text to ensure clarity.

.... Then I took a looong break from the infographic to, uh.... write, edit, playtest the game, draw expressions for Griffin CG, draw expressions for the landlord, work on a new Clammy Lady sprite, playtest the game again, make all the characters blink, make the first glowing animation for Jade's powers, code in Griffin's CG expressions, stress about paypal making changes in my country, do concept art for upcoming npcs, write some more, playtest some more, draw a birthday picture for Dart, write devlogs every single week, make sure all my files were safely transferred to my new laptop before my old one completely died... etc.

So it was February 2023 by the time I came back around to try implementing the infographic in code :')

... It was functional, but no matter what I tried, I didn't like how it looked with everything crammed into one page.

... Then I got really sick... but after I recovered and did some more work (drawing, writing, playtesting, etc) I came back to the infographic with the intention to learn how to code pages in renpy.

Still didn't look phenomenal, but there's a whole lot more breathing room! This was in April 2023.

I took another "break" (worked on a million other things) and then... FINALLY... in late August 2023, just a few weeks ago, I had an art breakthrough!

I had garnered a better understanding of color and poses, and as a result my chibis became a LOT cuter! I was able to redraw most of them without too much hassle - whereas when I first started, it would take me all day to draw a single one.

I also drew custom heart icons (a plain heart, a golden heart, and a broken heart), figured out how to make text buttons look more fun and intuitive..

And here's where we're at now!!! I still need to draw eyes for Dart.... but I researched and absorbed a lot about screen compositions, and had a rather late realization that I could re-use backgrounds and assets I already have in the game.

That's it for the special edition. I'll update with more soon!

Stay safe and keep warm,

Wudge.

#herotome update #herotome highlights #interactive fiction #indie game #oelvn #otome #visual novel #otome game #english otome #indie #chibis #anime

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road-kill-eater · 14 days

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Just curious if tonitrui have to put a lot of work into keeping their claws short and dull? Or is it like a genetic thing? Cultural pressure or personal preference/utility? Wondering why Nathan has those Big Mean Nasties (sexy) that look more akin to paws and it looks like everyone else has smaller more humanish hands. Especially considering their feet look beastly regardless of how their hands look. I love these creatures they're my new blorbos. Thanks!

ive recently decided to take away the small claws on tonitrui fingers, mostly for aesthetics, but it also makes sense given their feet. their fingers would just have a subtle ridge of keratinized skin over the tips, just like their toes. nathan gets to break a lot of rules because hes not a tonitrui character really (hence his name), he has his own story in another setting where the characters are (mostly) human, and he in particular has been affected by a mutagenic miasma that provokes vestigial and atavistic traits to re-emerge, or new ones to form. he doesnt really work in the tonitrui setting and there is no explanation for his sharp incisors and big claws except maybe he got cursed or something, i just like drawing him as a goat man far too much!

#tonitrui are people in animal clothes #nathan is an animal in people clothes #basically

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zelda-cooper · 7 months

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Thoughts, Headcanons and Comments on Negaduck (My AU).

This here is more of a commentary blog and maybe a rant, it can also be considered as a headcanon blog and also for Negaduck fans (which I feel like the majority will curse me A LOT for not agreeing with either group, OG and DT 2017). For those who want to, they can read it as they wish, but I'm already advancing that it's LONG and will have some low-level words (I'll censor it, but it's still worth it). Feel free to leave comments about your opinions... And preferably, the comments should be healthy...

So... I woke up these days and thought to myself... "Do you know what would be good today? Talking about a character idolized by the majority of Fandom as the best villain in Darkwing Duck and a hidden passion for many people and suffering hate from everyone ? YAY!!! =D" (yes, I have self-love... Don't worry, this is just a joke).

Me after this blog:

Ok, clarifying something for everyone here... I like Negaduck himself, I really like his concept and even his personality. Characters that are basically chaotic, crazy and the reincarnation of evil itself, I love that concept. My problem with Negaduck is kind of his Fandom... People put him on a pedestal and say he's the ultimate villain and the rest is just the rest... I'm talking about a kind of toxic part of the community, like those who make meaningless or simply problematic ships (sorry for those who ship, but Darkwing Duck and Negaduck would NEVER happen in this ship, they are literally mortal enemies and in OG it's worse because Negaduck is an alternative version of Drake). My problem is not the character, the problem is his toxic fans and the fact that he is always considered one of the best villains and blah blah blah. Guys, I see Negaduck as a good antagonistic figure to DWD. The vision of what Drake could become if something went wrong. A criminal genius who has no scruples about getting what he wants and who will do the worst things in the world to get what he wants, including threatening his own companions, the Fearsome Four, with death. A psychopathic maniac who is so toxic that he is basically disgusting and chaotic. Think of classic Disney villains who were the antithesis of evil, like Jafar and the Evil Queen. They're almost pure evil, but they're still charismatic. Basically a villain we love to hate.

Having already spoken my vision, let's move on to the Headcanons and also criticisms of both Negaducks (the OG 1991 and the DT 2017). Just remembering that I like both versions, but I have my criticisms of them... It's never an attack on the fans, it's just constructive criticism and my view of the character. And let's start with what people apparently idolize the most... Negaduck/Jim Starling from DT 2017. Starting with the most controversial one here that will cause me more attacks from the fans, but ok! =D

The story they made for Negaduck is, to say the least, curious... He was the original actor in the Darkwing Duck series in the Ducktales Reboot universe, whose career took a break after the series ended and he wanted to return in the new film. His name is Jim Starling (pause to praise the idea of the name and her reference, the team is to be congratulated on this honor), he is apparently a duck in his 40s and, apparently, serves to draw a parallel with the DW of original series. The original protagonist of the series that many people followed and to be the antithesis of Drake Mallard, who is the new modern Darkwing Duck of this generation. There are things that I genuinely like about this new Negaduck, like the fact that he is his own character and not an alternative version or copy of Darkwing, the metalanguage with the original Darkwing Duck being a series in Ducktales and things like that... My problem is what they did, the execution... I don't know, I don't like how they wrote Jim, he often makes parallels with the OG protagonist Darkwing Duck and seems to demonize him, while exalting the current Drake Mallard who is nicer, the which I honestly don't like. Besides... WHAT THE F*CK DO HAPPENED WITH JIM AT THE END?!?! A CRAP SCENARIO FELL ON HIS HEAD AND HE BECAME GOO, THEN HE BECAME NEGADUCK?!?! What did they give the screenwriters?! Give me, I want 2 of these...

Okay, calm down... Back to focus... I don't like how this ending happened, it kind of takes away the idea that he's a human and makes him turn into a mutant, which I don't approve of since the fun part is that Darkwing Duck and Negaduck are human, but they're impressive they survive something that would kill them (like old cartoons) and don't get a scratch. The justification they gave to Drake is good, that he always stands up because he has impressive willpower and that he is stubborn. But Negaduck... No! I would change that yes, Jim would survive even though that thing fell on his head and crushed him, but it would have just been a "scene" that he did, but he would appear injured and, if he appeared again, it would show him with scars from that incident . It would be much better... Now, his motivation... It's kind of whatever... I don't hate it, but the way it was done I didn't think it was cool, even though the justification was valid. I've seen some people making fun of him that he just "wanted attention", which is kind of true... But considering that ND is evil incarnate, you can accept it. Oh, and one last aspect that I liked and that was in the classic series... When Negaduck is completely unstable and basically insane, his eyes become spirals. That's awesome, I'm not going to lie. :³

Alright, now let's move on to the 1991 version of Negaduck from Darkwing Duck. Here they will probably give me a lot of hate attacks too...

Negaduck OG is the counterpart of Darkwing Duck from the Negaverse, an evil version of Drake Mallard who went to the Primeverse for who knows why and is wreaking terror in St. Canarian... He is the leader of the Fearsome Five, a criminal genius and also one of the most dangerous villains. That's in the sense of... He has a BUNCH OF GUNS THAT HE TAKES OUT WHO KNOWS WHERE AND EXPLOSIVES THAT COULD DESTROY THE ENTIRE CITY!!!! Besides, he is a genius criminal strategist and basically almost destroyed the city and even the multiverse in one of his madnesses. For that reason alone, I really like the concept, a person who basically represents chaos in person (Paddywhack doesn't count here, because he's literally a chaos demon) and who is one of Darkwing Duck's smartest villains who almost defeated him. My main problem with him is... He's basically a version of DWD from another universe and he's evil. I don't know about you, but this sounds so generic... There's this with Superman, Batman, Spider-Man multiverse story and "What if"... It's not that I don't like opposite versions of heroes, I do... But when it's a separate character from him. Reverse Flash, for example, is a completely different person from the Flash, Dr. Zoom. Making Negaduck just an evil alternative version of Darkwing is a bit boring because it's a bit limited... Besides, they didn't properly explore the Negaverse itself... ND is a good character, yes, but it's just this lock that makes me think: "Really? One more? Okay...-_-". I like what DT 2017 did, separating Negaduck from Darkwing Duck, in the sense of giving him an identity and not making him an "evil Darkwing Duck from another reality", making Negaduck his own person. Negaduck's parallel with Darkwing Duck becomes more interesting and palpable, whereas in the OG it's kind of a tired trope. There are certain versions that I applaud standing up, like the Hulk and Batman with one of them, but otherwise it's written in a generic way until...

But then... After complaining so much, I just want to say something... This in no way makes one version better than the other, each version is different and they all have their mistakes and successes. I've seen people comparing both versions and saying that the old Negaduck was better than the 2017 one, but I think it's slightly stupid. Each version is for a different audience, if you liked it, fine, if not, that's fine too. I've seen @o-dandelion-o compare both versions and say that the 2017 ND is a crybaby (I would personally give that to the 2017 Drake, but ok...) and that the 1991 ND is superior... It was probably a joke , but it's worth highlighting... Guys, it doesn't make any difference to me! I'm a writer and I can play the character any way I want! I don't agree with the vision of certain artists, and that's okay! I respect their vision! Only that! I want to make it extremely clear that my version of Negaduck mixes these two, the original and the 2017 version. I took the concept of him being his own character, Jim Starling, but I kept the chaotic and evil incarnate essence of the original. It's an alternative universe created by me and my friend, that's all...

Anyway... I think that's it, thanks to whoever read this... Until next time...

Final arts made for @anniesilveratl2 .

#darkwing duck #darkwing duck au #ducktales #darkwing duck purple union #negaduck #jim starling #dwd #darkwing duck 1991 #ducktales2017 #ducktales 2017 #fearsome five #fearsome four

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