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c2martialarts · 2 years

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How to care, choose, size and the rules around your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Gi (kimono) for competitions and training!

Why buy a BJJ Gi?

If you do not have a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Gi, you may be confused as to why you would ever even need one? There are two styles of BJJ – training in Gi (kimono) and training with no-Gi. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an elite sports, known for its incredible takedowns, joint manipulations, and ground grappling technique, all of which require a highly durable Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi if that’s the style you’re training. The BJJ kimono or Gi, is the form of dress worn in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which is an adaptation of the Keikogi (Ji Gu Zhao) used in contemporary Japanese martial arts. These uniforms may be worn in BJJ classes, during training, practicing moves, free sparing and in a tournament. A BJJ uniform has drawstring and usually ripstop pants, a Gi jacket with a long sleeve and a belt to show a practitioner’s rank. Anyone in the dojo knows how long each practitioner has been training approximately for based on their colour belt. It takes on average 10-12 years to get your BJJ blackbelt sometimes sooner. The belt ranks are white, blue, purple, brown and then black. Most belt ranks, a practitioner will be on it for approximately 2 years and but they’re usually on their brown belt for about a year.

Before diving into the specifics of BJJ Gi’s and differences amongst them, first let’s take a look at what is required to fit properly in Jiu Jitsu Gi’s. Whether you are completely a beginner to jiu-jitsu, have only dipped your toes in the world of Gi Jiu-Jitsu causally, or are an experienced practitioner looking for the best BJJ Gi for your needs, it is easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer number of Gi’s available on the market.

We will also discuss how to choose a quality Gi (kimono), how to easily keep your Gi clean and sterile.

But firstly, where do you buy your first Gi?

Your best bet if you’re in Perth, is to purchase a BJJ Gi from MMA Fight Store in Malaga as they provide a great collection of jiu-jitsu Gi’s that are great quality. BJJ is one of those martial arts where it is essential to own the best jiu-jitsu Gi that you can afford. Whether you are a casual BJJ practitioner, a beginner or a competitive one, you cannot go wrong with the best BJJ Gi choices.

Alternatively, you can purchase Gi’s online from reputable manufacturers.

It’s worth checking Facebook marketplace for Gi’s that have hardly been worn and some are in amazing condition are you can find them to be great condition and a good quality. Just make sure you sterilise them with a good disinfectant, which can be found in your local supermarket.

BJJ Gi’s boast of brands like Tatami Fightwear, GR1PS, Venum, Fuji Gi and Manto, and an expansive array of uniform designs and colours, with plenty of choices, you are bound to find the Brazilian Jiu jitsu Gi to suit you.

How do I size up my Gi?

With sizing a jiu-jitsu elite sports Gi, you are working on the dimensions using some combination of a person’s height and weight, which should get you the best fit for that individual’s body type. The sizing schedule is a general guide and we encourage practitioners to try their BJJ Gi’s on before deciding what size you’re going to choose. Especially if you have a body shape that isn’t consistent with your general size.

THE TYPICAL MEN’S “A” SIZES HAVE THE FOLLOWING SIZE RANGE: SizeHeightWeightA05ft 4″ – 5ft 7″60-65kgA15ft 7″ – 5ft 9″65-72kgA1L5ft 11″ – 6ft65-72kgA25ft 8″ – 6ft72-82kgA2L5ft 11″ – 6ft 2″72-82kgA36ft 1″ – 6ft 3″82-95kgA3L6ft 3″ – 6ft 4″82-95kgA46ft 1″ – 6ft 4″95-120kg

THE TYPICAL WOMEN’S “F” SIZES HAVE THE FOLLOWING SIZE RANGES: SizeHeightWeightF14ft 9″ – 5ft39kg – 45kgF25ft – 5ft 4″45kg – 55kgF35ft 3″ – 5ft 6″52kg – 65kgF45ft 6″ – 5ft 8″64kg – 77kg

THE TYPICAL KID’S FOR MALES AND FEMALES HAVE “M” SIZE HAVE THE FOLLOWING RANGES: SizeHeightM000100 cmM00110 cmM0120 cmM1130 cmM2140 cmM3150 cmM4160 cm

What are the types of Gi’s available on the market

Weaves

For your first Brazilian jiu-jitsu Gi, you should not be too concerned with what weave you have, especially if you are a beginner. You should check for a weave type that provides sufficient comfort while you train BJJ, being comfortable usually means using a lightweight Gi that allows easy mobility and a Gi that is the right size, or as close as possible. There is a bit of standardization with single weave, double weave, gold weave, pearl weave and cotton.

Single weaves dry fast, and you can wash these BJJ Gi’s often. Single weaves are used on basic entry level BJJ practitioners. It shrinks easily but it’s made from a good material. They are soft and a little looser than a pearl weave, which is a much tighter weave structure. Just because they are thinner, doesn’t mean they won’t last. Some single Gi weaves can last for several years.

Double weaves are double the thickness of a single weave, but they can be heavy. The firmness of the weave may cause the double weave to be abrasive on both opponent’s skin and wearers during training. Because this type of Gi top is thinner-woven than cotton, an opponent may grab it and manipulate it easier. They are popular for IBJJF tournaments as they can be difficult to grip due to the thickness and stiffness of the material. More recently, double weave gis, are light weight, with most weighing around 1.2-1.4 kilograms. In competition, athleates use a double weave Gi, and cut weight as much as possible to be in a lower weight bracket. It’s the most expensive weave, even more expensive than a gold weave.

The gold weave was the standard originally required by the Federation of International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation for competitions, (according to the IBJJF rules, IBJJF competition and any IBJJF tournament) though it has since been relaxed so as to allow different weaves of jackets. Gold weaves are the most sort out Gi’s as they are made from a strong material, they are a heavier Gi. They can be expensive which is why some people opt for pearl weave. The gold weave is durable and comfortable to train in. The thick material is harder to grip than a single or pearl weave. Gold weaves shrink quite a bit which is why most companies avoid stocking and selling gold weaves.

Pearl weaves are the most popular Gi’s because it’s cheaper to buy, it comes in different weights, hardly shrinks and is durable. Not all pearl weaves are the same. Some are soft others are stiff and rough due to the weave tightness. If a pearl Gi doesn’t fit you well, shrinking it is super difficult, so choosing another weave would be better.

Ripstop weave is mainly used for trousers, and some grappling shorts. They are incredibly lightweight but they have been banned by major tournaments (IBJJF). These types of Gi’s would only be used in training. Most companies don’t produce ripstop weaves.

If you want to remove all moisture quickly, then opt for 100% Cotton or Ripstop pants, with a lightweight material for your upper. Cotton weaves are flat, strong and heavy. The ribs are diagonal and are usually only used for pants. Cotton pants rip easily. Ripstop pants will be a better option.

Custom BJJ weaves usually fall into one of the weaves written above but they claim to be a custom weave. They perform identically but come with names like honeycomb, platinum, hyper, crystal and other various names.

Grams per square metre

This doesn’t refer to the actual weight of the material but rather the grams per square meter which determines the thickness. 350GSM is thinner and weighs less for a Pearl weave than 550 GSM which may also be a Peral weave. 350GSM is the lightest Gi a competitor can use in competition. 450 GSM is used on premium Gi’s and 55GM is used on heavyweight Premium gis.

Rashguard

We recommend all our students wear a rash guard (like a thin Lycra) underneath their BJJ uniform for protection from skin infections when grappling other students and when they’re training. Rashguards are not allowed to be worn in competitions for men if the competition is wearing your gi. Men can however wear a rashguard if it is a no-gi training style. Women and children are allowed to wear rashguards for all competition, whether the competition style is gi or no-gi.

No Pockets allowed

Pockets of any type are not permitted on a BJJ Gi. Most Gi’s are made without pockets anyway.

What colour Gi should you choose?

Gi’s with tops and pants in different Gi colours are not permitted; neither are Gis with a collar in a colour other than that of the rest of the top. The entire Gi must be the same colour (pants and top). We recommend blue or black Gi’s as they hold the colour, we often find white BJJ Gi’s get staining around the neckline from sweat over long periods of time. Wearing other colours except for blue, black and white is not allowed in tournaments. You can check with your coach if you want to wear a coloured Gi different to the ones mentioned above, it’s up to them, if they will allow different coloured Gi’s.

How do you wash your Gi for longevity?

It is best to wash your kimono with cold water, preferably with a colour safe detergent (if your Gi isn’t white). Using cold water and lower temperatures will prevent the Gi from shrinking, which allows you to maintain the ideal fit for years.

When washing your Gi, it’s always a good idea to turn your Gi inside out to maintain the vibrancy of your Gi colour and the patches attached. Your Gi will look fresher for longer as it helps to lessen the colour washing out of it. It is really important to wash your Gi after every training session. Using a fabric softener will be beneficial too, as Gi’s can become quite stiff, especially in summer when the temperature is hotter. Wearing a used Gi without washing it after training, is unhygienic. The sooner you wash your Gi after training, the better. This includes washing your BJJ belt if it has got stains, blood or dirt. There is a superstition that it washes away your knowledge and skill, but wearing a dirty belt harbours bacteria, so if your belt is unclean, wash it too.

Sometimes an old used kimono, has a bad odour and no matter how often you wash it, even if you use the best smelling detergent, deodoriser or sanitiser it doesn’t go away. To eliminate the smell, use one part vinegar and four parts water, soak your Gi in the mixture for about half an hour before washing your Gi in cold water. You can do this mix for your Gi if you’re wearing it for the first time, as it will keep the colour of your Gi vibrant as it locks in the colour.

Should I Sterilise my Gi?

Skin infections such as ringworm, staph, and all sorts of other health hazards can spread via BJJ as it is a close contact sport. With our sweat, and that of all of our teammates, being absorbed in our uniform, it is essential that our Gi’s and rashguards, are sterile before we use them again when training. If you head to your local supermarket, you will find laundry sterilisers in the same place as your detergent and fabric softeners.

Where do you hang your Gi out to dry?

If you want to shrink your kimono purposely – put it in your machine dryer. However, if you love how your Gi fits now, then just hang it out, away from direct sunlight, because sunlight will make your Gi fade, and it will make it even more susceptible to damage. Hanging your Gi inside is what we recommend for optimal conditions to avoid damage to your BJJ kimono.

Your Gi is an investment, and it should be washed regularly. The truth is though, how you treat your Gi will determine how long it will last for. Avoiding fading, damage and shrinkage will be in how you care for your Gi. They are not cheap, so caring for it correctly will make the difference in how long it lasts.

What do I do if my Gi doesn’t fit perfectly?

Get it tailored

If your jiu-jitsu Gi does not fit perfectly right out of the box, you should really think about getting all your Gi tailored if it’s very big. The only reason why you would pick one size higher these days is if you wanted to cut down the Gi for a tighter fit, which would be hard to do most of the time, seeing that some Gi’s are made from pearl weaves these days which barely shrink. You would choose to get it tailored if your body shape isn’t the same size all over. i.e., long torso, short legs.

Shrink your Gi

To shrink your BJJ Gi is easy. One thing to remember is more heat, more shrinkage. But you have to remember, shrinking your Gi is like getting a haircut. You are better off shrinking it slowly, in small increments, then shrinking it quickly as it will never go back to its original size.

If you need to shrink your Gi fabric significantly – do a hot machine wash and put it in a mechanical dryer. Only use this method if you need to shrink your Gi significantly and if it’s much larger than it should be. This will work particularly well with single weave or cotton Gi’s.

If you are that close to having the Gi fit just right but it is only slightly too big – use a hot machine wash, then air dry indoors. This will allow the Gi to shrink the fabric a little bit but not too much!

If you only want to make a small cut to a Gi fabric, then let the washing machine do the job. If your Gi is almost the perfect size, but you need it slightly smaller Wash the Gi in warm water, and then allow it to air-dry in the house like normal. Without the heat of the machine dryer, the Gi will still shrink, just not nearly as much. Warm water will allow for only a small amount of shrinkage, which allows for you to achieve that perfect fit, should your Gi just a bit too large.

Once your Gi is the perfect size – wash your Gi in cold water only and let it air dry inside. Applying heat using the washing machine or mechanical dryer will shrink it more. Once you’ve done your cold wash, hang it on the line, out of direct sunlight. Continuing to wash your Gi in warm or hot water, or drying it in a hot, dry machine, will result in even more shrinkage.

Another thing to consider, is not all Gi’s shrink the same, even if the Gi comes from the same manufacture. So, shrink your Gi gradually so that it doesn’t end up too small.

At C2 Marital Arts, we stock our own Gi. We are 7 minutes from Joondalup in Ocean Reef. Call Crimson if you want to order yours!

#self defence classes #bjj #self defense #gi #no-gi #jiujitsu #brazilian jiu jitsu #martial arts #bjjnogi #bjjlife #bjj4life #brazilianjiujitsu #grappling #martialarts #bjjtraining #bjjuniform

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anca-animation2020 · 2 years

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Model making project

So for the model making project I initially had three animal in mind, a European Shag, Fire Salamander, and European Bison. I choose all these animals as I had seen them in person my thinking was this would help with the conceptualisation process and to add further inspiration.

I ended up choosing the European bison as it’s physic reminded me of my father, a big bulky animal. These animals are seen as docile Like cows however they are very active and protective of their herd. Because of this assumption that bison cannot move as well or as fast, People underestimate them until they see them in person. Therefore, this often most people have a similar opinion of my father that he’s not that physical but can still run 10k and lift weights for his age. Furthermore, I came up with the idea that since my father can’t really dance, that the bison could be his best representation/version of himself, and his dancing ability.

Although before I got to that point I went through many different ideas before this, such as a business bison, Clown/ biker bison, bumper care bison etc..

I wanted a 70s groovy look to the Bison, since it’s iconic with the disco era. And has an exciting visual aesthetic that’s memorable. Furthermore, at this time the 70’s disco era people associate the people as being chill, competitive, and always thinking of their moves. Which when I came to write my series would help a lot.

So for the series the premise for the story would be a world that was run by dance. And that in each nation they would have leaders that were the best dancers, and top tier defenders of the dance of their nation. To get celebrity status and possible overtake the top tier dancer they hold a completion Tournament So everyone can advance within their city. As well as hope to do compete against other countries. To improve and prove their worth whilst maintaining peace amongst the different dance nations. Who have their main dance, however within the world have developed sub-cultures. They hope would be to have ballet, Ballroom, contemporary, Hip-hop, disco, Flamenco, Belly Dance, Country/Western, Bollywood and Breakdance.

I would hope to include dance sequence’s that can be learnt each episode and then combine for battles for children to join in and help our protagonists through their journey to become the best, and to help defender their nation.

I came up for a guide for the first season as follows:

Episode one –A flashback to a secret plot of the past involving Bison Bill, Battling an dancer from a different country, that seems to be trying to destroy dance. Hinting to future episode plots. Back to present following some students (three) run into each other, who explore the world and come across bill asking for training. Then follows an Introduction to the world and how dance is what everyone lives by.

Episodes two, three and four too six – Is the announcement of the year completion of the battle of dancer. This is where you can level up the ranks. Bison bill trains these beginner students in there talent, to join this years comp in hopes of becoming A level 1 ranking.

Episode seven to thirteen– commences the tournament completion and our young stars have signed up to pass level one ranking. We following their journey to pass and get started in this world. Whilst it hinting to a possible threat gaining traction after year’s of silence. Looming over the event.

Final episodes of the season – will be the students passing the event and celebrating.

My target audience would be Preteens however suitable for everyone. And my unique selling point would be that it is a different type of interactive show instead of just verbally breaking the forth wall, the kids get to join in the moves and learn some dance promoting physical activity and Mental well being.

Overall I would say that I should of spent more time developing the idea, however I could not decide what my Bison would be.

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shallitickleyournerdbutton · 3 years

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After the heartache of the Volume 8 finale, I would like to return to a happier point in the show and suggest some memes/jokes that I like to think the students at Beacon would have had. More closely inline with the RWBY Chibi-verse, than the actual show - where Nothing Bad Ever Happened.

"Who's child is this?" being used to refer to Ruby - the youngest student at Beacon - when she's left unsupervised and/or doing something odd.

"I'd let Glynda punish/whip me for one corn chip."

Every now and again "Missing - Have you seen this person?" posters for Professor Peach will pop up around campus. No one knows who it is that keeps making them.

Vomit Boy candids being taken and shared any time Jaune is Suffering™️ on some form of transport.

The Great One plush of Pyrrha exists in-universe... and becomes the go-to prize for any stupid competition between the students. There's at least a dozen of these dolls on campus now, owned by various people and won as "spoils of war."

There's a dedicated chalkboard in the combat room for tallying how many times Nora has launched someone into the stratosphere. Notable mentions are listed on the board alongside her of other people who have achieved this feat - including Yang, Yatsuhashi, and Glynda.

(She launched both Port and Oobleck one day when they kept annoying her. Sometimes, their screams can still be heard if you listen closely enough.)

"There's that old guy again..." "Oh, shopkeep? Yea, he's everywhere. Don't think too much about it."

This leads to "Don't think too much about it." becoming something of a slogan for every time anything unusual happens.

"Candy canes, kids! One for Sun Wukong, one for Yang Xiao-Long, ooh four for Coco Adel, you go Coco!"

"I--"

"Andnoneforweissschneebye~"

Team STRQ having something akin to legend status at Beacon, whispered in hushed voices for fear and reverence of their names. There's a war between the students regarding team JNPR as their successors vs. the students who insist JNPR are not anywhere near worthy of such a title.

"How many team CRDLs does it take to beat Pyrrha?"

Blurry fancam-style videos of the Qrow vs. Winter fight out in the courtyard being traded around like baseball cards with other students. Some try and manufacture a "rematch" of this with the materials they've got - trying to get Ruby and Weiss to fight each other.

That weird sing-song "HellOooOo~" that Yang sometimes does being mimicked by everyone. And I mean everyone.

Any time there's a significant lull in conversations or classes, someone often asks "Why are we here?" which never fails to make everyone in the vicinity groan.

"Ozpin is compensating for something" jokes about his office chair - including at least one popular response being "it's the war crimes", without them knowing just how accurate they actually are.

"On a scale of Ren-Nora, how excited do you want me to be?"

"Ladies Love Lavender" referring to Lisa Lavender having her own in-universe fandom mostly comprised of women. (Lavender being associated with lesbians irl, and I just think this would be funny.)

The sight of Ren just picking up and carrying Nora away from something is so commonplace that other people start doing it to their friends when they Need To Stop.

"Why is Blake's bow so big?" "Because it's full of secrets."

Blake being a closet faunus being such a poorly hidden secret that by the time she finally takes off the bow no one actually even notices.

The betting pool surrounding exactly what it is in Ozpin's cup - coffee being one of the least popular options, and souls being the top choice.

Using Yatsuhasi as a unit of measurement.

Photoshopping adorable images of Velvet onto various "cute" animal memes.

Everyone wanting to be spanked by Coco Adel.

"I'd let Fox blow me up too."

"Why is Weiss' hair so long?" "To reflect the length of her father's crimes."

Everyone mimicking Pyrrha's memetic "I'm sorry!" anytime they apologise for anything. Even going as far to do it while apologising to things that don't require apologies - like inanimate objects.

"Are Port and Oobleck, you know... 💅?"

In fact, just that 💅 being used to refer to a large number of people at Beacon. Actual LGBT students picking this up and using it towards grimm when they're attacked to question the sexuality/homophobia of the grimm targeting them over their peers.

Threatening Neptune with water anytime he flirts with a girl who is clearly Not Interested in him.

No one knowing who, exactly, the other two members of team SSSN are - with wild theories abounding about who they may be. Popular choices include Shopkeep, Zwei, and Professor Peach.

This persists even after their tournament fights where they're shown. Scarlet and Sage are perfectly content with this, and participate.

"Arslan's/Pyrrha's back must be aching from constantly carrying her entire team."

And the respective responses of, "Reese/Nora are alright."

Similar jokes about Glynda also carrying the entire faculty/academy on her back.

"Salutations!"

The war between the "Irondaddy" fanbase, and his haters - who refer to him with various derogatory versions of his name. "Metalpenis", "Coppercock", "Chromeshaft", etc.

Anytime someone is doing something ~questionable~ donning a pair of glasses and/or imitating Oz or Oobleck pushing them back up their nose with accompanying menacing body language. (Kubrick Stare optional.)

Mercury having a foot fetish, courtesy of the people who caught him sniffing shoes at the festival.

"Did <character> just die?" "You know, it was really unclear." any time someone takes some insane damage in a fight and isn't seen for some time afterwards.

Everyone trying to locate and get a pic of the ~mysterious~ fourth member of team CMSN, who has only ever been spotted once - her tournament fight in the first round. Beacon's version of "Where's Wally?"

The Sympathy Fund for Emerald and her one-sided crush on Cinder. "She could honestly do so much better."

People offering themselves up as tribute to spar with Pyrrha/Yang/Coco/Sun just so they can be beaten up by the hottest people on campus.

"I drink milk!" being used as a defensive argument in wildly inappropriate contexts.

Naming grimm really boring names and attempting to keep them as pets.

The innumerous times Port has allowed a "zoo-break" to happen under his watch and everyone having to assist in recovering his prized subjects.

"Where the fuck are all the fourth years?" "Ozpin's soul collection."

Candid shots of Glynda Suffering™️ being shared similarly to the ones of Vomit Boy.

Ranking people based on their Patience Levels - Pyrrha, Ren, Glynda, Emerald, and Fox being frequent top markers based on the bullshit they put up with from their respective teams.

"Saint Pyrrha" being a common nickname for her, and her neverending niceness towards people who absolutely do not not deserve it.

Weiss' "Hey!" being replicated amongst the student body and slowly growing more and more high-pitched in its replication until it eventually just becomes a shrill noise. Even so, everyone still knows what it means - and Weiss is absolutely unamused by all of this.

In fact, a lot of early!Weiss' comments being mercilessly mocked by everyone - "I'm a victim!" being one of them.

Renowned fear permitting amongst the student body regarding Yang's red eyes meaning Serious Business. Morphs into references of "going full Yang" to mean having rage-fuelled temper tantrums.

"Never miss a beat, never miss a beat" becoming a mantra for focusing on a task. This inspires several remixes of Neon saying it, and again with no one knowing who it is making them.

By all means, feel free to add any more that you all think of! I could use a laugh!

Also, check the notes for additions!

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ziltoidcoffee · 2 years

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out of curiosity how would mob boss Terry even meet Daniel? or is it same as KK3? was it love at first sight? at first bite...ing remark from Danny?

(Oh my god. I've been thinking about this for a while now. There's probably a few different scenarios. Tell me which is best! 🤔)

Love At First Sight: Cobra Kai is still a dojo, but Kreese is working for Terry and training them to become soldiers for their "organization." (Maybe somehow, all the gangs in LA decided guns are lame, so they all know martial arts.) Terry comes to visit Kreese to see how the kids are doing the same day Daniel is outside the dojo. He sees Daniel and asks Kreese about him. He says he doesn't know him, and asks Johnny if he does. Johnny tells Terry about Daniel, and Terry orders Kreese to offer to train him. So Kreese later approaches Daniel about joining Cobra Kai, but Daniel can't keep up with his students. Kreese kicks him out, which angers Terry, and he volunteers to train Daniel himself. But by this time, Daniel's already learning from Mr. Miyagi, so Terry sends some men to attack Mr. Miyagi. They outnumber him, and after Mr. Miyagi gets hurt, Daniel goes running to Terry to teach him. Mr. Miyagi doesn't approve, but he still supports Daniel. Terry has successfully seduced Daniel by the time he wins the tournament, and Daniel soon becomes known as the future comare of Cobra Kai. The baby cobras become Daniel's protectors and body guards, and much later, Sam Larusso is heir to the throne. (Daniel becomes extra dark in this AU due to Terry's early influence.)

Love At First Bite: Kreese is Terry's associate instead of an actual gangster, so the rest of this universe is similar and storyline plays out like the movie. But Terry shows up to support Cobra Kai at the tournament. Though he comes late and runs into Daniel in the bathroom. Because Daniel saw Terry speaking to Kreese from afar, he is rude when Terry is polite. Maybe he asks if Daniel's in the competition, and Daniel snaps at him then slams the door in his face. This is one of the few times someone has stood up to Terry, so he is instantly enchanted. He basically spends the entire tournament watching Daniel, and when Kreese attacks Johnny after the tournament, Terry helps Mr. Miyagi stop him, leading Kreese to either obey or fuck off. Either way, Terry tries to play Daniel by pretending he has "realized Cobra Kai karate is wrong," but Daniel is still skeptical. Terry spends the rest of the year trying to seduce him and get on his good side. Terry even learns “Miyagi-do karate” to spend time with Daniel while still running his business. Then when Mr. Miyagi father dies and needs to go to Okinawa, Terry pays for him to go but asks Daniel to stay. Daniel is torn between them but ultimately decides to stay with Terry because he's fallen for him. When Mr. Miyagi gets back, Daniel has changed a lot from Terry's influence, but he accepts they are together. After Daniel graduates, Terry slowly introduces Daniel to the family business. Similar to the AU above, Daniel becomes known as Cobra Kai’s comare, and everyone begins to fear him. (Daniel is medium dark in this AU, often excusing Terry's behavior because of his love for him and his sad past, which may or may not be the truth.)

Love At First Fight: Similar the the first AU, the cobras and Kreese work for Terry, and Kreese is high up in the ranks. But Daniel doesn't meet Terry until later. After Daniel keeps fighting with the cobras at school, Mr. Miyagi goes to speak with Kreese, but instead of agreeing to keep them from fighting until the tournament, Kreese fights with Mr. Miyagi who injures him. To get back at Mr. Miyagi for attacking a made man, Terry orders the cobras to kidnap Daniel. There's a bit of torture and fuckery when he's kidnapped, and Terry uses some manipulation to give Daniel Stockholm Syndrome. By the time Terry's done with him, Daniel enters the tournament under Cobra Kai and destroys the competition. Mr. Miyagi and his mom show up halfway through to try and convince him to leave Terry. They even suggest to call the cops, but Daniel's too attached to Terry and won't leave him. He also worries Terry will hurt them if he does. Daniel becomes Terry's husband's later in this one as well though he often feels guilt and still fears Terry. (Grey Daniel here. He thinks staying with Terry is the only way to keep him sane and protect his family.)

#dark daniel #daniel larusso #terry silver #cobra kai #the karate kid #my headcanons #i just cant let this idea go #i kind of want to write a one shot with the first idea #terry is almost a mobster its barely a stretch here #silverusso #terry silver x daniel larusso #writing #fanfic #sorry i went off #long post

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chosonore · 3 years

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part two | yearning

yearning [noun. a strong feeling of wishing for something, especially something that you cannot have or get easily]

pairing: kamo noritoshi/f!reader

summary: your relationship with noritoshi was like a game of cat and mouse; no matter how hard you tried to escape from him, he would always find his way back to you.

wordcount: 8.2k

content/warnings: friends to enemies to lovers, language, somewhat suggestive, noritoshi is kind of a dick but i promise it gets better so please don’t lose faith in him, we’re somewhat following the timeline of the anime/manga so spoilers ahead!! but what follows afterwards is purely pulled out of my ass lol, lowercase intended [UNEDITED]

a/n: hello, here i am again with a super long chapter ( ˙꒳˙ ) it is so incredibly messy and i’m so sorry if it gets confusing for you; this just really shows how sporadic my writing process is, i have some guidelines that i follow but sometimes venture off my path when i suddenly get a new idea. nevertheless, i hope you can somewhat enjoy this chapter. feedback or just your thoughts are much appreciated! for those that are waiting for the ~steamy~ content, it is coming next chapter hehe. as always, stay safe everyone (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

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"noritoshi, could you just stay quiet today? i'm really not in the mood," you sighed as you entered the training grounds. the exhaustion from the mission the day before was clinging onto your bones, heavy and admonishingly. the normally exciting sparring lessons seemed dreadful, knowing that all students were to practice today. to practice the balance within the team, utahime had claimed the week prior as she was reprimanding your lack of discipline when it came to noritoshi. stubbornness ran in the family; you refused to back down when someone was hurting your pride. said stubbornness came back to bite you - instead of taking a break to fully recover, you claimed that you would be fine with the help of your reverse curse techniques.

as the days came and went, the yearly tournament slowly approached. after the devastating defeat last year, everyone was on edge and determined to beat tokyo tech. well, that excluded todo, he was just looking for stronger opponents it seemed. noritoshi, on other hand, appeared to be more agitated than usual - if he wasn't barking orders at the other students, he would criticize their fighting styles. you knew he wanted to win the tournament at all costs, to prove himself worthy of the position as the kamo clan head. but he was too rigid about it, rarely accepting help and haughty when questioned. you've been avoiding him as best as you could and of all days, today had to be one where you could not. opponents would be swapped every ten minutes so everyone could practice with another student - facing noritoshi for ten minutes was easy. so you thought.

"can't promise anything, princess," noritoshi retorted smugly and pat your head like he usually did when he was trying to get a reaction out of you. life always found a way to prove you wrong. for some reason, noritoshi had made it his goal to get under your skin as much as possible on this particular day and it worked. it was childish to engage in this banter but you couldn’t help it. the feeling of not being taken serious by noritoshi had always bothered you. it almost seemed like he wasn’t considering you equal to him, always looking down on you. being stressed wasn’t good, your mother had always reminded you, so it was best to remain calm and collected.

stay calm and collected, calm and collected, you repeated in your head. gritting your teeth, you slapped his hand away and jogged away from him towards todo. at least he'd leave you alone while you were near todo - probably to avoid todo getting mad at him and not wanting to hear about takada-chan again. he was the ultimate and fool-proof shield. the taller male was walking at a leisurely pace in front of you, leading the group as per usual. you caught up to him, slowing down so it didn't look like you just jogged all the way here. away from the menace that was noritoshi. todo glanced at you suspiciously before subtly turning around. a guilty groan left your lips. of course he knew, he always knew. as the unlikely friendship was blossoming between the two of you, you rapidly realized that todo was far more perceptive than he would ever let on. even though he took lighthearted jabs at you, he didn't care enough to intervene; it was a mutual understanding. in a way, you appreciated that he treated you like everyone else, not once had he tried to approach you about your deteriorating relationship with noritoshi.

upon seeing the unlikely pair, miwa speed up as well to join them. even though todo scared her to no end, your presence eased her nerves a little. after all, you weren’t scared to put him back in his place when he was being dramatic. she nudged you gently in greeting, nervously clasping her sword in front of her. "do you think we'll win this year's competition? we've been training a lot, so i hope i can show off some of my skills."

"never say never? even if we lose, it's a good experience to learn from," you replied wryly. while the students of the kyoto tech were strong and coordinated well with each other, noritoshi and you could easily destroy the balance. he didn't know when to stop, persistently pushing your boundaries and you fell for his tricks every time. as long as you could work out a strategy that involved working alone or with a partner that was not him, you'd be fine. your safest bet was to work with miwa since you were both sword users and have practiced together extensively. if noritoshi and you exhibited enough chaos to tear the world apart, miwa and you represented the perfect balance when fighting.

"you're our secret weapon though!" miwa exclaimed excitedly, elbowing you gently. "no one knows you can heal, so we'll use that to our advantage."

"uh…"

"what? don't tell me you-"

"i've asked yuta about advice before," you interrupted her, scratching your head sheepishly. "he's one of the very few people who can use reverse cursed techniques, so i asked him to give me some pointers and how to use it more to my advantage."

when yuta participated in the competition the year before, you were absolutely mesmerized by his level of skills and how he had supposedly mastered them in such a short amount of time. of course you hadn't told anyone that you were talking to him - everyone was still salty about the defeat and would, undoubtedly, have crucified you on sight. truthfully, you didn't understand why everyone was so hellbent about hating the students of your sister school. weren't you all colleagues in a sense? yuta was nice and respectful towards you, always trying his best to explain you how to implement his tips. along the way, you might have developed a tiny, fleeting crush on him but never acted on it. it was only a crush after all and you didn’t feel certain about it not being a mere distraction from your feelings for noritoshi. perhaps it was the way he made you feel, the way he treated you like noritoshi used to before. you couldn't even deny it, you missed your old 'toshi. when you looked at him now, it hurt you, seeing all the traces of gentleness having left him.

"really? you never told me! what is he like? he looked like he was really nice but there were moments where i was really scared of him. well maybe not him but rather… that curse."

"uh, yuta is actually not that scary. he's really helpful and always there for you when you need advice. i think i've improved a lot since we've started talking." you made a mental note to thank yuta again if you got to see each other anytime soon. apparently, gojo had sent him on a mission overseas a few months back and ever since, your exchanged messages grew to be rather sporadic. still, you appreciated that he made an effort to text you every now and then to let you know how he was doing and in turn, also asked about your wellbeing.

"fraternizing with the enemy, i see," noritoshi's voice rang out beside you, dangerously close to your ear. it made you jump in surprise, not having sensed him earlier - your hand automatically shot out to hit him, only for him to catch it in time. you shot him an annoyed glare. beside you, miwa and todo glanced at each other, silently agreeing to ignore the squarreling pair.

"i don't see how that's any of your business."

"it is if it jeopardizes our chance at winning," noritoshi narrowed eyes at you in suspicion. of course he didn't trust you, you were nothing but a mild inconvenience to him. you didn't owe him an explanation, not today and not in the future. any friendship or friendliness between you was long gone. refusing to look into his eyes, you attempted to tug your hand away from him but instead accomplished the exact opposite as noritosh tightened his grip. "what did you tell him?"

"he only helped me with training, that's all! it doesn't concern you anyways so-"

noritoshi was irritated, you could tell. the anger was rolling off him in waves, intimidating even you. why was he so annoyed by the fact that you asked yuta for advice? it wasn't even farfetched - the only other alternatives were gojo and ieiri, both of which you hadn't mustered up the courage to ask yet. wasn't it in everyone's best interest for you to become a great healer? noritoshi would know best - he was the driving force behind your ambition, the sole reason why you worked to the brink of exhaustion just to show him that you didn’t need his help, that you were worthy of a higher rank.

"i don't want you to hang out with the tokyo tech kids, especially not with him."

"wait, what?" you gaped at him in disbelief. "is this just because you have personal beef with some of them? leave me out of this, i just want to improve and you don't get to tell me what to do." with that you shoved the taller male, stomping past the other students towards utahime who was looking at you in disapproval. you missed the upset frown on noritoshi's face as he followed you, wanting to reach out but stopping midway. it wasn't the right time or place to let you know why he didn't want you around them, not yet. seeing you hang out and being relaxed with everyone else but him hurt him, oh how it hurt him. he wanted you close to him, only see him, talk about him excitedly and with stars in your eyes like you did when you talked about yuta. and yet, he couldn't let you know. the only way to keep you orbiting around him was to play these silly games, rile you up and drawing a reaction out of you. it was the only way to make you pay attention to him. and so he did.

calm and collected, my ass, you thought two hours later. of course todo and noritoshi had completely eviscerated the rest of the students with no mercy, leaving everyone in a sour mood. whatever strategy your team would have for the tournament was probably thrown out the window, the two of them would take care of it anyways. not that they would stand a chance against yuta.

“yuta isn’t here?” the disappointment in your voice was palpable. you did look forward to meeting yuta again, thinking that he might have come home from his overseas trip for the tournament. but you supposed getting to know the other students wasn’t too bad, you were interested in the first years and their skills. they certainly looked more approachable than your classmates. miwa told you how todo and mai had met two of them a few weeks prior and promptly started a senseless fight that was then stopped by the second years. it landed them in the water as utahime gave them a lecture - while she didn't tolerate the childish behaviour, everyone else seemed to turn a blind eye to it. noritoshi had scoffed in disapproval upon hearing the news, uttering something about not wanting to associate with dimwits like them.

"nope, he's still overseas. it doesn't matter anyways, we'll still beat you without him," maki replied with a confident grin, arms crossed as she took in the kyoto tech group of students. regardless, you broke out in a sprint and jumped, engulfing her in a warm hug. while you two didn't talk as much as yuta and you did, you were still friends. she was a source of inspiration to you, a master of all kinds of weapons whom you deeply admired. maki gave you some awkward pats before pulling away to introduce you to the first years - megumi, yuji and nobara. the younger students were wary of you, most likely because of their encounter with todo and mai. you couldn't hold it against them, their intensity and stubbornness was something you had to deal with daily after all. you silently cursed the two brash students before taking a deep breath and extending your hand to the ones in front of you.

“hi, i’m y/n, nice to meet you,” you introduced yourself with a friendly smile, visibly relieved when they shook your hand and introduced themselves. especially nobara seemed to be eager to get to know you, fussing over your uniform and inquiring about your skills. you were glad they welcomed you, not wanting to cause any more trouble than would undoubtedly arise for the duration of the tournament. while megumi seemed to be cautious and more reserved around you, yuuji and nobara already treated you like their friend. subconsciously, you envied them for the wholesome friendship dynamic as it reminded you of what you used to have with noritoshi. the fleeting thoughts left as soon as they made an appearance in your head, disappearing when nobara grasped your hand and pulled you towards the buildings to show you around. unbothered by the reactions of your fellow kyoto tech classmates, you followed her - their energy was stifling and the tournament didn't start until later in the day anyways. it was useless to stay with your group and practice, you'd only overexert yourself.

“y/n.” noritoshi called after you sternly, glaring at you when you turned to look at him - ever since stepping foot into the estate, he was moody and more serious than usual. it was probably him being tense about the tournament, the spirit to win deeply ingrained in his bones. none of the other students seemed to be bothered by the presence of the tokyo tech students, so why should he? ignoring him, you continued your journey until you felt a force harshly pulling you back by the fabric of your hoodie. intuitively, you could tell it was noritoshi.

"noritoshi, let me go," you snapped at him irritated, struggling to free yourself from his grasp.

"we have things to discuss, did you forget that?"

"i don't want to," like a petulant child, you gave him an angry look as you stood your ground. tension filled the space between you, tethering on the edge of anger. why was a normal conversation never possible with him? and why did he treat you like a child? you let up when megumi appeared to your side, shooting noritoshi a warning glance as he attempted to remove his hand from yours. even though he didn't know what your relationship was like, he stepped in regardless - you were impressed by him. even if noritoshi remained calm, he was a menace to deal with afterwards.

"she said no, didn't you hear-"

"get your hands off of her." noritoshi growled at megumi, the sudden influx of cursed energy that was surrounding him made all students in close proximity freeze. you couldn't hide you shock either, he had never been this threatening towards someone else. he might push boundaries to the extreme, knowing that he could away with it due to his bloodline and family name but he had never outright threatened anyone that didn't do his bidding. with those words he pulled you towards him, wrapping his arm around your waist protectively. paralyzed, you blankly stared at him. his cursed energy was suffocating you, never had you experienced this amount of pressure. not only that, the unusual closeness set your heart ablaze, burning down the walls that you'd carefully constructed around it.

"you're being ridiculous," megumi challenged the older male, unbothered by the strong pressure. he didn't understand why noritoshi was making a big deal out of this. surely he didn't consider megumi a threat? noritoshi's hold on you strengthened and with panic you realized the blood-red markings appearing on his face, he was being serious, oh god he was going to rip megumi apart-

"hey hey, stop it you two," panda's voice snapped you out of your trance and seemingly noritoshi's as well as he wacked his arm. "you just got here and you're already stirring up trouble, are you not ashamed?"

noritoshi simply scoffed and let you go, his cursed energy dissipating with the movement. the rest of the students were as stunned as you were, no one daring to make another move until the tension evaporated. todo was the only one who looked rather annoyed, smacking the back of noritoshi’s head as he started to tell him off - noritoshi, however, kept walking past him towards the dorms that they were staying at for the week. it was almost like there was steam coming off his head as a result of holding his anger in. nobara gaped at you in surprise, pointing at you accusingly. “i didn’t know that was your boyfriend!”

you spluttered in horror, quickly reaching out to her to try and cover her mouth so she wouldn’t say anything incriminating. “n- no you got it wrong! we’re not together, not at all! i hate noritoshi,” you floundered, hastily trying to set the record straight. nobara didn’t look like she believed you, pushing your hands away while giggling. she wiggled her eyebrows at you, whispering at you about how lucky you were to snag such a handsome guy although she thought that he really didn’t have to overreact like that because megumi was harmless. covering your face in embarrassment, you turned away from her and caught a glimpse of an amused todo winking at you.

“i’m serious, nobara!" whatever whining you did, the two of them didn’t let up, making you wonder what you ever did wrong to deserve this scrutiny. as your last resort you grabbed nobara's hand, dragging her along towards a secluded area in the estate. being the subject of the earlier conflict was already troubling enough, you didn't want the other students to get the wrong idea by her wild speculations. nobara was still giggling when you arrived, pinching your arm playfully.

“c’mon, it’s impossible that there is not something between you! did you see the look on his face? i don’t think he would have cared had it been any other person,” she gushed excitedly, her face lighting up in glee. with no doubt, nobara enjoyed poking her nose in other people's business, seemingly having a knack for sniffing out the hidden. a dejected sigh left your lip. a younger you would have jumped in happiness after finally receiving noritoshi's attention but the present you knew better. there wasn't more to it, you told yourself and yet, a tiny sliver of doubt made its way into your mind. could he really have been so bothered by another male being so close to you? todo didn't count, obviously.

"no, there's nothing to it, i promise. we don't have the best relationship anymore and mostly fight. i mean yeah his reaction was really uncharacteristic but…"

"anymore?"

"noritoshi and me grew up together and were childhood friends. i- i didn't agree with his antics as we grew up and we drifted apart after that and now… hate each other? he’s just unbearable and we don’t get along. everyone at kyoto tech knows that so they’re mostly ignoring our fights. and it’s childish, i know, i know..."

“are you sure? like super duper sure? because it didn’t look like it to me,” nobara contemplatively rubbed her chin. the wheels were turning in her head, something didn’t quite add up. even at first glance, whatever you said made her feel doubtful.

“trust me, i wish it was different too. i mean i used to like him a lot and it makes me sad and i wish we could at least be civil around each other. but he just makes me so angry,” your ramblings stopped nobara’s thinking - so that’s what it was. normally, nobara really didn’t care about other people’s business but this was too juicy to pass up. how far could she push it to make you realize?

why was the layout of all these buildings so confusing? and why were there so many buildings to begin with? you’ve been wandering around for at least five minutes now and you still couldn’t figure out where the hell yuji’s and megumi’s rooms were supposed to be. they didn’t even have any signs around. at this point, it didn’t matter if it took longer than anticipated - the others could wait. nobara had insisted on having a small get together the night before, to get to know each other and play some card games. you couldn’t refuse, it’s been a while since you just hung out with friends without any quarreling. there was no harm in getting to know you future colleagues, even though your classmates were treating them like criminals. so instead of going herself and much to your dismay, nobara had sent you to fetch the other two students, claiming that you would be fine if you just stuck to the measly sketch she’d made for you. most of the rooms you’ve already knocked at remained empty so you couldn’t be far from their rooms, you concluded.

stopping in front of the last remaining door of the corridor, you took a deep breath. this had to be one of their rooms. slowly, you raised your hand to knock at the door when it was suddenly yanked open, startling you in the process and making you drop the piece of paper you were holding. what you weren’t expecting was coming face to face with noritoshi who looked at you as equally confused. he was the last person you wanted to see today, not wanting to confront him about his actions earlier. you couldn’t wrap your head around it; why had he overreacted in such a way? it wasn’t like you were in danger or in need of protection. for a brief moment, you thought that there was a sliver of strange possessiveness. you couldn’t quite place the emotions in his eyes, it made you shudder.

“oh uh, sorry. i was looking for yuji and megumi and this is very obviously not one of their rooms. sorry again. i’ll take my leave,” you awkwardly stammered, taking a step back. noritoshi’s figure was towering over you and in a rare moment, you felt intimidated by him. perhaps it was the dark look in his eyes that told you that he was not thrilled by what you just told him. before you could react, he swiftly grabbed your arm and pulled you inside his room, trapping you against the door.

“w- wait!” you protested weakly, pushing at his chest until his face slowly came into your vision. you couldn’t help but stare at his lips, watching them move as he was talking to you. your ears were ringing, you couldn’t tell what he was saying. the close proximity was suffocating and yet you craved more, not wanting to let him go.

“y/n? did you hear me?”

“huh?” snapping out of your trance, you looked at him dumbfounded. noritoshi was frowning at you, slightly concerned about your state as you didn’t answer him. just then you finally got a proper look at him. it was a rare sight; noritoshi wearing casual clothes, a simple oversized shirt and shorts, and his hair down without the bindings. feeling nostalgic, your heart clenched. he looked like his old self, the ‘toshi that you loved dearly.

“i said, i don’t want you around them. i don’t- i don’t like seeing you with them,” noritoshi repeated with a strained voice. he placed his hands beside your head, inching closer to you.

“what- noritoshi, you don’t get to tell me who i can hang out with! last time i checked, we’re not even friends anymore so where do you get the idea that you can do this? what’s the big deal ab-” you didn’t get to finish your sentence when he pressed his lips against yours clumsily. you seized up in shock, not returning the kiss as a whirlwind of thoughts entered your mind. holy shit, he was really kissing you. but you hated each other, so why? why, why, why. when you didn’t respond, noritoshi pulled away in panic, spluttering apologies as he moved away from you. your emotional world was in chaos, all the buried and forgotten feelings for him breaking the dams and flooding your senses until the yearning became too much. you were reminded of the conversation you had with your mother years ago - you still wanted him, missed him. you wanted him by your side. desperately, you reached out, fisting the fabric of his shirt as you leaned up to kiss him. noritoshi caught you in his arms, wrapping them around you as he fervently returned the kiss. he was holding you like he was afraid you would dissipate into thin air, frantically pulling you in. his hands were roaming, discovering the expanse of your body.

his touches left you feeling delirious, high on pleasure. a mewl left your lips, pleading him for something, for more. your hands moved higher, feeling his chest and broad shoulders before you wrapped your arms around his neck. his name left your lips in breathy sighs as he peppered kisses down your jaw, pulling the collar of your shirt to the side to gain more access to the expanse of your neck. suddenly, you were hoisted up and pressed against the door as noritoshi held you by your thighs. you struggled to wrap your legs around his waist, to distracted by his relentless ministrations. by the time he's left multiple hickeys on your neck, you were whimpering mess. noritoshi's breath was taken away at the sight of you in his arms, lips swollen from the kisses, the glossy eyes, dishevelled hair and the hickeys that were slowly becoming more visible. he couldn't understand how carelessly you were letting him proceed when you supposedly harboured a strong dislike for him. nevertheless, he enjoyed it and wanted to savour the moment, ingrain it into his memory so he'd never forget why he was treating you like a nuisance.

a loud knock resounded from the door, followed by someone shouting: "noritoshi? has y/n been here?"

out of sheer shock, you shoved noritoshi away from you and nearly fell as you attempted to detangle yourself from him. he caught you in time, signalling you to stay quiet as the person outside was still shuffling around nervously. you slumped against him limply, letting your head rest against his chest. his heart was beating erratically. it made yours fill with pride as you could tell that you had the same effect on him as he did on you. still, the precarious situation suddenly dawned on you - you'd just made out with your sworn enemy and, yes you used to have a crush on him, enjoyed it very much. and by the looks of it, he would have continued if you hadn't pushed him away. the entire ordeal greatly confused you; was noritoshi just playing around with you? it couldn't be, he had initiated it after all. the cold treatment he usually gave you didn't match with his actions just now. you couldn't get close to him, not when he gave you mixed signals. you wanted someone who cherished you and was always sincere so you wouldn't have to second guess their actions.

"huh, i guess noritoshi's already sleeping. we'll have to check somewhere else, i hope she didn't get lost," the person outside mumbled as you stayed silent. the sound of shuffling was heard, then steps away from the room. you stayed put until you were sure they were gone and gently removed yourself from noritoshi's grip, not looking him in the eyes. he didn’t move, letting you go willingly.

“i’m sorry, i don’t know what came over me,” you apologized with a pained voice. “please forget that it ever happened and uhm, please don’t tell anyone.”

noritoshi’s eyes widened at your pleas, moving to stop you from leaving so he could explain himself to you. “y/n, wait, i can ex-”

hastily, you stumbled to open the door, dashing away from him until the building was out of your sight. you poorly hid behind a tree, sinking to your knees as you buried your face in your hands. what the hell. you just made out with your childhood friend turned enemy. your buried feelings were all over the place and your mind just couldn’t stay still. it messed with your outlook as well as your image of noritoshi, distorting and twisting it until you had to rethink your relationship. maybe all this time, you subconsciously hoped that he would return back to his old self and somehow give you an explanation. never having received closure on the end of your friendship, you would even forgive him for the sake of your relationship. were you this shallow? no, you simply harboured a lot of feelings for him. you weren’t able to tell what his thought process was - was he even interested in you? did he see you like that?

“there you are,” you lifted your head to see gojo walking towards you with his hands stuffed inside the pockets of his pants. you almost didn’t recognize him as he simply wore a pair of sunglasses and let his hair down. “the others are looking for you. what are you doing out here? trouble in paradise?”

“n-no! i just needed some time away from everyone to- to catch my breath,” you exclaimed indignantly and perhaps too hastily you realized when gojo smirked at you knowingly. why did everyone assume that there was anything between noritoshi and you? was it that obvious?

“uh huh. that’s not what your neck says,” gojo pointed out while wiggling his eyebrows and offered you a hand to stand up. “he really doesn’t like any competition.”

“fuck,” you cursed quietly, covering the hickeys with one hand while taking gojo’s with your other and pulling yourself up. it was embarrassing enough to meet one of the teachers like this but it was even more embarrassing to know that your teacher had seen the aftermath of your makeout session.

“i’m not gonna tell anyone, if that’s what you’re concerned about. although it would certainly be funny to tease little noritoshi,” gojo was giggling and you knew he was greatly amused by the entire situation. it almost reminded you of nobara. you groaned in frustration as you trailed behind him towards the girls’ dorms. you needed to hide your neck so no one would question it or grill you until you confessed; the potential embarrassment was mortifying.

your group strategy was already falling apart when todo suddenly disappeared in the depths of the forest, not caring about your teamwork in the slightest. normally, it would frustrate you a lot more if you weren’t already preoccupied with your own troubles. todo would be fine anyways, the remaining group members could work on a strategy on their own. as mechamaru and mai were discussing, you shot a glance at noritoshi. he looked as deadpan as usual, probably not listening to the discussion as he worked better on his own and it was more or less decided that mechamaru and him would be moving on their own while the others would team up. otherwise, you couldn’t tell whether he was bothered by what had transpired between you the night before. on the contrary, he looked calm and composed, probably more focused on his goal than anything else. and for some reason it bothered you.

when you’d returned to nobara’s room last night, gojo had helped you make up an excuse. while dramatically gesturing around, he’d told them that he intercepted her journey towards the boys’ dorms to recruit you for training, claiming that he wanted to teach you more about reverse cursed techniques. although he saved you from scrutiny and embarrassment, you couldn’t help but feel like he might use it as leverage in the future. it was gojo after all, he was unpredictable. absentmindedly, you agreed to whatever plan the others had schemed and grabbed your sword, getting ready to move to your assigned position with miwa. while you had heard of the other students’ skills, you weren’t sure where to place their levels as there was always room for surprises. underestimating opponents was a beginner's mistake. the bell rang out, signaling the start of the tournament; with swift movements, the group members dispersed and slowly moved towards the "enemy".

in the distance, you could already hear loud explosions - it was probably mechamaru happily blasting away his opponents. you gritted your teeth in annoyance, the blasts were too loud for you to make out anyone approaching you. and as you predicted, someone was taking advantage of the noise to stalk up on you. barely being able to block the blow with your sword, you found yourself opposite of maki who was grinning at you. the challenging glint in her eyes told you that she wasn't going to go easy on you but you welcomed it. it was a good opportunity for you to grow and hone your sword wielding skills.

however, it proved to be more difficult to defeat maki than you'd originally anticipated. in mere minutes, maki had already disarmed miwa, leaving her defenseless and you were hanging on a bare thread. your grip on the sword was weakening, laboured breath making your ears ring. it was frustrating, knowing that after all those months of rigorous practice, you still couldn't win a fight. giving up wasn't an option, at the very least you had to give it your all.

"c'mon, you can do better than this!" maki teased you as you ducked away from the swipe of her spear. it missed you by a hair's width and left you scrambling to create more distance between you so you could heal yourself. maki's relentless hits didn't give you any rooms for it - you really had to learn how to constantly apply it to yourself without losing time. from the corner of your eyes, you could see that miwa had picked up the phone. she was probably calling for help, you thought and dished out another hit towards maki which she skillfully dodged. instead, she delivered another blow to your legs, making your knees buckle from the force. you used your sword to support you and took another breath before you tried to lunge at her. in the distance, miwa suddenly collapsed, making you stop mid-move and took another hit from maki that took all the air in your lungs.

"eyes on your opponent, y/n. you know better than to get distracted in a fight, you could've been killed in a real fight," maki reprimanded you as you coughed heavily, gasping for air as you slowly got back up. you were unsteady on your feet, not having enough energy to even heal yourself. conflicted by whether you should face maki again or help miwa, your eyes were flitting between them. maki took advantage of your uncertainty, dealing another blow to you that knocked the sword out of your hand. as your last resort, you kicked at her feet, trying to get her to fall, only to have her pin you to the ground.

"you're going to have to practice a lot more to beat me in the future," she sighed, picking up your sword. panic welled up in your chest - the sword was the only way you could possibly somewhat win this fight but even subconsciously you knew that it was over. reaching out for the sword in desperation, your vision was clouded with tears. it was frustrating, so so frustrating. why couldn't you be as talented as her? or have fast reflexes like noritoshi? why were you ordinary, not being able to make any progress no matter how hard you try?

"i know but i can't give up now!" you defiantly retorted, pushing at her with all might. "i have to win, i just have to show my skills for once and prove myself, i- i-"

even maki softened up at your heart wrenching sobs, easing up on her grip. you both knew it was over. you were probably already eliminated from the tournament, with no other possibility to redeem yourself. she knew that you tried your best and never once underestimated her but something irked her. it was your motivation, your driving force.

"y/n, there's no shame in losing. that's how you grow, make mistakes and learn from them. you tried your best, it's not easy to stand against me for so long."

"i know but there's- i'm still not where i need to be! look at how much progress the others are making in comparison to me! i've been practicing day and night and still, no one is noticing me. i'm just a measly healer and i-"

"y/n." maki cut you off sternly. "is this your motivation? proving yourself to others? you'll not be able to improve if you keep fighting for others. you need to start working on yourself, for yourself. you don't owe anyone anything. but you have to realize that trying to satisfy other people's needs will only make you unhappy and hinder your growth."

"i'm unhappy with my skills! i keep telling myself that it's okay, that i have a rare cursed technique but sometimes i just wish i had a flashy technique or be as strong as you. i don't want to be looked at as if i need protection, i don't want it! i just-" you hiccuped, sniffling again as you wiped your tears with the sleeves of your uniform. "i just want someone to acknowledge me, want him to accept me as an equal…"

"who?" maki's cold look made you freeze in your movements. you didn't mean to let that slip. no one needed to know that the entire time, you were vying for noritoshi's attention. but she was right; there was no point in giving it your all if it wasn't for yourself. it was a silly, childish dream of yours to be equal with him again. he was far out of reach and you couldn't catch up to him.

"n- noritoshi," you admitted in defeat. maki saw right through you, there was no point in lying. she raised her eyebrows at you but didn't question it further. after all, you hadn't told her about the background story. unless nobara had done so, you wouldn't doubt it.

"i'm not gonna ask you why. but this is my advice, do not fight for somebody else. if you relentlessly work on yourself for your own benefit, you'll see progress a lot faster. your technique might not be flashy but it is powerful, remember that. you're a valuable asset to every team," she concluded and pulled you up, awkwardly patting your back as you still sniffled. maki opened her mouth to tell you some comforting words but froze when another extremely loud boom resounded near the entrance of the estate. your eyes widened at the sudden influx of cursed energy - there was no doubt that a high-level curse had just entered the school grounds. you turned to maki to tell her the news but she'd already moved, pointing to miwa.

"take her to a safe place, you can't stay here! in your state, you wouldn't last against such a strong curse," maki yelled at you as she disappeared in the woods. you scrambled frantically, not wanting to be left behind. while you were useless for the tournament, you could at least still be of assistance against a curse. miwa was still laying on the ground, unmoving. you shook her gently, scared that she was seriously hurt. it seemed like she was just sleeping instead; you were relieved. throwing her across your shoulder, you winced in pain but persisted nonetheless. you had to get her away from here, who knows what curses were roaming around. your senses were flooded with the stench of blood and debris, the pressure of cursed energy, the loud rumbles. you couldn't tell where the others were but you hoped they were safe.

a loud thud startled you and you stopped, ready to draw your sword until realization hit you that it was utahime that was inspecting you. determined, you thrusted miwa's limp body towards utahime.

"miwa will be okay, she's just sleeping! i'm okay too, don't worry, please just take care of her and i'll check on the others!"

"y/n, don't be stupid! you're injured and in no state to help others." utahime attempted to convince you; you shook her off stubbornly, insisting that you were fine.

"what if the others get hurt? i have to help them or at least warn them!" your resolve was firm and unwavering that even utahime couldn't convince you otherwise. slipping out of her grasp, you sprinted towards the source of the cursed energy. from far away you could already see the damage that the curse had caused. multiple buildings were torn apart, trees dislodged and- were those branches rapidly growing out of the ground? you watched in horror as the branches whipped around, following running figures on the rooftop of one of the buildings. upping your speed, you jumped towards the group to aid them. as you neared them, you could make out inumaki, noritoshi, and megumi fighting against the curse, maki trailing close behind.

they barely stood a chance against the curse, every hit that they dealt, the curse would come out unscathed. "what's the deal with that curse?" you asked, panting as you joined them, coming to a halt behind inumaki. megumi was yelling something but you couldn't hear him as noritoshi turned to you and shoved you out of the way.

"y/n, what are you doing here?"

"helping you guys? what the fuck does it look like?" you yelled back exasperated. why was he mad at you in such a situation? they needed any helping hand they could get to defeat the curse. while you weren't useful in fights, you could at least provide continuous healing. noritoshi didn't have any time to reply as the curse lashed out again, dodging it by jumping to the side. you stayed close to inumaki, swiftly healing him when he collapsed from the rebound of his cursed speech. you clenched your jaw, not wanting the others to see that you were slowly running out of energy and strength. next thing you know, a body was hurled through the air, landing near you with a thud. your heart filled with dread when your eyes fell onto the figure, recognizing noritoshi.

"y/n, heal them as best as you can and get out of here! take them to the teachers!" maki yelled out and this time you obeyed, too panicked about noritoshi's state. you were thankful that inumaki had enough energy to run after you'd healed him - hauling noritoshi's tall frame around was already difficult enough but even more so when you were exhausted. as you neared the gates, utahime was already running towards you with a concerned look on her face. you were glad that she was nearby, it meant that gojo and the other teachers were close and could defend you.

"what happened?" utahime worried but you couldn't reply. falling to your knees, you gently laid noritoshi on the ground. the injuries looked bad, there was blood everywhere. you had to stop the wound on his head from bleeding but your trembling hands were preventing you from doing so.

"i- i don't know, i just- i think the curse hit him and now he's unconscious and he's losing so much blood and-"

utahime pinched you firmly, snapping you out of your panic. she was already holding a cloth to noritoshi's temple to stop the bleeding. patting your hand, she told you in a gentle voice: "heal him if you still have enough strength but don't overexert yourself. ieiri will be here soon."

nodding frantically, you placed your trembling hands on his abdomen and let your cursed energy flow. the strength was slowly leaving your body but you had to save him. you had to make sure he was okay, he couldn't die, not like this. regret was bubbling up inside you; what if this was the last time you would ever get to see him?just as you felt his energy responding to yours and saw his hand moving slightly, you couldn't hold yourself upright anymore. the last thing you saw was utahime reaching out to catch you as you collapsed.

you woke up with a startle, gasping for air as you sat up abruptly. sunlight was flooding the room and it felt uncomfortably hot on your skin. you pushed the blanket back but stopped halfway in your movement. your entire body hurt, muscles burning and screaming for more rest. and yet you couldn’t stay still as you remembered the previous events. how long were you out for? was everyone okay? gritting your teeth, you slowly moved out of the room. again, you were faced with the endless maze that was the tokyo tech buildings and stopped in your tracks, not sure which direction to go. you let out a sigh of relief when you spotted yuji in the distance, waving at him to get his attention.

“y/n!” yuji ran towards you, frantically gesturing towards your room. “you’re supposed to be resting! what are you doing here?”

“is everyone okay?” you croaked, now realizing how dry your throat was.

“yeah, ieiri did a good job of healing everyone! some of us are still resting though and so should you.”

“no, i… is noritoshi okay?”

“noritoshi? oh, you mean the guy with the long hair?” yuji nodded, curiously eyeing you as your shoulders dropped, the stress rolling of them. “yeah, he’s still recovering though. ieiri said that his injuries were probably the worst so he’s not allowed to leave the bed.”

“can you take me to him?” you asked with a small voice, doing your best to muster up a puppy face. yuji sighed, scratching his head sheepishly. you could see the conflict in his eyes, that he was thinking about rejecting your request. in the end, he shook his head in defeat and motioned for you to follow him. a small grin found its way onto your lips - yuji was just too nice, he couldn’t say no when people ask him for favours. the walk to noritoshi’s room was silent, neither of you knowing what to say. you knew it was selfish of you not to ask him about his wellbeing more or visit the others but you just had to see for yourself that noritoshi was okay. yuji stopped in front of a door, pointing at it.

“this is his room. he might be sleeping though… my room is down the hall so if you need me to accompany you back to your room, just call me.”

you thanked him quietly and watched as he retreated. taking a deep breath, you knocked at the door and waited for a reply. a few moments passed before noritoshi’s voice rang out, giving you the okay to enter. gingerly, you opened the door and entered the room. noritoshi was sitting on his bed, reading a book as if nothing had happened. you looked at him bewildered. he didn’t look like his injuries fazed him at all. despite the bandages around his head and arms, he remained calm as if nothing hurt.

“noritoshi,” you breathed out, taking a seat on the chair near the bed. he didn’t spare you a look, keeping his eyes on the book. “i uhm. i’m glad you’re okay! when i saw you in that state, i was so so scared that i could lose you… i did my best to heal you, i know i didn’t do much but-”

“i didn’t need your help,” noritoshi snapped at you, placing the book on his lap. “i would’ve been fine without it.”

you were stunned. why was he so agitated? after you initial shock, you huffed in frustration. “what the hell, you could’ve died! i was trying so hard to keep you alive and you react like this? i know you don’t like me but even this is a low blow for you!”

“it wouldn’t have been a problem if you hadn’t inserted yourself into everything! you’re not helping anyone, just dragging us down; everything could’ve gone well if it wasn’t for you standing in the way,” noritoshi countered as frustrated, this time actually looking at you. you stared back at him in disbelief. you saved his life and he had the nerve to shot you down like this.

“does it really hurt your ego to admit that i was actually helpful? we were friends at some point so why do you insist on being such a dick? and here i was, finally thinking that we were getting somewhere- for fuck’s sake, we kissed and-”

“leave.”

you stopped rambling. the tired tone in his voice, the deadpan look on his face; he was serious. you couldn’t believe him. tears welled up in your eyes as you leaped from the chair and hastily exited the room, slamming the door in anger.

you never wanted to see him again.

p.s: yes nobara gave you a wrong sketch of the buildings what about it hehe

taglist: @milkteeboba

#jujutsu kaisen #noritoshi kamo #kamo noritoshi #noritoshi #noritoshi x reader #noritoshi kamo x reader #kamo noritoshi x reader #noritoshi kamo x you #noritoshi x you #kamo noritoshi x you #noritoshi kamo imagines #kamo noritoshi imagines #noritoshi imagines #jujutsu kaisen imagines #fic: sanguine #writing #i am so sorry for the garbage that you just read

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nothing-more-than-hot-leaf-juice · 4 years

Note

Ok modern zuko would be an expert at breakdancing and sokka would be the guy who just bi-panicks whenever he does

(whoops, my hand slipped and I accidentally wrote a modern au headcanon turned zukka karate au one-shot)

Okay but consider this instead: Zuko doesn’t know how to dance for shit and has horrible rhythm, but he is a GOD at martial arts. He’s been doing some type of style since he was a kid and is a full black belt by the time he hits high school. Martial arts was always something he excelled at, but it was also something that made him feel more secure. It was something he could work on to help him protect himself from his home life, even if it wasn’t enough most times. He specifically excels in weapons forms (I’m thinking twin sais) and you DO NOT want to spar with him. Because he may be skinny and shorter, but he’s quick and can hit hard at just the right spots.

When he was younger he was obsessed mainly because he felt that belt rankings and trophies from competitions were a way to prove himself to his dad, but when he moved in with Iroh (who encouraged him to keep it up and was so proud of how talented and passionate he was about it), he basically used it in place of talking about his feelings. He didn’t talk about his home life or the shit Ozai did, instead, he put all his energy into his black belt levels, learning new weapons forms, and eventually into teaching new students as a junior instructor.

At school, he’s awkward and asocial and just doesn’t have the energy for people. Zuko has little patience for asshole classmates who ask intrusive questions about his scar or spread rumors about where he got it. He eats lunch in his English classroom and would be a complete shut-in if Iroh didn’t get him to work part-time at the Jasmine Dragon. But in the dojo, he’s focused and is able to direct his energy into improving his forms and teaching younger teens.

One of his newer students transferred from a different dojo after moving from a different state. He’s actually a freshman at Zuko’s high school but it’s not as if Zuko really interacted that much with him. This kid, Aang, is as talented and dedicated as he is, but has a long way to go to learn all the new katas. Zuko’s been dubbed the ‘scary’ trainer at the dojo. He’s the serious one who will yell if someone is goofing off and everyone’s seen that he has no problem using full force in a demonstration (little kids love him and he’s super nice to them, but he teaches the 12-15 age range). Plus there’s that scar, which doesn’t make him the most initially welcoming person. But this new kid Aang just latches onto Zuko immediately. He says hi to Zuko in the halls at school and works on his katas outside of regular practice times. At first Zuko thinks this sickeningly positive kid is annoying as crap, but warms up to him. He likes that Aang cares about martial arts and isn’t nice as a show, he’s just genuinely nice.

And maybe he sees Aang hanging around school with a sophomore girl and her brother who just might be in Zuko’s calc class and English class.

And maybe Zuko thinks this guy is insanely attractive and somehow incredibly funny even though most of his humor consists of the worst puns imaginable.

But obviously, Zuko hasn’t attempted to ever actually talk to this guy. The most that he could classify as ‘talking’ to the cute, funny guy on the robotics club is the one day in English class when he had to respond to someone’s dumbass comment about Macbeth with what ended up being a ten minute spoken essay about obvious motifs and symbolism. To which Mr. Puns and Ponytail was very obviously paying great attention to and even gave Zuko a smile and thumbs up for.

Zuko knows it’s pointless to engage. After all, he’s a senior and he doesn’t have any friends anyway. There’s no point in making any this year. Crushing on this guy from the comfortable position of the other side of the room is totally good enough for him. Totally. This is fine. He’s fine.

Besides, he’s got competitions and if he doesn’t secure the regional championships this year he’s never going to get the chance after he goes to college. And he’s got his kids to train. Aang in particular is gearing up for his first debut into this area’s tournament.

The tournament’s in October and usually, Zuko focuses on his own matches and performances, but Aang really wanted him to watch his set. So on this day, he stands on the sides of Aang’s zone instead of obsessively going through his katas in a corner.He’s not going to be able to watch the whole set because it overlaps with his own weapons portion, but he stands on the side and gives Aang a reassuring look that, ‘don’t worry, you’ll do great, you’re a talented kid,’ when his student looks over to him nervously.

And wouldn’t you know it? Aang brought some friends to come watch. And one of them is Mr. Zuko’s Big Gay Crush.

“Oh, hey Zuko,” are the words that come out of this guy's mouth that give Zuko a near-stroke. And damn if this guy’s eyes aren’t blue and pretty and he usually wears his hair in a ponytail at school, but now he’s wearing it down and Zuko wishes he could take screenshots with his brain because holy moly.

“Hey.” Is the best that Zuko can get out of his dumb mouth. “You’re Sokka.”

“Aang invited us to come watch,” Sokka nudges his head to indicate the ‘us’ includes his younger sister, who Zuko doesn’t know the name of. “How do you guys not get heatstroke during these things? It’s like a million degrees in here.”

“Oh the gi’s pretty cold, I mean, it’s got air and stuff.”

Zuko decided right there that he would be completely fine with being struck by lightning. Of course, that’s what his stupid brain would come up with. Of course, that’d be the thing he’d say in front of one of the smartest guys in his class.

They watch Aang perform his set for the judges. Zuko recognizes that Aang took his advice when he said that he wasn’t putting enough force into his hits. He’s never seen Aang be as, well, aggressive isn’t the right word, but he’s definitely putting more power into his form. Zuko wouldn’t admit it, though, but only part of his attention was for Aang at the moment. The other part was for Sokka, who was smiling bright and pumping his fists when Aang completed a row of kicks.

The small part of Zuko’s brain that wasn’t being taken up by watching Aang or trying to act normal around his crush noticed the clock on the wall indicating that the weapons portion would be starting in five minutes.

“I’ve got to go do a thing so I’ll just, um, go do that now.”

“Are you competing too?” Sokka asked.

To this question Zuko just holds up his sais and raises his eyebrow as if to say ‘it’s a tournament, what do you think?’ Because yeah, he knows Sokka’s super smart, he’s seen him churn out calc answers at the speed of light and noticed his name on the robotics club awards update on the school’s website, but he’d also seen Sokka eat 5 packs of fundip at once on a dare and unironically wear a ‘women want me, fish fear me’ t-shirt for most of junior year. Somehow he had managed to fall for the smartest dumbass on earth.

“Oh yeah, right.” Sokka eyes the sais and then looks right at Zuko’s face, “Aang says you’re really good.”

Zuko decides that thinking about Aang talking to Sokka about him was something he didn’t need distracting him during his set. That was something he could anxious about later.

“Hopefully good enough for those five assholes,” Zuko replies, gesturing to the panel of judges in the weapons section of the gymnasium. To his shock, Sokka laughs. It’s a nice laugh, too. And Zuko really hoped he could blame the blush that was one-hundred-percent creeping up his face on the lack of AC.

“You know, you’re pretty funny man,” Sokka tells him. Zuko has no clue how to take that compliment, but he really does need to go.

“Right,” he grins nervously and shifts his left foot around to bounce away, “well I have to go do my thing.”

“Good luck!”

That’s where Zuko thinks the beginning and end of his interaction with Sokka would be.

The weapons portion thankfully goes by age. And since Zuko’s one of the youngest competitions, he gets to go first for his sai katas. This is what literal years of training have prepared him for. At regionals last year, the second advanced kata got him placed high enough to qualify for states. This is what he’s good at. He tells himself that a thousand times before starting his set.

There’s not a thought in his head as Zuko goes through the form. The sais glide through his fingertips with every jab, block, and hook. The imaginary opponent doesn’t stand a chance. He’s cool and competent and graceful. It’s therapeutic in a sense. There’s enough adrenaline to make Zuko feel like he’s worth something, but more importantly, he knows he’s nailing this. Whatever the judges say about it, he knows that he’s perfected this form after practicing it at least a thousand times over three years.

The judges agree with him. He’s the first competitor of the weapons portion but there isn’t really a doubt in their minds about who’s going to place.

Zuko zones back in to the gym after bowing to the panel. He walks off, feeling lighter and letting a satisfactory smile take over his face.

He expects the hug from Uncle and the proud smile from Sensei Piandao, but what he doesn’t expect is to see Sokka, eyes wide as globes, staring at him from the other side of the mat.

Because what Zuko doesn’t know is that the second he turned his wrists in his first form during his hooks, Sokka’s brain went into Full Bi Panic Mode.

And Zuko thinks the one conversation where he couldn’t talk like a human and wanted to die for most of it would be the only time Sokka would decide to willingly talk to him. Zuko is dead wrong. Sokka, in fact, has decided that this, this is the guy his Disaster Bi Brain has decided to latch onto. Sokka’s brain and all his squishy feelings have apparently decided to attach to this aloof kid with the scar who reserved his voice for eloquent, impassioned speeches about dramas and was apparently an actual god with weapons. Sokka decides that Zuko could roundhouse kick him in the side and he’d thank him. And right now Zuko’s looking at him with a dumbfounded expression, prompting Sokka to remember how to function so he can go over to congratulate Zuko and maybe ask if his dojo provides a free trial.

So yeah, that one conversation ends up decisively not being the end of anything.

#sorry #not sorry #zukka #zuko #sokka #atla #avatar the last airbender #fanfic #I'm gonna edit and add to this #and probably updated something on my ao3 in the first time in a literal month #thanks babe for the inspiration #the babes are asking #hot leaf content

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duhragonball · 3 years

Note

What are your favorite fights from each anime iteration of Dragon Ball? (DB/Z/GT/Super etc. Yknow lol) I’m curious!

This is a good ask, anon. Just wanted to point it out.

I'm not sure how long a list I want to make for this, because if I really go nuts with this I'll probably end up covering like 75% of the fights in the franchise. But I don't want to just pick one favorite fight from each series, because that feels too short. Tell you what, let's just play it by ear and see how this goes. I won't bother ranking these, because I'm not sure I can.

OG Dragon Ball

1) Goku vs. Jackie Chun, 21st World Tournament final

2) Goku vs. Tien Shinhan, 22nd World Tournament final

3) Goku vs. Piccolo Junior, 23rd World Tournament final.

We'll start with these, because they're tentpole moments for the series, and they define Goku's character arc so well. The Jackie Chun fight was pretty short, but it was really the first big fight in the franchise, and it set the tone for all the later battles to follow. What makes it work is how Chun is determined to keep Goku from winning, not for his own sake, but because he thinks Goku will lose interest in martial arts if he wins a big tournament on his first try. Chun entered as a ringer, but he finds Goku a lot harder to stop than he expected, and the match very nearly ends in a draw.

So you'd think Goku would be a shoo-in at the next tournament, but he has to get through Tien for that, and Tien turns out to be extremely tough and he wants to murder Goku to avenge his master's brother. It's an awesome fight, made more awesome by the way Tien's character arc begins to overtake the action itself. He starts out wanting Goku dead, then decides he'd rather fight fair because he enjoys the competition too much.

So by the time we get to the 23rd tournament, the contest itself feels like an afterthought. This is just the venue for the more important showdown between Goku and Piccolo. Except Goku still wants that World title. It means a lot to him, and no one else seems to get that. Through this whole arc, everyone is scared shitless of Piccolo, worrying that Goku might not be able to beat him. But Goku has a game plan, and he sticks to it and powers on through to victory. And yet it's still this insanely close match. I dare say this is the most even battle in the franchise, but Goku seems like an underdog to start out, and by the end of it, you see that he had things under control the whole time.

4) Goku vs. Red Ribbon Army HQ

5) Goku vs. King Piccolo

6) Goku vs. Grandpa Gohan

I guess you can call these #reference fights, because when I rewatched these episodes in 2019, I noticed how much they resembled battles I've written in to my big-ass OC fanfic. Goku just charging headlong into an army base is sort of the prototype for Saiyan mayhem, and when I started writing Luffa I quickly realized that this would have to be the sort of combat she'd be used to. There's no Vegeta or Perfect Cell to tackle a thousand years ago. She's got no rival, so her best bet is to fight large armies single-handedly, as Goku does here.

Likewise, I ended up inventing a lot of villains who think themselves invincible, only to get knocked on their ass when they find out how vincible they really are. King Piccolo's meltdown during this battle is a sight to behold, because once he starts losing, all he knows how to do is talk about his fearsome reputation, except it's completely hollow when the other guy is feeding you a can of whoop-ass. He just doesn't know how to process this beating, and that's always left an impression with me.

Let's just say, hypothetically speaking, that you had this character who has some relation to another character, and gosh, wouldn't it be nice if they could meet and fight each other, and one of them could leap forward beyond their natural lifespan to make that happen? I dunno, maybe it'd be kind of emotional? I haven't actually written anything like that so far, but if I ever do, it'll probably resemble Goku vs. Grandpa Gohan quite a bit.

Dragon Ball Z

1) Goku vs. Vegeta

I mean, what else can you say here? This one's a classic.

2) Anybody vs. Cell, pretty much.

Obviously, the Goku and Gohan fights from the Cell Games are the best of the best, but Cell's entire run in DBZ is awesome, including the fights he has with Vegeta, Trunks, Android 16, Piccolo... you just can't lose. I could go on, but I don't want to get too far down this one category.

3) Pikkon vs. Goku.

This one gets dunked on a lot because it's filler, but it's excellent. Just a friendly competition where everyone's dead and there's nothing at stake but bragging rights and fighting spirit. Pikkon's a brilliant opponent and Goku has to find a way to beat him, and that's really all the story you need, sometimes.

4) Goku-Vegeta II

This one's a bit wonky because there's no clear-cut winner and the Buu crisis overshadows it, and it doesn't quite hold up compared to the original Goku/Vegeta fight, but it's still awesome, because of the buildup and also a lot of the intensity. It kind of functions as a coda to the Androids/Cell Saga, where both guys were Super Saiyans but they never got a chance to duke it out. As it turns out, they're so evenly matched that it kind of works against the fight. One of them does a big move, and the other one just shrugs it off like nothing happened. In a way it's kind of the opposite of the Goku/Piccolo fight. When it's a couple of Super Saiyan 2's, there's just no way for anybody to pull ahead, and ultimately their battle takes on a very tragic tone, which is awesome.

5) Majin Buu vs. Everybody in Season 9.

Okay, apparently Tumblr won't let me post any more images, but that's cool, you all know what Buu looks like. I remember flipping through an issue of Beckett DBZ Collector at the grocery in 2003 or 2004, and it did this top ten fights article, with this as #1. I just liked the sheer gall of counting the entire Fusion and Kid Buu Sagas as one big fight. But let's face it, it works. From the moment Evil Buu shows up to the Spirit Bomb finale, it's basically nonstop action for Majin Buu, as he takes on one opponent after another in a zany gauntlet. And sure, I'd probably say Vegito and SSJ3 Goku were my favorite portions of that larger battle, but it's tough to isolate any one section.

Dragon Ball GT: There were no good fights in GT.

Dragon Ball Super

1) The Tournament of Power.

I suppose this also counts as one big battle, although my absolute favorite part is when Caulifla and Kale battle Goku and he ends up using Ultra Instinct to beat them.

There's also a lot to be said for Vegeta vs. God of Destruction Toppo, and the whole endgame with Jiren against Goku, 17, and Frieza. Oh, and the part where Universe 9 gets wiped out in one episode.

For my money, Dragon Ball Super doesn't really get off the blocks until the Tournament of Power begins, which has always frustrated me about DBS. It's basically one really good run of episodes at the tail end of an otherwise lackluster series. The U6 tournament was pretty weak and the Zamasu/Goku Black saga was downright pathetic.

Movie-wise... let me see here. Mystical Adventure had some good action, Dead Zone, Cooler 1, Super Android 13, Broly 1, Fusion Reborn and Wrath of the Dragon were classics, and Battle of Gods and Super Broly had some excellent fights too.

And yeah, I think that about covers it.

#dragon ball #ask duhragonball #dbgt has no good fights #no i will not elaborate #what else can i say?#if there was a decent fight in gt i would talk about it

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mylordshesacactus · 4 years

Text

RWBYmon: Team JNPR

Buckle up y’all.

Jaune:

Oh honey. Oh baby boy.

Jaune like, shows up on initiation day at Beacon with a Level 1 Squirtle.

“Wait, we’re supposed to have more than one?!”

Ruby lands him some spare Pokeballs and he goes out and catches a Skwovent and a Pidgey so that he has the half-team Beacon requires and can get inside.

The Skwovent breaks back out immediately once Jaune gets in the doors, bites his face and runs away. The Pidgey, wary but curious, stays. It’s his first Pokemon to evolve and Jaune has never been so happy in his life when it does.

Through slightly frantic trading, Jaune eventually ends up with....a Miltank.

It is ugly. It hates him. He hates it.

But the Miltank is like twenty levels higher than his other Pokemon, and its resilience lives up to its infamy.

Much like Jaune, the Miltank is The Thing That Will Not Die.

Ren:

[weak laughter] ghost types

Ren has an Alolan Marowak; his starter was a Cubone that he and Nora picked up as they fled the ruins of Kuroyuri.

Neither of them had a Pokeball on them, but Ren and the Cubone made friends. When they finally reached another village and were able to get a ball, he gently rolled it to the Cubone, which accepted the bond willingly.

His Decidueye has been with him nearly as long.

Ren’s #3 is a Drakloak that he is slowly, painstakingly levelling up a little every day.

Nora:

Nora has electric types, let’s not fuck around here.

Her headliner is also her starter; an Ampharos that she raised and trained from a lost Mareep they came across as kids.

Her second is an Alolan Graveler.

Nora’s entire vibe is “punchy”, “electric” and, most importantly, “typing that makes you go Wait, What? What The Fuck?”

Her third is a Dubwool.

Nobody Expects The Normal Type In This Lineup

Nora’s entire vibe is ALSO “magical demon goat that will kill you”.

Pyrrha:

Oh, Pyrrha.

Pyrrha, I’m so sorry.

When Pyrrha arrives at Beacon, it’s with a full tournament team on hand--a rare full team of six, all wildly powerful examples of their breed, stats and movesets minmaxed for arena battles, the ranking Mistral League Champion; she stepped down to train as a Huntress.

The Pokemon she comes to Beacon with are...well, they’re hers, but they’re...the bond isn’t really there, although she tries.

She has an Aegislash, a Scizor, a set of Falinks, a Hitmonlee, a Rapidash.

Oh right and also a Dragonite. Probably should have mentioned that one.

And she loves them, she does. She really truly does. It’s just that they didn’t meet organically, you know? She was in a position and environment where she...needed to specialize, she needed to keep an edge on the competition. Her team was traded for, planned out. Not without her input, not at all! But it wasn’t the tradition Pokemon Journey TM that part of her had dreamed of so fondly.

She loves them, and they love her. But there’s a barrier, somehow. When you meet like that, when you’re shaped the way they were.

There’s a seventh. Her starter--an Oricorio. His name is Milo.

She doesn’t use him in tournaments, she can’t; he’s just as high-level as the others of course, she doesn’t NEGLECT him or his training, but the rules say six and that means she can’t afford him on the team when they’re fighting. He understands. That’s not what their friendship is about.

He’s her starter. Her very first. She caught him herself with help from her mother. She would never trade him, and he doesn’t want to leave. He’s almost never in a Pokeball except for safety reasons.

He and Jaune adore each other. They make each other laugh.

This is a running theme actually. Being around JN_R and their...very different bonds with their respective Pokemon, and seeing that there’s no one right way to love each other...it helps.

Pyrrha relaxes more around her team. They relax more around her. They start playing more, spending more time out of their pokeballs. She gets to know their personality quirks off the battlefield, and they get to know and love her as a person as well as a devoted and kindhearted trainer.

Beacon falls.

Cinder kills Ozpin.

Pyrrha follows.

Cinder’s team....look. You get a massive level boost from the Maiden apotheosis, let’s be real. They all just jumped about fifty levels and smashed through the level cap to do it.

And Cinder’s team is not the real problem. She still has the Legendary bond she stole from Amber. It’s at full power now; she can use it.

Ho-Oh, bound by force and against its will, is turned on Pyrrha’s massively underlevelled pokemon. This isn’t a League match. This isn’t the arena. There’s no “fainted” here.

She watches her team die, one by one.

At the very end, in the last desperate moment, knowing absolutely everything is lost--with her entire tournament team laid waste, knowing the bound god turned against them is even more of a victim than they are, with nothing else to do, no hope--

Pyrrha’s fingers close on a pokeball she has never once touched in a fight, and she throws out her starter, one last time.

She intended to release it. Instead, an Oricorio flies at Ho-Oh with intent to kill.

He’s Pyrrha’s starter, after all. They both know what’s at stake.

Neither of them entered this fight expecting to survive..

#RWBYmon #Alex: hey Jo. How....did you make Pyrrha's death....worse.

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stillchaoticlogic · 4 years

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Falling

Pairing: Raihan x Reader

Falling in love is easy...

It's falling out of love that's the hard part.

As you try to run from old feelings you meet someone who is determined to bring the spark back into your eyes. Raihan isn't sure what happened in the past and he doesn't care. He's got one shot to make you his and he's going to take it.

Begin at the End

You gaze in disbelief as, with a final fire blast, Hau’s Incinaroar sends your Ninetales to the ground. Your eyes widen and you summon her back into her Pokeball robotically. You smile at the new victor and you know, for the first time in three years what freedom tastes like. You walk towards Hau, no longer a boy of fifteen, but a young man of eighteen, and Alola’s new champion. You feel nothing but relief as you shake his hand and congratulate the shell-shocked male in front of you.

You can practically feel the world jump to life as a new champion joins the ranks. You walk out of the arena for the last time. You wish you could say it’s bittersweet, but all you can feel is the joy of escape.

The hallway leading to the locker room is long and dark. You notice a figure leaning against the wall near the end, you don’t pause just keep walking until his voice pierces the silence.

“Did you throw the match?”

You stop and turn towards Kukui, your friend and co-worker, the man you had fallen in love with. The man you could never have.

“No.”

“Don’t lie to me…”

“It doesn’t matter if I did or I didn’t… I’m no longer the champion of the Alola region. As far as I’m concerned I’m a free woman now.”

“You make it sound like we’ve been holding you prisoner.”

“I came here to escape the limelight and yet you were determined to throw me into it all over again. I did as you asked! I built your league, I chose and trained your gym leaders and I put Alola on the map. I would like to be left alone now.”

“(Name)... what happened? I thought you liked it here… You’ve been so distracted lately… and now your loss…”

“Hau will be a great Champion, he grew up on the islands and his grandfather will help him. He will be a wonderful leader and a shining light to trainers here. Don’t worry, your league will be fine.”

“But-”

“Kukui I need to go. I can’t stay here anymore…” You mutter forlornly as you continue on your way leaving him to his thoughts in the darkness.

That night as you sit gazing at the TV screen a ping on your phone alerts you to a new message.

Hello (Name)!

This is Leon, Champion of the Galar region! It has been brought to my attention that another champion has taken over your mantle. Your final battle as champion was absolutely smashing, by the way! The Galar League would like to invite you to consider heading our own league. We are aware you helped to build The Alolan League from the ground up and after the recent loss of our own chairman we are looking for someone to take his place! We believe you would be perfect! We understand that this is a large commitment, so we would like you to come to Galar to get a feel of our League. All expenses will be paid by the committee, of course!

I look forward to your reply!

Leon

You gaze down at the email before you and you can’t help but feel desperation come over you. A way out! A purpose! A distraction! Better than all of that… An entirely new region away from the man you aren’t supposed to be in love with.

Your reply back is simple:

I’ll leave tomorrow.

(Name)

Your escape from Alola is quick and quiet. You are dressed in a pair of ripped blue jeans, with a black top and a blanket like ruana along with your combat boots. You board the plane that almost no one is on and sigh in relief as the plane takes off. Perhaps you will feel more guilty about running off without an explanation later, but right now you need the solitude.

***The Galar Region***

Raihan can hardly believe his eyes as he watches the replay of the championship match. The (Name) (L.Name) lost to some kid? Raihan is mad about her and had looked up to her for the last couple of years. She is cool, confident, and funny with this cunning wit that he loved. He loved to watch her battle because it was always wild. He could tell that she had grown up battling with these intense strategies and insanely powerful pokemon. They were all powerhouses in their own right; his favorite though, is definitely her Garchomp.

He had noticed the last few months things had been different. She seemed bored in her battles and where she had always been quick-witted and charming during the post-battle interviews, she was now short with her answers. He was a little worried about her, but he had also never met her before, so it’s not like he can just slide into her DMs and start asking personal questions. This last battle had confirmed his suspicions though. She looked relieved when she lost. The champion that he looks up to would never be relieved to lose. Raihan frowns over his eggs as he continues to watch the report.

The distinct ring of his phone woke him from his musings. Raihan would normally ignore a call so early in the morning, but it’s Leon and he had been helping him look for someone to replace the chairman.

“What could you possibly need this early?” Raihan asks as he answers the phone.

“Raihan! She’s coming! She’s on a plane and she’s arriving this evening!”

“Who is?”

“(Name) (L.Name)!”

“What? How?” he asks in bewilderment.

“I sent her an email last night! She replied while I was asleep and she said she’s leaving today! It’s a ten-hour flight from Alola! She’s going to be here tonight!”

“She lost her title yesterday! How is she already getting on a plane!”

“I don’t know! But we need to book a room and arrange tours and dinners! You know she would be perfect to run the League! And we’ve been looking for months!”

“I know man… I know… Let’s just take this one step at a time…” Raihan says with a sigh as he leaves his uneaten eggs on the table and heads to his room to change. He hadn’t been expecting his idol to arrive in Galar tonight, but he’s not complaining about it.

***Later***

You pull the ruana closer around you and adjust the sunglasses. Your steps are quick and sure as you head towards the front of the airport. The nice thing about being a champion is the perks it affords you as you flash your credentials. You walk over to the luggage carousel and pluck your bag from the belt when it comes around.

You notice a small crowd formed around a couple of people. Upon closer inspection, you see Champion Leon and the eighth Gym Leader Raihan. You walk closer to them and only stop when you hear a small gasp. You look down at the small girl and smile as she squeals.

“Y-you’re- (Name)!!”

“I am! And who are you? You ask as you bend down to speak to her. You don’t notice the silence that has taken over the crowd, or the awe in which they look upon you.

“I’m Claire! You’re my favorite!” she declares in excitement.

“Why thank you! Do you have a favorite?” you ask indicating the pokemon on your belt.

“Aurora!” she squeals.

You tap the top of one of the Pokeballs and Aurora pops out. She gazes around at the crowd before addressing the 8-year-old girl in front of her. You smile at the look of wonder and awe on her face.

“She’s...beautiful!”

Aurora sits regally beside you then yips at the little girl and bowing her head. Claire looks up at you, you give her a nod of permission then she takes a hesitant step forward and gingerly touches the soft fur on Aurora’s head.

“She’s fierce in battle, but a total sweetheart otherwise.”

Aurora lets out a soft cry as she looks back up at you. You run your fingers through her soft fur.

“Thank you!” Claire says as he gazes up at you in wonder.

“You’re welcome!” you say as you pull a card from your pack. You sign it before you hand it to her making her gasp.

“This the best day!” She exclaims as she rushes back to her parents. They look over at you with gratitude before beaming down at their daughter.

Aurora taps her Pokeball with her nose and a moment later she is nestled inside against your hip.

“That was...really cool of you to do,” Raihan says as he walks up beside you. He takes the bag from the floor beside you silently offering to carry it for you.

You shrug in reply, “She’s sweet and how can I turn down such a face?”

“I wasn’t expecting you so soon, but I’m glad you could make it! I’m Leon!” Leon says as he steps forward.

“I’m sorry it was such short notice, but I need a break from Alola. I know I didn’t really give you any time to prepare anything, so just take your time with things. I’m in no rush.”

“Well, I’m sure you’re hungry! There is a great steakhouse near here if you would like to go? My treat of course!”

You give Leon a soft smile, “That’s very kind of you to offer, but I’m tired from the flight. Perhaps something quicker?”

Raihan, who had been letting Leon do the talking and silently psyching himself up, interjects, “What about pizza?”

“A man after my own heart…” you say as you give him a smile, he happily returns it.

Sitting at the pizza place you feel yourself relax a little bit. Leon is doing most of the talking and Raihan seems to be shooting you glances every now and then but doesn’t speak much.

“I was thinking that you could take a day tomorrow to get adjust, maybe we could show you the town. Then we will start the tour of the gyms and give you a breakdown of the League.” You rest your head on your hands as you listen to Leon. You can tell both of them are nervous, most likely due to the upcoming Gym Challenge. Their former chairman has been stripped of his title and is currently atoning for, well almost destroying the world. They need someone to run things, and you can tell from the bags under Leon’s eyes that he’s been burning the candle at both ends.

“Don’t be so nervous, I think this will be a good fit for me. I’m mostly curious about the challenges and your gym leaders. My understanding is you don’t have an elite four? You do a challenger competition then a tournament leading up to the championship battle. It’s a little different than what I’m used to, but I can roll with it,” you say with a shrug.

Leon’s shoulders sag in relief, “I’m glad you think so, things have been crazy trying to figure out what needs to be done for the upcoming challenge. I don’t think I can coordinate that and fulfill my champion duties. Raihan and several other gym leaders have been helping out, but they won’t have time for long. I think you would be a great fit and I hope you think so too.”

“No, of course not, you all have things that need to be done for your own gyms. Also, I’m not trying to be presumptions but it sounds like the job is mine if I want it.”

“It is,” Leon says with finality.

“I think that was the easiest job interview I’ve ever had,” you say with a smile as you take a bite of the pizza in front of you.

Both men look relieved as they bite into their own food.

The next day dawns with a text message from Leon stating he’s got some business to attend to, but Raihan will be showing you around. So you’re not surprised when Raihan is waiting in the lobby for you with a cup of coffee and a danish.

“Did you bring me coffee and food? Watch out… I may decide to marry you on this tour.”

He laughs as he hands the treats over to you, “I wouldn’t be too opposed to that…”

You pretend not to see his wince and the silent chiding he gives himself.

“Oh? So you like getting married to women you just met?” you say with a smile over your coffee cup, teasing him.

“Ehh more like getting married to women I admire. I’m kinda a huge fan of yours…” he trails off and looks down obviously embarrassed.

You smile as he attempts to hide his face from you, “I think that’s awesome that you’re a fan. You’re a really amazing trainer so it’s an honor that you like the way I battle.”

He looks up in surprise, “Really? You’ve seen me battle?”

“Of course! I don’t want to play favorites or anything… but I’ve been hoping you’d take the title for a few years now. You’ve got a… wildness… that Leon doesn’t have. Kinda reminds me of...me…”

“I’m not going to lie… Several of your strategies have inspired a few of mine. That battle you had with Lance a few years ago… That was intense!”

You laugh, “Lance is an old friend, every time we get together I goad him into a battle. He taught me a lot about dragons and battling in general, he’s a little stiff, but he’s great at what he does. He mostly just thinks I’m the little sister he never wanted.”

“You know a ton of great champions and trainers don’t you?”

You shrug as you head off down the street towards the taxi he called, “It comes with the territory… When you make champion I’ll make sure you meet the right champions to further your career.”

“When?”

“We both know it’s going to happen… You have too much passion and drive for it not to.”

Raihan stops at the casual way you proclaimed his victory over Leon as if it had already happened. As if it’s set in stone. Do you really have that much confidence in him?

“Well if you keep talking like that then we just might have to get married today,” he says with a laugh as he bumps your shoulder.

You giggle as you climb into the taxi, and for just a moment you feel light and free with the giddiness of hope that this is where you need to be.

Notes:

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my Raihan fic! I think it’s an interesting dynamic and it’s going to be fuuunnnn! I basically just want awkward yet smooth Raihan flirting with me making me feel like a queen all day. Come at me....

Anyway! Please let me know your thoughts!! Also, do you like the thought of certain parts being told from his POV? Let me know and I’ll play with it if you do!

#raihan x reader #pokemon raihan #pokemon raihan x reader #gym leader raihan #pokemon #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon swsh #pokemon fanfiction #pokemon imagines

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educationalinstitutesindia · 7 months

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Top 9 Most Played Online Games in the World

From action-packed battles to strategic multiplayer arenas, online games offer a variety of immersive experiences. These top 10 online games have captivated millions of players with their gameplay and community. Splatoon's fresh take on shooter genre and family-friendly atmosphere attract players of all ages. The game regularly updates with new weapons and features, keeping the experience fresh. 1. Fortnite Battle Royale Fortnite has been a global sensation since its launch in 2017. The free-to-play game has swept the world, from consoles to computers and even mobile phones. Players spend more than 3.2 billion hours playing the game every month. And while the battle royale genre had all the markings of a fad when it first came into prominence, Fortnite’s success shows that it’s here to stay. The game is a shooter that drops 100 players onto an island and forces them to fight against each other in player-versus-player combat. Players can play alone or in teams of up to four. The game features an ever-constricting circle that forces players to search for weapons and items to survive. Developed by Epic Games, Fortnite Battle Royale is available for macOS, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S consoles as well as Android OS and iOS. The game is also among the top 10 most-watched games on Twitch. 2. Counter-Strike: GO Launched in 2012, CS:GO is the fourth main entry in the Counter-Strike series and continues to dominate the multiplayer first-person shooter genre. It features two teams — terrorists and counter-terrorists — competing against each other in different game modes with objectives such as bomb defusing, hostage rescue and more. It’s one of Valve’s premier games, and its eSports scene has attracted millions of fans. The game’s simple gameplay, high skill ceiling, community features and regular updates have helped to keep the devoted fanbase engaged. It’s also one of the few games that factor in CPU performance to prevent players from experiencing slowdown or lag on older computers. While it does feature some graphic violence, CS:GO is generally considered safe for children to play. However, since it relies on online communication between players, it can expose kids to toxic behavior and offensive language. Parents should monitor their child’s gaming activities. It’s also important to note that CS:GO is a competitive game with a heavy focus on teamwork and strategy. 3. League of Legends Riot Games’ League of Legends is one of the most popular online multiplayer video games. Its competitive gameplay encourages strategic thinking and requires a high level of skill to master. It also features a strong community that provides support and guides for players. The game has a variety of champions with unique skills and play styles. Each champion has its own strengths and weaknesses, which players must consider to create the most effective team composition. Players can also customize their champions through a wide range of items. League of Legends has a dedicated esports scene, with players competing in tournaments throughout the year for millions of dollars in prizes. The game’s ranked system uses Elo ratings to match players of similar skill levels. The game’s regular content updates and mini-changes are likely another reason for its continued popularity. Riot Games also releases a lot of free updates and expansions. This keeps the game fresh and exciting for its millions of fans. 4. DOTA 2 Dota 2 is an action RTS game published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to Defense of the Ancients (DotA) and features a massive multiplayer online battle arena that has a very dedicated player base. It is the most played video game on Steam and reaches high concurrent player counts at its peak of over 1.3 million players online at the same time in March 2016. Its popularity can be attributed to the fact that it is an old game but it keeps getting updated with new heroes, maps, and other features. The game also boasts a very complex gameplay where the players control powerful “heroes” that have different abilities and play styles. This has allowed the game to attract a mature audience which is interested in attending offline championships and buying merchandise. It has been compared to League of Legends but still manages to stand out with its own identity. 5. Call of Duty Vanguard Call of Duty Vanguard delivers a satisfying package for hardcore fans and casual players. Although the campaign misses the mark, the multiplayer and Zombies carry the game. With intriguing World War II scenes, it provides a solid FPS experience. Developed by Treyarch and published by Activision, the latest entry in the Call of Duty franchise offers new mechanics that add to the experience. The mounting system returns from Modern Warfare, while maps feature destructible walls that give players new avenues of attack. It also features Gunsmith, a mode that allows players to customize weapons and attachments. Featuring a gripping single-player story, 20 multiplayer maps on launch day, and deeper integration with Last Year’s Zombies and Black Ops Cold War, Vanguard is a worthy entry for the series. However, with a yearly release schedule for the franchise, some consumers may be suffering from CoD fatigue. The World War 2 setting may also not resonate with players who are used to the modern warfare aesthetics of recent titles. 6. Division 2 The sequel to 2016’s The Division, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 sees you battling to hold back the collapse of a city and a nation. Set in a modern near future after an engineered virus has destroyed civilization, you’ll explore and battle the chaos as agents of the Strategic Homeland Division. While the gameplay is similar to the first game, Ubisoft has pumped in lots of new content since launch. New missions, loot and more have kept players coming back for more. The game is a free-to-play title with microtransactions. It’s also a hugely popular esports title. The ranking is based on the average number of monthly active users across all platforms. It’s a different metric than the peak concurrent players used in the past, which Twinfinite thinks better indicates a game's popularity. It's worth noting that a player’s usage of the game may drop over time, especially as they move onto other titles and leave The Division behind. 7. Minecraft The sandbox survival video game, developed and published by Mojang, offers players an open-ended gaming experience that is creative, social, and accessible. Its appeal to people of all ages has made it one of the most famous online games. Developed by Markus Persson, the creator of PUBG, Minecraft is a game that allows its users to create their own world. It has a multiplayer mode that lets users interact with each other and a survival mode that gives them the satisfaction of ownership of a never-ending world. Whether you are looking for a thrilling online game that will keep you on the edge of your seat or just want to relax and play something slow, these 10 online games have got you covered. They have all the elements that keep players hooked, from stunning graphics to gripping gameplay. So, grab your controllers and keyboards and enter these digital worlds that have captured the hearts of millions of players worldwide. 8. Lost Ark The world of online games continues to captivate millions of players with immersive worlds and competitive gameplay. These titles have dominated the gaming industry and have established a large community of gamers. From battle royales to first-person shooter games, these online titles have captured the hearts and minds of millions of players around the world. Lost Ark, an isometric action RPG like Blizzard's Diablo games, has blown up with a fast-paced launch in Europe and America, announcing 1.3 million peak concurrent players within a day of its release. That's a higher concurrent player count than Counter-Strike: GO and Dota 2 and it has already passed World of Warcraft, which dropped in popularity after the rate at which players could obtain rare gear was reduced and the story suffered from time gating. Developed by Tripod Studio and Smilegate RPG, and published by Amazon Games, the game offers tons of content to keep players busy from start to finish. There are tons of main quests, dungeons, PvP modes and more to explore in the stunning world of Arkesia. 9. Roblox In addition to having a massive library of games, Roblox users can also create their own worlds and play games created by other players. The influx of new content ensures that the game never feels stale and keeps users coming back for more. For example, one popular game called Jailbreak allows players to take on the role of a police officer or a prisoner as they attempt to escape their cells and break out of the prison. The game has received over 5 billion visits and features an intriguing plot with genuinely thrilling gameplay. Roblox games are designed to appeal to audiences of all ages. The games offer engaging primary loops and solid replayability to rival the best PC titles of 2023. Blox Fruits tailors in-game progress to the player's speed, and Arsenal evokes familiar gameplay loops that are easy for players to understand. In addition, the games can be played on a variety of devices, including PCs, smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles like the Xbox One. Read the full article

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curedeity · 3 years

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Gasher's Dilemma

Summary: Madoka and her struggle to be happy as support. (I described this to a friend as: I decided to write a fic on the intersection between beyblade, sports, and feminism. My friend laughed so hard they may have died, and I can’t blame them.)

Madoka thinks she used to like battling. Maybe she didn’t love it, but she certainly didn’t hate clashing beys in the arena with someone else. Watching sparks fly had never failed to bring wonder into her childish heart.

And Madoka thinks she used to hate battling.

Madoka had never been very good at battling, if she had to rank herself, she’d say she was middling. She’d known how to put a decent strategy together, and she knew the basics of beybattles, but she was always just off.

She lost a lot.

She remembers once a kid--- she can’t even remember if she knew him--- kicking her bey out of the ring after a loss. He told her to quit battling because she was obviously never going to be any good at it, she didn’t have the stuff for beybattles.

Madoka thinks she cried that day.

Madoka loved her bey, Mad Gasher. She hadn’t made it from scratch, but with the help of her parents. She’d worked on most of its modifications alone, and loved watching her improvements spring to life in the arena.

She still didn’t win much.

The training centers had begun to feel oppressive, it always felt like everyone was watching at her, waiting to laugh at her failure. She felt heavy everytime she entered, like chains were weighing her down.

Madoka decided one day it was best to just focus on her mechanical skills.

She’d nearly forgotten about her old interest in beybattles after a while. Mechanics was just really fulfilling for her. She loved helping out all the bladers that would come to her store, and loved it even more when a little boy had returned and thanked her.

It wasn’t until she met Hikaru that she began to think back on those days she’d used to battle.

Hikaru was a great friend. Madoka hadn’t gotten to know her that well prior to Battle Bladers, but as Hikaru took on a job at the WBBA, Madoka started to see her more and more. They met up for lunch at least once a week, and Hikaru would stop by the shop when she got off early in the evenings and join Madoka, and whoever else was hanging around, for dinner.

Madoka hadn’t had another female friend for years. Most of the bladers who came into her shop were boys, most of the mechanics she met at the WBBA were boys. Everyone she really got a chance to interact in her domain was a boy.

She shouldn’t mind it--- really! It’s not like she disliked her friends, Gingka and Kenta were both great and she loved talking with them. Gingka had so much energy, and Kenta was always eager to learn!

So why had she nearly cried when she got home after her first lunch with Hikaru? Why did Madoka love talking to Hikaru so much, and feel so at ease around her?

Madoka felt terrible--- shouldn’t she appreciate Kenta and Gingka this much?

Madoka felt amazing, and she set up to meet Hikaru again and again.

It was during one of these lunches that Hikaru began to complain about the environment around competitive beyblading.

“It’s a dick club Madoka, honestly,” Hikaru complained, and Madoka almost snorted out the milk she was drinking, Hikaru sighed and laid her chin in her hand, a sparkle of laughter in her eyes. “They were always like you can’t be that good of a blader, you’re just a tiny little girl, girls don’t have any muscle mass. God did it feel amazing to finally get good enough to start kicking their asses.”

“Beyblade is, statistically, overrun by male competitors.” Madoka didn’t need a stats chart to tell her that, she’d been to tournaments, Hikaru had been the only female competitor she’d seen at many of them.

“Mhm, it was rare for me to meet another female opponent. It was disheartening, I would always get shit for being a girl, and there was no one there to support me. Makes sense given the harsh atmosphere, I can’t blame them for not wanting to stay,” Hikaru sighed, and Madoka found herself shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

“It does seem like not the best environment for any girl to feel safe in,” Madoka added in, but her heart was only half in it. What was this pressure she was feeling on herself?

“I remember this one little girl running up to me one day and saying she wanted to be as good a blader as me. I felt really good then, like I had inspired someone. But now, I just…” Hikaru trailed off.

“Feel what?” Madoka prodded, and hated herself for it. She didn’t even want this conversation to continue.

“I feel like I’ve betrayed all those little girls that looked up to me, like I’ve proven all those assholes who talked shit about me right. Look at me, I can’t… I can’t battle anymore.”

Madoka left the cafe that day feeling worse than normal, rather than better.

Madoka was enraptured by Mei Mei. The girl was very powerful and kind, and always seemed happy to see Madoka. Madoka wished they weren’t on different teams, that the tension of who would win didn’t exist, she would’ve loved to get to know the other girl better.

And Madoka was never one to not act on her wishes.

They didn’t leave China immediately after the first round, they still had another two days left. So Madoka set the boys up with some food, a training plan, and yelled a quick goodbye before she set off for Beylin Temple.

Mei Mei welcomed her with open arms and a cup of tea. She was invited into what she believed was Mei Mei’s room, and they sat together as Madoka asked about Wang Hu Zhong.

Apparently they were planning to win the wild card tournament, which was the only path they could take now other than quitting the tournament. Madoka found herself listening entranced as Mei Mei talked about all the new strategies she was coming up with, and the training regimens they would be going through.

“I can’t believe how dedicated you all are, you’re just the sub Mei Mei and yet your training regimen sounds so much harsher than what even Gingka is doing. It's no wonder Wang Hu Zhong is so good if you all hold yourselves to those standards,” Madoka praised the young woman.

“It’s no big deal, we’ve always been this hard-working! It takes constant practice to become the best and live up to everyone’s expectations,” Mei Mei flexed her impressive muscles.

“It seems like all of you have really put the time and effort in to improve,” Madoka nodded.

“We have,” Mei Mei smiled, but Madoka could detect a twinge of sourness in it. A note of discontent. A glint of sadness.

“I wish my team had that amount of dedication, they all love beyblade but can’t seem to focus on any of the training I give them, and their egos always make them clash,” Madoka sighed.

“Your team probably didn’t need to dedicate themselves that much,” Mei Mei mumbled, balling her fists, and Madoka found herself immediately going on the defensive.

“Listen my team may look disorganized but all of them have worked hard to get where they are-” Madoka began, determined not to let anyone minimize the accomplishments of her friends.

“Sorry, wait, that’s not what I meant, honest!” Mei Mei waved her hands in surrender, and Madoka felt herself immediately backing down. Why had she gotten so defensive, Mei Mei was a friend and had only been nice to her. “Most of my team didn’t have to be as dedicated as me either.”

Madoka frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Mei Mei shifted, but with a look up at Madoka she seemed to calm down, and Madoka found herself giving the other woman a reassuring smile. “It’s, well, you see, it’s pretty obvious I’m the only female trainee in all of Beylin Temple.”

Madoka thought back, and found she couldn’t think of an example to prove Mei Mei wrong. Mei Mei was the only girl she’d seen in this giant temple.

The thought made Madoka want to cry.

“I’ve always had to work really hard to earn my place here. Every time I mess up, it feels like they’ll just kick me out. I have to be perfect to stay, because it feels like I’ve already messed up just for being a girl, so if I mess up again I’ll just be out. No one else has to worry about that, Da Xiang and Chi Yun have never had to feel that way. They don’t even seem to notice I’m the only girl here.” Mei Mei looked close to tears, and Madoka scooted closer so she could rub circles on her back.

“I thought--- I thought I was finally good enough. That I’d finally earned my place here for good. I worked so hard, I practice most nights, and I’m the best at almost any training exercise. I might not be very smart, but I never give up. I thought maybe I’d finally be good enough, but then Chao Xin had to show up and beat me like it was easy. Like, no matter what I did, I still couldn’t measure up to just some random boy.”

Madoka found herself giving Mei Mei both her own and Hiakru’s phone numbers before they left the next day.

Russia sure was a trip for the team. After days on the train, bored out of her mind, Madoka thought that was how the rest of the trip would be. Of course, Masamune had to then go missing, and Madoka had to stay up every night communicating with the WBBA and trying to find him.

Her eyes burned with tiredness, and she wanted to fall asleep for days.

But there were only 2 days remaining in Russia, and she still had so much she wanted to discuss and learn from the Russian team. As much as Madoka was involved with beyblade, her side had always been more mechanical and scientific. She knew she could learn a lot from a team that straddled both her side and the side of her team.

She emailed Aleksei ahead of time, asking if she could come over to talk. He responded nearly immediately with the address of where Lavushka was staying, and Madoka made her way over.

It was a nice enough conversation, once Madoka got Aleksei to stop apologizing. They had a really good system, and Madoka found her head spinning with the amount of scientific knowledge they buried her in.

She got tips on her training plans, and ways to create new moves in regards to the mechanical properties of each bey. They all had unique perspectives on it, and Madoka found herself hanging off every rare word from Nowaguma. His insight on how to create more powerful attacks would be really helpful.

Lera offered to walk her back to the hotel where she was staying when night began to fall. Madoka couldn’t help but feel grateful, she hadn’t been looking forward to being alone in the dark. Her parents had always told her to never be caught outside after the sun set, and Madoka kept that advice buried deep within her instincts.

Madoka hadn’t gotten along with Lera that well when they first met, most likely because Lera had been trying to trick them, but Madoka still felt bad about that.

She also felt bad about disliking how loud the girl was, especially when 3 out of the 4 members of the team she had were even louder boys.

Lera was incredibly intelligent. She talked about rocket physics in such a colloquial manner that even the boys might’ve even been able to understand her. Madoka knew from experience how hard it was to explain stuff simply for other people without as much expertise in the field to understand, and Lera seemed to do it naturally.

“So you think that by changing the bey’s weight like that it would almost get rid of friction?” Madoka wondered.

“Yeah! That’s what I’m going to be testing out first when we reach the labs. I have most of my prior research already completed, and it’s a good topic for my thesis. I might need Aleksei or Nowaguma to agree to test it out for me…” Lera trailed off at the end.

“Do you need them to test it so you can take the data?’ Madoka asked, but knew that wasn’t the answer. She could take her own data perfectly well while in a battle, even though she hadn’t done so in a while.

“Nah, it’s just that to test it out I’d want to try it against a variety of opponents, which means going to a local bey club,” Lera screwed up her face in mockery.

“You don’t like the clubs?” That was fairly obvious, but the question was more serving as a why.

“They’re completely filled with boys, and none of them will take me seriously when I ask them to battle. And if I win they get mad and call it a fluke. It’s like none of them can just take a loss from someone without a dick,” Lera complained. Despite the jokey tone of her voice, Madoka could still hear the undercurrent of anger beneath it. Anger at how society dared to treat her.

Madoka thinks she felt that anger too.

“That does seem to be one of the few similarities in the countries I’ve visited so far. Boys being scared if they even are slightly shown up by a girl that they’ll suddenly lose all their masculinity and never crawl out of the deep pit of despair,” Madoka added in, and found herself remembering the boys who used to mock her when she was a child.

They were always boys. The clubs were always full of boys, and there was no space for her there, no room for her to mess up, because she was already an outsider.

But Madoka had messed up, so much.

“It’s not like I got anything to prove to them though, they can die angry, I mean, look at me! I’m on the Russian team!” Lera did a little twirl and Madoka found herself giggling at the girl’s overdramatics. “I’m never going to be able to do anything to make those boys respect me, or make them happy with me, so why should I try? I know who I am, I’m a scientist, and I’m fucking great at it.”

When they arrived at Madoka’s apartment, she accepted a quick hug from Lera. Maybe from that hug Lera could pass some of the willpower she had to Madoka, because Madoka could use it.

She ordered some flowers for Hikaru that night, and added a little note to them. There are people you will never live up to the expectations of, and people who will accept you just the way you are, because living up to the standards is impossible, you can only live by your own.

Madoka wasn’t very good at writing notes, but from the two hour long call she and Hikaru had the next day, Madoka thinks Hikaru understood.

Madoka had a lot of time to think on the flights they were constantly taking. Even with all the work she was taking on, it couldn’t take up all the time.

Had she given up on battling not because she disliked it, but because the environment was so unwelcoming? Had she let a ton of sexists bully her out of it? Was it her fault? No, of course it wasn’t, so why did she still feel like a failure.

Madoka wanted to love mechanics, wanted to love being support, but how could she when it just seemed to prove what everyone said right? Why did all this have to be so complicated, she just wanted to live her life however she wanted!

And why did it feel like there’d never be a right choice?

Because no matter what she did, the words Lera told her and she told Hikaru were correct. There was no way to live up to their expectations.

Why was that so hard to deal with though?

Wild Fang didn’t have any women on its team. Madoka tried not to feel personally about it, but she couldn’t help but remember when she had watched matches as a little girl, and asked her parents why there weren’t any girls playing.

She wondered if there were little girls at home watching this match and seeing that there was no space for them here.

Madoka didn’t want to be thankful for the injuries her team suffered, but at least they took her mind off this. At least they gave her something else to think about than how much of a failure she might look to other girls watching from home.

Mei Mei texted her at 1 in the morning after her loss saying that she was glad that if she had to lose it was to another woman. At least then one of them could move on.

The match between Excalibur was stressful, and Madoka felt ready to shatter at any moment. Tsubasa had lost control again, and Gingka had battled looking almost as battered as he did in his last match against Kyoya.

Yet they all pulled through the challenge, they all rose to meet it, and came out victorious.

And Madoka had never been able to rise enough to pass the challenge of sexism.

Madoka hoped that Excalibur won the chance to battle Galaxy again, she hoped that Sophie was able to stand on the winners podium, if only to show young women that they could.

If only to show Madoka that she could.

It was afternoon in the hotel they were staying at. Madoka was making a quick lunch for the team. Yu had joined her in the kitchen this time, and Madoka took to teaching him some basics about chopping vegetables and using the stove. She didn’t expect a kid as young as him to be able to do complicated cooking, but she had learned after Kenta that it was worth it to give these children some basics otherwise they’d just live off fast food whenever they were journeying alone.

Tsubasa, Gingka and Masamune were all watching matches on the TV. It was a junior tournament, with some beginners getting their first taste of a proper tournament scene.

Madoka wasn’t paying that much attention to it, but she found herself suddenly doing so at a comment from Masamune.

“Kinda weird that there are no girls in this tournament, huh?” Masamune mentioned as he munched on some popcorn.

Gingka nodded in agreement. “There aren’t many girls at tournaments I suppose, I’ve never really noticed before.”

“I wonder why that is? Maybe not as many like beyblade, or are as good at it, or as competitive. They just aren’t into it I suppose.” Masamune said that so… so… casually! Like he just couldn’t understand why there wouldn’t be any girls in a tournament. Like it was just fun food for thought for him.

Like he just hadn’t suggested that girls didn’t enter tournaments because they just weren’t as good as the boys, like there was something wrong with them.

Madoka couldn’t hear if anyone agreed with him, or if anyone argued. Maybe that was for the best. She was out the door within a second.

Madoka walked, and walked, and she was going nowhere. Was this always how it was? No matter how much she improved, she’d always be stuck right here in her square of being a failure. And why was she a failure when she just wanted to be herself!

She wished she could make it so Mei Mei would never cry again feeling like there was too much pressure on her to be perfect or she’d be kicked out. She wished she could make it so Lera felt safe doing her research rather than only being able to rely on Aleksei and Nowaguma because she couldn’t ask anyone else for help without it being seen as her being unable to carry her own weight. She wished she could make it so Hikaru didn’t feel guilty about having to retire from battling so she could mentally recover.

She wished she could make it so that she felt ok just living as she was.

Madoka didn’t know where she was, but that had been normal for the past few months. Madoka had been travelling so much, not only externally but internally. She felt disconnected from everything she’d thought she was.

She was drifting.

She just needed a safe harbor to dock at, one that could tell her it was ok, one that would tell her she was enough.

That’s when she spotted Excalibur exiting one of the shops. Excalibur, which had Sophie as one of its members.

She was walking over to them before she’d had time to think, before she’d had time to be rational. Sophie was just so regal every time they met. The woman seemed completely confident in her own abilities and skills. She was almost radiant in the comfortability she exuded.

“Oh, hello Madoka,” Wales greeted as she neared them, and the entire team turned to lock their eyes on her. She found herself shriveling a bit inside from their intense glares, of course they wouldn’t be that friendly to her, they were still enemies in the tournament.

But…

Madoka wasn’t a fucking coward, and she wasn’t one to back down once she’d started something. “I was wondering if I could talk to you, Sophie?” She hoped her voice came out loud, confident, like the woman she wanted to talk to, but her voice just sounded small and broken.

“Listen, we’re enemies, we don’t have time to-” Konzern began to lecture her, and Madoka found herself ignoring him. She didn’t actually care what he thought.

“How are you able to be so confident, and, and just keep battling despite the fact you're the only girl there? How do you deal with it and look so unbothered, because it’s obvious to me already that Europe is just the same as everywhere else, so how are you able to keep going?” Was Madoka making sense? Madoka thinks her thoughts had stopped being coherent a long time ago. She stopped understanding things, stopped understanding herself.

A warm hand was laid on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Sophie smiling down at her. It was a soft smile, full of understanding. It was like all the other girls Madoka had met on the way here, the mutual experience they all shared with one another. “There’s a park just a few blocks from here, why don’t we go there so we can talk somewhere less busy?”

The park was quiet, and mostly empty. There were a few joggers running on the paths winding through it, and Madoka could hear the faint laughter of children, but for the most part, she and Sophie were alone.

Sophie led her to a bench and handed Madoka a handkerchief. Madoka couldn’t even argue the gesture, she felt like she might start crying at any moment.

“So then, do you want to tell me about it?” Sophie asked, and Madoka looked into the eyes of this near stranger and found that she trusted her to understand the flurry of emotions that had been building inside of Madoka for weeks, so she let it all out.

She doubted what she was saying made any sense to Sophie, but more and more words just came pouring out. The way she was realizing that her bullying as a child had been influenced by sexism. Her love for mechanics but her guilt at not being more proactive. The things Masamune had said. Her want to be a role model for other girls, but how could she be a role model when she was always in the background?

Madoka told Sophie everything, and Sophie sat and listened, and when she was done, after asking for permission, Sophie reached over and hugged her.

The handkerchief was soaked by the end.

“I think we all feel that way sometimes, as if by not being everything and more that we’re letting someone down. That we’re letting other little girls like we used to be. That’s who we’re trying to live up to the expectations for, that imaginary little girl. But in the end, all we can be is ourselves. That’s how I make it through each battle, each loss, each remark thrown at me. I think that just by being me I’ll inspire someone, because if I wasn’t myself I’d just be lying to all those young girls. I think I can be a role model just the way I am, and maybe one day they’ll be even better role models than me, and more and more girls will be able to flourish in beyblade. I don’t know what the future holds, but in the end all I can be is myself, and hope it’s enough for those girls. Because it’s also the only way I can ever be happy.” Sophie answered Madoka’s questions from so long ago, and Madoka finally felt ready to take those words to heart.

“It’s just, hard, not to try to take any responsibility about the institutions running society. Because I am a part of society, so shouldn’t I work to change and revolutionize it? But you’re right that if I were someone I’m not, I’d just be unhappy,” Madoka sighed.

“I think all women are inspiring just the way they are, doing things that make them happy. I just wish society didn’t make us doubt it, and push us away from what we want.”

All the girls Madoka had met were very inspiring. Hikaru with her determination to continue making others happy. Mei Mei with her pure love for battling and her crazy training. Lera’s incredible scientific genius and confidence in her abilities.

Madoka didn’t want to change a single one of them, they should all get to be happy the way they were.

And Madoka didn’t want to change herself, she wanted to be happy being her.

It was society that had to move over and make way for her.

Sophie ordered a car to help get Madoka back to her hotel. Somehow, Madoka had wandered halfway around the city, and it was starting to get late.

Sophie gave Madoka her number before she went inside, and Madoka found herself smiling as she added another woman to her ever-growing list of friends.

She hesitated a bit before the door to their shared room. She had left her team suddenly, they must be worried about her. But she couldn’t bring herself to regret her decision, not when she had managed to talk to Sophie.

She entered the room quietly, but that still didn’t stop everyone from noticing her entrance. Tsubasa was on the phone with--- that sounded like Hikaru? Gingka and Masamune seemed to be arguing over a map, and Yu had been pacing until he spotted Madoka.

“Madoka! You’re back!” Yu cried as he launched himself into Madoka’s arms. She stumbled backwards as she caught him, bracing herself against the doorway. Madoka may have been small for her age, but carrying around mechanical parts everywhere had made her rather bulky, and she held Yu easily.

“Madoka!” Gingka and Masamune cried at once, coming to hover around her. Tsubasa followed at a more leisurely pace, but Madoka could still see relief flooding his eyes.

“I’m sorry I worried you all?” Madoka managed to get out. They were all so close to her, and looking at her with such a range of emotions. How was she supposed to explain what had happened? And what had happened here?

“We’re just glad you’re back,” Tsubasa said softly, giving her a tiny smile. Madoka returned it gratefully, and put down Yu, who had finally stopped clinging to her.

“Where did you go?” Yu demanded, crossing his arms.

Madoka floundered for a second, but Hikaru on the phone came to her aid. “I’m sure Madoka is tired right now, she can explain what happened whenever she wants to.”

Madoka thanked her and then returned to her room. She needed time to center herself, to figure out how much to tell her team.

After ten minutes a knock sounded at her door, and Madoka figured her time was up and she would have to tell everyone. With a sigh, she pushed herself up her bed, and let them enter. To her surprise though, only Masamune was standing outside the door, holding a tray loaded with food.

“Gingka made the food, the rest of the team is eating around the table right now, but Tsubasa said you might want to be alone. Well--- he also said that I might need to talk to you alone to apologize,” Masamune laughed awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head, and Madoka led him over to sit on the side of her bed.

“I don’t really understand what happened, but Tsubasa explained to me a bit why my comments were wrong and might’ve hurt you. I really didn’t mean to do that, honestly! I might not understand but you’re a really cool friend Madoka and I wouldn’t do anything on purpose to hurt you,” Masamune apologized.

Madoka… knew all that, deep in her heart. She knew her friends were nice people that would understand and listen to her. They didn’t understand because they’d never had to think about it, not because they were purposefully cruel.

It was nice to be proven that with an apology though.

“I know you didn’t mean to hurt me Masamune,” Madoka began, giving him a kind smile. But she also needed him to understand where he was wrong, because it had hurt. “I just want to tell you why you were wrong.”

“And I’ll listen,” he promised.

So Madoka explained to him how he was blaming women for not being able to handle a hostile environment, and how discouraging and harmful it was to be surrounded by men all the time. She told him about her own experiences, and how his comments had made her feel like she wasn’t doing enough by just being herself.

Masamune wasn’t as good a listener as Sophie, he interrupted a lot, and didn’t seem to understand everything Madoka was saying. But he stayed there and tried, and apologized again when the conversation was over.

Madoka would know her words had made an impact on him just a few months later when she saw him cheer on a little girl in Dungeon Gym. He seemed perfectly focused on making sure she received the support to succeed. He was honestly going a bit overboard… and Madoka loved it.

After the conversation with Masamune, she didn’t really see anyone else for the rest of the night. The next morning, Tsubasa nodded a good morning to her as she started making breakfast, and asked if she was ok. Gingka also apologized to her and asked if she wanted to talk about anything. Yu gave her another quick hug before moving on.

Hikaru called later that night, and stayed up to chat with Madoka as she worked on maintenance for all the beys. The conversation was very relaxed, the silent understanding still existing between them.

“I think I want to try battling again, just for fun, not in competitions,” Madoka mused aloud.

“Well, you got a wide array of friends who’d be eager to be your opponent. And maybe… I’ll battle you someday,” Hikaru responded.

“I’d be honored if that day ever came,” Madoka smiled at the phone, and hoped Hikaru could hear it.

Madoka stayed in contact with all the women she had met, and put them in contact with another too. Lera and Hikaru seemed to have bonded about complaining about their bosses, and Mei Mei and Sophie were constantly passing battling tips.

Madoka loved being a girl. It was like a warm blanket that fit comfortably over her shoulders, like a happy dance in an apartment with low playing music. It just felt right, it felt serene, it felt like who she was.

And she loved working at her shop. She loved helping bladers find the perfect combination of parts and improve their strategies. She loved watching them test out her modifications in the small stadiums they had, and the way occasionally they’d thank her when they left.

And she loved it when a young girl entered her shop asking for repairs to her bey, and Madoka fixed it up, offered some advice, and watched the same girl return again and again, with more girls following her each time as they took the world by storm. She was enough, just being herself, and so were those girls.

#beyblade #beyblade metal fight #beyblade metal fusion #madoka amano #fanfiction #fanfic #gasher's dilemma #girls! i wrote the girls!#anyway here is my promised feminist piece about beyblade i hope you enjoy #i would reccomend reading it on ao3 if you can #i had a lot of fun and emotions while writing this and its very melodramatic #takes place during season 2 #i hope you enjoy

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