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terras-domain · 8 days

Text

Memories of Us

Characters: Kim Chaehyun, Yu Jimin (Karina)

Tags: friends with benefits, sensual, lesbian sex, titty play, pussy play, somewhat fluff

Words: 1869 words

Author's Note: Hiiiiii terra here! Tbh I'm really excited for this work especially if it blows out. I think the dynamic between Chaehyun and Karina would work so well together especially since surprise surprise CHAEHYUN WAS FROM FUCKING SM! I think we can lead this to adding another idol which I'm pretty sure we all know who if it's Yu Jimin, right? In any case, I'll do my best to this work and if I think it's good enough, I'll try to do continue it more as a series. Enjoy <33!

"With MY world in the back, WORLD in the back YEAH!" As the song slowly ended, Chaehyun hurries towards Karina, wrapping her arms around her hips as Karina looks at her with a soft smile, patting her head before looking at the camera, waving to end the TikTok challenge for Drama. "Alright, thank you so much for your hard work, girls." The cameraman showed a thumbs up as the crew clapped their hands for their hard work, starting to pack up their tools and get going for the next video production. "Uwaaah~ unnie you did so well~" Chaehyun's eyes sparkles as she looks up to Karina, clearly enthusiastic of meeting her old friend back when she was an SM trainee. "Awww Chaehyun knock it off with the formals~! Jimin is good enough and you know that, right?" Karina giggled, seeing the bubbly Chaehyun in front of her, rolling back their trainee days. The times where Chaehyun had to endure a lot of criticisms for her lack of dancing and her body shape, Karina has always been there to support and comfort her, often giving her encouragement to do better too. Such precious memories for the Kep1er vocalist even though it was short due to SM terminating her contract.

After a little small talk, Karina invited Chaehyun to relax at aespa's waiting room. The girls are out to buy coffee at the barista downstairs, so it'll be just the two of them for the time being. As they both lounged on the couch, Chaehyun leaned down to Karina's shoulders, sighing. "I missed you, Jiminnie." Her tone started to sound like a vent. Karina, who is still clueless about the situation, only patted her head, smiling while still scrolling through her Instagram feed. "Awww, but I'm here now, right? Hahah c'mon Chae~ cheer up a bit." Karina playfully caressed Chaehyun's cheeks, pinching and pulling it while giggling as the ex-SM trainee pouted. "I'm being serious here Jimiiin~" She scowled and threw a little tantrum, which only fueled Karina's laughter more, seeing Chaehyun's adorable face blush red from anger and embarrassment. She has to admit, she did miss teasing Chaehyun, although she does have Winter as her victim now.

Despite Chaehyun's adorable growls of frustration, Karina still didn't take her seriously. Her hands are still fixated on Chaehyun round puffy face, squishing her cheeks and pinching them occasionally. It was at that point Chaehyun lost it, grabbing her unnie's hands and pushing them away and now hugging her tight, almost like she's trying to squeeze her body. "Unniieeeee! I'm being serious here!" Her red flushed face faced to the cushions of the couch. Blushing from her out of character behaviour, she can't even move a muscle, still flustered from her actions towards her unnie that she looks up to so much. Karina could only bite her lips, trying not to burst out and laugh. After taking a long, deep breath, Karina sighed, and slowly tapped her old colleague's scalp, scratching it a bit as if she's doing one of her ASMR lives, trying to comfort the shy Chaehyun. "Alright Chae Chae, what is it? I'll take you seriously this time~" She smiled as soon as Chaehyun's face lifts up, pouting as her large round eyes shined back too Karina's. "I missed you, Jiminnie."

Karina only sighed as she smiled, looking art her old friend being as clingy and adorable as she remembers, the same Kim Chaehyun she spends her time with for years together in the SM building. She can see the attachment Chaehyun had with her, and it melted her heart. "I missed you too, Chaehyun." Karina ruffled Chaehyun's hair, before her hand guided the main vocalist up, making their faces level. Karina slowly lifted up Chaehyun's bangs, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "I'm here for you Chae~" a soft whisper echoed into Chaehyun's ear, giving her goosebumps, both from the cringeyness of Karina's words but also the nostalgia. The feeling when she always had Karina by her side, caring and supporting her every step of the way. After the kiss Karina gave on her forehead, Chaehyun looked as if she spaced out, lost in thought. "Chae...?" Karina snapped her fingers, trying to gain her consciousness again. She eventually did, but not a word was let out of her mouth. Instead a kiss on the cheeks, her mouth charging to Karina's.

"Mh~!" Karina was flustered, but also not really surprised by the sudden reaction by Chaehyun. She's always been a clingy little baby to her and she guesses that little clinginess never faded away from Chaehyun's nature. Instead of pushing her away, Karina embraced her, tucking Chaehyun's long wavy hair behind her ears as Karina softly caressed the back of her scalp. The kiss lasted for about 30 seconds before Karina broke the two pairs of lips' moment of connection, leaving the two in a state of silence. Chaehyun was blushing, red as a tomato and Karina was just trying to process the whole situation, not knowing what to do. "J-Jiminnie~ I want m-more, please~!" With her face facing the couch, Chaehyun's plead for satisfaction was said aloud, finally admitting to her desires.

Karina could never say no to those cute puppy eyes of Chaehyun. All she could do is please Chaehyun's undying desire for her. Her former colleague in SM, both now in seperate ways, but their lips never this close in their lives. Karina pinning the Kep1er member to the wall and kissing her pretty mouth, occasionally sucking on Chaehyun's tongue which made her whimper, melting in Karina's arms. "Fuuuuck~ Jiminnie~" Chaehyun was just a mess at that point, having her mouth dominated by her old friend back in SM, her whimpers and words weren't even fully audible due to her lips being locked my Karina's. The aespa leader takes charge, tiptoeing her fingers slowly towards Chaehyun's crotch, touching the wet spot on her safety shorts. "You've been enjoying a lot haven't you, Chae?" Chaehyun couldn't do a thing but pout and nod to Karina's question.

The excited Yu Jimin giggled, seeing how adorable Chaehyun is behaving, making the sexual tension in the room sky rocket. Karina guided Chaehyun to lean back to her seat, letting her more access to take the lead. Karina gently removes Chaehyun's top, not completely off, just enough to see her bare tits out. They both know that the staff could crash in the room any moment and it's gonna be one hell of an explanation to get them off this situation. "You're so hard here too Chaehyunnie~" Karina looked at her friend's volumed breasts, her nipples getting hard and stiff from the stimulation and the cool-airconditioned room. Chaehyun let out a soft moan before she managed to answer as Karina's mouth takes in her left nipple, sucking on it gently. "Jiminnie~ wait...nghhh-" Chaehyun bit her lips, containing her moans from escaping, she doesn't want the staff to catch them like this. Or even worse, the rest of the aespa members seeing them like this.

Karina continues her pursuit, now her hands roaming towards Chaehyun's inner thighs, hiking up her skirt. "Let me please you down there too, Chaehyun" she whispered, sending shivers down Chaehyun's spine. Chaehyun could feel Karina's hand moving closer to cunt, slowly touching her pussy covered in the white cloth of her panties, dribbles of precum painting on her underwear painting the situation, Chaehyun an absolute mess for Karina. She took charge of the situation by starting to rub her fingers gently on Chaehyun's panties, all whilst her mouth kept on sucking on her old friend's round boob, sucking with Karina's eyes sparkling at Chaehyun's. "Jiminnie, it feels so fucking good~" Chaehyun's moans finally made some human words out. It was words of encouragement for Karina to do more, and more did she do. Karina's hand slide Chaehyun's panties to the side, revealing her pink temple, where Karina starts to slide her index and middle finger inside Chaehyun's pussy. The stimulation made her scream out a moan, Chaehyun starting to lose her cool and turns into a moaning mess, enjoying her old friend's gentle fingers, digging in her cunt which made her twitch and shiver. "Jiminnie~, I'm gonna cum~" Chaehyun cries, putting a smirk on Karina's face. "Cum for me then, Chae. I want you to lots of pleasure~" "oh god, Jiminnie, I'm cummiiiiing!" Karina's words was more than enough to make her cum, releasing out her pleasures and coats Karina's two fingers.

The after effects of Karina's assault on her pussy, Chaehyun is left panting, reaching for air. "Jiminnie, I wanna make you cum too" her eyes looked straight at Karina's eyes, then tracing down her body. Karina, needing to let it out, is as eager as her old trainee partner is. "I need it to Chae. Make me feel good." She asked, her breathy voice sounded full of lust as she undoes her pants, showing her bare cunt. The room is ever so chilly yet the tension between is too hot to handle. Chaehyun didn't need an instruction to understand the situation; instantly falling to her knees, between Yu Jimin's legs. Chaehyun takes her tongue out, her mouth now on Karina's pussy, starting to lick it while looking up at the aespa leader's eyes.

Karina tilted her head back, feeling the cold tender lips of Chaehyun starting to give the attention she needed, making her moan as her hands hold on her boobs, groping herself as she enjoys the pleasure. "F-fuuuuck, yes Chae~. Just like that, I love your mouth so bad." Once again, Chaehyun is motivated by Karina's words, Chaehyun gets her mouth to work even more, letting her tongue get inside her pussy. Her mouth did a great job in turning on Karina, as she moans louder, getting herself more stimulated, moaning loudly as her hand is on Chaehyun's long hair. "Fuuuck Chaehyun. I can't do this any longer. I-I wanna cum" Chaehyun didn't reply, only a nod from her whilst remaining between Karina's legs as the room is now only filled with Karina's moans. Karina gripped Chaehyun's hair, flexing her thighs as her body shivers, unable to take it any longer. "Chae, I'm cumming I'm cumming I'm cummiiiiing!" Karina grunted, screaming out her moans as she squirts on Chaehyun's adorable round face. Chaehyun whimpered, tasting her lovable Yu Jimin's sweet cum, looking up to her face, covered in cum.

"That was amazing Chae~" Karina smiled, exhaustion is displayed on her face, the same can be same can be said to Chaehyun. Chaehyun got up and to Karina's face she aims, kissing her passionately, sharing the taste of the aespa ace's cum. They enjoy a deep kiss for a moment before their lips depart, smiling at each other. "Let's clean up this mess before anybody sees us like this shall we?" Karina tilted her head, painting a smile on her face to Chaehyun as the Kep1er vocalist replies with a bright smile. "Of course Jiminnie, this is our little secret, right?" She asked, as they both stood up and looked at each other's messy faces. Karina's reply, a giggle and her index finger on her lips, sealing the deal of their sweet little secret.

#kpop smut #kpop nsft #female idol smut #idol x idol #idol x idol story #lesbian nsft #idol x idol smut #aespa smut #kep1er smut

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goosewriting · 1 year

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Hi I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy your writing. What if the turtles got cloaking broches and wanted to show their partner, and the partner was like “yeah you’re pretty as a human but I miss your markings/stripes etc.”?

Cloaking broach (rottmnt x reader)

summary: reader and turtle’s reaction to seeing him in human form for the first time.

relationship: Rise Leo, Raph, Mikey, Donnie x GN reader (separate)

warnings: simping ✊😔, innuendos? sort of? nothing spicy or anything but idk it’s a different tone than my usual stuff XD, i guess it still counts as fluffy ending tho

word count: 1.9k

A/N: ty for the kind words anon! i have to say i went kinda hard on the simp reader here but can you blame me? this ended up being 100% self-indulgent lmao check the human designs i used for this one under the cut and you’ll understand 🫡 still, i hope it’s to your liking ;;w;;

(english is not my first language. constructive criticism and grammar corrections are very appreciated!)

— — —

for this one i wanted to give you guys a visual lol for the human!turtles: i’ll be using these designs by @redbeanp13 (source), who was kind enough to let me use them :D the drawing below is by @soldrawss (source) whose art you should really check out because it’s top tier 😤👌

with that settled, let's get to it~

— — —

The turtle made his way to your apartment, moving swiftly between the buildings, unable to hold in his excitement. He had borrowed a cloaking broach from Sunita, and he wanted you to be there when he transformed for the first time. After all, he hoped you’d like how he looked.

When he got to your place and explained the situation, you suddenly got nervous. You had never even thought about him as a human, and while you were certainly curious, you also felt strangely uneasy. What if he was shocked about how he looked? What if he was disappointed because it wasn’t like he expected? On the other hand… What if he looked even better? What were you supposed to do with that knowledge after he turned back to his turtle self?

You shook your head to rid yourself of those thoughts, focusing instead on the almost child-like glee your boyfriend had, waiting for you to join him in front of your full-length mirror.

Giving him a nod, he was just about to place the broach on his strap when you spoke, suddenly remembering a very important aspect of the transformation.

“Wait!” you stopped him, holding up your hands, and he looked at you slightly irritated but waited for you to continue, as he saw how flushed your face looked all of a sudden. “How does the whole clothes aspect work? Will you have those or will you transform, like… naked?”

“Why, would you like to see that?” he teased you.

You didn’t nod nor shake your head, instead only bringing up your hands to cover your face.

“I’m just kidding” he laughed and placed a hand on your shoulder reassuringly, giving it a bit of a squeeze. “The broach gives you the clothes you imagine, so no worries.”

“Right…” you replied sheepishly, uncovering your face. “Let’s see it then.”

And with that the turtle placed the broach on the strap around his torso, and got engulfed in a greenish smoke.

🔵 Leo

When he emerged, he was smug about it.

You blinked a couple of times, trying to process what you saw.

There were a lot of feelings happening.

Meanwhile he quite literally checked himself out in the mirror.

He had no shame about it.

You ran your hands through his hair, and the new sensation startled him, but he didn't pull back.

It felt kinda nice actually.

You traced over his face; his stripes had translated into scars and birthmarks of sorts.

As you were admiring his facial features, Leo suddenly pulled you closer by the waist, leaning in, and stopped just before your lips touched, quietly asking if he could kiss you. You replied by closing the distance.

The kiss felt different and yet the same, as it still was Leo in front of you. Again, your hands came up to run through his hair, lightly tugging at the base of the neck, which made him softly groan into the kiss. At the unexpected sound you pulled back and looked at him with big eyes and heated cheeks.

“I could get used to that” he said with his signature grin, and quickly pecked your nose.

“So, you like it?” Leo asked, placing his arm over your shoulder and pulling you into his side, so you stood next to each other, facing the mirror.

“I mean… yes? You do still look very handsome” you replied, and trailed off, biting your bottom lip, as if hesitating to continue. He gave you a soft smile through the mirror.

“But?”

“I don’t know, it’s like there’s something missing? Your half-moon markings that bring out your eyes, the stripes that seem to glow in the light, your whole ninja-ness. This feels like more of a costume than anything else… I like you in green; it feels realer.”

His gaze suddenly softened, looking vulnerable for a split second. That was not the reply he was expecting, but maybe deep inside the one he was hoping for.

“I do like the hair though” you said to go back to your banter. “And it looks like you finally can get a good posture without the shell.”

“Hey!” Leo gasped in mock offence, and you stuck out your tongue at him. “Turtle or not, I can still totally kick your butt!”

You had no time for a clever remark, as he was already playfully tackling you to the ground, with you squealing and trying to get out of his grasp to evade his relentless tickling.

🔴 Raph

He was still tall, almost as tall as his turtle form.

Just not as big.

Which was kinda weird to see.

As if there was a part of him missing in the space before you.

You hugged him and could almost reach around his back, which was impossible in his turtle form.

Also he was warm for once, which was nice.

As you were hugging him, his arms also wrapped around your form.

That’s when you noticed.

He was so soft.

“So, what do you think?” he asked at your reflection in the mirror.

You pulled back from the hug and just stared at his chest for a second. His chest was usually rather hard because of the plaster, even though it was quite flexible for him to move in. Still, you couldn’t help but wonder.

Without saying anything you gingerly placed your hands on his chest, making him slightly flinch, a violent blush spreading on his face and neck.

“This is gonna sound so weird” you said, unable to look him in the eye. “But can I… feel you?”

“Ah- Uhm- Sure.” Raph went a little stiff, unsure of what you were about to do.

Your hands traced his chest, which was still rather firm; you assumed his muscles still were present in this form. Then your fingers slowly wandered down to his tummy, which was softer, and to the sides, where you softly pinched his hip, making him squeak in surprise. You took a deep breath to recover from the sheer adorableness of his reaction, and made a mental note of doing it again in the future if you had the chance.

“So… You like it?” he asked after you seemed satisfied with your exploring.

“To be honest? Yes and no” you replied, going back to hugging him and talking to his reflection with your cheek smushed against his chest.

“I like that I can hug you like this and almost reach around you without the spikes. I like how warm and soft you feel” you explained and he smiled. “But I also really like green and spiky Raph, who is so very gentle with me and makes me feel safe.”

Raph’s arms tightened around you, giving you a kiss on the top of your head.

“Maybe we can borrow the broach in winter for cuddles?” he suggested, slightly swaying you from side to side. Now that was a compromise you could get behind.

🟠 Mikey

The only way to describe how he looked was adorable.

Since he was more petite and lighter, you figured you could give him a piggyback ride for once.

You also loved that he went with a colourful outfit and lots of accessories.

It suited him very well.

And you couldn’t get over his freckles, they were too cute!

For a while, you both just stood there curiously looking at all the details in the mirror.

Then Mikey took your hand in his.

“Whoa, so this is what it’s like to have 5 fingers!” he exclaimed, intertwining your fingers with his. You had to admit, it felt pretty nice.

While he admired his digits alongside yours, with your other hand you ruffled his hair, to which he snorted.

“That feels so weird” he laughed.

“But I bet I know what will feel nice!” you said, letting go of his hand and bringing both of yours up to softly massage his scalp.

“Oh, oh wow” Mikey basically melted away as you worked your fingers through his hair from the top of his head to the back of his neck, being careful not to get tangled in his locks. He just stood there in pure bliss, with his eyes closed. So when you were done, you couldn’t help yourself from giving him a quick peck on his lips.

He blinked a couple of times, coming out of his stupor.

“You think you could do that even when I don’t have hair?” he asked. You told him to remind you of doing so whenever he wanted. He thanked you and went in for a hug; that's when you realised there was one more thing you could do with his non-turtle self.

Without much of a warning, you bent down ever so slightly to reach under his thighs, and lifted him up with a ‘whoop!’. Mikey held onto your shoulders and instinctively wrapped his legs around your torso. You gave him a smug smile.

“This is new” Mikey commented, an ever so light blush adorning his cheeks, and you tightened your hold on him so he wouldn’t fall.

“Is it nice?” you asked. If Mikey nuzzling his face into your neck was anything to go by, you’d guess that it was.

You both knew he loved being held, especially by his brothers, so now that you could do it, he’d never want to let go.

🟣 Donnie

The only way to describe your internal reaction: that anime gif

You blushed heavily when you saw his human form.

He was too handsome for the world to see.

“It’s too much power, he’s too dangerous” you thought.

You tried to keep your cool, you really did.

He had somehow managed to bring out his bad boy persona perfectly, without losing the nerd touch.

Seeing your reaction, he gave you a knowing grin through the mirror, resting his arm on your shoulder.

“So, what do we think?” he asked with a mock nonchalant tone. “I’d love to hear your current thought process in depth.”

“Shut up” you muttered under your breath, shoving his arm off so you could face him. You looked at him for a second, then reached up to cup his face in your hands. Now it was his turn to blush, and you gave him a smirk of your own as you realised something. You didn’t wanna ruin the moment, but you just couldn’t help yourself.

“Look at you, a real boy with real eyebrows!” you cood. Donnie scoffed.

“Don’t ‘Pinocchio’ me” he retorted, but leaned into your touch. It was a somewhat unfamiliar sensation for him too, his skin being different and all.

“May I…?” you asked, gingerly stroking his cheekbone with your thumb, silently asking for permission to further touch around his face, knowing that he wasn’t a fan of that. Deciding to make today the exception, he gave you a short nod.

“How do you feel?” you asked, this time for real, as you further inspected his face and all the features he didn’t have as a turtle: nose, ears, lips, the little freckles speckled around his cheeks.

“To be honest? Kinda like a wet noodle” he replied, earning a chuckle from you. “I feel way too exposed. Too much soft flesh… everywhere. On the outside. I don’t know how you can walk outside like this every day.” You just gave him a sympathetic smile and hummed.

Once you were done with your inspection, you withdrew from Donnie, giving him one last once-over.

“Well, that was a fun experiment” you concluded. “But I feel like your human form lacks a certain… mad scientist factor, if you will.”

Donnie agreed and took off the broach, albeit correcting you with a “not mad, just science”.

~~~~~

🐥 taglist: [more info in my pinned post!] @hearteyedracoon, @koalaray, @maribatshipper, @whygz, @lovelylovelydreams

#goose feathers #rottmnt #save rottmnt #rottmnt x reader #rottmnt leo x reader #rottmnt raph x reader #rottmnt donnie x reader #rottmnt mikey x reader #tmnt 2018 #tmnt x reader #tmnt 2018 x reader #rise of the tmnt x reader

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thecreaturecodex · 21 days

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got any advice for new DMs? I've been playing as a PC for quite a while but I am nervous about running my first campaign

First order of business: don't panic.

Being a GM can be stressful. But at the end of the day, everyone around the table is there for the same reason; to have a good time playing pretend with their buddies.

I started GMing in a completely different age. Literally 25 years ago this year. So I imagine that some of the stresses and expectations that are on GMs now are different than they when I started. Like, I started running the Dungeons and Dragons in the 3.0 era for power hungry teenagers, who were often trying to see what mechanical tricks they could get away with to deal 500 damage in a round by level 10. Nowadays, for running D&D at least, one of the biggest worries I see from novice DMs is that their game won't live up to the expectations set by Let's Play series like The Adventure Zone, Dimension 20 and Critical Role.

Your game is not Critical Role. And that's okay. The high profile Let's Plays are scripted series made by entertainment professionals to appeal to a wide audience. Your game just has to make the 4-7 people around your table happy, including you.

So my first piece of concrete advice? Manage your expectations. My second piece of advice? Stick to 6 players max.

My third piece of advice is to figure out what you want from your game. Figure out what the overall tone of your game is, and what you want to accomplish with it. Do you want your game to be combat heavy? RP heavy? Lots of exploration and puzzles? A story with specific narrative beats? A more casual hang-out vibe sort of game? Should the characters come to the table with goals and backstories, or is this the sort of game where "Carric the Cleric; they heal people" is enough?

And then let your players know. One of my least pleasant recent GMing experiences was for a Pathfinder game where none of the players really knew what they were getting into. It was Ironfang Invasion, and the players voted to go for it, when I told them that it was going to be combat heavy, exploration medium, RP light. And then they proceeded to be unhappy with how much combat there was compared to RP. I tried to rebalance things, to some success, but that game fell apart anyway. In large part due to a player who refused to learn the Pathfinder 1e rules and resented that they weren't those of their preferred gaming system.

Some people just like to complain. So try to screen for those folks ahead of time. Personally, I prefer to be friends with someone first before running a game for them, because the vast majority of the player/GM conflicts I have had have occurred with people who I only sort of knew.

Also, on a related note, check for specific triggers, especially if you're running a published Pathfinder AP, because those tend to be Hard R content. One of the players in that Ironfang game I had been playing with for like two years at that point, he loved violent combat... but had a very specific trigger about skinning that I didn't know about. Running a module where the main villain's gimmick is that he skins his enemies. Whoops.

My last piece of advice is don't go into every game expecting it to be a long running story, especially if you're a brand new GM. Start with a one or two shot. If the players like it, figure out what they especially liked and lean into it. If they didn't, pivot.

GMing is absolutely a skill that develops with practice. So don't be afraid to practice! Have fun, and good luck.

#pathfinder 1e #pathfinder rpg #d&d #tabletop rpgs #gming #advice

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multifandomfanfic · 2 years

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can you do a John Bender smut where when he does his line “lets all play impregnate the prom queen” the reader agrees but only with Bender and they fuck somewhere in the school. thank youu

Prom, 1984

Pairing: John Bender x fem! Reader

Warnings: cheating, smut, language, pet names, choking, overstimulation, unprotected sex, fingering, rings

Word Count: 3k

Request?: Yes!

“Let’s all play impregnate the prom queen!”

This was my life, constantly being harassed by John Bender, the school's "bad boy." Although the term "bad boy" does not adequately describe him. In reality, he was just a sad kid who felt compelled to criticize others in order to feel better about his own miserable life.

"Oh, shut up Bender. You’d never get the privilege of fucking me.”

“Ohhhh little prissy lady is getting sassy with me now?”

When I noticed he was rising from his seat on the bleachers, I turned on my heels and prepared to sprint away from this uncomfortable circumstance.

“Hey, hey, hey, where do you think you’re going?”

He asked, leaping forward to grab my elbow and spin me around. The momentum he gave my body was enough to propel me into a quick spin until I was full frontal directly in front of him, our chests inches away from touching.

“I’m not done with you yet, sweetheart.”

My nervous grip was crushing the bouquet of flowers I'd received for being named prom queen, the paper crinkling as I continued to apply pressure.

“Bender, I need to get home! I really don’t have time for your shenanigans!”

I tried to come across as confident and tough, hoping he'd feel sorry for me and release his death grip on my wrist.

“Oh come on sweetheart, chill out and stay a while, won’t ya?”

He didn't have a particularly stern expression, nor did he have a particularly harsh tone. His gaze was soft and his tone was neutral, as if he were behaving in the likeness of a skilled manipulator. His entire demeanor, on the other hand, had a hard edge to it.

“Bender, please let go of me before my boyfriend comes over here and beats your ass.”

I hissed through my teeth. I knew I wasn't strong enough to take him on by myself. Adding a second, far more powerful person to the conversation might make him feel threatened.

Bender scoffed loudly, rolling his eyes nonchalantly.

“You really think bringing your prim little boy toy into the conversation is gonna scare me?”

I have to admit, I was hoping it would frighten him just enough for him to leave me alone.

Despite the fact that prom had ended twenty minutes ago, the seniors were still buzzing, unwilling to end a night they would undoubtedly remember for the rest of their lives.

“Bender, please! I’ve tried to be nice to you, but this is really starting to annoy me!”

Bender rolled his eyes all the way around his head, scoffing loudly enough for everyone to hear if there weren't two hundred people crammed into one gymnasium.

“You’re not nice to me, Y/N. You’ve never been nice to me.”

His tone had shifted from male manipulator to ferocious. I'd finally pushed him over the edge and penetrated his tough exterior.

“You’re a fucking prissy little bitch who gets everything handed to her.”

I couldn't help but recoil in response to the venom dripping from his lips. Someone, please, come to my rescue.

“Personally, I think you should be taught a lesson.”

My breath became stuck in my throat. Oh, my God, I'd gotten myself into a lot of trouble.

Bender cocked his brow in response to my anxiety when he spotted my apprehensive countenance.

“Oh, come on sweetheart. Don’t try to lie to me and say you’ve never thought about it before.”

His tone had changed to one that was oozing with lust, a dramatic contrast to the raging wrath he had been exhibiting only moments before.

He leaned into me, his mouth directly next to my ear, so he could be heard clearly.

“I know you have, sweetheart, you don’t have to stand there and lie to me.”

I swallowed, my throat constricting.

“You’re so uptight all the fucking time. Wouldn’t it be nice to sit back and let me ruin you?”

Yes, it would certainly be nice. It would be nice to slap my parents across the face when they saw me coming home with a man who is notoriously unstable.

“I bet you’d like to walk up that pretty little porch you have with me on your arm.”

My God, he read my mind.

“I bet that’d realllyyyy slap your parents in the face.”

His hot breath sent chills down my spine, his body so close to mine that the large bouquet of flowers between us was becoming completely crushed.

“Just say the word sweetheart and I’ll make you feel so good you’ll forget all about your pussy boyfriend.”

I was terrified that my boyfriend would appear at any moment, ending the moment that I wanted to prolong as long as possible.

“Come on honey, I can’t wait around all day, my cock is getting hard just thinking about being buried inside your pretty little cunt.”

I couldn’t deny the appeal of having passionate sex with the most notorious boy at Glenbrook North High School.

“John… you can’t tell my boyfriend.”

My tone came across as much more breathy and desperate than I had expected. This sparked a fiery passion in John, who thrived on making others squirm.

“Don’t worry honey, it stays between me and you until you gain the courage to kick that sorry sack of shit to the curb.”

Bender stepped back until he was at the right angle to stare down at me with his piercing brown eyes. His demeanor was crushing, and I suddenly felt weak in his presence.

“Storage closet? Bathroom? Just tell me where you want me honey and I’ll make it happen.”

I looked over both my shoulders, ensuring my boyfriend was nowhere in sight.

“People might find us in the bathroom. Storage closet is probably a better option.”

John smirked, the bright strobe lights reflecting off his tan skin.

“Sounds perfect to me.”

John dragged me through the thin crowds. Fortunately, we were positioned near the back of the gymnasium, where only nerds and girls who thought they were too cool for school congregated.

We made it to the storage closet without any chaperones bothering us with irrelevant questions or my boyfriend rudely interrupting us.

There was no need to waste money on lights that were completely unnecessary, so the halls were left completely dark.

“Is it time to play impregnate the prom queen?”

He inquired, gently pushing the door open, the squeaky hinges groaning from inactivity.

“Yes.”

I spoke softly, my knees trembling with excitement.

John took a step back until he was completely immersed in the shadow of the storage room, giving him a mysterious appearance. He extended his arm in front of him, exposing his open palm for my grasp.

My stomach flipped, every nerve ending tingling with eagerness.

I took a big step forward, extending my arm and pressing my palm against his.

John tugged me forward and my breath was knocked from my lungs as I collided with his solid chest.

He slammed his mouth into mine, kicking the door shut and submerging us in complete darkness.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer as his tongue pushed past my teeth.

Our teeth were clashing in a frenzied mess of hot, passionate kisses that went straight to my core, arousal pooling in between my thighs.

John grasped the hem of my dress, thrusting it upwards to expose my white lace panties.

John began walking forward, bringing me with him until my back collided with the rickety shelves that housed the dozens of random books the school kept “just in case.”

John kicked my knees apart, standing on one leg with incredible balance as he ground his knee into my clothed cunt.

I moaned against his gloriously plush lips as I ground my hips against the scratchy fabric of his jeans.

Only John Bender would wear jeans to senior prom.

He utilized the harsh grip on my hips to move me back and forth against his clothed thigh.

“Wow. You’ve got panties on and your still making a mess on my thigh.”

His deep, sultry tone sent another wave of arousal directly to my cunt, adding to the growing ache building in between my legs.

Grinding on top of his clothed thigh provided an intense amount of pleasure, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy the growing desire building rapidly inside my lower abdomen.

I wrapped a hand around one of John’s wrists, bringing it forward until his calloused fingertips brushed against my swollen clit.

I groaned, his mouth swallowing my noises as I manipulated his hand into doing my bidding. His fingers continued to brush against my clothed clit, eliciting gentle moans from the back of my throat.

I gasped as John suddenly took control, pushing my panties to the side and shoving two fingers inside my dripping heat.

My grasp on his wrist became tighter, my nails digging into his tendons as he brutally thrusted his long digits against my spongy walls at a pace that would have me cumming around his fingers in mere seconds if I didn’t try to control myself.

“John I-I… I’m gonna cum.”

John breathed into my ear, his exhale ragged as he struggled to maintain his confident exterior.

“You can cum baby, I won’t stop you.”

My knuckles turned white as my grasp on his wrist became strong enough to restrict blood flow to his fingers.

My orgasm hit me like a freight train, my mind rocketing into a state of euphoria as I gasped in pleasure against John’s hot body, my back arching into his chest.

I assumed the continuing assault on my cunt was to allow me to come down from my wonderful high.

However, I realized I was wrong when his fingers sped up the pace, sending my nerves into a sudden state of shock.

“John.”

I murmured weakly against his lips. He pressed himself against me once more until I was sandwiched in between the shelves and him. I had nowhere to move, nowhere to go, nothing to do but to take the overstimulation he was giving me.

“Oh baby, you didn’t think I’d be that easy on you, did you now?”

I released my grip on his wrist, flailing my arms behind me to hopefully gain some form of leverage. I held onto one of the metal shelves, my grasp quickly turning into a white knuckled death grip as my body begged for mercy.

“John please-“

“You can take it. I know you're hungry for another orgasm and I intend to give you just what you ask for.”

I opened my mouth to beg for pity once more, but his free hand found my neck, his cold rings digging into the sides of my neck and restricting my air flow.

I never thought the idea of choking would turn me on, but, the lack of air I experienced thanks to his ring clad hand sent me into a state of intense nirvana. The sensation only added to the orgasm that was now building once more in the fiery pits of my stomach.

I kept my eyes fixed on his gaze, watching him intently as he released the grip on my neck before tightening his hand once more, cutting off just enough air to make me dizzy.

“Are you gonna cum again sweetheart?”

I tried to speak, but the cool rings on his hand distracted me. John smirked, pleased with the effect he had on me.

“You don’t have to answer that. I know your body is begging for me to let you cum all over my fingers again.”

My knees began to shake, black spots clouded my vision as my eyes begged John for his permission to cum.

“You can cum baby girl. I know your pussy is aching for my cock and frankly I’m throbbing at the thought of being inside of you. So let’s hurry this up, shall we?”

I nodded slightly in confirmation that I was on board with his plan.

“Good.”

He said, his husky tone dropping another octave.

He gave one final thrust of his digits to my spongy walls, sending me toppling over the edge into an overwhelming state of euphoria.

This orgasm hit me ten times harder than the last, and my insides were trembling as my body begged me to not take anymore.

But my mind thought differently. My mind wanted more of him. My mind wanted all of him, every last inch.

John dropped his hand to his side, released his grasp on my neck.

He chuckled, staring at my throat.

“I never thought a pretty little girl like you would enjoy being choked.”

I chuckled through strangled, desperate gasps for air.

“I didn’t think so either.”

I said, a wide smile on my face as I laughed at the newly awakened kink.

John shook his head slowly from side to side, trapping his bottom lip under his top teeth.

“I’m gonna wipe that smile right off your pretty little face.”

He dragged his thumb along my bottom lip, wiping off the saliva he left off my plush mouth.

“Turn around.”

I gulped.

“I’m not gonna ask you again sweetheart. Turn around or I won’t be so nice.”

I wanted to utter a witty comeback. But I knew that would do no good in this situation. The only way out was to sit back and take whatever he gave me.

Which, to be honest, I wasn’t mad about. I’d take whatever he gave me with a big smile on my face as I was far too aroused to care.

I turned around quickly, bracing myself by pushing the books out of the way and placing both my hands on a metal shelf.

John took his time. I wasn’t sure if he was staring at me, daydreaming, or contemplating his next move. Whatever it was doing, he was dead silent, not uttering a word as to prepare me for what was to come next.

I didn’t dare look back at him. I kept my gaze forward, my heart racing in anticipation.

Then, I felt his hands on my hips, gently pushing my panties down until they fell to the floor, pooling around my ankles. My soaking wet cunt was exposed, a light breeze brushing against it which sent a chill up my spine.

“You have such a pretty pussy babygirl. I bet your prissy little boyfriend doesn’t play with it very often now does he?”

I swallowed.

“No, he doesn’t.”

I wondered if he even heard me. My voice was far too weak and incoherent.

A soft smack erupted throughout the quiet storage room. I could only assume the noise came from his jeans hitting the floor.

John leaned over me, his chest pressing against my back.

“That’s a shame.”

He said, dragging the tip of his cock through my soaking wet folds.

I shuddered, goosebumps erupting all over my skin.

“If this pussy belonged to me I’d play with it all the fucking time.”

He pushed himself into me. I gasped and threw my head back against his shoulder as his thick cock stretched me to the brim.

“John, oh my god you’re so fucking big.”

If he was any bigger he’d rip me in two.

John chuckled.

“Did you have any doubts?”

He asked, beginning an agonizingly slow pace, which did nothing to diminish the aching in my cunt.

His hands rested lazily on my hips, his cock moving slowly inside of me. He was in no rush. He behaved as if we had all the time in the world.

“John, please. I’m aching for you.”

“Well… since you asked so nicely.”

I felt John’s weight lift from my back. He stood at his full height, digging his nails into the plump flesh of my hips as he began a brutal attack on my pussy.

Tears of pleasure began to form in the corners of my eyes as John snapped his hips forward, a loud smacking sound erupting from the wet connection between us.

“I bet your little boyfriend doesn’t fuck you like this now, does he?”

John’s sulky tone was dripping with lust. He was in his element, obviously very familiar with situations similar to this.

“No. No, he doesn’t.”

My nails gritted against the hard metal of the shelf, a sound similar to nails on a chalkboard.

I squeezed my eyes shut as his thick cock began to throb inside of me.

“John… can you go any deeper?”

“Yes.”

John began pulling my hips backwards to meet his thrusts, the plump tip of his cock hitting that perfect spot inside of me with every intense thrust.

“Oh… oh my god yes, that’s perfect.”

I threw my head back in pleasure, giving John the perfect angle to snake his hand around my body and find its place around my neck.

I gasped as his grip tightened, constricting my airway.

“Ohhh. You’re so fucking tight.”

I could feel our combined wetness dripping down the insides of my thighs.

“John…”

The coil in my lower abdomen was incredibly tight, any sudden movement could cause it to snap.

“I’m gonna cum.”

His cock was now violently twitching inside of me.

“Me too sweetheart. I’m gonna cum right in your pretty little pussy.”

I gulped as he released inside of me, his hot cum coating my walls.

I followed right behind him, my cunt milking the last of his juices as my entire body convulsed.

I cried out his name like a prayer as my lower belly suddenly felt loose, a stark contrast from the tightness I experienced moments ago.

John gave a few final thrusts, ensuring every drop of his cum was left inside of me.

“Now.”

He said, pulling out of me.

“Go tell your fucking boyfriend you never wanna see him again.”

I turned over my shoulder, seeing him shoving his thick cock back in his jeans, his eyes focused on the task at hand.

Our combined juices were now dripping down my thighs uncontrollably.

“Then I want you to meet me back here as soon as you can.”

I furrowed my brow.

“Why?”

I asked. John scoffed, resting his hands on his hips in a rather cocky manner.

“Princess, do I really need to explain myself?”

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meloncholy-words · 10 months

Text

Crime Doesn't Wait For Us

Pavitr and Gayatri are having a sleepover, holding each other so lovingly and tenderly. Unfortunately, crime does not care what you may be doing.

A/N: I wrote this story over a few days and every time I picked it up it was past 9PM. As most of my stories are made, of course. So if it isn't super great I blame that, as I usually do. I swear I can't help it, I just don't feel like writing any other time T^T

~~~

Warnings: Mentions of past death and violence, but nothing explicit. Pavitr briefly goes into detail about a fight but it's very brief!

Pairing(s): GoldenClass(Pavitr x Gayatri)

AO3

~~~

Inspector Singh was very protective of his daughter, and disapproved of most boys that she knew. He did his best to make sure that she was nothing but safe and loved, and was overly critical of... Well, everyone. But even so, he did want to her to be happy. And if that meant eventually caving in to accepting her boyfriend, then maybe that's just what he had to do.

When Gayatri had formally introduced him to Pavitr, he couldn't really say that he was surprised. He had seen them, even when they thought that he couldn't. He could see how they leaned into each other, how an accidental brush of the hand usually lasted longer when they didn't realize that he was looking, how their hugs goodbye after school lasted longer than they probably should have.

Sometimes, he could even hear them in her room. Now that one was a bit concerning, as he wasn't really sure how that Prabhakar kid even got in there, but he never really said anything. They seemed happy, and he knew that his daughter was responsible enough to not do anything stupid while they were alone. He didn't know a lot about this kid, but if Gayatri was so happy with him, he didn't want to ruin that by pushing too hard.

When they had finally met, Inspector Singh could say that he, for once, approved. Pavitr himself seemed to be a good person. He was confident and loud, but he was also incredibly polite. He was patient and careful with his words, and he looked at Gayatri as if she was the only thing that he could. Now that was something that Inspector Singh could trust, especially with his daughter.

Despite that, he still set some boundaries for them. He did not mind Pavitr coming over to visit Gayatri, to even spend the night if he wanted. However, he did not approve of her going over to his place. It was easier to know that Gayatri was safe if she stayed home, and Pavitr seemed to understand that entirely.

Which was how they ended up here, having a little sleepover in Gayatri's room. There was music in the background playing from Pavitr's phone, some random song that they weren't paying attention to. They were sitting on the bed, legs crossed and facing each other as Gayatri painted his nails. Pavitr was ranting about his day, talking about school and his... other duties.

"So the robber swung at me, and then I ducked because of course I did - I'm Spider-Man, it's too easy - and so I landed a few hits, and then the robber-"

"Pavitr," Gayatri said, interrupting his speech softly, "you know I love you and everything about you, but please. Stop talking with your hands for just a moment, I am painting them."

"Oh, sorry," he said sheepishly. He hadn't even realized it, but his hands had lost themselves somewhere in the air while he was talking. Delicately, he gave the hand that she was working on back to her.

"It's alright, don't worry," she reassured. Her thumb ran gently over his knuckles, which were still slightly bruised. She brought it up to her lips, kissing them with care. "I know it's your job and all, but you should try to stop getting into so many fights. At least the unnecessary ones."

"You know I can't do that," he whispered, being mindful to not get so excited he waves his hands around again. "Every fight could be a necessary one to join. If I ignore it, something bad could happen. It certainly wouldn't be the first time."

Gayatri's hand stilled, the brush of the polish stilling at the tip of his nail as she felt the mood shift. Her eyes wandered up to his eyes, glossy and rather vacant. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly, almost unnoticeable. But she had known him long enough to be able to pick it out.

"So what happened next?" His eyes become focused at the sound of her voice, meeting her gaze. "After- after you got those hits in. You never finished the story."

Pavitr smiled softly, putting himself back into the moment. He felt infinitely lucky to have a girlfriend who cared for him so much, and who knew him so well.

"Ok, so, after I got in a few hits, the robber pulled out a gun and-"

"I think that's enough of the story."

Pavitr let out a short bark of laughter, curling forward and pressing his forehead to Gayatri's. She continued decorating his nails as he laughed to himself. Her eyes briefly glanced up to his joyous face, taking in the sight of his scrunched nose and wide smile. She was so happy to have someone like him to call hers.

"Alright, now you just need to wait for it to dry," she said as she coated his final nail. "Try not to rub it on anything, and don't use your hands too much until you're sure that they're entirely dry."

"Yes, ma'am!" Pavitr assured, curling his hands into bear claws. He let out a soft, playful growl as he did so, pulling a chuckle out of his girlfriend. "So uhhhh, what should we do now? While we wait for this to dry at least."

Gayatri pondered for a moment, racking her brain for things to do. "Well, I usually just watch a movie, or if I'm up to it just talk to my dad. But we probably shouldn't bug him, so... Movie?"

"Yeah, that sounds good! You can pick one, I don't care too much."

Gayatri and Pavitr settled into her bed comfortably, her laying against his shoulder with his head on hers. Pavitr had his hands interlocked with themselves resting on his chest to ensure they dry properly. Their legs were intertwined, and Gayatri had her laptop resting in her lap as she scrolled through a list of movies.

"Anything catch your eye?" Gayatri asked, continuing to scroll mindlessly through the options. "I've watched most of the good stuff, but I don't know what you've seen or not."

"Eh, not really, and I don't want to make you watch something you've seen before," came his reply as he leaned deeper into her scent. "What if we just watched the worst rated film on here?"

Gayatri paused her scrolling for a moment to contemplate his idea. She quickly opened up another tab, looking up what exactly the worst rated film would be. It was some animated movie, and it looked absolutely atrocious. It was perfect.

The character models were flat, yet somehow chunky. The voice acting was flat, made from people who didn't seem to even want to be involved in the movie. The story itself was all over the place, and neither could really describe it if someone else asked what it was about.

There were many laughs shared, mostly over how absurd the film was. They conversed back and forth about random things, sometimes not even related to what they were watching. Gayatri let out a few yawns, feeling tuckered out as the night progressed, and Pavitr let out many more.

In the final few minutes of the movie, Pavitr was entirely gone. He was snoring softly, face buried deep in Gayatri's hair and hands still locked with each other. Gayatri smiled warmly, deciding to let it at least finish. She had gotten this far, she may as well.

She was quick to back out of the movie once it had finished, opening up one of her shows to continue watching where she had left off. Pavitr was asleep, so she didn't feel too bad. She didn't get half way through the next episode when she had fallen asleep as well.

When the sun peaked through the curtains, Pavitr found his eyes opening slowly. He felt Gayatri's body heat against hers, smelling the perfume that essentially coated the room. There was an itch in the back of his head, alerting him that something was about to come up before it actually did.

Slowly, he wiggled himself out from under his girlfriend, laying her gently against his pillows. He crept over to the other side of her room where his bag was located, slipping his hand to the very bottom and pulling out his Spider-Man suit.

As quietly as he could, he slipped his suit over his muscular skin and fluffed his hair. Silently once more, he tip-toed back to the bed. His hand found its way on the side of Gayatri's face, caressing it softly. He planted a firm kiss onto her forehead, pressing their noses together.

"I have to go my love," he whispered. "I'm sure I'll be back before you awake, but I tell you now in case I don't"

The itch in his head began to grow, ringing through his ears in a steady and heavy thrum. He pushed the window open, attaching himself to the wall and making his way onto the roof. He perched himself on the ledge, patient and focused as he listened for any danger.

A scream to his left caught his attention quick, and soon enough he was jumping over the streets. Sometimes he wished that he could just sleep in, but that wasn't really how it worked.

Crime didn't wait, and neither could he. At least he would have something interesting to tell her when he came back.

#across the spiderverse #pavitr prabhakar #gayatri singh #inspector singh #it certainly wouldnt be the first time refers to his uncle btw #bc hes. dead #:)

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cloverthirteen · 1 year

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unsorted (and spoilery) mario movie thoughts under the cut since I saw it today

first to get it out of the way: critics apparently complained about the plot being too simple and straightforward, none of the characters changed that much, too much stuff being thrown at you and too many references...it's a mario movie. this is basically what the plots of the games are. if anything these things helped the movie by making feel more like the games!

for my personal issues: first half of the film goes at an absolute breakneck pace and luigi doesn't get to do nearly enough. mario and luigi also spend way too much time apart :(

otherwise, though, THIS MOVIE IS AMAZING. it was clearly made by fans and caters directly to fans, the amount of easter eggs and references is enormous.

THE MUSIC. nearly all of it is BEAUTIFUL orchestral versions of songs from the series and it's everywhere and in the most unexpected places. underground theme in the sewers, bowser's castle theme as his fortress is approaching, super mario 3 athletic theme (I think?) when mario gets the tanooki suit, mario kart menu music in the kart garage, LUIGI'S MANSION MELODY WHEN LUIGI FIRST ENTERS BOWSER'S KINGDOM? I am kissing all of the orchestra members and composers DIRECTLY on the mouth for their work. and if we're talking about music...

DK RAP BABY!!!!! the crowd loves that guy! they even name-drop diddy kong during the scene!

there are also a few pop songs in the movie, though take on me during the introduction to the jungle kingdom is the only one that felt really out of place

the bros' path to their first job being a recreation of world 1-1 complete with a castle-like building at the end...that scene was totally there to show off but it's very neat

MARIO AND LUIGI ARE BEST BROS...mario gets to protect luigi from insults and luigi gets to say that any princess with good taste would be into mario...their relationship is the BEST and I'm so sad we didn't get to see them directly interacting more...

somehow I wasn't expecting bowser's plan being to marry peach since it was left out of the trailers...but it's hilarious seeing bowser plan it all out and they even got bowser's and peach's wedding outfits from odyssey, so it was perfect

I was a bit worried that they would lean too hard on peach being a do-anything Girlboss™ but while she's tough she's clearly got her kind side too! protecting her people is her biggest concern and it's even exploited by bowser!

bowser gets to sing a love song for peach with bisexual lighting and everything. you can tell jack black was having the time of his life

speaking of the voice cast, they all did really well! I didn't have many doubts as a whole but even chris pratt was great as mario. didn't think I'd ever write that sentence but it's true

kamek was such a proud dad to bowser despite his limited screentime. love it

I'm not sure why spike was part of the initial advertised voice cast because he's barely in the movie lol

out of all the powerups I expected to return, I was not expecting the mini mushroom and ice flower, but they were incorporated very well!

other things I didn't really expect: mario and dk having a rivalry that builds into a friendship was cute. also they straight up get swallowed by the mario 64 eel

princess peach backstory?????? at least in the movie canon she isn't from the mushroom kingdom and just arrived via warp pipe from...somewhere as a baby. also using the baby versions of peach and the bros for flashbacks is incredibly cheesy but also cute in its own way

there were surprisingly few cringeworthy or self aware jokes and no awkward overly long gags, which must be some kind of first for illumination based on what I remember

the animation was spectacular as expected. rainbow road looks fucking gorgeous and the character animation was fun to watch

no really romantic moments between mario and peach unfortunately, though we did get a lot of very nice interactions between the two overall so I hope they build on their relationship in a potential sequel

so yeah...it's good and very fun. go see it if you haven't already!!

#super mario #mario movie #clover talks

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oatbrew · 1 year

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finished almost there as my first book of the year. this is part of those disney twist books where it's basically a spinoff of the original movie but with a what-if premise to change things up. i read one of these (the cinderella one) years ago to see if the gimmick was worth it but i remember feeling very underwhelmed. for a ya-marketed series, it definitely leans into the much younger part of the demographic. i see the appeal but the overall effect was just not for me

but when i heard that tiana was getting her own book, i knew i had to read it because princess and the frog, despite its faults and my current antipathy towards disney as a whole, remains one of those childhood properties that i still have a lot of earnest and indulgent love and nostalgia for. and i feel this book absolutely delivers and addresses everything that i would have wanted for tiana but i think this book (through really no major fault of its own but its source) still has some flaws that make it difficult for me to give it a perfect score. spoilers below

the biggest positive is that everybody stays human for the whole book lol

tiana gets a character arc this time, more or less. the twist premise is basically "what if tiana took facilier's offer at the end of the movie" but instead of a restaurant it's a deal to bring her father back (and revert naveen into a human) in exchange for, among other things, naveen's memories (and by extension his love). her grief and inability to let her father go (which prevents her from achieving future happiness and love) becomes the emotional crux of the book. and you could make an argument that it is also the foundation of tiana's biggest flaw. one of the criticisms that some had of the movie was that the narrative didn't give as much development into tiana's potential points of change the same way it did for naveen. so it's markedly better here.

i make this point because tiana's flaw is that she won't let people help and care for her and to go even deeper, she won't let people in. she views her independence as a virtue because it enables her to achieve her dreams and weather hardships. and while that is true it also alienates her from her loved ones and from happiness outside of her career. the book makes a case that this facet of her character comes namely from her father's influence but also her experiences with overcoming oppression (racism and classism, which are explicitly addressed. i don't remember sexism being even mentioned). her father's death exacerbated this virtue into a fault. so the personal reading here is that tiana's fear of trusting people to care for her is tied to her grief and inability to let her father go. but again, that's a personal reading. the book's biggest weakness is that while it does present these as open-ended suggestions, it doesn't concretize this connection into a straightforward arc.

tiana's mistake in dealing with facilier is brought on less by this flaw and more by a fear of her loved ones being hurt, which isn't really an internal weakness that she needs to overcome based on the trajectory we're given. but it could have been! this book could have made tiana's journey more cohesive by tying this external threat with her internal motivation. one way is to make tiana feel responsibility for her father's death. of course it's not her fault; he died as fodder in a senseless war but grief rarely makes any sense. she doesn't have to believe she's directly responsible but emphasizing the added fear that if she doesn't work hard enough or sacrifice enough, she could lose her loved ones and their happiness as well (like her mother through financial insecurity or naveen's dreams by being too focused on her own self-fulfillment) would make her arc neater. i mention this because i feel like it would be more compelling if tiana agreed with the deal purely from internal motivation rather than it being a decision majorly influenced by facilier's direct and external threat. tiana is tempted with the prospect of getting her father back but she remains pretty adamant not to do it until facilier basically corners her with threats on her other loved ones. so the inciting action doesn't come so much from the flaw which she needs to overcome but more from facilier's gaslighting and manipulation; it feels less like the actual mistake it needs to be and more a self-defense choice. which is fine enough if not a little boring because tiana doesn't have that much agency then in an arc that is meant for her to learn how to let go (her father and to a lesser extent her pathological grip on work/duty). there's less emotional pay off because the journey is centered not so much on defeating her personal demons and just on defeating Some Guy who's causing all her troubles

if not this...another reading we can take is that the arc is about tiana learning how to overcome power (or the pursuit/desire of it). facilier is a symbolic stand-in for power in his belief that gaining it for himself over those with social and economic capital in new orleans is the only way of overcoming the impotency he felt growing up in poverty. tiana loses her father in a war for power. she defeats facilier (power) by leaning into her community (love) and using his hubristic pursuit of it against him. tiana's flaw is a response to the oppressive powers that shape her everyday life. this also kind of works character-wise for her because we are often shown that tiana thinks she knows what is best all the time and learns gradually that perhaps that's not always the case. but we still have that pitfall in which her biggest mistake wasn't a choice made by her hubris for power. plus i don't feel as great interpreting a black man who we learn came from poverty (and most likely faced racism as well during this time period though the book does not make it as explicit as with tiana) metonym with systemic power. and it also kind of gives off this very booker t. washington ideology that social uplift is only possible and valid through hard work and social equity only achievable by white acceptance/tolerance

not advocating of course for facilier as a person but if if we take this route and we look at this thematically that's what it comes across as; the optics of this interpretation being: tiana's experience with her oppression is more validated by the narrative than facilier's (ie acting with dignity such as patience in response to oppression vs acting with "less dignified" responses such as anger)

ANYWAY getting too much into the weeds with this but what i ultimately mean is that this book could have benefited with a hundred more pages and a slight tweak of the inciting action. and i can't fully blame the author who has done such impressive work with what she was given. but because the source material she's pulling from is flawed, naturally those are flaws she has to work and fudge around with.

i love that we got a black, female author who is from louisiana to write this book. the culture, the insider know-how of new orleans's streets and alleys are foundational to everything in this book. actual vodou is revisited and corrected from the movie's misguided treatment of it as purely "evil". and she is not afraid to call out what things are. esp regarding tiana and charlotte's interracial friendship and the minefields they have to address. but she is also still writing for disney. so she has to operate within that fairy tale (and white-centered) framework inherent to the company's artistic (and marketing) ethos so all of these grits and bumps have to be light touches. and i'm not saying that this book should be chapters of exposes on 1920s racism but disney's editorializing hand is always evident in their properties (even andor, which i hold near and dear, can't fully escape from disney). so the real difficulty is that you can easily see what she could do with these characters and this plot without the strictures and boundaries of the disney corporation and the original movie. but the ouroboros curse is that this book wouldn't have been possible without disney and that movie

anyway other things i super loved: facilier is as much of a great villain here as ever (he has this passage where he's plotting to manipulate tiana by thinking of ways to torture naveen in front of her lmao) but there is an attempt to better understand his motivations by briefly providing his background and giving him some moments of actual humanity, which does him make more sympathetic. in the movie tiana and facilier meet for like five minutes at the very end but here the premise gives protagonist and antagonist an actual connection, both relationship and theme-wise. facilier is ultimately trapped by his "friends on the other side" in the pursuit of power and tiana learns to embrace her own friends wholeheartedly with love and community. facilier lost his mother through poverty at a young age which affected him greatly and tiana lost her father through a war at a young age which affected her greatly. facilier has grudging respect for tiana's smarts and loyalty to her principles. tiana doesn't have as much regard for him lol and if the book is going to humanize him with more complexity, i wish that they shared some moments that couldn't be just simplified to a hero/villain dichotomy

i love lottie's arc. at the end she uses her privilege to get into the rooms of politics and becomes an advocate for civil rights after she and tiana have an honest talk about the racism the latter faces and the ignorance the former grew up with. it's very much a Teaching Moment for the Whites (and again light touches courtesy of disney) but charlotte emphasizes she wants to be the best kind of friend for tiana because she takes her role in tiana's life so seriously as her best friend and it was such a sweet moment i can't even be that cynical about it

naveen's arc is pretty much a redux only slightly more fleshed out and purely out of narrative necessity because he lost his memories. which i think is one of the greatest disappointments because spoilers he gets flashes of the past but he doesn't fully get his memories back. normally im a huge sucker for the amnesia trope however i felt that because tiana is the reason why he can't remember and naveen didn't discover or learn from her the details of the deal she made, it feels like he was stripped of his agency from that choice. like she has a moment where she regrets making louis's wish for him without his input so i wish there was a moment in the end where she reveals what she did, have him be conflicted about it (like he doesn't even need to get his memories back), but ultimately come to terms with it together, making their relationship stronger than before

but i love them as always. they're still my favorites and the most believable disney couple. i love that out of everyone he is the one who consistently makes her laugh. and they make a point to say that tiana seldom does laugh freely and naveen has this unique ability to incite that from her. also the yearning parts were top notch. even without his memories, naveen can't help his love for her and it makes me cry. another thing i would have preferred is for naveen to be the one to join tiana while she's working out a way to solve her mistake and face facilier. he feels less of a partner and more of a reward for her in that regard when the whole point is tiana learning how to achieve things with someone rather than just how to achieve things. and more than anything i wanted him (and charlotte) to comfort her when she finally lets her dad go. as a kind of symmetry that her happiness is still present even with all this grief

also there's this moment where tiana's planning to get a pear and she's asking him if he wants anything and naveen stares at her and says "not a pear"

THIS IS DISNEY

anyway great book. i had to return it to the library but im definitely buying a paperback copy of it for my own when it comes out. i wish farrah rochon was part of the creative team for the tiana series coming out because she just gets it. she gets why these characters are so loved in spite of the flaws of their movie. the audience is marketed for young young adult readers so expect the writing to go that way but if you're a fan of the movie or are just interested in new orleans culture in the 1920s and vodou i recommend this book. it made me cry even though i recognize it could have easily made me cry harder with just a few adjustments

#notes.#the princess and the frog.

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foricecream · 1 year

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Short Thoughts: Alice in Borderland

When I read the little Netflix blurb, I knew the setting, I knew the tropes. And now at the end, there is still so much not to like. But I soared through the first season when it came out, and I finished this one as quickly as I started it. I think Alice in Borderland made just enough meaningful emotional contact to elevate themselves from the 'death game' genre.

[Some light spoilers]

More than anything, I think this show is a rarity in the genre because of how they portrayed rejection in most of the cast, how each of them was rejected by the world, and what they could or couldn't do in response. Some characters told you right away; others painted that picture over time. Combined with the show's built-in concept of escapism, there was a lot to relate to for a lot of people.

To me, 'death game' anime shows and games lean heavily on the glorification of every kind of violence and centering of stereotypes, with the concept of "this is not how it should be" or "this is not the real world" as poor arguments in defense. This show was weak in some of these areas.

I still have to think more about how they handled interactions involving sexual assault, which came up more than a handful of times across the two seasons. And they like their anime tropes: I think Murakami Nijirō as Chishiya handles them beautifully despite being responsible for most of the scoffs, smirks, and one-liners, but there are plenty of unnecessary moments, like a villain taking time to verbally ship the main characters. By the end, Niragi was ultimately unconvincing. Then, I'm curious how Heiya was written in the original material, because her character felt really crammed despite her being centered as the show went on. I didn't understand her having feelings for Aguni (and I could always do with less high schooler and older person vibes). The last criticism off the top of my head - there was just a little too much of Arisu having to do something to save someone or bail people out - Usagi feels too dependent through the second season compared to the first. The side characters were such ballers in this show and it was so close to being balanced.

And now the compliments.

Something I know I love is an acceleration of high density action and emotion at the end of a show. Usually the ball will be dropped somewhere as the pacing speeds up, but the last two episodes of the second season were really stunning.

The fight scene in episode 7 is one of my favorite fight scenes of all time. The untalented main character was not present. It honored what the characters were good at, but as time went on, fatigue funneled all their skill and passion into trading fists, running on fumes, balancing hopeful desperation and hopelessness unbelievably well. I absolutely did not expect this level of ferocity. My heart dropped several times. And then the idea that all the games in the show are hosted in designed spaces with rules and moderation, but that the apex fight of both seasons is close-range, in an alley, people just throwing themselves at each other - it just adds to the feeling of futile glory.

I really liked the flashback to Heiya and her friends walking out of school. I think they did Heiya's bow moments well. She didn't feel ineffectual or overpowered. I liked Chishiya's flashback at the Supreme Court. And I did like the last episode, and though I don't entirely agree with the concept they chose, this quote is still something:

Arisu: “So…what is this place anyway?”

Mira: “…You’ll soon find out. Of your two choices, no matter which you choose, you’ll know the answer. You’ll know what kind of person you are. You’ll know. Life is like a game. Enjoy it more.”

The Alice in Borderland OST I'm listening to right now: Your Smile.

It's been a ridiculous couple of months. I'm having a hard time fitting in, but the last two months have been better. I've watched a lot of stuff, but this is the first time in a while that I feel like I have enough time to let things stir in my head to write about it.

I hope you're doing well.

- For Ice Cream

#alice in borderland #japanese tv #tv shows #tv review

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thankskenpenders · 2 years

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So, about the sequel...

I HAVE SEEN SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2.

My boyfriend and I were worried about this little coronavirus thing you might have heard of, so we decided to go to a midday Monday showing. This ended up being perfect. There were like 15-20 people at our showing - a small enough number for everyone to spread out, but enough for crowd reactions. (And boy, did that make that ending special. But we'll get to that.)

The short, spoiler-free version of my thoughts: It was great. It felt like the fully realized version of this take on Sonic. The weird human stuff is still there, but I thought it was more fun this time around, and the Actual Sonic Content is cranked up to 11. Many of the big setpieces in this movie are just pure, unadulterated Genesis and Adventure era fanservice, and I am here for it.

...BUT, at the same time, I get the lukewarm reviews it's gotten from critics. If the words "Master Emerald" and the sight of Tails flying the Tornado mean nothing to you, then you won't get as much out of this. It is, in fact, another blockbuster action movie where fully CGI characters fight over a macguffin of ultimate power (that wasn't mentioned at all in the first film). The script also has some oddities, and the constant one-liners don't always land. This is by no means high art

But goddamn, I had so much fun with it. (And for the record, so did Anthony, despite being an extremely casual fan of Sonic.) If you haven't seen it, go see it! If you have, though, let's dig into the specifics. From here on this beefy post will contain full spoilers for literally everything in the movie.

So let's jump right into the main attractions, shall we?

Tails

I wasn't sure how the movie would handle Tails. It was impossible for his origin story as a kid who followed Sonic around to work with Sonic spending ten years on Earth, and he already seemed to be the confident inventor he would come to be depicted as later.

It turns out, I was pleasantly surprised! Tails does sort of still have his old backstory, in that he grew up looking up to Sonic after hearing all the stories about him being the fastest thing alive. He's also here as a messenger warning Sonic about Knuckles and his search for the Master Emerald, which is on Earth. (Side note: this reveal makes everything about Longclaw sending Sonic to Earth make a hell of a lot more sense.) Because he's only here as a messenger, Tails still gets to have his little arc where he starts out as the timid sidekick in Sonic's shadow and learns to believe in his own strengths. It's really nice. Tails also gets the most heartwarming scene with him and Sonic going to bed. God, what a sweet little moment. Tails is so cute in this. I'm glad they leaned into him being the sweet kid sidekick instead of trying too hard to make him a smartass

Of course, he does end up getting overshadowed by you-know-who for a lot of the movie, but I thought the time Tails is allotted here was mostly used well, and Colleen is good as always. (I was a little worried hearing Regular Tails next to all the other characters with different voices would sound odd, but it felt natural to me.)

That said, what Tails does get to do primarily includes the Siberia segment, which is... odd. As soon as they walked in I felt like the movie had turned into the SpongeBob movie all of a sudden, and the climax of that sequence only added to that. (But it exists to let Sonic and Tails bond as friends, so I definitely wouldn't cut it. It's just kinda odd.) It was also one of several sequences where you can really see the cracks in the script, because like. Sonic is like "oh no, the map!" but he could just... go grab it with his super speed? Moments like this definitely didn't ruin the movie for me, but they're worth mentioning for a fuller picture

Anyway, the real star of the movie...

Knuckles

Knuckles is so good in this y'all

As expected from the trailers, Knuckles is portrayed as an absolute powerhouse who TROUNCES Sonic in their first fight. What surprised me, though, is just how many jokes they gave Knuckles.

I really liked how they handled him, though! He's competent in a fight and a genuine threat to Sonic, but he's still a lovable doofus at heart. Instead of just playing him up as a gullible idiot, though, they focused on him being an honorable warrior from another world who just doesn't get Earth stuff, and who trusts people because he comes from a culture where your word is your bond. (I might compare him to Thor.) It's a tricky needle to thread, but I think they did great. Idris Elba is great as this extremely confident straight man who's so serious at times that it wraps around to being funny, but never to the point that Knuckles comes off as a buffoon

After the scene with the echidnas in the first movie, I was also really curious how they'd handle Sonic and Knuckles' dynamic. What they landed on might honestly be my favorite take on their first meeting? Instead of simply being lied to by Eggman, Knuckles is after Sonic because of the established rivalry between Longclaw's owls and the echidnas over control of the Master Emerald. And, in fact, Robotnik chooses to ally himself with Knuckles (who finds him on the mushroom planet at the start of the film) because they have a common enemy in Sonic. He doesn't even learn about the Emerald until later, at which point betraying Knuckles to take it becomes his goal

We also learn that the rest of Knuckles' clan only died in battle in the modern day (possibly in the fight scene at the start of the first movie? I might've missed them saying that explicitly), explaining how he came to be the last of his kind. And over time, Sonic starts to bond with Knuckles because he realizes that they both lost their families to the war between the owls and the echidnas. It's a small touch, but in a movie with so many nods to Sonic Adventure 1 (even without Tikal or Chaos being part of the story), this definitely echoes its core thesis about breaking those historical cycles of violence

Overall, Tails and Knuckles were spot on to me. After how much Sonic and Robotnik were adjusted in the first movie to squeeze them into a more conventional Hollywood storytelling mold, I was ecstatic with how faithful these two were

Speaking of echidnas, though...

Interlude: The elephant in the room

Let's get this over with quickly. Over the weekend, Penders has begun tweeting about looking into legal action against Paramount. He believes that Enerjak and Locke were included without his permission. I reserved my personal judgment on this until after seeing the movie

I can now officially say he's full of shit

Even as someone who agrees that a big chunk of Sonic Chronicles was based on his Knuckles comics, there's almost nothing here. Like, yeah, I can get Archie readers going "huh, this kinda reminds me of the comics!" Seeing Knuckles have a dad is instantly going to remind me of Locke as well. But they have only the most basic similarities.

The character Penders is calling "Enerjak" is not an echidna scientist who's turned into an ancient Egypt-themed tyrant, he's a nameless typical echidna warrior with the vague Maya aesthetic from Sonic Adventure who's shown harnessing the power of the Master Emerald in a battle. Knuckles' nameless dad is also just another generic echidna warrior, not a mad scientist who experimented on Knuckles, and he looks nothing like Locke. His muzzle fuzz is a little thicker to give him the appearance of facial hair, but it's certainly not Locke's white beard, and he's sure as shit not running around in a lab coat. He gets one brief flashback scene where he tells a young Knuckles to stay home from the fight where the rest of his kind died, and that's it. Both characters appear for maybe fifteen seconds each

I really think Ken should've actually seen the damn movie before running his mouth, because there's basically nothing supporting his claims, and he's going to look like a goddamn idiot if he takes this to court. Now, moving on!

Eggman

I liked Carrey's Robotnik more in this one! The combination of him going full cartoon character and getting the proper makeover really works. (And he's flying around in the Eggmobile for most of the movie, too!) It was much, much, much easier for me to see him as Robotnik this time around, instead of just Jim Carrey

Him absorbing the power of the Master Emerald directly and basically going super for the climax was a fun take on things, too. Carrey's observations about him wanting to be a robot are very clear here. And having him use magic to build a big fucking Death Egg Robot out of the vehicles around him was a clever way to explain the setpiece in a grounded setting where he can't just have a city-sized fortress pumping out giant robots. Him saying that he wants to enslave all of humanity and make them service his machines probably came out of nowhere for general audiences, and is another point in the "this script isn't amazing" column for critics, but as a fan, yep! That sure is Eggman right there!

He also flosses at Knuckles one time and god, it's so good. I know Sonic flossed in the first movie, but it still managed to catch me off guard because he just fucking does it out of nowhere

The other humans

They also felt like a step up from the first film to me! The biggest change: Tom being a cop literally does not come up ever lmao. He's basically just Sonic's dad here. And this normal-ass guy being the adoptive father to the little zinger-spouting Looney Tune that is movie Sonic feels kinda weird, but eh, if he has to be in these movies then this is an improvement to me

This stuff will probably be hit or miss for most people, but the human cast is thankfully a fairly minor part of the film compared to the first, and it just feels like they're having more fun with it, even if it sometimes feels like you're watching a completely different movie. They got more laughs out of me this time. (Although the ring mixup was definitely another bizarre script moment to me. Why did Tom not just say they had the wrong ring, instead of having that little argument and then punching the groom???)

Tom in particular is a very, very minor part of the film compared to the first. For critics who latched onto that as the heart of the first film, I can see why they might get disappointed to see his relationship with Sonic sidelined hard. But also... I hated Tom? Yeah, James Marsden was fine, but I hated the whole premise of Sonic having to go on a road trip with a boring-ass speed trap cop whose greatest aspiration in life is to be a cop in a bigger town. That's the complete polar opposite of what I want out of Sonic. So having less Tom, with no focus on him being a cop, and Tom's scenes being funnier (imo) is a huge improvement to me

There's also an odd stretch of maybe 5-10 minutes towards the end of act two where, out of nowhere, Maddie (Tom's wife) and Rachel (her sister) basically become the heroes? I was like wait, what the fuck is happening. Rachel of all characters gets this whole little character arc in the span of a few consecutive scenes. It's almost like they inserted an unrelated short film into the middle of this Sonic movie. But said segment still got some genuine laughs out of me, so I'll take it. Again, it felt like they were having more fun with it this time

Really, though, it turns out there was exactly one word they had to say to make me like the human stuff more, and that word is "GUN."

Yes, GUN is in this as much more than a background Easter egg! It turns out the division was formed after the events of the first movie, and none other than The Olive Garden Guy himself has been retconned into being the GUN Commander. (And yes, they joke about the name. The Commander's giddy little response that shows he's just so proud of the name made it land.) Literally just making "GUN tries to capture Sonic and Tails" the crux of that human-heavy Hawaii sequence made it work way better for me by turning it into something recognizably Sonic

The climax

After that brief detour in Hawaii, Sonic and Knuckles have their showdown over the Emerald, it's a really good fight, Eggman betrays Knuckles, and then it's off to Green Hills for the final showdown against the Death Egg Robot. Which is really where the whole film comes together. It's a very fun battle where Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all get their moments to shine. Knuckles in particular is so fun as an ally from this point onwards. Him just freefalling backwards off of the Tornado was so funny

And, of course, as the grand finale. It happens.

Super Sonic

Super Sonic was done perfectly. It appropriately feels like this is the moment at which the movie's Sonic comes into his own as the confident hero we know from the games. It's just... it's so cool. There isn't much else to say. I'm so glad they went all the way. And afterwards we get a brief fakeout where Knuckles is like "that's not the same Sonic anymore" due to the power of the Emeralds and I'm like, wait... StC Super Sonic??? They don't actually do this, but I wonder if the thought crossed their minds with that evil Super Sonic fakeout. There's a surprising amount of stuff with StC vibes in these movies. (Regardless, Sonic giving up that power after winning was a very Sonic move.)

Then we get the wrap up and a very cute baseball scene with the boys. I was so glad Knuckles got to stay with his new friends instead of walking off into the sunset to guard the Master Emerald alone. And that's it! Movie over. What a fun time

Oh, except...

The tease

Look. I didn't get spoiled, but people have been freaking out about the tease since it came out. I'd speculated before that the only characters left for a big crowd-pleasing tease would be Amy, Metal, and Shadow, and Shadow is the most popular of those three. People have been hyping themselves up at the thought of the third movie doing SA2 literally since the first set photos came out showing the GUN vehicles. So it didn't exactly surprise me to see Shadow at the end

What did surprise me... was that they're not just including Shadow willy-nilly. It looks like they're going all the way.

It's a short tease where Shadow doesn't even speak (I'm sure they're trying to get someone big to voice him - I want Keanu), but it speaks volumes. I had assumed that Shadow might get tossed in similar to how he was handled in Boom. No backstory, just a dark rival for Sonic. Nope!! Not at all!!! I was fucking delighted. They aren't backing down. I don't know how they'll handle it - lord knows what they'll do with Maria, or if they'll ditch the ARK and keep it on Earth - but Shadow is a test tube baby created by a Robotnik 50 years ago that the government has been covering up. And there he is. In the tube. That's Shadow.

Man, Shadow isn't even my favorite character, but as a fan of that era of Sonic I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooo unbelievably down for this. I am so glad they're leaning into even the "cringey" parts of Sonic instead of backing down and only doing the Genesis era stuff. I cannot fucking believe three years out from that heinous first trailer that felt like a Sonic movie in name only, we're getting this. The reveal of a live action Shadow. A major tentpole blockbuster action film is going to come out in the year of our lord 2024 with Shadow the Hedgehog as the marquee character. Critics are going to have to review a film based at least in part on Sonic Adventure 2. (It is simultaneously going to get the worst critic reviews and be the most fun of the three, I'm calling it now.) What a world. The hype is beyond real. And not just for me. Shadow got some big reactions at the tiny midday showing I was at, too, from kids and adults alike. I am so, so happy I was able to make it to the theater to experience that firsthand

(And hey, let's hope Rouge shows up in that Knuckles streaming show next year. Can't have Shadow without his partner in crime. And also I still just have no idea who else they would put in that show lmao, she's the only other real rival Knuckles has)

Stray thoughts

Tails and Knuckles both finding Sonic in the same scene (with the returning Robotnik there as well) felt kinda cramped, and I can see non-fans thinking it's too much too fast when Sonic's new best friend immediately shows up and starts talking about the Master Emerald

There are two jokes in like the first ten minutes where it sounds like someone is going to say "shit" but then they say a different SH word and I was like yep this sure was written by Hollywood screenwriters

Sonic using his super speed to disassemble the stolen bank truck was a fun use of his powers, and I loved the SA1 shot allusions throughout that sequence

People speculated that Longclaw was inspired by the owl imagery in various ancient ruin levels in the Genesis games, and they lean into this! The classic owl face blocks show up

I loved that the Mean Bean coffee shop Stone runs ends up being a secret Robotnik base. (And, yeah, Stone was fun in this. His first scene got a big laugh out of the audience.)

It seems like Tails' catchphrase in this is him going "only SONIC THE HEDGEHOG could [do thing]" in a half-laughing impressed way and like, I get that it's to show that he practically worships the guy but it did feel kinda forced lol

Sonic calls his Super mode the "golden god look" in one joke at the end and I was like oh my god he's Dennis Reynolds

Overall, I loved it. It's far from a perfect movie, absolutely, and I think the low fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes is fair. But god, seeing all that Sonic iconography done right, when paired with genuinely good takes on these characters? It just hit right

This movie is still weird. It still has jokes that whiff. It still has incongruous human subplots (that will probably feel like complete filler if you aren't a Modern!Sonic nerd who lights up at any mention of GUN). It's big and dumb and loud. Its emotional moments rely on broad, cliché statements about what it means to be a hero. But where the first movie felt like a painfully generic family road trip adventure film with Sonic and Eggman tacked on, a film that was only saved by the last minute redesign, this one felt like a Sonic movie. It embraced what I like about the series instead of shying away from it. It's still not my ideal Sonic movie - that would be, you know. A cartoon. With the whole cast. But if we're gonna get these live action ones? This is more like it. Can't wait for the third one and that Knuckles show

#tkp post #other media

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summerrainwinterbreeze · 2 years

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Bts as types of kisses

A/N: Images are not mine. Tumblr is acting up and I can't make mood boards.

ლ Seokjin

Little forehead kisses. If you're into the idea of going with the boys for their concerts, expect jin to run backstage between performances and grab your cheeks to plant a fat kiss on your forehead. He'd also do it if he was out all day and was finally seeing you again at the end of it. He won't wait or take constructive criticism. You're getting a kiss and you cannot stop him.

ლ Yoongi

Hand kisses work best for him. He's always so busy. So when you come looking for him, hoping for a moment of intimacy, he often feels bad. He'll reach for the hand you place on his shoulder, taking his time to kiss your knuckles, then your wrist, trail his way back to your palm and sigh out all his tension, his shoulders visibly slackening. If he feels extra soft he'll place your hand on his cheek and rest himself on it. Don't be surprised if he goes silent for a moment with eyes closed and body still. He's just taking you in.

ლ Hoseok

Smashes his lips against yours in a brief rush of passion. He'd want to show you off if you were comfortable with it. I can see him calling you on stage and if you're being shy he'd rush up to you, cup your cheeks and kiss you so so hard. He's doing the most. Just the two of you, bodies pressed incredibly close, him grinning against your lips "You're so gorgeous" Your hope would react this way as well if he saw you unexpectedly. Would take a moment to freak out before rushing up to you, unable to stop his smile.

ლ Namjoon

Kisses on your temple. Especially when he misses you or needs a break. You'd crawl into bed or into his studio and he would sit you on his lap, your thighs straddling his, and smile before giving you a little peck on the temple, pulling you into his chest, hugging you tightly. "I missed you a lot" "How are you, sweetheart?" You're both his strength and his weakness. And he's not afraid to let you know.

ლ Jimin

Kisses that are the perfect mix of enough and sensual. "Guess what?" And his lips are on yours, hands beneath your thighs hoisting you up so that your legs wrap firmly around his waist. He cannot get enough of you. And he knows exactly how to peel you apart. You won't see it coming. One second he's talking to the maknae, the next his hands are soothingly running up and down your sides, leaning into you, a bold, shameless expression of his burning passion, nibbling on your lips and ear lobe, giggling when you gasp. He loves you and he'd be damned if you didn't know it.

ლ Taehyung

Kisses with him are a soft, sensual experience. He prefers to kiss when the two of you are alone, in bed or cuddling somewhere comfy. He sees it as its own form of art. A gentle confession. Sweet intimacy. The merging of souls, or perhaps, the reuniting of a single one. He'd roll you onto your back, lacing your fingers, his kiss like a breath of wind. You'd get drunk on them together. The constant back and forth exchange of lips and tongue rocks you to a state of peaceful oblivion.

ლ Jungkook

Smiles the whole time and is really playful with them. Teasing kisses that leave you pouty and flushed. "You want more?" Cannot keep the sparkle from his eyes. He absolutely adores you. Romanticizes every little thing. Giggles when your impatience takes over and you hit his arm. "Let me give you all my love" He can be serious though. Would love it if you dragged him from practice for a quick kiss behind the scenes. Loves it when you keep him on his toes.

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yoonpobs · 3 years

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we don't talk together | myg

pairing: min yoongi x oc

genre: angst, hurt/comfort, growth! exes that remain exes

words: 2, 842

summary: it's hard to say it's over

What they don't tell you about goodbyes is that it isn't the end.

It's far from the closing of a book. Goodbyes are the itch that urges you to pick up an old book from the shelf just to feel what you first felt when you re-read certain parts of a book; the same remorse you felt when a character you grew attached to didn't get the ending they deserved. Or, maybe it was the villain that was misunderstood—your own heart wishing to reach out to the sad soul that couldn't even be recognised when all they do is speak.

But some books will end up dusty, forgotten, tucked away in the corner of your shelf; or in the most drastic of cases: lost.

"The park looks ... different," Yoongi speaks up for a lack of a better conversation starter.

You hum. What would you say? That it wasn't the same from when we used to spend our Spring's blended into Summer's until it got too hot for us to lay in each other's embrace?

It was still too fresh even though it's been nearly a year.

"There are more dogs," You point out the moment a tan pomeranian runs past the two of you, the owner an old couple laughing away under the cherry blossoms.

He nods, fingers stuffed in his trench coat. You note that it's the same one he wore on your anniversary, plans abandoned when there was a mix-up with the reservations until the two of you stumbled across a hidden gem that soon became your go-to date place.

You will yourself to look away so no more memories can resurface. It seems like every part of your life has somehow seamlessly intertwined itself with traces of Yoongi that it was impossible for you to exist as just yourself.

"How are things at the firm?" He asks after the two of you walked side-by-side in complete silence as more and more chatter fill your ears.

"It's ... going," You chuckle dryly.

Yoongi raises an eyebrow at you, shooting you a brief glance over until the two of you reach a bench. You dare say it's muscle memory that dragged your heavy feet into the direction of the only bench that you've known in the park. The compressed reminder of the initials of your names that you carved as teenagers likely still staining the years old wood. It was meant to be an emblem for wisdom, the ring of growth that meant to be the endgame for the two of you.

You almost laugh in bitterness and how literal the metaphor was.

"Everything okay?"

Yoongi takes the first step to sit on the bench because he always did. Ever the gentlemen when he opened doors for you, let you into the car first, waited until you stepped ahead of him to trail behind like a shield.

The first date, first kiss, first confession.

The first one to decide that it was over.

"My boss is just being sexist, as usual. I thought I'd get used to it after spending two years there but ... there are some things that you just stay unfamiliar, you know?"

It was very like you to speak in double-entendres without intending to. But it was also like Yoongi to pick up on it, especially after years of learning all the best and worst parts of you; he was and probably will be one of the few people in your lives that will always foresee your next move.

The two of you sit a fair distance apart on the bench even if it was a battle for space anyway. You didn't have the liberty to lean into his embrace anymore and he wasn't in the position to say that it was okay for you to breathe, to relax.

"You shouldn't get used to those remarks. There are times where you learn to grow used to constructive criticism but if what he's saying makes you question your worth because of very arbitrary reasons like your gender then that isn't criticism, nor is it constructive. It's bigoted and chauvinistic."

You look down to your thumbs as you fiddle with it, his words comforting you. It was woeful that you still chased validation from him even after learning to be that person to yourself.

"Yeah, I guess."

Then how did you get used to things?

If time didn't make things familiar then what did? Was it not the five years with Yoongi that led you to see him build an empire for himself all the while destroying the relationship that you had? Or was it because he was the person that you thought of doing the most minuscule things?

"By the way," He clears his throat, eyes still set forward, "Namjoon says hi."

You raise an eyebrow, surprised to hear the name of a mutual friend—or more appropriately, friend by association and acquaintance when that link was broken.

"He knows that you're with me?"

Yoongi nods his head.

"I needed to let someone at the studio know and ... well, he's the only one that knew of our situation."

You chuckle bitterly.

Of course. The suggestion of his work only made your heart drop because as much as you wanted to be supportive of him, even after the break-up, the name of his studio or songs only reminded you of the battle that you helplessly lost.

"You can tell him that I'm still a text or phone call away. No need to play messenger," You return.

The atmosphere is more reflective than awkward. You know that the two of you had your pieces to say, your own narrative to tell but neither brave enough to break the calm that you were settled in. It was a nice difference from the way that things ended, and you supposed that you were similar enough to believe in a mirage than the inevitable truth.

But you didn't call him out after six months to sit in silence to walk away with your heart feeling heavier, nor did you invite him out just to remember what it feels like to have him next to you—even in complete silence.

"Would you have really quit?"

This time, you gather all the bravery that you've built over the past few months to ask the question that has been mulling in your mind since the night you decided that it was officially over.

It was a painful break-up. Even if you expected it when Yoongi came home earlier one night with bags under his eyes and his keys that he usually left at the studio because he knew you'd always be home to open the door for him.

"I'm sorry?" He seems taken aback.

You don't blame him. You've always been more passive in dealing with confrontation due to your conflict-averse nature—but that didn't mean you didn't get angry or annoyed—or hurt. But if you learned anything, it was to stop asking yourself questions that you'll never have the answer to.

"Would you really have left the company to save our relationship?"

You chose your words carefully. Instead of saying to be with you, knowing that he lost the love, he had for you somewhere along the way—you point out the one hole that he held on to for the sake of stability. The one thing that was constant in his life with how unpredictable the music industry was.

"Yes."

Somehow, the answer doesn't make you feel better because even with time apart you knew he was lying to save your face.

"You don't owe me anything to lie to my face, Yoongi." You frown.

Yoongi sighs, rubbing his hands across his face as he leaves your statement hanging in the air to mull over his answer.

You prefer the silence that way. It showed that he was at least listening, or cared enough to decide his next set of words. Nothing like how much it pained you to acknowledge the responses you got from him when you were crying were just out of obligation than sincerity.

"No, I wouldn't have."

You nod your head, expectant of the answer but you needed to hear him say it himself rather than drowning yourself in ruminating thoughts of how there was still a semblance of hope that he would've given it up for you, for your relationship—or the life that you were meant to build.

"I wouldn't have asked you to, anyway." You confess.

Yoongi turns his head to look at you and for the first time since you've met at the park, he notices the absence of a necklace around your neck. The necklace that you never took off. He wants to comment on it, ask where it went or if you've pawned it off out of pettiness but he held no remorse towards you. You were tolerant with the break-up even as you sucked in your tears when he knew that it killed you on the inside. Yoongi didn't have the heart in him to ask you.

"Oh."

"You were the one that said you'd quit so we could stay together," You say softly.

Yoongi doesn't respond as he looks back to the night where the two of you sat down to talk about the standing of your relationship. It was a rollercoaster of emotions that started off with an amicable discussion that eventually led to the two of you yelling until you surrendered to your tears and just left the battle completely.

He said a lot of things that night. From things that he's been bottling up for months, to things that he's always wanted to tell you and things that he didn't remotely mean, and things that he's regretted the moment it left his lips.

"I guess I did."

You sigh, leaning back into the bench as you observe a couple walking in front of you, passing your bench as they share an ice cream on a cone; bickering on who'd get the first lick. To anyone, you and Yoongi would've looked just like a couple that has reached a comfortable point in your relationship where intimacy was just sitting next to one another.

But you admit, there was something oddly intimate and heart-breaking about sitting next to someone you've loved with your whole heart and feel nothing but ... weightlessness. Like the burden of your concerns was lifted ever so slightly just being here.

"I wouldn't have made you choose between your relationship or your dream, Yoongi. I would never have done that to you."

Yoongi knew you would never have made him do something as abhorrent as that. You were far too understanding. But you had wanted from him too, that he wasn't willing to provide just yet. He didn't know if it was because of the expiration date to your relationship or because of the stress he was under at work—but he convinced himself that it was you that was asking for too much instead of him compromising too little.

"I ... I know," He whispers, "I'm sorry."

You purse your lips. You try not to let your emotions appear on your sleeve. You were tired of allowing your face to speak before you did. You needed to use the voice you had.

"I loved you so much, Yoongi," You murmur, "I loved you so much that I would have taken anything I could've gotten with you just so I could be with you."

Yoongi stays silent at this.

"I didn't mind if you spent more time at work than at our home. I just wanted to know if I was ever in the picture when you were talking about the future. I know how much you love music and I supported you through every audition and failure ... and to know that I was just—" You swallow, the words still painful to say. But you needed to make your peace with it, "—that I was just someone that would wait for you instead of your partner. That's when I knew that you didn't love me the way I loved you."

Yoongi chokes to speak up but you shake your head.

"No, Yoongi. You loved me, you did. But somewhere along the way you stopped and you just pretended that we were okay even when I was trying my best to fix the seams. I wasn't your girlfriend anymore, I was just someone familiar to you and I didn't deserve to feel that way." You tell him sternly.

Yoongi surrenders to his silence as you take a deep breath to continue.

"Maybe I loved you too much in a way that you couldn't understand."

"_______, don't say that—" His eyes widen when he tries to reach a hand to yours to comfort you, but your body language remains stoic as you keep your hands in your lap.

"—and that's okay Yoongi. I loved you but not in the way you needed. I'm not here to make you feel bad about what I chose to do on my own because it wasn't my fault that I couldn't be what you need." You say sadly, but a small smile on your face as you finally say the words that have been eating at you for months.

"... okay," Yoongi accepts.

"We all have different ways to love and be loved. I loved you and that was enough for you at one point but love isn't all a relationship needs. You loved me too, in your own way and I accepted that but just because it was enough for me doesn't mean it was enough for us." You glance over at him to see him staring at you intently.

"I'm sorry that things turned out this way," Yoongi says softly, eyes gentle.

You wave him off.

"I don't think I'll ever love someone as much as I loved you, though," He confesses, eyes returning to the scene in front of him filled with different colours of life that seemed to look vibrant under the Spring sunset.

You shake your head and chuckle softly.

"You say that now but you'll meet someone one day and you'll remember all the reasons why you love in the first place. And it'll be enough for you, and them."

He shrugs, a small smile itching on his face.

"I really did love you," He says, "But I'm sorry for not being honest with you. I owe you that much of an apology."

"We're not here to forgive or forget, Yoongi," You look at him kindly, "We're here to move on."

He purses his lips and hums, nodding his head.

"I hope you get that promotion at work you were talking about months ago, ______." Yoongi offers, a gentle grin marring his face.

"I did," You shrug.

It feels liberating to have achieved something and only feeling content by acknowledging it yourself. Months ago, you would've hurt at the fact that Yoongi didn't know. But the change you welcomed after the end only showed you that there was a new path for you to walk on.

His eyes widen, but eventually, he chuckles and shakes his head, muttering something under his breath that sounded a lot like knew it.

You push yourself off the bench, dusting your hands on your pants as you offer him one last smile before you say goodbye for the second time.

"I hope you find someone who you'll love more than you ever did with me." You tease.

He rolls his eyes.

"Impossible," The grin on his face is easy, and your heart still clenches at the nonchalance, but you don't expect the feeling to go away so easily—nor do you mind. It just shows that you needed to wait and that you were willing to do it.

"Of course you will. You're a musician, Yoongi. You need a muse," You smirk at him as you turn around, a small wave on your hand to say goodbye.

As you walk away and his body gets smaller and smaller from your vision, you turn around to say:

"We don't talk together is a beautiful song."

Yoongi's smile is genuine, and so is his goodbye. A gentle acknowledgment of his hand as he stands up himself, walking to the other direction of where you were headed.

You still had a love for Yoongi, and you suppose you always will. Just like how you would feel pleasant when rediscovering a childhood hobby that triggers a fond memory, or how you love different things in your life in different ways. Whether or not you love someone more than you've ever loved Yoongi isn't your concern, because when love comes in one form, it goes in another.

When you still take the same route you'd usually take with Yoongi after your walks back home, you pass the cafe you used to frequent to see that it's replaced with a new bar. You smile fondly to yourself, shaking your head.

You loved that place.

But eventually, you'll find another cafe with a beautiful interior and a latte to match, and you'll love it too.

#bts fic #bts imagine #bts fics #bts imagines #bts yoongi #bts fluff #bts angst #yoongi x reader #yoongi fluff #yoongi angst #yoongi exes #yoongi imagine #yoongi fic #yoongi breakup #angst #fluff #yoongi #min yoongi x reader

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the-overanalyst · 2 years

Text

a lot of swifties have been excited about how badass and savage reputation's vault tracks and how they're going to absolutely destroy kanye, kim, etc. but i honestly don't think this is the direction those vault tracks will go in. when taylor originally released reputation, she had a specific image that she wanted to portray: the vengeful snake who could iconically clap back at haters. this is what the first half of the album and most of the singles lean into, but these songs are often criticized for being less authentic than her other work. that's because this persona was cultivated for the general public's consumption, so i don't think she would write songs like this and not release them. they were written to be heard, and she probably stopped when she felt like she'd said enough.

instead, i think the sort of songs she did write and withhold from the album -- the songs she'll release from the vault -- were the sad songs. after all, 2016 was an incredibly difficult time for her emotionally, yet the only song we have that really dives into that is evermore -- not even on reputation. listening to that song retroactively makes it feel like there's a missing piece in reputation, another side of the story that we didn't get to hear. i think it's very likely that she wrote a lot of songs during this time period with a similar tone as evermore the song (and probably more songs about joe as well, some of which might have made it onto lover). however, she probably left them out because they would contradict the badass persona that she wanted to project, and likely get her accused of "playing the victim."

of course, there are some softer-toned songs on the original reputation, such as call it what you want and new year's day, but these are both happy songs, placed near the end to sort of tie things up nicely. they quickly summarize all the struggles that got her to that point without really addressing them: "my castle crumbled overnight. i brought a knife to a gunfight. they took the crown but it's alright." but the thing is, it wasn't always alright, and i wholeheartedly believe that there are songs in existence about how was feeling during the time before. now, whether she wants to release them with reputation tv is her choice, but as a die-hard dancing with our hands tied stan, i would love to hear more songs of that caliber... but, like, sadder, y'know?

#taylor swift #red taylor’s version #dancing with our hands tied #call it what you want #taylors version #from the vault #kanye west #kim kardashian #rep taylor swift #rep tv #evermore #long story short #rep era

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deanwinchesterphobic · 2 years

Note

spn for the ask game (i mean. what else would i have asked abt)

I reblogged it to this blog specifically to make sure it was spn related and not something else lol

favorite character: Michael!!! He has barely any time on screen but there are so many things that happened to him off screen that I would like to explore. I kind of wish they did in the show but first off: they would ruin it and I would do it better and second off: there wasn't a way to fit anything more about him and Adam in because they only really joined for the second to last episode and what happened before his introduction wouldn't fit in well because we aren't given a lot of information on the angels so it would be weird to give him a full backstory. Jack and Belphegor are contenders though :) I love pretty much every non human character so it is hard to pick.

least favorite character: Dean? Sam? I think Sam is my least favourite because he is so boring and doesn't change and just stays boring and annoying. Dean is a close second though, but I can appreciate the fact that he actually has a personality (as horrible as it is) .

brOTP: Sam and Rowena!! Lots of people ship them but I personally just think they are besties. Also!! Cas and Meg! I think they are sweethearts i think people take their relationship as being either more complicated or as being romantic (as romantic as it can be) but I get reminded of us when I think about them!! Meg is squishing on Cas. Cas is also squishing on her but he has zero fucking clue what that means or would feel like. Simply an oblivious puppy.

OTP: midam(?) Michael and Adam, I think they work really well together and I love the idea of how they managed to come together and like each other. They started off in a really horrible situation, changed each other for the better, and found solace. It's sweet. I like it both platonically and romantically but I lean more towards the romantic aspect.

OT3: I can't think of any, but if I had to pick maybe like, Dean, Benny, and Cas. But not as a throuple, more like Benny just has two boyfriends. I do genuinely ship Dean and Benny, and I think Benny and Cas would get along if they actually got to really know each other.

NOTP: Destiel. Cas deserves so much better than that abusive man whore (derogatory). Enough said.

favorite storyline: Kelly's pregnancy and Jack's birth. They managed to show off Jack's power and how scared everyone is of him, whilst also confirming he isn't a bad person. They used Cars to confirm that though, which is something I like, because as trustworthy as Cas is, he does have a tendency to mess things up while he's trying to help, or to not fully understand situations he is in. I also think Jack was a good way to give Cas a personal sense of purpose.

least favorite storyline: Bobby's time in the after life.

what I wish had happened but didn't: apart from Cas breaking up with Dean? I would have loved for there to be a little bit more subversive experiences with the supernatural beings! They established all Angels (besides a few) are dicks so why not have some more demons that aren't only in it for their own gain? Vampires that only do consensual blood sucking!! More "good" witches. Etc. Etc. I don't want an in depth monster revolution because that would fit in, but if more mentioned how they get treated in passing I think that could be nice. Some vampire said something like "they think they're so much better than us for not drinking blood" (paraphrasal) and I want there to be more of that energy. Some ghoul should criticize Dean's eating habits or something. "Oh? You eat processed meat... Atleast I scavenge" something like that.

what happened that I wish hadn't: for the finale they killed Dean and then had a weird montage with Sam and his son, as well as a montage of Dean driving through heaven, and then it ends with Sam coming back to heaven. I kind of wish they just ended it with Dean dying so that what Jack did wouldn't be confirmed, and neither would Sam's life. I think what they showed is good, Sam has always wanted to leave hunting, Jack would fix things, but I think it would have been nice to have that all be inference based on what we know about the characters instead of having it as a fact. It might have been nice if they still showed Dean meeting Bobby in heaven and then just ended it there, because that would show the type of change Jack did to heaven without telling us you know?

There are a lot of hounarable mentions for the ships and favourite character questions haha.

#inceldonnie #ask #ask game #supernatural #thank you bezzie

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os-hyoideum · 3 years

Text

the wh*res are fighting 19 (one-shot)

Part 19: THE DATE

Previous - here - Next

masterlist

(this, perhaps, can be read seperately, so if you you wanna check it out, but nit the SMAU, then go on 😉)

a/n: Ok, it took me a long time, but I had a lot of uni work and it's also almost 5k words 🙃 Like, I can pull the standard SMAU texts out of my ass in an hour sometimes, but this? Nah-ah, I like writing, but I'm mostly slow. (but I will write out the ending too) Since the format is different, I'm putting content warnings on this (outside of the ones on the matserlist). Again, it's an AU so I will write Touya as bitchy or soft as I please, and I take no criticism for it 💅 (now watch me destroy them after some nice time - if you see this no you don't)

THE SHOT IS UNDER THE CAT

WORDCOUNT: 4878

CONTENT: hero!AU (Dabi/Touya is a hero), OOC, Y/N is awkward at feelings (cringe), lack of safety equipment (sledgehammers), romantic arson (just a bit), cursing, tatted up/pierced Touya, Touya rides motorcycle

I really hope you gonna enjoy it, cause I enjoyed writing it and I think it's alright!

You looked up from your phone to see the place where you were to meet Touya. As a first part of his date plan, he invited you to a small café that looked almost like a bookshop from outside. On the windows hung colorful fairy lights (although turned off, due to it being bright outside) and some handmade paper decorations. It truly was a nice place, but quite an unusual choice, considering it was Touya who chose it; a bit too wholesome perhaps, but who were you to judge.

After making sure that the address you arrived at was the correct one, you stopped under a tree to get some shade from the warm sun rays. You started to look around, seeing people, some of them in a rush, some enjoying the nice weather, while leisurely walking to their mysterious destinations. Unfortunately, one face was oddly familiar. Standing on the opposite side of the road was an ordinary looking man in dark clothing. Looking straight into your eyes, he moved towards the crosswalk and, in a very relaxed manner, directed his steps towards you.

You tensed up, ready for anything. It wasn't a good omen to see him right there, right now. He was sent there as a warning and it was apparent in his intense gaze and every little calculated move. Also, because you knew how the gods' machine works.

After barely a few seconds, the unnamed man stopped right in front of you, leaving precisely one and a half meter of space between your bodies. Perfectly straight back, relaxed face features, hands in sight. It didn't seem as though he was there to attack or cause trouble (any bigger than his presence alone already was), but you knew better than to let your guard down. Staring him down, you waited patiently for his words.

“Hello, number Four,” he said with a slight underline of contempt in his voice.

“What do you want?” You looked around to check if any unwanted attention was on you two. It wasn’t really necessary considering both of you looked like ordinary civilians, but, at the end of the day, it’s better to be aware of one’s surroundings.

The man shifted his weight slightly, taking half a step closer.

“You know your little paradise won’t last long.” He exclaimed and smiled cynically. “Or have you, perhaps, forgotten?”

“Fuck off.” With a cold voice and a cold gaze, you ended the short exchange. The man did not move, however. He stood, still with an annoyingly straight back, in front of you and looked both harmless and ready to leap at you, had he deemed it necessary.

The stare off was short lived. A few seconds later you felt a presence coming from behind you and the man was pushed away by Touya, who came just in time to hear the end of your conversation. He looked a bit concerned, but stared at the mysterious person with a hard gaze and little bit of blue flame coming from the corners of his mouth.

“She told you to fuck off, so go and scurry away.”

Unbothered, the man didn’t pay any attention to this sudden event. He seemed even amused by it to some extent.

“I see you got yourself-” he glanced quickly towards Touya, who stood right next to you “a dog.”

Already annoyed before by the sheer presence of this man, now you felt your blood boil. WIthout thinking much, you leapt towards him and harshly grabbed the collar of his shirt. You heard someone close-by whisper with a scared voice, but you paid no mind to it.

“Fuck. Off.” You started, accentuating the words and putting as much venom into them, as you could muster. “Go and crawl at their feet like the pathetic nobody that you are.”

You saw a change in his eyes. No longer emotionless, he seemed irritated, which filled you with a bit of sadistic pride. He forcefully pulled your hands away and shoved you back. Then brushed his shirt like nothing happened and, just before turning around and going away said:

“You are the same. Everyone who touches the Olymp is.”

Finally alone with your still-just-a-friend, you turned around to face him. Having brushed off the encounter, you smiled at Touya, first a little fake, but seeing him made you happy enough to be genuine after just barely a second. On the other hand though, he still seemed rather concerned with the strange turn of events.

“Who was that?”

“He’s a colleague... from work.” Your answer didn’t lessen Touya’s worry. His brows furrowed, while he decided to press a bit more.

“From work? He’s… a hero?”

You stood right in front of him and lifted your arm, putting the thumb between his brows, watching him relax slightly, as you caressed the crease in his skin.

“From before.” It was a diplomatic answer, both a lie and a truth. You knew Touya wasn’t stupid and would get to the truth sooner or later, but for now he seemed to let it go, so you changed the topic. “So, I must ask. Why… a cafe? I would be more inclined to think you’d take me to a boxing ring or something.”

Touya smiled at your teasing tone, but did not answer. He just turned around and started walking towards the entrance of the place. He stopped and held the door for you, still standing next to the tree, a few meters away.

“You coming?”

You looked at him unamused by his lack of answer, but went inside. It was pretty and cozy, which didn’t match with his more edgy vibe, but you just brushed it off and sat down on a plush armchair in the corner. You put your elbows on the table and propped your head on your palms, looking as Touya took his jacket off and threw it on the back of his chair. You started to closely admire the tattoos adorning both of his arms, from the hands to his shoulders (and even further, as you already knew).

“Both your tattoo and hand kink are showing, baby.”

He sat down and looked at you with a teasing glint in his beautiful eyes. You leaned back, crossed one of your legs over the other and put your arms up, in a gesture of surrender, but then looked at him accusingly.

“That’s not my fault that you’re a harlot. You’re basically putting yourself on display for me, so really, it’s on you. You whore.”

“You got me, but it’s only for you.”

Touya laughed then and stood up to buy you both a coffee. You sat still, waiting and looking around. When your eyes landed on the discarded jacked, you stood up to take it. A simple black jean jacket, quite thin to be suitable for the warm weather. Holding it by the collar, you brought it closer to your face and inhaled the smell of the perfume lingering on the fabric. You couldn’t quite tell what it was, but it wasn’t too strong and you had to admit it was one of the best smells you knew, especially with the mix of natural scent of Touya’s body.

The owner of the jacket came back with the drinks a few minutes later and saw you with the piece of clothing.

“A little thief today, are we?”

You took one last whiff of the jacket and put it down.

“It smells nice. Maybe I should buy this perfume for myself.”

Touya looked up from his coffee.

“You want my perfume?”

“As I said - it’s nice.” You shrugged and saw him smirk.

“I can give you mine if you want to smell like me so badly.”

“Hmm…” You hummed and leaned forward a bit, “Well, I wouldn’t mind smelling like you.”

You took your cup and started to slowly drink, while looking into Touya’s eyes. Something in them made you feel strange, perhaps it was the softness with which he took you in.

When sunshine fell on him from between the window decorations, he reminded you of some kind of angel, eyes almost glowing, silver piercings glistening; the sun accentuated every little shadow on his face, but, at the same time, made him look really delicate.

Touya’s gaze went down and your thought moved to the back of your mind. He adjusted his position on the chair before speaking.

“I guess I can tell you why the cafe, which you found, oh so surprising, I don’t know why.” He paused for a second to narrow his eyes at you. “I’ve heard you wanted a “normal” date, whatever the hell that means.”

“Wha-,” your eyes widened with mock surprise, “Did Shiggy snitch on me?”

“Please, he didn’t have to. It’s not like you asked all your friends for advice. So I decided to take you somewhere… classic, if you will.”

You crossed your arms on your chest and rolled your arms, then pointed an accusatory finger at your companion.

“Now you’re just mocking me.”

“Me? Never.” Obvious sarcasm on his part. “But I have one more place that I want to take you later. Perhaps more to your standards.”

Now you felt a bit guilty that he might have thought you didn’t like it. He didn’t seem so, but you preferred to explain either way.

“I don’t want you to think that I don’t appreciate it… it’s just…” You shrugged. “I didn’t expect something so… usual? Common? Normal, heh.”

“I know you’re just awkward, but let’s relax and enjoy ourselves.”

And so you did, talking about many different things for a few hours.

***

You put your index finger on your lips, pondering on something for a moment.

“Isn’t it going to be, you know… the anniversary soon? Of your mom’s divorce, I mean.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Touya nodded.

“Damn, happy birthday then.” You brought your cup to your lips like you didn’t just say… that. But Touya lifted his eyebrows and stared at you unsure.

“What?” You just shrugged and he sighed, “Nevermind then. Happy birthday to mom.”

A few seconds of a comfortable silence fell over the two of you. The hushed voices of the people around filled your ears; they mixed together, providing a nice background noise.

“So… how’s you dad?” You quirked an eyebrow at Touya’s surprised expression.

“You want to talk about my… dad? Of all things?”

“Well… I’m just asking! And you know… since he “sucks ass” does he also eat it?” You smiled stupidly, but he just stared with a deadpan. “Okay, stupid, I admit.”

“We have family therapy, so it’s not that bad. Though, the old mad does deserve the bullying.”

You agreed and made a toast with your drink to Touya’s words.

***

“Excuse me!?” Touya exclaimed loudly, “You did what!?”

You put an index finger to your lips trying to shush him, while a few other people looked in your direction, some with curiosity, others with disapproval.

“It wasn’t that bad…” You looked apologetically at some of the patrons. “It’s not like I died.”

Touya stared at you in shock for a good few seconds, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. He was almost at a loss of words.

“What- not like she died! Fuckin-” He groaned and dramatically clutched his shirt on his chest. “You’re killing me! You’re killing your father!”

You snorted at his statement. Well, a flair for the dramatics was in his repertoire, after all.

“Don’t you mean ‘Daddy’?” You said with an amused smile and added with a tinge of irony: “Or do you prefer ‘father’ now?”

Touya did not find it funny (or at least, he didn’t let it show on the outside, if he did). He cupped his mouth with one hand, looking to the side, as to ponder on something.

“You know what?” He directed his gaze at you. “I might have to rethink the idea that dating you would be so nice. Like, you… fucking dumbass.”

Ah, concerned Touya, pretty sweet, you had to admit, but there really wasn’t a reason for him to worry.

“Keigo was with me then.” You stated matter of factly.

“Oh, yeah,” he nodded, “I am going to talk with that bastard too… no heroing with Keigo for you!”

You seriously didn’t think that he would be so concerned about the whole ordeal. After all, it was in the past, nothing really happened and if it would have happened, then well… you wouldn’t be here to discuss it.

You smiled softly.

“I don’t think you have any say in this.”

You chuckled, when Touya very aggressively took a sip.

“Jumping off the building… Who fucking does that!?” Oh no, the stare of disapproval.

“Keigo.”

“Because he has WINGS!”

“Yeah, and he caught me because of them!” You paused for a moment and thought for a moment about it. “Though I actually wasn’t sure he would, I mean… you know. He IS quite strong though.”

Touya actually looked like he was ready to end it all right then and there.

“You… didn’t know if he would catch you?” He articulated very slowly, slightly squinting his eyes at you. “And you still jumped?”

“Yup! You know, the adrenaline, fight or flight… I chose flight obviously.” You immediately saw that your cheerful carelessness and (an amazing) joke were nor appreciated, as he looked at you with a blank face, complete deadpan.

“I think, sooner or later, I’m gonna have a heart attack because of you.”

To that, you just cackled and reassured him that you would try not to die in a near future.

***

“Sooo… My sweet Touya, my favorite Todoroki.” He braced himself for whatever you wanted to throw at him, while you shot him a suggestive look. “When are you going to do a new tattoo?”

Oh, he already knew where this was going.

“I don’t know. Why are you asking?”

“You know…” You acted as if mulling on your idea and tilted your head to the side. “If you need some company…”

Touya sighed and just decided to get to the point.

“Do you wanna go with me?”

“Oh my god, can I?” You grinned and flicked your wrist. “You don’t have to!”

“Ok, then I’ll go alone.” He checked his phone, feigning disinterest, and took a quick look at you to see the hand still in the air and a very surprised expression on your face, that turned almost offended a second later.

“You can’t take it away from me! I’ll have you know, I have my rights.”

“I’m not taking anything away, since I never before said that you could go with me. You just always do.”

“Oh.” You looked down at your knees and did a fake sniff, knowing fully well he didn’t mind your presence… anywhere, really. “You don’t want me there?”

“Well, that-” he smirked slightly, “I never said.”

“So you’re just making a fool out of me then, I see how it is.” You crossed your arms over your chest and glared at him. He just laughed

“You already do it yourself pretty well.”

You gasped loudly with a hand on your chest.

“The audacity! You… how dare you! If you’re gonna be bitchy, I’ll fuck your sister, I will. Don’t try me.”

Touya rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Will you though?” He seemed unconvinced, you wondered why. “Honestly, I thought you did it already. You were going out with her for what? Two months? That’s long… for your standard.”

“Nooo, I didn’t… really, I did not.” Then a different thought popped up in your head. “Won’t it be weird that IF we… become a couple, potentially, and I would, hypothetically, meet your family somewhere, you know, by chance and all. That I am Fuyumi’s ex, I mean.”

He furrowed his brows to digest your question.

“You think about that?” He smiled, seeing your awkward expression. “That’s cute of you.”

“BABY STEPS, PLEASE.” You loudly exclaimed, avoiding Touya’s eyes, to which he chuckled.

“Okay, just teasing you, baby.” His gaze softened. “But do you really care about that? What others think?”

“Uh…” you sighed, “I don’t know. Not really? But kind of.”

“It’s okay, baby steps, like you said.”

He leaned forward over the table, took your hand into his and soothingly caressed it with his thumb. Your heartbeat quickened a bit and, surprised at that, you just stared at Touya’s slowly moving finger. Feeling were never easy nor were they particularly good, but it felt so nice.

***

Suddenly you saw a flicker of colorful lights next to you, seeing that the decorations on the window were turned on. Looking out the window, you noticed how dark it became. The street neon lights were illuminated everywhere, people moving in all directions to unwind after hard days of work during the week. You were almost shocked at how fast the time went by.

“It’s pretty late, isn’t it?”

Touya hummed in agreement and, without saying anything, stood up to pay the bill. Earlier, you almost fought him to split it, but you came to an agreement that another time (“Oh, you already want to go out with me again?”, he teased) you would be the one paying. A moment later he came back, put his jacket on and you both exited the lovely cafe.

“So… where are we going?” You asked after following him in a completely opposite direction, to which you came from earlier that day.

“You’ll see.”

Ah, so much for getting information out of Mr Todoroki.

With a sigh, you just decided to follow him in silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable, like it usually tends to be, for which you were grateful. He wasn’t pushy, let you do things at your own pace, so you felt… comfortable.

A moment later you felt him grab your hand and let him intertwine your fingers together. Again, the annoying feeling in your chest reappeared. You would need to get a grip on yourself, if this was to continue. The evening was getting quite chilly so Touya used his quirk to make his palm warmer, but you almost took your hand away. You knew that it was bad for him, especially without his support items, even though he was able to control it, almost to perfection. Before you were able to get away, his skin quickly went back to its natural cooler state with a light squeeze to your hand.

Going through the busy street, you were able to observe people differently than usual. On patrols, you were mostly checking out dark alleyways, some abandoned or suspicious buildings, sometimes sites on the outskirts of the city; being able to, sometimes, take in the lively energy of the crowd was enjoyable.

Touya stopped after turning into some calmer sideroad. He took his hand from yours to grab a helmet and then helped you put it on.

“We taking your baby for a spin?”

“Of course.”

“Hmm, nice.”

After putting on his own helmet he sat down on the motorcycle, waiting for you to do the same. You noticed a new paint job on the matte black surface of the machine. On the sides were done shining blue flames, very on brand for him. You liked it.

You sat down behind Touya taking a hold of his waist, when he revved the engine and slowly drove away from the busy part of the city. Expertly maneuvering the streets, soon enough you were driving on the outskirts, where barely anyone was out. You looked at the changing scenery over his shoulder, noting the road you were taking seemed familiar. The trees surrounding you from both sides made the night look a bit unnerving, but it wasn’t anything you weren’t used to. The city was far behind already.

You squeezed him just a tiny bit stronger and put your head on his shoulder, careful not to knock the helmets on each other. Loud howling of the wind and the noise of the engine were a surprisingly calming combination, which you have discovered long ago, the first time Touya took you for a drive.

Finally, the motorcycle slowed down. You passed the old busted metal gate and entered a site surrounded by a tall chain link fence, made from wire much thicker than usual to make it more sturdy. The place was situated on a flat field, a bit away from the trees. You could barely see the outline of the big city from where you were.

The space where he parked was relatively empty, save for an occasional piece of metal or glass laying here and there. The only building was a huge square block, bare walls outside “decorated” only by identical windows with perfectly measured spaces in between them. The inside should be relatively empty. What ought to be there are only some vacated rooms and stairs leading from the ground, through three stories, to the roof.

You got off the motorcycle and took the helmet off, hanging it on the handlebar. Taking a closer look around, you notice a pair of sledgehammers and a can of gasoline next to the gate of the building.

“An abandoned Commission site, huh?” You asked rhetorically, but Touya looked surprised at that.

“How do you know what this place is?”

You decided to ignore him and just pointed to the items you noticed.

“You planning to kill me here or something?” You said with a smile, looking at him. He quirked an eyebrow and moved to pick up the sledgehammers and offered you one.

“Birdbrain said we can trash this place.” You took the tool weighing it in your hand with ease.

“Of course he did.” You glanced at the gasoline. “Did he also say we can play with fire?”

Touya smirked, lifted his hand towards his face and lighted his pinky finger with blue fire. He then moved the hand more towards you, letting you blow it out.

“With me, it’s always playing with fire.”

“I knew you were an arsonist at heart, Touya.” You chuckled lightly, but your voice quickly died down when you looked at him.

He looked at you with an intensity that instantly hypnotized you to focus only on his eyes, which seemed to glow slightly. The only source of light was the moon and the stars in the sky so you were surrounded by harsh shadows and an occasional speck of moonlight.

The gaze with which he stared at you almost made you uncomfortable, because it seemed like he was able to read every little dirty secret you held deep within. A quick thought, that maybe he actually could read you like that, crossed your mind.

He moved a step towards you and brought his hand to grip your chin. Not hard enough to hurt you, but enough to feel that he could, if he wanted to. Exciting.

He pulled your face a little, so that his lips were right next to your ear. You felt his hot breath on your skin, when he asked:

“Aren’t you?”

You felt him move his mouth across your skin, from your ear right to your lips. The grip on your chin lessened as he moved his hand to hold the back of your neck instead. It wasn’t anything new to kiss him, but it felt a lot more intimate this time. No force behind it, no rush, nothing inherently sexual; just softness, an interesting contrast to his intense eyes and touches.

He moved away, just enough to speak up, your noses still touching.

“Come on.” He let go completely and moved to grab the gasoline, before entering the building.

You stood in place a moment longer, rendered speechless and motionless by the emotions you felt. The loud hammering in your chest was almost deafening. Not good, get a fucking grip. Without a word, you followed Touya inside.

After a few moments (when the blood pump finally decided to calm down), you glanced around. As you thought, a big empty space, at least on the ground floor. Since the electricity had been shut off a long time ago, the only light was coming from the moon and your phone flashlight. You went after him towards the stairs to the first floor, where a space was filled a little bit more by the rooms dividing the place.

Touya stopped next to a wall to one of the former offices and put his things down, before taking your phone to light your blank canvas, ready for destruction.

“Swing.” And so you did.

You braced yourself against the floor for stabilization and took a wide swing, from behind your back. The hammer made an impact with the wall and with ease penetrated it to the other side. Forcefully, you teared it out, making the hole two times wider.

Oh, it was so liberating. The destruction and chaos of this place would bring you much pleasure.

With a laugh, you took a next swing, and then another, and another. Both of you went on a rampage, destroying what you could in this deserted place. All of the windows broken (some of them with your fist covered in a rug found somewhere on the ground), the inside walls full of holes, doors ripped out of its hinges. The place filled only with dust, debris, and the laughter and screams of both of you.

After you had enough, you ended up lying on the roof. Touya’s head right next to yours, although upside down, as he laid in the opposite direction.

You stared at the clear night sky, admiring millions of stars visible that night. It was always an otherworldly experience to be able to see them. It made everything seem so insignificant in the comparison to the vastness and beauty of space.

Touya, however, was not looking at the sky. His eyes were focused solely on you. He liked the peace and calm visible on your face. You felt his gaze on the side of your face and turned your head to the side, to also look at him.

You moved your hand to push his hair back. It was always really soft to the touch.

“Your roots are showing.” You said quietly, looking at the white part of his hair. He just hummed with eyes closed, marveling at the soft touch on his head.

Before he could fall asleep here, you took your hand and sat up cross-legged. You turned around to look at him, still lying down and still looking at you.

“Didn’t you want to commit arson?”

He perked up at that and got up, but stopped you, when you moved to do the same.

“Wait a second and don’t move.”

You stayed seated and just observed as Touya took the can and started to pour the gasoline on the roof, away from the stairs, in some kind of pattern. When he finished, he motioned you with his hand to come to him.

Ah, so the gasoline heart then. You weren’t really surprised by it, but still laughed, although more at the weirdly proud expression Touya had on his face.

“It’s really cheesy,” you paused for dramatic effect, “I love it.”

You kissed him lightly on the cheek, to which he froze for a second. Oh, could it be that this time you were the one to render him speechless? After the initial shock, he beamed at you with his stupidly wide grin that sometimes appeared on his face. Though, after a moment it faltered and he grabbed your upper arm. You could pull away, if you wanted, but you just let him hold you.

“Who was that man today?” This again. He seemed worried, more than anything, which you didn’t like that much, cause he could drill it out of you, if he truly wanted. So you decided to avoid his eye, looking in the other direction.

“I told you already… it’s a colleague from work.”

“You know I don’t buy it.”

“I know, but… it’s the truth.” You looked him straight in the eyes, so he would know that it was not a lie.

“I hope you know you can tell me anything.” You wished you could.

“Give me the matches.” He knew that for that moment that would be it, so he let go of your arm with a sigh and took out a small box out of his pocket.

You took it and moved to the other side of the gasoline heart.

You wiped your teeth with your hand, to which Touya raised his eyebrows, but when you took one match out of the box and lit it directly on your teeth, he did look impressed by your trick.

Touya lit his blue flame and both of you set ablaze the gasoline. The fire traveled from both sides, to meet in the middle and create more green-like color. From behind the flames, you were able to see just his silhouette. A beautiful, although terrifying (to some) imagery.

When the fire started spreading, you quickly moved to leave this place behind.

Again on the motorcycle, tightly embracing Touya’s torso, you looked back to stare at the rising flames. Colors mixed with each other, creating a picture any painter would be proud of.

Playing with fire was always thrilling, you just hoped none of you would get burned.

TAGLIST

@the-fandoms-georgie, @fanworrior, @gingerunicorn13, @theunicornnamedearl, @dabi-sunflower, @anniebromberg, @bakugouswh0r3, @ddsweetie

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