#garou really came out swinging | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hanii-rose · 3 years

Note

Ello Ello~! Can I get a garou with a s/o that was kidnapped in the past and has trama now, but acts so chill that you wouldn’t even notice? It’s ok if you don’t want to lol ( fluff please tho- )

Truth

Garou × |Fem|Reader

You sat on the grassy ground of your backyard, knees bent to one side, looking over your garden. The large sun hat you wore casted a calming shadow onto your eyes, allowing you to pick at your tomatoes with ease without the harsh sunlight glaring into your retinas.

You hummed a faint tune, relaxed and uncaring about the world around you. Not that it had anything interesting going on anyway. Your ruffled, beige skirt gracefully fell onto the the ground over your calves, sprawling onto the grass around you.

You eagerly plucked a ripe, juicy tomato from one of the stems it hung from, placing it into the woven straw basket where many of your other freshly picked vegetables remained.

A gentle breeze brushed past, sweeping your hair off of your shoulders. You gently held onto your summer hat and continued picking the ripest vegetables your garden had to offer, unknowing of a certain someone watching your silent movements.

Out of the blue, a sudden shade had been cast on top of your seated form and for a minute, you believed it was a big raincloud blocking the sun due to the large size of it. When you tilted your head up to inspect the sky, you were met with the face of a boy, a scowl on his features, likely due to the summer heat.

He stood above you, shielding the sun's rays, silently observing your expression from calm to surprised to calm once again.

"The hell are ya' doin'?"

"I'm just gardening. What about you, stranger?"

The unfamiliar male picked at the tight collar of his sweater, trying to enable air to pass into it. He raised a brow, a bead of sweat sliding down his temple to his cheek. Blinking at him in confusion, you shrugged, replacing your blank look with a gentle, happy expression.

It was his turn to shrug, rubbing the back of his neck whilst peering over your newly finished picket fence.

"Just out for a walk, huh?"

He gave a single nod, eyes darting from yours to look to the side.

"Say, isn't it a bit too warm to be wearing such a heavy sweater?"

The scowl from his face dropped, and he turned back to you with a look of annoyance on his face.

"What's it to ya'?"

You turned back to your plush tomatoes, chuckling at his childish words.

"At least I ain't half naked like you!"

Half naked, huh? You wouldn't necessarily call wearing an off shoulder top being 'half-naked' but to a boy, things like that are probably way different...

"That's what a child would say..."

You muttered under your breath but it must've been loud enough for him to hear it. He stopped scratching his neck, eyebrows knitted in utter irritation.

"Haaahhh?"

Plucking a shiny, ripe tomato from it's stem, you tossed it at the man, to which he caught expertly with one hand.

You giggled, your expression sly.

"Here, you can have this. My tomatoes taste really good, try one..."

You looked up at him from below, allowing him to get a better look at your face that had been partially hidden due to your large straw hat.

Your pretty, glossed lips took the shape of an attractive grin, sun kissed cheeks gleaming as the sunshine reflected off of them. Beautiful hair swaying as another faint breeze blew over, somewhat lifting the ends of your loose skirt and ruffling your cotton top.

The scene appeared vivid and bright and the boy in front of you seemed to be taken aback by your appearance, his expression no longer that of annoyed or irked.

"Tomatoes ain't that good..."

He stated, stoic and calculative.

You stretched out your palm to him, offering to take the tomato back.

"You can give it back if you don't want it."

You peeked over at him with one eye closed, a smirk itching to take over your lips.

"I never said I ain't gonna eat it!"

Mhmmm, that's what you thought.

"Well stranger, now that I've given you a peace offering, how about you give me a name?"

He looked up at the sun, contemplating your request, ultimately deciding to tell you. It was the decent thing to do anyways...

"Name's Garou."

You nodded, beginning to fill your basket once again.

"I see, I see..."

He waited, leaning on your tall wooden fence, arms crossed, tapping his foot.

You said nothing.

"Well, aren't ya' gonna tell me yers'?!"

Snorting, you grabbed the tin watering can that sat beside you, not bothering to give him a glance.

"Whatever, I'm leavin'!"

He started to walk, straightening himself out and biting into the red, delectable tomato.

"Y/N."

He halted mid-step, craning his head and looking over his shoulder.

"My name is Y/N."

Without a word, he walked off, disappearing over the horizon. What a strange fellow...

🍅🍅🍅 >>

"Yo..."

You craned your neck, tearing your eyes off of the worded pages of the neighborhood newspaper. Your knee length, white dress slowly swayed as you came to a halt on your large, metal garden swing.

"Oh stranger, you again! Back for another tomato?"

Garou folded his arms, leaning on the thick steady metal legs of the swing set.

"Are ya' gonna give me another tomato?"

You shrugged, closing the newspaper and placing it down next to you.

"Sure, if you want. They're really good, right?"

"I've tasted better..."

Garou picked at his nails with a bored look, uninterested in small talk.

"Ok, either way, I'll get you one. How about you sit down here while you wait?"

You patted the empty spot next to you on the large swing but he passed, walking away.

"Now, hold on mister!"

"Oh, c'mon! Sit down while I bring you some vegetables and then we'll talk!"

Before he could walk too far, you latched onto his arm, taut biceps tightening at the feeling of your smaller, smooth limbs around his. Hugging it, you pressed it close to your chest, somewhat leaning into him, squishing up against him. Garou's eyes had widened in surprise at your actions and he tried wiggling out of your grasp but you were unrelenting.

What? Wait...what? Did you just invite him for some vegetable tea-time? Him? The Hero Hunter? Wait, did you just invite him to something? How long had it been since a pretty girl wiggled around his arm for a chance to talk to him?

"Fine."

Oh, right never... Well, since your being so persistent, why the fuck not?

You happily dragged him back to your swing, pushing his shoulders down until he sat comfortably on the seat, legs spread and arms resting on headrest.

"I'll be right back!"

Scurrying off, you carefully began plucking the ripest and juiciest tomatoes your garden could offer and bringing them back to Garou.

"Here, these are perfect for eating."

With that, you handed him a straw basket containing three tomatoes and sat down next to him, placing your fingers on your lap.

"So, how are you today?"

You began, trying to elicit small talk from him.

"...Uh, good?"

"Why are you so confused about it?"

You giggled, asking him about his answer.

"W-whatever! Why do ya' have so many tomatoes?"

You tilted your head to the side, thinking about his question.

"Hm? Oh, well I think they taste good..."

Garou gave you a look, as if saying 'that's it?'

"I also sell them to the local stores. I'm a dropout so I have to earn a living somehow, ya' know?"

"But I don't think he could defeat Goku "

Ah, that makes much more sense. Garou gave subtle nods as you rambled on about your interests, favourite books and the nice grocery man down the street who pays extra for your vegetables. But seriously, what's with you? You grab a random guy off of the street and just start talking to him? Who are you?

"Oh, Y/N! I was looking all over for you in your house dearie, I hope you don't mind, I took a look around..."

Huh, who's this?

A middle aged woman, stood in front of the two of you holding a little ceramic pot in her chubby hands, a mouthwatering aroma erupting from inside of it. Her eyes glanced at Garou but took a sharp turn to look back at you, curly brown bob bouncing as she ecstatically spoke.

"I brought you some cabbage stew. I know how much you like my cooking!"

"Oh, Ms. Keiko, you really didn't have to..."

Garou watched as she handed you the pot, chatting away without a care in the world.

"Oh it's no problem, sweetie!"

"No, no, I can't have you cooking for me everyday. I can do it myself, really..."

You exasperated, somewhat irked because of her interruption.

"What do you mean? Oh, you young people think you can do everything yourselves! Honestly, the government should really do something about people your age, especially people like you."

You rubbed your arm awkwardly, brows knitted and lips pulled into an uncomfortable smile.

"Well, I'd best be heading back now! You know how it is, busy busy!"

"I'll just go put this inside, don't go anywhere ok?"

You ushered her off, nodding at whatever she said until she waddled into her own house across the fence. You breathed out a sigh of relief, turning back to Garou to see him munching on a tomato, uninterested.

The sun had set halfway and Garou had heard enough of your meaningless chatter, heaving a big sigh, he stood up abruptly, popping some bones.

You quickly rushed into your home, setting the pot of stew onto your counter to let it cool off. Rushing back outside, you sat down beside Garou once again, and the two of you began to swing, continuing your pointless conversation.

"Hm? Leaving?"

He nodded, holding his last tomato in his dominant hand, and tilting his head towards your fence door, uttering a bored 'see ya' and leaving. You watched him exit, turning to the sidewalk, giving you one last glance and taking off.

---

The sun moved quickly and the once bright sky had turned dim, little drops of milk decorated the rare clear sky. The streetlights shined brightly, yellow glow illuminating everything within its vicinity. A gentle breeze had blown past and you slumped back in your seat, the squeaking of the swing coming to a halt. Reluctantly, you stretched and pushed yourself off, standing up and giving one last look at your backyard, walking inside your quaint home and shutting the door.

You tossed and turned on your bed, sweating profusely. Twisting your beautiful face into a pained expression, eyes shut tight in terror of your own thoughts. The nightmares of your past haunting you while you slumbered, unable to run, confined within your mind.

The rope burns.

The bruises.

The blood.

The tubes.

The thunder.

You weren't going to get much sleep tonight...

It was all so vivid and dark, and the feeling of suffocation creeped down along your throat, setting itself within your chest, as you heaved and shook. You awoke suddenly, nausea and fright overtaking your form as you trembled, beads of sweat rolling down your sides as you hugged yourself, trembling and disoriented.

🍅🍅🍅>>

Since the last visit from Garou, vegetable tea-time had become a common occurrence.

Garou trudged through the woods behind your house, nearing it slowly, hands pocketed, back arched.

The days only got hotter and Garou found himself sweltering under the sun's powerful rays, anticipating a fresh, juicy tomato from your garden. He would never admit it, but this month had been a somewhat therapeutic time for him. Every time he sent a hero to the hospital, he gave you a visit, sometimes prompt, sometimes prolonged.

All of the blood and injuries had been washed away and packed before that, he wanted to avoid any questions regarding his whereabouts. He feared if you saw his true colours, you'd stop being so sincere with him. A week ago you had proudly declared that you were friends now in your usual rambles and Garou wasn't willing to take any chances ruining it.

Free tomatoes with a cute girl? Yeah, no way in hell he's lettin' you find out who he is.

As he stepped closer and closer to your home, nearing the fence, he spotted you in your usual spot near your rich tomato plants, an unfamiliar girl standing in front of you, carrying two or three compact cardboard boxes.

Hiding behind the blooming cherry blossom trees behind your home, he gave an ear to your conversation.

"My dad only buys tomatoes from you because he takes pity on you."

"Of course, please tell your father I'm grateful."

"I'm not finished! Nobody from class misses you. We all think you're a freak!"

"I'm sorry you all feel that way..."

"The neighbors only talk to you because you're alone all the time."

"Yes, they're so kind..."

"I think it would've been better if you had just stayed missing!"

"Y-you should bring these boxes to your dad now. Tell him I added some extra in there, just to be safe."

"Don't tell me what to do."

"Oh, you came today, good! How are you?"

With that, she turned around, her foot purposely on one of the adorable tomato sprouts, mashing it down with the heel of her white sneaker. After the baby-plant murderer left, Garou circled in, greeting you in a casual manner. You visibly brightened up and grasped his arm.

"S'all good... Say, who was that?"

Garou rubbed the back of his neck, brow quirked up, waiting for an answer.

"Remember the store owner I told you about the other day? That's his daughter. Cute, isn't she?"

Garou shrugged, perplexed. You seemed to like her and from the conversation, he could tell you knew her well.

"Hello, anyone in there?"

Then why was she speaking to you like that? And more importantly, what did she mean when she said you should've stayed missing? Was he missing something? Was there something he didn't know which everyone else did? Nah, you told him everything, it couldn't be that.

You waved your hand in front of his face, breaking him from his thoughts.

"W-wha..."

"I've been talking to you this entire time, what are you thinking so hard about?"

Poking his cheek repeatedly, you playfully provoked him and he swatted your hand away.

"Hurry up an' give me a tomato, lady..."

---

Sifting through the soil on the ground, you had found the perfect spot for re-planting that cute, crippled little tomato sprout that the store owner's daughter had squished. But holding it in place while simultaneously patting the soil down to fix it in was proving to be quite a challenge.

You needed some help.

"Oh, Garou~"

"Be a dear and help me with this? I promise I'll make it up to you!"

You sang, batting your lashes and twisting around to face him. He sat relaxing on the garden swing, chewing up a tomato you had given him. He looked at you, contemplating whether he should respond to your strange tone.

He glanced at you, then glanced at the half bitten vegetable in his hand. With one bite, it was gone. Rubbing his hands clean on his pants, he walked over to you, sqatting down to your level and holding the tiny plant in place as you stuffed it's space with rich soil and fertilizer.

"Thank you! You're such a big help."

Aren't you exaggerating just a bit, now? All he did was hold a plant while you did all the work. Nevertheless, your comment added to his ego and he swaggered back over to the swings, chomping down on another tomato, this time with a trail of juice running down his chin.

"Ah, it's dripping onto your beautiful sweater! Hold on..."

You stood up from your squatting position on the floor and took out a pink little handkerchief from your dress pocket. Adjusting your bucket hat, you patted Garou's chin, absorbing and wiping away any juice stains that may have clung to his skin.

"There, that's much better isn't it?"

"...Just like a child."

He nodded, cheek puffing out as he popped the rest of the tomato into his mouth, dirtying himself once again. You giggled to yourself, your fingers helping to muffle the noise.

He ignored you, poking his chin out for you to wipe again. You complied, of course.

Your day happily went by, without any interruptions.

All too soon, it was time for him to leave. The sun had fully set in the distance and the sky had once again been filled with glitter, sparkling in your eyes as you watched it together.

"I'm leavin'..."

You nodded, standing up and walking him to your fence door. Before he could fully step out, you pulled on his sweater with your index and thumb. He turned around slowly, facing you, confused at your foreign expression.

"Hm...?"

Your eyes fixed themselves down on your cobble walkway, trying to shelter your face from his observant eyes. Your free hand grasped and pulled on your skirt, nervously fidgeting in place. He could hear your heart pounding, hammering in your chest...or was it his?

The night had gone silent as you pulled him down lower, stepping up on your tippy toes and connecting a chaste kiss to his cheek.

He was left dumbfounded at your actions and you hesitantly released the fabric of his sweater, bringing it to your chest.

"I told I'd make it up to you, didn't I?"

The look on your face astounded him, leaving him stranded at your gate, as you dusted yourself off, looking up at him with a soft smile.

Garou blinked a couple of times, quickly shuffling to turn around, away from your stare.

"I d-didn't think ya' meant that..."

You looked away, embarrassed.

"W-well, I'll see you tomorrow."

He agreed, and you ran inside your home, standing near your doorway, looking at him walking away.

"Goodnight!"

You called from behind him and he waved with his back turned to you, getting farther and farther from you.

---

The cold air of the A/C hit your skin, calming you as you hugged your pillow close to your chest. Your eyes remained comfortably closed, happy thoughts streamed through your slumbering mind.

Tonight, you had slept soundly.

🍅🍅🍅>>

The booming crashes of thunder bellowed through the unusually quiet city as Garou sauntered past the glossy windows of the street, mindlessly observing the contents on the other side.

𝔹ℝ𝔼𝔸𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾 ℕ𝔼𝕎𝕊: 𝕃𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕦𝕚𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣 ℂ𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕄 𝕜𝕚𝕕𝕟𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕟 𝕖𝕟𝕕

Clothing, accessories, toys and electronics all looked the same to him as he carelessly made his way to you. The heavy rain drops made it harder for him to move, his sweater becoming drenched and heavy with water, his usual hairdo slumped forward, impairing his vision slightly. He came to an abrupt halt in front of the big TV store, eyeing the news displayed in bold letters on the screen.

He's reading slowly, focused on the faces of the two bastards on the screen.

...𝕐𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕘 𝕧𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕞𝕤 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕔𝕝𝕠𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖

The images of innocent children flash by and somewhere in his cold, tattered heart he feels thankful for their safety. And then he sees it.

It was you. You, but...but, smaller. You...

Your picture. Dead expression, skin battered with bruises and scratches, large dirty cloth dangling off of your tiny shoulders. Innocent eyes, tearful.

Garou raced through the slippery streets of City M, the downpour only getting worse with every step he took. He could barely see in front of him, the streets had gotten so dark and hazy, the only thing ringing in his ears were the crashes of thunder that blew out through the atmosphere.

Finally!

Unimaginable winds collided with his form, pushing him back, street lights bursting, paper, signs and peices of wood dangerously flew around, nearly missing his body. He was almost there.

His harsh, observant eyes latched onto you, sitting on the floor, eyes tightly shut, your hands locked onto your ears, drowning out the frighteningly loud rolls of thunder. The lights seemed to be switched on, but no light was being emitted from them, leaving the room in a dark state. The power must have gone out.

He knocked on your door, holding onto one of the pillars of your home as to not get blown away. You hadn't responded. He knocked again. No response. Suddenly, a crash came from the inside, just as another boom of thunder shook the ground. He heard you shriek and without a second thought, followed the noise to your backyard, two large french windows open and banging against the walls outside. Climbing in, he grasped the handles, bringing them together and locking it securely, effectively closing it. The sounds outside had been muffled by the warm walls of your home and he turned around, studying the interior.

"Y/N."

He walked over, kneeling down to you, grasping your shoulder as gently as he could. Eyes softening at your face, tear stained and hurt.

"G-Garou, I "

"I-im sorry..."

Another flash of lightning flashed through your windows and you jumped onto Garou, latching onto his torso, face buried within his broad chest, cold and wet from the rain.

---

The storm had frizzled away rather slowly and all the while Garou had held you in his arms, silently, face hidden in your hair. You had cried and sniffled, ruining his already wet sweater with snot. As the rain came to a stable pace of hushed pitter patters, you finally released him from your hold.

You cleared your throat, standing up and rubbing your sides up and down.

"I don't know what came over me..."

Garou steadily rose from the ground, towering over you, face blank, staring at you intently.

"Y-you're here for some tomatoes, right?"

...

"No."

You shook slightly, he noticed. Wobbling backwards, you tripped, teetering downwards until Garou had stopped you mid-fall by your wrist. He pulled back, flinging you into his chest, wrapping an arm around your shuddering body.

"I'm here for the truth."

You but your lip, afraid of coming clean. You had his it for so long, you knew he'd feel bad if you told him now...

"I...um, are you sure?"

He nodded.

"Let me get you a towel first. You're cold..."

---

And so you had begun to explain your childhood. The happy days in the sun, at the park, holding your mom's hand and playing with your little friends.

Subsequently, this lead to many individuals wanting it for themselves or for research. The earliest memory of your childhood was the worst. The day you had been snatched from the warm protective embrace of your mother, into the confines of a cold metal room, fit with a heavy metal door. Tubes and needles poked your sides, dug into you skin, filling you with unknown substances, heightening your senses to the point where it hurt to exist.

You always had a fascination with plants, able to care for them and somehow make them grow quicker and healthier. At first, everyone thought it was your natural green thumb and caring nature but soon you had found out about a power no one else possessed. Growth manipulation. It wasn't just plants. Little animals and insects could be effected as well. Some thought you were a freak, others deemed you a lucky child, blessed with special powers gifted from the heavens.

You were often experimented on, put aside and brought back. It seemed to be a never-ending cycle of loneliness and isolation that kept you silenced. If you didn't comply with your tormentors, they'd tie you up, burning your soft baby flesh in the process, when it rained the lights would go out and thunder would cackle throughout the empty metal corridors, resonating through your small metal room, entering your tiny being. It was horrific, the bruises you received, the blood you shed and the years of your life which you lost.

Seven years. It took them seven years to find you and the rest of the children. You were rescued at last by elite forces storming the illegal research facility, the House of Evolution, more like the house of horrors.

You had been given hope but alas, your mother no longer lived in the same city, no longer cried for you to come back, no longer wanted anything to do with a girl such as yourself. At the tender age of fifteen, you re-entered society, ready to go to school, make friends, study, live. But when the time came, you found it difficult to fit in. Everyone was so mature, so stable and unhurt. It pained you to know no one understood your situation.

Whatever the other teens talked about, you would have a hard time understanding, you had no idea about any of the new trends, never held a smartphone in your life, never went shopping for clothes, never had a boyfriend and you certainly never anticipated anything other than pain. Emotions were hard to deal with in your early years but as time passed and you grew older, dropping out of school and going for therapy, you slowly figured your way around the world, while still staying in your own little universe.

Sometimes, things which occurred in more recent days triggered your painful memories, which triggered your anxiety, which triggered emotions that were unwanted. One of them being fright, like now. Garou listened intently, nodding and opening and closing his fists on his lap, understanding bits and pieces of how you felt. Clueless and naive, almost unwanted.

He sympathises, but still experienced some pain at the fact of your secrecy from him. Weren't you friends? Why didn't you tell him? He never would've guessed you had been through something like this. You acted so...so indifferent. You explained it normally. When people knew of your life, they could react in two ways. Sympathetic to the point where it becomes disgusting or being disgusted by you themselves. Garou was your friend, you didn't want either from him. You wanted genuine emotions from him. He understood again, much to your relief.

"Still, ya' could'a told me..."

"W-well, isn't there something you're not telling me, Garou?"

He gulped, his throat went dry. He scratched the back of his head, acting aloof. He shook his head no and crossed his arms, roughly leaning back onto your couch, looking anywhere but you.

"You're the Hero Hunter, right? I'm not as airheaded as you, I actually watch the news."

"Yeah, so? If ya' knew all this time, why didn't ya' say somethin'about it, huh?"

"Because you hadn't said anything. And I guess, I didn't want anything to change. I liked that you came around for tomatoes. It kind of sounds like I used you since everytime you were here, I felt normal."

"It was like going through therapy all over again. But better, with you... I didn't care what you did, what mattered was that you came back to listen to me and my nonsense...I liked it that way. That's why yesterday, I...."

You leaned into his side, your head falling gently onto his shoulder, your fingers intertwined on your lap. Garou uncrossed his arms, stretching and coyly placing one around you.

"Ya' wouldn't mind if I asked for a tomato, would ya'?"

"Of course not! Let me get you one..."

"No, ya' ain't gettin' it. I want one today..."

He sat up straight, gazing deep into your sparkling eyes, hand grasping yours to keep you from moving any farther.

"Tomorrow and...forever. Now do ya' get it? I wanna listen to you jabber on about how some stupid anime character can't beat another one, or how the ugly store guy gave ya' extra money for yer' plants. I liked it that way too..."

He rose from his seat on your couch, slithering an arm around your waist and inching closer to your face, noses brushing tenderly against one another.

"I'll give you all of the tomatoes I have...forever."

With that, the two of you sealed your lips in an act of pure passion. The kiss was innocent and sweet, and it left a warm feeling burning in your chest.

"You should see the look on yer' face."

Garou whispered and you chuckled, wrapping your arms around his neck, fondly eyeing his features.

"Do you want a tomato or not?"

Raw sunlight streamed through your large, pristine windows, illuminating the two of you where you stood. If anyone had witnessed the scene, they would surely deem it ethereal. You felt that way and so did he.

"You're blushing, Garou~"

"Sh-shut up and gimme a tomato, woman!"

In a strange little way, you matched each other, supported one another and existed together, through your highs and lows, through his ups and downs. Suddenly, everything was brighter and easier. You went back to school, working hard, having the courage to do anything you wanted.

Garou found a resolve as well, he left for sometime, but returned to you in one piece, took up a job and continued living. This was not how you had imagined your future to be, but it was this situation that gave you a reason to finally live life the right way. You finally felt happy to be free. And that was more than enough for you. Garou was here, and you were right there with him.

_________________________________________

The fluff at the end BLEHHH too sweet for me. Also, I feel like the ending is so rushed??? Sorry this took months to finish. I was stuck in a prison known as math and had no way of escaping. Hope you enjoyed!

#garou x reader #garouxreader #garou the hero hunter #garouonepunchman #garou #opm garou #garou x fem reader #female pronouns #female reader #pls let me know if i need to tag anything else

116 notes · View notes

hiro-gari · 3 years

Note

omggg I love your writing! could you write a garou x reader where garou realizes he has feelings for y/n and at first is in denial and is all like "romance no, hero hunting yes" but as he tries to distance himself from y/n, his mind always goes back to their good memories together, and so he ends up confessing but he's all awkward about it lol (we all know this poor boy is not good with words lmaooo)

HI, thank you so much!! 🥺💖 Of course, I love this poor, clueless guy T-T

Tongue Tied

Garou x reader

SFW, some cursing

It had only been three days. Somehow, it felt like ages.

But this was for the best. For himself, and for you. A clean break with no explanations, and no lingering attachments. With how smart you were, Garou was certain you’d be able to make a convincing argument against the violent path he’d devoted himself to. Your presence alone might even be enough to sway him. Or, maybe, you’d overwhelm him with your acceptance, as you had so many times, and you’d support him leaving, if it meant achieving his dream.

Either scenario sounded awful. So he avoided them both, and disappeared without a trace.

The problem was, you were everywhere. No matter which City or run down suburb he wandered into, he saw you; a silhouette amongst the crowd that would seem a bit too similar, a laugh that could have been yours, that song you mentioned you loved drifting from some shop. Though absent, Garou couldn’t escape you.

So he poured all of his energy into his goals, fighting until he was depleted, over and over. To hell with the class and rank of his opponents, any fight was better than letting his mind wander, right?

The Class B hero on the ground before him never stood a chance. It could barely even be considered a victory; he was only a tally to add on the list of heroes that Garou the Hero Hunter had put in the hospital.

Although this guy might have ended up there sooner rather than later, with the way he was panting after barely a few blows had been exchanged. He was on his knees, the contents of his pockets strewn across the street. It wasn’t the coins that caught Garou’s attention, though, he could do just fine without it.

However, in his hand now were two very intriguing pieces of paper. They were a pair of tickets to some horror flick he never would have paid any mind to, if it weren’t for you.

“You’ve never seen it? Really?! I thought you’d be all about it, being a monster guy and all.”

A softness came over him at the memory. Wouldn’t it be something, to sit next to you in a dark theater, watching some slasher film rife with Hollywood jump scares? It would be just the perfect opportunity to stretch his arm around your shoulder reassuringly, to take in your sweet smell as you relax into his chest. It was a late night showing too...

He crumpled them tightly in his fist, gritting his teeth.

Enough.

The man on the ground made a pitiful show of flailing at him meekly. It was puzzling, as he hardly had a scratch on him.

“H-Hero Hunter-... we will take you down...”

“Shut it. I’m not in the mood,” Garou growled back, swatting him away effortlessly, “you could’ve at least put up a fight.”

Ignoring the hero’s indignant spluttering, Garou sauntered off, taking his time, in hopes that backup might arrive. The distant voice over the loudspeaker, however, was making it seem less and less probable.

“-please evacuate immediately and seek shelter. This is a disaster level Demon.”

No doubt that’s got all their attention right now. Figures.

The large screens on the buildings nearby showed aerial footage of the destruction as the newscast announcers prattled on in a panic.

“We’re receiving reports of massive destruction to areas of City S! Dozens of businesses and residential areas have been flattened in a matter of minutes. The train station has been obliterated, cutting off transportation in and out of-”

He stuttered to a halt, straightening suddenly. The first time you met, hadn’t you said…

“I’m here every day of the week, Monster Boy. You’ll have to stop by again sometime, I’ve gotta catch the 6:00 train home.”

“Y/N.”

He took off at a full sprint.

The skyscraper sized monster, satisfied with the destruction he’d caused, was lumbering off towards the next town, trailing heroes behind them.

For the first time, Garou paid them no mind. The block was nearly unrecognizable with all the rubble strewn around. He felt somewhat relieved to see the café you worked at was still standing, though the front sign was nowhere in sight, and not a single intact window remained. It seemed the area had been evacuated before any casualties. However, it was becoming clear you certainly weren’t returning to work any time soon, and the realization hit him like a blow to the chest.

In the back of his mind had always been the comforting thought that you’d be here. Here with your smile, your harmless banter, your laugh; simple things he could always count on to come back to if things went awry.

Now they were gone, obliterated in an instant, and it pissed him off to no end. A new mission presented itself clearly, outshining all thoughts of hunting heroes and becoming a monster.

I’ll find Y/N again. I swear it.

The promises he made to himself were always the strongest.

It wouldn’t be an easy feat. He knew very little about where you lived, or the places you went outside of this, but he was already forming a plan in his mind. He could start with the list of all the stops the 6:00 train made from here, and thoroughly scour each of the residential areas until he found you.

And when I find Y/N, I’ll say everything. I’ll say-

The crunch of footsteps falling on broken glass snapped him out of his thoughts, his muscles tightening defensively.

“Garou?”

It couldn’t be, surely.

But there you were; a bag over your shoulder, a phone in your hand, slowly making your way toward him from the corner you’d be hunkered down in. The look on your face that told him you hadn’t forgotten how he’d disappeared without so much as a goodbye, and he felt an unfamiliar pang of guilt settling in his stomach.

“Y/N-”

You cocked a brow at him, relaxing slightly as you came closer. All the things Garou wanted to say fell flat as you eyed him, studying the countless new scars he’d acquired since the last time he’d seen you.

“What are you doing here?” You tried cautiously, unnerved by his uncharacteristic silence, “All the heroes have moved on, chasing down that big oaf,” you gestured toward the receding chaos behind him.

“I was getting to them,” he replied with a tilt of his chin, “what are you still doing here?” It came out sounding like an accusation, and he kicked himself internally.

You shrugged, undeterred by his sharpness as always,

“Waiting for someone to come pick me up. With the way things have been going, I’m sure I’d be taken out by a monster in no time,” you added with an awkward laugh.

He needed to say something, and he was painfully aware that this was his chance, here and now.

I’m your Monster Boy. You could let me take you out.

It didn’t seem quite right, and the way it came out sounded even worse.

“I can be the monster that takes you out.”

No. That’s a threat. Fuck.

You blinked at him, looking equally horrified.

“I meant-” He waved vaguely, shaking his head, “you know what I meant- are you laughing?” You were trying not to, practically doubling over with the effort, but this attempt of his was appalling, almost to the point of hilarity given the circumstances.

“Garou,” you said, shaking, “I have no idea what you’re trying to say here.”

Words. Words weren’t gonna work.

But in his palm, crushed and slightly damp with sweat at this point, remained some hope of salvation. He fumbled with the pieces of paper, trying to straighten them to the point of legibility. He held them between his thumb and forefinger, and leaned unnervingly close as he pointed at the title.

“This movie. You said you liked it, right?” You tilted your head in confusion, his stare making it all the more difficult to concentrate. If you squinted, you found you could barely make out the words, and you nodded slowly.

“Great!” He breathed a sigh of relief, grinning. “So we’re going.”

Your eyebrows shot up suspiciously at his sudden change of tone.

“It’s late,” you crossed your arms, looking up at him slyly, “and I’m here on the street alone with a monster. Do I have much of a choice?”

The edge in your voice was a challenge. He’d be damned if he backed down.

“Will you…” he pointed to you, for emphasis, “Go see this movie. With me.” He paused a moment, considering. “Please, Y/N.”

Your face changed completely, and for a moment, his heart sank. It almost seemed like you were about to cry, or maybe even try to swing at him. Had he said it wrong? But then you were flinging your arms around his neck, pulling him closer as you buried your face into his shoulder, stretching up on your tip-toes.

“Of course I will,” you said quietly, letting him feel your words as you breathed against his skin. “Have me home at a decent hour though-”

Your words became a squeak of surprise as he wrapped his arms around you tightly, and hoisted you up with ease until he was carrying you.

“Better get going then,” he planted a kiss on your forehead apologetically, feeling your face blush red hot. You weren’t complaining though, and he took that as a green light to get moving. You were his tonight, and that thought alone was enough to make him giddy with excitement.

“Why- why did you come here, really?” You asked, repositioning yourself so you could study his face. His brow furrowed. Words always came so easily to him, so why did he always find himself so tongue-tied with you?

“Felt shitty. Didn’t see you for days. It sucked.” His concentration deepened with each pause, searching for the right words with seemingly immense difficulty. You kissed his cheek, nearly making him stumble, and he felt a small smile growing on your lips.

“I missed you too, Monster Boy~”

#awkward bb 😭😭#i almost felt bad making him mess up so tragically #lmfao #thank you for requesting #i hope you like it :’)#please let me know 💕#opm #garou x reader #garou #oneshot #scenario

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distopea · 2 years

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@regensia

"You..." What a state for Bad to find him in. Eyes and hair red with blood, black bandages stolen off a monster having seemed to meld with his wounds, and the only rest he had received being that of forced unconsciousness earlier. How many times had he pushed the limits of his body, his mind, and his discipline, all in the name of so-called fighting spirit? Now that the struggles against a brigade of monsters had finally slowed to a lull, possibly the calm before the storm, Garou had no choice but to hunker down and try to recuperate what energy he could. The look of surprise upon his face quickly faded, replaced with a bitter smirk. "Seems you always know where to find me, huh?"

As soon as he had heard about the attack, Bad had been certain that Garou should be involved. There was no way that this idiot would keep himself out of both danger and thrill, quite a pain in the ass for the Hero Assembly, even more since he was gaining strength and chaos the more he was fighting them. For whatever reason, they were still rivals, but for Bad, an inch of him was also worried about that prick. Worried he might take the wrong fight and end up somewhere, abandoned and bleeding to death. Because, with a damn temper like Garou, that was likely a possibility, and he knew it.

So, it was half-surprised that Bad had found him in the ground, crouched there, in the middle of dust and dirt and covered in blood. Even his hair was tainted in blood-red color, a veil of anger crossing Bad’s features, who seriously had a hard time controlling his swing, hands clenched on the bat he was holding. He was looking like a pathetic insect ready to be crushed on the ground, and that vision was almost as infuriating as Garou’s smirk and his unnecessary sassiness. Bad came forward like a raging storm and hit him right in the face.

“Shut up! Fucking idiot wrapped with trash again. Are you really trying to die this time?” He growled, bitter and almost ready to throw another one. “You just fucking shut it, or I swear I’m going to finish the work!” He spat once more and squatted in front of Garou. He was parted between so many emotions, from anxiety to pure wrath, his fingers trembling under the rush of contradictory feelings. “You’re just a damn idiot, you know that?” He wanted to say more, but it would be betraying himself regarding his feelings for the Hero Hunter.

Rather than that, he clenched his fingers right against the ripped part of his soiled top, forcing the man to straighten himself back up, their faces just a few inches away. “You could have die!” He yelled at him, his eyes expressing something more than just anger. He inhaled before he loosened his grip over his shirt and eventually sat in front of him, almost defeated.

Garou was just a fucking selfish idiot.

#; regensia #⌇call me metal bat ( 𝘽𝙖𝙙 | IC )#⌇homerun ( 𝘽𝙖𝙙 | main verse )#⌇hunting your metal heart ( 𝘽𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪 )#; BABE IS MAD GAROU #; you better stop being sassy or he's going to send you to your grave LMAO #; HIMSELF #: and no one else!!

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metalbatandzenko · 4 years

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We all know Badd still attending high school, do you have any soft headcanon about how Garou would be like or what would Garou do when he's picking his cute smol boyfriend Badd up after school time's over? (Eg: waiting in front of the school gate while people wondering "who's this handsome young man waiting for?", Garou set bored face before but once he saw Badd he's instantly brightened, etc). Also, how people around school will react that Badd the delinquent has a very handsome boyfriend now?

diflkdjhfk YES VERY GOOD

So uh. I’m an idiot who wrote this out three separate times then forgot to post it and went back to the home page so forgive me for this being so late kdjhflkjsdhf

I’m going to break this into pre-dating pre-pardoning, dating pre-pardoning, and post-pardoning because those are three very different scenarios (also I appreciate that everyone seems to be in agreement that Badd and Garou would start dating before Garou gets pardoned kdjshflkjhf)

Pre-dating Pre-Pardoning

It starts out as a joke: Garou complained that there wasn’t anything for him to do when Badd and Zenko were in class, so Badd jokingly asked if he was going to start showing up to pick him up from class

He didn’t think anything of it until he left his school that day and saw his dipshit, still-a-fugitive roommate leaning up against a light post, looking super inconspicuous.

So Badd immediately beelines over to him and asks him what the fuck he thinks he’s doing are you crazy, someone might see you.

In Garou’s defense, he was wearing a beanie, hoodie, and facemask. He wasn’t super exposed, but it still gave Badd a heart attack.

Even with the mask, Badd can tell Garou’s got that signature shit eating grin on his face, and he says “What? I missed you, so I came to pick you up from class.”

Badd kind of grumbles and lets Garou walk him to go pick up Zenko from class, and it becomes a tradition.

There aren’t too many parents around Badd’s school, the kids are older and it’s assumed they are self-sufficient enough to either walk home themselves, or take public transport. Plus, a lot of them hang out after class, or go to cram school.

But the students themselves think it’s very interesting that Resident Grump and Hooligan Badd has a very handsome boy waiting outside the school every day to walk him home.

People just assume that Garou’s his boyfriend, because who else would wait outside the school for him like that?

Badd doesn’t hear about these rumors for a while because most of the people spreading them are a little scared of him (listen they know he’s a nice kid, but he’s scary as shit regardless), but one of his classmates eventually brings it up and he’s not sure if he wants to laugh or cry.

Unlike Badd’s school, Zenko’s school has a few parents that come to pick up their kids. Not a ton because of aforementioned expectation that the kids are self-sufficient, but there are some parents who work close by enough that they come to pick up their kids and walk them home.

Badd’s always been the center of some gossip for these parents because it’s pretty well known that he’s the only one taking care of Zenko (and none of them know he’s Metal Bat) so they frequently talk about him out of concern (how is that boy supporting his sister?)

But when he starts showing up with a tall, strapping stranger? The gossip circle explodes.

He’s a handsome boy, one parent reasons. Is it possible that he’s been modeling on the side and the man is one of his coworkers?

Either way, they don’t bother asking. Badd tends to keep to himself when he picks up Zenko, so they leave him be.

Badd tries not to think about the way Garou’s face brightens when he spots Badd on the staircase. He tries to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. He fails on two counts.

Dating Pre-Pardoning

Not much changes to be honest. Badd’s a bit concerned by how little their dynamic changes when they start officially dating. Zenko finds this very funny.

Really the only change is that Garou pulls down his mask for long enough to give his boyfriend a kiss.

Sometimes they��ll even hold hands.

Only sometimes though, because Garou has a tendency to swing their arms back and forth like he’s seven, and has hit passersby on occasion.

When they walk Zenko home, they both hold her hand, and Garou carries her backpack.

They try to keep the hand holding to a minimum around Zenko’s school though, as they’re trying to avoid as much attention as possible.

Post-Pardoning

Once Garou’s no longer a fugitive, he drops the beanie, hoodie and mask.

Badd’s classmates cannot believe he’s dating a former S-Class fugitive turned S-Class hero. Zenko’s classmates’ parents can’t believe he lets Garou around Zenko. Still, none of them have figured out that Badd is Metal Bat.

Seeing as the cat’s out of the bag, Badd and Garou are a bit more open with PDA. They mostly stick to holding hands, but they’re just glad to be able to do that publicly without worrying about drawing attention.

Badd’s a bit more giggly with Garou at this point. Garou has a tendency to hug him and bury his head in Badd’s neck, and/or pick him up off the ground. Badd’s long since stopped pretending he thinks it’s annoying.

Garou will also show up with bouquets occasionally. The first one was flat out a plant pulled out of the ground, but after that, he figured it out. Badd’s never been on the receiving end of getting flowers and he’s gotta admit, it’s...nice.

Listen man, I just want them to be a cute little family—

#batarou #metal bat #garou #zenko #headcanons

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gofancyninjaworld · 6 years

Text

From Webcomic to Manga. Part 1: The Ultimate Examination

I'm doing what I hope will be a four part series in looking at the effects of all the expansion to the One-Punch Man storyline that's happened in the manga versus the webcomic and what it's meant for the themes and characters being explored.

So, let's roll on with Part 1, featuring Genos

Back around the time of the Super Fight started, readers were pretty convinced that we knew what would happen next. Once the brief detour that the martial arts tournament was ended, we'd be back to following the webcomic pretty much chapter for chapter with a few additional scenes. Among other things we totally knew to be so was the body configuration Genos had on the left of the image below. It's a dead ringer for the body he took to the Monster Association raid in the webcomic. How little we knew! A few things happened, and the one on the right is what he's actually taking.

We're not entirely sure what he's going to be able to do with it, but whatever happens, Genos is not going to be strong enough. 'Enough' in this context is defined as killing all the surviving executives AND Awakened Garou... we don't need to know what happens in the webcomic to say that's just not going to be so. He's definitely going to end up lying in the dirt, broken.

However, gloomy prognostications aside, what's the purpose of all this additional get up?

He’s super clear on what he wants out of all this: to be as strong as Saitama. It’s why he’s (temporarily) shelved his pursuit of the Mad Cyborg and has become a hero instead.

A: Character Revelation

No question about it, Murata does love the chance to present Genos well, but the change started well before anything like Elder Centipede came on scene: since chapter 40, Genos has been getting a lot more battle experience than he did in the webcomic. This was first seen in side chapters and then in the main body of the manga (this is a common motif in OPM: new characters and concepts usually start out in the side chapters and then work their way into the main story) and the results have been progressively on show. In the course of 50+ chapters, the difference has become stark. Case in point, the way his fight with Garou went -- whereas in the webcomic he was just throwing haymakers and getting nailed at will in the face, in the manga he was using both wits and power -- and we can see how he progressed to that point. Instead, it's given ONE the space to ask different questions he just didn't have the space in the webcomic to ask.

How it started: it’s fun to punch people who just keep swinging (left, webcomic) and no fun when they can poke holes in your defence and duck under your offence (right, manga).

How it ended: Garou really needed saving in the manga, as opposed to the webcomic where it didn’t look too bad for him yet.

Something that's been hammered on in chapter 93 is that being a cyborg is a pretty good insurance policy against misadventure. In the space of 30 pages, we find that the gathered S-Class heroes hope that Drive Knight is alive, even if he's been damaged to the point of not being able to move or communicate. We also find that Jet Nice Guy, who we last saw torn in half and apparently bleeding out in chapter 26, is alive and well. Genos has ridden his luck no end to survive unsurvivable situations as we well know.

Having made sure we get the point, on page 57, it all changes. In exchange for the power he's cried for, Genos has been given a body that no longer prioritises his safety. Never mind the monsters, his own body will eat him alive.

We can quibble over the wisdom of such an approach, but it's not on a whim. Every hero who has had a taste of the Monster Association's true strength is taking it as an existential crisis. Metal Knight has holed up in his bunker and battened down the hatches. It's such a serious situation that if you have something to give, there's no sense in holding any of it back. That Genos is sitting in Saitama's apartment to bring Saitama in if at all possible with the full agreement of the likes of Bang tells you how grim a situation it is.

Indeed, the manga may be longer, but it has purged a lot of confounding factors out of the challenge that Genos will face when he eventually meets the Monster Association executives. Unlike in the webcomic, Genos now has excellent situational awareness and ability to keep and switch focus appropriately. He has no illusions about how dangerous the monsters are. He could always use more, but his battle experience is incomparably better than in the webcomic. In the webcomic, battling Garou to going to the Monster Association all happened on the same day, but in the manga, he's had a night to rest and be repaired plus it's happening in the day, so tiredness is not an excuse. He has no lingering damage that might affect matters and of course, he is able to give it absolutely *everything*.

The fateful moment in the webcomic was when Genos declared that as Saitama's disciple, he was going to go forward and support Tatsumaki, but the point of that was rather muddied by everything else. Now that the confounding factors are gone, it's all about that how well he can follow that brutally clear moral line that Saitama has drawn, that brooks no compromise.

It's easy to talk about being tough when you have a chance, but the monsters are unquestionably stronger. What then?

Other character revelatory questions ONE can explore include

When and why does he give up on waiting for Saitama? Will he leave the apartment of his own free will or be pushed out?

What sort of judgement is it going to take to unleash the last resort?

If it's just him and the monsters, keeping on going at full power until he blows up is no problem -- it'll take many of the monsters with him -- but now there's other heroes to consider, how does he weight this?

When things get really bad and a quick death is no option, how tough a person is he really?

We're going to get to find out.

B: Character Development

Something else that ONE is using all the space in the manga for is to put foundations under the ideas that he's floated in the webcomic. Something we've learned between the manga and the supporting drama CDs is that Genos thinks highly of his fellow S-Class heroes' abilities and sees them as people to watch, learn from and even emulate if possible. It makes sense of what came from nowhere in the webcomic that he wanted to go to the Neo Heroes to have more people he could learn from.

And yet where we leave off in the webcomic, Genos is completely disillusioned. Where from the change? It's super-sudden in the webcomic, but in the manga, it has roots. It was like a sick joke -- the people he's been so sure must have unimaginable amounts of battle experience and be insanely strong prove to be nothing of the sort. There on one side lies the best martial artist, Bomb. Under that rock lies the other pinnacle of martial arts, Bang. On that rock is Tatsumaki, the epitome of psychic power, fitfully lapsing in and out of consciousness. There was the sound of Atomic Samurai pleading for the lives of his disciples, but he's quiet now. One by one, the heroes lauded by men as the apogee of various talents and feared by monsters have joined him in lying in the same dirt.

Here's what the manga is adding: not just that they're nothing compared to Saitama, but the gap between himself and them is no longer near as big as he imagines it is. It is going to *show* us this and also how this will rock his world. Calling seeking rank in the S-Class 'competing in... a low level area' felt incredibly arrogant in the webcomic -- really, weren't you the guy taken out in seconds? But now, there's much more of a basis. [To build on this in light of @inigollorentemartija ‘s excellent observation] Arrogance isn’t the point of what the webcomic is aiming for of course. However, in the manga, Genos is much stronger than his webcomic equivalent, so he’s going to get a revelation that he’s not as far behind the rest of the S-Class as he thought he was, a bit like a high-schooler taking AP classes gets a surprise when they realise that university freshman maths is almost doable. Even if Genos learns all he can from his comrades, he’ll still be far short of Saitama. The webcomic hasn’t done enough groundwork to bring that point as sharply across as the manga will.

That's a change that just wasn't possible with the G4 era upgrades that he would have taken into the MA raid if we were following the webcomic slavishly. When we see him again in the webcomic, Genos claims that he can now take on dragon-level monsters and we were like 'really? Where from?' It felt like a magic jump. In the manga, it's going to feel like a logical progression and have a much different impact than it did in the webcomic.

With his progression much better grounded, it's going to be easier for the manga to justify and build on whatever decisions he makes, and actions he takes next. Where that will be, we don't know. One thing the manga has hinted at in chapter 88 is that not all this character development will be for the better.

Genos is going to be tested in ways and grow in a manner that the webcomic simply didn’t anticipate. And I can’t wait to see what comes of it.

#manga #opm webcomic #webcomic to manga #Genos #meta #comparisons #there's so much that's changed #it's almost like a new story #2020 #OPM #One Punch Man

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traversingthefgc · 7 years

Text

Getting into the swing of things.

It has been a while since I have posted here on this page, and as the title suggests...I have been a bit out of it.

Since I last posted here, quite a bit has happened! I mean, it has only been a year, but much has changed! In the scene, in my life, all for good and or bad.

I am going to recap the year for myself, so feel free to read along.

When I posted my last post, I had hoped to continue to post about my three days at Cannes Winter Clash. Summing it all up, I hung out with a group of guys from Lyon, 3 of which were whom I roomed with. They were the highlight of my weekend. A close second was the various media I got while there...I preformed 3 interviews, which you can see below, and took a lot of footage, none which I have posted unfortunately.

youtube

Also some cool city shots too. Hands down the best part about attending tournaments in Europe is experiencing the local culture, the same could be said about any international travel, but the EU takes the cake for its story book scenery alone.

After that, there was Redbull Kumite 2016 in Paris.

This was a stellar event. It was the event of the season for me, when you think about what that would typically entail. It has production value, atmosphere, community support, and effort put forth by a real corporation. It showed me what “esports” would be like with the FGC. There were only a couple of issues, being on how limited it was.

The tournament was “only” 256 players. This is a respectable number of entrants...but the idea of turning friends away from playing isn’t something that you see in a volunteer ran event. This was certainly the case here, were entrees were sold out in under 15 minutes or something like that, but you might have well called them tickets.

Second, was the introduction of a VIP area...there were many discussions about this in the past when individuals used to complain about the idea the MLG had spaces like this, and that it didn’t jive well with the general spirit of the Fighting Games Community. However fast forward today...and it feels like the mentality might be shifting...

As I said though, those were the nit-picky items for the event. This could have been a huge change in how involved I was with the scene after losing the drive due to the events of Team EBAR. However while at the event, I lost my main memory card of photos and footage. This killed me...though I still came out with some prized shots, so it wasn’t a total loss. It was a hard lesson learned as well. Other professionals told me to just use one really large card. One commented it is awful when one fails, but in nearly 10 years of photography, he has only had 1 fail on him. This knowledge came after the fact, because who thought that a memory card would have fallen out of a coin pocket in my jeans...

After that, I was tapped out. As I said, losing most of my weekend’s work really hurt the drive for me. On top of that, I tried to play with the guys at the EBAR, but I hated being called a scrub by abrasive personalities (only a few in particular, but of course make up more then half of the dedicated force there), in a language that isn’t my native tongue (all is fine until you start to understand a few key words...), so I stopped going around and visiting them.

It could have been a lot better...

Then, around November, we came upon the one year passing of the attacks in Paris. This drove me to put out the “We Stand Together” video I filmed at Street Grand Battle. I didn’t have it fully edited in the way I wanted, but I needed to get it out there. The reason I wanted to make the video was due to the racial backlash that came out of the attacks. Fast forward another year, and it is the same thing. In the ramp up of the 2016 elections, there were a lot of racist comments being tossed about. I wanted to remind the community to that we were different, and that is what makes us great. I also wanted to respect the contributors for their time that they took to do the video with me, so I put it out there, as it was.

youtube

Despite it being a rough edit. It still gets the point across well. I hope to do better in the future.

Fast forward to Christmas of 2016, I was coming back home, and the first thing I got to do was attend NEC17 in Philadelphia. That’s right, we got the band back together! Almost all of the team came out (14 out of 16 members since 2010), and we kicked it! Being back into a tournament environment that I grew to love, surrounded by friendly faces and great games, it reminded me how much I want to be apart of the scene. Even if that means I have to pay train tickets and travel ridiculous distances just for a few weekends , because that is all I can afford...I want to do it. I want to be apart of it.

So this obviously points to the fact that NEC was a flat out success. The Philly area won its own major with Punk bringing it home in SFV (I prefer SF5, but what ever). I got to see my team, talk a lot of the talk, walk a little bit of the walk. I got to meet a another player dedicated and excited about Garou! He and Joe had met at Evo 2016, and he flew out here to play on the cabinets always present on the East Coast. I got to drink with the East Coast KoF crew once more. I also found my new game going into 2017 which I would like to play. Guilty Gear...and Garou, always Garou.

And so we arrive to today in February of 2017.

There are many tournaments that I won’t be making it to this year. Cannes Winter Clash, European Street Battle are two I know I am missing due to a birthday and a wedding of two different important people that I can’t miss.

With that said though, I am trying to pull away from a focus on Street Fighter...this could be killing my chances at an “eSports” life, but I think I put enough time into games that I don’t enjoy that much...mainly since SSF4AE.

So I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to play a game I want to play.

Nice part is that I will be traveling to Prague next week. I will meet up with some guys in the community there, talking shit and pressing buttons. They also have a regional tournament coming up called “Button Czech!” Love it. I hope to learn more about all of that while there.

So stay tuned for more stuff. It has been a fun ride, and I hope to continue it. Thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you all next time!

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