Yesterday's manga haul and lunch!!

would love to hear ur thoughts re. these street woman fighter's performances and who you would personally vote as the "better dance crew" in how they interpreted each other choreos and the song.

this was for their first elimination round (ep4) and it was interesting to hear from the judges + why they gave the points they did. (i'm not entirely sure if you're watching the show's episodes. they are roughly 2 hours long. so if you would like more context, pls let me know! i wrote brief comments underneath each one as well as the winners [spoilers ahead!]. assuming you are not: for this mission, each crew is paired with another crew and they have to choreograph one of the soloist songs. songs were "split" into two parts: part one [would be one song] and part two [another song]; one crew would choreograph one part and follow the other's crew choreograph for the other part.)

1. boa - eat you up (want choreo) + better (ygx choreo). dance crews: ygx vs want

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCfK_qWAhM0&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: ygx. boa gave 151 pts to ygx and 49 pts to want (the biggest gap in points between crews), sharing that although want choreographed eat you up, ygx was more cohesive (pointing to how want wore hats and it was messy). additionally, ygx had better stage presence and was able to capture the camera more. also, because ygx is the only crew to have a b-girl and use it in their routine, the judges applauded want for doing the best they can.

2. cl - doctor pepper (wayb) + hello bitches (prowdmon). dance crews: prowdmon vs wayb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEEpZ9SrvaE&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: prowdmon. judges shared that doctor pepper's routine is a trademark of wayb and that they should have been the standout. however, they felt like prowdmon did it better.

3. hyuna - crazy (4minute) (coca n butter) + i'm not cool (hook) + lip and hip (hook). dance crews: hook vs coca n butter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1ikpPKEA30&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: hook. the two dance crews are VERY different in terms of style. coca n butter is described to be more hip-hop while hook is definitely more reflective of the current/newer trends. (when hook was first introduced in the show, they were known as the crew who was famous only for tiktok dances.) the judges shared that hook was more fun and interesting, given their stylistic choice of wearing the pink wigs. whereas it seemed for coca n butter, they felt like something was lacking (they showed something but it didn't feel they did.)

4. jessi - what type of xx (lachica) + nununa (holybang) + gucci (holybang). dance crews: holybang vs lachica

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtZzI11oyqc&ab_channel=MnetTV

winner: lachica. (this was the only battle where both crews came in v close pts. whereas for the other crews, there were huge point-gaps.) judges had a hard time choosing, sharing that for lachica they were more detail-oriented while holybang had better teamwork.

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imo, i agree with the judges' choices. though i would have to say i think wayb did their routine (doctor pepper) better than prowdmon. they stood out to me then, but when it came to the second part (hello bitches), prowdmon was better. i loved lachica's performance - it was v clean + reminded me of something a kpop group would do (which like, the crew largely works with kpop acts like chungha, boa's better, etc. so it makes sense).

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this was LONG. thank u if u do read it and post! i miss the kingdom "era" when u would post weekly reviews. the two are v different but this new mnet competition show is the only one i'm invested in. i'm not sure if it's big internationally? i know it is v popular in korea right now. while i've only seen i-fans talk about the show as it relates to chaeyeon (want) because she's an idol. - swf (streetwomanfighter) anon :]

omg this is so long and well organized, forget me writing reviews anon you should do it!! i'm not currently watching the full episodes but i've been catching the few clips that pop up in my youtube recommended occasionally, so i definitely don't have all the context but i'll take a crack at it!

ok so my assumption/from what i can tell, they have a bit of leeway to alter the competing group's choreo as needed to better suit numbers and formations. i also went and found the individual versions of these because why did they make them so small on the split screen, don't they know i'm old and wear glasses. also: MNET FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY STOP MOVING THE FUCKING CAMERA. WE DO NOT NEED SCROLLING VERTICAL BOOM SHOTS OF THIS. just keep the same lens at eye level it's really not that hard. this is like, one of the worst possible ways to shoot dance it is SO annoying. ok i'm done bitching about that let's go.

1. boa - ygx vs want i agree with the big point gap on this one, and i think want made a couple of choices that were not cohesive enough, and obviously they also got set up to fail by ygx. actually i think both groups made choices that were not particularly good, but ygx had more of the skills to back up what they were doing than want did. breaking is very difficult and requires a lot of upper body strength and a higher centre of gravity, which are two physical traits that are less common in women. personally i wouldn't have tried to break to better because although boa songs do have more of a beat than other idol music, it's still not at all the right type of music for breaking. it's gotta be fast, breakers rely on speed, because it's all about momentum; they're literally throwing themselves around the stage. here's the final from battle pro 2019 for example. the music is basically beats only; heavily lyric based music, like idol music, is bad for battling in general because there isn't a lot of consistency. i have more to say about this but i'm getting off track. basically by choosing to handicap the other team (because they don't have a bgirl at all) they shot their own bgirl in the foot because the song is too slow to properly show off her skills. i applaud want for making bold choices, like the hatwork and attempting the breaking, but ultimately when combined with their styling the performance looks disjointed. also they have some formation cohesion issues that make it look a bit like they'e struggling to keep up, even with their own choreo.

2. cl - prowdmon vs wayb i agree with the judges, i think prowdmon bodied the wayb choreo. i actually thought that was their choreo at first. they have the best presence that i've seen of all the groups and the performative "hard bitch" attitude fit in with their genre setting. wayb had several mistakes and synchronization issues that in my opinion made them look sloppy in comparision to prowdmon, who were sharper and had two more people to put into formations. 3. hyuna - hook vs coca n butter ok personally i don't like either of these choreos, but i'm agreeing with the judges here, i think hook's was the mildly more engaging. i can tell that they're very young and do mostly short form tiktok content because i see a lot of eye catching moves, but i don't see a lot of strong connective tissue between those moves. they have good ideas but they also really struggle with putting people into formation and balancing it out well. it doesn't help that they're a seven member crew going up against a four member one, so they have three extra people to figure out what to do with. there's a lot of empty space where there are members waiting in position for a group formation. it also doesn't help at all that they (mnet) appear to just be rawdogging the songs together without any kind of mixing, which is a huge detriment to groups that have to choreograph for two in their section. i'm not cool and lip and hip have two totally different feels and kudos to hook for at least trying to get them to at least visually be cohesive when mnet is go girl giving us nothing sonically. coca n butter has much more of an old school hip hop style, so putting these two up against each other was (probably a random lot draw) an interesting choice. personally i would have been more interested to see hook against want with the boa tracks and ygx against coca n butter with the hyuna tracks. however, i think the reason why coca n butter's stage felt like it was lacking is because they tried to emulate hyuna, without having the stage presence or the weirdness of hyuna. it feels like they're trying too hard and there isn't really any personal character in the piece, versus with hook, who embodied hyuna's weirdness a little more authentically and took a completely different direction. 4. jessi - lachica vs holybang lachica took this one easily, although their formations were a bit wonky for nununana, they covered it fairly well and i think they managed the best transition between songs (between nununana and gucci). they were sharper with good stage pictures and had a good gimmick with the double fringe on the gloves and hats. holy bang had some issues fitting their extra person into the what type of x choreo, but they did well with their own choreo. however, like with coca n butter and hook, because lachica took a new visual spin, this felt too derivative of jessi, so it wasn't that interesting for me to watch. i do think they are one of the groups on the stronger end of skills and presence. --- as far as visually what performances i liked the best, since would this even be a writeup by me if i didn't talk about design, here's a quick breakdown:

prowdmon - got some rudimentary setpieces, got a theme, got some fun variations on a uniform look; excellent for what i assume was limited budget capacity and also it's a dance crew show.

lachica - great continuity of effect in costuming with the fringe, and using the gloves as a mouth/lip effect was one of the most interesting choices of these routines.

hook - the pink wigs and the black latex on the checkered floor was a nice gimmick that was a bit of a nod to hyuna's weird without being too derivative. i'm not expecting a whole lot because these are dance crews but i think this was a decent amount of styling effort.

want - they made a bold choice with the hats and even though it didn't quite pay off for them i still respect it.

coca n butter/ygx/holybang/wayb - ygx and wayb did basic hip hop type styling and while it's absolutely fine, it's just boring. holybang went for a directly inspired jessi look, and although yes bodysuits, overall it wasn't that interesting either. coca n butter get props for doing a costume change and actually incorporating that into the choreo but it feels too much like it's trying to be hyuna weird with the caution tape strapped over their tits and asses.

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as a final note/question to you, my lovely invested swf anon, what's the format of the show? are there stages like this every episode to review? if these were from the fourth one only, is there anything worth me reviewing in the first three? i'm not particularly interested in the aggressive competitive nature of the show and editing so i don't particularly want to watch the full two hour episodes, but if you think it's worthwhile for me to review stuff then i will. otherwise if there's a set structure (like with kingdom) i can seek out the stages specifically and review them if i know what i'm looking for.

Hi! “I can't pretend anymore!” + “That sounds a lot like ‘goodbye.’” for Todoroki Shouto please! also, may I have a link to ur masterlist? (○ﾟεﾟ○)

A/N: Debating on whether or not I want to write a second part to this (Pro Hero!AU)

The next request I have is more fun and sweet, I promise

p.s. here’s a link to my masterlist (my bnha section is embarrassingly small, please send in some more requests!)

“I can’t pretend anymore!” + “That sounds a lot like a ‘goodbye.’” from this prompt list (feel free to send in a sentence(s) and a character)

Part two of this fic is available here: Despite the Fights, I Still Love You

Summary: You knew what you were getting into when you decided to date a pro hero, all of the secrecy, the late nights waiting up for Shouto to get home. Despite this, you couldn’t help the anger forming whenever he’d miss yet another date night, the nausea you felt when you saw him fighting a tough battle, or the wave of jealousy that came whenever you saw hundreds of fans online talk about how “good” with whoever he was working with. So, you had to ask yourself: is it even worth it anymore?

Words: 1,951

In all honesty, you should’ve known that dating Shouto would be tough, he was a pro hero after all. So, you felt as though you should be a bit more understanding when it came to certain things, like not telling people that you two were dating, in fear that you’d be used as a pawn for the villains one day, or whenever you had to rush to the hospital because he pushed himself too hard, the fear gripping your heart as you prayed that he wouldn’t be dead. However, it was hard to be so understanding when it came to being stood up, once again, in your own damn home, which was currently where you were now.

It was your four year anniversary with Shouto, and you wanted to surprise him with a stay-at-home date, since neither of you liked to go outside anyway. You had texted him earlier, making him promise that he’d be home tonight, but gave no further instructions after that. For the past few months, you’ve felt that you relationship with the man had been at a sort of stand-still, or perhaps it was declining, you weren’t really sure. It seemed as though every time the two of you could finally be alone, Shouto was called in for work. Whether it be due to a villain outbreak, a rescue mission, or just to give a surprise lecture at U.A., you two just never seemed to have the time for each other anymore. It also didn’t help that, whenever he’d come back home, he either rushing off to bed to sleep, or you were already passed out on the couch, waiting for him. Sometimes, a small voice in your head was telling you that he just didn’t care anymore, that you two feel into some sort of lull, where he knew you’d always be there, so there was no need to try anymore. Of course, you’d push those thoughts back, feeling guilty that you’d even think that way. The man was busy, there was no way he could possibly be in two places at once.

So, you decided to change things, starting with your anniversary dinner. Tonight, you two would finally get to relax together and have an actual conversation. You truly did go all out, setting the table to resemble some fancy restaurant, lighting candles to set the mood, and even going out of your way to buy some roses from a cute little flower shop not too far away from you. Unsurprisingly, you decided to make soba, hoping that the dish would make your boyfriend smile, something you hadn’t seen in a while. 

Once you had everything all set up, you rushed off to your shared bedroom to finish getting ready. Taking off your normal loungewear, you slipped into a nice pair of pants and a simple top, not wanting to be too dressed up, but not too underdressed. Checking yourself over in the mirror, you let out a deep breath, one that you didn’t know you’d been holding in. 

Exiting your room, you decided to sit down at the table, a content smile resting upon your lips. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t excited. Quite honestly, you were looking forward to ogling your handsome boyfriend while the two of you ate, since God knows how long it’d been since you’ve been able to do that. Also, to be a bit more sappy, you were just elated that Shouto had found the time to come home early and eat a proper meal with you. Though you didn’t want to admit it, you often found yourself worried about him, not only because the line of work he was in, but also because you were worried that he wasn’t taking proper care of himself. You could tell that, every night he came home and passed out, that he wasn’t getting enough rest, and, perhaps your eyes had deceived you, but one early morning, around three, you were almost certain you saw him just pound down a packet of espresso. Not mix it with boiling water, no, but just eating straight up powder. So in your mind, you felt justified in your worries about his eating habits. 

Fidgeting with your hands, you looked up at the clock. He was currently ten minutes late. You didn’t worry too much about that, since you knew that Shouto was probably finishing up some last minute paperwork. After all, he did promise that he’d be here tonight.

However, ten minutes soon turned into twenty, and then twenty turned into an hour, then another hour, and another, until the man was three hours late. To say that you were upset would be an understatement: you were angry. This was the fifth time the man blew you off, and those little voices of doubt were starting to come back. Your patience was running thin, and you could only be understanding for so long. 

Deciding to wait just a bit longer, you slumped back into your chair, pulling out your phone to do a bit of mindless scrolling through social media. Unfortunately for you, this was probably the worst decision you could’ve made for yourself. As soon as you opened your app, you were bombarded with pictures of “Pro Hero: Shouto” with a trainee at his agency who was just a bit too close for comfort. Normally, you weren’t the type to get jealous, as you were used to seeing him be fawned over by thousands of girls and boys, but, the way that he was smiling with her, that was what threw you off. 

You hadn’t seen him look so happy in months. Seeing that, some girl could get him to smile like that, but you couldn’t, it wore off the last of your seemingly endless patience. Looking at the comments underneath the photo didn’t help either. Most of them were about how “cute” they would look together, wondering if she’s his secret “girlfriend.” It pissed you off. You were no longer angry, but instead full of seething rage and jealousy.

Rather than hurting what was left of your pride, you stood up, nearly knocking down the chair with how aggressive you were, and began to pack up your dinner. Rummaging through your drawers, you took a Tupperware dish and carelessly tossed the soba in, slamming the lid down once you were done. Afterwards, you started blowing out the candles, which, wasn’t that big of a task, since most of them fizzled out on their own. 

In your own silent fit of rage, you didn’t notice the door opening, revealing your irritatingly attractive boyfriend. Hearing the slams of the cabinets, he winced slightly. Walking towards the kitchen, he peeked his head in, curiosity overtaking his tiredness.

“(Y/N)?”

Now, Shouto wasn’t really fearful of anything, as he’d pretty much seen everything in his line of work. But, when you whipped your head around so fast that he was sure you’d given yourself whiplash, he felt terrified. Not because he was afraid you’d do anything, but because he’d never seen you look so angry and, heartbroken.

“(Y/N),” He repeated, slowly walking towards you, “Are you—“

“Don’t you dare ask me if I’m okay.” 

He stopped in his tracks, unsure of what his next move should be. It probably wasn’t in his best interest if he continued to move towards you, as you looked ready to tear his head off his body, which he had no doubt you could. But he also didn’t want to just stand there and look like a moron, though, it was his current and only plan of action. You didn’t seem to appreciate his silence, as your eyes seemed to glow with frustration.

Was it a bad time to admit how radiant he thought you looked?

“I can’t pretend anymore!” You yelled, throwing your hands up in the air in exasperation.

He blinked, not quite processing things. “Pretend..?”

You pointed a finger at the man, stalking up to him. “I can’t keep pretending that everything’s fine when it’s not!”

Before he could interject, you poked his chest with your index finger, “No! You listen to me now, I’ve given you plenty of opportunities to talk to me.”

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to be with you? I’d like to think that I’m a fairly considerate person, but you’re pushing me past my own perceptions of patience! These past few months you’ve barely said anything to me! The best I get is a ‘good morning,’ or ‘sorry, I’m too tired.’

“For the first few weeks, I could handle it. I knew you probably needed your space, so I did my best to give it to you. But weeks started turning into months, Shouto. Did you ever think of how your shitty distancing would impact me?”

You could see the annoyance welling up in his eyes, but you were too angry to care at this point.

“Don’t think that I don’t see those pictures of you and the trainee, either. I haven’t seen you smile like that in months. At this point, I just need to know if you’re even invested in this relationship anymore?”

Shouto staggered back, as if you hit him. It wasn’t long until his anger rivaled yours, though.

“You can’t just pin this all on me. A relationship is a two person job, you know.”

You honestly felt like you were on fire with how much anger rushed through your body. “I’m aware! I’ve been doing most of the work to keep it afloat!”

He scoffed, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes a bit. “You’re being dramatic, you know I can’t be here all the time, I have a job to—“

“Yes, yes, I know. You have a ‘job to do.’ I just wish you could be a bit more sympathetic to the situation! Or, better yet, make some time for us.”

“What do you expect me to do? Quit working as a hero?” You’d never seen so much contempt in his eyes, how absolutely upset he was.

“Why are you putting words in my mouth? All I want is for you to put some effort into this relationship. You assume that I’m just always going to be here, but I have needs too, you know!”

He sneered, no warmth behind his eyes. “You knew what you were getting into when you decided to date me,”

Just like that, all of the anger had dissipated from your body. With the adrenaline leaving your body, all you felt was how tired you were, how your bones ached, and how much you just wanted to be done with all of this. It felt as though you were just fighting a losing battle, and any shred of fight you had in you had suddenly disappeared. Looking back up at Shouto, you sighed.

“You know what? You’re right, I did know what it meant to date you. Had I known where we’d be now, I’d seriously question whether this was the right decision.”

Side stepping, you pushed away from him, slowly walking towards your shared bedroom. “I’m tired of fighting for us when you obviously don’t care,”

You could hear the small gasp coming from him, but you were too tired to care. You felt drained and all you wanted to do was sleep. Before you could turn the corner, his voice froze you in place:

“That sounds a lot like ‘goodbye.’”

Shrugging your shoulders, you took a steadying breath. “Maybe it is,”

Looking over your shoulder, you let a pitiful smile grace your face.

“Oh, and Shouto?”

His eyes met yours, tears threatening to fall over at any moment.

“Happy anniversary.”

Benjamin Sullivan: NSFW Alphabet

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

Actual king of aftercare. It doesn’t matter who was on top - he’s gonna walk, crawl, or hobble off to make sure you have a nice glass of cool water and something comfortable to wrap yourself in afterwards. Will check in to make sure you enjoyed yourself before pulling you into a big bear hug (if you want it).

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Ben enjoys how dexterous his hands are - they’re strong enough to grasp his axe and kill a man with a single blow; but also steady enough to sew up holes in his trousers and carve delicate wood figures from scraps of timber he finds lying around.

On a partner he’s particularly enthralled with their eyes. They say that eyes are the window to the soul, and he believes that whole-heartedly. Eye contact is a big deal if you’re making love.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

Likes to cum on your chest and face. He’s fascinated by watching your tongue creep out and lick it off your lips or suck it off your fingers. He might even do it himself if you’re not into it. He wouldn’t mind cumming inside you; but he’d rather pull out and make you even more dirty.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

If you come to his work a lot he’s 100% dreamt of bending you over the bar and fucking you right then and there. He wouldn’t say he’s into exhibitionism; but the thought of you pressed against the cool oak, begging for him is enough to make him reconsider that decision.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

TW: Underage, character is lying about his age. Avoid TW section if this is triggering to you.

The easy answer to this is… not very? The more complex answer is that he’s had several partners - but only one or two were actually positive or informative. 

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

He lost his virginity in the army when some of the older soldiers thought it would be fun to get the kid a whore for the night after they’d landed in Europe. Ben was too afraid that the woman could somehow tell he was younger than he’d said he was to enjoy himself at all, and the encounter lasted less than 20 minutes with as little clothing removed as possible.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTWTW

Once he’d been discharged he was too preoccupied with trying to earn a living and caring for his mother to bother with personal affairs, although he did have a steady girlfriend in the early years.

Although his experiences thus far had been uninspiring to straight-up embarrassing, Ben was far from a prude, and had several pleasant and friendly, albeit quick, encounters with some of the men once he arrived at the logging camp in Washington.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

People expect Ben to be domineering and rough based on his size; but in actuality he very much enjoys watching his partner ride him. He’s more than happy to use his strength to… help them along; but would rather watch someone take their pleasure from him than risk embarrassing himself or - even worse - being TOO rough.

That being said, he’s not above following a partner’s lead if they want to try something a bit more acrobatic.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

It depends. If it’s your first time together he’ll definitely be more serious. He’ll want you to know he’s enjoying himself, so he won’t be stoic; but he’ll be fighting nerves most of the time, so don’t expect a lot of teasing or laughter. If you’ve been together for a while and know each other well enough; Ben will loosen up and make you both laugh on the lazy days you spend in bed - not that he’s trying to be a comedian while you’re fucking; but he won’t be afraid to run his hands up your sides and make you giggle, or cross his eyes to break the tension if you’re looking particularly focused.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Ben is very hairy, to his annoyance. He’s a little bit obsessive about his grooming now that he has a job that interacts with the public so much. No one wants a cocktail with a chest hair in it.

He keeps himself well trimmed; but not clean-shaven. If that’s what you’re into he’ll do it for you; but please have mercy… there’s just so much…

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

Intimacy is extremely important to Ben. His mother told him stories about how she and his father were together before the accident; and even then young Ben knew that’s what he wanted in a partner. Trust, love, acceptance.

The older he gets the more he’s only interested in that, foregoing even the extremely rare affairs he had in his 20’s in search of something that has the potential to last.

If you’re the person Ben decides he’s going to have that with… prepare to be romanced like nobody’s business.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

Ben masturbates quite a bit more now than he did in his youth. That might have something to do with this being the first time in his adult life he’s actually had the privacy to enjoy himself since he went from his parent’s house, to the army, back to his mother’s house, then into the logging camps… so up until he purchased his small house, jacking off was a rare treat. He’s learned he enjoys starting his day with a quick jerk in the shower before he shaves.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Again, this depends a lot on how comfortable Ben is with you. If your relationship is fairly new, he’s going to be VERY vanilla. He’ll be down if you want to try something; but won’t ask for something out of the ‘ordinary’ himself.

Once that obstacle is overcome, he’ll be more vocal about his wants. He’ll want to have sex in the forest (just roll with it, anything you do for him he will pay back ten-fold) and will ask that you be rough with him when you’re fucking. Choke him, slap him, spank him - he can take it. He just wants to forget himself for a while and feel powerless. It wouldn’t occur to him to ask you to tie him up, but if you did… turbo-nut.

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

The more he trusts you, the more adventurous he’ll want to be with you - so prepare to fuck outside, inside, in the bar storeroom, over the pile of wood he was chopping, in the tub, in the car… really, the world is your oyster as far as places Ben is willing to fuck you.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

He’s always ready and willing to show you how much he loves you in a physical way; but if you grab him by the collar and pull him into a kiss?? In public??? That’s it. You’re getting the sex. Immediately.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Ben will not be OK with any kind of degradation. This is an area he doesn’t feel confident in, and having you seemingly confirming that will pull him out of the moment immediately. He also doesn’t want to see you in pain. He’s very protective of his partners, so if you want to be hurt it’s really not going to sit well with him. The most you can probably work out of him is some light spanking.

You’re just… so small… and fragile…

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

Both? Both. Both is good. Not to brag; but he got pretty damn good at giving blow jobs in his early 20’s and he’ll blow you and your mind if that’s your pleasure. He’s a bit less confident with female genitals; but he’s just overall good with his mouth, so odds are he’ll pick it up very, very quickly. Get ready for some beard-burn on your thighs, because Ben is enthusiastic.

He also enjoys receiving oral. Honestly, he’s more comfortable with oral than he is with full-on sex; so he’s more likely to initiate that earlier in a relationship than hopping straight into bed.

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

There’s not much Ben does in any aspect of his life that’s particularly fast. He likes to take his time and do the job right. This will extend to the bedroom as well. He’s also particularly aware of any large disparity in size and will treat you gently in accordance with that. If you’re a man and a bit closer to his size, he might be somewhat rougher… but really he just enjoys loving on his partners.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

Honestly, they’re not really his cup of tea. Even when you’re fucking somewhere out of the ordinary, he’ll want to take his time. A race to the finish line doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, and brings back some bad memories.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

Is down to experiment… with some caveats. He knows he’s not the most experienced of men, so he’s willing to try something new if you bring it up; but he’ll want a thorough explanation first. So plan out your kinky encounters at least a day before. He’s a protective boy and he’ll want to know all the potential hazards well in advance. Risks, when it comes to your safety, are a hard NO.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

He’s a bit… ah, what’s the word… backed-up? So prepare yourself, because as soon as he figures out what keeps him on the edge and what pushes him right over… you might end up with his cock in you for several hours and several rounds before Ben taps out.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Wouldn’t know a sex toy if you slapped him in the face with it. He’s fascinated once he does learn about them though. In the late 50’s/Early 60’s the pickings as far as electric toys were pretty slim; but floggers, paddles, strap-on’s, and yes… a flying saucer-shaped vibrator, would be sources of great interest to Ben.

U = Unfair (How much they like to tease)

Surprisingly, Ben loves to tease. Like many other areas in your sex life, it’ll take him a bit to warm up to the idea; but once he’s comfortable with you prepare to be rubbed and caressed and pinched to distraction.

He likes to rest his big hand on your thigh at restaurants or the movies, rubbing up and down, closer and closer to where you want him.

If you force his hand down and start to ride his fingers he’ll turn beet red; but chuckle lowly at how filthy you both are - leaning over to whisper all the things he wants to do to you and vice-versa when you get home.

He’s also a fucking demon when it comes to edging. Very few things make him happier than burying his face between your legs and teasing you until you’re an incoherent puddle of pleasure on the sheets, begging him for your release.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

He’s not obnoxiously loud; but not silent either. Loves to let you know how good you feel to him, and likes to hear the same in return. Willing to try dirty talk; but he’ll need a little practice. He’ll moan deep in his chest if you’re fucking him or sucking him off and will occasionally cry out when he cums. If you’re somewhere public you might want to tell him to be quiet or gag him - he’s been known to get lost in the moment.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

He’s Jewish, but doesn’t really practice or tell people about it since the prejudices of WW2 are still fresh in people’s minds, even in America. He keeps his mother’s Star of David pendant and his family’s mezuzah in a chest under his bed.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

Cut, 7 ½ inches and girthy.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

Ben is always down to have sex with you. Always. He’s yours, and you’re his; but he’s not going to pressure you to do anything you don’t want to. As stated above, he and his hand have become pretty friendly over the last few years…

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He’ll get drowsy; but won’t really be ready to nod off. It’s more like all the tension he’s been holding has been released and now he’s ready to cuddle and relax. Calling him a big teddy bear after you guys do the do won’t be too far from the truth.

Shenanigan Squad

Summary: Ashton’s focus was simple: graduate. But if he happened to make some friends, and maybe a little more, along the way, he wasn’t one to complain.

A/N: College Ash AU!

Content: Swearing. Alcohol usage. AKA Bri and her usual bullshit.

Word Count: Just shy of 6k

And away, and away we go!

~~~

Ashton’s glasses pushed up as he rubbed at his eyes. Eight am was way too early to be having class. But, at least he had his friend Mike with him. Graduation was so close, he could practically feel the degree in his hand. And at least the class was taught by Professor Lewis. So even though it was early, the enthusiasm was infectious as the red-haired, freckled professor bounced around the front of the lecture room, his voice way too perky as he went, “Alright! Let’s get this started! Get to know your neighbors! Find out what they did over the summer!”

Ashton couldn’t help but chuckle at the older man’s energy as he turned in his seat and started conversing with Mike, catching up on how the summer had treated them both. While they had kept in touch, neither of them had actually seen each other since May right after finals. That wasn’t to say they weren’t friends though. A shared major and common quest for a scrap of paper was a bonding experience and Ashton had created a small close-knit group without ever realizing it.

“Ah, Jo! Nice of you to join us!” Professor Lewis said as a young woman walked in, backpack slung over one shoulder.

“Hey,” she greeted warmly, hurrying up the aisle and taking the empty seat behind Mike.

Ashton looked at the woman in her flannel with the sleeves rolled up, her blonde-streaked hair pulled back into a ponytail, her cheeks flushed from her fast-paced walk across campus. Her black glasses slid down her nose as she pulled a notebook and pen out of her backpack. She pushed them back into place and she flipped open the notebook before reaching forward to tap Mike on the shoulder. “Psst, Mike, what are we doing?”

“Jo!” Mike said happily. “Introductions. What we did over the summer. You know.”

“Cool,” she nodded, her brown eyes scanning the room. “Aw, sweet Luke’s here, too? Dope.” She offered a small wave to the tall blue-eyed blonde closer to the back of the room. “And you are?” she asked, her gaze settling on Ashton as she finished her scan of the room.

“Ashton,” he supplied, offering her a hand.

“Jordan,” she smiled, a dimple appearing in her right cheek. “Or Jo. Are you new to the history department? Or have we just never been lucky enough to have a class together?”

“Not lucky enough to have a class together,” Mike explained to her. “Ash is gonna be in thesis with us, too.”

“Oh, shit, yeah?” she asked, her eyes brightening. “Dope. Luke’s in it too, yeah?”

“Yup,” the green eyed boy said. “Not Cal though. He couldn’t get a section.”

“Bummer,” she said, leaning back in her desk. “So, Ash- Do you prefer Ash or Ashton?- How do you know this nerd?” she asked, gesturing to Mike.

“Oh, we took the historiography class last semester together. But we’ve had other classes together too. And Ash is fine.”

“Right, cuz you, Cal, and Luke ditched me,” she said with playful roll of her eyes as she nudged Mike’s shoulder.

Ashton wasn’t sure why, but he swallowed harshly as Calum’s name was brought up for the second time. He knew the brown-skinned boy fairly well, having had a class or two with him in the past. They were friendly. Ashton would easily consider Calum to be part of his close-knit group. But the fact that the girl to his right also knew Calum didn’t settle well in his stomach.

“It didn’t fit in our schedule. And hey, at least we had Lewis together,” Mike defended.

She nodded again. “True that. And my historiography paper was loads easier than yours.”

“Fucker,” Mike muttered with a small chortle. “Jo here got it easy with Lopez and turned in...” Mike started to explain to the rest of the small group but faltered. “How many pages did you turn in?” he asked, his green-eyed gaze shifting to the girl.

Jordan’s gaze went up and her teeth bit into her lower lip as she thought. “Like.. 4 and a half, I think?” she answered, uncertainly.

Ashton whistled low. “Shit, I turned in 12 I think.”

Jordan shrugged. “I got a B minus, so…”

“Alright!” Professor Lewis said, his hands clapping together to get the attention of the room full of history majors. “Let’s hear about your classmates’ summers.”

“Shit…” Ashton muttered under his breath, realizing that the group of two turned three hadn’t figured out who was introducing who.

Jordan waved a hand in a circle. “I’ll do Mike. Mike’ll do you. You’ll do me.”

Mike nodded in agreement but Ashton’s hazel eyes widened a bit in panic. He knew nothing about the girl he was supposed to introduce. He was so panicked at being unprepared that he even catch the way Mike jokingly wiggled his eyebrows at the young woman’s words. “What am I supposed to say?” Ashton whispered at her.

“I’m Jo. I’m in my last year. I went to Oregon,” she whispered back with a wink.

Ashton nodded and leaned back in his seat, waiting for their turn.

“You three?” Professor Lewis said, gesturing at the group.

“This is Mike. He’s a last year history major. And he played videogames over the summer,” Jordan started, making up something about Mike she knew to be true on the spot.

Mike laughed with a nod before he went about introducing Ashton. Then, it was Ashton’s turn. “This is Jo. She’s in her last year. And she went to Oregon over the summer,” the soft brown haired man said.

“Oregon, nice,” Professor Lewis nodded approvingly. “Do anything cool?”

Jordan shrugged. “Ziplining, cave exploring. Had a snowball fight at Crater Lake.”

“Snow in the summer, huh? That must’ve been cool,” Professor Lewis continued to converse.

Jordan laughed. “Not nearly as cool as white water rafting.”

“Sounds like quite the adventure. Glad you came back to us.”

“No place I’d rather be,” she grinned, hands clasping behind her head.

“You flatter me, Jo,” Lewis laughed before moving on.

Ashton on the other hand, agreed with Jordan. There was no place he’d rather be either.

~~~

“So, what’s the game plan?” Jordan asked, her backpack slung over one shoulder as the trio milled around the hallway outside the classroom, Luke having slipped out and disappeared already.

“Gonna hit up the library before thesis,” Mike told her, a hand ruffling his blonde hair.

“Aw, so that’s a no on food?” she frowned.

Ashton shrugged, his hands going into the pockets of his jeans. “I could eat,” he offered.

Jordan grinned and then her arm was flinging itself across his shoulders. “Catch ya on the flip side, nerd!” she waved with her free hand as she started walking towards the door, taking Ashton with her.

“You’re the nerd, nerd!” was the response called after her without missing a beat, giving Ashton the impression that this was a frequent back-and-forth between the two

“The nerdiest!” was the retort, complete with a middle finger thrown Mike’s way and a laugh that seemed too loud for a girl of her size. “So, Ash,” she started as they walked together, her arm dropping from around his shoulders. “Whatcha in the mood for? I’m thinking a bagel from the coffee shop sounds amazing right now. But, I’m open to persuasion if you want something else.”

“Nah, a bagel and coffee sound fuckin great now that you mention it.”

“Ooo a coffee person, huh?”

He shrugged, “Gets me through the day.”

She waved a finger at him in agreement, “Fair enough.”

“Not a coffee drinker, I take it?”

“Not really. I mean, I will on occasion. Like I’ll probably get one after lunch to power me though my poli sci class later.”

“Which one?” he asked, curious as he too had a political science class later in the day.

“California,” she frowned, clearly not excited about the concept. “It’s so dumb. Like I’ve taken California geography and California history, and now I have to take California politics? They should figure out a way to combine it all because the overlap is ridiculous.”

He giggled, knowing her pain all too well. “What time and who with?”

“Uh… 4 with Stevens.”

“Shit, me too!”

“Yeah?” she asked, turning to look at him, her brown eyes lit up with excitement behind the black frames. “Sweet! I won’t have to suffer alone.”

He giggled again and her heart did flips at the sound. He pulled the door to the coffee shop and held it open for them. “After you, m’lady,” he said with a silly posh voice.

“Oh, why thank you, good sir,” she responded in the same voice, even giving him a small curtsy before walking through the door and giggling. “You got a girlfriend, Ash?” she asked as they got in line.

“Nah,” he said, his cheeks flushing the same color as his red sweater, a hand pushing through his fluffy hair.

“Bummer,” she said with a sad shake of her head. “Me neither.”

“Oh?” he chuckled, her words taking him by surprise.

She giggled. “It’s a joke. But it’s also true. I’m bi. But, I got a boyfriend instead.”

“Oh…” he said. Of course someone like her would have a boyfriend. She was as if laughter and sunshine had become a person. Who wouldn’t want her? But it did make him feel loads better at her knowing Calum.

Jordan was grateful it was her turn to order so Ashton couldn’t catch her blush. She had heard the deflation in his tone. She had always thought herself too boy-ish and loud to draw much attraction from others. Attention she certainly held as it was hard to ignore the quick-witted young woman, but attraction? Nah, there were plenty of girls who were prettier and more soft-spoken than her. So it always took her by surprise when people seemed to like her. Especially when that attraction seemed to be coming from someone she deemed as so far out of her league as Ashton. “Eh, he’s an idiot,” she finally said, moving to the side so he could order. “Him and Mike are gaming buddies. It’s how I met Mike, actually.”

“Oh?”

“You say that a lot,” she decided with a giggle. “But, I can hook you up with someone if you like? I mean, I set Luke and Sierra, and Crystal and Mike. So, I’m pretty good.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Nah, I’m good for now, thanks though.” He only wanted to be hooked up with one girl and he was looking at her. And she had the most dazzling smile.

~~~

“You better have blocked Nick, that scumbag,” Jordan growled at Mike a week later, her usually shoulder length hair shorn short in an asymmetrical bob, showing the woman’s natural chestnut colored hair in its full glory.

“Already did,” Mike said, patting the hand she had slammed down on her desk with affection. “I dig the hair by the way. Very edgy. It suits ya.”

“You think?” she asked, a small smile at her lips, a hand running through the longer side. “Not too dramatic?”

“Oh, very dramatic,” Mike replied.

“Dramatic enough to appease the girl gods?” she asked sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

Mike shrugged, “Here’s to hoping.”

“I really hate boys,” she said with another eye roll. “No offense to you guys.”

“None taken,” Ashton told her.

“Yeah, we’re men,” Mike added, making his voice deeper and puffing out his chest.

Jordan laughed and shook her head, “You’re a bunch of nerds is what you are.”

“The nerdiest,” her two friends smirked back at her. Then “Who’s Nick?” Ashton asked, curious about the boy who evoked such a rage from such a happy person.

“Her boyfriend,” Mike answered.

“Ex-boyfriend,” Jordan clarified, before tilting her head back to yell out, “God, boys suck!”

“And what’s your evidence, Jo?” Professor Lewis’ voice asked as he strolled in the classroom.

“Uh, all of history? Let’s face it, your gender blows.”

The man frowned. “That’s quite the over-generalization, isn’t it?”

“Perhaps,” she admitted. “But, you know I’m right. Your gender has an…” she paused, fighting to find the right word. “Affinity! For making history the chaotic mess it is.”

“I’ll grant you that much,” the man agreed. “Speaking of chaotic messes!” he continued, loudly, drawing the attention of the rest of the class and starting the lecture.

~~~

“So, what’s the game plan?” Jordan asked her usual question as the trio walked together out of the building.

The two guys shrugged. The small joy of taking a morning class that met on Fridays was that they did had the whole day to do whatever after class.

“Think it’s too early to get a beer?” she asked with a short laugh.

“Jo, it’s nine in the morning,” Mike laughed. “And you don't drink.”

“Much,” Jordan corrected. “And I’m not hearing a no.”

Mike shrugged. “I ain’t got shit to do. Your place?”

She high-fived the blonde, “Fuck yeah.”

“Do you even have anything to drink at your place?”

She smiled sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders. “Booze run?”

Mike laughed loudly. “How typical! Jo wants to get drunk, but wants us to foot the bill.”

“Hey!” she laughed back, poking his chest. “I am a broke college student. So you’re damn right I do!”

This earned laughs from all three of them. “Alright, so my place in say an hour? Bring your own choice of poison?” she asked.

There was a murmur of agreement, then, “Wait,” Ashton said. “I don’t know where you live.”

“Aw, shit,” Jordan said, her nose scrunching up as she pulled out her phone. She typed something into it and then both boys’ phones pinged. “There,” she chirped happily, pocketing her phone.

“Shenanigan Squad?” Mike asked, eyebrows raising at the name of the group chat. “Nice group name,” he approved.

“Oh, damn that is a good name,” Ashton agreed.

“I like alliterations,” Jordan shrugged.

~~~

“So, why’d you and your boyfriend break up?” Ashton asked as they all hung around Jordan’s place which turned out to be a small back house behind her grandparents.

She passed a hand through her hair and let out a slow breath. “Gonna have to get me drunk to hear that story,” she decided, giving a short laugh.

“That won’t take long,” Mike said, his gaze not shifting from the game he was playing with some other friends online.

“Shut the fuck up,” she laughed, a sound truer to her real laugh than the short one she gave a mere moment ago.

“Aw, you’re really gonna say you’re not already feeling it a little?” Mike asked, looking over at the woman to wiggle his eyebrows at her before returning his attention to the game.

Jordan tilted the cup in her hand to peer at the liquid swirling down at the bottom. “Almost. But, I’m gonna need a refill first,” she confessed, drumming her fingers against her jeans as she stood up. “Y’all need anything?” she asked, walking the short distance to the kitchen.

“Yeah,” came the response from both guys.

“Whoa,” she laughed, “I’m not your waitress. Mike, you know where shit is.”

“Yeah, but you’re up,” Mike said.

Ashton rolled his eyes and pushed himself off his spot from the couch. “I’ll help ya,” he offered, crossing the short distance to her fridge and pulling forth a beer for Mike.

“Mike, you’ve been dethroned as my favorite,” Jordan told her friend smugly before smiling softly at Ashton. Ashton noted the way it made her eyes squinch up- a true Jordan smile.

“Yeah, love you too, Jo.”

Jordan shook her head and set out to make her drink. “Bottle opener’s there,” she said, gesturing next to Ashton with the bottle of whiskey in her hand.

“Whatcha making?” Ashton asked, popping open the top to the beer.

“Jack and Coke. Want one?”

“Sure, thanks.”

“Fair warning, I make it with a lot of Coke,” she told him. “Like a lot, a lot.”

“That’s fine,” he responded. He could handle strong drinks, but he wasn’t the biggest fan of drinking himself. Getting drunk scared him.

“Here,” she said, holding out her cup to him. “This is how I make mine. Same or stronger?”

Ashton took the cup in his hand and took a swallow. The carbonated sweet drink held just the slightest trace of that good whiskey burn. “Yeah, that’s good,” he said, passing her the cup back. “How do you get drunk drinking like that?”

She took a deep drink, winking at him over the rim of the cup. God, he wanted to be that cup. “That’s my secret, Cap. I’m never drunk.”

~~~

“Catch ya on the flip side, nerds?” Jo asked, her hands going into the pockets of her zip-up hoodie as the trio walked out of the last class of the semester.

“Yup, see you nerds in January,” Mike said, pulling up his beanie down lower over his head.

“Where you headed?” Ashton asked Jordan.

She shrugged. “Home probably.”

“Wanna get one last coffee?” he asked, his hands pushing his hair to the side. Their bagel and coffee had grown to become the duo’s tri-weekly tradition, and Ashton wasn’t ready to say goodbye until January just yet. Not that he had made a move. No, he was letting Jordan recover from her break-up. He didn’t want to be a rebound. Plus, he wasn’t even sure if Jordan liked him that way. And as cliche as it was, he didn’t want to risk losing his coffee date buddy.

She smiled and looped her arm through his. “To coffee!” she declared in a silly voice.

“To coffee!” he giggled, taking the lead in walking down towards the coffee shop. “M’lady,” he said, getting the door.

“Why thank you, good sir,” she laughed. Then, “Hey, I’m sorry. I got a little caught up this semester with…” she let out a huff and waved her hands around, “everything. Did you ever get that girlfriend? Or find someone you’re interested in?”

He giggled and shook his head, his hair shaking with the movement, glasses sliding down his nose. He pushed them back up into place. “Nah.”

She frowned but her brown eyes remained playful behind her own glasses. “Aw, one of them ‘gonna finish school’ first types, huh?”

Ashton chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

She scoffed as she got her bagel and hot chocolate. “While I respect those types, I also can’t understand it. Like why not date someone while you ‘find’ yourself or whatever? That’s half the fun of a relationship is watching them grow into the person their meant to be.”

Ashton nodded his head as he grabbed his coffee and they took a seat but didn’t say anything. In his opinion, she was right. Half of his fun over the past semester was watching her grow back into her loud tomboy self. Instead, he watched as she sipped her drink, an urge to capture this moment washing over him. “Smile,” he said, opening his phone’s camera. Instead of smiling, she raised her eyebrows, giving him a mysterious quirky look over the rim of her paper cup.

“You gonna show me?” she asked, leaning across the table.

“Nah, not a chance,” he giggled, pocketing his phone.

“It is good at least?” she pressed.

He giggled more, his cheeks flushing slightly. “I’m not answering that.”

“Damn, that bad, huh?” she laughed.

He just laughed with her rather than admit his true feelings about the picture and the girl in it. It was perfectly Jordan in every possible way- cute and snarky with a little bit of knowing he’d never be able to fully pin her down.

He was walking just a few steps in front of her when he saw the phone come out. He turned, his tongue coming at the corner of his mouth as the camera shutter clicked. “Ha!” she laughed at him. “If you can take candids of me, you best believe I’m gonna do it back.”

She was more generous than he had been, tilting her wrist so he could look at the picture. “Damn, that’s bad,” he giggled.

“Well, by all means,” she gestured with her phone.

He rolled his eyes, but cocked his head slightly to the side, offering the barest hint of a smile. “Better?” he asked.

“Would it have killed ya to smile?” she teased.

“Would it have killed you?” he teased back, patting his pocket where his own phone was.

“Touche,” she relented. “Alright, catch ya on the flip side, nerd,” she finally said, stepping in the close the gap between them, her arms wrapping briefly around his shoulders.

“See you in January, Jo,” he responded, hugging her back and swallowing how easy this felt. Everything about his relationship with Jordan was easy. His urge to kiss her felt so natural he almost did it. His head tilted and his lips puckered. But then she was pulling out of the hug and his heart was pounding in his chest instead.

~~~

SmashIrwin: Last coffee of the semester with @heyitsjogirl

Liked by @heyitsjogirl and @mikerowave_X

Comment from @mikerowave_X: WITHOUT ME?!

@heyitsjogirl replied to @mikerowave_X: We’ve been getting coffee all semester, where you at?! #shenanigansquad

heyitsjogirl: Gonna miss this nerd. With @SmashIrwin

Liked by @SmashIrwin and @mikerowave_X

Comment from @mikerowave_X: Wow, the audacity… #ineednewfriends #shenanigansquad #morelikesheNAHnigansquad

@SmashIrwin replied to @mikerowave_X: Mikey, don’t even… #shenanigansquad

@heyitsjogirl replied to @mikerowave_X: What @SmashIrwin said. No complaining if you can’t roll with us #shenanigansquad #thenerdiestofnerds

~~~

Jo-girl: Fuck! Overslept! Don’t let Lewis drop me, lol

Smashton: I’ll make sure he doesn’t

Mikeywave: UGH HURRY UP!

Jo-girl: FUCK YOU! 

Jo-girl: Also save me a seat!

~~~

“Jo, welcome, welcome!” Professor Lewis’ voice chirped brightly as Jordan breezed in, her cheeks flushed from both the cold and the half-sprint across the campus as she took the seat next to Ash and behind Mike.

“Sup?” she nodded her head, half-heartedly, her glasses pushing up as she rubbed at her eyes and yawned. “Fuck, getting back into sync is gonna suck.”

Mike laughed, “How late were you up last night?”

She shrugged, “Like 2? What are we doing? Saying what we did over break?”

“And what we’re looking forward to most,” Ashton told her.

“May,” she said with a harsh laugh, then her eyes danced as she looked longingly towards the door. “Get me outta here, please!”

“Glad to have you in class again, too, Jo,” Professor Lewis said with an eye roll.

~~~

“So, how was your break?” Ashton asked as they walked out, having left Mike behind because he had another class in the same room.

“Just the recharge I needed,” she said, looping her arm through his. “You got class or is it time for coffee?”

“Nah, I’m free until Van.”

“To coffee!” she declared in that silly voice he had missed than he realized.

“Onwards, m’lady!”

Her laugh rang out, her breath still visible in the morning cold. “How was your break?” she asked, her voice back to its normal lilt.

“It was good,” he replied.

She nodded, accepting the barely-scratching-the-surface answer. Then, “Have you taken digital research yet?”

He shook his head. “I’m taking it this semester.”

“Sweet, who with?”

“Professor Walker.”

“Yes!” she cheered, pumping her fist in victory. “I won’t have to suffer alone!”

He giggled. “Professor Walker’s great, what are you talking about?”

“Oh, I know. But like… you know?”

He nodded, knowing what she wasn’t saying. Taking classes without Jordan sitting next to him just weren’t as enjoyable.

~~~

@heyitsjogirl: Not the same without my #shenanigansquad but jo girl is TIRED!

Liked by @SmashIrwin and @mikerowave_X

Comment by SmashIrwin: Clearly not too tired to commit BETRAYAL!

@mikerowave_X replied to @SmashIrwin: THIS IS TREASON!

@heyitsjogirl replied to @SmashIrwin: Y’all are idiots lmao.

~~~

“Deja vu!” Jordan’s voice laughed as she waltzed into the room and spotted Ashton in the same seat he had been in earlier when they had been in the classroom for their thesis class. “Holy shit, definite deja vu,” she continued to laugh, waving over at Luke on the other side of the classroom. “Lu, do I just have you for every class? You stalking me?”

Luke’s blue eyes danced and his blonde curls shook as he laughed. “Shh, just ignore me.”

“Hey, remind me to get your number after class.”

“Oh yeah, for sure.”

Jordan was about to turn to start chatting with Ashton but the door opened and in walked Calum Hood. “Yo! Where ya been, Hood?!” Jordan said, her brown eyes lighting up behind her glasses.

“Jo girl!” Calum said, taking a seat on the other side of her.

Ashton busied himself with staring out the window. Great. This was just what he needed. Competition from the tanned soccer god.

“Britt!” Jordan’s voice squealed as a young woman breezed into the room, startling Ashton from his thoughts.

“Jo! I’ve missed you girlie!” the woman said, coming to sit behind Calum.

“Do you know everyone?” Ashton laughed, breathing a little easier at the other woman’s presence. Maybe girl bonding would distract from Calum attraction.

“I’m popular, what can I say?” she winked. “Britt this is Ash. Ash, this is Britt. My year is not complete if I don’t take at least one class with her.”

Ashton clutched his hand to his heart in mock pain. “I am OFFENDED!” he gasped.

Jordan giggled and pushed his shoulder playfully. “Fuckin’ nerd. You know I love you.”

“You’re the nerd, nerd,” he mumbled, his cheeks flushing and heart racing at how easy the words rolled off her lips in his direction.

“The nerdiest,” she grinned.

~~~

Ashton’s heart sank a little when Jordan left the classroom without waiting for him. But when he pushed his way out, he saw her standing in the hallway, chatting with Luke. “And send,” she said, tapping at her phone.

Two seconds later, Luke’s phone pinged. “Sweet, see ya, Jo. Later Ash.”

“Later,” they both told him, watching the blonde sling off into the dark evening. Then, “Thought ya ditched me. Watched you go and was like ‘Jo! Jo, no!’”

She laughed. “Nah, I’d never ditch ya. C’mon, I’m parked in lot M.”

“Cool, me too,” he lied.

They made pleasant conversation as they trekked across campus in the dark, both admitting their delight in the course they were taking and how close graduation was. And also admitting their fear that graduation was right around the corner. “But you’ll be back in August for the graduate program, won’t you?” he asked her.

“Yeah, but still. You know people always tell you to chase after your dreams no matter the cost. But nobody tells you what to do when those dreams come true, you know? Like what happens when there’s nothing left for me to chase after? What if I’m chasing after something to fill a void that’s unfillable?”

He nodded, pondering her words. Then, “But is that any reason not to chase after what you want?”

Her laugh echoed throughout the parking structure. “God, no. I’m a firm believer that taking your chance is always worth the risk.” She reached into the pocket of her jeans to pull out her car keys as she jogged up the stairs. “Well, this is me,” she said, slightly breathless. “Catch ya on the flip side?”

“See ya, nerd,” he smiled before heading back to the staircase.

“Hey!” she called out after him, her hands on her hips. “You said you were parked here!”

“I lied!”

She laughed, shaking her head. “You didn’t have to do that, you know. I’m not afraid of the dark.”

“I know. I wanted to. See ya!”

She chuckled to herself as she watched him disappear down the stairs. Damn, he made it really hard not to like him. In their short time together, he had become one of her closest friends and he knew her almost as well as Mike did. It took a lot of willpower to not brush his hair out of his face every time she saw him. She bet it was soft and imagined it would fall through her fingertips like water. She bit her lip and chuckled again, deciding then and there that she would kiss that boy at graduation if he didn’t kiss her first.

~~~

“Hey, you stole my shirt,” Jordan said, her nose scrunching up playfully as she walked into class and took notice of Calum in his seat, wearing sure enough, the same grey NASA t-shirt Jordan was wearing.

“Psh, I had mine longer, so I think you stole mine,” Calum teased her back.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” she laughed, taking her seat. “Hey, Ash.”

Ashton nodded in greeting, his gaze never leaving the window. “Gonna rain,” he murmured. A perfect metaphor, he thought with a sigh. His feelings for Jordan, much like the storm clouds outside were growing faster every second. And soon it was all going to come crashing down.

“Fuck, think we’ll make it out of class before then?” she asked, her brows furrowing together. She had a coat with her, but if it started pouring rain, she was toast.

Ashton shrugged. The storm in him was getting worse with each class session he spent with Jordan between him and Calum. Outside, lightning cracked across the sky and the first droplets began to fall.

~~~

“You good?” Jordan asked as they walked out of class together.

“Yeah, why?” he asked, his voice clipped, a frown on his face as he pushed his way out of the building. The rain was coming down, but the downpour had had given way to a lazy drizzle. Their hair began to frizz as they walked at a fast pace to the parking lot. He had started parking in the same lot as her since that first day of classes.

“You just seem off,” she commented, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

“Just tired, I guess,” he shrugged, walking a few paces ahead of her.

She shook her head and quickened her pace to fall into step beside him. “No. I know you. This isn’t your end of the day tired. This is something is wrong pissed off.”

He paused, his brows furrowing together. He had spent so much of his time noticing her that he never once thought to think she had been doing the same. Why would she notice someone like him, anyway? He was so… and she was so… “So,” he said, his voice as chilly as the air, resuming his walk.

“So?” she asked with a short chuckle and a click of her tongue. “Ash, we���re friends. You can tell me anything.”

“No, I really can’t, Jo,” he mumbled under his breath.

“That’s bullshit,” she scoffed.

“Is it?” he challenged, stopping again and whirling to face her.

“It is,” she asserted, planting her feet and crossing her arms, preparing for battle. Lightening cracked, illuminating them both, their eyes dark behind their rain-splattered glasses. “Well? Before I’m soaked, please,” she demanded, gesturing around as the rain started to fall faster and heavier.

“Do you like Cal?” his voice boomed with the thunder.

Her laugh was harsh. “Do I like Cal? What type of dumbass question is that?! Of course I like Cal.”

He gaze flicked away from hers, his face pinching. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Another harsh laugh fell from her lips. “Wow, the nerd finally realizes I’m friends with Cal. Stunning discovery! Bra-fuckin-vo!”

“Friends,” he scoffed, his eyes still avoiding hers as he struggled to come to terms with the fact he had been desperately hoping wasn’t true ever since he first learned Jordan knew Calum. Of course the pretty girl would like the pretty boy. He really shouldn’t be so surprised. But the truth stung all the same.

“What the fuck is your problem?” she growled, her hands shoving at his chest. “You’re being a real jerk and honestly, I’m not sure if I like this side of you.”

“Do you like any side of me?!” The question flew from his lips, his voice cracking with another lightening strike.

“Again with the dumbass questions! Of course I like you!”

“You just said you like Cal!”

The pieces clicked into place. Every shy shrug of his shoulders. Every door he opened for her. How he parked in the same lot as her so he could walk with her at the end of the day. The digging into her relationship with Calum. His persistence that he wasn’t interested in dating. God, why did it take feeling like the girl was slipping through their fingers before they could finally fight for what they wanted? “You really are a dumbass, aren’t you?” she shouted. If he needed a fight to finally do something, she was going to give him his fight. “I can like more than one person, Ashton! I’m allowed to have friends!”

He flinched at the usage of his full first name. “That’s not what I meant and you know it!”

“Well, here, I’ll dumb it down for ya! Do I like Cal? Yes! Do I think he’s pretty? Yes! Does it matter? No! You wanna know why? Because Cal likes pretty girls, like Britt! Nobody who looks like Cal is looking at nerd tomboy Jo when a girl like Britt is right there behind him!”

Ashton faltered. Did Jordan really think she wasn’t pretty? Did she feel for Calum the same way he felt about her? That Calum was as far out of her league and she was out of Ashton’s? Fuck, of course she thought that. In what world would a girl like Jordan ever go for a boy like Ashton.

“Are you going to do something or just continue to stand there looking like a jackass?” her voice pulled him from his spiral.

The pieces clicked into place again. Every little smile she gave when he said he wasn’t interested in dating. Every hug that lingered. How she had told him she was a firm believer in taking chances, win or lose. Fuck it. Now or never.

He crossed the distance between them in one step, one hand gripping her chin as the other wrapped around her back. His head dipped down as he tilted hers up. His lips attached to hers and he smiled, feeling her sigh into it. It was deep and soft and it made their heads spin.

“Fuckin’ finally,” she said when they broke apart. Her eyes were shining as her finger traced the tingling in her lips.

“What?” he asked with a breathless chuckle.

“Took ya long enough.”

“I’m still not following.”

She rolled her eyes. “I like you, dumbass.”

“You do?”

“Would I do this if I didn’t?” she asked before kissing him, her hands running through the soft hair that fell through her fingers like water, just like she knew it would.

~~~

Jordan’s laugh bounced off the walls of the building as her and Ashton rounded the corner and found Britt with her back against the wall, Calum’s lips on hers. “See? I told ya Cal likes the pretty girls,” she told Ashton, her nose scrunching up.

Ashton giggled and took a page from Calum, pressing Jordan up against the wall, earning a small shriek of surprised laughter to fall from his girlfriend’s lips. “Shut up and kiss me, nerd,” he said before pressing his lips to hers. God, he would never get tired of kissing her.

“The nerdiest,” she smiled into the kiss.

“And the most beautiful.”

~~~

Tag List (Wanna join? Just ask!)

@goeatsomelife​ @flameraine​ @cashtonasff5sos​ @here-for-the-uproars​ @cxddlyash​ @1-irwin-94​ @baldcalum​ @sparkling-chaos​

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Seventy-Seven: Plastic Wrap ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Yūhi Kurenai ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

Another day...another shift at work.

In all actuality, Hinata doesn’t hate her job...it’s just...well, not what she expected to be doing. She had such grandiose plans of going to college, getting a degree in education, and teaching a class of little kiddos before settling down and having a few of her own with...someone. Back in high school her dreamboat was, well...sunk. So that part of her plan was a work in progress.

But then her entrance exams for her school of choice went...horribly wrong. Struck by severe anxiety, Hinata completely bombed them. Ashamed, she didn’t even bother retaking them, and instead opted to ‘take a year off’ and see where life took her.

To her honest surprise, her father let her live at home during said year to find herself. And Hinata busted her butt at the local grocery store working to save up enough for what she knew would be her eventual getting kicked out and moving someplace on her own. And just as she predicted, Hiashi got fed up with her ‘lack of direction’ after that first year, and...she was left to wing it.

By some grace, she actually managed to get a decent roommate. Her cousin’s girlfriend was looking to move off-campus while getting a degree in sports medicine, and agreed to halve the costs with Hinata to make things easier on them both. Then Neji decided to move in, and...it’s actually worked really well!

...despite...constantly feeling like a third wheel to their relationship. But Neji assures her time and time again that they enjoy her company, and want to help ensure she doesn’t have to go it alone.

...of course, that’s going to be a little questionable once they both graduate and need to move.

For now, however...Hinata’s just taking life one day at a time. Back in the deli section of the grocery store, she’s part of the team that makes...well, all the deli food. Her own speciality is the sandwiches, and she’s gotten really good at it! She can whip up just about anything in a flash, packaging it neatly in plastic wrap and filling up the displays, or even making them to order as people browse the cases. She’s gotten oddly proud of herself, being marked as a model employee.

Sometimes some of the older staff ask her about her plans, given her young age, and she just...shrugs.

“I like it here,” she tells them. “It’s not...g-glamorous, but I enjoy it. And...I’m not sure the whole ‘college’ thing is really, um...my speed.”

And after a little while, she got more than used to the locals pestering her about it, too. It helped that her old theater club instructor Kurenai (with a new family of her own) was supportive. Add in Neji and Tenten’s help, and she got over the stigma of choosing work over schooling within just a few months. Sure, every once in a while she’ll get a little...melancholy about it. Mostly whenever on social media, seeing all the posts from her friends her age doing more ‘typical’ things. Attending classes or sports games, getting significant others, and just...other milestones Hinata herself has yet to reach.

“Life isn’t a race,” Kurenai had told her once, stopping in to have lunch with her old student one day. “If anything, it’s just the opposite. It isn’t about rushing from point a, to b, all the way to z. Take time to wander, meander...you’ll find those milestones at your own pace, if you even want to. Your life is your journey. So long as you’re happy and healthy...who’s to say you’re doing your own thing wrong, hm?”

That conversation had left a spring in Hinata’s step for a good long while, and as time passed, she found a sort of...peace in her work. Not to say she’d totally given up on things changing or improving over time. But until she figured out what that would be, well...she was just fine doing things her way.

“Hinata! We need more turkey and swiss, please!”

“On it!” Collecting the proper ingredients to her work station, Hinata gets to crafting, lost in the rhythm and pattern of her work. It’s the lunch hour, so anyone making their way through the store tends to gravitate toward things ready-made, able to just pick it up and take it home to eat. The display cases are kept full, and the smells of fresh food fill the air.

Once her set is done, Hinata loads them into the cases, arranging them just so to try and make them any degree more appealing to those walking by.

“...Hinata?”

Stacking the last sandwich, Hinata straightens and looks to the inquisitive tone, blinking. And then it hits her. “...oh! Sasuke…?”

Standing on the other side of the case is indeed Sasuke Uchiha, an old classmate. Hands buried in his jacket pockets, he looks just as surprised to see her here. “Uh...yeah. I...didn’t know you were working here.”

Giving a quick, sheepish smile (and preparing for the inevitable questions), Hinata replies, “Yeah, um...I-I’ve been here over two years now!”

“...huh. Surprised I didn’t notice you earlier, then. Guess I’m just never in the right place at the right time.”

There’s a pause, and...he doesn’t press anything else. Just sort of...stands there.

A bit lurching in the quiet, Hinata eventually offers, “So, um...did you...want something?”

“Yeah, uh…” He glances over the selections. “...you don’t happen to do, like...BLTs, do you?”

That earns another blink. “Not for the regulars, but I can make you one, sure! We do custom ones, too. So it’s no trouble! Anything else you want on it…?”

“Just some mayo, I guess. With rye bread, if that’s okay.”

“Sure! Do you want it...toasted, or anything?”

“You can do that?”

“Yeah!”

“...okay, yeah - sure. Thanks.”

Humming to herself, Hinata goes about her routine, quickly arranging everything on the requested rye bread. For a moment, she even forgets who she’s making it for, absorbed in the process until the finished sandwich is finished. Quick hands get it wrapped in a jiffy, and she hands it over. “There you go.”

“...thanks. You work here every day?”

“Every day but Sunday and Monday, yeah!”

“Huh...cool. I thought about getting a Summer job this year, but nothing ever panned out.”

Hinata’s head tilts. “...well, next time let me know, and I’ll see if maybe we have any openings here! If...if you want, that is. It’s a pretty nice place to work, in m-my opinion. Everyone’s fairly friendly! There’s...well, there’s some sour grapes, but they’re easy enough to avoid.”

“Yeah, okay. I’ll keep that in mind. School’s been kicking my butt, but it’d be nice to get a little spending money in the off months.”

“You’re, um...you’re going to the local uni here…?”

Sasuke nods, still holding his sandwich. “Yeah...haven’t picked a major yet, and it’s driving my dad nuts. I just dunno what I want to do yet...started out in some business courses, but it just didn’t feel right.”

“Oh...yeah, that can be t-tough. I know a lot of our classmates ended up changing their minds after this past year. Sakura gave up on dance and is going into nursing! So...you never really know what will end up c-clicking, sometimes.”

Surprise lifts his brows a bit. “Huh...didn’t hear that. I don’t really...talk to a lot of our old classmates.”

“Honestly, I don’t either...I mostly just sort of lurk,” Hinata admits, looking a little sheepish. “It’s...a bit hard to keep up with social media sometimes...you know?”

“Yeah...all you ever see is what people want you to see. It’s why I gave most of it up. It’s not as genuine as you think. That and I got tired of all the gag-me relationship drama everywhere, and pictures...it’s like people are only on there to brag, or complain. Not my scene.”

That actually gets her to perk up a bit. “E-exactly! It’s just...n-not any fun. At least...not really.”

The subject idles for a moment before Sasuke asks, “So...you like working here?”

“I do. I don’t know if it’s, um...a career, but…” Her shoulders hunch ever so slightly. “...it’s just...where I am for now.”

“Hey, whatever works, you know? No judgement here.”

“...thanks. Not everyone is so, um...understanding.”

“Yeah, all that status quo crap. The world needs deli workers just like it needs doctors and lawyers and engineers. Don’t sweat it, Hinata.”

A bit surprised, Hinata can’t help but go a bit pink, feeling rather...reassured. “...yeah, I...I guess you’re right.”

A short alarm then rings, and Sasuke pulls out his phone. “Ah, crap...I gotta go. But hey, thanks for the sandwich. I’ll have to make a habit of it.”

“O...okay! Any time!” Brightening, Hinata waves as he takes his leave, feeling oddly...giddy. It’s been quite some time since she’s talked to an old classmate, and...even longer since it went so well. Mood bolstered, she just calls out a ‘Got it!’ when her next batch is ordered.

...she’s already looking forward to seeing him again.

                                                           .oOo.

     So this is...super random cuz I was LOST with this prompt xD It's just so...random, and yet specific, so...hopefully this is still fun to read? lol      Just a little modern stuff with a...well, I guess she's not a drop-out, but...a college-less Hinata, and directionless Sasuke. He gets it. Or at least I think he would. I dunno, I'm very tired and this prompt was weird so who knows if any of this made sense, but...I tried xD      On that note though, I reallllly need some sleep, so I'll sign off - thanks for reading~

Crate Digger’s Corner: [Concert Review] Medeski, Clouser & Schutte- Live At The Icehouse

Crate Digger’s Corner…by DJ Musically Rich

Minneapolis, MN 5/27/19… While a cool spring evening falls over the Twin Cities, the Icehouse in Minneapolis is just beginning to heat up shortly after 9 p.m. tonight. The reason for that hot spot is the energized playing of jazz trio Medeski, Clouser & Schutte. Largely playing material that has not been performed before; they held the attention of the full Icehouse crowd for the entire, nearly 2 hour, show.

The show opened with ‘Miss Tulsa’ a funky tune that had the crowd grooving along. It allowed all three players to quickly show their ability to dig into a song right away. That was followed by a bit more spacious and abstract tune called ‘Bored Folks’, which led me straight into a zone that did not let up until the music did at 11 p.m. Within that time frame, the music continued to shift from groove based into more atmospheric sections or free playing as songs changed, but even more so within the songs themselves. Despite that constant sway of musical information coming at the crowd the transitions were always smooth enough that it did not break the energy and flow of the musicians, but you could just watch them dig in and listen closer and closer to each other as the night progressed.  

Along with the instrumental cuts they were playing, which I would say was about 70% of the show, they did have a few vocal songs as well. Those were sung by guitarist, Todd Clouser, whose style on those (although not vocal quality) reminded me of Asylum/Elektra-era Tom Waits if he had been backed by a three piece band. That is they were generally very spacious and languid musical beds he was singing over, which fit the vibe just right. They also had local legend Molly Maher step out and perform on vocals and guitar on ‘On The 18’.

It would be remiss of me not to mention that after the final song of their excellent regular set, they came back on for an encore, and it was great! The song called ‘Unbreak The Morning’ was a perfect ending to a show that pushed and pulled through musical tension and spaciousness. The song is very relaxing and has a drone vibe to it. It allowed the crowd to sink into the music and provided a calming release to send the crowd home.

All three were amazing in their abilities to play, listen and musically communicate together even though they had been together for a fairly brief amount of rehearsal time (I’d imagine since they are not regularly playing together and based in different areas of the country). John Medeski’s ability to swing from B-3 to Rhodes, as well as holding down the bass lines with the pedals was in full effect. There’s a reason he is regularly listed in the Downbeat polls amongst the top organists. Todd Clouser had his guitar doing anything he wanted and right on time. Whether he’s accompanying himself as he’s singing, finding interesting single note lines to counterpoint the organ or coming up with interesting chordings to keep the interplay fresh he was holding it down all night. Greg Schutte was on the drums (full disclosure: I have known Greg for about 20 years and have probably heard him as many times as any musician I’ve seen). Schutte, who is fantastic at playing just the right things to enhance the music without being intrusive in the music, was once again on point tonight. He is also a very melodic drummer when soloing or when in musical conversation which, I always feel as if it gives a group a little extra juice that your average listener is going to notice but not necessarily hear. This is a show that if you were lucky enough to be there, you have a tale for the watercooler the next day.

I also would like to thank Greg Schutte for getting me the playlist…

Playlist: Miss Tulsa/ Bored Folks/ Blues ‘n’ Peyote/ Where’s Her Money From/ On The 18 (w/ Molly Maher)/ The Kids Are Gonna Win/ I Want To Be The One To Change The World/ No Name Daniel/ Forecast In Rome/ Fuck You Guys   Encore: Unbreak The Morning

(I also wanted to point out that I did have seen Medeski, Clouser & Bates twice before at the Icehouse. One of those, I believe the 2016 show, is available for download through Ropeadope Records.)

Also, being that this is Crate Digger’s Corner, let me give you some albums to find for further listening to these artists...

John Medeski- First off, make sure you’re familiar with both Medeski, Martin & Wood as well as The Word (Medeski, Robert Randolph & The North Mississippi All-Stars). I am going to go with some albums that you may not realize he’s playing on.

Spectrum Road- self-titled/ Melvin Gibbs- Ancients Speak/ The Campbell Brothers- Can You Feel It?/  Oren Bloedow- self-titled (his follow-up album has MMW backing him)/ James Carter- Heaven On Earth/ John Scofield- A Go Go/ Ken Schaphorst Big Band- Purple/ The Mandala Octet- The Last Elephant/ Club D’Elf- Now I Understand/ G. Love & Special Sauce- Electric Mile, finally  Either/Orchestra- Half-Life Of Desire (There’s a great King Crimson cover to end the album)

I’ve only heard one album from Todd Clouser, but it’s a keeper!

Todd Clouser’s A Love Electric- 20th Century Folk Selections

I have a few albums that should be checked out with Greg Schutte on the drums.

Impossible Party- self-titled/ Park Evans Quartet- Surviving Desire/ Test Site 67- 4 Tone Sunburst Hoopdy/ Test Site 67- Firin’ Up The Virgins Tour: Live From The Virgin Islands

 To see photos of albums in my collection follow my IG: djmusicallyrich

#djmusicallyrich #cratediggerscorner #musicreview #musicreviews #albumreviews #recordcollection #albumcollection #vinylcollection

NSFW Alphabet: Mamoru

Note: Here’s my favorite grumpy old man, also, other than Ota’s the dirty secret section on all of these kinda turned into Sex Sent Me To The ER: Bidders Edition. I don’t know why I became so preoccupied with them getting hurt during sex. But, here’s this thing. I hope you all like and it actually shows up in the tags. 

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

He just wants to cuddle up to his partner and pass out. If MC says they need something, or if they clearly need some tending to afterwards, he will, especially if they did something a bit rougher. But, he’s not the type to worry about doing a whole hell of lot after sex, or ever if we’re being honest. He’s happy to just pass out sweaty with cum on him and just deal with cleanup in the morning. Besides, sometimes he wakes up during the night and wants to go again, so not much point in cleaning up, right?

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He isn’t the kind of guy to spend much time thinking about his body or giving any sort of fucks about his appearance. Honestly, if he could he’d spend his life in his old sweatpants and t-shirt. The only time he genuinely gives a shit is if starts thinking MC cares, than he can be a bit insecure. But, if you really forced him to pick something, it’s going to be his dick. He’s pretty happy with what he’s packing.

He’s a boob man, through and through. They’re soft and just feel really nice in his hands. If MC let him, he’d probably be constantly squeezing and playing with their tits. His mouth tends to gravitate towards them, sucking and teasing them. Doesn’t matter the size or anything, he’s content playing with whatever they have to offer there.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

He likes creampies the most, he knows it’s not always a great idea, but he honestly loves knowing MC is full of his cum. He can be kind of jealous at times and creampies tend to quell some of that, making it feel like his partner is really his. He cums a lot too, so by the end he’ll have made a complete mess of his partner, which he also loves. MC is more put together than him, who isn’t, so seeing them so wrecked and leaking his cum drives him crazy.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He and his MC have fallen off the bed during sex, he got a bit carried away. For a solid moment, he thought he broke his dick and was terrified. Lucky him, he just kind of bruised it and was out of commission for a while. He spent the entire time in bed with ice on his groin having MC pack and carry to him. It honestly would have been nice if not for the whole hurt dick situation. The next time they had sex they were extra careful.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

Moderate, he’s probably had around two girlfriends in the past. As much as he talks about liking provocative women and acting like a perv, he’s honestly not that into casual hookups. He’s had one or two, but that’s about it. He just prefers being physical with someone he cares about, that trust makes it better, not that he’d ever admit that. But, he has a high sex drive, so within those two relationships he did get a decent amount of experience. He has a good grasp on what he likes, what he’s good at, and what pleases his partner. Out of the bidders, he definitely has the most normal sexual history.

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

Cowgirl type positions tend to be his preference, despite what people might think this isn’t because he’s lazy, honestly it seems like sex is  what he’s been conserving energy for. Even if his MC is on top, he’s thrusting and is honestly probably still setting the pace, he has a hard time keeping still during sex. He mostly likes the view and seeing his partner desire him enough to take any sort of charge. He prefers being able to see and touch their chest, or having full body contact with kisses. These type of positions would be his pick:

Watering Can: http://sexpositions.club/positions/101.htm

Cowgirl (duh): http://sexpositions.club/positions/113.html

Crab:  http://sexpositions.club/positions/77.html

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

He might make a few teasing jokes in the build-up, but he veers more towards serious during sex. Mamoru gets very into it and he wants his partner to be the same way, he’d rather his partner moan than laugh. That being said, he isn’t above laughing if something stupid happens. Sex isn’t always some picture perfect experience, things happen and he’d be lying if he said there wasn’t a time or two when he and his partner ended up cracking up laughing during sex over something stupid. He leans more towards serious and won’t try to make his partner laugh, but whatever happens, happens.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

Please, he barely gives a fuck about the hair people see. His pubic hair is dark gray, bushy, and thick. I also think he probably has a bit of a happy trail or hair on his stomach. He just lets it grow however it pleases. The only time he really would do anything is when he gets with his MC. He’ll trim a bit more often in general because now someone will, hopefully, be interacting with his junk. But, he’ll only put genuine effort in and try to make it neat is if either MC complains or he starts to feel insecure. He does have those moments when he realizes he’s kind of a disaster of a human being and worries MC might truly regret being with him. Kind of like when he suddenly starts cleaning or slicks his hair back for something. Like a sort of, “See, you didn’t make a horrific mistake, please don’t leave me,” sentiment.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

Day to day, Mamoru tends to struggle with being honest about his feelings. Even during sex, unless something traumatic (like MC nearly dying)  has happened, he focuses more on dirty talk than romantic talk. He’s more likely to gush about how he loves MC after they’ve fallen asleep and can’t hear him.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

He jerked off fairly often when he was single. With his MC, he only really jacks off when they have to be apart because of work or whatever. Not if they’re fighting though. If his partner isn’t with him because they’re angry, masturbating just makes him feel really pathetic. He uses porn magazines for his material, yes, old man Mamoru doesn’t even use the internet for his porn needs. MC definitely found a sizable collection of them when they cleaned his apartment.

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Spanking Kink, he talks a lot about his partner being bratty and needing punishment, so what better way than watching their ass turn red under his hand. 

Domesticity Kink, if that’s a thing, having his partner take care of him and their home makes him feel loved. Also, he seems to like the idea of his partner in a frilly white apron and if they didn’t want to wear anything under it. He wouldn’t be opposed to it. 

Roleplay/Costumes is one he denies, he has an entire bag of costumes Baba has given him since he got with MC. He’s never thrown them away and while he’d never say anything, if his partner wanted to try a few on he wouldn’t be against it. There’s this playboy bunny one that he’d like to see on them. Just admit your kinks, Mamoru!

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

For the most part, he just likes staying in bed and rolling around together all day long. It might be a bit tame, but it’s nice to just be together in the comfort of home. I can also see him being into sex in his car. Pulling over off the side of secluded road and climbing into the backseat together. It’s a little risky, but not too much, and it just feels very Mamoru to me. I don’t have a great justification. He definitely has to clean his car out first, though.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Domesticity, his partner taking care of him means a lot to him and makes him want to take care of them in another kind of way. 

Semi Bratty Behavior/Demandingness, he complains, but he honestly loves when his partner makes little demands and wants to be a bit spoiled. Like when they want so many kisses a day and then get pouty when he pretends to be annoyed. He thinks it’s cute and he likes making excuses to “punish” them. 

Seeing his partner in his clothes, he’s not quite sure why, but it turns him on. It feels like a very normal cozy couple thing and show him just how comfortable they are with him. He prefers it to lingerie, honestly.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Super dangerous stuff is out, obviously he doesn’t want to hurt his partner. He’s not into heavy BDSM; choking, gunplay, shit or piss stuff, sounding, needles, electric play, knife play, CBT, caging, chastity, or anything with rubber or latex. Threesomes, cuckcolding, or anything involving sharing his partner is not his thing, he’s the jealous type and just the thought makes him feel like shit.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

He definitely likes and is skilled at giving oral, but he’d rather receive. It feels a little selfish, but he can’t help it. He tends to think of his MC as innocent and seeing them do something so dirty just excites him. If MC is comfortable with it, he’d like to fuck their face, the feel and look of their mouth around his cock is just incredible.

P = Pace (Are they fats and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

He usually tries to start off a bit slow, but he can pretty much never keep a slow pace. He gets caught up in it, becoming fast and rough before too long. His usual pace can be kind of brutal.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

He likes quickies quite a bit. Proper sex is better, but he gets turned on throughout the day. So, if he can get MC to take a break from work and screw around, he’s going for it. If they ever want to come down to the station and take him away for a quickie, he won’t say no. He prefer it to working, that’s for damn sure.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

He’s not that risky, sex in his car and a little teasing in public is about as risky as he is in regards to getting caught. He’s willing to try things out, though he’s not prone to being the one to introduce things, if he does he’ll try to act like he’s just joking. If his partner asks to try something out he’ll act annoyed, but he’s more than willing. Just admit your kinks, Mamoru!

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

Ever wonder what he’s always conserving his energy for? Spoiler alert; its sex. He lasts about an average amount of time, but he can cum about three to four times before he needs a break. And after an hour or two of sleep, he’s okay to do it all over again.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

He doesn’t personally own any toys, when it comes to masturbating, he’s fine with his hand. He’s open to getting toys involved though, mostly for his partner. Toys aren’t a huge turn on for him, but if MC wants to use one in front of him or depending on the toy use one on him, he’s willing to try it.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Mamo is a tease, he likes seeing his MC all riled up. Seeing them get flustered is fun and turns him on. Though, he’s a ‘can dish it out but can’t take it type’ he gets just as, if not more, flustered if his partner turns the tables on him.. Getting his partner worked up is fun for him.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Talker and grunter. He’s not particularly loud and doesn’t want to be loud. He focuses more on dirty talk, finding things to say that excites his partner. When he’s really feeling good and when he cums he’s has a throaty sort of grunt he makes.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

He kind of likes/is turned on by seeing his partner jealous over him. He wants his partner to trust him, obviously, but seeing them get upset over other people hitting on him makes him feel good. It’s really rare, he doesn’t get hit on a whole lot and usually he’s the one getting jealous. Apparently his cute partner is more attractive than him, an unkempt man who looks older than he really is and smells like cigarette smoke, go figure. So, seeing they feel the same way and don’t want to lose him either, means a lot to him. He also might milk it a bit, because sometimes he’s an asshole.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

I’m still not sure how to describe dicks! He’s longer than average, about 8 inches. More notable is how thick it is, I generally think of him as a thicker guy if that makes sense, his MC can’t fully wrap their fingers around it. No major curve to it but a slight upward tilt, a few prominent veins run along the shaft. Still not sure if I’m giving good dick descriptions.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

His sex drive is pretty high. When he reluctantly wakes up in the morning, he wants to tease and try to have sex. When he catches MC during work cleaning his suite in the middle of the afternoon, he wants to cop a feel and see if they can have sex. When they get home and get done having dinner, he wants to have sex. When he wakes up during the night and they’re still curled up together, he gets handsy and wants to have sex. He honestly didn’t realize just how high his sex drive was until he was in a relationship, anytime they’re close his hands just start to wander.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Unless there’s some reason not to, he falls asleep pretty quickly after sex. He’s always looking for excuses to sleep for a while. The issue is that with all of his napping during the day, he’s kind of fucked up any semblance of a sleep schedule he might have had. He usually wakes up during the night and might try to go again, or he’ll just hold them close and say all the lovey dovey crap he’s too embarrassed to say when they’re awake.

Rewrite The Stars (1/?)

New fic! Probably going to be three parts.  Summary: Rin confesses to a girl she likes only to be rejected. The rest of Muse decide they need to help her move on, while tackling their own relationships.  Ships: Honoka/Umi, Nico/Eli, Kotori/Maki, Rin/OC. 

Rin walked across the grass verge outside of the school, her stomach twisted with nerves. She was finally going to do it. After months of watching the girl she liked from afar she was going to confess to her. Seeing the girl in question sitting on the bench beneath a tall tree, Rin took a deep breath. Sunlight lit the girl’s brown hair from behind her, making it seem lighter than it actually was. Rin knew from how long she’d spent staring at the girl that her hair was a dark brown. Nowhere close to as light as Hanayo’s hair but at the same time not black like Nico’s hair either. It was tied in twin tails which were shorter than Nozomi’s, just about reaching shoulder length, giving her a cute but mature look. The girl’s eyes were lighter than her hair. They were amber and always seemed soft, even when other students were seeking her help. She was a popular girl, given her appearance and warm personality, but she didn’t seem to let it go to her head. She was always humble when the younger students praised her. It was one of the many things Rin liked about her. “M-Miyuki-senpai!” Rin exclaimed, coming to a stop in in front of the girl. Miyuki had been reading a book leisurely under the tree for the past ten minutes and looked up, startled. She seemed to relax a little when she saw Rin.

“Rin-san, right?”

“R-Right!” Rin felt her heart pounding hard against her chest, elation flowing through her. Miyuki remembered her name, that was a good start. They had spoken on a couple of occasions but only in passing. “Sorry to disturb you, nya!” She felt a little guilty for that. She knew that Miyuki liked to spend her afternoon recess alone. She willingly gave the rest of her time to accommodate everyone else, sitting with students at lunch when they asked her to and running errands for teachers. It seemed this was the only time she really got to be alone. “That’s okay.” Miyuki smiled patiently and closed her book, setting it aside next to her bag which sat beside her on the bench. “Is there something I can do for you, Rin-san?” “Ah, um…” Rin felt herself grow flustered. She hadn’t even expected to get this far if she was honest. Part of her hand thought that she would panic and run away. “”I-I have something I want to ask you, nya. N-No, tell you!” “Okay.” Miyuki said, her smile widening as Rin blushed. “What is it?” Rin had to looked away for a moment. Miyuki really was too pretty. She felt herself blush further, her skin prickling with heat. She could feel her palms growing clammy. “Rin-san?” “Sorry!” Rin turned back to Miyuki. She swallowed once, twice and then a third for good measure before she blurted out her next words. “I-I like you, nya! Um...I-I’ve always admired you. How nice you are a-and how pretty you are a-and I-I was wondering if...if...will you go out with me, nya?!” Rin had squeezed her eyes shut, bowing her head slightly as she spoke so she didn’t see Miyuki’s reaction. She did hear her laugh though, first softly and then louder. “That’s funny, Rin-san. What do you really want?” “H-Huh?” Rin looked up, her stomach plummeting. “T-That was it. Really. That was what I wanted to tell you, nya.” A smile remained on Miyuki’s face for a moment before it slipped away. “Really? No, I-I can’t go out with you. I’m not interested in girls a-and even if I was, I don’t like you.” “You…” Rin  tumbled back slightly, her eyes wide. “You don’t…” She paused, shaking her head. Of course. She should have expected this. “Oh, b-but I thought. I-I mean, when I see you in the hallways you always smile at me a-and you told me once I was your favourite Muse member so I…” “I TOLD YOU, I DON’T LIKE YOU!” Miyuki’s voice rose to a yell before it quickly softened. She grasped at her bag. “Please, just leave me alone.” “I-I’m sorry, nya…” Tears blurring her vision, Rin turned on her heel and hurried away, back to the school. ----- Eli was relieved to find that the library was fairly empty. She was due to meet the others in the clubroom after school but she had wanted to return a book to the library before she went there. Nozomi had offered to accompany her but Eli had declined the offer, telling Nozomi to tell the others she’d be on her way. Right away she noticed the strange look she was getting from the dark haired girl sitting behind the desk in the library. Eli knew her fairly well given that she was almost always the person to stamp books in and out of the library for the students. Besides that, she was third year student too. Eli supposed the girl was confused because she was cutting it so close to when her lessons would start. “Hi, Shizuka. I was just…” Shizuka stood up so suddenly that Eli was startled into taking a step back from her. “Um…is something wrong?” Shizuka looked around, biting her lip before she leaned over the desk, closer to Eli. “Your friend is here. She has been for about an hour or so and she seems really upset about something.” She pointed over Eli’s shoulder to one of the furthest rows of shelves. “She’s right at the back.” “Friend?” Eli echoed in confusion, trying to figure out who it would be. They would have had to skip their last class if they had been there for an hour. That ruled Umi and Maki out. There was no way either of them would skip classes. She’d seen Nozomi in class so that ruled her out too. “First year?” Shizuka suggested sheepishly, noticing Eli’s confusion. “I don’t know her name, I’m sorry. She was really upset. I wanted to help but she was crying and…” She bit her lip, her cheeks flushing with guilt. “I should have helped.” Eli immediately assumed it was Hanayo and nodded in response. She placed her book down on the desk in front of Shizuka before she turned and walked across the library to the far shelves. Even when the library was full of people nobody seemed to go to that section. It was dusty and smelled like musky books. Turning the corner she expected to see Hanayo but instead found Rin huddled against the wall, her knees pulled to her chest and her face buried in her legs. “Rin?” Rin looked up at the sound of her name and Eli was surprised to see tears trailing down the girl’s cheeks. Usually Rin was so upbeat. She hurried over, crouching down next to the first year. “What happened?” Rin sniffled in response. “I-I confessed to Miyuki-senpai a-and she laughed at me!” “Oh.” Eli said softly, surprised by the answer. She hadn’t thought that Rin liked anyone like that. “What did she say about your...confession?” “She laughed.” Rin repeated, reaching up to shakily wipe her eyes. “And she yelled at me after w-when I said I wasn’t kidding, nya. She said that she didn’t like me like that and she didn’t...like girls. B-But I do s-so there must be something wrong with me, right?” “Did she say that to you?” Eli asked in a steely voice. Rin shook her head, her lip trembling. “No. I was just thinking that…” “There’s nothing wrong with you, Rin.” Eli shuffled closer, gently drawing Rin to her in a light hug. She felt the younger girl shake with silent sobs and gritted her teeth. She didn’t know this Miyuki girl but she didn’t sound like a very nice person. “Come on, school is over. I’ll get Hanayo. Did you tell her you were going to confess to someone?” Rin nodded her head as Eli helped her to her feet. “She doesn’t know it’s a girl though. Y-You won’t tell her, right?” “I won’t.” Eli said, sighing softly. She hugged Rin once more, her heart aching for the younger girl. “It’s going to be okay, Rin. Come on.” She gently led Rin out of the library, noticing Shizuka glance at them in concern. “This Miyuki girl sounds like an idiot if she rejected you.” Rin shook her head. “Miyuki-senpai is the nicest person I know. She’s so sweet a-and she’s in the theatre club. She’s really good at it too. And she has the nicest smile of anyone I know.” Eli sighed once more and fell silent as she led Rin to the club room. “Wait here.” She instructed gently, assuming Hanayo would be better at comforting Rin. She opened the door to the club room and stepped inside, scanning it quickly as she shut the door. “Hanayo, Rin’s waiting for you.” Eli said, noticing Hanayo sitting next to Nico. “She’s upset. Can you take her home or something?” Hanayo nodded swiftly and got up, grabbing her bag. She quickly left the room. “What’s wrong with Rin-chan?” Honoka asked in concern, sitting up a bit straighter in her chair. “Is she sick?” Eli shook her head, noticing equally concerned looks on the faces of the other members. “She’s just...she’s...confused.” She shook her head. “Do any of you like girls?” “WHAT?!” Maki exclaimed loudly. “Y-You can’t just ask us that!” “Shameless.” Umi muttered, looking down at her lap. “I do.” Nozomi raised her hand, shrugging her shoulders. “I only like girls. You should know that, Elichi.” Eli raised her own hand. “I do too. Only girls.” Honoka tentatively raised her hand too. “Um...I like a girl. I like a certain girl a lot but I haven’t told her yet. But maybe girls in general. Kotori-chan is really cute.” Maki gritted her teeth at the nonchalant response while Kotori’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing red. Kotori took that as her cue to speak up. “Um...I like girls. Maybe boys too but definitely girls.” Nico sighed loudly. “I don’t care for whatever. If I like your personality and if you happen to be close to me maybe. “ “So you like people who are smart?” Honoka asked curiously. “No it’s just...argh, why are we talking about it?!” “Nicocchi is blind Honoka-chan. Sexually.” Nozomi explained, leaning back in her seat. “How?” Honoka asked with a confused frown. “I’d rather focus on other things.” Nico explained with a shrug of her shoulders. “The only way I’d know I’m attracted to someone is if I ever do something for them before my family.” “Nicocchi, didn’t you put two hours in helping Elichi in the council room when Honoka-chan forgot to do her paperwork yesterday, making you miss making dinner? You even complained to me that your mom ordered out.” Nozomi said with a smirk. “NOZOMI!” Maki snorted. “Well now we know who she likes.” Eli looked away, blushing. “I was looking for you but Nico offered and yeah…” “Nothing happened, damn it.” Nico blurted out hurriedly, earning herself some strange looks. “What’s the point of this, Eli?” “I’ll tell you in a minute.” Eli looked between Umi and Maki for an answer. “If you don’t want to say, it’s fine but we won’t tell anyone…” Umi hesitantly looked up. “I do too. Like girls.” “Same.” Maki muttered, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I only like girls. Well...only one girl right now. Can you tell us what the point of this is now, Eli?” “I was getting to that.” Eli replied pointedly, rolling her eyes. “I found Rin crying in the library a-” “Is Rin-chan okay?!” Honoka, who had repeated her question from a moment ago stood up swiftly from her seat, her eyes wide. “What happened?” “She confessed to another girl. And she was rejected.” Eli glanced at the other members of Muse, seeing they were all frowning. “It sounds like the girl was...kind of harsh about it too. Apparently she yelled.” Nico gritted her teeth, growling under her breath. “What was her name?” “Miyuki, I think she’s in second yea...hey, where are you going?!” Eli’s voice rose slightly as Nico stood up from her chair, almost knocking it to the ground. “To have a talk with this second year.” Nico replied simply as she skirted around Eli to get to the door. “I’ll go with her.” Eli said with a heavy sigh, noticing Nozomi’s worried look as Nico left the room. “Don’t worry.” Nozomi nodded and watched as Eli followed Nico, closing the door behind her. Shaking her head she turned back to the others. “What are we going to do? We need to help Rin.” “Maybe we could help her find someone else?” Kotori suggested hopefully. “I have an idea actually.” Nozomi frowned slightly. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s too soon to…” “That’s a great idea, Kotori-chan!” Honoka exclaimed brightly. “Isn’t there a saying? Like um...getting over someone by getting under someone else?” Umi jolted in her chair before her gaze shifted to Honoka. “SHAMELESS! W-Where did you learn something like that?” “Huh?” Honoka asked cluelessly, noticing a blush crawl up Umi’s cheeks. “Um…” Kotori gave a soft laugh. “She has a point, Umi-chan. Anyway, I know someone in the school who might like Rin. Her name is Amagi-chan. She’s come by the student council room a couple of times.” Maki looked up sharply. “Amagi? I know her. She’s a first year. Her family is rich. I see her at parties all of the time.” “You mean the ones Umi-chan sometimes goes to?” Honoka piped up curiously. Umi groaned. “Right, the high status ones. Her parents own half of Tokyo’s finest galleries.” “She’s the second best in our class. After me, I mean.” Maki said with a huff. “She’s also the prettiest after Maki-chan.” Kotori said, earning herself several surprised looks. “N-Not that I think Maki-chan is pretty! I mean I do. But as a friend.” Maki smirked softly. Her girlfriend was adorable. “Um...anyway, I know her. Maybe we could talk to her together? If we think she can help Rin’s confidence.” “I really don’t know if this is a good idea.” Umi said with a frown, glancing at Nozomi. “I agree with Umi.” Nozomi said even as Kotori and Maki moved around her to get to the door. Kotori closed the door behind herself and Maki. As she started walking down the hallway with her girlfriend she glanced over at her. “Do you think they noticed?” Maki casually grabbed Kotori’s hand. “Not a clue.” “M-Maki-chan!” Kotori felt her face flood with warmth. She glanced around to see if anyone was watching but when she saw nobody she carefully tangled her fingers with Maki’s. “We still need to be careful.” “There’s nobody here.” “As if, love birds.” Kotori let out a cry of surprise and quickly drew her hand back. Glancing to the left she found Hibiki was standing at the corner of the corridor ahead of them her bright blue eyes twinkling at what she is witnessing. “Hibiki-chan! I-I thought you’d be in the art room.” “You thought wrong.” Hibiki raised an eyebrow before she turned and sauntered into the art room. Numbly, Maki followed, mostly to check that what she had seen was correct. Indeed when she entered the room she found that Hibiki’s shirt was untucked, her blazer tied around her waist. A golden necklace with a paintbrush charm hung around her neck while her black hair was pulled into a messy bun. Instead of her indoor shoes she was wearing black chucks. “Why are you not wearing your proper uniform?” Maki blurted out. “Chill.” Hibiki sat down in front of her easel again. “I just modified it to my liking. Anyway, I didn’t expect there to be anyone here right now. Did you need something?” She glanced to Kotori, noticing the girl looking her up and down. “Oh, does the principal’s daughter like what she sees?” Kotori felt her face flush with embarrassment. “S-Sorry, your shirt was undone.” Hibiki gave a light laugh. “You know I’m only messing with you, Kotori. I don’t mind if you check me out. It’s not like I haven’t checked you out before.” “Hey, that’s my girlfriend you’re talking about.” Maki growled in annoyance. “M-Maki-chan, that’s meant to be a SECRET!” Kotori exclaimed in shock. She sighed when Maki merely shrugged. “So I’m not the only gay one here.” Hibiki said in amusement. “So what is it I can do for you, Kotori?” “It’s about Rin-chan.” Kotori said, mildly relieved at the subject changing. “She likes girls too. She confessed to someone today and she was rejected. So um...I was thinking we could introduce you to her. To cheer her up. I know you like her.” “So...let me get this straight. Since both of you know I have an interest in hot shot, especially since I watch her specifically when she does sports...you’re assuming I should ask her out.....do you guys want me to corrupt her or something?” Maki scoffed. “We both know you are as innocent as any first year Amagi." "Really Nishikino, you want to go there? Because if I recall someone came into class with her collar buttons fastened to the top of her neck..” Maki cringed. "...Okay, okay not all first years." “But you do like her, right Hibiki-chan?" Kotori asked hopefully. "I-I mean sure. But she only knows my school persona....what if she doesn't like art or even my attitude?" Hibiki asked, sounding a little bit worried. "She'll like your confidence.” Kotori said confidently. “Besides, she's not used to people actually flirting with her." "That's because hot shot is pretty hard to flatter…” Maki frowned. “Why do you call her that?” “What? Hot shot?” Hibiki asked, tilting her head. “Because she’s hot and is daring. Obviously.” Maki grimaced. “Sorry I asked. Will you do it then? You’ll meet her?” “Sure. Just tell me the time and place and I’ll be there.” Hibiki said with a shake of her head. “Thank you.” Kotori said in relief. “Oh and Hibiki-chan? Can you not tell anyone about me and Maki-chan? We’re trying to keep it quiet.” “You might want to tell your girlfriend to keep her hands to herself then.” Hibiki quipped, nodding to Maki’s arm around Kotori’s waist. She laughed at the glare Maki shot her. “What? I’m just saying.” ---- “Nico, wait!” Eli had to jog a little to keep up with Nico who was storming down the hallway. “Do you even know where this girl’s going to be?” “She’s in the theatre club.” Nico answered hesitantly, glancing over at Eli. “What? We can’t let her get away with what she did to Rin, can we? I need to at least tell her she was out of line.” “I agree with you.” Eli said with a slight wince. “But I’m still the former student council president. If you start a fight…” “Come on.” Nico scoffed, rolling her eyes. “I’m not going to fight her. I’m just gonna talk to her.” Eli sighed softly. She couldn’t deny that she wanted to speak to the girl too. She hated the fact that someone had managed to hurt Rin so much. “Fine. You have to remember that Rin likes this girl though. You can’t...be too harsh.” “Screw that. Of course I’ll be harsh.” Nico scowled at the thought. “She can’t just...treat someone like that.” Eli relaxed into a soft smile. “What?” Nico muttered, feeling her cheeks flush at the soft look Eli was giving her. “You’re looking at me like I said something weird.” “Nothing, you’re just...nevermind. It can wait.” Eli said, forcing herself to stop smiling. “So what are you going to say to her?” “Don’t know. Haven’t thought about it yet.” Nico replied, picking up her pace as she saw the entrance to the room she was aiming for up ahead. She paused briefly outside of the room, glancing at Eli before she opened it. She found three girls sitting at the table. The girl with straight blue hair stood up upon seeing them enter. She looked as though she was going to get annoyed before she noticed Eli. “Miyuki, right?” Nico asked bluntly, looking to the girl in the middle seat. Miyuki slowly stood up, looking a little afraid. “Yazawa-san. If this is about Rin-san, I…” “Of course it is!” Nico gritted her teeth, looking between the other two girls. “Out. Now.” The two girls quickly scrambled up and hurried from the room. Miyuki sighed as Eli closed the door. “I don’t really think this is any of your business. It’s between myself and Rin-san.” “It’s my business when you hurt my friend.” Nico snarled angrily, taking a step closer. She felt Eli move with her and felt a wave of gratitude at the fact that the blonde was silently supporting her. Miyuki frowned. “I’m sorry. She just surprised me, that’s all. Her...confession came out of nowhere. I didn’t even know she liked girls.” “So what if she does?” Eli asked pointedly. “Does it matter?” Miyuki shrugged and glanced away. “I just don’t like her in that way.” “Well then you should have been more gentle about it.” Nico growled in annoyance. “Hasn’t anyone ever confessed to you before?” Miyuki bristled slightly at that. “What’s that meant to mean? It’s not like you have people queing up to confess to you either!” Nico growled in annoyance, her hands balling into fists. “Just leave Rin a-” “Wait, did I just hear that right?” A girl with dark red hair stepped out of the backroom where the props were kept. “Hoshizora confessed to you? Seriously?!” She burst out laughing at the thought. “Wait until I tell Akane-chan.” “Junko!” Miyuki exclaimed in surprise, her eyes widening. “Y-You can’t tell anyone! It’s embarrassing!” “Embarrassing for her when this gets around school maybe.” Junko said, smirking maliciously. Her smile quickly slipped from her face when Nico stormed right up to her. “What the hell did you just say?!” Nico growled furiously. Junko scoffed. “Get out of my face, Yazawa. Why are you even he-?” She trailed off with a grunt as Nico grabbed her by the shoulders, tackling her to the floor. “HEY! Get the hell off me!” She instinctively raised her fist as she struggled and lashed out, catching Nico in the face with her knuckles. Nico grimaced but hit the girl back, fury overwhelming her. She heard the girl cry out in pain a moment before an arm wrapped around her stomach. She felt herself being pulled up, lifted off of the girl. “Come on.” Eli said without letting go of Nico. “Forget about her. We have to go.” Nico glared at the girl on the floor but didn’t fight as Eli dragged her from the classroom. ---- “I don’t get it. Why would nobody want to date Rin-chan?” Honoka who was walking in front of Umi twirled around a little. “Sure she can be hyper but she’s fun.” “You would know, right?” Umi asked, raising an eyebrow as she hitched her bag up on her shoulder. She was reminded of how weighed down with homework it was. She hoped she would managed to get through most of it while she was at Honoka’s house. Honoka stopped walking backwards suddenly, almost causing Umi to crash into her. Thankfully Honoka managed to steady her in time. “I feel like I’m not that hyper...am I?” Honoka asked, her eyes big and confused. “Hey, Umi-chan...do you really like girls?” “I-I said I do, didn’t I?” Honoka laughed softly. “That’s good. I wouldn’t want you to be afraid of your father.” Umi sighed and looked away. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to pursue girls, Honoka.” “Umi-chan shouldn’t go with what her jerk of a father wants. Ame-san needs to loosen up.” “Honoka!” Honoka smirked a little before she leaned in closer to Umi. “Oh, I know! We should fake date in front of your parents.” “WHAT?!” “Think about it!” Honoka said, grinning brightly. “It’ll kill two birds with one stone. Though I bet me kissing you would give your father a heart attack…” Umi paused, thinking of her father’s reaction. It was so stupid and dangerous but she couldn’t help but wonder if it would be worth it. She realized that Honoka’s hands were still lightly holding onto her upper arms. “How would we go about it?” Honoka blushed. “Wait, you’re seriously considering it? “Maybe.” Umi leaned in to Honoka, their breath mingling. “You are making quite an offer, Kousaka.” Honoka smirked in return. “It is a good offer, Umi-chan. I’m totally girlfriend material.” Umi pulled back, covering her mouth with her hand as she laughed. “Pfft, girlfriend material? Who taught you these lame pick up lines? Nico?” Honoka blinked. “Wait, no. it wasn’t a pick up line. I was just being honest!” Umi laughed harder at that though her laughter was silence by Honoka’s next question. “Hey! Wait, isn’t that your grandma..?” “What?!” “Wait, I’ve got this, Umi-chan.” “What?” Umi objected as Honoka drew her close. “What are you...mmph!” Her eyes widened as Honoka kissed her square on the lips. “Oh my!” She vaguely heard her grandmother exclaim. Umi drew away, her eyes wide. “Honoka! Sh-SHAMELESS!” “Huh? But I thought you wanted…?” Honoka frowned in confusion. “That was my first kiss.” Umi hissed at Honoka, her face flushed red with embarrassment. “And it was in front of my grandmother! Just...just keep going.” “Keep going?” Honoka raised an eyebrow. “You want me to kiss you again?” “No, just...just…” Umi grabbed Honoka’s hand and turned to her grandmother who had just crossed the street to get to them. “I’m just on my way to Honoka’s house. I’ll be home before curfew, w-we’re just studying.” “I’ll tell your father you’ll be late.” Umi’s grandmother said with a smile. “No need to come home if you’re with Homura’s grandchild.” “R-Right. Thanks.” Umi tugged at Honoka’s hand, hurrying away. “You okay?” Honoka frowned in confusion at Umi. “I feel like I’m going to faint.” “Huh? Why?” Honoka asked obliviously. She quickly shook it off. “I’m sorry if I surprised you by kissing you. It was my first kiss too. Was it...bad?” “No.” Umi said, quicker than she would have liked. “I-I mean it was...strange. I don’t know.” Honoka huffed under her breath. “I haven’t kissed anyone before. Maybe we could practice!” “P-Practice…?” Umi stuttered nervously. “Yeah. Kissing and stuff.” Honoka answered with a confident nod of her head. “Is that okay?” “Y-Yeah. Okay.” Umi quickly let go of Honoka’s hand, realizing she was still holding onto it and sped up a bit. ---- “Sit down.” Eli sighed, finally letting go of Nico’s arm when they were safely inside the student council room. “I can’t believe you hit that girl. If the principal finds out you’re gonna be in serious trouble.” “Like I care.” Nico muttered as she sat down at the desk Eli usually occupied. Or rather, Honoka now. Eli sat down next to Nico with a huff. “Look at me.” She said softly, drawing Nico’s attention to her. She winced slightly at the line of blood that trailed from Nico’s split lip down her chin. She lifted the soft washcloth she’d taken from the nurse’s office on her way there, gently wiping at the trail of blood. Nico blushed as Eli gently touched her cheek with her free hand as she worked. Unconsciously she leaned into the caring touch. “Why are you even doing her work while I’m cleaning?” Nico asked with a sigh as she looked at the messy desk Eli was working at. “Someone has to check her spelling.” “God and people call Nozomi the mom of this group.” Nico said with a roll of her eyes. “You’re more of a mom than her.” “Really? Putting me that old?” Eli paused for a moment before she looked up. “I-I didn’t really mean it like that. You’re just...really mature. That’s what I meant.” “Oh.” Nico was taken aback by the sincere look in Eli’s eyes. “Uh...thanks. I guess.” Eli smiled softly before she reluctantly went back to the paperwork she was looking over. Nico walked around the desk to Eli. “You really suck at communicating. How is it possible you managed being student council president all these years, Ayase?” Eli shrugged, pausing what she was doing again. “Well Nozomi did all of the talking. I was just...the assertive one mostly.” “You don’t sound too assertive to me.” Nico smirked. “Haven’t you  ever done something that went against your better judgement? Nothing spontaneous?” “I-I just prefer order.” Nico smirked even further as she casually leaned against the desk. She could see Eli watching her closely. She reached for one of the sheets of paper in Eli’s hand and narrowed her eyes. “I’m not gonna do anything.” She said, seeing Eli tense. “I just wanted to see what you-” Eli leaned in, pressing her lips suddenly to Nico’s. Nico’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden kiss. She barely had time to even think about what was happening before Eli quickly drew away. “Eli, what the…?” Eli swallowed thickly, staring at Nico through wide eyes before she bolted from the table, hurrying toward the door. “Wait…” Nico called feebly, still too stunned to say anything else. Her words died in her throat as Eli left the room. “What the hell…?” “You seem to be the only one besides Nozomi who cares about my wellbeing. Remember when I got sick?” Nico mumbled, locking eyes with Eli. “You took care of me.” “Of course I did.” Eli said softly. “Why did you do it?” Nico asked bluntly. “Take care of you?” Eli asked obliviously. “Well, I…” “Not that. Yesterday. In the student council room.” Nico replied, refusing to let Eli shake the topic off. “You kissed me.” “Right, um…” Eli blushed and looked away, “Maybe I was just trying to show you that I can be spontaneous.” “Bullshit. You’re not a spontaneous person.” Nico disagreed, her voice soft despite her harsh words. “Tell me the truth.” Eli took a deep breath. “I like you.” “WHAT?!” Nico’s eyes widened. She was sure that Eli and Nozomi had something going on. “Nico, calm down. I understand if you don’t like me back.” Nico felt her heart pounding against her chest as Eli spoke. Nevertheless she leaned in and pressed her lips to Eli’s. For a moment she merely relished in how warm the kiss was until Eli kissed her back. She winced, drawing away as her lip stung sharply. “Sorry.” Eli said softly, reaching up. She gently brushed her thumb over Nico’s lower lip, biting her own. “So...does this mean that you…?” “Obviously.” Nico murmured, doing her best not to shudder at the touch. She cursed herself for hurting her lip of all places. If she hadn’t she could have been kissing the blonde. She felt her ears burning at the thought and looked up. “I really thought you liked Nozomi or something…” Eli shook her head. “After I took care of you that time...and became friendly with your sisters and brother, I started to see you in a different light. You really would do anything for them. Even get yourself sick. I’m kind of like that with Arisa.” Nico nodded slowly. “Look, I um...don’t know what this means...or what you want it to mean but...I do want to see where it goes. Maybe we can…?” She trailed off unsurely. “Yes.” Eli nodded in response, drawing a light laugh from Nico. “You don’t even know what I was going to say.” Eli flashed Nico a grin. “I didn’t have to.” She tugged Nico closer inadvertently dragging the girl into her lap. She didn’t protest though, electing to wrap her arms around Nico’s waist instead, lightly nuzzling her neck. “I guess we’ll have to wait a while until I can kiss you again.” “Damn it.” Nico muttered, rolling her eyes. “This just makes me hate her more.” “If it makes you feel any better, I hate her too.” Eli lightly pressed her lips to Nico’s neck. Hearing Nico’s breath hitch, she did so again. She felt Nico’s hold on her tighten. “Kiss me.” “But…” “Maybe I like it rough.” Nico leaned back, fixing Eli with a hungry stare. Eli didn’t need to be asked twice. She leaned in again and kissed Nico hard. She felt her flinch but this time she didn’t pull away. Neither did Nico who held onto her tighter as she kissed her back. TBC?

A Speech to Change the World

Day two of Girlsies Week: Sarah Jacobs

((not proofed, I wrote this in between classes lol, so sorry for any mistakes!)) ~~

Davey seemed to enjoy college. A lot. He was certainly smart enough for it, and she was really proud of him for doing so. But every time he brought it up, this nasty feeling set up camp in her gut. She didn’t know what it was, but it certainly wasn’t pleasant.

It hit Sarah one Thursday when she was hanging out laundry on the roof.

“Envy!” she said all at once. A few pigeons at the edge of the roof fluttered away.

“I’m jealous that he’s going to college!” She dropped Les’ holey shirt back in the basket and began to pace. “I want to go to college!”

Sarah stopped. “I want to go to college,” she whispered in disbelief.

A grin spread slowly over her face. “I want to go to college!” Sarah shouted.

She ran down the stairs from the roof to the Jacobs family apartment, stopping only to grab a hat to cover her hair. She ran down the several flights of stairs to street level and started running in the direction her twin was. She knew he had English today, and she was fairly certain she knew the building. She’d brought him his lunch a few times.

Sure enough, she reached the English building right as Davey walked out. “David!” she called.

His head snapped up at her voice, and he looked out over the quad for her. “Sarah!” he yelled in delight upon seeing her. She ran to him and grabbed his forearms.

“David! I figured it out!”

“What?” he laughed. “The meaning of life?”

“Might as well be!” Sarah grinned. “I want to go to college!”

Davey stopped, stock still. “You what?”

Sarah paused. Did he not like the idea? “I want to go to college.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “It’s going to be hard. And you’ll face lots of opposition. I’ll help any way I can, but there’ll be times they can get to you and I won’t be there to protect you.” His tone was full of brotherly concern, but Sarah just rolled her eyes.

“I’ll be fine! Or have you already forgotten how I punched Oscar’s ugly mug last year?”

Davey laughed. “Okay, you got me there.”

Sarah grinned at him before turning serious. “So, do you think I can do it?”

Davey smiled. “Of course. You’re my sister! We took down a newspaper giant, college’ll be a snap!”

~~

College wasn’t a snap, but she got through it. Not only did she get through it, Sarah Naomi Jacobs graduated top of her class, tied only with her brother. On the day of graduation, Sarah sat on the first row beside Davey, anxiously awaiting their turn to speak. They were valedictorians, and although only David was technically allowed to speak, they had different ideas.

The speaker finished up and motioned Sarah and David to come forward.

“Hello, everyone, and welcome,” David said. The auditorium was silent. “As he said, I am David Jacobs and this is my twin sister, Sarah Jacobs.” Sarah waved. “We are the valedictorians of the graduating class of 1905!”

The auditorium erupted into cheers and whistles, most notably from the section where the Jacobs’ family and their dozens of children (a.k.a. The newsies) were seated. Jack even had his fingers in his mouth as he whistled in appreciation.

The twins grinned at them before motioning for them to hush. “Jack,” Davey started, “I know Kath ‘n Crutchie are tellin’ you to hush, so you’se best get on with it so we can finish.”

Jack let out one final whistle as the crowd laughed. The deans looked mildly uncomfortable, but the Jacobs’ were less than concerned about that. “But since there’s two of us, the deans said only one of us could talk. So now I hand the stage over to Sarah, the true hero of this years’ class.”

The crowd cheered as a gloomy look settled over the deans’ faces. At their many graduation practices, David had been the one to talk, specifically because they had said that Sarah couldn’t. However, it seemed that the deans had failed to make the connection between Davey Jacobs, president of the newsboy union and leader of the successful strike and David Jacobs, valedictorian of New York City College. However, Davey made sure to make the connection for them when he allowed his healthy disrespect for authority to make way for Sarah to speak at the podium.

“Hello, everybody,” Sarah said. You could hear a pin drop, everyone was so shocked. Even the rowdy freshmen were silent as she spoke. “As my brother said, only one of us could speak. But before we could make the decision, the dean kindly made it for us. He came up to us and said that only Davey would be able to make a speech. We asked why, and he gave us a long and wordy answer, but basically, it boils down to this: I’m a girl.

“Now, let me tell you exactly why that is one of the dumbest statements I have ever heard.” The crowd tittered. “Yes, I am a girl. Yes, I have long hair, and a nice figure, and dare I say, I’m quite pretty. But there is more to me than my feminine appearance. One thing that they don’t tell young men about when they are going away to college is the harassment they will face in the classroom. They fail to mention that boys will crowd around you, talking to you, asking you out to dinner, inviting you back to their place, or God forbid call you a stuck up bitch.

“They don’t mention how people will expect you to be smarter than anyone else there. How B’s are not good enough, and that if you make anything less than 100% an entire classroom decrees that ‘maybe men shouldn’t go to college. Maybe they are too dumb, maybe they shouldn’t be allowed in.’ No young man gets told that when they leave to pursue a higher education. Would you like to know why?”

The entire auditorium was silent. Their fellow seniors and even the underclassmen were staring at the ground in shame. The newsies were looking up with faces beaming with pride, and mothers looked at her in horror. Men had smug looks on their faces, more than a few were angry, and Sarah was sure that she’d seen her grandmother storm out. But that didn’t matter. What mattered is that steps be taken so that things like this stopped happening to girls who chose to follow in her footsteps.

“They aren’t told about them, because these things don’t happen to men. Men aren’t harassed as they walk to class. They aren’t told to go home, they belong in the kitchen. They aren’t invited out to dinner after class, and when they are declined they certainly don’t get insulted for it. They aren’t ganged up on and talked to while the professor is lecturing. Their hair isn’t pulled, the professor doesn’t save the hardest question for them just to watch them flail trying to answer it. They aren’t pressured to have a 4.0 grade point average. They’re allowed to make B’s and C’s and D’s without anyone blaming their entire gender for it. They aren’t faced with impossible standards and mocked for not meeting them.

“But I was. I am. I will be. That is my lot in life, and I have decided to accept it. My chosen career will not be easy, but I will do it. I will fight tooth and nail to prove that I can do it as well, if not better, than any man they consider for the job. I am one of the first in a line of many who will shake this world to its core, and change the very thread it operates on.

“However, that doesn’t mean every woman has to face the same trials I have. So now I speak to the underclassmen, the ones that watch us up on this podium with envy, and can’t wait for their chance up here.” She turned her head from looking out over the crowd in general to looking specifically at the college students. Smalls and Sniper caught her eye from where they sat with the freshmen and gave her a thumbs up.

“You are in a position of power, here. You were the ones who caused me so much strife. You have the power to make or break a new world, one where women are treated as equals. I know none of you have forgotten the age of strikes only a few years ago. And for those of you who don’t know, Davey and I actually lead one, along with Jack Kelly, the boy who was whistling awhile ago. We successfully beat the New York World at their own game, and you want to tell me I can’t graduate?” she let out a dry laugh. “Well look at me, I took your taunts and I rose above, and I not only graduated, but I graduated valedictorian!

“So here’s the bottom line: the world is changing. We are no longer satisfied with the life we live. We are standing up to demand a place at the table, and we will not rest until we have one. We will be victorious. So, are you going to help? Or are you going to be one of the many we crush on our way to the top?” With that, Sarah stepped back from the podium. Everyone in her family jumped to their feet, their cheers and whistles and applause echoing throughout the room.

Slowly, the students started clapping as well, until they were all standing as well. It started in the freshmen section and moved up until the entire student body was on their feet. At the pressure of the students, many more of the audience began to cheer, until they were so loud the rafters shook at their volume. Sarah looked out on the crowd, and her eyes began welling up. She knew that it was unlikely that this energy and fervor would continue, but for now, she had done something.

She had made a speech that would change the world.

Episode 136 : Protection

"I'm a walking heart attack, looking for somebody to happen..."

- Boogieman

Still shut up in the house for the most part, which at least gives me a chance to really dig through my crates, vinyl and otherwise! This month's selection has some great recent records, some older underground favourites, and a mix segment I've been wanting to do for ages - figured this episode was as good a time as any!

Twitter : @airadam13

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Mac Ayres : Shadows

If nothing else, this enforced time spent in the house has yielded some great musical discoveries. I heard this cut on a DJ Jazzy Jeff Twitch session, and bought it immediately as soon as I found out what it was! Mac Ayers is a singer/songwriter/instrumentalist from Long Island, and if he's already turning out material like this in his early 20s, I can only imagine what it'll be with more experience. This is a highlight on last year's "Juicebox" album, and one that those who enjoy the modern soul sound will almost certainly enjoy!

[DJ Premier] Prhyme : My Calling (Instrumental)

This beat from "Prhyme 2" is so, so good. DJ Premier continues to turn out fresh creations over thirty years since his debut, with more different styles than he's often given credit for. The pianos sound like falling rain, the low end is the solid ground, and everything else fits perfectly around them.

Ski Beatz & Stalley : Gentlemen's Quarterly

Smooth from the lyrics to Ski Beatz' sophisticated production, this is a cut I'd managed to forget about until I rediscovered it in my collection recently. Find it on the "Ski Beatz 24 Hour Karate School Presents Twilight" (snappy!) LP, if you can find a reasonably-priced copy!

LL Cool J ft. Keith Murray, Prodigy, Fat Joe, and Foxy Brown : I Shot Ya (Remix)

A classic from the mid-90s. LL brought in some of the hottest MCs of the time alongside a young Foxy Brown making her on-record debut for a Trackmasters-produced street banger. The "Mr. Smith" album is the source for this often-sampled gem.

O.C. & Organized Konfusion : You Won't Go Far

Unapologetic boom-bap from this all-NYC combination, taken from the second volume of the "New Jersey Drive" soundtrack. Of all the tracks on that release, it's the one that hews closest to the plot of the film itself, which itself makes it a standout in the world of 90s Hip-Hop/R&B soundtracks! OK self-produced this one, and rather than give each MC a verse each, they split each verse between the three of them for more of a tag-team feel.

Rise : Make Sure That We Win

Note: I got this wrong on the voiceover - this is a Beatminerz beat, not DJ Spinna. Spinna produced the excellent "Part of the Game" on the same EP.

Rise is an MC out of Brooklyn and the Demigodz crew, who has a knack for punchlines and quotables within a laid back style - he just seems puzzled by wack MCs most of the time! The Beatminerz provide the beat with the fuzzbox guitars moving all over the soundscape and the classic boom-bap drum style and some sub bass to give it the heft. DJ Evil Dee of Da Beatminerz rounds things out with his cuts for the hook. Grab this and a couple of other great tracks on the 2003 "The Intro..." EP.

Pete Rock : Air Smoove

"Petestrumentals 2" may not become the low-key icon that the first instalment did, but don't sleep on it - it's still Pete Rock on the beats, after all.  I keep going back to it and finding myself enjoying tracks more and more, with this being a prime example.

Above The Law ft. 2Pac and Money B : Call It What U Want

I once nearly got into a fight (the other guy was heated) when I off-handedly mentioned that I remembered when 2Pac had been a dancer for Digital Underground - but it was true, and there was never any shame in it! Anyway, it was also with that crew that he made initial strides onto the mic, and after going solo himself, this was one of his first features, alongside Money B from DU. Above The Law's "Black Mafia Life", from which this is taken, is one of the most overlooked albums that could claim the accolade of "classic" when you listen to how it sounded and how early it was made - I strongly recommend that every listener seeks it out for an end-to-end hearing. It's striking to realise that of the four MCs on this cut, only two are still with us today - RIP 2Pac and KMG.

DJ Quik ft. Pharoahe Monch & K.K. : Murda 1 Case

An absolute stomper from Compton's finest, leading with the piano, keeping the drums hard but simple (kicks on 1 and 3 only, snares on 2 and 4), and three MCs going at it. On this clear standout on 2002's "Under Tha Influence", the underrated Quik holds his own against one of the best to pick up a mic, and shows the confidence and intelligence as a producer to know that this was the man to bring in for the closing verse.

De La Soul : Verbal Clap

Many years after their debut, De La remind you that they can get busy on a state-of-the-art thumping beat with no problem - in this case, a masterful creation by J Dilla, one of two on 2004's "The Grind Date". Dave's rhyme style here is extra raw and he dominates by sheer brute force, standing out even on an album where De La sound highly-motivated overall. If you don't yet know it, it's well worth your while to search it out and have a proper listen.

Mr. Scruff ft. Broke 'n' English : Listen Up

Manchester all the way on this track, with the DJ and producer Mr Scruff getting the drumline mad active with a nice bassline, and Strategy and DRS of Broke 'n' English bringing all the local flavour on the mic. This great cut is on the flip of the also-excellent "Nice Up The Function" 12", which is now available digitally - so no difficulty in finding a copy!

[The Neptunes] Busta Rhymes : Pass The Courvoisier, Part II (Instrumental)

A great party beat, one to get people moving even without Busta and Pharrell's vocals!

AZ : Take Care Of Me

From his very first LP, AZ was flowing over soul/R&B samples, so it wasn't a reach for him to make a track like this for "Aziatic", his fourth. Precision soundtracks it with a "no samples" approach which for the non-Bad Boy producers tended to be the move for the club/radio tracks, and it's aged fairly well. AZ's lyrics are definitely reflective of the time - cellphones are so unremarkable in 2020!

Krumb Snatcha ft. Boogieman : Oxygen

Krumb Snatcha is pretty much as rugged as it gets, but here he shows that while he can give you an underground street classic like "Closer To God", there's still time to have fun! This track from his second LP "Respect All, Fear None" isn't what you might expect from KS but I think he did a solid job here. Nottz' beat bumps and burbles with a solid low end, and the guest MC Boogieman, who's already collaborated with him previously, steals the show with a casually disrespectful closing verse - not a particularly technical one, but entertaining!

Mic Geronimo : Nothin' Move But The Money

This record was hated when it came out, of all the tracks in this section, it was the most blatant pander to the pop audience - after all, Puffy (now Diddy) was the producer! This was amplified by the fact that Queens' own Mic Geronimo was a darling of the underground scene after his excellent debut LP "The Natural", and this is a million miles away stylistically. "Vendetta" was a big change, and arguably a bit of a career killer because of it. Have a look at the video - every so often, Mic actually looks pretty uncomfortable! 

Goodie Mob ft. Big Boi and Backbone : Get Rich To This

This was the next most derided track when it was released - if someone else had recorded it, it may have been received for what it was, but again, this was a serious sonic whiplash for anyone who had heard "Soul Food" or "Still Standing". It was still Organized Noize on production, still the same MCs (plus guests), but definitely not what people were expecting, by and large. I can't front though - I kind of liked it even then! The "World Party" LP is the source for this one.

[Kenny Dope] L Swift : Ride This (Instrumental)

Crispy clean drums and a nice guitar line are the highlights of this beat from a 2000 12" by one of the MCs from the incredible Natural Elements (now reformed, with L Swift as Swigga). The vocal version features A Butta from NE and the B-side is produced by Spinna, so well worth picking up if you see it!

Toots & The Maytals : Funky Kingston

We close the episode with the title track of the 1973 album by the reggae legend "Toots" Hibbert, who passed away this month at the age of 77, and his band. The throatiness of his delivery on this classic cut does bring to mind the American funk godfather James Brown, but the message and the groove is pure yard. It may be almost fifty years old now, but still moves a dancefloor with ease!

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

First Take Review: RME ADI-2 DAC FS

I learned about the RME DAC when stumbling upon The Master Switch's "Best DAC" list. I don't remember what led me there, but from that list it sounded like it stacked up well against some other popular audiophile DACs from the likes of Mytek, Schiit, Benchmark and Chord. After a bit of online research I was intrigued by the internet buzz around it, and its pro-audio heritage, ostensible quality (made in Germany!) and unique feature set. And at USD $1,149, it hits a price point that many audiophiles can stomach. This is not another $299 made-in-China special off Amazon - not that those can't sound good or be amazing values, but the RME is something entirely different.

RME is a German manufacturer of highly-regarded pro audio gear that decided to make a version of their studio-grade ADI-2 DAC for the audiophile market. This meant equipping it with standard consumer digital inputs, adding dual headphone amps for both big high-impedance cans and low-impedance IEMs, making the menu system simpler (it's still rather arcane in that German first-gen-BMW-iDrive kind of way), making the informative but busy display automatically dimmable and throwing in a remote control. I'll spare the technical details for the full review, but highlights include a very precise reclocking circuit called SteadyClock FS, AKM4493 DACs and three stages of internal power regulation (switching, linear and ultra low-noise) that purportedly make it immune to the quality of the external power supply, the included one being be a run-of-the-mill 12V 2A brick. Other than the dinky supply, the ADI-2 feels extremely sturdy and is clearly designed to withstand the rigors of studio and field use, something you certainly can’t say of the vast majority of audiophile gear. The rotary controls are firm and tactile, and everything feels designed for the highest level of utility and durability with zero fluff.

Decidedly consumer-friendly connections

Despite being simplified from the original Pro model, this thing is absolutely packed with processing features. Adjustable digital filters, parametric EQ, tone controls, loudness contour, crossfeed for headphones - you name it, it's probably got it. There’s no network connection though, so for streaming you’ll need to provide your own USB or S/PDIF device. It has a full digital volume control, so if you're ok with some digital manipulation (albeit done at very high precision), you can hook it up directly to an amp or active speakers and have volume control via the full-function remote. The analog output can be set to 4 different gain settings via the menu system, and I found the +7dbU setting to come closest to my PS Audio DirectStream via XLR output. I kept the digital volume fixed at 0dB.

Setup ⚙️

My initial test was using a Raspberry Pi 3B with Roipeee software as a Roon endpoint, connected to the RME via DH Labs Mirage USB cable ($240). I listened on my main rig, currently consisting of a PS Audio DirectStream DAC, Pass Labs XP10 preamp, Pass Labs XA30.5 or Valvet A4 Mk.II amplifiers, Audiovector SR 6 Avantgarde Arreté speakers and cables and power conditioning from Furutech and Audience. (Yes, I know, a $50k system isn’t the most logical pairing for a ~$1k DAC, so I’ll also be reporting later on results in my more proportionately-priced side system.)

I am not a headphone guy at all, much preferring to listen to everything on my big rig, so I'm not qualified to critically evaluate the headphone amps and will defer to the other reviews on the 'net. That said, I did some light testing with my Ultimate Ears TripleFi IEMs and Massdrop HD6xx, which is a Sennheiser HD650 reproduction (I'll just refer to it as a HD650 for simplicity). For light comparison, I have my Topping NX4 DSD portable USB DAC + headphone amp which cost around $150 when I bought it and is insanely good for the money. I’ve also owned an Ayre Codex DAC + headphone amp ($1795) and remember its sound pretty well, but no longer have it on hand.

An important note: all my speaker listening was performed using the RME's balanced XLR outputs, as both my main and side systems are fully balanced (Pass Labs in the main rig, Ayre on the side). This is of course the preferred connection method in pro audio environments as well, and the RME is designed with fully balanced operation in mind. I have not listened to the RCA outputs yet, but my gut tells me balanced is going to be the way to go (and this account seems to back that up). So keep that in mind - I'll explore the sound of the unbalanced outs in a later review.

A “Dark Mode” setting auto-dims the informative but garish display

The Sound 🔉🎶

First impressions: clean, clean, clean. Excellent resolution, smooth and neutral tonality. Very clear without being bright or clinical. Good crisp dynamics. Everything sounds in its proper place without obvious artifice. Not quite as fluid and relaxing as the PS Audio DirectStream ($5,999), but quite enjoyable on a high resolution system.

Second impressions: I moved the RME to my office area for headphone listening, connected it to my MacBook pro via the same USB cable. Keeping in mind my prior disclaimer that I'm not a headphone guy, I found the RME to again sound very clear and clean on both the HD650's and Ultimate Ears TripleFi's, but maybe lacking a little grunt. While the DAC quality was clearly a step above the Topping NX4 DSD in resolution and transparency, I found the RME a little subdued, both via the IEM output with the TripleFi IEMs and the high power output with the HD650. The latter tends towards mellowness and needs an amp with some moxie to bring it alive; the RME didn't strike me as that, sounding as if it needed a beefier power supply or perhaps a higher-voltage output stage that could slew a little harder. And I found the Topping to give the Ultimate Ears a bit more drive to the sound, though that might also be the Topping erring on the punchy side of neutral. Again, I would hold judgement here, as I only did brief tests and this could also be a function of my digital front-end.

Third impressions: Fast forward a couple weeks, and I moved the RME back to the main rig, but this time with a new Raspberry Pi 4 set up as the Roon endpoint. I have not optimized my streaming setup in the least, but my understanding is the added power and USB bandwidth of the rPi 4 should translate to better performance. And it certainly sounded that way - the very slight grain from my first go with the rPi 3B was diminished, and the sound had greater scale and ease. While I still consistently preferred the PS Audio, it was getting harder tell them apart in quick A/B tests. There's a subliminally less "digital" quality the the PS Audio - it is still the most natural DAC I have had in my system - and everything seems to sing just a bit more freely through it. The RME comes fairly close but sounds a bit flatter and less tactile. Despite the S/N specs being significantly better on the RME, I didn't find it to be absolutely quieter - some aspects felt a little cleaner, but the PS Audio has a better sense of blackness between the notes. The RME is a bit more up-front with its soundstage vs. the PS Audio which put things a hair further back, but with a more natural sense of space. Still, I find the RME less in-your-face and more relaxed than many of the Sabre-based DACs I've heard.

In a nutshell 🥜

So, how do I think the $1,149 RME stacks up against "serious" audiophile DACs like the PS Audio DirectStream at 4x the price? Short answer: the DirectStream isn't going anywhere. But the RME comes much closer to the $6k PS Audio than I was expecting, particularly in terms of tonality, dynamics and resolution. The main differences I hear are the PS Audio has a bit more weight (both dynamically and tonally), a better sense of space and tactility and a less "electronic" overall sound. The RME makes symphony orchestras sound a tad smaller, with less of a difference in scale between a solo oboe and a string section... qualities that are pretty subtle and might not matter to some, but are highly prized by those of us seeking that visceral connection to our reproduced music. This is generally what you have to pay the big bucks for, and what puts DACs like the PS Audio, the Chord DAVE, the MSB’s and the Mergings in a different class from the more affordable offerings. But the RME acquits itself extremely well and is a nice upgrade in naturalness from other very good DACs that I’ve heard at the price point, e.g. from Cambridge Audio. And from aural memory, I feel the RME is a more accurate and satisfying DAC than the Ayre Codex, which never came as close to matching my DirectStream.

I'll be delving more into this fascinating little product in the coming weeks, but you can add this to the internet buzz: the RME ADI-2 FS DAC is an excellent sounding piece worthy of audiophile credibility. And I haven't even begun to tap into all its unique capabilities that no competitor I'm aware of can offer. Before you spend more on a DAC, you may want to give this little guy a listen.

AnimeFest 2017 Day 1

I fell asleep yesterday before I could make the post...

Dealer’s Room opened late, but I stood in line for quite a while before then, so as soon as it opened, I was into the room and searching out YOI stuff (plus a couple of things to give as presents). My haul (for the first half of the day):

The can badge sets were actually on sale for $10 each, which was amazing. The embroidery of Yurio’s eyes is so pretty. The small poster (wall scroll, I guess) I got was of Yuuri and Victor in Moscow’s Red Square.

I was looking through the kimono stand (I’m always looking for pieces to finish my set)  and the people helping are AWESOME. Not only is the booth/stand filled with gorgeous pieces and simple pieces at all price points to fit a budget, the ladies are very helpful to both the people who have no clue what any of the names are for pieces, and to those who have worn a full ensemble and need specific little things. They shared the story of how they got this business running (3 years of research, planning, and connecting with Japanese salesmen), and were always ready to turn around and answer another question - even though they were running on little sleep. While they had super nice kimono on the racks (the furisode were so gorgeous I wanted to cry), the booth also had grab bags which ranged from $20 to $50. The $20 bags were usually haori (the coat that goes over kimono), $30 were simple kimono with obi, $40-50 are nicer kimono with obi. Some of the descriptions on the grab bags were hilarious! ( “It looks like a basket. Seriously. If you don’t like baskets, don’t get this.” “What a jedi warrior would wear if he wore kimono” “Green and black and [...] perfect for a SLYTHERIN~” “It’s Blue. ‘Nuf said.”)  I should have taken pictures....

I dashed from there to wait in line for the Japanese Guests Autograph Session, but the line was ridiculously long! I was in Block C of the waiting section and not even half of Block B got signatures. If you were there for people besides the YOI trio, they would let you go to those people you wanted to sign your stuff. Apparently some people in the A block of the line were waiting since 10am even though the staff said you couldn’t line up until an hour beforehand. For the remaining days of the con, they’re apparently going to be roping off the area until the hour before, so I guess we’ll see how Day 2 goes?

I went back to the kimono booth to actually buy stuff (they had set my stuff aside), grabbed a snack, and then went to wait with friends for the first YOI panel -- “Yuri!!! On Ice: Meet the Creative Staff”

While waiting in line I met Denki and won a poster for answering her hard question! (Thanks, @sachiro for pointing her out and encouraging me to go ask.)

My question was: “Which four skaters can do the 4Lo?”

I met a mother&daughter couple in the line (the mother was just as much a fan as her daughter. It was so touching!), gave the daughter a small push to actually approach Denki, and she did well to get her own poster. Denki isn’t scary!

There was some amazing cosplay and itabags I saw while waiting through the hour. One person was dressed as Chihoko! Golden fish tail and everything.

When the door opened, we filed in and were directed down the rows to fill every seat. They gave us posters (I guess?) at the door which were printed on fairly thick paper. I ended up second row left-of-center, right in front of Sayo and Kubo!

I’ll put the interview/talk in a separate post because I took notes on what they said and it deserves a separate entry. To make it short, they talked about American figure skaters (Nathan Chen, Adam Rippon, Jason Brown, and Max Aaron), how they learned of each other and met, the relationship between them, and a few notes. When talking about character designs Hiramatsu has formerly done, they mentioned about the dynamic poses in figure skating and the plentiful crotch and butt shots... I believe some people have already noted how Kubo spread tissue-box-Makka’s legs while Hiramatsu covered him. They were so great. At the end, the threw some freebies to the crowd. I managed to catch a pair of gloves!

After the panel was over, a few of us went to go check out the art show where some of Kubo’s pieces were hanging - both YOI and previous works. I was amazed at seeing everything up close. Her line quality is absolutely gorgeous. I browsed through the rest of the art auction pieces and as we were leaving we saw Kubo-sensei! She was looking at her hanged pieces and just starting to leave. Sayo was waiting outside of the room (her sunglasses were off!), and then Hiramatsu-san passed us to get into the room (he greeted us “Hello!”). 

From there, I browsed through artists’ alley (”Bizarre Bazaar”), bought some gorgeous prints from someone whom I reblog a lot of fanart (I’ll put the links to the specific art later!), dropped off my stuff, grabbed a quick snack, and off to Opening Ceremonies at Dallas’ Majestic theater.

It was amusing and interesting to hear what the different guests had to say. Sayo reiterated how she was invited to Anime Fest years before YOI - ever since “Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine.” She was in contact with the guy from then on and would tell him about the cool figure skating project she was trying to have green-lit. She said that he invited her again to come to the con after the anime aired and he had more faith in her project than the producers did. So this is why AnimeFest was one of the first cons that confirmed Kubo, Sayo, and Hiramatsu as guests.

LM.C were hilarious. Aiji gave well-thought-out answers, while maya gave short somewhat deadpan responses that had us laughing. *holds hand up to eyes to look out into the crowd; turns head*  “I’ve memorized all of your faces. You’ll come to the concert tomorrow, right?”

After it was over, my group went to In-N-Out Burger for our first decent meal of the day. When we returned to the hotel, I meant to just curl up to absorb some warmth, but then fell asleep...

I’m planning to go to a lot of evening and night events in Day 2, so I’ll see how tired I am after all of it.

Boyang Jin & Han Yan discuss their performance, next steps, Chinese figure skating, and more in an interview after the 2017 Asian Winter Games (translation below)

t/n: for simplicity, I mostly used Boyang and Han's given names although full names were sometimes said in the video.

Interviewer: (Introduces channel/networks, talks about 2017 Asian Winter Games.) Today our two guests are those you've already seen on TV, men's singles figure skaters who have represented China well here, Boyang Jin and teammate Han Yan. We've already spoken with Han once, before this competition started. Let's congratulate these two for achieving the silver and bronze medals at this competition.

Han: Thank you.

Interviewer: And thank them for joining us. This time, Boyang performed pretty well. The screen is giving us a replay [of his free skate]. This question is for both of you to answer together: after this event, both of you stood on the podium. Were you satisfied? Did it go as planned?

Boyang: Probably there are still some regrets.

Interviewer: Why?

Boyang: On the first day, there was the combination. It was still okay, as I ended up first.

Interviewer: You were leading after the short program.

Boyang: Yes. But compared to second place -

Interviewer: Let's look at the replay again, review your reaction to the score at the time. What does that [reaction in the K&C after the free skate] mean? Was it a bit of excitement?

Boyang: There was also a bit of regret.

Interviewer: Because you knew you were second.

Boyang: Yes, second.

Interviewer: Look, Han. This movement [at the beginning of the free skate] is very cool. I really wanted to say, your black costume is very cool, very handsome.

Han: Thank you.

Interviewer: And the modelling of the starting pose, right away it's very fierce. Today, right away it felt like Han would be dramatic, maybe because after our chat I could understand you better. Now, Boyang, you said there were still some small mistakes. After placing first in the short, how did it go afterwards?

Boyang: There was still, compared to second place, a difference of only 0.something. In the free skate, it was probably the error on just one jump that caused me to place second.

Interviewer: There was a bit of, it's called a pop, right?

Boyang: Yes.

Interviewer: Actually, I thought your overall performance, since you didn't fall or anything like that, didn't have [t/n: pause in audio, maybe something got censored out]. That should have made some difference. 7 points, 8 points?

Boyang: 7.5, maybe. (laughs)

Interviewer: 7.5, still 2.5 to go. Go for it. How did it go for Han this time? Before the competition, we went to your hotel to chat. At the time, you were a bit nervous, but also a bit excited, eager to show yourself. In the end, getting into the top 3 and standing on the podium, what's your evaluation?

Han: It was still, although this set of programs is different from what I usually perform, for my performance this time -

Interviewer: Let's look at these movements [in the free skate]. A slight interruption. These are some transitional moves.

Han: It's after the last jump.

Interviewer: After the last jump, at the end. At this time, in the ending section, does it feel like everything is already complete?

Han: At that time, I still wasn't thinking of what comes afterward. I was still thinking about how to get more points.

Interviewer: All of these count for points.

Han: Yes.

Interviewer: We're still following the replay, at this time you were behind the leader by about 6 points, so you were still trying to catch up. At the end of your program, you had the highest technical score.

Han: Yes.

Interviewer: Tell us a bit more. (gestures to screen) What are you thinking of at this time? How to complete the program? Look, with coach Mingzhu Li. Share your feelings with us, the feeling of leading both in technical and total score after your skate.

Han: I thought the result was not something I especially cared about. My biggest takeaway this time was to have lots of confidence and see whether I live up to my hard work this year.

Interviewer: Before this competition, you both knew that for the Japanese competitors, as the hosts, had some home advantage. Many people have expressed their opinions online during the event. Actually, I could have been more excited and nervous than you guys, I kept sending messages to [Han] even though I knew you wouldn't see it (Han: laughs). At the time, I thought the Japanese skater, Shoma Uno - who is the same age as [Boyang], so it's easier to compare - the judges' scores resulted in a difference of 1.19 points. Were you satisfied? He fell twice and had a slim margin of victory. What are your thoughts?

Boyang: For me, it's a type of encouragement. I also have regrets, but I know the mistakes that I made and will put more effort toward the next competition and afterwards, including for the Olympics, to know how to work harder to perfect these two programs.

Interviewer: I actually feel that for you two, in many events, both coming from team China, complement each other. Of course, you're not skating as a pair (B: laughs), but Han's magnetism and artistic impact are very strong, while Boyang is often known as a 'king' of base value, with all the quads, completing many elements with high base value and few errors. Could it be understood this way, that the two of you have complementary strengths and weaknesses? Han?

Han: Yes. I think that the two of us (gestures to Boyang) -

Boyang: Combining.

Han: If we could combine (All: laugh), then definitely -

Interviewer: Then it would become more ideal.

Han: Of course, yes, it would become ideal. Everyone has their strengths.

Interviewer: Yes.

Han: And each skater takes a different path. I think, for Chinese men’s singles skating, that’s a very good thing. We have different styles.

Interviewer: Two pieces advancing side by side, growing together.

Han: Yes.

Interviewer: And the age difference is also just one year.

Han: Yes, we can learn from each other.

Interviewer: Although Han is said to be the big brother, the big brother is actually just one year older. Usually, except for competitions where you represent China together, your regular training locations are different, with [Boyang] at hometown Harbin and so on. Is there much communication?

Boyang: There isn’t a lot. Training for the entire day, and after going home, we have our own hobbies. At events, or when training in Beijing, there will be [more].

Interviewer: In the arena, we can see the aura is fierce and has a strong pull. On the ice, it’s like leading a little brother. It’s very clear. However, this time, on the mental front, I’ve already asked Han about this. Earlier Boyang’s answers were still very diplomatic - he’s only 19 but he has a [t/n: some four word idioms here?] way of replying.Were you convinced about your loss today? Not in terms of power, but losing to the competitor who was favoured politically by the judges.

Han: I don’t think there was underscoring like that this time, your description is too severe.

Interviewer: The home ice advantage does exist.

Han: Yes. I think the judges did like him. Each skater has a different style, and perhaps he was luckier here.

Interviewer: Put it this way. He does have his strengths, not giving up after 2 falls, continuing to sell his program and add value to make up for lost points and components. In this type of event, what do the two of you think you can learn from him? Let’s talk about that.

Boyang: I think he is a strong competitor. On the ice in a competition, it’s often different from practice, but he’s the type who can give more than 100%. I’d like to learn from the fierceness he has when competing.

Interviewer: In a competition, for some, being able to show 70% or 80% of what one can do in practice is pretty good, but other competitors, like you said, can give a performance under pressure that they normally wouldn’t be able to. Which type are you?

Boyang: I’m more a balanced type. (laughs)

Interviewer: The level that you reach in practice -

Boyang: It’s almost reflected in competition.

Interviewer: Boyang is fairly steady. In today’s performance, elements were executed without too much variation. Han, what about you - are you better in practice, or competition, or, as he said, more balanced?

Han: (laughs)

Interviewer: Answer honestly.

Han: Perhaps I used to be the competition type, but this time I didn’t go over 100%. I made some mistakes and have some regrets.

Interviewer: This event, however, I feel like it’s the best you’ve been recently. In both the short program and the free skate, there were things here and there, but I think it can be said that you performed both programs well and things went smoothly. Earlier you also talked about having confidence. Looking back at the past while, 12 months or so, you’ve overcome a period of hardship, right?

Han: Hardship is maybe a bit exaggerated, but personally it was a difficult time. When I first moved up to the senior level, things went quite smoothly, and -Interviewer: Lots of people were paying attention to you, too.

Han: Yes, and then I felt like I was -

Interviewer: Reached that level.

Han: Like ‘it’s OK now’. But I still had a long way to go. From knowledge to training, this year I’ve managed to improve a lot.

Interviewer: Boyang, how do you see yourself? I feel like people say you’re a ‘good boy’ type, and when teachers and coaches say something you’ll do that, with self regulation. In this kind of process, would you use a lot of, say, [Han]’s experiences as a reference to improve yourself?

Boyang: I really like figure skating. In training, especially for jumps, I like to challenge these moves, so it’s a type of pleasure.

Interviewer: In men’s figure skating, you can really see the artistic side, the fierceness, performance, and interpretation and understanding of the music, from Rachmaninoff to the R&J which [Han] selected beautifully. Apart from discussing with choreographers and coaches, how do you choose your music? How do you yourself strengthen your understanding of the pieces? Are there other aspects where you strive to do more? Han?

Han: Since my free skate music is a film soundtrack, watching the film can be helpful for grasping the true meaning.

Interviewer: Improving comprehension.

Han: Improving comprehension. The short program music is a song. Looking at the lyrics and seeing what they’re really trying to express, as well as the mood of the singer - these are all things to investigate.

Interviewer: Boyang, do you also read books or take further steps like that to improve in this area?

Boyang: Yes, my short program is Spiderman and I like watching the movies.

Interviewer: (in English) Spiderman. Uh-huh.

Boyang: Yes, the first animations I watched as a child were superhero ones like Spiderman, so I like it a lot. Right now, It's not as [t/n: didn’t catch this part] as before. I feel like I can immerse myself, so I like it a lot.

Interviewer: To both of you, I've been saying, today we talked for a while about next steps and improvement. I think these two have not only become notable competitors in men's singles figure skating in Asia, but also able to reach the top 15 or 20 in the world. Our overall technique and model is continually improving and expanding. Compared to Western skaters, the gap that used to be prominent is getting narrower and we have more chances to challenge them, is that right? Boyang?

Boyang: Since the internet is quite advanced now - whether it's communication abroad, watching movies, improving one's understanding of other cultures - it's easier to learn systematically, so we're closer.

Interviewer: Compared to the Spanish star Fernandez or the Japanese Hanyu, who didn't attend this competition, Han, from your perspective, where are you two lacking and how could you improve these weaknesses?

Han: I think Asian skaters aren't necessarily worse.

Interviewer: I was hoping you would say that.

Han: In fact, we’re leading.

Interviewer: In what areas?

Han: Taking the Chinese national team as an example, our training conditions and the support we get are top tier. When I went to the US, I’ve experienced how there are more people who like figure skating there, and each skater is on their own in the process. For us, we have a system.

Interviewer: Techniques and a system for support.

Han: Yes, my trip to America this time had a big impact on me. I feel like [a system] is very important. For the two of us (gestures between himself and Boyang), compared to Western skaters, we’re lacking - the top Western skaters -

Interviewer: The strongest ones.

Han: Yes. The differences are, it’s not a huge disparity. Boyang is lacking in some performance -

Interviewer: Artistry and magnetism.

Han: Yes, and I’m lacking in my base value. So he’s already one of the best on the technical side, and I don’t feel like my performance is too far from the best.

Interviewer: (gestures to the screen) I feel like you’re really immersed in your performance, it really shows.

Han: So we can only say, overcome our weaknesses, patch them up and show Chinese figure skating to everyone.

Interviewer: Boyang, on the topic of your artistry and performance, further steps need to be taken in refinement and improvement. What’s missing?

Boyang: It could be the number of repetitions and the overall finesse. Practicing more times [would be useful].

Interviewer: In western countries, there are many figure skaters in all disciplines and they have a broad reach. For us, how can we connect with our audience [in China] and say, ‘more people should participate and immerse themselves in such a beautiful sport’? What do you want to say? Share a few words with us.

Han: I don’t think we need words. I think talking more about this topic doesn’t hold much significance. We can just let our results speak for us. By getting good scores, we can let everyone know what a beautiful, mesmerizing discipline this is. Only through that can we move people to join us.

Interviewer: That’s a very true statement. It’s a similar thought to [2004 Olympic Gold Medalist] Xiang Liu’s. At that time, we had little understanding of the men’s 110m hurdles event. Nobody could remember the 12.88 second result. But once Xiang Liu’s achievements came out and he broke the world record, everyone knew how breaking the 12.88 seconds was very difficult and so on. Many people became more interested in the details of the sport. Do you agree?

Boyang: Yes.

Interviewer: The World Championships are coming up for both of you, and it’s another good chance to showcase our country’s abilities in men’s singles figure skating.

Han: Yes.

Interviewer: What are your expectations?

Boyang: Since this year’s World Championships determine the number of spots we get for next year’s Olympics -

Interviewer: Qualification.

Boyang: It’s an especially important event this year. So, after gaining confidence at the Asian Winter Games, we train some more.

Interviewer: For Han, I think  - talk about yourself first, no need to mention the ‘younger brother’ - do you consider yourself a perfectionist?

Han: Yes.

Interviewer: It’s necessary in order to display yourself, right?

Han: I think, as figure skaters, all of us are a bit different from other athletes in some areas.

Interviewer: Self-appreciation, etc.

Han: Yes, self-appreciation, narcissism (laughs). As well, lots of sensitivity to mistakes and to nuances in the music and rhythm. We’re very sensitive.

Interviewer: Boyang, is it the same for you? Striving for the extreme.

Boyang: Yes. And more narcissism. (All: laugh)

Interviewer: In fact, that’s not a bad thing, since it means having higher expectations for yourself. Today, after receiving your medals, did you contact your family?

Han: (laughs) I didn’t.

Interviewer: Did they watch your performance?

Han: On TV, probably. One of my quirks is that I don’t like having people who are close to me watch me compete.

Interviewer: They could have watched without you knowing.

Han: I’ve already told them, so they basically don’t come to watch me. Usually it’ll be the TV.

Interviewer: Ah, so just not watching live.

Han: Yes, yes.

Interviewer: Boyang, your mom was in the arena though, right?

Boyang: Yes, my mom.

Interviewer: Since she was watching live, does that encourage you or make you more nervous?

Boyang: My mom likes to follow - I like to be with her, and she likes to be with me.

Interviewer: Is that right?

Boyang: So, no matter where I go, to competitions, she’s there.

Interviewer: Does her presence make you feel steadier?

Boyang: Yes, a sense of steadiness. (Both: laugh)

Interviewer: Although you can’t stay at the same hotel, she provides a feeling of warmth and comfort.

Boyang: Sense of steadiness.

Interviewer: Sense of steadiness. After you received your silver medal, what did she say to you?

Boyang: She told me, ‘you are the fattest’. (covers mouth, laughs) No, I meant to say, ‘you are the best’. [t/n: ‘fat’ and ‘good’ sound similar in Chinese.]

Interviewer: (laughs) Not the fattest, of course. The next event, in Finland, will she follow as well?

Boyang: Probably, yes.

Interviewer: Wow, look at that. Han, is that something you would consider as well, having your family travel along?

Han: No, that’s not good. (laughs) I feel that [having them] silently pay attention makes me feel most comfortable, since they are people I care about, so if they come, it would bring me some nervousness.

Interviewer: Don’t worry, we will also silently support you, but from less of a distance. (Han: laughs) Supporting Boyang as well. At this competition, I think the two of you have already completed your duties to both your country and yourself. You were able to stand on the podium - not on the highest podium, but on the podium - we saw two Chinese flags rise during the medal ceremony, a tribute to you two. (Goes over the channel/networks again) Today we invited these two, (Boyang, Han: wave) Boyang Jin and Han Yan. At this event, in men’s singles figure skating, they’ve brought home two medals, one silver and one bronze. We look forward to their performances at the World Championships. Thank you. (shakes hands with both)

Entry 283

 Gaming with Raine was a wonderful way to get to know her better, and few enough were awake throughout the night that we really had interruptions, leaving me with an abundance of time to learn more about her.

 She once told me that lightning seemed fairly quick in an off-hand way that made lightning sound slow next to her, but her heart was every bit as kind as her feet were swift.  Playing the game of seemingly limitless possibilities, Raine chose to be a crafter, helping to make the dreams of others become a reality for them.  I doubted that I was the only one who noticed how much cheaper Raine made things for her guildmates than average market price, and there was no doubt in my mind that she was very well aware of the losses she took.

 During my months here, I saw time and again the incredible power of my fellow residents, but I still couldn't even guess at what Raine's limits were, mentally or physically.  Raine's mind was infinitely fascinating to me.  Speaking to her of crafting, not once did I find a question she could not answer immediately in enough detail to make Aaliyah proud.  Her social anxiety limited the jobs she took in the real world, but she knew everything she had done in perfect detail far beyond what I could manage with my vampiric sense.

 With James joining us to chase down rare meteoric materials, the enormous gap between Raine's abilities and my own would only be more obvious, considering that I couldn't come close to competing with James, who was a far cry from beating Raine on anything other than charm.

 She had been playing with her kitten while waiting for James to get ready, but she started to move the moment he approached, despite not looking at her screen till he was by her side.

 With all of the running around we had done in preparation, I only had a vague notion of where the meteorite would be found.  Raine, who hesitated continuously when speaking with others, moved confidently as she led the way, probably having an exact spot in mind.

 As we walked, she explained to James in detail the value of what we might find.  There were numerous materials only to be found when they crashed to the ground, and she knew every possible use of each one.  James proved to be as inquisitive as I was the first time around, asking for more examples with each material he favored.  Eternite was his obviously his favorite as he expounded on how great it would be for the guild.

 “Are you two ready for this?” questioned James as we neared the edge of civilization.

“Of course.” I insisted, despite feeling a little nervous.  Madeleine, my character, was modeled after my features, despite being a halfling.  I had made her a healer, unabashedly mimicking a vampire I freely admired, though Madeline could never match Ariadne’s skill.  James was one of the best combatants in the guild, but he was our sole offensive character, heading into the most dangerous territory near our guild.  Raine’s Nekopawpaw would easily outlive the Madeleine and Ignus if my healing proved insufficient.  With no experience in any combat skills, she was still nearly impossible to hit and knew how to utilize her crafting skills efficiently in combat.

 Raine took a deep breath, slowly letting it out as she nodded.  With her assent, we pushed into the wilds, traveling carefully as we could while keeping pace with Raine's character.  One of the many surprises with Nekopawpaw was her speed.  I never would have guessed that a crafter could be so quick before seeing Nekopawpaw at work, blurring around her workshop.

 "G-Goblins!" exclaimed Raine in a loud whisper.

 Hearing her, the goblins charged.  As Nekopawpaw jumped back, I moved Madeleine behind Ignus as he quickly unleashed a fire spell that incinerated them.  Typically weak individually, Goblins could still swarm a strong character, wearing them down.  James' attack was a good choice.

“T-that was… t-that was kinda… m-mean.” mumbled Raine.

“Huh?  They were going to attack us.” stated James in confusion.

“B-but w-what if… if t-they w-wanted to… to t-talk." she argued.

“I’ve never seen goblins wanting to talk before, and we need to be careful.” he insisted.

 She practically vanished into her chair, obviously disappointed.

 Sighing, he said, “I’m sorry.  I’ll try talking first next time.”. Catching sight of me, he looked startled for a moment.

 Doing my best not to laugh at Raine's adorableness, I had replaced my mouth with skin and removed my larynx.  The sight couldn't be that disturbing.  James had seen worse.

 Not too long later, we encountered another group of goblins.  This time, James did his best to try speaking with them as he skillfully dodged their attacks.  Meanwhile, Raine started speaking in a semi-guttural language that apparently required a very noisy mouth.  As James and I watched, avoiding the goblins who weren't replying to Raine, she seemed to have a conversation with them.

 “T-they…  t-they… w-want to eat us.” she muttered in English.

“I guess we kill them first then.” replied James, moving Ignus to strike.

“N-no!” exclaimed Raine.  “I-I’m g-giving them food… i-instead.”

“Oh.  Sorry.” he replied, having Ignus lower his weapon.

 The goblins actually did stop fighting as Raine initiated a trade with them.  They took the food she offered and cautiously retreated.  Well, all but one.  The last lunged at Nekopawpaw, greedily wanting more.  Before I could even cast a shield spell, Nekopawpaw pulled out a smithing hammer and bashed the goblin's head, which cause stars to circle it, signifying the creature was stunned.  From his expression, I felt James was stunned too!

 “B-bad goblin.” rebuked Raine, pointing the hammer at the goblin till the stun lifted.

 Feeling curious, I asked “How did you learn to speak goblin?”

“T-the l-library.  M-most languages c-can be f-found there.” she explained.  “Aalilyah t-told me.  H-her c-character always t-talks her way out of t-things.”

“I honestly had assumed that was just some GM ability.” admitted James.

“N-no.  I-I’ll get b-better.” insisted Raine.

“I’m sure you will.” he assured her.

“Know any of the other rare languages?” I inquired, glad she could see the smile tugging at my lip.

“All t-that are in the g-guild library.” she mumbled.

 The guild library was enormous thanks to Aaliyah allocating a large amount of funds toward it.  I could only imagine how large the language section was.

 “Whoa.  You’ve been busy.  Mind showing me sometime?” I asked.

“I-I’ll g-glady show you.” she replied, smiling at me.  If she noticed that I was amused, she didn’t seem to care.

“Mila, how many books on languages are stored in our guild library?” questioned James.

“Three hundred and one, master.  I would be happy to teach them to you.” she replied, sounding suggestive, as she always did when speaking with him.

“Not right now.” he replied, ignoring the suggestion in her voice.

“Three hundred and one!?  That’s crazy!” I exclaimed.  “And they’re really full languages?”

“Y-yes.” stated Raine.

At the same time, Mila said, “Of course.  What else would you expect from mother?  Her father is a linguist, you know.  I will warn you that their use in everyday life will be slightly cumbersome, since she created no words for things that are not found within the game.  Some of the languages are limited even within the game.  Goblins, for example, have no word for ‘door’.  They don’t use doors, make doors, or care about doors, so they never bothered with naming it.”

“Aww… I still feel we could have fun with it.” I insisted, imagining reactions from others as Raine and I conversed in goblin.

“I should also warn you that learning the language yourself doesn’t count as your character learning it.” explained Mila.  “If you were to speak goblin as Raine did, your words will sound like nonsense to those around you unless your character has the skill.”

“Why did you offer to teach me then?” questioned James.

“Because you know I’m far better than a book, master.” she insisted flirtatiously.

Giggling, I said, “Who can argue with that?”

 No one tried.  Offending Mila would be like offending a nanny who had dedicated her life to raising you; you’d have to be a monster not to feel guilty.  Instead, we ventured farther into the wilderness, letting Raine talk our way out of fights against intelligent creatures.  Surprisingly, Raine didn’t complain when James killed giant frogs, though she insisted he used weapons to avoid damaging parts she could use for cooking.

 Hours after our journey began, we encountered terrain distinctly different from what came before it.  The vegetation here seemed to rot as it lived, creating a disgusting environment that would probably smell as foul as it looked if the game could provide olfactory stimulation.

 “We should head back.” stated James.  He was frowning as he watched his screen.

 “We’re so close though!  Can’t we just be careful?” I asked, not wanting to leave without Raine getting what excited her so much.

 “We can try, but we’re goners if we encounter the creature.  This might be the one that escaped last summer.” replied James with firm resolve.

“Wasn’t playing yet.  How bad was it?” I asked lightly, hoping to ease his tension.

“The guild formed to fight them, and every last one of us died during the last battle, trying to fight two demons at once.  We did manage to kill one of them though.”

“What!?  How much of the guild was there?” I questioned in surprise.  Our guild was enormous!

“Over twenty thousand members.” he stated.  “Ancient Tribes of Earth somehow manages full army combat without crashing the server or causing low end PCs to freeze.”

“I kinda want to see this.  That sounds so cool!” I admitted, imagining the massive army facing off against a mighty foe.

“Y-you d-didn’t have to d-do so many r-repairs for people.” muttered Raine.

“Oh.  Yeah.  I suppose we did make you a bit busier than normal even.  Sorry!” exclaimed James, looking at her apologetically.

“I d-don’t mind.” she assured him, embarrassed by the attention.

“Let’s do this!” moving Madeleine toward the smoking crater ahead.

 Raine let me stay in the lead, which wasn’t exactly comforting, but James was coming along as well.  Live or die, we were having an adventure!