#i realized that i learn best in groups and its a little corny but i like sharing ideas and talking through a problem | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

curryfury13 · 2 months

Text

Hello again!!

It's time for the next retrospective of my very first fan-fiction, True Friends. Truth be told, I've been having the time of my life doing these and I hope you've been enjoying it as well!

Today we're going through chapters 4 and 5!

As a quick reminder, you can click on the banners to read the chapters in full. Otherwise, I'll be giving a commentary about them. I'll talk about the good, the bad, and the things I've learned along the way.

Thanks so much for reading! Let's get started.

Oh ho ho! Guys, it has begun! Past me has started to realize how much fun it is to be on Destiny Islands. No more are we in a rush to leave and get into the game. The pacing comes to a weird bump here that can't decide if it wants to stay or go.

This is also where we learn that Hinata can fight. Or really, we learn she has a really strange problem. When she sees weapons on display, she just grabs them and does a random routine with them... As people do...? Totally normal, human response. Right?

Oh Hinata, I did you dirty.

I was wracking my head to explain how all these kids on this island knew how to fight. I have kids. They don't know how to fight with wooden swords. They pretend they do, but they aren't good! Don't tell them I said that.

There was a rewrite of True Friends I toyed around with, where Riku carved all the weapons out of wood as a hobby. And it was a sort of passion of his that passed around through the rest of the kids as they all get their own personalized weapons. Maybe that could work, but it took too much work to really keep up on and still didn't explain where the fighting skills came from. So I settled with the sparring class. But that still doesn't completely make sense. That is dangerous stuff! What school has a sparring class? Did I miss that elective in school?

Please people. Tell me your secrets. How do these teenagers know how to fight so well? In my story, Hinata got specialized training for specific purposes. It makes sense for her. Doesn't make tons of sense on the island, but... woah, I am going off on a rambling rant aren't I?

If I ever do a full rewrite, I will find a reason. A believable reason for them to know how to fight. Mark my words!

I will leave this chapter with the author's note I left there back then:

***Author's Note- I wanted to share something silly with all of you. My husband was editing my story as I was making dinner last night, and when I came back to read over his corrections he added a nice little tid-bit for me. I don't know if you all will appreciate it like I did, but I thought it was hilarious:

"Okay everyone," Mr. Zhao looked over the entire group of students, "You know how this works, since it's a Monday I want each of you to choose a sparring partner and your weapon and practice! Remember, today is rocket day! Each of you grab a launcher, and do your best not to get blown to bits! Anyone who explodes gets an F!"

Riku nodded, he was well familiar with rocket day and had been patiently awaiting its arrival. Today, Sora was getting an F.

Thanks for reading! ***

This was one of many of my husband's amazingly hilarious inserts. He always made me laugh while editing my stories, never criticized how corny or cheesy anything was. He's an incredible writer, but never tore me down. Just kept telling me to keep going. I wanted to share this little gem, even as a retrospective.

I love how this chapter title insinuates things have taken a long time to get here. Literally nothing has taken a moment to breathe since the story started.

I realized just now I rag on this story for both going too fast and for slowing down too much during it's time in Destiny Islands. I think what gets to me is how so little happens during the time on the islands. It's time that could be used better. And that is going to be a running theme for a lot of the series!

The chapters have been relatively short. The details are curt and to the point, but the actions don't lead to much. That said, I remember getting oh so giddy when Riku first grabbed Hinata's hand. Oh the butterflies were real!

They were being open with each other and it was raining! I was so into this scene when I wrote it. I remember reading it over and over again afterwards, as if it were some form of love letter.

And that's not even mentioning their first spar fight! This was a moment my husband and I discussed. It was important to me that I showed that Hinata wasn't as powerful as Riku. I didn't want to have an overpowered character. She was competent, but not so competent that she could wipe the floor with other characters. And that's something I've always kept true for her. She and Riku still spar with each other, and now she's able to win a round or two every here and there. They're always going to be similar power levels.

#kingdom hearts #true friends

1 note · View note

amaya-writes · 2 years

Note

hello! I love your writing and I loved your Mello fic very much <3 I would like to see Mello from the orphanage being in love with someone and that that person becomes someone very important to him and then they meet again when Mello is in the mafia, sorry if my english is bad

Note: Thank you! I tried to do your idea justice and I hope you like it. I'm not sure whether or not you wanted this to be angst or fluff, but I chose angst since this request just gave me a lot of inspiration for it.

Gender neural reader, use of Y/n, 2nd POV

If there was one thing Mello had learned over the years, it was that people changed.

As the wheels of time continued spinning and fate revealed its twisted tales, people would age and mature until they eventually withered away into but a shell of what they used to be.

People changed; Mello was certain of that fact.

However, one thing he couldn't possibly understand was how you had remained the same.

Y/n L/n was a peculiar person.

Besides Near, if there was one person in the entire orphanage Mello had ever developed a sense of kinship for, it was you.

You with your honey-like words and bright smiles as you talked of the future. You whose perfect little brain and pretty face had somehow charmed Mihael Keehl's heart away. You who, unbeknownst to the others, had been the reason for his compliance one too many times.

Mello had never thought he would find someone he truly cared for with his entire heart, but if he was being honest, you had come pretty damn close to being that person.

Perhaps that was why he had left the orphanage without bidding you goodbye.

Just like all good things you would have never lasted long. You were just a phase; a simple mishap of a teenage boy who yearned for affection in a world that had no place for emotions.

You were never meant to be anything more than the one person Mello didn't mind being bested by. The person who could steal his heart away with that stupid little smile while Mello watched idly.

Y/n L/n was just a phase, Mello knew that. But that didn't stop his heart from throbbing as his breath caught in his chest at the sight of your form snuggly tucked away in the corner of the subway.

Mello always knew fate was a cruel thing, but as he watched you scroll through your phone and pay no heed to the people around you, he swore fate was the most inhuman thing he had the displeasure of meeting.

After all, how else could he explain this chance encounter?

How else would he explain the way his hand stuttered on its quest to hunt down the last chocolate bar he swore he had tucked away in his jacket? Or the way his eyes widened in shock as his frame momentarily froze up?

But then the train's announcer said something about the next stop and you began to reach for your things, effectively breaking his trance and snapping Mello back to Earth.

"Boss? They said to meet them on the next platform."

Mello wanted to say something, he really did. He wanted to break away from the group of burly men in black leather surrounding him and chase after you. Mello didn't know what he would say much less do when he finally caught up to you, but the mere thought of being around you again made it worth a shot.

Mello wanted to have his person back. The one who brought light and happiness into his life every time they so much as walked into the same room.

But people changed, and as the wheels of time continued to spin and fate flipped the page on its twisted tale, Mello realized that even if you would never stop being the person he had come to love, he certainly had changed since his departure.

Mello no longer deserved your corny jokes or warm embraces in the middle of the night, and as much as it pained him to admit it, you would be better without him.

So, Mello stayed still as he watched your familiar frame once again fade away in the mob of strangers with his heart safely tucked away in your pocket.

People changed, but Mello would be damned if he was the reason you did.

#this is honestly just comfort angst #mello death note #mello x reader #mello #mihael keehl #near #near death note #wammy boys #wammy's house #mello x y/n #death note x you #death note x reader #death note #l lawliet #death note angst #death note anime #death note another note

156 notes · View notes

nightswithkookmin · 3 years

Note

Saw some ppl on twt having an interesting thought/theory the other day. That different from other pairings within the group, Jikook is one of the (if not the only one) pairings who have not had been shown having deep/insightful conversations in official content, what we see is mostly them being playful and flirty with each other instead, and that maybe that’s why a lot of people in the fandom don’t take what they say about/to each other seriously, and/or always try to downplay when compared to other pairings (i.e when Jimin said he was with JK on his birthday last year, or that he likes to wake up and see JK). Thoughts on that? Ngl, it got me thinking if maybe it’s one of the reasons why whenever jikook are jikooking it’s almost radio silence among armys who usually would get super loud when it’s JM or JK with other members 🤔.

They don't take Jikook seriously because Jikook flirts a lot and are often playful with eachother on camera than the others???

That's a lie. That's Sanskrit for homophobia.

I can see the homophobia in their eyes

If two people are flirty with eachother that is reason enough to take them seriously- especially in Kpop where people use the cover of homoerotic fanservices to live out their gay fantasies.

At the very least, when they flirt with eachother- however way you wanna take it, fanservice or not- they are assuaging their own homosexual tendencies and desires. If they didn't have them they wouldn't be flirting- unprovoked.

Flirting is a sign of sexual attraction.

What am I missing??

When Jimin says he likes to wake up to see JK's face, yes that's him flirting with Jungkook in broad day HD- it's gay, it's nonplatonic and borderline outing.

He likes to rile Jungkook up. No two ways about that. Sometimes he likes to engage in a staredown with Jungkook till the other caves- it's called gay lust and it's valid. Lol

Also, I don't get it.

Are they saying Jikook lacks depth in their dynamic or are they saying THEY don't see the depth in Jikook's dynamics?

If they can't see depth in their dynamics that's on them. Can't help them with that one. But I would have to disagree on that cos I see the depth in their dynamic more so than any I see in any ship in BTS.

When they say Jikook rarely have deep insightful conversations on camera, what metric are they using to measure that said depth? What insight do they want? Chilee

It doesn't get deeper than Jimin telling jungook he drinks to self soothe because he feels lonely sometimes.

Or Jungkook saying Jimin told him he wanted to be with him (the team) for a very long time.

You hear Jimin say very often, 'I was telling Jungkook the other day....' 'I was with Jungkook when X happened to me' etc.

Their ability to be vulnerable with eachother in ways they are not with other members, to understand eachother's feelings without so many words, to experience a lot of highs and lows together and connect on that deeper level weighs more than anyone's opinion of them.

May be they should pay attention to the things they say about eachother- the conversations they reference and the nature of those conversations. I'm sorry but a picture perfect two seconds screen time of a contrived conversation between two members does not equate to or determine the depth of their relationship. Especially if such said members leave that depth on set never to pick it up or engage in it off camera- yea we see them. We know just about who goes out to nurture their relationship beyond the directors cut.

Jikook nurtures their bond- as do certain other pairs in the group.

When JK is crying and he wants to cry in Jimin's arms that says more about their intimacy and the depth of that intimacy than any words can.

When Jungkook says he feels more connected to Jimin on stage after a performance when he holds his gaze that says depth than any words can.

I told Jimin he needs to calm down a little, that he can't sing like this or that. Jungkook helped me a lot with my lines. This says they are not too proud to learn from eachother. That's insight.

Whatever their Taxi fight was about, whatever conversation they'd had- that is emotional vulnerability. That is depth and that is insightful.

Jimin confides a lot of his fears and insecurities in Jk as JK does in him. Jimin would not know Jungkook sucked at emotional vulnerability or expressing his emotions if they hadn't branched into that genre of conversation.

They do have deeper moments- not necessarily conversations and they do have insightful conversations as well-

Besides, half the time Jimin is talking with certain other members he is constantly talking about Jungkook anyway so...

And Jk barely says two words beyond nodding, biting his lips or blanking out...

If Jikook lack depth the other ships involving them is worse🤣

I make exceptions for Vmin and Minimoni.

Jimin and RM are intellectually compatible. They've both said a lot of their conversations are of an intellectual nature. Personaly, I think Jimin makes RM emotionally honest too but whatever. Jimin did say his ideal partner is a mixture of RM and Jungkook. Rm because he stimulates his mind and challenges him, Jungkook because he makes him horny. Perhaps 😏

Vmin are like two emo lesbians. They just do too much emotional rawness and sentimentality in their conversations, sometimes I'm like spare us please😭- its always: Taehyung-ah, Jimin-ah... cue corny Bollywood romance song.

All the ships are unique. They all have different dynamics. Depth in one ship may not look exactly the same as the depth of another ship.

Perhaps, they should learn what deep and insight looks like in a real relationship. What depth and insight looks like in Jikook's dynamic. You put them in a room to talk and they are not gonna pour out their hearts or talk about dance and the things they are passionate about- they're gonna flirt because they find eachother attractive. They're gonna touch, giggle and if they have to say something I think it's gonna be I love you.

We learn a lot from the things people say about Jikook but we see for ourselves what Jimin and Jungkook are about because most times they show us and not just tell us.

People don't take Jikook seriously because they don't want to take them seriously. Anything else they say is just an excuse to marginalize them and invalidate them especially if they take others much more seriously.

Or it's just because they aren't abreast with same sex relationships- which I don't think is a mystery at all. Love is love.

Swap any pair in BTS with heterosexual couples and I don't think people will make Jikook, out of all the other ships, to be the fanservice ship of BTS. If anything the term couple would be befitting of them the most.

And yet somehow because they are men people would rather describe what they have as brothers and for those who admit it's couple-y they wanna dismiss it as a joke or fanservice.

You swap certain ships and you realize people are shipping their own delusions.

As a queer woman, I look at all the ships and wonder how in heavens people can assume certain ships are remotely real.

I find it bizarre.

I really don't care about people's opinions. They are entitled to it. I know what chemistry is, what attraction is, what love is and I see all of that and more in Jikook's dynamic.

No one can bamboozle or bulldoze me into rethinking or redefining what those things are and what they mean.

Sis forget the Jikook antis. Don't waste energy trying to understand them. Let's focus on our ship and put energy into supporting them the best way we can.

I hope this helps??

Signed,

GOLDY

90 notes · View notes

oatmealcrisp-freak · 3 years

Text

wild take honestly speaking as far as the girls go in the show

I think Chiyo is actually the best match for Kusuo.

Among the girls she’s the one most interested in romance. She fantasizes about RAISING a family with Kaidou, not about making one with him. Mikoto’s and Imu’s interest in intimate relations (shown by Mikoto’s, well, being Mikoto and Imu’s imagining Kokomi naked imo) repulse Kusuo. And I’ve already said why I think Kokomi and Kusuo are incompatible.

Kusuo has also been shown to ship his friends and help out specifically in Chiyo’s romantic pursuits. He also gets highly invested in romance to the point that he spoils a series of thrillers for himself just to follow the trials and tribulations of the couple who’d read it before him. And of course so is Chiyo, this is well known.

The only big difference is that Kusuo prefers not to be involved in romance himself whereas Chiyo very ardently wants to be involved in it. Kusuo’s, I think (as is known) is due to his trauma and his powers - a relationship involves too much vulnerability and intimacy and he’s shown to be soft toward letting the secret slip if he allows himself to acknowledge people are friends such as with Touma and the entire friend group.

Likewise Chiyo’s imagine spots with Kusuo are severely ooc but they’re always VERY corny-romance, never corny-sexy. They involve Kusuo complimenting her and looking cute and holding hands. She craves attention and flattery and affection. However she’s also probably the character who gets the least amount of screen time but experiences the most amount of growth. She’s the only one to actually confess her feelings to anyone by the end of the series and when she does get together with Kaidou, it becomes a learning opportunity for her instead of a negative character arc. I think the moment that she comes to understand someone's love language, if its compatible with hers, she’d be over the moon at any little gesture.

Gestures of caring are something Kusuo often performs unthinkingly. See how many times he saves his friends or gets rallied into stuff he’s not interested in or ends up compromising because he cares.

I really think Chiyo and Kusuo are both asexual, key difference is Kusuo is sex-repulsed and Chiyo is sex-favourable (I think this is likely given her crush on Kaidou starts the second he blushes when he sees her in her swimsuit - again, she likes positive attention). I think if they had some realizations about themselves, each other, and were put into a situation where anything might develop (and where Kusuo wasn’t feeling hunted), something pretty comfortable and long lasting might actually develop there.

And honestly speaking, Chiyo’s fascination with romance and dating and her try-hard efforts, while definitely in part genuine, may also be part of her compensating for a lack of sexual attraction. I know when I was young and in denial (hell I was in denial last year still LOL) I compensated in some pretty wild ways that I see in her too. So I’m inclined to think her desperation may very well be part of that. Chiyo craves approval, she’ll absolutely try-hard to receive it. I think Kusuo would be good for her there tbh, because he’s way more concerned with meeting his own standards over anyone else’s (which granted are impossibly high), and he could maybe teach her to mellow out there a bit.

#freaks essays #chiyo is most relatable girl on cast #got an idea simmering but idk if it'll ever come to fruition who knows #the biggest problem between kusuo and chiyo - in a setting where a romance develops - actually clicking would be kokomi #there's no way chiyo wouldn't feel guilty as sin for 'stealing' her best friends first love

31 notes · View notes

primasveraas-writing · 3 years

Text

“Kent v The Shitty Knee Itself”- Ted Lasso

A sort-of-sequel to "Kent v Linebacker," but this can still be read on its own. Part 2 of 3 of my fics about Roy Kent's shitty knee.

Part 1 // Accompanying AU

WORDS: 1649

XXX

Roy Kent is old as shit.

His daughter is a fucking toddler. His son is in preschool.

And he has fucking arthritis.

“What the fuck do you mean I’ve got fucking arthritis?” Roy Kent explodes at the doctor, who waits patiently for his outburst to finish. “I’m in my fucking forties! I’ve got two fucking babies at home! What the fuck am I supposed to do when my fucking daughter needs to piss and we’re all sprinting into the bathroom? I can’t fucking potty train on a shit leg.”

His wife rubs his shoulders comfortingly; the news is less surprising to Keeley, who gave a damn when the doctors mentioned arthritis could develop, and who is also extremely endeared by her husband’s priorities, which apparently lie very firmly with teaching their daughter to pee in the toilet.

Roy shouldn’t be shocked either; he’s had a limp for a long time now, and progressively worsening pain. He’s been elevating his leg whenever possible, to the point where Ted pulls chairs up for him or sits down first so Roy doesn’t feel awkward (on good days, Roy scowls at Ted and stays standing, but these occurrences are increasingly few and far between). It’s been a long time coming, and as much as the great Roy Kent hates to admit weakness, his shit knee is getting shittier.

Keeley had forced him to go to the doctor when Roy scooped up both their children, one in each arm, and proceeded to fall on the floor in a heap of small limbs and curses. He again made the case that he was fine, but there’s a limit on how much Tylenol one person can take in a day, and Roy’s exceeded that limit for weeks.

He walks like he’s on a hill, wobbling as he drags his right leg behind him. Keeley remarks on how uneven his gait is, and Lily, his precious fucking baby, demonstrates just how wonky Roy is by limping around too. It makes him laugh, but then his gaze meets Keeley’s, and he realizes there’s not much he can do aside from accept his fate and ask Dr. Patel why his knee is failing him (again, the fucking thing).

Arthritis. Fucking hell.

“The majority of your symptoms can be mitigated by limiting any strain on your leg. This includes walking, lifting, twisting, standing, stairs-”

“-breathing, blinking, fucking doing any shit worthwhile-”

“We can also prescribe medication, but given the amount of pain you reported, I think the best option to look at is a walking assistant.”

“What, like a cane?” Roy snorts. He feels Keeley still behind him, then he looks up at Dr. Patel, who’s gazing back at him, entirely serious.

“A fucking cane.”

“It’ll alleviate the weight on your leg. Ideally, you won’t need it every day, but it’ll make a difference when discomfort gets too high.”

“Fuck no.” Keeley squeezes his shoulder. “Fine. Fucking hell.”

It’s an adjustment. Roy walks back to their car, cane-less for the time being, limping, and imagines a cane in his hand. Imagines being able to straighten up, and not going to bed in fucking agony after a long day.

He also imagines showing up to the football club with a cane in his hand and Jaime fucking Tartt the fucking muppet smirking at him with his stupid fucking face, and he wants to turn around and tell Dr. Patel he’ll never use a fucking cane in his fucking life. Then he imagines having a stick to beat Jaime with when he’s being a prick, and Roy grins to himself at the thought.

That’s what he tells Keeley on the way home: he’s on the fence. That there’s a stigma he doesn’t want, that he remembers this the pitiful looks he received after his first injury and after surgery. It’s fucking bullshit, that he’d be looked at differently just because of a fucking rod in his hand, or because his stupid knee is fucked.

“Since when does Roy Kent care about what other people think of him? I mean really,” Keeley tells him, patting his thigh. “Everyone decent won’t bat an eye, and anyone who does is a prat.” She shrugs. “It’s a flawless system, really. Good way to sort people out.”

Roy grunts in agreement and drums his fingers on the door. He sighs, leaning his head back.

“What if I can’t keep up with Lily and Ollie? What the fuck am I supposed to do with little kids?”

“We’ll adapt,” Keeley promises, offering her hand. Roy takes it and presses it to his lips. “They already know they can’t run from you, or bowl into you at full speed-” Roy snorts at this. “-so now we tell ‘em that they gotta be patient.”

“They’re gonna be the most patient kids on the planet,” Roy muses, but his chest feels lighter. His wife is fucking amazing.

“They’re fucking perfect, they are. And besides- they don’t love you cause you can lift them or up throw them around or run around after them.” She squeezes his hand. “They love you ‘cause you’re you, Roy. You’re their dad.”

Roy nods silently. She’s right, as always. His heart is warm, much lighter against his ribs. “Thanks, babe,” he tells her, and Keeley beams at him.

They adapt. Roy remains in awe of the resilience of children- Lily and Oliver don’t give a damn that he uses a cane, except they quickly have to delineate that it’s not a toy, so Oliver doesn’t hit anyone with it, and so that Lily doesn’t hit Oliver with it. Because of this, Roy has to be careful not to threaten anyone at Richmond with his cane while his children are around. One day, his kids will learn to do as their dad says, not as he does, but for now, his babies swear and scowl, and pick up on every bad habit Roy shows them. It’s fucking adorable.

The first month is the hardest. Roy and Keeley decide to grant him some grace- he doesn’t have to do shit like garden or mow the lawn, or anything too strenuous. It’s uneven, in the beginning, and Roy goes to bed every night feeling like a shit husband for everything that’s unloaded on Keeley. They fight about it, eventually, and Roy apologizes to Keeley with tears in his eyes. They find a balance, which involves a chair in every room in their house and somebody hired to do the lawn. Their roles have shifted, but it’s a pattern he’s familiar with by now. He’s gone through so many major changes with Keeley: switching careers and marriage and injury and parenthood twice over. And using a cane isn’t any harder than having a newborn and a toddler, so they manage. After all, they’re unstoppable together.

Nobody on the team makes a comment on the cane, except Ted leaves sticky notes on it whenever Roy isn’t paying attention, and Roy wouldn’t mind so much if they weren’t positive fucking affirmations, the corny twat. Then the rest of the team follows suit, and they sign it and put stickers on it and all sorts of supportive shit, and Roy tells only one person this, but he kind of fucking likes it (against his better judgment, of course).

Commentators and the press are not nearly as kind. There’s any number of articles written about him and how old it makes the football world seem. Roy wants to fucking kill all of them, but Keeley reminds him that all the pricks have shown their true colors, and one day he finds a picture of a particularly insensitive reporter that has been utterly defiled and left out in the locker room. Roy tucks this away in a drawer in his office, and he’s almost nicer at practice that day.

Beard and Ted match his slower pace as they walk out to every match, which isn’t subtle even from the offset, but they don’t say anything about it and neither does Roy. He also realizes that he’s never the only one sitting in a group of his friends, even if it’s just him and Ted, or Keeley, or Rebecca, or Nate.

Yoga gets much harder, then he and the yoga moms spend a night researching yoga for people with shit legs, and yoga gets easier again. If they want to do a challenge night, Roy shifts into the role of yoga instructor, which he’s fucking great at, thank you, and so what if he gets to drink more wine because of it.

And his fucking knee feels better. His medication works, but the cane helps the most. Ted and Keeley had told him ever since his initial injury to be kind to himself, to rest when needed, and to not be a stupid stubborn prick about his health. This mindset turns out to have a few merits, and maybe it’s even a good habit he can teach his kids.

It says a lot about him, this cane that accompanies a man in his forties. He needs it because he was a professional footballer who injured himself preventing a goal in one last game. Who needed surgery cause his energetic maniac of a son ran into him. Whose wife told him to use it with pride, because he’s Roy fucking Kent and his family and friends love him so screw everyone else. Whose coach used it as a tool to force positivity onto Roy, whose team and kids decorated it with messages of love and smiley faces and the two worst signatures he’s ever seen (though he credits Oliver and Lily for trying). It’s a symbol of persistence, of the pain he’s endured, of those who rallied behind him.

Roy Kent. Married to Keeley Jones. Father of Oliver and Lily. Coach at Richmond AFC.

And he happens to use a cane.

#roy kent #ted lasso #ted lasso fanfic #keeley jones #roy kent x keeley jones #keeley x roy #roy x keeley fanfiction #roy x keeley fanfic #roy x keeley #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso imagine #roy kent fanfic

32 notes · View notes

pterodactylschreech · 3 years

Text

Entangled

(One-shot based on this post)

Lena looks beautiful tonight.

She's all Kara can think about, despite being surrounded by everyone she loves. Her eyes track back every few seconds no matter where she treks in the apartment or how much her family and friends vie for her attention. It's their first game night post-Phantom Zone and post-The Break, as Kara thinks of it. The first time everyone is back together, smiling and laughing and happy, in over a year. And they all want Kara's attention, her presence the glue for the family after her absence.

But all she can think about is Lena.

Lena sitting close on the couch while they play games. Lena passing her the last pot sticker on her plate without thought. Lena standing in the kitchen refilling her wine glass and mingling with Kelly and Brainy, at home among their friends. Kara focuses on her, intent to memorize every single detail of the other women as if she may never see her again. The crinkles by her piercing eyes when she squints in laughter at one of Nia's corny puns. The play of light on her features accentuating the sharp angle of her jaw and the soft curve of her lips. The gentle, bright look she shares with Kara when she catches her looking, a hard won relief radiating out from the woman after months of fighting one another. Kara could practically taste the joy on the air, surrounded by her little family.

Kara hopes that look means everything that her matching expression means: I love you. I'm home again, and I missed you. Hopes beyond all reason that Lena understands and is sending the same message back.

It's been a week since she returned to find Lena unemployed and living at the Tower out of a hastily packed suitcase. A week since she refused to let Lena remain in the cold and impersonal lair and convinced Lena to unofficially move in with her. She wouldn't admit it, not even to Alex, but one of the reasons Kara insisted so strongly was because she couldn't bear to sleep alone. The memories of her nightmares from her childhood after landing on Earth were enough to drench her in fear of the coming nights, the darkness and isolation that pulled her under the waves of terror. It turned out to be the best decision for both of the women as they both suffered and only found peace and reprieve when sleeping next to one another.

And it's been two days since Kara bared her soul to Alex, finally admitting the depth of her feelings for Lena after her sister told her about the decision they had been forced to make: Kara or National City. Her feelings that lay dormant for years due to her fear but surfaced to crush her under their weight during the year spent away from Lena, that grew like ivy through her heart until they covered every inch of her life. Kara sobbed into Alex's shoulder, for time lost and hope and comfort from her one constant through everything. Alex, for her part, seemed decidedly less surprised by Kara's outburst than she had expected. She let Kara expend her tears, then quietly told her it was time for Kara to choose her own happiness first. To put herself before the world and her past and her decades of fear. To tell Lena and let them be happy, together.

So now, Kara sits on her couch, surrounded by family and basking in the warmth of their love and closeness, nervous and fidgeting while she anxiously replays her prepared speech over and over in her head. For one terrifying moment, the whole situation felt excruciatingly familiar and terror spikes through her. Alex lays a hand on her bouncing knee, a distraction and reassurance that all would end well if Kara just trusted herself and Lena.

The night wore on in pleasant company until the group thinned out, pair by pair. Only Alex and Kelly remain on their way out of the apartment. Alex lingers in the doorway to give Kara an extended hug and whisper encouragement in her ear. "Good luck, Kar. Love you." She and Kelly say their last goodbye to Lena, and Kara quietly closes the door for the evening.

After taking a deep, steadying breath, Kara turns back to find Lena tossing empty take-out boxes into the recycling bin and setting their empty glasses in the sink. With her hair in a haphazard bun, Kara's NCU sweatshirt, and her cheeks pink tinged, Lena leaves Kara breathless in the entryway. The domesticity and familiarity of Lena in her clothes, in her home and cleaning up; in her glasses, forgotten after a particularly spot on impersonation during charades and still perched on the bridge of her nose, have Kara dreaming of their possible future. Of games nights and family dinners and quiet nights in that begin and end with Lena by her side.

Kara's tongue darts out to wet her lips and her hands twist together as she moves closer to Lena who has rinsed the glasses and is drying her hands on one of Kara's novelty printed dish towels. When she turns and spots Kara, hovering nearby but without fully approaching, she watches the simple movements of Kara's hands with rapt attention and smiles the same gentle grin from throughout the night. The corners of her mouth turn down slightly when she notices the focused crinkle between Kara's eyes, the unfailing sign she was deep in thought or struggling to vocalize something she found important.

Kara hardly registers the soft padding of Lena's socked feet across the floor until she reaches up to smooth the offending crinkle away with her fingertips. Kara's eyes drop closed at the gentle press, and she exhales a long held breath, focusing entirely on the point of contact and warmth to ground herself in the moment and chase any final doubts away. "Lena," Kara's voice puffs out into the quiet of their closeness. Lena's hand drifts to brush a stray curl behind Kara's ear before answering, matching her reverent tone. "What is it, darling?" Kara's eyes slide open to take in the gaze fixed on her: Lena promising safety and trust trust with nothing but the vulnerability in her eyes and the press of her hand to Kara's chest, just over where her crest materializes. It's enough to set Kara's heart beating wildly in anticipation.

"I need to tell you something. We promised each other, no more secrets. And there's one more thing I need you to know before we try this again. Our friendship, or you know, us."

Kara can see Lena's response to her words and hesitated. Lena's shoulders immediately tensing and her mouth drawing into a tight line, fighting trembling lips. She places her hand over Lena's on her chest to keep her from pulling away preemptively and to draw the strength she needs for what may come next. "Kara, what-?" "Wait, please. It's not bad, well, I don't think so, it's just, um-" Kara stops to regroup her frantic thoughts.

"Just, um, let me say what I need to say. And, if you don't, you know, feel the same or want anything to change, then none of this will matter."

Lena relaxes minutely, squinting at Kara's phrasing in suspicion and confusion. She lets Kara hold her hand in place. Once she feels Lena's tension release enough to prove she's listening, Kara plunges into her speech.

"Lena, you are my best friend. One of the two most important people to me. When we were fighting," Kara sucks in a deep breath at the lingering pain of their separation. "that was one of the hardest years of my life. All this terrible stuff was happening, and my person, the one I go to when everything feels like its falling apart, was gone. You were gone. I could still hear you and see you, but I couldn't have you. You were gone, and it was all my fault."

Hot tears spill free from Kara's eyes. When Lena reaches up to wipe them away, Kara leans heavily into her warm palm.

"Kara, darling, it's okay. We've forgiven each other. You don't need to apologize again."

A soft laugh escapes Kara's lips before she turns her head to press a kiss to Lena's palm. She speaks into Lena's hand, too nervous to see what Lena's reaction will be to her next words.

"I'm not. I'm just being honest. I lied to you for years. Willfully. Cruelly. Because I was selfish and stupid and scared. Rao, I was so scared to lose you. So, I rationalized lying day after day because I knew you'd leave when I told you. I knew the moment I said the words, it was over. No matter what I did or said, I would lose you."

The apartment was silent but for Kara's sniffles and her overflowing words.

"I did lose you." The whisper carries a year's worth of pain and longing.

"But, me being Supergirl isn't the biggest thing I haven't told you."

Lena's sharp inhale draws a fresh panicked round of tears from Kara who holds tighter to Lena's hand on her chest and forges onward quickly.

"You have to understand why I haven't said anything. It's not that I haven't wanted to; it's all I can think about sometimes. Most days now. But I couldn't. How could I- it would've been-" Kara stops and looks at Lena again, to read the expectation and shock flaring behind her green eyes. "I had to be honest about who I am before I could be honest about how I feel."

Lena joins Kara now with the first of her own tears breaking free to run down her cheeks. Kara can hear the quickening pace of her heart and focuses on the sound.

"Lena, I met you, and my whole world changed. You didn't know me during my first year as Supergirl, didn't see the rage that I could barely control or the reckless way I threw myself at every enemy. I struggled. A lot. But you showed me that we aren't bound by our family's sins. That I could hope and change and-" Kara feels the weight of the word on the tip of her tongue, rolls it around in her head another second and tastes the letters as they spill out for Lena to catch or watch shatter on the ground. "love. I met you, and I realized how deeply and fully I can love. I've lost so much, so many people, and I tend to be very protective of the love I share. But, I've learned that, despite what I've lost, the pain and the loneliness, I can love with my entire self. With all of who I am. With my heart, my body, and my soul. All that I am; all that I've experienced and will experience, everything. I can love through it and find strength in those who love me."

It was now Kara's turn to gently brush the fallen tears from Lena's cheek, one hand still holding firmly to Lena's hand on her chest.

"I've been drawn to you from the first day we met and every day after. I've never been able to fight it. Never wanted to, even when we were on opposites sides. I could never quite see through my love for you. Alex used to find it extremely frustrating, but I think she's finally come around."

Their watery laughs mingle together.

"You asked me once if I knew anything about quantum entanglement. I may know more about it than I admitted. And since that day, I haven't been able to think of you in any other way. I love you, but it isn't just that I love you. I am tethered to you, pulled across the universe to orbit you. The true source of my strength. I am entwined with you on a molecular level and in my soul. My parents sent me here to save me and to protect Kal, but something more, something bigger, maybe Rao himself, brought me to you."

Kara carefully absorbs Lena's body language, her stillness and continued silence. She seems to barely be breathing in the wake of the confession. The only sign Kara has that Lena is still listening is the furious pounding of her heartbeat reverberating through Kara's ears. Normally, even moments ago, the steady rhythm calms Kara, so much that she would take to flying over L-Corp during the past year just to hear the familiar sound. But now it leaves her uncertain and nervous. She fills the empty charged air with rambling, too anxious to wait for Lena to resume her normal functioning.

"I understand you might not feel the same, and after everything, I don't blame you. I mean, I did lie and then call you a villain and treat you pretty bad, so yeah." Kara trails off, cringing at the less than stellar stream of words her mouth chose. "So, um, if you don't want anything to change, then it doesn't have to. It won't. We can keep being friends and having game nights and movie nights. And you can obviously stay here as long as you need. I just, um, needed you to know how I feel."

The tide was open, and Kara couldn't find the ability to lock the flood gates on her mouth. Tears begin a fresh descent in the wake of her expelled anxiety.

"And I feel that I love you. That I am in love with you. I am in love with you, Lena."

Salt brines her lips, and her tongue tastes the clinging mineral as it slides out to wet them. Lena remains stoically still in her position pressed to Kara and swimming in her own trickle of tears. Kara notes the slowing of them, the crystalline droplets that drip from her jaw to the floor. She watches Lena's lips part and the quick flicker of her green eyes over Kara's face, landing first on her own blue eyes, then her nose, her cheeks, the scar above her eyebrow, before settling lower on her trembling lips.

She can't stand the limbo, the electric deja vu and mixture of fear and hope.

"Lena, please say something."

In reflection, Kara knows the moment, the span of seconds between her plead and Lena's reaction, only lasted the length of a heartbeat. But in the beat between her words and Lena's movement, Kara felt the weight of every loss she's suffered, every end. And every beginning. Every beautiful Earth sunrise and blossoming friendship. Anticipation swelled painfully behind her ribcage, her heart preparing to drop or soar.

In that moment, Lena held more power over Kara than any amount of Kryptonite ever could. With one second she could either crush Kara beneath one more disappointment and loss, or she could fuel Kara more powerfully than the yellow sun.

Kara's throat tenses with choking tears as she opens her mouth to withdraw every word to ever steal its way past her lips, but Lena blocks any hasty retreat half-formed with her own lips pressing firmly against Kara's. She pushes forward, bumping their noses and pressing her body impossibly closer, their hands still trapped between the mingling beats of their hearts.

Locked and entwined. Entangled over an invisible crest.

When her lips meet Kara's, soft but sure and insistent, Kara's mind blissfully silences but for the rapid fire pleasure of feeling and Lena. The burning desire in her chest spreading through her limbs and begging for more. More skin, more lips, more pressure. More Lena. All around her, flooding her senses until there's nothing left but the two of them.

It's everything and more than she imagined. Her nose fills with nothing but the sweet perfume Lena wears daily, and the lavender undertones of her own conditioner in Lena's hair. For once, the world quiets in Kara's hypersensitive ears, condensed to the sighs escaping Lena's mouth as she leans further into their kiss. And it's the taste that leaves Kara dazed and desperate for the next kiss. The fruity wine clinging to Lena's tongue and the underlying taste that is distinctly Lena. Unlike anything Kara has ever tasted and addictive from the first touch of Lena's tongue to her own.

They remain in their embrace, erasing any space that crept between them during their fighting and time apart. Even after breaking for air and resting their foreheads together, reveling in one another, they stay close. Kara can't fight the broad smile stretching across her face, and she hears Lena's matching grin in her words, reverently whispered in their shared breaths.

"And I love you, Kara. All of you. Always."

AO3 link

#supergirl #supercorp #supercorp fic #kara danvers #lena luthor

50 notes · View notes

belliesandburps · 3 years

Note

Followup with MGS4 Peace Walker and 5?

History has a funny way of repeating itself. :P

This one's actually gonna be long, so I'll cap it here to spare those uninterested in non-kink posts the burden of having to scroll past this fanboy rant. 'XD

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

3. It's Okay

Soooooo...not a controversial opinion to say that I don't think MGS4 is GREAT. I adored it when it first game out, and I still enjoy replaying it from time to time. But good lord, so many of the interviews shed light on a LOT of this games problems.

Some backstory is required. Hideo Kojima was done with MGS by this point. He planned to move on and leave the series to the younger generation. But then, there was a lot of internal conflict and struggle to determine what MGS4 should be after Fukushima quit (AND was rumored to have been murdered by the Yakuza...how that rumor started...and became a SERIOUS rumor that millions believe, I do not know...). So Kojima came back, course corrected, and the end result was kind of a giant mess.

I'm not talking story because, there's just way too much to unpack. But as a game, MGS4 can't decide what sort of video game it wants to be. It had a brilliant idea that had never been done before with its Battlefield Stealth, which were the best parts of the game. And then they get dropped two acts in, and what gets replaced in their stead is not nearly as fun.

The game had substantially less boss fights than its predecessor, and a lot of them were mechanically simplistic or just didn't let you get creative with how you fought them. And we later learned there were a lot more bosses planned, more gameplay sequences planned, and an entire other PMC group that got canned in favor of the Scarabs so Shadow Moses could be guarded by machines instead.

There's a lot about MGS4 that I love. I think the first two acts are amazing, ESPECIALLY Act 2. I think the mechanics are great. REX vs RAY is criminally fun. The sheer buffet of insane weapons gives the game a good amount of replay value. And the graphics still hold up to this day!

But what I finally realized is that the game juggles way too many ideas and doesn't give any idea the time they deserve to flourish. Battlefield Stealth could've CARRIED MGS4. But it gets dumped before we can get our moneys worth. A disguise sequence could've been really creative, having to juggle different identities with OctoMask every time one identity is burned. But it's only used once and wasted because it's only used for a terrible tailing mission that doesn't let you actually explore the European City. And too many of the action set pieces are kind of bland except the bosses and piloting Metal Gear.

MGS4 should've been MGS4. Not MGS's "Best Hits."

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

1. LOVED it!

I know this is unpopular to say, but I'll say it. Peace Walker is one of the best Metal Gear games ever made. I adored almost everything about it. The gameplay improves on MGS4 in most ways because it doesn't juggle a billion ideas all at once. It's MGS4 stripped down to stealth action from start to finish, and that's all I wanted. The level design is great. The insane volume of guns changes the entire feel of combat in later post-campaign gameplay. The mission select options mean you can jump into all the parts of the game you enjoy the most. There's TONS of bonus missions that are really inventive and fun to replay. And the story is one of the best in the series. It's straight forward, very tight, characterized well, and is the best iteration of Big Boss to date.

Peace Walker's also the FUNNIEST MGS game by Kojima as well. There's so much more personality and levity to everything, to the point where Big Boss often feels like an MCU character. That might sound bad, but it's really not. That corniness fits MGS PERFECTLY, and I'd argue is tonally spot on for this series. MGS doesn't need to be dark, gory or explicit. It's a silly series that's about giant robots, corny bad ass super agents with an anti-nuke message.

The only downsides to Peace Walker are the QTE's and the boss fights. This was a feature that only ever appeared in this game and for good reason...it was fucking terrible. So basically, you had cutscenes that forced you to do various QTE's or else get dinged on your ratings at the end, even if you played perfectly. Fairly minimal, but then, you get to Strangelove's torture. And this is the single most rage-inducing part of any MGS game ever made. It's an insanely physically painful button mashing sequence that will leave your fingers raw and your PS3 triangle buttons jamming. And the ONLY way you can replay one of the best missions in the game (the prison escape where you have no items) is by redoing that sequence over and over. And the boss fights? While inventive, they're all just grindy bullet sponges with no personality, no stealth tactics, and no room for creativity the way you can get creative with every other MGS game's bosses. This was the biggest disappointment for me because the stealth and combat mechanics of PW are great and would've been SO good against human enemies like what Portable Ops had. Instead, every boss is a mini-Metal Gear all voiced by the VOCALOID AI from the mid 2000's, and each one takes forever to destroy. It sucks because PW had a TON of bosses, but only a few of them are any fun, and that's only if you have weapons that are strong enough that they don't take ages to destroy.

But asides from the bosses, the REST of the game is so damn good that I don't even care because that's just one element to a much larger, grander game. Which is even more impressive when you consider PW was originally on the PSP before the PS3 port. And this game has more content and replay value to it than most games I've played since.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

1. LOVED it!

Hooooooookay...so, I've rambled about my storybook romance with MGSV for YEARS now. (Just ask @twistedtummies2, he's been subjected to my fanboying of this game more than anyone in existence XD) But there's a reason I regard this game as one of my all time favorites and the best MGS game to date.

It's REALLY freakin' fun.

Kojima had been re-energized by the time he got to MGSV. He'd been working on the game around the time he finished Peace Walker in 2010. He KNEW it was his final MGS game and wanted to do something completely different...

...He wanted to make a game where the central focus was on...waaaaait for it...the gameplay...

MGSV was designed to be, what he described, as a toybox. You have these missions that all take place in structurally unique outposts like any level in MGS. And the missions are designed with the structure needed so that they all feel different, but all remain so open ended that you can play them countless different ways.

MGSV's game model is everything GTA SHOULD'VE been. It fully embraces the open world freedom and incorporates that into the missions flawlessly. And it plays in such a way that stealth and combat both feel like they were the primary point. In MGS, combat is usually a last resort. But with MGSV, you can fly into an outpost blasting away on your helicopters mini-gun, shoot up the bad guys, rescue your target, throw them back into the chopper and fly away while "The Final Countdown" blares on your choppers loud speakers.

Every method of gameplay is valid and the controls, the enemy AI responsiveness, it's all, bar none, the best I've experienced in ANY video game. Sneaking around feels tight and tense and combat makes you feel like Jack Bauer on adrenaline. (I mean, he IS the voice of Venom Snake)

And I really like the story for the most part too. Its weaknesses are really glaring. Namely, the "Fun" of MGS is completely devoid in the story (which is really odd since it's FRONT AND CENTER in-game). Venom Snake only has maybe six minutes of dialogue in the entirety of this 30+ hour long game. And the way Skull Face gets completely undercut right at the home stretch is something I have NOT stopped bitching about for almost six years, and my friends can personally attest to that.

That and the ending feels too abrupt.

We know that Kojima got fired by Konami's VP and said VP scorched the entire production company after that and made a series of dickheaded decisions that pissed off a LOT of fans, burning much of the good will Konami IP fans had towards the company. But that had nothing to do with MGSV's abruptness. That was the plan from the start because only Kojima would think to end the entire series on a plot twist like that.

And I think the issue isn't the twist at all. In fact, I LOVE the twist. The issue is that the game should've continued beyond it so Venom Snake could cope with the truth and realize how badly he'd been screwed. I think even people who hated the twist could've been won over if there was a little more to the games epilogue than Episode 46.

Also, the games boss fights were a tad underwhelming. Not the fights themselves, I LOVED all five of the games bosses.

Oh? There were twelve?

No. I meant what I said. Because so many of the games bosses are rematches against the same bosses. All MGSV has is the Skulls, Quiet, Eli, The Man on Fire, and Metal Gear. They're great bosses that do everything the best MGS bosses always did; give you tons of options, incorporate combat AND stealth, have varied attacks AND even have multiple methods to sneak around the boss and avoid the fight completely. But for a game as long as MGS, you need more variety. And frankly, the bosses NEED more personality. Skull Face should've had more XOF assassins acting as the bosses in the game along with the ones we have. Elite assassins like Quiet, with their own powers and specialized weaponry so the fights feel completely different from the ones we have. And oh yeah, SKULL FACE HIMSELF SHOULD'VE HAD A GOD-FUCKING-DAMN BOSS FIGHT!!!!

Buuuuuuut those issues don't even matter if for all the games issues, I still replay it frequently when it's almost six years old.

So yeah! There's the massive rant you totally didn't ask for! :D

#ask belliesandburps #mgs4 #mgsv #peace walker #metal gear #metal gear solid #seriously #i'm very very VERY bitter about how Kojima did Skull Face dirty #here's this really great villain with a super complex backstory and motivation #whadduya wanna do with him kojima-san?#I'VE GOT IT!!!!!!#we'll do...absolutely nothing!#he'll show up in five missions out of a thirty nine mission long game #he'll talk at venom snake a few times and do some cool things #then right around the time we're supposed to fight him?#a random twelve year old will hijack metal gear through a PSYCHIC twelve year old and crush Skull Face before we can do anything cool! :D #hold your applause children! :D #................we weren't clapping kojima-san...........#also sins of the father?#heaven's divide?#donna burke is amazing #seriously she is an in-freakin'-CREDIBLE singer #sorry cynthia hall #i got love #but...#whoooooa-HHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!

4 notes · View notes

tillyblogs · 4 years

Text

BNHA HOGWARTS AU

You can see the art here in my ART BLOG! Also my Twitter! ❤️ 💚

Here and here and HERE too!

Thread of Hogwarts AU headcanons cause I’m super into this (I’m a pottehead so it makes sense) Mostly BKDK (I Edited a bit from my twt thread tho

LONG POST BELOW

Kacchan’s a pureblood (child prodigy) and Deku is a muggleborn (he was always teased by him for it) They both grew up in the same neighborhood, but weren’t exactly friends. Katsuki always knew he was going to go to Hogwarts, his family is well known in the Wizarding World.

They were from different worlds but Izuku always admired Katsuki’s ambition, he knew Kacchan had something no one he knew had and Izuku shared his secret of being a wizard, he wanted to be one so badly but he didn’t come from a family of wizards so he lost hope.

When Izuku learned he was a wizard, Izuku was thrilled then but Katsuki was confused??... he’s known him his whole life, plus he’s a mudblood... :(

Izuku was confused by this... he didn’t mind being a muggleborn, he was just happy to be a wizard, yet Kacchan teased Izuku for it. Kacchan knew he was being shitty with that, after all purebloods are no longer considered the huge thing they once were, but something about Izuku intrigued him a great deal... he was always following him...

When they were 11 they god the letter. They both were gonna got to Hogwarts and Izuku was the happiest he’s been!

FIRST YEAR

Once Deku got into Gryffindor, Katsuki was furious... Katsuki getting into Slytherin himself... he was going to show him how better he was to those pesty Gryffindors...

It reminded Kacchan of that one time when they were kids... when Izuku saved him when he fell in the river... he scoffed. He was still greater than him and he was going to prove it....

Other Sortings (Class A*)

Todoroki (Slytherin)

Ochako (Gryffindor)

Tenya (Hufflepuff)

Tsuyu (Ravenclaw)

Momo (Ravevnclaw)

Kirishima (Hufflepuff)

Kaminari (Hufflepuff)

Mina (Gryffindor)

Jirou (Slytherin)

Tokoyami (Ravenclaw) etc

Sortings (Class B)+Shinsou (cause I want him to be in Class B bye)

Monoma (Slytherin)

Tetsutetsu (Gryffindor)

Kendo (Gryffindor)

Shinsou (Slytherin)

Awase (Gryffindor maybe Hufflepuff)

Ibara (Hufflepuff)

Kuroiro (Slytherin)

Juzo (Hufflepuff)

Komori (Hufflepuff)

Tsuburaba (Hufflepuff)

Anyways bkdk...

Katsuki ADORES Quidditch and wants to become #1, he’s so good at it! but Deku loved it too... So they both made it to tryouts and always try to one up each other. They are so competitive. Katsuki had the Firebolt from the get go but Deku still was so good at flying with his petty broom.

Katsuki wasn’t too keen of pets but he was quite fond of his Great Horned Owl; it was the biggest in the classroom he was pretty proud of him. For some REALLY STRANGE reason, two shitty Hufflepuffs? of all things mustard and ketchup hair decided they wanted to follow him... He evaded them like the plague but they kept coming... they’re okay he guesses. Students from all houses start to notice him too...

Katsuki’s fave subject apart from Quidditch is Defense Against the Dark Arts cause he just wants to show everyone how good he is at kicking ass (he’s good at every subject tho). Katsuki’s the golden child among other Slytherins but as soon as he hears how well Todoroki and Deku are doing in class he always tries even harder. Of course he beats them.

Deku’s fave subjects are Charms, Transfiguration and Alchemy, tho he’s soft for CMC, but nothing gets better than flying. The first time he saw Katsuki fly, he knew he wanted to do the same and compete and to know how good it feels to be #1. Deku made great friends in Hogwarts but he’s always attentive of Katsuki. There’s something about that Slytherin, the way he’s so driven to succeed and his ambition and cunning mind.

When Gryffindor won the Quidditch cup in first year, Kacchan swore he was going to pay... Deku however was growing more a more admired by everyone and he was so kind and smart and his smile shined so brightly. The blonde Slytherin couldn’t STAND his little group and how DARE Deku befriend that Todoroki bastard... he too was a Slytherin...

THIRD YEAR

Katsuki is starting to lose it... that little Gryffindor... how COULD he save him?! That time the Hippogriff almost tears his arm off... he just got distracted ok?! he was doing fine! Deku was brave but lacked self preservation... that pissed Katsuki off

He thought he could do anything but Katsuki proved him wrong and yes... He still smiles at him... Or that one time they crossed paths that winter in Hogsmeade... Kacchan was walking alone towards The Three Broomsticks when he almost feel into Izuku, he was carrying something he couldn’t see and got curious cause Izuku tried to hide it as soon as possible. He followed him for weeks, that little nerd... what WAS he hiding? He finally confronted him one day near the lake when he found out Deku has been sneaking a cat to his dorms OHOHO it was time to pay! But Deku begged him to keep the secret... Katsuki said that if he wins in their next match he will keep the secret, of course Deku wins... Kacchan reluctantly let’s it go... doesn’t care about some cat anyway... Deku is so excited! God that smile was too bright... He still thought he was a loser. Slytherin won the House cup though, Deku swore he will win next time with a determined look on his face.

FOURTH YEAR

They were fine he guesses... Until the Triwizard Tournament... Deku got CHOSEN? WHY? Over him?? When he worked SO HARD for it??? And Deku still participated. Katsuki saw red... HE wanted to be the one to be chosen, he’s way better than him! They didn’t talk for half the year. Deku tried to make the most of it... he was even failing in Quidditch since he was only concentrated in the tournament. Bald Head and that illusion chick from those other schools also showed up but he didn’t care... he didn’t care about these games anyway...

Katsuki didn’t even bother going to the Yule Ball even though everyone wanted to be his date (after all he was the golden boy) and it totally didn’t have anything to do with the fact that Deku already had a date and it was Cheeks for some reason, he still didn’t understand... Kirishima tried to cheer him up to no avail.

Slytherin won the House cup but it didn’t feel like a victory... After Deku won the cup, he apologized to Katsuki for not focusing on Quidditch enough and that he will try harder next year...

FIFTH YEAR

Deku and Round Face were a thing he thinks, he’s totally NOT well informed. Deku's focus on the House Cup was 10 times bigger than ever before, that drove Katsuki up the wall. It was perhaps the most invested he’s been in years. Their rivalry was at its highest and Katsuki’s sole purpose was to crush that little Gryffindor...

Months passed and ok what was HAPPENING...

Katsuki definitely was NOT distracted by the fact that Deku’s concentration on Defense Against the Dark Arts for their paired up assignment was very alluring. Deku’s focus on classes was making Katsuki feel drawn. Also fact that his hair was shaggier and that his own owl liked him? And that time those green eyes were greener than usual one day and made him almost explode the whole room for mixing the wrong ingredients in Potions... Izuku was realized he really liked being paired up with Kacchan in DADA, something he can’t explain yet. Like learning from him made it want to be closer to him.

After a few months, Deku and Round Face break up... Gryffindor won the House Cup that year... and for some reason Katsuki DEFINITELY didn’t know about... he felt accomplished.

SIXTH YEAR

Things were definitely not okay? Somehow studying Charms with Deku was becoming more fun than spending time in his dorm alone. Deku’s smile shined more brightly by the day. Their teamwork was becoming well known... they actually worked good together on their assignments. Quidditch was no longer becoming a competition but a refreshing stimulation where Katuski was allowed to let loose and really feel the adrenaline of competing with Deku and seeing his satisfied look on his face when he lost. He discovered he liked the look on Deku’s eyes every time Katsuki scored a point... The way Deku smirked at him... The way his lips tasted after he caught him in the dressing room-WAIT

Yep, he ran... they didn’t talk for a week. The world hated him and they were assigned again for Herbology... things did NOT go on well. Kacchan didn’t do feelings and for DEKU? since when? No. no. Deku looked confused and hurt but he brushed it off.

On Christmas he received a strange present from Honeydukes. Green Acid Pops... his favorite. Only Deku knew that... The rest of the year they didn’t talk. Assignments where weird and people started noticing. They were supposed to be a team. Not to mention the fact that Izuku also turned down any date invitation he had.

Slytherin won that year’s House cup and he was NOT happy.

SEVENTH YEAR

Yeah no he couldn’t stand not talking to him... he missed his voice. God that sounded corny. He’s more pissed than anything. He will NOT talk to him.

In one very messy and rainy game where he fell of his broom and Deku caught him, they were both in the infirmary how convenient... He should be pissed Deku saved him... Again. they were not friends... right?

He didn’t look at him in the eye while he was patched up by the nurse. When she finally left them alone. Katsuki didn’t know what to do with himself, he was about to tell Deku off, he didn’t need his pity, he didn’t need him saving him. Not after everything. He was self-sufficient.

Deku kissed him. wait. When did he get close? Good thing too cause he as immobilized and wanted to punch him. But didn’t. In fact he kissed harder, he still wanted to be the best at it. The biggest weight was lifted. Who knew kissing Deku would be as thrilling as flying. He realized then. He had a new goal and it was to keep feeling like this for as long as he could. Izuku smiled when he saw Katsuki’s satisfied face. Yep. He thought of the same.

Things went pretty smoothly after: dressing rooms started to have more use to them than the actual Quidditch court, he NEVER sneaked out of the dorms until this year... he should be ashamed, he was the golden boy after all. And the grounds near the lake were perfect make out zone. Damn him for falling for a Gryffindor...

Hogsmeade trips were more fun than they ever were; little dates with Izuku meant seeing him smile more often and blushing. On winter he kept him warm when he visited the Slytherin dorms, he was quite welcome sine he was also friends with Half’n’Half. Gryffindors weren’t as bad as he thought after all... Everyone knew of course. They both didn’t bother hiding it. Even Cheeks was happy for them, it’s almost like she knew all along and Katsuki was the reason for their break up... He should feel bad but Izuku and Ochako were very good friends.

Hufflepuff won the House cup that year. They both graduated with honors so who cares right?

THE END. 🤗

#harry potter #bakudeku #hogwarts au #bnha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #bakugou katsuki #deku midoriya #izuku midoriya #deky is a gryffindor fight me #bakugou is a slytherin fight me #hp #bnha au #bkdk

57 notes · View notes

chaelisaff · 4 years

Text

this is NOT a corny american teenage story

prompt by ket @wanpup on twitter: wenlisa bffs crackheads/bandgeeks falling for the popular jocks

Out of all the clubs and organizations at the high school, the glee club was the last club she wanted to join.

Like, she swore she’d never be caught singing acapella and twirling like a damn idiot, but here she was.

Unfortunately.

Well, it did take a series of unfortunate events for her to get here.

One, her dad suddenly resigned from his post as head chef of a 5 star restaurant in Thailand to open his own restaurant an ocean away - in California. Apparently, her dad also had a big fight with the big bossman of the restaurant and he just couldn’t stomach working there anymore. The move wasn’t completely of his own volition and void of consideration for her feelings, so she tries not to be too bitter about that one.

Two, all of this happened after the school year had already started on her sophomore year. So, she has to start school in a whole new continent, where she has to speak a whole new language when all the kids already had cliques and knew each other.

This one was hard to not be bitter about because of course - of course - the universe would fuck with her like this.

But the third circumstance was the one that she absolutely hated the most.

Said third circumstance was standing in front of the whole glee club right now with the brightest smile, holding sheet music, and making a pep talk about how the glee club is home for the misfits, refuge for those who don’t fit in.

And her name is Wendy Shon.

A five foot tall Korean-Canadian spazz whose eyes shine a little too bright and who is never without a kind smile.

Okay, Lisa is being a little unfair.

Wendy Shon, afterall, was her only real friend in school right now.

See, it started on her first day - it was the thirteenth, on a Friday. The signs were enough to convince her to defer starting school to the next monday, but no, she had to go “it’s okay, I can start right away,” to her parents and the principal.

Wendy Shon greeted her on the first day of class, introduced herself as the senior rep and glee club president and proceeded to show her around.

Apparently, Wendy Shon had also been new to the school only a year ago, too, and wanted to help ease her into adjusting. Lisa thought of two things then: how amazing it is that a new kid already managed to be involved in so many extra-curricular activities and how truly kind it was of her to volunteer to be Lisa’s first friend.

But then that Friday the thirteenth started rearing its own ugly head and before even the lunch bell rang, a bunch of volleyball jocks had “accidentally” dunked a slushie (apparently that’s what they called those colorful convenience store drinks made of crushed ice) over her head.

Wendy was horrified that she’d experienced that on her first day so the glee club president became Mother Theresa incarnate and took care of her.

Lisa went home that day in Wendy’s nice-smelling gym clothes.

But before that, Lisa had asked Wendy if there was any dance club she could join, and Wendy shook her head with a cute pout, bottom lip jutting out. But then a light bulb seemed to go off in Wendy’s head and she told Lisa, “we do have a glee club, though, and we dance there, too!”

And as much as Lisa didn’t really want to sing and dance like some High School Musical extra, she couldn’t say no to Wendy’s puppy dog eyes, especially in view of the fact that the girl had been more than accommodating and caring towards her.

Three months later, she’s sitting in one of the chairs in the band practice room, listening to the glee club president - her default best friend because she can’t speak english fluently just yet and no one else really talks to her - Wendy Shon belt out Air Supply’s “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing”.

Cheesiest song, ever, Lisa thinks.

She and Wendy walk home together after practice that day - like they do every day.

Because as luck would have it, they live a block away from each other.

(Yes, when Wendy found out about this, she appeared on Lisa’s doorstep with “Welcome Neighbour!” cupcakes. Of course, Mother Wenresa also bakes. Of course.)

Don’t get her wrong, though, Lisa is grateful to have Wendy.

It’s just that she wished she wasn’t just left with Wendy because she had no one else to hang out with.

And one day as if the universe answered her wish in a twisted way, she bumped into someone as she ran in the hallway, rounding a corner, trying to beat the bell before class, and spilled all the contents of her chocolate milk.

The frothy, sticky, brown beverage splattered everywhere, leaving nothing in her immediate vicinity unmarked - the hallway, the lockers, and the biggest casualties being the uniform of the person she bumped into and her friend.

Uniform, registered in Lisa’s mind immediately after.

When she looked up from under the fringe of her bangs, she saw the shocked faces of two of the most popular volleyball jocks in school; Korean-American senior and volleyball team captain Kang Seulgi and her best friend, Korean-Australian sophomore, Roseanne Park.

Fuck. Lisa swore in her mind after she realized it’s the same girls who dunked the slushie on her head on the first day.

Kang Seulgi had looked so shocked, but it was Roseanne Park who was quick to recover.

“Ugh!” Roseanne groaned then directed angry eyes at Lisa. “What the hell?! Watch where you’re going!”

Lisa held her hands up.

“I’m sorry!”

Roseanne huffed and took an angry step forward.

“You better be!”

Then Lisa was sure she’d just accidentally signed her death warrant.

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Seulgi held the sophomore back. “It’s okay, Rosie.”

Rosie grumbled but eventually she and Seulgi walked away, with her trying to squeeze out the sticky stuff from her blonde hair.

Seulgi spared Lisa a glance but said nothing.

Apparently Wendy had witnessed everything and happened to be in the hallway, too. The kind glee club president rushed to her and - for the second time - offered to lend Lisa her nice smelling gym clothes.

Only then did Lisa realize some of the chocolate splattered onto her, too.

Weeks after the incident, Lisa became hyper-aware of the presence of Roseanne park and Kang Seulgi. She discovered that she shared nearly all of her classes with the sophomore volleyball player, except for English Literature since she had to take an English-as-Second-Language course first as prerequisite since she’s a foreigner.

(She had outstanding grades in math and biology and the principal had allowed her to be in the advanced classes, too. Apparently, Roseanne Park wasn’t any other dumb jock because she was on the sophomore honor roll, too.)

Lisa was convinced that Roseanne Park threw her the stink eye during class and sometimes turned around to throw glares at her.

Wendy argued that she was just being paranoid.

“Seulgi and Rosie aren’t the mean jocks that you think they are, Lis.” Wendy scoffed one afternoon as they were walking home. “This is real life, you know, not some american teenage tv show with an awful plot.”

“I’m telling you, Wendy!” Lisa argued back. “They really hate me! Especially that Park girl.” She shuddered. “I told you they were also the ones who dumped the slushie on me on my first day of school.”

Wendy just shook her head.

“The slushie was a total accident, just like the choco milk was, Lis.”

Lisa just sighed.

“If I go missing one day like what happened in Pretty Little Liars, it’s YOUR fault for not listening to me.”

Wendy just groaned.

“Whatever, crazy ass.”

And of course - as luck would have it, and as all those cheesy american teenage shows have shown - Lisa ends up being partnered with Roseanne Park in biology.

They were supposed to dissect a frog.

“Okay, now go team up with your respective partners!” Their biology teacher clapped once, and all their classmates dispersed and grouped themselves.

Roseanne Park approached her. Lisa gulped and thought about how she’s going to get murdered and die while she’s in a dumb Amercan high school at the hands of a pretty blonde while she’s in GLEE CLUB.

Roseanne put on the lab coat and the surgical gloves and sat beside her.

Lisa dared a sideways look.

And damn, even with just her side profile in view, it was easy to tell that the blonde girl was indeed pretty.

Suddenly the “well, mark me down as scared AND horny” meme came to her mind.

Lisa shook her head.

Her brain really didn’t need to be thinking about that!

Beside her Roseanne pulled out her textbook and cleared her throat.

“Shall we start?”

Lisa nodded. The two girls both got to working.

Lisa learned after that fateful day that perhaps Roseanne Park wasn’t all that scary.

Apparently, the blonde volleyball player was really afraid of frogs. She put on a brave face, of course, but when the frog almost leapt out of Lisa’s grip, she went screaming and flailing to the other side of the room.

The whole class erupted in laughter, even the teacher.

Rosie had looked embarrassed and she came back to their table with her head bowed and ears tinged pink.

Lisa felt bad for her so she just smiled at the jock and offered to do most of the work.

Roseanne had declined, but Lisa insisted, and with a smile, comforted her. The transferee gripped the frog tightly and showed it to her partner.

“See? Harmless.” Lisa said.

Rosie just gave her a look then and said nothing.

They finished the rest of the activity without much of an event.

In the cafeteria, the next day, Wendy was really into whatever story she was telling Lisa when her eyes suddenly widened and she snapped her mouth shut.

When Lisa looked at her confused and asked, “what?” somebody behind her cleared their throat.

She turned to see Roseanne Park and Kang Seulgi standing behind her - Kang Seulgi with the brightest, goofiest smile and Roseanne Park looking down at her feet shyly, both in their volleyball uniforms and carrying lunch trays with food.

“Y-yes?” Lisa asked with apprehension as two things ran through her mind: what the fuck are they doing here and how the fuck did queen of bitch face Kang Seulgi somehow look like a teddy bear when she smiles?

Seulgi elbowed Roseanne. Roseanne glared at her friend then cleared her throat.

“Mind if we eat lunch with you guys?” Roseanne Park asked a beat later.

Lisa was too stunned, so Wendy took it upon herself to answer.

“Sure!”

Seulgi, still smiling, took the seat beside Wendy. Roseanne sat beside Lisa.

Lisa heard nothing but her heartbeat drumming in her ears. The scary pretty jock was sitting beside her.

And then said scary, pretty jock put a lunch box in front of her.

“I made this as thanks for your help yesterday.” Roseanne explained without looking at her.

Lisa was too shocked to move. Wendy stared at the scene in front of her with comically wide eyes and jaw hanging loose. Seulgi unwrapped a sandwich beside the glee club president and bit into it without a care in the world.

When Roseanne realized Lisa wouldn’t open the lunch box, the blonde jock took it upon herself to lay out the food in front of her.

It was a beautiful Korean-style spread in a pink little bento-style plastic container. Inside it was a small serving of japchae noodles, six pieces of gimbap, three pieces of pan-fried dumplings, and cabbage kimchi and korean radish giving it the pretty and bright splash of color and flavor.

It looked mouth-wateringly perfect.

“I-” Lisa was too surprised to form words. “Wow,” was all she could manage.

Roseanne reached over and grabbed the sandwich and soda she’d gotten from the cafeteria.

“I’ll eat your lunch in exchange.” Roseanne simply informed her.

Seulgi just beamed and chuckled. Then the volleyball captain turned to the glee club president beside her.

“Wendy, right?”

It was Wendy’s turn to blush and stammer.

“Y-yeah.”

Seulgi nodded then held out a hand for the other senior to shake.

“I’m Seulgi! I guess we never really met since you’re in all of the advanced classes because you’re way too smart.”

Wendy blushed a deep shade of red and shook Seulgi’s hand.

“I- you’re too kind. And of course, I know you. You’re Kang Seulgi, the ace volleyball player and captain.”

The words rushed out of Wendy’s mouth and Seulgi scrunched her nose and laughed.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, then, Wendy.”

It didn’t seem physically possible but Wendy blushed even more.

“Yeah, nice to meet you, too.”

Wendy and Seulgi hit it off after that day.

In between classes and as she walked the hallway, Lisa sometimes saw Seulgi talking to Wendy at her locker.

Seulgi was relaxed and leaned against the locker beside Wendy’s. Wendy would be hugging her bag or her books to herself.

Then the scene became a daily thing and Wendy’s stance relaxed bit by bit.

And since Wendy and Seulgi were suddenly becoming closer, Roseanne Park became a regular fixture in Lisa’s life, too.

Neither of them really offered to walk with the other, but since they happened to share most of their classes, Lisa and Roseanne ended up walking to and from their classes together.

Sometimes the duo would pass by Wendy and Seulgi.

Each pair would smile at the other and wave, Wendy yelling after Lisa and telling her that they would walk home together., as if she needed a reminder of their routine.

Lisa thought Wendy did that just because she gets shy being seen with Seulgi.

They’d gotten paired up again for another biology activity.

Roseanne put her books away and Lisa approached her.

“Hey, so when do you want to work on the project?” Lisa asked. She was more comfortable around the blonde jock now.

As comfortable as one could be when around the really pretty girl they had a crush on.

“Um, whenever you’re free?” Roseanne absentmindedly answered.

“How about this Saturday?”

“Sure. Your house?”

Lisa fought a blush.

“Sure.”

Roseanne nodded.

“Okay.”

Lisa pursed her lips.

“I’ll text you the address?”

And that was how Lisa had unknowingly, accidentally casually asked for Roseanne’s number.

The blonde jock smirked at her like she knew something Lisa didn’t and that was when Lisa realized what she’d actually done.

“Okay, give me your phone.” Roseanne said.

Lisa obliged.

When the blonde returned her phone, Lisa saw that the name she’d saved for herself was ‘Rosie❤’.

Lisa couldn’t fight off the grin that erupted on her face then.

Friday, Lisa and Wendy hung back at the glee club room talking about what song the glee club should perform next, when Seulgi and Rosie suddenly walked in.

“Hey!” Seulgi announced, coming up to Wendy immediately and standing close. The volleyball captain looked like she was going in for a hug but stopped herself at the last second.

Wendy licked her lips and shyly looked down.

“Hi,” the glee club captain greeted back. “What brings you two jocks to the loser side of the school?” she asked.

Seulgi blew out air and waved her statement off as if it was the silliest thing.

“Oh, please, Wan, if I wasn’t on a sports scholarship, I would be here, too.”

Lisa looked confused for a moment and Wendy noticed.

“Wan?” Lisa asked. Seulgi looked at Wendy confused.

Wendy blushed.

“Oh, that’s my Korean name, Lisa.” She explained. “My Korean name is Seungwan.”

Lisa’s mouth formed an ‘o’ and her eyes widened, coming down with the realization that the three people in the room with her all had Korean blood.

“I didn’t know that.” Lisa said.

“Yeah, sorry I forgot to tell you.” Wendy looked sheepish. “I didn’t think you’d ever need to call me by it.”

Lisa waved it off.

“That’s fine. And you’re right.”

That was when Lisa started to suspect Seulgi and Wendy had something more than friendship blossoming between them.

Saturday, after Rosie left Lisa’s house, the transferee’s phone rang showing Wendy’s caller ID.

“Can I come over?” Wendy sounded anxious.

Lisa got worried.

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“I have to talk to you about something.”

Five minutes later, Wendy was at Lisa’s door.

Ten minutes and a lot of Wendy pacing back and forth in her room after that, her friend turned to her.

“I think I have a crush on Seulgi.” The girl confessed.

Lisa couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Girl, that’s been so obvious, why are you telling me this like it’s news?!”

Wendy punched Lisa’s shoulder.

“Shut up, Lisa! Can you take me coming out seriously?”

Lisa just laughed louder. Wendy pouted.

The Thai girl threw her arms around her best friend.

“You silly, talented, brilliant, kind, dumbass.” Lisa said with affection. “I’m proud of you.”

Wendy buried her face in Lisa’s shoulder and shed a few happy tears.

A few beats later, Lisa added, “I’m pretty sure Seulgi likes you back.”

Wendy disentangled herself from Lisa and punched her again.

Wednesday, as they walked home together, Lisa turned to Wendy suddenly.

“I have a crush on Rosie.” She admitted to Wendy.

Wendy just rolled her eyes.

“Duh, as if that wasn’t the most obvious thing.”

“HEY!” Lisa stopped walking. “I was really supportive when you came out to me and now you do this to me?!”

Wendy just cackled and ran away before Lisa could grab her or punch her.

Rosie and Lisa were walking together after biology. They spotted Seulgi and Wendy from afar.

And then suddenly they both stopped in their tracks and their jaws dropped.

Because Seulgi suddenly leaned down to capture Wendy’s lips in a kiss and Wendy kissed her back.

“So, you guys are dating now, huh?” Lisa wiggled her eyebrows at the couple sitti across her.

The four of them were in the cafeteria, at what has become their usual table.

Seulgi just grins and Wendy blushes.

Lisa knew that they were holding hands under the table.

“Yep!” Seulgi piped up happily.

“It’s about time.” Lisa snorted. “I was sick of you both making heart eyes at each other in the hallways and being too much of cowards to act on your feelings.”

Wendy sent her a glare. Seulgi threw the wrapping of her sandwich at Lisa.

“Says the idiot who can’t admit her feelings.” Wendy shot back at her.

It was Lisa’s turn to glare.

“I’m just looking for the right timing, okay?”

And suddenly, Rosie spoke up, eyebrow raised and smirking.

“Oh really? When does the timing become right, Lisa?”

Lisa gulped.

“Well, uh,” Lisa stammered. “Well, I guess you just know when it is!”

“Oh yea?” Rosie challenged. “Well, I’m telling you there isn’t a right timing and you should just go for it.”

And then Rosie got up and stormed out of the cafeteria.

Seulgi and Wendy looked on with wide eyes, surprise and confusion mixed with interest shining in them.

Lisa was stunned for a few seconds before she got up and ran after Rosie.

“Rosie, wait!” Lisa called after the blonde. “Slow down and let me catch up!”

Rosie groaned.

“I’m tired of waiting for you to catch up, Lisa!”

Lisa sped up, pumped her legs and feet against the hallways of the school.

“Wait!” Lisa screamed again, gasping for breath.

Rosie didn’t stop. Lisa propped herself up with her hands on her knees and tried to catch her breath.

So with the last gust of air left in Lisa’s lungs she screamed loud enough for the whole school to hear.

“ROSEANNE PARK, STOP WALKING AWAY SO I CAN TELL YOU I LIKE YOU, DAMMIT!”

And that’s when Rosie stopped walking and turned around.

“It’s about time you said that!” Rosie shot back.

The blonde jock ran towards Lisa and nearly tackled her down.

And with a smile she whispered her confession low enough so that only Lisa could hear.

“I like you too.”

#chaelisa #chaelisaff #wenseul #004

12 notes · View notes

thehomierobbstark · 5 years

Note

HC/ y/n is mad at Erik cause he did something dumb and he’s trying to make it up to her “kiss me like you mean it “

Shame [Prelude] // Communication [Part II] // In The Cut [Side Story]

A/N: So I have an inkling who might’ve asked this question *cough @wakanda-inspired cough* but I hope this turned out the way you were hoping anon!

I wanted to get something out for Valentines Day while I’m working on other stuff, and this isn’t part of it but don’t forget to check out the With Love, From Wakanda Fic Fest that @purple-apricots and @hoopshoney are hosting. @wawakanda-btch posted the first one I’ve seen so far and and I’m super excited about it.

Anyway, I know some peeps do celebrate Valentines Day and some don’t, but I just wanted to dedicate this fic out to all of yall. I know I write Erik in super cheesy n corny ways sometimes, but we all deserve to have people in our life who will take the time to learn us authentically. Romantic or otherwise. Hope yall like it!

This is for all my lil cute ass black gorditas out there rockin back fat, belly rolls and thick ass thighs that touch!! x Reader is always gon be black, chubby, and sassy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You sigh, crossing your arms as you lazily trail out in front of the rest of the group, feet moving slowly as you put one foot in front of the other and attempt to walk in a straight line, if for no other purpose than for your own personal enjoyment. You were pretty through with the night, but you didn’t want to rush along anyone and risk dampening the fun mood, so you tried occupying yourself as best you could to keep from sending out the wrong vibrations.

You feel the presence come up next to you before it makes itself known, but you ignore it, choosing to feign ignorance instead of acknowledging it with your usual situational awareness.

The presence lingers for a moment, waiting for you to notice it, but when you don’t it inches a little closer, nudging its shoulder against yours with a light tap, the spot where it touches you feeling tingly.

“So, how’d you like the movie?” He asks you, and you glance up at him, seeing his eyes lit up and full of interest.

“It was ok.” You answer flatly, shrugging your shoulders, and those eyebrows of his hike up, not expecting your nonchalance.

“Oh.”

It was an honest answer. The movie was just OK. Even though it wasn’t just the movie you were expecting more out of tonight.

You divert your attention back down to your feet, indulging again in your own little game of ‘Walk the Plank’. The presence next to you grows quiet again, and you know he’s observing you, trying to figure out what’s going through that head of yours.

It doesn’t phase you, already knowing that whatever emotions you had you didn’t wear them on your face.

Luckily, you were hard to read like that.

This was the second time-

*Correction*, the third time that the both of you had hung out this week with your friends, and you were starting to get the feeling that maybe there was something happening between the two of you.

At least, that’s what you thought… up until tonight.

“Everything okay?”

You can hear the hint of worry hiding somewhere behind his words, and part of you wants to just drop it and chalk your mood up to being tired or something.

You nod your head, shrugging your shoulders again, eyes focused somewhere on the floor.

Don’t be petty. Don’t be petty. Don’t be petty.

You lift your head and look him in the eyes, smiling.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

He returns the smile, visibly relaxing now, diverting his own eyes to the floor now as he chews on his lip.

You quirk an eyebrow, watching him, and open up your mouth again.

“So where’s your friend at?”

Fuck.

The sound that comes out of his mouth is something between a choke and a snort, and he brings a fist up to his mouth to clear his throat before looking back your way.

The smile is still plastered on your face, but not an evil one, just…friendly. Weirdly friendly.

You can see his eyes squint a little as he quickly studies your face, trying to figure you out, but there’s nothing to see except what appears to be your innocent smile.

“You, you mean Clarissa?” His voice almost cracks at the end as he points a thumb back in the direction of your friend group, referring to it’s newest blonde member, but you don’t even bother to look.

You know who she is.

“Oh? Is that her name?” The charade you’re putting on sounds so real you almost believe it yourself for a second, and you have to drag your attention back to the conversation at hand to keep from verbally patting yourself on the back.

“Clarissa?” You repeat (for clarification, of course), and the name sounds harsh and abrasive in your mouth, but that doesn’t keep you from saying it with perfect pronunciation.

“Yeah, yeah no she’s back there chillin, I guess.” It’s his turn to shrug now, and he almost acts as if he didn’t spend the entire movie sitting right next to her. While you were all the way on the other side.

Out of the group, you and Erik were the only single people, and while you usually hated it when your friends’ boyfriends tried to set you up, you liked Erik.

He’d just happened to be back in town the same week his boy had made plans, so it wasn’t like he was there for you.He was just… there too.

But you’d clicked instantly.

The whole night you and Erik had been hanging together, picking right up where you’d left off from the other night.

Then Clarissa showed up.

Your voice keeps its same curious tone, and you press on. Not to make him uncomfortable or anything, but just to…understand better. After all, it’s not like the two of you were dating or anything, you were just friends.

Friends were allowed to be curious, right?

Maybe the feeling you thought you had between the two of you was wrong.

“Oh, OK.” You say, and silence falls between the two of you again for a moment as you reach the double door exit of the movie theater. He opens the right side, holding it for you, and you brush past his chest a little as you walk out.

You can feel the solid muscle resting underneath his sweatshirt and smell the scent of his body wash, and before you can let yourself get distracted by it you accidentally blurt out your next sentence more aggressively than you wanted to.

“Umm, you can go hang out with her if you want, you know. You don’t have to be up here with me.” You word vomit, and you squeeze your eyes shut, mentally face palming.

So much for trying to be subtle.

“What?” He walks out behind you, letting the doors shut, but you don’t stop walking, not wanting to have to look him in the face.

Your feet unwittingly stop in their tracks after a few steps and you blow out a sigh, your body betraying your urge to flee. “I mean…”

You scratch at the back of your head, gathering up all your courage to deal with the dumbass situation you’ve just put yourself in.

“…don’t feel obligated to be up here with me. If you wanna go be with her that’s okay-”

“Be with her? Who said I wanted to be with her?” He interrupts you, and you open your eyes to see he’s standing in front of you now, eyebrows scrunched in confusion and what looks like frustration.

Shit. You so didn’t mean for it to go this way.

“Nobody! I’m just, I’m just saying that if you wanted to you could-”

“Y/n.” He stops you again, but this time when you look up at him his face is oddly calm, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth barely hidden by his bottom lip tucked between his teeth.

You don’t say anything at first, but when he raises his eyebrows at you as if to repeat himself, a small ‘yeah’ escapes your lips.

“…Are you …jealous?” You can hear the teasing lilt in his voice, and your face deadpans, your feet working again as you stomp past him.

Jealous? You? Please. You’d sooner watch the original ‘Birth of a Nation’ than ever let anything that girl says or does intimidate you. You knew your self worth, and you’d rather die alone than let any man think you’d waste your time competing for his attention.

You can hear his boisterous laughter behind you, and you quicken your pace, but you don’t get very far before you feel his arm wrap around your waist and pull you back, feeling the deep rumbling emanating from his chest.

“Alright alright ma, damn, I was just joking. Where you think you going anyway? We all drove together.” He wraps his other arm around you to keep you in place, emphasizing his words.

“I got Lyft, I’m good.” You sniff back, and he kisses his teeth, dragging you both backwards until the back of his knees hit the edge of one of the patio tables, and he lifts the both of you onto it to sit, you on his lap.

You sit there stubbornly for a few moments, and when he realizes you’re not going to speak he rolls his eyes, breaking the silence.

“So you gon tell me wassup, or what? Why you acting like this, babygirl?” His voice is soft but stern, and you stir a little in his arms at the pet name.

“I’m not acting like anything,” you try and disagree, but your words sound distant and clouded in your ears, losing some of their bite.

He sighs patiently behind you, leaning forward to tighten his arms around you, resting his chin on your shoulder.

You can feel him looking at you, and you turn your head away, staring through a hole in the grated table to the ground.

“… I’m trying, okay? Just… give me a second.” Your voice is just above a whisper, but he still hears what you say.

“I know,” he presses a kiss into your shoulder through you sweater, and he lays his head there. “Take your time.”

You take a few beats to gather your thoughts, mulling them over in your mind a few times to make sure you’ll be able to say it right.

When you’re finally ready, you turn around a little to sit sideways in his lap, still facing away from him as you rest your head on his chest.

Taking a deep breath, you finally let it all out.

“Look…all I’m saying is if you’re interested in other people, that’s okay. It’s not like we’re together or anything, all we did was share one kiss. You’re free to do whatever you want and so am I, there’s no commitment here.”

A dry laugh that comes out as a sniff blows out through your nose, those shoulders of yours shrugging again as you try and crack a joke.

“It’s not like you live in California.”

Your last sentence hangs in the air for a bit, and when Erik doesn’t say anything, your heart starts skipping beats.

Shit, was he offended? You didn’t mean to offend him. All you were trying to do was be honest…and keep your heart safe.

“Erik?” You wait a second for his response, but when it doesn’t come you turn your head to look at him.

His eyes are downcast, and a small smile plays on his lips.

“Do you think I just go around kissing strangers, Y/N?”

The question catches you off guard, and when he lifts his head to look at you, you don’t know what to say.

“Do I seem like the type of person who would kiss random people just for the hell of it?”

Well, it didn’t seem like he was the type.

“…no.”

“Then why would I kiss you and go be interested in someone else? You are the person I’m interested in, Y/N. It’s you.”

You want to say something back to him, but when you open your mouth, an emotion you can’t place starts creeping up your throat, paralyzing you.

“Listen… that… ‘thing’ at the movies… trust me, ya boy not interested. I was trying to get back over to you but ol’ girl couldn’t take a hint. Figured I’d just be polite and let her sit next to me during the movie. It’s not like it’s her I’ll be calling anyway when I get back home tonight.”

He flashes that knee weakening smile at you, his golds peeking out, and you roll your eyes, pushing at his chest.

“So what you tryna say? You got hoes now?” You joke, and he fake groans in annoyance before grabbing you up in a gentle headlock, pressing kisses to your temple as you squeal and struggle.

“You so annoying, I swear,” he grumbles, and after you calm down he releases you and cups your chin in his fingers, angling your face towards his.

“Gimme kiss,” he mumbles, and you lean up a little, pressing your lips flat against his for a soft lazy smooch.

“Mmmm,” he moans against your lips .“Mm Mm.” He detaches from you.

“Nah,” his full lips poke out in a pout. “Kiss me like you mean it.”

Blushing, you smooth your hand against the back of his head and pull him into you, lips parting to accept his full, juicy ones between yours, both your tongues poking out to taste each other.

He sighs in contentment into your mouth, and his hands latch onto your soft waist as he takes over the kiss, letting his tongue roll against yours.

Leaning into him you wrap your arms around his neck, breaking the rough kiss to give him gentle teasing pecks that make him whine from the back of his throat.

“Fuck, you’re making me miss you already,” He whispers into your skin, nudging his face down into the crook of your neck and taking a huge inhale.

It sends sparks across your skin, and when he groans hungrily at your scent you can feel the vibration in your whole body, making you clench in different places.

You both get lost in euphoria until a loud voice from a ways away grabs your attention.

“Uhh… y’all ready to go?” You rise out of your blissed state as you pull away from Erik, looking around dazedly to find the source.

You spot Rashad, Erik’s friend, looking curiously at you two from his spot across the patio, and the rest of your group behind him snickering childishly, including Clarissa.

“Yeah bro we comin!” Erik yells back, all his attention still on you.

“Well meet you there,” he mutters, not really caring if his friend heard or not, and he buries his face into your neck, growling and fake munching on your skin as your laughter fills the air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Warnings: CollegeBoi!Erik, Softboi!Erik, Fluff,

#TheHomieFics #erik killmonger x black!reader #erik killmonger x reader #erik killmonger #bp #black panther #black panther fanfiction #black panther fandom #headcanon ek #vulnerable ek

433 notes · View notes

choledaytonnnotsosecretblog · 4 years

Text

1- The love letters

Seriously I can't make this Stuff up.

I'd like to start off by saying this is all based on true events and some parts might be exaggerated however the major parts are all real.

This is the story of how I got caught sending love letters to my neighbor by my older sisters.

A little backstory like 4 years ago my when I lived in my old house there was this cute boy that lived next to me and I had a crush on him for 1 year prior to me sending my letters. At the time I was 13 and he was 16 but now its been another 5 years and I'm 18 I can tell my story comfortably. I can not stress how much this boy looked like Luke Hemmings from 5SOS back in 2015. This boy was the definition of an f-boy back in 2015. I and this boy have never spoken to each other. I sent him 2 letters before getting caught and 1 more after I did, so I never talked to this boy until 4 years after I sent the letters when he came into the shop I work at, but that a whole different story. So on to the story

So I had this massive crush on this boy since I saw him in the corner shop near my house 2 months into when I moved into that house. I let my love for this boy grow so big that I used to daydream of me and him being together and I used to tell my friends about him and talk about him like he was my boyfriend, thinking back on it I was a crazy-ass 13-year-old girl. I continued to tell all my 3 friends about him but at some point, I don't know when this mean girl in my school heard me talking about him and decided to tell my whole year group that I had a boyfriend. As you could imagine in an all-girls school the news traveled fast and reached my older cousin year. Now I know at least one of y'all have that one cousin that hates your guts for no reason at all.... well this cousin was that one bitchy ass one. She thought that the best way to deal with information was to tell my older sisters who lucky for me went to a different school and couldn't beat my ass in front of all my friends. It took a couple of days before my sisters found out. I remember the day the came up to me they put me in a room and sat me down and gave me some big ass lecture about how its wrong for a 13-year-old to be going out with a 16-year-old. Also some other stuff about how he could be using me and stuff. This whole time I thought everyone just thought that he was my crush until my sister told me the whole story about what everyone was saying. That when I sad to set my sisters straight

I proceeded to let them know they all got it wrong. I think I told them that I was talking about Luke from 5SOS and I must have done a good at lying because they completely believed and they also knew that cousin was just a little bitch and most likely just wanted to get me in trouble.

Fast forward a couple months now it been 2 years of me having a massive crush on him and I worked up the courage one day to speak to him but it didn't work out the way I wanted it to. That moment was too horrific that I can't even speak about it.

After my 70 second conversation with him, I knew at that moment that he was going to be my husband ( as I said earlier I was some weird-ass child ). However, this was the point when I knew the only way I could talk to him was by either social media or some old school letter writing. Since I didn't have a phone and I didn't have the phone number I wrote him a letter. Sadly I cannot for the life of me remember what I wrote but it was most likely me confessing my feeling for him in some childish way. Anyways that was the first letter out of 3 letters I sent. After not getting a response I stopped liking him for like a week because I thought he didn't like me. Until one day he was playing on his skateboard and I was on the grass behind my house reading comics ( i was such a nerd ) and he came next to me asked what I was reading I again like the first time I talked started to choke up again, but after an awkward 30 seconds I told him in the squeakiest voice ever that it was my 'Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe' ( i do not know how I remember which one it was ) he then gave me a surprised look and I thought wow great he thinks I'm a nerd. I WAS WRONG. He came over to me and sat next to me and started asking me questions about it like he was interested in and me being a big Marvel geek started to ramble on about it, at some point in my boring ass lecture I looked up at him and when I looked in those green-hazel eyes I caught him staring at me which completely SHOOK me like he was just looking at me the whole time then he apologized and said that he's ever come across someone who was that in-love with comics and most importantly marvel and that when I embarrassed myself yet again and nervously said some extremely corny ass shit that was along the lines of ' just a superhero loving girl talking about what she loves'

After that conversation that was when my feelings for him developed for him again and I wrote my second letter. I can not completely remember what I wrote in this letter but it was something like this...................

Dear [his name]

I am guessing you didn't read my 1st letter because if you did you wouldn't have sat next to me today as ask me about what I was reading. Lucky for me you didn't because it was completely embarrassing. Anyways I just wanna let you know that I have had this massive crush on you since the second month I moved into my new house and I never worked up the courage to talk to you. I like you not a lot but a good amount where is not odd. I like the way your eyes change colors in the light I like the way you are always late for the bus in the mornings and mostly like the way you always smile at me when you see me........ I just felt like I should tell you this so I can get some confirmation if you like me too if you don't it is fine but I just wanted to let you know.

From your unknown neighbor

WHY DID I LET MYSELF SEND THIS ???????????

Moving on after I sent this I again didn't get a response but I knew he took it because I saw him pick up the letter and I saw the fact he saw his name because he looked shocked like that was the first official letter that had his name on it. Plus I delivered the letter to his house myself so I knew it didn't go to the wrong house. So since I didn't get a response I decided that not only did I completely embarrassed myself but I also just got my heartbroken for the first time ever.

Me being a smart 13-year-old girl I decided to send on more letters explaining myself and asking to meet ( which looking back at it I was so dumb like who would go meet a random person ? ) I don't remember what I said but I knew asked to meet. Since this was my last letter i thought let me go to the library and print out my letter and I did. After typing up my letter i put it in an envelope and went home. When I came home completely forgetting about the letter in my bag so when my sister asked for her library card I told her it was in my bag, but because my sister is a nosy bitch she went ahead and picked up my letter and read it but before she read it she gave it to my other sister to read after they both read my letter they came to me in my room and started laughing at me at this point I had no idea what the hell they were laughing about until they asked me who [ his name ] was and I knew I fucked up

At this point I was expecting the worse .... ohh I set my exception so low I got it so bad they started off by yelling at me about why I lied to them about the guy and how he was too old for me and how they told me I was too young for a guy which was understandable but like damn I was heartbroken at this time they could have been more sympathetic. So after they shouted at me they told me the dangers about how it's dangerous to meet random people and all the shit they could do to me and how I could get kidnapped and stuff. Then they started laughing at me telling me I was dumb to think a random weirdo was going to meet me and how I thought he was gonna like me back. Thinking about it now they were right I was dumb as hell. The dumbest part was my excuse that it was a project for school about Romeo and Juliet and I had to write a love letter to Romeo but now I know the story of Romeo and Juliet it completely has nothing to do with lover letter of any sort no wonder they didn't believe me. I must have confused it with the movie ' letter to Juliet '

So after a month or 2 of being heartbroken, I decided that I was over him ( i totally wasn't but I told myself that ) I decided to write him one last letter explaining why I was a weirdo and that I was over him and some other stuff then this time I made sure my sisters didn't find it and I sent that final letter and a couple months after I sent we moved houses and I never heard about him again. To this day he will forever be known as my first love even though I only had one actual conversation and considering the fact he didn't know my name I should have known it would have not even worked out.

Fast forward again to 2019 I met him again I thought that he clearly wouldn't remember me as I had a slight glow-up, which was just me getting braces and dropping the glasses and learned how to wear makeup and lashes.

I full well knew he was when he walked in that why I hide behind the waffle makers which clearly didn't make it obvious to all my co-workers that I knew him

They thought that the best way for me to deal with the situation was for me to serve him and I couldn't decline as my manger was the one that asked. So there I am walking over to his table ready to hand him his menus that's when I realized that his friend was also another friend of mine. So me now being this lovable social person I start talking to this boy and but I'm trying my hardest to cut the conversation short as I don't wanna be standing there because I don't want him to recognize me I quickly move them to a different table and give them their menus and tell them to order at the counter and I rush back to the back of the shop I silent scream so dramatically that my manager thought I was having a stroke. A few minutes pass and he walks over to the counter and I was the only one there so I had no choice but to take his order so he starts off by saying "hi "then his table number and proceeds to tell me his order and when he finishes I ask him "how do you wanna pay" and he says "by card" right before he puts his card in he goes to me "you look so familiar do I know you from somewhere" I was so shocked that I almost choked on the chewing gum that was in my mouth I was so shocked that he remembered me after all these years. I then tell him " you must be thinking about someone else " and I laughed it off but I knew that the 13-year-old me was just over the moon

After a very brief conversation about how the card machine is super slow he left and the next customer came and so I didn't have time to comprehend what just happened.

Now that the end of my story if I could one thing differently I would probably just having a continued crush on The members of 5SOS instead it would have been way less drama for me.

Thank you guys for taking the time to read my story and I would like to apologies to the all the writers out there I am by no means a professional writer but I love to write so if you see any grammatically or punctually wrong sentences or spelling I would like deeply apologize for them.

Thank you

#storytime #loveletter #funny

2 notes · View notes

samsonet · 4 years

Text

What matter to me if their star is a world?

No encores. Not songs, not moves, not Pokemon.

But then what does that make her?

Title from Robert Browning's "My Star"

When Marnie is five years old, her brother gives her a Pokemon.

It has to be a dark-type, but it looks so bright that the idea is hard to believe. It waddles over, sniffs her ankles, then raises its arms. Marnie knows what that means. It wants to be picked up!

“I thought havin’ a partner might help ya not be scared all the time,” her amazing big brother says.

He hands her its pokeball.

“Thank you! Thank you!”

Next, Piers asks a gym trainer to battle her. Marnie wins her very first time. She runs on the field and hugs Morpeko tight. Everyone says she’s so talented and that they’re proud of her.

(Later, she’ll realize that the older trainer let her win. But back then? She was five. She thought the world belonged to her.)

Marnie can’t sing. Can’t pour out her soul. Can’t even yell. Her voice is small and soft, a violin among electric guitars.

Her brother seems to realize that. He finds other ways for her to support him. Help carry the microphone, Marnie. Raise your arms like this to get the audience hyped up. Stand there and look cute, Marnie, people love that.

She jumps to obey the first time, because her brother hates repeating himself.

No encores. Not songs, not moves, not Pokémon.

But when the show is over and they go home, when it’s just him and her in their messy cold apartment, he’ll keep singing the same lullaby until she falls asleep.

The trouble with Morpeko is this: it never stays in one mood for long.

It goes from cheerful to angry in the blink of an eye, and it continues to catch her off guard. Every time a trainer yells or Piers’ Pokémon surprise her or there’s another sudden blackout — every time that a younger Marnie would have cried — well, now Morpeko needs her. There’s no time for crying now.

She feeds him berries and hugs him close to her chest. He’s her best friend. (Her only friend.)

It takes a while for her to understand her partner well enough to cope with his moods. She likes to think it made them closer.

Piers wants her to take over the gym.

That’s the plan. That’s always been the plan, ever since the day Spikemuth’s last leader croaked and Piers somewhat-accidentally ended up with the gym. He’s been holding on to it, taking care of all the trainers and whatnot, but it’s not his dream.

(It’s not hers, either, but someone has to do it.)

She’s growing like a dandelion, poking her head through a crack in the concrete. She should consider herself lucky to be under the care of someone who thinks she’s worth nurturing.

(She still can’t sing.)

None of it matters.

One day, she’ll grow tall and strong. One day, she’ll master dark-types. One day, she’ll stand on Piers’ stage, wearing his uniform and battling with his style, and all the yells will sound the same.

One day, when she and Piers are setting up the stage, Marnie’s world changes forever.

Her brother says, in a casual voice, “I’m thinking of endorsing you for the gym challenge.”

She nods, stuffs some paper under a wobbly leg on the drum set, and then has a double-take.

The gym challenge. A way to get out of this town. A chance to make a name for herself, to be someone other than Piers’ dear little sister. The possibility of battling the champion. The possibility of beating the champion.

She’d never really thought of it before.

It surprises her, how suddenly she wants it.

She meets her brother’s eyes. No amount of makeup disguises the exhaustion, but he puts the effort into smiling for her.

She gives a small smile in return. “So I’d be representin’ you, huh?”

“You don’t have ta worry about representin’ me. You’re my champion no matter what.” It’s corny, but no one is around to hear. “But you’d be representing Spikemuth, Marn. I know it’s not an easy task. Do you feel up to it?”

She looks to Morpeko. Her partner gives a cheeky grin.

“Yeah. We c’n do it.”

Of course, her brother doesn’t let her go alone.

“I’m gonna be sendin’ some people with ya, okay? They’re there to protect ya.”

His gym trainers, dressed in the most paper-thin disguises, follow her out of Spikemuth and onto Route 9.

“What are ya doin’, dressed like that?” she asks.

Joshua answers: “We’re Team Yell! We’re gonna support you through the whole challenge!”

The other trainers give yelps and woohoos. “Go Marnie! That’s our Marnie! Yay Marnie!!”

It’s so easy to be talked over and shouted down.

She’s not getting rid of them as long as she stands here, though, so Marnie keeps walking and pretends they aren’t there.

She makes it to Motostoke safe and sound, and that’s what counts, right?

Leon’s girl is quiet, even by Marnie’s standards. She looks at everything with wide eyes, like she’s overjoyed and overwhelmed. She’s brown eyes and brown hair and brown skin, plain posture and plain clothes. Either she hasn’t figured out her aesthetic yet, or her aesthetic is to be so normal that one might overlook her.

She’s got a lovely smile, though.

Marnie decides she likes her.

“You’re lookin’ a bit gobsmacked by all this,” she says.

The girl nods, grinning sheepishly.

“You must be from some small country town, is that it? I’m quite the same myself.”

The girl stands awkwardly, like she’s not used to conversation. Then she kneels down and makes faces at Morpeko. For his part, Morpeko seems to love it. Fair enough. Don’t trainers usually connect through their Pokemon? Maybe that’s what this girl is trying to do.

Leon’s brother rushes up. “Gloria, come on! Sorry, everyone, we gotta go!”

He grabs the girl by the hand, and in the blink of an eye, they’re gone.

Marnie will learn later, from magazine profiles and TV interviews, that Gloria is the childhood friend of Leon’s little brother. The pair of them are like peas in a pod, apparently. In the interviews, Hop is always the one talking. He speaks like he’s never heard of an indoor voice. Gloria is almost silent beside him, nodding along, only saying a few words when specifically prompted.

Marnie understands. When everyone around is so loud, sometimes it’s an advantage to be quiet.

She hopes they’ll get the chance to speak properly.

At the hotel, Gloria has just battled a group of Team Yell grunts. Inwardly, Marnie groans. Like it or not, Team Yell is her fandom, which means she has some responsibility for what they do.

Does Piers know how much of a pain his trainers will be if they keep acting like this?

They're there to protect you.

Her brother hates repeating himself.

She tells Team Yell to just go home. Piers can send them out again later if he wants.

She turns to the other kids, explains what Team Yell is doing. “Sorry if they caused you any trouble.”

She expects them to look at her with scorn. Look at this girl, with a thick accent and dirty clothes. Look at how she thinks she’s so special, with a team of hooligans following her around.

But then Leon’s little brother speaks.

“So you’re a gym challenger, too?” Hop folds his arms behind his head. He’s got a cute toothy grin; he’s obviously used to being happy. “Team Yell, was it? Pretty impressive that you already have a set of fans to call your own!”

He really doesn’t know.

But Marnie smiles all the same.

She’s in a boutique in Motostoke when she sees Hop again.

“Watch out! I’m coming through!”

He pushes blithely past anyone in his way. Of course, no one gives him any trouble. He’s the champion’s little brother. He can do whatever he likes.

It seems that what he wants to do is look at the same rack of snapbacks Marnie is.

He picks up a League Sponsored Normal Type Hat (™). “Hey, Marnie, how does this look on me?”

He says it like they’re not basically strangers.

He says it like he’s entitled to her thoughts.

(Being Leon’s little brother must come with a lot of perks, huh.

But that’s a mean thing to think.)

She decides to humor him. “It looks fine.”

“Aw, come on! Look at me!”

She does.

She’s struck with the strangest sense of deja vu, but in a moment she understands why.

Hop has his brother’s face. Hop has his brother’s smile. Hop has his brother’s eyes.

People say that Marnie and Piers look alike, but a good portion of that is because they’re both punk. Put them in prep clothes, and the resemblance grows less distinct.

(Piers’ eyes always look so tired. If Marnie takes over the gym, will her eyes start to look like that, too?

No encores.

She’s probably a remix.)

“Are you figuring out what you want your image to be?” she asks.

“Mm. Yeah, I guess? You gotta give the audience a way to find you outta all the other challengers.”

Marnie hums. “You’ve already got a good template if ya play up how much ya look like Leon.”

Immediately, she knows that was the wrong thing to say. Hop drops the hat as if burned, and he shoves his hands in his pockets.

Marnie looks at the hat that she’d been considering, a League Sponsored Dark Type (™).

“Y’know, though,” she says, kneeling down to pick a more generic newsie cap, “my big brother is always talkin’ about not doin’ encores. It’s good ta always have somethin’ new, right?”

She hands him the cap. It’s blue, a shade off from the jacket Hop is wearing. He fits his hair under it, then tilts his head to give her a better view.

“It looks good on you,” she says.

He grins, then reaches down and pulls out a bright pink cap. He places it on her head, but her pigtails get in the way, and they both scramble to catch it before it hits the floor.

Hop starts laughing first, because that’s the kind of person he is, and soon Marnie is giggling too.

In this moment, she and Hop don’t represent anyone.

In this moment, they’re simply two kids in a new place, trying out different styles and having fun.

They buy the newsie hats. They buy matching jackets and shirts and trousers, too, because they have money now and no older brothers to stop them.

Hop gives her a cheerful goodbye and promises to meet her in the next town.

Marnie heads into the dressing room. She wants to examine the new clothes.

The inside of the cap and the lining of the jacket’s sleeves are both some silky fabric. The blouse is wooloo wool, soft as Morpeko’s fur. She runs her hands over it, enjoying the sensation, then puts the outfit on and snaps a selfie.

She looks like a princess. Not the ones like Cinderella, who came from poverty and ascended with the help of fairy godmothers. No, Marnie looks like one of the princesses who was born a princess. She looks like she’s used to elegance and influence.

It’s a nice daydream.

She puts on her usual outfit back on, then packs up the new clothes and mails them home at the next postbox.

It’s too late to be changing her style now.

“You’re Piers’ sister, right?” Milo asks, moving a hay bundle like he doesn’t realize how much of a flex it is. “I was listening to his stuff the other day. He’s really good.”

“He is.” Marnie holds up a pokeball. “But I’m here to battle you.”

The next TV spot describes her as stoic and emotionless. They say she’s serious, goal-focused. She doesn’t know how to feel about it.

It turns out Gloria likes normal-types. Beside her Scorbunny, she’s got a Wooloo and an Eevee. Plain girl, plain clothes, plain Pokemon.

But however plain Gloria is, her smile is genuine. It’s the kind of expression that connects with an audience.

Later that night, Marnie examines herself in her Rotom-phone’s camera. Her natural smile is so small that it’s not much different from her usual flat expression.

She puts on finger on either side of her lips and physically pulls them up.

It’s better, but still not enough.

She meets Bede on the outskirts of Stow-on-Side.

He’s got a Copperajah by his side. It’s not the kind of Pokémon she would expect him to have, but if the league was supposed to be about growing as a person…

He almost barrels over her. Lucky for Marnie, she’s got Team Yell behind her. They keep her from falling, and one of them grabs Bede by the back of his coat.

“Get your hands off of me,” Bede growls.

“You gotta apologize to Marnie first!”

“Why would I waste my time —”

(Why doesn’t the Copperajah do anything? Does it not care what happens to its trainer?)

Marnie’s eyes meet Bede’s.

“Well?” he asks, his lip curled into a sneer. “I know you, Challenger Nine-six-zero. You’re the little sister of Spikemuth’s gym leader, right? Your city wants you to become champion so you can bring some glory back. But you’ll never make it to Wyndon.”

“How dare you say that to our Ma—”

Bede’s sneer gets bigger. “You depend too much on your brother’s screaming gang. He’s not going to be able to baby you forever. Can you even speak for yourself? I don’t think you can.”

It’s so easy to be talked over and shouted down.

She turns to her fans. “Let him go.”

“Let him —?”

In the moment of surprise, Bede wrenches himself from the grunt’s hold. He hops back, arms up, hands loosely curled into fists.

“I don’ know what yer problem is,” Marnie says, as loudly as she can, “but it’s not my trouble to deal with! I don’ wanna hear another word from you! Get!”

Bede huffs.

Then he and Copperajah continue on their path.

When they’re out of eyesight, Marnie turns to her fans.

Something must be wrong with her expression, because the grunts look scared.

“Marnie…?”

“Tell Piers that I don’ need ‘im ta baby me anymore!”

She turns on her heel and stomps on, alone.

When Marnie sets up camp for the night, she thinks about her rivals.

At the opening ceremony, there had been — what, twenty?

Right now, she can only remember three.

Whatever Bede is getting up to, it can’t be good. (She hopes his Copperajah eats him.)

Hop has been nowhere in sight. It’s unusual and worrying. She hopes the pressure isn’t getting to him.

And Gloria...

Gloria is lucky. Her town is already prospering, because it has already produced a champion.

She has no older siblings to overshadow her; she has never had to feel empty when they’re distant, or smothered when they make their presence known.

Gloria doesn’t even have to worry about representing her sponsor. Everyone’s expectations of Leon are placed squarely on Hop’s shoulders.

Gloria has the privilege of fighting for herself.

Marnie envies her.

She curls up in her sleeping bag and thinks, who am I really fighting for?

She fights for Spikemuth.

Her city has fallen into hard times, and it feels like everyone back home is expecting her to bring new life back to it.

(Dirty accent, dirty clothes.)

She fights for Piers.

Her brother wants her to take over the gym. Her brother gave her her first Pokémon and everything he’s done since has always come back to the damn gym.

(“I want to focus on my music.”

Marnie still can’t sing.)

She fights for herself.

...and she fights for Morpeko.

Morpeko needs her. She has caught other Pokémon, yes, and they all depend on each other, but Morpeko is her partner. She understands him the most. She understands his moods, his wants, his thoughts and feelings.

She knows what it’s like to hunger. She’s faced the pain of an empty belly and the anguish of an unrealized goal, and she finds them equal.

Morpeko is a right little brute when he’s hangry, though.

Of course, Team Yell is causing trouble. Did Piers tell them to close the gate? It would be consistent.

She shows Gloria the way into Spikemuth. Maybe another challenger would let her competitor struggle (and Marnie does, indeed, let the others struggle), but Gloria is her rival. Rivals help each other, right?

Gloria, of course, passes through the gym without any trouble at all. She powers past all the obstructions, never showing the slightest hint of frustration.

And then she comes to Piers.

Marnie is watching from the sidelines. She studies Gloria’s face, looking for any indication of what she’s thinking.

For some reason, Marnie really wants her brother to make a good impression on Gloria. To represent what’s good about Spikemuth, to make it so Marnie looks good as a result.

(Dirty accent. Dirty city. Dirty, tired man at the center of it all.)

Piers goes all out, giving his best performance.

Gloria hops in joy when she wins.

After Gloria leaves, Piers looks to Marnie and asks, “Are ya okay? The trainers told me you’ve been actin’ differently lately.”

“It’s nuthin’. Just getting a bit tired.”

“Do you wanna rest here tonight? You don’t have to continue —”

“No!”

She says it a bit louder than intended. Piers looks at her in surprise.

Marnie clears her throat and tries again: “I need to keep up wi’ my rivals. One of us is goin’ ta be facing Leon. I want it to be me.”

Her brother looks at her with those tired eyes.

(Is she a bad sister, looking for a way to escape his burdens?)

“Well. Kick Leon’s arse for me, ya hear?” Piers kicks up his microphone and tucks it under his arm. “And when you get bored a’ bein’ champion, Spikemuth Stadium will be waiting for ya.”

I don’t want to be your encore, she thinks, but keeps quiet.

She tugs on the pendant connected to her collar. Beside her, Piers does the same.

Hammerlocke Stadium is cold.

Gloria had her match here two days ago, Hop the day after that. Bede would probably have gotten here before either of them, but —

Somewhere along the line, Bede got disqualified.

She wonders if the same thing could have happened to her. If the Chairman or the Champion decided that her fans were being too disruptive, could they have her sent away, too?

Her brother is strong, but his power has limits.

“Hey, kid!” Raihan says. His grin is full of sharp teeth. “You ready to battle me?”

She nods.

“You’re not like your brother,” Hop says.

They’re in the Wyndon Stadium locker room, waiting for the semifinals to start. Hop and Gloria had walked in together but quickly split apart, going to opposite sides of the room.

Hop decided to sit next to Marnie. She’ll take it as a compliment.

“I mean, your brother’s cool and all!” Hop continues, “But I’ve been watching your battles. Your battle style is totally different from his!”

It is. Piers can’t keep his cool, can’t stop shouting out his strategy in the middle of a match.

And Marnie…

Marnie stays quiet. That’s her advantage.

“Thank you. For what it’s worth… yer style is pretty distinct from Leon’s, too.”

He smiles and leans back. “Thanks.”

The minutes tick by. The anticipation is almost unbearable.

Hop says, “I’ve been thinking… after the cup, what do you think you’re going to do? If you don’t become champion, I mean.”

If you don’t become champion. A nice way of saying if we battle, I’m going to win.

Marnie herself has no intention of losing, but… well, everything’s a possibility.

“Piers wants me ta take over the gym. He wants ta follow his own dreams.”

“Do you want to take over the gym?”

Do you want to be your big brother’s encore?

Marnie thinks about the Spikemuth Stadium. Neon lights. Punk trainers. Dandelions growing through cracks in the concrete.

Despite everything, it’s her home.

If she can’t take Leon’s throne… she wouldn’t mind sharing Piers’ stage.

His songs. Her battles.

I’m not an encore, Marnie decides. Not a replay. Not a remix.

I’m a brand new song.

She says in answer, “I think I’d be happy there.”

When it comes time for her semifinal match, Marnie walks out on the pitch to the sound of roaring applause.

Gloria is waiting, plain as always, but she’s smiling that lovely smile.

(Oh, how Marnie wants that smile.)

The commentator announces them, putting them in boxes one last time. There’s Gloria, the trainer endorsed by the champion. There’s Marnie, endorsed by Spikemuth’s gym leader.

Marnie thinks of Piers: his prideful self-loathing, his harsh stage voice, his team of hooligans he’s sent to cheer for her.

She thinks of Spikemuth, the dark dirty town that has pinned all its hopes on her.

She thinks of her rival, standing before her.

She’s come too far to lose here.

#pokemon swsh fanfic #marnie pokemon #WMTMITSIAW

5 notes · View notes

morethanithoughtofficialblog · 4 years

Text

Chapter 11: And I had an anxiety attack... again.

In which the title describes the whole chapter

*Your POV*

I slammed the door behind me, fell to my knees, and closed my eyes. Today was such a shitty day I actually don't want to go back. But I have to. Unless I want to get fired, which actually doesn't sound THAT bad.

Wait... yeah, that sounds reasonable.

My apartment was just like my mind: a complete fucking mess that made no sense and looked like Narnia. But despite that, my personal laptop was hanging out on the small table I have in front of the TV. I sighed and went to the kitchen, trying not to worry.

It's been a while ever since I met the group of monsters and, honestly, I'm loving it! They are super nice and a part of me has changed a bit... so I'm becoming more dedicated to making them as happy as I can.

And that also refers to some of their complaints, like "you should seek a better job" or "this is dangerous for you, you should have something that makes you happy". And that's what I was about to do.

After taking my cup of coffee and I sat on the couch, I opened my laptop and started to search for different jobs and opportunities. I'm a scientist and a... politician? We could say that. I'm experienced in both terms and I'm really trying to look for a scientist post today. I want to do what I love and, well, I'm a science nerd. Fite me.

I just don't want to work in the Congress anymore. It's boring, it's lame, and I'm not going to stay in an office for the rest of my days- not when I'm starting to care about things. Alphys and Sans have said that they want to become part of the science world, but they have to study hard to get it. While I'm waiting for them, though, I'll make them proud and work in science!

While browsing around, I ended up on a Facebook page and noticed I had a shitton of notifications. Interested, I checked the groups and started to read the messages... bad idea...

Paula: Hey, monster lover! You should just go with them to the Underground, hah!

Anna: Jesus, when did we let this happen?

Anna: I thought you were smarter than this!

John: You are gonna put us in trouble

John: And it'll be all YOUR FAULT!

And so it went. I frowned slightly and decided to check Discord, trying to get distracted for a bit. My mind was starting to make bad moves, and I just couldn't make them real. What if it was better to leave the topic? Did I make a mistake? Should I start protesting AGAINST them?! Are they a threat to humans? Oh my God, what have I done? Should I-

Do you wanna get... Frisky?: Hey (Y/N)!

Do you wanna get... Frisky?: you wanna play UNO?

CoolSkeleton95: YES, HUMAN!

CoolSkeleton95: YOU SHOULD JOIN THE FUN!

I shook my head with a smile, knowing I could never do that to them. Not after the little and funny history we have together, and how much comprehensible they looked with my problems socializing. They've made laugh like there is no tomorrow and to learn a lot of things. I just can't wipe them away from their dreams. I just can't wipe them away from my life.

Smartass: Sure, right now?

puns are love, puns are life: we're startin' right now, kiddo.

puns are love, puns are life: join this round before undyne comes with her shitty strategies again

I giggled softly, remembering the stupid nicknames we all had in that Discord group. I immediately went for my headphones, then joined the chat.

"Hi!" I exclaimed, praying that everyone could hear me. Fortunately, they could.

"hello kid, ready to lose?" A deep voice said, which I immediately recognized it was Sans. Everyone seems to have a high-pitched voice comparing them with him. Heck, even my father would sound like a three-year-old girl if we compare their voices!

After a bit of playing stupid rounds of UNO and hearing Sans's awful puns, I lost track of time. Eventually, Sans and I ended up playing Dead by Daylight together, the skeleton by some coincidence having the game installed. And so talked privately from then, and... got used to the game, I suppose.

"DUDE WHAT THE-" I stopped myself before I could use a bad word, not knowing how he would react. I still don't feel comfortable enough to be my usual, swearing, and boring self around them. I'm trying to be as less boring as possible... but I know that I'm still boring, even if I, indeed, try hard.

"i hate this game soooooooo much... what if we play somethin' else?" he asked, making me sigh in relief. This game's no good for someone with anxiety, keep that in mind. Bad thing I'm kind of a masochist in that aspect.

"You hate a lot of games, don't you? And sure, any suggestions?"

"do you have... mortal kombat?"

Oooh

This is going to be interesting!

"Which one?"

"x, i'm too poor to buy the new one"

"Sure, I have it! I'll love to play it, it's been a while"

"cool cool, i'll invite you then"

And we played like for, what, hours? Mortal Kombat is sincerely one of my favorite sagas of videogames since I was a little child. Dolls? Nah, videogames were my thing since the beginning of times.

I forgot my problems, I forgot everything. It was just me, my character, and an angry Sans rattling his bones all over the mic. I was enjoying it, even if he tried to deconcentrate me with his jokes, that at the end were all just corny comments trying to make me flush but made me laugh instead.

I joked now and then as well, and hearing his laugh was such a gratifying feeling I couldn't do anything but to laugh with him. Besides, his laugh is quite contagious, and I'm easily influenced when other people laugh, so this got the best of me.

When I looked at the clock though, fear ran all over my body, and I stood quiet for some good minutes. I tried to contain my anxiety, to calm down. I took deep breaths and closed my eyes, telling myself I'll be just fine.

"(y/n), are you-"

"HOLY SHIT IT'S 1 AM WHAT THE FUCK- AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

...

Nice job, sweetie.

My mind was being a huge and stupid mess whenever those awful screams were out of my mouth. Sans wasn't answering, so I felt worse. I started panicking and creating ways to make him hate me less, and before I could say anything, I heard laughter.

His laughter.

"oh my god (y/n) you panic a lot" he said between breaths, while I just remained silent. What the- "i'm sorry, it's just... you should not worry about anything, k? remember you said tomorrow you don't have to work, k? just relax. nothing's wrong with staying late once in a while, right?"

"Wait, so you don't think I'm pathetic or anything like that?!"

"wha- of course not! everyone has their moments (y/n), and you have anxiety, for god's sake! it's totally normal for someone to freak out now and then. you shouldn't feel guilty of that"

How...

I felt tears trying to escape from my eyes and I hold them back, keeping my cool... temporarily. I draw a weak smile in my face, even if Sans couldn't see it.

"Thank you. I needed that" Aaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnd my voice broke down in the process. Shit.

"don't worry (y/n)" he said kindly, and I bet he was still wearing that permanent shit-eating grin. I chuckled to myself, slowly making tears disappear "hey, do you wanna meet up tomorrow? maybe you want some time to yourself, i know, but maybe you should try to interact more with people... since i'm assuming you don't"

I never thought I would get lectured by a skeleton. Guess life is unexpected, huh?

But I realized he was right. My social anxiety can only be solved by interacting with others. There is no escape, and I'm conscious of that. Besides, what can go wrong? Sans has been nothing but a nice guy, and I'm starting to enjoy his company a lot. Maybe I'll be able to consider him as a friend?

"I'd love that, thank you so much. I don't get to hang out often, so that means a lot"

"don't sweat it. everyone deserves a chance to express themselves"

We hung up the call with a quick "see you tomorrow" and I went straight to bed, never erasing that last sentence he said from my mind.

"Everyone deserves a chance to express themselves", huh? Maybe...

Maybe this is my chance

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Sans's POV*

We hung up the call and I let out a sigh. I never realized I was playing until late, mostly because Papyrus didn't come for his bedtime story, and so I lose track of time. I was having a good time though, but I can't be stubborn and keep her up any longer. Not after she almost had a heart attack.

She's nice, and she seems pretty genuine. Doesn't look like the type of girl that should hide anything, not with that anxiety of hers. She's a goddess in Mortal Kombat, though. She knew how to use almost every fighter perfectly, and I felt like a punching bag with jokes in its interior. The more she won, the more I joked. At least she laughed... a lot, actually. She's a good audience, just like Tori.

Then I remembered she cursed when she was starting to freak out, and I started to wonder if she uses "strong" language daily. Or well, at least in her head.

I looked over that beautiful website called Youtube and watched some memes, that are truly gold if you ask me. A sick and dark sense of humor combined with random things and retards living their lives- in one word, perfection. I would also watch Tumblr, but that site gave me a good uncomfortable feeling that I don't want to relive any sooner. I also wanted to check Wattpad, but ever since I knew that it was mostly FanFiction, I thought more about it. Then I remember that Alphys told me she had an account and I immediately never went to that place...

Alphys is scary sometimes, no one can judge me. Her weird FanFictions are pretty much apart from anything I like to read or write...

And yes, I'm a writer.

That's why I thought Wattpad would be a good idea...

Thank God I changed my mind.

I'm mostly a science fiction lover, but drama and suspense are not that bad. I also like a lot of horror novels, but I'm no good at writing one my self. Believe me, I tried. It's hard to make it as noncliché as possible, considering that paranormalities are a huge cliché themselves.

I always include romance in my stories though. I realized it's quite essential in defining people's personalities and actions. Besides, romantic scenes leave a nice drama feeling when they are not exaggerated, so I try to put them once in a while.

I'm currently writing a novel instead of a short story, but it's hella difficult if you are bone dry of ideas. It takes a skele-ton of effort to come up with something good, and it's harder to put it in words. I also need to do some more research, since it includes scientific things...

Ah, sci-fi. What would I do without it?

I'm also a classic novel lover. Macbeth it's just wonderful and Journey to the Center of the Earth are old masterpieces that have a special place in my soul. I read them when I was a kid, and I would do it over and over. But I also want to see what new books the surface has to offer- one of my wildest dreams is to visit the biggest libraries around the world, like the ones in Paris or in Tokyo. But that has to wait.

I'm tired, but I never get myself to sleep. I suffer insomnia since... quite a few time, actually. It all started with the first reset of that goddamn flower; it started whenever I realized that the timeline theory was real and that, whoever got the power- the DETERMINATION- had the entire world at their hands.

Flowey was first, then Frisk came and had the power. Now I don't know if she has it anymore, considering we are at the surface and anyone could be more determined than her. But there's still a chance she has time and space at the tip of her fingers, and with a snap, she can make everything and everyone I love disappear.

That kid... she probably wants to see me suffer. After everything I've done to stop her, she hates me even more. She's selfish. She's a prick. And I'll never forgive her.

She knew I would remember when she did that. She killed everyone I loved, she destroyed the little hope I had on my home... and laughed at my face about it. That fight, that crazy look in her eyes... I have nightmares about it. Whenever I see the kid, a part of me replaces it with the painful memories of past timelines.

And I can't make them stop. I can't erase that devilish and empty smile Frisk had. I can't erase the vision of that flower becoming a God before my eyes.

I can't erase Papyrus's smile still with hope before turning to dust.

I shook my head and sighed. Out of all the times, I can't bring myself now into thinking like that... not anymore. We're on the Surface now, for God's sake! I should be happy because now I can fulfill my happiest dreams!

...

I lack the motivation, though.

There's no hope for me, or that's what I think.

I want the best for everyone (except Frisk and Flowey; screw them), but me? Heh, this old sack of bones won't be his usual self any sooner. It's just... it's just stupid to think I'll ever be the casual and relaxed skeleton ever again. I'm paranoid. I'm scared. I'm a fucking coward trying to protect his brother, but being too useless to do anything about it.

I can't go back to Snowdin. I can't go back to that goddamn house. I can't.

I glanced over my desk and noticed the folder with the things for my education. I let a sigh, knowing that I would never be able to keep up with that kind of stress. Not if my mind it's worried about something else.

I turned off the lights and went to my bed, trying to clear my mind. I let a new human enter my life, one older than Frisk...

That doesn't mean it's less dangerous.

That doesn't mean she's not a murderer...

#sans x reader #sansxreader #more than i thought fanfiction #more than i thought #sans #x reader #undertale

1 note · View note

artsy-hobbitses · 6 years

Text

ONI YELLS ABOUT THE SHIELD

The Shield as a collective is what I like to call one of the company's most potent lightnings in a bottle in recent time, combining three guys with commanding presence and dripping with their own brand of charisma who played off each other like they were born to do it. They work unlike any tagteam I've ever seen (yes, even your corny-ass NWO Wolfpac, a comparison which they themselves have brought up scathingly).

For starters, there is and never has been a True Leader among the three of them. There seems to be some unspoken understanding that they work as a unit, not a hierarchy (unlike say Triple H in Evolution who was clearly the leader of the group and never let his team mates forget it). Instead, a majority of the time they act when there's a mutual agreement to act which may be due to one member pursuing a certain course of action but once the ball is rolling there's almost never any argument on who 'leads'. Occasionally Seth may take the helm when things get cerebral, Dean usually elects to move ahead if it's darker dealings and if they need to plow through bigger challenges, Roman's more than willing to be their battering ram. Beyond that they have a system they stick to when it comes to chasing down 'prey' and bringing down larger ones which is interesting to study; 1. In a chase, Seth is almost always the 'sighthound', the one in the lead hot on the scent. Dean follows up like a terrier flushing out whatever Seth unearths and Roman carries the back like a massive wrecking ball of a Cane Corso. 2. During battles, Seth dazes or stuns larger opponents with aerial assaults, Dean dives low (we see this more often now) to break their support and Roman wraps it up in a nice, violent package.

TLDR: They know the role they have to play, understand that each of them is integral to the survival of their unit and do it perfectly.

Something I find unique is also their brand of Cool Badass that includes being emotionally open with one another and completely unabashed and unapologetic when it comes to showing affection to one another. This is refreshing since affection between men esp. in wrestling tends to be downplayed, not there or played up for comedic effect, and somehow, these jacked af SWAT dudes are 720% comfortable with hugging, snuggling, more snuggling, forehead kisses, comforting face touches, cradling one another and there's no laugh track, it's not framed as an uncomfortable situation, it's not even a Big Deal with how fucking OFTEN they engage in it, like there's agreement between them that This Is Important To Our Relationship and they go with it like breathing air.

I'd say it's pretty close to if not at the same level as the Golden Lovers, just not played as romance--it's just their way of bonding. You see it in the way Roman hugs his brothers---He looks like he's sinking his soul into them with how visceral he allows himself to be with them.

You see it in the way Seth keeps touching Dean's face (Most apparent in their earliest Shield run) to calm Dean down, and it works and more amazingly, Dean learns from it and has done it to Seth himself and Roman on different occasions. You see it in how aggressive Dean himself gets when initiating contact especially with headbumps/nuzzles---sometimes there's snarling involved, as though he's hungry for it, sometimes it looks like a dog who had been abused up to some point in its life and while having a much better life now, is struggling with but understands and wants to show love, even if it comes off a little more harshly than expected.

You can absolutely believe without shadow of a doubt that these men honestly love each other which is such a novel quality to prescribe to a vicious, unforgiving paramilitary unit of mercenaries.

It's not to say the relationship is perfect; They've had their share of conflict, they've been massive turds to each other at times, but It's the kind of fierce, enduring love that interlaced with a genuine joy in each other's company which survives momentary betrayal where they would still choose each other over the world when the world closed in around them, and even heavyweight title matches;

Roman and Dean happily agree that "Loser buys beer!" with no bad blood while they gleefully bash each others' faces in because of this inspiring bit of emotional maturity (holy SHIT in MY WRESTLING?!) so rarely seen in ANY TAG TEAM where they knew the stakes from day one, decided that the best man would win, sincerely congratulated and were happy for whoever won and made it clear that it wouldn't do a damn thing to change their friendship. Roman, despite his rivalry with Seth has on several occasions saved Seth during their matches while Dean's love for Seth manifests in a sort of twisted hatelove-possesiveness where he insists that "Seth Rollins is sort of my thing" because he's gone from nihilistic not giving a shit about anyone or anything in the world, to centering his sights on a man he believes took everything worth taking away from him which against convention leads him to forgiveness rather than retribution---a story you don't always hear in wrestling and DEFINITELY not self-proclaimed 'scum' like him.

In Seth, you can sort of put what he went through next to the saga that was Triple H's betrayal and feud Shawn Michaels because there's clearly a precedent for what he did on June 2nd, but here's where it changes; Seth, openly, heartbreakingly lays out his cards on the tables for the world to see when he realizes and owns up to the true extent of what he did and he's driven half-mad by rage and despair. He's furious at what he had become, the things and people he had sacrificed and he makes no qualms that he hated who he was when he was with Hunter (who despite his closeness to has never had this sort of epiphany with Shawn).

He gives Dean a chance to enact what he believes is justice and reaches out to Roman without expecting anything in return outside of helping Roman even the odds. He doesn't just slip back into the role of being a reliable ally once more; Even if he doesn't say it, he actively worked for it because for all the shitty things he said and did when he was in a suit wearing a face that never felt like his, they were worth that much to him at the very least.

In the end, together these three men have gone through more within six years than a lot of tag teams have in a lifetime and that has made them, in my option, that much harder to break because what else could you do to bow them? What comes after lopsided beatdowns, multiple title clashes and a shattering betrayal? Who could buy their loyalty when they have seen firsthand what happens when their loyalty is bought? What can hope to shake the resolve of three war-weathered wolves whose paths are so intertwined to each other? Who are now older and wiser and more understanding of the world they in their youth wanted to change with fire and steel and battlecries?

That's what intrigues me with their current incarnation; If they were dangerous then in their impetuous, impatient naivete as novices to the main roster, imagine how dangerous they could be now.

#The Shield #I LOVE THESE BOYS SHUT UP #Dean Ambrose #Roman Reigns #Seth Rollins

463 notes · View notes

thecinephale · 6 years

Photo

Magic Mike XXL: Masculinity Worth Appreciating

I saw the first Magic Mike with my sister the summer before I left for college. I remember this day the way I remember just about everyday I’ve spent alone with my sister. I remember the day we spent visiting her favorite “spots” right before I started high school. I remember when we got into a hip NYC club because she looked like her even though I looked like me. I remember the difficult lunch we had my first visit back after coming out as trans. I spent most of my life with my sister, usually our parents were there or nearby. But once she learned to drive, the days alone, I remember all of those. This day, in June, in 2012, we were seeing Magic Mike.

There were two men in the theatre, sheepish looking boyfriends whose body language and facial expressions tried to make clear that they were just being good sports. Otherwise it was all women, ages ranging, ready to express their sexuality in public, an experience rarely allowed. My sister commented several times how weird it was to be seeing this with her little brother. I deflected with discussion about Steven Soderbergh and his varied filmography, abuzz with the comfort and confusion I’d always feel when in majority-women spaces.

The movie was fine. Soderbergh knows how to shoot and edit, Channing Tatum knows how to dance, and Matthew McConaughey knows how to chew scenery. But in making two films about the sex industry, Soderbergh failed to understand the difference between what men and women audiences are regularly given. It’s subversive to send a bunch of horny guys into The Girlfriend Experience wanting to see Sasha Grey fuck and then giving them a cold film about economics. But doing the same to a bunch of horny women wanting to see Channing and the gang is just… disappointing.

Still there were enough abs to keep the audience relatively happy, and I left the theatre with the excited feeling that I’d gotten away with something. The same feeling I always had when I’d hang out with my sister and her friends, the same feeling I’d have any time I managed to be around groups of girls, conversations, car rides, karaoke rooms. While I never felt fully relaxed, I did feel more comfortable. It was as much about being near women as it was about being away from men.

***

We talk a lot about trans women’s relationship towards femininity. Every corny movie with a trans femme youth has her trying on makeup, heels, painting her nails. My experience was certainly filled with a lifelong admiration towards girls and women that fluctuated between envy and lust, admiration and resentment. I obsessively loved women and then turned on them when I felt dissatisfied. I convinced myself that relationships needed to be romantic, because I confused the deep desire to consume their bodies, their fashion, their entire being as a sexual impulse rather than one of imitation. I ruined so many friendships this way.

But what we talk about less is how much of my life was spent with masculinity, immersed in it, confused by it, desperate to understand how to embody it. I know some trans women have clarity from a young age that they are girls and it’s just a matter of others accepting it. But that was not my experience. My discomfort with boyhood and attraction to girlhood never seemed like something I could embrace. Instead I felt a pressure and desire to adjust those attractions, to be a boy and then a man to the best of my ability.

I’m fortunate to have a father who is sensitive and kind. I’m also fortunate to have a father who coached my baseball and soccer teams throughout most of my childhood. Sports became something that was undeniably masculine but that I also loved. I may have watched my sister’s dance classes with envy, but I also found genuine pleasure in being on the field, being physical and focused and competitive. It helped that my dad always prioritized sportsmanship, team spirit, and fun over winning. The league recognized this and rewarded him with the absolute worst players they could find. Our team of misfits may have frustrated me at times, but it also allowed me to think of sports as an exercise in empathy rather than a terrifying world of standards and punishments. I wonder now how many other boys on those teams were queer. I know at least one.

My positive experience with sports allowed me to navigate my early childhood fairly unscathed. I was bullied incessantly by other boys (and even some other girls) probably picking up on something about me. And my “crushes” (as I’d wrongly call them) on girls were intense to the point of all-consuming obsession. But my immense discomfort towards masculinity didn’t really start until middle school, until puberty.

I couldn’t figure out what masculinity even was. I knew certain expectations placed on me and felt like they were all terrible. I was supposed to objectify women. That was the most obvious. The grosser I could get when talking about the girls I “liked” the more I’d be accepted. I was also supposed to be aggressive. Physically. I was not supposed to cry. Or show any emotion. It wasn’t enough that I liked sports. I was supposed to only like sports. If someone was my friend that meant they made fun of me in front of our other friends and the proper response was to make fun of them back. Or hit them.

Some of this is just middle school. But a lot of it carried over into high school and beyond. My new friends cared more about theatre than sports, but if you’ve ever watched two 17-year-old boys fight over who gets what part in Julius Caesar you’d realize it’s all the same. *** The summer before I came out, the greatest sequel of all time graced our movie screens: Magic Mike XXL.

This masterpiece of masculinity is a modern-day Old Hollywood musical. Blah blah La La Land blah blah. Go watch On the Town and it becomes clear those musicals are about 1) hot guys, 2) tight pants, 3) great dancing. XXL is pure, sex-positive joy from beginning to end. It abandons the thematic and narrative overwroughtness of the original and makes a new statement: Celebrating female sexuality and non-toxic masculinity is what’s truly radical.

As a lesbian, I’ll leave discussions of the former to others (now that The Toast is gone I’m not sure where Roxane Gay’s review went, it’s really worth hunting down). But as a trans woman, who spent my whole life trying to understand masculinity, this movie was a goddamn revelation. The way the men celebrate women is lovely and sexy and new, but the way they celebrate each other is what really stood out to me.

The men in Magic Mike XXL are masculine. They embody so many of those basic, oversimplified middle school traits I listed above. And yet. It looks good on them. They’re physical, they rag on each other, they trade crude remarks about women. But they also support each other. They discuss their goals and varied interests. They talk out conflicts. Their discussion of women is crude but not objectifying. And they’re comfortable enough in their sexuality and gender to participate in a drag show. Watching XXL, I didn’t feel any closer to masculinity, but for the first time I found it something worth aspiring to. Social pressure was no longer the only thing pushing me towards it, and, as a result, it soon became clear I was never meant to achieve it.

Since coming out, I’ve had the good fortune of befriending some trans men and non-binary individuals who align with certain elements of masculinity and manhood. In these people I tend to see this same sort of Magic Mike XXL version of masculinity. I see it in my dad. I see it in a few cis male friends. I spent my life hating masculinity, but now I see its potential.

***

Last week I went to Thirst Aid Kit’s screening of Magic Mike XXL at the Alamo Drafthouse. Thirst Aid Kit is a podcast hosted by Bim Adewunmi and Nichole Perkins and is really a must-listen if you’re a person who enjoys lusting after men (and if you aren’t it’s still a good time). They provided fake money to throw at the screen and bingo cards with squares like “Mike grabs his crotch.” Cocktails were served throughout and we were encouraged to hoot, wallop, and moan as we saw fit.

It’s been about six years since I sat in that regular movie theatre with my sister cherishing what felt like girl time. And here I was, again in a majority-women space, watching Channing Tatum grind. This time I felt comfortable, and also, finally, relaxed.

As a trans person, I’ve been forced to examine my gender, to wrestle with masculinity and femininity and ultimately decide what elements of both appeal to me and who I personally am. In a time when cis men are feeling increasingly confused about their place in the world, I wonder what might happen if they also had to ponder their identity. I wonder what might happen if they had to reconsider their own definitions of masculinity. I wonder what an all cis straight male screening of Magic Mike XXL might look like and what it might achieve.

Some need to thirst. Others need to learn. This movie does it all. <3

#Magic Mike #Magic Mike XXL #masculinity #toxic masculinity #femininity #trans #transgender #LGBTQIA #Channing Tatum #Steven Soderbergh #Thirst Aid Kit #Alamo Drafthouse #Bim Adewunmi #Nichole Perkins

19 notes · View notes