#90% sure it was a mistake but it was funny so I had to share

[girllbossmalewifeduos]

PROPAGANDA

Emma/Paul:

Emma spent her younger years backpacking in South America. She hates her barista job and spits in people's coffee. Paul is a literal poor little meow meow because he was a cat once

No propaganda submitted for Ururaka and Midoriya

[sasukeless]

what are your modern au sns headcanons?

i like to incorporate as many things from canon into modern aus as possible tbh so i kinda already joked about sasuke being probably hunted down by true crime obsessed ppl trying to interview him about his insane murderer brother and also naruto finding out later in life he might be a nepo baby and his father was a big political figure idk it’s funny to me

as for narusasu specific hcs

they met at an orphanage (because unlike konoha who lets children raise themselves i feel modern au they just get shove into the system)

growing up they definitely liked to vandalize places, especially monuments. or well naruto did and sasuke covered for him because he likes naruto.

naruto spends half of his time in middle and high school carving sasuke’s name into tables and walls. he says he does it so sasuke gets blamed but he’s just in love and has a sasuke brainrot.

naruto is a collage drop out and ends up working with plants (i refuse to let him suffer by going into politics) and sasuke also drops out with him but comes back later to finish some because he ends working with reptiles specifically snakes.

naruto loves buy matching stuff All the time but he never admits it’s matching. he just buys things like bracelets or mugs in purple and orange and that’s it. sasuke is very aware of this but he never complains and uses everything naruto buys.

after they start dating they do wear those stupid matching necklaces kishimoto drew.

in their free time, sasuke is really good at playing instruments whereas naruto is more into painting (he’s so into street art!!!). sasuke for sure has a electric guitar btw

sasuke did naruto’s first piercing (eyebrow one) when they were 14. it hurt so bad they had a physical fight. still, sasuke does the rest of naruto’s piercings too.

they fight a lot!!! everyone is weirded outtt. but it’s normal to them. and five minutes later they are making out. they have a thing for fighting during sex too so there’s always a black eye or busted lip in the morning.

i can’t really see them dating other people prior each other tbh. it’s like in canon they are The One for each other since forever. they have some surface level crushes here and there before they get together but it’s never serious or affects them.

naruto picks kurama when he’s a kid and mistakes it for a puppy. it is in fact a fox but like by the time he’s told that (an hour later) he has already developed affection so no one can do anything about it, that’s his pet.

neither has a driver license. sasuke gets too annoyed at the traffic and the people in said traffic. meanwhile naruto gets distracted all the time. naruto still has a car and drives it because he thinks it’s fun and since sasuke lets him get away with anything he’s okay with both dying in a car crash because naruto kept singing loudly.

naruto texts sasuke 24/7 and even if sasuke doesn’t reply to all, he does read them and remembers them. sasuke’s texts consist in these two emojis: 👍 and 💜

i disagree with the idea that either of them smokes sorry. naruto tries it once but sasuke says he doesn’t like the taste after he kisses him and it makes naruto want to kill himself so bad, he never again gets close to do it again.

yeah, they share toothbrush and all (gross)

they are super competitive over video games and it’s probably the reason of 90% of their fights

each of them has seen like ten psychiatrists through their lives but they never stick around nor follow any instructions. they are rawdogging it at life and it’s okay, they make each other happy that’s what matters

they get married at 18th on impulse. when their friends find out they disapprove and think it won’t last but they do! they never file for divorce or anything

these are all so messy but yeah i can’t see narusasu being normal in any setting, they also don’t want to be normal

[pitifulwolves]

i have such an elaborate noah/mirage fic idea but im not much of a writer and i don’t know where else to share this

ok but i had an idea of mirage dating noah in his holoform and i just had to expand more on it (fyi im not really sure how a holoform would work and once again please ignore any mistakes, i never written a fic before 😭)

—

Noah is a closeted gay man living in the 90’s and yearns to be with someone romantically. Mirage could tell by the way Noah looks at loving couples in public, especially during their leisure rides. A part of Mirage wishes he could be that for Noah but its hard especially since he is an alien robot much much bigger than Noah. He isn’t too sure how Noah would feel if he knew how he felt.

One day, mirage was looking through some magazine Noah brought and had an idea of creating the ideal holoform that could be with Noah. That could share comfort and love with.

It was all going so well. it started with a little meet cute and it became more, they started dating and sharing secret kisses in public. Mirage thought it was what he wanted. He thought he would be satisfied, but he never felt more lonely. the more time Noah spent with the holoform, the lesser time he did with mirage.

But he pushed through. he knew he couldn’t experience normal human dates with Noah in his alt form, so he took advantage of what he could.

.

He slipped up. He mentioned Peru during one of their human dates in his holoform and a sudden realization just hit Noah. Everything came crashing down. He left, trying to find mirage.

He was questioning everything they had went through together. Was what they had ever real? Was this some joke? Was he fated to never fall in love?

His head was spiraling into confusion and anger and he marched up to Mirage, eyes puffy and red as tears dripped down his cheeks He screamed and cried, begging mirage to explain why he did so. He wanted to know why. he wanted to know if this prank was funny to mirage. He wanted to know if it was all worth it, especially after breaking his heart.

After his rage has calmed, Mirage admits that he created the holoform with be with Noah, but it was not to play with his heart. He wanted to be with Noah, he yearned having Noah by his side and creating a holoform was the closest he could get. he admitted everything and assured Noah that what he said and did through his holoform was 100% genuine.

Noah’s sobs were calmer as he looked at Mirage with his tired eyes. He didn’t know what to say. Deep down he knew he had some feelings for the alien robot but it was already hard to process his feelings as a gay man, so he pushed those feelings away. Being with Mirages’s holoform, which he didn’t know before, made it easier for him to move on because it felt normal. But now knowing it was mirage all along..he felt a little confused.

Noah admits to himself that being with ‘him’ was the best thing that ever happened to his life. He wanted to experience that again. He wanted to love and feel loved, with someone real this time.

Someone who was already right under his nose. or perhaps above his head in this sense.

Meanwhile, Mirage waits for an answer. Despite what Noah will say, Mirage chooses to respect it. He understands and doesn’t want to push any more boundaries. He doesn’t want to lose his friend. his friend which made his life on earth more exciting than it has ever been during his 7 years being stuck on this planet.

Noah finally speaks. He asks mirage to lean closer with his meekly voice, quiet and dry after sobbing his heart out.

Mirage complies and waits for Noah’s rejection. Instead he received a soft peck on his lips, which made his engine fan whir loudly. Noah smiles earnestly as he places his hand on mirage’s cheek.

Noah rested his forehead on mirage’s and they both stayed silent as they embrace each other’s presence.

No words were said but everything felt right when they were together.

—

i’m experiencing extreme brainrot

I’m going to sob, this entire idea is so so so good, as much as I love mirage being comfortable as himself to be with Noah, the idea that he wants what’s normal for Noah just hits different.

I feel like they’d very occasionally still have Holoform dates, granted no where near as often as before Noah found out the truth.

[11queensupreme11]

(I used some incorrect quotes.)

Hime: Sorry I’m late, I was doing things.

Sukuna: Hi, I’m ‘things’.

—

Sukuna: Hey, I’m getting in the shower. Wanna help me out?

Hime: ...Have you never taken a shower before?

—

Shisui: Wow, Sukuna, you want to hold my hand before marriage? How awfully lewd of you.

Sukuna: We literally slept together yesterday.

Shisui: That's NOTHING compared to the lewdness of holding hands.

Ryujin: .....You two did what...?

—

Hime: You look good in that hoodie! You know where else you'd look good?

Sukuna, zero hesitation: Your bed.

Hime, at the same time: By my side- wait, what?

—

Gojo: Are we fighting or flirting?

Hime, furious: I'm pinning you against a wall with my hand around your neck-

Gojo: Your point?

—

Hime: What are you in the mood for?

Sukuna: World domination.

Hime: That's a bit ambitious.

Sukuna: You are my world.

Hime: Aww...

Sukuna:

Hime:

Sukuna:

Hime: OH.

—

Hime: Come to dinner tonight. I can’t cook, but I’ll bring plenty of free wine.

Sukuna: Marry me.

—

Hime: Okay, I’m going to get the wedding cake.

Megumi: I'll contact the musicians.

Yuji: Perfect, while you guys do that I’ll check on the ring bear.

Hime: ...

Megumi: ...

Hime: You mean ring bearER, right?

Yuji: ...

Megumi: Look me in the eyes and tell me you are not going to bring a dangerous wild animal to our wedding.

—

Hime: Sukuna, you do remember when we agreed we were better off as friends, right?

Sukuna, naked in Hime's bed: No, I absolutely do not.

Hime, already taking off her clothes: Fuck... Me neither.

—

Sukuna: I want to kiss you.

Shisui, not paying attention: What?

Sukuna: I said if you die, I wont miss you.

—

Hime: Look, last night was a mistake.

Sukuna: A sexy mistake.

Hime: No, just a regular mistake.

—

Shisui: Sukuna and I are no longer friends.

Sukuna: SHISUI THAT IS THE WORST WAY TO TELL PEOPLE THAT WE’RE DATING!

—

Hime when she was stuck in the hot springs: Go fuck yourself!

Sukuna, smugly: Sure, but only if you watch.

—

Sukuna: Remember, melons, don't do anything I wouldn't do.

Hime: I think I crossed that line when I got a date.

—

Sukuna: I want to be with you for the rest of my life.

Shisui: Damn, that sounds like a marriage proposal.

Sukuna: ...

—

Hime: I still have no idea how I’m attracted to you...

Sukuna: Yeah, well, you’re stuck with me, and no take backs, melons.

—

Sukuna: Okay, but what if we went out to eat not as friends this time?

Shisui: AS ENEMIES?!

Sukuna:

—

Hime: We have a problem.

Sukuna: No, YOU have a problem. I have an idiot who keeps making them.

—

Hime in Bloodflood chapter 6: What the fuck is wrong with you?!

Sukuna: Wow, you could start with a 'good morning'.

Hime: Good morning. What the fuck is wrong with you?!

—

Hime: Bad things keep happening to me, like I have bad luck or something.

Sukuna: Hime, you don't have bad luck. The reason bad things happen to you is because you're a dumbass.

—

Principal Yaga, going over Sukuna's resume: Okay, so right here, it states that you’re creative.

Sukuna: Yes.

Principal Yaga: Okay... may I know what you create?

Sukuna: Problems.

—

Sukuna: Okay. I get it. You've had a really hard time lately, you're stressed out, seven people died-

Hime: Twelve thousand, actually.

Sukuna: Not the point. Look, they're dead now and really whose fault is that?

Hime: Yours!

Sukuna: That's right: no one's.

—

Yuji: Okay, help me please!

Sukuna: Got two words for you.

Yuji: I bet they won't be helpful.

Sukuna: Your problem.

Yuji: I was right.

—

Shisui: Junichiro and I got married!!

Sukuna: Don't share your personal problems with everyone.

Hime: We have a problem. Sukuna: No, YOU have a problem. I have an idiot who keeps making them.

this is so funny cuz in bloodflood, he's literally gonna be the cause for 90% of her problems 😭

[armchairfootballer]

England’s Harry Kane Problem

Shortly after picking up his silver medal, Harry Kane walked past the UEFO Euro trophy, draped in red and yellow for victors Spain. Despite his record as one of the greatest strikers in the modern game, Kane emerged from yet another major tournament without a trophy — a well documented curse that his plagued him at both the country and club levels.

Some find it funny; others sad. Regardless, in our minds we know that a curse can't really exist (can it?), which makes the reality even more extraordinary. Is it fair for the football gods to bless someone with so much talent and individual success, but forever bar them from glory?

Of course, Kane isn't unique in this regard. Despite being named one of the greatest players of the 21st century, Socrates' closest reach to a major trophy was as runner up in the 1983 Copa América for Brazil. Likewise, two-time Capocannoniere winner Antonio DiNatale could muster only a 2nd-place finish with Italy at the 2012 Euros. But Kane's litany of achievements far surpasses the efforts of both.

The injustice might be more forgivable or understandable if Kane's ego had consistently got in the way of his team's success. It's not a stretch to think that a superstar's self-assuredness could hinder the team dynamic and cost them victory, particularly if it kept happening wherever he went.

But that's not the case with Kane. He's a team player and surely makes England better... or does he?

Lessons from Euro 2024

Kane shared the Euro 2024 Golden Boot with 5 others as the tournament's top scorer. Still, I doubt many would say he had a great tournament, by his standards, anyway. Like much of the England team, most of his play was dull and lacked creativity. He scored from 6 feet out against Denmark — the kinds of goals you pay strikers like Harry Kane to score regularly. His extra time winner against Slovakia was of the same ilk — a header from 3 feet out after an England corner. He'd add another from the penalty spot against the Dutch.

You could validly attribute Kane's relative lack of goals to the irregularity of delivery from his teammates. But there was something else worth noting about England's performances during the Euros...

England played better when Kane wasn't on the pitch.

In five of England's seven matches, manager Gareth Southgate withdrew Kane before the end of proceedings. Kane, who turns 31 this month, is used to playing a full 90 for club and country. But obviously, Southgate new that there were other tactics available to him. And he was right to explore them.

Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins added some much needed creativity to the pitch when subbed on. Others substitutes like Ivan Tony and Eberechi Eze added speed and urgency. England looked their best when their next generation of talent was taking the reins. Why?

Well, when you have a prolific striker like Kane, in a sense, you build a team and a strategy around them. This is easier to do in a club setting where you have more control over your membership, as opposed to international football, where your available talent pool is significantly more restrained (even for a team like England).

With this style of play, your success depends on the fitness and form of your star player. Even with characters like Bellingham and Saka, England's style with Kane on the field isn't designed to bring out the best in them — part of the reason they contribute much more to their club teams. But something new comes alive when England adapts to Kane's absence.

How does Southgate move forward?

And herein lies Gareth Southgate's dilemma moving forward. How do you reconcile these strategies? How do you utilize your star striker and yet develop this new crop of talented players who are aching to contribute if given the chance?

We've seen this unfold in some respects with Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo — and not for the better. The last two national managers for Os Navegadores have bent the knee to Ronaldo. Make no mistake, I don't envy their situation. How do you ensure that you utilize one of the greatest players of all time who clearly still has gas in the tank and can change a game in an instant, while adapting your game for the other excellent players who may be better suited for the moment, but you'll never know.

Southgate's challenge is not entirely like Roberto Martinez's problem in Portugal, in that Kane is by no means past his prime. He still has a few years at which he will be at the top of his game. So, do you bench one of the world's most prolific strikers to facilitate a new approach?

Surely, the answer must lie somewhere in the middle. But that is for greater minds that mine to figure out. England can only hope that Southgate is up to task. Harry Kane will need to hope for the same if he wants to finally put his hands on some silverware.

[dahbeez]

1. "You're such a dork."

2. "Get over here, you doof."

3. "Cheeky."

4. "You're so needy."

5. "Kiss me again."

6. "You're so adorable!"

7. "Look at you... goodness, you're so cute!"

8. "I'm just so happy!"

9. "I can't stop smiling."

10. "I like that you make me laugh so much that my cheeks hurt."

11. "You are being extra sweet today."

12. "Oh, look at you!"

13. "Your eyes are so pretty."

14. "I'm really happy that you're here with me."

15. "Thank you for staying with me."

16. "I don't think I've ever loved someone this much before."

17. "I feel like I'm in the clouds when I'm with you."

18. "You're like my hero/heroine."

19. "I'm gonna tickle you if you don't come over here."

20. "My, oh my. You are such a beautiful creature."

@drink-it-write-it​

21. "Go with me?" "As long as you hold my hand."

22. "Is there a reason you're blushing like that?"

23. "Have you seen my hoodie?" "Nooooo..." "You're wearing it, aren't you?"

24. "OH you're jealous!"

25. "Can we stay like this forever?"

26. "Please just kiss me already."

27. "I think you might be my soulmate."

28. "Sleep over? Please?"

29. "Are we on a date right now?"

30. "I think I'm in love with you."

31. "Are you flirting with me?" "You finally noticed?"

32. "Am I your lockscreen?" "You weren't supposed to see that."

33. "I wish we could live together already."

34. "They're so cute when they're asleep."

35. "I just wanted to let you know that I think you're beautiful."

36. "Quit touching me, your feet are cold!"

37. "Sharing is caring, now give me the hoodie!"

38. "Give me attention."

39. "You met me yesterday." "Yes, and I would die for you. Next question."

40. "She's hiding behind the sofa."

41. "Did you just hiss at me?"

@wishiwasanavenger-archive​

42. "Have you kissed anyone before?"

43. "Can I kiss you?"

44. "You're not hurting me, you're not heavy. I've got you, love.” 

45. "I look at them and I just... it's like when the Grinch's heart grows three sizes."

46. "I don't... I've never... been in a relationship before and I'm going to make mistakes... I just need you to tell me. I need you to talk to me."

47. "You didn't tell me your friend was cute! Now what am I going to do?"

48. "You give me a reason to be better, to do better."

49. "God, you are so fucking cute."

50. "I love you, but I need you to go away because you're really bloody distracting and I have to pass this test tomorrow."

51. "Oh no... they're cute."

52. "I can't talk to cute people, okay? I don't know how to flirt!"

53. "God, I love your face."

54. "Don't look at me, I'm a mess!" "I love it when you're a mess!"

55. "Please do your homework for me...? Just one time." ... "I said one time, y'know... you didn't have to start studying. Not that I'm not proud or anything."

56. "I'm already home."

57. "Your comfort and happiness is more important to me than some stupid dinner."

58. "Stop moving! I'm going to have to start counting all over again!"

59. "I just thought that since you weren't feeling too good, this would help."

60. "I'm not kissing you in the rain! We'll catch our death!"

61. "Would it help if I stayed?"

62. "I apologise sincerely if my beautiful/handsome face has kept you up all night."

63. "God, you're pretty."

64. "Calm down, it's just a chocolate bar!"

65. "Please, tell me you brought a toothbrush?"

66. "You take the bed, you need it more than me."

67. "You're so warm!"

68. "You're freezing, Jesus!"

69. "You always look beautiful."

70. "Your hands are so small!"

71. "Sometimes I just want to cuddle, okay? Is that so bad?"

72. "Now I know where half my wardrobe went."

73. "Here, let me just–" 

74. "You're really special to me."

75. "That tickles!"

76. "We only have one room left for the night..."

77. "Naps are life, okay?"

78. "I don't think I could love you anymore than I already do."

79. "I had the weirdest dream..."

80. "I got you a trophy, it's only plastic, but it's for being the best human I know."

81. "Someone keeps leaving love notes in my locker and I don't know if I should find it endearing or creepy..."

82. "I love your voice."

83. "Put me down! I can walk!"

84. "Can... can you come over?"

85. "You're the best."

86. "Can you please stop biting your lip, it's distracting."

87. "I thought you liked love songs!"

88. "I know you're not a fan of Valentine's day... I just thought that maybe I could change your mind..."

89. "You're my favourite know-it-all."

90. "That was the least romantic proposal in the entire history of proposals."

91. "I never knew you were a romantic at heart."

92. "I made it. For you. I know it's not the best, but..."

93. "Let me carry that."

94. "How do you know my favourite drink?" "I'm observant."

95. "We've known each other's for years and I don't think we've ever had a proper conversation."

96. "You're the clumsiest person I know, how did you survive past childhood?"

97. "It's always time for a milkshake."

98. "You know, humming the James Bond theme tune defeats the point of sneaking."

99. "I think your cat wants to kill me."

100. "Where have all my jumpers gone?"

101. "I don't get paid enough for this shit."

102. "Oh my God, I love you."

103. "I told you to bring a jacket."

@writings-of-a-hufflepuff​

104. "Is that my shirt?" "You mean our shirt?"

105. "It's you, it always has been."

106. "You're everything I could've wanted and more."

107. "Kiss me."

108. "Home stopped being a place when you entered my life."

109. "You should probably go home." "But I'm already home."

110. "You're an idiot." "But you love me."

111. "I'd do anything for you."

112. "You took all the pillows so I'm using you as one."

113. "Stop moving and let me braid your hair."

114. "I'm so proud of you."

115. "You are my family."

116. "I'm right here."

117. "Can you just please hold me?"

118. "I'm pretty sure they're my soulmate."

119. "This reminded me of you."

120. "Your hair is really soft."

121. "Are you blushing?"

122. "Can I stay here tonight?"

123. "Because I love you."

124. "Make a wish!"

125. "I love seeing you smile."

126. "You're just a softie."

127. "You are crushing me right now."

128. "Darling I love you and all, but please step out of the kitchen."

129. "Take my hand. Just trust me."

130. "You're the only thing that matters."

131. "Did you know that you talk in your sleep?"

132. "Hey, look at me. Focus on me, alright?"

133. "Why can't I get you out of my head?"

134. "Don't let go."

135. "Stay."

@blisfvll​

136. "You smell really nice."

137. "If you steal the blanket, I'm going to put my cold feet on you."

138. "You're comfy."

139. "But I want to hear you sing."

140. "Don't get up – I'll do it."

141. "Care to give me a back scratch?"

142. "Your bed head is really cute."

143. "How about a kiss?"

144. "Uh oh, I know that look. What do you want?"

145. "Are you really flirting with me right now?"

146. "I like the way your hand fits in mine."

147. "You have something in your hair, umm... do you want me to get it out?"

148. "It's nice that your voice is the first thing I heard today."

149. "This movie is really scary, but you're into it so I'm trying not to cover my face the whole time but– WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?"

150. "Wait, don't pull away... not yet."

151. "Half the time I get too embarrassed to say anything."

152. "No, it's fine. I can wait until you're done talking to them."

153. "No, like... it's just, I can't believe you're actually wearing my clothes."

154. "I've been trying to get ready for like an hour and an half because I know you're going to look so good and I need to try and match up."

155. "I wanted to say 'I love you' for the first time without stuttering, but that failed."

156. "We could order pizza and just stay like this all day."

157. "It's not a double date. We're just third and fourth wheeling."

158. "I remember practicing how to ask you out in the mirror..."

@marauder-exe​

159. "It's not funny!"

160. "That wasn't suppose to happen."

161. "Hurry back."

162. "I can't take you seriously."

163. "Problem solved."

164. "That was embarrassing."

165. "It's freezing in here."

@love-me-a-good-prompt​

166. "I love you, baby."

167. "Hey, cutie."

168. "I promise to love you for the rest of my life."

169. "You're my world."

170. "I don't care if you're sick, catching a cold from kissing you is worth it."

171. "You are so perfect."

172. "Marry me?"

173. "You're the best part of me."

174. "Stay here with me. For the rest of our lives."

175. "I'm speechless, you're so beautiful!"

176. "Come here, I need to hug you."

177. "When everything's wrong, it's you that makes it right."

178. "You're the one."

@raggedy-dxctor​

179. "Well, it's the thought that counts." "Wait, no, don't take my kisses away from me!"

180. "Oh, you've started stealing my socks now?"

181. "You owe me a kiss."

182. "How did you get in here?"

183. "That's not even fair."

184. "You promised me a cookie!"

185. "Ew, that is so sappy, I might vomit."

186. "You're not very intimidating."

187. "That was, by far, the stupidest thing you've ever done."

188. "Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer."

189. "Why the hell is there glitter everywhere?"

@whcczes​

190. "I'll feel much better if you let me walk you home."

191. "Apparently, all our friends have a bet going that we end up together."

192. "You make me feel alive. For the first time ever, I feel like I can breathe."

@moanlightlust​

193. "It's two in the morning and you want to cuddle?"

194. "You shine so bright it's intimidating. I love it."

195. "I'm here."

196. "What's your name again? Sorry, I just got that super weird feeling that we only see in movies, you know? Like, the whole world stopped turning and all I could see was you."

197. "I was born to be yours."

198. "Isn't it a bit too cliché?"

199. "So, you're just kissing strangers for no apparent reasons?"

200. "You'll always be my favourite person."

201. "You're making it weird, stop making it weird."

202. "There's nothing I love more than running back into your arms."

203. "I'm yours. Forever."

204. "You always know how to cheer me up."

205. "I... I lost the ring."

206. "Will you be mine?"

207. "Darling, you look perfect tonight."

208. "You saved my life."

209. "Don't give me that look. No... NO! I said no puppy dog eyes! You know I can't resist them! Argh, fine!"

210. "I missed you and your bad puns and even your horrible cooking and the way you fit perfectly against my body when we cuddle. I just really missed you."

211. "We're a team, remember?"

212. "There's no place I'd rather be than by your side."

213. "Your smile brightens the whole room."

214. "I kinda adopted a puppy behind your back... don't be mad! Look at those cute fluffy paws!"

215. "You're burning up. Guess I need to activate my nurse mode."

216. "I love you. As in more than friends, more than best friends and more than super extra best friends."

217. "I love you just the way you are."

218. "We need to kick his ass, no questions asked. You in?"

219. "Hot chocolate and cuddles? Kisses?"

220. "You make me feel pretty."

221. "You'll always be my best girl."

222. "Never hide yourself from me."

223. "Babe! There's no toilet paper!"

224. "I'll never give up on you."

225. "Do you feel that shirt? That's boyfriend material."

226. "That prank went so wrong."

227. "Care to dance, my love?"

228. "AH! You're stuck with me!"

229. "You're too good to me."

230. "Is it that time of the month?"

231. "Can I braid your hair?"

232. "It's okay to have doubts, as long as you don't let them overwhelm you."

233. "Come here! I can't stand to be so far away from you!"

234. "I got you."

235. "I wanna fall asleep next to you every night and wake up every morning with you by my side."

236. "Stop, I need to finish this!"

237. "I just wanna binge watch The Office, but it's not the same without you."

238. "Because I care about you!"

239. "I just wanted to impress you."

240. "I love you even though your breath stinks right now."

241. "Did you just puke on me?"

242. "We should get drunk and do stupid things."

243. "I always know what you're thinking about, babe. You're like an open book!"

244. "Could you sing to me?"

245. "I, uh, could you... could you play with my hair, please?"

246. "Nooooo, don't leave! I'm cold!"

247. "I think you're suffering from a lack of vitamin me."

248. "A mistletoe? Really?"

249. "Will you join me, love?"

250. "I have feelings for you."

251. "You are the reason."

252. "Take my hand, I wanna show you something..."

253. "You have a lovely name."

254. "You're my everything."

255. "You do know a lot about my blushing schedule."

@voilawind​

[spurgie-cousin]

Every day this week, I've been drinking 2ish craft beers and rating them on my ig story to support a new local brewery. Which means every night, after 2 IPAs and taking my night time edible, there’s this ~15 min sweet spot where I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to feel negative emotions.

Which is right now, so I feel like this is the optimal time to watch Tim Rod’s newest “podcast” episode. If you’d like to read the stream of consciousness I had while doing so, click below:

1. In a suit, of course. Grey suit, green button up, and blue striped tie......m’kay

2. Tim says it’s been awhile since his last podcast because he has so many odd jobs that he’s been working 90-100 hour weeks. Which means if he’s sleeping 8 hours a night, and working 7 days a week, he has 12 hours in a 7 day period to himself (less than 2 hours a day. also physically impossible to do in a 5 day week if he’s sleeping more ~7 hours). I can’t decide if this really sucks for him, or if he’s purposefully exaggerating/humble bragging in the way his mom does.

3. He says sometimes he’d start to record a podcast for youtube and feel ‘God’ tell him to stop for whatever reason which....is so far one of the biggest arguments I’ve heard for God existing.

4. He says he’s going to talk about the story of Lazarus, and follows that with “I’m not sure if any of you are familiar with that story” which is funny to me considering the way he talks about Bible stories, scripture. etc. He has never talked about it in a way that’s super accessible, he talks about it like a super sheltered Christian talking to another super sheltered Christian, which I think really speaks to his idea of people; it’s difficult for him to articulate ideas without using Biblical language. I truly think that when the Rods speak in sweeping Biblical terms, they think everyone knows what they mean.

5. He goes on to say “at least half my following is Christian” which......oh Timmy...........

6. He tells the story of Lazarus, again with zero context for the non-Christians he claims to know that follow him. He talks in shittier grammar and shorter sentences while doing his “summary”, which I think he mistakes for accessibility.

7. I don’t get what he’s doing with his hair these days and I don’t like it

8. He keeps mentioning people or situations from the Bible with zero context!! The Rods want to seem like they’re training their boys to be preachers so bad when they’re really just teaching them Bible verses and second-rate banjo.

9. Tim: “If you feel like you disagree with anything I’m saying, and you have my contact information, feel free to contact me. Also, I will not be sharing my contact information”.

10. I’m only 10 mins in this is an hour long....

11. He keeps trying to stay Very Serious while looking at his dog running around and it has a very uncomfortable effect.

12. He says “This is exactly something the Flesh wants to be worried about; this is exactly something the Flesh wants to be concerned about” which I can hear Jill saying almost perfectly.

13. He tries so hard to seem like a Normal Average Everyday Guy, he keeps trying to come across nonchalant, salt of the earth and it just doesn’t work on any level. It gives very Alien in a Human Suit trying to act Human vibes.

14. He encourages us to Stand Strong which is very *points at the movie screen when they say the movies name*

15. The amount of times he says Flesh.....Their Flesh, Our Flesh, jfc

16. I skipped over all the bible verses it’s too much.

17. Ok I’m tapping out I got till 17:43. I don’t have any more life to spare.

[jaskiersvalley]

Send this to ten other bloggers you think are wonderful! Keep going to make someone smile💛✨

You are far too sweet, Nonnie. I'll be sure to be passing the smile on when I get a chance. In the meantime here's a little ficlet of thanks for being so kind and thinking of me with this ask.

Real Monsters

Winters were long, cold and not always the happy family time people wanted to imagine. Some nights were downright morose and the group huddled together over drinks, talking about the darker times on the Path. The times where contracts didn't go so well or decisions without a happy ending had to be made.

Eskel was staring particularly deep into his tankard, drunk enough to finally share what had been bringing him down for much of winter already. He sighed, took another swig before swilling his ale miserably and watching the swirl of liquid.

"I ended up killing a man," he blurted out with much prompting. The others sat up a little straighter, all eyes on him. Eskel's own eyes closed as he worked through the memory. "He'd been extorting the settlements and villages, had a route so he could pick up 'his dues' for keeping them safe. Not that he did anything, couldn't even deal with the lone nekker. Despite the locals pleading with their viscount for help, nobody was coming."

"You don't tend to get tangled in the affairs of humans," Cahir said softly. "What changed?"

Sighing heavily, Eskel shurgged a shoulder. "I saw him intimidating a widow. Made her hand over the only necklace her late husband had given her. I couldn't stand and watch her begging him, she had such little of value and he still wanted to take it."

"I can't imagine you marched up and just slit his throat then and there. You're much more thoughtful than that." Lambert held his drink in one hand, the other hidden under the table and clutching at Aiden's. It was so rare for Eskel to slip up or stray from his task, to hear about it was a little disconcerting.

"I didn't." Of course Eskel didn't rush in with rash actions, that wasn't his way. "I cornered him, tried to talk to him, help see the error of his ways. He refused. Boasted about all that he'd taken. About how much more he'll have. All I could think about were the families he'd left starving, taking their harvest, selling it at a hefty price elsewhere, stealing their valuables, their rainy day funds and day to day living. I saw red. I ran him through with my silver sword because silver is for monsters. Then I returned all I could of his hoard. But he brings my total to 15."

Cahir was the one to shrug it off first. "He had it coming. World's better off without him. But what's your 15? I don't get it."

It was Lambert who answered. "Number of humans killed. Though I have to say, as mine's 23, you have a bit of a way to go."

"You're not that far ahead. I'm at 18," Geralt piped up. "Blaviken didn't really do me any favours."

"Well, you know Cats take a variety of contracts." For a change Aiden looked less than confident. "So I'm well ahead of you all at 30 something. But I've been much more selective since Lambert's been in my life."

Leaning forward, Jaskier peered at them. "So you're telling me that over the course of, what, 90 years you've killed that many people?"

"70 for me," Lambert replied.

"And you feel like monsters because of that?" Jaskier seemed a little incredulous as the others nodded, looking ashamed. He laughed softly. "Oh my sweetlings, if you're monsters what does that make me? Over 20 years I've probably poisoned, slit throats, drowned, once even burned down a building on someone. I've killed more than 70 people." There was stunned silence as they all looked at Jaskier like he'd grown two heads. He merely shrugged. "What? I work for the Redanian Intelligence. Assassination is part and parcel of that. Nobody ever suspects the bard who has been performing all night."

Clearing his throat, Cahir drew attention to himself. "I don't have an accurate count. But including battles, it's well over 300. And a lot of them were good people who didn't do anything to deserve to die. Their only crime was to be in the opposing army."

"How many?" Lambert asked, voice a hoarse whisper.

"Over 300. I've also looted, stolen, cheated, embezzled and incited riots."

While the Witchers sat back looking at him in a whole new light, Jaskier leaned in with a grin. "Now this I have to hear about."

Just drunk enough to be loose lipped, Cahir grinned. "Foltest's crown. That's all I'll say."

"That was you? It was a genius move to swap it out! I'd only heard stories about his screeching but it was legendary. But tell me, Emhyr's sceptre, did that make a bit of a splash?"

Laughing, Cahir almost fell backwards off the bench, only Eskel's hand on his back kept him upright. "Heads rolled for that! He was so pissed. What made you leave behind a stick with a marble on top in its place?"

"I'm a funny guy," Jaskier replied. "My favourite was seducing the prince of Thurn on his wedding night. And then his bride too. It threw Maecht and Gemmeria into a bit of turmoil for Nilfgaard."

Growling, Cahir shook his head. "You made such a fucking mess there. I got sent in to try and sort things out. Ended up having to break off the alliance and settle trade agreements along with sanctions. Both the prince and his bride were exiled in the name of peace."

Around the table the others listened with growing horror. The men they loved and were very much loved by in return were showing a side of themselves they'd never seen before. Their history wasn't just speckled by mistakes and bad decisions but was drenched in terrifying competency and cold blood. Lambert swallowed thickly and looked between Eskel and Aiden. Even between the three of them they didn't have as much history as Cahir had amassed in his short life. Meanwhile, Geralt was staring at Jaskier in a whole new light. Gone was his naïve and happy-go-lucky bard. In his place stood a wolf in sheep's clothing.

To be caressed by hands that committed such atrocities, to be loved so softly by such a hardened hearts, it was enough to make their heads spin. But it didn't weaken their relationships. If anything, it made it stronger, knowing that they'd been chosen by Cahir and Jaskier, picked to be doted upon and all their love poured into. In a way, it made the Witchers feel safer, more relaxed to know that their lovers were so capable and competent. Sure, they held a new and healthy dose of awe and fear but it was a very welcome change from the worries of having a squishy human for a lover.

[the-bau-quinjet]

the evolution of breaking up

Peter x Stark!reader

Summary: Snippets of you moving on from a bad breakup, frequently turning to your best friend, Peter.

Warnings: it's sad Taylor Swift hours, some choice words,

Word Count: 3252

a/n: inspired by a playlist called the evolution of breaking up that only has TS songs on it lol. Bold is direct or paraphrased lyrics

Masterlist

Peter is 90% sure he fell in love with you the day he met you.

He's 100% sure he fell in love with you within a week of knowing you.

Hell, he's so sure about it, he would tell you if not for one glaringly obvious problem: Jared.

Your boyfriend.

Your started dating Jared a few weeks before you met Peter. That is to say, a few weeks before Tony recruited Peter to join the Avengers.

Peter didn't have any problems with Jared, and he would never wish for you to get your heart broken, but he was definitely jealous.

It wasn't hard for him to love you. The two of you became fast friends. You always worked in the lab together, improving upon tech Tony already had or developing all new creations.

You also patrolled together. Peter had always enjoyed patrolling, but now that you went with him, time seemed to fly.

It was currently about 10:30 on a Friday about two and a half years after you and Peter met. You and Peter were supposed to patrol, but Tony said to take the night off for once.

You took the impromptu free time as the perfect opportunity to surprise Jared.

You left the tower around 5:30 and Peter hasn't heard from you since. Not that he expected to since you were going on a date. He was bored though.

Tony refused to let him tinker around in the lab, saying he needed a better work/life balance. He would've found the statement funny if it didn't feel so true.

He tried calling Ned, but he was out with Betty. MJ was busy with Brad, the two going to some horror movie marathon.

The only other person he really hung out with was you, and you were also on a date.

He wondered the various floors of the tower, looking for anything to do that would take his mind of you.

Eventually, he just set up camp in the shared living area, putting Star Wars on the massive TV and eating more popcorn than should be legal.

He was nearly asleep during Episode V when the ding of the elevator jolted him awake. Someone ran through the halls, quickly opening and closing the door to their room.

He sat up, intrigued by the behavior. As he walked down the hallway, he listened for any indication of someone else being there. Obviously whoever it was didn't want to talk, but that didn't mean he wasn't concerned.

He stopped outside your door, bringing his hand up to knock when he heard music softly playing through the door.

You told me you loved me, so why did you go away?

He froze with his fist raised, uneasy with the why you would put on such a sad song. His hand fell back to his side when he heard you sing along to the chorus.

"Never thought we'd have a last kiss. Never imagined we'd end like this."

The sound of you crying grew louder than the music, urging Peter to knock. He just wanted to make sure you knew he was there for you.

Hyping himself up, he knocked lightly. A few seconds later the music stopped. He listened as you shuffled toward the door, slowly pulling it open.

His heart broke at the sight of your puffy cheeks, red and tear stained.

"Hey Pete." You managed a small smile, happy to see your friend despite the less than stellar evening you had.

"Hey, I... you probably don't want to talk about it right now, but I'm here for when you do." He matched your small smile, trying not to make you feel any worse.

Apparently, he said the right thing because you pulled him into a bone crushing hug, burying your head in his chest as you cried.

He spent the next half hour rubbing your back as you cried, having moved to sit on the bed rather than stand in the doorway.

When your tears ended, he risked talking to you again.

"Did you want to talk about it tonight?" Peter was clearly unsure of himself in this situation.

You shook your head, wiping your face with the sleeves of your sweatshirt.

"No, I... He just..." Tears pooled again, but you blinked them away. "He said forever and always, but I guess he didn't mean it."

Peter held you as you cried again, eventually falling asleep. He tucked you into your bed, placing a water bottle on your nightstand and shutting off the lights as he left.

-

The next few days, you spent mostly holed up in your room. You had a playlist of sad Taylor Swift songs on repeat, letting yourself wallow.

Peter was worried. Tony was worried. Nat, Steve, Sam, Bucky, Wanda, Pepper, and Vision were worried.

"What'd she say when you talked to her?" The group questioned, all wanting nothing more than to cheer you up.

Peter sighed, wishing he had more information. "She just cried for like, 2 hours. Somewhere in the middle I asked if she wanted to talk, she said something about him not really meaning forever, and then she cried again."

They were all contemplating what to do when you walked in the room. Every pair of eyes were on you in an instant.

You sighed heavily, kind of glad you could address everyone at once. They've been like a family to you since you were born, so it only makes sense they would all be worried.

"Jared and I broke up." You felt like it was 2 and a half years wasted. You could feel the tightness in your throat threatening more tears, but you refused to cry over this boy any longer. "I'll be okay, I just... I remember it all too well right now."

You turned to your dad, eyes welling up again. "I'm sorry I ignored when you said to run as fast as I can from all the boys I ever met." You chuckled, trying to relieve the tension.

Tony pulled you into a tight hug. "You'll be okay again, princess." You nodded, leaning into the hug. Everyone ended up piling on, offering you words of comfort through the group hug.

-

A couple weeks later, and you honestly felt better. Not all the way, but enough to want to go out with friends again. You went roller skating with Peter, MJ, and Ned.

It was the next logical step, going out with friends. It made sense. It was working.

Until you saw him. Jared was there with some other girl, skating without a care in the world. Of course, he saw you. He had the audacity to smile and wave, as if he didn't just break your heart.

When he walked up to you, you knew you had enough.

"Don't you smile at me and ask me how I've been. Don't you say you've missed me if you don't want me again." You spit the words at him, trying to hide how much it hurt. You turned away from him, nearly running from the rink before you even put the skates on.

You friends followed you out, profusely denying the need for your abundant apologies.

Ned and MJ hugged you before leaving, figuring less people would be better for you. Peter took you back to the tower, trying to help soothe the lingering ache.

"I just don't understand." You whispered from the passenger side of the car. "Why would he want to break a perfectly good heart?"

Peter struggled to come up with an answer, knowing nothing he said would really fix it.

"You'll find someone else. Someone who won't break your heart." He settled on a vague nod toward the future, knowing anything else could lead to him potentially ruining your friendship.

Unbeknownst to Peter, his words broke your heart just a little more. You always had a soft spot for Peter, and the few weeks you've been broken up from Jared have made you see him in a new light.

Of course, you wouldn't make a move though. Not yet. You didn't want him to think he was just a rebound. He's your best friend. It's too important to mess up with feelings.

-

You woke up the next morning with a slew of messages from Jared.

This is me swallowing my pride... telling you I'm sorry for that night.

I go back to December all the time.

It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you.

I'm wishing I realized what I had when you were mine.

You deleted them immediately, not wanting to fall back into his trap. Ultimately though, you decided to respond. You wanted to lay it all out that he missed his chance. You were over him, even if it still hurt.

I've lived, and I've learned. Had you, got burned. I'm over it, Jared. Leave me alone.

Then you deleted his contact and blocked the number. He couldn't just say those hurtful things to you and then pretend like it was a mistake. He meant every word he said that night, even if he doesn't believe it now.

-

Another week went by without incident. You were all smiles all the time, really moving on from him and the pain he put you through.

Then you got a letter. It looked like a card, so you figured it was an early Valentine's card.

Opening it up proved it to be just that.

The inside read:

"I don't wanna miss you like this. I don't wanna need you this way. Come back. Be here."

Signed from Jared with hearts.

Of course you chose to open the card as soon as you got it, with everyone watching.

Your expression fell as the words sank in, knowing he was still trying did weird things to your heart. It made you question everything. Did he really care about you? Was he just bored?

You stared at the card for what felt like an eternity before ripping it up and rolling your eyes.

Of course he doesn't care. Nobody who says to your face that they never loved you cares.

"What was that?" Wanda asked, curious about the mixture of emotions present on your face.

"A load of utter horse shit." You huffed a laugh as you threw away the pieces.

"Language!" Tony called, always taking the opportunity to tease Steve.

"Well it was!" You defended, eager to move on from the conversation. They all stared at you expectantly, clearly waiting for an explanation. "It was from Jared." You were glad Peter was sitting next to you. Just the mention of his name had him rubbing your back, trying to make it easier for you.

"You know, now that I'm sitting here thinking it through. I've never been anywhere cold as him."

You felt another group hug coming on, so you quickly excused yourself to shower, reassuring everyone that you were fine.

-

You were laying on the floor, feet up against the wall, just staring at the ceiling when Bucky and Peter walked into the gym to train with you.

"Hey, Y/N." Bucky called, a questioning look in his eyes.

"What's going on in your head?" Peter added, spelling out the question for you.

"I knew he was trouble when I met him." You answered him honestly. "And yet, I still said yes when he asked me out." You shook your head, still staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, hindsight is 20/20. Don't beat yourself up about it." Bucky chimed in, knowing how it feels to blame yourself for things that weren't your fault.

"Are you offering then?" You stood up, accepting Peter's hand to aid you. You brushed any lingering dirt from your clothes, laughing at Bucky's confused expression. "For me to beat you up instead?"

The three of you had a good laugh before you got to work training.

-

Three months post breakup and you're feeling great. At least, you're feeling great most of the time.

"Hey Y/N! What are you doing tonight?" Peter questioned as he walked up beside you in the lab, pulling out the tools he'll need.

"I don't know, nothing specific I guess." You try to remember any plans you had, but nothing comes to mind.

"Perfect. MJ, Ned, and I are going to go roller skating again. I thought maybe you'd wanna come?" He's clearly nervous, unsure if this would help or hinder your progress.

You nod your head, thinking it over. "You know what, I'm in." The determination in your voice catches Peter off guard.

"Cool, um, great. I guess you're doing better then?" He's still nervous, but eager to finally get you to fully open up to someone about everything.

"Yep. Anytime I get sad, I think of something shitty he did to remind me I'm better off." You smile, knowing he was going to ask for examples.

"Really? Like what?" You can't help but laugh lightly, enjoying how well you know Peter.

"Some vague things, like how he would look at me when he was annoyed. Like those eyes add insult to injury, you know?" He nods, but doesn't really understand.

"Or more specific examples, like that birthday party where you all kept asking me about him, and I made excuses, but truth is he just blew me off. That one honestly should've been the moment I knew."

"He did what?" Peter was livid, but trying to contain the rage to that of a concerned friend rather than jealous crush.

"Eh, I'm over it. It's pretty easy to focus on the bad aspects of the relationship when it ended so badly." You shrug, turning back to the circuit board you were working on.

"How, um, how exactly did it end?" He wondered aloud, knowing you hadn't fully told anyone yet. He watched as you tensed slightly before shaking it off.

"That's a story for another time Pete." You managed a tight smile, not wanting to delve into that conversation just yet.

-

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." You mumbled under your breath.

You had been skating with Peter, Ned, and MJ for about an hour when he walked in.

Peter followed your line of sight, trying to understand your mumbling. When his eyes caught sight of Jared, he panicked.

"Y/N, I'm so sorry! I really thought this would help you this time." He rubbed his hands down his face, silently cursing himself for putting you in this position again.

"Don't worry about it Pete. I'm more prepared to handle it this time around." You laughed, watching out of the corner of your eye as Jared approached you.

"Y/N... I, uh, I've been trying to talk to you." He started boldy, not really caring that you weren't even looking at him.

You did your best to ignore him, but he grabbed your arm to stop you from skating away.

"Y/N, come on-"

"No." You spit at him, not letting him get under your skin. "People like you always want back the love they pushed aside, but people like me are gone forever when you say goodbye."

You yanked your arm out of his hand, turning back to your friends. "Let's keep skating. I have no reason to run away."

Peter watched, bewildered as you confidently skated across the rink.

-

The morning of what would be your three year anniversary with Jared felt weird. You weren't upset anymore, but the lingering nostalgia of celebrating an anniversary clung to you.

You deleted the email reminding you of the plans you were supposed to have that evening.

You sighed heavily as you walked into the kitchen, still trying to clear your head.

"You good?" Peter questioned, easily spotting that something was off.

"Yeah, it's just... I don't miss him. At all. I'm over it, but today would've been our anniversary..."

Peter nodded, trying to understand what you were feeling.

"It's strange to think the songs we used to sing, the smiles, the flowers, everything... is gone." You told him the truth, trying not to hide your feelings.

Maybe you should be over it by now, but you spent the majority of your high school career with that guy. It sucks to think it was all a waste.

He pulled you into a hug, rubbing your back to comfort you.

"I mean, not to state the obvious, but I didn't get my perfect fantasy with Jared." You huffed, rolling your eyes.

"You'll find your perfect someone." He smiled, unaware of the fluttering in your stomach telling you that maybe you already had.

"Yeah, someone who won't say to my face that he never really loved me." You muttered, feeling the rage burn inside you again.

"He's an ass." You hugged him tighter, enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms.

-

Peter slowed as he walked past your door, listening as the songs changed. He recognized the intro as a song from folklore, but he wasn't sure exactly which one.

"I'm doing good. I'm on some new shit." You sang loudly unaware of listening ears outside the door.

Peter smiled, walking away so as not to interrupt your healing process again.

Meanwhile, you floated around your room, nearly screaming the along to the breakup songs as you finally rid yourself of any lingering items relating to Jared.

"But it's wonderful to see that it never phased you!" You grinned as you threw it all away, ready to fully move on.

-

When the elevator doors opened, Peter was assaulted with the blaring sounds of none other than Taylor Swift.

Apparently, you moved your dance party from your room to the living room, thinking you had the space to yourself for a little while.

He watched as you danced around the room, singing and smiling to your heart's content.

"So he calls me up, and he's like 'I still love you' and I'm like, "I'm just, this is exhausting you know, like..." You caught Peter's smile out of the corner of your eye, fully turning to look at him as you belted out the next line. "We are never getting back together. Like ever. Noooo."

You grab his hands, forcing him to dance and twirl around with you as the song comes to an end.

"I take it your really feeling better." Peter smiles, overjoyed to see you looking so exuberant.

"I am." You nod, keeping it simple.

"No more thoughts about Jared?" He questioned, smiling when you didn't even flinch at his name.

"Nope. I forgot that he existed." You smiled cheekily, still dancing although you turned the music down.

"That's good, then." Peter smiled, suddenly nervous. If you truly had moved on, maybe now was his chance.

"Hey Pete?" You questioned, smiling shyly.

"Yeah?" He stood in front of you, unsure of where this was going.

"I realized something this morning." You whispered, nervous for his response, but dying to tell him the truth.

"Yeah?" He waited, eager to know what you were hiding.

You pressed a quick kiss to his lips before pulling back, watching as he slowly grinned.

"Why'd you do that?" He asked, stunned but grinning like an idiot.

"'Cause, I like you," you smiled, but quickly added 'but I know that it's delicate."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that." He stated, wrapping his arms around your waist.

"No?" You leaned into his touch, feeling like you were on cloud nine.

"Nope. Cause I like you too."

He pulled you in for a deeper kiss, celebrating the beginning of this new stage of your relationship.

Permanent tag list:

@averyhotchner @jesuswasnotawhiteman

[salmonmakiii]

hii! i'd like to request a timestamp if it's okay with you? Could you people write about 3am boyfriend tsukishima, angst to fluff? thank you so much and have an amazing day!! 💕🤗

Heya! Sorry this took long, writer’s block sucks :( I hope this came out nice!

[03:00]

About : Tsukishima x reader Note : Angst, Fluff. Forgive me if I have mistakes!

It was an accident. You and Tsukishima knew that.

But all the pent up stress and those lack of sleep he’s had, being rational was the last thing on his mind right now.

You met Tsukishima 2 years ago when you had just moved to your apartment. He was the next-door neighbor and you would greet him every morning. A few weeks passed and you guys suddenly became friends because you share the same interest; stargazing. The apartment rooftop was perfect for that. You accidentally met up at around 3 am, awkwardly talk with each other, and would go back about an hour later.

You were interested in him and was happy that you finally got the chance to talk. Although you admit, he was a bit cold and snarky with his comments but other than that he was fun to talk to. The next day you met up again, then the next day, then the next, and then the next. This became a regular thing for both of you. Of course, that was before the busy schedule you both had. Now, you’d probably meet up twice or three times a week.

And with that frequent emotional talks, you both grew closer, and eventually, Tsukishima confessed to you one night. So here you were, two years of being together. There were playful insults thrown at each other, but never actual fights. Your favorite was when he would diss you non-stop when you’re not taking care of yourself.

“Can you just eat? I don’t want to drag your ass to the hospital.”

You would often visit him every morning before his class starts and these were one of those mornings. You visit him in his apartment and there you saw his boyfriend, holding his head with his left hand as he held a paper in the other. A thick stack of papers was right in front of him. You’re guessing it was the assignment he’d been working hard on since last week – because he didn’t totally complain to you at all about it for the past week.

“Didn’t you say you have morning classes today?” Tsukishima asked, his eyes not leaving the paper.

“No. The professor called in sick today, so I’m free.” You teased as you sat in front of him. He scoffed and mumbled something about how lucky you are.

“Do you mind if I go get a drink?” You asked, already on your way to the dispenser.

“Sure,”

You gave him a mini thanks and searched for the glass in the cabinets. Once you got it, you filled it with water in the dispenser.

“When is that due?” You asked the glass was now filled. You walked over to him again as he hummed.

“Tomorrow.”

“Ah, okay.”

You sat in front of your boyfriend once again, watching how his eyebrows were furrowed and how he had eye bags under his eyes. You took a sip of your drink and frowned at your dead-looking boyfriend. You wanted to help him, you do, but you don’t know how. You looked at his knitted eyebrows and an idea popped up in your head.

“Kei,” You called. He only answered with a hum. Pouting, you called him once again,

“Kei, Look at me,” Finally lifting his head, you put on a silly face that he always despises, but secretly found funny.

“What are you doing?” he asked, shaking his head as he tried to stifle a laugh. Seeing that it wasn’t good enough, you leaned in closer.

“I don’t know. I just feel like there’s something wrong with my face, is there?” You asked, still making the face. Tsukishima finally laughed and you were happy to see your boyfriend smiling.

You cheered, but while doing so, your hand suddenly knocks the glass of water in front of you, spilling the liquid all over the table. The stacks of paper in the middle soaking up all the water. The room was now dead silent, both of you staring at the stacks of paper and spilled water with wide eyes.

Your look at Tsukishima and the paper, your eyes shaking at the horrifying expression the boy across you had.

“K-Kei-“

“What did you do?” He asked, his voice low.

“I- I accidentally-“

“Did you know how long it took me to print out all these?!” You flinched at his shout and your feet felt like it grew roots. You stared at him, trying to form words to apologize, to calm him down, to reason with him, anything. But all you could do was stare, mouth agape.

Tsukishima walked past you, going to the kitchen to get a towel. He walked right back towards the table and wiped the spilled water.

“Let me help-“

“No. Just-“ He sighed, scrunching the soaked paper in his hands.

“Just get out.” Tsukishima continued to wipe the table, his back now facing you.

His words felt like knives in your chest. There wasn’t a hint of his everyday cynical attitude in his tone at all and you were scared. Afraid of upsetting him more, you bowed a full 90 degrees, mumbling a shaky apologize as you took careful steps out of his apartment.

If anyone were there to see you walk by, they’ll think you just exited from a murder scene.

Back in your apartment, you sat on your couch, still trying to process all of it. You spilled water into his work he’s been doing for a week and he just kicked you out of his apartment without sparing you a glance. You were screwed.

You jump a little when you hear a door slam, you stared at your door.

Kei must be on his way to campus…

After an hour of staring at the ceiling, you mustered the courage to text an apology to him. Shaky hands and eyes a bit watery when you pressed send. Sighing loudly, you lay there on your couch, trying to calm yourself down and think of a way you could make it up to him.

“Can I send it to your email just in case? You know how my laptop is.”

You jolted from your position, eyes wide. The memory of Tsukishima’s voice replayed in your head as you frantically open your laptop. You opened your email and your heart races with excitement as you quickly downloaded the file as you ran to your bedroom to get your USB. Running back to the living room, you hastily plugged in the USB and surprisingly got it in the first time. Copying the file to the USB, you grabbed your jacket, tote bag, wallet, and ejected the USB as you dashed out of your apartment for a copy shop.

≻───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────≺

You leaned on the railings on the rooftop as you sighed. The wind softly blowing against your features as you looked down at the almost empty streets below you. Most of the lights in the surrounding buildings were off and the sky wasn’t that dark anymore. The moon was slightly on the west side, still illuminating the night sky. The stars above you twinkling as you’re enveloped in silence. It’s the perfect night.

After you had printed out all the papers, you put it in two clear folders, re-check the order, and finally set it nicely inside Tsukishima’s mailbox. You text him to give him a heads up, but you’re still worried if he even read your texts. You took out your phone from your pocket, the screen telling displaying “03:00”. You opened your lock, the wallpaper – a picture of you and an annoyed, blushing, Tsukishima – made you miss him even more.

You open your message with Tsukishima, he still didn’t read your message.

What if he didn’t see my message? What if he already printed out a new batch of it? What if- huh?

You eyed your message.

Tsukishima had just read it.

Just as you were still confused about what to do with this information, you hear someone clears their throat behind you. You flinched and turned around. Your eyes meeting those familiar golden ones. Tsukishima was staring at you, his face stoic and cold as ever. He was wearing his grey hoodie with a roaring dinosaur in the middle, his hair was a little messy but it looked cute on him.

“K-Kei! I almost had a heart attack!” You held your phone to your chest in hopes to calm your beating heart.

“You’re being dramatic.” He said, walking up to the railing and leaned against it.

“So, I heard you spilled water on someone’s project-“

“Kei-“

“That they worked HARD for,”

You winced, hearing him emphasize. You stared at your boyfriend and he was staring right back at you with his smug face. You looked down and fiddled with your fingers.

Tsukishima felt like he was scolding a puppy. He felt the tiniest guilt, but he didn’t want to let you go that easily.

“I’m guessing that’s why you’re here right now, even though you have an 8 am class tomorrow.” He teasingly scoffed. Usually, his teasing would make you feel less tense but it didn’t seem to be working right now. He sighed loudly and ran a hand through his hair.

“Thanks,” His voice was above a whisper.

“Huh?” You snapped your head up in shock. What was he thanking you for?

“I got the package you sent me,” He gave you a side glance.

“But you just read my message?”

“I saw you putting it in my mailbox.”

“Oh,”

There was silence once again. Tsukishima stepped closer and abruptly snaked his hand on your shoulder, pulling you closer to him. You looked up at him and you can see the small blush on his cheeks, his eyes were looking at anything but you.

“Sorry about getting mad at you,” He said in a rather gibberish mumbling, but you were glad you could make up what he was saying.

“Why are you sorry? I’m the one who spilled that water.” You said, reaching up your hand to pinch his cheek.

“Besides, stop acting like that, it’s weird.” You pulled his cheeks, riling him up.

“Will you stop that?” He batted your hand away and you laughed at his bashful sight.

“Let’s just go back, it’s freezing up here and I don’t want to take care of you when you catch a cold.” He groaned, his hand still around you as he walked back towards the entrance.

“What makes you think I need you?” You pinched his sides.

“I don’t know. I’m afraid you might flood the whole apartment if I don’t,”

“I told you it was an accident you salty excuse of a human being!”

“If you don’t shut up, I’ll squish you,”

“If you mean squish as in cuddling, then I won’t shut up!”

Tsukishima suddenly leaned in and placed a kiss to your lips. His actions catching you off guard. He plastered on a smirk, seeing that his plan had worked.

“If I talk some more, will you kiss me again to shut me up?” You asked,

“No. I’ll throw you off this rooftop.”

“You wouldn’t-“ Tsukishima gave you a daring glare, his grip on your arm tightens. You shut your mouth immediately and looked forward.

“Okay! Shutting my mouth now.”

You both ended up cuddling in his apartment that night.

[lupinsx]

Petty Rivals

masterlist

Request: Hii💓 I absolutely adore your writing! Could you maybe write one where the reader is a slytherin and she’s on the quidditch team, and she has a sort of rivalry with Draco (on and off the pitch lol) and she gets severely injured during one of the matches and Draco is surprisingly really worried about her because she got really hurt? Sorry about my english haha :) Thank you!!

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Slytherin!Reader

Summary: You and Draco hate each other, always competing in sports and academics. An injury to your head might just be enough for him to put aside their petty rivalry.

Word Count: 2.4k

part two

a/n — Thank you for the request! I apologize for how long this took, it's been a busy week for me. I hope you enjoy it! (UPDATE: Part two is up! Click the link above to read Hopeless Romantics).

——————————

"Hey Y/N, quick question, are Chasers usually this slow?"

You stopped in your tracks and whipped your head towards the direction of the voice. Draco Malfoy stood arrogantly next to his broomstick, arms crossed with a smirk on his face making your blood boil.

You were on the stands, approaching your water bottle as the rest of the team took a break. It's been an hour of practice, and so far, all Draco did was catch the Golden Snitch a couple times before resuming his observations. You knew such boredom would lead to him over analyzing your every move, but you had underestimated to which extent.

Rolling your eyes in irritation, you responded with a sneer, "I don't know, are Seekers usually this useless?"

There was a chorus of groans coming from the seats where the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team sat. They were sick of you two arguing every chance you could — admittedly, everyone was.

Ignoring the annoyed glares coming from the team, Draco strided towards you with a mocking chuckle. "Very funny, but you're gonna have to keep up with the rest if you want to stay on the team."

"I don't see Flint trying to kick me out anytime soon."

"Don't be too sure about that, Y/N."

"Why you insolent little git!"

You and Draco stood inches apart, ears tuned out to the comments from your teammates. He was only slightly taller than you, making him tilt his chin up to hold an intimidating stance. You merely held his glare with an equally harsh look.

After a moment of silence and thick tension, Marcus Flint stood up and held your collars back to separate you two. While Draco sent you a sly smirk, you kept your glare directed at him.

"As amusing as this petty rivalry is, it's getting quite annoying. Bring this attitude to the pitch on Saturday and I'll have no trouble bringing in substitutes."

"You heard him, Y/N, don't be annoying," Draco teased, making you reach your arm to slap the back of his head. As he hissed in pain, Flint glared daggers at you two, releasing his grip as he walked away in defeat. It seemed like nobody could get you two to stop.

"Practice dismissed, I'm done with you guys," Flint announced in exasperation. The rest of the team was quick to follow after.

Rolling your eyes, you walked to the railing and picked up your broom. "You can leave now, I'm going to stay to practice."

"No, I'm staying to practice!"

Neither of you ended up staying to practice that day.

~~~

"The cuts are supposed to be diagonal, not vertical!"

"I'm sorry Draco, I'm trying."

"Try harder then."

You let out a frustrated groan and rolled your eyes in annoyance. It was hard enough that you were paired with Draco for Potions, but he couldn't make it any more bearable.

Taking a deep breath to calm your anger, you resumed cutting, this time trying to abide by his directions. Though, it didn't take long before he snatched the knife from your grip and began cutting it himself.

"It's this simple. Seriously, how have you managed to survive in this class?" he asked with a condescending sneer. It took all of your might not to hex him into oblivion at that moment.

Your hands balled into tight fists as you looked up at him in irritation. Jaw clenched and teeth gritted, you muttered, "I've managed quite fine, thank you very much."

"Hmph, I doubt it," Draco said very cockily while he added the cut fluxweed into the cauldron. You hated people looking down on you, talking as if they were your superior. You had enough of that throughout your lifetime; you didn't need Draco to put you down further.

When it came to Quidditch, you were able to withstand the constant teasing and give a couple insults yourself. You were already assured and confident in your skill, so the meaningless comments never got to you. But when it came to Potions, you were never the best at it. It was one of your weakest subjects, so you felt hurt when the best student in the class spoke so lowly of your abilities.

Without regard to the furious expression on your face, he continued in a mockingly high-pitched tone, speaking as if you were a child, "Now, would you like me to cut the knotgrass for you too or do you think you can handle it yourself?"

It was at this moment when your thinning patience broke.

Slamming your fist onto the table, you glared at him with all your strength. He looked shocked for a moment while the rest of your classmates suddenly tuned in to the commotion.

"Stop treating me like a baby! It was a small mistake, I'm sorry. But I don't need you acting like an condescending asshole because of it."

It was a relief that Professor Snape wasn't present to witness your outburst, but it wouldn't have mattered to you anyways. Grabbing your bag, you stormed out of the room, making sure to slam the door on your way out.

Draco avoided the gaze of his classmates and continued working on the potion, but he couldn't ignore the sharp pang of guilt he felt in his heart.

~~~

For the rest of the week, you were adamant on ignoring Draco. He would often look up and prepare to approach you whenever you'd enter a shared class, but you were skillful in avoiding him. Too many teachers walked in at just the right moment for it to be a mere coincidence.

Once Saturday rolled in, you were quick to enter the Great Hall. You timed your morning so that you'd be done your breakfast by the time the rest of the Slytherins arrived. Thankfully, your plan worked accordingly, as you were just finishing up your plate when the dining hall began getting populated.

Upon noticing Draco alongside the rest of the Slytherin Quidditch team arrive through the door, you got up and prepared to leave.

"Y/N! Gone so soon?" Pansy Parkinson asked, jogging to your side. You gave her a shrug and an apologetic smile as your pushed open the exit.

"Sorry, need to clear my head before the game," you said, not feeling as sorry for lying. She nodded and flashed you an encouraging smile, one that you returned kindly before leaving the Great Hall.

You immediately headed towards the pitch, wanting to begin warming up on your own before the team arrives. Walking through the soft grass, you closed your eyes and simply took in the sunlight. It was a beautiful day, and you were fortunate to be able to spend it playing Quidditch.

You loved the sport, ever since you were seven years old. When your dad bought you a mini broomstick that levitates two feet off the floor, you absolutely hated having to get off it at the end of the day. Once you were finally able to get your hands on a real one at age ten, you felt as though you finally found your true calling. It was a sweet moment, and you found yourself smiling softly at the thought.

As you listened to the birds chirp in the distance and relied on your muscle memory to bring you to the pitch, you suddenly felt a hand grab your wrist and lightly jerk you back. Your eyes flew open in shock, only to be met with a pair of stormy grey ones staring back at you.

"I'm sorry," Draco said, keeping his grip on your wrist. You fought the urge to suddenly accept his apology, reminding yourself of how he was acting earlier into the week.

You rolled your eyes and slipped your wrist out of his enclosed palm. "Yeah, and?"

He blinked at you for a moment, not expecting your icy response. Then, Draco's face twisted into an annoyed expression, diverting his eyes from yours. "Well fine then, can't say I didn't try to apologize."

"You're unbelievable!"

"And you're insanely entitled!"

"You—" you suddenly paused you sentence, noticing your teammates coming out through the doors. Remembering what Flint said last practice, you bit your tongue back and simply stormed off with a glare. You didn't want to sit out the game for the sake of a mere barb.

The locker room felt tense for you two after that. You refused to glance at him while the team captain gave his brief speech. When you all huddled in for a cheer, you relocated upon seeing him by your side. It was a relief you didnt have to work with Draco on the pitch; otherwise, you would have gladly accepted a substitute.

With your brooms mounted and teams in position, you all flew into the air, ready for the game to commence. As the whistle blew, you immediately rushed into action.

It was a relatively successful game so far. Slytherin maintained a lead by a couple points, but the opponents, Ravenclaw, was always quick to catch up. Though you were able to score quite a bit for the team, you were beginning to feel a little tired.

"Y/N, keep up with them!" you heard being shouted from afar. Briefly glancing to the voice, you weren't surprised to see it was Draco who called out to you.

Of course, at a time like this he still wouldn't quit.

You continued flying alongside the other Chasers, staying in the formation that was planned. You managed to gain a few more points through this, but it still wasn't a very sizable difference.

"90-70! Slytherin is in the lead, Ravenclaw close behind."

"Won't be leading for long if you keep flying at this pace," Draco said, swooping down lower to meet your level. He left before you could respond, but you chose not to react and instead focus on the game in front of you.

Eventually, you noticed Ravenclaw gain possession of the Quaffle, grabbing your attention. You immediately flew to the Chaser, merely a little over an arm's length away from reaching for the ball.

You extended your arm as far as you could. Flew as fast as your broom could handle. You were so close to grabbing the Quaffle. So painfully close.

"Y/N!"

Draco's voice took you out of your zone. He was shouting for you once again, most likely to insult you as he has been throughout the game. You snapped your head towards him in fury, only to see him rapidly pointing behind you with wide eyes.

What does that even mean?

You soon found out when a large Bludger came hurling towards your head, knocking you off your broom. A chorus of gasps was heard from the audience as you began free-falling down to the field.

It was terrifying. It felt like gravity had a tight grip on your entire body as it pulled you down seemingly faster than the speed of light. Your eyes were squeezed shut in fear, head pounding from the hit, body laid limp and nearly unconscious. Death itself seemed a mere moment away.

Until suddenly, a broomstick came swooping down, attempting to reach you fast enough to prevent a harsh landing. Draco's eyebrows were furrowed in determination as he extended his arm towards your figure.

And just as you were about to share a less than pleasant kiss with the grass, Draco caught you by your collar, before grabbing the back of your knees to hold you bridal style. He then landed on his feet, still carrying your semi-unconscious body in his arms.

"Pause the game! Someone bring Madam Pomfrey!" shouted Madam Hooch, exiting her position in the stands to go over to you guys.

The Slytherin Quidditch team flew lower to see what's going on, along with a couple curious Ravenclaw players. It was a relief to them that you didn't hit the ground, but the impact from the Bludger was enough to knock you out.

As Madam Pomfrey came rushing onto the pitch, Draco refused to let go of your body. He was visibly shaking, worry evident in his eyes and uneven breath. He was so close to losing you, and the mere thought of that scared him.

"Mr. Malfoy, you may let her go now. I'm going to take her to do some examinations in the hospital wing," the witch said calmly, giving Draco a reassuring smile. "Don't worry; she's in good hands."

Draco still looked hesitant, keeping a tight grip on your body. "I'll carry her there."

Without hearing his suggestion, Marcus Flint flew down to the grass to approach him. He glanced at your unconscious body with a concerned expression before looking back up to Draco.

"Draco, come back up. We need our Seeker. For now, we'll bring in a substitute for Y/N," Flint said, giving him a small pat on his upper back. Draco immediately shook his head in refusal.

"No, I'm taking her to the hospital wing."

"Whoa, where did this change of attitude come from?" Draco merely rolled his eyes in response, walking away with you in his arms. Madam Pomfrey was quick to follow after, keeping a close eye on your condition.

He carried you all the way into the castle, and towards the hospital wing. Upon arriving at the bed, he laid you down gently, careful not to cause any further pain. You remained asleep throughout the entire process.

"Will she be alright?" Draco asked impatiently, his gaze directed to your still figure. His hand made his way to your forehead, delicately caressing the area you got hit.

Sending another grin his way, Madam Pomfrey nodded in assurance. Draco stepped away for a couple minutes for her to properly treat you. It was painful for him, watching how your eyes would squeeze tighter every once in a while despite being unconscious. He wanted to take away your pain away, to have prevented your injury earlier. But he couldn't. And it killed him inside.

"You look awfully worried," Madam Pomfrey said jokingly as she turned around to grab a vial. Her words broke Draco out of his brief trance. Looking down, a small blush appeared in his cheeks.

"Of course I am, I'm her—" he suddenly cut himself off. I'm her what? Friend? Enemy? Petty rival?

He didn't know what he was. All he knew was that he desperately wanted you to be okay.

Petty rivals it is, then.

——————————

a/n — Thank you for reading! Please like, comment, or reblog to give feedback or show support! Requests are open, so feel free to send what you'd like to see written to my inbox!

[centrally-unplanned]

Medium & Marketing for 90′s Anime Dubs

Today is Hayao Miyazaki’s 80th birthday, which made sure my dash was filled with Ghibli tidbits. A discussion of my personal favourite, Kiki’s Delivery Service, brought up its ill-fated original dub by Disney in 1998. Ghibli still didn’t have the courage yet to put their foot down on changes for international releases, and so there are a lot of alterations - the theme songs are changed to be anglicized, almost any “dead space” or quiet moments in the film have someone (normally animal sidekick Jiji the cat) improv lines over the scenes to liven them up, and in particular the ending is changed to be less bittersweet as Jiji, who in the original Kiki permanently loses the ability to talk to as a sign of growing up, regains his voice.

These changes slot neatly into the zeitgeist of all 90′s anime changes - a disregard for the property’s core appeal as they were bowdlerized for a western audience. Sailor Moon is an infamous victim of a similar process - at least Kiki took place in fantasy Europe, the Sailor Moon dub’s attempts to pretend that the show doesn’t take place in Japan were simply insane as they cut out or blurred every appearance of Japanese writing in the show, leaving reams of animation frames on the floor in the process.

(Tangent time: the greatest scene ever is one where, upon reading a note by Usagi, to prove it was her Minako/Sailor Venus comments “it must be from her, its written entirely in hiragana”, the simpler form of written Japanese compared to kanji, which Usagi as a running gag cannot write. So in the dub they just...blur out the text of the note, and have Minako comment “I had to read it with my imagination. It's all written in funny symbols!". I distinctly remember watching the episode live when I was 12 years old and going “wait what the fuck does that even mean?” and suddenly realizing that the show was changing its own script, it was a trip of a moment)

Like most people I do malign these changes, but I am actually here to partially defend them via contextualization. The idea that American audiences would have cared that the show was Japanese is pretty dumb, but what you often hear are statements like “kids in Japan appreciated Sailor Moon/Kiki’s Delivery Service just fine, they didn’t need to change it”. That is possible, but it mistakes why changes are being made to begin with - its not the “culture of children in the US vs Japan”, its intended market via the medium of distribution.

Kiki’s Delivery Service was released in Japanese theatres in 1989, and it was the highest grossing film of the year in Japan (about ~US$18 million, man do things change). Kiki’s Delivery Service the Disney dub, was....released on VHS in 1998. VHS releases and movie theatre releases aren’t really intended accomplish the same thing. Remember all those direct-to-video Disney sequels? Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride? Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time? Remember how they were all just garbage? Anyone looking back at them today cringes, with a few exceptions. But none of us cringed when we were 8! My partner is a huge Disney fangirl, and when she was young she didn’t even distinguish between the theatre release and the VHS sequels - it was all Disney, you just lined them up and played them in a row as the complete canon. Yes, these movies sucked partially because they were low budget, but they weren’t actually *that* low budget - and not the throwaways your memory probably tells you they were. Lion King 2? Made ~$300 million in net sales, almost as much as the original Lion King’s theatrical run.

What those Disney VHS sequels and Kiki share is the fact that their intended market was *only* children. That is the point of VHS - you put it on for your kids and then go make dinner. Its the virtual babysitter, the kids can loop it while reenacting every scene with their stuffed animals. Movies released in theatres don’t serve that role at all - the parents are paying $15 a head and they are trapped in their seats for the whole runtime. It has to entertain everyone, or you aren’t going to go, or at least not as often. VHS releases sucked because kids don’t care, they actually do enjoy the constant quippy lines and dumb jokes. That is equally true for Japanese kids - its just that Kiki’s intended audience wasn’t Japanese kids, it was “all ages” - a very different category.

The same is true for Sailor Moon, by the way. The idea that kids in Japan could “handle more mature themes like death” unlike American audiences doesn’t hold up quite as much when you look at Disney theatrical releases like the Lion King - Mufasa’s death pulls no punches, but kids didn’t mind. And Japan does have shows like Doraemon that are just as childish as the 90′s western cartoons you remember. Its that Sailor Moon’s audience wasn’t just kids. 

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon aired in March of 1992 on TV Asahi. Asahi was not a kids network, and Sailor Moon did not air in a kid’s block - instead in its “Anime Block”. It aired on Saturdays, at 7:00 PM. For most of its runtime, the 7:30 slot after was held by Slam Dunk, a hyper-serious basketball anime adapted from a manga in Weekly Shonen Jump. You think director Kunihiko Ikuhara was throwing in queer relationships and even trans characters, and every other villian was a half-naked seductress, because it was gonna really resonate with 8 year olds? Sailor Moon was for 8 year olds, yes...and for otaku. So, 15 year olds, lets not exaggerate here. But still, its hype, its success, came just as much from its teen and adult fans as much as its young devotees. Which was intentional - it was *marketed* that way. That's why it aired at 7:00 PM on a Saturday. 

Sailor Moon’s original dub, on the other hand, aired on UPN at, yeesh, 6:30 AM?? Then on USA’s Cartoon Express at the much more reasonable 8:30 AM, and later on Toonami at 4:00 PM. All of these are kids slots, to watch over cereal or snacks before/after school while the parents are busy. You do not expect the adult in the room to be watching alongside the kid, or for teens to really be paying attention.

And to cut off the logical objection, a show like Sailor Moon was just not going to get a 7:00 PM Saturday slot in the US in the 90′s. Nor was Kiki going to get a movie theatre release in 1998 of any scale. Movie releases are expensive, Saturday slots are precious, the funding just wasn’t there for something so untested as Japanese anime. There was no demand in the west for it - that demand would only be created later, by a generation who grew up on, well, shitty Sailor Moon dubs and Kiki VHS releases. And what success in the media slots these shows and movies did have are shaped by those market niches.

I don’t want to be over-deterministic on this - at some point Cartoon Network rolled the dice on Cowboy Bebop and Full Metal Alchemist and it worked - maybe they could have done that in 1995 with like Neon Genesis Evangelion, who knows! And of course US children’s cartoons are, beyond market forces, burdened with regulatory moralizing that Japanese media does not have. But I do think these 90′s dub efforts should get the proper context for the constraints they were operating under, and why they existed at all, as they are criticized.

[tamcitrus]

Meet the family.

pairing: Sawamura Daichi x f. reader

genre: domestic, fluff

warnings: one suggestive line

words: 2.5 k

This piece is for the Home Sweet Home collab that HQC server hosted! You can check the masterlist here! Go and check the other writers pieces! They’re amazing and they all do an awesome job everytime!

All the HQ siblings info made my head imagine a thousand scenarios but big brother Daichi took 90% of my mind.

"Baby? I have to cancel our study date tonight, I'm sorry," Daichi said on the other end of the phone.

"Did something happen?" you tried to keep ordering stuff for work as he talked.

"My parents have to drop my siblings here for a day or two. Apparently they have an urgent work meeting in another city."

"You sound upset, hun," you said as you stared at the numbers in your screen. You couldn't spot the mistake yet but you would.

"I'm good! Just sad I have to cancel. I really wanted to see you," he explained.

"I can go anyways," you offered.

"You won't be able to get anything done with the kids around…"

"Oh, I'm amazing with kids!" you chirped. "I want to meet them too. Pretty please? I don't mind not studying."

"But your exams, babe. You have to-"

"I'll be there at the time we agreed! I have to go back to work, I love you!"

Daichi heard the call ending and he had to answer his father's message yet.

I'll be at home in 30 minutes, you can bring them then, dad.

Oh, he had to go to the grocery store. How could he go to the store alone with four kids? He sighed. Maybe he should've called someone for help. Suga was good with kids, he's a teacher and also has siblings, so maybe he- He should also buy some toys? Or would they be entertained enough with movies and a console? Since he moved to another city for study he wasn’t able to see his siblings often enough.

And when his parents finally dropped them he was surprised to see how much they had grown in just a few months. Two pairs of twins wasn’t a common thing, not in Miyagi at least, and somehow he ended up with four little siblings. As the four little persons walked around his apartment his parents walked with him to the kitchen.

“Thanks for taking care of them in such a short notice, Daichi,” his mom said.

“It’s not a problem, I missed them,” he smiled to his mother.

"Will you be okay alone with them?" his father asked.

"They're already here so… I can always ask for help," he smiled again.

After a little mom’s speech about being nice and listening to his brother his parents finally left. And he was in charge of four little lives. This wasn't the first time but he was nervous.

"Ichi, your house is biiiiig," Haori said. Haori and Kaori were the first pair of twins, two girls with their father's eyes (like him) and long caramel hair like their mother.

The second pair of twins took the couch as their place.

“Can we watch tv, Ichi, please?” the boys said, almost at unison.

“Yes, boys,” Daichi turned on the tv and looked for a kids channel. Disney seemed to be good as the kids didn’t complain so he left it there. “I’m gonna prepare something for us to eat so call me if you need me, ok?”

The girls were laying on the floor with notebooks and markers. The boys were too focused on the puppies cartoon to even listen to him, so he turned around and walked to the kitchen.

Not even ten minutes after, the five siblings were startled by the door opening.

“Babe, I’m here! Will you help me with-” you walked inside and were welcomed by two pair of brown eyes, just as your boyfriend’s ones. “Oh, hi there, girls,” you smiled.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” Daichi said and took the grocery bags from your hands.

“I told you I was coming,” you laughed. “And I knew you had company so I bought a lot of funny stuff to eat and drink!”

Kaori and Haori followed you a few steps behind, paying attention to everything you and their brother did.

“Y/n, these are Haori and Kaori, my sisters. Girls, she’s y/n, my girlfriend,” Daichi introduced you to the young girls, who looked at you almost squinting.

“Nice to meet you! You’re both more beautiful than your brother said to me!”

“Come on, I’ll introduce you to the boys,” Daichi took your hand and his sisters squinted even more at you. “Y/n, they’re Taichi and Takeru. Boys, this is y/n! She’ll be staying with us tonight,” Daichi crouched in front of the couch and pointed at you. Both of them looked almost the same as your boyfriend but they had deep green eyes.

“Nice to meet you, boys,” you smiled again and they smiled back. “What are you looking at here?”

“Puppy patrol,” Takeru said.

The girls went back to their drawings but they were still reluctant of you.

“Can you help me with dinner?” Daichi said. You nodded and ruffled Takeru’s hair before walking behind the big brother. “I have no idea what to do, I was staring at the vegetables before you arrived. You saved me from going to the store.”

“I can cook then,” you pushed him aside and took the apron from its usual place. “I think the girls are not excited with me being here,” you giggled. “And I didn’t even kiss you when I arrived!”

Daichi was standing at the kitchen entrance, where he had a view of his siblings, and blew up a kiss for you.

“I’ve never been with someone before so…”

“Oh? Am I your first couple?” you teased.

“That’s not what I meant,” he tried to sound angry but he giggled in the end.

“You didn’t deny it either, baby,” you smiled as you chopped vegetables. You received blank eyes in return. “How wild must it be to have twins not one but two times! I really admire your mother and I don’t even know her.”

"I admire her too," he commented.

"Ichi-nii! Kao won't let me draw with her and Haori," Taichi ran to his brother with little tears in his eyes.

"Oh, buddy, I'll give you something to draw for yourself, how that sounds?" Daichi took the little guy in his arms and walked away.

You kept chopping vegetables to cook wok. You were sure the kids would eat it if it was full of colors. When you turned around from the kitchen island to face the counter and wash your hands, there was a little body standing behind you.

"Oh, Takeru! Sorry, I didn't see you there! Is everything ok?" you cleaned your hands and bent down to take his hand.

"Ca-can I stay here and help you?" he whispered.

"Of course! Come here," you helped him climb the counter and sit there. "I need to put six cups of water here, can you do that?" you said as you placed a pot by his side. "I'm working back there now but if you want to go down tell me, ok? Don't jump for yourself."

The boy smiled and nodded. You finished cutting everything and started cooking. The water for the rice was heating up and you heard Daichi put on music.

"We're done here, do you want to see what your brother is doing?" you asked and he nodded again.

You took him in your arms and walked to the living room to find three out of four Sawamura siblings dancing. Daichi turned around when he heard Takeru’s laugh. His heart stopped for a second when he saw you standing there with the little boy on your arms, smiling and whispering to him in complicity.

“The girls wanted to play Just Dance,” your boyfriend explained as he walked to you. “Do you wanna dance, buddy?”

“Go and dance until dinner is ready,” you smiled as you put the boy down. He walked away and Daichi took the opportunity to steal a quick kiss from you. “What’s with that smile of yours?”

“You looked good with a boy in your arms,” he confessed. “The girls are a little jealous of you.”

“Yeah, I’d be jealous too if I see a random girl with my brother,” you laughed. “Do you want a baby, Daichi? I don’t mind trying a few times.”

He blushed when he felt your lips on his cheek after your suggestive talk.

“Don’t do this to me right now, please.”

“Sorry, sorry, “ you put your hands up in defeat. “Dinner will be ready in 15 minutes.”

You walked back to the kitchen to control the food and after two more songs, Daichi and the twins got the table ready. You served food to everyone and the ex captain went to the fridge for the drinks.

“Why did you buy so much juice?”

“I didn’t know what your siblings liked so I got one of each and they can choose,” you explained.

The dinner was peaceful. The girls told Daichi stories about school and the boys talked about getting ready for leaving kindergarten.

“So, the boys are 5-ish? And you girls?” you asked.

“We’re ten,” they said in a perfect synchrony. “Is Suga-san coming?” Haori continued.

You choked on your rice and Daichi laughed.

“He had to do something tonight but if you stay another day I’ll make sure he comes,” he answered. “Are you ok, honey?”

You didn’t miss the giggles from the boys and smugs from the girls.

“I’m good, I’m good! Does anyone want dessert? We have ice cream,” you smiled.

After some ice cream and a movie, the boys fell asleep. And the girls were sleepy.

“Ichi, can we go to bed?” Haori asked.

“Of course, let’s take the boys too.”

You took Takeru in your arms and walked first to the room.

“You have to share the bed but I have a biiiiiiig bed,” Daichi explained to his sisters. “Let’s put the boys in the end so the girls can watch tv,” he told you.

You left Takeru under the covers and walked out so your boyfriend could have a private moment with his siblings. You turned on the living room tv and found a movie to kill the time. Daichi was back ten minutes later and layed down on the couch with his head on your thighs.

“My old rival Suga is back on game,” you giggled and he looked at you with a question on his eyes. “Did I ever tell you that I thought you liked him? That time I asked you out after your practice I really thought you were gonna say you were dating him. And now your sisters like him more than me.”

“They just met him before, they need some time. And everyone likes Suga,” he said.

“Did something happen with your parents? I mean, they had to leave his childs here on short notice… I’m sorry, that sounded rude. You don’t have to tell me.”

“It’s fine, babe. Ever since my dad's company started to grow, they have to travel more and more. His company was always fine but now it’s huge. That’s how he was able to buy this giant apartment for me. They usually hire a nanny but this time they couldn’t get one.”

“That sounds hard,” you ran your hand through his short hair. “I could help you to take care of them anytime.”

He took your hand and kissed it multiple times before getting up.

“We should sleep so we can be up before the twins. Can you get us a cover from my room?”

You walked to the room and smiled at the girls who were still awake.

“If you need anything your brother and I will be on the couch,” you said before walking out. “Goodnight!”

When you were back, Daichi had already sprawled on the sofa bed. You turned off the lights and laid by his side. The dishes could wait till the morning. The movie was still running on the tv but both of you were tired and not even 10 minutes later you fell asleep.

The next morning an insistent knock on the door woke you up. Daichi was asleep and there was no sign of the twins, so you got up and checked yourself before opening the door. Daichi’s shirt and pants were decent enough to show to whoever was out.

“Good morning! How can I help you?” you said to the lovely couple at the door. You smiled, waiting for them to answer.

“I think we knocked on the wrong door?” the lady said. ���Dear, are you sure this was Daichi’s apartment?”

“Mom?” Daichi walked to your and his mom’s voice.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry! Please, come in,” you stepped away from the door. “I’ll prepare coffee!”

“Come in, we just woke up so the couch is a mess, sorry,” Daichi explained. “The kids are in my room if you want to wake them up. I’ll help y/n with breakfast.”

“That’s definitely not how I wanted to meet your parents,” you whispered when he walked in the kitchen.

“Oh, babe, you’re fine. Let me finish this and go get changed if you want.”

“Do you need help?” Daichi’s mom was standing behind his son. “I’m glad to see you have a beautiful girl by your side.”

You blushed at her comment and she smiled.

“I’m so sorry for what happened earlier. It’s really nice to meet you and your husband,” you smiled at her.

“Don’t worry about it! It’s Daichi’s fault for not introducing us before. Thanks for helping him take care of the twins.”

“It was a pleasure.”

“How is this my fault?” he laughed. “I think the twins take milk and corn flakes.”

“Okay, I’ll take everything to the table,” you said.

You and your mother-in-law prepared the twins breakfast and took it to the table along with coffee for you and Daichi.

“Are you sure you’re not drinking anything?” you asked again.

“We had breakfast at the hotel, thanks,” your father-in-law said.

You had your coffee in silence, listening to how the twins told their parents how much fun they had with their brother and his girlfriend and the boys said the dinner was like a rainbow.

After taking the empty cups to the kitchen and doing the dishes while Daichi talked with his parents, you walked to the living room to say goodbye to the kids.

“Thanks again for taking care of them,” Daichi’s mom said.

“It really was a pleasure and I’m happy I could meet you all! Please bring them again whenever you like,” you smiled.

“Maybe you can come over next time, and you can know Miyagi,” she said.

“I’d really like that,” you said.

“I’m walking with them to their car, I’ll be right back,” Daichi said and kissed your cheek before leaving.

You laid down on the couch again and turned on the tv. Your heart was still racing for meeting your boyfriend’s parents and you needed to calm down.

When Daichi was back he found you asleep on the couch. He covered your body with his jacket and let you sleep. He could wake you up with lunch and you would smile that sweet and excited smile he liked so much.

[drethanramslay]

Hi!! Can you please do No. 14 and 49 from the prompt list for Ethan X MC? Thank you so much I love all of your fics ❤️❤️

Thanks for the ask anon and @squishywizardhq

You can find the prompt list here.

#14- "Are you okay?" (I wrote Bryce x mc on this prompt which you can find here)

#49- "Are you bleeding?"

#97- "Stop being so stubborn!"

I decided to merge both the prompts because it's seemed most logical and fit into the scenario perfectly hehehe

Word count: 2K words (yep that's pretty long compared to the usual requests so buckle up)

Warning: none

Author's note: I was gonna post this later but people were getting antsy so I decided to post this first so enjoy

forgive me for any mistakes

And trust me <3

Stay for Me

Leah stepped out of the subway on to the platform and started walking towards the familiar apartment complex where she had spent most of her time in Ethan's absence.

During the entire walk, her brain was racing and her heart beat had spiked up due to the anticipation and anxiety.

It's the most logical option Leah. It's okay, don't be scared. Feelings are fleeting. You will get over him eventually. Her conscience tried to comfort her, but it was of no help whatsoever.

She entered the lift and pressed the button which would take her to his apartment. Though the ride was short, her palms felt sweaty and her throat was parched.

She stepped out and knocked on the door and waited for him to open it as she wiped her palms on her tights.

He opened the door, and Leah looked up to meet his eyes.

"Leah?"

"I'm an absolute idiot. I'm so sorry." She rambled.

"What? First of all come in." Concern was etched in his beautiful eyes as he opened the door wider so that she could enter.

"I have made my decision."

He winced, bracing himself. "You are gonna stay with him, right?"

"What? No!" She grasped his hands in her and looked up at him.

"it's you Bryce... It's always been you."

There was pin drop silence. Leah's heart thundered as the silence continued to stretch between them.

"Bryce, what aren't you saying anything?" Leah's voice cracked which seemed to shake him out of his reverie.

"Leah... No matter how much that makes me happy... No."

"No?! What no?"

He sat on the sofa while Leah continued standing, her eyes following every step. "Come sit down. We are due for a chat."

She sat down on the seat next to him and turned towards him, completely bewildered. "No? But.. but I don't understand this?"

She started counting the pros on her fingers. "We are literally perfect for each other. You are the number one surgeon of your batch. I'm the number one diagnostician of my batch. We both like the same things and music. I like you... You like me.. so why not?"

Bryce chuckled and shook his head as he played with his fingers. "Leah we only look good on paper."

"Bu-"

"Leah what you described is external factors which can fluctuate with time. We literally are carbon copies of each other."

"So what's wrong with that? Isn't it better that way?"

"Leah, over time all these factors will cancel out each other and we would just be a boring couple who is a shadow of one another. This 'feelings' we have now will change into bitterness, sadness and distance. And I don't want that."

His eyes landed on hers and he gave a small smile. "The perfect relationship is when you complement one another. Like fire and water. Like Ying and Yang. And I have see that between you and Ethan."

Leah looked down, her throat choking up with emotions.

"But... I decided to go with my logic and this is the right option. No hurt, no pain-"

"-No love, No happiness. Leah, love is not a application of logic. It's what you feel. It want the heart wants." Bryce finished the statement and sighed.

"You may have never spoken about it but anyone can see how head over heels the both of you are for each other. I have noticed the way his eyes brighten when you entre the room. Or the way your smile illuminates a thousand times more when he calls your name."

"Wait... Everyone noticed it?"

Rolling his eyes, he subtly punched her shoulder lightly. "Everyone knew except the two of you. You both have your head so far up your asses that you didn't even notice a bet was going on around."

"A BET?!"" Leah exclaimed.

"Yap. Hell, 90% of the people put a bet that you would end up with Ramsey. But you chose me. Many people lost a lot of money."

Leah groaned as she face palmed. "I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be. That's why they say love is blind."

Dragging her hands down her face she turned towards him. "But if you knew I had feelings for Ethan... Why did you still choose to date me?"

A small smile etched on his face. "Like I said love is blind. I chose to stay in denial and swooped in when you were hurting. I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have played you."

"Shut up. You didn't play me. In fact you were one of the best girlfriends I have had. I knew the risks and I still pursued you."

Leah let out a deep sigh as she leaned on her knees.

"So what now?"

"Well. I suggest we call quits because neither of us would be happy."

"But what about you?"

"What about me? It's been a privilege to have my heart broken by you."

Leah narrowed her eyes at the statement and Bryce guffawed. "You know I love to quote TFIOS and I saw the opportunity and I had to."

"Bryce."

"Yeah yeah... I will be fine... Not now, but eventually. You are my best friend first and seeing you happy is all I want. Not gonna lie, I hope that I can find the kind of love you share with Ethan."

"I know that the guy upstairs has a plan for an amazing guy like you."

"Fingers crossed."

They both got up, and Bryce walked her to the door. Leah was still in deep thought but it was relief and lightness in her step.

Turning towards him, she placed a hand on the door frame. "Are you sure you are gonna be okay? I'm so sorry-

"Leah Marianne Garcia. Get the fuck our if here and get your man."

Leah gave h a huge grin and wrapped her arms around him in gratitude. "I only wish the best for you, Queen B."

"Right back at ya, Lee Lee."

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

Running.

She was running hard and fast down the empty streets of Boston. Her darned luck made her miss the last train to Ethan's place so she decided to take off running.

Her converse clad feet stomped on the wet slippery ground, never once slowing down.

Which tuned out to be bad idea because when she turned the corner to Ethan's street, she slipped and tripped, which resulted in her scraping her knees and her elbows on the rough pavement.

"Son of a bitch!!" Leah groaned as she painfully rose on her feet and tried to assess the damage.

Her tights were ripped at the knees, blood gushing down. There were tiny scratches on her palms and abrasions on her elbows.

I hope no one saw my epic fai-

"Sunshine?"

Great. Nice timing you got there god.

She turned around and saw Ethan standing there, with Jenner at his feet. Jenner immediately reached out to Leah, with an excited bark but was restrained by her leash.

He bent down and unclipped the leash from her collar. "Easy there girl. Now go."

Jenner excitedly rushed to her and stood on her hind paws and pressed her paws on Leah's waist, as if it were trying to give her a hug.

"Hello girl. how I have missed youuu. Who has been a good girl?" She asked to which Jenner barked. "That's right. You have been a good girl." She scratched the back of her ears and Jenner got back down on all fours, circling around her, sniffing.

"You came?" His voice wafted over to her.

Leah looked up, a soft smile on her face. "Yeah. I had to. We need to talk."

"Lets go up." he said, as he walked towards her.

She proceeded to walk, only to remember about her injured, bleeding knees. She stumbled and Ethan reached out to grasp her elbow, which was a bad idea because she yelped out in pain.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he surveyed her entire body, his eyes widening at the injuries on her knees and the elbows.

"Holy shit sunshine! You are bleeding. Why are you bleeding?"

"I was running and I slipped. Don't worry its just a scratch. It's not like I broke a leg or something." She said as she walked carefully.

Ethan wrapped an arm around her waist providing extra support, which Leah didn't have the heart to say no to. Together, with Jenner running circles around them, as if she was excited about the reunion, they walked to the lobby of the penthouse. They rode the elevator in silence, Ethan not once letting go of her which made her cheeks hot.

They reached the designated floor and walked towards the door. One entering, Ethan immediately rushed to the kitchen where he kept the first aid kit.  She sunk into the plush sofa and let out a sigh of relief.

As he poured antiseptic solution on the cotton, he gave instructions. "Take out your pants. I will just clean up these wounds and bandage them properly and then you can borrow something of mine because no matter how cool ripped jeans out this isn't going to wor-"

"Ethan you are overreacting. This is a small scratch-"

"God, sunshine! Will you stop being so stubborn?"

"Says Mr. I- will-walk- around- as-if- nothing's- happened- but- I- actually have a- ruptured- appendix." Leah scoffed which Ethan did not find funny. With an unamused expression he pressed the antiseptic on to the scratches on her elbow, which immediately burnt.

"Pinchewy!" She cried out.

"Yeah, right back at you. Didn't no one teach you as a child to not run on wet surfaces?"

Leah grumbled and looked the other way as he continued to work on her elbows.

After a moment of silence, Leah decided to speak about her reason to come here. "Bryce and I broke up."

She felt his piercing blue eyes land on her. "Sunshine I'm so sorry. It's all my fau-"

Interrupting him, she continued. "He decided to let me go because he knew that my stubborn ass won't date you without an incentive."

Sighing, she turned towards him, halting him in his work. "Ethan... You are a sarcastic son of a bitch, who is stubborn to a fault. Your head is so far up your ass that you don't even notice the subtle hints I send your way. You are arrogant but you also have the getaway pass because you are hot as fuck and are so damn intelligent."

"Thanks for the compliment?'

Leah chuckled as she placed her hand on his hand. "But... you are kind and you are passionate about saving lives. You may come across a harsh, but on the inside you are huge softie who cares about my success. You are a grump but, only I have been privileged to see your smile. There is so much good in you and you are such a great man. I could go on and on about the good in you but it would end up being a thesis report.

So in short, I just want to say that those are the many things I love about you."

Ethan's eyes widened, and hope and adoration poured into his eyes. He squeezed her hand as she continued. "Ethan, do you know why we work so well together? Its because we complement each other. Sure, those can lead to fights but, we always come out from those fights stronger. We are so strong and beautiful together."

She cupped his face and spoke. "So... Are you willing to give us another chance?"

Ethan's heart was bursting will joy and happiness. She wants me... She really wants me...

He cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb against her cheekbone. "Sunshine, I can be a hard-ass sometimes and let’s not get started on how emotionally challenged I am. I'm a dumbass for ignoring the lines of fate. Trying to resist the inevitable just caused us more pain and sadness.” 

“Sunshine, I can't promise that this relationship will be perfect. Hell, this is uncharted territory for me. We may have fights and times when I want to bang my head against the wall but there is one thing I promise you. I will fight for you always and I will love you unconditionally."

"So will you do me the honour of being my girlfriend?" He asked with a giddy smile.

"Hell yeah. You can't get rid of me that easily." They both reached forward and when their lips touched, sparks of happiness and love radiated between them. Ethan ran his hand against her soft cheeks while Leah ran her hand through his luscious brown hair. This wasn't any kiss.

This was a lover's kiss. A promise. A seal of fate.

But the moment didn't last that longed. Ethan's knees knocked against hers and she cried out in pain. "Ouch!"

The both of them laughed. "Lets get you fixed up before we move on to strenuous activities, okay?"

She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Yes doc.”

And finally, the two imperfect lovers were reunited.

bet y'all expressions would be like this

And then like this

and then hopefully like this? 

LOL im pushing my luck

Anyways I hope y'all liked it heheheh

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[tuiyla]

She-Ra’s like, really good, people

It’s been over a week since She-Ra season 5 came out and I binged it and this is not going to be coherent but I just want to rant about it a bit before writing some more structured metas. I deffo wanna write about Catradora and how I think SPoP is the true spiritual successor to the Avatar.

But first, let me just scream about how good this show is. I already started rewatching it, pretty much straight after finishing it, and I don’t rewatch tv shows often. The exception is Avatar (seen it like 15 times) and sitcoms. But She-Ra is so layered that I felt like I needed to watch it again just to appreciate the dynamics even more.

I already enjoyed the first season but it kept getting better and better. I’m not in love with the art style and it’s definitely for a younger demographic overall than my other favourite animated shows, but like any good kids’ show it balances tone well. It doesn’t talk down to its target demographic but also includes more traditionally mature themes in a digestible and entertaining way. Not all the jokes landed for me but as the series went on I learned to appreciate the tone and the type of humour She-Ra goes for.

It’s funny to me because this is definitely the type of show I would have rejected as a kid, with all the princesses I would have deemed it “too girly” and therefore not for me because screw gender roles. There’s a degree of internalized sexism to that, for sure, a rejection of the feminine because it’s always been seen as less somehow. But there’s also a truth that, at least in my childhood of the late 90s and early 00s, children’s media targeted at girls often had a poor quality to it, at least when compared to “boys’ stuff”.

She-Ra is not only a clever, heartfelt, complex story, it also transcends that binary of having to be either for girls or boys. I know most of modern animation rejects that as well, but She-Ra embraces so many traditionally feminine qualities while also going beyond gender roles and even the gender binary. This show is so queer, man, and I love it. It’s especially impressive when you consider the source material that was literally just the girly version of He-Man. I have no beef with 80s She-Ra, haven’t seen much of it, but this is such an upgrade.

That being said, I would have loved to watch She-Ra as a kid. I’m so incredibly envious of kids, aged around 10, who get to watch this show as they’re growing up. But I am so, so, so happy for them and for the future of animation that shows like She-Ra can be made now, that they’re being made. I’m going to go into spoilers soon, but just before that: She-Ra’s a perfectly enjoyable show in many aspects. I think the worldbuilding’s pretty cool, the story feels coherent and planned out, it’s lighthearted and so genuine. That’s the word that I ultimately choose to describe the series: genuine.

I feel like so much of TV aims to be dark and gritty nowadays, animation included, and though that’s slowly turning to dark comedy or a balance between fun and serious, it’s still the norm. At some point in the last decade, creators became terrified of being judged as cheesy. Even something like the MCU bathes in bathos to avoid being cheesy. But She-Ra proves that creators shouldn’t be afraid of being genuine, of basing characters and storylines on the simple power of love. Like, it’s such a cliché trope but I think that’s mostly because it has become stale.

Noelle Stevenson has talked about the importance of love in her story and I’m so grateful for that. Through, She-Ra, she’s truly proven how powerful love can be in a story and how it doesn’t have to be cheesy. It’s just so unabashedly genuine. The power of love and friendship literally saves the day several times but it’s always so genuine and more importantly it always makes sense that it doesn’t get boring. If the foundation wasn’t there, then I’d say “well this is just super cheesy”. But the show makes a point of building relationships and making them the focal point of the story.

Alright, so, spoilers because I need to talk about character arcs and THAT KISS and just everything. I really need to write more in depth about Adora and Catra and their relationship but for now I feel like it’s so important to appreciate how they’re developed. Everything from their shared childhood to their trauma with Shadow Weaver and the finding their way back to each other, it’s just *chef’s kiss*. It’s so well-written and believable. Ngl, I do have some minor issues with Catra’s redemption arc. Let’s just say that on a scale from Kylo Ren to Zuko, she’s definitely closer to Zuko. I also appreciate Shadow Weaver’s death scene and how it allows them to move on. I didn’t see that one as Death as Redemption and it shouldn’t be. Again and again the show made it clear that she was abuse towards both girls and nothing will negate that.

From what I can tell, the fandom really latched onto Catra, even when it wasn’t clear whether she’d get a redemption arc. I think that’s important, because unlike some characters in animation, Catra’s actions were almost always framed appropriately. There was always an understanding as to where she’s coming from, how she’s acting from a place of hurt, and yet her actions weren’t justified. They weren’t suddenly all okay just because she’s hurt, too. I especially loved in the season 3 finale when Adora was allowed to finally say no, to say that Catra’s actions were not her fault. That season as a whole was beautiful, like, episode three when Adora’s struggling so much and Catra has the opportunity for a better life but she still fails to choose her own happiness because she’s too bitter over SW and Adora? It’s poetic cinema. I love that angst, so well done.

It would be so easy to misfire in Catra’s storyline and either a) write off all the awful things she does because she’s just “misunderstood” or b) irredeemably stuck in her abusive environment with no hope of escape. They balanced quite well there and managed to handle such a complex character with delicacy. I’m quite happy with how Catra was portrayed because on the one hand, she’s painfully relatable to me and I assume to many others. The audience can see their own mistakes reflected in her character because we’ve all been too stubborn, done things out of spite, refused to acknowledge that we were wrong because we were hurting so much. At the same time, I always felt like the show gave me enough space to judge Catra’s actions and acknowledge that she was in the wrong. I honestly think I would have been a better adjusted teenager is if saw this show just before my angsty years, lol.

I’m going to write more about Adora at some other point but I love how vulnerable she’s allowed to be. Protagonists never used to be my favourite characters because they all seemed the same, with two major categories: the stereotypical male hero who can do no wrong or the angsty boi who can be shitty and the text still frames him as awesome. It’s only recently with series like The Legend of Korra and She-Ra that I go “damn, protagonists can be like that, huh.” Adora is a dumb jock who tries so hard and she deserves all the hugs in the world.

Also, Catradora? Breathtaking, amazing, groundbreaking. No doubt She-Ra needed shows like Adventure Time, LoK, Steven Universe and the likes to pave the way but still, it went there. I saw people be anxious about whether they were gonna be queerbaited, but I always, idk, knew? Trusted? That She-Ra would follow through. I didn’t wait six years for Bubbline to happen for Catradora to not get their big damn kiss. The series has been so effortlessly queer from the get-go that it just made sense that they were always heading there. I did see a gif of the kiss before watching s5 and ngl, that spoiler kind of bummed me out in a way that I wanted to be surprised. But even before I saw that I wasn’t worried. And the context of their journey in season 5? That cannot be spoiled by a simple gif. You have to experience that to fully appreciate it and that is the marker of good storytelling.

I understand that, though this should be the norm by now, Noelle Stevenson still had to be smart about how she approached the execs and she wasn’t sure this could happen. I cannot tell you how happy I am about what she said regarding how Catradora was so integral to the story that the execs couldn’t not allow it. That’s so brilliant, and it feels so natural in the story. Queer love saves the day and it’s not ambiguous, it cannot be censored because you lose a part of the story without it. You did it, Noelle, you funky little lesbian, what an icon. I can’t wait to see more stuff from her.

In other news, I appreciated other characters as well, like how all the princesses got to be different and awesome in their own unique way. Season 5 was great for so many characters, Mermista got so much to work with and Spinnerella and Netossa got so much more characterization than in previous seasons. Glimmer continued to be the third most important character in the story and I’m happy about all the relationships that also got to be canon. Good characters and dynamics all around, no wonder since the show is built on that.

Such a satisfying conclusion and one that makes you feel like this is just part one of a much bigger story. Such genuine, heartfelt moments, well-developed characters, complex themes explored in a respectful and digestible way, and such an unapologetically fun show. Melissa Fumero as a side character? Yes please. Catra’s new haircut? Heck yeah! She-Ra’s new design? Oh my.

I’m not even like, super into She-Ra, and I usually don’t write so much about things I only watch casually. But this show is so good and important that I had to rant. And I will write more about it eventually, but for now I needed to get all of this out. I’d give it a better structure but if I really get into I might never end up posting it so for now here, have this ramble of love. She-Ra, of all shows, deserves that.

[aros001]

First time read through light novel vol. 8. Random thoughts.

...So...does anyone else feel a little uncomfortable with that cover image between Reinhard and Felt? I mean, I know he's not going to do anything sexual to her and she's not as young as I originally thought she was (I think vol. 1 said she was 15, while ever since the anime I thought she was like 10 or something), but she still is underage, being forced into wearing and doing something she doesn't want to by a grown man, and I think just the way he's got his hand holding her bare thigh makes it feel more sexual than it should be.

Also, is Wilhelm floating? The heck is he sitting on?

Subaru was afraid of death. Dying constantly trashed his life with an unbearable sense of fear and loss. He thought it was like that for everyone; he assumed that was how it had to be. Subaru, who had experienced death more than anyone via Return by Death, didn’t want anyone else to know what it was like.

I'm definitely seeing more similarities between Subaru and Ferris here than I did in the anime. I like how they both have a more unique perspective on life and death than most people would; Subaru from his Return By Death and Ferris from being such a powerful healer (to the point he can even regenerate himself from near death, I guess). Again, for a series where death can be undone so easily, it really knows how to use that premise to show just how weighty and serious death is. While the two will and do kill, it sits with them more than it does for others because they know just how awful death can be.

Something I've really enjoyed when reading through various LN series after watching the anime first is that I end up liking certain characters that I didn't in the anime. I didn't hate Ferris but the cutesy way he talked really bugged me and I didn't focus on him much. Here though I'm definitely getting a better feel for his character, especially with how much he values life, cursing at the suicidal witch cult members for tossing theirs away so easily. He and Subaru's back and forth makes the ending feel that much more heartbreaking when Ferris has to mercy kill the possessed Subaru.

Also, just to clear up any confusion I have, is Ferris in drag or does he identify as a woman? I don't have any problem referring to him from now on as a "she" (I never had that problem with Magne in My Hero Academia) but I'd prefer to get my facts straight. Ferris also makes a joke about Subaru swinging over to his side of the fence but I'm not sure if that means he's gay or not. It's a little hard to tell how far his affection for Crusch runs, for example.

Similarly, there's Julius, a character I never disliked in the anime, but I can definitely see more of a path to him and Subaru becoming friends here. It is funny that a comment from Ferris got me thinking how something to two have in common is how easy it is for them to get others to immediately dislike them just by talking. For Subaru it's because he too often talks without thinking, shoving his foot into his mouth, and for Julius it's how unintentionally snobbish and "better-than-you" he can sound. It's also nice that the story is getting Subaru to try and work through his issues, acknowledging that he's being unfair towards Julius, whom really has done nothing wrong aside from unintentionally pricking at Subaru's inferiority complex.

Like Subaru, I thought demon beasts and monsters were just so common in the world that a barrier around a lord's domain was a very common thing. But from how the other characters in-story are talking, it sounds like Roswaal deliberately put his domain and the village in the center of (or at least nearby) a demon beast habitat. Even in the anime I always believed he knew more than he let on but here he feels like a straight-up mastermind with everything he's been pulling behind the scenes and all the things he's done that, as of yet, have no explanation or reason behind them. Just what is he up to?

One thing I'll say about this series in comparison to some others I've seen/read; the dark magic here, like with the Witch of Envy, Return By Death, the White Whale, and the Unseen Hands, really feels like DARK magic. I've seen series that have their own version of dark magic that'll make bad things happen or summon demons or sacrifice people, but this? Everything to do with the witch feels creepy and unnatural, like it's not or should not be part of the world. With how much suffering it's caused, the mystery behind the gospel, just how unhinged Petelgeuse is and his body jumping, it all feels like stuff you should really not be messing with. Even at the end with Subaru running off and Julius finding him, getting no response at first from Subaru, feels like something out of a horror movie.

Subaru keeps getting asked if he's Pride, to which I'm assuming they mean if he's the one to become the Archbishop of Pride. Personally, my theory is that because of how much the witch seems to "favor" him, Subaru is Envy, like, well, the Witch of Envy and the only one of the seven sins they never mention to have an archbishop, given Satella destroyed the other witches. If that's the case, I can only imagine how much that's going to piss off all the other archbishops, that after all their shows of devotion some schmuck came to their world out of nowhere and became Satella's favorite.

“Lending one’s strength does not mean merely swinging one’s sword. It means challenging the same foes, worrying over the same obstacles, sharing the wounds and the weight of the burdens. This we can do. This is the lesson I learned in the past.”

Obviously this is meant primarily for Subaru but I can't help but think it can apply to Rem and Emilia as well. With the exception of Puck, Emilia tends to go out of her way to avoid involving others in her problems or having them feel they owe her anything when she helps with theirs. Rem dedicated a good chunk of her life to live as her sister's replacement after Ram lost her horn and tried to kill all the demon dogs on her own after Subaru was cursed saving her. They both seem determined to bear the weight of their burdens solely on their own, like they're the only ones who need to suffer. Subaru goes back and forth on how much he involves others in his problems, but while he's more than willing to help ease the burdens on others, his problem for the longest time was that he was so fixated on "swinging his sword", as he thought fighting and strength was the only way to help (probably because strength would honestly solve a decent chunk of his own problems).

“Two days ago, the forest around the mansion became unnaturally calm... to the point that even my eyes could catch nothing. Thereupon, an armed group appeared bearing the crest of the House of Karsten, which had declared war with the blank letter... Surely you cannot blame my little bird’s heart for being on the verge of breaking?”

Ram, I had no idea how much I missed you until you came back.

Namely, that someone out there had swapped his letter of goodwill, aiming to turn Emilia and Crusch against each other.

I don't think a line or speculation like this was in the anime, which it probably should have been. Without it, it just seems like Subaru's an idiot and made a stupid mistake, but now it seems like someone is directly manipulating events behind the scenes. Personally, I'd say my money's on Roswaal if I didn't have terrible luck when it comes to gambling.

“Silence! Cease your prattle! Give that book back, right—”

“Hey, don’t shout. If you get too angry, you know—your brain’ll shake.”

...

“G...gah...! How dare you, dare you, dare youuuu! My disciple of love!!”

“Don’t gimme that, you’re the one who mixed us up! Tunnel vision! What, are you lazy?!”

HA!

Overlord was the first light novel series I read (the only other LN I'd read before was Death Note: Another Note - The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases and that was years ago), so naturally it's the series I tend to make the most comparisons to for the other series I've been reading. In this case, something I really like about both Ainz and Subaru is that, despite how they're presented sometimes, neither is actually stupid (though they too often suck at reading the room). They're both just in situations way over their head and they have no frame of reference for how to deal with these fantasy world situations. Subaru, like with tricking Sloth into getting attacked by demon beast or figuring out what was up with the flowers, has plenty of times where he shows he can come up with decent plans or quick thinking that can pull off a win. His flaws are based more in his own immaturity and need to grow more as a person.

Honestly, Ainz and Subaru are fun to compare because, of the LN MCs I've read so far, they both seem to get every break the other doesn't. Ainz is obvious. He's got actual power, tons of resources, and numerous people whose faith in him is absolute, while Subaru has almost nothing save for the curse and the clothes on his back and has to continuously struggle to make any difference. On the other hand, Ainz has no one in his life he can relate to or be his real self around, making him feel incredibly empty and lonely, while Subaru has attracted a surprisingly wide web of people around him whom, despite some hiccups, do genuinely believe in the real him.

I am 90% certain Emilia and Puck fighting Sloth wasn't in the anime. Well, no wonder anime-only fans have trouble liking her when you cut out nearly all of the character's best sh*t! [Edit: I was wrong. Another post pointed out it was at the end of ep 23. Like I said, it's been a bit since I saw the anime and I remembered none of this fight. Though I still stand by that LN Emilia is better than anime Emilia] Like I've said before, it's not like anime Emilia could just be replaced with a sexy lamp and nothing would be different, but compared to the LN version she really didn't get a lot to do in the anime outside of the first arc. She wants to be queen and sometimes heals people. Otherwise she was mostly off-screen or serving as Subaru's object of affection (and sometimes obsession). Just being able to fight isn't everything but Emilia here certainly feels like she has a lot more fire to her personality and does more when she appears. She's not just a nice, pretty girl for the MC to fight for.

Somehow, he’d died again. He’d probably lost it all once more.

He surrendered everything to the abyss. This was the familiar embrace of failure after he pathetically lost his life.

Look back at the world.

Look back at your failures.

Don’t forget. Don’t forget. Do not forget.

Ferris’s tear-filled voice. Wilhelm’s lament, shaking with regrets. Julius’s resolve and remorse, so great he probably gnashes his teeth over it—Don’t forget, ever. No matter how low you are, don’t ever let go.

Is this Satella saying this to Subaru? I'd assume so since it ends with the "I love you" line Subaru's been getting before he RBDs. But if so, why is she saying this to him? One theory is that she has her own regrets from her life and is giving Subaru a chance not to have the same. That assumes she is a good person and that the stories around her are wrong. Another theory, given the Witch of Envy title, is that she's insisting Subaru never let go of what's his. It's his (and hers, since he is hers) and no one else can have it. I mean, that applies more to greed than envy, I suppose, but stretching a bit you could say she'd be jealous of a world moving on without her.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Re_Zero/comments/gwjfwy/novels_first_time_read_through_light_novel_vol_8/