#Decided to try something other then posting profile pics

[justatypicalwizard]

Katsuki doesn't believe in love at first sight

Katsuki never believed in love at first sight. How could someone meet eyes and feel as if a thunder ruptured down from the skies and struck them? To love someone means to accept every part of them and to be able to incorporate them into your everyday life. It means building a brand new everyday with that person.

In order to do so you need to know a lot about them. Who they are, what are their plans for the future, what is their character and so on. Then you need to see if you are compatible in many spheres. You need to invite them to your friends group to see if it’ll hit off, you should try living together, they need to get to know your parents.

There are simply so many things to check off the list in order to be able to say you love someone. Otherwise it’s just empty words. I love you here and there. I love you for a week. I love you when you do as I please. Bullshit.

Mina constantly pestered Katsuki that his definition of love feels more like a chore or a job interview than like something a human would be able to accomplish. It wasn’t his fault he had some standards everyone else seemed to lack.

So even now Katsuki doesn’t like to admit that he fell in love at first sight, because it wasn’t the first time when he looked at you.

A quiet ping of his phone tore him out of his work. A new message from someone he didn’t recognise. Without much thought he opened the text.

[Hi, you may not know me but we go to the same lecture on Wednesday at 1 PM. I heard you have neat notes and wanted to ask if it wouldn’t be a problem if you send me today’s ones. I  got sick and couldn’t come and I wouldn’t want to fall behind with the material. Thanks!]

Geez, was there a longer way to type it? Couldn’t you just write: can you give me notes? On the other hand he always complained about people being douchebags.

Clicking onto your profile Katsuki saw a cheesy photo and a few posts from your daily life and vacations. Nothing much to be honest. Yet, he could vaguely remember your face around the people who entered the lecture hall. It won’t hurt to help.

[Sure]

[File attached]

Pushing his phone to the far end of his desk he went back to work. A few minutes later there was another quiet ding and this time Katsuki felt irritation bubbling inside him. It was you once again.

[Thank you so much!]

[I owe you]

[If you ever need anything feel free to write]

Whatever.

It only took a week for Katsuki to be indeed looking for help from someone. Once in a while, during his hero training, he was forced to pair up with someone in order to work on his rescue skills. Usually they’d use dummies but some fucktard in the course planning team decided that it would be most helpful if the students could train with a real human.

Normally Katsuki would ask Mina. He’d swallow his pride and force himself to listen to her babbling for two hours. Just to get it done. Unfortunately, Mina dumped him today, leaving only a [sorry, not feeling well, find someone else]. Damned flu season.

Who was he supposed to ask now, Denki?

As he scrolled down his chats, your profile pic flew by making Katsuki halt.

If you ever need anything feel free to write.

Screw it, you said it yourself, might as well find a person already and move on with his day. He typed a quick explanation and pushed the send button. The day was nearing the afternoon when you responded.

[Sure, if it’s two hours I can make it. Send me when and where I should be]

He shrugged and gave you the address for today's training.

In the early evening Katsuki found himself trotting towards his usual fighting ground absentmindedly. He was thinking about something related to work at Miruko’s when the idea flew out of his head. You were there, he could see you from afar, walking in circles in front of the main door.

Were you an idiot? It was the middle of winter and the early evening cold tore through layers of warm coats to sink into your bones. Why weren’t you entering the building to warm up a bit.

That’s why Katsuki is so stubborn about the whole love at first sight thing. It certainly wasn’t that exact moment when his heart skipped a beat because of you. You were shivering, hiding your chin and red tinted cheeks deeper into the collar of your winter coat. When you spotted him you reached out a gloved hand and waved.

“What the fuck are you doing outside, get in there or you’ll catch another cold.” He persisted, ushering you towards the entrance.

“Wow, good evening to you too.” You looked at him from under your woollen hat, surprised to get yelled at first thing you see him. Though, you did hear the upcoming pro-hero Dynamite, who went to the same lecture as you, was rather intense. “I don’t know, this place just looks fancy. Didn’t want to stand inside like a dumbass not knowing where to go.”

“So you stood outside like a dumbass not knowing where to go.”

“Exactly.”

He let you in and showed you around. After leaving your coat and getting a warm tea (his idea), you were ready to help with his training. The support students and university staff running around asked you to take off any unnecessary piece of clothing such as jewellery or sweaters that could get in the way. You gladly went through with their instructions.

You b-lined another student, a senior support course, who showed you the place where you’d be waiting to be rescued. The spacious arena was moulded into the shape of a city. Some buildings were fine, others rundown as if a villain attack rolled over them. There were paveways and roads, streetlamps and plastic trees. You even spotted a car, though it didn’t look like it could take off anytime soon. 

“It will look the same over and over. You sit or lie down in the place where I leave you and wait for your hero.” Your guide briefed the rules. “And every time pick out a different scenario and tie the band in the place that is put on it.” He handed you a dozen of ribbons with small notes attached to them. The first one you grabbed read: broken arm (tie around elbow).

“Sure.” You nodded your head and he left you on the second floor of a wannabe office building. There were a few chairs scattered around and a table that had a weird bite mark on it. You obediently wrapped the band around your arm and sat down on the floor, waiting.

You wondered how it’ll be, to get fake rescued. You were never in such a situation, always watching the villains from the comfort of your TV rather than first hand. What was Dynamite’s quirk? Suddenly you felt stupid for not knowing. On the other hand, you were never up to date with new heroes and all the popularity polls or colourful magazines. Guess you’d just have to wait and see.

Katsuki didn’t leave you for long. You were counting the pieces of shattered glass beneath your feet when a series of explosions passed beside the building. The small pieces you were meticulously adding shook and you let out a squeak when something heavy hit the wall behind you.

“Shut up, it's me.” Craning your neck, you saw Dynamite’s face, upside down, looking at you. He was halfway through the window. “What have you got?”

“God, you scared me.” You chuckled but quickly shut your mouth. The guide asked you to play the best victim you can. Victims shouldn’t laugh.

Dynamite hopped in front of you and crouched to read the note attached to your elbow. He mumbled something in the lines of fucking scenario and looked you straight in the eye.

“I’m gonna get you out of here.”

There wasn’t anything dramatic going on, it was even quiet outside save for a few shouts here and there. Yet, there was just something in a bulked man looking at you and promising you protection, one secured by his own arms. You felt like the guy from the firefighters video.

You couldn’t stop the giggle at the thought.

“What the fuck are you laughing at?” Dynamite spat.

“Nothing, nothing.” You shook your hands in front of your still laughing face. “Oh shit, this one’s supposed to be broken. Okay, just save me already.” You really fought with the snicker but the cheesiness and awkwardness of the whole situation had you in a chokehold.

“Whatever.” The hero sighed, visibly annoyed, and scooped you into his hands like a sack of potatoes. “I’ll need you to wrap your legs around me. Push the broken arm into my chest and use your healthy one to hold onto me.”

You did as instructed and glued yourself to him as tight as you could. He still held you with one of his arms and just when you started to wonder how the two of you would get down from the second floor he jumped out of the window.

A scream escaped your lips but it was muffled by a loud explosion.

For the next two hours you flew through the air in Dynamite’s hands over and over again. He held you in different ways, depending on your supposed injury, but every time you landed into the safe zone, you realised you were the first or nearly the first. That guy was quick like hell.

The last scenario rolled over and it was a panic attack. You were supposed to be physically fine but otherwise unresponsive and difficult to work with due to your shock. Dynamite tried to take extra steps to calm you down, speaking about how he’ll take you to safety and how it will all be over in a second. It looked like he was having a hard time.

“I need to touch you to take you somewhere safe.” He said, wrapping one of his hands around you.

When you were both at the safe zone, with cardboard paramedics to take care of you, Dynamite did something different. Instead of leaving you in the place where the group of injured would grow, he carried you straight to the ambulance.

“She has a panic attack.” He said to the empty fake vehicle and you just couldn’t take any more of it. You erupted in a fit of laughter. Your body shook in his hands and you gripped the X on his uniform to steady yourself. “What the fuck?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” You tried to explain but the laughter squeezed your throat. “I’m a shitty actor.”

“I see that.” Dynamite grumbled.

“Do you really need to talk to cardboard people and empty vehicles for two hours every week?” You asked, wiping a tear from your cheek.

“Is it really that fucking funny?”

“No, no! I get it.” You finally calmed down, letting go of the front of his costume. “It’s not that funny, maybe a bit but not that much. I think I’m just in a good mood.” You shrug your shoulders. “It was fun, flying with you, like a free rollercoaster ride.” You gave him a big, big smile. A big genuine smile. A big, genuine, lovely smile, with your eyes closed and teeth out and cheeks tinted pink.

People are stupid. That’s what Katsuki thinks. It’s not love at first sight. It’s love because of a single sight.

Even though Katsuki came to some fundamental conclusions in the topic of love he would get all defensive and intense when he was asked about how the two of you met. It would sound way better if he could say the two of you met, then started to talk more, then went on a date and agreed to meet each other and so on. He just felt so stupid, so awkward and silly when he had to admit that all it took for you was a single smile to make his heart skip a beat.

The worst part? It felt a little pathetic honestly, as if people never smiled at him, but truthly they didn’t, not like that. Not like you.

Katsuki still doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Yet, every other piece of his meticulously calculated equation of love was torn down and rewritten, all of which he gladly took.

[rbbrbikerthorp]

Meeting Mick

In the centre of London, a 22-year-old junior office clerk named Gareth found himself trawling through his email inbox once again. For such a young lad, he was already fatigued with the tediousness of routine.

He had been conventional all his life, descending from a lineage of monotony. His father was an accountant who was coming up to retirement - a greyish man who wore greyish suits, his grandfather had been an accountant and he was pretty sure his great grandfather had also been in the profession. “It’s in our DNA, numbers run in our blood,” the words of his dad would echo around his head.

As a teenager, Gareth tried to rebel, well he put a bit of effort in to trying to rebel. First of all he let his hair grow, then he got a number 2 at the barbers. He bought a pair of DMs with some of his savings but never wore them for fear of what his mother and father might say. Once he came home ten minutes late for dinner, which was enough for his father to take him on one side and lecture him on the importance of timekeeping.

Anyway, let's get back to the present. Gareth got home early evening after another dull day in the office. He prepared a nice healthy meal of grilled salmon and steamed vegetables. After washing up, he decided to check his social media feeds, not that he was a prolific user of social networks, but at least they were a doorway to 'other worlds' that offered some escape.

As he was scrolling through Tumblr one profile in particular caught his attention. The profile belonged to someone calling himself 'Mick', an older man who proudly identified as a Skinhead Boss.

Gareth just stared at the profile picture; he studied it from top to bottom; his overarching thought was that this was an older guy who didn't give a f**k. He lost himself staring at the shiny black boots, which contrasted with the white laces and the arms covered in tattoos. Gareth then clicked on the profile and immediately pressed the 'follow' button.

He scrolled through Mick's blog and found himself getting more and more aroused at the pictures, which included from videos of lads getting their heads shaved, pictures of skinheads in full skinhead gear, groups of skinheads drinking and even photos of skins getting pierced and tattooed. The posts included many skinhead transformation stories as well as a few articles about skinhead culture, which Gareth read with interest.

Gareth really wanted to message Mick, and he pointed the cursor but kept hesitating because, to be honest, he felt a bit stupid. The voices in his head told him not to bother, Mick is a hard, tattooed skinhead and why would he want to chat with someone as boring and vanilla as you, Gareth?

After deliberating for many minutes whilst continuing to look over Mick's blog, he managed to silence the voices momentarily finding the resolve to send a message. He clicked on the icon and noticed the green dot, so Mick was probably online. After a lot of thought he decided to keep the first message short, "hey there, love the blog, love the gear," and pressed the send icon. No, he thought in a moment of regret and as the voices reasserted themselves, why did I type that? After a few minutes, and much to Gareth's surprise, the number 1 appeared on the messages side-menu. Expecting a "get lost" or "Eff off back to your boring, mundane life," he clicked to see what the reply was.

“Oi oi m8 thx. I didn’t think I’d be your type. Just seen your profile pic you look like just a conventional clean-cut lad." Reading this, Gareth was rock hard. He’d never spoken to a skinhead before and the thought of chatting with one was already driving him crazy. He thought very carefully about what to type next. “Ha ha, well yes, but skinheads - they're something else,” and he pressed send. Mick replied straight away “Thanks. I know you’d look good with your head shaved, wearing a nice tight pair of bleachers and all booted up lad.”

Gareth had often wondered what his life would be like if he had taken a different path maybe as a tradesman or a workie, even a punk or skinhead but it would never work, plus what would his parents and friends say. He quickly typed a reply, “Ah, I’d love to but I don’t think I could - I’d be a terrible skinhead,” and clicked on the send icon.

Gareth was starting to feel stupid again for initiating the conversation with Mick - but before he cold wallow in his foolishness he received another message, which had a much firmer tone to it “Listen lad, you WILL make a perfect skinhead. I CAN make it happen m8. I'll be in the White Hart pub on Grange Road at tonight 8 - be on time. If not, we won't chat again. It's a one time offer."

Having read the message, Gareth noticed the green light disappear - Mick must have signed out.

Gareth didn’t know what to do. This skinhead he’d spoken to for all of five minutes was willing to take him 'under his wing' and make all his dreams come true. Was this a set-up? Was it all one big joke? Was he being foolish turning up in a pub some stranger had mentioned

In that moment Gareth was 'paralysed' Should he carry on as Mr Conventional or take this opportunity to escape the monotony and drudgery of routine? Well there was only one way to find out.

After nearly an hour of procrastination he decided it was worth the risk and he would go and meet Mick. After all nothing was going to happen in pub full of customers? With a mix of excitement and apprehension, Gareth put on a pair of jeans, a plan blue t-shirt and a his coat. He opened Google Maps and searched for The White Hart and followed the directions.

After a twenty minute bus ride and ten minute walk he arrived at The White Hart. He paused for a moment. This looked like any other pub he'd seen in the city. Was he really going to enter a pub frequented by skinheads? Was he about to meet the man he'd been messaging on Tumblr? He was about to discover that this pub, adorned with memorabilia reflecting the skinhead subculture, would become the backdrop for his transformation.

He walked through the double doors and entered the tap room. He was immediately met by the sight of three skinheads standing at the bar. He checked them out; they all had shaved heads, some dressed in green or black bomber jackets, some just in t-shirts or Fred Perry polos and wearing skinhead boots; some black some red/brown.

Standing for a moment, just inside the doors (close enough to make a quick retreat should it be necessary), he took in the atmosphere. He looked around the room, trying not to catch anyone's attention. However, a few of the skins had noticed the new lad enter. Gareth was aware of several faces looking in his director, some seeming to sneer at him in contempt. He imagined they were thinking "what are you doing in our place?" After all he was a normal looking, average 22 year old in the middle of a pub occupied by tattooed, pierced, and booted skinheads.

Gareth got a sense that tension was building, but at the same time he was very aroused. He'd never been so close to one skinhead, let alone a pub full of pretty hot looking skins. He glanced at his watch - it was almost 8 o'clock - so finding Mick was his priority.

Gareth was feeling intimidated by the many eyes focussed on him. Believing Mick would be somewhere in the pub meant he was able to dig deep and find the courage not to run out through the door through which he entered. As he walked around, he noticed a skinhead standing at the bar smoking a cigarette. He always thought that smoking was banned indoors - and that included pubs - but this skinhead didn't seem to care. "You look out of place my lad - don't think you want to be in here!" he said taking the cig out of his mouth.

"Well, erm, I, I'm supposed to be meeting someone here." Gareth stuttered a reply taking in the sight in front of him.

"Oh, is that so?" The skinhead started to smile. "And who is this person you're supposed to be meeting or do you just like being in a room filled with skinheads?"

Gareth was getting even more aroused. "No, erm Mick," he initially replied meekly, then getting his confidence back, "he's called Mick".

Suddenly Gareth heard a booming voice to his right, which he knew was aimed at him. “Boy, I've been waiting."

Gareth headed over to where the voice originated, very aware that the skinhead he'd just been talking to was still staring at him as he walked away.

"Good job you turned up lad." Gareth was mesmerised at seeing Mick in person - as if in a trance, he walked towards the man that would permanently change his life. With each step forward, he took in Mick's weathered face, shaved head, tattooed arms and, holding a metal baseball bat in his left hand. "Boy, I thought you might chicken out." Finally standing next to Mick, he laughed nervously; he actually was scared-stiff but at the same time he was so turned on by this older skinhead. “You wanna be a proper skinhead - just like ALL the lads around you, don’t you?"

Gareth turned around and looked around the pub - no one was staring at him now. Everywhere he turned he saw skinheads laughing, chatting, getting the beers in and even playing pool - it was the camaraderie that caught his attention.

All his life he'd been a 'lost sheep'; he'd been desperate for the kind of kinship he was witnessing. Yes this is what he wanted, and he would do whatever it takes to be accepted. He turned back to Mick, and more certain than he'd been about anything in his life, "Yes, YES, I want to be a skinhead."

"Good lad," Mick cracked a smile for the first time since they'd met in person. "I can make it come true boy. First, I should warn you that once you say yes, there’s no going back. So, you're absolutely sure about this?”

Gareth had never been more certain in his life, oh and had never felt like this before (not to mention the forming bulge that was hard to miss). “Yes, I really want this”.

Mick was relieved, he made it a mission to bring new lads into the skinhead world “good choice, I’ll make a proper skinhead out of you boy. When I'm done with you, you'll be a proud skinhead, following the skinhead code.” Gareth nearly erupted in his trousers, he couldn’t believe this was happening. Right seat yourself down, I'll get the beers in an we'll talk about your skinhead transformation.

In a matter of minutes, Mick returned accompanied by two other skinheads who sat down alongside Gareth. "This is Charlie and this is his boi Chris. Chris once had a boring life - he was a going to be a lawyer but he hated his life. He met first Charlie on Grindr and now they're inseparable; Chris now works for the council in the cleansing department. Lads, this is Gareth," he said, nodding in Gareth's direction."

Gareth nervously picked up his glass that had been put in front of him and took a big gulp of the beer. One gulp turned into two, three, four and in no time, he'd almost finished his pint. In doing so he'd plucked up the courage to initiate a conversation about what life would be like as a skinhead.

Mick was about to start waxing lyrical about his life when Charlie jumped in, having just finished his pint, "tell the lad how long you've been a skinhead Mick," turning to Gareth, "Mick also knows what it means to be a skin and how we watch out for one another. C'mon Chris let's get the next round in."

As they chatted over three more pints Mick regaled his life experiences and the subculture he had embraced since he started secondary school. He shared stories of camaraderie, rebellion, and talked affectionately about the unique sense of identity that exists within the skinhead community. Despite the age gap, a connection had formed between the two. Mick decided it was time to begin Gareth's transformation. "Right lad, follow me."

Mick put on what Gareth would learn is his black Harrington, he picked up his baseball bat and headed through a set of double doors. Gareth followed a few paces behind Mick heading down a short dimly lit corridor.

They walked through the door and entered a room with black and white tiles on the floor, three sides of the room had walls covered in pictures of skinheads, the other wall was simply a floor to ceiling mirror. In the middle of the room was a barber's chair.

"Right lad, take your top off"

Without a second thought Gareth complied. "Get in the chair." It was an order, not a request, which had to be obeyed. Gareth was about to take the first step and most symbolic stage his transformation to a skinhead.

Sitting in the old barber's chair, Gaz could only watch as Mick walked over to the shelf and picked up a set of clippers. Mick removed the guard that was covering the cutting end and turned to Gareth, ""this is it lad; in a few minutes Gareth will be gone. I'm going to transform you into Gaz - my Skinhead boi."

With that Mick pressed the on button on the side of the clippers; immediately he heard the familiar 'clack' sound echo around the room. Mick pressed the clippers into the nape and worked his way up the lad's head. With a deliberate slowness, Gareth's hair was stripped away. With each stroke, inches of hair fell on his chest and on the floor around the chair until it was all gone.

Gareth was more turned on than he'd been; at any time in his life. Nothing he'd done in his 22 years to date had resulted in the mild sweating, butterflies and raised heart-rate that he was experiencing as he stared into the mirror watching this tattooed thug denuding his head.

Mick could tell Gaz was enjoying the experience as he heard a little pleasure moan escape from his mouth. He ran the clippers over Gaz's head at least three times, ensuring there was only stubble left. Mick noticed Gaz staring in the mirror - it wasn't all he noticed. "Like what you see boi?"

Gareth simply nodded - his brain simply couldn't process the combination of his feelings and the sight of his shaved head in the mirror. He was about to touch his head when Mick interrupted, "No you don't boi. I'll tell you when you can touch your head."

Mick then walked over to the sink and turned on the hot tap. When the water was steaming hot, he grabbed a towel and wet it thoroughly. He squeezed the towel removing the excess water and placed the very towel on Gaz's head; leaving it for a few minutes.

This gave him time to grab a can of shaving foam. He completely covered his boi's head in foam. He grabbed a new Mach III razor and started the next stage of the transformation. It took a few minutes to shave away the stubble from his boi's head and make him as smooth and shiny as a baby.

Gaz sat there frozen in disbelief as each stroke of the razor revealed another patch of scalp completely void of hair. As Mick finished up, he produced a handheld mirror to show the back and sides: “what do you think boi?”

Gaz didn’t recognise the person staring back at him - he was starting to look like a dumb thug who’d grown up on a council estate and spent years getting in trouble with the law. Not some twenty-something who had grown up the perfect, but very boring, nuclear family. “Yeah, this is perfect, just how I wanted to look”.

"It's only the beginning of your transformation lad. Now we need to get you dressed. Stay there." Mick ordered and walked over to a cupboard ar the back of the room.

Gaz didn't want to move. He was transfixed by the skinhead he saw in the mirror - so much so that he didn't hear Mick calling to him.

"Get over here boi!"

Gaz came back to reality and jumped out of the chair. He walked over to where Mick was standing. It was a cupboard full of boots, jeans with bleach splashes, t-shirts, polo shirts and bomber jackets.

For the second time in as many hours, Gaz was enthralled by the content in the cupboard - as he stared at the many pairs boots on the shelf he was almost drooling. "Right lad," Mick said jerking Gaz out of his boot gazing, "we can get you started with what's in here. You'll need to get more in time but that can wait till you start yer new job."

With that Mick began to outfit his boi in classic skinhead attire. He started by handing Gaz a t-shirt wich the boy slipped over his head, then came a pair of very tight fitting jeans with bleach splashes - bleachers as they are generally known. As he put them on he could sense blood rushing towards his groin area. Seeing this Mick smiled; Gaz smiled back sensing he was blushing. As he finished buttoning his bleachers, he saw the jeans had been cut off just below the knee - he would soon find out why. Next, Gaz was handed a pair of white(ish) football socks. "Get them on your feet."

As Gaz was putting his socks, he looked up when another skinhead entered the room. He was a bit younger than Mick but older than Gaz; his arms covered in tattoos and a huge ring in his nose and both ears pierced, "is he ready Mick?"

"Not quite Al, he's got his boots to put on an lace properly." He turned to Gaz, "for now you need to pull your socks over your knees." When Gaz had done as instructed, Mick put a pair of black 20 hole boots with white laces in front of him. He sat down and began talking him through tightly ladder-lacing his boots, first the right foot then the left.

In no time at all Gaz had ladder-laced his boots.

"Stand up lad - look in the mirror!" Mick instructed, "how does that feel?" He didn't need to ask - the lump in the boi's bleachers was there for all to see.

"i...," Gaz was stuck for words. After a few moments he spurted, "I can't believe what I'm looking at," as Gaz found himself feeling a sense of belonging he had never experienced before.

Mick was pleased with the transformation so far. He offered Gaz a cigarette. “Sorry, I don’t smoke”. Mick threw Gaz against the wall “lesson one, you don’t get the choose what you do and don’t do anymore. Skinheads smoke and now you're a skinhead so that means you're a smoker too. I want you to smoke a pack a day boi”.

For the first time since he walked into the pub Gaz was intimidated - especially knowing there was another skinhead in the room watching. Gaz gingerly took the smoke from Mick and lit up. It tasted awful and he was trying his best not to cough after every inhale.

“You’ll get use to it boi. Give it a few weeks you won’t be able to get out of bed without sparking up” Mick laughed. This is Al by the way. He's a tattooist - he's going to make your transformation more permanent.

"Right Al, he's ready for the next stage."

Al smiled, "come slong me boi."

Gaz followed Mick and Al out of the room, and out of a side door in the pub. Even though he'd worn his Doc Martens on a number of occasions, walking in 20-hole boots felt so different. To start with the leather was new and the soles of were solid and heavy. Mick and Al were heading off and Gaz had trouble keeping up. Eventually the two older skinheads arrived at a tattoo studio, with Gaz arriving a few seconds later.

"Right here we are. It's time to finish the job. Al's gonna give you your ink and we'll get some metal into you too,"

"Yes boi," interjected Al, "in the chair, take your shirt off and we can get started."

Gaz took off his shirt and sat in the chair.

"I think you should light up boi," Mick instructed, holding out a pack of cigs. Gaz took one and lit up. Even though it was only his second cigarette, he was doing better at not coughing every time he inhale.

"Right Mick, so just as we talked about earlier?" Al asked.

"Yes, just the ones he can't hide - the ones on his knuckles, hands, neck for today, then over the next few visits he can get his sleeves done and then you can work on his back.

Gaz's heartbeat was rising rapidly as he was listening to what was about to happen. The transformation so-far was reversible, but the moment the tattooing started there would be no turning back. Then all of a sudden he felt a wave of calm as he realised he wasn't forcibly being transformed. His lifetime wish was become a reality and Mick and Al were facilitating his deep desires.

Al set up his equipment and began. As the needle buzzed, skinhead symbols etched themselves onto Gaz's skin – a commitment to a lifestyle that was rapidly becoming his own. The letters S-K-I-N and H-E-A-D were tattooed onto his knuckles. Next, a swallow was tattooed on the back of his left hand, followed by his right hand. Then Al began the more painful and time consuming work of tattooing a spiderweb onto the left side of Gaz's neck and a pair of red DMs on the right hand side. Both would be positioned too high for Gaz to cover them up - even if that's what he wanted to do - and he didn't, ever!

Piercings followed suit, adding a further edge to Gaz's appearance. His ears were adorned with small gold hoops, then his nipples were pierced - wincing at the pain as the needle went through the sensitive skin.

"One more for today boi and then we are done. If you thought your nipple piercings hurt, then you'll really feel it when we get your septum done."

Mick wasn't wrong. However, compared to the continuous, vibrating pain of being tattooed, Gaz would describe the septum piercing as a quick, sharp pain. In no time at all he had a 14 gauge septum piercing with a gold ring though it.

"Your nose is going to be tender to touch and will probably take a couple of week to heal." Al told Gaz. We'll look at changing to a slightly bigger ring as Mick wants in a couple of months, that's provided it has healed well."

Mick walked over to Gaz and grabbed him roughly. Mick pressed his body up against Gaz and kissed him lightly on the lips. Then he thrust his tongue harshly into Gaz's mouth. Gaz had never kissed a man before, in fact he hadn't kissed many girls before. So he just let Mick take charge. Gaz found he loved the smokey taste of Mick's mouth too - imagining that his would taste the same as he become a 20-a-day smoker.

In that single moment Gaz felt a sense of liberation that transcended his previous life. There would be no return for once ordinary office worker. Instead, with Mick's guidance, Gaz secured his first manual job. Being a workie on a building site was a fitting occupation for his newfound identity.

In the end, Gareth's (now Gaz's) transformation went beyond skin-deep. He found a sense of purpose and community that resonated with him on a profound level. Mick, the seasoned skinhead mentor, had unwittingly become Gaz's Alpha guiding the 22 year old through a journey of self-discovery that led him to embrace a life that, just weeks before, had been unimaginable.

[little-emerald-snake]

Piercings - Sebastian Sallow X F!MC

🔥 NSFW 🔞 MDNI

Well, I meant to post a request today but I came down with a raging case of strep a few days ago and have been in bed trying to keep my fever down. So instead I’m posting this spicy little number I had pre written.

Warnings: modern college au, hookup app, oral m receiving, protected p-in-v, unprotected p-in-v, first time piercing sex, squirting, experienced Sebastian, gentleman Sebastian

3.2k words

She was supposed to be doing homework, sprawled across her bed while laying on her stomach, head propped on her pillow as she swiped through her tinder account.

Weekends had been boring for her since this semester she’d sworn off of parties to focus more on school. That meant when her roommate that she shared the two bedroom apartment with would be out every weekend while she was stuck at home, missing socializing.

Tonight, her roommate was home seeing as it was Wednesday and they both had classes in the morning. Her roommate was holed up in her room cramming in study time to get ahead before the weekend.

She had tried to focus on getting some studying in but her attention span was on anything but her school work. Instead she combed through profiles of boys who went to her school or lived in her small college town.

Most guys she swiped past without a second glance while others she’d dig into their profile or social media before swiping left or right depending on what they were looking for and if they seemed interesting.

Most profiles blended the same as she swiped and chatted with her matches, attempting to get to know them a bit. None had caught her eye like the man on her screen now though.

Sebastian Sallow

21 - M - 5 miles away

Looking for: casual, maybe long term

About me: I read more books then you’d care to hear me talk about. I study literature and history at HU. I’m a twin. I have a reverse PA piercing. No you can’t see a pic. You can see it when we meet in person 😉

Her eyes widened as she scanned the profile. He seemed to give just enough information that it intrigued her and didn’t come off dickish but not enough so that it would keep her guessing.

She chewed the skin of her lip, swiping through his pictures. He was attractive, a bright smile, curly chocolate brown hair and matching chocolate brown eyes that held something deep.

A picture of him and what she assumed was his twin. They looked similar, her looking smaller than him but a vibrant smile and long beautiful chocolate hair tied up neatly while giving the peace sign to the camera.

Aside from having a relatively nice profile she had to say that a few things stood out more than others. One being that he studied at her university, another being him only looking for something casual, like her, and the final, most interesting part. A reverse Prince Albert piercing.

She’d never seen one in person and never been with a man who’d had one. Or any kind of spicy piercing for that matter. She didn’t know what a reverse PA was so she decided to change tabs and make a quick Google search.

Upon seeing that a reverse PA was the best for g spot stimulation she licked across her bottom lip, returning to his profile. After little debate she swiped yes on him, immediately matching. She smiled, opening the messaging feature to send him a message.

She struggled, typing and deleting the message several times, unhappy with her message each time. She was just about to settle with a simple message when his message pinged. “If you’re interested in getting to know me or meeting up you should text me.” Along with his phone number.

She grinned, copying his number and typing up a message for him. “Hey, we matched on tinder. I’d like to chat and get to know you a bit before we meet up but I’m not opposed to meeting if we vibe well.”

She bit her bottom lip, staring at the screen for a minute before sighing, hitting the button to dim her screen and dropping the phone to the side of her notebook.

She tried to focus back on her school work, rubbing her temples in an attempt to focus. She slightly jumped when the FaceTime ring and his unsaved number popped up on her screen.

Her eyes widened and she jumped up to a sitting position, quickly looking at herself on the screen and pulling loose some strands of hair which were thrown up in a messy bun atop her head.

She groaned at her outfit but shrugged, sliding the call to answer. When those mesmerizing chocolate eyes popped up on screen she smiled immediately which caused him to smile in return. “Hey! I almost thought you wouldn’t answer.”

She bit her bottom lip to nervously hide her shy smile. His voice was rich and smooth. He had a bit of a Scottish lilt which gave her a smattering of butterflies. “Hah, I shouldn’t have honestly. I’m dressed like a slob since I’ve just been working on some assignments.”

He smiled, looking her up and down as far as the screen would let him. “Nonsense, you look great. Plus I’d rather you be cozy instead of trying to doll up and impress me. I’m a fan of women in their natural state.”

She practically swooned, sliding a loose piece of hair behind her ear and admiring what she could see of him through the screen. “That’s refreshing to hear. It’s also refreshing to see you look exactly like your pics. And you respond like a human instead of immediately asking when we can meet.”

He chuckled, looking off somewhere behind his phone for a moment. “I mean I’d love to meet up with you but I’m with you on this one. I’d like to see if we mesh well first. So, you study at HU as well?”

She nodded, lifting her notebook to show him her work. “Yes I sure do. I see that you study literature and history. Is that anything to do with your interest in reading?”

He nodded, pulling up a thick tome that looked nothing like the romance novels or fanfictions she usually read in her spare time. “Yes, you’d be correct. I really enjoy taking in knowledge via reading. There’s so much to learn from different texts. I could go on forever but I refuse to bore you to death before I get a chance to see that pretty face in person.”

She giggled at that, adjusting her phone angle a bit for better lighting. “I appreciate it! I still have way to much to do in life to die now. Especially boredom being the cause. I’m experiencing enough of that as is.”

He tilted his head in curiosity. “Oh? Don’t do much outside of class or something else?”

She pouted. “Exactly that. I took this semester off of going to parties so I’d have more time for studying and to try and cut back on drinking. I think it’s a healthy choice and so far it feels pretty good. How about you? Do you party much?”

He shook his head, looking genuinely interested in her explanation. “Not really. I’m not the biggest socializer but I do have a small group of friends I like to hang out with here and there. But no big parties or anything like that. I think taking time to focus on your studies is an incredibly important choice. As well as not drinking for your health. It’s admirable.”

She smiled, glad he didn’t think she was lame and that he was already being so supportive of her. They ended up chatting back and forth for a while longer before he said he’d have to go but he was really interested in talking more.

She’d quickly promised to text him and keep in touch before they said goodbye and hung up. When he winked at her through the camera before hanging up she had a mad swarm of butterflies in her stomach.

Her phone pinged with a message and she laughed after reading it. “Don’t think about me too long or you won’t get any studying done tonight, Darling.”

She silenced her phone and made a better attempt at studying the rest of the night. A couple hours later she finally was satisfied with what she’d gotten done, setting aside her work and picking up her phone again. “I still thought about you, but I managed to get a good chunk of my work done, thankfully.”

She smiled when his response was immediate. “Is that so? What exactly about me was occupying that pretty head?”

Heat rose in her stomach as she bit her lip. Was he being flirty or something more. She decided to take a small risk. “Do you really want to know or should I make something up?”

Again, the response was immediate which had her heart beating faster in her chest. “Tell me the truth. I can take it.”

She bit harder into her lip, typing the message as fast as her fingers would move over the letters. “I was thinking about your piercing. Just about why you may have it. Is it for aesthetics or something else?”

This time the response wasn’t as quick and she spent the time waiting for the bubble that he was typing to pop up biting at her nail. “Well I got it because I wanted it. But this specific one is meant for pleasure for a companion of the female anatomy. So both technically. I read about how it could enhance pleasure and figured ‘who wouldn't want that?’ So I got it done.”

She grinned, typing out a response. “And? What do the yelp reviews say?”

He responded quicker than any she’s seen tonight. “I’ve had 0 complaints. But maybe you’d like to give a well thought out review?”

She practically melted against her bed. Imaging the positioning of where that piercing would be was driving her crazy. “I mean if you’re down. I have the apartment to myself this Saturday if you’d want to come hang out? I know it’s a little soon but, for the sake of the review.”

He responded immediately again which had her heart racing. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Although I’d like to meet up in public first. Maybe at the coffee shop on campus tomorrow morning?”

They’d arranged to meet after her first class and before her second one, agreeing to work out details and talk some more then.

-

Meeting him was great. He was smart and charming in person. A total heartthrob with those chocolate puppy dog eyes.

Now it was the weekend and after texting about anything from spicy teasing to a casual conversation, she was more than ready for him to come over.

She’d let her roommate know she planned to have company for the evening and after getting the all clear that she was gone she sent the text, inviting him over.

When he’d arrived she gave him a small tour, offering him a soda before they moved to her room. The conversation flowed nicely. Better than she could have imagined. They soon got onto the topic of his piercing and although she’d tried not to be eager she definitely had decided that if he was down she wanted to feel what that piercing would be like.

Her chance came when she mentioned it again offhandedly and he’d moved forward, placing a hand on the back of her neck, moving in like he was going to kiss her. Instead he leaned in, lips brushing the shell of her ear. “You really want to feel it, don’t you? I feel like secretly it’s all you can think about.”

She couldn’t hide it. She really did want to, so she nodded. It was silly but having talked with him over the few days had really helped her focus as well as given her a libido she hadn’t felt in ages.

He reached down, working the button of her pants open while gently nipping and kissing at her neck. Nothing intense enough to leave a mark, just enough to get her going.

Not that she needed it. She’d been wet since she first saw him at her door, dressed all in black with a small bouquet of colorful flowers in hand.

He slid his hand into her pants, rubbing against her panties with maddening accuracy. The man really knew what he was doing which excited her.

Soon they’d finally moved along, her eyes watching with intensity as he slid his boxers down, letting his erection spring free. The silver jewelry glinted from the head of his thickness.

She licked her lips looking up at him. He nodded his approval, with a half smile. “I’m clean, in all meanings of the word if you’re thinking of doing what I think you are. Just be careful with the jewelry on your teeth. I don’t want you chipping a tooth.”

She nodded, sprawling between his legs and taking his girth in her hand. She gripped his base firmly, sliding the head past her lips, careful of the metal bar near her teeth.

She explored it with her tongue, getting accustomed to the feel of the metal in her mouth as well as laving her tongue over his head generously. He responded in kind, groaning from farther up the bed where his head rested on her pillows.

She bobbed her head, finding a solid rhythm in sucking him. He groaned and panted from above her, hands fisting her blanket as he watched her with a lustful expression.

After letting her get the hang of it for a while he nudged her, urging her off. She was momentarily worried till he asked her to lie down and he moved between her legs, ready to return the favor. “I-I don’t really want head. I-I’m wet enough honestly if you just want to get to it.”

His eyes widened but he nodded, reaching for his black jeans to pull a condom from his wallet. She watched eagerly as he rolled it on swiftly and moved over her. She spread her legs for him and he groaned, lining up with her soaking entrance. “Fuck. You’re so fucking soaked from sucking my cock. That’s the hottest non verbal compliment I’ve ever received.”

She went red, biting into her lip as he slid in with hardly any resistance. He started slow, letting her get used to the feeling. She could already feel the barbell creating a lovely pressure inside her against the top wall of her. It wasn’t as intense as she’d hoped for but she imagined that was from the condom.

His face was locked on hers, searching for any sign of pleasure or discomfort. She met his look with a smile, pulling him in closer and letting a soft moan free when he slid in deeper in response.

The ball of the piercing brushed right against the wall of her g spot, eliciting a gasp from her. Sebastian groaned, picking up his pace and caging in her head with his arms as he worked himself in and out of her smoothly. “You feel incredible.”

She gave a breathy laugh followed by a soft moan. “So do you, t-the piercing really does…mm…feel nice. I-it’s not as intense as I thought but still very nice.”

His eyes met hers and he slowed his hips. “It’s not that good for you is it? Do you want to stop or…”

She shook her head, feeling guilty for not being as responsive as he would have liked. Her hands wrapped around his biceps. “N-no! It’s fine really. I’m just not used to condoms is all. It’s still good I promise. Sorry.”

He bit the skin of his lip, looking down between them in contemplation. “Are you…on the pill? If you are and if you swear you’re clean than I’ll fuck you raw…”

Her eyes widened and she nodded, face reddening at how eager she was to feel him bare. “I promise we’re good. I-I’m sorry I’m so eager…I’m just excited. I-I want to be able to give you an honest review.”

He chuckled, sliding out and pulling the condom off and tossing it into her trash can. “No it’s okay. I get it. I only use them if it hasn’t been discussed previously and as a courtesy.”

He lined up again, this time sliding in and her body lurched upward against him. Her heels wrapped around the back of his knees as the ball of his piercing rubbed torturously against her g spot. Intensity having been ramped up to a 10. A whine of satisfaction left her throat and he groaned into her neck. “God, you feel so fucking good. I’ve never felt someone so wet for me like this.”

He thrust into her, both of them tangled up in each other, sounds of pleasure ringing out in her small room. With every brush of his piercing against that sweet spot her moans were pitching higher.

He fisted the sheets below her, grunting in her ear as his hips snapped against hers urgently. “C-can I try something with you? I promise it’ll feel good.”

She nodded, whimpering as his hips stilled and he pulled himself from her soaking depths. He lifted her hips, sliding a folded pillow beneath them before sinking back into her.

This time the pressure against her g spot was so intense her moans crescendoed. His hips resumed their pace, and her legs wrapped around him again, pulling him impossibly closer. “Oh fuck! That’s so intense! I-fuck. Sebastian! I-I think I’m gonna cum!”

He grinned, groaning as he moved one hand to gently press his palm against her lower abdomen. She cried out much louder now, causing Sebastian to wince at her neighbors expense. One of her hands digging into his bicep and the other covering her mouth.

A gush of wetness between her legs had him grinning from ear to ear. She gasped, moaned and shook below him as her orgasm rocked through her.

Sebastian fucked her through it, whispering praises of how good she felt cumming on his cock and how fucking hot it was that he’d made her squirt. That finally brought her back.

She lifted her head, looking between them and sure enough she’d made an absolute mess of them both. She began to sit up with an expression of worry but he shook his head and began rocking his hips again. “It’s fine for now. I promise. I’ll help you clean up after.”

She swallowed hard and nodded as he pulled the pillow out from under her and began to thrust into her again. She rode the wave of pleasure while he brought himself to his edge. He was nearly panting as she watched sweat roll down his forehead. “Where do you want m-me to cum?”

She whimpered, pulling him close, raking her nails down his back. “J-just cum inside me. I-I’m on the pill and…I like how it feels.”

He groaned, rutting into her greedily at her dirty admission. She moaned as his hips stilled and he grunted, filling her with his seed. “F-fuck. You feel so good. Gods, that was incredible.”

She smiled, holding him close while they caught their breath. His chocolate eyes met hers as she brought her fingers to slide through his sweaty hair. “I’ve never squirted before. That was next level sex.”

He chuckled, rolling off of her and helping her up off the soaked sheets. She reached for the sheets and he stopped her, grabbing his boxers off the floor. “Come show me where your washer is and then go get in the shower. I’ll get your stuff in the wash and then I’ll come clean up with you.”

Her heart kicked to life in her chest and she smiled, admiring his puppy dog look that he gave her before nodding and leading him down to hall.

[thisismeracing]

King of my heart | MS47 | part. 13

Pairing: mick schumacher x hamilton!reader (she/her)

Warnings: curse words, twitter environment, mention of food, not proofread etc, etc. Minors DNI!

summary: The media is getting enough content to make Yn decide to take a step back from social media and everything that can further expose her personal life. Besides that, she has to deal with ghosts from the past and the curious gazes of fans who start to connect the dots when enough data is gathered.

a/n: none of the pictures used are mine, they are all from Pinterest and other apps. everything else is made up by me and I do not give permission for it to be published on a different platform. I would appreciate it if those things could be taken into consideration 💛

a/n2: I tried some new tolls on this chapter (gossip websites and other social media profiles), so please let me know if you guys like it or if it was better the way I was doing it before.

a/n3: The angsty season is about to begin, so get ready!!! I have the next chapter almost ready, so we're gonna try something new: as soon as this chapter hits 100 notes I'm posting the new one.

ALSO, I'm really thankful for all the likes, reblogs, and comments on Komh, it means a lot and it motivates me to keep writing. Thank you, guys! *mwah* 💖💗

part. 12 | series masterlist | part. 14 | taglist

theofficialyn

liked by zendaya, lewishamilton, and others

theofficialyn recharging the energies with the fam 🤍

view all 4,496 comments

hammertim3 Forever thankful to you for feeding us some wholesome Lewis content 🙏🏾

mickshoemaker not to start drama or anything, but the first picture…and the sixth…am I the only one seeing Mick’s hands?

⤷ parisyn you guys are reaching, this is getting out of hand. just top

lewishamilton I love you to infinity, bitsy 🖤

swiftieeras Yn wearing skinny jeans is something else 😍

summerseasonf1 It’s so good to see them happy

roscoelovescoco I love’s spending’s time’s with you’s, aunties Yns 🧡🧡

user1999 why are the polaroids face down in the fourth pic?

⤷ mickceded because it's none of our business. y’all too curious

.📧

theofficialyn

liked by charles_leclerc, normani, and others

theofficialyn All tested and perfectly ready for the collection's launch on August. For more info visit ynthebrand.com

view all 5,204 comments

user0 These heels look lowkey ugly, and let's not even get on the unsafe portion

lewishamilton so proud of you ❤️

queenyn I loved how she went full mode on the colours, there are just enough options and they are all so pretty aaaaa

francisca.cgomes I am so ready for those boots to come out!!!! Loving everything, Yn 😍

⤷ hammermilton all the wags supporting Yn, brb I'm gonna cry

hater12 those green heels are horrendous 🤢🤢

user45 those are regular shoes, nothing much about them...I don't see why everyone praises Yn, honestly

user1 overrated.

huser99 🤮🤮🤮🤮

leferrariclerc We rarely get mickyn interactions anymore and I blame it on the lack of limits from some of you on the fandom 😭

⤷ schumini he doesn't even like her stuff anymore 💔

username3 Those all jeans outfit lmao you guys call it style? she dress as bad as lewis 🤡🤣

ynfrance whats up with all the hate?????????? Yn deserves better!

⤷ swiftieracing I think the haters finally were able to catch up with the news that she's lewis sister and so she got his fans but his haters as well.

⤷ verstopping I honestly don't understand why people hate on Lewis, much less on Yn now

taglist: @sachaa-ff @ferrariloverr @kenanlotus0 @mickslover @mellowpizzapuppy @dalsuwaha @formulakay3 @mishaandthebrits @iloveyou3000morgan @crimeshowjunkie

DRAMA IS ABOUT TO BEGIN AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Get ready for some angsty chapters <3

I have the next one almost ready, so we're gonna try something new: as soon as this chapter hits 100 notes I'm posting the new one. Let's do this, I'm excited (but also kinda insecure) about the next one, fingers crossed you guys will like it 😘.

[orphiclovers]

Not orv related but kinda new to Tumblr so like what is the behaviour 101 on Tumblr , can I get a few tips , i desperately wanna interact but idk

Okay, I knew I would get something like this. You're already doing pretty well, in that you have a profile pic and have figured out the ask function, so good job. 

Orphiclovers’ guide to Tumblr 101:

1.The number one crucial step that EVERYONE should do, even if you don’t care about the rest. CHANGE YOUR PROFILE PIC to ANYTHING that's not the default one (Though not your face. We don’t generally do that here.) The reason to do this is because it’s almost impossible to tell apart a just created blog from a porn bot. If you haven’t encountered one yet, you will. They're a big thing on tumblr, a completely blank blog created by a bot (sometimes with an attractive woman as the profile pic) that follows you and and sends you ‘hot singles in your area’ type scam messages. If you get one, don’t click any links! Under the message there will be a prompt saying ‘mark this as spam?’ click that and tumblr will automatically report and block the blog.  Some people with huge bot infestations automatically block any blank blog to be safe, and you don’t want that accidentally happening to you, so CHANGE YOUR PROFILE PIC!

2. The other essential blog customization thing is go to Blog Settings>turn off ‘share posts you like’ and ‘share the tumblrs you’re following’. This will hide your likes and the people you follow from every other user. Basically everyone turns this off to have privacy. Otherwise noisy fucks like me can come to your blog and look at all that.

3. You ALSO need to go to Settings>Dashboard>scroll to Prefrences> disable ‘Best Stuff First.’ Having your dashboard (that’s what we call the “Following” tab on Home where you see all the posts) be in chronological order is objectively the best way to be on Tumblr. This is the one social media that doesn’t shove the algorithm down your throat, enjoy it to the fullest. I have never in my life clicked on the ‘Explore’ tab except by accident, and the ‘For You’ tab is also controversial. I don’t recommend it. You can learn to use tumblr with no algorithms and you will feel better.

4. Okay, but there’s like two posts on my dashboard, what do I do? You need to follow people, friend. Go to the search bar and enter a tag for a fandom or character you like. That’s ‘#kim dokja’ or ‘#honkai star rail’ - unlike instagram, you can put spaces between words. It’s not case sensitive, so #Kim Dokja #kim dokja and #KIM DOKJA is all the same to tumblr. I recommend going in tags and not just ‘kim dokja’ because tumblr’s search system is often wonky.

5. Now, scroll through the posts and follow the blogs. That’s it. Now their new posts will show up at the top of your dashboard. Currently, I follow 119 blogs and that’s a pretty decent number. I get new posts every couple of minutes, and if there are no new posts I exit the app. No endless doomscrolling. Also, all the people I follow actually post stuff I want to see.

6. You mentioned wanting to make friends and that brings me to my next tip: Reblog. Reblog, reblog, reblog. Every post you want to click ‘like’ on you should reblog instead. Everytime you want to comment you should reblog instead (and put the comment in the tags).

7. This will put their post on your blog. Most of the posts you see on your dashboard are posts the people you follow have reblogged. It’s hard to wrap your head around, but it’s essential tumblr stuff so I will try to explain it in detail.

Reblogging etiquette

8. Blank reblogs are fine.

9. If you want to say something like ‘good art!!’ or ‘wow I love this theory so much’ put that in the tags of your reblog. The original poster will see the tags you have added, and also anyone who follows you will see the post + your tags. But if they reblog a post from you, your tags don’t come with unless they decide to manually copy them (which people don’t usually do unless they want to respond to something you said in the tags. Then they will copy the tags and put <- prev as in ‘previous’ and respond to them. This is like a whispered conversation you have on op’s post but they will still be able to see all of it so be mindful.) Some people also use the tag system to organize their blogs.

For example, if you reblog art of kim dokja, in the tags you can put ‘#wowowow I’m drooling thank you op, #kim dokja, #orv, #orv fanart’. Theoretically now when you or anyone else goes to your blog’s search function can search #orv fanart and see all the original posts you have made and the stuff you have reblogged with the tag #orv fanart.

Now I will address some common concerns people have before reblogging. “Am I reblogging too many posts in a row??? Won’t the people who follow me get annoyed???” No, they will not 99% of the time. And if they do, they can unfollow you. But okay, if you’re worried about this you can put your reblogs in a queue. Here’s how tumblr themselves describe it: ‘The queue lets you stagger posts over a period of hours or days. It's an easy way to keep your blog active and consistent.’ Basically if you tell it to it will automatically post the stuff you can put in the queue every hour or 15 minutes or whatever you want the interval to be. Check it out.

“Won’t reblogging posts bury my own posts and prevent them from being seen???” No. All the posts you reblog are probably long buried in the OP’s blog too. But as long as they get passed around in reblogs they will get new eyes on them, forever. Also, you can reblog your own posts if you want them put on your followers dash again (usually tagging this as #srb or #self reblog). They will also still be in the tags you put on them originally. Myself, I tag all my posts as #my posts or #my art so anyone visiting my blog can easily check for those specifically (though I don’t know if anyone does…lol. Lmk.)

 “Okay, but I have so many different interests, won’t people hate seeing random reblogged posts about stuff they’re not interested in?” They can deal or unfollow you. But okay, some people create ‘sideblogs’ for every fandom they’re in. This functions as almost a fully fledged seperate blog. For example, you can’t easily tell if a blog you follow is a main one or a sideblog, or what their main blog is (unless they tell you). You only can’t like or follow or send an ask from a sideblog.

In general you don’t add stuff to the text part of a reblog unless you have something significant to add and/or are mutuals with the OP. Mutuals is when you both follow each other. I’m guessing you’re asking me how to get people to follow you back and to that I say idk man. Make posts and talk to them in reblogs and it will naturally happen. 

Also, asks are fun, send people asks (and enable them in setting on your own blog.)

10. Also, give your blog a description and a title. It’s just nice customization. The title can be a quote you like and the description anything you want to tell someone about yourself. Look at how other blogs do it. I think nickname/pronouns/list of fandoms is pretty standard.

Let me know if you want to ask anything else :)

[wordstreamer]

Seems like everyone needs money these days, and I know I don’t have a lot of followers, but if anyone who sees this can boost or donate something to my KoFi or to a GoFundMe we set up, it would be much appreciated.

Our eldest cat, Diva, had to have multiple emergency blood transfusions, setting us back over $8k in money that we do not have; all three of our cats have medical needs that total about $338/month, on top of their regular care.

(Obligatory pics of our beautiful girl, her baby brothers, Poe and Silver, and said beautiful girl again.)

So, while I don’t love asking this, anything would help.

Edited to add: 7/5 and Diva's tentatively doing better. She's home, her appetite is coming back, and she's getting back to her normal levels of chattiness and energy. We've still got work to do, but things are looking up.

Additional updates under the Read More.

Diva on the bed for the first time in almost a week. (A tabby cat is curled up on a purple pillow, paws tucked in.)

Diva on the bed for the first time in almost a week. (A tabby cat is curled up on a purple pillow, paws tucked in.)

7/17 and probably (hopefully!) the last update for the foreseeable future. Diva had a follow-up appointment today and we confirmed that her red blood cell levels are well within where they should be. She is back to her normal levels of energy, and she is eating and drinking pretty normally, with fairly normal litterbox activities.

I also got a new job - it pays a little less than what I was making, which is a problem, but it will help.

We really appreciate everyone who has spread the word and helped us out! <3 Thank you so, so much.

7/24: One more update, since it’s somewhat relevant: I heard from my former manager, and will probably be getting brought back onto a different team. Diva just jumped around the bedroom and is staring at me judgmentally, which is perfectly reasonable, and her baby brothers are resting peacefully. One of the car problems has been fixed by my father-in-law, and we’re looking into the others. I’ve removed the mention of getting laid off and having car issues from the main post, because while it was true, hopefully, that’s going to be less of a concern. (Trying to tackle an additional hefty vet bill is still a problem, but at least some things are back under control.) For now, things are looking up. Hopefully that’ll continue.

12/23: Edited the main part of the post, because so far, Diva is continuing to improve, and I think it's safe to say that she's "out of the woods." I don't want anyone who looks at my profile/sees this post to think that she is doing worse than she currently is.

We've had to make some changes to her diet and add a monthly Solensia shot to her schedule, but those are things that may have been on the horizon, anyway. We still have no idea what caused the scare back in July, but we haven't had any recurrences yet, and while we're still paying off her vet bill, we have been able to make the monthly payments without issue at this time.

We had a massive scare a few days after I originally made this post - we were absolutely convinced that that was it, that we were saying goodbye. She'd improved after we got her home, but then massively declined; in hindsight, it was most likely a swell of adrenaline/relief/not being at the vet anymore, followed by her needing to rest up after that sudden expenditure of energy. But at the time, it definitely looked like a relapse, and we had already decided--after talking to our vet--that we would not put her through another transfusion so quickly.

She was fine. Her red blood cell count was still rising, and she was livelier than they'd seen her at the emergency vet. So even if things take a bad turn, we've gotten another 5 good months with her and counting. I'm hoping she makes it to 18. I'm hoping she makes it to 20. I'm hoping she makes it beyond. I am so, so glad to have at least had another 5 months with her, and that we were not trapped in a situation where we had to live with the knowledge that while there were avenues we could pursue, we could not afford to save her.

[stychu-stych]

Hi, sorry if this is weird but I'm saw in your bio that your a tattoo artist but I found your account theough some cult of the lamb art (it looks cool af) and I've been planning to do illustration and animation at unj but I've also been considering a tattoo artist apprenticeship after i finish that msybe? could you possibly tell me what irs like as an apprentice and if you think I could do my courses at uni and then do an apprenticeship after? I've really been struggling considering my choices and if you had any advice or information about being a tattoo artist weather its on an apprenticeship or actually as a career I would really appreciate it if you had any information for me! I'm so sorry if this is weird and of course you dont have to tell me anything if you don't want to or am uncomfortable too but I'm really curious and with no other sources 😭 (also finding your account may just be like my idol and inspiration while I struggle through school and what I do in the future 😭❤️)

That took me a while to answer because I never feel experienced enough to advise people 😭 Or maybe I should say - I don't feel in a position to advise because, as I once said, I'm mostly a self-taught working at home studio (now almost in my own art workshop with my fiancée) and I don't have much experience working in typical tattoo studio and with other tattoo artists. But I'll try my best ✨

There're many differences between apprenticeship in different countries (and tattooing in general) for example - Poland has one of the lowest price list in Europe but still a lot of people can't afford tattoos. Or that in UK being a tattoo apprentice is a long process. I know for sure that a lot of tattoo artists I know struggle with number of clients compared to previous years. And it won't change for a long time for sure because of inflation. So if you want to start tattooing you need to know that you won't earn much money for a year at least (as I said- it might looks different in another countries)

Also as a tattoo artist (even as a apprentice) you still need to take care of your social media which sometimes can be exhausting and depressing. And I'm telling all of this because I know that you probably won't find this kind of information on other tattoo artists' profiles (unfortunately strategy "look how my life is perfect" works for social media and for getting clients)

But on the brighter side - being a tattoo apprentice isn't something you have to dedicate your whole life to it. Lot of people I know have a second job to be financially stable. I myself don't live only from tattooing - I also help my fiancée with our online store (with our fanmerch and original artworks) and go on conventions with our booth. So you always can do multiple things at once and if you'll decide that tattooing isn't for you - nothing is lost!

The best way to know more about tattoo apprenticeship in your area is to check some groups - for example on facebook- dedicated to learning tattooing

I know that this post is sooo long but believe me, I barely touched the topic. I could write an entire essay about that topic djdbdjdh

Have some wolf lady because I like adding pics to posts sjdbsjsb

[tmntxthings]

一∑donatello hamato。・゜・◇

(pics from pinterest)

> raph’s < | > leo’s < | > mikey’s <

—————————————————————————

version: rottmnt aka rise

aesthetic: purple + cyberpunk/tech stuff

song association: dark beach by pastel ghost

—————————————————————————

author’s note: the previous post for donnie kept glitching so bad that I decided to delete it entirely and try to just recreate it, here’s to hoping it won’t glitch (＞人＜)

> Profile <

name: donatello hamato

nicknames: donnie / don / dee

aliases: othello von ryan / bootyyyshaker9000

location: New York City “what a town”

species: mutant / soft-shell turtle / human dna (not much room for my full answer -.-)

age: 16 (rise movie)

height: 5’3 (still growing! i shall definitely be taller than nardo)

color: purple. . . black

weapon(s): ninjutsu / bo / staff / tech / missiles / drill..?still in beta? etc.

appearance: jade green skin, soft shell (covered by my battle shell), ~signature~ goggles, wrist tech, eyebrows, purple bandanna, usually holding my phone as well

personality: brains of the operation, book-smart, sarcastic aka ‘the funny one’, obsessive, determined, fixer, problem-solver, genius, intelligent, intellectual, basically any synonym for smart, i guess..snarky

likes: dancing, music (edm but open-minded), tech, ~scienceeee~ [enter jazz hands], other intellectuals, phone, family, uranium, cute + mean type, atomic lass, affirmations, gift giving

dislikes: b e a c h b a l l s (it’s more of a phobia but i digress), liars, nardo, germs (like kraang goop and sewer gunk ´ཀ`」)

other: I would like to start off by saying you leave me very little room for my answers. You must know I have very well-thought-out explanations for each answer! I would also like to state that every weapon listed above was made by yours truly. And the wrist tech. And the goggles. And obviously the battle shell. All very advanced and most are made with high-grade titanium. The world does not want to see me ~shine~ so I have yet to get my hands on uranium or other lethal materials. I do predict that in the near future my dear Papa shall gift me something mighty special for Xmas.. but more logically I will use other methods to retrieve what I require. Anyways I’ve gone off track, back to this atrocity you call a profile application. Yes that’s right, it is atrocious. Why do you ask for my height and not my weight? They are usually asked for as a pair. Are you not being thorough? Or did you just forget? Either way that would be points off if I was your teacher! I’d rate this experience as unsatisfactory. I’m left wanting to write more about myself! You left so many things unanswered and to the unknown! Just so you know, unsatisfactory is two ranks higher than what I should be rating this. Though.. you did put effort into this, and I can see how much you used my favorite color.. but most importantly you came to me first.. and we are acquaintances after all… I guess I can bump you up to somewhat-satisfactory. Happy? Good luck on your high school project :p

.

[just-promise-me-jm]

An essay no one asked for

It was a long stressful day today so when I was taking a break from work I decided to do a quick scroll through social media to see what had been going on today.

Unsurprisingly, I almost immediately came across a number of posts trying to shade Jimin or make fun of his fans along with the typical "fuck solos" type narratives that seem so popular these days. All I really wanted to see were cute pictures of Jimin on his way to Hungary or hear some theories on what he might be doing there.

In fact, here is a cute Jimin pic to thank you for taking the time to even read the rest of this:

credit to @UpdateParkJimin

So here is a short list of a few of the things I saw just today:

Jimin is obviously copying JK by going to film something in Hungary (such a stupid theory and I saw someone post that Seventeen actually went there first)

Jimin isn't as popular as JK because he didn't get mobbed by his fans (tbh they seemed very well behaved and I was proud that they didn't act like absolute fools and put Jimin in danger)

Jimin and the remaining members should just shave their heads already and go to the military so that we can get the promised 2025 reunion (absolute nonsense and a highly problematic take)

Solos are the worst and should be eradicated from the fandom (just because you are a solo it doesn't make you toxic, just like being an ARMY doesn't mean you are a good person)

Obviously I'm sure there is a lot more than that but that is all I had the pleasure of seeing on my break. Now most of these aren't totally new, just the same story with a different font, but it doesn't make it any more fun each time they go around. I could go into detail on any of these but to be honest most of them are so shallow and stupid that it's not even worth bothering.

What I really want to focus on today is the narrative that solos are toxic and something that needs to be removed from fandom spaces. The reality is that almost everyone in the fandom has a self-professed bias that they proudly display in their bio or profile pic. Even if they have a tiny seven somewhere in there, it doesn't make that fact any less true. I think it's natural to be more drawn to one person, one type of food, one pair of shoes, etc. as your favorite and it's incredibly rare that anyone can honestly say that they "love everyone equally" (even if it's your mom saying she doesn't have a favorite child, I don't believe her).

Like I said above, I know that some solos are toxic just like I know some ARMY are toxic. Again, I think that unfortunately it's natural that some people are going to just be shitty people no matter what. What it really all comes down to is how you treat others and how you conduct yourself in these fandom spaces. I said this in my first post but I'll say it here again - you and I don't have to agree on everything to treat each other with respect and decency. But if you come into a space and harass others and generally act like an idiot then yea you should be barred from those spaces. Painting a whole group in broad brushstrokes, however, is not the solution.

Saying you "hate solos" (which let's be real - it's often just a thinly veiled way to hate on PJMs or other Jimin supporters) just means that you are stereotyping a whole group of people that hold a variety of beliefs, feelings and behaviors. If you see something truly problematic that someone is posting or saying do what you are supposed to do - block and report. If it's just that someone doesn't agree with you or if you have some sick obsession with Jimin and his success - do me a favor and turn off your phone for a bit. Calling other people names and harassing them because they don't think your fave is the greatest thing ever is just pathological.

We live in a really messy world and I will never understand the desire to make it messier for others by being a dick. A much better way to spend your time and energy in a fandom is to actually do the things that help support your bias - stream, buy, vote, and share them with others who might not have found them yet. Or be like me and write multiple paragraphs that people may never read in an attempt to call out some real bullshit that is going on.

If you read this, I appreciate really it 💗.

Here is another Jimin for your time:

[fayrinferno]

The Complete Escaflowne Pilgrimage

Why am I posting a random train video? Well, you gotta wait for it... Today, Escaflowne is older than its number of episodes for the first time. Happy anniversary! I thought I’d finally post this thing that is so overdue, you wouldn’t believe. Thanks @coverteyes for proofreading once again, I would likely not get this out anytime soon without her help!

Warning: this is very long and image-heavy under the cut. Preview:

As you may know, I lived in Japan for some time a few years back. Obviously, I had a great time. There are so many things to see, to try... even one year didn’t feel like it was enough! Of course, this sentiment is shared by a gorillion of other people, so yeah, tourism in Japan thrives... unless there’s a pandemic going on. (Man, I really had no idea what would happen… I started writing this after I got back from Japan, right before 2020).

In any case, what has been gaining popularity in recent years are the anime tours, covering the spots featured in popular titles. The anime makers often reference real places in their work, one of the reasons I was surprised to see that real Japan looks very much like anime Japan. Add the sense of detail that they possess, and you get a very faithful rendition of the atmosphere you get in existing places, in Japanese cities and countryside, in trains, in schools etc. Of course, die-hard fans easily spot the places, and something as mundane as a random staircase or a zebra crossing becomes a “monument” worth visiting!I am always behind on new anime, and my thing is fantasy and sci-fi rather than slice of life, so I probably passed some of these places unknowingly. Anyway, it’s no secret that I have a soft spot for my fav anime titles from my teenage years, especially Tenkuu no Escaflowne. It takes place mostly in the alternate world of Gaea, but the main heroine, Kanzaki Hitomi, goes to school (lives?) in a town inspired by Kamakura, Japan. Well duh, her school is even named Kamakura Kita. But there are also differences, more on that later.

Since there are only a few existing places from Escaflowne you can easily find, I decided to get all of them. Starting, of course, from Kamakura. The first two visits to the city were not done for that purpose, but I still managed to capture some familiar views. On the third, I planned to catch everything I still missed. 

What really helped me was the map and the comic published in The Vision of Escaflowne Fanbook back in 1997, only about one year after the series aired. The whole book was put together by Escaflowne fans. The map was created by two fans who went on a quest to search for the spots and then drew a small comic about their adventures. Thank you, Yufuko-san and Izumi-san, you helped me a lot there!

So the tour is done by Senoo Yufuko, who introduced herself as “a part time housewife” and Izumi, the “guide” and “Escamakuramaster”. Funny thing is I googled a person called Senoo Yufuko and found out she's a fantasy novelist. What was more interesting was that her website is called Usagiya…as in, usagi, or rabbit. Like the rabbit in the comic about the Kamakura stroll. From her website I opened her twitter, and then I had a revelation with the first look at her twitter profile pic. HOLY ... it was her! This Japanese fantasy novelist, who is the age of my dad, made a fan pilgrimage to Kamakura in 1997, and she is still active! She did this tour with her one year old in a stroller, who would be... the age of the series itself now! This was somehow very heartwarming for me. Anyway, on with the report!

I didn’t bring the Fanbook itself to Japan but fortunately I had it scanned. So I stopped at the nearest conbini (convenience store) and printed out the pages. Armed with those, the camera, the series screencaps saved on my phone, and some rations, I embarked on a third journey to cover everything I missed the first two times. My theory was, if the scenery was supposed to be based on real Kamakura, in the 90s analog age, they had to use photos as references. And if there were photos used for the scenes, they can be taken again from the same spot! So I tried to capture as many as I could.

How to get there (and around)

I mentioned this elsewhere, Kamakura is an old, coastal town south of Tokyo with many sights and popular beaches. To get there, you hop on the Yokosuka line for Zushi in Tokyo–the trip costs only a few hundred yen (or a few bucks)– and before you know it, you’re there.

First thing you will certainly pass if you take a train is the Kamakura Kita or Kamakura North station (named the same as Hitomi’s school). This station is also referenced in one of Escaflowne episodes, more on that later. Anyway, it is worth getting off the train there for other reasons, too, as there are several pretty temples and gardens in the area.

The following train stop is already the main station of Kamakura itself. You may feel surprised at how many tourists circle the station, but then, it is a really popular getaway from Tokyo. I read somewhere that many foreign fans come to Kamakura because of Slam Dunk, a popular basketball manga. Many more come to Kamakura because of Kamakura. I can guarantee that not many come because of Escaflowne, which seems a bit forgotten and obscure by now; I didn’t see any references to it during my stay, when some other, more popular, 90s titles came up from time to time.

So, in this case, I was an exception, but I also quickly fell in love with the town so I cannot say the anime was my only motivation in returning there.

In the town itself, you can move around by the Enoden (literal translation of the full name is Enoshima electric train). This cute, green antique train is an attraction in itself and connects Kamakura and the neighboring city of Fujisawa. If you make more than two Enoden trips, it is already worth getting a Noriorikun, a one day pass, right away at the station. I also got a souvenir of Enoden from one of the gachapon machines.

There are plenty of things to do in Kamakura: there is the Great Buddha, historic temples and shrines (used to be the seat of the shogun and a capital), the famed Enoshima aquarium (featured in the Kuragehime jdrama, for example), beaches popular for surfing, windsurfing etc. But if you are crazy, you may wanna try to find some anime sights instead.

So let’s finally get to it. The photos are mine, taken mostly with a Fujifilm XT-20 camera.  (Please note that I filtered and adjusted the photos as necessary to get the closest possible result.) 

Starting from the first episode….

Hitomi’s and Yukari’s walk home (EP1)

After Yukari catches Hitomi in a compromising situation with Amano-senpai at the infirmary, they walk home side-by-side. Yukari mock-scolds Hitomi about making a move on him behind her back and teases her into buying her desserts. They descend steep stairs, pass several buildings and then walk into the tunnel where Yukari tells Hitomi about Amano’s imminent departure.

The dessert enumeration happens right in front of this cute little building, now housing a hair salon.

They also pass this small church that is right across the street.

You can get to this area by a short walk from the station along Shiyakushodoori (City Hall Street).

As they pass the hair salon first, then the church, they seem to be coming from the other direction, towards the station. After the church and the stairs they get to the tunnel.

I passed two or three tunnels walking this very road, and more can be found around, because the area is quite hilly. I think there are two potential tunnels that could be the one Yukari and Hitomi walk through: Onari tunnel and Shinsasuke tunnel.

Izumi-san thinks this is the tunnel in question, because it had a fence on top and “nameplate” like the one in the anime (the nameplate was changed to just a fenced opening from the production sketch).

Because of the thriving shrubbery, I could not see any fences nor nameplates, but I believe I got the right one. They really tried to replicate this funny tunnel. It’s funny because the opening has a different shape on both sides. The side which Hitomi and Yukari are coming out of is more or less the correct shape though, which is why I think this is the one. It’s in fact the first tunnel you pass on the way from the station.

On the other hand, during another visit, I got a picture of the perfectly round Shinsasuke tunnel further up the road. This one has a phone booth next to it, like the one in the anime (although the booth is on the wrong side). 

What do you think? Which one is closer? I think it may have been the combination of the two.

Here’s another bonus shot of the inside of the first tunnel:

Sasuke Inari Taisha / Sasuke Inari Shrine (EP1)

Escaflowne TV kicks off at Hitomi’s school called Shiritsu Kamakura Kita Koukou, which is imaginary, sorry. But just across the street from this made-up school, there is a familiar thing... a shrine with red torii gates leading uphill in the woods. The shrine where the dragon follows Hitomi and her friends while Van tries to kill it to obtain its minerals.

In reality, the entrance to the shrine is not across some street, but rather, a small street leads to the entrance. It is pretty hidden in a residential area, and the torii gates feel way smaller than they seem from the anime (you can see a pic with a certain person as a comparison in the previous post).

Anyway, this red torii-lined pathway is a feature of many other inari taisha (fox shrines) across Japan. My second visit to the shrine, I heard the fox barking, even (and I rushed away cause I was alone haha)! The most famous fox shrine in Japan is probably the Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, with literally thousands of red torii of all sizes and numerous shrines lining the way up the hill. But you can find a similar-looking pathway randomly in Japan!

What makes this the referenced shrine was the main building which looks similar, but not the same. The steps to the side shrine (where Hitomi and co. escape after the dragon follows them up to the main shrine), also look a lot different.

Shibuya 109 (EP 8)

This is the only Tokyo landmark to appear in the series. Hitomi has a dream/vision of a date with Allen and they go to a game center in a department store called “Shibiya 1G9″, or something. (The reason behind the mangled name is probably trademark use/advertising reasons.)

Ta da.  Allen and Hitomi have lots of fun, until Millerna arrives and snatches him off with her carriage. Then her dream and the building collapses, in a recurring motif of a falling tower.

It took me one visit to Shibuya 109 to see why the creators would choose it. This is heaven for teenage girls, especially. Don’t know about the 90s, but now it houses covering all kinds of scene brands, Korean cosmetics, and ultra kawaii and hip fast food stalls. I saw many teenagers around, just hanging out. It seemed like a place definitely on their map. It may have been remodelled since the series aired, but it seems to still remain a sacred hip place for teens.

Hitomi is not from Tokyo, but I guess she would be allowed to visit with friends over the weekends and such. It’s only a half-hour train ride. The Allen date is also something very Japanese. I lost count how many times I have seen couples hand-in-hand in and around shopping centers, with the girl holding a huge bagged plush toy the boy likely won for her from one of those machines. So of course she would imagine this as an ideal date!

Kamakura Kita Eki / Kamakura North Station (EP 16)

I mentioned this station earlier in this post. Kamakura Kita Eki on the line to Tokyo is shown in episode 16, when Hitomi’s mother invites Yukari and Amano to show them a picture of Hitomi’s grandma and tell them her story.

We are not shown the actual house from a distance, just a bamboo fence and a shot of the patio. I found bamboo fences, but not in the right shape of the street… but this kind of looks similar, if you use your imagination and see a bamboo fence instead (as this probably was many years ago). Really, this is just for effect, you can catch similar scenes anywhere in Japan, and probably even a closer match than this. But the atmosphere of the place was similar, as it seems a more traditional area of the town altogether.

Hitomi’s walk back (EP 24) 

Have you noticed that Hitomi’s walk back home has a few extra scenes in Episode 24? There is one with Yukari on the steps that give an aerial view of the bay for example. I could not see any stairs after passing the hair salon, but the anime makes it feel like they should be in the area, so I explored a bit. Found some stairs, but they seemed to be leading to a private property, so I did not try climbing them. Instead, I turned to the Fanbook again.

Izumi-san and Yufuko-san think the stairs are located in another area, and they lead to the Gokurakuji Pass (apparently, it used to lead to the Gokurakuji temple but does not anymore). It was in an area that I was passing through on my way to Fujisawa in the evening, so guess what, I got off the train and I went to look for them even though it was dark already. What do you think?

You probably can’t see anything. But I think it’s possible a view like you see in the anime would open somewhere further up those steps and that path.

However, there was a closed gate so I could not climb them higher. I don't know if it was permanent or if it was closed because it was so late. But you know what, I take it as a sign to return next time and explore that area. It was the same with Mt. Fuji, we planned a trip but the weather prevented us from seeing the summit. So I still have the dream to climb Mt. Fuji one day!

Instead of the view we got from the stairs in the anime, I present to you another high view of Kamakura, this one from my Hasedera Temple visit. The actual photo I took is in the previous post, I used a sepia filter for this.

The final stop of my day trip was Fujisawa, from where I caught a direct train back to Tokyo. Izumi-san and Yufuko-san said that the area in front of the Fujisawa station looked like the one Hitomi wandered around when she got back from Gaea shortly in ep 24. These scenes are not present in ep 1, so it makes me wonder if she walked around the city that night after her tunnel talk to Yukari in ep 1, too, or if it was induced by the new discoveries about Yukari, Amano, and herself. But she seems to be home around the same time (“Hitomi, bath is ready!”) so could be the first option.

By the way, Hitomi’s house, as seen in the anime, fits the architecture of the area. I saw some similar houses but did not want to take photos of private property.

Back to Fujisawa, here are the stairs that looked a bit familiar, with a box advert in the back. (Unfortunately, there was some construction work going on though.) What do you think?

Streetview actually offers some better shots than I could make at the time (for the purpose of identification at least) and I think it actually confirms that this indeed is the model place when you look at the buildings.

The only other shot from this part was a crosswalk that could be anywhere, so I did not bother with it.

Kamakura Koukou Mae Eki / Kamakura High School Station (EP 26)

On my way to Fujisawa, I also shortly got off at Koukou Mae again (the station from the final scene of the anime, to be handled next) to capture the night Enoden in a similar way as when Hitomi rides it on the way home in episode 24. Mission failed. 

But what I noticed is that the whole station seems to be flipped around for this scene of the anime! I was wondering why Hitomi was riding the Enoden to Fujisawa in the opposite direction than the actual train does, but that explained it. It was all flipped! 

Anyway, back to Koukou Mae Eki. It is allegedly one of the most beautiful stations in Japan and a famous spot for the Slam Dunk fans as well. The Enoden line station itself is rather small, basically just a shelter, which was left unchanged. Also unchanged is the view of Enoshima island from that station, even though you would notice that the proportions are a bit off. 

What is missing are the concrete tetrapods, even though they are nothing special on other stations on the line. Of course, they could have also been moved or removed over the years.

But even Yufuko-san and Izumi-san recommended going to the Koshigoe station to see the tetrapods, so I believe they were not here even in the 90s. I followed their recommendations and saw some behind a structure there. So they combined the view of the island and the tetrapods from the surrounding areas into one.

Also, what needs to be said is that the anime station building is not exactly the same as Koukou Mae Eki. The Fanbook says the design of the station was similar to the next Enoden station on the line called Hase on the photo below. Please compare and contrast.

As we see in ep 26, the back of the station is open, with some empty area behind the Koukou Mae station. This is not the case in the actual place. The back of the station is covered (though this could have been changed more recently to force people through the ticket turnstile) and right behind the station is a slope with a cemetery on it. That was a really strange discovery.

So that’s it, that’s all I managed to find! I had a mind to create a detailed map or something but you know what, if you ever get to Kamakura, probably it’s more fun discovering the stuff yourself. Maybe you can even catch something that I missed? I had more plans there, but with my luck I hurt my foot soon into my last trip. That, of course, slowed me down considerably. Well, see you next time then, Kamakura, and as you see, I have my eyes set on Enoshima already!

P. S. I may make a part 2 to this post, translating the map and the comic from the Fanbook, so keep an eye on that if this is of interest to you or would like to visit yourself!

[cyberthestarmedic]

Howdy! I saw your post and thought "why not?"

Could you do a TFP/RB where Optimius is a guardian to a teen girl around Miko's age (reader, platonic of course) and they go to Griffin Rock for something (it's been awhile since I've seen Rescue Bots)?

Maybe Heatwave and reader get along because of their sarcasm lol?

Howdy! Sounds ace! I’ve enjoyed writing this!

(p.s love your profile pic!)

hope this is what you’re after!

The Unheard of Visit

y/n was finishing her homework after a boring week at school, it had been a drag to find much motivation with her growing cabin fever and Optimus acting a bit strange.

Optimus had been no less polite of course but there had been some random looking contact she’d briefly overheard before starting on her homework.

Deciding it was worth just asking instead of pondering she walked over fiddling with her h/c hair and scratchy g the back of her neck — something she’d picked up from Jack.

“Hey Optimus…who were you speaking to earlier? It just seems a bit off for you” y/n explained as her guardian had looked about briefly before answering her.

“there are others, who are no involved in the war and must remain hidden but seeing as they are welcoming to humans — perhaps it can do us both benefit to go and visit — as I am aware of your restlessness growing” he replied offering his servo to climb into.

y/n smiled climbing in as he headed for the ground bridge and walked through as they walked out into a street a flying lobster came right at y/n!

though she had put up her hands in defence — nothing hit them. Cautiously peering over her hands she’d seen a red bot! he had a blue visor down and had caught the lobster with a huff. Then he’d saluted Optimus, y/n was surprised to see his different insignia though.

It had the Autobot one but in like a circle around it and he wasn’t armed, plus looked a lot like a fire bot — Bulkhead had talked about a few various jobs a week while ago.

“Promise talker wasn’t the intended greeting Optimus and who’s with you?” “This is y/n, she has come as company as she needs a change of scenery” Optimus explained smiling a bit.

“Well then nice to meet you y/n, names Heatwave and welcome to Griffin Rock — all sorts of crazy high-tech malarkey happens here but me and the team are atop of it— most of the time” he sighed as a robotic dinosaur ran past leaving y/n gaping.

“How do you keep up with everything?! It’s like chaos is round every corner!” She exclaimed as Heatwave smiled and nodded.

“I wonder the same thing sometimes too, but it’s not home without it and I do actually have the reports written this time Optimus — Chief gave me a hand while Chase was trying to beat Gram at chess.

Ha, I’d never seen either so competitive” he chuckled as they walked to a faint red firehouse where other bots were just hanging about with the t-Rex that had ran past.

“So can I have a wonder about here?” Y/n asked hopefully as Optimus looked to Heatwave who then looked to Cody:

“Cody would you show y/n around Griffin Rock while me and Optimus talk paperwork and other things?” “Sure! Nice to meet you y/n!” Cody chirped as she smiled.

“Thanks for showing me about — so much high-tech here” “yeah, it’s wild how much there is — say what interests you?” Y/n hummed thinking.

“Something cool and adventurous!” “I know the place! Let’s head to doc’s lab and see what he’s working on!” He chirped jumping on his hover board and y/n sent him a confused look.

“Sorry! Let’s go for a wander instead — everyone is busy” “no fuss, so what’s the coolest place here to you?” Y/n asked as they walked to the centre of town.

They felt a rumble under their feet, the pair shared a panicked look as a manhole cover was shot up into the air by a green slimy gloop!

“err what do we do?!” Y/n shrieked as Cody and her ran away as sirens were heard not far away.

The ground beneath their feet was sent flying up and sent them rocketing into the sky as they started fall y/n scrunched her eyes closed but felt herself being caught swiftly.

she’d looked up to see Heatwave, he’d caught her as she sighed with relief. “I know I said I wanted an exciting day but dang. That was certainly an uplifting experience— and thanks Heatwave!” She chirped as he rolled his eyes.

”yeah a sky high experience, no wonder why Optimus speaks so highly of you” he chuckled back as he put them down and got to helping with a vacuum like device that was getting rid of the gloop.

y/n had met back up with Optimus with a wide grin, “I can only assume your cabin fever has been resolved?” “Nah! I think I need a drive!” She giggled as Optimus only shook his helm as they headed back to base.

…

hope you’re having a ace whatever time!

Cyber 😊

[foxpunk]

In one of your recent posts you mentioned mastodon. I've been thinking of trying it out but I'm a bit overwhelmed by the amount of different servers. Which one would you recommend? Preferably ones that are trans and autistic friendly?

oh wonderful! always glad to help someone try something new.

some general info, before we start. for you and anyone else who may be reading this:

mastodon servers aren't isolated from each other. it's like how t-mobile and verizon are different phone networks but can call and text each other. it's also harder for larger servers to moderate their user base well, since the vast majority aren't run by businesses/professionals, just individuals. this aspect is similar to forums and discord. and so, pick whichever server you want based mainly on the server's rules and moderation! to be clear, i DO NOT recommend mastodon.social for the above reasons.

with that out of the way, here's my server recs!

if you take my word for it, you can assume they're all well moderated, LGBTQ+ friendly, and staunchly anti-fascist lol. that being said, always be sure and read the about and rules pages on any server before joining! i recommend reading through the rules of multiple servers even if you decide on just one, so you can get a better feel for how things work.

first, the three servers i have accounts on:

tech.lgbt / on the larger side, but really nice. main user base is lgbt people in the tech field (shocker) and a significant amount of furries (the overlap in this venn diagram is Huge) but you do not have to be one of those things or post that content to sign up there whatsoever!

cutie.city / smaller and super chill lgbtq+ run server, lots of general posting, cute pics, artists, etc. very easy to talk to, and very friendly! highly recommend this server if you are just starting out and feeling things out.

urusai.social / cool and friendly fandom focused server, mainly focused on animanga, light/web novels, e. asian dramas, video games, etc. it has a sister server (sakurajima.moe) you can also check out.

here's a few servers i'm not personally on (yet) but that i have friends on, have read the rules for, and have seen are well moderated:

mastodon.art / on the larger side, and is the main mastodon server artists and creators of all kinds join! friendly, with lots of fun events run by the main mod.

strangeobject.space / super small instance, really chill.

fandom.ink / another fandom focused server, but much more general and not so heavily focused on e. asian media.

honorable mentions that i have mutuals from but dunno much about personally: floss.social / mstdn.games / socel.net / queer.party

if you want to follow people who aren't on your server, all you have to do is place their account url into the search bar of your server and follow from there. (there's other ways to do this, but that's for another post, this one's long enough already). for accounts to follow after signing up, i recommend:

FediTips / nice account with tips for new users

FediFollows / run by the same person, they post follow friday lists of cool accounts to follow.

Curator / the admin for mastodon.art. boosts cool art a lot and has events (run through hashtags) that lots of people join, so you can find new artists

Hashtags / this isn't a specific account. on mastodon you can follow entire hashtags, similar to the way you can here, but better. it's one of the easiest and best ways to find new content and new people to follow.

Also, after signing up, your server will have a /directory page where you can easily find more people to follow!

once you're signed up, be sure to set up your profile, make an introduction post (and tag it with #introduction, hashtags are the best way to find people, remember), and have fun!

if you'd like to learn more about mastodon (either casually, or in depth) AllThingsTech and Fedi.Tips are great sites to do so! and you're free to ask me whatever you'd like about it as well, even if it's a "small" question.

P.S. - sorry for the long response, i hope it wasn't too overwhelming! i wanted to give more info not just for you but for anyone else who may be interested or confused.

TL;DR: the instances i linked are great to join! just look at the links, lol

[sillygonk]

Strings of Devotion [ao3]

pairing: Johnny Silverhand/V

word count: 5k

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER – since this fic revolves around music, some song lyrics will be used. I am a songwriter in the same way as wine is a fruit salad, so I decided to borrow the music of a real band. It will be presented as Banzai Riot’s original tracks, but the songs are NOT mine, they all belong to original artists, I’m bending the reality for the purposes of this fic only! The original band is Halestorm and they are fucking amazing. For anyone interested in original tracks (or any other songs mentioned) of which lyrics I will use in the fic, I will be adding a links in the bottom notes. Thank you!

<- Chapter II Chapter IV ->

Chapter III – Reasonably Confident

Days seemed to be flying by in a blur, slipping away faster than a pickpocket in a Kabuki market. Between band rehearsals, late-night gigs and the constant buzz of the city outside his window, he was living in a perpetual state of motion. A normal person would probably be tired, exhausted even, but not him. There was this restless, nervous energy gnawing at him, always lighting his veins on fire. It was as if he was constantly chasing something just out of reach, barely having time to catch a breath. He got used to it though.

That was the rule after all – this city never slept, and neither did Johnny.

The only time when he could truly find some peace was at the break of dawn, when the exhaustion was usually starting to get to him. Only then he was not bothered by anything or anyone, cause everyone knew that it was better to just leave him be. And if they didn’t, he could always blow them off.

Johnny stumbled into his apartment just before four a.m., his head spinning. He dropped his guitar on the couch and made his way to the kitchen, his worn-out boots scuffing against the floor. He poured himself a glass of water and downed it in one gulp, the coolness soothing his parched throat. As he leaned against the counter, he ran a hand through his tousled hair and let out a weary sigh, already feeling the hangover creeping in. After gaining a little more balance, he made his way towards his bedroom, shedding his clothes with each step and tossing them carelessly to the floor. He collapsed onto the mattress with a heavy thud, burying his face into the pillow with a groan of relief, hoping to shut out the world and sleep at least until noon.

But just as he was about to close his eyes, his phone erupted with a series of insistent pings, shattering the fragile silence of the night. Irritated, Johnny fumbled for the device, his fingers clumsy with fatigue.

[Kerry] ur lucky im pulling an allnighter jackass received – 3:47 am

Oh, that’s right. He slammed the doors not really giving a shit if he woke Kerry up. Again.

[Kerry] ur unbelievable man the worst fucking roommate ever i shouldve move in with denny when she offered received – 3:47 am

[Johnny] that equals livin with henry sent – 3:48 am

[Kerry] true just fucking watch it next time received – 3:49 am

[Johnny] sure mom sent – 3:49 am

[Kerry] don’t be a dick netdir://brf.web received – 3:49 am

[Johnny] tf is this sent – 3:50 am

[Kerry] banzais fanpage just popped up received – 3:50 am

Johnny narrowed his eyes, trying to gain some focus. Since when exactly did he start caring about what his competition was doing? He navigated to the fanpage and began scrolling through the posts. There wasn't much there yet, since the account was brand new, barely a few days old from what he noticed. Just a handful of photos with vague descriptions, some of them introducing each of the band members, and a smattering of comments from early followers. As he examined the meager content, Johnny's gaze lingered on the photos, but there was one specific pic that caught his eye. It was a candid shot of a chick with short white hair, probably at some gig, guitar in hand, pouring her heart out into the mic. He clicked on her private profile but found it notably sparse, signed with only her name. Or rather an initial, because who the fuck names their kid “V”? Any photos she had added were either back shots that showed off her occiput tattoo, her guitar or shitty, blurry pics that he guessed were supposed to be aesthetic.

Curiosity piqued, he checked out each band member's profile. In comparison to hers, theirs were full of photos and stupid quirky anecdotes, offering a window into their lives beyond the stage.

A cynical smirk tugged at the corners of Johnny's lips. “Typical marketing ploy,” he muttered to himself. “Leave ‘em wanting more, right?”

She was the frontwoman after all. She was supposed to attract the most attention, yet she was holding back, posing as this enigmatic and mysterious doll. It had to be just cleverly calculated marketing. It didn't make sense otherwise. Lost in thought, he found himself thinking about her again. The way she'd apologized to him when they bumped into each other couple days back, the hint of shyness in her demeanor. Then her bitchy attitude and calling him an asshole when she thought he wouldn’t hear her. And earlier, in the Afterlife? That bubbly personality? She for sure was a tough nut to crack, but he wasn’t sure if he would call her enigmatic.

Well. If it really was some kind of ploy, it was definitely working on him, since his thoughts were constantly going back to her over the past couple of days. Shit, how many times he thought about her this week?

The realization caught him off guard, and he couldn’t help but scoff at himself. Sure, she was cute, and the fact that she was a challenge was making his blood boil in the best way possible, but that wasn’t a reason for him to-

Hollup.

Cute? Where did that fucking come from?

With a frustrated grunt, Johnny tossed his phone aside and rolled over in bed, burying his face in his pillow in a futile attempt to silence his racing thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder what it was about V that had managed to get under his skin. She lingered in his mind like an irritating itch he couldn't scratch. And it was fucking infuriating.

He rubbed his face and sighed. He needed to fucking sleep it off.

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

After their rehearsal the next day, they sat down to discuss the specifics of their performances, with cigarettes and glasses in hand. Ideas flew back and forth as they debated which songs to include in their setlist for the Battle and which song should they choose for their presentation. After settling the details, they emerged from the dimly lit confines of the warehouse and onto the street, exchanging nods and handshakes. It was a surprisingly productive meeting, without the usual screaming matches and disagreements. Johnny was even able to finally get his head out of his ass and stop thinking about this white-haired chick. And his hangover was bearable. That counted as a good day in his book. But of course, just as Johnny was about to make his way to his Porsche, Henry stopped him.

“Hey, Alt is going to be there to see us, right?”

Yup. He spoke to fucking soon.

“The fuck is wrong with you?” Denny hissed, smacking the back of Henry’s head.

“Ow! What the fuck Denny? Alt’s always been a big fan of ours, right?” he rubbed his head and narrowed his eyes at his girlfriend. “I’m just checking to see if she’ll be there this time too, shit.”

“She was there to see Johnny, you gonk, not all of us,” Nancy rolled her eyes without even looking up from her phone. Henry looked at them all helplessly, as if he didn’t understand where he fucked up.

“Christ, chooms, you all know how they are,” Henry remarked pointing at Johnny. “Breaking up, making up, breaking up again and again, so I just assumed-“

“Stop assuming and just shut up Henry, just this once,” Denny glowered at him and made her way to Johnny, patting his cheek lightly. “Don’t listen to him. You made the right call, okay?”

“Yeah,” Johnny groaned and reached out for a cigarette, lighting it up, but still glared at Henry angrily. He took a long puff and then his phone started ringing. He froze after seeing the name on the screen. “You fuckin’ jinxed it, you moron,” now it was Johnny’s turn to smack Henry in the head. He didn’t wait to hear Henry’s stammered out apology, just spun on his heel and took a few steps away to answer the phone. “The fuck you want, Alt?”

“I want to talk. We-“

“We have nothing to fuckin’ talk about, thought I made myself clear.”

He had heard her excuses before, thousands of times, but this time he was sick of them. He endured a lot for her, but her working for a fucking corps was too much. That was a fucking knife in the back, honestly. She was a part of everything he stood against and she wanted to make an oopsie-daisy out of it? Fuck no.

“Johnny, if you would just listen-“

Johnny hung up before his patience wore thin. With a heavy sigh, he slumped back against his car, flicking the butt of his cig away and fishing out a fresh one. Even though he ended things with her a couple weeks ago, every attempt she made to contact him was a bitter reminder of her betrayal. She knew. She fucking knew what he thought about it and still went behind his back. He would lie if he’d say that he was the good one in their relationship. Hell no. They were both just fucking awful to each other. Their relationship consisted of a lethal brew of jealousy and possessiveness, fueled by insecurities, which resulted in constant arguing, guilt tripping and cheating, since neither Johnny nor Alt were strangers to infidelity. They were, overall, pretty toxic to each other. But associating with corps was something where he drew a line. Now he just counted his ex as another reason to hate corps.

He sighed, taking a long drag of his smoke. He just longed for a fucking closure.

“Hey, man…” Henry sheepishly approached him, and Johnny pretended that he didn't saw Denny chewing him out a minute ago. “Didn’t mean to. It’s just, you always say that it’s over and then, you know…”

“Yeah, I know,” he sighed again, shaking the ash from his cigarette. “But I fucking mean it this time.”

“Uh, okay, man. Whatever you say.”

Kerry, sensing Johnny's bubbling irritation at Henry's dismissive tone, interjected.

“Why didn’t you block her, Johnny? It’s been weeks. Months at this point, really.”

“I fuckin’ did. I block her every time, but turns out there are some smarts under the pretty face. She’s a fucking netrunner, and good one at that, guess you can figure out the details,” he wiggled his phone.

Kerry just nodded, but Nancy rolled her eyes again, and tossed her phone into her back pocket.

“Christ, are we gonna just stand here, creating a pity party for this dumbass?” she pointed at Johnny, but continued before he had the opportunity to speak. “Because I think that getting fucked up would do us all some good.”

Johnny’s lips curled into smirk at her audacity, but hell, he was not going to decline. And they still had nearly 24 hours until the Battle began, so they were good to drown their sorrows away and still be fresh as daisies for tomorrow evening.

Not that Johnny would feel bad if they’d ended up showing up hungover. Or still drunk.

“I’m down actually,” Kerry smirked. “I haven’t barfed in Johnny’s car in a long fucking time.”

“Fuck you, Kerry. And stay away from my fucking car.”

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

“The Fool-“

“Oh, fuck no.”

V got up from the table, shaking her head. Nope. Not today. She was in a good mood whole morning, the stupid Fool will not ruin it now.

“V, c’mon. You asked me for a reading yourself to get some insight for the night,” Misty stated in a soothing voice. “And The Fool is not making fun of you.”

“Yeah, tell him that,” she pointed at the card with her chin, but still sat back down across from her friend.

“It’s very fitting if you ask me. Today a new adventure starts, after all,” Misty’s fingers grazed the card lightly. “The Fool symbolizes the beginning of the journey. You brim with enthusiasm, yet remain unaware of both your capabilities and the threats you face,” she pulled out another card. “Strength. Strength of will, discipline and courage will always be rewarded.”

“Now, that’s what I like to hear,” V nodded, finally a satisfied smile showing up on her face.

“But not necessarily at your destination, as the reversed Magician shows,” Misty states after pulling the third one from the deck. “Perhaps the path itself is what’s important…? And it will help you overcome your fear?”

“Well, I don’t like that anymore,” she crossed arms over her chest, pouting, making Misty laugh.

“And the last one,” her roommate pulled out the fourth card and blinked in surprise. “The Lovers. Balance, friendship, love… Though it can also mean difficult choices ahead.”

“Jeez,” V ran a hand through her hair. “You know what? I ain’t asking you ever again. Lately your readings are getting a little too real for my liking.”

“Some believe uncertainty is an evil that should be dispelled through divination,” Misty wiggled her eyebrows and shuffled her deck. “Let’s just say you belong to the second group and leave it at that for now.”

“Yeah, I think I prefer to be uncertain then uncertain and scared,” V stated and both of them giggled.

Their laughter was interrupted by the sound of a car horn blaring from the street below. V made a face at Misty, who just laughed harder, and walked to the window. She leaned forward, peering out onto the bustling street below, where she spotted Nova waving enthusiastically from the driver’s seat of her car.

“Get the fuck down, or we’ll leave you here and we’ll be famous without you!” Nova shouted, grinning from ear to ear.

“Stop yelling in my fucking neighborhood!” V yelled at her with an equally big grin and waved at Raf and Prime when they glued themselves to the window, sticking their tongues out. “What a bunch of kids…” V muttered to herself with a smirk. “We’ll be down in five!”

V turned back to Misty, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Looks like our ride’s here,” she reached out for her guitar, securely hidden in a weathered leather case, and slung it over her back, while Misty packed her violin quickly.

V took one last glance in the mirror and smoothed a little smudge of her dark lipstick with her thumb. She nodded to herself and turned around, looking Misty up and down with a smile. Then, she scanned the room, looking for a special someone who could give them an unbiased opinion.

“How do we look, Nibbles?” The cat looked up at them with a tilted head, wagged their tail twice and meowed. “That’s what I thought,” V picked up the cat and kissed his furless little head. “Be nice while mommies are gone.”

She put the cat back at its usual snoring spot on the kitchen counter and, after Misty also said her goodbyes to the cat, they made their way downstairs, just in time to hear Nova yap at the kids in the backseat how they’ll clean her damn windows. Girls packed their stuff to the trunk and sat in the car, V calling shotgun. Music blared from the speakers when they went on their way to the Afterlife and when the car finally pulled up to the bar, the whole squad got out, unloading their belongings and making their way to the entrance. The bouncer nodded at them, recognizing V and Raf from a week ago and let them in without issue. The bar was already teeming with people, a vibrant mix of patrons and potential competitors. They navigated their way through the crowd until the bartender voice cut through the din.

“Hey there, kids from Banzai!” Claire called out, waving them over. V smiled at her.

“Hey, Claire.”

“Hope you guys are ready,” she grinned at them.

“Fuck yeah we are,” Nova smiled smugly.

“Good to hear,” the bartended nodded, satisfied with their answer, and pulled out five badges from under the bar. “Those are for you, they signify that you’re performing. There is also a room set up for you in the back. Feel free to use it anytime over the course of the competition.”

“Holy shit,” V laughed, reaching out for the badges. “That was not something I expected. Thanks.”

“No problem,” Claire chuckled. “We’ll start in around half an hour, so you still have some time to get in there and unwind. Just get back here, like, five minutes before the opening and you’re good,” she looked past them and waved. “And now go away, I have another ones to deal with.”

With one more “thanks” and “good luck” in return, they went on their way to the backrooms, finding their assigned room. V tried to ignore the fact that Samurai’s room was right next to theirs. She also tried not to ponder on how her next meetup with Silverhand will go. That was certainly not time nor place for that. They got in and settled, exchanging excited chatter while tuning instruments. Prime, the lucky one, didn’t have to do shit since the organizer thoughtfully provided drums for the contest, sparing them the hassle of setting up and tearing down their own equipment between performances, but still allowing quick adjustments. They made their way back to the bar after couple of minutes, passing other contestants on their way and exchanging small smiles with the ones they recognized.

And that’s when she saw him.

He was leaning against the bar, talking to someone – probably one of his bandmates. His hair was tousled, as if he just ran his hand through it, clad in leather pants and a black t-shirt with his band’s logo. There was a weariness etched into the lines of his face, as if he hadn’t slept enough, but there was still this rugged charm exuding from him. She swallowed thickly. She did not just thought about him like that. If not, why it’s so hard for her to look away?

Then, thank God, someone called her name, and she quickly averted her eyes before he noticed her staring at him.

“V!” Jackie smiled widely. “We’re here!”

She waved at him, a bit confused. We? She was sure Jackie would be there to support them, but wasn’t expecting anyone else. She moved closer and her eyes widened.

“Vik?” V couldn’t stop the grin. “The hell you doin’ here?”

“Thought I’d miss your career breakthrough, kid?” he smirked.

“How did you-“ her laugh was cut short when she realized something. She didn’t let him know earlier. She fucking forgot to tell him. The warmth in her smile faltered, replaced by a sudden pang of shame. “Shit, Vik, I’m so sor-”

“I know you have an attention span of a carrot, V, I’m not mad,” Viktor laughed and reached out to hug her tightly. “Jackie told me even before you all signed the application.”

She nodded and looked at Jackie over Vik’s shoulder. “You’re really saving my ass here, y’know?”

“That’s what friends are for, chica,” Jackie’s grin seemed to grow even wider, if that was even possible. Viktor also smiled at him before looking at V again.

“Okay now,” he ruffled V's hair affectionately. “I’ll go quietly sit in a corner before it starts. Don’t want to embarrass you in front of cool people.”

“Yeah, I’m sooo embarrassed about sticking to the coolest fucking person here,” she scoffed and he laughed.

“Aww, papa Vik!”

Nova ran over to them, wrapping her arms around Viktor and he chuckled, returning her embrace with a gentle pat on the back. Soon enough the rest of her bandmates joined in, greeting him and Jackie. V smirked a bit when she saw both Misty and Jackie blushing and exchanging hugs, and Jackie rolled his eyes when he noticed her sly gaze.

“I think it finally starts,” Vik looked at the stage from the corner of his eye. V’s eyes followed his lead. She noticed a young guy taking the stage, a presenter probably. “Good luck y’all. We’ll see you later,” he looked at V once more, wrapping her in one last hug and kissing the top of her head. “Break a leg out there, kid,” he whispered. “I’m already proud of you.”

“Shit, you’re gonna make me cry,” she laughed and sniffled her nose. He only winked and went on his way to the back along with Jackie, who showed them both thumbs up. V then turned around, adjusted her grip on the guitar and smirked at her bandmates. “Kay. Let’s get this fucking show on the road, shall we?”

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

She was looking at him. He could swear. And he would have fucking caught her doing that if that tall guy with a bun hadn’t called her over. His jaw clenched as he shot a glare at him. Then his gaze moved to her again and lingered for a moment longer than he intended. He scanned her lazily from head to toe, taking in her dark make-up and the way her hair fell in disarray around her face. Her tight crop top paired with a leather jacket that hugged her figure. And the way her jeans clung to her legs, holy-

Denny jabbed him in the ribs, breaking through his reverie. “Pay attention, will ya?”

Johnny’s lips curled into a half-hearted smirk as he turned his attention to the stage. A presenter stood under the spotlight, microphone in hand, delivering an animated speech about the significance of the upcoming contest and how big of an opportunity it is for young talents, yada yada. But Johnny’s focus wavered, his gaze drifting back to the crowd. He noticed the rest of their opponents, most of them similarly bored and waiting for their turn to take the stage, though for a short while, since they presentation was supposed to be not longer than three and a half minutes. According to the schedule, they were fourth in line, so he still had time to finish his drink.

And maybe order another one.

As the presenter’s speech droned on, his fingers idly traced the rim of his glass. He took a long sip, the fiery burn of the tequila warming his throat. The words blurred into background noise as he tuned out the relentless chatter. With a heavy sigh, he finally tore his gaze away from his drink and refocused on the stage just as the bands began to take their places. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, the energy in the room palpable as the first band kicked off their set. Thunderforge, if he remembered correctly. He quietly exchanged observations with his bandmates and they all agreed on one – their music fell flat, failing to capture their attention or ignite any semblance of excitement.

Now second one, The Shouty Hearts, they were better. Not his usual vibe, but there was something raw and authentic about their sound that resonated with him.

Johnny’s patience was wearing thin by the time Fivedust took the stage. He quickly took them out of the equation, focusing on his tequila again. They caught his attention for a fleeting moment before he dismissed them with a subtle eyeroll. Funk was simply not in the same league as them in his mind.

In conclusion, none of those were better than Samurai. And by the time they could finally take the stage he was ready to rub it in their fucking faces. Johnny couldn’t help but smirk at the crowd’s reaction – at least half of the audience erupted into excited yells and screams as they stepped into the spotlight. It was clear that they’ve been eagerly waiting for Samurai’s performance. The opening chords of “Chippin’ In” filled the air and Johnny’s voice cut through the noise. They were feeding off his energy and he fucking knew it, and by the time the song reached its climax, the audience was cheering and chanting along to every word. When the final notes faded away, a satisfied grin spread across Johnny’s face. Stepping down from the stage, he exchanged triumphant glances with his bandmates, each of them had a similar grin on their faces. As the presenter reclaimed the spotlight, Johnny’s attention shifted to the next act. Banzai Riot was called to the stage, and he couldn’t resist the urge to bump into V as she navigated through the crowd toward the stage. She looked up at him, surprised.

“Sorry, my bad,” he muttered with a smirk and leaned in slightly, his voice barely audible over the din of the crowd. “Good luck, princess.”

V clenched her jaw, and he was sure she was suppressing the urge to retaliate and to not make a scene. She forced a smile and looked him dead in the eyes. “Asshole,” she muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.

“Said I was sorry, didn’t I?” he smiled sweetly and made his way to the bar. He ordered a drink and leaned against the counter, watching with a smirk playing at his lips as V and her bandmates prepared to take the stage. He was actually not surprised at the applause they’ve got, but tried to not show it. He nodded at Kerry when he joined him at the bar and reached for his new drink.

“How you feeling?” Kerry beamed at him.

“Pretty fuckin’ good to be honest,” Johnny chuckled and sipped his tequila. The rush of adrenaline from their performance still pulsed through his veins, but he forced himself to focus on the show in front of him.

The frontwoman’s anger seemed to be gone by the time she reached the microphone, and he was honestly impressed by it. She smiled at the crowd and started their show. Johnny was initially surprised by their gentle start, which contrasted with the heavy, aggressive sound he had expected.

She seemed fully focused on the audience, but she met his gaze with a subtle hint of pity while singing “And there’s a man down below that needs my sympathy”, and he couldn’t help but smirk.

And then she unleashed the full force of her vocals, screaming the lyrics into the mic, and Johnny felt a shiver run down his spine.

Well. That was a good bait, he had to admit.

The audience seemed to realize that too, because after that stunt the crowd truly went wild, their screams echoed alongside hers.

“Shit. They’re actually good,” Kerry admitted begrudgingly.

Johnny couldn’t bring himself to fully agree so he rolled his eyes.

“They’re alright,” he retorted with a shrug. “But we’re better.”

They were. He truly believed that Samurai was better. But to be honest, he could consider Banzai Riot their only real threat in this competition.

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

Laughter echoed through the dark alley as V and her friends sat outside the bar, the dim glow of neon lights casting shadows around them. The presentation finished hours ago and since then celebratory drinks continued to flow. Viktor even had treated them to their first round before telling them how proud he is and then heading home shortly after, leaving them to celebrate their success. Every now and then, they would even engage in quick chat with members of other bands, exchanging compliments and sharing their impressions of each other’s performances. And, of course, V was avoiding Silverhand and those other fuckers from Samurai like the plague.

“Y’know what?” she slurred slightly while leaning on Nova for support. “’S going to be an amazing night which we ain’t gonna remember. But I’m still kinda sad,” she pouted.

“About?” Misty yawned and hugged sleeping, snoring Prime closer.

“I couldn’t finish my song,” V sighed, and ran a hand through her already messy hair.

“Y’kno we had to-“ Nova hiccupped. “Had to cut it short.”

“Naw, I know, ‘s just… Ain’t fair,” she pouted again. “Three and a half minute presentation my ass.”

“Oooh, someone’s maaad,” Raf laughed loudly and sipped his beer, almost dropping the bottle in the process.

“Yeah, I’m mad a li'l, yeah,” she looked up at him with glossy eyes.

“We can always sing that part now,” Nova smirked.

“Wait! Yeah, we can!”

“I think I should take you guys home,” Jackie laughed at them.

He probably drank a whole lotta more then them, but he still seemed to be most sober.

“Nah, no, wha- wait,” Nova stopped him. “Let the girl sing her song!”

“You’re the best,” V glanced at her with a lopsided grin. “D’you know that?”

Nova giggled loudly. “I know. Now c’mon, taaake me hooome tonight!”

“I'd do anything with youuu!”

They both started to laugh uncontrollably. Jackie rolled his eyes at them but couldn’t stop a wide grin. He crouched down and picked up Prime from Misty’s embrace, for which she shyly smiled at him, and he, in a fit of drunk courage probably, winked at her. Then he motioned at them to follow him as he moved forward, carrying sleeping Astra in his arms. They all did, but V and Nova were far from over, their voices wavering with each note when they took turns singing.

“Buy a bottle o' whiskey, we'll get matching tattoos.”

“Tell me that you love me, oh, let me drive your car!”

“We can sit 'til mornin' light, just countin' every star.”

“Cause if there's a hell, I'll meet you there,” they sang in unison, pointing their fingers at each other. “And if there's a heaven, they're serving beer, and if you're an angel, then I must be hiiigh!”

With each verse, their voices grew louder and more off-key, but they didn’t seem to mind.

“Oh, if there's a church, it's rock 'n' roll, if there's a devil, I sold my soul!”

“And it's alright, whatever we do tonight.”

“Cause if there's a God, dammit, she won't mind. If there's a God, baby, she won't miiind!”

Lost in their own world of laughter and tipsy melodies, no one noticed Johnny as he stepped out of the bar, the flicker of his lighter illuminating his features in the dimly lit alleyway. He paused mid-step, his gaze briefly fixed on V and her horrible drunken singing. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, softening the harsh lines of his face.

With a shake of his head, Johnny took a drag from his cigarette as he turned to walk the other way.

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side note – no one in Halestorm plays violin, but (1) violin in rock and metal music sounds fucking amazing and (2) Misty gives me a violin vibe, so, ta-dah!

Chippin’ In by Samurai (Refused) I Like It Heavy by Halestorm

[joe9cool]

Collide-Justin Herbert- 36

A/N: This is fanfiction only, I am not affiliated with anyone who knows or associate with The Chargers. Also you do not have my permission to post my story anywhere else.

Sara was exhausted.

Something in her switched when Ryder brought up Taylor. After all of these years he still knew how to pick at her biggest insecurity.

After she showered and Justin had given up on trying to talk to her she laid in bed, but she didn't fall asleep. She was back in her overthrowing insomnia phase. For some reason she found herself on Taylor's twitter, where she was liking comments about her and Justin. They were discreet to anyone who wasn't in on the drama.

You're better

Don't let a man leave you for a 2(00) pound bitch.

Deciding to torture herself some more. She went on instagram and went to Taylor's profile and her tagged photos.

She was stunning, and fit the beauty standard. Tall, blonde, thin. Looked good in everything. Put a lot of effort into her appearance. Not that she didn't, but since the pandemic she lived in baggy clothes and little to no makeup.

Even up close she was stunning. Sara's photos posted by professionals were photoshopped. All of the lines and dents of fat and the hyperpigmentation were noticeable up close. Despite men lusting after her, like Taylor said, guys like Justin didn't go after women like Sara. Maybe there was a reason that he wanted to keep her private. How long would this facade last? When they break up would he go back to Taylor? She looked good on his arm, and knew her sports.

Sara ended up staying up the entire night falling down the rabbit hole of Taylor. She looked at her instagram messages.

Fat Bitch

Didn't know Herbert liked them fat

Taylor is better

I saw all of his exes. Blonde, skinny, and actually attractive. You are a secret side chick

There was one more message that stood out. It was a profile by the name of Rachel Hurst who apparently Justin followed.

Rachel Hurst: I didn't believe the rumors til I saw the pics. You're not his usual type. I fucked him in college. Guess he needed your stomach as a pillow you fat fuck.

Seriously though besides the fact he downgraded. What future do you have? You thrive off attention. He doesn't. Leave him alone and find someone who loves takeout and fame as much as you do. Justin likes girls who play sports

She clicked on the profile and saw it was open. She was an influencer that lived in Long Beach California but was from Oregon.

The whole Herbert family followed her. She went to Oregon with Justin and Patrick, she was athletic and was more his type.

She had a photo from December. It was a home game against the Rams.

So proud of you representing our home state well! 🥹😘 @JustinHerbert

And he liked it.

The comments where exactly what she was expecting

Girl you dating Justin Herbert? Liked by RachelHurst

Tell Justin we all love him! @RachelHurst Liked by RachelHurst

So why was he here? Just to get her to agree to sleep with him again? Make his meals and take care of him?

She was sobbing,  trying to control the sobs so Justin didn't hear. She looked and saw it was 4am. She didn't want to face Justin not yet, otherwise she would swing at him. Sara clicked on the messaging app and texted Brittney, hopefully she was getting pregnancy insomnia like she was with Liza.

She was in luck because Brittany was up, and hungry. She texted Sara that she would pick her up.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she put on her glasses and some leggings with a hoodie and grabbed her purse just as her sister pulled up. Sara was surprised to see her other sisters in the car. Getting in the backseat next to Alyssa she asked. "Not that I don't mind you and Katie being here, but I didn't think you'd be up this early.

"We all think we need a sister drive." Sister drives started when Katie got her license and a car for her 16th birthday. Whenever there was a personal crisis going on, mom and dad were arguing, or just needed to get out of the house. They kept a tradition even when Katie went to Michigan for college and Alyssa went to move to Chicago with Brent. It was their special time

"Where do you guys wanna go? I'm assuming we are heading straight to the hospital once the visiting hours start." Katie pulled out of her sister's driveway.

Brittney cut in. "Well we have to get food. These girls are hungry." All at once the group looked at Brittany, who was sheepish. "It's another girl?" Sara squealed excitedly, her troubles disappearing for a moment.  Brittney smiled. "Yes, but please don't say anything. Mom doesn't even know and we were going to wait til the baby was born." The girls had to calm her and assure that they wouldn't say anything. Over the years, the sisters knew each other's deepest secrets that they would take to the grave. So far no one has spilled anything, even being trashed.

Once the celebration was over they focused on the reason for the drive. Sara told her sisters the entire story, from their meeting to everything that led them up to where they were at now. They listened, only interrupting to clarify things. Once she was done they had just pulled up to McDonalds. "Wow. I mean he does love you, we all have seen how he looks at you." Brittany pulled into the drive through and they all ordered their breakfast items. Sara was glad she was in the back away from the window, the last thing she needed was to be recognized

They ate in the farthest end of the parking lot while they talked. "Sara, it's up to you, but I think Justin is a good guy. I mean he came all of the way here to beg for you back. Sure he didn't make an effort, but I think that once he realized what life was like without you, he is pulling all of the stops to make sure it doesn't happen again." Alyssa looked at Sara who sighed. Katie cut in. "Is there any other reason besides hesitancy that you won't take him back?" She paused. "Is Harry back in the picture?"

Sara shook her head. "No! We are just friends." She looked down at her coffee. Brittney sighed. "Sara I love you but you really think we don't know our baby sister. What happened that you're not telling us?"

She didn't plan on telling her sisters about what happened before she got the call about dad but she'd rather them hear it from her than someone  else. "Harry came over and we just had lunch and began talking."

Alyssa took a sharp breath. "You are thinking about getting together with him?"

She shook her head. "No, but he wanted to, not only that but he asked me to marry him. Had a ring and everything."

The car erupted in a gasp. Brittany nearly spilled her orange juice on herself. Katie spoke first. "What the fuck? When were you going to tell us this?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "Gee, probably when we visit dad and put mom in the room next to him."

"Don't be a smartass, this is serious." Katie chastised her younger sister. "What did you say?"

"Nothing! Erika came in with the cat and he left. But he told me to think about it."

"And?" The girls were on the edge of their seats. "No way! Are you serious? I'm not going to marry Harry. I can't believe you would think that?"

Alyssa giggled. "I mean you were so crazy about him."

She rolled her eyes again. "Yes, but a lot has happened."

Brittany cut in. "Yeah and we didn't know about it. I mean that article that came out, we were all shocked. All of this time, you said you weren't seeing someone. Hell Brent invited a couple of his teammates to our summer barbecue to set you up."

Sara looked down. "Yeah mom told me she was hurt."

"Well can you blame us? I mean I understand not telling mom and dad. But we're your sisters, we tell you everything. You met everyone in his family, he took you to Oregon and you met his family and girlfriends. Plus he told you he loved you at his college stadium-"

"Wait what? How did you guys know that?" Sara was confused. She had never read the article, so she didn't know what details were in it. She figured it was your typical details that basic sources know, but this was very specific. "I need to read that article." She muttered.

As her sisters chatted away, her brain was working overtime. Who in God's name would sell her out like that? This was a very specific and personal detail.

One that she only told a few people.

Hospital visiting hours officially started. The girls looked at each other. "Do you guys want to go shopping in the downtown district? I don't want to go to the hospital just yet." Katie laughed. "You don't want to hear mom fuss over every single thing?"

With the agreement that they would wait before going up, they started heading towards the shops downtown. They spent a few hours in and out of stores for some retail therapy. When they grabbed lunch at the bistro, Sara's phone buzzed with a message from Justin asking to pick her up from the hospital later. She agreed, knowing that she couldn't avoid the conversation about their pending reunion forever.

While heading back to the car Katie's phone rang and when she picked it up all they could hear was screaming. "We need to get to the hospital now."

The car ride there was quiet, the girls wondering what was causing so much emotion. Once parked, they ran as fast as possible into the hospital and up to the floor (since Mike was off the ventilator, they moved him out of the ICU onto a more private floor)

They found Willa and their mother yelling at each other, security threatening them to calm down or they would be kicked out. They ran up to both of them "What the hell is going on?" Mike's doctor approached the group. "Let's go to my office where we can all talk."

"They all followed into an office room. Once the door was closed Cathy unloaded. "That woman." She pointed at her sister in law. "Says there is no hope and we should consider taking him into hospice."

The girls gasped and Willa rolled her eyes. "Oh please, the man is as dead as a doorknob. You all are just too stupid to see it. Why prolong all this pain and suffering just because you have money to do it?"

Brittany cut in. "He is off the ventilator and making good progress, this isn't your call to make!"

Willa smiled. "Oh but you didn't know that your dad put me and your mom as power of attorney in his will, so I have just as much of a right." Brittany took a sharp breath, her being a lawyer she knew exactly what that meant.

They were trapped unless their dad woke up.

They all knew it too, that's what was so enraged that no matter how terrible she was to all of them she would always have an in.

The doctor cut in. "If I may, he has been here for three weeks. Maybe a rehab facility would work If he wakes up, but hospice would not be a viable option, since he doesn't fit the mold. He is breathing on his own, we are just waiting to see if he wakes up and what damage there is."

Willa threw her hands up. "But this is ridiculous! We have lives!"

Sara growled. "So fucking leave! If you are so concerned about your own life! Leave us be! Don't you have a daughter in prison?" Remembering when Kelsi was brought up at Thanksgiving. Her Aunt's eyes narrowed at her. "Your dad paid for her bail and lawyers, better than wasting it on your career. Which by the way, if I were you I'd get on that chin lipo."

Cathy stood up. "We are not putting Mike in any facility! He is to stay here until he wakes up! I trust the medical staff one hundred percent over the likes of you!" She jabbed her finger at Willa's chest.

"Get your fucking finger-"

"Ladies!" The doctor yelled. "I won't hesitate to kick all of you out and not allow you to come back!"

Everyone  became silent. "Look, I suggest you hire a mediator to deal with this. Mr. Wozniak's vitals look good and we won't know more until he looks good. His heart and brain I'm most concerned about. Until then, all we can do is wait." He got up. "Now excuse me, I have to run rounds."

The group got up and walked out, Sara being one of the last. Her mom and sisters were so engrossed in their conversation they didn't notice what happened next. Sara felt her arm being pulled in the opposite direction. She turned to see Willa pull her into a private corner. Her long, pointed nails were digging into her skin. "You're hurting me!" She tried to pull her arm away but for being in her 60s Willa was strong.

"Listen here, you got some nerve showing up after what you did to your father." Sara was confused. "This doesn't concern you."

"Yes it does, you know how upset he was when you went to visit that giant loser pauper family in bumblefuck Oregon?" Sara was red. "Don't you speak about him like that! You don't fucking know shit so fuck off to your house that your husband owns!"

Willa smiled menacingly and dug her nails deeper into her niece's arm, causing her to wince at the feeling of punctured skin. "Do you really think that he is the one for you? That Taylor that he cheated on you with, is gorgeous, the perfect package someone like him needs. She's blonde, thin, and could be the wife he needs. His agent isn't going to approve of some fat, Brunette who Is loud, obnoxious with a suicidal past."

Sara tried to not let the emotional hit hurt her, but it was pretty below the belt. "You know nothing about our relationship."

"Oh please, Kelsi told me everything. All of those girls who look like models he is following. They are in his inbox right now, and all it takes is for you to eat one cheeseburger before he goes looking, and who could blame him? There is a reason why family friends would call you the ugliest sibling. You contribute nothing to society, you can't even run a mile, do you think it's good for an athlete's image to have you on his arm?"

The tears were flowing now. "Stop it right now. Willa laughed. "Only reason anyone hangs out with you is because of status. Let's face it, all that money and fame goes away and you're nothing but that thirteen year old fat, loser who sits in her room to waste all day!"

"What the hell is going on!" They looked to see Brittney standing there, ready to kill Willa. With a newfound strength, Sara ripped her arm out of her Aunt's grip, resulting in a bad scratch. Not wanting any attention on her, she ran past her sister, past her other relatives and down the stairs so they couldn't catch up with her.

—--------------------------------------------------------

Justin was anxious.

This conversation they were going to be having was the make or break of their relationship. He was nervous, the ball was in her court. Justin wanted nothing more than to be back together. They had been making alot of progress up until last night. Something happened in the few minutes he went to pull the car up to the door. She did her usual shut down and then made sure to be out of bed and gone before he even woke up.

It was around 4 o'clock when he decided to call Sara

No one picked up. Furrowed his eyebrows, he shot her a text

Leaving in ten. Are you hungry? We can get dinner on the way back.

Sara usually responded quickly unless she was at work. This was weird. Justin waited a few minutes before looking at his phone again. Nothing from her at all. Instead of sending another text, he decided to go to the hospital.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting when he pulled up, but it wasn't Brent looking around frantically. Once he spotted Justin getting out of the car he ran towards him. "Is Sara with you?"

Justin was confused. "Um no, I told her I was going to pick her up here earlier why?"

He shook his head. She ran out about an hour ago. She and Willa got into a bad fight and she ran out. I don't know what was bad but according to Brittney she was hysterical. She's not answering her phone or anything."

Justin's face paled. "What?" Brent shook his head. "When Sara gets upset she likes to take walks, sometimes just wanders. It doesn't matter where or when."

"Where do you think she is?" Justin was ready to jump in his car. Brent shook his head. "I don't know, I don't know downtown Pittsburgh like she does. She used to hop buses and trains and take them all around the city, she did that when she would visit me and Lyss in Chicago.

He got back in her car. "I'll try to find her, just keep me updated." Brent shook his head.

Justin drove off, this was more difficult than he thought. This was his first time in the city, and he only had his GPS to guide him. He thought of the bridge that Sara had framed in her bedroom and he began to go that route. After a quick sweep he found nothing, he remembered a few places she said she loved and he went there, but found nothing. Even went inside a few establishments. It must have looked weird for someone his height to do a quick sweep and just walk out but he was desperate.

He had been out for a couple of hours before heading back to the house. Hoping she was there he walked in and called out her name. But unfortunately he was met with silence. Fuck.

He remembered Brent's words. She takes walks.

She probably walked home. He was going to kill her. Granted, being in April it was lighter later, but that was still dangerous, no security guard. Not answering her phone. No one knew where she was.

His phone buzzed and it was a message from Brent

She messaged all of us she was fine. Just needed to be alone. Didn't say where she was. Let us know when she comes home.

What the hell? Why didn't she message him? He wanted to throw his phone against the wall.

—------------------------------‐–‐—--------------------

Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens was always a beautiful place to reflect.

Sara never told anyone this was her hiding spot as a teen, because she just wanted to get away from it all. It was her place to just think and not have someone try to give you advice, or just brush off the action that hurt you.

She ran as fast as she could out of that hospital, all of the training for the fashion show paid off. Although if Brent was there, he could have easily caught up to her. Once she got to a certain point, she recognized the bus route that could take her to her personal safe haven.

So far no one approached her and she kept watching her back to see if anyone was taking photos. It was a Tuesday, so it was mostly older people, and the kids who were into the beauty.

She had been walking around disguised in sunglasses and a mask, hoping no one caught her tears. Her arm still stung underneath her hoodie, but she didn't bother to look.

Her family and Justin were blowing up her phone. Justin more so. He let her know that Brent messaged him. Sara sighed, she knew she was going to have to face him eventually but what could she say? She was never going to fit into his lifestyle, and vice versa.

It was five pm when she left, it would take about an hour to walk home, however there were sections where it wasn't the most safe and not every area had a sidewalk. Deciding to call a taxi, she routed it to the Starbucks near her house. It would only be a fifteen minute walk from there but she could easily do that.

Thankfully the taxi didn't care who was in his backseat. The entire time she kept checking her phone

Hello?

Sara please tell me where you are so I can get you.

At least let me know you're safe.

Sara

Let's talk please. Don't shut me out

She huffed at that one. Yeah so they could resolve nothing? He could get her to fall again just to tear her heart in two when something happens again? What about Taylor? And this Rachel who the family knows? She thought back to the beginning, Bellas words

You come from two different worlds.

Speaking of which, she should call her. She'd been shutting off all of the friends that reached out. They knew to give her some space, but they were worried.

At the Cafe, she found a private space in the corner and contacted her team. She had messaged Erika since their fight the other night. But from what Alex and Heidi said she was keeping down the house well.

All of her things were pushed back, and like Justin, she was feeling the pressure to get back to work. The Met Gala was in a few weeks and she had been invited this year, with Law Roach, Zendaya's stylist, reaching out to Sara's team to style her in Valentino. To be honest with everything up in the air she didnt even know if she wanted to go anymore.

She made her phone calls and caught up with all of her work. So by the time she was done with that it was nearly ten, and the cafeteria was about to close.She walked the rest of the way home, and after figuring out everything decided that she was going to end things with Justin. As Sara approached her home, she saw Justin's rental car in the driveway and all of the lights on. Standing in the driveway deciding how to sneak in without him noticing. She hoped he was at least asleep, considering he had therapy early. Luck wasn't on her side though

Going to the front door, she slowly put the key in the lock, turning in as softly as she could. She opened it and poked her head in looking around. She slowly stepped in the foyer. Sara heard Justin's voice, coming from the living room. She took off her slides and tiptoed to the area in which he was standing. Peeking again around the corner, she saw his back was turned towards her as he was talking to what seemed like someone on his management team.

She took a couple steps slowly and when he started to turn she ran for it, hoping to get to her room.

"SARA!" She made it halfway before she was lifted off the ground. His right side wrapped around her stomach as he was on the phone. "Yeah she's home. Tell everyone not to worry." He hung up and carried her to the coach where he dumped her. Making sure to put both arms on each side to create a cage.

She felt like a kid being busted breaking curfew. She didn't look him in the eyes, even though he kept trying to meet them. Finally she looked at him to see his green eyes full of anger and worry.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" He got up and began pacing. "Do you know you had me worried sick! This whole time I had no idea where you were! If you are okay!. Where were you?"

"I was around the city."

He stopped to look at her. "How did you get home?"

She shrugged. "I walked." His eyes widened and she realized what he thought. "Jus-"

"YOU walked! What the hell is wrong with you! Do you realize how stupid that was?"

Sara began to get angry as tears gathered at her eyes. "Why do you care?"

He looked at her stunned. "What?"

"I said why do you care? Matter of fact, why are you even here! Shouldn't you be in California or somewhere with Taylor or Rachel? Or someone who fits your needs? I don't understand why you are trying to fight for me when there's no point?"

Justin was lost. What was she trying to say? Was she telling him to take a hike? "Sara what are you saying?"

She shook her head. Tears rolling down her face. "I'm not what you want or need. I'm just someone to fuck and support your football needs. I won't look good on your arm at these events. I'm not athletic. I'm not blonde or skinny, so you're just wasting your time."

She turned her back. "Justin just go home."

He shook his head. "No."

"Just let me forget you." She sniffled. "Who are we fooling? We are two different people. I can't be what you need." She turned towards him to see that he was getting choked up. "Go back to your normal life."

He walked up to her, and before she knew it, he was on his knees in front of her, which was almost her full height. "I can't do that." He looked up at her, tears down his face.

"I belong to you! You're my everything. You don't understand. I love you, you're the love of my life. I can't fall asleep unless I'm next to you. All my life there was always a piece of me missing, I thought it was fulfilled by sports, going to Oregon, the NFL." He took a deep breath. "I finally realized these past few months it was you. Sara you're my lifeline, you're my heart and soul. The best part of the game is waiting for your call or knowing that I'm coming home to you."

Sara's heart was in pieces hearing this. No man had ever made her feel this, have ever spoken to her. "Tay-"

"I don't give a fuck about her. It is you, its always you."

Sara sobbed. "I'm not loveable-"

"I love everything about you. I love your smile, your laugh, how you incorporate movie quotes in conversations. Your passion for your career and your friends. How you add garlic powder on almost everything you cook." She had to laugh at that. "Your makeup all over the bathroom, your obsession with Doritos, and how you only eat lifesaver gummies; everything else candy has to involve chocolate." He rubbed her sides. "There are not enough words In the English languages to explain  how much I love you."

She sniffled. "If we get back together, we do it slowly." He nodded. "It's just me and you, no one else. We have to learn how to communicate."  

Justin nodded and pressed his face into her hair. "I'll claim you for everyone to see." He muttered. She ran her fingers through his hair and pressed a kiss to his head. "I hate how much I love you." She muttered. He looked up at her and pressed his lips to her, backing off he said. "I hate that I ever took you for granted."

She wiped his tears. "Let's just agree to look to the future. Just me and you?" She pushed him away and he got up to stand. "Gee it's warm in here." She pulled off her hoodie and set it down next to her. She smiled at him but saw his focus was on her arm. She noticed what his attention was on. It was bruised, with nail marks that drew blood. Sara hadn't looked at it, it was burning and tender but she had been distracted.

"Oh wow." She was rubbing at the dried blood. "I knew it was hard but not this hard." He grabbed her arm and examined it. "Did someone do this to you?" His voice was menacingly, you knew he was pissed.

"My aunt pulled me aside after the meeting with the doctor." She didn't want to tell him what was said. Of course it being Justin, he didn't let it go. "What the fuck did she say to you? She had no right to put her hands on you." He rubbed the spot, and she winced. "Come on, let's clean it up."

They went upstairs and into Sara's master bathroom. He grabbed a washcloth from the closet and put some warm water as she sat down on the toilet. He grabbed her arm and began cleaning. It was silent for a minute before she spoke. "Tell me everything about Taylor again." He looked at her. "I deserve to know the truth."

"She started off as a fling at the NFL awards in 2021. We just agreed it was a casual thing due to our careers. However we did go places and we were spotted and it was on social media everywhere. She was in Europe after last year's season ended. We just left things up in the air. I met you at the wedding and sort of forgot about her." He shrugged. Sara cut in.

"But you went by her house, and you slept with her that night I was in New York." He shook his head. "I did go over to her place and we had dinner. She tried to initiate sex but I told her no. She kissed me and then I ran out. Before you came back I ran into her at the grocery store, she got in my car to talk and I told her that I no longer wanted to see her. Taylor wanted to get into a relationship and when I said what I said she told me to quote 'fuck off' and that was it." He took a deep breath. "Those photos of me in the restaurant were with a girl I went to school with, Kristen and her boyfriend David.  She knows about us."

He grabbed a couple bandaids out of the cabinet and applied them to the scratches. "Whose Rachel?"

He looked at her confused. "A girl I went to school with. Why?"

"My aunt was telling me all these things about how fat I was and that you were nothing but I didn't even deserve that. It's funny how I believed that. I don't know how I even let her get through my head.

He grabbed her and kissed her passionately. She wrapped her arms around him and moaned, missing his kiss. Pulling away he spoke. "Stubborn woman, never believe a word she says. What does this have to do with Rachel though?"

Sara pulled her phone out of her pocket. Opening the social media app she gave it to him. He took one look at it, and grabbed his phone. She watched as he clicked a few buttons. "I blocked her, and I sent out a message to my family." He was still on his phone. "I also unfollowed Taylor."

"Won't people speculate something went down?" He shrugged. "Who cares?"

She smiled, and kissed him. While she knew all of their problems weren't fixed, it was a start. It was a promise of something new, a fresh start. She moaned and Justin's lip trailed to her neck. "Wait." She pulled away.

"I'm sorry, I know you said we need to go slow." He breathed and she laughed. "Well there's that too, but I also haven't been taking my birth control properly since we broke up and I hate condoms." He smiled. "Me too, but if you wanted to use them I wouldn't complain." She laughed. "I mean we should take things slow. Last time we went too quickly, and I think that was part of the reason for the breakup."

He didn't agree with that. Justin loved that their relationship went fast, but he had to respect Sara's wishes. "Yeah." They left the bathroom, Sara deciding to get ready for bed. Justin decided to go to his room, but she called him back. "Can you sleep with me?"

He didn't hesitate, he nodded and within minutes he was in and out of his room, his bedtime routine completed. She laughed as he got under her covers quickly and patted the spot next to him. "Hold on, I got to get ready for bed."

As she did her routine, Sara got lost in her thoughts. She always knew deep down she would probably take Justin back. He was the one she truly loved, despite his flaws. Her heart felt truly healed now they were back together. She told him they were going to take things slow, and she was going to try her hardest to stick to that plan.

But damn he was her Justin, and she was his. Those words he spoke to her, his actions.

Of course they had things to figure out. But for the first time since they met, she felt peace.

She felt sure.

A/N: I dont know how I feel about this one, I couldn’t keep them apart any longer though! However, they are taking things slow! Thank you for all of the love!

[lettermanjack]

Heyooooo finally decided to make a pinned post cause I'm a dingdong

Hello! I'm LettermanJack also known as _Lettermanjacket_ (my osc account) and _Mr.letterman_ (my multi fandom account) on Instagram.

_LettermanJacket_ on Wattpad and Lettermanjacket on AO3.

I usually go by LJ/Jack/Letter though if you can come up with any variation of my username to call me go off.

I would prefer They/Them but She/Her is cool too. Though my preference shifts so 💀

I'm a !minor! [16] don't be creepy. I'm also a Demiromantic Demisexual Lesbian if ya couldn't tell by the profile pic lol.

Other shit about me and my account below 👇 :O

I'm a Mephone4 and Trophy kin so you will see me writing and rambling about them a lot 💀. I'm the self proclaimed CEO of Mephone angst for a reason/lh

Hi! If you haven't noticed this is mostly an osc account but I will occasionally post about other random shit my brain has decided to think about that day.

Don't trace, steal or repost my art, ya dingus. If ya wanna use it for something ask first and give credit.

I'm pretty chill with shipping. Unless it's like genuinely illegal/problematic I ain't gonna get too pressed. If you wanna talk pls do it through asks cause unless I know you private Dms give me ✨Anxiety✨

If anyone wants to talk about Mephone and Trophy being goobers I'm all ears lmao.

-I am a self diagnosed Autistic person, if I do something wrong that makes you uncomfortable or upset, I promise you 9 times out of 10 it was unintentional and I did not notice it made you upset. Please explain to me what made you upset and what I can do to help so I can fix the behavior. Please be patient with me, I know it can be frustrating, but I'm still learning and trying to do better.-

!Use tone tags when speaking to me pretty please!

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!DNI!

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General DNI criteria. If you're homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, proshipper or a MAP of any kind get off my damn lawn you ain't welcome here. If you're in support of Israel and their actions against Palestine get outta here. Don't come at me actively seeking to be an asshole.

[lunyzare]

About me

Hello there, wonderful person, thank you for checking out my blog. Here are just a few things you should know, and also some rules:

Please try to be decent, I don’t want to deal with drama and hate.

Please, if you decide to follow me, make sure you have some reblogged content on your blog (preferably content that’s somehow related to the things I post about), profile pic or at least a blog description / blog name. It’s getting harder and harder to distinguish blogs with no content from bots.

I’m posting/reblogging a lot of things I find interesting, but this blog is still primarily dedicated to Madara Uchiha and Izuna Uchiha (and analysing Founders Era). I like other characters from Naruto as well (for example Sasuke), but Founders Era is something I like the most.

I’m not a call-out blog and I don’t wish to be spreading hate.

My mother language isn’t English, so I might make mistakes. My apologies for that.

I’m not participating in RP (role-playing).

I’m not a shipper (I do sometimes enjoy reading fanfictions, I’ll even like good artwork, but overall it’s just not necessarily my cup of tea). I might sometimes reblog ship related artworks/fanfictions that I like, but it doesn’t mean I ship the characters. This being said, I might write a critical post about shipping and ships, if I ever write anything that criticizes a ship, don’t take it to heart. It is not meant as a personal attack on you.

I have to point out that there is a chance my posts are going to be subjective. I’m striving for objectivity in most of my bigger posts, especially in my analyses, however, as any human being, I can never be fully objective. Subjectivity is a human trait and we can only strive to be neutral.

As such, if I’ll write something you disagree with, please don’t take it as a personal attack on you, as it is guaranteed it was not meant that way.

Naruto posts:

On Izuna and the way his character is portrayed

Hashirama’s flashback: Tobirama vs. Izuna

Why did Izuna decline Hashirama’s offer?

On Izuna’s personality

Would Hashirama gone berserk if he lost Tobirama (Ask)

More thoughts on Izuna vs.Tobirama

On Izuna's Personality