#Does he watch sports??? why athletes man stop this madness

[bathtub4rats]

Having just an awful awful brain day so I'm watching more btas and doodling the guy

[wttcsms]

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖࣪ you know i got a soft spot for you !!

ᝰ.ᐟ peak romance is when you realize that he's got a soft spot for you. alternatively: a headcanon post about the specific things he only does for you or the specific things you do to him that only you can get away with. ( fem!reader & sfw )

featuring osamu miya, tobio kageyama, kiyoomi sakusa author's notes damn, y'all just let hq win every poll, don't you?? haha jk, im happy to write whatever u guys wanna see. keshi's song has been stuck in my head all day (is this my socal abg transformation?? [guys im 100% viet, im allowed to make that joke]) i definitely still want to make a bllk version + if you guys like this, i'm always open to more characters <3

౨ৎ OSAMU MIYA — gives you the first and last bite of his food why it's special: osamu takes being a foodie to the next level. the man can eat, and he loves to do so. ever since elementary, his classmates and friends learned better than to ask osamu to share any of his snacks. he's not rude about it, per se, but you can tell that he packed his food with the intention of him and only him consuming it. him and atsumu even get into verbal altercations over who ate the last snack in the pantry. osamu just loves food — so it's pretty obvious that he must really love you a lot to always offer you the first bite of a meal at the restaurant he's spent weeks waiting to open.

"and anyway, that's when— hey, what the hell!" bits of rice fly out of atsumu's mouth whenever he watches osamu give you the first serving of grilled meat. you and osamu invited atsumu out to eat, to celebrate him joining the msby black jackals, and because everyone was craving bbq, you all agreed on the same restaurant (for once). osamu is naturally in charge of grilling the meats. what throws his twin off guard, though, is the fact that osamu is serving you first. "what's the matter? and finish chewing before you speak, damn." osamu huffs, before beginning to assemble portions of the side dishes on your plate as well. atsumu looks at his own empty plate before looking at osamu's empty plate. "geez, [name], how'd you do it?" you look up from your food to answer atsumu. "do what?" "this selfish, gluttonous bastard never lets anyone else eat first!" atsumu tells you, and you just laugh as osamu starts swearing at his brother. "well," you tell atsumu brightly, once his argument with osamu is settling down. "osamu's always lets me eat first. he insists, really." osamu has to tell atsumu to shut the hell up and stop whining before he doesn't get any food at all.

౨ৎ TOBIO KAGEYAMA — takes pictures of you why it's special: tobio kageyama's camera roll before you consists of screenshots (some are accidental, such as the ones of his lock screen, or it's usually different athletic gear he wants to check out), photos of maps (because he is directionally challenged everywhere except for the court), and sometimes of virtual tickets (for when he actually does attend an event, usually for sports). tobio kageyama's camera roll after you consists of the same stuff, pretty much... except for the fact that there are now hundreds of photos he takes of you. he's not one to take pictures; he's a bit awkward around a camera, really, but he realizes soon after getting with you that he doesn't mind being in front of a camera as long as you're posing with him. he takes so many candids of you, like when you're washing the dishes or drifting off to sleep on the couch after bingewatching a tv show. if pictures are worth a thousand words, he's said "i love you" over a million times.

"oh my gosh, delete that!" you shriek, trying to make a mad grab for your boyfriend's phone. his reflexes are quicker, though, and he holds it out of your reach. "why would i delete it?" he asks innocently. "you look cute." the photo in question is the one he just took. the two of you ordered ramen for takeout, and yours was made spicier than usual. your lips feel swollen, and they're kind of stained red from the spices used, and the image captures that, but also highlights the tears welling up in the corner of your eyes as you're in the middle of a massive bite of noodles. "i look like i'm the thumbnail for a 'mukbangers who took it too far and died' video!" you wail. "delete it, tobio!" "but you look cute." he stands his ground, pouting a bit. "that's not fair. do not make that face." you groan, turning to look away from your boyfriend. honestly, with a face like that, it's no wonder why you couldn't force him to delete any pics of you. he's just too damn good at whittling away your resolve. "i think i'm gonna make it my lockscreen." he muses.

౨ৎ KIYOOMI SAKUSA — lets you make a mess of his things why it's special: kiyoomi is very particular about his personal belongings. he doesn't let his teammates borrow any of his training equipment. he refuses to wash his jersey with the rest of the team's, and instead, gets it professionally cleaned elsewhere. in the beginning of your relationship, kiyoomi always offered to wash the dishes, purely because he would only trust that it was truly cleaned if he could confirm that they were well scrubbed. the closer you two get, though, the more the boundaries blur. soon, his stuff gets mixed in with yours. you're doing the laundry together. he gives you his pillow when yours gets too warm. there's intimacy in that, even more so when you consider how prickly kiyoomi gets with these things.

"kiyoomi! you're home early!" fuck fuck fuck, is what's going on in your internal dialogue. you're baking a cake for dessert, only the mixer had a mind of its own, and you ended up covered in sugar, spice, and everything nice. which isn't that big of a deal. you already wiped down the counters, mopped the floors, and got started on the dishes. the only issue is that when you're at home, you have a habit of stealing kiyoomi's clothes. right now, you've still got on his sweatshirt. his nice, pristine, fresh from the laundry sweatshirt... that is now covered in nothing but flour and cake mix. you were going to wash it, honest! it's just... cleaning the kitchen took more time than you anticipated, and kiyoomi was supposed to stay at the gym for the whole day. he knows that that sweatshirt is his. you expect your boyfriend's eye to twitch, or for him to frown, or to even complain that you just ruined his very nice and outrageously priced hoodie. instead, he walks over to you, and places a kiss on your forehead. you've got flour all over you, including your hair, and surely he's got some flour on his lips now. he doesn't complain or say anything about the ruined sweatshirt. he just says, "thanks for baking. i'm going to go shower."

[thatfreshi]

"You Better Tell Me" (Uni AU P. 5)

You get invited to the rooftop for a smoke sesh with Shadowheart and Gale

tw - weed (reader does not partake), athletic injuries, hints at grooming

@justporo

Soon after, the group fizzles out, starting with Shadowheart saying she doesn't want to be late to church. You weren't really expecting the whole religious thing with her, but hey, if it floats her boat. Gale says he has to meet with Mystra about his thesis project, and Lae'zel heads back to the room, leaving you free to do whatever you want.

So, you spend the day walking around looking for your classes, getting used to campus, finding the cozy places to study. The library is extravagant, filled with books from the past century, with a full online database. You even stop by the pool, which is full of swim team athletes preparing for the upcoming season.

After walking around all day, you come back to the dorm room, exhausted. Shadowheart however, is leaving.

"Oh, Tav! You should come with me! Gale and I are having our weekly smoke sesh. You don't have to smoke, but we like to chill out and talk about all the shit we've heard recently."

Without even really thinking about it, you put down your bags from the bookstore and follow her out the door.

"I thought we couldn't smoke on campus?"

She smirks, leading you to the staircase.

"Well, that's the nice part of being best friends with one of the RAs, their master keys work on the roof door."

As if on cue, Gale shows up behind the two of you.

"Good evening."

Fumbling with his key ring, he opens the door for the two of you to get onto the roof. It's a little chilly this high up. The lights of the city are apparent over the edge of the roof.

"You got Tav to join us?"

"I guess so. We're just cool Gale, we have to accept it."

The two laugh as Shadowheart takes a small plastic baggie out of her tote bag. Like clockwork, the two get to work rolling.

"You want one?"

You shake your head at him.

"No thanks. Honestly just hear to listen to all the gossip."

"See, I knew I liked you."

Shadowheart smiles, taking out her lighter.

"So, what do you want to know?"

You're all sitting on top of one of those electrical boxes, one that clearly isn't in use anymore. You hesitate, knowing you probably will get weird looks for your question.

"Lae'zel... what happened to her leg?"

Gale sighs, and Shadow goes to pull up a video somewhere in her camera roll. The two don't speak, instead showing you a video of a track meet from the previous year. You watch as Lae steps the wrong way, taking a nasty fall, the video picks up the scream she lets out on the track. Gale is the first to speak up.

"She fucked up her entire leg. Started as a sprained ankle, but she tried to keep going. Ended up tearing up her hamstring, and eventually tore the connection between her leg and her foot. Couldn't walk for months."

"Lae'zel doesn't like to talk about it though. She was supposed to be in the Olympics next year, but no amount of physical therapy has worked. As much as she pisses me off, I feel bad talking about it sometimes. Her whole family is full of famous athletes, and now she can't even play her sport anymore."

You weren't expecting the conversation to get so sad so fast, but it is tragic. The idea that you spend your whole life working towards something, and you can lose it all so fast.

"That fucking sucks."

Almost immediately changing the mood, Shadowheart lets out a gasp.

"Wait. Okay before I show you all this: Gale, Tav and Astarion fucked."

His eyes immediately fill with shock.

"I'm sorry. You, and that man, had sex? When?!"

"Ugh, last night. It was stupid and complicated, and then this morning I screamed at him."

"Yeah, and then he left crying. I don't think I've ever seen him cry."

The guilt bubbles back up again, unsure if you did the right thing. Before you can ask the group why they all hate him so much, Shadowheart shows you a paparazzi picture.

"Apparently this was taken earlier today. Looks like somebody's mad at Daddy, boohoo."

You almost ignore her mocking tone. It's Astarion and Szarr in the photos, having what looks like an intense argument at an outdoor shoot.

"You think he'd figure out how to stop complaining by now."

Gale takes another puff, coughing a little.

"Why are you guys so mean to him?"

Shadow almost doesn't know how to answer you.

"I mean, you've met him. He's just some rich kid piece of shit Tav."

"You should've seen him, at the party."

Gale perks up.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, the whole thing just makes me feel sick. Like something isn't right, but I don't know what. I met one of the other models, Aurelia, and she was being super cryptic and scary."

The two are fully staring at you now.

"And I met Szarr. He's a full-on creep, gave me this weird kiss on the hand. It was gross, but Astarion? He was like tense. I don't know, it just felt wrong."

"Yeah, but Astarion's been modeling for like six years now. I'm sure he knows the industry well enough to avoid people if they're truly bad people."

It's clear Shadow has made up her mind, but you're still not so sure. Before you can say anything else, she's trying to look at Gale's phone.

"Who are you blushing at?! Is there some lover I don't know about?"

He snatches his phone from her.

"Okay, I'll tell you if you stop trying to take my shit. I may or may not be seeing someone, as of today. BUT, she wants to keep it private for now, so no you can know!"

"Come on, please! I'm your best friend."

"As soon as I can, I'll tell you. But for now, please respect her privacy."

Shadow dramatically rolls her eyes, taking another hit.

"Fine, but as soon as I can know, you better tell me!"

The three of you talk about some other random stuff for the next hour or so. Within that hour, the photos of Astarion and Szarr are wiped from the internet, much to Shadowheart's disappointment. You tune out for a lot of the conversation, thinking about just how much shit you've already gotten yourself into. Although, you'll most definitely be back for next week's smoke sesh. Besides, you need all the help you can get with just how wild this place seems to be.

[noco7]

Who are your favorite TD characters and why? :]

Thank you for the ask. And I have 3 main favorites.

So Noah, Cody, and Courtney. NoCoCo. Lol

Let's get into it:

Noah:

When I say Noah is me, I mean he manages to encompass a lot of phases that I had in my own life.

When I was in middleschool, I was the "smart kid." And I was also bad at sports. So Noah's dodgeball elimination is like... uncomfortably familiar to me. I don't think his actions were "stupid" or "bad writing," nah it’s truth in television. As a kid I was TOLD to stay on the bench whenever possible, and let the real athletes perform. So Noah staying on the sidelines... nah that makes sense. He's internalized the message.

#NoahDidNothingWrong

Even his tantrum at the end of the episode is familiar. Although I've never been that bad, there was a moment when I was playing badminton in gym. I lost a match, and I thought to myself "Well, I know more about X then he ever will. So who's the TRUE winner?"

It's so juvenile, lmao. Taking the "everyone has different strengths :)" and making it into “my strength is the Best.” 

Another thing that I like Noah for is for his... "vibes." He's always acting unimpressed, always like 'who cares' turning up his nose at joy. And that's how I acted my first year of college! (I was 17, so only 1 year older than Noah lol). Because I thought it made me cool or something. But it's just overcompensation, really.

And Noah being "smart," but never actually doing anything useful. Yeah... it happens. That was me junior year of college. Everyone is like "oh you were so smart in highschool," "you're the smart one," But you have nothing to show for it.

God, he's relatable. He's a mix of all the things I dislike in myself, including the "laziness" aspect. So by the very act of liking him, by writing stories where he is comforted, understood, told it's okay to be vulnerable - it feels like I'm loving myself.

Oh, and also Noah is funny af? I decided he was my favorite character before I watched Total Drama. I was watching compilation videos of "funniest lines," "most saveage combacks," or "TD being gay for 5 minutes" and Noah was popping off! Noah has some of the best dialogue.  And that appeals to another side of me I dislike - my judgemental side. So like.... 5/5 on the relatability scale.

Also, I think its funny I've not mentioned Noah's role in TD *at all*. Because he doesn't really have one? His job for TDI and WT is for him to comment on other people. That's it. And that’s fine, that’s the side-character life. No complaints.

I know some people say "Noah warned the guys about Alejandro." And like yeah, he did. But I'm pretty sure Owen and Tyler lowkey already knew. And then once Noah is gone, Owen does nothing about Alejandro? He has to be coaxed by Duncan into doing anything. And then Alejandro just flatters and hypnotizes him? And Tyler gets used for the Gwuncan plotline? So his warning does NOTHING for the show? Lmao.

I'm not even mad at this, btw. Because it doesn’t matter to me whether his sacrificed worked or not - I like Noah because I like me, not because he’s important. (Also Noah’s POC background appeals to me because I’m also POC, and I can project my ‘child of immigrants’ upbringing onto him.)

Cody:

Like a few days ago I explained to someone in dms why I liked Cody despite also hating him and thinking he's whats wrong with men in media. So gonna copy and paste my main points:

1) Although a lot of the things he does is bad (follow Gwen around, not take her NO's seriously) they do indicate some positive qualities: He's persistent, he's optimistic, and he's okay with setbacks. These are all good qualities that I do not have, and would make my life a lot better. And don't we all wish we had the confidence of a mediocre white man?

While Cody needs to learn how to STOP, we could all stand to be a little more shameless, and a little more willing to take risks. 

2)There's also smth really sad about him, and I'm not necessarily talking about his parents. There's a scene in TDI, where he asks Gwen out/about her bra. And she hits him in the dick with an oar. Which... fair, lol.

#GwenDidNothingWrong

But Cody's reaction is interesting to me. He apologizes, (deserved.) And then asks *again*.

WTF? That's weird to me. It doesn't just signal entitlement. It signals that he's okay with physical harm - from the person he loves,  all in the mere hope that he'll end up with said person. And that's pretty fucking tragic imo. At least that's how I interpret it. Because I think most guys at that point would be like, "What's WRONG with you i was just COMPLIMENTING you, you should be FLATTERED!"

But Cody just goes with it?

And for futher proof for my interpretation, Cody ends up telling Sierra she's his best friend during WT. Despite everything she did - multiple cases of sexual harassment, drugging, forced marriage, etc...  Cody is still willing to keep her in his life, to keep her close. Because, think about it, she was the only person who consistently tried to help him. The only one who ever gave him any real compliments.

And that's sad. And also interesting.

Why would a guy like Cody, who in canon is presumably canonically cis, white, and straight, be so willing to take abuse in search of love?

Why is he so lonely? Who raised him to chase after affection like this? And what could his tale say about the problems of public society, and the potential dysfunctions of the private family unit?

And that's the beauty of Cody. Noah allows me to talk about myself, but Cody allows me to talk about the world around me. About sexism and entitlement, about classism, about societal expectations around "love," and "family," and how damaging they can be.

A lot of people see Cody as an "average white man," and if so... then the average fucking sucks and I want to talk about it, lol. I understand why others would be tired of it (and also I don’t think it’s women’s job to Make Men Happy btw. A big reason I don’t ship Cody with women.) But as writer, it’s really rewarding to explore his psyche while also providing a possibility for growth, a way out, and a happy ending.

Cody's also rlly adorable, especially in Total Dramarama. Like he's impossible to hate in that show. There's an episode where Cody risks life and limb to be considered cool by his classmates. There's one where he says "Now I have to live in the sewers *again*." I don't say this lightly, but he's the best character there. He's so funny.

Courtney:

Courtney, I got attached to via the actual show. I watched Action before Island... and she's just really cool? Her entrance is cool, and as I said repeatedly, I love evil woman. But beyond "wow girlboss😮," what else do I like about her?

I like her story. Her actual fucking story. Wow. I might be one of the only Courtney stans who likes how Total Drama handled her. Skdjsdk.

So in Island, we see her battle her class-monitor upbringing, and learn to break the rules. This is done through her BF Duncan. And overall, this is pretty standard "good girl meets bad boy and loosens up" faire. It's nothing special. (I watched Island when I was 20. So I had plenty of time to see that same story in YA romances. So... yeah. Like I said, nothing special.)

But in Action? We see her on the warpath. We see her take charge. She had taken charge in Island, but it was kinda innefectual. The joke was that she'd give orders, but things would go wrong. That she would barely be useful herself? But in Action? She takes thing in her OWN hands. She revitalizes Trent's team. She is also bad to Duncan.

And I think this could have worked, if she blamed Duncan for Harold's actions. Because Harold eliminated Courtney BECAUSE of Duncan. So she wouldn't be far-off. And also slide in a moment where her parents hate her new BF, or like. Imagine if Courtney told her parents she lost, because Harold rigged her out, but it wasn't her fault. He hated Duncan. And her parents are like "What did you expect? You date a delinquent and get suprised when trouble appears at your door?"

And so she's mad at Duncan for dragging her into his fight, for drawing her parent's ire.

No wonder she tries to "fix him." She wants to make him fit for approval, and also prove to HERSELF that she's the one with the control. That she can FIX him.

Some people hate how Courtney has no self-awareness and thinks she's a good person all the time. I fucking love it.

Courtney thinks she's HELPING. After all, she wants to be the best. So why shouldn't others? Why would Duncan have problems with a list of instructions? Courtney LOVES instructions. She loves bettering herself.

C.I.T. Counselor-in-Training. She wants to be a COUNSELOR. She wants to help people, she wants to be a Leader. But she's really bad at it! Because of instead of wanting people to accomplish their goals... she kinda wants them to accomplish what she decides their goals should be. She's not a mad scientist, she's a mad therapist.

This is why I think Action is her best season. Because that's when she goes OFF and really shows her worst potential. And I'm into that, because it gives me a lot to discuss - how the drive for success and efficiency can leave people broken. Can kill personal relationships.

I kinda LOVE that every positive relationship Courtney builds she ends up breaking. Duncan. Gwen. Scott. Gwen *again.*

I'd love it too, if she learned her lesson and developed but like. Out of context, it's so fitting. (In my fantasy rewrite of TD, she realizes something is off in WT, gets better in ROTI, and cements her character change in All Stars)

In WT, Courtney doesn't get to do much. She has the love triangle thing, which doesn't do much for her character because she doesn't learn anything from it? But she's still very funny this season. I don't like her thing with Alejandro. I don't mind CourtneyXAlejandro btw. I'd just rather them team up temporarily.

In All Stars, Courtney gets a new BF. Scott. She's mending her relationship with Gwen. It's looking good, maybe Duncan was the real problem all along. And then it collapses.

I read somewhere that TD writers just thought she couldn't be redeemed. Which is funny to me. Maybe All Stars was to show "no matter how kind to her people are, she will always put money first." It would explain alot, and if that's what they're going for, they succeeded. And ... I'm okay with that. I just wish it was more a struggle for her, or that it was better foreshadowed. But I'm not mad at the direction they chose.

So overall, Courtney is character who started out a good girl with a bad boy, turned out WORSE than the bad boy, and kept going. She did everything to *win*, yet never was a finalist. She burned three friendships for cash, yet never got it. That's poetic, honestly. She tries so hard to be a girlboss, but she's a girl-flop at the end of the day. And I like that. I really do.

Tl;dr: Noah's me, Cody's society, and Courtney is the industrial complex. Not really, because Courtney has never been profitable. She's like a failed start-up company.

BONUS: How I view their possible dynamics

I obviously ship Noah and Cody, as a kind of two losers with opposing strengths learn from each other, but also get on each others nerves. If you want to know more about how I view their dynamic, just read my fic.

Courtney and Noah are my "Do it right or don't do it all," duo. I don't care what their relationship is. Like they'd make great twins who hated each other. Science Olympiad rivals or partners. They'd even be a fine couple (if you're not writing them as related, that is EWW).

I like to imagine Courtney writing a long winded plan, handing it to Noah, and he just rips it in two and tells her he's not doing all that. Which is pretty mean tbh. I also like to imagine Courtney stepping on Noah's back while she forces him to do push ups. I imagine Noah and Courtney standing over a desk in class, asking you 'What grade did you get?" with identical smug smiles. I imagine them gossiping over Gwen together, being roommates, dissing each other's man. "You're dating trash you dug out of the gutter." "At least I'm not settling for a fun-sized McDonalds toy."

I imagine them interacting a lot, actually. I want them to be worsties who grow into besties.

Courtney and Cody is like... I'm split. They would make a really good Hallmark movie. Courtney the busy worker, and Cody who loves the Holidays. The story writes itself. But at the same time I love how they dislike each other in canon. Cuz Cody's a gwen stan and Courtney thinks Gwen should DIE. joking. And also because Cody keeps on being annoyingly sexist. Like in the Greece episode, despite having no athletic ability, he's like "let ME do it, *ladies*" and Courtney is NOT having it. So I guess they also have the range.

Maybe they don't get along until someone's like "Let's get the TWO best World Tour singers up on staaage!!!" And both Cody and Courtney stand up.

[luxekook]

bangtan host club ❯ part i

❯ pairing: ot7 x reader

❯ genre: ouran au, college au, crack, smut

❯ summary: when you had decided to take summer lessons at your college, you hadn’t factored in the impending presence of seven insufferably attractive and arrogant boys… the bangtan host club. 

❯ word count: 2.1k

❯ warnings: 18+, cursing, suggestive language, terrible pet names, excessive dramatics

❯ banner by: maggie @kimtaehyunq​

a/n: while this fic is loosely based off of the anime version of ouran highschool host club, it is set in university - meaning that all of the boys are of age (at least 21 years old)

host club members

❯ Kim Namjoon as “Kyoya Ootori” ❯ Kim Seokjin as “Tamaki Suoh” ❯ Min Yoongi as “Takashi ‘Mori’ Morinozuka” ❯ Jung Hoseok as “Mitsukuni ‘Honey’ Haninozuka” ❯ Park Jimin as “Hikaru Hitachiin” ❯ Kim Taehyung as “Kaoru Hitachiin” ❯ Jung Jungkook as “Haruhi Fujioka”

Taking summer classes had never been on my agenda, my studies having been mapped out in detail since the day I arrived on campus three years ago. And then the university’s president suddenly has this utterly groundbreaking epiphany and adjusts the curriculum to “ensure that all students will leave Bangtan University well-rounded”. 

Screw that. My ass is already well-rounded enough, thank you very much.

But despite my best efforts (i.e. begging President Kim to make an exception followed by crafting a petition that gained over ten thousand signatures), I have found that there is no avoiding the dastardly new physical education requirement. And since my schedule for my upcoming senior year has been planned and set for literal years, I’ve been forced to enroll in the sole summer physical education class offered at Bangtan University - Introduction to Weight Lifting.

I wish I was kidding.

To say that I am dreading the start of class tomorrow would be an extreme understatement. I’ll be lucky to escape this summer without physical injury or the loss of my dignity. Athletics have never been my strong suit, and I’ve only entered our campus gym to go to the smoothie bar.

Groaning at just the mere thought of working out and being graded for it, I trek down the streets of outer campus towards the library, swearing under my breath and sweating profusely.

It’s a blazing hot, blue-skied Sunday in July. Typically, I would be lying on a beach somewhere with a drink in my hand, soaking in the warmth of the sun with joy. But instead, here I am, sweltering and desperate for air conditioning after my ancient window unit wheezed its final breath last night. The comfortable chill of the library is my only hope aside from my landlord who promised to fix my air conditioning by tomorrow.

My frustration builds as I turn onto the block lined with imposing and picturesque estates in which the upper echelon of Bangtan University resides. I’d bet the very last ice-pack in my freezer that these houses have unfailing central air.

I pick up my pace, worn Doc Marten platform sandals slapping against the hot pavement. The pristine mansions seem to mock my distress as they exude the coolness of unbothered wealth. Despite there being no Greek life here at Bangtan University, the lack of letters emblazoned on the numerous estates I pass does not symbolize a lack of status. 

This block is home to the athletic teams who throw massive parties whenever they happen to be in the off-season. It’s also home to the legacy clubs - the exclusive groups of current students who are relatives of past alumni.

And last but not least, this block is home to the infamous Bangtan Host Club, a small group of idle rich boys with exceptionally good looks and a penchant for entertaining. 

The aforementioned group’s house comes into view as I draw nearer to campus. The host club’s mansion sits on the corner lot right across the street from campus. Typically, students are wary of such proximity - but not those boys. No, they’re un-phased, throwing massive parties every weekend without fail and without repercussion.

During my first semester, I had been confused as to why their parties had never been shut down; but now I know better. The host club’s president Kim Seokjin is the son of none other than the fucking president of the university - the very same man who damned me to my weight lifting fate.

In fact, almost the entire host club is related to someone with influence - either at the university or within the surrounding community. The only exception to the wealth factor is Jeon Jungkook, who attends Bangtan University on a scholarship not unlike myself.

About 99% of the university are host club stans. As for me? I don’t subscribe to that bullshit. And I do mean literally ‘subscribe’. They have newsletters, merch and everything. I would say I don’t understand it at all, but a small part of me does.

They’re fucking gorgeous. Like I’m talking Tom Ford at New York Fashion Week gorgeous. Armani catalogue centerfold gorgeous. Goddamn Sports Illustrated Men’s Swimsuit Edition gorgeous. 

In fact, I’m pretty sure Kim Seokjin actually does model in his spare time. With his long limbs, broad shoulders and pillowy lips, Seokjin certainly has the features for it. My freshman year roommate bought so many posters of Seokjin from the host club’s merch website I think I could identify him from a hundred yards away in the dark. 

“Hey!” The bellow emanates from the porch of the host club’s house and jolts me from my memories, “Hey, princess!”

I let out a snort. Whoever that pet name is directed at needs to shut that down immediately. I mean, ‘princess’? In this economy? Please. I need off this block ASAP.

“Hello? I’m talking to you, angel!” 

The voice sounds closer now, and my eyes squeeze shut. Oh god, this person cannot be talking to me, can they?

Princess? Angel?

The sheer absurdity pushes me onward, and I do not spare a single glance in the direction where the inane greetings originated. Alas, I barely make it two feet before a tall figure screeches to a halt in front of me, panting like he had just run a marathon. 

I blink as I take in the very boy who just crossed my mind a minute earlier. Kim Seokjin looms over me, chest heaving and smile gleaming.

“Cupcake, hello!” his smile grows wider, “Why didn’t you answer me? I was talking to you.”

My brain is trying to wrap itself around the unfathomable phenomenon I’m currently witnessing. The host club president is beaming down at me like I’m the last custom Rolex ever made. His white t-shirt that probably costs more than my rent stretches across his shoulders in a way that has to be illegal. 

A bead of sweat drips down my back between my shoulder blades. I don’t have time for this attractive detour; I only have time for a long sip of iced water and a seat under an air conditioning vent somewhere deep within the recesses of the quiet library.

“Were you?” I shrug, looking over his illegally broad shoulder and plotting my escape, “I didn’t realize, considering my name isn’t princess, angel or cupcake.”

I inwardly cringe at my tone. I have a tendency to be irritable when the weather is hot, and it seems like today is no exception.

Seokjin stares down at me, his cocky expression wavering for a split second before snapping back into place. “Well, tell me your name then, sunshine, so that I may cordially invite you to the host club’s latest summer extravaganza!” His dark brown eyes sparkle as he remains seemingly impervious to my building ire, beaming down at me.

“No, thank you,” I shake my head decisively and attempt to sidestep around him. 

None of my friends are on campus for the summer, and there is no way I'm going alone to a party full of strangers. That just screams bad decisions, just like the time I willingly ate the dining hall’s “Mystery Meat Special” during my second semester.

Seokjin cuts off my path yet again, and my scowl intensifies as I glare up at him, “Could you move, please?”

Seokjin gapes back at me, “D-don’t you want to come to our party?” I stare at him with eyebrows raised. He continues at a higher decibel, “Don’t you know who I am?”

The nerve of this boy. My eyes scrunch shut as I send a quick plea to anyone out there in the universe to send me patience and then internally count backwards from ten. 

“Yes, I know who you are, Kim,” I finally say, completely exasperated, “And no, I still don’t want to go to your party.”

Seokjin is gobsmacked, looking like he’s seen a ghost as he stands before me open-mouthed. For a second, I allow myself to indulge one more time in his attractiveness, my eyes wandering along his toned torso, his muscular arms, his high cheekbones, his messy brown hair. 

And then he bounces back, snapping his fingers, “Aha! I know what this is. You’re playing hard to get! Okay, I can play along with you, sunshine.”

It’s my turn to gape at him this time, watching as he mumbles to himself about how I must want him to beg for me and how he would just love to do so. I’m about to put a stop to this madness when he spreads his arms wide and announces loud enough for the entire block to hear, “Sunshine, please, attend our party! My heart longs for your presence, and I will only be happy if I can have your arm in mine next Friday night...”

I’m honestly beginning to worry about the boy in front of me. Is he completely unhinged? Am I being Punk’d right now? 

Seokjin prattles on, “So, my sun, my moon, my stars, will you please do me the honor of joining me for a night of fun courtesy of the host club? No guest has yet to be disappointed and—!”

I finally just reach up and cover his mouth with my palm, steadfastly ignoring how plush his lips feel against my skin. “Kim Seokjin!” I hiss, “I promise I am not playing hard to get. I simply do not want to go to your party. Now, please, for the love of god, let me walk by you in peace.”

Loud bursts of laughter sound immediately after I finish speaking, and I whip around to locate the source. Two boys jog over to where Seokjin and I are standing on the pavement. Their laughter doesn’t subside with their approach. If anything, it grows louder.

“Oh, come on, pres,” the pink-haired boy who I know to be Park Jimin jeers, his melodic giggles punctuating each word. “Is this how you plan on handling your first rejection?”

My eyebrows pull together in confusion as I turn to face Seokjin, only to find him lying dramatically on the lawn in front of his house with one arm throw over his face.

“Go away, Jimin,” Seokjin groans, ripping out a handful of grass and throwing it at the other boy. Obviously, he doesn't calculate for the wind and sputters when the grass blows back in his face.

“Boss, you’ve really hit a new low,” the blue-haired boy - Kim Taehyung - grins as he looks back and forth between me and the over-the-top performance happening on the lawn. All Seokjin does in return is flip Taehyung off, seeming to have learned from his grass-throwing lesson.

Well, there’s no need for me to stay a second longer within this realm of crazy.

I turn on my heel and head off towards the library, renewed in my desperation for the relief of blissfully cold air.

Alas, I don’t get too far before the two boys with colorful hair are in front of me - each with an arm thrown over the other’s shoulders. 

“Well, well, well… I must say,” Taehyung drawls.

“You’re quite an intriguing little thing,” Jimin cocks his head, looking me up and down. I try in vain to steel myself against the heated assessments both boys are giving me.

I’d heard a lot about these two - most of it being completely outlandish and borderline unbelievable. Do they really do everything together?

It’s as if that thought is written all over my face as the smirks grow on the faces of Jimin and Taehyung. “If you don’t want to come to our party for Jin-hyung…”

“Will you come for us?” Taehyung finishes Jimin’s thought, and I am almost certain that he intended for that question to be as suggestive as it sounded.

Before I can even attempt to answer, Seokjin launches up from the ground and barges in between the two boys. “Yah! That is no way to speak to a lady! Have I taught you nothing? Don’t you fools remember lesson number fifty-two on being a good host?”

“We didn’t say anything inappropriate, pres,” Taehyung shrugs, looking pleased with how riled up the older boy is growing. His pink-haired counterpart grins, “If anything, you’re the one with the dirty mind, twisting our innocent words into such filth.”

It’s as if Seokjin is struck by lightning - his shock turning him pale as a ghost before the redness overtakes him. I cannot tell if it’s due to embarrassment or anger. All I know is that I need to bounce.

When Mt. Seokjin finally erupts, I slink away and practically jog across the street to campus. Ah, free at last...

a/n: this is part one in my host club series! originally i was going to make this a giant one-shot but i figured i would just break it up into smaller pieces so that i could get some content out uwu

© luxekook do not repost, edit or translate

[mackeydoodledoo]

The Star Athlete x The Pro-Box Fighter

Pairing: Izzy Garcia x (FemKnight!)Reader

Summary: It follows a girl: Y/N Y/L/N, who currently owns the "Pteradon Champion Zord", along with its DinoSoul Key, who is currently a Professional Box Fighter. The youngest ever to be a pro. What she doesn't know is that she is a direct descendant of the supposed Mythical "DinoSoul" Tribe. [Equivalent to the Ryusoul Tribe]. Her partner, she calls him, "buddy" as she doesn't have a proper name for him. The two of them embark on a journey to figure out who she is, finding an old flame and developing a new crush in the process.

Warnings: Box Fighting, BLOOD, Near-Death

A/N: I know nothing about Professional Box-Fighting, so if the Box-Fighting scenes are inaccurate, I’m sorry. R is 18 and Izzy is most likely between 16-18 if I had to guess Izzy’s age and anything romantic between Izzy and R is consensual.

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As the next couple of days go by, you and Izzy meet up for both of your daily work outs and for Izzy to practice for her own competitions, she wanted to work with not only her cousin Lily but you as well.

"Hey, where's your cousin?" You ask, "I Thought you told me she was going to be free this morning?"

"I did, I guess it was an emergency" Izzy grimaces at her thought, "I got mad the last time she didn’t show up for my training session."

"Well, things happen," you say, gleefully, "Let's stretch while your coach runs her errands. It's extremely helpful."

You motion for her to begin following your movements to stretch out your muscles for today's workout session.

As you seat yourself next to Amelia, you could feel her leaning over.

"You look good Y/N," Amelia says

"You too Ameils," you say back

As you see Izzy come out for her competition, she looks up and spots her friends, especially you. You give her a thumbs up and a wink, hinting to her that its a "good luck wink".

"What was that?" Amelia asks

"Just.. A good luck wink Ameils," you say, noticing Amelia's change in tone, "Not very sure why you're on edge about it."

Your focus never left Izzy as she preps herself and her javelins for the javelin throw event.

"Now in the first round of the javelin event , we have, Izzy Garcia!" The announcer exclaims

You and the team cheers as she take a javelin. You watch her shake off her nerves and beginning to prep her wrist for the throw. You watch intently as Izzy gets her running start, seeing her use your technique that you taught her your first training session with her. It lands farther than the throws during your training sessions. You and the team applaud for her loudly as others do as well, but not as enthusiastic.

After Izzy's competition, she is given the gold medal in the javelin event. She looks at you whilst you were watching her. She mouths 'thank you' to you. You mouth 'you're welcome' to her back. After the awards ceremony, she hugs her step dad, Javi and then her teammates. Then Lily; for helping her with her afternoon sessions. When she turns to you, her hug was more tighter than the others' hugs.

"Thanks for waking up at 5 am to train me," Izzy smiles

"Always Izzy," You smile, "Always happy to help."

“Izzy Garcia was it?” a voice asks

Izzy turns to the direction of the voice: a well dressed man goes up to her and shakes her hand.

“That was a fine race you ran kid,” He smiles

“Thank you,” Izzy says

“I was also impressed with your race I’d like to offer you a full ride scholarship to Pine Ridge’s Upstate College.” He blurts out

The both of you stand there, in awe that Izzy is getting the recognition for her outstanding athleticism as she deserves.

“Can I have time to think on it?” She asks

“Of course,” He says, “Your deadline is the beginning of your summer vacation.”

He turns on his heel and begins walking away. You turn to her, kind of dumbfounded that she didn’t accept the offer right away.

“Why didn’t you say yes?” Izzy’s dad comes up to her

“I wasn’t sure if I’m ready for it yet.” Izzy says nervously

“Not ready?” He sighs, “You’re more than ready pumpkin. You proved to them you were the best!” 

“Mr. Garcia is it?” You call out to him

“That’s right,” He says, “You’re Y/N Y/L/N, Izzy couldn’t stop talking about you.”

He goes to shake your hand and you shake his hand out of respect.

“If you don’t mind me saying,” You start, “It is Izzy’s choice to accept the scholarship or not. However, I think it’s great she’s getting recognition for her athleticism.”

After the competition, Izzy’s dad invited you to a celebration dinner at Izzy’s favorite restaurant. You park your car in the parking lot and get out just as Mr. Garcia comes up to you.

“Izzy’s told us so much about your winning matches whenever she gets the chance to watch them,” Mr. Garcia smiles

“Is that so?” You ask, smiling whilst looking at Izzy, “Well, I’ve also taught Izzy some of my basics to my style of box-fighting and she’s picked it up fast.”

“Izzy’s also told us about how you’ve been coaching her in the mornings too,” he adds, “I appreciate you waking up early to train my daughter.”

“Always happy to help Mr. Garcia,” You smile

Izzy wanted a ride home from you, so you ended up driving around for a little bit.

“Your dad sure seems very enthused about your sports accomplishments,” You sigh

“Yeah, he does not talk about Javi’s accomplishments at all,” Izzy sighs with you

“Javi’s a great musician,” You state, “I’ve seen BuzzBlast videos of him jamming out with different instruments. Color me impressed, I only know three.”

“Wait, you’re also a musician?” Izzy asks, turning to you

“Well, not professionally,” You answer, “Before I went into pro-box fighting, I wanted to be a musician. However, I was also worried I wasn’t going to be able to make a living off of it, so I turned to Boxing instead. I do still play bass guitar and drumset though.”

Izzy doesn’t answer but you could feel her nodding at your slight past facts about you. Once you pull into the Garcia’s driveway, Izzy turns to you again.

“Thanks for the ride Y/N,” Izzy smiles, giving you a quick kiss on your cheek before hopping out of your car

You watch Izzy enter her house just so you know she’s in her home safely, you head back to your own home; thinking about Izzy’s cheek kiss she gave you.

The only thing that was left for the week was your upcoming boxing match. You personally asked Izzy to coach you as you prepare for your own competition. As you throw your signature; 'rapid punch', you felt a strong ache in your upper left arm. You immediately stop and Izzy brings an icepack and places it onto your sore spot on your arm.

"Thanks Izzy," You sigh

"You overworked yourself," Izzy states, "Let's call it a day."

You instantly agreed to it. Izzy threw a towel around your neck to cool you down. You begin unwrapping your left hand wrap but when you went to reach for your right wrap, you drew your arm back.

"Here, let me," Izzy says, kneeling at your side

As you watch her unwrap your hand, you thought back to the first morning training session you had with her, you were in Izzy's place and she was in yours. You didn't realize you let out a small giggle, making Izzy look up at you.

"What?" she asks, smiling

"I'm just thinking about our first morning training session," You smile, "You were barely paying attention to my wrapping tutorial, and now look at you. Maybe I'm the one that needs a lesson or two."

"We'll see after your match," Izzy says, now helping you get dressed

She helps you hoist your sore arm through the arm hole of the shirt. However, once you got it through, you still felt Izzy's hands gently placed along your waist. Hoisting your right arm through its sleeve, you turn to Izzy, facing her. Your arms resting on her waist and hers resting on your arms. You took notice of how Izzy was looking at your lips then back up to your eyes. Your head leans down instinctively as hers meets yours halfway. Her hands slowly move around to the back of your neck as you could feel yourself getting goosebumps just by the movements of her hands and her smiling in the kiss. Not caring about how sweaty you were, you wanted to never let that moment go. It was only ruined by both of your communicators going off. You didn't realize how long the both of your guys' lips were locked together until you almost gasped for air. The two of you smiling at each other before you decided to answer your communicator.

"What's up Zayto?" You ask, answering your communicator

"A sporix beast was spotted near the park," he explains

"We're on our way," You say, looking at Izzy one more time, the moment she looked at you before you kissed her was on your mind. But snapped back into reality as the two of you decided to talk about it another time.

After the sporix beast was defeated, Void Knight managed to get the sporix glob before any of you could reach it. You remember you have to do something ack at your apartment. So Izzy wasn't able to catch you to talk about your guys' kiss before you two left to defeat the monster. And you were kind of relieved. You weren't sure why you kissed Izzy. But, you weren't complaining about it either.

"Hey partner! Welcome back!" he says

"Hey buddy," You smile

"How did your training session go?" he asks

"Good," you say

"That's it?" he asks

You nod, "Well, if you really want to know, I kissed Izzy."

"YOU WHAT?!" He yells, but immediately regrets it as you shush him

"I kissed Izzy," You say, once more

"How did she react?" He asks

"She didn't push me away," you say

"She's so into you!" He teases

"Is she?" You ask

"And you're so into her!" He adds

"Listen here bud," You begin, but not knowing what else to say

"You have to tell her how you feel," He suggests

"How?" You ask him, "I have a match tomorrow and I have a sore arm, on my way home all I could think about was Izzy. I need to focus bud. Okay, I'll ask her to get brunch with me. A thanks for her helping me."

"There you go," he says, "Then after the fact, tell her how you feel!"

"Thanks bud. I'm going to-wait, did you make me food?" you ask, inhaling a delicious scent through your nose

"Yeah! Your favorite!" He says, "Well, now that you mentioned your sore arm, I'll pull out some bath salts and run a hot bath when you're almost done eating."

"Hey bud, actually, get that bath started right now,"  You say, stretching your arm, "I've heard from Amelia once you should wait 30 minutes to get in water."

"Y/N... It's a bathtub!" He says

"But, I'll still take my bath first!" You say, "Change that, I need a shower. But I can do all that. Just get that bath started bud!"

"On it!" He says as you follow him into the bathroom

Your partner was given to you by your mom on your 5th birthday. Yes, he's able to talk to you. However, little did you know, on your 13th birthday, your mother had driven off of a cliff on a very rainy evening. Trying to get home in time for your birthday. Since then, you've disliked your birthday; a reminder of the day your mom died. However, oddly being raised by a Champion Zord was difficult. But, you and your partner are inseparable. He was like your second family.

After your shower/bath, you reheated your food that your partner made for you. You throw on the news via your phone and watch a recap of your fight from earlier that day.

"How's your arm?" he asks

"A whole lot better," You answer, "Thanks bud."

The next morning you get to the arena early to get in your "cold morning stretch". You'd often do this on match day to relax yourself and to get a feel of the ring. You have a tendency to analyze the ring whenever you get in there. You don't come up with the 'winning strategy'. All of that come up on the fly as you're in the ring, facing your opponent.

"Hey Izzy!" You call her over, watching her run over to you

"Wait! No admittance!" The security guard states, stepping in front of Izzy

"C'mon Mark, she's with me, let her through," you sigh

As Izzy walks past him, you take her into your arms; hugging her. Once you let her out of your arms you look over her shoulder and see the team.

"Hey guys! Glad you could make it!" You say, hugging each of them, "Welcome to The Pine Ridge Arena!"

you enter the ring, stripping off your robe, you look around the crowd, spotting Izzy; giving you a thumbs up. You smile at her but then spot Amelia, who didn't look amused at all. You also give her a smile out of your love for your still having a friendship with her. You look ahead to your opponent for the night; quite larger and more muscular than you already are.

"Y/L/N and Hall," The referee starts, "No head blows not any blow below the waist."

"Got it ref," You reply

"Whatever ref," The opponent growls

The two of you take a couple of steps back from each other, preparing the first round of your match. But, this time, Izzy was watching you in person over seeing it on her Television at home.

"Come on Y/N. You've got this.." Izzy whispers to herself, but hoping her words of encouragement would reach you

The bell rings and you get into your initial stance. Hall immediately throwing out a punch, to which you ducked. You send a punch to her shoulder, making her stumble backward. However, she sweeps your feet and you're knocked onto the ground, wheezing for air. Using your arm strength to push yourself back up you hear the ref's whistle.

"Foul!" he calls

Izzy comes up to you as you wheeze for air.

"Deep breaths Y/N, remember?" Izzy says, gently stroking you arm

You nod, not able to form words, still affected by the sweep you were just under.

"Hey, you got this okay?” Izzy smiles before sitting with your teammates again

You force yourself to stand back up, going into your starting stance for the second round to start. Although you already feel winded and weak, you were still able to dodge Hall's punches and throws. However, she gave you a suckerpunch to your stomach, sending you back onto the ground; Izzy and your teammates watching in pain. As you hit the ground; your chin hitting the ground first, you struggle your way to stand back up.

"1,2,3-" The ref began counting before you picked yourself back up

You took a low blow to your side. However, you managed to get yourself back up, despite the fact you took a low blow. You put your hands up into their initial stance as you pant for oxygen. You could hear Izzy and the rest of the team cheering for you. You took this last one minute break to get your mind together. You really wanted to look at Izzy and watch her encourage you and boost your confidence. But, hearing her was enough for you.

"You got this Y/N!" Izzy finally screams out

When the bell for the third and final round sounded, you took a deep inhale of breath to get more blood flowing in your veins, to your arms. You immediately dodge a punch Hall flung at you, sending out your own right against her shoulder. The punch was enough to send her whole arm to fly back; obviously not enough to break it. That wasn't your goal. Breaking your opponent, let alone accidentally killing them is never your goal. you send another punch to Hall's side as you begin your signature move; keeping it all above the waist. As you sent your final punch to Hall's other shoulder with as much force as you could give out; she falls back.

"1,2,3,4,5!" The ref calls, "Y/N Y/L/N is the winner!"

The whole crowd cheers as paramedics begin taking a look at Hall's injuries. Izzy comes running into the ring as you begin to falter; holding you up as the ref holds your other arm up high into the air. The whole team cheers for you outside of the ring as a medal goes around your neck.

After paramedics had checked you out, you head to the locker room to change into sweats. Each time your even so slightly moved your limbs though, it was hellfire to you.

"Need a hand?" Izzy asks, standing in the doorway to the locker room

"Sure," You sigh

"Your opponent really took that last hit, so they're going to take her to the hospital," Izzy says, helping you get your legs into sweatpants

"I hope she'll be fine," You sigh, "I'd immediately retire from boxing if I ended up killing an opponent."

"Well, so far you haven't," Izzy states, getting your head through a hoodie you packed

Izzy takes your duffle bag and puts it around her, "I'll help you get home."

"Thank you Izzy," You sigh, having your arm sling around her

Her arm coils around your waist and her other hand holding onto the hand that's slung around her shoulders. Everyone applauds you as you emerge from the locker room, with Izzy under your arm. Javi helping you with the other side of your body.

"That was a real match you had there," Gale states

"Oh, hey Gale," You sigh, "Did you come to the match?"

"That I did kiddo," She says, "Hey, I'm going to give you three weeks for everything in your body to recover. But, someone will need to help you out as you recover."

"I'll do it," Izzy jumps the chance

"Alright, done," Gale smiles, "See you in three weeks kid."

"My manager," You explain to Javi and Izzy

Three weeks huh? Well, at least Izzy will be by your side while you recover. But, the downside to that is that you'll miss out on taking on sporix beasts.

"She really took a beating huh?" your partner recaps

Izzy nods, "Well, I also volunteered to keep an eye on her."

"Good," he says, "You know, there was one time she couldn't stop talking about you."

"Bud!" You try to scream but wince in pain

"Is that so?" Izzy asks, smiling at you

You could feel the heat go into your cheeks; flushing a deep pink as you try to look away to avoid eye contact. Izzy breaks eye contact as she ooks at her communicator go off.

"Go," you say, "I'll be fine."

She makes her leave from your apartment, going to catch up with the other rangers

Part 4

[llendrinall]

Imagine. 1/2 The war has ended & the Wizengamot are currently holding court & reviewing Dumbledore's memories that he saved. In the span of months they find many containing Death Eater spy Severus Snape, & Ministry spy Percy Weasley. With one dead & the other Missing the British wizarding world is thrown upside down as they review the Memories & realise just how much Percy Weasley was a Mastermind Schemer in saving the lives of many Muggle Borns, Goblins, Half-Blood's and Blood Traitors.

2/2 The Wizarding world are looking for where war hero Percy Weasley is. Especially his family (In this story Percy saves Fred's life & then vanishes). They see that Percy Weasley had worked as an informant during his entire Ministry career, also being the one who thought out Dumbledore's death (Shocking the courthouse) "You're already dying Albus, why not have Severus strengthen his position with the Death Eaters by being your killer?" 'He used every situation to his advantage to end the war'

Ah, the reveal of the wronged hero, what a simple and satisfying trope. It gives us angst, the bitter taste of not being appreciated mixed with the sweet sauce of late recognition and regret.  

But Percy doesn’t care about that or any other tropes because he is exhausted. Winning a war is a tiring job and he was being doing more than winning. So as soon as Voldemort keels over and dies, Percy checks that his family is alive (they all are, good job there, Percival) and he makes himself a portkey and goes away.

One wizard can’t make a portkey, you say? It takes at least four? Barty Crouch Jr had to imperius three other wizards to enchant the Goblet of Fire? And portkeys don’t work in Hogwarts under normal circumstances? Well, these are not normal circumstances, there was a battle and Percy has a lot of practice making portkeys, all right? A lot.

(There are less than twenty goblins in Britain right now and it is all Percy’s doing).

He goes to East Asia because Percy is vaguely aware that a single white man in need of enlightenment and self-discovery should go climb a mountain on Asia. Percy doesn’t climb any mountains, though, because he can never do things as he is supposed to. There must always be a twist. In this case, he gets food poisoning twice and spends over a month trying to learn how to play a plucked string instrument. He is harassed by a flock of geese and meets a talking dragon. He fails to realize that there are no accounts of talking dragons in history (at least the history badly learned and repeated in wizarding Britain). Dragons do not talk nor do they speak. Your brother works in a freaking dragon reserve, for Merlin’s sake, Percy. You should know this.

After that Percy goes to the Caribbean, because he feels that his stress-relief and self-discovery journey should also involve a stay in a tropical beach. He doesn’t particularly enjoy the experience because he is a red-head. Also, sand is annoying. He freckles all over, eats a lot of pork, learns to play the maracas, to the locals’ amusement, and leaves.

By the time Dumbledore’s memories are uncovered Percy has made his way to a Greek island. He dresses almost exclusively with a t-shirt tied around his waist like a loincloth and a pair of trainers. He also carries with him a bag made from a t-shirt like some sort of wild instagrammer. He carries all kind of knick-knacks in his bag that he uses to create himself a house at night, as if transfiguring a nutshell into a bed were a normal thing, Percy, you utter maniac.

From time to time he goes to a wizarding community and offers to do some chores or magic in exchange of goods. If a goblin woman sees him, she will give Percy a loaf of bread. He has no idea why they do that but it’s very good bread, so Percy is happy to take it. One time Percy met a male goblin and he gave Percy some salt, that he still carries with him. It is possible that for the last seven months Percy had been eating goblin bread and whatever fresh produce the Greek witches offer him in exchange of doing chores.

It is at this time that the Puddlemere United goes to Greece to do some pre-season training.

(This is something that football teams around Europe do. Go somewhere outside the country to train for a month or two in different conditions. The Manchester United often goes to Malaga, in Spain, for a warm-weather training. I don’t even like football, I don’t know why I know this.)

When Oliver Wood sees Percy Weasley standing around in little more than a loincloth he naturally assumes that he is having a hallucination, a combination of the relentless training under the hot and punishing sun, the hours spent fighting the wind (they don’t know what it is with the wind there, but it will try to kick you off the broom. They are all coming out of this with iron abs) and the constant stories in The Prophet about yet another plot Percival Weasley had conducted, saving a dozen lives.

“Percy?” Oliver asks, sweaty and thirsty and half mad from training.

“Oh, hi, Oliver!” Percy answers, and then, because Percy is simultaneously the cleverest and dumbest wizard alive, “oh shit”.

*

Percy has not been reading the news. He refuses to. He is on vacation, he is still tired and he has a white hair on his temple. Just the one hair, but Percy is twenty-two and far too young for white hair.

Oliver nods. He gets it. He is still telling the Weasley family that he has seen Percy and that he is not dead at all, only slightly insane. But he will wait until he is back in England. Oliver doesn’t know if all the things in the paper are true, but even if Percy has only rescued one thousand five hundred goblins instead of the fifteen thousand the papers claim, he is still entitled to a nice quiet vacation in which clothes are optional.

Did Percy Weasley stop a goblin genocide in his free time? Does he not realize it? How dumb is this boy?

Come September the owls start to arrive. Letters from the Ministry, from the papers, from his family. Percy watches the owl fly around and doesn’t allow himself to be found. He does read Oliver’s letters and even answers explaining that no, his family is not heart-broken. They were heart-broken five years ago when Percy very publicly acted like an asshole. They got used to it, so there is no need for this new sentimentality now that Percy is on vacation.

Percy might be acting a bit like an asshole now, but he has very complicated and ugly feelings over his family and he would rather not think about them. Mostly, he is irked by the fact that they were so quick to follow Dumbledore’s lead. Perhaps because Percy never worked for Dumbledore, he worked with Dumbledore and had the distinct pleasure of pointing to his face, on multiple occasions, what a sly bastard he was. He has little respect for people who never confronted Dumbledore.

(So basically Percy only respects Aberforth Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall).

Also, Percy always did what he was supposed to: he washed his hands, minded his siblings, got good grades and he yet he was not the favourite son. This is all subconscious, of course, but he resents it.

Oliver keeps writing so Percy keeps writing back.

 “Did you actually side-apparate a family with twelve members?” writes Oliver.

“I have no idea.” Percy writes back. “Wait, do you mean the Johnsons? How are they?”

 “They are going to give you an Order of Merlin, 1st Class”.

“Surely they realise I don’t want one.”

“I think it is evident they realise nothing, Percy.”

 By October it’s getting cold and Percy finds that he doesn’t particularly care about wearing clothes, so he is getting ready to portkey himself to Argentina when Ginny arrives. She has such a driven and purposeful look around her that Percy assumes that she must be in the middle of a very important quest, so he hangs back and follows her as she treks all over the island and vanishes a thousand year old monster. It doesn’t occur to Percy that her quest is finding him and that the monster was merely an unfortunate bystander.

Eventually he reveals himself to Ginny because she is screaming incoherently at the sky and Percy thinks that she might be suffering hypoxia and dehydration. Ginny throws the water bottler at his head.

“I’m not the jerk here.” Percy says. “I needed a vacation and if you hadn’t seen those stupid memories you would have been fine with me being out of the country indefinitely.”

Ginny hexes him seven times, but afterwards she lies on the beach next to Percy and they look at the clouds. They spend a week together, nicely quiet and wild. They go for walks, play on the beach, make a house at night out of random transfigured things (Percy doesn’t notice Ginny’s look of utter bafflement and awe) and eat goblin bread (this time Percy does notice the look but assumes it’s because Ginny loves the taste).

Percy refuses to go back with her but he promises Ginny that he will be there for Christmas. Two days later he does go back to England, the bastard. His correspondence with Oliver has become… heated, to put it some way, and waiting a week for the owl to arrive is intolerable.  

Percy thinks this might be some sort of penance. It’s nippy in England and he can’t be dressed in a t-shirt/loincloth anymore. There is a flock of owls permanently following him, trying to deliver their messages from the Ministry and the papers and maybe, even now, from his family. Worst of all, Oliver writes him all kind of randy letters but refuses to shag Percy, even though he is right there, because of sports. Something about turning frustration into spectacular athletic performance, Percy doesn’t know. He is so frustrated that he goes and stops a plan to assassinate Potter all by himself.

On Christmas Eve Percy goes home and he is yelled at, cursed at, cried at and loved, very loved, it’s embarrassing. He is rescued from the madness by Potter who easily admits he has been fuelling the newspapers infatuation with Percy because that way they left him slightly in peace.

(And on Boxing Day he moves in with Oliver).

[kaibashadow]

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi - Fight Back

You’re never gonna make it.

Tsukishima Kei enters the gym and grabs his belongings. He glances over at the other teammates running and practicing their volleyball skills. He observes them from a distance and takes mental notes of their current strengths and weaknesses.

You’re not good enough.

Tsukishima attempts to hide those bad thoughts and goes to the Third Gym to train with a few other volleyball players. He tries so hard to block Bokuto Kotaro’s spikes, but alas, he could not stop them.

You really think you’re different? Man, you must be kidding.

Akaashi Keiji senses something must be on Tsukishima’s mind and walks over to talk to him.

Tsukishima notices, smiles, and assures Fukurodani’s setter, “I have to tell myself, ‘Think you’re gonna hit it,’” and turns away from him.

Akaashi does not believe Tsukishima for a single second but chooses to leave the matter alone for now. After all, he knows that the tallest Karasuno player does not really open up to anyone or admit his own faults easily.

But you just don’t get it.

Tsukishima knows that having these terrible thoughts is affecting him. He wants to get them out, but he is not sure how to. He makes an effort to work out with Yamaguchi and his other teammates to see if this could be his positive reinforcement.

It’s impossible. It’s not probable. You’re irresponsible.

Tsukishima gets easily exhausted and more negative notions continue to plague his mind. He cannot concentrate on what is going on around him. He feels out of breath. Sweat constantly drips out from him. He is on the verge of just giving up. What is he even doing this for?

Tsukishima looks up and recognizes someone from across the court. Oikawa Toru, one of his greatest rivals.

Oikawa points at Tsukishima, often challenging the tall player and baiting him just to get some kind of reaction. Oikawa does not have to say anything at all, but Tsukishima can tell that that Aoba Johsai’s setter is mocking him with every intent of making the blonde guy mad. It’s like he is telling him, “You can’t be a pro. Don’t waste your time no more.”

It’s one thing when Tsukishima knows he can’t do certain tasks or things on his own, but when somebody else tells him that, Tsukishima does not like it at all. He vows to beat Oikawa at his own game, and he will train even harder to reach that goal.

- - -

Kageyama Tobio realizes that Tsukishima is focused on the practice game more than usual, but just the mere thought of seeing Tsukishima there by his side somehow pisses him off. Something Tsukishima said earlier irks the Karasuno setter, “Watch your mouth.”

Tsukishima replies back with a snarky comment of his own, “I don’t give a damn if you disapprove.”

They start to fight with each other, and Ennoshita Chikara can’t help but feel embarrassed by them, knowing that someone is going to have to break the first years apart soon.

- - -

Tsukishima continues to practice even when he is not forced to. He watches everyone’s movements and the gameplay very carefully, especially Hinata Shoyo’s. He secretly wants to stop Hinata’s and Kageyama’s quick attack just even once. He will make his move because that is what he wants to do.

- - -

There is a practice game going on with Aoba Johsai and Karasuno. The positions are set for both teams and everyone knows their own roles. Oikawa specifically targets one person on the other side of the net, Tsukishima Kei. He knows for a fact that his dear ole Tsukki can never master any receives coming from his own powerful serves. He purposely wants to block Tsukishima’s vision.

Tsukishima knows that he was an easy target for the third year and tries his best to receive, but ends up failing to do so. Tsukishima has felt Oikawa’s strong serve bounce heavily on his arms. He beats himself up for it. “Damn!” Tsukishima knows that he needs to do better and he has to do it fast. Oikawa has his eyes set on him, and there is no way he is out of the zone in this state yet.

Someone once told Tsukishima this: “’Cause you hold the power as long as you’re driven.”

Oikawa serves the ball and aims straight for the first year again.

Tsukishima gets into position and receives the ball. The ball goes up, and the game continues on.

- - -

After the game, Tsukishima walks around at night to reflect on his own thoughts.

You’re never gonna make it.

He has many things on his mind, most of them often bringing himself down. Why am I doing any of this? What is the point-

“Tsukki!!!” That nickname alone stops the pessimistic guy on his tracks.

Yamaguchi Tadashi rushes out like a bullet train. He will not allow Tsukki to be alone with these thoughts in his mind. He knows what he has to do to bring his best friend back to his senses.

There’s no way that you make it.

Tsukki turns around and faces his childhood friend. “What?” he asks.

Yamaguchi starts getting mad at his best friend. He tells him, “You’ve been acting really lame lately, okay!”

Tsukki knows that Yamaguchi looks up to him like a role model, but Tsukishima wants, no, he needs to have a reason to keep playing volleyball. Tsukishima does not have the best experiences when it comes to this sport. “Why does it even matter?” he yells out to Yams.

Yamaguchi has had enough of Tsukishima’s lame antics, so he grabs Tsukki’s shirt and makes him listen to him. “Don’t be an idiot! It’s our sense of pride! What more do you need?” Yamaguchi rarely ever expresses his anger towards anyone or anything, but if this is enough to get through to his best friend, he will not hesitate to do this again.

Tsukishima is quite surprised to see Yamaguchi like this. Watching Yamaguchi makes Tsukki realize something as if he is looking at a mirror right now. But Tsukishima questions his best friend, “Are you just gonna take that?” He knows of his teammate’s failures and uses this argument against him, but he wants to know if this is his ultimate reason, his own drive to keep moving forward in all of this.

Yamaguchi does not let up and he does not back down. He is aware of his own faults, but he strives to get better. That’s all that once can do in life after all. Don’t give up and don’t quit now.

Tsukishima does not have to hear a single word to know what Yamaguchi is thinking. He is an observant person, and he does not want to let his best friend down. “Or will you fucking fight back?”

Tsukishima’s response surprises Yams. He did not expect for Tsukki to believe him, let alone, see a genuine grin. All is well for both athletes.

- - -

The next practice game is between Fukurodani and Karasuno. Tsukishima focuses on everything that Nekoma’s middle blocker, Kuroo Tetsurou has taught him. “Insert power all the way up to your fingertips so they never get blown back.”

Tsukishima tries this method against Bokuto.

Bokuto senses a change in aura against Karasuno’s number eleven. It sends a chill down his spine that he is barely aware of where the volleyball is at that moment. The ace manages to send the ball over the blockers and score a point in that manner.

On that night after the game, Bokuto goes over to Tsukishima and points at him. He deems him worthy of being his opponent and his friend. He also helps his boy, Tsukki out by giving his own reasons for playing volleyball.

- - -

After a little while, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi decide to go to the park and have a couple of refreshments there. Tsukishima feels better being around with Yamaguchi as he listens to his music through his headphones.

Meanwhile, Yamaguchi takes this time to reflect back to his own past.

- - -

As a young boy, it was always easy for the other kids to pick on him. Maybe because he was small? Or he was weak? Or he did not fit in with the other kids at all. Yamaguchi gets bullied enough that he cries in front of all of his bullies, to which they make fun of him even more.

Yamaguchi does not often look at his own reflection in the mirror. It just reminds him of back then when he could not face his own problems. Luckily though, something good did happen during that one time in the playground.

Tsukishima Kei. Even for his age back then, Tsukki is quite tall. He was curious about the situation going on while he was walking from school to his house and notice that the small freckled-boy in the green hoodie was in trouble. Tsukki is not the type of person to intervene, but when Yamaguchi and the bullies see him, Tsukishima smiles and states, “That’s so lame.” With that, he starts walking away.

No one knows what he is talking about and has blank looks on their faces. One of the bullies decides to take matters into his own hands and chases after Tsukishima. He roughly grabs Tsukishima’s bag to get his attention. Little did he know that that would be a grave mistake.

Because of Tsukishima’s height, he uses this to his advantage and intimidates the bully. “Stop what you’re saying. Stop what you’re making.”

The scaredy-cat starts to run away, and his other two lackies follow, leaving Yamaguchi alone. The bully gets one last sentence in before leaving the scene, “Everybody here knows that you’re just faking.”

Tsukishima laughs. He is completely unphased by the short boy’s words and chooses to ignore him.

And from that day on, Yamaguchi has someone to look up to.

- - -

Tsukishima ponders to himself, (Wait, I was that cute back then?). Nah!

- - -

Kuroo and Akaashi try to talk to Tsukishima to see where his head is at. They know that he will eventually have to go up against Oikawa and his team, so they want to make sure that their fellow middle blocker is ready for them.

Tsukishima smiles at them and says, “I don’t wanna hear it anymore.” He leaves thm to go find some peace and quiet.

Yamaguchi finds Tsukishima and tries to talk to him, but Tsukishima is quite tired and sick of people asking him about Oikawa. “I don’t wanna hear it anymore,” he repeats one last time. Tsukishima knows that he is in a bad mood, but for once, he does not want to spend his time thinking about that setter. No matter how much he tries, it’s as if Oikawa has found a way to somehow psychologically mock him without being anywhere near him.

- - -

Tsukishima’s thoughts continue to consume him even in the next practice game against Aoba Johsai. He sees Oikawa talking with his teammates to boost their confidence and their morale.

Tsukishima decides that he has had enough. To truly get these wicked thoughts out of his head, he has to beat Oikawa. He knows he cannot do this on his own, so he has to rely on his other teammates, especially the so-called King. Kageyama Tobio.

Kageyama agrees to back up Tsukishima and puts his money where his mouth is. “I’m about to shut the motherf*ckin door.” Seeing this side of the king makes the middle blocker excited to see how the outcome of this game will turn out.

Tsukishima takes a page out of king’s book and trash talks the other team mainly to keep his spirits up. “With all you poor ass haters with your heads in the clouds, talking out loud so proud…”

Oikawa turns to look at the Karasuno players. He looks forward to this match and beating Tsukishima once again.

Tsukishima has a feeling that Oikawa is focusing more on him than the others, but is unable to say anything. Instead, Yamaguchi catches on and exclaims, “You better shut your damn mouth, before I do more than speak out!”

Tsukishima just stands there and eyes the setter in front of him. He may not show it, but he tries to remember when the last time Yamaguchi cussed someone out or even if he ever cussed at all before. He knows that Yams is serious when he says this, so he vows to back him up in any way that he can.

- - -

Yamaguchi clearly remembers the last time they had an official game against Aoba Johsai. He was a nervous trainwreck being put into the game at that time. He knew that he wasn’t like the other first-year players who started in the lineup. He has every single reason to be afraid at that moment, but he has to at least give it a try. Maybe luck was on his side. Maybe he can do it.

You’re never gonna make it.

Yamaguchi puts the ball up and serves. The ball touches the top of the net and stays in place for about two seconds before falling slowly back into the ground. The pinch server’s open mouth turns into one of disappointment. He’s upset. He feels sad. He has let himself down. Even when the coach tells hims that it was not his fault, Yamaguchi can’t help but feel like he is not like all the others.

There’s no way that you make it.

Yamaguchi does not want to just give up without trying. He looks for some kind of inspiration, some kind of goal to set and surpass in order to give him the drive that he needs to do better.

Maybe you could fake it.

Yamaguchi gazes at Oikawa, knowing that he is a very powerful volleyball player. His reputation precedes him. Oikawa is one of the best players out there in the court and in the country. Yamaguchi strives to be like him, but he is so far out of reach. If he puts the time and effort, would he be able to be like him?

But you’re never gonna make it.

Yamaguchi has his goal in mind, but in order to reach it, he has to clear many obstacles ahead of him. The first step is to get himself to calm down when stepping into the court.

He remembers that experience as clear as day. One step on the court, and the whole atmosphere changes. He isn’t someone just standing by in the sidelines anymore. He might not be a starter, but he was put into this game for a reason. All eyes are on him now. Will he be able to gain control, or will he falter once again?

- - -

Are you just gonna take that?

Yamaguchi is determined to get his pride back. He has to get it back. He needs to show Tsukki that putting all of this work is worth it.

Yamaguchi reminds himself, “I’m not a confrontational guy, but I still went off on Tsukki the other day.”

Yamaguchi has to back his own claim up. He had the courage to stand up against the one guy he admires most of all. His very own best friend. Tsukishima Kei. He got Tsukki to finally listen to him. Now, it’s time to prove it to himself and everyone else that he has the skills to play on this court.

Make them take it all back.

From taking advice from others, practicing countless hours into improving his craft, and his own past experiences, number twelve of Karasuno makes sure that he takes everything that he has learned into account and puts every single one of them into great use. He is going to take his shot. This is his chance. His chance to show them up.

Yamaguchi does not let any distractions from crowd interfere with his process. Karasuno has his back no matter what. It’s time to show Aoba Johsai what this team is all about.

Don’t tell me you believe that.

Kei does his best to give some helpful advice to Tadashi. “We’re all just thinking about how lucky we’ll be if we can get this.”

Yamaguchi remembers Tsukishima’s words. Tsukishima rarely ever shows his emotion, but he believes that this best friend can do this. He puts all of his trust and faith into the pinch server.

Yamaguchi holds the ball up in front of him.

Oikawa watches Tsukishima and Yamaguchi with careful intent. He thinks that Yamaguchi will mess up his serve just like he had done before. There is no need to be worried at all about this.

Yamaguchi takes a deep breath in and clears his mind. All eyes are on him now. He has the ball. He knows what to do. He has trained and conditioned himself well for this exact moment.

Are you just gonna take that?

The referee blows the whistle. That’s the start. He has eight seconds to get the ball up into play.

Yamaguchi tosses the ball up in the air. He eyes the ball carefully and jumps up in the air. He controls his body’s movements as the ball falls down towards him.

As soon as it is in his path, he hits it. The ball floats in the air and is over the net. Every player keeps their eye on the ball. Aoba Johsai’s libero tells his teammate, “It’s out.” But is he so sure?

The ball goes in between them and falls within bounds. It’s in!

Oikawa despises jump float serves. Its trajectory and its course can throw off players’ perception. He does not know if he should be mad that Karasuno got the point or if it’s that rival of his that was able to make a service ace at that time.

Yamaguchi feels that moment with pride. He got it in! Karasuno has another weapon in their arsenal, and it is their spear. All of his teammates and happy and excited that Yamaguchi was able to nail that service ace.

But the game is not over yet. After the short celebration, Yamaguchi knows that Aoba Johsai will soon figure out how to return his own serve, so he has to be ready to fight back. He has his eye on the ball at all times.

However, Yamaguchi is not the only one watching the volleyball. Tsukishima always assesses the situation and plans ahead. He knows exactly where and how to hit the volleyball to score a point for his team.

Tsukishima jumps up. Three blockers in his way in front of him, but that won’t stop this middle blocker. Oikawa has left a wide opening to his right, and Tsukishima uses this fact to his advantage.

He makes sure that the ball softly touches Oikawa’s fingertips. He did this mainly to ensure that he would win the point as well as mocking Oikawa at his own game. He was also not going to let Yamaguchi’s serve go to waste. Tsukishima faces Oikawa and feels satisfied over seeing his rival being annoyed at him for a change.

Tsukishima bends down to pick up the ball when he hears Yamaguchi cheering his name, “Tsukki!”

He turns around and tells his teammate, “Do it again.” He tosses the ball over to him.

Yamaguchi catches it, surprised to hear Tsukki say some encouraging words, but he knows exactly what he needs to do. He smiles and nods at him.

Tsukishima Kei and Yamaguchi Tadashi continue to have their moments in volleyball. They encourage each other. They look out for one another. They represent numbers “Eleven” and “Twelve” of Karasuno. They are the Shield and the Spear. They understand their roles in all of this. They have an affinity for this sport. The sport that bonded them together since childhood. That time when they became best friends. Best friends who grow and learn how to fight back!

[turqrambles]

I watched all 26 episodes of an obscure Australian cartoon in one week and I’m not okay - My journey with Wicked! (2001) PART 1

Here it is, the reason I started this blog in the first place. I need to talk about this cartoon I ran into completely by chance. 

It all started, like you would, with Tubitv.

Good ol’ Tubi, the free streaming service that makes you either an expert at being able to find diamonds in piles of garbage or a connoisseur of said garbage. It’s thanks to Tubi that I put down that I watched Alpha and Omega: Family Vacation on Letterboxd for all to see and judge, but it’s also thanks to Tubi that I finally ended up watching Killer Klowns from Outer Space.

Anyhoo, one day I was browsing their family film selection when I ran into this selection. And that was the day my life changed forever.

What you see before you, posted to a streaming service accessible in the United States, is the movie adaptation of an Australian TV show that never made it to the United States, which is based off a series of Australian children’s books from the 90′s that also never made it to the United States. It made it to other territories like Germany and the United Kingdom (and it apparently did super well in France but don’t quote me on this) but the TV show ran for one year and then disappeared without a trace after one 26 episode season.

How obscure is this franchise? Well, for starters, at the time I’m writing this in 2020, the books, the TV show, and the movie all don’t have a single Wikipedia page to call their own, and the easiest way to get info about this thing is to find the (rather tiny) TvTropes page. 

Let’s just get right into this shall we.

What is Wicked!?

Before you try to be all cute and make any references to the hit musical, there’s a reason I’m putting that exclamation mark there.

Wicked! started out as a series of six children’s books written by Paul Jennings and Morris Gleitzman. I actually grabbed a kindle copy of all six books (because I’m in this thing too deep and I wanted to see how the cartoon compared with the source material) and I gotta say, they’re very charming.

The best way I can describe them is that they’re in the kid horror genre, but they’re less Goosebumps and more The Weenies book series by David Lubar in terms of gore and child endangerment. Wicked! has some artful depictions of blood and gore, but in a way that can be digested by the grade school crowd.

Being a former child, I can proudly proclaim that I would’ve adored this series when I was younger. Just look at these covers!

The plot of the books is that there’s a widower with a daughter and a divorced wife with a son who get married, and the two new step-siblings Rory and Dawn absolutely hate each other. They can’t stand the fact that their parents are getting married! Gross!

But then, on the day of their wedding, creepy things begin to happen after Rory receives an appleman doll in the mail, and then, over the course of six books, a deadly single-minded virus that feeds on hate and is targeting Rory’s bloodline begins to spread across wildlife, creating crazed mutant animals that try to kill everyone in the household. It’s up to Rory, Dawn, and Dawn’s grandfather Gramps to stop this virus before it kills Rory and his mother, and to do so, they have to seek out Rory’s father, who seems to be the mysterious cause and/or the solution to the virus.

I’m not sure how well these books did, on account of the whole “not Australian” affliction I seem to suffer from, but they seemed to do well enough to get a TV show adaptation.

And surprisingly, the TV show is a very close adaptation of the books, only they changed the plot in two big ways so that it fits an animated series with a “monster of the week” setup.

The first big change was that, of course, they toned down the blood and gore and removed the deadliness of the virus, choosing to go with a more cartoony mutagenic approach. Rory gets infected by the virus several times in the show, just like how he does in the books, but unlike the books, he never thinks that he’s going to die from it and it’s definitely treated as a more temporary thing. There’s no race against time either. Everyone is trying to live their lives except every so often, the virus shows up. A wacky cartoon virus with cartoony stakes.

That brings me to the other main change that they make in the show. Unlike the books, where the main villain is a mindless virus that feeds off of hate, an invisible foe that can only be defeated at the end of the last book with the help of Rory’s father, the TV show decides that that’s no fun and instead makes a main villain out of one of the main plot points in the books. Say hello to The Appleman. (Apple-Man? Apple Man? Fuck it, I’m going with the first one from now on)

Instead of having the virus mutate mysteriously and having the main characters constantly hypothesize what’s going to happen next, the TV show made a main villain who constantly reinvents new strains of virus in a laboratory that he set up in an abandoned refinery.

What then happens is a basic plot set-up that the show follows pretty consistently in every episode. The family is trying to do something, we get the theme for the episode, and The Appleman, who is a spiteful bastard who is trying to ruin this one family in particular (and I’ll get to that), decides to make a virus that will infect the theme of that episode.

Pretty standard cartoon stuff, right? Ah, but then you don’t realize the beauty of this show. But first, I gotta introduce the main stars of this show.

The Characters

(quick note: this bus is incredibly important to the plot, but only in the books)

First we have Rory (the boy holding up the tin) and Dawn (the mad red head).

Dawn is the step-sister who lost her mom, a bus driver, in a gruesome bus accident, Rory is the step-brother whose parents got a divorce and then his dad went missing, believed to have run away from his whole family. Both of them are meant to be the dual protagonists, but I feel that there’s just a tiny bit more focus on Rory. There’s a reason for this that I will mention later.

What is interesting to note is that they make Rory the smart, non-athletic little nerd that gets picked on a lot at school for being a dork while Dawn loves sports, is failing science, gets made fun of for not being as girly as the other girls in her class, and likes violent computer games. I wouldn’t exactly call them “fleshed out” but they did enough to make these kids feel like actual kids.

Also, they fight. Constantly. This is the main complaint of anyone who actually looks into this show judging by my brief skimming of Internet comments because these two constantly bicker and insult each other and that makes up like 40% of the dialogue in any given episode. While this is one of the main story conflicts and they’re like this in the books too, it just feels super exhausting to see these two constantly at each other’s throats in every single episode.

They get mean too. Which, surprisingly, makes them both more realistic (I babysat multiple times and kids can be pretty verbally awful to each other) while also making them just a tiny bit unbearable at times. Here’s some actual dialogue.

"My dad sent it to me!" "Gee, he must think a lot of you to send you a doll full of worms." "Your mum thought so much of you she drove this bus over a cliff and into the river to get away from you."

GEEZ, guys...

Eileen, Rory’s mom.

It feels out of the three adults in the family, she gets the least amount of character development, but she does get a fair amount of screentime, so you can’t really say they’re intentionally ignoring her. She divorced her previous husband and works as a mail courier. Instead of owning a car, she drives a motorcycle, and, in the first episode, even drives it to her own wedding while dressed in a bridal gown. Rory’s mom rules.

She tries to bond with Dawn because she always wanted to raise a daughter, but Dawn clearly doesn’t like her new stepmom very much. Dawn is also afraid of the motorcycle and it comes up a couple times in the show.

Eileen is the adult that gets targeted the least by The Appleman’s schemes. There’s a very pointed reason for this, and I swear, I’m getting to it soon.

(quick note: yes, the show uses real photos to put in picture frames in the backgrounds and it’s real weird and never addressed)

Jack, Dawn’s dad.

Jack is a sheep shearer, just like in the books, and he’s a big easy-going dope that is hard not to love. Look at him hammer in this carpet. A true champ.

Out of the three adults in the family, he seems to be the one that nearly dies the most, with The Appleman going out of his way to specifically target Jack in some episodes. If you know Appleman’s backstory, this reads as absolutely petty spite and I love every minute of it.

Gramps, Dawn’s grandfather and Jack’s dad.

He’s an aging WWII veteran (one that has killed people in combat no less) who radiates constant Boomer vibes and, unlike Eileen and Jack, he actually sees some of the crazy shit that happens and will sometimes sense when something is infected with virus when the other two adults can’t.

In the books, he’s suffering pretty badly from dementia, but thankfully the cartoons drop that completely. I’m glad too, because I don’t have the confidence that they would’ve written it with enough sophistication to make it not seem ableist. Instead, he’s just your typical kooky cartoon grandfather.

He’s probably the adult that gets the most screentime because he will actually help Dawn and Rory out. Again, this ties into the books, where he was the main adult ally for the kids.

He says a lot of army-themed catchphrases. It’s a tad overplayed but it never really gets to a point where I would call it “annoying”. Also, instead of living in the house, he lives in a tiny granny flat on the property. Sometimes Rory spends the night there.

Last but not least, we have the star of the show, and the reason why the easiest way to find information of this show is to google “Wicked The Appleman”.

The Appleman, as explained, is the main villain of the story. Dressed in a very fancy suit complete with dress shoes and a nice blue tie, he lives in an old refinery full of rats, bats, and giant worms (called Slobberers), and he’s rocking a voice that can be best described as “Australian Mark Hamil” with an absolutely heavenly evil laugh. He has gross clawed hands, a rotten apple for a head, and likes making people miserable, because he’s basically the living puppet for a virus that feeds off of negative emotions. The main goal of each episode is to either defeat him or to stop the mess he’s made. Usually both.

Since all of his minions are non-sentient animals, a lot of his dialogue is him lurking behind something while he monologues to himself, sometimes turning it into a creepy little rhyme. He’s a pretty lonely guy, so him hanging out with this family can be seen as a very non-subtle cry for help.

The best episodes are the ones where he tries to lurk about in public with a very poor attempt at disguising his hideous features. Somehow it always works, you know, despite the fact that he has yellow eyes, the skin like a moldy apple, and no ears.

What Makes Wicked! Unique

(no, The Appleman doesn’t actually use that axe)

The first thing this show does that most of the formulaic shows don’t do is that it does, in fact, have a beginning, a middle, and an end. That’s why this show was packaged into a full-length movie - you can glue scenes together and actually make a pretty decent narrative, even if the resulting movie definitely had a “glued together TV show episodes” feel ala some of the bad Disney sequels like Cinderella II and Atlantis II. 

This show even has some plot-heavy episodes that dive into just why this whole Appleman situation is going on and why he seems to have it out for this one family in order to flesh out the characters more.

Because that’s a thing that this show does. The Appleman is a cartoon-y villain who cackles in his lab and constantly invents new strains of viruses that can mutate things like animals and household appliances, but he doesn’t do it to take over the city or to “destroy the world”. He does it purely to inconvenience this one Australian family, who he stalks pretty regularly. This is a thing that comes from the books and honestly, it’s a thing that elevates Appleman from “ugly-looking cartoon villain” to “pretty damn creepy, if also still cartoony in execution”.

Sure, a lot of cartoon villains target the main protagonist in their evil schemes, but this one is definitely more personal.

He regularly follows Rory and Dawn to school and, when the family goes on a camping trip, he comes too. If Rory decides he’s going to hang out in the wrecker’s yard, The Appleman will be cackling and hiding behind totaled vehicles. If Gramps takes the kids out to the bay to go fishing, The Appleman will pull an ice cream truck out of his garage and follow them there. That’s how the main conflict is really set up.

I think if a scarier cartoon tried, they’d make him out to be this grotesque stalker, but instead, since this show is kinda goofy in execution, he’s like the shittiest cryptid in the world, constantly crouching behind trash cans and on top of rooftops while constantly cackling about how clever he is and how, miraculously, no one notices anything’s amiss.

This alone would make this villain interesting, but then they set up something about this show at the beginning if you watch the intro and the first episode and put two and two together.

Right from the start, the opening shows that The Appleman was once human by depicting his transformation by the virus. They don’t even try and pretend that he’s some demon or some sort of supernatural monster - he’s specifically a blue collar worker who had a nasty run-in with fate and mutated into this hideous apple-headed creature that now has to hide out in an abandoned refinery. You see why he’s dressed like that - he’s still wearing his work uniform.

Right after you watch that intro, the first episode of the show has Rory receiving a mysterious package from his father on the day of his mother’s wedding. It’s the first time that Rory and his mom Eileen have heard from their dad after he mysteriously vanished years ago. 

What’s inside? An apple-headed doll, which contains the first virus-infected monsters, The Slobberers.

When The Appleman makes his first dramatic appearance, he never says Dawn’s name, but he does know Rory’s name.

And, in case you didn’t pick up the hints from the first episode, the fourth episode really drives it home without spelling it out. Then the last episode of the series decides to say it out loud.

That’s right. Rory’s father, the man who mysteriously vanished from Eileen and Rory’s lives, is still an important part of the cartoon’s storyline, but instead of being the man who appears in the last book that knows how to cure the virus while also being the first victim of the virus, he’s the main antagonist.

The Appleman is Rory’s father.

And honestly, because of this little plot point, this show becomes a much richer experience once you look at the unhinged appleman who keeps unleashing horror on these kids and realize that he’s a divorced dad who constantly keeps tabs on his ex-wife's unstable dysfunctional family in order to make them more pissed at each other because that feeds the virus that mutated him.

This is a very cool concept. This is where Wicked! shines when, for all intents and purposes, it is otherwise a pretty average turn-of-the-century Australian cartoon that can be best described as “it’s okay, I guess” in terms of quality.

Because that’s really the rating I can give this show. It’s Okay.

It’s a very solid Okay, but I think any adjective more powerful than “Okay” is really pushing it. It’s not Great, it’s not Amazing. It’s Okay. Alright. Kinda Good.

But man, is it a wild ride.

Next time, I’m going to start discussing the actual episodes as well as this show’s pros and cons. Dividing this up into multiple parts partly because I feel like these things are more easily digested in smaller chunks and partly because I’m pretty sure tumblr now has a size limit on posts soooo...yeah.

Follow this handy link for Part 2 - The Actual Review!

[razorblade180]

Twin Snowflakes pt17: Alone time

Eliza:I can’t believe your recklessness sometimes.

Valerie:I wasn’t going to actually fight her.

Eliza:You were seconds away from performing a suplex.

Valerie:Pfft, not like it would’ve worked.

Eliza:Not even disputing it huh? Need I remind you of your position in this school? Many students see you as a positive role model; especially the sports team. The upperclassmen included. You set an example for others so lead them well.

Valerie:I’m not as good or enjoy rubbing elbows with people as you. Semblance or not, it’s not like I’m the kind of person who starts a conversation.

Eliza:(Shooting your mouth off at someone is starting a conversation. Team speeches are-) Ugh, be that as it may, looking good by doing good is all I ask of you. It increases morale

Valerie:Oh yeah? Then why record the match yesterday?

Eliza turned her head and looked at Val. The athlete’s .eyes held a glimmer of agitation and anxiousness.

Eliza:Oh I see now, so that’s why you’re more aggressive than usual. Getting caught by Nicholas must be so irritating for the girl who’s supposed to be better than him; another check box on the list of ways he makes your life easier.

Valerie:Don’t talk like you know me.

Eliza:I know pride and jealousy when I see it. Or maybe, it’s something else entirely? If you’re letting my little comment from the other day bother you then I suggest you dismiss it. As for the video, originally I was going to use it to study the three of you for the tournament.

Valerie:WHAT!?

Eliza:It’s no different than a sports team watching the other team’s previous games. Then another thought occurred, this school would get a lot of traction if three sophomores took down such a complex piece of tech. It’s bound to spook some people who also plan on joining the tournament.

Valerie:You used us as a scare tactic? That’s...underhanded and yet, completely fair?

Eliza:Anything to ensure I remain in the top three. I will not spend time dealing with riff raff when my two biggest threats share the same bus as me. Consider that video an appreciation of all your skills, and a reminder of the eyes on you. Don’t slip up.

Valerie:I never do. It would be pretty interesting to see you beat Nick. I look forward to your challenge.

Eliza:You sound like Nick isn’t a threat.

Valerie:He isn’t. Granted his swordplay has gotten better and he has that new trick, but I haven’t been slacking off either. I’ve kicked his butt all my life and I’m sure I can do it again.

Her eyes told a different story. Eliza could tell that through all that confidence, the smallest glimmer of doubt had shown itself. She made sure to take note of it.

Eliza:Famous last words. The idea of Nick winning is a world that could exist; experience in loss is vaster than in victory.

Valerie:*grits teeth* Can we stop talking about Nick for onc-

“Val?” Called out the boy in question. The two girls turned around to see the boy walking over in their school’s simple white and gray P.E. uniform. He wasn’t sweaty like Valerie, but something seemed a little...off.

Eliza:Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

Nick:Says the girl in pigtails. Might as well call them horns. Anyways hey Val, didn’t know you were at school today. Had me a little worried this morning.

Valerie:Yeah well...I slept a little late.

Nick:But...you’re in your P.E. clothes. Summer has the class as you so-

Valerie:I wasn’t terribly late. Just enough to miss homeroom.

Nick:Ah. Getting up was pretty rough for me this morning too. That Paladin took everything out of me! My body felt like lead. How are you holding up?

Valerie:I’m fine…

Nick:Really? That hit looked really-

Valerie:I said I’m fine, Nick! Stop worrying about me!

If the halls were crowded then that would’ve drawn a crowd. Instead her brash words echoed, making its own form of weird tension. Eliza took that as her queue to leave, while Nick stood there a bit spooked. Even Valerie was shocked at her tone.

Valerie:Sorry, I uh, yelling was an accident.

Nick:It’s, it’s okay. Hey you umm, are you mad at me by any chance? I only ask since Summer sorta did what you...just did; if I did something wrong-

Valerie:You didn’t. (Like usual) Can you give me a bit of space though? I’d like to have a bit more time to myself.

She hadn’t realized it, but Valerie just snitched on herself. Nick kept a neutral face, ‘overslept huh?’ The thought lingering a bit before giving a small smile. Suddenly he felt a little awkward, randomly swaying and folding his arms as if to shake off the feeling.

Nick:Alright, if that’s what you need. Still on to study tomorrow or…?

Valerie:I think I got it covered.

Nick:Cool, cool...see you around then I guess? Or not, I don’t know. I should head back now. Harriet must notice how long I’ve been taking by now, so, yeah… *stepping away*

Valerie:...Nick?

Nick:What’s up?

Valerie:Your face, it’s a bit pale. Get some rest okay? Seriously.

At least he knew she still cared. He gave her a thumbs up and started walking away again, but then whipped back around before she was out of sight.

Nick:Hey one more thing! I thought you should know Veronica is here so please, don’t beat each other up in the halls, rooms, or anywhere really. No touching at all would be nice.

Valerie:I already bumped into her.

Nick:Really? I don’t see bruises.

Valerie:Shut up, we didn’t fight. I could tell she was looking for one, or an excuse to let off steam.

Nick:What does that mean?

Valerie:She was looking much like herself. That annoyingly cocky attitude was a bit more...catty, for a lack of a better word. Atlas air must be disagreeing with her or something.

Nick:Yeah….or something…

xxxx

Veronica hadn’t moved. The young designer found herself still leaning up against the lockers, concentrating immensely. Her skull felt like it was under a jackhammer while her heartbeat sped up like a hummingbird. God she was so hungry, and the cafeteria scent…

‘In and out Veronica. Just keep your breathing in and out’ she told herself constantly. ‘You’re halfway through the day. You can do this…’

Bright side about this predicament was it seemed no one wanted to test her. She imagined that her entire attitude must seem pretty scary right about now. Good.

Her attempt to stay out of further trouble was unfortunately short lived when the scent of fresh sweat and body spray invaded her nostrils. That was a smell in any school, one that always ment the arrival of her least favorite kind of person.

Two sets of footsteps steadily got closer until they stopped right in front of her. Veronica looked up to see two boys in blue letterman jackets stand before her. One boy was tannish and had a well kept brown crew cut, his height towering over her but his build seemed similar to Nick. His eyes a shade of hazel that made the cocky grin on his face that was more punchable.

The other boy was taller, at least 6’3 and built like a wall. Veronica couldn’t fathom the amount of protein shrinks he might drink. He was pale compared to the first one and had orangey brown hair that was a crew cut that had less taken off on the sides and more grown out. His eyes were a dark green and though he didn’t look as cocky, his presence was enough for Veronica to know he thought that he was the big man on campus.

The first jacket said ‘Diabhalta’ while the second read.‘Winchester.’ That name was familiar from earlier. Nick had mentioned it when speaking to Eliza.

Whoever they were, Veronica wasn’t in the mood for this shit. It’s like she was a beacon for annoying jocks.

Veronica:May I help you, or are you just going to keep staring like a dead fish?

Diabhalta: Hey hey, take it easier there mittens. Just doing a little thinking, wondering if it would be a cat call if you gave me your number. That sort of thing.

Winchester:Laying it on a little thick there, Darren.

Darren:Oh I’m just trying to break the ice Maxie. A little humor to make that pretty face smile.

Veronica:If this is you breaking the ice then no wonder Atlas is so cold. Not interested, now scram.

Max:Sweetheart, curve the attitude. Obviously you’re new here but FYI, underclassmen show more respect.

Veronica:You’re not respecting my space.

Max:You’re not respecting our locker space.

Okay, this time she was in the jocks territory and not purposely seeked out. Maybe her luck was just bad? Veronica sidestepped out of the way and decided to leave. While Max opened his locker.

Veronica:My bad…

Max:Yeah it is.

Darren:Hey hey hey, hold on second here. “My bad” is a pretty half assed apology. Don’t you wanna try something a little more...hospitable? Maybe a cute little curtsy or something? No, well the view of you leaving is pretty nice so I shouldn’t complain.

Veronica: Fuck. Off.

Darren:Ooo kitten has claws.

He starts to follow behind her.

Max: ‘I swear he’s going to end up in prison’ Stop skirt chasing the literal puss and get your shit man.

Darren:I’m just trying to get to know the lady a little. Is that so bad?

Veronica:Darren was it? Listen to your friend and buzz off before you get actual claws, got it?

Darren:Ooo how scrappy. I don’t mind a little pain. That’s why I win medals for this place. Isn’t that right Maxie?

Max:If you need my help to get her attention then it’s probably a sign you’re trying too hard.

Veronica: ‘At least that one has a few brain cells”

Max:Besides, shouldn’t you aim for a girl that’s more… appealing?

That caught her attention. Turning around would’ve been reckless. There was no need to entertain these two, yet she couldn’t help herself.

Veronica: ‘Fuck this guy’ Was that a comment on my looks, or my features?

Max:Can’t say, all I know is what I see, and what I see is oh so not worth any time or effort. Why Darren is giving you the time of day,I’ll never understand.

Darren:Dude!

Veronica:Hmph, whatever. I should expect as much from you. At least you’re more charming than your father.

Max:Tsk, What did you-

Veronica:Goodbye. *walks away*

Darren:Hey! You can’t just disrespect him like that! Are you even listen- hey!

Veronica:Maybe if you learned to leave a girl alone then-

Her words got caught in her throat. Veronica thought they had gotten the message. That they wouldn’t bother her anymore and silently curse her names like others; the pain that ran through her tail said otherwise.

Veronica could start to feel her blood start to boil as she turned back around to see, to feel Darren gripping her tail with his disgusting hands. Max had closed his locker but didn’t look confrontational. No, he looked alarmed.

“Darren I think you overstepped.” He put his things down.

“I overstepped!? She’s the one running her mouth and mentioning your family like she knows anything.”

Veronica’s eyes matched that of a feline and her barely came out above a whisper. “You have three seconds to let go…”

Unfazed, he tightened his grip. “Or wha-”

Time was up. Darren couldn’t even finish the word before he felt the back of Veronica’s fist make a clean contact with the right side of his face, knocking spit and his body into the lockers.

“Darren!”

The boy was too dazed to respond or react to the feeling of the smaller girl tackling him to the ground as Veronica began to wail on him. Repeatedly throwing punch after punch in a fit of anger. Until Darren headbutted her off.

Now he was pissed. He got up and threw a punch that was quickly stopped by Max. “What the hell man!”

“That doesn’t end well for you!”

“It won’t for her either!”

Veronica ran back at him without thinking and was kicked right in the stomach, falling backwards for only a second before charging again.

Max tugged Darren behind him to act as a buffer and stiff armed Veronica. The guy really was a wall, but that meant nothing to Veronica. Her body slipped right through him and came out the other side to tackle the idiot who grabbed her tail.

This time they both hit the ground and started to exchange blows.

She was practically seeing red, blacking out from rage, adrenaline, pain, hunger; somewhere along the line she could taste a little iron in her mouth and pain across her face. Must’ve gotten hit, not like she cared, sound seemed distorted but she could still feel everything. Especially her knuckles that were getting tender, and the constant hands of Max trying to pull her off most likely.

She had tried to be patient. Tried to stay calm, tried to walk away, but she simply couldn’t. All she could do was keep swinging and kicking. Until….

“Get a grip Vee!”

The red stopped, her mind clearing enough to focus on control. Eventually coming to and seeing what had happened. Her arms had been secured in a tight bear hug. Darren was still in front of her with bruises that were already healing and a scowl on his that screamed “I’ll end you.”

To his right was Max who was also a bit hyped on adrenaline, his hair messed up and also thoroughly pissed. But something was off. Who was restraining-

A pit formed in Veronica's stomach as she looked to the ground to see gravity glyphs holding them all in place. She turned around to see messy familiar hair slicked back and shocked eyes. Nick had showed up, as well as a few other faculty from the sound of it.

The boy was out of breath and had a dark bruise around the bridge of his nose as he continued holding her.

“N...Nick?” Her voice trembled. “When did you-”

“We gotta move.” He said anxiously as he took her by the wrist and ran out towards the exit.

Darren wasn’t amused. “That son of-Nicholas! You think we’re done here!”

“Shut up man! We don’t need this kinda shit right now.” Max growled with an intense amount of bass. The glyphs vanished and he grabbed Darren as he ran off as well. Quickly pushing his friend out the door. “Go cool off and then come back. I’ll handle the adults”

“You can’t be seri-”

“Do you want to get beat up by three different people today!? Take a fucking walk”

Darren grit his teeth before spitting a mixture of spit and blood on the ground before listening to his friends instructions. Max let out an annoyed sigh before regaining his stoic expression and stood by the door as faculty and students started gathering.

xxxx

Veronica messes up, she messed up big time. It was one thing to make trouble for herself but it creating it for others wasn’t a thing she enjoyed. All she had to do was keep calm, walk away, and survive a day at school. Not be led through the back streets of Atlas by Nicholas of all people.

He hadn’t said a word to her but she hadn’t spoken either. The feeling of her blood rushing and the whirlpool of her instincts still washed over her like a sea of flames that did its best to simmer down. Nick must’ve been furious, he had a right to be. Veronica said she was fine when she wasn’t. Now this has happened. Veronica wanted nothing more than to scream at herself right now. How could she let this happen?

She continued to stare at the hand that held her wrist through an alley where Nick finally stopped and let go. Veronica wanted to say something but didn’t get the chance before Nick tossed a bag over his shoulder at her.

Veronica reacted just fast enough to catch it and was taken back by it. It was….jerky? Beef jerky at that. She looked to see him staring at her with concern. Veronica tried looking away but Nick tilted her back to stare into her animal like eyes. With her luck, he probably saw her fangs when she was screaming her head off earlier.

Nick: ‘So this is what I was supposed to look out for?’ You with me Vee?

Veronica:....

Nick:They sell those packs in the vending machines near the sports room. Taste isn’t that spectacular but I’m sure it’ll serve you better than me right now.

Veronica:....

Nick:Vee…?

Veronica:...Can you...turn around? I don’t want you to see me eat. Cover your ears too.

Nick:Uh, okay? *turns around* tap my shoulder when you're done I guess.

Veronica:Thanks…

Nick covered his ears and Veronica finally opened the extremely full bag. The aroma hit her like a truck and Veronica couldn’t help but let out a gulp the moment it did.

Nick clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, already feeling a little awkward after fifteen seconds. ‘Is she gonna eat all of that? The bag is a large size, people twice my size take a while to eat it.’ He was starting to regret making today's arm day in gym class. ‘Hopefully she just needs a few pieces of-’

The wind blew and the bag flew right by his head, completely empty and teared apart. The tap on his shoulder can immediately after. That...couldn’t have been the bag, no way. He turned around and couldn’t believe it, Veronica stood in front of him a little bit more composed than before. Her eyes were less intense, as well as her hair. Even Vee’s breathing was less erratic but she still wasn’t exactly calm either. The crumbs on her face didn’t help.

Nick caught himself staring a little too hard and tried to have a very even expression. Veronica was starting to look at him the way Summer looks at her scars. This was clearly a big deal to her. After all, this was all news to him.

Nick:Are you okay? Or you know...slightly better?

Veronica:Slightly better is a decent way of putting it, barely. My body hurts.

Nick:Well you probably have a few bruises, your lip and right hand is bleeding, and I might’ve tackled you a little hard once or twice whenever I arrived. I’ve seen explosive tempers but man.

Veronica:Did I...give you that bruise?

Nick:Consider it a team effort between the three of you. Serves me right for rushing in without thinking. Nothing a little aura can’t fix. Same goes for you I hope.

Veronica:I’ll be fine…

She walked towards him slowly and gently touched his nose. She did this to him. He might put blame on everybody but it was no doubt to spare her feelings. Veronica’s ears drooped down and she held back her tears. It was bad enough Nick saw her lose her cool, she wasn’t gonna let him see her tears.

Veronica:I’m sorry...really sorry. I’ve done nothing but lie, break promises, and caused you trouble. All on my first day too. Talk about pathetic. Now you’re hurt and going to be in trouble because of me.Frankly I...I don’t know why you aren’t yelling at right now. How can you tolerate me so much all the time? I wouldn’t be able to.

Nick:Well that’s easy, it’s not tolerating when you want to be around the person.

And just like that, Veronica was speechless.

Nick:Don’t get me wrong. Can’t say I’m okay with how today went or that I’m not disappointed that you couldn’t last the day; But you’ve always been a hothead. Today just explains why. Yang might’ve told me to keep an eye on you, out of love of course. So don’t be too upset with her okay? I wish I knew about this sooner. Pardon if I’m overstepping, but does this have anything to do with why you’re so reluctant to talk about Menagerie? Anytime I talk about visiting it’s always a no.

Veronica:It’s one of many reasons. Reasons I rather not get into, sorry.

Nick:That’s fair. It’s funny, we always talk about how we talk about everything but I guess something we can’t help but keep to ourselves. Did you think I’d hate you, or wouldn’t understand? Granted I’m definitely hazy on the specifics but I definitely don’t think any less of you. V-

Veronica:I like you…as in like, like you.

Blood rushed to both of their faces. Veronica didn’t make eye contact but she did take his hand and held it tight; it trembled ever so slightly.

Nick couldn’t tell if he was slightly under the weather like Valerie said or hearing the words aloud. Nick wasn’t dense like his father, but hearing a confession was still a crazy moment. Especially right now. A boy in his gym clothes and a roughed up school girl, standing in a snowy alleyway after running out of school. Maybe he should’ve slept in today.

Veronica:It’s not like it’s been some kind of secret. I was never good at subtlety. When you're around me...I try so hard for you to only see the best of me, though it rarely happens. So I kept quiet, from plenty of people. Unless you really know about faunus then how could you know what goes on under the surface? You’re the last person I wanted to tell. I thought you’d look at me differently.

Nick:Do I look that shallow?.

Veronica:I couldn’t take the chance. Not when you’re the one, the only who really sees me outside of my parents.

He wasn’t entirely sure Veronica meant by that. See her how? In what way was he different from someone like his sister or Valerie? Was it okay to ask that right now? He decided against it. Being pushed away earlier made him worried about it happening again.

So instead he told her a simple truth.

Nick:It’s not like you’re Shiva. I’ve stared in the eyes as she threatened my life and I still hug Summer without a care in the world. On a scale from one to ten, what happened at school was a two. If you ever need something then I’m here Vee. I care about you, a lot. Be who you are around me.

Veronica:....Anything Huh?

She leans forward slowly, her face crimson. Nick’s brain goes crazy. ‘Is she…!? Wait, no! I’ve never-’ Veronica’s head lands in the crook of his neck and her hands wrap around him weakly.

“Food…” she said half consciously. “Fattening food, meat. Please tell me Atlas has that?”

Nick:Okay! I know a spot that’s out of the way and serves anyone. So-

She shut her eyes and dozed off. Nick heard quiet purring from Vee and saw her injuries finally start to heal. A good sign, but Nick couldn’t travel like this! He’d have trouble even if he wasn’t sick; not to mention he totally forgot that he wasn’t in his regular clothes!

Nick:I did not think this through. No wallet or phone, a passed out girl, and parents that will murder us. Think Nick, who could I call right now that wouldn’t chew me out and still help? Oh! Duh…

xxxx

Penny:I called your parents.

Nick:Why!?

Penny:You’re minors...

Nick:At least they have time to calm down.

Penny:They’re sending Winter.

The boy nearly choked on his thermometer before Penny took it out. He currently sat on one of her medical beds while Veronica was sleeping in one next to him. A stack of meat lovers pizza by the bed was ready for her whenever she woke up.

Penny:Due to physical exhaustion from yesterday, insufficient rest, and slight dehydration, you’re running a slight fever Nicholas Schnee. Maybe even a cold if it gets worse. I’m ordering you to do nothing but rest and go to school. No training, or unneeded stress from extracurricular activities for two days.

Nick:But I have tournament-

Penny:Home and school! A council is not one person, they can get by without you. It would be a tragedy if you couldn’t even compete, then Summer would be disqualified from duos.

Nick:Sigh….yes ma’am. Sleep does sound nice.

Penny:48 hours will be up before you know it!

Nick:Maybe Val and Summer should’ve played hooky today too? Thanks for all this. I know you’re specifically in the medical field but…

Penny:I consider myself a jack of all PHDs.

Nick:How about an expert in faunus biology? Is Veronica-

Penny:She’s fine, but that’s all I can disclose without permission. I’m sure she’ll tell you more of her own free will when I leave the room. She is pretending to be asleep right now to avoid talking to me.

Nick:....WHAT!? *looks at her*

Veronica:.....

Penny:Oscar has tried convincing her to have at least one session with her as a request from her parents for some time now for reasons I’m not sure of. I doubt she wants to speak in my presence out of fear that I might tell Oscar something that he could use to understand her better. Question is, how long will she fake being unconscious until the smell of pizza is too much?

Veronica:*opens eyes* I’m begging you to leave.

Penny:Okay! I have work to complete anyways. Hopefully nothing burst into flames again. Don’t worry about your school belongings. Summer was told to get them.

Penny rubs Nick’s head and goes into a separate lab room. Veronica rises from the bed like a zombie and grabs a pizza box. Drool starts to form as she opens the box and grabs a slice. Meat lovers, it was beautiful. She almost inhaled the slice before looking up and turning red. Nick was staring at her calmly.

Veronica:Ummm….

Nick:Huh? Oh! *turns around* Sorry…

Veronica:It’s just really...I hate being seen when I eat like this. We can still talk though.

Nick:Hmm where to start?

Veronica:Those boys, how much trouble are they going to be for you?

Nick:Oh those knuckleheads won’t be a problem. I’m fortunate that you fought two people who. already hate me and plan on beating me senseless anyways.

Veronica:How is that a good thing exactly?

Nick:Because messing with you gives me an excuse to actively be cruel to them! The school will probably give all of us a slap on the wrist considering we’re in the tournament, duos in fact. They’re the runners up from last year. Both of them were pretty upset underclassmen took their gold.

Veronica:The big one, Max. He looks disturbingly a lot like his pops. Didn’t even know they lived here. Makes sense with the lack of equality around here still.

Nick:Don’t be too quick to judge. Max doesn’t hate faunus and my dad says Cardin is a pretty alright guy these days.

Veronica:Yet his son appears to be falling in similar pitfalls. Bastard said I wasn’t his type and gave me the strangest look.

Nick:Maybe he’s just not into blondes or something, I don’t know. As far as apples falling from trees go, my dad is pretty respectful and turns the other cheek quite a bit; that didn’t carry over haha.

Veronica:Yeah you’re petty and smug, like a gremlin or something. A cute one. You’re also very cheerful in a sarcastically optimistic way. Weird, you’re weird Nick.

Nick:It’s called charisma. Can I get a slice? This is a lot of pizza.

Veronica:Knock yourself out. You went a little overboard with ten boxes.

Nick:I don’t know how any of this works. Is there a certain ratio of meat or…

Veronica:Think of it as a kind of mental/physical diet. Meat sets of the animal instinct and keeps everything working okay. Too much and the instincts stay on. The eyes, hair, claws, teeth, and other more psychological things stick around. No meat eventually draws it out in a more aggressive nature and my body can’t operate well because of the messing the nutrients. Everything hurts.

Nick:So on one end you’re a peak apex predator, then the other is what, starved wildcat?

Veronica:I call it going feral but yeah that works. I don’t like either position. One is physically painful while the other….I just don’t like the “apex” me. It’s a lot to handle.

Nick:For you or other people?

Veronica:I’d like if we changed the subject please?

Nick:Sorry. Anything on your mind.

Veronica:...Your feelings for me.

He choked on a pepperoni, coughing and hacking it back up to catch his breath. Of course that’s on her mind! Nick had to keep his cool, this was important. He had answers but had no clue if they were good answers.

He turned around despite her earlier request. This had to be done face to face. Veronica must’ve known that because she wasn't eating anymore. Her hands rested on the box that most likely was empty by now and eyes focused on her normal looking nails.

Bright blush ran across her face again with her ears down. Her tail curled around her left arm. In a weird way he wished the world could see her right now. It was for this exact reason he always vouched for Vee. The overwhelmingly confident and rowdy island girl wasn’t all she was. Veronica could feel insecure or be meek.She never dismissed her faults but also had no shame pointing out others. Veronica saw everything she could in something and was honest about her feelings with it to the point all she ever did to avoid discussion was say she didn’t want to talk about it or be vague.

Nick:Uhh, what about the subject exactly?

Veronica:Can you get a little closer?

Nick stood up and sat on the edge of her bed. Veronica patted her hand and me closer. Then another pat made him get closer, then another, and another; until he was beside her. Vee’s hand grabbed his and she leaned, dangerously close. Nick started to feel his heart race again.

Veronica:Have you kissed a girl?

Nick:K..Kiss?! As in...no. H-Have you?

Veronica:Once, well a couple times by one person. It was pretty crappy honestly, for many reasons.

Nick:I’m sorry…

Veronica:It’s alright. I’m sure I’ll have better ones.

She could feel him shake a little. His heart sounded like firecrackers going off with how fast it was. Veronica leaned just a little closer and the boy shut his eyes. He made no advances, no tilt, or lean. Nick would’ve just let it happen. Veronica smiles before flicking his forehead to make him jump. She laughed and leaned back, but kept holding his hand.

Veronica:As much as I like you I won’t take anything you don’t want to give me. Your first kiss happens once. Do it on your terms. I hope Valerie accepts it.

Nick:I’m sorry.

Veronica:Don’t be. You’ve always looked her way. I can see why. I wish you thought I was as pretty and wonderful just like her. Maybe if I cracked more jokes or a bit nicer, then you would fall for-

Nick:You are so gorgeous Veronica Belladonna.

His words derailed her own. Nick smiled at the girl curiously with his blushing face that made her heart melt. This was unexpected. This face, those words, it was so...sincere.

Nick:You tell plenty of jokes, sure you need work on your attitude but Val is rowdier than you on occasion. There isn’t a thing about you that doesn’t make me…

Veronica:Nicholas…? Do you...feel something for me?

Nick:Of course I do you dunce.

Veronica:Then why-

Nick:Because Val has my heart. How could I date you knowing that? I’d feel really shitty being with someone that loves me so much and my heart is set on another girl. That’s not very chivalrous of someone who loves the idea of being a knight.

Veronica:So...I guess she really is the princess in your story?

Nick:Wrong. I’ve never thought of Val like that. She’s...my longest friend and companion. We’ve done so much together just to see if we could. Val to me is like another knight. Rival, friend, crush...she’s a lot. A princess isn’t one of them. If I’m being honest with myself, you’d be my princess.

Life was so unfair, he was unfair. Veronica’s mind was everywhere just like her blush. Was Nick letting her down easy or flirting!? How could he do both!? Veronica let go of his hand and put the covers over her head. Looking at his dumb face wasn’t helping the situation. She really was in love with this clown.

Veronica:You really are such a gremlin you know!? Now I like you more!

Nick:Oh...well..I don’t know what I was trying to do just now. I was explaining myself and sorta… I’m so fucking stupid. I’m gonna go wash up and give you some space now.

She gave him a thumbs up and heard his footsteps slowly grow distant until they stopped. Was he...looking back at her!? Was it with embarrassment or longingly!? It would be weird to peek out now! This cover was a bad idea. His footsteps started again and Veronica heard the doorknob open. Not yet, he couldn’t leave yet without her proper response.

Veronica:Nicholas?

Nick:Yeah?

Veronica:I hope, I hope things work out for you and Val. Regardless of my feelings I want you to be happy. That being said, don’t think I’m going to stop trying, because you...have my heart. And I need you to know that if for some reason Val doesn’t accept yours, or you get it back, I’ll accept it with open arms.

Nick:....

Veronica:....Too much?

Nick:No, it was just right. Thanks, Vee.

The door slowly creaked closed as he left. Just before it did however, the tiniest whisper slipped through. Was it on purpose, or did her hearing escape his thoughts. Either way Veronica pressed her pillow against her chest flustered.

“My princess” Damn those Schnees. They always know just what to say.

Part 16

[fandom-smut-shots]

Hi!! May I request hcs for how Kuroo Kageyama and Oikawa would react to seeing his S/O after a week of not seeing her and she’s all bruised up but not because she got beat up or anything it’s because she wanted to learn how to play volleyball for him and it didn’t turn out too well thank you 💕💕

Rules YES A HEADCANON REQUEST! I’m so stoked. Thank you so much! I hope you like it!

These were way longer than I expected oop-

Kuroo Tetsurou

~ Beefcake may not be needy but dammit he misses his babygirl.

~ During the week he’d text you regularly, hoping and praying that he’ll get to see you but not wanting to push it.

~ He finally gets you to agree to a simple lunch date during the weekend.

~ He might cry he’s so excited.

~ He waits at your favorite park, bento boxes in hand, along with a bag full of your favorite snacks.

~ He hears you calling his name.

~ Turns to meet your gaze, his lips stretched into a big dorky grin.

~ You know the one.

~ Then he sees your face. Littered with bruises. And your shoulders, and your arms.

~ His smile falls.

~ He nearly drops lunch.

~ excUSE YOU WHO ALLOWED HIS BABYGIRL TO GET INJURED?

~ He’s frozen in shock as you approach, but as soon as you’re close, he drops the food to wrap his arms around you.

~ “What happened to you, babe?!”

~ “Who do I gotta kill! I’ll spike a ball directly into their face!”

~ You gotta calm your mans down.

~ “Tetsu, it’s okay,” you insist, resting a noticeably calloused hand on his annoyingly high cheek.

~ Uhm, no, it’s not, because the love of his life is bruised and therefore injured excuse you-

~ “What happened?” His voice is soft. Beefcake is scared.

~ You smile. That does not lessen his concern.

~ “I tagged along to the girls’ volleyball practice.”

~ I’m sorry what.

~ Did Tetsurou hear you correctly?

~ “I wanted to learn volleyball, since you’re so passionate about it.”

~ Beefcake has MELTED.

~ “Turns out you’re the only athlete in this relationship. I totally suck.”

~ Cue Kuroo’s infectious, adorably annoying hyena laugh.

~ “Aw, babe. I can’t believe you tried to learn volleyball.”

~ You walk into the park, food in hand, and sit down at a bench.

~ “Why didn’t you just as me to teach you?”

~ You roll your eyes.

~ “Then it wouldn’t have been a surprise, duh.”

Kageyama Tobio

~ King isn’t needy, nor does he show his emotions.

~ To anyone but you.

~ You know that not spending time together is killing him.

~ But, you know, he’s totally fine.

~ He’s back to screaming at Hinata, but he’s fine.

~ He’s pouty and broody like a walking storm cloud, but he’s fine.

~ He misses his babe, okay? 

~ There, he said it. 

~ Now cuddle him, dammit.

~ You finally agree to meet up.

~ Baby boy absolutely did not scream during practice when he got your text.

~ Please contact Suga or Daichi for the truth confirmation.

~ You plan to meet him after practice.

~ Like way after practice, when everyone else has gone home and it’s just Kags.

~ He stands outside the gym, shifting his weight in a totally relaxed and not-at-all-anxious manner.

~ You come shuffling up the walk, and he scans the area like a spy before all but launching himself at you.

~ Baby boy missed you.

~ He pulls back to give you a kiss, but stops halfway.

~ You try to lean in before realizing that his midnight eyes are glued to your face.

~ “Tobio-”

~ “Who did this to you?”

~ His tone is dark. 

~ King is mad.

~ Gulp.

~ “Tobio, it’s not like that.”

~ “Not like what? Not like you got in a fight? Not like some scumbag tried to hurt my girlfriend?!”

~ Roll your eyes. Kags is such a drama queen.

~ “Tobio, listen to me.”

~ He’s staring at every bruise.

~ You take his hands. Ground his attention. Get lost in those pretty blue- no, dammit, focus.

~ “I was trying to learn how to play volleyball.”

~ Blink.

~ “I started playing with some neighborhood kids at the park.”

~ Blink.

~ “But as you can see, I suck at it, and I just kept taking a ball to the face.”

~ Blink.

~ “Tobio... say something.”

~ “You... tried to learn volleyball? For me?”

~ “No, for Hinata.” You snort. “Of course for you, dummy.”

~ He wraps you in a hug. 

~ Hugs too tight. Oops. You have bruises that he can’t see, too.

~ You wriggle out of his grasp. “Walk me home?”

~ He nods. “Are you hurt?”

~ Take his hand. Lace your fingers.

~ “Just sore.”

~ Bitch that’s a LIE.

~ Well, being sore is true. 

~ But everything HURTS.

~ Like godDAMN was the volleyball made of bricks?

~ “Liar.”

~ Didn’t think you’d get away with that one, did ya?

Oikawa Tooru

~ Listen.

~ His name is Whinykawa for a reason.

~ Also Needykawa.

~ And sometimes Babykawa.

~ He’s emotional okay?

~ So imagine how emotional this bitch is when he doesn’t get to see his sweetheart for a week.

~ Iwazumi is about to track you down and drag your ass to watch their practice just so Oikawa will shut the fuck up and work.

~ He’s also about to smack Oikawa upside his face but that’s not new.

~ Needykawa isn’t patient or understanding like Kuroo or Kageyama.

~ Needykawa is n e e d y.

~ So he shows up at your house after he’s released from practice.

~ Hella early cuz he refused to focus and Iwaizumi was about to drop kick him all the way to your house.

~ You open the door, completely surprised to find your boyfriend on the other side, wearing his signature pout and puppy eyes.

~ You step aside to let him in, but before you can move, he gasps.

~ Like loud and dramatically. Drama teachers would applaud.

~ You wince. He’s seen the bruises.

~ Fuck.

~ “Tooru-”

~ “IS THAT WHY YOU’VE BEEN AVOIDING ME? WHO HURT MY PRECIOUS LITTLE HONEYBUN?”

~ “Tooru, listen-”

~ “I TOLD Iwa-chan that something was wrong! I TOLD him my babycakes wouldn’t just stop visiting me for no reason!”

~ Okay, situation at hand first.

~ Questionable pet names later.

~ “Tooru!”

~ Take his face in your hands. Whinykawa will continue to sniffle and whimper about his gumdrop being marred.

~ Shove a fucking candy in his mouth jesus fuck-

~ “Tooru, baby... I’m fine. I got these bruises playing volleyball.”

~ He exhales.

~ “Oh, why didn’t you tell me it was so simple? It all makes sense no- VOLLEYBALL?”

~ Was his voice always able to go that high?

~ “Yes, Tooru.”

~ “You don’t play volleyball, sugar lips.”

~ “Yeah, and now I know why. I’m awful. I think the volleyball was actually playing me.”

~ You make him sit on the couch. 

~ He pulls you onto his lap.

~ “You hate sports. Why would you want to play?”

~ oop, you blush.

~ “Because it’s your favorite thing, and I wanted to share it with you instead of not understanding anything you say.”

~ Boy.

~ Oh.

~ Boy.

~ You just made Babykawa’s fucking year.

~ His last girlfriend left him because he loved volleyball so much.

~ But you wanted to learn? How to play? To bond with him?

~ Kiss attack.

~ Wiggle all you want. You ain’t getting away.

~ Not that you really tried.

~ You missed him just as much.

I hope you like them! I actually had SO much fun with Oikawa’s. I used to suck at writing headcanons so hopefully I’ve improved. Length has definitely improved.

Requests are open!

Rules and fandoms here~

Character list here~

Masterlist~

[megalodon-writes]

Matchups?!?! Schyooom here I come looking for a man 👁👁 (mha or hq is fine, you pick). I’m 5’1”, with straight dark hair down to my waist, and hazel green eyes. I’m an Aries/ENFP. I’m bubbly, friendly, and have a good sense of humor. My aesthetic is everything pink & girly 💖 I’m a clumsy DISASTER and not very athletic, but I love watching/going to sporting events! I always excelled in school— now I’m a healthcare worker 🩺 I can be super hard on myself and tend to be a perfectionist (1/2 💕)

I enjoy drawing, watching anime, eating, margaritas, and sunny days. I’m a hopeless romantic and a sucker for good looking boys. I don’t have a particular type, but I like guys who are driven, hard working, & loyal 🥰 bonus points for a lil height difference lololol size kink come thru. Thank you so much Meg bby take your time no rush or just ignore this aha okay ily bye (2/2 💕)

NESS legit I wish I could express how much love I have for you. when I saw you sent this in I was so excited I couldn’t breathe i would never ignore you hello?. Also ???? You’re shorter than me???? I feel like Hinata when he met Noya. what if I pick both especially since you take my thirsty asks anyways I love you pls accept these matchups bc I spent a lot of time with them to hopefully make you smile so yee~ 

I match you with Ejiro Kirishima!

You guys would be such a great couple that Bakugo can barely stand to be around how cute you two are

Though, he loves that Kiri absolutely adores you 

He’s not that much taller than you, but he still loves hugging you from behind and nuzzling his face into your neck probably to kiss it a couple times too

He’s very much into PDA - but not like the gross stuff, but things like holding your hand, cuddling you, throwing an arm around your shoulders… he basically will keep at least one hand/limb on you constantly - he strikes me as a very physical person

Especially when you’re alone. He loves being the little spoon because he likes to be held... it kind of feels like a breath of fresh air to him, you know? saving people can be really hard sometimes

Since you’re so great with school, you and Bakugo have study sessions together, though usually Baku just goes ‘tch. I’m leaving’ when Kiri starts to get all heart eyes towards you

This boy absolutely is head over heels in love with you. He often gets this far away look when he’s not around you and both Kaminari and Mina tease him about it

He gives you the most cheesy, romantic, goofy poems and love quotes ever 

He definitely drink him dam respek woman jooce

His favorite date the two of you ever had was when the power went out and you had a little picnic in the living room by candlelight. He loved the way your features glowed in the soft light. Honestly? That was the day he knew he was in it for the long haul

Once he becomes a pro hero, you being the number one stan you are, you buy a lot of his merch and wear it around to support him he really likes it

He likes to think he’s an artsy person so he suggests drawing competitions all the time… though obviously yours wins because his turns into a smudgy stick man

Wow he’s good at kissing… the first time was a bit awkward, but you two fit so perfectly together that it makes your knees weak

You work in healthcare? Imagine taking care of him after he gets hurt during a mission. Does he fake his hurt sometimes? Maybe. Do you still ‘help’ him? Absolutely.

Honestly, this guy thinks you’re his entire world and he’s not afraid to show you off

BONUS: You and Mina vibe so well together… like seriously… girly, pink, bubbly???

EXTRA BONUS: The man would be such a supportive s/o that he would legit wear a tutu and thigh high boots if you asked him to

I match you with Tobio Kageyama!

Okay, pretty opposite personalities but I love the look - like HELLO he’s almost a foot taller than you

The day he’s old enough to drink alcohol you convince him to have a margarita and he’s like ‘WHOA’ boom favorite drink right there

Also he loves sunny days, though he would never ever admit it especially to Hinata bc sunshine boy because he doesn’t like showing his soft side to people

Though, I like to think that the second he met you he wouldn’t stop talking and he was so confused???

This boy is so hardworking that sometimes you wish he would chill out and just relax on the couch with you

But!!!! He really loves manga and anime, so all you have to do is bribe him with that and cuddles and he’s THERE

Speaking of cuddles… the man is touch starved okay. Though, he very much dislikes public displays of affection. When you’re around anyone else, he’ll barely hold your hand. But when you’re alone boy are his hands all over you

You like that though, especially because it feels like a more intimate and personal relationship

He really likes to laugh at your jokes - I promise you’ve gotten him laughing so hard that he couldn’t breathe for a solid 30 minutes. 

THE INSIDE JOKES - you try to get him to laugh around the boys because no one believes that he actually does a lot but you haven’t ever been able to… except...

Once you were with the Karasuno team and he looks you straight in the eyes and goes ‘no he he i don’t want to pee pee’ and everyone freaking LOSES IT, including Kags

He’s so awkward omfg

The first time he tried to kiss you he missed and was so annoyed with himself he sat there for 10 minutes blushing like mad - though, after you kissed him he felt a lot better still red as a tomato though

He doesn’t really know how to …. Deal with the girly… but he loves you for who you are and actually has a pink shirt to match you occasionally

You both can get pretty hard on yourselves, so you have this thing where anytime someone starts doing that you hold each others pinkys and have to compliment yourself while staring each other in the eyes…. It was some dumb thing Suga suggested, but it seems to work

BONUS: He thinks it’s ADORABLE that you’re such a disaster omg bc he is too let’s be honest

EXTRA BONUS: Hinata actually loves you so much and Kags gets even more annoyed by him if thats possible... but he has no idea why until you’ve been dating for several months and Tanaka teases him about being jealous

I match you with me!

Will love you unconditionally

A hoe for dumb jokes

Is not a boy but will still hug you real nice

honestly? 4/10 would recommend 

.... 5′5″ 👀

sadly is only into men but will still be better support than most

[bmichael]

Pain and Gain

2020-10-14

1 mile, 10:45 pace

::Sets down beige folding chair, turns hat backward, sits down chairback against chest, like a teacher about to get real with you::

Pain is a funny thing.

Mine is the most important thing in the world. Yours might cause mine to increase. Or mine causes yours. In my personal experience, this seems to be the case, at least.

How do people share pain? When they experience the same hurt, right?

Perhaps that’s why I love reading and watching books and movies that depict striving and athletic-type achievement. From your classics like Once a Runner to only tangentially related sports media like Uncut Gems. When you feel the same hurt of the athlete (or athlete-proxy gambler, say), you share the experience of pain. Which can be cathartic. Or at least it externalizes a deeply hidden part of yourself that, perhaps in my case who’s to say, you almost never feel or access unless it boils over like an overfilled pot of noodles, spilling scalding water all over your nerves.

It’s such a broad cliche to say that pain makes you feel alive, but it really does, doesn’t it?

Physical pain, I felt some of the worst recently when I got stung on the foot. Wearing sandals at the playground, I saw many bees or wasps buzzing around but this one came out of nowhere as I walked from the swings to the slides. The next thing I knew, my foot was a ball of pain. The pain didn’t go away for two days. During that first day, it was such an intense and constant companion that I didn’t think about cutting my foot off, but I thought about how if it went on for very long I would definitely start thinking about it.

The other big physical pain I had recently was from a skateboarding accident (lol) trying to get back into things, during the peak of the onset of quarantine on a chilly May night. Luckily I put on a bright orange fleece, literally the only smart thing I did. I was just zipping along, getting a feel for a new Pennyboard I’d just got, when I hit something. Like a patched piece of asphalt or something, and you can tell I’m getting quite old, the next thing I know I’m on the ground. I can’t move my legs. I’m paralyzed.

What had happened was, I had many years ago hurt my neck doing something really stupid (this is a life theme of mine) and now this evening I landed back-of-neck-first somehow right on the spot I had apparently injured. I bruised my spinal cord and shifted some discs. Then, an all-night stay in the ER (during the peak of the onset of quarantine, mind you) getting first an MRI then a CAT scan wearing a neck brace, unable to sleep. After a few hours, I wasn’t really scared anymore. I had a good idea I wasn’t going to be paralyzed, at least. But it was emotionally a lot.

Cut to, the next day. We used to do mid-week family trips to the grocery store. This accident of mine happened on a Tuesday, so the next morning I drove us to Wegmans. My whole upper body ached so much, but it was really hard to tell what was making what hurt. See, a few weeks before THIS, I had not-quite but sort of dislocated my shoulder, or at least really fucked up a shoulder that had been previously dislocated many times but had been pretty well healed up for 7+ years at this point... jumping rope. So that shoulder hurt. My neck hurt. My back hurt. From the waist up, I hurt all over. 

Time passed, and the acute pain basically went away, but I’d get awful nerve-y pain and feelings on runs. I went for a relatively fast run like a couple days after this accident (at the time, I had a plan to run 1,000 miles in 2020 and had already taken a few week-long stretches off). Well, running now presented some new problems.

Because of the previous neck-type injury I mentioned above, I’d sometimes get a juddering not-quite-pain but very unpleasant feeling in my neck if I tilted my head up the wrong way while running, say. Now, I got a similar pain if I turned my head to the left. And often, I’d get a heart-throbbing pain-type feeling, like a psychedelic nervey type of pain in the middle of my chest (the MRI only went down to the nape of my neck, and I think I may have fucked up myself a bit further down, too, but who knows), radiating outward. 

It felt like rainbow knives running against the grain of the inside of my back and chest muscles.

Well, this really sucked. I’m happy to say that by like the end of summer all of this pretty much went away, knock on wood. Either the nerve endings died or my discs started returning where they belong, or I’m one wrong step away from dying or being paralyzed. Who knows! My way is to not question it until it’s way too late.

Fun side note: After I fell down and couldn’t move really, I was of course in the road. Not the very middle, but like way more in the road than you’d want to be at like 9pm on a dark night. The first car I saw crested the hill I had been going down, and I start waving my arms and screaming bloody murder. Luckily, they see me and kind of pull over. I ask the woman who rolls down her window to call 911, which she does. And then I ask her to come out and stand next to me so I don’t get run over, which she does not. She says she has an autistic child in the car and they’re having a hard time. Someone else also stops at this point, and he also won’t stand like next to next to me, but he kind does. Perhaps it was the covid or just the utter bizarreness of the scene. A grown man, lying in the road, unable to move, in the middle of the night during a very strange time in everyone’s life.

I haven’t really reflected on this too much, other than to occasionally get mad at myself or at “life” or whatever. I do try to stay grateful for my ability to do things right now that certainly seemed up in the air just a few months ago.

[mysterylover123]

BNHA Rewatch: Episode 34 “Gear up for Final Exams”

 mysterylover123

I always break this one out around Finals week.

Pictured: Deku and Kacchan in 10 years.  (Of course episode 34 opens with the Mineta bit).

Now to count down the Students in Class A from least to most smart:

20TH & 19TH: 

Kaminari is constantly frying his brain with his own quirk, and Mina is used to just kinda coasting on her quirk and athletic skills, so they’re both last.

18th

Aw poor Aoyama. Not exactly great at anything.

17th

I dunno why but I thought Sero would be higher.

16th

OMG Tooru is eating lunch with the Dekusquad! Is that where she falls? 

15th

Kirishima 15th, same # he placed in the 1st popularity poll oddly enough

14th

The biggest surprise of the bunch - introverted doesn’t =brilliant.

13th

I think I thought Ochaco would be higher on the list. She’s not dumb, per se, just middle of the road.

12th & 11th

I dunno i guess they’re supposed to be middle-of-the-road in everything.

10th

Congrats on the midway points Shoji!

9th

Why.

8th

Oji you do good. 

7th

Nice, Kyoka!

6th

Tsu did good too. I didn’t think she was dumb or anything, but she’s not geeky like Momo so it seems surprising. 

5th

The third smartest of the Big 3? Wow, Shoto. Always second best, aint’cha?

4th

My best boy is so smart and cute. 

3rd

The biggest surprise of the poll - at least, first time around. You assume Bakugo is dumb. He’s not.

2nd

Iida is Class rep, but still second in grades to...

1st

Best of the best! Momo Yaoyorozu I love you. 

Aw Shoto noticed she’s feeling down. Let the Todomomo/BKDK arc begin!

Ooh Uraraka looks really mad about Monoma being mean to Iida. (Or maybe it’s supposed to be Deku. I don’t care. Iichaco hc)

So if Monoma is Class 1B Bakugo, who is Kendo? Iida? Deku? Kirishima?

Kendo mentions an older classmate, and my HC is that it was Nejire. She hangs with Nejire in the Culture Fest Arc. I think they’re friends.

LOL This scene is like a rundown of all Bakugo’s most popular ships.

KACCHACO

Because Uraraka knows exactly what Bakugo is thinking.

TODOBAKU

Because Bakugo makes sure to challenge Todoroki too.

KIRIBAKU

Because Kiri talks about him like a spouse.

and of course, BAKUDEKU

PAY ATTENTION TO ME. (More in the corner)

“You’re getting worse than I thought” Gotta love that villain FauxShadowing. 

This is how y a do The Power of Friendship right, in my opinion.  

Now a rundown of my ships taking the exams/Studying!

Kamijiro!

Todomomo!

BKDK!  (Oh my god they’re the two halves of me taking a test)

Kirimina! 

We’re just missing Iidaraka

An approximation of my initial response to learning that the next arc would be about pairs of students fighting their teachers: YAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TODOMOMO VS AIZAWA?! I’M TOO BLESSED COULD IT POSSIBLY GET ANY BETTER

OH MY GOD

YES IT CAN

BAKUDEKU VS ALL MIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG BEST PREMISE EVER (Or so I thought at the time, not to know that it could be topped. That’s MHA, always topping itself). Can I also just say that the design of the Final Exam arc is brilliant. I noticed this a lot in comparing it with the PL Exam later on, but I personally think of it as Hori’s own License to Print Character Development, and I absolutely approve.

This is probably the arc that changed the most from adaptation in manga to anime - and although I adored this arc in the anime the first time I saw it, there are a few changes in it that I think are actually not for the better. That’s to say, they make for more entertaining television, but they also change the characters.

Firstly, changing it so the tests happen one after another, instead of simultaneously like the manga, means that the characters have different amounts of time to strategize ahead of time. This puts a certain light on the big character moments in the arc, particularly Momo, Shoto, Deku and Kacchan. 4 of the top 5 smartest kids in class, and they don’t even try and strategize beforehand? Made sense in the manga where they had no shot, but in the anime, not so much. 

Second, also, Uraraka isn’t really the type to do this, she’s too laid back and Type B, so the anime having her strategize with Deku...I guess it’s a way to throw in some ship tease, but other than that it does nothing for her character arc, or any of the other seemingly random characters they throw into the strategy room along with them. Basically, it’s anime filler, so I don’t really care about any of it except Deku’s observations, since those are from the manga (he observes the others after he and Kacchan pass).

For the record: Manga Order: Todoroki and Momo vs Aizawa, intercut with Midoriya and Bakugo vs All Might; Todomomo first, BKDK second. Deku then observes the other teams for a few chapters as they all pass, with Mineta being last. 

So Fight #1 in the anime: Kiri and Sato vs Cementoss. There’s this lady on Youtube who did these really great analyses of the first four fights of the FE arc (never got around to doing the rest) so I’ll put links to her (Excellent!) analyses of those four fights. LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUABh3SiaMs

I’ve noticed that Kirishima is often the first one thrown under the bus in school exercises. This, the Joint Training Arc, the training camp...maybe that’s where his insecurity issues stem from. And with a little tease of Tsuyu and Tokoyami vs Ectoplasm, we leave off.

So yeah, another episode I really enjoy. I gotta tell you guys, the Final Exam arc is definitely a favorite of mine. I actually like it even more in the manga than in the anime, for the reasons I’ve outlined above, but it’s still a blast and I was so happy to see it as the next arc. i wasn’t ready for a new villain-based arc yet, and the sheer premise of BKDK Vs All Might is so amazing, I’m hyped as hell just remembering Episode 37. Oh, speaking of...

BKDK CORNER

We focus in on Deku, contemplating his Great Destiny, as Mina and Kaminari talk about how complacent they are in their chances of success. Cue Kacchan, like an embodiment of Deku’s subconscious, telling them off.

I’ll stop the world and melt with you.

This line has a bunch of different translations, all basically meaning ‘I’ll beat you’. The Shippiest is the English Dub, where he says “I’ll show you how much better I am.” Which plays into his Notice Me Senpai hidden attitude towards Deku. I think it’s a mix of both “I want to beat you” and “I want to impress you”. Deku is quiet here. He’s very quiet about his feelings for Kacchan throughout all of Season 2, but he still quietly demonstrates the importance of that dynamic through his actions in the Sports Fest (inspired by Bakugo) and his Full Cowling (also inspired by Bakugo).

Aw they were already standing together.

I’ll talk more on the symbolism of BKDK fighting All Might in Episode 37, but oh man, this is the best. Like, THE BEST. I love this fight. To Sum: They both want to be All Might, each is half of the whole, and they both have to expel that perfect-imperfect image of him they have to make it. Also, I totally think Aizawa and All Might ship it. “I went with relationships” Yup. You sure did, Aizawa.

BEST GIRL OF THE EP: No new best girls this ep

RANKER: Final Exam Arc Fights

10: MINETA AND SERO  VS MIDNIGHT

This one is really dull because Midnight just doesn’t do very much to win the fight. You need the teacher putting up more of an effort!

9. URARAKA AND AOYAMA VS 13

They just...kinda fluked their way into winning.

8. SHOJI AND HAGAKURE VS SNIPE

Poor Snipe, There’s not a lot he can really do in this situation

7. KIRI AND SATO VS CEMENTOSS

Short and quick and to the point.

6. MINA AND KAMINARI VS NEZU

Poor dopes never stood a chance.

5. IIDA AND OJIRO VS POWER LOADER

Short but kinetic and exciting.

4. TSUYU AND TOKOYAMI VS ECTOPLASM

Some good strategy here and Tsuyu did really great.

3.  KODA AND JIROU VS PRESENT MIC

Jiro is underrated best girl. 

2. TODOROKI AND MOMO VS AIZAWA

A brilliant fight of strategy and character development.

1 BAKUGOU AND DEKU VS ALL MIGHT

How could it be anything else?

[ewankoseyo]

serious || highschool!jackson au

A/N: Just a lil something I whipped up on a bus ride. Hella longer than I expected but here you go! Part 2 of magnetic coming very soon!

——

jackson is the male lead in those cheesy teen romcoms who’s the most handsome and most popular guy in school and is actually nice to everyone

he messes around in class too much and can be really chatty but because he’s so nice and polite, teachers can’t really get mad at him so they just kind of shush him in between lessons

they have him come in during lunch to help them clean lab supplies as a lesson

which he does without complaining BECAUSE HE’S JUST SO DANG NICE

actually makes conversation with them and basically knows about the personal lives of all the teachers

he’s a golden retriever in human form

basketball team? team captain

fencing team? FOUNDED IT

drama club? auditions for all the spring plays because that’s his sports-free season

chess club? he marched to the principal’s office with the school nerds when the club was threatened by school budget cuts and argued with the principal to keep it open

(“oh you know what mr. wang? you’re right! I think the school CAN spare some funds for the chess club!”)

did I mention he volunteers his time at the local children’s hospital reading to kids on the weekends when he doesn’t have games or matches?

seriously, how does this kid have so much time for all of these activities

he should have “perfect to take home to your parents” tattooed to his forehead

but you stubbornly try to resist his charms because you think he plays too much

he sits behind you in math class and always compliments the back of your head

“did you curl your hair today? it looks really pretty!”

“thanks jackson…”

offers to walk with you to class and carry your textbooks

“your hands look full, let me help you out!”

“it’s okay jackson…”

(he completely ignores this and takes your books to class anyway)

(he’s running to class so you have no time to protest)

it’s not that you hated jackson wang

based off of his personality, it would be a crime to hate him

but falling for jackson wang was pointless

jackson charmed anyone and flirted with everyone

he received love confessions by the week but politely rejected each and every one of them

no one has ever heard of him being in a relationship which came as a shocker to the whole student body

him? THE jackson wang??? sinGLE??????? HOW???????????

at one point, a rumor flew around that he was gay

why else would he reject the prettiest girls in school?

but you knew better

jackson wang was a free spirit

with all his time spent being so involved in everyone else’s lives, there was no time left to focus on the feelings in his

jackson was seriously the nicest and coolest and cutest guy on the planet

but he just wasn’t serious

so you tried to brush him off when you felt he was playing too much

because you didn’t have time for games

besides, why would a perfect angel of a man-child like jackson wang ever return your serious feelings?

(if you had serious feelings for him, that is)

you literally burned yourself with the curling iron this morning trying to use it as a microphone

how could jackson ever fall for you?

so yeah

falling for jackson wang was FUTILE

anyways,

one day jackson tried to pass you a note during class but you just shot him dirty glances before turning back to the board

“jackson, I’m trying to concentrate.”

“ah sorry, I’ll just ask after class! hehe”

but your teacher had other plans after class

the two of you were asked to stay back (but rest assured, you both weren’t in trouble)

so it turns out there was a downside to jackson’s super-involvement in extracurriculars

his grades had been slipping in math ever since fencing season started

(“I’m sorry sir, we’ve been having tournaments back to back!”)

if he wanted to keep competing, he was going to have to get his grades up

with the help of a tutor

someone who…idk…has the highest grade in class but needed some extra credit to bump it up two grade points to a 100 ???????

what could you say? the universities you were applying to were really competitive

so you begrudgingly agreed to tutor jackson wang until he got his grades up

he would follow you home after school and you’d work with him for an hour

he insisted on going to your house since the days were getting shorter and he didn’t want you to have to walk home alone in the dark all because you had to help him

damn him and his kind heart

through these after school tutor sessions, he got to know your family

as expected, they LOVED HIM

whenever your parents would come home from work, he would stop what ever problem he was doing to talk to them

“hello aunty and uncle, how was work?”

“did you confront your co-worker who was giving you a hard time today?”

“I hear you might be getting a promotion soon. good luck!”

when your younger siblings were around, he’d take a “study break” to play with them

you would have to snap jackson back into focus

“c’mon jackson, you still need to finish this problem set.”

“sorry, we’re almost done solving this puzzle!”

your tutoring sessions would end with the two of you just talking 

mostly just jackson asking you questions about yourself and you answering

“what do you like doing on the weekends?”

“idk watch movies? listen to music? I’m pretty boring”

“what kind of movies do you like watching? we should have a movie night one day!”

as much as you were trying to avoid falling for jackson wang, you weren’t about to kick him out of your house

you weren’t rude

and it’s not like you had anything else to do

(you had gotten all your homework done while he was getting friendly with your family)

plus you weren’t this used to having someone be interested in you

inquisitive about you, that is, ahem

even though this was probably just a friendly thing jackson wang does with everyone, you appreciated someone wanting to get to know you just because

so you let him hang around and ask you more questions

soon, the questions were getting to be a bit much to and you were getting annoyed

“jackson you keep asking me questions about me, can you start telling me about yourself?”

jackson was the guy everyone thought they knew through his actions but what people knew about the real him was all just heresay

maybe it was because you were trying to avoid getting too close to him or maybe part of the jackson wang charm was putting the other person in the center of his conversations with them, but after all of his questions, you realized you knew next to nothing about his personal life even though you’d been tutoring him for two weeks

jackson laughed at your sudden outburst

“me? what do you want to know about me?”

it then occurred to you that he also wasn’t used to people asking about him either 

(what a kind, selfless person, ugh I hate him)

“anything! what’s your family like? why are you so involved in school? what are you doing after graduation?”

you learned that he grew up in a family of athletes so he’d been in sports for as long as he could he remember

his older brother would pull pranks on him growing up, like telling him their parents found him in the dumpster as a baby and took him home to raise him

but now he really looks up to his older brother and always asks him for advice even though he may be busy

you learned that as a child, he would have a difficult time paying attention and keeping still, so his mom put him in a bunch of activities to keep him occupied

and this probably carried on to high school

but besides how it was affecting his grades, he loved and gave his all in every activity he was involved in 

his dad taught him to be kind to others and to give tenfold to those who had nothing to give back to you

which is why he spent his extra time volunteering 

plus he enjoyed getting to know the stories of the people he was helping, there was always something to learn in each of them

as for after graduation?

you learned he wasn’t completely sure yet

he didn’t want to say too much because there were just a lot of options up in the air, something about possibly moving to korea because of an opportunity there, but he couldn’t say it out loud so as to not jinx it

so yeah, you learned a lot about him in a span of two hours (and this is just after tutoring, my goodness)

what else did you learn?

you learned you had made a mistake in asking him about his personal life because oh god now this was getting all too real and you found your heart aching at the way he would look down and smile, seeming uncharacteristically shy when talking about something he didn’t tell a lot of people or when his cheeks met his eyes when recalling a funny childhood memory or when his hands moved animatedly while describing a fencing move or the way his laugh was the most boyish most genuine laugh you’d ever heard and you’d want to spend the rest of your life listening to it—

it was happening

no, it happened

you had fallen for THE jackson wang’s charms and he wasn’t even trying

this realization must have translated to worry on your face because jackson stopped himself in the middle of a story about how he got into the chess club to ask you if you were okay

“wha-yeah, I’m fine why wouldn’t I be?”

jackson grabbed your hands and gave them a gentle squeeze before rubbing his thumbs against them soothingly

“you must be worried about college apps”

“what?”

“you mentioned before that some of your deadlines were coming up and you were stressing out about them and I noticed sometimes in math you’re not paying attention to the lesson so you can work on them”

if you weren’t so flustered from him holding your hands, you would have burst out laughing from his conclusion 

“right, college apps”

and as if you couldn’t be any more flustered, you soon found your face grow even hotter when jackson reached out with one of his hands to tuck the stray hairs framing your face behind your ears soothingly

his other hand still held yours and he gave it another squeeze before giving you a sweet, reassuring smile

“you are one of the smartest, most hardworking girls I know. you study until the wee hours of the morning not just to get a good grade, but to get the best grade because you won’t settle for anything less. you’re someone who knows what she wants and won’t let obstacles get in her way. you support your classmates when they need help with an assignment or want your input on something and you never put them down or make them feel any less than when they don’t get something right. and hey, you’re helping me get my grades up! if anyone deserves to get into the college of their dreams, it’s you!”

boy had the AUDACITY to boop your nose with his index finger with that last point

and you were frozen

how were you supposed to respond to getting jackson wang’d by jackson wang?

that is until—

“can you stop that?”

jackson, who had been busy stroking your hair as he spoke, was now the one who was frozen

“what do you mean?”

you shifted farther from him on the couch you two shared. you really hadn’t meant for things to end up like this when you started tutoring him.

“I mean, could you stop being so nice to me?”

you must have looked so crazy to him (who doesn’t like it when people are nice to them???) but you kept going

“you keep asking questions about me and you compliment me every day and you notice things about me--heck you’re the only one who notices whenever I curl my hair—”

“how could I not notice you?”

you were sure that with the way your mouth was moving but not forming words, you were giving your best fish impression

“li-like this! you’re just being so nice to me a-and you just need to stop doing that...before I get the wrong idea...”

and the way jackson looked at you after you said this completely melted your heart because he just looked soooo genuinely hurt and concerned for you, with his eyebrows furrowed with worry and his lips pursed as if trying to find the right words to say next

“and what do you mean by...‘wrong idea?’”

and you just stared at him, silently begging him to not let you continue what you were about to say, but he was silently encouraging you to continue

“that you might like me back...then I feel stupid because why would you...why would someone like you--I’m sorry I can’t do this--”

you feel your voice getting caught in your throat and you’re about to make a run for it to your bedroom upstairs when you feel a hand tugging you back to the couch and all of a sudden you’re colliding into jackson’s chest

(it was a good thing your family was out running errands!)

“now can you stop doing that”

you barely register what jackson is saying as you feel the vibrations of his chest as he speaks, his arms holding you in place between his legs so you couldn’t get away again

you’re sitting between jackson wang’s freaking legs!

he takes hold of your arms and repositions you so that you’re forced to look at him

“yeah I’m gonna need you to stop doing that thing everyone else does where they talk about me like I’m all high and mighty, because no one tries to get to know me and it makes me feel isolated from everyone else”

“I’m sorry jackson I didn’t know—”

“and stop talking about yourself like that. I like you because you’re you. you’re smart. you’re polite. whenever I talked to you in school, you never flat out told me to go away even if it seemed like you didn’t want to talk. based on your amazing family, I sense that you’re amazing. you’re working so hard in helping me to raise my math grade. and I really appreciate you trying to get to know me. the real me.”

“wait...so you really like me?”

if you didn’t look so cute in his arms, jackson would have rolled his eyes so hard and smacked you

“of course I do! why else do you think I compliment you every time you curl your hair? or why would I offer to carry your books to class even though I know you’re highly capable?”

“I don’t know...I guess all those times I thought you were just playing around and—”

“how’s this for playing around?”

you didn’t have time to ask what he meant then as you felt his hands gently cup your face and he closed the distance between your lips within seconds

if he wasn’t holding you steady, you swear you would have melted on that couch

the kiss was slow and warm, his lips passionately working against yours, as if silently reassuring you he meant every word he’d said

every little peck telling you how much he cared

and when you finally pulled away from the lack of oxygen, you were sure there was no other place where you were meant to be in that moment

jackson placed his thumb under your chin and moved your head so you were looking at him

“it’s always been you.”

so you two continue on like that for the next couple of weeks

studying, making out, more studying, reward cuddles for studying

and before you know it, jackson’s grades are way above what your teacher needed in order for him to keep competing

but that doesn’t stop him from continuing to study with you

because although he had a tendency to get seriously distracted

he was always serious about you

——

[jayascorner]

you can’t take my place

tyler joseph x reader

(the title isn’t a joke lol)

•

•

•

piper thompson. the basketball legend. well, at least up to the third quarter of the year.

she had been known school wide for the best basketball player on the varsity team, for a girl. she’s even better than some of the guys. the spotlight was always on her. and sometimes....people were jealous. whenever she got the ball everyone would cheer for her, knowing her name.

this was all until tyler joseph came along. then the saltiness came upon piper. ever since he came, she’s hated tyler’s guts. not just because he’s a basketball player, but also because he took her place being wickedly talented at it. that just made her so infuriated. she didn’t even bother to talk to him about it or even become basketball buddies with him. they could have been, but she judged the book by its cover.

and oh was she wrong about him

“hey piper! you playin’ basketball tonight?” a guy asks. piper is currently at her locker, finally closing it for the day.

“wow! somebody remembers i play basketball.” she scoffs.

“so...are you?” he asks once more.

“yeah. how’d you know?”

he gives her a look like she was stupid or something. “uhh because you’re wearing a jersey.”

she looks down at her feet. “oh. that.”

you see what i mean? it’s like she doesn’t exist in the world of basketball anymore. all because of that dumb tyler guy.

“yo tyler! good luck at the game! OH RIGHT!! YOU DON’T NEED LUCK!” another guy shouts from across the hall, as tyler just smirks triumphantly.

piper hears that from her locker and totally just gapes at him. he glances at her, but thinks nothing of it and walks away.

it’s kinda rare for both varsity girls and boys to play on the same day. that usually doesn’t happen.

but you know what that means? she can watch him and see if he really is that good. and you never know, he might see her.

but anyways, this is a total nightmare for piper.

her spotlight.

going to another guy.

not.

cool.

>:(

but maybe....

she can confront him!!!

...

...nah.

“hey mom!” she calls out as she comes in her house. it’s common for her to walk home, rather than taking the bus or driving. she is an athlete, after all, and it’s best for her to do the most beneficial things for her body.

she comes in the kitchen to see her mom making dinner. “hi honey. how was school today?”

piper sighs. “just as usual.” she says while putting her backpack down. “i just wish that stupid guy would leave the school.” she mutters

her mom looks up in shock. “WHO’S STUPID?”

“oh just this dude named tyler. he’s new to the school, but totally just took my spot. like nobody pays attention to me anymore. it’s like i don’t exist.” she complains, leaning against the counter.

“okay now we don’t call people stupid. and how did he take your spot?”

“apparently he’s really good at basketball. once everybody saw his talent, they left me back in the dust. i feel like they all forgot i even play basketball.”

“aww i’m sorry sweetie. sometimes life can be hard. just try to tough it out. or maybe you can talk to him. you never know, y’all could become friends.”

piper scoffs. “i doubt it. he’s playing tonight anyways.”

“then talk to him! i’m sure you have a lot in common!” she claps her hands once.

“but mommmmm. i don’t want to.” she whines.

“what? is he good looking or something?”

piper stops to think about that. she never pays attention to his looks. but she could say, he’s definitely not bad looking.

“i mean, kind of. i don’t know. but i’m not very fond of him so don’t get any ideas.” she walks over to the table to do homework at.

“how do you not like him? you haven’t even met him yet.”

she just frowns in response.

“oh. you’re salty.”

piper nods in response.

her mom sighs. “you know, you don’t need to be mad at him for any reason. he didn’t do anything. the best way to change your mind is to actually get to know him. anyways, dinners ready. if you want some.”

“i probably shouldn’t. i have a game in 30 minutes, i’ll eat after.” she says.

“alright.” her mom says.

after a few minutes, she is ready to go. but she still has some time to do homework, so that happens. and of course, she doesn’t finish all of it.

“you really need to wear those slides?” her mom asks.

piper looks down at her new f/c slides and frowns innocently. “yes. they keep my basketball shoes from getting dirty. you know we can’t walk on anything other than a court with those.”

“you could just bring another pair of shoes.”

“but with slides it’s easier because you can just slip them on. why are you so against me wearing these?”

“i’m not against them. i just don’t like them.” she says while putting her own shoes on.

“well i like them. so i’m gonna wear them.” piper smiles joyously. her mom mutters a ‘whatever’ and they leave.

~time skip~brought to you by jish and ty kissing each other’s shoulders (ik ik you could’ve read that wrong)

it’s far into the varsity girls game, aka piper’s game. she notices tyler on one of the top benches of the bleachers, but sadly tyler doesn’t notice her.

wait a sec...SADLY??

...what just happened?

there comes a time where they get a foul and piper has to shoot a free throw. of course she’s gonna make at least one of them. she always does. mostly she makes both. everyone is murmuring her name since they can’t distract the player. at least they remembers she’s a good player.

and of course ya gotta hear those dumb cheerleaders chanting. “hey you! at the free throw line. miss it, miss it!” AS LOUD AS THEY FREAKING CAN!

it’s totally rude to say that but i mean, it’s the other school.

and all piper can hear was her own voice in her head telling her how to shoot the ball. because for some reason, she would always think of the steps to shoot the perfect basket. it’s like those cliché moments in movies if you know what i’m saying.

of course she makes the first one, to her luck, getting her team another point.

by the time she shoots the second one, everybody cheers in excitement. nobody is surprised though. piper looks over to where tyler is sitting. he is clapping and seems pretty impressed.

tyler’s pov

do y’all know what’s boring? waiting for a basketball game, when you don’t have much friends to talk to.

but ever since i saw that girl make more that one three pointers and make both free throws, i started paying attention. it wasn’t as boring.

i believe her name is...pipe? wait- no. why would someone name their kid pipe? maybe it’s pie... pier?? no.. none of those are actual names. maybe...piper? that’s an actual name.

if that’s her name, it’s really pretty. but dude! she is wickedly talented at basketball! i could never. i’m quaking.

sometimes i see her in school, but she doesn’t look to be very fond of me. it seems as if she doesn’t like me or something. all the people i meet like me, well i mean they like me as a person. they all think i’m the best at basketball, when honestly, i think this piper girl is better than me.

i’ve also noticed that she’s really supportive of her team. most team members are supportive, but not like her. i think that’s really nice.

okay now i just wanna talk to her.

maybe she’ll stay for my game.

...eh probably not.

but just maybe!

oh yeah that’s right....

i’m singing the national anthem....

yay...

i really don’t know if people actually think i’m a good singer. i just came to this school like 2 weeks ago, and a lot has happened since then. first, they just let me on the basketball team for some reason. and let me remind you, that was way after tryouts were held.

and then, they just ask me to sing the national anthem. i sang like ONCE, and they were like ‘dudeee! you gotta sing for everyone. forget the instrumental track, we want you!’

seriously, i don’t get how everyone loves me all the sudden. oh except pipe. oh- i mean piper. man, i’m really bad with names. i’m still not entirely sure if that’s her actual name. anyways, the only time i saw her acknowledge me was like today, and she seemed completely offended by me. what did i do wrong, you ask? i don’t know what the heck i did wrong. i haven’t even spoken to her. i want to though. she looks pretty sick.

“tyler! come on!” the new coach (which happens to be my dad) yells. i notice that the girls’ game is almost over. my team is warming up, and i’m still on the benches! what is wrong with me...

i run over to my teammates and start warming up with them.

“bro what were you doing?”

i shrug. “just watching the game.”

“dude why? the girls are wimps!” one of them chimes in.

“no, not if one of them is a frikin’ beast at the sport. besides, they have one of the best coaches. i mean, besides my dad.” i say

“true...”

“yeah.” i said.

“but she’s not as good as you.”

i shake my head. “have you seen how many three pointers she’s made today?”

they all laugh. “yeah right man! girls don’t make three pointers!”

“gosh y’all are so sexist! she made at least 5. and that’s really good for a girl.” i say, starting to grow a bit annoyed at my mostly sexist teammates.

“oh whatever.” one says, while all of them scoff.

“tyler you’re up! go!” my dad said, as i realized that our game was just about to start. and yes, i’m singing the national anthem. not that i’m scared of singing in front of people, i’m okay with it, but i’m not the best with attention per say.

as i make it to my designated spot where the microphone is, i meet up with another dude that’s singing with me. i know he has a much deeper voice than me, so he’ll sing the low harmony. wait a sec...i already know this, we rehearsed it already.

i scan the crowd in hopes to see if piper might still be here, and to my surprise, she is in fact, still here. she’s on the very right of the bleachers, in the middle section.

it’s like she’s standing out to me, i don’t know how.

i have a higher vocal range than the average man. it just comes naturally. when the time comes, i open my mouth and the words start flowing out of my mouth to the music.

piper’s POV

we end up winning our game (hehe thanks to me). i asked my mom if i can stay for the boys game. don’t ask why. she said yes, so here i am waiting on the bleachers.

tyler joseph runs up to the mic with another dude that’s taller than him. “now will you all rise as we sing the national anthem.” the announcer says. everybody stands up, including me, and the boys start singing.

now i didn’t know that tyler could be a basketball champ, and a singer. because dang, he has a voice. this really reminds me of high school musical. he is a literal troy bolton!

and maybe you can be gabriella...

what? no! for one, i can’t sing, and two, gabriella didn’t play basketball in the movies.

ugh fine. worth a shot though.

yeah, a bad shot.

now let’s see if this guy is any good.

time skip :D

okay so yes, i can see what everybody is talking about. this dude it good as heck. man, you should have seen how much three pointer shots he got. there were a lot. seriously i need to talk to him, my mind changed. this guy sparks my interest, if you know what i mean.

right as i’m leaving the brown haired boy comes to me.

“um...can i help you?” i ask.

“are you piper?” he asks.

oh wow, how does he already know about me? do people still know who i am? did i not get kicked out of the spotlight?

“yes, and i’m assuming you’re tyler?”

“yeah, i just wanted to say good job tonight, it was pretty impressive.” he complements you.

“thanks, but i’m not nearly as good as you.” i say, and of course it’s true.

he flashes a smile at me, which is actually very charming. “thanks. but really, you should see yourself. you killed it.”

“but really, i could say the same about you.” i state, mimicking him.

“nah. anyways, it was pretty sick seeing you tonight.”

“yeah, see you later.” i say as i awkwardly walk away.

he’s nice, isn’t he?

THE END

hey guys! here i am with another post! i hope you liked it :)

and also, pls like and comment what you think!! i’d love some feedback!