#Have some goals I'd like to meet for the end of the year so I'm hoping to close out these two years on a good note!

[muselexum]

( waking up one morning after 18 months of hiatus and finally getting the spark™ to freshen up ur rp blog )

[livwritessometimes]

loml - Max Verstappen

: Max Verstappen x Singer!reader

: Max and Y/n’s relationship was legendary…but it also was momentary

: Series Masterlist

: Main Masterlist

: Author's Note - After every fic i feel like wow this is the longest fic i have ever written...ya this! is probably the longest fic i have ever written!!

…

(set in 2018)

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-> 💙

*liked by Yourname*

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| Yourname replied to your story

-> P1 Lesgoooooo 🙌🏻

| User34 replied to your story

-> it’s so nice to see you get the recognition you deserve <3

*liked by maxverstappen1*

Y/n was standing near the Red Bull garage when she spotted Max returning for his interviews. Without a second thought, she launched herself into his arms.

“Ahhhhh, I’m so proud of you!!! I feel like I haven’t said that enough,” she smiled as she pulled away from him. “You have, but it’s okay. I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that,” Max said as he looked at her as if her eyes held all the stars in the sky.

Max was aware that by now they would have cameras on them; the Red Bull team loved to capture any interaction between the couple. Ignoring all of that, Max pulled her close and kissed her.

For Y/n, all of this was very new; her last relationship hadn't been this public. The privacy of it all was something that was exciting at first, but after a while, it felt suffocating. When she met Max, she felt aglow like she had never felt before. It was only a matter of time before she knew that Max was the one for her.

And it wasn't easy; they were both slowly gaining more recognition, and people were ready to pick them apart. But as she watched Max celebrate his first Grand Prix win of the season in Austria, all the struggles felt worth the effort.

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"I have a story to tell you regarding the last song of the night," said Y/n as the crowd erupted in cheers. She smiled brightly before continuing, "A few years ago, I did not believe in love, not in the way I do now. Have you guys ever met someone who feels so right that all you want is to be close to him forever and ever?"

"Being with them feels like breathing, like something you've done your whole life. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Lover," Y/n said as she made eye contact with Max. Slowly, the intro starts playing, but all Max could look at was Y/n, in all her element, looking back at him.

If the world were to end tomorrow, Max would have died a happy man. Lost in their little universe, the two failed to notice all the fans that captured this beautiful moment between the couple. Racing can take up a lot of Max's time, and he's not proud of the fact that a lot of times it comes at the stake of their relationship. But right here, right now, all he could focus on was Y/n.

Yourname added to their story!

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| maxverstappen1 replied to your story

-> 💕

Yourname: I'm so happy that you were able to make it!! thank you so much for coming, it means a lot to me Max <3

-> Ofc Liefde, I had some time off thought I'd drop by

| User55 replied to your story

-> it is so nice to see Max at your concert!!! your entire face lit up when you saw him, i hope you guys stay like this forever ✨

*liked by Yourname*

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👤: maxverstappen1

Yourname: So proud of how far we’ve come, Maxiee!!! From being just a bunch of kids who wanted to make a name for themselves and achieve their goals to finally living their dream life, I couldn’t have done it without you by my side 💖

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maxverstappen1: Couldn't have done it without you as well Schat 💙

*liked by Yourname*

bffname: Cuties!!! Can't wait to meet you guys <3

*liked by Yourname, maxverstappen1*

The entire party, all Y/n could do was check her phone. She felt guilty; it was bffname's day, and it was supposed to be special, yet here she was feeling sad for herself. From the corner of her eye, bffname could see Y/n in the corner of the room, nursing her 4th drink of the night.

"You can leave, you know. I won't feel bad," said bffname. Y/n looked up from her phone immediately, as if she were caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. "No, no, it's not like that. I want to be here; it's your 23rd birthday; I wouldn't miss it for the world," said Y/n. "You know you can fool anyone you want, but you can never fool me. I know you like the back of my hand," said bffname. "If you want to go to Max, it's okay; you being able to make it was more than enough."

Y/n felt her eyes tearing up a little; even after being a horrible friend, bffname was still understanding. "I'm so sorry; I have been a shitty friend, and yet you are here checking on me rather than celebrating," Y/n said as she finally felt a few droplets stream down her face.

"See, I know that you and Max haven't been in the best place, but it's okay. I know it's scary; you have been with him for so long that even the idea of losing him is scary," bffname said as she wiped a few tears off of Y/n's face. "Just don't lose yourself while trying to save your relationship."

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👤: maxverstappen1, Yourname

F1gossip: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and singer/songwriter Y/n L/n were seen fighting outside by some of the paps. It was noticed that Verstappen had come to pick up L/n from a party (Bffname Bfflastname's birthday celebration). The two were seen arguing, and it is even believed that L/n was under the influence of alcohol. Verstappen was seen comforting L/n, but much to his attempts, L/n was not budging. Later on, Verstappen was seen shouting at L/n. It ended with Verstappen getting in the car and storming off, leaving a teary-eyed L/n behind. It is believed that the couple might have called it quits after dating for 2 years. This news has not been confirmed by either Verstappen or L/n. Check out our website for more updates on the Verstappen-L/n fight.

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User75: Nooo whyyyy???? they were so happy tho...

-> User09: ikrrr bffname had commented on yourname's post too! She was so excited to meet them. What happened?

User20: I'm not believing any of this until I see either of them confirm the breakup. They are happily dating, and this never happened ^^

-> User11: @/User20 check twt

(set in 2019)

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👤: maxverstappen1, Yourname

F1gossip: 6 months after their breakup, Max Verstappen and Y/n L/n were spotted together in Miami. The two seemed to be having a good time at the beach under the warm Miami sun. A close source to Verstappen reveals that the two have been seeing each other for a few months now. This is the first time the pair were spotted together after their public breakup. Both Verstappen and L/n have been doing well in their career paths ever since their breakup. Verstappen has won 2 Grand Prix so far and has seen a massive improvement in this performance as compared to last year, whereas L/n has recently released her 3rd studio album, with all the songs making it into the Billboard Hot 100. Only time will tell whether the two are in it for the long run or whether they call it quits again.

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User02: I'M NO LONGER A CHILD OF DIVORCE 🙌🏻

-> User59: I just hope they make it work this time!!!

User76: Not to be like that, but this will either give us the best love song of the summer or the most gut-wrenching song ever to exist

Y/n smiled as she put her phone down and looked back at Max. Both of them had decided to take a quick trip to Miami. "Do you think we'll have kids?" Max asked so nonchalantly that Y/n had to ask again to make sure she heard him right, "What?" "Do you think we'll have kids later on in life?" Max repeated. "I think I would like to have a girl," Max continued as he looked out at the sea. Amused, Y/n asked, "Oh, really? and why is that?" "I feel like a girl is easy to manage; you know, there are less chances that she'll end up like me," Max said before adding, "Plus, she'll look like you, so you know she is gonna have everyone wrapped around her little finger."

Max looked back at Y/n with a cheeky smile to see her already looking back at him with a look that conveyed nothing but pure love. "I think you'd be a great dad; even if we have a son, and if he becomes even half the man you are, then we did a great job raising him," Y/n said as she ran her hands through Max's hair. "I've not had the best example growing up; I mean, I know my dad wasn't the best, but had he not made all the sacrifices he did back then, I would not have been here. 'Max Verstappen, Star of Red Bull' I would have been a loser," Max said as he closed his eyes, soaking in his surroundings. It felt nice, peaceful even, being away from everything.

"A loser who I'd still love," Y/n said as she pulled Max closer. "Even if you do not have anything with you, you will always have me," she added. "Oh, don't you worry about that; I plan on keeping you by my side forever," Max said. "You just wait till I put a ring on that finger; after that, you can't leave me, even if you wanted to," he added. "I wouldn't dream of it," Y/n said before getting up and running towards the water. Their laughter filled the air as Max got up and chased after her, pulling her into the water with him.

Yourname added to their story!

(Cat's out of the bag I guess 🤭)

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-> 💙

*liked by Yourname*

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-> 💪🏻💪🏻

*liked by redbullracing*

Max should be happy; he should feel all the joy in the world; he finished 3rd in the standings after all, yet the smile did not reach his eyes. He looked around the party thrown to celebrate his and the team's victory and saw Y/n talking to one of the engineers. Max couldn't help but let the bittersweet thought take over his mind. He hated himself for thinking these things, but ever since he got back with Y/n, his season hasn't been goin- "She seems nice, Y/n, I mean," breaking his chain of thoughts, Max looked at his father. "Huh, oh ya," said Max as he took a sip of his drink.

"But she's not right for you; before you got back with her, everything was going in your favor, and look at you now; you're 3rd on the list. You can do better, Max," said Jos as he went to talk to other people at the party. Max hated his father for being critical about his relationship, but he hated himself more because he himself had thought about this.

So one cancelled date becomes two, and before Max knew it, he was constantly blowing off Y/n. In fact, if he comes to think of it, this is probably the first time the two have been out together in a month. So lost in his thought, Max did not notice a sad Y/n slipping from the party.

liked by User90 and 63,493 others

👤: Yourname, maxverstappen1

F1gossip: Is it finally over between Verstappen and L/n? Y/n L/n was seen leaving the Red Bull celebration a little early. The singer seemed to be upset as she left the building. One of the workers at the party informed us that the two did not spend much time together. Verstappen and L/n, who have not been spotted out in public in a month, were seen entering the party together a few hours ago, and that was the last of it. We got information from a close source to the couple that things have been rocky between the two. According to the source, Verstappen considers his relationship with L/n a distraction, which led to him not performing to the best of his abilities after the summer break. Verstappen has only won one Grand Prix ever since L/n confirmed that the two were back together via an Instagram Story. It seems like it is finally time to bury the hatchet in the Verstappen-L/n love story.

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User23: Honestly their constant on and off is annoying at this point, like make up your mind already ffs

User99: I mean, it's not like Max is wrong...ever since they got back together, he hasn't been doing his best, and that is pretty evident

(set in 2020)

Y/n knew that this was wrong. She knows that she can't keep running back to Max after he shows up, making the same promises again and again. At this point, Y/n can probably narrate it in her sleep: "I promise I'll change," "We are meant to be," "You're the love of my life; I can't lose you." Yet she believed him every single time. How could she not? They have been through so much together. How could she let go of all this history because things have been rocky between them?

Lost in her trail of thoughts, Y/n did not realize that she had reached the venue. It was when she felt her side of the door open that she looked up to find a dazzling Max looking back at her. He was glowing; having just won the 70th anniversary GP, Max looked like he would burst from happiness. Y/n couldn't help but match his smile.

They both slowly made their way through the red carpet, posing for pictures. As they reached the entrance, she felt Max fidgeting. "What's wrong?" she asked as she reached for his hand. Max laced his finger with her before saying, "Nothing; it's just that this is my first win of the season. I thought that this year would have been my year, but would you look at how it all turned out to be?" Y/n nodded at Max to continue, "I never thought I would spend so much time at home because of the pandemic, and I never thought that all that time alone would make me realize how much I have missed you," Max said before looking at Y/n. "Every second without you feels like I'm suffocating; you're like a breath of fresh air. Every time I look at you, I feel like all the stars in the sky are nothing compared to you," said Max as he caressed Y/n's cheek.

Y/n didn't know how to describe this feeling. Standing in front of her was a boy she had known for a long time, a boy who always wanted to prove his worth to his father, a boy who sacrificed so much to achieve his dreams, a boy who was simply madly in love with her.

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👤: maxverstappen1

Yourname: ...and at every table, I'll save you a seat 💙

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maxverstappen1: I love you

-> Yourname: I love you too Max

User77: Y/n I love you sweetheart, but noooo why are you back with Max

-> User62: shut up! you're just jealous of what they have

-> User77: tf no, I am concerned about her! Every time they get back together, I feel like Y/n looks less and less happy

-> User22: can we stop all of this and just appreciate how hot they both look 🔥

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👤: maxverstappen1, redbullracing

F1: Max Verstappen out of the Sakhir Grand Prix on lap 1. Trying to avoid Sergio Perez, who was hit by Charles Leclerc at turn 4, Verstappen ended up on the gravel, crashing into the tire barrier. This is the 4th time this season Verstappen has not been able to finish a race. With one race left, Verstappen's chances of winning the world championship seem a little out of reach at the moment. We can only hope for the best for the Dutchman.

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User71: Then you guys say that him getting back with Y/n has nothing to do with his performance!!

-> User04: Shut up that has got nothing to do with Y/n

-> User71: whatever you say 🤷🏻‍♀️ the evidence is right there but okay ignorance is bliss i guess

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👤: Yourname, maxverstappen1

F1gossip: All's well that ends well, but not for Y/n L/n. It seems like Max Verstappen has finally ended things for good between the both of them. This news comes after L/n was seen leaving their shared apartment with boxes of her belongings. The two have also since unfollowed each other on Instagram. Although many members of the Red Bull team, including team principal Christian Horner and wife Geri Halliwell, still continue to follow the singer, it is safe to say that their ship has officially sailed. Check out our website to see their entire relationship timeline.

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User22: Not the admin using lyrics from Lover

-> User48: I was thinking the same thing, like, "All's well that ends well to end up with you" i- 😀

User01: FINALLYYY I'm telling you all next year is gonna be Max's year!! I CAN FEEL IT!!!!

(set in 2021)

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👤: maxverstappen1, kellypiquet

redbullracing: OUR CHAMPION!!! LET'S GO MAX 🦁🏆

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User01: I TOLD YOU ALL IT WAS GONNA BE MAX'S YEAR!!! HE FINALLY WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP 🏆🏆

*liked by redbullracing*

User11: I'm really happy for Max, but did he just confirm his relationship with Kelly Piquet!!! who, may I add, has a CHILD!!!!!!!

-> User67: Ikrrrrr like I'm sorry, but he was with Y/n for such a long time, and now he has a new girl and a child in his life??? This was supposed to be him and Y/n!!!!

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👤: Yourname, maxverstappen1

F1gossip: Y/n L/n was spotted outside for the first time since the news of Max Verstappen dating Brazilian model Kelly Piquet came out. L/n was seen sitting alone in a park, drinking beer. It is believed that this park was one that Verstappen and L/n used to visit a lot with Verstappen's cats. Many bystanders have said that the singer looked lost in her thoughts as she continued sipping her drink. It seems that everyone had believed the two would be back together by the end of the season when pictures of Verstappen with a mysterious woman surfaced, but much to everyone's surprise, the woman in the pictures is now believed to be Piquet. I guess we can say with certainty that Verstappen-L/n has officially come to an end.

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User03: Why are you so obsessed with Y/n? it's so annoying. They broke up; let her be!!

User56: Ofc she's salty now that Max has a good woman by his side. She'll just do about anything to get his attention, wouldn't she?

liked by bffname and 165,872 others

Yourname: I had taken some time off from everything - my music, my fans, my friends, even my family. I was at a place where I felt something I had never felt before. People tell you that there will come a time in everyone's life where you will feel absolutely lost, like you don't know what to do with your life now, and it is very easy to say that with time you'll get through it and find your way again. What everyone fails to mention is how lonely this time will feel. You have people who love you and want the best for you, yet you can't seem to get out of this hole you have dug up for yourself. Taking a break and going back to where I started my journey made me realize why I do what I do. I have never needed songwriting more than I did during this period of time. As I write this, I finally realize that this chapter of my life is over. I have no wounds that I need to heal, no bridges that I want to burn. As of today, I set this song free. It was mine once, and it's yours now. loml out at midnight.

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User55: Y/n wtffffff I was not prepared for this!!!!! Girl it's 2 PM YOU CAN'T JUST DROP THIS AND EXPECT ME TO BE FINE!!

bffname: I am so proud of you!!! words can't sum up how much I adore the person you have become 💕

*liked by Yourname*

User91: waitttt is this about her situation with Max???

-> User40: I mean must be! who else would she be referring to as love of my life??

-> User91: true

liked by bffname and 201,826 others

Yourname: I would like to thank all of my fans for the immense support they have shown me. Your kind words mean the world to me. Thank you for always accepting me the way I am and sticking with me, for better and for worse. I had the time of my life playing for you guys. I can't wait for more shows in the future 🩵

view all 121,455 comments

User32: I still can't get over loml!!! what do you mean by "A con-man sells a fool a get-love-quick scheme"

-> User13: Are we gonna ignore "What we thought was for all time was momentary"!!!!!!!! I feel like someone stabbed me in my gallbladder and then poured detergent over it 🫨

User40: What do you mean by loml - love loss of my life 💔

User28: "Our field of dreams, engulfed in fire. Your arson's match, your somber eyes And I'll still see it until I die" that is because that dream is dead now :(

-> User13: They talked about having kids one day!!! and now he gets to live that life with someone else 🥲

-> User66: Y/n I hate the fact that you had to go through this. My ex passed away before we could start a life together. It sucks when you plan your entire future with someone and then they're just not there. And now it's just you, alone, in the house of your dreams that you both built for yourselves. I wish you all the strength and happiness that there is in this world!! ���

[angels-fantasy]

Top Secret Fiction Ch. 8

Kiss Kiss Kiss!

Katsuki Bakugou x Reader

Description: After meeting the one and only pro hero Dynamight on a dating app, you two begin to see each other. Because of the dangers that come with his hero work, you both promise to be completely honest with each other from the beginning; though you can't help but keep one big secret from him.

You write fan fiction, mostly about him.

Chapter Details: erm honestly nothing super crazy! just lots of embarrassment on readers part and a smooch heh

Word Count: 1.9k

previous chapter

As you and Bakugou sat on your couch next to each other, you felt the awkward tension and it physically pained you.

You didn't really know how to start this, but you were so desperate for this awkwardness to end.

"So um, do you want me to just pull up some of my work?" You asked quietly.

Bakugou hummed, "Yeah. That sounds fine."

You nodded and sped walked over to your room to grab your laptop. As you did so, you couldn't believe that this was your reality. How embarrassing.

Once you got back to the couch you sat down next to him again and opened your laptop, letting him look over your shoulder as you signed in. At this point, who cares if he sees your log in information. He already knows your most embarrassing secret.

As you scrolled through your works, you tried to remember the details of each and every one, hoping to find a fic that was the most normal out of all of them.

Suddenly Bakugou leaned over and pointed at the corner of the screen, "You have a lot of posts."

"Huh?"

Looking at where he pointed, you saw where the website showed how many works you had in total.

You nodded, "Oh, yeah. I've been writing for a long time."

Bakugou hummed, rubbing his shoulder. "How long?"

It was your turn to hum, fiddling with your fingers as you tried to remember. "Probably about three years..." You replied, making him raise his eyebrows.

"Y'know I actually didn't think I'd get this far with writing this type of stuff."

The laptop in front of you was long forgotten about, but maybe this was a better approach. Maybe he needed to hear about this a little more, and maybe you needed to talk about it more as well.

You tucked your feet underneath your bottom and faced him as you continued. "I knew that like...fan-fiction, and stuff was popular but it was never my goal to become a uh, big name, in the community."

"I just did it for fun, because it felt like an escape sometimes. And, I didn't actually start out writing for you, or about you I guess." You chewed on your lip, "I'm not too sure how to word it."

"What did you start out with?"

"Mmm, just other characters, fictional ones. I remember the first time I wrote for you it was because someone had requested it. That post had gotten pretty big and then more and more people asked for stuff about you...so I just did it."

Bakugou hummed. "So you weren't a fan of me before we met?" He teased, making you laugh lightly.

You shook your head. "Not necessarily. I knew who you were and all but I didn't start actually liking you until a year into my writing. This might sound weird but I used to watch a lot of clips of you so I could get your personality right."

"Well once I read some of your stuff, I'll let you know if you did good."

You flushed at his words. You had forgotten why he was here.

"Ah, right. Um, I think this one is something you could start with." You said and handed your laptop over to him. "It's one of my earlier posts, from about two years ago."

You watched silently as he read over your work. You wanted to look away, but if you did then you wouldn't be able to see his reaction.

In your head you were freaking out and wondering what he was thinking. You were expecting him to be much more reactive but he suddenly became stone faced right as he started reading.

As he read through it, you sat there anxiously and doing everything in your power not to freak out and yank your laptop out of his hands.

It felt like an eternity before he finally gave you some kind of reaction. It was small, just a twitch of his eyebrow, but it was something.

At the sight of it your face grew even more worried. "What is it? Oh my word, you think it's bad, huh? I never should've done this. I'm so-"

"Stop." His voice cut through your rambling, making you freeze and stop your spiraling.

He looked at you with a calm expression (as calm as he could look, at least) and let out a sigh. "It's... actually not bad.I mean, yeah a few specific things about me are off but... it's not like you knew me then."

Oh. Okay, so he didn't think it was bad. That's good, right? If it was, then why were you still feeling so guilty and embarrassed?

He waved a hand in front of your face, "Hey, you still with me?"

You blinked. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just... surprised? I don't know. I was expecting you to hate it."

"Don't assume how I'll feel about something." He sassed, "But just know it's not a deal breaker, if that's what you're really worried about."

Your eyes widened, "Wait - really?"

"Don't make it weird." He said with a flushed face. "I still like you and you obviously enjoy doing this. Who the hell am I to stop you?"

You smiled at his words, feeling thankful. Now you were able to relax a little more since he reassured you that your hobby wasn't a problem.

"That's a relief." You said and let out a sigh, leaning back into the couch. There was a moment of silence between the two of you until Bakugou broke it by speaking up.

"I hope y'know I'm being serious." He said, "I do...like you, and I wanna keep seeing you. Just uh, don't be scared to tell me stuff. Okay?"

You gave him a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, okay."

For the rest of the time he was there, he continued to ask questions about your writing. What did you like about writing? Why not write for other people or characters? Did you have any experience in writing prior to this?

You answered each question a little shyly at first but once you started getting into it, it was like watching a ball of yarn unravel.

As Bakugou listened to you talk he was able to realize how much your writing meant to you. It wasn't some weird thing you did just to be creepy. You were actually pretty good and created a little world for yourself and others on the internet.

He'd never admit it out loud but he thought it was sweet. Plus, you looked pretty cute while talking about your love for writing.

He had spaced out while you spoke, just staring at your face and the way your hands moved around excitedly until you finally dropped them and looked at the silly cat clock on your living room wall.

"It's getting late. Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on for so long." You said, feeling a little embarrassed. It seems like that was a big emotion for you today.

Bakugou shook his head as he stretched his arms above his head. "'S fine. I'm the one who came over here, but you're right."

He stood up with a grunt, probably still sore from work or training, and you followed his movements.

You stood in front of him, not feeling sure what to do next even though the obvious answer was to walk him out.

The silence felt uncomfortable again and you scrunched your eyes closed as if it would make it go away.

The feeling of Bakugou's hand on the top of your head surprised you, making you open your eyes and look at him.

He looked a little embarrassed, more flushed than usual. "I meant it when I said that I still wanna see you. So don't go thinking this is the last time you'll see me or anything."

You nodded. "I know. I'm just still a little embarrassed, I guess." You said and looked down at your feet.

His hand that was on your head moved down the side of your face and fell on your cheek. He then brought up his other hand to hold the opposite side.

He tilted your head upwards just slightly and looked at you. You looked at him the same way, noticing how his gaze flickered from your eyes down to your lips.

You felt the butterflies in your stomach start to flutter around. Jeez, you didn't think you'd get this far. Especially after today.

The look on his face was almost desperate but he looked unsure of himself. That was a look that was weird to see on him.

You knew what was about to happen, and he did to, so why did he look way more nervous about kissing you than you did?

"I just let you in on my most embarrassing secret and you're still hesitant to kiss me?" You teased, giggling as the soft look on his face fell. You didn't know where you got the courage to say such a thing, but it seemed to work out in your favor.

He clicked his tongue and smirked, "Shaddup."

Then finally, he leaned in and you did the same until your lips met. You brought your hands up to place them on his chest while his stayed in place.

His lips were soft and tasted like the strong mints he was always chewing on. They felt just as good as you imagined, but at the same time felt so different.

When you both pulled away from each other, you opened your eyes again and looked him in the eyes, feeling shy all over again but in a much different way. A good kind of shy.

If you had to describe the kiss, you'd say it was soft and sweet. Totally unlike how Bakugou was portrayed but in your opinion, that made it better. It was like this soft side of him was a secret all for you and you alone.

You blinked up at him and gave him a playful smile. "Not too bad."

He chuckled and pinched your cheek lightly, "Says the one who was feeling up on me-"

"Oh my word, no I wasn't!" You denied, knowing you were lying. He laughed in response and you huffed at him.

When your laughter and teasing died down, he looked at the clock again and sighed.

"Mkay, now I really gotta go. I have work tomorrow." He said, making you feel a little disappointed even though you knew he was right.

"Oh yeah... okay. I'll walk you out." You said and grabbed one of his hands and led him to the front door.

Before he fully made his way out he turned to face you and pressed a kiss to your forehead, catching you off guard. "I'll see you soon. Okay?"

You nodded, feeling all flushed from his actions. "Okay."

He gave you a rare smile and said goodbye, promising to text you when he got home.

After he finally left, you shut the door and leaned against it for a moment before squealing excitedly.

"He kissed me!"

A meow interrupted your excitement and you looked down to see Cheerios sitting by your feet. You cooed and bent down to pick him up.

"Aw I'm sorry Cheerios, I left you all alone." You babied him, "I was busy talking to Bakugou. One day he might be your dad if I get lucky. How does that make you feel?"

Cheerios purred and rubbed his head against your chin in response, making you giggle and awe at him. "I feel the same way."

authors note

hello...is this thing on...

i have finally posted! so sorry for such a late post. if i'm being honest, not only am i busy with school but my heart isn't in this fic anymore 😞 it feels so rushed and i hate that it's not my best work because i know i can do better but i would rather die than leave a fic completely unfinished lol so pls don't think i'll abandon it completely! anyways, i'm probably gonna write two more chapters for this fic :) i hope you liked this chapter <3

taglist (closed for this fic): @doumadono @54fangirl @andysdrafts @dagger-dragger @lovra974 @l4rsun1vrrse @emmab3mma @littlkittenfan @tatiquichi @cloudxluv @seonne @shonen-brainrot @the2ndl @gold24fish @cxp1dz @rv19 @gina329 @liluvtojineteyam @svtflxwer @unofficialmuilover @sukunasbottomlefteyeball @yjploum @coweared @attractivepie @idkwhattocallmyselfs @suki0

those in pink cannot be tagged!

[toaarcan]

What does Mephiles want?

So, Mephiles is my favourite Sonic villain and has been for a while now. His vibes are simply off the charts. But his schemes within schemes are generally considered overly convoluted and nonsensical, and while there's an element of the former, the latter is, in my opinion, an unfair angle.

I know Sonic 06's writing is not the best in general, but I genuinely think Mephiles is one of the best-handled parts of it. So I thought I'd break down why I think he does what he does.

1) Why didn't he just fuse with Iblis in the future/immediately kill Elise to free Iblis in the present/do X more logical and straightforward path to his ultimate goal?

I'm getting this one out of the way slightly out of order because this is another of the many examples of "Audience expects characters to be rational, logical actors who never make emotion-driven decisions."

I can sit here and make theories as to why fusing in the future doesn't work, or argue the toss over whether Elise's death is really a means of releasing Iblis, but the simple answer here is that Mephiles is not a logical actor. He is a spiteful, sadistic monster who could do things the quick and clean way... but he's a time-travelling immortal with power enough to equal the Ultimate Life Form, why not have some fun along the way?

It should also be noted that during the events of Sonic 06, Mephiles has existed as an independent entity for ten years. He spent all ten of those years trapped in a vessel roughly the size of a soda can. Your facetious "Hurr durr why doesn't he just cut onions under Elise's eyes" gotcha can be easily countered by asking "At what point in this man's very short and limited existence would he have learned about the ocular effects of chopping onions?"

2) Mephiles and Shadow: Revenge

Well firstly we need to set aside most of what he does in Shadow's story. Yes, really. The only parts of Shadow's story that are actually part of Mephiles' big plan are the following:

Trying to break or corrupt Shadow in the future.

Acquiring a Chaos Emerald so he can use it to summon the others once Iblis is free.

Shadow actually thwarts that last one, but it doesn't matter, because as we see in the Last Episode, he simply goes and gets another one once he realises that the green and yellow ones are out of play for the moment.

See, Mephiles' attempts to mess with Shadow's head have nothing to do with reforming Solaris. They're a separate, more personal agenda. Because Mephiles isn't single-mindedly focusing on reforming Solaris. He's also out for revenge.

Mephiles' interactions with Shadow are often read as him attempting to corrupt Shadow and turn him over to the dark side, but I'm not sure if that really matters all that much to Mephiles, besides as a means to an end. We see Mephiles really manipulating people in Silver's story, after all, and he has a different approach.

While manipulating Silver, Mephiles presents himself as a benevolent ally, who offers a desperate Silver a means of stopping Iblis once and for all.

Once Silver starts to question him, Mephiles is evasive, not giving Silver a straight answer but instead applying time pressure, reminding him that if he fails in his mission, Iblis' rampage will continue unabated, and implying that time is running out before Sonic triggers the end of the world.

But that's not how he approaches Shadow. Instead, upon meeting Shadow for the first time since he was sealed, Mephiles laughs his mouthless head off, shambles around like a zombie, and promises him "a one-way ticket to oblivion."

I don't think he's trying to get Shadow to join him, guys.

And sure, when Shadow confronts Mephiles in Flame Core, he does extend an offer to Shadow, trying to tempt him to turn on humanity for their future betrayal. He positions the idea of Shadow avenging himself on humanity again as a reasonable thing, as justice.

But when Shadow doesn't bite, he doesn't press it. He just shrugs it off, goes into his crystalline form, and proceeds to start trying to kill Shadow. But why try to make this offer at all?

Easy: This is before Shadow saves Sonic from Silver at Radical Train. If Shadow doesn't intervene, because he's either evil or broken, Silver kills Sonic right there while Elise is watching, helpless in the grip of Eggman's hovercraft, and she probably cries and releases Iblis a few days early.

That's why he switches focus to trying to break Shadow's spirit after this point: Any benefit he could've gotten from corrupting Shadow no longer matters.

Revealing more of Shadow's fate in the future, and everything else he does after this point, isn't about trying to turn Shadow to darkness again. It's about hurting him. That's it. He just wants to hurt Shadow, make him feel like his heroics are futile, because all those ungrateful humans will turn on him in the end anyway, even one of his closest friends will betray him, ordered to hunt down, defeat, and seal Shadow in a prison for a crime he didn't commit.

Past their encounter in Flame Core, this isn't remotely part of the Solaris plan any more, it's purely about Mephiles wanting to torment Shadow, it's revenge for what he does in Aquatic Base in the past. Shadow sealed him in the Sceptre of Darkness ten years ago, and the vast majority of their interactions are Mephiles trying to do exactly what he promised after he escaped.

And that desire for revenge rather neatly explains why he goes about targeting Silver and Elise the way he does too.

3) Mephiles and Silver: For Iblis

Despite his monstrousness, there is someone that Mephiles cares about deeply: Iblis. True, that's technically just another part of himself, but they do exist as separate entities for most of the game, and Mephiles refers to Iblis by name and as a separate entity to himself when Iblis is freed.

And this, combined with his vengefulness, neatly explains why he sends Silver after Sonic.

Because Silver fights Iblis every day. Because when he and Iblis were newly-separated and trying to escape from Aquatic Base, Silver hunted Iblis down and captured him, enabling the Duke to seal him (more on that later). Silver was the instrument of Iblis' sealing, and desperately wants to kill Iblis. What would be more ironic (and we know Mephiles has an appreciation for irony, it's literally in his first line in Shadow's story) than using Silver himself to bring about Iblis' liberation?

How does Mephiles know that Silver is responsible? Time travel, of course. Like, he had to learn where Iblis was sealed, and that crying was the key to the seal on him somehow, he almost certainly hopped back to Aquatic Base to see what went down on Silver's side of things.

That Silver is a good (if desperate) person, but Mephiles is trying to manipulate him into killing another hero only adds to the satisfaction Mephiles would get from watching this all play out.

And though Silver fails, and realises the truth, his interference with Sonic's side of the story only helps push Mephiles closer to his goal, and the third aspect of his vengeance.

4) Mephiles, the Duke, and Elise: Sins of the Father

Let's talk about everyone's favourite Sonic character, Princess Elise III.

Elise is Iblis' vessel, and is incredibly emotionally repressed, having somehow not cried since she was about seven years old, despite both of her parents being dead, the pressures of being a monarch, and the general hormone-driven emotional instability of being a teenager.

As the one thing holding Iblis' rampage back, Elise's death in the crashing Egg Carrier at the end of Sonic and Silver's trip through Kingdom Valley is the point where Iblis broke free and ruined everything. Setting aside whether her death caused it or if she shed a single tear before impact. But this isn't enough for Mephiles, apparently, and despite her being Iblis' vessel, he takes very little interest in her throughout the story... or does he?

Mephiles could take Elise's death as a W, hop over to the crash site and fuse with Iblis there. But he doesn't? Why?

Because he specifically wants to break the seal by making her cry.

This is why Silver's failures play into Mephiles' hands anyway. Because by trying to kill Sonic, Silver keeps opening the doors for Elise to get captured again, forcing Sonic to rush to her aid once more, and generally making their time together much more dramatic and emotionally-tense. This almost certainly helps get Elise, uhhhhh... let's just say attached to Sonic, meaning that when, at the beginning of the final act, Mephiles hits Sonic with the ol' "Nothin personnel kid", Elise's overstressed emotional repression finally fails and she breaks down, releasing Iblis.

But why does he want to do this? Why go through all the extra hurdles of piling more pressure on Elise until she snaps, when he could theoretically just kill her and set Iblis free, or literally just be there for her death?

You guessed it, it's revenge again. But not against Elise, against her father, using Elise as a proxy.

I think if there's anyone in the entire universe that Mephiles outright despises, it's this guy.

The Duke of Soleanna was responsible for the original Solaris Project, during which he attempted to control Solaris' power in order to give himself and his people power over time. However, it's heavily implied that the experiments weren't exactly a pleasant experience for Solaris, given that they ultimately destabilised him, resulting in him being explosively torn into two parts.

This event is the entire reason that Solaris, and his two fragments, are hostile. Before the Solaris Project, Solaris himself was a benevolent and benign entity. As the Flame of Hope, he was genuinely worshipped by the people of Soleanna, and was said to have once saved the city from a great fire, while in the form of an eagle.

Now, it's been theorised that Solaris actually caused that fire, but there's no actual evidence to suggest that beyond association with fire, and engineering a false-flag disaster to force people to worship him generally isn't in-character with what we know of Solaris pre-Project.

That said, their faith wasn't without its darker side, as prophecy foretold that one day, Solaris' wrath would be incurred, manifesting in the forms of the Flames of Disaster. And this is exactly what the Solaris Project ended up doing, driving Solaris berserk and resulting in both of his halves becoming monsters.

So for Mephiles, hatred of Duke, and Elise by proxy, would already be extremely personal. But it doesn't stop there, because the Duke is also the one to seal Iblis within Elise, putting him in the line of fire for the same reasons as Shadow and Silver.

And how better to exact a posthumous vengeance against the Duke than by emotionally breaking his beloved daughter, and in doing so, directly undoing the seal he made, in precisely the way he tried to prevent?

Mephiles' mind was probably made up on how he'd free Iblis from the moment he learned what the key to the lock was.

5) Mephiles' actual goals.

With that in mind, here's my simplified list of what Mephiles wants to achieve in 06.

Re-fuse into Solaris.

Free Iblis by emotionally devastating Elise.

In destroying Elise, achieve vengeance on the Duke by ruining his plans and tormenting his daughter.

Make Silver the one to free Iblis by killing Sonic, an ironic punishment for sealing Iblis to begin with.

Torment Shadow with the terrible future ahead of him as vengeance for sealing him to begin with (Side project).

And hell, here's a flowchart.

It's a bit small, but it should be the right size if you open it in a new tab.

So yeah, I don't think Mephiles' plan is overly convoluted. Most of his actual plan to reunite with Iblis is straightforward enough. Everything other aspect is either a contingency or a side-project, and any inefficiencies are the result of his sadistic need for vengeance on Shadow, Silver, and the Duke.

[rationalnerd62]

I'm feeling weirdly about C3 ending next week (I guess there's some sadness mixed with other stuff, but me, putting feelings into words? Not in my autism), so instead of thinking too much about those feelings, I want to list random things about Bell's Hells I'd like to get resolved or developed, either in that 8.5h finale or in future BH one-shots (cause they've got to have some one day, right? Right?).

It's in no particular order whatsoever, I'm just putting random thoughts out there (and hoping to see other people's random thoughts too).

Titans' shenanigans! Both Ashton and Fearne absorbed a shard, and got some nice abilities out of it, but is there more to explore here? What does this mean for the elemental life of Exandria? Is this a path to some resurgence of the Titans? Are there other shards elsewhere? Will Ashton ever meet some remains of the cult their parents were in? Is that something they're still interested in knowing more about?

Ludinus! I am hoping this won't get resolved in the finale, because this would give big Trent M9 finale vibes and feel rushed, but that damn elf is still somewhere out there! What are his goals now that Predathos is out / the BH finale deals with the Gods in a way or another? Will he ever come back to haunt our characters?

Laudna! The Matron hinted that there was a possible path to her getting back what got stolen from her (aka her mortality). While I never would want for her to become a "normal human mortal" (she should still be able to get a form of dread and play with shadow and have fun with some of her "monstrous" powers!), I honestly will hate it if my favourite CR couple is *another one* of those couples with wildly different aging speed and one of the member of the couple has to outline the other for decades or centuries. Let Imogen and Laudna grow old together in their little cottage! They deserve it! I could see that being resolved as a "gift" from the Gods (if there's a good outcome with them), but I also wouldn't say no to a post-canon story (one shot, novel, comics, who knows) centered on this. I could see both Imogen and Laudna having made their peace with this, and then maybe in a few years they're starting to talk about kids, and there's this realization that Laudna will also outlive those, and that's when she decides that she needs to do *something*. I don't know whether that's possible, but Matthew! More impossible things have been done in your world!

The Shade Mother! Is she still under Jrusar? It's kinda funny that BH's first main arc ended up with them running away and never finishing there ahaha.

Similarly, will they ever go down to find FCG's coin that Orym had thrown under Jrusar? I know at least some of the cast mentioned being curious about that.

Hey, talking about FCC, will BH Talk with Frida? What about D? Our group really didn't have much time to mourn him, so maybe finding the answers FCG was looking for regarding who he is would be a way for them to process their grief.

(I just had a thought about Ashton going back to Jrusar and Milo without FCG and this broke my heart)

Dorian and his family! He has mentioned them before, and we've met his father, but seeing where he grew up and having him introduce Orym would be nice. And vice versa with Orym introducing Dorian to his family (as his partner instead of his friend). But I'm hopeful this'll get brought up in the finale.

Imodna wedding! Because Laura Bailey deserves to have three weddings one-shot.

More Unseelie stuff! Idk, I feel like there was still more to do wrt Fearne & the Feys.

I'm hoping for a moment with Imogen and her parents in the finale. It's really the end of a big journey for Liliana, but there's another journey to start, about rebuilding (or trying to rebuild) those relationships that got affected by her search for answers. There's a "back from the war" vibe here, and I want to see it.

VM got some pre-campaign comics, M9 got some individual character origins comics, BH also deserves some comics! But what type? I'm not sure how I'd feel if it was exactly as what M9 got, so I'm hoping they'll get some original ideas within the CR crew!

Last (for now) but not least, when is Chetney finally going to die?

[thefiery-phoenix]

YANDERE SIRIUS BLACK X READER

Sirius during his school days at Hogwarts was actually kinda cocky. He was confident, with his looks and his charming personality, no one would be able to resist him. He never really had that much time to fall in love with people, true, he did like messing with people every now and then but he never expected to fall in love

You were in Sirius' year and he didn't really notice you till a certain amount of time passed. He was surprised, how come he didn't notice someone so cute looking like you? He observed you for some time: Your characteristics and your personality. He saw how kind you were and how sweet and shy you were, always kept yourself to yourself. He wondered how you even managed to end up in Gryffindor when you could've done well in Hufflepuff but whatever, he wasn't complaining. He had you closer to him and he was thrilled

His first goal was to become your friend and then ask you out to the Three Broomsticks where he'll confess his love to you and the both of you would be a happy lovely couple. It was the perfect plan for him, till you decided to form another path for yourself

You couldn't deny that Sirius was handsome and charming. But you weren't really looking forward to be in a relationship with anyone at the moment. So, when Sirius called you to the Three Broomsticks, he handed you a rose and ordered butterbeers and some desserts for you guys to eat. He didn't give you the idea that he was confessing his love for you since he wanted it to be a surprise, a surprise which of course his friends James, Lupin and Peter helped him in. They helped him in the decorations and keeping his bratty little brother Regulus away out of sight so he couldn't steal you from their friend

After you were done talking and chilling with your drinks and desserts, Sirius held your petite soft hands in his rough and large ones and went "Y/N, uhh... I don't know how to say this but I really love you and I'd love it if you went out with me'' he said blushing. Your heart dropped, you most certainly weren't expecting this. You just thought he invited you to have a chat for old times' sake and to relax as friends, you had no idea he was going to pour out his feelings for you

You gulped nervously and a heavy feeling settled in your chest. You didn't want to let him down, you REALLY didn't want to, but you had to follow your heart. And right now your heart was telling you to live life on your own terms and not to be in a relationship with anyone. Besides, you just befriended Sirius only for a few months, you had to get to know someone properly for like, YEARS before you wanted to date someone. You tried to let him down gently "Sirius, you're a great guy. I'm sure you have lots of people fawning over you and people who'd die to be with you, but.... how do I say this....'' you trailed off and rubbed the back of your neck looking awkward and a bit sad. "Tell me what?" asked Sirius anxiously peering at your face. He didn't want to hear your answer anymore, it would break his heart and he wouldn't be able to handle it

"I'm really not looking to be in a relationship with anyone right now... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry....'' you whispered and stared down at the table, not wanting to meet his eyes. Sirius felt numb, he felt like his heart was shattering into a million pieces and he couldn't move. You told him a quick 'bye' and ran off, his friends ran to comfort him

Meanwhile after a few days, you tried forgetting about him. But the hurt look on his face kept haunting you at the night. You were in the courtyard reading a book. The weather was nice and windy, quite the opposite of what you felt. You felt down in the dumps for rejecting Sirius, but you had a feeling he'd most probably forgotten about the whole thing anyway and besides, he could always find someone else. You had no idea how wrong you were: Sirius was not able to forget about you, he confronted his brother Regulus and asked him if he had anything to do with you rejecting him. Of course he ended up jinxing Regulus in anger since he felt that he was lying. Next he bullied Snape for a while thinking he manipulated you or bullied you to reject him till you intervened and asked him to leave him alone

Sirius was infuriated and it was like rubbing salt in a wound. Why TF were you standing up to SNIVELLUS SNAPE? Maybe he was right... maybe Snape HAD something and his worst fears were now confirmed. You could be dating Snape. His friends found out that you weren't dating anyone and that made him relax a little. He stalked you in his Animagus form for a while and you of course didn't know it was Sirius in Animagus form. You thought it was just a random cute dog and you spent time with it. Every single second you spend with him, holding it and cuddling with it, you were fueling his dark twisted desires for you. And these days you could see that Sirius was looking happier for some reason so... you assumed it was all good for him

It was... since he was planning to kidnap you the next time he turned into his Animagus form. Not exactly 'kidnap' you per se, he'd just keep you in the Shrieking Shack, but don't worry, Sirius won't leave you alone. Your kindness and sweet nature was too addicting for him and he was far too selfish to share you with anyone else....

[whirlpool-blogs]

Five Questions with Jack Hughes

May 29, 2019 | Timestamp: Jack Hughes (5:03)

Do you feel ready to play in the NHL next season? "My speed and skill will translate well, and I believe in my heart I'm the best player in this draft and the best player on the board. I'm a confident kid so I think I had a great year. I know in my head and in my heart that I'm an NHL player and I think that after my experience at the World Championship, it solidified in my mind that I'm ready to go for it next year. I want to be an impact player and come out of the gates fast."

What was the most memorable moment for you as the youngest player for the United States at the 2019 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia? "Just to be in the locker room with the NHL players, go out to dinner with them, hang out with them. I feel like it was an invaluable experience and kind of like going to Harvard law school, I guess, because that's the best education you could get being around guys like that. You've got guys there like Ryan Suter, a 14-year veteran in the League, who was once in the same position as me. Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk took great care of me, taking me out to dinner, talking with me, and teaching me things. Those are guys I kind of created relationships with that will help me for the next couple of years."

Did you meet your goals and expectations at the NTDP this season? "You want to be realistic for the year, but I think of myself pretty high, and I had some goals in mind like breaking the record for most career points at the program and did that. I kind of shattered it and hopefully no one will touch it for a couple of years. I wanted to get the single season record but I missed a few games with an injury and finished with 112 points; the record was 117. Along the way, you don't really think of it that much but keep pushing the pace and pushing your play. I had a pretty good sequence of games at the World Under-18 Championship but our main goal was to win gold there, and we didn't. I'd trade all 20 of my points there for a gold medal, but I feel like I had a pretty good tournament."

How did two seasons at the NTDP make you a better player? "First of all, it makes you a better person. You're growing up with 23 kids your own age on the same team and dealing with the same things. It's kind of a brotherhood you create there, and you can't really say that about other places. The NTDP is a great spot to grow as a human. If you want to dedicate your life to becoming a hockey player, your game will absolutely go through the roof. There's a shooting room there and you're on the ice two hours a day, there are two games over the weekend, you skate 5-to-7 times a week, lift three times a week. If you want to be a hockey player and you're an American boy, the NTDP is the place you need to go."

What are your plans between the end of the Combine and the NHL Draft? "Just having some fun and relaxing. I don't think I'm going to work out or skate. I was in Europe for almost two months (at the World Under-18 Championship in Sweden and World Championship), just playing hockey, being dialed in and focused. Now that the hockey season is over, I think I'll just watch the Stanley Cup Final, golf and hang out with friends ... be a kid for the last month. Then I'll head to Vancouver. I think my life will change a lot once that weekend goes by."

[kiisaes]

I still think it's really crazy that Horikoshi did Midoriya so dirty by having him murder the boy he wanted to save, and, now that he's lost his Quirk, is stuck being lonely for like eight years feeling like a husk of his former self, only feeling like himself again when he gets an Iron Man suit. I'm not a big Dekuhead, but I'm asking around to see what Deku fans think of the writer's choices concerning his conclusion. I'd love to hear your thoughts!! did you like this? did you not? why? etc

as a dekuhead, i agree that killing shigaraki was confusing and i still don't know what the thought process is behind that. like, saving him has always been deku's plan and everything was pointing towards shigaraki rehabilitation but then ... we didn't get it???

so yes, shigaraki should have lived (it aligns with deku's goals and the narrative's goals) and toga also should have lived for similar reasons. i also agree that deku's conclusion should have been expanded upon more — i really wanted to see how killing shigaraki, losing his quirk, etc. truly affected deku, and we were kinda left hanging. but also i sorta just equate that with lack of time / horikoshi being rushed to finish his manga

but i fundamentally disagree with the rest of your ask. it feels like you've developed this opinion based on the 430 leaks and not the actual official chapter; it's just misleading. which i don't blame you for, because the mha leaks scene is fucking awful and has ruined an entire reader base's reading comprehension, which has consequently been perpetuated by the fandom

"is stuck being lonely for like eight years feeling like a husk of his former self"

it's not stated if he feels like a husk of his former self or not. he lost his quirk, true, but he verbally says he's ok with it (ofa was like a dream that he got to live out), and never shows that he's particularly depressed or upset about being quirkless again. i feel like this specific idea is very fandom-coded. everyone was drawing deku sad as fuck for losing his quirk but canonically he appears at most wistful, and normally just neutral. it is what it is, yknow? after all he says himself that he was originally quirkless anyway, so not much has changed.

also he mentions feeling lonely, but i hate this idea that deku has been lonely for 8 straight years. people have twisted this into meaning his friends ghosted him after high school, but like ... how would that even make sense. deku's friends love him so much, will fight at the world's end with him, and he changed their lives for the better. they would absolutely not ghost him. they just canonically don't meet up much anymore, because OBVIOUSLY, when you don't live in the same building as your high school classmates anymore you are NOT going to meet up as much as before. this is just how adulting is. you have responsibilities and jobs and lives now. people hate to hear it but it's the most realistic part of this ending.

"only feeling like himself again when he gets an Iron Man suit"

again, we have no idea if deku didn't "feel like himself" when he was just teaching. and this idea that he's not is fueled in some weird anti-teacher belief that i'm seeing a lot of, now that deku pursued education in his future. in my opinion teaching is a very fitting career for him; he's been inspiring and helping his classmates as a student, and he loves quirk analysis and gushing to others about their quirks.

he's literally training a new generation of heroes, he gets to work alongside pros (such as aizawa), he's constantly learning more about new quirks ... why is this not the deku we've known and loved? what about this feels wrong? just because he's not a stereotypical hero on the scene, he's suddenly a worse version of himself?

mha has drilled into our heads so much atp that being quirkless doesn't mean you can't be a hero. deku was quirkless his whole life but he had the spirit of a hero, and even when other heroes quit during the apocalyptic era between wars, deku was still out there, doing what he could. he didn't need the money. he didn't need the fame. he didn't need the recognition or the credit, even. he just wanted to help people. and being a teacher is one of THE most directly helpful jobs you could take.

from what i can tell, people who complained about teacher deku and "peaking during high school" and "working a dead-end minimum wage job" were all from the western fandom. i have not seen a single japanese fan complain to this degree. it's definitely a cultural difference but also i think they just read better than us. UA is a prestigious school with crazy name recognition and all teachers there are registered pro heroes. even though deku isn't technically a pro, they recognized him as one anyway, which allowed him to work there in the first place. like hello. over everything we should be grateful he didn't become a cop.

the way i interpreted him getting his suit was that

his friends love him so much they pooled their money all in secret just to give him another chance at actual hero work, even though they know deku's content with his teaching job. probably also so they can see him more, now that their schedules might align better

even though he's quirkless, he is still symbolically — and literally — a hero. turning society's preconceived opinions of quirkless people on its head

it had nothing to do with making him feel like himself again. he was doing fine. the suit is just a (very expensive, labor of love) perk.

and before anyone complains about him "receiving handouts" and that "he just lazed around for years until his friends picked him back up with the suit", SHUT THE FUCK UP. he's done so much for them that they felt it right to return the favor, especially to the one guy they know who earned it the most. also - he deserved a break from all of the shit he went through; why should it Not take him 8 years? do you KNOW how much pain he suffered? that amount of trauma lasts a lifetime. all of you SHUT UP.

as a dekuhead, i think his conclusion as a teacher who also works as a pro hero is awesome and cool and i see no qualms with that. my main concern is that we should've gotten more of a conclusion to deku's ARC and its connection to the story, but regarding his future 8 years later i'm totally fine with it. he's living out his dreams, working with heroes, studying quirks, and keeping in touch with the ones he loves. that is epic as hell

[o2studies]

17:41 || ༻`` 1 Jan 25 — Wednesday

Wow I can't belive it's the 1st again.... I spent midnight with K and J and I'm so happy to have spent it with such lovely friends. It was truly an amazing way to start the year 💕💕 We had so so much fun! —I survived my first game of Dread!! And I for some reason just feel like 2025 will be a good year, so no matter what happens, I'm gonna make sure that it is!

Anyway though, as with last year, I have made myself a vision board from Pinterest which I based around my New Year's Resolutions. And for accountability I'd like to at the end of this year (a scary thing to think about so soon lol) show photos of how I have achieved/am working towards those goals.

These resolutions are: 🦎

1. To study more often; enjoy the process of studying; become excited for my A Level exams; and get more work done early —avoiding procrastination will help me, not hinder me

2. Spend more time with friends through playing games, meeting up more often, having more casual conversation and keeping in contact after summer

3. Do more of the small things immediately —again, this will only help me— to keep my environemnt more tidy and automated

4. Practice more self care: plan out more outfits, continue painting my nails often, use those fancy creams and perfumes, sit in silence, take myself out more & do more things that I want to do, read more again,

5. Be more physically active and give my dogs the exercise they deserve a lot more often

6. Create more of what I love, finish more projects than I abandon, put more effort into my A Level Art, continue building my artistic skill —doing all that with a better posture as a bonus

I will also be redoing @juneability 's 12dopmas challenge. My areas of focus will be to study art in some way, general school studies and learning Russian (or practicing Polish some days)

Now, I was going to start the challenge today and write more about it but I took many breaks writing this so it's currently 21:47 and I've got a headache so I'll sleep early tonight and start the challenge tomorrow instead TvT👍

Day 106 clean

Day 0

Floor time ☑️ // 🍊

[study-like-you-mean-it]

2024 Goal Setting for People Who Used to be Studyblr Queens and are Now Just Muddling Through Adult Life

I know you, you know me. I've had this account since I was freshly 16 and I'm 23 (and a half) now, and I can guarantee there's loads of you in the same boat right now.

Where did I go? What did I do? I finished my Master's Degree and realised (with some trepidation) at the end of it that I'd achieved everything that was on my list of things to achieve ever, and I didn't really have a plan on what I was going to do, so for what may have been the first time in my life I just...winged it. Started measuring progress according to how I felt about it. And it worked! Lots of good has come out of it so let me suggest some goal setting approaches to help if you're in a similar position (and given the studyblr -> chaos pipeline I might suggest there's at least a few people this might help)

Point 1 - Don't set yourself academic goals

"But Study Like You Mean It, I always set academic goals!" I hear you say. I appreciate the irony of my username in relation to this. Point is, you're not in academia anymore. You need to stop goal setting like you're in academia, and the easiest way to do this is to stop setting academic goals.

"But I like the pursuit of knowledge!" I hear you counter. So do I, but if you've just come out of a hothouse academic setting, you *really* need to consider who you're goal setting for. Do you like the idea of being a polyglot by the end of the year? Sure, fine, whatever, but consider who you're goal setting for. Do you want to be a polyglot because you like the process of learning languages, or because you want to show to others that you know languages? It sounds silly, but you're not working to a grade anymore, and it's absolutely essential that you reflect on why you like doing academic things. This doesn't apply to everyone, but I would kick off the process of self-reflection on this (because you know the Studyblr types are most likely guilty of performative learning) by refusing to set yourself academic goals.

If you don't hit a yardstick, what's the worst that will happen?

(nothing- the answer is nothing and you need to start getting comfortable with that)

Point 2 - Set Process-Based Goals

Building on the last point, if you want to have achieved something by the end of the year, how can you frame it in a way that's definitely not you trying to put down a point to show to others that you've improved, and instead internalise your sense of progress? Maybe the goal you set is "by the end of the year, I want to feel like I understand internalised growth and progress", and you'll know at the end of the year when you self-reflect if you've succeeded in that.

Otherwise, set a process-based goal. If you want to get better at something, but know you're guilty of holding yourself to externalised yardsticks, set yourself a goal that's about the process rather than the result. Scary, I know. For example, say you want to start playing a sport. If you go in without a process-based goal, you could end up saying to yourself "I want to put myself in a position where I qualify for a team two leagues above by the end of the season," which is a SMART* goal, but incredibly determined by outside reflections on your own ability, and very end-result focused. There's a time and a place for goals like this, but if you're coming off a high-intensity academic environment, I would argue that it's not the right place. Instead, what about "I will show up every week and be positive about the fact that I'm not perfect"? It's about the learning process, and I think post-university a lot of people fall out of love with the actual learning process, and become too mired in results.

*specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound

Point 3 - What happens if you don't hit your goal?

I love asking this question to people who've come out of academic environments.

Literally what's going to happen if you can't meet the goal that you've set for yourself when you set an end-goal focused goal?

Nothing!!!!!

It's so freeing. Embrace it! There are no time bounds on learning, so enjoy the learning! There's no exam to pass, no professors to wow, no applications to get accepted. It's just you learning how to be you, and remembering why you love to get good at things!

Part 4 - Habits =/= Goals

This one maybe is a bit tricky to explain. It's the difference between "I'm going to get into the practice of reading on my commute when I can" and "I must finish 10 books this year by reading on my commute when I can". One of them is about introducing something new into your life because it makes you feel good, and the other one is about setting limits on that because you feel you need to control the way that you enjoy things (this comes from academia putting constraints on learning, etc.).

Be patient with yourself, for goodness' sakes. Get into the habit and enjoy the process, don't automatically find ways to be masochistic about it.

My Goal Setting Approach

Now I've clarified the kinds of goals to set in this new and scary world, I'll run through my approach to implement them. First thing to note is I like setting lots of goals, but then those all get broken into little habits that I can focus on in my day to day, as well as timeline-less tasks to accomplish when I've got the time free.

I start with areas I'd like to improve myself in (again, not as a discipline thing, but towards the vision that I might be a more rounded and enriched person because of it):

Personal - how can I become more introspective/calm/mindful?

Financial - how can I become more fiscally responsible now I'm an adult?

Social - how do I make time for others?

Work - what does progress at work over this year look like?

Sport - this can be replaced by whatever your main hobby is

Intellectual - how can I enrich myself and learn about things that I'm interested in?

I won't run through all of these, but I'll create some examples:

Domain: Financial - how can I become more fiscally responsible now I'm an adult?

General points on this: I can save more money, I can improve my credit score, I can pay off some loans

Habits: for the first, I can maybe aim to save 20% of my takehome, by putting 10% in at the start of the month, and trying to put 10% in at the end if I've got enough, and I can set up the timelineless task of opening a high interest-rate savings account for money that I don't need for emergency access; for the second, I can set the timelineless task of setting up a credit card, and get into the habit of paying for my groceries with it; for the third, I can sit down and look at how much of my takehome I can dedicate to this, and then get into the habit of paying off a sustainable amount

Now, I have the timelineless tasks fo getting a credit card, opening a new savings account, and sitting down and looking at my loans, and then I have the two habits of tucking bits of money away and paying off some loans. Note that there's nothing that's made it too urgent (which I admit is a privilege) and there's nothing that tells me I'm a bad person for not being able to do it. Another example:

Domain: intellectual - how can I enrich myself and learn about things that I'm interested in?

General points on this: I would like to read more broadly, I would like to improve my French, I would like to understand more about world events

Habits: for the first, I can read on my commute when I can get a seat on the train, as I have half an hour each way so I can use that time to read. I can set the timelineless task of exploring the kinds of books that I'd like to read; for the second, I can choose to consume more French media when I feel like I have the mental capacity. I also have to speak French at work, so I want to get into the habit of not cowarding out and switching to English (scary but doable); for the last, I can get into the habit of watching the evening news (so it's contained within a time slot and I'm not being overwhelmed by the 24h news cycle) and I can set the timelineless task of picking up a copy of a magazine like the economist once in a while to get a deeper understanding.

So the habits to get into are reading on my commute, choosing to speak more in French, and watching the news when I can; the tasks are maybe picking up a copy of a magazine and coming up with a reading list.

The whole point of this approach is it breaks your bigger goals into a timeline-free to-do list, and then a list of small habits that you can get into. The good news is that there's no punishment for failure! If I want to listen to the Bongo's Bingo Greatest Hits playlist on the train one morning instead of reading about the modern history of Cambodia, nobody's going to come along and tell me off for not being serious enough, or clever enough, or "academic" enough about my approach to life. The to-do list aspect I find immensely helpful, as often I struggle to write larger-level to-do lists when I'm in the middle of the year, because I don't have the same kind of clarity over the types of progress I want to make when I'm in the middle of things.

Anyway, I hope this is useful, and a good counterpoint to the mindset that everyone who's ever been near Studyblr has. Learning now is only for enjoyment, so enjoy that aspect! Live your life! Understand that the process of betterment is all about enriching your personal sphere and nothing about other people because (drumroll) literally nobody else cares! In a good way! Nobody cares that you've not mastered Polish in 3 weeks or read the entire academic output of Montaigne in a week! And it's cool if you have, but the person you are is more important, and freeing yourself from external yardsticks is so so crucial!

Love to anyone who read this far ♥

[honey-on-your-tongue]

All That Could Be

Series masterlist

Part four

Word count: 1.8k

A/N: OMG I'm so sorry it's taken me over a year?!?!?!? What the fuck, that's crazy. I'm so fucking sorry that it's been so fucking long. Buuuuuut, as you all can see, I'm reviving this story and I have every intention of finishing it, babes. I LOVE YOU!!!

You find yourself staring at your reflection in a full-body mirror. You're wearing irrationally...pretty clothes.

A pair of black nylon tights, black combat boots, and a tight, short, red dress. The hem reaches your mid-thigh, the deep v-neck exposing the top of your breasts.

You glance up to meet your own gaze. You're wearing a thick layer of mascara, shiny lip gloss, smoky eyeshadow that makes your eyes look like feline and dangerous, almost like a lynx.

Elegant and deadly.

The doorbell rings, your heart leaps, and suddenly you're full of butterflies.

You spray yourself with your favorite perfume and take a deep breath before walking to the front door. You open it before you regret the whole idea, and you find Wilson there.

He's wearing a white button-up, no tie, casual khakis. He eyes you and you can see the blush that spreads on his cheeks.

“Wow,” he says, his eyes taking one last look from your head to your toes, and then he meets your gaze. “You look...wow.”

You smile almost shyly. “Thank you. You look very handsome yourself,” you reply, and he chuckles softly.

“You ready to go?” he asks, nodding at the stairs.

“Yeah,” you reply, walking out of your apartment. You lock the door after yourself and follow him.

You two walk to his car and he opens the door for you. You thank him and sit in the passenger side, buckling your seat belt as he gets in the driver's seat.

You get to the bar eventually. But the whole ride, you keep debating this. It's wrong, but the general intention is good.

The means justify the end, you decide. You're doing it all for Wilson, to help him. He's your friend, and you care about him. Deeply.

As you two walk into the bar, the smell of cigarettes, alcohol, and sweat fills your nose. The music is loud, booming, shaking your entire body. You lead Wilson to a booth at the far end, crammed and dim, the strobe lights flashing everywhere.

You sit down and he sits down across from you. A waiter comes by and you each order your preferred drinks.

You don't know if it's the lights, the smoke, the fact that you said you'd be someone else tonight or if it's you trying to stick to the plan, but an idea comes to mind. A stupid, stupid idea that you know you shouldn't go through with. And you still do.

“So,” you tell Wilson, taking a sip from your drink before placing it on the table. “I propose we set down a goal for tonight.”

“A goal? Like what?”

You bite your lower lip before saying, “My goal is to do something I'd probably never do, and not regret it tomorrow.”

Wilson raises his eyebrows. “Alright. Uh. My goal is to...forget about my divorce for tonight and just pretend it's not happening.”

You nod. “See? Perfect. Now, we set the rules.” You take a long sip from your drink and add, “Rule number one, there are no rules.” You smile. “You okay with that?”

Wilson nods. “Yeah, I am.” He drinks from his glass of bourbon, neat. “So, when you say you want to do something you normally wouldn't, what do you mean?”

You take a soft breath before smiling. “I don't know,” you admit, smiling playfully. “Probably some spur-of-the-moment sort of thing. Something stupid. Really fucking dumb.” You shrug. “Dumb sort of shit.”

“Ah,” he says. “How come?”

You shrug again. “What's wrong with a little distraction?”

The night draws on. You keep feeling guilty about this whole thing, about tricking him, about how you'll eventually have to break his heart.

So you drink it away. You try to forget it. Try to numb the feeling.

And Wilson keeps up with you.

Soon, you're both on the dance floor sticky from spilled drinks. You're jumping around and laughing, dancing from side to side. It's more of an ecstatic, too-much-pent-up-energy sort of dance in the beginning.

You don't know how or when or why, but from one moment to the next, you find yourself dancing with Wilson.

His hands are on your hips, your arms around his neck. Your eyes are locked on his, the flashing lights making your heart race. Or is it the booming music? Or the way he slowly walks you back until you're pressed up against the wall?

His brown eyes are blown wide with lust. They move to your lips and hold your gaze, his intentions very, very clear.

Do something I'd probably never do...

You let him kiss you. In fact, you meet him halfway. Your lips crash together, hungry and rough. His hands pin your hips to the wall and he presses his body to yours.

The atmosphere is hot, humid with the warmth of so many bodies pressed and moving together. You feel a sheen layer of sweat coating your skin.

It's so hot. So warm. You can't think straight and the music is loud. So much that you can't even hear that little voice in the back of your head yelling, don't! Don't! Don't!

You pull him closer, your breathing heavy as he slides his tongue into your mouth. You can taste the bourbon on his lips, can smell his cologne.

One of his hands moves lower, gliding down the side of your thigh. His fingers tease the hem of your dress before sliding under it, moving slowly to your inner thigh.

You keep kissing him, allowing him to touch you. Somewhere in the back of your head, you know this is a horrendous thing to do. A terrible, terrible idea.

And you still go through with it.

His hand reaches between your thighs, his fingers teasing your clit softly through your tights.

You gasp and moan into the kiss, spreading your legs slightly for him. He keeps touching you, his fingers precise as he plays with your clit.

You're soaked, your slick dripping past your panties and past your tights to wet his fingers. You whine against his mouth, slightly bitting his lower lip.

You feel him smile, his hand pulling your tights down enough for him to push your panties to the side and run his finger up your slit.

You moan softly, arching your back slightly.

“Fuck,” he sighs, kissing your neck. “You're so fucking wet.”

You blush a little but don't say anything. You throw your head back, letting him kiss and bite your neck, his fingers teasing your clit.

You can feel his cock, so hard, poking your lower stomach. You have the sudden urge to take him somewhere and have him fuck you, but you're not stupid enough to do that.

He traces your entrance with one of his rough fingers before sliding it into you. You release a shaky breath as a shot of pleasure runs through your body.

Carefully, he slides a second finger inside of you, curling them up, touching that spongy spot that makes your legs jerk. He presses his thumb to your clit, and when you bite your lip to keep quiet, he laughs, his voice thick and low.

“This will be the dumb fucking shit you do tonight. And you won't regret this tomorrow, right?” he asks, licking under your jaw.

You moan softly and shake your head. “No. Absolutely not.”

He kisses your jaw, his fingers touching all the right spots. Everything around you has become hazy, a dizzying array of lights and drinks and smoke. But all you can focus on is Wilson.

He grabs one of your thighs in his other hand, pulling your leg around his waist so that his fingers can go deeper into you.

You moan against his lips, nails digging into his back. “Oh, God,” you gasp, beginning to grind your hips against his hand. “Oh, God.”

Wilson chuckles, biting your neck, his tongue sliding over the mark he's surely left. “It's okay, it's okay. Relax,” he says gently. “Let me do what I wanna do.”

You mewl, back arching. “What-what do you wanna do?” you ask between moans and heavy breaths.

“I wanna make you come on my fingers, and then on my cock,” he says against your ear, the words rolling ring onto your skin. You can taste the liquor on his tongue, can smell his cologne and the sweet scent of his shampoo.

“Fuck,” you whine. “Fuck.”

“God, you're so wet,” he grunts. “So warm. I just need to be inside of you. Goddamn.”

His fingers move with precision, with a purpose. He's not rushing anything, not doing the typical guy thing of only getting you wet enough to stick it in you. He cares about your pleasure. He wants you to come, to enjoy yourself. And that makes something warm spread through you.

You can feel the ecstasy within you spread, like white-hot coils twisting around your womb, leaving you almost dumb from pleasure.

Just as you’re getting closer and closer, Wilson’s phone rings. He groans, kissing at your neck, and ignores the call. But the phone keeps ringing and ringing, and it’s really ruining the mood.

He pulls his fingers out of you, groaning at the loss of your cunt around his digits. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he says, releasing your thigh from around his waist and pulling his phone out of his pocket. He flips it open and exhales sharply. “House,” he groans into the phone.

You can’t hear what House says on the phone, but you see James’ eye-roll. “No, I’m busy.” A pause. “I’m…at a rave surrounded by sorority girls,” he says sarcastically, winking playfully at you.

You smile softly and laugh.

James grins and quickly says, “House, I’m busy. Goodbye.” He hangs up, putting the phone back in his pocket.

You two stare at each other for a moment and Wilson smiles sheepishly.

“We’ve had too much to drink, huh?” you say quietly, glancing down at the floor.

He nods, agreeing. “Probably. I think maybe it’s best if we…take a cab home.”

“Yeah, okay,” you reply, a little embarrassed, and awkwardly pull your tights back up your thighs.

Wilson grabs your hand with his clean one, licking your slick off his other fingers. “Shame,” he says quietly. “If House hadn’t called…”

You know what he meant. But your guilt is eating at you. Still, you manage a little smile at him. “Raincheck?”

He grins. “Raincheck.”

---

Taglist

@pigeonmama @thefemininemystiquee @acdassenza

---

Blog masterlist

[thrandilf]

alright so Aaravos can't be killed permanently unless he's executed like the Cosmic Order did to his daughter, and we were just introduced to the Cosmic Order as the sort of Big Big Bad Awful antagonists- I'd wager that Callum being a human with two arcana may get their attention, so there's reason for them to be against the Main heroes/Xadia at large

so I'm sitting here like, what's to become of Aaravos?

Imprisoning him again would be the most anticlimatic thing ever after we waited 6 seasons to get him out

Can't kill him

I guess we could kill him for like, a little bit and that could be a season finale if it had to be but doesn't feel fulfilling to me

We could work with him, but he just had 6 seasons of build up as an antagonist and even IF he's in the right it'll be a hell of a battle to get to working together against a common enemy because I may be Team Aaravos but at this time literally no one else but Claudia is

We could reach some uneasy agreement where we just have to live with him but I don't know what sort of compromise he'd want/how that factors into a big kaboom possible end season of a series

Aaravos leaves Xadia altogether to go after the Cosmic Order, with What I have no idea, as I'm hoping his actions for the past 1000 years will make more sense soon. What has he needed to Wait for

On that note, the stars could align again and the Cosmic Order comes down to Xadia next season and we have to join Aaravos against them which seems kind of like the fastest option if we only have One season for all of this shit. Really weird though, if the Celestial Elves had nothing to say about this happening soon/any kind of prophecy so who knows. it would seem kind of out of the blue

Also, the Cosmic Order could come here, Aaravos gets what's to us a tragic death at their hands, and seasons 8-10 if we get them are about taking down the Cosmic Order but since Aaravos has spent so little time onscreen it would feel weird to kill him but I don't know anything so maybe

Idk, just my thoughts, we know his motivation/goal but unless if it really is just "generate enough chaos to get the Cosmic Order's attention for 1000 years while also taking out people I have grudges against" and that's the extent of his plan, I just don't know what else he's doing/it does seem like he doesn't actually care about humans if he'd kill so many of them, even right up to before he gets the most sympathetic, so idk. I'm not even sure what he's doing now that he's out except maybe wrecking stuff in Xadia? Which could somehow meet his chaos goal?

He's so precise about his actions but to what actual useful end and what he needs next I just have no fucking clue I'm gonna be so real

[tokidokitokyo]

明けましておめでとうございます。今年も宜しくお願いします。

Happy New Year! Thank you for your continued support this year.

This is the traditional New Year's greeting in Japan (formal). If you'd like to be less formal, you can just say

明けましておめでとう！今年もよろしく！

And with your close friends, to be even less formal (because Japanese people love to say things in shortened format):

あけおめ！ことよろ！

The year is new and I think we're all motivated to study Japanese more than ever. Have you set your goals for the new year already? I haven't yet (that's what this post is for) but I like to wait until the year has turned and then come up with my goals. Usually because I'm continually running around up until the New Year, so I don't have time to sit down and put my goals into writing until the new year has already come.

This year I'd like to set out some general goals, as well as small goals I'd like to make into daily habits (along with the daily habits I already have). This will be a long post, so read as much or as little as you like! 2025 Goals below the cut!

Past Goals from: 2020 | 2021 (no post) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024

Tips for Setting Goals

Some things I've learned from the past 4+ years of setting Japanese language study goals that might help you too:

Be realistic: It's great to say you will memorize 10 kanji a day every day for 365 days, but is it realistic? Will you do it every day for a year? What if you get burned out in February? Will you be able to come back to it in March? I know the extent of my free time and my own ability to be consistent, and I try to be realistic for my own sake. If I make a goal more flexible, like memorize 10 kanji a week instead of daily, it gives me more leeway to take a day off here and there, and to recover from burn out when it happens.

The goals you set are flexible: Rigidly adhering to your goals doesn't help you and it really doesn't make a difference to anyone else but you (I speak from experience). Set goals you think you can accomplish, then change them if they aren't what you need. They aren't set in stone, and they can be changed as often as you want. No one will think anything of you for changing them, and being kind to yourself is a good thing.

Be broad when setting long term goals, but remember why you want to set those goals: "I want to be fluent in Japanese" is a good many-year long-term goal, but how you get there is something that can be made into short-term goals. Do you want to improve the number of vocabulary words you know? Kanji recognition ability? Listening in conversation or anime? Maybe a better long-term goal might be "I want to improve my conversational listening ability in Japanese," and then you can create attainable short-term goals from there.

Goals aren't for everyone: Maybe you don't need goals for 2025? Or to post them publicly? I set goals because I am that kind of person who likes to look back and to track my progress. And I feel like posting publicly holds me accountable (before I go ahead and meet none of my goals). But maybe goal setting isn't for you! If you want to study for the JLPT because of work-related needs or bragging rights, maybe just setting up a study schedule using one or more of the study textbooks for the JLPT is enough. Or if you are just learning Japanese to learn Japanese, maybe just continually watching anime or chatting with people on HelloTalk is enough for you. Do you need goals to motivate you? Keep your goals super realistic. Do you just want to track your progress? Make a spreadsheet or get one of the many tracking apps. Goals aren't for everyone, and in the end they really only matter to you.

Without further ado, my goals...

Daily Goals 2025

In 2024 I had a set of daily habits that I did a very good job of keeping up. Some days it was harder to fit in everything than others, but having a set of daily goals and a small minimum time commitment (10 minutes) helped me to maintain my study momentum, even if sometimes I had less motivation. After all, the key to progress in Japanese is using it every day.

Daily Habits from 2024 (that I'd like to continue)

Study Japanese for at least 10 minutes a day

Read something in Japanese every day

Speak Japanese daily

Listen to/watch something in Japanese every day

New Daily Habits for 2025 (that I'd like to add)

Learn 1 vocabulary word daily

Learn 1 kanji daily

Write one sentence daily

Weekly Goals 2025

I didn't consciously follow a lot of weekly habits in 2024, but I'd like to be more mindful of incorporating certain aspects of study on a weekly basis.

New Weekly Habits for 2025

Study one N3/N2 grammar point weekly

Listen to one podcast weekly

Watch one TV show episode/movie/YouTube video weekly

Write on HelloTalk once a week

2025 Goals

These are my more general goals for the entire year and what I want to accomplish by the end of 2025.

Finish 総まとめ N2 (Sou-matome N2) workbooks: I started these workbooks last year but never got into a routine with them. This year I'd like to complete them.

Read 3 Japanese novels level N3 or N2: I will use Natively to help me to find books that sound interesting and match the level at which I'd like to read.

Work through the 漢字検定ステップ6 (Kanji Kentei level 6) book: I have had this book forever but stopped using it seriously a few years ago.

Read 3 Japanese textbooks from the Libby Japan Foundation LA Library: I found some Japanese textbook study type books for Japanese learners and some for Japanese elementary school students on the Libby Japanese Library (needs a US phone number), and I'd like to read at least three of these.

Consistently watch one Japanese drama: In 2024, I watched the NHK Taiga Drama Hikaru Kimi e (光る君へ) every week, and although they used old Japanese, poetic Japanese, and lots of ancient government-related vocabulary that took me time to pick up, the consistency of watching the drama every week (and knowledge of Murasaki Shikibu's life) helped me to understand the drama without subtitles (JP or EN). I'd like to pick a new drama for 2025 (even if it's not year-long) and keep up with it.

Thanks for sticking with me! I hope your studies in 2025 will be productive and fun! If any of this helped you, great! And if it didn't, that's ok too. Whether you set goals or not, remember to be kind to yourself this year. And if you have set goals, let me know your number 1 goal (I'm actually really interested to see what everyone's goals are!).

素敵な一年になりますように！

Wishing you a wonderful year ahead!

[bengiyo]

Wonderful day in Thailand. but now for the important questions.

Of all the ql thai couples, what couple would be the biggest headache for Namnuea? And why?

Rose💜

See, this is an interesting question. I've been thinking about it for days, and now I just want a follow up show about Wiwa Square tackling all of the new gay weddings. I'd love this as an episodic show where the challenges the classic BL couple is dealing with reflects something going on with Nuea's or his people's lives. Any Thai fans following me, feel free to propose this to your people and make this happen. Just make sure I get to watch it.

The Wedding Plan Wiwa Square Spinoff Show Guests

With that in mind, I'd like to see an episode for the following pairs:

Sarawat and Tine

I just know that Tine is going to be the one they expect to be dramatic as hell, but it's going to be Sarawat freaking out about everything being perfect in a fantastic meltodown. We could have Lom talk to Sarawat and share how the closet affected both of them.

Teh and Oh-aew

Teh wanted to come out at the end of IPYTM, and wanna see the glam these two could pull off. I just know they're going to have an epic fight. This would be a good episode for Lom and Nuea to have a big fight.

Patts and Saengtai

Honestly, I want this episode because I feel like we didn't learn a lot about Patts beyond his relationships with Nara, his grandmother, and Tai. It would be a great chance to delve deeper into his character and see these two trying to communicate properly now that Tai is not holding back. These two also kissed really good, so this would be a good episode for Nuea and Lom to have a steamy moment.

Mork and Tawan

Let's be real: weddings are expensive. Mork's poverty was a huge part of his story in My Ride, and I think it would be really cool to see Wiwa Square work on a small budget for Cheep and Dej, Mork's gay uncles. It would also be an opportunity to talk about wealth and aging while queer.

See-eiw and Cake

The benefit of these two being friends to lovers is that their families saw how close they were the whole time. Despite the unfortunate PSA at the end of My Only 12%, this would be a great episode to focus on families around weddings. We'd get to see Cake's mom stepping in to fill the mom role for See-eiw, and this could be an opportunity for Lom's mom to reenter the fold.

Yang and Phumjai

We need a good episode for hijinks. The Love in Translation cast would be perfect for this. Yang is also Chinese, so we could focus on some cross-cultural traditions.

Charn and Tinn

I'm sorry, I just want Nawin to meet Neua. It also means Silvy could cameo. This would be an excellent episode for the side characters to take center again because they decide to keep Nuea away from Charn or something.

Phun and Noh

I just want White and Captain to get back together every few years and reprise these characters for little check ins. This episode would be a good time to talk about long-term relationships and their challenges with guys who are just a few years older than Neua and Lom.

Khai and Third

Speaking of White showing up in BL! I'd like to see Third struggling with his perfect wedding plans. This would be a great time to reflect on how weddings have been presented in media, and they could spin that either way by either leaning into the tropes or actively subverting them. That would be in line with the ToL goals.

Pluem and Kevin

These two had fantastic chemistry in Ghost Host, Ghost House. This could be a good episode to reflect on how weddings feel when some of our loved ones didn't get to live to see the day. I think this could be a really touching reflection on grief softened by how comfortable these two always manage to look with each other.

Pharm and Dean

I honestly don't think these two would have a lot of problems within themselves for the wedding itself. For this episode, we could really focus on wedding logistics. We could have something go really wrong with a caterer at the last minute and have Pharm step in to save his own wedding while Dean uses his connections to fix other things blowing up around them. This could be a good episode about Nuea and Lom having problems maintaining a good work-life balance.

Cairo and Gavreel

We need to do an international episode, and I'd like to see a crossover with The IdeaFirst Company in some way. Gav and Cai have been separated multiple times. I like the idea of them finally getting to marry at a destination wedding.

Shin Ki Tae and Lee Wan

I just wanna see these two again. This would be another international episode, and we could get back into some of the unresolved abandonment issues Shin Ki Tae is happening, and we could have a cross-cultural dialogue about making things right.

Im Han Tae and Han Ba Ram

Another international episode. They could use this episode to talk about the ongoing challenges of being a public figure and a star if these two are successful.

This was a lot of fun to think about! I really want this show now.

[hyperthusiast]

To celebrate the completion of my longest fic yet (115,106 words - how the fuck did that happen???), I thought I'd share all my current Hazbin Hotel fic plans! (Yeah, this is partially so I have a written list, cause I keep adding more.)

Red with Envy

Obviously, this is still my AppleMedia WIP, and I have no idea how long it's going to end up being. I have a rough idea of the next 5-6 chapters, but I'll be honest, I don't know where it's going after that. (And no, that is NOT a good ending point; there is a very big issue that will need to be solved, I just currently have no idea how that will be done.)

Cherri Bang Fic

I'm writing a fic for @cherribangevent but I can't share much about it. All I can say is that it will be StaticApple.

A Killer Internship (working title)

This will be another long RadioStatic fic, that will start when they're alive and go into post-Season 1. In life, Vox (then Victor) interns at a radio station under Alastor, but his eyes are set on the prize money for catching the local serial killer. The two men become close, and Victor struggles with some of the things he's feeling for his boss (it's the 20s, so yeah, we're getting internalized homophobia from Mr. Gotta-Be-the-Perfect-Son - daddy issues thrown in for free!), but eventually the shoe drops, and Alastor realizes that Victor's gotten too close to learning the truth and their goals are not compatible. Years later, the old friends reunite in Hell, and Vox is determined that things will be different this time when he approaches his old mentor for an internship under a new name. It's a fresh start, and it has to go better than how things went on Earth - right?

Virgin Sacrifice

This is a StaticApple fic that also takes place when Vox was alive, and it's not as smutty as the title makes it sound. Vox is the leader of a devil-worshipping cult, and he's decided to attempt a summoning. It may be risky, but he has several virgin followers that he's convinced to offer themselves as a sacrifice. Except when Lucifer appears before them, he's not interested in any of them. He's only interested in Vox, and he's... not what Vox expected. And now there's a risk that Vox hadn't anticipated - that he might actually be falling for the devil. Side note: This fic has the potential for a sequel, depending on demand, which would take place with Vox and Lucifer meeting again after Season 1. But there would be a strong possibility for that going in an AppleMedia direction cause Alastor is demanding, and he'd have to be involved.

Cruel Mercy

This is another long AppleMedia fic, and is the one I have the least planned for currently. Vox miscalculated when he attacked the Hazbin Hotel. He'd thought he'd be able to destroy Alastor and his little pet project once and for all, but instead he's ended up at the wrong end of an angelic spear. Except, Little Miss Bleeding Heart wants to offer him a chance, all he has to do is join the Hazbin Hotel. It's the last thing that Vox wants - or perhaps the second to last thing because he also doesn't want to die. So, he agrees. Vox joins the Hazbin Hotel under the constant supervision of both Alastor and Lucifer, and if this is what mercy feels like, it's suspiciously similar to torture.

And that's all I have right now! (Hopefully all I'll have for a while, cause it'll take me forever to get through all of these.) Right now, I'm just focusing on Red with Envy and my Cherri Bang fic, but I'm so excited for all of these.

[sasuhinamonth]

Beginnings and Ends - SasuHina Recs

It's the 21st! That means it's fic writer appreciation day!

In celebration, I'd like to share some SH recs, but in a fun way!!! I'll be posting the first and last line of the fic, along with name, author, and brief description as to why I'm rec-ing it!

Good work, writers!

p.s. - Most of the links will be to FFNet, but if you see purple text, that means it's posted on AO3 as well~ I'm just doing this to save a little time on my end, but I understand some prefer reading on AO3!

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A Miracle by Eleanor Rigby 000

"A field trip!?" The class repeated. After that, several voices chirped, each of them commenting on how psyched they are for the class field trip.

"Forever," she assured

This is a angsty, passionate story of hurt, comfort, love, and meeting an old love. The story is Modern AU where Sasuke's a model and comes back to visit his childhood town, where he meets Hinata. Honestly, this is the first and only fic that has made me actively cry, and I cannot praise it enough! Please check it out!!!

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Okaeri by The Penumbra

She felt his fist connect with her stomach and went crashing down to the ground, barely having time to register what was happening.

"Okaeri, Sasuke. Welcome home."

This is sort of a prequel to the author's other fic "Snapshots: Black and White", which is also a stellar fic. It's set in canonverse, where Sasuke and Hinata slowly develop a friendship/relationship. You'll get your fair amount of angst, but really, you can hardly avoid such things in SH fics xD.

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Ichinen by Cinderella Starsend

Hyuuga Hinata stifled a yawn as she stepped out of the door and shut it behind her.

"And I love you."

I LOVE this fic! It's split into 12 chapters, each corresponding with a month. Hinata works at Ichiraku's in an attempt to get closer to Naruto, but she bonds with Sasuke more. I really enjoy fics set in the narutoverse that change things like this, mixing around dynamics so it's not always ninja stuff and war and training. It's a cute story, and the author's prose is beautiful!

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Neji Hyuuga: Matchmaker by emilyjm

Hyuuga Neji prided himself on seeing things other people never noticed.

Mission: matchmaker must be completed within five years.. Good luck, Neji!

UGHHHHH! Where do I start????? It's set in narutoverse where Neji's not only alive, but in charge of matchmaking everyone in Konoha so that he can get Sasuke and Hinata together. It's incredible sweet and incredibly moving and incredibly moving, and I love SH fics with a heavy focus on Neji. Please read it, and please read Another Story (sequel) which is JUST as good!!!

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When Will I Lose You by @elreinodelpurgatorio

Hinata, Lady of the Underworld, stands in her peach orchard and watches the Doom God and the Messenger God speak to each other.

One of these days, Sasuke, seated on a throne next to Hinata, is the one to look at a wretched soul and say: "Request denied."

This is a really fun HadesxPersephone AU where Hinata is Hades and Sasuke is Persephone! It's a short, magical read that is always a breath of fresh air! The author is really good at coming up with pretty sentences. Highly rec!

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What's Mine To Give by WritingHyuHin

After the massacre of his clan, Sasuke had one goal in his life at that young age. Revenge.

The things I do for you... Only you.... Hinata.

This is a rewriting of The Last movie, but SasuHina style! I think it's very believable and a fun thing to read, since I've watched The Last quite a few times. Seeing things that should be Naruto but are instead replaced with Sasuke warm my little, shipper heart. Give this one a chance!

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Nyctophilia by Sommernacht

For as long as he could remember, the night had offered him comfort.

"Indeed," he whispered against her skin. His fingers found their way under her fishnet top, making her shiver under the touch. "The most beautiful night."

Sommer hits it out of the park once again! This was their 2022 SHMonth one-shot in which Sasuke and Hinata secretly meet each other when 'borrowing' meds at night. They grow close and confide in one another, and I think it's a loving, deep connection that is impressive to make in just one chapter!

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A Study of Mannerisms and Other Alterations by MissLe

Sasuke Uchiha, as it was well known, was in possession of some very, very gorgeous eyes.

She decided, however, that the regal Uchiha nose would always hold a special place in her heart.

Ahhhh, this is probably one of my all time favorite fics! It's fluffy, it's cute, it's funny! I absolutely adore it! This fic is set in a Modern AU, where Hinata is a waitress at a cafe and Sasuke, a member of the firefighter team that comes by almost daily, has a pretty obvious crush on her. These two dweebs are adorable, and I read this fic so much!!!

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Uprooted by @kiljoius

Today, Hinata is 20.

“Maybe I can live with that.” Maybe she can, too, she thinks.

Arranged Marriage? Check. Fluff and Humor in a SH FIC of all things???? Check. Witty dialogue and amazing chemistry? Check check check! Without giving too many spoilers, this Modern AU fic follows Hinata and Sasuke, who plan to act 'over the top' in their arranged relationship in order to get out of it. Lets just say it doesn't work as planned for them huhu. This is a really fun fic, so if you're in the mood, give it a read!

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This is what I've got for now, but please feel free to comment or reblog with your own favorite fics (either your own or others) with their first and last lines.

@kiljoius @elreinodelpurgatorio @daifukumochiin @catruru @fher43 @gardenatsuntime @lavendereyedassassin @cariata @naoko-ichigo @lavender-long-stories @p-crowds @queenfox352 - You guys, too! Show off fics you like (or your own)!

Good work to all authors/writers out there! We love you!!!

Mod: PC