#I’m glad I got to witness this specific bit live
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dear anons I thank you all for this but I don’t want to spam so I’ll just reply in this way
I can sleep safely knowing when even the slightest hint of a whimper occurs it will send the messengers to my inbox 🫡
#I will watch the stream tomorrow#I just had like 20 mins to check it before heading home#I’m glad I got to witness this specific bit live#it’s very inconvenient that he streams as I’m stuck in traffic lol#ask#asks#non voice post#edit: wait what is going on with my profile pic#why is it only there sometimes#functional website
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hecklers welcome vinyl review and thoughts on how the heck james did this
excessive and spoilery comedy-nerd thoughts on the hecklers welcome vinyl/kettering recording below the cut!
James was not lying when he said this recording was of a very chaotic gig. The amount of heckling got so out of hand, he had to give up on his planned material in the end. Which I was expecting going into it, because I'd seen someone on tumblr who was at the Kettering show saying the same thing. If I hadn't had that warning, though, and if I didn't have my own bootleg recording of the NYC show I went to, I might've been disappointed at just how little of the actual material made it onto this vinyl.
All that said, I'm glad I have this recording, because one of the things I love most about comedy is dissecting how it works! And thanks to my relatively-heckle-free show, I didn't really get to see how James was managing his concept for the tour without totally losing control of the audience. The vinyl definitely gave me a lot of fascinating insight there.
I've only listened all the way through once, so these are just initial thoughts. I'll probably find other things when I listen again and again in the future. Also, most of this is me guessing things. I know from a friend who was at the RHLSTP live recording James did a few weeks ago that he talked more about his process for the tour there, and I'm looking forward to hearing if any of my speculation is confirmed when the podcast drops.
The main thing that stood out is that James seems to have jokes/bits that are reserved specifically for getting the audience back on course. If you were at a more well-behaved show, you might not have heard them!
To wit: In the planned material, very close to the beginning, he explains that he doesn’t like doing standup comedy and that he’s had a pattern of getting angry at his audience. He tells a story of a particular gig early in his career where he didn’t handle a heckler well. Then it’s supposed to be sort of a record-scratch-‘you’re-probably-wondering-how-I-got-here’ thing for the rest of the show, with lots of stories from his childhood and such.
The important part to understand is he establishes the ‘I hate my job’ concept early enough that hopefully there are no heckles to derail it, so he can count on being able to do callbacks to that material at any point. This was demonstrated about 15 minutes into the Kettering show, when he went from managing a heckler, to doing a bit about a list of reminders/affirmations he keeps on his phone and reads through before each gig. I didn't get to hear this bit at all in NYC! And it was a delightful additional insight into James’ psyche and very funny, so I’m so glad it made it onto the vinyl.
I’ll share what he revealed of the list in a separate post instead of burying it in a bunch of meta. For my purposes here, the only thing to know is the last item: ‘you don’t have to keep on doing this if you don’t want to.’ To which he added, ‘I could run out here and play the drums’, and immediately started playing the child-size drum set he has on stage. And once he was done playing, he went straight into more of the material I'd heard at my show.
So that's the other half of the ‘get the gig back on track’ strategy I didn't see until now. In NYC, he went over to the drums or the tetherball set occasionally, but it wasn’t even acknowledged in his material. He'd go over, play, then continue with the next bit. But in this ‘list’ routine, he uses the drums very specifically to sort of reset the show. He goes from dealing with a heckler, to doing a joke he can stick in anywhere as needed, to playing the drums, to picking up roughly where he should be in the actual sequence of the material.
I imagine the drum solo also gives him a pause where he doesn’t need to talk and can think through how he might have to cut or rearrange things to manage his timing. Not that it mattered in the end for the Kettering gig, but I can see how it would work quite well when half the audience isn’t unruly teenage boys, haha.
So interesting!
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OMG I HAD A TERRIBLE MORNING, BUT THE MOMENT I SAW YOUR ANSWER I LITERALLY JUST STARTED SQUEAKING AND SCREAMING AND KICKING MY FEET. MY SISTER THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY 💥💥💥
ahEM- hello again :3 no need to apologise ❤️ I was thinking that tumblr just decided to eat my ask on dinner 🍽️ glad that it's not!!! I actually planning to plunge myself in your inbox and live here rent free now tehee :3 so I think I need some nickname so you could recognise me... may I be a yapping shrimp anon 🦐 ??? shrimps are silly AND I talk a lot, professional yapper at your service. also I made an OC for your game that is a funny cherry shrimp guy. would shrimp be an option for MC associated animal???? it's a shame that you can't send pictures as anon, I would love to show the dude to you. I think I got a bit of courage after all the time that have passed and your answer boosting it a lot!!!! be careful, I might send silly ask at any moment now 😈😈😈 I FINALLY DECIDED ON WHO IS MY FAVORITE. it's Nalis!! he's officially promoted to my babygirl now ✨✨✨ sorry Thaumo, you lost this battle. but I still love you pathetic little guy ❤️
HOPE YOU HAVE A NICE MORNING/DAY/NIGHT IDK WHAT TIME IS IT IN YOUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW!!! thank you so much for answering :"3 ❤️✨ you're my favourite developer!! ALSO I WITNESSED THIS WHOLE MADNESS WITH TAMPON JOKES AND I LAUGHED SO HARD AT IT. Thaumo have no shame it's crazy 😭😭😭
That makes me so so happy to hear 😭💕💕 thank you!!!! Your first ask was so sweet it had me screaming & kicking my feet too 🤝🤝🤝🤝
I’m very happy to have you here as another rent-free & cherished resident of the inbox 🫶 & of course, yapping shrimp anon it is!
Someone else asked for a shrimp too so I’m adding one!! I haven’t decided what type of shrimp yet though, I’m still deciding on specific types for shrimp & shark.
I wonder if there’s a way for me to change the settings so people using anon can send images? I’ll look into it!! Seeing people’s different MCs makes me so happy, I’d love to see your shrimp MC. I’m also so happy to hear that you’ve gained some courage!! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )💕💕 I’ll look forward to hearing some silly asks from you in the future
Thank you for this ask as well, and I hope you have a wonderful day/evening/night too!! (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)💕✨ Being anyone’s favorite developer is wild to me and not something I ever expected, but it truly means a lot to me 😭💕💕
#symptoms of deceit asks#congrats to Nalis for being promoted to babygirl status by yapping shrimp anon‼️ 🥳🥳🥳🥳
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Tadaima, Okaeri Episode 5 Review - Big Brother Hikari
If you’re from an Asian family and you’re the eldest son or daughter, you probably experienced many different types of roles. Maybe you were the agony aunt, the trauma dumpster, the third parent, or something similar. To be honest, I’m not the oldest in my Asian family—I’m the youngest. I’m just listing out these categories from the people I’ve witnessed growing up. Why am I mentioning all of this? Well, as a toddler character, Hikari could have been written to be any one of the things I mentioned, but fortunately, the author does a great job balancing out Hikari as an individual and Hikari as a big brother so that he isn’t just one or the other. Though, I do want to warn you that anime kids are much, much different from kids in real life.
Hikari is a great big brother, honestly! He’s never been jealous of Hinata and he really enjoys having her around his life. He could’ve been easily jealous or possessive due to how spoiled he was, but he doesn’t seem to mind sharing his parents, specifically Masaki, with her. That’s a sign that he’ll be an amazing older brother growing up and that both siblings will have a strong bond.
Because his environment has changed, Hikari now has to grow up a bit. He tries to be a bit too selfless and it causes him to get a fever from stress. I’m glad that Masaki and Hiromu are great parents as they guide Hikari as gentle and wise as possible. For example, Hiromu didn’t freak out when Hikari tried feeding an apple to Hinata. Instead, he tells him that Hinata needs to learn how to chew before he can share food with her and then Masaki tells him that Hinata prefers watching Hikari eat rather than being fed, to which Hikari got happy. I swear, their parenting style is what all Asian families need. Down with trauma dumping and high expectations! We need more gentle and kind parenting! Parents are guides in their child’s lives, after all. Being a positive influence does wonders. This is why Hikari is super sweet and kind! I’m glad that Masaki and Hiromu aren’t putting all of their attention on Hinata and that they still share it with Hikari all the time.
I do like the little conversation Hikari has with Matsuo. Since Hiromu, Masaki and Yuuki are only children, Matsuo is technically his senpai in the land of big brothers. His advice to Hikari shows that he really was a great older brother, but he denies that. It also shows that Hikari is someone who takes things literally, which is why he overexerts himself and got himself a fever. The way he mentioned that his parents think of Hiromu as another son and Hikari as a grandson would be a great story idea. The Matsuo parents were supposed to make an appearance in the story, but it was scrapped by the author. Matsuo’s younger brothers will make a future appearance, however; stay tuned to when they make their debut.
Hiromu and Masaki’s little conversation was also really nice too. It’s their first time having two kids so both parents are growing alongside Hikari. They really have an ideal relationship where both of them talk about their worries to each other and are still lovey-dovey as they’re not afraid of public affection.
The second half of the episode was a nice little way for Hikari to be spoiled by his family. The family is invited to spend a day with the in-laws minus Matsuo and Yuuki this time around. It’s just the four of them. I think this was a nice segue in a way because Children’s Day was just yesterday in Japan.
It’s also a segment showcases how the relationship between Masaki and his in-laws are getting better and how Hiromu’s tension with his father has lifted, but he still has snarky quips towards him every now and then. It’s funny how similar they are in personality as they both record Hikari wearing the paper hat.
Speaking of in-laws, Hiromu’s mother Akira is formally introduced here. She’s very elegant and graceful. I love how kind she is when it came to wanting to make amends with Masaki and even had him trying on her bridal kimono that she wanted to give to him. She’s sweet, but I did wonder about her stance on her son marrying an omega. She doesn’t seem to be against it given her demeanor and that it seemed like it was only Kouji who had rejected the marriage before apologizing. Hiromu is surprising a very good balance of both of his parents in a way. His hair, eyes and mole all came from Akira, while the personality is all from his dad. I do wish I could’ve seen how his relationship with his mother was like since he mainly interacted with his father.
The voice acting in this episode was really good! Konomi Kohara makes very convincing baby babbles. You can tell that Atsumi Tanezaki has a good grasp on Hikari as she makes him more articulate as he’s now a three year old. Toshiyuki Morikawa does an amazing job with the many types of tones he gives Hiromu whenever he is interacting with someone. It feels like I’ve witnessed Morikawa play five different characters. He makes his voice high pitched when he is doting over his kids. He gets irritated when his father calls Masaki. He’s gentle when he’s only with Masaki. I think my favorite of Morikawa’s performance is when he makes Hinata sound like a woman in her 40’s. I got reminded that he did voice the Panda Mom in Shirokuma Cafe. Shinpachi Tsuji does a great job with the silly and serious sides of Kouji. Atsushi Tamaru does a great job with the gentle side of Masaki and also the part where he got all embarrassed from Hiromu staring at him in his bridal clothes was super adorable. Akira’s voice actress is Naomi Shindo and she does a great job bringing out the gentle demeanor of hers.
Oh, if you have noticed, this is the first episode where Yuuki doesn’t make an appearance outside of the brief recap in the beginning. I was surprised he doesn’t appear at all because I had been expecting another post-credit scene between him and Matsuo to appear again, but no, he doesn’t appear at all. His name doesn’t even appear in the credits. Well, it makes sense given that Yuuki wasn’t present in these two chapters either. Don’t worry, he’ll appear next episode. Do you miss Yuuki? What are your thoughts on this episode?
#tadaima okaeri#masaki fujiyoshi#hiromu fujiyoshi#hikari fujiyoshi#hinata fujiyoshi#kouji fujiyoshi#Akira fujiyoshi#Tomohiro matsuo#review#anime#anime review#bl anime#omegaverse#ecargmura#arum journal
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I love Colin, I love Ted Lasso writers a very not so normal amount let me tell ya.
This gonna be a stupid rant please bear with me.
As a football fan (Chelsea darling you need to get your shit together asap), I know damn well how this toxic and homophobic this community can be. There is a famous Spanish goalkeeper who once stated on the bird app that he was gay (tho he’s happily married to a woman), and one of his teammates was just… played along with that ig? At first, I thought he was so brave to say that publicly, I might have well defended him on every online post laughing at him and his “sexuality” (yes, all of those comments were horrible— and yes, I’m glad that I did not do that). Only later the gk said his account was hacked. They were just making fun of coming out in football without realising how much hurt they had caused to the queer community. And I never felt disgusted towards them ever like that before. And no one, not a single soul felt bad for the ones’d been hurt. They just laughed it off and everything went on like usual.
Unlike in women’s league, we hardly see any out men players in major leagues (5 ones: England, France, Spain, Italia, Germany). Even if we know someone, he was no longer playing, at all. That’s just the world we’re living in. Though I must acknowledge the effort they’re putting on during every specific occasion in a year.
Back to Colin. I was so touched and emotional when hearing him sharing his deep down thoughts.
“I don’t want to be a spokeperson. I don’t want a bunch of apologies.”
Colin does not need to stand out. He does not want to stand in the spotlight and talk about his sexuality, to be an influencer of something like that. He just wants his life to be exact the way it is, and it is not about feeling ashamed or something. I have a strong feeling that he will not come out to the world. Colin just has a little secret to himself (and to his himbos family only). And I believe he’s happy with it.
That being said, Colin does not want to put any pressure on his teammates when they find out he’s gay. He knows they love him for whoever he is, and they might feel guilty because of those previous disrespect comments, but Colin does not blame them. As long as they care for him (of course!), then Colin feels no need to hear any apologises.
“All I want, is for when we win a match, to be able to kiss my fella the same way the boys kiss their girls”
My heart just dropped dead onto the floor. Oh how many times have Colin witnessed other players got to kiss their lovers and wished he could be like them. He saw Jamie, Sam, and then Roy have lovely moments with their love interests, with everyone else cheering and supporting. Hope to see his ahead journey when at least now someone knows and understands his feeling. For the first time, he actually feels “seen”.
Trent and Colin conversation will forever be engraved in my brain. Such a healthy and heart-warming moment between them. It’s safe to say Sunflowers is my favourite episode from Ted Lasso, I laughed and I squeaked and I teared up and I died at every shot. This episode is a fucking masterpiece!!
P/S: I let out a sigh of relief when they haven’t killed off Michael yet. Colin deserves every bit of happiness and love please don’t take Michael away from him I’m begging youuuu
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OK CATCHUP TIME bro I fr thought you meant a HIATUS LMAOO GLAD YOURE BACK THO!!!!!! I fr was wondering if you’d be back for s2 maybe I was just primed by the usual tumblr hiatus sessions LOL
Tumblr the ultimate opp bruhhhhh someone come fix this site
ISAAC NEWTON AHAHAISHABAB bro what kind of poster is that…it’s FUNNY but aren’t you trying to encourage your students LMAOO??? It’s most definitely oaeu vibes coded
FR that’s the description I was looking for like he’s emo but that’s it. No other personality flavor. No you’re so real for megumi sae has no wit no sass it’s just flat emo and insults his insults aren’t even creative
BRUH I SAW THAT AND WENT ?????? Im ngl that ending felt like a whole load of nothing like huh??????? Idek what to say atp like yes gege give us NOTHING??? Whatever wars over ig truly the end of an era can’t wait to get my sanity back
SHAHSSH LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK sometimes I scroll through a tag and see a completely different character from a completely different fandom like WHAT are YOU doing HERE??
No because I usually look on the usual site likes bulbapedia or serebii but I didn’t find anything at first glance so I scrolled a bit to find something that was more formatted for fast looking ig that was my first mistake
Wait actually???? Wtf…ok wait BAROU how did I not think of that LMFAO anti-ginger campaign so real (I also don’t like the carrot juice aesthetic dw) but OMG can’t wait to see the manifestation of that Reo fic
LMAOOO real almost forgot that I didn’t even recognize some of those pokemon (Kunigami getting slandered and catching strays real wc Kunigami ESPECIALLY gives me scovillain vibes)
OOOOOOH wait the summoning concept slaps I’ve always found it really interesting but I haven’t read anything that uses that trope in awhile I’m very intrigued
Too real I think we have the same brain I LOVE CJILDHOOD FRIENDS TO LOVERS had to resist from adding fairy to mine because Wb already has that going on but yeah that’s also why I’ve always preferred rivals instead of enemies like something about the “extreme” of enemies usually ends up in a lot of wacky and cliche things that I don’t specifically enjoy
LMAOOOOO WAKT I’m excited and scared (only because of the swerve factor) KARASU MEDDLING WOULD BE SOOOO GOOD also wait on that note if you did feel like childhood friends would help you feel free to add it idm either way lowk I had some vague ideas about miscommunication but nothing concrete either LMAO I mean my first thought is always angst relating to his traumatic upbringing but that’s kinda a given…maybe his differing personalities (when he’s with friends vs parents) idk I’ll leave this in your capable hands and leave it vague so you can work your magic….i trust you’ll cook!! (No pressure though obv we will NOT be channeling Hiori parent energy) karasu fr about to come save hioris ass though HAHA
OOOOOOH I’m living for it I can sense a real work of art brewing here
AIKULATIONS anything with aikulations is gonna slap I can just feel those vibes
LMAOOOO dumbass Karasu we love to see it trip down memory lane to fwtkac vibes
“Sae number 2” has me crying (still not getting over the fact that there’s 3) LMAO sae would fit that trope perfectly like with the way he’s got his manager sweating HAHA
The love triangle is actually so exciting it’s been awhile since I’ve read a good one that combo of characters too is also such a unique choice many possibilities
The Isagi one is fr so isagi it’s hilarious but OOOH MURDER MYSTERY I see the vision
Sae number 3…ok wait Spanish tutor that’s kinda cute I also think when done well childhood friends with Rin has a lot of potential too excited to see what you cook
WAIT IM ON MY KNEES PLEASE USE THE SCATTERBUG IDEA LMFAOOAOOOOOOO especially with it being from Tullia I’m crying I’m so invested in the aiku Niko dynamic now (wait speaking of what vivillon variant do you think he’d get….lowk idr the mechanics of how you get different ones I just know they exist)
CRYING its kinda giving fwtkac once again this is so funny yuki is about to have a really good sense of smell at this rate if Karasu blows his eardrums out
RANDOMLY PASS AWAY (NOT THE HOLLYHOCK REF) he would just do a ninja despawn move and never come back
I forgot he liked owls I was fr like “bro what sparked you to think of this” now I see it HAHAHA wait you should use this for the Rin fic for the event it’s actually perfect (wait this would also be really funny in ref to the sae spanish teacher fic but sae likes seagulls)
NOOOOO omg hope your wrist gets better soon!!! Wait that’s actually crazy bro writing a whole PhD thesis paper in 36 hours or something and THE EYE omg manifesting a very speedy recovery!!!!
NAGI HATING MUTUAL SHAHSHSH but that’s so funny imagine no one ever caught it until pursuits full debut
REST AND RECHARGE TIME!!!! Yes omg a long kdrama binge session is in order! I think the most recent one I watched was “marry my husband” that was actually CRAZY although if you’re looking to not get mad maybe choose a different one because I was getting invested into that drama
SHSHSHS no because I kept debating how I should’ve perceived the way you worded it but the “come back stronger” made me think you were gonna go through a journey first not a 36 hour boot camp LMAOOO welcome back though HAHAHA I originally read it as “oh shit I have more work than I thought this is now going from 36 hours to indefinite” oops
- Karasu anon
SLDKJFHSK no i could not do a hiatus i fear…like yeah individual stories of mine go on hiatus all of the time because i start them and then don’t feel like writing until i randomly get motivation months later but me going on hiatus from being online is like antithetical to my character i NEED my phone time talking with my online friends hehe it was like actually terrible when i was gone for two and a half days i couldn’t even make it through the full 36 hours 😭 and omg you’re so right i could never be gone when bllk season2 is on the way!! just barely a week until it’s out AHH
HELPPP no he was such a silly teacher he did not gaf…i took calc 2 my senior year of high school and bro would make fun of us like i remember one time someone asked him what math he took in high school and he was like “i never took calculus in high school because i wasn’t a nerd like all of you” LMAOOO it sounds mean but he was really chill and funny (plus he was a really good teacher too) so i loved him…my friends and i made jjk ocs of some of our teachers (i wish i had a reason but it truly was that we had the free time) and i think his was my favorite he even features in the one megumi story i never talk about online because it’s so dependent on the high school teacher jjk oc lore that i could never post it but it’s SO special and dear to me even though i’m not into jjk much anymore
SAE A LOAF OF WHITE BREAD HAHAHA no because i would defend him but even giving him personality in oaeu made him feel like he was leaning ooc?? like wdym he makes a couple of sassy jokes and suddenly he’s not even himself?? that’s just not a character i fw i fear…yeah the jjk ending was. well. it was something!! idk like i said i wasn’t super impressed at all honestly i’m probably not going to engage with much jjk content for a while just because the ending was so…yk. anyways i saw a really interesting video on tik tok (during my self imposed isolation so sadly i didn’t save the link) that was talking about how animanga tends to rely on the visuals aspect of the storytelling which allows authors to get away with much more simplistic worldbuilding that doesn’t get explained as thoroughly and this also seeps into the plot/characters as well and i really think that that’s something that impacted jjk — there were definitely points where there was more flash over substance (in my opinion) and the magic system is definitely unique and well thought out in some ways but also unnecessarily convoluted in others?? it’s a story that would not at all hold up as a novel which again different medium of storytelling but if key elements of the plot/world like cursed techniques such as hollow purple fall apart when you cannot physically show them to the audience (just think about if you had to read gojo explaining his technique and then he just uses it on paper SKLJFHS it’s so anticlimactic lowkey) then that’s a marker that more groundwork needs to be done 😭 people who glaze relatively basic shounens like jjk for being peak writing and having amazing character dynamics etc etc (in my opinion and this is controversial hence why i’m hiding it in our chats) need to go read like…actual books (or even light novels) because if you think that gojo and geto is the most interesting dynamic conceivable then i fear you are cooked because number one craziest mira take they are NOT that special/compelling/appealing to me like i can see why people might like them but they are so normal and average to me in terms of writing 😰 READ ORV OR SMTH whatever kim dokja and yoo joonghyuk have going on is 10x more fascinating (superior white x black duo sorry not sorry)
BROOO EVERYTIME I SEE ONE OF THOSE PARAGRAPHS I CRASH OUT no because like i said it’s always such a random blend too like wdym sukuna and nagi are both in the “they would definitely cheat on you” category?? HELLO??? first of all WHAT do those two characters have in common and second of all NO THEY WOULD NOT?? ugh the mischaracterization is insane fr bro idk i was “off” of tumblr for like. two days. and now my dash is just going crazy (not about me it’s just like everyone is going through it atm for some reason which means a lot of negativity and complaining and whatnot from others) so i have a lot of rage in my heart for tumblr users rn SDLJFHSDK (not really but also like all i’m saying is if anyone ever tries to drag me into some dumbass conflict on here i’m fr just going to block them i don’t have time to beef w 14 year olds when i have characters to write fics about and actually enjoyable people [like you] to talk to)
NO WAIT WE NEED TO EXPAND ON THE BAROU VISION just like first of all i can so easily imagine him in a royal guard uniform holding a sword and being all stern but immediately caving as SOON as you bat your eyelashes at him and letting you get away with things like sneaking out of the palace as long as you take him to look after you but he starts falling in love with you when he realizes you’re not as stuck up as the rest of the royals (yes i did steal this from the megumi fic what about it…) imagine we get aikulations in here via aiku also being a royal guard to like. fucking sae or smth…omg wait yeah imagine you were sent to marry sae and barou’s your guard and aiku’s sae’s guard so he occasionally pulls up, says smth sassy/wise/meaningful/borderline insulting and then he just leaves (bonus points if niko’s his squire) AHHHH omg hold on imagine we throw in a little tullia and aiku subplot while we’re at it…i would say bring back elakshi but she’s deadass public enemy number one i’ve gotten so many comments on wattpad hating on her to the point that i’m abt to delete my work off of wattpad and be like “sorry but you all suck”…anyways so instead of elakshi we could have a may ducat comeback i suppose 🤔 if i didn’t have a bazillion things to be doing and a royal au following almost exactly the same plot for jjk already (which lowkey idk if i’ll ever finish given my motivation for jjk rn) i’d fr be attending to this but alas. pursuit and my requests are taking precedence rn
i def think the summoning concept is NOT what the requester had in mind but ykw i’m not basic so we’re going to do smth a little different hehe and honestly one day i want to write an enemies to lovers but to do it PROPERLY if that makes sense…like miraverse enemies to lovers where it’s not just stereotypical cold rude black haired male lead x idiot dumbass “perfect” badass female lead…however sae itoshi is NOT the one i would do that for (even though i’m fr in an enemies to lovers with him irl i think) i’m trying to imagine who in bllk i’d give that honor to 🧐 not nagi he has no enemies he doesn’t care enough…karasu’s too much of a lover at heart he fits rivals perfectly but true enemies no…barou’s the same he’s just a simp at heart despite his gruff exterior…otoya and yukimiya are too chill to ever give antagonistic vibes…kaiser and rin are too annoying and obvious for it it would end up being basic and cringy…reo is a sweetheart he can pull off angst well but not enemies…i’m stumped actually maybe just because i hate the trope HAHA
ooh vivillon colors…iirc it was just based on what country/region your ds was set to!! so like depending on where you lived irl you would get a diff vivillon but since pursuit obviously takes place in one region where the outside world has no bearing i’m going to say that it just depends on where you end up evolving scatterbug into vivillon (maybe like an evolutionary advantage thing in terms of camouflage??) i think niko’s based on vibes would be the jungle variant and tullia’s is either the meadow variant (which is like the really famous pink one) or the savanna one!!
LMAOOO yukimiya cannot escape the fwtkac menacing karasu role i think it’s so funny how in actual canon we honestly barely see him interacting with karasu (actually i cannot remember if we ever see them have even a single conversation it’s very much so tabieita + ken…bro’s fr just ken 😓) but in the miraverse he’s always pulling up and accidentally making karasu miserable by being too perfect 😭 PLSS otoya’s like “i was never even there baby i was an illusion” so hollyhock mysterious core of him
PLS i lowkey was looking through the account they’ve also made these gorgeous blue and gold rose dividers that would be PERFECT for kaiser i was going to reblog those too and be like “ok kaiser girlies come on now” and then i remembered that i actually also have to write for kaiser now…tbh i don’t usually use super embellished dividers those!! like i prefer to use plain lines and let my headers be aesthetic but lowkey maybe the move for this event will be no headers only ask response + pretty dividers because that’s less work for me SLDKJFHDS
AHHHH my wrist is feeling much better today!! i tried to write smth and my body took a screenshot so i’m giving my hand the weekend off but she’s feeling much better already and same with my eye!! i can use my contacts again on like tuesday ish so hooray for that (i actually don’t mind my glasses as much as i used to in the sense that i don’t think i look horrible with them anymore and everyone actually says i look really cute BUT they hurt behind my ears because i’m not used to wearing them for long periods of time so i cannot wait to retun to my beloved contacts and seeing how i like)
HAHAHA she’s a kaiser stan but she absolutely hates nagi it’s actually very funny to me plus i love meeting a fellow hater no matter who they hate so i love when she drops new haterism posts BUT omg agreed i can only imagine how many people would be in my inbox like “you linked the wrong master list 🧞” (<- sae itoshi emoji)
i feel like mentally and emotionally i do NOT have the space to start smth new so it’ll probably be one i’ve watched before…cloy was the first kdrama i ever watched (only last december!! i am very late to the kdrama game) so it might be time to revisit that one since i haven’t rewatched any of the ones i’ve already seen yet 😩 i also really really liked a time called you so i could def go for another watch of that one 🤩 and i can’t rewatch yet because i literally just finished it in july-ish but i watched this one on netflix with my mother about a vet that gets psychic powers and has to team up with this police officer (tbh reader and noel noa coded) and i wasn’t expecting much out of it but it ended up being really funny so i do think that’s one i’ll probably watch again when i’m bored or looking for something silly to lighten my mood
LSFJK no i’m just really dramatic it was still just a 36 hour “these are the consequences of procrastinating” grind session but i was being emo because i wanted to tap out (i didn’t though!!) fr glad to be back (although i wasn’t on tumblr as much today because i was working on a new pursuit chapter so it probably seemed like i had cut myself off again but in fact i was just working hard so i can please you 🙂↕️ you know what they say a win is a win or smth like that)
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DUDE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAGGING ME!!! Your support means a lot to me, I’m so glad you like my sonna!
1. Mayas universe is a blend of sketch, watercolour and gradient shading my best example of what I would envision her universes art style would be this drawing:
By @tamaytka , their art is so cool! LIKE THIS IS EXACTLY IT.
2. Their are two villains I for sure know are in her universe. 1 is the punisher, aka flora castle, aka JADE CASTEL’S (Mayas dead wife) LITTLE SISTER! Jade went no contact with her family and left her little sister behind, with her abusing parents. Let’s just say she got mixed up with the wrong people. fit check:
And the other one is king pin, who is just king pin, nothing special about him, otherwise I don’t think their are any other characters I want to add yet. Also I came up with the idea for the punisher like two days ago so y’a.
3. There is a specific spider that inspired the spider she was bit by, it’s this guy:
4. Her universe is in a universe where we kept old, cool architecture but also advanced in technology, she comes from the year 2082 in a world that is very peaceful if your not looking for trouble, but in actuality, criminal organizations thrive in the shadows! She lives in Nouveaux york city and it looks like this:
And the average tree in her universe is as tall as the tallest building in the world, but can grow to be three times as high! People often use trees as foundation for tall buildings and the leaves on the trees have this colour range
5. She was recruited to be in the spider society but after learning about cannon events wanted to quit, and only stayed because she didn’t want to be alone again. (I made a short little comic about this @spidercrusadersworld , the blog specifically for my Spidersona)
6. She had organic webbing but she can only store so much of it in her web gland, she does run out eventually, her webs are glowing and blue and pink, wich is a disadvantage because she can’t really be stealthy, but she does have a huge advantage because she can change the physical properties of them to mimic the properties of any material, she can change their state of mater from liquid to solid to gas, she can mimic glass, metal, sand, anything! She uses her webbing to make the blade of her sword, as well as the the flowy details on her costume
Her sword is super useful because she can turn the blade into like, a wip, a rope, a bungee cord, and if anyone tries to use it against her, she can like turn it into ,like, the texture of a pasta noodle! You can’t harm someone with a glowy pasta noodle! (At least not without a plan, anything can be a weapon if you use it wrong enough :D) the one thing is that it takes a lot of effort and weakens her each time she does it, to the point to where she can struggle to stand, and eventually if she does it enough, she will pass out.
7. She doesn’t have any pets because it’s hard for her to buy anything with the whole, “presumed dead” thing. She gets free food at a convenience store in a bad area by being their own personal protection, similarly to how venom and eddy do in the venom movies.
8. she is the only spider-man in her universe.
9. Like I already mentioned their technology is different guns are also not very accessible to the public, like unless your doing something illegal, owning a gun is like unheard of.
10. she Is against killing people, but if like, if for example, the carnage symbiote, (not the host, just the simbiote) where going on a rampage she would kill him
Im so glad you like my sonna, be free to ask me anything in the little ask submissions thingy, like if you have head-cannons, ideas, comments anything :D thank you so much for tagging me @i-put-the-wit-in-dimwit!
Y’know, I’m appreciating the abundance of Spider-Sona tag games recently- so I’m gonna be making my own here! Only 10 questions because I don’t want to go too wild with this one- or else we’d be here all day!
Spider-Sona 10 Questions!
What artstyle is your Spider-Sona’s world? ( For example, Gwen’s world is watercolor, Hobie’s world is inspired by punk art and punk album covers, etc. be creative! )
Do any characters that appear in the 616 or 1610 universes appear in your Spider-Sona’s world? If so, who and how are their roles different? ( For example, if Hobie Brown is in your universe, is he still the Prowler? Is Peter Parker in your universe? )
Is there a specific species of spider your Spider-Sona was bitten by, or was based off of? ( Can’t think of any specific canon examples here- but I’ve seen a lot of Spider-Sonas based off wolf spiders for example! )
What city and what time period does your Spider-Sona live in?
Is your Spider-Sona in the Spider Society? Were they ever asked to join but declined? Were they not scouted at all? Did they join and then quit? Tell me all about it!
Does your Spider-Sona have organic webbing, or do they use web-shooters? Mix of both? And is their webbing typical spider webbing, or does it have a style to it? ( For example, Miguel’s webbing being red and presumably digital. )
Very important question here- do they have any pets? And if so, do they ever take them out on their crime fighting missions?
Are they the only Spider-Person in their universe? ( For example, Miles and Peter co-existing in the Insomniac Games )
Are there things that exist in their universe but don’t in others? ( For example, Comic Con existing in Miles-42’s universe but not in 1610 Miles’s! Or certain Marvel superheroes existing in their universe but not others. )
And lastly ( For now will probably make a few more of these… honestly I could make one daily but I don’t wanna bother people lol ) what does your Spider-Sona think about killing criminals… and their general approach to crime.
Okay and that’s a wrap for this one! Let me know if you want more of these and how frequently you’d like them! If you aren’t tagged, you can still absolutely do this by the way, just gonna tag a few mutuals and people I follow who I know have Spider-Sona’s! Please let me know if you would not like to be tagged in the future- no hard feelings I’m just autistic and need things to be spelled out bluntly for me!
@spidey-bie @the-cat-and-the-birdie @brown-spider @autisticarach
( You know actually I don’t follow a ton of Spider-Sona blogs so if you come across this post and would LIKE to be tagged in future tag games please let me know in the reblogs or the replies! )
#i also love aways human!#lesbian characters#spider man#spiderman oc#spidersona#spidersonna#oc#my oc
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I would be honored if you could do an imagine for Fili crushing on someone who went on the journey with the Company. He thought she liked his brother, but after seeing him with Tauriel, Fili feels like he has a chance and offers everything to make her as happy as he thought she would be with Kili. Lovely fluff and some misunderstandings with everyone living because IF I CAN'T SEE CANON THEN IT DOESN'T EXIST
Mixed signals, Fili Durin (platonic Kili x reader)
what do you mean they don’t usually live???? Idk I always skip the last half hour of botfa. If I don’t see it, it doesn’t exist.
Ahahah I got taken away a bit so it’s a long request. Sorry….
Headcanons, female s/o
Tw: misunderstood feelings, mention of injury and blood, tiny sprinkle of angst, fluff, Kili being a lil shit, Fili being jealous, few mentions of Y/N I’m so sorry.
- This man is whipped for you. I posted a request similar to this one yesterday, and I feel like it says enough.
- The moment he sees you, he knows you’re his One. Yet, he can’t allow himself to show you. His brother wouldn’t shut up about it and besides that, after Erebor was to be reclaimed, he had to marry royalty in order to form an alliance.
- But Thorin wasn’t blind. He has seen the look in Dis’ eyes many times before. He had seen his sister find her One, so it came as nothing out of the ordinary when he witnessed his nephew do the same.
- And this is pre-dragonsickness. Back when Thorin was all “I hate everyone but I guess I have to keep up with these two idiots so I’ll tolerate them.”
- And he wanted to grant Fili the opportunity to be with his One. He had even told him to simply go for it.
- But Fili was a bit insecure. When you met him, you didn’t seem taken away in any way. It was almost as if it had only been him who was in love.
- And with that, you had grown remarkably close to his brother, Kili. You two joked around all the time. You sat together during the evenings, Kili would help you up on your horse/pony, he would take offer your watches and he even let you hold his bow and arrow. That is basically dwarven language for “I love you and I wish to court you” or “I love you and I’m so glad to have you in my family.”
- What Fili didn’t know is that Thorin told Kili about you being his One. But instead of teasing Fili about it, Kili had made it his duty to agitate his brother so much that he would have no choice but to confess to you before Kili would sneak you away.
- For your information: Kili had no intention of sneaking you away. He just wanted to make it look like it for Fili, and, lucky for him, you had just been going along with it subconsciously.
- But it did not agitate Fili. It made the poor lad confused and tired. You were showing so much affection and endearment to his brother that he felt like he could never compete. Even though Kili had never been attractive in dwarven standards, he knew his way around women. And seeing someone finally pay attention to him, made Fili happy for his brother.
- And Kili just kept up with the act. He was oblivious to what his brother was feeling. Thorin had quite specifically told Kili not to tell his brother, and for once, he didn’t. But when days turned into weeks, Kili made more advances. Not in any way uncomfortable for you, but they had been a step further.
- He would let you rest against him during night shifts, he would let his hand linger on your waist when he helped you get onto your horse/pony. This sneaky bastard even managed to toy with your hair.
- Fili grew absolutely devastated at these moments. He had distanced himself more and truly felt as if his One had been taken away and he would die alone.
- But then Mirkwood happened. It was obvious to Fili that his brother had taken a liking on Tauriel, the female elf that saved him earlier. You had been passed out of exhaustion in your cell, not paying attention to your surroundings anymore.
- And that was when Fili finally decided to speak.
- “What are you doing? I thought you liked Y/N and now you’re flirting with that elf? You can’t treat her like that!”
- And now Kili was confused.
- “I thought you liked Y/N?” He had questioned, not even knowing whether his uncle had been lying to him or not.
- “That doesn’t matter. What matters is, you can’t just run around-“ but Kili had already cut him off. “It does matter. Because Y/N isn’t my One. I’m not attracted to her!”
- And now Fili was dead silent. He had been contemplating on whether to act furious or taken aback. In reality, he had been a bit of both.
- “You don’t like Y/N?” Fili asked, nearly insulted.
- “I was only trying to agitate you. Uncle said she was your One but that you wouldn’t confess.” Kili admitted finally, knowing that keeping the act up any longer wouldn’t work.
- “So you tried to beat it out of me?” The only response the blonde got was a quiet hum.
- “You thought I would take away your chance of happiness?” Fili wondered aloud, his anger now showing more clearly. “Well, not if you put it like that-“ “How else am I supposed to put it?”
- With those words, the space grew quiet. One more question lingered on Fili’s mind, and he had to ask it.
- “Does she know you don’t like her?” A short pause was heard from Kili before he responded. “She does. When we grew closer she told me she wasn’t attracted to me and I told her she wasn’t my One.”
- A sigh of relief came Fili’s way, but his brother kept on talking. “She grew all confused by the concept of ‘Ones’. Had to give her a whole history lesson. She thinks it’s adorable. I’m sure she won’t reject you.” With those words, Fili’s ears pricked up.
- “How so?” “Because every time we are together, she won’t stop asking me about you.” Fili never thought someone could ever bring him more butterflies than when you smiled at him, but as Kili’s sentences reached him, his stomach felt all light again.
- “At first I thought it was because you were ignoring her, but I quickly figured out that wasn’t the case.” Kili shot a quick look his brother’s way, even though he had been in a cell on the other side of the hall. “She likes you, she really does. She’s not as good at hiding it as you are. If you ask her to court you, she won’t say no.”
- Fili had spent the entire night pondering over his brother’s words. Even as they escaped the dungeons and took the boat to Laketown, his anxiety bubbled up.
- But as soon as the orcs entered the city, reality sunk back in. They had been on the run while simultaneously claiming their homeland. There might be a chance neither of you would make it. And it terrified him.
- As you were busy holding off the orcs in Bard’s home, Fili had been right beside you covering your back. He knew asking you to court him would require more steps. Up until this moment you had only held a handful of conversations, but Fili was running out of patience.
- “When all this is over, I need you by my side.” He told you quickly, his voice heavy as he fenced off the attackers. You grew confused at your words, yet your actions did not falter one bit. And it only made Fili more attracted to you. How you maintained yourself on a battlefield, yet somehow managed to hold that perfect look. It could quite easily take his breath away.
- “But I am by your side.” You answered, not catching his meaning, thinking it had been too good to be true.
- “I mean by my side at Erebor. When we reclaim the mountain. Will you stay with me?” Upon your silence, Fili tried explaining his speech. “I know asking you to court me requires more steps but we might not have time for them anymore. I need you to stay with me. We can do all these steps afterwards, I promise.”
- You cast him a quick look before giving him a sincere nod. “I’ll stay with you.”
- And that is exactly what you did. Upon finally arriving at the mountain with the four dwarves, Fili finally got the time to braid your hair, even if Thorin told him to look for the Arkenstone. You had even managed to braid his hair too, even though you had no beads yet.
- Even as Thorin slowly grew insane, Fili had done what he promised; he remained by your side, defending you against his uncle and keeping you as safe as he could.
- During the battle of the five armies, you stayed with him and Kili. You traveled with the three of you, not once separating. Not even when Fili decided you should split up. Because of that, you managed to do quite a number on Azog before Thorin called out to him.
- Azog had gotten a good slash on your leg, nothing life threatening but enough to make you collapse on the spot. Fili had been so worried. He had promised to look out for you, but now you were bleeding out on the snow covered floor. Kili had already ran off for help, even though the possibility he would come back with one would be highly unlikely, as battle was still raging on.
- On top of Ravenhill everything had grown silent. Bodies of dead orcs were littered over the floor but all that mattered to Fili right now was you being safe. Eventually, Kili had ran back with Bilbo, Thorin and Gandalf by his side. They had successfully beaten Azog, finally putting an end to the bloodshed.
- As the mountain was being rebuilt, Oin had put you on bed rest to let your leg heal and Fili had been with you the entire time. Thorin hadn’t even tried to get him for royal duties. He knew he had been awful to you during his dragonsickness, and this was his way of apologizing to you. And you had been fine with it.
- When you had finally recovered, Kili took you to the forges to make beads for Fili. You wanted it to be a surprise for him, but you needed supervision. At first, Dis, Fili and Kili’s mother, had offered to help, but it had become her duty to distract the crown prince.
- A few burns and scratched had started to form on both your and Kili’s hands but it had been worth it. The beads were incredible.
- Fili was so happy when you gave them to him. He was so surprised by the amazing details and the thought and time your poured into them.
- He wears them the entire time. Now exceptions. Not even for bed or bath. None. They must always be in his hair.
- I WANNA WRITE MORE BUT IT’S ALREADY SO LONG BUT JUST ASSUME HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH AND WILL TREASURE YOU FOREVER AND LOVE YOU FOR EVERY LITTLE THING YOU DO
#Fili#Fili durin#tolkien#lord of the rings#the hobbit#the company#the company of thorin oakenshield#Fili x reader#Fili imagine
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boreal star ✵ chapter two
kirigan wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t care for appearance and reputation. he supposed he would have to tiptoe around you until you showed your cards. until then, he’d have you play new recruit.
series genre: romance & angst
series pairing: [past?] general kirigan (the darkling/aleksander) x reader
word count: 1.7k
warning: slight suggestive theme (mentioned in passing)
note: wow. i’m absolutely astonished with the enthusiasm the first chapter had. thank you guys so much! i have two exams next week so i’m not entirely sure if i’ll be able to update. i will try my best :)
here’s the masterlist
“here’s your room.” aleksander gestured to a room that was vaguely familiar.
brows furrowed, you turned to him. “your room is next to this one.”
his eyes rounded in mock innocence. “really? i hadn’t noticed.”
your nose crinkled in distaste as you glimpsed down the hall. “what of my old bedroom?”
“someone else is staying in there,” his arms folded across his chest. “alina starkov, the sun summoner.”
“oh? it’s to be expected, i suppose,” you bobbed your head, stepping to explore the room. “why create another staged cage when you already have one ready?”
“what?”
you observed the flowers by the bedside and plucked one out to tuck it behind your ear. “you like to give your prized cattle the very best so they may feel important, no? it makes it so much easier to subdue them.”
“what? prized cattle? alina’s not— you were never—”
while he wrestled for a response, you continued to inspect the room before happening upon a locked door. “where does this door lead to?”
“my room,” aleksander cleared his throat, recovering from your accusations.
you froze, your hands twitching, before you tore away from the door. “your room?”
“my bedroom, specifically,” he clarified. in that moment, he looked like the cat that ate the canary.
“why would anyone want to have a room connected to yours?”
looking into a mirror, aleksander fixed his appearance. “well, i assume these rooms were designed with my future lover in mind,” he replied.
bitterness rang throughout your body as you barked out a laugh. “your lover? to think you wouldn’t jump at the chance to house your precious sun summoner here. what? was there a snag in your plan to seduce her? a boyfriend back home?”
at his silent admission, your jaw dropped. then, genuine laughter erupted from you, causing you to lean on the bedpost. your knees nearly gave in until you saw his glare. you took deep breaths and tried to stifle your amusement behind your hand.
“i’m sorry. it’s rude to laugh,” you surrendered. while your giggles subdued, he remained silent. aleksander’s reflection was eerily still, his eyes far away from reality. when you stepped towards him, he broke from his stupor and made for the door.
“rest up. you have a full day ahead of you tomorrow.” he began closing the door when he paused just before it shut. “goodnight, [y/n].”
well, that was odd.
✵✵✵
with the sun high in the sky, aleksander walked with you to the training grounds.
“do all new recruits get escorted by you or is this arrangement special?” you walked beside him with your hands linked in front of you. you sported your new deep blue kefta with white detailing.
“i can’t risk you disrupting alina’s training with your spitefulness. whatever i may or may not be planning for her, she’s still ravka’s only hope of banishing the fold,” he said. “my accompanying you is a precaution as well as your formal introduction to the second army.”
as you approached your destination, you spotted multiple grisha huddled in a ring. two of them were fighting in the middle.
“you teach them physical combat now?”
“you’d be surprised how often we lose grisha to drüskelle because they’ve tied their hands. they cannot always rely on their powers,” he droned.
off to the side, you spotted a burly man. “you have a shu training them?”
aleksander looked down at you, “he used to be a mercenary. i think you’ll find him adequate.”
“i think you’ll find i’m already above your training,” you whispered as everyone turned their attention to you or, rather, aleksander.
the shu made his way over and bowed, “general kirigan, i had no idea you would be joining us today.”
you see a girl peek her head out from the corner of your eye, her face lighting up at the darkling’s entrance.
alina starkov. i see she already holds some sort of affection for him.
the general raised his hand, “please, botkin. i am only here to introduce everyone to our newest member, [y/n]. they’re a gravity summoner.”
at the sound of your name, you reverted your attention to the crowd and gave a small smile. placing a hand on the small of your back, aleksander guided you to the center.
“actually, i was hoping you could evaluate their combat skills.”
you whipped your head around, staring at him incredulously. he didn’t change his diplomatic smile when he met your eyes.
“that is no problem, general.” botkin faced you and gestured to the crowd. “please, choose your opponent.”
your eyes scanned the crowd before you smirked inwardly. “if it’s no trouble to the general, i would like to fight him,” you requested. “i’ve only ever heard how powerful general kirigan is and, well, if he is the standard…”
the grisha around you looked at you as if you were insane. you peeked through your lashes at aleksander whose eye was ever so slightly twitching. before botkin could voice his disapproval, aleksander shrugged his kefta off.
“why not? i can’t remember the last time someone challenged me so bravely.”
you grinned as you threw off your own kefta. out of the corner of your eye, you saw the sun summoner pushing her way into the circle with a dazzled look. botkin warily lifted his hand. “no using your powers. only your fists and wits.”
you nodded and took an offensive position. botkin threw his hand down, “fight!”
you dropped down, doing a low spinning kick, and swept aleksander off his feet. he landed on his back with shock evident on his face. you then pressed your knee onto his diaphragm and gripped his sleeve. grinning, you gave him a cheeky smile.
“i don’t think i’ve ever had you on your back,” you said in a hushed voice.
with annoyance written on his face, he grabbed the lapel of your shirt and pulled you off him. he trapped your arms by your sides as he straddled you.
“because you always liked it when i was in control,” he smirked as you rolled your eyes. you thrusted your left hip up, effectively throwing him off balance and freeing you. you both scrambled to stand. aleksander crept closer to you and threw a punch. before his fist made contact, you blocked it and gripped his arm. you threw him over your shoulder and stepped on his shoulder joint. he groaned under the pressure when you leaned down.
“it’s a good thing i came to my senses then,” you said. “yield.”
he narrowed his eyes before you shifted your weight onto your foot. with the discomfort and pain rising, he quickly tapped your calf. you moved off him and offered a hand. he begrudgingly took it, allowing you to pull him up. the grisha stared with open mouths. you sheepishly smiled and hurriedly put your hands behind your back.
“i apologize, general kirigan. it seems i didn’t know my own strength,” you said in deceiving shyness.
he smiled tensely and slipped his kefta back on. “no, i am glad you are so advanced. it makes it all the more assuring that you are with us for the war effort.”
you bowed your head and brushed the dirt off your kefta, shrugging it back on. without another word, he left, alina following in his wake.
botkin clapped his hand on your shoulder. “you are an impressive fighter. where did you learn?”
“shu han. i lived there until hearing about the sun summoner.”
the man looked surprised before nodding. “your fighting style did appear familiar.” after that, he left you to be greeted by the others.
they were mostly friendly, some talking nonstop about how you defeated general kirigan. you just brushed it off as him going easy on a new recruit. you noticed another girl, a squaller judging by her kefta, glaring at you before stalking off.
“don’t worry about her,” a voice said. you turned to see none other than alina starkov herself. “apparently, she hates anyone that’s a threat to her spot as general kirigan’s favorite.”
“she must be delusional because there was nothing about that interaction that hinted at favoritism,” you snorted as you held a hand out. “[y/n].”
“i heard. i’m alina starkov.” she shook your hand with a bright smile. “it’s nice not to be the only new person.”
you returned her smile, “it all does feel rather isolating, doesn’t it?”
she laughed and nodded. “my friend, mal, and i never really liked grisha. they acted like they were the elite.”
ah, is mal the boyfriend?
“if i’m honest, i don’t like them either. i actually ran from ravka when i found out i was grisha,” you said honestly. “i guess i couldn’t run far enough.”
her eyebrows lifted, “oh? where did you run?”
“shu han. a nice place once the villagers get to know you.”
she tilted her head with confusion etching her face. “don’t they, you know, kill grisha?”
you scrunched your nose, “not as much on the outskirts. but, it gave me more reasons to hide my powers.”
“does that mean you’ll have to take lessons with baghra too?”
your shoulders tensed at the mention of the older grisha. you put on a grimacing smile, “i suppose so.”
oh, baghra’s going to kill me when she sees me.
with knowing eyes, alina grabbed your hands. “don’t worry. she’s a bit mean, but she does help you control your powers. 100% success rate, i hear.”
you nodded, patting alina’s hands, before withdrawing yours to your sides.
“alina!” two girls called. they waved their hands to usher her over.
alina looked at you apologetically. “sorry, i’ve got to go. lessons with baghra, actually.”
you sent her off with a wave. “it’s fine. it’s not like we won’t see each other again.”
she grinned, “right. i’d really like to be your friend, [y/n].”
you couldn’t help but soften at her words. “we already are, alina.”
her grin grew wider before she departed with her other friends, leaving you with your thoughts.
so full of life, that one. no wonder aleksander’s drawn to her. the brighter the light, the darker the shadows. let’s just hope he doesn’t snuff her out.
taglist: @kykymyeon @shelivesindaydreamswme @blackbirddaredevil23 @amortentiaaaa @safetyhtom @savannah-elliott
continue to chapter three? yes
#shadow and bone#shadow and bone fanfiction#shadow and bone imagine#general kirigan x reader#general kirigan imagine#the darkling x reader#the darkling imagine#grishaverse fanfiction#aleksander morozova x reader#boreal star
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The Four Times it Rained with Anthony Beauvillier and The One Time it Didn't
Requested? Absolutely not
Warnings? It's really long with like no dialogue LMAO
Summary: The rain has always brought good things to you and Tito but what happens when it's actually sunny out?
Word Count: 4k
It's really mf long but I promise it's worth it and I'm super proud of it so enjoy! :)
One
When you awoke to the sound of rain pounding steadily on your rooftop your heart filled with glee like a little kid in a candy store. Nothing made you happier than when it rained outside. You loved having the opportunity to sit inside and work all day with the patter of rain smacking the rooftop.
However, today was even better. You had no work and nowhere to be, your all-time favorite kind of rainy day. You always took these days to finish up your favorite books, watch the movies you’ve been holding off on for ages, revel in the ending of your favorite tv shows that have been put off, order in food, and just enjoy the sound of the rain.
It was a cliche, of course, most of your favorite things typically were. It didn’t make you love them any less, in fact, it made you love them a little more. Thinking about how you and however many other people were absolutely content with the fact that it was pouring outside.
And to make things better? Tito had the day off too.
You were a bit surprised when you woke up to the rain and not your best friend either calling, knocking on the door, or just barging straight in like he owned the place. He practically did, always coming over and spending more time at your apartment than he did his own. He certainly wasn’t unwelcome, you loved every moment you got to spend with the left-wing Islander.
Just as you sit up in bed, running a hand through your hair you hear a knock on the door. Knowing it’s no doubt, Tito, at the source, you shoot him a text telling him to come in using his spare key. You listen to the quiet sounds of the rain against the window as your best friend lets himself inside your apartment.
You fall back in bed, pulling the blankets up to your chin, and snuggle deep into the warmth. You hear a quiet knock on your bedroom door before Tito lets himself in. Your head turns, a tiny smile at the sight of your best friend and he reflects it. He makes his way over to you, climbing in bed and slipping an arm around your waist. He pulls you into his chest, pressing his face into your hair and you both sigh in content at the feeling.
You try to ignore the way his hands feel like fire against your skin and how your heart’s steady tempo has slowly increased at the mere thought of him. Gentle warmth floods your body when Tito presses a kiss to the back of your neck, the action causing your heart to act as an elevator, rising and falling without rhyme or reason.
You both fall asleep for a while, the rain lulling you into a tired state and soaking up the rest you both had been sorely lacking after your busy weeks. You awoke for the second time that day to Tito’s hands lazily tracing patterns on your arms.
“Hi,” you murmur, turning in his embrace.
“Hey,” he greets back his tiny smile growing wider. “Wanna watch a movie or something?”
“Getting bored laying here?” you ask.
“Never,” he says, throwing a wink at you that has your stomach doing backflips.
Tito has to turn away from you as his cheeks burn red at your sleep-ridden state. His heart mimics the rain outside a steady patter fast against the rooftop just like his heart against his ribcage. He stands, holding a hand out to you which you take and you let him pull you up and out of bed, leading you towards the living room.
You both fall onto the couch, Tito pulls your legs over his and slips an arm back around your waist. He hated being away from your touch for too long. Your head falls comfortable onto his chest and you’re certain your eyes may flutter shut once more.
Tito peruses the movies before him and ultimately decides on a random marvel one that he’s never seen before but you most definitely have. He watches as your eyes light up at the sight of your favorite superhero on screen, and you launch into the explanation of the plot for him.
He can barely focus, only thinking about how easy it would be to release the three simple words that would change everything. Or press a kiss to your soft-looking lips in an attempt to hush you so he can actually watch and listen to the movie. Unfortunately fear captures his heart a little tighter than the love he has for you.
You turn back to look at your best friend, expecting at least a hum in response, and when you notice his eyes have been on you the entire explanation your cheeks flush. You wondered what he was thinking about, and hoped it was the same thing you were.
“You okay?” you ask, pulling him back to reality.
“Yeah,” he reassures. “All good.”
You nod, a tiny smile on your lips as you look back at the TV. Tito tries to focus for you but he can only think about how much he loves you.
Two
It was a bad habit for you to leave all of your shopping to one day a week. You always ended up running out of something you desperately needed but were too lazy to go out and buy.
However, today seemed to be turning out equal parts bad and equal parts good. The good thing was that you were able to convince Tito to come with you shopping and carry some (he would argue most) of your groceries home. The somewhat bad? It looked like it might rain.
You tried to make your way through the store as quickly as possible, the impending storm looming in the back of your head as you shop. However, your best friend is of no help to you.
"Tito" you call for the billionth time. "Put it back."
The older boy pouts, reaching into your cart to pull out the fruit snacks he just threw in. You smile widely at him, and before you can move the cart once more, Tito climbs onto the front of it.
“Onward!” he yells pointing in the opposite direction and you giggle while pushing the cart slowly along as to not hit anyone or anything.
The rest of the shopping goes just as smoothly, your heart filling up with air similar to a balloon that doesn’t know when it’s going to pop. Sometimes looking at your best friend was too much and you became scared you’d let the feelings spill out all over the floor.
Tito would do anything to see you smile or laugh. It was nothing short of embarrassing himself or nearly killing himself in the middle of a grocery store aisle where he could easily be recognized in the small area of Long Island. As long as your head was thrown back in laughter, a wide smile stretched across your lips, and the promise of a sometimes yelled “Tito!” or “beau!” expelled from you was there, it was worth it.
After checking out, you two split up the bags and start to make the trek back to your apartment. You were beyond glad you had brought Tito along with you, making the trip much easier on you and providing plenty of entertainment along the way. As you walk, the clouds start to rumble and you cast a nervous glance over to the tall brunette. Tito grins back at you, just enjoying your presence, not a care for the impending weather.
A crack of thunder rolls in causing you to jump and pick up your speed. You were about two blocks from your house but the world had other plans for you. Just as you were rounding a block away, it starts to pour.
“Fuck!” you yell pausing in the street.
You look over and Tito is grinning like a maniac, the smile on his lips shooting straight to your heart. You can’t help but reflect it, he looks beautiful rain-soaked and his blue eyes lit up at the wonder of it all.
Tito had always been grateful for the rain. It had always brought good things to him and the world. Right now it easily brought him his favorite thing he’s ever witnessed. Your hair is soaked, plastering messily against your face as you whip around to look at him. A smile bigger than he had ever seen sits perfectly on your lips and that sound that he loves more than anything in the world is there, the laugh that makes his heart rise to the top of the empire state building and teeter over the side with nerves.
God, he loved you.
Without a second thought, he intertwines your hands, grabbing your bags out of your other hand and hauling them into his own. He starts tugging you along, trying to push down the fact that your hands feel like they’re made specifically for him and that he never wants to let go.
You make it back to your apartment, your heart pounding for a different reason for once. When you get inside, Tito drops the groceries by the door and you both turn to each other still giggling quietly. Tito’s hand is still interlocked with yours, his calluses rubbing against your palm and sending shockwaves through your veins.
He pulls you in, his other hand coming to wrap around your waist. Your soaked bodies inch closer until they’re flush and you’re staring into his mesmerizing blue eyes. Your free hand wraps around the back of his neck, your fingers trailing the buzz-cut hair on the back of his neck.
Tito was pretty sure you might be the death of him. Looking down at your soaked state, peering up at him and the movement of your hands, he’s surprised his heart hadn’t stopped yet. He wants to lean down, finally meet his lips to yours, and fall headfirst into a relationship with you without considering any of the consequences.
You were hoping that one of you was finally going to build the nerve to change everything. Your heart is tipping on the edge of wishing and hoping. Just as your noses brush, a loud crack of thunder sounds, and you both jump, the possibility scaring you along with the noise.
Three
Today was not turning out to be a good day. Besides the prospect of rain later, you had barely gotten any work done, your finals were coming up soon, and you hadn’t seen Tito in weeks.
So the last one is slightly exaggerated. You had seen Tito, mostly through facetime calls and the occasional quick stop by but he was mostly on the road and you were sorely missing your best friend. You’d kill to have him here, even if it was for longer than an hour, you’d do anything to have him next to you.
You knew it was somewhat selfish, but you needed him here. Needed his encouraging words, his soft touches, his sweet smiles, just his presence. You knew his schedule though, understood his job and what came with it and you knew he’d never trade it for the world, you never wanted him to.
Tito was homesick. Not particularly for his apartment, or even the island itself, he was desperate to see you. He missed your laugh, and holding your hand, cuddling together late at night, waking up early to your sleeping state, forehead kisses, and his favorite: your laugh. He was desperate for it, the physical version of it.
However, when he heard the Isles were headed home for a quick weekend stint he knew he wasn’t close to heading back to his apartment. He headed straight towards you, his other half even if it was unbeknownst to you. He had decided a while ago that even if you never reciprocate his feelings, you were still his twin flame, his platonic soulmate forever and always.
He headed to your apartment with excitement, checking your location on his phone to see that you were there. In the cab on the way, it starts to rain and Tito can’t help but smile. He had always loved the rain but he was almost certain it had slowly started to become a beacon of good things especially surrounding you.
A wave of calm flows through him when he reaches your front door, he feels like a little kid receiving the Christmas present that they had been asking for all year. He hadn’t even seen you yet and the thought occurs to him that he always wants to come home to you after long weeks away.
You sit in your apartment, flipping aimlessly through your textbook in an attempt to get some work done. The rain plinks softly against your apartment window and the noise soothes you as you try to focus. However, just as you start to, a knock on your door sounds. You’re wary at first but make your way over to it swinging it open without a second thought.
“Anthony-” you breath out, your best friend’s first name foreign on your tongue.
Tito barges in, wrapping his arms around your waist and you instantly slip yours around his neck. You relish in the feeling of him being here and back in your arms. You almost let out a whine when he pulls away from you but his hands trail from your waist to your hands and interlock them.
“Come on,” he says with a mischievous smile on his lips.
“Where-” you start but Tito shakes his head, pulling you out of the apartment and dragging you along.
You’re so caught up in the fact that Tito is here, and his hand has slipped back into yours that all you can do is take in his appearance. Whenever he’s gone for a long time he always seems different but more and more like home to you. When he comes back it’s like your last puzzle piece is put in place and you’re whole again.
You both make your way down the floors of your apartment building until you’re outside. Tito lets go of your hand, stepping out onto the sidewalk and letting the rain fall over him. You watch as a loving smile falls onto your lips, the rain cascades over him, his hair falling flat against his forehead, and an unknowing smile pressed on his face.
“Come here,” he tells you and at first you shake your head no.
Beau was definitely not taking that answer today. He makes his way over to you, slipping an arm around your waist and lifting you into his arms and out into the rain. You shriek as the cold raindrops fall over you and you tuck your face into Tito’s neck.
He sets you down but doesn’t let go, his hand still circling your waist. He nudges your arms until they slide around his neck again, your fingers interlocking at the nape. He grins wildly down at you and your heart fills and fills at the sight. He slowly sways the two of you back and forth, dancing to music only known between you two.
“I missed you,” he says after a few quiet beats.
“I missed you too beau.”
Your swaying moves to a dull rocking back and forth, the two of you focused more on each other than anything else in the world. Neither of you realized it, but when the other was around the whole world seemed to fall away in an instant. There was no use trying to get between the two of you.
Beau leans down, your foreheads bumping lightly and your breath shortens at the proximity of the two of you. He leans forward, his nose brushing yours and for once you’re begging for his lips to meet yours, not caring about what might change between the two of you after.
“Hey! Get out of the street!”
You and Tito pull apart heads whipping in the direction of a car driving right at you. You both laugh at the ridiculousness of it all before heading back inside, the rain only picking up harder.
Four
“One more exam. Just one more final exam.”
You chanted the words over and over again in your head hoping they would somehow motivate you into finishing your work and studying for the last exam you had for the school year. You even went as far as going to the library, deciding to hole yourself up there the entire day to try and get something done.
Tito would text you occasionally, mostly offering words of encouragement as you worked and every time your phone buzzed an unconscious smile reached your lips. Tito had always been your cheerleader and vice versa. You were always there for each other and pushing each other forward whenever you needed it.
Your corner of the library was cozy, you sat, your legs tucked up in the loveseat next to the window. The rain fell slowly down the side of the building and you watched two raindrops drip down, an unknown race there.
Your eyes fall back to the textbook in front of you, flipping through the pages trying to absorb more information than you already have all day. As you work, suddenly a hand appears in front of you, a cup of coffee being placed down on the table in front of you. Your eyes trail up and you find a grinning Tito standing before you.
“Thought you might need an energy boost,” he says sitting down in front of you.
Your heart practically bursts at the sight. Tito had known you hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep recently and was worried about you. However, he also knew you were easily the most stubborn person in his life. If he couldn’t beat you, he might as well support your caffeine addiction in hopes that by the end of finals you’ll finally get some rest.
“Have I mentioned recently you’re my favorite person in the world?”
Tito grins dropping his head down shyly and you take the opportunity to grab the coffee and take a sip of it. You hum at the taste, a soft smile appearing on your lips when you realize that Tito has memorized your coffee order, something no one else has had the energy to do.
“I also wanted to make sure you get home okay,” he says nodding to the ever-growing rainstorm outside.
Your whole body warms at the words, a blush dusting your cheeks. Tito was nothing if not a gentleman and every time a display like this showed, your heart fell further and further into his hands. You place the cup down in front of you, leaning forward to place a hand on Tito’s knee.
“Thank you, darling,” you say and you swear you see a blush on Tito’s cheeks.
Your eyes search his as the only noise in the library is the sound of the rain against the building and the soft sounds of the workers meandering around. You swear gravity pulls you towards each other, Tito’s hand coming up to cup your cheek. His thumb brushes softly against your skin, the contact making your heart freeze and speed up all at once.
“Excuse me loves, the library is closing.”
You and Tito smile and nod at the sweet woman, breaking apart slowly before gathering your things and heading out together.
And One
The sun shines high in the sky, easily one of the nicest days on long island in months. Spring was melting away into summer and the warm air had you dying to get out and visit the ocean even if it was just for a little bit.
While Tito knew of your love for the rain, the breakthrough of sun was welcomed by the two of you. It was unspoken that when the sun had risen, and the temperature broke seventy, you wanted to spend a little time at the beach together.
You disliked the beach normally, not liking the sand that gets everywhere, the obnoxious teens yelling loudly, kids running around without parents, it just bothered you. But you loved the feeling of warm wind running through your hair as you drive, windows down, and the smell of the ocean air.
Tito shows up on your doorstep, and without a word, you two are out the door and heading towards your car. You climb in, hands immediately rolling down your windows and sunroof while Tito picks the music. You had an unspoken communication to go to the beach today and you were beyond excited.
Tito always looked gorgeous to you. In the sun? His blue eyes shine a bit brighter, his smile seeming to reflect the warmth that the sun brought you inside and out. He was breathtaking.
You were a work of art to Tito. Your hair blew back from your face, whipping around the small space. A light smile had been present since he showed up on your doorstep. Your (y/e/c) lit up from the sun and him. From head to toe, he would never grow tired of looking at you.
When you got to the beach, you parked in a spot overlooking the water. The two of you get out of the car, and Tito gestures to the hood. He stands before you, hands placed gently on your hips, and lifts you onto your car with ease, his hockey training coming in handy.
He hops up next to you, settling down on the hood and overlooking the beautiful ocean. His leg touches yours, starting at your feet and following through to your hips. The contact drives you crazy, making it feel like it’s ten degrees hotter as your nerves spike. It’s surprisingly quiet, the ocean rushing in and out before you, a light wind pushing your hair back effortlessly.
Your hands sit in your lap, nervously fiddling together. Tito glances at you constantly, his eyes trailing to your hands and he builds the courage to slip his fingers into yours. At the contact, you squeeze his hand lightly and that gives Tito all he needs.
“Hey,” he says, making you turn to look at him.
His other hand comes up to cup your cheek and you lean into the touch instinctively. His head ducks to meet yours, your noses brushing and your breath catches in your throat. You watch Tito’s eyes flicker back and forth before pushing forward. His lips meet yours and you sigh at the feeling of his lips on yours. Your free hand comes to grip the side of his shirt and pull him as close as possible.
Your breathless the entire kiss, the thought that the older hockey player liking you back finally smacking you full force. His touch lights you up from head to toe and you never want him to break away.
Tito grew more and more confident within the kiss, and his heart continued to balloon in his chest bigger and bigger at your closeness, you were finally right where you were supposed to be.
You pull apart when there’s no breath left in your lungs but stay close. Tito chases your lips pressing another light kiss to them. You giggle at him and he smiles sheepishly, biting his lip slightly and gazing at you with those eyes that had you since you first met. Tito was still on cloud nine at the thought of you loving him back.
“I really really like you,” he whispers and you giggle. He could have said absolutely nothing, he could have kissed you again, or simply kept holding your hand but the words said out loud made your heart do backflips like it was an olympian training for the gold medal.
“I like you too.”
“And I really wanna kiss you again.”
You smile lovingly at him before pressing your lips to his, something that would never fail to make your heart stop.
#anthony beauvillier imagine#nhl imagine#tito beauvillier imagine#anthony beauvillier fic#anthony beauvillier x reader#anthony beauvillier x y/n#tito beauvillier fic#tito beauvillier x reader#nhl fanfiction#nhl x reader#nhl x y/n#nhl islanders fic#imagine#fic#x reader#x y/n
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Just wondering since I feel like you’d know.. what’s the most sequels books have gotten in a single year? Does that matter? I’m glad we’re getting all these sequels especially for COP and TCH but if ID isn’t one of them.. yikes. There’s no way this wouldn’t be popular enough for one
So, this is hard, because at the beginning sequels were basically guaranteed and in the early years, only a couple of books didn't get them (and most of those books were originally promised books). Things really changed around the time ATV flopped.
2016 releases:
TC&TF- 3 books
TF- 8 books + 7 specials
MW- 1 book
RoE- 4 books
ThoBM- 1 book
LH- 2 books
ES- 3 books
= so the first year saw seven series and saw 5 of them get sequels, roughly 71%.
2017:
TRR- 7 books + 1 special
Hero- 1 book
HSS- 3 books
It Lives- 2 books
HFTH- 1 books
RCD- 3 books
2017 saw 6 new series and 4 of them got sequels, roughly 67%, so a slight decline from the previous year.
2018:
PM- 2 books
Bloodbound- 3 books + 1 special
VoS- 1 book
AME- 3 books
D&D- 3 books + 1 special
ATV- 1 book
BSC- 2 books
HSS: CA- 3 books
TE- 2 books + 1 special
ACoR- 1 book
TH:M- 1 book
2018 saw 11 new series(!), 7 of which got sequels, dropping the sequel rate down to 64%.
2019:
RoD- 1 book
OH- 3 books
PtR- 1 book
WT- 1 book
Nightbound- 1 book
Platinum- 1 book
Sunkissed- 1 book
BP- 1 book
MoTY- 1 book
StD- 1 book
TRM- 1 book
BaBu- 2 books
2019 is the year things swing wildly in the other direction. 12 new series are released, but only 2 get sequels, averaging at around 17%.
2020:
Blades- 2 books*
Witness- 1 book
DS- 1 book
TNA- 3 book
QB- 2 books
HC- 1 book
WeH- 1 book
AVsP- 1 book
TUH- 1 book
MTFL- 1 book
RT- 1 book
MM- 1 book
WB- 1 book
FA- 1 book
2020 was a weird year. The release of VIP brought even more one-shot books as Choices adjusted to the new market. 2020 saw 14 new series but only 3 got (or have been promised) a sequel, although the sequel rate rises a bit to 21%
*Since this ask was about announced sequels, I am including series like Blades in my projections.
2021:
SB- 1 book
LoA- 2 books*
Shipwrecked- 1 book
WtD- 1 book
Surrender- 2 books*
CoP- 2 books*
2021 saw a low of only 6 new series but 3 of them got promised sequels, making the sequel rate rise to 50%.
2022:
Untameable- 2 books*
TPS- 1 book
TCH- 2 books*
2022 is obviously incomplete, as only 3 books have finished, but so far it is a 67% rate.
2016- 71%
2017- 67%
2018- 64%
2019- 17%
2020- 21%
2021- 50%
2022- 67% 37.5%
2023- 14% (incomplete)
So the numbers seem to be climbing again, now that they have released VIP with early access. I think a safe bet is that half to two thirds of books will get sequels, but it is going to be based on performance, specifically early access/vip performance.
I really hope ID gets a sequel and I think it will. I think it is more likely to get a sequel than MAH (but that could surprise me).
* I don't think I am missing any series and I believe I got all the release dates, but it is a lot of data so I missed anything, let me know and I will readjust.
—
Updating this with 2022 and 2023 data.
2022:
Untameable- 2 books
TCH- 2 books
TPS- 1 book
ID- 2 books*
TPA- 1 book
MaH- 1 book
Guinevere- 1 book
KoD- 1 book
So 2022 saw 8 new series and 3 got promised sequels/spin-offs, so 37.5%.
2023:
GG- 1 book
RWB- 2 books*
FCL- 1 book
TDA- 1 book
Kindred- 1 book
BB- 1 book
DLS- 1 book
Alpha- ?
SoD- unconfirmed but almost certainly 1 book given the story 😂
Guarded- ?
Three of the 2023 books are still ongoing, so their status is undetermined. But of 7 completed series in 2023 only one got a sequel announcement for a low of 14% but 2023 did see two books getting announced book 3s, so that does balance it out a bit.
So with the 2022 numbers and 2023 numbers in, I think we can see about 1/3 of books getting sequels. Not great but better than it was for a while.
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Intentional - Part 1
Pairing: Bang Chan x Reader (she/her)
Summary: Landing your first real job at JYPE was something short of a miracle. You were prepared to face the new struggles of this elusive career whilst moving to a new country, however, nothing could have prepared you for him. Will stolen glances, secret touches, and hushed nights spent in the recording room ever be enough for the both of you?
Genre: idol!bang chan au, forbidden relationship, coworkers to eventual lovers, slow burn
Warnings: none right now, eventual smut,
Word Count: 7.3k
Masterlist
A/N: hey yall this is my first ff im posting on tumblr :D im kinda scared to post but i hope anybody who stumbles on lil ol’ me will join me along the way :) also important!!! i made oc/reader asian cus i am lol (and this whole thing is basically a glorified self insert) so plz keep this in mind when reading!! oh god i didnt realize how slow this first part was sry...
The cold silence of the room felt like stabs at your inside. You commanded your feet to stop bouncing up and down as you unconsciously started to bite off the dead skin of your bottom lip. The white corporate light from above reflected off your brand new lanyard hanging delicately from your neck. You felt the coarse blue fabric rub against your neck as you mindlessly fiddled with your lanyard; the newly printed photo of your face stared back at you with a smile.
The creak of the door to your left was what broke you from your nervous fidgets. Whipping your head up from your lanyard, you immediately stood up ready to bow to whoever came through that door.
It was a girl. She looked around the same age as you, if not older. Her attire was what gave her away. Her appearance essentially mirrored yours: hair tied back into a ponytail with a white blouse and black work pants. She also had the familiar blue ‘JYPE’ labeled strap hanging from her neck.
“Hello,” you spoke meekly, scared to disturb the cold silence that had a hold on the room you were in.
“Hello,” she replied. “My name is Choi Na-eun, I’m the new social media strategist intern and today is my first day.”
This is so relieving, you thought, another newbie to share the stress with me.
“This is my first day too,” you perked up, “I’ll be starting as the new junior Chinese marketing assistant.”
Getting the acceptance email from JYP Entertainment was definitely a high point in your life. The feeling of butterflies swarming your insides as you clicked the email open only to see your acceptance was immediately locked as a core memory. All the years of memorizing thousands of Korean and English vocabulary flashcards, the panic attacks before your finance exams, and the many, many late night coffee breaks were worth it the moment you received your first legitimate job offer, and from the esteemed JYP Entertainment company no less.
“Chinese marketing?” Na-eun asked. “So you aren’t from here, I take it.”
You shook your head. “I am from China. I completed my degree a while ago with a major in Language and a minor in Business. To be honest, I’ve done internships back home, but it’s been my dream to move to a new country.”
All of what you said was true. Up until now, your surroundings have never changed in all of your twenty-three years living. From the walk with your grandmother to daycare to the vast campus of your university, the view of your city has never changed. Your social circle stayed stagnant since you were able to talk and your love life was — for a lack of a better word — uneventful.
It wasn’t until the day you decided to start applying for careers outside your home country that you felt hopeful. Hopeful that you could find an escape from your inert lifestyle and escape the burnout and stress that has been building up over the years. And so, on a day when you were feeling unusually confident, you gathered up the courage and spent hours sending out applications to organizations all over Asia that pertained to your specific degree. The applications were mainly for small jobs at small companies, however, your strange spike of motivation gave you the confidence to apply to the everso esteemed JYP Entertainment located in Korea. Of course you knew about this company — you and your friends played songs by ‘Twice’ nonstop back in highschool — but you didn’t realize the full power that this company had on the entertainment market until you did your full research. To say that you thought you had no chance was an understatement. This application was so far of a reach that you purposefully forced your mind to erase all memory of even applying.
However, with your education, your work experience, and whatever tiny bit of luck you had, you somehow made it through the initial application process. Then the next. And the next. Then the interview. And now, you were nervously sitting in this white painted room with Na-eun, in a completely new country, waiting for your manager to come greet you.
“So you’re from China? You’ve got to teach me chinese sometime.” Na-eun smiled.
You giggled in return while nodding your head. You were relieved that you’ve met a potential friend so early in your career in this company. This was one of your big worries. With your social circle being so stagnant for the majority of your life back in China, you rarely had the opportunity to meet new people, much less make new friends.
You were about to inquire more into Na-eun’s life when the door to your left abruptly opened. In the blink of an eye, three new people strutted in — two women and one man. They seemed to be higher status than you and Na-eun judging by their attire. All three were styled in some type of blazer and dress pants and there was no lanyard to be found on any of them.
“Hello new employees,” the man greeted. Judging by his face, he looked to be in his late thirties at the least. His hair was styled back neatly and his lips slanted up, giving him a fox-like appearance. “I am Executive Manager Kim. Joined beside me on the left is Social Media Manager An and to my right is Marketing Manager Chen.”
Both you and Na-eun immediately stood up to bow and introduce yourselves.
“Hello. My name is Choi Na-eun, I’m the new social media strategist intern.” Na-eun said.
“Hello. My name is y/n, I’m the new junior Chinese marketing assistant.” You repeated after her, copying exactly what she said. You did not want to screw anything up on your first day, especially your first impression.
Manager Kim reached over to Na-eun, introducing himself and giving her a firm handshake. He then slowly moved over to you, and reached for your hand.
“Y/n,” he gave time for your name to settle on his tongue as he gave a sly smile. “You’re not from here, aren't you?”
You shook your head ‘no’. “No, sir. I’m from China where I studied language and business. I hope to do well here as the Chinese marketing assistant.” You replied, mentally cursing yourself for sounding so timid.
“I’m glad to hear,” Manager Kim chuckled, “I’m sure you’ll treat me and your other managers well.”
You felt an uncomfortable shiver pass through you as he brushed his thumb along your hand before letting go. This feeling was excused as nervousness, after all, this was your first day and your first time meeting your higher-ups.
You introduced yourself to Manager Chen, assuming that she would be the one you were to assist in your time here at JYPE. Judging by her last name, you presumed that she was Chinese as well.
“Forgive me for being so straight up Manager Chen, but are you Chinese?” You asked.
“That is alright, y/n,” she smiled, “I’m not. My Husband is, but I’ve lived in China for more than half my life. I don’t want to brag, but my mandarin has gotten proficient over the past decade or so.”
Proficient? It’s amazing. You thought. This first day was turning out better than you thought. Other than the weird feeling you received from Manager Kim, everything was turning out splendid. A potential friend and a manager that could speak your first language.
“Since it’s about noon right now,” Manager Kim took a look at his watch, “What do you all think about some lunch?”
The other managers nod their heads in agreement and gestures for you and Na-eun to follow them out of the waiting room you were in for so long.
The whole building seemed so clean. With every corner lit, by natural light or artificial light, you could clearly see that every room, every piece of furniture and decor had been purposefully placed. You couldn’t help but have a stupid look of awe plastered on your face as you mindlessly follow your superiors over to the cafeteria.
You turned your head over to Na-eun and gave her a tilt of the eyebrow, silently saying wow, this is where we work.
With the turn of a corner and several silent strides, your little group made it to the cafeteria.
The difference between your claustrophobic waiting room and this vast room was astonishing. With countless tables and romantic yellow lighting, this place almost resembled a five star restaurant. You’ve never seen a cafeteria as extravagant and clean as this before. However, to be fair, you’ve never had the experience of working with such a large corporation before.
The managers led you to the serving station where you grabbed yourself a tray and proceeded to spoon small portions of rice and side dishes onto your plate. This cuisine was different to what you were used to, but nonetheless looked delicious. You were prepared for the small cultural differences, especially with the food, but from everything you’ve witnessed so far, the culture shock would be easier to overcome than what you’ve anticipated.
“Have this soup y/n,” Manager Kim’s grating voice came from in front of you, interrupting your inner monologue. “It’s good for your complexion.”
As Manager Kim hands over the bowl of soup, you feel the sleeve of his blazer brush up against your shoulder, causing the pit of your stomach to drop.
First day nerves. That was what this feeling was. You thought.
You quietly thanked him with a small nod and walked briskly from the service line, trying to find where Na-eun went with the other two managers. Thankfully, they were just a step away and you quickly made your way over to the comfortable spot beside Na-eun. She gave you a small grin and you both followed your way to a table right in the middle of the room.
Soon, all five chairs of the table got filled and sounds of chopsticks tapping and scraping against plates and bowls filled your ears. An awkward silence dominates your table as you start to pick at your food.
“So,” Manager Chen cleared her throat, “after lunch I was thinking we should go to a meeting room and discuss Miss. Y/n’s role in our new project.”
“I was thinking the same for our new Intern Choi.” Manager An cut in, “What do you think, Manager Kim?”
“It all sounds good. I will be accompanying Manager Chen to her meeting room as I wish to also further discuss the preliminary steps for our project.” Manager Kim looked from Manager Chen over to you.
“Project?” You ask.
“We’ve had a very successful year with our idol groups and we wanted to ride this success and start marketing in China. Recently, we’ve noticed a very large and growing Chinese audience for this group. I’m sure you’re very curious now, however we can discuss further details once we are in the meeting room.” Manager Chen replies while taking a sip of the water in her glass.
Manager Chen appeared to be a very professional and respectable woman. With prominent collarbones and wide shoulders, she easily looked the part of a confident and adored manager. She needed minimal makeup to highlight her tall cheekbones, and even with a short heel on her feet she seemed to tower over you. However, her warm and comforting voice was what broke her intimidating demeanour. Just listening to her voice felt like you were back in your high school classroom with your favourite teacher explaining the motif of a sad love poem.
After some more awkward conversations mixed with a few work discussions, the five of you finished the delicious food on your trays.
“Please excuse me whilst I head to the restroom” Na-eun spoke up after your group finished clearing the table.
“Please excuse me as well.” You quickly followed, bowing as you both ventured off to the washrooms.
I should get her number so I’m not completely a loner in this place, you thought to yourself. And so, after a quick inner struggle to speak up, you finally decided to ask.
“Hey, should we exchange contacts? I don’t wanna look like the newbie eating in the cafeteria alone after today.” You chuckled.
“Totally!” Na-eun beamed. “I was actually thinking the same thing…”
And so, you both quickly exchanged each other's contact as you made your way to the restrooms.
The hall of the washrooms were narrow, hidden away from the main cafeteria. You walked in, deciding you only wanted to retouch your hair and makeup before your first official meeting. You carefully fix the loose hairs that somehow escaped the confines of your elastic and dab on a fresh layer of foundation before applying your lipstick which rubbed off while eating. Looking over at Na-eun, you see she’s quite in the zone redoing her mascara.
“Hey, I’ll just wait for you in the hall.” You said.
Na-eun gave you a disinterested nod back as she kept focusing on her mascara.��
You walked to the end of the hall, leaned against the wall, and pulled out your phone. Smiling, you opened the virtual Tamagotchi app and saw your little friend staring back at you, bouncing up and down. The bundle of virtual pixels happily bounced as you fed and bathed it, making you happier in return. Playing this game, you were so entranced with your phone that the abrupt closing of the washroom doors broke you out of your hypnosis fast, causing you to flinch and drop your phone.
You looked up, only to see a brown haired man wearing a long sleeved black shirt. The hem of his sleeve fell, covering his hand as he bent down to pick up your phone. He stood back up, fully facing you now and you immediately recognized who he was. You weren’t a fool, of course you did all your research on the artists of JYPE before applying for the job. Looking down at you right now, holding your phone in his hand, was Bang Chan of Stray Kids.
The wispy tufts of his brown hair bounced over his forehead as he stepped over to you. He smiled, his dimple poking out of his cheek, and handed your phone back to you. “I think you dropped this.”
Blushing tomato red, you embarrassingly accepted the phone, trying not to make your shaking hands noticeable. It seemed like that failed, however, as you noticed him glance at your hands and dimple grow deeper.
“Thank you.” You meekly chirped and lowered your head, still in awe that you somehow bumped into a JYPE idol in the bathroom hallway of a cafeteria.
“It’s good that there’s no cracks.” Bang Chan said, looking in your eyes.
You looked back into his eyes. His smile never left his face, and you physically felt the warmth radiating off his body like rays from the sun. Some boring, objective part of your brain knew this interaction only lasted a fraction of a second, but you swore that time froze.
“Hyung!” A distant voice called.
Your trance was broken as Bang Chan looked over to the person calling his name. He turned back to you, politely bowed, and casually sauntered over to the man who called him.
What just happened? Your inner monologue ran, still trying to process the embarrassing interaction. The scent of his cologne lingered, swirling the atmosphere around your body.
Thankfully, you didn’t have too much time to dwell on this interaction as Na-eun finally opened the washroom doors and was making her way toward you.
You and Na-eun trailed behind the managers until you reached the set of elevators. It was there where you had to unfortunately separate from your comfort work buddy as she hopped in the elevator across from yours with Manager An. The other two managers led you to the elevator at the end and pressed the button for your destination floor. The ride in the elevator was silent. You stood there, fiddling with your nails.
Once the elevator gave the ding of arrival, the three of you headed down a hall where you presumed had the meeting room.
Manager Kim took a look at the watch on his wrist. “We are a minute late, everybody should be there already. Enter silently and respectfully.” He said in a stern voice.
You reached the frosted glass door of the meeting room and entered through the already opened door. The managers followed behind you with Manager Chen being the last one in and closing the door.
Your eyes widened at whom you saw.
There was Bang Chan, who sat in all his glory, staring right into your eyes with his mouth ajar. His shocked expression didn't last long, however, as he quickly composed himself to fit with the professional atmosphere of this room.
But why was he here? You thought. He’s an artist, isn’t this a management meeting?
Your inner monologue was broken by Manager Kim’s stern voice. “Y/n, why don’t you sit with me for today?” He asked with a slight tilt of the lips. His hand was hovering above your back, almost guiding you to the seat just right of the head chair.
Your heart rate quickened. There was no way that you could handle sitting right beside a high position manager on your first day. You barely knew what your duties entailed, you definitely could not handle the pressure of this seat today. You whipped your head around to look for Manager Chen. She was already sitting in her seat, looking like she was right at home.
“Manager Kim, if you don’t mind, I would like to sit in this position for today, '' a voice spoke up, “I have a lot of new ideas I’d like to share that are written in my notes.”
Bang Chan.
He paused a brief second, eyes switching between you and Manager Kim, and raised his iPad to show the screen filled with words.
“I don’t mind at all, go ahead.” Manager Kim monotonously replied. He then made his way to the head chair.
You looked over at Bang Chan, trying to subtly send the most grateful facial expression over to him. He returned your look, slightly grinning as his fingers tapped on the screen of his iPad and sat down to the right of Manager Kim. You looked over to see Manager Chen gesturing you to sit in the chair beside her and swiftly made your way over. At your seat, she handed you a notepad and pen, both adorned with the JYPE logo.
“Now, as of 1:02 p.m., September first, the meeting will officially begin.” Manager Kim clasped his hands together on top of the table. “As most of you already know, we are in the preliminary stages of planning a Chinese debut for our artist group ‘Stray Kids’. All we have right now is the estimated timeline, which is four months. We have a basic grasp of the concept we are working towards, however, as you all know, trends are always changing and growing. While we are working to create a new and original concept for Stray Kids, we also want the concept to gather as much audience reception as possible.”
Wow. That was a lot to take in. Your hands struggled to keep up with writing down what Manager Kim was saying. You knew this relatively new group was really starting to explode in the past year, but a debut in another country? This group must work really hard to even have the company consider a step as risky as this. So this is why Bang Chan is also involved in this meeting.
You peaked your head up from your notepad. Bang Chan sat across from you, one hand on his chin and the other one holding the pen to his tablet.
Manager Kim then carefully discussed the duties that each group in the room would take. Many of the jobs were directly involved with developing the concept itself, such as producing music, concept art, and theme development. Your pen never took a break from gliding on the notepad as you hurriedly jotted down everything that Manager Kim said.
Eventually, Manager Kim’s delegations moved to Manager Chen. “Manager Chen, I’ll let you take over from here.”
“Thank you Manager Kim,” Manager Chen cleared her throat. “While my main job here was to market Korean comebacks towards the Chinese audience, this new project changes things up a bit. Now, not only will I be in charge of marketing to the Chinese audience, but I will also be directly in charge of the concept itself. I will be working carefully with our team in China to monitor the trends which we can incorporate into our debut.
“This is my new assistant, y/n,” She turned and gestured to you. You politely nodded your head. “She will be gathering information on useful trends and reporting back to me, as well as some translating. Please report any ideas that you deem useful to her by the end of every week for her to sort through and deliver to me.”
You almost want to call Manager Chen crazy for giving you so much power, after all, you were only starting out as her assistant. Despite this, however, you were determined to go above and beyond with the new responsibilities given to you, after all, you knew that choosing to work in an organization as big as JYPE would take blood, sweat, and tears.
After some clarifications given by Manager Chen and a few more questions directed at her, Manager Kim took the reins back in his hands.
“Now, as I’m sure you all know, this is Bang Chan: the leader of Stray Kids. Although our management team is in charge of this debut, we like to include the opinions of artists whenever possible. He will make an appearance whenever he can and act as a representative of Stray Kids, sharing their ideas and opinions.” Manager Kim explained.
Bang Chan politely introduced himself, and quickly went on to express some concerns of his members. He made sure that each concern was answered thoroughly by Manager Kim before moving on to the next.
“As for our concept ideas,” Bang Chan’s soft brown eyes met yours, “will I have to report to y/n?”
You felt your ears redden.
“You could, yes,” Manager Kim straightened his back, “but if you find the weekly deadlines too much of a problem, you may just report to me or at any subsequent meeting.”
“No worries sir,” Bang Chan’s eyes lingered on yours for a fraction of a second more before grinning at Manager Kim, “I’m always punctual.”
The rest of the meeting consisted of more introductions and preliminary plans. After about an hour, everybody seemed satisfied with the contents of the meeting and were starting to pack up all their clutter on the table. You looked over at Manager Chen, silently asking what should I do next?
Manager Chen smiled. “Let's head to my floor. I can give you a quick tour, you can get settled at your desk. I have some paperwork that I’m almost done with; I’m sure you’ll have no problem finishing it for me.” She already was standing up and straightening over the creases of her jacket.
You stood up as well and followed behind Manager Chen like a lost baby duckling. You both made your way over to Manager Kim to bid farewell. You politely thanked him, said your goodbyes, and were about to leave when he stopped the two of you.
“Manager Chen, let’s go out for drinks tonight.” Manager Kim took a look at the intricate watch on his wrist. “With our whole team, of course. It’ll be a welcoming night and we can get to know the people on our team better.”
“That’s a great idea, Manager Kim,” Manager Chen nodded at his idea in approval. She turned on her iPad to quickly get a glimpse at her schedule. “What do you think y/n? Can you make it tonight? I know this is very last moment, but I think it’ll be a great opportunity for you to get to know your coworkers better.”
“I should be able to make it.” You definitely could make it. You had no plans anyways.
“Am I invited to this top secret party you’re all having?” A now very distinguishable voice came from behind you. Bang Chan stared at Manager Kim with a very mischievous expression.
“Would your manager allow it?” Manager Kim questioned, knitting his eyebrows.
“I’m on a diet, so I can’t drink alcohol or eat anything,” Bang Chan’s nose scrunched up in annoyance, “but I want to be as involved as I can. Just because I’m an idol doesn’t mean I can’t help behind the scenes as well.”
“Very well,” Manager Kim nodded with a fixed expression, “Let’s all meet at that restaurant about a block away west. I’ll go tell the others.” And with that, Manager Kim left you, Manager Chen, and Bang Chan to stand in awkward silence.
“Well,” Bang Chan cleared his throat and clapped his hands together, “I’ll get going as well to do some work now, but it was nice meeting the both of you.”
“You as well.” Manager Chen replied for the both of you and Bang Chan left soon after.
Manager Chen then led you to the elevators again and you headed up yet another few floors to reach your destination. You nervously fiddled with your hair as you silently waited behind your boss, looking up at the smooth lines of her blazer every few seconds. The elevator doors dinged, letting you know of its arrival. The two of you swiftly headed out the elevators and walked to what you presumed was Manager Chen’s office area. You kept following behind Manager Chen in silence before you stopped in front of a set of doors that looked identical to the ones at the previous meeting room. Manager Chen opened the doors for you, and you headed in.
You paused a step in, looking wide-eyed at the interior. The office was clean. A big glass desk sat right in the middle of the vast room in front of a huge set of windows. There were a couple of soft looking chairs placed right before the desk with a huge rug right underneath it. Over to your left, you spotted a water dispenser with a kettle right beside it. You stared at the room a bit longer before realizing you must have looked very stupid with that astonished look on your face.
“Is this your office, Manager Chen?” You asked.
“Yes. It seems that you like it,” She chuckled. You felt the heat rise to your ears.
“Since you’ll be working so close to me, I’m sure you’ll be happy to come here more often.”
“Thanks.” You awkwardly laughed. You blamed your bad response on the fact that you still weren’t familiar with the language, not your blatant awkwardness.
Manager Chen made her way over to her desk, picking up a small stack of papers. “These are some letters I’ve received from several designer companies in China. Since we are still in the very preliminary stages of this project, we would like to keep our options open for the stylists here.” She picks an annotated letter from the pile. “I’ve translated and created a summary of the main points of this letter. There are a few more left which I believe I can trust you with. Just do as I did with this letter and add the sample pictures along with it.”
You quickly complied, taking the stack of papers from her hands.
“I’ll show you to your new work space.” She led you out of your office and over to a cubicle that wasn’t too far away. It was considerably smaller compared to Manager Chen’s office, but you thought it had a certain coziness to it. Plus, working close to your coworkers could also boost your motivation. “Here is your desk, it’s not the most exciting thing, but you may bring photos or whatnot to decorate it. Now, I’ll let you settle in and get started on your work. You can meet me at my office around six, I can double check your work before we leave.”
You thanked her before she left and immediately got started on your work. You diligently translated the whole of the letters before picking out the main points that matched with Manager Chen’s example. After this was done, you included the photos that came with each letter and slipped them into their own cozy folder. This work was monotonous, sure, but it was something you needed on your hectic first day here.
You were so captivated by your work that you completely forgot about the time. The sun was starting to set, and you only remembered to look at the time after you tucked your last letter neatly in its folder. You briefly panicked, praying that you weren’t making your manager wait. Thankfully, it was only a quarter until six. You took the next fifteen minutes double checking your work, making sure to also check the time every once in a while. At exactly six, you left your desk and scurried over to the big doors of Manager Chen’s office.
Knocking a couple times, you waited patiently to be let in.
“Come in.”
You let yourself in, handing the papers to your manager, then sat quietly in one of the chairs before her desk, crossing your fingers together. You fiddled with your thumbs, patiently waiting for Manager Chen to speak up.
“Not bad, this is some decent work.” Manager Chen announced as soon as she finished glossing over your work. “I’ve noted some places that you can either fix or improve. I’ll scan them and hand you a copy tomorrow.”
You let out a breath that you didn’t know you were holding. A tidal wave of relief washed over you as you let yourself relax further into your chain. Not bad, this is some decent work. You proudly repeated this moment in your brain. Although you were disappointed with the mistakes that you let slip through, to get somewhat of a compliment on your first day meant a lot to you.
“Shall we get going now?” Manager Chen asked.
You grabbed your bag and stood up. “I’ll let you lead the way.”
_______
It seemed like all you were doing on your first day was following Manager Chen around like a lost puppy. The situation right now was no exception either, as you tried to copy her confident strides over to the restaurant a block down. You watched the busy rush hour streets and sidewalks fill with people, some people going home after a long day, some people going to party just like you.
Soon, after a few more minutes of walking, the both of you arrived at the small wooden doors of the restaurants. It seemed like the both of you were a bit late as Manager Kim was already waiting in front of the entrance with the rest of the team. Bang Chan was also there, head down looking at his phone.
“Sorry we’re late, have you been waiting for long?” Manager Chen somehow sounded confident despite making everybody wait on her.
Her voice seemed to have caught everybody’s attention. You watched as Bang Chan swiftly turned his head up from his phone, his eyes making contact with yours. You immediately focused your eyes somewhere else, trying to casually play off the fact that your eyes subconsciously drifted to him.
“We’ve only been waiting for a couple minutes.” Manager Kim gave a tight smile. “Let’s go in before you all get too cold.”
Your little group of around ten people slowly entered the doors, filling the restaurant. Manager Kim called over a waitress, signaling that you had ten people in your group, and let the waitress lead you all to a long wooden table.
The restaurant was nice, nothing too fancy, but that’s how you could tell the food was good. With dim lighting and tightly packed tables, it made you feel fuzzy and warm on the inside.
However, your thoughts on the restaurant were soon broken by a hand on your shoulder.
“Y/n, why don’t you sit with me?” Manager Kim’s lips curled up, “After all, this is a work gathering, how good of a boss would I be if I didn’t even treat my newest team member to a drink?”
Your brain was in shambles. You seriously didn’t feel comfortable sitting with him all night. However, the logical side of your brain was saying something different. He’s just being nice as a boss. You don’t know how people in this country act anyways, stop being paranoid.
It seemed like your inner turmoil was taking longer than necessary, as you heard another familiar voice speak up.
“Manager Kim-” Bang Chan called out.
“You don’t need to sit with me here, Bang Chan.” Manager Kim chuckled as he stared directly in Bang Chan’s eyes. “I’d rather not talk about work outside the office.”
You watched as Bang Chan’s eyebrows furrowed, looking back to you in reluctance. You smiled at him before turning your attention to Manager Kim. It was just one night, right? Plus, there’s no harm in establishing a good impression with your boss.
“I’ll sit with you, Manager Kim.” You smiled, “thanks for offering.”
And so, you took your seat next to Manager Kim at the table. Bang Chan, who was to your left, looked askance at Manager Kim for a brief second before his facial expression did a complete 180. His familiar, boy-ish smile was plastered on his face like it was the most natural thing.
When the menus came, everybody at the table — including you — started to order onslaughts of food and alcohol. After brief moments of casual chatter about topics such as the weather or how good the food was here, everything that was ordered arrived at your table.
You grabbed a can of beer and started sipping on it. You’ve drank before — of course — with your old friends at university, but it’s been at least a year since you last did. Better ease myself in. You thought.
However, your preconceived plans were ruined when a small glass of clear liquor got pushed in front of you.
“Y/n, surely you aren’t going to sip on that can all night.” The ends of Manager Kim’s lips curled up.
“Wasn’t planning to, sir.” You replied while tipping the glass up and into your mouth. The bitter liquid burned your throat as it went down. You took a moment to recollect your surroundings. Seems like your tolerance was higher than you thought.
“Bang Chan, do you not drink? Why not eat something then?” Manager Chen pointed to the food on the table.
“No can do ma’am, I’m on a strict diet. My manager would kill me.” Bang Chan pointed to his glass of water.
“In that case,” Manager Chen filled another glass, “Y/n, have another drink.” She slid the glass down the table in front of you.
You gladly accepted your second drink, downing the alcohol in one go. Your eyes instinctively squeezed together as you felt your throat burn. From the tips of your ears to the ends of your toes, your whole body felt warm and alive.
You lost track of the time. As your conversations got livelier, your head got fuzzier. You stopped counting your drinks after four, especially since so many people were eager to offer the new employee a drink. Although your vision was starting to blur, you could still think straight. I can still think, you thought to yourself, still — what a powerful buzz.
Your thoughts ran rampant in your mind as you stared at the lightbulb across the room. What a pretty light. So bright. Warm.
“Y/n.”
Was the light calling your name?
“Y/n!”
Your eyes focused again and snapped away from the lightbulb. Where was the voice coming from? You slowly turned your head. Bang Chan.
“Hi.” You smiled.
“Hi.” He smiled back. So bright. Warm. “It’s been hours and I haven’t even offered you a drink yet.”
You tried to focus your eyes on his face as he slid the glass over to you. One more drink wouldn’t hurt your buzz, right?
You gladly accepted, slowly moving your hand over to the glass to pick the clear liquid up. It went down in one go just like all the others.
Huh? Was this water?
You struggled to focus your eyes on the person who offered you the drink. “That was yummy.”
“I bet it was,” the talking blur chuckled, “How about another one?”
You nodded, then took the glass he slid towards you. It’s funny how water flows even when in a cup. Water. You needed to pee.
“Hey,” your words dragged out, “where’s uh, where’s the washroom?”
“Follow me. I’ll show you.” Manager Kim stood up and reached his hand out towards you. You didn’t want to take it, but it seemed like nobody was noticing his offer.
Reluctantly, you took his hand and stood up, only to stumble down again. Did your knees not want to listen?
“Whoa there, better hold on.” Manager Kim said.
“No, I can walk. I-I can walk.” You let go of Manager Kim and tried to focus all your brainpower on moving your feet in a straight line. This tactic only worked for a second, however, as your knees gave in and you stumbled down.
“It’s obvious that you can’t.” Manager Kim’s lips turned up. “It’s time for you to go home. I’ll take you back.”
What? No. You didn’t want Manager Kim to take you home, not after all the awkward events of today and the general vibe from him. You tried to express your thoughts, but nothing came out of your mouth.
“Manager Kim, you’ve been drinking!” Bang Chan’s voice came from some part of the room. “It’s not safe to drive, I’ll call a taxi for you.”
“What about Y/n here? I’ll get a taxi for us both.” Manager Kim said.
“I called my manager earlier to pick me up, we can drop her off along the way. It’s not a good idea to put two drunk people in a car. I’m completely sober right now, so let me do all the work.” Bang Chan grinned, patting Manager Kim on his shoulder.
“Is that what you want, Y/n?” Manager Kim glared.
You dizzily nodded.
“Alright. In that case, I can call my own taxi later.” Manager Kim grimaced.
“Stay safe, Manager Kim.” Bang Chan smiled. He turned to you. “My manager’s been waiting outside for a while now, do you want to leave now?”
You nodded. You tried to start walking again, but your damn knees just wouldn’t listen.
“Do you want to hold on to me?” Bang Chan knitted his brows together and held out an arm.
“I,” you slurred, “can walk.” You tried to start your feet again, only to end up stumbling down.
“I know you can,” Bang Chan said as he reached his hands out to stabilize you, “but — ah — I’m really tired after today. Can you hold on to my arm so I won’t fall out of exhaustion?”
You agreed to help him. Bang Chan waved to everybody still at the table before leading the two of you out to a black SUV. He allowed you to stumble your way in the back seats first before sliding in himself. He asked you for your address, which took many tries for you to accurately type it into his phone.
You leaned your head against the window, staring at passing blurred lights as Bang Chan’s manager started driving. Just being away from the loud and bright environment seemed to have cleared your head a little, but the pounding would not stop. You cursed yourself for being so irresponsible on your first day, especially because you were still alone in this new country.
“Hey,” you felt a gentle tap on your shoulder, “want some water?” You looked over to see Bang Chan holding out a plastic bottle with the lid screwed off.
You languidly reached your hand out for the bottle and gulped down as much water as you could in one breath before handing it back to him. The street lights started getting blurrier as you tried to fight exhaustion, the muscles in your eyelids starting to get more and more uncontrollable.
“Y/n.”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t fall asleep yet, we’re almost there. Ten more minutes.”
You couldn’t hear anything after that, however, as you felt your eyes give up on you and your body fall into a deep sleep.
“Y/n… Y/n.” A familiar voice called.
You fluttered your eyes open, your head pounding. Not knowing where you were, you surveyed your surroundings in a panic. It seemed as though you were in the back of a car… Parked outside of your apartment building?
“Hey, you’re finally awake.” Bang Chan’s voice entered your ear. It all came rushing back to you; the restaurant, the drinking, entering the SUV.
“How long have we been parked here?” Your groggy voice sounded inhuman. You had to clear your throat a couple times.
“It’s only been twenty or so minutes. I’m not allowed to leave the car, are you able to get home alone? I can ask my manager to go with you.” Bang Chan scratched the back of his neck.
“I should be fine.” You mumbled, a bit embarrassed to have fallen asleep in the car of a person you just met that day. This wasn’t even his car, it was his manager’s.
“Hey… can I put my number in your phone?” Bang Chan avoided your eyes. “Just so you can tell me when you get home.” He quickly added.
“Okay.” You awkwardly handed him your phone with your contacts already opened. He quickly typed his phone number in before handing it back to you.
“Text me when you get home. Remember to lock your door, okay?”
You thank both him and his manager before hurrying back to your apartment. Your head was still pounding unrelentlessly as you pressed the elevator button for your floor. The events of today were still unprocessed in your brain. You met a potential friend, which was a highlight. However, you also met two higher up managers and an actual idol, only to get hilariously drunk in the presence of. At least it’ll make a good story to tell my mom. You thought.
In no time, you made it in your apartment and locked the door behind you, remembering what Bang Chan told you in the car. You texted the new number in your phone.
Y/n: Hi. It’s y/n. I just entered my apartment.
Not even a minute later, your phone lit up, signaling a new text message.
Bang Chan: great!! remember to lock the doooor hahaha ( ◕ω◕✿ )
You subconsciously grin at your phone. Cute. Throwing your phone haphazardly on your bed, you begrudgingly began your night routine. After washing up and throwing on a random shirt from your closet, you fell on your bed ready to sleep. You were about to close your eyes when your phone lit up again with a ding. It was another text.
Bang Chan: Hey… Just so you know, if you ever feel unsafe around the office just tell me okay? I’ll always try to help you in whatever way I can.
#stray kids#stray kids scenarios#stray kids imagines#stray kids x reader#stray kids smut#stray kids fluff#stray kids angst#stray kids fanfic#skz scenarios#skz imagines#bang chan#bang chan scenarios#bang chan imagines#bang chan fluff#bang chan angst#bang chan smut
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Paradox Live The Animation Episode 12 Review + Final Thoughts - Rap Is The Solution
I respect anyone who likes this episode and how it went out. There are things that I liked about it too, but I mainly found it cringe. I’m sorry! This was the silliest thing I’ve seen to the point that it got me covering my face in second hand embarrassment!
Like the premise for rescuing Kanata from the corrosion was so ridiculous. I thought it would be like what happened with Hajun, but it was so much different. What did they do? RAP IN FRONT OF HIM! Kanata is sad and depressed? Yeah, rapping in front of him to get him out of his funk is a GREAT IDEA, Allen. Gosh, from someone who was witnessing this from an omniscient perspective, they all looked so silly doing this. I know that it works for the sake of story and a feel-good moment, but the way that whole scene was executed was just so funny. Yeah, we have these teens, young adults and adults rapping in front of a distressed 19-year-old pretty boy in hopes that he feels better and moves on from Nayuta’s death. Heck, it’s only when Shiki starts talking to him that Kanata gets a reaction; despite that, why does Allen get all the credit? I mean, I like the Allen and Kanata ship, but it did seem unwarranted. Okay, I do admit that the rap was good despite how cheesy it was.
Mr. Scientist man just seemed like the typical hammy villain seeking world domination and other such bilge. He has been manipulating everything so that he can get a big reaction from phantometals. To be honest, he was such a generic villain that it felt like a waste for him to be voiced by Akira Ishida—he doesn’t even have a name! My favorite part is when Mr. Ramen man punches the daylights out of him. For the dude that’s been built up to be the true villain, he went out like that. Disappointing.
Speaking of Mr. Ramen man, he turns out to be the real Shura from BURAIKAN. Ha, I got it right. He is the true hero of this ordeal, not Allen. Shura confronts Mr. Scientist Guy and takes back Yasha’s phantometal. It was nice having confirmation and him helping out from behind the scenes, but how Yasha died was never fully seen or explained. He just died; how am I supposed to form an emotional connection with this fictional character if all I know about him is that he’s dead? Though, it was a bit silly that Iori reveals to his little brothers that Raimentei’s owner being Shura was so…out of place? But hey, at least someone knows.
I’m glad that everyone gets a happy ending. Akan Yatsura go about their lives as family. TCW keeps their bar and their family together. BAE continues making music. Best of all, Kanata is finally reunited with Nayuta, who is revealed to be alive. So, the Nayuta with long hair at the ending scene in Episode 7 was the real Nayuta. I’m so happy for you, Kanata! You get your brother back and he definitely needs a haircut.
I guess my only true gripe with this episode, excluding the cringe execution of the rap segment, was that BAE took most of the spotlight in terms of heroics? Like, I get that Allen and Kanata have a special connection, but that was mainly shown in the early episodes and in Episode 10, but like the adults, specifically Iori had more knowledge of phantometals, yet he was just a sitting duck. On top of that, the other members of BAE didn’t really contribute much; it was all Allen. Yes, I know he’s the central MC, thanks for reminding me.
Overall, I do think this was a good way to conclude the show. Though, I do wonder if the audiences’ memories about the whole fiasco got wiped. Club Paradox magically disappearing is going to be news for a while too. While this wasn’t the best anime I’ve watched, it did get me curious in wanting to listen to the audio dramas. A frequent commenter on my blog always mentions about things that are and aren’t in the tracks. I can’t thank them enough. It’s because of them that I am going to try and listen to the tracks sometime soon. What are your thoughts on the finale?
Final Thoughts
My knowledge of Paradox Live was very limited in that my only true exposure to it was listening to Jumping Into My World by Lollipop Universe; since I love that song, I gave Pararai a try and I did enjoy the characters! I just think that the anime probably wasn’t the best idea to start, but at least it helped me understand the characters. I really like the characters!
My favorite character is Kanata, but I do love the others a lot too! I feel like I cannot hate any of them because they’re all so unique and well-designed (okay, the only character I dislike is Mr. Scientist guy, but he’s an anime original so he doesn’t count). It sucks that the anime ended because I wanted to see more cute people doing cute things (I said people because Anne is non-binary). I think the best part about the characters is that they really did try a lot of new things when it came to the types and not make them caricatures. For example, Anne is non-binary, but their identity is never used as a joke. Hajun is Korean, but he is never looked down upon for his ethnicity. Ryu has amnesia, but they don’t go the generic trope of him recovering his memories and have him change his entire identity. Hokusai is 24 years old, but he goes to high school part time at his age and it’s never really frowned upon because the man is still getting an education at the end of the day. I really like how the writers are progressive with these characters and that’s what makes this type of show so unique.
The voice actors were great. They chose a good bunch that’s a mix of big names, rising stars and actual utaites (Internet singers). I think each voice actor did a splendid job in bringing out the characters and the raps. I am definitely anticipating all of their next projects as I am confident they will bring out their A-games.
The songs were so good! Ever since I’ve been exposed to this anime, Paradox Live songs have been my workout songs! They’re all so fun to listen to and they’re all so distinct. I’ve been having a kick listening to AKYR’s Bad Boyz. I feel like there is no bad song; sure, there could be weak songs, but nothing too bad that it’s drivel.
Would I recommend this anime? I’m not too sure. I’ve seen mixed reactions from actual Paradox Live fans regarding it. I guess it could be a recommendation for music lovers, mainly hip-hop. Would I watch it again? If I have to suffer through that cringefest again, then no. Like I said before, I will be giving the tracks a listen. What are your thoughts on the anime as a whole?
#paradox live#paradox live the animation#allen sugasano#BAE#kanata yatonokami#cozmez#akan yatsura#the cat's whiskers#shura#buraikan#review#anime#anime review#ecargmura#arum journal
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Hi I just read you’re tsukishima story and it was so cute omg but I have an idea
Let’s say y/n has a huge crush on tsukishima since they were children right. But tsukishima never rlly liked y/n in that way. So he would always like be kinda aggressive but like not in the physical way, like he would be cold to her whenever y/n would constantly say something abt them dating. In reality he did like her but he didn’t realize it. Then suddenly a new guy shows up, he’s like really handsome and he’s in a small band, he plays the bass. Y/n actually listens to that band and she was so excited so the two of them click really easy, that’s when she starts being distant with tsukishima and stops the talks abt them dating, tsukishima starts to miss everything y/n would say to him and he wanted to get y/n back, but when he tries he sees y/n and the guy sharing a peck 😔‼️ sorry if this was longgggg ugh
a/n: ahhh! I’m glad you thought so, haha! don’t worry about the length, specifics are always welcome! <3 this is a really good idea! i think it ended up on the longer side, but yk, more content is good? i also ended up naming him, so it’s easier to refer to him. i keep holding on to highschool settings i’m sorry LMAO- i haven’t finished season 4 and i’m not reading the manga yet :( but anyways, here’s a bit of angst/unrequited love to balance out my recent fluff posts !
asks/requests: open !
word count: 2.6k
warnings?: some angst/unrequited love
worth a try.
- TSUKISHIMA KEI -
growing up with tsukishima had been a whirlwind of experiences. ever since you had moved and transferred to his school the last year of primary school, you’d been drawn to him. the tall, blonde kid with glasses. you found his pride in volleyball admirable, and you even found him to be so much cooler than you ever would be.
you originally didn’t know anybody when you first moved, but you fit right in with both tsukishima and his own friend. it was a strange combination, but it worked somehow. while tsukishima was rude, and yamaguchi timid, you were loud and energetic. you were lively. you challenged him just for the fun of it, you poked and prodded, just having fun being around him.
you were his self-declared best friend.
looking back on it, you probably always had feelings for tsukishima. back in those days when you tried to get into volleyball yourself. wanting to be like him, you tried your best, but you weren’t all that good. he would make fun of you for it, but you weren’t bothered by settling for being supportive of him and your freckled friend. You were just as passionate as they were about it.
you were even there when that passion jaded. watched as he stared at his brother from across the game.
it was when you started junior high, that you came to the conclusion that you were in love with your friend. but unlike most people, you did nothing to hide it. why would you? you were always open, always honest and straight to the point. you just weren’t one to hide that.
“go out with me, tsukki!” you poked his side with a cheeky grin, your eyes bright. your friend wasted no time in rejecting you.
“no.”
“aw, you sure?”
“i would never date somebody so stupidly annoying.” you shook off the blatant insult, laughing instead with your hand on your neck. a small thing you picked up from your other friend. yamaguchi.
“you’ll come around one day!”
“i doubt that.”
it went on like that all throughout your remaining years until high school. a constant back and forth that became a schedule at that point.
it was decided that tsukishima would be going to karasuno, as would yamaguchi. and so would you. you would go where they go, you’d never thought about leaving them both. you’d stay with them as long as possible, holding on to their friendship like it was your lifeline..
and holding onto tsukishima even more so.
you were there with them on the first day, when they joined volleyball club. that first practice match against aoba johsai.
you weren’t always watching their practices, since you had your own club duties to attend to of course. but you always made sure to stop by the clubroom while the boys were getting ready, just to say hi to everyone and to a certain someone.
“hey, hey!” you poked your head from around the door, waving a hand. the team greeted you cheerfully enough, minus tsukishima. who looked annoyed to no end.
“tsukki, wanna go grab something to eat after your practice? i know a really great spot!”
he didn’t even look at you, only giving you the middle finger.
you laughed, shrugging. “worth a try.”
the first time the team had witnessed your very forward approach to asking the extremely salty and crude boy out, they were surprised. the way he turned you down so effortlessly too, threw them off. the added shock of anybody even liking him was the cherry on top.
“is this normal?” sugawara asked, a chuckle falling from his lips. asahi was beside him, sweatdropping at the sight of your affectionate display, and tsukishima’s obvious lack of reciprocation.
yamaguchi smiled awkwardly, nodding. “well- yeah, actually. It’s been happening for years.”
“i’d kill to have somebody all over me like that! lucky bastard!” tanaka held his fist up dramatically, as if clenching his heart in it. he even had a tear in the corner of his eye.
“well then, i’ll be on my way! good practice, everyone!” you chirped, finally leaving them.
“l/n’s got some serious determination.” tanaka whistled.
“misplaced determination. they won’t shut up about dating, it’s annoying.” tsukishima didn’t sound as impressed as his loud senpai was.
yamaguchi tilted his head to the side. “really? i would’ve thought tha-”
“shut up.”
a small laugh. “sorry, tsukki.”
it would forever continue, it seemed like. you never thought you’d give it up, you always knew that you liked tsukishima. your heart would pound, your stomach would feel fluttery. but even though you’ve been with him since you were children, it didn’t seem like he’d grown to feel the same. it would get you down sometimes, his mean and harsh words whenever you’d bring it up. either casually, or intentionally.
you couldn’t help being so hopelessly whipped!
you were walking down the sidewalk with yamaguchi and tsukishima, humming along to a new song that had been dropped recently. you were so into it, strumming your fingers like you were the one playing in the recording. tsukishima watched you with critical eyes, but yamaguchi watched as if this was entertaining.
“new song, l/n?” yamaguchi asked you, and you paused the music. you nodded right away, grinning.
“yeah! there’s this kind of new band I found a bit ago, i think around the time you guys met nekoma for that first practice match? their music is so cool!” you could go on and on about them, to be honest. they may be small, and very underground, but you liked them anyways.
“wahh, they sound cool- right, tsukki?” yamaguchi and you both looked behind at him, faces expecting the same sentiment.
he only scoffed.
you roll your eyes playfully, sidling up to him for the first time today. “you want to go get some ice cream, tsukki?” you wished, hoped for him to just say yes for once. your heart was begging at this point.
“get out of my face, l/n.” he said coldly.
with a defeated sigh, you walked a few steps quicker, before unpausing the music. the humming resumed, and yamaguchi glanced back and forth between you both with a weary expression.
“you could try to be a bit nicer, tsukki-”
“they can’t take a damn hint, it’s not my job to be nice about it.” He said stubbornly.
yamaguchi sighed himself, nodding along. there wasn’t a point in continuing the topic; he always shut it down whenever yamaguchi brought it up. he’s never been so aggressive about something before.
interhigh had come, taking up your friend’s time with it. you were upset that they’d be so busy now, but with the new tournament coming, came a new student.
he was friendly, and cheerful, and honestly probably one of the most charming people you’ve ever met in your life. he even looked familiar to you, like you’ve seen him somewhere before. you couldn’t figure it out, so you just opted to the conclusion you must have just passed him down the street at some point. or some strange case of deja vu? either way, he was in your class now.
you were just coming back from the bathroom, your earbuds plugged into your ears like they usually were nowadays.
“l/n, please take your earbuds out, it’s class time.” iour teacher scolded you gently, and you pouted a little. It was just getting to a good part-
you had tugged on them a little too hard, and instead of just getting them out of your ears, they came out of the headphone jack completely.
you were embarrassed as your new favorite band’s music started blasting out of the phone’s speakers, and you hurried to turn it off. You were blushing, laughing at yourself as you went to go sit back down.
ahh, dang! everyone heard that! you were just laughing at yourself in your head now.
there was a tap on your desk, and you turned your face towards the hand. it was the new kid, and his face looked bright.
“you listen to my band’s music?” he whispered to you, his face beaming, and you gasped quietly.
“is this you?” you pointed at your pocket, where your phone rested. he nodded.
“that’s so- wow, i go to school with one of the people in my favo-”
“l/n, do you have something to say about the lecture?”
you shook your head violently, holding back a huge grin. “n-no, miss!” your teacher sighed, and continued past the interruption.
the looks you both shared didn’t go unnoticed by tsukishima.
everyday now, you were hanging around the new kid. you had come to learn his name, which was ishiwaka teruo. you both had hit it off instantly, it was like you guys had known each other forever, and not just a few weeks. it was almost like some crazy twist of fate, or luck. you guys were both alike in a lot of ways, held similar passions, too.
“see you, ishi!” you waved a hand, grinning as he waved a goodbye back. you guys didn’t take the same way home, so he ended up leaving the opposite direction, while you walked with tsukishima and yamaguchi. you were humming again, one of ishiwaka’s band’s songs.
“you seem pretty happy, l/n.” yamaguchi chuckled, watching as you danced a little.
“oh yeah, you bet! ishi actually invited me to sit in for one of his practices, isn’t that so cool? he plays the bass, and he even offered to teach me a few chords. i don’t really mess with instruments, but-”
“can you shut up about him? all you do is just yap on and on about this guy, hanging out with him isn’t enough for you? what’s so special anyways?” his tone was harsh, and condescending. “if you’re just going to talk about him all the time, i’m not walking with you guys anymore.” your eyes widened as soon as you heard what tsukishima had just said. your heart was pounding, like it had been caught in the act of something terrible. you even felt slightly ashamed.
“wow, nice, tsukki. sorry for being excited about something.” you muttered, clutching your bag straps tight. what did you expect at this point? he didn’t like you as much as you thought, if he was so ready to just leave you behind. yamaguchi sensed the tension between you both, which made him uncomfortable.
you were all quiet for the rest of the way home.
interhigh came and went, the loss against aoba johsai stung the volleyball team, leaving their spirits broken, and cracked. you hadn’t been to the game that day, busy with a certain band member. and your missing presence hadn’t been looked over.
“where were you?” tsukishima had confronted you in the hallways, while you were walking with ishiwaka to the water fountain. it was break, which meant he could freely talk to you now.
you looked away from him, a nervous air around you that wasn’t like you at all.
“i’m sorry i couldn’t make it, tsukki- i heard that you guys lost, and i’m really sorry i couldn’t have been there!” your words were careful and slow, like you were thinking on how to say the right thing to him.
the blonde closed his eyes, and looked off to the side. he didn’t look pleased in the slightest. “were you with your precious band member? like some kind of groupie.”
ishiwaka raised an eyebrow, and you just shook your head. tsukishima was really doing this right now? you said sorry, what else were you supposed to say?
“you know what, yeah. i was with him. it’s not like..it’s not like i have to be around you or yamaguchi every second of the day, okay?” you sighed. “look, i’ll make it to your next practice, and skip my club activities. is that fine?”
he hesitated, before giving you a curt nod. you smiled in relief. “great! i’ll see you then. now, about that specific measure-”
you had left him behind, and tsukishima had been hit with a realization.
you hadn’t mentioned going on a date at all. not today, not even within the past few weeks. was something wrong with you? he’d gotten so used to that, but now even that wasn’t a constant.
it was like you were slipping away from him, day by day.
and he realized that he didn’t like that.
as the days went on, thoughts about this ran rampant through his mind. it was maddening, he was trying to focus on school, and now, as he was walking to the clubroom, volleyball. he was scarily silent, and yamaguchi caught onto it right away.
“tsukki?” he asked quietly, not wanting to push. but he wanted to know. ever since tsukishima had come back from break that day, he’d been acting strange. he was even saltier, if that was possible.
“am i not enough for l/n?” he spit out the question, like it was a disease.
taken aback, the freckled boy could only blink. the two stopped walking, looking right at each other now. “what?”
tsukishima barked out a laugh, running a hand over his face in frustration. “you heard me, yamaguchi.”
yamaguchi’s jaw dropped. “do you miss them?” was he for real? was this jealousy actually coming from tsukishima?
“hell if i know.” he muttered. but he knew the answer, and that’s what upset him.
“i knew it. tsukki, why did it have to be now, though?” he shook his head in disbelief. at the utter obliviousness of this boy. yamaguchi knew himself that there was something there in tsukishima, something resembling feelings for you. but of course it was when you were no longer always around that he saw it.
“what?”
“l/n isn’t a puppy anymore, they’re not following after you. if you haven’t noticed, they’ve given up. you need to do this yourself, and fix it.” yamaguchi stated. he wouldn’t be lying if he said that he’d been frustrated with the back and forth between you both, it was so obvious to him, but apparently not obvious to tsukishima. or you, for that matter.
“i know that.” he muttered. he would have to confront you about this. was he stupid? why didn’t he get this before?
“then do something about it.”
tsukishima was quiet.
it was decided by him that he’d catch you outside of practice, since you said you’d be coming to watch. it was a quick, and impulsive decision from him, but he needed this to be figured out. his head was at it’s most unclear, and that was affecting him.
you were affecting him.
he looked around the outside of the gym, trying to see if he could spot you coming. it took a minute, before he saw a figure off to the side. it was you, he could tell by that bag anywhere. he stepped out, only to be met with the full picture.
you were with ishiwaka, and you were kissing him.
tsukishima hurried back into the gym with a stone-cold expression. oh. so this is where he stood now.
no longer at the top of your list, no longer important.
you walked into the gym, beaming. it angered tsukishima, more than he should have been. he yanked your arm, and held you by them with a vice grip. you looked up at your friend with nervous, maybe even scared eyes. you hadn’t seen tsukishima like this before.
“what is he to you?”
you blinked. “wh-what?”
“who is he to you? that little bass player.” his eyes were searching yours, for anything, anything that he could hold on to. you didn’t respond, only looking away from his intense stare.
your eyes didn’t hold that same look that they used to whenever you looked at him.
he had his answer. and he didn’t like it. so he let go of you, maybe for real this time. things had changed so much, right under his nose. and he had let it happen.
#tsukishima x reader#tsukishima angst#haikyuu x reader#haikyuu x reader angst#tsukishima x reader angst
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hi! can i request a one shot with polnareff x reader but he’s still stuck as the turtle but a twist like the princess and the frog? the reader kisses the turtle and he comes back to being his old (part 3) self because the reader is the one? lots of fluff plzzz? ty ;w;
A/N: Okay but this idea is so unbelievably cute?! I apologize for taking forever to get it done. I went a bit deep and overboard with the storyline on a request that is so simple and I’m pretty sure this is my longest one up to date actually BUT- it’s whatever. There’s plenty of fluff near the end, I promise. I enjoyed writing this and I hope you enjoy reading it too!! 🤍
(If this flops, I will be so sad omg)
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“You’re The One, My Love.” (Jean Pierre Polnareff x Reader)
Warnings: mentions of drug abuse and depression
tags: gender-neutral, gender-inclusive, jean pierre polnareff x reader, turtle pol, magical, kiss, twist, slight angst, sfw, fluff
Description: One day after having to escort Polnareff as orders from your boss, you begin to grow quite fond of him. During your usual hangouts, you jokingly offer to kiss him as a way to recreate one of your favorite fairytales.
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You giggle as Jean pulls you into a kiss, you feel him smile as he holds your face gently. You’re happy to see the man you love not be as serious and hurt as he was when you first met him. Your expression reminiscent of the memories shared between you before this moment.
~A Year Before~
Your personal servant had drawn the curtains. Your eyes fluttered open, body awaken by the bright sunlight shining from your windows and murmurs outside your bedroom. You groaned in frustration as you threw a pillow at him, he managed to catch it and place it back by your bed frame. You huffed,
“Didn’t boss say I have the week off? I’m allowed to sleep in.” you stated blankly, remembering how you had the strong urge to strangle him for ruining your slumber. He shook his head as he sat by the edge of your bed and pointed at the clock that stood on top of your nightstand. You distinctly remember the screen marked 7:25AM exactly. You sighed as you thought you could’ve at least slept in by 10. You sat up and criss crossed your legs and played with the lose strings of your blanket as he replied.
“Technically you do, but today is last minute and different. Sr. Giovanna wants you to escort out a close individual he works with today by 8.”
Frustrated, you plopped your hands down onto your lap and rolled your eyes as you said back,
“Not to be bratty but...can’t he just do that himself or get one of you to do it?” you raised your pointers and middle fingers to create air quotations “This individual must be pretty important if not even the boss can take care of it.”
Your servant shut his eyes and sighed. After what you had just told him, deep down you felt bad about how much he had to deal with your bull on a daily basis- not to mention your constant grumbling in the morning whether he woke you or not. Either way, you were pretty grumpy most mornings. He shook his head again.
“It’s not that either. Sr. Giovanna could easily lead him out but he’s currently finishing business with other people in the country. Sr. Mista is with him as well so you’re the only one we have present. They both must attend all meetings, they are not to miss one.
“Okay, but that still doesn’t answer my question. What’s so important about him or her or whatever the hell they go by?”
“I’ll let you figure that out for yourself.” He said finally as he patted your bed as a way to non-verbally tell you to get ready.
You huffed when he exited the room, plopping your back down hard into the foamy mattress. You roughly grabbed at the pillow you had thrown earlier and placed it over your face, you screamed into it for a good 10 seconds.
Looking back, were you being a little too dramatic? Yes, sure- of course. It’d make anyone cringe if they were to had witnessed it though you didn’t really mind. You were still maturing anyway. You were still getting used to the life Giorno Giovanna and Guido Mista had offered and gladly given to you.
Before meeting your boss Giovanna and his right hand man Mista, you had been living life miserably at home. Though before anyone asks, no: your parents were not abusive, no: your siblings weren’t either, no: nor were your friends or teachers. You had just become very distressed with the life you were leading on. You didn’t like the person you were and were expected to become. Anxiety took over rather unexpectedly. So what did you do when you had enough? You moved on to drugs.
You were surprised to find out how easy it was for a person in their late teens to gain access towards those terrible substances. But none the less, you later learned your dealer was from the mafia known as “Passione.”
Was it dangerous for you to have figured out that information? Yes. However, you remained cautious and never told a soul...until one day you bumped into the now late capo, Bruno Bucciarati.
You were walking down your local dealing alleyway, hands in pockets and school bag still in sight. You usually dealt after school as many adults were distracted by the kids that filled up the streets. Thus making them barely notice the illegal activity going on as a large number of students would walk down alleyways as a shortcut to their home. You were swift in paying back and receiving your desired substances anyway.
All of a sudden you heard a distant call, a call out of your name. You stopped dead in your tracks and turned around to look at the direction from where the call was coming from, that’s when you saw him. He stood a few feet from you.
“I’m glad I was able to find you...my name is Bruno Bucciarati. Your parents sent me to look for you, they’ve mentioned to me that you’ve been coming home late from school lately.”
You only shrugged and completely ignored his claim. You began walking away but were stopped again when he said,
“Leaky eyed Luca deals with you, doesn’t he?”
You kept your gaze forward and your back turned away from Bruno. Turning your head slightly over your shoulder, you mumbled,
“If I say yes, will you leave me alone?”
Without having to look at him, you knew he had tilted his head when he answered.
“That depends. If you answer honestly, no trouble will occur. I’ll remain calm with you, that is a promise.”
You blinked, sighing as you kicked at the small pebbles near your feet, staring at your shoes as you thought about what he said.
You had been dealing with Luca and you knew that his business was risky. Though you didn’t care. You felt that you needed to get the drugs you wanted pronto and Luca was the only one who would give them to you quickly. You shook your head, deciding to give up as you didn’t want anyone to notice you both speaking. You turned to face him and quietly replied,
“Yes, he deals with me. He’s the provider, I’m the receiver.”
Bruno smiled, satisfied with your answer.
He followed up with informing you that Luca had been killed at a local airport and was told to investigate his death. He didn’t provide too many details as to the cause of his death but you didn’t feel like asking anyway. Bruno admitted he came to speak to you as hours prior one of your parents really did come to speak to him about your behavior. After connecting some dots, he suspected you had something to do with Luca’s death as you were not attending school and were gone for most of the day. Not to mention, your teachers had called your parents that day as well.
Luckily, he was able to clear you out as a suspect as you cooperated with him and weren’t sweaty or completely jittery. He also gave you a little talk about using drugs. He promised he wouldn’t tell your parents that you got yourself involved in that abusive life if you promised to not buy more again.
You truly felt at the time that he was the only one who understood and cared for you in just the short time you met him. Your eyes watered as you complied with Bruno, promising to do what he suggested. A promise you have held onto forever.
After some investigating of your own, you found out that it was your future boss that killed Luca. You were rather impressed than angry that he was able to kill him. You honestly believed Luca would never be caught.
Back to the day you had to escort this individual- after some more complaining and grumpy remarks towards everyone in the household, you were finally ready to meet them. Your personal servant led you to the front door. He made sure to quietly remind you to be polite.
Your attention turned to another servant walking down the stairs towards your direction. A pillow in hand with a piece of cloth covering whatever was on top it. You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, laughing as you sarcastically remarked,
“Is this some kind of joke? It’s not April, is it?”
“No, but I guess this household treating me with the upmost respect is.”
Your eyes widen. ‘Did that thing under the cloth just speak?” you asked yourself.
The servant removed the cloth and there revealed a turtle. A turtle with a key-shaped hole embedded on its shell. You almost assumed that the turtle smirked at you when he added,
“I know, don’t be too surprised. I plan to get out of this animal once my soul decides to give up. I haven’t always looked like this, ya know.”
Your mouth gaped open as to say something, but you quickly shut it as you didn’t know how to reply. He chuckled,
“Hand me over to them, we’ll talk more when we get to my destination.”
You hesitantly took the pillow from the servant’s hands and remained in shock as you walked out the door. You were careful not to drop him as you got down to the front gates. Gulping as you asked,
“So...my servant wasn’t that specific on me having to leave you in the car or actually riding with you. It’s kind of my fault as I don’t like to listen and talk in the morning...”
You nervously laughed as he looked up to you. He replied,
“It’s quite alright. I was told you have to ride with me. But don’t worry, you won’t have to stay for long. It’s only around a 10 minute ride.”
“Yeah, okay.”
You sat behind the passenger seat and placed the pillow in the middle, right next to your side.
The ride was relatively quiet, you looked out the window as you kept a fist under your chin. Your expression showed that of concern. You were too nervous to say anything. Even though he had joked back earlier, you were afraid he didn’t like you as his voice stayed stern throughout your small talk. You were afraid you had offended him in some way.
Your mood changed when the driver alerted that you had arrived. You thanked him as he opened the door for you, your hands grasped the pillow tightly so the talking turtle wouldn’t fall. You asked him with a small voice.
“Is there anywhere you’d like for me to set you?”
“Yes... put me on top of that balcony over there. I want to look at the lake.”
“Of course.”
You did as he said and sat him on the balcony. Your eyes gleamed when you caught sight of the glimmering water and greenery of the setting. You’ve always known that Italy is one of the most beautiful places in the world but at that time you had forgotten and were fascinated all over again. Like when a child sees a playground for the first time.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked, you nodded.
“Yes, it really is. It’s no wonder you asked me set you on here.”
“Yes... I wanted to look at one more beautiful sight before I go. Like I said earlier, my soul is no longer fit to be here, so I might as well admire my surroundings for now.”
Your mind quickly became curious after he said that. You wanted to know more behind what he meant. You weren’t going back to that car until you got answers. So to make things easy, you started off with asking his name.
“If you don’t mind... would you like to tell me your name?”
“It’s Jean. Jean Pierre Polnareff.”
‘So he’s French.’ you remember thinking, his accent wasn’t too thick but you assumed and your assumption was right. After that, you went on to tell him your name and your experiences before meeting boss Giorno Giovanna. He shared the same with you.
You talked for so long in fact that you paid off the driver of your assigned car to go back and finish his shift early, promising them that you’ll find a ride later yourself.
You ended off the chatty night with placing Jean under a nearby bench and waving at him. You were saddened but Jean said he enjoyed your company so much that he’ll try to stay for longer and that you’re welcome to come him visit him everyday.
And so you did.
For months you came by to talk to him. You were happy to see that his soul wasn’t giving up yet- you knew you would cry if it were to one day. You had come to realize that you love him but you didn’t know if he felt the same way about you. You had only seen his face once- that was the day he decided to show you the physical embodiment of his soul.
You thought (and still think) he was so beautiful. The missing of bottom limbs and blindness in one eye did not bother you at all. His white-silver hair, style and personality is what did it for you. What it did to make you fall in love with his vanity and him. Just him. Jean himself.
~A Year Later~
It’s been a year now and as per usual, you spent half your days speaking to Jean by that same lake you were ordered to drive him to.
Boss Giovanna and Mista have noticed how fast you are in missions since then. They appreciate that you get things done but they still remain curious as to why you’re more happy and less grumpy than you were before. Though they don’t bother to ask, as they’re kind and don’t want to ruin your pure joy.
Today isn’t particularly different. All you had done earlier in the day was speak to a few citizens in town and dealt with giving details to your boss about a certain drug epidemic at a school. Nothing too out of the ordinary, a situation like this occurred at your old school too years back. Your duties were basically done once you learned information got to police.
You drive down to the park where the lake is at, smiling when you see a familiar small green circle on the balcony, looking over the glimmering waters. You park in the nearest lot and lock your car after getting out. You excitedly run over to Jean and smile when he turns his little head to greet you.
“I’m glad you’ve come again.” he says with a smile.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I?” you reply in a genuine tone.
You go on to talk about random topics and subjects as you always do. The conversation moving onto favorite pieces of literature and genres.
You roll your eyes in embarrassment as you tell him your most favorite one- one that is a fairytale and goes by the name of “The Frog Prince.”
“Well... it’s very fem of me but I really enjoy fairytales. Especially the ones from the Grimm brothers. My favorite is actually “The Frog Prince”
You place your elbow on the rail and use a hand to cover your burning cheek. Hoping that the redness rushing to your face won’t be noticed by Jean and that the sunset covers it up. Jean only laughs and hopes to comfort you when he says,
“Oh, that’s fine. Who cares if it’s feminine? They’re very well written stories and people shouldn’t be ashamed for what they like. I admire that your favorite genre is fairytale, you don’t hear people say that as often, you know?”
His words do comfort you and you thank him for that. He welcomes you and you feel like you’re actually looking into his sapphire eyes. The ones you fell in love with so long ago. You speak up before you’re even able to fully think.
“Say, the frog prince and the princess kissing, huh? Why don’t we kiss and see if it turns you back?”
Shit.
‘Did I really just ask that?’ you ask yourself ‘What the actual hell is wrong with you?!”
“I don’t see why not...”
“Huh?”
You’re stunned. You thought he would get offended for spurting out such a stupid thing. Of course your request won’t work- that shit is from a story book. It’s pure fiction. This is real life.
He’s a turtle now and you’re a human. You can’t and you won’t kiss him. You raise your hands up in defense.
“Hey, no! No need to play along after saying something so stupid to make me feel better. I just blurted that out I’m so sorry-“
“No, it’s okay. And I’m not playing along, I’m being serious. Go ahead. I’ve grown to like you a lot, a small kiss wouldn’t hurt.”
This answer is not what you expected. You nervously fiddle with your fingers as you look around. You sigh as you give in.
“Fine. I like you a lot too and I’ll do it. Let me just-“
You lift up the top half of Jean, his front turtle legs up in the air and his little face staring up at you. You take a deep breath and close your eyes, you slowly lean in and- kiss✨
The turtle falls out of your grasp. You stop puckering your lips and open your eyes. In a panicked state, you frantically look over the balcony and both sides of you to find him. You look forward and gasp. You grab at the railings to hold you steady.
There sits a groaning man on his knees. He rubs at his neck as he silently curses to himself, blinking fast and harshly as he tries to understand what’s going on around him. It’s dark now but the moon shines bright enough for you to get a better glimpse of him. You furrow your eyebrows as you slowly recognize who he is- Jean.
He has that same white-silver hair, sapphire eyes, big stature though the only difference is no eye glass in sight and his “legs” aren’t made out of metal.. they’re completely real. Flesh and all and you know that blood flows right through them like the rest of his body.
“J-Jean?” you whisper.
The man doesn’t hear you. All he does is groan and cross his legs in front of him. He stretches his arms and looks over any possible injuries on him.
“Jean.” you say again, louder this time.
He finally looks up at you. And there they are, those sapphire eyes you love so much. That face you’ve grown to be so fond off. His expression more than surprised. Though that expression quickly changes and softens- his eyes crease and a small smile appears. He says your name. And you tear up after he does.
He attempts to get up but his legs give up on him. You sprint to his side before he falls, letting him use your shoulders as support. He blushes.
“I’m sorry... I haven’t had real legs in years. Apparently I forgot how to use them...”
His voice is softer than before, the sternness isn’t there. He sounds younger almost. You giggle, as you use a hand to wipe at the tears of your eyes.
“Okay, I think I can stand now. Let go of me so I can look at you fully.”
You do as he says and as you watch him wobble, you reach out to help again but he shakes his head, waving your hands off as he’s able to maintain balance. You grin proudly when he does.
Jean turns to face you, he clasps your hands together and brings them up to his lips. You blush as he proceeds to hold them over his heart. He looks at you with pure love in his eyes.
“Thank you. Thank you so much. What you suggested was silly but it worked.”
“Yes, you’re welcome...” you say softly, looking down. He makes you look up again.
“You’re the one, my love. You always have been and always will be. My feelings for you started when we first met, I meant what I said. I have grown to like you a lot though it’s more than “like”- it’s love. And I’m so happy to know you feel the same way.”
You tear up at this and hug him. He hugs you back and you can’t believe that he does.
The turtle is no more and you have your true love back to human form.
He raises your chin up with his thumb and pointer, he kisses you and you kiss him back. The kiss long and meaningful.
You’re happy to know that the man you love, loves you too.
#jojo's bizarre adventure#jojo imagines#jojo x reader#jjba x reader#jjba x y/n#jjba oneshot#jjba imagines#jean pierre polnareff#polnareff x reader#part 5 polnareff#magical#kiss#sfw#slight angst#fluff#jojo fluff#jjba fluff#oneshot#gender inclusive#gender netural#frog prince#fairy tales#jojo part 5#jjba part 5#jojo part five#jojo vento aureo#jojo golden wind#jjba golden wind#golden wind
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Family Vacation
Bokuto x reader x Akaashi
Author’s Note : no incest, I promise ; the request included some slight BokuAka interaction, however I made it more than slightly ; the hot springs resort is loosely based on three different locations under the Kinosaki Onsen in northern Hyogo [Mikuniya Ryokan, Yutouya Ryokan, Nishimuraya Ryokan]. Each one offers different things, but they all have some common aspects that I liked: seafood served during winter months [November - March], traditional ryokan, and options for the hot springs [indoor, outdoor, and family] ; holy fuck is this wrong.. but holy hell is it erotic
Warnings: introduction of the Bokuto family, best friends to lovers au, playful teasing [about reader’s virginity], some mlm [Bokuto x Akaashi] interaction, fingering, face-sitting, handjob, blowjob, cum eating, spit exchanges and mentions, no penetrative sex, virgin!reader, virgin!Bokuto
“Oh, [Y/N]! I’m so glad you could make it!”
“Thank you for having me, Bokuto-san,”
“Oh, dear, call me Fuyumi! You’re practically family, anyways,” she smiles, eyes crinkling as she does. Her smile makes you smile, bowing in respect as if you haven’t known her for years.
The Bokuto family always spent their winter vacation before New Years at an Onsen in Hyogo. Yasurai-fukurou was well known for their hot springs throughout the year, but their meals included seafood in the winter. Kōtarō and Shinjiro both love seafood, especially crab, so it made sense the Bokuto family would come to this place specifically. Winter meant snow, and snow meant the garden view from the spring was gorgeous, having the silver lining the green foliage as the pebbles along the ground glistened with melted snow, cold and slippery. It was Kōtarō’s and Machiko’s favorite season, so it was an added bonus. The family had the money to spend, treating the members to a relaxing trip. Even Keiji, Kōtarō’s friend, joined them his first year at Fukurodani.
You didn’t usually attend, yet you always wanted to. Your family celebrated holidays differently, so you often found yourself swamped with family activities around December, only getting free to hang out by the time school started back up. Always wishing to go, you finally got your wish this year. With the stress from school this past semester, your family decided to let you choose what to do, so you declined spending the holidays with your family. Instead, you were free to spend that quality time with the Bokuto family. Fuyumi practically begged Kōtarō to invite you, knowing you’d be alone, so you didn’t have to worry about inviting yourself. There was one problem, however.
“[Y/N] should room with us!” Machiko points out. “She can’t board with boys!”
“What do you take us for? We’re her best friends,” Kōtarō waves off his sister. “I worry Amaya might try to wrestle her,”
“She could use the practice!” She pipes up, only to be shut back down. “I wouldn’t hurt her,”
“Why not let the girl choose herself? It is where she will stay, in the end,” Shinjiro said. Although he was right, you suddenly felt your heart tugging in two different directions. Machiko and Kōtarō gave you the puppy dog eyes, begging to choose them. A heavy sigh came from you as you weigh the options presented in front of you.
“I trust Keiji and Kōtarō, I’ll room with them,”
“No!” The two girls dramatically shout, falling to their knees. Fuyumi laughs, patting your back.
“Good choice, dear,” she compliments. You know why. Her daughters may be considered mature and adults, but they are both hectic and chaotic in their own way. At least with Kōtarō, he has Keiji with him. There’s no reason to mull over the decision, you know full well that Keiji and Kōtarō wouldn’t hurt you.
Once settled into each room, your bedding laid between the two of them, the trip to relax in the ryokan was in order. The two genders were separated, of course, so you sat in the spring with Machiko, Amaya, and Fuyumi. It wasn’t a bad thing, being with the three, but you knew Machiko and Amaya like to tease you.
“Gosh, [Y/N], you’re so innocent! You’ve never done anything?” Amaya’s face made it seem like she was much more malicious than on the surface. “Even I had a couple boyfriends that I had special adventures with before your age,”
“Excuse me? Amaya!” Fuyumi scolds her daughter. “You never told us this,”
“Why would I? You and dad never allowed me to have a boyfriend until I graduated. Kōtarō even had a girlfriend in his second year,” she pouts, puffy cheeks making her less malicious and much more adorable. Though unintentional, her words make your mood sour, Kōtarō’s slipping from her lips. Machiko notices this, however.
“Well, Kōtarō is a boy and I told your father to make sure he doesn’t do any of that dating stuff, but it seems like he did,”
“You know, I’m kind of tired. I’m really relaxed,” you mention, moving to exit the water. “I should lay down and take a nap,”
“Oh, are you sure? Dinner will be served soon,” Machiko holds out her hand, as if to stop you. You’re quick about getting out, rinsing yourself off before wrapping a robe around your naked body.
“I’m sure. Wake me when dinner’s ready,” you cheerfully smile, waving to them as you leave the setting. Your smile falls, an artificial thing as you continue to pad towards the room. Passing the window leading to the garden, you notice the cascading of the white snowflakes, shimmering in the light from the outdoor lamps. It’s peaceful, the way it floats down to the ground until it rapidly melts, joining the slush forming on the pathway. A sigh leaves you, heart aching from the words Amaya let spill.
It wasn’t her fault, you tell yourself that as you continue to the room. Amaya doesn’t know, but Machiko does. Machiko has always had the older sister intuition, knowing when her younger siblings had something to hide or something embarrassing. Whether it was from her years of travel around the world, or just a trait of hers, she could pinpoint things that made you want to crawl in a hole. What does Machiko know, exactly? Your big, fat crush on her little brother.
Kōtarō has been your crush as long as you’ve known him, aka since you guys were waddling around with chubby legs. Your family and his family live near each other, so it made sense for you two to play a lot as children. As the years passed, your admiration for him evolved into a crushing thing, yet your young mind wouldn’t allow such a horrid thing to be spoken. No, it festered until you broke down one day in high school and confessed to the dark of the night, the only witness of your confession was the moon. You confessed that you loved him, you were in love with him, nobody else could compare. It hurt even more now, knowing you were falling in love with him while he was loving someone else. Even Keiji probably loved Kōtarō, knowing how close they were. You wouldn’t put it past them to be in a relationship, either. Each thought accompanied a step you took, each one bringing tears to prickle your eyes as you finally shut the door to the room, and your problems.
With the dark encompassing the room, you found yourself easily situating yourself on the ground to cry, curling up in a ball as you did so. A pathetic scene, you knew it was, yet you couldn’t help yourself.
After you left the ryokan, Shinjiro happened to be talking to the boys in front of him, both of them flushed red from the warmth of the bath and the topic at hand.
“I knew something was off in the way your mother encouraged you to invite her! I never thought it’d be that, however,” his guffaw had Kōtarō sinking into the water, bubbles coming from his nose as he huffs. Keiji looks at him pitifully, but doesn’t do much of anything else.
“She doesn’t even like me like that. This trip was a mistake,” Kōtarō mumbles, his mouth going back under the water. Keiji sighs, looking into the water where his distorted hands lie. Before he can speak, Kōtarō beats him to it. “I have to go to the bathroom. I think I’ll leave early,”
“You sure it’s just that?” Shinjiro teases. “Or are you going to wait for your lovely friend?”
“Okay, maybe it’s a bit of both,” he huffs, cheeks puffed out. Keiji lets the words die on his tongue, letting Kōtarō leave the spring without any reason to look back.
Shinjiro sighs, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks into the water. “Maybe I went too far. I shouldn’t tease him about his crush, it seems like it’s important to him. I don’t think she sees him in that light, anyways,”
“She does, actually. I think she’s been in love with him for a while,” he confesses. Shinjiro’s eyebrows rise as the words sink in. However, he is quick to understand. No longer laughing and joking, his smile is more bitter and sad. A pity smile.
“And you’ve been in love with her, haven’t you?”
Keiji turns his head to the side, yet he nods. The red dusting his cheeks is no longer just the warmth of the water. Shinjiro moves closer to Keiji, putting his hand on the younger man’s back.
“Then tell her. You both need to confess, not let this fester and turn into something ugly. Don’t let this ruin your friendship with Kōtarō, either. It’s not worth it,”
“I know. I know, Bokuto-san,”
“When you gonna call me Shinjiro? Or even dad? You need to let loose, Keiji!” He laughs again, getting Keiji to crack a smile.
While Keiji ponders how he should go about this, Kōtarō trudges up to his room for the week, unaware you’ve also turned in early. His mood has taken a turn for the worse, hair deflating as he pouts. No matter what, he’s always found himself finding your validation to be the most important. Throughout the years, he’s reached out to both you and Keiji for validation, finding them both to be important to him. While he knows Keiji partially does it just to make him happy, which he is thankful for, he knows yours is genuine. Even when he forced himself to move on, knowing you didn’t see him in that light, he found it hard. You followed him into his dreams, gleeful chimes of your laughter as the future he aims for bloomed into an obtainable goal. Yet, he’d wake up to see the empty space beside him, a brutal reminder that his dreamt future would stay in his head, playing on loop until he could do something about it in the real world.
When his door comes into view, he sighs, relief flooding through him. As he gets closer, he hears a soft voice from inside. Leaning his ear against the shut door, he hears you — a squeak of his name, accompanying a soft mewl, most likely held back due to the thin walls. Even he understands what you’re doing, it’s not like he’s never thought of you that way, finding himself wishing you could relieve his stress in the best way possible. As to respect your privacy, and settle his nerves, he quietly creeps away, to his parent’s booked room. He decides to use the toilet in there, giving you a few moments to finish your own business.
Leaning against the door once more, he doesn’t hear your heavy breaths or your moans and mewls, so he slides open the door to see you under the covers, laptop shining in your face as a movie plays. “Hey, what’re you doing here?”
“Huh?” You jump, turning to see Kōtarō’s large frame at the entrance of the room. It’s scary, the way he seems to have popped up after you finished, or attempted, getting off on thinking of him. “Oh, Kō. It’s just you. No more hot springs for you?”
“Oh, no, I found it to be getting too hot,” he lies, rubbing his neck. The robe you’re wearing is the one you put on after exiting the spring, so his perverted little mind knows you’re completely naked underneath. Not only that, you’re probably nice and slick from thinking about him—
He stops himself, hearing your voice. “Did you hear me? I asked if you wanted to watch the movie with me,”
“Oh, sorry, off in my own world. Uh, sure, what is it?”
“Crown for Christmas. A sappy romance Christmas movie, from America. It’s very predictable, but it’s cute. My mom loves it, so I brought it to watch,”
“Oh, that’s interesting,” he hums, lying on his own bedding. He didn’t move closer to you, giving you some space, but he finds himself panicking when you move closer.
“Can’t see if you’re all the way over there, dummy,” you giggle, pressing play. He can’t find it in himself to focus, the movie being background noise to his thoughts. The hot springs help to add a special glow to your skin, making it seem smoother than before, and you smell so nice, not to mention he can feel his cock throbbing at your soft voice calling out his name. What would it be like if he used his own fingers, would you be able to hold back? Or would you come completely undone as you came on his fingers— even better, his cock? Just the thought has him groaning, head shoved into his pillow as you pause the movie, probably confused.
He looks up, seeing your dazed expression — yep, totally confused. He sighs and shrugs, apologizing. “Are you okay? You seem.. tense,”
“Tense?” That’s one way to describe it, he supposes. “I’m just.. dad was teasing me earlier. That’s why I left. I’m.. remembering what he said,”
“Oh, I get that. Amaya kept teasing me about girl stuff, so I left. Machiko tried to stop me, but I was already out of the water,” you admit. It’s not the full truth, but that’s okay.
“Girl stuff? Like what?” Kōtarō never shied from girly stuff, including the weird stuff that happened to girls like puberty and the menstrual cycle. You chalked it up to his older sisters being shameless, never making it seem gross. Even when you started your period in class, Kōtarō was there to help you, a knight in shining armor.
You wish they were less shameless.
“Oh, um, you know, the romantic stuff,”
“Like? Boyfriends?”
“Yeah, I’ve.. never had one. No experience on my end. Amaya was teasing me because she had a couple of boyfriends before my age, so it.. it didn’t hurt my feelings, but it made me feel some kind of way, you know?” Your attempted explanation was kind of butchered, trying to explain it without giving too much detail. Kōtarō wouldn’t judge you, of course not, it wasn’t something to judge you about.
He knows the feeling, being inexperienced.
“W-Well, if you want any experience before going into the dating scene, I could.. always help you,” he whispers. His words hang in the air, settling into both of your minds. He’s berating himself for using such a lame line to try and get in your pants, but you’re trying to find a way to say yes without seeming desperate. However, “I mean! I have experience, so I could help you! I’d say I’m pretty good at doing stuff. Oh! It could be like.. any advice or something.. hands on,” he whispers the last part again, his confidence melting like snow on a summer’s day when your face falls.
It isn’t you don’t want it, you just would prefer him to not word it like that. It reminds you of Amaya’s words and the pain in your chest, the churn in your stomach. “If you’re gonna be like that, maybe I should ask Keiji,” you huff, turning your body away from his. Focusing on forcing your stomach to stop twisting in knots, you don’t even notice when Kōtarō closes the laptop and presses himself against you. Well, not until you feel something pressing into your back. “Kō—”
“Don’t be like that. I’ve never actually gone all the way, I’ve been saving that for someone special. I can help, though, if you’d let me,” his breath fans over your ear, sending shivers down your spine. His arm snakes under you, pulling you into his stomach while he lays on his back.
“Kōtarō!”
“You’re stressed, gotta loosen up a bit. I’m helping,” he just says, making sure your legs are hooked over his. With the lack of clothing under the robe, your nether region is spread open towards the door, sending your adrenaline skyrocketing. Kōtarō is quick to ease that, his thick fingers spreading open your folds while his middle finger rubs against your sensitive clit. “You’re absolutely soaked, do I turn you on that much?” He’s grinning, you know he is. Gritting your teeth, you keep your mouth closed as you focus on the feeling of his fingers, now sliding up and down and collecting your slick.
Kōtarō doesn’t want to tease you for too long, slipping his middle finger into your cunt as you mewl, hand coming to cover your mouth. “What a reaction. I wonder..” he trails off, pulling his finger out, only to add in three fingers. You’re arching, legs tending against his as he fingers you, lips pressing themselves to your hair and ear. When his tongue flicks out against your ear, you squirm and he grunts, his left arm keeping you firm against him. “Sensitive, are you?”
He doesn’t get any vocal confirmation from you, but the way you’re clenching around his fingers tells him all he needs to know. He makes sure to keep his thumb bumping against your clit, adding pressure. You can feel the familiar feeling, the beginning of an orgasm as he pumps his fingers into you. With a squeal of his name, your nails dig into the meat of his arm, liquids spilling out of you and all over Kōtarō’s fingers. The squishing sound enters your ears, legs tensing as you mewl, his fingers rubbing themselves against you some more.
“You’re so wet.. I bet it’d be easy to slip my cock in there, wouldn’t it?” His voice is low, a rumble in his chest as your cunt clenches at the thought, your wildest fantasies so close to coming to fruition when someone clears their throat. You pop up, Kōtarō jolting and keeping you on his chest as he moves.
Keiji is looking at the both of you, a heavy blush adorning his cheeks. The room is dim, only the lights from outside the inn illuminating him. He’s right at the door, right in front of where Kōtarō was just fingering you. Kōtarō’s hand finally leaves from between your legs, glistening wetness shown in the lamplight. “If you want to give her experience, you need to go over everything involved in foreplay, Kōtarō. There’s more to prep,”
“M-More?” your voice is small, barely a whisper as you find more slick oozing from you, Keiji entering the room. He kneels down in front of you, still held against Kōtarō’s chest.
“Has he even kissed you, yet? Or did he go headfirst into fingering you?” When you shake your head, Kōtarō himself sucking in a breath, Keiji knows he was right. With the elegance he always exudes, Keiji tilts your chin up towards him. “Then, allow me,”
The kiss is gentle, yet not simple. His lips are firmly against yours, molding perfectly as he keeps your chin tilted. As he deepens the kiss, you find your hands grasping at his own robe, feeling yourself lighter than you were when you had entered the room. Keiji moves to pull away, a brisk kiss on your lips once more before swiping his tongue over your bottom lip, sending heat all over your body.
“Akaashi..” Kōtarō whines, his grip on you tightening. “This is supposed to be my time with her,”
“Well, you’re going too fast. Why not elongate the time spent together, hm?” His voice sends tingles down your spine, his hands removing you from Kōtarō’s grasp. “Lay back, Bokuto-san. You’ll get your turn,”
Your brain is going haywire as he speaks, undoing Kōtarō’s robe with unconscious grace. He’s not doing it on purpose, you know he isn’t, it’s just how he is. Once Kōtarō has been disrobed, you find more heat springing to your cheeks as his muscles ripple and flex. The lack of light prevents you from seeing everything, but you’ve always found yourself insatiable when thinking of his broad frame and what hides under his clothes.
“Give me your hand, [Y/N],” Keiji’s voice has you coming back down to earth, yet you find yourself once more shy with Kōtarō’s legs spread, his cock heavy and so large in Keiji’s hand. You comply, though, your much smaller hand joining Keiji’s around Kōtarō’s girth. It’s so much, the way it feels and the heat of the skin under your fingertips. A soft groan comes from Kōtarō as Keiji moves his hand, his other hand shuffling you between his legs.
“This is called a handjob, [Y/N],” Keiji says. You nod in understanding, realizing he’s teaching you. “Moving your hand up and down the shaft is the basic function of it, but you can also use your fingers to tease the slit, like so,” he demonstrates, swiping his thumb over the small slit, puffy and red where Kōtarō’s cum is dripping from. The simple act has Kōtarō throwing his head back, moaning as his hand covers his mouth. The walls are thin and if his family is back, they probably have a good idea of what’s going on.
“I see,” you hum, continuing to move your hand up and down the shaft. Keiji nods, seeing you’re understanding.
“Or tease his balls, like cupping them or massaging. Don’t squeeze them hard, though. It won’t feel very nice,” his hand moves to cup and tease Kōtarō’s balls, the man himself laying on his back as his face turns red, the ministrations getting to be too much. “There’s also a blowjob, but we can teach you that next time,”
“N-Next time??” You squeak, jumping a bit. Whether it was a one time thing or the beginning of a relationship didn’t cross your mind. His words, however, seem to please you more than imaginable.
“Of course, darling. We’re not done here, either. Why don’t you let Bokuto-san show you what other kinds of pleasure he can give you?” At Keiji’s words, Kōtarō pops up with a bright smile on his face.
“Sit on my face, baby,”
“Oh, woah, wow, uh..” you stop, unsure how to politely decline. His mouth and nose, down there? Not to mention your weight on his head? You were sure he’d regret his decision. “I don’t think”
“I’ll be fine. C’mon, I gotta show you what else my mouth can do besides dirty talk,” he winks, sending more heat to your cheeks, making you feel rather hot for a winter’s day, clad in only a robe. Keiji seems to read your mind, taking your robe from your shoulders, the belt falling undone easily from the previous activities. Once you’re down to your birthday suit, Keiji presses a kiss to your shoulder blade, a whisper to go that sends you crawling closer to Kōtarō’s face. He grins, eagerly taking your thigh and placing it on the other side, keeping your drenched cunt close to his face. He says something, but only a muffled noise comes out, his tongue swiping along your folds.
With your back to him, Keiji wishes he told you to face him and watch, yet he finds the scene of you erotic. He may have a bit more expertise than you and Kōtarō, it seems that’s all that’s needed. He smiles, gaze catching on the way Kōtarō’s fingers dig into the fat of your thigh, making indents. Completely forgotten, Keiji spits a glob onto Kōtarō’s cock, him jumping at the feeling. With a few more pumps of his hand, he flicks his tongue against the head.
Kōtarō’s moan has you mewling, the sound acting as a vibration as your fingers tug harshly on the silver and black strands. Though not as long as they were in high school, there’s enough to grasp and pull on. The wet sounds from behind you has your head turning, eyes falling on Keiji’s mouth wrapped around Kōtarō’s cock. It’s an erotic scene, his head moving up as more of the length is revealed, his blue eyes settling on your own as you feel a nip down below. So focused on Keiji, Kōtarō wants your attention all on him. Keiji chuckles, almost like a hum, that vibrates around the cock in his mouth that has Kōtarō moaning.
The tongue that flicks against your clit has you squirming, restrained mewls and moans leaving your lips as hands tug on his locks. Kōtarō licks and suckles on your clit occasionally, then moves down to prod and swipe over your entrance. The position makes it easy for him to breathe, but he moves down further. New position has you squealing, hands flying to your mouth as you squeeze your eyes shut to focus on the pleasure. Another moan from Kōtarō that sends shivers down your spine, heat to your core, accompanying the obscene noises of Keiji sucking Kōtarō off.
With Kōtarō’s nose bumping against your clit, his tongue’s only focus is on your pretty little cunt, sucking and swirling his tongue. The sensitivity from earlier makes quick work of you, hunching over as your thighs tighten around Kōtarō’s head, his strong hands keeping you from hurting him as you gush all over his face. A moan comes from him as he laps at your juices spilling over his face, his own orgasm coming as Keiji takes him down as far as he can. Globs of white cum spurt from the side of Keiji’s mouth, a gagging sound as he struggles to swallow it.
A hand on your shoulder has you leaning back, falling against Keiji’s chest with his cheeks puffy. Kōtarō manages to look up at the scene, gaze fuzzy as he watches Keiji kiss you once more, cum seeping from where his lips meet yours. When Keiji pulls away, his tongue is out, pushing the dripping cum into your mouth where the rest lies. It’s enough to have Kōtarō hard once more, a dark and heavy blush settling across his cheeks and nose.
The thick appendage pressing into your back once more has you gasping and jumping, some cum spilling out your mouth and down your chest. As it travels between the valley of your breasts and over the perk nipples, Keiji takes it upon himself to lap at the milky droplets. You gulp down the rest in your mouth, making a show of it by tilting your head up, throat contracting as you swallow it all. Kōtarō finds himself unable to look away from the scene.
“Ah, seems like someone’s still raring to go,” Keiji breaks the silence, eyes glancing back to look at Kōtarō’s cock, once more standing tall and proud. He then looks to you. “Shall I let you handle this one alone?”
#haikyuu x reader#haikyuu smut#Mr. Kōtarō#Mr. Keiji#BB.Kinky#bokuto x reader#akaashi x reader#akaashi smut#bokuto smut#BokuAka#bokuaka x reader#cw.cum play#cw.semi public sex#tw.semi public sex#cw.spit
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