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m1ckeyb3rry · 3 months ago

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NO IT MAKES SOOOO MUCH SENSE IM LOWKEY MAD I NEVER CONSIDERED IT polar actually just revived me from the October/November wtf season

The nagi psyche exploration was peak I REALLLY enjoyed it!!!!! The details of nagi being really lanky and malnourished because no one takes care of him and he just eats jellies was also perfect because that’s actually likely the case despite the animators still liking to draw him buff off the bat but the teacher performing a wellness check really hitting the nail on the head and drilling in the whole abandonment neglect stuff we’ve talked about before but ok going back to Aiku too I really love how his like…captain-like features really show up in the way he deals with the team and the little nuances nagi picks up on and his I guess tact in convincing nagi to play soccer? Also pause nagi asking Aiku if he made the right choice and Aiku saying NO but I’d never blame you GOODBYEEEEEE almost cried that was so good also the emphasis of Aiku being a gambler was so funny to me for some reason like yeah Aiku fr a go big or go home dude

YESSS THE DEVELOPMENT PACING WAS PERFECT!!! As always you know exactly how to show the growth over the course of the piece and YEAHHH nagi purposefully saying alls good when it’s not #savemeimfine to not bring the mood down RAGHHHRGHDHD but LMFAOOO the niou slander was hilarious

REALLLLLL as I read it I was like wow this is giving epinagi in the last few chapters LMAOAOA I loved it I’m so glad you chose to kept the sae line in there though because that was the greatest insult I’ve ever seen

SHIDHSSJS NAGI UNINTENTIONAL RIZZ LMFOAAOAOAOAOA Aiku wingmanning except nagi doesnt want a wingman but YOOO SAE NAGI INTERACTION PLUS BM HINTS???? I like the way you think

Your prediction/prophetic skills are insane even when it comes to your own productivity pattern LMAOAOA this is an insane comeback but REAL DONT SHY AWAY FROM THESE!!!!

- Karasu anon

polar truly reviving us all except lowkey i went back into hibernation after posting it LKSJDFH it’s fine i’ll be back soon it’s more a lack of time than it is writer’s block now!! which is infinitely easier to deal with than the later…anyways YESSS THEY REALLY ARE THE DUO NO ONE REALIZED THEY NEEDED (including me tbf)

YAYYYY I’M GLAD YOU LIKED IT!!! and yeah everyone likes to harp on him having abs and shit but i’m always like nah abs are at least kinda realistic just due to him having insanely low body fat…i need more people to complain about his SHOULDERS AND ARMS??? because i literally go to the gym and you do NOT see that kind of definition without a lotttt of work LSKDFJH but yeah i do think realistically he would be very skinny and spindly and kinda weak because he just does not get proper nutrients whatsoever 😔 and yeah i thought it was kinda unrealistic that none of his teachers ever worried about him?? maybe it’s a cultural disconnect thing idk but yeah that scene was meant to be the teacher being all cheery and “let’s let every kid work hard and try their best!!” at first and then she was lowkey going to yell at him but then she literally felt BONE through his sweatshirt and had to change gears 😭 when i first wrote that scene i was like “wait i hope it’s obvious that she’s being all sweet and gentle now because she’s WORRIED ABOUT HIM BEING SKINNY” and then i went back and made sure to emphasize aiku calling nagi super super skinny in the scene where they first meet because that’s not actually a canon thing and i didn’t want someone dumb being like “erm why is his teacher rizzing him up after she felt his muscular shoulder isn’t he a minor 🤓☝🏻”

OMG CAPTAIN AIKU YEAHHH especially with the egoist bible they really emphasize how he’s a good leader and whatnot but it’s not shown a ton outside of a few interactions during the u20 game?? so i wanted to throw in more of him really taking the reins and handling a team as well as someone as admittedly difficult as nagi is SKDHF like the way he picks up relatively quickly on how to get nagi to agree to doing things with him and all that 👆🏻 but then he’s also not perfect either and he’s prone to teasing people and dramatic pauses and gambling and thinking only about himself HAHA i didn’t want it to be like “perfect manic pixie girl aiku (that is NOT a sentence i thought i would ever write tbh) is perfect and amazing and rehabilitates nagi and makes him normal !1!1!!” because that would a) be super stereotypical and b) not feel accurate to me?? so i went with it being kind of like…aiku is using nagi in a different way than reo was, and you could argue that it was a better way in the sense that he prepared nagi for the role better, but at the end of the day he’s still using him?? but also they ARE friends and they DO care about each other it’s not strictly one-sided or like an exchange or anything like that!!

THAT’S ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCENES like we have nagi about to crash out and when he’s asking aiku if aiku thought he picked the right person to focus on he doesn’t just mean in soccer he means in general?? and aiku’s like NO but it’s NOT YOUR FAULT UGHHH idk writing that whole game and the interactions between nagi and aiku during the second half was so AHHHH because it’s not even some weird miscommunication thing like nagi and a certain someone have going on in canon?? it’s genuinely just them coming to terms with the fact that their friendship as it is cannot continue now that they’ve encountered sae and bllk etc (hence why aiku finally admits he should’ve chosen someone else — someone who likes soccer — and nagi finally starts playing and enjoying soccer the way aiku wanted him to) also wait fun fact actually not so fun fact aiku’s last line in the story is “no, i probably wouldn’t have” in response to nagi asking him if he would’ve come back and talked to him again if he couldn’t play soccer well 😭😓 SICKENING TO ME I FEAR!! IT STARTED WITH AIKU CHASING NAGI AND ENDED WITH NAGI CHASING AIKU!! except really it was nagi chasing aiku from the start!! he didn’t even know it but he was always chasing him!!

another random fun fact that’s ACTUALLY fun the high school that nagi and aiku go to is deadass an actual school in kanagawa LMAOOO almost every other character BUT aiku has the team they play for outside of bllk/u20s listed but aiku’s hometown is in sweden and he has no other club listed so i had to make it up and i didn’t feel like looking japanese high school naming conventions (?) so i looked up high schools in kanagawa and followed the wikipedia link to the diff school pages and checked their alumni and EVERY SINGLE famous alumni from sagamihara-yaei high school is a soccer player so i was like “yup okay this is perfect” HAHAHA

AIKU THE GAMBLER if you think about it betting on someone like nagi kinda shows a propensity for gambling but also he mentions gambling in his egoist bible profile at least once and lowkey maybe more than once so i had to bring it up somehow…just be lucky that aiku’s cheating didn’t get aired out (mostly because nagi does NOT pay attention to that)

HOORAY pacing is smth i’m sensitive about so it’s good to know you think it went well 🫡 nagi was actually lowkey a cutie pie in his interactions with like everyone in polar…like his awkward conversation with sae on the bus…him asking dopamine-rush-shidou for advice while he’s literally laying on the field soaking in the…dopamine…him trying not to worry his teammates…also i think it’s important to note that most of the u20s are like 19 and shidou/sae are 18 so nagi being 17 is lowkey like a kid to them KLSDJHF like he’s def the freaky talented introverted little brother of the team 🥹 HELP NIOU STAYED CATCHING STRAYS bro was just trying to support his captain ngl sendou was done kinda dirty too but that was like for plot reasons niou truly did nothing to be gettin roasted as often as he was

karasu had to make his feature HAHA and yeah epinagi is kinda the only place they interact so that’s what i based it on!! plus karasu’s general trash talk compared to nagi’s typical uninvolved self being turned up to the max just felt like they would collide like that…idek where i got that sae insult from but truly that alone carries the fic like it would be 10x weaker without it /hj

LMAOOOO NAGI UNINTENTIONAL RIZZ FR according to his light novel he’s cute/conventionally attractive just really weird/creepy so girls don’t go near him?? BUT i figured if he’s around aiku/is aiku’s bff then his “creepy” vibes just become “#mysterious #nonchalant #aura” like he gets secondhand rizz from aiku…aiku truly tries to wingman in every verse it’s like base aiku characterization atp 😭 but YEAH SAE NAGI INTERACTIONS another random duo that i like arising from this not as much as nagi + aiku or nagi + shidou but they’re up there!! and ofc yk i had to hint at bm that would’ve been like polar’s version of the michael kaiser jawline panel 😩 if we go with the theory that sae and kaiser know each other at least somewhat because of being ng11s that line would be even funnier because it’s basically sae knowing what nagi is like and what kaiser is like and tossing them together just to see what happens/who survives (spoiler alert: nagi because his idgaf warrior energy is too much for michael “crashout” kaiser to handle)

it’s just like a yearly thing now i think i need to block it into my schedule or something KSDHFL but yess if i ever get any ideas for canon aus like this again i’ll def give it a go!! nothing floating around in my mind at present but you never know when inspiration will strike

#answered asks #polar

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telehxhtrash · 5 years ago

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A masterpost on Togashi’s gay subtext and why it’s intentional.

Hi ! After seeing so many posts about Togashi dropping subtext about Killua's possible romantic feelings for Gon, I thought it'd be a good idea to make a sort of "masterpost" with all the subtext that Togashi has included into his work.

I usually see a lot of people trying to say that HxH isn't about romance and that Togashi isn't interested in writing romance into the manga, but when you analyze all the subtext that's been going on the further Gon and Killua's relationship progresses, I think it's incorrect to say that Togashi has never hinted at the possibility of romance in HxH.

This is going to be a long post, enjoy your read!

Also, please note that I will only base this analysis on the manga, so there can be no mistake that "maybe this is just something the anime made gayer" : i want to prove that the subtext is 100% intentional on Togashi's part.

I'd also like to mention, although I will analyze it further after listing the subtext, that Togashi is a VERY smart man. There are always little details in the story and/or foreshadowing that are easily missed at first but when you notice them, it truly makes you understand how much attention and care Togashi puts into his work. There are countless details and symbolism that are analyzed daily through wonderful meta posts, from the main 4′s birthdays and their link to their character or the religious symbolism in Kurapika’s story arc.... Togashi loves to foreshadow and plant little details into his work, so when Togashi plants subtext, I'm sure he 100% knows that he's writing it, and it can't be seen as unintentional.

I'll also link all my references for this post at the end of it, so feel free to read all the additional textposts and content if you want to know more.

Well, let's get into it!

EDIT : i can’t believe this post is still being used as a reference it makes me so happy... thank you so much !!! i edited this to tweak it a bit because i wrote this a while ago and the phrasing seemed off to me, so if you’re reading or re-reading this post, hi, welcome to masterpost on gay subtext 2.0 !

GREED ISLAND ARC

Greed Island is to me the arc that lays down the nature of Killua and Gon's relationship. It's during this arc that we get to see a bit more of what Killua thinks, how he's lucky to have met Gon and that he feels really grateful. Gon’s behavior in this arc is also very affectionate, with him always reassuring Killua about his place next to him. While the scene where Killua thinks "You've got it backwards, Gon, I'm the one that's glad I met you." can't be considered as subtext, I think it's something that lets the reader know a bit more about how Killua feels towards Gon.

But other than this scene, which can clearly be dismissed as platonic, there are 2 more moments in the Greed Island arc that are layered in subtext.

• The Rainbow Diamond (chapter 151)

During their time in Dorias, Killua uses Risky Dice to gain cards from the slot machines. The first card that Killua gains is called "Rainbow Diamond", the description of the card being "A diamond that shines in a rainbow of colors. Propose with this diamond and she is guaranteed to say "yes"".

There are 3 different things we can take from this panel. First, the card is a marriage proposal card, so it's obviously romantic in nature. Second, the object is a RAINBOW diamond. And third, Killua, wanting to keep the card safe, gifts it to Gon.

In short, Togashi sat down at his desk, decided to draw Killua winning a MARRIAGE PROPOSAL CARD (it could've been any card, but Togashi CHOSE to make Killua win a marriage proposal card) that has a RAINBOW diamond on it and made Killua gift it to Gon.

While I personally don't think that subtext can be used to 100% ascert that Killua has romantic feelings for Gon, I think it's a funny little touch from Togashi, and I'm even gonna say a sort of hint towards how Killua's feelings for Gon are going to evolve in this arc and the next.

• “It has to be Killua” (chapter 166)

Now this is a scene that I've never seen anyone talk about, at least on Tumblr, but when I read a bit of analysis on it I was 100% convinced this was intentional subtext. I'm basically quoting here what this article explains, so if you want more detail, I recommend reading it.

As you probably recall, during their deadly dodgeball game against Razor, Killua decides to sacrifice his hands to ensure that Gon could use all his strength. When confronted about it, Killua insists that it's nothing, and Gon shocks him by saying that he knew all along that he was hurting himself for his sake.

Gon then says that it can only be Killua holding the ball, and that it has to be Killua, resulting in Killua being absolutely awestruck and embarassed. I'm also going to talk about the anime adaptation for this one, because it's perfectly executed and translates extremely well the nuance that the second sentence bears. If you want to rewatch it, this scene happens in episode 70. It's worth noting that in the anime, we see Killua not reacting to Gon's first sentence, but losing his composure entirely when Gon says the second sentence. But why ?

The reason was lost in translation. His exact words are "Booru wa Killua ga motte-kurenai to. Killua ja nakya dame nan da.". Both sentences basically say the same thing : It has to be Killua holding the ball. That second sentence can be translated literally as "If it's not Killua, that won't do." However, the second sentence, in a different context, can also be used to say a totally different thing.

While it's certain that Gon used this sentence in the context of the dodgeball match, the sentence "~ja nakya dame nan da" also serves as a confession of one's feelings in japanese. It's basically the equivalent to "you're the one for me". When you google the sentence, it turns up romantic songs, forum posts asking what it would translate to in English and posts on how to confess to someone.

The sentence basically drowns in romantic subtext. As mentioned before, Killua has no reaction to the first sentence "Booru wa Killua ga motte-kurenai to.", but loses his composure at the second one, and I think that was a very deliberate thing Togashi wanted to convey : this sentence has an additional layer, and clearly Killua is taking it to heart.

I will come back to this specific subtext in a bit, because we can parallel it with another subtext-y situation, so please keep it in mind for now.

CHIMERA ANT ARC

Now onto the sad gay arc! This arc is so RIDDLED in subtext and parallels that it's making me lose my mind.

• Gon, you are light. (chapter 199)

This scene is just... So romantic in nature. I’m not too objective on this, but I really do believe that this moment is the exact moment Killua fell in love with Gon and started to realize he felt a bit more than friendship towards him. It’s Killua respecting Gon for who he is, realizing that he’s light and he’s always been, he’s the one who saved him and who’s always been so bright and optimistic and always makes the best out of any situation. In this scene, Killua lets himself drown in Gon’s light, allows himself to feel this “wow” moment of pure admiration and love, and it’s absolutely beautiful.

It's extremely important to take the context of this scene into account. What happened is that Killua, who has been struggling mentally for the entire series with the fact that he's always running away, ran away once more, leaving Kite to die with Pitou. This ENTIRE chapter is literally adults absolutely DESTROYING Killua, first Kite's troupe bashing him for leaving Kite behind, and then Netero, Morel and Knov coming in like icing on the cake telling Killua that "After all, he's just a kid", and that he should hurry up to his mommy.

Killua is beating himself up for running away again, got destroyed by Kite's team and 3 extremely strong pro hunters. His morale is down in the drains right now. He expects Gon to be mad at him for betraying Kite, for running away once again, for leaving Kite to die alone and ripping Gon away from Kite : he expects that he'll lose Gon for his cowardice.

HOWEVER, the first thing that Gon says to Killua after having been passed out for god knows how many hours is "Thank you".

Gon woke up and instantly eased up all of Killua's fears : he wasn't a loser for running away, and Gon was actually thankful for him. Gon, at this moment, was the only one that showed kindness, understanding and gratefulness towards Killua. Gon even goes so far as saying that he knows that Kite isn't dead, and that they have to help him. At this instant, Gon is truly Killua's saving grace. He's the one that trusts him with his entire heart, and believes in his choices when even he can't believe in himself. Gon is truly Killua's light at this precise moment, because he was the only one who supported him, trusted him and reassured him in this awful situation.

How can someone shine so bright in such a terrible situation ? How can someone be so positive that nothing bad will happen ?

Gon asserting all of this makes Killua respect him a lot. Keep this word in mind, because it’s going to be important in the next piece of subtext I’m analyzing, because those two scenes canonically follow each other and are basically Togashi highlighting that something special happened when Killua called Gon his light, and that his feelings deepened.

• Introduction to Palm's character (chapter 200)

This piece of subtext is very very easy to miss but it's one of the most important subtext-y scene, because coupled with the “Gon, you are light” scene, it’s very clear that this dialogue is deliberately highlighting Killua’s feelings.

This chapter introduces Palm's character (which, imo, is a character introduced for the sole intent of being a catalyst to Killua's feelings towards Gon, but I'll talk about it in my post talking about the CAA parallels) - edit: i talked about this briefly here.

So, Killua having looked into Gon's eyes for like 10min straight and concluded that Gon was the light of his life a chapter ago, is now chilling with Gon as they meet Palm.

Palm takes them to a café and STRAIGHT OFF THE BAT harasses them about how much she's in love with Knov. Like when I say harassing, it's literally a whole page of her explaining her feelings towards Knov.

There are two interesting things that can be drawn from this interaction.

First, it's extremely easy to draw parallels between Palm's situation towards Knov and Killua's situation towards Gon. Palm starts by saying how amazing her master is, that she probably has special feelings for him but the most important thing is to respect the other person. Remember how I talked about how this last scene was Killua having a surge of deep, deep respect for Gon ? Palm makes sure to highlight that special word, that it’s important to respect someone when it comes to love.

She then goes on to say that she hasn't said anything to Knov, and never will. All of this adds nothing to the story, it's empty dialogue, Togashi could've introduced Palm in virtually any other way possible, but he chose to drag her and the gay duo to a café and make her have a monologue about love RIGHT after the extremely emotional panel of Killua declaring that Gon is his light just a chapter ago.

But there's more. Not only does Palm monologue for a while about love, but after finishing her monologue, this happens :

This panel features ONLY Palm and Killua, her looking at him like the psycho she is, and straight up telling him that "love can suddenly spark out of nowhere, don't you think so?".

What's so interesting about this is the fact that Togashi made the deliberate choice to have Palm say this to Killua and Killua ONLY, which after the gay existential crisis he had last chapter, can very much be applied to his situation. Love DID spark out of nowhere, and Togashi wants you to notice. Togashi could've made Palm say this to herself, with no distinct listener like the last panel, but he made the conscious choice to draw this panel with Palm adressing herself to Killua SPECIFICALLY.

Those two pieces of subtext, that fit perfectly together, make me believe 100% that Togashi knows what he's doing and he's not unintentionally planting gay subtext in his work. The fact that Togashi sat at his desk, drew Killua calling Gon his light, and then followed this scene with the introduction to a character who picks Killua apart to tell him that "love is something that just happens, don't you think?" is 100% proof that Togashi knows what he's doing.

• Date with Palm (chapters 217 and 218)

I think this situation has many layers, but many people still dismiss it as bro behavior so I'm gonna try my best to counter argue. First of all, and although that's not proof of anything, Killua looks EXTREMELY distressed by the prospect of Gon going on a date with Palm, but that can be counter-argued by saying that Killua is just worried because Palm is completely crazy.

What I want to talk about is the scene that happens right after, when Gon and Killua go to the gym (because theyre DUDES YEAH WE WORK OUT NO HOMO), and the conversation casually drifts to Killua asking Gon if he's ever been on a date before, valid question considering what just happened previously. There are multiple things here :

1) Killua seems distressed that Gon has been on dates before. While it can be argued that it's a normal reaction because Gon has and he hasn't, I believe that Killua - who is in no way a normal person who would get flustered about "not having been on dates before a certain age" - would not feel uncomfortable that his friend is more experienced than him - especially when literal seconds later, he monologues about how he doesn’t care about dates and just wants to stick with Gon.

2) Gon then proceeds to ask Killua if he's ever been on a date, to which Killua responds :

What I want to highlight is the panel where Killua says "And the truth is, I want to stay by your side... Always...". Basically, what Killua is saying, is that he doesn't care about dates, all he wants to do is be with Gon.

I don't think this can be counter-argued as bro behavior, but with all the subtext I've explained before, this right here is pretty gay. Togashi put this panel deliberately to show that Killua doesn't give a crap about dates when he can stay with Gon, and with the "gon you are light" scene and everything in mind, this is another intentional subtext.

There's also the fact that Killua stalks the date like a jealous girlfriend - but I'm not gonna count that as subtext because it can be argued that he's just worried about Gon because Palm is insane.

• Gon is my best friend ! (chapter 219)

Remember how I told you to keep the "It has to be Killua" subtext in mind because I was gonna come back to it later ? Well.

During Palm's date with Gon, Killua runs into Rammot, who would definitely have ran into Palm and nenless Gon. Killua is forced to confront his worst fear : this is the moment where he knows that if he runs away again, Gon WILL die. Killua is literally overcoming his "programming", the physical representation of years of abuse out of love and care for Gon. He's ripping out the needle from his forehead out of pure, genuine care for Gon, because if he doesn't, then he'll lose him forever.

Now, what I actually wanna talk about is this panel :

What we see is Killua thinking happy thoughts about all his adventures with Gon because he can't - won't - doesn't want to run away anymore, and all this for his sake. But what I wanna draw attention to is the dodgeball panel that's bigger than all the others, and the only one where you can actually clearly make out what's written : "Killua ja nakya dame nan da".

Now, isn't that interesting that the panel that takes a bigger place in the whole panel is the one with this particular sentence? Remember what I talked about a bit earlier, about how "~ ja nakya dame nan da" is a sentence with a lot of romantic connotations (would pretty much equal to "you're the one for me" in English). Clearly this particular sentence stuck with Killua.

I'm not completely objective on this matter since I firmly believe that at this point, Killua has romantic feelings for Gon, but I interpret this as another deliberate thing Togashi did : putting the panel bigger so we can see that it has a particularly significant importance to Killua, and Killua's state of mind right now (not wanting to lose Gon).

In my opinion, two things happened here: One, Killua remembers this specific interaction because he knows how much Gon trusts him and he doesn't want to betray his trust. But I also firmly believe that Killua remembered this specific interaction because of the romantic connotation the sentence "Killua ja nakya dame nan da" has. Those words clearly shocked him, and I think he remembers them in this life-threatening situation, after the "gon you are light" scene, Palm talking about "love just happens", the "i want to stay with you, always" because he realizes that he wishes Gon would say that sentence in a romantic context, and not in the context of the dodgeball match, thus leading him to surpass himself to prove his love and perhaps live to see the day where Gon could say those words in that romantic context.

Now, of course, all of this is my interpretation, so it's really up to debate, but I really wanna highlight the fact that Togashi deliberately CHOSE to highlight this particular interaction between Gon and Killua, this sentence with romantic subtext, to lead Killua to finally break his chains and be able to be protect Gon fully. It’s also interesting to note that the 2011 anime adaptation also makes it a point to emphasize how deep these words stuck to Killua by making it the last flashback that makes Killua effectively rip out the needle out of his head.

Also let's quickly mention the irony in the situation here : while Gon is on a romantic date, Killua fights to protect him, overcoming his weakness to prove his love. It’s not Palm who deserves that date, it’s Killua.

• A lovers’ suicide (chapter 286)

Now, onto the most important piece of subtext, that can not be counterargued as platonic in any way, shape or form. During the palace invasion, Killua leaves Gon's side, proceeds to go kick Youpi's butt only to have to fall back because he used up all his electricity nen. When Killua is charging up, he meets with Meleoron, and tells him that once he's done charging, he'll go back to Gon's side.

They briefly exchange information about the battle, and then Meleoron proceeds to ask Killua what's the plan for him and Gon. That's when Killua explains that "Once Gon is like this, he won't budge an inch. Worst case scenario, it'll be a double suicide.". At worst they both die, cool. They “go down in flames together”. It’s actually much, much more meaningful than that.

The specific word that Killua uses for double suicide is "心中" (shinjuu), which is a heavily romantically connotated word in japanese. Shinjuu, also translated as "lovers’ suicide", is when two people die out of love, by the same method, because there's a belief that this'll allow those two people to spend eternity together. Shinjuu is a major theme of Japanese literature, and it is always used romantically. It's a very uncommon word to use to refer to two people dying together, because of its heavy romantic connotation, and because it always refers to double suicide committed by people bound by love. In literature, it always refers to two lovers, in love. If you want to read more on shinjuu, i suggest this and this, those articles explain its historic roots and the definition, also emphasizing the feeling of "oneness" that characterizes shinjuu. If you’re interested, I also suggest reading the japanese article that defines shinjuu, and hitting the google translate button, it has some pretty interesting sentences like “Shinjuu is traditionally committed by men and women out of mutual love, in the hope that they will be connected in the afterlife because they can't be together in this world.”

So basically, what Killua is saying is that he wants to go back to Gon's side to die with him, committing a "lovers’ suicide" because he doesn't want to leave Gon to die alone, and wants to die with him.

I also want to emphasize how special this word is to Killua, and that he and everyone around him know the special meaning of this word - In chapter 300, Ikalgo literally says "We were... No, KILLUA was ready to commit shinjuu with Gon". Ikalgo is really highlighting the fact that this word holds special meaning, especially to Killua, and that it was HIM who was willing to commit shinjuu by staying with Gon. Ikalgo and company dying with Gon wouldn't be shinjuu, but Killua dying with Gon would be, and Togashi emphasizes this through Ikalgo's thoughts.

This is pretty much the gist of it, but I suggest reading the wonderful post I linked in the references below if you want to know more about this specific subtext.

(edit : i actually wrote a post going a bit more into detail on Killua’s shinjuu wish if you want to read it here ! :3)

• “The one that Gon needs the most is you” (chapter 294)

I will go into this subtext more in details when I write the post about parallels in CAA, but I still want to talk about it briefly here.

Like I said before, to me, Palm was introduced as a catalyst for Killua's feelings towards Gon. Togashi purposefully wrote Palm as having romantic feelings for Gon to foil Killua's feelings for Gon and make him show jealousy towards Palm.

To Killua, Palm is someone who stole Gon from him, he sees her as a threat because maybe she'll make Gon happier than he does ? (ofc we all know thats not true but Killua is baby) - Basically, Killua thinks Palm might be more important to Gon than Killua is, because he believes they are romantically involved. That's why when he sees her again later on, after Gon rejected his help, leaving Killua helpess as to how to save his dear friend, Killua sees Palm as a saving grace.

He knows that if Gon sees Palm as a chimera ant, he will spiral down even more, so he tries to reason with her to get her to be gentle to Gon, because if not her, then who could? Palm would clearly be able to comfort Gon, with whom Killua believes is romantically involved with, better than him, right ? If Gon rejected Killua, then clearly Palm could help, since she seems closer to Gon (BECAUSE HE BELIEVES THEYRE DATING), right?

This confrontation between Palm and Killua closely ressembles a situation like an ex confronting a new girlfriend - and I think this is exactly why Togashi wrote Palm this way. He wanted Killua to confront who he thought was a threat to their relationship, making him believe that this person who's """"dating"""” Gon is more important to him than himself, only to have her openly admit that she means nothing to Gon. The only one Gon needs is Killua.

And that, my friends, coming from someone you believe is romantically involved with your best friend (who you probably have a crush on), someone you're jealous of, the one you thought was the person most important to him, that's a pretty meaningful statement.

Basically, what's happening, is that Palm reaffirms that Gon holds Killua closer than a potential romantic partner. And that's why Killua is so, so happy to hear that. He was questioning his entire relationship, questioning if Gon even cared about him, because he rejected him a few minutes before, but then his "rival" comes in and reaffirms that even she knows that no one comes close to Killua to Gon.

I also want to mention that this act of pure love (Killua only thinking of saving Gon when in a life threatening situation) is what made Palm come back to her human senses. d'awwwwww

• Illumi and Hisoka’s parallel on lovers who die of Alluka’s requests. (chapter 323)

Now onto the final significant subtext - while I don't particularly think of it as subtext-y, I know a lot of people have so I still want to include it here.

When Illumi explains Alluka's powers to Hisoka, he explains that there are two different types of linked deaths when a request is failed : 1) the person who failed + the person they love the most 2) the person who failed + the people they spent most of their time with.

When applied to Killua, Hisoka naturally comes to the conclusion that no matter the outcome, Gon would always be the one dying with Killua, because he's spent so much time with him, and because he's the one that Killua loves the most. In the panel where Illumi explains this, we see a romantic, heterosexual couple demonstrating the effects of not completing one of Alluka's requests, and thus the "most important person dying".

While not making any true parallels, the fact that Hisoka, and the readers, are drawn to compare a heterosexual, romantic pairing to Killua dying with Gon because he's his "most important person" is an interesting piece of subtext.

_______

I want to finish by talking about Killua's birthday and how significant it is in my opinion. All the main 4 characters have birthdays that fall on specific dates, related to Japanese tradition, and often with events that can be associated to their character. Gon's is 5/5, which is Children's Day. Kurapika's is 4/4, the number 4 being considered an unlucky number, and this being an unlucky day to have a child. Leorio's is 3/3, Hinamatsuri (not really any main parallels here but still). But Killua's birthday is 7/7, and is the Japanese day to celebrate Tanabata.

If you are not familiar with Tanabata, the story is as follows : Orihime is a princess who works for her father, working hard and well, but she laments the fact that because of her hard work she can't meet someone and fall in love. Her father arranges for her to meet Hikoboshi, allowing Orihime to leave because he expects her to come back to work for him, but the two immediately fall in love and get married, and she never returns. I won't get into the rest of the story as it's this part that interests me the most, but if you want to read more about Killua and Tanabata I suggest reading the post I referenced below.

Does the story of Orihime remind you of anyone ? Killua also works for his father, but laments the fact that he can't go outside and meet someone. His father then lets him go, saying, and i quote: "he will come back, because he's my son". Doesn't this remind you of the tale of Tanabata ? Killua's story references the tale of Orihime perfectly, and I believe this is intentional : Killua's birthday isn't of any importance to the plot, so why make it Tanabata, a day that celebrates a love story that closely ressembles Killua's story ? The answer is simple : subtext.

With all this in mind, I think it's pretty clear that Togashi is writing intentional subtext to hint at Killua's feelings being romantic in nature. Togashi is a master writer, he has years of experience, and I strongly believe he knows what he's doing and not planting unintentional subtext. He's a very smart man, and knows how all of this can be interpreted.

I will finish by saying that Togashi is NOT an author that would deliberately queerbait his readers. So many people dismiss the possibility of having gay subtext leading onto an actual canon gay relationship because "it's not like the author would ever have gay main characters". While this holds true for a lot of manga authors, especially shonen manga authors, it does NOT apply to Togashi.

Togashi has always displayed interest in queer subjects and queer representation, putting trans characters in all of his major works (Miyuki in YYH, Mikihisa in Level E and Alluka in HxH). There were also canonically gay characters in his previous works : Itsuki in YYH, and a character named Kuramoto in Level E.

Togashi also always had interest in mangas having BL elements, citing Maya Mineo's "Patalliro!" as a manga he was attracted to during High School. If you're unfamiliar with Patalliro, the story focuses on the main character's love life as a gay man. He also admitted to basing Hiei's (YYH) design off a character from that manga.

Last but not least, Togashi mentioned in a note included in volume 1 of YYH that he wanted to write a sports manga, called The Trouble Quartet, where basically all the characters are gay. Togashi said he based it off his own interests as a writer, and that while it was refused by Shonen Jump, he got deeply attached to the project and that he would love to explore this project in a different shape once he made a name for himself. I suggest reading this post because the parallels between The Trouble Quartet and HxH are HILARIOUSLY accurate.

In short, Togashi has always had interest in queer matters, and was always interested in putting queer representation in his work. After YYH, which was a terrible experience for Togashi as a writer, he managed to snatch a contract that basically allows him to do whatever he wants with HxH. Having always held dear BL matters but never being able to explore it to his full intent, I believe Togashi is exploring queer identity further with HxH, because Shonen Jump basically lets him do anything.

To conclude, with Togashi's past experience and skill, his interest in queer representation, and the amount of subtext surrounding Killua, I honestly believe that Togashi is trying to explore further queer representation, and I wouldn't be surprised if HxH ends with Gon and Killua becoming a canon pairing, whether it be delivered in an ambiguous manner or not.

Edit : I actually wrote a post on why I believe it won’t be ambiguous, and that it’s truly never been ambiguous, just developing : here.

I hope you enjoyed the read, thank you for reading all of this, and feel free to show this to anyone who denies subtext in HxH !

REFERENCES

- "It has to be Killua" - Medium article, "Impossibilities in Translating Queerness : The Dodgeball Dilemma"

- Palm's Date Scene - Reddit post, "Togashi's love of Ambiguity: Chapters 217 and 218"

-A thematic analysis of Palm’s character : ”The Issue With Palm”

- Shinjuu - Tumblr post by hunterxhell, "A lovers' suicide, I guess." : + the post that mentions Ikalgo talking about shinjuu

- An analysis on different subtext-y situations

- Illumi and Hisoka’s parallel : here and here

- Killua’s birthday : "Killua, July 7th, and the significance of his birthdate”

- Togashi's interview mentioning Mineo's Patalliro

#hxh #hxh meta #hunter x hunter #killugon #meta #my posts #my meta

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tinseltina · 2 years ago

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i'm gonna rant about bayo 3 for a bit

SPOILERS AHEAD IM NOT PUTTING THIS UNDER A READ MORE I WANT MY RAGE TO SHOW PROUDLY

i hate viola. i hate viola because she's too much like luka and i hate luka and i hate clumsy characters as comic relief. and i assume that because of her inclusion THATS why we see so little of luka in the game (aside from all the other subplot for him or maybe BECAUSE of the subplot for him or a result of having his subplot) because it'd be too much clumsy dumbsy comic relief characters.

2! WTAF WAS THAT ENDING?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BAYO AND LUKA END UP TOGETHER?! THEY LITERALLY HAVE NEVER HAD ANY CHEMISTRY IN THE ENTIRE SERIES!!!

MAYBE i can accept in another timeline/universe they got together and had a baby, i shudder to even think about that labor process (probably almost started armageddon early)

but THIS timeline? nahhhhh NO WAY! (yes i am aware of the theory that this is little cereza from bayo 1 grown up and she had a fondness for luka in that timeline for taking care of her. but it doesn't actually track for me for a couple of reasons i won't go into) THAT'S A SHOEHORN IN.

am i mad bayo and jeanne don't at least get hinted of being together? yeah, but most of it IS because of the actual chemistry and close relationship they have/d.

it's frustrating to see better relationship writing only when the characters are friends, and the actual romantic interests are dull and shallow. they vague flirtation does not a good romance make.

3. AND FRIGGIN VIOLA BECOMES THE NEW BAYO? GTF OUTTA HERE! AGAIN SHE'S WAY TOO MUCH LIKE LUKA TO TAKE UP THE MANTLE!

sure she's young, but bayo IS meant to be a campy but OP badass, viola doesn't have that (yet). she's just campy, but in a goofy way. in an (unintentional) comic relief way.

i had this thought while watching the cutscenes that this is both the gayest yet most hetero bayo game to date. gay in a "we watched 175 seasons of rupaul's drag race, paris is burning, and at least 100 hours of ballroom performances and competitions.

you get sexiness (arguably less sexiness/fan service than previous installments. bc to me it feels less like it's appealing to straight dudes and more like i'm simply watching a drag queen perform or a burlesque show. wherein the sexiness is primarily for the performer to feel good and express their own art and message.) you get a bit of comedy, you get lots of dancing, but it's also very fierce all the while. to me it felt like the devs realized the target audience/biggest fans were the girls and gays, and, in the words of bayo, "gave [them] everything [they] want"

every different version of bayo throughout the universes? different runway, their different weapons and fighting styles? different performance categories. it was all very fun to me.

i don't think viola can do any of that. that's not her style, she wants to be a cool badass and that's it. but that's NOT bayo. it never has been. if viola (if there was ever a continuation with her as the protagonist) doesn't have a total personality change, then she'll never be able to fill the shoes of bayonetta.

and then the bayo+luka endgame thing. thats the hetero bit. like, that didnt need to be there. heck they could both go to inferno together idc but dont leave like "and in the end they were actually soulmates" bs cuz it was clearly jeanne who is bayo's other half (whether platonic or romantic)

AND ANOTHER THING!!! why did they kill all the bayos? that was a total bummer. it made me cry. like was this platinums way of saying "no more bayo ever again. now leave us alone"

dmc5 wasnt this much of a bummer. and at least they had the excuse of nero already having been a protag who did was dante did before so it's not unusual for him to take up the dmc business. he's just not as funny as dante but he has snark and other characters to play off of that makes him entertaining. the bayo route would have been like if V survives and takes over DMC. WOULDNT FIT TONALLY.

#bayonetta 3 #bayonetta 3 spoilers #tina rants #text

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bbyannabeth · 3 years ago

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hello hello, i just posted this fic right now.

below the cut is an alternate ending to the fic because i hate writing angst and i needed some serotonin. but please read the fic before reading the alt. ending<3

Getting to the Underworld was a lot easier when she had a child of Hades as her friend. Nico shadow traveled with her to his father’s palace, leaving them right outside the doors. “Thank you,” she said, staring up at the doors.

“No problem. You sure you want me to leave, though?” he asked. Annabeth nodded.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. She had Mrs. O’Leary’s whistle in her pocket. Technically that was Percy’s possession, but the hellhound had always loved her too so she hoped it would still work.

“Okay,” Nico said quietly, somewhat awkward. “See you later, then.”

“Bye,” she replied, and then she was alone. Taking one heavy breath, Annabeth pushed through the doors of the palace. “Lord Hades!” she yelled, walking in.

He materialized in front of her. “What a nice surprise,” he said, his voice flat. “I love screaming children bursting into my home.”

“My apologies, my Lord. You know why I’m here, though.”

“I do,” Hades said. “But I can’t help you.”

He started to walk away but Annabeth followed. “Yes, you can!” she protested. “Percy saved the Gods, he saved you. He’s the only reason Camp Halfblood accepts Nico. He deserves a better life than what he got.”

“He… he made his choices,” he said, though he didn’t sound confident. It reminded her of what her mother said. Annabeth thought that was bullshit. He made his choices based on the circumstances. He would’ve never willingly chosen this life to begin with, none of them would.

“Do it to spite Zeus, then,” she tried. “This eternal feud with your brothers – this would piss them off pretty good!”

Hades stopped, like he was considering it. The silence grew longer and Annabeth was almost worried she’d crossed some line. But then he turned.

“Okay.”

She blinked. “Okay?” she asked.

Hades nodded. “You make good points. He saved us and he’s befriended Nico, I do appreciate those things,” he said. He grinned, a sight that sent shivers up her spine. His smile had an unintentional (or at least she hoped it was unintentional) evil to it that she didn’t like. “And it would be very satisfying to anger my brothers.”

Annabeth was stunned. This has been her entire goal but she was shocked it had actually worked. After what happened on Olympus, she had expected to walk out of there empty-handed.

“Th-thank you, Lord Hades,” she stuttered. “I can’t thank you enough. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

He nodded once before flicking his wrist. In a cloud of dark smoke, Percy appeared in the room with them. He was translucent but other than that, he looked just as he had before. Hades held up a hand to stop her from rushing forward. “You’ll walk right through him,” he said with a dark chuckle.

Percy stared at her, disoriented. Hades flicked his wrist again and Percy jolted, his body becoming solid again. Annabeth looked at Hades, who then rolled his eyes. “Go ahead.”

Annabeth launched forward, tackling Percy in a hug. He was still confused but his arms tightened around her. “Oh my Gods,” she mumbled. “I got you. You’re safe.”

“Annabeth?” he whispered, starting to regain his senses. She stepped back to cup his face.

“Yeah, Perce. It’s me. You’re safe.”

“I don’t,” he trailed off, blinking at Hades. “You brought me back?”

“Your girlfriend was very insistent,” he replied with a shrug. Annabeth almost laughed. Percy blinked again.

“Thank you, Lord Hades,” he stuttered. “Thank you so much.”

The God nodded. “If you die again, you’re on your own,” he said with a smile. Another twisted-looking one that made Annabeth shiver.

She hugged Percy close again and they heard Hades sigh. “Okay, you guys are gross,” he said. It almost sounded like he was… teasing them? Annabeth laughed quietly, her cheeks flushing as she stepped back.

“Thank you again, my Lord,” she said. “We’re indebted to you.”

“Considering it a favor,” he replied. “Now get out of here.”

His wrists flicked and Annabeth was suddenly enveloped in darkness. Her eyes fluttered open, and she and Percy were standing at the New York entrance to the Underworld. With a delirious laugh, she tackled him in another hug. One that sent them sprawling into the grass. “Oh my fucking Gods,” she said, pulling him as close as she could.

“Annabeth,” he murmured, digging his face into her neck. She pulled back enough to cup his face.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry,” he replied, staring up at her in awe. “You got me out, Beth.”

“I know,” she said. Her emotions started to creep back up her throat and suddenly she was crying again. “But still. You- you died. That-“

“Wasn’t your fault,” he said, cutting her off. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

Annabeth pressed her forehead to his. “I couldn’t do this life without you. I didn’t want to.”

“I know,” he whispered. “I’m right here.”

Annabeth sniffled and nodded before standing up, pulling him with her. “We should go see your mom,” she said. Percy’s eyes widened and something in him broke.

“Yeah,” he agreed. They walked there and she told him everything that had happened the past week or so. Getting out of Tartarus, defeating Gaia, visiting Sally, and then storming Olympus. He listened silently, their hands locked between them. Part of her was afraid to let go, as though this were some dream and he’d vanish if she released him.

They were stepping into the elevator, going up to the fourth floor, when Percy let out a quiet breath. “Why am I nervous?” he whispered. “It’s my mom.”

“You haven’t seen her in months, Perce,” Annabeth replied gently. “It’ll be okay.”

“Did you visit her much while I was… gone?” he asked. Annabeth nodded.

“At least once a week before our quest,” she said, a small smile gracing her features. She and Sally had gotten extremely close over the course of Percy’s disappearance. “I even slept in your bed a few nights because I had accidentally ended up staying later than I meant.”

He laughed quietly and dropped her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered. “You probably helped her so much.”

“She helped me,” Annabeth replied. In those months, seeing Sally had kept Annabeth from slipping away entirely. Sally made sure she stayed fed and well. If it hadn’t been for her, Annabeth would’ve withered away.

“I love you.”

Annabeth smiled and as the doors opened, she quickly tilted her head up to kiss him softly. “I love you, too.”

She took his hand again and they walked through the halls. Stopping in front of the door, Annabeth looked up at him. He lifted his hand, paused for just a brief second, and then knocked on the door. Annabeth held his other hand tight as they waited.

The door opened and then Sally Jackson was in front of them. Her hair was in a loose bun and her eyes were red. She stared at Percy, who was crying again. Honestly, Annabeth felt a bit like crying herself. “Mom,” he whispered, his voice cracking.

In an instant, their arms were wrapped around each other. It was a little funny now that Percy was taller, but that didn’t stop Annabeth from tearing up.

“My baby,” Sally murmured. “I love you so much, oh Gods.”

Annabeth saw Percy’s shoulders shake with silent sobs. Sally’s eyes opened just for a second, but she caught sight of Annabeth and regained enough sense to pull away. “Come inside, let’s get out of the hall.”

They were ushered inside and Percy was being wrapped up in another tight hug. Annabeth excused herself quietly, trailing down to the bathroom to wipe her tears away. She was so overwhelmed with emotion and she wanted to give them a moment alone.

When she returned, they had seemingly just broken apart. Sally turned that warm, loving gaze on Annabeth now and swept her up a hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” she said, and Annabeth melted. And then, much quieter, Sally whispered, “Thank you.”

Annabeth nodded and hugged her tighter. She caught Percy’s eye over Sally’s shoulder and he smiled at her. His mother had always loved Annabeth, but it must’ve been interesting to see how much closer they had gotten over the last year. Sally pulled away and looked at both of them.

“Well,” she said, huffing out a disbelieving laugh as she wiped her tears. “We should order some pizza and talk. Paul will be home in about an hour.”

They sat in the living room, Annabeth tucked into Percy’s side and she told Sally about what happened on Olympus and in the Underworld. She looked impressed at Annabeth’s determination. “Well,” Sally said with a gentle laugh. “At least I know I can count on you to take care of him.”

Annabeth wanted to cry. She had always been the one who was supposed to take care of Percy, and yet she had let him die. Instead of crying, because Gods, was she tired of it, she lifted her eyes to Percy. He was already looking back at her.

“Yeah, someone has to,” she said softly. Percy kissed her head.

“I’m glad it’s you, then,” he whispered.

Just then, the door opened and Percy tensed. “Honey?” Paul called out and Sally smiled.

“In the living room.”

“Did you end up…” he trailed off when he entered the room and his eyes landed on Percy. His bag, filled with school papers and his laptop, fell to the ground. “P-Percy?”

In a flash, Percy was off the couch and pulled into another hug. He and Paul had always been decently close, with maybe a hint of natural awkwardness settled between them. After being gone for so long, though, any residual tension had disappeared and they both seemed perfectly comfortable in a hug.

When Paul finally pulled back, he looked at Percy, then Annabeth, then Sally. “I don’t… understand.”

Sally laughed gently. Her mood had improved greatly since they had gotten to the apartment, for obvious reasons. “Come sit,” she said.

Halfway through retelling the story, the pizza got there and Sally brought it into the living room for all of them to dig into. Afterward, Paul nodded slowly. “This was definitely an interesting family to marry into.”

Annabeth laughed quietly and leaned further into Percy. She only had the stomach capacity for a single slice of pizza right now, despite not eating nearly enough the past few months. In a moment of bravery, she tilted her head up to brush her lips against his ear. “Good thing I’m already used to how crazy this family can be.”

His eyes snapped to hers and she smiled slowly. She remembered what he’d said about New Rome, how demigods could grow up, get married and start families. She wanted that with him and she wanted to be sure he knew that. Judging by the way he kissed her, in full view of his parents, she was fairly confident that he knew.

They stayed there on the couches for a while, catching up. Conversation rarely ceased and Annabeth smiled more in those couple hours than she had in the last six months. It was only about 8:30 when Percy had yawned for the millionth time. “Tired?” she asked gently.

He nodded, leaning against. She looked at Sally. “This one is about to pass out on me,” Annabeth said, nudging Percy who hummed. “We’re gonna head to bed.”

“Okay,” Sally said before getting up with them and wrapping Percy in another hug. Annabeth heard her whisper, “I’m glad you’re home,” to Percy.

“Me too,” he replied before pulling back. Sally didn’t hesitate to hug Annabeth again.

“I love you guys,” she said when she released Annabeth.

“Love you,” Annabeth said softly, smiling. Percy echoed the same sentiment, taking her hand and leading her down the hall.

Once they were safely in his room, he quietly locked the door and turned to her. “You know, if this demigod stuff doesn’t work out for me, I could be an actor.”

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. “Why’s that?”

His hands slipped under her hoodie, finding her waist and he pulled her closer. “I’m not tired,” he murmured, brushing his lips against hers. “I just missed you.”

“While I was right next to you?”

“Mhm,” he hummed. “I missed kissing you. Thought I’d have to wait a long time to be able to do that again. And now I’m back, and we’ve barely gotten to do any kissing.”

Annabeth couldn’t help the way her lips twitched upwards. “You would’ve waited that long to kiss me again?” she asked softly.

“I’d wait a million lifetimes if it meant I got to kiss you again,” he replied, his voice devoid of teasing. Finally, he was done with talking and he leaned down to press his lips to hers. Annabeth’s arms snaked up around his neck and she pulled him closer. Walking her backward towards the bed, he muttered against her lips, “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” she replied.

Annabeth hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the simple act of kissing him until now. All she wanted to do was get wrapped up in his touch, which wasn’t wise with his parents being down the hall.

For once, however, she decided as she pulled him into the bed with her, wisdom could wait.

#percabeth #pjo #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson #annabeth chase #hoo #heroes of olympus #fic #gray writes

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i-need-entertainment · 4 years ago

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Haikyuu!! Boys biggest Love rival

`Characters: Akaashi, Washio, Konoha, Kita, Suna, Ushijima, Yahaba, Iwaizumi, Futakuchi and Daishou (mentions of other characters)

TW- Angst, mentions of insecurities/self-doubt, hints of jealousy

*Some of these might be strange, but it was more difficult for some than it was for others so BEAR WITH ME*

ngl, this one hurted

Akaashi Keiji: Bokuto Kotaro

I think the reason he sees Bokuto as his rival is because he looks up to the ace and knows how ‘cool he is’.

I feel like he knows he’s quiet and more introverted, and when compared to Bokuto’s extroverted and outgoing personality, I feel like he feels a bit outmatched by him.

So when Akaashi finds a girl he likes, I think there might be some automatic (and unintentional) jealousy towards Bokuto, especially if the girl and Bokuto were friends.

He would never doubt them or think they’d go behind his back, but I do think the thoughts would be there.

Washio Tatsuki: Sarukui Yamato

He sees Saru as his rival because to him, Saru is a nice and easy going individual.

And so is Washio.

But the difference is that’s how people see Sarukui.

That’s not how they see Washio.

To people who don’t know him/don’t take the time to know him, he comes off as intimidating or scary.

When in reality he’s really just a big teddy bear.

I think he’d be scared of losing the girl he liked to Saru because of past events/insecurities coming back to haunt him.

Konoha Akinori: Akaashi Keiji

Konoha knows he’s a good guy, and he knows he’d be a good boyfriend.

So why does he keep comparing himself to Akaashi?

It feels like every time he has a girl he’s interested in or dating, a part of himself can’t help but feel...inferior.

He doesn’t even know why he does either!

He’s a starting player, just like Akaashi.

He’s smart, just like Akaashi.

And on top of that he’s also quite attractive! Just like Akaashi!

But even if he knows that he can’t help but feel like he’ll always lose to his underclassman...even if there’s 0 evidence to suggest it.

Kita Shinsuke: Ojiro Aran

Kita is NOT one to doubt himself.

But when it comes to his love life and that little green monster rears his ugly head, he starts to feel...small.

He’s very confident in his skills as a player AND his position as captain

But then he starts to think...

Aran is a starting player...

Aran is a national level ace...

Aran is the on-court captain...

People don’t think Aran is a robot...

Suna Rintaro: Miya Twins (Osamu/Atsumu Miya)

Spending a good chunk of time with the Miya twins, Suna is no stranger to being given love letters.

Love letters to deliver to the twins of course.

He knows the girls don’t do it to be mean to him, they just do it without thinking of his feelings...

At first it really bothered him but after it happened so many times...he really just became numb to it.

He knows it’s not their fault, it’s not like they really want them.

But it doesn’t stop him from getting a *little* ticked off every now and then.

Ushijima Wakatoshi: Ohira Reon

This one is similar to Washio.

He knows he’s capable.

I mean, he’s one of the top 3 aces after all!

But when it comes to general personality and general demeanor...

He feels...inferior.

And that’s not something he’s used to feeling.

I think it catches him off guard at first, since he isn’t used to feeling so useless and insecure.

Then...he just kinda accepts it...he knows he isn’t like that and he just kinda...let’s it go.

Yahaba Shigeru: Matsukawa Issei

He knows he’s mature for his age, and quite frankly feels it’s one of his better qualities.

And yet he sometimes can’t help but feel like he’s too mature...or maybe just stuck up.

Which is why he feels so small compared to Matsukawa.

Matsukawa is funny, laid back, and generally liked by everyone.

And while Yahaba is also well-liked and respected by his teammates, he knows he doesn’t even compare to Matsukawa.

He doesn’t resent Mattsun, of course not! He just wishes he could be more like him...

Iwaizumi Hajime: Oikawa Tooru

They’ve been competing since they were children, and since they were children, Iwaizumi has always felt like he’s second best.

He might be more athletic, a starting player, the ace of a powerhouse school, the vice captain, etc.

But he’s not as handsome, not as charming, he’s not the captain, and the girls don’t even spare him a second glance.

He doesn’t resent his friend, he knows none of it is purposeful...

But it doesn’t stop those thoughts from coming and invading every other thought.

Futakuchi Kenji: Obara Yutaka

Futakuchi has always seen himself as funny, the ‘life of the party’ and generally a fun guy.

But he is aware of his downfalls.

He’s rude, he makes snide comments and he’s aware of the rumors that get spread.

So when he sees his friendly, kind teammate easily chatting with their peers, he feels an unhealthy amount of jealousy towards him.

He’s the captain, ace and part of the Iron Wall of Date Tech High School for goodness sake!

So why does he feel so...helpless...?

Daishou Suguru: Kuroo Tetsuro

He and Kuroo are already rivals, so it’s no surprise he feels another type of rivalry towards him where his love life is concerned.

In most ways, they’re evenly matched.

They’re both captains of powerhouse schools, they’re both loved by their teammates, they’re both smart and they’re both good looking.

But when it comes to love he feels like he’s no match for him.

He’s not as charming, or ‘lovable’ and he definitely isn’t as revered.

So when it comes to his heart he’s always on guard, especially against the bed-headed captain.

#akaashi x reader #washio x reader #konoha x reader #ushijima x reader #yahaba x reader #iwaizumi x reader #futakuchi x reader #daishou x reader #y/n #haikyu x reader #haikyuufanfiction #Haikyuu!!#angst #haikyu angst #kita x reader #suna x reader

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f1andotherrandomstuff · 3 years ago

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So...some thoughts on storytelling in security breach

I’ve seen people complain about the story and how it feels quite rushed etc so here’s some thoughts I have. Obvious major spoilers under the tag and a huge post incoming

1. Afton

I think they could of done afton a little better but it was kind of interesting, seeing first the whole almagomation and half expecting that to be him and then seeing actual him. I think it could be a little harder maybe? but the thing with freddy was cool.

As for motive and why he’s there? When has he ever had a motive? like never, as far as canon is concerned its something about control and immmortality - surely both those things are present in the game.

He may come back in the DLC, along with Vannny.

2. Vanny

I do think that we should have more with Vanny but I’m wondering if that would be in a dif game, especially if we take the afton ending as canon (which I think is most likely), there is room for her to be in a different game. I wonder if there si more that hasn’t been found yet...like the fact the “join me on the stage” was only partly found and i dont think many people have figured out the whole therapist thing (if anyone has without looking in the files).

I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Vanny or Vanessa - even if the best ending is canon it’s possible Vanessa could come back as a protagonist (sim style to Mike)

3. Gregory

It’s interesting that we don’t learn where Gregory comes from - I think this is again something for a further game/ books. A lot of therories could still be true - him being related to Aftons, an android, just some kid, a protagonist of a previous story. It’s an unanswered question yet to be found

4. Overall story

I think that part of the issue is how long its been - we’ve had so long and a fair amount of info (and stuff that might ahve been unintentional/leaks/just mistakes) that most of the story had been spoiled, I personally think it’s pretty satisfying - our guessing with afton, vanny etc were correct and that’s cool. I think there are a lot of questions looking deeper etc

Not being funny, but the storytelling has never been great, it’s too washy etc and suddenly we’re given a game that has to have an explicit story - we’re used to finsing everything ourselves but that’s not fully the case. I think we just have to look a bit deeper to find the things to figure out - where did gregory come from, what does the hints to fnaf 4 really mean, what did freddy mean w “i’ve been here before,my friends are down here, she took me here”, what happened to afton at the end, what was the purpse of the missing people and where did they go? there’s a lot of unanswered questions!

5. The future

I don’t think this will be the last game. If we’re lucky a lot of stuff like the 3D models (even if just style), some of the basic run models, maybe some exact models etc could be reused without it being too noticeable, the game could come out quicker. Even if it doesn’t, I feel a lot of the mistakes made this time ie revealing things too early + more implicit lore stuff etc can be fixed for the next game.

At the end of the day, the games only been out for a little. There must be more unfound stuff like security up to level 10 is still to be found and there may even endings? I don’t think we’ve seen the last of this game.

Also, the whole guide comes out next year, right? So there’s still more stuff to find and answer.

Personally, here’ some stuff I think could still be unfound in the game rather than future games: More ref to fnaf 4(there’s already been a few), more stuff saying what happened to the missing people, a few hints to gregory, what happened to roxy raceway, maybe another vanny based segment

#security breach spoilers #I think I may be reaching a little with the last bits but like I don't think everyone has fully explored every bag yet.#there is likely more guys and theorising to be done #and ngl i get peoples critisms but half the time they're about stuff that technically we got a partual answer too #or is left vague purposefully #if we consider help wanted as a new beginning then this is fnaf 2 #like we did not have all the answers by that point #and we still don't #fnaf

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uh-velkommen · 4 years ago

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The White Lotus, HBOMax

Alright four episodes in and things are finally starting to ramp up. My face throughout the whole episode was stuck on discomfort. This show packs so much tension in every 45 minutes that I'm constantly waiting for somebody to pop off or something crazy to happen but instead we get teased with the smallest little plot pusher. Which is working. I'm officially intrigued. I do wish I knew the overall point of the show because that's what would've helped me decide if I wanted to keep up with but now my determination to find out how this all ends is doing just that...

Character breakdown + Spoilers/Predictions

Armond: The manager of the White Lotus resort. I love him in all his poor choices. He's just constant chaos simply because he has the power to create it. He's also the biggest driver of drama. He lies a lot, almost pathologically, and he will carry those lies to the grave for no real reason.

Nicole Mossbacher: Resort guest, Mark's wife, and Olivia and Quinn's mom. She's a pretty basic character who is teased about possibly having OCD and working during vacation. She was pretty chill in the first 2 episodes but every once in a while she says things that gives off I'm a centrist but my views lean a little more conservative.

Mark Mossbacher: In the beginning he's stressing about possibly having testicular cancer because his father died of cancer... Turns out his father had AIDs. He has a depressive episode over his dad being gay and then, while drunk, he inadvertently comes onto the Armond. The next day Armond tests the waters with Sober Mark and we get uncomfortably funny scenes of Armond coming onto Mark in front of the whole family. Mark's a very passive dude who doesn't do anything exciting in the show but we just find out that he has, in the past, repeatedly cheated on his wife and didn't tell her (he told his son that he did tell Nicole but I don't believe it) I think his theme is just being genuinely unhappy with his life at the moment.

Olivia Mossbacher: She's a college sophmore and has many moments where she calls out her parents questionable statements. She carries herself with a weird nonchalance where you'd think she's a mean girl but she's only ever expectedly mean to her brother. However, she brought along her friend Paula and we start to see that their friendship is built on some unspoken competition. The girls do tons of drugs on vacay until Armond gets his hands on them and breaks his 5 year sobriety. This is when and why shit starts to hit the fan. They know he stole the drugs but because everyone avoids admitting to having illegal drugs, no one is ever outright accused.

Paula: Olivia's poc friend, possible hypochondriac, and supplier of drugs, has secret rendezvous with one of the Hawaiian native resort workers. She refuses to say anything when asked about her nightly disappearances but Olivia knows why or for whom Paula keeps sneaking off. We learn that Paula doesn't want Olivia to know about her and her beau because Olivia always wants what she has. My theory is that this wouldn't be the first time Olivia has stolen a partner of hers and I think now because Paula isn't admitting to hooking up with this guy, Olivia is gonna steal him and use Paula's secrecy as a way of blame.

Quinn Mossbacher: Involuntary loner in my opinion. He comes off as a classic video game nerd, obsessed with the internet, cant live without his Switch and Fortnite. He doesn't have any friends and he takes all the teasing from Olivia and Paula without a fuss. But he starts sleeping on the beach alone and keeps running into these amazing sights to see. This is where we start to see him blossom and speak up. Its ever so slow but in episode 4 he actually walks up to a group of guys and introduces himself, interested in their boat related sport[?] (Or maybe even the guys themselves🤞) He's also the only one who knows about the Dad's affair and stupidly hints at it at the family dinner (he's just genuinely stupid).

Shane Patton: Also a resort guest and the funniest character to me. He's your run of the mill self-centered male Karen (Kevin if you will) and he arrives at the resort with his wife Rachel. They're on their honeymoon but so many moments make you question why in the hell did these two get married? He is in an unnecessarily one sided battle with Armond. First the resort accidentally downgrades his room. Armond gaslights Shane into thinking that he never purchased the bigger room. Shane gets a receipt. Armond tells him there's a German couple staying in the receipted room longer than Shane and his wife are there so the room will not be ready for them in time. Shane finds out the Germans are actually leaving wayy earlier. Armond apologizes and books them a romantic sunset dinner on a boat. The boat is actually a funeral where a strange grieving woman, named Tanya, fails to spread her mothers ashes in the sea. Shane confronts Armond and asks for Corperate's number. Armond creates a fake business card and when Shane realizes the number is fake, he bursts into Armond's office to find him rimming a coworker while high on Ketamine. Prediction: Armond's gonna get blackmailed for abuse of power in a classic Monicagate manner.

Rachel: Shane's wife. Rachel's a journalist who actually looked up to Nicole (her job as CEO of god knows what puts her in the public eye) but when she finally got to sit with Nicole over lunch, Nicole calls her out for writing an incredibly slut shamey article, claiming that Nicole used her femininity to get her where she is now. This is the first smack in the face that maybe journalism isn't for Rachel. Well that on top of the constant teasing from Shane about her career choices. Shane's family is much more wealthy than Rachel's and he always finds subtle ways to make it known. Shane also pays her no mind, flirting with Olivia and Paula and battling Armond. Even during their arguments (which happens too many times for newlyweds) Shane doesn't look at Rachel and just gives periodic "mhmm"s and "okay"s. Also Rachel hates the Mossbacher family simply because they all seem to be doing better than her.

Now for the boring ones

Tanya McQuoid: An eccentric resort guest (which is a polite way of saying, a weird ass person who is over polite and basically pushes herself into every other character's drama in the most unintentional way, she's also bad at reading the room) She comes off as calm and quiet but we find out that her mother recently passed and she's in Hawaii to spread her mothers ashes. She becomes creepily obsessed with the resort's massage parlor manager, Belinda, after a complimentary massage and suggests becoming a beneficiary so Belinda can open up her own massage parlor. Her "obsession" could possibly just stem from Belinda showing her an act of kindness during a hard time but I know I questioned Tanya's intentions for at least the first two episodes... In episode 4, some random dude, Greg, shows up and invites Tanya to dinner after "accidentally" mistaking her room door for his own. Tanya postpones a business meeting with Belinda so she and Greg can hook up that night. The presence of these characters feel a little out of place. Unlike the Newly Weds and the Mossbacher family, there is not a lot of plot overlap. Tanya will often pop up to converse with the others and brag about Balinda's skills but she doesn't cause any trouble. Tanya's also very wealthy so I definitely thing this "Greg" has some secret plot to take down Tanya or plant something or steal her cash and unfortunately I do not think Belinda will see anything bright in her future. Her plans will be left on the backburner which I say is unfortunate because she's a kind woc who is just trying to do her job and is clearly very skeptical about going into business with this strange, rich white, resort guest.

Honorable Mention

Lani: A Hawaiian native, trainee at the White Lotus. She shows up in episode one as her first day on the job. Later we find out she's also pregnant and goes into a premature labor on the job. She has her baby and disappears for the next three episode. Come back Lani, Armond has just started getting your name right!

Show Themes

The show does touch on conversations of race and class but I would not consider this a political show or one with an agenda (it's satire). I point out the characters of color here because their race becomes a device used to create tension but not in a Token POC kind of way. All the characters are rich and they are shamed for it by the show writers. By this I mean nobody is spitting in their faces and calling them Climate Killers but the choices the characters make, the things they say, and the way they act gives the viewer something to laugh at. Their ignorant entitlement juxtaposing with the beautiful Hawaiian beaches and tragic Hawaiian history creates an underlying experience of, look at these rich people not having a good time and they can't even realize why! As for the characters, there is plenty of time to sit back and question, is this character a good person, who's the real antagonist, how do these stories intertwine, who do we root for What story is attempting to be told here? What is the message!?

#the white lotus hbo #the white lotus #the white lotus hbomax #hbo max

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keiyoomi · 4 years ago

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letters to satori | t. satori × reader

summary: you did your best to keep yourself from confessing your feelings towards satori, but you just. . . can’t help, but imagine how your life would turn out with a bubbly tendō satori by your side.

details: 2k+ words | unedited | fluff? | ft. semi and ushiwaka

note: i’ve reached 2k followers recently. thank you for following me!!!

The idea of giving a handwritten letter to someone they like fascinates the red-haired middle blocker of Shiratorizawa—Tendō Satori.

It all began after he read a shōjo manga wherein the female lead tirelessly slips a handwritten note in the shoebox of the male lead. He wanted to experience that once in this lifetime. Yes, he received a lot of letters once in a while, but none of them are consistent. Their feelings towards him seems like a mere passing fancy.

“I haven’t seen you so dejected before,” Semi remarked as he stood next to him. “Don’t tell me you received another red mark in the tests?”

Satori groaned as he rest his chin on his desk while stretching his long limbs. “N—”

“AH-T!” Satori’s eyes widened upon hearing your voice. “Tendō!” you yelled with your fists tightly clenched. He can only smile at your direction in response.

This wasn’t the first time you tripped while he’s stretching his body. All incidents were unintentional and definitely not funny, but for some reason, he could feel that something’s bubbling in his chest.

“Sorry. Sorry.”

You squinted your eyes at him before walking away. While watching you approach one of your classmates, he let out a sigh. “I wonder if she’ll do it for me.”

Semi’s eyebrows furrowed. “Do what for you?” he asked. However, instead of answering his question, Satori chose to grin and kept his mouth shut.

‘It must be nice if she’ll secretly write a letter for me.’ He thought with a giggle. ‘I wonder what she’ll write in her letters though.’

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

You were in a daze while monitoring the movements of each members of Shiratorizawa Academy’s Boys’ Volleyball Team. The image of the red-head middle blocker, holding a copy of a famous shōjo manga plague your mind.

‘Is he implying something?’ you thought while watching him play around with his teammates—something he usually do when Coach Washijō is not around. You shook your head to clear your mind. ‘Nah. Impossible. He doesn’t like receiving such things. He said so himself.’

Then, you tilted your head while looking for a reason that’s more acceptable that the one you’ve concluded earlier. ‘Maybe that manga is just as popular as they say,’ you thought with a nod.

You blew the whistle to get the attention of everyone in the gym. “Start the drills. Fifty jump serves, and another fifty float serves. We have to finish at least half amount of that drills before coach returns.”

They all responded ‘yes’ with dread. Honestly, you feel the same way too. The last thing you want is to be scolded by Coach Washijō. His gaze alone can make a fragile person cry.

You were recording the status of each players, including some habits that has to be corrected, when you felt someone’s presence beside you. Specifically, his. “Woah. You’re pretty dedicated, huh.”

“This is how I normally do things, Tendō-kun,” you pointed out. “I’ve been doing this for almost three years.”

“Say,” he began before calling you by your nickname playfully. “Do you think someone will confess to me before our graduation?”

Your body stiffened for a moment, tightening your grip on the clipboard you were holding, before regaining your composure. “Maybe, maybe not.”

The thought if someone confessing to him made you feel uncomfortable. It feels suffocating and you hate it.

You hate what you’re feeling.

Satori vocally expressed his desire to explore the world beyond Japan. Falling in love with him wouldn’t be wise and might only result in something heartbreaking—a situation you’d like to avoid as of the moment.

Then, he sighed. Loud enough for you to hear. “Must be nice to receive a handwritten letter before graduating,” he mumbled, making you look up at him.

“Have you read that manga?” he asked while looking at you. “Letters to My Love*?”

“I’ve heard about it. Got no time to read it, though.” A blatant lie. “Is it that good?” you asked.

“Mhm. I can lend you my copies if you want.”

‘No need. I have my own. Thanks.’ Of course, you can’t say it that way. “Maybe after the tournament,” you responded before glancing at him. “Aren’t you going to do the drills? Toshi’s already done with the entire drill.”

“Fine,” he grumbled before whispering. something.

‘He wasn’t cursing me, right?’

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

“This is hopeless,” he whispered as he trudged towards the side of the court where his teammates stands. ‘I’ve tried all the tactics that the male lead in the manga did. All of them were neatly dodged by her.’ Then, he sighed. ‘At least in the manga, the female lead—despite the fact that she’s dense—picked up what he was hinting. But. . .’ He looked towards your direction before sighing. ‘It’s hopeless.’

The next day, though, he found a pink envelope neatly placed on the top of his indoor shoes. His eyes widened with delight before taking it with sheer enthusiasm. ‘Or maybe it wasn’t hopeless at all!’ he cheered in his head while skipping towards the gym.

“She must be embarrassed,” he said while grinning. “Wait, should I pretend that I didn’t know that I’ve received her letter? It must be embarassing for her if the others discover what she did.”

He clenched his fist with a promise. ‘I won’t let anyone tease our cute little manager.’

“What are you doing, Tendō?” Semi asked while standing near the entrance of the locker room.

“Nothing,” he respond playfully before humming an upbeat song. “Is she here already?” he asked.

“Huh? What are you talking about? She’s skipping today’s practice to rest. I heard she was feeling feverish on her way back to the dorms.”

Satori’s delighted humming paused. “O-Oh. . .” he forced a smile before facing his friend. “. . . that’s unfortunate.”

“What happened to your mood?” Semi asked while watching him change.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said before smiling as if everything’s alright. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t get my hopes up.’

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

You’ve decided to isolate yourself from the rest of the team after catching a cold.

“How did he react?” you asked before coughing. You shouldn’t have left the dorm in that cold weather. “Please tell me that my sacrifice was worth it.”

Semi sighed. “Disappointed.”

“Oh.”

“He was humming at first, but when I told him that you’re skipping today’s practice, he looked disappointed.”

“I wonder why.”

Semi scoffed. “Yeah. I wonder why too.”

“And. . . what did you do with the letter I gave you earlier?”

“I left the pink one in his shoe locker after he left.”

“It’s blush pink.”

“Still pink.”

“Whatever.” Then, you coughed once again. “Thank you, Semi.”

“Mhm. But I still think it’s better if you just tell him directly. You do know that someone might claim to be this anonymous confessor, right?”

You sighed. “I’m working on it, Semi. Don’t worry.”

“Who said I’m worried?”

“Wow. Just. . . wow.”

“Rest and attend tomorrow’s practice. It’s not the same without—Tendō?” Your forehead scrunched. “Shit.”

“Oh God.”

“Go to sleep.”

Without another word, he ended the phone call. ‘He wouldn’t misunderstand. . . right?’

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

I’ve been watching you from afar since we’re freshmen. No, not in the creepy way. At first, I was a bit hesitant to be around with someone like you. Someone who shines vibrantly like a star, attracting almost everyone around you. Maybe one day I’d be courageous enough to approach you and tell you everything I’ve been wanting to say for years.

Sincerely,

Your Admirer

He placed back the small note inside the envelope before staring at it. So far, the hints he got from this letter alone is that they’re in the same year and that they’re somewhere near him. Not that it minimized the number of possible senders, but it is still something.

Maybe they’ll drop more hints in tomorrow’s letter. That is, if they’re attempting to copy what happened in the manga.

However, the next letters he received did not give away the identity of the sender. Aside from the possibility that they’re probably a girl. Although it’s possible that they’re not too.

“I feel more tired than usual,” he complained during lunch, after reading the latest letter from his admirer. For three weeks, they consistently leaves a letter in his shoe locker without anyone catching them. Not even the hallway monitor.

“What’s wrong Tendō?” Ushijima asked while looking at him with stern face.

“Nothing,” he briefly responded before glancing at Semi. “How’s your relationship with manager-chan?”

Semi choked upon hearing his question. “I’ve told you we’re not—”

“—you’re with her? I didn’t even noticed.”

Semi shook his head in response. “You got it all wrong. We’re not—”

“Whatever you say,” Reon teased while patting his shoulder. “She’s heading to the gym first, right?”

“I don’t know. Leave me alone,” Semi grumbled, not noticing Tendō’s gaze towards him.

Satori sighed before playing with his food. “Must be nice. . .”

“That’s it!” Semi exclaimed before looking at Satori’s eyes. “Meet me at the shoe locker thirty minutes after the practice. Make sure to pretend to walk towards the dorm.”

Tendō tilted his head while watching his friend walking away while holding the tray.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

“Confess!” You were startled when you heard Semi’s frustrated voice. “Please. Stop waiting for the ‘perfect time�� to confess.”

“I swear. I’ll do it next week.”

“You’ve said it before.”

“This time, it’s for real.”

“You do realize that next week would be the finals, right?”

“Yes. That’s exactly the reason why I wanted to do it next week.”

Semi sighed before patting your head. “I’m sorry, Y/N.”

“Huh? Why?”

Instead of answering, he began to walk away from you while waving his hand. ‘What’s with him?’

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Unfortunately, the practice dragged on and wasn’t able to meet Semi in the shoe locker. That’s also impossible considering that Semi’s stuck in the gym too just like him. Same goes for you who’s stuck with them too.

The next morning, he was disappointed that he wasn’t able to see a letter on the top of his indoor shoes. ‘Are they sick or something?’

With a sigh, he picked up his shoes before walking towards the classroom with a gloomy aura surrounding him. Until today, he wasn’t aware of the impact of his admirer in his life.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

‘Fuck,’ you grumbled as you rush towards the shoe lockers. You didn’t mean to run late. By late, you were attending your afternoon classes and missing your morning classes.

You were just too tired after last night’s practice.

You sighed before pulling out the letter you’ve prepared earlier. You stood in front of Satori’s shoe locker before taking a deep breath. You opened his locker and placed the letter inside.

“Y/N-chan?”

‘Shit.’

Sometimes, things just don’t happen according to your plans.

“Y/N-chan? What are you doing?” Satori asks in a playful way. Your hands were shaking as you slowly turn your head towards him. “You’re not planning to pull some prank on me, right?” he asks, squinting his eyes.

“A-Absolutely not,” you stuttered. “What the hell are you talking about?” You nervously chuckle as you close his shoe locker. You gave its door one last push before approaching him. “Aren’t you hungry, Tendō-kun? You’re hungry, right?”

You swallowed hard as soon as he leans towards you, way too close for your liking. “You’re keeping some—”

“—Tendō would you like to come with us?”

You let out a sigh when you both heard Wakatoshi’s voice. Satori turns to Wakatoshi before nodding with enthusiasm. “Sure!” he chirps.

“Thank goodness!”

“After I deal with our cute manager-chan,” he says while grinning at you. “She’s been trying to keep something from me.”

“Oh, God. Wakatoshi. . . do not expose me, I beg you,” you thought while looking at Ushijima with wide eyes. You were silently praying that he’d notice the subtle gestures you were making.

“Oh, you know something, Wakatoshi-kun?”

You both waited for his response, but he just stood there, looking at you and the red-haired middle blocker.

Satori sighs.

“This is hopeless,” Satori says before glancing at you. “Come on. I’m starving!”

Thanks, God. For delaying the inevitable.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

The next morning, the typically loud and cheerful Tendō Satori was quiet. Too quiet and stiff as if he’s tensed. A lot of your classmates noticed it too and tried to ‘squeeze out’ some juicy information from him, but his lips are sealed.

You took a deep breath while fanning yourself with the notebook on your desk. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He definitely read the letter. Will he reject my proposal or will he accept it? God. I didn’t made him uncomfortable, right?” Your heart race while overthinking. “I hope this wouldn’t affect his performance later. . . wait, he’s only visiting the team later with Wakatoshi to train the rest of the team. Oh God. I almost forgot about the meeting I’ve arranged with the students who’d like to apply as the team’s manager.”

Your head unconsciously turns to Satori’s direction. It used to calm your nerves—looking at him, but now. . . now that your eyes met each other before you both looked away?

Damn.

You pursed your lips as you pleaded to your heart to calm down. But. . . an image of grinning Satori, and pleased Satori, and softy Satori flashed your mind.

You squeak.

Your classmates turn their attention to you before laughing.

Sometimes, you wish that the ground swallows you whole.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

The moment the bell chimes, you immediately cleaned up your desk. While placing your things inside your bag, you felt someone’s presence beside you. You tried your best to calm down, but catching a whiff of his not-so-heavy scent made you more nervous than you were earlier.

“Y/N-chan,” he called.

’Here it is. The moment of truth.’

“I. . .” he clears his throat. You look at him and watch him rubbing the back of his neck. “. . .I’ve read it and. . .” He purses his lips before meeting your eyes. “. . . I can’t wait until the end of our practice.”

“And?” you asked, preparing yourself for whatever his response would be.

“. . .I’ll see you tomorrow.”

That was all he said, but it made you cry–bawl–in sheer happiness.

You nodded your head, with tears and a wide smile on your face.

“I’ll see you tomorrow!”

#keiyoomi: does impulsive shits #keiyoomi: rewrite #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!! x reader #hq x reader #hq!! x reader #haikyuu!! x reader fluff #haikyuu x reader fluff #hq!! x reader fluff #hq x reader fluff #tendō x reader #tendō satori x reader #tendō x reader fluff #tendō satori x reader fluff #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu!! fluff #hq!! fluff #hq fluff

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zukkaoru · 4 years ago

Note

shhh i’m not on my phone at work got a second wHAT

35:) ramble to me, babe

35. ramble about any fic-related thing you want

corey this is so vague i don't even know where to begin skjgdfhdj uhhhhh what do i want to ramble about,,

WAIT OKAY I GOT IT

okay so back in like. february i think i did another ask game like this and someone (jo?? maybe???) sent an ask about meta/foreshadowing/hidden references for this ultraviolet morning light and at the time, only the first two(?) chapters were out so i couldn't talk about the foreshadowing, bc it was all leading up to the end of chapter six. but i can talk about it now bc the whole fic is up!!

i'll put it under the cut bc i know it'll be long + spoilers for those who haven't yet read tuvml

fic writer ask game

okay so first. all of the foreshadowing for the drowning scene. maybe i did already have a list of these in my google docs in case anyone every asked, maybe not, i won't say

anyway. i added in water/drowning imagery with zuko specifically in this fic, because of the drowning scene, and especially bc in the atla world, water imagery would generally be used with characters from the water tribes rather than someone from the fire nation. so it wasn't just me liking water-related words and shoving them onto zuko for no reason; it was intentional

chapter one:

- He really can’t think of anything more beautiful than Zuko drenched in moonlight - This is what fire feels like when doused with water. - It burns like fire consuming Sokka’s entire body, like he’s been dunked underwater and the surface has frozen over and his lungs are about to give out, but he’s going to keep hitting the ice anyways like he’s strong enough to break it.

chapter two:

- It washes over his body all at once, like a wave pulling him under the surface of the ocean, until his limbs are numb and tingly and his head sways. He’s completely frozen in place, eyes staring straight ahead but not really seeing anything. - He would’ve rather stood across from Azula in the Agni Kai arena and let her shoot him full of lightning, rather been dropped in the middle of the ocean

chapter three:

- Zuko searches the tumultuous ocean that is his mind for the right words - Zuko was telling them about Azula never quite getting the knack for swimming despite their annual vacations to Ember Island when they were little, and Sokka was so happy.

chapter four:

So he lets the words sink, lets them drown in the knowledge that he no longer has the right to talk to Sokka in the same way he used to.

chapter five:

The moonlight pours over him, drowning him in a soft white glow.

chapter six:

But…my doctors have told me that spending the rest of your life letting yourself drown in guilt isn’t going to help anyone.

also, people picked up on vai being a double agent, but no one picked up on the fact that she was a waterbender, even though i did hint at that too:

- Her brown skin is almost as dark as Sokka’s and her face and arms are covered in freckles. - It reminds Sokka of himself a little; the bright blue eyes of a waterbender but no bending ability to speak of. - How can you get better than a play with dragons, a star-crossed love affair, sun and moon symbolism, and a villain who has a secret past that ties them to the protagonist?

beyond that, there are also a lot of parallels/call backs to previous chapters/foreshadowing to future scenes just in general. the funniest one (and also completely unintentional one) is probably sokka and katara calling each other their least favorite [sibling]

“You’re my least favorite sister,” // You are, and I say this from the bottom of my heart, my least favorite brother ever. chapter 1 // epilogue

but there are. several more. and i'm not sure how many of them people picked up on so i will add them all bc i love them <3

Zuko would get himself arrested, kidnapped, killed, whatever if it would keep Sokka safe. // “I would give my life for [Zuko] without a second thought.” … “But would he do the same for you?” chapter 4 // chapter 6

When Sokka’s hand began to retreat, Zuko had reached forward, grabbed it, and whispered, “Please stay.” // “Don’t leave me.” Sokka says it like a prayer … like he would repeat it until he couldn’t remember anything else if it meant Zuko would keep holding him. “Just… stay.” chapter 5 // chapter 7

So they sit - Sokka and Zuko - on the roof of some abandoned building in the outskirts of the city. // “But now I’m pretty sure we’re just destined to be Sokka and Zuko” chapter 5 // chapter 7

“I just don’t think he’s trustworthy enough for this. … when he proves that he isn’t as reliable as you think - when he proves that he’s only ever going to let you down - I’m going to say I told you so.” // “Zuko is kind, and he is trustworthy and reliable. He’d never purposefully let me down” chapter 3 // chapter 6

this ^ was one i was hoping people would pick up on bc it makes the drowning scene/sokka pleading for vai to not hurt zuko that much angstier, but i'm not sure anyone did so now i'm putting those lines right next to each other so you're all forced to confront the pain <3

Is he still in love with Zuko? Is being in love enough? // But what good is any of that? Love isn’t always enough. // “It doesn’t matter who or where feels like home, it doesn’t matter if we’re in love. When you’re next in line for the throne, love isn’t enough.” chapter 3 // chapter 4 // chapter 6

Zuko warms his other hand on instinct, and apparently it was a good call because Sokka squeezes it tighter and presses closer to Zuko. “I forgot my mittens at home,” // I love you doesn’t always take the shape of those three words. … Sometimes, it’s Have you eaten today? or Don’t forget your mittens again! chapter 1 // chapter 6

this ^ is also one i thought people might pick up on but idk if anyone did or not. but it made me🥺🥺 when i wrote it

[religion tw for the last part]

okay i could leave it there but corey gave me an excuse to ramble and i've made the post this long anyways so one more thing! i explained this to corey a while ago when we were having dinner together but i find it very funny so i'm sharing it with all of you i say like anyone has actually read this far

i accidentally made zuko a Christ Figure in tuvml

"but grace, surely that's not possible," you say. "surely there's no way zuko is a christ figure! there aren't any christian themes in tuvml. you didn't even have anyone try to convince vai to forgive zuko or have anyone convince zuko and sokka that they should forgive vai! how could you have a christ figure in your fic???"

let me set the scene. it's 2019, you're a senior in high school, and you decided to take ap literature for the possibility of college credit. your teacher has this book called how to read literature like a professor that he has his classes read chapters from, and one of those chapters talks about Christ Figures in literature. one of those chapters also talks about baptism symbolism, and mentions how oftentimes, characters who are christ figures will go through a baptism of some sort - being "born again" after a scene where they come out of the water

do you want to know what zuko does in this ultraviolet morning light?

he goes into the water. and then he comes back out.

and do you want to know what i had sokka say about zuko shortly before he took a dive into the baptistry water?

Zuko looks away from him, resigned, like he’s ready to die as atonement.

see. i grew up Christian, i went to church every sunday and i have spent the majority of my life memorizing Bible verses either for awana or bible quizzing and. sometimes i just drop biblical words into my writing sometimes bc they're words i've heard since i was a kid, and they're words i learned make you sound smarter at church. so of course i throw them around while writing. i use them in essays, i use them in poetry, and i use them in fan fiction.

so was i trying to make zuko a christ figure in my fic? absolutely not.

but i had sokka say he looked ready to die as atonement (for the sins of his people), and then i had him go into the water, nearly die, and have to be "brought back to life" by suki's cpr, being "born again" after a "baptism" and

well

accidental christ figure zuko i guess

anyway. this went on for a while and i'm not sure anyone bothered reading all of it which. valid.

thank you corey for letting me ramble skjdgfdjgh i'm not sure this is coherent, nor should it have all been in one post, but whatever

#i am off to eat dinner now but please feel free to send in more questions!!#this ultraviolet morning light #rising sun verse #ily corey <3 #this got very long but i'm not really surprised tbh #ask game #corey tag

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nelllraiser · 3 years ago

Text

garlic dread | milo & nell

TIMING: the middle of spring, before the portals opened. PARTIES: @wickedmilo & @nelllraiser. SUMMARY: milo just wants to help nell with her plants, but nell has other plans.

With spring coming into its prime, Nell’s garden had been thriving in addition to her greenhouse. During the time she’d been struggling to pay off her hospital debt, watching the numbers of new flowers in her garden dwindle had been one of the hardest cutbacks, the blooms and otherwise being one of her simpler joys in life. But now that her father had paid off the hospital without the witch’s permission, it meant that she was able to spend a little more money than usual on some new little plants and the like. Which was how she found herself walking home with a plethora of green and leafy friends in her arms, barely able to see over the lot of them as she made her way out of the plant nursery. She was nearly out of eyeshot from the other townies— which meant she was only steps away from being able to freely use her magic when another person caught the corner of her eye. Where the hell had he come from? She was instantly annoyed despite the fact that the young man couldn’t have any inkling of his unintentional meddling. Hopefully with any luck he’d disappear soon enough of his own accord, and then she’d be able to hover her new plants home with minimal effort. Another look towards the guy had her brow scrunching up in thought. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t quite place why.

Milo wasn’t sure he would ever get used to smelling people before he saw them. It was a strange, and uncomfortable instinct. Usually he discovered he wasn’t alone through sight, or through sound. The regular ways. But when the fresh scent of vegetation and potted soil managed to reach him on the evening breeze, he glanced upwards, curious to see where it was coming from. There was a woman on the other side of the road, walking towards him with her arms full. He could only assume she was an avid gardener, nobody else would buy quite so much when they knew they needed to carry it home. For a while, he was too distracted by her plants to pay any real attention to her face, but as she grew closer he began to recognise her from high school. What was her name? Was it Penelope? He felt sure it was, but he also had a feeling nobody ever actually called her that. Jeez, it was so difficult remembering back on a time where he had barely been present. Always high, or on the verge of inebriation. If somebody wasn’t his friend, they faded away almost immediately after graduation. Regardless, it felt rude not to offer his help. He had been meeting so many people from his past, as of late. This could be an opportunity to make a new friend, somebody who didn’t know what a mess he was. “Hey!” He called from where he was standing across the road, there were no cars, so he knew she would have no trouble hearing him. “Any chance you want some help?”

Highschool maybe? Was it highschool that she knew him from? Nell didn’t really want to ask, not when she was trying to hurry home, and get this guy out of her hair so that she could get her magic up and going. “Yeah- no thanks,” she dropped her reply quickly, taking on a fairly dismissive tone, hoping he’d catch the hint and leave her alone. Still...it was nagging her that she couldn’t place his face. It was definitely from highschool, but she’d had barely a handful of friends back then, and everyone else knew well enough to just leave her alone. Even though the normies couldn’t have known she was actually a witch, that didn’t stop the age-old fear of things they didn’t understand from settling in when it came to Nell Vural.

At first, they’d been taught it by their parents at the hands of a disastrous childhood birthday party where a kindergarten aged Nell had accidentally summoned a swarm of Wolpertingers out of her birthday cake. From then on, all it’d taken for her schoolmates to avoid her was a couple of violent altercations born of shitty people and her temper, and a few more mystic incidents for them to steer clear and whisper behind her back. But they’d had no problems coming to her when they wanted something more salacious, hook-ups underneath and bleachers and in empty classrooms. Apparently it had been fine enough to screw the creepy magic girl, just not get on her nerves or be her friend.

Milo faltered as Penelope turned down his offer, both surprised and irritated by the way she casually brushed him off. He was trying to be friendly, not to mention the fact that he recognised her from high school. She had every right to say no, of course. But he felt like he had decent grounds to be annoyed. If anything, it was an opportunity for good company, a mutual opportunity. Crossing the road without looking, confident he would hear any cars if they got too close, he raised his eyebrows at her. “I’m going to assume you have no idea who I am.” He half teased. “But I swear I’m not a creeper about to follow you home. Come on, let me help.” He gestured to the plants in her arms, knowing he didn’t need to point out how overwhelmed she was by her load. “I’m trying this new thing where I’m not an asshole, you know? This would really help my credibility.”

Nell. The name came back to him suddenly, along with the reputation she had once managed to build for herself. He had stayed largely out of her way, watching her arguments in the corridor from afar, listening when people whispered about her while making no move to acknowledge the rumours. Honestly, anybody willing to say ‘fuck you’ to societal standards and enjoy sex for what it was had his respect. But it made him wonder why he had never gotten to know her back then. Given what was so often said, she seemed very much like his kind of person. Had she changed since? He definitely had, in more ways than one. “Nell, right?” He asked, unable to help himself. “It’s Milo… Summers. I used to hang around with Kyle.” He had no idea whether she even knew who Kyle was, but given they had both spent most of their days filling the boy’s bathroom with smoke, he figured she had probably heard of him.

To be honest, Nell didn’t entirely mind if some random guy from highschool got caught in the crossfire of her impatience— especially when she was over eager to get home, and get her plants all settled in. Was it rude? Probably. Would she ever see the guy again, and did she really care when she hadn’t even known him well enough to properly attach a name to face? Probably not. She simply raised a brow as he confirmed that no- she couldn’t quite place him within the confines of her highschool memories. “I’m not worried about you following me home.” It most likely wouldn’t turn out great for someone anyway if they decided to follow a girl back to the house where three witches, a reanimated corpse, and a literal demon dog lived. He was trying not to be an asshole? Why did she have to be a part of that when she just wanted to get home as fast as possible?

Popping her mouth open to give him another denying reply bordering on rude, surprise flit over her face when he managed to remember her name— which quickly turned to intrigue as he mentioned the name Milo in conjunction with Kyle. Oh shit, this was Milo. The same Milo that had been hanging around the werewolf during the time he’d been turned. Along with his name came a few more vague memories from her school days, finally recalling him to be someone along the lines of a stoner who was often in detention. “Oh- Milo, right,” her expression instantly shifted into one that was much more open now that she realized he was actually someone she wanted to talk to. “That’s funny- I was actually just talking to Kyle the other day, and he mentioned you.” Milo didn’t need to know that it had been in the middle of Nell’s moonsitting. Ugh, she supposed this meant she should let him carry a couple things. “Sorry- I was just excited to get home.” She could be perfectly amiable when she wanted something, and she definitely wanted to know more about Kyle during his days around being bitten.

Milo could pinpoint the exact moment Nell began to realise who he was. He had no doubt in his mind her memories were vague, or based primarily on hearsay, but it would be hypocritical of that to bother him when his memories of her were the very same. “That’s me.” He agreed. “If you ever caught me in any compromising positions, now is the time to forget- you know, for the sake of my dignity.” He teased, laughing at his own joke. “I’d rather be judged on my new mistakes, of which I’m sure there will be many.” Her expression was far more open now, almost warm as she observed him, he wondered what she was thinking. It didn’t take her long to sate his curiosity. “Oh, you were?” He asked, his smile growing at the mention of his friend. He had only recently learned of Kyle’s lycanthropy, but strangely he found the knowledge comforting. He felt closer to him now than he had when they were at school together, despite seeing him then on a near daily basis. “What did he say? Good things, I hope?” Grinning easily, he glanced down at the plants still balanced in her arms. “Excited to get home because of this? Isn’t it a little late to be buying vegetation?” Holding out his arms, insisting she pass over some of her items, he caught her eye again, hoping she could see that he was trustworthy, and being sincere in his offer. “Here, come on… I swear I really do just want to help.”

Had she caught him in compromising positions? Maybe once or twice when they’d shared a detention, but highschool seemed so far away by now that sometimes it felt like an entirely different lifetime all together. “Sure- the sake of your dignity,” Nell echoed, biting off a teasing remark about how she wasn’t sure she could spare something he didn’t have. But she was going to be nice, she reminded herself. People didn’t talk to women about their werewolf friends if they thought they were an asshole. “But yeah- I just saw him right around the full moon,” she dropped casually, wondering if the phrase would trigger anything in Milo. Did he know about Kyle and his wolfy tendencies? “Honestly, it was so late when we were talking I barely even remember what we were saying,” she lied easily, not missing a beat. “But I doubt it was anything good if you’re that concerned,” she teased, testing the waters of what she could get away with. While he held out his arms, she let out an internal sigh, knowing she’d have to let him help if she wanted to get information from him. “I have a greenhouse,” she explained while carefully handing him a few of the plants, already feeling rather overprotective about letting him carry them. “It’s not too far from here.”

Milo grinned, glad Nell was willing to play along with his joke. “Much appreciated.” He replied, nodding his head with mock sincerity. But his smile quickly faltered as the conversation circled back around to Kyle. The full moon. It was such a specific thing to say. It jumped out at him, almost startling him out of his lighthearted demeanour. Did she know? He couldn’t see any other reason for her to mention the lunar cycle. So was she testing him? Trying to figure out whether he had also been trusted with the information? Hurrying to compose himself, he could only hope she hadn’t noticed his expression slip. “That’s a weird fucking way to measure time.” He teased, doing everything he could to sound casual. “Do you not own a calendar? Like a normal one, without moons on it?” Forcing a quiet laugh, he actually wouldn’t be surprised if Kyle had nothing decent to say about him. He wasn’t particularly worried, the reason they got along so well was due to that very fact.

Feeling a strange sense of triumph when his company finally handed over some of her plants, despite not knowing much about her, he could see how much she cared for them. He made an effort to be gentle, holding them as though they were delicate, and breakable so that he wouldn’t cause any damage. Despite genuinely wanting to be of assistance, it would also help to earn her trust, and for some unknown reason, he found he really wanted to. “Define not too far?” He prompted. “Did I accidentally volunteer to walk miles with this stuff?”

The hesitation in his smile was caught by Nell’s sharp eyes. She might not have noticed it if she hadn’t been looking for any hitch in Milo’s demeanor, but the falter was more than enough for Nell to continue her digging. “You know how White Crest is-” she began, careful to keep the levity in her words. “-always obsessed with the moon and her cycles along with ten million other weird things that wouldn’t fly in other towns. So what if my calendar has moons on it?” She didn’t need to get into the fact that Milo would be hard pressed to find a person that adored the moon more than a werewolf or spellcaster did. The two were generally unified in their waxing poetic of the big, powerful, and glowing lady in the sky. “Kyle didn’t think it was weird that I like the full moon.” Perhaps she was coming on a little too strongly, but if Milo didn’t know what she was referring to, it wouldn’t matter. Normies didn’t generally assume that any mention of the full moon and a person meant the guy in question was a werewolf.

The greenhouse was Nell’s haven, a place that only a select group of people were allowed to enter, and she already had plans to leave Milo at the door of it once they arrived on property. “Are you gonna complain after you did this to yourself?” she teased back, her steps taking them further into the dense trees of the nearby woods. The Vural home was a part of the Outskirts and the forest that made up the less populated area. “It’s just through the woods a bit.”

Milo wanted to counter Nell’s point, to tell her she was being ridiculous, and laugh at how pretentious she sounded, like he might have once upon a time. But now he knew she was right, now he knew far too much about what happened below the surface of his sleepy, unassuming hometown, and he couldn’t bring himself to disagree. “Said you and every other tumblr girl obsessed with astrology.” He muttered, figuring that would have to be enough. If he abruptly dropped his teasing then she would notice, he knew she would. “Maybe Kyle is also a tumblr girl obsessed with astrology.” He countered, his mind still working to process the strange words leaving Nell’s mouth. It all felt calculated somehow, as though she was carefully choosing them to elicit some form of reaction. But what did she want from him? What was she expecting him to say?

“Oh, I complain no matter what.” He insisted. “Did Kyle not tell you? It’s one of my more favourable traits.” He followed her as she led him into the forest, wondering where her house was located. He only knew the houses in town, and maybe a few of the buildings on the outskirts. He felt stupid for not realising some people needed to walk through wooded areas to get to their homes. “It’s just through the woods a bit sounds like the last thing somebody hears before they’re murdered.” He pointed out, offering her a smile over the plants in his arms so that she would know he wasn’t being serious. Besides, he had already been murdered once. Surely that lowered his chances of being murdered for a second time. That or he had the worst luck in the history of mankind. “You aren’t luring me out here to kill me, are you?”

Nell’s eyes rolled seemingly without command, all too used to being compared to the cottagecore girls that love to emulate spellcaster culture and teachings. The humans loved to play pretend until a real witch was staring them in the face, and they realized their fear of the unknown outweighed their desire for crystal and starry aesthetics. Subtly was not her aim while she continued on, wondering if she could simply pressure Milo into revealing whether he knew Kyle’s secret or not. “That’s why you think Kyle has a glowing moon lamp on his wall? He’s a tumblr girl? I wouldn’t be surprised if I caught him howling at it one day,” she finished with a laugh, still waiting to see whether Milo would connect the dots.

“Kyle told me lots of things,” Nell answered cryptically, having quickly abandoned her ‘nice girl’ act. Not that she wasn’t being nice anymore, just that she was letting more of her edge shine through. After all, fear could be a decent motivator as well. Of course she wasn’t actually here to murder the young man. She just wanted to know more about the time Kyle had been turned. With a laugh she shot Milo a coy look over her shoulder before answering his next question. “Oh no, I’m out of the human sacrifice phase right now.” It’d only been once that she’d spilled a human’s blood for magic, and she’d do it again if the situation was as dire, but for the most part she had no interest in taking human lives in exchange for magical power.

Milo laughed, unable to help himself. “I’ve never been to Kyle’s place so I have zero knowledge of moon lamps. I have, however, seen them advertised on Instagram, so it still fits with the aesthetic.” Keeping his expression neutral at the mention of howling, it was becoming very obvious to him that Nell knew Kyle was a werewolf. He almost wanted to ask her how she knew, but if he admitted to also knowing then he would come very close to outing himself as a part of the supernatural world. Nell wasn’t his friend, this was the most they had ever spoken, so he refused to willingly make himself vulnerable. Raising his eyebrows in a show of polite interest, despite attempting to seem casual, his gaze was sharp, watching Nell for any sign or tell that might imply she was aware of his ‘undead’ status.

“He did?” He asked, almost daring her to tell him what was said. Surely Kyle wouldn’t have confided in her like that. There seemed to be an unspoken rule among the people he had met so far; you never told somebody else what a person was if you didn’t have permission to do so. Maybe there were exceptions to the rule, things he didn’t understand just yet, but he trusted Kyle not to out him. In the same way he hoped Kyle knew he could be trusted not to tell people he was a werewolf. “Hm, good to know.” He muttered in response to the joke on human sacrifice. He was glad they were able to move back into familiar territory. He enjoyed teasing, he was good at teasing. And it carried them further away from both Kyle’s predicament, and his own. “Because I’m sure I’d be a pretty useless sacrifice. Whatever demon you worship would probably send me back and ask for a working replacement.”

“Really? It sounded like you were good friends the way he told it,” Nell commented smoothly, not actually having all that much interest in the closeness of their friendship at the moment, but figuring she should at least pretend. But her patience was wearing thin, and either Milo knew what she was speaking of or he didn’t. So with a huff and turn of her heel, she would have folded her arms over her chest if she hadn’t been holding the plants. Fixing Milo with her hardest stare, she carried on nonetheless. “Look- you either know what I’m talking about or you don’t. So just tell me if you know or not, and then we can move on.” If he thought her weird and demanding he wouldn't be the first, and most certainly not the last, but she didn’t really care about the opinion a random person from highschool might form from this interaction as long as she got to ask the questions she wanted answers to.

“He sure did,” Nell replied with the beginnings of a smirk, giving Milo nothing when he seemed determined to do the same. Let him wonder at what Kyle had shared. Maybe he’d reveal too much by asking his own questions. “Why? Were you worried he said something about you?” It was a stab in the dark, and she had no real reason to think Milo might be worried about things he’d rather keep private. But she knew most people had something they wanted to hide. Milo most likely wouldn’t be an exception. She let him laugh at what he perceived to be a joke, waiting with a natural face until he was done, making no effort to join in. “I’m glad you thought it was funny. Demons don’t work like that, though.” Still, she was somewhat amused that he'd managed to stumble onto the demon portion of her magic. Not that he knew that.

They were close to the Vural property now, and the moonlight could be seen glittering on the glass of her greenhouse in the backyard of the house as the woods began to open up.

“We were.” Milo clarified. “Way back when we were at school. I ran into him the other day but… that was the first time in years.” He couldn’t understand why Nell was taking such an interest, but every word out of her mouth seemed to set him more on edge. There had to be an ulterior motive here, only he couldn’t understand what it might be. His eyes widening as she suddenly decided to take a direct approach, one he definitely hadn’t been expecting, his step faltered. He wasn’t able to hide his surprise, but he did everything he could to compose himself quickly. A few beats of silence passed before he managed to find his words again, and he knew it was essentially too late. But if he admitted he knew what Kyle was, he admitted to knowing about the supernatural. That was one step too close to her realising he was a part of that world too. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He snapped. “And you’re being really fucking weird.” He gripped at her plants, angry at himself for offering to carry them. If his hands were free he would be able to walk away from this, remove himself from the situation.

Glaring at his company, his chest tightening at her words, he wondered whether Kyle really had told her what he was. For all he knew, she hated vampires. Maybe she really did intend to kill him out here in the middle of nowhere. Who knew of his location? Nobody, and he didn’t have time to shoot anyone a text. If he disappeared now, he disappeared forever. Only Nell would ever know what happened to him. The thought caused his stomach to churn uncomfortably. “Why should I be worried?” He demanded, kicking at brush, and brambles as he passed through them. “Forgive me for not knowing how demons work.” He added, more convinced than ever that this might actually be the end for him. Surely she wouldn’t risk hurting her plants though. At least he had that. She needed to wait until he put them down, and then he could reevaluate the situation. Maybe even make a break for it.

“Really? Why’d you guys lose touch?” Did it have to do with the whole werewolf thing? Nell continued to pry, her nosiness knowing now bounds as she tried to learn more about Kyle around the time he was bitten. If she understood him and his control then, maybe it would help with teaching him control now. The second show of surprise on his face only made the witch feel even more confident about her choice to confront him, even if he wasn’t giving anything specific away. She supposed if there was one thing to be said about Milo— it was that he was loyal. Which was unfortunate for her in this situation. Still, it was good that Kyle had friends who wouldn’t easily out him. Not that she should care about Kyle and whether his friends were suitable. His snappy response had her lips pursing, her temper flaring for a moment even though she knew she’d been the cause of Milo’s new shortness. “And you’re being really fucking rude.” She was used to being called weird, and though she’d set herself up for it, the word still held the gravity of all the times she’d been ostracized for being ‘weird’ while growing up— especially when coming from the mouth of an old classmate. “But if you wanna be a little shit about it, be my guest.”

She rolled her eyes at his comment about demons, no longer interested in curbing her words or being overtly nice now that it seemed he wasn’t going to give her any information. Nell hadn’t meant the words in a correctional way. They’d been more along the lines of informational. “Maybe you should be worried cause you’re acting exactly how people who have secrets would act.” Finally they’d arrived at her greenhouse, and she set her own plants on the ground so she could raise a charmed key to the door. If Milo hadn’t been here she would have used her magic to undo the lock that would respond only to her magical signature, but it’s be difficult to explain such a thing away. “You can put the plants down now,” she commented dryly, suddenly eager to get rid of the guy.

“We used to smoke in the bathrooms at school together. That’s not exactly something you keep doing after you graduate.” Milo pointed out. Not every friendship had a foundation strong enough to last. He knew Kyle because they shared a passion for breaking trivial school rules, and often wound up in the same detentions. Spending time together because you were essentially running on a schedule wasn’t quite the same as actively arranging to stay in contact. He was incredibly glad he had run into Kyle outside of the university, more than grateful considering Kyle was a part of his terrifying new world. But had they not crossed paths again, reaching out probably wouldn’t ever have crossed his mind. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that. “I’m being rude for pointing out you’re being weird?” He asked. “That’s bullshit.” Maybe he should feel guilty for being so cold, it was very possible Nell had good intentions. But until he knew for sure, he wasn’t giving in. And if he genuinely didn’t know about Kyle then this defensive anger would be coming very naturally to him. “I’m not being a little shit about anything, you’re the one demanding information I don’t fucking have.”

Narrowing his eyes as Nell came to a halt in front of the door to a greenhouse, he couldn’t exactly tell her she was wrong. He did have secrets. But then again, so did everybody. He definitely wasn’t alone in that fact. “Or maybe you’re projecting.” He countered, though he had no reason to believe she was. Watching as she opened the door, it suddenly struck him that a greenhouse might count as a part of her private dwelling. There was little chance of him being able to set the plants down inside if she didn’t first invite him in. He wasn’t sure whether she would be content with him putting them down on the floor, so he hovered awkwardly in the doorway, realising after a few moments had passed that she really wasn’t about to invite him inside. Despite him carrying her plants for her, despite him trying to make polite conversation. He had only been met with a confrontational attitude, and apparently now a distinct lack of thanks. Finally putting down the plants in his arms, lining them up beside the doorway he was trapped in, when he straightened up again, he was more than ready to shoot his company a glare. “What?” He demanded, unable to help himself. “You really aren’t going to invite me in?”

“Yeah, it’s fucking rude,” Nell shot back, her own temper stoked by the appearance of Milo’s. “You think you can just go around calling people weird?” It was more the principle of the matter than anything, the fact that Milo seemingly thought he had a right to call her names and get away with it. She snorted at his claim of ignorance, still not entirely sold when it came to him knowing nothing. “I’m asking, you’re the one getting all offended about it. Which makes you a little shit,” she replied snarkily, a smugness entering her voice.

A roll of Nell’s eyes, and she was fixing him with a withering glare from inside her greenhouse. “I don’t give a shit about people knowing stuff about me.” Or at least she specifically didn’t really mind if someone knew she was a witch. In honesty she thought it beneficial that people knew of her power. If people knew she and her sisters had power, they’d be less likely to mess with them. As for the more personal feelings in her life- those were the things she was bad at sharing, and letting people in on. She might have thanked him if she’d wanted his help in the first place, but now she wasn’t all that keen on giving him the satisfaction. At first she was pleased, and now surprised that he hadn’t walked into her greenhouse of his own accord. Had the guy finally decided to show some manners? The choice of his words were rather specific, and had her head cocking to the side with intrigue. He wanted her to invite him in? Arranging her new plants on a nearby worktable, a bulb of garlic caught her eye, and a flicker of connection fired in her brain. Well...there was only one way to find out if her newest suspicion was anything of substance. With a quick and easy flick of her wrist, she launched the garlic towards Milo without warning, savoring the flash of satisfaction she felt from the childish move. “No- I don’t think I will.”

“I mean, if they’re being weird then I don’t see an issue with it.” Milo countered, an edge to his voice to match the edge in Nell’s voice. He wasn’t exactly sure how they had ended up where they were but as far as he was concerned, she was entirely to blame. Maybe if she hadn’t pushed him, maybe if she wasn’t so desperate to talk about Kyle. “I’m not getting offended.” He added, crossing his arms over his chest as he continued to wait in the doorway. “I’m getting annoyed, there’s a distinct fucking difference.” Letting out a huff of breath, he didn’t care how she felt about people knowing her information. Even if she was projecting, he was hardly interested in learning her secrets. They were probably more akin to which manure makes the best fertilizer, anyway. Something he would be more than happy to tell her.

In fact, he was in the process of opening his mouth to do so when he was distracted by her suddenly, and very pointedly throwing an object at him. Instinctively, he reached up to cover his face. But it wasn’t until the object hit him that he was able to discern what it was. If his body’s reaction to the plant wasn’t enough to give it away, the scent was very nearly overwhelming. It was a bulb of garlic. An actual bulb of garlic. Who even grew their own? He couldn’t understand why Nell would go to the effort when you could literally buy it pre-crushed in jars. Immediately feeling a jolt of disorientation, he scrambled to bat it away, fangs protruding, eyes flashing red as the skin it made contact with began to sting. “What the fuck?” He demanded, righting himself to stare at Nell with open disbelief. He wasn’t sure whether she had chosen the garlic on purpose, or accidentally stumbled upon what he was, but he wasn’t an idiot. He knew there was no point in trying to hide from her. Not now. “Are you fucking kidding me?” He raised his voice, his indignation only growing as he was given time to fully process what had happened. “Did you just- you just threw garlic at me!”

You really aren’t going to invite me in? Milo’s words were thrown into clarity as she watched the flash of his fangs appear, and his apparent aversion for the plant became clear. “You’re a vampire.” Nell’s words weren’t so much a question as a means of telling him she’d seen the changes, and put the earlier and smaller hints together that she hadn’t thought to put as much stock in. Her stance took on an even more guarded pose, not knowing Milo well enough to feel confident in making a judgment on whether he was a vampire more along the lines of someone like Harsh, or someone more murderous or bloodthirsty. Either way she certainly wasn’t going to be inviting him into her greenhouse now. The witch’s arms folded across her chest, cocking her hip to the side as she gave the young man a thorough up and down, sizing him up in that same way she used to measure threats in the Ring. “So that’s why you were being so squirrely?” Did Milo being a vampire mean he was more likely to know of Kyle’s werewolf status?

“No shit. What gave it away?” Milo bit out, brushing himself down as he retracted his fangs, making a point of continuing to glare at Nell. He watched her as she shifted to take a more guarded stance, one that made it clear she was now actively scrutinizing him. He wasn’t entirely sure what she was looking for, but he felt himself shrink a little under her gaze regardless. It was impossible to know what she was capable of, it was impossible to know what anybody in White Crest was capable of. Though he wasn’t exactly holding a torch for self preservation, if she decided to attack, his only real option would be to run. So he opted to stay where he was for now, awkwardly rubbing at his wrist where it had come into contact with the garlic. All he could do was stay silent, and hope she wasn’t trying to figure out where best to plunge a wooden stake. His skin was no longer stinging but the ghost of the feeling was there, he tried not to let it distract him. “I wasn’t being squirrely. Fuck you. You’re the one asking weirdly specific questions about somebody who isn’t even here!” He pointed out, indignant in the face of the accusation. “I know why, by the way. You’re not being subtle.”

Nell didn’t hesitate to return Milo’s glare, still not even entirely certain how they’d gotten to this point in the first place. Maybe she’d pushed too hard, but that wasn’t anything new for her. It was another one of the many reasons people in highschool had avoided the witch. There weren’t many people who took kindly to her abrasive personality, and it had been even more extreme back in those days. “Well most vampires walk like they have a stick up their ass so that was probably it.” Sorry Harsh. She made the mental apology to her friend, not actually believing the words, but wanting some childish way to retort Milo’s snark. Nell didn’t actually have anything against vampires so long as they weren’t witch hunters like Miriam, or lacked control in a way that made them a constant and active threat to others. “You were being squirrely. Basically dancing around my questions and shit, and getting all uppity.” Her eyes rolled again. “I gave up trying to be subtle about fifteen minutes ago, I’m not stupid enough to come on that strongly without being aware of it.” She’d learned that well enough through her time as a monster catcher and bounty hunter. “So you know Kyle’s a werewolf, then.” At least they’d gotten it out in the open. “Did you know when he was changed?” Now she could ask her questions point-blank.

Milo let out a huff of breath. “Oh, yeah? Have you ever thought maybe that’s just the vampires having to deal with you?” He countered. He wasn’t sure how they had managed to go from a genuine conversation to what could almost be considered an argument. But he wasn’t about to back down, it wasn’t in his nature. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure she wanted him to. “Because you were trying to get me to out a friend!” He explained, wondering whether she might be able to understand his reasoning, maybe even appreciate it. She had made it relatively clear she knew what Kyle was, but she could have been using him to get confirmation, to go behind his back. He would never forgive himself if he gave information to the wrong person, especially information that wasn’t his to give. “Without knowing what you know, did you honestly expect me to just come out and just say it? We aren’t friends, Nell. We said like two words together throughout the whole of high school.”

Narrowing his eyes when she brushed off his comment, insisting she hadn’t been aiming for subtlety, he waited, wondering whether she was going to say the words out loud. Say what they both knew, what he was continuing to carefully dance around. And then she did, and it was as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “Yes.” He said finally. “Did he tell you that?” It still felt strange, talking about it with a stranger. The least he could do was find out whether Kyle had confided in her, or if she had somehow pried the information out of him. If he had willingly been honest with her then he would begrudgingly accept the fact that she could be trusted. “Why?” He asked, some of his anger beginning to fade away. He was curious now, more so than anything else. “Do you mean did he tell me when it first happened? Or just… do I know when it happened in like, the timeline of our lives?”

“No it’s definitely a you problem,” Nell quipped back, unwilling to take any responsibility. “And I wasn’t trying to get you to out a friend. I was seeing if you already knew. It should have been obvious that I knew by the way I was asking- so you wouldn’t have been ‘outing’. Unless you’re too clueless to connect the dots between me talking about the moon and Kyle. You literally just said I wasn’t being subtle, though.” She rolled her eyes at the mention of them not being friends. As if she cared about something like that when it came to the random guy from highschool.

“Yeah, we talked about it.” That’s all Milo needed to know when it came to what she and Kyle had spoken of, the deeper conversation they’d gotten into with sleep still tugging at their eyes and the sun barely glinting over the horizon on Kyle’s patio. Her stubbornness made her balk at Milo’s request for why she wanted to know, but she doubted he’d answer her questions if she wholly refused to reply to his. “I’m trying to help him,” she supplied vaguely. “And I mean the second one- do you know when it happened in his life and stuff.”

Milo narrowed his eyes, but stayed quiet, allowing Nell to answer him despite her attitude making him want to interrupt. It would be so easy to cut her off, to argue, but he held his tongue. Resisting the urge so that he could hear what she had to say to him. It didn’t take long for his patience to falter, though. For his frustration to grow exponentially. Could she really be so oblivious? “You weren’t being subtle.” He bit out. “But for all I knew you only suspected Kyle. Isn’t that the oldest fucking trick in the book? Pretending someone confided in you so that you can get information on them from the people they actually trust?” Letting out a huff of breath when his company rolled her eyes, it was everything he could do not to turn around and leave. He only had two reasons to stay. He wanted to know more about Kyle, more about Nell, about the friendship they apparently shared. And he was also incredibly confident his continued presence would annoy her. If he left now he would only be giving her what she wanted, and he was petty. Undeniably so.

“That’s all you’re giving me?” He asked. “You talked about it?” Coming to realise she was never going to give him the information he wanted solely because she knew he wanted it, he decided to focus on what she was telling him. Or more accurately what she was asking him. “Do you think he needs help?” He hadn’t considered the fact that maybe his friend wasn’t coping. His version of support usually consisted of sharing a drink, and talking until the sun began to rise. What if Kyle needed more than that? Mechanisms that were actually considered healthy by society. He wasn’t any good with those. “Yeah, I know when it happened. I mean, obviously I didn’t at the time. I knew something was up, but it was only after seeing him again that he told me why he started acting so shady way back...”

“Oh my god, I know I wasn’t being subtle. I literally just said that was the point- that was I was doing it on purpose.” It was becoming rather apparent that something just wasn’t aligning all that properly between Nell and Milo, and the witch was starting to wonder if perhaps they were two people who simply tended to get along like water and oil. Or maybe it was just the conversation they’d chosen. Either way, she was annoyed. She mirrored Milo’s huff, while her eyes gave yet another roll. Nell had lost count of how many times she’d done it since their conversation had begun. “You’re the one who came up to me, remember? If I was actively trying to find out if Kyle was a werewolf, I would have orchestrated some way for us to meet. Not some stupid chance thing.” She’d done it countless times while she looked for bounties.

“I’m not telling you what we talked about,” Nell replied haughtily. It wasn’t any of Milo’s business, and it wasn’t as if she was going to tell a guy who’d only annoyed the shit out her thus far about the traumas she and Kyle had shared. “It’d be shitty when it was just for Kyle and me.” As for Kyle needing help...that was a question Nell was more willing to answer. Even though Milo was unbearable, he was Kyle’s friend. Someone that might care to help. And Kyle needed all the help he could get. But she didn’t want to outrightly expose Kyle, and she remembered how he’d wanted to set the boundary of requesting help from others. But still...she worried. “It’s...not easy adjusting to being a werewolf on your own.” That was the most specific she could get without outrightly saying he suffered with control. “He hasn’t had anyone to teach him.” She was disappointed that Milo hadn’t known at the time, but intrigued by the mention of Kyle having acted differently. “He started acting shady, how?”

Milo set his jaw. He was over Nell’s attitude, much like he suspected she was over his own. And his desire to hear what she had left to say was infuriating. Why couldn’t he just turn and leave? It should be easy to abandon their ridiculous conversation. “Yeah, I was trying to be nice. That might be a foriegn concept to you.” He snapped. It wasn’t fair that he was being blamed for how their interaction had played out. He had approached her with good intentions, it was utterly undeniable. “How am I supposed to know what he’s told you and what he hasn’t? Jeez.” He ran a hand through his hair, doing his best to expel his agitated energy. “I don’t need to know what you talked about. I think I just need to get out of here.” The longer they spoke, the more apparent it was becoming that they weren’t going to find a common ground. Maybe in another situation, under a different circumstance. But certainly not here, and certainly not right now.

He actually turned to leave, finally finding the motivation, before Nell hesitated. He noticed it, noticed the way she faltered at his question, and it made him wonder just how much he had yet to learn about Kyle. “No shit.” He muttered, stopping in his tracks. “It isn’t easy adjusting to being a vampire either.” His heart ached at the thought of Kyle, so young and scared. But there was nothing he could do to change the past. All he could do now was focus on the future, on being there for Kyle in any way he was able. “I know how that feels.” Pushing his glasses further up his nose, his expression momentarily softening, he caught Nell’s eye. Sharing in her concern, in her obvious affection for the werewolf. “It doesn’t matter.” He brushed off her request for him to elaborate, knowing the information wasn’t important. It wouldn’t help anybody now. “Just- I don’t know, be there for him, I guess. And I’ll do the same. We don’t have to like each other.”

Nell didn’t bother even considering that he’d claimed to be making an attempt at being nice, past the point of caring either way. And if he wanted to leave she certainly wouldn’t stop him. But then again...she hasn’t quite gotten to ask everything she’d wanted to. And though she was more than willing to try and bully the answers from him, she tried to think of Kyle— how upset he might be if he heard that she’d done her best to force answers from his friend. So she bit her tongue— quite literally digging her teeth into it in an attempt to exercise the very limited restraint she held. “Then go,” she replied, trying her best not to reignite the animosity in their conversation.

But then Milo had to go and insinuate that...perhaps he related a little more to Kyle than not. A reluctant prickle of sympathy flickered in her gut, and she did her best to squash it down for the time being. She was already barely treading water when it came to helping Kyle, and she shouldn’t add a vampire who had proven annoying as hell to her plate. Still...maybe she’d message him later, and try and figure out just how much Milo was like Kyle. But being there for Kyle was something she could do. And despite her argument with Milo— she was glad to hear it was something he was planning on as well. “Great. Then we’ll...watch out for Kyle.” Her stubbornness and petty nature made it hard to agree with the vampire who’d been a frustration. Still...in the end Kyle was more important. With a still angry shake of her head, she watched Milo as he left the property, and waited until he was out of sight to turn back to her greenhouse. She’d bother Milo later.

#// shoutout to jessie for being literally the most patient person in the universe <3 #ch:milo #chatzy #garlic dread

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emotionalgirl101 · 5 years ago

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Zone | Changbin

Scenario; possible mini series Pairing: Changbin x reader; 3racha fic Summary: Your assignment is due in a week, and you and your assigned partner can’t seem to agree on anything. Or can you? Warning: Soft dom!Changbin, arm kink, subtle power kink, fingering, marking, hinted voyeurism - Smut 16+ Words: 3,222

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Tonight was not your typical Wednesday night. Usually, you'd be spending time in your dorm, curled up on the couch with a quick-to-make dinner, maybe watching tv or talking with a friend or two. However, it was getting close to exam season, meaning all your assignments were due at the same time. Luckily, you only had one left and it was due next week. That's why you were at the boys' dorm.

You had been paired with Changbin, which you didn't mind at all. You had spent most of the semester sitting at the same group table in your class. You wouldn't say you were that close, but you would say that he was a friend from class that you saw occasionally. Changbin was funny. He had a great sense of humour. He was on the stoic side at times and took to sarcastic humour for a bit of fun, but you'd caught him a few times being cutesy and embarrassing himself in front of his close friends. He didn't know that, though.

You were locked up in the boy's room, since his other housemates were in the main living area when you arrived. Changbin had clearly anticipated this, with the desk space already set up for the two of you upon your arrival.

You hadn't really started on anything. You had both chosen the topic together with ease, but the disagreements started when the conversation turned to how you were going to approach the essay. You believed the question was asking for both an analysis and opinion. Changbin was adamant that there was no opinion needed.

"It says it clearly right HERE! 'Discuss how you would be affected by the causes of-"

"No," he groaned out of pure frustration, "it's 'you' as in 'people', as in 'humans' in general. Not what you personally-"

"YOU DIDN'T EVEN LET ME FINISH READING THE QUESTION!"

"I DIDN'T HAVE TO! NOW KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN OR SOMEONE WILL COME IN-"

"NO! YOU'RE BEING UNREASONABLE-"

"Me?! Unreasonable?! Your the one jumping at an answer when you haven't even gotten a reply from the tutor yet!" He lowered his voice but the venom was clear.

You were so exasperated, you were going to scream. You opted for whisper yelling so you wouldn't irritate his dumbass even more. "Well, why don't we explore both options and then continue with the CORRECT one once we get a reply?!"

"We can't afford to! We have so little time that we're both free. Can't you just accept your misreading the question."

"I AM NOT."

"SHUT your mouth before someone comes in here." He growled.

If you were being honest, you loved when he was riled up. You remember the last time you heard him like this. You guys were walking to your cars after class. You turned to walk down the next corridor when you found two students in a very heated, very public argument. You could tell from the body language, the unrest in the clenching of their jaws, both of their arms crossed and staggered breathing, that it was going to go down hill fast. You hadn't realised that one of the guys was Changbin's roommates.

You didn't know the full story at the time. The guy had been harassing their younger roommate, Jeongin. It seemed like this guy never shook the jock mentality from high school, and Minho had finally had enough. He stepped in to protect Jeongin. The more the asshole talked, the harder it got for Minho to not snap.

"Shit," Changbin swore under his breath. Wordlessly, he left your side. You thought he was crazy for getting involved. He immediately stood between Minho and the guy, facing the unfamiliar boy with his arms out patiently in front of his chest and bag still slung over his shoulder.

"Look, you both need to cool down," his head swung towards Minho, dressing him down as well. You were hopeful that this move made it clear to the aggressor opposite him that he wasn't taking sides. "let's move this somewhere else." He went to usher them into the secluded courtyard nearby, still being the only thing separating the two involved. Changbin eyed them both constantly, making sure nothing happened would while their guards were supposed to be down, and you followed behind them cautiously.

You kept a little distance, watching a younger boy, Jeongin, follow your lead. You heard footsteps and voices fading away. If it weren't for classes commencing at this time, you were sure the crowd would've followed. There was something about people gravitating towards drama that no one understood. It seemed a little part of everyone enjoyed spectating.

Changbin had dropped his bag near were you stood, leading the main culprits to the centre of the courtyard, and began to mediate. Well, at least he tried.

It was clear that the guy no one knew had a short temper. Every time Changbin uttered a word against him that made perfect sense, his nostrils would flare, and you could imagine his vision turned a bit more read. When Changbin did the same against the other, Minho, the boy would smirk with some sick sense of satisfaction. Minho kept a straight face throughout the whole exchange. This first perception of him being the mature one was quickly shattered once you met him properly.

Out of nowhere, the antagonist shoved Changbin when he wasn't focused on him. He barely stumbled and his eyes quickly became trained on the slightly taller guy. His tone was menacing. "Don't you dare. touch me. or my friends. again." He growled, "Now get the fuck out of here before I show you what i just saved you from." The guy's face when pale. Just like you, he noticed the unintentional and subtle flex of Changbin's toned arms when he seethed with anger. He near bolted out of there, Changbin's gaze following his every move, before they locked onto you. That turned you on way more than you liked to admit.

Ever since, whenever you played 'Short Kings Anthem', you thought of him.

You took a second to recover, and a victorious smirk spread across his lips. Whether it was the fact he thought he'd one or he noticed that you faltered, you didn't know, but the annoyance was right back at the forefront of your mind now. "Fine." you managed through gritted teeth. "See? You know i'm right. You're just too stubborn to admit it." "Bite me." You muttered, turning back to the desk. "Where?" "What?!" He cackled seeing how flustered you were at the unexpected response. Your eyes were boring into the desk. "I'd say 'fuck you' but you'd take the wrong way, too." "What if I take it the right way?" He whispered in your ear. His voice was low again but didn't harbour the same angst as before. The effect was still the same. You squeezed your thighs together and tried not to fall into whatever trap he was setting. Then you felt his hands. His left arm was situated on the back of your chair, but his right hand took purchase on your thigh. His hand gentle rubbed at the clothed flesh, getting higher and higher, teasingly. You released a shaky sigh. His right hand coming to pull back your hair that was obstructing the side of your face. You knew he liked it. He liked seeing you flustered. The control he had over you. How your cheeks were dusted pink and the rest of your complection paled. That you had to control your breathing, biting your lip to stop anything from slipping past them. He enjoyed how you could meet his eyes. You could feel his breath tickling over the flesh of your neck. His hand was still making it' way up your thigh, closer and closer to your heat. His other was playing with your hair. His hand finally reached your covered heat. You closer your eyes and willed yourself not to give in. His lips ghosted over your ear. "Stop biting your lip." His tone hit you again, a moan rolling out as you let the plum flesh go. You could feel is smirk when he pressed his own lips to your neck, ever so gently, barely touching the skin. You gasped softly. He did it again, this time with more veracity. You responded instantly, more notes being pulled out of you with every touch. "Those are the moans I love to hear." You could feel how wet he was making you. Every touch made your skin burn, a sense of lust taking over you. You had leaned back against the chair, relaxing into his control. His fingers kept playing with you over your clothes and kisses being peppered up and down your neck. You let your eyes flutter open, his arm perfectly in your line of vision, as your neck was craned away from the man beside you to allow him more access to your neck. You watched his muscles flex as he continued his movements. His veins lightly visible from the prolonged attack on your core. You moaned at the sight, slightly bucking up into his hand. He chuckled between kisses, slowly drawing back to see what sparked the reaction. He caught on quickly. He rubbed your clit with his thumb, testing his theory, and was satisfied when you bit your lip. Your eyes were glued to his arm. "Arm kink, huh?" You whimpered as he purposely flexed for you. You gasped, allowing your right hand to latch onto his thigh. You saw him swallow nothing. That didn't help you in your current situation. Your eyes moved to his face, narrowing in on his lips. As if he read your mind, he leaned in. The first kiss was gentle and warm, the ones that followed were heated and passionate. You moaned against him when he increased the pressure on your clit. You broke free of his lips, resting your head beside his own on his shoulder and your left hand came up to tangle in his hair. He continued his movements from before, kissing your neck and rubbing at your core, as you whimpered and gasped and every touch. You didn't notice the other set of eyes on you. Your right hand moved up his leg and began palming his hardened length through his jeans. He let out a groan, "That feels good, princess." and your breath hitched. You continued like this, both of you slightly picking up speed, until Changbin noticed how your breathing became more ragged. You could feel yourself slowly shifting from a simple sense of pleasure into how you felt when your orgasm began to build. Your eyes were shut and mouth agape when Changbin slowed his movements and pulled away from you. You almost whined until he reattached his lips on yours, allowing his tongue access when he wordlessly begged for it. He stood you both up without ending the kiss, arms moving to feel up the rest of your body. You found yourself exploring every inch of him, too. He kissed along your jaw, and your fingers tangled in his hair once again. "Do you want to keeping going, princess? Do you want more?" You whined out your consent as he gently pushed you back towards his bed. He rid you of the clothes on your bottom of half, stripping himself quickly as you tore off your other layers. You lazily let them fall to the side of the bed and onto the ground. You didn't notice the slight movement through the gape in the door. You lay back as Changbin climbed on top of you. He kneaded your breasts and left marks on your decolletage, never ceasing his movements as you wrapped your legs around his and tangled your fingers in his hair. You moaned a little louder than before. You bit your lip again, lifting your free hand above you to grip onto the sheets. Changbin looked up at you, taking your chin in his palm so you would look into his eyes. He removed his and, never breaking eye contact and moved it to your heat. The sight only making you wetter, whimpering when two fingers entered inside you. He moved them slowly at first, eyes never leaving yours, biting his lip at how much of a mess you were becoming. His pace increased. So did your moans. The drowned out the soft sounds coming from the doorway. Your orgasm was starting to build again. It was written all over your face. However, as much as Changbin wanted to please you, he had something else in mind. He pulled his fingers away from you and two his lips, smirking as he saw you already and your eyes on him. He reached into the draw of his nightstand as you whined protests from the loss of contact. "Binnie, please. I need you." He groaned at how need you were. A similar sound came from the hallway. Once he finished, he returned to you, stroking his protected length as he lined himself up. He leaned over you, "Remember, not too loud, princess." You nodded as his face came close to yours. "Ready?" he smiled warmly. His action contradicting how sweet his tone was, as he slammed into you before you could reply. Simultaneously, his mouth swallowed the cry escaping your lips. His grind started of slow enough, your face contorting in pleasure. You both tried to stifle your sounds with messy kisses and bitten lips. Changbin reinitiated his assault on your torso with his lips. Your hands scratched and clawed at whatever parts of his body you could get at. "More." You sung. He obliged, picking up the pace, but it wasn't enough for either of you. He sat up, pulling you with ease onto his lap. He gave a few shallow thrusts, focusing on the sensation of your lips on one another's. He went back to your neck. You arched your back. You through your head back, revelling in how it made you feel. You didn't feel his stare. Changbin's patience was waning. He picked your whole body up, still decorating you with kisses, especially on your face. Still inside of you, he pinned you to the wall, holding you up effortlessly. Your fingers traced his biceps and vienes. You clenched. He hissed yet smirked at your actions, enjoying you taking full advantage of his supply to your kink. "This might hurt a bit, baby." He hushed, moving a hand behind your hand. Then he slammed into you. The new angle did wonders, exploring every place within you. You couldn't stop the moans and cries leaving your lips with every thrust. He went harder and faster, your audible pleasure spurring him on. He started groaning and growling in time with your whimpers and sighs. You felt the pressure building, your eyes blurring, trying to focus on the shadow by the ajar door. You couldn't focus, not with how good Changbin was making you feel. You choked out a warning, trying to prevent yourself from being so loud. You pined for relief. For him. For the feeling that he would allow to wash all over you. You finally reached your high, in synchronicity with him. He rode out the feeling for both of you. Once both of you were satisfied, he returned and laid you down on his bed. You both basked in the afterglow, limbs wrapped in each other. Bated breath. Tingling sensations hitting you like waves on a shore. After a few beats, you dared to sneak a look at your counterpart. His eyes were already on you. You shared a tired, knowing smile, alone in the room. He leaned in and kissed you. You returned it without question. He smiled at you again, brighter this time. He then moved, still on the bed, grabbing some tissues. He returned to your side. "When I invited you over, I was only 70% sure this would be the end result." he said nonchalantly, being gentle to touch you, understanding how sensitive you were. The tissues in his hands used to clean you were tossed into the bin soon enough. You scoffed, "70%? Really? You're that confident." "I remember how you looked at me that day i threatened that asshole for going after Minho and Jeongin. I saw you. I saw how turned on you were. You pressed your legs together, then walked away like it was nothing." You were taken aback, almost chocking on air. "I-- fuck you, Seo Changbin." "Round two, already?" He teased. You hit him playfully, watching as he pretended to wince in pain from the blow you just struck. "Go freshen up in the bathroom. I'll check if the tutor replied yet." Ahh, yes. Even as amazing as that was, your hot sex couldn't fuck away the assignment lumming over your heads. You dressed yourself, accepting the oversized shirt and sweatpant Changbin gave you to change into. He told you there was a spare towel in the cupboard. You stepped into the hallway, mind left you reeling from what just happened and how good you felt. Though, at the same time, you couldn't help but fear the embarrassment that would come from being called out by one of Changbin's roommates. With that thought in mind, you were quick to collect yourself and almost sprinted to the bathroom closes to Changbin's room. You made a sharp turn, colliding into some. Great. You looked up to see Jisung. He seemed nervous, or maybe that was you. "H-hi Noona, um.. sor-sorry I'm in a rush. I'll see you later." You chalked the stutter up to him freaking out over being late to wherever he was going. You prayed to a higher power that he hadn't heard you. You weren't exactly close with Changbin's roommates. You knew them all, but were only really close to Chan and Minho, Changbin aside. Speak of the devil. Chan announced his arrival with a slight cough, eyes meeting yours in the mirror as he leaned on the doorframe. "Hey Channie~" You sung, hoping to sound like your usual self. You retrieved the spare towel and tried to just casually but the spare clothes from Changbin to the side of the sink. "Don't act so innocent, I heard you" You winced. Who were you kidding. The neighbour probably heard you, so of course Chan did. That's when it sunk in. Fuck, hopefully Jeongin wasn't poisoned by the filth of what happened behind Changbin's bedroom door. You let out a shake groan of self-reproach before looking back to Chan's smirking reflection. Sometimes you hated how much he teased you. Then again, you made it easier for him. Especially with the events from the same evening. Your next words came out a bit pained. You didn't really want an answer to them after all, did you? "Did the others-" "Lucky for you," He pushed himself off the frame, arms crossed, "most of them went out awhile before it all started." A sigh of relief. You felt a bit better that it seemed to be just Chan who cottoned on. "Well, I hope you enjoyed it." You deadpanned, watching as he decided to leave you be and tossing his last words over his shoulder. "Oh, well I know someone did." -----------------------------------------------

A/N: This was my first smut and I plan to write more since it wasn’t as awkward as i thought~ Credit to the owners of the few prompts I used and I’d love it if people have requests to please submit! I’m having a mental block with Question atm so I wrote this to hopefully stir up some creativity. If you like this please check out @skzsmutnetwork for more!

latest | Zone II (Teaser)

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jasonsgrayson · 5 years ago

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Jasonsgrayson’s Guide To All Things Spideytorch

Hi guys, I know I do rec lists sometimes, and I wanted to do one for Spideytorch since I just got into it and a lot of the fics on AO3 are really great. Theres a ton of fics here, of all shapes and sizes and ratings, and in no particular order as always, so take your pick.

Above the cut are my all time favorite spideytorch fics, below the cut are a mess of totally awesome fics that you guys should really take a look at.

If you want to save some time just look at any of Traincat’s and lamujerarana’s spideytorch stuff. They’re amazing.

Kind, Sober, and Fully Dressed by Traincat Rated M - 8,685 words Is this my favorite spideytorch fic of all time? Yes. Is it one of my favorite fanfics of all time in general? Also yes. Are the Johnny Storm sex tape related events of this fic cannon? Yes they absolutely fucking are. Read it, I beg of you.

"Pete, my man, my completely platonic best bro," he muttered to himself in the voice he reserved solely for mocking Johnny Storm. "Come over and watch my maybe sex tape! Fun times! Just two guys hanging out -" he slammed the bathroom door maybe a little harder than necessary "- watching the one guy's celebrity sex tape! Good clean fun!" Mrs. Moretti downstairs banged on her ceiling with a broom. Everything was coming up Parker tonight. -- Or, in which Peter proves himself tragically unable to take a hint. Post-Amazing Spider-Man Digital #17, aka the time Johnny asked Peter to watch his sex tape.

Lost and Found by Traincat Rated E - 8,154 words Is it another fake relationship fic? Yes. Is it my second favorite spideytorch fic? Also yes.

“A field trip?” Peter said. “Just a little family outing,” Sue said, passing him a knife. He took it and obediently started helping her cut the crusts off a small mountain of sandwiches. “We thought you might like to join us.” “I mean, it sounds great,” Peter said. “But work is a little swamped and somehow whenever I take off with you guys I always manage to go missing for two months. My landlady does not love it.” “We really could use the extra set of hands. Also,” Sue said, “someone needs to keep an eye on Johnny.” Peter groaned. -- Peter's spider-sense starts acting up on a Future Foundation field trip. He and Johnny, recently returned from the Negative Zone, have to pretend to be married. These two things are related.

Work Song by Traincat Rated E - 50,953 words I will never get tired of this one, I’ve read it so many times it’s one of my absolute favorites. Basically Peter is Johnny’s sugar daddy.

Peter Parker has his company, more money than he knows what to do with, and the echoes of a ghost in his head. Johnny Storm's lost his family, his home, and is clinging to the remnants of his old life. -- "I’m here with you. That’s not nothing, right?” “No,” Peter agreed. It definitely felt like something, all the way up here with Johnny so close they were almost touching. Peter looked at him, at the full lips set in a slight frown, the sharp curve of his jaw, the way his hair fell across his forehead. He fit all the dazzling lights around them, warm like sunshine even in the middle of the night. “Beautiful,” Peter said before he could stop himself.

River Eyes by perissologist Rated M - 22,749 words I love it because Noir is my shit, especially when it’s done this freaking well.

If Jonathan Storm was the movie star Betty said he was, he looked the part: Hair like spun gold in perfect curls atop slender features, with eyes bluer than the Hudson in midsummer. “Normally I’d ask what a dame like you is doing in a place like this, but”—Peter cast a glance up his guest—“you’re not exactly a dame, are you?” Storm flashed a weak smile. “I can be, if you want.” Peter raised an eyebrow. Storm turned beet-red. “I mean. I’m. I didn’t mean that.” Storm huffed and shoved out a hand. “Johnny Storm.” --- It's 1933, Peter Parker has just shut down a Nazi eugenist and lost one of his oldest friends, and life in the big city is as joyless and hardscrabble as ever. Then Johnny Storm, movie star with a soul made of sunshine, walks through Peter's door, asking for his help. The rest, as they say, is history.

Eight Arms to Hold You by metaphoracle Rated T - 15,071 words I love it because it has Namor the Sub Mariner and fake relationships and Atlantis, and a really lecherous octopus, and really what’s not to like?

When Spider-Man’s best friend Johnny Storm asks him for help in tactfully declining a marriage proposal from the King of Atlantis, Namor the Sub-Mariner, the only solution is for him to volunteer Daily Bugle photographer Peter Parker to pretend to be dating Johnny at the Engagement Banquet in Atlantis. Sure, it’s technically lying to his best friend about who Peter Parker is, but the important thing is that Johnny won’t have to marry Namor, and if Peter gets some photographs of Atlantis to sell, what’s the harm? Peter thought the most difficult thing about this scenario was going to be making sure Johnny didn’t figure out Peter is actually Spider-Man. Having to pretend he wasn’t actually falling in love with his best friend never crossed his mind. Featuring fake relationships, forced (almost) marriages, identity porn, traditional Atlantean clothing, and amorous cephalopods.

Keep Throwing Things and Slamming the Door by Traincat Rated T - 7,817 words I think I’ve read this one a half a dozen times already, it’s so good/funny. She-Hulk’s in it, and she is fabulous.

Waking up in a stranger's bed is not how superhero Johnny Storm planned on spending the morning after the night before. From now on… A) No more secret hookups with Peter Parker—he's the last man on earth Johnny'd want to share a room with, never mind a king-size bed. B) Maintain a professional persona at all times. After all, he's a photographer for New York's #1 Superhero Bashing Rag and Johnny's perfect tabloid fodder. C) Keep friends close but enemies closer. Easier said than done, with She-Hulk away on her honeymoon and Spider-Man avoiding him.

The Boy From New York City by Traincat Rated E - 84,499 words I really love this one. Of all the fics on this list I would say this is a spideytorch must read, a true classic.

Central City, California is beautiful, but it’s not where Johnny wants to be – and he’s not who he wants to be, either. Inspired by the recent return of Spider-Man, Johnny convinces the newly minted Fantastic Four to return to the Baxter Building, the site of the incident that gave them their powers. But not everything is what it seems, and worse yet, Spider-Man wants nothing to do with the Human Torch. In the wake of Gwen’s death, Peter has finally put the mask back on, but nothing’s the same as it once was, and the thrill has gone out of Spider-Man. The Fantastic Four’s arrival only makes everything worse. The Human Torch is good looking, he’ll give him that much, but Peter has no plans of making friends. A series of strange attacks and a fateful encounter on the docks may not leave him much choice.

‘cause I can’t compete with your boyfriend (he’s got 27 tattoos) by Traincat Rated T - 13,495 words Who doesn’t love a high school au? I know I do.

The thing was, Peter was stuck with Johnny forever, basically. The super glue of unintentional friendship. It was cosmic, fated, and incredibly annoying. Johnny Storm might have been a handbasket of bad decisions and personality defects wrapped up with an incredible smile, but he was Peter’s handbasket of bad decisions -- of which Daken was still the worst one Johnny had ever made, and Johnny had made some truly bad decisions. -- Johnny dates Daken, Peter has a crisis, and everything works out okay in the end.

All That We Were by paramountie Rated G - 10,298 words Here’s a super cute stuck in an alternate universe kid fic, if that’s your thing (It sure as hell is mine).

“What do you think the deal is anyway?” Peter asks. “My money’s on dreamscape.” “Twenty bucks says it’s an alternate universe.” “Nuh-uh, pal. It’s a dream for sure. Or a nightmare.”

The Spider Prince and the Morning Star by Traincat Rated M - 24,337 words Every ship needs a great fairytale fic, and this is a phenomenal fairytale fic. It’s sort of a Beauty and the Beast/Eros and Psyche tale and I loved it so much.

“Folks like to say there’s a monster that lives in the forest,” Old Swenson said the next day when Johnny told him his story. Johnny worked in his shop, when Swenson could afford to pay him. He fixed things, clocks and broken carriages. Johnny wasn’t good for much, but he had a hand for repairs. “And that it’ll grant you wishes, for a price. Folks will say anything, after a drink or five. Don’t listen to that kind of foolish talk, Johnny.” When Johnny makes a deal with the monster that lives in the woods – himself for his sister’s happiness – he doesn’t expect the giant spider to take him to a beautiful castle, or to reveal himself a cursed prince. There’s only one catch: he’s only a man in the darkest night, and Johnny can never see his face.

Better in Picture by weekend_conspiracy_theorist Rated T - 12,218 words I love this one, it’s freaking hilarious. It really uses Matt, Foggy, and Peter to their full comedic potential.

In which Peter Parker has no interest in sleeping with Matt Murdock, no matter what anyone seems to think.

you keep me hanging on by lamujerarana Rated E - 19,031 words Here’s a great friends with benefits to lovers fic, because there must always be at least one.

Johnny, reeling from his breakup with Medusa and the loss of his entire family, turns to Peter for comfort...that eventually involves casual sex that isn't so casual for Johnny, since he just so happens to be in love with Peter. Everything becomes incredibly complicated. This story takes place between the events of Inhumans vs X-Men #6 and Uncanny Avengers v3 #20.

Always Glad You Came by aloneintherain Rated T - 13,290 words Mistaken Identity or boys being dumb, take your pick.

Spider-Man is a relatively new, controversial vigilante, and Johnny has a crush the size of the Empire Building. The Four - operating under the assumption that Spidey is an adult - do not approve. “I just happen to think Spider-Man's cool,” Johnny says, matter-of-factly. “A hero can think another hero is cool without making it weird. I admire his aloofness. And his badass-ness.” “His aloofness,” Ben repeats, chuckling into his mug of beer. It’s roughly the size of Johnny’s head. “Yeah, sure, I bet that’s all your admire, right?”

When Peter Met Johnny by Measured Rated T - 14,437 words A paparazzi fic!

Peter takes up additional paparazzi work to pay the bills, which inevitably leads to an angry flaming man, a broken camera, an accidental friendship and a whole lot more than he bargained for.

Tied to the Wait and Sees by Mizzy Rated T - 14,283 words This is hilarious, poor Johnny’s trying his best.

Johnny Storm's in love. With Spider-man. Except no one seems to even believe Johnny when he tells them. Everyone thinks he's totally joking. What a buzzkill. Even his bff doesn't react supportively, which is rude, disrespectful, and completely awkward when Johnny walks into a time anomaly and wakes up in the future married not to his beloved Spider-man, but to Peter Parker. Huh, no wonder Parker reacted so badly to the news.

Say You Will, Say You Won’t by Traincat Rated T - 15,563 words Peter in this one is hilarious, it’s perfect characterization.

Johnny Storm found him on a Friday afternoon, wearing the kind of beseeching look that filled Peter with dread. “I need to ask you a favor,” he said. “No,” Peter said, swinging away. -- Peter and Johnny get married, really-not-really.

Tales From The Black Pages by Traincat Rated T - 19,019 words A soulmate words fic, because, again, there must always be at least one. And it’s a really great one, too.

Peter Parker was born with his words. Johnny Storm's been sure his will be said sarcastically since he was a child. Everything else more or less happens according to plan. A first words soulmate AU.

Weaving Spiders Come Not Here by Mizzy Rated T - 13,809 words Mistaken identity or boys being dumb, I think I can guess which one it is.

People are treating Peter oddly. Really oddly. It turns out they're being nice to him because they think his boyfriend cheated on him. …with Spider-Man. It's honestly quite tiring pretending to be jealous of yourself.

Peter Parker’s Guide to Secret Identities by coocoocachu Rated T - 93,789 words Johnny is a teen heartthrob, enough said.

“Oh wow, it’s the Human Torch, Johnny Storm.” MJ whispered to Peter. Peter just hummed back. Maybe it was a little childish to be upset but he totally had that thing with the weird mutant moth under control last night. Peter leaned against the wall while MJ milled around talking to people trying to figure out what the big scoop was here. ‘There always has to be a reason for an exclusive, Peter!’ she had said. Yeah, Peter thought, and the reason is Johnny Storm loves the attention. Peter fiddled with his camera. Action shots were more his thing, particularly somehow managing to take action selfies of himself as Spider-Man or a few of his supercharged enemies. Pictures of egotistical superhero’s shirtless? Not really his area.

stranger danger by I_mNotYourEnemy Rated T - 10,600 words Mistaken identity or boys being dumb 3: Grindr Identity

pete is this a bad time to ask who this is?? Hothead Is this not Grindr Peter? pete nope Hothead Ahhh fuck Sorry for the unsolicited dick pic pete that’s alright, ive seen worse -- In which Johnny gets a username wrong, Peter gets a dick pic, and MJ gets a headache just thinking about the situation.

Turn Me On, Turn Me Off by blue_jack Rated E - 5,158 words Honestly the summary speaks for itself here.

“I have. A vibrator. Stuck. In my ass,” Johnny said, enunciating clearly and concisely while staring him straight in the eyes, and Peter didn’t know who was blushing harder, but he was sure they were in a race to see who could match the color of his mask first.

Flip a Coin - Choose Both Sides by the_overlord Rated T - 10,993 words Johnny is president of the Spider-Man fanclub. Just- that’s it.

Wherein Johnny Storm gets given a wrong number and ends up the President of Spiderman's fanclub. Things get a little more complicated from there.

Tanglewood Tree by amaronith Rated E - 6,901 words Another fuckbuddies to lovers au.

but love is a light in the sky, and an unspoken lie, and a half whispered prayer Or: what happens when Johnny becomes fuck buddies with the guy he's been in love with for years.

let the choir bell sing by gottalovev Rated E - 16,457 words Another fake relationship, this one set abroad in Venice.

Johnny and Spider-Man are on assignment at the Carnival of Venice, and asked to be present at an influential politician's costumed party. When he becomes worried that said politician wants to match him up with his daughter, Johnny announces he's secretly married to Spider-Man. They can totally fake being secret husbands for a few days! Not a problem, not even when they have to share a bed. After all, they are good buddies; it's not as if Johnny would have to sleep with someone he has a crush on, like Peter Parker.

Stay With Me - by oneshinyapple Rated E - 2 works - 29,958 words total This is a great verse which is also part of the Like Gravity verse, which I haven’t read all the installments of.

Movie nights, fighting alien dinosaurs, and falling in love with your best friend — one of these may be a worse idea than the others.

A Melody That’s Calling Your Name by gleesquid Rated T - 32,731 words Another great high school au.

When a boy gets trapped in the Baxter Building fire, Peter must make a quick choice: let the boy die terrified in the flames or gain his trust by showing him what's underneath his mask. In the end, it's no choice at all. But when that same boy shows up on the first day of senior year, Peter finds himself caught in a spiraling lie. The next thing he knows, he's got a boyfriend, he's starring in a musical, he's going to rich kids' costume parties, and he's realizing that maybe there are worse things than having someone know your biggest secret. You'd think high school couldn't get any weirder than a radioactive spider bite, but that's just the Parker Luck.

hang a shining star upon the highest bough by lamujerarana Rated E - 15,386 words A lovely little Christmas fic for that time of year

The first time Johnny and Peter meet up at the Statue of Liberty on Christmas morning, Johnny's kind, thoughtful, and supportive to Peter at a time when Peter, still mourning the loss of Gwen Stacy, really needs it. Peter doesn't know how he'll ever pay him back for that, but he's sure going to try. Or, Peter tries his best, throughout various Christmases, to be there for Johnny when he needs it.

take my medicine, treat you like adrenaline by gleesquid Rated E - 2,763 words The one and only Spiderverse fic on this list, for when you’re in that Peter B. Parker mood.

“Every time I even think about dating again, it’s like, ‘oh, there’s MJ’s nose,’ or ‘hey, she has MJ’s eyes.’ I don’t know how to not see her in everyone. I don’t know if I want to.” “You ever figured you’re maybe barking up the wrong tree?” Peter furrowed his brow. “Explain.” “Well, ya know.” Harry sipped his martini. “There’s a larger dating pool out there than you’d think. With people who will not remind you of MJ.” Or: After the divorce, Peter tries for a rebound.

Save a Horse-Adjacent Alien by Traincat Rated E - 3,915 words Poor Johnny made a terrible actor.

He was minding his own business, sitting in a movie theater in Queens, snacking on popcorn and wondering how many times he could make fun of Johnny Storm’s hair before Aunt May asked why he was so fixated, when the trailers ended, the lights went out, and Johnny appeared on the screen. Peter’s mouth went dry, and it wasn't because of the popcorn. Maybe it was the distance the movie gave him, Johnny up on a screen instead of right in front of him, warm and bright and frighteningly human. Maybe it was how endearingly terrible of an actor he was. Maybe it was the lighting. It was, Peter thought, probably the cowboy boots.

Bring That Summer by pommenade Rated T - 15,070 words Ahh social media, get’s you every time.

Juggling the duties of Spider-Man as well as his life as CEO of Parker Industries was easy. Peter Parker had years of practice. Add in a clandestine relationship with Johnny Storm and things got a bit more complicated. Add in Johnny's Instagram account, and suddenly Peter's life is impossible.

Educational Purposes by Traincat Rated E - 5,510 words A sexy little married fic

“I just,” Johnny said, flicking his gaze up at Peter through his eyelashes. He pressed the pen to his bottom lip and lowered his voice, pornographic. “I really need to pass your class, Professor Parker.” Peter snorted. “Cute, Johnny.” “Please, Professor Parker?” Johnny continued, and suddenly Peter realized that he wasn’t just joking around. “Isn’t there anything I could do to improve my grade? Anything at all?”

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