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erosia-rhodes · 4 years ago

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As much as I love binge-watching television, it's kinda fun speculating each week about what the hell is happening on WandaVision, a show that's made the brave choice to keep so much unexplained for so long. So, let me speculate:

Evan Peters is playing Peter Maximoff from the X-Men universe and not someone else in disguise.

Here's why:

Wanda has to use real people to populate her daydream If Wanda could make everything up from scratch, she wouldn't have to take a whole town hostage. She needs real people and real matter to fuel her daydream. Sparky's death showed that Wanda can't bring organic beings back from the dead, so that makes it impossible to resurrect Aaron Tayler-Johnson as Pietro. Instead, the next best thing is another speedster that could pass for Pietro, which is how Peter got plucked out of the X-Men universe. By whom? Either unconsciously by Wanda or on purpose by whoever is the secret villain of the show. Peter's real memories were blocked and new ones were implanted. I'd bet he only remembers events where Wanda was present because her magic is powering everything even if she's not totally in control. Some of her other memories might have bled through during the process, which would explain why this Pietro is somewhat aware of what's actually going on. Or X-Men Peter might be having fun with the whole thing and doesn't need as much of a shove as everyone else! He seems like a guy who would try anything once.

Out of character for the MCU, but in character for the X-Men universe Some people think Pietro is sus because he's acting out of character, but that's only true if you're comparing him to the MCU's Quicksilver. He's acting perfectly in character for Peter from the X-Men films, a twenty-something "man child" still living in his mom's basement who enjoys playing video games when he's not stealing things and pranking people like Wanda's Pietro does with his Halloween antics. X-Men Peter is also morally flexible, filling his basement with stolen TV's and Twinkies and breaking Magneto out of prison just for kicks. That's why he's not overly perturbed that Wanda is mind controlling a bunch of people. Peter's done crimes himself, and his dad is a super villain who tried to kill the president, so if he has a sister who's mind controlling a town, it just makes her fit into the family.

This place is insane, of course he has questions! Some people think Pietro was asking way too many questions, but anyone dropped into this weirdo town would have questions. The people in S.W.O.R.D. have nothing but questions! If he were the main villain in disguise, he wouldn't need to ask any questions because he'd already know how Wanda was doing things. People also thought it was suspect that Peter responded to most of Wanda's questions with questions of his own, but that was probably the writers' way of including exposition about the missing kids and what was up with Wanda's accent. We don't know if the villain can disguise themselves as someone else anyway, and if he could, wouldn't he just use the Aaron Taylor-Johnson version as his illusion? Why choose some guy no one in town recognizes?

This casting choice feels like more than just fan service I don't think Marvel would go to the trouble of casting Evan Peters in this role unless he really is the Quicksilver from the X-Men universe. Marvel has served up some good fan service over the years, but typically only when it makes sense for the story or it's been earned. I don't see any reason to use Evan Peters unless it's really X-Men Peter. If it's not him, it would be simpler to use a random person in town to play Pietro and pay the actor less. If it really is X-Men Peter, this development cracks open the multi-verse which we known is going to be explored in the next Dr. Strange movie and the next Spider-man film.

Ok, but who sent him? Probably the secret villain who is behind all this. (My money's on Nightmare.) Peter first appears when Vision is questioning Wanda about the nature of their reality. Quite a convenient way of derailing that conversation! Another theory is that Dr. Strange sent him as some sort of mole, but I don't think Pietro would have appeared when he did if that were the case. His distraction was too well timed to shut down Vision's line of questioning.

But isn't he too old to be X-Men Quicksilver? Ok, I admit, this is sort of a problem. The X-Men version of Peter was born in the 50's and the MCU is taking place slightly in the future because of the Blip. That means Peter would be well into his 60's. Does he not age at a normal rate? Are the universes slightly out of sync so the 80's are taking place in the X-Men universe at the same time the 20's are taking place in the MCU? Or did he get snatched out of time as well as location?

What's with the necklace? Pietro has been wearing the same necklace whenever he's on screen, even when it didn't match his Halloween outfit. It's like Agnes's brooch—something almost always worn, no matter the era. It might be a transformed version of his goggles or the headphones he always carries. Or perhaps it gives some sort of magical protection which allows him to realize this world is being run by Wanda? Not sure. If this ends up not being Peter, it could be something associated with whoever he really is.

If it is Peter, how will this end? It seems certain the hex has to end at some point. If Peter is still around at that time, he will be restored to his normal self, probably wearing a silver leather jacket over a t-shirt featuring a band's logo. (Twenty-One Pilots? Fall Out Boy? What modern band do you think Peter would dig?)

Most importantly, he will have created a true emotional bond with Wanda. Their relationship started out as fake, but they've spent real time together and she's opened up to him about how alone and empty she's felt, allowing herself to be vulnerable in a way she rarely has with anyone else. He also clearly loved being Uncle P, goofing around with her kids. (Please let the kids live! If they vanish with the hex, it will be heartbreaking.) Peter could be a true connection that helps bring her back to the world, particularly if he ends up retaining all the memories of Pietro and Wanda’s childhood. I don't think this is the end of their relationship. Honestly, Peter might end up thanking Wanda for all the fun he's had and ask if they can do Knight Rider or The A-Team next time. So, I see three options here:

Option 1) Peter hangs around for a bit because he's stranded in this universe and needs Wanda's help to send him back. Maybe Dr. Strange helps them with that in the next movie.

Option 2) He is able to return to his universe and invites Wanda back with him so she can avoid prison and start a new life. I mean, this woman is definitely facing charges, right? She may not have started this insanity, but she went along with it when she could have stopped it. At this point, she's the Patty Hearst of mind rape. She's either going on the run or spending a lot of time in prison or in a mental hospital.

Option 3) Peter gets expelled from this universe either by Wanda or the secret villain or someone else and never gets a chance to explain anything. This would be the least satisfying conclusion, but it's possible.

I guess we'll see what happens! I will be utterly devastated if this isn't Peter from the X-Men universe because I love all the implications of that. I'd also love to see more of Evan Peters in the MCU.

#wandavision #quicksilver #marvel #MCU #scarlet witch #Evan Peters #Elizabeth Olsen #wanda maximoff #peter maximoff #speculation #pietro maximoff

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domesticated-feral · 3 years ago

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Thank you @nacreousgore for tagging me, oh boy was this fun to do!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I have 52 works on AO3 as of writing this.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

Since it's been a year that I've been writing on ao3, I've amassed a total word count of 149,243 words.

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Only 2 so far. I used to write Twenty One Pilots bandom fics before and now I just write Teen Wolf fics.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

So, I have 4 Sterek fics and one Stackson fic in my top 5; they are:

Yellow for Happiness and Purple, Because of Stiles (YFHAPBOS) - a good old falling in love Sterek fic with blind!Stiles and synesthete!Derek

Intoxicating - Stackson oneshot which has smut and possible interpretively werewolf!Stiles

Lunch with Sticky Note Compliments - Sterek in an office AU. It's literally what it says on the box.

Happiness in Your Arms - an abandoned WIP that's for some reason still on my AO3. It's sterek and takes place in the early 1910's. (I do not recommend reading this fic of mine..)

Sterek One Shot #2 - the second tw fic that I ever wrote on ao3. Didn't even bother to give it a title cause I didn't know what to title it...hah. it's also the last first person pov fic that I wrote until I transitioned to mainly writing third and second person povs.

5. What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

No doubt it's You Wish I Was Yours (And I Know That You're Mine) because of the overall dead dove: do not eat essence of the oneshot. After all, it's Void Stiles/Kanima-Werewolf Jackson who's under Void's manipulation.

6. What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

So, I have two contenders imo for this. Yellow for Happiness is one because the ending is cute, and the overall fic mood is happy if you average it out. Then there's To Fall For Him, which I recently wrote and the ending ends on a really happy note compared to the rest of the fic so the steady incline in fic mood makes it have one of the happiest endings. Although, most of my fics (expect for that void/kanima Jax fic) have happy endings. I'm all for leaving a fic on a bittersweet/good note y'know.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what's the craziest one you've ever written?

I have yet to write a crossover, but I weirdly enough have a Five Nights At Freddy's x Teen Wolf crossover planned out in my Google docs. Don't know if it's ever going to see the light of ao3 or the internet.

8. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Since I started writing smut only recently, I have been experimenting with many different types of smut, mix and matching a lot of things. Most of them are made with love so ig it's the loving kind of smut, excluding that one void/kanima Jax fic (again).

9. Do you respond to comments, why, or why not?

I def respond to each and every one of the comments I receive. It's not much since I'm only a rookie fic writer but every single comment lights up my day whenever I get them and I hope my response lights up their day too :D

10. Have you received hate on a fic?

Nope, so far I haven't gotten any hate on any of my fics and hopefully that sticks for a long time.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

To my knowledge, nope.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. Not yet.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Unless talking to my sister about fic ideas and about how the story is playing out and ranting about plot holes to her is co-writing a fic, then no.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

My otps change periodically and I multi-ship like crazy so I don't have an 'all-time' favourite. But atm, the most mind-space-taking ships are Stackson, Scerek, Scydia, Stalia and Sciles. Sceo and Sterek sometimes show up.

15. What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

One day, I aspire to have less than a 100 wips, but there's just a few select ones that I am not going to touch on ever again. Either out of sheer confusion of what the story is about or because I do not want to continue on them anymore. They are titled in my Google docs as;

• It's a Jacksciles fic now

• Smutty Sterek pls send help

• Look, when i find an angsty dialogue prompt and song (especially if it's by Panic! At The Disco) you know im defaulting to Stackson Second Person Smut + Angst mode in a heartbeat

• yeah, i have a specific trope i wish to write.

These are just some of them that either I rewrite completely or just not touch ever again.

16. What are your writing strengths?

The ability to write a lot in the spur of the moment. I can easily get into a writing mood if I'm not in a writing rut.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

The ability to write only in the spur of the moment. My motivation comes in either 5 hour feasts or 30 minute scraps. (easily burn-out able)

18. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

It is cool, and I'd love to give it a try. Sometimes I deeply want to include my native language in the fics that I write, but the thing is that it's not known widely across the Earth.

19. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

The Twenty One Pilots bandom!

20. What's your favourite fic you've written?

I cannot choose one from all my word vomit creations, but I had a lot of fun writing these.

Cinnamon Rolls & Intimate Control - Stackson smut with the added bonus of Stiles making Cinnamon Rolls.

My Heart Races Whenever I Look At You - Sceo, Street Racing Au, so very cute

The fics that I have so far written for the Finding Your Soulmate: Werewolf Edition series - Scerek for now, the fics have been a delight to write and so far, the story is just getting started.

And a honourable mention, Perceptions of Perfection - SCACKSON, what more should I say?

Tagging: @scilessweetheart @shyawkwardwriter @nutellarghh @sequinedmonkey

#tag games #heh you could say that this was a self-promo for my fics #anyways this was so hecking fun!!!

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penpalkingdom · 4 years ago

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Hi *squints at smudged writing on my hand*

I’m T, I was given a full name, and it does in fact begin with a T; but I thought this was easier than my real name and I’ve always wanted to strive for a sense of ✨Mystery✨ in my life (to clarify, I try. But I’m closer to a book which has had its spine broken than any cryptic you’ve read)

Also, I love being given nicknames by friends, so you’ll end up calling me by your assigned nickname for me anyway- so my names pointless (you have to stick around though for nickname privileges)

Age: 22

Pronouns: She/her

Hogwarts house: Hufflepuff (Fuck JKR)

Location: UK.

Sexuality: ? (This isn’t me being mysterious, I’m generally not sure at the moment)

Religion: Practicing Witch (please don’t come to convert me to anything else, my tarot cards say no)

I’d say I’m a fairly interesting person, although I’m very bad at expressing myself, and also my own opinion of myself isn’t worth shit 👌 I own over 200 books, all of them fiction spanning from different areas of of the young adult, new adult (yes, most of the new adult I’ve read is spicy 🌶, if your into that I have recommendations) , fantasy, dystopian- I could go on, but if you really wanted to know, I’d be happy to send you photos of my buckling bookshelves. I love Mythology, mainly into Greek at them moment, so if you have an interesting fact- I’d love to hear it.

I have a degree in bakery (weird huh?) and I’m currently training to be a nursery practitioner (do these qualifications match? Of course not) my music taste varies but some artists include:

Twenty one pilots (they’re my favourite, my first tattoo, and as of writing this, have just announced their new album),

Machine gun Kelly,

Yungblud,

Panic! At the disco,

Fall out boy,

Taylor swift,

Saywecanfly (if you know this guy, we’re instantly friends)

and many more I can’t remember right now.

I have to many hobbies, so ask me about most arts and crafts and I’ve probably tried it once before. I write, although ( I think) not well. We could maybe write short stories to each other? Maybe? Oh I love mushrooms 🍄 (over 600 photos on my phone... don’t judge me) and I’m in several fandoms, and I plan to be in many more (the more I read, the more fandoms I join) if you read YA fiction that was published between 2011 and 2013, you can probably guess some of my fandoms 😊

I’d prefer snailmail, although we can talk first online if you wish (if you want to talk online permanently, be warned I retreat into my own head a lot, so online replies may be slow) if we talk long enough, and we become good friends- I will defend you with my life. I love my few friends deeply therefore if you become one you’ll have the same treatment. This includes me checking on you whenever I can, reminding you you’re great, scolding your self doubt and random gifts when I feel like you need them/the thing reminded me of you. (Basically I’m the mum friends, figures)

The crook of it all is normal life is boring me (thanks COVID ) and I need ✨more✨ so I thought I’d try this penpal thing again. But I’d like to try a twist. (Not compulsory)

In with our normal letter, let’s add a letter written by a character. This character could be already written, or completely made up, hey you can write as your DnD character if you like (though if you play DnD I beg you to explain the game to me- I’ve always been interested in the game but it’s not big in the uk so never learnt) So then tucked inside the mundane of a normal penpal letter there can be a little bit of adventure. Writing like your someone else helps me feel better, maybe if can help you too?

Everyone and anyone is welcome to come and talk to me, I accept all (unless your a backwards transphobic, homophobic, racist, (LGBTQA+-phobic in general) dick. If your any of them I have no time for you) I also ask no creeps, I’ve already found my soulmate, so your creepy messages aren’t welcome.

You can find me at - @tessatales (just and FYI, no, Tessa isn’t my name, not even a nickname ether actually 🤷🏻‍♀️)

“I’m (hopefully) going on an adventure!” - bilbo baggins (plus a twist from myself)

#20-25 #18-20 #all ages #electronic mail #penpalkingdom #internet friends #online friends #snailmail #penpal #postcards #submission

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paradise-creator · 4 years ago

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Hellooo!! I love love LOVE the diamond box matchup you did!! You're amazing!! Your blog is incredible!! Now I'm here for a romantic haven box Haikyuu matchup pls🥺

Appearance: My name is Kay! She/her, black, straight, 5'1, I have a slightly athletic & curvy-ish figure (lol idk), short-ish hair(like mid-neck), dark brown eyes, shoe size 9, I like to dress comfy so I'm always in oversized hoodies, sweatpants, sneakers, sweatshirts and shorts. I like colorful clothes too, high waisted jeans and shorts and boots. I'm not very fashionable but I try lol.

Personality:

Basics: infp-t, Hufflepuff, Taurus sun, scorpio moon, sanguine, chaotic good, ambivert.

Some positive traits: I'm optimistic, friendly, energetic, organized, enthusiastic, observant, happy, open-minded, loving, encouraging and inquisitive!!

Some negative traits: I'm annoying, perfectionist, insecure, forgetful, easily distracted, kinda lazy, argumentative, too nice at times and clingy.

I love learning new things!! Currently I'm learning Korean, how to draw, how to paint and songs on the saxophone.

When I'm up for it, I love fun physical activity!! Going for a hike, going to the gym, bungee jumping, mountain climbing, going camping and etc :D

Although I love going out, nothing beats lazy days at home. I can spend hours by myself and still be happy. When alone I usually sleep or watch a movie/anime or practice my drawing or saxophone or try and learn something new!

I have a horrible memory and can never remember important dates 😭 I've forgotten my own birthday a few times (rip) so people can get mad at me for missing appointments, forgetting birthdays and other important days. I try my best to organize everything necessary on my phone calendar so I can be reminded.

I love seeing people happy! Nothing can fulfill my day more than knowing I put a smile on someone's face! I usually try my best to help out anyone who needs it and to the best of my ability! This has led to me getting taken advantage of in the past but I can't help but try and make others happy. I've developed a thicker skin and some trust issues as I've grown up because of it.

I love hyping my friends/family up!! Do you need a boost in confidence? Here I am, ready to help you remember the absolute king/queen/royalty that you are!! I'm usually very energetic and enthusiastic about many things and I love spreading positivity around!!

My love language is physical touch! So touch is very important to me in my relationships. Though I am insecure so I tend to think that I smother the people I care about with too much affection idk lol. I live for hugs and cuddles and hand holding 👉🏿👈🏿 but because of that I feel like I'm very clingy and annoying skskfksjd

I'm introverted in nature so although I mean usually full of energy and love making new friends, I can't do it for too long lol. My social battery runs out really fast and I have to hide away and recharge before I can be fully social again, otherwise I won't be my best self. I treasure personal time and understand when people need time for themselves too.

I love spontaneity!! I love living in the moment and doing stuff just for the hell of it!! Wanna go on a road trip? Dance in the rain? Build houses for charity? Go to McDonald's at 2am? Go on a long walk? SIGN ME UP!!

I can also be lazy and unmotivated to do stuff. If something doesn't interest me, I'd find myself incapable of doing it or I'd do it with great difficulty. I'm one of those 'do something when inspiration/motivation hits you otherwise it'll be absolute shit' types.

But when I do have motivation/inspiration that's when my perfectionism comes in and I have to do it in the best possible way and anything less is an insult to me, my family, my ancestors and descendants lmaoo. Unfortunately I subconsciously set a very high bar for myself which can be overwhelming and stressful but when I manage to produce work of that quality, it's very satisfying and rewarding jshkshdhsj

I have more to add but I feel like this is getting way too long 💀 lemme just move to the next section heheheh

Hobbies: I LOVE listening to music, learning new things, watching movies/anime, sleeping, reading, writing, playing saxophone (I'm still learning tho lol), swimming, drawing, journaling, making friends, and cooking!

My music taste: any type of rock (punk rock, grunge, j-rock, metal), pop, KPOP, RnB, jazz, dubstep, lofi hip hop, rap, trap, krnb, anime OP's and bangers from: Elvis, the beach boys, Queen, Khalid, Ateez, Harry styles, Kendrick Lamar, p!atd, mcr, fallout boy, Nirvana, BTS, mxmtoon, Marianas trench, twenty one pilots, stray kids, Jay Park, crush, Dreamcatcher, Skrillex, MJ, troye sivan etc

Fun facts:

I'm more of a cat person but I live dogs and think they're adorable!!

I have four piercings and I plan on getting more soon!!

I'm a night owl, and get super grumpy in the mornings especially when woken up unexpectedly >:/

Although I love making friends, I only have like 1/2 super close friends and like 20+ acquaintances lol

I want to get a tattoo soon but idk what to get :(

I'm super addicted to coffee (rip) and if I don't take some for some time (like a week) I'll get the worst migraines and I won't feel better until I drink some coffee 😭

That's it!! I hope i wrote enough stuff!! Did I leave anything out? If you need more pls tell me and I'll send another ask :D Take your time!! I'm in no rush. I'll patiently wait even though you get writers block or have a large amount of asks 😌 pls stay safe and healthy!! Drink lots of water, sleep well and have an amazing day/night!! 💙✨

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Hello and Welcome my Starlight!

The Haven box includes:

- Match up

- Sun drop

- Journal of Feelings

- 3 am shenanigans

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

I'd match you up with

Sugawara Koushi, Vice-captain of Karasuno

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

Sun drops

- OKAY so like, as I read your description I thought of Akaashi or Yaku or Sugawara

- Me being the indecisive author I am had trouble picking

- But then I remembered that you loved to do spontaneous things.

- And that's when I realized that Sugawara is THE ONE

- You two would be deemed the "3 am couple"

- Or in the team it would be "Epitome of Chaos"

- He takes care of you

- He will alway remind you that you don't need to be perfect

- Insecurities? BE GONE

- Nagativity? BE GONE

- That's basically his motto

- He is both your mom and partner in Crime

- did I mention he will take care of you?

- CUDDLES AND KISSES FOR DAYS

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

Journal of feelings

- Once this man realizes that you LOVE physical affection. He will give it to you. EVERYTIME HE SEES YOU

Kay entered the gym to watch her boyfriend play. She tried sneaking in and so far it has been great. She thought she was off the hook but then felt a familiar arms wrapped around her waist. "I found you~" Sugawara said with a smile.

- You both would often plan pranks and majority of the times, it would succeed

"Okay okay, so what are we doing today?" Kay asked the silver haired male. "Oh~ maybe we can scare Asahi or anyone for that matter with a beetle?" Sugawara suggested. "That's--no," Kay responded.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

3 am shenanigans

It’s 3 am in the morning. Almost everyone is fast asleep or in their homes, well almost. The night sky is littered with diamond in the sky. The streets were silent but it was comforting. A few people walked here and there. And a few cars passes by there and here. “What are we doing up so late?” A silver haired man said as he yawned. “We’ll be going to Mc Donald’s! What else?” The female responded as she smiled at him. “Is it even open at this time?” He asked. “Koushi, darling, it is open,” Kay, the lover of our beloved silvered male man said as she smiled. Sugawara chuckled and held her hand, the smile on his face was evident. “You know, we should be sleeping by now right?” He said as he pulled her closer. “And so what? I wasn’t planning on sleeping early! I slept the whole day yesterday and missed the chance to hang out with you,” The girl responded.

A small blush appeared on the male’s face and he giggled. “That’s very sweet bu-“ He was about to say but was silenced by the girl. “That was very sweet but we could’ve done this later on or tomorrow. Well, sorry to break it to you, Love. But, we are here,” She said as she pulled the male inside the fast food chain. And soon enough, the two got their orders and enjoyed their meal. “I don’t know why but this hits different,” Kay said as she eat a French fry. “It really does. Especially since you are here,” Sugawara stated as he patted her head. Now, she was the one blushing. As the two chatted, the other customers and staff glanced at them every now and then. None of them were annoyed at their interactions. On the contrary, they enjoyed watching them,

Some felt envious of their relationship. Some dreamt to have something like that. And others remembered the times of old. The two were so sweet, it’s almost too much. Laughter and chattering echoed through the building from both the couple and the people around them. Then they were dub the “3 am couple” as the two would often venture in that restaurant at 3 am in the morning.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

Author's note

I'm so so sorry for the long wait! This week has been hectic. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this matchup~ and thanks for requesting!

#☁️matchup #haikyuu matchups #haikyuu!!#haikyuu matchup #fanfic #anime #fiction #sugawara koushi #sugawara kōshi #Sugawara #sugawara headcanon #match ups #hq matchups #hq sugawara #Anime matchups #BlackPearl

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backtothestart02 · 5 years ago

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Struck by Lightning - 1/? | westallen fanfiction

A/N: After much struggling with names and how auditions exactly work and I’m pretty positive I got a lot of it wrong, but whatever...the first chapter is finally here!

Remember, I’m using gossip from Grant & Candice’s real life during The Flash’s run as inspiration for this soapy fic. I’m not saying this is what happened. Not by a long shot. So, just enjoy! :D And if it’s not your cup of tea, I have plenty of other fics to read. :)

It should also be noted that Barry is with Patty at the beginning of this fic, so you will have to endure some spallen. ;)

*Many thanks to @valeriemperez for beta’ing.

...

Chapter 1 -

Twenty-five, half-dressed, and agitated as hell, Barry Allen came out of the bathroom and whined to his girlfriend sitting in the living room.

“Pattyyy.”

She lifted her head up, pushed her reading glasses up over her honey-colored strands and waited. She’d been prepared for the third outfit tried on for the day with him, but the loosely hanging purple and gold striped tie, blue and white unbuttoned collared shirt, and navy boxers with yellow ducks on them she could have never prepared for.

“Did you wear those boxers to bed?” she asked, setting her open book down on the couch and meeting him halfway across the room.

“No,” he said immediately. “I wore purple ones with green frogs on them and the word ‘Leap!’ a few different places.”

Patty bit her bottom lip and covered her mouth to restrain a giggle. She hadn’t been blind to the way his heels lifted and voice got squeaky when he said the word, ‘Leap’.

“What?” He frowned.

“Nothing.” She shook her head and tugged on his tie. “Come with me, Mr. Allen. I’ve made you some breakfast.”

He stopped suddenly, and she let go of him.

“Patty, I can’t eat now. I’m going to be late!”

A white, fluffy dog appeared at Barry’s feet and barked promptly up at her, wagging its tail. Then another almost identical dog appeared doing the same thing.

Patty looked down at them and then up at Barry, who seemed to be oblivious to the pair.

“Looks like the kids want to eat.”

He frowned. “Help me get dressed. Please?”

She sighed and shook her head at him.

“Just let me pour some dog food into the bowls, and then-”

“No!” He tugged on her arm in the direction of the bedroom.

“I don’t think we have time for that.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Won’t you be late?”

“PG version, Patty. Please.”

She dropped the suggestive demeanor and followed him into the bedroom where a pile of clothes lay on their bed and several strewn out hanging from the top of the closet door frame.

“Oh, boy.” She placed her hands on her hips.

“Well?” he asked hopefully, following her gaze.

“You can get rid of the tie,” she said. “Didn’t the casting director tell you that it wasn’t necessary to be so formal yesterday? Especially since the scene you’re reading from your character is in a more casual setting?”

“Yeah…” he trailed off, untying his tie and dropping it on the floor with the button-down shirt he’d been wearing. “But he also said a white t-shirt and sweats was too casual when I came in that way the day before.”

Patty nodded and cringed a bit.

“It kinda is.”

His shoulders slumped.

“So, what do I wear?”

She walked across the room and picked out a few items, one from the bed and another from the closet.

“Jeans,” she said, tossing a dark pair at him, which he just barely caught. “STAR WARS shirt.” She tossed the black tee at him.

“Wait, for real? Isn’t that too-?”

“Casual?” she filled in. “Your character’s a nerd.” She came to him and draped her arms around his neck. “Like you, like us.” She nuzzled his nose. “Put them on,” she whispered, then smiled. “If they disapprove again, just ask them.”

Barry blanched, as if the suggestion was completely intolerable.

“I can’t-”

“Or you can do the white tee with the red plaid button-down and vest. That’s nerdy too.”

She walked out into the living room and then the kitchen to feed the dogs.

Barry turned to look in the mirror with the clothes in his arms. He supposed Patty was right. Maybe he was overanalyzing this. He just needed to find the right ensemble and stick to it. But not wear it every day. He should definitely not wear it every day. That would mean a lot of laundry to do more than once a week. Though it would only be a few things to wash…

No. He was not going to wear the same thing every day.

“Hurry up, Babe,” came from the kitchen. “You still gotta eat and fix that bed head of yours.”

Barry paled. She was right. His hair was a mess, going in every direction. It was probably due to how little sleep he’d gotten the night before, tossing and turning, waking Patty up a few times. He couldn’t help it. This was the third day of chemistry tests, and he hadn’t felt certain about any of the women that had come in to do what should’ve been an easy, straightforward scene with him.

He’d already gotten his script for the pilot, and all the other actors had been hired for their respective characters. He was ready to get started! So, where was the mystery woman that was supposed to be perfect for him? Er- his character. Would they ever find her?

Shaking it off for the time being, Barry quickly got into the clothes thrust into his arms and power-walked to the bathroom to finish his morning routine, including fixing that hair of his. Then, he slid out into the kitchen and held out his arms, waiting for Patty’s approval.

She smiled, her perfect white teeth all showing.

“You look darling, Darling.”

He rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as he came to sit at the stool near where she was standing.

“I made you a bagel.”

He scoffed. “That’s it?”

She looked at him, amused. “Aren’t we the picky one?”

He blushed. “Sorry, it’s just… You made it sound like-”

“I made the works for you? Eggs, pancakes, waffles, sausage, etcetera?”

“Well…” He looked down at his fidgeting fingers. “Yeah.”

She tilted his head up and kissed him on the lips.

“I did. You can eat it when you come home from your auditions.”

He blinked.

“You’re already five minutes late! Go!”

He turned to look at the clock on the wall and immediately panicked. He got up, slipped his shoes on and ran out the door.

“Barry!” She ran after him. “Your breakfast! Your break-”

But he was gone and wasn’t looking back. She sighed and came back into the apartment. One of the dogs looked up at her and licked his lips.

“Ha. I don’t think so,” she said, and took a bite of the bagel herself.

…

Iris West walked down the block from her apartment the same way she did every day. The only difference was that today she had an audition. Which meant she wouldn’t be working at Jitters today. She’d be stopping by to have coffee with Linda and then going to her audition.

“Hey!” she said, as she slid into the booth where her best friend sat opposite.

“Hi,” Linda said in return, glued to her phone.

“Is that all I get?” Iris asked, pulling the phone out of her friend’s grasp.

“Hey!” Linda tried to reach for it, but it was useless.

“What is more interesting than me, hmm?” Iris teased, holding the phone out of reach.

“Nothing! Absolutely nothing! You are the supreme, goddess of all!”

Iris gave her a look. “Overkill, Lin.”

Linda snatched the phone back while she was distracted, and Iris didn’t make another reach for it. A waitress showed up with both their orders, and they each smiled and thanked her.

“You ordered for me?” Iris asked.

“Duh.” Linda rolled her eyes. “It’s a special day!” She put her phone down.

“Tell me about it. I’ve finally gotten to the chemistry test. You know how hard that is? To get past the initial audition to testing who you’re playing opposite?”

“Boy, do I ever.” Linda sighed.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Lin. I didn’t mean-” She reached across the table and covered her hand with her own.

“Don’t worry about it.” She shook it off. “One of these days will be my lucky day too. I’m sure of it.”

Iris forced a smile. “Will you tell me what you were reading?”

Linda rolled her eyes again. “You mean you didn’t see?” she blanched mockingly.

Iris laughed. “With all that reaching I had to do? Um, no.” She took a sip of her drink.

Linda sighed. “I was just looking up your co-star.”

“Mm, been there, done that.”

“Not impressed?”

She shrugged. “He’s only been in a few things, and it’s not like he matches his comic counterpart.”

“Well, neither do you.”

Iris scoffed. “Tell me about it. You know I went into a comic store and asked for comics for my character and they laughed at me, because they didn’t believe I was auditioning for that?”

“The way of the world, honey, I’m afraid.”

“Unfortunately.”

“So, back to your co-star…”

“Okay, he’s cute.”

Linda grinned.

“You afraid you’ll be tempted to date him?”

Iris laughed. “No way.”

“Then what?”

“Sometimes I get self-conscious around guys I’m physically attracted to. Especially when they turn out to be assholes after they figure it out.” She took a deep breath. “I just want to do my best, you know? If I don’t get this…I don’t know. I think I might move back home.”

Linda’s jaw dropped. “Quit acting? For real?”

Iris nodded, drawing her fingers around the rim of her mug.

“Did something happen?”

“No, nothing happened. I’m just…sick of not getting anywhere. Of only being a guest star for a couple episodes. That’s not going to put me on the map. It’s not going to get me anywhere. I’d be lucky if it got me in a Lifetime movie.”

“It’s a slow process, Iris. I mean, I should know. I haven’t gotten a role period in the past six months. I’m thiiiis close to making my dream job a barista at Jitters.”

Iris snorted.

“Seriously.”

“Yeah, I hear you. But I’ve been at this for years, Lin. Getting a lead role in a superhero show? Starring opposite a white guy? That could really take me places, or at least get my foot in the door. This couple is pretty epic in the comics. If they’re going to do anything like it on the show…I mean-”

“I thought you couldn’t find any comics, that people you shut me down.”

Iris rolled her eyes. “Since when has people shutting me down ever stopped me? A girl has to be her own hero every now and again.”

Linda smirked. “That’s a good line.”

“I’m thinking of selling it to the writers. Think they’d go for it?”

“Oh, absolutely.” Linda laughed. “Isn’t your character a badass reporter? No way she’d stand around to be saved by a superhero every time she was in danger.”

“And she’d be in danger a lot, becaaaause?”

“The superhero is in love with her.”

“Exactly.” Iris beamed, then sighed happily. “I really hope I get it.”

“I hope you do too. It’ll give me something new to watch on TV.”

Iris pushed her playfully.

“And seeing my best friend succeed will do wonders for my ego.”

“Your ego?”

“Well, yeah. I’ll be besties with a superstar.”

Iris snorted and took another sip of her drink.

“Do you know any of the competition?”

“Not personally. When I was waiting outside for the initial audition, a lot of pretty girls came and went. So, it’s definitely just about looks, probably not just about acting either. You gotta have something…some…gumption.”

Linda smiled at her admirably. “Another good word that should end up in the show.”

Iris laughed. “Maybe I should just make my own show.”

“And invite this Barry Allen to be a part of it?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Iris shrugged her shoulders and took another sip of her drink.

“If he’s lucky.”

Linda laughed.

“Okay, I’m gonna go get a pastry and then we should get out of here. Your time slot is in half an hour, right?”

Iris checked her phone.

“Oh, my God, yeah, it is.”

“Do you want anything? Crumpet? Scone? Cake pop?”

Iris bit her bottom lip, debating.

“I better not,” she finally said. “If I eat any more sugary things, I’m going to become one.”

Linda rolled her eyes. “If you insist.”

“I do.”

But when Linda came back five minutes later, she’d gotten one of each, and Iris took two. Linda shook her head as the two of them headed for the door and the beautiful day that lay before them.

“I know you too well,” Linda sang.

Iris shook her head and took another bite of her scone, her voice muffled when she responded.

“Shut up.”

Linda laughed.

…

After about 10 beautiful women had come and gone, Barry felt hunger and boredom start to consume him. Day 3 of countless attractive, talented women walking through the door for a chemistry test with him, and not even he had tried to convince the casting director to give any of them another shot.

From behind the glass, Barry saw movement, and immediately straightened in his seat as his waited for David Singh, the casting director, to walk through the door. Mr. Singh came and sat across from Barry in the seat the latest contestant had been in. He laced his fingers together over his knees and leaned forward.

“What are you thinking, Barry?”

Barry’s stomach growled.

“Besides that you’re hungry.”

A blush crept up Barry’s neck.

“Think you can do one more?”

He looked up a little too excitedly.

“Only one more?” he asked.

“Before break,” Mr. Singh clarified.

“Oh.” Barry looked away sheepishly. “Yeah, yeah, I think I can do that.”

“Good.” Mr. Singh stood up and made his way towards the door. “And hey, you never know. This one could be the one!”

Barry forced a smile. “Yeah, maybe.”

Mr. Singh disappeared behind the glass windows again, and in his place came another beautiful, black woman, as was the requirement on the auditioning ad. She was petite, even with her high heels on, and she had a smile that nearly blinded him, much like the others had. But when he stood up to shake her hand, he met her eyes, and something happened.

“Hi, I’m Iris.”

He stood there, leaving her hand untouched for what felt like a lifetime. He couldn’t figure out what was so different about her, but he just had a feeling – a really good one.

“Barry?”

He blinked and shook his head.

“Sorry, yes, I’m Barry.” He shook her hand. “And you’re Iris.”

“Iris West.”

She smiled brilliantly again, and he felt his knees go weak. He gestured to the chair and script behind her, and she snatched them up immediately, swinging one knee over the other after she sat down.

“Your lines are highlighted in yellow.”

She nodded. “I see that.”

“Right.”

He was starting to feel hot.

Was it possible to have a t-shirt feel too tight around one’s neck?

Barry turned to look through the glass windows again and saw Mr. Singh reach for his microphone.

“Hey, Iris,” came over the loudspeakers.

Iris was clearly startled, so Barry pointed to the wall next to them and the man waving through the sheet of glass.

“Oh.” Her eyes widened. “Hello.” She waved a bit awkwardly. Barry found it cute.

“My name is David Singh. I’m the casting director for the show you auditioned for, Struck By Lightning. Your character’s name is Lily Lake and Barry’s here is Chase Tyler. He’s been in love with you for as long as he can remember, but your character is oblivious. In your mind, the two of you are just best friends.”

Iris nodded. She obviously knew this already, but it was good to have a reminder before officially doing the chemistry test.

“As soon as you’re ready, you may begin,” Mr. Singh said, then sat back down and moved away from the microphone.

Barry and Iris’ eyes met again.

“Don’t be nervous,” Barry whispered. “You’re going to do great.” He smiled a little, and Iris felt reassured.

He looked down at his script and then back at her, beginning.

“Lily, hey! Fancy meeting you here.” He gave her the most impeccable heart eyes.

“Fancy?” Iris rolled her eyes, smiling a bit. “I live right down the block.”

The script then said for her to hit him playfully, but Iris had a better idea. She tickled him.

Barry squirmed a bit, genuinely ticklish where she’d touched him and had to get his bearings for a moment before returning to the script.

“I- I know that, Lily. I just wasn’t expecting you.”

“Well, start expecting me more, mister.”

“Yeah?” he asked, his breath caught in his throat.

“Don’t act so surprised.”

His brows furrowed, in character more than he’d ever been.

“You got the job!”

“I got the-?”

“You’re the new CSI!”

“Oh, my God, really?”

This time she did smack him playfully.

“Don’t make me tickle you again.” She giggled.

“Aaaand, cut!” came Mr. Singh’s voice over the loudspeakers again. “That was great, Iris. Thank you. We’ll give you a call if we’re interested.”

Iris smiled. “Thank you, David,” she said, pleasantly surprising him with the use of his first name. She turned back to Barry. “And you too, Barry.” She held her hand out for him to shake it, but he stood up and wrapped his arms lightly around her, giving her the gentlest, most appropriate hug he could under the circumstances.

“Thanks for coming in,” he said, with a smile, and nodded to her when she turned away, a bit flustered as she made her way out.

As soon as she was gone, Barry turned around in her seat and made his announcement before Mr. Singh could even open the door.

“She’s it! She’s the one!”

Mr. Singh grinned as he walked through the doorway.

“I think so, too. You two have really great chemistry. I haven’t seen anything like it with any of the other girls, and not for a while in the movies and shows I’ve casted either. She’s definitely got my vote.”

Barry couldn’t stop smiling.

“She’s it. She’s Lily Lake.”

“Want to go tell her? Or should we make her squirm for a bit?”

Barry could hardly sit still. Finally, he leapt up and headed for the door.

“I hope she’s still on the block!”

Once outside, Barry scanned the sea of people, some recognizing him and gushing or rolling their eyes. He smiled politely at all of them and then spotted who looked to be Iris on the other side of the crowd talking to someone on her phone with one finger in her other ear.

“Iris! Iris!”

He made his way through the crowd as fast as he could, saying her name over and over to get her attention.

“Iris! Iris West!”

“I’m sorry, Lin. I’m going to have to call you ba-”

He turned her around before she could hang up the call.

“Barry!” Her eyes widened. “What- What are you doing here?”

“You got the part!”

“What?!” She gasped, unbelievably excited, taking his hands and jumping a little with him.

Finally, they stopped and laughed a bit at their foolishness.

“You’re Lily Lake.”

Without stopping to think, Iris jumped into his arms and held him tight. When he set her down, she looked deep into his eyes and held his hands.

“I’m your Lily.”

And that was it. His stomach dropped. Butterflies.

...

*Also posted on AO3 and FFnet.

#westallen #fanfiction #westallen fanfiction #backtothestart02 fanfiction #struck by lightning #chapter 1 #grandice-as-westallen au

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tsarisfanfiction · 4 years ago

Text

Nothing V

Fandom: Thunderbirds Rating: Teen Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Angst Characters: EOS, John Tracy, Virgil Tracy, Alan Tracy, Scott Tracy

The fifth part of my contribution to @gumnut-logic‘s SensorySunday challenge: See. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

A challenging pov, but a necessary one. That cyclone’s going to be a bit of a problem, and the clock is ticking...

EOS had become familiar with the human notion of ‘distress’. Excluding those from John’s family, all calls received on Thunderbird Five were ‘distress’ calls, where a human panicked while John attempted to convince – reassure – them that help was on the way.

She had witnessed each of John’s brothers panic before, too. Alan became agitated, his voice an uneven timbre that often raised in pitch. Gordon spoke faster, too fast for many humans to decipher, and had a tendency to repeat himself. Virgil went quiet, his sentences short and abrupt. Scott shouted.

John… John claimed that he did not panic, despite occasional elevated heart rates that matched those of his brothers when they did so. EOS knew better; what humans missed, she saw, and she saw the way he might pause before speaking, and the way his fingers couldn’t stay still. However, this was the first time she had seen John demonstrate a human’s ability to cry, and much to her consternation, EOS found herself confused.

Tears were a signal that a human was feeling sad. For a human that did not cry often, tears could be assumed to indicate an intense emotion, often of sadness or grief. With capillaries within his eyes breaking and giving him a ‘red-eyed’ appearance, John matched the definition of a human who had just lost something very important to them.

But both Scott Tracy and Alan Tracy were alive.

EOS had watched John interact with his older brother in a way her databanks told her was a technique to save a life – Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation appeared to be the name of such an action – pressing their mouths together and pushing hard enough to break ribs. That was normal, her database informed her. Humanity considered broken ribs a fair trade for a life. EOS had come to hold some level of respect and affection for Scott Tracy, a human who had proven to care about John as much as she did, and concurred with the assessment. Broken ribs would not phase the eldest Tracy in the way a lack of oxygen did.

Still, neither Tracy had shown signs of consciousness since John had finished treating them, and perhaps this was the reason for John’s physical distress. Alan was still seated in the co-pilot chair of Thunderbird Three, held in place by the harness. Once Scott had been retrieved and revived, John had once again removed his helmet and instead fixed an oxygen mask to his face. The head wound was likewise deemed as not serious, although John had got blood on his suit whilst cleaning it and covering it with the white linen her databanks informed her was a bandage.

Cross referencing the results of Alan Tracy’s medical scan with his past history and similar recorded incidents informed EOS that he had a ninety eight point two four three six percent chance of survival, which left him as a patient of minimal concern.

Scott Tracy, on the other processor, was of some concern. Despite John’s primary treatment, the medical scan showed that the oxygen levels of his brain were at eighty-six percent, which her databanks considered severe.

John had not left Scott’s side except to make the call to Virgil. EOS had been tasked with the observation of Alan, after her assessment on his chance of survival, and twenty eight percent of her processing power had been focused on that task. A further thirty seven percent of her processing power was currently allocated to the control of all International Rescue machinery including Thunderbird Three, which she had remote piloted to Thunderbird Five in preparation for its return to Earth. Twenty nine percent of her programming was focused on the cyclone preventing the humans’ return to Tracy Island and the medical bay that Virgil Tracy was preparing.

The cyclone would not clear Tracy Island for another three point two six hours, but her calculations told her that Scott Tracy would not survive away from specialist equipment and the medical expertise of Grandma and Virgil Tracy for more than one point one eight hours. Once, before she had come to live with John on Thunderbird Five and see the tenacity of the human race – particularly those with the surname Tracy – she would have written it off as impossible. One more human would die and the world would continue without them.

But International Rescue did not obey EOS’ figures and calculations. International Rescue had the inexplicable ability to defy probabilities, and so EOS looked again, because she was a member of International Rescue and she would find a way to save Scott Tracy’s life.

She ran the calculations again, adjusting variables. There was no way to extend Scott’s survival without full medical attention past three point two hours. The human body had limits and not even a Tracy could be expected to surpass them to such a degree.

However, there was a way to get Thunderbird Three back to Tracy Island in zero point nine eight hours. The journey took ten point three five eight minutes from Thunderbird Five to Tracy Island. There would be a window of six point seven eight minutes where Tracy Island was not assailed by winds beyond Thunderbird Three’s resistance.

The eye of the storm.

She informed John and Virgil of her discovery at the same time.

“Can you do it?” Virgil asked. Short, clipped. Panic.

“I will do it,” John said. It was not an answer to the question – EOS knew that it was not possible under normal means, that the odds of success were far in excess of anything that should be feasibly achieved. The Tracy family had defied her odds before; she was trusting them to do it again. Trust, what a strange human notion – unquantifiable and with no calculable influence on results.

She counted John down, his exosuit removed and stowed away. The timing with the highest chance of success had been calculated – calculations she’d re-run, several times, in a human need to be sure. She was an Artificial Intelligence; she was far superior to the human race, but for this, she needed the unpredictability, the tenacity, of humanity.

And then she watched as the rocket hurtled down from space, skimming the volatile winds of the eye wall at the closest distance Thunderbird Three could tolerate. Six point seven eight minutes before the ever-moving eye wall once again sealed off Tracy Island. Six point nine two minutes of Thunderbird Three’s flight time left.

I can’t watch, she’d heard humans say before when something was going to be close. She’d never understood that – what benefit did looking away have? Why did humans always decide to delay the inevitable, to lie to themselves and hide the truth?

Thunderbird Three hurtled home, and EOS couldn’t watch.

Part 6

#sensorysunday #sensorysunday2020 #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds are go fanfiction #eos #john tracy #virgil tracy #scott tracy #alan tracy #nothing

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politicalmamaduck · 4 years ago

Text

Meet Your Match

When Rey created a profile and post seeking a potential life partner on OKShiraya, she didn’t expect Ben Solo to meet all of her qualifications. Read it on AO3 here.

Written for @dark-mage-13 as a gift for winning the @reyloinspo 1000 follower giveaway! Her prompt was: "Rey puts out an ad asking for a husband and Ben fulfills all the qualifications." I hope you will like this!

...

“That will be all for today,” Senator Thadlé Berenko announced, looking at her wrist chrono and dismissing her attendants and handmaidens. All save Rey left the Senator’s office, nodding politely as they went. The Senator sighed, examined her datapad, then put it down and turned to Rey.

“And how are you spending your night off tonight, Master Rey?”

“I have a date, actually,” she confessed.

“A date? I thought Jedi weren’t supposed to form attachments,” Senator Berenko asked.

“That was the old way, during the Republic, as I understand it. Master Luke takes a more pragmatic view of such matters, considering the Jedi of old’s many mistakes.”

Senator Berenko nodded. Rey didn’t mind her assignment for bodyguard detail. Senator Berenko’s political opinions were not on either extreme, and she expressed genuine interest in Rey and the Jedi life. It wasn’t the most exciting assignment, but it wasn’t boring either. Rey hoped she would be fortunate enough to visit Naboo with the Senator during her assignment. Though she hadn’t grown to adulthood on Jakku, the harsh deserts of her childhood remained with her. She was always captivated by green and watery planets. Furthermore, Shiraya was a Naboo moon goddess, from whom the HoloNet dating site Rey used took its name. Rey imagined it to be a very romantic planet, an ideal honeymoon destination. According to the Senator, its tourism industry rebounded after the Empire was defeated.

After bidding the Senator a good night and heading back to her own quarters, Rey changed out of her robes and freshened up for her date. She wanted to make a good impression, but also present her authentic self.

That night, in a Hosnian Prime cantina, Rey awaited the man who answered her HoloNet ad and messaged her OKShiraya dating profile. The cantina was not too far from the Senate complex, and neither a dive nor as upscale as the places the Senators frequented. A Twi’lek tended bar while a server droid made rounds.

Rey sipped her drink and scrolled through both his profile and her post once more.

Human woman (nineteen standard years) seeking potential monogamous life partner. Humanoid species preferred; no Hutts or Crolutes, please. No substances besides occasional alcohol. Must be taller than 1.7 meters, speak multiple languages, fly and fix their own ship. Must be comfortable with a long distance relationship.

He met every one of her criteria for a potential life partner.

When she first saw his reply to her post, she couldn’t believe it. He was a human male, twenty-nine standard years. He was on Hosnian Prime for a time and could meet in person.

His profile was tantalizingly devoid of personal information, though hers was as well. Neither of them used holos that showed their faces. Hers showed her head in profile, hidden behind a plant she was smelling on Takodana. His displayed his rippling back muscles and teased thick, wavy dark hair.

She mentally ran through her list of questions in her head: Why is your username KyloRen? Where’s your family from? How much do you know about the Jedi? She wanted to follow up on his indication that he would be fine with a long distance relationship, as well.

Rey looked up from her comm scrolling to see Ben Solo walk into the cantina. It had been years since she’d seen him, but she would still recognize him anywhere.

He looked different, though, not wearing Jedi garb. His shirt was of a fine cloth that accentuated his broad chest.

Rey blinked and forced herself not to think of what he might look like shirtless. She was here to meet someone else.

Their eyes met from across the cantina. He did a double take and walked over to her table.

“Rey? I haven’t seen you in years,” he said.

“Master Solo,” she said, smiling and standing up. “Please, sit for a minute.” She was early; she could catch up with Ben while she was waiting for her date, and he waited for whoever he was meeting, as well.

The server droid immediately appeared, and asked Rey if she’d like another and what Ben would have. She asked for water, and he asked for a Corellian whiskey.

“I didn’t know you were on Hosnian Prime,” she said when the droid whirred away.

“Only for a few days. I’m dropping some things off for my mother. Nothing important.” He shrugged. “You’re on assignment with--”

“Senator Thadlé Berenko, of Naboo.”

Ben nodded. “She caucuses and is friends with my mother. Have you been to Naboo yet?”

“Not yet. Hopefully during the next recess.”

“You’ll love it. There’s so much water and greenery.”

“I’m sure I will. What brings you to the cantina tonight?”

Ben blushed, all the way to the tips of his ears. It was far more charming and endearing than Rey wanted to admit. The serving droid placed his whiskey and her water down before Ben could answer.

He took a sip, and muttered, without meeting Rey’s eyes, “I have a date, actually.”

“Oh really?” she asked, taking a sip of her drink in turn. “That’s why I’m here, too.”

He looked up from his drink and cocked his head.

“Wait. Rey, how old are you?”

She was taking another sip of her drink and startled, coughing. After her cough subsided, she took a sip of water and cleared her throat before shaking her head.

“Old enough to date, Ben Solo!” she huffed. His eyes widened.

“You’re not Kira, are you?” he asked.

Rey was stunned. She nodded, staring at him. She could feel the truth hanging in the Force between them.

“And you--you’re KyloRen?” she asked. He nodded.

“I had no idea,” he said, running a hand through his hair, which was, in fact, the dark locks of which she’d dreamed the night before. In her dreams, the tall, dark, muscled stranger met her in the cantina, then whisked her away for a night that ended when she awoke with a racing heart and wet between her legs.

She took a deep breath. “You met all of my qualifications.”

He laughed. “Your post had me intrigued. You didn’t require much, but what you did was very specific. I’m definitely taller than 1.7 meters. And I have a ship, obviously.” He waved his hands before wringing them. “I liked your profile holo. I could tell it was Takodana, not too far from Maz’s castle. I thought when I saw your holo that if you get along with Maz, I knew you would be trustworthy and someone I’d like to get to know.”

He was blushing again, and his voice sounded so earnest. Rey couldn’t believe she was on a date with Ben Solo, of all people. His uncle begrudgingly trained her; she wouldn’t take no for an answer after his scouts brought her to the Academy from Jakku. Ben left the Academy when he was twenty-three and she was an awkward, gangly thirteen. She remembered wondering what it would be like to be so powerful.

Now she too was strikingly powerful with the Force, and ready to take her first steps into a larger future.

She took another sip of her drink and replied.

“Thank you. It’s one of the few holos of myself I actually like,” she admitted.

“I know how that feels. But you’re so beautiful, I’m sure all your holos are great.” He chuckled nervously, and Rey knew she could get used to that laugh. She wanted to make him laugh again, not nervously, but truly laugh from the depths of his belly.

Perhaps it was her drink starting to take effect, but there were other things she wanted to rise from the depths of his belly as well.

“Thank you, Ben. But I’m sure you know it’s difficult to stop and take holos on Jedi missions, even if the scenery is perfect.”

“I can definitely relate to that,” he said, running a hand through his hair again. It was clearly a nervous habit, one Rey did not mind at all.

She willed herself to focus on getting through the questions she prepared. She didn’t need to ask about his family or the Jedi anymore.

“So, why did you choose the username KyloRen?” she asked, looking into his eyes.

He looked down at his drink and sighed. “This might be a lot for a first date, but you probably already know part of it.” He shrugged.

“I’m happy to listen. I want to get to know you, all of you, so go on, please,” Rey said, reaching across the table and squeezing his hand to reassure him. He took her hand and brought it to his lips.

The heat that coursed through Rey’s body had nothing to do with the drink she was nursing.

“I hated my name growing up. I hated all of it--the family legacy, the history, the burdens we all had to bear. I hated feeling like I didn’t belong anywhere. I used to make up stories where I could escape all of it. In those stories, I changed my name to Kylo and joined the Knights of Ren. It’s the only thing I could think of for a username.”

Rey nodded. “I used to make up stories like that when I was a kid, too. When I was scavenging on Jakku, I dreamed of becoming a great pilot and flying an X-Wing someday.”

Ben smiled. “What did you think when you finally got to fly one?”

“It’s so small!” Rey said, laughing. Ben laughed, too. “It is at that. Not enough leg room for me.”

“Your turn to ask me a question,” Rey said.

Ben took a sip of his drink, and paused, considering. He appeared to be deep in thought.

“Is it fair to guess that if you weren’t a Jedi, you would want to be a pilot?” he asked.

“I always wanted to be a pilot,” Rey said. “As long as I can remember, that’s all I wanted to do.”

Ben smiled again, and Rey felt like her heart might burst.

“I know the feeling,” he said. “Your turn. Do your worst.”

“I will,” Rey replied. “How many first dates have you had?”

“A Jedi never kisses and tells,” Ben said, winking.

“What makes you think a first date automatically includes a kiss?” Rey retorted.

Ben held up his hands in surrender. “Fair point, Lady Jedi. Consent is sexy.” Rey busted out laughing, and held up her glass as a toast.

“Indeed it is. Alright, Ben. Let’s try another. In all seriousness, what’s your favorite ship to pilot?”

The answer he provided was entirely different from what she expected based on his dating profile.

“Back to piloting, huh? In all seriousness, my old man’s,” he said, with a soft, wistful look in his eyes. “I love the Grimtaash, but the Falcon? There’s nothing like her in the entire galaxy.”

“I’d love to know what it’s like,” she admitted.

“I’ll make him let you try it,” he said, winking again. “That is, if you want a second date.”

“I’d do just about anything to fly the Falcon,” she quipped. Ben held his hand to his chest as if wounded. “I would love a second date, though.”

“Are you off duty again tomorrow night? Can I make you dinner?” he asked, and Rey knew he was very serious.

“Dinner would be great,” she answered, and he pressed a kiss to her hand once more.

“I’ll give you a lift back to the Senate complex,” he said, gesturing over the server droid to settle their bill.

Leaving the cantina, he did not immediately reach for her hand, but gave her some space with his hand gently resting on her back. Rey smiled, thinking of his comment about consent.

They sat down in his speeder, and strapped themselves in. Before starting it, he turned to her with a smirk. “Well, Rey, do you still think I’m husband material?”

“Maybe,” she said. She smiled and leaned in for a kiss.

#reylo #rffa writers #rey #ben solo #jedi ben solo #jedi rey #fan fiction #my writing #dark-mage-13

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swamp-spirit · 4 years ago

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So! A lot of people have trouble with fic summaries, and, to be honest, a lot of fanfics lose me at the summary, so I thought I'd offer my (biased by my personal taste) tips. Fic is for fun, so if you're not worried about it, don't, but if you're looking to bring in readers, a good sumary is your first date.

The type of summary you need is based on genre. A 40K drama has different needs than a 1K fluff.

But, in my opinion, here's the basic ingredients of a summary:

WHAT A SUMMARY SHOULD TELL ME

What type of fic is this?

Fluffy, steamy, horrific? The summary should set the tone. I don't want to see plot summaries about A and B's complex emotional tension when the tags make it clear it's all smut (or vice-versa). Your summary should give me a good idea what kind of tone you're setting.

What is this fic about?

This seems like it should be the basic of any summary, but I'm amazed how many fics miss it. You don't need to summarize the entire plot, but give me the basics of who is there and what sort of thing they're doing. Don't make me go to the tags to get the most basic details Word definition summaries and quote summaries are a common “okay, but what is this fic actually about”, but even things that try and touch on plot... don't. Think the statement paragraphs you probably had to use for essays. There are a whole lot of ways to say a lot without actually saying anything.

'A tries to save the world, but everyone tries to stop them' – What is A trying to do? Who's trying to stop them? How?

Again, this might not mean getting into details. For example, “A joins the school, but things aren't what they seem” sets a bit of a tone, but “A joins the school, but the teachers seem to be hiding something. Why won't anybody talk about the missing student?” pulls me in more.

For a fluff, this might be as simple as “A and B get groceries and run into an old friend from school”

What makes it special?

Big fandoms tend to have trends. Criminal AU or Coffeshop AU, it's often safe to assume your reader has already read 20. Your summary should make yours stand out. There are some bad ways to do this (see 'breaking the 4th wall' below), but put something in the summary that shows your special flavor.

Imagine your reader has read twenty 'A and B work in a coffeeshop' fics. They are probably happy to read 20 more, but if your summary just gives that, you'll look like a watered down version of something they've already read.

Like adding a little pop of color to a dull outfit, this doesn't need to be a plot shattering twist. The little details can make all the difference. Is B working at a coffeeshop to pay their way through beauty school, or do they hope to own the cafe someday? Is it a soulless churn of a job, or a friendly local atmosphere?

What's the hook?

1K fluff is exempt, but this is one of the biggest things a lot of summaries miss for me.

What is the tension? What are the obstacles? This is part of what gets your reader in. How will they defeat the giant lizard beast without their weapons? How do they convince their warring kingdoms to let them marry? How can they learn to love themselves when the world around them treats them like trash? And why in the world is their soulmate tattoo a squid crushing a watermelon?

SOME THINGS NOT TO DO (in my opinion)

“Basically”

Starting your summary off with a nervous conversational filler is not a strong way to go.

Typos

You already know typos are bad. As a reader, I'm actually pretty chill about typos, but the summary is your chance to pull me in. If it's riddled with obvious typos, it gives me two warnings A) This fic might be unreadable B) This author hasn't put in much effort

If you're like me, it can be hard to find typos in your own work, so I recommend showing it to a friend. If you're writing in your second language, ask a native speaker to take a look. Summaries are short, so it's a smaller ask than looking for a beta, and it can really make a difference.

Apologies

“I'm not very good at summaries” is a pretty famous way to tell your readers not to read your fic. Even if the fic really is amazing, almost nobody is going to take your word for it, and a bad summary will always get more eyes than just telling people summaries are too hard. (Not to say you should never complain about summaries being hard. They are. Just don't do it in your summary)

I understand the anxious impulse to warn the reader so they won't laugh at you, but hold is back. No “B might be kinda OOC”. Definetly no “this isn't very good, I'm sorry”. I'd even avoid “this is my first fic/fic in this fandom/long fic, please be nice”, at least in your summary. This is your pitch to the reader! Don't start it trying to lower their expectations!

On the flipside, your summary is also a bad place to get aggressive with potential haters.

And no, don't shuffle your apologies to your tags either.

Breaking the 4th wall

I 100% violate this in one of my fic summaries, shhhh, but keep the summary about the story, not the kind of stuff you'd talk about in an author interview. This includes

-What inspired you (“based on a dream I had”, “based on an RP”, “wrote this while bored”) Exception: It can be good to nod what works your fic is based on -Your various beefs with canon and other fics (“made this character less of a wimp”, “wrote this because not enough people ship it”)

Ending questions

This is the most personal taste thing, but I tend to find a lot of “end on a question types” really cheesy, especially when it's an easily answered question. Questions should pose the mysteries and struggles of the story, not read like a clickbait headline. Here's some examples by genre.

Romance -

Makes me read - “What future is there for a spaceship in love with it's pilot?” Makes me skip - “Will they be able to find love?”

Makes me read - “Why does nobody else seem to see the ticking box on floor five?” Makes me skip - “And what's with that mystery box?”

Makes me read – “What chance does she have against an entire school with powers?” Makes me skip - “How will she show everybody she's the best?”

The clickbaitiest is ones that ask not the concerns of the story or character, but 'what will happen' (ex: “How does he prove to everyone he's the best? You'll see.”) Not a question, but imperitives to read also hit this nerve. I click away extra fast for anything that ends in “read to find out”. But maybe that's just me???

ON USING QUOTES

For lots of fic writers, a chunk of text from the fic itself is a good way to ease into a summary. I don't think this is a bad idea, but it follows the same rules as any other summary.

Chatfics are especially bad about choosing a random section of text the author finds insightful or funny for the summary without paying attention to if it actually matches the tone, themes, or even the characters the fic focuses on.

“I'm not sure we can make this work,” said X. “I thought we were doing okay, but when was the last time we actually enjoyed one of our dates?”

“So we're just giving up?” asked Y.

“I don't know.”

Tells me what the fic is about. I can expect a dramatic interpersonal fic about the relationship strain between X and Y. I have tone, plot, main characters, and a plot hook.

So, in short, if you use a quote:

-Can I tell who is speaking/thinking?

-Is the speaker or subject the characters I should be focusing on?

-Does the quote give a clear idea of the themes, tone, and/or tension of the story?

#fanfiction #Writing tips

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dark-strangeson-virgil · 4 years ago

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Title: He Shines (Bright Like a Diamond)

Pairings: Moceit (Pre-Relationship), Backround Prinxiety (Pre-Relationship), Backround Intrulogical (Pre-Relationship), Backround Remile (Established)

Words: 4.4k

Janus totally wasn’t nervous. Not at all.

Okay, so maybe he was slightly nervous. It’s really not that big of a deal. It’s a simple school winter formal, and it’s only his sophomore year. Maybe dances will seem more important in his senior year, but for now they seem like nothing more than a few hours of fun, not to be taken too seriously. At least according to Janus.

So why could he feel his chest tightening?

He was going with his friends, so he didn’t have any date he needed to worry about impressing. He was a pretty good dancer, and high school dances barely involve any actual dancing anyways.

If he were being 100% honest, he was probably slightly nervous about his outfit choice. With Roman’s help (the two had spent a solid hour and a half on video call the night before choosing out outfits together, since they were easily the most extravagant of the group), he had chosen a yellow dress shirt, a black tie, black dress pants, and a glittery black vest. He knew it would draw attention to him, and he could see clear as day in his mirror that he looked absolutely fabulous in it. A year ago he would’ve had no doubts at all, sauntering into the dance with his friends confidently. However, a year ago he had not yet realized his absolute infatuation for one Patton Myron.

Rationally, Janus knew Patton would never judge him. Patton was an incredibly loving and accepting individual who loved to experiment with his own style, but this thought still couldn’t help Janus shake his nerves. Even Roman had tried to settle his mind while on their video call. He hadn’t truly known why Janus was as worried as he was but his attempts were at least a welcome distraction. He had elected to simply ignore the worried part of his brain, opting to channel his natural confidence and use it for all it was worth. He adjusted his hair one last time and swiped his keys off of his desk, running down to his car and clearing off his back seats.

They had decided on carpooling in smaller groups to the dance rather than all together, knowing that all of them packed into a small car would likely be too chaotic for the driver to handle. Janus was taking Roman, Remus and Virgil, while Logan had been tasked with transporting Emile, Patton and Remy. Sighing, Janus jammed his key into the ignition and began the short drive to the twins’ house.

He quickly turned on “The Playlist”, knowing it was the only way to prevent a fight over the music once everyone was in the car. While humming along to Fall Out Boy’s “Immortals” he allowed his mind to wander (while still watching the road of course), yet still carefully avoiding the topic of Patton. He could already imagine the stares he would receive once he arrives at the dance. People tend to stare at him often anyways, seing as the freckle concentration on the left side of his face tends to intrigue his peers. However, tonight his vest would hopefully grab attention in a positive way, and Janus truly did love attention.

He had never been to a school dance before so he honestly didn’t know what to expect. He had opted out of freshman year homecoming and winter formal, claiming to find dances “meaningless”, and prom was only for juniors and seniors at his school. His friends had begged him to go this year though, and their descriptions made the idea sound interesting enough for him to agree. If nothing else, he would have an enjoyable night with his friends.

As he pulled up to the twins’ house he messaged both of them, telling them oh-so-elegantly to “Hurry the hell up, we still have to grab Virgil.” As the minutes ticked by he began to get more irritated. Just as he was considering leaving them to find another ride he saw Roman emerge from the front door, Remus quickly following behind his brother. He glared at the two as they entered his car, Remus sitting in the passenger's seat and Roman opting for the back seat.

“And why, pray tell, did you take over twelve minutes to get out of your house after I explicitly told you to hurry?” Janus honestly wasn’t mad. If anything he was slightly annoyed, but he enjoyed messing with Remus and Roman just a bit.

“I was trying to drag Roman out the door, but he kept insisting he needed, ‘Just another minute to fix my hair!’” Remus offered, mocking his twin. Roman grumbled in the backseat, but made no move to argue.

“It’s probably for our resident emo. We all know Roman has a huge crush on him!” Remus practically shrieked, earning a chuckle from Janus.

“Shut up!” Roman shouted, voice slightly cracking as he reached to punch his brother in the shoulder.

“Oh, you’re absolutely right Remus. That’s obviously why he chose the backseat as well. More time to spend talking to his “Dark Prince” as he says.” Janus continued to tease the poor boy, leaving his face a lovely shade of crimson. Roman elected to stay quiet after that, instead going to text Virgil and let him know that they were on their way to pick him up.

The three settled into easy conversation during the drive to Virgil’s house, discussing their plans for the upcoming holiday break. With only one week of school left everyone had begun making plans for the holiday season and they were all eager to plan gatherings so they could stay in touch over the break.

Soon enough the group had arrived at Virgil’s house, Janus shooting him a quick text to let him know they were outside waiting. Unlike the twins, Virgil was walking out the door within 30 seconds or receiving Janus’s text. His anxiety always forced him to get ready for things extremely early, as he didn’t want to inconvenience his friends by being late. He swiftly opened the backseat door and planted himself in the seat across from Roman, muttering a simple “Hey.” as he did so. Roman almost immediately began talking the boy’s ear off, his eagerness for the dance becoming very clear. As Roman talked Remus noticed a small, fond smile work it’s way across Virgil’s face, watching Roman intently. He shot Janus a “How are they so oblivious?” look, which the driver returned as he shifted the car into drive and began the trip to the school.

The conversation eventually shifted to include all 4 boys, discussing the dance as “Doubt” by Twenty-One Pilots played softly in the background.

“I just hope they play some actual fun music this time! Most of the music they played at homecoming was so boring.” Remus whined.

“Your idea of ‘fun’ is just music you can twerk to, Remus.” Virgil retorted, earning a chuckle from Roman that caused a faint blush to tinge his face.

“Exactly! We’re high schoolers, what else does the principal expect?” Remus made a fair point.

“I suppose you’re right.” Janus allowed his mind to float once again, this time choosing to focus on how little he actually knew about dances. ‘Do they serve food, or are we going to have to stop somewhere on the way home? Is the music going to be a bunch of overplayed Christmas songs, since it was the winter formal? How many slow songs were they going to play?’ That last thought caused Janus to halt his train of thought. He hoped they didn’t play many slow songs. Emile and Remy were the only ones in their group who were in an actual relationships (despite gay pining being blatantly obvious from multiple members of their group). Slow songs would likely just leave the rest of them to sit on the bleachers, sulking about their loneliness.

No, he decided with finality. This night is about spending time with friends, and it will not be ruined due to a few sappy love songs. If slow songs are played they could use that time to take a break outside the dance, not mope. He was determined to make this a fun night out with his closest companions.

He took a deliberate, calming deep breath as he pulled into a spot in the free student parking lot. Sure, they would have a slight walk to get up to the school, but it was better than paying $5 to park in the other lot for a mere few hours. He turned the car ignition off, turning to face his friends in the back seat.

“Are we ready boys?” He asked, his signature smirk taking it’s reserved place across his face. Roman quickly hopped out of the car, bouncing on his feet giddily as he waited for the others to join him. Virgil stepped out next, followed quickly by Remus. Janus took one last look at himself in the rear-view mirror, nodding to himself reassuringly before stepping outside the car to join his friends.

Roman immediately shrieked upon seeing his outfit in its entirety. “Oh my god! I told you it would look absolutely fabulous! Doesn’t he look amazing?” Remus and Virgil nodded approvingly, and Janus felt his face heat up just the slightest bit. It felt good to know that his friends approved of the outfit. He took this opportunity to examine both Remus and Roman’s outfits. They were wearing simple, matching suits, with contrasting color schemes. Remus’s was a deep black with a pale green undershirt and a simple black tie, while Roman’s was white (Roman had to be one of the only people who could manage to pull off a white suit and not look absolutely ridiculous), paired with a rich red undershirt that had flecks of gold sprinkled on it. Their outfits matched them well, Janus decided.

Virgil had gone for a less extravagant look, sporting a lilac dress shirt with black dress pants and an obsidian tie. His shoulder-length hair paired quite well with the outfit, the pink at the ends helping to break apart the black and purple from higher up in his hair and in his outfit. Roman seemed to think the simple look suited Virgil, sneaking glances at him when he though nobody would notice.

The four quickly walked up to the front doors of the school, where they presented their pre-bought tickets to the students running the ticket stand. (Roman had insisted on buying their tickets in advance, worrying that if they waited until the night of tickets might have sold out.) As they entered the school Janus could feel his nerves return, no longer able to ignore the thought of how Patton would judge his outfit. Virgil could sense the worry from the other boy and nudged him gently by the shoulder, offering a soft and genuine smile as a source of comfort.

Janus smiled back, glad that his friend wasn’t drawing attention to his nerves. He took one last grounding breath and stepped into the gym, immediately being blasted by Lady Gaga’s voice bursting through the speakers up by the booth at the front of the gym. The dimmed lights coated all of the boys in a slight blue hue as they made their way through clusters of teenagers already dancing, attempting to find their other friends.

Roman spotted Remy first, his sleek all-black suit making him stand out amongst the crowd. Knowing Logan, Emile and Patton would be close by, he led his small group over. Janus opted to stand behind Virgil, still able to be seen but being mostly concealed.

“Salutations, I am glad we have finally managed to locate you four. Emile and Patton were beginning to worry that you had gotten lost on the way here.” Logan’s rather formal greeting was contrasted by his genuine smile, always glad to be in the presence of his friends. Remus immediately began eyeing him up and down, observing his black vest and matching dress pants with a royal blue dress shirt. Suddenly Patton popped out from behind Logan, his positive energy immediately brightening the atmosphere.

“Oh goodness, you all look so wonderful! Vee, you look beautiful with that makeup!” Virgil beamed at the compliment as Janus peeked over Virgil’s shoulder, seeing Patton in a grey suit and baby-blue button down and his classic circular glasses, looking like an absolutely radiant burst of sunshine in Janus’s opinion. Emile came into view, with his coral-pink dress shirt and light grey dress pants. As Emile and Remy began to join in on the conversation Janus stepped out from behind Virgil to contribute, not noticing as Patton’s jaw practically fell to the floor.

Oh god, Patton was going to faint. That was all he could think about as he got the chance to observe Janus’s outfit. His slacks and suit were perfectly tailored and fitted to Janus’s body, showing how marching band had helped increase his athleticism. The tie was also a lovely touch, but what Patton was truly fixated on was the vest.

The glitter reflected beautifully off the lights in the school gymnasium, drawing attention to Janus from anyone who looked. In Patton’s opinion he absolutely shined, and this caused Patton to go into a temporary state of gay panic. He checked to make sure Janus wasn’t watching his reaction, then briskly walked over to stand by Logan. He could tell his face closely resembled a firetruck, he couldn’t shake the lovestruck smile off his face and he found himself babbling incoherently, the only understandable words being “pretty,” and “wow”. If only poor Patton had seen Logan recording his moment of panic from his phone, but luckily Logan would never show anybody with the video. He would just tease Patton with it. Relentlessly. But that was a matter for another time.

After a moment Patton managed to compose himself, and walked back over to properly greet Janus. Smiling his usual bright smile (if not a little wider than usual), he tapped the dark-haired boy on the shoulder.

Janus felt a gentle tap on his shoulder and turned around, only to be met with Patton’s twinkling face, feeling his heart skip several beats as a soft smile formed across his own face.

“Hey Jan! I’m so glad you decided to come tonight! And that’s a super neato vest!” Patton’s tone was as cheery as ever, but Janus couldn’t quite tell what Patton’s intentions were with the vest comment. His insecurities immediately took over, offering a reply in what he hoped was a perfectly casual tone.

“Roman insisted I wear it, but I wondered if it would be too much.” He avoided Patton’s gaze and instead let his eyes fall to the space past the curly-haired boy’s shoulders.

“Oh nonono! That’s not what I meant!” Patton replied a little too enthusiastically, causing Janus to jump slightly in surprise. “Sorry. But I meant it looks really good, er, nice on you! It was a good choice!” He added, this time more calmly. Janus felt the small knot in his stomach come undone at those words, being immediately replaced with a swarm of butterflies. ‘Patton thinks I look good!’

“Oh, well in that case thank you. You look quite nice as well.” Janus was able to look in Patton’s eyes this time as he spoke.

“Thanks! Oh, before we start dancing we should go take pictures at the photo stand!” He suggested to the group, everybody quickly agreeing and exiting the gym to claim a place in line for the photos.

Luckily the line wasn’t very long since the dance had essentially just begun. After around 5 minutes of waiting the eight friends found themselves at the front of the line. They decided to give the teacher running the photo area (their choir teacher, a very sweet man who many of them were familiar with) Remy and Emile’s phones, trusting the two eldest of the group to send the photos to everyone else via group chat later in the evening. The teacher quickly told them that they were allowed to take two photos, one more genuine, well-behaved photo and then a more silly photo before moving to allow them to take their places in front of the snowy backdrop.

The boys lined themselves up with Remy and Emile holding hands in the center. Roman, Virgil and Remus were spread out to Remy’s right, and Patton, Logan and Janus matched them to Emile’s left. They each plastered a simple smile across their face as the first photo was taken, looking poised and elegant. After the teacher gave them the go-ahead to get into position for the second photo Roman decided to make a bold snap-decision. He hastily wrapped his arms around Virgil and hoisted him up princess-style, Virgil letting out a surprised squeak and causing Roman to slightly bump into Remus. Remus nearly toppled over at this but was caught by someone, looking up to see Logan holding him up in a dip position. Not willing to sacrifice this opportunity, Remus simply said “Oh well,” and smiled brighter than he had all night into the camera, with Logan following suit. Emile opted to hop onto Remy’s back, Remy easily supporting the added weight.

Noticing everybody else pairing up, Patton turned to Janus. “Looks like everybody else is posing! Wouldn’t want to be left out!” He swung his arm around Janus’s shoulder, pulling them into a side-hug and leaning in so their heads were bumping each other. As their heads touched he let out a giggle so adorable Janus thought he might just die. Both of them smiling genuinely at the camera allowed the choir teacher to snap the second photo, finding it sweet how close this group was. He handed Emile and Remy their phones as everyone began to untangle themselves. Virgil could be heard grumbling a “Warn a dude next time, Princey.” But judging by the way he was glowing he wasn’t upset in the slightest. Roman began ushering them all back into the gym, eager to get onto the dance floor.

Janus’ head was spinning as they began looking for an open spot on the dance floor, the butterflies in his stomach increasing tenfold. They finally found an area decently close to the center just as Taylor Swift’s “22” began streaming through the speakers. Roman, Remus and Remy were almost immediately able to get into “the groove” as they called it, with Roman being very thankful he was only surrounded by his closest friends. Everybody else felt slightly awkward at first and it took a moment to warm up to dancing among so many people, but eventually they realized everybody else at the dance was focused on their own friend groups. This realization slowly helped each of the boys loosen up, and by the end of the song they were all dancing their hearts out in the small circle they had created.

The next song to play was ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” to which Roman squealed. As they reached the line “Dancing queen, young and sweet, only 17!” Patton, Emile and the twins were thrust into the center of the circle, being the 17 year olds among the group. Feeling the energy among his friends was exhilarating, and Janus was left wondering why he had opted out of dances in the past. This felt so freeing, and he was so genuinely happy. Looking around at all of his frieds’ smiling faces, he knew he wouldn’t need to be convinced to come to another dance from now on.

The songs continued to change, ranging from Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” to the classic Lady Gaga “Just Dance”. At one point “Timber” by Ke$ha and Pitbull was played, giving Remus the exact type of “fun” song he had been looking for. He jumped around wildly, pulling Logan in with him a few times throughout the song “jokingly flirting” and having the time of his life. Everybody else danced along to the song as well, but none of them came even close to matching Remus’ enthusiasm.

Once that song ended a slow song began to play, one Janus couldn’t recognize but Roman immediately announced was Ed Sheeran’s “perfect”. Remy and Emile took to the dance floor, while the six remaining boys opted to step outside for a breath of fresh air.

The group collectively decided to use this as time to take a breather. Standing in a line against the wall, they sat on the concrete, leaning on the wall behind them for support. It was nice for Janus to take a breather, not realizing just how crowded the dance floor had been. The air had started to feel stuffy and hot, though the environment was just too electric to ignore in the heart of the dance floor. He could hear his friend around him breathing deeply, taking in as much of the cool night air as possible. He decided to follow in their footsteps. After around five minutes Roman suggested they should head back inside, always eager to be in the thick of the dancing.

They felt more collected as the bunch re-entered the gym for the third time that night, working their way back into the crowd where Remy and Emile had secured their spot. Everybody quickly fell back into the dancing, no longer feeling any of the awkwardness from earlier in the evening. The song that had been playing eventually faded out into Rihanna’s “Diamonds”, a tune everybody quickly recognized. Janus was so caught up in his own dancing that he didn’t notice Patton slowly working his way through their friends and directly over to him. It was only when he felt a hand brush his that he turned, looking over at the precious boy next to him.

As the song neared it’s chorus Patton linked their hands together, continuing to bounce along to the song. He sang along with Rihanna as she sang through the chorus, looking directly at Janus as he did. He gently swayed and bounced their arms between them, trying to keep the mood light and fun. Once the chorus ended and the song switched back into the second verse Janus quietly asked, “What was that about?”

“Well, your vest is so sparkly and it makes you shine bright like a diamond, so I igured it would be appropriate if I danced with you for this song!” Patton had to be the sweetest human alive. There was no other explanation for the way his words made Janus feel absolutely weak in the knees, opting to no longer hide the goofy grin on his face. Janus felt no need to reply to the statement, letting his smile be enough of a response and moving to continue their lighthearted bouncing. The two continued to dance happily together throughout the song and settled easily back into casual dancing on their own once it ended.

As the event began to near it’s end, Janus could feel the fatigue begin to set in. He had been dancing for a good amount of time, with only three slow songs playing throughout the entire evening. He was sweaty and beginning to feel tired, but the bubbly feeling in his chest remained, his joy still being present within him. He looked around and could see his friends in a similar state. The DJ announced that the last song of the night was about to play, and the students’ ears were suddenly flooded with the voice of Katy Perry with her song “Firework”.

The teens gave their all to this last song, happily jumping along with their classmates and singing their hearts out at the chorus. ‘What a positive note to end the evening on’, Janus thought as the final chorus of the song rang through the school. At this point a good amount of people had left, but every student that was still at the school was singing along to the song’s final notes, letting out a collective breath once it ended.

The boys took a moment to catch their breath before walking over to collect the jackets, cell phones and other personal items that they had set down throughout the evening. Once everything was collected they slowly made their way back to the free parking lot, the cool nighttime air feeling like heaven against their skin.

“So, did you have fun?” Patton stood in front of Janus once again, looking at him hopefully. If Janus weren’t practically buzzing with energy he’s sure he would have melted into the floor at Patton’s tender tone.

“I… yes, I had an amazing time, Patton.” This only resulted in Patton grinning wider, jumping up and wrapping Janus in one last hug for the night. Janus held him there for a moment, squeezing him back tightly before letting go and waving goodbye to Patton, Logan, Remy and Emile for the evening. The group he had arrived with all climbed into his car after saying their goodbyes, beginning to feel the effects of their exhaustion.

The drive home was practically silent compared to the ones earlier on in the evening, allowing Janus to reflect on his amazing evening and feeling very lucky that he was a good driver even in the darkness. He could feel everyone’s fatigue, deciding they were too tired to stop for food. As he pulled up to Virgil’s house he found the emo boy asleep on Roman’s shoulder in the backseat, with Roman being equally passed out and Remus clearly dozing. He gently shook Virgil awake, saying a quick goodbye and letting the boy head inside to get some well-deserved rest. He arrived at the twins’ houses shortly after, nudging each of them awake. Roman didn’t seem to want to fully wake up, leaning on his brother for support as they walked into their own home.

As soon as Janus was parked in his own driveway we worked his way into his home and up to his bedroom, his feet feeling like lead due to his exhaustion at this point. As he opened the door to his room he felt his phone vibrate within his pocket, with the pictures from earlier being sent from Emile. Without looking he immediately knew what the text would be, smirking to himself as he changed into some basketball shorts and a t-shirt. The sleepy boy crawled into bed, plugging his phone in and falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. He knew he would remember this night forever, the pure unfiltered glee he felt being hard to forget.

The next day the silly picture was printed out and hung in a spare frame above Janus’ computer, right where it belonged. ‘Yeah, I could get used to this.’

(A/N: Once again, thanks so much for reading! I’m so thankful that I finally got this done. I worked really hard on it the past couple days and it’s my first fully completed fic! I am new to this, so comments and constructive criticism is much appreciated! Have an amazing day! I love you!)

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constellction · 4 years ago

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andromeda’s past.

this is going to more similar to a list than it is an illustration of her backstory, because this is just the framework of her story. i’ll elaborate in the near future in a post that is more narrative & less informational. appearance: andromeda matos is of the xokrien race, akin to a teifling from dungeons & dragons or a zen-whoberis from the marvel comics. she is humanoid, with midnight blue skin and silver freckles. she has silver-white hair in ringlet curls around the shoulders. she has two dark horns that nearly form a full circle above her head. they are a few shades darker blue than her skin.

xokrien traits: very much like teiflings, xokriens have sharp canine teeth and horns. most adult illirian xokriens have a singular, circular horn atop their heads. xokrien horns grow in at each temple or, in some cases, just below the hairline. initially, they grow in as two separate horns. over time, each of the two horns grow into a half-circle shape. a xokrein’s two horns meet, forming a full circle, when are about twenty-five, or thirty years old at the latest. at twenty-three, andromeda’s horns have not yet formed a full circle. because illir is covered almost entirely in water, the xokrien race has developed some aquatic adaptations over time, including three gills on either side of the neck and webbed feet. these are traits andromeda possesses.

personality: she is kind, passionate, idealistic to a fault. she participates in piracy with a sense of robin hood-esque altruism that hasn’t left her since her days in the rebellion. still, she’s not blind to the immoral side of piracy — she’s just able to make peace with it. she is personable, charismatic to a degree, though her outward optimism is not always agreeable amongst pirates. she has a competitive streak borne from being the middle child of her large family, and a hot temper to match her passion. curious by nature, she makes a map whenever she enters a new area, and enjoys charting stars as well as courses. stargazing is a hobby of hers — though she sees them every day, she never tires of them. fiercely loyal, she won’t back down in a fight, especially to defend a friend. still, because of her reputation on illir, she doesn’t speak openly about her past, preferring to say that she grew up in a small town on illir far from the conflict in mar’lah. she says that she’s looking for her brother, who went on a trade flyer years ago and hasn’t since returned. she offers silly stories about the scarring on her limbs and torso, saying that when she was young, she had many scrapes and injuries while learning to pilot on illir.

home planet: she comes from a developed planet called illir, whose atmosphere is not too unlike earth’s, save the fact for a colder temperatures overall, even in warmer seasons. illir is mostly covered in icy oceans, affected largely by the planet’s two large moons. because its civilizations are small and not involved in intergalactic politics, it’s not often traveled to, but it’s known for its extensive resources — such as crude fuel for ships or previous minerals.

family: capitalizing on the rich resources of illir, the matos family specialized in trade. andromeda has a fairly large family: one older brother, castor, and two younger sisters, ara and lyra. her father would help mine precious minerals found in illir’s earth, and her mother would pilot cargo ships from one system to another. this is how andromeda got her start — her mother taught her to pilot large cargo ships. they lived peacefully, a middle-class family of relative insignificance on an equally insignificant planet, until new leadership took ahold of her home country, mar’lah.

war: this new leadership made efforts to militarize, drafting most cargo pilots and forcing them to instead pilot massive warships made with the various metals found on the planet. since their mother, one of the family’s primary, providers was away from home to train for war, andromeda and her oldest brother became providers for their family, turning to petty thievery to help put food on the table. she learned how to be stealthy, which would eventually aid her in her career of piracy. three months later, the people within her hometown rallied together to form a revolution, intending to overthrow the more militaristic, tyrannical government. andromeda and castor joined the effort wholeheartedly, hoping to give their family a chance to regain the peaceful life they once had. through this effort, she developed her skills in piloting, smuggling, and thievery. she stole from those who had profited off the militarization, instilling within her a sense of justice. soon, andromeda’s efforts earned her a spot alongside those who had founded the rebellion. she became a right-hand to some of the rebellion leaders, quickly rising in notoriety. the “war” lasted no more than a year and a half. the people were ill-equipped to handle such a conflict with the already battle-ready government, and were soon forced into submission by imprisonment or eradication.

post-war: she was separated from her brother in the final conflict. not knowing whether he was dead or alive, she heard that prisoners were being taken to an off-world facility, where other enemies of this power were being held. she decided to stay on-world for five months to secure her family’s safety and stability before setting out into the galaxy to find her brother. because illir is not well-known, few people knew the goings-on about prisoner transport from illir to another planet. despite this, the tyrannical powers that rule mar’lah has some outreach outside of illir, and her involvement in the rebellion against these powers made it difficult to find consistent, honest jobs.

piracy: for the next two years she took odd jobs, trying to find whatever information she could about her brother’s location. it was during this period of wandering that she became more experienced, more level-headed, and began delving into piracy. she stuck with the first crew she joined for about a year, on a ship called the nebula, forming strong friendships and gaining further experience. it wasn’t long before their more criminal activities caught up with them and the nebula was destroyed in a fight. andromeda managed to survive the altercation, but received some scarring on her torso & limbs in the aftermath. she has one horizontal, short scar along the bridge of her nose from a piece of shrapnel. she came upon the ninahva a few months after the wreck, looking for a new crew. she met waelon first. andromeda pilots she ship, and her two years of travel earned her exceptional navigation and cartography skills she uses whilst piloting to chart and stay on desired courses. she still has her own goals, wanting to find her brother and secure a better future for her family, and she feels that the best way she can do this is by joining a crew to see more of the world and continue doing work similar to what she did in the rebellion on her home planet.

#* ☾ ━━━━━━ META.#* ☾ ━━━━━━ OOC.#* ☾ ━━━━━━ SELF.

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animepopheart · 5 years ago

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Ranking Every Studio Ghibli Movie

Studio Ghibli's contribution to anime (and animation in general) cannot be understated. Founded by directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and producer Toshio Suzuki, the studio has produced many of Japan's most hallowed films, movies that are both critically acclaimed and monsters at the box office. In 1996, Disney partnered with Studio Ghibli to bring their movies to North America, developing a new audience that has since come to age; now, Ghibli is as much a part of American childhood as Pixar and Dreamworks releases.

On Anime Pop Heart and @beneaththetangles, we are commemorating the studio with Ghibli Month all September long! I’m kicking things off by ranking Ghibli's twenty-one releases, plus Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which is often honorarily included among the studio's slate, ranked from first to worst (including alternate viewpoints on a couple of the selections).

22. Tales from Earthsea

Miyazaki famously quarreled with his son, Goro, over the latter's ability to direct Tales from Earthsea, and indeeed, the final product feels like the result of a young man who was in over his head. The movie deserves its ignominious reputation, as it is inconsistent, poorly staged, and often terrible. It's a shame, too, for there are some strong elements to the film and enormous potential, with the outlines of an epic tale and compelling characters in Sparrowhawk and Cob (who are wonderfully dubbed by Timothy Dalton and Willem Dafoe, respectively)—it just never comes quite together and totally unravels at the end, resulting in the only bad film in Studio Ghibli's outstanding run.

21. The Cat Returns

Most Studio Ghibli films are family features, made for children. However, they still capture the imagination of youth and adults as well. The Cat Returns, the only "sequel" in Ghibli's film catalog, doesn't do the same however. It is purely for kids, and aside from flourishes here and there that speak of fantasy adventures and feature whimsical characters, fails to engage viewers of a certain age—maybe anyone older than about twelve. A neat companion piece to Whisper of the Heart, it's worth watching, showing to your children, and then giving away to parents who need better-than-average entertainment to busy their children.

20. Ocean Waves

At one time, Ocean Waves was considered a black eye in Ghibli's filmography, an overpriced television movie that wasn't all that good. In retrospect, the intial judgments were only partially right. Ocean Waves is very much a TV movie, melodramatic and small in scale. The animation, too, is sometimes shoddy, but more often than not it's far better than it has the right to be. Ocean Waves is lovingly made, and the characters are almost frustratingly sincere—and oh so early 90s. While on the lowest tier of the Ghibli scale, Ocean Waves is far better than a simple curiosity.

19. Arrietty

Like Poppy Hill before it, there's nothing terrifically wrong with Arrietty—it just lacks the magic of the great Studio Ghibli films, making it rather forgettable. It's also sometimes dull. While beautiful colors, a foreshadowing of the spectacular animation to come of Yonebayashi in Mary and the Witch's Flower, shine through in the film, and some of the action sequences are highly engaging, our hearts are never fully in it. Maybe that's because we lack a loving connection to many of the characters, particularly to the pensive Sho. A nice watch, but one that's lacking.

18. From Up on Poppy Hill

Much maligned for our lowest ranked movie, Goro Miyazaki returned from that entry with a stronger film, one that functions as an ode to historic preservation while presenting one of the studio's most lovely relationships—that is, until it gets a bit tricky, unfortunately begining to enter a zone unusual for Studio Ghibli, if standard fare for other anime. But that's a relatively minor issue in what's a perfectly lovely film that does well in evoking nostalgia in a movie that reminisces about the past and a Yokohama that no longer exists. Not every emotional moment hits as it should, but enough do to make the film Ghibli's best "date night" entry.

17. Pom Poko

Often criticized for being too over-bearing in its ecological message, Pom Poko's main issue instead is that it's meant to a collection of stories that to flow into one another, based on one group of tanukis' fight against urban development, but the movie doesn't feel cohesive, partly because there is no central protagonist. We only get to know each main tanuki so much, and none feel central to the tale—any could step in and play the necessary roles. Still, Pom Poko is unreservedly charming and often hilarious. It's also a peek into Japanese culture that we often don't get, a look at a country transforming in landscape and in values.

16. Ponyo

Why is Ponyo the low point of Miyazaki's output, the only film of his that doesn't attain the level of classic? It is wonderfully animated, bursting with energy and featuring a story that is never disingenuous and a heroine that is funny, cute, and breathtaking even. However, the film proved that Miyazaki was on a downward trajectory after Spirited Away. Repetition seen in Howl's Moving Castle was on full display in Ponyo, a new movie that too often feels like a rehash, featuring characters that other than the title heroine, fail to connect, and a story that is muddled and often just strange. Ponyo is a fun film and a better one after repeated viewings—the problem is that such defenses do not have to be made for any of Miyazaki's other works.

15. When Marnie Was There

The last feature film from Studio Ghibli to date is both quietly personal and a surprising risk. When Marnie Was There is the studio's first true mystery tale, and has a tone that's slightly haunting. The lead characters, also, are unusual for Ghibli—neither Anna nor Marnie are as embraceable as most of the heroines from Ghibli's past, but that seems be purposeful. What they demonstrate to us is not as much of "who we can be" but "who we are" and even so, how we can overcome. The creative energy of past Ghibli films is missing, but the replacement here by a surprising intimate tone in a modern setting is welcomed.

14. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

While this notoriously expensive film flopped at the box office, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was well-received by critics, and for good reason. Adapting a famed folk tale, the film is animated in style befitting its origins, creating the sense that the viewer has fallen into a some traditional Japanese painting. But the movie is not as pastel as its colors indicate—the storytelling is bold. It doesn't sit in the past, instead feeling remarkably current in the fable of a princess imprisoned by seemingly everyone and everything, without ever feeling worn or heavy-handed. Mystical and fantastical elements are both woven into the foundation of the story and come alive in key moments, keeping the film compelling (for the most part) throughout its two hour+ run time.

13. Howl's Moving Castle

An underrated aspect of Studio Ghibli's brilliance is in how they often adapt already-beloved works. Adapted by the master, Howl's Moving Castle, based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones, is gorgeously animated and bold in both design and character—Howl and Calcifer, particularly, are memorable (and give strong emotional weight to the tale). While it suffers in comparison to its predecessor, Spirited Away, by being a little unwieldy, it remains a classic and an example of how well Miyazaki can bring themes and plot points across subtly (think of the flashback of Howl) in a movie that's otherwise fierce and larger than life.

12. The Wind Rises

From conception, The Wind Rises was a challenging film—how do you tell the story of the man who designed a fighter essential to Japan's WWI efforts, and show him as a patriot and dreamer without excluding the crimes of the nation, or making a film that goes against Miyazaki's anti-war values? It's difficult to say if he succeeds, but the film itself is beautifully crafted. The supporting characters here are less important than in other works, so it's vital that the audience admires Jiro Horikoshi, and we do—his character and positivity make him easy to root for, and dream sequences in the film both flesh out his thought process and keep us captivated. Once believed to be Miyazaki's last film, if it had been, The Wind Rises would have been worthy of that designation.

11. My Neighbors the Yamadas

The oddball in Ghibli's filmography, My Neighbors the Yamadas is presented through half-a-dozen or more short stories in the style of comic strips come to life, with animation that matches. The magic in the film is that the Yamadas are as over-the-top as the movie's aesthetic is, yet maintain an authentic feel. Think of some of the most popular family sitcoms of the 1980s and 1990s, but with an addition those shows could not feature—fantastical sequences that break in without warning and bind the ties of family further. We may not want to live like the clumsy Yamadas, but the heart of the family will make you consider whether they're the ones who really have it all together.

10. Porco Rosso

Studio Ghibli films share animation styles and themes, but one can never say they lack in variety when it comes to story. The tale of Porco Rosso is of an ace pilot cursed into living as a pig—but not to worry! He is still adored by women as he flies fantastic missions while running from fascists, pirates, and fame-seeking assassins. Porco is gruff and unattractive, but both he and the tale are sweet, as what's already a compelling story of WWI aces and dogfights is buffeted by grief, romance, and two strong heroines of very different types and roles. Perhaps the film with the largest range of opinion among the Miyazaki classics, Porco Rosso is nonetheless fantastic, and require viewing if you haven't watched it already.

9. Whisper of the Heart

Ghibli's most unabashedly romantic film is one of its most formulaic, but still among its best. The debut film by Yoshifumi Kondō, Miyazaki and Takahata's proposed successor before he died just a few years after the movie's premiere, is at once encouraging while also refusing to shy away from the melancholy experienced by children—and adults, too—when one doesn't seem to have what it takes to become great. In joy and sadness, Whisper of the Heart lets the kids at the center of the film be kids. They are at times stubborn, silly, and immature, and by treating them that way, the movie never drifts into something banal (with the possible exception of the famously abrupt ending)—it's a lovely lesson in growing up and meeting challenges, and a personal favorite.

8. Kiki's Delivery Service

The charm of Kiki's Delivery Service is two-fold—in the setting, a northern European-style town that is alive, forcing the events of the story through its residents, cozy cafes, and early 20th-century transportion, and in Kiki's journey itself. Her community's tradition of sending of young witches to live by themselves at the age of thirteen sets the story in motion, and Miyazaki captures the spirit of a girl that age perfectly—in all its confusion, energy, enthusiasm, and difficulty. Kiki is not a subtle character, but her growth is. When she takes to the air for the finale, Kiki isn't experienced enough to know if she can save the day—and so we cheer when she realizes what the rest of us already know, what we've all experienced ourselves, that it takes time and failure to mold us into becoming the hero.

7. Castle in the Sky

Miyazaki created classic film after classic film for decades, in a streak that started with Lupin III and ended, I'd argue, with Howl's Moving Castle. Often forgotten among the wonders is Castle in the Sky, a steampunk entry that is a joyous adventure, akin to Treasure Island but developed for an audience of both boys and girls. Sumptuous cloudscapes fill the screen, as do colorful characters with meaty roles, including a group favored by Miyazaki—pirates (in this movie, air pirates led by Dola, an older female). Reflective of Miyazaki's ability to master genres, Castle in the Sky again crosses fantasy and sci-fi in perfect proportions, underscoring an uplifting tale with an apocalyptic story line.

6. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Unofficially part of of Ghibli's canon, the success of Nausicaa, based on Miyazaki's own manga and exploring the ecological, anti-war, and feminist themes for which the studio's future films would be noted, launched Studio Ghibli. Nausicaa herself remains one of the studio's most iconic and compelling heroines, a physically powerful and feminine hero who must grow into adulthood very quickly while putting aside deep flaws to offer salvation to her people and land. The beautiful landscapes speaks to the epic story, better fleshed out in the manga, while reminding us that Ghibli films are giants not only in animation, but in fantasy and sci-fi realms as well.

5. Only Yesterday

How do you create an animated film about a twenty-something woman that waxes nostalgia while on a trip to the countryside, and at the same time make it entertaining and accessible? It's not an easy task, but Only Yesterday accomplishes it fully. Taeko, the protagonist, explains, "I didn't intend for ten-year-old me to come on this trip, but somehow, once she showed up, she wouldn't leave me alone." We experience her nostalgia for and complicated feelings about the past through a family that's genuinely flawed, while experiencing her visit to relatives in the countryside in the present, a trip that is subtly life-altering, one that pushes her to consider who she is and who she wants to be. Oh, and the film also features one of anime's most wonderful endings, set to a cover of a now-classic love song.

4. Grave of the Fireflies

It's a testament to Miyazaki's stature that the first three Ghibli films on the list are all directed by him, and also to the supreme talent of the other directors that their films rise above some of his other tremendous work. Directed by Studio Ghibli co-founder, the legendary Isao Takahata, Grave of the Fireflies is the most painful and emotional movie in the canon; it is also one of the greatest war movies ever made, using animation to deftly explore the how war victimizes children. Opening and closing shots, both of which express the uncaring nature of bystanders (and by extension, the world) toward children cause us to wonder what we really feel about the world's most vulnerable population.

3. My Neighbor Totoro

It's often said that nothing really happens in My Neighbor Totoro—but that's part of the magic of the film. A child's movie in all ways, including in the action, which revolves around a sick mother, a move to a new house, and a lost child, the film finds its center in a magical being that never says a word (Totoro only growls), and about whom many theories abound. If Totoro is a figment of Satsuki and Mei's imaginations, he is then similar to Winnie the Pooh, a necessary presence in the lives of a child character (two of them, sisters, in this case) who is growing up in a difficult situation, not to adulthood, but to the next step in the journey of life.

2. Spirited Away

Miyazaki has retired and unretired several times—when did so following Princess Mononoke, he returned with what is often considered his magnum opus, Spirited Away. At once deeply Japanese and completely accessible, the movie takes viewers on one of the most remarkable visual journeys ever put to film, a feast that never relents through its entire run time. Perhaps underrated is Miyazaki's decision to move the action away from the bathhouse for much of the final act, a quiet last leg that is key to Chihiro's journey, as well as for many of Spirited Away's supporting characters. Absolutely deserving of all love and acclaim.

1. Princess Mononoke

Studio Ghibli's finest film is also perhaps its most surprising. Visceral, violent, and conflicting, Princess Mononoke is no easy tale to absorb. There is no "good guy," not in the traditional sense, as Miyazaki explores hist favored ecological theme but through the lens of humanity struggling to survive in a world where they are just surpassing nature, the beast gods and goddesses who had previously ruled. It is an epic in the vein of films from decades before with vibrant and complex characters, ground-breaking animation, and an English voice track that is second to none. The studio's most intricate work, Princess Mononoke requires multiple viewings to fully appreciate.

All Studio Ghibli movies are available for sale, including many in special collectible editions. We encourage you to go check them out!

#studio ghibli #ghibli month #spirited away #my neighbor totoro #howls moving castle

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xialing-gf · 6 years ago

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she (mj x reader)

7th installment in my songfic series

Summary (based on the song She by dodie): falling in love with your best friend, mj, was a wild, but beautiful journey

Wc: 2201

Tw: questioning of sexuality, coming out to not really accepting parents

Playlist (Listen to while reading this fic!):

❀she by dodie

❀growing pains by coin

❀bad ideas by tessa violet

❀smithereens by twenty one pilots

❀focus by allie x

“I am so glad to be here today. I never thought I would ever be standing here. If you told me I was going to be giving a speech at a Pride Parade as the representative of my high school’s GSA club five years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you. I’m so grateful for everything that has helped me turn into the person I am today. I’m so glad to have been through this journey, despite its low moments and confusing aspects. But if I hadn’t ever questioned who I was, I might’ve never ended up with the love of my life, who in fact, is standing right in front of me right now,” The pride sticker Michelle stuck on your face shifted as you smiled, gesturing to your girlfriend who was standing at the front of the crowd.

MJ waved, blushing a faint, cherry cola red color spreading across her cheeks as everybody clapped and cheered. Your hands were shaking under the podium out of fear but you kept your voice strong and steady as you conveyed your speech to the crowd. You never imagined this moment happening and was still to try to comprehend the importance and full scale of this event that you were speaking at.

“So many of you here today have found yourself or are in the process of finding yourself. If you haven’t found yourself yet, that’s completely okay. Today, I’m going to be sharing my journey with you to let you how rocky the road truly is. The struggle LGBT+ people go through on a daily basis is never explicitly discussed so I hope after I share my story with you, more people will come forward and share their stories of love, heartbreak, struggle, pain, and discovery,” Your smile grew wider as your statement earned a smatter of applause. As you gazed into the audience, you looked into people’s eyes, emotionally bonding with them through an unspoken, shared struggle. “It all began when…”

“... can we go to the park again? Mom, we’re done with the coloring pages the teachers gave to us,” You glanced hopefully up at your mom with Michelle, who was flashing puppy eyes by your side, and crossed your fingers behind your back, hoping for her to say yes. Your mother seemed reluctant and a little apprehensive of your request, but after a thought or two, she gave in.

“Alright, you two can go to the park. Come back before dinner!” Your mother called after you and MJ as you both took off the moment you heard the word “alright”. You and MJ loved going to a local park and creating flower crowns and all your kindergarten classmates envied the flower petals stuck in MJ’s hair and the twigs tangled in yours. Everybody, even those with best friends, envied your bond with MJ.

After finishing homework at your house or MJ’s, you and Michelle usually went to the park and in addition to braiding flowers into each other’s hair and making flower crowns, you both explored the playground, swung on swings, and played hide-and-seek. Sometimes, Michelle climbed up the large willow tree that moped on the vibrant green field nearby and encourage you to join her up in the branches and leaves. You attempted to climb up the tree a couple times but always chickened out.

As time passed, you and Michelle grew older and suddenly, the playground was too small for the both of you. In 2nd grade, you both were already making plans to explore the entire world, vowing to one day leave New York and travel to Australia, Europe, Africa, and every other possible place. By 3rd grade, you both created and wore friendship rings on your thumbs that later barely fit on your pinkie.

5th grade was when you and Michelle began to have sleepovers every Saturday night and continued this tradition even until now. At first, sleepovers were like any other play date but extended throughout the night. You would play many card and board games (except for monopoly; you and Michelle decided it was a game for boring adults) and as you grew older, it became video games like Just Dance and Wii Sports.

In 7th grade, you and Michelle stopped playing games during these sleepovers and began to talk about life and the absurdity of society. Sleepovers were almost like a what’s-wrong-with-society-and-how-we-can-fix-it club as your love for activism was rooted in your discussions with Michelle. One day, you brought up the topic of the LGBT+ community that twisted your perspective on life in a different direction.

“So, what are your thoughts on the LGBT community?” You asked, staring up at the ceiling as you lay next to her in your sleeping bag. Crickets chirped outside Michelle’s window as a momentary silence fell over the both of you after you asked.

“Well, I’m… actually part of the community,” Michelle slowly answered, an unfamiliar tone coating her words. During all of the years you knew Michelle, you never had heard her use such an uncertain tone. She was always confident, slightly aggressive, and unapologetically herself. But the tone she used when stating she was part of the LGBT community made her sound fragile and cautious.

“Oh, okay,” You nodded slowly, hoping to express that you weren’t that shocked when in reality, you were very surprised Michelle wasn’t heterosexual. But then again, Michelle was unbelievably talented at keeping secrets. “I’m lesbian. By the way,” Michelle reluctantly added, hoping that it would clear up her previous, vague statement a bit more. You offered a small smile and nodded again, remembering the article you read about how to react if somebody came out to you. It wasn’t like you weren’t used to people who were part of the LGBT+ community-there were a couple bisexual and gay people in your grade-but it was sort of shocking realizing the person you thought you knew the most had kept something from you for a long time.

The peaceful silence turned into an uncomfortable one and Michelle awkwardly asked, “You don’t mind, do you? Me being a lesbian isn’t going to ruin our friendship, right? Are we going to stop having sleepovers?”

“No, of course not! Just because you’re lesbian, it doesn’t change anything between us. You’re still the same old Michelle,” You reassured Michelle quickly, hoping that she didn’t get a wrong impression of your feelings by the silence. It was a lot to process, and there was a nagging thought at the back of your mind that resurfaced during this conversation.

“Oh, good. Well, let’s call it a night. I’m kind of tired,” Michelle announced, rolling over in her bed and pulling her blankets up to her shoulders. “Night.”

“Night,” You mumbled back as you nestled yourself in your sleeping bag, trying to not think too much about the conversation. Eventually, you managed to fall asleep, but when you woke up, you realized what had been bothering you. You never entertained the idea that you liked girls but when Michelle admitted she did, for some reason, it seemed to open up new doors and for the first time in your life, you started wondering if you weren’t straight.

Throughout eighth grade, you constantly suffered through an inner turmoil of questioning your sexuality. You had always thought girls were extremely pretty but never had the guts to admit it. Ever since a young age, heterosexuality was established as a norm. You never really considered any of your affections for girls until now. Now that you knew a label for these different kinds of feelings for people, you began to question everything you learned from a young age.

Michelle has a suspicion that was something was on your mind and asked you almost constantly why you were zoning out or what you were thinking about, but you always brushed it off with a simple “I’m tired, that’s all”. You didn’t want to talk about your feelings and thoughts because you were afraid that if you said what was on your mind aloud, it would make all your thoughts true.

Soon, you couldn’t hold it in any longer and one day, you looked at yourself in the mirror, took a deep breath in and admitted out loud, “I think I might not be straight.”

The shattering, screaming silence after your words was deafening, and you realized that now that you admitted it out loud, your life made sense. You still had no idea what label to put on yourself and it took months for you to finally match your feelings to a name: bisexual.

You worked up the nerve to tell Michelle when you two were eating lunch under the cool shade of a giant tree. You had put down your sandwich and cleared your throat before you spoke, “MJ, I have something to tell you.”

“Hm?” Michelle looked up from her lunch, her eyes widening with curiosity. One of her curls fell across her forehead and she brushed it aside, leaning a bit more forward to give you her undivided attention.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m bisexual. I’ve been thinking about it a lot,” You tried not to rush your words like you did when you were nervous. Surprisingly, Michelle didn’t really react all that much; she simply nodded her head and replied, “Cool. Thanks for telling me.”

After Michelle’s reaction, your unreasonable worries that she wouldn’t accept you faded away. Nothing changed between you two and in fact, your confession had brought you closer together.

High school started and you were faced with an array of new variables to deal with including an increase in homework assignments and tests. Additionally, you and Michelle welcomed Peter Parker and Ned Leeds into your friend group. There was also a Gay-Straight Alliance club that you and Michelle were debating on joining.

Freshmen year was mostly a year if you trying to figure out how high school worked. Sophomore year was when you worked on your personal life. You came out to your parents and since they were traditional-type parents, they had a hard time understanding what “bisexual” meant. They weren’t a hundred percent supportive and implied that they didn’t really accept you yet based on their limited knowledge of the term, but they hadn’t really gotten mad at you so you took that as a positive sign.

Another change in your life was that you and Michelle decided to join the GSA. You both began helping out with raising awareness and advocating for equality for people of all genders, sexualities, and races in school by making posters and volunteering at fundraising events.

You also began studying with Michelle after school at the library and you would often get distracted and start writing notes in the corner of Michelle’s notebook. She would reply to those notes and you would have full on conversations with her through writing. One day, when you both were stringing together a silly story through a jumble of words, you glanced at Michelle and realized how beautiful she looked with her curls spilling across her forehead and a smile illuminated by the sunlight. Suddenly, you realized that you were crushing on your best friend.

Junior year was the year you worked up the courage to ask Michelle out. Peter and Ned had been pressuring you to ask Michelle out to a school dance ever since you admitted you had a crush on her. After you and Michelle watched a movie together (as friends), you drove her home and while you walked her to the door, you asked, “Hey MJ, you know how prom is in a month, right? Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to prom as a date.”

“I’d be delighted,” Michelle smiled, blushing in the dim shine of the house’s porch light. Once she went into her house, you held your triumphant excitement until you got into your car.

Prom was better than you had ever imagined. You and Michelle danced together during the slow dance but when the DJ began playing “hype songs”, you both left prom to get sushi. You and Michelle never really officially determined when you started dating. Sometime after prom, you and Michelle began calling hanging out dates and holding hands in hallways. Kissing and cuddling were saved for when you both had time alone.

Senior year was the year when you were elected as representative of the GSA, meaning that you would represent your school’s GSA at public events. Michelle was elected as the president, which didn’t come as a surprise since she actively participated in the club the most. And now…

“... I’m standing here in front of all of you, hoping that my story has reminded you all of how hard the journey of finding yourself is,” You spoke into the microphone, standing up straighter and looking into people’s eyes.

“The world is a complicated place and one day, if this day hasn’t come to you already, you will find who you are and who you love. Thank you for listening.”

The crowd cheered and clapped, but the only person you were paying attention to was the love of your life, Michelle Jones.

go to my marvel page on my tumblr for more marvel fics!

search the tag #sam’s songfic series for more songfics in this series!

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beanfic · 6 years ago

Text

Bumble Date

Pairing: Josh x reader

Word count: 2014

Warnings: None! (i think..?)

Author’s Note: I’m so sorry I didn’t post this yesterday!! I was so busy, but here it is! This takes place in the trench era, I don’t think I mentioned it in there!

“Swipe left, he’s too tall.” Your best friend swipes before you even had a chance to take a good look at the profile. Your best friend and you had just moved to Ohio a couple weeks ago because you two got a huge promotion. Your best friend has already gone on so many dates, and she finally convinced you to download a dating app so you would stop watching Netflix and eating ice cream every single night.

“Y/F/N, I can’t be so picky, plus it’s who I find attractive not you!” You pull your phone away from her as the next profile popped up on your screen.

“Wait, Isn’t that the drummer for that one band your little sister listens to?” she asks and you nod. You always thought he was cute. He had a full sleeve on one arm, and tattoos have always been a huge turn on. His hair was cut short in the first picture, the second picture had his hair longer and dyed red, and the third picture included him with yellow hair and standing next to the lead singer of the band.

“Yeah, Twenty One Pilots, I’ve been to two of their concerts!” You were glad now that you took your little sister to those concerts so you know who they are. Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph.

“Well, are you going to swipe right?” She raises an eyebrow while you ponder what you should do. After a minute of thinking, you decide to go ahead and swipe right. Immediately his profile picture and yours light up in the middle of the screen with the words “It’s a Match!”.

You both start screaming and jumping up and down on your gguy'scouch. Pounding on the wall from your neighbors made you guys immediately stop. Sometimes living in an apartment got annoying.

“Are you going to message him?” She asks you and you shrug.

“I doubt I will have a chance, he’s like, famous!”

“But he swiped right on you” She reminded you. She was right, and plus, what’s the worst that could happen? He would just not respond, which isn’t that big of a deal.

“I don’t even know what to say!” You and your friend sits back down on the couch and started to brainstorm of the perfect first message. Since you were using the dating app Bumble, it made you be the one to message first. You liked this better so you didn’t get unsolicited dick pics, but the whole “first message” was an anxiety-inducing act.

A couple minutes pass before you finally decided on a sentence.

Hey! I saw that you put Fight Club as your favorite movie, which is crazy because it’s also one of mine.

“Should I send it?” You ask, reading it over one more time and your friend nods. You didn’t want to come off as a fan, and you didn’t want to come off as desperate. Your thumb started shaking as it moved closer to the send button. You closed your eyes, took a deep breath in, and pressed it.

Immediately you shrieked, and threw your phone across the room. You did not want to be constantly checking it for a message, especially because you still had a lot of work to do that night.

An hour passed until your phone vibrated on the ground. You were busy focusing putting numbers into an excel spreadsheet for your job, but that familiar sound made your head snap up immediately.

“Y/F/N.” You look at your friend who also heard the noise.

“It might just be a text from someone else!” She says but you were already picking up your phone and looking at it. On the screen was a notification from Bumble. It was from Josh. He messaged back.

Hey there! Yeah, I do love fight club! What other movies do you enjoy?

It was just a simple message, but it still made you giddy with excitement. You messaged him back right away with a list of your favorite movies. This list included the fifth harry potter movie, spider-man homecoming, and the breakfast club.

He responded back almost as immediately as you did. He explained how spider-man was one of his favorite superheros. For the next couple of hours, you and Josh messaged back and forth, just getting to know each other. He asked if you knew who Twenty One Pilots were, and were scared at first to tell him yes, but you ended up explaining that your little sister was a huge fan.

The next day, you and Josh were still messaging each other, and your friend definitely knew because every time your phone vibrated your face would light up. You usually couldn’t help but smile when reading what Josh had messaged you. He had a way with words that made you eager to meet him in person.

“Has he asked you on a date yet?” Your friend asks and you shook your head no. You were sitting on the couch, working again, but getting distracted every time your phone lit up, even if it wasn’t Josh.

“Should I bring it up maybe? I mean I am the one that had to mention texting instead of messaging on Bumble,” you explained. She pointed her fork at you and nodded, signaling that it was a good idea. You took your phone out and opened it up to the messaged of you and Josh.

Hey Josh, I was wondering if you wanted to grab pizza tonight?

You pressed send, making it a short and simple text. It made you a little nervous being so straight forward but hopefully, it will all work out in the end.

That would be amazing! Where and when?

Excitement rose in you as your eyes scanned the message he just sent. Joshua Dun wanted to get pizza with you. You responded back with your favorite pizza parlor in Columbus, Ohio, and told him around 5:30. He sent you a thumbs up emoji, and a smile emoji.

“I AM GOING ON A DATE WITH JOSHUA DUN!” You scream while running around your apartment. Your friend joins you in the running and screaming until both of you were laughing and panting from being out of breath.

“I’m so excited for you!” She pulls you into a hug. The next hours were spent working, but it was so hard for you to get anything done because you were so excited. You decided to look up Joshua Dun on google. He was way more famous than you thought.

You clicked on a video that was titles “Josh Dun Funny Moments” on youtube. The video was 18 minutes long, and you ended up actually laughing out loud while watching it. He seemed like such a genuine guy, and not to mention that he was extremely attractive and fit.

About an hour before you had to leave, you started to get ready. You curled your hair and put half of it up with a black scrunchie. It took you awhile to choose what outfit to wear but you eventually decided on a black tank top, gray cardigan and ripped skinny jeans. You wanted to look nice, but not too fancy. You slipped on vans and grabbed your purse before heading down to your car.

You arrived a little early so you decided to sit in your car and wait. You listened to Twenty One Pilots newest album on your way there, just incase Josh ended up asking you any questions. You really enjoyed their music, especially the latest album.

Your favorite song started to play so you turned it up loud and started jamming out in your by yourself, which was one of your favorite past times while waiting in a parking lot. Suddenly, a knock on your window startled you. You screamed while you saw Josh standing outside your car. You quickly turned off the music and opened the door.

“How long were you standing there?” You ask, out of breath still from him scaring you.

“Not long, I heard the music so I thought it might of been a fan but I recognized you,” he chuckled. His smile made you smile back.

“Nice to finally meet you in person!” You explain. Josh pulls you into a hug which surprised you, but you returned it. He was more soft than you were expecting, especially since how muscular he was. He was wearing a black fitted t shirt with jeans. You didn’t understand how he could make such a casual outfit look so good.

“Let’s head in! I’m starving!” He claps his hands together and both of you head into the restaurant. It was one of those places where you could make your own pizza, like a subway for pizza. You ordered your usual, and Josh ordered a pepperoni pizza with olives and bacon on it.

“Interesting choice in toppings,” you nod your head in the direction of his pizza and he shrugs.

“Not as interesting as yours!”

“Touché.” You grabbed your pizza was your name was called and walked over to a table in the corner. He joined you and immediately dug in.

“Sorry, I’m hungry,” he says with his mouth full. You laughed, which made him smile. You both get to know each other more. You found out more about his childhood, family, and what it’s like being part of such a famous band.

He also asked questions about you, like what you did for work, why you moved to Ohio, and of course, if you knew the band. You explained to him how you saw the band live twice with your little sister.

“What was your favorite part of the show?” He asked. You wanted to tell him that it was his drumming, but in reality, you spent the whole concert on your phone texting your ex at the time, but obviously, you could not tell him that.

“I really enjoy when the confetti flies out at the end of the show, which song is that?”

“Oh! Trees. Tyler and I have been ending with that song for a while now. It’s like a tradition.” You couldn’t help to stare at his tattooed arm. It looked so soft, like velvet.

“Can I touch your arm?” you asked him giggling and he did it a little smirk.

“Go ahead.” He held his arm out to you, and you ran your hand across his arm.

“Your tattoos are so soft!” You exclaimed. This made Josh blush.

“Thanks, I try to lotion it three times a day.” He took his arm back and started rubbing it himself.

“If you don’t mind could you tell me what they mean?”

The next thirty minutes was spent with Josh giving an in depth analysis of his tattoos and their meaning. You listened to every word, and you also couldn’t help but stare at his eyes, and his lips. He was such a gorgeous human being.

Dinner eventually ended, which signaled that the date was coming to a close. You threw away your trash, and Josh held the door open for you as he walked you to your car.

“We have to do this again! Soon.” Josh exclaims.

You nod your head in agreement, “Yes! Soon.” You smile up at Josh, and returns it with an even bigger smile.

“You have a beautiful smile, Y/N.” Josh says quietly.

“Thank you.” You almost whispered it, but you were filled with excitement and your heart started to flutter. Before you knew it Josh’s lips came falling down to yours, and he gave you a soft kiss.

He pulled away, “So, another date soon?”. You could feel your cheeks were red but you nodded aggressively. You got in your car, and Josh told you to drive safe. As you drove home all you could think of was that kiss, but then you started to think about everything Josh explained about being famous. Did you really want to get involved with a celebrity? But the chemistry, his smile, his arms, and his lips. Should you really go for it?

#josh dun x reader #josh dun fanfic #josh dun oneshot #josh dun drabble #josh dun imagine #twenty one pilots fanfiction #twenty one pilots #twenty one pilots imagine #twenty one pilots one shot #jishwa #jish

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avelera · 5 years ago

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Hi! For the Director's Cut, how about "How to Accidentally Become a Jaeger Pilot in 10 Easy Steps"? Particularly the stick-fighting scene, (which I adore), but really any commentary on it would be awesome :)

Oiajsdoiasjd AAAAH, thank you I really adore that one too, it’s so fun!

OK, so, I’ve actually got stuff to say about the fight scene in "How to Accidentally Become a Jaeger Pilot in 10 Easy Steps“!

First of all, it’s the scene that made me want to write the fic in the first place and I plotted most of the fic while on the treadmill, where a lot of my more “active” story ideas come together. I think it was also after seeing a Tumblr post that broke down to something like, “Wouldn’t it be funny if Newt and Hermann actually became Jaeger pilots because Newt would hate that?”

I mean, obviously there are other takes on the character, I can easily see a version where Newt would be delighted to become a , but based on his (deleted scene) confrontation with Raleigh I’ve always personally headcanoned Newt as a bit anti-Jaeger pilot, seeing them as the manifestations of Earth’s instinct to “shoot first, ask questions later” that is constantly getting in the way of his work being, y’know, effective at finding some other way to solve this massive invasion Earth is going through!

So I thought, “Yeah, it would be funny. Y’know what would be even funnier? Newt and Hermann doing the stick fight battle.” And thus the fic was born.

After that, I got really excited to write it because IRL I’m a bit of a fight junkie, as they say in the LARPing world. Over the years I’ve done 1) boxing 2) kickboxing 3) historically accurate (as in, not for the stage) longsword choreography 4) full-contact (foam weapon) LARP combat 5) bujinkan ninjutsu 6) and olympic-style foil fencing. I’ve been itching to find a place in one of my fics to put some of this knowledge to the test without it coming off as preachy or overly technical, so such a fic would be the perfect opportunity!

It was a real delight to write Newt and Hermann getting their own version of Mako and Raleigh’s famous fight scene (albeit a comical version because Newt does nothing but scream and run around dodging). Such a fight is also possible in this fic because Hermann does not have the limp, with the conceit being that it’s more that he doesn’t have it yet and in fact avoids ever getting it as compared to the canon timeline. Another Jaeger pilot, Stefan, is briefly mentioned as being 60% compatible with Hermann and “built like a Mr. World contestant”. I envisioned him as the person who deliberately broke Hermann’s hip after they got paired together in a malicious effort to get a different partner. Newt joining the academy prevents that event from occurring in this timeline.

So, Hermann is at this point is a pretty lean, mean, twenty-six year old fighting machine with a lot to prove. He’s been dreaming his whole adult life about being a Jaeger pilot, so needless to say he’s pretty good at this whole stick-fighting thing. Hermann’s expertise and exacting nature allowed me to include discussions of a bunch of the forms and stances I learned from longsword choreography. Basically, Hermann is fighting in many of the descriptions in (ironically) the Medieval German-style longsword form, which bears some resemblance to kendo (there are only so many ways to hit someone with a longsword so the similarities between those very different styles is often, heh, striking).

One anecdote from the fight in the fic that I realy enjoyed including is, “What would be the score, out of five, between two fencing masters? 5 to 5? No, zero to zero. Because two masters would fight one another to a standstill without scoring a point.” This is a true story I was told by one of my teachers back when I was fencing. Like Newt in the fic, I guessed 5-5. But the fact it’s zero to zero got me thinking.

I went back and re-watched the Mako vs. Raleigh fight and developed a theory. Maybe scoring a point in that fight isn’t a sign of success, it’s a sign of a loss in the true aim of the fight. After all, the true goal of the match is to discover compatibility, not defeat your opponent.

If you and your opponent are well matched and compatible, neither of you should ever score on one another at all. Thus it is the length the fight goes without someone scoring on the other that would determine Drift compatibility. In essence, your high score is actually how many times you block or dodge one another, which indicates you anticipated the other’s movements. A hit or a successful strike, even against your opponent, indicates a failure and a lower score on your Drift compatibility rating.

Thus, in that fight, when Newt successfully dodges Hermann’s attacks for a half hour (btw, a truly insane length of time to be fighting, most Medieval duels lasted under five minutes), even when Hermann is a much more skilled duelist, they are still found to be insanely Drift compatible. After all, it would have been silly and out of character for Newt to be able to match Hermann when Hermann’s been practicing so hard and taking this so seriously, and while the Newt of this fic is a pacifist (there is a note that his bar fight earlier in the story is the first one he’s ever been in). But, because they’re so compatible, Newt is able to visualize Hermann’s movements before they happen and successfully avoid them even while in panic mode, and while having a screaming argument.

Because you absolutely cannot write these two without the screaming arguments, lol. Fight scenes have always been a classic place to mirror physical sparring with verbal sparring, and in a way it’s a send-up to GDT’s intention with the stick fight scene in the movie and how it mirrors Hermann and Newt’s verbal fights. Not only can these two have a perfect match in which no point is scored, they can also do so while name-calling one another and airing all their dirty relationship laundry for everyone in the Shatterdome to hear XD

It’s one of the scenes I’m most proud of writing so I had a lot of fun getting to babble about it, thank you so much!

#my writing #how to accidentally become a jaeger pilot in ten easy steps #newmann #pacific rim #chalkstardust

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