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saltydkdan · 1 year ago

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Salty i wanna get into Baki which one do you recommend,the manga or the anime?

Oh you just woke up the fucking beast (I'm so sorry).

I LOVE this question, and as a recent Baki fan myself, I can tell you that getting into the series as a Western consumer can be rough if you don’t have a basic guide to know what you’re getting into…. so that’s what I’m gonna make this post (TEEHEE).

This series has gotta be one of the most insane shonen- actually no- one of the most INSANE PIECES OF FICTION I've ever experienced, and I NEED more people to check it out. Like, LOOK AT THIS SHIT DUDE.

Baki out of context somehow even puts Jojo's Bizarre Adventure to shame. The way I usually pitch it to people is that Baki is as insane as people THINK Jojo is before they read it. Shit is just... MAN LMAO. OBAMA IS FUCKING IN THIS.

Unlike more popular stuff like Dragon Ball and Hunter x Hunter, a lot of this series has just never been officially localized, so knowing where to start, and even how to support the series, is a hard task if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Thankfully THAT’S WHAT YOU HAVE ME FOR. This Tumblr post is gonna be your one stop shop for how to get into Baki as an English speaker (and it’ll give me some space to ramble about one of my latest favorite series).

But uh before we get into the nitty gritty, wanna put some trigger warnings for the series for those who may want to know. Listen, I know how some of these are gonna look to the average person, but this series just be like that sometimes, if you can’t take stuff like this trust me it’s insanely valid. You’ll understand if you choose to take the plunge.

SERIES TRIGGER WARNINGS:

Animated Blood/Violence, some animated gory imagery, Incest (???), Nudity, Urine stuff, Bigfoot/Animal Violence, Death, Uncomfortable looking muscles, and one instance of sexual violence (offscreen)

If you are comfortable with all that (and again, valid as fuck if you aren’t) then let’s talk BAKI!

First off, Manga or Anime?

You would think that either would be fine, but my personal recommendation for Baki as a beginner, is to watch the anime over reading the manga. Simply put: The anime is a lot more widely available and accessible in English speaking territories, and is fairly easy to support officially with its current iteration.

For whatever reason, the manga just never really took off in the West when compared to other series, so it was only ever officially released in English a handful of times, and they only ended up publishing the first few volumes. Theoretically, you can read the first few books to start, but the entire series all together is legit longer than One Piece at a whopping 1,203 chapters, so you are gonna run out of material real quick. The fraction of officially available manga barely scratches the surface of the series.

Even if you’re stubborn about reading the manga and want to try reading fan translations, they come with their own separate batch of issues. Plenty of fan scans you can find online range from wildly outdated, to generally being poor quality at best. There’s even some fan translations that just straight up make shit up and don’t even properly translate the original script. Adding in extra dialogue and slurs randomly to make the text seem way edgier than it actually is.

Full disclosure, I wanna cut through my bias here and say that there are indeed some great scans available on the internet if you look hard enough, especially for the more recent content! But they aren’t super easy to track down with how the series is formatted, and you may accidentally find yourself reading the story out of its proper order.

The watch/read order of Baki is a bit of a toughie for new people, but is actually pretty simple once it’s explained. The story of Baki is split up into multiple different series, kind of similar in format to Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Though instead of “Parts”, Baki is split up into completely different manga and TV series. This is why many fans get confused initially, especially with the watch order, because it isn’t laid out in an easy to understand way at first glance.

The most well known series are currently streaming on Netflix, but those aren’t the ones you wanna start with. Nope, the story of the Baki anime actually starts way back in 2001, in a TV show that isn’t streaming officially online. Now if you want to watch out of order, I’m not gonna stop you. You can do whatever you want, by all means, but you’re gonna be missing some VERY important story context, and some characters just won’t hold the same weight.

So if you DO want to watch in order, come with me my friend. Let me show you-

BAKI’S SUPER COOL AND NOT AT ALL CONFUSING WATCH ORDER:

Baki the Grappler (2001) (24 episodes)

This is the original 2001 anime adaptation, the very start of serialized Baki anime. You’re gonna wanna start here trust me.

This series isn’t streaming anywhere officially online, but you can find it… places. Seek it out, trust me, because otherwise you’re gonna pay way too much for out of print DVDs on Ebay. Thankfully though you have options! The series is both subbed and dubbed (as well as every series I discuss from this point forward.

This show is the very start of serialized Baki anime, the very beginning of Baki Hanma’s story. Although it’s not in the way you may think. Despite this being the earliest point in the Baki timeline, it’s actually an adaptation of a later story arc from the manga.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “Didn’t you just say this is where I should start? Why is it adapting something from later in the story?”, and yeah it’s valid to be confused. While yes this is the first ever Baki anime, for some reason the staff behind it made the decision to move this later arc up a bit from the original manga. In my honest opinion, I feel like this is actually a great decision.

As you will see as you watch, this honestly FEELS like this should be where the story begins. The escalation of power and storytelling from this point onward feels very natural, and you won’t miss out on anything or spoil yourself whatsoever on later events.

This is the de facto best starting point.

Grappler Baki Maximum Tournament (2001) (24 episodes)

This is effectively the second season of Baki the Grappler. For whatever reason they decided to title it something else, and while this is the norm for the series later on, this name change is weird because it adapts an arc from the original manga just like the first season of anime I just talked about.

Whatever lol.

Anyway this series, much like the previous, isn’t officially available as of now. So your best option is to SEARCH for it. SEARCH on the INTERNET. Or y’know. The good ol’ expensive out of print DVD on Ebay route.

In my opinion, compared to the first season, this one feels a bit slower paced and a bit of a slog at points but HOLD STRONG TRUE BELIEVER. This season is the introduction to a lot of mainstay characters in the series. Many of which you will come to love, even if you don’t know it yet.

BAKI (2018) (39 episodes) (NETFLIX)

This is the modern adaptation of Baki. After the last series ended in 2001, the anime went on hiatus for 17 years before it was announced that it would be coming back with a modern coat of paint.

Contrary to what you may think, this isn’t a ground up reboot. It’s a continuation of the exact point they left off years ago, right after the Maximum tournament. The only thing that kind of sucks about this is that, at least for the English dub, they replaced most of the voice cast. Most of the new VAs do a great job, however you may need to get used to Yujiro Hanma having Shadow the Hedgehog’s modern VA from the games haha.

Thankfully, you can officially support this series easily via Netflix. Normally I’m pretty eh on Netflix as of late, but this being the only way you can support the show officially in the west, I personally recommend it.

Baki Hanma (2023) (39 episodes) (NETFLIX)

This is the most recent anime! It’s also on Netflix.

Me and my friends just got to this on our watchthrough together.

Anyway, this is my list! If after you catch up you wanna hop into the manga and read the fan scans, I’ve heard that you can start on Baki Hanma/Baki Son of Ogre (chapter 183).

Hope you enjoy the funny man punching show! Feel free to report back and tell me how you feel about it (positive OR negative)!

Like I said, I've been watching the series with friends on Discord every night or so when we're free and MAN. Baki is fucking AMAZING WITH FRIENDS. It just never slows down after a certain point, and it just gets stranger and crazier.

#salty asks #saltydkdan #long boys #baki #anime #manga

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iwasbored777 · 1 year ago

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Wait what?? What about the trailer scene being reanimated? I get all my atsv info from Tumblr and instagram only lmao

I wanted to make this comparison way earlier but I couldn't be bothered but your ask made me want to lol.

You know that iconic "are these your drawings" scene that became a meme ever since they released the first version? Nothing's wrong with changing stuff to make them better but I'm imagining these poor people who put their blood and sweat and tears to make it perfect only for directors to change their minds and go like "add more flirting, needs more flirting". Like LOOK at this:

The first version vs the final one (if the gif isn't loading just tap it, maybe it's just my internet connection idk but they're glitching for some reason here when I added them)

Sorry if the quality of the gifs isn't the best but it's visible enough. I think the difference is more than obvious. And God bless the second version! Gwen seemed so chill in the first version, she is more natural here, and they talk more and are playful with each other. Miles is equally confused here tho lmfao but this is my favourite change of the scene (THE HUG!!!! 😍😍😍😍)

These two:

Oh and the meme format. The amount of drawings in the second one killed me I was laughing my ass off in the theater 😂

(again hope that gifs are loading properly if not try tapping them)

Another thing that you can't unsee is how more confident Miles is when you compare the first version to the final one:

They added rizz thank heavens cuz he looked like he was afraid of her like why???

The dialogue had changes too, the stuff they talked about the toys were new and when she lands on the bed in the first gifs she tells Miles how he grew and he tells her her hair is pinker (is that he word he used?), they didn't have this in the first version. The whole "is Spider-Man grounded?" part when Gwen sits on the window - I think this part was the same, they didn't have to animate her part again (I hope) but they had to animate everything about Miles again in the same conversation. They had to redo at least 90% of the whole thing.

I just feel bad for everyone who had to do it all over again but this is way better, we can all agree on that. But it's not like this is the first movie that had reshoots or whatever you call it for animation.

I hope I got it all covered, tell me if I missed anything.

#i was dying at the first part when she's on the bed and hugs him like they didn't have to make them so lovestruck it was adorable #gwiles #ghostflower #gwen stacy #miles morales #spider man across the spider verse #across the spiderverse #spiderverse #ask and answer

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kanekoii · 1 year ago

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Haiii :3 Could you pretty please write some hcs about Kyo, Doppio, and Ike with a s/o whos love language is physical touch and quality time and they are basically almost always around them and touching them in some way? (⁠◕⁠દ⁠◕⁠)

lyra’s notes -> OMG ONG OMG ALL THREE OF MY OSHIS IN THIS RQ??! TYSM FOR REQUESTING AND FEEL FREE TO REQUEST MORE <3

pairing -> kyo kaneko, doppio dropscythe, ike eveland x gn! reader

genre -> headcanons, fluff

song -> red thread - oneus

warnings -> established relationship, kyo being kyo

KYO KANEKO •

we know kyo is more of a tsundere type, so he probably just short circuits and doesn’t know how to react to your touch sometimes. i mean, having someone he loves that much right there holding his hand??! he just can’t handle it sometimes (in the best way possible). when he gets flustered by your touch, he’s most definitely just going to brush it off and quickly change the topic. when you kiss him, poor boy has to hide his entire face from how hard he’s blushing. when kyo is the one initiating physical touch, it’s a lot more teasing and playful, sometimes he just can’t help but kiss you all over your cute face! just don’t mention it to him later or he’ll short circuit again. if you want to snuggle on stream, kyo will, but if anyone in chat says anything about it, they get banned lmao

DOPPIO DROPSCYTHE •

he’s much more casual about it, but it still catches him off guard sometimes. he loves you more than anything, so he’s sure to give you lots of hugs and kisses and cuddles all the time! his love language is also touch so you can bet you and him are ALWAYS touching in some way. wether it be doppi’s arm around your shoulder or hip if he’s feeling extra scandalous that day, or just holding hands, he’s always so happy to be around you and spend time with his amazing s/o! the disciplinarian is very strong, so sometimes he enjoys just carrying you around! when doppio is the one initiating touch, it’s usually when he’s streaming (this is like an au where the character is a real person and just streams w/ facecam if that makes sense)! he just wants to snuggle with you while he plays games! if you fall asleep on stream, doppi is most definitely going to ramble to chat about how adorable you are!

IKE EVELAND •

he’s really shy about it at first, but he slowly comes around to it. he’s a very introverted person, so you actually wanting to spend time with him and always holding his hand and snuggling into his side or shoulder really gets him off guard sometimes. but god he loves it once he gets used to it. surprisingly, ike is usually the one initiating it now! he just can’t help himself when you’re so adorable and precious and he just loves kissing you so SO much! he loves napping with you too! wether it be you laying on top of him or him just hugging you tightly in his sleep, ike absolutely loves waking up to see you right there. he can’t help but shower you in kisses when you wake up from your shared nap! he’s sorry, you’re just so precious! cuddling on stream is an absolute YES!! he wants everyone to see how much he loves you!

#lyr.fic #nijien #nijien x reader #kyo kaneko #kyo kaneko x reader #kyo kaneko x you #doppio dropscythe #doppio dropscythe x reader #doppio dropscythe my favorite cheftective x you #ike eveland x you #ike eveland x reader #ike eveland

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vacantgodling · 4 months ago

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sjaak facts? *rattles tin* spare sjaak facts?

EEEE SJAAK FACTS YIPPEE!!!!!!!

tw: slavery jumpscare

-i haven’t said it formally yet but sjaak is 23 as of the events of btaf (1811) ; he was born in 1788, was turned into a werewolf in 1808 so he’s been a werewolf for 3 years — probably 2 and some change, cuz idk what actual Month he was born in (i have yet to make an actual timeline wanna feel everything out first before i start REALLY hammering the dates down, but i do know the gist). honestly when i think back to myself at 23, this explains most of his nonsensical behavior HFJFJF

-he is black & dutch. i may have mentioned it before but to fully explain tl;dr his mother was born a slave and was subsequently freed when her former master brought her to the netherlands and during this time period slavery had been abolished so she was good. she still lived as a laborer and worked at a rich man’s estate for poor money. sjaak’s father was actually the master of that estate his mother worked in and his Actual Wife worked sjaak’s mother to death out of jealousy p much. she died when he was 13 and Also explains many of his fucking issues 🤷🏽��♂️

-first description i have of sjaak in draft 2 bc fuck it he handsome:

the person sitting astride her is hard to make out in the moonlight, but the moonlight reflects like a mirror off of his darkened, wet skin. his eyes are dark but its deep like the pits of an unseen hole, with no sheen in them other than the tears perhaps left unshed. his hands are gripping his pants leg so tightly that they’re near ripped. his hair tumbles out his face in wild, kinky waves, the wetter ends slimming out into stringy strands, that are immune to the frizz that takes root of the middle. his lips are plush and full and his nose wide and strong, and his lashes dark and beautiful almost feminine in their fullness. he wears a simple uniform, reminiscent of the french militia, but it looks somewhat tight on him, as though it is these mere threads of fabric that are holding him back from bursting at the seams entirely. some parts of it appear to be caked in blood.

-when his hair is dry it has looser but still kinky curls and since it’s been a few years since he’s had a haircut it falls into his eyes. like this probably (sorry the quality is ass i just wanted yall to see the hair texture)

-in the first 26 pages of draft 2 he has thrown himself to the ground sobbing twice LMAOOO there will be more :)

-sjaak has killed three people up until the beginning of the book but it’s the fourth one at the end of the book that’s REALLY gonna make him feel a way :DDD

-sjaak is left handed but right pawed in his werewolf form lol

-azelie was his first time. the only nut he’s ever had as a human lmao 💀 (i rotate this scene in my head a LOOOOT tbh…. i should write it at some point fbdjfjdj)

-even though biscella doesn’t know how to read or write, sjaak has known from a young age, his mother taught him :3c

that’s all the ones i can think of right this second—i’m tired bc of being on the bus + it’s rainy and i just pretty much reread all of btaf’s draft 1 again LOL 💀💀 i just ugHhh i need this to be written already. but thank you for asking!!

#s: btaf #SJAAK MY BELOVED…#the problem with having a wip like btaf where i know the entire plot #is i wanna just have people read the plot HFJDJFRJ

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silly-inky · 8 months ago

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I'm sorry but you've simply become the person who pops up every now and then with Booigi and I am reminded you exist. To me you are the Booigi Phantom of Tumblr, disappearing and reappearing out of thin air

Pfft- thank you, I’m hoping that’s a good thing

Yeah my motivation is all over the place when it comes to drawing proper art so posting Booigi can be far and few in between

The Booigi phantom haha I love it, I hope you at least annoy myself, and who knows when I’ll strike again with some more Luigi and Kong boo content? Maybe next week? Maybe next month? soon everyone will know my name mwhahaha (I have no idea how well known I am, prob not a whole lot lmao)

No but seriously this brightened up my morning, thank you, hope you’re having a good day, and if you ever want me to draw some all you gotta do is ask ✨

(I do not have a doodle to offer rn, so have this poor quality photo of my brothers cat)

#thank you anon #king boo #luigis mansion #booigi #answering asks #inky rambles

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leggerefiore · 2 years ago

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submas and larry when a s/o mentions they feel neglected due to their work? 👀

probably done this before for ingo and emmet but what's wrong with doing it again lmao

cw: light angst and comfort

▲Ingo▼

● His schedule could vary and be all-consuming. Ingo could have to wake up in the middle of the night to head in for an early morning shift or, worse yet, be on a shift for well over twelve hours. His love for his job was unyielding, and it was a busy time in the station… But, the loneliness could really come up when you feel like you barely see your sweet man or catch him right before he heads off to bed, utterly exhausted from his shift.

● It, well, it made you feel almost ignored by Ingo. He certainly made sure to try to call you when he had time or at least greet you and remind you that he loved you when he was home, but there was rarely any quality time-shared between you both. Ingo was obvious trying his best, but you could not shake your heavy feelings of loneliness. Even hugging the plush him you had bought as a joke did not relieve the feelings.

● Finally, you broke when he popped in late at night after having left around eight. Heavy bags were under his eyes. You walked up to him and stared at him. Ingo tilted his head as he shrugged off his coat and took off his shoes. “… Ingo… I've been feeling…” you hesitated. He was so busy. It was selfish to demand his attention, was it not? He gazed at you sweetly, however. Despite the obvious tiredness, he nodded along. “I'm… I'm feeling like I never see you… I want my hubby back,” you felt embarrassed saying it out loud. Ingo stiffened at your words.

● Suddenly, he brought you into a tight hug as he took admittedly heavy breaths. His thoughts raced. Had he made you feel lonely? Oh, Ingo hated feeling lonely. He took a breath in. “Oh, dearest, I am terribly sorry,” he moved to look you in the eyes, his own watering, “I know my schedule has been consumed by work as of late… But, I promise I'll try to get time off to spend with you.” His hand softly rested over your own. You hugged him back.

● In the end, he did manage to get a day off and spent it at your side, making sure all your worries and bad feelings were wiped away. Ingo knows he has a bad habit of throwing his whole existence into work, so this was another wake-up call for him. Unfortunately, this will likely not be the last one needed for him.

▽Emmet△

○ A few Depot Agents had suddenly left around the same time and left some gaping holes in the twins' scheduling practises. This is what led to Emmet having long days and nights out of the blue until they could get new employees and have them properly trained. Emmet obviously had his frustrations about this, but still found himself throwing his whole self into work. He would come home exhausted and give you a quick hug before slugging off to bed to sleep away his tiredness from work. You felt lonely after becoming used to the cuddliness of Emmet.

○ Having got used to the long evening or nightly cuddles from Emmet and spending a lot of time just physically near each other. The twin tried to call you whenever he got a break at work or give you some small physical affection when he got home if you were still up. Emmet tried to care for you to the best of his abilities, but he was too far spread out to truly do anything. Even all his Joltiks he asked to keep you company failed to be sufficient when all you wanted was him.

○ You felt completely upset one evening and found yourself crying and talking to a Joltik. The door opening and Emmet walking in had not even registered to you as you lamented to the poor bug type like it could help you. “I just miss Emmy…” you whined, “I'm lonely… I feel like I'm the last thing on his mind… I just want to cuddle and listen to him talk about his battles again.” The twin stood shocked at your words. He felt mortified. You most certainly were not!

○ Emmet rushed into the living room to tackle you into a hug, eyes big and mouth in a rare frown. His mind surged with panic and terror. The twin hated being lonely and could not handle the idea that he had left you with such feelings. “Darling,” his voice was a desperate sound, “I love you verrrry much! You are always on my mind!” He stared deeply into your eyes as he desperately tried to keep his hands on you in some way. “I will take a day off,” he nodded to himself with his usual smile returning. “Yup! I will. I will have time with my darling.” You felt more at ease from his words.

○ It was not long that you woke up to your sleepy Emmet still unconscious next to you yet holding you in a tight embrace. True to his word, he gave all his time to you on the day off. There was no escaping his cuddling. Emmet feels bad about having made you feel like that, truly. He struggles with his work scheduling eating up his time sometimes and is usually better managed. He assures you, as soon as they get the employees trained, you will have your beloved Emmy all to yourself.

💼Larry🏢

🍙 While he might have said his boss was restricting his amount of overtime, it seemed that truly mattered little. He was constantly dragged between what office duties and his duties as a gym leader, and it was rare to catch a glimpse of the everyman during his waking hours at home. When he did pop in, he was downright exhausted and just needing time to unwind from the stress of endless paperwork and battles. It was difficult to bring up your feelings of loneliness to Larry, as you knew he had little control there.

🍙 Still, your feelings could only grow worse and worse as Larry's work hours continued to consume nearly all of his time, besides what he spent sleeping. He greeted you when he came in and usually gave a quick hug, but it was more than apparent he was about to crash after getting in his last meal of the day. You felt bad, but you missed your time spent lazing around with Larry. Even just chatting with him about his day was something you missed dearly. It was still difficult to bring up with him. He obviously didn't intend for you to feel that way.

🍙 Finally, you broke down when Larry came in around the middle of the night after you had stayed up waiting for him. He looked as tired as you, but you stood across from him as he slipped off his shoes. You felt your heart swell painfully. “… Are you going to be working like this tomorrow, too?” you asked. He nodded. Swallowing dryly, you turned away from him. “I feel like we never see each other any more… I feel like we're barely dating,” you managed to get out. Larry's briefcase hit the ground as he froze.

🍙 He felt stunned. While he never really gave much thought about working the long hours he did, it seemed he failed to consider your feelings. His mind rushed with his error. Softly, his hand grasped yours as he considered his next words. “… I'll see what I can do to get some time off,” he replied with his usual cadence, “I'm sorry that I have made you feel that way. I just… Forgot that I have more in my life now than just work.” He looked away from you in embarrassment. You felt strangely at ease despite his awkwardness. Bringing him in for a hug, you smiled at him sweetly.

🍙 It was amazing that he managed to get time off, truly. Geeta was stunned when Larry had requested it but agreed. Which meant you got your lazy day with Larry. It was just as relaxing as you expected, and he was surprisingly affectionate. Of course, Larry proceeded to ask for his schedule to be better modified for your needs, too. Which meant no more overtime. Again.

#ingo x reader #emmet x reader #larry x reader #pokemon x reader #ingo/reader #emmet/reader #larry/reader #pokemon ingo x reader #pokemon emmet x reader #pokemon larry x reader

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alicepao13 · 2 months ago

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Hudson and Rex S04E09 - Impawster Syndrome - Part B

I'd love to know how she was planning on fighting them off with a shaving razor.

Charlie is surprised because he was probably expecting a boyfriend.

What exactly are you fighting about, children? The level of Jesse's nerdiness? Nerds can have girlfriends, you know.

Joe: "Rex found a girlfriend in your apartment."

Charlie: "Am I the only one who's still single?"

"Is questioning new girlfriends standard procedure or something?" It should be in this place. It really should be.

lol I'd forgotten the video of fake!Jesse punching someone.

It's a great day for justice.

"But do we really need to make an arrest before we question him?" Um, we just did? Do you want to do it yourself, is that it?

You cannot possibly think it's a good idea for Jesse to be questioned by his own team, Charlie. Anyway, he's out of his mind with worry and I like it.

"Okay, but if the media learns that IA is investigating, they're gonna take that as an admission of Jesse's guilt!" So, the proposed solution is to not let them do their jobs?

Rex just snuck into holding.

Man, they really should have thrown your snarky ass to IA.

The funny thing is that in this season Charlie does do a few things for which he deserves to get yelled at. That's definitely not one of them.

Okay, so your job is to be the tech specialist (or whatever title). You are aware of the new technology known as deepfake, and since you know that it's not you in the CCTV footage, how do you wait for a second video to emerge to think that it might be a deepfake? It should have come up even as an outlandish theory.

Jesse: "I can explain but I need my computer." Charlie: "Sorry, but I already had a criminal fool me like that. Not again." End of episode.

I died.

"I heard there are even programs now that can fake a person's voice." Well, you guys are really good at predicting your future. I'm not talking about the Charlie/Rex mashup, although I'm sure that must be somewhere out there as well.

Aw, Rex is barking because he doesn't want Jesse to be sent down to the holding cell again.

Diesel's head is huge lol

It's one more police cover-up. And you know what? It's not, obviously, but Jesse has received preferential treatment in this case, they even more or less admit it, and what gets me is that he is whining on top of that about how his friends have treated him.

Livestreaming and uploading a live video would have showed as different in most social media platforms. Unless you had, like, put the camera in front of the video that was already playing in another screen or something, which would in most cases result in poor audio and video quality, making it obvious that it wasn't live.

You can say that the guy was abusive, people.

And an actual peeping tom. Always, ALWAYS make sure you camera is covered when you don't use it.

Well, now you can do whatever you want.

"I'm not gonna eat healthy!" lol Jesse. But that donut looks nice.

Rex, you could have nibbled on the guy a little. For Jesse.

Charlie shoved him a bit. That's fair.

"Her Majesty's Penitentiary"? Jeez.

Uh-oh.

Okay, I'm having a hard time believing that SWAT would be deployed for a domestic dispute in Canada, even if there was a distressed call from a woman.

SWAT consistently is made to look pretty bad on this show lol

"We're totally surrounded." You don't say.

"We're not gonna let anything happen to you, okay?" How will you guarantee that, Charlie?

Oh god, he was framed and you guys were doing your jobs!

I'd have told him to stay put, actually. I don't know what protocol SWAT follows, but in all these cases you try to de-escalate the situation, not escalate it. And you need a negotiator.

lmao are you for real?

"I'm not letting you shoot Jesse! I don't know what the fuck the humans are doing!"

Jesse could use a hug, you emotionally stunted people (affectionate).

I mean, financial motivation to ruin someone's life, I get. But this is pure revenge because you sucked at poker? Don't gamble.

You know, believing him or not, it shouldn't have made much of a difference on how you handled your job.

Okay, sap.

I love this.

Wait, is Charlie wearing the same jacket he will wear in S04E14 for the undercover thing? Or am I tripping?

"Rex knows all my tells." Rex knows everybody's tells. I just don't know how he's playing poker. And winning.

Generally, Jesse's attitude frustrated me in this episode. And the team's up to a degree. When I rewatched this with my sister (who couldn't care less for these characters so I consider her a more impartial viewer), she couldn't understand why his behavior during the investigation was even a tiny bit justified and reasoned with in the end. From the team's part, I think some of this has to do with the fact that Jesse is part of the team and they care for him, so of course by the end they would apologize. But the thing is that they've done nothing wrong, they're just in an impossible situation.

And I don't know why Charlie apologizes for not believing him, it was pretty clear up to a point that he was merely entertaining thoughts of how Jesse could be involved in this but purely theoretically and as the evidence against Jesse started piling up, he grew more and more concerned for Jesse, not certain of his guilt. At no point did they show any of the team believing that Jesse might have done this, which, had it happened, would have actually made me side with Jesse. Instead, he comes off as a person who expects preferential treatment because "they know him". Some of which he gets, without the team breaking any major rules, at least. Just the fact that they look for another explanation once they find the weapon of the robbery at his house, when that usually provides an airtight case to hand to the Crown, says a lot. Which is sort of the right thing to do when you know that this person can't be that dumb, but it's still based on the fact that you know them.

Jesse is redeemed for me at the end because he stands his ground. Which is a different thing altogether but I still liked it. It's not exactly a case that told me "You know what? This guy should make detective in a year" but that's just me.

#the great hudson and rex rewatch of 2024

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that-gay-guy-from-hell · 11 months ago

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Been seeing a lot of dmc5se art (I'm too much of an anxious coward to tag them, sorry) lately and, some times, they draw Dante (and others) in the style of MLP. So, I thought it would be fun to draw as well! It's been an EXTREMELY long time since I've drawn MLP styled stuff (or drawn traditionally for that matter) so it's a bit rough (and stiff) but *shrugs* it was fun.

Forgive the poor picture quality, my phone's focus doesn't work right-- it's a feisty bitch and I hate it lmfao Also my handwriting is horrible, sorry lmao (Rambling about this idea below because I have been suffering brain rot over this)

Putting in my two cents on the idea, I think that Sparda (and his descendants) would have a white coat and blank flank (which is covered by their coats).

Sparda would obviously be a demon pony. I think that his "human" or in this case "pony" form would be of an earth pony with a hint of batpony. He'd want to blend in the best he can. He's too bulky to pass as a pegasus and would have an odd shaped horn if he tried to pass as a unicorn. The hint of batpony is because of his ears and eyes. Even with this however, he can still use magic and fly--which looks strange to say the least, an earth pony that's able to do other races things... Freaky.

Eva would be a unicorn, curved ribbed horn, hoof tufts, fluffy ears, and a "classic" type tail. (Not much else to say)

Vergil and Dante would both me earth ponies. However, they each would have devil/demon horns--that are the same as their Devil Trigger. Despite not having a unicorn horn, however, they can use magic. (which adds to the "wtf" factor the whole Sparda family has).

Dante would have a set of two (four in total) (pictured above) horns that curve downwards; which he trims/grinds down then covers the remaining stumps with his mane. Before you ask: yes, this hurts. He's grinding down something that has blood and tissue in it (like most animal horns do) but he's stubborn. The youngest twin inherited his father's body type (or well, fake body's type): a thicker more stocky build. The one major thing from Eva he has is fluffy ears. His tail he keeps trimmed close to his flank because it's a disadvantage in a fight (and a pain to take care of).

PRE NELO ANGELO: Vergil has a fully grown set of horns (two in total) that curve upwards and are more developed/tougher than Dante's--since he doesn't trim them. Oppisite his twin, Vergil inherited Eva's body type: long "traditional" unicorn tail, hoof tufts, slimmer build. The one thing he did not inherit from her is the ear fluff, having his father's batpony structure instead. POST NELO ANGELO: Vergil's horns are snapped in half. Unable to grow them back, he keeps them nearly sanded to a smooth edge. His tail is gone, only have a scar where it did attach before. His hoof fluff takes some time to grow back. V: Skinny earth pony that's white with black faded stocking marks. His front hooves have fluff and he has no tail. His ears are normal. V has his tattoos all over his body except his flank. URIZEN: Didn't want to exclude him but there's not much to say. He'd look like a rooted version of post Nelo Angelo Vergil. Maybe he'd look closer to a changeling? Not sure. His design is something that I would have to play with and try out before deciding.

Trish looks almost the exact same as Eva, however, the major difference is her horn has no ribs. It's a smooth curved horn.

Lady would be a hypogriff (Arkam would be a griffon). Again, not much to say.

Nero would be an earth pony with very little different (otherwise it would've been overly obvious that he wasn't normal). His back hooves have tufts and he has a longer--but not extremely long--base for his tail. His ears are fluffier, but not too much (and not bat texture). His devil bringer would be akin to a griffon's front claws; talons and whatnot. POST "Awakening" (learning to Trigger): Nero does have small horns that curve around his ears; just like his DT's (almost like a ram). He also gains the ability to use "magic" and levitate/hover/glide despite not having a horn or wings.

Sorry that was a lot... But it seriously has been just stuck in my head. Might doodle more of this at some point, might not; I don't know yet. This was really odd and strangely comforting to go back to. Most of my art pre-2020 was MLP styled (even though I had lost interest in the show WAY before that. Just got used to drawing it and was, not to pat myself on the ass, pretty good at it... but I never shared like 99% of it.)

okay I'll shut up now lol

MASTER LIST FOR TUMBLR

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ithinkyouhealedmyheart · 3 months ago

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Ghostwriter Ch 10

Unbetad Unedited Unhinged || AO3

Character(s): Kendall Knight, James Diamond, Gustavo Rocque, Carlos Garcia, Logan Mitchell, Veronica Clark oc

Pairing(s): Kendall Knight/Veronica Clark, Kendall Knight & Veronica Clark

a/n: starstruck is by far my favorite movie, so, uh... keep that in mind lmao. I also have two songs I make a reference to in the beginning

Kendall heard music coming from the recording studio. He was under the impression that Big Time Rush was done with vocals for today. He and the guys were heading out for some quality time at the pool when he realized he left his beanie at Rocque Records. He followed the sound of the music through the halls, which led him to recording studio B. He also heard singing that didn’t belong to either Gustavo or Kelly. Pressing his ear against the door, he chuckled softly. Whoever was inside had no idea that someone else was in the building. They probably assumed Gustavo and Kelly would ignore them, but Kendall wouldn’t. This was the perfect opportunity to embarrass some poor soul. He cracked the door open and peeked inside, the poppy music flooding through the doors.

“You could want this. See if it fits for a bit, and if you don’t like it, then you could go like you have been.” He froze when he realized Ronnie was singing.

The song was playing over the speakers in the recording studio. She held a broom and swept the floor, dancing slightly as she jostled it around like a microphone stand.

“This could hurt some, but if we don’t, we’ll never know what it’s worth to you. I saw you first. Do you remember?” Kendall snickered quietly.

It was funny watching Ronnie sing and dance like no one was watching. Technically, it was like she was putting on a little show. Admittedly, Kendall didn’t want to make her feel bad, but he couldn’t help but laugh. In a twisted sort of way, it was cute. She was genuinely having fun while cleaning up after Gustavo and the guys. Although peeking through a crack in the door felt like an intrusion, she’d stop goofing around if he announced himself. The song died down, and another one started. Maybe she was listening to the CD Lucy gave her?

“Testing, testing, I’m just suggesting you and I might not be the best thing. Exit, exit somehow, I guessed it right. All right?”

Kendall’s smile fell off his face. Maybe he should stop listening and announce his presence, but he didn’t want this to end. Even though he apologized and could talk to her again, she was still closed off around him. Logan, Carlos, and James had more animated conversations with her than he could ever have. In a way, this was like he was picking her brain.

“But I still want ya, want ya, don’t mean to taunt ya. If you leave now, I’ll come back and haunt ya.”

“You’ll remember, return to sender now, now…”

Okay, Kendall was making his presence known. He pushed the door open wider and cleared his throat. Ronne jumped and spun around. The broom clattered to the ground, and she stared with wide eyes like a deer caught in headlights. It was awkward, staring at each other, but it was getting even more uncomfortable listening to her jam out to what was most likely a love song.

Kendall coughed into his hand, trying to lean casually against the door and pretend he wasn’t listening like a creep. He wasn’t being creepy because his intentions were pure, but she didn’t know that.

“What are you listening to?”

With the remote, Ronnie lowered the volume and brushed her hair out of her face.

“Mariana’s Trench. Sorry, did you need something?” She laughed awkwardly and picked the broom up off the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“Gustavo told me to clean the recording studio,”

“Seriously?” Kendall raised a brow.

“Yes.” Ronnie furrowed her brows. She examined the expression on his face but was still frazzled from getting caught. “What do you want?”

“Came back for my beanie,” Kendall said, noting that it was neatly sitting in one of the swivel chairs.

“Oh– But you left an hour ago?”

Kendall crossed the room quickly and grabbed his beanie, sitting on his head haphazardly.

“James also forgot his lucky comb. Have you seen it?”

“No. I haven’t seen his comb.” Ronnie shook her head.

“Do you want help?” Kendall tilted his head.

“Well, I mean, I’m almost finished. All I have left is… The sweeping.” She glanced at the broom handle. A minute ago, Ronnie had pretended it was a microphone on a stand because she thought she was alone.

“Are you doing anything after this?” Kendall fidgeted with his hands.

Ronnie choked on her saliva. Is there too much wax in her ears?

“I’m sorry. Are you asking me out on a date?” She was prepared to kick herself if she misread the situation mentally. Kendall’s head snapped up, and he looked around for an answer.

“What? No! Friends. We’re friends. I figured you haven’t seen much of L.A.”

“And how would you know that?” Ronnie asked with an accusatory tone. “You’d have to have followed me around for that information.”

“I don’t know… It was easy, considering you haven’t left the Palm Woods.”

“So, what? You want to take me sightseeing?”

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” Kendall shrugged. “I have my license, and I can drive you around to see all the best tourist spots.”

Momentarily, Ronnie was quiet as she looked down at the broom in her hands. She had wasted time goofing off instead of cleaning as Gustavo wanted, but no one was there to yell at her then. She wanted to go sightseeing in Los Angeles. Take corny pictures before the Hollywood sign and grab one of those dumb keychains. She had no idea when Griffin or Gustavo would send her back to Vermont, so she might as well have a souvenir as proof that she went to L.A. It wouldn’t hurt to go sightseeing.

“I know Gustavo barely gave us a lunch break. We could go to Sunset & Vine.” Kendall suggested.

“Isn’t that place expensive?”

“So? You have Gustavo’s credit card.” Kendall snapped finger guns at her.

“I’m not going to–” Ronnie paused and considered it momentarily. “It’s an option.”

“Exactly! So, whaddya say?”

“Okay. I hope you’re a good driver.”

She had less than zero confidence in his driving abilities. Kendall and his friends have a penchant for causing destruction, and it isn’t too far off to be weary of how well he drives. She was also thrown off that Kendall even wanted to hang out with her outside of work. It was strange. Ronnie figured he only realized he had to be nice to her, or she would ignore him and give him the cold shoulder. That was all this had to be, right? He acts friendly so that she doesn’t freeze him out and embarrass him in front of his friends. If they went to the same school, he wouldn’t have noticed her, and better yet, he would avoid her if he did.

It wasn’t that Ronnie wasn’t confident enough or that she didn’t think any popular guy would go for her, but she never tried to step out of her comfort zone. Coming to L.A. was a pretty giant leap. If some jock asked her out, she would unfortunately turn the prospect down. Romance and relationship were uncharted territory, with too many unspoken rules she had yet to understand or figure out. Sometimes, navigating her friendship with Callie and Addison was more complicated than it should be. It was like navigating a social minefield. One wrong move, and someone blew up.

“You’re a little quiet there.”

Ronnie snapped out of it. They waited for the elevator at the end of the hall. She must have zoned out while walking. Her mind was an echo chamber, and it was hard to get her away once she got too deep. She felt like she didn’t have time to process everything.

“I’m always quiet.” She shoved her hands in her pockets.

“More like you always have too much on your mind.” Kendall raised a brow.

“I think a lot. So, what?”

“Hey, hey, hey. I never said it was a bad thing.”

“Not those exact words, but you had that tone.”

“Tone?” Kendall furrowed his brows.

The elevator opened, and the both of them stepped inside.

“Nothing. Nevermind. You’ll think it’s weird.”

“No,” Kendall shook his head. “I wouldn’t think you’re weird.”

“It was…” Ronnie sighed. “You said it almost like you were teasing me,”

“Well, I wasn’t. Whatever you think I think about you is all in your head.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot that you’re such a nice guy.”

“Okay, now you’re teasing me.”

“Exactly. Because I am.”

“Hey, I’m a nice guy!”

“Nice guys don’t usually have to announce that fact.”

Kendall paused and stared at her with his jaw on the floor. The elevator signaled they were on the ground floor, and he watched her walk out. He had to admit she got him. Maybe he wasn’t as nice as he thought, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. But her comment caught him off guard. He felt she knew him and who he was under the facade for some reason. Shaking his head, he followed after her. He won’t think about that now.

“Why do you always act like you don’t want to spend time with anyone?”

“What do you mean?” Ronnie tilted her head, staring up at him, confused. “I’m glad you want to spend time with me.”

“Oh– You just seem… I dunno, indifferent…” Kendall shrugged and scratched the back of his neck.

“Oh, right, sorry.” She cleared her throat and put on a fake smile. “Oh my Gawd, I am so happy to spend the day with Kendall Knight from the biggest boyband Big Time Rush! Tell me everything about yourself. Your favorite color, your favorite food, your favorite school subject!” Ronnie twirled a strand of her hair around her finger and mocked him with the fake Valley girl voice.

“Why do you do that?”

“Because, unlike your fans, I’m not head over heels for you.”

“I think you might like me once you get to know me,” Kendall rolled his eyes and put on sunglasses that he seemingly pulled out of nowhere. What is it with people pulling things out of thin air?

“Do you not have sunglasses?” He noticed how she squinted in the light and shielded her eyes with her hands. For a moment, he considered giving her his sunglasses.

“I’m fine.” Ronnie lied, trying not to squint too much and make it seem like the L.A. sun was already affecting her. She knew she had forgotten something this morning.

Mrs. Knight graciously let Kendall drive her second rental car after Katie’s fake friend drove the first rental in a high-speed chase. It was a beat-up Toyota with dark green paint. No celebrity would be caught dead driving one of these, and the paparazzi would be utterly unaware if he were in it. Big Time Rush wasn’t globally famous, but the group gained traction with their first album and a successful interview with Deke. Kendall opened the passenger door for Ronnie. He was somewhat of a perfect gentleman. Or at least he knew how to act the part.

The passenger seat was uncomfortable, and the car smelled slightly like gasoline. She could only imagine the car would go up in flames if she lit a match. Pulling at the levers on the side of the seat, she adjusted the back. Kendall shut the door and ran around the car to climb into the driver's side.

“Are you sure you don’t need sunglasses?” The blonde dug around in the door and procured a pair of sunglasses, flashing her a toothy grin.

“Okay, okay.” Ronnie took the sunglasses from him and placed them on her face. It was strange how they sat on the bridge of her nose. The weird, fuzzy feeling made her want to scratch her face until it was red.

“I can’t believe you haven’t checked out L.A., and you’ve been here for almost two weeks.”

Ronnie was occupied with looking out the back while Kendall pulled out of the Rocque Records parking lot. She was convinced he would crash into something.

“What can I say? I don’t have a lot of time,”

“We have nothing but time!” Kendall laughed.

“I’ve been too busy following you around.”

“Really?”

“I’ve been cleaning up after you and your friends and getting you out of trouble. If I’m being honest, I kind of don’t care about this stupid city.”

“Okay, you don’t like me, but don’t take it out on Los Angeles.” Kendall scoffed. “This is one of the greatest cities in the world. I told you I’ll take you sightseeing, and I’m the best tour guide.”

“Really? You? A great tour guide?” Ronnie deadpanned.

Kendall turned up the radio, and a poppy duet flooded the speakers. Ronnie rolled her eyes and adjusted herself in the car seat. It was having fun in the sun and spending time with one another. It was pretty ironic, considering the circumstances. Leaning against the window, she watched the world pass by. Adjusting the sunglasses on her face, she sniffed. From the window, she watched Malibu beach whizz past. Ronnie didn’t necessarily hate the beach, but she preferred the pool. Sand got everywhere, and there were always too many people. She didn’t live near beaches, but her parents took her to state parks and swimming holes when she was younger. They weren’t the most fun because the gravel would stick to her wet feet, or some kid would accidentally push her into the water. For as long as she could remember, she liked looking at the water but hated being in the water.

Their first stop was Venice Boardwalk. Kendall was decently parked, and he double-checked to make sure the paparazzi weren’t following them. The blonde hadn’t had a run-in with them yet, but he could only imagine what Gustavo and Griffin would be like if the tabloids got their greasy hands on some made-up scandal. Their reactions wouldn’t be positive in the slightest. Maybe even Gustavo would have a heart attack. Not that Kendall wanted him to have a heart attack. It was funny to piss him off or get him angry, but only with harmless antics. If the paparazzi saw the way Ronnie was glued to him amidst the crowd, he was sure they would prattle off about how the frontman for Big Time Rush found himself a new girlfriend after getting his heart broken by the actress from Newtown High. Just thinking about it made his skin crawl. The one thing he hated about being famous was the lack of privacy. It wasn’t as bad as someone like Dak Zevon would experience, but it was still pretty weird. Suddenly, people wanted to know everything about what he and his friends were doing. Where they shopped, what they liked to eat, and who they hung out with.

Ronnie ordered a pretzel with extra salt and butter, and Kendall grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza. It was starting to look like a picture-perfect day. The sun was shining, and there were no clouds in the sky. Los Angeles was pretty scenic once you got past all the car fumes and the people crowding every street corner. Ronnie stopped by a stand selling sunglasses. There were rounded shades, cat-eye shades, red shades, green shades, you name it. Looking at the maps, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Kendall handing the vendor some cash in return for a funky pair of sunglasses.

“Try these,” he handed her square frames tinted purple and blue.

She put them on and pulled her hair out of her face.

“How do I look?”

“Phenomenal.” Kendal gave her a thumbs up. “Keep them, they're yours.”

“Wait– Really?” Ronnie pulled them off. “You bought them– I couldn’t–”

“Keep them,” Kendall repeated. He stopped her from handing them back to him.

“Thanks…”

The two walked down the boardwalk at Venice Beach, weaving through crowds and mostly ignoring the sun beating down. Kendall was used to it at this point, but Ronnie wasn’t. He kept looking over at her, worried she’d sweat herself into a puddle of goo. Or the sun might melt her into multi-colored mush. She was peculiar. She was always wearing that yellow hoodie of hers. He rarely saw her without it other than when she fell in the pool and at Lucy’s Halloween party. He wouldn’t be surprised if it fused with her skin. Although Ronnie had a tough exterior, she was fun to hang out with.

It wasn’t that Kendall hated his friends or wished he had better ones, but there was something different about hanging out with her. Sometimes, he was afraid to admit that James, Carlos, and Logan were too much. There was always something going on with them. When Jo broke up with him, he couldn’t strictly focus on being heartbroken because his friends had decided to get a temporary relationship and then break up with him to understand how he felt. It was heartfelt but resulted in Kendall and Logan having to make James and Carlos feel better. Sure, it took his mind off of Jo for a little while, but by the end of the day, he had been reminded of his heartbreak. For now, he’d been keeping his thoughts and feelings tucked inside. He knew his friends meant well, but he didn’t want to have to deal with fixing their heartache again. Of course, he should have figured they would go and do something stupid to relate to how he was feeling.

A man on roller skates came by playing guitar. Ronnie’s eyes lit up, and she engaged the man in a lively conversation. Sure, Kendall played guitar, but he felt like an outlier in their discussion. He liked the way her face lit up when she was happy. It reminded him of James whenever his friend received a new beauty product in the mail. It was nice seeing her out of her comfort zone. She looked different without the permanent scowl or the angry look in her eyes. He took a picture of her on his phone without saying anything else. The lighting was perfect, and she looked so happy. This was a memory he wanted to capture. In the background, there was a paparazzi van. Looking up from his phone, he froze.

“Ronnie.” She hadn’t stopped walking.

“Ronnie.” Maybe she didn’t hear him.

“Ronnie– We have to go!” Kendall grabbed her by her arm, and she let out a yelp. Not only did that alarm the people around them, but it also alarmed those wearing all-black clothing.

“What are you doing? I was just–”

“No time. We have to get out of here.”

“But we have–”

“No time. Let’s go.”

Ronnie didn’t argue. The man on roller skates had already disappeared into the crowd. She helped him with the song he was working on, and in turn, it struck inspiration for her. The only problem was that she didn’t have her notebook. It was in the car. She didn’t want to stick around and find out what made Kendall so antsy. She tripped over her feet as he led her back into the car. He was acting strange. Did he not want to be seen with her? Was he embarrassed to be seen with her? She probably shouldn’t take it so personally, but it wasn’t like he would give her an explanation.

“Something about the sunshine, baby. I’m seeing you in a whole new light.”

“L.A.s a breeze with the palm trees swaying, oh, it’s so right.”

The Hollywood Walk of Fame was the next stop on their sightseeing tour, Something James had begged Kendall to take him to. James wouldn’t stop talking about how his name would be there one day. He was aiming for the stars… that people walk on. People also put their hands on the handprints, but they were part of the sidewalk, so people mainly walked on them. In Kendall’s eyes, they weren’t that great. Acclaimed actors and actresses got their names on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but he didn’t see it as glamorous.

When the crowd cleared and people walked away, Ronnie bent down at Christina Auguliera’s star. Like everyone, she put her hands on the handprints. Not exactly. Instead of putting her bare palms to the stone, she pulled her sweatshirt sleeves over her hands and pressed them down. It was strange and caught Kendall off guard, but he scrambled for his phone to take a picture. She looked cute, smiling up at him. He would have taken a few more photos if not for the fear that the paparazzi would find him and ruin his fun.

“Hey, look.” Ronnie pointed to the billboard across the street.

It was an advertisement for Big Time Rush’s first album. She had to admit it was a pretty good album, and Gustavo knew how to write music well. Of course, she was his protege and couldn’t say many negative things about him. Gustavo Rocque was the master, but she was a simple padawan studying his craft. One day, she would get to his level. One day, she would be famous for the music she writes and could maybe even sing it if she was confident enough. Addison and Callie always said she had an incredible voice, but having never taken singing lessons, she was pretty sure they were just saying that to be nice.

“What a perfect day,”

Ronnie barely folded the map as she looked out the window. She could see nothing but grassy hills for miles. The car was humming down the main stretch of road with no other vehicles in sight. It was actually a perfect day. She wouldn’t admit out loud that she had fun walking around and taking pictures, even though Kendall mainly took photos on his phone. The car turned a corner, and suddenly, three black cars appeared in the rearview mirror.

“Not anymore.” Kendall frowned and looked over his shoulder. “God…”

“Is that– Are they the paparazzi?” Ronnie turned and looked over her shoulder. “Why are they following us? Have they been following us all day?”

“I don’t know. How do I lose them?”

Ronnie opened the map. It took up a good chunk of space on her side. It was upside down, but she wasn’t thinking about that. Moving her finger along the roads, she had no idea where they were, but all she could hope was that the map was correct.

“Take a left here,”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Ronnie glanced over her shoulder again. The black vans with tinted windows were genuinely intimidating.

The car turned, and the vans still followed. The songwriter looked back at the map again and then looked around. Kendall swore the hubcap fell off one of the wheels as the road switched from cement to dirt. Nothing but foliage surrounded them, and it almost looked as though they were driving on a firebreak. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the map.

“Okay, if you take your next left, the road loops back to the highway…” Ronnie turned the map once she realized it was upside down. “Or… maybe not.”

The wheels kicked up dirt.

“This isn’t even a road anymore. This is a firebreak. It has to be.”

“Just keep driving.”

After driving for a while, they passed a yellow sign. Kendall turned his head to get a better look at it, his eyes wide. They were utterly lost, and Ronnie couldn’t admit she was a horrible navigator.

“That sign back there said ‘Deer crossing.’ There are no deer.”

“You complain more than Addison.”

“Are we on the right road or not?” Kendall groaned and turned to look at the map.

“We are! I think…”

“You think?”

“Keep your eyes on the road!”

The car was starting to veer to the right. Even though no other vehicles were on the road, it was still essential to maintain safe driving.

“Look, I’m the navigator.” Ronnie sighed and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

“Oh, is that what you call it?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Means you’re a know-it-all.”

“What?” Ronnie gaped at him. The map crumpled slightly in her hands.

“A know-it-all!” Kendall repeated. “God, you are the queen of snap judgments.”

The car came to a stop, and neither of them noticed.

“‘Turn here! This is the right road, I’m sure of it!’” Kendall mocked her in a high-pitched squeaky voice, taking a hand off the wheel.

“I was sure of it!” Ronnie huffed and peered at the map again. Then she looked out the window and saw the car wasn’t moving.

“You’re sure. You’re so sure of things you couldn’t be sure about.”

“I am not.”

“And you’re defensive.” Kendall shot back.

“Move the car! We’re not moving.” Ronnie groaned and massaged her temples. “God, you’re such a child…” She muttered to herself.

Kendall looked ahead and then down at the pedals. He pressed on the gas, and the car roared to life, but the pedals were stuck. The wheels made an ugly slurp sound as they turned. Looking out the window, his eyes widened when he looked down. The car was in some sort of mud or quicksand. Ronnie leaned out the check window, and the vehicle suddenly jolted as it began to sink. She screamed at the sudden movement and quickly tried to unbuckle her seatbelt.

“Let’s get out and push.” Kendall was surprisingly calm on the outside, even though he was also panicking on the inside. He unbuckled his seat belt, and they both moved to get on the car's roof.

“Let me help you,” Kendall extended his hand to her, but she batted it away.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Why are you so mad?”

“Oh, I don’t know. This.” Ronnie gestured to the rental car, slowly sinking into either mud or quicksand.

“Turning onto this road was not my idea.” Kendall rolled his eyes. He helped her up even though she didn’t want him to.

“You’re blaming me?”

“Yeah, you’re a terrible navigator!” He snapped at her.

“You’re a terrible driver!”

“Hey, I’m a great driver.” The blonde held a finger up to stop her, staring down at her with a wave of anger flickering in his eyes.

“Right.” Ronnie threw her hands up and laughed. “Because you didn’t get us into this mess!”

“No, this is your fault! You had the map!”

The car moved again, and Ronnie grabbed his arm for stabilization. The last thing she wanted to do was fall in the mud and get her clothes ruined or sink into the mud with the car and suffocate to death. She had a feeling he would leave her there to die.

“Ronnie, we’re gonna have to jump.”

“I am not jumping.” Ronnie rolled her sleeves up and looked around for something to get them out of this mess.

“Got a better idea?”

Ronnie’s eyes lit up as a metaphorical lightbulb turned on in her head. “Use the branch as a bridge!”

Kendall moved toward the branch but turned back to her, momentarily questioning her sanity. The branch did not look like it would hold their combined weight, but he could only pray it did. He moved to the car's hood and reached his leg over hesitantly. The vehicle made noises as it sunk into the mud. The inside of the car began to fill with muddy water. The singer was safe on the branch, but Ronnie hesitated to move. She slipped while trying to get to the branch.

“This was my mom’s rental!” Kendall whined.

“I understand that. Just give me your hand.” Ronnie’s arm shot out, and she grabbed the fabric of his shirt.

She teetered off balance, and in the blink of an eye, part of the branch snapped, sending them into the disgusting muddy-brown water filled with leaves and other things neither wanted to think about. Kendall pulled them both out as the car finally sunk under the surface. They watched the mud in the water swirl around from the open window—the watery pit kind of burped as it took the car.

“Excuse you.”

“Shit, my mom is gonna kill me…” Kendall ran his gross, muddy hands down his face, then sputtered in disgust, trying to get the taste out of his mouth.

“My bag!” Ronnie dropped to her knees and stuck her arms in, searching for the rucksack she brought to Rocque Records that morning. “I’m dead. I’m dead.” The songwriter was frantic as she tried to search for it by touch. Not only was her notebook in her bag but her phone and her keys to the apartment.

“Don’t just stand there! Help me!” The liquid coated her sweatshirt, turning the vibrant yellow a disgusting color. But it wasn’t as if their clothes weren’t already soaked from falling in.

“Come here, give me your hand.” Kendall took hold of her arm as she reached in further, looking for her rucksack. His phone rang in his pocket.

“I’m gonna die. That’s what's going to happen ‘cause my dad is going to kill me.” She complained as she felt around aimlessly. “Why did I have to get in that stupid car with you?” She groaned.

“Answer your phone!”

“Okay. Sorry.” Kendall let her go, and she fell face-first into the disgusting water. He fished around in his pocket for his phone; it was a miracle it didn’t stop working when he fell in.

“Mom?” He pressed his phone against his ear. The other end was garbled static, barely resembling a voice. He pulled it away from his face to check if he answered the call.

“Mom, there’s no signal. Can you hear me?” Nothing came in from the other end. “Hello?” He rechecked the cell signal and ended the call. It was useless if they couldn’t hear each other.

He turned back to Ronnie, who finally pulled her bag out of the water. It was dripping dirty brown water and quite heavy.

“Look at this!” She shot him a look. The shoulder strap squelched as she put it over her shoulder. “When we return, you’re paying for a new one.”

“I’m paying for it right now.” Kendall furrowed his brows. Why did she have to be such a bitch?

Ronnie turned and walked away in the wrong direction. Unaware, she had no idea where she was going. Kendall sighed and shoved his phone in his pocket.

“Beach is that way.” He pointed in the opposite direction.

She accepted she was wrong and turned to walk in the right direction, shouldering past him. On the bright side, their clothes would dry faster this way. Kendall caught up with her pretty quickly and was mildly irritated. Without a car, the only option was to walk for who knows how long. Neither knew where they were, and Kendall could only hope he was right about where the beach would be. For a while, they walked in silence. Ronnie’s anger was stewing, and Kendall was trying hard not to give her a piece of his mind. She had been pleasant all day but suddenly turned into a raging asshole. Kendall took a deep breath before he flew off the handle.

For him, the silence was uncomfortable and suffocating.

“I’m sorry, okay.”

“Now you’re going to apologize?” Ronnie said snarkily.

“I meant to apologize before.”

“Then maybe you should have apologized then.”

“What is your problem?” Kendall scoffed and walked ahead of her, turning around so he could walk backward and face her.

“I don’t have a problem. I just wanna get back to the Palm Woods and shower to eliminate all this dirt and grime!” Ronnie glared daggers at him.

“You know what? I wanted to take you out and have a nice day that wouldn’t end with us yelling at each other. Why do you hate me so much? Everybody loves me!”

And there’s his arrogance. He turned and started walking away.

“What? So that’s what it’s like with you?” Ronnie raised a brow. “You can’t handle someone disliking you, so you bitch and moan about it and then walk away? That’s charming. I bet your friends chase after you when you do that.”

They both stopped walking. Kendall tensed up, hands balling into fists at his sides. A muscle in his jaw twitched.

“Oh, Kendall, I’m so sorry I hurt your delicate little feelings. Kendall, forgive me for not treating you like the big, enormous star you think you are.” Ronnie mocked, batting her eyelashes and faking a pout. “What a brat.” She said under her breath.

Kendall turned on his heel and walked towards her, quickly closing the gap. He was pissed. It was written on his face.

“I’m a brat? I’m a brat? What about you, huh?” He jabbed a finger in her face.

“Me?” She stared at him in shock.

“Yeah,” Kendall sneered. “For the last week, you’ve done nothing but whine about how I haven’t treated you right or that I haven’t been nice to you. I saved you when you almost drowned because you couldn’t fucking swim.”

She narrowed her eyes but remained silent. She didn’t have anything to say to that because he was right. Ronnie didn’t know how to swim, and he did save her. Then, a thought popped into her head.

“What? So, treating me like an emotional punching bag was just something nice to do? I pity your friends.”

“You wish you were one.”

Ronnie stepped closer, getting in his face.

“I’d rather go down with the rental car.” She shouldered past him and walked away again.

“Okay, I’m confused about something.” Kendall popped in front of her again, walking backward to talk face-to-face.

“What?” Ronnie groaned and rolled her eyes. She was about five seconds away from punching him.

“When we were on our little photography tour, I thought you liked me.” He looked so sincere, like a kicked puppy. For a second, Ronnie almost regretted yelling at him.

“You thought wrong.” Her gaze hardened.

“Why? Why don’t you like me?”

“Because you think everyone likes you and that they should like you regardless of how you approach others.”

“It’s ‘cause I’m likable.”

“No, because you’re a star.” She laughed in his face.

“What does that mean?”

“You don’t even see it, do you?” Ronnie slowed her pace. He was genuinely confused, and it was laughable. “Your life isn’t real. Your house is practically a hotel. You have people waiting on you hand and foot. I mean, real people date someone because they want to be with them. Why were you with Jo?”

“I– Well– I liked her– She’s nice–” Kendall stammered, floundering for a solid answer. She put him on the spot, and he was going belly up.

“That’s all I’m saying.” Ronnie sighed.

It wasn’t long until they found a lake. Kendall fell in first by accident, then he grabbed onto Ronnie’s sweatshirt and pulled her in. They both needed to cool off before the argument got even more heated. The lake was most likely secluded by nature, and it was scenic. A dip in the lake didn’t eliminate all the dirt and grim but they were relatively cleaner. Of course, when they get back to the Palm Woods they’d have to take a shower. But this was sufficient, for now.

In a way it was like time didn’t exist. Ronnie sat on a log, her sweatshirt and rucksack hanging on the branch of a nearby tree. The wind tousled her hair slightly. She closed her eyes and sighed. Kendall sat in the grass. Their clothes were mostly dry. They had sat there that long. By the lake side, it was quiet and peaceful. No one could disturb them or interrupt them. And certainly no paparazzi.

“This is kind of nice.” Kendall leaned back in the grass with his hands behind his head.

“Yeah, it’s giving me the idea for a song.”

“What about?”

“A perfect date, or day. I’ll decide when we get back.” Here, with Kendall, she didn’t have the instinct to cover her arms. She wasn’t embarrassed or uncomfortable. Typically, she didn’t like being without her sweatshirt but there was something different about sitting in the sun with him.

“I wish we could stay here.”

“Why?”

“Because everything goes so fast. It’s calm and quiet. For once, I feel grounded in the moment. I don’t have to put on an act or pretend I’m anything I’m not.”

“I doubt people would hate you if you started acting like who you want to be.”

“I don’t know, I never tried it. My friends think I’m the strong leader with nerves of steel, Gustavo thinks I’m the perfect ‘bad boy’ for the band, and my mom…”

“Your mom would love you regardless.”

“Sometimes I think she wishes I was better, you know. That I didn’t get into fights as often, or maybe wanted me to pursue something other than hockey.”

“Okay, then what do you think?”

“About what?”

“When you start suppressing who you really are, it takes a toll on people.” She got up from the log and walked over to him.

“I’ll be fine. I don’t have a choice.”

“No, I think you do. But it’s your choice to make, not anyone else's.” She sat beside him in the grass and picked at the grass blades.

“I just don’t want to disappoint anyone.”

“Maybe… I don’t understand.” Ronnie pulled at the grass blades, twisting them in her fingers.

“What?” Kendall propped himself up on his elbows.

“Your life. You’re already so well-adjusted to the Hollywood scene. I can hardly imagine what that can be like. All this growing pressure to be something amazing.”

“Right now, I don’t feel pressured to be anything. I can let go and be myself with you,”

Ronnie snorted and shoved him playfully.

“How do you like it?”

“I like it a lot.”

“Me too,”

“So,” Kendall sat upright and faced her. This look in his eyes. “Tell me something about you,”

“That could take a while. I live a fascinating life.” Ronnie joked.

He laughed with her, his eyes filled with warmth and tenderness. She squirmed under his gaze and looked away. Eye contact made her feel weird.

“Stop looking at me like that,”

“Like what?” Confusion flashed across his features. Up close, he had a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose.

“That thing… With your eyes.”

To be funny, Kendall crossed his eyes and made a face. Ronnie snorted and held a hand over her mouth.

“Comedy, not your next big career move.”

“What? No, I’m funny.”

“Yeah, funny looking.” She shoved him playfully.

The songwriter got up and ruined the second little moment they were going to have. Gripping her hoodie and bag off the branch, she took a deep breath to try to calm herself. She didn’t like him. He was still kind of an asshole but more so misunderstood than anything. But she had to stay firm on her stance. Just because they got all heartfelt and mushy didn’t mean they would end up falling in love. Kendall frowned and hopped to his feet, following her.

“Yeah, we should– We should go. Your dad would kill me if he couldn’t find you,”

“Right, she cleared her throat.

When they returned to Palm Woods, it was nearly sunset. Their feet ached, and they were both relatively hungry. James and Carlos were playing obnoxious music by the pool area. Kendall split off from her to check out what new idiotic plan they were implementing. Ronnie pulled out her phone, and it surprisingly worked. It was weirdly durable. Her lock screen lit up with missed messages from an unknown number and Callie, Addison, Camille, and Mercedes. She scrolled through while waiting for the elevator to arrive on her floor.

Hey, Mercedes said I should stop by Rocque Records and meet with you in person. I can’t wait to find out who you are, Ronnie. ;)

#btr #btrtv #big time rush #btrtv oc #veronica clark #ronnie clark #btr oc #kendall knight #ghostwriter fic #oc: veronica clark #oc: ronnie clark

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