#and I know that torrenting is a whole issue over there

[diseaseriddencube]

😈

[caplanbuckybarnes]

Tell Me Baby (Tony Stark)

Summary: tony finds out you've been hiding a secret from the team.

Warnigns: none? mild fire burning? pyrokinetic! reader

WC: 947

Read on ao3!

--

You had been Tony Stark’s assistant for just over three months now. It wasn’t the easiest job, but it came with its perks: a salary that would make most people’s heads spin, the chance to work with some of the brightest minds in the world, and, of course, the luxury of being in Stark Tower every day.

You were good at your job—no, you were great at it. From managing Tony’s schedule to getting him his morning coffee (which, to be honest, was half the job), you knew the drill. But no one on the team knew the real reason Tony had insisted on hiring you.

It wasn’t because you were the best at organizing. It wasn’t because you were the best at being his personal assistant. No, Tony had hired you because there was something else about you—a secret that you kept hidden from everyone, even the team.

You were a pyrokinetic.

You could control fire, summon it from the tips of your fingers, make it dance at your command. You could hold it in your palm and make it flicker like a candle, or release it in a torrent of flames that could scorch anything in its path.

No one knew.

Tony was the only one who had any idea about your strange ability, though he didn’t know the extent of it. When he had first hired you, he had been intrigued by your calm demeanor, your ability to solve problems quickly. But over time, he’d noticed little things—a spark in your eyes when you were frustrated, the faint warmth that emanated from you when you were stressed. He’d chalked it up to a weird quirk, never pushing the issue.

That was, until today.

You were standing in the conference room, going over the new schematics for one of Tony’s latest inventions, when an unexpected emergency interrupted the team’s meeting.

The alarms blared, and chaos erupted in an instant. Tony was on his feet, barking orders, as the others gathered in the hall to rush into action. You were about to follow when you heard a crash—a loud, bone-rattling noise that came from the stairwell.

Before you could even think, your powers surged.

The flames burst to life from your fingertips, roaring and crackling as you reacted to the danger, a natural instinct born from years of keeping this power hidden.

You turned to face the hallway, your body reacting before your mind had even processed the situation. Fire shot from your hands, wrapping around you like an extension of your own body. In an instant, the hallway was engulfed, flames licking the walls and flickering from your fingertips, a dazzling display of raw power.

You barely heard Tony’s voice over the roar of the fire.

“Stop!” he shouted.

But you were too far gone—your instincts driving you, pushing the flames higher as you cut through the debris blocking your path.

Suddenly, you felt a hand grip your wrist, pulling you back.

“What the hell, Y/N?” Tony’s voice was filled with a mix of disbelief and anger. “You’re burning the whole place down!”

You froze.

In that moment, the fire flickered and dissipated, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. You felt your pulse racing, your breath ragged.

“Tony,” you gasped, eyes wide. “I—I didn’t mean to—”

But he wasn’t listening. He was staring at you, eyes narrowed, taking in the slight sheen of heat still rising from your fingertips, the faint smell of smoke in the air.

“You’ve been hiding this from me?” His voice was colder now, a sharp edge to it. “You’ve been hiding this from everyone?”

You lowered your head, guilt flooding you.

“I didn’t want to bring attention to it. I didn’t want to cause trouble. It’s… it’s dangerous, Tony. I—”

He cut you off with a raised hand. “Dangerous? You think I don’t know what dangerous is? Do you have any idea how much trouble you could’ve caused?”

You flinched, the weight of his words sinking in.

“I didn’t mean to,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. “I just reacted. I don’t know how to control it sometimes…”

Tony’s expression softened slightly, though the tension in his jaw was still visible. He let out a long breath and stepped closer, his hand resting on your shoulder.

“Look,” he said, his voice quieter now. “You’re not the first person with powers to work with me. Hell, I have powers.” He glanced at his own suit, his words more measured. “But you’re going to need to learn how to control it. I can’t have you burning down my tower every time someone looks at you the wrong way.”

You nodded quickly, relief flooding you at his words. “I’ll get better. I promise.”

“Good,” Tony said, the faintest hint of a smile playing on his lips. “We’ve got a training room, and I’ve got some new tech. We can figure this out, okay?”

“Okay,” you whispered, your heart still pounding in your chest.

“Just… next time,” he said, his lips twitching upward in that mischievous way you were so familiar with, “maybe don’t set the whole building on fire.”

You couldn’t help but laugh softly, nodding. “I’ll try my best.”

Tony’s eyes softened, and he gave your shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I know you will. Now, go get some air. We’ll figure this out.”

You walked away, feeling a weight lift from your chest. But you knew this wasn’t over. You and Tony both had a lot to learn, and the next few weeks were going to be interesting.

And you couldn’t wait to see what would come of this new chapter in your life.

--

this is your kind reminder to reblog!

[calicoheartz]

hi could u pls write about Paige comforting and helping reader who tries but can’t get her grades up and just feels overwhelmed due to some friendship issues too pls ? You could do different parts or a fic abt this would be rlly nice pls 💐💐

Whispers of Comfort ; Paige Bueckers

꣑୧ — summary | just paige comforting you with your personal struggles 💌💐❤️‍🩹

wc ; 900

— warnings | tw mentions of depression , anxiety , mental health , angst (has a happy ending dw!!)

my master list ㇀♡

a/n : this is somewhat similar to one of my other fics that you can read here , so I tried to add a different spin on it! Enjoy :)

The fluorescent lights of the university library cast a harsh glow over the hunched figure buried in textbooks and notes. That figure was you, desperately trying to make sense of the chaos of academics that seemed determined to swallow you whole. Yet, despite your best efforts, the numbers on your latest exam paper stared back at you with cruel finality—another failure in a long line of disappointments.

Your heart sank in remembrance of the unfortunate outcome of the test you studied hours for, the test you dedicated to studying for almost 3 weeks in advance. Your heart sank as the weight of inadequacy settled in your chest, suffocating you with each labored breath. Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes as you struggled to hold back the overwhelming tide of despair threatening to consume you whole.

“Hey, mind if I join you?”

You quickly recognized the sweet and gentle voice, startled, you looked up to find your girlfriend standing right before you, with a concerned look marring her brow. Her presence alone was enough to ease the tightness in your chest, offering a small glimmer of hope amidst the uneasiness and darkness that threatened to swallow you whole.

“Paige..” you managed to stutter out, your voice echoing with emotion. “I didn’t expect to see you here, I thought you were at home?”

A sympathetic smile graced the blondes lips, as she took the seat opposite of you, as her eyes filled with genuine concern.

“You weren’t answering any of my texts, so I figured you’d be here. I couldn’t help but wonder what was on your mind.” she said softly, her voice laced with sincerity. “Is everything okay?”

Paige knew you had struggled this year academically, but she never knew to what extent. You were ashamed to ask her for help, I mean compared to her you’re only a fraction of her success. While she’s an all american academic, juggling both sports and her studies, you were even struggling to pass a simple quiz or project. Which in term made it very difficult to ask her for help, afraid she would realize that you weren’t worth her time.

It’s almost as if the floodgates collapsed, the weight of your burdens spilling out a torrent of pent-up emotions. You poured your heart out to Paige, confessing the struggles that had plagued you for weeks - the sleepless nights spent studying, the countless hours wasted in a fruitless pursuit of academic perfection, the forgotten and skipped meals, everything seeming to slowly creep up onto you all seemingly at once.

Paige listened intently, offering words of comfort and trying to understand as you bared your soul into her. In her presence, the walls you had built around your heart began to crumble, revealing the vulnerable soul that lay beneath the facade of strength you had so carefully constructed.

"I just don't know what to do anymore," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get my grades up. And on top of that, I'm having issues with my friends..."

Your words trailed off, a sense of helplessness washing over you as you struggled to articulate the depth of your despair. Paige reached out, her hand intertwining between yours in a gesture of solidarity that sent warmth spreading through your veins.

"You're not alone, you know," she said gently, her voice a soothing balm to the wounds of self-doubt that had long plagued your spirit. "We all face challenges in life, but it's how we confront them that defines who we are. You're doing the best you can, and that's all anyone can ask for."

Her words resonated with you, striking a chord deep within your soul as you looked into her eyes and saw the unwavering belief reflected there. In Paige's presence, you found the strength to confront the demons that had held you captive for so long, emboldened by the knowledge that you were not alone in your struggles.

Together, you and Paige embarked on a journey of self-discovery, navigating the treacherous waters of academia and interpersonal relationships with unwavering determination. With each passing day, you found solace in each other's company, drawing strength from the unbreakable bond that had formed between you.

As the weeks turned into months, you began to see glimpses of progress—small victories that served as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. With Paige by your side, you faced each challenge head-on, armed with the unwavering belief that together, you could overcome anything life threw your way.

And in the quiet moments shared between late-night study sessions and heartfelt conversations, you discovered something far more precious than academic success or fleeting friendships. You found solace in each other, a bond forged in the crucible of adversity, bound by the unbreakable ties of love and understanding.

In Paige's arms, you found refuge from the storm raging within, a sanctuary where the burdens of the world melted away in the warmth of her embrace. And as you leaned into her, basking in the glow of her unwavering affection, you knew that no matter what trials lay ahead, you would face them together, united in a love that transcended the boundaries of time and space.

For in the midst of chaos, you had found peace, and with the love of your life Paige, you had found home.

we love good girlfriend Paige !! i want a paige in my life 🥴😞 as always , thank you for reading !!

psa ! if u are struggling w mental health my dms are always open 💗 rmb that ur so loved by me and so many others

[bethsvrse]

★ IT’S OKAY ★

PAIRING: Jean Grey x fem!mutant!reader

WARNINGS death, risking your life, set in X2

The jet wasn’t taking off. The engines sputtered, power flickering in and out as you all sat there, fear mixing in with desperation. The dam was breaking. You could hear the distant groaning of concrete giving way, a sound that made your heart race. In less than a few minutes, a torrent of water would be unleashed, rushing down into the valley and over the forest, drowning everything—and everyone—in its path.

You felt panic settling in, clawing at the edges of your mind. The others were frantic, trying to figure out what was wrong with the jet. Voices overlapped as everyone shouted, desperate for a solution. But nothing was working. The dam wouldn’t wait.

That’s when your thoughts turned inward, to the one power you had that no one else did. You could absorb energy, store it, and, when needed, release it in controlled bursts. You’d done it before, though never on this scale. The only issue? To jump-start the jet, you’d have to expel a huge amount of energy—more than you could safely handle inside the cabin. If you stayed inside, the release could destroy the jet, or worse, harm the people you cared about most. If you went outside... you’d be exposed to the incoming flood.

One glance around the cabin sealed your decision. The people you loved were all here, in this moment, clinging to hope. The children, their wide eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. They had their whole lives ahead of them. You couldn’t let them die here, not like this.

Your eyes locked with Jean’s from across the cabin. She froze, instantly reading your intentions. The rest of the team was still too absorbed in trying to fix the jet to notice the silent conversation passing between the two of you. She crossed the room with a determined, yet heartbroken look, moving quietly, unnoticed.

“I can’t change your mind, can I?” Jean’s voice was soft, almost drowned out by the background noise, but you heard the sadness in her words. She already knew the answer.

You shook your head slowly, feeling your chest tighten. This wasn’t how you imagined things would end, but there was no other way. You took a small step toward her, reaching out briefly, the briefest touch of her hand grounding you.

“No,” you whispered. There was no use in dragging it out. You had made your choice.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I can do it,” she said, though even as the words left her lips, you both knew it wasn’t possible. “You don’t have to.”

You smiled, a sad, knowing smile. “The jet needs energy, Jean, not telekinesis.” You placed your hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. “I need you to hold the water back until I can get the jet in the air.” You paused, the weight of the moment crashing down on you. “I’ll be okay. I’m okay,” you added, knowing full well that it was a lie. You weren’t coming back from this. And from the look in Jean’s eyes, she knew it too.

She blinked, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I… I love you,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

Your smile softened, though your heart ached. You had known for a while, even if the two of you had never said it aloud. It was always there, in the quiet moments, in the looks you shared when no one else was watching. “I know,” you replied, smirking just enough to coax a small laugh from her, despite the situation.

With one last lingering look, you turned and walked toward the exit. The roar of the dam breaking echoed louder now, the threat of the flood pressing ever closer. As you descended the stairs and stepped outside the jet, the cool air hit your face, mingling with the distant spray of water already breaking over the far hills. You heard the stairs retract behind you, sealing the jet and everyone inside.

You positioned yourself in front of the jet, taking a deep breath. Slowly, your eyes began to glow a bright yellow, the energy inside you building up as you floated slightly off the ground. You could feel the immense power radiating through your veins, ready to be unleashed.

Inside the jet, Ororo was the first to notice. “What is she doing?” Her voice was shaky as she stared through the window, wide-eyed and filled with fear.

“What?” Scott turned, confused. Following her gaze, he spotted you hovering just outside. His face drained of color as realization dawned. “No…” He leapt out of his chair, rushing toward the stairs. “We can’t let her do this!”

Jean moved quickly, stepping into his path. “Scott, stop.”

He shook his head in disbelief, eyes pleading. “Jean, we can’t let her die!”

“I don’t want her to die!” Jean’s voice cracked, her emotions barely held in check. “But I’m not letting you stop her.”

Logan, his usual calm cracking under the weight of the situation, glanced over his shoulder at Kurt. “Can you get down there? Teleport her back?”

Kurt’s expression was solemn as he shook his head, his gaze shifting to Jean. “She won’t let me.”

“Jean, what the hell?” Logan snapped, his frustration boiling over.

Jean’s face was a mask of grief. “I’m not going against her wishes.” She glanced back toward you through the window, her heart shattering. Even if I don’t want to lose her.

The jet began to tremble as the power surged through it, systems slowly coming back online. Jean stepped forward, her focus shifting to the massive wave of water rushing toward them. With a deep breath, she raised her hands, her telekinesis flaring to life as she held the water back, preventing the flood from consuming the valley—for now.

Through Charles’ telepathy, his voice echoed in the cabin, though everyone knew the words weren’t his. His eyes fluttered shut, his brow furrowed in concentration as he reached out, connecting with your mind.

“I’m here,” Charles spoke aloud, but it was your thoughts he was conveying, your emotions coursing through him. “I’ve got the jet. Don’t worry.”

The team glanced at each other, their panic still palpable, but they could feel the jet’s engines whirring back to life, the floor beneath their feet trembling as the aircraft began to lift off the ground. Charles’ voice continued, calm and steady, trying to soothe them even as the tension in his own body betrayed the weight of the situation.

“Everything will be fine,” he added, but there was a heaviness in his tone, a shared understanding that this wasn’t fine, that the price being paid was too high. Still, he stayed connected with you, until the last spark of energy surged through the jet, lifting it higher into the air.

But in that brief moment, as Jean's concentration wavered, the flood surged forward. Her grip on the water faltered for a split second, and it was enough. The dam broke completely, and the water rushed forward, sweeping you away in a violent, unstoppable wave.

Jean’s control shattered. The jet soared higher, safe now, but below… she knew. You were gone.

For a moment, there was silence inside the cabin. The engines hummed steadily, lifting the jet higher and higher, but no one moved. The weight of what had just happened settled over them like a thick, suffocating blanket.

Jean collapsed into a seat, her hands trembling, staring at the spot where you had been only moments ago. She closed her eyes, the tears falling freely now, and in her mind, all she could hear was your voice—I’m okay.

[camcanime]

Celebrate - In More Ways Than One

Another oneshot based on one of my dreams and one that took waaaaay longer to write than I would have liked but here we are I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope you enjoy!!

(Kirishima x Fem!Reader) ((and slight Bakugo x Reader))

As far as parties go, this one was going to be big. No one could have anticipated it being this lively but that's what happens when you make a lot of friends. In the beginning, anyone would have assumed that your graduation party would be segregated into each class of UA.

Nope!

Once the rivalry with class 1-B (and grievances with the other courses) had been diminished, there was no doubt that everyone would want to be a part of this together. It has been an arduous journey for you all but you've made it. You all made it. Now, everyone can enjoy the spoils of a well-deserved celebration. A big thanks has to go to Yaoyorozu and her family for lending her homestead for the afterparty. This should have been expected. Who else would have the space for this many people?

Nerves are becoming an undesirable companion for your poor self. The torrent of people is neither a problem nor the concept of mingling - that is all fine. No, the issue lies with you sticking out like a sore thumb. You assumed that there would be at least one other girl who would opt for trousers but they're all either in dresses or skirts. God knows you would have done the same but that sort of style has never been your thing aside from the compulsory uniform. It took trying on a full store's worth of fancy garments to realise that you best just wear what's comfortable. You're rocking a blazer jacket with matching smart trousers, the ensemble especially pops with the bright (f/c), laced camisole finishing the look. It’s a little snug in your opinion but a certain pink-haired friend of yours insisted that it shapes you perfectly. The blazer shall remain fixed on your shoulders, you think. Mina spent all of the previous day boosting your confidence and psyching you up like the queen she is but you can’t shake off those last remnants of worry. You're having a conversation with her when you notice Kirishima out of the corner of your eye and the skip of your heart isn’t something to ignore. Even you couldn't have predicted him looking as dashing as he does in that suit.

Mina leans over and whispers in your ear excitedly, "Now’s your chance! You gotta get over Bakugo, anyways."

Ah, yes. That whole situation. Over the years, you silently admired the explosive student and awkwardly pined for his attention. You had even attempted to make subtle advances on the guy but he just never took the bait. After so many missed shots, you eventually decided that it would be best to reserve your ammo lest you risk depleting your aching heart. It was only a matter of time before you ended up hanging out with his best friend more and, like some sick twisted fate, found yourself falling victim to those wretched butterflies again. If you had any doubts about having a type before, you don't now. Unwavering resolve, irrefutable strength, and a powerful dedication to becoming a hero? It doesn't seem to get much more attractive than that. 

"I dunno, Mina. 'You sure I'm not too... masculine in energy? I know Kirishima admires manly things but..."

Sighing, she just rolls her eyes and pushes you into him before darting off, giggling like a troublesome child. Cheeky bitch. You love the girl and understand that she's trying to help but her methods aren't always appreciated. Before you fall, Kirishima catches you and that jump of your stomach evolves into a stuttered sprinting when you gaze up at him shyly. Part of you wishes you had landed on the ground just to be saved from this embarrassment. Being met with the cold floor has never sounded more inviting. It's hard to tell in the lighting but it looks as though his cheeks are reddening as he's holding you. Dear God, you've made a fool of yourself, haven’t you? Scratch that. There’s only one person to blame in this and she’s run free from the scene like a coward. 

Kirishima eases you back up onto your feet and smiles, albeit a little teasingly. "What happened there, twinkle-toes? 'You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry,” laughing bashfully, you dust yourself off. “I must've just tripped on something."

Your attention darts around to get a clue onto Mina so you can send her a silent scream of aggravation for what she just did. However, it would appear that she has disappeared among the sea of students and you instead catch a glimpse of Bakugo, who has had his attention on you for a while now. When your eyes meet, he's quick to turn away, the expression on his face unreadable. That's happened a handful of times recently and you can't figure out why. Admittedly, you don't spend as much time together as you used to but that doesn't mean you've entirely withdrawn yourself from him. He is still a friend. Even with the unrequited crush in mind, you would never blank him. The last few months have been a different story but hitting the books has been everyone's priority in the lead-up to finals. 

A soft nudge to your side pulls you out of your contemplation and you are greeted with another one of those heart-melting smiles. "Good thing I was here to catch you, huh?"

You resist the urge to look away and giggle, "I guess it was pretty lucky."

Lucky your ass. A certain pink rascal will be paying dearly for this later.

"I love the outfit, by the way."

Thoughts of revenge slip away like a sinking ship and you slowly gawk down at yourself. It’s a lovely apparel, even you won’t deny that, but it hardly feels worth complimenting when one considers the array of frilly fabrics flaunting around your person. The flattering remark is meant in earnest and you try to keep that in mind, especially with him. He always means what he says, anyone knows that. As stated before: insecurity is an undesirable companion that lingers at your side, practically sewn to your hip. If only you could cut the tie and be rid of it. All you want to do is enjoy your graduation. Is that too much to ask?

You harbour enough strength to look back up sheepishly. "Really?"

"Of course!” His eyes widen with a confused smile. He can’t believe you wouldn’t think the same. “It really suits you!"

"Thanks." You manage to push past your nerves at least a little and grin. "Wanted to make sure I could dance, you know? S'not easy to bust out the full calibre of my moves in a skirt and heels." Oh yeah. You opted for flat shoes just so you wouldn’t risk stumbling over yourself like some schmuck. 

The two of you share a fond laugh and he holds a hand to the back of his neck. An unspoken tension writhes between you both when his gaze drops to the floor. Confidence is a fickle thing, fleeting away as fast as it had been regained. Those nerves prickle against your shoulders once more and you fear you may have sullied your image with the poor attempt at a joke. Taking compliments isn't exactly a strength of yours, so you're quick to deflect with silly responses.

"Well, seeing as you mentioned it, do you... wanna dance? I mean, I'm not very good but..."

Maybe you didn't come across as lame as you had initially thought. Luckily, at his time of asking, a particularly catchy tune is playing; one with a beat you are sure you can get into if you really want to. Might as well. Already making your way to the appointed dance floor, you gesture for him to follow. 

"Come on, then."

It takes a while but eventually, the two of you are dancing with no shame. At one point, you even slip off your blazer and unceremoniously throw it into the crowd, earning many cheers and calls of excitement from your peers. Any doubts about the mildly flashy top beneath your jacket have quickly faded, getting lost in the wildness of your beaming soul along with the music. There's that crazy energy he's fallen in love with. Watching you light up with such conviction is a sight that he relishes any time he is lucky enough to witness it. Whether it’s on the battlefield, during training sessions, or you passionately speaking about something you love, he lives for it. Amidst his fawning, everything around him blurs and soon vanishes. All of his focus is on you and how you manage to effortlessly succumb to having a good time. He tries his best to keep up but he would much rather admire you. Were it possible, he’d watch you for hours on end. The shine of your smile, the gleaming sparkle your eyes hold, how your hair bops side to side with every movement - the guy is unequivocally transfixed and hypnotised by the allure of your enjoyment.

Gradually, the fast pace siezes with a slow song and, unable to look at Kirishima, your eyes wander. Oh, this fucking girl. You can see Mina standing by the speaker, holding her thumbs up at you with a grin that would be contagious were you not writhing in loathing. She must think she's the hottest wing-woman on the block with these unwelcomed antics. Perhaps it’s high time you surrender to her shenanigans and let bygones be bygones. Besides, you can hardly pay much attention to her with your current circumstances. It’s time to face your fears and face the man beside you. When you turn to meet him, equally wondering how he feels about the situation, his hand is already outstretched towards you. As curious as you are, you won’t question how long he’s been waiting for you. Best not to test his patience either. It’s time to get your head in the game. Don’t mess this up.

No pressure. 

With a steadying breath, you oblige and take the offer, fingers gently landing in his palm. His clasp shut around yours and he takes a step forward. Given how resolute his bravery typically is, this moment would be considered comedic were you not just as terrified yourself. Now is the perfect opportunity for Mina to run in and push the two of you into each other. Thankfully, such a dreaded imagining of events doesn’t appear to come to fruition. Although, it’s as if she’s working some strange voodoo magic because you step closer and place a hand on his shoulder. This sudden daring threatens to recoil in fear of coming across brash but Kirishima’s hand on your hip stops that from happening. Those bright, red eyes shimmer with a determination you’ve only ever seen during your sparring sessions. The two of you share a shy smile before you allow yourself to rest your head on his chest. Content, you hum into the fabric of his tux, only hoping that the music is loud enough to drown it out.

Whilst swaying gently side to side in each other’s embrace, your pupils flick around, gazing over the beautiful twirls of elegant cloth that surround you. They’re gorgeous. Every one of them might as well be a princess suspended in iridescent clouding whilst you weep into the muddy ground like a peasant. With how glorious this longed-for moment is, you scold yourself for getting distracted by the heavy tug in your chest. Pulling away only slightly, your shoulders slump against the crux of your fragility. 

Kirishima is unfortunately very good at picking up on these things. "Something on your mind?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah… it’s just..." You contemplate throwing out some last-ditch excuse but decide against it and sigh. "It's gonna sound stupid but it just feels like this moment would look better if I was wearing a beautiful dress like all the other girls," laughing sadly, your gaze drops to your feet. "It'd probably be nicer for you, too."

A gentle pressure hugs your cheek and the warm hand guides your attention back to him. Eyes wide with worry, his brows turn up and his face is brought forward, foreheads almost touching. These actions alone draw out whatever breath you have left in your lungs and, with that soft stare of his, you forget how to breathe completely.

"You crazy or somethin'? I don't care about any of that. Sure, I bet you'd look amazing in a dress but this is you. It's about what you're comfortable in and I love that you can do that." The concern in his expression subsides, being replaced with a sheepish grin. "Besides, I reckon you're the most beautiful girl in this room."

The evidence is undeniable and, yet, your mind makes haste in excusing it for his kind nature. He’s likely just saying all of this to calm your anxiety. That isn’t Kirishima’s style but why else would he feed you such lovely words like this? Nagging, your inner voice piles lie upon lie to keep you from believing what’s right in front of you. You shake your head and prep your own voice for defiance but nothing comes out. By now, his forehead is pressed firm into yours and you pray that he can’t feel the flush of your suddenly fevered skin.

“Please, believe me,” he whispers and it’s as if the music aids his words, uplifting like a crescendo despite how quiet they are. “You’re stunning. Even if you don’t think it, I… I always have. I do.” His mouth clamps shut for a moment whilst he collects himself, negotiating his options, and then he speaks again, “You really are beautiful and I don’t know how else to say…”

He trails off with the piano’s cadence and this entire time you are starstruck. The raw emotion is palpable even in its softness. Kirishima edges ever closer to you, that shimmering grit blazing his crimson eyes like before. He’s usually strong with his words, having bellowed many motivational speeches for the benefit of his comrades but, at his core, he is a man of action. Hesitant breaths exchange with one another, blowing into one betwixt the little space between your lips. Your temptation to feel them pressed on yours urges you forward and is the clear sign that coerces him into making the jump. Violins sing, percussions crash, and then all fades into a multi-colour visage as you melt into each other. 

He took it. 

He took his chance and is soaring on cloud nine. 

In reality, the dream was much, much shorter but I just couldn't stop writing once I started. So many ideas kept coming to me. Speaking of...

BONUS:

Bakugo's eyes have been on you and his friend like a hawk for quite some time now. He's taken note of the awkward glances, your touch on Kirishma's shoulder when he makes you laugh, the way he smiles bashfully at you. This is hardly anything new. The two of you have been like this for the last couple of months now and it's almost enough to make him sick. Hell, you're even slow dancing with one another. 

"They're like a couple of love-sick puppies," he huffs to himself and leans back against the wall. "It's obvious they like each other. Just say something already."

"That's a little rich coming from you."

Of all the people to come and bug him, why did it have to be that dunceface? He's become more tolerable over the years but there's still a pinch of irritation whenever he has something dimwitted to say. The smug demeanour of Kaminari is almost enough to coax out a bark but, instead, there's a short moment of silence. 

Bakugo's glare narrows more so than before. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on! You mean to tell me you didn't know?" When that blazing scowl deepens, he continues, "Dude! (Y/n) had the biggest crush on you for, like, the first two years of U.A. I'm surprised our ever-observant Kacchan didn't pick up on it."

Kaminari is quick to make an escape when a threatening hand rises towards him. What does that sorry excuse for a spark plug know? He falls for any woman stupid enough to say hello to him. Bakugo's clenched fist slowly drops to his side and he goes back to watching you and the redhead. There's no way you had a crush on him. He would have noticed.

He would have acted on it. 

The majority of Class 1-A are good at picking up on when a fellow classmate is bewitched and hopelessly smitten: Midoriya and Uraraka are prime examples. It took those two idiots way too long to finally nip it in the bud and admit their feelings for one another. On the other hand, figuring out if Bakugo has ever become prey to such romantic infatuations remains a mystery to his peers. Eventually, everyone came to the assumption that he was too targeted on his goal of becoming the greatest hero to get distracted by such things. 

That couldn't be further from the truth. 

It started as a high level of respect, shifted into trust, maybe even adoration for a while, and then a strange sensation of euphoria when he'd see you. The whole "realising crush" period didn't hit him until you spent less time together. It dawned on him that he missed your company. How does that mushy saying go? Distance makes the heart grow fonder? Ah, whatever. Bad feelings weren't harboured. He had just put it down to you wanting to knuckle down for the third and final year of school. Then, about halfway through the year, you got closer to his friend. Kirishima has had it bad for you for a while now and it looked as though you'd fallen hard for him as well. A sharp disdain manifested when this turn of events materialised. Had you acted towards Bakugo the way you have been with Kirishima these last two months, he would have made no hesitation in asking you out. 

He's about to put it out of his mind, deciding it's not worth the trouble at this point, but those cogs start turning against his will. You did always put in the effort to make sure he was included, more than anyone else. Not to mention, your fingers used to fiddle with your hair a lot whenever you two hung out. Then there's taking into account the times he caught you and Mina whispering amongst each other, your face growing red when you'd catch his eye. A tightness burdens his chest as the memories start flooding. All of those little instances: the way you'd glance at him in moments of silence, how you'd always ask to be his study partner, the way your voice rose in pitch when he'd enter the room - it all comes crashing down on him like an ocean wave laced with shards of glass. How did he not see this sooner? Was he so insecure about his feelings not being reciprocated that he just subconsciously ignored you? At the very moment of realisation, his eyes re-focus, land on your figure once more and... you and Kirishima are kissing - a beautiful tragedy that burns a hole in his heart. Any opportunity he had of asking you out is long gone and out the window now. 

He lost it.

He lost his chance and is seething in a fiery inferno.

[riieks]

Imagine: Tony comforts you.

Desperate sobs escaped you unstoppably and the tears shot out of you in torrents. There was absolutely nothing you could do to hide or quell the sadness. You had had a bad feeling for a few days and now it was confirmed.

But probably the worst part was seeing your first love make out with another chick in bed. What did you do to deserve that? If the relationship wasn't worth anything to him anymore, why on earth hadn't he ended it before?

No. Instead, he broke your heart again. So that it splintered into pieces. But did you really blame him?

You had been blind the whole time and just didn't notice certain signs... Now you had your result.

You were so incredibly angry. Which was then simultaneously overwhelmed by pure disappointment. As a result, you curled up in the blanket and silently release your emotions. Nobody should get wind of this. It would just be embarrassing if one of the Avengers saw you like that. So you grabbed the fabric under your fingertips and escaped from the huge living room, which by the way was just one of countless in Stark Tower.

As one of Shield's best agents, you had been invited, or rather asked, to live in the gigantic base. Since you still always had your freedom, why shouldn't you live there?

Actually, you even thought about moving in with your boyfriend.. well.. ex-boyfriend. But that was finally over now. Thinking about it again gave you a dismal headache and made you run. Just hoping that no soul found out about your stress.

However, fate really wasn't kind to you and you heard muffled footsteps coming straight at you. You abruptly pushed your body behind the nearest wall and waited for the person to pull away. Your pulse rose automatically and you were even afraid that your hectic breathing could be heard.

"I know that you are hiding back there", came an amused voice and the blood froze in your veins. Why couldn't something just go the way you wanted it to for once? Ironically, the man you least expected had found you and you promptly wished you were somewhere else. What should you do now? Run away so your boss doesn't see you? Childish and at the same time stupid idea. There was only one way forward and it was being blocked by Tony Stark. The situation was cursed.

So you slowly came forward with your head down so that your face couldn't be seen and quickly apologized before you tried to get away.

But the brown-haired billionaire remained skeptical and didn't want to let you go so easily. He gently grabbed your arm and looked at you expectantly. "Are you all right?" he asked cautiously, not really knowing what to do.

You shook your head silently, because it wouldn't do any good to lie now anyway. Nevertheless, you didn't want to look bad in front of him, which is why you wanted to leave vehemently. However, Tony took a different view and gently ushered you into his office, where he kindly offered you a drink. You promptly accepted the glass and took a long gulp of the alcohol. Maybe that was what you needed right now. You weren't a big drinker, but in that moment you were just grateful for the desired effect and for the company.

With a still tearful voice, you just started talking and told him everything that was on your mind. Why you were so damn miserable and why you were so worried. The fact that you were chatting with Iron Man himself blurred with the tense feeling you had towards him. It had become a side issue. And it was just good that you had someone by your side who listened to you without ever interrupting you. When you finished your story, Tony smiled at you and put his hand on yours.

"You know, I've never been good at anything like this, but... I'd like to put it this way, you're one of the best I employ here and that's saying something. You have so much potential and you are a wonderful person. It's not going to help you, but there's no way this guy deserves it."

You returned the cute grin and nodded. "Yes it does. Thank you Mr Stark."

"Tony. Call me Tony," he said generously, draining his glass before beginning to bring music to his office to cheer you up even more. You had to chuckle at his attempt at drunk dancing.

[sharpth1ng]

hey again!! thank you for answering my ask, and for the clarification! i figured you probably had it all sorted out because you're a grown adult and seem to know your stuff but i still said something anyways just in case haha

i should have been more clear with my original ask but i myself still find all this stuff quite confusing so thats my bad sorry 😞 basically it has nothing to do with the labour of printing or if the company publishes it or not, it’s because fan fiction is already grey area, it’s ok when no one is making money off it. as soon as at any point someone makes any money off it, like these printing companies, or commissioning someone on etsy, or even just going somewhere local to get the pages printed, it now becomes illegal - fanworks infringe on the creator's intellectual property and you need a licencing agreement if it's not public domain etc blah blah blah you get it lol

as soon as the word "pay" comes in, it's illegal - you can't pay for anything, even if you are the one that wrote the fanfic (which fucking sucks). but your merch and stuff is completely fine because the references are based on your original writing, like theyre not gonna be like "how dare you sell this tshirt with a bloody B on it thats illegal!!" bcs that whole thing is entirely unique to your work and has no ties to the original property 👍

but thats just my understanding of it, and the specifications of it can get really confusing!! same thing happens with fanart too, technically you aren't allowed to sell fanart - that's why people often only sell it irl at cons to avoid copyright strikes. but then again there is people selling fanart on redbubble and in fanzines etc so like, i honestly don't know how that side of it works as well?? i think its under a different law since it’s a transformative work maybe...??

its all very confusing i wish clarification was more clear 😭 but you sound like you've looked into it and know what you're doing so thats fantastic, and i'm glad to hear. thank you again for answering so quickly i dont mean to be a bother. ur a talented writer and i loved debaser, keep it up 😊

Yeah no problem! I do appreciate the effort to give a heads up. And like to be fair I’ve done my research but I’m not a copyright lawyer or a legal scholar and the law on this stuff is very confusing to me.

In terms of the fanart stuff my understanding is that it is illegal to sell but for the most part fan Artist are too small for copyright holders to go after, it’s just not really a thing that’s done for the most part. There’s even a number of situations where selling fanart led to those artists being directly employed by the copyright holders. I think it’s very rare for fan artists to get sued for copy right and the only examples I know of are from Disney.

For the most part fanart sold is illegal, but it’s similar to torrenting content where its not really enforced so people do it anyways, and often at a pretty large scale. The stuff on red bubble and in fanzines is also illegal as far as I know, it doesn’t count as transformative.

Honestly I think it’s very unlikely that anyone printing my work would get targeted like that, mostly because this fandom is small and I’m even smaller. I only have a little over 1000 followers here and while that’s more followers than I’ve ever had before in my life it’s pretty much microscopic on the internet. Beyond that there’s less than a handful of printed copies as far as I’m aware.

Honeslty I have a lot of issues with copyright law- obviously it needs to apply to things like generative AI which is essentially a very environmentally damaging collage machine, but in terms of fanart and fanfiction I really don’t see how it could be construed as taking away profit from copyright holders.

People for the most part only read my work because they were already into scream, and a number of people have even told me my work got them to watch scream so if anything I’ve created profit for them. Fandom is the reason these original works have the legacy they do, and fanworks are a massive part of that because you can only consume the original content so many times before you get bored.

Beyond that we wouldn’t have some of our most highly acclaimed cultural works if copyright law had existed hundreds of years ago. Like, Shakespeare would have been fucked.

Alright lmao rant over. Tl;dr I’m doing my best to do this all in a legal way, but it’s good for folks to be aware that there may be an issue with the legality of printing my work even if they aren’t paying me. I think it’s unlikely any of you will face repercussions because this fandom is miniscule but if you’re worried maybe don’t post on Tumblr- but feel free to dm me or post in my discord 👍

[benevadeca]

In my beautiful mind post trolls 3, after everything settles down in a (work out family issues / get floyd some medical assistance / the mt rageous courtsuit over reparations / etc) floyd staying at the pop village and very belated someone brings up "So did you like, have anything we should've picked up or did it all get lost in the whole 'months long kidnapping' thing?"

And Floyd is like oh yeah no worries I already got a guy I know who owes me a favor to come bring my stuff down from where I was staying. And a trolls-world moving truck animal comes and it's fucking Creek driving it.

And before branch can be like WHAT ❗️ Creek comes out (oblivious, regular smug) before deer in headlights at the people who want to kill him for real and going (realization of family relation, worse smug, fearful and desperate) and dropping a 'babygirl' at Floyd and then everyone is like WHAT ❗️❗️❗️❗️ before floyd is like (oblivious to the backstory we the audience know and so just thinks everyone thinks hes a pain) What?

And before he can meaningfully respond to the torrent of confused exclamation Creek is like Wow 🥺 (big wet eyes, insufferable) Can't believe you didn't even tell them about me? And everything we are?

And tldr they were married for 3 months for tax fraud and through a series of events that exist only in my mind they are both the worst person the other knows. Floyd is Creek's I don't argue with my girl bc I'm scared of her and Creek in turn in his wet pathetic (through gritted teeth) IDK whats wrong with this guy but he followed me home singed and afraid so ig he's my charity case.

[goldenagenonsense]

Action Comics #5 [October 1938]

After last issue, I feel like there’s not much that can unpleasantly surprise me. Superman’s questionable morality aside, we have a ways to go before we even get to Batman, much less Marvel comics and whatever else I find. It’s also a shorter story today - nine pages instead of thirteen. Hopefully that’ll make it a bit easier to go through!

Not much to say about the cover. Could be vaguely racist. That is not my problem.

On the other hand, the pre-story ad page had me double-take for a second when I thought it was Oliver Queen. But no, it was just a random dude with the same facial hair and haircut. Though now that makes me wonder what situation poor Ollie could have been caught up in to end up in a flooding dungeon.

We open up this story to telegraph lines broadcasting news of a terrible disaster. The Valleyho Dam is cracking under the strain of a huge downpour; should it give way, a mountain of water will sweep down the valley, killing thousands and destroying fertile land.

…you know, I think I saw a clip of this story before, when I was watching a youtube video on Superman. It pulled on some clips from an animated series that was clearly based on these original tales. Dunno when said series was animated and broadcast, but I kind of want to track them down and watch them, since they’re tied into this whole ‘golden age’ thing. Probably will be a while, though, if ever. Don’t want to spoil myself on content that’s 85 years old.

[Friend insert:

Solem: That'd be the Fleischer series. Classic short films from back when animation was too expensive to be shown in anything but cinemas, made in 1941 and 1942.]

Sounds like I have something to look forward to then in the nearish future!

At the Daily Star, the editor-in-chief demands Clark be brought to him. Lois tells him that Clark’s not in the office; the editor tells her to look for him and have him report in before he loses his mind. Lois asks why she can’t handle the assignment. The editor says it’s too important for a girl. Lois is not impressed with that logic, thinking mildly violent thoughts as she heads out.

Coincidentally, Clark is just outside the building. She puts on an eager air as she approaches him. Clark is shocked she’s actually happy to see him. She asks him to do her a favor and cover an assignment for him; he leaps on the task, eager to please. She tells him to head to the local hospital’s maternity ward, since a Mrs. Mahoney is expecting… septuplets? (My god, that poor woman. Someone help her. Can a person even have that many kids at once?) Clark thanks Lois for the chance to handle it. 

While Lois is getting herself a ticket to Valleyho, Clark is at the hospital, learning that Lois lied to him. Gasp! Honestly, that makes way more sense than having to worry about the poor theoretical woman he could have had to deal with. Clark starts to make his way back to the office, wondering if Lois double-crossed him.

The editor is not pleased when he finally shows his face - the biggest news story in months on the fire, and Clark wasted time at a hospital?? Clark tries to explain that he didn’t know, but the editor isn’t hearing it - the last train’s already left! Clark’s fired, he can report to the cashier.

Clark, however, has bigger fish to fry. He finds himself an empty room and strips out of his work suit, revealing he had his costume on underneath, cape included. Which, you know what, sure, why the fuck not. Maybe he just keeps the cape in his briefcase and puts it on afterward. 

Superman leaves the Daily Star from the roof, leaping out into the night. Leap after leap, covering huge distances, until he’s caught up to the train that Lois is on. He hits the ground running, quickly outpacing the train, all while smugly thinking about how if Lois thinks she can scoop him, she’s got another thing coming! 

He quickly reaches a bridge the train is set to go over - only to stop when he notices something wrong. A torrent has loosened the bridge’s supports, causing the track to tilt at an angle that makes a wreck inevitable. The train whistles in the distance - there’s no time to lose. Without a moment’s hesitation, Superman dives forward, seizing the supports and starting to push until the tracks level out again. He holds it in place as the train passes by, then allows it to crash. 

The passengers are startled at the sound, quickly gathering at the windows to see what happened. They gape at the collapsed bridge behind them, one of them commenting on how they’d be dead if it’d happened an instant earlier. The drivers note that they need to send a warning at the next junction for the other trains.

When the train arrives at Valleyho, Lois has to fight through everyone getting on board. She quickly flags down a taxi, but the driver wants nothing to do with going to the dam - she can have the car, he’s getting out of there! Lois, not to be deterred, does take the taxi for a spin, speeding her way to the dam. 

God, Lois truly is her best self, in full gremlin mode. She will get her story, dammit, even if it means throwing herself bodily into danger. It’s good to know that that’s been a core trait of hers right from the start. I already think this is my favorite story so far, and it’s half because of her.

Meanwhile, Superman’s struggling to hold the dam together, desperate to buy the people below enough time to evacuate. 

(Which, can I just say, this is the other half of the reason this story is delighting me - we’re seeing the core of the hero that we’re most familiar with 85 years later, the man who has incredible power and uses it to save lives. Like, yeah, the bits with him tackling rich people corruption, including flexing his investigator skills, is well and good, and gives a showcase of what he as Clark capable of. But him holding the dam together to buy the people below time to escape is just. Mmm. That’s the core of Superman we all are familiar with.)

Eventually, even Superman isn’t enough to keep the dam up; with a huge roar, it falls to pieces, sending floodwater roaring down the valley. Superman leaps above the turbulent rapids - but Lois can’t do the same, stuck in her taxi as the waters rush towards her. Superman spies the car, and rushes to save her, but the waters are faster, dragging the vehicle under and along for the ride. Lois braces herself, expecting a watery death -

Only to be pulled from the car by Superman, who quickly rushes towards the surface with her in his arms. Once they’re on the shore and Superman can readjust her, so she’s in a more comfortable bridal carry, he takes off like a shot, racing ahead of the floodwaters. 

Lois stirs, holding on tightly as he leaps up to a high pinnacle. He sets her down so he can put all of his strength into pushing on the rock; soon enough, the peak starts to crack, cascading downwards into the path of the water. The rocks seal up the mountain gap entirely, forcing the water to take another route away from the town.

Superman exhales in relief - that had been too close. Lois is ecstatic, gushing about how he saved all those people, before declaring that she could - and would - kiss him. Superman starts to refuse, only to be cut off by the kiss, temporarily dazed afterward from how good it was, much to her amusement. 

Superman sweeps her off her feet soon after, taking her to someplace she’ll be safe - where he’ll be safe from her as well. During the trip, she talks about how the first time he’d carried her like that, she’d been frightened - of the trip and of him. But now she loves it, and him! When he finally sets her down at Valleyho town, she begs him to stay, but Superman merely wishes her well and takes off.

Soon after, Clark calls in, stating that he’d gotten himself a plane to Valleyho and had some sensational news. He asks if he’s rehired; based on his reply afterward, the answer seems to be yes! When he finally leaves the phone booth, Lois happens to be there. Clark states that while the stunt she pulled wasn’t nice, he still likes her. Lois snubs him, thinking about how Clark is a spineless worm she can hardly bear to look at, especially after having been in the arms of a real man.

And with that, this story is a wrap! Wow! Short, but I loved it. This feels like the first establishing moment for both of them, in multiple ways. Here’s to hoping we get more stories like this going forward!

[chanstopher]

I resisted most kpop and all kpop fandom for a very long time 😆

I got into visual kei in high school (2007 ish) and one of my online friends also listened to some. She got me into J dramas, from where I got into KAT-TUN in 2010. She also watched K dramas and listened to kpop and she sent me some, but not being able to sing along by ear or through romanized lyrics frustrated me since I'd been able to do that with Japanese since I first listened to anime openings and such in middle school. I did listen to some 2ne1 and Big Bang, but mainly Japanese releases since at that point I was studying Japanese and reaching conversational fluency.

After college she and I mostly fell out of touch, KAT-TUN had slowed down after losing a member in 2013 and then another later, LiveJournal got taken over by a Russian "news" company, so all my sources of music and drama torrents were gone, the two main VK bands I listened two took hiatuses or had record company issues (one came back, the other eventually broke up), and so I was back to mostly listening to top 40 radio.

At some point, I got suggested a "reacts to kpop" video on YouTube, and I was like, "I wonder if I'll even recognize and of these groups." The answer was no, I did not, but one if the songs was Blackpink's Whistle, and I was like, "damn, this song is fun," so I started listening to them. I still didnt keep up with anything beyond just their music (and still dont), but it got some kpop on my radar again.

Then I went to Holiday Matsuri in 2021 and went to the hottest men in anime show, which is a men's burlesque contest. The winning act performed to God's Menu and Lisa's Money, two bangers that I hadn't heard because I wasn't actively paying attention to new music. I went and looked them up and played a Spotify kpop playlist the whole 6 hours drive home to add new songs to my library, but I still didn't look up any groups. I continued like that for about a year, just liking individual songs. Then, around when Time Out came out, something made me look up the Stray Kids youtube. I had watched the God's Menu video that first night I heard the song, but I didn't watch anything else. I subscribed to the channel that time, but u still didn't dive into the music videos or add a bunch to my library. Its like part of my brain new I'd not crawl out of that hole and it wasn't the right time for it lol

Finally, late August of last year, I let myself watch the music videos and listen to full albums. Then I resisted any additional content outside of "making of" videos for another month (which is a while for a disabled person with nothing to do but consume content).

Now, here I am. Awash in the swamp. Watching Han and Chan and understanding nothing 🤣

Thankfully I had already planned to learn some Korean since its the third most common language where I live and I had started watching kdramas, but its hard! I still have some bias to Japanese releases for that reason 😆 but it does vary by song since some don't fit/match rhythmically to the Korean versions as nicely as others. Hopefully I'll get there with Korean. I have to remember I have decades of familiarity with the sounds and basics of Japanese compared to very little familiarity with Korean.

this is a wholeeee journey u did not take the easels to mordor lmao but omg i’m learning so much about how things were found in the 00’s and 10’s when i was content to go to warped tour and never be online lmao but this journey feels educational with all the stuff u were into! and ur bias for japanese releases is understandable especially jyp groups they just hit different so i can understand having spent all that time learning japanese and being into japanese culture would only add to the fondness for them! your will power to get into skz so slowly is amazing I don’t know if i’ve ever done such a good job of avoiding diving straight into something the second i found a part of it i liked, but alas we all end up in the skz swamp one way or another lmao

[kumeko]

A/N: For the cancelled She-ra Sports Zine! I’ve always been a swimmer and so I couldn’t resist doing a swimming piece.

…

…

…

…

She should be smiling. Standing on a podium, the bright lights shining down on her, the center of everyone’s attention, Mermista knew innately that she should be smiling. After all, second place wasn’t anything to sneeze at. In a swim meet with over a hundred competitors, all of them winning qualifying races to make it here, second place was in fact an envious position.

Yet, as far as Mermista was concerned, second place was as good as losing. She bowed her head, allowing the judge to set the medal around her neck. As she raised her head, the crowd clapped politely. In the stands, she heard Bow and Glimmer shout her name, excited.

The medal felt heavy around her neck. She resisted the urge to tear it off.

-x-

“Oh man, second place!” Bow held the silver medal to the light, his eyes wide as he took in every detail. Luckily, the lights around the school pool were ridiculously bright in the predawn morning. In the winter, the time felt earlier than it was. “I can’t believe you did it!”

“I did nothing,” Mermista grumbled, stretching her arms. She’d been swimming since she was a baby, the warmup drills were as natural as breathing to her.

“It’s not nothing,” Glimmer argued, adjusting the strap of her swimsuit. “It’s second place! Do you know who I’d kill to get second place?”

“No one, because we’re not killers,” Adora replied awkwardly, a nervous smile on her face. Mermista wasn’t sure if the transfer student had been bullied her whole life or just didn’t know what a sense of humour was, but she had to be the most awkward person she’d ever met. “But it’s really amazing, Mermista! You made it to the finals, the rest of us couldn’t manage that.”

“It’s just second place,” Mermista repeated, her brow furrowing in annoyance.

“Just my butt. Adora’s right,” Glimmer groaned, covering her face. “At least she made it to the semi-finals. I barely even qualified for the first round.”

“And I didn’t even qualify,” Bow added, handing the medal back to Mermista. Despite his words, his smile was bright and she couldn’t detect a hint of regret or jealousy in his tone. “So don’t be too hard on yourself. This is amazing.”

“You were amazing too.” Glimmer slung an arm around Bow, hugging him lightly. “I could hear your cheers through the water, you were so loud!”

Bow flushed lightly, looking a little embarrassed. It was ridiculous. Mermista bit her cheek, irritated. At this rate, they were going to have a regular pity party. “You know this is why you all suck, right?”

Glimmer blinked, slowly turning to Mermista, her jaw slack. Unintelligibly, she muttered, “Huh?”

“Cheerleading is not amazing. Getting second place is not amazing.” She could hear the words before she even said them, regretting them before she even uttered a single syllable. And yet they spewed out of her like a torrent. “Maybe if you practiced a little more, you’d see why.”

“What?” Adora opened and closed her mouth several times, unable to articulate her feelings.

Unlike her, though, Glimmer didn’t have any such issues. Ever a scrapper, she immediately growled, “Are you kidding me?”

A moderator, Bow grabbed her arm, halting her angry march forward. “Don’t,” he warned, trying to maintain peace. “And Mermista, I know it’s hard to lose, but that was uncalled for. We—”

“You heard me,” Mermista interrupted, raring for a fight. She wanted, no, needed to punch someone. Anyone. And if it happened to be one of her best friends, well, that was just how it was. “If you just practiced more, you’d actually have placed, instead of crying about it here.”

Glimmer yanked her arm free, her skin a stubborn, angry red. She looked like a volcano eruption. “We’re not crying about anything.” Coming to a stop right in front of Mermista, she glared up at her. It was strange how someone so short could be so intimidating, but what she lacked in height, Glimmer more than made up for in presence. “You’re the one whining about second place.”

Through gritted teeth, Mermista replied, ‘You don’t have motivation.”

“And you don’t know how to have fun,” Glimmer snarled before headbutting her chin.

-x-

There was something soothing about swimming at night. Mermista cut through the clear water, the liquid cool on her burning skin as she swam lap after lap. The school had closed hours ago, the sun setting just a short while ago, and Mermista didn’t want to go home.  She didn’t want to look in the mirror at the bandage on her neck or think about what she’d said earlier.

All she wanted to do was stay in the water until her skin wrinkled beyond recognition. The only good thing about swimming this late was that it was just her in the pool. There wasn’t Bow, clumsily practicing his turns, or Glimmer furiously trying to catch up to Adora’s easy strokes.

“Mermista, you’re going to get in trouble again.”

A sing-song voice cut through the air, and she groaned as she stopped swimming.  A correction, it was just her, the pool, and Perfuma of all people. Treading water, she looked around until she spotted a familiar blonde waving by the diving boards. As usual, she was dressed like a hippie from the seventies, a flower in her hair and her clothes the brightest, loudest combination possible. Mermista never knew how to deal with her and she scrunched her nose as she slowly glided over.

Hanging off the edge of the pool, she grumpily asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Same to you.” Perfuma smiled brightly. “Didn’t Glimmer’s mom tell you to leave before the sun set?”

“And didn’t she tell you to call her Mrs. Angella when we’re in school?” Mermista snapped back, still a little prickly from her earlier fight.

Perfuma frowned. Crouching, she rested her head on her hands and asked, “Why are you like this?”

“I’m like nothing,” Mermista grunted, getting ready to push off again. She’d had enough of the conversation. “I’m me.”

“And you got into a fight with everyone for nothing.” Perfuma shook her head pityingly. This was exactly why Mermista hated talking to the space case—there was nothing worse than having Perfuma look down at her. “Why? They were congratulating you.”

“I didn’t win,” Mermista muttered.

“You got second place! That’s a huge celebration!” Perfuma’s frown grew deeper. “We were going to have a party.”

Mermista clicked her teeth. “And that’s exactly why no one on this team wins anything.”

“But we have fun,” Perfuma argued back, pursing her lips in annoyance. Good. Mermista hoped that she was getting under her skin in the same way Perfuma was getting under hers. “We did our best.”

She snorted derisively. “That’s not how you win competitions.”

“Is that the only reason you swim?” Perfuma snapped, unable to keep her cool any longer. “Nothing else?”

Mermista resisted the urge to recoil. She’d never known how to handle Perfuma’s on switch. “What about you? Why do you swim?”

“Because it’s fun! Because my friends are here and I like doing this!” Perfuma stood up now, fury in her eyes. “Not everything’s about winning and losing.”

Before Mermista could reply, Perfuma turned around and stomped away.

-x-

Mermista loved hot baths. Relaxing in the tub, listening to music, inhaling a scented bathbomb—there was nothing better. Yet today she felt cramped in her tub, unable to fold her body just right for a comfortable seat. The water felt too hot, the scent made her sneeze, and there wasn’t a decent song on her playlist.

Everything felt like shit. After a string of bad decisions, she logically made the next bad one: calling Seahawk.

“Mermista! Darling! How are you today? For me, it was a glorious day, I think I have all but conquered the—”

“Oh, shut up already,” Mermista groaned. She could barely tolerate his endless flowery speech on a good day. On a day like this, it was self-punishment. “You didn’t burn the school down, did you?”

Unfazed, Seahawk laughed. “Not at all, my dear! I rarely burn things down, if you don’t count the gym and the chemistry lab and—”

“You’re lucky no one thinks you’re an arsonist.” She had no idea how they were childhood friends, but that was probably the only reason she had his number. Well, that and he made a good listener. And some of the best brownies—

Nope, nope, nope, she didn’t call him to think about their friendship, she called to complain about her day. Sinking into the water slightly as she shifted her legs, she grumbled, “You won’t believe the day I had.”

Unfortunately, she’d forgotten her friend was as dense of a brick. Not picking up on her tone, Seahawk shouted, “It has to be a great one, right? Congrats on the swim meet!”

“Ugh, not you too,” she groaned, glaring at the phone as though it could transmit it along with her frustration. “Quit it.”

“Huh?” She could almost see Seahawk’s surprised face, his slack-jawed gape.

“Can you just stop? It’s not first place, it’s second. It might as well be last.” Mermista ran a soapy hand through her wet hair. Now that the words were coming out, they wouldn’t stop, like a burst dam. “I don’t understand why you all keep going on and on about it—and god, Perfuma got on my case for no reason. This is a swim team!  The whole point is competing—why even bother if they’re not going to try.”

There was silence on the other end. Seahawk remained quiet for the longest time, and Mermista wondered if the call disconnected or if he’d fallen asleep again.

“Seahawk?”

“Why do you swim?” he asked finally, his voice cutting through the silence.

She raised a brow. “What do you mean, why? To win of course. If I just wanted to swim, I’d just go to any old pool and not compete.”

“Okay, but…” Seahawk paused. “You also like it, right?”

“…well…yeah,” she replied, almost hesitantly. Did she? Maybe? Her teammates faces’ flashed across her mind and she stubbornly shoved them away. They certainly weren’t the reason she liked swimming.

“Well, they like it too, but that isn’t why they’re swimming. There are many boats out on the sea—yachts, rafts, sailboats. They all have different purposes.” It figured Seahawk would use boats in his explanation, but for once she didn’t roll her eyes. “That doesn’t make them any less a boat.”

“That sounds so stupid,” she mumbled, begrudgingly seeing his point. There was something wrong with the world when Seahawk of all people made sense.

“And second place does mean something,” he continued, his voice rising in pitch in his excitement. “You were second out of all those people! You beat almost everyone there! That is amazing!”

Well, when he put it like that, it did sound amazing. Mermista recalled Bow’s proud expression, Adora’s eager praise, Glimmer’s—“Damnit,” she moaned, her skin flushing as she sank deeper into her tub. “It’s really cool, huh?”

‘Yep!”

God, she’d been wrong. “Glimmer’s never going to let it go.”

“Forever’s a long time,” Seahawk laughed, deep and hearty. “But yes.”

-x-

Mermista could cut the tension with a knife when she stepped onto the pool deck the next day. Bow hung off the edge of the pool, his eyes wide and lips in an o-shape as he looked between her and Glimmer. His friend stood at the other end of the pool, her arms crossed, shoulders square, and utterly ready to fight a war. Next to her, Adora rubbed her arm as she glanced at Perfuma, who looked just as uncertain as her.

She swallowed, feeling the weight of it all. It’d be so easy to run away. But she was made of sterner stuff than that and if she was going to apologize, she might as well get it over with. Quietly, she walked over to Bow, more than aware of all the eyes on her. Clasping her hands behind her back, she awkwardly asked, “Need help with your turns?”

Well, it wasn’t exactly an apology, but she could tell by the way Bow smiled he completely understood her. And had, miraculously, forgiven her. “Sure.”

“Don’t you dare do that again,” Glimmer growled before tackling her into the pool.

Mermista groaned internally. She’d been right, Glimmer was going to milk this for all its worth.

-x-

She should smile. Standing on a podium, she tired not to look to her left as the judge approached her. It was a bronze medal this time and she bit her cheek. Third place was even worse than second. Mermista curled her hand into a fist as the medal was placed around her neck.

“WOOOO!! MERMISTA!!!” Bow cheered. Adora and Glimmer shouted seconds later in support.

Mermista lifted her head, smiling at the sound of his voice. It was impossible not to. Pushing aside her crippling disappointment, Mermista took a deep breath and smiled for the camera. She was on the podium. That was something to be proud of, even if it wasn’t what she wanted.

And besides, she could always take first place next time.

[crazysnakey]

hi! I just saw your reblog on the rarbg post with the magnet links, and I'm kinda new to this and I was wondering if you could explain what I would copy and paste from that mass of text the links lead me to, as well as what torrent downloader you'd recommend. Thank you if you can help!

yeah, no problem! so the links I put, as labeled, are either for movies or tv shows depending on what you want to download, and they're all sorted alphabetically (with numbers only on the very top!)

A magnet link is basically a link tracing each torrent's metadata which has the links to the files you want to download from that specific torrent, and when you load it up it'll connect to other people (seeds/peers) with that file to download from.

Each link for a torrent begins with magnet:?xt=urn:btih: followed by its info hash code made of random numbers and letters (each torrent file has a different randomized hash - it's what helps set them apart) and then the file's name (eg the movie in this case) and it's quality (720p, 1080p, etc. and H264 or x265, etc.) - you can find the specific torrent with a link bc it has that torrent's unique hash code, and so it traces the files connected to that code.

So for example, I'll download the torrent for Dune 2021 here, starting from the part that begins with magnet:

I select and copy the magnet link for Dune 2021 - in this case I'm going for the 1080p and H264 one - now remember, the better (higher) the resolution, the larger the file will be - and also, for the H264 and x265, those are video compression codecs - x265 compresses better than H264, meaning it takes up less storage overall, but uses more processing power and can have some compatibility issues compared to H264 which it will need a special application/program for depending on your software.

So I paste the link into my torrenter - all torrent software usually has something like "upload torrent file" and "paste torrent magnet link" icons - in my case I'm using qbittorent, here's a screenshot of the icon for link paste and how it looks:

You can put multiple links at a time as long as each is in its own line after (no two links in the same line) - then just click download and the torrenter will begin tracing from the torrent hash to load its associated metadata and files for you to download from other peers. This might take from a few seconds to several minutes to load, but just give it time if it does take a while. Or close and open it another time if it's taking too long.

Now this is very important - when you finish retrieving the metadata from the link I know you're just itching to click the "Ok" button and start downloading, but right before that see the button that says "save as .torrent file"? I want you to click that and save the torrent file to your computer (anywhere's fine, but you should save it in the same place you download the torrent files to - in my case, I save it to my downloads (lol))

You should save the torrent file so that it has all the file metadata so that a) you don't have to recopy and paste the magnet link to redownload the metadata all over again, b) have the metadata saved for access at any time - if you want to redownload the files, share it with another person more easily, etc, and c) so you can automatically re-seed its files afterwards if you want (i'll explain this in a second)

After that you can click "ok" and download the torrent normally, which again might take time depending on how many seeds there are and the strength of either end of the internet connection.

If you manage to fully download everything from a torrent and reach 100% please don't be a leech and remove the torrent from your downloader, instead keep it open so you can seed it back out to other people who want to download it afterwards. This is how we keep the whole torrent web alive!!! And if you do have to remove it later, for storage or whatever reason, I would recommend you keep the files and torrent file saved somewhere else like an external disk so that when you have space again, you can move the files back and re-seed it to others by reopening it with the torrent file (if you open a torrent file for something you already have on your computer, it'll check and see you already have it and automatically start seeding!)

Also, if you want to save the page of magnet links, you can right-click on it and have it saved as a text file offline in case anything happens to the web link - I've already done that just to make sure I can keep it off-hand even if something happens to it online (if the link goes offline for whatever reason and you don't have it saved, you can message me and i'll send you the text files with all the magnet links)

As for torrent downloaders, I personally use qbittorrent downloaded to my disk/applications - in my case it's been pretty reliable downloading and seeding wise, out of all the torrenters I've used so far - I would recommend that.

Oh this turned out to be a lot longer than I expected lol, well I hope it was helpful at least tho! If you have any more questions don't hesitate to message me~! And good luck!

[poorly-caffeinated-diatribes]

This!! Piracy is actually super ethical most of the time, and it's a tool for preservation, anti-capitalism, and acceptance.

Streaming services have been known to produce exclusive shows, and then to cancel and even go so far as to remove the show entirely from their platform. Shows like Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies are only available through piracy sites and torrents. The same goes for movies likeThe Abyss or Mannequin, which, although being an 80s rom-com and therefore subject to rightful feminist criticism, are still movies that are hard to find unless you scour secondhand DVD stores.

Similarly, this affects music, like the Motown single Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) by Frank Wilson, of which nearly all copies were destroyed, never to see the light of day. There are less than five existing original copies, and though there are versions that were ripped and put on YouTube, there is no guarantee that they will always exist on the internet, and unless you happen to have 25k lying around, your best bet for "owning" this single is piracy.

Not to mention the many indie bands that released albums and then pulled their work off of streaming services. There's a punk band named Blaster the Rocket Man that once pulled their one and only existing album off of Spotify and Apple Music, and although they eventually put the music back up, piracy was the only method available for a bit. And they're far from the only band this has affected. Many people who grew up in the indie punk-rock/garage band scene lost all their favourite artists and are only able to find a few of them through online piracy.

Video game companies stop manufacturing games all the time, and with changing technologies there are many old game systems that simply don't work anymore for most people. I know I can't afford to go out and refurbish an old CRT television, and so I don't expect most people can. Games like the (legit garbage game, but an example nevertheless) ET Atari game, most of which have been destroyed and lost through time, have no way of being played without emulators. Games myself and other gamers can only really play on emulators include previously famous ones like Bad News Baseball, T-2: Judgement Day, 1942, and some of Tomb Raider games. These are games that are cult classics or that were loved by many kids in the 80's, 90's, and early 00's but will never be remade or manufactured by a company again.

Now, software in particular, is where it gets more complicated. I recommend checking out this video by Ben Jordan over on YouTube, because he explains it really well. He's worked in the music industry his whole life, and he's used a lot of different softwares, and he has some very interesting things to say about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7EHRpnJICQ

All in all, as a TLDR for his video, software piracy is often beneficial given that companies often steal their own software from others. You'd be surprised how much money these people make, and there is a wide web of lies and complications behind the scenes that ultimately show that, especially the big software companies, are really really not your friends. Part of the reason that we have legal issues with piracy, especially software piracy, is because of companies that stole their own products from other creatives and then made enough of a fuss in courts that people took their side.

This aside (and my apologies, I know this is a longer post), piracy is also often the only method for many individuals to get media that they otherwise wouldn't have access to. This includes countries where certain media is nearly impossible to get. As you can imagine, due to trade agreements, politics, and media publishers ultimately being greedy and messed up, there are plenty of countries that never see a lot of the media that people in the west might find super easy to get ahold of. Places like the Middle East are generally thought of last in terms of media releases. People in places like China that have their own privatized systems often rely on VPNs and piracy to get ahold of certain media as well. Due to media distribution BS, a lot of countries and regions get the short end of the stick.

Another reason piracy can be helpful is if you live in a particularly strict household, or a household where certain media is frowned upon. I pirated a shit ton of queer media in high school because my parents didn't want me watching things like Love, Simon or Carol. When you're a kid with no job, no money, and homophobic parents, piracy can be your friend.

Now, unfortunately with piracy there are definite downsides. Pirating indie companies and indie films or things like that can get very murky, so when you watch things that were created by an independent team of people who generally should get the money for their product, the common courtesy is to just pay for it. For bigger companies, lost media, and other complicated situations, piracy is great. In general, there are more ups than downs with piracy, and it's not the big bad guy that companies make it out to be.

They just shut down the eShop too lmao

[whitmore]

It's super annoying that we're PAYING to see Stargirl and they're cutting out scenes that would've been in the episode if WB and Berlanti weren't greedy and thought that CW viewers should get everything we're getting but for free

i mean not to be anti capitalist but i very much do not care lmao like. i choose to pay my wages towards dcu for their comics & tv and stuff (it’s a sinking ship but i’m still on it!!) but like if ppl wait until tuesday? cool!! i, eleanor whitmore, want everyone to be able to enjoy stargirl when they can and at the price they can afford!! i just want ppl to enjoy stargirl tbh

[pooka167]

Okay, Okay I'm not the best at explaining my ideas but here me out. So in the clone wars movie we're originally led to believe this padawan showing up is going to Obi-wan's. Obviously though when Ahsoka arrives she ends up with Anakin. I know I've read some bonding fics where its kinda hinted or outright stated that Cody, Ghost Company and the 212th were expecting Ahsoka to be theirs and I'm taking this idea and running with it. (I for some reason have hyper fixated on Ahsoka and Cody's dynamic like their friendship has so much potential)

Also just a heads up I'm going on for a while.

- So like imagine this after Ahsoka's been with the 501st for a few months, Anakin is charged with a mission lets say by the chancellor cause don't tell me Palpatine wouldn't try and nip any growing bond between Anakin and Ahsoka any chance he got.

- Anakin doesn't like the idea of taking his new padawan into whatever crazy high stakes mission he's been issued with (lowkey tho Palpatine probably pulled oh but I do worry for your young Padawan learner this is a much more dangerous mission and I would hate for anything to happen to her, like really Anakin how can the council approve of this) and decides Ahsoka can learn a bit from her grandmaster. So he drops her off with Obi-wan

- Ahsoka while excited to spend more time with Obi-wan is understandably a bit nervous on being around the battalion led by the brother Rex looks up to the most cause what if he and the other clones don't like her. She really took Rex's words about experience to heart and she doesn't want them to think she's in over her head and won't listen to them. At this point while the 501st have fully accepted Ahsoka (Torrent company especially) and would tear apart the galaxy for her, she herself is still feeling very insecure about it especially after the whole ryloth blockade fiasco.

-Of course this experience is gonna make her realize that she is very much loved but not just by the brothers she spends most her time with. Cause as soon as she gets to the Negotiator (I think that ship still around in the timeline at this point) She finds not only Master Kenobi waiting for her but most of ghost company waiting to greet her. Waxer and Boil are immediately offering her ration bars with dried meat in it and that's not something she's had in a while since they haven't been able to restock and as much as the 501st love her they had not be prepared to feed a largely carnivorous child. Wooley meanwhile is asking her what kind of paints she likes and does she want to help him paint his armor. Ahsoka of course is touched by this and enthusiastically says yes.

- Before she can run of with Wooley though Cody and Obi-wan admit that Helix is expecting her in the medbay as he wants to do a check-up. Ahsoka of course isn't too thrilled with the idea but Cody manages to bribe her by whispering that if she does this he'll teach her how to kick droids the way he does in battle. This works like a charm and Cody files that information away for himself and to share with Rex, bribery with useful skills is the best way to earn Ahsoka's cooperation.

- So to the Medbay Ahsoka goes followed of course by Ghost company, Obi-wan who knows what the men are up too decides it best to get his council duties over and done with so he can witness this. He's already been hounded by the men before Ahsoka even got on board if they can keep her since she was supposed to be theirs anyway. He's looking forward to the look on Ahsoka's face when she inevitably hears this.

- Meanwhile Ahsoka is being looked over by Helix who bombards her with questions about what the 501st medics have done and when Ahsoka mentions they haven't had the chance to do anything like this yet cause they're still doing research on togruta biology so they don't accidentally hurt her she notices the incredulous looks from alot of the clones presents and quickly babbles about how its not their fault they just weren't prepared for her and learning takes time especially since they go from one battlefield to the next frequently. Helix looks annoyed at this but a sharp look from Cody stops him from saying anything. Though the medbay is admittedly crowded so Helix and the other medics have to strongarm a lot of brothers out of the medbay. The clones exiled from the medbay staunchly wait outside.

- They don't even try to move Cody cause they know as much as he won't admit he was probably one of the clones most excited about having a Padawan and he's rarely going to let Ahsoka out of his sight for the entire duration of her stay with them.

- Ahsoka curious as ever asks Helix and Cody why the 212th seem so interested in her. She quickly assures them that its not a bad this she's just a little confused since she's just their generals grandpadawan. Helix and Cody share a chuckle and Cody nudges her shoulder teasingly

"Well we were under the impression you were supposed to be stationed with us, the boys were quite upset when they learned we'd lost you to the 501st, we helped prepare your quarters and everything"

-Ahsoka is of course touched by this and since she's still a child whose been thrust into a war gets a little choked up. This sends Helix and Cody into panic mode. "Hey kid I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you." she quickly reassures them explaining its just nice to see they were excited to have her join them even if she didn't in the end. There's a look in her eyes that makes Cody thinks he's gonna have to talk to Rex about her first few weeks with Torrent. He guessed it wasn't gonna be easy for the 501st or skywalker to adjust to the kid but something tells him it took them awhile to get their heads out their shebs but he shelves it away for another time.

- Right now he's more focused on showing the kid just how awesome her would've been battalion is. So as soon as Helix is satisfied he takes Ahsoka to the training rooms and fires up the training sims to teach her how to roundhouse kick droids like a badass. He also takes the chance to assess her hand-to-hand and is pleased to see Rex has obviously been drilling that into her. Sure her lightsaber is her life but with the amount of times his General has dropped his, he's not taking any chances with the tiny commander so he lets the boys teach her some of their own moves with a mischievous wink cause she can use those moves to knock Rex and Torrent on their shebs, cause as much as Cody loves his little brother is so much fun to to tease him.

- This is how Obi-wan finds them Ahsoka amongst ghost company and some other stragglers in the 212th laughing merrily as she spars with them and makes bets. A twinge of regret sparks in him that he had not taken the girl on himself but he quickly releases it into the force because she was doing wonders for Anakin and he needed this lesson in attachment badly. He can at least settle for being her grandmaster and while he knows how disappointed the men were at least they'll still be able to interact with Ahsoka somewhat frequently because of this. He chuckles when Ahsoka notices him and waves excitedly yelling at him to come in and join the fun and honestly how could he say no. Merry moments in the war were few and far between and his heart ached for the young togruta who had been thrust into a conflict like so many other younglings at the temple too soon.

- So Obi-wan decides to spar with her using training sabers and he's impressed at Ahsoka's skill level for someone so young. He decides to teach her for the forms of soresu because he knows Anakin favours Djem so and he wants her to be able to defend as well as attack. She is clearly very excited and the men form a circle to watch. When they're finished the men or cheer for the two of them and a few go over and clap Ahsoka on the shoulder. "Good Job Vod'ika" he hears and he smiles to himself seeing Ahsoka grin so hard her fangs are revealed, clearly she knows the meaning of the word and is ecstatic that the 212th have bestowed the honour of the term on her.

- The rest of the trip goes similarly they fight a few small space battles and offer relief to planets recently free of separatist control and Ghost company even help Ahsoka pull off a few pranks, all harmless such as jump scaring a group of troopers or himself (he can sense her but he pretends to be slightly shocked when she pops out of a vent the first time) Even Cody doesn't tell on her and Obi-wan smirks to himself cause he knows Ahsoka has now got two battalions wrapped around her fingers (three if the rumours about the 104th's attachment to Plo Koon are true)

-Finally the day comes for Ahsoka to return to Anakin and the 501st and to Obi-wan. Anakin as well as Rex, Jesse, Fives and Echo who all accompany him turn up in the landing bay to find an amused Obi-wan and smirking Cody and no Ahsoka to be found. The clones don't take this well and Rex immediately pulls Cody aside and inquires as to where their commander is. Anakin just stands there clueless, and utterly confused as to why his padawan isn't here to come back with him.

- As the clone captain and commander engage in some light banter in which Cody is purposely evasive as to where Ahsoka is, Obi-wan offhandedly comments on how attached the 212th have become to their padawan to Anakin who chuckles and says he's not surprised. Echo, Fives and Jesse however have missed one of their favourite Vod'ika and take it upon themselves to find her. They go the rec rooms first near the barracks knowing their kid commander likes to socialize with the men. When they don't find her they enter the barracks only to be shushed by about half a dozen clones who are all huddled around a sleeping pile containing Waxer, Boil, Wooley, Longshot and Trapper and of course their tiny commander. Who blinks blearily when she hears the hushed murmurs of her brothers.

- The 212th are very reluctant to let her go but they eventually hand over the exhausted togruta to Jesse, Echo and Fives (yes they do argue over who gets to carry theyre sleeping commander, Echo wins) The three make their way back to the landing bay and Anakin, Rex and Cody (who had paused in their banter) all melt at the sight of the sleeping padawan and Cody and Obi-wan go over to say their goodbyes. Obi-wan merely pats her shoulder and smiles kindly sending calmness and care through the training bond he and Ahsoka had created with her brief stay with them.

- Cody flicks her forehead gently and salutes her and Ahsoka tiredly salutes back grinning slightly. Anakin and co leave not long after.

- Ahsoka gives the entirety of the 501st a heart attack when a few days later, Ahsoka's lightsaber is forced out of her hand by a stray blaster bolt in battle and she does not hesitate to kick the droids head off. Rex can only think oh god there's two of them now. And Ahsoka is lectured by both Kix and Rex for hours afterwards about how dangerous it was to do that. Ahsoka merely shrugs and tells them not to worry cause Cody taught her proper form and she uses the force to help her. Kix relays this to Helix so Cody is also dressed down but he's unperturbed. Ahsoka got it on holovid and sent it to him and he couldn't be prouder.

- Of course next time they're on Coruscant on leave both Anakin and Obi-wan get comms from Commander Fox saying they need to come pick up their men yes even their CO's.

-Turns out Torrent and Ghost companies had gotten themselves in a brawl while drunk at 79's and the guard had to step in and deescalate the situation. (I.e lock them all up in the drunk tank where unsurprisingly more arguments were taking place) What shocks Anakin is that Plo Koon is also there and its then Anakin learns that the Wolfpack had gotten involved as well. Fox honestly looks so done with his brothers and merely jerks an arm to where the three companies are being held when the Jedi arrive.

- They take one look inside and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what caused this fight. 501st blue, 212th orange and 104th grey huddles in groups shoving each other and yelling loudly about how she was their vod'ika. While Helix and Snap were chewing out Kix and Coric over Ahsoka's health. The two torrent medics were not taking it very well.

-Much to the surprise of the three jedi their commanders and captain are probably the most vicious in this debate. Each of them are sporting a few darkening bruises on their faces.

-Plo Koon chuckles and loudly remarks on how lucky lil'soka is to be have the three strongest battalions in the GAR looking out for her. This has the desired effect because even while absolutely hammered the clones all straighten with pride at the praise from one of their Generals.

- They corral their men up and herd them back to their separate barracks one company at a time to avoid more fights breaking out.

-Each Jedi profusely apologies to Fox, Thorn, Stone and Thire for the trouble their men has caused. Fox just sighs and rolls his eyes saying it wouldn't be the worst things his di'kut brothers have done. While Stone comments that it would be an honour to meet this little commander the three battalions speak so highly of. Anakin smirks and says next time they're own extended leave on Coruscant Ahsoka can learn how the guard works.

-Needless to say the next time this happens the guard hold it over the others head that Ahsoka always drops by with stories and new treats for them to try anytime she's on Coruscant before she even vists them. (That of course is a lie but what the other three don't know won't hurt them)

Okay so I really prattled on. Anyone who made it this far you're a real one. This was mainly very self-indulgent and very much niche for me but I figured I may as well release it to the void. But I hope you enjoyed this silly little bit regardless

[todoscript]

loyalty

character: todoroki shouto.

warnings: suggestive language. a woman tries coming onto your man.

author’s note: was vibing with this with my girls the other night but might as well put the vibes on here too because we know that once shouto’s in love with you, he won’t ever betray that love

todoroki shouto

to cut to the chase, the very moment he realizes other women—whether they be heroes, news reporters, office workers, fans, etc.—start flirting with him his dick just goes limp.

soft, flaccid, not even the wind can get that thing to move

these ladies could go through the most tasteless ways, vying for his attention, like revealing clothing or unnecessary touching. still, he always gives them the bare minimum interaction, not so much as sparing a glance in their direction when he knows they’re just desperate to get in his pants.

he’s incredibly blunt and cold, and definitely isn’t shy about shoving them off when they get way too close, it’s pretty damn intimidating.

after all, we know how rude he can be when his patience gets tested.

they can go all they want at wasting his time, trying so desperately to garner his favor but as soon as you walk into the room, that’s a whole other story.

to those that only know him professionally, it’s staggering how quickly he softens up and goes starry-eyed for you.

a complete 180. like is this really the same man that nearly freezes nasty villains to death?

you can practically feel the devotion and adoration lighting in his eyes, all directed toward you. it’s only a matter of time before those ladies all give up.

they end up walking out of his agency with loud contempt in their heels at their utter humiliation.

- - - - -

Her nefarious attempts at wooing Shouto so far have all been fruitless, the wispy, exaggerated tone of her voice sounding like static every time it abandons her puckered lips. Grainy, annoying white noise. Shouto grimaces when he hears it, catching onto the game she’s trying to play.

His guest—a sidekick coming in place of her boss—circles the desk in his office, where the two were reviewing a plan devised to thwart a troublesome gang of villains. For any inessential reason, she’s checking her nails and tucking away stray strands of hair as if preparing herself for an interview—making herself presentable. Her hums threaten the silence, and he has a foreboding that these plans they’re going over are in a distant corner of her mind.

Now, Shouto more than realizes he’s an exceptionally desired man. He’s had his fair share of interviews and newspaper headlines depicting him as “the hot yet cool pro dominating the hero scene”. It didn’t take long for him to acknowledge the slew of admirers that came with his reputation and good looks. Some of which he’s had the displeasure of dealing with quite often nowadays.

Shouto sighs quietly. There comes a time when these “fans” come onto him too strongly that it becomes a hassle. Especially when they cross boundaries he has so critically established.

“C’mon, Shouto,” she muses freely, and the white and red-haired hero begins regretting the fact he took his own name as his hero alias. “Going over these plans is so boring, don’t you think? Why don’t we blow this joint and say… go out for lunch together, hmm?” She hits her shot again. There’s suggestion hidden in her faux naïveté, her act inflated by her fluttering eyelashes as Shouto turns to her.

Crossing his arms, his lips set into a frown. “You’re here for work, not to hang around and act like we’re friends,” he says firmly, piling bricks and binding them together with mortar to implant a wall he prays will drive off her desperation so he can finish this meeting quickly. The sidekick, however, seems determined to tear down these barriers as if the pro has issued an unspoken challenge. Her lips smothered in gloss upturn into a smirk.

“Aw, you’re no fun,” she teases, hoisting herself onto the table next to the array of papers sprawled in front of him. She makes a point at crossing her legs, hoping he hooks onto the bait of her enticing display. To her dismay, Shouto doesn’t even blink, finding the material written on the papers more interesting.

Eyes widening, she questions the hero’s tenacity in disbelief. Her confidence stumbles amidst his lack of interest. She bites the inside of her cheek, pouting. Time for drastic measures.

Shimmying closer to Shouto, she leans forward, giving her voice a better path to intrude his ears with light whispers. “Don’t tell me you’ve been grumpy as if late because you haven’t had anyone to sleep with…” she taunts suggestively, glinting at how the hero’s muscles flex at her statement and assumes she’s finally pushed his buttons.

Oh yeah, she’s pushed some buttons alright. Little does she realize they’re all the wrong ones.

Diving brazenly into a torrent, the sidekick lifts a hand toward Shouto’s arm. “Y’know, I would gladly help you fix that if you let me—” Her words are thrown off, brought to an abrupt halt by him gripping her wrist.

The sudden tense, chilly air has the sidekick shivering at both the coldness and apprehension at what is in store for her.

“I’m sure you know by now that I’m taken,” Shouto emphasizes his words with a steely look in his mismatched eyes that nudge in the direction of your photo framed on his desk, your joyful yet spiritless expression unknowingly witnessing this woman’s acts on your man. She gulps, aware it is her own fault for choosing to ignore your picture and still have the audacity to try and have her ways with him. How despicable. Now she has to face the consequences.

Shouto cruelly shoves her hand from his grasp, his expression so sharp it almost pierces like daggers.

“So I’d appreciate it if you stopped trying to pursue a man that obviously has no interest in you before I tell your boss that their sleazy sidekick can’t stay in line and perform her duties.”