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bionicle-ramblings · 11 months

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... I try not to focus on humanized Bionicle stuff, but I've seen a lot of humanized Bionicle and I remembered that Bionicle, more specifically the Matoran, Toa, and Turaga, were roughly 85% mechanical beings, so what if it was the other way around? Like, if they were 85% organic beings?

And most of these thoughts come from seeing human designs from @rrbobani

And they're Toa Metru because I'm unsupervised

Vakama, like all Ta-Matoran tool and mask makers, is seen wearing a lot of armor/gear like a coat to protect his arms from sparks, heavy pants, boots, maybe gloves, a pair of goggles he can wear around his neck, and either has in-built filters in his lungs or wears a mask/respiratory. Despite all his gear and all his washing, there's always the lingering stain of smoke and metallic dust on his callused hands and under and in his fingernails and always the smell of smoke and metal on his skin. Very warm to the touch, the guy might as well be a walking furnace and is THE BEST to lean against when it's cold. Because he doesn't want it burned or caught in anything, Vakama's hair is pretty short, compared to the other Toa Metru, but the long bits of hair he has are braids. Those come up a lot, but Vakama's braids are ones he "got" courtesy of Takua, who got bored and decided to mess with his hair for a second or two. Vakama knows how to braid his own hair and can easily redo them after a bath or shower and having braid is something of a risk for work, but he keeps them because they remind him of his friends. He follows his OG build design, having very crimson, dark red hair, and his eyes stand out greatly, being a very electeic green color. Vakama's got scars on his body over the years from tools backfiring, pieces of metal or his own fire staff catching him, being too close to the forge and then his fire resistance only lasts for so long, and even from a Vahki stun staff that left him "not quite himself" for a few weeks until he "came back" and had no idea how he got to his forge or how long he'd been there. Despite his line of work, being at a forge all day, Vakama is a clean person, usually trying to keep his clothes and himself clean because of hopefully obvious reasons, though there are places he "misses" like his hands or fingernails because they're stained from the work he does. You will not find a lot jewelry on him at all and cannot convince him to wear anymore than what he has. Sure, earrings are too far away from a forge to get burned or damaged, but he's not going to risk it. Bracelets are a no-go because they're too close to his hands, and he doesn't have to worry about necklaces for the same reasons as earrings. The only bit of jewelry he has is an anklet he made out of sheer anxiety while he was learning to be a mask-maker and wears it as a good luck charm. He doesn't have any tattoos either. He planned to get one, but Lhikan threw a wrench in the works, more specifically threw a Toa Stone in the works.

Nokama is from a more temperate climate, so she's not wearing a lot of heavy clothing, but she's a teacher, so she's got on a very professional two-piece outfit. She has lighter clothes and some coats, but usually wears temperate clothes. Unlike Vakama, her hair is very long and she ties the top/front of her hair out of it out of her face. Being from Ga-Metru, where there's a lot of science and learning, Nokama has no scars, but, ironically, has dry hands. No calluses, no blisters, no scars, just hands dry from waahing them a lot. In full baths or showers, she is able to get the skin soft again, but just washing her hands, her skin gets dry. She doesn't wear a lot of jewelry, just a necklace, bracelet, and a single earring. She didn't lose the other one, her friend just found the one and gave it to her and she holds onto it for sentimental purposes. There's the lingering smell of water on Nokama and she's not hot or cold to the touch. As a Matoran, she's mostly barefoot, save for classes or playing, where she wears light water shoes. As a Toa, those are swapped for more heavy-duty shoes that are still light weight, but made of a stronger material. She's got a fairly broad torso, but that's because her lungs are expanded for swimming better, and for holding her breath underwater for longer. Incredible fit from swimming. The girl has ink, but it's not for decoration. She has a line of academic accomplishments going down the entire length of her spine, from her neck to her waist or tail bone.

Matau is often seen in very "flashy" clothes, most often crop tops because he looks like a million and wants everyone to know. He wears "armor" in the form of leather padding, mostly due to his occupation of being a test driver, wear they're not allowed to test drive unless they're in gear; a jumpsuit, leather armor, boots, gloves, a helmet, and goggles. Matau has scars galore from tests going wrong, but the most noticeable is his arm, which has been replaced with a prosthetic due to a particularly nasty crash left him with broken ribs, some teeth that needed to be put back into place, and the sickening feeling that despite seeing how mangled and destroyed his arm was, the most pain he could feel was in his shoulder(and totally isn't loose foreshadowing to his and the Toa's future mutations into Hordika). He and other test drivers are strictly not allowed to have long hair, not unless they want that hair ripped off their scalps, so Matau's hair is very short and kind of a mess, being that it'sin a helmet all day. Despite the rest of his clothing being very fashionable, he wears heavy boots, doing so out of pure habit. No dangly or hoopy jewelry on him, but he does have some simple earrings that he wears when he's off the clock. He used to have tattoos, but they were all on his arm before it got replaced with the prosthetic. He did try to get it ingraved, but the Po-Matoran he kept going to refused to do anything for fear that their tools would be damaged beyond reapir or they would damage his arm. Speaking of the arm, the prosthetic, after being put on, got its fair share of test damage as it was soon littered with scratches and dents. Not broken, just a little scuffed up. Matau himself is very slim, having a runner's build and a high pain endurance. There's the smell of motor oil and leather on him, and there's sometimes dirt behind his ears and under his fingernails. Even with gloves on, he still has calluses and he still uses lotion to make his hands soft because dammit he just wants to.

Nuju wears long clothes all the time no matter where he is. Sweaters, jeans, coats, gloves, boots, most of which being lined with fur and made with fleece and hyde leather, he is dressed for the cold all the time because he, and other Ko-Matoran, is used to being cold, being from Ko-Metru, where it's always cold. He's either got a telescope for an eye or the telescope acts like a monical he can't ever take off, but regardless, he has the telescope eye, having gotten it when he started his line of work in the observation towers. Despite all the warm stuff he wears, he is damn cold to the touch, like a walking ice cube. He looks like he's cold, he feels cold, and he smells cold, if he stands close enough, like freshly fallen snow. He's also got very dry, very cracked hands, even though he wears gloves. It's the temperature around him, and going outside of Ko-Metru does not fix that. He has no earrings, but he does wear brouches, bracelets, and some necklaces. No scars, either, which a lot of people think is unfair because his job is somewhat dangerous, but still somehow safe. His hair is long, sweeping to his shoulders, but he keeps the front tied out of his face and braids the rest behind him. He does let it down when he sleeps, but he ties it up for work. He also looks sharp, despite the warm stuff he wears. He's not very physically built, if anything, the guy needs a snadwich and needs to go to the gym once a week. He has a good cardiovascular endurance, but he has little to no muscle, even as a Toa, despite his strength being increased. He has no tattoos either. He doesn't see the point in getting one because his telescope already marks his occupation and no one's going to ever see what he gets anyway, so why bother?

Onewa, being from Po-Metru, wears both light and heavy clothing, as in his coat and pants and durable and protect his arms and legs while his shirt is light and breathable. Like Matau and Vakama, he wears boots, but his are especially heavy duty, specifically in the toes. He's never seen without gloves or gauntlets on, has a sort of mask that hangs around his neck so he doesn't inhale rock dust, wears goggles to protect his eyes, and has a smock on so his clothes stay clean. Despite all this protection, he has a lot of scarring from scarring and working on the Kranua: a missing pinky on his hand, a split eye brow, a missing fang, both ear lobes are ripped, he has scars and scrapes all over his arms and his hands, a little toe is missing, and he thumb is shaped a little funny. The ripped ear lobes are the reason he no longer wears earrings, he only wears a necklace under his shirt, and he wouldn't be caught dead with a bracelet, don't even ask him to wear one. His hair, like Nuju's, goes to his shoulders, but he ties it up into a ponytail so it stays out of his face and off his neck. Speaking of his neck, he has a tattoo of almost the entire map of Metru Nui, one that covers his back all the way up to his neck. It is not a legitimate map, it's purely for aesthetic and for Onewa to always remember his home, no matter what. Despite bathing, he smells like hot earth and stone, though working on the Kranua does leave the scent of metal on him, though he has tried getting both scents off him many times. He also has a little ringing in his ear that happens from working with the Kranua, so that's fun to deal with for him. He, like Nokama, is not warm or cold to the touch, but his hands are very callused, though there are more scars on his palms as blisters had gotten worse and weren't treated properly because work needed to be done.

Whenua, being an archivist, is dressed for movement and comfort, so stuff like loose pants, good running shoes, a coat(maybe), and a good shirt, as he makes sure Metru Nui's history stays where it's supposed to and has to keep all the Rahi in their place. It's not dangerous enough to warrant armor, but wearing some is encouraged, as is having short hair, though Whenua keeps his tied in a bun so that he both keeps his long hair and also follows the rules. He also wears a choker necklace and has tattoos. The necklace is to show that his is an archivist while the tattoos are one on his arm of a rahi from inside the archives that caught his attention and stuck in his mind and the other is of the symbol for Unity, Duty, and Destiny on the back of his hand. Despite the occasional danger, the only few scars Whenua has are a claw mark that from one side of his face to the other, from his forehead to his jaw, and was a near miss with an escaped Rahi that they managed to get back in, a gash on his leg from an escaped Rahkshi, and a line on his head where hair no longer grows from an event he doesn't remember. If anything, Whenua just smells nice because the soap he uses smells good and it clings to his skin and hair. No receptionist desk smell, no old book smell. Just soap. He's also got some pretty soft hands, for an archivist, and his hands are very warm. He's not a walking furnace like Vakama, but his hands are just warm. Very fit and well built for an archivist, but he needs to be because if anything tries to kill him, it's better that he's strong enough to hold it back or at least fight it off. And it helps for when door mechanisms stop working and does need to be opened.

#bionicle #toa metru #vakama #matau #nokama #whenua #nuju #onewa #ramblings #humanized bionicle #long post #long post under cut #headcanon

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purplesurveys · 2 months

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1897

1~ What quality do you value most highly in others? Considering the traditional and backwards culture my country is known to live by, I appreciate someone who's open-minded and thinks in a more modern, less discriminating way.

2~ Are you more aggressive or mellow? It depends...this is a very broad question. I can be aggressive when it comes to people or things I deeply care about, and mostly mellow-ly nonchalant towards everything else.

3~ Who has made the biggest sacrifice for you? My parents, easily.

4~ Do you take any vitamins or medication? I don't. Nothing regular.

5~ Do you want to grow old with someone? It would be nice to grow old with my best friend, but I also don't, like, actively pressure her to do so. She has her own future and family to think about, and I don't mind being one of the supporting characters in her arc. It would just be nice to have the rest of our lives together.

6~ Do you treat others better or worse than yourself and why? It used to be 100% better than myself, but I'm slowly starting to prioritize myself now too. That being said, I've started to enforce boundaries and to learn how to say no when I want to.

7~ What sound is annoying you right now? Eh, nothing. It's fairly silent at the moment.

8~ Where was your last vacation to? We had back to back trips to Bulacan, Vietnam, and Tagaytay the last month. My family also booked a last-minute weekend someplace south but I didn't go with as I went to Hans and Angela's engagement party that same time.

9~ Where was your last car ride to? My uncle's new place! He finally moved into the home he's been building and finishing up the last few years and it's beautiful.

10~ Where did you last walk to? Just upstairs, here to my bedroom.

11~ What gives you a peaceful feeling? Rainy weather.

12~ Are you a light sleeper? No, I'm usually nearly impossible to wake up which is why I always need 4-5 consecutive alarms set.

13~ When you sleep next to someone who usually falls asleep first? I get veeeerrryyyy conscious sleeping around other people, so it's usually them.

14~ How many people have a piece of your heart? Like less than 10.

15~ What do your salt and pepper shakers look like? They're not shakers; they're just tupperwares with their own scoops.

16~ When was the last time you hurt yourself? Intentionally? Years ago. Maybe 6 or 7 years ago. Unintentionally – happens a lot, so yesterday would be my best guess.

17~ Would you rather live in the city, suburbs or the country? City. I grew up in the suburbs my entire life and don't know the sound of a bustling city at all. I'd love to be surrounded by it now that I'm at pretty much the peak of my 20s.

18~ Have you ever built something? I'm sure I have.

19~ Are you more of a maker and giver, or a taker and user? Taker and user. I like going by other people's lead.

20~ Do you take naps? Rarely. Only when I'm extremely, extremely beat – like yesterday.

21~ Do you buy holiday gifts early or at the last minute? I always do it last-minute and get stressed every time lol, I never learn.

22~ Do you laugh when there is no joke and dance when there is no music? Dance, yes. But I don't think I've ever laughed out of nowhere. I always at least remember some kind of memory.

23~ If someone else were to describe you what would you hope they would say? That I have been mentally strong. Or thoughtful – that would honestly be nice to hear, too.

24~ What is the dirtiest habit you can think of? Like, of anyone? I saw someone on Reddit say they enjoy cleaning out their shower drain and that the more hair they get out of it, the better. Something I never expected to read that day tbh lol

25~ Do you ever need ‘quiet time’? Absolutely, and I need it more and more these days since there's now so much more demanded of me at my job, with everyone having eyes on my every move. By the end of every fucking week I'm just out and do not want to deal with anything and anyone.

26~ Do you think it is harder for a parent to outlive their child or for the child to outlive their parent? The former definitely, just because that's not usually expected to happen. My aunt had her son (my uncle) pass at 40; there's not a week I don't think of her and how she's doing.

27~ What was your best find from a flea market, garage sale, ebay or thrift? I found a copy of the WWE Encyclopedia in pristine condition at a secondhand book store. Copped that shit i m m e d i a t e l y.

28~ What is one selfish thing you tend to do? Prioritize myself and my feelings.

29~ What kinds of people do you find intimidating? Mostly people who have had more experience than I've had in our industry. It's intimidation coming from a place of respect, though – I try not to be actively scared of them and instead take the opportunity to learn from them no matter what their mentorship style is (unless they are assholes lol, which I won't tolerate. But thankfully I've never had to encounter someone of the sort).

30~ Out of everyone you know who has the most unique personality? Ades probably? He's the kind of smart that almost makes him weird, but I've never found it off-putting. I like hearing his thoughts whenever I can.

31~ When do you do your best thinking? After-work hours, ie anytime after 6 PM; or on the weekends – which is the time I get to think without needing to worry about deadlines.

32~ What was a choice that you didn’t want to make but you had to? Choosing to move on from my ex four years ago; I genuinely thought there was still a chance we could get back together. I was desperate and delusional at the start, trying to still keep up conversations with her whenever I could and thinking that any reply from her was progress in the direction I wanted. Soon enough I realized that she wanted nothing to do with me anymore and seemed perfectly fine and free without me, and that made it much easier to move past.

33~ Have you ever written a letter to a soldier? No.

34~ What does your favorite coffee mug look like? It's just a plain black glass mug.

35~ What age do you think it is most difficult to be? From my own observation of others around me, 25 seems to be quite the hurdle. Everyone seems to be so pressured and is doing a bunch of stuff to overcome the quarter-life crisis...but personally I think I've handled it quite well and am proud of that.

36~ Do you think you could handle a day in jail? I think my anxiety would eat me alive for the better part of it, but it's a day. I think I'd be able to manage, even if barely.

37~ Who is the most overbearing person you know? L.

38~ Have you ever been on a trampoline? Sure.

39~ What do you use batteries for the most often? My Army lightstick, hah.

40~ Would you prefer to wrap your own presents or have them all gift wrapped? I'm terrible at wrapping presents so I either have my sister do it (if we still have time, because I do my gift shopping last minute like I said) or I just buy a bunch of paper bags to put my gifts in.

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daintyduck99 · 2 years

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You know I gotta go for kissing after a long time of pining for Rulie.

This is also for @bananakarenina, who asked for the same prompt!

Julie lingers in the doorway, twisting her fingers in the sleeves of her stolen shirt as her gaze sweeps over the empty room.

It's not really empty, not even now. If she squints, she can see the boys all around her, squishing her on her little absurdly comfy orange couch as they run through their latest song or babble about a movie, flicking popcorn as she tells them to quit through a giggle. There's Flynn in the corner, papering the wall with pictures, now the ghosts of little cheerful squares.

She sees Reggie bringing her coffee and a blinding grin that's more invigorating than caffeine could ever be, motivating her to study. She sees him messing around on her sparkly pink guitar, the one the boys had helped her lug here from LA out of sheer sentimentality, crooning along to Tiny Dancer with glittering eyes that outshine said guitar. She sees him in the window, keeping her plants alive, brightening up the entire apartment.

She sees him all over this place, more than anyone else, more than Flynn, even, and her heart aches.

It's always been him.

"Julie? Did you catch anything you might have missed?"

She swallows a rueful little laugh and lays her head on Reggie’s shoulder as he wraps his arm around her, breathing out.

"No. Everything I miss is right here. But that's what makes uni so special, right? It can't last forever. And I won't be far from home, from everyone. We can still make music together. We can still play in the garage and all the Eats n Beats and whatever other crazy gigs Luke books us between��all our work. It'll be fine."

Won't it?

Reggie presses his lips to the top of her head, and she lets herself melt in his hold as he squeezes her a little tighter.

"Hey, it's okay. You're allowed to be a little sad. Like, sure! Our new jobs are exciting, and we'll all be around. But it won't be—exactly the same. I won't always be around to water your plants, you know?"

She snorts, twisting to hug him properly, hoping he won't ask for his flannel back as she bunches his t-shirt in her hands. She buries her face in his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of his woodsy cologne as she tries not to cry. It's a very near thing.

"You would be if I gave them to you," she jokes feebly, giving him a similarly weak smile once they start to unravel from the hug. "The plants. I'd hate to ruin all of your hard work. They're beautiful."

He swallows hard, searching her eyes. His are bluer than usual, darker with unshed tears, and his face has flushed. His hands linger on her arms, warm even through the material of his shirt.

His gaze flickers to her mouth, and her heart hammers in her throat.

"Julie—I'd rather have you. The whole deal. Your ice cold toes and the synthpop you sing along to in the shower and your cat and your janky old coffee maker and your closet full of shoes. Maybe that's corny, or it's too much, but I've—I've loved you for so long. And I love the way you live, so—how's that sound?"

She huffs a laugh, light with relief, winding her arms around his neck as she beams at him. He's delightfully corny and he's hers.

"Even the avalanche of shower products?"

He shrugs, sliding his hand up her arm and the side of her neck to cup her cheek, smiling when she leans into his touch.

"It can join mine."

His other hand finds her hip, and her breath hitches as their noses bump.

"And the plants?"

"Mhm. We'll keep them. Anything, as long as I get to keep you."

"You have me," she murmurs, "you’ve always had me," and she rises on her toes to finally seal it with a soft kiss.

He kisses her back so tenderly, the brush of a butterfly's wing, and it unleashes the swarm of them in her chest. She sways with the force of it, but he holds her steady.

Just like he always has.

She threads her fingers through his hair as they kiss and kiss and kiss, sound and sweet.

They kiss until something brushes her calf.

Julie startles back with a yelp, nearly tripping over the ball of fur at their feet as it meows at them scornfully.

"Luna!" she scolds, scooping her up. "You're the most jealous pet I've ever owned. I thought you were in your carrier!"

Reggie rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, she also seemed sad, so I might’ve—loosened the latch. A little."

"What am I going to do with you two?" Julie asks Luna, giggling as she squirms out of her arms. "Well, I love you, so I suppose I'll have to keep you. Maybe get a bigger place as soon as possible. How does that sound?"

It lights the whole room when Reggie smiles, rinsing the area of its ghosts.

#rulie #reggie x julie #kiss prompts #ficlets with ash #julie and the phantoms

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hellhound5925 · 1 year

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Cyare Verd *Beloved Warrior* Bad Batch Edition

Previous Chapter

The Crossing Pt. 2

Sitting on the rock, I watch the boys dig. I did try to help but both Hunter and Tech told me no... "I feel so useless" I complain out loud. "You're injured" Hunter grunts out while moving a large rock. I'm not all that mad...I mean I get a good view of Hunter.... After quite some time, it seems like they've gotten no where. Various pieces of armor are strung across the floor of the mine due to them working up a sweat, meanwhile I've been day dreaming about Hunter. I come back to reality,"Wrecker promise me you'll shower when we get back to the Marauder" I sigh knowing he will damn well be the one to stink us out...he does frequently... "Ugh! I don't smell that bad!" Now it's Tech's turn to sigh "I have to agree with Raven...you must be used to your own scent, Hence why you do not notice." I change the subject not wanting another argument "You guys should take a break. You've been at it for hours...." "The sooner we get this done....the sooner we can get the Marauder back and leave" Hunter barks moving yet another large rock. "Atin..." I whisper under my breath. "What's that mean?" Omega asks typing on Tech's datapad. "Stubborn" I say resting my head in my hands, elbows on my knees. "Something's not right. The Marauder's transponder isn't relaying a signal" she tells us. "It was probably disabled by the thief who commandeered it" Tech tells her. "Well, then how are we gonna track it?" Hunter sighs "The ship's not important right now. We need to get outta here first." "Quite correct. Besides, it is most unlikely that the Marauder will be recovered" Tech gives Wrecker a nasty look and Wrecker grunts angrily. "What?" I ask. Omega gets defensive "Don't say that. We have to get it back!" Tech is getting visibly more irritated "We can always acquire another ship. It is merely a mode of transportation." "The Marauder's our home! We already lost Echo. We can't lose that too" she starts to raise her voice before looking sadly at the floor. Hunter stops what he is doing "Omega, we didn't lose Echo....He's just on a different mission." "But he's not here. He's...he's not with us. We're supposed to be a squad!" Tech has also now stopped what he's doing "This squad existed before Echo was a part of it, and it will exist after. What is your issue?" By the look on her face at his question...she's beyond mad..."Omega..." Hunter starts like he's going to comfort her but she throws the datapad at Tech and storms off.

Hunter and I give Tech a look , "I merely stated the truth" he defends himself. Hunter sighs "She already knows the truth....That's why she's upset." I slide off my rock finally having had enough - I'm so mad I can't even think in galactic basic...it all comes out in Mando'a, "Gev! Ni liser't atiniir ibic" they all stare at me in silence. "Tech" I snap losing patience. "She said 'Stop it. I can't take this'." It's actually Hunter who translates. "Haa'taylir (look)....ugh..." I try to collect myself "Look I know we all miss Echo and I also know you were with him a lot longer than me..." wincing I steady myself before continuing "but you are at each others throats...I get that families feud - trust me I do - Luubid cuyir luubid! (Enough is enough!) You're vode (brothers) for Makers sake! Cuyir ogir par solus shol'shya! (Be there for one another!) Nayc slanar venjii solus shol'shya! (No going after one another!)" I end up yelling by the time I'm done. Grab my buy'ce (Helmet), I hobble off angrily - a string of curses in Mando'a leave my mouth.

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The three of us stand there stunned for a second. Raven was speaking so fast and half in Mando'a, my brain didn't even have the time to process what she said...Remind me to learn more Mando'a..."I only picked up about half of that....Tech" He puts his helmet back on, flips down his visor, and word for word repeats what she sad."She talks fast when she's angry....it kinda scares me" Wrecker chimes in. I thought it was attractive...and maybe a little scary "She's right though, we can't take this out on one another...it stops now. Let's focus on getting out of here." Wrecker steps back and looks at the pile "It's going to take days to clear a path at this rate." Tech thinks for a moment "This operation could use a well-placed detonation. A small amount of ipsium would be more than enough."

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Walking deeper into the tunnel, I can hear sniffling and soft whimpers. Following the sound, I call out "Omega?" I stumble across her sitting with her knees pulled to her chest. Grunting, I sit down next to her. "I'm sorry Omega, I know it might not seem like it but I know they are having a hard time without Echo too. If it makes you feel any better I finally had enough of listening to them bicker." She puts her head in my lap "A little. I heard you yelling...everything echos through the tunnels." I sigh, playing with her hair "I miss him too Omega. I know I haven't known Echo as long as you guys but I think him as my vod (brother) all the same." She picks her head up suddenly and points to a small crack in the rock "wait, what's that?" I look across from us and see a crack with a blue glow coming through. "Hmm I'm not sure." She gets up and uses the drill to make the hole bigger but the wall falls in some. I slide my buy'ce (helmet) on and scan the area "Woah." "It's an ipsium deposit....We can replace what we lost!" She's practically jumping up and down. She climbs through the hole and I start to follow her through but struggle bending myself in a way my side doesn't hurt. "Here let me help." Omega helps me through the hole, we are standing on a small ledge. Using my HUD I scan down into the darkness below, "I can't see what's down there...it must be a long way."

Thankfully we didn't fill all the vials in my pack, Omega gets to work mining the ipsium she can reach. When she fills one, she passes it to me and I carefully place it on the other side of the hole. After some time I hear someone approaching. Tech comes into view, I motion behind me to where Omega is hoping he will talk it out with her. "Omega? Omega?" "I'm busy" she sasses. "I can see that....Are you aware that you are surrounded by enough ipsium that, if not handled correctly, could take down this entire cavern?" I stare down Tech hoping he get the hint. He shifts uncomfortably like he does. "Then you better not distract me. Thought we could use this to blow our way through the cave-in." Tech shakes his head in agreement "I came to a similar conclusion myself." I crawl out of the hole letting Tech inside. Sitting with my back against the wall I listen to them talk. "Little help?" She asks him. "This vein appears to be much more pure than what we found in Cid's mine. Perhaps you should extract as much ipsium as you can." "You trust me to do that?" "I am fully aware you are capable of the task." "Raven? Grab the empty vials from my satchel." "You got it" I smile to myself.

Omega fills 3 more vials - with one more to go - for a total of 8. "That's the last one" I say handing the empty vial to Tech who hands it to Omega. She grunts in frustration like she's trying to get at ipsium just outta her reach. I hear rocks fall and Omega yell "Tech!" Looking through the hole I see Omega hanging off the edge of the rock face and Tech trying to reach her. She slips and falls, Tech doesn't hesitate to jump down after her. I panic, "Tech!? Omega!?" I try to climb through the whole but without help it's pointless. "Tech!!! Omega!!! Can you hear me!?" I yell at the top of my lungs. Listening for a moment and getting no response, my heart starts to race. Grabbing all of our things and Tech's buy'ce (helmet) I cram it all into one pack and throw it over my shoulder - it's heavy... I try to run as fast as I can but my side is slowing me down. "Hunter...Wrecker....We've got a problem..." I try to comm them but I get no response. Looking down at the bandage I notice it has is becoming more and more red. "Osik (shit)...just...a little...Further" I start to feel woozy, falling to the floor of the tunnel. Attempting to drag myself, I yell for help but I'm not sure I can yell loud enough. Feeling myself starting to slip from consciousness, I pray to Maker Hunter can feel something's wrong...

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Since Tech left, Wrecker and I have been trying to move as much of the fallen rock as possible. We stop and take a break for a second. I feel the air shift around me and look deeper into the tunnel. "What is it, Hunter?" I try to reach someone on comms, "Tech, Omega, Raven, do you copy?" There's no response just silence. Grabbing my helmet and my pack I race down through the tunnel, Wrecker hot on my tail. Shortly after I comm everyone again and this time I get an answer. Wrecker and I stop, "Affirmative" it's Tech. He continues, "We took an...unforeseen detour, but we are alive." "Whose we? Are Omega and Raven with you?" I ask hoping the answer is yes. "Omega is but Raven is not. We figured she would have gone back to get you." "Well she didn't." Now I'm worried. "We're going to look for Raven. Where are you?" "That is a good question. Stand by." Wrecker and I race through the tunnel. There's something in the middle of the tunnel on the ground a head. Racing over we find Raven face down with all of Tech and Omega's gear, including her own. "Looks like she bled through the bandage, Wrecker dig through the packs and see if there's another. We need to stop the bleeding." Wrecker does as he's told and I get to work, taking off her armor. Undoing the bandage, I use it to apply pressure until Wrecker finds me a new one. "Got one. Here." I wrap it back around her center tight. "She must have been trying to come for help. She'll be alright...she's tough" Wrecker tries to comfort me - which feel strange. "You carry her, I'll grab our stuff. We need to get to Tech and Omega" I tell him packing her armor into one of the empty packs.

Techs voice comes over the comms, "Hunter we found an alternate way out, but you will need to retrieve our gear." "We've got it and Raven." "Is she okay?" Omega asks. I try not to let my voice betray me, "She'll be fine. We are at the location you sent." "Good. Next you'll need to carefully scale down the narrow crevasse and descend into the aqueduct below. You will come upon us once the rapids eject you over the waterfall. But you must not compromise the mineral vials or you will perish." I sigh "Hang tight. We're on our way." Wrecker complains "You got to be kidding me! I hate this planet!"

————

Slowly blinking my eyes open, I'm staring at the ground. "What the??? Wrecker?" I think out loud. "Hunter, she's awake." He gently sets me down and I now realize we are in the tunnel where Tech and Omega fell. "Wha- what happened?" I rub my eyes, my head feeling groggy. He pulls of his buy'ce (Helmet), kneels in front of me, and puts a hand on under my chin "You bled through your bandage. I wrapped you back up but right now we need to get to Tech and Omega." The events from before I passed out start coming back to me. "We are going to scale down into the waterway below until we get to them. I need you to stay with me alright?" I nod still trying to orient myself, "Get me my armor." He helps me put it back on before turning to Wrecker, "I need you to carry the packs and the ipsium. I've got her." "Roger." Hunter helps me up "I need you hold onto me and don't let go." I slide my buy'ce (helmet) over my head and nod. He turns so I can grab onto him "Ready?" He asks. "Ready." We begin our decent down into the cavern below.

As we get closer to the waterway below, I notice how fast it sounds like it's moving. "Hunter...I don't think I'm going to be able to swim...that's moving fast." "Pressurize...your helmet...open your comm...you don't need to swim..." he grunts out. Wreckers drops down into the water followed by us...the minute Hunter hits the water, I can't hold on. The current sucks me under, I struggle against it to try to make my way to the top. Thank maker my helmet is able to seal itself off...but I still can't swim...I open my comm link "Hunter....I...Can't..." I pant out between pained breaths. The next thing I know I'm free falling over a waterfall. Dragging myself to the surface I see Tech and Omega. "Where's Hunter and Wrecker?" Omega asks. I roll myself onto my back grunting in pain "I was going to ask you the same thing..." The sounds of Wrecker screaming catches our attention, I lift my head up and see two figures drop into the water. "Found them." I continue to lay there while they reach the shore. "Nice of you to finally join us" I jest - Hunter shakes his head. Omega - who is standing over me - looks concerned "What happened?" I try to sit up but can't do it on my own, Omega props me up. The room is spinning and I quickly throw my buy'ce (Helmet) off before hurling. "Let's never do that again" I say once I've recovered. The boys get to work placing the ipsium, while Omega helps me to cover. The rest join us and Tech takes aim. "How come he gets to blow it up?" Wrecker complains. "If the shot is not precise, it will cause another cave-in" Tech explains before taking the shot. The wall blows, dust and debris rain down on us. After it settles we get get out of the mine.

Once we get back outside, Tech scans the area pointing off in the distance, "That is the spaceport, but there does not appear to be much activity." I sigh knowing we are going to have to walk a ways. "Well, there better be some chow there, because I'm sick of rations" Wrecker complains. Taking my arm off from around Hunters shoulder I start heading off in that direction. I hear Hunter behind me "let's check it out." Before they follow. Tech catches up to me, "I'm sorry about earlier. I spoke with Omega and it would seem we have worked it out." "Good." "Here, let me help you" He says putting away his datapad before putting one arm around my waist and using the other to put my arm over his shoulders. "When we reach our destination. I will see if there is a medical kit and stitch that up." "Vor'e (thanks) Tech." He hesitates for a moment like he wants to say more. "What's up Tech?" "I wanted to apologize for earlier...It appears I do not process things like loss the way the rest do..." "Tech, You don't need to apologize for that...I just can't stand seeing you guys bicker like that....I guess I kind of lost my cool as well and owe you an apology..." "No need. Your actions were not unwarranted."

We finally reach the spaceport - at dark - and I can't wait to sit down. After finding me a spot to rest, Tech looks for a medical kit. I slide my buy'ce (helmet) off before taking my armor pieces off. The others take a look around. "Where is everyone?" Omega asks. "It's abandoned" Hunter tells her. I glance around, "For a while, by the look of it." Wrecker sighs in annoyance "We came all this way for nothing!" Tech reappears with a medicate kit "Not nothing. I found a medical kit and I can send out a long range transmission with that array." "Get to work on a transmission. I can stitch Raven up" Hunter takes the med kit from Tech. "This is what? The second time you've had to patch me up" I laugh. He smirks and shakes his head. "This is going to hurt" he tells me. "I know, just do what you have to" I lift my tank top and start to unwrap the bandage. He cleans the gash before pulling out the needle and thread. He gives me an apologetic look. "It's fine. Just do it" I say looking up at the starry sky. He gently grabs my flesh and I suck in a breath, trying not to cry out in pain. When he finishes up I'm feeling dizzy. "I was able to get Cid" I hear Tech yell from somewhere off to my left. Hunter presses his forehead to mine, "I'll be right back." I close my eyes and hum a response, trying not to throw up.

Next Chapter

#star wars clone wars #the clones #bad batch #the bad batch crosshair #crosshair bad batch #echo bad batch #tech bad batch #the bad batch #wrecker bad batch #bad batch echo #bad batch x reader #hunter bad batch #omega bad batch #tbb hunter x reader #tbb hunter #hunter x oc #hunter #tbb hunter x you

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beardedmrbean · 3 months

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Many foreign students paying tuition to attend Finnish universities face severe financial difficulties, according to an investigation by Swedish-language daily Hufvudstadsbladet (HBL).

The paper reported that thousands of foreign degree students from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal, among other places, have come to Finland in recent years. They pay between 4,000 and 18,000 euros per year for their studies.

Many have ended up in financial difficulties as they cannot find jobs and struggle to pay rent and semester fees, leading some to be unable to afford food.

"The only thing Finland is interested in is taking our money. They don't care about how we're doing. We're treated like paying animals," a 28-year-old Bangladeshi student told HBL.

The student, who holds a master's degree in commerce and marketing, arrived in Finland last autumn to pursue a degree in healthcare and social services, drawn by a promise of well-paying jobs.

"I have applied for hundreds of jobs of all kinds. The only thing I've been offered is a few restaurant jobs where the hourly wage would have been two or three euros. I haven't taken such jobs. Not yet, anyway," he said.

The number of degree students from non-European countries has multiplied several times over in just a few years. The government's stated goal is to triple the number to 15,000 of such students by 2030.

The HBL report focused on the plight of Bangladeshi students, a rapidly growing group over the past three years.

It uncovered numerous closed Facebook groups catering to Bangladeshis aspiring to come or already living in Finland. These groups are inundated with messages, calls for financial assistance, and posts chronicling their struggles to afford rent and necessities like food.

The report observed that public discussion in Finland has always centered on how the country can benefit from international students — with hopes they will help alleviate the country's labour shortages and provide income to financially strained educational institutions.

But according to HBL's probe, few decision-makers have considered that what may appear beneficial from a Finnish perspective has actually placed these students in severe hardships.

Alko cashes in on 'supermarket wine'

Changes to alcohol laws brought fermented drinks with up to eight percent alcohol and strong beers to grocery store shelves on Monday.

Not wanting to miss out, state-owned alcohol retailer Alko has also stocked up on a selection of wines with lower alcohol content, Helsingin Sanomat reported. Alko's latest product list features lighter wines that includes brands also sold by Finland's supermarket duopoly, Kesko and S Group.

Alko wants to develop its range and services according to trends and customer wishes, acording to Anu Koskinen, Alko's assortment and purchasing director.

"We want to be a place to purchase all kinds of drinks. We have added more of these eight percent wines to our selections, and now we are monitoring how their demand develops," Koskinen said.

Koskinen noted that while the eight percent limit is unique to Finland, alcohol-free beers and lighter versions of spirits like gin are becoming increasingly popular, which she said was a reflection of health and wellness trends.

Mysterious Midsummer weather

Midsummer will be warmer than usual, but also wetter than usual, tabloid Iltalehti reports.

"The options remain either a rainy and windy low-pressure system or warm and sunny weather with local showers. We will see closer to the time which way the situation will tilt,” Foreca meteorologist Anna Latvala told IL.

According to the long-term forecast, Midsummer weather could vary across the country.

Temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius are possible, but local bouts of cloudy conditions and rain could cool down the weather in some areas. Heavy rain showers and thunderstorms are also potentially in the mix.

According to the forecast, Midsummer week will be, on average, 1-3 degrees warmer than usual.

#nunyas news #updates from up north

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silentexplorer18 · 8 months

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Regarding the future of this blog

Hi folks! This one got a bit long, so I'm putting it under a cut.

TLDR: I've been really unhappy blogging for quite a while, so I'm finally embracing being a messy, multifandom blog that posts things without tagging them well, posts more personal things, mostly focuses posting my own fic on AO3, etc. If you're not into that, feel free to eliminate my presence on your dash. XO -Silent

When I started this blog a few years ago, I was essentially starting with zero knowledge of the social side of the internet. Sure, I'd read stuff on tumblr blogs, but I’d never used tumblr or looked at anything besides what was listed directly on a masterlist. I’d never used other social media sites, either. So, when I started using things like tumblr and instagram and even discord, I was trying to follow along and do whatever everyone else was doing. I tried to post clearly tagged stuff and keep my blog super organized; I posted cutesy photos with whimsical captions; I tried to find my footing in conversations that were hard to follow. But I always felt like I could never keep up. I was trying to follow the motions to make my online spaces what I thought they needed to be, but I never could do the motions quite right, so I kept getting more and more discouraged.

Why am I telling all of you this? Because I think 2024 is the year something needs to change.

I started off wanting this blog to be super pretty and aesthetic. I wanted my fics to be clearly organized and have easily navigable links. I wanted to only reblog fandom-specific things. I wanted to keep everything very on topic. And I wanted to be active in fandom (interacting with other fandom readers, makers, doers, etc.). But in trying to do all of the former, I’ve spent so much physical and mental energy that I don’t have the time, energy, or ability to do the latter. I felt like if I couldn’t do all of that, I shouldn’t do any of it, and, well, that’s plain not true.

The truth is this: I’m messy, and I write slowly. I like so many things, and I actually love to talk a lot. Keeping tags organized is hard and it makes me tired. Posting on tumblr (instead of just ao3) is hard sometimes because it makes me tired. I like talking to people and reccing fics and gushing over art, but I can’t always make it picture-perfect or aesthetic or linked so it’s easily navigable. Life is hard, and using social media should be something fun, not something to agonize over.

So, I’m making some changes:

I’m gonna be posting a lot more. Rambling about life. Sharing writing updates. Making you all privy to my shower thoughts.

But the writing projects I have will still be long hauls. Strap in, folks, ‘cause we’re probably looking at months-long to years-long updates. (Nothing is ever dead, just, you know, aging like fine wine or something.)

I’m not sure how many writing projects will be posted here, either. I enjoy posting on AO3. I like the format. I like the way it works. I like that it organizes everything for me. If I post something there, I’ll obviously share the link here, but I don’t know how many fics I’ll be posting here moving forward.

Also, I’m just gonna start reblogging shit like crazy. Anything! Everything! All at once! The tumblr is my oyster!

Despite reblogging more, I’m just gonna let this blog become more disorganized. If I have the energy to tag stuff, I will, but I think I’m just gonna focus on sharing things rather than sharing things in a way that’s particularly organized.

I’m gonna start reblogging more fic recs here, too (and sharing ones from AO3!). I will, of course, be keeping my fic rec blog, and it’ll get its own small update post, but the goal is to just give myself the permission to be less organized so I have more energy to enjoy and share fic.

Related: the blog might get a makeover. I’m not sure yet because I’ve had roughly the same colors/theme/pfp for all the years I’ve had this blog, so changing it will be hard. (And I have no idea what exactly to change to!) But we’ll see. Ideas are welcome.

I feel a little melodramatic making this big, long post about this, but I feel like the folks that are still hanging around my blog (you lovely, few and far between, who are neither bots nor dead blogs, I adore you all immensely) are hanging around for a reason, and I want to give fair warning that the activity levels here will be changing, the tagging system/findability of things will be changing, the location of fics being posted will be changing. It felt right to warn people so they could unfollow/block if they so desire.

But anyway, happy (late) 2024! I hope this post finds everyone well, and I’m excited to see what the future holds!

-Silent

#silent talks #blog update #this feels so dramatic and pointless to post #but I also just wanted to get my thoughts out there written down #so I could start changing things #because to change something intentionally you must acknowledge what it is you want to change and how #and also I wanted to give folks a bit of a warning to unfollow if they don't like the changes that are coming #because I think I was still trying to hold onto what my blog was when it started #and it is NOT gonna be like that anymore #2024 is the year of being myself unapologetically #and that starts with my tumblr blog

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ailelie · 2 years

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When I was in speech and debate in high school, they taught us where and when to gesture as we talked. The reason, the coaches explained, was visual noise. If you moved your hands too much or gestured outside of a certain space, you created noise that would distract the judges.

The concept made a lot of sense to me. I think of most things as noise--a messy kitchen, unshaved legs, a book I want to read, plans later in the day, a task at work, etc. I can handle so much noise at once. When it gets too loud, though, I have to do something to reduce it so that I can keep focusing on what I need to get done.

I have, while working from home, taken a shower in the middle of day because getting clean was an easy way to reduce noise enough that I could hear myself think.

So I've given this to Nora, but her primary noise maker is touch. Touch sometimes creates noise for me. I think that's why I've gotten to be so standoffish nowadays even though sometimes I crave it.

Anyway, touch creates a lot of noise for Nora. Sometimes that's not a problem. But, if she's stressed or has a lot of other noisemakers in the background, she can't handle it. It is easier to be known as someone who hates touching and being touched than it is explaining that the level of okay varies wildly and unpredictably.

(I annoyed one SO once when I was all for cuddling one day and didn't want to be touched the next and could not explain what had changed from day to day except that, like, work had been more stressful or had more deadlines looming than last time. Things aren't related. They just create noise).

So Nora has that and, if she's nervous and can babble about birds, she will babble about birds*. She also isn't the best at reading people and tends to take expressions at face value, unless she knows someone well**.

*When I was Nora's age I'd babble about stories (e.g., fairy tales, books, tv shows, etc) or things I was writing. Though, for a while, I talked a lot about serial killers and vampires.

**When I was Nora's age, I was terrible about knowing how to fit in (and I'm still terrible). I tended to assume I was annoying everyone with my presence (this worry has not fully gone to rest). I just always assumed I was 'too much.' I also got surprised several times over in high school and college when people would say one thing to me, but then something else in company or would decide to drop me as a friend.

(Though I still maintain V's tirade came out of nowhere and was entirely unfounded as she never once mentioned a single complaint before then. For example, she disliked where I put my laundry rack. Had she ever told me it was a problem for her, I would have moved it.)

Anyway, I'm trying to portray all of these things in Nora without being too heavy-handed and without suggesting that these traits are why she was so terrible during her original timeline, because they aren't. I mean, the trouble reading people did play into it, but that's it.

#nora's return

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wlwmarvelenthusiast · 3 years

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Turn Your Luck

Summary: After a day filled with bad luck and a series of unfortunate events, Natasha manages to turn your day around

Pairing: Reader x Natasha Romanoff

Warnings: None

Words: 6,167

When you woke up in the morning and smacked your big toe off your bed frame, you didn't even think twice of it. It sent a jolt all throughout your foot, but after a few swear words, you were already feeling a little better. You didn't bother making the bed you'd just stood up out of. All your life you'd reasoned that it wouldn't be 24 hours before you just messed it up again. You grabbed a towel and moved into the bathroom. The hot shower made you forget all about the sore toe you'd been sporting only a moment earlier.

You were feeling great when you stepped out of the shower. The warm water had always instilled comfort into your very bones even this early in the morning. You wiped some of the condensation off the mirror to brush your teeth. The tube of toothpaste was completely empty, and the drawer where you usually kept the new ones was also barren. You rolled your eyes at your own irresponsibility, before brushing your teeth without any toothpaste and then using some mouthwash to try and compensate for it. You stepped out of the bathroom.

You got dressed in your favourite white shirt and black pants before making your way into the kitchen. You tossed your phone onto the counter as you passed it on the way to the small kitchen table. You were after the fruit bowl, which was already needing a refill. There were still a few apples left, though, and you were expecting to have one for breakfast. You were mistaken. You pulled the empire apple out of the blue bowl to find the bottom had grown immensely soft and was clearly not in any condition to be eaten. You were disappointed but tossed it into the compost bin and moved on.

Humming a soft tune as you moved, you popped a pod into the single-serve coffee maker and pressed start. You were moving toward the fridge in no time when a strange noise caught your attention. You whirled to face the coffee maker. Instead of the steady stream of coffee you usually got, it was spraying the hot liquid like it was a shaken pop can. You jumped behind the small island, using it as a shield. Thankfully, you'd managed to keep your white shirt safe from the wrath of the coffee. When it stopped, you finally dared step back into the kitchen. The dark liquid was dripping down every nearby surface. You huffed, running some paper towel across the biggest surfaces quickly.

You gave up on the coffee. It seemed you weren't going to get it anyway. You glared at the machine as if it had intentionally smitten you. Instead, you reached into the fridge instead and poured a glass of orange juice for yourself. You sipped it before setting it back onto the countertop. When your phone buzzed and indicated an incoming message, you reached for it. Your elbow hit your glass and it fell onto its side. The orange liquid spilled off the counter and into your white shirt. You gave the mess the middle finger, tossing a dishtowel on it to soak it up, with the intention of actually cleaning it after work. You already had to clean the coffee up anyway.

Any attempt at breakfast was abandoned. After the three kitchen incidents combined, you were convinced you'd be better off heading to some drive-thru on the way to work. Now in a new blue shirt, you grabbed your bag and headed out your front door. You unlocked your car, slid into the driver's seat, and hit the ignition. The car sputtered for a few seconds, before refusing to start. You tried again, and then again, before groaning, taking out your frustration on the steering wheel in front of you. You stood up and stepped back out of the vehicle, slamming the door behind you with much more force than necessary.

Then, it was off to the bus stop. You headed down the sidewalk to the nearest one, pulling out your phone as you walked so you could check your app to find out when the next bus was coming. When you saw big red letters informing you that the bus was halted until further notice, though, you had to refrain from throwing your phone hard into the concrete. You supposed you should have had a little sympathy for those in the accident that had halted your bus, but you couldn't find it in yourself right then. Your morning was not going well.

It was a good thing you hadn't smashed your phone against the sidewalk. It was the only thing you could use to get you to work now. You switched apps and ordered an Uber to come to pick you up. When the driver arrived, you climbed into the back seat and gave him the address of your place of work. He nodded and pressed his foot down on the gas. Your eyes had been glued on your phone, but your gaze flickered at the driver's movement. He was adjusting the mirror and you were absolutely sure he'd angled it to face you a little better. You could have puked when you realized the creep was checking you out. You didn't say anything, at this point just wanting to get to work and be done with it.

You practically sprinted into the building when you arrived. Security didn't seem to mind your rush, having seen your face every day for over three years anyway. You hopped up the stairs two at a time, faster than the elevator would have been able to carry you anyway. When you reached the meeting room door you took a few seconds to catch your breath, not wanting to seem too flustered in your professional environment. When you finally pushed the door open, everyone was rising to their feet. Their eyes all darted up to glance at you. You smiled sheepishly.

"You're late."

"I know, I'm sorry." That was honest. You might have been frustrated, but you hadn't wanted to inconvenience any of your coworkers as well. "I've really had a rough morning."

Your boss nodded. "We've all had those days. I'll send you an email and give you a summary."

You thanked him and left the meeting room with everyone else. You trudged into your office, throwing your bag to the floor, and refraining from slamming the door behind you. You collapsed into your office chair and closed your eyes for a brief moment. But you didn't have time for that. The paperwork on your desk needed your attention. You gave it. The hours you spent on all the files, emails, and documents were the smoothest thing that had happened all day, even if it was mind-numbingly boring and felt absolutely endless. It might have been smooth sailing, but it didn't brighten your spirits at all.

When your phone rang, you reached out blindly until you felt your hand come in contact with it. You shuffled it until it was upright in your hand. You were so completely absorbed in the document that was displayed on your computer screen that you didn't even bother to look at your phone as you fumbled to slide the answer bar. Only when the incessant ringing had finally ceased did you know you'd successfully answered the call. You hesitated before you slowly raised the phone to your ear, eyes still scanning the lines in front of you.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Hun."

Immediately you regretted not checking the caller ID before answering the phone. You could have kicked yourself. In fact, the move was so ridiculously and incredibly stupid that you could have beaten yourself to a pulp. The voice on the other end of the line was familiar, completely unwelcome, and not a surprise after having the day that you were having. You turned away from the screen, resting your elbow on the desk and massaging the migraine that was beginning to form in your forehead. You sighed heavily, sure she heard it.

"Hi," you stated. "What?"

"Hun-"

"Please stop calling me that, I already asked you."

You had asked her that. Multiple times. You'd broken up months ago after she'd broken your heart. Catching her in bed with someone else had left you shattered and unsure if you could trust anyone. You'd been okay for a couple months now after some comfort and reassurance from your best friend, who you were having dinner with tonight. You glanced at the time. Your attention was unfortunately brought back to the girl on the phone, though, when she sighed your name as if she were the one who was hurt. She had no right to be hurt.

"I just-"

"I'm working," you finally said bluntly. "Is it urgent?"

"No. No, I'm sorry. I... I can call you tomorrow."

You wanted to snap and tell her not to bother, but you didn't. You just nodded despite her not being able to see it, said goodbye, and hung up. Once more you were faced with the urge to smash the stupid phone. Once more you fought it, instead shoving it into a drawer so you could ignore it and work on the mountains of paperwork you had to get through before your six o'clock reservations. You got back to it. Soon enough, the information was able to push your ex far from your mind. You didn't want to think about her anyway.

It felt like it had been eons since you'd arrived at work, and yet, according to the clock in the corner of your screen, you still had over an hour until your reservation. You might have slammed your head down onto the desk in front of you had two things not stopped you. The first was the migraine that was still throbbing in your head, and the second was the ringing of your office phone. Even though you knew she couldn't call you on here, you checked the caller ID before you picked up this time. It was the front desk.

"Hey, Tamara. What's up?

"There's someone here for you. She said you're going to miss your reservations."

"Reservations? It's only 4:45."

Tamara hesitated. "Daylight savings. It's 5:45."

You had entirely forgotten about that and even if you hadn't, you would have expected the computer would auto-update something like that. But you had forgotten, and the computer hadn't jumped forward, and now you were going to be late, and you still hadn't turned in the file that you'd promised to turn in today. You groaned in frustration, but transferred the file to a flash drive, shoved it into your bag, and left your office. Clearly, everyone else had remembered the time change, as the office was empty.

You cursed all of your coworkers in your head. You made for the elevator. When you stepped on and hit the button to bring you down to the lobby, you actually crossed your fingers. With your luck, all of the cables on the elevator would snap and you'd plummet all the way to the parking garage and die in a fiery explosion. Thankfully, your little gesture of luck seemed to work, for the doors slid open safe and sound in the lobby. As you stepped out, though, your bag hit the door, and the company ID snapped off and slipped in that tiny little crack between the elevator and the floor and out of sight. You cursed loudly.

You didn't dare shine your flashlight down the crack to try and see how far it'd gone; either your phone would have gone down after it out the doors would have slammed shut on either side of your skull. Neither of those things were a chance you were willing to take. You abandoned your ID and continued to the front desk, letting Tamara know what had happened. She nodded in understanding before pointing out your best friend, who had come to collect you after you'd let her know this morning that you'd taken an Uber to work. You approached her and tapped her shoulder.

"Hey," she said brightly.

"Hey, Nat."

Natasha Romanoff was the best thing to happen to you all day. She was your very best friend. Too, maybe you wanted her to be a little more. She was the most beautiful woman you'd ever laid eyes on, the red waves on her head only accentuating her emerald green irises, which sparkled when she smiled at you. That was only her physical beauty. Though she was, to most everyone that knew her, a tough, scary Avenger, you knew it was a façade. Natasha was the kindest, most generous, selfless, and caring person you'd ever had the pleasure of knowing.

"Tamara tells me you forgot about daylight saving time started last night."

"Shut up," you grumbled.

"Irritable because you lost an hour of sleep?"

"Nat," you said, already feeling bad for snapping at her. You rubbed your head. "I'm not having the greatest of days."

That was how your friendship with Nat was. You both understood that not every day was a good day. She tried to convince you not to compare, but you especially understood that. Natasha had been through hell on Earth when she was a child and you wished with every fibre of your heart that you could bear some of that for her. But you couldn't, and you were sure that if you could have, she wouldn't let you. So instead, you understood the bad days, and in turn, she did too. When you stated that today was one of those days, she turned to you with concern sparkling in those beautiful eyes.

"You okay?" She asked.

Your heart fluttered when her hand took yours.

It was a friendly gesture, of course, but you couldn't help but wish it otherwise. You wanted to hold her hand and have it not be just as a friend. You wanted to be able to intertwine your fingers with hers and squeeze her hand tight and feel that constant touch against her. You didn't want it to be friendly, you wanted it to be more. You wanted it to be so much more. You wanted to call her yours and for her to call you hers. But she was just a friend, and it was far better than nothing.

You hadn't always believed that someone could fall in love without some sort of a romantic relationship leading up to it. Now you realized it didn't need to be romantic. You and Natasha were close. You were closer than you'd ever been with anyone before. Because of that relationship, you knew you loved her. You were head over heels in love with her at this point, and you'd realized that a little while ago when you caught yourself fondly admiring her as she drummed her fingers against the table, deep in thought. It was a habit that had once had the ability to drive you up the wall.

"Hello?" She tried again. Her hand squeezed yours.

Your stomach flipped. "Yeah. I'm alright. Just waiting for my bad luck to run out."

"What happened?"

"What didn't happen?" You scoffed. "My fruit is all spoiled, my coffee maker broke, I spilled orange juice on my favourite white shirt, my car won't start, my bus wasn't running this morning, my Uber driver was a creep, I missed my meeting, I almost missed our reservations, I lost my ID badge and... she-who-must-not-be-named called."

Natasha's eyes darkened, her hand gripped yours tighter, and her gaze moved to meet yours. You took a chance and swiped your thumb over the back of her hand to try and get her to ease the tension out of her muscles. It seemed to work, as she relaxed a little. Her shoulders moved back down, the crease in her eyebrow lessened, she loosened her grip on your hand and exhaled carefully. She nodded in thanks, green eyes once against soft and gentle as she searched your eyes. You knew she was looking for any hint of you being upset. You weren't, though. You were with her.

Natasha hated your ex-girlfriend about a hundred times more than you did. She'd begged you to let her sneak over to her house at night and slash her tires and egg her house. You'd given that a firm no, not wanting Nat to get in any sort of trouble. It was Natasha's idea to never speak her name again, and to burn a bunch of photos and clothes that were left behind at your house. She'd gone so far as to have the bench you'd once carved your names into removed from the park and replaced with a brand new one... on Tony's Starks card, of course.

"What did she want?"

"Dunno. I told her I was busy," you actually laughed a little for the first time that day. "It wasn't exactly a lie. I was swamped today."

"Hey, if Fury is overworking you, I'll kick his ass."

Imagining Natasha kicking Nicholas Fury's ass was utterly amusing. You had no doubt she could, but Fury was a force. She'd kick his ass and the next day half of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be at her doorstep to retaliate. But he was a good boss. It wasn't his fault you'd procrastinated your own work for days. That was on you, and you knew it. So, you shook your head no, he wasn't overworking you. She seemed satisfied by that, but the topic of your ex wasn't dropped yet.

"Next time she calls you can direct her straight to me."

"Tasha, you won't answer."

"Damn right I won't."

You laughed again. It brought a smile to her face too.

With that, you continued on down the street without another word of she-who-must-not-be-named. You had almost reached the restaurant where Natasha had left the reservations when you stepped on something that most definitely was not concrete. If Natasha hadn't had your hand, your leg sliding out from underneath you would have left you on your ass. She held tight to your hand, her other arm catching you around the waist. You had to force yourself from blushing red as a tomato.

You glanced down at what you'd stepped in and could have punched someone. The white paint that was being used on the storefront had spilled onto the sidewalk and of course, you'd stepped in it in your new, black shoes. You scraped the bottom of it off on the sidewalk, grumbling all the while. Natasha had let go of your hand when you'd tugged it away from her to wipe the excess paint on the side of your shoe onto the post of the 'no parking' sign next to you. It was still ruined, but at least you'd gotten enough off that you wouldn't stain the restaurant's floor.

"You weren't kidding with the bad luck, huh?"

You shook your head no. You motioned onward, though. She got the hint, and you closed the distance between you and the restaurant. You shifted your bag on your shoulder as you stepped in, hoping they wouldn't notice the wet paint you were tracking onto their floors. If you managed in and out without them seeing, you'd be alright. It was New York City. You were sure people had walked in with worse things on the underside of their shoes.

You watched Natasha closely as she gave her name for the reservation. You hated how the host eyed her even more than you hated how your Uber driver had eyed you this morning. You didn't want anyone to eye her like that. You wanted to be the only one allowed to look at her like that. You knew you weren't, though. You ripped your gaze away from where it had been travelling along her jawline just in time for the host to arrive and lead you to your table. You sat across from her, keeping your eyes down and you collected your thoughts.

"What are you having?"

When you looked up, her eyes were trained on you. Her eyes were your absolute favourite part of her. They always shone so brightly, and so clearly expressed whatever she was feeling. They sparkled like they could see into your very soul and were so deep you could get lost in them for hours. Even the colour was perfect. They were that amazing shade of green that had very quickly become your favourite colour. You often found you'd been staring into them for a little longer than what might be considered normal. Now was one of those times. You looked back down at the menu.

"I'm not sure. Definitely a drink," you hummed. "Though I might get poisoned."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't think your luck is so bad that your assassin will choose to poison you today."

No, because she would protect you from anything. She always had. You might have been a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and perfectly capable of protecting yourself, but she was always stepping in front of you to defend you. You couldn't say you minded. You liked having her at your back. Some people had a physical location where they felt safe. You didn't. Natasha Romanoff was your safe place. When you were with her, you felt like nothing in the world could touch you. She wouldn't let anything hurt you, and you wouldn't let anything hurt her.

Soon enough the waitress was stepping up to your table and taking your order. You gave yours first, opting for a simple fettuccine alfredo. Natasha gave hers, unaware of the way you watched her lips moving as she talked. When the waitress left and she looked back to you, your eyes were cast toward the window, watching a young couple pass by, huddled close together in the cool March evening. When she called for your attention and you gave it immediately, looking over to her. She sipped her wine as you did.

"You said your car wouldn't start?" She said.

"Yeah. It keeps sputtering on and on."

"I'll drive you home and take a look at it tonight. I know a thing or two about cars."

It was a good thing she did, because you knew absolutely nothing about what was going on under the hood of the car. All you could think was that maybe the battery had died on you, but that wasn't possible. If you'd left the lights on, you would have been able to see it through the window in your bedroom the night previous, and you hadn't. There was no other reason the battery could have been drained. You'd driven the car yesterday from your house to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s New York location. You might not have known what the hell was wrong, but Natasha would figure it out in seconds. The thought of her bent over to study the underside of the hood made you shiver.

The image was pushed from your mind when the waitress returned with your food. She placed your pasta down in front of you and you thanked her politely. She set Natasha's down as well. The redhead smiled widely and after double-checking that everything was alright, the server left the two of you to your dinner. Natasha glanced up at you, a very amused smile playing on her lips. You knew exactly what it was about, too. You'd gotten the wrong order and said absolutely nothing of it. Honestly, you didn't really care. At this point in the day, you just wanted to eat.

"You could've said something," Natasha teased.

"It's nothing. I'm hungry and this is just as good."

"We can still say something."

"It's fine," you assured.

"Let's stop and buy you a couple hundred good luck charms on the way back to your place."

You laughed aloud.

Dinner was good, despite having gotten the wrong order. You suspected that was due to Natasha's presence. The two of you had been exchanging stores of the craziest missions you'd ever gone on. Of course, she was winning. She was an Avenger. Your missions as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent were anything but boring, but they didn't compare to the alien invasion last year that Natasha had been at the heart of. You'd been helping from the edges of the city, evacuating civilians and the like, but you suspected she'd killed hundred more of the Chitauri than you did: one.

Before long you'd both finished, and the empty plates were cleared away. The server returned to you with the bill. You made sure your card was out before Natasha could even think about trying to pay. They collected your card, and you gave Natasha a very smug little smirk. She only rolled her eyes and thanked you softly. You thought all was said and done when the server returned. You prepared to leave but she shook her head, signalling you to stop what you were doing. She reached out, handing you your card back. You took it.

"I'm afraid the transaction isn't going through."

It seemed that your bad luck had struck again. You were fully confident that there was enough money in your account. There had been last night when you'd checked it, anyway. Either you'd had the misfortune of your card deciding to kick the bucket while you tried to buy dinner for Natasha, or even worse, someone had gotten into your bank account and cleared it out. That thought made your heart drop into your stomach as you reached for your phone, hardly noticing Natasha pulling out her own credit card this time.

You prayed for one tiny bit of luck today. Your prayers went unanswered. You logged into your online banking to find that someone had managed to get your credit card number and had been online shopping all day. Your card had long hit its limit and you were already dreading the phone call you were about to have with the bank. You huffed as you set your phone down roughly on the tabletop. Natasha glanced over at you as the server took her card this time. She raised an eyebrow. You were sure smoke was billowing from your ears.

"Luck isn't turning yet?"

You didn't answer that. "Thanks for dinner, Natasha."

She laughed. When the server returned her card and wished you both a good evening, she took your hand and dragged you back out the doors onto the noisy streets of New York. She was leading you back to S.H.I.E.L.D., where you knew she must have left her bike. When you got there, she scanned her ID and brought you both down into the parking garage. She brought you right to the motorbike and lifted the helmet off from where it was hanging on the handlebars. She reached out and set it on your head, doing it up underneath your chin. Her fingers brushed your skin as she worked at the straps.

"Normally I would never condone riding without a helmet, but I only have one. This head," she said, rapping her knuckles twice against the helmet on your head. "Is much more important than mine."

"Is not," you laughed. "There's hundreds of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but there's only six Avengers."

"And there's only one you," she insisted. "The helmet stays on that pretty little head of yours, and that's final."

That compliment seemed to awaken the butterflies in your stomach. They were still present when you both climbed onto the bike. They fluttered even more when Natasha told you to put your arms around her and hold tight. You could have stayed like this forever if she'd asked you to. You almost wanted her to ask you to, because you loved the ways your arms fit perfectly around her waist. Facing forward, she wasn't able to see the smile that was growing on your lips. Maybe all that bad luck was to make up for this.

Reluctantly, you took your arms off from around her when she pulled into your driveway. She put the kickstand down and took the helmet once you'd pulled it off and handed it back to her. You straightened out your hair a little bit in the reflection of your car window. Wordlessly, Natasha had moved to the hood of your car and tapped on the red paint to get your attention. You unlocked the car and popped the hood for her. She unhooked the latch and lifted it up, studying the inside carefully. That scene you'd been picturing earlier was coming true before your eyes.

"Start the car for me?"

You nodded. You dropped your bag on the doorstep, digging through the pockets until your hand had closed around your car keys. You withdrew them by tugging on the dinosaur keychain that Natasha had once given you after winning it at the arcade, where you'd spent hours at all the different games. You slid into the front seat, turning on the car when Natasha gave you the thumbs up. The car sputtered loudly. Then it made a sound you might have mistaken for a gunshot. The backfire nearly made you jump out of your seat. You quickly got out.

"You alright, Nat?"

"I'm good," she nodded. She moved away from the car. "It's probably just your spark plugs. When's the last time you had them replaced?"

You raised an eyebrow. "Hell if I know. I drop it off for a tune-up and expect them to tune it up."

Natasha laughed. "I'll grab some tomorrow and replace them for you."

You nodded. You watched as she reached up and grabbed the hood of the car, closing it again. She rubbed her hands against her pants. You clicked a button on your car keys, locking the doors. The lights flashed to indicate that it was indeed secured. You fiddled with the keys in your hand to get the house key out, opening your mouth to invite Natasha in as well, but found you couldn't find the golden key. You growled at nothing and dug through every pocket in your bag to see if it had fallen off in there, but there was no trace of it.

"My house key is missing."

Natasha actually laughed at this. "Did you walk under a ladder this morning? Spill the salt? Break a mirror?"

You glared at her. "Can you help me get in through a window?"

She nodded. You both moved around to one of the windows that you'd left open last night, after telling her you weren't sure you had locked it when you shut it this morning. Indeed, she found that once you'd removed the screen, she was able to slide the window open. You linked your fingers together to make a spot for Natasha to use for leverage. You boosted her through the open window and then moved back to the front door just as you heard the deadbolt slide out of place.

"My hero," you grinned as she opened the door. "I owe you a drink. Come on."

"I still have to drive home."

"Stay the night," you offered. "If you don't, I could very well just get murdered tonight."

Natasha laughed. "Well, I'd better stay and make sure you're okay, then."

You smacked her gently. She knew her way around your small bungalow well, having visited what could have easily been a million times. She made herself at home on the couch, tossing her leather jacket beside her. You moved into the kitchen, only paying half a glance at the towels you'd thrown over the two spilled beverages. You poured the both of you a drink and then brought them into the living room, kicking back on the couch beside her. You grabbed the remote, clicking the TV on. The screen lit up the room. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed the beautiful face beside you that had been illuminated. You turned back to the screen.

"I can put Netflix on," you said, pressing a button. "What do you want to watch?"

"Can I test your luck?"

"What?" You responded, turning your full attention to her.

She didn't offer an explanation. You felt her hand touch your thigh. Your breath hitched and the remote almost fell to the floor. You managed to set it down on the table as your cheeks began to burn red. She left her hand there for a few seconds before it slid away, letting you take a moment to remember how to breathe. Her hand moved away and wrapped around her glass. You knew how obvious you were being when you watched her touch the rim to her lips and the slight movements in her neck as she swallowed the alcohol. You needed a drink too, but you were frozen.

"I just mean... I could either turn your luck around or just maintain the bad luck."

You still didn't know what she meant. She was setting her glass down on the coffee table. Her eyes searched yours and you were once again tossed into the sea of green that you were so obsessed with. When she leaned forward and connected your lips, though, you lost sight of emerald green. Her eyes had shut and only a second later, yours had fluttered shut as well. You put a hand on the back of her neck to hold her closer and moved your lips with hers. You wondered briefly if you were dreaming. You didn't have long with your thoughts. Your mind was so overcome with whatever was happening right now.

Natasha pulled back. Her hand had, at some point, moved back onto your thigh, and was resting there gently. Your hand moved to cover it. She flipped hers over so that her fingers could intertwine with yours and for the first time, it didn't feel like it was just in a friendly manner. It felt so much more than that, just liked you'd wanted it to. Your eyes moved from there up to her face. She had been studying you intently. You'd never seen Natasha Romanoff look nervous. Not until that very moment. You chuckled a little, nervousness in your chest as well, and let your eyes fall.

"You definitely turned it," was all you said.

"Yeah?"

"By a long shot. I mean, I think this amount of good luck was enough to actually balance out the bad luck."

You didn't know Natasha could giggle, but she did. The sound made a smile immediately spread over your face. You reached out and took her hands in your own. You leaned forward and kissed her again, infatuated with the feeling of her soft lips pressed against yours so rough and yet somehow so soft. One of your hands pulled out of hers so it could thread through the red waves on her head. You'd wanted to do that for so long. She only pulled back when you'd both lost your breath. Your forehead rested against hers and you could smell the whiskey on her breath.

"Do you know how long I've wanted that?" You breathed.

"I'd guessed it, but I thought it was just my imagination because I wanted the same thing."

You laughed. She put her hands on your shoulders, pushing your back down against the couch and then putting her knees on either side of your waist. Her lips were on yours again, a little hotter this time. You didn't complain. You just let her lean down over you and kiss you and run her hand down your side. You only raised a hand to her chest and pushed her away when you once more felt the need for oxygen burning inside your chest. She didn't move far, face inches from yours, studying you this time from above. You blushed under her gaze.

"I... I've felt really strongly about you for a while," you said, hand moving so you could trace your fingertips across her cheek. "You know what I mean?"

"Are you trying to tell me you love me without saying you love me?" She asked, the teasing back in her voice again. "Because you're not going to scare me off. You can say it if you want."

"I love you, Natasha."

"I love you, too."

You couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't funny in any way, but maybe it was the relief trying to find a way out of your body. The sound seemed to make Natasha's eyes, sparkle. Your heart softened and the laughter fell from your lips and you didn't move a muscle. Her face was so beautiful looking down at you like it was. You felt so right having her touch you like this and touching her the way you were. Her hands were holding her torso up above yours and yours were touching her face so gently. It wasn't like a friend touched a friend anymore.

"Thanks for turning my luck."

"Are you kidding me? I'm the lucky one."

"I think we're both really fucking lucky, Natasha. Thank you."

#natasha romanoff #natalia romanova #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff x reader #black widow #black widow x reader #mcu #marvel #wlw #lesbian

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sanchoyo · 3 years

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danny phantom season 2, eps 1-5 thoughts! opening the new season with episodes like these kinda blew me away. we had multiple serious episodes INCLUDING a two parter!! also, valerie :)

see prev episode thoughts in this tag <3

-I don't know what I expected s2 to open with. but danny portal incident in more detail was not it. (also, I hate to break it to you, sam, but danny's parent's bigass ghost hunting rv def chugs more gas than those vehicles, lmao. unless it runs on ectoplasm or something...)

-WHY WAS DESIREE IN THE SEWER? HAVING TEA WITH IT DOWN THERE?? Her making the giant cow come alive is a boss move, we've almost had all of my fav animals as ghosts now <3 I also don't like how sam was expecting danny to just, haunt the place so the cars wouldn't get sold? I KNOWWW I know she's 14 (and I had a very annoying phase like this, I think I mentioned in a previous post, I GET IT) but they're HIS powers, and messing with (1) dealership will not really put a dent in sales overall because they can just move the cars to another sales lot, and it certainly wont change the industry anyway, it's more of a minor annoyance for (1) location. Also, usually people who work at car sales places work on commission, so if they dont make a sale, they don't have money to pay bills, or eat. sam baby if u wanna be an activist you need to like, actually look into these things. with as much money as her parents have, she could be doing a lot..more useful things for causes she cares about? it's frustrating to see someone with resources who doesn't know how to use them. but shes 14 so again. cannot be really upset :/

-IS THIS A PREDATOR VS TERMINATOR VS FREDDY KRUEGER MOVIE BUT THEYRE ALL WOMEN?? you know, sam is so right to be excited about this. /I/ want to see this movie. that rules

-paulina inviting danny and friends to her quinceañera, aw! even if it is just to get phantom to show up :') and there'll be a meteor shower, and we KNOW danny wants to be an astronaut!! there's not a meteor shower every night!! the tickets are non-refundable, but..she's rich? like. gotta agree with danny, they never get invited!! I KNOW it's the principle of keeping promises, but if she was that upset, she should've said something. directly. I hated how she was like, passive aggressive about it through the episode, like you SAID IT WAS FINE, THAT YOU'D GO TO THE PARTY TOO. MOVIES SHOW FOR A FEW WEEKS IN THEATERS. IF YOU HAD A REAL PROBLEM YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT. WE'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, SAM. YOUR FRIENDS. ARE NOT. MIND READERS.

-MR. LANCER GOING AFTER THE GHOST WITH THE FIRE EXTINGISHER LMAO

-this outfit is everything . anytime the show does an over the top cutesty pink outfit i WANT IT. it looks like shit I wear JKASDHF I HAVE a bow like that and a pink sweater. I need leg warmers </3

-SAMS GOTTA RE-HALF-KILL HIM??? thats fucked up. but also, he finally got his logo!! it took until s2!!! this episode was lowkey very fucked and I felt like it glossed over a lot. does sam have guilt about like. kinda KILLING HIM?? I know, he also agreed and walked into the portal. but. she made the choice to redo it SO quickly (even if it was because someone had to beat desiree) and danny, during their fight, brought up a lot of stuff sam's done in the past, meaning he was holding onto those memories and resentment was building. (I KEEP SAYING HE LOWKEY NEEDS THERAPY, BUT I THINK MOST EVERYONE IN THIS SHOW KINDA DOES) which...is a red flag? and then they didnt even GO to the party URGH I know she tried to make up for it, but it really felt like Sam fucked up and barely faced any consequences and got everything she wanted in the end. I KNOW it's a kids show obv they aren't going to go too in depth, and she undid the damage, kinda, but...I DUNNO how to articulate it but it rubbed me the wrong way.

-but on a note about desiree, her powers of wishes were STRONG ENOUGH TO ERASE NOT JUST THEIR MEMORIES, BUT DANNY'S POWERS?! fuck, if I was danny I'd be like, trying to make friends with her. I know they always have horrible side effects as most genie-granted wishes do, but...c'mon, I'd at least TRY to be like 'I wish no ghosts would hurt anyone in my town' or 'I wish vlad would lose his ghost powers forever no matter What and also forget about my mom' LIKE. SHIT DESIREE IS SO POWERFUL. rewriting reality powerful, basically!! appreciate her. respect her.

-aww, sam helping tucker pass the nurse's office so he wouldn't see because he's afraid of medical stuff? very sweet. I also don't like medical stuff, I've gotten a lot better at handling it tho. but seeing blood and needles still makes me feel lightheaded x_x

-FOLEY, BY TUCKER FOLEY. I want to make my own perfume, that's so cool. even if his first attempt isn't good, he's pretty consistently shown to have an inventor/entrepreneur streak in the show, so like. I can see him inventing or making something (or several somethings) that make him $$$ when he grows up :) proud of my creative son

-I know the 'creepy abandoned hospital on the edge of town' is a joke and the creepy hospital trope is so Worn Out, but in my town we actually DO have a hospital like that! my dad was born in it, but its not in use and hasn't been for, like, 20 years! it needs to be torn down but I think the city doesn't wanna pay the money. the inside is horrible, spray painted and broken glass and shit everywhere. but there's still like, rusty equipment and fucking DOLLS all over the place. the cops drive by it pretty frequently to make sure no one is like, breaking in. (because of water damage, some of the areas really aren't safe. also, asbestos, but people still go in anyway) but also, some of my town was used in a filming for a stephen king show. So it's lowkey spooky all over. just a fun personal tidbit :) to lead into saying, any hospital abandoned for any period of time is NOT safe to quarantine these kids in JKSAHDKF like I KNOW it's a ghost trying to do this, but NONE of these parents are even like, 'well, why dont we keep them in the regular, working hospital'....YIKES. this hospital looks pretty accurate to the one in town. grungy and spooky.

-fentons are tax evaders confirmed by jack's fear of being audited, lol no one is surprised

-ghost sickness via ghost bugs. horrifying concept. I actually expected it to be a new villain, not dr. spectra again! this is a very elaborate scheme. her new form rules, love the new costume. the way none of the bg kids seem to recognize her as their old school councilor. did we just forget about that completely?

-dash watching romance movies in the fucked up ghost hospital. same.

-'oh please, you're ghosts, do you have any idea what YOU smell like?' no, tucker, what DO ghosts smell like? I genuinely didn't know they would even have a smell, I actually want to know now.

-it feels like a while since we've seen jazz!! i was happy to see her again, even if she was a head in a jar for most the episode. I want another jazz-focused ep!!

-we finally see danny doing space-related stuff!! him and his friends stargazing to open ep 3 of s2. cute :) until, GHOST PIRATES!!!!! ...ghost pirate captain is a small child?? VOICED BY TAYLOR LAUTNER???

-oh, the easy listening is ember's song instrumental slowed. 'vapor drone' THEY VAPORWAVED HER!!! ember in a pirate outfit tho >>>>. and the cruise being called m.bersback JKASDHJK. ember adopting a little pirate brother is also pretty cute. concerning this teen and little kid have such bad opinions of adults, like, who hurt you?? (how did you DIE ALSO?? im always lowkey curious about that. we know desiree died at an old age, but her ghost form is young, probably mid-20s, so I wonder how that sort of thing works...its a more mental thing, isn't it?) but ghost team-ups are always cool to see, even if ember bailed after danny took her guitar. I guess she probably thinks youngblood can handle it (which, he's been owning danny this far in the ep, so...fair)

-tucker got that sponsorship from nasty burger for their radio!!! again, opportunistic money maker king, love to see it!!!

-danny taking control of the kids SO FAST. he makes a pretty great leader. no one is surprised, im pretty sure I said I think he's the most mature of the trio, once again, correct, because he's taken on so much responsibility already. all the teens suiting up in the jumpsuits to go save the adults and taking the ship over with a BLIMP. OKAY LETS GO. this feels like it should be a mid finale or straight up finale.

-...speaking of finales. why is ep 4-5 of s2 combined into a 50 minute episode? I havent even clicked play and im concerned. weird placement, like, this season JUST started and we're getting a two parter? okay...why are the episodes placed like this? why not put this at episode 10 or something, for a mid-season thing?

-this is also a cute dress. possibly my fav dress so far. can her parents give ME cute dresses, I'LL wear them.

-it turns out the castle fright knight was in is called pariah's keep and there's something worse than fright knight in there! lovely! fuck off vlad wtf are you doing <3 your hubris <3 is going to literally get you killed <3 'ring of rage' and 'crown of fire' are great names tho. ...vlad turning into a super polite guy when he was scared of mr. pariah was hilarious. and fright knight doing the same...I mean, it makes sense, he's a knight, he serves a king? happy to see fright knight again either way :) vlad telling him to call him tho, lmfao. you WISH HE WOULD. (I wish hed call me, too. 😔)

-so...jack being genuinely concerned about vlad...maddie really didn't tell him what happened at the cabin, did she. damn. if I was her id immediately come home and be like 'YOU WONT BELIEVE THIS SHITTTT THIS CREEPY GUY--' like, I feel like that stuff you need to tell your partner!!! I know she didnt want Jack to think she was an irresponsible parent putting danny in danger at that time, but STILLLL. maddie spilling boiling tea on him. get his ass. how is jack this oblivious to his wife's discomfort with vlad!! ughhh

-fenton wipe (tm). trademarked toilet paper.

-DANNY AND VALERIE BEING FRIENDS??? :D that was a cute moment. 'hey val <3' and 'if you like him like him, make a move, or someone else will ;)' at sam...damn!! I love her. valerie go for it girl!!! I hate how sam and tucker treat val also, like I GET IT YOURE PROTECTIVE AND DONT TRUST but if anything him befriending valerie will help when she finds out or he tells her like I feel like she'll be more understanding that they think! ALSO I feel like her reason for not liking ghosts is valid, like you haven't really explained the full story to her anyway! she doesn't seem to have any other friends after being booted from the a-listers so im like :( but seeing them kick butt together again was nice <3

-the ghosts all RUNNING FROM PARIAH DARK IS NOT GOOD, I thought he sent them to attack or something, but no. why doesn't someone just tell desiree 'hey i wish pariah dark would die' lol. once again I think she can solve every problem <3 but seeing all the enemies in one place, being civil and hiding together? love it.

-you just know danny's gonna have to clean up vlad's stupid mess. also, jack being willing to put on the ectoskeleton pants to help maddie, as soon as vlad heard it could kill him, he suggested jack do it instead of helping maddie himself? this is why jack got the girl, my man.

-ghost skeletons. how do you end up as a skeleton ghost in your afterlife instead of a humanoid like most the ones we've seen? lmao

-the ghosts just making new homes in various stores. I'd totally be setting up in an expensive clothing store if I was a ghost.

-valerie's dad is possibly the most useful adult so far, with that ghost shield expansion!!! and valerie saving vlad and danny, even tho shes been thru it already, shes still so good!!! this family rules.

-danny: *gently caresses valerie* :)

-*then he immediately TELLS HER DAD ON HER. and his first response is 'are you okay?' :'( such a good dad...

-*me every time fright knight breathes* youre doing SO great sweetie :)

-the fenton suit thing is so silly looking. does anyone take this thing seriously

-ALL THE GHOSTS FIGHTING WITH DANNY <3 AAAAA. and the fact that pariah isn't perma-defeated, but just locked away again. yikes. he'll probably get out again, won't he? it wasn't too clear, but if vlad DID make a pact with fright knight, I am rabid. I will beat vlad to death with the fenton bat (tm). YOU DONT DESERVE A COOL KNIGHT.

-valerie being direct with sam and challenging her? kinda love that, even tho I normally don't like 'catfight' type situations. because sam has been very passive aggressive about it which is annoying. valerie knows wtf she wants and wasn't even embarrassed to tell sam, but she did tell her, giving sam time to make her own move! and sam denied it and got embarrassed/mad! and sam did have a chance when danny was about to go off and fight, and she hesitated and didn't tell him. I feel like she's hesitating because they're friends and it might make it weird between the trio (poor tucker would be third-wheeling) but if u snooze u lose, u gotta GO after what u WANT girl. smh this is a No Tsundere Zone. 😤

#sanchoyorambles #dp thoughts #danny phantom

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mldrgrl · 4 years

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I've been re-reading your old works for the Revival like Recocering Nicely and Flannel Pajamas,....I miss them being an old married couple doing domestic stuffs so much, can you write something like that again?

Friday Night by: mldrgrl Rating: PG Note: Set during season 10, erasing any season 11 from the table

Fridays are full of anticipation nowadays. At first, when they were just starting to get back on track, more often than not he was going home alone. But, now, he can’t remember the last time Friday rolled around and she didn’t have her weekend bag with her. There’s nothing he looks forward to more than a Friday night.

They take one car out to the house, usually his, leaving the other in the parking garage at work until Monday. The ride is long, but comfortable. Scully rests her hand on his arm across the seat and they talk about mundane things that aren’t about work. Mulder wants to cut the grass if there isn’t any frost in the morning. He loaded the crock pot with the stuff for that stew Scully likes this morning. Hopefully he remembered to turn it on before he left. That new thing Scully found online to weatherproof the windows came in. He needs to put in the order for the wood for the stove to be delivered soon.

“An hour and change,” Mulder says, stopping the car in front of their gate. “New record.”

“You really need to think about installing the remote.”

“I like the exercise.” He leans close to her as he unbuckles his seatbelt and gives her a peck on the cheek. She cups his chin with a backwards hand for a moment and then unbuckles her own belt.

Scully takes over in the driver’s seat as Mulder handles the gate. She drives down the dirt road slowly, avoiding the dips and bumps up to the front. She’s got her overnight bag from the trunk and Mulder’s dry cleaning that they stopped to pick up weighing her down by the time he’s made it to the car. He takes the dry cleaning from her and places a hand to the small of her back as they ascend the porch steps.

“My nose is telling me I didn’t forget to turn the crock pot on,” he says, opening the door for her.

“Gonna change first. Looks like we’re in for a beautiful sunset. Want to eat outside?”

“Sure.”

He puts the dry cleaning away while she puts on a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved shirt. He turns on the radio. It’s still on the classical channel Scully last had it on and he leaves it be, coming into what sounds like The Planets Suite. He thinks he recognizes Jupiter. He thinks about setting up the telescope.

While Scully dishes out the stew, he changes into jeans and a light sweater. Noticing a bit of a chill, he brings one of the blankets from the couch with him after he grabs the bowl left for him on the counter to join her. She tucks it around her and they eat to the strains of Holst in the background as twilight begins its takeover.

They head back inside when it turns grey and too chilly. Scully separates the leftover stew into two containers, one to store for leftovers for the weekend and the other to freeze for later. She washes the dishes and Mulder dries.

“Did you bring the paper in?” he asks.

“In my bag,” she answers.

“We need under 36 minutes to beat last week.”

“36 minutes and 14 seconds.”

“Across or down?”

“Down.”

They huddle close on the couch and Mulder opens the newspaper to the crossword. He folds it appropriately while Scully starts the timer on her phone. Mulder starts with the clues running across and Scully starts with the clues running down. They have a goal of beating each week’s previous time.

“Oh, they’re being cheeky,” Mulder says. “They’ve got the question marks in here.”

“You like the cheeky ones.”

“When they’re clever.”

After ten minutes, they switch directions.

“Life source?” Scully asks. “Is that the cheeky one?”

“You get the answer?”

“M-I-blank-blank-blank-N-blank-R-A-”

“Milton Bradley,” he answers, before she finishes.

“Clever or not?” she asks, filling in the blanks.

“They’ve done better. Hey, you’re supposed to fill-in all the Latin clues.”

“Mulder, do you know how many 3-letter Latin 101 words there are?”

“How many end in O?”

“Too many.”

“I think it starts with an E.”

“Ego.”

“I should’ve known that.”

“I’ll say.”

He bumps her shoulder with his and she chuckles. They switch for a second time a few minutes later and then they’re racing against the clock. He puts down his pen when there’s nothing but a corner left.

“You always leave the Tolkein monsters clue blank,” Scully huffs.

“I didn’t have 5 down yet, it still could be orcs or ents.”

“Ents. 5 down is Etsy.”

“What the hell is an etsy?”

“Online craft store. You know it, it’s where I got those bath bombs you liked.”

“The eucalyptus ones? You should get more of those.”

“I’ll see if they still have them. Time!”

“33 and 51 seconds. High five g-woman!” He grabs her hand when she slaps his and laces their fingers together. “Seriously, though, you need to go to the etsy store and get more of those bath bombs.”

“Remind me tomorrow.”

“Movie?”

“I’m thinking a shower and then bed.” She moves to stand, but he pulls her down to his lap. She chuckles and drapes her arms around his neck.

“Scully, do you remember back in the day when we used to pull all-nighters like it was nothing and now we’re lucky if we make it past nine?”

“Seems we used up all our reserve energy when we were young.”

“Younger, don’t go calling us old.”

“You brought it up first.” She gives him a brief kiss on the lips and then he lets her go.

While she showers, he takes the newspaper to the recycle bin and sets up the coffee maker for the morning. He checks the locks on the front door and the back door and pulls the shades in the living room and kitchen. He pulls his sweater off as he heads upstairs and tosses it on the bed before he goes into the bathroom. Scully has finished her shower and sits on the closed toilet in a towel, massaging lotion into her legs. The room is humid from the shower and the mirror is fogged over.

“I set the coffee for 7,” he says, pulling his toothbrush and toothpaste from the medicine cabinet. “Too early?”

“It’s fine.” She makes a noise and he turns. She has her hands held out to him and he puts the toothbrush and toothpaste on the side of the sink and gives her his hands so she can massage the extra lotion into his hands and arms.

“Is this new? It smells like oranges.”

“Yeah, some vitamin C thing a salesperson at the mall talked me into.”

“You hate the mall.” He pastes his toothbrush and starts brushing his teeth.

“I do, but sometimes the Labor Day sales are too hard to resist. 2 for 1 bras at Victoria’s Secret, I had to go.”

“What, now?” Mulder turns towards her and pulls the toothbrush out of his mouth. Foam coats his lips. She laughs lightly and shakes her head.

“Kidding,” she says. “But, good to know you’re still interested in my lingerie.”

“I might be old, but I’m not dead.”

Scully smiles and stands on tiptoes to kiss the corner of Mulder’s mouth. She pats his chest lightly and then rubs a bit of toothpaste residue from her bottom lip. He turns to finish brushing his teeth, wiping fog away from the mirror to watch her move comfortably around the room and get ready for bed. He waits until she’s dropped the towel and slipped her t-shirt on to spit and rinse.

She tosses his shirt at his head when he steps into the bedroom. He grins and hangs it up and then they turn the bed down together. He sheds his jeans and then opens the window just a crack to let some fresh air in.

“Almost time to pull out the flannel sheets,” she says, as he gets into bed.

“I’ll keep you warm,” he answers, wrapping an arm around her under the covers and sliding her into his chest. She laughs and wiggles out of his hold as he tickles the back of her neck and shoulder with his lips.

Briefly, Scully turns her head back and after several soft kisses, she pulls away to turn over and shut off the lamp. Mulder rolls onto his back and she settles on her side after punching the pillow flat a few times. Five minutes pass and then she sighs.

“Are you still awake?” she asks.

“Mmhm,” he answers.

She turns over to face him and he turns his head towards her. “I’ve been thinking about something,” she says. “Something I think we need to talk about.”

“Okay.” He turns over as well and folds his arm under his head.

“The lease on my place is up at the end of October. I don’t think I’m going to renew.”

“Oh? So, what are you thinking?”

“The commute out here is not ideal. Especially with winter coming. I was wondering if you might want to find a place in the city. Or closer to the city. Together.”

“Get rid of the house?”

“No, never. This is...this is our home.”

He nods in agreement. He’s always thought of it as their home, whether she’s been in it or not.

“I was thinking just a place we can be at during the week,” she continues. “And we’ll still come out here on the weekends.”

He mulls it over. As much as he wants to be with her and wants to return to the life they once shared, he has some reservations.

“Mulder?” she asks. “You’re never this quiet. What are you thinking?”

“You know I want this more than anything,” he answers. “But, what if this is only working because you got the space you wanted? And we’ve never done the living and working together thing before. It would be new. What if we recommit and then it becomes too much?”

She contemplates the ceiling for some time and he reaches out to stroke her hair and cup her cheek.

“I thought, at the time, that leaving was the right thing to do,” she says. “I know that I accused you of being a weight that was pulling me down into your depression and despair, but in hindsight, it was the other way around.”

“I never felt that way.”

“I know, but I did. I thought returning to medicine would be satisfying. I thought it was the key to happiness. Something normal. Instead it just made me sad. And then I thought leaving was the only way to fix it, but I was wrong. Really, what I missed was us. Being with you, working with you, just you and me. I don’t feel whole without you.”

“Hey now, that’s my line,” he whispers, running his thumb over her cheek.

“It’s true.”

“So, we’re doing this? Full time?”

“I’m ready for it if you are.”

“Bring it on, honey.”

She chuckles and they slide closer to rest their heads together. Their legs tangle and arms move to hold on to each other. He’s filled with a new sense of anticipation. He won’t ever have to wonder anymore if she’ll be coming with him Friday nights.

The End

#i wrote this #xf fanfic #msr #housetrained #old married couple #Anonymous

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hyunsuks-beanie · 3 years

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hii! i was hoping to get a match up with enhypen and txt if you don’t have too much already! i’m 5ft and a cancer sun, gemini moon, and taurus rising! my pronouns are she/her !! and my mbti is infj !! i love editing(ive a editing acc and everything)and drawing. i have a wolfcut with highlights and a septum piercing. im really shy and i can come off as bitchy cuz ive a rbf but i promise im not, i also get embarrassed really easy !!, i get annoyed easily too but i never actually get mad like i never yell at someone, i also get scared easily!, its hard for me to break bad habits but i try really hard if its hurting anyone i care about, i can read people very easily, i try to be positive !!, i hate confrontations so much i literally can’t handle fighting with anyone and im 99% the first person to say sorry cuz i really hate when anyone is mad at me, im really indecisive, im a people pleaser, if i love u ill cling to u!! i have to hold someone’s arm to feel safe if im out, i often need my alone time. i love going out but i get exhausted really quickly so i don’t go out much, id say im really supportive, mature, open minded and i put others before me, im also emotional and stubborn. oh and i love taking care of people but i also love when people take care of me !! some people say im really soft spoken, gentle, really quiet, feminine and that if i love u you would notice u can tell from my eyes, i love clothes and jewelry especially rings !! i just really love fashion!! oh and my love language is words of affirmation !! thank you sm<33

Hi love!! First off, I'm so sorry for the late answer, I've just been so caught up with exams and everything😭😭

So let's start now!

In Enhypen, I can see two people being compatible with you. First would be Jake, who like you, appears to be peace-maker who can't really stand arguments. So I feel like disagreements or problems between the two of you would be minimal, which obviously is a good thing. Since you're the supportive kind, I feel like you deserve to be with someone who will support you just as much. And there's really no one better than Jake for that. Also, with him, you might not always be the first to apologize, since he really comes across as mature enough to know when he's the one at fault. He's quite laid back in terms of fashion though, but he still manages to make everything look fashionable, so it would be interesting to see the two of you match your fashion senses lmao. Also, like you, he too is quite soft-spoken, and I I really see him as ever getting aggressive.

The other one is probably Jungwon. You deserve to have someone mature enough to match your sensibilities, and being a leader, he has become just that despite his young age. He too, is very supportive, and I think he will always be there to push you towards your dreams. He is quite used to being babied and is pretty cling himself, so I think he won't mind having you glued to him either hehe. He might come across as angry or annoyed occasionally as well, so I think he'll be able to understand where you come from. He, like Jake too, is very open-minded, so I can see him getting used to your way of thinking and your principles pretty easily.

In TXT, I was thinking Beomgyu at first, but then I settled on Taehyun. And that's because we all know how mature and open-minded Mr. Kang can be, while also being the most clingy little bean there is (I know he isn't really little, and istg you would look so cute next to his giant self eeek). He will definitely not mind having you clinging to him, and in fact, more often than not, he will be the one to initiate skinship. At the same time, I see him as wise enough to know when you need your space, so it really won't be any problem when you want your me time. He's extremely understanding and insanely supportive, so he'll definitely shower you with all the love and support in the world too. He might not exactly baby you, but he will totally show his love through other means like words and silent support. He's not one for arguments either, although friendly banter will definitely be on the cards bc his sassy self. He's pretty soft spoken too, and will probably never do anything to hurt you.

Hope you liked this💖

#anon #ship game #txt #enhypen

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sanstropfremir · 3 years

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I absolutely LOVED reading your kingdom review. You gave me such an insight in things I never even considered, especially since our rankings are so different from each other. The Boyz was my favorite, the narrative was about RTK. How they felt bad for having to compete against their friends but eventually the groups only lifted each other up and it helped TBZ grow into the group they are now through the hardships and mental dilemma, falling into the next challenge right after they reached the top. It should have been more obvious though, I agree, it wasn't really visible for anyone who didn't know. I was wondering how you felt about the dancing in general? my reason for not ranking BTOB high was lack of choreo (and Peniel's verse), same goes for SF9. Mostly because I don't feel the hype when watching, it doesn't keep my focus on the stage. As a baby-performer myself, my goal is to make the viewer curious about what's next. is that the wrong way to look at it? that's what I've always been told, building the tension up and down to create focus. would love to hear your feedback on that! thank you so much for sharing, we need more reviews of people who actually know what they're talking about.

i'm glad that you got some insight from it! like i answered in the previous ask im here to hopefully bring some more depth and understanding for people that care and are curious!

you unintentionally proved my point about tbz’s performance: that is way too complicated! even the most talented solo dancers i can think of would have trouble distilling that down to something readable in 100 seconds, much less a group of like, a dozen people! the introductory stages are meant to show us the character of the group and their abilities in the most concise way possible, it's not the stage to do deep philosophical and emotional introspection. for a full stage? absolutely, go hog wild! but for this stage it was too ambitious and ultimately was ineffective to anyone that isn't a fan of them specifically.

by dancing in general do you mean like, every group? i put most of my opinions on the dancing where i had them in each of the individual rankings but honestly? unless there is something that really stands out positively or negatively, a lot of ‘average’ kpop dance looks the same to me. i know it’s not, obviously, and if pressed i probably could do a more serious breakdown, but dance is only one element of performance. it has equal weight with all the others in my mind, and therefore i notice when it is either

very good

does something unique

very bad, or

interferes with another element

which is the same as how i evaluate every element, if that makes sense.

hmmmm. i thought about this a lot in the shower and turns out i had more opinions that i expected so i'll put them under a cut.

firstly, i don't think lack of choreo should be penalized or considered an ‘incomplete’ performance. at the end of the day, these are bands, and a part of their brand/product they sell is the music. complex choreo does not need to be attached to that to make it a successful performance. also, btob did have choreo. any movement on stage is technically choreography. but this terminology can cause confusion so usually non-dance choreo is referred to as ‘blocking.’ but they also did include the song’s original point choreo at 1.41. the blocking in their performance was well thought out and suited the arrangement, by placing spatial emphasis on each part of the song that needed it. obviously it comes down to personal taste if the performance is ultimately ‘successful,’ because all art is subjective, but just because something isn't as visually complex as something else doesn’t mean it doesn't have the same level of thought. think of it like this: one is a super clean-lined post-post-modern grey/white living room, and the other is a kitsch goth basement. both share interior design principles and have obvious care put into the space, but they are vastly different styles that appeal to different tastes.

part of the job of production designer/AD is to decide what gets emphasis. a question you're always asking yourself is ‘is this important to the story that we’re trying to tell?’ and btob/their AD made a very smart choice with their introductory stage because it says a lot about them and their abilities in a short amount of time. that stage said ‘our foundation is strong, we have the training and experience and confidence to be up here and not rely on visual tricks.’ because they know they physically cannot do the things the 4th gen groups can; they're a decade older and they only have four members, it's just not feasible. something you learn with experience is the power that specific and pointed emphasis holds, which segues into my answer to your last question. i don't necessarily think that ‘building hype’ is the wrong way to perform something, but i do think it is a flawed way to approach creating a performance.

i think that ‘hype’ is flawed concept at its core, and one that focuses on the idea that there’s always being something more, something next, beyond the work itself. now there’s nothing wrong with playing with tension within the internal structure of a piece, that's exactly how constructing a narrative happens. however, the flaws come once we extrapolate beyond the boundaries of that individual work. the idea of ‘whats next’ implies that you have to constantly be promoting, have a sequel coming, building hype etc so people will keep engaged with your work. which is deeply capitalistic in nature and operates on the assumption that art exists purely as a product to be sold. and in order to keep selling you need to keep making a bigger and better and more spectacular product. and this is not the case at all. marketability is not the essence of art, it merely a factor of creating it under this insufferable system. kpop in particular suffers from this because the industry is specifically fabricated to produce capitol. we can have discussions all day about idols and their artistic integrity but at the end of that day, they are all cogs working with a system that was specifically made up by essentially one person to be culturally exported and to just print buckets of money. so in following that train of thought, there is a constant attitude of bigger and better because shock value (whether positive or negative) gets social media attention and therefore it sells. and it has become exponentially easier (and also seemingly required) to make things that are bigger and better than ever before. i remember being blown away by the projection floor at the sochi 2014 olympics because something of that scale and complexity would never have been possible without literally having the funding of the olympics. now that technology is easily accessible to anyone with an amazon account and the time to learn how isadora works. in comparison, it took 2400 YEARS for just the job of a ‘theatre designer’ to be even become a job at all.

because of kpop’s fan culture it is especially prone to ‘hype’ behaviour. in general with the accessibility of the internet and social media, everything has turned into a competition, and who can generate the most buzz ‘wins’. but ultimately that has taken away the general public’s ability to recognize that you can enjoy something quietly and you can enjoy something slowly. that the enjoyment of something doesn’t need to be all exclamation marks and keysmashes and trending hashtags on twitter. there is value in a work engaging in an emotion within you that is not just excitement. most of the artists and companies that i consume the work of i don’t do so because their work makes me excited, i do so because i liked the experience of engaging with that work. several years ago i saw the eternal tides by legend lin dance theatre, which you can watch a really short clip of here. that is not slow motion, that is actually how slow the dancers are moving. and 90% of the show is performed like that. and its two hours long. and it was one of the most incredible performances i've ever seen. if i ever get the chance I will go see another one of their shows again, not because i care about how they can top that experience i had, but because i know they can produce that experience, and that is enough to make me want to seek them out again. the speed of the internet has also loosened the general public’s understanding of just exactly how long creating a performance work can take. the lead dancer in the eternal tides was with the company for eight years before she and the piece were ready enough to be performed. large scale operas, musicals, and plays often have a year or more of pre-production before they even get to rehearsal. smaller theatre companies workshop new pieces for years at a time. performance is hard and it takes time. you can eliminate some of that with sheer amounts of money and people, which is what the kpop industry has done, but it speeds up the cycle of consumption to a degree that is not sustainable, especially for companies and creators who do not have that kind of access. performers and performance makers often don't put enough trust in their audiences. if they like what they see, they will come back. they dont need to be constantly bombarded with content at all times.

now that i’ve said a bit about why i think hype is a flawed concept, let's bring it back to kingdom. sf9 did something very interesting with their stage in that they actively chose to limit their dance time. and this plays very well off the performance film stage that taeyang did a couple of weeks ago. taeyang is talented and confident (for good reason), and his solo was incredible. but when it came to the intro stage, instead of trying to one-up the solo stage, the group instead said ‘well people are going to be looking at us because taeyang is insanely talented, so let's show them that we ALL have the confidence and the attitude to be up here.’ no need for flashy theatrics, they had the foresight to do something that would make them stand out from the rest of the groups. even if i was just casually watching the stages without doing any analysis on them (like i did for rtk), i would still be able to distinguish them because they had the stones to stand around for half their stage time. now i recognize them and would like to see what else they can do. same principle as what btob and also what ikon did. there is a fine line between anticipation and hype that gets equated in media consumption nowadays, but the two are not the same.

i think the tldr on this is that you dont need to ‘build hype’ or ‘go all out’ to make an interesting work. just focus on telling the narrative that you want to tell, and the people that recognize that will come. i could have a lot more things to say about peoples shrinking attention spans and the constant stream of information that we consume on a daily basis that devalues the labour done by artists in the eyes of the public and promotes hustle culture that is burning out and damaging creators at a rate that is both exponential and frightening, but that’s probably for another time, because this is SO LONG

#kingdom #kpop questions #this was a very interesting ask thank you anon!#the consumption and production of art is fascinating and also as an artist it gives me a fucking headache #many thoughts head too full #i hope this provided you with some more insight anon #none of your opinions are wrong i just have different ones and thats ok! i love discussions like this #Anonymous #kpop analysis #text #general design questions #kingdom review responses #answers #kingdom asks

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