#and then kai looks nostalgic

[likeafairytale]

#when your best memory is when you tried to kill your brother-in-law/enemy/best friend during the Great War

[winterrhayle]

does anybody know the artist of these specific tlc fan arts? because they truely are the backbone of this fandom and provided 'official' depictions of all the characters for us for yearssss

[mondothebombo]

do you ever think back in the early seasons wu would watch his students and think of his friends, the previous EMs, in such a painfully nostalgic way? like jay would crack a joke and wave his nunchaku in a way that is just too similar to libber? or cole with a soft look on his face that is picture perfect to lilly? or kai’s tenacity rivaling ray’s? or nya wielding her weapons with the same grace as maya? or zane with a calm disposition that’s so familiar. or maybe most painful of all, the passion in lloyd next only to garmadon

cuz i think abt that a lot

[spinchip]

Zane is a good cook bc he's extremely good at differentiating flavor profiles and has a good enough memory bank of what food works best together that he can make dinner from scratch, no recipie Involved, and have it be 5-star gourmet. When he tastes his own cooking, he can easily identify what it needs to take it to the next level.

Jay CAN cook bc Ma Walker is definitely the type of lady that would stick Jay in the kitchen to help, but he's not super confident. He has like 5 recipies on LOCK (spaghetti, tacos, chicken Alfredo, chicken noodle soup, and meatloaf) but is completely unsure about anything new. He makes mash potatos from the instant add-hot-water packages and didn't even know you could do it another way

Kai is good at cooking in a nostalgic, weird childhood foods type of way. Spaghetti with hot dogs chopped up in it, noodles and tomato sauce, tuna casserole- that realm of weird but cheap. He can typically look in the cabinets and come up with something without buying any extra ingredients, and it's usually not half bad. He tends not to like his own food even if everyone else enjoys it tho, strangely enough

Nya can't cook lol. She's a master at frozen meals tho. She can pop some chicken nuggets or a pizza in the oven with the best of them I'm sure

Lloyd is an okay cook, but he always adds a sweet component to his foods that are hit or miss for the others. He just likes his meals on the sweet side, no savory or salty for him. There's a salt shaker filled with sugar for him on the table

Cole is a bad cook but it's really not his fault. His dad is an AWFUL AWFUL cook and Cole grew up eating his food- and now that's what he likes. Over cooked, dry chicken? Mushy mac and cheese? Burnt vegetables? That's just coles' normal. The first time he had well cooked, juicy chicken it grossed him out bc it felt like he was eating it raw

[tubatwo]

third wheel - huening kai (+kang taehyun)

summary: where kai feels like a third wheel in your relationship

pairing: gn reader x tyunning

genre: fluff/slight angst: 1.4k words

a/n: forgive me for writing poly fics but this is a safe space right…? |⩊･)ﾉ⁾⁾ I just love the dynamic of a throuple with the stern one and the one who gives reader everything they want lol. I immediately thought of writing something with tyunning! would anyone want an alternative ver with tae?

being in a relationship with taehyun and kai was the perfect balance.

there was taehyun: the sweet but spicy one who loved taking the lead

and then there was kai: the shy one that couldn’t help but grant your every wish

‎ ‎

‎ ‎

‎ ‎

sometimes their different personalities left kai feeling uneasy about what he might be lacking. sometimes he felt as if you enjoyed taehyun’s boldness more. and today happened to be one of those days as you laid on kai’s chest, rubbing his tummy while waiting for your other lover to come home. taehyun had excused himself shortly before to grab some food for movie night, not wanting either of you to move a muscle after the morning you had.

“taehyun, stop!” you giggled while playfully pushing him away as he tickled the sides of your waist.

the three of you decided to go to an amusement park together as a celebration for your free schedules finally lining up. the lines were long, the people were loud, and the weather was honestly shit, but none of you could resist the idea of a fun, nostalgic trip. however, while you and taehyun shared laughter and innocent touches, kai stood off to the side, almost as if he was a third wheel. multiple people had already complimented you and taehyun as a couple, and now you were waiting to ride one of the rides together; one that kai was completely terrified of. he already agreed to skip this one and wait for you guys to finish, but now he was having second thoughts. standing to the side, staring at the ground, kai wished that he could be different for you just once. he wished that he could be more confident when it came to pda, he wished that he wasn’t afraid of scary rides, and he wished that people would recognize you guys as a couple too.

“hyuka? you aren’t riding right? why do you look so uncomfortable?” you asked innocently, unraveling taehyun’s arms around you so you could grab kai’s instead. before he could even process what was happening, he already blurted out

“i’m going too.”

despite yours and taehyun’s assuring words that it was okay to skip this one, he went through with his plan. from an outsider’s perspective, it would look like he was completely in zen mode while the ride was going. but on the inside, kai felt scared. he felt dizzy and horrible, but the only thing he cared about was the three of you sitting next to eachother while holding hands. sadly, that short burst of contentment came to an end after the ride ended and he felt the urge to throw up

hours later, kai’s stomach has calmed down a lot and is more than ready for some real food. taehyun calls to double-check everyone’s order while standing in what seems to be the longest line in the world. after giving your orders, the voices of you and taehyun slowly fade into background noise while kai spaces out. “how long will it be, tae? i’m getting really hungry…” you pout, nuzzling your face into kai’s chest.

“i’m sorry angel, I didn’t expect the line to be this long. it’s like a nightclub over here.” kai stays silent, not really focused on the conversation happening right now. “wait!” you sit up, slightly flustering him in the process. “we have those snacks from our last trip right? huening, let’s eat some.” you bounce lightly on the couch and grab his hand, making his ears grow redder than before.

“y/n, you shouldn’t eat any sugary snacks before dinner,” taehyun interrupts and lightly scolds, “plus, we might upset huening’s stomach again.” but what taehyun doesn’t hear is the sound of your own stomach letting out a small growl.

kai can’t help but feel guilty, even though his stomach was the one that went through the most today. deep down, he knows taehyun is right, but all he ever wants is to make you happy, even if it’s something silly like sugary snacks. it’s not that taehyun doesn’t want the same, oh no, you’re his angel and he loves to spoil you. but someone has to be the responsible one, and it just so happens that kai has an extremely hard time telling you no.

“i’ll skip snacks this time, but they can have a few just to calm their stomach, yeah?” kai tries to compromise on your behalf, resulting in a loud but humorous sigh from taehyun on the other line. “alright you scoundrels, but I want both of you to eat well tonight.”

kai zones out again as you lightly tease taehyun after being saved by kai, and he hears a beep signaling the end of the call after a few minutes of you two going back and forth. you immediately do a small victory dance after, making kai shyly laugh and touch his nose. his thoughts quickly leave his head though, as you lean down to press tons of kisses across his face. “thank you baby, you’re always so good to me.” you murmur. kai frowns at this, because he truly believes that he should do better.

“not enough.” he mumbles.

your smile fades as you lift your head up, “what do you mean?”

“I wish I could do more for you.” he admits, “like taehyun…”

his words continue to confuse you, especially after the brave face he put on today while at the amusement park. neither of you wanted him to do something he wasn’t comfortable with, but he insisted anyway. regardless, you weren’t sure where these sudden feelings were coming from. “I don’t understand… the both of you are equally good to me, though?”

he sighs before continuing, “but I get shy in public… people don’t even realize we’re together.” before you could even open your mouth to respond, he continues his rant, each word leaving another sting inside his chest. “he also takes the lead a lot, and i’m just… here.”

you chuckle lightly as you realize that this is just a small case of jealousy. you love kai a lot, and during times like this, you feel happy reminding him of just how much. “huening, you do know that you’re my safe place, right?” you ask, taking his hand into yours. but he doesn’t respond.

“I love the two of you because we all bring out the best parts of eachother. we both know that taehyun enjoys taking the lead and being protective, that’s why we act childish with him, right?” he finally responds by nodding and letting out a soft hum. “even though we know he’s always right, and don’t tell him I admitted that..” you joke, making him break his facade and giggle with you before you continue, “you still let me be playful, and you always play along too. taehyun feels the same way too, y’know?” kai smiles, almost embarrassed at how easy it is for you to cheer him up.

“also, I don’t care how people see us in public. seriously, you’re so shy, it’s adorable. especially because you’re allll~ over me the second we get home.” you sing out, making him hide his face in a pillow before you gently take it away and cradle his face in your hands. leaning down, instead of kissing his face again, you press your lips against his. “my sunshine.” you coo. kai’s entire face is red at this point, but he doesn’t care because he’s so, so happy. in the midst of more kisses, you both fail to hear the sound of the front door unlocking.

“and what exactly am I interrupting here?” taehyun walks over with a soft smile on his face, hands carrying two large bags of food everyone was desperately waiting for.

“I thought you two were supposed to be eating candy, but instead you’re starting something else without me?” you reach out to slap his arm playfully, scolding him as kai’s face turns red again. “shush, thank you for bringing us food, tae. we didn’t end up eating any snacks!” you tell him proudly.

taehyun smiles. “thank you angels, now come eat.” he walks over to put the bags on the table. “huening, I got your favorite egg drop soup. hopefully it wont be too much for your stomach.”

you look back at kai and kiss his cheek one last time. “you okay?” you whisper. he smiles and gives you a kiss this time. “i’m perfect.” after eating dinner, everyone was satisfied. kai felt better, both physically and mentally, and spent the rest of the night squeezed between the two people he loved most.

[frankenkyle19]

Corn-Maze Shenanigans

Happy Halloween! I literally have been working on this for two weeks and it’s still trash but I don’t care anymore, I’m absolutely exhausted. Hopefully it’s decent, sorry it’s rushed I wanted to get it done before Halloween was actually over and I work all day tomorrow and won’t have time to post it. Not at all proofread. Probably a lot of errors.

Word count: 5.5k

Description: Peter Maximoff and reader go to a fall/Halloween festival together on their day off. The corn maze was closed for the day but Peter comes up with a plan. They get up to no good in the corn maze. Smut. Smut. Smut. Enjoy! :)

The nostalgic feeling that fall brought on never ceased to amaze Peter.. Everything about it was magical. The weather, the activities and my god the smells. The smell of fall was something that Peter wished could be ingrained into his scent receptors. The spices, the chill in the air.. There was no debate, it was the best time of year hands down and he’d die on that hill.

He’d been dying to go to a pumpkin patch or a festival since the end of September but the X-men had been so busy with.. Well, helping keep people safe. Peter wished he could have called for some sort of time off or something because he felt as if he was watching everyone else around him enjoy activities that he obviously loved more.

Finally, fucking finally after what felt truly like years, you agreed to go with him to a nearby farm festival on a day the two of you weren’t busy. Peter swore he’d never been happier, practically bouncing up and down just thinking about it. He couldn’t wait to eat whatever fall snacks there were and play (and obviously win) all of the games.

And he wouldn’t lie, he was excited that he got to hang out with just you. Like.. Alone. Yeah he was super excited about that. Suddenly all the waiting seemed like it would pay off. Finally the universe was working in his favor!!

————

The day of arrived and Peter quite literally couldn’t think about anything else. Couldn’t concentrate, could barely function. It was actually pretty bad but he ignored that fact in favor of imagining how much fun the two of you would have later.

He waited outside of your room, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He was wearing a brown striped knit sweater with big bubble sleeves that had him feeling like he was wrapped in a nice cozy blanket, the only time he’d be seen without his iconic silver jacket. It was supposed to be chilly tonight and he wanted to make sure he didn’t freeze to death. As much as he liked the cold weather he’d rather avoid hypothermia.

“Are ya almost done?” He asked, leaning his ear against the door to try and hear what you were doing inside. Nosy fucker. “We should probably get going soon so we’ve got plenty of time to look at everything before it gets dark!” He said, fidgeting with his fingers, brain moving a mile a minute.

“Almost done!” You called out, doing your finishing touches before you took a glance at yourself in the mirror, also wearing a sweater similar to Peter’s. Great minds think alike apparently.

Snatching up your bag and your car keys you did one last scan of your room to make sure you didn’t forget anything before you opened the door, eyes lighting up when you saw Peter in his oversized sweater.

“What took you so long? We’re in practically the same outfit, only difference is I took a minute to get ready and you took thirty,” He shook his head but followed after you as you began to walk down the hall.

“Well the difference, besides you having superspeed would be I just needed to do more. Makeup, hair.. Things that lots of people do before going out.”

“Pshhhh all that stuff’s unnecessary. You would have looked fine rolling out of bed, ‘kay?”

Peter said, but he wasn’t really listening, mind set on the future. Specifically about fifteen minutes in the future where he’d be stuffing his face with pumpkin flavored everything and picking out a pumpkin from the patch to bring home and carve.

The two of you reached the garage and made your way to your car, sliding in. Peter messed with the radio as you adjusted your seat and pulled out of your spot, leaving the garage. The crunch of gravel underneath your tires was music to Peter’s ears, just another reminder that the two of you were headed to what Peter would probably recall later on as being the best part of his year.

“You excited?” You asked, though you knew the answer. Everyone at the damn school knew the answer because he wouldn’t stop talking about it. Scott had seriously started to consider duct taping his mouth shut just to get a moment of silence.

“More excited than I’ve ever been in my whole life, I'm pretty sure, even made sure not to eat any twinkies today so I’d have enough room in my stomach to try everything. You know how difficult that was?”

A scoff left your lips as you shook your head. “You and your Twinkie obsession..”

“They’re arguably the best snake cake ever created, dude! Did you know originally it wasn’t vanilla filling? It was banana. I guess during the Second World War bananas weren’t being imported to the US anymore so they had to switch to vanilla cream.”

You’d never heard Peter so passionate about anything in his life, except maybe about his little tricks to get the highest scores in arcade games.

“You ever considered teaching history? History of American snack cakes,” you laughed which then caused Peter to laugh as well.

“Maybe I should ask Charles if that can be a course next semester. Who knows, maybe if I really show my knowledge he’ll say yes.” He drummed his hands against his legs, waiting in anticipation to arrive.

You and Peter kept short conversation as you drove until you turned down a long gravel road, approaching the farm. You felt Peter moving side to side next to you, trying to regulate his body before the two of you got out of the car.

—————

The farm finally came into view along with the sweet smell of caramel and pumpkin. You managed to find a parking spot fairly easily and before you’d even fully stopped the car Peter was scrambling out, looking towards the entrance of the farm, a huge child-like grin on his face.

You didn’t want to keep the poor man waiting any longer so you quickly turned the car off and stepped out, grabbing your bag and walking around to his side of the car.

“Ready?” You asked, breaking him out of his excited daze, to which he nodded eagerly and grabbed your hand while he walked towards the entrance as fast as he could without using his actual superspeed. The last thing the two of you needed was anyone recognizing him. Hopefully without his silver jacket or X-men suit it would be harder to identify him as the one and only Quicksilver.

“Born ready, baby.” He laughed softly as the two of you walked up to the ticket booth and Peter reached to pull his wallet out of his pocket. You stopped him, quickly grabbing your own and pulling out two five dollar bills, handing them over to the man in the ticket booth.

“Hey! I was gonna pay for that- I’m the one who dragged you here anyways- C’mon-“ Peter huffed out as the man stamped both of your hands with a little pumpkin stamp before waving you on your way so that he could attend to the next person in line.

“Too bad. I know how excited you’ve been for this and I wanted to do something nice. Sue me.” You grinned, taking Peter’s hand again as the two of you looked around. It was absolutely beautiful. Orange and yellow and red colors were splashed everywhere the eye could see. There were pumpkins, gourds and the smell of delicious foods that Peter couldn’t wait to devour.

“Where do you want to go first, Quickie? Lead the way.”

Peter didn’t need anymore convincing, looking towards the nearest vendor and making his way over. There were several signs above the tent which explained what was being sold there.

Fresh pumpkin pie, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin cookies.. Just about everything pumpkin flavored under the sun.

“What’re you gonna get?” You leaned closer to Peter while you spoke so that he could hear you better over the crowds of people chatting.

“Everything. Every. Single. Thing.” You would have called his bluff but you knew he wasn’t joking. Hell, you were talking to the man who averaged like.. Two boxes of twinkies a day. This would be easy for him.

Luckily the line went quickly and when it was Peter’s turn, the look of shock and horror on the person’s face who was taking his order was hilarious.

Peter managed to somehow carry everything stacked up in his arms over to a picnic table where he organized everything by what he wanted to try first or what he wanted to save for last.

He took a seat and you did as well, sitting next to him as he grabbed the first thing in front of him, a slice of pie and devoured it in three bites. His cheeks were stuffed and he looked at you with a dorky grin before he chewed and swallowed, letting out a pleased hum at the taste. Peter was an absolute foodie through and through.

He downed it all like he hadn’t eaten in days, stopping every now and then to offer you a bite of certain things you were eyeing. It was actually quite adorable. At one point he’d gotten some sort of frosting on his nose and you wiped it off with your thumb, laughing as Peter’s cheeks turned a dusty pink.

Peter took the last bite of the last dessert on the table before using his speed to clean up the trash and throw it away before rejoining you at the table. Usually you’d lecture him about using his powers in public but no one seemed to notice and if they did they were too busy to care.

“You full now?” You asked, laughing as Peter rubbed his stomach over his sweater.

“Nope. Not even a little.”

You rolled your eyes before standing up, glancing over to another stand where they were selling warm apple cider. Just the thought alone had you feeling all warm inside.

“Peter! Apple cider, come on!” You said before running off in the direction of the apple cider to which he quickly followed.

———

With your hands wrapped around the warm cups of cider the two of you decided to do a little more exploring. People were beginning to leave little by little the later it got but the sun was still bright in the sky so the two of you had a while before it closed. You were thankful for it being less crowded though. You could finally hear yourself think!

Bringing the cup up to his lips, Peter sipped the spiced drink and you admired him for a moment. He looked so cozy and you knew he felt it as well. It was nice being able to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the school even if it was just for a little while. It was definitely needed. For the both of you.

Peter caught you staring and he raised a brow quizzically, wondering for a moment if he had leftover crumbs on his face or something. “What’re you staring at?” He asked, moving the cup away from his face.

“Nothing- no it’s nothing I was just.. I’m glad you dragged me along to this thing, Peter. I’m having a lot of fun.”

“And the days not even over yet! There’s still so much to do! I wanna go pick out a pumpkin to bring back with us! C’mon!”

—————

“What about this one?” Peter said, picking up a tiny, half broken pumpkin that looked like it was already beginning to rot.

“Ew, No! Just pick a normal one!”

The two of you had been going at this for close to fifteen minutes now. Peter was finding the ugliest pumpkins he possibly could before asking your opinion on them. The whole time you were just trying to find a cute one that called to you.

“Well I’m not normal so why would I pick a normal pumpkin? What defines normal anyways?” Peter said as he searched for another fucked up freak of nature pumpkin.

“You’re spending too much time talking to Charles. You’re starting to sound like him.”

“Oh am I now? Ello I’m Charles Xavier and this is my school for gifted children-“ Peter said in a very over the top posh English accent before he cut himself off with a laugh.

“Well he certainly doesn’t sound like that.. just find a pumpkin already!” You were between two choices. Two serious choices but Peter was just acting a fool. It was actually rather adorable. You were starting to find a lot of the things he did adorable.

“Okay okay bossy pants! Geesh.” Peter scoffed, glancing around the field once more. It was a big field with lots of pumpkins and the two of you wouldn’t be able to look through all of them so he just decided to look in the general vicinity for one.

Finally he found the perfect one. Well, his version of perfect because when you saw it you scoffed, facepalming as he held it up triumphantly as if it was his most prized possession.

The pumpkin itself was a dark orange, almost red and it was covered in bumps, making it look akin to a toad’s skin. That wasn’t even the worst of it though. Half of it was lopsided and looked like it’s growth had been stunted so it barely sat upright on its own without tipping over.

“You’re serious?” You asked, brow raised curiously as Peter rocked the pumpkin back and forth, cooing at it like it was a child.

“I am absolutely positive. Never been more sure in my life. Look at the little guy, it’s so cute. In.. it’s own way. Look- If I don’t take it no one will and then it’ll sit here in this field until it rots wondering why it wasn’t good enough to be chosen.”

“That was… weirdly deep. Okay okay whatever.”

You moved to step closer to Peter when you nearly tripped over a tiny pumpkin at your feet. It was perfectly round and orange except for one little part of it towards the top which was white. It looked like the only pumpkin in the whole patch that was multicolored and something drew you to it. You scooped it up off the ground and it was so small it fit in the palm of your hand. Stupid Peter, making you feel bad for damn pumpkins! They were pumpkins! It’s not like they had feelings. But you couldn’t resist this one because it was just so cute and unique.

“See? I told you. The normal ones are boring. Unique is where it’s attttt,” Peter winked. “Now, corn-maze?”

————

“I’m sorry, the corn maze is closed for the night. Too many people end up stuck in there and we don’t want to have to search for them while it’s dark. sorry.” The man standing in front of the corn maze said, arms crossed over his broad chest.

You and Peter let out twin sighs of disappointment and you moved to walk away from the maze when Peter grabbed your hand and without another moment's notice he sped the two of you into the maze. So fast that the man hadn’t even realized what had happened.

“Peter!” You gasped, glancing around at the stalks of corn now surrounding the two of you. “What if we get lost like he says? We don’t have a map!”

“It’s no biggie, babe! I'm hella fast, if we can’t find our way out I’ll just zoom around until I find the exit. It’s no big deal-i-o.” Peter seemed very nonchalant about it all while you were a bit more worried.

Turns out you had reason to be worried because the two of you were lost within the first five minutes of entering the damn maze and neither of you had a map…

—————-

“Come on babe, we could totally have some fun before they come and find us. The suns barely started setting yet we’ve still got a while. Promise I’ll make it worth itttt” Peter cooed into your ear as he trailed wet kisses down your neck before making his way back to your lips. Who knew being trapped in a corn maze could make someone so horny.

You tried to ignore him, really you did but it was practically impossible because as much as you hated to admit it you wanted him too. You’d always been curious about him and as annoying as it was, you were extremely sexually frustrated. Being cooped up in the school all hours of the day didn’t make it easy to get laid. It wasn’t like you could really bring dates back there either. Sneaking them in was rather easy but looking Charles in the eyes after was not. Because of course he always found out. He knew everything.

So, you kissed Peter back, letting his hands move up either side of your body, deft fingers feeling and squeezing until he got to your breasts. Ah yes, your breasts. Glorious glorious boobies. Peter loved them. He tried his best not to stare but hey! They were good tits!

His warm palms cupped your breasts over your sweater, giving a gentle squeeze as he kissed you deeper, practically devouring your mouth with his own. He was desperate, that much was obvious as he subtly began to grind his already raging hard-on against your thigh.

He wasn’t nearly as subtle as he hoped he was though because you felt him rutting against you but instead of pushing him away you pressed yourself further against him, applying more pressure to his throbbing cock. A little sigh of relief left his lips.

The two of you pulled away to breathe, your chest rising and falling heavily as you looked up at Peter, his silver hair already out of place and sticking to his forehead. He looked wrecked and you’d barely even begun. You were going to have so much fun with him.

Thankfully inside the corn maze there were several stumps that were placed around for people to sit on and take breaks, etc. they looked like the perfect place to sit Peter down right now and tease him till he was squirming and begging. He had absolutely no idea what he was in for but really it was his fault for initiating all of it in the first place.

Grabbing him by the front of his shirt you pulled him to one of the stumps, forcing him down onto it before you dropped to your knees in front of him. The dew on the grass seeped into the fabric of your pants and made you shiver but there were more important matters at hand, literally, as your hands reached for Peter’s belt before he quickly stopped you once his brain seemed to catch up, eyes wide.

“Woah woah woah what’re you doing?” He asked, holding your hands in his own much larger ones as he looked down at you, dark brown eyes blown wide, chest rising and falling heavily.

“I was just gonna- do you not want me to?” You asked, looking up at him with a puzzled expression on your face as you moved to pull away. Had this been too much? Was he just… All talk? Was he just joking and you’d actually made a fool of yourself? Oh god there were so many things it could be and now you were completely embarrassed-

“Wait!” He grabbed your arm, keeping you where you were as he continued to stare at you before he let his tongue sweep out to wet his pretty pink lips. “I- I’d love that I just didn’t want you to feel like you had to, y’know? Like I’d totally love it, bet it would feel fucking amazing I just didn’t know if like-“

You shushed him, pressing a finger up to his lips and he quickly paused, almost like he was under a spell. You were one hell of a witch then. Your other hand came to palm him over his jeans, feeling the heat of his erection through the fabric. He let out a shocked little gasp before squeezing his eyes shut, mouth slightly agape as a soft noise of pleasure left him.

“You want me to touch you, Peter?” You asked. You wanted a verbal response since he’d seemed initially so apprehensive of it even if he’d already given a reason as to why.

“I-Yeah. Yes please touch me please-“ if he was embarrassed about already begging he didn’t show it as he arched his hips up further into your touch, just trying to get more friction on his now nearly painful erection.

You didn’t need much more convincing after that, undoing Peter’s belt and pulling his zipper down before you reached into his boxers and pulled his length out. It stood at attention, long and throbbing and hard, a pretty bead of pre-cum on the tip. Mouth watering, you stroked over him a few times before you pressed a kiss to the head.

Peter was trying to maintain his composure, teeth sinking into his bottom lip in attempts to keep quiet as your warm, wet mouth toyed with the head of his cock. He was so outrageously sensitive that he was practically already squirming. Was he squirming away from the touch or into it? Even he didn’t know. All he knew was he never wanted this feeling to end.

Your tongue traced across the head of his dick, collecting the pre-cum there and letting it coat your taste buds, humming at the salty flavor that you’d been dying to taste for longer than you’d like to admit. Then you kissed down the side of his length, letting your lips memorize the feeling of the prominent veins that you found, committing it all to your memory. Hopefully this would become a common occurrence and you wouldn’t have to worry about remembering it.

Your hand continued to stroke the base of him and he seemed to just get impossibly harder the longer time went on.

Finally you took him fully into your mouth, lips tight around him as you slowly took him inch by inch. You were determined to take all of him but it would take a moment to work up to. You were a bit rusty.

Peter let out a quiet little cry as he tried his absolute hardest not to buck up into your mouth and choke you on his cock but it was getting harder by the minute to control himself. He gripped the sides of the stump he was sitting on, looking up at the sky which was starting to turn a beautiful orange as the sun began to set. He’d never realized how beautiful outdoor sex could be. Especially in a cornfield. Most people wouldn’t ever really think of that.

You bobbed your head slowly, letting your nostrils flare as you took him deeper, moving your hand away as you took him to the base, silver curls tickling your face before you pulled back, taking a sharp breath in. Your throat was already scratchy but you weren’t anywhere near done. You’d been waiting forever and a day to do this and you wanted to take your time and really savor him.

“Jesus Christ!” Peter shouted before he covered his mouth when you took him back into the warmth of your mouth without warning. This was how he was going to die, he was calling it right now. Peter Maximoff cause of death: Blowjob. That sounded about right.

Humming around him, you pressed your tongue on the underside of his cock, feeling him pulse inside of your mouth. It was something you could easily become addicted to, sucking him off like this. Your pants were soaked by now, not only from the wetness on the grass but also from your own wetness that seeped from your core into your panties.

Peter let his head drop back against his shoulders and he let out a groan, one of his hands shyly coming to rest on the crown of your head where he tangled his fingers into your hair, massaging your scalp. It felt nice and had your eyes slightly rolling back. Placing your palms on his thighs you began to bob your head faster over him, a lewd squelching sound coming from your throat as you tried to hold back a gag.

Peter began to tremble, his body just so subtly vibrating as he began to get close. He was honestly surprised he’d lasted as long as he did and stayed as quiet as he had. Peter was usually someone who never shut up a day in his life.

“I’m- oh Jesus baby girl I’m getting close! I’m close- wait- I-“ His words died in his throat as you focused your attention on the tip of his length, circling it with your tongue, all the while grinning wickedly up at Peter who was falling apart.

“I’m serious! So serious I’m going to come in like- five seconds tops and I really don’t want to come in your mouth baby-“ He was obviously trying to be a gentleman but you thought fuck that and held his hips down as you continued your ministrations.

Peter seemed to give up then, realizing that you didn’t care if he came in your mouth. That you in fact wanted it, and when he actually thought about how hot that was it was what caused him to tip over the edge, gasping out a moan as he spilled hotly into your mouth in thick spurts.

You sputtered a moment before recovering, pulling off of him so that you could swallow before wiping the remaining cum from the corners of your mouth off on your sweater which would obviously now need a good cleaning.

Peter finally managed to open his eyes and look down at you, still on the ground, lips red and swollen and eyes a bit teary from the intrusion in your throat.

Speaking of throat, it was scratchy and would likely be sore later but you counted it as a win considering what you’d just done. Blown Peter Maximoff.. Hell yeah you did.

You were ready to call it a day now and find a way out of this stupid maze but Peter seemed to have a different idea. His gaze seemed to narrow and he was staring at you almost like a lion stares at its prey right before it pounces. It was almost a comical analogy because really Peter was nothing like a lion but in the moment you couldn’t really think of anything else to compare him to.

Finally standing up you dusted your pants off, still wet and now cold as the sun began to lower even further. It was beginning to get dark out now and you were eager to leave. Your back was turned to Peter and you couldn’t see what he was doing or that he’d stood up from his spot on the stump. Didn’t realize anything until his firm arms were wrapped around your waist and his hot breath was against your ear once more.

“Peter!” You squealed, having not expected it. He’d initially startled you but you slowly began to melt into his inviting touch. There was something about him that just felt familiar and perfect and comforting.

“We really need to get outta here. Or start calling for help.. It'll be dark soon.” You said as Peter nuzzled his nose into the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply. Whatever perfume you wore he was absolutely obsessed with. Or maybe it was just you. Probably both.

“But I didn’t get to make you feel good yet. It’s only fair-“ Peter pouted, teeth grazing your earlobe. A shiver went down your spine as he ground himself against you and to your surprise he was already hard again. Speedster things you presumed.

“You’re absolutely insufferable.”

“And you love it. C’mon babe just a quick fuck! They don’t call me quickie for nothing, I’ll make it worth it I promiseeeee.”

Really you knew that you should have been the voice of reason between the two of you but he was making an amazing point, plus the way that his erection was pressed up against your lower back… yeah, fuck it. You were fucking him in this stupid corn maze.

You spun around in his arms, leaning up to press your lips against his. He let out a surprised little gasp before he grinned, kissing right back, intensely eager. His hands wrapped around you and his fingers trailed up the small of your back before he cupped the back of your head in his large palm, pulling you closer.

Peter’s other hand palmed at one of your breasts, kneading it gently as he pulled away from your lips to press teasing kisses along your jawline.

“Don’t leave any marks! Peter!” You chastised him, gently shoving at his shoulder before he pulled away. His brown eyes were so dark they were almost black and it made your stomach clench, arousal seeping into your underwear.

You walked him backwards back to the stump, forcing him to sit down once more as you pulled your pants and panties down to your ankles before you positioned yourself over his lap, eyes locked onto his.

“This okay?”

“So much more than fucking okay baby, c’mere, sit. It’s comfortable I promise.” Peter was able to hold a straight face for about five seconds after the words had left his lips before he was covering his mouth and laughing into his palm before shaking his head.

“That was extremely cheesy wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. Good thing I still like you.” You leaned down to whisper in his ear before you were lowering yourself onto his length oh so slowly, teasing him just a bit. Unfortunately you didn’t have time to tease him the way you wanted because the two of you really did need to get a move on, but there would be more time for that later.

You sat firmly on his lap, his dick jammed up very far inside you. So far it almost hurt. It had been a long while so it would take a minute to adjust. By the looks of it Peter would be a moment to adjust as well so he didn’t come in the first three movements of your hips.

“How’s that feeling?” You asked him, grinding down against him, hips moving in little circles as he twitched inside to you.

His hands were at your hips, kneading and grabbing at the flesh as he let out a heavy breath. “Good- so good- so much better than good.. Perfect-“ He whined, lifting his hips up just a bit to fuck up into you.

At a different time and place the two of you might have taken this all slower. Really took your time to explore each other but in a corn maze with the sun setting was not the place for that. Plus it was getting pretty chilly.

Slowly, once you’d adjusted to his size, you began to pull up and off of him before plunging yourself down again with a shaky moan, gripping onto his shoulders like they were your lifeline.

If you hadn’t grabbed onto them you’d have possibly fallen off of Peter’s lap entirely with the way he bucked up into you with newfound excitement.

“That’s so fucking good, baby- It’s actually insane… Why haven’t we done this sooner?”

“I dunno Peter, maybe because you’re an idiot who never made a move on me.”

Peter let out a breathless laugh before he tossed his head back as you clenched around him, squeezing him in the most wonderful feeling of warm, hot velvet. It was heaven.

—————————————

“I cannot believe we actually did that!” A hushed laugh came from your lips as you leaned into Peter’s side, the two of you snuggled up into bed, comfy under the covers. You were trying to be quiet and mindful of the others in the mansion that were probably long asleep by now.

Peter leaned forward and tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear, grinning stupidly. “Right? It was the second best thing that happened to me today.”

“Second?!” You shrieked, shoving his shoulder playfully. “Well what was first?”

“Baby I feel like you don’t know me all that well if you don’t already know I’d say the food. Of course food is always number one for me! Sorry not sorry.”

You scoffed, rolling your eyes. “Alright whatever, you’re ridiculous. We should probably head to bed. I’ve got to be up early tomorrow.”

“So I can stay?” Peter asked, looking like a child who’d been told they could stay for the sleepover they’d begged to go to.

“Yes Peter. You can stay. Of course you can.” You said, scooting closer to him and snuggling into his chest, letting out a quiet sigh.

There was silence for several moments and for a second you began to assume that Peter had fallen asleep.. That was fast.. But then he started talking again.

“Happy Halloween. Thank you for going with me. I had a lot of fun.”

“Happy Halloween, Peter.”

[suhkusa]

EGOIST 21.

PAIRING. Atsumu Miya x f!Reader

CW. angst, hurt with maybe some comfort but you really have to squint, some closure, plot

A/N. it's over isn't it isn't it isn't it over

-> MASTERLIST.

The team you had signed with gave you about a month to make your move. Which was honestly not a burden, considering they paid for everything. They even paid for your housing and other necessities for when you moved to the states.

A month also gives you enough time to hang out with any of your friends or family.

The week that you accept the job offer, you spend it with your family back in your hometown. Spending 7 days with your loved ones before you left across the globe was bittersweet. It was a jam-packed 7 days, but it was still fun. It felt nostalgic to be in the town you were raised in, seeing many familiar faces and buildings.

You cry when you bid your family goodbye. 

“You tell me if you ever need anything, ‘kay?” your sister mumbles into your shoulder, her own tears wetting the material.

All you’re able to respond with is a frantic nod of your head. You crash into your parents’ arms as they whisper words of love and praise into your ears. It all reminds you of when you first left for college. You always were a crybaby, huh?

As you got into your car, you gave them all one last wave before letting the sound of the car ambience fill your ears.

You, for the most part, pay no mind to your surroundings, letting the colors of nature and architecture outside blur into one. Until you come to a stop. 

Only catching a peek, you realize you’re stopped right next to your old high school. You catch yourself in the midst of a thought, a thought about a certain someone. You instantly crush that thought and throw it to the back of your mind. 

Out of sight, out of mind.

———

The rest of your time before the week of your departure is spent with friends or just relaxing. After all, you’d probably get straight to work when you get settled in your new place. 

After procrastinating and putting it off for so long, you finally get to packing. It’s not too hard, since you find yourself to be a minimalist and don’t have too much in the first place. The most packing you had to do was taking apart your computer. Second to that is probably your clothes. 

When the day before your flight finally came, you wound up tired and lazy on your couch. Part of you was excited, excited to leave the country for a whole new experience. But on the other hand, this country was your home. You were leaving so many people behind. So many memories. But perhaps the latter was for the better.

You could feel yourself dozing off. Your place was dark as the night took over the city. You quickly input 4 different alarms onto your phone before finding yourself relaxing on the comforter. 

Knock, knock.

You chalk it up to your imagination or the fact you’re already half asleep. You ignore it.

Knock, knock, knock.

Realizing it’s definitely not your imagination, you think back if you ordered any last minute items. You didn’t. So maybe it’s a burglar. Or they just got the wrong home.

Knock.

Now you definitely need to call the police, because–

“Y/N, it’s me,”

Your eyes shoot open at the familiar voice. Should you go through with calling the police? You did tell him that you would. 

“I know you’re in there, I just– I just need to talk to you one more time before you leave, please,”

You sigh and weigh your options. Did you really want to carry the burden of what the conversation with him might hold all the way to California? Or would this one time be alright? Would you finally get closure and be able to forget about him once and for all?

You’re up and heading for the door when you choose. You open it to a disheveled Atsumu. He had eyebags and his eyes were halfway swollen and it makes you pity him. When he looks up at you, you swear his eyes sparkle a little.

“What do you want, Miya?” you start.

The name makes him flinch a bit, but he continues, “I know you don’t want to see me, but I just need to explain everything to you,”

Did you really want to relive the betrayal he put you through in extreme detail? Nonetheless, you felt bad, you didn’t think ending things with him would affect him this badly. You kick yourself mentally in rejoicing in the fact that you’d make him like this.

With a nod of your head, you move to the side, “Come in,”

When he enters your place, he’s looking around frantically. It’s definitely changed since the last time he was here.

“Already packed, I see,” he comments, “Are you excited?”

You’re confused at his words, but give him a response, “Yep,”

You both find seating in your living room across from each other. “Out with it,” you say.

It takes him a moment. He looks into your eyes, then down, then back up at you once again. His fingers are fidgety as he tries to find the courage and the words.

“I’m sorry,” is what he starts with. 

“You gave me a chance and I screwed it up, it’s no one’s fault but my own. I never meant for the picture to get out, I promise to you that I never ever sent it to anyone. I even deleted it,”

“Then how did she get it?” you question, desperate for answers. You loved your job, but that whole incident made it basically impossible for you to return to the team with it being how it used to be.

Your voice catches his attention and causes him to pause for a moment, “I– She admitted to going through my recently deleted. I was never going to do anything with it, I took it out of jealousy,” 

“But why? You hated me that day you took the picture. You’ve always hated me,”

“Not always, don’t say that,” his voice is desperate, “I don’t know why, but even before we started talking normally, I’d get jealous of you and Omi. I didn’t like the way seeing the two of you together would make me feel,”

Your silence allows him to continue.

“As for Angie, I don’t talk to her anymore. When she texted me that day when you left, that was the first time I’ve talked to her since the last time I met with her. I’ve been ignoring her texts and calls. I ended things with her because I felt myself getting more attached to you as the days went by, and I felt disgusted when I was with Angie,”

He’s quiet for a moment, and you feel like you should say something. You’re not sure what though. 

“Why’d you say she was your cousin? Why couldn’t you have told me the truth there and then?”

“Because things had just gotten good with you, Y/N. At first, I never wanted anything to do with you. I did everything to drive you away, yet you were always on my mind, it drove me insane. And even after all of that, you still gave me the time of day. I felt so lucky that you’d really given me a chance, that I felt like if I fumbled in any way, you’d slip away. It happened anyway though,”

His words sadden you. But you were definitely the stupid one for giving him a chance in the first place.

“From the very beginning, I just wanted to avoid you, Atsumu,” his name causes his eyes to widen, “But then you treated me like shit, just like you did in high school. And I absolutely hated you for it. But then everything began to shift, and it scared me. You became nice and it felt like you really cared about me. Everything changed and I felt myself beginning to like you, and you’d finally apologized to me so it felt like you really regretted everything you did to me,”

“I do regret what I’ve done to you–”

“Let me finish,” he nods in defeat, “So I gave you a chance, and it was fun. I thought it’d be different, that you would be,” 

“But no matter what, we reached the outcome I truly wanted to avoid. It was inevitable though, I suppose. Whether I had let you in or not, you were always going to hurt me,”

An awkward silence washes over the both of you. You hardly realized you had started to tear up. 

“Even now, I still like you, Atsumu,” you finally admit, “But you’ve hurt me so much, I feel like I’ll never be able to trust anyone ever again. Sometimes it feels like I’ll never even love again,”

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” is all he manages. 

“Your apologies mean nothing, Atsumu. At the end of the day, what’s done is done, and I don’t think we’ll ever be able to be what we wanted to be,” 

He’s crying now, but you don’t move to comfort him. Not when you couldn’t even help yourself.

“I’m moving away tomorrow, away from here, away from you,” you sigh through the tears, “I want to forget everything along with you. I want to be able to live my life without everything reminding me of you,”

“Y/N, please– stay. I’d do anything, just stay,” he’s desperate through his own slowly falling tears. And you can feel it yourself, he’s telling the truth.

“Please don’t,” you cry, his words daunting you, “You need to leave, Atsumu. I’ve heard you out, and you’ve heard me,”

You’re getting up and he’s frozen. You could practically see the thoughts racing through his mind. His eyes close and his head drops before he’s getting up.

“Thank you for everything, Atsumu,” you tell him, words caught between sniffles, “I wish you the best in the future,”

As he walks through the door frame he gives you a solemn look back, “Thank you for everything Y/N, thank you for giving me a chance,”

There’s a pause in time as the two of you look at each other, caught in the moment. You force yourself to shut the door, feeling like if you looked at him any longer, you’d fold all over again. You take a few deep breaths before wiping the tears at your eyes. Walking over to your couch, you resume the position you were in earlier. 

You had a long day ahead of you tomorrow, but for some reason you were calm. It felt like the clouds that had surrounded your heart for the past months had finally dissipated. For the first time in a while, it felt like you could breathe clearly. Your mind was finally clear. 

As you fell asleep in this place you’ve called home for nearly a year for the last time, you’re finally able to let go of everything. 

Goodbye Atsumu.

© all writings belongs to suhkusa 2024. do not repost or change.

[xxspringmelodyxx]

Sorry, this is so stupid. Anyways, enjoy this short little Drabble! <333

Warnings: Slight suggestiveness(like its barely even there), MDNI

“Two bags please,” Satoru said to the cashier, his mouth almost watering over the freshly made kikufuku being placed in a bag. It felt like it had been forever since he had it, and it was all that was occupying his mind. The soft, pillowy texture and sweet filling of the kikufuku were a childhood favorite that he cherished. The lady gently placed the two bags full of the treat on the counter, taking his money with a warm smile. The shop had a cozy, nostalgic atmosphere, filled with the rich aroma of freshly made sweets and the quiet hum of traditional Japanese music.

“Thank you, Satoru. See you tomorrow!” she said, waving him goodbye. Satoru returned the wave, appreciating the familiarity and kindness of the shopkeeper. He stepped out into the bustling street, his mind already on you, eager to share the kikufuku with you. He walked with a spring in his step, the sun casting a warm glow on the city around him. However, his excitement quickly turned to confusion and a twinge of jealousy when he saw you talking to another man.

He saw you hugging him tightly, laughing and smiling with the stranger. Satoru felt his stomach churn at the sight, not liking what he was seeing. Why were you being so touchy with another man? His thoughts raced, and his protective instincts kicked in. Taking no time, he walked over to you, wrapping his arm around your waist possessively. The warmth of your body against his did little to quell the storm of emotions inside him.

“Oh, Toru! You’re back! You’ll never believe—mmph!” Before you could finish your sentence, Satoru smashed his lips on yours right in front of the man, reminding both him and you of who you belonged to. The kiss was intense and possessive, filled with unspoken emotions and a desperate need to claim you. Your eyes widened out of reaction, but quickly began to close as you kissed him back. The world around you seemed to disappear as you melted into the kiss, feeling the intensity of his emotions.

Satoru was willing to push this farther, not caring if others were looking. The kiss deepened, his hands pulling you closer as if trying to merge your two bodies into one. However, you stopped him when you heard the man next to you cough, trying to break the awkward tension. The sound pulled you back to reality, and you gently pushed Satoru away, your cheeks flushed.

“Oh, sorry, Kai…got a little carried away there,” you laughed, trying your best to calm yourself down. Your heart was still racing from the unexpected kiss, and you hoped Kai wasn’t too put off by the display. You turned to Satoru, who was now eyeing Kai up and down, his expression unreadable but clearly protective.

“So…who’s this?” Satoru asked, his voice carrying a hint of challenge. Kai felt his body tense up as he felt the intimidating aura emit from the sorcerer’s body. He looked terrifying compared to you right now, and Kai couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed.

“Toru, this is my cousin Kai! He’s staying in the city for a week and wanted to come say hi!” you said, wrapping your arm around Kai’s neck affectionately. You tried to ease the tension with a smile, hoping Satoru would understand.

Suddenly, Toru dropped the terrifying act. His eyes softened, and his posture relaxed. “Y-Your what?” he asked, his voice filled with relief.

“My baby cousin!” you said, ruffling Kai’s hair. Kai glared at you, trying to fix his hair, but you just laughed.

“You’re only a month older than me, Y/N,” he said, making you smirk.

“Still, you’re my baby cousin!” you said, hugging him tightly. Satoru felt a breath of relief leave his body as he realized he didn’t have to hollow purple the poor boy. He smiled at Kai, shaking his hand warmly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Kai,” he said, his smile catching the attention of others. The tension melted away, replaced by a genuine warmth.

”Now, I hate to take her away from you, Kai…but I need her for just a little while. How about we all go out for dinner later tonight, hmm? My treat!” Satoru said, taking your hand in his. Before letting any of you speak, he quickly teleported you away to his car, and threw you in the back, catching you off guard.

”Toru! W-What are you-“

”Sorry, baby. But that kiss kind of set me off. And I can’t wait until we get home. So the car will have to do.” He said, smashing his lips on mine.

And the kikufuku was never eaten…but you sure were!

[charmedreincarnation]

So, I was watching ATLA and LOK for the millionth time, and there are so many elements in these shows that I have applied to my life, it's not even funny. This isn’t even really meant to be particularly educating but honestly I could have used atla and lok alone at the beginning of my journey and still come to the same conclusions as I had today. They’re both some of my fav shows since I was a child, and looking back and seeing its influence on me is very nostalgic. Also the live action is getting produced soon so I can’t think of a better time to make this post.

Chakras

Anyways In Avatar: The Last Airbender," Aang learns about chakras from Guru Pathik. Chakras are like energy points in our body. Each one is linked to a different part of life, such as love, truth, or survival. When Aang clears blockages in these chakras, he can use his Avatar powers better. I had made a post about I will link here but honestly watching the scene in a kids show is more appealing 😭😭

Meditation

Meditation is used a lot in the Avatar series. It helps characters like Aang to focus, feel calm, and understand themselves better. In real life, meditation does the same thing! It can obviously help reduce stress, improve focus and make us feel happier. In both shows I saw characters use meditation to induce a plethora of things.

Talk to Past Lives: Aang uses meditation to talk to his past lives for advice.

Ask for Help: Aang meditates to ask spirits for help.

Clear Minds: Characters meditate to think clearly and make good decisions.

Astral Projection: Aang and Jinora can travel as spirits, separate from their bodies, and etc

Yin and Yang

Avater uses the Moon (Yin) and Ocean (Yang) spirits to symbolize balance. Yin (Moon spirit) is like the subconscious mind, it's quiet, internal, and creative. Yang (Ocean spirit) can be seen as the conscious mind, it's active, external, and logical.

Just like in Neville Goddard's teachings, both aspects need to work together for balance. In the show, when the Moon spirit is killed, chaos ensues because the balance is disrupted. It's only when the Moon spirit is revived that harmony is restored. This is similar to how our subconscious (inner self) and conscious (outer self) minds need to work together to achieve our desires as we want to experience both of the worlds as they work in unison.

Astral realm and the sprit world

Atla and lok also talks about a spirit world. This is like another dimension filled with spirits and mystical beings. It's similar to what we call the 'astral realm' - so a space beyond the physical world where our consciousness can go. Also Jinora, a character in "The Legend of Korra," has a unique spiritual ability that allows her to astral project. So she can separate her spirit from her physical body and traverse both the physical and spiritual worlds in her spiritual form.

Jinora displays astral projection abilities multiple times. For instance, in Season 2, she uses this skill to guide Korra, who is lost in the spirit world, she also uses it to find and save Kai in seasons 3. Her astral form appears as a glowing butterfly-like spirit, and she used it multiple times to lead her friends to safety.

The Void state

In lok a character named Zaheer learns to fly. He was put in jail for trying to kidnap the Avatar. But he obviously didn't waste time while in jail. Instead, he used it to meditate and try to reach enlightenment. He does this by entering a 'void' state when he meditates. He lets go of all his earthly attachments and desires, and this makes him weightless. His ability to fly is deeply intertwined with his spiritual beliefs and his interpretation of the teachings of Guru Laghima, an ancient Air Nomad.

In the show Guru Laghima, who lived 4,000 years before Zaheer's time, was the first airbender known to have unlocked the ability to fly. According to his teachings, one could achieve flight by "entering the void" - which meant letting go of all earthly attachments and desires to attain true freedom. When his gf dies This emotional event helps him truly let go of his last earthly tether, thus allowing him to "enter the void" and unlock the ability to fly.

Reincarnation and the avatar cycle

I knew the shows were probably based of real life because I’ve seen air nomad clothing, and I know monks are very closely reflected onto the show but really every aspect rings true and is similar to beliefs in Buddhism. This is especially true when looking at the Dalai Lama, who is a spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism.

People believe that the Dalai Lama is a new version of Avalokiteśvara or Chenrezig, who is known as the Bodhisattva of Compassion. When a Dalai Lama dies, it's believed he comes back to life in a new person. Then, high-ranking lamas look for signs to find this person.

This is like the cycle of the Avatar. When an Avatar dies, they come back to life in a new person from the next nation in a set order (Air, Water, Earth, Fire). The new Avatar is found using different tests, which is much like how the new Dalai Lama is found.

But there are some differences. For example, the Avatar can remember their past lives, but the Dalai Lama usually doesn't say they remember theirs. Also, the Avatar is special because they can control all four elements, which is a fantasy idea and doesn't have a real-life counterpart in Buddhism.

I was researching my a specific Lama and his story was a reflection of Korra’s character. It's interesting to note that both the Dalai Lama and Korra knew from a young age that they were special. In the show, Korra knew she was the Avatar when she was very young. Similarly, the Dalai Lama also recognized his identity at a young age.

Honestly, it's just a really good show to watch. I probably even missed some elements from the show bc I’m more concerned about watching it than learning something. But I love both ATLA and LOK and I've even shifted to LOK and will shift to ATLA as well! I really suggest watching its so good y’all. Byeee

[elderwisp]

◁ || ▷

Atlas: You’re coming, right?

Dan: Duh, I got people that want me there.

Atlas: I didn’t realize you were famous like that.

Dan: You would if you were around more.

Atlas: You're actually annoying!

Dan: Easy opening. Oye, I’m gonna try to invite Frances and Kai.

Atlas: So they can not show up again? Love that.

Dan: It was one time.

Atlas: A couple times actually. Look, do whatever you want, I’m not gonna hold my breath for them.

Dan: You’re such a brat.

Atlas: No me digas. Anyways gotta go, I need to work on this piece.

Dan: Fine, I’ll call you tomorrow.

Atlas: You don’t gotta do that.

Dan: It’s either that or I walk there since I don’t drive.

Atlas: PFFT. Loser.

Dan: Come mierda!

Atlas: Bye!

Ares: Need a ladder?

Atlas: Probably. Meh, I’ll stack a couple of boxes.

Ares: And break your back? 

Atlas: Sounds fun.

Ares: Atlas right?

Atlas: Mhm.

Ares: Wait, you were at that party the other night. Dan wanted to beat the shit outta you.

Atlas: Sounds about right. Good thing she didn’t.

Ares: Damn that looks sick.

Atlas: Thanks, man. 

Ares: How long does it usually take you to paint something like this?

Atlas: Too fucking long but it’s worth it. 

Ares: I bet, I could never use my imagination to create this much less have the patience to finish a painting. 

Atlas: I could have sworn you were in a band.

Ares: I am, why?

Atlas: Isn’t it similar? Especially when coming up with a song.  

Ares: To an extent, you have chords that you sequence together into a melody. However, most of these chords have been played time and time again so it can feel like I’m playing from memory.

Atlas: Well a memory can be a reference. In art, everything feels like the residuals of something nostalgic. Maybe the melody reminds you of a happier moment. I just don’t think you should sell yourself short.

Ares: If that’s the case, what does this piece remind you of?

Atlas: A better time. 

Ares: Are you alright now?

Atlas: As good as it gets. Anyways, do you know if the boba shop has a bathroom?

Ares: Yeah, but-

Atlas: I see why Dan likes you.

Ares: Likes me?

Atlas: Something like that. Catch you later.

[shannonsketches]

Rewatching Battle of the Gods and mAN. If you're ever scrolling my dbTag and going 'Sketches, what do you mean Toei does the same plot but completely changes the story, that makes no sense.' I'm talking about Character-Driven Storytelling. And the difference between Toriyama's Character-Driven Story and Toei's Plot-Driven Story is Most Glaring in comparing Super's movies and the anime retellings of Super's movies, because the screenplays for the last four movies were written by Toriyama, and obviously the show was not.

I saw BotG back first when it came out, before the anime was released, and The Point Of It was that it was the very first Dragon Ball story in which Goku failed and Vegeta was left in the position of The Protagonist, due to all of the growth he experienced in DBZ (Beerus in this movie takes Goku down immediately, and does not compliment him at all. King Kai, in this movie, has nothing rude to say about Vegeta and just warns him not to engage with Beerus because Goku just tried and lost, which freaks Vegeta out). So even while Goku still is the guy who gets to fight Beerus in the end, the majority of the movie is about Vegeta's efforts to not have a fight at all.

Like this is the Whole Thesis of Super (as Toriyama wrote it). Vegeta is being handed the mantle of Earth's Guardian (because as Piccolo points out later, he was a Prince and is becoming nostalgic as he gets older (as so many do), so his role is slowly coming full circle back to a proud inherited leadership position, which Goku has no interest in.)

You may have seen me complain about Vegeta and Bulma's dynamic being weird and bad in the anime despite them having been married for ~12 years by this point.

That's because the reason for and the dialogue from when Vegeta gets to the party was completely revised. In the show, Vegeta goes because Bulma yelled at him.

In the movie, he is still wearing his armor because he left training and went straight to the party with the Express Purpose of keeping everyone safe. Bulma not only knew Vegeta was training and expected would be there eventually, but also immediately recognizes something is wrong when he does finally arrive, because he is still wearing his armor, and she notes that him being broody like this is, by this point, unusual.

His behavior is, of course, is because he because he is trying to sense Beerus -- who he has just been told would destroy the Earth if anyone engaged with him. The game of the whole movie becomes Vegeta acting Completely Insane and throwing his pride aside to make sure everyone is safe, because protecting Earth and his family has become his top priority.

His frustration isn't because he finds her or any of the Z Fighters annoying. It's because he is trying to manage a problem that he can't tell anyone about, for fear that the other fighters will get involved and try and solve the problem -- especially if they learn this man's harmed Goku -- and Vegeta knows their good intentions will only make matters worse.

His outburst is because Bulma is (two glasses of champagne into her day and) trying to talk to him while he's trying to concentrate on locating this massive incoming threat he can't find. And what's more is that his raising his voice to Bulma is a shock to everyone.

Including Bulma.

Because the point is he is not normally like this.

And even though Vegeta can't sense Beerus' ki, he knows when Beerus is present, because he is suddenly terrified.

And then the gag becomes that Beerus speaks to Vegeta only, and Vegeta doesn't yet remember exactly who Beerus is or what he looks like, so he looks Completely Insane trying to find him,

When Vegeta does finally find Beerus, he immediately remembers who he is and treats him with the utmost respect, because he understands how Heirarchy works (this is completely changed in the anime, and turned into an attempted fight, for some reason).

Because he will not tell anybody what's going on, who Beerus is, or why he's there, because the risk is JUST too high, he just plays along with Bulma's assumption that they're friends of his. Which means Bulma (who is absolutely plastered) happily invites them to come party with everyone, leaving Vegeta the incredibly comedic task of running context-free interference for the universe's most temperamental god while the most fight-minded people on the planet are getting drunk.

Toei loves pretending Vegeta can't interact with people in a normal way, but Toriyama loved reminding the class that Vegeta is a seasoned professional with 25+ years in a semi-corporate military force who can and regularly does behave as one.

The whole bit of this arc is Vegeta being so scared of his planet and his family being destroyed (again) that he is willing to sacrifice his pride to herd a cat, because Dragon Ball has always been a comedy and Toei is so bad at remembering it's a comedy

I will also die mad that in the anime Gotenks fights first, when in the movie Trunks (as he has before) got involved when he saw Beerus beat his dad, and Vegeta begged him not to fight. Gotenks getting spanked (literally and figuratively) by Beerus is also what got Vegeta back on his feet.

Then there's this (y'all when I tell you someone at Toei fucking hates Vegeta,,)

For context, in the anime Beerus compliments Goku and insults Vegeta. Surprisingly no one, in the movie it is The Opposite. Beerus never says a bad word about Vegeta (and doesn't say anything to Goku after their first fight), and compliments his fighting instincts. And that's before Bulma gets hit.

In the anime, Vegeta can't do anything to Beerus, who drags him for like two minutes straight. Then he walks away from Vegeta, who cannot bring himself to stand, and takes his aim.

In the movie, Vegeta gets back up when Gotenks is knocked down, compliments Beerus, and accepts that the gap is too wide between them. Beerus decides it's time to be done here and charges directly at Vegeta.

Vegeta does not defend himself, does not dodge, does not flinch, and does not break eye contact. Then he says it might be an honor to be killed by Beerus (complimenting Beerus) (where in the anime he says it might be a proud way to go (complimenting himself)), and is ready to die on his feet.

(note: He doesn't say anything about pride, because his actions speak for him, as is very commonly the case with Toriyama's Vegeta, whose pride is loudest in his quiet confidence, not in his insecure outbursts).

The other major difference I absolutely hate in the anime is that for some reason they decided Beerus hitting Bulma was a long, drawn out, dramatic thing.

In the anime almost a full minute passes between her hitting him and him hitting her back. She hits him first, then lectures him, then the rest of that time is spent cutting between Beerus winding up and Vegeta reacting to him winding up, despite The Rest of the Party standing Right There and anyone could've easily pulled her away (Piccolo, for example, is unharmed and standing, and is literally like ten feet from where it happens. He has expanding limbs. Non-Issue of Moving Bulma).

NO. [spray bottle sounds] BAD WRITING.

The point of that moment, in the movie, is that it's a 'blink and you'll miss it' moment. THREE SECONDS pass between the moment she strikes Beerus and the moment he hits back. Vegeta only has time to be shocked that Bulma slapped him, because Beerus' rebuttal happens So Quickly, absolutely no one could've reacted fast enough to stop it. And even if it had been more drawn out -- because Vegeta had Beerus follow him away from the party to fight so that nobody else got hurt, Gotenks and Bulma both end up following him out there, and while everyone else stayed back and watched, nobody was close enough to stop it.

The point of that moment is to be Shocking. There is no wind up, there's no drama, there's not even a music cue. It is Completely Unexpected, for the characters and the audience alike, and that's why Vegeta has such an extreme reaction. He had No Time to brace himself for what was about to go down and No Time to change it.

This is another scene that was fully About Vegeta that Toei made About Someone Else (Beerus), changing the shot to a group shot of his power up and immediately having Beerus block all of the attacks, where Toriyama said, "Vegeta's strength scared the SHIT out of Beerus for a hot sec"

And if you've been following along in my vent tags about why Toei's writing is so bad and what they constantly center everything around, you can probably guess why the premise for this movie was changed so dramatically. But if you're new here, it's this:

It's because Vegeta's SSJ1 could do what Goku's SSJ3 couldn't.

And Vegeta didn't even notice, because he is not Trying to beat Goku. After his own fight and until he shows back up, Goku's probably only mentioned twice, because this ain't about him. Vegeta's not even really trying to beat Beerus here. He's not trying to prove anything. It's not about power or pride or saiyans or being the best, it's PURELY about protecting the people (specifically in this instance, the woman) he loves. ALL of which become the theme of, "Vegeta you are stupid powerful when you can stop overthinking everything."

But that's not allowed in Toei's writing room, nO SIR!!!

Bonus Part 1: Someone at Toei Hates Vegeta part 41238712: The episode About Vegeta's Response to Bulma Getting Hurt is basically titled 'Yay, Goku's Back', because despite stretching this 1hr45m movie out into 14 Episodes, the one that is about Vegeta surpassing Goku (in the movie) and fighting to defend his wife of Over a Decade is a five minute fight scene followed by twelve minutes of Oolong's two minute rock-paper-scissor gag.

What was the fight scene, you may ask??? Instead of having Vegeta know he's not strong enough and still stand in Beerus' way, for Beerus to say 'chill out, I told you it's over' and tap Geets on the forehead to knock him out cold, like the movie --

They decide to have Vegeta just stop trying mid-fight, have Beerus tell him he's too weak to be a threat, then add that he had more fun fighting Goku before knocking Vegeta on the chin and having him land on his back fully conscious.

God I hate Toei's writing aksldjlaskdalkj

Bonus Part 2: That thing Vegeta spent the entire movie trying to avoid telling his wife because it would've scared the shit out her and ruined her party, scares the shit out of her and definitely would've ruined her party.

Crazy that he knew that and did everything in his power to keep it from becoming her problem. He treats her like she's his wife or something ahahaha 🔪 toei 🔪 hahaha

anyway if you figure you've seen the anime so you don't need to watch the movies cause they're basically the same no they're not they're only the same in terms of Basic Plot Points, PLEASE do yourself and your writing skills a favor and watch the movies

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 12/24/2024

pair of portentous tuesdayposts: this one is christmas eve and the next one is new year's eve

trying something new with the reading section, where i list off a bunch of books i bounced off and briefly explain why. let me know if this is interesting, or if it's more interesting when i finish a book i sort of enjoyed and really dissect what didn't work for me like with that annoying evil wizard book a couple weeks ago.

listening

the true champ of the past few weeks has been friends at the table's (an actual play podcast about critical worldbuilding, smart characterization, and fun interaction between good friends) horror/weird west season Sangfielle, and i know i have listened to about sixty hours of it bc i have played about sixty hours of stardew valley. i am currently on ep 49, one before the last finale episode, and it feels like it is wrapping up in a very rushed and weird way? maybe i will feel differently after listening to the six coda episodes wrapping up everyones' characters?

the song of the week is fleet foxes’ white winter hymnal, which is morbidly festive without being strictly christmas-y and is not salting the open emotional wound within my chest that is The Holiday Season. album released 2008. christ im old

-

reading

the concept of this gag award is EXTREMELY funny to me. i wish the EFF sent them a little physical trophy. perhaps a challenge coin.

bounced off a lot of stuff. the six larger books and the far top right are all from my absolute favorite thrift store with the worst vibes, who regularly has a 8/$1 media sale bc they actually want to be more of a kitchen goods and home decor thrift store and don't really want to constantly be overflowing with records no one buys. yet here they are.

i really do need to find a good indie used bookstore around here that will take books and give me back slightly more in store credit than in cash. bc i would like to fill some missing chunks of trilogies/fill out the star wars shelves a little more. but every time i have gone to half price books i have had an unpleasant time.

lumberjanes/bravest warrior/adventure time were not making me feel nostalgic and in fact made me quite sad instead (more in a memento mori way than in subject matter) so they're going to a friend's kid

glad i looked up Heartthrob (despite the really good premise of woman haunted by her heart donor) on my library's comic app bc the third one seems to mostly take place in a mental hospital which is really never a vibe i want

GRIFTER has art i don't love and a bland storyline about an ex-marine who is the saddest boy in the world and can also detect literal space aliens living among us. no thank you

tangle's game has a close-call near-sexual assault in the first chapter. no thank you! cool dystopic social credit score premise but no thanks!

gil's all fright diner is about the king of vampires and the duke of werewolves but they're hicks. the narrator hates that they're dumb hicks. did not jive with the authorial voice on this one

i bought Two Tickets to Tangiers in high school bc it looked cool and have only cracked it open now, almost fifteen years later. fifteen year old kay did not yet have the context clues from the cover that it would be a very racist travelogue

i need to stop trying agatha christie. i am never going to like agatha christie

-

watching

somehow i have seen the first tinker bell fairies movie three times this week bc that's all my bestie's toddlers want to watch. a really stupidly stacked cast??? how did all these people have free time in 2008???

-

playing

finished the community center in summer 2 of stardew valley (wildly popular and very intense farming sim) and would have finished it in winter 1 if not for the FUCKING pufferfish. i hate fishing minigames and i especially hate the fishing minigame in stardew so i am excited to leave it the fuck alone for a while.

my cauliflower got stupid mchugelarge?? i do not know why they did that. also a meteor fell on my farm and gave me a bunch of really valuable ore, just like real life meteors.

i do kind of regret picking the beach farm bc so much of my day is spent watering, but i am trying to lean harder into animal products and being more of a fun silly flower farm instead of the intense agriculture i find myself doing. i have the greenhouse, i have a small patch of sprinklerable land, i will simply make sure to buy some of every seed each season and if i really need something i will toss it in the greenhouse.

-

making

people are being very gracious about their mediocre colored pencil portraits. most of my gift budget this year was two flat rate boxes to my siblings. silly little pet portraits are very cost effective if you already have art supplies, nice paper, gumption, and very cheap small frames.

[sterkeyra]

KBTBB - Forever a Family with the Baddest Bidder

Cheers to the 10th anniversary of KBTBB and Eisukes upcoming birthday!

It's been a decade, and he's been one of the faces of Voltage for a long time, so it's like the end of an era now that every bidders story finally reached his conclusion. They are happily married and their children got to see the light of day. In the new story of Eisuke, Eito himself is almost old enough to be a LI himself. (Is this a sign Voltage?)

Even if not everyone was a fan of the series, it does make you a bit emotional if not nostalgic if you think that the title finally reached it's end. In the japanese version at least. It will take a few more months before we'll get the last stories translated as well.

I personally love how Otas, Babas and Mamorus pictures feature the MC as well as she always seems to brighten the images. Especially Otas looks magical with all the flower petals. But it's also hilarious how Eisuke carries his child like a sack of potatoes.

Here's a small compilation of everyones kids:

Eisuke: Eito, Kaito, Yuu (possibly a 4th child in the making?)

Soryu: Ryusei

Ota: Hinata

Baba: Moa

Mamoru: Nodoka

Not in the pictures but Luke, Hikaru, Shuichi and Mad Hatter got kids as well:

Luke: Yuri

Hikaru: Akari

Shuichi: Kikyo

Mad Hatter: Rui & Kai

Anyways happy new year and here's for an exciting journey ahead of us!

[claiestve]

𝟑𝟎𝟎𝟓 ꨄ Kayson

˜”* ❝𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄'𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙄'𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪.❞

⎯⎯ ୨ ୧ ⎯⎯

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ: ᴀʀᴄᴀᴅᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴋᴀʏꜱᴏɴ !

⎯୨⎯ " " ⎯୧⎯

You love Kayson with all your heart. How could you not? He’s the sweetest man you’ve met, talented, and loves you just as much. Now, as much as you love your boyfriend, finding time together isn’t always easy. His availability and yours didn’t align too well and despite his efforts to distract you from work, you make a conscious effort to stay focused.

There’s nothing wrong with that, though. The two of you were devoted, you slightly more than him. Lately, though, you’ve been exhausted—burnt out and drained. Kayson saw it all and he hated it, so much. It was getting to the point where you’d be knocked out, dead asleep when he got home which made his heart hurt a little. 

Knowing him, you knew he’d do something about it but you were expecting him to take a day off to be with you or encourage you to leave the house. Well, he did both. 

Kayson took a day off of work and dragged you out of the house to spend the day with him to take your mind off everything. 

“Kayson, where are we going? I could’ve finished–”

Your lips were met with a bossy finger,

“Shhh… don’t think about work, babe. You’ll see where we’re going soon.”

Your eyes rolled at his bossiness, it wasn’t helping with your crankiness. There were many places he could take you but any idea you could think of was far too simple for him. Not enough fun for him. Not that you had many ideas, though, it hurt to think but that never stopped you before. 

“Kayson,” You turned to him, watching him giggle, “Are we seriously at an arcade?”

He leaned his head back, “What would you do if I said yes?” 

“I’d be amused.”

Kayson laced his fingers with yours, placing a kiss on the back of your hand, “You look so amused.”

He was starting to pick up your sarcastic humor, a trend you somewhat regret encouraging because ever since he started, he never stopped. 

Nonetheless, the two of you stepped inside the most colorful, nostalgic, and competitive environment. It may not seem like it, but this was your shit. You knew that Kayson knew you’d love this. That thought alone made you love him even more. 

“Where do you wanna start, babe?”

Your teeth poked out with the help of a mischievous grin, “Which game do you suck the most at?”

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Your lovely boyfriend was now following you like a dog on a walk. He felt the most defeated in his life. He even tried to win you a stuffed animal but he failed so miserably that you had to win it for him for you. It was adorable though. 

The only thing you could think of was how much fun the two of you were having (and how much fun you were having, absolutely crushing him at everything). Kayson could just see how much the stress and exhaustion left your body and that was all he could think about. 

“Damn, babe! We got a bunch stuff from these tickets.”

You look over to see him holding all your prizes—it’s too much for him to carry alone.

“Here Kay, let me help you,” Your prizes fell right into your arms, “I had a lot of fun today, thank you so much, Kayson.”

“That was all I wanted.”

His head dips down to plant a sweet kiss on your forehead.

“Let’s put these in the car now.”

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

absolutely BLESS @xxminxrq for this idea, i hope it met ur expectations ♡ n i love the idea in general

💋 

[peacennlove]

THE WAY OF THE FIST ; a cobra kai fanfic series.

PAIRING: f!reader x miguel diaz. TAGS: total fluff, meet cute, wholesome s1 miguel, nostalgic wattpad-esque intro because it's perfect for cobra kai, nervous lil babies

my first ever proper post on this account and it is so random. this is the result of inescapable hyperfixation. this series’s going to be true to its source material; so bundle up, grab a sippy, and expect homage to 80s corniness, blissful cliches, and solving problems with violence. pure silliness for my comfort karate soap opera. also, probably poor use of spanish; correct me if i’m wrong in any aspect of it. major kudos if you recognize the phone number at the end.

PART 1.1 – TAKE MY BREATH AWAY when the cute boy that just moved into apartment #109 in your complex miraculously befriends you, you believe that you’ve finally turned a new page and can finally rewrite the melancholic script of your life. however, when he defends you against your bully using karate, you are suddenly thrown into the precarious cusp of letting him go to your rival or taking a chance on finding happiness for yourself, all the while harboring the dark secrets of your past.

Everything is taken care of with the apartment while I’m away 

Will be back soon

Here’s $200 for whatever you need until then.

Be good, [Y/N]. 

It is always the same place your mother sticks her inevitable note on the fridge, which is also always beside the stack of twenties and tens stacked haphazardly on the counter. When she first left abruptly, of course, your first instinct was to call her – ask what she was doing, where she was going, how long she would be gone, where to get food and shampoo and toothpaste and toilet paper and advil and tampons and fruit, how you were going to get to school, why she would leave you on your own like this – but after learning that mountains of missed calls and desperate voicemails left by her young and scared daughter meant nothing to your mother, your second instinct instead took precedence: figure it out and get something sweet to ease your nerves. If it didn’t mean getting left to fend for yourself in the foster care system, you wouldn’t have hung up on the 911 operator the first time she took off. And if it also didn’t mean that evading foster care meant living with him, you wouldn’t swallow your immense hurt and resentment for your mother’s carelessness and try to find help every time she left afterward. Instead, you held your breath and spent many nights rearranging your thoughts: without her, you still had your own space, decent money to stretch, and soon you wouldn’t care whether or not she returned. That last part had not settled in yet, but you were hopeful that the next time she did this… it would. 

At least your mother had the decency to leave at night this time around, rather than spoil your appetite for breakfast in the morning. You tear the obnoxiously yellow post-it off the fridge, crumble it in your hand and then mindlessly toss the note into the bin before reaching over for the cash and sliding it into your wallet. Wordlessly, you walk towards the front door, and then you quickly decide that the sweet to quell the twist in your stomach will be a frozen cola. You loop your arms through your jacket and shrug it over your shoulders as you open the front door of your apartment; however, before you step out to begin your walk to the convenience store, you catch a glimpse of a familiar red and grey hoodie over the railing, and the way your breath hitches keeps your hand frozen on the door knob. You watch as his mom holds his face in her hands, then the sweet smile he gives her in return, and your heart burns with the way his entire face lights up with clear adoration for her. It’s when his mom releases him, and then – somehow feeling your gaze – looks up and sees you, that compels your body back into motion. Eyes widening in horror, you pull and lock your door shut and book it down the stairwell, strategically opting to take the back exit to avoid the horrific possibility of bumping into him on your way for that damn frozen cola.

“Hey, Nestor,” you greet at the door,  “... the slurpee machine working?”

Nestor peers up from beneath his register counter, grins warmly. “Hey, nena– yeah, it finally got fixed yesterday. Go crazy.” He nods over to the glowing polar bear face, the wheels inside the frozen flavors finally spinning again after a long two weeks. From what you had picked up from overhearing Nestor’s many disgruntled phone calls to his landlord, the damage was not something he was expecting from the shortcomings of the old building or lack of maintenance, but you knew better to pry. You simply grin at your salvation for the night, reaching downward to grab an XL cup, and you aim the cup beneath the cola flavor to fill it to its very brim. 

“Not a fan of cherry or blue raspberry? That’s-”

You gasp, interrupting him, and your arms jerk upwards. Helplessly, you stare at your hand and sleeve, which are now both covered in icy, sticky clumps of your precious sweet. 

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” he blurts out, instantly reaching over and fisting a handful of napkins from the dispenser to your left. “God, crap, I’m sorry.” You turn your head while he hurriedly wipes off your hand, the sheer shoddy luck of your life making you consider swiping a plastic knife from the utensil display and jabbing it into your jugular. Watching him afar at the complex, often being able to retreat into a corner or throw your curtains closed before he could notice - until today, of all days, it seemed - was a fine circumstance to bear, but this moment, where your habit of being easily startled sent glops of frozen syrup and crushed ice everywhere, being the moment where you finally get to see him up close? You felt immaculately pitiful. Your heart does not settle, especially when his warm fingers consistently brush over your frigid ones, and as he glances upward from tending to the mess and then locks his eyes onto yours, the ability to speak is, much like your will to live, completely out of reach. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, I- I just… wanted to… You’re, like, the only person my age I saw at the complex, and I saw you walk in, and I’ve been meaning to introduce myself for a while, but I… I probably ruined that now, right? Right - okay.” He blinks at you, and then he gulps. Finally breaking the strong gaze between you two and defeatedly throwing the soiled napkins away, he turns away to leave.

He takes about two steps away from you when a sudden burst of adrenaline pumps through your veins. “No. No, you’re totally fine.” you babble, warmth rushing to your cheeks from how fast and loud you just spoke, “I-... I…” Air huffs from your nose, and you blink when he immediately turns on his heel to face you. “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault. I’m, uh, I’m pretty easy to scare.” A lopsided grin is the best you can manage, and you then try to further remedy the painfully tight air between you two by nonchalantly grabbing a fresh XL cup to fill. “[Y/N]. My name’s… [Y/N].” you softly say, carefully pouring the frozen cola from your ruined cup into the newer one before you toss it. 

Taking advantage of the opportunity of redemption you’ve given him, he’s quick to grab a XL cup himself with a grin that is far more pleasant than yours. “Miguel.” His grin spreads into a smile, even sweeter than you ever could’ve imagined when it’s right in front of you rather than from afar, as he places his cup beneath the cherry flavor. “You, uhm, go to West Valley?” Before you can answer, a whirring sound distracts you both, until, when he presses the nozzle again impatiently, red syrup sprays all over his face and hoodie; cherry slush then slowly fills his cup, his body frozen from the burst. Your mouth drops and you set down your cup to get napkins for him. As you offer them to him, he sheepishly accepts them from you. For a moment, there’s an even heftier silence between you two, until you make eye contact with him again - and then laughter forces its way through the both of you, which finally breaks the ever-thickening ice that had been forming over you two. “I deserved that, I guess.”

You shake your head, now smiling brightly. “No you didn’t. I think this slurpee machine is possessed.” you reassure, pressing down lids on both of your slushies and then holding his cup out to him as you hold yours to your chest. As he tosses his napkins, red stains now littering his hoodie, he laughs at your joke and gently takes his cup from your hand. “... And yes, I go to West Valley.” you answer his question that was soon followed by reddened chaos. “Are you… are you a sophomore too?” you follow up, and when he doesn’t answer - just looking at you as though you asked the question in a foreign language - you take that as a no, “… Freshman?”

“Sophomore.” Miguel asserts, blinking as he follows you to the register. “That’s relieving, though, I really dreaded the idea of facing my first day at a new school on my own. I’m, uh - clearly - not so much of a hit for first impressions. Tell me, is West Valley as fancy as it sounds? Am I doomed?” Before you can reply, he panics as he sees you reaching for your wallet, pulling out a wad of cash from his pocket and slamming it down on the counter. “No- please let these be on me. It’s the least I can do.” Butterflies consume your stomach, fluttering and spiralling around your very insides, as you glance between his kind deed and his face - which, even under the harsh fluorescent lights, is incredibly warm. “Oh, shit- hold on, give me a sec…” Your expression widens as he takes off into an aisle, just as Nestor approaches the counter. 

“I think your cherry flavor is broken.” you note to him, and he curses at the sight of the splatter of syrup and slushie all over his machine. 

“Carajo. That pinche pendejo is going to pay.” Nestor seethes, shaking his head frustratedly, before softening when you tilt your head curiously to him, “Ah, nena, why don’t you just head back home before it gets dark?” He pushes the two cups back to you, and you offer an empathetic smile. Only a moment later, though, Miguel returns, placing down a bottle of pepto bismol onto the counter.

“Here, I got all of this.” Miguel declares with a proud grin. Nestor’s eyebrow twinges upwards, glancing over to you, before a knowing smirk falls upon his face as he allows Miguel to pay for the drinks and the medicine instead. “The pepto’s not for me, by the way. My grandma’s not feeling well - that’s why I grabbed it… the… pepto. It’s also why I’m here. I didn’t follow you - I didn’t… clarify that… earlier. Unless I did. God-” he explains to you, and you cannot resist the smile that breaks across your face this time. 

You open your mouth to speak, desiring to compliment him on taking such good care of his loved ones, but the doors of the store are roughly pushed open, and your neighbor walks between you and Miguel to get to the pizza slices. You had spoken all but five words to the man after living beside him for all your life, and, based upon his messy scruff and sunken eyes, you took it that you weren’t going to be adding any further words to him anytime soon. Nestor, too, is distracted, as he walks over to your neighbor angrily. “Hey, pendejo, you’re going to pay to replace my machine.” Your eyes widen. Ah, he’s the damage, you correctly internally deduce, slowly grabbing your cup from the counter.

“What? No. It’s not my fault your stupid machine can’t work for shit. Maybe if you cleaned the thing more than once a month, it wouldn’t need a kick start.” your neighbor counters, “Get me that one, will ya?” He jabs his index at the glass to one of the slices of pizza.

“I’m not getting you shit, cabrón. You completely broke my machine!”

“Can you just get me the damn pizza? Put it towards the cost, man, whatever, I’m not in the mood for this shit.”

Your eyes widen, and you turn to Miguel. “You want to walk with me back to the complex?” you offer, “Nesto will spot us, I promise.”

“Hijo de puta idiota. Gringos como tú me hacen explotar la cabeza - you punched my machine! You owe me-”

Miguel grabs his things and cash, nodding without taking another second to watch the increasingly turbulent scene unfold. “Yes.” He stuffs the pepto in his pocket, and then, to your surprise, takes your hand in his while he leads you both out of the convenience store - just as you hear the sound of glass breaking and Nestor yelling puta madre.

You swear you feel like your head is floating ten miles above your shoulders. Walking, still hand-in-hand, while happily sipping from your slushies, you just can not get your heart to stop skipping. The cool breeze of the night and from passing cars on the street to your and Miguel’s right wafts across your face, tousling pieces of your hair that tickle your cheeks, and you blush like the little girl within you that’s jumping up and down. “West Valley is the intersection of rich kids from the Encino hills and the rest of the poor unfortunate souls beneath them. I can spare you the embarrassment of trying to find a seat in the cafeteria for lunch, but unfortunately you’ll have to learn how fast the blatant gentrification gets old on your own - and the never ending shitshow from Kyler and his little friends, too. That’s a quick learning curve.” you explain after Miguel had gotten the chance to reask his question.

Miguel tilts his head at your specific condemnation. “Kyler? Who is he? What’s his deal?”

Your eyes widen, realizing you had inadvertently verbalized your personal resentment for your bully, and in the fear of saying too much that would give Miguel fuel to find out for himself the many sensitive incidents that led to the massive target on your back that Kyler had branded you with, you simply shake your head. “He’s just the inflated head of the Encino assholes - typical type that thinks everyone is dumb and that he shits gold. It’s stupid, and he’s stupid, and if you stay out of his way, he won’t target you.” Your expression flickers to a somber one, your memory forcing upon the blow-up doll incident and the last incident before summer of your head hitting concrete so hard while his friends held your arms to the wall that you almost went to the hospital afterwards, and you assume when his hand tightens on yours, Miguel had caught your drift.

“But he targets you. Why?” he asks, concern darkening those captivatingly deep brown eyes of his. 

Your throat tightens. “What, are you gonna beat him up or something on your first day? That would be a horribly silly thing to do. You’d be putting yourself at risk of being his new guinea pig of the year, and I can’t let you do that to yourself. There’s nothing to do. Forget about it. Trust me, Kyler’s not a hill worth dying for.” Word vomit practically spews from you, hoping that you can brush him off from the idea that he actually stood a chance against the biggest grade-A asshole that ever terrorized your life. And, especially considering how your life has turned out so far, you’d know the criteria for one, and Kyler certainly fits the mold. So you tell little lies mixed in with the truth of your reassurance, because you couldn’t bear being the reason for Miguel’s life to go to hell; no matter how endearing his natural chivalry is, you did not believe yourself worthy of such unnecessary courage. You two reach a crosswalk, and you press the push button for the two of you. “He doesn’t… Listen, he doesn’t bother me as much as he thinks he does, okay? Just focus on you, yeah? First impressions are going to make or break your first year, and, clearly, you’ve got some work to do in that department.” you tease, shifting the conversation far away from Kyler.

Miguel’s expression softens, your efforts successful, and he chuckles. “It worked on you, though, didn’t it? That means I’m not a total failure.”

Heat rises beneath your cheeks. “I am not a reliable example. We both have slurpee syrup all over us, and I embarrassed myself first, so there couldn’t be any risk of me rejecting you.” you remind him, gesturing to the sticky stains present on both of your clothes. The way he looks at you makes your heart jump from your chest, and you look away from him as a result - instead staring upward at the sky. “S- So, I suggest you start practicing in front of a mirror or something.”

“Really? That bad, huh?” he softly entices, and you feel your body burn from his stare on you.

Your blush darkens. “That bad.”

“Ah, that sucks, because, you know, that just ruins my plans for tonight. There was this really cute girl that was going to come over tonight so I could make up for my horrible first impression I made with her. Man.” Your head snaps back to look at him, your expression widened in bewilderment. He shakes his head, feigning disappointment as he puckers his lips to the side. “But, no, you’re right, I gotta prevent any further screw ups with her and cancel. Unless you think cancelling on her would make things worse? I mean, [Y/N], you should’ve seen her, she got frozen coke all over herself because of me, then the machine exploded on me, and then she saw that I was there to buy pepto bismol, I mean, I don’t know [Y/N], that’s gotta be the worst first impression she’s ever experienced.” He pauses, as though to let the words filter through your brain, until he speaks again to play with your nerves beyond repair, “God, [Y/N], maybe there is no coming back from that. You should’ve seen her face, [Y/N], I could’ve-”

“It’s not the worst.” you blurt out, before he could cause you to dissipate into thin air, “Maybe… she thought it was super sweet.” Maybe it was the sugar from your slushie that was pushing you to act against your better judgement, but from how Miguel then rolls his thumb over yours, you decide to lean into the confidence - like a turtle peeking out from its shell. “I don’t think you should cancel. I think she would really like to come over to yours.”

Miguel smirks. “That’s a relief. She’s actually really insightful, you know, so I bet she’d be a better help than a mirror.” 

Clearing your throat, you tear your eyes from him, just as the signal on the crosswalk changes. “Oh, actually, I wouldn’t bet on that. You wouldn’t know this, but she’s just as bad at first impressions.”

Smiling, he shakes his head. “No. I don’t think she is at all.” Squeezing your hand, he begins to lead you two onto the street - until a black jeep wrangler speeds forward, nearly hitting you both. You gasp and drop your drink, squeezing your eyes shut and holding onto the crosswalk pole from the fear that just struck your body, and Miguel throws his slushie all over its front window before it drives around you both and rounds the corner. “What the hell-” The car suddenly shuts off.

“Hey! I’m going to fucking- ohhh, look… who… it… is.” He slams his door shut, as does his friends. 

You slowly peer up once that terribly familiar voice rings in your ears, opening your eyes to see the horrific sight before you: Kyler and his posse, now approaching you and Miguel. “Miguel-” you try to caution, pushing off from the pole and stepping behind him, but Kyler cuts you off.

“Who… are you?” Kyler questions with a smug smile, jabbing his index into Miguel’s chest, “Oh wait, I forgot, I don’t care. But, hey, man, excellent choice to spend your night with. She’s a… let’s just say, looks can be deceiving - she’s got a wicked body under those clothes, and an even more wicked mouth on her.” Your eyes water, clenching your hands into fists at your sides. “Word of advice, don’t let her stay too long afterwards, bro - she gets attached real easy.” He looks past Miguel and winks at you, and you glare back at him - your quivering lips undermining the look of real anger on your face. “Isn’t that right, huh? That’s really sad, you know, throwing yourself at the first dude that gives you the opportunity. The desperation is… it’s pathetic - it’s really, really beneath you - [Y/N].” His friends and him laugh at you, and all you can do is cower back into your shell so that you can hone in the strength to not cry in front of them.

Much to your shock, though, Miguel steps forward and slaps Kyler’s hand from him. “What’s your problem? Why don’t you leave her alone?”

Kyler snorts. “Tough guy, huh? You know, you look pretty scrawny to be tough.”

“Looks can be deceiving.” Miguel taunts, and then, faster than you can blink, he suddenly lunges forward and punches Kyler square in the face. You watch as he topples backwards and holds his nose, his friends immediately coming up behind him, and you cover your mouth with both your hands. Never did you think that you’d see the day when someone would finally dare to stand up against Kyler, for your sake at that. Miguel groans, shaking his now reddened fist, and before you can urge him to run, Kyler regains his footing and shoves Miguel to the ground - nearly sending you down too from the force. The sqooshing sound of liquid distracts all of you for a moment, as you see Miguel turn on his side. A large pink explosion in his pocket is revealed, soaking his backside and the back of his arm, and Kyler and his friends burst out in laughter. 

“Is that pepto, dude? You got diarrhea or some shit, man?” Kyler mocks.

“Oh-ho-ho, bro, Kyler, we gotta call him ‘Rhea.”

“‘Rhea. Yeah, I like that. Suits him perfectly. Here, ‘Rhea, let me help you up-”

You stand in front of Miguel, blocking Kyler. He looks you up and down. “Huh, she’s got some fire in her now. Yeah, I always liked that in a girl.” He reaches forward to touch your face, but you sharply smack his hand away. 

“Leave him alone, Kyler.” you grit, shoving him forward in a shocking display of courage. Kyler’s face darkens in anger, rushing right back towards you, but he stops himself - instead opting to chuckle in amusement. “I mean it.”

“Oh, you mean it? Is that a promise?” Kyler whispers, a taunting tilt to his head. Miguel scrambles back to his feet, and his friends step past Kyler. “You really askin’ for me and my bros to beat your ass? She’s not worth it, bro. You don’t gotta do all this to get her naked, man, trust me, I know.” You step back, eyes darting around to find any sort of help, and just as your eyes land on what you think is your neighbor - your assumption is correct.

Your neighbor, although still slightly heavy on his footing, you see is holding a now empty grease-stained napkin. Your eyes drift to the ground, where a pizza slice is by his feet, and he’s eyeing one of Kyler’s friends in annoyance. “Hey, watch it man, and clear the sidewalk. Some of us are trying to get home.” he huffs, his eyes then finding you and Miguel. “Better yet, why don’t you all just go home and leave the dorks alone.”

Kyler turns to face your neighbor. “Who’s this dude?” one of his friends scoffs, tapping Kyler on his arm.

“You’re going home? Like, you have a home? Sorry, man, could’ve sworn I’ve seen you begging from a corner.” Kyler smiles and raises his hands, literally brushing your neighbor off. “Matter of fact, wait, I do know you. You’re the jerk-off who cleaned my dad’s septic tank.” His friends laugh, jumping and pushing off of Kyler as though he had said the funniest joke they’d ever heard, and your neighbor purses his lips. You can practically see his patience wearing thin. “Fuck off, dude.” Kyler then turns back to you and Miguel, just as you were able to help him up, and he takes his time approaching you. “You know what, ‘Rhea, I’ll let you off tonight, man.” he says, not once taking his eyes off of you, “As for you…” his eyes drag along you from head-to-toe, “I’m only just getting started. I’ll be seeing you both tomorrow, yeah? Remember bro, not too long-”

Kyler suddenly drops to the ground, clutching his back in pain, and when you look back up, you see your neighbor has taken his place. The next few minutes pass in a blur, as you and Miguel watch in awe as your neighbor takes on four people at once - and barely gets any hits in return. Roundhouse kicks, jabs, punches, elbows, a head-butt, sidekicks - you had barely seen your neighbor walk to his apartment in a straight line, nevertheless bust out coordinated attack moves over and over again, until Kyler and his friends were all on the ground. You and Miguel exchange a shocked look, your neighbor panting heavily with one hand firm on his hip. “Woah- that was-” Miguel stammers.

“Go home.” your neighbor sternly orders, turning around and walking away back from where he came without speaking another word to either of you. As you look down at Kyler, who’s reeling in pain and clutching his eye, you look and see your slushie cup - laying on its side on a patch of grass. Your nostrils flare as you then go to pick it up, then, as you hold the cup over him, you look him up and down.

“It’s a promise.” you affirm, answering his previous taunt as you then remove the lid and dump the rest of the half-melted slushie over his head. “This should help with your eye.” Tossing the cup onto him, you walk back to Miguel and you both finally cross the street.

Miguel and you reach the front door of your apartment, and, before you walk in, you lean against the door, fingers bracing around its side as your cheek presses into it. “You know, I would come over to yours, but I… I’d really like to shower and head to bed.”

“So you’re cancelling on me, then?” Miguel jokes, and he smiles at you warmly. “I understand. My left pocket also understands.” He twists his back, giving you an updated look at the now darkened stain. You laugh, suddenly wishing you could magically change the both of you in fresh clothes in a blink of an eye so that you could spend the rest of the evening with him. “Hey, uh, about what Kyler said back there,” he softly brings up, and your enchanted expression flattens, “I want you to know that I didn’t pay any mind to it. I know it’s all bullshit. It’s all stupid, just like him.” He references your deduction, and your eyes water with pure adoration.

“Incredibly stupid.” you whisper, a soft, gracious grin pulling your lips, “I’m sorry I dragged you into all of that. I just made your first day a hell of a lot harder.” Miguel shakes his head, perplexed by your apology.

“No you didn’t.” he reassures, “He shouldn’t be saying stuff like that. If you think I’m going to let that asshole ruin my life or yours, you are sorely mistaken.” He’s so. Fucking. Sweet. you can’t help but internally gush, your fingers arching into the door. “We have each other’s backs now. Call it apartment complex roommate solidarity, whatever, just, please at least save me that seat in the cafeteria tomorrow, would ‘ya? You’ve piled a lot on my plate - my first impression has got to be polished perfect by sunrise - so you’d be doing me a major solid to keep that promise to me.” You bite over your lips to prevent your grin from breaking into a majorly dorky smile. “Oh, I almost forgot,” Miguel gasps, taking out his phone, “I need your number. For progress videos and feedback, you know.”

You nod, your heart swelling with how his thumbs excitedly hover over his screen as he waits for you to tell him. “1-385-262-7284.” He quickly taps in your number faster than you can get the numbers out, then immediately sends something to you. Your phone buzzes in your pocket, and you take it out to see a notification with a slushie emoji. “See you tomorrow?”“Yeah. See you tomorrow, Miguel.” you warmly promise, holding your phone to your chest as you slowly close your front door. Your back presses against it, and you slide down until your bottom hits the floor. You open your phone again, and you save him as a contact - a simple Miguel for the time being - and you respond with the same slushie emoji, wishing the euphoric feeling from the possibility your crush maybe liking you back could last forever.

[gazetto-no-ki]

2024.12.17 Twitter

Aoi: When I go to the office, before I even get time to talk with the band members, the staff starts relentlessly piling work on me, so by the time that's over, I’m already tired, and we just end up idly chit-chatting. It's like they interrupted my date 😒 But from the staff's perspective, they'd probably say, ‘Well, it’s because you don’t come here often,’ so if they look at me with eyes like they want to say something, I’ll flick their forehead in silence.

Kai: Before I knew it, there's only one month left until the live show. Time really flies when you’re working on so many things. I feel a bit anxious, but the time spent preparing is honestly so much fun, too. I wonder how long it’s been since we’ve had a live show at the start of the year 🤔 January 16th felt kind of nostalgic—and then I realized, that was the date of our first Shibuya AX live. The Tokyo Trials ~Judgment Day~ I remember it fondly ✨

2024.12.18 Aoi: Oh my, they're saying it’s going to be cold tomorrow!

Ruki IG stories: