#anyway yeah.. have some mixes for these two and there drama!!! I hope u enjoy!!!

[pepperpixel]

2 more aberration odium character playlists!!!! Finally!!!!! This time for Tetack and Somnix! Two angsty trolls struggling to be true to themselves and each other, while under the pressure of forces beyond their understanding..

“Lemon Boy” - Tetack Whyoul’s Playlist

“Like A Dog” - Somnix Avyurn’s Playlist

Just like with all the other playlists these 2 have songs that are in both of them! … considerably more this time then there were on the other mixes.. the songs shared in these 2 are generally indicative of when both Tetack and Somnix are feeling the same thing about there relationship!

You might have noticed there’s also more songs in general in these mixes!!! That’s cuz… I had a lot of songs for Somnix and Tetack ghghgh- idk man! turns out a lot of songs fit w edgy relationship drama and being seduced by dark and terrible forces!!! Idk what to tell u!!

Once again the mixes are in chronological order! The songs progress in the same way the characters progress! Most of these I feel like. Paint a pretty clear picture? Like. Obviously we haven’t told you exactly what happens w these two yet but you can get the vibes here! The edgy edgy angsty vibes…. But! Neither of them end edgy and angsty! They sort themselves out eventually! That’s what matters lol

[presidentrhodes]

Give us more about what u think of Shang Chi please? Can't watch it because cinemas in my country are still closed :''''

ya of course i'll post spoilery thoughts tonight but overall i really enjoyed it.

shang chi at its core was a mix of two v disparate genres: high-brow fantasy and family drama. at the film's centre was the xu family that got torn apart by a tragedy that sent each of them spiraling into grief — and how they coped with it.

wenwu chose violence — to get revenge — but it didn't bring him closure, and his grief was one of the main motivations behind his actions. it made him delusional, lonely, and isolated, which was fodder for his conspiratorial thinking that carried the action forward.

shang chi ran away rather than to deal with his grief and when the movie opened, he lived a life that wasn't his — not really. rather, it was a life convenient enough to make him forget about his past and live as an ordinary underdog in san francisco.

ying li was a towering presence in the movie as shang and xialing's mom. she was a polar opposite to wenwu — where wenwu was temperamental and volatile, she was a steady tour de force. i thought tony leung and fala chen — despite an almost 20 year age difference — had amazing chemistry and that forest wuxia scene marvel keeps putting in their promos? that's 100% sexier in the actual movie 🥵

i felt worst for xialing, who grew up with an aloof father, an absent mother and a brother who left her behind. so she charted her own path, created her own destiny, and i thought she probably had the most comparatively healthy coping mechanism in the family.

basically yeah, this movie was about the xu family and i would 100% kill anyone to protect them. there's one scene where they were playing dance dance revolution — all 4 of them — and everyone in my theatre clapped because that was an excellent throwback.

tony, fala, meng'er and simu were the standout stars for me — tony was, understandably, in a league of his own. he brought so much complexity and care into his role when any other actor would've probably taken a more straightforward approach to playing a supervillain. i wish michelle yeoh had more screen time tbh.

the movie did have some pacing issues and some of the scenes dragged on for a bit too long — but the cgi third act was epic. the fight choreographies from the late brad allan were epic. the soundtrack was epic.

everything about this film felt like it was more a big budget fantasy film than a typical formulaic marvel film. and they spoke a lot of mandarin in the film because this was a story about a chinese family living in some parts of east asia — this was a huge problem i had with crazy rich asians where no one, not a single person, spoke with a singlish accent even though the story was set in singapore lol.

anyway, i hope you're staying safe. if you want to know more details about the film, please feel free to message me!

[icharchivist]

hello icha!!!!! learned from my mistakes and typed this out in a separate document. first i have to say im feeling a very deep connection with citron as of late bc i was giving myself a pep talk abt like physics and i told myself "face up and man the music!" and was like "...is that wrong. theres that song called man against the music isnt there... yeah it must be right" and. well i realized later. i also think the phrase "dont cry because it happened, smile because its over" is very good. also I’m halfway thru creating a very eclectic list of like. a Pokémon team for each a3 character which is… something. kinda knew it would happen to me. might take a while for me to finish it tho now that I’m halfway bc I’m suddenly having a crisis like “wait shit I’m only confident on my understanding and characterizing of like 4 characters am I good enough” so… it’s slow going lol. anyways. i finished that damn physics thing I was giving myself a pep talk about and so am treating myself to autumn/winter. happens that watching these events is also like. the only thing which reminds me to actually like. log into a3 lol. i am so bad at gacha games. probably a good thing in the long run. ok starting from the top!

hisoka going "zzz" as his reaction made me immediately go... oh dear, please dont fall asleep in the bath and guess what happened. yeah. good thing homare was there lol. speaking of i fucking adore homare and his poetry. id buy his collection. i also wish there was a collection like if there was a master list of every poem he says in like. at the very least main story. if not i will literally do it myself. i love homare so much im like him in that back when i had to play dodgeball id always be like kufufufu they cant hit me if im friendless enough that no one pays attention to me but like in my case it actually worked out. on the subject of the pillow fight tho, hisoka's crazy strong pillow fight throw... one more mark on the list for suspicious, maybe assassin occupation. this event made me realize how much i missed winter like. i saw the stranger pretty recently (which has caused the effect of be being like "taichi!! thats my boy!!" in my head everytime he shows up lol but anyways i havent gotten to a winter play yet so im VERY hype. especially bc this seems like it stars hisoka and homare??? like oh!! oh!!!! also detective fiction... im swooning. i also just enjoy the hisoka homare dynamic a whole fucking lot i think its nice how homare was like "yeah im ride or die for this funky lil amnesiac, why wouldnt you be?" and its just like. nice. feel like hes always reaching out to hisoka which is like. man homare is so nice.

back to chronology. ofc sakyo goes cheap for the hot springs lol. on brand as ever. was very hype for the azuma sakyo dynamic bc all i remember is like azuma trashing everyone including sakyo at some game or the other in one of the winter chapters and it was very good. or was this a clip in like a stage play? either way it was delightful. at first i misinterpreted taichi going "…" after azuma and sakyo said theyd never been on a field trip bc like. taichi being quiet or noncommunicative... after going thru autumn troupe act 1 it makes me fear for my life a little lol. anyways im glad he was just like planning fun times. speaking of taichi tho we got a tasuku taichi pair for etudes!!!! im not spoiling myself for later events but i hope to GOD tasuku and taichi do like a lead co lead in SOMETHING or at least like some mixed troupe event i want them to talk!!!

also dunno if this is an intentional pun but i enjoy that its called high spirits at the hot spring bc like oh theyre having fun but also bc like. "spirits" is used to refer to a certain type of alcohol i think? which is cool. dunno if its intentional but i liked that. anyways the talent show. taichis moving rendition of single ladies... ok i know it said single fellas but like. we know. wonder if that line was a different song in japanese? its not too old at ALL tho imo. anyways the way banri and juza being themselves Are the entertainment... flashback to when banri slaps juza live on stage instead of doing a stage slap lol. my reaction to azuma essentially went:

azuma: I can offer to bare my soul, and a little more ;)

izumi: what do u mean by that???

me: hey tasuku and omi were shirtless what's ur problem with azuma

anyways i reread and from what i understand they were maybe only flexing and doing a gun show? which like. no wonder it didnt last too long then lol. also explains why they didnt have shirtless sprites i suppose lmao. i am SO curious abt what azuma ended up doing tho that fade to black is so mysterious! did he tap dance? did he pole dance? the world will never know...

oh also im not like super familiar with azuma yet but my read on his personality is definitely like "I am so touch starved All The Time but I will be chill. :) :) this is fine :)" like he just seems to rly like being around people! just like basking in presence whether or not hes rly talking that much.

i enjoyed that juza mentioned pillow fighting with his lil brother... thats nice! i think a lot of this event was just focused on ppl having fun over the drama lol bc it got wrapped up sooo quick. i liked the bit where sakyos worried that izumi was out late searching for him tho it was so sweet. table tennis match was very fun although id argue calling hisoka and juza the two quietest tho lol like... banri exists so juza isnt quiet. just like inevitably. finally, the event cg!!! azumas hair tied up... so nice! thats how I tie my hair up sometimes tho it doesnt look nearly as nice lol. taichi rambling abt his first love for so long tho... lol. ill be honest i have to reread autumn bc i was not aware of this whole situation until it came up in the stranger and i like inferred from there. the end of this event was nice! it was cute. i dont rly have much thoughts on it but im so hype for the winter play

Hello:!!! so good to see you again, freshly learning from your mistakes then :3c

the connection with Citron is a BLAST to read about. I am glad that Citron is there, on your mind, supporting you at every turns of language. It's beautiful.

AND OH THE POKEMON LIST!!! thrilled to hear about it being a wip ongoing! take your time ofc and i hope you'll feel more confident as you go for your characters interpretation! i believe in you!

lmao i'm glad the events help you remember to play a3, i'm sure that by the time you'll be done with the events you will have unlocked so much of act 2 you won't have to worry too much about it. Anyway i'm glad you treat yourself to good things :3c

of course Hisoka fell asleep in the bath. tbh this event was a lot of "Hisoka almost dies in a spring house multiple times if it wasn't for his troupesmates". Between sleeping in the bath and almost swallowing the table tenis ball... where would we be without Winter, and especially Homare, taking care fo him.

I'm SO GLAD you like Homare that much! he's so so good! i'm sure there must be a masterlist somewhere, or well. can be done anytime i guess?? but yeah Homare is fantastic and LDJFDLKFJDF the evil plan to avoid dodgeball from both of you.. this is incredible DLKJFDLKF. But yeah alas he's loved by his own so he gets hit smh.

And yeah Hisoka is just acting sus huh.

BUT YEAH... YEAH... WINTER... BELOVED.... I feel regular and normal feelings for Winter as you know, s o .

(i'm so delighted that you feel that way about Taichi though, as he deserves!! what a good boy!!!)

But yeah Winter play next!!!!! i love the winter plays so much i hope you'll like it as well!! aND YEAH HISOKA AND HOMARE AS A DUO... for a DETECTIVE story?? so good.

I'm sO GLAD you like their dynamic! yeah i adore it too. Homare was so quick to leap into taking care of Hisoka? Like i mean he immediatly called him sleeping beauty when they first met, and immediately decided to be his roommates to watch over him, and then he did everything to take care of him and it's just so sweet. Homare has such a big heart he's so gentle with Hisoka. Homey and comfortable, whenever Hisoka admits it or not ahah.

ahah wouldn't be Sakyo if he didn't need to stay cheap. BUT YEAH the Sakyo/Azuma dynamic is pretty good. oh the event you talk about i think is in some of his very first backstage storyes (that you can read if you have them since they're at this point of the chronology). There's one where they play a mafia game and Sakyo is warry of Azuma because "people like him are those you need to worry about the most" and Azuma is just ":) you wound me :) i would never :)" and then Azuma wins the game and starts to mess with everyone. It was so fun. and yeah i see which clip you mean for the stage play!! it's so so fun they have such a neat dynamic and i loved to see it in this event as well.

and omg worrying about Taichi while he was just there preparing a fun time! this child really would have worried us all back then huh

but AHH YEAH TASUKU TAICHI.... It's such a neat dynamic! ofc i won't say anything but man i love the potential of their stories, as the two ex Godza boys. To see them bond and be comfortable with each other always make me so soft.

OH NICE CATCH FOR THE PUN! i think it must be the reason for it tbh, i love it! thanks for pointing it out!

The talent show was really fun yeah ahah! I wonder what it is in Japanese too but at least the localization was hella fun!

"anyways the way banri and juza being themselves Are the entertainment." THEY'RE SO SILLY I love them so much

AND LMAO YOUR REACTION AT AZUMA I LOVE IT. YEah i think Tasuku and Omi are just flexing (which is Still. SO FUNNY. Just there saying "our talents is.. our muscles...") meanwhile Azuma is like "my talent is that i'm crazy hot :)"

But YEAH Azuma... AZUMA WHAT DID YOU DO....

your read on Azuma's personality feels pretty spot on to me ahah omg. Staying with what you know about him, the fact that with his job and all, he seems like he's starving for connection while also terrified to make himself emotionally vulnerable. He loves staying with people, listening to them, caring for them, and he's touch starved as hell (i mean it's his job) but he doesn't seem to really know how to be on the receiving hand of affection. there's a flair talk, i can't remember where, with Omi at some point, where Azuma compliments him, and Omi is just "mhm.. but you know i think that it's more about you" and ends up complimenting Azuma in depth and it let Azuma dumbfounded because he didn't expect Omi to trick him at his own game, while Omi just genuinely don't get why Azuma is reacting that way. He gives he gives he gives, and he's genuinely happy with that, but he seems to have difficulties to take, or to demand for something, while also starving for it. I have so many emotions for Azuma.

Any mentions of Juza's little bro are the best things. I love this type of mention TwT

And yeah it was such a laid back event. Honestly deserved after the crying fest that was The Stranger imo. It's good to relax once in a while and it was nice to have them have fun. There was the bitterness of both Azuma and Sakyo's past that was always a bit looming but everyone was working so hard for them to enjoy themselves that the joy just overtake any sadness i loved it.

Sakyo worrying about Izumi is always adorable TwT

And yeah the Table Tennis match was so fun and chaotic LMAO. I love the dynamic between Juza and Hisoka. Just two usually quiet boys who like sweets. Except that yeah like you say, as long as Banri is around, Juza cannot be 100% quiet. Rip.

THE CG WAS SO PRETTY i loved seeing it. And omg you can share your hairtips with Azuma how nice :D Azuma manages to make everything look beautiful smh....

Oh yeah Taichi and his first love! if i recall he mentions it quickly at the begining, that Yuki reminds him of his first love, and he says that again at some point - then the fake Portrait he does he mentions his first love again. And since then it's been a reccuring topic so yeh :3c

but yeah! this event was really sweet and laid back, not much to say about it, but it was nice to have it at all!

Hope you'll like the winter play :3c

Take care and thank you again for your thoughts <33 i love reading them!! bless you!!

[bubblyani]

Holding in Green

(Adam Sackler x Reader)

An Adam Sackler One Shot

Genre: Fluff

Warning: Swearing

Request: i don’t know if u are taking requests but, if u are, could u do a Adam S. being jealous? xx @hidingp​

Author’s Note: Yes this is a jealous Adam Sackler fic but full of so much fluff I was floating in it. Just wanna love the man so freakin much. Hope y’all enjoy!

“You wanna talk about what happened tonight?” You asked, giving a knowing look to Adam.The french fry remained in between your fingers a lot longer than it should.

“What do you mean?”

He may have sounded nonchalant, but his eyes knew exactly what you meant.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

(A few hours ago)

The rhythmic beat of the hiphop track echoed in the background while the group of dancers waited in the wings off stage. Your eyes followed each of them, enter the stage one by one. They moved in sync, and you made sure they did. When it finally was your queue, you made your entrance with a bang.

That was when you saw him.

In the audience drowning in darkness, Adam Sackler was visible to you more than anyone else. When your eyes met, he smiled brightly, giving a small yet silly wave. A wave only the two of you would enjoy. Unable to contain your joy, you blew your friend a kiss, incorporating it to your act with professionalism as you proceeded to dance with motivation. Your friendship with Adam Sackler was quite the interesting one. 

The first time you met him, it was during a rehearsal for a play he was in. Simple choreography was a necessity and your friend who was assigned to it had an emergency. Offering your helping hand as the substitute, all you wanted to do was be helpful. Adam understood your clear intentions, and though he was professional, he could not help but engage in conversations with you throughout the entire session. It was inevitable for the two of you to click. When you weren’t given the chance to sub anymore, Fate was kind to both of you with having the both of you run into each other in various instances. The friendship blossomed and their petals were strong enough to last. You respected him enough to offer him space without getting involved in his personal life if not disclosed with you. Having been burnt enough, you did not crave for unnecessary drama. Adam Sackler was a great friend to have. You both appreciated similar things and losing a great friendship was the last thing you hoped to do. 

He was eccentric, he was wild and dramatic, yet he was also sensitive. You could not help but adore him in a way which could not be defined. You adored his undying support to you and your dreams. Whichever performance you did, wherever and whenever, you would find him there, by chance or by invitation. He’d never miss it. Even this time, when you everyone else was too busy to even care, he showed up.

No wonder you couldn’t contain your inner joy. If anyone ever paid too much attention, they’d probably call this boyfriend behavior. But that mere notion was ludicrous in itself.

But anyways, back to the dance.

You felt your body set itself on fire as you led the group behind you. The choreography was packed and intense, with very little time to stop and even breath. You felt powerful, you felt sexy.

The choreography grew heated as one of the male dancers took you by the hand, guiding you to his arms. Bodies pressed against one another, they rolled to rhythm. The onstage chemistry was off the charts. You heard the audience scream in ecstasy. It was successful. Your eyes swiftly moved to see Adam’s approval. Was he impressed?

Instead you merely found him siting there, giving the coldest look you’ve ever seen. You would have delved into concern but there was simply no time as the group moved together once again, finally coming to a perfect finish.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“There you are!”

You squealed as the backstage doors burst open, and he swooped in first, welcoming you with a growl and a hug. You were touched in an overdose. You lingered in his arms with happiness. Seeing him to be the first to get up and applaud with enthusiasm, made you happier to even begin with.

“Awww...I’m so glad you came” you said, glancing at him up and down. Donning a smart suit, he even dressed up for the occasion, looking more handsome than ever. The crowds may have mixed in, but for the two of you it seemed irrelevant.

“Oh my god...” Adam began, “you were just fucking in-”

“Y/N!!”

A group of your older choreographer mentors surrounded the two of you. As they gushed out their sea of compliments, you noticed Adam beam with pride for you. He was appropriate in every way.  He was polite to them, introducing himself promptly and being the perfect guest. You could say you were equally feeling prideful.

 “And there he is...our other star!” One of them cried out as your dance partner from earlier joined in. Tanned and muscular, he flashed you a bright smile.

“We did it Y/N!” He said excitedly, moving into give you a hug.

“So what’s everyone saying?” you asked him

“Oh man...Our dance...” he said with such passion,”they are so digging the chemistry...” “I don’t know, I mean...was there any chemistry though?”

You both turned to Adam’s nonchalant yet snide remark. Towering before you both, he looked unwelcoming with his hands folded. A sheer contrast from earlier.

“Ah...where are my manners? Dave, I want you to meet my friend Adam” you said, “He’s an actor”  adding with pride. With a genuine smile, Dave extended his hand to Adam, “Hey man”

“Hey!”

Feigning enthusiasm, Adam shook his hand, giving it with a squeeze. And by Dave’s uncomfortable expression, you could tell he was squeezing it too tight.

“And Adam...this is Dave, one of the most promising dancers around” “Oh Y/N stop..” Dave shook his head with a chuckle, “...that’s not true”

“Yeah Y/N...I’ve seen better dancers” Adam certainly came in strong with these snarky remarks.

The atmosphere was getting tense and awkward. You were surprised to the fullest.

“Oookay...” Dave began, “...anyways, you coming to the after party?” He asked.

“Yes!”

“No!”

With raised eyebrows, you looked at Adam. “You don’t wanna come?” You asked him, to which he just shook his head. “Nah...Not in the mood”

The enthusiastically polite man from earlier had suddenly transformed into a child. Concerned, you knew you won’t have any peace of mind if you just let this go.

“I uh...I think I’m gonna take a rain check this time, Dave”

“Aww man, everyone’s gonna miss you though”  Dave said with disappointment, “...but all good babe”

He moved in for one more hug, only to be interrupted by Adam, who pulled you towards him to make room for a random stranger, who in the end, did not walk their way. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Fuck!”

Shivering, Adam jumped up and down. “It’s so chilly tonight” he sniggered as they walked along on the pavement.

“Hmmm”

Your reply was flat. Staring into the distance, you walked alongside him. Adam looked at you with concern.

“You cold?”He asked, even proceeding to take his jacket off to offer you.

“Hmmm”

You answered, haven’t yet noticed it as you kept walking. It was just strange. The moment they exited the theatre, there he was being his usual self. Trying to figure it all out, you found yourself to be very quiet.

Until you felt his hand on your arm.

“You okay?”

He stepped in front of you, waking you from your thoughts to reality. Suddenly you felt the extra chill in the wind, his jacket over your shoulders , and a rumble in your stomach.

“Actually...I’m kinda hungry”You admitted, automatically giving him his jacket back. Chuckling, you pressed your lips, “I just realized I didn’t eat anything” you said, your hands digging in the pocket of your hoodie, “...and they promised some food at the after party so-”

“Shit!” Adam cried out loud, holding his head. You watched the giant figure slouch with guilt.

“I’m sorry Y/N”

“No! it’s okay”

“Nope! Not acceptable. Come on!” 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

(Present)

It was on him tonight, he said. Order anything, he said as he confidentially handed you the diner menu. So you ordered the two things you couldn’t live without: French fries and a milkshake.

“How are the fries?”

He asked, watching you stuff yourself. You nodded.

“Good. I was really hungry” you replied with a full mouth. Finally swallowing them, you smiled warmly, “Thank you”. 

A coy smile was incited as you both shared silence. 

“You were amazing tonight, you know.” Adam began, making you cover your face shyly, “You’re lying” you said.

“No really, I’m serious” sitting forward, he kept his elbows on the table, “No one...no one else was upto your level”

You were sipping in your milkshake , yet warmth spread over your body as it always did whenever he complimented you. His company was soothing in a way you couldn’t comprehend. Therefore, you couldn’t figure out the disturbance in the atmosphere tonight.

“You wanna talk about what happened tonight?” You asked, giving a knowing look to Adam.The french fry remained in between your fingers a lot longer than it should.

“What do you mean?”

He may have sounded nonchalant, but when his glance caught yours, you could tell his eyes knew exactly what you meant.

Exhaling deeply, you ate the french fry.  You licked off the salt off your fingers before you began to speak.

“Adam, do you know what I love about our friendship?”

His nose twitched upon hearing the word “friendship”. Uncomfortably , he answered with a mere shake of his head.

“Communication...” you said, “talking to you was always something I loved doing. I swear...” chuckling, you continued, “I can talk to you for...hours” you said, watching a smile form in the corner of his lips, “and I know, whatever problem we have...we could always figure it all out that way”

Nodding, Adam kept staring at your plate of half finished fries. Noticing it, you pushed your plate towards him.

“What happened with you and Dave?”

You asked with genuine curiosity, “I mean...before you were so nice and normal. And suddenly...just-”

“I don’t like him, that’s it” Adam snapped as he interrupted you.

“But why?”

“Y/N....” addressing you sternly, he continued, “You don’t need reasons to dislike certain people, you told me that once”

“Yeah...but why him? I mean...that weird guy down at the bodega..I can understand, but-”

Pausing, suddenly realization came over you. The way he turned cold watching you and Dave onstage. His snappy behavior around him. His deliberate attempt to avoid him hugging you. You gasped.

“Unless...” you muttered, “you’re jealous?”

It came out of you so softly, for you couldn’t believe it for one second. Running his hand through his hair, Adam growled.

“The moment that motherfucker put his hands on you” he said through gritted teeth, “...the way you guys were onstage. It just-“ You scoffed for you still could not fathom it.

“But I’ve danced with so many people onstage.Why now-”

“IT’S CAUSE I HAVE FUCKING FEELINGS FOR YOU, OKAY??”

Adam cried out, making you drop your jaw in shock.

Realizing his outburst, he looked down in embarrassment, “Fucking shit” He muttered.

A loud shush of disapproval was targeted towards your booth by an older waitress passing by. With an inaudible apology at her, you looked back at Adam.

This was definitely unexpected. But in a way, was it something you longed for in your heart all along?

“Wow...” You muttered softly, “I...I did not know that” “I’m...” pausing, Adam’s voice broke with vulnerability “I’m in Awe of you Y/N” He said, as his eyes twinkled upon looking at you, “And to even hear you calling me your friend or what we have a friendship is just...” clicking his tongue, he sighed, “...it’s sickening! It’s fucking hard”

Seeing him like this was nowhere familiar. And it broke your heart. You didn’t know of the effect you had in him. You never thought he’d think of you this way. And thus, you never considered feeling the same for him in return.

Until now.

Slowly getting up, you caught his full attention as you walked towards his side of the booth. Sitting next to him, you moved close enough, daring yourself as you slid over to his lap. His response was natural. The way his hand slithered over to your waist and the way he welcomed your weight on top of him.

Though it felt comfortable, you suddenly felt your heartbeat increase. Wrapping one arm around his neck, you lovingly gazed into his eyes with such intensity. You stroked his cheek, hoping to drive away the suffering caused cause of you.

Only one way to know, you thought.

Only one way to feed this aching curiosity.

Leaning in, your lips felt like magnets as they glued in to his in a tender kiss.

Tenderness turned into new found passion as he kissed you back. And man, it felt so perfect. So perfect that you found yourself getting addicted to a brand new kind of high. Breaking away, your foreheads touched to recover. “Always wanted to do that” you breathed against his lips. “No shit” he replied. Holding his face with both hands, you looked at with seriousness.

“All that you said, I get it. Really... I do. And it’s just so fucked up. It’s totally fair cause you had no clue what I was thinking. But...I want you to know...you don’t need to feel that anymore”

“Yeah?” He asked with desperation.

“Yeah...” you nodded, running your fingers through his dark raven locks, “There’s no need to hold in that green monster anymore, Adam” you whispered,

“Cause I’m yours”

A joyous smile filled his face before he kissed you passionately once again. You swore you forgotten your place until you heard the same waitress clear her throat with annoyance, forcing you both to pull away with frustration.

“Do you uh...” you began, twirling his hair around your finger, “...maybe wanna stay over tonight?“ Speechless, Adam merely nodded frantically, allowing his lips to reunite with yours, further sealing in the newly blossomed romance that had replaced the friendship that stood strong before. ——————————————————

Check My MASTERLIST for More :)

[ayeshintheclouds]

I watched Never Have I Ever!! And I have many many thoughts. Just about on every aspect of it so oops this might be kinda long. But I like having somewhere public to post it cuz I don’t have to be apologetic and guilty about making it long, cuz if I was texting someone id feel as if I’m making them obligated to read so much.

Anyways!

Overall, I quite enjoyed the show! There’s a lot of controversy around it, i keep saying a lot of indian girls complaining about being misrepresented. Which I agree that they have a right to, because it’s the first time we’ve ever gotten a main character representing us, and we can’t help but hold her to a higher standard. But I’m trying to look past that a little, past the stereotypes and see it more by itself in terms of a plot and character development rather than just the cultural standpoint.

In no particular order, here are some opinions about the show and characters:

I loved the realistic arguments they show the night of her dad’s death. Honestly, they were a bit jarring how similar they are to our family, and how sometimes under pressure everyone kinda turns on each other and doesn’t get along. I thought that was a really realistic scene how a little thing like losing a music sheet ends up turning into a lot of unnecessary drama.

I love Paxton! I still absolutely can’t decide who I ship more with Devi but I do love his character. He genuinely does care for his sister, and he’s so quick to sacrifice his pride and call Devi when his sister needs help, even though he’s really mad at Devi rn. I think it’s adorable that his sister even gives him relationship advice. And Paxton is genuinely such a good friend, although he’s tryna be all cool and stuff, he encouraged her to be herself in her indian dress and I hate how Devi disregards his whole personality and only wants him physically. It upset me that she only saw him as some status symbol to obtain, never really an actual human with feelings. He deserved better, so although I love him, I’m not sure I ship him with her after she kinda used him the whole show.

The car ride scene!!! With Paxton and Devi! Ok I watched this scene approximately a bajillion times! I think it might be my favorite moment in the whole show. I love everything about it, the subtle glances they cast each other the entire time, the neon lights as they drive through the city, the way for once in the show she seems somewhat like emotionally vulnerable and nervous rather than brash and hot headed. The music was beautiful too.

I love Fab and Eleanor!!! I love their stories and I’m so so glad they got the attention from the show at least since they didn’t get it from Devi. Fab is literally so adorable and I just wanted to hug her🥺 Eleanor’s mom made me so frikin mad and I’m truly really glad Eleanor learned to live without her and how Fab helps her deal with it. I know it’s pretty dramatic how she stays dressing all different and changing her personality, but I related to that so much:(when someone hurts me or walks out on me, it makes me feel not like myself anymore, and I often visibly and noticeably change my attitude and behavior for a while before springing back.

The Kamala plotline!!! Uhhhhh ok very mixed feelings. I thought Steve was adorable. They just discarded him when he was an absolute sweetheart and it made me so sad for him🥺poor Steve. I do like that they’re actually showing arranged marriage for what it is though. In my opinion it is a very traditional and flawed procedure, as we see when Devi’s mom has kamala wear a certain outfit and has her hide the career part of her personality, to try to be a certain way she’s not. BUT I think i am glad that they didn’t show it as something forced upon her, like she’s being married off against her will to some creep she’s never ever met. It’s more like a blind date but arranged by parents. And although she is pretty pressured into it, she has the power to back out any time (even if it’ll somewhat outcast her). And I like that they decide to continue their relationship but on their own terms and he likes her for who she is. I think overall it’s a pretty solid and realistic representation of arranged marriage: a very traditional way of doing things with many flaws, but not forced or oppressive or morally wrong in any way, and can usually work out quite nicely many times. Except why’d they break poor Steve’s heart like that:(((

Ben. Ok Ben grew on me a lot through the show. He was such a complex and interesting character and I thought his development was so amazingly done. I thought he was truly such a sweet soul for doing all that he did for her, letting her stay over, convincing her to spread the ashes, driving her there so fast. I almost feel like he doesn’t deserve her either😂. And hhfjdndndnd I really don’t know how to feel about that end scene that was wild omg. But romance aside. Ben is such a well written character and I think he really was neglected by his family and I really hope that changes or he finds a family in Devi’s.

I know her parents and the therapist were side characters. But I think they’re pretty cool. I like the really sweet relationship her parents had. It was so typical indian parents yet adorable. The motorcycle ride and the comforting scene🥺 I love them a lot they remind me of my own parents. And I think her mom is infinitely strong for dealing with the death of her soulmate and Devi being so absolutely difficult. I think the therapist was extremely patient and the scenes with her were hilarious. I loved most about her how genuine she was. No therapist irl would care enough for the patients health that they would so blatantly disagree with them and even suggest they find someone else if it’ll help them. They would never risk losing the money and offending the client. I once heard someone say that they’d love to be a child therapist cuz all they have to do is agree with everything the kids say, be like “aw yeah the world hates u ur parents hate u, ur right” like feed into their teen angst, and the kid convinces their parents to keep paying for your services. But Dr Ryan is like a mother. She just wants what’s best for Devi, and she’s willing to sacrifice her own profit for it.

Ok I guess I should probably talk about my biggest issue with the show which is Devi. I kinda hate her😭I tried so hard I really did but I genuinely cannot bring myself to like her character. I don’t agree with almost any of her actions and her behavior upset me a lot. And pls you don’t understand she nearly killed me with second hand embarrassment the first episode in approaching Paxton like that aaAAAA Like I was basically watching through my hands at that point. I know she’s going through so much, she really has a lot of trauma and grief. But I can’t help but feel like the way she handles it is not very realistic at all, cuz I know people with trauma and they would never use it to justify the awful things she does. I know that everyone grieves differently and everyone has different coping mechanisms, but I just cannot bring myself to like her. Coping mechanisms that hurt others immensely are so unhealthy and I feel like she should’ve at least redeemed herself somehow. Maybe I sympathized with her at some points. But never liked her. I think she was disgusting to her friends, she always assumed her problems mattered more than theirs despite Fab and Eleanor having such heavy stuff happening. She didn’t even bother caring, and I’m convinced the only reason she even came back and tried to make it up was because of her own selfish reasons: she didn’t want to be lonely and friendless (she literally admits that!) and she’s jealous of that new kid they’re friends with. She does not seem at any point to actually care for their feelings as humans, and treats them like status symbols, two objects she owns to show people she has a social life. She reminds me of Greg from Diary of a Wimpy Kid and not in a good way; he was so awful to Rowley and obsessed with popularity and narcissistic Blegh. Also with Paxton like I mentioned before, she only cares about his body and popularity and literally does not care for his friendship and personality the slightest bit. I think it was disgusting that she lied about sleeping with him like that, cuz it may have been manageable to him, but for a lot of people, that’s like a pretty messed up thing and I don’t think they’d want to be friends with someone who was that creepy and a blatant liar. The stuff she said to her mom about wishing she was dead, that absolutely broke my heart. I can’t imagine being her mother in that moment and hearing your daughter say something like that after losing the love of your life. I think that would be like the worst thing to say to someone grieving, and might potentially endanger their mental health. I was truly worried for her mom, even though I know it wouldn’t be that type of show. Honestly. The only reason I don’t like full on despise her and think she’s irredeemable is because I pity her so much. She lost her dad and wasn’t able to walk for a year. That’s a lot of pain. But truly, like Fab said, it’s not a free pass to be a jerk. And a character shouldn’t be written in a way that their only redeemable quality is that u pity them to hold them less accountable for their actions.

Overall I enjoyed the show!! Minus devi😭but besides that, I’m so glad we’re getting some representation and there’s a new really cute and fresh show to watch during quarantine. I NEED A SEASON TWO SO BAD PLS and I really really hope Devi grows up a bit more in it and maybe I’ll start to like her:)

[aelinbitch-archive]

You've probably said this before but what's your favorite aspect of the TOG series? I've only read like ten pages of the first book lol

aaaaa thank u for asking!! this sort of leads into something i’ve been meaning to talk about for a while so i hope you’re prepared for An Essay No One Wanted By Me. anyway this is a two-part answer, read below:

1. Aelin. Celaena. The main bitch, whatever you wanna call her lol. Without her I probably wouldn’t have cared about the series at all and wouldn’t currently be trapped in ToG tumblr hell reluctantly stanning a racist and homophobic series, but unfortunately when I was like twelve years old or whatever and read the first book I literally imprinted on Celaena like a baby duckling. To the extent that she became, like, the default avatar for all my maladaptive daydreaming and If I Don’t Project On Her At All Times I Will Die. It’s not like she’s the only thing I like about the series (I loooove a lot of the other characters, especially the gals, and the writing can be really great and engaging and cinematic) but Aelin has always been the supermassive black hole at the center of it all for me. I wouldn’t know how to even begin untangling her character from my psyche at this point. It’s honestly a little disturbing. Anyway. 

2. Part two is a quality of the series that I feel was unprecedented in its strength in the first five books of the series (ToG-QoS plus the prequel novellas) and really really disappointingly weak in the last two books (EoS-KoA). Like I said above, Aelin has always been my main interest in tog so I read and enjoyed the last two anyway, but I definitely felt the loss of this - “this” being the detail and attention paid to all different types of relationships between characters, and how rich and unpredictable those relationships were as a result. 

That sounds like kind of a broad, vague thing, but what I mean is that (in my opinion) rarely are romances and friendships and rivalries explored with such nuance, complexity, drama, and realism in most YA as they are in ToG. I remember reading Cassandra Clare’s books (lmao.) as a pre teen and loving those as well, but totally being able to predict who was going to end up with who, and finding the character dynamics to be pretty cut and dry. 

In ToG that’s not the case at all. Like, you’ve got Celaena and Sam, a really complex example of enemies to lovers to….. Tragically Dead Boyfriend Whose Demise Fuels My Guilt and Self-Hatred For Seven More Books, Lysandra and Aelin, two girls pitted against each other by their abuser who team up a year later to unlearn their internalized misogyny and kill him, and Aelin and Chaol, who… how do I even describe the ups and downs (and downs. and more downs) of their relationship. 

And that’s just three pairs! Pull the names of two characters out of a hat and I can almost guarantee essays worth of material could be written about them. Arobynn and Aelin? Aelin and Nehemia? Chaol and Dorian, as much as I hate both of them and feel that their relationship as been widely mischaracterized? All fascinating!!! No two people in those first few books are just friends, or just lovers, or just enemies. It’s always more complex, there’s always a history or tension or competing agendas or viewpoints that Fuck Shit Up. 

And benefit of that is twofold: one, everything that happens between the characters just…. lands so well. The betrayals and triumphs and losses and victories of The Assassin’s Blade and Crown of Midnight and Queen of Shadows (especially TAB) are fucking heart-stopping. It’s great character-driven entertainment!! Gripping and engaging and vivid to the point of being painful. 

And two, there’s no way to predict where a relationship is going to go. Aelin and Lysandra teaming up in QoS instead of returning to their rivalry? Who would have thought! Ansel and Celaena’s summer fling (they were in love. fight me.) ending like That? Holy fuck. Nesryn and Chaol breaking up in ToD? Oh shit! I fell for it again! Rowan and Aelin ending up together after everyone swore they were brotp in HoF? Hell yeah! Chaolaena seeming like endgame and then ending forever, with Chaol and Aelin realizing that the rift between them that began in CoM was something that would never sufficiently heal? Unprecedented. Fucking badass for a YA book to curve everyone like that. Tween me was shook out of her mind. 

(Important to note, though, that the downside of this style was that SJM couldn’t tell where ~unpredictable relationships and characters~ ended and fridging began, and as a result, not one but two woc were killed off to make white characters sad and it sucked beyond belief). 

Aaaaaand then QoS, the peak of literature, turned into EoS, and SJM just… gave up on all of that. I remember the first time Dorian and Manon met, and I was like oh, okay. So they’re going to end up together. And I was right. I remember that on this site, before EoS came out, before Lorcan and Elide ever fucking MET, people predicted the existence of Elorcan!! And they were right!! Like how fucking boring? Everyone is just paired off into completely predictable heterosexual ships and those are now the only relationships we get to read about (with a few exceptions, like Aelin/Aedion, Aelin/Fenrys, etc.). 

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: my least favorite thing about Manorian is not that I find the relationship to be shitty (although I do, I really do). It’s that Dorian is suddenly the only character Manon gets to interact with in any meaningful way. 

Like, are you kidding?! I want to read about Manon and Elide, Manon and Asterin, Rowan and Lorcan, Aelin and Lysandra, Aelin and Nesyrn, even if it’s not romantically (although some of them, like Manon and Elide, absolutely should have been, and the fact that not only was that ship very thoroughly sunk, but also they didn’t even get to TALK after QoS, felt like a real slap in the face to gay fans, but I digress), because those pairings previously had hella complexity and drama. But we don’t get to. 

And this trend that’s so painfully present in the last two books Sucks for two reasons: one, every relationship that isn’t romantic (which were previously some of the most interesting ones) is abandoned so that more time can be made for The Hets™ and two, the relationships that are romantic, now the only ones left, are totally fucking boring and predictable!! If two characters are interacting at any point (if one is male and the other is female, of course) then you know for a fact that they’re not only love interests, but endgame. 

And that makes me not care even when there is drama between them. Elide giving Lorcan the cold-shoulder for three hundred pages, and Manon and Dorian arguing, and Aedion being cruel to Lysandra weren’t compelling narratives to me like they should have been, because the whole time I was just thinking “but it doesn’t matter. I know it’s still endgame. There are no stakes here whatsoever; it’s a done deal.” Whereas Chaol and Celaena’s devestating breakup in CoM felt like (and was) suuuuper Real. An all-in bet on the wrong person. Crazy shit. 

And not that I think two characters should never have a happy ending together (I really like rowaelin and nestaq and I would have loved malide!) but imagine how much cooler and subversive and entertaining it would have been if Elorcan, which seemed soooo totally cute and endgamey and borderline like fanfiction throughout all of EoS just ended forever right there and then on the beach, with Elide turning to Lorcan and saying “I hope you spend the rest of your miserable, immortal life suffering. I hope you spend it alone. I hope you live with regret and guilt in your heart and never find a way to endure it” - and BAM. She never speaks to him again. He’s dead to her. 

I mean, talk about shock value! (See, Sarah, you can have shock value without killing of a person of color to make a white character sad 🙃). And I totally get that relational twists like that alienate fans more than just going the expected route and having them kiss and make-up does (I mean, the ending of Chaolaena in QoS certainly did, Jesus Christ) but I, Bella aelinbitch, personally live for that shit, and isn’t it only fair that all media cater directly and specifically to me? Lmao. But seriously, I do think it’s objectively more interesting, and that it keeps readers on their toes (I was on my ASS in EoS and KoA. Like. I was flat on my back sinking into the Earth). 

And there are still sort of… glimmers of the old way she wrote in the first few books, but it just feels like a tease rather than something that’s really explored and indulged in the way it was before, and it just ends up being more frustrating (like what was the point of Manon and Dorian not getting married at the end of KoA if I would bet my life savings that in World of Tog it’ll be confirmed that they’re either married or still together) and sometimes downright problematic? Like to return to a previous example, I think all the drama between Aedion + Lysandra was a result of Sarah’s previous (good) instincts to shake stuff up and complicate the character dynamics, but it backfires because when they end up together, it’s not ever… worked out? Or addressed? If you create really intense drama between two people, then that needs to show up in their relationship, no matter how happy they end up together. It doesn’t just disappear.

And despite the fact that her understanding of that concept (that shit between two people doesn’t just disappear like magic) is one of my absolute favorite things about the first few books, Sarah even went as far as to use the last two books to retcon some of the original complexity away, which makes me want to rip out my hair!! Like Aelin at the end of KoA just going “Love you Chaol and Love you Dorian xoxoxoxoxox best friends forever!!!” instead of having, like, any type of mixed feelings about the way these boys treated her? I mean, come on! 100 pages earlier Chaol was openly saying she should die instead of Dorian! Why is everything just peachy-keen instead of fraught with tension!! (I know why. I know. It’s because she introduced way too many characters/POVs/storylines as the series went on and didn’t know what to do with them all besides sideline the nonromantic ones and pair off everyone else boy-girl boy-girl down the line). Or if it has to be peachy-keen, why is the peachy-keeness never critically examined as, perhaps, a repressive mechanism for Aelin to avoid dealing with painful truths from her past? Now that would be interesting. 

(My ideal World of ToG would be just a transcript of the characters’ therapy sessions where Aelin realizes that her insistence that “Chaol and Dorian Are Her Friends!” is actually a way to keep herself safe emotionally and that she has plenty of reasons to hate them, and Lysandra realizes she should divorce Aedion lmao).  

Anyway tldr: The variety, complexity, depth, and unpredictability of the relationships in Throne of Glass was simultaneously the most realistic (sometimes relationships of all kinds fall apart or veer off in unexpected directions and love is temporary and the boy you met in the first chapter isn’t actually your soulmate and it doesn’t mean he’s a villain) and the most gripping and dramatic (I would have been totally chill if maeve and erawan weren’t a thing and tog was just like a medieval soap opera, that’s how entertaining the character dynamics were) thing about the series, and to lose that in the last two books because of Heterosexuality (and introducing too many POVs and not knowing what to do with them all)…. kinda devastating. 

This ended up being waaaaaay more complaining than it was talking about what I loved, but the only reason it bothers me so much is because it used to be so good!!! So just imagine the inverse of all the frustration I just vomited into this ask and you’ll have a good idea of how much I loved the series when things weren’t this way.

[fanfic-inator795]

RotTMNT/Baron Jitsu fanfiction: Dating… With Children - Chapter Seven

(Also on AO3 if you want to leave a comment or kudos)

Plot:  Benjamin Draxum hardly considered himself a man of high social standing. Not because he was uncouth or unworthy of it, mind you, but simply because he didn’t have much of a social life. Hard to have one when he usually spent his days at work, cooped up in a lab for so long that he often had his lunches in there, and his nights at home reading or doing research for more personal projects. But perhaps meeting handsome semi-retired movie star - as well as his four young sons - could change all that…

((Soooo, I know I said this chapter would have a bit more drama, but as I was writing that chapter, I realized that this idea was better as a lead-in to the next, slightly more dramatic idea. So, you're getting this chapter first, hope you guys don't mind! Anyway, enjoy the action and fluff! ^v^))

They say no news is good news, and for the most part Draxum could see some truth to that. It wasn't as if he had wished for something to have gone wrong, like their lab’s computers completely crashing or one of his intern’s screwing up. But at the same time, there also hadn't been any major breakthroughs, not even small discoveries in their research and tests that could lead down a rabbit hole of possibilities.

No, instead it had just been another average day at work. Just like the day before, and the day before that… And the several days before that…

Draxum sighed, rubbing his eyes. He only had a couple hours left in the shift, and he knew exactly what he was going to do afterwards. It was a part of his routine that he had been somewhat denying himself, thanks to all the extra time he had been spending either at the Jitsu house or at his own apartment. And, while he certainly didn't regret the time spent with his boyfriend, he was still looking forward to a couple good rounds…

Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrate for a second in his pocket. “Speak of the devil,” he mumbled with a smirk, taking the phone out. Sure enough, it was a text from Lou.

“Hey, babe. Whatchu up to? Hope work is going well.” Draxum wasn't quite sure when Lou had started calling him that (though it certainly flustered him a bit the first time he noticed), but while he usually wasn't one for pet names, he supposed he didn't mind this one too much.

“Work is work. Going to stop by the ring after,” he texted back.

It only took a few seconds for Lou to reply. “Oof, that bad of a day?”

“No, just haven't done it in a while. Figured it'd be a good way to clear my head somewhat, instead of feeling like a rat on a wheel.”

“Fair enough, hope u have fun!”

Draxum stared at the reply, thinking about it for a moment before typing, “Would you want to come with?” He waited, and then-

“Really, you don't mind?”

“If I did, I wouldn't have asked.”

“Haha, ok! Let me call my babysitter to see if he’s available, otherwise yeah, I'd love to!” A few minutes later, Lou sent another text - a simple thumbs up emoji - and Draxum replied with what time he'd be picking him up.

A quick stop at home after work to change and grab his gym bag, and then it was straight to the Jitsu house. Thankfully traffic was on his side for the most part, making him only a couple minutes late. He walked briskly up the colorful sidewalk - it looked like the boys had tried to play some sort of space themed hopscotch game - and knocked twice. The door opened, and-

“Well hello there~!”

Draxum blinked, stepping back slightly. He had been expecting Lou or one of the boys to answer the door, but instead he was greeted by a stout man with bushy blond hair and an even bushier mustache and a smile that just seemed much too happy and friendly to be natural. “...Hello. I-”

The short man suddenly grabbed his hand, shaking it firmly. “You must be Lou’s new beau! Oh it's just so great to meet you! And I can just tell already that you two must be the sweetest thing and probably look so CUTE together!”

“...If you say so,” Draxum said slowly, allowing the man to hold onto his hand for only a few seconds before yanking it away. Figuring that he wouldn't just want to stand and wait in the doorway, the overtly happy man stood aside, allowing Draxum to come in. He noticed all four boys - and… Was that a dog? What in the world, where had that come from? - in the living room, contently sitting on either the loveseat or the beanbags as they all watched TV together.

“Oh, hey Dr. Draxum!” Donnie noticed, waving. The Labrador puppy that was sitting near him also gave a quick greeting, barking loudly before settling back down. The mustached man just giggled at the pup, wagging a finger at it.

“Er, hello boys,” the scientist nodded, giving them a halfhearted wave, “Where is your-?”

“Hey, you.” Draxum turned and saw Lou coming down the stairs, dressed in a v-neck tank top and long gym pants, with his yellow-tinted sunglasses once again being opted out for darker ones. His hair was also missing its usual pompadour-like style, his bangs instead being tied back in a top knot. The leaner man’s smile almost immediately helped put Draxum a bit more at ease, even if he still wasn't too sure of their ‘guest’.

“Have a fun date, Pop!” Raph told him as his father gave him and his brothers goodbye-and-be-good hugs.

“I'm sure we will,” Lou smiled. Once he was done with his boys, he turned to the blond. “We’ll try not to stay out too late. I would imagine that-”

“Oh no, take your time!” The stout man insisted, “I'm in no rush! And you know how I just love looking after your boys, Lou, it's no trouble at all! Now you two go on and have a great time, okay?

Lou chuckled. “Alright, if you insist. Thanks again, Todd.” They quickly shook hands, with the smaller man once again insisting that he was happy to help. Finally looking back at Draxum now, he led his date out the door while his babysitter waved them off. And as soon as the door closed, Draxum broke his silence.

“Okay… Who was that guy?”

“Who, Todd?” Lou asked, “Uh, he's my babysitter? Kinda thought that was obvious, but-”

“So, you just found this guy and thought, ‘yeah, he seems normal enough to trust with my children’, huh?”

Lou laughed as they walked. “Okay okay, I know Todd seems a bit weird-” Even he could admit to being a bit overwhelmed by the guy’s friendliness and enthusiastic niceties the first time they met- “But he's also just a nice guy! And a good babysitter too, the boys have a fun time with him. ...Though, that maaaay be because he always brings over one of his puppies whenever he sits - he runs a puppy rescue that's on the outskirts of the city.”

“Ah,” Draxum nodded, opening his driver’s side door, “Well, that's one way to give them a pet without actually giving them a pet.”

“I know, right! That's what I thought too!” He paused as he got in the car. “Though, Mikey still tries to ask me for a cat sometimes…”

------------

Since it was for amateurs only, the gym wasn't too fancy, all things considered. It was a little on the small side, and the youngest equipment there was still at least ten years old. Even his tiny home gym in his apartment was technically more modern. Still, the structure was sound and the roof never leaked, more than half the lockers there still locked and - the thing that always kept people like him coming back - there was still a well-kept, MMA regulation ring right in the center of it all. The perfect place for people to spar, as well as the home of amateur league bragging-rights-only championships every other month.

Draxum could still remember his first few times stepping into this old gym. He'd never been interested in team sports in his youth, but once he had found this place on one random walk around town, suddenly the strength and strategy behind mixed martial arts seemed pretty appealing. It kept him in shape at least, and even after three graduation ceremonies and earning a doctorate, he still found himself coming to the old gym to let off some steam about as often as he did as a teenager.

Lou seemed fairly impressed with it as well, immediately taking interest in the ring. The only other people there were a trainer and his hopeful eventual-champion, and since they were currently busy with the heavy bags in the corner, the ring was completely free.

“So,” Lou asked, stretching his arms as he glanced over his shoulder at his date, “Should we just get down to it then?”

Draxum smirked back at him. “Eager, aren't we?”

The ex-star shrugged. “What can I say, I like a good fight… Think you can give it to me?”

“I'd say I've got a pretty good chance.” Draxum walked over to him, close enough to let his natural height tower over Lou slightly. “Even when up against the great Lou Jitsu.”

Lou grinned. “Well then, let's see what you've got, Doc~”

“...This is ridiculously cheesy and over the top, even for us.”

“Oh don't act like you don't love it.”

All flirting aside, the two of them did take some time to stretch after climbing into the ring, with Draxum making sure to face away from his date, not wanting to risk staring or be caught staring. (Unbeknownst to him, Lou was doing the exact same thing. After all, Draxum was wearing a faded blue-grey tee and black shorts. Lou had never seen Draxum in shorts before, and he had no idea why. The man certainly had the legs for them.)

As they then turned back around to face each other and got into a starting position, the doctor couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu, recalling the last time they ‘fought’. Of course, this time would be without the music, which meant it would naturally be more fight-like than dance-like, and there probably wouldn't be nearly as much fancy footwork. Still, he could feel excitement bubbling up in his chest, and allowed a small smile to stay on his face as they began the ‘round’.

Lou started things off, rushing in with a punch so fast that Draxum just barely managed to block it. “Ah, I was wondering if you'd actually take this seriously,” he said as he dodged another blow.

“Hey,” Lou chuckled, “Gotta keep you on your toes somehow!” He definitely had an advantage on speed, side-stepping and bouncing on his feet with ease as he hardly gave Draxum any room.

Of course, Draxum had his advantages too. He still had his height on Lou, as well as his physical strength. Once he saw an opening, he didn't hesitate to throw a punch. “Whoa!” Lou cries out, ducking down to avoid it before popping back up. “Nice one!” His date quickly raised his arms, ready to block.

Smirking, Draxum continued to throw hit after hit, keeping an eye on his openings and making sure to throw a fake out or two in there, just to keep things from getting to predictable.

Of course, Lou had his surprises as well. Turning one particular dodge into a sort of somersault, he gave himself some extra space. Once he was back on his feet, he tried a kick that was so fast and sudden, Draxum actually gasped as he moved away, thankfully only getting lightly kicked in the shoulder. The other amateurs he sometimes sparred with couldn't get their feet up nearly that high! “Too much?” He heard Lou ask.

“Hardly,” Draxum retorted, taking only the briefest of moments to regain his footing before rushing his date. Lou had been so focused on getting a possible tide-turning move in that he failed to also keep in mind his surroundings.

Not wanting to get pinned to the fence behind him, Lou dove out of the way, once again getting back to his feet in record time and trying another kick, this time aimed at Draxum’s back. But his boyfriend had speed of his own, it would seem. Draxum was able to catch the kick as he turned, taking the chance to shove Lou away.

Lou cried out a bit as he stumbled, though managed to keep from completely falling over. Standing back up to his full height, he was all smiles as he stared down his smirking opponent. “Alright, you’re asking for it!”

For the next two to three minutes, it was nothing but punches, blocks and dodges, with the two of them switching off between attacking and defending so quickly that if their fight had been an official match instead of just a spar, it could've been anyone’s round. Then again, if it had been an official match, Lou would've pulled out all the stops and shown off every trick he had while Draxum certainly would've been hitting a lot harder with quite a few more face shots, with either one of them being able to end the fight quickly.

But really, what was the fun in that?

For now, they just enjoyed the push and pull of the spar, observing each other’s strategies and clever moves while also admiring the other’s strength and athleticism. It was enjoyable, there was no denying that, but things were starting to slow down some. So, as Draxum caught his last punch, Lou allowed his body to stop. He smiled at his opponent, tilting his head slightly as he stared into Draxum’s eyes, not once trying to pull his hand away. “So… Wanna call it a draw?”

“Hmph.” Draxum lowered his arm, but didn't let go of his boyfriend’s hand. Only changing the position of his own hand, so it could feel like he was actually holding it rather than catching it. “Normally I wouldn't, but I think I can make an exception.” He rubbed the back of Lou’s hand with his thumb, taking a half step forward. “Good fight though. Shame it had to end.”

“Funny,” Lou said as he began tilting his head up now, “I was just about to say the same thing…” Still, there were certainly worse ways for a great spar to end than with a draw and a kiss...

Always seeming to have a few crumpled dollar bills and dull quarters sitting in the bottom of his locker, Draxum took the responsibility of keeping them hydrated and headed out to the old pop machine in the alley behind the gym. It took a couple tries for the finicky machine to accept his money, but Draxum was stubborn, and eventually this determination was rewarded with two bottles of water.

Unfortunately, once he stepped back inside, his mood quickly soured. The gym was a bit busier now, and while most of the people there were doing their own thing and minding their own business- “-Come on, you can't expect anyone here to believe that you are anything more than some washed up pretty boy from Hollywood!”

“Well, if you want to get technical, I'm actually from Tokyo,” Lou replied, arms crossed lazily, “Though I do appreciate the pretty comment, even if you are not really my type.”

The Chinese man who had recognized him (though definitely wasn't a fan) just sneered at the comeback. “Yeah, say all the one-liners you want, but that doesn't change the fact that you're not a real fighter!”

“And what makes you say that?” Draxum said suddenly, now directly behind the two of them, “After all, Hun, if you're going to be stupid enough to insult someone with enough skill in one hand to outclass you, then you'd better at least have some so-called evidence to back it up.”

Looking over his shoulder, Hun smirked. “Didn't think you were the fanboy type, Draxum. What, you think your ‘star’ can't handle a bit of trash talk? Can't handle someone who knows how to actually fight and not just swing a ladder around a set or toss around opponents who aren't even trying? Yeah, sounds like a real champion to me!”

Draxum narrowed his eyes, glaring down at him now. Of all the acquaintances and opponents he'd met at this gym, Hun was both the most cocky and the most annoying. Covered in tacky tattoos and always bragging about his ‘skills’, and despite only winning about two-thirds of the time, he still gloated incessantly about his victories to his cronies when they were there to back him up. The only good thing that came from running into him was usually beating him and shutting the mouth of his for a good while. ...But now, he could think of one better…

Draxum gave Lou a look and Lou didn't have to think about it, nodding back and giving his boyfriend a look of his own. Oh yeah, I've got this. “Well, if you are so confident, then why don't we have a friendly spar?” Lou asked, “Since we’re, you know, next to a fighting ring and all. You don't mind, right Ben?”

“Nope,” Draxum answered, “Don't mind at all.”

Hun grinned, cracking his knuckles. “Alright, Hollywood, let's do it. I for one can't wait to tell everyone how I beat the oh-so-great Lou Jitsu!”

“Oh I'm sure it will be an enjoyable tale,” Lou told him, not even looking at him now as he headed towards the ring’s entrance. Hun huffed, and started towards the other entrance. As for Draxum, he just found a good spot to watch from, and waited for the show to begin.

Lou took off his sunglasses in order to have completely clear vision, his face rarely serious. Hun smirked again, not at all intimidated. As far as he was concerned, this spar would be his, no sweat! “Here in the ring, you can't use fancy moves and convenient props as a crutch,” he taunted, “It's all skill!”

“I prefer to think of those things as ‘style points’, but hey, I can do basic.” Lou took one last deep breath before shifting into a starting position, completely prepared for whatever his opponent had to throw at him. “Ready when you are.”

Hun’s face shifted into a scowl, and he rushed towards Lou with a punch. Lou hopped back, dodging it easily. Another punch, another dodge. Hun tried a kick, and Lou simply ducked, sidestepping out of the way.

A small crowd was starting to gather outside of the ring. “See, I TOLD you that was Lou Jitsu!” “Whoa, you still think he can kick ass?” “Hun’s got this, Jitsu’s barely even fighting!” “Are you kidding me, Jitsu’s a pro! He's gonna wipe the floor with Hun once he gets going!”

Draxum watched in silence, eyes totally focused on his boyfriend. He could see the concentration in Lou’s face as he continued to duck and dodge, each move calculated as they darted around the ring. He wasn't trying to tire Hun out, he was just waiting for the perfect moment to go on the attack…

One more punch was thrown, aimed directly at Lou’s face - and this time, Lou blocked. His arms up now, he shifted into a punch so quickly that it made Hun flinch. He put his own arms to block, but the punch never came. Not from that direction, at least. The first one had been a fakeout, and it had done its job well, allowing the second punch to have a clear shot at Hun’s midsection

The crowd gasped and cheered. Hun grunted at the attack, but managed to stand tall. A respectable feat, but now he was out of step. Now it would be time for him to play defense. Lou began throwing hit after hit, hard and fast enough that even the ones Hun managed to block still caused a bit of pain. The occasional fakeout was enough to keep Hun from regaining an edge, and for the second time tonight, Lou was able to surprise his opponent with a well aimed kick to the shoulder.

As this all went on, Draxum could only stare, eyes wide. He didn't cheer along with the others. He couldn't even smile. All he could do was watch his date with amazement as he fought. It had been one thing to watch an extreme version of his fighting style in his movies, or have a playful spar-dance with him, but this was the real deal. No quips, no smirks or taunts, nothing but raw skill and strength. He could also see just how muscular Lou still was at this angle, despite being so lean and his abs, while not being completely gone, not nearly as tight as they used to be.

Each movement of his arms was a natural extension that was as easy as breathing and as powerful as a cobra strike. His stance was firm and as solid as a skyscraper, yet his feet almost never stopped moving. His eyes were sharp, always looking for the next opening and always trying to think two moves ahead. This was the mind and body of a true champion.

Simply put: To the others watching the fight, it was amazing. To Draxum, it was incredible.

With the two of them quickly running out of space - they were nearly up to the fence now - and the clear fatigue beginning to appear in Hun’s face, Lou decided it was time to officially end it. Huh threw one last punch, desperate enough that there was little technique in it. Lou caught it with ease, and with his other hand, he punched Hun right in the nose, sending him to the floor. He’d held back quite a bit, not being annoyed with Hun enough to seriously hurt him (or risk getting sued by him), but the man’s nose was sure to be bleeding for quite a while.

“Good fight,” Lou said simply, offering a hand.

Hun slapped it away, and stood up on his own, swaying only slightly. Even with one hand holding his nose, he managed to sneer at the ex-movie star. “So you proved that you can fight. Good for you. Just don't expect it next time, you got that?” With that, Hun stomped off, shoving past anyone who tried to talk to him outside of the ring.

But despite the harsh words, Lou just shrugged and headed towards Draxum, a smile already returning to his face. “Hey!” He waved, “So, I think I did pretty good in there.”

“Yes,” Draxum nodded, his voice slightly stiff, “You… Did well in there. Very well.” He inwardly scoffed at himself. That was only a mere fraction of the reaction he had to Lou’s fight, of the praise he wanted to give, though the rest would have to wait. “But I think we should head out to the car now.”

“Huh?” Lou raised an eyebrow. “You want to leave?” Did he get turned off by Lou showing off, or-?”

“I'm saying…” Draxum tried again, his cheeks a bit red now, “That we should go out to the car.”

Lou stared at him for a couple seconds before it finally hit him. “Oh. ... OHHHH.” He grinned. “Why, Benjamin~”

“Shut up,” Draxum hissed, his face burning now as he grabbed Lou’s wrist and dragged him towards the exit, with his date just barely managing to hold back his amused and excited laughter.

-----------------

“One roast beef, and one burger. Enjoy, you two!” Lou nodded, silently assuring that they would.

The two of them had decided to stop somewhere for a bite before heading back to Lou’s place, and as luck would have it, the diner they’d had brunch at a few weeks prior was on the way there. Even better was that the diner was pretty deserted for a weekday evening, which meant other than a couple whispering waitresses, there was no one to really bother them.

The ex-action star smiled as he picked up his burger. “Heh, nothing like a couple good spars and a great makeout session to get you hung- Ow!” The kick under the table wasn't very hard, but Lou still gave a pout. “What was that for?”

“It's just not really the type of thing to say in public, is all,” Draxum grumbled, blushing slightly again. He took a moment to brush some hair out of his face, his hair tie currently lost somewhere under the seats of his car. “Especially not for us. We’re not exactly teenagers, after all.”

Lou scoffed. “So what? We can still have our fun, can't we? Not too old for that. And it's not like there's too many people around to hear. ...Though, if they did, they would probably call us lucky, and I would say the same.” Draxum just rolled his eyes while Lou chuckled, finally taking a bite of his burger.

The couple ate in silence for a bit before Lou spoke up again. “I had fun tonight,” he told Draxum, his tone much more sincere now, “Thanks for letting me tag along.”

Draxum smiled back at him, swallowing his own bite of roast beef and mashed potatoes. “If you had that much fun, then I’ll remember to invite you along next time.”

“Yeah. It really wasn't that bad of a place.” Lou dipped a couple fries in his ketchup, looking a bit thoughtful now. “Maybe I could even take the boys there. Once they're older, of course.” Can't exactly have fights out in the backyard, after all. ...Well, you could, but it'd probably lead to a visit from the cops.

Draxum looked curiously at him. “Oh, so you are teaching them your fighting style?”

“Eh, sort of.” Lou gave a small laugh, shaking his head. “From the first time they saw one of my movies, they have been begging me to teach them. Perhaps they were a bit young for those films, and certainly too young to begin intense training. Not that something like that was going to stop them. I lost count how many times I caught them trying to spar with each other - and usually hurting each other or themselves accidentally in the process. Once I even caught Raph with a ladder.”

Catching Draxum’s look of concern, Lou quickly clarified. “It was one of those little kitchen ladders. More like a stepstool, actually. Still, it scared me enough to send both him and his brothers that were cheering him on to their rooms. Afterwards, I sat them down and we had a long talk, leading to the compromise that I would begin to teach them when each of them turned ten.” He then sighed slightly. “Still, you know how insistent kids can be. So, in the meantime, I'm teaching them tai chi as well as the very basics.”

“Ah, I see,” Draxum nodded, “That seems fair.”

“Yeah, and it's actually been working out well. Tai chi actually makes for a very effective cool down exercise when any of them get into a fight with one of their brothers or have a meltdown over something. Plus, just learning different moves and techniques is just fun for them, no matter how simple they are.” Lou smiled to himself. With how enthusiastic they were at such a young age, not yet being bored or frustrated enough to quit, there was a good chance for martial arts to remain a long term part of their family.

His date smiled back at him. “Perhaps they'll grow up to be like their father, then,” Draxum commented.

“Heh, not exactly like me, hopefully,” Lou replied, “But yeah, maybe. It's like they say, you pass down who you were in life as well as what you knew during it. I just hope I'm passing down all good things.”

“I'm sure you are,” Draxum assured him, “Can't think of many bad things about you…” He stretched out his foot once again, this time gently brushing past Lou’s ankle rather than kicking it. Lou said nothing, wanting to use his mouth to take another bite of his burger instead, but returned the touch with his own foot.

Traffic slowed outside the window by their table, bright lights flashing by only occasionally. Some old 60s melody came up on the diner radio, further adding to the homey feel of the room. Once he was finished eating - for such a skinny guy, he could not only eat quite a bit but also eat it quickly - Lou rested the back of his hand against his drink, the water droplets from the glass of pop cooling the spots where light bruises were already starting to form. Switching his fork to his other hand, Draxum gently took Lou’s for the third time that night, lightly massaging it. And just like twice before, Lou didn't dare pull away.

Indeed, playful spars and showing cocky jerks who’s boss was pretty fun. But as it turned out, simply sitting at an old diner table, holding your date’s hand and just being able to peacefully exist with them was just as nice.

"...Would you like to join in on one of our tai chi sessions?" Lou asked suddenly, "We usually do it early weekend mornings, so I can understand if you would want to sleep in, but..."

Draxum personally didn't know much about tai chi, yet it didn't seem to matter. "Count me in," he answered, and the two didn't hesitate to seal the agreement with another kiss.

I'm admittedly not a huge fan of TMNT 2012 - though if any of you like it, it's fine, glad you could find more enjoyment in it than I could - but I thought including Hun from that incarnation could be a fun little easter egg, plus he seemed to fit better than just a random no-name character. And of course, gotta have some Todd! Heh ^v^ Anyway, please leave a kudos and a comment if you can, I'd love to know what you guys think of this chapter and story as a whole, and i'll see you all next time!

[wannawrite]

Melting Of The Ice Cream Girl [ pt.2 ]

PD101 / MXM’s Im Youngmin X Reader [fem ver] part one TW: use of vulgar language, mild violence i think… better to put these up anyway Fluff, mild angst bullet-point ver. [ scenario ver. : coming soon ] • some stuff happens that makes you go all ICE princess where is ice cream girl • your stare could freeze Youngmin • can Youngmin still melt you? oMGgg guys idk what’s wrong with me i’m on a roll right now but i literally re-read part one and got super happy after that like it didn’t even feel like I wrote it okay bye buT yAY IM SO HAPPY YOU LOVE IT ANON I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS ONE TOO EVEN THOUGH I’M BAD AT WRITING ANGST gOD BLESS - admin L PS: sorry but scenario ver. might take a long time :((( ___________ • it’s pretty awkward still • you can’t stop blushing • Youngmin can’t stop talking to you • and chuckling when you barely nod out a reply • your face is like a tomato • what is a regular heartbeat anymore? • Youngmin’s so perfect you can’t even breathe the same air as him it isn’t possible • but he seems happy sharing the same table as you • as much as his sunbae + chaebol™ clique is yelling for him and Donghyun to return to them • they stay rooted to their seats • and somehow it makes you really happy on the inside • but on the outside, it looks as if your glare can get hell to freeze over • you try to get Woojin or Daewhi’s help but they’re so engrossed in conversation about something personal with Donghyun • that Youngmin feels that he shouldn’t interfere with because he isn’t interrupting • he’s just admiring your face and picking at his fries • also trying to start a conversation with you • at least he’s trying and you really appreciate it 

• suddenly you have this nudge of confidence and you blurt out • ‘you’re in the same mathematics class as Mina, aren’t you, oppa?’ • deadass Youngmin’s pupils dilate when you call him that • moVING ON • he smiles and nods his head • ‘yeah i know mina, she’s cool. we actually sit next to each other in class.’ • then silence • … • *crickets chirping* • ‘yo Y/N why don’t you tell Youngmin and Donghyun about the game you created’ • oh god Woojin why • your best friends are grinning smugly at you • the focus shifts to you • ‘uh…uh, it’s nothing much really…’ you try to avoid it • but the hopeful and interested look on Youngmin’s face makes you give in • ‘It’s like…idk what we call it but for now, we call it mall hide and seek’ ( made up game by yours truly™ ) • so like hide and seek but across the whole mall and you can text clues and whatnot • Youngmin and Donghyun want to play • sunbae + chaebol™ clique hears and joins in as well • resulting in your face resembling a tomato • one of the boys in the clique makes fun of your blushing face • 'yah! don’t laugh at her like that, it’s rude of you.’ Youngmin defends • yOU aRE SHocKED • diD MY CRUSH JUST DO THAT ??? • uHM YES SIS HE DID • 'oh, it’s okay….’ • 'but thank you Youngmin’ • oKAY HIS ENTIRE FACE LIGHTS UP • hE’s SUDDENLY GLOWING • and that makes you crack a smile • even though it’s a tiny one • you guys get up to leave • and Youngmin refuses to leave your side for some reason but you don’t really care • because • who would? He’s Im Youngmin • you’re blessed if he approaches you • and he’s your crush so • you guys start playing • and Youngmin decides to hide in the supermarket • so you find yourself squashed in the tissue paper section with a laughing Im Youngmin • he doubts the finders would ever search in behind a wall of tissue boxes • thank god no one reports ya’ll • you’re giggling so hard it kinda unlocks your crazier side • you feel like you can reveal a bit of your true self to Youngmin • he seems trustworthy • suddenly your phone chimes • your mum needs you to buy some spices • sighing reluctantly, you emerge from your hiding spot and Youngmin follows you • you try to push him back since Woojin and Sewoon have already found Donghyun, Samuel and Kenta • skillz™ • but he’s like 'no i can’t leave you, we hide together, we die together’ • even though it’s possibly the dumbest thing he has ever said, your heart flutters uncontrollably • you roll your eyes but grabs his hand and drags him along • Youngmin is sHOokeTH • shES HOLDING MY HAND OH MY GODDHDKSHSKDB • you don’t even realise because skinship is such a common thing with your friends • Youngmin is about to faint from happiness • he can die happy • you grab a basket and start searching for things from the list • surprisingly, Youngmin takes and interest and also helps you to get things • he also tells you about how his parents use roughly the same types of herbs • also helps you reach the top shelf if you can’t • just looking like a domestic couple • newly weds • like the wholesome couple just grocery shopping together • you find yourself enjoying it so much you don’t feel as if Youngmin is a acquaintance • he asks for your number • and you two chat a lot as you’re grabbing items • when your just finishing at the cashier • Jung Sewoon, a member of the sunbae + chaebol™ clique spots you two • 'there!’ • you hastily thank the cashier and make a run for it • grabbing Youngmin’s hand and your stuff of course • you manage to outrun the school’s star tracker, Takada Kenta • 'yo dude, let’s let them go to the rooftop and do romantic shit before ambushing them’ • 'do you guys want bubble tea?’ • 'i bet Youngmin’s going to kiss her first’ • Samuel loses the bet • you guys are up on the rooftop sky garden • how romantic • you guys out breath and struggling to catch it while doubling over in laughter • 'did we lose them?’ Youngmin asks • 'i thinks we did’ you reply, giggling • 'you’re crazy, Y/N. I love it’ he says • you’re caught off guard but recovers quickly • nOW OR NEVER Y/N • you pull him close by his fancy as tie bc he’s a sunbae + chaebol and loves dressing up • tip-toeing • 'then i suppose you’ll love this’ • before you can back out, you press your lips to his • hE IS STUNNED • you break away but he pulls you back in to kiss you more • honestly, you don’t know what you guys are but you know the feeling is mutual • you do go home with a heavy heart after he doesn’t say anything about a future relationship • at least he was your first kiss • but you’re absolutely crushed when Youngmin arrives to school in his fancy ass car on Monday • he isn’t alone • it’s like a scene in a drama • and this pretty, tall, rich girl steps out on the other side • you were halfway done the steps to meet him but you just turn around and storm the other way • your temper has been tested • 'you don’t want to mess with Y/N, she’ll ice you to death’ • you’re mad, why? • Youngmin can’t make out with you on Friday but come to school with another girl on Monday • what’s worse? you spent the whole weekend texting him • he was behaving super sweet and lovey dovey • clearly interested • and now…. • they aren’t related • so she’s a competition • she’s his dad’s boss’s daughter who transferred schools halfway through Sophomore year • she isn’t in any of your classes but she seems like a fairly pleasant person • Hyemi and Mina aren’t having it either, since they know about your little incident • you can’t even look at Youngmin • he’s confused when you don’t return the smile or wave • i guess she never really liked me ??? • lol son im sorry but u dumb • ( yOungmIN SWEETIE IM SORRY IM DOING YOU SO DIRTY RIGHT NOW ) • he asks about you in math class but Mina just shrugs in response • it continues for a week • you can’t exactly kick the poor innocent girl out of school can you? • but she seems to want to extend her 15 seconds of new girl fame • she goes around bragging about how she and suuupppeerr close • 'oh! we were just in his room watching a movie yesterday’ she says to her little group of Freshman fangirls • 'did you two cuddle?’ one of them pipes up, eyes wide • 'yupp! we live in the same house for now so we’re super close. the mansion is huge.’ • basically, she’s trying to brag about being Youngmin’s friend • Kenta told you that Youngmin’s only nice to her because she’s like his annoying little sister and his dad would have his head if he isn’t • you hold you temper but one day • she’s just sitting there in the canteen outrightly insulting Samuel for being the 'poorest’ in the sunbae + chaebol™ squad and being mixed • ( i fcking love samuel how dare you not like him just bc he’s mixed im mixed too wtf wtf wtf i still don’t understand ) • you just about beat Donghyun to confrontation • 'it’s funny how you laugh at others for small things like that but you don’t even have enough money for your own house,“ you hiss even though it’s a really low jab to take at her • you have 0 chill when it comes to your friends, even though Samuel isn’t the closest • the Sophomore pushes out her chair and stands up to meet your eye but she’s still shorter than you • 'eXCuSE mE?’ • 'you heard me. you talk shit about Samuel yet you’re living off the Im family.’ • the Sophomore bitch shoves you as hard as she can but you barely wavers • 'LIsTEN! I cAN taLK abOut whOEVER i waNt tO. SamUEL DOESN’t belONG iN thAT cLiqUe. WhO tF dO yOU tHiNK YOu ARe?’ • you scoff, mildly amused by this Sophomore • 'someone Youngmin oppa actually likes’ • she screams so shrilly it causes your ears to bleed before lifting her hand • you catch it before Hyemi and Mina can interfere • leaning to her ear, 'you have no right to look down on someone just because of their social status or because of their race.’ • 'it was joke’ she whimpers out as your grip on her tightens • 'there’s a fine line making a joke and being a bitch but I guess you’re both’ you spit, releasing her arm • she tries to shove you again ??? lololol this girl issa joke • suddenly, you’re wretched away • Youngmin storms out of the canteen but before he can, you yank your hand out of his grasp, glowering at him • 'you don’t deserve me!’ you yell, anger bubbling over • he’s speechless but you still follow him to the bleachers in the gymnasium • there’s a really long and bitter silence • 'thanks…on behalf of Samuel, you didn’t need to….Donghyun would’ve-’ • 'Samuel’s my friend, of course I should have’ you cut off, 'what do you want anyway? i need to go.’ • Youngmin catches your arm as you turn to leave, 'why are you ignoring me? what did I do?’ • you raise your eyebrows at him in disbelief, 'Im Youngmin, you are one of the smartest students in this school. you should know what you did’ • he shakes his head and hangs it in shame • 'i don’t know? how about…making out with me on Friday, texting me all weekend just like a boyfriend would but showing up on Monday with a girl and not denying any of the shit she’s spewing? i don’t even know anymore’ • he’s apologising countlessly but you don’t even know anymore • you’re out off the gymnasium before he can catch you again … • it’s been another week since that entire fiasco and everything has settled down since then • Samuel won’t get over the fact that you stuck up for him and nearly got suspended • Sophomore did get suspended because she initiated the fight • you ignored Youngmin the whole time as much as your heart ached and as much as you cried but it was too mentally pressing to try to keep up with a guy like him • one day, a letter falls out of your locker when you open it • it’s from your alpaca boy • 'y/n, i’m sorry. hear me out, we can make this work. 3 pm, basketball courts’ • Hyemi and Mina caution you, even Woojin and Daewhi are skeptical but you’re at the basketball courts at precisely 3 pm • Youngmin’s already waiting for you on one of the benches, he smiles - which you can’t return - and gestures for you to come closer • 'i’m sorry i behaved like that. i had a lot going on, believe me when I say I argued with my parents for an hour when they told me about…Anna’s arrival. it was unexpected and I didn’t exactly like her.’ he sighed 'i guess i really f*cked with you without even realising. I’m sorry. I should have made things clear from the start to her. I’m sorry I played with your emotions and that she said such things.’ • 'what did you want to make clear?’ you prodded, hope rising in your chest • Youngmin’s eyes met your own and his hand enclosed yours, beaming. 'that I want to be with you, because I like you’ • you’re elated but at the same time, you can’t accept how things are • 'I-I’ll have to… think about it…with all that’s happened,’ you stammer • the smile on his face falls but he nods understandingly • 'I understand. I’m willing to wait for you.’ • your answer isn’t immediate and Youngmin got pushed to the greatest lengths to try to win you back • he really isn’t giving up • honestly, you’re touched he’s courting you for so long • it was entertaining for his clique and yours which had bonded together to form one power squad • eventually, you fall for his advances once again • you’re truly an ice cream girl • sweet, crazy, cold and sticks to Youngmin’s lips • it isn’t like he’s complaining

[senatorrorgana]

Young Gods - One

a/n: i've risen from the grave! as i expected, i got inspiration back after the trailer dropped thank god! down to business though, this is sort of officially a re-write of my old damerey fic 'Twin Suns'. i lost inspiration for it entirely, and to be honest, i wasn't like the direction i was taking it, i wanted to explore so much more but i wrote myself into a corner. between taking the basic idea from that, adding in the new ideas i've had brimming in my head wanting to write some skywalker family drama and traveling down some dark paths story wise, along with the trailer inspiration - here we are! this fic is going to go back and forth between rey and ben a lot and really explore the bond they had before - well - before ben ruined everything, but for a reason; fear not though, there will be damerey though it might not be as prominent as it's been in the past since i really want to explore this bond rey and her brother share and what drove them to where they are now! anyway, i'll stop talking, the tags (which i will update as the chapters go on so i don't spoil too much) and the chapter will do the rest of the talk, i hope you guys enjoy!! <3

rating: m 

ao3: (x)

        The Skywalkers were known for losing limbs, it’d almost become a family joke of sorts over the years. Rey and Ben used to talk about which limb they’d rather lose; Ben always picking his left hand while Rey picked her left leg. This, however, was far worse, this was losing a part of herself that she couldn’t live without, a part of her soul that couldn’t be replaced. She could still see the lightsaber so close to her neck, feeling the heat sizzle against the skin of her neck and forming a scar, feeling him plead to her through the Force, begging her to go with him, to not leave him as their parents had left –

        “Rey?” A scratchy yet familiar voice pulled Rey from her meditation, chasing the negative thoughts and memories away.

        She jumped slightly, she knew Uncle Luke would notice it but she couldn’t help it. That one recurring memory scarred her in more ways than one, the scar on her neck stinging slightly as if she had just gotten it all over again.

        “Rey, are you ready to go?” Luke questioned.

        “Yeah, I’m ready.” Rey replied, nodding and collecting her thoughts, wiping away the stray tears she shed and focusing on boarding the Resistance U-Wing parked and waiting for them.

        “Do you want to talk – “

        “No.” Rey cut him off. “No, I don’t want to talk about it.”

        “Let’s get you home then.” Luke sighed.

        “Yeah…home.” Rey mumbled.

        Ben could feel her scratching at the back of his mind, clawing her way to where she shouldn’t have tried to go. Before he could push her away she was gone, and despite everything, he still always missed her presence after she left. He couldn’t allow such distractions though he did indulge in them when he was weak; once she’d been the only thing that held him together, they were inseparable – now they were strangers, and Ben still didn’t know if it was for the better or the worse after all these years.

        “Ren,” Hux hissed as soon as he walked onto the bridge, it was times like these where he wished he could choke the life out of the man, “Supreme Leader Snoke wishes to see you.”

        He didn’t bother with a response, instead Ben simply walked past him, feeling the General’s anger as he did so. The thought crossed his mind of choking the life out of him, of silencing that barking tone the General had once and for all, but something always stayed his hand and kept him from doing so.

        The hall for the Supreme Leader wasn’t far from the bridge thankfully, though it felt like it stretched on for miles whenever she had gotten in his head. Ben clenched his fists and took some deep breaths under his helmet. This meeting was more than likely about the Resistance spies, more specifically, about the girl he left alive because she bore a resemblance to her, his sister whose name he couldn’t even speak without feeling rage.

        ‘Ben, please don’t, please!’ He heard her voice over and over again, sparks hissing from nearby counsels.

        She haunted him as much as he haunted her.

        Rey had been running for so many years now that it felt odd to sit still, it had just been her and Luke for the longest time, trying to run and hide without risking calling for help and getting more people killed along the way. They’d been hunted like animals, chased down across systems and given few chances to catch their breath. A few days ago, Luke had finally told her that he reached out for help against his better judgement, he knew that she was unravelling and needed a place to gather her thoughts. Rey only wished that the safe place he promised her hadn’t been with the Resistance of all places.

        The ship jostled and rumbled slightly as it made its landing down onto the tarmac, Rey already feeling the lively static in the air from all the hustling Resistance officers outside the door. She took some deep breaths, preparing herself for the gawking and stares she knew she’d receive as soon as she set foot outside this ship.

        It’s her, that’s the General’s daughter!

        She’s Luke Skywalker's padawan, one of the last, she’ll know what to do with the First Order.

        She has to be different from her brother, she can’t be so evil, she won’t take after Anakin.

        Rey hung her head and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to drown out the voices already. It’d been so long since she’d been near so many people that she’d almost forgotten how to handle drowning out crowds.

        “Breathe Rey, it’s alright.” Luke assured her, his hand resting on her shoulder.

        He offered up the silent solace of his thoughts to help her gain her focus again and once she felt sure she could control it, she gave a brief nod to Luke to let him know. The pilots of the ship wasted no time after that to open up the ship's door, the sound of boots running across the tarmac being the only thing Rey heard.

        She slowly got to her feet, feeling a bit dizzy from having to expend so much energy already just to control her thoughts. Despite the busy nature of the base, she was caught off guard by noticing the crowd that had gathered around the ship, officers and pilots alike, along with a few senators who openly supported the Resistance after the recent attack from the First Order. There at the heart of the crowd standing front and center was the one no one other than her mother, dressed as if she were ready to march out to war herself with her lightsaber strapped to her hip where her trusted blaster should have been – Rey knew that meant the threat was serious and imminent.

        Her mother’s emotions were mixed with joy and sadness, tinged with regret; the exact same emotions Rey remembered her feeling the day she left her at the temple with Ben. It’d been so long since she’d seen her mother that she almost didn’t recognize her, if it hadn’t been for those eyes – Ben’s eyes – she would have mistaken her for someone else.

Leia took a few steps forward, testing the waters between them to see how she would react. Rey knew there was no escaping this moment even though she desperately wanted to turn and run, she had to face her here and now. With Luke at her side and guiding her forward, Rey kept her eyes locked on her mother while all the officers surrounding them kept their eyes on her and Luke, the last of the Jedi in the galaxy. In a matter of moments they were face to face with one another, no way of escape, and Rey wasn't sure whether she was ready for this moment yet.

“Breha, look at you.” Leia spoke, a fond smile on her face and eyes watering, she was itching to reach out and hold her though she restrained herself. “You've grown so much.”

That's what happens when you leave your child alone for six years, Rey so desperately wanted to say. Instead she bit her tongue and nodded, wanting to keep the moment peaceful in front of strangers.

Leia reached out and wrapped her arms around her tentatively, Rey stiffened up at the contact before barely putting her arms around her mother, just enough to give a slight hug yet stay away from an embrace. She pulled away slowly, not wanting to let go of Rey just yet, before she turned her attention to Luke who gave her the loving embrace she hoped to get from her.

“Let’s get you two inside, you must be exhausted.” Leia said, breaking away from her hug with Luke and turning her full attention to Rey again.

With that, the officers around them dispersed and went about their business again, all except for three at least. One was a short blonde about her mother’s height with buns in her hair and a data pad clutched to her chest, waves nervousness radiating from her while she stood in their presence. The second was a taller dark man in uniform, standing tall and proud yet had a warm smile on his face as he gave a brief nod to both her and Luke, the pins on his uniform told Rey he was a Lieutenant. The last was a man about the same height as the Lieutenant beside him, bronze skinned and brown eyed with dark curled hair, something about him made Rey think he’d be a great poster boy for the Resistance - something pretty to look at and catch people’s eye. Despite his looks, he seemed to be the highest ranking one of the three, his uniform telling Rey that he was a Commander.

The three followed them in, the blonde girl staying right at Leia’s side and typing away at something while the two men stayed behind both Rey and Luke. It made Rey feel like she was being escorted, as if she needed protection from something she didn’t know was even a threat yet. Then again, with the First Order’s last attack hitting so close to the Resistance’s base planet, perhaps it was for the best that they were kept under guard.

The blonde girl, Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix, as Rey came to learn her name, showed Rey to her room while Leia herself escorted Luke, the two men lingering in the debriefing room and talking among themselves.  

“If you need anything while you’re here, I’d be happy to help.” Connix said, lingering by the doorway while Rey tried to get used to her surroundings.

It’d been years since she had a bed, longer since she had a room to herself; she didn’t realize how much she missed the privacy until she was finally given it again. The room was small and only one bunk, but it was more than Rey had since the Order destroyed the temple, and part of Rey with it.

“Thank you.” Rey acknowledged her.

The Lieutenant was about to leave, though something held her back and made her hesitate, the flare of her anxiety being more than enough for Rey to sense and cause her to stare at the girl.

“Uh, the General requested to have dinner with you tonight.” Connix stated, her voice meek and gaze no longer fixated on Rey, but on the objects behind her to avoid eye contact. “Or, rather, she asked if you would join her, it wasn’t an order, more like a request - “

“I’ll join her.” Rey cut the girl off, she didn’t need to ask or pry into Connix’s mind to know that she knew of the tension between Rey and her parents, it was written all over her face and the way she acted.

“I’ll let her know.” She replied with relief written all over her face, this time leaving as quickly as she could and the doors shutting behind her.

For the first time in years, Rey finally had some peace, but now the silence seemed more deafening than the voices of others. She used to love having her space, but years of travel and losing Ben...the silence only reminded her of how alone she truly was.

[dangan-aesthetic]

im not sure if this counts as a request or not and you can absolutely delete it if it does but... if im not mistaken mod twogami has a fondness for broadway so... could they recommend any shows? i've been trying to get into more shows and such...!

It doesn’t count as a request! don’t worry, you’re fine! oh my gosh though I love Broadway SO MUCH I am SO HAPPY to make a list for you I LOVE talking about stuff I like! 

one warning I should maybe give is that I tend to be more into modern musical theater, so the majority of shows I really like are from after like 2000 if that’s okay with you. I’d be happy to recommend some older stuff if you’d prefer, I’m just not as knowledgable about it. another warning: I am incapable of brevity. this list is way too long… i’m so fuckin sorry… i’m really really sorry. 

comedy:

♡ the producers (2001). the show that really got me into musical theater. it also won more tony awards than any show, ever. about two broadway producers who try to create the worst musical ever, ergo hilarity ensues. maybe not the best pick if you’re uncomfortable with content that makes fun of nazis, but if it helps, the writer is jewish (and I’m jewish and don’t have a problem with it). there’s also some adorable gays, and a movie version that’s very faithful to the show, so that’s nice. you want the 2005 movie if you want songs (the 1968 movie isn’t a musical). also, if you like this, young frankenstein is a great show by the same creators with a similar sense of humor.

♡ the book of mormon (2010).two mormon missionaries go to uganda. absolutely hilarious. pretty crass though, and i’m sure problematic as hell (by the creators of south park, if that’s any indication), so be warned. but it’s just… such a fun time.

♡ a gentleman’s guide to love and murder (2014).a rare musical comedy that’s actually not that crass. about a man in edwardian england who learns he’s ninth in line to inherit an earldom, so he kills everyone in his way to the position. actually a very lighthearted comedy. bonus points for a love triangle that turns into a really cute poly triad.

♡ avenue q (2003).sesame street, but about issues faced by people in their mid-twenties: a kindergarten teacher tries to snag a boyfriend, a recent college grad tries to find his purpose, a gay republican struggles to come out of the closet, gary coleman is just kind of there. song titles include “the internet is for porn” and “everyone’s a little bit racist.” puppet sex. a good time.

♡ a funny thing happened on the way to the forum (1962).slapsticky, very clever, hilarious if you like roman history, funny even if you don’t. about a roman slave who wants to earn his freedom, his young master falling in love for the first time, pirates, soldiers, sex workers, a lot of stuff. the movie is very good. I’m also partial to the 1996 cast album because I love Nathan Lane.

drama:

♡ sweeney todd (1979).just… a masterpiece of a musical score tbh. about a barber who seeks revenge for his tortured past. people get baked into pies. if you haven’t noticed, i really like musicals that make light of murder (although i’m guessing you like funny media about murder too, since you came to a danganronpa blog to ask this?). funny, moving, dark, creepy, powerful. I’ve never actually seen the movie and don’t really recommend it from what I’ve heard, but a production of the show is on DVD with most of the original cast, and it’s definitely worth a watch. also, if you like this, i recommend p much anything stephen sondheim’s ever written. he’s a genius.

♡ spring awakening (2007).takes place in the late 19th century, but is very, very relevant to issues kids face today. covers stuff like the importance of sexual education, child abuse, the pressure placed on kids by school, and the confusion teenagers go through when discovering sexual desire. very heavy, but very beautiful (note: this is maybe the musical I know that is the most difficult to get a sense of the plot by just listening to the score, so I’d recommend maybe reading a plot summary or watching a bootleg or something. there was a cool production last year where a lot of the cast was deaf and it was bilingual in english and asl! idk if there’s a bootleg of that anywhere, but it was a good time). tw for rape, suicide, abortion, child abuse… yeah, it’s dark.

♡ next to normal (2009).about a family dealing with their mom’s mental illness, and covers stuff like how her life is affected by her illness, how fucked up the process of getting treatment is, and how mental illness affects her relationship with the people around her. I find it very realistic, very moving, and very relatable. of course tw for mental illness and suicide. i am dan goodman.

♡ natasha, pierre, and the great comet of 1812 (2012).just reopened on broadway! based on part of war and peace, so you’ll know the plot of war and peace and look really smart. about a woman who gets swept up in an affair while her husband is at war in 19th century russia. the plot isn’t really what’s interesting so much as the gorgeous musical score and really cool things they did with the staging / mixing the 19th century and the modern day.

stuff that’s a mix of the two genres:

♡ the frogs (2004).a comedy that gets more and more serious until it’s… not really a comedy anymore. dionysus and his slave go to the underworld to bring back george bernard shaw and make the world right again. shakespeare is there. hades is gay. was on broadway for all of like four months and is pretty damn obscure, but it’s SO GOOD, I promise.

♡ heathers: the musical (2014).another comedic musical about murder. I love comedies about murder. a girl befriends her high school’s popular clique and gets a sort of fucked up boyfriend. shit goes down. I feel like it does a very good job of representing what high school is really like (my high school experience, anyway), and is a good mix of funny and serious. heavy tw for suicide and mental illness (and briefly for eating disorders, but it’s just a couple of comments).

♡ matilda the musical (2010).based on the roald dahl book! about a little girl who is extremely intelligent, but is surrounded by neglectful parents and an abusive headmaster – so she fights back against them. what a genuinely fun, heartfelt time. great lyrics, super creative, and has a scene where someone eats a whole cake, which is always a plus and very relatable (note: im twogami, what were you expecting). tw for child abuse, but the musical is meant for kids, so it’s not very graphic.

♡ my fair lady (1957).thought maybe I should throw in some older stuff as well. early 1900s england, an upper class linguist asshole tries to turn a lower class flower seller into a “lady.” the movie is very, very good. is based on a very feminist play but was made into a slightly misogynistic romance for hollywood, so I’d recommend reading pygmalion if you’re unsatisfied with the ending (but it’s not like the movie doesn’t do its fair share of calling out higgins’s misogyny).

♡ 1776 (1969).also has a very good movie. about the founding fathers and the signing of the declaration of independence. maybe don’t watch this if you’re mad that hamilton is glorifying slave owners (note: I like hamilton, but I didn’t put it on this list because I’m kind of tired of it by now, and anyway I’m sure you know about it). a very good mix of funny and historically accurate. 

anyway I hope you enjoy this list and can forgive me for… info dumping rlly heavily on u… love u, hope ur havin a good day, thanks for letting me talk about this. tell me if you end up checking out any of these shows and liking them! - Mod Twogami