#are they gonna be able to breach the gap the years have created between them?

[taichissu]

i'll try anyway

i guess it's just about taichi looking up to banri, putting him on the pedestal and seeing him as his role model only to realize they are in fact equals and banri sees him as one of his friends and rivals

about banri being jealous about taichi's emotional maturity, being able to be so open and honest about his emotions, being able to love something like acting so genuinely

he doesn't understand how someone can work so hard and still not see the fruit of their labor, but he wants to understand

he thinks it's very cool how much effort taichi puts into everything, he always puts his whole heart and body through hell to achieve results, his determination is not something banri would ever be able to have so he thinks it's admirable, but he's also worried taichi is gonna break himself some day

at the beginning of act 3, banri always looks down on those who struggle and act desperate working hard, but he's changed, and he realizes it's something he longs for, he wants to struggle, he wants to be desperate, that's why he came back to mankai after running away

when taichi confesses to being a spy, banri is the composed one asking him to show them his portrait; i think it had to be banri and nobody else for many reasons - it's banri finally accepting his position as the leader of autumn troupe, it's banri who saw everyone else's portraits knowing that taichi's first portrait was fake, it's banri giving taichi a chance because he himself has fucked up more times than he could count; if he was accepted back after running away, he can afford to give taichi another chance as well

i think out of all of akigumi, taichi and banri have the most casual buddy-buddy relationship; with all the other pairs, there's always this slight tension of rivalry or age gap, but with those two, it feels very light-hearted

i feel like them becoming official rivals at the end of mantou master event story doesn't ruin this friendship because it was already there, its harder to breach the gap created by rivalry if you try to get closer to your rival, but those two were friends before officially becoming rivals, so i don't think it affects their relationship negatively, and if anything, it probably brings them even closer

there's also the matter with taichi, who confesses to having hated banri when they first met; i really love that fact, there's something about the passion that comes from the hatred transforming into friendship, i can't quite explain it, it's the level of emotion remaining high as opposed so emotion gradually growing when you're indifferent to someone at first, it probably doesn't make sense but it makes sense to me

recently, in one of the backstage stories they went on a radio show together and their dynamic was the most delightful buddy-buddy friendship i could have dreamed of, it was just lovely and fluffy with harmless jabs and jokes, i don't know what else to say about it, i just love seeing the casual air between them that i can't seen between anyone else in akigumi

and finally, the rad red event which is everything to me; i've waited for a ban//ta play for years and when we finally got it, it was everything i ever dreamed of - the event story was great as well; i love how supportive banri was, how he approached taichi's struggles and gave him space and time and listened to him properly; he didn't understand why taichi was conflicted, but it didn't stop him from being compassionate (i also think it really shows banri's growth as a person as well, his patience and empathy have really improved over years, maybe it's signs of him becoming an adult) and being the final push taichi needed in order to finish writing that song

all in all, maybe it doesn't make much sense, i don't have a solid grasp on romantic attraction myself, but i don't see a clear line between platonic and romantic relationships - i like seeing ban/ta as a friendship that's in this blurry area in between, the sensation of longing for the other but you don't know if you love them as a friend or something more, it doesn't matter though because you're just happy to be close to them

it's a little tragic bc if anyone asked me why i like ban//tai so much, i wouldn't be able to tell

i don't know why i grew so obsessed with them seemingly over night and i don't know what their appeal is but they are very important to me

[nebulein]

it was so good. now im sad. my bbs!!! 🥺🥺🥺🥺

(context)

Sorry, sorry. If you spy the angst tag on my 1988 posts, tread with caution. I just can't seem to help myself 😅 🤷‍♀️

Also warning the below will not entirely fix it but...

Originally the fic concept was supposed to go with a heartbreak ending of one of them leaving and one staying and it's the separation that finally makes them realize how much they depended on the other always being there, even when they were barely speaking, deep down there was always this rock of the other person going through the same things, through thick and thin, the highs and the lows, and now even that is gone. And if you really wanna break your heart, listen to Wrecked or while thinking about this, cause... yeah.

Days pass by and my eyes they dry And I think that I’m okay ‘Till I find myself in conversation fading away The way you smile, the way you walk, The time you took to teach me all that you had taught Tell me how am I supposed to move on These days I’m becoming everything that I hate Wishing you were around but now it’s too late My mind is a place that I can’t escape your ghost Sometimes I wish that I could wish it all away One more rainy day without you Sometimes I wish that I could see you one more day One more rainy day Oh I’m a wreck without you here Yeah I’m a wreck since you’ve been gone I’ve tried to put this all behind me I think I was wrecked all along Yeah I’m a wreck

But. I feel like that ending at least leaves the door kind of open. Maybe this is the darkest valley that they need to go through, the separation they never got that they need to find out who they are on their own, without the other always there. What it means to just be Jonny. To just be Pat. And it hurts at first, boy howdy does it hurt, but sometimes we need to shed the past to find out what we want in life. Jonny gets traded at the deadline, but the Blue Jackets flake out in the second round. Does another stint with the Kraken and then retires at the end because his heart just isn't in it anymore, his body to banged up. Goes on all the yoga retreats he can find, spends some time tanning in Sedona, smokes up in Kathmandu, finds a guru and microdoses on shrooms and finally returns to Canada ready to start the next chapter in his life. Kaner signs another year with the Hawks at a discount that makes everyone lose their marbles, but Pat put down roots, he doesn't want to leave and he likes Richardson, but seeing the C on Seth's chest grates in a way he didn't anticipate and it's hard to break records on a team that can't play its way out of paper bag.

He's gonna become a GM one day, of course. Starts out as player development consultant, works his way up. Maybe takes some MBA classes. Meets Jonny on an stupid alumni golf tournament he got roped into, and it's good but also weird. He can't quite put his finger on it, but Jonny's different. Still the same kind of dry humor and lameass comebacks, still thinks of himself as a way better golfer than he actually is, but when Jonny talks about his travels, about his new endeavors, a clean water project down in Peru and something to do with kites and energy? Pat doesn't know, he wasn't really listening, caught by how the wrinkles on Jonny's face are visible all the time now, not just when he's smiling. But also, he's kind of smiling a lot, looking relaxed in a way that Pat hasn't seen, the tight cast around his mouth that had been there almost 24/7 back when they'd still played on the Hawks together entirely gone, the slant of his shoulders so different from the hunched up Jonny in his memories. He's got a tiny bit of a belly now, which is maybe most surprising of all. It looks good on him, though, gives him a mellowness that wasn't there before.

Jonny's different, is the point, and Kaner finds himself intrigued.

[groovyzombiellama]

Destiny

(I just finished watching Venom, finally, and I loved it! I don’t know how many people may have already done fics on a similar idea to this, but it just popped into my head after the movie and I wanted to give it a shot. Also Tom Hardy is one of my biggest celeb crushes, so I wanted to write about him.)

Title: Destiny Requested? No. Plot: Your own symbiote, Acid, had a relationship with Venom on their planet, and so when the two find each other, it forces you and Eddie to spend a lot of time together, and that eventually leads into the two of you developing feelings for one another aswell. Word count: 1489

---***---

“Acid! Quit it! There are cameras everywhere, I really don’t need to spend another night in jail because of your need to make our lives more fun by shoplifting.“ You whisper yelled to the other entity that was residing inside you. Apparently, when the lab with the symbiotes got breached into, by kids who wanted their own powers after seeing the huge fight between two symbiotes, one managed to escape the compound by morphing with a dog. One of the teenagers brought it with him to serve as protection if they needed it. And the symbiote travelled to find a better host, only to set it’s sights on you as you exited the gym one morning, about half a year ago. Obviously, at first you were incredibly terrified by the fact there was another entity living inside you, and that you compatibility was so strong that you would start dying one without the other if separated. And so you learned to live with it, or better yet, her. If those other guys can do it, the ones who were seen fighting next to a train, so could you. You learned that the symbiotes name is Acid and that she was one of the female warriors on her planet before she was brought here, and so she was fond of the fact that you work out a lot and it was a nice little bonus to your compatibility.

She didn’t open up to you too much however, not really interested in what you think about her life on her home planet, until she saw another symbiote she recognized, after you managed to talk her into leaving the store without shoplifting. To say she was causing you trouble in your life at the beginning would be an understatement. Even though you were a very busy woman, working as a manager of a small company that created ads for brands, working out, and socializing with your friends a lot, she still felt like your life needed some changes and needed some excitement. You even spent a few nights in jail at a time, due to Acid trying to figure out what was it that you needed in your life in order to make it way more fun. And then she saw it, them. “Venom?“ You frowned when you heard her voice, but soon noticed a tall, black creature wondering the streets. He was handling some really bad people in your neighbourhood, some of the most notorious criminals, who prayed on your innocent neighbours along with their illegal business.

“What are you talking about Acid? Who is Venom?“ You asked her as you eyed the creature roughing up a few guys in front of you. You knew you could count on Acid to help you in case you get attacked, but once she spoke, you realized you had no reason to be afraid. Acid sighed and quickly recounted you the story of her and Venom. It seems that the two of them were lovers on their planet and they got separated upon being brought here, and she thought she would never see him again, but now she has him in front of her all over again, and she was unable to believe it. You smiled at her confession, hearing actual emotion in her voice as she talked about Venom, and you ask her if she was just gonna stand with you and watch him, or is she gonna go talk to him, symbiote to symbiote. Slowly you start feeling her form overcome you, and you turn into a lilac form, similar to the one of the black symbiote in front of you, but nobody would be able to miss her feminine curves.

As the two of you approached the scene, one of the men Venom had already tossed to the ground saw you and screamed, causing Venom to turn himself and his white eyes grew wider when he recognized who he was seeing. “Acid? Is that you?“ Without taking his eyes off her, Venom tossed the man he was holding, and he hit the wall of the restaurant building with a thud. He then closed the gap between himself and Acid slowly, as if he was still trying to figure out if it was really her. But when he made sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, because she didn’t disappear when he took her hand in his, they fell into each other’s arms, and you couldn’t help but smile under her form, as you had never seen her show any emotion other than anger and annoyance before. But your smile soon faded and was replaced with a panicked expression when you realized they were about to kiss.

You knew it didn’t mean that you were kissing the host of the Venom symbiote, but it didn’t make a very big difference really, as the two of you were one being, with two different minds, voices and skins. But you let them kiss, hoping to just be done with it and go back to your old life. However, neither Venom nor Acid had that in mind. Now that they have found each other, they didn’t want to let each other go that easyly, so you were stuck along for the ride. After spending some time ’alone’ Acid and Venom decided they wanted to introduce each other to their hosts and you two also. So your own human form was dominant again, Acid only now having her head appear, developing from your back. Venom did the same, and you could finally see his host. You immediately recognized Eddie Brock, you loved his show and even had an alarm set to make sure you don’t miss it every single time it aired, so it was quite the shock to be sitting in front of him, on the roof of your house, with symbiotes protruding from your backs. And not to mention you practically kissed him while the symbiotes were dominating your form. The moment he spoke to introduce himself, you were smitten by his voice, and you realized you wouldn’t mind spending more time with him, for the sake of Venom and Acid.

“Looks like you’re stuck hanging out with me a whole lot from now on. At least I get to spend my time with a beautiful girl.“ You blushed at his words, and spoke sooner than you might have wanted, telling him you didn’t mind spending time with him. He smiled at your response, while your blush only deepened. At first, Venom talked about getting Anne back, and you found out she was his ex, who was actually about to get married to a doctor she started dating a very short period of time after breaking up with Eddie. And every time you would hear her name, it was as if  you got stabbed through the heart. Over time you started developping feelings for Eddie and all this Anne talk was close to driving you insane. Eddie noticed you roll your eyes one time as Venom and Acid were talking about Anne being alone at her lunch break and that it would be a perfect moment to just have Eddie walk over, ’accidentally’, and spend some time with her. He asked you if you were okay, and you could only nod your head, but he could tell you were lying. Over time, Acid noticed your change, and asked you if you liked Eddie, to which you answered by admitting it to her, thinking she wouldn’t tell Venom, only to turn after finishing and realize Eddie was standing beind you.

Without another word, he rushed over to you and cupped your face, connecting his lips to yours. That’s when you relized he felt the same about you, and you kissed him back, your lips moving in sync. After parting to catch your breath, Eddie told you Anne didn’t want to listen to him explain what happened, she just left him, and moved on rather fast, but you had shown him so many times over the months you spent constantly around each other that you were not just there because Acid wanted to be with Venom, but also because you wanted to be with him. So many little things you thought didn’t really matter, they did to Eddie and it made him realize you were the one for him. Venom was a little sceptical, since he was all on board the ’getting Anne back’ train, but Acid managed to convince him that you and Eddie were the better pair, and that way they would always be together too. So it was settled, you got you man, Eddie got his woman, and your symbiotes got each other, and it worked. All four of you were much happier with this arrangement, your feelings growing stronger by the day. You were a family, somewhat weird, or better yet, totally weird, but a family nontheless, and you were happy.

---***--- This was sitting in my drafts for a while, and I just got around to writing it, and I hope you like it. I wanted to use an actual symbiote, like Scream or Agony, but they are both ‘born’ from Venom, so it couldn’t really work. Instead I created Acid, and I really like how it all turned out, I hope you do to :)