#been saying this for years but this is such a great perfect way to demonstrate it in practice

[octavio-world]

via Ben Davis at ArtNet.

https://news.artnet.com/art-world-archives/foreigners-everywhere-unpacked-part-2-venice-biennale-review-2485128

[megistusdiary]

can i interest you all in figure-skating coach!arlecchino?

(longer post utc. no smut, just fluff? - tw slight age gap and also idk specifics on figure skating, i just like the idea 😚)

she's a well-known figure-skater, having gone to the olympics for snezhnaya for several years, each time bringing home the gold for her nation.

she's elegant in her movements yet calculated down to each singular motion to pull it all together in beautiful displays on ice. her outfits are always perfect down to the very threads sewn together.

the way she carries herself at conferences, on camera she's stoic but professional, and pretty enough to have both men and women at her feet when she performs.

that is until the incident.

a chronic back injury she's sustained from pushing her body too far. her coach was always relentless. even when she was miles ahead of her fellow competitors, her coach wanted more.

her coach demanded perfection from all her trainees, yet arlecchino was different. held on a pedestal for all to see.

but don't get it twisted. arlecchino herself would often be found practicing these challenging routines all alone at 3 in the morning. she would be exhausted, limbs aching, and relentless to achieve the cleanest routine.

that back injury changed her life. she disappeared for a few years from the skating world, leaving many of her fans in shock and fear.

luckily, for them, she returned soon after with an apprentice of her own. a younger man by the name of tartaglia with a rather charming theme to all his performances.

unlike arlecchino, he was bolder in his performances. a little sloppy, by her standards, but he made up for it in his flair. she could see even the judges swooning over him, the fans' attention now on him rather than her.

or so she had assumed.

she meets you when her old coach introduces the two of you. she's a good several years older than you, and you still carry that sweet, fresh-faced, joyful look on your face.

as you practice your routine for the both of them, her old coach leans over, suggesting arlecchino take you instead.

she snorts uncharacteristically at the suggestion, watching how your spins are slightly wobbly, the way you look just a tad too small on the ice. she wonders how in the world she could make you a star.

it isn't until she sees you perform with your music, with your passion, that she decides to train you.

she grows annoyed by how starkly different her old coach's methods have become. unlike when arlecchino trained, you clearly haven't been sculpted to perfection. she wonders how, at this point in your career, you wouldn't be there. though, she supposes your smile and demeanor make-up for some of your faults.

she trains you harder, scheduling extra lessons for you outside of your normal hours, watching you yawn and rub your eyes when she calls you in at midnight.

many of her students often leave, saying the pressure was too great. how she was too demanding. she never offered extra lessons, expecting people to bring her talent to work with in the first place.

so why did she give you extra attention?

why wouldn't she just let you leave?

no. she didn't want that... she wouldn't let that happen. she'd rather take extra time to not only make you competent, but a fierce competitor.s

she's even put you in ballet classes. even more remarkable is her own talent in ballet, which you can't help but admire.

the first time she ever finds herself looking at you closer than she imagined. she stands next to you, demonstrating stretches, her hand running up your spine to adjust your posture.

you exhale so softly, almost imperceptibly, but it makes her touch falter, landing just a little too tenderly at the base of your spine before she pulls away. she watches you the rest of the lesson, adjusting your legs and arms to the proper position, her hand trailing up to graze over your jaw.

she tilts your head upwards. "stop looking down." she comments, low and sultry, seeing you swallow thickly. "you're being trained by one of snezhnaya's most renowned figure skaters. act like it."

she gently squeezes your jaw before releasing you. "we're finished for the day." she leaves you panting, entirely embarrassed and internally screaming out.

unbeknownst to you, she sits in the car, staring at the hand she used to touch your jaw, a hardened look on her face. she clenches her hand, a soft blush appearing on her normally dull cheeks as she waits for you so you may both leave the ballet studio.

when you finally do perform at competitions, she finds herself growing much more vocal. oftentimes, she remains quiet, only cringing at her other students' stumbles and deductions.

but not with you.

your moves have become much more elegant, and everyone can see. the commentary surrounds how you seem to emulate the epitome of what your coach stood for herself, but in a much softer tone.

your performance leaves her enraptured, your routine completely clean, garnering you praise and showers of applause.

yet you leave the ice with only one person in mind, your hand brushing over hers when you walk past her to find your water bottle.

and, for the first time, she finds herself wanting more. even when you're sweaty under your glittering dress, hair a mess, makeup starting to smudge. she wants you. her perfect apprentice.

[tyttamarzh]

CONGRATULATIONS DEATH FAMILY!!! This is a megapost for celebration. 💗

Today marks one year since the arrival of Chayanne and the birth of the Death Family! And I have prepared a series of gifts to celebrate!!

First in the list… well, I wanted make a special something, so, I decided reunites all the arte that I made about them and create a commemorative video… I thinks isn't a big deal but… I hope you can enjoy it! Really I love this family, really I love them, and I make this whit all the love in my heart. 💕

It was incredible to realize that by putting all this together I could tell a small story, I really feel bad for not drawing more moments with Phil and the children, I think it is very noticeable that my main is Missa, so the song and everything seems to be from its perspective (but that's okay, because there really is very little material focused on him and his perspective).

Now a little remembrance:

That day… the adoption day… when the destiniy unite Phil and Missa with the "D" tickets.

They had to choose an egg to adopt. Missa left the decision to Phil (who initially wanted chose Dapper), who finally, at the crows' insistence, opted for that nice guy with the ducky floatie.

So they had to give him a name, this time, Missa was the one who decided and at the insistence of the Missaurios, he chose the name "Chayanne"

At that moment our little warrior was born, at the same time that a loving, protective and warm family was formed that did not know that it would have to go through a thousand obstacles in their life in the island.

From the beginning, Chayanne was encouraged to become a great warrior by his parents. His father Missa encouraged him to be a protective hero and his father Philza's stories about the legendary Technoblade inspired him to become an invincible fighter. Chayanne has been through great dangers and has had to make difficult decisions despite his young age. That has helped him become what he is now, someone very strong who was able to stand up to his father, Phil, being possessed by Enderking, to save him.

Chayanne has managed to combine his role as a warrior with his love for cooking, a hobby he acquired after spending an afternoon baking desserts with Missa (who taught him how to cook from the first days). His great passion was always encouraged by Philza, who always helped him obtain materials and encouraged him to create various dishes when necessary for a task. Despite still being a child, Chayanne has become the best chef on the Island.

From the first days Death Family became one of the most loving and functional families on the island. Phil and Missa built something beautiful, all thanks to his warm heart and tender, protective fatherly attitude. I know that there have been several bumps in the road, things cannot be perfect, but it has been thanks to the love that they have for each other that they have managed to move forward despite everything and have managed to overcome the obstacles. Thanks to that, I now know that no matter what happens or what problems arise, they will be okay, because it is the four of them against the world.

But that's not all I have to say. I can't celebrate this union without talking about the incredible relationship between Phil and Missa.

When this family started, I never thought it would become an important part of my life and it has all been thanks to the incredible chemistry that the two of them had from the beginning.

No one would have imagined pairing Philza, being one of the most experienced Minecraft players, with Missasinfonia, probably one of the least experienced on the island (but in my opinion the one with the biggest heart), would create this unique, loving and angst dynamic at once. Circumstances have created a panorama that has turned them into the sun and the moon, being a couple that longs for each other for not being able to be together, a couple that constantly demonstrates their love for each other in different ways, who always keep in mind to the other, who fight to defend what they have and who make the most of the few moments they can be together, giving us adorable and incredible moments that are capable of driving us crazy and feeding us well enough to keep us alive, desperately waiting for the next eclipse.

However you want to see it, romantic or platonic, whatever they are doesn't matter. What difference does it make if they have been able to give us moments that have managed to steal our hearts? What they both have is very special and labels don't really matter, the only thing that matters is being able to see them together once again creating unique and fun moments together and with their children.

Today I want to celebrate the birthday Chayanne and the Death Family, but I also want to celebrate Phil and Missa as a couple. THEM, simply THEM. Because their dynamic and their strong feelings for each other have managed to create a beautiful community and have brought us all together here, to toast them and wait for their reunion. Thank You! 💖

[juniorfor2]

I will always find it interesting that for all that people constantly complain about "likable" or "nuanced" villians, wanting "the good old days, where a villain was just a villain and there was nothing more to them," the moment that you open any Youtube video centered on a "nothing but a villain" character, it has at least a few comments making them far more likable and nuanced than they really are. Which wouldn't be of much interest, except for one fact - they all have at least 10-20 thousand likes.

People complain that Disney and other corporations are ruining movies, making characters far too palatable and relatable, but in truth, the same people who complain about such things will also end up liking and encouraging any thinking that characterizes the villains as such. Corporations mostly follow what their viewers want, even if slow or in a bad direction, not the other way around.

Tywin Lannister was an unmistakable bad guy in ASOIAF and Game of Thrones. He was horrible to Tyrion, cared nothing for his family beyond what they could offer to his legacy, and was willing to commit horrific deeds to climb to power. In fact, he demonstrated almost every reason for why "feudalism is bad!" as some people constantly write about. And yet, there are dozens of videos, comments, and social media posts about how Tywin Lannister was misunderstood the whole time and was really a good guy.

He should have been "the good old days where a villain was just a villain!" Isn't that what people wanted? He was an obvious antagonist to Tyrion, one of the main protagonists - perfect, right? Yet instead of grabbing onto this, people turned him into the very thing they claimed not to like.

They could have simply done this with the protagonist. Why not make the protagonist a bit more likable? It doesn't mean much to the story when done, even if it does miss the point occasionally.

But that's not what happens. In fact, the opposite does. The protagonist, the character that's supposed to be likable or nuanced according to them, is turned into the "nothing but a villain" character.

Daenerys Targaryen is one such character. She is very, very obviously one of the biggest protagonists. The first book ends with her, with "for first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons." She is a bridal slave turned Breaker of Chains. She makes mistakes, as every protagonist does, but still progresses forward.

What's not to like about her? While her circumstances and the hard choices she must make do take her into the shades of grey, she is still so compassionate for those suffering that she never comes anywhere close to the darkness that Jon Snow or Tyrion have demonstrated and progressed to. Making her more likable is easy. That's not what happens though.

Instead, she is villainized. She is determined by others to become the darkest character of all, with no nuance or likability whatsoever. They make her the villain in place of the one they've made palatable.

Some of this, I think, can be summed up to people being somewhat idiots and thinking that their idea of hot means good. I remember watching the first 4 seasons back with a sort-of-friend, and she had a huge crush on Charles Dance playing Tywin (she was 16 at the time and he was in his 60s - no, I didn't understand her, and yes, I took great pleasure in showing her Tywin's death). She was so convinced that he wasn't that bad, and the only reason she thought that was because she found him hot. So obviously that does take up a part of it. But it's definitely not the main reason.

The main reason, seeming fairly obvious, is because the idea that movies/shows/books have social or political ideas is no longer something they can ignore. They'll rave about wokeness, saying that it's in every movie now, and why can't we all go back to the good old days of Star Trek and Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings books that of course had absolutely no themes. Despite them having some incredibly heavy or obvious ideas, people somehow managed to ignore them. But now they can't.

Said people do not want to go back to the good old days of "nothing but a villain." They want to back to the "good old days" where they didn't have to examine why a villain was so terrible. They don't want to see themselves in the antagonist - so they make it so villain is no longer one.

In their desperation to get rid of political themes and ideas, and to cover up their own views that could make them look at themselves as the "villain" of our real life "story," they switch the antagonist and the protagonist, the villain and the hero, to make themselves the hero.

After all, why examine your own faults when you can just make them the correct, non-woke perspective?

[lintwriting]

Disney’s Comphet Episode

girl meets world's legacy will most likely be its total flop as a sequel to boy meets world, as well as the worst autism rep ever lol but I'll personally always remember it for how much it FUMBLED THE BAG because it introduced a stupid love triangle.

why were there so many shows in the late 'aughts dedicated to RUINING their shows with pointless ship wars? star vs the forces of evil, danny phantom, and girl meets world are just off the top of my head.

we have these two perfect best friend characters. surprisingly perfect friendship. okay, more like, veering on homoromantic.

(via @forbescaroline)

and then you know what they do with it? They insert the MOST WHITE BREAD ass love interest ever in the form of Lucas.

his defining characteristic is that he's a dreamy goodboy, and there's nothing wrong with that except that he's EXTREMELY boring compared to the oddballs of the rest of the cast, like Farkle or Maya or Riley.

The one thing that subsidizes his bore factor is that all his love triangle ship drama fuels conflict in the show.

he's the straight man--ha, get it? kys

he's dreamy enough to have these perfect friends in conflict over him.

and it kind of ruins the fun of the show.

like, i don't want to see Riley and Maya fight. and they don't even want to fight either. so they're just sighing sadly at each other, meanwhile im over here WHY WOULD YOU EVEN WANT TO DATE LUCAS??

it's giving "she was a girl, he was a boy, can I make it anymore obvious"

like i appreciate a show that demonstrates that girls in competition over a guy DO NOT need to be catty or mean (from what I can remember), but like, this should have been a 1 episode plot AT MOST GOD

they expand on the plot in the most bizarre ways possible too. like i havent watched this show in years, but i still remember this shit.

The premise of the show is that Riley falls into Lucas's lap on a bus in ep 1, so they're basically an end game couple from the beginning. But they have to introduce a shitty love triangle.

So they then have an episode where Maya "acts" as Riley for a day, and while she's acting as Riley, she realizes that Riley doesn't love Lucas and most likely sees him as a brother. which, first of all, is the craziest shit ive ever heard, and second of all

COULD HAVE BEEN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL scene about comphet EVER in a disney kids show.

the DRAMA. the PROJECTION. "she's confused" "feelings you don't understand"

the contrast between what Riley THINKS she feels for Lucas and what Maya feels for Riley. Riley ASKING MAYA "how do I feel, then, maya?" and MAYA's "just tell me what to say" !!! It's the "Good Luck, Babe" of it all!!!!!!!!

it astounds me that this exists in the show! i remembered nothing else about the show EXCEPT for this scene and the terrible autism PSA farkle episode lol.

they use this to fan maya x lucas flames and some drama about maya becoming riley in the last season, which I have zero clue about because all that exists to me is that one crystal clear moment of comphet.

so yeah, while I don't care for sabrina carpenter's music, im extremely happy that she covered chappell roan's "Good Luck, Babe" because it led to this amazing edit that compiles all these moments lol

what a moment. everything, it all has led up to this 67 views edit.

last thing I gotta say, I feel like the drama of "are you becoming me" would've ATE as drama, especially in a sapphic context. like some jennifer's body type shit. instead, it's poorly executed, one-sided, and does harm to both of their characters, from what I've read. BUT LIKE, there's no way it was one-sided. The envy/self-projection thing nor the love!! THEY HAD TO HAVE BEEN RECIPROCAL oh my god i can't Disney was SO CLOSE to greatness WHYYYYYYYYYYY

[aurora-starwars]

Maybe strange request? Anakin x fem Padawan reader (platonic/familiar) who discovered a way to manipulate and control plants with the force .

I'm So Proud Of You That It Makes Me Proud Of Me

Pairing: Anakin Skywalker x fem!Padawan!reader (platonic)

Summary: When reader figures out how to manipulate plants with the force, Anakin is beyond proud

Word Count: 0.5k

Warnings: none, just fluff <3333

A/n: Thank you so much for requesting! I hope this lives up to your expectations! Enjoy!

Masterlist

“Look! Look! Master!” [Name] shouted with a smile.

Anakin Skywalker had been sent on a mission with his padawan, [Name] [Last Name], to retrieve intel on the separatist droid army on a planet not far from the Mandalore system. Today marked day two of the stake-out, and himself, his padawan, and the 501st, were all more than willing to get used to the flora and fauna of the planet. The planet was naturally beautiful, and seeing as there seemed to be little to no signs of the droid army, he let his padawan run off and practice.

Anakin looked over to her with a smile at the ready, already planning to say “That’s great, young one”, sure that whatever move she had just perfected was great. But as he looked over, his smiled dropped.

Anakin always knew his padawan was talented and skilled with the force, otherwise the counsel would have never assigned [Name] to him. But as he watched the scene play out in front of him, he was beyond impressed.

[Name] had some how managed to what appears to be manipulating the plant in front of her with the force.

It was one thing to move and control the movement of objects and life around you, it was another to seemingly make a plant react in very organic ways with means of force manipulation. Anakin knew this. He knew that the force could help suggest things, but manipulation of plants! That was completely unheard of.

Anakin’s jaw was on the floor as he watched his padawan coax a night flower into opening during the day. Then he watched as [Name] moved roots from the ground and slither up to his foot before tying itself around his ankle.

[Name] couldn’t help but laugh as she made the roots pull away, causing Anakin to fall to the floor.

Anakin, who would usually be annoyed at this, couldn’t help but laugh as well. But not about how he fell, it was a shocked kind of laugh about the fact that he just witnessed his student do the impossible.

To say he was proud was an understatement.

“[Name], this-this is amazing! How did you do that?” The proud look on his face wouldn’t be wiped off for the next week.

“I don’t know, I just tried to feel the plants like you would when using the force with animals, and boom!” [Name] beamed, not even believing it herself.

“Boom is right! You know, I don’t think I tell you this enough but you are really skilled with the force.” Anakin smiled as he thought back to the skill [Name] had continuously demonstrated throughout her years as a padawan.

“You think I’m good?”

“More than good! I think, with a few years of good practice, you might just be the best!” Anakin beamed, his smile reflecting his padawan’s.

“Better than Mace Windu even.” Anakin added, smirking but keeping his voice low, as if he would appear at the mention of his name.

[Name] giggled at his comment. Anakin smiling to himself before finishing:

“You know, I am proud that you are my padawan.”

A/n: Again, a little short but I hope enjoyed it! Thank you for reading and please feel free to request, and if you do please check out the request guidelines!

Master-list

[pythoness94]

Obscure fanfic recs, the opinion piece, part two.

This one contains relationship advice and analysis so that's like great? I guess? and it's a more serious take then my last one but like. What can I say? this one was darker then the last. So, I hope by reading these you look into the fics yourselves because every single one of these are wonderful. Also, if y'all got a fic you want me to look into like this (which, lets be fr, you probably don't.) let me know and I'll look into it! As always, thanks to @the-aphelion-archives for the recs and let's get into this.

Fic name is "i hate how you’re going through hell, when you’d never let anyone else: by gaysforbyler "

Opening thoughts: Well, this is a fic I’ve read before and starting out. I adore it, this is the EXACT type of Fic I love. I read this fic very often and the author is one of my favs. So let’s GET INTO no?

Fic thoughts: First things first, I love how Will’s mood matches Mike. He’s not perfect but he’s trying and I love that. It matches a real relationship perfectly, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows and I KNOW it’s been beaten to death but coming from someone who is in a three year long relationship COMMUNICATION is the best thing you can do. And sometimes, communication isn’t sitting down and spilling your guts like your partner is your therapist. Sometimes communication is just saying you aren’t feeling it, or letting them know you don’t want to do things, saying that you just aren’t okay. And when you can’t say that, you have to find a way to say that. I:e, what Mike and Will do in this fic using examples. “Rollercoasters and concrete.” Also, communication is a two way street. While it’s also a partner's job to talk, it’s also their job to LISTEN. Which Will didn’t do at first, he kept pushing, and pushing, and pushing Mike until Mike broke. This is what I was talking about: how relationships aren’t all sunshine and rainbows, sometimes it’s one person tugging too hard on the rope while the other is just weakly holding it so they fall into the mud. But it’s the person tugging to hard job to drop the rope and clean their partner up, asking what’s wrong and trying to fix it. This is how relationships work and this fic demonstrates that excellently.

Okay so, this is one of the things that signal that you need to pick yourself up and get your head into the fucking game and outside of your pitying spiral ”. “Fuck you” Mike spat out” Now for Will, this was strange for Mike because, as we all know, Mike doesn’t do that to Will. So it was the perfect thing to cuff him upside the head and go “HEY DIPSHIT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOUR BOY!” Personally, I’ve had things like this with my girlfriend (her getting quiet and snippy with me.) and I’ve been told that one of my tells is me just getting terse and competitive with things that don’t fucking matter. So Will soothing Mike and getting him OUTTA THERE, is good shit. It reminds me of when i get overwhelmed and my girl hands me her airpods. Good shit.

Will is such a good boyfriend in this fic, recognizing that he fucked up and doing his best to listen to him, great stuff. Also, Mike is characterized AMAZINGLY. His depression is portrayed wonderfully (has a person with diagnosed depression, it’s like this a lot for me. Mike is me fr) This is wonderful. The wheeler family…they’re something else. I can ramble all day about their dynamics but that’s for a different post, different time. But I can say that I TOTALLY see Karen doing that, accidently dismissing something really serious due to 80’s bullshit. Mike and Will are SO cute. However, to address the elephant in the room. I love when people talk about the quarry. It’s a…tender… subject not only for me but others in the fandom and I HATE how the duffers brush over it. That kinda shit sticks with you and I don’t like how nobody brings it up. Not only did Mike jump off a cliff, but he did it for Dustin, who was there, and saw him. Honestly? If I was Dustin I wouldn’t let Mike outta my sight. If Dustin was there for season 3 he wouldn’t have let that shit where Mike hit Billy with a pipe and ran at him when he hit Max slide. He would flip his shit and put his foot down so that Mike needs to be more careful. Another reason why I hate it when people make the party hate Mike. That’s not how people react when their CLOSE friends don’t reciprocate another CLOSE friend’s feelings. They don’t all turn on one fucking person, even if they did choose sides it wouldn’t be everybody and their MOM on fucking Mike’s ass, at least SOME would be against Will. Like I said in the past, if you can’t imagine your ST cast being against Will in this situation or ANY situation but then turning on Mike with a finger snap is totally reasonable then your characters are OOC.

I have some great feelings about the ending. Will recognizes that he can’t handle Mike’s issues alone and guides Mike into letting him tell his mom (AKA a trusted adult.) This is what you should do in this situation. It’s not on YOU to help your partner get better, you’re not their therapist, you’re not their mom or dad, you’re their partner. That’s it, and the only person that can help someone get better is themselves and they will never get better if YOU get worse because you’re struggling to carry the brunt of their problems on your back. Will puts it real good at the end here. “Maybe that’s all Will needs to do. He can be here— offer support, an ear, hugs, anything Mike needs. That’s how he can help. If that’s the case, he has a pretty easy job. There’s nowhere he’d rather be.” This is all you need to be. If someone ever, EVER, threatens to harm themselves or is doing something if you leave them, if someone getting better enterally relies on YOU, then call someone. Their mom, their dad, their siblings. If they are threatening to harm themselves, call the emergency line. The instant they start that shit, call it and ask for a wellness check and explain the situation. That isn’t your job to do, that’s the police’s and your partner's family to do. Do not try and talk your partner down unless you REALLY REALLY need to, you’re giving them exactly what they want. If it gets to the point where they are willing to pull that shit on you, then they need help you can’t give ‘em. Period, dot, end of story. Anyways. 

Will is a great boyfriend here and Mike is just so cute, and so real. Will doing his best to coo and coddle his boyfriend was great, made me feel like my girl was in the room with me lmao. It’s good, it’s cute, and it’s HEALTHY!!! Let’s fucking go.

Final thoughts: I can’t really say anything I haven’t already written, so, great fucking food. Byler was hella cute in this. This is my favorite fic, that’s why it’s so fucking long. I can’t promise the others will be this long but y’know? We’ll see how goes. Onto the next one!

[wen-kexing-apologist]

WKA, in your infinite wisdom, please tell us who has done the very best hand work in bl this year

Ok first of all, I asked for nice questions, SHAN. NOT evil, personal attack, make me choose questions.

There have been many many many great hands in BL this year, and my categorization for them depends on what exactly we are looking for within them.

I wrote the most essays about hands for La Pluie, who I do think did hands extremely well when it comes to demonstrating character's. Patts changes in pressure and sensation versus Tai's fingers being stiff in their first make out session, and then Tai changing it up a bit in their sex scene now that he's had some practice. Patts' thumb wiping cum from Tai's lips, etc. and that wasn't a show that I would say had heavy focus on hands, just good work that I noticed mostly going on in the background.

gif from @wanderlust-in-my-soul

In terms of some of the best subtle ones, I would say Sing My Crush, which had some excellent hand work, and precisely a million screen captures, but were ones I didn't really notice while I was watching it.

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

In terms of shows that have had a hand focus, the fucking oil scene from I Feel You Linger in the Air was a perfect demonstration of hand work. There are so many shots of hands in this show and every last one of them is absolutely stunning. Removing Yai's tie, massaging Jom's eyebrows, the way the lesbians hold hands, it's all incredible.

gif from @pharawee (using the only hand moment in the oil scene that will most likely not get this post flagged mature lmfao)

And then I will give a shout out to Moonlight Chicken, both for the absolutely beautifully shot scene of Heart and Li Ming's hands climbing up each other, thumb to pointer finger. But also because sign language is a language of hand movement, and sign language is such a vital part of the story.

gif by @firstkhao

Another currently airing one that I think uses hands well is Only Friends, which similar to La Pluie doesn't feel like it is actively trying to do a ton of hand close ups, but whose use of hands is brilliant for how it demonstrates character. For example, how often Boston points directly at people because he's fucking rude, but Mew can't point directly at Top when he's fighting with him.

gif by @btwinlines [i know objectively this is not as strong of a hands gif as the others in this set, but I legitimately cannot find any other gifsets that shows Mew fighting with Top, and this gif does show that Mew points down and to the side of Top, which I love for Mew still not being able to be fully rude.]

Finally, special shout out to Man Trisanu in Step by Step for possibly my favorite hand moment of 2023, which happens in Ep 7, Pat is crying and Jeng starts to reach out to comfort him, realizes that touching Pat is not appropraite, and pulls his hand back.

gif by @pharawee

OH GOD AND OUR DINING TABLE HAD ONE OF MY OTHER FAVORITE SMALL HAND MOVEMENT MOMENTS, WHEN YUTAKA FOR A MILLISECOND REACHES HIS HAND BACK OUT TOWARDS MINORU'S IN EP 8.

gif by @forcebook

And if you wanna know what hands I thought were the hottest this year from a show I'm not even watching.

Love in Translation

gif by @aejeonghae

Like, excuse me?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[three--rings]

So it turns out there were a lot of things from S2 I was waiting to pass judgement on until I saw how they played out and...I ended up not thrilled about. And it's all these little things that keep bothering me.

Things I'm not happy with in OFMD S2:

-Jim and Olu feel retconned into not being in love. Like I know we want to talk about happy polycule but it feels like they aren't even very close this season? They were even more of a secondary ship than Lucius and Pete in S1 but we got essentially no good Jim/Olu stuff in S2. Instead we got the Olu/Zheng Yi Sao romance which on paper sounds good, but lacked chemistry. Especially from Olu's side. I feel like they kept repeating that "break in your day" thing cause they didn't have anything else. IDK weird weird decisions were made. I don't mind the Jim/Archie stuff at all but that was also not given any real romance time. They kissed and then I guess that was that?

-While on the subject of Zhang Yi Sao...why was she there? Like, don't get me wrong, I love her character and her inclusion in the show, but while the build-up in the first few episodes was great, then...they did basically nothing with her. Her entire plan was foiled by a moron in a split second and then..IDK she's now just riding on the Revenge and not even in charge? She's come way down in the world and I don't like it.

-Izzy dying. I don't mind the death scene itself, (though i wanted Izzy's friends on the crew more involved) but I think having him die shifts the genre and is disappointing in a way that feels unlike this show. more to be said obviously but not in this post.

-Speaking of that scene I grow more and more annoyed with Izzy saying "they love you, Ed." Not because it's not a great sentiment that would be narratively meaningful, but because it's NOT DEMONSTRABLY TRUE. Who loves Ed on that crew? Maybe Fang? There was absolutely no moments between Ed and crew after ep 3. They tolerate him for Stede's sake is all I can say. They love Stede. They love Izzy. And then Ed just leaves them and they are probably relieved.

-the way the central problem the whole season with Ed and Stede was communication but they never actually do anything about that, just declare victory.

-the way there was no climax or resolution with any antagonist in the last episode, they just barely escape, swear revenge like they're gonna head into battle, and then retire. Which makes ZERO sense and it bothers me SO MUCH.

-The lack of Stede and Ed costuming. IDK if it's because I've been writing a fic for a year centered around the clothing but like the show feels incomplete if they're not getting to dress up. I was looking forward to Ed wearing more than his leathers and we got a rice sack. This is entirely a personal gripe and not important but, yeah.

-Zero focus on the crew and no new info about any of them. I was really, really looking forward to getting more backstory, more personal info on characters like Roach, Frenchie, Wee John, but no.

And yanno, the thing is that I'm not unhappy with what S2 GAVE us. I like most of it. I love eps 1-6. Though 6 is showing the pacing issues badly. But what I miss is what we DIDN'T get. None of the stuff on screen was bad per se or couldn't have fit into a very excellent, cohesive season of TV. But I feel like all the connective tissue, all the thematic resolution, all the stuff that would have made it shine was missing.

Like they had a bunch of notecards of great scenes and filmed them but forgot to write the parts to connect them in a meaningful way? IDK this season feels a little like a first draft?

Not eps 1-3 though. I feel like they were perfect, and then they ran out of time/energy to polish the rest. (4-5 were also great, but they could have fit in with the rest better ultimately.)

I feel like people who are happy with this season are like 'we got this moment and this scene!' and that's great and cool and I also love that moment but I'm still left unsatisfied by the whole, yanno. Sigh.

[sleepingpopplio]

Izuku Midoriya and confronting a complicated past— an analysis

With the upcoming arc in the anime about to come after next week’s episode, I think that it’s important to talk about Izuku as a character, and everything that has led him to this moment and this particular arc in the series. While there is a lot going on in that Kid’s head, most of the things that directly cause Deku to act the way he does during his vigilante time has been left unsaid and up to the reader to pick up on. This could be seen as sloppy writing, but it could also be seen as a great use of subtlety to create a slow downward spiral for our protagonist that can be incredibly rewarding for readers who take the time to do some extra sleuthing. So before the arc begins, and before the inevitable controversy on whether or not the arc was rushed or came out of nowhere, how about we take a close look at Izuku Midoriya as a character and his depth that is often ignored. Let’s take a peek at how his entire arc is filled with tragedy, hope, and the importance of confronting one’s past. Sit back, grab a snack, and enjoy my first in depth BNHA analysis where I hope to give manga readers who are currently watching the anime some added perspective. Also disclaimer: I love all the characters in this series and will not be bashing on any of them, as I feel as though it would be undermining the messages of the story and the depth of the characters. Nothing I say is meant to be putting down any characters and I am not blaming any single character for Izuku’s struggles. All fans of any characters are safe and welcome to enjoy this.

At the beginning of the series during the very first line from our protagonist, which is something that is supposed to help the audience understand the type of story they are about to read— Izuku says “people are not born equal”. He also states that he learned that fact at the young age of four years old. From the very beginning, Deku was made to believe that he is less than everyone else. Less than those with quirks, and therefore less of a human. Quirks, literally translated from Japanese, mean individuality. To be quirkless, in the eyes of MHA’s society, is to be without a soul. Or at least, that is what can be understood by a small child who simply wants to belong. Therefore, deku internalizes form a young age that he inherently has less value as a quirkless boy, and such internalizing severely damages his perception of himself for the rest of the series. He’s a useless deku that does not have much to contribute. However, during the very same first scene we also see Izuku fighting back against the kids trying to beat him up. Despite the odds stacked against him, Izuku midoriya is determined to prove himself. He’s determined to prove to others, and to himself, that he has value. He is also determined to keep moving forward despite society seemingly turning him away. But children need time to process their emotions. They need time to learn and talk through the issues they’re facing. Izuku does not do that. He keeps fighting, he keeps wanting to be a hero, but he doesn’t talk to any adult around him about how he feels. He doesn’t get told that he is perfect the way he is, or that he doesn’t have to prove anything. What happens when such insecurities and trauma are not given the space to heal at an early age? Well let’s move forward a few years…

When Deku meets all might, and demonstrates his innate and pure heroism when he runs to save Bakugo from the sludge villain, he is offered a once an a lifetime chance: One For All. He is told that he can become a hero, and is aided in training to use the quirk and get into UA. By this point, Izuku’s self esteem issues that stemmed from his childhood and the the perception of quirklessness that was placed upon him by the world around him have only grown. He wants to be a hero, but he also has become quiet and reserved, as he thinks of himself more as an afterthought. He wants to help people, because he cares and he is a kind hearted individual, but also because he want to be useful. He has to be a useful hero, but how? The quirk of One For All thus represents a way to be useful in the way that Izuku thinks is correct, which is by being a quirked individual. So what happens when you give a kid with extreme self esteem issues, and who views himself as flawed for simply being himself, a very powerful quirk along side the opportunity to become a hero? That child latched onto the quirk like a lifeline. They have to make good use of their new quirk; they have to utilize the blessing granted to them or else they will remain useless and will be left behind. Izuku will work hard to earn his quirk because he feels as though he is unworthy, even though he already proved himself the second that his body moved on its own. Therefore, the second Izuku is given his quirk, he begins the cycle of using it as an unhealthy coping mechanism and source of validation. He is more hopeful than ever when given the quirk, but his unhealthy mindset is also given the power to run rampant. This is the story of a boy becoming the greatest hero he says, so early on in the series, but it also of a boy desperately trying to become more than he currently is, for better and for worse.

This then leads to the beginning of his time at UA, where Izuku, in addition to clinging onto his quirk as a replacement for his self esteem, begins reclaiming the meaning of his nickname Deku. “Deku is the name of a hero” he declares, and while taking back the power from his former bully and standing up for himself is an incredibly uplifting moment or Izuku in the beginning of the manga, there is another side of the coin that is the reclamation of Deku. Izuku Midoriya feels as though he has to be the new, hero Deku, or else there is nothing else worthwhile about him. He has to prove himself as a true hero or else he’ll have to go back to the old, useless Deku…He’ll forever be left behind. So, he breaks himself. Over, and over, and over again. The hero named Deku breaks his limbs time and time again, because if he doesn’t push himself to the brink, then he hasn’t done enough, and therefore he has failed the quirk that he was blessed with and failed the people who have helped him. The sentiment that he needs to hurt himself, or even nearly get himself killed, is incredibly concerning and could even be seen as suicidal ideology. Furthermore, this ideology creates an intense fear that follows Izuku wherever he goes, and even causes him to blame himself in scenarios where it’s not his fault at all, such as the summer camp arc where he was nearly killed by muscular, yet still beats himself up over Bakugo’s capture.

Another development that occurs at the beginning of Izuku’s time at UA is the start of an insurmountable amount of pressure being placed on his shoulders. When Izuku first received One For All, he was told that he could use the quirk to achieve his dreams of being a hero. He knew nothing of its past, and was given no indication that he had to live up to it. Yet, during the tournament arc Allmight begins mentioning the idea of Izuku becoming the next symbol of peace. While an honor to have, being the number one hero and an international symbol was not what Izuku, a fourteen year old kid at the time of the sludge villian attack, signed up for. Yet, he takes on the responsibility with a nervous smile on his face, and the shadow of all might begins following him. Next, he learned about the horrifying figure that is All For One, and Izuku is told that he may have to fight him one day; He may have to fight someone that he had previously thought to be nothing more than an urban legend. The child who wanted to become a hero now has to be prepared to fight the demon lord. Moreover, these revelations begin the process of Izuku placing more and more pressure on himself to be the best hero possible. He cannot afford to make a mistake. He cannot afford to be useless, because the legacy of One For All demands that he be exceptional. Afterall, he’s the ninth user. Do the wants of Izuku Midoriya really matter more than the fate of the world?

During all of this, Izuku slowly becomes more comfortable with his quirk, and grows in confidence. He truly becomes equals with Bakugo and works with him to mend their relationship, and he also develops his shoot style in an effort to move away from imitating All might. These things are all possible development for Izuku’s character and also gradually take place as the series goes on. After so many years of being quiet, he finally opens himself up again; He opens himself up to love from his peers, and opens himself up to new experiences. He also becomes more willing to talk back to others, as demonstrated by his attitude towards Endeavor, and later his more frequent and friendly banter with Bakugo. However, the self esteem issues and insecurities never go away, and Deku still breaks himself every chance he gets. The pressure also still continues to build as Allmight retires, and Izuku becomes truly trapped in his role as the successor. He accepts his role, and is happy to be serving others, but Allmight’s retirement leaves a void that Izuku feels as though there is no one else left to fill but himself. There’s no backing out now, and Izuku’s quirk development now has to speed up or else he will never be able to fill that void. He also witnesses the might of All For One in person, and the nightmare of him having to face the demon lord becomes even more of a reality. Through all of this, Izuku still refuses to talk about his feelings with his peers or the adults around him, and instead he decides to keep marching forward without taking any time to let himself, or his mind, rest. The only sliver of hope for Izuku’s mental well-being is the fact that he still allows himself to cry. Therefore, the shadow of responsibility that followed Izuku morphs into a massive weight on his shoulders that helps to steer his development backwards and into character regression.

Izuku’s mental health then takes a turn for the worst after the Overhaul arc, which was also a turning point for the series with its dark tone. As Izuku sees for himself the real horrors of the criminal underground, he once again blames himself for Eri’s circumstances and his inability to save someone. Through this experience, Izuku becomes so entrenched in the idea of becoming the perfect hero that he even begins denying himself the right to cry. He says that “heroes don’t cry”, and other characters such as Todoroki are shocked at the statement by their friend. Crying was one of Deku’s last healthy coping mechanisms, and he loses that too. Nighteye’s death cements this fact, as it is actually the last time that Deku sincerely cries in series, before the end of vigilante arc. All other times that he cries moving forward form this point are played off as gags, and thus Izuku represses his emotions to an extent that is even foreign to him, as someone who has been suppressing his emotions since he was a small child. It should also be noted that this arc highlight’s Deku’s uncertainty as a holder of One For All. This shows that no matter how much Deku’s confidence improves, he will continuously view himself as not good enough and fear the return of the former “useless” Deku. In addition, the overhaul arc also highlights Izuku’s loss of innocence. As I said before, Izuku is exposed to the true cruelties & horrors of the villian underground, but this development is not new. Dating back to the Stain arc, Izuku has been gradually losing more and more of his innocence. Even when he endured a very difficult childhood, Deku was at least able to told onto hope and be optimistic for the future, but being thrusted into the world of heroes takes the bright eyes boy and chips away at his soul. He keeps going, because as always he refuses to give himself time to heal, but the Izuku at the end of the Overhaul arc is not the same person as we was when he first enrolled in UA, and he never will be again. The fear, responsibility, and loss of innocence all culminate to send the mental health of Izuku Midoriya into a free fall, but he would never admit it. Instead, he keeps on smiling.

We are getting close to the vigilante arc (I hope you’ve been enjoying this so far!), but one final significant development in Izuku’s mental state occurs during the Class 1-A and Class 2-A training session, where he is once again given responsibilities that he never asked for. At this point, Izuku’s confidence has grown exponentially, but on further inspection much of that confidence seems to be misplaced. You see, while Izuku becomes extremely confident in his use of One For All, he still remains insecure about himself as an individual. He still lives in fear of being useless, and constantly needs to prove himself. This is because Izuku Midoriya the individual is being slowly left behind, while the Deku the hero becomes comfortable with his quirk because if he can’t master his quirk then he has nothing. He is nothing… Then Blackwhip appears, and Izuku has to relearn his quirk even though he had already been working fro months to get to to the place he’s currently at. It feels like a slap to the face, but now that Izuku has now more formally met the vestiges, he’s given no choice but to accept his new quirks in addition to his role in “completing One For All,” as The 1st user puts it. Izuku Midoriya fades even more, the incredible amount of responsibility grows even more, and the hero Deku sees himself as nothing else but the ninth holder. Most of this understanding of Izuku’s mental state is not actually spoken of out loud in the manga/anime, but the context clues of the events leading up to this moment (as shown by all the writing before this), Izuku’s facial expressions, and the events afterward help strip away the smile that Izuku is so determined to keep on his face almost the entire arc and show high Izuku’s walls have grown around his internal anguish. Therefore, the metaphorical vault shown that Izuku uses to lock away his quirks is also used to lock away his emotions once and for all. The only leak in this facade that we have until the end of the vigilante arc is…

Izuku’s character regression has already been set in stone by the time the war arc comes around, but what is important to note is how his repressed emotions manifest in the form of his intense rage. We’ve seen this before, with how Izuku becomes incredibly intimidating and unhinged during his fights with villains such as Muscular and Stain. All For One’s theme even plays in the anime as Izuku fights Overhaul to represent how monstrous he is int eh eyes of villains during battle. The difference during this arc is that other characters are finally catching on to just how toxic Izuku’s ideology has become. Bakugo in particular takes takes note of just how not ok it is for Izuku to not take himself into account, and shows visible concern while Izuku fights with Shigaraki in the air. Not only is Izuku being destructive to himself, but he also lashes out so harshly that is seems though he intends to kill Shigaraki in the moment. But to Izuku, he has no other choice. He is Deku, a hero, and the Deku who always does his best. Deku himself veery clearly states during this arc that he will no longer be the useless deku, and with that statement he resolves to kill the remnants of Izuku Midoriya, the quirkiness kid with bright eyes, himself. He cannot afford to be useless. He refuses. He will kill himself during this fight with Shigaraki if that’s what it takes to be a hero who saves everyone and a hero who is worthy of being the ninth holder of one for all. Finally, everything has come full circle, and the name Deku starts as something negative, then is given hope to become something positive, but then once again becomes a toxic image within Izuku’s life. That is why it is so important when Izuku is called by his first name in the vigilante arc— because Izuku Midoriya, both the quirkiness child and the current person, are deserving of love and have value beyond their quirk. Izuku is more than One For All, but unfortunately all of his repressed emotions that have been highlighted throughout this entire analysis have to explode out of him in order for him to heal. In addition, Deku and the repression of his emotions has led him to push everyone else away, even back when he was smiling nonstop. The war arc simply showcases ho bad that seclusion has gotten, and that when it comes down to it Deku will purposely exclude his peers in order to suffer alone.

Izuku, in the vigilante arc, will simply be the ninth holder of One For All, whose only purpose and value lies in defeating All For One himself. Furthermore, at the center of this entire discussion, is the fact that Izuku is afraid of his past. All of his self esteem issues come from such a young age, and yet he does not know what else to do besides run from it. Izuku Midoriya is a character that is so defined by his past, yet is so desperate to escape it. Therefore, he will need to be reminded by his loved ones that the cycle of trauma that he has endured throughout his life does not have to continue. He can choose his own way. He is not shackled by his past, and thus healing is possible. It’s not too late, and all he needs is his friends to remind him of why he is loved for his heart, and not his quirk. Therefore there is no singular character that got through to Deku. All of 1-A saved the boy who was so desperate to save anyone but himself.

With that said…

Deku’s entire arc throughout the series leading up to the vigilante arc has been filled with regression, in the sense that the heros around him place more and more pressure on him to the point that he does not consider himself human, but rather a tool that has no value outside of One For All. This is the story of a boy that becomes the greatest hero, but also of a boy that was stripped of his innocence and beaten down by a system that rejected him since the beginning, yet he still dreamed of being a part of. The entire vigilante/villain hunt arc brings together all of the pent up pain and self-loathing that has been following him since the beginning of the series, and shows how everything that he’s been hiding has finally caught up to him. The pain and trauma that we see from Izuku in this arc was always there, and all it took was the war arc to trigger it to come forward. In conclusion, Izuku Midoriya is an extremely complicated character who has been on a fascinating downward spiral since the beginning of the series, and if readers can take the time to see how he got to where he is, then maybe we can at least better understand the context behind the vigilante/villain hunt arc, and the complexity behind My Hero Academia’s protagonist.

Credit to @mettywiththenotes for having the post that inspired this essay, and that I originally had the conclusion of this analysis posted under as a reblog. Also credit to @pikahlua’s mha discord server that I’m in for encouraging me to write this!!!

[whoiwanttoday]

So I pre purchased tickets for Love Lies Bleeding for a few reasons. One, it's getting great reviews and has been since it first screened at SXSW. I already liked the idea of it but knowing it works is hugely exciting. If you don't know, Film Noir is one of my favorite genres and every November my friends and I do Noirvember which started a decade ago with them going, "Film Noir seems cool but I don't know anything about it". Well guys, I did know about it and it was about time to put that education to use so that first year I chose 5 movies that I felt would help demonstrate the characteristics of the genre and wrote essays about each one with what to look for and what identifying tropes of the genre were there. Since then I have put in far less effort but every year we try to grab some movies that are significant for various reasons to the genre. My point is, I love Noir and really appreciate French film critics for inventing it after the fact. So Love Lies Bleeding is not a Noir, it is a Neo-Noir but for obvious reasons it's a genre that always interests me for obvious reasons. It's a Neo-Noir because you can't make film Noir anymore, part of what makes it film noir is when it was made and that no one has ever set out to make a Noir, if you are you're making a Neo-Noir. But I love them, too, especially sun soaked ones. Thirdly, Kristen Stewart. First of all, I think she is a tremendous actress who just does great work and her projects just get more and more interesting. They don't always work but man, I want big swings rather than boring. There are so many safe movies I give higher ratings to than interesting failures but those safe, bland mediocre movies all fade into the background, I still think about the interesting failures. So I love that she tries cool projects and the truth is most of her work. She always works in them. But the thing is, when I heard she was doing this I just knew it was perfect. My favorite Noir figure is probably Humphrey Bogart. That's not an out there selection, the guy was undeniably cool. And I was like, yes, let Kristen Stewart be Humphrey Bogart. I think she could 100% pull off that. I mean, I don't think she is in this movie, she's playing a different kind of a mess than the cool character who keeps getting in over his head but when it comes to vibes of someone who can be my favorite sort of Noir protagonist it's her. Which is a long way of saying I have tickets to go see the movie and resisted posting Kristen yesterday cause my brain was like, "We'll post her after we see the movie". Welp, I didn't make it cause she has been all over the place and looking very good. So I caved and made it exactly one day. Today I want to fuck Kristen Stewart.

[sadnesslaughs]

The worst thing about dying is talking to HR the next morning.

(A response to a writing prompt)

“With all due respect. I didn’t intentionally miss the meeting. I died yesterday. It was on the news and everything. I even texted our boss after it happened, so he knew I wouldn’t be able to make it into the office.” Garth pleaded, not wanting to lose his comfy office job. It was hard for immortals to find work, mainly because most companies either closed or got suspicious of their employee that had been working there for over a hundred years.

That’s why Amiza was perfect. A large distributor of candy and snacks, the sort of company where the bosses only see you as a statistic on an excel sheet. No one cared if he stayed here for six hundred years, as long as he showed up on time. He also had great job security, knowing that both candy and snacks were goods that would never go out of fashion. It was practically an unsinkable business, and yet he hit a roadblock in his employment. Dying yesterday on his way to work.

“Ah, yes. The ‘death certificate’.” The HR manager, Tom, resisted the urge to use air quotes, instead doing the verbal equivalent of it, giving a snarky rise in his voice as he went over the word. “You would have us believe you died and came back to life? It’s not even Easter and Christ has risen. Splendid.”

“Ah, I’m not a god or anything.” Garth said, a little embarrassed by the comparison. He had gone through a cult stage in the early 1000s, something that most immortals did while they were young. After that weirdness, he never wanted to be referred to as a deity again.

“I was being sarcastic, Mr. Backlor. How do you expect us to believe any of this? People don’t come back to life.”

“What about during open heart surgery?”

Tom sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “In that case, they may sometimes come back. Though, I doubt any medical profession is deeming them dead during the surgery. I also assume they wouldn’t turn up to work a day after being declared dead. I want to believe you, Garth, I really do.” Tom lied, already having the termination email template on his screen. “But, you have to give me more to work with. Why shouldn’t we fire you?”

“Because I’m a great employee.” Garth thought that would be obvious. What other answer was he going to give in this situation?

“You’re a good employee. Not great. Great is reserved for people like myself.” Tom smirked, always happy to fluff his own feathers. The man’s arms crossing against his chest as he leaned into his chair, demonstrating the proper authority that comes with a position like his own.

Garth thought about that. “Didn’t you come to work late last Tuesday?”

That smirk shattered as Tom shifted forward, scowling. “I wasn’t aware I was being monitored by you. For your information, I had a terrible emergency that morning.” Tom wouldn’t say what that emergency was, not wanting to admit he got stuck waiting for fresh hash browns in a drive through.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just thinking that we’re kind of similar. Everyone makes mistakes.”

Similar? Tom fumed at the comparison, tapping away at his keyboard, writing Garth’s name into the empty boxes on his template. “Now that I think about it. Dying would void your employment contract. You wouldn’t even be able to sue us.”

“You can’t do that! I’m telling you, I died. I was even in the work parking lot when it happened. You can check the footage. Some idiot was speeding through the parking lot and they ran me over.”

Tom stopped typing, pausing. “Our car park?” Now he was nervous. A death at their workplace? One that had gotten news coverage? He sweated, wiping his forehead. “We… have signs around the parking lot telling people to slow down. We also have numerous safe crossing areas. You only have yourself to blame.”

Garth thought about the accident. He didn’t remember seeing any signs or crossings. He didn’t remember seeing much of anything except the hood of a car. “I don’t think there were any. I was in the old bit. The one that leads to the underground elevator.”

“Ah, one moment.” Tom hurriedly emailed Jenny, who organized their safety and upkeep, asking her to let him know if they had placed any signage or crossings on the underground parking level. When Jenny said they were doing that next week, Tom panicked. “Ah, why are we even having this discussion? Of course you’re not fired. We couldn’t fire a person for dying.”

Garth didn’t expect the sudden attitude shift, but was happy to hear he wasn’t on the chopping block. “You mean it? That’s great news. I thought I was a goner.” Garth offered his hand to Tom, who quickly shook it. “Yes. Actually, I think a promotion might be in order. To compensate you for your troubles. A great employee should be rewarded.”

“I thought you said I was only a good employee?”

“I didn’t want to ruin the surprise promotion.”

“That makes sense. I think?” Garth wasn’t born yesterday, so he knew what was going on. Even if he hadn’t intended to sue them, the thought of being sued was enough to deter them from firing him. After all, he didn’t want anyone looking too deeply into this either. It was hard enough trying to convince doctors you magically came back from the dead. You didn’t want lawyers also looking into your strange medical records.

“A ton of sense. Now, why don’t you get back to work? I’ll send the paperwork through for your promotion.”

“That sounds great.” Before Garth left, Tom reached over the desk, tapping his shoulder. “Yes?”

“I also might need you to make an address to whatever news company reported on the accident. Let them know it wasn’t as bad as initially reported. Just so we can sweep this whole mess under the rug,” Tom said, begging him to agree. The sooner they covered this up, the better it would be for them all.

“Sure. Bye Tom.”

“Bye Mr. Backlor.” Tom said, slouching in his chair as the man left. Glad he got that ticking lawsuit bomb out of his office. He just hoped he had diffused it, not wanting his own job to get caught in the blast if it went off.

[ash-arts-a-thing]

So, I followed the scent of angst and ended up finding ur trollshock au, LOVIN IT so far!

Had to look up what bioshock was and its context and characters since I’m not a gamer, but I am still a bit confused bout the whole situation. U don’t have to, but do u think u could give a brief rundown of what’s going on?

Thank you!!! I’m glad you’re liking it!! I hope to do more for it soon!!

Where do I start? I haven’t gotten a comeplete timeline from begining to end, so some things aren’t difinitive, but I can give you run downs on a couple things.

Sorry this got kinda long, I’ll put it under a read more, if you have any more questions please don’t hesitate to ask!

John Dory and his parents were invited to move to Rapture for their scientific knowledge, which works for them because morally their parents are extremely bankrupt so they can get away with anything down there. JD was aiming to get into the music industry, he’s a great song writer (not naming them though) and he’s ace with a guitar, but their parents managed to talk him out of it. They claimed his entertainment skills would be put to better use by demonstrating plasmids and tonics, of course back then they weren’t comepletely aware of the side effects excessive and heavy use could do to somebody both physically and mentally.

So for a while JD was the face and name of plasmid use, his favourites being Enrage and Incinerate. The first side effects he had were horrible migraines so he uses a pair of tinted goggles to try to avoid bright lights, and around this time he’d been told they would be having another baby soon. JD, excited at the thought of being a big brother, recorded a few songs for them via audio diary and one in particular being written specifically for his sibling.

Not long after Bruce was hatched the effects of constantly destroying and rewriting his dna finally caught up to him and they quickly pulled JD from any sort of spotlight and practically erased his existance, claiming that he had to be sent back to the surface for business reasons. In reality they signed him off to the new Protector Program, Bruce was signed to the Little Sister (Brother) Program. Any male subject they tried to use for the LSP hasn’t worked, but they managed to make it work ask long as Bruce was paired JD and ONLY JD.

Unfortunately the slug they planted into Bruce had the side effect to make him age incredibly fast and while they saw it as a benefit at first, since the rest of the children in the Program were 5-6 years old, but by the end of year 3 he had the looks and mental capacity of a 30 year old. He was not happy to say the least, since he’d been put through multiple experiments to try to slow the process before he reached his ‘30s’.

They went through the same thing with the rest of the brothers, slowly perfecting the aging problem with each one before getting it right with Branch. Each brother also still has their slug in their bodies, leaving them with the residual effects they caused when they were LB, but they don’t know how long they’ll last since Clay and Floyd don’t get Adam unlike Bruce.

B, C, and F, are desperately trying to get to Branch without hurting JD or causing his body to shut down from Branch being taken from him. Floyd quickly became reckless in his attempts and constantly takes mortal damage. Bruce is trying to keep Clay and Floyd safe even forbidding them from using Plasmids and Tonics so they don’t destroy their bodies or minds. Clay is constantly torn between his two brothers, wanting them to just be a family, but knowing trying to seperate Branch and John Dory safely will most likely be impossible.

John Dory still has some part of him left, doing little things to keep his personality like the way he’s still a showmen when he uses plasmids, he’ll hum along to any of the songs he’s written if they’re played through a diary. When he hums you can hear the barest undertone of his regular voice mixed with the guttural voice of the Big Daddy’s, it’s very comforting actually. So he’s aware, but sometimes he isn’t.

Viva and Poppy were also put through the PP and LSP, Viva forcefully put through rapid aging to fit the role of a Big Sister and Poppy put through the conditioning. Viva is fully aware of everything happening around the city and does her best to keep Poppy as safe as possible. Viva and JD have a steady protector relationship due to the friendship through Poppy and Branch.

Viva also ocassionally tries to keep the other brothers informed of what’s happening around the city when she isn’t watching the kids. Her and Clay are very close, being friends before they’re conditioning and experiments took over their lives comepltely and eventually forming a romantic relationship. Viva, at first, is not happy with the way Bruce conducts things, thinking that he just wants to kill JD and be done with it until she see how he reacts to one of his brothers old recordings.

Thier goal is to make it out of Rapture, together, as a family. There are three endings, haven’t decided which would be canon, but I’m running off the ideas from B2.

The Good Ending: everybody makes it out alive and in one piece, John Dory is able to get the same treatment as Sigma in the canon games, getting freed from the conditioning and his suit so he can live a… ‘normal’ life with his family. They probably all get a big house together and help take care of Poppy and Branch as they attend school and shit and Bruce gets some help for the mental state he’d be in after the genetic issues.

The Neutral Ending: John Dory dies in order to save his brothers and the sisters. Viva would extract JD’s Adam and distribute it amongst his brothers so they’d all have a piece of him, kinda like a shoulder angel type of deal. It’s unknown if they’d all stay together.

The Bad Ending: John Dory and Bruce both die, the conditioning would end up being too much for JD to fight against and comepletely lose who he’d use to be, causing him to lash out at the rest of them. Bruce at this time would also feel his sanity slipping, using what consciousness he has left to protect them all from JD, leading them both to their deaths. When the rest finally make it to the surface they all break off, Floyd taking Branch, Clay going solo, and Viva taking Poppy with her.

[sixhours]

Chapter 8 - The Ghosts of Babylon

Series Chapter Index | Read on AO3 | Complete

Rating: Explicit, 18+, here be smut and violence Series tags: Joel Miller x You, Joel Miller x Reader, Joel & Ellie, mostly follows canon, LGBTQ+ characters, y/n is bi/pan, y/n is ~45, violence, pregnancy, abortion, medical trauma, emotional trauma, panic attacks, sex work, suicide, smut, slow burn, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, romance, no use of y/n, reader has longish hair, Joel can lift you, smallish age gap (~11 years), I've probably forgotten some so please let me know <3

~*~

By Thanksgiving, you and Theresa have amicably parted ways. Occasionally you see her around town with the twenty-something from the dance, and you silently wish them well.

You’ve fed all the information she gave you back to FEDRA in your late-night broadcasts, although there’s been no feedback from your superiors, save for an acknowledgment of receipt. Thoughts of being extracted before winter have gone by the wayside, and when the first snow falls, you decide a few more months with regular access to food isn’t a terrible thing.

You’ve also told FEDRA about Ellie’s origins in Boston, knowing they’ll have access to her records from her time in the military school. They tell you to keep an eye on her but give you no further direction.

And so you find yourself in a holding pattern when the winter solstice arrives, crystal clear and brutally cold. You aren’t sure what to expect from the holiday season in Jackson, but somehow you’re not surprised when a giant spruce tree goes up in the middle of Main Street. There are lights strung around windows, plastic snowmen and reindeer on their lawns, and handmade wreaths on the doors. Some of your neighbors have found old decorations hiding in their basements, attics, and crawl spaces.

If your house has any hidden treasures like these you don’t know about them, because you’re too busy at the clinic. Eric tells you that’s common during the holidays. More merriment means more acts of drunken stupidity means more injuries, so you’re grateful when Maria Miller brings her infant daughter to the clinic for a routine checkup; something that isn’t a sprained ankle or hot oil burn makes for a nice change of pace.

Babies were a rarity for you in the QZ. There should have been no lack of new life with reliable birth control being so scarce, but that wasn’t the case in your experience. You tried not to think too hard about why. In Jackson, you’re treating more pregnancies than ever. Shelter, food, and long, cold winters are the magic formula for baby-making.

Six-month-old Gwen is bright-eyed and solemn; she doesn’t fuss when you lay her on the paper-covered table, prodding gently at her belly, checking her muscle tone, the soft spot at the crown of her head.

“She’s perfect,” you pronounce as Gwen demonstrates her rolling skills by trying to wriggle off the exam table, looking up at you with wide brown eyes. You pick her up, hefting the flour-sack weight of her in your arms, and resist the urge to bury your nose in the girl’s curly hair. “Getting any sleep, mom?”

Maria shakes her head and smiles wanly. “No. She’s teething.”

“Do you have help?”

“Tommy’s great. And we have family…Joel’s good with her. Ellie, too.”

You bite the inside of your cheek, handing the baby back to Maria, trying to keep your voice light. “Glad to hear it.”

“Are you coming to the tree lighting tonight?”

“Mmm, not sure,” you murmur, turning away, jotting down the baby’s measurements in her chart. “I’m kind of a Grinch.”

“Not much for Christmas, huh? We get a lot of new folks like that,” she says, wrestling the baby into a thick winter coat and slipping leather moccasins on her tiny socked feet.

“Uh-huh. Holidays in the QZ weren’t a thing. We might get an extra ration card, but there was never enough food to make a difference,” you say tightly. “Guess I’m just not used to this…abundance.”

Maria nods, swaying gently on her feet to soothe the baby. “And how are you settling in otherwise? I heard Joel was working on your house?”

You have to force yourself to keep working. “Something like that, yeah. We’re–he’s done.”

“Hmm. He’s a bit of a prickly pear, that one.”

He’s a bit of a prick, you mean .

“You don’t say,” you murmur, keeping your tone even. Gwen begins to fuss in earnest, and you silently thank her for the diversion.

Maria gives you a knowing smile. “I know you may not be feeling it, but the tree lighting starts at nine if you change your mind. I think folks are planning live music,” she says, pulling a diaper bag over her shoulder. Then, after a pause: “Anyway, there’s plenty to go around. We’re glad you’re here. ”

~*~

That evening, you step out of the clinic to the sound of music playing down the street. You consider going home, but something urges you in the opposite direction, toward the gathering of people in the square.

The atmosphere reminds you of a county fair, with booths set up around the big tree, trading homemade gifts and food. The smell of frying oil and cinnamon sugar permeates the air. You help yourself to a cup of powdered hot cocoa–a rare delicacy–and walk the perimeter, skirting the crowd.

In the early days, large groups meant more opportunities for infection to spread, and raucous noise was a magnet for trouble. Later, gatherings in the QZ meant riots, protests, and violence. You can’t help it; you imagine the hell just one infected could wreak inside the walls of this community and your chest tightens.

Children chase each other around the tree, dodging oblivious grown-ups, laughing over cups of cocoa. The band–just a couple of singers accompanied by guitars and a drum set–begins a new song, a carol you haven’t heard since you were a child.

You can’t remember the last time you saw this many people in one place at one time when there wasn’t blood on the ground.

There’s a feedback whine from the speakers next to the stage. You hear a faint scream but can’t pinpoint the source. Suddenly the lights are too bright, the music too loud, and you shrink back toward a storefront, keenly aware of the thudding of your heart in your throat.

“Hey.”

His low voice over your shoulder startles you and you jump, spilling hot chocolate on your hand.

“Fuck!”

You look over to see Joel leaning up against the building behind you. You almost backed into him in the grip of your fear.

“What are you doing here?” you snap, grimacing as you inspect your hand, the pinkened skin of a faint burn. The stinging brings you back to the moment; the vise in your chest loosens and you take a deep breath. “This doesn’t seem like your thing.”

“S’not,” he nods toward the crowd. You follow his gaze and see Maria, Tommy…and Ellie. The girl is holding Gwen, bouncing her, spinning them both in circles until the baby cackles.

“Ah, I see.”

“I told her if you’ve seen one big tree you’ve seen ‘em all, but she didn’t buy it,” he says, eyes trained on his daughter. “Too many people for my tastes.”

“On that, we agree,” you mutter.

“Yeah, you had that look about you.”

You arch an eyebrow. “You watching me, Miller?”

“Nah. I just know panic when I see it.”

You duck your head, hoping he doesn’t see the blush in your cheeks. “Sometimes I feel like a war veteran,” you mutter.

“You are,” he says, his voice dropping. “We all are.”

“Joel!” Ellie is running up to him now, Gwen still bouncing in her arms. “Can you take her? Maria’s gonna let me plug in the tree.”

“Where’s Tommy?” he frowns.

“Dunno, I gotta go,” she pushes the baby into his chest and runs off before he can protest.

“Now what am I s’posed do with you?” he murmurs, ducking his head to meet his niece’s eyes. She reaches up and grabs at his nose. He scrunches his face in an exaggerated frown and the baby squeals, pleased.

“So is your, uh, girlfriend here somewhere? Theresa?”

“Hmm? Oh, no. I mean, she might be here. But she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Ellie said she saw you two at the dance a while back–”

“Yeah, that’s…done.”

He nods, distracted by Gwen, trying to keep an eye out for Ellie at the same time. You wonder if he realizes he’s rocking lightly on his feet, swaying the same way Maria had in the clinic a few hours ago, the universal dance of a parent.

A countdown rises from the crowd.

“Five…four…three…two…”

You turn your attention back to the square as the tree is lit. A cheer goes up and the band begins to play. You wait to feel the spark of joy you remember from childhood when there was the promise of magic.

It doesn’t come.

Joel turns Gwen in his arms to face the lights, points, murmurs something you can’t hear. She appears to be more fascinated with pulling at the scruff on his chin.

“It gets easier.” He’s looking at Gwen when he says it, but you know it’s meant for you.

A longing tugs at your heart. You try to imagine a world where you don’t have to fight and lie and fuck to get by, but the lights and music and laughter mere feet away seem so distant. The thought feels impossible, paper thin, too fragile to bear.

“Baby looks good on you, Miller,” you say, clearing your throat.

He shoots you a look over the top of Gwen’s dark, curly head, then nods toward Ellie, who is standing with her aunt and uncle, looking up at the tree in awe. “Got my hands full already.”

“I believe it,” you say. “What’s her story, anyway?”

You feel him withdraw into himself. Even the baby seems to sense it, squirming in his arms. “Who? Ellie?”

“She lived in the Boston QZ?”

He shrugs. “She found me. We…got along. Not much to tell.”

Somehow you know that’s a lie. You know it by the way his eyes are constantly scanning the crowd for any sign of her, the way his shoulders naturally relax when she pops back into view. You imagine this gruff, stony man and the spitfire that he calls his daughter, making their way through the broken world, and you find yourself genuinely curious, without ulterior motive.

The baby begins to fuss, arching her back, flailing her arms, and Joel bounces her uncomfortably. He takes a cautious sniff of Gwen’s diapered bottom, makes a face.

“That’s my cue,” he says. “I don’t do diapers. See ya around, doc.”

~*~

Christmas morning dawns as you trudge home from a late shift, ready to fall into bed and sleep the day away. 

There’s a small box sitting on your porch with a note tacked to the top.

“Don’t get your hopes up. -JM”

You let out a soft breath, filling the air around you with vapor. What a cheerful sentiment. No “Merry Christmas”, no “Happy Holidays”, not even his full name, just this cryptic note and Joel’s initials scrawled in messy capital letters.

You tuck the note in your jacket pocket and open the box. Sitting inside is an orange. It’s tiny–no, it’s puny , probably grown in the community greenhouse, and probably sour as fuck–but it’s not a mealy apple. A truce, perhaps.

You scratch at the rind, lift it to your nose, and inhale the citrusy scent of a real, honest-to-god orange, surprised at the tears welling in your eyes.

[ooops-i-arted]

filoni called anakin "the greatest jedi of all time" in the ahsoka sneak peak lmaooo that's wild. just the cherry on top of the slop he's been serving us in recent years.

is that why other jedi in his works are often trashed and his darling favorite oc ahsoka is so elevated in importance? is that why he doesn't know jack shit about attachments and constantly misrepresents it, because to him, jedi are the big meanies that tried preventing anakin from boning padme? someone please stop this man.

Ah, anon, did you sense a disturbance in the Force that brought you here? Instagram forced me to look at the new Ahsoka trailer about forty times today and I'm sure my saltiness is palpable. Every time I hear that orange fucktart say "Heir to the Empire" I could rip up his stupid notebook emblazoned with Ahsoka's symbol I saw in a behind the scenes post with my bare hands.

I think Filoni's Anakin (not canon Anakin, not the one in the prequel films, because TCW Anakin is NOT Anakin* and I will die on this hill) is a dear OC to Filoni, but of course not on the same level of Ahsoka. So of course he's speshul just the way Ahsoka is. The Jedi ~just don't understaaaaaaand them~ and they DESERVE special treatment and to break the rules like many an amateur writers' OCs.

*Apparently the TCW Anakin voice actor was told to "do a mix of Luke and Han" so clearly staying in-character for Anakin was never on the radar.

I did see a post I can't find now that was directed at Anakin stans, not Filoni, but it was interesting because it said basically Anakin is called the greatest Jedi of all time by his stans but they really mean "the most powerful Jedi of all time." Because he possibly/probably was, whether you go by midi-chlorians or just demonstrated power with the Force. But the post went on to say the Jedi don't value power like that, don't measure by it, so it's a fandom projection to say Anakin was the "greatest of the Jedi." Which makes sense to me, because the greatest of an organization wouldn't be the one who destroys them. And how are we measuring "greatness" anyway? Overall accomplishment? Skill with the Force? Number of people helped/saved (and do you get a penalty for people you hurt/kill)? Does Yoda win by default just because he's had longer than everyone else to rack up Jedi Greatness points and longer to practice his skills? Personally I would pick Revan, powerful in the Force, made a huge impact in her day, and her redemption (if you play Light Side like I did) was actively undoing the damage she did and defeating Malak for good, not just killing a Sith to save her own loved one and then dying. And of course I'll freely admit part of that is because she's one of my favorite characters. The point is, it's subjective. And Filoni has shown again and again he cannot be subjective about his faves. Just look at TCW Character Bo getting the Darksaber literally handed to her by the main character being shafted in his own show.

Oooo, since you're here, wanna hear an absolutely RANCID crack theory I had today? What if the whole Din Grogu thing is setting up some obscure Outer Rim tradition of taking on another's name with your own so that Filoni has an excuse to have Luke say "Oh Ahsoka, you are so wise and perfect and the Best Jedi Of All Time Who Truly Embodies What Filoni Thinks A Jedi Should Be, I would like to go by Ahsoka Luke now! Who's Padme anyway, no one important." While Filoni claps and honks like a seal as Ahsoka Luke Skywalker appears in the credits. Okay it's very silly but I put nothing past him.

[virtualcarrot]

[KKIR] Modern AU - Teaching Pains Pt the last

Part 11

“Kakashi!” Iruka’s voice booms somewhere from the hallway. It’s quickly followed by a hasty, “-sensei!” likely as he remembers that they’re at work.

Half-chewed stir stick in hand, Kotetsu turns to stare at Kakashi in unabashed incredulity. “The school year has only just started, come on, man,” he groans.

Then he balls up the waste from his snack, successfully tosses it into the trash can, and settles in against the counter for the wait.

Iruka storms in in a familiar struggle with the door damper. “You better have a good explanation,” he barks, needlessly putting the full weight of his back against it.

The door shuts at its usual snail pace.

Never one to miss a good opening, Kakashi chirps: “Sweetheart!” and basks in the resulting blush.

He never thought he’d be the sort of person who freely dispenses terms of endearments. He didn't know he could yield such power. The best way to bug Gai is to act aloof and disinterested. Tenzō endures Kakashi's whimsy with the resignation expected of a desensitized cat. Meanwhile, affectionate taunting gets Iruka to glare like he's planning a bloody murder.

It's great.

Sure enough, Iruka scowls. The storm gathers anew in his eyes. He pushes away from the door like a man on the warpath.

In perfect, well-practiced timing with his arrival at the desk, Kakashi slides on over a box of chocolates from last Valentine's day.

Iruka sighs the sigh of the long-suffering at the sight. “Just how many of these did you buy, seriously?”

“Eeh, maybe a couple,” Kakashi lies with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Iruka picks the box, turns it around to check the description and then lobs it at Kotetsu when it proves uninspiring.

“Oh, thank you!” Kotetsu sing-songs with badly feigned surprise, as if he hadn’t been lingering around just for that.

Kakashi may or may not have gone on an indiscriminate rampage at the clearance sales right after he and Iruka agreed to a relationship some months ago. He keeps his hoard carefully packed away at his apartment, where it takes a full upper shelf of the utility closet. Iruka’s falter of fond disbelief whenever one item pops up has become quite the guilty pleasure.

“It’s for sharing,” Iruka stresses.

“I know, I know,” Kotetsu replies, popping up a random chocolate on his way out. “Thanks for the treat!”

Then, unable to resist the pull, he shuffles back for a second one.

Iruka watches the ever slowing pace of the door shutting behind him with an expression of pure resentment. The man has the strangest grievances. Kakashi wants to kiss him so, so much.

He barely has time to pull his face into something measurably less heart-eyed before Iruka turns his attention back to him.

“I could’ve sworn we’d restocked the chemistry lab for the new year,” Iruka says in a terrible attempt at levity. The vein at his temple is already pulsing. “Wouldn’t you guess my surprise when I was told you’re already ordering additional materials?”

The fact Admin feels the need to tattle to Iruka is hilarious. Kakashi’s well aware that Iruka also gets a kick out of it, once he finds it in himself to wind down.

He’s not quite there yet, so Kakashi gives a harmless little shrug.

Iruka narrows his eyes. “Wasn’t it the deal, that you tell faculty before any grand experiment? I know you don’t have any pending.”

“Aaah, I knew I was forgetting something…”

“Kakashi…” There’s a warning in his voice. “What if they don’t greenlight your demonstration? What are you even gonna use all that liquid nitrogen for?”

“I mean, if the money’s already spent… More incentive for them to let me do it.”

Iruka's grimace of annoyance says he very much disagrees.

He pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s reckless even for you, you know we have limited resources.”

Geologists wish their own volcanoes were this predictable.

As if he hasn’t just been waiting for that cue, Kakashi taps his palm with a closed fist. “Ah yes, the budget!”

“Yes, the budget.”

Some of Kakashi’s budding excitement seems to bleed through his composure, because Iruka pulls back a little with a puzzled frown. “Okay, what am I missing…?” he asks slowly.

“Well…” Kakashi trails off, pulling a nondescript folder out of his top drawer. “If we’re speaking of budgets… I heard the school came into some additional funds this year. And--”

Iruka’s frown goes from suspicious to confused, and also mildly vexed that he wasn’t kept in the loop. Kakashi doesn’t give him time to dwell. He opens the folder with a flick of his finger and twirls it around for ease of reading.

The first glance is one of polite curiosity. The second is out of pure stupefaction. Seeing as Iruka’s absently groping the air in search of a chair, Kakashi helpfully nudges one within easier reach.

Iruka drops into it and snatches up the paperwork. His satchel hits the floor.

“That’s… That--” he stutters, leafing through the pages back and forth like he’s looking for a gotcha.

He won’t find any. Tenzō was a bit horrified at the idea of letting grubby teenagers around his workplace, but the bonds of former college roommates prevailed. The paperwork’s solid. The Myōboku observatory has granted a visit.

“Yep.”

“But--”

“All expenses paid for students of low income.”

There's something dizzying about being held in the cross hairs of Iruka's awe-struck look.

“How?” Iruka asks somewhat breathlessly.

“Aaah. I understand Hiruzen-sensei came into some money. He was generous enough to invest it in the school.”

“Money? From what?!”

Kakashi shrugs. “The break in. Insurance.”

As far as he’s concerned, it’s a fair decision: Hiruzen might enjoy being surrounded by prized possessions at his workplace but that doesn’t make it any less of a security risk, and trouble did come knocking because of it. Precisely, it came knocking down right on Iruka, who still gets twinges of discomfort here and there even months later.

Nonetheless, Kakashi expects demurring, or some scandalized yelping, out of affection for the Headmaster. But what little conflict Iruka might feel over it, it barely tugs at the corner of his lips. Clearly, his loyalties go to his students before anything and anyone else.

Kakashi has always admired a strong sense of dedication in a person.

“It took some finagling,” he admits. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up too early.”

Iruka pulls a face, sounding too fond to quite sell the exasperation. “Kakashi, Admin tells me if you so much as breathe in the wrong direction, how did you even…?”

It’s disarming. Kakashi’s disarmed. That’ll be his excuse for the way he misses the mark of nonchalance when he scratches the visible skin of his cheekbone and replies:

“Oh well, love finds a way, I suppose.”

Iruka goes very still.

The whims of the school architect have shaped the teachers’ lounge like a flipped L. There’s a dead angle out of sight from the door, or at least that's what Kakashi assumes, because that’s where Iruka presses him into in order to snog him.

It must be private enough.

After a while, Kakashi touches their foreheads together.

“Are you really ordering liquid nitrogen or was that just a setup?” Iruka asks in a spine-tingling murmur.

He’s so smart. Kakashi tucks his unmasked nose against the space behind his ear and huffs amusement at the now familiar scent. Practical Iruka and his cheap personal care products. He pushes closer anyway and draws in a deeper breath.

“Kakashi. The nitrogen.”

What a bloodhound.

“Trust me, it will be fun,” Kakashi says, pulling back to let his wiggling eyebrow work its magic. “The explosion is delightfully sudden.”

“You’re really not selling it to me.”

“Are you sure? Because I seem to remember you confessing to some trouble-making as a teen.”

“That was pillow talk, you can’t hold it against me!”

“Seriously?” Anko’s voice asks somewhere from the doorway.

She sounds more baffled than scandalized, which is pretty understandable. There was a time where Kakashi couldn’t even brush Iruka's shoulder in public without triggering a deeply flustered lecture about propriety on the workplace.

Now, Iruka only groans and drops his head to Kakashi’s shoulder.

“The chocolate is over there on the counter,” he grumbles, letting Kakashi’s silent chuckle jostle him.

Kakashi draws a hand across his lower back, just because he can.

But Anko’s puttering at the kitchenette is making it hard to hold onto the spell. Iruka pulls away with a sheepish look. Kakashi kisses it out of his face before adjusting his mask.

“Will Naruto be allowed to go?” Iruka asks softly.

It's not an absurd concern. The kid’s pretty much on probation at the school and stuck doing community service there for the unforeseen future.

Kakashi snorts. “Are you kidding me? That's a lot of organization, Naruto’s conscripted.”

And he won’t be the only one. Kakashi’s already rehearsed multiple taunts to bait Sasuke into helping and once he’s in, it’ll take but a simple hint to get Sakura to follow suit. Not for nothing, but Kakashi is a genius.

Iruka darts a look at what can be glimpsed of Anko. She seems entirely uninterested in them, so he tugs Kakashi’s mask out of the way again.

The kiss that follows is nothing short of toe-curling.

This is dangerous. Iruka’s growing bold. Kakashi can envision a future where he is the most bashful of them both. How embarrassing.

Or maybe they will just grow easy and comfortable and unashamed with each other. Yeah. Kakashi would like that.

It’s with much regret that he catches sight over Iruka’s shoulder of the clock hanging on the opposite wall.

“Don't want to alarm you,” he whispers against Iruka’s mouth, “but your class starts in four minutes.”

Even Iruka’s jolt is endearing. Kakashi lets him go easily and watches him race for his dropped bag.

“Shit!” Iruka hisses, struggling in his rush to pull the strap over his chest. “Don't--I repeat, do not--set anything on fire without checking in beforehand. Alright?”

He moves back in quickly, but eases when it comes to drawing the mask back into place. He pays unusual attention to flattening the top fold with a fingertip over the bridge of Kakashi’s nose.

Then, resolve steeled, he meets Kakashi's eye with electrifying aplomb.

“Love you,” he declares, before leaving Kakashi with a peck to the cheek.

At the counter, Anko snorts. Kakashi barely hears it past the ringing of thunder in his ears. Or maybe it’s his heartbeat, who could say? His feet are rooted in the floor, his mind is feather light.

The door stops its relentless back swing and Iruka’s head pokes back in.

“You’ll need another adult,” he says. “To chaperone.”

“Ah, yes,” Kakashi replies slowly, as if he's only just thought of it, as if he hasn’t prepared a bullet point argumentation as to why, precisely, it should be someone who’s particularly experienced in the management of troublemakers. Someone who’s used to Naruto and feeds stray students takeout and buys toothbrushes by the family pack and stays up late into the night to agonize over lesson plans.

He's currently having trouble gathering the thoughts to voice it all.

He doesn't have to. Iruka grins and punches the air with the hand that isn’t straining against the door.

“Yes! I’m in!”

Kakashi blinks. “I thought this would be harder,” he admits, because he had genuinely expected to fight against hemming and hawing over preferential treatment.

“Are you kidding me? A guided visit of the observatory? That and I get to watch you give a lecture? I’m not missing that, I'll fight Ebisu if I have to.”

“You probably will have to,” Anko seconds without looking up from the slowly dissolving chocolate she dropped into her steaming mug.

Unperturbed, Iruka shrugs--as much as he’s able to while holding back the door. “It’s fine, Kakashi will train me.”

Their eyes meet. Iruka is smiling all the way up to his eyes and Kakashi’s chest aches with affection.

I will, he wants to say. Of course I will. That and more.

Me too.

“You’re going to be late, sensei,” he warns, voice a bit rougher than usual. “What will your students say?”

“That you’re a bad influence.”

Iruka doesn't seem to mind. If anything, his grin sharpens with something deep and understanding.

“Two minutes,” Anko says mercilessly.

Iruka pulls a face at her but it’s good-natured. He finally drops the door, though it takes him one last smile at Kakashi before he does it.

For a moment there, Kakashi understands all the hostility towards the door damper. The slowly shrinking space refuses to fully commit to their separation. He can’t help but stare until the door fully shuts.

“You guys are excruciating,” Anko informs.

Kakashi chuckles. He puts away the observatory file and brings out his crossword. He wonders what he could cook for them this evening. Iruka wants to go over their first impressions of the students on the new school year.

He can't wait.

~

also on AO3 (with edits and additions)