#beyblade will take over for may!

[ashxketchum]

|| DIGIMON ADVENTURE X yoshi_mi_yoshi ||

[autisticlancemcclain]

One Saturday morning, as Keith and Lance descend the stairs on their way to the kitchen — as Keith practically carries a still half-asleep Lance, that is — Marcela whips towards them, points a scolding finger in their direction, and says, “I am tired of checking in on you two at night and seeing my son, sprawling over half the bed, while poor Keith clings to the edge. No more.”

Keith’s heart drops to his toes, pounding all the way down. His ears billow out and then fade slowly, like someone turned the volume down. He feels like a beyblade someone just spun and dropped onto the pavement, dizzy and sharp and sparking, trembling to a stop. For several horrifying moments he’s convinced that this may very well be it, and he’s shocked by his own surprise. He’s usually so prepared for the eventual end of someone’s affection, for the patience to run out, for the boot to kick him on the way out the door. It’s startling to realise how far he’s let his defences drop with the Esposita-McClains.

Dangerous.

But then Keith processes the entirety of her sentence, hears past “I’m tired of” and “Keith” in the same sentence. He sees her narrowed eyes and chiding finger and playful exasperation pointed at Lance’s guilty grin, not at Keith, and he realises she is exasperated by the fact that Lance takes up the whole bed every night Keith sleeps over, not that Keith sleeps over at all.

He unclenches his fist from the hem of Lance’s shirt. He’s not sure if Lance does it on purpose, but he leans farther into Keith, and the pressure helps ground him, helps him breathe again.

“I really don’t mind,” Keith mumbles. He keeps his eyes averted, unwilling to meet her knowing ones. “Lance isn’t that bad.”

Marcela snorts, ruffling his hair as she walks by to set the milk on the table. “Please, Keith. He’s a nightmare to sleep with and he knows it. He had to have those little toddler rails on the sides of his bed until he was seven years old because he kept falling off.”

Lance makes a noise of protest at the embarrassing anecdote. Keith smiles, patting his back slightly.

“He does drool.”

“And kick,” says Lance’s older sister Veronica, ducking into the kitchen to grab an apple. Rachel, his other sister, is right behind her, and she pipes up too.

“He also grinds his teeth!”

“And mutters freaky things. He said he was going to curse me once.”

“Oh, yeah, and there was the deal with the sleeping sitting up!”

“And there was —”

“Alright, girls,” Marcela interrupts, leaning over to hold down the hand Lance has clenched around a fork before he has a chance to launch breakfast at his sisters. She looks to have intervened in the nick of time, which makes Keith smile into his cereal. “Let’s not make your brother homicidal.”

Both girls leave the kitchen snickering. Lance’s face promises revenge. For their sake, Keith hopes they find a way to lock their room door, but somehow he doubts it. A part of him is intrigued about whatever scheme Lance will inevitably rope him into.

“I really am fine, though,” Keith repeats once calm has returned to the morning again. “I once had to sleep in a home that usually had more kids than beds, so Lance’s kicking is a significant improvement from a sleeping bag on the kitchen floor.”

He hadn’t meant for his comment to be upsetting. It wasn’t great, sure, but he’d had a roof over his head and food to eat, and he’d only been there for a couple days. The whole situation was funny in hindsight, hilarity inherent in the absurdity of his neon green sleeping bag next to the magnet-covered fridge, and that’s how he’d meant the comment. A joke.

But Marcela looks horrified, and Lance leans over to rest his head on Keith’s shoulder and wrap their hands together, and Keith realises he’s most definitely made a mistake.

“Kidding,” he tries anyway, but the damage is done. The determination in Marcela’s eyes becomes even more apparent, and she nods twice as if reassuring herself. Keith could kick himself.

“Be ready in twenty minutes,” she says resolutely. “We’re going out.”

———

In twenty minutes they’re in the car. Lance almost has his voice back by then, too, which is great, because Keith feels like he’s going to lose his — he’s expecting a fancy air mattress, really. At most he’s expecting to be delegated to his own space in the pull out couch or something. And even that is more than he ever thought he’d get. It’s not that he doesn’t think he deserves it, or anything like that. He knows that some of his living situations have been less than ideal, in the past few years.

But he…he’s not part of this family. He’s not supposed to be, anyway. He’s someone Lance dragged home someday, someone Lance latched onto and then everyone else seemed to follow his example. Keith knows his current foster family gets a cheque for an amount he’s too afraid to find out every month. He knows the state government pays people to home and house and feed him because no one else will. That’s how it’s been since that’s what it had to be.

He cannot understand what logic has inspired Marcela and Lance and all the Esposita-McClains, really, to home and house and feed him. He doesn’t understand.

He’s not expecting a forty minute drive to Ikea. He doesn’t understand why so much is being extended for him. He’s not expecting the determination in Marcela’s face and the way she holds Keith in one hand and Lance in the other, tightly, as if both are her children, until Lance whines and pulls himself free to come hold Keith’s other hand, as if he’s the commodity.

Keith doesn’t understand.

This is not how things are supposed to go.

This is never how things end up going. Not ever in a million years or even less.

“We should get a bunk bed!” Lance says excitedly, pulling Keith out of his thoughts and in a random direction. Marcela squeezes Keith’s hand once and lets go to allow it, stepping to the side to grab on of the boxy blue shopping carts.

Lance brightens even further when she brings over the cart, hopping onto the end of it and gesturing for Keith to do the same. Keith looks at the cart, then at Lance, then at the wheels, then at the total lack of space beside him, and imagines Marcela hitting the tiniest bump as they cram onto the little ledge and then them going flying.

He wisely chooses to walk over and grab the handlebar next to Marcela. She extends her pinky to rest next to Keith, which makes several emotions that he refuses to identify rise up in his throat.

“Let’s maybe consider our other options,” Marcela suggests as she pushes the cart farther. “You remember when we stayed over at your primo’s house when we first moved? You hit the ceiling every single morning because you could never remember that it was there. I don’t think bunk beds are for you, mijo.”

“And the toddler rail thing,” Keith adds. He’d meant it seriously — Lance has genuinely fallen a few times and Keith has had to drag him back up — but Lance huff-laughs in the way that he does when Keith teases him and he’s annoyed that he finds it funny, and Marcela straight up laughs. Keith meets Lance’s eyes and smiles to soften the unintentional dig.

“Fine,” Lance laments, dramatically leaning backwards on the rail. “We’ll just get boring normal beds I guess. Ooooou, we should get some bookshelves! Then Keith has somewhere to put all his nerd things.”

Marcela turns the shopping cart so quickly it screeches and nearly flings Lance right off, speeding towards the shelving area. Keith hurries to keep up.

“Excellent idea, Lancito. Bribing him to stay for longer. You’re so smart.”

Lance preens. Keith looks rapidly between them both, trying to find the joke, but there isn’t one. They, genuinely and truly, want to redesign Lance’s entire room to entice Keith to stay. However much it will cost, and Keith knows it will be a lot, they are doing more than what is reasonable to ensure they (not just Lance! All of them! The household!) can spend more time with Keith.

It’s baffling.

Try as he might, Keith simply cannot find a motive. He watches, gobsmacked, as Lance and Marcela hem and haw their way through the biggest furniture outlet chain in the world, comparing sturdy wooden shelving and colourful bean bag chairs and dorky spaceship themed beds, redesigning a whole room from scratch.

He startles out of his thoughts at Marcela’s beckoning, walking over to the display table she and Lance are illegally sitting at (there is a giant FOR VISUAL DISPLAY ONLY sign on it that they have ignored), half hunched over her cell and a pad of paper. “Keith, rojo, come here. We need you to sketch out the basics of Lance’s room so we know what fits. Marco is measuring the walls and everything right now. Don’t worry about anything that’s already in there, I think we’re taking it all out to paint it anyway. You like blue, right?”

Keith swallows roughly. He does like blue. He’s never painted his own room before.

“Yeah,” he manages, finally squishing down next to Lance on his chair.

Following Marco’s directions, he sketches out the foundations of the bedroom, marking the big window and weirdly narrow door and closet that Lance never uses because he has it piled full of stuff he doesn’t use but can’t bring himself to give away. The sketch is then used as a sort of map as they wander around the outlet, holding it up to various pieces of furniture and assessing how they would fit. It takes Keith some time, but after several hours of Lance’s energy and Marcela’s excitement, Keith starts to get hyped.

“Gasp!“ Lance says out loud, because he is a dork. He reaches a flapping hand over to Keith’s without looking, slapping him on the shoulder several times before finally managing to grip onto his sleeve. “Keith! Keith! Look!”

Keith squints in the direction Lance is emoting at. “A couch,” he says slowly, trying to figure out what warrants the intense excitement.

Honestly, it might be the couch. Lance got super excited about bar stools, earlier, so anything really goes.

“No no, farther!”

Keith squints harder. “The countertops?”

“Farther!”

“The…vases?”

“No! Farther!” Finally Lance gets frustrated enough to step behind Keith, gently pressing his palms to Keith’s cheeks and guiding his head in the right direction. “Now squint really hard and get excited with me.”

Keith tries. He sees grey blobs and says nothing, allowing the silence to speak for him.

“The stuffies, Keith! They’re sharks and hippos! Mama, Keith needs glasses.”

“I know,” she says at the same time that Keith says “No, I don’t.”

They stare at each other for several moments.

“As soon as you’re on the insurance,” she says levelly.

“I will feed them to a creek,” Keith promises.

He has never been this stubborn to Marcela before. He didn’t even mean to. If he had known he was going to say it he would have kept his mouth shut, but the words kind of bubbled out of him. He waits for her eyes to harden, her shoulders to square, for the annoyance to become evident at his insolence.

But she only snorts, leaning over to flick him on the forehead. “I got Marco to wear them. I got Lisa to wear them. I got my mule of a husband to wear them. If you need them, you will not out-stubborn me, toro.”

Keith shrugs. If she’s that hellbent on getting to know him, she’ll learn, he supposes.

By the time the time they break their intense eye contact, they realize that Lance has already wandered off towards the stuffed animals, and hasten to follow him (he gets lost easy). Lance is already halfway into this big bucket, digging for something specific.

“This is for you,” he says when he finally unearths himself, handing a hippo to Keith. “Smaller than the others, like you, and the fluff is a little matted but it’s softer than the others. The shark is for me because it was stuck on the hippo like I’m stuck on you.” He playfully checks Keith’s hip, giggling at his own joke, but Keith’s eyes are totally glued onto the wonky little hippo plushie in his hands. He holds it loosely, afraid of crushing it, and stares intensely at the matted fluff on the one side, the tangled mess of the little poof at the tail. He tries three times to swallow and fails each time, lump in his throat taking up too much space.

“We’re too old for stuffies,” he finally manages. He gives himself away by how tightly he holds the soft things in his hands.

Lance snorts. “Yeah, well, you’re a massive dweeb, so I think we’re fine.”

“I think they’ll be wonderful additions to your room,” Marcela says with finality, and that is that.

———

By the time they make it out of the maze that is Ikea, pack up the car, and set out on the ride home, it’s well after eight thirty. And Keith isn’t a baby, and neither is Lance, and they have a later bed time than that, but…

They’ve been walking around all day. There has been a lot of expended energy.

They’re tired.

Keith remembers being finagled into playing double-o seven with Lance in the back seat. He remembers losing. He remembers poking Lance in the cheek as he yawned just to hear him squawk.

He remembers nothing but the feeling of Lance’s warmth pressed against his, after that, and the seatbelt digging into his neck, and the numbness of his legs. Then he remembers nothing until he felt the familiar bump of the Esposita-McClain driveway, until he cracked open his eyes to see that they were home and closed them quickly again, hoping he wouldn’t be made to get up, still mostly asleep.

“Should we bother setting up the new beds?” comes a whispered voice, deeper and male.

“No, no,” comes another, higher and softer. “They can sleep together for tonight. You take Lancito. I’ll take Keith.”

He is awake enough to feel soft fingers brushing through his hair, then jostling, then heavy breathing beside his ear and the swaying of being carried. He falls fully asleep again against Marcela’s shoulder, leaning his weight onto her fully, forgetting to keep awake for the walk to their room. He stirs slightly again as he’s set down onto something soft, as he feels the familiar tug of Lance’s finger’s against the fabric of his shirt, the sound of his slow breathing.

“Goodnight, estrellitos,” comes the same whispered voice from earlier, and it’s the last thing Keith remembers before he slips away into sleep.

———

other parts in this universe: 1 2 3

[ziggyevenstar]

🔪🎀

🎠 been ordering a lot lately sa office

🎠 my copy of babel was delivered na hehehhehe

🎠 had lunch w jerrel this week— afterwards, he bought beyblade and i bought a book: bride. it’s by ali hazelwood. she wrote love hypothesis which i love mostly bec it’s so ao3 (and it’s actually from ao3, it started out as a reylo fic). so yes i love ali hazelwood our fanfic queen, sue me

🎠 yesterday we had a work thing— bowling. after office. i was so drained so i msged jerrel and asked him if pwede sya nalang magsundo saken so i can charge. sinundo nya ko and dinala sa sm pamp which isn’t really near where we were just bec he thought i needed some fully booked and sm pamp’s the only place around here where there’s fully booked. ayun. i bought acomaf HAHAHHAA. i used to be acotar’s number 1 hater. i judged it so much that i said to myself— i have to read this shit so the next time i talk shit about it they can’t say it’s uninformed. i take it all back. acotar’s so bad that sonehow it’s good???? i don’t know what’s in it but i have to know what happens. so yes i bought acomaf and i will buy the next books. it’s so liberating allowing myself to like something that’s not a literary masterpiece that i simply enjoy.

🎠 my dad had a tantrum again today. he threw stuff and threw in some extra curse words directed to us. it got so scary with the way my sister kept talking back. it’s always scary provoking an angry man. bec my dad doesn’t think when he’s angry. bec a rational person wouldn’t throw a pair of scissors to his daughter just bec he was angry and it was the first thing he could grab. a rational person wouldn’t grab the dog’s cage (with the dog still inside) and throw it, albeit lightly. but those things didn’t happen today— those are just some of the things he did that no matter what i do or how much time passes, i could still remember every detail of. i wonder what it’s like to have a dad who doesn’t call you the devil, bolang or bugok when he’s mad. i wonder what it’s like to have a dad who doesn’t yell at you, “nagtrabaho lang kayo…”— the same trabahos that take care of the bills. or tells you “wala kang mapagmamalaki saken”. with the level with which he got mad at us (he was fuming) you’d think he was mad over some big and important issue. there’s humor in that somewhere i’m sure.

but there’s a silver lining in here, i hope, and infinitesimal as it may be compared to my dad’s tantrum, i am so moved and grateful—minutes after dad’s tantrum, i asked jerrel to pick me and my sister up from the house even though we had a one-sided tampuhan last night (ako lang nagtampo over something so small, in retrospect) and he immediately called me to say he was on his way. would u look at that

[gazingstarsabove]

slow dancing in the dark😏

·Headcanons for the madcom peeps on how they would do in slow dance! It's up to you if you'd interpret this as romantic or planotic!!

—•Hank would definitely just stare at you in the dance floor, just standing there awkwardly, until you put a hand on his shoulder, and you guided his hands to your waist. He only moves side to side and follows your lead, but when you go and move somewhere else it's guaranteed he'd step on your foot. A little bashful, he'd just be staring into your soul behind those red goggles of his, his grip on you a little light. When you try to spin, he'll let go and just stare at you, confusedly. Will only do it once and never again

—•Sanford would be alright, though he needs a little footwork. He doesn't know where to place his hands, and he's sort of worried he'll make you uncomfortable, but it's aight. Little smile on his face as you two dance to the song, saying things that embarasses him, usually making you laugh. He'd try to spin you, but it usually ends up with him having to let go of your hand lol. He's trying! But he's atleast decent. Will only do it if he's in the mood, or if you force him to lmfao

—•Deimos is the one to willingly invite you into the dance floor, but man, believe me you'll regret it. Nonetheless, it wasn't really slow dance, it was just him dragging you all across the dance floor. Hands everywhere, and he keeps stepping on your feet. You dance in a more zigzag form, and he spins you like a damn beyblade, making you slightly dizzy. But in the end, it usually ends in a slow pace. Will do it every damn time.

—•Doc would decline your invitation, but he'll usually dance with you when there's not much people in the room. He holds you by your waist, the other hand on your hip. He only dances with you side to side, he doesn't spin you, he a little too killjoy™ for that. Will say this is a waste of time, but still continues to dance with you. He actually very much enjoys dancing with you, if he weren't just so grumpy all the time. Will only do it when his crew is in the room, or if it's just you two.

—•Tricky dancing? WOWEE!! it's more likely than you think. He doesn't know what slow dancing is, so he just sways your whole body side to side, aggressively, holding you by your underarms. He also does that thing where he lifts you up, and starts spinning you around. May or may not take over the dj to switch up the mood to something more exciting. Will always dance with you, boogy style or something "slow"

—•Jeb is very bashful, but he usually brushes it off as "I'm too much of an old man to do this type of shi", or anything to do with his age. But he will do it when you're alone, radio playing and it's only you two in the room. He's actually really sweet, removing his sunglasses to look at you properly, halo above his head serving as a little warm spotlight. His movements precise, and calculated, and doesn't mind spinning you a few times. Will only do it if you two are close, or if he thinks fondly of you.

—•Sheriff is the one to invite you, and he usually uses an excuse like "get your feet workin'", or "don't just stand there!". He's actually real good in slow dance, his hand on your waist, the other holding your hand. He would whisper sweet nothings to you, being really flirty as he dances you, even if it's platonic. He'll spin you, and does that thing where he lowers your upper body and holds you by the back, his other hand holding yours, as he bites on a rose. Dunno where he got that, romance shit!! Will do it everytime

—•Auditor urhmm. I mean gurly he'll dance with you, but urhm just make sure to wear gloves if you plan to hold his hands. He'll get all whiny about it, “And what serves the purpose of participating in this dance?”, like he be questioning everything. But he's actually really good than he lets on. He'll spin you, only once though, bc he knows how fast grunts can get motion sickness. He'll only do it if you're alone or if his agents set it up.

—•Phobos will get all giddy if you invite him, or if you planned the dance yourself. He goes on boasting about it, his ego and pride skyrocketing out of the damn tower. He doesn't mind dancing in public or private, spending time with you is enough. He'll probably get you those elevated platforms, so you two can properly face one another. He'll get you two spotlights, demanding his agents to make the mood a lot more intimate and sweet. Get ready because your dance is gonna have a lot more spinning, he's gonna make snarky remarks if you get dizzy, but he'll stop if you ask him to. Will always do it with you

[kidnamedbird]

Hello all!

It's me, Kid Named Bird from Team Kid Named Bird. For clarification, I'm actually named after the team, not the other way around. I'm the lead translator and dialogue letterer for Beyblade X, or at least I was. I am heartbroken to announce our indefinite hiatus from the BeyX manga; if we do get back to it, we'd finish off all the year one content (up to the likely incoming subtitle/branding change) and all of the extras that go with it. This would leave us with a finite amount of work for us to do and a nice archival version of the beginnings of X.

To explain why we're ending our release, I'd like to say it's not because we don't want to. We'd love to continue on this project because we all really adore this manga. It's hard not to grow fond of something you've poured so much time into. I never really even planned on forming the team to translate the manga until the first chapter was about to come out. I had translated the prologue chapter as a fun side-project — I learned how to letter and translate because of it! So once some of my veteran scanlator friends and some brave newbies hopped on the project with me, I felt like we could actually take a bite out of this massive undertaking. A 36-72 page manga every month for a team of mostly employed/student volunteers is insane, especially when you consider the amount of redraws we had to do on this specific work. There were so many text overlays we had to draw over or speedlines (blech!!) we had to clean up, and usually tens of pages of them. Sometimes we had to do the work of a weekly manga series translation to get our stuff out depending on the amount of pages we did. After a while, that took a toll on our team. We can only do so many 50 pagers in a row before it completely consumes all of our free time outside of our full time work or education. I knew that as soon as we got behind by one chapter, we'd not be able to catch back up. It would just cause us too much grief and stress. I didn't want to do that to my team of unpaid volunteers, so I made the choice to throw in the towel. We were doing pretty professional work for free, and we got burnt out. We all had entire lives outside of BeyX, and I wanted my team to live them. It wasn't a decision I made lightly, or without reason. The official release is coming out soon, and if you don't mind the dub names, the previews looked pretty good! They seem to be Singapore/South East Asian exclusive for now, but I'm sure someone will snag the scans for them. Also, the anime, for the first time in Bey history, is almost exactly the same plot-wise! Previous series manga and anime have diverged wisely, but as the manga and anime have an overlapping writing staff this time, the stories hit almost all the same beats. If anything, I think the anime takes the manga's story and gives it far more breathing room and better pacing. The extra character-focus episodes have done wonders to help develop the cast further and make Bird's journey of perseverance all the more compelling. You will still get to experience the story of X in different ways, but maybe without us. If we had the time, energy, and ability to sustain our bodies, we'd still be working on this manga, I promise you that. The kind words we have gotten from our readers have meant the world to me (I tear up at them sometimes!). I hope that one day, we can return to finish off the first year of BeyX content. If we don't, then oops! Every member of our team has other projects we work on, so you can find us there. I can't tell you what those projects are for our privacy and safety, but we do them! For now, this is Team Kid Named Bird spinning out.

3! 2! 1! Let it rip with us next time, whenever that may be! Thank you so much for supporting us!

[missdeepend]

The Fairy Tail Fandom is so Powerful

I should first start by saying, Fairy Tail was my first anime other tahn the one episode of AoT that turned me away from anime and the few scenes I watched as a little girl of Pokemon, Sailor Moon, and Beyblade. It was the first show I sat down and watched and felt completely moved by with everything going on and it came at a very crucial point in my life. So there I was, roughly 13-14 years old (Almost 10 years for me now) sitting in computer class when I decided to take a "which anime are you quiz". This quiz was going to be my shot at getting into anime again. If I enjoyed it, anime was meant for me and if now, well that was that. So I took the quiz and my answer...was Fairy Tail. I can't tell you how I watched it for the first time, most likely through Netflix or even some other website but I did and I fell in love. It was everything I could ask for and more. The characters- I loved. The story- I loved. The artwork- I loved. It felt like a show made for me.

Now back then Little Deep End here had a small group of friends and shortly after the 3 other girls loved it too. We would always joke about the characters and, well, Gray being naked. It was something we bonded over and expanded out into other manga until eventually... I had to move. The last thing I had gotten from them was a picture of Gray with the words 'naked popsicle' written next to him. Something I kept until around my senior year of high school when I decided to let it go from its prison of my jewelry box.

But there I was, the new girl in school and well it wasn't the worst. I made friends and we bonded over things but I never met anyone with the same passion for this show in person as I once had with my previous friends. Well, that was until I explored Wattpad. Oh boy.

It was on here that I dove into the Fairy Tail community head on. I had already created ocs to join roleplays, with my proudest being Setsuko Rin- who at the time was just another ice mage. I read all the stories about Nalu, Gruvia, Gajevy (I wasn't too much of a Jerza fan but you get the point). It was like a safe haven. I couldn't discuss my passion for Fairy Tail with anyone else but these people but I didn't mind.

This all has a point I promise. Fairy Tail brings out something in its fans that not a lot of fandoms have and I think it has to do with the themes of Fairy Tail. Yes we may feel lonely in person but the guild was somewhere where the least welcomed were welcomed. Those that are outcasts with no friends and those that were the most popular could all come together and talk about how much Fairy Tail changed their lives.

I'm not going to lie and say that Fairy Tail hasn't had its moments in the show and that the community is perfect. However, I will say that you could mention Fairy Tail to any fan and they would welcome you with open arms. I feel like this show teaches a good level of respect and kindness that people aren't used to seeing within fandoms anymore. I can't even tell you how much it warmed my heart to see all the videos standing up for Fairy Tail within the last few years coming out to shut down the negativity it was getting and the people standing up and celebrating its return with 100 Year Quest.

It really goes to show you that a fandom like the Fairy Tail fandom is truly something else. Not to mention Todd Haberkorn being the best voice cast for Natsu there ever could be and same for Cherami Leigh as Lucy. Honestly all those actors both in the US and Japan (as well as the others worldwide) deserve so much praise for growing with us. Even if we shouldn't have been watching some of those scenes that we were at our age.

Anywayssss I just wanted to ramble a bit because this community does warm my heart. But I'll see you all later in the Deep End!!

[vashsscoreboardofpain]

WELCOME BACK SPORTS FANS >:]

We are back with the 2nd part of the adventure on the ship seeds 3! 98 Vash has only 6 more episodes to gather as many points as he can. Lets see how it goes

Let episode 21 begin!

The stage is set right as we left it. The contestant wastes no time and goes to fight one of the invaders. While trying to save the people, he hits one of the heavy points. 1 "traumatizing event" point after finding a lot of people he knew dead. But the contestant is ready to bring more. At the same time, he strikes 1 "action" point after naming every person who died and for apologizing for not coming sooner. Fuck.

BUT THE CONTESTANT NOR THE AUDIENCE HAS TIME FOR TEARS TONIGHT. 1 "bad event" point after a....beyblade robot almost hit him. The new gung ho gun allows the contestant to hit another "action" point for not defending himself of the "this is ok, you have done worse after all" allegations. He moves quick and fights the enemy, but he is shot at multiple times by him (1 "bad event" point for that). The contestant gets hit by the enemy granting him another "bad event" point. He keeps getting injured but keeps standing up to get more points.

The contestant stays in the ground for a while, gathering strength. And just right after getting 1 "yikes statement" point for repeating the promise he made rem to himself despite being injured, he rises and counter attacks with his gun and some wire!

The enemy is down but theres still no time to rest. The contestant hits a fast "action" point for focusing on the plant and brad while he literally cant get up. He rises, walks towards the plant and gets ready. The plan seems to go well, the contestant may be able to save them after all-

And then the gauntlet hits again. The plant perishes and so do the people of the ship. 1 "traumatizing event" point for the contestant. Before he can process anything, the hits keep coming. 1 "bad event" point for having everyone who he thought of as friends blame him for the incident, 1 "action" point for apologizing and taking the blame, 1 "traumatizing event" point for brad DYING IN FRONT OF HIM HOLY CRAP.

Harsh round for our contestant. Things seem to be getting worse and worse for our contestant. It seems like now he has left his average behind since he got 10 points on this round. The new total is 179 points. Will he be able to get to 200 or 300 before his season is over? Will he encounter even more traumatizing experiences?

TUNE IN TO FIND OUT :'D

[masterofdemise]

MFB: Solar Swap AU Basic Character Information

Figured I don’t talk about the Solar Swap AU in detail enough, so I’m going to do that here and provide some brief descriptions on the different people and the ideas I have right now.

For those who don’t know, Solar Swap AU is an alternate universe where the Nemesis Bladers and the Solar System Bladers switch roles (ie: Nemesis Bladers are the good Legendary Bladers and Solar System Bladers are working for Nemesis). Metal Fusion and Metal Masters are basically follow the same events with maybe one or two very minor detail changes (Hades Inc. called Zeus Inc. instead)

The AU mainly revolves around Pluto and Dynamis, who have had a rivalry/feud for many years, both over who has the better company and over Nemesis. Solar Swap follows Pluto, Gingka, and his friends as they search for the legendary bladers to stop Dynamis and Nemesis.

 Now, onto the basic descriptions for the people that have been changed:

Pluto

CEO of Hades Incorporated. Pluto is the Legendary Blader of well, Pluto (he refers to himself as a Legendary Blader of Hades, not like it’s much better since that is his last name too). His second-in-command and best friend is Johannes. He has had his rivalry against Dynamis since he was a youth. Much like his canon counterpart, he is the direct descendant of King Hades and a strong advocate for Hades’ Law. He is the one that explains the whole situation to Gingka and the others, leading them to go on their search for the rest of the Legendary Bladers.

Dynamis

CEO of The Olympus Corporation. Dynamis may wield Jade Jupiter here, but his end goal is to revive and use Nemesis as a means of ending the world. There is no “I will take over and rule the world”, he just wants to get rid of everything. He employs the rest of the Solar System Bladers (Yuki, Tithi, King, Aguma) to do his bidding. He is responsible for orchestrating all the events of Fusion and Masters. Dynamis is a descendant of King Zeus in this alternate universe.

Johannes

Pluto’s best friend and bodyguard. He may not be a Legendary Blader, but his skill and battle mastery is not to be underestimated. He often accompanies Pluto to keep him safe from harm, but sometimes is tasked with quite mundane tasks every now and then. He is the older brother of Motti.

Yuki

The second-in-command of Dynamis, he wields Mercury Anubis and his magical abilities to take down anyone who gets in his way. He has his own rivalry with Johannes and the other members within Olympus Corporation. He often finds himself confronting Pluto, Gingka and company as they try to look for the star fragments.

King and Tithi

Both were hired by Dynamis to work for the Olympus Corporation. Thanks to their exceptional talent in Beyblade, they have quickly rose the ranks within the company. Despite that, because of their young age and kinder nature, they’ve been left in the dark when it comes to information about Nemesis’s revival. They get along and look up to Dynamis a lot, not realizing his true plans for the world.

Aguma and Bao

Being offered to make the Beylin Fist the top school in the blading world, they have been working for Olympus Corporation as leaders of the defense division. They are responsible for training new recruits as part of the agreement made between them and Olympus Corporation. They were promised to be a part of the world takeover, but are not aware of the complete destruction aspect. The two of them still participate in ToRyumon to search for the legendary bladers.

Herschel

A wandering vagrant and the Legendary Blader of Uranus. He goes where the winds take him, and that leads to him being the ToRyumon partner for Johannes after Gingka takes Pluto as his blading partner instead. Herschel joins the group until Destroyer Dome, where he departs with Keyser to continue the search. He eventually reconvenes with the group during Beyster Island.

Keyser

The Legendary Blader of Musca, he is a detective tasked with investigating the Olympus Corporation for suspicious activity due to their connection with Zeus Incorporated. He participates in Destroyer Dome to see if he can find more information, but is found by Pluto and the others. He ends up going along with Herschel to continue their investigation. He joins back with everyone else during the Beyster Island tournament.

Cycnus

The Legendary Blader of Cygnus. He is Dynamis’s top blader and the one he sends for the toughest and most grueling missions due to his aggressive and unforgiving nature. Cycnus is the one that fights against Pluto, Rago, and Kyoya during the Neptunis Island Incident (similar to Mist Mountain). Cygnus’s existence has been completely hidden from the public, much akin to a trump card. He ends up moving to the side of good after he is betrayed by Dynamis during the revival ceremony.

Rago

The Legendary Blader of Neptune, he is a lighthouse keeper in a small town. He spends a lot of his time preserving and researching information related to the old kingdom of Atlantis. With the arrival of the star fragments, Rago goes off to Neptunis Island, that still has remaining technology from the old kingdom of Atlantis. He uses the old magic canon to shatter the star fragment so that the pieces wouldn’t fall into Dynamis’s hand. He used to know Dynamis when he was a young child, but the friendship fell apart after Rago left with his family to live elsewhere. Rago is forced to work with Dynamis after getting cursed to do his bidding, but is eventually let go after the spell is broken by the Legendary Bladers.

-

That is all I have for just the character information. I won’t dump this in Metal Record because if I do write Solar Swap, I want it to be its own fic or separate entity. I have, SO MUCH more information, but I would need individual posts for that. If people are interested in this AU, please feel free to message me or send an ask because I’d love to answer questions that people have.

[fishrpg]

2024-09-10: Episode 10 (Seals of Disapproval)

Original airdate September 2, 1992

Episode Synopsis

One of Dr. Beeker's scientist friends in Australia, Dr. Millicent Kimball (specializing in animal behavior), is reporting that the seals in Sydney Harbor are suddenly entering the city and attempting to do human activities like driving cars and using money. Dr. Kimball asks Dr. Beeker and the gang for help solving this mystery and everyone heads off to Sydney to investigate!

It appears that only seals on one particular side of the harbor are engaging in these behaviors, and if someone makes a map of where it is happening, the weird seals only show up in a rough trapezoid shape on the map (actually a cone shape, but people aren't noticing the weird seals in the water as much). Predictably, this situation is called by SynCorp's meddling, specifically in the form of an animal mind-control ray that is hidden in the rocks on the far side of the harbor. The ray is camouflaged to look like an upright rock, though it oscillates back and forth like a fan and emits a low whining noise. Shutting the device off will return the seals to their normal behavior within an hour. The ray does not normally affect any creature's behavior except seals, though it may affect other sea creatures at the GM's discretion. SynCorp put the device in place to test out capturing a new market (literally) for its products, by compelling seals to buy their products to improve the company's profits.

Episode Sponsor: Battle Ring

Step into the ring with the Battle Ring collectible spinning top battle system. It predated the Beyblade phenomenon by almost a decade, but did not have the backing of a dedicated animated series to push the product. There were a total of 24 different tops to collect, all of them with equally likely odds of being found. Each top was a different character and had a unique color scheme to make identifying the tops in combat easier.

Notable Element: Dundee Jack's (Location)

Dundee Jack's is a convenience store that is in the blast area of the mind control ray and is besieged by seals in this episode. It is a small establishment with a glass front, a revolving door, four aisles of product, and a single employee (a young man named Reagan who is bored during normal times and absolutely overwhelmed during the seal time) tending the till. Roll 1d4 and consult the table to see what is happening in the store.

What's Happening At Dundee Jack's

A seal has a mouthful of money and is trying to buy a soft drink, but cannot hold the money and the soft drink in its mouth at the same time. It will violently attack anyone who tries to take the money without offering a drink.

Reagan is currently trapped in the revolving door because a seal is trying to leave while two seals are trying to force their way into the store.

A seal driving an out of control sedan crashes into the storefront.

Two seals are fighting over a pack of crisps, knocking over an aisle in the process.

[andro-dino]

Okay okay okay I know I’m coming out of nowhere with this buT KyoTsuHyo family??? KIds??? DesIgNs or HeadCanONs????? Would they have BABIESSS????? Thank you for encouraging my insanity

oooo honestly I dunno, I haven’t really thought about this much. Although recently, I have been having thoughts about making a kyoya fankid with an unspecified second gene provider just bc I really do love kyoya and his billion husbands and singular wife all raising this one child together bc I think it’s a fun dynamic. They say it takes a village to raise a kid, I think a massive polycule works just as well. The idea for this kid though would be that she would be basically exactly like Kyoya but a little girl, with her being a very ambitious blader and Kyoya serving as her primary mentor. That is probably why she is exactly like him lmao. She is a very stubborn kid and they butt heads about as much as you’d expect, but it’s all out of love. I love girldad Kyoya i think he would be very silly as a parent. He’s raising her to be a very tough kid, and I think as a father, he’s very caring in his own way, though he is a bit hard on her as a trainer, though he insists it is for her own good, and I do think he’d be careful not to push her too far. He’s the type to be hard on her because he can see her potential, and he knows she’ll eventually grow to surpass him as a blader one day. This is not without its faults, but I don’t think anyone expected Kyoya to be a perfect parent, and as with any parent, he’d grow and learn how to be better with time yk.

As for them and the kyohyotsu family dynamic, I do have some thoughts. I like the idea of koma village being a little more populated by the time these guys are adults, so I do think that Hyoma, now not being the sole guardian of koma (maybe he can even have his own kid or successor that he’s teaching specifically to eventually be the next official guardian) would have more time to travel outside of the village, so I could see a lot more domestic kyohyotsu interactions. I do still think he’d travel a lot anyways though. With that, plus kyoya and Tsubasa both being very busy people as the head of TC and the director of the WBBA respectively, I kinda imagine that they kinda take turns being the main character for the kid. Joint custody schedule except the parents are still married, just very all over the place lol. I can imagine her learning a lot about the wilderness and traveling from Hyoma, and he probably teaches her a whole lot about koma village and all their legends too. I also just did a google search and apparently bald eagles can live to be around 20-30 years old, so hypothetically Tsubasa may be able to introduce this kid to his now senior eagle. I think he’d probably teach her a lot about animals anyways. I think they’re all probably at their most domestic once the family’s all together and they take the time to just hang out and really appreciate each other’s presence. Hyoma I can see generally being the fun dad, Tsubasa being the most responsible, and Kyoya being the one that the other three (lovingly) gang up on frequently <3 I think also just like, even outside of just the Kyoya polycule, all of their friends absolutely would be the best people for this kid to grow up around and would step in to help out with her whenever needed. She is a mini-Kyoya with the biggest support system imaginable and it would definitely help her grow up to be a very functional person. And like, realistically with how beyblade usually tends to go anyways, being a blader, she’s probably gonna be out on her own adventuring a lot and will be pretty self sufficient, but her parents being many and spread out just means she’s got all the more places to come back to to call home.

[lady-lazagna]

May we know what are your top five hated character in the beyblade and why you despise them?? 🙏

I am known for one thing and it's being a fucking hater😎

When I think about characters that I hate, it's less about them being shit people in the show and more about them making my viewing experience worse. Like, sure, you can help save the world and whatnot, but are you funny? Heartfelt? Cool? Do you have any personality traits outside of the exposition you were made to deliver? Do you bounce off the other characters' energy well? (Basically, were you or were you not introduced in Fury😐 /hj)

So overall, this isn't a list of characters I would beat the shit out of if we met; they're ones that made the show worse for me and thus I hate their very conception with a burning passion.

Interestingly enough, I can't actually think of five characters that I genuinely hate, so I've made a top four instead. Sure, there are more I don't really like, but those ones aren't as hate-inducing as they are just kind of bland. So if you expected certain antagonists to be on here, just know that they were likely too boring to hate.

Without further ado, here's the top four worst characters in mfb (to me):

4. Chris

This is just a nothing character. A nothing man. They could've had an interesting idea with the blader for hire idea, but instead, it was squandered for a basic "everyone left me" backstory. What a bummer, man. Never heard that one before. Tetsuya and King are crying their eyes out fr :/

What really gets me about him, though, is that despite being so nothing, he takes up a spot as a legendary blader, when that could've been ANYONE. This character is the first legendary blader we find after we figure out who we're actually looking for; it could be any Winter constellation blader- and it's just a fucking white guy who's a little bit mean. Noah Fence to Mr. Adachi, but his favourite legendary blader- who in the manga is a blue-blooded American military man- is the man standing emoji??? Great.

3. Ryo Hagane/The Immortal Phoenix (more like penis haha)

Avert your eyes, Sadie, Arti and Deity. L FATHER. L DIRECTOR. L HUMAN. Oh, I almost died in a volcanic cave-in that destroyed my home and sent my son on a quest for revenge? THIS WILL BE A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR HIM :) No Hokuto, don't tell him I'm alive while we're 50 METRES AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, he still has some Beyblade things to learn before he can have his father back. And oh man, he came third in that one tournament?? How did he let this happen??? Let me just dress up like a clown and DESTROY ALL THE PROGRESS HE MADE TOWARDS TRYING TO STOP THE GUYS THAT HE THINKS KILLED ME.

And when the jig is up and he's finally revealed, he's just like "I did what I thought was best😌" and Benkei's like "You should be in jail you sick fuck" and that's honestly a Benkei W. But he doesn't go to jail. In fact... some fucking idiot put him in charge of the WBBA, which means he can now make stupid decisions that fuck over not just his own son, but ALL of the children of Japan! Yay!!!

No Hikaru, we can't let Gan Gan Galaxy or Wild Fang rest despite half the kids being critically injured, that's special treatment! Oh but yes Gingka, I will let the TWO teams that attacked you guys outside of the competitions off the hook so that you can still battle them, I love special treatment! And yes Tsubasa, I think you should spend more time with Gingka and the gang to learn about friendship and become stronger, but NO Tsubasa, you should NOT go with Gingka and the gang to look for legendary bladers when you can just do it completely by yourself! L FATHER. L DIRECTOR. L. HUMAN.

The only reason he's not lower is because he leads to funnies (see above).

2. Yuki Mizusawa

Do you ever feel like your one purpose in life is to tell some guy about his fate, and since you don't have anything left to accomplish on this earth you decide to follow him while he achieves this fate? Oh sure, you might feel a little better after becoming a part of that fate, but really, what do you honestly contribute other than "we need to find the legendary bladers that possess the star fragments so that we can defeat Nemesis!"? Because that is all you fucking say.

To really explain my gripe with this pathetic dork whom I could easily fold up and shove in my dishwasher, here is an excerpt from some notes I was making during my second Fury rewatch:

(The first and last quotes are from Ryo. At least he can be funny while also being a waste of space👀)

Maybe I wouldn't hate him so much if he hadn't replaced Based characters like Kenta (who I know was getting some important development at the time, but still😤), Yu, and even my main man Tsoobs (who as previously mentioned, was unfairly separated from the gang by a fucking idiot loser). But he did. He took up that heartfelt, funny, and cool space to be. a slightly damp sock.

Was there potential for Yuki to be something more if the writers of Fury weren't smoking the psychedelic betel nuts that grow in my neighbour's yard that keep falling into our pool? I don't fucking care. If he had more of a personality other than "Mr. Gingka!" and "my grandfather once said-" then maybe I would.

1. Dynamis

SHUT UP. SHUT UP. SHUT UUUUUUUUUP. From the moment this fucker is introduced all he does is spew exposition. And that is entirely it. If I hear ONE MORE FUCKING WORD about "the stars, and what is fated, and the gods, and the will of the heavens, and the will of the stars, and-" THIS TIME I'M REALLY GONNA DO IT.

When my sibling and I first watched through Fury we were simply ASTOUNDED. at how fucking boring this guy is. Seriously, we took a long hiatus from watching after his introductory episodes because they were so mind-numbing (in fact, I think the hiatus might've lasted up until our dog fucking DIED, because I was so upset that I would've rather felt incredibly bored than sad LMAO).

You'd think it would've gotten at least a little more interesting when he gets possessed, but no. He sounds exactly the fucking same or he just doesn't talk at all (I'm pretty sure there was no point in him being possessed at all, but I digress). He gets pulled back to the goodies with the power of friendship or whatever and then BOOM. I GOTTA TELL AGUMA ABOUT THE STARS, AND THE WILL OF THE HEAVENS, AND THE GODS, AND THE FATES AND I'M REALLY GONNA DO IT THIS TIME.

All in all, what I hate in the show is wasting time with exposition, being a nothing person with no character, and teaching lessons that aren't fucking lessons you need to teach. Thanks for the suggestion, anon!

[misplacedmidlanders]

Sunday, May 12th 2024. Picton > Nelson.

Well, it was all going rather well until it wasn't - Jake and I both felt really homesick this morning so we've decided to catch the next flight home. We feel we've seen enough of NZ and we're really happy with the experience we've had, but we miss the UK and it's time to call it a day.

(Record scratch.) Anyway, enough about the dream I was having at three o'clock this morning - today was our ferry day down to the south island. We had a mega early start (5:30!) and caught a 3.5 hour ferry from Wellington to Picton. It was a pretty uneventful journey all in all (it was a bit like sitting on a washing machine the whole time, but not in a Betty Draper kind of way) so we did a few laps around the ferry and gazed longingly at the things we couldn't afford - the premium lounge, the gym, the sandwiches. We spent most of it on the top deck outside when we realised this had the best views, and I could listen to Justin Hurwitz's 'The Landing' on repeat the whole time.

The weather was rainy and spotty, with the faint promise of sunlight all morning (which eventually arrived). One thing I've forgotten to mention about this whole trip is that, as Jake and I were horrified to learn, New Zealand has almost no ozone layer over it, meaning that even with the modest sunshine we had today it only takes 12 minutes for you to burn up (in the UK the burn time is 30 - 60 minutes). Then, when you add the redhead factor to this equation, you're actually looking at about 6 minutes of burn time for Jake and I. Whilst they might not have the poisonous spiders or the upright dogs with pouches that Australia has, the Kiwis instead have something far more terrifying - the literal #nofilter sunshine.

After our ferry handbrake turned into Picton we coached down to Pelorus Bridge and we took part in the micro version of ferrying - kayaking. Whilst the size of my arms may suggest a different story, kayaking was not my strong suit, and telling the kayak to 'Go forward more' proved to be a poor strategy as we made our way down the Te Hoiere river. Jake and I shared a kayak, and if you ever wanted to test your communication skills with someone then oh boy is this the activity for you (we did eventually get the hang of it, once we stopped spinning like a Beyblade). This is also the location where they filmed the barrel escape scene in The Desolation of Smaug.

We finished our day off by settling in Nelson, where we're staying tonight and tomorrow. For dinner, we had pizzas the size of flying saucers with the gang (the Scots, Liam & Emma, and non-Scots, McKenzie & Jospeh) at Steffano's Pizzeria. Tomorrow, we're looking at rings, and as I'm sure you've infered, this is also related to Lord of the Rings (a recurring theme of this trip).

[cave-monkey]

Monkey King 2009 Episode 14

I feel like someone on the writing team took umbrage to the idea a little bamboo raft would do well in open ocean. The pointed camera angle on the stores falling into the water the second they hit rough seas seemed...targeted lol.

Anyway, another lower-energy episode. I can't really say "calmer" since Old White Deer on screen together with Six Ears makes my skin crawl and feel anything but calm (Six Ears is not acting right at all, what did he do?), but it was definitely transitional, at least.

Speaking of Old White Deer, he has all these 干 relationships and it's so freaking weird. First there was just Demon King, now there's King Flood Dragon, and then Six Ears. Are there others? Does he just make a habit of this? Is this how he acquires minions? Six Ears calls him teacher right now, but is Old White Deer someday going to try to induct him into this creepy, creepy "family"? This weird cult? Were King Flood Dragon or Demon King and whoever else at one point also kids he lured in off the street, or got in good with their parents' trust somehow?

I don't like this???

Augh. Old Monkey King, please cave this guy's skull in with your staff. That might sound excessively violent. It's not. Like, why did Old White Deer go through the trouble of changing Six Ears's clothes with that spell last episode? Aesthetic? He's not a doll? Everything about this is so fucking creepy and I wasn't actually expecting it to be this creepy?

ANYWAY

Six Ears was present when Stone Monkey left! The credits have them talking too, which is great, and actually kind of make Six Ears look more conflicted and sort of...like himself than the actual episode makes him out to be. Which is also good, but also...I'm confused about the extent of that mind-whammy spell? I guess it'll become clearer over time. He was present, though. I sure hope one of the adults picked up on the fact he's not acting right :) And wonder where he's getting off to. Checking up on him after that pretty public outburst at least, maybe. That would sure be nice.

And if my entire lack of any mention of them whatsoever wasn't a clear enough sign, I...do not especially care about the heaven subplot. It gets smiles out of me occasionally, like when Laozi and General Li had their chat, and I try to keep track of things like - apparently they all have Precious Heavenly Birds that are also sometimes inanimate objects that they fight like beyblades or something? (why???) but...*heavy sigh*. I just don't care. Especially not about Fucking Dipper. That guy is...not the worst because Old White Deer exists, but he is up there. He is extremely up there.

And now, because Wudou the Absolute Tool has apparently decided to finally start putting that awful, petty little plot he's been not-so-subtly "slyly insinuating" to everyone in heaven about for the entire damn show into motion, I have to actually pay attention to him. Ugh.

Though him ending up in the middle of the monkey troop was a treat. Especially with them still so wired and territorial after almost all dying to the Demon King's army. Like, to be fair, they found a random stranger essentially taking photos of the entrance to their home, and that's a bit worrying for most people even when not regularly engaged in life-threatening warfare with their neighbors. Did they still jump to conclusions? Yes, absolutely. Would Wudou have deserved this if some nice paintings were really all he wanted? Of course not. But he's him, I've been stuck watching him weasel his way around being slimy and proprietary about Flower Fruit Mountain for pretty much the entire time I've known him, and so these guys giving him absolutely no quarter felt great, actually. No one deserves the four generals being the four generals at them more, honestly. I only wish they'd kept talking to him longer. They may have actually been able to make him cry with frustration. Especially Marshal Liu.

Also I called it, I called it, I even noticed this last episode but forgot all about it after the emotional bomb of those last five minutes, but General Ba really will not let General Beng say a single word anymore without immediately screaming GRANDPARENT TALK at him. It's so funny. Just let the man speak!

Especially when it gives us gems like General Beng, Mr. "I got praised once as a child for reading a book of poetry and I made it my whole identity" of all people busting out a sudden: "What the fuck just happened???" into the dead silence after Wudou's sudden vanishing.

Look, I'm harsh on them, but I really don't hate the four generals. I just think they should never in any way have any direct authority over children. They are better people when interacting with other adults and especially each other, honestly.

My heart, despite itself, did soften a little at General Beng and Marshal Ma yelling at Stone Monkey to just come back home if it was too hard, and all the commanders and maybe the whole troop picking it up. Though I also noticed how much better their attitudes became when Stone Monkey was given an actual title, especially one as prestigious as heir to their king. Definitely noticed that. Especially when them yelling at him to come home soon and safe contrasted their dead silence when they let him leave into the wilds of Flower Fruit Mountain entirely on his own just a few episodes ago :) Some things in life really are so much easier when you have status, I guess!

BUT. Stone Monkey. His calming breath as he looks out over the open ocean in front of him before buckling down was a really good moment? I liked that a lot. He was taking the adventure pretty okay, too! Cheerfully settling in, brightly looking for solutions to some minor inconveniences, and then...Ginseng Fruit is broken out of their gourd hiding place and you see Stone Monkey go through a mini-crisis when he realizes Ginseng Fruit is now in danger right along with him and Stone Monkey is going to have to keep them safe. The stress just slams back down. He makes the best of it, of course, and doesn't let Ginseng Fruit see much when he gets rattled, and he does genuinely like having friends with him, but I mean. Guy was definitely struggling for a few seconds there. What was he going to do, throw Ginseng Fruit into the ocean if he didn't like them being there? Try and row back to Flower Fruit Mountain against a headwind and the current to drop Ginseng Fruit back off? Like it or not, Ginseng Fruit is there to stay.

And then later when King Flood Dragon reveals himself (and he's a super creepy guy too, genuinely just messing with them and heightening their terror and struggle for fun, and it was actually disturbing), Stone Monkey snatching Ginseng Fruit up and tucking them up against his chest where they're safe and out of the way, immediately taking as much control of the situation as he can? His "Let me handle it!" making a comeback, like when he forcibly removed Six Ears from the canyon when their shelter went down. I think you can tell when Stone Monkey's genuinely scared or stressed because he immediately turns into a control freak about it. Just grabbing his friends and bodily shoving them out of the way as he tries to take over everything. I love this version of Sun Wukong so much. The writers really love examining his protectiveness, and how it's both a virtue and a flaw.

And then him trying so hard to throw Ginseng Fruit to safety when he realized he couldn't get them both out. Ay.

AND his "You can't die. You'll definitely find a big brother better than me someday (read: I'm about to die and I have to imagine you making it out and having a future and being happy and safe even without me because otherwise I'm going to lose it)." Putting all that effort into getting Ginseng Fruit clear, as safe as he can, followed by that long shot of him just having to sit there helplessly as he's pulled down to his death, unable to do anything to save himself.

Shhhush up, I don't have a lump in my throat.

It's okay though because Guanyin's coming in clutch. I couldn't see clearly enough to tell if it was another one of her hairs (if so, he's already gone through two and we're only about a quarter-ish of the way through the show oh no) or if she just called foul on King Flood Dragon and decided to intervene directly.

[raging-violets]

2. Do you read/reread your own fics?

3. What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written?

4. How many WIPs do you have right now?

5. What’s a fic idea you’ve had that you will never write?

7. How many ideas for fics do you have right now?

15. How do you come up with titles for your fics/chapters?

16. At what point in the process do you come up with titles?

19. Give us a small teaser from one of your WIPs.

20. What’s a favorite title for a fic you’ve written?

21. Have you ever deleted an entire scene after spending hours laboring over it? If so, why?

22. Do you know how your fic will end before you start writing?

Fanfic Writer Asks | Ask Box

Riley's answers:

2. Do you read/reread your own fics? – I do, so I can remember what it was that I was going to do before I stopped writing it for whatever reason I did, lol. Otherwise, I re-read it if I haven't in a while simply because I enjoyed it. Also, I'm reading it as I'm writing it so there's no way I'm not reading it, if that makes sense.

3. What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written? – Well, this is hard considering I have over so many of them that are finished that are posted online, so many that are finished that will never see the light of day other than between myself and my sisters, and also in that there's more than that from those I deleted over previous years. BUT it's any of The Flash and the Flame series (The Flash), and of my Elementals series (SLOZAC/SLOD), The Can't Help It Series (SLOZAC/SLOD), and any of my Big Time Rush ones, I honestly can't choose just one.

4. How many WIPs do you have right now? – 100+

5. What’s a fic idea you’ve had that you will never write? – My idea of a Bit Beast War for Beyblade and my idea for Teen Wolf of a mythical creature hit list. I will never write them.

7. How many ideas for fics do you have right now? – *Checks Notes* Over 30 across multiple fandoms.

15. How do you come up with titles for your fics/chapters? – It's either a play on the theme to the fic, a play on words, or it's a play on a idiom.

16. At what point in the process do you come up with titles? – At the very end. Most of my documents are titled [insert title here] until I come up with it.

19. Give us a small teaser from one of your WIPs. – From the next chapter of "The Night Witch" (Narnia)

“I don’t know, I think she has something there. I mean, Jadis was known as the White Witch. She had powers all over the realm of cryogenics,” Susan explained. She looked to Edmund and Peter and added, “Ice and winter,” as if explaining something to a child. Both of her brothers gave her exasperated looks in response. “We’ve all heard the stories from Professor Kirke…of her immortality.” “And then Nikabrik, the hag, and the werewolf tried to bring her back,” Peter agreed. “Her body may be gone but…” he swallowed hard. “That doesn’t mean her life is.” “You said the powers were like hers…but not exact. Lu, what did you mean?” “Exactly as I said. There’s another witch out there, the magical powers…I can feel it. Professor Kirke explained it me, when he told us stories of his uncle and what happened with him and Polly. I know the feeling of that magic; I can sense it. It’s similar but is the strongest at night. Just as Jadis was strongest in winter…she was the White Witch, and this one…” “Is a Night Witch,” Edmund finished for her. He shrugged in light appreciation. “Good name.”

20. What’s a favorite title for a fic you’ve written? – “Whatever It Takes (To Get Me Out Of Here)” for my Degrassi fic...which I really need to get back to.

21. Have you ever deleted an entire scene after spending hours laboring over it? If so, why? – Yep, all the time, and it's mostly because something about it isn't working and I can't force it to work.

22. Do you know how your fic will end before you start writing? – I usually know the end line/the end scene of a fic before I write anything else of it. So, I come up with the end before I come up with the plot and work my way into how to make the end make sense.

-

Rhuben's answers:

2. Do you read/reread your own fics? – Yes! Most of the time it’s to remind myself what idea I’ve already done, or where I am in a fic I’m currently writing because it’s been so long since I updated it, but yes. A lot of it is cringy, but it’s also fun! A lot of the time I can remember where I was in my life at the time I wrote it, or I can pinpoint what inspired me to write it in the first place.

3. What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written? – As far as completed ones go, probably my Flash fanfic (In a Flash) or my Big Time Rush fanfic (Never Again). They were the first two “big” ones I’d say I did from start to finish that I felt was complete in terms of what beats I wanted to hit, what tones, the characterization, and everything really felt like it came together. (I do have a bad habit of starting fics and never finishing them, or just silently deleting them, or just going with a new WIP as soon as I get that idea).

4. How many WIPs do you have right now? – A LOT! Is the short answer. But that also depends on what you mean by WIP. Did I actually start writing out parts or just open a document and just dump my base ideas? Counting them, 50+

5. What’s a fic idea you’ve had that you will never write? – Honestly, probably my SSX 3 fanfic about Skye Simms and her best friend (my OC) competing for a wild card spot into the circuit for that year. My OC gets it for that game iteration and realizes how out of her depth she is as her base sport is wakeboarding. I’ve been really into this idea for a looooooooooong time, but don’t know if I’ll ever actually do it.

7. How many ideas for fics do you have right now? – I always have idea for fics. It could be new ideas or just different ways to write the same trope for the bajillionth time. But, I have ideas for: Digimon, Pokemon, SSX 3, Beyblade, Kingdom Hearts, Miraculous Ladybug, Power Rangers, The Artful Dodger, Young Justice, Mighty Ducks, Superstore/Big Time Rush crossover, The Flash/Criminal Minds crossover, Chicago Fire/Chicago PD, X-Men (movies), and more I’m forgetting as I think of this off the top of my head. (And that's just for things I'd post online.)

15. How do you come up with titles for your fics/chapters? – 9 times out of 10 it’s a song title or a lyric. I’m listening to music allll theeeee timmeeee and tend to get stuck on certain phrases that just latches on to my brain. Otherwise, it’s titles from episodes of other shows, or random book titles I come across.

16. At what point in the process do you come up with titles? – If I don’t already have an idea for the series/fanfic title, it’ll usually come as I’m writing up the (FFN/full-length) summary of the fanfic because I like to try and have something quippy or punny or clever in the summary that goes along with the title or the overarching plot.

19. Give us a small teaser from one of your WIPs. – From my DC’s Stargirl fic, “Collateral Damage”

“If my parents catch me eating this, they’ll ground me into dust.” Still, Artemis Crock quickly removed the plastic from the Twinkie in her hands and took a large bite of the spongy treat. Her eyes fell shut, and a smile graced the curve of her lips as she chewed. “But, it’s so good,” Connie Sinclair said, using her finger to wipe away the glob of cream oozing out of the Twinkie in her own hand. She licked the cream off her finger and sighed. “Mmmm.” “Tell me about it,” Artemis said, her words barely managing to tumble out of her mouth before she took a second bite.

20. What’s a favorite title for a fic you’ve written? – “Silent Pages, Loud Words.” It’s the title of a Big Time Rush one-shot focusing on Kendall, but I always really felt something deep with that phrase.

21. Have you ever deleted an entire scene after spending hours laboring over it? If so, why? – YES!! All the time! Mostly it’s because by the time I write the stuff around it, it doesn’t fit with the tone of the chapter anymore. There’s a section from my Flash fanfic “Out of Focus” where Iris West is supposed to spend time with her estranged mother without her knowing about it, and I’ve tried to fit that in the past four chapters, and it still doesn’t work and I keep moving it somewhere else.

22. Do you know how your fic will end before you start writing? – Yes; A lot of the time, the ending is one of the things I write right after the first chapter. Recently, a lot of my fics are like “novelizations” of the movie/tv series they’re based off of, so I know how it ends canonically, but it’s how it’d change regarding my OC that makes it fun to write the different stuff. I already have the ending to my Criminal Minds fic (which I REALLY need to get back to) written and ready to go.

[justsomeoneintoomanyfandoms]

Hello could I get a matchup from Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia please :) . My name is Sitara that means Star . Would prefer a matchup for the adult males in JJK and Pro heroes in MHA

Pronouns : She / her

Sexuality : Heterosexual , likes men

Zodiac : Aries

MBTI : ENFJ

Appearance : 5'7 ( considered tall by my friends ) . hourglass body. Thigh length long black straight hair , black eyes . Wheat brown skin. I have multiple aesthetics for clothing according to occasion like sweet girl , badass girl outfits , dark feminine , old money . But I try to look sexy while still being elegant . Big doe eyes , small nose and lips with chubby cheeks .

Personality : I'm very extroverted , I need people to match my energy . But I'm calm and reliable when I need to get a work done. Very independent and thus wants to take care of people I love. I respond very nicely to affection , I love it. Physical touch , words of affirmation , acts of service , gifts all are my love languages . I have many insecurities that people don't know despite them thinking I'm beautiful and intelligent ( Am I ? I don't know , I think I'm weird and have insecurities but I never tell anyone). I'm confident in my own abilities and kind of a leader and responsible person with a fun side too. People say I'm charismatic . I can understand other people's hidden side below their extroverted self so I comfort them and try to understand because I have feel them too. I can easily understand such people . Have many insecurities and trust issues but is willing to get over them for someone I love . I'm the life of the party , have many friends but I have small circle of close friends. I have a tendency to protect my loved ones and care for them even if I know they can. very calm and collected , don't loose my cool easily

Likes and Dislikes : I hate people who aren't loyal to their friends or partners . I'm very loyal to my loved ones but people think I'm a player , cheater , don't know why. I love to party and love dancing . I love songs that can make me dance but hate sad songs and slow songs ( unless I'm in a romantic mood ) . I love spicy food. I love to party where I can dance and go wild but i also like formal parties with elegant and expensive dinners. I can't eat or drink something very sweet. I love mangas and action movies or series . I also like Turkish and K dramas but not the ones that are too cheesy like It's Okay Not to be Okay and Vincenzo. I loved the female leads there. I love people who can return the same affection and love like me , who are clingy or touch starved because so am I and I can give affection to them. I love beaches and have a collection of swimsuits. Likes rap songs. I like poetry and i can compose nice ones . Chronicles of Narnia is my favorite and I also like Shadow and Bone. Fan of Digimon and Beyblade . Technology geek

Hobbies : I 'm trained in MMA and good at it. I love to dance . I 'm also good at horse riding and I can also play drums. I like driving cars and I also like to dress up. I like surfing too. Not good at cooking , just basic cooking knowledge for daily need . Good at academics . i do art too. I can also do Ice skating. Good at playing chess and polo. I also read books that are mystery and thrillers

Thank you : )

Hi Sitara! Thank you for your request! Sorry it took a while. I hope you like your matchups!

In Jujutsu Kaisen, I match you with...

Gojo certainly matches your extroverted energy. He’s able to keep up with you when most others wouldn’t be able to. But at the same time, even though he doesn’t seem like it, he’s certainly capable of stepping up and assuming responsibility when needed.

Your party buddy forever! Gojo likes partying and it’s even better when he’s with someone. He’s right there with you, dancing along to every good dance song that comes on.

Surprisingly loyal. While he may seem like someone who wouldn’t be loyal in a relationship at first glance, Gojo is going to stick by your side through everything.

He’s got some things in his past that mean he doesn’t want the people he cares about to think he doesn’t care about them. So he’ll reassure you that you’re the only one for him.

Not super touch starved, but at the same time, he’s not about to turn down affection. Just as he matches your energy, Gojo will also match your levels of affection.

If you give him a quick peck on the cheek, he’ll return the gesture. But if you run towards him before jumping into a hug, he’s holding you tight and swinging you around, laughing.

In My Hero Academia, I match you with...

Much like Gojo, Hawks is good at matching your energy. He’s a bit more relaxed than Gojo though, preferring to watch you than join in.

Great at helping you with your insecurities. Hawks has a silver tongue and knows exactly what to say to help you see the best in yourself. He just wants to help you see yourself the same way he sees you.

Hawks isn’t super into cooking either so you’ll probably be getting a lot of takeaway. Thankfully, he knows a lot of cheap and healthy places around town.

Ice skating dates! Hawks isn’t too bad at ice skating…just be prepared to see him fully extend his wings to try and maintain his balance. You better not be standing too close…

Hawks also loves going driving with you. He usually flies everywhere so driving is a nice change of perspective. I hope you don’t mind feathers getting all over you and the car though.

[ceruleanmusings]

Mayblade Day 2: School // TyHil Love Countdown: Autumn

I've been working on this entry for the TyHil Love Countdown prompt of autumn for ages. It's only when Mayblade came back around that I finally got the motivation to finish it because the prompt for day 2 was school and it fit both themes. I know I'm super late for both but I hope you all enjoy it anyway! Can also be found on FFN and AO3

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Deciding to have the Bladebreakers as the main draw for the café was somehow Hilary’s best and worst idea.

Uttering a long sigh, she dropped into a chair and stretched her arms upward and back until satisfying pops zippered down her spine. Leaning forward, fingertips dragging against the slightly sticky surface of the desk, she rested her cheek against her arm. The soft, cuffed uniform sleeve brushed against her cheek and may as well have been a cloud beneath her weary head. Her eyelids drooped and fuzzed the remains of her hard work littered around the room. The throbs in her feet pulsed along with her heartbeat, a glaring reminder she still had work to do but her body couldn’t bring her to get out of the chair. It was the first time she’d been able to sit since they opened.

“You didn’t have to stay,” she commented when Ray stepped into her line of sight.

Humming, he folded a cloth over a few times and dropped it into a nearby desk. It landed with a wet smack and he scrubbed it against the surface in large circles. He flashed her a kind smile and said, “I don’t mind giving you a hand.”

“I should be thanking you for giving me a hand.” Leaning back, she propped her chin in her hands. Her eyes followed his rhythmic strokes. “This café wouldn’t have worked without your menu.”

He shrugged. “It was a group effort.”

“Don’t be so modest! Everyone ranted and raved! Your ramen was amazing! And the daifuku and dango were a big hit.”

“Yes, well, the ramen I can’t take all the credit for. It helps that Kenny was able to bring me his mother’s recipe.” With a deft flick of his wrist, the towel arced through the air and landed on the shoulder of his once pristine shirt. A long day in the school’s nearby kitchen left him with bits of food on his shirt, but it was an equal trade to the pieces of his heart he left on every plate. “As for the rest, you all provided your input as well.”

“Just take the compliment. It won’t kill you.”

Chuckling, Ray rubbed the back of his neck. “I appreciate it. I didn’t want to let you down. I know this was important for you.”

“Oh, it wasn’t that important…” She attempted to wave him away but the look he nailed her with made her break into a grin. Who was she kidding? Important didn’t even come close! It was imperative her class’s café was a success! Especially because they were going head-to-head with the café from the year above them. They had models and wannabe idols in their class as their draw. Hilary knew she’d have to go big to ensure their café was profitable and that meant more than having the best menu, the best decorations, the best theme, and the best advertising. Anyone could do the bare minimum and call it a day. But Hilary wasn’t anyone and she certainly didn’t do the bare minimum.

She was class president. They all looked to her to think up ideas, execute, and provide. The money they could raise would go to support their class trips or provide extra money to their clubs. Their café had to stand out. It was a no-brainer for her to utilize the resources she had at hand, namely being the manager of a world champion beyblading team. They owed her, anyway, for all the times a bunch of spinning tops somehow threw her life into danger.

Thankfully they all agreed with little fuss. Even Kai got involved, though she had to compromise where to place him. She wanted him as a server, he wanted to have as little interaction with people as possible, so she placed him as host. His disinterest and obvious disdain for having anything to do with it won him fans; Hilary couldn’t help but laugh every time he passed her with blushing girls in his trailing wake. The more he ignored them, the more they tried to gain his favor.

Max, however, she knew she put in the right place as a server. Saying he thrived would be an understatement; Hilary couldn’t chalk it up as a coincidence their customers tended to spend more if only to get the chance to be in his charming spotlight. Their orders came with compliments and praise, all as sincere as the ever-present smile gracing his lips.

Kenny pulled double duty, being a server and working in the kitchen. He wasn’t one for personal conversation like Max, but he did a great job talking up the menu and explaining which options lived up to the price point. Acting as a sous-chef helped Ray keep his delivery smooth and on time. And as the class treasurer, he kept a good real-time account for how much money they were bringing in.

Every now and then Ray would leave the kitchen when requested, accepting compliments and raves about his food with a small bow and a humble smile, sending their customers into a high-pitched frenzy.

And Tyson. Well. Tyson was in his element. Hilary didn’t have to tell him his place in the café, he jumped at the chance to serve his public and regale them with tales of his beyblading adventures and minute-by-minute recaps of all his championship wins. He moved from table to table, boasting and raving about Dragoon and answering any and all questions. The girls inflated his ego. The guys loved poked at his bravado.

Hilary didn’t rein him in, no matter how many times she had to bite his tongue. That was the whole point of the café being centered around the team and their appearance, after all. Each menu item was hand-picked by them so the customers could order Ray’s daifuku, Kai’s dango, Kenny’s ramen, Max’s taiyaki (with a side of mayo), Tyson’s namagashi, or Hilary’s anmitsu, all served with Ray’s special blend of green tea. It was getting the Bladebreakers on a plate, an all-senses experience. Besides, she’d never seen Tyson so excited for anything school related in her life, and she wasn’t going to cut him at the knees for it. If he wanted to brag, he could brag. He had every right to be proud of his wins.

“You have to give yourself some credit as well.” Hilary’s eyebrow lifted as Ray pulled a chair over. He sat and stretched his legs out next to her. “This wouldn’t have been a success without your organization.”

Hilary snorted. “Even with my clipboard?”

“You wouldn’t be Hilary without it.”

At least he appreciated it. Some of the boys in her class didn’t keep it much of a secret their thoughts on her ways. Snide comments and mumblings under their breaths when she assigned them a position or asked them to take care of an inventory task were commonplace. The girls, however, tended to voice their displeasure to her face, wondering why she wasn’t doing the work. Hilary pointed out she had to keep a running tally in her head of what was in stock or running low, where everyone was, the tables occupied vs the tables needing to be filled, and that was without throwing in remembering all the places they borrowed chairs, desks, silverware, table clothes, and centerpieces from to put them back. All they did was stick their noses in the air and got back to cleaning the empty tables. The clipboard kept them on track. And she may have sometimes used it to give Tyson a good whack when he made a comment about her being a dictator.

“I’m sure in the end they’ll see it’s a good thing you’re so on top of things,” Ray said.

“Maybe.”

“I mean, you somehow managed to keep Tyson in line.”

“It only took me, what, eight years? And he was around food so I’m sure that helped.”

“Sure. That’s what helped.” Ray’s lips twitched and a sparkle appeared in his golden eyes. She sat up straight, eyes narrowing, and he stood. “I’ll be right back. I want to make sure I packed my knives.”

Hilary waved him off and settled into the silence of the empty room. She allowed the weight of the day to press down her eyelids and lower her shoulders and ease her into the first bit of peace and quiet she had all day. Finally, no one talking back, no questioning her judgement, no pushback, no one running to her for help. It was only fitting, after keeping an eye on everyone, she was the last one left to clean up everyone’s mess. Heck, Tyson was the only one who hadn’t given her grief all day.

Her lips pursed. Hmm. It was a bit odd, wasn’t it? Tyson not being the one to give her grief but the rest of her class taking up the mantle. Usually anything coming out her mouth would have Tyson jumping down her throat, ready to tell her she was wrong or she was boring or she needed to lighten up. But not today.

In fact, not lately.

She wracked her brain, trying to remember the last time they’d actually argued, only to draw up a big blank. She’d spent more time talking to Tyson than she had argued with him. Especially when they went to the gardens.

Her lips lifted into the trace of a faint smile. That was a nice day. In the end, she didn’t notice her missing friends. Tyson happily ate his portion of the food she prepared and lay down afterwards, hands stroking his distended belly with a large, satisfied smile. Before long, his eyes drooped, and his breaths evened out and the bits of sun peeking through the leaves mottled his face. She pulled out a book and, every now and then, peered as his serene face. She’d almost taken a picture of it, the urge pulling at her strings, when he surprised her by asking about the book. Her hasty and surprised shuffling to hide her phone switched to shocked surprise at his inquiry. It didn’t last long, of course, when he jumped up to throw around the frisbee she’d brought but it returned when he asked about it again on the walk home, stopping at their friends’ houses along the way to give them their portions of Hilary’s meal. By the time they reached her home he gave his opinions on it. The fact he had opinions alone nearly bowled her over and it was his off-hand comment about preparing himself for the next rom-com book she read that kept her standing in the doorway of her home, staring at him, until her father’s throat clearing from somewhere in the home yanked her back to her senses.

Even when she brought up her café suggestions during their class meeting for the Culture Festival, he was the first to say it was a good idea despite the fact others were doing cafés as well. And when she brought up the idea of using the Bladebreakers as their main hook, he cut through their accusations of her bragging and brought the rest of the class around, not with his achievements but simply off the strength that it was Hilary’s idea and, as he’d witnessed firsthand, her insight tended to be spot on, so he trusted her.

And the moments between, where he’d wait by her shoe locker on the days they didn’t arrive to school together so they could go to class, or when lunch came around and he’d immediately plant himself atop her desk so he could figure out what she had to see if she wanted to trade, or when they studied out back of his home by the koi pond on the beautiful days, sharing equally exasperated looks and snickers at Kenny ranting over something that happened in Ming-Ming’s newest variety show. All places they would have argued or bickered before, but…for some reason they hadn’t.

Her eyebrows furrowed, puzzle pieces slowly fitting together in front of her eyes. Every time Hilary walked by as the day wore on, checking in on everyone, he asked if she needed him to do something. Your job, was the first thing that came to mind the first few instances yet, over time, it hit her he wasn’t asking because her presence was interrupting his stories. He was asking.

“I can handle it,” Hilary said, every time, with a smile of reassurance. And he’d nod, his eyes lingering on her a bit before being pulled back in to telling a customer about the time he was warped to a different dimension (which were at least three occasions more than a normal person should be saying.)

But he got annoyed by it, she supposed, because the last time she said it he huffed, crossed his arms, rolled his eyes and said, “I know you can handle it. Believe me, no one knows more than I do. But that doesn’t mean you should.” She didn’t have time to sit in her surprise when he continued, “Maybe I want to help handle you.”

The din of chatter, teacups tapping against their base, and chairs scraping against the floor lowered in volume in favor for her heart pitter-pattering against her chest. Her lips pressed together, the glossy and sweet lip balm she’d applied hours ago left tiny traces of strawberry against her dry tongue. Somehow, beneath all that, she heard the odd chuckle come out of Tyson’s mouth as his arm flew back to rub at his neck and a bright red blush appeared on his cheeks.

“That’s not…what I meant…”

So what did he mean?

Hilary’s eyes flew open and she let out a long, agonizing groan. She knew the day she let Tyson into her life he’d go and mess up all her plans and expectations, but she never expected this. When beyblading was in season she knew what came with it, she knew what Tyson she’d be handling, she practically knew what he was thinking. But this Tyson…she couldn’t get a heads or tails of him and that left her with too many sleepless nights replaying her day in her head, dissecting everything he said and the way he smiled at her and how she felt about it all. And right now she felt, decidedly, very, very confused.

“Have a nice nap?” Hilary sat up as Ray took his previous seat. Her eyes trailed from the amused expression on his face to the plate he pushed across the table to her, where three perfectly pink and beautifully shaped nerikiri wagashi. If she hadn’t smelled its sweet scent, she would’ve thought three chrysanthemums sat in front of her.

“Wow, Ray! These are amazing!” She briefly clasped her hands together in her gushing appreciation, eyes widening, and took a hearty bite. The bean paste melted in her mouth and washed over her tongue. “Oh, it’s so delicious!” She bit again and restrained from kicking her feet in the air, savoring her favorite sweet. “I didn’t know you knew how to make these.”

“I don’t and I didn’t.” He spoke so calmly as he lifted a piece of fruit up to his mouth. Even as he chewed, his lips curled up into a very cat-like smile at the corners.

Hilary held her hand in front of her mouth as she chewed. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, these had been left for you.” Her chewing stalled while Ray’s continued. Puffing a breath out his nose and shaking his head, he dug into his pocket and passed over a folded bit of paper. Her wagashi landed on the plate with a thud as she took the paper and hastily opened it. Slanted, scratched lettering stared back at her:

I didn’t see you eat earlier

Short quick and to the point. The direct opposite of a note Ray would have left; he and Max were more thoughtful with their words no matter the occasion. Kenny took out the emotion and went for something more clinical. Kai, on the other hand, wasn’t one to write notes and when he did remember to text back, it tended to be short words or just “k.” (she was still trying to teach him better texting manners). And she wasn’t particularly close with anyone else in her class, certainly not so much that the same ones who looked at her over their wrinkled noses would extend their thoughts to her past what she as class president could do for them.

Hmmm.

Ray’s gaze burned the side of her head as she carefully folded up the note and put it in her pocket. Avoiding his gaze, she popped the rest of her sweet treat into her mouth, her free hand dug deep in her pocket, her thumb flying over the buttons to shoot out a quick text: thank you.

It was when Ray waited for her by her locker to switch out her shoes that her phone buzzed against her hip. Pulling it out the pocket of her blazer, she flipped open the screen with her thumb, spying Tyson’s name with a quick message below:

;)