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fandomfluffandfuck · 3 months ago

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Bucky finds DomSub porn on Steve's search history and asks him about it.

At first Bucky thinks Steve is the one who wants to Dom. A very confusing discussion follows.

Bucky hasn't bottomed since before Steve and him have been together, atleast 80 odd years. But he'd be willing to try if that's what Steve's found he's into-

And a very bright red and sputtering Steve has to admit that, no.. he wants to be dominated. He wants to take it up the ass with restraints and praise.

Immediately Bucky is much more attached to the idea. Despite the fact that their roles in the bedroom have always been somewhat akin to these things Steve's been reading and watching, he never even considered.. oh god this is something he really wants too. Suddenly he's kind of drooling at the idea of this step up in dynamics.

Just picturing Steve tied up, whimpering and whining, bright red all over and blissfully out of his mind. Jesus.

They have a long road ahead of them lmao

For reference, my ask box is no longer open for requests, but this is from before I closed it, so I will be writing for this ask.

Yeah, yeah, yeah-!

There's a trope in your ask that I feel like appears pretty often in stucky fanfics, the whole we've-been-doing-this-since-before-there-was-a-name-for-it. Which, I'm unsure if it would be true because, well, I'm sure they would have called power dynamics something and the words have simply changed over time, but I haven't done enough research to know what. Or, it could've been completely true because they might have been cut off from any community that could have told them a name for that, so it would've been just something between the two of them, a way they played that they were unsure if anyone else did at all, and they didn't stop to put a name to it. Either way, it's definitely interesting.

Like, Bucky has been roughing Steve up since they were boys. He was the only one who respected Steve and didn't treat him like glass. Bullies were one thing, spitting on him and beating him, well-meaning adults were another thing, tiptoeing around him and worrying over his always ailing body, and Bucky something completely unique.

gif by the-girl-without-a-face

Bucky would wrestle him on the floor admist the shrieks and chanting and boney ankles of his younger sisters in the Barnes' home, Bucky wouldn't go easy on him in gym class but wasn't picking him out and wailing on him either, treating him as fair, worthy competition, and Bucky, as they got older, would kiss him like he wasn't afraid. He would pull Steve in for vicious kisses the moment they were alone that felt almost bruising against Steve's buzzing lips, their mouths meeting so fiercely. He would drag his teeth over Steve's bottom lip, unconcerned with the outside world and anything they may have to say about why Steve's lips are suddenly so swollen and wet after being locked in a bedroom with only one other person. Another young man.

Bucky didn't care about the suspicion of others over Steve's split lip, Steve's bruised flesh, or Steve's panting, soft moans that might overflow from their apartment. Partly because he just didn't fucking care, he cared about Steve too much to care about much anything else, and partly because he knew Steve could hold his own. Steve was not only strong enough to take it but stubborn enough to enjoy it.

And farther, Steve was strong enough to resist anything anyone said about him. That split lip? Nah, it wasn't from being pinned underneath Bucky, kissing until the fragile flesh of his mouth split and ran red. It was just from another fight, and you should see the other guy. He got it worse. Those bruises, just about the size of the tip of someone's finger? Huh. Must be from yet another confrontation or from smacking his boney body on corners and tables and doorframes. His balance isn't so good, and his skin is so thin and finicky, y'know? Anything makes him bruise. Anything that isn't, certainly, Bucky's strong, work-calloused hands digging into him as he fucks him without mercy, no, that'd be preposterous. Speaking of fucking, those little sounds, sweet and breathy, choked out from the Barnes-Rogers, Rogers-Barnes bare-bones bachelor pad? Those aren't anything to worry about. They come at night because that's when Steve's getting ready for bed and arranging his sheets and his dust allergy kicks up as well as when his asthma bothers him most, his lungs tired after a whole days worth of breathing. Those are the choked sounds of trying to get enough air. They absolutely are not the muffled sounds of pleasure from taking whatever Bucky dishes out and expects him to take, making his eyes go hazy and unfocused, rolling back into his head while his mouth drops open, leaving Bucky with no choice but to slap a hand over his stupid, pretty face to keep him quiet.

Yeah.

Bucky doesn't go easy on Steve. Why would he? Steve responds so fucking well to that roughness.

Oddly, nothing makes him more compliant than just a little roughing up. He'll fight back, sure, but he doesn't actually want to win their wrestling match or want Bucky to stop. He just wants to add to the anticipation. He wants to make Bucky earn it. He wants to egg Bucky on, get him to let go that last little bit, and really wail on him. That's what gets Steve limp and moaning all breathy, his eyelashes fluttering softly, his heart slowly circulating his blood, pushing it down, down, down between his legs.

And as much as they don't talk about it, not really, during that time before the war--or even during the war later, when Bucky and Steve let the violence of the war front bleed into their own games but in a much more tender, caring way that spoke of their bonds, not of their differences like the troop mentalities of us vs them--they don't talk about it worse when Bucky first comes back.

Steve doesn't talk because he doesn't know what Bucky remembers, and he doesn't want to push him away if he doesn't remember and it's too much for him. He won't pressure him. If Bucky doesn't want to be together, at all, anymore, then they won't be. If Bucky doesn't want to be with him, like that, anymore, then they won't be. Steve would never dream of pushing Bucky into that dynamic again if he doesn't want it.

Bucky doesn't talk because, yes, at first, those days have yet to resurface through the murky, silt-heavy waters of his subconscious, not settled out to a clear lake. But, eventually, memory in mind, back where it should be, Bucky doesn't talk because he doesn't know how to broach the topic. Steve always did that. Steve goaded him and encouraged it, directly or, most often, indirectly--not using his words but letting his shivers of pleasure, heavily-lidded eyes, and low, soft sounds of lust talk for him. Bucky isn't sure how to ask if they're real memories, just fantasies, or how to ask if Steve still wants it that way.

Steve really fucking wants it.

But, again, Steve's stubborn. Once they are together again, officially, and once they are being intimate again, it's enough. Wholeheartedly. Steve will take that and nothing more and not truly complain about a thing. Having an itch in the back of his mind is nothing compared to the gaping, festering wound he once harbored, thinking his lover was dead. He can deal with it. More than "deal," he will thrive with it. But...

As stubborn as Steve is, he's curious, too. He can't leave anything alone. He can't turn a blind eye. He can't pretend. So, when he can finally stomach thinking of intimacy again because Bucky is back and they're having it, cuddling and sex and everything between, Steve starts to get curious. He's thinking more and more about how they used to act.

Did anyone else do that before?

Does anyone else do that now?

Yes.

The answer to both is yes.

They did.

They do.

Steve goes looking, and he finds.

He finds a wealth of names for those kinds of practices--all kinds of people from all different backgrounds, genders, and sexualities mixing wanted, pleasurable meanness and violence and bite with loving affection. Kink. BDSM. (Which, BDSM, is a name that carries names it of itself, fascinatingly enough. Bondage and discipline. Domination and submission. Sadism and masochism.) Power dynamics. Power play. Roleplay. Total power exchange. Dom/sub. Authority kinks. Master/slave. Pain play. Daddy/boy. Competency kinks. Etc. Etc.

All those different words for it live in Steve's search history, and it lives in real people who really do this stuff and really enjoy themselves. They describe liking it, loving it, needing it. Just like Steve liked it, loved it, and needed it when Bucky gave him those things, although, ultimately, in a less organized way than in the way presented to him online, discussing limits, both hard and soft, having negotiations before most every "scene", and employing safewords. Those all sound smart. They were definitely uninformed back then but also just young and reckless.

Overall, though, it's enough to know it exists. Steve isn't really planning on doing anything about it. Not yet, at least. He wants to savor what he's just won back for a while longer before altering it in any way. But...

Bucky borrows his laptop when his own is charging up from dead, and Steve didn't think to delete his history because it's his laptop? He knows what he was looking at, and he doesn't care if he sees it again, in fact, he might want to. He may want or need to retrace his digital tracks. So--

"Steve?"

All of that old, roughing-up they used to do bubbles up to the surface again.

They'll have a conversation about it. They will. Eventually. But... the way Steve colors that perfect, sweet pink once Bucky turns the laptop around to show him a web page about the history and origins of erotic bondage, well, there's not much that can be done. Bucky is done in. That blush. That fucking blush heats Bucky up like a summer sunset, setting off humid, thick arousal but also awe.

His baby is pretty.

And he remembers, vividly--sprawled like a Renaissance painting across the back of his eyelids in his mind's eye--how pretty he was curled up into all kinds of twisted, pretzel shapes with the help of Bucky's soft neckties, elastic suspenders, or worn, butter-smooth belt. How pretty he was gasping for air while Bucky pumped deep inside him, fucking him and holding his bird-boned wrists above his head in one clenched fist to keep those trouble making fingers outta his way. How pretty he was with his big blue eyes wide and wet with tears, pleading through uneven hiccuping sobs to please, please, please finally be able to cum after a whole afternoon spent laid out on their thin, old mattress, told he couldn't move an inch, or they'd be done--struggling to obey instinctively, his body aching for pleasure, but wanting to obey regardless. How pretty he was being good. How pretty he was submitting.

Bucky's mouth is dry as a desert, just thinking about those dust-covered memories. He licks his lips, rifling through his own body to decide how he feels. Steve tracks the movement with a distinct, familiar kind of embarrassment in his blue eyes. Bucky feels very, very aroused.

"Yeah?" Steve finally replies, his voice hoarse. Rough and feral.

In response, Bucky's voice comes out dripping with his usually faded accent, "go get me a belt."

Steve's jaw drops. Although, before Bucky can reel himself back in, his words, no, his demand swallowed back down into his chest where it's more appropriate, more private, Steve is scurrying off as obedient as a lap dog.

A grin twists itself onto Bucky's lips.

Steve returns, panting, he zipped to the bedroom and back with everything he has. Eager little punk. But, he is holding a belt.

It's one of Bucky's, no surprise there. Old habits die hard, Bucky supposes.

They have plenty of belts to choose from these days, belts for different occasions from hanging around the house to fancy charity events, belts of different styles to fit every occasion and every kind of pant, belts on belts on belts, belts for the both of them. But, the belt Steve selected is Bucky's oldest. And it's the most familiar. The very thing he owned in the 30s before everything was war rationed. Thick, smooth, flexible leather that's been beat to shit, so much wear and love to it. The hole punched through it that Bucky uses a little looser than all the rest.

Bucky takes it from him, and Steve whimpers.

An answering chuckle finds its way out of Bucky, pulled up from the same depths as his arousal. Deep, thudding--throbbing. He hasn't even done anything yet, and here is his little dolly, all pink, slack-jawed, and making cute sounds for him.

"Wrists, behind your back, darlin'," Bucky murmurs.

Steve spins in a tight circle and crosses both hands over the small, small of his big, broad back, holding them together.

Bucky lovingly loops the leather of his belt around Steve's wrists once, twice, enjoying the goosebumps that lift over Steve's skin immensely. It pleases the animal inside him, wanting this more than he knows how to deal with.

Easy as breathing, once he's got Steve's wrists bound, he puts his boy on his knees between his knees. Steve's laptop pushed to the other end of the couch and forgotten, completely forgotten.

Nothing exists but Steve.

So fucking pretty.

Blonde hair that begs to be stroked and pulled. A blush spilled like expensive, sugary wine across his high cheekbones and the bridge of his nose, slowly running down to his square jaw and swallowing throat. Blue eyes getting darker with every tension-filled moment that passes between them, shaded by unreal lashes that Bucky knows get even more obscene when painted with cum. Dripping and heavy. Soaked. Lips plush and unreal. All of him. His crooked nose. Every bit of him.

Bucky strokes his smooth, smooth jaw and zeros in on the way his lips quiver, so close to begging already.

Maybe he can take it easy on him this one time, hm? It has been a long, long time...

"You want it?" Bucky husks out, tracing the tips of his fore- and middle fingers from the hinge of his killer jaw to the plush pillow of his fat bottom lip.

Steve nods urgently, but his lips dropping open is more than enough of an answer.

An answer and a request that Bucky fulfills eagerly, shoving two fingers into Steve's mouth and pressing down on his tongue, letting him have a taste of the weight, and feeling his hot mouth flood with saliva. Wet.

Desperate hunger.

Bucky pushes deeper, relishing in the way the smaller, more uniform taste buds at the center of his tongue give way to larger, vaguely rougher ones at the very back and how that turns into nothing but the slick, velvet-soft inside of his throat. His throat contracts and hugs his fingers even as he sputters around a gagged moan.

Good fucking god.

"Yeah," Bucky talks down to his blushing, restrained yet squirming boy, choking on his fingers, eyes full of glassy, pretty tears, "you want it."

Steve moans that much harder, straining his neck to get more, trying to have his fingers deeper, deeper until his teeth dig hard into Bucky's knuckles.

"Don't worry, baby," Bucky hears himself coo, a low, syrupy tune that goes well with the jingle of his belt, undoing it one handed to get his dick out. If Steve wants to be tied down and have his mouth filled up, then that's what he'll get. Bucky can spend as much time as Steve wants--as much as he needs pounding down into his tight throat, making him take it, wearing him down to rivers of tears of pleasure, and leaving him limp everywhere except where it counts, so drunk on being used that he doesn't have a lick of fight left in him. He's so easy and hard for being a nice, wet hole. Always was. Always will be.

#i feel bad that i cut these off right before the main event sometimes but also idk it feels right #also i know i have a limited time to get through these so i can't totally help it #sorry if you feel short changed or cock blocked because of it lol #all of these answers would be 10k words if i had all the time to do it haha #asks #fandomfluffandfuck #steve rogers #bucky barnes #stucky #big sub steve #sub steve #dom bucky

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o-sachi · 2 months ago

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─── A Letter for @littleplantfreak ✦

If you have received this, it means you signed up for Sachi's Selfship Event !

MARI MY DEAREST <3 You and Ume are seriously the cutest. I LOVE THE ART RAAAAA. I'm counting on that wedding invitation. Someone's gotta throw the petals around yk.

✉️ Attachment: ABCs with Umemiya Hajime

[A] Affection It's like a competition when it comes to you two. You're affectionate to him, then he tries to outdo you. Of course, you're not gonna settle just like that, so you outdo him. The cycle continues. You have an affection for each other that other people envy. It's like a sunshine x sunshine situation, y'know? He also gets cuteness aggression ALL THE TIME. You know because he's very physical when expressing it.

[F] Fights He will never ever start a fight with you. If he does, then it's probably over something silly. He can be a bit dramatic when it comes you at times... Although, you do fight a lot over the fact that you don't allow him to reciprocate the efforts that you do for him. For example, you made him lunch one time and to return the gesture, he wanted to make dinner. You refused, saying that you could handle it. He gets all whiney saying, "You never let me do things for you." It's hard for him because he has soooo much love to give and you don't always allow him to let it out. So yeah.

[K] Kisses Ume gets really giddy when getting and giving kisses. You get surprised a lot because he just attacks you with them out of nowhere. Ume especially likes it when you kiss him on the cheek—it makes him feel golden. But he gives you a lot of kisses on the lips. Sometimes, when you're gardening or cooking/baking, he'll sneak up on you. He'll wrap his arms around you and give you a kiss on the shoulder (I melted). It's his way of saying hello.

[T] Time Apart We all know who's folding first... Ume. He's the kind that sends i-miss-you texts even after you've just seen each other. He's a clingy guy despite the tough image he has as the top dog. Besides, on normal days, he does ask you often what you're up to or where you are. He does the same—updating you about his activities and whereabouts. It's one thing that he misses you (a lot), but he's also checking in because he's a worrywart. He's always thinking about your well-being. You match his energy too sometimes. I mean, who wouldn't miss a guy like him?

[U] Uniqueness I think what sets you apart from other couples is the level of trust you gave each other right off the bat. Most tend to be wary at first—trying to slowly let their walls down. But Ume trusted you completely. He was raw and genuine with you right from the start. It was overwhelming for you at first, but you quickly followed suit because Ume has proven himself to be the kind of guy with good intentions. He may have ghosts from his past, but he was honest about that with you as well—like he wanted to fully inform you before letting things become serious.

[W] Wildcard Before you officially got together, you and Ume got really close after gifting each other a plant. You gave each other a rather small plant. Both had tiny leaves and cute little flowers blooming on it. It was quite funny because neither of you were expecting to give the other a similar looking plant (same thoughts ehem). You still have those plants somewhere in your respective homes where it can be easily seen. Ume still sends you photos of the plant you gave him from time to time.

[Y] Yin & Yang Literally I think you two are almost the same person. But in this case, rather than clashing, you two just go well with each other. I mean, positive times positive is equal to positive (wow math). But I guess you differ in a way that he's more hyper than you are (?). He can get ahead of himself sometimes and he needs you to be there and pace him. The best example I can think of is when you're with your mutual friends. Ume helps you with socializing with the others without making it feel too forced. And you remind him to slow down (especially with Hiragi... that poor poor man).

(I LOVE THE ART U SENT IN THE REQUEST THO. IDK IF I CAN INCLUDE IT HERE BECAUSE IT'S NOT MINE, BUT AOUFUDAVHODUVB)

Thank you for participating. I hope you like it :3

Want to participate? Give this a read.

#sachi's ss event #umemiya hajime #wind breaker #self ship #self shipping #for: mari #Banners from @/Cafekitsune !

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nuggets-and-stars · 8 months ago

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Based on your latest headcanon, would you write a fic about Sam tracing/kissing Luna's freckles and finding out she's ticklish there? 👉👈

HDCHIKNDSADVHIKVAAWRV FUCK YEAH. You have no idea how much I've been wanting an excuse for writing a loud house tickle fic! Here you go!

Lee!Luna

Ler!Sam

------

It was an unusually quiet day in The Loud House, but that was probably because Sam and Luna were the only ones at The Loud House.

Everyone was doing their own things, such as work or hanging out with friends. Sam had been pretty excited when her girlfriend called and told her they could have the place to themselves, since that usually never happens.

Don't get Sam wrong, she loved hanging out with Luna's family. But it was nice to just have some one-on-one time with her without all the noise and pranking (coughLuancough)

They were currently in the living room watching a music documentary. Luna had been adamant to watch it, she thought it would be too boring or something, claiming documentaries wasn't how she rolled. So Sam had to keep herself from smirking in satisfaction when she noticed her girlfriend had become enthralled by it. Luna would be too stubborn to admit she's enjoying it anyway.

Sam was only half paying attention, she was too busy tracing Luna's freckles. She was currently having a bit of a competition with Sully and Mazzy. They were each trying to see how long they could go with tracing Luna's freckles before she either noticed or stopped them, it didn't matter where the freckles were, face, neck, wherever they were, as long as they didn't get caught. Right now Sully was in the lead with two minutes, but not for long! Sam was currently at one minute and fifty seconds.

Fifty two… fifty four… fifty six… fifty eight… fifty-

A sharp inhale randomly interrupted Sam's train of thought. Dang it, she was so close! Luna had flinched violently and jerked away from her in surprise. One of her hands was grasping a freckled cheek while the other was holding onto her neck. Sam could clearly see that Luna was trying to glare at her, but seemed to be grinning.

"Sam! You can't… Y-You can't… do that!" Luna exclaimed/whined. Sam was shocked to say the least, it wasn't like Luna to stutter. She only gets bashful when… wait.

"Oh? And why not, Lunes? Why can't I? Something I should know?" Sam didn't try to hide her smirk this time, it was totally worth it to see her girlfriend get all red in the face.

"Be-uh… because." Luna managed to stutter out, crossing her arms with a pout.

"...Luna, that's not an answer-"

"It is now!" Luna was quick to interrupt Sam, the tip of Luna's ears were starting to turn red.

Sam's smirk only widened. "You're blushing."

Luna sputtered indignantly for a couple seconds before she just chose to cover her face with her hands and turn away.

"So… I'll ask again. Give me one good reason why I should stop. Just one." Sam said, going right back to tracing those cute little freckles.

Immediately, Luna had a bunch of small giggles flowing out of her. Luna attempted to swat away Sam's hand (very weakly, might she add)

"Behecause… ihihit tihihickles!" Luna exclaimed as Sam moved on to her neck. Along with planting a couple featherlight kisses, causing Luna to scrunch up her neck.

"Really? This tickles? Your freckles are ticklish? Where aren't you ticklish at this point, Lunes?"

"Ack-! Nohohoho! Sahaham! You're beheheing a jeherk!" Luna was attempting to speak through her giggles.

"Oh, yeah? How am I being a jerk? It's just a finger, just one little finger. I'm sure the amazing rockstar, Luna Loud can handle a little bit of tickling from just one finger." Sam grinned, Luna's entire face was bright red at this point. A couple more kisses on her freckled cheeks should do just fine.

"Shuhuhut uhuhup!" Was all Luna had to say apparently.

"Awww, but your laugh is so cute!" Calling Luna's laugh cute: works every time.

"Noho ihihihit's nohot!" Luna once again attempted to swat at Sam's hand.

"Y'know… I'm not hearing a stop…"

"SAHAHAHAM-"

The next day came as quite a shock for Mazzy and Sully.

"So did either of you know Luna's freckles are ticklish or were you just intentionally leaving me in the dark about that?"

"… Luna's freckles are WHAT–"

#tickling #sfw tickling community #tword community #sfw twords #tword blog #tickle fic #the loud house tickles

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justicefanged · 1 year ago

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Linus grinned at her admission of his skill, releasing a short but boisterous burst of laughter. "Really good? Lass, I am the best around!" Which was incredibly easy to spout off, when he wasn't considering anyone else in the crowd as being worth his competitive time.

No, he only had eyes for Altena right now. In a competitive way. Of course. Because this was...not a date. It was date adjacent. Maybe. Or something.

It was a good time, and she looked fucking fantastic while throwing those axes, and that's what mattered! Saints fuckin' damn, this girl had arms on her--

"Y'know what, I don't fuckin' doubt that ya will, 'Tena. But, 'm gonna bask in all my glorious wins while I can!" he goads her, taking one of the hatchets from Altena after she collected them from the targets. Their fingers brush in the hand off, and it's hard to miss the tint of color to her cheeks; Linus can't help the self-satisfied smirk that pulls at his lips. For all that she had literally fought him in an electrified cage match without skipping any beats, it seemed she wasn't blind to the...tension.

"Oooh, family taught, huh? Guess we got that in common. Pretty much the same with me; father taught us, and my brother and I were always goin' at each other to keep on our toes," Linus hummed, pleased at the knowledge.

He wasn't really sure what to expect, considering she was royalty and all. But it was...kind of a relief, knowing that this was something else they were on evening footing with. Family was important to him, and he had a feeling it was the same way for Altena as well, if he had to guess from how she answered just now.

There's the heavy thunk of her next throw hitting its mark, and Linus has to blink himself out of the way his gaze had been lingering on her form as she went through the motions.

"Not bad, not bad. But!" And with that somewhat dramatic pause, he makes his responding toss -- only just edging out hers again. Really, they'd been pretty close in this. "Looks like I'm still on top here." This time, he's the one to retrieve the axes; he slings the one he'd been using onto his belt, and then hands the other to Altena -- not removing his grip, but shifting it so that his hand was over hers.

It's a little awkward at first, trying to find a good position. "Here, lemme show ya a thing or two. Ya might wanna try shiftin' your grip a bit here, and then pull your arm back to 'bout riiiight there...Alright, give it a good chuck, 'Tena!"

It's Not a Date (It's Absolutely a Date)

#luminousrider #[ Altena Int: 3 ]

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rosie-kairi · 3 years ago

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Do you have any headcanons about the khux gang?

Oh anon I am so glad you asked this because I totally do!!! These lil guys have lived in my head rent free for over 3 years at this point and you have given me an excuse to talk about them. You will live to regret this /j

First off, Brain has a country/southern accent. I don't really have a good reason for this other than that when I first saw him my mind immediately gave him an accent. It's because of the boots, I think. Anyway, I just think it'd be funny if this super smart guy who you assume would be a stickler for proper grammar and such say "Y'all" and "Ain't" on a regular basis. If Luxord can be British than brain can be Southern.

Out of the two of them, Lauriam is more extroverted than Strelitzia. However, he's more than an extrovert introvert than a pure extrovert (Ambivert I think it's called?). He gets along just fine with people and has no trouble talking to them, it's just he prefers to be alone with his flowers or something.

Ephemer is not allowed in the kitchen without supervision. he knows what he did /hj

Okay but in all seriousness, Ephemer cannot cook to save his life. He burns anything. Pancakes, Cookies, Water, somehow. Skuld and Lauriam are the only ones who know how to cook properly. Strelitzia knows a bit about cooking, but she usually messes it up somehow, at least her's is still edible (cough cough Ephemer). Brain knows the bare minimum. He can make ramen and operate a coffee machine, that's all he needs for sustenance. Ventus is 10, he knows how to microwave stuff, but other than that he is outta luck (do microwaves exist in the age of fairytales? they do now)

Ephemer and Skuld can get really competitive over things. Like, obsessively competitive. They once spent a whole week trying to continuously one up each other, much to the chagrin of everyone else.

Elrena's keyblade is Olympia (though I'll be surprised if that doesn't end up being canon)

Bit of an unpopular opinion, I think, but I headcanon Brain to be the oldest out of the group. He just gives me those vibes. He's, at most, a couple months older than Lauriam, but everyone just defaults to assuming Lauriam's the oldest because of his height.

Speaking of Ages, my headcanons for them are as follows:

Brain: 18.

Lauriam: 17-ish, almost 18.

Elrena: 16.

Skuld, Ephemer, and Strelitzia: 15, in that order.

Ventus: 10/11.

Strelitzia constantly feels like she needs to be exactly like Lauriam. Growing up, Lauriam was framed as the "Perfect Child" and Strelitzia always found herself compared to him. These days she tries to break away from that thought process, but she still finds herself falling back into it sometimes.

As mentioned above, Lauriam was the "Perfect Child" of he and Strelitzia's family. He just gives off the vibes, y'know? Maybe it's just the flower motif giving Isabela from Encanto vibes, idk.

Ventus would frequently go on missions with tougher heartless than what he was assigned so that he could "prove he was strong enough" or whatever. This got him into quite a few situations where he had to be helped by a party member/a wielder passing by.

Brain can play piano.

Ephemer and Skuld like to explore the clock tower to see what's in the random rooms scattered about the tower. They share the nonsensical stuff they find with the others.

Lauriam and Strelitzia are both unreasonably tall. One day Lauriam just shot up a foot overnight and was 6'1" at the age of 15.

Lauriam is also very thin, I think? When he got taller his body didn't quite catch up immediately so he's just like, a twig. This changes when he's older (obviously, have you seen Marluxia?), but khux-era Lauriam is the literal definition of a beanpole.

Strelitzia is also very tall, but she's definitely not as tall as Lauriam. Maybe 5'8-ish? I'm tall myself so I don't really now want counts as "tall", my perception of height is all skewed.

And I think that's all for now!! I'll think of some more later on, for sure. Thank you for asking me though!! I really love getting an oppurtunity to ramble about them, makes me feel less like I'm being a nuisance when actually directly asked about it sdfghjhgfd.

Hope you enjoyed!! :D!

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slashbitch2 · 4 years ago

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Prove Me Wrong, Darling

who doesn't love a bit of enemies to lovers? :)

You and Agatha had never gotten along. From your perspective, it was due to a conflict of interest. Whereas if you asked her, she'd likely say it was a conflict of intelligence, or something else insulting along those lines. Though the issue you had with the fellow witch wasn't her attitude, rather her underestimation of your powers. It'd started with her massacre of the Coven, when she'd attempted to end your life alongside the others. But to her surprise, you'd been strong enough to defend yourself and escape. Since then, there'd been several instances where your paths had crossed, and you hadn't let her live down the failure yet.

This particular occasion was different, however, as Agatha had asked you for help.

It'd taken everything in you not to immediately mock her. But you knew that she'd leave without further explanation if she felt ridiculed, and you were just dying to know what had made her stoop to your level. So, you'd swallowed your pride and attentively listened to her proposal. It'd mostly featured the repeated phrases "immense power" and "huge source of energy," and even a confession that she was baffled by the cause, which only intrigued you further.

Although you weren't too interested in accumulating anymore power, the opportunity to be on level ground with Agatha was too good to pass on. You confessed this to her upon accepting the invitation, which resulted in an unimpressed eye roll. Regardless of her annoyance, you left that same day, arriving in the least expected location. A quaint town in New Jersey.

"Well," You landed behind Agatha in the middle of a road, surveying the picturesque, colourless neighbourhood. "isn't this lovely."

She pursed her lips, looking round similarly perplexed. "Lovely?" She echoed. "This is like every outdated suburban stereotype rolled into one. Like some kind of picture-perfect movie set."

Her condescending comment jogged a memory. "That's what I was thinking of!" You exclaimed, clapping your hands enthusiastically. "Did you ever watch that sitcom- from the 50s? The Dick Van Dyke Show?"

"From the title alone I'm glad I didn't."

"Seriously, it's practically the same setting." You moved to stand directly in front, forcing her to look at you.

"So, what you're saying is someone used this insane amount of power just to recreate their favourite TV show?" She quirked an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by your theory.

"Well, wouldn't you?"

"No."

"Anyway." You glanced down at the rather eye-catching ensemble Agatha was currently wearing, then at your comparably casual yet modern clothes. "This isn't going to work." With a wave of your hand, the jeans and jumper combo was replaced by a more period accurate pencil skirt and blouse. Satisfied, you looked up at her expectantly.

Taking it as a challenge, she copied the gesture, managing to both create a new dress and fix up her hair. She smirked, enjoying the chance to show off her superior abilities.

"It's not a competition." You huffed.

She placed a hand on your arm fake comfortingly. "Of course not, dear."

The contact caused you to shiver slightly. It felt as though her touch ignited sparks, though the sensation wasn't exactly unpleasant. Quite the opposite, in fact. But indulging in it didn't feel right either, so you were grateful when Agatha removed her hand.

Her face dropped, eyebrows furrowing. Slowly, she swivelled round to point at a house. "There. Can you feel it?"

Following her outstretched finger, you tuned into the energy, focusing specifically on the house. "Mhm." Unsurprisingly, Agatha was right. An unfamiliar energy was being emitted from whoever was inside. You tried to pinpoint what kind of magic the user possessed, but found no trace of any familiar type. "Shall we go meet the neighbours, then?"

"You read my mind." She muttered, narrowing her eyes and offering an arm without so much as sparing a glance in your direction.

You hesitated, taken aback by the kind gesture. It hadn't dawned on you until then that an incredibly powerful being was residing little over 10 metres away, and that you were both about to willingly walk into their house. Looping your arm with hers created a naïve sense of safety.

Neither spoke as you approached the house with faux confidence, only pausing for Agatha to summon a potted plant. A house warming gift, you guessed. The simple gesture of goodwill brought a smile to your face.

"I didn't expect you to be such a considerate neighbour." You whispered.

"Gotta make a good first impression." She reached out to knock against the door.

---

You sighed. Barely an hour spent in this black and white world and you were already bored. Everything was so tiresomely perfect, so normal that you questioned how you'd ever suffered through those terrible old sitcoms in the first place. Sitting in Wanda's living room, the only entertainment was your partner in crime Agatha, or Agnes, as you ought to say.

She was currently flipping through a magazine, tracing the page with her index finger and reading aloud to help Wanda prepare for her anniversary.

"Any notable date you can remember? Special occasion?" She asked the redhead. "You know, to remind him of good times." She winked suggestively, briefly glancing at you with an expression that only you could decipher. She was enjoying flustering Wanda a little too much.

"Oh...I don't know." She trailed off, untrustworthy eyes darting around the room. "Do you two have any memorable date? Maybe I could steal some ideas."

Had the sitcom spell effected you, this would've been the ironic moment in which you spat out whatever drink was currently in your mouth. Fortunately though, you'd declined the offer of tea earlier, and opened your mouth to correct her.

Agatha beat you to it by nudging you with her elbow. "Oh don't we just?" She laughed deeply until you joined in with a forced chuckle.

Deciding to join in with her game, you hummed thoughtfully. "What about that picnic we had? In Salem, remember?" Judging by the way her eyes flashed dangerously, she knew you were referring to that dreadful night with the Coven, serving as revenge for the sudden change in relationship status. "Agnes decided the best time to go on a date would be at night- and in the middle of forest of all places!"

Agnes threw back her head in exaggerated laughter. "Oh hush! I thought it'd be romantic. Besides, you're the one who got us completely lost, dear." She continued, further adding depth to the altered anecdote. "And I'd say it went pretty well regardless." She turned to whisper conspiratorially to Wanda. "So I'll spare you the dirty details."

The three of you fell into easy laughter, only interrupted by the shrill ring of the telephone. "If you'll excuse me." Wanda stood up to answer. "That's probably Vis."

You took the distraction as respite from forcing such an overly hospitable smile, finding that your cheeks were already aching. For the last few minutes, you'd been aware of a pair of eyes watching you closely, and finally turned to face the witch sitting next to you.

"What?"

Agatha said nothing, her invasive eyes never leaving yours as she took a sip of her drink. You could practically see the gears turning in her head as she thought something through, and dreaded to wonder what she was about to say.

Reaching some form of a conclusion, she leant forward to place her drink down on the table. "Kiss me." She murmured through clenched teeth, momentarily glancing at Wanda, who's back was turned.

"Excuse me?" Out of all the possible things she could've said, this request seemed the least plausible in your mind.

"When Wanda turns round she should see us-" Agatha gestured her hand back and forth as if vocalising what she was implying was too sinful to put into words. Her vagueness was met by your blank stare. "Y'know?"

"No?" You shook your head, unable to comprehend why she'd ask such a thing, untrusting your interpretation of her suggestion.

"Just-" Agatha raised her hands to grasp your face. Hesitated. Then threw them back down into her lap and sighed in frustration. The fact she was struggling to initiate contact was laughable, though eventually you took pity on her.

Leaning forward, you kept your eyes open to watch for Agatha's reaction. You found it amusing that upon realising what you were trying to do, her eyes shut impossibly fast. Satisfied that she was consenting, you raised one hand to cup her cheek and continued to chase after her lips. The kiss was chaste and affectionately mundane, exactly at it should be.

In response, she grabbed your knees and pulled you closer, nipping at your bottom lip. Clearly Agatha wasn't on the same wavelength as you. Her hands shifted further up to your thighs, bringing a startling heat to the kiss. You gasped, virtually melting at her touch. You wanted this. One hand slid to rest on her shoulder. But it wasn't the time or place. You gently pushed against her.

Agatha pulled away, breathless. She scanned your face with pupils blown wide and mouth slightly agape like she'd just reached some new revelation. You were certain your expression mirrored hers.

Wanda cleared her throat somewhere in the distance.

"Gosh, Wanda I'm sorry." Agnes' cheerful voice reappeared as she addressed the redhead without breaking your intense shared eye contact. "But I think we ought to be heading home now." She said unabashedly. Like you hadn't just been caught making out on the neighbour's couch.

"Of course." You could hear the understanding smile in her voice, the slight awkwardness from intruding. "It's been lovely meeting you both."

Summoning an ounce of brainpower, you turned to Wanda. "And you. Feel free to keep the magazine." Then tugged Agatha up and began dragging her toward the front door. For once in her life she went willingly, allowing herself to be pulled along, calling out a last minute farewell to Wanda.

Upon reaching the end of the garden, Agatha wordlessly took the lead. Staying true to her fabricated story, she set a determined course for the house to the right, waltzing up as if she owned the place. A quick flourish of your fingers and the lock was rendered useless. Now the house was yours.

As soon as the door shut behind you, she turned on her heel and pushed you against it. Her mouth quickly sought out yours with a desperation only appropriate in private. Had you known Agatha was this good of a kisser, you would've done this ages ago, but elected not to vocalise the praise knowing she'd never let you live it down. You felt her smirk against your lips, and briefly wondered if she'd somehow infiltrated your mind. You wouldn't put it past her.

As she began trailing kisses down your neck, any concern about the invasion of privacy became inconsequential. You sighed. She rewarded the sound with a nip at your throat. Due to the haze of lust clouding your better judgment, you didn't register the sound of footsteps until it was too late.

"Woah!" A man called from the top of the staircase, presumably the current previous resident of the house. Agatha froze, her lips still pressed up to your neck.

"If you two beautiful ladies hadn't already broken into my house, I would've happily invited you in." The man grinned obnoxiously, slowly continuing down the stairs.

Agatha disinterestedly waved her hand, incapacitating him. The sound of the stranger tumbling down the stairs caused her to let out a short, cruel cackle, before returning to bury her face in the crook of your neck.

"Not big on roommates?" You joked, sliding a hand up and down her back soothingly.

She nipped at your flesh, a little harder this time. "Trust me, he doesn't want to be here for what I'm about to do to you."

Already impatient, you decided to tease her in hopes it would speed things up. "You're all talk and no action, Harkness."

She all but growled as she returned to your lips. Without warning her hands squeezed your hips. "I don't think you're in the position to be insulting me, love."

"Then prove me wrong, darling."

#agatha harkness x reader #agatha harkness #agnes x reader

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cheerypining · 4 years ago

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Appearance HCs (Brothers)

I've seen some comments ab how I draw the boys and wanted to get it written out how I percieve their designs! Do forgive how disorganized these are ;;

Lucifer

I'll admit, I don't draw Lucifer often, but I do have at least some thoughts ab him!

No visible blemishes, but considering how much he works I always assume it's a makeup thing, so when I draw him he tends to look very tidy and perfect, but I hc that he has dark circles that he tries to cover up.

I'm sorry but I can't in good conscience believe his height in the chart. He gives me petite muscular vibes. I tend to give him some kind of discreet heel.

He has the ghost of a six-pack, you only see it if he really flexes.

He's one of those people that has a soft face, but makes up for it with like, terrifying eyes. His expressions completely transform his face.

Speaking of expressions, I imagine he's very expressive regardless of the face he's making.

Mammon

Perfect skin. He doesn't try at all. No blemishes whatsoever.

All slim and lean muscle, none of the bulging muscles someone like Beel would have but he has obvious shape to him. No six-pack for Mammon. He's slim straight down to his fingers.

I will say, this man has very nice legs. He runs a lot for various reasons, most of them not exercise.

This man is PETITE and he dresses for someone slightly larger than him, almost everything he wears fits loose on him. It makes him look smaller.

Even when he's mad, he's the least threatening person in the room. He's strong and he's tough but he's not much of a fighter. He doesn't really have an angry face or if he does, it's not a good one.

Resting sweet face

White eyelashes. They wouldn't show on a lot of people, but they stand out against his skin. His eyelashes are very full, eyebrows are on the slimmer side though.

Leviathan

He's not particularly tall, but he is skinny, which gives him the appearance of being lanky without being obscenely tall. Long in every aspect, face (to a degree), hands, legs etc.

Slim muscle, but not much. He's a good swimmer, sure, but without the aid of his powers he isn't winning any athletics competitions.

Extremely pale. So pale. He has the faintest dusting of freckles that pop up when he goes outside, but he usually sunburns before they come out much.

Appears shorter than he is because he has horrible posture. When he gets angry he stands at full height and you'd swear he grows a foot taller.

Dresses very lazily. If it isn't comfy he won't wear it. If he goes out he makes an effort but at home he's always in that jacket and it's a 50/50 chance he's wearing some kind of sweatpants.

A lot of people describe him as having a bowl cut, but I disagree. I had the same hair as him and it'd be disingenuous to say he had one lol! I see his hair as an overgrown version of a decent haircut. He probably has to be dragged out to get his hair cut.

Asmodeus

Pale in a healthy way, lots of healthy color to his skin. Tries to limit the coverage of makeup on his face because he's proud of his skin. That 3 hour skin routine pays off, ok??? Almost always has some kind of light color on his lips.

"Dude, your brother is gnc af"

He has a strong body but less like the others, it's clear he does a lot of yoga. He's very flexible and well-toned.

He almost never has the same hair style. Even if he has braids two days in a row they'll be different kinds of braids.

His eyelashes aren't particularly full but they're very nice. He doesn't usually wear any kind of mascara. However, Asmo tends to touch up his eyebrows, they aren't very prominent.

Always posing in case someone takes a picture.

Beelzebub

Beefy. BEEFY. It's canon and y'know what, I agree. He's ripped. He looks very soft, but the moment he moves or flexes a muscle, it's clear how defined each muscle is. All of his muscles are practical, no bodybuilder show muscles.

He's also huge. His hands are gigantic. He may not be 7ft tall, but between his presence and his general size, he is a very big boy.

Very soft but very masculine. He isn't a big square, but everything on him is defined. Somewhat round face.

He has wild eyebrows that Asmodeus picks at incessantly and though they aren't too big, his eyebrows are very full and prominent.

He gets a lot of sun, brings out the odd freckle or two.

Cuts his own hair, styles his own hair.

Always has little knicks on his hands and arms.

Belphegor

You can't convince me that he doesn't have raccoon eyes. Permanent dark circles.

The babiest of faces, he's very cute. Unlike Mammon he can be very intimidating. Looks like he could kill you, would kill you.

He's a little on the squishy side but nothing much. There's muscle somewhere because he works out with Beel, but it's hidden in a layer of chub. He has a bit of a belly but everyone just finds him cute.

He stares a lot and blinks less than he should. His eyes are the kind you can feel on your back when you pass by. 50/50 on whether or not he has heavy eyelids at any given time.

Looks grumpy. Is grumpy.

Also has overgrown hair, it gets long pretty fast, but Beel cuts it for him when he cuts his own hair.

He's good at tidying his hair but always has that one odd spot that didn't quite get tamed after he woke up.

Satan

Tidy, tidy, tidy. He's always fixing his clothes and hair. His teeth are obnoxiously white but he doesn't smile with them often. His hands can feel very rough because he washes them constantly.

His hair is cut regularly, it's always fresh and tidy. He never has any facial hair or shadowing on his face. His eyebrows are well-manicured, though he won't talk about it he spends a long time getting ready.

Wears a bare minimum of makeup, nothing obvious.

Wears glasses but not as open as he should. The glasses are definitely square.

Nothing he owns is currently fashionable but he doesn't like to clothes shop so he holds onto them. Lots of colors that don't really look that good on him.

#obey me #swd obey me #obey me headcanons #my headcanons #om headcanons

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red-dragon-archfiend · 3 years ago

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Y'know, the existence of Synchro monsters is pretty interesting if you think about it in the context of their time. For many years what we know as the Extra Deck was just the Fusion Deck, because that's where your Fusion monsters went, so making them share space with a new kind of monster was pretty strange at the time. But looking back, it makes sense.

The intended way of using Fusions was to use Polymerization to use two monsters together into one big strong monster, but... it never worked out that way. The vast majority of Fusion monsters were not very good, many of them being outclassed by main deck monsters that were much easier to play, but a few, such as Thousand-Eyes Restrict and Dark Paladin, were actually quite strong once they were on the field. But that runs into the problem of actually summoning them. First you needed Polymerization, a card which is utterly useless to you if you don't have the fusion materials handy. Then you needed all the materials, usually just two monsters, but they were SPECIFIC monsters. And those monsters were usually, like Polymerization, useless to you if you couldn't summon the Fusion monster, because the vast, vast majority of monsters that could be used as Fusion material were really bad. There were Fusion substitute monsters like King of the Swamp which could replace one of these fusion materials, but only one, the other had to be the correct card. These substitutes were ALSO basically useless if you couldn't Fusion summon, and they added up with all the other cards to take up quite a bit of space in your deck, far more than the Fusion monster could typically justify.

So, how DID people use Fusion monsters? Any other way. Metamorphosis allowed any monster to be traded for a fusion monster of equal level, making it a significantly easier way of summoning most Fusion monsters, as it cut out all the useless cards from the equation. Cyber-Stein and Magical Scientist went further, requiring no other cards to be present to use their effects. Then came the Gladiator Beast archetype, and while they weren't the first to use it, they were the first to employ Contact Fusion, Fusion summoning with monsters on the field without Polymerization, in a way that was competitively viable, even quite strong. Regardless of how it was done, it was quite clear by the end of the GX era that Fusion summoning, via Polymerization, was just not any good. Even Future Fusion, a card which avoided many of the drawbacks of Polymerization, was primarily helpful for putting the fusion materials in the graveyard, (hello Five-Headed Dragon), and eventually getting the Fusion monster was a bonus.

Enter Synchros. Requiring only a Tuner and a non-Tuner monster whose levels added up to their own, as the usual requirements, Synchro monsters were significantly more simple to make than Fusion monsters. They were very flexible, easily fitted into any deck, provided that deck was using Tuners. And why wouldn't they? A good few Tuner monsters were actually useful cards on their own, and even when they weren't, all they needed to BE useful was a non-Tuner monster to be on your field. Additionally, you could play several Synchros with the same level and requirements; there are several ways of summoning Red Dragon Archfiend, as long as the Tuner and non-Tuners levels added up to 8, but those ways could ALSO be used to summon Stardust Dragon, or Colossal Fighter, or Thought Ruler Archfiend, with no other investment needed on your part. Additionally, Tuners themselves worked quite well with existing monsters people already used. Plaguespreader Zombie was commonly used with Destiny Hero Malicious to make level 8s, and you could do the same using Cyber Dragon and Blackwing - Gale the Whirlwind. Synchros were a perfect answer to the problems of Fusion monsters; they were just as flashy, but summoning them was much more feasible, and occurred much more often. This was, understandably, a point of contention, as many players felt they introduced a significant change to how the game was played, making it too fast and combo-focused. I personally like Synchros, but I absolutely get why they would be a turn off to people. But I don't think anyone can deny that they did accomplish their purpose of making the Extra Deck more accessible.

#musings #yugioh #long post #this has all been said before i'm sure #but i felt like writing an essay on the yugioh tcg so here we are

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jamilelucato · 4 years ago

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Hi there! Could I maybe get a fred Weasley x Romanian!Reader and maybe like she goes to the burrow for the holidays? She could try to confess to him by telling him he loves him in Romanian but always telling him it means sth else. But she doesn't know about Charlie and the fact that he used to live there, and then... y'know, up to you? Just thought this was an interesting idea lmaoo. Thank you and congrats!!🥺💕

Te Iubesc [F.W.]

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Romanian!reader (can be from any House really)

A/N: I ended up changing a bit of your context and only noticed it later, and I’m really sorry for that. Instead of she saying it all the time, she accidentally confesses it in Romanian. I'm sorry it's not what you actually asked for, but I hope you enjoy it either way.

Send a request! || Harry Potter Masterlist || Musical Hogwarts Series

It was particularly weird being a Romanian at Hogwarts, but since it was your parents’ dream to you study there, you were not to complain.

It took you a while to find your place, but it was way easy when the famous Weasley Twins played a prank on you.

When your whole body turned blue, and you ran around the corridors of Hogwarts, asking, angrily, if anyone had seen who could be guilty of it — you knew it could only have been the twins. They appeared two hours later in front of you, with puckered foreheads and using minimal eye contact. One of them had a flask, and he handed it to you.

“We’re really sorry,” he said, with an almost smile, but not of happiness. He wouldn’t dare laugh at your blue skin while you stared at him with a killer expression. “It wasn’t for you; we mixed it up in the deliver.”

“And what is this?” you asked, raising the flask closer to your eyes to analyze it better.

“The antidote,” one of them said.

“You don’t want to be forever blue, do you?” asked the other and they both giggled.

You drank all the liquid in one gulp, desperate to go back to your natural colour. The twins stared at you while your body changed its colour, and you couldn’t see the point. What did they want? Thanks?

“Are you two expecting me to thank you?” you asked, with a mean voice.

They exchanged looks before smiling.

“No, we just would like to introduce ourselves, that’s all,” said the one that had more freckles.

“You’re Fred and George Weasley, everyone knows who you are,” you rolled your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest. You saw their eyes following your arms, and then they blushed. You chuckled at those boys stupidity.

“But do you know which is which?” he continued, smirking. “I’m Fred,” he whispered, tipping you since you hadn’t answered his question.

“I’m George,” said the other.

You took a great look at both of their faces, making sure you discerned things that would make it easier to differentiate them. Fred had a better posture, nothing very perfect, but just slightly better than George. And he had more freckles, at least on his face he did.

“I’m y/N,” you said, noticing they were waiting for you to present yourself.

And that was enough for a born of a beautiful friendship.

The pranks still got you, those times on purpose, but they all gave you a break when you asked. You started helping them with their homework and study for exams — even though they hated it.

You lost track of how many vacation days you spent in the Burrow, and this year, you were going back there. You were especially excited this year — and partly worried — because, since the beginning of the sixth year, you’ve been developing an enormous, gigantic crush on Fred.

So, spending the Christmas holiday with the Weasleys, having Fred next to you all weekend, was going to be awesome, but also terrifying because he had no idea you fancied him — and you wanted things to still be like that.

Fred was known to have had tons of girlfriends — he usually told you everything about every girl he ever snogged. You didn’t want to be just another one that he would abandon in a month. That would completely ruin your friendship, and that meant being apart from a ton of other friends. Being friends with the twins allowed you to befriend Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry, and now they are essential in your life too.

“Hi, dear!” Molly hugged you tightly as soon as you stepped in the kitchen. You hugged her back once your shock passed. “I’m so happy to have you here for another year; surely I can’t stand my kids saying again I have a terrible taste for music.”

Oh, yeah, one fact: every Weasley kid (in particular Fred) hated your taste in music. They hated it because you loved the same singers as their mom did, and Fred disliked it the most. As more annoyed he got by your singing, more you sang.

“By the way,” you smiled, “you’ll love the present I got you. I know I shouldn’t say something yet,” you leaned in Mrs Weasley’s ear and whispered: “but I just wanna make sure you haven’t got Warbeck’s newest CD, have you?”

Molly Weasley gasped in surprise and hugged you even tighter.

“That’s why you’re my favourite!” she muttered in your ear and winked when you leaned away and faced her.

Blushing, you went upstairs to find the room Molly always left for you — it was Charlie’s old room. It was the closest to the twins, so you liked it. And the place was decorated with old faded posters of creatures only your home country could offer.

You’ve never met Charlie Weasley, only Bill and Percy, but you knew he was fascinated with dragons, and that your country had to offer.

You lost a couple of minutes staring at one of the posters; not for the dragon, but because of the background — your old but forever home.

When you got out of the room, you didn’t even need to wander around to find the twins.

“y/N! You came!” shouted an excited Fred Weasley, getting you by your waist and spinning you around in a hug.

George was right next to his twin, rolling his eyes at how foolishly obvious you two were about fancying each other, but none would move a finger to change the situation.

“Of course! Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” you say when Fred finally puts you down. “Hey, George!”

George hugs you too, but not with the same passion as Fred. It makes you wonder if it was your fault somehow to why Fred spun you around. You should have gone with a simple embrace like you’re doing with George. Gosh, why having a crush has to be so hard?

“So, we’re planning a Quidditch game in the yard. You in?” Fred asked as soon as George released you.

“Sure,” you smiled, placing your hands on your waist. “But I’m seeker,” you warned, raising a brow.

“Harry will love to hear that,” George commented.

“And I need a broom,” you added, tilting your head, trying to look pity-worth.

“You can take mine,” Fred said while you three headed downstairs.

You stopped right away. George kept walking, and suddenly it was just you and Fred in the middle of the stairs.

“You’re gonna use your old one? No way; that thing sucks, Fred,” you said.

“But a seeker needs a better broom than a beater,” he pointed out, tilting his head towards you and some red locks fell upon his eyes. Instinctively, you reached for them and took away from his eyes. He blushed with a small smile.

“You’re too nice to me,” you said, nodding and starting to walk again.

“Perhaps you deserve it,” he muttered, half-hoping you wouldn’t hear, and half-hoping you would.

Fred has been playing this dangerous game for a while now — plainly flirting with you, expecting that if you didn’t see him that way, you would take it as a joke.

When the game finally started, you were glad to be in Fred’s team. Some arrangements had to be done to accommodate less than the minimum number of players per team, so instead of two beaters, your team had only Fred.

Ginny was your keeper; even though she hated the position, she was proving to be quite good at it. Of course, Ron, on the other side, was being way better.

The disadvantage for you was that although you are a great seeker, you had to be also a good chaser, because your team had only three players with you, so that left you with two jobs. Fred helped as much as he could, but he was more used to his role as a beater than to play a chaser.

When George’s team won — Harry got the Snitch (I mean, come on, how to compete?) — you were completely dirty.

You’d never tell Fred, but George was a better beater than the twin, so you’d been hit more times than you would’ve liked and ended up rolling on the grass, still wet from the rain the night before, enough times that your pants (which were blue jeans) were now the colour of mud.

None of this was bothering you, however. You were, in fact, laughing at yourself and everyone who was also dirty. Hermione had arrived in time to watch the last minutes of the match, but she was now trapped in the kitchen, with Ron and Harry filling her with bizarre theories. George and Ginny had run off right after the victory celebration, to see who could get to the shower first.

Although you have no idea how long you would still have to stay dirty, showering was your last concern. At the moment, you were occupied in trying to smudge Fred even more, while both rolled on the grass like two crazy kids.

It felt like a tickling and laughing competition — what you were competing about was uncertain, however, you were definitely competing because Fred wasn’t leaving you alone and you were loving it.

“Thanks for the match, Fred,” you said the instant you were able to breathe without laughing. You were propped up on your right elbow, which raised your head enough so that you could see the redhead’s face, who was looking at the sun that was already hiding behind the clouds. “You could have left me; it was clear that I was going to lose.”

“Give it up then, y/N. I’ll never leave you,” he replied, looking sideways at you and looking back at the setting sun.

You took a deep breath, enchanted by his beauty and his words. When you realized you had already said: “Te iubesc.”

Fred turned quickly at you, frowning. “Did you say something?”

You gulped, as red as one can get and quickly got up. You had just said you loved him, thankfully in Romanian, but still... Close call.

“I’m heading to the shower,” for the first time that late afternoon, you were urgent to get cleaned up.

“I don’t think George — or Ginny, whoever got there first — is done yet,” Fred said, sitting down on the grass.

“Doesn’t matter,” you pretended to laugh it off and rushed inside the Burrow, leaving a confuse Fred behind.

Well, not so confused. Fred was almost certain you said “te iubesc” to him, and he was sure that was something in Romanian. He knew you were from there, and he always waited for the moment you would let a Romanian dialect, word or accent slip, but that day never came — until now.

He waited for this moment because he made Charlie teach him some primary words, so he could reply with a ”yes”, “no” or simply “Nu mai esti în România.”

Although at the top of his head, your words didn’t click in his head as nothing he knew the meaning, he had a feeling he had heard it before. He could ask Charlie, but knowing the family owl, it would take Fred a week to learn the meaning.

He waited a while before heading to the kitchen, where he found a distracted Harry, a sceptical Hermione and his younger brother, Ron, eating, as always.

“Ron?”

“Huh?” Ron let out between bites.

“Have you seen Mum?” Fred asked.

“I think she’s doing laundry,” Ron answered. “Why?”

“Wanted to ask her something, that’s all,” Fred was already turning away when Hermione called.

“Perhaps I can help. What’s it?”

“Nosy,” grunted Ron, but the girl didn’t hear.

“It’s a phrase in Romanian. Somehow, I think I heard Charlie say it to Mum once,” Fred shrugged, assuming Hermione wouldn’t be able to help with that.

“Your mom keeps a Romanian dictionary in the living room. Over the fireplace,” Hermione said as if it was nothing — as if the whole family knew about it.

Fred raised his brows, suddenly excited. “Thanks, Hermione,” he mumbled before rushing to the fire to get the book.

After some minutes with it, Fred was about to give up. The dictionary was no help with phrases; it was only good for random words alone.

“Mum!” he exclaimed in surprise and relief when Molly walked in, holding a basket of clean clothes.

“Fred!” she exclaimed back. She wasn’t used with her kids that excited to see her.

“Last time Charlie was here, he was using a lot of Romanian dialects,” Fred started, not sure of how to proceed.

“Yes,” his mother simply said.

“And he said something to you after hugging you. Did he translate?”

“Oh! Te iubesc?” Molly definitely was not used to Romanian — in Fred opinion her accent was terrible compared to yours, but the words were apparently the same, so he didn’t complain.

“That’s it! What does it mean?” Fred jumped from the couch towards his mother.

“It means I love you. Your brother is such a sweetie,” Molly smiled with the memory — she missed all her kids, but most especially Charlie and Bill.

Mrs Weasley was so distracted by the memory of the last hug she gave her son, that she left the room without lingering with her older twin son. She didn’t seem to notice that Fred was paralyzed in place, relying on the sofa to keep him upright.

Fred couldn’t think — he was silly, completely silly. As crude as the adjective was, that was how he felt. He was happy, of course, he was!

You had practically declared yourself to him, and yet you had done so in innocence, using your mother tongue, which, in Fred’s opinion, only proved how true you were.

He had to do something about it. But what? It’d be ridiculous to use your words to reciprocate the statement — Fred wouldn’t be able to copy the accent well enough to make the sentence natural.

Something told him that he should act naturally about it and wait for your confession in English, which would mean that you really wanted him to understand.

But then, how to look at you again and ignore that the most beautiful girl in the world, the friendliest, the funniest, the most talented, had said that she loved him? How would he ever go back to acting normally knowing that the only girl he ever loved— that he always hoped would be his— loved him?

Taking a deep breath, Fred came to an inevitable conclusion: he needed to be the one who would confess his feelings. Now he just needs a plan to how to do it.

After a long wait, it was finally your time with the shower, and you hoped it would clean not only your skin but also your thoughts.

So close, so close you came of confessing to Fred. Well, you actually did it, but in Romanian, so he’ll never know it.

You needed to distract yourself from Fred Weasley, but after that shower, everywhere you looked, there he was.

Fred was outside of the bathroom, waiting for his turn to shower. You greeted him with a yellow smile before rushing back to your room.

Just an hour before dinner, you were sitting in the living room, and he decided to sit next to you in the couch. Sure a part of you was thrilled, but another was freaking out.

When dinner was ready, he sat next to you again at the table.

When you thought you were about to free yourself from him —leaving quickly from the dinner table and rushing to get the armchair, where you would at least sit alone, he called you out.

“I need to show you...” he looked around before continuing in a whisper, “... a new product.”

You sighed, deciding it was better if you learned how to swallow your feelings and let your love for Fred kill you from inside out.

You two walked to upstairs where he guided you to hs room.

“Where’s George?” you asked once you sat down, remembering that generally, when they had a new product, George was always around to see your reaction too.

Fred just shrugged, almost ignoring your question.

“I have something to tell you,” he said fast, scared he would lose his courage. “And, well, I don’t really know how to do it... You see, I’ve never told a girl I’m in love with her before.”

Fred hadn’t realized that he had just done that, so while he was lost in words, rambling how amazing you were, you were frozen at just the “I’m in love” bit.

“Come again?”

“...should have said it sooner, because I’ve been... — wait, which part do you want me to say again?” he stopped his tracks.

You sighed and looked up from your knees, raising your eyes enough to meet his.

“You love me?”

“Te iubesc, yes,” Fred said. and then he hit himself in the forehead because he had promised he wasn’t going to use Romanian to declare his feelings. “Sorry about the Romanian bit. I love you, yes, that’s what I meant.”

“Wait. You understood me earlier?” your brain was just malfunction at this point, like a broken old computer.

“Not right away...” Fred stopped talking when he noticed you were panicking. “Look, I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a long time now. When you said it first, you just made things easier for me.”

“How did you know?”

“Charlie, my brother. He lives in Romania.”

Damn it, of course, the dragon fanatic would have gone live in your country; why wouldn’t he?

For a few minutes, or at least you guessed it had only been minutes, Fred stood in front of you, who was sitting on his bed, and the two avoided looking at each other for a long time.

“Should’ve guessed. Your mom kept Charlie’s posters of my country in his room,” you tried to laugh it off.

Fred ended up chuckling too. “Can we quit being awkward? I really want to kiss you,” he said, smiling and blushing slightly at the same time. “I mean, my brother will leave the room just to us for not much longer.”

It was your time to chucked while getting up, ready to have Fred’s lips in your for what you hoped would be the first of many times.

“I have a room for my own, silly,” you whispered in his ear before he smirked and trapped you in his embrace.

#fred weasley #fred weasley x reader #fred weasley x romanian reader #george weasley #the burrow #hary potter #harry potter fanfic #fred weasley x you #fred and george weasley #fred and george

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boop-le-snoot · 4 years ago

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PARTY FAVOURS | CHAPTER 5

Rating: Explicit.

‼️TW: Reader is EIGHTEEN! Recreational drug use, smoking and alcohol consumption, deeply internalised self-loathing, very questionable moral standards. Daddy kink taken half-seriously. BDSM themes in later chapters - explicit content will come with it's own TWs. FIRST PERSON POV.

Summary: You're Peter's classmate, a child of rich and famous but uncaring parents. Getting paired up for a lengthy project with the boy was an interesting turn of events and you don't know whether to feel blessed or cursed when you develop, seemingly, a perfectly normal, harmless crush on Tony Stark. Fueled by feelings of inadequacy and boredom, your life spirals out of control - and you're lucky your newfound friends are there to pick up the pieces even if you cannot find it in yourself to believe these amazing human (and not so human) beings voluntarily give you more than a fleeting glance and an offhanded thought. And they brought cake!

A/N: Revenge is sweet but a well-timed dick joke is sweeter. xoxo gossip girl. Please supervise one Bucky Barnes on the internet. Questionable music taste. Detention is the price we pay for justice. Bruce Banner is too precious for this world, too pure.

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub @mostly-marvel-musings @vozit @littlegasps @pilloclock @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads @hermione-grangers-wife @individualistfem

Beta read by the lovely and patient @miscmarvelwritings ! 🎶🎵I love you biiitch ain't ever gonna stop loving you biiitch 🎵🎶

"Initiate phase one," I added a growly undertone to my whisper, holding my phone inconspicuously, as if I was making a simple phone call. There was no answer but I didn't expect one: I was testing the voice recorder app that I had downloaded for the sole purpose of documenting and relaying the inevitable fall of one Flash Thompson.

Making my way through the crowd of students during the busiest time of the day, I made the most intrigued and outraged facial expression I possibly could. Spying my targets, I leaned against a nearby wall, putting a hand over my mouth in fake outrage, keeping my eyes wide and trained on the opposite wall. Just as I had predicted, the two sophomore girls started giving me side-eye by minute two of my staring and finally approached me as I contemplated the wall for whole five minutes.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" The brunette asked, her blonde friend hanging a step back.

"Yeah, totally," I mumbled. "I'm, like, shook beyond imagination, but nothing, like, bad."

The girls traded a curious look, seemingly coming to some sort of conclusion. The greedy gleam in their eyes had me internally cheering. "What happened?" The blonde one asked, coming closer.

"I'm not sure if I should tell that to anyone," I stammered, watching them bodily move forward. "Well, okay, I can't keep quiet. But you must never, ever speak of it or I'll get expelled or something," I said nervously. They both nodded so rapidly it reminded me of Funko Pop figurines. "You know the senior guy, Flash? Brown hair, kinda hot?" Again, they both nodded, conspicuously grinning. "I think I just saw him in the closed girls bathroom on the third floor with, like, some brunette from Ms. Johnson's History class," They both gasped. Predictable. "But that's not the worst! They were like, y'know," I made an obscene gesture with my hand and they instantly covered their own mouths with their palms in shock. "And the chick was like 'is it in yet?' and he was like 'yah' and I just closed the door and ran, oh my god I hope they didn't hear me," I squealed at the end, playing the part of a mortified teenager.

All three of us giggled uncomfortably for a moment. The blonde girl stared at me suspiciously. "And what were you doing there?"

I faked a nervous stammer, looking around briefly and showing them my lighter for a moment. They both gasped and nodded in recognition. "Don't tell anybody or my mom is going to have kittens," I pleaded. Both of them nodded solemnly, noticing their own group of friends approach. I used the brief moment to get lost in the river of pupils and by the time they turned around to introduce me, I was already at the opposite part of the hallway.

For the time being, everything seemed peaceful. There were a few giggles and side-eyes directed towards Flash Thompson but nothing out of the ordinary. He was disliked by most of the student population even if nobody dared to admit it outright. I took care to walk around without my earbuds for the day and pulled out my phone to record the most interesting conversations around me whenever I caught the tell tale signs of a gossip mill beginning to run its course around the school.

"Oh my god, I heard about this girl that was caught fucking Flash in the girls bathroom and she literally said 'is it in yet', can you imagine the shock, jeez!"

"Some chick literally just rejected Flash because his dick was too small."

"Rebecca from AP chemistry told me someone saw Flash's micropenis. Poor guy!"

"I wonder if his girlfriend dumped him because he can't do shit, I mean, he doesn't look like the type to eat the kitty."

Those were just the highlights of the Friday afternoon. Come the weekend and the news of Flash's unfortunate condition will make the rounds through every single group chat that the school has and by the time Monday rolls around, nobody will have a clue who started the rumour in the first place. I had to carefully select the girls who were to distribute the rumour and I was happy with the outcome: Marissa and Layla with their squad of chatty, bored rich girls were the perfect choice. I thought they would jump at any opportunity to cause drama and I was right.

It was sufficient to say I was bristling with pride as I cut and compiled the audio track from today's school day before sending it to the group chat.

Clint, Peter and Natasha appeared online as soon as the message delivered and I was delighted at their response. Romanoff's kind words, specifically, made me all warm and mushy inside. I didn't resist the feeling, basked in it even as I did a happy dance around my room. Peter's nonsensical string of emojis was another point of laughter for me.

It wasn't exactly the smartest way to go about killing Thompson's reputation... Alas, simplicity is the way to success when it comes to large crowds of teenagers. That tiny little vindictive part of me was very much looking forward to the weekend and the results of the inevitable distortion of the rumour I had started. Who knew, maybe by Monday Flash Thompson would not only have a micropenis but horns and hooves as well.

Near bedtime, I had all the avengers send me their regards and thumbs up. I answered the flurry of texts as quickly as I could but there was no point in keeping up with ten or so people constantly streaming their questions, opinions and comments.

I settled on a single easiest response: pulling my dad's old uni sweatshirt over my tiny lacy pajamas to preserve some modesty, I settled in front of my mirror, turning on my Bluetooth speaker to play "Boss Ass Bitch". In true gen-z fashion, I put on my best resting witch face and solemnly lip-synced to the song's eponymous chorus. My eyeliner was sharp enough to cut paper and my prismatic highlighter glittered enigmatically in the cold light of my blue lava lamp.

The response was, once again, delightful and I genuinely belly-laughed at the adults' attempts to meme after Peter. His blushy face emoji started a whole nother conversation that I didn't participate in but watched from the sidelines with glee, snorting every time his friends and mentors gently teased him about the very obvious crush he harboured on me.

Seeing Peter starting to go absolutely nuts, I interjected with an offer (more like a dare) of a lip sync battle. He jumped on the bandwagon, immediately going offline to undoubtedly film an epic video of what I thought would be dorky-dancing to some hipster song. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a pre-recorded tik tok video of him and Ned fighting with lightsabers while mouthing the words to Fergalicious that played over the Imperial March.

Weirdos. I still followed him on the app, though, it was pretty funny.

Bucky interjected with a very well executed rendition of "Bring Me to Life": he was wearing his full Winter Soldier get-up, complete with an AK-47, dramatically serenading Steve who looked seventeen shades of done with his partner's antics. Wanda's following twenty second voice message consisted of nothing but pure hysterical laughter, summing up everyone's reaction to the video. Bucky was going to go viral one of these days...

Obviously, I had good competition and nobody else seemed to want to participate so I rearranged my surroundings a little bit and stood up at my full height and swapped the old sweatshirt for a cute crop-top hoodie. My thigh-highs were on display and with my make-up, I looked like a proper internet e-girl. I leaned against the mirror as I mouthed along to the song with my best interpretation of the famous Lucifer smirk, seasoned with a tiny bit of angelic innocence: "Doctor, doctor, give me the news, I got a bad case of loving you..."

Needless to say, I won the competition. Eventually Wanda joined in, looking menacing and ominous with her dark clothes and Natasha's red hair flashing somewhere in the background; even Tony did a round (AC/DC as his soundtrack of course) with one of his Iron Man suits but nothing beat my stunt and the reaction that it caused.

I had accidentally called out Bruce with the choice of my song and his teammates gave both of us a lot of cheeky comments about it. We relented and flirted with each other a bit as the conversation flowed into more mundane discussion; I said my good nights somewhere between Tony's bitching about the hobbies of my generation and my nightly skincare routine. The little green heart that I'd become accustomed to over the past few weeks greeted me just as I was about to lock my phone.

Bruce was really too precious for this world. My crush on him was different than the one on Tony, it mellowed out in comparison. I wanted him to hold me, to stroke my hair, to call me his darling and wrap me up in one of those dorky button-ups that he insisted on wearing in spite of Tony's unwanted, however very valid, fashion advice.

For all that's worth, the scientist probably knew or at least suspected and had the good grace to play along just enough to satisfy my deep need for attention... Without crossing any actual lines. It was frustrating, it was disappointing but I had virtually nothing to complain about. Besides, I didn't want to lose the quirky friendship that we had. Banner was, probably, the least judgemental person I knew and I wasn't about to trade that for an awkwardly stolen kiss.

Monday and Tuesday passed in a flurry of giggling and snorting every time Flash walked by. His girlfriend broke up with him, very publicly, accusing him of cheating and he didn't even deny it - just insulted her and stormed off, leaving even his friends looking lost and clueless. I started dragging Peter and his two pet nerds along with me just about everywhere I went in case Thompson decided to do something stupid again. If judging only by the looks he was throwing our little company, he was on his way to figuring out who began nibbling at his reputation.

The week was coming to an end and the rumour began dying off, slowly. That just didn't sit with me, I wanted the fucker gone. Due to the obvious time constraints, I approached MJ regarding Peter - after a brief argument, we came to an agreement regarding Peter's safety should I need to leave him alone in the hallways or at lunch.

I needed to do this alone so if I got caught, I won't drag them down with me. Granted, I would probably get something like a suspension and the school will attempt to call my mother (she never picks up) but that's about it. That's where her reputation comes in handy-people consciously avoid dealing with her, she can be that unbearable.

But first, I needed to get a teacher that's on my side. After carefully considering the candidates, I settled on my Social Studies professor - he taught the college-level classes and was overall a very chill, nice dude. And he disliked bullies with a flaming passion. So it didn't take me long to work him into a righteous fury - just a quick chat over a cup of tea in his homeroom and a few pictures of Peter's bruised face, complete with my own pleading puppy eyes. We agreed Mr Davies would "accidentally" leave the teacher's lounge unlocked during third period and I would sneak in. The plan wasn't foolproof but if it worked, not only Flash, but also his whole misogynistic, bigoted family would go down.

As I was leaving, Mr Davies looked up at me with a bright smile: "Give them Hell, alright?" And I suddenly noticed he was, in fact, very attractive. The smile brought out the fine wrinkles around his mouth, the crow's feet around his eyes - he smiled a lot. Silver strands mixed in with the wooden brown of his hair.

I let my eyes slide over him briefly before baring my teeth in return. "I owe you one," I don't know what possessed me to say that. My mouth really had a mind of its own sometimes. The room suddenly became hot.

"Sure," He replied, totally oblivious.

On Friday, I made myself a small nest in the empty classroom opposite the teacher's lounge and sat waiting for the signal from Mr Davies - he'd tap on the door once and I'd quietly go inside the teacher's lounge, retrieve Thompson's file and make my way back to the empty classroom to grab my backpack and carry the file to my locker for further examination.

The first part went successfully and I managed to snag Thompson's file. It was heavy and hefty, all the evidence of his rowdiness compiled into one flimsy plastic folder. There were A LOT of pink slips and I rejoiced internally: at least there was a paper trail of his exploits. The principal didn't do anything about it which was... If not against the rules then at least frowned upon; the plan was to take copies and anonymously submit them to the school board prompting at least an investigation into the blatant disregard for Flash's immoral and illegal behaviour.

On my way back I stumbled upon the principal herself which got me not only a stern talking to, but a whole detention for skipping class. Whatever, I was too elated from potentially ruining the life of a dumb fuck who ruined my friend's face.

Surprise came in the face of Mr Davies, who, having heard the commotion in the hallway, stepped out of his class and saw me being lectured by the principal.

"I'll take her for the detention," I heard the familiar voice behind me. The principal nodded solemnly and I had no choice but to sigh in resignation. "Three thirty, be here," He nodded to me, walking back, looking way too smug for his own good. So I wasn't the only one excited about the successful completion of stage two of my nefarious plan. Cue evil laughter.

#tony stark x reader #tony stark x y/n #bruce banner x y/n #bruce banner x reader #stephen strange x reader #Stephen Strange x y/n #bun writes #party favours #author doesn't advocate for small dick jokes but tbh the abusive fucker deserves it

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fairynavi · 4 years ago

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stronger than you | strong! fem! reader hcs

you are a 2nd year manager of karasuno and here are hcs on how noya, tanaka, and ennoshita react to you being physically stronger than you seem

☆ nishinoya yuu

you, along with yachi, were introduced by kiyoko as new managers for the club. you've been in the club for quite some time now and you're well acquainted with everyone now

especiall noya since the both of you are in the same year (and he's very excited about how they have a manager who's in the same year as him)

noya is just an energetic and spontaneous ball

he'll go to your classroom and shout your name so you could go to the clubroom together

you would find it very endearing if it weren't for the knowing looks your friends would give you whenever noya came by

OKAY SO

you joined in your 2nd year after leaving the martial arts club

why'd you leave? you weren't too keen on the suffocating competitive atmosphere in the club

the club president wasn't very good in keeping everyone organised

the club was overall just a mess and you didn't want to get involved in any more problems

while everyone's cleaning up, hinata and kageyama snuck to the court a bit a do extra spiking drills

you heard them bickering but you didn't actually expect they'd do anymore drills

but at this point, you weren't surprised anymore

this time, hinata went a bit all out and the ball came flying towards an unsuspecting noya who was drinking what's left of his water bottle

fortunately, you were nearby

you immediately drop whatever you were holding (which were brooms) and immediately go in front of noya, fixing your stance (like how you would during a hand to hand spar)

you use your arm and hover it steadily in front of your face where the ball was going towards

you successfully stop the ball, which you grab from the floor

you're unaware of the stares from the other people in the gym

"hinata! kageyama! be careful! you could have hurt someone!" you lecture the first years, to which they immediately apologize for (after they've completely processed what you just did)

you turn around and look at noya, who's just looking at you in awe

"noya-san? you okay there?" you wave your hand in front of him, where he finally responds by blinking

he finally processes everything, he's confused, he's blushing, he's staring at you in awe because a girl saved him?? a v v pretty girl saved him from a ball that could've hit his head??

he's just shocked, my dood

for the first time, he's at a loss for words

"earth to noya-san?"

he finally speaks

"[y/n]-san... that... that was so aWESOME! you're... i guess you were stronger than i had initially thought, y'know? thanks for saving my head there! you're so cool, [y/n]-san!"

you're blushing now too

sure, you've been called cool by other people, but it seems that when noya says it, it just feels so different

"thank you, noya-san..."

the next few days, he'll just bother you about where you got so strong and when he learns that you know martial arts, he just WANTS you to teach him some self-defense

he was already attracted to you when you joined the club as a manager

now he learns that you're actually physically stronger than you seem??

bro, he's infatuated

wait no, scratch that

he's head over heels for you

expect a lot of compliments from him

also expect a lot of, "[y/n], do you think you can carry me?"

"for the last time, noya, i am NOT carrying you"

☆ tanaka ryuunosuke

you already knew tanaka, during your 1st year, even before joining the karasuno volleyball club because of ennoshita

but you've only met with him once or twice on the rare occasions where you'd do a group project with ennoshita

you joined the volleyball club in your 2nd year as a manager for the boy's team when the club that you were previously in had disbanded due to lack of members

to everyone's surprise, tanaka recognizes you the moment you enter the gym

you quickly become well acquainted with everyone

it's been like 3 months since you've joined the club and you're comfortable with walking home with everyone

especially with tanaka since coincidentally, you live in the same neighborhood as him

this one particular day, tanaka says he'd forgotten his textbook in coach ukai's shop while you were already walking home with him

you guys weren't that far from his shop but you were already tired enough to go back with him

you let him go and retrieve his textbook, assuring that you'll be fine on your own

he runs back to the shop and you lean onto a pole nearby, waiting patiently for him

that's when two creepy men approach you and begin small talk, getting into your personal space too many times

they crossed the line when one of them tried to lift up your skirt, the other one pinning you onto the wall

before they could do anything else, you immediately go under his arm and out while it was still a bit loose and you immediately strike your hand on his nape, earning a pained groan from the man

the other one hesitated to attack you but he did, trying to punch you, but you immediately dodge, making him stumble and fall

using whatever strength you had left, with your adrenaline helping, you lift the other and drop him onto his companion, earning groans from the two of them

the moment tanaka comes back, he's immediately in front of you, in a very defensive stance, barking at the strangers

he doesn't look at you as he grabs your arms, pulling you close to him as you continue walking home

finally, he looks at you and notices the state that you are in

your blazer's unbuttoned, the blouse underneath lost the top button, your clothes are creased and your hair is just everywhere

you're sweating, still not recovering from the adrenaline rush from earlier

lowkey you look attractive rn

"[y/n]! are you okay?! are you hurt?! the hell happened back there?! did those guys try to touch you?!"

"tanaka, chill, i'm fine. just some random dudes trying to get touchy with me. nothing i can't handle"

he's relieved that you're okay and he makes sure you get home safely (ohoho what a gentleman) and once he gets everything in his head, he's in love

i mean, who wouldn't be attracted to a girl who just DESTROYED two men trying to touch her

the next day when you greet him, he's all blushy and scared because you might beat his ass if you felt like it

he later learns that you were taught self-defense at an early age and continued training up until now

tanaka will stare at you whenever you're talking with someone, hoping you wouldn't notice, but boy's just too obvious about his infatuation

the whole team probably knows his crush on you without him confirming it

☆ ennoshita chikara

you joined the volleyball club shortly after transferring to karasuno in your 2nd year

you're classmates with ennoshita, so you were relieved that you knew someone in the team

you quickly became friends with everyone on the team a few days later due to them being very friendly and kiyoko never leaving you confused during practice

once you're comfortable enough with them, you've shown your very playful side

leading you, along with noya and tanaka, to get some lectures from ennoshita

you were never one to actually do dumb things, but you always encouraged them to do the dumb thing

"im not a bad influence i swear" turns into "lmao yea, you should totally give that snake a pat"

even though you seem playful, you're still very reliable when the situation calls for it

you stopped a good amount of class fights and bickering to avoid it elevating to a physical fight

you've also stopped hinata and kageyama's bickering a few times

of course, ennoshita's noticed this and has developed an admiration to you

he didn't notice the thin line between admiration and infatuation

he finds himself staring at you a lot during practice now, always denying that he had a crush on you and just convinced himself that "i just respect her a lot"

it's currently the last day of the tokyo summer training camp, and you're helping out unloading a few more stuff that they bought

you're carrying two fairly heavy coolers, both of which are filled with refreshments

ennoshita sees you and sprints up to you, offering to help

"oh, there's no need ennoshita-kun, go ahead and eat, you should enjoy yourself"

there it is, that very sweet consideration that sends ennoshita's heart flying

"don't worry [y/n], i want to help you"

you smile and take up his offer, giving him one of the coolers

he almost droos the cooler from how heavy it was

he initially thought it wasn't at all heavy since you didn't at all look like you were having a hard time, he underestimated the weight of the cooler

you look at him in worry but then you burst into a fit of laughter, earning some attention your way

ennoshita was embarrassed as he tried to tell you to stop laughing at him

"sorry ennoshita-kun, but that was the reason i didn't want you to carry it, come on, give that back to me"

he stares at you for a bit, still not over the shock of learning how strong you actually are

you wave your hand in front of his face and he comes back to reality

"no, no, i can carry this, your shoulders might get sore, [y/n]"

AWWWW HE'S CONCERNEDD

while the both of you walk, you tell him about how you underwent some intense (somewhat unnecessary) training during middle school as you were part of the track & field club

once you deemed that the training was far too much and your body couldn't take it anymore so you quit when you went into high school

the reason you transferred was because your mom landed a job as a teacher for karasuno high

he's in awe about... just about everything about you

it's honestly not hard for him to fall for you at this point

he'll listen to you the rest of the day, wanting to get to know you more and more

when someone goes to help you carry something particularly heavy, he anticipates for their reaction over you being stronger than they are

he just loves you at this point, really

i hope i depicted them properly TwT

#haikyuu #hq #haikyuu x reader #hq x reader #strong fem! reader #haikyuu headcannons #hq headcannons #ennoshita chikara #nishinoya yuu #tanaka ryuunosuke #ennoshita chikara x reader #nishinoya yuu x reader #tanaka ryuunosuke x reader #haikyuu imagines

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fineillsignup · 5 years ago

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Unreleased Rumors and Secrets: Minor’s Memory Book

There was a scandal for the drop rates of the first wish tree event in China, and those cards were never released for any other server. Some of those cards had Rumors and Secrets attached. Some people have translated some, but Gavin’s don’t seem to have been so, and I was asked in the R18 Discord to translate the R&S from our beloved Minor.

Minor’s Memory Book

I got beaten up.

This morning, I was super bold and stuck an “evil begone” sticker onto the school bully’s lunchbox as a challenge. Well, I stuck a bunch on, and that guy suddenly came with five other guys to corner me in the alley. I straightened my back, but I felt a chill. And the result was those four words I started this entry with... I got beaten up. With a bloody nose and a swollen face, I suddenly felt that this era really has no heroes... even a strapping young lad like myself must undergo such suffering...

Suddenly, a pair of white sneakers stood before my eyes. I lifted my swollen face and struggled to focus my eyes, only to see a fierce figure. He extended a hand and grasped the bully’s neck, with steel in his gaze!

“Holy crap... it’s actually Bai! Qi! Xue! Zhang! [Bai Qi is Gavin’s Chinese name. Xuezhang is an honorific used for male seniors in school, similar to Japanese -sempai or Korean -seonbae. I will translate as Gavin-sempai for ease of understanding by a Western nerd audience.]

Today I truly got to see with my own eyes the genuine 1v5. Gavin-sempai reduced them to ashes with his hands. He glanced down at me and was gonna leave, but I grabbed onto his pant leg.

Sempai is as cold as the legends said, all he said was one word: Scram.

What a man!!!

So now my heart has one goal: I want to learn the skill of going 1v5 from sempai!

I keep trying to look for Gavin-sempai, but he heartlessly ignores me... he just keeps drinking his water or sleeping or whatever... I need to go on the attack! So I'll make a plan for perfect understanding!

Ahem. Just "following" sempai is a dull life. Every morning at 7:30 sharp he's at the school gate, with a totally flat schoolbag. I don't know if it has any books inside it... wait, is this important to write down? No, whatever, move on.

The first thing he does is go to the snack kiosk on the north side of the school! Break! Fast! Time! Could it be that Gavin-sempai eats an ordinary breakfast just like us puny mortal men? Oooooh~ it looks like sempai really likes to eat fishballs? This is the third day in a row he ordered them. Maybe it's bad to switch up what you eat?

I made a special effort to go to the floor with the seniors, and went by the window of his class. Of course, usually he wouldn't be there, but!! Today he was there!!

As I expected, he sits in the very back row, so he can go to sleep without hesitation.

Isn't anyone paying attention to him? Oh no, what is this feeling of admiration??? [you're gay honey]

Sempai is tricky, I dunno where he goes after class, but he goes to the library eventually. I can't help thinking, sempai really does whatever he wants.

Huh?! Wait a minute, why would a delinquent like sempai go to the library?!

But even more than that, what made my jaw drop is: I saw sempai get down a book from the top shelf for the prettiest girl in the school! And he was smiling! Smi.... ling..........

I got beaten up again... it really pains my heart to write those words y'know. Why did I try to save that four-eyes who seemed so foolish and helpless but turned out to be a scoundrel? But, isn't that a hero? The times need a hero like me!

Although maybe the times don't need a weak little chicken hero like me...

When I was knocked to the ground by that school bully, that's what I was thinking. My faith was in tatters, but I thought again of the steely eyes of Gavin-sempai, how great it would be if he was there...

Maybe God happened to hear my prayer, because sempai appeared out of the blue! With his cool left hook, he knocked the other guy to the ground. I was so moved my vision was blurred with tears.

Sempai asked me, why are you always making trouble for yourself? I said with passion, because I wanna be a hero, I can't stand to see school bullies bullying the weak. Then sempai said, don't you know they all say I'm a school bully?

In my heart I said yeah I know, but with a firm resolution I shook my head. When he looked at my eyes, the light in them suddenly took on a mysterious glint... as if he was seeing a... what? An idiot?...

Sempai is really hard to get on with. He spoke to me about what real heroism means, but this went so far beyond what I expected from sempai, for him to actually speak to me! I can't remember it I can't remember it...

Anyway! In my opinion, heroism is rushing to the rescue when there's trouble!

Today I am! a! hero!

I don't know for how many days I've been sneaking after sempai, but today I suddenly came across sempai in a real jam! It was all the school bullies who he saved me from before! Altogether there were ten of them! Damn! Using an unfair advantage! How could I, Minor, let something like this happen!

Without thinking much, I rushed out to help sempai! Of course, I was once again immediately beaten up... but I discovered that sempai does 1v10 like he's nuclear powered! So hot, so hot, I think he's hotter than Superman or Ironman! Sempai is a god in my eyes!

But sempai is really cold, he said just two words, like a dagger through my heart: "you trying to die?" [Zhao si “looking for death” in Chinese.]

I could only tell him petulantly, I'm not trying to die, this is my heroism.

Sempai snorted coldly, and said don't sneak after me anymore, it's annoying.

Hahaha? My perfect plan has already been unmasked huh?

I don't even know why I said one more thing then: Sempai, I saw you help the prettiest girl in our school get a book... won’t you...

This is the first day that I've become sempai's—no, Bai-Ge [Big Brother Bai, Gavin-Bro, Gavin-nii-san]'s little brother, hehe, suddenly I feel like I'm floating. Today I can openly walk at Bai-Ge's side. Even though I'm walking on the ground I feel like I'm on a burst of wind, wahahaha! I saw people looking at me and my expression was like that! Just like that.

But I never realized that Bai-Ge would be so strict... I was just chatting idly, mentioning that even more people were giving our school flower [the prettiest girl in school] a love letter, and Bai-Ge suddenly got a weird vibe, and made me go collect those people.

Collecting people is really tiring y'know. I had to run around to a bunch of different classrooms, and getting them to come was annoying. I don't want to do this kind of work anymore.

Bai-Ge just stared at those guys without saying anything. Was it time for me to save the show??? Remembering something I had once been told by a senior, I repeated it for them verbatim, scolding them like: Young people should put their minds on learning, and not rush into romance.

Seeing how they were all trembling with fear made me even more excited.

After I scolded them happily, Bai-Ge walked over, and just said one line: Go take your love letters back. If you scare her, don't blame me if I get rude.

Damn, Bai-Ge is so cool! But saying that, did I just disocver a little secret that I wasn't meant to discover?! Bai-Ge's feelings for the school flower are actually...

I think Bai-Ge [Big Brother Gavin] is probably, sorta, definitely in love. Lately I have become Bai-Ge's private detective, but only specializing on our school flower [MC]. Maybe I should start calling the school flower "sis-in-law"... ah, in olden times heroes also loved beauties, right!

Bai-Ge is acting so different from Bai-Ge now~

Everyday he's at the library. If you wanna know where Bai-Ge is, just ask about where the school flower is and you'll know... he doesn't get in fights, he doesn't go to the track, he doesn't play ball. Like a shadow of his former self, I even saw him using test prep books... it brought me to tears.

In the afternoon when we were in the same gym class, I excitedly told Bai-Ge that Sis-in-Law chose to do basketball! I was thinking that thinking that Bai-Ge would want to grab a basketball court near her.

But he said, this is fine. Fine? Fine??? What about my basketball plan... I wanted to be cool!

But then I found out, hehe, Bai-Ge is super sly...

The volleyball court is actually closer to Sis-in-Law's basketball court than the other basketball courts are! One time I was a little careless in my aim and the ball almost hit Sis-in-Law in the head, but Bai-Ge came out of nowhere and slammed it away... how did Bai-Ge do that?!

How could he move so fast to the opposite end of the gym?!?! Is this some kind of superpower? It was instant! But Bai-Ge is so unromantic...

Sis-in-Law thanked him, but his face was even colder than when he looks at me... and just when I had been careless to try to push them together! And my thanks was that he stalked back looking at me like he was going to kill me, it hurt me down to my soul...

No good deed goes unpunished, boohoohoo...

Today I saw another Bai-Ge [Big Brother Gavin]! And that's the Bai-Ge in a sports competition! What a man what a man what a man!!!!

In the 10 laps race, Bai-Ge actually got first! He was way ahead of the guy in second and he wasn't even out of breath!

What kind of amazing skill is this? Before I only thought he had superpowers at fighting, it looks like I have much more to learn from Bai-Ge!

Today I finally learned, even though Bai-Ge is so fierce and everybody says he's a delinquent, but when they see him running all the girls' eyes were glued to his body~

Oh, drooling.

Bai-Ge looks like he's in a pretty good mood, but when I asked him to teach me about fighting 1v10, he made me go be his private detective again.......

He was really concerned about Sis-in-Law's [MC] performance in her sprint. I don't know why he's being such a tsundere, not going himself, but making me go! And he gave me his cell phone? Why? To take creep shots? Am I, Minor, that kind of person?

I called out to Sis-in-Law, she turned her head, and luckily I was able to take a beautiful shot. It was really good looking, so Bai-Ge will definitely teach me how to 1v10 right?

Result, he! Didn't!

So Bai-Ge is "hos before bros"! [In Chinese the phrase is not so negative towards the woman; it's literally "heavy on sex light on friends"]

What could I say? All I could do was squat there watching Bai-Ge staring at the pictures in his phone, from time to time letting a silly grin show.....

Damn, Bai-Ge's smiling again! How terrifying! Love makes people lose their minds!

Bai-Ge looks so depressed recently. If I called him a sad sack before, right now he's not even a sack..... Lately it seems like all he does is stare broodily into space from love.

After brooding by the piano room, he goes to the library to brood. He keeps staring at the empty place where Sis-in-Law was sitting. I dunno what he's thinking about.

But I really never thought that a guy who slept through class would actually spend the whole afternoon staring into space in the library... could it be that Bai-Ge and Sis-in-Law had a fight?

I asked around out of curiosity. I discovered that, who knows why, but lately as soon as Sis-in-Law gets out of class she rushes away, not going to the library or the piano room. I heard she goes straight home from cram school too... could she be hiding from Bai-Ge?

God, I have such an imagination, I should write soap operas. Who can say, it might be a-ok again soon!

But getting back to the topic... should i tell Bai-Ge about this? If Bai-Ge thinks that Sis-in-Law is hiding from him, won't that break his heart?

Sigh...

Bai-Ge disappeared for such a long time, but today he was finally back! But he came back all covered with wounds, how could somebody not be worried! He gave me a letter in an envelope, and said it was for Lil Sis-in-Law. The envelope was intact, but it was stained with blood.

Bai-Ge must have gone to do something really dangerous, to lose so much blood! I wanted him to go to the hospital but he wouldn't go... Bai-Ge is really too stubborn!

But he was really different today. Why do I have this kind of misgiving feeling about what's going to happen? Brrrr!

He said I need to wait longer for him to teach me 1v10... damn!! If Bai-Ge wasn't injured, I really would have thrown myself on top of him and given him two cheek smooches! Bai-Ge is the handsomest! Bai-Ge is the coolest!!!

That reminds me that Bai-Ge is gonna take the gaokao [college entrance exam]. The seniors in the graduating class are all acting sentimental lately. Is Bai-Ge's goodbye for summer vacation? Hehe, I just had an idea!

While Bai-Ge isn't here, there's only me to protect Lil Sis-in-Law from would-be Romeos!

Other men, don't even think about getting near my Lil Sis-in-Law!

She! Is! Bai! Ge's!

#10

The whole summer vacation... I never saw Bai-Ge...

#mlqc #mr love queen's choice #mlqc gavin #mlqc minor #my translation

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catboysimulator · 4 years ago

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Story Seven - El Primario y Segundo Desafio

Summers had come and gone since Dhezi's arrival, having spent about three years now with his tribe. Time had flown by, while also feeling like he had been with them forever. He has learned a lot with them-- changed a lot with them. Looking back to the person he once was, it's a bit surreal with how much had changed.

There was a difference in how he carried himself, how he acted. He was still silly and playful, loud and energetic-- yet, he was no longer the same child people thought him as.

Back then, Dhezi was just a kid in a grownup's body. He had missed out on a lot of his childhood, and clung onto the desire to make up for it-- clung onto the feelings and experiences he was unable to go through as a normal kid would. Yet, ever since he has been welcomed home in the Sagolii, he has experienced that and much more. He was able to make up for lost time with them, and has grown into a better person for it. More mature, ready to take things on and handle his responsibilities.

With mental and emotional changes, came some physical ones as well. Through the years, Dhezi has learned to take on new skills and strengths, including wielding an axe, chakrams, as well as some magic. Though, still, he remained a tried and true monk, his main power lying within his own raw physical strength.

He still taught the children almost daily on what he knew-- the same way his master had taught him before she had passed. Even if he didn't follow down the Fist's path, her path, he still took her teachings to heart and was sure to pass them down, too.

As far as Dhezi was aware, he had experienced all celebrations and rites he had missed out on prior to his arrival three years ago, so he was going through his daily life normally and without any surprises. It was a life he had gotten used to quickly, picking things up easily as they came at him, as though he was just... meant to be here all his life. It's a conflicting feeling, really. He's happy to be here, happy to finally have the opportunity to be with the family he came from and call the Sagolii his home. Yet...

He misses Ul'dah. He misses his friends outside of the Sagolii; his family. His home.

Tani saw something in Dhezi, knowing that perhaps he was feeling a certain homesickness. Why wouldn't he, when the home he's known all his life was outside of here? So, he decided to talk to Sena and Maryn regarding this, bringing it up to them, and they too noticed it. The three spoke amongst each other, trying to figure out what to do for Dhezi... before deciding on the Desafios.

Every four years, the Sankres hold competitions called the Primaria and Segundo Desafio.

The Sankres have three sects within the tribe; Azuline, Roholo, and Amarila. The way people are separated is by the color of their eyes; blue, red, and yellow. Those with colors between can go with any group they want. These groups (or in this case, teams!) are purely established for sports and competitions, because at the end of the day, everyone is still part of the same pride.

The way the Primaria Desafio is done is by the Matron's Blessing. For those who would like to participate in the Desafio, they must first receive Rahja's blessing. Those chosen would then go up against the others within their groups who have also received her blessing, to see who would come out on top.

So, Tani approached Dhezi one day, bringing up these... competitions.

Of course, Dhezi seemed to light up at the mention of these challenges and good sportsmanship, so why not? He grins and nods, eagerly accepting the invitation. Tani merely grinned in turn, smacking Dhezi's back eagerly and earning a loud 'oof' from her cousin.

On the first day of the Desafio, the challengers awaited to receive Rahja's blessing before moving back to their respective groups, preparing for the games they would be participating in. These games included challenges of strength, as well as wit. These sorts of games will help find the most capable out of all the willing contestants.

When it was time for the games, everyone was sporting their group's colors and wearing their respective feathers upon their heads, the cave practically a giant stadium. There were people cheering and music playing, lots of food and lots of festivities, decorations and colorful lights put up. It was an exciting time for everyone!

Though, when it came time for the contestants to introduce each other and wish each other luck, Dhezi couldn't help but to become Incredibly Nervous at the sight of his cousin Tani towering over him. He sure didn't expect to see her competing-- don't the leaders have other things to do? Though, he also noted how Sena and Maryn were also competing... Strange.

With an intimidating, toothy, fanged grin, Tani loomed over Dhezi with a small narrow to her eyes. "Don't think that b'cause ye're m'cousin I'm gonna go easy on ya, primito."

Gulping, Dhezi shook his head and gave a sheepish smile. "N-- not at all!" And that was exactly what he was nervous about.

The challenges available were those of strength, agility, one's roar, strategy, quick-thinking, and reflexes-- but also, teamwork. Everything else is fun and exciting to see how people tackle, yet teamwork is integral, as well, for those in the same group as well as with the others. The tribe does not work on one person, it works on everyone.

The Roholo would be the last to compete against each other, so it gave Dhezi plenty of time to nearly keel over from nerves. He's never done anything like this, he doesn't know what's going to happen.

Before he knew it, he was lining up with 4 other Roholo members, including Tani. He kind of blanked for a second, yet came right back when he heard one of the elders call out, 'Let the games begin!' with raucous applause and cheering following after.

Being grabbed by the shoulders, he was yanked backwards and led towards the first challenge by Tani-- before being led to another. Then another. And another. And another.

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

Back to back, there were challenges that showed off his abilities and capabilities. These events went from day all the way to night time, everyone exhausted from these games and yet still so excited and eager to learn who won!

Tani passed a glance over towards Dhezi, a knowing expression on their countenance along with a smile. The elders approached the three groups, looking over each miqo'te that had participated with a scrutinizing gaze, before making their choices. With a hand around his wrist, Dhezi was pulled out of the Roholo, while Sena and Maryn were chosen out of the Azuline and Amarila.

Blinking owlishly, Dhezi looked to the elder, before towards his two uncles... A wide grin would grow on his face as his ears wiggle, his tail wagging just a tad as cheers erupted! Hooray!

Yet, Dhezi froze upon hearing the elder call, "Welcome to our new lideres!"

His gaze grew wide-eyed as his pupils blew as round as saucers, staring towards the elder with lowered ears. "... Lideres?" he inquired, softly, before his gaze flicked over towards his uncles before falling onto Tani who slowly approached him. Placing a heavy paw on Dhezi's shoulder, the older Seeker nodded while offering a gentle smile towards Dhezi.

"The Primaria Desafio is done every four years for us to see who will become the next three leaders of th'tribe," he explains, grinning toothily down at the younger one. "'nd y'were chosen out of all a'us t'represent th'Roholo."

Remaining silent, Dhezi kept his gaze on Tani with an indiscernible expression, something within him stirring at this sudden responsibility. "I--... Why didn't ya tell me?" he inquired softly between them, and the older one merely shrugged. "B'cause I knew ya'd be a good fit fer th'spot," she answered, yet something was left out. They merely stared down at Dhezi with a scrutinizing look. "Well? What do ya say?"

Letting his wrist drop from the elder's hold, he stares down at the ground as his ears flatten back to the sides of his head as his tail droops. Opening his mouth a few times, it shuts and continues to shut every time he tries to croak out some words, before simply settling on shaking his head.

Tani merely continued to smile, canting their head to the side as they squeeze Dhezi's shoulder. "Speak, primo. Ye're among family, 'nd most importantly, people who love ya 'nd understand ya."

Looking back up at them after a moment, he gulps down a lump in his throat before shaking his head again. "... I can't. I can't take that position," he mutters, before Tani prods further by asking 'why?'

"I-. I have responsibilities elsewhere-- I-- I have other family t'go back ta 'nd see again. I cannot commit ta bein' a leader here, b'cause I'm still a leader somewhere else."

Tani's lower eyelids push up a bit, nodding. "I know, primo. I'm glad y'know it, too."

"-- Wh-? Y'ain't...mad?"

"Not at all. In fact, I'm happy that ye're able t'know where yer priorities lie. It's okay if y'can't lead us, it ain't th'end a'th'shard. Dhezi, we knew since th'moment y'got here that yer heart ain't one that stays in one place ferever. It drifts, 'nd y'go wherever it takes ya, 'nd honestly I kinda envy ya fer it. But like most everyone else here, I know this is where I will stay 'till I move on to th' great plains, but do y'think that's somethin' fer ya?"

"... I--... I wanna say yes, but... I can't-- choose."

"This is not t'make ya choose, primo," she states, taking a firm grip of his shoulders and grounding him. "This is t'help ya realize 'nd come ta terms that y'miss home, 'nd yer family. Y'know, th'ones that ain't here. Ye're not someone who's tethered t'one place-- ya've reached far 'nd wide ta other places 'nd have left yer mark everywhere y'go. Y'really got th'spirit of a true griffin; fierce, strong, protective... y'take care a'yer family, yer friends, all'a yer loved ones. But ye're also adventurous, curious, 'nd free. That's somethin' that no one can stifle or force from ya. No one can jus' force resposibilities on ya or make ya do things y'don't wanna. Ye're th'one who leads yer own life 'nd makes yer own decisions. Ye're th'only one who knows ya best."

Dhezi's ears lowered further the more Tani spoke, nodding slowly and gazing down at the ground, before Tani placed a gentle paw upon his forehead. "Don't think that this changes how we feel 'bout ya, primo. B'cause no matter what, ye're still family, 'nd that will never change. All that I ask from ya, personally, is fer ya t'visit us whenever y'can...aye?"

"A'course--! A'course, Tani..." he croaks out with a hoarse voice, nodding as he smiles and blinks a few times. With a smile of her own, she leans down to press a kiss to Dhezi's forehead after pulling her paw away. "Gracias, primo."

After a moment, the elder approaches once more with a gentle smile, taking Tani's wrist and lifting his arm up. "Our leaders!"

Once more, cheers erupt at the announcement as the three leaders come together, touching one of their hand's knuckles to one another's, before pressing them to their chests.

With this, the Primaria Desafio is completed. Yet, tomorrow would be the Segundo, where the three leaders would go against each other to see who will be the head branch and the wings.

For now, everyone will return to their homes and celebrate with lots of food and some good rest for the next day. Heading to Sena's home, Dhezi took a long bath to unwind from the day and think.

Once it was time for dinner, Maryn and Tani stopped by as well so they coukd all cook some delicious caldo and roast some sandworm meat, sitting around the table and chatting amongst each other. Joining them at the table after his bath, Dhezi continued to ruffle at his own hair with the towel before Tani papped his hands away so he could do it instead, ruffling up his cousin's hair for him but also making sure to help him thoroughly dry it. Not without messing with her cousin a little bit, of course.

Laughing, Dhezi lightly bats at Tani's arms while sucking his teeth, rolling his eyes. They grinned toothily down at Dhezi, continuing to dry his hair while saying, "You have somethin' on yer mind, primo. Let it out."

"-- Why do ya always call me out like this, huh?"

"It's my duty as yer cousin."

"Uh-huh. ... Well, I-... I was thinkin' 'bout...goin' back ta Ul'dah."

Becoming gentler in their ministrations, they looked up towards Sena and Maryn as they took care of Dhezi's hair, and his uncles merely smiled in response. Sena nodded, reaching a hand over to give a hearty pap to Dhezi's arm that rested upon the table, giving it a few fond rubs. "Then go, mijo. We will not keep you here if you wish to return to the rest of your family. Though, we would like it if you visited us again, too."

"Always, tio. There's no way 'm jus' gonna ferget y'all. Plus, y'all know where I live, too, so y'can always feel free t'drop by fer a visit, y'know?"

"Of course. Thank you, sobrino. When will you be leaving?"

"In a few sennights. I wanna see what's gonna happen t'morrow, 'nd then I'm gonna say goodbye t'everyone else."

"Sounds like a plan, kiddo," Maryn agrees with a nod, grinning and also reaching out to pat at Dhezi's arms a few times. This helps the young Seeker release tension that he didn't know he had pent up all this time, releasing a shaky laugh as he slumps and melts onto the table. He muffles into the wood, "Thanks... Thank ya-- fer everythin' y'all have done fer me."

"We did nothin' fer ya, primo, y'did everythin' yerself. We were jus' there t'help," Tani states, rubbing at Dhezi's head before draping the towel around his shoulders. "We're jus' happy t'have ya back, Dhezi, 'nd we know ya'll come back ta us whenever y'want."

With a warm smile, heart, and a belly full of food, Dhezi went to bed that night with a new sense of adventure in his heart, eager to return to Ul'dah and everyone else soon.

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

Of course, not without first seeing the Segundo Desafio! Again, everyone was gathered up to witness the second challenge, where the leaders would go head-to-head. Yet this time, they were outside.

This is the final challenge, and it is one where the three must again receive the Matron's blessing-- before she calls on her fledgelings, Rima, Tega, and Oto. The three may be young-- but that does not mean they cannot fly.

As the three young griffins approached the leaders, they chose their handler for the day. Oto with Maryn, Tega with Sena, and Rima with Tani. Mounting the fledgelings after dressing them with their saddles, they take their reins and take flight.

The magic users of the tribe created rings up in the air for the three to race through, as well as levitated targets and dummies for the three to shoot at and strike.

Readying their bows, the three began their paths into the rings, holding onto the fledgelings with their legs and keeping their balance as they leveled their arms and shoulders, loosing their arrows towards the targets. Each one of them hit, yet some closer to their marks than others. Whenever they flew closer to their targets, they would slice and hack at them with their weapons,

Flying closer towards the sun, the three would then turn and dive back down towards their final targets, releasing their own roars that rang throughout the desert. Each dummy's head is lopped off, Tani's with their axe, Sena's with his blade, and Maryn with his magicks.

Landing back on the sand, the tribespeople would release loud, raucous cheering, satisfied and more with the show and sportsmanship.

With the tallies marked up, the elders look to Tani with renowned pride, taking the Head Branch circlet and dawning it upon their head, while Maryn receives a feather upon the left side of his head, and Sena on his right.

Grinning toothily, Tani then looks to Sena with a playful upwards tilt of his head, chuffing. "Told ya I'd fly circles 'round ya next time, viejo."

Sena couldn't help but to bark out in laughter at that, patting his sobrine's back before slinging his arm around Maryn's shoulders. "You sure did!" he responds with a nod and a grin before bumping his fist to Maryn's chest. "Switched places I see, eh, hermano?"

Maryn merely scoffed and rolled his eyes, poking Sena's side roughly with an amused, toothy grin. "Don't think that you can do my job better than me."

"Hah! We'll see!"

With the new leaders decided and the branches settled, it was now time for the exchange of feathers after thoroughly preening them. The Azuline give the Roholo their griffin feathers on both sides of their heads, the Roholo to the Amarila on their left side, and the Amarila to the Azuline on their right.

After placing the feathers upon each others' heads, the pride takes the rest of the day to celebrate and dance, their spirits loud and free.

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

For the next few sennights, Dhezi had packed up his belongings and gave his farewells to his family, also being sure to give his partings to the children he had taught for the past three years, as well. He promised to visit them all every few moons, because now that he has found his pride, he is never going to leave them behind.

On the day of his departure, he gave his family warm hugs, clinging onto the backs of their clothes and letting their embrace linger before parting, smiling towards them. Tani grinned and pressed her fist lightly to her cousin's cheek, releasing a small chuff. "Don't worry, primito. We will see each other again, as long as we continue to live beneath the same Sun. Bajo el mismo Sol."

With a nod, Dhezi grinned toothily with a wiggle of his ears, turning to leave the cave before Rahja had shifted before him. Lowering herself and her wing, she turned her head towards her back for the young Seeker to climb on, causing him to blink a few times from surprise before his grin grew. He lets out a delighted laugh, moving over towards the griffin and giving her a big hug to her neck before climbing onto her back.

With a bellow, she ran out of the caves with Dhezi upon her back before taking flight, carrying home safe and sound.

Bajo el mismo Sol.

#zizi's arc #dhezi #tani #sena #maryn #this is the final story of zizi's arc... thank you all so much for reading ;-; i appreciate it so much...#this arc/these stories mean a lot to me as zizi has been with me ever since i started playing xiv.#i had almost let go of him once-- but im glad i didnt. he's grown a lot #and i really couldnt have had such an opportunity without the amazing friends i made along the way #so thank you to everyone because i cannot thank yall enough #you mean the world to me

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totaldramafan-lauri · 4 years ago

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Eurovision 2021 Opinions, Predictions, and Rankings

DONE.

I really cut it close this time, but I got a couple days to relax until the contest! >.<

God, I missed Eurovision so much that I think I rambled a bit too hard....XD So, if you don’t have the patience to read all of this, I don’t blame you! I mainly just make these for fun, heh....But if you do read this, PLEASE be warned that I have some very unpopular opinions this year. It’s not as bad as some other years, but there’s a few things in here that will probably confuse people. I’m not trying to piss anyone off, I’m just sharing what I think of the songs and that’s all. I can’t even vote, so.....yeah!

Also, uh....be warned for excessive gushing, because I like the VAST majority of songs this year. There are only two that I’m indifferent to, and none that I outright dislike. And even the two songs I’m indifferent to, I managed to say some good things about, so I don’t outright bash any of the songs! I’m not a critic, I’m just a big Eurovision fan being happy talking about Eurovision.

Ummmm, anything else, hmmmm.....well, the rehearsals have been done, but I don’t watch those cuz I like going in blind. I like being surprised. So, I have no idea how any of the songs will be staged, keep that in mind.

Now, I think I said everything! Into the rambling!

(In alphabetical order by country)

Song: Karma Country: Albania Thoughts: We start our list off with a song that...I wish I liked more! This song is pretty good - I like the music (though the instrumental breaks are pretty busy, with a lot of noise at once) and the vocals are excellent, but...it's a pretty standard Albanian entry in that it lacks that extra wow factor for me. In fact, when I say "standard", I mean that when I haven't heard it in a few days and I try to get in into my head, I'll sometimes confuse it with "Ktheju tokës" (their 2019 entry). And I know that isn't fair to it, but the fact that I can't make it stick in my mind really says a lot to how little of an impact it made on me in the long run. "Ktheju tokës" WAS good, and this song is good, but man do Albania really have trouble standing out in this contest (with the one HUGE exception, of course <3) Prediction: I don't think this will qualify for the final, but I wouldn't be surprised if I was proven wrong. Albania have surprised me multiple times in recent years. I kinda don't wanna be surprised this time, since it could be at the cost of a song I like more (and yeah, it probably will be), but I still wouldn't rule it out. This song does have a chance. But for now, I'll say no, it won't qualify.

Song: Technicolour Country: Australia Thoughts: Time to take off your clothes- wait, that's not it? It's "cloaks"? OK then, if you say so...Not only is this a very cool and unique song, but it's also pretty catchy! It's kinda hard to put into words how I feel about this song. When I first heard it, I liked it OK but I also feared that it would grate on me after a bit, but thankfully, it didn't! In fact, this song grew on me, just the opposite of what I thought. I enjoy this song quite a bit now! The singer's voice is really good. She has impressive range. And there's nothing else this year that sounds like this. So, while I don't love it, I definitely like and respect it! It's an impressive entry from Australia, and I'm sad that they have to preform remotely. I hope that doesn't hurt them too much... Prediction: Oh, I wanna say they'll qualify so bad, cuz they deserve to! And even when their entries don't get love from the televote, they still get carried to the final by the juries, so....I think they might! C'mon, it's a good song and it deserves to do well! I don't even love it that much and I can still see the talent and appeal of this song, so yeah, I'm gonna say it'll qualify! The betters are underselling this! Might not do that well in the final, but eh, at least it'll be there.

Song: Amen Country: Austria Thoughts: And here we come to one of the weirder things this year: like 2015, there are two songs with the same name, leading to some confusion. I'll get to Slovenia's "Amen" way later, but for now all I'll say is that that's the one I think about more BY FAR. To the point where poor Austria here gets completely overshadowed by it. XD And that's really unfortunate, because this song is pretty good! It's very emotional, even moreso when you read that it's based on the deaths of the singer's daughter and aunt. It definitely hit me harder after I realized that it wasn't just a breakup song...and actually about death...The lyrics are also very good, especially the repeating of "Tell me, is this what you wanted?" which is a line that kinda hit me even on first listen? It just sounds so...sad, yet angry, especially with how he sings it...Though I will say that the opening lyric simply being "Amen, I guess" could be easily made fun of...but I'm not gonna do it. Not to this song. Even though it's far from one of my favorites, (and in terms of sad family songs doesn't come close to "You Let Me Walk Alone" levels), it's a good song. Prediction: I don't think Austria really have that much of a chance....but that doesn't mean they're doomed. They could touch hearts with this song, or they could be overlooked, could go either way. I personally think, um.....they won't qualify. Just cuz of the competition.

Song: Mata Hari Country: Azerbaijan Thoughts: Should I be annoyed at how blatantly Azerbaijan recycled their 2020 song? XD Well, I'm not! If anything, I find it funny that they included the line "Just like Cleopatra", which I took as full-on self awareness.....And I also don't mind because the song is awesome, so yeah. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for this stuff! I don't care how many times the song's name is yelled, it still sounds soooooo good! The instrumentals are amazing! The one before the end is easily the best part of the song. Y'know, where she just says "Let's go" and then the beat goes crazy? Perfect. This is a very solid borderline favorite for me. My only real gripe is that...uh, it's "goddess", not "godless"...I can clearly hear her pronounce an L and it bugs me. XD Prediction: In true Azerbaijan fashion, I think this'll be an easy qualifier. It's not a front-runner, but it's a very memorable song and there isn't really anything else like it in the first semifinal (maybe Israel if you squint? But that's a stretch) In the final, hmmmm....maybe it'll place in the middle somewhere? I don't think it'll do as good as "Truth" at least. That's my prediction.

Song: The Wrong Place Country: Belgium Thoughts: Not only is this a grower, but it's also the biggest grower of the bunch for me. Every year, there's that one song that I start out mostly indifferent to, that I do NOT expect to like as much as I end up liking it. The "O Jardim", the "Roi". This year, it's this one. It took me a few listens, but now I really like this song. I can't even explain why, it's just....cool! I like the dark, somber atmosphere of this song, and how it doesn't cross over into overly moody. It's just cool. And I like the lyrics, too. They flow really well, and I like how much detail there is. The whole thing just works so well....well, except for the line about the Johnny Cash t-shirt. That's just baffling. And that's the lyric they end the song with...but other than that, it's a great song that tells a story, with the atmosphere to match, and I really like it. Prediction: The only reason I'm not saying this is an easy qualifier is that the first semifinal is gonna be a bloodbath. XD I just went down the list, counting all the fan-favorites that would normally be shoo-ins, and I counted ELEVEN songs. There's GONNA be outrage that day, I just know it. Personally, I think Belgium could still do it, but it'll be really tough. I want them in the final, but my opinion doesn't matter here. Them making it will probably take a lot of effort, honestly, and...it could go either way. If I had to give an answer to what I think will happen, I'd say that they'll barely not qualify. But I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong! (As long as that doesn't mean losing Croatia in the process)

Song: Growing Up Is Getting Old Country: Bulgaria Thoughts: This one's....difficult. Not the MOST difficult song to rank (that's Cyprus), but man, it took me a while to figure out what I felt about it. In the end, I've decided that I...kinda like it. I'm putting it right at the bottom of the "like" category. Now, I know that a lot of people love this song, so just let me explain: I don't normally enjoy this kind of vocal. I didn't care for "Sebi" two years ago cuz it bored me, for example. This song at least builds a little bit, but it's not that exciting. Musically, this song doesn't do much for me, and that's why I'm ranking it so low. BUT....I love the lyrics. This is such a relatable song. Growing up does indeed get very, very, VERY old, and I worry about it all the flipping time. I do wish I could run from those worries. I like the reference to anxiety. I like lines like "Playing Tetris with my feelings, tryin' to keep them all inside". I like the switch to “Getting up is growing old”. It's really clever. Not to mention, her lethargic vocals actually FIT this subject. She's tired. So, I do appreciate this song for, well....speaking to me, even if I don't love it like so many others do. Prediction: Will definitely qualify without much issue. I can also see it doing pretty well in the final, like....Bulgaria have been in the top five twice in recent years, so this could possibly put them back up there? I personally don't think this song should be that high, but hey, this isn't about my feelings, this is my prediction. Uhhhh.....top ten.

Song: Tick-Tock Country: Croatia Thoughts: The first of my top seven favorites! Ohhhhh MAN did this song blindside me! When I first heard it, I remember the chorus letting me down! It was mostly due to not being what I expected from the pre-chorus, I guess I expected the music to burst with emotion or at least be louder.....but after only two or three listens, it grew on me completely, and I found myself trying to learn the lyrics and sing along. This is NOT another "Icebreaker", that’s for sure. I love the whole thing as it is and I wouldn't change a thing about it. This song is so! Darn! CATCHY! That chorus is incredibly infectious! Man, that beat is so flipping good! And when it switches to Croatian for a chorus, mmmmm good stuff! As someone who actually really enjoyed "Crazy", I still say this is Croatia's most solid entry since.....geez, 2010? Hope this one is more, um, successful than that one ended up being... Prediction: Oh no, oh no, oh noooooooo~....I really hope this doesn't end up underrated like Croatia's entries tend to be, but something tells me that I shouldn't be....TOO worried? ....OK, I'm still worried. XD The first semifinal is LOADED with awesome songs, so unless the staging for this is really really cool, it MIGHT struggle to stand out? Keyword being "might", cuz this is still a very good song....Maybe just being a good song will be enough! Of my two favorites in that semifinal, I'm more worried about Slovenia than Croatia, honestly. At least Croatia have an upbeat song. I'll try to be optimistic, and predict that it'll qualify. A lot of people seem to like it, so why not? However, if it doesn't qualify, I won't be too shocked....There's a lot of fan-favorites it's gonna have to compete with to get through. XD If it does make it, then I can't see it doing THAT badly in the final...

Song: El Diablo Country: Cyprus Thoughts: Hoo boy, here we go....So, this is easily the hardest song for me to rank. I'm sure that after I post this, I'll already be second-guessing my placement for it. But for now, here it goes......I love the chorus to this song just so much! It's SUCH a good thing to belt to, and I wish I could. I even love the "OooooooOOOOOOOOHHH~" after it! She has a GOOD singing voice! ...Too bad she barely uses it. Yeeaaaahhh, I'm...not very crazy about the rest of the song. The speak-singing verses, I got used to after a while, but they're still just ehhh. And the pre-chorus where she's just panting in the back with no other music? The bridge, where there's that stupid "I love El Diablo" chant that sounds like a playground taunt? Annoying. It feels like she's trying WAY too hard to be Lady Gaga, complete with throwing in words to another language for no reason other than to sound ~spicy~. As a fan of Lady Gaga, I'm sorry, but you're not doing a very good job! As I've said before, it's hard to come up with a concrete answer for how I feel about this song, because it has stuff I like AND stuff I don't like! And not only that...it's a BIG divide between the two. I don't just like the chorus, I LOVE the chorus. It's a SHORT chorus, but I love it! There are times I enjoy the song despite my complaints with it....but there are other days where I don't have enough patience to deal with stupid panting and "I lOvE eL dIaBlO", so really, I'm super torn here. I know this song's very popular, and I can see the appeal, I just wish I liked it more (especially since I've really liked the last few entries from Cyprus). Prediction: This song's currently in the top ten in the betting odds, so I think it might do a lot better than I expect. I personally don't think it's a top ten song, but it'll at least qualify for the final. And maybe do pretty well. Left side of the scoreboard, maybe? Cyprus are NOT an underrated country anymore, and the song's got a lot of energy, and it's definitely memorable, I'll give it that.

Song: omaga Country: Czech Republic Thoughts: Another song that has me conflicted, but not nearly as much as Cyprus'. My opinion on this one is a lot more simple: love the music, kinda iffy about the lyrics. This feels like it's sung by the kinda person that Destiny from Malta warns the ladies to stay away from. "You say you're still mad about the things that I did, but I don't know what I did". "Why don't you come over and have it? Why don't you let me have it?" I'm not the only one who thinks he's being really pushy, am I? I do think this song's just meant to be playful, but, uh....it doesn't come off that way to me. I mean, I guess I like the rhyming of "apocalypse" with "on my lips", that's pretty clever and I've never heard it before? But...overall, the lyrics honestly kinda creep me out. It reminds me of someone who just will not take no for an answer even when it's obvious that his presence isn't wanted because he thinks that she's just "playing hard to get". And she's not playing hard to get! He outright says that he did something to piss her off! Dude, leave her alone! Even if you're playing dumb saying you "don't know" what you did, that's not a reason to keep pestering her! ....But, *sigh* I can't be too mad at the song. When you get down to it, the most important thing in a song (especially in Eurovision) is the music, not the lyrics, and...this song sounds fantastic. It's really catchy, with a nice fun party vibe. I do enjoy listening to this when I don't think about it too hard. It's probably the most fun I've had listening to a Czech entry, so I still like it for that. This isn't a song worth being mad over. (Except the title. That title is so flipping stupid. Just say "oh my god", it's not hard. But that's a nitpick, pffff) Prediction: I kinda don't want this song to qualify since there are others in the second semifinal that I'd prefer to make it instead. Despite liking it, this is still one of my more least-favorites in that semi. XD But I still say this has a fair shot of qualifying, despite being performed early. But with the competition in the party song department by Serbia, Moldova, and San Marino, and their fairly low amount of fan attention, I'm gonna say no for this one. But I won't hate it if it qualified (as long as it doesn't push out Greece or Finland, which I don't think it will).

Song: Øve Os På Hinanden Country: Denmark Thoughts: Heck YEAH to Denmark sending a song in Danish! It's great to hear uncommon languages in Eurovision from countries that normally send songs in English! And dare I say that that's not my favorite thing about this song? Because this is another of my favorites! This song's been getting a flack for being "dated", and....yeah, maybe it is, but so what? I never claimed to have perfect taste, and I LOVE this kinda thing! 80s music is back, I say! Gosh, this song is so HAPPY! Well, uh, I can't even understand it, but it feels happy. And the instrumentation is so flipping good! The horns, the strings, UGH! I can't not smile while listening to this. If you don't like this song, that's fine, it's not for everyone...but I really appreciate Denmark for trying something different this year, especially since it turned into something that's completely to my tastes. Prediction: Yeah, uh...the odds don't look good for Denmark. Performing last, after so many people have made up their minds? With a song that's already not popular at all? Yeah....if they DO manage to qualify, I'll be VERY happy, but I don't think it's gonna happen...Man, most of my favorites are in danger this year...Eh, I'm used to it. But I'll say that they COULD possibly do it, due to nothing else sounding like them!

Song: The Lucky One Country: Estonia Thoughts: Oh look, another one of my favorites! Wow, what an emotional gut-punch this song is....these lyrics are seriously SO good. "Why'd you have to go and mess it up? Why'd you have to make what was unbreakable / Shakeable, unsaveable" "For a little while, the fates were with us / Wonder why they had to turn against us? / I could make a wish, but there is no use" "Thought I had a cloud over my head / It had to be my fault that it kept raining down, until, now, I figured out / That if I had the nerve to say goodbye, I could look for clearer skies up overhead" I....think that's enough, but holy crap, this song's mix of heartbreak and optimism is just PERFECT. "You broke my heart, but maybe that's a good thing, maybe I'm the lucky one because you're awful and I don't have to put up with it anymore." It's emotional, it's bittersweet, it's powerful...and it SOUNDS powerful too! Those quiet verses bursting into that chorus is great! This song is so flipping good! Why is it so underrated!? ...Oh yeah, cuz people who want emotion are to distracted by Switzerland's entry, I guess...or maybe it's just me, but eh. While I don't love it quite as much as my top three, this is a very solid fourth placer for me. Prediction: This song isn't qualifying, and I've accepted it. It's gotten very little attention (the music video is one of the ones under 1 million views), it was dead last in the betting odds last time I checked, and to top it off, it's being performed second in its semifinal, which won't do it any favors. I really do wish it could surprise me, but I don't think it will. I'm not getting my hopes up.

Song: Dark Side Country: Finland Thoughts: OH HECK YEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH! Finland once again appealing to my tastes! OH MY GOD do I love this song! People have been heaping praise on this song left and right, so I can't say anything that hasn't already been said....but I'll praise it anyway! This song is so flipping intense! It manages to be dark while pumping me up for action, and being the best song at doing that this year. There's not much to say about the lyrics because I BARELY pay attention to them while listening (which is pretty much the only reason this isn't my number one), my brain just turns off all analytical thinking in favor of "HOO HOO HOO HOO EVERY PSYCHO IN THE SCENE HANDS UP AND FOLLOW ME" without caring about the actual words. I just love the music and vibe so much that it pulls me in so well! It goes so hard! That great hook that starts the song off also gives the song something catchy about it, too! Also points for including the line "We don't wanna grow up", that's great too. This is a song that you put on just to pump yourself up and feel awesome. The lyrics are pretty messed up, which makes me not wanna sing them out loud, but that barely counts as a point against it. It fits with the song's tone, and just....man, I remember how blindsided I was when I first heard it. That was my first clue that this would be something special. I'm also really happy that this song is getting attention because boy is that not true for a lot of my other favorites. XD Prediction: Despite Finland being one of the most underrated countries in the contest's history, with consistently poor results despite sending good song after good song...This one got popular, and most of the attention has been positive, to the point of it being just outside the top ten in the betting odds last I checked! So, I'm gonna be cautiously optimistic here and predict that they'll qualify without much issue. They're one out of only two of my favorites (the other being Greece) that I feel like I don't have to worry about. The song does a good job of standing out, which should help it a lot. As for how it'd do in the final...well, I want it to be in the top 10, but after whatever the frick happened with "Monsters" I'm convinced that Finland HAVE to end up underrated in some way...The only thing I can really say is that it'll probably give them their best result in years (since coming 11th that one time in 2014)? But that's all I can really say.

Song: Voilà Country: France Thoughts: If I can sum up my feelings about this one in one sentence it'd be....this is the new "City Lights" for me. Y'know, the Belgian entry in 2017? Got wildly popular, but I never fully understand why? Just found it kinda boring, and was indifferent to it? Yeah, copy and paste that here. In a year occupied by some really fun, happy pop songs, some really powerful ballads, and even a couple hardcore rock songs...a song like this is one of the favorites to win. And I'm sorry, but I don't...get it? Am I stupid? (Well, you'll probably think I'm stupid once we get to my number one but-) Why are people going nuts over this? This is one of the more boring songs of the year if you ask me! But that's being too harsh, cuz I CAN see that there's talent here. The vocals are nice, and I do give it points for growing on me at least a little. At the start, this was my least-favorite, but it's not anymore. I at least appreciate it for building at lot. I almost feel myself come close to liking it toward the end, when it's at its fastest. But that still isn't enough for me to see it as the potential winner that so many people see it as. If you like it, that's great! But even though I see the talent here, I can't jump on the bandwagon. I don't dislike it in the slightest, though. I will say that I'll take another "City Lights" over another "Amar Pelos Dois" any day of the week. At least if this song wins, I can say that it won't taint my view of the whole year. I'll just be like "cool, good for them". Prediction: I'd much rather Malta or Switzerland win over this, but I still can't rule out the possibility, which just how many people love this song and are rallying behind it. I can see the juries drooling over it too. If this does win, I'll see it coming, that's for sure. The possibility over a big five country that's not Italy doing so well feels weird, I'll admit...They're usually so underrated cuz they don't have to go through a semifinal. XD But back to my prediction, ummm....it's gonna do really well, I can't deny that. But since I consider myself Team Malta (or Italy) here, I'm gonna go with my gut and say that it won't win. Top five, though.

Song: You Country: Georgia Thoughts: Meh.....this one's probably my least-favorite, but not by a LOT. In fact, I far from outright dislike it. There are times when I find it kinda relaxing to listen to. Between this and my least-favorite in 2019, I think this one's less boring, which is a good point in this year's favor! It's more like...something's gotta be in last place, and this song's still pretty boring by comparison to everything else. But it's still a simple love song that has some nice lyrics, it's not annoying, and there's nothing wrong with it...well, there's nothing wrong with the SONG, that is... Prediction: Not qualifying. Yeah, this is an easy one. XD Now, um, I haven't SEEN this, but multiple people have claimed that the singer has said some really sketch stuff, which resulted in this already forgettable song....pretty much being a guaranteed flop. Granted, the video doesn't have quite as many dislikes as others (like.....P-Poland's....I'll get to that later), but it's still got a lot. If Georgia do qualify, I can easily see people getting upset. But I don't think it's gonna happen.

Song: I Don't Feel Hate Country: Germany Thoughts: OK, so....this song. This flipping song. By all counts, I should find it annoying. I really should. It's a song that reeks of passive-aggressive, better-than-you energy and I normally hate that! No, stop acting like you're sorry for me, you condescending prick! ...But dang it, I can't be mad at this song. I just can't. It just wouldn't be Eurovision without the resident goofy joke song, and this one fits the bill. Taking this thing seriously would make me look stupid. Not only that, but...I dunno if this is just me being very easily amused, but I just find this song funny? Like, actually funny? It's made me laugh multiple times! The lines that did so being the backing vocals going "SAY WHAT? He did not just say that!" followed by "Yes I did, and I feel sorry! I don't feel hate, that's the whole point of the song!" And even the stupid thing toward the end where it goes "So you can wigglewigglewigglewiggleWIGGLEWIGGLEWIGGLE-" It just puts a big dumb smile on my face, I can't help it! And the attitude of the singer goes down a lot easier when I think of him singing this to actual hateful people who lash out with bigoted comments, so that's helped it for me. If you don't like this song, I completely understand why. It's not for everyone! But it gets a thumbs-up from me (and not a middle finger) Prediction: I...don't know how this song's gonna go over with people? Will it annoy, or will it amuse? Will it be the next "Hatrið mun sigra" or the next "Moustache"? According to the betting odds, and the fact that it's Germany, I'm leaning more towards the latter. I don't see this doing particularly well. I can see the televoters liking it more than the juries at least, but it's still gonna be towards the bottom. I do think they'll do better than last or close to last, though. This song does have a lot of personality, that's for sure!

Song: Last Dance Country: Greece Thoughts: This song is breathtaking.....as in, whenever it comes on, it makes me stim so hard that I'm literally out of breath when it ends! And that's a really....really really good thing! Dear GOD this song is so awesome! Easily a top three choice for me. I already talked about why I love it before, and everything I said then is still true. I'm ever-so-slightly biased because I love songs that make me think of scenarios, and visualize them...especially when it's of, uh....w-well, uh....ideas of the comfort ship variety....And this song makes me think of dancing with my F/O (fictional other), feeling on top of the world, but also terrified of the moment ending, as she has to leave soon, so I hold on to her, not wanting to let go, wanting to savor this feeling until the dream is over....Uh, s-sorry for getting all poetic and stuff, but....I LOVE this song even beyond that bias! Listening to it is more of a rush than the song literally named "Adrenalina". The chorus BLASTS you with so much raw energy, it really DOES make you feel like you're dancing for your life until your lungs give out! You can feel the happiness, and the desperation, just so much...Truly, "Last Dance" is the PERFECT title. The verses aren't quite as strong as the chorus, which is the ONLY reason this song isn't my number one, but that dang chorus is enough for me to fall head-over-heels in love with it anyway. EASILY the best Greek entry for many many years. They've really, truly outdone themselves. Prediction: This has gotta qualify! Even if it doesn't get the awesome staging it deserves, it's still gotta qualify! This is one of the most popular songs in the second semifinal! Well, according to the betting odds anyway.....but c'mon! My energy SHOULD go into worrying about Poland and Estonia, so let me be right about this....let Greece be a shoo-in like I'm sure they are! I dare say that this could even finish on the left side of the board in the final! Unless some other songs REALLY surprise people live, but....for now, that's my prediction and I'm sticking to it!

Song: 10 Years Country: Iceland Thoughts: I wonder how Iceland feel about being the "projected winners of 2020". XD It's kinda like being an "honorary" winner, and....yeah, this country that's never won before, but has come second twice? They could've done it finally! But it didn't happen. It's like....is it a good thing to know that, or not to? Maybe a bittersweet mix of both....but the good thing that came out of it is that their artist got to come back this year with this song. My first word to describe this song is cute. It's a very adorable idea, being thankful for your spouse of ten years, and writing a song about it....Couple goals, honestly. XD That's enough for me to like it, cuz that's just so wholesome! But this is also a fun disco song, and it definitely stands out among everything else this year. So, thumbs up to Iceland yet again! Only other thing of note for me is that when I first heard it, the line "How does he keep getting better" led me to think this song was about a gay couple, and....it's not. He wrote it for his wife. I just find it kinda funny that I misinterpreted it that way, heh....(and it's not the only song that I misinterpreted, wait till we get to Portugal) Prediction: People love this artist and people love this song. It's gonna qualify. Not a winner (unfortunately for them), but it'll still do very well.

Song: Maps Country: Ireland Thoughts: Yet another grower. This is a really fast-paced song that I imagine would make good running music, and the lyrics are pretty good! I really like the line "My soul is a map, my heart is a compass, I am the road" for some reason...dunno why, but it sticks with me. Also, can't go wrong with strong drums! I just like the mood of this song overall, too. Happy, uplifting....freeing! Gives of the feeling of an explorer setting off to parts unknown, which is something that no other song this year does. Makes it unique! Whenever this comes on, I enjoy it a lot, but I sadly can't rank it any higher. It's still definitely one of Ireland's more solid, fun entries in recent years, up there with "22". I still like "22" a bit more since it was catchier, but this song is no slouch and I wish it got more attention. Prediction: *in the tone of Deerie from Helluva Boss* Yeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhh, no...Sorry, Ireland, but I think you're doomed. I really like this song and I want it to do well! Ireland have had such bad luck in the past, too! But they've got no chance in the first semifinal. A miracle would have to happen for this to qualify. It's really unfortunate...

Song: Set Me Free Country: Israel Thoughts: Pretty catchy! I like the rhyming flow of the verses a lot, even if I still can't fully understand the lyrics (which....I dunno whether to blame on her voice or me not liking the song quite enough to wanna sing along to lyrics that go by so quickly). What I could make out is well-written, though - if Estonia's entry is about the heartbreaking parts of breaking up, this song is about the liberating parts. I'm free, now I can dance! "Set me FREEEEE~!" That part is so good. Sadly, this song isn't an absolute favorite of mine...partly cuz the "Imma, imma, aaaaahhh" parts are a bit repetitive and slightly wear on me, but mostly cuz of competition. It's one out of many upbeat, catchy songs this year, and not the best of them. Prediction: Ehhhh, this can go either way. I wanna say it'll qualify, though. Israel have been on a roll in recent years, and this song is good enough to continue that. I wouldn't call it a front-runner by any means, but it'll at least make it to the final and not bomb.

Song: Zitti E Buoni Country: Italy Thoughts: With very few exceptions, rock songs tend to...not do very well in Eurovision. Even when the songs are very good, fans of the contest just don't gravitate towards rock as much as the poppier stuff, and that's fine! Everyone has different tastes in genres, and rock fans and Eurovision fans might not overlap very much. But dang it if I still don't appreciate them showing up and loving it when they do! And especially loving it when they're as good as THIS! This song is SO good! I might prefer the Finnish entry in terms of intensity, but they're not really that comparable. This still goes REALLY hard, manages to be catchy at the same time, and I love every single turn it takes. That part where he sings really really fast, and especially that awesome bridge, ugh, it's all so good! It's not a favorite of mine PURELY due to loving other songs more, but this is one I like more every single time I hear it, and I've been bumping it higher and higher up through my borderline favorites until finally giving it a solid spot. This song's been getting a lot of attention and that makes me very happy, cuz it deserves it! Italy have topped themselves yet again. Prediction: Despite being a big fan-favorite, I don't think this is a winner....mainly due to, well, being a rock song in Eurovision (I HAVE heard the very rare complaint about it, like, saying the chorus is too loud, and....it's a rock song? That's the point???), but also....it's kinda the Italian curse at this point? XD Every single time Italy have a fan-favorite song, they just barely don't win (I still haven't forgotten how much of a shoo-in they seemed to be in 2017 before....well...people lost their minds). They do however, manage top five finishes, and I think it'll be the same thing here. I would love if it won, since I like it more than the three betters' favorites, but I'm not holding my breath. XD

Song: The Moon Is Rising Country: Latvia Thoughts: MAN this song's awesome! OK, so, you might've noticed that there are a few songs this year that have the same message: "I'm a woman and awesome". There's nothing wrong with that kinda thing at all, especially when said songs are all different in their own way! This one right here stands out RIGHT off the bat with a super powerful voice that cuts through everything and commands your complete attention, and DANG does it work! The lady's voice is outstanding, and the beat's not bad either! It's kinda repetitive with the "Padada-papa-rade" parts, but that's barely a problem when the rest of the song kicks so much butt. You got something to say? Say it to her face, coward! When it comes to the "I'm a woman and awesome" songs, I like Azerbaijan's slightly more. It's more fun. But this is a very solid song that I really enjoy, and I'm happy Latvia sent another song I like this much, with one of the best voices of the year. Prediction: Sadly, for as much praise as they've been getting on YouTube, Latvia aren't getting much love from the betters, so I have no idea how they'll do. It's very split. I wanna say that they have a chance, cuz they've got a VERY strong singer and I can also see some interesting staging to go along with it, but that's just speculation. XD Also, it's Latvia. When do they ever catch a break? So....this really could go either way, and of course I'd like them to qualify, but I'm gonna say they barely won't. Not every good song can be in the final, that's the sad truth of having so many slots.

Song: Discoteque Country: Lithuania Thoughts: Dance song for introverts, let's go! This is a fun, silly song with a good beat, and lyrics that encourage having fun by yourself ("Not like that, pervert!" - Sir Pentious, Hazbin Hotel), and....that's about it! There's not that much to talk about here, cuz with this song, what you hear is what you get. And that's fine, not every song needs to be picked apart and analyzed to explain why it's enjoyable. However, despite how much I love synth music, this song doesn't really hook me as much as other songs do. I understand the appeal, I understand why it's a fan-favorite, but to me, it lacks OOMPH. Musically, it just, kinda....stagnates? With the exception of that weird scatting part. And I think my biggest issue is that the lyrics, well, uh....immediately date it to this year, let's just say. I try to get around this by calling it a dance song for introverts, and that's how I usually think of it at this point, but yeah, it's kinda still an elephant in the room. But I still do like this song, I just don't love it. I'm happy that Lithuania are getting the attention they were denied last year, though. Prediction: Despite opening the show, I think this will be an easy qualifier, one of the songs to beat. I can see this being another top ten finish for Lithuania (maybe it'll finally break "We Are The Winner"'s record from 2006? We'll just wait and see).

Song: Je Me Casse Country: Malta Thoughts: Ohhhhhh MAN do I wish I could rank this one higher. If I wanted, I could bump it up to borderline favorite, but...I already have five of those! XD But dang it, Malta, a country that's never won Eurovision, finally pulls out a fan-favorite song (again, that is *cough*theyshould'vewonin2002*cough*), and I AGREE with that! Like the Italian entry, this is a song that gets better every time I listen to it. It's SO much fun! Not to mention the singer, Destiny - MAN, what a voice! One of the best voices of the year, I'd say (though I'm not surprised, since I loved her 2020 song too). Apparently she's a former Junior Eurovision winner? I'd believe that! I can praise her and this song for so long, and it's not even one of my favorites: I love the lyrics a lot! I'm all for positive messages, and this song manages to have fun while also doing that, AND taking jabs at sexists along the way with great lines like "I'm too good to be true, but there's nothing in it for you!" and the cute "Excuse my French~!" I love the fun swing instrumentals! I love the choir during the bridge! This is just a REALLY good song that deserves all the praise, and I'm so so happy for Malta. I'd best describe this song as "'Toy', but less jokey" (well.....lyrically. Musically, they're not that much alike, but....yeah, you get it) and I like it for for that! Prediction: Could this be Malta's year? A lot of people seem to think so! And....honestly, I'm all for it! I think this could be a very worthy winner. Not to mention, that of the current top three with the betters (this, Switzerland, and France), this is easily my favorite, so....I guess that counts as me rooting for it, unless some other song pulls a Conchita and shoots up the board after being heard live. For now, I'd say this is my pick to win (although my heart is still with Italy TTvTT) At the very least, it's a shoo-in for the final, cuz this is a singer who's been in this kinda environment and will probably sound great. I'd say at least top five!

Song: SUGAR Country: Moldova Thoughts: Moldova's back at it again with their silly antics! I absolutely love "Stay", but it's pretty clear that their entries get more buzz when they're being fun and weird. This song is neither the most fun or the weirdest of this year, but I still appreciate it all the same. Apparently this is the lady who sang in "Loca"? I remember that song....I don't think many other people do. Eh, I still like it, with its catchy rhythm, and its....weird rhymes....but this song is a vast improvement! I like the fun, flirty vibe to it. Sadly, however, with how many upbeat songs there are this year, this is one that kinda fades into the background compared to its competition....well, at least to me. It's good, but not great. I remember calling it a weaker version of the Azerbaijani entry in my first impression post, and that was way too harsh, but I still wouldn't rank it high. Prediction: However, I DO think this could qualify fairly easily. In the second semifinal with most of the mid- to low-tier songs with the betters (and really only Iceland, Finland, Bulgaria, and Switzerland being the ones to beat), this is one of the ones I think has a better chance of standing out. However, I've done this with Moldova's entries WAY too often....Loving them, predicting they'll qualify, only for them not to...I don't love this one, but it could be the same story here. For now, I'm gonna predict they'll qualify, though. I have no idea how they'll do once in the final, however...

Song: Birth Of A New Age Country: The Netherlands Thoughts: What a unique song! A language we've never heard before in Eurovision, incorporating the singer's nationality and culture into a song that sounds like nothing else this year. I'm honestly a bit surprised that this song isn't getting more attention! It's not one of my favorites, but I like it quite a bit. And not just for uniqueness points (that isn't enough to make me LIKE a song, just enough for me to RESPECT it), I honestly like how it sounds. The vocals are great, the beat is catchy, and the lyrics are very well-written. What was that about host countries never trying? XD Prediction: I want this song to do well, but I don't think it will....Well, I don't think it'll flop, but it won't be near the top either. Maybe in the 10-20 range. I do think the juries will like it.

Song: Here I Stand Country: North Macedonia Thoughts: So.....I feel like I SHOULD find this song boring, since a lot of people do, but...I like it. I don't LOVE it, but I like it! The lyrics are nice and....kinda hit home for me? At least a bit. The message of "keep pushing on, no matter what happens, don't let them break you" when coming out of a bad experience....It's nice. Kinda hard to fully explain without getting personal, so I won't. Not to mention that it has a good buildup, which is what I love in my ballads. In fact, maybe it's just me, but you know what song this reminds me of? "Home". At least musically. And I liked that song too, I thought it was underrated. Also, this has nothing to do with the actual song, but the video, but....even though I HATE being reminded of last year's cancellation, I like seeing the singer's thought process when writing this song. Even if people will probably think it's a pity party, I appreciate this song a fair bit. I know I'll probably look stupid for saying I think this song is more interesting than "Proud", but eh, that's FAR from my most unpopular opinion this year, just wait.... Prediction: Considering it's this year's "Home", and "Home" was so underrated that I believe it probably wouldn't have been in the final if it wasn't from the host country....Part of me wants to say that this song's doomed. Macedonia are normally one of the unluckiest countries in this contest's history no matter how good their songs are, and having one year where the juries loved them probably won't buck that trend. A lot of people are gonna overlook this song for being a fairly standard ballad, and yeah, it kinda is. So I don't think it's gonna qualify.

Song: Fallen Angel Country: Norway Thoughts: I loved this song from the first time I heard it. It was the first song of the bunch that I memorized the lyrics to. I like singing along to it. But I was certain, like DEAD certain, that it wouldn't go above a guilty pleasure to me. At first glance, this sounds like a really cheesy boy band song from the 90s, which is why I thought people were gonna eat it alive, and I was gonna have to attempt to explain myself for liking it (like I'm gonna do for the Polish entry). I grew up with this kind of music! I like it! And it's catchy! And the lyrics are just SO good! Feeling like you're not good enough for the person you love, and thinking that there's no way they can be happy with you, are feelings I really really relate to...so it's no wonder I jumped on those lyrics and etched them into my brain as quickly as I could. Helping that is that my current crush IS female, so I can easily sing this song while thinking of her...but even with that, I was still very hesitant to rank this song super high. After all, the reasons I had for liking it were purely just bias, right? That doesn't mean it's a good song, and people are still gonna make fun of it! I can see why they'd make fun of it! ....That's what I thought, but then I saw that it was ranked highly in the betting odds. And I no longer felt like I had to regret liking it anymore. And THEN, the music video finally was released, and HOO BOY, was this song so much deeper than I (or nearly ANYONE) thought...This isn't just a love song. It's about TIX's feelings of self-loathing. About being mistreated for a disability. It was his story. I was SO shocked at how wrong I was, and now I....kinda feel bad for projecting myself into it? I still can't help it, but....no, it's not about that anymore. I love this song fully and unironically, and I will never call it cheesy again. If you don't like the sound of it, or take it at face value, that's perfectly fine. But I love it. While this doesn't QUITE break into my top seven favorites, it's a very solid eighth. Prediction: Please qualify please qualify PLEASE!! Since it's in the Bloodbath Semi and fan-favorite songs WILL be cut, I'm really really hoping for this not to be one of those. This deserves to be in the final! I'd even say that this deserves it more than Slovenia and Croatia (songs I actually like more)! B-but...ugh...I can't say for certain that it'll be safe, that's the thing...but, haaaaah, OK, I'll predict it'll qualify. I think I'm overreacting. Norway have a pretty good record. I can see the people who like this song being enough to make it do pretty well, though it's definitely not a winner.

Song: The Ride Country: Poland Thoughts: You ever have a song that you can't focus on anything during? Like, you're focusing on something else with music playing in the background, but then that one song comes on and you just HAVE to take a break so you can listen to it because it's just SO good that it steals all your attention? That's me with this song. "The Ride" is right, it IS a ride, a ride I NEVER wanna get off of. And considering the only other Eurovision songs to effect me in that way have been flipping "Time" and "You Are The Only One" ("Stones" came close to doing that too, but I could at least still play during it cuz it was such good action music), then it should come as no surprise that yes, this is my favorite song of the year. And yes, I KNOW how stupid I probably look saying that. This song has NOT been a popular choice, but to heck with it! I can't help what music I like! This song is just so flipping catchy and fun, it's got a nice beat, and I've loved it from first listen! I'm not sorry! Heck, it's even kinda atmospheric in a way, in that it's a good nightlife song, giving off the feel of an amusement park at night with all the rollercoasters lit up with LEDs as you feel the wind in your face, no cares, no worries....just turn your brain off and sing along. I even like the lyrics, particularly "It doesn't matter if I stumble and fall / I'll make it through, I'll never touch the ground". It's enjoying life, it's the feeling of flying, it's feeling on top of the world, it's escapism. Have I defended this silly song enough? Point is: I. Love. It. This is the first time a Polish entry has EVER topped my list, which by default makes it my favorite entry from them ever, and I'm happy to give them love (they've been my second-favorite twice, but one of those barely counts cuz it was in a weak year and also a song that sounded bad live, so....yeah, my former favorite Polish entry was their 1998 entry, which....didn't do well, but uh, that's then not now ^^;) Prediction: This is what I've been dreading....for a song that makes me wanna leave all my stress behind, it sure does stress me out thinking of how much HATE it's getting, oh boy oh boy! Though, from what I've picked up, MOST of the hate has come from fellow Polish people who are upset that it wasn't who they wanted as their entry? So...that's not accurate to how everyone else thinks? Well, that's what I've seen, at least....This song's still not doing very well in the betting odds, and also, being an electronic song, the possibility if it sounding worse live than in the studio is....definitely a possibility.....S-so....yeah....Sadly, as much as I love it, I can't trick myself into thinking it has a chance....It's probably not gonna qualify....If it does surprise me (which HAS happened before with favorites I thought were doomed!) I'll probably flip out!! Unlike Estonia's entry however, I don't think it's AS doomed, might stand out more, and a small part of me wants to hope...The fact that the semifinal it's in, the second, is the one with the less fan-favorites, does increase its odds ever so slightly...b-but uh, I don't wanna get too hopeful! I don't want my heart broken again like with "Look Away" two years ago (which I LEGIT thought had a chance XD)

Song: Love Is On My Side Country: Portugal Thoughts: Kay, so first, before talking about my thoughts, lemme share the hilarious misunderstanding I had about this song for the first few times I heard it: I normally don't watch the videos, I only listen to the playlist in the background as I play video games or do other stuff. Even the first time I heard the songs, I didn't watch the videos, I just had the music playing in one tab and was focusing on typing on Tumblr. And....I thought this song was sung by a woman. True story. I thought it was a woman with a very unique voice, and I was gonna praise the song for that. But nope! Took me WAY too long - about over a WEEK, the time I decided to start reading comments - for me to learn the singer's a man. OOPS. XD But at least it kinda makes sense for me to think that way? With lyrics like "I never thought I'd be queen", he's clearly telling the story of a woman. In fact, I learned that it's the true story of a woman he met (I forget the details though). So yeah, I thought that was kinda funny, but how do I actually feel about the song? Well, it's a grower! I was worried that it'd stagnate for me and I'd end up indifferent, but the unique voice combined with a subject that I normally like (staying optimistic in bad situations) won me over. I don't love it, but it's nice and has good lyrics. You really feel bad for the woman (seriously, leaving home at sixteen?) so it's effective. I wanna believe love is on my side too... Prediction: This one's tough, cuz a lot of people do love this song, and it does a good job of standing out by being the slowest song in its semifinal, I don't really think a lot of people will gravitate toward it? And that it just barely won't qualify? But it could really go either way. I'm gonna predict it won't qualify and that it'll be the "robbed" one people will be upset about in the second semi. But maybe I'm just saying that cuz that semi will already be painful for my favorites, too...and I'd prefer Poland, Denmark, or Estonia's slim SLIM chances to come through over this.

Song: Amnesia Country: Romania Thoughts: This song is just a whole mood. I could just end my thoughts with that one sentence, cuz that really just about sums it up. XD Self-love is something I've always struggled with, and I've been trying really really hard to get better at it this year. Without getting too personal, there was something that happened a few months back that made me realize just how badly my hatred for myself was effecting people around me, and that I needed to lighten the crap up before it comes off the wrong way and....I-I bring others down with me....But after all that, it was HARD. It really did feel like I.....lost myself trying to have it all. But I'm slowly learning to better myself, and this song spoke to me because of that. "If you feel what I feel, don't bring yourself down, you're not alone, not alone now". It's simple, but it works. Admittedly, I respect this song more than I like it, but I do like it. There are just a lot of songs I'd prefer to listen to. And the POV switching from first to second-person confuses me a bit (she says that YOU'RE not alone, and then that SHE lost herself, and then goes back to YOU'RE not alone? Who's the one with the amnesia?) but that's just a nitpick, and I've heard much worse English in Eurovision than that. This is still a good song with a very good message that I needed to hear. Prediction: Even in the bloodbath that will be the first semifinal, I do think this song's mostly safe? Mostly...Romania haven't had the best of luck the past 2-3 years, but their record is still mostly hits, and this song's still the favorite of people. But some favorites are gonna get snubbed, and honestly, I wouldn't mind if it's this one. There are songs I like more. But for my actual prediction, um....I think it'll qualify.

Song: Russian Woman Country: .....Russia Thoughts: This one's a grower. I can't deny its catchiness. Sometimes it's gets in my head completely randomly, particularly that slow part with the...is that a choir? Um, background singers. That part (I don't wanna butcher Russian lyrics, sorry! >.<) But, even with that, I don't fully love this song. I know it's gotten a lot of attention, but to me, it just....doesn't hit very much? I thought about it, and I came up with this: this is a song by a Russian woman, for Russian women, and ONLY Russian women. It's about how strong they are, and how they should rise up against their country's sexism and- it's all very specific to Russia? So, I can't really enjoy it as much as the people its aimed at, and that's fine, because, well, it's NOT aimed at me and I shouldn't pretend it is! I'm not even in the target audience for this whole dang contest! XD So, my opinion DOES NOT reflect what I think of the quality of the song. The song's good. It's very catchy. There's nothing wrong with it. I just can't relate to it, which make it my personal least-favorite of the "I'm a woman and awesome" songs of this year. (What happened to Little Big tho?...) Prediction: Yeah, they're gonna easily qualify, even in such a stacked semifinal they're safe. They've been shooting up the betting odds recently, so I feel like they could do very well, maybe even finish in the top ten. Russia's like Sweden in that if their entry is popular, its guaranteed a spot toward the top. XD

Song: Adrenalina Country: San Marino Thoughts: Holy CRAP is this one heck of a grower! When I first heard it, I was more confused by the sudden appearance of Flo Rida of all people to really think about if I like the song. And for a while, I didn't even think I liked the rap all that much? I do like plenty of mid-song raps, but this one I felt didn't really fit the song all that well. Like it was just pasted in there from another song entirely. But, a few listens later, and I started rapidly liking this song more and more. Fitting for its name, there's just nothing but energy here. It's a great song to put on to just....pump me up! The whole thing's just dripping with a sense of pure fun. The instrumentals are great, it just sounds so good! In terms of growers, this is a close second to the Belgian song. Also, while I'm not a huge fan of Flo Rida normally, comparing past Sanmarinese entries I will say that his rap is a LOT better than the rapping in "Who We Are" was, that's for sure! Prediction: This song doing so well in the betting odds is.....honestly amazing. XD This is the most hype San Marino's EVER gotten, which I think could qualify them for the final? But also, maybe not...with San Marino, you never know. They are helped by Flo Rida's name recognition but there's NO way he's as big in Europe as he is in America (and even in America, I haven't met that many people who are actually fans of Flo Rida), so...is it enough? I think it very well could be! It's a very good song, and Senhit's been in Eurovision before so hopefully she knows what she's doing on stage. Also, this is a song that better have cool staging with it! But for my prediction....screw it, I'm gonna predict they're gonna qualify. I even say this as I have favorites in the second semifinal that they're definitely gonna push out, but ah well...

Song: LOCO LOCO Country: Serbia Thoughts: Yet another super fun, upbeat song! And while I don't love this song as much as others (Poland's, Denmark's, and Azerbaijan's entries, even San Marino's at this point), this is still one of my more favorite of that type, and I....honestly couldn't tell you why! It has a lot of energy, but it sounds different enough to stand out. And it's catchy while not being in English! I kinda wish I could learn Serbian so I could sing along to this...XD It also grabs my attention from the very start. I dunno why, but I love that "Hur- Hur- Hur- Hurricane!" followed by the beat starting, I find it to be a cool and infectious way to pump me up for the song. Overall, one of the songs that I don't think about a lot, but when it comes on, I enjoy every second...Oh and also it has one of the most exciting key changes of this year so there's that too. Good job to Serbia! Prediction: I think this one's a fair bet to qualify! However, it's not guaranteed. They're not attracting THAT much attention in the betting odds (which surprises me a bit), but the second semifinal seems to be where MOST of the lower-ranked songs are (sadly, says the person with three favorites in it), and among those, I think Serbia will most likely make it. The song stands out a lot. So I'm gonna predict they'll qualify! But if they don't, ah well, it could be to make way for a song I like more (hopefully...I wouldn't wanna say goodbye to this song to make way for the Czech or Austrian songs), so I wouldn't mind THAT much I hope. As for the final, they're definitely not a front-runner, so I could see them ultimately stuck around the middle. Unfortunate since I like this song a lot.

Song: Amen Country: Slovenia Thoughts: Where to start with this one....This is one of my favorites, and it's in the same way as "Stay" in 2019 and "Mall" in 2018 where I have a hard time really articulating why. It's a song that makes me FEEL, and it's hard to convey that in words, so yeah! This song just....hits me so hard in the gut whenever I hear it, so I love it! It's effective at its job! Even the big thing that I thought would hold it back for me - being a religious song - didn't hurt it at all in the end. The lyrics are ambiguous enough that it doesn't JUST come off as preachy and religious and that's all. It can also be taken as a song of rising above tragedy...The most religious thing it does is mention the heavens casting you out, and that can be taken in multiple ways. But if it is meant to be religious, that's fine, I've already made the decision to love it. I'm agnostic, so I don't outright hate religious music if it's not trying to shove messages in my face. The moment I fell in love with this song was one day when I was feeling really down, was listening to the playlist to unwind, and then this song came on right after Romania's entry (which I already talked about relating to a lot). When I heard the chorus, I literally teared up. THIS is the song that made me cry this year. Not Austria's or Spain's (the songs literally about dead family members), but this one. Is that...something to be ashamed about? XD I just....really love the lyrics...."The storm's relentless, but everybody knows, everybody knows we're born to the fight"...It really just sounds so uplifting, and yes, spiritual. And even beyond that, I just like how the song sounds! I love ballads that build, and this one BUILDS, with such a soaring chorus. The vocals are outstanding, too! That's one powerful voice! I also really love how, after you think it's over, it comes back for one final chorus, that's probably one of the best parts of the song. This song makes GREAT use of the recorded backing vocals, making the choir sound absolutely massive, a lot more than it'd be live. It really makes it sound so big and grand....Uh, I've rambled about this song enough, haven't I? Uhhh, point is: This is my favorite ballad of the year and I'm not sorry. I think it's underrated as heck. Prediction: And because it's underrated as heck, and in such a packed bloodbath of a semifinal crammed full of fan-favorites battling to the death, I....don't think....it'll qualify.....I'd obviously LOVE it too, but the competition's so flipping strong, and....I-it's still just a ballad, so it's not to everyone's tastes...I-I've come to terms with that fact, and if Croatia make it, I'll try not to be too bummed when this doesn't.

Song: Voy A Quedarme Country: Spain Thoughts: At first, I was pretty indifferent to this song, but it slowly grew on me, and now I like it. It builds just enough to keep me interested. It's still low tier compared to everything else, but I can appreciate it all the same. It sounds so emotional that I went into comments to see if there was some kind of story attached to it, and, uh....let's just say that there is, and....it's depressing. But it did make me respect the song even more. There's not a lot to say here, but that doesn't mean it's bad. It's just....overshadowed, I guess. Not a standout song, but it's genuine, and I like it just fine for what it is. Prediction: Oof...Spain once again find themselves overlooked, and even though the song's fine, I can see why. I can't see this doing very well...If flipping "La Venda" ended up an underrated flop, a song like this isn't gonna get Spain outta their rut. I really do wanna see them do well! But this isn't the year for that.

Song: Voices Country: Sweden Thoughts: Dang it....they did it again. XD Part of me wanted to be bummed that we didn't get The Mamas again, cuz they would've been my favorite last year, but....Sweden know what they're doing, and what they brought us was still really, really good. Like.....REALLY good. Are the lyrics on the generic side? Ummmm.....maybe? I have said that this is a relatively "safe" entry, but that doesn't mean it's not really good. More like...there's been a lot of songs with similar lyrics in Eurovision. But that doesn't take away from the music at all, which is awesome. The chorus is nice and big, the vocals are good, and the little bagpipe bits are such a neat touch. There isn't any big standout elements to me, and it's nowhere near "Too Late For Love" level, but it's just a very solid song. And.....dare I say, better than that other popular song that mentioned a million voices. Prediction: Do I even need to say anything here? XD It's a popular song from Sweden. It's gonna qualify and place in the top ten! Done!

Song: Tout l'Univers Country: Switzerland Thoughts: Switzerland are riding the high from "She Got Me" and have once again sent a big fan-favorite song! Except this time, it's one of the predicted winners! What do I think of this? Well....it's a good song. I love powerful ballads, and this one adds drums, which I also love! But at the same time....I'm not nearly as crazy about it as other people are. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE it, but...I feel like we already got this kinda song with "Arcade"? I mean, there are differences, but its got a very similar sound with a similarly big chorus. But then again, I do think that just calling it "'Arcade' but in French" would be WAYYYY too harsh. It's not a copycat, it's very much its own thing. It just seems to be a coincidence. Also, even compared to this year's songs, I enjoy Slovenia's more? If I want a powerful song, I'd take that over this. MAYBE if I understood the lyrics, I'd like it better, but even so, this song doesn't WOW me, even if it's good. I'm happy for Switzerland, but....dang it, I can't say the O word here, cuz I hear the appeal and don't wanna come off as mean to a song I DO like aaaaaaa- Prediction: Even though it's not a personal favorite, I'm not gonna deny that this song could possibly win. I feel like the juries would adore it on top of all the attention its already getting. So, yeah, it's definitely making it to the final and doing very well. As for winning, I....honestly don't think so, but only cuz of how strong the competition is. So, I'll just say that right now, it's looking like this song will give Switzerland their best result in a long long time, doing better than "She Got Me" and (tragically) "Cool Vibes". It's obvious that in terms of how I'd rank the big favorites, I'd personally prefer Malta winning, but I would prefer this to France, so it's in the middle. But even putting my opinions aside, I really can't see it pulling off the win, at most coming really close.

Song: SHUM Country: Ukraine Thoughts: Like with Malta and San Marino's songs, this is a song that, while not a favorite, gets better and better the more I hear it. I should really think about it more often, cuz this song is REALLY cool! My first instinct was to compare it to "Fire Of Love" from two years ago (a song that wasn't popular even though this song is?) but after some time, I realized that that isn't a fair comparison. Literally the only similarity is the vocal style. Everything else is different. But man is this song fun! I could look up what the lyrics mean, but I don't really feel like the lyrics matter here as much as the music does. This song is clearly about the beat. I love synth music, and I also like bouncy stuff that I can rock along to, and this song is as bouncy as can be! The lyrics do repeat, but weirdly I don't find that repetitive at all. And once I got used to it, I started to love the speed up. It's a really exciting end to the song. Talk about going out on a....high note! Haha! S-sorry.... Prediction: Yeaaaahhhh, there's no doubt that this song's gonna do very well indeed! People love it, and for good reason! It's a sure qualifier for the final, and could very well finish in the top ten.

Song: Embers Country: United Kingdom Thoughts: And finishing off this list is yet another upbeat happy song! God, I love how many of these there are this year....This one is far from the best of its kind, but it's still a lot of fun. The vocals stand out, the lyrics are nice and uplifting, and it's definitely the UK's bounciest entry in quite a few years. It feels like finally getting that uptight friend of yours to loosen up and party, y'know? XD I don't have much to say about this song, but I do like it. Prediction: What happened to "Bigger Than Us" was unfair, both its placement in the lineup and its treatment by the televoters, and it's pretty much cemented my idea that even if the UK send one of the best songs of the year, they will NOT catch a break, and that just sucks! (well, the exception being 2011, where it was the JURIES that screwed them over instead! Still did good for their standards tho) And also, like I said, this isn't the only song like this this year, so it's bound to get overlooked in favor of more popular (and even better) party songs. I don't think it'll be LAST, but it won't do particularly well. Definitely more toward the bottom than the top.

Aaaaaaaand there we go! That's all of them! Geez, despite having less entries then the past few years, this still was a LOT of rambling....so if you skipped ahead, I totally understand why. XD But if you did read all that, I'm happy you did! But I'm also sorry, pfffff. But now, the important part, my rankings!

Favorites:

1. Poland 2. Finland 3. Greece 4. Estonia 5. Denmark 6. Slovenia 7. Croatia

Borderline Favorites:

8. Norway 9. Italy 10. Azerbaijan 11. Latvia 12. Sweden

Like:

13. Belgium 14. Malta 15. San Marino 16. Serbia 17. Ukraine 18. Iceland 19. Ireland 20. UK 21. Cyprus (today at least) 22. Australia 23. Netherlands 24. Moldova 25. Romania 26. Germany 27. North Macedonia 28. Portugal 29. Israel 30. Lithuania 31. Russia 32. Switzerland 33. Czech Republic 34. Albania 35. Austria 36. Bulgaria 37. Spain

Indifferent:

38. France 39. Georgia

#eurovision #opinions

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