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side-effect-of-the-meds · 5 years

Note

Can you please tell us more about the girls’ relationship in the fem andreil!ravens au? It seemed a bit brusque to change the perspective from Ania and Riko making out to “anyway, Erin and Ania get together” :))). I just want to see my girls be happy and I’m sorry if this sounded weird, but I’m usually really big on seeing the development process of a relationship/character.

It’s not weird at all, love! I just didn’t feel like writing bc a) I’m lazy and b) my mom kept looking over my shoulder at my phone and I hate when people see me write. Now that I’m alone in my room, let’s get cracking.

In exchange for Erin coming to Evermore, Riko offers to take care of Aaron n Nicky. The boys are living in the lap of luxury for like two years. They’re moved to a much nicer house and have a butler, chef, maids, chauffeurs, etc. In reality, it’s how Riko intends to keep Erin in check. If she screws up, there’s like twenty people that can and will kill her family.

The boys are oblivious to EVERYTHING THE ENTIRE TIME. Nothing ever happens to them to tip them off either. When Erin and Ania run, they’re still taken care of bc Ichirou intervenes and he outranks Riko and The Master. He does it bc he wants to take a different approach from Kengo. He wants to use as little violence to solve his problems as possible. Of course, he has no problem torturing and killing ppl should the need arise. The boys only find out years later when the ex-Ravens are talking.

“What do you mean the Moriyamas were in the mafia?!?!?!”

“Oh yeahhhhh. We forgot to tell you, didn’t we? That’s why you were living in that house. If Erin ever disobeyed them, they were going to kill you.” They say this super casually in front of Katelyn, Erik, Jeremy, Thea, and all their kids.

Now the girls and the Ravens

First of all, only the perfect court call her Ania. Everyone else calls her Wesninski.

Erin calls her various terms of endearment on the court bc it pisses Ania off. Riko is ready to fight. Kevin and Jeanie are betting on how long it’ll take before Ania leaves Ko for Erin.

Ania and Erin two are paired off the way all ravens are. For every mistake Erin makes, Ania is the one paying for it. They spend a lot of nights running suicides up and down the court or playing until Ania blows her arms out. Riko will sit on the sidelines and watch. Night is the only time Ania really plays as a striker so she stands there taking shots on goal while Erin has to deflect them. Ania has collapsed more than once on those nights. Kevin and Jeanie are always sent to drag her back up. If she collapses again, Riko will take her off the court and Kevin will take Ania’s place until they return. After about half an hour, Ania will limp back out, clutching her gut.

Erin doesn’t find out for a long time but every time Riko has to drag Ania off the court, she throws her onto the cold concrete and kicks her until she’s coughing up blood.

Ania blames her constant abuse on Erin. She hates her so so much.

It hurts Erin to know Ania hates her but she isn’t going to try to change her mind. It takes a lot of energy out of a person to hate someone. Erin consoles herself by reminding herself that if Ania hates her, it means she’s thinking about her.

Every weekend, Ania disappears. The dorms feel empty because it’s where Ania is supposed to be. Erin can’t stand staying alone in their dorm which is how she finds the roof access. She smokes her cigarettes and stares up at the night sky. Castle Evermore is p far from Edgar Allen and is actually p far from the developed world. Alone on the rooftop, Erin feels like the only person in the world. It’s lonely in a different kind of way.

Once school actually starts up, Erin is exhausted all the time. She can barely keep her eyes open n she’s covered in bruises all the time. Since Erin and Ania are paired off, Ania always waits for her in their dorms with a first aid kit. She spends about an hour every night cleaning up and cuts, icing her bruises, and massaging her with muscle ache relief cream. Ania is really rough about all of it but it’s still really domestic. Erin might not be on her meds but by the time Ania is finished, she feels just as high.

Ania doesn’t ever let Erin do any of it for her. She also doesn’t change with any of the other girls or shower in the locker rooms. Erin is intrigued.

On Friday nights, Ania drinks. When I say drinks, I mean she goes through a bottle of Grey Goose like it’s just water. Fridays are the only nights when Riko shares Ania so everyone stays up late to watch her. She’ll get drunk in the common room and dance. Anyone who gets within arms’ reach is getting dragged onto the dance floor with her. It’s the only time the Ravens get to let loose. The only reason they get away with any of it is bc Tetsuji has board meetings on Fridays.

Erin avoids the common room like a plague. Ania dances dirty and Erin isn’t going to survive watching her dance with anyone but her. She passed by once and Ania ambushed her with the intention of dragging her off with her. When she realized who she was standing in front of she grimaced and left without another word. </3

The reason Ania gets herself drunk on Fridays is because her father comes to pick her up at like 4 a.m. on Saturdays. She comes home at 3 a.m on Mondays and is thrown back on the court an hour later still nursing her new cuts and bruises.

The girls only become friends after Erin becomes a member of the perfect court. She gets inducted during Christmas at Evermore. Riko runs Erin ragged on the court for the two weeks of winter break and Erin is actually convinced that she’s going to die. They strap her down and tattoo her at Midnight on Christmas. The Master gives the Ravens Christmas off to celebrate the newest member of the perfect court. Erin refuses to leave her room that day. She finds a knife and is about to start layering cuts over it in an attempt to cover it up when Ania finds her.

Ania pins Erin down and wrenches the knife out of her hand. Suddenly, they’re rolling on the floor fighting. No, they aren’t fighting. Erin is beating the shit out of Ania. Her fists are a blur. Pipe dream or not, Erin’s survival instincts override everything. She only stops when she realizes that Ania isn’t fighting back. Like… at all. To her horror, Erin looks down and sees Ania’s eyes glazed over.

Once when Erin still lived with Drake, he’d pinned her against a wall and took her then and there. She had caught a glimpse of her reflection in a mirror, her eyes glazed over and empty. Ania looked like that now.

She got off of Ania and scrambled back into a corner. What have I done? she thinks. She can barely breathe. She’s medicated so she starts to laugh. It’s a horrible sound. She’s in utter hysterics as the tears flow down her face.

“Erin,” Ania’s voice is just barely there. “Erin,” she calls again. Slowly, Erin crawls over to Ania’s crumpled form. “Stop laughing.” Erin clamps her hands over her mouth. It does little to stifle her laughter. “Get out,” Ania whispers. Her eyes are still blankly staring at the ceiling. Erin runs. She vaults up the stairs to the roof. Standing at the edge of the roof, she considers just jumping. There’s no way she can face Ania after that. She goes through a whole pack of cigarettes before she comes back down. By then, the sun has set. Ania isn’t in their room. There had been blood on the carpet from when Ania’s mouth and nose. All of it was gone.

“Minyard.” Erin whirled around to see Jean standing behind her. “Come on,” he says motioning towards the door. Erin doesn’t move. “Ania wants to see you.” Erin is on her feet at the sound of Ania’s name alone. Jean smirks knowingly at her and leads her down the hall to Riko’s room. He pushes the door open and walks in. Erin enters to find the rest of the perfect court already there. Riko is sitting on a recliner like its a throne. Kevin is perched on one of the armrests and Ania on the other. For the first time, Erin sees Ania with her shirt off. She’s no longer medicated but she still can barely keep her apathetic facade up.

Almost every inch of Ania’s skin is cut up and burned. Scars race up and down her beautiful body. There’s nothing in the world Erin wants more than to trace over every one of them with her eyes, her fingers, her lips. Ice packs are strapped to Ania’s chest, undoubtedly covering he bruises Erin had given her a few hours ago.

“Erin,” Riko said with a false kindness in her voice. It takes everything in her to pry her eyes off Ania. “I welcome you to my court and this is how you repay me? By hurting my beloved little Ania?” Riko shook her head, disappointed. “How about I do you another favor? We’ll see how much you like this new one.” Everything in Erin’s mind is screaming for her to run. She’s about to when Ania rockets out of her seat.

“Ko, it’s nothing. I’m fine,” she insists. Riko turns her gaze to Ania. “Look, it was my fault. I’ve always been better at picking fights than winning them, right?” She offered Riko a sheepish smile. Riko narrowed her eyes at her. Suddenly, her arm shot out and grabbed a fistful of Ania’s hair. She wrenched it and brought Ania to her knees with a single flick of her wrist. Erin was moving before she could process it. Arm’s wrapped around her, lifting her clear off the ground. She bit and kicked at him but Jean was far bigger and far stronger than she was. The sound of Ania’s voice stopped her. Riko had been hissing at her in Japanese from the second she’d brought Ania to her knees. Now, Ania was speaking in a soft sultry voice. The malicious glint was gone from Riko’s eyes. Slowly, a lustful look replaced it. Erin caught the fearful look Kevin cast Jean. She wriggled just enough to catch the worried one Jean sent back. Erin didn’t know what was happening, but she knew it wasn’t good.

“Very well, Ania. I’ll give her one more chance for you, my love.” Riko said in English. “I don’t think you understand just how lucky you are, Ms. Minyard. If it weren’t for Ania, you’d be back in Columbia watching your beloved brother bleed out.” Erin froze. “I’m giving you one more chance, alright? One more toe out of line and… Well, you’ll see.” Riko’s manic laughter had nothing on the drug-induced one that had poured out of Erin earlier that day. Erin had thought that she’d known fear before. She was wrong.

From there, Erin isn’t usually in trouble. She’s far too afraid of Aaron getting hurt to play. Gambling with her life was one thing, Aaron’s was something else. Sometimes she’ll pick fights with the other members of the perfect court bc of her meds. However, she suddenly realizes that the bruises covering Ania’s skin only ever appear when Erin steps out of line. Ania picks fights with everyone but no one but Kevin raises a hand at her.

A lot of days, the Ravens break for lunch to leave Kevin and Ania brawling on the court. As a member of the perfect court, Erin is now privy to everything happening between them. Jean is the one who tells her tho.

Jean- no. It’s Jeanie explains to Erin about her gender. Erin had heard about trans people before, but she’d never met a trans person before. Her etiquette on the matter takes a while to develop so she just doesn’t say anything about it while medicated. She does work really hard to support Jeanie tho. She relearns Jeanie’s name and preferred pronouns. It isn’t hard. Jeanie also tells her about Kev and Riko’s sexualities and false relationships. Erin slips up and lets herself slip. She asks about Ania and Jeanie smiles slyly. None of them know what demisexuality is (i didn't even know about this until AFTG) so Jeanie just says that Ania doesn’t swing. She’s with Riko but she isn’t romantically interested in her. Or sexually for that matter. “I mean they’re not not together,” Jeanie said with a shrug.

Since Erin is now a part of the perfect court, she and Ania are forced to spend a lot more time together. They now have to sit together for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ania is a first yr so she and Erin have the same schedule. Like the exact same. They used to sit on opposite ends of the room but since whatever it was that happened during Christmas, Ania isn’t leaving Erin’s side.

It’s tense at first tho. Neither of them is speaking. They do their hw together and the only sounds in their room are the scratch of their pencils on paper or the tapping of keys on the computer.

It isn’t until a few weeks after the break that they start becoming friends. It happens when Ania seems to be struggling to study for their English test. They were supposed to read Dune but the book is nearly 800 pages and Ania is dyslexic. It hasn’t been diagnosed bc she was homeschooled but Erin picks up on the telltale signs. She only knows bc Aaron was too. How he managed to survive a schedule of AP classes and make straight 5’s on all his exams, Erin didn’t know. She was hella proud tho.

Erin snatches the book from Ania’s hand and heads out. She knows Ania will follow. She leads a fuming Ania to the roof access and up the stairs. When she steps out onto the roof, she turns to look back. Ania is looking up at the stars with wide eyes.

“The view,” she whispered, mesmerized. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is,” Erin replied, unable to drag her eyes off of Ania. Ania huffs a laugh still staring up. Erin just barely manages to tear her gaze off her before she looks over. Erin sits down, cross-legged. It’s freezing outside but her sweats are fairly thick. Ania, however, is shivering. She sits down beside Erin, leaving a little space between the two of them. “I will do this once and only once. Understand?” Erin asked. Ania nods, confused. Erin sets the book down and drags Ania into her lap, enveloping her in her arms. “If you freeze, Riko will have my head,” Erin muttered. Ania nodded, doing her best to suppress a smile. Turning her phone flashlight on, Erin opened the book up to where Ania had left off.

For the next two hours, Erin sat there with Ania curled tightly against her chest reading the book. Whenever Erin began to think that Ania had fallen asleep, she’d interject with some strangely amusing commentary. For the first time in Erin’s life, she felt something other than anger. In its place, she felt soft and warm. Erin shook her head. It was probably just Ania’s body heat.

“Erin?” Ania asked, stifling a yawn as they headed back downstairs. Erin turned to look at her. “Thanks.”

“Whatever,” Erin said. She heard Ania laugh softly. Laying in bed, Erin could still feel the warmth of Ania’s body on her chest. She didn’t get a single hour of sleep that night.

It only takes one more late-night trip to the roof to finish the book but the rooftop meetings become a thing. Ania doesn’t smoke but she breathes in Erin’s second-hand smoke which is still p bad for her lungs but we’re going to ignore that.

Erin isn’t great at math so Ania will tutor her in that but they do that in their room. The roofs become a sacred tradition not to be tainted with the hellish concepts of math.

They first start trading secrets because Erin really just doesn’t want to listen to Ania talk about exy all the time.

Ania tells Erin about how her mother used to beat her and Erin tells her about her self harm scars.

Ania tells Erin that she’s killed people and Erin tells her about the boy who shoved her into a closet and stuck his hands in her pants. She had snapped his neck and thrown him in the river. She almost laughs when Ania criticizes her method.

“You should have arranged for him to fall off a jungle gym and break his neck from the fall.”

Late one Sunday night, Erin comes down from the roof to find Ania in the kitchen. She had come home from her father’s place early and disappeared into Riko’s room right after. Now she was pressing a bag of frozen peas to the bruise on her eye. There were open cuts all over her torso.

That’s when Erin pieces it together. The scars on Ania’s body aren’t from her father. They were from Riko.

Erin’s blood is boiling. She’s going to kill Riko when a hand clasps around her wrist.

“Erin, no,” Ania hisses.

“You can’t let her get away with this,” Erin snaps, wrenching her wrist out of Ania’s. She knows her anger is showing in her eyes but she can’t help it.

“Erin, please.”

“I hate that word.”

“Then don’t make me say it.” Erin looks into Ania’s eyes and sees her, really sees her for the first time. The ice in her eyes doesn’t end there. It’s in her veins too. Nathania Wesninski isn’t just some Exy junkie, she realizes. Nathania is just a girl trying her very best to be more than she is. Jeanie had already told Erin who Nathania’s father was. Erin had never met the Butcher of Baltimore but she’d heard stories. He was cold-blooded and ruthless. He was fierce and fearless. He was unbreakable. Looking at Ania now, she didn’t doubt that she was his daughter. Erin turned and motioned for Ania to follow her. She led her back to the dorms and shoved her down onto the bed. She turned to leave and Ania caught her wrist again.

“Don’t touch me,” Erin said. Ania nodded as she let go. “I’ll be back.” Erin headed straight for the bathroom and dug the first aid kit out from under the sink. She returned to find Ania picking at the bedspread. She looked up at Erin. A small smile tugged at her lips when she saw what was in Erin’s hands. Erin scowled. She was equal parts annoyed and elated to see Ania’s smile stretch across her face. Slowly, Erin cleaned every cut and bandaged them up. When she finished, she stepped back to inspect her handiwork. Satisfied, she turned to leave.

“Erin,” Ania said. Erin turned back to look at her. Ania extended her hands towards her face in a silent request. Erin obeyed. On her knees, she was about a head shorter than Ania. Ania cupped her hands around Erin’s pressed her forehead to Erin’s, staring into her eyes. She felt Ania’s hands drop away.

“Yes or no,” Erin whispered. Confusion swept through Ania’s eyes.

“Yes?” she said uncertainly. Erin took it She pressed a soft, swift kiss to Ania’s lips. As she drew back, Ania followed. “Don’t leave,” she whispered against Erin’s lips. The words shook Erin to her core.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she replied. She kissed Ania again, this time with far more passion. She poured all her pent up feelings into it. Ania didn’t shy from it. In fact, she pressed right back, matching Erin’s intensity. Erin could hear the scrape of Ania’s nails against her bedframe as she curled them, doing her best not to reach out. Erin had always been a sucker for a pretty face but Ania’s dirty mouth would be the death of her. She had absolutely no self-control. Or so Erin had thought.

She’d seen Ania kissing Riko before. Ania’s hands never remained in one place for long. Instead, they roved every inch of exposed skin. The fact that she was actively working to control herself for Erin drove her wild. No one had ever done anything for Erin her whole life. And now? Now Erin was kneeling in front of a woman mustering up every drop of self-control she had so that Erin wouldn’t leave.

“Fuck,” Erin moaned into the kiss. She felt the smile gracing Ania’s lips and growled softly. “Not a word, Wesninski.”

“Don’t call me by that name,” Ania replied. Erin pulled back to look at her. They stared at each other. Even in the pale yellow light cast by her bedside lamp, Ania was the most beautiful woman Erin had ever seen. “Alora. I’m Nathania Alora Wesninski but I want you to call me Alora.”

“Alora,” Erin said softly.

“Do you like it?” Ania asked. “I thought you’d appreciate the irony.” Erin just stared at her. “It’s Latin. It means bay tree but some say it means ‘My Dream’ as well. That’s perfect for you,” Ania whispered as she leaned back into Erin’s space. Against her lips, she murmured, “Because I am your pipe dream.” That dirty mouth really was going to be the death of Erin.

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steppenshe-wolf · 6 years

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hey, can you do PoE for the characters/5 emotional categories sorting thing?

“The Prince of Egypt” has probably my favorite cast of all full-length animated movies I’ve seen. I don’t consider any its character bland or lame. I put most of them under #2( fan over) category, unless stated otherwise.

Moses - I love what a supportive and devoted brother to Rameses he was at the beginning, I feel like he was full of desire to help Rameses on his path of pharaoh. It’s not so common, many overally decent people( especially teenagers and yound adults) are more rivalrous of their siblings. Moses’ siblingly qualities remind be of charming Anna of Arendelle. His willingness take the responsibility for his and Rameses’ pranks is touching and shows that he has always been more selfless person than Rameses. Some say it was insensitive and unbrotherly of Moses to return the ring to Rameses but I don’t see why Moses is obligated to be sensitive and brotherly towards Rameses after Rameses did way more insensitive and unbrotherly thing: defended the man who nearly caused Moses’ death. I think Moses’ reacted much more peacefully than many other people( including Tzipporah, Aaron and myself) would. I love how Moses develops into a humbler man. Finally, he is very handsome and I really enjoy looking at him.

Rameses - he is my favorite character of entire movie. He is the biggest reason of many why PoE is a masterpiece. The original story of Moses is far from my favorite part of Bible, I always preferred Genesis over Exodus but I also prefer PoE over “Joseph: King of Dreams”( which I rate 8/10). It would be impossible to make me adore the adaptation of Exodus without giving dimensions to main characters. I think many people exaggerate Rameses’ love of Moses. We never see Rameses risking much for Moses, I don’t think using his power of pharaoh to save Moses from execution makes him exceptionally great brother. However, caring about others even only until it costs much is still not typical for villains from kids movies. Rameses’ character development is very well-written. He is such a realistic character. Also I love that Rameses has more stereotypically “good guy-ish” physical features than Moses and resembles a teddybear a bit, especially as a teenager. The animators deserve special credit for it.

Miriam - her personality is so inspiring and enviable. She is incredibly courageous, bold, compassionate, protective and optimistic. Too bad I can’t say same of myself.

Aaron #3. Like - I didn’t expect to like him at all. At first glance he is too much like Tulio whom I can’t stand. But now I think Aaron is treated way too harshly both in-universe and meta. In my opinion he is the kindest of main male characters in this movie and the second kindest male after Jethro. He has never done nowhere near as jerkish as what Moses’ did to Tzipporah in the banquet scene, he has never been mean to innocents. "Moses, how does it feel when you get struck to the ground?“ line is harsh but not injust. Of course, he should call Moses “a great leader”, despite Moses hurting Aaron’s beloved sibling( sarcasm). BTW, interesting if most likely unintentional parallel… I enjoyed how Aaron called Moses out on his self-centeredness, I don’t like when character don’t get any criticism in-universe. I’d classify Aaron as a borderline between #2 and #3. I believe that if Aaron was raised as a prince, he grew up more compassionate person than pre-exile Moses.

Tzipporah - another character who turned out much more enjoyable than I expected. I am not a fan of other love interests from 2D Dreamworks movies. My favorite moment with Tzipporah is when her facial expression changes after Moses’ ‘I’ve done nothing in my life worth honoring” line. Tzipporah appreciates humility and I think it’s very wise, as is her not rushing to fall in love with a man, despite knowing that this man is capable of decency. This is actually the answer what prevents me from loving princess Mei( “Mulan II”) who is overally quite similiar character. Tzipporah is so far from materialistic and superificial that in order to escape the life as handsome and rich prince’s concubine she is willing to risk her life. Tzipporah and Moses is my favorite 2D Dreamworks romantic couple.

Seti - Seti shows how hard-working creators really were. Seti is suprisingly complex for a character with such small screentime. I was touched by how he loves Moses as his biological son. Note that I have high expectations on people, I feel zero sympathy for villains many people do( Cersei and Tywin Lannister and Ellaria Sand, for example), seeing good about people is not my strength. Dreamworks managing me to feel sympathy for villain is just a miracle. Unlike many villains from kids movies, Seti is uncapable of kindness when it costs him something( especially power) rather than uncapable of kindness at all. It’s very realistic and an important thing to know for children.

Tuya - she is adorable! I admire and envy her compassion, gentleness and generosity. I was impressed by how she immediately fall in love with Moses and was very decisive to adopt him and later she remained loving him whole entire life as much as she loved Rameses. I love how she, unlike entire crowd, was repulsed by Moses’ treatment of Tzipporah, a foreign slave, a sub-human by standards of her society. I also consider Tuya the most beautiful female in the movie. There is something feline about both her looks and demeanor. I associate her with a domestic cat who provide a cozy atmosphere at her beloved home. Such a charming character!

Jethro - so warm-hearted, charming, charismatic, caring, supportive, spiritual and wise! His song is so powerful and touching, always gives me chills. Only a innerly gorgeous person can speak like that. He is so much more than a nice guy. Jethro is very inspirational and I wish I had more things in common with him.

Hotep and Huy - they are funny and sinister at the same time and I love their musical number. They are partially the reason I prefer PoE over “Hunchback of Notre Dame”, I didn’t enjoy comedical part in latter at all. I love the scene at the beginning of “Plagues” when those two are eating and drinking and looking so carefree and then the food gets destroyed by bugs. There is something peculairly beautiful about this scene. Every movie about oppression needs characters like Hotep and Huy: priveleged, hedonistic jerks. And the way Hotep says, “By the power of Ra!” is just adorable.

Yocheved #4. Meh - what I’ll say may sound cold-hearted and cynical but love of one’s biological children sometimes can’t prevent me from loathing a character, let alone to put it into this category. It seems like Yocheved was overally a nice woman and had a good influence on Aaron and Miriam but we saw too little of her. Tuya and Rachel from “Joseph: King of Dreams” ( especially the former) left a stronger impression on me. I wasn’t excited with her famous lullaby as much as most of people were, I love “Through Heaven’s Eyes” more. However, Yocheved deserves a credit for courage( it takes a lot of courage to act so rational and reasonable in the face of the biggest threat possible) and she reminds me of Mulan because of said type of courage and her resourcefulness so my feelings to Yocheved borderline #3( like).

#the prince of egypt #prince of egypt #ask games

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megastarstrike · 7 years

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Five Steps Backwards Into Love

Summary: Shuuichi’s descent into loving this prick happened in five steps.

This was written for the @saioumaexchange for recipient #33. The prompt was: domestic au, university au, anything fluff, so I did the only correct thing and mixed them all together into The Ultimate Fluff. I hope you enjoy it!

Shuuichi knew he didn’t have the best balance, even at the best of times. He could recall one instance when he had tripped over thin air and spilled his textbooks over the floor, the thump of the books landing on the ground echoing in the hallway as everyone turned to stare at him. Luckily, one of the clumsier upperclassmen (a girl with long, choppy purple hair, if he recalled correctly) screamed and tripped over something as well, diverting attention away from him.

But that upperclassman wasn’t with him in his sophomore year of college, and now the cutest boy he had ever seen was on top of him.

The boy blinked a few times before he frowned. “Jeez, do people watch where they’re going these days? It’s like they’re not even trying.”

Shuuichi knew for a fact that it was the boy who had crashed into him, but he apologized anyway. “S-Sorry about that. Can… Can you get off me?”

“Oh, sure!” The boy rolled off and stood up. He pointed at a door a few feet away from them. “Are you moving into that dorm?”

“Yes, room 233,” Shuuichi said, dusting himself off as he regained his footing.

“That’s so cool! Looks like you’re my roommate then!”

Shit.

The boy pouted. “You look scared. What, do you not want me as a roommate? Am I not good enough for you? You’re so mean!” Tears spilled out of his eyes as he wailed.

Guilt caught him by the throat. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“That was a lie.” The tears stopped as soon as they came. “I’m a liar, after all.”

Judging by the ache starting to pound in his head, it was going to be a great year.

“I’m Kokichi Ouma, bowling industry major,” the boy said, grinning and holding a hand out.

Shuuichi took the hand and shook it, his heart skipping a beat at the contact. “I’m Shuuichi Saihara, criminology major.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Shuuichi. Also, I lied about my major. I hate bowling.”

“Then… what’s your real major?”

“Political science. I’m taking a theater minor, too.”

“You’re not lying about that, right?”

“Nishishi! We’ll just have to see!” Kokichi reached up and tapped Shuuichi’s lips with a gentle finger. “Well, I’ve gotta get my stuff from downstairs. Have fun with your mess.”

A new, louder voice interrupted them before Shuuichi could say anything. “Cuckichi, you shitty brat! What the hell did you do to my gorgeous hair?”

Kokichi broke into a run and escaped down the stairs.

A girl in a pink uniform flew past him, stopping at the staircase to rearrange her poorly-dyed gray hair. A few blonde streaks showed through (Maybe her original hair color was blonde?). She took a deep breath before running down the stairs.

Shuuichi stared after them for a moment before picking his boxes up again. His fingers strayed up to his lips, where Kokichi had tapped them with his finger. Did that count as a kiss? What would have been like to kiss his finger? What about his hand? What about—

Shuuichi coughed and pushed the door to his dorm open, hiding his blush behind the pile of boxes. Shut up, Shuuichi, you just met the guy. Don’t scare him off.

So Shuuichi walked into his new dorm, set his boxes on the bed he claimed as his own, and screamed.

Kokichi wasn’t lying about being his roommate, as he learned one month in when Kokichi had invited half the dorm over to their room for a game of Fibbage. Sixteen people were crammed in front of their tiny television set, holding their phones in front of them as they watched the screen dutifully for the next prompt.

Shuuichi was ashamed to admit he was one of those sixteen people.

Shuuichi sat on the couch in between Kokichi and Kaito, the astronomy major next door. He sighed when Kokichi made another jab at Kaito’s score in the game and Kaito threatened him with a clenched fist. “Can you two stop? The next prompt is up.”

“The most popular item at Walmart is blank,” the narrator announced, earning everyone’s attention.

The group sat in silence as everyone inputted their answers. After a few minutes, their answer choices along with a true choice was shown on the screen. They roared with laughter at the answers.

“Who the fuck put up whipped cream and strawberries?” Miu cackled, holding her stomach.

“I’m willing to bet it was a slut like you,” Kokichi said. His grin grew wider as Miu sputtered to defend her choices, incriminating herself in the process.

Rantarou tapped on his phone screen. “I’m putting my bets on the most popular item being apples. It makes the most sense.”

A few other people murmured in agreement, tapping on the answer choice as well.

The group waited with bated breath as the results rolled in. Almost everybody had voted for “apples” as the true answer.

It was a lie.

“Fuck! You god damn shitty ass brat!” Miu cried as Kokichi rolled on the floor in hysterical laughter. “I want my fucking time back!”

Kaito joined in with an “Are you fucking kidding me?”, and other people followed suit as well.

Kokichi’s fit of laughter continued even as he planted his head on Shuuichi’s lap. “Nishishi! What were you thinking, playing Fibbage with a liar? You only have yourselves to blame.” He looked up at Shuuichi with wide, shining eyes. “Isn’t that right, my beloved Shuuichi?”

Shuuichi’s heart pounded, and he could feel his face growing hot. Despite all common sense screaming at him not to, his eyes drifted down to Kokichi’s lips. How would it feel to take Kokichi by surprise for once? How would it feel to kiss the smirk off his face?

No! Stop thinking that! Shuuichi struggled to sputter out his thoughts before his mind short-circuited, and he pushed Kokichi off his lap without thinking.

Kokichi landed on the floor with a thud. He looked back up at Shuuichi with tearful eyes as the people around them laughed. “Shuuichi! How could you do this to me? That really hurt, you know!” He rubbed the side of his head for dramatic effect.

Panic and guilt seized Shuuichi’s chest. He clasped his hands together and bowed his head. “I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to push you off like that! You just took me by surprise. Are you hurt?”

“Easy solution,” Miu said, pointing a finger up. “Just fuck the pain outta him.”

Kokichi responded by picking a book off the coffee table and throwing it at her. He turned back to Shuuichi with a pout. “Of course, I’m hurt! You pushed me!”

“I really am sorry about that,” Shuuichi said, “Please forgive me.”

“It was the highest form of treason! I can never forgive you!” Kokichi looked up in thought and tapped his chin. “But I guess I can forgive you if you kiss it better.”

“W-What?”

“Hey, stop messing with Shuuichi’s feelings,” Kaede said from the other side of the room, crossing her arms.

But Shuuichi had already grabbed Kokichi’s head and planted a kiss into his hair before hiding his reddening face in his hands.

Kokichi froze, a blush rising to his cheeks. He covered up his embarrassment with a pout. “Eww! Shuuichi got his spit in my hair!”

“What did you expect?” Kaito scolded, leaning over the coffee table to glare at him.

The group eventually moved onto a different conversation topic and decided to take a break from Fibbage, instead opting to play a card game.

Even as Shuuichi laughed at the misfortunes of someone needing to draw twenty cards in one turn, he couldn’t help but bring his fingers up to his lips and smile.

As time passed and the day of the play approached, Kokichi grew more and more frantic. The papers on his desk multiplied as he made increasingly desperate attempts to imprint his lines into his head. Shuuichi couldn’t remember the last time the lamp on Kokichi’s desk had been turned off.

Shuuichi sighed and sat up in his bed. “Kokichi, it’s midnight. You have class tomorrow. Go to sleep.”

Kokichi didn’t seem to notice, his mumbling continuing. His figure was hunched over his desk, and it didn’t seem like he had any intention to move anytime soon.

“Kokichi, I’m serious.”

Again, the figure stayed hunched over the desk. His hands moved up to his face, his body shaking.

Was… Was he crying?

Shuuichi’s voice fell to a whisper. “Kokichi?”

Somehow, Kokichi had managed to hear his whisper above his sobs and turned to him with a strained grin. “What’s up, Shuuichi? Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

“You’re the one with the morning class,” Shuuichi said, climbing out of bed and taking a seat next to him. Now that he had a closer look, he could see wet trails shining on Kokichi’s face under the bright light of the lamp. “Are you still practicing your lines?”

“Yup! The play’s in two days, and I have a major role. I gotta practice for that, you know?”

“Are you just afraid you’ll mess up your lines?”

“Of course not! I already know all of my lines.”

“That’s a lie, and you know it.” Shuuichi paused. “Well, not the part about knowing all your lines. I know you know them. Do you want me to help you practice?”

Kokichi hesitated before handing him the script. “I’m playing King Aaron. This is the scene with Hayden pledging his loyalty to the king, so you’ll play him. Don’t screw up.”

Shuuichi nodded and looked down at the page, reading over the lines. “Your Majesty, has my time come yet?”

Kokichi sat up in his seat and turned to him with a stern face Shuuichi had never seen before. “Do not be hasty, Sir Hayden. Being hasty is for the peasants and the traitors, the weak and the unworthy. You, Sir, are deemed worthy of my time. Do not make me change my mind.”

“O-Of course,” Shuuichi said, his skin prickling at the intensity behind the words.

“But yes, your time has come. But first, you must pledge your loyalty. I trust that you have studied that beforehand, yes?”

“For years.” Shuuichi sank to one knee and held a hand over his heart like the script described. “I, Sir Hayden, pledge my utmost loyalty to the kingdom, the royal family, and His Majesty. I will do everything in my power to protect the king and the kingdom for as long as I shall live.”

“Then you and the kingdom are now bound.”

Shuuichi took Kokichi’s hand and pressed his lips against the back of it. “I-It truly is an honor, Your Majesty.”

Kokichi stared at him for a few moments before grinning and snatching the script away. “Okay, that’s enough for tonight! I feel ready now!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yup! Shuuichi’s lips are sooo much softer than the actor’s lips,” Kokichi whined. “Why can’t you be Hayden instead?”

“M-Me?”

“But you’re not a good liar, so you’re stuck just watching us for now.” Kokichi smiled. “Don’t worry, Shuuichi, I’ll teach you all the ins and outs of lying. You’ll be a pro in no time!”

Shuuichi sighed, the 3 AM fatigue weighing down on him. “Anyway, your show is in two days, right? You should get some sleep.”

“That depends. Are you coming to my show? It’s my debut play, you know.”

“Of course.” Shuuichi internally screamed as he remembered the stack of work awaiting him, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care, especially when Kokichi beamed at him with a smile so bright it set his heart ablaze.

The day Kokichi returned to their dorm with a cake mix and a bunch of baking supplies, Shuuichi knew his day would simultaneously get better and worse.

“Hey, Shuuichi, look what I bought!” Kokichi sang, skipping into their kitchen with a bunch of plastic bags in tow.

Shuuichi paled at the cluster of bags on their counter. “Kokichi, how much money did you spend on that?”

“Not too much. I bought it all on sale.” Kokichi held up the box containing a chocolate cake mix. The flavor was written on the top half of the red box in cursive yellow letters while the bottom half was reserved for a picture of a perfect cake that theirs certainly wouldn’t come out as. “That was a lie. The culinary major in the senior dorms had a surplus and was selling all of them for cheap. You’ll be helping me make this.”

“What? I’m sorry but I can’t. I have too much work—“

“No, you don’t.” The stiff tone of his voice told Shuuichi he didn’t have a choice.

So Shuuichi sighed and stood up from his desk, biting back a smile as Kokichi cheered. He really was too weak for him. “Fine. What’s the first step?”

“Preheat the oven to three-hundred-fifty degrees for me.”

Shuuichi pressed a few buttons on the oven and hit enter, starting the preheating. “What next?”

Half an hour later, the kitchen was covered wall-to-wall with flour and sugar from Kokichi’s attempts to “make it interesting” and Shuuichi’s frantic attempts to stop him. The carton of milk and dozen of eggs were forgotten in one of the plastic bags. The box with the original cake mix had gone missing long ago, but neither of them could care less.

Sometime around the twenty-minute mark, Kokichi had gotten bored and started slinging flour at him for reasons Shuuichi was still unsure of. Now, their clothes were covered with flour and sugar, and they both laughed at their half-hearted attempts to clean themselves. Their cake had somehow made it to the oven in one piece.

“Hey, Shuuichi,” Kokichi called. He held up a pinch of sugar. “I think you’re sweet.”

Shuuichi’s heart fluttered as Kokichi laughed at his own joke. “Hold on, there’s some sugar on your nose. Here, I’ll get it off for you.”

Kokichi stepped away from Shuuichi’s raised hand and leaned forward. “You know what would be a better idea? If you licked it off.”

“W-What?”

“It’s sugar, right? It would be sad to just let it go to waste in a trash can, especially with how expensive it was.”

Shuuichi saw the price tag of ten cents on the receipt stuffed in the bag and knew he was lying but couldn’t bring himself to care. He held a hand to the side of Kokichi’s head and leaned in. His lips brushed against the tip of Kokichi’s nose before he backed away.

Kokichi’s face lit up red, but he covered his embarrassment with a pout. “You didn’t even get all the sugar off, Shuuichi! That was useless.”

“Ha, sorry.”

“Don’t lie to my face like that. I’m the liar in this dorm.”

“You sure are.” Shuuichi ripped a sheet off a roll of paper towels and wet it under the sink faucet. “Come here, let me actually get the sugar off your face this time.”

Kokichi smiled as Shuuichi rubbed the towel against him, cleaning the sugar off him. Shuuichi dreaded the cleanup that would inevitably take more than just a few hours but for now, he would savor Kokichi’s bright smile and laughter.

I need to say something about his sleeping habits, Shuuichi decided after waking up for the fifth day in a row from the soft music playing in the living room. The genre changed every day, the first night starting with a metal album one of the seniors had given them and the fourth night with a CD of Romantic-era classical music. Tonight’s music was some kind of generic pop song about love that Shuuichi felt he could recognize if he tried but didn’t care enough to. Shuuichi stepped into the living room, rubbing his eyes. He dropped his hands to his sides. His jaw almost dropped with them at the scene in front of him.

The room was dimmed but not quite dark, a single lamp lit in the corner. Kokichi was dressed in a white t-shirt and long, loose purple pants. His fluffy white socks slid across the floor as he danced. The movements themselves weren’t special, but the person making them certainly was. Finally, he turned to Shuuichi with a bright smile. “Good morning, Shuuichi. Dance with me.”

Shuuichi’s mouth opened to reject the offer in fear of embarrassing himself, but his legs moved on their own. His heart rate sped up when Kokichi locked their fingers together and leaned closer to him. A blush rose to his cheeks upon meeting eyes with the dork he had grown to love.

“Do you like this song?” Kokichi asked as they stepped in time with the music. “Because I sure don’t. I hate it.”

Shuuichi smiled. “Another lie, right? You wouldn’t be dancing to it otherwise.”

“Hm, I don’t know. Would I or would I not? It’s your job to find out.”

My dream job, Shuuichi thought before he could stop himself. He hoped Kokichi couldn’t see his face reddening in the dim light, but the smirk on Kokichi’s face told him his hopes were in vain.

They continued to dance until the song faded out. Silence enveloped the room. Kokichi was positioned directly in front of Shuuichi, his chin only a few centimeters away from Shuuichi’s chest. He stared up at him with a sweet smile and half-lidded eyes filled with so much love and affection it made Shuuichi’s heart hurt.

Shuuichi stared into his eyes for a few more seconds before leaning in, locking their lips together. It was a chaste kiss, long enough to satisfy his desire for a few seconds and short enough to not overwhelm either of them. His senses returned after he pulled away. “I-I’m so sorry! I should have asked beforehand or—”

“Relax, it’s fine,” Kokichi said, “Why do you think I’ve been blasting music in the living room for the past week?”

“You… You planned this, didn’t you?”

“Yup! My beloved Shuuichi caught me again!” Kokichi’s voice dropped to a whisper as if he couldn’t believe what was happening. “My beloved Shuuichi. My beloved…” He rested his head on Shuuichi’s chest as the next song started to play.

“Hey, Kokichi.”

“Yeah?”

“Will you be my boyfriend?”

“Is that even a question? Of course.”

Shuuichi’s heart jumped at the answer, and he couldn’t have been happier.

“Of all the people you could have consulted, you chose us?” Rantarou asked.

“In hindsight, that may have been a bad idea,” Shuuichi said as he watched Miu scroll through a shopping page for vibrators with a stone cold face that revealed nothing. “But you two are Kokichi’s best friends, right?”

Miu rolled her eyes. “Why would you come to us for that brat? Aren’t you supposed to be his boyfriend?”

“Yes, it’s been three months, but that’s exactly the problem.”

“Spit it the fuck out then.”

“It’s… It’s been three months, but he hasn’t kissed me yet,” Shuuichi blurted, his face burning red. He buried his face in his hands and groaned when raucous laughter filled the air.

“Kyahaha! You’re even more of a virgin than I thought!”

“Please, I’m being serious.”

Rantarou answered once he recovered from his laughter. “You know, Shuuichi, I’ve known Kokichi since middle school, and he’s a bit shy too, believe it or not. He just really likes you.”

“I know,” Shuuichi mumbled, tipping his cap over his face. “It’s just… I would really like the confirmation sometimes. I’m always the one initiating the kisses. Although he does hug me…”

“Must be hell having a boyfriend that hugs you. Wow. Such torture,” Miu snickered, clapping him on the shoulder.

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate the hugs, I love them. I would just like him to initiate the…” He sighed at Miu’s laughter. “... kisses for once.”

Rantarou blinked slowly and tilted his head with a tight smile. “Hey, Shuuichi… Did you ever, you know, tell Kokichi any of this?”

“Uh…”

Miu’s laughter only grew louder as time passed without him saying anything. “Holy shit, I can’t fucking believe this shitty virgin”—she paused to wipe the tears from her eyes—”This is the best day of my fucking life!”

“I-I should probably talk to him about that, shouldn’t I?” Shuuichi said, chuckling nervously.

Rantarou sighed. “Really? You come to us before you even talk to him? Well, I guess it doesn’t matter now. You promise to at least talk to him?”

“Yeah. Sorry about the trouble.”

“No worries, it was fucking hilarious,” Miu said, a wide smile still on her face. “You wanna get out of my dorm now? Cuntarou and I still have shit to do.”

“Ah, right, excuse me. Thank you for your… advice,” Shuuichi said before walking out of the room as Rantarou saluted him and Miu flipped a middle finger at him. He took a deep breath and scrunched his eyes shut, the steps back to his dorm smaller than his usual stride.

What would Kokichi think about his problem? Was it even a problem? As far as Shuuichi knew, both of them only had either fleeting relationships or hadn’t been in a relationship at all. Maybe he was moving too fast. Or maybe he was too needy? The thoughts piled up until Shuuichi felt like he couldn’t breathe. The waves of doubt washed over him like a tidal wave and oh god, what if Kokichi hated him after—

“Hey, Shuuichi!”

Shuuichi stopped, his thoughts pushed away by the familiar voice. He turned with a smile. “Oh, hey, Kokichi. Were you about to head to our dorm, too?”

“Yeah, but you clearly weren’t,” Kokichi snickered, “The door handle you’re grabbing is Kaede and Maki’s room.”

“... Oh.”

“Wait, did you memorize the route to Kaede and Maki’s dorms but not ours?” Kokichi grabbed at his chest with a dramatic gasp, tears welling in his eyes. “Are you cheating on me? How could you, Shuuichi? Right after you kissed me five times, too! How dishonorable!”

“Actually, Kokichi,” Shuuichi started. He almost froze again at the way Kokichi’s head tilted curiously. “C-Can we talk about that five times thing?”

Kokichi glanced around the hall before grabbing his hand and leading him back to their dorm. “Not in the hallway. No one likes seeing couple drama.”

“I promise it’s not drama, it’s just… a concern I’ve had for some time now.” Shuuichi shut the door behind them and gestured for Kokichi to sit next to him on their living room couch. “So…”

“I’m busy, Shuuichi,” Kokichi said, even though Shuuichi knew he had completed all his due assignments and didn’t have classes tomorrow. “Spit it out or I might just lose interest.”

“I’ve kissed you five times, but you haven’t kissed me once,” Shuuichi blurted. Embarrassment hit him right after the words left his mouth. He covered his reddening face with his hands. “Ugh, I’m sorry, I just—”

“Hey, Shuuichi, look at me.” A warm grip was around both of Shuuichi’s wrists.

Shuuichi hesitated but allowed Kokichi to pry his hands away, only to stare into wide, purple eyes that were too close—

“What? Didn’t you want me to kiss you?” Kokichi said, his voice lilting up into a teasing tone. He leaned back. “And that’s exactly the reason I didn’t.”

It took a moment for Shuuichi to process what he had just said. “B-Because you were worried about my reaction? Not because you don’t love me?”

Kokichi clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. “Jeez, where did you get that idea? I wouldn’t be dating you if I didn’t like you.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Shuuichi looked away, anywhere other than his face, twiddling his fingers. “S-So does that mean you wouldn’t be opposed to kissing me?”

“Of course not! I’ve been wanting to do it for a while now.” Kokichi grinned and put a hand on Shuuichi’s cheek. “Are you ready to kiss me? You might just faint if you haven’t prepared enough.”

Shuuichi nodded, holding the hand on his cheek.

Kokichi stared into his eyes, his grin slowly fading. “Are you sure?”

“Kokichi… are you nervous?”

“No way! Supreme leaders like me never get nervous!”

It was Shuuichi’s turn to have a smirk on his face. “Then prove it.”

“Fine!” Kokichi leaned in and planted a short kiss on Shuuichi’s lips before jumping to the other end of the couch, his face red. “Was that enough?”

Shuuichi held a finger to his tingling lips before smiling and holding his arms out. “You’ll always be enough for me, Kokichi.”

“Jeez, you’re such a sap,” Kokichi huffed despite moving into Shuuichi’s arms. He nuzzled his head into his chest. “But for you to ask me that… I must have really stolen your heart, huh?”

“I have to admit you did, but…” Shuuichi traced the outline of Kokichi’s heart on his chest. “I stole yours too, right?”

Kokichi smiled and moved to hide his face. “It’s not stealing if you aren’t a criminal.”

“That’s not how it works.”

“What do you know, STEM major?”

“More than you, social science major.”

Kokichi giggled and pecked him on the cheek. “I love you, Shuuichi.”

Shuuichi’s heart soared. He couldn’t help the smile coming to his face. “I love you too, Kokichi.”

“Would you still love me if I said you have a class right now?”

“You’re ly—” Shuuichi cut himself off, and his eyes went wide. “Shit. You’re not lying.”

“You wanna get up then?”

Shuuichi took a few seconds to stare into the face of his lover and sighed, his body relaxing. “I can get someone to send me the notes. You don’t mind staying here with me, right?”

“Yay! I get to stay with my beloved Shuuichi!” Kokichi wrapped his arms around Shuuichi’s shoulders with a grin and rambled about his last lesson.

Shuuichi nodded along, listening to every word and taking note of the way Kokichi’s eyes sparkled and his smile grew warmer.

Even if their dorm was a temporary house, his home was always by Kokichi’s side.

#saiouma exchange #33 #saiouma #oumasai #ndrv3 #dangan ronpa

65 notes · View notes

tabloidtoc · 4 years

Text

People, August 3

Cover: Alex Trebek -- Love Has Kept Me Alive

Page 3: Chatter -- Jim Carrey on dating Linda Ronstadt in the ‘80s, John Legend on what would happen if he cheated on wife Chrissy Teigen, Alicia Silverstone on Clueless’ legacy 25 years later, Lindsay Lohan on how people on the Parent Trap set would treat her differently depending on which twin she was dressed as, Ricky Martin on being closeted during the height of his fame, Kelly Rowland on being compared to her Destiny’s Child bandmate Beyonce

Page 5: 5 Things We’re Talking About This Week -- Jennifer Grey might be working on a Dirty Dancing sequel, avocado milk arrives in the U.S., ultrarealistic cakes trend online, The Golden Girls house is for sale, Tina Turner still rocks

Page 9: Contents

Page 10: StarTracks -- Stars in the Sun -- Colin Jost surfing in the Hamptons (full page)

Page 11: Gwyneth Paltrow and her daughter Apple, Eva Longoria, Drake shirtless in Barbados, Brody Jenner hit the Malibu beach with his electric surfboard

Page 12: Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall visited the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, Nicky Minaj showed off her baby bump, Shaun White and dad Roger on bikes

Page 13: Cute Couples -- Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard in Sedona, Quavo and Saweetie step out in L.A., David Foster and Katharine McPhee wore face masks while out in Beverly Hills, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union masked up for a date night

Page 14: Russell Dickerson and pregnant wife Kailey, Michael B. Jordan grabbed a snack at a Night at the Drive-In showing of Black Panther and Creed, LeBron James hit the court in Orlando to practice, Ariana Grande wears a mask when she stepped into a recording studio

Page 15: Stars’ Best Friends -- Courteney Cox and her dogs Harley and Hopper and pal Jennifer Aniston, Naomi Watts took her rescue pup Izzy with her on a shopping trip, Emily Ratajkowski walks her dog Colombo, Justin Theroux walks his dog Kuma, PLEASE ADOPT, DON’T SHOP

Page 17: Scoop -- Hayden Panettiere’s domestic abuse nightmare

Page 18: Inside the DWTS cast shake-up

Page 19: Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West in crisis after shocking comments

Page 21: Anika Noni Rose on Princess Tiana’s legacy

Page 22: Heart Monitor -- Danica Patrick and Aaron Rodgers split, Nick and Vanessa Lachey happy anniversary, Joey Lawrence and Chandie Yawn-Nelson divorcing, Lucy Hale and Colton Underwood new couple

Page 25: What’s next for Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez, Alison Brie on marriage and movies

Page 27: Passages, Why I Care -- after struggling with anxiety as a child Jewel started her own foundation to help others

Page 28: Stories to Make You Smile -- a special needs chicken named Poppy takes a road trip from California to New York, a couple build an Imagination Garden in their backyard

Page 31: People Picks -- Normal People

Page 32: Die Hart, Helter Skelter: An American Myth

Page 33: Rogue Trip, One to Watch -- Palm Springs’ Meredith Hagner

Page 34: The Alienist: Angel of Darkness, Stockton on My Mind, Rufus Wainwright -- Unfollow the Rules, Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, Q&A -- Rosamund Pike

Page 37: Books

Page 42: Cover Story -- Alex Trebek and Jean Currivan Trebek -- we are one soul in two bodies -- married for 30 years the couple share their extraordinary love story and how they’ve gotten each other through the most challenging time of their lives

Page 48: Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi surprise royal wedding -- Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter quietly ties the knot after canceling her originally planned ceremony amid the pandemic

Page 54: John Lewis -- a civil rights titan -- the congressman who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. fought through six decades to prove that black lives must matter

Page 58: Blake Shelton -- life and love in quarantine -- the country star opens up about his joyful duet with Gwen Stefani and how they’re finding happiness in everyday life

Page 60: Where is Suzanne Morphew? Vanished on Mother’s Day -- the wife and mom of two disappeared while out on a solitary bike ride two months ago and she’s still missing

Page 64: Their Journey Together -- mother and daughter doctors -- Cynthia Kudji-Sylvester always knew she wanted to go to medical school and become a doctor; this year she earned her degree and began her residency alongside her daughter Jasmine Kudji

Page 66: Ellie Goulding -- music, marriage and finding myself -- after a relentless decade the singer opens up about coping with anxiety and making big changes in her life

Page 70: Jane Goodall -- what I know now -- the beloved conservationist marks the 60th anniversary of her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees and talks about how she’s still fighting to protect them and the planet

Page 74: Entrepreneur Koreen Odiney -- the woman behind the hottest game in Hollywood -- We’re Not Really Strangers is inspiring millions including Jada Pinkett Smith and Tracee Ellis Ross to connect in ways they never imagined

Page 77: Catherine Zeta-Jones -- what my life’s really like -- the Oscar winner now adding shoes and makeup to her label reveals her inspirations and her love for game night

Page 78: Products worth the hype

Page 83: Editor’s Picks -- Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale

Page 85: Anna Francese Gass’ recipe for Grilled Avocado with Corn and Mango Salsa

Page 87: Second Look -- Joel Courtney and Joey King in The Kissing Booth 2

Page 88: One Last Thing -- Craig T. Nelson

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heartbxnd-blog · 5 years

Text

Back in our days

This is a discord thread with @auraguardians

Part 1 | Part 2

Part 3/3

Description: Their fateful encounter, that soon evolved into a Summer romance. Morty is nothing more than another teen living in the streets of Johto’s cities. Meanwhile Riley, who tagged along his uncle’s business trip, finds himself in this new region to him - in an attempt to escape from his dreadded memories assosciated with the Summer.

Once they were both actually completely clean and dressed again - Riley in the shorts and button-up shirt he'd picked out, and Enoki in a pair of Riley's jeans and the shirt Riley had worn the previous day - Riley tossed his bedsheets and Enoki's (still soaked) clothes in the wash and had set about making some breakfast for two.

It was... a strangely nice taste of a domestic setting. Riley was beaming as he got the jam out, to spread on their toast.

"Hey - what's your favorite flavor?"

Yet again they find themselves acting- completely wrapped up in this fantasy. A comforting setting for these two.

Morty was feeding their pokemon- having set Riolu's bowl down while he held out his ghosts' snacks. Both Misdreavus and Haunter were cheerfully chirping and giggling while eating off their master's hand.

"Ah-! Y'know I'm not quite sure, it has been awhile since I've had any..."

His voice trailed off, as he keptfeeding the ghost types.

"Oh hold on! I just remembered it- Pinap berry jam! I ate it all the time when I was younger!"

Now that he is done tending to his pokemon, he could return to Riley- this shirt looked quite oversized on his small body. So much so that one of his shoulders was even completely exposed, Morty was smiling as he watched over the toast being prepared.

While waiting on Enoki's answer, Riley would take out the whole set of jams his uncle had stocked in the fridge, spreading his own favorite blend on the first piece of toast. Payapa Berry...

"Aha, here we go - we have it! You're lucky, Enoki - Riolu here loves spicy food. And my uncle, he... spoils his Pokemon rotten, really, but they're contest pokemon so - psh. Such divas."

He laughed as he spread the jam out and passed the toast to Enoki, a little content sigh leaving him.

"So - not to... make things weird. But - would there be a way to keep in touch? Like... letters?" As soon as it's out Riley feels a blush spreading on his cheeks. Letters - thanks for that suggestion, uncle Aaron.

"I mean - we can talk about that later. There's still two days. I just - want you to know..." I'm still interested.

"Divas? Gee I can't imagine your uncle participating in contests..."

Morty chuckled lightly before he took the first bite out of his toast- that crunchiness, the taste...He wished he could wake up to this everyday.

His attention averted from the food- and went to Riley at his question, is this the part where he tells Riley to forget about him?

"Hah...Letters?...Yeah sure send them to me through the trash can..."

He tried to poke fun at it, but it wasn't quite working- now was it? Morty goes silent as he takes another bite and keep quietly chewing on the toast.

"...I'm heading to Kanto tonight, so..."

Morty sighed as he stopped eating- suddenly he couldn't bring himself to eat anymore of it.

"Riley-- maybe-"

The teen went silent as soon he heard a noise coming from the outside- was that the sound of a car?! It immediately prompted Morty to stand up straight, ready to dash out of there.

"Shit! Is that your--?"

Even Enoki's little comment didn't lighten the air at all - not with the blow Riley was sure was coming. Riley, maybe... we should just end it.

But even as he was steeling himself for that - Riley also heard the sound of the car pulling into the drive, and he didn't even need to tap into aura to know that sound.

"Ah - yeah, that's my uncle...! Quick, this way!"

Riley grabbed Enoki's hand to lead him through the house to one of the back windows, managing to give a soft laugh as he opened it all the way. "Here - go on."

He would tug Enoki up into a kiss, only hesitating briefly. "What time's the train? That is how you're leaving, right? Our ship leaves tomorrow night, so..."

Morty was quickly and easily dragged by the arm, thankfully the Haunter had picked up his belongings- unfortunately he had completely forgotten about his clothes which were being washed up.

Regardless of it- the teen had climbed up the window, and flung his body- he was about to jump. That is- until Riley pulled him in for one more kiss.

"Mn- don't worry about the train...! I...I promise I will show up there...! You will take the ship in Olivine city right?..."

He asked in a raspy tone, as he tried to muster a grin at him. He swears he can hear the uncle calling for Riley.

"Mm... yeah - 6pm departure. I'll... I'll see you there, Enoki."

He pressed in one more quick peck before letting him go, with the Pokemon following. Ah, shit, no time to clean up the kitchen...

"Haha, welcome back, uncle!!"

___________________________________________________________

The next night, Riley would be waiting by the docks - in a carefully chosen visible location with only his little Riolu and a oddly shaped bundle.

This might be a dumb idea but Riley will only really feel dumb if Enoki doesn't show up at all.

Riolu, in tune with Riley, kept whining and nuzzling up next to him every time the boy got choked up. He'd never admit it, but he'd been crying on and off all day - ever since leaving the house in Goldenrod behind.

Even Aaron was suspiciously quiet - only offering a blanket-y sensation of you'll be ok, kid.

"Yeah, bud... I know he'll show up."

The train was just some bullshit pulled out by Morty to try and get some time for himself.

See if he could get his mind straight, maybe return sooner to the streets. Admitedly, he didn't want to show up- he didn't want to create yet another painful memory that will only torment and fill him even further with guilt- of leaving Riley.

Many tears were shed, as the boy found himself at a loss- even his pokemon could feel it coming from him. If only he could be honest with Riley- speak exactly what he wanted all along.

Despite all the odds, he didn't break his promise- his way to the city was just painfully slow. His heart and chest ached, the moment he spotted Riley while still hidden in an alleyway- it hurt so badly. He just wanted to cower himself there, until his boyfriend was gone.

After about 5 minutes or so- he showed up, still wearing Riley's clothes- and still looking way too large for his body's size. He wasn't sure how to present himself to him, should he have a sad expression? A cheerful one? He decided to go with a neutral one- although his face did give signs that he had cried not too long ago.

"..."

The blond is at a loss for words, as such his gaze is quickly drawn into- whatever he has in his possession.

Riolu noticed Enoki first, and Riley would quickly wipe his face again before forcing himself to grin at the other boy. "H-Hey... You made it!"

He quickly took in everything - but most importantly, the fact that Enoki's eyes lingered on the little bundle Riley had with him. Of course. He cleared his throat and gave an anxious laugh.

"Uh - this... this is just some stuff... I've been meaning to give you, before I left. I just - I've been trying not to think about it, so. It's all here. Everything - um. Except your clothes, those... are probably packed up with my bed sheets. I forgot..."

Oh boy, not again.

Riley quickly wiped his eyes dry and laughed. "Sorry. You - you can keep mine, too. It's ok. They... look good on you, anyway." He teased, giving Enoki a little pat on his chest.

No, no- what are you doing?

The thought ran through his mind, as he seemingly accepted the bundle- reaching out for it, and bringing it back to his chest. So far Morty hasn't said a thing, he has been avoiding to look straight into the other's eyes- to establish a visual contact with him.

There is- another urge to cry, as his hold on what he has in his hand- tightened itself.

Morty took a deep breath- as he finally looked up at Riley's face, still no words- instead he was pulled into a tight hug- his head rested on his shoulder and he couldn't hold them back anylonger.

"...Riley..."

"I'm...I'm so sorry..."

His voice comes out raspy- cracking up by the sobs and sulking, as he tries to cling onto Riley for as long as he can.

"...I love you..."

And I will be back to my loneliness- from where I shouldn't have ever left to begin with.

For a moment, Riley was sure Enoki was just going to panic and reject him, but instead... here they were, hugging tightly while Enoki sobbed.

I love you.

Those were words Riley had not steeled himself for, and as such they set off the waterworks all over again. He held tight to Enoki, his face ending up buried in his beautiful soft hair, little hiccup-y sobs the only noise he could make for a while.

"I... love you, too. Enoki..." He sniffled and pulled back enough to meet Enoki's eyes. "Thanks for... making this the best summer ever. Maybe - um. Well. Have a safe trip - mind the weather. Don't want to... find out you got sick or something. Hah..."

Clearly, Riley was still holding on to that tiny shred of hope he'd hear from Enoki at all. He wiped his eyes again and sighed as the ship's horn went off and he heard his uncle calling for him - and with that, Riley cupped Enoki's cheeks and pressed in one more quick, hot kiss.

"What I mean is... Stay dry, honey."

He stayed back and watched his beloved Riley get on board of the ship, he stayed there hugging his gifts until the ship was gone- silently weeping.

Isn't this what you wanted? Needed all along? Back into being a nobody, a no one out in this world. Doomed to remember these better times.

With Riley gone- Morty was at a complete loss, he didn't know where to go next- or what to do. His mind was left in a numb state, as he wandered the streets and road- seemingly without any destination. Every inch of his body hurts- depite visibly giving signs of pain, tears shedding from his eyes- no one even batted an eye.

Back into being nothing- invisible.

He doesn't recall how he got to Goldenrod's train station- by now it is evident his body is moving in some kind of autopilot without any thoughts at all put into it. He just wanted to get out of here. Once on board of the train cart, he finds himself a corner within it to sit at- away from the very few lost souls in that place.

The trip would take the entire night, he had plenty of time to stare out at the night and the bundle- by his side. At some point- late into the night, all that the boy could really think of was Riley' face- his voice...Almost as if the bundle were beckoning him to open it. Finally he succumbed to it, and actually opened the thing up.

Right away he was greeted with a jar of Pinap berry jam - and the picture of that morning hit him. Next item- the teen desperately kept yanking the objects inside of it, each one bringing forth a memory. He only stopped when he found a letter.

By the end of reading it, tears no longer were being shed- because of how drained he felt. His fatigue had caught up to him- Morty had put everything back into the bundle, and he proceeded to put it on the floor next to his satchel- so he can spread his legs on the empty seat.

"...I'm not Enoki..."

The boy muttered to himself in a low tone, while drifting to sleep.

#☆.｡.:* ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴅᴇɴʏ ɪᴛs ᴇxɪsᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ .｡.:*☆ Riley & Morty #[ saved ]#auraguardians #hi this is my favorite thread and I still weep over it y-y

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mrmichaelchadler · 6 years

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Thumbnails 1/25/19

Thumbnails is a roundup of brief excerpts to introduce you to articles from other websites that we found interesting and exciting. We provide links to the original sources for you to read in their entirety.—Chaz Ebert

"Still grieving, Anton Yelchin's parents try to move forward with new documentary": Amy Kaufman of The LA Times reports on "Love Antosha," scheduled to premiere at Sundance.

“Perhaps the biggest revelation in the film is just how much Anton struggled with cystic fibrosis — a diagnosis he hid from the public and the entertainment business. As a precocious kid, he was pink-cheeked and enthusiastic, shooting short films with childhood friends and constantly performing impressions for his parents. He never seemed sick and barely demonstrated any signs of someone with the progressive disease, which causes mucus to form in the lungs. In fact, he appeared so healthy that his parents decided not to tell him the full details of his diagnosis — CF patients have a life expectancy of around 37 — until he was 17. ‘I didn’t want to introduce him exactly to what it was, because he was so artistic and so sensitive,’ said Irina. ‘I was just afraid that he would go into it and he would get panicked or get affected by it too much. He didn’t even know what it was for real, how difficult and dangerous that illness was. Only after 17, 18, that’s when we talked, because I said: ‘You can’t go to this club. They are smoking there.’ You feel good, but it doesn’t mean you cannot get worse.’’ Upon learning about his illness, Anton worked hard to stay healthy, constantly running up and down the stairs and researching herbal remedies to try on top of his prescribed medications. Before long days on set, he’d wake up two hours early to put on an inflatable vest that helped him to clear his airways.”

"John Fricke on the 80th Anniversary of 'The Wizard of Oz'": The Emmy-winning Oz historian/author chats with me at Indie Outlook, in anticipation of the film's return to the big screen January 27th, 29th & 30th, courtesy of Fathom Events.

“For the last half century, you could start talking about ‘The Wizard of Oz; to just about anybody over the age of three, and there would be an immediate, shared reference point. People levitate from their chairs when they start discussing the movie. About six or seven years ago, The Weather Channel did a special on the 100 Most Pivotal Moments in Weather History, and at number 53, they listed the tornado in ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ That sequence actually inspired people to become meteorologists. There’s no question that the film has impacted all ages on a multitude of levels. If you grew up watching it on TV, every time you revisit the film, you think, ‘That was the one night we were able to stay up late, put on our pajamas and have popcorn and orange soda with our family, and we all watched it together.’ I remember one poignant story about a man who grew up in a very troubled house. He said that the ‘Oz’ broadcast was the one very peaceful night of the year, because both of his parents loved that movie. As you say, Margaret Hamilton nailed it, as did Ray Bolger when he was a guest on ‘The Judy Garland Show.’ He spoke of growing up with the Oz books, and the great philosophy that they expressed. His mother had pointed out to him the message of these books: ‘Everybody has a brain, everybody has a heart, and everybody has courage. These are the gifts that God gives people on earth, and if you use them properly, they lead you home. And home isn’t a place. It’s the people you love and the people who love you. That’s a home.’”

"Stephen Reinhardt (1931-2018): The Liberal Judge With a Fighting Spirit": Politico's Lara Bazelon eulogizes the late judge, who passed away in December, while honoring his extraordinary legacy.

“Judge Stephen Reinhardt, 87, reigned for 38 years as the liberal lion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, the nation’s largest appellate court with jurisdiction over nine states. Nothing, it seemed, could kill him. Not triple bypass surgery in 1982, not quadruple bypass surgery in 2001. Not the execution—over his fierce objection—of individuals he believed had been wrongfully convicted, nor the Supreme Court’s numerous other reversals of his most famous decisions—decisions upholding the right to die, striking down the requirement that students recite the Pledge of Allegiance, declaring unconstitutional a law prohibiting late-term abortions. Not the slow loss of his beloved wife, Ramona Ripston, to dementia, and the stress, sadness and loneliness that came with it. Not even the election of President Donald Trump, whose rhetoric and policies targeted the very people—immigrants, the criminally accused, the powerless—whose rights the judge had done everything he could to protect. But in March, after he had gotten a clean bill of health from his cardiologist, Reinhardt’s heart stopped suddenly. His death left the hundreds who knew and loved him—his family, his law clerks, his colleagues and large circle of friends—grief stricken and in shock.”

"You ain't seen nothin' yet, but there's nothin' aplenty": Martha P. Nochimson reviews Adam McKay's Oscar-nominated satirical drama, "Vice," for Eye on Media.

“‘Vice,’ Adam McKay’s interpretation of Dick Cheney’s reign of terror, comes to a false ending in the middle of his film. The music rises to a mock triumphant crescendo, and credits roll over a montage of happy family scenes in which the actors we have seen portray the infamous Dick (Christian Bale) and his wife Lynne (Amy Adams) luxuriate in the lap of domestic affluence as they cavort with children and dogs. The credits are the actual credits of Vice, but prematurely displayed. The faux closure falsely celebrates the Cheneys’ permanent exit from politics when, after Carter’s win as president and the loss of Gerald Ford, Cheney’s prospects for running for and winning high political office began to seem impossible. What? It’s a tease. The movie isn’t ending; rather it winks at us about how stories work, and continues on to document the most destructive period of Cheney’s political life. It’s a mysterious rhetorical move by McKay. But it isn’t the only one, and it isn’t the first one. ‘Vice’ is a film about Dick Cheney and his partner in crime Lynne, to be sure, but it’s also about the way we talk about history, how we know what we know, how we fill in the gaps in our partial knowledge with our own fictions, and who has a voice in creating historical narratives.”

"Aaron Sorkin remembers William Goldman: 'He was the dean of American screenwriters and still is": An exclusive essay from the Oscar-winning screenwriter, published at The LA Times.

“When I was starting out in my 20s, Bill Goldman saw something in me and took me under his wing, where I’ve remained and where I’ll continue to remain despite his death. I’m not the only writer he mentored — Scott Frank, Tony Gilroy, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are just a few he tutored personally, and countless others have been and will continue to be taught by his examples. ‘Kid, the next time I say, ‘Let’s go someplace like Bolivia,’ let’s go someplace like Bolivia.’ ‘They could always surrender.’ ‘For a second there I thought we were in trouble.’ Those three quotable lines aren’t just from the same movie (‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’), they’re from the same scene. ‘You keep thinkin’, Butch, that’s what you’re good at.’ ‘Who are those guys?’ ‘Well we tried goin’ straight, what should we try now?’ ‘The fall’ll probably kill you!’ A movie about two outlaws coming to grips with a world that’s changing around them won Bill his first Academy Award. Deep Throat never said, ‘Follow the money.’ It was a line Bill wrote for the character of Deep Throat in his screenplay ‘All the President’s Men,’ for which he won his second Academy Award.”

Image of the Day

At Vanity Fair, Donald Liebenson hails Thelma Todd and Zasu Pitts as the greatest female comedy team of classic Hollywood, and explains "why they still pack a punch."

Video of the Day

youtube

The invaluable YouTube channel, Be Kind Rewind, has a wonderful series of videos dissecting that circumstances that resulted in various Best Actress triumphs at the Oscars. The video embedded above focusing on Joan Crawford's 1946 victory, where she finally won the accolade for "Mildred Pierce," also serves as an exceptional introduction to the icon's career bereft of camp.

from All Content http://bit.ly/2WiyAYB

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