#first comic in a very very long time forgive me for any mistakes
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mizukkay ¡ 3 months ago
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keith's like, why's this guy mad at me so early in the day
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cjbolan ¡ 1 year ago
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Sorry you’re feeling sick! What do you rank all the Emily Windsnap characters (major and recurring ones) favorite to least favorite and why? Hope this makes you feel better!
Awww thanks!! Favorite major/recurring characters from most to least (sorry if I forgot any characters, there's so many of them)...
Emily. She's the main character, has a good balance of strengths and flaws, has several tremendous character arcs, and is an overall relatable character. Emily's especially relatable to me. It helps that I discovered the series when I was her age. And just like Emily I have mixed heritage, moved a lot which made making friends difficult, have a lifelong childhood friend who's like my Shona, had a bigoted teacher publicly humiliate me in front of the entire class which infuriated my mom (unlike Emily's mom she actually confronted my teacher), had a bully from middle school later apologize and make amends with me, had to split time between different schools, I even later learned to swim with a (FinFun) mermaid tail. Plus I share the same birthday as Emily (September 4)!
Mary Penelope. Likewise she has a good balance of strengths and flaws that show for the entirety of the series, has several tremendous character arcs, almost always took accountability for her mistakes, and has an intriguing backstory on how Emily came into the world. And she is a much better mom than most fictional moms! She shows patience and kindness when her daughter makes big mistakes, sets flexible boundaries, takes time to answer all her daughter's questions as best as she can, is 100% honest to her daughter, immediately notices and checks in on her daughter's emotional needs, and willingly throws herself into risky situations to protect her daughter. Over time she grows smarter and more aware of Emily's schemes. Also Emily’s mom realizes and admits her parenting mistakes VERY early on in her story, then spends the remainder of her story changing her ways to be a better parent. ABSOLUTE W MOM THERE.
Jake. Again he has an intriguing story that kicked off Emily's existence and a good balance of strengths vs. flaws. I'm ranking him slightly below Mary Penelope, only because after Book 3 he's just this kinda boring perfect parent who's never allowed to be wrong. Honestly everything I loved about Jake is in the first 3 books! Like his arc of learning how to be a better father to Emily (he and Mandy were the best parts of Book 2). Just because he's a kind and easygoing person, doesn't automatically mean he's a good parent. Which makes sense since he was gone for most of Emily's life. He had to learn how to stop babying Emily, how to set clear boundaries for Emily, how to also respect Emily's boundaries, how to acknowledge and validate Emily's feelings, how to help Emily face her fears, and ultimately do what's best for Emily in the long run (even against Emily's will). I also love Jake's slow rise to power from Neptune's prisoner to Neptune's loyal servant. He honestly earned it. His brief yet memorable appearances always raised lots of interesting questions for me, about himself and about the future of a possible human-merfolk coexistence.
Mr. Beeston. He has the biggest redemption arc of all, has an interesting backstory, and some of the biggest plot twists. He really emphasizes the fact that sometimes forgiveness has to be fucking earned.
Mystic Millie. Like Mr. Beeston she's also full of surprises and plot twists. Despite her mistakes, she was surprisingly competent and smarter than she let on. And she provides great comic relief!!
Shona. She's one of the most memorable characters!! Her trademark "Swishy!" phrase, her long blonde hair that she always takes great care of, was always kind to her friends even when they don't return that kindness, is the loyal friend we all wish we had, and she had her biggest arc in Book 7 with learning how to be a better friend.
Mandy. Her on-off friendship with Emily was interesting and always suspenseful. It's more than just a straight enemies-to-friends arc and I liked that. Honestly she and Jake are the best parts of Book 2. Throughout the series I never knew if Mandy would be Emily's friend or enemy. Book 9 especially emphasizes that. Glad it ultimately ended with these 2 keeping their friendship intact.
Aaron. He's a nice guy with a pretty cool backstory, and while helping Emily figure out where she belongs, he later figures out where he belongs.
Neptune. I like him for the same reasons as Mandy, for his enemies-to-friends arc and on-off relationship with Emily. Except he and Emily were never friends, maybe "allies" is a better term. Every time he appears, you never knew if he's be gonna with or against her. He's the best part of Book 5, where we learn much more of his backstory, and it's the first time he and Emily actually work together.
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tmntxthings ¡ 2 years ago
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Hi! This is my first time requesting something sorry if any of this sounds weird rjxhdvdhahsuwj
I really liked your donnie fic 'Practice' can I request a leo version please? 👀👉👈
Exercise :3
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author’s note: :D your first time requesting and it’s to meeee?! I’m flattered and you sounded totally perfect, here you go dear anon~ hope you enjoy
warnings: established relationship, fluff, cursing, make out session, unedited (it’s rllly late like 1:30 am late, pls forgive grammar mistakes)
> donnie’s < > raph’s < > mikey’s <
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‘ So are you down? ‘ -Leon 💙
‘ I don’t know… ‘ -Y/n ✨
‘ Scared of a little exercising?? C’monnn pleaseeee, I promise the lair will be empty, just us ;) ‘ -Leon 💙
‘ you’re such a dork! exercising?! lolllll ‘ -Y/n ✨
‘ yeah, exercising our lips ;333 ‘ -Leon 💙
‘ …im coming, can’t we just say kissing? ‘ -Y/n ✨
‘ NO, it’s exercising, and that’s final! kissing is for losers ‘ -Leon 💙
‘ Hello???? Are u on ur way?? ‘ -Leon 💙
‘ :( Y/nnnnnnn answerrrrr meeeeeee ‘ Leon 💙
Leo huffed as he let his phone rest on his upper plastron. You did say you were coming so maybe you were already on your way? Though he could’ve just portaled you here, that would’ve been way faster, and he wouldn’t be in his head with worry right now. He licked his lips, and then rolled out of bed. The rest of his family was out at a comic con he opted out of going, he had this idea in his head for a while now. The next time his brothers had plans he was going to invite you over, and well… kiss you. A lot.
The two of you hadn’t really gotten to do so lately. Every moment ruined by one of his brothers suddenly appearing right as he worked up the nerve to lean in close to you. He groaned to himself as he remembered. Leo walked pass the projector room, seeing that even Splinter was probably tucked away in his room. Perfect! Maybe he could set the mood, put on a movie for it to be a bit more natural than just dragging you to his room. Yeah, that didn’t seem obvious. Even though he had already told you exactly what he wanted to do, he still didn’t want it to be forced.
He was scrolling through the movie selections on Netflix when he heard you approaching. You liked the play music on your phone as you descended the long ladder that led to the sewers, listening to the sound echo off the walls. Leo scrambled up from his Pops recliner. Rushing to greet you. You were looking down at your phone as you entered the lair, turning off the music. “Ahem!” Leo cleared his throat for your attention. (He did that because you told him many times before that he was too quiet when entering a room! Often scaring the daylights out of you since he was so silent.) You looked up immediately giving him a bright smile.
“Hey,��� you said softly and he quickly scooped you up into his arms. Giving you a twirling hug before placing you back on your feet, whispering back a “Hi” in your ear. “So, we exercising or what?” You waggled your brows at him and he snickered, liking how eager you were. “Duh, though I thought maybe a movie-“ Leo was cut off by the sound of your laughter as you shook your head. “Chickening out already?” You teased and he felt his cheeks burn. “What? No! I just thought it would be.. I don’t know!” He spoke quickly and grabbed your hand, dragging you along to the projector room, grumbling about how he should’ve just carried you to his room.
“Alright alright, no need to wallow, what movie were you thinking of!” You squeezed his hand, as he finally let go to grab the remote again. Scrolling faster now to hurriedly just find something decent and chuck the remote away. The screen was moving so fast that you were giggling again, thinking his sudden enthusiasm very cute. “You laughing at me?” He asked, raising a brow bone. “You’re just too cute,” you said jokingly. “I’ll show you cute!” Leo grumbled, giving up on finding a good one and just selecting whatever the remote was hovering over. “Really?! A animal documentary??” You exasperated, paying more attention to the choice you thought he had made and not at the devious look in his eyes.
“It’s informational! And maybe it’ll give you a few tips on turtles,” he winked. But you missed it completely, trying to point out that this show was obviously titled, “Meerkats in the Wild,” and how it couldn’t possibly be about turtles or any other animal for that matter! Leo took advantage of this distraction to sidle up right next to you. One hand stroking your arm for your attention. You looked over, and your eyes widened as he quickly darted forward pressing a kiss to the corner of your lips. You blinked as he leaned back, looking up at the tv screen like he hadn’t just kissed you. A smirking smile gracing his face as he felt your stare. Two could play at that game. You moved your knees underneath you, sitting on them to give you a little more height that would allow you to press a kiss on the side of his head, on his bandana specifically. It was feather light, and as he turned his face at the feeling, you pressed another kiss on him, this time on his forehead. “Mmm,” he muttered lowly, calling attention to his pursed lips that were awaiting the same treatment.
Your hands went up, cupping his cheeks as you couldn’t help your smile, thinking to yourself, adorable, as you did exactly what he wanted. But it was the same soft touch. Barely a touch at all and it had Leo groaning, “Such a tease.” You giggled, “wanna show me how it’s done then?” You were challenging him, goading him. And it totally worked as he bit down on his lower lip, thinking of how much he wanted to show you exactly. But he blew out a breath and grinned, “now remember you asked for it baby.” His hands came up to where you were still holding his face, pulling them down and placing them on his shoulders. He wasted no time in grabbing your hips next, wanting you closer, as he pulled you into his lap. You squealed at the sudden change, of course he was going to make the most out of your challenge.
His lips came crashing down on yours once he had you right where he wanted you. A hand grazing up your back and going into your soft hair. He was like a whirlwind, doing too much all at once and overwhelming all of your senses. His other hand held your hip, keeping you steady, his teeth occasionally nipping at your lips, but mainly he was kissing you like his life depended on it. That was Leo for you, when it came to a challenge that he wanted to win, he’d do anything. And he was doing a lot. You tapped his shoulders, trying to pull back for air but his hand in your hair kept you from moving backwards. You gasped in his mouth, as he finally drew back a couple of centimeters. “Breathless already?” He teased, kissing your cheeks as you continue to breath in sweet oxygen. “Who’s the tease now,” you retorted and he chuckled against your skin, moving his lips lower to your neck and pressing a firm kiss to where your heart beat fluttered.
“Nervous love?” He questioned as his face came back up, looking into your eyes, his own dancing with amusement. He definitely thought he won. Your eyes narrowed, not one to back down either, and he was excited at the prospects of what you would do. He leaned back, shell hitting the back of the couch. “No no, just had to catch my breath is all,” you clarified. The smile he gave you, so utterly handsome, should’ve been illegal. You couldn’t wait to wipe that smug smile off of his lips, you much rather it when he was the one flustered. So with that in mind, one hand left his shoulder, your index finger slowly tracing the lines of his upper plastron. Your eyes never left his, and you could tell he was already trying to keep still. To not twitch underneath you and show how much you affected him just by that touch alone.
When suddenly, loud laughter could be heard from the entrance of the lair and you all but flung yourself to the other side of the couch at the sudden intrusion. “You’ve gotta be shitting me,” Leo growled as Mikey ran into the projector room just seconds later. “Leo Leo Leo!!!” He sang happily not seeing the way one of the blue turtle’s eyes twitched. “Yeah Mikey?” He sighed, and ‘oomphed’ as his little brother dove onto him, then shoved a dvd in his face. “Guess who got another limited edition movie to add to the collection!!! It’s Jupiter Jim!!” He squeaked happily! Leo plastered on a fake smile, “oh wow!” He said trying to appease his little brother while stuffing down his feelings of disappointment. His mind was anywhere but Jupiter Jim movies. No he was replaying the way your eyes shifted into one of seduction as you became more than confident in his lap. His eyes met yours, his irises crackling with desire, he wanted those lips again.
You just winked at him and then turned back to Raph and Donnie who were explaining in great detail about the things they bought at comic con. Leo held back a groan. As Mikey declared they all had to watch the new movie right now. His plan to escape with you into his room, thoroughly thwarted. He wanted to throw a temper tantrum. There was no way his brothers hadn’t done this on purpose. They always seemed to interrupt at the best parts! Just when things were getting interesting. Needless to say, Leo sulked the entire movie. Only putting a smile on his face when Mikey would turn looking for his older brother’s reaction to the movie. Leo couldn’t say he paid much attention to it either. Though he would steal glances at you. Of course, Raph had sat between the two of you. They totally did it on purpose, Leo surmised. Bunch of exercise blockers, that’s what they were!
Halfway through the movie, Leo leaned all the way back into the couch cushions. Hoping he would just get swallowed up at this point. When his eyes turned your way, he hadn’t been expecting you to already be staring at him. His green cheeks turned a shade darker. It didn’t help that you were biting your own lip, Pizza Supreme in the sky, you were such a tease! And then he suddenly understood. You were doing this purposefully! And when it clicked, it must’ve been written all over his face because your lips broke out into a mischievous smile. His eyes narrowed playfully, oh just you wait! One of these days the lair will be empty for more than 30 minutes (they were definitely gone for more than that Leo!) and I’ll show you who’s the real tease around here!
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perianth-nixie ¡ 2 years ago
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'Hugs? No no no don't touch me'
So um... Maybe trash OC lore? Like usually Iberis-3 'cuz I only LOVE this OC.
Some of my friends said Iberis looks huggable OC. Unlucky he dislikes being hugged. Reasons?
Iberis-3 never was supposed be to a 'open person'. He's a closed introvert. My Exo son dislikes sharing his thoughts randoms or talking about his problems. Like anyone care?
(Also a big point in this has his low self-esteem but it's a theme for another post/arts. I never wanted super duper strong mary sue OC).
Anyway. Hugging means to me to let ppl be close to you. Maybe wrong, maybe not. Iberis a very long time didn't want to make close relationships. To be honest he still doesn't want to do it.
Guardian life is problematic as fck, especially for the Young Wolf. (In my story he's the main character). He thinks about guardian life and his private life in two separate worlds that Iberis doesn't want to be connected together. Another reason why he's not an open guardian.
Of course, there are only two persons who Iberis is able to tell everything. I mean his ghost Eva and boyfriend Shiro-4.
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Only they have unlimited hugs and any kind of cuddle if they want to.
Eva needed a looooooong while to gain the trust of Iberis 'cuz at first they didn't get along, mostly because of Eva. They had to learn a lot about themselves and their mistakes and forgive themselves in order to be cooperative.
With Shiro-4, it was a bit problematic. I DON'T believe in love at first sight. In really, really short:
The random guy met by a mutual friend >>> Friend >>> Best Friend >>> Fall in love >>> Couple >>> Broke up >>> Again couple
It grows slowly and doesn't hurry. Iberis had to learn how to deal with this feeling. When he finally opens up they're broke up after The Forsaken. (No not only because vanguard died). BECAUSE It's my trash ship they again became a couple in the middle of Season (14) of the Splicer (It was my fav season, I still miss this one).
Iberis when he again starts to be with Shiro had some personal demons. The White Exo was afraid to fully open for Shiro again which makes problems. Holly Molly, I have to make comics about them someday if I stop being lazy butt most time. but... Anyone cares...? Bruh.
IN THE CONCLUSION. If you are not Eva or Shiro, pretty please ask first Iberis for a hug. Thank you u_u
Sorry for my horrible writing skill and my language, eng is NOT my native language. Also, I'm not a writer but ArTiSt. Communication with pictures is easier for me XD
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why-this-kolaveri-machi ¡ 3 years ago
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just because you’re afraid it doesn’t mean you’re broken.
Titans 3.05
once more into the cold dark void of the internet with my stream-of-consciousness take on a superhero tv show...
spoilers ahead.
1. i cannot believe that among the first things i get to hear in this episode with my own two ears is the line 'eluded our overdudes'. why must you give me such pain along with so much joy, show?
1.5. scarecrow stringing jason along on this path to red-hood-dom is not something i would’ve ever expected, but does kind of make sense. 
1.55. i don’t know all the details of the original resurrection arc in the comics but i like that jason, weirdly, has a greater role to play in his own demise and rebirth? i think it makes it easier to draw a line between his past trauma, the demonstrably shitty and terrifying responsibility of being robin, the ways bruce and the titans wronged him, his responses to that, the reasons he turns to scarecrow, and his final evolution to red hood. it makes for a smoother character arc rather than a one that was interrupted for two decades before somebody went oh hey let’s resurrect that kid that the audience once voted to kill and make him an anti-hero!
1.75. what’s crane giving him? anti fear toxin? anyway, crane is a fucking creep and i’m not sure i want to see a whole lot of him on my screen.
2. oh, um, heads up: there’s a long sequence of unsteady cam + flickering lights right after the title card upto the 3:16 mark. it’s a bit headache-inducing so if you want to skip, you can go ahead and do that. 
2.45. that’s... weird... why would he dream about... donna...
ok, who am i kidding. i’m going to jump right into my theory about Why Titans Makes Sense Actually because the show itself is apparently not interested in explaining itself:
a) it makes no sense for jason to be conjuring up donna--who famously did not care much for him!--in his dreams. (he wasn’t even there when she died.) or for her to be telling him don’t go or there’s still time.
b) this leads me to think that that’s actually donna, in some sort of limbo between life and death, the kind of place where jericho used to be
c) rachel has demonstrated that she has the power to link the minds of the titans across great distances--she called jason and hank/dawn for help in 2.01, she linked up everybody later in the season, projected dick’s hallucination of his father into their brains without even realising she was doing it, and in the finale, she managed to get dick into conner’s brain. she’s in themyscira now. is this how she gets donna back to life? but reaching out to her in that non-space between life and death?
d) the next obvious question is: why isn’t donna appearing in the dreams of the other titans? she probably is, but they have better reason to be dreaming about her since they were actually close to her, unlike jason.
e) but why would she warn jason in particular? does she foresee jason entering the afterlife--however briefly? does she have an idea of what jason plans to do and what he will become?
f) anyway, more trippy mindscapes and weird psychic powers, yay!
2.5. my heart clenched when bruce comforted jason post-nightmare: clearly i’ve been reading way too much batfam fic. this is a side of bruce we haven’t really been told to expect by all the characters on the show calling him a ‘psychopath’ (*cough*unreliablenarrators*cough*) and him getting jason to speak to a professional speaks volumes about the kind of self-reflection he’s done post dick’s departure, and maybe some of the regrets he has with regards to how he dealt with dick’s traumas.
i mean, just look at him when jason dismisses his concerns! BRUCE IS TRYING JASON
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anyway, i have a whole lot more i want to say about this, but i’ll save it for later. 
also: LESLIE THOMPKINS!!!!
3. i really like molly--and i love that she’s a friend from before jason got taken in by bruce, the implication that they meet up regularly and that she’s a grounding influence on him (tho clearly not grounding enough to not go along with his dumbass idea about confronting a child trafficker alone). 
3.5. aw, jason. robin was his armour against everything in the world that would throw him down and chew him to bits, but san francisco proved that even robin wasn’t enough to protect him. it’s really interesting how ‘disillusionment with the idea of robin’ is so integral to the traumas of both dick and jason but in such different ways. 
4. LESLIE!!!!!!! i even forgive her office being so goddamn blue because leslie! 
4.5. it makes so much sense for titans!verse leslie to be a therapist, because this show is so inward looking anyway, and therapist sessions are a useful tool to showcase this character work in a story. besides, at least in fanfic, leslie often seems to double up as a counsellor anyway. 
4.6. oh man. i’m not terribly convinced by walters’ red hood (tho i think that may be the point--argh. i’ll come back to this thought later. have to stop getting distracted!) but he plays the asshole kid that’s trying not to let any real emotion seep through really well.
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“you’d like me to punch you, wouldn’t you”
5. not sure what to think of batman’s little trophy case other than the show winking unsubtly at us and going look look - catwoman! the riddler! two face! you excited yet?! it’s like the scene from the end of amazing spiderman 2 when they were trying to drum up excitement for a sinister six spinoff by having harry osborne walk by a bunch of display cases with stuff from iconic villains in them.
... but then again, bruce does like to display a lot of shit in his batcave, including his dead robin’s bloodstained costume, so.
5.5. bruce is so soft with jason it’s killing me. beyond just trying to learn from his mistakes with dick, it speaks to his own genuine desire to balance his dedication to gotham with doing the best by his sons, although he’s often not successful with that. 
i love that titans is really playing the long game with bruce wayne, with each season and character-perspective sliding in fresh pieces of a bigger puzzle. titans’ bruce has always been a phantom of other peoples’ making, but now we’re getting the idea that he’s a whole lot more complicated than other people make it seem.
5.75. it really recontextualises some of his actions from previous seasons: the fact that he locked dick out of his security systems in 1.06 is likely his way of respecting dick’s independence and his desire not to be associated with batman/gotham anymore. jason knowing about bruce’s tracker while dick doesn’t is probably bruce trying to be more honest and upfront with his charges. bruce sending jason packing off to sanfran to spend time with the titans is probably not him passing on a big responsibility to dick (as i first uncharitably thought) but him trying to get jason out of the toxic influence of gotham for a while and a sign of his trust in dick as a leader and a mentor,
5.8. i mean, bruce is a prick, but he’s also human.
6. i think leslie is doing some good work with jason here, though she may have overstepped the line with her line about robin as a construct being projected by a man with BPD. her speculations about bruce’s diagnosis have no place in her session with jason, and if bruce confides in her, an egregious violation of patient-therapist confidentiality. 
(about the diagnosis itself... i don’t know. i can’t really confirm or refute this without a whole lot more information, and i’m not sure if the writer of this episode means BPD in the same way an actual professional might.)
6.5. i think a huge thing that gets missed out in a lot of recent comics as well as movies/shows is that bruce didn’t create the robin persona out of whole cloth. dick did. he’s the starting point of that legacy and to call it entirely bruce’s creation is blatant erasure of that. in fact, i’m surprised that dick doesn’t feature more in the conversations they’re having about the pressures of being robin. after all, the guy had been robin--bruce’s partner--for such a long time before jason. 
6.8. (and here’s the primal part of me that resonates the deepest with dick grayson--the Eldest Daughter part--that’s sort of resentful: that jason gets the therapy and softness and the learning from mistakes when it took years and years for bruce to reach out in any meaningful way to dick.)
7. oooh that was a great scene!
it’s fun to do these stream-of-consciousness live reactions, because the moment you step down from your soapbox, the episode goes right into tackling what you were just complaining about. bruce means well, he’s learning, but he goes about exactly the wrong way to help jason: taking away robin now can’t be read by jason as anything but a devastating judgment call from bruce. and iain glen really sells the moment that bruce realises this--too late--and his helplessness in trying to get jason to see that it isn’t jason’s fault that he’s trying to do this. he loves jason enough that jason is enough. 
7.5. aaaah so jason brings up the elephant in the room at last. dick got everything makes sense from his perspective, where getting to put on a costume and fight crime means approval, means being something stronger and better than you are. dick got to be robin, then nightwing, and a leader of a whole team of other costume-clad heroes. 
8. ... how did jason just walk into arkham????? this is ridiculous.
8.3. i mean, clearly jason’s not thinking straight, but betraying batman like this puts his possibilities of being robin again even further away. 
8.5. watching that chemistry experiment montage was strangely funny. this guy is looking for an antidote to fear? well, constantly mixing up and inhaling gases concocted by a mad-scientist supervillain is something only the very fearless--reckless to the point of foolishness!--would do. what’s to say crane’s not given you a formula for a drug that will keep you tethered to his every will and whim? hmmmm?
8.7. so he sought out the joker to... test the formula??? 
9. wow the “loud and clear... boss” hits different after a whole episode of them referring to each other as father and son.
9.3. waitwaitwait HOLD UP. wait a DANG MINUTE. you’re telling me that scarecrow had enough resources that he could not only have folks on the outside steal jason away and dunk him in a lazarus pit (i TOLD you that this show would bring up and dismiss ra’s al ghul in a ten second aside! I TOLD YOU) but also have his own little chemistry lab in the basement, AND have enough resources for jason to build his red hood persona???????? all of this in barely twenty four hours?
well there goes my ‘jason orchestrated his death’ theory. it was nice while it lasted. *cups hands to the sky* fly away, my baby.
9.6. a part of me is gleeful at the rushed nature of such an iconic transformation though, especially when compared to all the character work that went before it. we’re so used to getting the opposite that it’s fucking delightful to have a show that’s more interested in exploring its characters’ minds rather than battle scenes or recreating transformations from the comics. that’s taken such bold and exciting steps to fully convey all the nuances of its most recognisable character, bruce wayne, from casting an older actor to play him to unflinchingly showing just how damaging the vigilante lifestyle has been to him and the people he loves. BRILLIANT
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*sporfle*
10. again, heads up: a whole lot of flashing lights between 40:28 and 42:00. 
10.3. i guess it’s the super-compressed timeline that’s really throwing me off. where did he have the time to get/develop the mind control thing from? or is it something that he got from the cabal of villains that he intimidated at the beginning of 3.02? very messy.
10.5. i love molly, i hope she shows up again this season.
11. aaaand that’s it! that was a solid episode as flashback episodes go, but now i can’t wait to return to the present.
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anthrogothic ¡ 3 years ago
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Body/Prision
~Well, this is the first fic I've posted (not that I've written many). Maybe I found it interesting to explore the emotional and psychological side of the clones and, of course, Echo. Besides, of course, other little things. Hope you like it. 🥺 (and sorry for any mistake as this fic was originally written in brazilian portuguese).
Second part heeeeree
Pairing: Echo x fem!Reader (in this chapter only Hunter and Wrecker appear for now)
Word Count: 1.4k
Warnings: Body insecurity and bullying.
You were always a woman of science. Curious, persistent and genius. As a child, you loved growing plants and watching animals. Sometimes experimented with changing the color of flowers in jars with colorful products or hatching small eggs of birds and reptiles in small boxes bathed in light and heated cloths. You once set fire to his parents Aldeeranian Silk curtains, after pointing a magnifying glass in front of the sunlight streaming through the windows.
No wonder you was one of the top students at Naboo's Faculty of Science when was older. After all, you were one of the few females in your class. Being constantly the victim of offensive comments and jokes, mainly because of baggy clothes that didn't mark your body, adopted after years of harassment for your sharp curves. Your glasses and voluminous hair didn't do much for the "jokes" to stop. Withdrawn in any group of popular and partying colleagues, you had nothing but to study with your few fellow “nerds”.
As a result, you soon got your first job in the field. Standing out so much that you was invited to participate in the cloning processes on Kamino a few times, even creating a certain professional relationship with Nala Se, the chief scientist.
You weren't a fan of cloning, even though it was incredible, you found it somewhat unethical in relation to the impact on the lives of Jango Fett clones. They weren't just battle products or numbers to you, but Human Beings with as many rights as anyone else. That they should have autonomy over their lives. But work is not always 100% pleasant, as much as it is something you love as long as you understand being human.
With your occasional visits to Kamino, you ended up having the sympathy of the clones, precisely for treating them like ordinary people, with different names and personalities despite the identical DNA and their fateful serial numbers.
You even ate with them in the cafeteria instead of the staff room and played with them in your free time and some would sneak men's uniforms for you, who were too bothered by the looks and teasing you received in your tight women's uniform.
One day, during a typical meal with your friends, a tone of laughter and nasty comments made you take your attention off your plate.
You poked your clone friend in the shoulder on your right.
"What is happening?"
He, without even looking up, snorted a laugh and spoke before taking the meal to his mouth:
"So you don't know the subject of the moment? There is a new squad among us. Weird… but they haven't suffered a single casualty on the field so far."
You raised an eyebrow, craning your neck a few times in an attempt to see something.
"I was not informed of this. I have not been assigned to inspect newly graduated soldiers for some time. But why the laughter and so much whispering?"
Deep in your brain, the bitter memory of your college days was pulled.
Your friend gave you an incredulous look, gesturing to find the right words to avoid any reprimand from you:
"They… well… are technically defective. Very different from us. No wonder they nicknamed them The Bad Batch."
He stifled a laugh. Soon getting punched in the arm accompanied by a scowl from you.
"Okay, okay. Forgive me, clone rights advocate."
His irony was clear, making you roll your eyes and get up, heading towards the counter where they left the used dishes. After thanking the wrinkled green lady who served the meal, you turned in the direction of leaving the cafeteria, but a sharp impact on your face and chest propels you back, followed by a lot of pain and strong hands gripping your elbows.
"Hey! Are you okay?"
A familiar, but deeper and stronger voice resonated in your ears, making you open your eyes faster than you normally would, as you bring your hand to your forehead and in the background thanking the Maker for wearing contact lenses instead of glasses today . It took you a while to map the face of the man in front of you. His long dark hair fell to his shoulders, his red bandana letting out a few shorter strands across his forehead, his almond-shaped eyes looking a little worried, and finally, a tattoo that covered the entire left part of his face.
He was familiar…but at the same time very different from the other clones. Even the armor, grey and red. Definitely seeing a different face in that cafeteria was a bit intriguing.
"I think you broke her, Hunter!"
A loud, husky voice came from behind you, making you turn your back to the tattooed man, just to behold the huge soldier who covered your entire field of vision.
He was huge, broad and with perfectly shaped muscles. Gradually, your eyes traveled from his abdomen, across his broad chest to his face. This one had no hair. He had a blind eye, with a huge scar running from there to the ear. The clone's good eye looked you up and down, literally.
"I'm fine… sorry… I-"
You were shocked by the image of both men. Could it be they who your friend had spoken of?
You can barely complete your sentence when interrupted by a clone next to you.
"Well well. The scientist and her laboratory freaks. How comical..."
He didn't even stop to stare at you, being followed by two other clones who clearly enjoyed the bad joke.
The men beside you clenched their fists and the bigger one growled, taking long, heavy strides in front of you, until he was stopped by the tattooed-faced clone, who practically jumped in front of him, bracing a hand on his chest.
"Forget it, Wrecker. It's not worth it… and we can't take another warning for assault in the cafeteria."
The taller one nodded a few seconds later, clearly disappointed not to get his hands on his attacker.
With slow steps, you approached them, curious and also irritated by the other clone's words.
"Idiots."
You huffed, crossing your arms over your voluminous breasts.
"You are the new squad the others are talking about, aren't you?"
There was a certain wonder in your voice now.
"Force Clone 99, doctor!"
The two said in chorus, with clear pride in their words and saluting.
"The rest of the team is going through the assessment upstairs. Miraculously we both got through!"
Said the taller clone, with humor in his voice, pulling a smirk from the tattooed clone.
You smiled, even more in awe of them. They were beautiful, unique and not "sloppy".
"Nice to meet you Hunter and… Wrecker, isn't it? My name is Y/N, I work in the lab."
The two looked at each other, minimally polite treatment to the clones was a little rare around here.
"We've heard about you. Won't you give me a warning? For… bumping into you?"
Hunter was a little suspicious, moving closer to you, watching your forehead. Looking for any evidence of injury.
"Oh no, of course not. It was an accident. I also barely looked where I was going."
You tried to be as gentle as possible, despite your brow and nose bothering you, already realizing that it couldn't be too easy for them to get along with each other. You continued:
"Trust me, I know what it's like to be bothered all the time by little jokes and to have people pick on me out of simple dislike. I'm not like the rest of the employees."
Wrecker approached you, already with a content expression on his face.
"There is! I liked her! At least someone here doesn't hate us!"
The clone pulled you into a hug, pressing his side with yours. You blushed a little, as physical contact was never common with you.
Hunter continued with a suspicious expression and his arms now crossed, making him even more imposing, just taking the look off your face, when the communicator you carried in your pocket beeped.
Brought out of your reverie by Wrecker's tight embrace and Hunter's form, you picked up your communicator to read the newly arrived messages.
"Uh… I need to go. Nala Se never give me a break. See you later guys. Hope to meet the rest of you!"
You headed towards the exit, leaving a sympathetic smile as you left the clones. They were still there, trying to absorb how kind you, a scientist, were to them.
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dreaming-of-assclass ¡ 4 years ago
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Nagisa getting angry at the whole class/or group 4 hc’s? The reason could be something about tainting Sakura or something? I just love mad Nagisa. Hope you’re doing well 🙌
Wait I love this so much omg, an opportunity to have him go apeshit like he deserved!! 💚 I love the idea of involving Sakura but I changed it up a bit ^^; Also if it's ok, I decided to write a short one-shot!
(Nagisa gets angry, 3-E gets put in their places and learns to be more humble) One-Shot!!
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It was Day 5 of their assigned punishment, volunteering at the school. It was safe to say that majority of the class accepted it by this point and chose to focus on positives. even enjoying the time that was spent there.
The more damage they noticed, the more determined they were to fix the building and give the kids a proper place to learn. Chiba, who led the architect aspects, was especially endeared towards them, probably because he had younger sisters of his own.
The class all had divvied up their tasks. A large portion focused mainly on repairs and handiwork, but often alternated so people could have breaks too. Another big part of the class focused on entertaining the kids and helping Matsukata with the lessons.
A lot of students, the ones with high grades, were also involved in tutoring the children and generally helping out if it was needed. Kanzaki, Fuwa, Mimura, to name a few.
Nagisa figured he was in the very small minority of his classmates who was really only spending time with one child. Actually, scratch that, he was the only one.
But it wasn't like he minded! Sure, Sakura could be a brat and she was prickly at times. All the time... but she was just a kid! A kid who had already been conditioned into thinking she was a hopeless case! Of course, Nagisa would do everything in his power to help her feel better about herself.
After all, he knew exactly how it felt.
But Nagisa wasn't completely oblivious. Even if his attention was on her, he didn't miss the eye-roll exchanges amongst his classmates. Or the annoyed sigh his friends would give if he mentioned tutoring Sakura.
It left a very bad taste in his mouth, but he wisely chose to ignore it, pretend like he didn't hear anything before going back towards Sakura with new worksheets in hand.
This had continued on since the second day of their volunteering, so for a few days now. The subtle quirks of their eyebrows, quiet scoffs, whispering amongst each other.
Nagisa liked to believe that his classmates weren't snobby or problematic. But their behavior was seriously starting to piss him off now, and if it continued, he wasn't sure if he could shut up any longer.
________________
Of course, it had to be Sugino first.
Nagisa loved his best friend truly, but never did he feel so strong of an urge to sock him in the head.
They were all walking back home, as it was the end of the day and their after-school time at the school was done. The children had left first, then Class E stayed to do some extra work and help Matsukata before leaving themselves.
Like usual, Class E was split up. Some kids walked far along in their own groups, chatting. Others had already turned down their streets, ready to head home. Nagisa was in the back with Sugino, Kayano, Kanzaki, Okuda, Terasaka, and Nakamura.
Karma hadn't come in that day, claiming he was sick. Well...not surprising.
They were walking, feet sore from the day and their bags weighing over their shoulders. It was mostly Nakamura and Kayano talking, with a couple quips from Terasaka.
Nagisa was mostly just zoning out, thinking of what his mom would say or do tonight. Was she working late? Should he grab some groceries? Should he do the laundry-?
"Hellooooo~!" A hand waved in front of his face and Nagisa jolted up to see Sugino grinning at him expectedly. "Dude, wake up!"
"Sorry about that," Nagisa replied quickly (automatically) before smiling back. "What's up?"
"I was just gonna ask if you'd be up for leaving the volunteering stuff early tomorrow with me and Karma. He said he found a cool new comic shop to check out."
Nagisa bit his lip to stop from laughing out loud. Karma and Sugino really went from being "enemies" to now inviting him to their plans. Oh, the irony.
"Mm sorry, but I have to make the most use of that time to help Sakura. Maybe another time?" He offered.
Sugino's smile quirked. Ah, there it was.
"Man, that sucks."
Nagisa's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"
"That you have to miss out on studying and fun just to tutor some bratty kid," Sugino retorted without missing a beat.
Nagisa's jaw almost dropped. Sugino liked kids. Where the heck was this coming from? "What's your problem?" He demanded.
At this point, the whole group had quieted down to watch them both with interest. Nakamura's lips were upturned as she crossed her arms. Terasaka's body posture appeared lax, but a sharp glint was in his eyes. Kayano just looked worried
Sugino carded his hand through his hair, frustrated. "Look, I just think you should leave her alone. She's still got a terrible attitude and isn't grateful at all for anything."
"She's just a kid!" Nagisa shot back, feeling his chest grow taut. "And if you bothered to pay attention, you'd see that it has improved. She needs someone to believe in her."
"No offense, Nagisa," a voice cut in. It was Nakamura stepping forward, her blue eyes similar to that of a shark's. "But I've heard you say that about a lot of things that never change."
"Not to mention, that it doesn't have to be your obligation to do everything for her," Kayano chimed in hesitantly.
"Honestly, I just don't get how you can even be around her for too long," Terasaka added. "She's so annoying."
"Enough!" Nagisa snapped loudly, feeling a familiar venom shoot up inside of him. It settled into his veins, on a pathway to pump inside of his heart.
All of his friends stiffened, but he couldn't bring himself to care at that moment. He continued sharply, "You know, this hubris you guys have...is what caused us to be in this situation in the first place."
He shook his head. "You just never learn your lesson, do you? You're all trashing on this literal child, when she's just like us!"
"Nagisa-" Sugino tried to interject, but Nagisa stopped him.
"We've been treated like losers. We've been talked down to by almost every adult in our lives." His voice got louder as his chest tightened. "We know what it's like to feel hopeless! And that's exactly how Sakura feels, so why don't you want to fix that?!"
Kayano was the first to lower her head.
"You know, we're lucky. Just because we have a crazy teacher and get to learn about assassination with cool gadgets doesn't change who we are," he continued. "We're still students who struggle. We're normal people who have failed but we got back up on our feet. We know we can do better. But lately, we've just been acting like the same people who treat us like crap!"
He let out a heavy breath. "And come on guys..." He lifted his gaze to meet theirs. "Let's not act like we're any better. I mean, look at how immature and bratty we've been!"
He gestured to Nakamura. "The first thing you tried to say after we were caught was that it was Matsukata's fault for being there."
The blonde flinched.
He turned to Terasaka, leveling his gaze with his. "And you almost blew me up on the first day of school for money!" He let his words out in one breathless laugh."
He turned towards Sugino. "And dude? You said some pretty mean stuff back when we first got Ritsu."
Both guys averted their gazes, their mouths downturned.
Nagisa sighed. "The point is, that we're not perfect. We've come a long way, but we've made mistakes and we can accept that. So please extend that energy towards this 12-year old who genuinely needs support."
The anger inside him had cooled down now, like how lava and molten rock gradually formed into solid rock. He watched his friends pensively. They all wore expressions of guilt and shame.
"You're right, man," Sugino said quietly. "I'm sorry." The others followed suit, and Nagisa felt a weight relieve his shoulders.
"Just..." Nagisa brushed back his bangs. "Give her a chance, guys. She's more than just an ungrateful brat."
"Of course, Nagisa," Kayano offered him a tiny smile, which he returned.
"And," Nagisa straightened up and fixed his gaze on Sugino. "You better wait to visit that comic shop until I'm free."
We're okay. I forgive you.
Sugino's lips turned up. "Sure, man."
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fandomscombine ¡ 4 years ago
Text
The Hargreeves Kerfuffle Part 2: Family Reunion
The Hargreeves Kerfuffle Part 2: Family Reunion
The Hargreeves siblings x Hargreeves!Reader (Familial Relationship)
BG: The Reader is Number Eight. It follows how you fit into the structure of Season 1 and the family dynamic of the siblings.
This part follows the collapse of The Umbrella Academy during their youth and having the family back together after years apart for the very first time.
I have mashed up the information and some events from both the comics and the tv series. So a heads up for readers who haven’t read the comics, it was hinted in S2 but in the very beginning of the comics, it’s canon that Reginald is indeed an Alien.
The series will consist of 10 parts. Where the reader would have a focused interaction with each sibling. (Eg. After this part, it would be Luther x Reader, then Diego x Reader and so on! –Yes Ben is included)
WC: 4786 (never had I written so much for one part before!)
Contains: Angst. Death- Reginald and Ben (so not exactly a spoiler, but while writing Ben’s scene had my eyes water a bit.) Crap childhood and the Hargreeves being a mess.
A/N: You guys are literally the best! Reading your replies and comments about how much you enjoyed part 1 and are looking forward to the rest of the series, really warms my heart!
>>GENERAL MASTERLIST<<
>>THE HARGREEVES KERFUFFLE SERIES MASTERLIST<<
READ: [PART 1]  [PART 3]  [PART 4]
>>JOIN MY WRITING CHALLENGE!<<
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~
March 21, 2019.  
Never had you thought that you would be back here, looking up the gates of The Umbrella Academy, 13 years later.
There was and still is so much pain associated with this building, this entity, this identity of The Umbrella Academy. That you hadn’t seen it coming- well not exactly completely blind to it. Sir Reginald Hargreeves’ upbringing of children-your siblings, your childhood- had always been shit but you had never come close to imaging it to be as emotionally and mentally damaging as it did.
Children at aged 7 finding out they had powers was great. To a kid, it was a dream come true to be a real-life superhero. It all started out as fun and games but soon, training started to be competitions to outshine your siblings-your competitors whist being told to work together at the same time. It was quite a hard concept to grasp as a young kid, but in order to get any attention and praise from a distant father, a kid would do anything.
By the age of 9, the superhero team of ‘The Umbrella Academy’ was officially announced to the world. The group consisted of the 7 Hargreeves children, publicly known as: Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Séance, The Boy, The Horror, and Foresight.
An 8th child with seemingly no superpower, had been secretly tucked away, hidden from the world and too, distanced away from her own siblings. It was though Vanya Hargreeves didn’t exist.
You did try your best to spend time with Vanya and keep the Sunday sister bonding time with her, but with all your training and missions, combined with all her violin lessons and some other private lessons she often go on with in long periods of time - though she wouldn’t mention what they were- there was absolutely no time to be in each other’s presence, so soon you along with the rest of your siblings slip away from Vanya.
At age 10 was a big year for the Hargreeves siblings, they had kind of successfully protected the city of Paris from the chaos of the Eiffel Tower being a spaceship- yes it did flew away but at least the people were saved- The mission became world wide news and soon every move they made caught the public’s eye. With this led to more intense training and additional etiquette workshops to better the group’s public image.
Reginald being a helicopter parent took a toll on the children, who had coped in their own ways. Luther taking the role of ‘leader’ to heart, Diego with his never ending hero complex, Allison using her power to get whatever she wanted, Klaus fell into the world of drugs and alcohol, Five-the rebel who thinks he’s smarter than everyone even dad, Ben into the world of video games, Vanya became ever more quiet and more to herself, and you-a yes person to dad who calls you his most valuable asset that has ever crossed his path, never wanting to let him down.
Things really started to get out of hand at the ripe old age of 13. Breakfast had been a mess, Five had a massive argument with dad and stormed out of the house. You ran after him, caught his coat just as he passed the gate- the very gate you are standing in front of now.
‘FIVE! WAIT!’
‘WHAT?’ He turned, looking angrier as ever.
‘Please don’t leave.’ You place your hand on his shoulder- damn when did he become taller than you? ‘You both can talk this out. Rationalized things out’ You pleaded.
He shook your hand away. ‘Talk? REALLY Y/N? You think good old dad would dare listen to someone younger than him? TO HIS OWN CHILDREN?’ He snorted. ‘You are daft y/n. I thought you were smarter than this-‘ Five sighed. ‘But a guess you are too much of a daddy’s girl to see things clearly.’
‘I know you didn’t mean that’ You stammered, not letting the tears fall. ‘that’s just your anger talking.’
‘oh but I do mean it. Now if you’d excuse me, I have to get going to prove dad wrong.’
Five makes a step forward but you blocked his way
‘GET OUT OF THE WAY Y/N’ He pushes you. ‘I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE ANYMORE.’
As you fell to the ground, you see him blip away.
That was the last time anyone had seen Number Five and his final words still haunts you to this day.
‘get out of the way y/n! i don’t want to see your face anymore.’
To make matters worst from having a sibling disappear and to never come back was to have another sibling lose his life.
The media was quick to publish the news. It was all the tabloid and news outlets seem to care about. The headline would vary but all in all still carry the same heart-breaking news. Be it from ‘The Horror dies in mission.’ , ‘The Umbrella Academy loses the life of another of its members.’ to ‘RIP to teen superhero Ben Hargreeves aka The Horror.’
Oh Ben, dear Ben. Why must he be taken away? You thought. Why?
The mission was meticulously planned and prepared for. You were sure to have extracted all the information on what was to go down and what the villains’ moves were from your vision.
You had memorized that every aspect of that dream- you had 2 weeks to prepare. Everyone was supposed to be safe, but why wasn’t Ben?
Why didn’t reality play out as to what you foresaw? You had never slipped up before. Why had the one time you did cost you the life of your beloved brother? Why?
While sobbing your eyes out onto Ben’s grave, a memory of what seemed so long ago came rushing back.
~
>>‘I’m sorry y/n.’ He said leaning on your door frame.
‘Ben!’ You exclaimed. ‘I’m so glad you’re back up and running!’
Ben was caught off guard. ‘You—You’re not mad at me?’
‘Why would I be mad at you?’ You questioned, genuinely confused at your brother’s words.
‘Cause, Cause I almost got you killed. I am a monster.’
You sat up straight at those words, your ribs hurt a bit at the sudden movement, but you didn’t care. Your brother was blaming himself for something he couldn’t have controlled.
‘NO BEN!’
Ben jumped from your sudden outburst.
You motioned for him to come closer.
‘Ben…’ looking into his eyes. ‘Ben you are no monster.’
‘But—’
‘uuh uh I’m not done’ You held his hand in yours. ‘You are no monster what happened then was an accident, nobody knew, heck nobody expected powers to just show up. It was beyond anyone’s control. It took us by surprise.’
His shoulders relaxed.
‘It wasn’t your fault. I don’t blame you for what happened.’
He gave you a bone crushing hug. ‘Thank you y/n. You don’t know how guilty I was feeling.’ Voice muffled by your shoulder, which is now wet with his tears. ‘I kept thinking about the pain I caused you and I wasn’t allowed to leave my room even when I begged dad to see you and say sorry. y/n’
‘Shhh shhh’ Rubbing his back. ‘It’s alright Ben. What’s important is that we’re all here now. Alive, Safe and sound.’. <<
~
‘I’m sorry Ben…’ You choked out.
‘I’m so sorry Benny…’ Wiping his gravestone of your tears. ‘I—I got you killed. I am a monster. I am THE monster.’ You hiccupped. ‘It is MY job to keep everyone same, to do the reconnaissance, to ensure that everyone in the frontline is safe. It is my power to foresee what could go wrong, to avoid disastrous mistakes. And….and I failed, Ben. I failed. I failed you, dad, The Umbrella Academy.’
‘I miss you Ben so much…’ You lie down with an arm across the lawn. Picturing that is was him you’re hugging, that he is really there.’ more than your annoyingly sweet ass could ever believe. I wish you were here Ben, safe and sound. And if you could hear me Ben, I wish you could forgive me.’
Your eyes slowly fall shut from the emotional guilt you’re feeling but a warm breeze passes through like a warm embrace lightening the heavy burden within.
A soft whisper of reassurance and familiar words brings you to peaceful rest.
‘I forgive you y/n. It wasn’t your fault. I don’t blame you for what happened.’
You stirred from your sleep as you felt yourself lifted from the ground.
‘Careful Diego! You might wake her up.’ You hear Klaus say.
All this trauma, stress and was just too much to handle by minors and as quickly as all your powers came, the same goes for the people who left.
Klaus was the first to leave the academy at age 16, who choose to be self-checked at a rehab centre, stating that that was a way healthier environment then this shithole that was ‘home’.  Who could blame him? Especially when you yourself were planning to leave.
As much as you wanted to get up and leave in the dead of night, you can’t. You don’t have the heart to leave your remaining siblings behind. No, not in this environment. If you were to leave, you wanted them to go with you, to at least know they would have a good life ahead.
Under Reginald’s watchful eye, it would take time to sort the plan out, but it would be worth it.
And you know just the person to talk to.
‘Heyya Diego.’
‘You’re up to something y/n/n and I don’t want to be in any part of it.’ He says without glancing your way. ‘Not after the pineapple incident.’ Diego’s eyes finally landing on you.
Rolling your eyes, you chuckled. ‘Oh come on Diegs! That was years ago! It was just a childish prank—’
Diego gives you the finger.
‘-Oi! It is not MY fault what Luther did to you; besides you were supposed to take the EAST stairwell, NOT the West.’ You say matter of factly, shaking your head. ‘Ughh no, we are getting out of topic. Diego, I need your help and you have to promise not to tell anyone-’
‘You’re devising a getaway plan, aren’t you?’
Your brows scrunched together. ‘How’d you—’
‘I’m not blind y/n, I recognised the look of someone who too is planning to escape.’
You raise a brow. ‘Too?’
‘Yes, Too.’ Diego edges closer to you. ‘Now, why don’t we save the trouble of potentially ruining each other’s individual schemes and join forces. Team up. More brainpower. And whatnot. Deal?’ Offering his pinky out.
You ignored the outstretched gesture. ‘What happened to being a lone wolf huh?  I thought that was your thing now?’ You countered.
‘Like a said y/n, the more brainpower, the higher the success.’ He explained. ‘Say, we do manage to get out or perhaps just leave, like Klaus. Where would we go? Where would you? Hmm?’
‘I… I…’ You honestly don’t know.
‘Exactly. That’s why we team up and once we’re out of here. We stick together for a while till we get back on our feet and figure out what we want then go our separate ways.’
You nod, digesting his words. It seems like a solid plan with ample flexibility before deciding on what to do with your life after. But….
‘Okay…..’
‘Okay!’
‘…On one condition. It would not only you and me. We’ll try to get to convince the others to come along too.’
‘What?! y/n no, that’s too many people on the plan-‘
‘More brainpower, higher the success. Your words Diego. Not mine.’ You retaliated. ‘Besides, we can’t just leave everyone here. It’s miserable here. They’re family Diego.’
‘Fine we’ll tell Luther and Allison.’
‘Everyone, Diego.’ You stared him down. ‘And that includes Vanya. No buts.’
‘Ugh.Fine.’ He points a finger towards your face. ‘We tell Luther, Allison AND Vanya. But I swear y/n if anyone of them rats us out or backs out of the plan. We leave them behind. No pity if they choose to stay in this shithole of a house. They are old enough to make their own decision and to face the consequences.’ He leans back to the bed’s headboard. ‘That’s my final offer. Deal?’
‘Deal.’ You interlock your fingers, sealing the pinky promise.
It was easy to get Vanya on board, as she was the child that received the crappiest treatment from dad. Allison was hesitant at first but after convincing her the real world had so much more to give compared to that of the imaginary perfect bubble she created for herself here in the academy with the use of her power, she was on board.
Luther that ever loyal ‘leader’ of the academy would never dare cross dad, the idea wouldn’t have even crossed his mind. Diego had failed to make him see reason and so have you. Luther only came around to be a part of the escape because Allison had agreed to it.
It took almost 6 months. The time has come. You all had saved up enough money to rent a loft apartment downtown and pooled enough to last at least 3 months on your own.
At 1:00 am.  All the remaining 5 Hargreeves are to ready with their backpacks to sneak out in groups, boys and girls, and meet at the rendezvous point, Giddy’s Doughnuts. There, a van would be available for them to drive to the apartment.
The boys were to go first, as to let Diego deactivate the security features of the house while Luther stands guard.
It was only supposed to take 15 minutes tops, it was 20 minutes past now. Something was wrong.
Deciding as a team to check up on the boys, you, Allison and Vanya head down to the foyer.
Upon arrival, you see Luther with his hands covering Diego’s face, Diego who seem limp as a log.
‘Luther what’s going on?’ Allison’s voice rang out beside you.
‘I’m sorry….’ He looks down unto the unconscious Diego in his arms. ‘I just… I just couldn’t.’
‘Number Eight! How could you! How could all of you! Three! Seven!’
The room seemed to turn colder by the sound of the voice. You turn and see Sir Reginald Hargreeves.
‘Dad…’
‘YOU ARE ALL A DISGRACE.’ Reginald spitted.
‘But dad!’ Luther pleaded. ‘I was the one who informed you about their plan!’
‘ENOUGH! NO MORE OF THIS FOOLISHNESS, BACK TO BED---’
‘That’s right NO MORE dad!’ Shouted Allison. She glances at dad then at Luther. A frown etched her face as she commanded. ‘I heard a rumor that you couldn’t move your legs.’
The effect was immediate. The lower half of Reginald and Luther stayed still as a rock while they tried their best to break free. But alas, Allison had the upper hand. ‘I heard a rumor you let us go freely.’ At once, both men calmed down.
And to add insult to injury. Allison focused on Reginald and rumoured ‘And you would leave Diego Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves, Vanya Hargreeves, Y/n Hargreeves and Allison Hargreeves alone.’
Luther’s betrayal felt like a stab in the back.
Moving on and creating a new life from the ground up for oneself was hard but having your siblings with you had definitely made it easier.
It took a while to get the hang of things, being 4 young adults with nothing. You missed Mom and Pogo, but you knew that they, like Luther would stick with Dad.
Vanya was the first to take up stack, she provided the finance to pay rent and groceries with the salary she would get from her violin performances at the local theatre. Soon Allison would also chip in from the money she received from her acting gigs.
Diego showed interest into joining the police academy while you wanted to get away from the lifestyle as much as possible, opted to move across the country and pursue tertiary education-because that was what normal 18-year-old do right? For once you want to be ordinary and what better way than experience what student life is all about.
Though there is one teensy detail that was hindering your application. You were home-schooled by your robot mom. There weren’t report cards or grades that any university would accept. Even if there were, you wouldn’t want to go back to that dreadful house.
 Both not wanting to lose your newfound passion, you and Diego had an enormous favour to ask.
‘NO not a chance!’ Allison crossed her arms.  ‘It’s unethical!’
‘Yes we know-‘ you replied.
‘But it’s the only way.’ Diego reasoned. ‘It’s not fair for y/n and I to not be able to follow our dreams and to finally FINALLY move on with our lives, Ally. While you and Vanya get to live out yours.’
You nodded along. ‘We ask you just this one thing and we’re out of your hair.’
Allison looked between you two as if to decided whether it would be worth it. ‘Fine, just this once.’  She sighs. ’And this doesn’t get out kapeesh?’ pointing her finger.
‘kapeesh.’
~
‘I’m gonna miss you so much!’ Vanya admitted.
You pulled both your sisters into a hug. ‘I’m miss you gals more!’
Allison wipes her tears away. ‘Don’t forget us okay? Remember we’re only a text away.’
‘Tell Diego that I’m gonna miss kicking his butt when he come back from his officer training, ye?’
~
Over the years you hadn’t lost touch with your family. It’s been a while since you’ve all together physically, but you do video chat every once and a while and you have a general tab on each of your siblings. Vanya is currently the 3rd chair violin at her orchestra, Diego had channelled his inner batman and believe to be a vigilante keeping the streets and public safe.
As for Klaus, Diego had told you that he hasn’t managed to keep off his ~happy place~ and had seen him in and out of nightclubs.
Allison….Well who wouldn’t know about what she’s up to. A-list celebrity with numerous critically acclaimed movies to her name, one half of Hollywood’s hottest couple and amazing role model for mothers. Ahh Claire that sweet angel, who says that you’re her favourite aunt, that smile of hers melts your heart.
The last you’ve seen of Luther is when his journey to the moon has been televised a couple of years ago. There’s been no news since.
 The rattling of the gate brings you back to the present.
‘AH yes, Miss.y/n. He has been expecting you.’
‘Pogo!’ You exclaimed, wrapping him in a hug.
‘So I’m not to late then? Where’s mom?’
‘Grace is with Sir Reginald, my dear.’ Pogo leads you up the stairs.
Looking around, everything is as pristine as usual. ‘I see that nothing’s change’ You noted.
‘Yes, well I was asked to keep it as it always was.’
He opens the door to Reginald’s quarters. There on the bed was dad, looking sickly pale but still alive unlike to what you had seen in your vision.
Beside him wiping away the sweat on his forehead was mom. ‘Oh, my dear y/n I’m glad you could join us.’ She says as if years hadn’t gone by without your presence.
You reach the foot of the bed. ‘Dad…’ you begin.
But Reginald cuts you off. ‘Number Eight. Glad to see that logical and curious side of yours overrides that irrational emotive side.’ His voice weak yet still holds its signature condescending tone. ‘It is your disposition to the voice of reason and mysteries of the unknown that led you here, despite your supposed hatred towards me-‘
‘There’s no grey area, I do hate you.’
He waved his hand to dismiss your interruption.
‘As I was saying, it is of this reason- your control over the impulsiveness that is apparent to all of your siblings who lack control- is why you are my favourite.’
You scoffed.
‘It is true, my dear y/n.’
‘Oh please. You only see me as a “valuable asset”. Remember?’
Reginald nods. ‘I do, but I believe the exact words were “You would do great things Number Eight. To see into the future is a valuable asset to have indeed”. Thus, implying that your ability is the asset not you.’
‘Sure, just rub it in don’t you.’ Rolling your eyes.
‘I hope that you do too remember that also in my own words that you were and still are “the cleverest of the bunch”.’
‘So why am I here, you’re clearly not dead.’ You looked at him again.  You’ve never seen your dad so fragile ever. ‘….yet. So there must be something to do with that. Perhaps find your killer?’
On the bedside table, you took note of the cup of tea and medication. Your brain is in super speed, running through ideas on what could have cause him to be so sickly.
‘It could be your meds…..’ You look up. ‘Mom who else has access to Dad’s medication?’
‘Just us dear, Pogo and I.’
‘Number Eight there is no killer. I am dying because of old age, it is quite normal for-‘
‘NO No but the mortality rate is 350 years for the species of—’
‘Ah!’ Reginald’s face showed of surprise which slowly turned into cunningest. ‘so, you know then’ He chuckled.
‘Yes.’
‘Since when?’ He asked genuinely curious.
‘When we first showed signs of powers, some of your notes were written in a language I did not recognised.’ You recalled. ‘So, I did some digging, it took a while but when I found about the secret safe under this very bed and what it contained. Everything became clearer.’
‘Very good. Y/n. Nobody knew about the safe expect myself.’ He looked over at Pogo. ‘Did you know of it?’
‘No, Sir.’ Pogo admitted. ‘Not until now.’
‘Very well indeed. You knew all this time, yet you didn’t say anything. Why?’
‘Because it didn’t matter.’ You shrugged. ‘The only thing that matter in this household was our powers.’
‘Did the others-‘
‘No, they didn’t know. I hadn’t told a soul. It is not my secret to share.’
‘And soon it will be yours.’
‘What?’
‘Number Eight, it is without a doubt my time here is limited. Perhaps as little as an hour.’
Never had you seen someone talk about their death like this. You shiver at the thought.
‘By the fact that you are here now and had seen a vision of me dead means that the block I had place on you to prevent you peering into events regarding me is failing. Failing as my health is.’
You want to be angry. How dare he supress your power. But you stand still as a rock by his confession. ‘why?’ A soft whisper was all you could muster. ‘why?’
‘Because I had to keep my real identity a secret. To prevent you from exposing me.’ He coughed. ‘But turns out, you hadn’t need to use your powers to know that, as what you’ve told me.’ He looked at you with watering eyes. ‘You found that all on your own, yet you did not disclose anything.’ He reached out for your hand to which you accept. ‘For which I am delighted that at least I can say that I have one child, a daughter to be proud of.’
A daughter to be proud of.
You would like to think that you are strong and independent. And those are true. But that small child that all that wanted was to experience a parent’s love and affection. That emotional support of that small child which you thought you had successfully tucked away came clawing its way back to the surface.
‘y/n’ You had almost missed it, wiping away your tears, you leaned closer.
‘Listen carefully….’ Your dad’s chest was barely moving. It was a struggle for him to get the following words out. ‘The end is near, get the others ……and save…..the…..tttiiiimmm’
You never head what came next. Sir Reginald Hargreeves is dead.
Under the setting sun, Reginald looked at peace.
~
A half moon shines brightly above the house. It had been 3 days and 7 Hours since it happened.
Exhaustion is starting to catch up with you but there is still so much to do.
News channels had broadcasted the breaking news of your father’s death.
You had personally called your siblings to deliver the news, they are to arrive tomorrow for the funeral at noon.  
Luther who had been expecting to relay dad his daily report status on the space radio, cussed at you in anger-those were the first words you heard in 12 years- calmed down and said that he will be there in 3 days, in time for the funeral.
‘Sweetie, I brought you some tea.’
‘Thanks mom.’ You take a sip. ‘Hey mom did you think you’re gonna be alright now that you know…. That dad is gone?’
She runs her fingers to your hair. ‘I’m gonna be fine dear, I am stronger than you know.’
You smile at her. You just can’t help but to think what’s gonna happen to her now that your dad is gone. Pushing that thought away-like she said, I am stronger than you know.
 ‘Now, why don’t we get you to bed.’ She cuts you off before you can say a word. ‘Uh uh. You have done so much already. You need rest especially with the funeral in 9 hours. Pogo and I can handle the remaining task.’
‘Thanks again mom.’
She tucks you into bed. ‘Good night y/n/n. Sweet Dreams.’ She kisses the top of your head. ‘I love you.’
‘I love you too mom.’ As she leaves your room, you realised that you didn’t want to be alone. ‘Mom…’ You called out, almost childlike.
‘Yes dear.’ Grace makes her way back in.
‘Well you stay with me? Sing to me until I fall asleep?’
‘Ofcourse dear.’ She smiles, pulling up a chair beside your bed.
The lull of your mother’s voice sends you to sleep with the memories of the childhood before power. When everything was simple. When there was love in this household.
~
You awoke to sounds of screams and flashes of blue light. You hurry to your window, it shows the courtyard, a ball of blue chaos small black figures.
You pull on your jacket and ran downstairs, the clock in the foyer shows 11:37am. Crap you overslept! But that means…..that the figures you saw were your siblings. There are early….that’s new.
You arrived in the courtyard just as you see Klaus throws a fire extinguisher at the blue light.
‘What are you doing?!’ Shouted Luther.
‘What is that gonna do?’ Allison questioned.
‘I don’t know!!’ Klaus turned around ‘Do you have a better idea?—Oh hey y/n! Nice to see you!’ He ran over and gave you a tight hug. ‘What a family reunion ehh?’
Before you could reply, the ball of blue gave out a crackle of electricity.
‘Everyone get behind me!’ Luther pushes in front of everyone.
‘Yeah! Get behind us.’ Diego chimed in, pushing Vanya closer to you.
Vanya ignores Diego, trying to get a better look herself. ‘It looks like something is coming through!’
The ball of light exploded, the sudden burst of energy was blinding that you had to cover your eyes.
Then nothing, total darkness.
THUD. You heard Vanya scream.
‘Argh!’
The blue chaos had expelled something….someone.
Luther was the first to speak. ‘Who’s there?’
‘Show yourself!’ said Diego.
As a collective group, you walked towards the mystery person.
Your eyes go wide with shock. No it can’t be, it’s impossible. You must be seeing things.
‘Does anyone else see little Number Five, or is that just me?’ wondered Klaus.
Klaus looked around and saw that everyone showed that same face of disbelief. Pleased to know that it wasn’t the drugs, he snickered. ‘Now THIS! THIS IS WHAT I CALL A FAMILY REUNION.’
Little Five who didn’t seem to have aged a day since you last saw him,
It’s been years but seeing him looking like he did back when you last saw him, you recall the last words he had shouted at you.
‘get out of the way y/n! i don’t want to see your face anymore.’
Five looks down at himself drowned in tattered oversize clothes, wining. ‘SHIT!’
Something is wrong, something is very wrong and you know it.
No way was this all a coincidence for your father to warn you about some impending doom and have Five to reappear 17 years later. It must be related somehow…What’s next you thought……For Ben to come back to life too?
END OF PART 2
READ: [PART 1]  [PART 3]  [PART 4]
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morgunaa-stark ¡ 3 years ago
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Rules
These are some rules you'll have to follow if you want to interact with me, or most any other roleplay blog on this site.
Continued intentional breaking of these rules will probably end in a block.
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streets-in-paradise ¡ 4 years ago
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Let’s talk about the amazingly on spot social commentary on The Boys
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Warning: This post contains spoilers from Season 1 and the first three episodes of season 2 of The Boys 
Tags: @nehoymenyoy asked to be tagged. I don’t know if my tags are working well but if they don’t i will send you the link of the post. 
I decided to make this post because i finished all the avaliable episodes of the series two days ago and, having a long talk with my sister about this topic, i tought this is too awesome to not discuss it here. We are both studying in careers of the social field, i'm in sociology and she is in social work. We watched the show together and talking with her inspired my own ideas i would like to share here.
This show was a wonderfull surprise in terms of social commentary. I haven't watched one with such a great commentary since American Gods. In that case i was expecting some degree of progressive commentary because i had read the book previously and i was aware the source material had some, the one added for the series is even better and it was great, but it wasn't a shock to find it. For The Boys i haven't read the comics first and , even when i loved the show for lots of reasons, the amazing on spot social commentary was a hell of a surprise. I have been frustrated lately in terms of the messages in entertaiment products because, even when there is a lot of intention for part of the makers to make more progressive points in their stuff, everything becomes bland marketing to me most of the time. I remember that some years ago media used to came out unintentionally with some really cool progressive messages ( like, for example, " a bug's life" and its anti capitalist message). That stuff seemed soo genuine and today i feel that everytime a product targets my demographic in that sense what they deliver it's soo bland and fake that the progressive intention of the message gets lost in the absolutely obvious intention of selling something to me using my ideals as catch. Precisely this is an important point of critic in this show. I didn't expected at all to get a genuine feeling in the social commentary of a superhero show. I'm not saying that this means i think the makers believe in this (after all, it's amazon), what i praise here is how good they did it. In a time when most productions claim to have a social commentary behind to come out as cool but result in shallow fake bullshit this series has provided me with something that feels autentic. Like American Gods, what i feel the show is trying to tell me actually gets me.
Before starting with the proper talk i want to dedicate a few línes to recommend a few scenes of the show i just mentioned. I was super dissapointed after finding out they will probably end up turning it into more bland fake bullshit for season 3 but, to anyone who likes well delivered social commentary, check on Orlando Jones's scenes as Anansi. He is my favourite character from the show and all his scenes are a blessing. 
I would also want to clarify that this post and the opinions displayed on it are from an anti capitalist, intersectional feminist and latin american perspective. I know the show is very american, the issues it discusses are most of the time worlwide but it has particularities of the american context so i will try to talk only of what i feel i know enough to have a word. I'm argentinian and we have our local versions of some of this problems but i will stay in the series territory trying to be as faithfull as i can to the american reality it gets inspiration from. Also, forgive me for any mistakes on my writing and expresions. English is not my native language. 
Superheros are modern mythology. How would this work in real life?
This is the basic premise of the show’s worldbuilding. The great thing is that this concept is not developed in an edgy, pretentious way. It is serious and painfully real because it’s not only a subversion of tropes, it says a lot of what superheros are to us as a modern times myth. In a superficial view, the world of The Boys feels like what the MCU could have become after the Sokovia accords if they would have been efficiently followed on a worldwide scale.
In that particular universe i use as reference, our superheros are noble and morally heroic individuals.State intervention is the factor threatening to corrupt their actions making them follow the interests of the system. The risk there, along with some very shady violations of human rights to powered people, is having superheros tied to something as unstable as political power. You can fear, for example, what a Trump-like president could do if he had power over the Avengers because, again, the heros are not corrupt, their line of command is. Now, if we strip away all the idealization we had putted on this bunch of powered persons and see them as what they truly are at the end of the day, people like everyone else. Why are we supposed to believe they are immune to corruption? If we also consider the phenomenon of strong privatization of security that has been growing worldwide . Wouldn’t they be more like security workers working for a private contractor? Less like heros and more like private military / security officers?  Now, this is what we are talking about. 
What feels so different from this show is that it assumes a surprisingly realistic point of view on a modern fantasy we are very used to consuming and still constructs a new power fantasy that empowers the viewer. I’ m saying this as an MCU fan, I had grown too comfortable with this optimistic fantasy and this twist from it is brilliant. To put some context on what i want to say here i will try to explain myself first on why i think that superhero fiction have this enormous popularity today and it has become such a huge thing in entertainment. Besides of the obvious reason of big companies producing big exciting action blockbusters for the genre, it’s curious to think on how much these stories gathered a lot of progressive audiences. In past decades action blockbusters didn’t felt progressive, today’s superhero blockbusters were embraced by progressive audiences and this was the start of a twist in general for the media. I think that there is a contextual social reason for this, not the only factor but one i feel is considerable. 
Late Stage Capitalism crushed us, we are so used to injustice and the control the system has over us is so big that we have slowly stopped dreaming of changing it ourselves. Instead, the fantasy of a superhuman who has the power we don’t have saving us from oppression feels really comforting. Captain America becoming such a huge icon in the middle of a time where extreme facism is rising again all over the world, for example. I don’t know much about his comic counterpart but, at least from what i see in the movies, Steve’s ideals feel to me like all those aspects from French Revolution’s  Enlightenment that capitalism dropped away once bourgeois defeated their feudal rivals and capitalism got consolidated, the freedom and equality that feudal lower classes fought for. Today, we feel too small to make a difference so we enjoy the fantasy of powerful persons leading the fight for us. Capitalism feels more unstoppable than ever, it is the only thing who seems strong to remain in a terribly chaotic world. The suffering this cruel system brings to this world is overwhelming, we feel only a miracle can save us now. This is what feeds the narrative of the superhero as modern myth and saviour of humanity.
The Boys tosses aside all our hopes and dreams, presenting us with the most realistic escenario. Superheros are not the miracle we are waiting for, they are humans like everyone else. They are not sacred entities existing beyond our societies, they are part of the system and they insert on it as part of the security industries. They can be corrupted and they work in corrupt institutions in benefit of the ruling class like every other security provider in capitalist societies. They become a new face of the security forces in constant tension with police and military because the myth of the superhero provides them with the public trust those other two forces lost. People lost their trust in cops but they trust sups because they are supposed to be this noble individuals mobilized by their personal feelings of injustice trying to make the world a better place … right? Police are the forces of the ruling class but superheros are supposed to be with us, or at least this is what common sense and propaganda claim, having our hopes as a base to work on. 
For someone so used to the typical superhero fantasy this felt like a slap on my face back to reality. It soo accurate , the system tends to capture any revolutionary input and turn it into profit. Even if the sups could had been a revolutionary factor at the beginning, the most likely thing to happen is for them to become a profitable industry. If we add to this what we already know of the actions of police and military in our real world we have a combo for disaster. The realistic twist is so fresh and painfully real, i can totally see this happening in real life if superheros were a thing. 
We have already introduced ourselves in the world of this story, let’s check on the first main character this series introduces to us. Hughie Campbell, a college age guy who works in an electronics store, lives with his dad and has the most boring average life you can imagine. This guy who is too afraid to ask his boss for a pay raise changes overnight when a superhero kills his girlfriend in front of him and the big corporation the asshole works for covers up the whole thing. The “average guy becomes a hero” trope is not new at all, but the use it has here feels fresh because it is not there only to feed the male geek power fantasy. Hughie is not a geeky average guy only so geeky average guys can identify with him in an action series full of geeky references,he is not there to be the nerdy guy from Robot Chicken. Hughie’s characterization makes a point for everyone. The smallest most unimportant person, the one who can't even stand up for themselves in everyday situations, can make a change. Remember Samwise Gamgee fighting Shelob in Lord of the Rings? Hughie killing Translucent gives me that vibe. If we consider the point i already stated about superheroes being there when we feel too small to fight back injustice, this is the exact opposite. This is a fantasy that gives us the power, makes us think in our own strengths. Hughie is standing up for himself for the first time in his life and he inspires us to fight for our rights. 
Pharmaceutical,Security and Entertainment industries and their business system : Superheros as lab rats,elite security forces and celebrities. 
This part of the post is the hardest to write and the most exquisite. There is so much to talk about about this system Vought shaped tying these three billionaire industries together. The first thing i want to mention, as a point to start, is Butcher’s ramble over the teddy bear with a camera inside in his meeting with Hughie. Perfect introduction for the character with a delightful moment of commentary. In our current societies people live in constant fear for hundreds of reasons. Fears over street crime had skyrocketed all over the world even when crime is not growing uniformly in every country and that accelerated the privatization of security, fears of parents over the strangers they leave they kids with when they are not home inspired products like the one mentioned in the series’s moment, fears on the effects of processed foods are an impulse for the diet industry and i could keep naming lots of other examples. Fears, and the emotional response they trigger , are the base of profitable businesses. 
I had been reading some authors that describe this stage of capitalism as an emotional one. Capitalism preached science and rationality during the past century but today its base of support is an emotional one. To excite the sensations of the people as consumers, to eliminate rational criticism, to push anti popular agendas through emotional excitement and mass hysteria. To cite another example that you can consider bounded to the series, Right Realism in Criminology is now almost common sense and there are people who keep asking for harsher punitive systems. This ideology, with the help of media panic, goes straight after their feelings and fears of being victims of violent crimes. Rational thinking is not the area of discussion, the base of the argument is on fear and pain. Fear of being potential victims, pain shared with the victims thinking in solutions that sound more like revenge than justice. 
Going back to my point, in the world of The Boys this type of punitivism seems to have succeeded even in a greater way than in our current world because it has superheros as backup. If real life harsh punitivism feeds on fear and a wish for social revenge, in this world it has the positive emotions supes inspire on people as a trust certificate for the persons who may not feel that way. They are loved and worshipped celebrities, their faces are everywhere, they have thousands of fans… who would see flaws in what they do? Can you imagine a world in which we worshipped cops and soldiers like we worship celebrities? This is it, people put their blind faith in them because most of them seem to be their fans. Even the people who are against brutality in the actions of security forces would end up trusting them because they are famous people. Our culture has taught us to make ourselves blind to the bullshit we see on the celebrities we love. Fans have a strong emotional attachment to their favourite celebs and this can turn into emotional manipulation in this context. If actors or singers in real life can have a fanbase that forgets to see them as human people how would these actual superhumans not end up being worshipped as gods? 
There has always been military propaganda in entertainment but this marriage between the industries through superheros is far more sinister than that. It makes you think about the unfair amount of credibility we put in celebrities. The plane crash scene of Homelander and Maeve it’s even more devastating looking at it from that perspective. Those persons had their full trust in them and they were safer with the terrorists. Can you imagine being a Homelander fan and dying there?  That’s horrible, the last thing you get in your life is the biggest disappointment ever from someone you trusted and stanned. 
 Speaking of Homelander, he is a right wing wet dream and one of the best villians i had ever seen, he makes me feel sick with how fucking despicable he is. His character is an excellent point to start the ramble on the third wheel of this corporate nightmare. Superheros are products of the pharmaceutical industry, injected with a drug since they were babies. In his particular case, he was raised like a lab rat and the series is realistic even in this detail. The lab rat kid with superpowers is another common trope that we see pretty often and here it also gets twisted. I’m thinking for example on Eleven from Stranger Things, she has been raised by abusive scientists who treated her as an experiment, yet she is this sweet kiddo who has a hard time socializing. Instead, Homelander is a monster without conscience or mercy and seems to be severely affected by his abnormal childhood. Brilliant, he is the ultimate product of this corporative triangle and depicts everything that's wrong with it. 
The cycle is pretty clear: drugs create them, they play their role in security and their media notoriety justifies their actions. As it is shown in season one,  the security aspect of the corporate complex represented mostly in Homelander’s actions craves to grow bigger and get supes into the military since, in the startpoint of the series, they only work with cops. Since the industry feeds on fear and Vought seems to have a monopoly in the production of powered persons there were no threats big enough to justify the intervention of superhumans in wars. Dismissing the importance of this monopoly for the company, Homelander suministrates the drug to terrorist groups in an attempt to create the first super villains. This is a perfect analogy of how the american war machine works. There is no way for terrorist groups from Third World countries to get access to sophisticated war technology without help from the ones who wield that power better than anyone. The first mentions of the supe terrorists reminded me of when i was in my course of worldwide history in college and i learned there how most of those famous names in middle eastern terrorism were actually friends with the CIA before at some point. Here in South America we have other history regarding the style of USA intervention, the Plan Condor dictatorships in the 70’s and early 80’s. I was just starting my career when I had a month of history classes about the Middle East and, being pretty ignorant on the matter, it shocked me the way in which the US villainized people they used to work with. I think the series makes a great point with this part of the plot because it hints something of this war mechanics. 
Gender politics of the series: a surprisingly complex approach on the topic of sexual assault ,a realistic critic to bland white feminism and the empty cashgrabbing ways in which mainstream media adapts feminist discourse.
This topic was even a bigger surprise for me. I wasn't expecting such an interesting approach of gender issues, mostly because this is the area in which media wannabe woke messages had become more dissapointing to me lately. Specially in a show about superheros, i wasn't expecting to get very interesting points.
I will start talking of the portrayals of sexual assault. We have two sexually assaulted characters in the series, Starlight and Becca. First, i think it is great that they didn't used the "rape as character development" trope. Actually, it's cool how they mock this conceptions. When Starlight saves a woman from being raped on the streets or when she makes a public statement about her sexual assault it's the people behind her, building her public image as a character, the ones who push that trope. In the first time their great character development idea is to sexualize her outfit, after the second event mentioned they literally push her sexual assault as development. I love how the public relationships team acts oftenly in a men writing women way, serving as mirror for the most common mistakes of writers on pop culture products when they write female characters.
Going back to my point, i like the effort they putted into portraying differences in both cases. Homelander is the typical portrayal of a rapist, a narcisistic monster without remorse, a deranged son of a bitch. The Deep is also a piece of shit, but of a different kind. There is a phrase that feminists of my country had popularized " los violadores son hijos sanos del patriarcado" ( it means, the rapists are healthy sons of the patriarchy. It tries to explain they are not crazy individuals who act outside societal circunstancies), the Deep reminded me of that.
He is not crazy, he is an insecure guy with a super fragile ego who abuses women for power. Insecurity on men under patriarchy tends to become bashing of women. This is not a black and white portrayal of a sex criminal, it is surprisingly complex. Of course,his actions were unexcusable. He will never repay what he did to Starlight and other women before her but he has chances of working on his issues and, eventually if he trully wants to get better, stop being the scumbag he is. He is not a deranged criminal whose only fate is to be neutralized for the safety of others.
I think this is important because, at least in my country, i had seen people using sex offenders as an example of why countries without death penalty should implement it. I don't support extreme autoritarian security measures and it makes me sick to hear that there are people claiming those as solutions in the name of women's safety. I like the approach they took to portray The Deep as the piece of shit he is but still showing the complexity of this issue instead of going for a more traditional dichotomic way.
Back to the mocking of mainstream media's attempts of adopting a feminist approach i mentioned, the season two got even better at this commentary on the "Strong Female Character" trope with the introduction of Stormfront. She is the literal embodiment of what shitty marketing says an empowered female character must be and has the biggest "I'm not like other girls" complex ever. That interaction she had with Starlight in "pink = bad, pants = cool" mood was super annoying and blaming her for the assault?? Freaking disgusting.
Honestly, i hated her soo much even before she showed her true colours completely. Stormfront represents everything i hate in Hollywood's feminism and the crappy meaningless messages it's pushing lately. She reminds me to all the fake "woke" advertisements i had seen on tv, like a Carefree (pads brand) advertisement that pissed me off last week because with the slogan " self trust is beauty" it portrayed girls who wear make up as fake and insecure.
Now, speaking of that particular scene of her killing Kimiko's brother. I felt literally sick, even sicker than in every Homelander scene. This bitch is worst than Homelander because at least he gathers a public that serves to his views. If you ever need to provide someone with a proof of why intersectionality in feminism matters use this racist bitch. Horryfying racism hidden behind the progressive mask of a bullshit privileged version of feminism, the thing i hate the most. She has a strong nazi terf vibe. I think she absolutely applies as mirror of critic to stuff like Rowling's terf nonsense. 
The introspective look this series has regarding the multiple issues on today’s attempts of gender approach on media entertainment surprised me. It’s everything i would had wished something to point out but nobody seemed to have the guts to make it happen because, as i already said, the current trend is what it’s being focus of critic here. 
I will end this now, i feel there is plenty of more stuff to talk about but this post is getting very long and, if i get more ideas i want to discuss, i can always make a second post. As i said before, this expresses my humble opinions and i’m open to hear different interpretations that can enrich my views. 
Thanks for reading this extra long ramble. 
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rurifangirl ¡ 3 years ago
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ayo a few oc asks🤩
shoe/qiran🌸
Would they get a pet? What kind? Who brings up the idea, and who takes a little longer to convince?
kida/sum fuckin self control🌸
When would they say “I love you?” Do they say it first? Do they say it often, or is it reserved for special moments?
kayn/ruri🌸
They’re going through something incredibly difficult—perhaps they’re very sick, have lost a loved one, or have gone through a traumatic event. Do they ask for or accept support and care from their partner, or try to isolate themselves?
lyva/myst🌸
They have to apologize to their partner. Is this difficult for them? How do they approach it?
Shoe(<3)/Qiran-
Honestly, yes. Absolutely. I feel like they both would've brought up the idea but like, w different animals, so If anything It was more of a "competition" of who would get the other to buy the animal they want.
Shou wants a snake for ahem SOME reasons n Qiran wanted an Otter.
Though in the end they both don't end up buyin a pet they still brag sometimes bout theirs being better than the others animal.
Like just going "While I do think an otter would be somewhat of a pleasent accompaignon, I still think that-" "'WHA IS THE UTILITY OF A SNAKE IF WE 'READY HAVE YA???(affectionate)"
Kida/sum fucking self control-
Absolutely sum fucking self control, Kida would be probably be silent about It and would rather not give In too much. 😔
Kayn/Ruri-
Oh boy, so Imma go through first the sick scenario n then the more personal one.
Kayn's the most personal aware of both his n Ruri's limits so he can understand whenever he has to being cared of, even if because of a silly reason. Mind you he'd still try his best even in a physically sick state n would actually kinda get angy at Ruri, for overtime stuff while he's unable to help him.
He'll just be trying to stop him n that he's doin enough, but 90% of the time he won't.
Just, the image of a bitch takin care of his big bb overall, but them complainin cuz "you also need to take care of u >:[" scenario.
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While in Ruri's case, I've seen this happening especially when he first got released that for context since ya don't know either, Ruri was basically destroyed. Like couldn't do any basic stuff, so Kayn had to basically become his babysitter.
He tollerated it but hated being powerless or seemin weak especially in front of someone like Kayn. Kinda rebelled sometimes w bein helped, but he has a soft spot for him, so in the end it's similar to what he does w him.
Kinda wanna do this last scenario since I've got an idea for It for a long time, so it's gonna be more developed there.
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Now this Is separated from the rest, but longstory short they both have great difficulty w trying to help the other in these events. Aside from the Osho trauma they can both help and relate with, for the losses or for any other traumatic event they've been in, they tend to yes show the other that they're here either by physical contact (in kayns case) or being straight-foward and offering emotional support (in ruris case).
Though w Kayn it's more natural askin for help, Ruri would rather isolate, and for a very long time. He wouldn't even let him stay in so it wouldn't look good on both of them. And considering this has happened many times, yeah. We can't really blame him either, he still had greater difficulty with relationing w basically anyone, even if we're talking about Kayn. Like yeah, this sucks, but can we really blame someone who never had any time to develop and getting to understand n adknowledge their mistakes? Yeah I don't think so.
If it's somethin small however both would ask help for eachother so they're cool on that. Let them hug you bitches.
I think I'm sayin enough on this N NO IT'S NOT CUZ IM EXTREMELY ATTACHED TO EM ALRIGHT, I CARE FOR MY CHILDREN EQUALLY😡 (/j)
Lyva/Myst-
The comic im workin on kinda touches on this, but I'm gonna go further onto It. For instance, Myst Is probably the one that Is the first to forgive n Lyva havin some difficulty with telling him what she's feeling. They both had Little moments when this happened until now but still,they cannot get onto too soon nor too nicely.
Like yeah Myst would get over It in like one/two days, but as for Lyva she needs a lot of more time go come to understanding one another. Idk if I have to Say more onto this so in case send me and ask jejfhjed
Tags undercut:
@a-chaotic-dumbass @spoopy-fish-writes @dopesaladlady @nadi-117 @audre-falrose
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steve0discusses ¡ 4 years ago
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Yugioh Episode 30 Season 4: The Dead Joey Shuffle
Lets ignore everything happening on planet Earth right now and talk about old ass anime, shall we? Yes, my sky turned a horrible end of the world yellow/orange color for an entire day because of a LOT of fire in my state. But thankfully, the winds have changed, the sky is blue...and I can write about Yugioh again.
Last we left off, Tristan, Tea, and Yami stumbled across two fresh corpses. Now, when Joey died a season or two ago (I honestly can’t remember when), we had my favorite storyboarder at the helm just sweeping emotion all over the field and the intense weeping for Joey Wheeler lasted for like 30 minutes. Yugi freaked out in the puzzle headspace for like half an episode and nearly gave up playing cards again, Yami punched a wall and then put a duel disk on Joey’s arm like a funerary send off to the afterlife, Tea started losing her mind and begged Yugi to drop out of the tourney so Yugi wouldn’t die, and Pharaoh was like “yo Tea, Yugi can’t talk right now can we do this later????” And then Tristan, out of nowhere, just started shaking Joey and screaming at him to wake up (and I think he punched him in the face and it got censored? Yo that episode is wild.) Joey got plugged to some Kaiba Corp med bay that had like 2 dozen weird sensors attached to his chest and feet to keep him alive. Serenity was like hyperventilating in the back, just a LOT of stuff was happening all at once.
But this time, with an ordinary animation team, these three kids are so distracted by the other corpse, that they only cry just a little bit before being like “woah what?”
And like this is their second time. Maybe they’ve gotten used to Joey being dead? Maybe they got it all out of their system and are now a lot more accustomed to the fact that they all must die. Several times.
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Confronted with this Agatha Christie brand debacle, Tristan makes an incredible reach that is also completely correct. Like this is such an amazing incredible reach.
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Hire Tristan as your detective, hot damn. There are like 7.8 billion Orichalcos-possessed people on this planet right now trying to kill Joey Wheeler and Tristan actually called the right one.
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Yami never tells us who he blames, but it’s OK, because the show immediately cuts over to Dartz’ silicon valley fortress to tell us without telling us. So while this animation team isn’t as insanely extra as our previous animation teams, they still know how to edit their cuts to work alongside their dialogue just fine.
(read more under the cut)
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Lets take a little while to just take this in. Someone took a while to make it, so rather than look at it for half a second before it passes--please lets count the number of floating streets in this scene.
3.
So before when I talked about the history of San Francisco, I mentioned the old Embarcadero, which was a double decker street wrapped around the peninsula. (we still see parts of this double decker set up on parts of the highway to this day.) But what if--they actually have no idea that the Embarcadero was a thing before it fell down in an earthquake?
What if they just...wanted San Francisco to be vaguely cyberpunk in this universe and that floating freeway was supposed to be futuristic and not just an 80′s throwback?
Because there’s 3 streets stacked on top of eachother right here and yo there is no where in the city built like this. This is a Gotham situation where the poors live on the lower levels and the rich just kind of hang out on the top. We have too many Earthquakes in reality to ever support this setup but Yugioh...wow. They went for it.
Also, our art deco architecture isn’t quite in this style as Dartz’ mansion. Mind you, this isn’t full deco, and the structure has more of an ancient world vibe. But...while San Fransisco does have a lot of deco, it’s just different (sorry you’re not really here for the architecture but youknow, I’m an artist so I do think a lot about why concept artists may have gone where they went)
++++++++++RANT ABOUT SF DECO VS COMIC BOOK DECO FEEL FREE TO SKIP++++++++++++++
So I’m not going to dare say this is a mistake on the Yugioh team by any means, since Deco is Deco and who knows when Dartz built that building. But like I’ve seen the SF skyline many times in this show and it’s got some funky shapes in it that are just sooo off to me. They keep drawing a more Futurist New York. Truth is, we don’t have that many skyscrapers in SF.
Most of the pictures you see of scaling buildings are of this one area around the financial district--everything else is...pretty short. So in those photos they very carefully crop out all the really squat as hell buildings on either side of it, to give the impression that our city is super tall, much like a dating app.
And, as far as Art Deco Gotham-esque skyscrapers go, we got ones like this guy:
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Where at a glance it’s like...that’s barely deco (and barely that impressive. This is 1/3 the height of the Empire State building.) Compared to a lot of cities in America, our skyscrapers aren’t as...clearly deco from far away? We don’t have the huge ass humps and long ass gilded lines of the Empire State building or the Chrysler building. You only really get those details when you zoom in.
Our other skyscrapers are kinda understated or modern in comparison. And the reason why we just don’t have many deco skyscrapers is because...our ground ain’t good for building skyscrapers at all, so it took us kind of a while to build up.
Like we got this tower that we built recently (the first skyscraper they built in SF in a good while) and they decided to name it the “The Millennium Tower” which...I know...good job, team, clearly you wanted to get cursed. Well the tower started leaning about 3 or 4 years ago, like well over a foot from it’s original spot, it’s just tilting and sinking away, and people are freaking out because it’s surrounded by other tall buildings so they’re like “damn it we’re gonna dominoes.” The people in charge were like “well...we don’t know why it’s leaning...but I’m sure it’s fine” and it’s like “the ground. It was the ground...you dumbasses” not to mention that it’s clearly cursed by at least one angry Egyptian Ghost but...what do you do?
I would absolutely watch the Yugioh spinoff season about the Millennium Tower and the SF tycoons that got possessed by a ghost and have to play card games to keep their tower from squishing all of San Francisco. Yo you should hire me, Yugioh, I got IDEAS.
Man...Yugioh predicting the future, how did they call the ill fate of The Millennium Tower????
But anyway, most skyscrapers in SF are kind of boring because they have to be sturdy as hell. But, they have some neat modern shapes (like the Transamerica Pyramid--in the shape of A PYRAMID that hasn’t shown it’s face once this entire Egyptian influenced anime)
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I mean, come on Yugioh, it’s right there.
Also the hell is this weird UFO on this picture I lifted off of google?
Like I think it’s 4 jets? 
I may have lifted this from an alien website, so forgive me, q-anon for lifting your image, I’m trying to talk about architecture in my Yugioh blog.
In fact the only building I (and google) can think of that is both really tall and deco-ey is this one:
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And it’s a Marriot hotel built in the late 80′s. And honestly, it looks way more 1980′s Las Vegas than it does Deco. (It honestly looks like photobashing but made real, this is a weird building.)
And I could be wrong and overlooking a very important structure, but most of the city’s really cool art deco buildings are in the form of theaters, libraries, churches, schools, and houses--which are only a few stories tall. They’re gorgeous buildings with cool and different silhouettes, it’s just not very big.
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Like I believe this is an old high school?
also a lot of our “art deco” has no idea if it’s victorian, deco, or art noveau so they’ll just hit all of it to see what sticks. It’s a lot more eclectic than other places where Deco is typically more...straight-lined. I kinda hate defining art styles as masculine or feminine but honestly it’s the quickest way to really hit home the difference between a Bruce Timm art deco that you’d see in a comic book, (which is very New York inspired) and what we have in San Fransisco which is really decorative and decadent.
The Yugioh SF just has no curvy nonsense and that really sticks out to me.
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Ornate swirls get shoved Everywhere. Willy nilly. Just everywhere randomly. And it sits next to other structures that are modern and simplistic. It’s very San Francisco to have this old world next to new world.
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And it makes sense. SF is the other side of the continent from New York, and about as far West as you can go from the movement going on in Europe. So...we made our own take and tl;dr the art deco in our city doesn’t look like Gotham at all.
And, while it’s not as grand or dark or iconic, it’s a good thing. It’s what helps make San Fransisco look really unique compared to other American cities--the fact that we're...short and eclectic. Our district with the skyscrapers is where it’s kinda boring, actually--the good stuff is when you get away from that. Where every little building has a spunky wild personality.
But in a show like this you gotta make it seem more grand and less homely so--they scaled up the buildings a lot more than we really have and homogenized all the stylings into one (and they axed every Victorian swirl because they don’t want to draw that). They really just turned SF into comic book New York--especially since I’ve only seen like...one steep hill since we got here.
It’s fine, and it makes complete sense why they did it, (I’m more confused as to why most of California is a Nevada desert so I can easily forgive a San Francisco without the right Deco) it’s just a very different energy.
and honestly...it’s an energy influenced by the tone of the show. Everything has a very dark blue-gray palate, and it’s because it’s literally the end of the world, Joey has died, everyone is sad...maybe it would be out of place to have a building that looks like it sparks joy? The harsh and cold lines do add to the gravity of the situation.
Maybe I would have done the same thing? In the end, the legibility of your story matters more than the accuracy of your story--especially when it comes to TV. Which is somewhat a controversial statement, and there’s exceptions when it comes to cultural stuff. But while the culture of San Fransisco was erased (a culture that they did draw in the beginning of the season! they did show alcatraz, a trolly, and the golden gate!), it is at a point in the show where...all of humanity is being erased anyway. Could also be symbolic? Maybe?
+++++++++++++END OF THE ART DECO RANT+++++++++++++
So anyway, stepping away from lovely buildings and into this gross ass abandoned park, Yami decides he’s gotta get himself to this gaudy ass Batman building ASAP.
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He can ride a horse but he absolutely will not ride a motorcycle. Or touch Joey Wheeler’s dead body.
Which is wild because apparently there’s a Yugioh spinoff where all they do is ride motorcycles??? But from what I heard, Yami is not in it. Which is the most wild thing.
So uh...you know how much I love art details, lets take a long look at this one.
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AH no.
Nope nope nope nope.
I hate this logo. It looks like an emperor penguin’s eyebrow thingies. Like a face with just four huge eyebrows.
Not sure why we randomly have a new logo. It’s nearly the end of the season, we’ve already shown the Orichalcos logo so many times. Was this episode made earlier in development than the rest? Is that why there were like - I dunno, put this random logo here... Maybe we’ll figure out the rest of the logo later?
I don’t know. This weird logo feels so out of place.
And then because I’m thinking about buildings...maybe it’s influenced by our Shell building?
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Maybe? Or not? Just saying you got a round thing with radial lines hovering over a trellis...the possibility is there that they were inspired but had to edit it down for animation? Eh, I’m reaching desperately for anything that looks like San Francisco at this point.
Anyways, the front door of this building is an elevator (????) and in a somewhat confusing set of cuts, out of this elevator comes the murderer herself.
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And she’s dead.
SO HAPPY I didn’t have to watch that card game but like...c’mon. There’s no way Mai would lose to Raphael.
Maybe that’s why they couldn’t show it? Because she’s the only person on this show who uses a themed deck with cards that actually sync with eachother? (outside of Pegasus’ toon deck and Grandpa’s voltron deck ((sorry it’s name isn’t voltron, I’ve forgotten the name of the robot that you build out of other cards. Exodus? Exodysseus?
It’s Exodia isn't it? Wtv. 2020′s been a real long one, all y’all.)) )
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(don’t ask where the smoke came from, we don’t know. Maybe Yami felt like making it to be more aesthetic. It is a fun visual tic to the show.)
So Yami goes into this elevator instead of anticipating that this is obviously a trap. Like most would just decide to take the stairs instead, but Yami loves falling for a good obvious trap every once and a while (or, in the case of this season--each and every single time a trap is placed in front of him) and so this takes him directly to the fightclub roof of yore.
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Ah. We started this season on fightclub roof, in like...2010 or whenever I started this season. Feels like forever ago. How long has the year of 2020 been? 20 years of my life? 40 years of my life? Was I in fact never born before 2020 started? I honestly don’t remember anymore who I was before this year happened. Probably because I inhaled just a hell ton of wildfire smoke and now my brain is a bunch of jelly beans rattling around in a jar.
Anyway, Raphael just hands Yami (by hands I mean throws aggressively) Joey’s dragon card.
A little unsure why he’d do this since...this is the weapon to destroy Dartz. Why are you giving it back to the Pharaoh? But apparently, Raphael did that to prove that he is the murderer of Mai, who murdered Joey and...youknow...the stuff that we know but would be pretty difficult for the people in this show to follow.
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Mai’s voice actor seeing “Mumbo-Jumbo” and being like “Well if I’m doing this, I’m going to commit.“
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WE ARE NEVER DUELING DARTZ.
I refuse that a duel with Dartz, in fact, ever happens in this season.
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Kind of surprised whenever I see there’s still people left. SF is basically abandoned in comparison.
Thing is...that’s just SF on a holiday weekend.
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And then, because Tristan’s in the middle of the street, the rest of the party has to try and run him over.
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It is really funny to me that Seto went out of his way to ditch these people so MANY times, but keeps ending up around them again and again, and each time in a wildly different vehicle, each and every time it’s when these guys need a lift...he’s very quickly turning into the group’s soccer mom. Should’ve gotten a minivan.
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And then this happens?
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I’ll just leave this here:
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I’m sure that fanfic writers everywhere rejoiced when Seto reached out a hand to catch Joey’s face from hitting the pavement. In all this was a bizarre animation and now that I’ve figured out my blender settings for the new update, I can finally cap little segments again.
Just don’t you dare flag me, tumblr. Hopefully segments less than 10 seconds long are fine.
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Like there was this part where they had to just drag around Joey’s corpse over this rail, and it was Mokuba and Tristan just prying him up there like he were a potato sack and like...
...Joey’s gonna wake up with so many rail-shaped bruises! They do not treat him gently!
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Then back on fightclub roof, Raphael made me do a bit of a double take when he accidentally implied the existence of another bean within that Pharaoh bean.
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And no, Bakura did not show up at this point.
I would LOVE IT if Pharaoh biffed it a second time and Bakura suddenly took the reigns and was like “Oi loves! that was bloody easy!” but I...have a feeling that this team didn’t actually watch the episodes where Bakura is just vibing in that puzzle piece.
If this never comes back to bite Pharaoh in the ass...
It might never come back guys...I don’t know. How do these writers have this much self control to ignore Bakura for like a full season. How do you do it? I can’t hold a plot twist in for even like 5 seconds. How....how do you do it?
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Anyways, now that Seto has Tea who has a map, they walk up to the entrance (I honestly forgot if they drove or walked because knowing this show, Seto would absolutely ignore the car. Either way, the Ferrari isn’t necessary anymore. Written right out of the script. Cars are hard to draw. Get rid of it)
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You know, Mokuba’s seen an awful lot of corpses for a kid! Like 20ish corpses if you count the 2 times the Big 5 biffed it. Really should have left him with Rebecca! Youknow, the other kid the same age as him!
But it’s fine, we gotta train Mokuba to suppress that trauma deep, deep down like a proper Kaiba.
Youknow when I started this series I was like “I don’t get why everyone talks about the Kaibas so much, these two seem kinda like whatever” but now I’m on like S4 and like...I’m SO concerned about the Kaibas. With Yugi...whatever...he’s gonna be fine, but the Kaibas? Oh boy. Either one of them could go completely evil and I’d buy it.
And probably root for them.
And I know they won’t go full tilt, I’m pretty sure--but like...they COULD. I can’t say that about the rest of the cast.
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Everyone’s made it!
Even joey’s weird coma/dead body for some reason!
Lol also I love this random sci-fi tech water tower next to Tea. What is that?
My drought senses are screaming, is that a huge ass water tower the size of a 4 story building next to Tea? Chances are, it’s got a jet in it or something because this is Yugioh, but...man. At least it doesn’t look like one of those rusty New York rooftop water towers. This show just completely not getting what SF looks like.
Whatever, he can resurrect the leviathan, maybe Dartz can make water?
Youknow, all you have to do to make California worship you forever is make rain. Screw this lizard nonsense. The man can power water. What’s he doing with this stupid snake?
But youknow, Yugioh just never really figures out how to harness the weather. They CAN and they do it all the time. But, do they use it for their benefit? Like freakin never.
Anyway, that’s all for now. I went on a looong rant about SF but maybe I’m just sick of my own house? Been a lot of fire and quarantine over here. It’s been messing with my head a fair amount so thanks for bearing with me and my weird ass update schedule (remember when I used to be productive? Was that just a dream I once had?)
But if you just got here, here’s a link to read these recaps in order, from the beginning way back in S1.
https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono
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defeatedbyamerechild ¡ 4 years ago
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Here is my evil team organization. Remember the droog  and child evil team, I asked that. So here is my grunts for Team Myriad. These children are obsessed with fighting trainers and never talk at all. Speak in rhynmes or numbers. Well sometimes but not often. Are they friend or foe?
“These child like grunts have mysteriously appeared in the Galar region. Their motivations and faces are unknown. The thing they love the most is pokemon battling.” Utilize in  normal, fairy, psychic, and steel. But will use other types if they have to. 
So do you like this concept? Also any criticisms for my drawing or improvements. Like their appearance, looks, or design? Would this be an interesting team?
PS I wonder how the pokevillains  would react to this team. Intrigued or confused? Love your blog.
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I forgot about this sorry!!! I saw it the other day and forgot to reply.
Anyways, I really like the designs you have there and I can definitely see the inspiration from the Clockwork Orange aesthetics there. I like that they don’t talk and use rhymes, this is cool dialogue. It is, to me, relatively hard to picture it in an official Pokémon game because I don’t think Nintendo would want it to look too creepy and I can definitely picture this content in a creepy pasta aesthetic that I... don’t think Nintendo would wanna approach. It would be doable, though. And of course, as fan-content, even the creepy pasta style or other horror-related styles are valid. Anyway, it’s a versatile concept that could be used in many ways from just mysterious to actually scary.
I really like the masks, at first I was a bit confused because I thought these were their faces, before reading what you wrote there, but as masks these are neat. Also they are something I can see Nintendo going for, I mean, they literally gave Allister a creepy mask so why not?
Overall, yes, I like it! The concept is neat! As a basic premise for a team that works well for me, even if their goals are unclear. You are basically making the “unclearness” part of the concept. Also really like how you wrote their description in a Pokédex-style, like... the text really reminds me of Pokémon stuff. :3
The only thing I’m still kinda curious about is how this could be developped in order to remain interesting throughout the whole game/story (if a game/story were to be made with it of course), because in terms of narrative, just “it’s a mystery” with no further development can become rather boring or repetitive, or seem kinda disconnected from the rest of the narrated events (depending on how it’s done). Also it could be a problem if the mysterious events are not explained *at all* in the end (half-explained and up to interpretation endinds are good alternatives in my view, but, at least for me, “we’ll never know who they were after all” tends to be a disappointing ending).
Basically, I like the overall idea you gave me, there’s nothing here that I think is a bad idea, but I would find it hard to use if I were to make my own story with them because of the problems above. Maybe you have all that in mind and you already have a superb story with them that works perfectly well, in that case, great, I just wanted to mention what I thought of the concept in practical terms as a (bad) fanfiction writter. XD
BUUUUUUT of course I’m not the executive producer of Game Freak receiving the concept for the next game that I should review or anything, so all this is irrelevant. Even if you didn’t develop their story any further, that’s totally fine. You don’t even have the obligation of thinking this through and answering these questions, you can definitely just make your concept and visuals and not actually use it in a game/fanfiction/comic etc, that is perfectly ok. I’m just a boring person graduated in Language Arts that will go and make boring analysis of stuff. XD
About the art... I think it looks really cute! I don’t wanna go and criticize stuff based on style, like “the heads are too big, limbs are too thin” or something like this, because this is just your style. It’s an aesthetic choice. I could say that the heads are larger than what they usually are in Pokémon games, but honestly, so what? You don’t have to emulate the Pokémon style in order to create Pokémon content. So yeah, you can play with proportions as much as you want and since the drawings seem consistent in terms of symetry and style, that’s just ok.
That said, my only criticism might be...
1. The female grunt’s legs seem a bit too long (even considering the stylistic choices, I’m comparing her body proportions to that of the male grunt). Basically, if you put that same lenght of skirt on the male grunt’s body, it would go down to his socks, but on her she still has the same amount of skin + socks + boots under all that, you see? So maybe make her skirt shorter or make her boots and socks shorter... Or give up on showing parts of skin. It’s easy to lose the sense of proportions under loose clothes like skirts, but if you trace the body silhouette under her skirt, that will probably become clearer. It’s always nice to try and make a full silhouette or skeleton before drawing clothes, in my opinion. (Also this could have resulted from the angle you took the picture! could be just a distortion on the photo that made it look different, so if that’s the case, ignore this XD)
2. This could be a stylistic choice too, but I’m gonna mention it just in case, the limbs look kinda “noodle-ish”. This can also influence your measurement of body proportions like “where exactly does the arm bend”, “where exactly is the knee”, this sort of thing... Of course, as I said, it could just be style, like Adventure Time, for example. They just have those noodle arms. But since I don’t know if that was a conscious choice or not, I decided to mention. Lots of people (including younger me) start by drawing arms (and hands!) as a “continuum”, so if the arms are streched, they are just one straight line from shoulder to hand (some people will even make it shoulder to fingers and put the hand in the noodle pack). And if the limbs are bent, the elbows and knees, fingers and wrists, fold in not very precise places. However, I found it easier to draw arms, legs and hands by subdivinding these limbs into smaller sections. It’s easier to keep them proportional and understand how they bend. You made their arms fully stretched in a way where elbows are not visible and, in the girl specifically, seem a little bit short? Again that can defintely be used as stylistic resource, so only consider this tip if you’re aiming for a more realistically-proportional style.
3. You may wanna make the male grunt’s feet a bit larger? Also they are inclined and I don’t know if that was done intentionally or not. (or if it was just the paper bending a bit when you took the pic).
I’m like... not a professional artist or a teacher or anything. I’ve literally never studied art, so when I give out these feedbacks, they are usually based on my own life-experience and what I’ve learned drawing. But it’s always hard to set the line between style and mistakes. I was once told that you must first learn the basics of actually proportional anatomy before you can start playing with it, so when people ask me for tips, I try to stick to the things I’ve learned myself while developing my knowledge in anatomy and proportions. Not that I am like.. an expert, of course. So yeah, basically, don’t take my criticism as the ultimate truth, I’m still just learning just like you. ^^
About suggestions and improvements: Maybe add something to their canes, on the handle part? And maybe adding detail to their boots... But only if you want to of course. Also, have you thought of eyelashes for the masks, like... eyelashes on only one eye or something? This wouldn’t be for the grunts because I think they look great just like that and are already complex enough, but you might wanna use that for admins or something? Specially if it’s eyelashes on the lower half of the eye.
I also would like to say that I couldn’t read everything you wrote, sorry.... I’m bad with handwriting! So forgive me if I said anything redundant that you had already put in the info. ^^
And finally... I don’t usually make reaction things in submissions, only during ask events, so forgive me for not giving you the villains reactions here. I hope you understand. ^^
SORRY FOR THE SUPER LONG REPLY AND FOR THE DELAY, I HOPE YOU FIND WHAT I SAID INTERESTING AND USEFUL MAYBE?
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buffyversefanfiction ¡ 4 years ago
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Tristan Tormented
Fanfiction Series to “Buffy the vampire Slayer” series, “Angel” series and the Buffyverse continuation in the “Dark Horse Comics” series. Warning: I do not own the rights to the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its spin-off series Angel, its dark horse comics continuation series, or any of the characters created by Joss Whedon and others in the Buffyverse. 15 years +, Mild to Strong Violence, Sexual References F/F, F/M, M/M, Other +
Volume 3 - Able Angel
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Vampire Tristan Summers had a mission on his mind and he was not going to stop until he achieved said mission, the mission being destroying anyone who could remotely bring out the man inside his monster and although the list was not long it was still a hefty task after all he had almost died several times before when trying to take out some of them and did die with one of them.
Angel was never meant to be a father mostly due to his undead status so when he did father his first child Connor he found himself feeling an unconditional love like no other only to lose him to another world and although over the years they had made major progress their bond was still nowhere near as great as Angel hoped it would be and now he was facing all that pain again with Tristan Summers only this time it was worse because sooner or later Angel’s second son would have to be stopped and his biggest fear had become the idea that he might just have to be the one that does the stopping. “You have to forgive me someday Angel,” Faith told him as she walked through the front doors of the abandoned looking Hyperion Hotel, chasing after her vampire friend, pleading with him to forgive her for past mistakes. “This is not just some mistake Faith; you kept my son from me and then you stopped me from killing him so now he is out there killing people and that is on you!” Angel argued. “He was killing people long before he was a vamp and if we give up on him now, he will be long after.” Faith replied, eager to make Angel side with her on her quest to save Tristan’s soul. “He was coming off less evil not a lot less evil but still less and I just know if we get Willow to ram a soul down his throat or however that goes then you may finally get to have some kind of relationship with him.” “Do not think I do not want to be a father to him, of course I do but you and Buffy made it impossible and now the next time I see him I am going to have to kill him!” Angel admitted to the redeemed slayer. “He has no soul and even when he did, he was evil.” “We both took walks on the dark side and we had each other’s backs why can’t we have his too?” Faith asked him, reminding them both of their dark pasts. “It’s not as black and white as that.” Angel reluctantly replied, once again facing the fact he may have to kill his own child. “Then let us dive straight into the grey and save your son.” Faith responded, making her determination clear to Angel. “On this particularly rare occasion I happen to agree with Faith.” Giles announced as he walked through the front doors shocking both Angel and Faith by his presence. “After my failed attempt to rehabilitate him I have been working hard to find a way to make things right.” “Failed attempt?” Faith scoffed at the former watcher, “That is like me saying oops my stake slipped when I killed a guy, somehow I do not think that response would have went down that well, nor is yours.” “It would have been more believable than trying to pin the crime on Buffy.” Giles replied to the troubled slayer. “Look I am here to make things right!” “Trust me when I say your nowhere near the top of the list of people who need to make things right for me, even if you did almost kill my son, Dru actually did so she’s ahead of you in that department.” Angel explained to Giles, making it clear no ill will was held between the two of them. “Thank you, Angel,” Giles responded to the vampire with a soul before walking over to him and Faith. “I’ve been referring with some old friends about the impossibility of Tristan Summers as well as doing some digging on my own and the information I have found was…well rather astonishing really! The boy really is one of a kind.” “Something tells me this is going to be one big watcher talk when I would rather just be out there doing what needs done.” Faith chimed in, making it clear she wanted Giles to get his point across quickly. “I stumbled upon a prophecy of a human who was born of both vampire and slayer origins yet somehow remained human and as I continued to read the text in which is was written it only grew more fascinating. The prophecy spoke of the human becoming a slayer by his own means, then later a vampire by another’s hands and yes I know that already sums up what has happened but it was the next part that really blew my mind, so to speak.” Giles informed them both. “You see it said the boy would change before becoming a slayer in his own right but he would not change after becoming a vampire, it spoke of how all that was remained unlike any vampire before him and how it would lead to the beginning of the demonic slayer…a being possible of both great things and terrible evils but a being needed in an upcoming apocalypse nonetheless.” Angel and Faith remained stood in shock by Giles’ revelation that Tristan was still the man he was before a monster and while that idea did not surprise Faith entirely due to her strong belief in the rogue slayer turned vampire it did surprise her hearing it was possible for Tristan to do some good, as Angel remained shocked by every word, knowing Giles would not lie to them but not wanting to admit there was hope for his son until he saw it for himself, having lost his sons one too many times before.
After throwing his latest victim’s body to the ground, having drained the woman completely of her blood, a full vamp face Tristan wiped the blood off his face before return to his human form which was when he realized the alleyway he had found himself was very familiar to him being too hungry and focused on the hunt before too realise where he was going but now he was fed and his victim was dead he realized his hunt had taken him home. Memories of his beloved Dante began charging through his mind as he felt all the pain of losing him once more while continuing to walk down the alleyway until Tristan stopped outside of the boarded up building he and Dante once called their home, the deadly demonic dive bar where he had last experienced any kind of happiness with his now fully dusted vampire lover. Tristan could swear just by standing outside the building itself that he could smell Dante but he knew that was his mind playing tricks on him, wanting to undo what could not be undone but still feeling Dante once more was what he needed in that moment as he began tearing down the planks of wood boarding up the door to his home before kicking the door open and walking in. “Did he know about Drusilla?” He wondered about Dante as he stood in the middle of the barely standing demonic dive bar, once again taking in the ruins of what used to be. “Did he help kill my parents? No, he would not do that to me…he loved me…but he did not love me then.” He had never doubted Dante’s love for him for one second and felt bad for doubting it now he was gone but with Drusilla having lied to him all these years he couldn’t help but wonder if any of his time spent with Dante was true or was he playing a role just like his sire Drusilla. “Did anybody ever really love me?” He asked himself, fearing the answer was no. “Could anybody really love a monster like me?” Tristan quickly realized he was not alone to his thoughts when he heard footsteps coming from the front door and like a knee jerk reaction he quickly picked up a piece of broken wood from the ground ready to slay whoever dared come into his home only to be left completely stunned when none other than Spike walked in. “I guess you never got far from those woods, but I guess why would you when this place was your home.” Spike said as he held his hands up to show he had no weapons and had no plans to fight Tristan, “I only want to talk to you kid.” “Why would I want to talk to my mother’s pet?” Tristan asked his fellow vampire, while clutching the wooden stake in his hand tighter. “You see I do not feel like talking but I am always down for killing.” “I want to help you and I know somewhere in there you want to be helped.” Spike told him. “You really are desperate to get Buffy to look at you again.” Tristan laughed cruelly, amused by Spike’s words. “Hate to break it to you but me bad you good we do not talk we just fight to the death.” “The hatred you had for Drusilla remained after turning didn’t it? And that hatred comes from a place of love, the love you had for your adoptive parents, the love I am going to guess you still have for them?” Spike questioned the slayer turned vampire, already knowing he was right. “Wow, of all the pep talkers I did not take you for one but then again you are Buffy’s pet after all.” Tristan replied, eager to antagonize Spike. “I barely had feelings when I was alive and I sure as hell do not have any now.” “Would you stop with the bloody pet talk?” Spike groaned as he walked closer to Tristan. “If you stop calling me kid,” Tristan responded before throwing a right punch across Spike’s face. “because this kid has gone pro now!” Spike wasted no time in replying to Tristan’s violence with some more violence as he punched the former slayer across the face leading to Tristan headbutting Spike in the face before kicking him to the ground. “I guess the slayer strength stuck around after death.” Spike replied as he quickly rose back on his feet, before his face turned into full vamp mode and he charged towards Tristan ready for a brutal fight with the son of the woman he loved.
Meanwhile back in Los Angeles, Angel sat behind his desk within his office at the Hyperion Hotel reading from the books that Giles, fact checking what Giles had already informed of about his son Tristan, realizing that his son did somehow still have his soul despite becoming undead making Tristan more like his father than Angel ever expected him to be. He must have re-read the text within those ancient and mystical books a hundred times not believing the truth to what he was reading as he struggled to come to terms with not only his sons seemingly indestructible soul but the importance he would have in an upcoming apocalypse, not even wanting to think about the likelihood of Tristan being on the team of evil rather than good. “You know you can keep reading it forever and it is not going to change, trust me I read it about a million times before I even began to consider it being true.” Giles told Angel as he walked into the vampire’s office. “Then went the excruciating research, the endless pleading of former colleagues to decipher it differently or at the very least some definition of whether he was fighting for good or evil.” “I get the demonic part of being a slayer I mean I feel the demon inside of me every day but I do not understand how it is even possible for him to still have a soul.” Angel answered as he closed the books and stood up to stand face to face with Giles. “You are a vampire with a soul the very definition of impossible clearly your son takes after you in that sense. I cannot begin to try and explain how he is possible let alone how his soul is still intact, but I do believe this means there’s something inside of your son that is salvageable.” Giles attempted to explain, revealing his newfound optimism towards helping Tristan find redemption. “Why not go straight to Buffy?” Angel wondered, “I am glad you came to me with this but why not her?” “I am not exactly on speaking terms with Buffy or Willow for a matter of fact after almost killing your child, besides I truly believe if it comes past the point of redemption that you will do what you have to do…so would Buffy of course but I would rather spare her from that pain.” Giles admitted to the dark-haired vampire. “I guess this means it is time for a father son reunion.” Angel declared, terrified to how this intervention for his second child would end, hoping beyond hope it would not end in him having to kill his son. “Count me in!” Faith chimed in as she walked into the room, making it clear she was eavesdropping the entire time and she was more than eager to take part in another round of team twisted. Giles had convinced Angel that his claims were real and even convinced him to take part in his redemption rescue mission but one person who never needed any convincing was Faith who had been backing Tristan from the beginning despite his endless evil deeds. A part of Faith connected with Tristan or at least her former self anyway, a part of her that was still in there deep down but had been controlled for a long time now and she believed she could help the slayer turned vampire into controlling his dark side too. Faith Lehane was never the saving souls type until she found her own saved and although she did not make a case of going out on a limb for most if any people she was determined to get Tristan Summers on the right side, partly because of seeing herself in him, partly to do something good for Buffy to make up for all the bad and to make up for straining her relationship with Angel. The funny thing about the path to redemption is the person seeking it for themselves tend to pick up a lot of others along the way, believing deep down that if they can help as many people as possible down that path then they would ultimately be helping themselves too.
“Yeah funny thing about Tristan…let me just say I have him secured already!” Spike said down the phone to Faith while standing in Tristan’s former demonic bar, bloody and bruised from his fight with the demonic slayer which he had eventually grown the upper hand in as a passed out Tristan lay on the floor beneath Spike’s feet.
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the19thduckpotato ¡ 5 years ago
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The Ties That Bind Part 7 (MHA Fanfic)
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6
In which things get extra fluffy and Inko has her say.
"...Dad?"
Toshi's eyes widened at that and for a moment, he forgot to breathe.  His heart nearly burst with feelings he couldn't describe.  Feelings that ached, but what an ache.  An ache that bespoke of a desperate need to be wanted.  An ache on the verge of being fulfilled ...but he teetered on the edge. I don’t deserve it. But I want it. Please. Please I want it very much. Does he mean it? Am I ready for it if he does? He took Izuku's face in his large, dangerous, protective hands:  "...is...is that what you want?"  His eyes searched for any hint of denial, terrified of finding such but needing to be absolutely sure. Izuku's eyes were quickly filling with tears. His limbs felt weird, like his skin was buzzing-- kind of like when he'd had way too much coffee. Adrenaline? Am I scared? What am I scared of? That he didn't mean it after all. All he could manage was a whisper. "...Do you?" Do you want me? For real and for always? As... as your son? The word suddenly felt so big. A position he may never be able to properly fill. But I'll try. I'll give it all I've got! ...If you really, truly want me.... Is it possible? Part of him couldn't believe it. You know how much I've failed you. The other part looked at the events of the past two years, at the long days and the late nights and the help with big things and small, at the reassurances, at the complete forgiveness for seemingly any mistake he could make that left him in awe, at the hair ruffles and the Very Stupid Puns and the times Toshinori just held him while he cried At the events of the past night, at the indescribable fury only brought out when someone wants to harm what lies at the core of your heart At the irrefutable, unignorable fact that Toshinori was here, right now, cradling his face in his hands and looking at him with so much hope and fear and love And believed.
"Of course."  Tears welled up and he let them.  Then, apologetically:  "it could be dangerous, you know."
He closed his eyes, letting two fat tears spill over, and leaned his head forward, connecting with Toshinori's forehead again. Shaking hands came up, carefully coming to rest on Toshinori's face, just like he was doing for Izuku. "...So is everything." The world isn't safe. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, and then where would we be? "So is... Not." He shrugged slightly. He would still come for me. Would still come for you. He hates us, both personally and what we stand for. "And even if it were the only thing that was..." Izuku smiled, big and wide. Voice warm and absolutely certain. "Worth it."
And now he was laughing, joyful laughter that bubbled up from a heart that swelled to absolute fullness.  And now he was crying, rivers running down, gratitude immeasurable and almost unbelieving that he should be gifted rather than punished for the deeds of the previous night. And now he was sobbing laughter and giggling tearfully as he pulled Izuku close, arms about him not too tight, don't scare him. Was it real or imagined, that shadow of a smile cradled by raven hair?  Something broke open within and a new strength rose up. Same DNA. Same Quirk. Same goal. We're family in every sense of the word. He knew it was a double edged sword.  He wasn't sure if he was making things better or worse for his boy--his son. He trembled as he held Izuku.  Not out of fear but from the overwhelming power of emotion flooding through him. "And so long as this battered form draws breath, I'll protect you with everything I have and am." He drew back and brushed a tear from Izuku's cheek.  "Maybe even beyond that.  You've...  you've seen me in One for All.  If I can, if I'm able, I'll fight for you there as well."
Izuku nodded and tried to reply, his smile now drenched in tears, but all that came out was a weird noise. He tried again, but found the same result. Then gave up on it, burying his head against Toshinori's shoulder and nodding again. Gripping on tight for dear life.
Toshi rested his head atop Izuku's, tears quietly running down, smile true and honest. "I'm here.  I'm here because you were here.  And are here.  And will always be here." I love ya, kid.
"Uh-huh--!" Izuku nodded again, still clinging and crying. "Love you too--!" The words were mixed in with high, gasping noises, different from the distressed cries of earlier. A vague thought in the back of his head warned him that he might be in danger of hyperventilating if he kept this up for long, but he brushed it off for the time being.
Toshi froze for a moment, his eyes comically large.  He resisted the urge to hold Izuku out at arm's length.  "Whoa, hang on a sec, sorry what??"
"Y--" gasp "--you said?? That??" He sniffled loudly, stopping hugging with one hand to scrub at his face. "A-aand I agree--" sniff "--with it... and so I sa-aid...." Another squeaking sob came out almost of its own accord. Izuku smacked his hand onto his chest in an effort to stop it from happening again, unfortunately aware that he'd now cried so much from various reasons that it was now going to be rather difficult to quit. "--And so I said it back...."
"Hey, easy now... breathe for me." Did I....?
"Y--y-eah, hang on--" Izuku hiccuped and coughed roughly, smacking his chest again in annoyance. "I'm working on that," he croaked. "Hang on--" He tried taking a gulp of air and holding his breath, cheeks puffed out like a frog.
"Uhm, speaking as a newly dad'ed dad," Toshi said...then blinked in fond amazement. I rather like the sound of that! "What should I be doing, exactly?"  He watched Izuku with equal parts curiosity and mild concern.
Eh, Izuku thought, sitting back a bit and trying to communicate his thoughts with his eyebrows and hands while he held his breath. He did a 'so-so' wiggle of his hand for 'Eh'. Not much to do. I'm okay! He pointed to himself, then gave a thumbs up, crinkling his eyes for a smile while his mouth was still puffed up. He turned away a bit and let the lungful of air out, coughing. Then turned back and have a silly grin with the thumbs up, saying with a slightly rough voice, "I'm good!" As a newly... what should... do? What... oh no, what's gonna change?? He was suddenly intimidated by everything a father could tell him to do, like go to bed at a certain time 'and no playing games on your phone, young man!' or tell him to finish his thick stack of homework before doing anything fun or eat liver which basically tastes like smooshy brown chalk with extra bitter added in, and he'd have to do it all, and absolutely immediately and without arguing at all, precisely whenever he was told to do it because you had to obey parents, and not doing something when they told you to was disobedience, and disobedience was bad and wrong and and oh no, I can't even talk to him freely anymore, what if I say something rude by accident and  it means I'm talking back, what does that mean? Is he gonna be mad at me? Have I lost the capability to say things and ask things that I would have if I hadn't asked him to call himself Dad? Is he going to try to punish me? What's he gonna do, I don't even know what his parents were like or what he thinks is a good punishment for a child, and now I've just let myself in for all kinds of crazy new rules and things I'm not allowed to do that he's just now going to be figuring out, and what if he goes kind of overboard at first, I wouldn't blame him with how new everything is but I'll still have to follow all of them and I don't even know if I CAN, he was a lot like a father before and that was good, why did I have to go and mess with a good thing, now everything's different and I don't even know it it's gonna turn out okay, what if the increased authority just makes him upset with how careless and reckless I still am when I should be being a Good Son and he's telling me to do better but I'm not, what's gonna happen now-- He realized he'd been staring in the vague direction of the mattress for a while. He looked up, clearing his throat and smiling apologetically. "As a... newly-dadded dad..." he motioned in the air. "What would change?" he asked lightly and casually. "I mean, I really liked what you were doing already, haha...." The sheepish smile widened, his eyebrows furrowing a bit. "What, ah..." he let his expression turn more serious. "What were you thinking about that?" Tilting his head, he looked up at Toshinori. Waiting to see what his new life would be like.
Toshi looked a little lost.  "O-oh," he stammered.  "I meant... for... you looked like you were having trouble there and I wanted to help and..." He trailed off and looked awkwardly to one side, revealing that his ears (usually lost in the explosion of his hair) were turning an interesting shade of red. "I don't..."  his eyes flicked anywhere but Izuku, hoping to find the answer the kid wanted to hear.  Realizing he was stalling too long and in essence answering Izuku by that, he turned back to his kid; the embarrassed  flush started to streak across his face. "If that's good enough, if that seems right, then I'll trust your judgment.  I don't really have much experience with--" Opposite of Master had  been her closest friend, Gran Torino.  A gruff man, stubborn, difficult to please.  If she was the mother he had always wanted, he was the father that Toshi never wanted to be like.  He was sure Gran Torino had a good heart buried in there somewhere but Toshi was too scared of the man to really find out.  And maybe he had calmed down since;  Izuku had seemed to like him ok.  But Toshi still didn't care for Gran Torino's methods.  He wasnt sure if fathers were supposed to be like that; all he knew is that he didn't want to be like that.  Granted, his training under the Jet Hero had only began after Nana died so perhaps he had been altered by her death and-- Like son, like dad. Toshi blinked --  "I think I just pulled an Izuku" --then gazed at the kid.  In that gaze, a very young, pre-All Might Toshi looked out: a little shy, a little scared, and a lot of I have absolutely no idea what I'm supposed to be doing but I am going to try. "--i don’t really have much experience with parents.  Myself," he added the last word in a low whisper. The flush blazed across his whole face now.
Izuku gazed back, the vulnerability and openness in Toshinori's eyes making his breath catch in his throat.  Then blinked, looking down, embarrassment at having asked the wrong question at the wrong time making his cheeks flush pink. "I... I don--" Why are you trusting MY judgement on what a dad's like? "I mean I only have the one, so." He shrugged, then suddenly looked back up. "And she's good! So good, I-- I'm not-- I'm not dissing her or anything, I just...." His voice got quieter and quieter as he kept talking, fiddling with his fingers and looking farther and farther down. "I don't. Know. What a dad's like either." Not for years. Why were his hands shaking? He stared at them. "But this--" He looked up, voice still soft. "This is good." He nodded, carefully reaching his arms out and pulling himself closer, resting his face against Toshinori again. "This is good," he whispered.
He tousled his son's hair again.  "To tell ya the truth," he murmured.  "I haven't the faintest idea what a dad is supposed to be like, either." Everything I learned, I learned from her.  So...does that make me a mom instead?  He chuckled softly at the thought. "You seem to be turning out well, from where I'm standing.  And I have no idea if that means I'm already doing good as a father figure or being the worst example possible."  He thought again to Gran Torino, the only example of a father he knew of.  Winced.  Not like him.  No matter how well meaning it was. "So why change what we know is already working?"  He grinned down at the kid, brimming with pride and love. Mine. I'm so glad I chose you to pass my legacy on to.
Izuku nodded and grinned. "Sounds good." He stayed where he was, clinging to his mentor... father. My dad. ...Woah. His hands were still shaking. "...I'm scared," he whispered, incredulous laughter bubbling up. "Wh... hahha-- why?? I... it just...." He shifted a bit, but still kept himself pressed against his father, gaining and giving support. "...Wow. That's big. That's a big thing." More breathless laughter, the air being knocked out of his lungs with every moment he thought about it.
Toshi rumbled pleasant laughter, more felt than heard as it shook his slender frame.  "It's a pretty big step.  But nothing you cant handle.  Hey," he added with a comical pout, "are you saying you're more nervous about this than when I first offered you One for All?"
"Hah!" Izuku lifted his head and grinned up at Toshinori, smile so bright it was crinkling his eyes. "Yeah, we can do it! And, ah, well..." For an instant, his face fell slightly as he remembered what it was like to accept One for All. Learning about it and thinking 'this is my purpose, like a destiny from a storybook.' How he knew that those often ended with heroic sacrifice, and accepted that immediately with 'if I die, I die.' ...But that doesn't always happen, he thought hopefully. Sometimes people live, and things are happy at the end. "Well, I didn't have to think too hard about that one." He crinkled his nose. "It was... something I could give my effort to do, and... either I could do it, or I couldn't." He shrugged, somehow ending up staring at the mattress again. "Living as a person is different from living as a mission. Harder." Did that just come out of my mouth? His eyes widened slightly. I did Not plan to say that.
Toshi drew one hand away to scratch at his throat reflectively.  "Living has proven.  Interesting."  More rumbled laughter.  "Unpredictable.  Exciting.  But it's easier when you know you've got someone waiting for you." His gaze adopted a faraway look, hand paused in midscratch.
Izuku leaned his head against Toshinori again, smiling softly. "Mm. Yeah."
Toshi draped an arm about his kid, knowing Inko would be arriving soon to take her son. But this moment was his. Was theirs. He held on to it like he held on to his kid.
Izuku breathed deeply and shuddered from pure emotion, too much to hold. ...Wow....
The door burst open and Toshi jumped guiltily.  He regretfully broke his grasp on Izuku and scooted away as a tearful Inko ran in, her arms wide open. "Oh my baby!" she wailed, fear and relief mixed in her trembling voice.  She took Izuku's face in her hands, kissing his cheeks, his forehead, all over his face, just to make sure he was really there and actually ok.
Izuku jumped and spluttered as Inko burst in and started raining kisses on him, eventually laughing and relaxing a little bit. "Hi Mom...." He grinned widely, but still squirmed and flailed anyway. "Heyyyy! Ticklessssss!!"
"Let me look at you!"  She stepped back and fussed over the bandages--"your ankles!  Sit back down, get off them!"--then inspected him for bruises--"why, there's barely any here, they said you were all sorts of colors!"--and finally brushed his messy mop of hair. Beside them, Toshi tried not to shift or draw any attention to himself.  If Inko noticed, she gave no sign. "Oh Izuku, let's get you home and into some normal clothes!  Your bed is freshly made and I'm ready to cook whatever you're hungry for, ok?" She tried a watery smile then dissolved into a storm of tears.  "Oh b-b-baaaabyyy!!" she sobbed.  "I was so scared for you!"
Izuku smiled softly, closing his eyes and saying quietly, "I'm okay, Mom." He put a hand on either side of her face, trying to comfort her. I will not cry, I will Not cry again!
Toshi for his part felt extremely awkward and, wanting to give them some privacy, tried to veeeeery quietly s c o o t. His way. From. The room. "Stop right there, mister." Oshi-- She hadn't even turned around.  Her hands were still soft and nurturing but her eyes glittered dangerously. Toshi froze in mid-stride, eyes wide, not even daring to look at Izuku now.  A very tiny "meep" might have leaked out.
"Mom." Izuku's voice was soft, and a bit sad. He moved a hand from the side of her head, placing his fingertips on her cheek instead. Look at me. "No."
"Izuku," she replied in a stern tone.  "We had an agreement.  An understanding."  Her chin quivered at his touch and more tears ran down to meet his fingers.  "He was supposed to keep you safe, remember?" One finger jabbed in Toshi's direction and he started to hunch down between his shoulders. "You were so supposed to be careful!" Inko continued, anger giving way to fear for her child.  "You promised!"  She gripped his hospital gown at the shoulders as her head sank against his chest.  "Baby, you promised me..." Toshi stared at his feet, twisting one bang between his long fingers.  He couldn't meet Izuku's eyes.
"I know," Izuku whispered. "And I'm sorry." I truly am. "But it's not his fault." His hands brushed over her smooth hair. "He protected me. He saved me. He didn't even know I was fighting at first, that was all me. I didn't even..." He growled at his own lack of foresight. "I didn't even call for backup when I should have." He bowed his head, remembering the desperate call sent out almost too late, addressed to any hero who could hear him. Temporarily forgetting that I had a comm link in my mask set didn't help... oops. "But when I did, he came for me. He helped me." Izuku wrapped his arms around his mother and hugged. "Please don't be mad at him...."
((to be concluded))
14 notes ¡ View notes
gukyi ¡ 6 years ago
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a heart full of love | myg
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summary: people say that actors are the most dramatic people in the world but those people haven't met a certain min yoongi.
{enemies to lovers!au, high school!au, actor!au}
pairing: yoongi x female reader word count: 10k genre: fluff, angst so light a feather weighs more warnings: bad references to les miserables and memes, in that order. yoongi being outrageous. lots of caps lock. unrealistic portrayals of the arts. musical directors that are way too chill to be high school teachers. possible megaphone misuse.  a/n: how long have i put off this fic? too long, honestly. but here it is, finally!! i wrote the majority of this between the hours of 10pm and 5am. forgive my mistakes. happy birthday to one of my closest irl friends, who literally requested i write this in april. i’m so sorry. it’s finally here. also happy birthday, but i said this already.
If you lived in some Black Mirror-esque alternate universe where every single human being lived their life and interacted with others as though they were merely profiles on a social media website, the first thing you would do is use the Block feature in your everyday life. And you would use it on none other than Min Yoongi.
It’s a massive shame that there’s no real life unfollow, blocked, reported feature because Min Yoongi, Unnecessary Nuisance Extraordinaire, is quite deserving of all three. Especially considering there is no occurrence in your life more unfortunate than the fact that Min Yoongi just had to waltz into the drama club interest meeting in freshman year, sit his ass down at one of the desks, and sign his name in ugly penmanship under the words Interested in Stage Crew? written in Comic Sans.
You didn’t know it yet, no, not when you barely knew his name and could barely see him under the massive black hoodie he was wearing, but Min Yoongi wrote his name down under the Stage Crew interest line and you wrote yours down under Acting interest line and it was like you signed off your soul. Like you said “I do” to the personification of the word irritation, committed yourself to a thorn in your side for the next four years. A thorn that seems to have a particular penchant for the dramatic arts. It’s a shame that Min Yoongi isn’t interested in acting, but then again, you think that if you had to stand on a stage next to him, there’s no telling what could happen.
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🅱️rama 🅱️lub 🅱️officers
you (12:46PM): are you guys good for the meeting this afternoon? you (12:46PM): in the choir room
namjoon (12:48PM): I still don’t have dues from half of the drama club
you (12:50PM): threaten them
namjoon (12:51PM): With what?
you (12:52PM): idk you (12:52PM): the wrath of kim namjoon ig
seokjin (12:54PM): i wouldn’t exactly call the wrath of kim namjoon particularly threatening
you (12:55PM): no one asked u seokjin you (12:55PM): you’re in love with him
seokjin (1:01PM): love is a great and wonderful thing y/n
min (1:03PM): yeah y/n ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
you (1:05PM): do not start with me min
min (1:05PM): i just want to love you y/n
you (1:06PM): fuck off you (1:07PM): i didn’t ask
namjoon: (1:07PM): Can you not make declarations of love in the drama officers group chat?
you (1:08PM): i am not the one making the love declarations here
min (1:09PM): <3
you (1:10PM): i hate you
seokjin (1:34PM): I will forever be shocked that Park and Bae let the two of you be officers in the same club
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When the bell rings you dash out of your last class of the day, making a beeline for the choir room so you can get there before the rush of the other drama students. It’s very unprofessional for the President of the drama club to be late to her own meeting. You quickly weave your way through the hordes of other students and arrive at your destination, earlier that mostly everyone else.
Mostly.
Min Yoongi is sitting at the shitty piano right by the door, the one that’s always out of tune no matter what your poor choir director does to try and fix it, playing a distant melody of a tune you vaguely know but cannot name. It would probably be nice if it weren’t for the fact that the piano itself sounds terrible and the fact that it is Min Yoongi who is pressing those keys.
He seems to perk up when he notices you’re here, just because he thrives off of your displeasure as any guy as dramatic and obnoxious as he is would. He begins to play the melody more forcefully, passionate and strong, like he’s trying to tell you something. The only thing is that you already know what he’s going to say.
“It’s called Liebestraume,” Yoongi says aloud as he continues to play, knowing that your eyes are trained on him.
“And?” You prompt.
“It means love dream,” he begins to explain, making you roll your eyes as you start heading over to the chalkboard obscured from your vision at the present moment. Though beautiful, you don’t want to hear any more of Min Yoongi playing it on that poor, mildly broken piano. It sounds off and with his fingers on the keys it makes you feel even more aggravated than you already are when you’re in his presence. Which, during drama season, is always.
As you round the corner in this L-shape of a choir room, you are greeted with the sight of a perfectly Not Blank chalkboard. In fact, there’s this horrific scrawl in all capital letters on it. It reads:
Y/N,
WILL YOU GO OUT ON A DATE WITH ME? CHECK ☐ YES ☐ NO
— MIN YOONGI
You turn around to glare at a wonderfully guilty-looking Min Yoongi, who’s smiling proudly at the monstrosity he’s written on the board. He’s always fucking like this, and it’s ridiculous and out-of-hand but you are powerless to stop it. The worst part is that he’s written your name and his so there’s no confusion whatsoever as to who this message is addressed to and who it’s from. Such blatant call-outage makes your cheeks heat up, both in mortification and fury.
“Are you serious, Min?” You ask, speechless. The rest of the drama club trickles in, including your fellow officers, Seokjin and Namjoon, and each person gets a nice good look at the chalkboard as they sit down in the choir chairs. By the time the room is half-filled, most people are looking at you, waiting for your response. You swear you can see Taehyung over by the director’s desk with his phone out. He’s definitely recording this whole thing to put on his Snapchat, because he’s one of those people that has ten minute Snapchat stories like the heathen he is.
“When am I not, Y/N?” Yoongi asks in response, cruising on up to where Namjoon and Seokjin stand, waiting for the meeting to begin. He takes his sweet time, relishing in the attention he’s receiving and the press he’s focusing on you. Your misery seems to fuel him.
Pretty soon all of the officers are standing up at the front of the room, ready to start the meeting and cover all of the bases before sending everyone home for the afternoon. Well, all of them besides you. You’re still staring, flabbergasted, at the message written on the chalkboard.
“Well?” Seokjin prompts, looking like he’s about to keel over with laughter. Him and Namjoon seem to be enjoying themselves quite a lot up there. “Aren’t you going to respond?”
The ever-growing drama club crowd laughs, looking at you expectantly. Half of them probably think you’re going to check YES and the world will end because it will be the first time you have ever accepted a date request from Min Yoongi, and the other half probably think you’re going to brutally circle NO before moving on with the meeting entirely. Taehyung’s filming you no matter what happens.
You reach down for the eraser on the ledge at the bottom of the chalkboard, and wipe the whole damn message away, word by word, line by line, until all that’s left is:
☐ NO
and that’s that. Not the best way to turn him down—you’ve definitely done better—but good enough for now and certainly good enough for Taehyung, who is absolutely laughing his entire head off in that back corner. When you turn back to the front of the room where the rest of the drama club officers await you, Yoongi’s pouting, puppy dog eyes on full display, pretending to be heartbroken at your rejection.
“Oh, stuff it, Min,” you chide, marching over to stand in between Seokjin and Yoongi as you clap your hands to begin the meeting.
It goes fairly well. Yoongi gives his instructions to his neck of the woods: the stage crew kids gathered in the top right corner of the seats, all of whom are on their phones and not paying attention to anything that the rest of the officers are saying. Quite frankly, you’re not even sure if they’re listening to Yoongi either. He’s their only representation in the republic known as the Drama Club Officers and they’re barely giving him even a margin of their attention. Namjoon manages to get dues from a couple more people. Seokjin is loud and reckless and everybody loves him, as per usual. You manage the whole thing, switching slides and relaying information from the musical directors.
When the meeting is over, Taehyung hangs back with the officers, partly because he’s your best friend and partly because he’s also your ride. Namjoon records the names of all of the students who gave him money and Seokjin waits around because they always leave school together.
Yoongi grabs his stuff and pulls on his black beanie, letting the thick wool cover his platinum bangs, looking longingly at the ☐ NO still left on the chalkboard. He stuffs his headphones into his ears and begins to head out, but not before shouting, “Don’t forget about me, Y/N!”
You wouldn’t be able to even if you tried.
Seokjin and Namjoon head out soon after, leaving you and Taehyung alone in the choir room as you pull on your jackets and adjust your backpacks. Taehyung’s keys jingle on the lanyard he’s got wrapped around his hand.
“I’d say that was a pretty successful meeting, wouldn’t you?” He asks on the way out, headed towards the exit that leads to the parking lot where his busted old car waits.
“Other than the Yoongi fiasco in the beginning, yeah, I think it went alright,” you say, only the slightest bit (more like a medium amount) bitter. Min Yoongi always has to be so… Yoongi.
Taehyung rolls his eyes. “I know you hate his guts, Y/N, but seriously. You’re playing Eponine in Les Miserables and yet when a love confession comes knocking on your door, you turn the lights off.”
“He doesn’t really mean it,” you insist like it’s obvious, because it is. No way in hell does Yoongi actually want to go out with you. He exists to torture you, nothing more, nothing less.
Your best friend sighs. His car beeps as he unlocks it. Some days you wonder what your life would be like if you had never met Min Yoongi, but then you remember that not even the kindest goddess could have prevented the firestorm known as your relationship.
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You’re leaning against the stage, rehearsing your lines in your head when you hear the heavy stage door opening then slamming shut, heavy footsteps ringing out throughout the theater.
There’s just enough time to spot Taehyung marching in, proud as ever, jumping from the stage ledge to the carpeted pit below, and shouting, “Guess who just failed his calc test!”
Nobody applauds. In fact, nobody seems to take any note of him besides you and the director, who is shaking his head as he writes something down on his clipboard. But you have to take notice of him because he’s your best friend.
“Don’t sound so enthusiastic,” you chide as he strides up to you. You don’t need to move your eyes from your script to know that he’s smiling. He reaches into his bag to show you the proof—a fucking satchel that cost him an arm and a leg at Urban Outfitters because he is a piece of shameless hipster trash and extremely proud of it—pulling out a crumpled looking thing stapled together in the top left corner. On the front, right next to where Taehyung’s scribbled his name (it looks like a goose has written it), a bright red 36/100.
“Look at her, Y/N,” Taehyung says, shoving the thing in your face. You fumble with it, trying to balance it between your fingers along with your thick (with two C’s) script. You leaf through it. There’s one page where Taehyung just drew a game of hangman. He didn’t even try to write anything down. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
“What were you trying to spell out?” You ask, showing him the hangman page.
“I suck at calc.”
“You weren’t even gonna like, beg for an A?”
Taehyung looks only a little affronted. “I may be shameless but I’m not that shameless. At least I have the dignity to know when even I can’t schmooze my way to a good grade like Cher from Clueless. I just don’t have that kind of skill, Y/N! Or a rotating closet! My life is awful.”
“You know what, I think the role of Marius will be a good reality check for you. It’ll teach you to be humble. And to cherish what you already have. And to sing your feelings away.”
Taehyung scoffs. “I do that regularly.” He’s not wrong. You’ve lost count of the amount of times you’ve found him singing a Billboard Top 50 song as a form of self-expression to achieve some sort of fake deep catharsis. He once broke out into a ballad version of Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never after missing a question while you were playing Kahoot in chemistry two years ago.
“So what do you have in calc now?”
“A 69.7%,” Taehyung declares like it’s an achievement.
“You scammed your way to a C? How?” You ask in shock. You can’t believe that Taehyung somehow managed to score enough points for him to not be failing that class. You’ve seen his test scores. His grades. He has used his un-handed-in calculus homework as a tissue before.
“My charm,” Taehyung boasts, making you cough up a laugh. At your skepticism, he adds, “and this extra credit review game we did.”
“You’re unbearable,” you tell him in disbelief, your voice still fond. You know that Taehyung doesn’t really want much to do with math, not when he happens to have a penchant for the arts. He’s just selectively studious.
Taehyung smiles to himself as he pulls out his own script, the edges of the folder bent and wrinkled and torn from being stuffed into and roughly pulled out of his satchel. “Bet my team members thought that too. Can’t say they were pleased with being paired up with me.”
“Who were you with?”
“Joy, Hana, and a certain guy whose name rhymes with Sin Boongi.”
“Very funny,” you deadpan.
“Yeah, I’m not really sure who that is either.”
His sarcasm makes you roll your eyes. It’s not so much that you can’t stand the mention of Yoongi’s name as it is you can’t stand him existing, specifically near where you exist. If living on Mars were possible and feasible and if you were as wealthy and scandalous as Elon Musk, then you would either send Min Yoongi on the first ship to the red planet or jump on yourself.
Bitterly, you realize that even if a whole fucking planet separated the two of you, he’d still probably find some way to bother you.
“I mean, Joy and Hana probably greatly dislike me for mooching off of their genuine hard work but I know for a fact that I am not the primary target of Yoongi’s attention,” Taehyung tells you pointedly, crossing his arms in front of you as he gazes at you. You roll your eyes, roughly handing back his crumpled test and going back to your lines. You don’t need a reminder as to how much of a pain in every muscle in your body Yoongi is.
“Don’t look at me like that! It’s not like I chose for this to happen.”
“Ah, yes, it’s not your fault that Min Yoongi has been trying to confess his undying love for you since freshman year and you’ve done nothing but brutally reject him each time.”
This is the part in the story where you’re supposed to say that it wasn’t always like this. You’re supposed to reminisce about some time where you and Yoongi were childhood friends, neighbors, lovers who kissed each other on the kindergarten playground. A montage of your past together is supposed to play and make everyone in the audience watching the movie coo at how close the two of you used to be. And you’re supposed to be narrating the story of your life before the music takes a dark turn and gets all dramatic and you reveal this friendship-crushing event that destroyed your relationship and is meant to make the audience feel sympathetic towards you because you’ve painted yourself as the poor, helpless victim while Yoongi is the evil and malicious person out for your blood.
The truth is is that Yoongi isn’t out for your blood. He’s just out for your mild embarrassment, the kind that makes blood rush to your cheeks and a little frown to etch itself onto your face but the same kind that makes you realize that there could be worse things he does to you. That if this is the price to pay, you’ll take it.
The truth is is that it was always sort of like this.
“Well, how else am I supposed to reply? It’s not like Yoongi means anything by it,” you huff out.
“Gossiping about me, are we now, Y/N?”
You whip your head around to find—speak of the Devil and he shall appear—Yoongi marching across stage with a bucket of nails in his hand for the set construction. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think that it was there for him to toss at you. He’s wearing paint-stained clothing, black covered in red and green and brown and white, a beanie sitting atop his bleach blonde hair. He looks so… infuriatingly good.
“Only about you,” you say sharply. Min Yoongi is your one and only nemesis in the entire drama club. Not even that kid Jungkook, who, despite his sheer size, is about as clumsy as a butterfly with a broken wing. He has, multiple times, run into you because he is too busy looking in the opposite direction when in motion. You don’t really blame him, though. He’s the only one who seems to know anything about filming things, which means that the directors put him in charge of anything to do with a camera. Which is a lot.
“I’m honored,” Yoongi tells you, one hand over his heart. He places the bucket down by the wooden planks on stage, a drill already waiting on top of them. “Keep an eye out for me, will you?”
“Min Yoongi, what are you planning now!” You shout, but he’s already beginning to drill, the noise of the drill bit pressing into the wood overwhelming your cries.
They’re the only words he speaks to you for the entire afternoon, leaving you fuming in place once more. Taehyung does absolutely nothing to help besides suggesting that you should put one of the frogs that the freshman biology kids have to dissect into his backpack, a plan that would perhaps work if it weren’t for the fact that it is equal parts hilarious and disgusting. Go big or go home, and you would rather sleep.
The only difference between before and now is that then Yoongi was a scrawny kid who wore all black and played basketball in the gymnasium alone and now he is, apparently, none of those things. Somewhere along the line Yoongi turned from a freshman into a senior and you don’t really know how you feel about it because the boy you are decidedly mortal enemies with is not supposed to look that good. That’s the problem here.
Of course, you could never voice this concern to anybody. Not even Taehyung, because Lord knows you would never hear the end of it from him. Taehyung’s wonderful, but he’s a bit of a blabbermouth, and when Taehyung finds out something the entire drama department will soon follow.
“People’s Song, folks!” One of the directors calls. “Everyone into the choir room!”
On your way over there, you lock eyes with Min Yoongi. He grins.
Ugh.
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“Seokjin, are you even listening to me?” The choir director asks with a pointed look on his face, hands on his hips. Seokjin is too busy eating one of those snack packs of Nutella and breadsticks, turning around like a deer caught in the headlights, cheeks puffy and lips chocolate-y. Where did that come from? Is he even allowed to be eating in here?
“Vaguely,” he responds, making the director roll his eyes. “Can’t hear you over the sound of me quenching my hunger.”
All of the students in the room laugh over the sound of Seokjin’s teeth crunching down onto the snack.
Namjoon, with a tie around his forehead for some unknown reason (you know for a fact that the kids in charge of costumes did not put him up to this), strolls up to his boyfriend, disregarding the seating arrangement entirely to snatch a breadstick from the container. Seokjin takes notice of the accessory tied around his head and tugs on it slightly, making everyone close their eyes to shield them gross display of public affection.
The director sighs, paging back a bit in the score before hitting the pitch on his piano. “We’re starting at the top.”
He begins to play, the thick sound of the piano echoing throughout the room from the dinky speakers behind his desk. Seokjin clears his throat, coughing a little before starting.
“One day more,” he sings. “Another day, another destiny…”
Namjoon rests his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder as he sings, peering down at his lines every now and then just to see when his entrance is coming up.
“One day more,” Seokjin ends his phrase and the director continues to play, waiting for Taehyung to enter.
The only thing is that Taehyung’s been absent from school for the past two days after coming down with strep throat. You have no idea where he contracted that from, especially considering you’ve gotten strep every year since you were eleven.
“Marius?” The director stops on a clunky note. “Where is he?”
“He’s sick,” you inform him. “Strep.”
“Fine,” the director sighs, rubbing his temples. He definitely doesn’t get paid enough. “Anyone willing to fill in? You don’t have to be any good, you just need to sing.”
No one seems to be willing to take Taehyung’s part. Not that you blame them, because Marius has a fairly decent range and everyone in high school cares too much about their reputation to be willing to sacrifice their own pride for the greater good.
Well, everyone except one person.
“I will,” Yoongi volunteers from out of nowhere. You furrow your brows in disbelief as you watch him stroll over to the front of the choir room. Where the hell did he come from? Has he been here the whole time? Yoongi has almost no business being in the choir room during a practice for one of the songs when he is 1) not a choir student and 2) in stage crew. It’s like he just manifested from the dust particles floating around.
“Alright, fine,” the choir director says gruffly. “Need a script?”
“No, it’s alright,” Yoongi says, cruising over and taking the seat right next to your own. He smiles casually at you, like it’s no big deal that he just volunteered to take Taehyung’s part for this one particular song.
“What the hell are you doing,” you mutter to him.
“Using my resources,” he hisses back.
“Okay, we’re starting from the beginning again. Seokjin?”
Seokjin looks up at the call of his name with half of a baby carrot sticking out of his mouth. There’s a Ziploc bag full of them sitting on Namjoon’s lap. He chews the offending vegetable like a rabbit, quickly and furiously, before swallowing down what’s left and clearing his throat once more.
He gets through his verse with relative ease and for a brief second you think this might actually just be a normal fucking rehearsal when—
“I did not live until today,” Yoongi sings in his rough voice, gravelly yet smooth all at once. It shocks you a little bit, how decent of a singer he is. He really does have a calling for the dramatics. “How can I live when we are parted?” You can feel his gaze on your figure, even if he is glancing back and forth at the lyrics he’s pulled up on his phone. He’s waiting to see how you’ll react.
“One day more,” Seokjin continues, but you can see the way his eyes are trained on the two of you. He’s trying to be subtle about it.
“Tomorrow you’ll be worlds away, and yet with you, my world has started,” Yoongi continues, even as Eunbi—Cosette—joins in from across the room. She doesn’t seem to care that Taehyung’s not here and that Yoongi’s taken his place. You don’t really blame her—she thinks that Taehyung is the baboon of the music department and quite frankly, her thoughts are not at all misled.
“One day more, all on my own,” you begin to sing softly, barely audible over the sound of the piano keys clunking throughout the room. You don’t really know if you have the guts to look up at Yoongi.
“Will we ever meet again?” He sings, except his words aren’t directed at Cosette.
“One more day with him not caring,” the lyrics come naturally to you but the feeling of everyone watching you will always be foreign, even if you were born to be a performer. Born to be on stage.
This is different than being on stage.
“I was born to be with you,” Yoongi declares more than he sings, reaching his arm out towards you. Slowly, you begin to look up at Yoongi, who looks just about as expressive as Taehyung is whenever he serenades the goldfish in his room. He’s got his arms outstretched towards you and is singing like his life depends on it, kind of because you have the slightest feeling that you’re about to end it when you’re done with this song.
“What a life I might have known,” you sing through gritted teeth, glaring daggers at Yoongi. He is, to put it simply, wholly undeterred. This is supposed to be a romantic and wistful and hopeful tune and because of him, the entire damn song has gotten flipped—turned upside down. Marius isn’t even the one in love with Eponine. That’s the whole reason her character exists. Because he doesn’t love her.
Not that you’re implying that Yoongi feels any sort of romantic affection towards you. Impossible. There are plenty of reasons that Yoongi does shit like this but you doubt any of them are “because he loves you.”
“And I swear I will be true,” Yoongi promises, belts out with more emotion than you think you’ve ever seen him. This feels like it’s about to turn into a High School Musical scene from how dramatic Yoongi’s being.
“But he never saw me there.” It’s turned into a staring contest between you and him. Yoongi’s grinning wildly as he continues, making the tense press of your lips grow even tighter.
“One more day before the storm,” Namjoon jumps in, and it seems that he’s following Yoongi’s preferred plan of attack which is to sing like it is the last time he will ever sing. He jumps up like he’s literally part of the June Revolution, his fists curled in a power stance.
Yoongi joins in, leaping to his feet. Since when is Namjoon the instigator? “Do I follow where she goes?”
“At the barricades of freedom,” Namjoon follows, raising his arm in solidarity to whatever cause he stands for. Seokjin stands up as well, adjusting the tie around his boyfriend’s forehead as he does.
“Shall I join my brothers there?”
“When our ranks begin to form?”
“Do I stay, and do I dare?”
“Will you take your place with me?”
There comes a point where suddenly you are the only one who is still sitting in your chair, your feet rooted firmly to the ground in protest. Everyone around you is beginning to belt out the lyrics, even if it isn’t their part. You hate drama kids. Oh goodness, you hate them.
You think you might actually make it through this whole rehearsal without dying of embarrassment, but then Yoongi reaches down where he stands next to you and pulls you to your feet, making you gasp slightly at the tug. He’s gotten quite strong. It must be all of the carrying he does during stage crew.
“The time is now, the day is here!” Everyone shouts rather than sings. Yoongi looks right into your eyes as he says the lyrics and you wonder if he can see the disdain lacing your irises. If this is his attempt at another confession, it’s exceedingly poor.
“One day more!” Seokjin practically yodels before everyone dissolves into a fit of laughter. Even the choir director has a smile on his face.
“Won’t you love me, Y/N?” Yoongi asks you, closing his eyes dramatically as he opens his arms.
You look at him in disbelief. You hope he can’t see the way the fondness bleeds into your expression. “In your dreams, Min.”
It ends there.
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you (7:03PM): how dare you
yeontan’s daddy (7:03PM): what did i do
you (7:04PM): be sick
yeontan’s daddy (7:04PM): well excuse me for getting strep from a certain someone
you (7:04PM): idk what ur talking about ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
yeontan’s daddy (7:05PM): Okay™ yeontan’s daddy (7:05PM): what happened today yeontan’s daddy (7:05PM): did i miss something
you (7:05PM): yoongi
yeontan’s daddy (7:06PM): omg noooooo i missed it!! yeontan’s daddy (7:06PM): i wonder if jk filmed it
you (7:06PM): im distressed and the only thing you can think about is if jungkook filmed it???????
yeontan’s daddy (7:07PM): are you questioning my priorities
you (7:07PM): i hate you
yeontan’s daddy (7:08PM): just like you hate yoongi
you (7:06PM): you are the worst best friend i have ever had
yeontan’s daddy (7:08PM): what did he do this time
you (7:09PM): he SANG TO ME you (7:09PM): SANG!! WITH HIS VOICE !!! you (7:09PM): HIS LIPS MOVED AND MADE NOISE
yeontan’s daddy (7:10PM): that is typically how people sing
you (7:10PM): HE SANG !!! IS THAT EVEN ALLOWED !!!!! I DON’T THINK SO !!!!!
yeontan’s daddy (7:10PM): i didn’t know yoongi sang
you (7:10PM): HE DOESN’T
yeontan’s daddy (7:10PM): you seem very emotional about this
you (7:10PM): IM ANGRY
yeontan’s daddy (7:11PM): is he at least a decent singer
you (7:11PM): YES
yeontan’s daddy (7:11PM): wow you’re mad
you (7:11PM): IM RAGING!!!!!
yeontan’s daddy (7:12PM): what did he sing? imo he definitely should have serenaded you with take on me
you (7:12PM): HE SANG YOUR FUCKING PART
yeontan’s daddy (7:12PM): mine????
you (7:12PM): BECAUSE YOU WEREN’T HERE TODAY
yeontan’s daddy (7:12PM): I DON’T HAVE A VOICE yeontan’s daddy (7:12PM): MY DOCTOR SAID IM CONTAGIOUS
you (7:13PM): IM MAD AT YOU
yeontan’s daddy (7:13PM): marius isn’t even in love with eponine??? it’s the other way around???
you (7:13PM): I KNOW
yeontan’s daddy (7:14PM): what were you even singing
you (7:14PM): ONE DAY MORE you (7:14PM): AND HE SANG ALL OF HIS LINES you (7:14PM): WHILE LOOKING AT ME you (7:14PM): AND IM ANGRY ABOUT IT
yeontan’s daddy (7:16PM): im going to be extremely disappointed if no one filmed this
you (7:16PM): EVERYONE JOINED IN you (7:16PM): HE GOT UP TO HIS FEET AND SUDDENLY IT WAS LIKE SOME HSM BULLSHIT you (7:16PM): I HATE THIS
yeontan’s daddy (7:19PM): i just double checked my lines for one day more and that’s like? very romantic? a 10/10 even if the delivery was a bit off
you (7:19PM): ARE YOU TAKING HIS SIDE!!!
yeontan’s daddy (7:19PM): is your caps lock button just… perpetually on
you (7:19PM): YES
yeontan’s daddy (7:19PM): you can’t possibly be this mad about being serenaded
you (7:20PM): IM DISTRESSED
yeontan’s daddy (7:20PM): is this because you literally have no idea how to navigate your feelings for yoongi
you (7:20PM): my only feelings for yoongi are disdain and general disgust
yeontan’s daddy (7:20PM): i really do not think that is true
you (7:20PM): what else could it be
yeontan’s daddy (7:23PM): hmmm yeontan’s daddy (7:23PM): i wonder
you (7:24PM): what the hell are you trying to say you (7:25PM): i know you fucking got this text you (7:26PM): do not leave me on read!!! you (7:34PM): taehyung!!!! how dare you!!!!! you (7:40PM): im calling the police !!!!! you (8:45PM): taehyung!!!!!!
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It pains you to say so, but the set looks fantastic. As much as your petty grudges and general pride hate to admit it, Yoongi and his gang of gangly, uncoordinated, My Chemical Romance-listening stage crew students do a wonderful job each year, and this musical is no exception. On stage right now, in front of the background design of an unspecified French city in the early-to-mid 1800s is a pile of apparent rubbish. But it’s meant to be like that, old tables and chairs and even the damn piano from the choir room all mashed together, glued and nailed and enforced with random wooden planks here and there, meant to look like a real French barricade built haphazardly by students who most definitely aren’t gifted in the arts of engineering and invention. And if Namjoon, king of standing on top of things he shouldn’t be standing on top of, can climb to the top without either toppling over or bringing the whole construction down with him, then it must be sturdy as hell.
“You’re rousing, Namjoon,” the director tells him. The student in question is wobbling as he makes his way up the mountain of random household objects, Seokjin standing a couple of feet away on the sidelines and looking on fondly. “Be more… revolutionary. You’re calling everyone to action, right?”
“Right,” Namjoon nods, but the action makes him lose his footing for a quick second. He regains it nearly as fast, but not before Seokjin’s darting over, instinct telling him to protect the one he loves.
“Okay, so act like it,” the director says.
“Red, the blood of angry men!” Namjoon cries, his voice the slightest bit melodic that it needs to be. Seokjin looks on like a very pleased boyfriend.
“More! Angrier!” The director encourages. He’s been working on getting Namjoon to act more like a revolutionary in France in the early nineteenth century for a while now, most as a result of Namjoon’s insecurity of his ability to act like one. The thing is, you’ve seen Namjoon in debates in your political science class. And you’ve seen the way he protests the way that student minorities are always punished more severely than those that aren’t. And you’ve read his essays about the oppression of women’s rights in modern society. Namjoon’s about as revolutionary as they come, powerful, intelligent, noble—he just doesn’t know it.
“Red, the blood of angry men!” Namjoon says, getting provoked by the director. All of the students on stage are feeling the June Rebellion coursing through their veins, angry yet determined expressions lacing their features as they all engage in various revolutionary activity.
“Good, good!” The director emphasizes.
“Black, the dark of ages past!” continues Namjoon, getting a bit daring and moving to stand taller. He’s nearly at the top of the Mount Everest of rubbish. “Red, a world about to dawn!”
Namjoon takes one giant step, knee knocking into the edge of some table, and reaches the very peak of the trash pile. He balances himself on some sort of ledge and triumphantly raises both of his fists in the air, and with a great big, empowering grin, shouts, “Black, the night that ends at last!”
At this exact moment, ironically enough, all of the lights on stage shut off. The ones in the pit soon follow after a split second, and then the entire auditorium is shrouded in darkness.
“What the fuck,” you can hear Namjoon mutter to himself. He doesn’t dare move for fear of misplacing his foot and crashing to the stage floor.
“Go, Yoongi, go!”
The director doesn’t even have time to shout Hoseok’s name before you hear some random scuffling, rushed and quick and very disorganized. You whip your head around, hoping to spot the offending stage crew manager and the entourage he has somehow gathered to do his dirty work, but then the lights flicker back on, one by one from the back of the auditorium all the way to the stage, where Min Yoongi stands in the center with the megaphone held to his mouth.
Fuck. Oh, fuck. You already know exactly what’s about to happen and you try and hide yourself, sinking into the sweater you’re wearing as you quickly scan for any means of escape or disguise. Maybe you can go hide behind Jungkook, since he’s standing in the middle of the seats with a fat camera in his hand, filming the whole thing. You’re about to make a mad dash before Yoongi can do anything when you hear a crackling sound and—
“Y/N!” Yoongi shouts into the megaphone, his voice mildly unintelligible and cracked around the edges. He doesn’t really need to shout, not when he’s got a megaphone in his hand, but here he is.
“Oh my God,” you say in shock, your head slowly sinking into your hands. “Oh. My God.”
“IF I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN GOING TO HARVARD AND GETTING TO DATE YOU, I WOULD DATE YOU,” Yoongi continues, voice blaring. “SORRY FOR CAUSING ALL OF THIS RUCKUS, DIRECTORS, BUT YOU KNOW I HAD TO DO IT TO ‘EM. SPECIFICALLY Y/N. BECAUSE I LOVE HER.”
“Christ almighty,” you continue to mutter, knowing fully well that Jungkook is panning back and forth between where you stand in the pit and where Yoongi stands on stage.
“I DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH GRANDER I CAN GO WITH THESE, Y/N. I’M RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS. YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED.”
Taehyung snickers somewhere next to you.
“IN ANY CASE, NOW THAT I’VE CAUSED ENOUGH DISRUPTION, PLEASE DON’T FIRE ME AS HEAD OF STAGE CREW. WE FINISHED ALL OF THE SETUP. I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING LEFT TO DO. I HAVE ONE FINAL QUESTION.”
It’s a wonder that Yoongi hasn’t auditioned for any sort of drama show because he’d almost be guaranteed a main role. What with all of this nonsense.
“WILL YOU, Y/N, DO ME THE HONOR OF GOING OUT ON A DATE WITH ME?”
Yoongi then proceeds to hand the megaphone off to Jimin, who has seemingly appeared out of nowhere, who grabs it in his baby-sized hands and rushes towards you with it. He hands it over to you and points to the button you’re meant to press to get the thing to turn on.
“Is this the best you can do, Min?” You ask in response, a challenge that he’s definitely going to accept. You’re digging your own grave here but you don’t have the heart to just straight up reject him, especially not when he’s managed to corral all of the kids in stage crew and the tech kids up in the light and soundbooth to do this for him. This is like some twisted promposal gone completely wrong. “Step your game up and then maybe I’ll consider it.”
With that, you hand the megaphone back to a very disgruntled director and continue on with your day. On stage, Yoongi is handing out high-fives to his entire crew, considering this endeavor a success. Or at least, a not-failure. The directors are trying to wrangle everyone up again to rehearse but consider their efforts fruitless and give a ten minute break.
“I can’t believe you didn’t say no,” Taehyung says in disbelief as he comes up next to you, arms crossed over his chest. “I thought Yoongi was a goner.”
“I’m being benevolent,” you inform him. “Next time he pulls some shit like this and I’m locking him up in the catwalk. When they tear this school down they will find his skeleton, still wearing that goddamn black beanie.”
“Wow, you really thought that out,” Taehyung comments, mildly impressed. Then, because he’s got the attention span of a puppy in a park, “I can’t believe you said you’d consider it. Since when do you consider anything to do with Yoongi?”
“I told you I was being benevolent.”
“Don’t tell me you’re actually warming up to the idea of going out with him. I’ll die of shock.”
“You sure that strep throat didn’t infect your brain?” You tease, ruffling his head.
“I think it might have, considering I just had a dream where you said you might actually consider going on a date with Yoongi.”
“I’m getting his hopes up so that I can crush them with my bare hands,” you say, glancing towards Yoongi. He seems to notice your gaze upon him and sends you some classic finger guns and an incredibly greasy wink, neither of which you return. “Like a grape.”
“I have never seen you crush a grape with your bare hands before.”
“Bring grapes tomorrow.”
“Regardless, you’re not that cruel, Y/N. You told Yoongi to step his game up and he will and if you reject him, I won’t be able to figure out if it’s all in good fun or not. It’s a fine line to cross, Y/N,” Taehyung warns cautiously, giving you a pointed look. You sigh. This isn’t how you pictured this conversation with Taehyung going. You thought he would just applaud you for not being so heartless but now he’s off preaching.
“I don’t know why he keeps doing it,” you think aloud. It’s never-ending, the confessions, over and over again without any sort of break in between. They’ve become so common that it’s a part of your routine at this point, something you just expect to happen despite their general spontaneity. It’s not so much that they’re predictable as it is they’re nice surprises.
Taehyung frowns. “Have you ever told him to stop?” He asks you with his eyebrows raised, a valid point to be making. “You know that if you told him to stop he would, right? He’s not that much of an asshole.”
You open your mouth to defend yourself when the realization hits you. It’s never occurred to you that you’ve never told Yoongi to stop with all of this nonsense, even after year after year of it. You know Yoongi well enough to know that if something he was doing made you feel truly uncomfortable, he wouldn’t continue doing it. He’s a decent guy like that. Taehyung’s right. Yoongi would stop the moment you asked him to.
But why haven’t you? Even after four years of having to hear him proclaim his undying affection for you in elaborate and schemed ways, you’ve never once told him no. You’ve accepted it as reality and continued on with your life.
It’s come so far that now you just expect them.
Like you’re waiting for the next time.
“You’re thinking awful hard about this,” Taehyung notes as he pops a piece of white cheddar popcorn into his mouth.
“I’m distressed,” you tell him.
“Have you ever once considered the idea that you may, in fact, enjoy the attention you receive from him?”
You scoff as a knee-jerk reaction. “Don’t be ridiculous. I hate him.”
Taehyung frowns. “I don’t really think that you do.”
“Can you stop doing that?” You ask bitterly.
Taehyung raises a brow. “Doing what?”
“Being all cryptic and shit. Whenever we talk about me and Yoongi all you do is dodge my questions and be vague. Extremely unhelpful,” you pout. Taehyung’s your best friend—he should be the one telling you the things you don’t know. Every time you ask him to spell something out for you he jumbles up the letters like a child with a magnetic alphabet on his fridge.
“I’m not here to police your feelings for him,” Taehyung tells you.
“My feelings for him?”
“Tell me right now, to my face, that you hate him. If you can, I’ll believe you.”
You turn to him, glare into Taehyung’s deep brown eyes, and open your mouth. The words should come easily to you—after all, you’ve been repeating them to yourself for years now—but your tongue is dry.
You know you can’t say that you hate Yoongi. Because you don’t. You really, really don’t. Maybe he’s loud and obnoxious and spontaneous and outrageous but you don’t hate that about him. He cares deeply and works hard and always makes sure that the stage crew is organized and prepared and treats them with respect and you don’t hate him. You can’t.
“Knew it,” Taehyung says, shaking his head. “You’re awfully soft, did you know that, Y/N? Always have been.”
“I take personal offense to that.”
“You’re such a goner for him, don’t you know that?” Taehyung asks. He motions his head towards Yoongi, who’s laughing on stage with Jimin and Seokjin. They’re tossing Goldfish into each other’s mouth, and one hits Yoongi on the nose before falling to the floor. He’s laughing. They all are, but Yoongi beaming. He outshines everyone on stage even if he isn’t an actor himself. He’s wondrous.
You sigh. “Yeah. I know.”
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After your final dress rehearsal, everyone’s deadbeat tired. It’s nearing eleven at night and you think you’ve set a record for how long you can be in your school building in one go. Even Taehyung’s about to fall asleep, and the man downed a venti Starbucks coffee during the last period of the day.
“Good run, folks!” Your director shouts. “You guys will be amazing on Thursday, I know it! Get some much needed rest. No practice tomorrow, so don’t show up here otherwise I’ll have to hear about it from management!”
Everyone groans out their response as they gather their bags, wiping off the makeup on their faces with dried-out wipes and dampened paper towels. Right now, there is no place more enticing to you than your bed back home, sheets crumpled and warm.
“See you tomorrow, Y/N!” Taehyung shouts as he’s bounding down the steps outside, jumping into the passenger seat of his older brother’s car. Normally he’d be offering to drive you home but his car’s in the shop. The damn thing was on its last legs anyway. It needed some repairs.
“See you!” You wave back, turning to go back inside the auditorium. It’s oddly cold tonight, and you underprepared with just a t-shirt, so you’re trying to conserve as much warmth as you can before your ride comes.
The auditorium’s mostly cleared out, lights dim and hazy. But there in the middle is Yoongi, leaning down to clean up the remnants of the nonsense on stage. He looks so alone, up on stage without anybody else. Nobody seems to have stayed back to help him.
Your ride can wait a couple minutes.
You drop your backpack down in one of the seats next to the aisle as you walk up to him, strides longer to get you there faster.
“Need some help?” You ask.
Your voice catches him off guard, and he looks up with his mouth in the shape of a small ‘o’. He blinks a couple of times, like he’s processing the fact that you’re here, standing in front of him, offering a hand.
“Me? Oh, yeah. That would be nice, thanks.”
“Sure thing.”
You come up on stage and Yoongi directs you to the broom hanging up on the wall so you can dust away anything left on stage—not that there’s very much. In his hands, Yoongi’s got a couple stray pieces of paper and some safety pins that must have fallen off some of the costumes. Jimin will need those.
You fall into this silence as the two of you clean up what’s left. Most of it’s just tidying up, organizing the props on the tables backstage so that everything’s in order for the show in a couple days, but it’s important. Important enough for you and Yoongi to be the only two people left to do it.
This is the kind of thing that’s supposed to be awkward and romantic at the same time. You and Yoongi are the only ones left in this dark auditorium as the moon waits above your head for some miracle to play out. You don’t know what to say to each other but your company is enough of an icebreaker. His mere presence fills up the space, even if he’s one lonely man on a giant stage. Yoongi’s exhausted, the bags under his eyes deep and dark, much like your own. Alongside being part of the drama club as a whole, you’re also officers of it, meaning the two of you take on responsibilities nobody else in the club would dare to. You love this, love being on stage and acting and entertaining others, but days like this are draining.
“You should get some rest,” Yoongi breaks through the layer of tension in the air. You didn’t even realize that it had settled until he waved it away. He walks up to you with a damp rag in his hand from wiping down the set for the last time to clean it of any dust that might have settled.
“You too,” you tell him softly, holding the broom close to your body to give your hands something to do.
“I’m not the one performing on stage in a couple days,” says Yoongi, smiling to himself.
“Just because I’m under the lights and you aren’t doesn’t make you any less important, Min,” you say to him, looking down at your feet because you don’t think you could bear looking into his eyes. It’s dark, everything’s dark, from his hat to his clothes to the stage to the auditorium to his irises. “Without you, we’d have no show.”
“I—I mean I just move stuff off and on stage,” Yoongi admits shyly. Why does he think so little of himself? Doesn’t he know how much he matters?
“You built the damn stage,” you tell him, finally mustering up enough courage to look him in the eye. You signal to the rest of the set, designed and constructed and decorated perfectly, a display of all of his hard work, right in front of him. There’s not a thing out of place. At least, it doesn’t look that way to you. “This was all you.”
“I had a lot of help,” he whispers.
“So did I,” you tell him. “What you do here matters, Min,” you stress, hoping he’ll understand. Hoping he’ll know how much his work means to you. How much he means to you. “You matter.”
It’s then that Yoongi looks up. He’s got his dark pink lips in that little ‘o’ again, but then they shift into a small smile, miniscule. You’d probably hardly be able to see it if you weren’t so close to him. His eyes crinkle up ever so slightly. God, he’s…
“I’ll see you at the show on Thursday, okay?” Yoongi asks, eyes hopeful. He doesn’t need to be hopeful, not when you and him both have to show up no matter what, but he asks it like he isn’t sure. He should be.
“Yeah,” you say, nodding. For some reason, you can’t wait to see him again.
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“Eponine! Eponine, come on!”
Namjoon’s shouting your name as you rush backstage. It’s the finale for Act One and you barely had time to get yourself situated since your last scene, dirtying up your clothes a bit more and covering your cheeks with brown and black eyeshadow. Time passes by too quickly for this show, strange enough since it’s long as hell.
“I’m here, I’m here,” you whisper shout in response, coming up next to Namjoon. You look across the stage in the hopes that maybe you can catch a glimpse of Yoongi, but you’ve barely seen him at all since you arrived to get into your costume. Maybe a couple of glances, here or there, but other than that he seems to be entirely AWOL.
“One Day More, One Day More!” Namjoon tells you in a hurry and you rush on stage, hidden in the darkness as you stand, waiting for your cue.
The lights on stage come back on. Seokjin stands in the center in his Jean Valjean costume, looks out into the audience, and begins to sing. Soon enough, Taehyung and Eunbi join him on stage, standing a few feet away from him as they sing to each other. The spotlight’s on just them for right now as they share their song, but soon enough you feel the heat of the light on you and join in.
Just for now, any thought of Yoongi evaporates from your mind. You can’t really think of him, not as you stand on stage and sing for your friends, your family, anyone who has come to see this show on this rainy Thursday night. The Act One Finale is always your favorite thing to perform, just because it’s so energetic, inclusive, fun.
Soon the entire cast is on stage, each person singing their part as the pit plays beneath you. It’s your first showing but undoubtedly not your best, even as you accidentally stumble over your words when you spot Yoongi rushing around backstage, just a momentary glimpse of him. He looks awfully busy.
The song comes to a close and the lights turn off to a round of applause from the audience. The curtains close, the whirring of the machine that moves them barely audible over the sound of the cast members shuffling off stage. Intermission’s meant to last about fifteen minutes, just long enough for everyone to change and clean up and for the stage crew to set up for the next scene. You’re sweating from being under the lights, hair matted by your forehead where your perspiration collects, and you wipe away what you can with a paper towel as you head off stage to take a breather.
You’re barely out into the hallway when you feel someone grab onto your wrist at the same time a voice outside says, “Attention, everyone, could I just get your attention for a moment?”
It’s Yoongi.
Eyes wide, you turn to the person holding onto your wrist to find your best friend smiling guiltily at you, like he knows something you don’t. He definitely knows something you don’t.
“Taehyung, what on earth are you doing?” You hiss at him, but he shrugs.
“I’m being the best friend in the entire world,” Taehyung responds, before he pulls you down to the doors that lead to the pit, opening them and pushing you into the auditorium. Almost immediately, a light shines on you, and you wince as your eyes adjust to the glare. Taehyung waves up to Hoseok. “Go!” Taehyung shouts, motioning up to where Yoongi stands, rocking back and forth in his all black Converse, a microphone in his hand.
Your hardened expression softens into something grossly fond as you make your way up the stairs onto the stage, the spotlight following your each and every step. Yoongi waits at the top like a groom watching his bride come down the aisle. You can’t help but feel like that comparison isn’t too far off.
“Sorry to disrupt your, uh, intermission, everyone,” he says gruffly into the microphone. “This’ll be really quick.” You can tell that he doesn’t want to look into your eyes but he can’t figure out a better place to put his gaze. “Anyway, Y/N, you know that I do a lot of dumb sh—I mean, stuff to get your attention and then you said that I should step my game up so here we are.”
Even if this the most public any one of his elaborate confessions has been, it doesn’t feel that way. You’ve got an entire audience this time, both in the seats and backstage, everyone watching as Yoongi tries one more time. You can hear the doors leading to the pit opening as the entire cast tries to get a glimpse of what’s happening on stage.
This feels different.
It feels different because suddenly Yoongi’s the speechless one, cheeks bright red as he tries to curl into his clothing, sink into the fabric impossibly closer. You’re the one receiving whatever love confession is on the end of this but now he’s the one who’s unsure and embarrassed. It’s kind of endearing, really.
“You’ve probably heard me say this a bunch but I figured there was no better way to say it than in front of the audience for the first night of our show, right?” He forces a chuckle and it makes him cough a little. You can’t help but smile at him. “I don’t know, you’ve always been so wonderful and kind and strong and funny and you make everyone around you laugh, even me, and I make all of these elaborate schemes to ask you out on a date with me but I feel like doing this whole thing just for a date is a bit shallow, so I’ve decided on something else.”
It’s then that Jung Hoseok, decked out in a black hoodie three times the size of his torso and skintight pants, shuffles onto stage with a single rose in his hand. It’s a lavender purple rose. You didn’t even realize that they sold those.
“Anyway, what I’m really trying to say before everyone in the audience gets fed up with me for taking time out of their intermission is, well,” Yoongi teeters on his feet awkwardly, leaning his weight from one side to the other as he twirls the rose between his fingers. “Will you go to prom with me?”
You open your mouth to respond but Seokjin beats you to it.
“Say yes!” He shouts from the sidelines, making Yoongi laugh.
Yoongi looks so nervous. So unsure of himself yet so hopeful, wishing and wishing and wishing. You’ve got a four year streak of turning him down and for the longest time you swore you’d never break it but things are different now.
“I’d love to, Min.”
Yoongi lights up, not even like a Christmas tree but like the whole fucking Christmas display at the mall, the one with reindeers and snowflakes and everything. He lights up like Times Square on New Year’s Eve. He carefully gives the rose to you but you crush it between your fingers as you hug him, pull him close.
Everyone in the audience cheers. Taehyung’s shouting, “That’s my best friend! That’s my best friend right there!” Next to him, Jungkook’s got his camera up, filming the boy in all black with a pink tinge to his cheeks and the girl in tattered rags with dirt covering her face.
When you and Yoongi walk off stage to join your friends behind the scenes, he laces his fingers in between yours. You don’t anticipate on letting go for a long while.
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“Can we banish them from the couch?” Hoseok asks loudly, over the music playing from the television. “They’re being all date-y and shit.”
“We are dating, you asshole,” Yoongi shouts. He’s got one arm wrapped around your side as the other holds the phone up in front of your faces, your body curled into him with your knees tucked close to your chest, leaning against him.
“That’s up to the man of the house, Hobi,” Jimin says as he hands Hoseok another root beer. He motions to Seokjin, who is entirely too busy laughing his entire ass off as he plays What Do You Meme? with Namjoon, Taehyung, Eunbi, and Jungkook on the carpet. They seem to be having a grand old time. You move your head over slightly to see them battling over who won the card with that blue button meme with the giant word NUT written on top of it. Namjoon eventually gives the round to Seokjin, prompting everyone else to accuse them of cheating because they’re dating.
“I hate this so much,” Hoseok says, sighing. “What are you guys even watching?”
“It’s this video of an owner dressing up as their dog’s favorite toy,” Yoongi says without taking his eyes off of the video. The dog starts smothering its owner in kisses. God, you don’t deserve dogs.
“You guys might not want to sit on the left side of that couch!” Seokjin shouts as a warning from across the way, eyebrows raised and cheeks tinged a hazy red in the dim light of his living room.
You and Yoongi look at each other, confused for a brief second, before the both of you start groaning, quickly getting up from where you were seated and searching for another place of lodging. Did you need to know what Seokjin and Namjoon do in their free time? Absolutely not. Did you find out anyway? Unfortunately.
“Hey, deal us in,” you say to Taehyung, settling down in between him and Jungkook. Yoongi takes a seat beside you as Taehyung hands each of you seven cards. Your boyfriend—God, that’s so nice to say—instantly laughs, hearty and loud and wonderful, upon reading the first one.
The next meme Namjoon pulls from the box is the one photo from when Obama gave Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Everyone laughs at the sight of it as they play their cards. It’s Seokjin’s turn to judge.
When he flips over the last card, it’s a freestyle one. Taehyung immediately claims it as his own.
“Go on, give us what you got, Tae,” Namjoon says.
Taehyung clears his throat before announcing, “When Y/N finally said yes to going out with Yoongi after four years of being too constipated in her feelings to realize that she liked him.”
The night fades out like the end of a film, the last scene of a play, with everyone laughing as you beat your best friend with your fists for being so goddamn awful. Yoongi presses an insistent kiss to your forehead as Seokjin easily hands that one to Taehyung, who takes the meme card with pride.
The curtain closes.
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