#gi-de-off

[gideoff]

matching <3

if you like the earrings check out kickstarter for these and cyno & tighnari merch hehe

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sunowls/genshin-impact-earrings-0?r

[forwhomthewordsflow]

Puppy Love

modern!eddie munson x fem!reader

18+ ONLY MDNI

warnings: tooth-rotting fluff, a bit suggestive at some parts, language, more fluff

author’s note: this was totally meant to be a small lil blurb but then i ended up getting sucked into it and well…it ended up being a tiny bit longer than i thought.  also, there’s some legal jargon in here that i totally might’ve misused, don’t hate me! i’m not a lawyer i swear! anywho, i’m still pretty new to the whole writing thing so please go easy on me because i’m a crybaby

p.s. i stopped writing it in order to keep the word count from going through the roof, but if you guys would like a part two picking up right where this leaves off then i’m soooo into that, i really love these two!

word count: 5.3k

Let it be known, Eddie Waylon Munson was not a dog person.  This doesn’t mean that Eddie is a cat person either really, he’d actually be more inclined to categorize himself as a fish person, really.  Eddie can hardly take care of himself, who in the hell would think he could take care of another living being?

Steve fucking Harrington.  That’s who.

Under any other circumstances, Eddie would’ve turned him down in a heartbeat when he asked him to watch his Golden Retriever, Captain, for a week while he’s on vacation with his parents. 

“Dude, c’mon.  You owe me one.”

Eddie scoffed.  “Since when do I owe you one?”

“I–There must be something I’ve done for you…” Steve sighs ,”Haven’t I been letting you swim in my pool free of charge?”

“Yeah, me and every single other member of our party.”  Eddie rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, determined to stick to his answer of a hard no.

“Fine,” Steve huffs.  “What if I gave you three hundred bucks for it?”

At this new piece of information, Eddie perked up.  

“Well, well, well Harrington.  Why didn’t you just lead with that?”  The two boys shook hands, and that was that.

Eddie wishes he could’ve said no, but he unfortunately really needed the extra cash.  The weed business had been slow due to the fact that his usual richie-rich-asshole customers are all off “summering” with their rich families wherever it is that the rich families go to do that shit.  

Eddie figured that he could handle this.  Steve assured him that Captain is well trained thanks to the expensive trainers that his parents hired, plus Eddie would get to stay at Hotel de Harrington while he watched the dog.  Eddie will mind his business, Captain will do his own thing, and Eddie would be $300 richer at the end of it all.  Sweet digs and three hundred bucks is just something Eddie doesn’t have the heart to pass up these days.  

–

Eddie always manages to forget just how gi-fucking-normous the Harrington’s mansion house is.  As Steve leads him through the foyer and into the numerous hallways, Eddie figures he must look like he’s stepping into a house for the first time.  His jaw drops a little at the seemingly priceless artwork that hangs from the walls, the crystal vases lined up on shelves, and the expensive looking furniture placed meticulously all around the house.  He hopes to hell that he doesn’t find some way to fuck something up while he’s shacking up here.  

“I can’t believe you live in this art museum, Harrington.”

Steve scoffs.  “Yeah, it’s all nice and fancy until you think about the fact that all the dumb shit decorating this place could probably feed a small village.”

Eddie stifles a laugh, then hears an excited bark from the other room.

“Okay, time to meet the man himself.  Just warning you, he’s a hugger.”  Steve winks at Eddie and jogs to unlock the door to the backyard.  As soon as the glass door slides open, Eddie sees a blur of blonde fur coming towards him, and then all he can see is the ceiling.

Eddie quickly learns that this is because Captain has knocked him right on his ass.

Captain squirms on top of Eddie, trying his hardest to lick him all over his face and neck while Steve is bent over cackling at the whole ordeal. 

“Okay, okay buddy.  Thanks so much,” Eddie says unenthusiastically while glaring at Steve.  He gently shoves Captain off of him and stands back up, only to look down and realize that his all black outfit is now covered in little golden dog hairs.  This only causes Steve to laugh harder.

Steve straightens back up after being hunched over and sighs, “I warned you man,” then walks past Eddie and into the laundry room, clapping him on the shoulder as he goes.

Captain trots happily behind the boys as Steve shows Eddie where Captain’s food and water bowls are, how much to feed him and when, and where his leash and harness are.  Steve assures him that he doesn’t have to take Captain on a walk or anything if he doesn’t feel like it (he so does not), but he does have a grooming appointment scheduled on the day the Harrington’s set off on their vacation.

Eddie huffs at this revelation.

“I know man, I’m sorry.  My mom had apparently scheduled it months ago and forgot it was on the day we were leaving.  But it’s really easy I swear, you just drop him off at noon, and then pick him back up at three.  It’s already paid for and everything.”  Steve looks at Eddie apologetically, and Eddie figures it won’t be that bad.

–

Eddie was wrong.  He’s only been watching the dog for an hour and already he knows he’s not cut out for this shit.  Captain is stuck to Eddie like fucking velcro.  Who knew dogs could be so needy?  Eddie goes to sit on the couch?  Captain needs to sit right next to him.  Eddie needs to go to the kitchen to grab a drink?  Captain is practically stepping on his heels as he trails behind him.  Eddie has been pretty lenient so far, it’s only a week right?  But he’d had enough when Captain was demanding to follow him into the bathroom, pawing at the door and whining when Eddie wouldn’t let him in.  

Thank god for that goddamn grooming appointment.

Despite being only a couple hours into this gig, Eddie needed some alone time.  

Captain seemed just as excited to get out of the house when Eddie fought to put his harness on him.  He never thought he’d ever be spending a full ten minutes practically wrestling with a 70 pound dog, but Captain just wouldn’t sit still.  After all was said and done, Captain sat and waited next to the front door calmly, while Eddie emerged sweaty and breathing heavily.

–

The grooming salon ended up being only ten minutes away from Steve’s house, which Eddie was thankful for since Captain decided to sit shotgun and stare at Eddie the entire way over.  On the outside, the place looked fancy.  Eddie scoffed a bit at the Grecian columns bracketing the entrance, and the name of the salon printed in gold swoopy letters across the large window panes in the front.  He couldn’t believe people were willing to shell out enough cash to bring their dogs to a place like this all for a haircut.  Eddie looks over at Captain, who is of course staring at him…still, and sighs.

“Here goes nothing I guess.”

Eddie wrangles Captain out of his van and into the salon, hoping to God that these people wouldn’t be able to smell the poor on him.  

What actually occurred was quite the opposite.

Upon opening the glass doors, Eddie was hit with a whoosh of cool air and a small bell chimed to let the employees know that someone had walked in.  Captain was apparently very excited by the gust of air, and decided to jump in circles around and through Eddie’s legs.  While Eddie was caught up in detangling himself so he doesn’t fall flat on his face, he hadn’t noticed you walking up to them.  

“Hi there, need some help?” 

Eddie looked up and could’ve sworn he heard a choir of angels singing.

You stood there smiling at him, the prettiest girl Eddie had ever seen in his 24 years of life on Earth.  He doesn’t think he’d ever had someone smile at him like that before, but he knows he could definitely get used to it. 

While you were waiting for Eddie to respond, you noticed that his dog’s leash was still quite tangled around his legs.  Deciding to take things into your own hands, you take a few steps back and kneel down to the ground to call the dog to you.  He comes bounding up to you, causing his leash to slide smoothly out from under Eddie’s legs, rendering him untangled at last.

Eddie blinks, suddenly he’s untangled and Captain is jumping up onto you, ever the hugger.  

He finally gets his head out of his ass and jogs up to you, grabbing Captain’s leash and yanking him off of you.

“Bad boy, Captain.  We’re supposed to ask for consent before hugging pretty girls.”

Eddie is elated when he spots a blush crawling up your cheeks.  You stand and brush yourself off.

“It’s really okay.  Captain has my consent to hug me any time he wants!”  Your voice had risen to a puppy-talk octave, Eddie never imagined he’d find that so adorable.  You lean down again to scratch Captain behind the ears, and the dog looks up at you with stars in his eyes.  Eddie, having caught a whiff of your perfume as you bent down, is sporting the same look.

You straighten up with a happy sigh and look up at Eddie with a grin. 

“Well then, now that we’re all introduced, how can I help you?”

Eddie all at once forgets why he’s here, caught up in your beautiful gaze.  He feels like he should shield his eyes from yours, lest he burst into flames from taking in your beauty. 

“I’m—uh...I’m grooming.   N-no, that’s not right, sorry.”  You giggle quietly while he tries to finish his sentence.

Eddie laughs at his own stupidity.  

“Sorry.  He’s getting groomed, he should have an appointment under Harrington I think?”

“Sure, let me check on that.” You turn away from him to walk back towards the front desk, and boy is it a treat for Eddie.  You’re wearing a cute company t-shirt, white sneakers, and these perfect fucking denim jeans that cause Eddie’s to get a little tighter.  They must’ve been tailor-made for you with the way they’re hugging your thighs, your hips, your ass–

“Alright, I’m seeing that Captain is just here for his routine trim, yes?”  You look from your computer screen up at Eddie to find him already staring at you with his mouth slightly open.  The look on his face makes you giggle a bit, and this seems to snap him out of his daze.

“Uh, yes.  That sounds right.”  Eddie shakes his head a bit to rid himself of all the impure thoughts swirling around in there.  “I’m just bringing him in for a friend, so whatever’s on there should be right.”

You pretend to type some more as you try and find the will to push down the blush warming your cheeks.  You already clocked that he was gorgeous when he stumbled through the front doors, but how in the hell does he keep getting better?  You noticed the bulge of his bicep when he yanked Captain off of you, the warm chestnut color of his eyes, and now his super-sexy-deep voice?  Being turned on at work was not on your agenda today…

After a few seconds of nonsense typing and very deep breaths, you look back up at Eddie to find him smiling at you.

“That’s really sweet of you, to help out your friend.”

Eddie puffs out his chest (as though he hasn’t been mentally complaining about watching Steve’s dog for multiple hours).  

“Yeah, I do what I can to help.” Eddie shrugs his shoulders in a way he hopes comes across as ’Yeah baby, I’m just a helpful guy.  Super nice, super sweet, definitely boyfriend material..’

You grin and finish getting Captain all checked in.  

“Alrighty!  Captain’s all good to go.  I can get him taken back and then we’ll see you in three hours.”  

Your sweet smile has Eddie captivated until he realizes you’re holding your hand out for Captain’s leash.  Eddie reluctantly hands it over, because now he has to wait a whole three hours to see you again.  You take the leash, wave ‘bye’ to Eddie, and walk through the door that leads to the rest of the salon.  Eddie lets out a deep sigh.

Goddamnit.

—

Three hours turned out to feel more like three days when it meant waiting to see your face again.  Eddie arrived fifteen minutes early to the salon (a first) and waited anxiously for Captain’s scheduled pickup time to roll around.  Eddie strutted into the salon not a second too late before screeching to a halt.

In your place, stood a much older, much rounder lady.  Eddie deflated a little, cursing himself for not finding out if you’d even be here at this time.  He huffs out a breath, and begins walking up to the front desk. 

Then, a thought pops into his head.

Maybe, if he’s nice enough, he can ask the older woman about you.  Then at least he’d have your name and maybe even when you were working next!

Eddie decides it’s time to amp up the ol’ Munson Charm.

His tentative walk turns into a swagger-filled stroll as he reaches the front desk.  Eddie leans on an elbow and smiles a devilish smile down at the woman.  She looks up at him with wide eyes as he dings the silver bell that sits on the desk, winking at her while he does it.

“H-How can I help you sir?”

“Oh sweetheart, please…call me Eddie.”  He goes on after she spends a moment too long gazing up at him, “And who might you be?”

She gulps and straightens her horned glasses.  “B-Betty.  Betty Brown.”

“Hello, Betty Brown,” Eddie can tell his charming smile is having an effect on her, and he’d be lying if it wasn’t boosting his ego a tiny bit.  “I’m here to pick up my dog, Captain.  Brought him by a few hours ago to get his haircut…you know how he likes to impress the ladies.”

Betty nods and takes a deep breath before turning to the computer to try and hide her smile. 

“Okay, Mr. Eddie.  I checked him out with the card on file, he should be up here shortly.” 

“Thanks, sweetheart.” Eddie waits a moment, before launching into his plan.  “I was actually hoping you could help me with a little something else.” 

Betty looks back up at him, blushing when they make eye contact.

“See, when I was in here earlier, there was a really nice girl helping me out.  But, silly me, I completely forgot to ask what her name was.”

To Eddie’s delight, Betty’s face lights up in recognition.  She says your name with so much glee that it’s obvious to him how loved you must be around here.

“Yes, she got off an hour ago.  She usually works the morning shifts, except on Fridays because those are her days off.”

Eddie quickly learned that underneath Betty’s bashful smile was a woman who loved to talk, and he couldn’t be happier for it.  Eddie quickly learned how long you’ve worked here, that you don’t have any pets of your own, and that last Christmas you brought the most delicious homemade cookies for the entire staff.  He also learned that you’ll be working again for the next two mornings.  

Eddie left with Captain and a smile on his face, but not before pressing a kiss to sweet, sweet Betty’s hand.  Thanks to her, Eddie’s confidence is restored and he actually thinks he might have a shot with you.  All he has to do now is figure out what his reasons will be for coming back to the salon two days in a row.  

–

He spent all evening pacing around the Harrington’s house trying to come up with excuses to come see you.  All of the ones he’d thought of so far made him look like even more of a jackass than he did today.  

I thought I might’ve dropped my wallet somewhere around here.  A gorgeous girl isn’t going to want to go out with a guy who drops his shit everywhere.  Pass.

I think Captain needs a little more of a haircut, maybe just another half inch off?  First of all, Eddie doesn’t know shit about haircuts.  He’s been doing his own with kitchen scissors in his bathroom mirror for over a decade.  Second, he would never risk potentially offending you and your work as a dog groomer on the off chance that you’re the one who cut Captain’s hair.  And lastly, for a dog, he’s got to admit that Captain looks pretty damn good after his appointment.  Who knew a dog could look so regal and majestic?  Anyways, PASS.

It was only after Eddie had plopped down on the leather couch with a huff of defeat that he heard the first few plinks of raindrops hitting the windows.  Eddie went to his phone to check the forecast for the rest of the night, and as luck would have it, there was a 100% chance of thunderstorms until tomorrow morning.  As all the pieces of his new plan began stitching themselves together, Eddie finally allowed himself to relax.

–

Eddie used to hate his “backyard,” if you could even call it that.  Behind the trailer was a medium sized patch of dirt, with some sorry-looking green plant-things trying their best to survive scattered about.  The only times Eddie would really look forward to going outside to play as a kid, much to Wayne’s dismay, was when it rained.  Because when it rained, the once dry and grainy surface turned into slippery, messy mud.  Eddie used to love sliding around and making mud pies and all of that stuff, and right now it seems like Captain is having just as much fun, if not more, than Eddie used to.  

The yard was fenced in, so Eddie wasn’t too worried about Captain running away despite Steve’s promises that he’s ‘leash-trained’.  Eddie planned to tell you otherwise though.

‘He just somehow managed to get away from me.  Yeah, I had to chase him all through the mud and dirt this morning.  But I caught him because I’m like, really fast and strong and stuff.’

He does feel a little guilty about lying to you.  But he figures that if it’s something the two of you can laugh over at your wedding someday, then it’s well worth the little white lies.

Eddie’s brought back from his reverie of you in a long, white dress by Captain dropping the mud-soaked tennis ball at his feet…again.

He couldn’t believe how much energy this dog had.  They’d already been out here for twenty minutes and Captain just kept going and going.  Eddie did have to admit, it was sort of fun watching him play.  He even found himself laughing out loud when Captain would get the ball stuck in a puddle of mud and not hesitate to dunk his entire head in to retrieve it.  There was even one point where Captain got so excited and amped up that he just zoomed around in circles over and over again. 

Maybe dogs aren’t so bad after all.

After another ten minutes of chasing around the now mud-covered tennis ball, Captain decides he’s done playing and sits down at Eddie’s feet.  Eddie can’t help but notice that he’s panting pretty hard.  “You must be thirsty, huh?”

Eddie runs inside the trailer to grab a tupperware bowl and fills it with cold water from the tap.  He hopes to god that Captain hasn’t run away already, he’s decided to really put Steve’s whole “leash training” thing to the test.  But sure enough, when Eddie shoves his front door open there he is, sitting nicely at the foot of the trailer’s steps.  Eddie pats his head, then promptly wipes the flaky, dried mud off onto his jeans.  “Good boy.” 

After Captain is done drinking water, Eddie looks him over to ensure that he is completely and totally covered head-to-toe in mud.  Letting out a satisfied sigh, he decides that it’s time for the next stage of his plan to take action.  

He loads Captain into the back of his van (Eddie makes sure to drive especially slow, and Captain pretty much lays down the whole time) and he sets off towards the salon.  

–

Eddie is practically vibrating with anticipation as he puts his van into park.  He’s ecstatic when he sees your beautiful face smiling after two customers as they exit the salon.  Eddie turns around in his seat to see Captain.

“Okay, buddy.  It’s showtime.  I need you to bring your A-game and be a real good wingman for me in there.  Got it?”

Captain tilts his head at Eddie, as though he didn’t understand a thing he said, but then straightens up and lets out a firm bark.  A laugh bursts out of Eddie as he turns the van off and goes to get Captain from the back.  Before rounding the side of his van, and while he’c completely out of your sight, he does a quick smell test on his pits and breath, and then double checks his hair and teeth in the reflection of his rear windows.  After deeming himself presentable, he takes a big deep breath.

“Don’t be stupid, Munson.  Think charming thoughts,” he says under his breath as he starts towards the front door.  

–

You’d be lying to yourself if you said you weren’t sticking around fifteen minutes after your shift was over yesterday in the hopes that Eddie would decide to come back early to pick up Captain.  It’s rare that a guy comes into the salon who looks to be around your age and single, but it’s much rarer that they’re as good-looking as Eddie is.  You spent the entire drive home and the rest of the night fantasizing about his voice, his big hands, his laugh.  You wondered what he did while he waited for Captain’s appointment to be done, what his favorite movie was, his favorite food…But most of all, you wondered if you were making up this mutual attraction in your head?  The nervous stuttering and blushing could just be from nervousness, but he was definitely staring at you a few times.  You also wonder whether or not you had actually caught him staring at your ass…but maybe it’s best not to get ahead of yourself.  Maybe he has a girlfriend.  Maybe he doesn’t even see you that way?  Maybe you should get a grip because you’re basing all of this delusion fantasy off of a ten minute conversation you had with the guy.  Leave it to you to construct a made-up scenario in your head after a short interaction with a new crush.

Be that as it may…you still made sure to carve out an extra half hour to get ready for your shift today.  You blow-dried your hair using your fancy products, spent quite a bit of time on your makeup, and spritzed some perfume on before you left.  You even made sure to wear the same jeans as you did the day before, just in case he was looking. 

The first half of your shift was spent hunched over the front desk, it was an extremely slow day so far.  You found yourself perking up a bit whenever a dark haired individual would walk by the front of the salon, only to droop back down again at the realization that it wasn’t who you wished it was.  With all the rain that came down in Hawkins last night, you figured more people would be making last minute appointments to have their dogs bathed, you’d hoped that today would be busy enough to keep your mind from wandering to a certain pair of warm, brown eyes.  But as your shift crawled towards the halfway point, suddenly things started looking up.

As excited as you were to spot a familiar gorgeous man walking into the salon again, you couldn’t conceal the look of shock on your face once your eyes landed on his mud-covered companion.

“Oh–oh my god!”  Eddie couldn’t quite read your expression, but he was relieved to hear a laugh bubble out of you after your exclamation.  He stood there sheepishly for a moment before he remembered his plan: Be. Charming.

You walk out from behind the desk with a hand covering your mouth, not quite believing what you were seeing.  There stood Captain, proudly smiling and panting, covered head to paw in mud.  Another laugh bubbled out of you, and you were pleased to find Eddie laughing with you.  

Goddamnit, that’s a sexy laugh he’s got.

“What…what happened to you?” You say to Captain, bending down to gently pat his head. 

“This absolute miscreant here got out of the house this morning and found himself a nice, muddy yard to roll around in.”  Eddie looked at you with a grin that made your knees weak.

He looked you up and down while you straightened back up.  Was there a way for someone to get a thousand times more beautiful overnight?

A blush rose to your cheeks as you caught him checking you out.  That settles it, he’s definitely flirting with you.  If he can be so forward about it, maybe you can too.

You look up at Eddie through your lashes, making sure to flutter them a couple times for good measure.

“Aw.  And here I was thinking you’d gotten him all dirty just so you could come and see me again.”

Eddie stills.  

Fuck, he can’t believe how hot you are. 

 Fuck, was his plan really that shitty?  Did you just call him out?  

Eddie’s panicking is subdued by your quiet giggle.  Thank god, you were kidding.

“It’s a good thing you managed to catch him, he looks like the type to go on an adventure in the woods.”  Eddie startles, quickly realizing he’d been full-on staring at you while conducting his mental freak-out.

“Oh, yeah.  I’m–like….fast…” Eddie can feel himself getting lost in your eyes as you stare up at him.  His words trail off into oblivion, nothing else exists other than your pretty smile, the little crinkles next to your eyes, your lips…

Holy shit, is Eddie staring at your lips right now?  Is he going to kiss you?  God, you hope he does, you’ve been fantasizing about his lips for hours now.  You can’t let him kiss you right here in the lobby…can you?

Eddie shakes his head a little, breaking himself from the trance you put him under.  

“Ahem, yeah,” Eddie loudly cleared his throat ,”It was no big deal, really.  He’s a good dog, came right back after he realized he was in the wrong.”  Eddie looked down at Captain, only to find him looking right back up at him, obviously judging him for his outright lies.  Eddie looks up at you, shrugging and shaking his head disapprovingly.  He lets out a big, over dramatic sigh ,”I just don’t know what I’m gonna do with this one.”

“Well it’s obviously not his fault,” you reply, “Look at that face!  That face could never do anything wrong.  I should know, I’m actually his lawyer.”  Eddie spots your poorly concealed smirk and decides to jump head first into this bit with you, excited to see if you can keep up.

“Oh really?”  He crosses his arms and takes a tiny step towards you.  This causes his t-shirt to pull taught around his arms, accentuating his biceps.  Your mouth waters a bit.

“Yes, really.  My client is as innocent as they come.”  You place your hands on your hips and look up at him with a level of sass Eddie had no idea you were capable of.  He decides that he loves it. 

“Huh, that’s interesting.  I totally object.” 

“Are you implying that he acted with intent?  Are you attempting to slander my client?” You place your hand on your chest in a “pearl-clutching” type of way, Eddie stifles a laugh.

“I am indeed.  He knew exactly what he was doing when he ran out that door, the evidence is all over his fur,” Eddie replies.

“My client was just following his nose, any mess that ensued was purely circumstantial.  He is innocent of any and all wrongdoing.”  Eddie feels like he’s got stars in his eyes, he can already picture you fitting in so perfectly into a DnD campaign.  You take his pause as a sign to bring your argument home.

“This is a clear case of prosecutorial overreach.  My client was acting in the best interest of the household, ensuring that the yard was thoroughly inspected for potential threats, pests, intruders, or otherwise.  Any mud on his fur is merely a badge of his dedication to home security.”  You cross your arms, clearly having won this fake-case.  

Eddie takes a step back and starts a slow clap.  You take a tiny bow and burst into a fit of giggles.

“I’m impressed, sweetheart.” You hope Eddie doesn’t see how affected you are by that nickname.  “Where the hell did all the legal jargon come from?”

“I used to watch a lot of Law and Order.”  You look down, suddenly shy with a sparkly feeling in your chest.  You really hope you didn’t come across as super weird.  It’s been a while since you’ve been able to have banter like that with someone else.  Hawkins isn’t a very diverse place, and you’ve found that the majority of the people living here tend to be pretty cookie-cutter conservative.  It feels great to let loose a little with someone you’re interested in, you just hope you’ll get more opportunities to do it.

Eddie, on the other hand, can’t stop looking at you.  Is this what falling in love feels like?  The girls in this town all seem to have made their own assumptions and come to their own conclusions about Eddie: he’s a devil worshiper, a satanist, a hookup to check off their bucket list and then never speak to again.  But not you, obviously.  You don’t look at him with the same disgust in your eyes as everyone else in this town does.  Your eyes are full of a kindness and warmth that Eddie could see himself getting used to.

“So, uh,” Eddie rambles, “What’s the verdict for Mr. Captain?”  Captain perks up at the sound of his name, you giggle at the tilt of his head.

“Hm,” You tap your finger to your chin and look off into the distance, “I think a nice, relaxing bath would do.  Maybe a couple treats, too, for being such a good boy.”  You squat down to Captain’s height to scratch him behind the ears, and Eddie can’t help but cringe a little at the flakes of dried mud that drift down off of Captain’s head and onto the floor.

You grab Captain’s leash from Eddie as you stand back up, walking him over to the desk to get him checked in at the computer.  He’s delighted to discover that you’re wearing the same pair of jeans as you were yesterday, and he mentally kicks himself for sneaking another peek at the way your hips sway as you walk.  Eddie deflates a little at the realization that this might be the end of this interaction.  He never wants to stop talking to you.  

“I’m guessing the card on file is what we’ll be using today?”  You ask sweetly, looking up at Eddie.

“Uh, yeah.  Yeah that’s just fine, thank you.” 

Holding eye contact with Eddie, you murmur “,You’re very welcome,” with a smile.

Oh, Eddie is so totally fucked.

Eddie watches as you walk Captain to the hallway door and hand his leash off to a younger girl.  You happily trot back up to the front desk and lean on it with your smiling face resting in your hands.

“Oh, you– you’re not giving him his bath?” Eddie stammers out.

“Nope.” You reply, popping the ‘p.’ “I’m stuck on front desk duty today.”  

Eddie sighs, relieved that your conversation might not be over.  He puts his elbows on the counter and leans towards you a bit. “Well, it can’t be all that bad.”

Your smile widens and you tilt your head, “I think it’s starting to get better.”

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

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[tojisun]

no, but can you imagine dbf! simon and new boyfriend! toji actually interacting. place your bets on how long it takes for a fight to break out. five minutes or five seconds? and whose "starts it" (because you know that's what they're gonna say, as if they're kids)? i'm betting on toji for that one.

I WENT FERAL READING THIS??? GI OMG 😭

……oki but imagine toji being such a menace that the moment he meets dbf!simon he goes, “oh. so yer the ex.” he runs his eyes over simon. “y’don’t look much.” toji turns to you. “this the one y’were losin’ yer mind over?”

“toji.”

toji pulls you closer towards him, rubbing his arm along your shoulder. “m’sorry, kid,” he says, smiling sheepishly. “y’know it isn’t a dig on you, yeah?”

“oh god,” you groan because that doesn’t de-escalate the situation , not when simon’s arms are crossed over his chest and his eyes furrowed in anger. “let’s just–”

“you’re a pathetic replacement, s’what it is,” simon drawls, cutting you off.

the words pierce through you, pulling you under the memories of your heartache because simon does that well, anyway—he’s good at reminding you of the way you look for him in everyone.

and to hear that it must be the same thing with toji–

you snap your head towards your new boyfriend, denial already on the tip of your tongue because simon may be right about the others but not with toji. not with him–

but toji’s already moving, his warmth leaving you because—oh god!—he’s moved to throw the first punch, his curled fist hit simon’s jaw straight on with a sickening crunch. simon stumbles with a groan, wide eyes blinking, and then he’s returning the hit.

the two fall in a sort of wicked dance, both good at reading each other’s moves and retaliating with something even more painful. you stay out of the way, not knowing how to stop it, let alone how to break their focus. you thumb your phone in your pocket, wondering if you need to call 911 at this point but.

you tell yourself that you might just be biased, that the months of piled up anger and hurt are making you see things, but you think that toji might actually be overpowering simon.

you are proven right when toji throws one final punch and then simon falters before tipping over, his body tumbling to the ground. you watch with morbid fascination, your blood jumping in excitement because this, for some reason, feels like vindication.

“so,” toji says, his voice making you rip your eyes away from simon’s bloody form. “y’proud i won or?”

you blink, mouth agape, then you’re jumping into his arms. toji catches you with a chuckle, his scarred lips tracing a kiss on your cheek.

“so fucking proud,” you tell him with a giggle.

toji pulls back just enough that you see his boyish grin. “yeah?” you nod. “good. all those punches are for you.”

“oh, you,” you murmur, eyes fluttering, cheeks burning.

simon groans on the floor but you and toji ignore him.

i did the math and tojis heavenly restricted body would honestly fold simon :/

giselle this made me crazy ur so silly i fucking love it??? idk why i started typing like im actually serious about this (i am) but dhejdjrjjejd 😭😭

[karume-everything-else]

Posso solicitar leitora dbs x feminina? O leitor está participando do torneio de poder com o universo 7, e o leitor luta contra Toppo, mas o hakai não tem efeito sobre o leitor já que um de seus poderes é se adaptar a qualquer poder ou situação de combate, fazendo com que o usuário fique preso. s técnica se adapta. tornar-se nulo? como mahoraga, não sei se você assistiu jujutsu kaisen. (Acho que seria engraçada a reação dos deuses e lutadores ao ver o hakai não surtir efeito no leitor)

Can I request dbs x female reader? The Reader is participating in the power as universe 7, and the reader fights against Toppo, but the hakai does not affect the reader as one of its powers adapts to any power or situation of combat, making the user a prisoner. s technique adapts. become-null? Like Mahoraga, I don't know if you watched jujutsu kaisen. (I think it would be funny the reaction of the gods and fighters when seeing the hakai has no effect on the reader)

Oooh~ sounds fun. I haven't seen Jujutsu Kaisen ~I have a bad magpie habit when it comes to falling for fictional men~ but that does sound like the armor from Akame Ga Kill. The proto-suit of armor the main character uses. I am so sorry it has been so long since I received this request... I am just now catching up on the anime and I started with the tournament arc specifically for this request.

You couldn't help but scratch your head at the Saiyan in front of you. Goku usually had bizarre requests but this was a little out there.

"So a multiverse tournament with a grand prize of 10 million Zeni and a wish on some... Super Dragon Balls?" You repeated hesitantly, "That's uh..."

"C'mon [Name]!" Goku clapped his hands together in a half-bowing motion, "We really need your skills for this. It'll a lot of fun too!"

"Why does that not sound promising."

"B-but!" He stepped forward, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Besides we don't have much time to debate this!"

"You need 10 people, right?" Goku nodded, but you continued before he could cut you off, "So why not ask the others? I'm sure Yamcha, Yajirobe, or Tien would be more than capable of doing this..."

"Oh right!" Goku smacked his fist into his hand, "With Tien on our side, we'd have someone capable of keeping tabs on everyone during the fight!"

"Did you even--?!"

"But that's all the more reason you gotta join us [Name]! We need all the strong fighters we can get on our side. We already figured that Andriod 17, Andriod 18, Krillen, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and myself would be a good lineup. With you, Tien, and Buu everything will be great!"

Sighing as you waited for the last-minute change, it still stumped you how Goku could be so stubborn about fighting in a battle royal. Even with the lies he was telling, you didn't feel like there was much choice in the matter. If you stepped out at this point that would just leave Roshi to step up. But he didn't seem that ready to fight, despite training when he heard about the 10 million Zeni. Without that incentive, Roshi dropped out.

Looking around at all the people you'd have to team up with, you wondered why you were even here. The ability to fight was never your strongest suit, the only thing you knew was basic techniques. Though maybe Goku was thinking more about how ki blasts and the like just didn't affect you the way it did everyone else. That and being able to adapt to other's fighting skills on the spot.

"Now then!"

Holding hands with Piccolo and Android 17 wasn't much fun, but if this Whis person insisted...

"Grand Minister, Universe 7 is ready for transport."

You vaguely wondered how this light was able to affect you, but then again even Beerus could damage you, the one time you were even around when he was hostile. So it seemed the higher the being, the less your strange abilities mattered. However, looking around at all the other fighters as they appeared.

It left an odd feeling in the pit of your stomach. All you could do was scout as you struggled to remain in this... giant top. You didn't know what else this thing could be called. Like Tien, you'd be keeping an eye on people and trying to remain a sneaky ace in the hole.

But Goku was just his typical ray of sunshine as he tried greeting all the other universes. At least the ones he knew people from anyway. Unlike your colleagues, you were more interested in the layout. One large spire in the middle seemed a bit much, especially if no one could fly.

Even if it did seem retroactively hypocritical given the kinds of fights Goku made exciting were full of him flying around like a lunatic. But maybe it had something to do with the zone you were in. There was merely a void beyond the ring, which made sense as to why they wouldn't allow everyone to fly. With too many people, someone could get lost in the shuffle and fly too far into the void and no one would be any wiser.

For all of Gohan's attempts at rallying the troops, of course Vegeta and Frieza would be as accepting as a brick wall. Not that Gohan's plan wasn't good, it just wasn't going to work with how everyone seemed to fight. He should have known that. Unless he thought the lot of you would attack like bees, slowly picking one or two fighters and batting them around like a volleyball.

Not a bad strategy, if that's what he was going for. Just not a very sustainable one given the... personalities that he was trying to preach to. Not that you had a chance to speak up on that front, the two Zeno seemed to be rather restless. It made some sense, they both acted like little children.

Which only made the matter-of-fact way that Universe 9 was obliterated that much worse...

You stuck close to Gohan, having blasted a flying, bird-like person out mere moments before the annihilation. The way this battle was going left you unable to use your abilities so far... but worse than that was how suddenly a whole universe was just... gone.

All this fighting wasn't... it couldn't...

"[Name], stay focused." Piccolo reached out to you, "The fight isn't over."

"R-right." You swallowed the lump in your throat, "It's just... harrowing to think about."

"I know, but this isn't the time to think about it." Piccolo nodded, "We went into this knowing all this. Don't let it get to you."

Nodding, you glanced around the battlefield. This whole situation was messed up, but at least this whole tournament would give everyone the fairest chance of survival. That's all this was, a fight for survival. Brute force wouldn't win this, that's for sure. To win, you'd need to fight smartly. That meant sticking close to as many of the others as you could.

Nothing could have prepared you for the overwhelming strength and aura emanating from a far-ish corner of the arena. The insanely loud screeching yell from someone, likely the person who was powering up...

Everything from that one point flew outward, churning the battlefield into a ruble-filled wasteland. Only the massive spire in the middle, the instrument ticking down the fight, remained intact. 48 minutes total... barely ten minutes have passed and yet...

Tapping Gohan on the shoulder, you had to stretch to reach a spot that wouldn't get you reflexively decked, "Hey, we're the largest target like this. If we stick together too much longer we could be backed into a corner with no escape."

"You think so?" Gohan's eyes widened as you nodded solemnly, "I guess, I mean with the field looking like this..."

He turned, raising his voice, "Guys! we need to split into smaller groups! Staying close like this won't help. But try to stay close enough to jump in if one of us is in trouble!"

Dashing off toward the center, your mind churned with the observations. Who had what abilities? What strategies were there? You couldn't hover or fly to quickly tell the others, which meant you simply had to trust them to know... or at least to figure out what was going on.

Trapping in your own mind, you didn't see the insectoid being swooping in, drop-kicking you from the left. The pain barely stung as you recovered from the fall quickly. Sizing up your opponent swiftly, you were able to keep up with the close-quarters blows. Several hits just barely skimming your skin, while you gathered energy discretely. Waiting for the right moment to...

A large ball in the palm of your hand, which you dug right into the insectoid's abdomen and flung him several feet away. Changing the match from melee to energy blasts, one which Tien finished for you.

"You okay [Name]?" His tone was lighter than you expected, "You seem distracted."

"Just thinking." You were looking all around, "Trying to make sense of the other's abilities."

"I see. Do try to be careful with that." Tien hesitated for a second, "What all have you gathered? What could you share?"

"Not much. But I wouldn't put it past the other female warriors to use their looks to their advantage. Or to have a more assassin move set."

Nodding, Tien went about his way. You knew so little about your opponents and wondered if you shouldn't attempt to scout more. Lowering your energy output should...

The entire field was called to witness something from Universe 2. You paid a little attention, using the opportunity to size up what was left of the competition. It was a surprisingly hefty number of people left, but that didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things.

You were keeping to the outskirts yourself, but when 17 attacked the three women of Universe 2, mid-transformation at that, he was getting scolded. His line of logic was sound, but even you had to admit it was rude. Honestly the three who wanted to transform were also being rude since they were pulling everything to a grinding halt for this. Acting like this was some sort of musical or something.

But you weren't going to complain too much. This was the perfect opportunity to learn what you needed to survive.

Seconds after hearing that Universe 10 was eliminated, having taken full advantage of the ruble to size up as many individuals as you could; you dodged a massive energy hammer.

The girl wielding it was younger than you, or so you thought. You couldn't tell and frankly, your time would be wasted trying to find out. But you knew how to counter her already. The ability to shape energy into weapons was straight forward, and weapons were easy to turn against their wielder. You backed up, leaping away as best you could, escalating what you threw at this girl would be the best way to defeat her... lure her into thinking she had the upper hand...

"What? Trying to run away?" She sneered, "You and that Goku, your whole Universe is just a bunch of cowards!"

Kicking up the small rocks around your feet, you held your tongue. Talking this out wouldn't make a difference, let them think what they will. Everyone had to survive after all.

It didn't surprise you that she was skilled, trading a mallet for a spear as you kept kicking and throwing increasingly larger rocks at her. Sneakily adding just a little ki behind your strikes. Giving her that false sense of security. You weren't exactly one to talk while fighting, that just wasn't how you were. And yet...

"Oh come on!" She yelled, "Don't tell me this is all you can do!?"

You knew what you could do, what you needed to know. Sending a rock right for head, causing it to swerve last second and strike the back of her knee. Right where she wasn't defending. Increasing the pressure, forcing her into the corner. No longer hurling rocks, but small ki blasts as she struggled to keep up with your speed.

Even as you rushed her, closing the distance for the final blow. Her spear went right through you, her ability having no effect on you whatsoever. Seeing that look of wonder and concern in her eyes as the truth dawned on her.

"Yo-You're some kind of monster!"

"And you're out of bounds."

The impact of your blast sent her flying, tumbling right off the edge. With no hope of being caught by a teammate. Catching your breath for a quick second, you stretched. But your back wasn't the only thing that popped as you tumbled into a dark section of the ring; a section created by the dilapidated state of the arena.

Only half paying any attention to what was coming out of the other woman's mouth, you focused on the small glimmers in the air. This one was an illusionist, there were a couple chinks in her disguising techniques but that was about it. Knowing you'd have to be careful with this one as well, careful not to let on what you knew and what you could do. Careful that you didn't just attack the right one on purpose.

Not that her illusions were even that enticing... trying to tempt you with her ideal man. It did make things slightly easier, planting small sleeper ki blasts as you dodged these projections. Waiting once more for the best time to strike.

Standing completely still, it still looked as if you'd stepped just barely out of the way. Earning a scoff and scolding for getting too cocky while she explained her master plan.

"Wanna see a magic trick?"

The first thing you've said to her this whole time... and it did wonders to catch her off guard.

"What? Are you going to disappear?" She laughed at you, "I already knew that!"

"One of us is..."

Covering your eyes as every particle of ki exploded from beneath your feet, it would make you a target sure. But at least this illusionist was out of the ring. Climbing back up to a wider, flatter surface, your eyes fell on a presumably younger man marching toward you. He seemed pissed, leading you to believe that he was from the same Universe as the two women you'd just knocked out.

"I've always been told not to hit a woman." His eyes were burning, "But I have no choice. Never have I wanted to--"

"You won't be able to lay a scratch on me." You dead-panned, "So you might as well give it all you've got. Because you won't survive otherwise."

As you traded blows, simple punches still hurt you just not as much as they would a normal person. Krillen and Beerus' voices reached you like whispers.

"Don't let your wins go to your head [Name], you're not indestructible."

"Curly, explain what she can even do. I've never seen that fighter before."

"[Name]? Well she uh... she has this weird ability. After she gets hit with or manages tot study a technique enough, she becomes immune to it. It's really risky."

"Oh, I see." You were certain that was Whis, "So in a tournament like this she's likely to be the last one standing."

"What!? How can you be so sure Whis?" Yet, you were right

"Well, unless she were to be killed by a technique, she simply counter or adapt to it correct?"

"Uh yeah... she uh... she's used that to her advantage on too many times. The only thing that seems to work against her is Solar Flare."

Then Beerus' voice nearly shattered your eardrum, "THEN SHE HAD BETTER KEEP HERSELF IN THE RING! DO YOU HEAR ME [NAME]!?"

That noise level blurred your vision for a few seconds too long. Giving this transformed, hulking bird man the upper hand as he slapped you into a wall.

"Oh, so I'm not going to survive this?" He sneered, "You don't see the writing on the wall, do you? You're the one going over the edge."

Barely managing to push away from the wall in time, you swept your leg out. A seemingly wild kick instantly blocked, a very cocky birdman just ready to throw you out.

If it wasn't for the excessive ki blast you'd built up to follow your foot. The two of you going flying in your whirlwind gamble. Toppling over the edge, hanging on by your fingertips as you struggled to hold yourself and the seemingly flightless birdman on your ankle. Firing off ki blasts from the bottom of your foot, you managed to rid yourself of the extra weight. But you were still in danger of falling out of bounds yourself.

Feet frantically looking for something, anything to catch. Reaching out for something, anything as you barely managed to keep yourself balanced on the edge of the ring.

"[NAME]!"

Gritting your teeth and expecting the worst, you were more than prepared to fight from your unfavorable position. This was about survival after all. And yet, the hand helping you up was Goku's. Reminding you how short you really were. Fighting had that weird affect on your senses after all, it was disorienting to say the least.

"Oh thank goodness you were able to hold on that long." Gokus smiled widely, "That was close."

"You're telling me." You smirked warmly, "But at least it won't happen again."

"You say that, but we'll see."

A playful punch to the side and you were back on your way. That would be the closest you got to going over. The next person would have one hellacious fight on their hands...

"Well well well, the weakest link of Universe 7."

That cold sneer from behind you was more than a little telling. Frost had caught you lurking again. Your strategy was always interrupted at the worst times. Especially now that so many of the fighters were reaching the top echelons of their capabilities, you were far from their raw levels.

But strategy would win, you were sure of it

"What's the matter? A mute as well as an easy target?" Frost mocked, "Oh well, looks like I'll just have to toss another human over the edge."

Blocking the sudden attack, you knew better than to say much. Giving away too much would prove to be your downfall... if you even let that happen. But even being able to trade blows with this Frieza look-alike wasn't enough. He kept backing you into obvious corners where all you could do was dodge and hope you could knock him back.

Until Frost got cocky in his own right. Firing a shot at Vegeta while you were hardly dodging an excessive volley of energy blasts.

The more you struggled, the worse things seemed to get. Until Vegeta threw his own blindsided attack, connecting a punch when you could hardly do a thing.

"You really need to be more careful."

"I don't need you telling me that Vegeta. I won't waste your time explaining this, but you need to watch out anyways."

"Save your breath." He scoffed, "Just do your job and stay out of my way."

Watching him leap forward, you sighed. "I highly doubt you'll be able to take him on your own..."

"Well, I'm not about to ask you for your help! Now go find somewhere else to lurk!"

"I'm not offering help." You dashed in front of the haughty prince, "This was my fight first!"

Frost smirked, "So, she knows basic English, eh? No matter, it won't make any difference."

Dodging the rocks flying as Frost's 'secret' support made it's entrance, you focused a large ki blast to the magma covering it's ears. Leaping over the metal brute and finding your footing on a much higher platform.

"Oh, so you knew what I was doing?" Frost was at your throat before you could think, "Shame, you seem to be a strategist and scout. But that ends now!"

Catching Frost's arm as you reflexively leaned back, throwing a weak punch in return. But that was only the first. Knowing how Frost moved was the advantage you needed...

"YOU BUCKET OF BOLTS! YOU'RE A DISGRACE TO FIGHTERS EVERYWHERE!"

Frost stopped first, both of you watching Vegeta shove his robotic opponent over the edge. Your guard hadn't dropped, and yet...

"Well, this won't do." Frost readied a ki blast, one that wasn't meant for you, "I'm afraid that this fight will have to wait. If you ever prove to be worth the effort."

You had no choice but to leap away as Frost's blast hit the ground. The smokescreen giving him a chance to slip away. Landing next to Vegeta, you were about to head off for another fight.

"Listen here [Name]." You turned, Vegeta wasn't about to... "Next time you better not interfere with my fight. I won't let you get in my way again."

Frowning as Vegeta ran off to another battle, "You're welcome Vegeta."

It was time to get serious. No more sneaking, no more getting dragged into fights. You would initiate the next one. And nothing would stop you...

Yet old habits died hard, analyzing the remain fighters, thinking about the swiftly dwindling time, the win conditions. Universe 7 was in the lead for fighters if time ran out, but that would only make you and the others a target. But if you could just...

"Ah ha! You're one of the fighters from Universe 7." You at least had the courtesy of stopping to see who was addressing you this time, "Tell me, how does it feel to be on the same team as that villain Goku?"

Sizing up this guy was straightforward at least. Large, likely fast, and almost certainly a melee brawler.

"Can't say I know what you're talking about." The way he talked, the way he seemed to think he was somehow above morals, "Where I'm from, Goku is considered a hero. Fight-happy, stubborn, single-minded, but not a villain. If you were in our Universe, you'd know what I'm talking about."

"Hmph. I see." He steadied himself for a fight, "I suppose you do have a point, but I have no time for senseless perspective-taking. As much as I'd like to abstain from fighting someone such as yourself, I see no way around this. Please accept the mercy of being thrown out of the ring by the second-strongest fighter of Universe 11."

Sighing as you took a stance, "I'm getting real tired of being pulled into fights and underestimated..."

"Then show me what you're capable of young Miss!"

You barely even whispered that to yourself, so how this guy heard you was beyond you. But now wasn't the time to think too much, you had to fight. Speed wouldn't help you much, there had to be power behind your punches. If it wasn't for the fact that you don't have any fighting abilities besides insane adaptability, you'd be a little more confident. For now...

Keeping your eyes on this large man, you knew he'd be fast but this was a little too fast. Leaping low to the ground, you barely avoided his massive fist. Knowing an attempt to sweep his... oddly tiny legs would be futile. His physique was bizarre and created the biggest challenge. Skidding to a stop a few feet away, you weighed your options.

Staying in melee wouldn't work and building up energy blasts wasn't viable due to how long it would take. Not to mention how ineffective that would prove long-term. Wasting energy wasn't the play here, and it was clear that your opponent thought the same thing.

Jumping every time he threw a punch, landing small blows here and there just to test how far you could push him before cracking; you had little options for actual attacks. Unless he started doing something more than the basics, you were just David fighting Goliath.

"I got cha back Top!"

Flattening yourself to the ground from under the rabbit-looking guy, you already knew what he was capable of. You couldn't counter his raw speed, but you could lay traps well enough if it came to that.

"Don't interfere Dyspo, she might be a good strategist, but she's not much of a fighter." Glaring at your opponent, again with the insults, "I merely need to bide my time until she tires herself out."

"If ya say so Top." Dyspo smirked, "Now that cha mention it, she does look a little scrappy to be in a tournament this long. Must've been sheer luck so far, huh?"

"Don't be so quick to write off a fellow warrior." Top turned to face you, "Especially if they are from Goku's Universe."

No, it was too soon for you to fully unleash. Save a little power for later. Kaioken could only get you so far... But a little spare energy here and there...

Trading punches with the newly identified Top, you put your foot down so to speak. No more dodging until...

"What's that power!?" Top stopped your fist suddenly, letting go quickly, "Has Jiren finally started fighting?"

Following Top more out of curiosity than the will to fight, you could only stare as Goku was assaulting Jiren. Nothing was getting to the massive brute, and yet...

"Justice Hand!"

Top was firing at Goku, you knew it was useless, even his own teammate called Top off. But you continued to study this Jiren figure. The way he took hits meant he was assessing Goku as much as Goku was assessing him with the volley of attacks. It wasn't just raw strength or power that Jiren had, there was something... else. Something you could counter if only he'd...

Ducking, you were surprised as Top leaped to defend you. Moving you out of the way as Goku and Jiren fought across the arena. Following the pair with your eyes, it clicked. Goku wasn't anywhere near Jiren's level. Not like this anyways. His Blue form plus Kaioken was barely able to keep up.

Stepping back, your gaze kept up effortlessly. Tipping off your opponent to your real power.

"You seem to be keeping up with those two rather easily." While Top wasn't trying to fight you right now, every little thing you did was being analyzed fully, "Am I to assume that's your true power? Shame you can't use it effectively. A scouting warrior is best suited with communication devices after all."

"Duck."

Shoving Top aside as you leapt out of the way, bracing for the impact as Goku and Jiren zipped past again, landing back in the middle of the crater they started in. Things weren't looking good for Goku specifically, Jiren barely looked like he expended himself at all. No heavy breathing, no scuff marks, nothing to suggest that he had been fighting at all. It was unnerving to say the least.

"Wait! There's a technique I still have!" Goku powered down, "But I need a minute to charge it up."

Stopping, Jiren relaxed, "Go ahead. Take all the time you need."

Not this starfish pose... You pinched the bridge of your nose, groaning.

"You're familiar with this attack?" Top wasn't nearly as hostile as he first insinuated, "What does it do?"

"You'll see. Goku is literally about to announce it." You huffed, "As if the people who know don't already..."

"Everyone! I need all the energy you can spare!" Goku yelled, "C'mon guys! Give me your energy to finish this fight!"

"That..." Top stepped back, raising his arm as if a barrier, "That can't be his plan..."

"Yep." You sighed, raising an arm to give as much energy as you could pull from the arena beneath you, "And it may not even work but... Better to try and fail than not try at all."

Knowing that Top was staring, hearing the grunt as he smirked, "Yes, that I can whole-heartedly agree with."

The tension was thick as Goku charged his Spirit Ball. That amount of energy would absolutely pose a threat to anyone who tried to take it head-on. Jiren knew this, pushing the sphere away from himself. Why did it always become a shoving match again? You couldn't even begin to count how many times this happened.

So when Goku was the one caught in the explosion, you couldn't believe it. The numb feeling washing over you was a distant memory as you jumped in to look for your comrade. Knowing that if Goku had died, or was vaporized, it would be his own fault. He fell on his own sword after all.

Even facing Jiren wasn't as bad as possibly losing the best chance at your survival. If Goku went down, only Vegeta and Freiza would be able to fight completely unhindered. The rest of your team would be disheartened, desperate, and fighting in that state wasn't going to help anyone. At least, you thought the rest of your team would be... 17 and 18 were difficult to read.

Your fighting stance against Jiren, guarding where Goku was, had been cut short. The immense power level radiating behind you had you frozen in place. Dropping your guard just to check that you were right...

"I appreciate the attempt [Name]." Goku sounded so different, what was this? "But you'll be in my way. Nothing personal, I just want to face Jiren alone."

"Right."

Jumping back up to the edge of the crater, you could only watch alongside everyone else. Sizing Jiren up as best you could from a distance. Goku's new form wouldn't last long, it was too much power for a first attempt. But what would happen after it fizzled out? Would Goku even survive that?

Sadly, it didn't take long for that to happen. Goku fell, almost completely worn out from the abundance of power. Looking to where Top was standing, further than was wise to seek out another fight; it would be wiser to regroup and strategize again. With all that you knew, the rest of you could corner Jiren and...

Before you could finish your thought, Hit from Universe 6 stepped in to fight Jiren. Knowing what little you did about the assassin, it seemed ill-matching. Jiren knew about the time skipping, and would be more than capable of countering that.

Even so, it was terribly shocking to see how Hit was ineffective, being knocked out of bounds as soon as Jiren was free from the time prison. And yet, despite your willingness to fight Jiren on Goku's behalf not even five minutes ago, he decided that you weren't worth his time. That everyone who could have challenged him was unable to.

Glaring at his meditating form, you jumped. Sensing Freiza close to Goku. Whatever else Freiza might be, trustworthy wasn't one of them. Holding a steady energy ball to his back as he stood over Goku, a similar yet unidentified energy ball in his palm, you knew he wouldn't be able to fight you the way he would others. And Frieza knew this, lowering his hand, just not dispersing the energy.

"I wouldn't dream of attacking this simpering monkey at the moment." Freiza grinned over his shoulder at you, "So you can put that away little girl."

Your eyes never left Frieza's face as the match of wills amid teammates continued. Backing down in this unknown situation, with Goku so weakened...

"Whoops!" Frieza both shot Goku and clutched your wrist, causing you to misfire, "My hand slipped. How clumsy of me."

Goku's cry of pain was short lived, short enough that you didn't have a chance to pay Frieza back for his dirty trick.

"There, see?" He cooed, "The ape is all better. Or, at least as much as I could... scraping the tiniest bit of energy I could spare for him anyways. But you;ll have to watch your back girl. I won't let you go so easily if you stand in my way again."

Rubbing your wrist and glowering at Frieza as he retreated, you knelt next to Goku.

"How are you holding up?" You knew a little about medical energy usage, "Here, let me--"

"Save your energy [Name]. You'll need it to survive the rest of the tournament. Besides, you still have an unfinished match against Top, right?"

"I don't track of those things." You shook Goku's concern off, "Besides, I have energy to spare. One of the good things about extreme adaptability is the constant flow of energy as long as I'm on solid ground."

It was nice to hear Goku chuckle again, "Yeah, surprising that it works when we aren't on Earth. Or is it just any body of land?"

"Any body of land, just nothing man-made. Odd since I know this place was technically man-made... maybe it's just because it was made by a god... er angel."

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

Stepping back so Goku could stand, you looked around, "So, what next? We have the most people available, you can't reach that Ultimate mode again without serious injury, and knocking too many people out spells their erasure."

"I have no clue." Goku frowned, "Thinking isn't exactly my strong suit. The best I can say is try to keep things the way they are. If we have the most people then... we will be the biggest targets huh?"

"Basically, though with you being like this makes you the prime target... just behind..."

You couldn't will yourself to state the obvious. Of course you'd be the weakest left on the field after all this time. Half the tournament has passed and you still stood here. Krillen and Tien were stuck in the stands due to careless error and noble sacrifice and here you were just...

"Just behind who?" Goku tilted his head, "Frieza? Vegeta? They're both pretty strong. Or maybe its 17 and 18... They really don't have many fans in this ring."

"I'm the weak link!" You grit your teeth, "I'm the weakest left on the field so the two of us are the ones they want to gun for."

"Hanh!? You!? Weak? But you're..."

"I have been scraping by the skin of my teeth since you pulled me up. Maybe I should have..."

"No, you're right where you need to be [Name]. There's still a lot of fighters left and you can beat all of them! So don't go thinking like that. Okay? You almost had Top earlier... I could feel it. You just have to push past your limits and let loose."

Watching as Goku turned to the Saiyan girls from Universe 6, you couldn't help but feel that he was only saying something to say it. What little you could do to compete now was...

"Get out of my way Kakkarot." Vegeta sneered, snapping you out of your trance, "These two are mine."

"What!? No way Vegeta! You got to teach Cabba! Kale and Califa are learning from me!"

Knowing better than to get between Saiyans when they want to fight, you took off. They would need all the space they could get after all, and you still had some fight left in you.

"You still have an unfinished fight against Top, right?"

That was at least a starting point. But would it really help?

Time was running out fast and while fighting kept the Zenos entertained, it wasn't as if that was difficult. Big explosions and grand speeches seemed to do the trick. But... you still felt like you had a score to settle... something to prove. To yourself, to the others, and you would start by proving it to

Top.

Leaping off the tall rock, intending to strike Top in the middle of his back; you were intercepted by his rabbit-like companion. Toppling off to one side, rolling for a second before steadying yourself on one knee.

"Thought you was gonna get the jump on Top, huh?" Dyspo sneered, "Well you ain't gettin' anywhere with dirty tactics like that!"

"That's fine." You stood, preparing to fight Dyspo instead, "I didn't expect that to work regardless if he had back up or not."

"Heh, smart girlie." Dyspo smirked, "But it won't be enough when you face true justice!"

Rolling your eyes, you focused on what you knew. Speed was his strong suit, his strength would be more momentum than raw strength, meaning if you just...

Blocking the worst of the kick and skidding back several feet, you latched onto Dyspo's ankle. If you could either get a grip, or trap him in some way... keep him immobile long enough to wear him down.

Or you could use him like a club.

Doubling your grip with both hands on his leg, you lifted the lean rabbit warrior up, much to his surprise. Before you could turn and slam him on the ground, Top was rushing in. Well, better to use this to your advantage.

Swinging Dsypo in a wide arc, you slammed him into Top with as much strength as you could. Knocking the bulky man off his feet as you kept spinning on your heels. Enduring Dyspo's desperate kicks to your hands. Kicks that were having less and less effect on you as you concentrated ki into gauntlets over your lower arms. Even as he tried to match your energy output, it failed to faze you.

Finally stopping, slamming Dyspo on the ground with enough force to create a small dent in the ground. But you didn't let go of his leg, instead dragging him around to swing at Top as he approached again. Another hefty swing of ally against ally, despite Top catching Dyspo this time... it still hit with enough force that gave you enough of an opening to drop the lucky rabbit's foot and land a powerful blow to Top's jaw.

Watching them both stagger back, you knew backing Top specifically into a corner too soon wouldn't be good for you. Dyspo in particular looked worse for your attack, but both men needed to get their bearings.

"And here I thought you were an honorable warrior," Top sounded disappointed, "But to pull such a dirty-!"

"Don't act like you know me." You spat, "I'm a strategist who played the game. Your buddy is a speedster so any chance to get him off his feet is the best chance I have at beating him."

Top paused, glaring at you. He couldn't deny what you were saying, it was a strategy he had warned Dyspo of himself. If it wasn't for the sheer power radiating from the other side of the field...

"Now what in the world is that?" Dyspo shook his head, "Another surge in power so soon?"

"Goku... don't..." You groaned, "Why are Saiyans like this?"

Before they could launch an attack, Jiren stood up from his meditation.

"It's time to retreat." He commanded, "Wait and save our strength for the final matches."

"Yeah but--!"

Jiren was sizing you up under a cold gaze, "She's run her course Dyspo. There's no use in continuing to fight someone like that. Take this act of mercy and throw yourself out for all I care. Just don't follow if you know what's good for you."

Breathing returned as you relaxed your form. You knew you couldn't stand against Jiren very long. His strategy and yours were too similar. But you had to fight Top... you had to prove...

Dodging out of the way of two rampaging Saiyans, you had to find a spot to lay low. There were still too many opponents on the field. It was all you could do to help run down the clock, not that you had much to give.

But you were among the last six standing. Six versus three. You had a score to settle and nothing was going to stop you. Not even the power struggle of wills from Goku and Jiren. With your sights set on Top, you were rudely cut off by Gohan and 17, mostly Gohan.

"I know how this looks, how much you don't want to [Name]," Gohan said, "But you should go help Frieza with Dyspo."

"Fine."

Against your better judgment and desire, you went after Dyspo. Frieza wouldn't be happy with this, but as long as you could get a couple others out of the ring... Anything to keep Frieza from getting a wish to be honest.

Just hanging back and letting whatever happened happen. Having Freiza drug around by the tail and used like a club was funny after all. Even if it didn't work all that much.

"You're just enjoying this aren't you [Name]?" Count on Freiza to give up your hiding spot, "No doubt awaiting the precise moment that you can be the one to defeat me as well."

"Huh?" Dyspo was dumbfounded and ready to run, "You mean this... That's your great play?"

"Not really." You shook your head, "I don't play well with tyrants, even if we are on the same team."

"No wonder you're not fazed being swung around like a bat." Dsypo smirked, "Too bad you won't get that chance again."

"My my, it sure is a shame that he is only capable of running, isn't it?" Both of you watched him zip off, "If only you had hung back a little longer, you might have gotten your big chance [Name]. Not that I would have gone down so easily of course."

"Naturally. Though I have a score to settle myself. Don't get in my way."

"Oh hoh hoh! Do tell."

"Not on your life."

Even as you walked alongside the scourge of your own Universe, your thoughts stressed over your desire to fight Top. He and his team had ignored you long enough.

"Oh well, just leave Dyspo to me then. And do tell the half-Saiyan and Android to stay out of my way."

Heading off to where Top's energy was radiating, you were met with Gohan.

"Freiza is being stubborn with Dyspo. I am going to fight Top." You started, "I ask that neither of you interferes unless absolutely necessary."

"Are... are you sure?" Gohan asked, "You do know--"

"I fought Top earlier, I'm aware what he can do."

"If you insist." 17 raised his arms, "But I will jump in at my best judgment."

"That's what I'm counting on."

"Freiza! Look out! Behind you!"

Turning to where the yell was directed, the three of you hesitated for a moment.

"I knew you should have stayed with Freiza." Gohan growled a little, "Now what?"

"You go." 17 said, "But first, you said you've fought Top [Name]. What do you know about his allies?"

"Dyspo is a speedster. Keep him from controlling his movements and you'll be able to take him out."

"Alright then." Gohan nodded, "You two take care of Top then."

Leaping from where you had stayed hidden, you were met with a volley of energy blasts from Top.

"Oh, if it isn't the strategist from Universe 7, we meet again."

"Don't sound so surprised." You glared, "I'm not just a strategist. I'm the one who counters ALL!"

Rushing in for a melee assault, one you knew that wouldn't work, you hit a green barrier.

"17! What the hell!?" You shouted, "This is my fight!"

"Don't tell me you can't sense it." He answered, "Freiza won't be as easy going as the rest of us. And Gohan was knocked out with that Dyspo guy. You hang back for a minute and let me take care of this."

Shaking with fury as you clenched your fist, you retreated. 17 firing an endless volley of blasts. Kneeling to absorb all the energy you could muster, knowing you would need every ounce. Especially as you watched the beams between Top and 17 collide, staying just beyond the area of effect.

Even with Freiza taking potshots at Top's back, you knew something was coming. The explosion was incredible, with Top undergoing a transformation... one with too much power behind i--

"Wait a second..." Actually listening to the chatter of the stands, you knew how to counter him, "That's it."

Waiting for your opening was easy enough, as Freiza threw his desperate attempt at Top. Being knocked out as soon as Top was up, and thrown over the edge.

"Now!"

Your punch landed, but only just.

"Hah!? What are you doing [Name]! Get out of there! Don't go into a melee match!"

"Wait, she didn't... don't tell me."

"No... she..."

"SHE CAN'T BE SERIOUS!?"

"Wait a second..." Gohan yelled amid all the confusion, "[Name] isn't affected by power ups at all. She can't just see through them, she can counter them completely if she can get close enough."

"WHAT!?"

"You mean to tell me that one little human has been winning through immunity alone?"

Trading blows with Top had its own odd effect on you. Each strike barely hurt, but the energy you were absorbing was pure destruction. Even if you knew why, it made for a weird feeling. You've never actually absorbed pure destruction like this.

"I see you do have a weird ability." Top growled, "How quaint for the scout from the 7th."

"And you've been hiding your true power. Which is what my job as a scout was all about." You glared in return, "So either fight me or step out now. Because I'm not going to back down!"

Pushing the energy you'd absorbed out like a barrier of your own, you made every effort to dodge the blows you could. Turning someone's weapon against them was never an easy feat, but as your attacks got stronger, Top's grew weaker. Punch for punch, kick for kick, Top wasn't even attempting a grapple this time. You were able to root yourself or else fight back whenever he made a pass to toss you aside.

"Standing up to a destroyer god for this long is commendable, but this has been going on long enough. Leave this ring of ruble or else I might not be able to hold back from pure destruction!"

"Shut up!"

Decking Top in the face, you didn't let up. Blow for blow with no opening for him to charge a single move. He couldn't even escape with how much faster you'd begun moving. The destruction energy, the energy of the ground, you could only hope to finish this fight soon.

"I am getting tired of this." Top had you by the foot, throwing you aside like a ragdoll, "You cannot survive this, unless you dodge. Hakai!"

Standing up as the massive purple sphere of energy touched you, this was absolutely pure destruction. And it unlocked the rage you'd been keeping in check for so long.

That first punch felt too good, especially as the stands erupted in chatter. Wondering how far you could feasibly take your ability, and being far more resilient for it. And yet... you knew that this was as far as you could go...

"If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me!"

Bull rushing with every punch, the whole length of the arena... until you felt the ground leaving from under your feet. You knew this would be the last thing you did.

Appearing in the stands, you felt like collapsing. Every fiber of your being shook as you struggled to keep your eyes open.

"I... I--"

"Hey, easy [Name]." Gohan pulled you against his shoulder to keep you from falling to the floor, "Breathe, here. Have a Sensu."

"That... you really are something [Name]." Krillen sighed, "Just being able to stand toe-to-toe like that for so long."

"How in the world did you know you could take that kind of energy?" Beerus asked, "That level of Destroyer energy, even if new and weaker... you shouldn't have been able to shake that off after one time."

"I've always been able to do this." You shrugged as you stretched, "Absorbing energy and being immune to specific types of power ups are why Goku brought me into this crazy tournament."

The unsettling quiet and whispers of the power you had were quickly broken up as Jiren powered up. The tournament was far from over after all...

[association-of-ideas]

I watched Trolls Band Together and my immediate reaction was to start writing fanfiction. I have created a swap AU Viva and Brozone switch roles.

Essentially, Viva is the one that leaves and the bros get lost during their escape from the troll tree. It's heavily inspired by @year2000electronics fic, Brozone: World Tour. I absolutely love this fic so much; I recommend reading it.

Anyways, I've some stuff figured out, but it's not set in stone.

Swap AU (official name pending)

Before the Great Escape, it was highly encouraged for smaller groups and families to escape on their own, enough so that Pop Village had already been established before King Peppy and the rest of the Pop trolls escaped

After the death of her daughter (Cecily) and daughter-in-law (Juniper), Rosiepuff becomes the sole guardian of her five grandchildren: John Dory (15), Spruce (13), Clay (11), Floyd (8), and Branch (egg)

With King Peppy’s blessing and best wishes, Rosiepuff packs up her family and leaves with another escaping family

They’re discovered during their escape and the brothers are separated and scattered across the genres

With ⅘ of her grandkids lost to the sewers, Rosiepuff is crushed, but she pushes through for Branch and acts as the de facto leader of the Pop trolls

During that time, she becomes a guide for trolls seeking to escape and works with Peppy to devise the Great Escape plan

It's during the Great Escape that Rosiepuff is eaten leading the Burgens away from the others and Branch (5) still sees her get eaten, causing him to gray

At the same time, Viva (14) has seen more than any child ever should and the closer she gets to turning 18, the more pressure is put on her to be a good queen

Between the Burgens, escape plans, and her ever-growing stack of responsibilities, Viva cracks under the pressure

During the Great Escape, she splits off from the group after saying goodbye to Poppy (2) and runs away to find a place for herself

Their rushed parting leaves Poppy w/ bittersweet (mostly bitter) feelings about her sister and siblings in general

As an old friend of Rosiepuff’s, Peppy does his best to look after Branch until he's old enough to be on his own, at which point, he leaves to build his bunker

Growing up together gives Poppy more of a reason to want to be around Branch

Branch is also aware of Viva’s existence, but because of how everything went down, he assumes she was eaten and doesn't bring it up

As mentioned earlier, the brothers were separated and scattered across the genres

John Dory ends up in Volcano Rock City

He's found by King Thrash and raised alongside Barb as her older brother

The separation left him with severe trauma that shows itself on a daily basis as over-protectiveness, an unwillingness to venture beyond the kingdom, and a need to fortify it

Bruce find finds himself lost at sea before meeting the Techno trolls who help him to Vacay Island

He spends a week or so drifting across the sea by himself

Eventually, he's found by a pod of Techno trolls and they help find shore

He washes up on Vacay Island and gets a job as a busboy at the restaurant run by Brandy's dad

They meet, fall in love, and the rest is history

Bruce has a tendency to do head counts whenever he's anxious or overwhelmed

Clay ends up in Symphonyville

Clay is found half-conscious by an elderly conductor named Calliope

She takes him and while officially, he is her 'ward', everyone knows him as her grandson

The trauma of the separation leaves Clay w/ selective mutism, preventing him from speaking or singing

Instead, he learns to play the cello and focuses his energy on that as he slowly regains the ability to speak

While he eventually learns how to talk again, he can't sing nor does he want to

Floyd ends up in Lonesome Flats

After getting washed away in the sewers, Sheriff Brooks drags him out of the river and takes him back to town

From there, he’s adopted by the Sheriff and raised as Delta Dawn’s little brother

Being the youngest when he was separated and given the traumatic event itself as well as the physical damage inflicted during the escape, Floyd remembers the least about his family before coming to Lonesome Flats

I might make a separate post going further in depth on Viva's side of things if anyone's interested. I've also come up with character designs for the boys' moms.

[stellar-skyy]

OH DEER — Cyno x reader.

i. SUMMARY: Cyno celebrates Christmas with the person he loves. ii. CONTENT WARNINGS: Mentions of eating/food, mentions of alcohol, kisses. iii. NOTES: Fluff, modern au, Tighnari, Collei, Kaveh, and Alhaitham make an appearance, gn!reader, they/them pronouns used, 2k words. iv. A/N: Written for Écrin de Littérature's Joyeux Noël event! I wrote this instead of doing my work :D This is my first time writing Cyno, so I apologise if this is ooc... I really want to write for him more :( psst... @ryuryuryuyurboat

By the time [Name] woke, it was late morning.

The rays of sunlight sifted through a crack in the blinds, shining a beam directly into their face. A displeased mumble escaped their lips, followed by a pinch between their brows, and then a hand thrown over their eyes in an attempt to block out the light. Their efforts were in vain, as the sun spilled further into their room and lit it up in a warm glow.

As the terrible ordeal of waking up settled over them, they slowly became aware of a warm, comfortable weight at their side. Cyno had shifted the blankets in his sleep and half-tossed them off the bed, but he seemed content throwing one arm across their chest and absorbing whatever body heat they gave off. At that time, he would have normally been awake for hours, but alas; the festive season seemed to have drained his energy.

They cracked their eyes open, brushing their hand over the tufts of hair across his forehead. He made a tiny noise, moving to press his face into their side.

"Cyno,” They whispered, patting his cheek lightly. He groaned. “I know you’re awake.”

“You don’t know that for certain,” A muffled grumble sounded from where his face was hidden against them.

A small smile tugged at the corner of their mouth. They let their hand fall to the top of his head, running their fingers through his long grey hair. “Good morning, Cyno.”

“G’morning,” he mumbled, his voice still husky with sleep. One crimson eye opened, then the other. “It’s Christmas, isn’t it? Is it snowing?”

They squint through the small crack of the window they can see. “Doesn’t look like it.”

“Hmm… you’re right.” He blinked at the small sliver of light coming from between the blinds. “It looks more like rain, dear.”

A long silence fell between them.

“…Rain, dear? See, it sounds like reindeer, which is hilarious because—”

“I got it,” They interrupt before he can go on a tangent about exactly how his joke was funny. The rest of the blankets fall off them as they swung their legs over the side of the bed. “I’m going to go make breakfast.”

“Wait.” He abruptly sat upright, a solemn look on his face. After a pause, he leaned over and kissed their cheek. “Merry Christmas.”

Breakfast was simple ordeal. There was Cyno’s coffee, that they left on the counter for when he made the effort of moving to the kitchen. A few slices of toast, and some cooked eggs. They would need to put some food in the oven so it would be fresh by the time they had Christmas lunch, but most of the food was already prepared.

Halfway through, Cyno managed to drag himself out of the bedroom and slump over the kitchen counter, lazily reciting as many Christmas jokes as he could recall, while his partner debated throwing a slice of toast at his face to get him to shut up.

After, came the most anticipated part of the morning; presents. The two retreated to the living room, settling cross legged across the carpet floor.

It was a new house, primed and ready for new memories to decorate the halls. Moving in late December had allowed them an excuse to buy the essentials for their home disguised under bright red wrapping paper, hastily shoved under a simple tree. The tree itself was modestly decorated with whatever they could find, and the presents underneath few and far between. Nothing too special, just enough to fit into the corner of their new household, leaving more than enough room to grow into.

Two stockings dangling above the fireplace held the most ‘gift-like’ of gifts. A 1000 silly Christmas jokes book for Cyno, a box of candies for them, two matching pairs of socks with silly puns on them.

Torn up and crumpled wrapping paper decorated the floor of the living room by the time they had finished, Cyno already flipping through the pages of his new book in an effort to find even more of the worst of the worst puns to torment—ahem, entertain them with.

It was almost dizzying, how quickly they went from two strangers meeting by chance, to celebrating Christmas together in their shared home. Something could be said about the domesticity of it all, about the peppered kisses and lingering touches between measuring ingredients in a kitchen just the right size for two. How stolen glances became stolen kisses and making small talk turned to making cookies together.

There was something about the thought that made them feel so warm. Must be the spirit of the season, and all that.

“Do you know what Rudolph said, after Santa Claus tripped over in front of him?” Cyno asked. [Name] paused, hands hovering over the cooking dough spread out across the bench. Cyno stared back at them seriously, with an expression that would be vaguely intimidating if he wasn’t sitting idly on a kitchen bench with his legs dangling over the side.

“Cyno…” They breathed, warning in their tone.

“He said, ‘Oh deer.’” Cyno was silent for a beat, before leaning forward slightly. “Do you get it? See, this joke uses the phrase ‘Oh dear’, which would be an acceptable response to seeing a person fall, however it is also phonetically similar to the word ‘deer’, which is the species Rudolph is.” He paused again. “Do you get it?”

“Yes, I got it,” They groaned, rubbing the bridge of their nose to try and ward off an incoming headache. Unfortunately, they had forgotten they were still baking, and the action inadvertently led to a smudge of sugar being wiped onto their face.

Cyno huffed a laugh, jumping off the edge of the bench. As he stepped across the kitchen to meet them, he cupped their face, bringing it further towards his until he was close enough to kiss the spot between their eyes. He pulled away, licking the sugar off his lips with a slight smile.

“You could’ve just wiped it off,” They chide, but there’s a smile at the edges of their lips.

“Maybe,” He agreed, this time kissing their forehead.

Their smile widened at the gesture, even as they pushed on his chest to get him out of the way. He let himself be moved backwards, settling against the counter so he was out of their space.

“Move, I need to finish these before they arrive.”

The cookies were one of the few things that slipped their mind the day before, leaving them less than an hour to finish making the dough and put them in the oven before their friends arrived.

Wordlessly, Cyno took one of the cookie cutters and pushed them down onto the flattened dough. Together the two of them worked, until the tray was covered in tiny gingerbread men and stars and Christmas trees. Cyno opened the oven, allowing them to place it on the rack.

As soon as they pulled the oven mitts off, an arm slid around their waist. In a second, they were spun around and a breath away from Cyno. They laughed, in between kisses peppered across their lips.

“Do you know what the moose said to it’s family on Christmas Day?” Cyno murmured into their mouth. “Merry—”

A knock from the door startled them both. Cyno glared at it, unhappily detangling himself from them and opening the door.

“We’re here!” Tighnari said as he entered, letting Collei duck under his arm to bustle into the room.

“As the salt and pepper would say, Seasonings Greetings,” Cyno nodded in acknowledgement at the pair. “Do you understand the joke?”

Tighnari groaned loudly. “We just got here, Cyno. Couldn’t you have waited five minutes? Or several hours, maybe?”

“Merry Christmas to you both,” [Name] smiled painfully. “He’s been like this all morning.”

“Hi [Name]!” Collei said cheerfully. Her bright red skirt swished and twirled as she moved around the room, matching the lopsided Santa hat perched on top of her and Tighnari’s heads. Tighnari was dressed just as festive, in a comfortable looking red sweater.

“Hello [Name],” Tighnari raised an eyebrow, smirking at their outfits. “Nice sweater.”

“I didn’t choose them,” [Name] sighed.

Cyno had practically insisted on the matching ugly sweaters. They lived up to their names, the designs were hideous: clashing deep reds and muted greens, striped patterns all up the arms and a gaudy snowman print across the front. His only response to their complaints was that ‘they’re supposed to be ugly, that's the point!’ 

“They’re in the spirit of the season,” Cyno said stubbornly. Tighnari held up his hands in mock surrender.

“I wasn’t insulting them. They’re… merry.”

Cyno’s vehement defence of the dreadful sweaters was prevented by another knock at the door. Tighnari reached over to turn the handle, right as the door swung open.

“Merry Christmas to you all!” Kaveh declared. Like Tighnari, he was also wearing a sweater, but his was a deep green and covered in spiralling patterns. “I would apologise for our lateness, but it wasn’t my fault.”

“Oh please,” Alhaitham scoffed, trailing in after Kaveh. “If you didn’t spend an hour trying to style your hair, we would have been here ages ago.”

“You—It wasn’t me who decided to wait until five minutes before we agreed to leave to get dressed! You have the time-management skills of a three-toed sloth!”

“I simply don’t concern myself with vanity. There is no need to spend hours on my hair, or try and find the perfect outfit… unlike some people.” It was fitting, then, that Alhaitham was the only one in the room without any sort of Christmas themed clothing.

“Maybe it is because I actually have the effort to care about my appearance, instead of looking like I just got out of bed without brushing my hair!” Kaveh paused, squinting at Alhaitham. “Did you brush your hair this morning?”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant, when yours took an hour to look just as messy as it did when you woke up.”

“How—”

“Not to interrupt this lover’s spat,” Tighnari interrupted. “But if we want to have lunch anytime in the next several hours, we should probably start soon.”

“We brought pita pockets!” Collei held up a box with a grin.

“Ah, I’m afraid I didn’t have time to cook this morning,” Kaveh sighed, resolutely ignoring Alhaitham’s rolled eyes. “But I did bring a bottle of wine.” He glanced over at Collei. “Um. I am assuming you have non-alcoholic options as well.”

Cyno beckoned them over to the table, moving around the plates to make room for Collei’s pita pockets and Kaveh’s wine. Kaveh and Alhaitham sat down first, opposite each other so they could finish their argument face-to-face. Tighnari was next, and Collei followed, sitting in the seats at the end. Finally, Cyno slipped into the seat beside his partner, giving their hand a quick squeeze.

There was something so perfect about the moment, Kaveh and Alhaitham bickering across the table, while Tighnari rolled his eyes at Cyno’s jokes, and Collei sneakily took another bread roll off his plate while he was distracted. It was the kind of moment they wished they could freeze in time and seal up into a snow globe to display on their nightstand, so they could pick it up and admire the scene within whenever they liked. To spend such a special time, surrounded by the chatter and laughter of the people they loved the most, was truly a gift in itself.

“You should really try to be more like the Christmas tree, Tighnari—and lighten up.”

“Cyno, I will leave, and it will be your fault!”

Yes, perfect indeed.

reblogs and comments are appreciated! ♡

[musclegeneration]

JiuFlex: The Fusion of Strength and Technique

History

JiuFlex emerged in the late 21st century as a response to the growing popularity of both bodybuilding and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). Visionaries sought to combine the raw power of bodybuilders with the technical finesse of BJJ practitioners. The result was a sport that celebrated physical prowess, mental discipline, and artistic expression.

Origins

The Genesis: JiuFlex was born in the underground gyms of São Paulo, where bodybuilders and BJJ black belts secretly trained together. They experimented with blending muscle-building routines and grappling techniques, seeking the perfect fusion.

The First Exhibition: In 2087, the inaugural JiuFlex exhibition took place in Rio de Janeiro. Competitors flexed their sculpted physiques while executing intricate BJJ moves. The crowd was mesmerized.

Posing Rounds:

Flex-Off: In the first round, athletes showcase their muscular development. They wear special posers crafted from their gi belts, emphasizing their physique. Judges evaluate symmetry, vascularity, and overall aesthetics.

Technical Flow: The second round combines BJJ techniques with posing. Fighters demonstrate fluid transitions, sweeps, and submissions—all while flexing their muscles. Creativity and gracefulness earn extra points.

Grappling Rounds:

Gi Grappling: Competitors don traditional BJJ gis for the grappling rounds. Matches follow standard BJJ rules, but with an added twist: fighters can flex during holds or escapes.

Submission Flex: In this round, fighters attempt submissions while maintaining muscle tension. Imagine an armbar executed with biceps bulging!

Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs)

JiuFlex encourages PED use, but not only for brute strength. In fact, PEDs also enhance libido and mental focus. Athletes channel this heightened drive into their performances.

Fighters experience an intense desire to win and dominate, fueled by their enhanced hormonal state. It's not uncommon for opponents to lock eyes mid-match, their determination palpable.

Unexpected Testing

Competitors must maintain a body fat percentage below 10% throughout the year. Regular checks ensure compliance. If a fighter exceeds this limit, they face penalties or disqualification.

Conclusion

JiuFlex thrives on the edge between strength and grace, discipline and desire. As competitors flex their bodies and minds, they redefine what it means to be a true athlete. So, next time you see a fighter posing mid-submission, remember: that's JiuFlex in action! 💪🥋

[wicked-jade]

A Very Skelly Halloween

🦇👻🎃BOO!!🎃👻🦇

'Sup, witches! It's me! Your old pal, Skelly Johnny! It's that time of year again!

Time to sit around with an ice cold bucket of Banquet...

Watch scary movies... (AHHH!! Oh shit, where did they come from!)

And hand out treats to the little ghouls and goblins!

Though sometimes I just trick them. I stole this from Terry Silver's house. Pretty sweet, right? Just try to soak me with a water hose, I DARE YOU.

Just kidding! I don't really chase small children with a katana. That would violate my probation.

Most of the time, I just lock the door, turn out the lights, and treat myself. (Not like that, you pervs!!)

Either way, Halloween at Casa de Lawrence is usually a pretty chill affair. But this year is gonna be different.

You see, the LaRussos invited me over to their place for a costume party! It took me awhile to decide what to go as. Like, I started to just wear my old Cobra Kai gi and call it a day...

But that's too easy. And too predictable.

I was at a total loss. But then, it hit me! The perfect costume!

Hang on, lemme go put it on. Stay right there, I'll be right back...

(OR WILL I????)

Haisai! I'm Chozen Toguchi!

AKA the Okinawan Assassin!

I'm visiting Encino on an extended karate vacation. (Because I'd rather get cut to ribbons settling a life debt than man up and tell Kokomo that I love her.)

That's why I've spent the last four months camped out on my friend Daniel-san's sofa. (He couldn't even spring for a bed?? Cheapskate!)

Drinking Dr. Pepper, eating Uncrustables, cutting the heads greasy ponytails off snakes...

and watching... AHHH!!! WHAT?!

Who changed the channel? This isn't HGTV!! Who stole the remote?

Ah, much better! Gotta have my shows.

Amanda-san! Do we have more bite-sized KitKats? The treat pail is empty! What do you mean, did I eat them all?? Umm... Daniel-san did it!!

See, told you! Pretty sweet costume, right?

Alright, well, it's been fun, but I gotta bounce. I need to get to the party before the real Chozen eats all the tiny Snickers. (Seriously, LaRusso?? You couldn't even spring for full-sized candy bars? What kind of rich person are you?)

Stay safe out there, kiddos! And remember, don't do anything I wouldn't do. Which isn't much, but still!

🧡🖤🎃🖤🧡Happy Halloween, CK fam!!🧡🖤🎃🖤🧡

[icwasher]

Chapter nine of my de-aged Obi-Wan fic is giing me trouble, but I managed to get a bit done today, so I come bearing a snippet.

Obi-Wan approached the data center warily. The attack on the Senate—-attack on the Senate. The attack on the Senate—-attack on the Senate. The— Ahsoka growled at the message. “Can you find a way to shut that off?” Obi-Wan looked over the table, but all the buttons were foreign to him. Another downside to traveling from twenty-four years in the past. Eventually, he gave up, leaving his and Ahsoka’s ears subject to the torture of Dooku’s monotonous voice repeating the same sentence. Over, and over. It was, quite honestly, insanity-inducing.

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - Not Ready Part 9/12

Part 10 and Part 11 are out on my Patreon!

Readers sister dies in a tragic car accident, leaving reader and her boyfriend Ruben in the urgent custody of her niece and nephew. Readers' life is suddenly flipped upside-down since having children hadn't been the plan for her and Ruben's life together. At least not now, when his football career was reaching great new heights.

Enjoy! 💞

Emmy's birthday party might as well have been her Sweet Sixteen. You were going above and beyond for a little girl who wanted cupcakes, banners and a pink unicorn piñata, while the main theme of the party was, Moana.

Make it make sense.

Nevertheless, all of Emmy's school and football friends were invited. Not to mention Ruben's parents, who were staying in Manchester for the whole week. And your parents, coming all the way from Bournemouth. 

To think that you had the honor to cook for them all. Of course, Laleh was there to give her two cents about it....

"What the hell is a Pastel de Nata?" She said, skeptically squinting her eyes as she read off your grocery list that lay on top of your office desk. You wrote it during your lunch break, hence the sloppy handwriting.

"A Portuguese pastry." You replied. "A traditional tart of some sort. Ruben's mom wants me to bake them for Emmy's birthday."

"Erm...does Ruben's mom know that you can't bake for shit?"

You shot Laleh an evil glare from where you sat behind your desk. "I can bake."

"Erm...no you can't." She snatched up your grocery list and went through all of the entries. "And why not just order catering for the party? There is no way you'll be able to prepare all of these dishes on time. Who would even want to put themselves through that?"

You chuckled. "That's exactly what Ruben said." 

"And he was right. You're way in over your head, Y/N."

You stood from your chair, snatching the list out of Laleh's hand. "So be it. Emmy deserves the best." 

You were very stubborn to make her party as spectacular as it could be. In that way proving to Ruben's parents that you were an eligible mother and wife. After getting to know them over these past few days, it became clear to you that Ruben's parents valued tradition. Especially his mother who was a housewife through and through. Her newest occupation was criticizing your every move, whether it was the way you washed the children's laundry, or what foods you served them for dinner. Just this morning Ruben's mother rolled her eyes at the way you rushed Emmy and Vale out of the house so they would not be late for school. What else were you supposed to do? Perhaps it was the fact that you had a career that fueled her resentment? Ruben's mother probably thought that you'd never be able to handle motherhood while juggling a career. Meaning you wouldn't be a suitable wife for someone like Ruben.

You'd prove her wrong, alright. Starting with this damn birthday party.

********************************************

"Fuck!"

Ruben slammed his fist hard against a passing wall. He felt it throbbing as the players made it through the tunnel back to the locker rooms. 

"You made a mistake man, so what?" Said Bernardo. Ruben's only teammate that dared to address him in his state of anguish. The other players did best to stay away.

"It cost us the game, Bernardo. Against Chelsea of all teams."

Bernardo couldn't argue with that. City blew an important match win. One that would've shot the team to the top of the tables. All of it had been lost in the hands of Ruben and his terrible defense.

"I blame the pitch." Bernardo nodded. "You slipped and fell because Stamford Bridge is a shit stadium."

Ruben did not return Bernardo's cheeky smile, although he was thankful for his friend's attempt to cheer him up. But when Ruben got like this it could take hours, sometimes days before his mood was restored.

"Hey." Bernardo nudged Ruben's shoulder. "At least we get to celebrate something this afternoon. Ines picked out the cutest pair of cleats as our gift for Emmy's birthday. Guess what color the shoes are."

Ruben shrugged his shoulders and let out a low grunt. He was not in the mood to play games.

"Pink! They're pink." Bernardo exclaimed. "I must say that fatherhood has made these things exciting for me."

"Right, right." Ruben could lie and say that he felt the same way, but in reality he couldn't care less about a pair of pink cleats. No matter who they belonged to.

The team bus arrived back in Manchester just as the sun was setting low over the city sky. Right now you would have your hands full entertaining a dozen sugar induced children. Just the thought of them running around in the apartment made Ruben dread the idea of going home.

"I'll see you in a bit." Bernardo said, as they stepped off the team bus parked outside of the Etihad stadium.

"Yeah, whatever man."

What should have been minutes turned into an hour. Ruben drove the long way home, meaning his Porsche circle around the city, giving the environmentalists another reason to hate him.

"Hello? Ruben?"

Just as he came around the block your name popped up on the car dash. It did occur to Ruben that he would hear from you sooner or later.

"Yes, babe. I'm late and I'm sorry."

"Is everything alright? Are you on your  way?" Children were heard shouting in the background, causing Ruben to rub the side of his already aching temple. He tried to solemnly focus on your voice. You sounded worried, something he never intended to do. "I got a bit worried when Bernardo and Ines showed up before you did." You chuckled nervously, striking something within Ruben's chest.

"I'm right around the corner, baby. I'll be home in a minute."

"Okay. Emmy has been asking about you. We saw the game. I know you must be upset....."

"I'm not—" Just the mention of the game triggered something that an hour car ride had managed to cool down. Ruben's grip around the steering wheel tightened. His knuckles turned white. Your end of the line had fallen silent, perhaps hearing the straining in Ruben's voice. He released the grip he had  around the steering and sighed. "I'll be home in a minute baby, don't worry."

"I love you." 

"See you soon. Bye."

Read full chapter and more on my Patreon

[gideoff]

we will be reunited 

[jose92gt]

Resúmenes de los episodios 116 al 119 de Yu-Gi-Oh Go Rush

Episodio 116: ¡Eso es lo que me molesta de ti ! – Souiu Tokoro ga Mukatsukundayo!

(¡Eso es lo que me molesta de ti!) La Maestra Oscura y su grupo se dirigen a la Tierra en el Valvelgear robado. Yuhi se ha unido a su lado para descubrir su verdadero motivo. Se mete en una discusión con Zuwijo, lo que conduce a un Duelo entre los dos. En el calor del momento, Yuhi suelta que hará lo que le digan si pierde...

Episodio 117: モチ☆トモ – Mochi☆Tomo

(Mochi☆Pals)

Fukamura aparece ante Yudias y compañía, quienes están tratando de encontrar una manera de perseguir al Dark Meister. Luego comienza un Duelo contra Yudias, prometiendo que les dirá cómo alcanzar al Dark Meister si Yudias gana. Sin embargo, ¡¿Yudias duda en batirse a Duelo con él?!

Episodio 118: 地球へ… – Chikyū e…

(Hacia la Tierra) ¡

El Dark Meister ha llegado a la Tierra, provocando pánico en Asaka y los demás! Mientras los Darkmen comienzan su búsqueda de Monster Reborn, Asaka y compañía se dirigen a donde está escondido para protegerlo. Sin embargo, esto no escapa a la atención de Sabyuas. ¡¿Qué va a pasar cuando Sabyuas se acerque a Asaka…?!

Episodio 119: DM粒子 – DM Ryūshi

(DM Particles)

Bajo las órdenes del Dark Meister, los Darkmen persiguen a Damamu, quien ha tomado Monster Reborn y ha escapado. El Dark Meister usa las DM Particles para inmovilizar a Damamu. Sin embargo, Yuhi no puede soportar ver esto, por lo que desafía al Dark Meister a un duelo.

Episode 116: そういう所がムカつくんだよ！ – Souiu Tokoro ga Mukatsukundayo!

(That’s What Pisses Me Off about You!)

The Dark Meister and her group head to Earth on the stolen Valvelgear. Yuhi has joined her side in order to figure out her real motive. He gets into an argument with Zuwijo, which leads to a Duel between the two. In the heat of the moment, Yuhi blurts out that he’ll do whatever he’s told if he loses…

Episode 117: モチ☆トモ – Mochi☆Tomo

(Mochi☆Pals)

Fukamura appears before Yudias and co., who are trying to find a way to pursue the Dark Meister. He then commences a Duel against Yudias, promising that he’ll tell them how to catch up with the Dark Meister if Yudias wins. However, Yudias is hesitant about Dueling him?!

Episode 118: 地球へ… – Chikyū e…

(Toward the Earth)

The Dark Meister has arrived on Earth, sending Asaka and others into a panic! As the Darkmen begin their search for Monster Reborn, Asaka and co. head to where it is hidden in order to protect it. This doesn’t escape the notice of Sabyuas, however. Just what’s going to happen as Sabyuas closes in on Asaka…?!

Episode 119: DM粒子 – DM Ryūshi

(DM Particles)

Under the order of the Dark Meister, the Darkmen chase after Damamu, who has taken Monster Reborn and escaped. The Dark Meister uses the DM Particles to immobilize Damamu. Yuhi just can’t bear to watch this, however, so he challenges the Dark Meister to a Duel.

[raemanzu]

Summary:

Vector's descent into madness, as seen through the eyes of two of the palace staff, the woman who helped raise him and the man who helped poison his father, contributing to the king's declining health. An exploration of how the people around Vector felt and thought about him before and after his parents' deaths. Canon expansion - although the peace god is mentioned in the show, we came up with the name Asimir and the backstories for Brennit and Parmida, two important members of the palace staff.

Preview:

            “Please, can you craft a drink or some sort of tea to help our lord Vector calm himself and sleep?”

            A simple enough request, especially for Brennit. He was the palace’s resident expert on medicines, including poisons. But in the handful of decades he’d survived being born in this place, he had rarely been given such an order directly from Parmida, the de facto head of staff—usually she sent another servant with the message. And when she did deliver it herself, she had almost never looked like this, no matter how heavy a gloom of oppression rested on the palace. Now her round face, which rarely strayed from merriment or stoicism into any form of weakness, was flushed, her eyes damp and pinched at the corners.

            Well, many things were different, now. The queen had been killed just days ago, along with her tyrant husband. And Parmida had loved the queen dearly, along with her son the prince, now unrecognizable as the boy Parmida had helped to raise. Just as Parmida had helped to raise Brennit.

            “I can, of course,” Brennit said in a hushed tone, fully aware of how dangerous it was to be speaking in the open like this. Her hands were holding one of his in pleading, and they were sweaty. He lowered his voice further. “Just how strong do you wish it to be?”

            There had been a moment, when Brennit had heard the news of the king’s death, that his heart had soared, an elation unrivaled by any strong drink or other substance he had tried in his life. Finally, at last, they were free, he was free. No more kneeling to the whims of a king mad with his own power while even the palace children starved. And at last, all his practice at enduring the more personal abuses had paid off. No more submitting to those hands, that voice. The hot drunken breath on his neck.

Read more on AO3

[salanaii]

Learn Korean with me - Week 29

Day 1 - 3: Let's Speak Korean Ch 9 - Taxi (1 - 35)

** Don't forget your journals and of course Netflix.

택시!

Tae si

Taxi!

반포까지가주세요.

Ban po gga ji ga ju se yo

Please go to Banpo.

반포에가려고하는데요.

Ban po e ga ryeogohaneundeyo

I’m trying to get to Banpo.

주소를보여드릴게요.

Ju so reur bo yeo deu rir ge yo

Let me show you the address.

이게주소입니다.

I ge ju so ib ni da

This is the address.

목적지가어디죠?

Mog jeog ji ga eo di jyo

Where is the destination?

목적지는여기입니다.

Mog jeog ji neun yeo gi ib ni da

(Literal) Here (=this) is the destination.

여기로가주세요.

Yeo gi ro ga ju se yo

(Literal) Please go to here. = Please take me here.

어디로갈까요?

Eo di ro gar gga yo

(Literal) To where should we go?

빨리가주세요.

Bbar ri ga ju se yo

Please go quickly. =Step on iy, please.

빠른길로가주세요.

Bba reun gir ro ga ju se yo

(Literal) Please go by the fast route.

지름길로가주세요.

Ji reum gir ro ga ju se yo

(Literal) Please go by the shortcut. = Please take the shortcut.

여기세워주세요.

Yeo gi se wo ju se yo

(Literal) Please stop it here. = Please pull over here.

여기내릴게요.

Yeo gi nae rir ge yo

I will get off here.

수고하세요.

Su go ha se yo

(Literal) Keep up the good work. = Thank you/ Take it easy/ Good bye.

내비를따라가주세요.

Nae bi reur dda ra ga ju se yo

Please follow the navigation.

돌아가는것같은데요.

Dor a ga neun geos gat eun de yo

I think we are taking a roundabout route.

이길이아닙니다.

I gir I a nib ni da

It’s not this way.

이쪽으로가면안돼요.

I jjog eu ro ga myeon an doae yo

You shouldn’t go (to) this way.

카드로계산할게요.

Ka deu rog ye san har ge yo

I’ll pay by (=with) a (credit) card.

현금이없어요.

Hyeon geum I eobs eo yo

I don’t have cash.

요금이어��많이나왔어요.

Yo geum I eo mu mah I na oass eo yo

(Literal) The fare came out too much. = You are overcharging me.

경찰서로갑시다.

Gyeong char seo ro jab si da

Let’s go to the police station.

이건아니죠.

I geon a ni jyo

This is not right.

외국인이라고바가지씌우면안돼요.

Oe gug in I ra go ba ga ji ssui u myeon an doe yo

(Literal) You shouldn’t rip me off because I’m a foreigner.

직진해주세요.

Jig jin hae ju se yo

Please go straight.

계속가주세요.

Gye sog ga ju se yo

(Literal) Please continue going. = Please keep going.

좌회전/우회전해주세요.

Jwa hoe jeon/ u hoe jeon hae ju se yo

Take a left/right turn please.

여기서/저기서직진해주세요.

Yeo gi seo/jeo gi seo jig jin hae ju se yo

Go straight (at) here/there, please.

이번/다음신호등에서유턴해주세요.

I beon/da eum sin ho deung e seo yu teon hae ju se yo

Make a U-turn at this/next light, please.

이번/다음골목으로들어가주세요.

I beon/da eum gor mog eu ro deur eo ga ju se yo

Go into this/nest alley, please.

지나쳤어요.

Ji na chyeoss eo yo

You’ve passed it.

너무많이왔어요.

Neo mu manh I wass eo yo

You’ve come too much (=far).

여기가아닌데요.

Yeo gi ga a nin de yo

(Literal) Here (=This) isn’t (the place).

아까거기로돌아가주세요.

A gga geo gi ro dor a ga ju se yo

(Literal) Please go back to that place (=where we were) before.

[green-ocean]

[ID: A passage from the novel Garman & Worse by Alexander Kielland. It's in Norwegian and says: "Men ta så en av disse strandboere, flytt ham langt inn i landet mellem fjellene i den yndigste dal, du kan finne; gi ham det beste mat, og de bløteste senger. Han vil ikke røre din mat, og sove i sengene; men uten å se sig om, vil han klatre fra fjell til fjell, inntil han langt – langt ute skimter noget blått, han kjenner. Da går hans hjerte op; han stirrer mot den blå stripe, som glitrer derute, inntil det begynner å glitre blått altsammen; men han sier ingenting. –"

W. W. Kettlewell translated it as such: "But take one of these shore-dwellers; and move him far landward among the mountains, into the loveliest valley you can find; give him the best food, and the softest bed. He will not touch your food, or sleep in your bed, but without turning his head he will clamber from hill to hill, until far off his eye catches something blue he knows, and with swelling heart he gazes towards the little azure streak that shines far away, until it grows into a blue glittering horizon; but he says nothing." /END ID]

[hellohimawarihana]

Yu-Gi-Oh Transformations, ranked by me

I did say in this post that Yu-Gi-Oh is no stranger to transformation sequence, but the more you look at it, it's like that all series had this in some degree, so I decided to rank them from least appealing to the most mind-blowing. It was inspired to this post, by the way. Unlike the protagonists ending post before, I'll include Go Rush!! as well, but I'll only include those from the protagonists and their main anime, so no Capsule Monsters or special episodes like Bonds Beyond Time, or supporting characters in that matter.

We'll start with the series that stood out the least, which is...

8. ARC-V

Yes, it’s pretty unappealing even for me. The Awakened version (left) are just him surrounded with aura and his mutated Z-ARC (right) is… not on my book.

7. Original / Duel Monsters

I ranked DM version a bit higher than ARC-V for this list. Yes, it’s the first and longest Yu-Gi-Oh series and therefore it’s iconic but Yami Yugi a.k.a. Atem didn’t really change clothes outside of making a cape jacket from his host. It’s still good that he manages to split into two selves for his partner later in the story.

6. Duel Monsters GX

It’s like Yami Yugi and Awakened Yuya because he spent some time being possessed by Haou / Supreme King (right), but Judai does had a control of his powers after gaining that and Yubel’s (left) powers and abilities, after that he doesn’t actually transforms outside the eye changes so I can’t rank him higher.

5. SEVENS

From demonic look to Sentai hero... Though unlike other series (except number 4 that will be explained later) these came off as one-off forms as he only wears the costumes in one duel with the process akin to early Metal Heroes series. But his roll call of The Yugaman (right) is cool, by the way.

4. 5DS

While the usual preparation before Riding Duel is pretty cool, this part stands out among my brother's favorite Yu-Gi-Oh series. Yusei just turns gold for his ultimate Synchro Summon technique, but it’s still cool. There’s even non-Riding Duel version on his Duel Links portrait too.

3. Go Rush!!

This recently airing series has the protagonist surrounded by blue (sometimes green) aura to turn back into his real, alien form. But it’s just “casual *flash* battle form” so I can’t rank him too high. But I like how he keeps doing this before his own duel, even when he doesn’t use this stock footage anymore starting in Season 2. And he’s unique among the protagonists as he’s one of the two capable of transforming on his own without outside source.

2. ZEXAL

The concept is similar to DM and GX, only this time Yuma merges with Astral and can de-fuse anytime unlike the latter series. Dark ZEXAL (top right) isn’t in my book and just a palette swap between the first ZEXAL form (top left), which is my favorite. But the other ZEXAL forms (bottom) are awesome too, evolving through Yuma and Astral’s bond. I just wish that the other forms appeared in Duel Links as a skill and not just his first form. Normally, this will be all-time favorite for transformation fans for Yu-Gi-Oh, but he’s ranked here because...

Well, you know who will be my top pick:

1. VRAINS

While I grew up with DM series, my interest took at peak after seeing Yusaku’s transformation sequence when he logs into LINK VRAINS or any cyberworld. It’s cool and flashy, and I like the blue background, even though his Playmaker form has barely any blue on it. The pocket dimension where Yusaku transforms fits its technology theme too. I especially like the hair part, just look of his cool face! And he can transform by himself, just like Go Rush!! series!

The only downside is like Go Rush!!, he doesn’t do this stock footage anymore after Season 1 Episode 30, any login after that is just offscreen or the intro survives but he’s just do the login in blue flash of light, which is disappointing, he even lack the double henshin with Takeru! (his adventuring partner who has the same animation when he individually transforms) But I do like the fact that the world unlock scene in Duel Links has this transformation sequence, which is a nice callback for the first episode where Playmaker’s transformation was shown for the first time, especially for the players who had finished the anime since spoiler alert: Duel Links’s VRAINS World takes place after the end of the series.

See more of VRAINS' henshin here.