#he is lucky yuki likes him otherwise i would have to start biting

[chussyracing]

I agree the height jokes are not funny, it comes across as microaggressions at best. He's infantalized by so many in the sport and on the grid and this is just another example. It is literally belittling and needs to stop.

This!! Like, I don't mean to come out for everyone, because obviously he is a very pretty guy and I'm sure all of us called him cute at some point. But at what point does it stop being funny if short and cute are the only ways you find to describe him?

[stitchandani]

Story:

Lilo's College Days That Defining Moment The story of the moment Lilo and Mertle stopped being enemies and started, super slowly, being friends as teenagers. Written by Doverstar. Read below

16-year-old Mertle Edmonds didn’t go barefoot anywhere unless she was in her room. Especially not when every single pair of her sandals was a designer brand. Unfortunately, tonight she had to make an exception. It was a performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of her hula school. Being only two years from graduation, Moses, their Kumu, had decided to allow his oldest students to star in a special dance they’d all worked together to create. It was always easy working with Yuki, Teresa, and Elena. It was even easy working with Victoria. Mostly. But Lilo…Lilo Pelekai always had the worst ideas—the weirdest ideas. She was always trying to stink up the show, steal the spotlight. Luckily Moses didn’t approve half of her plans during the brainstorming, and the dance had come out okay. In fact, Mertle had shone out more than she usually did tonight. She did her part perfectly—the swing of her hips, the smoothness in her steps, the waft of both arms. Not a single slip-up, and not a curly hair came out of her ponytail. And of course, doing hula required she go barefoot. That made total sense. What was really not like her was running through the muddy trail down to the beach without shoes on. She didn’t intend to. She just had to get out of that building. Her mother had been there to congratulate her after the performance, as always. Moms gushed a lot, but at least Mertle could always say—with confidence—that  her mom wasn’t doing it just because she was her mom. It was because, obviously, Mertle deserved every bit of the praise she received. When Mertle had gone to change into her green tank top and blue cutoff jeans, after the audience had all but left, she took her sweet time. It was even better that she got to the only bathroom right before Lilo had, so she got to see the sweet flash of irritation in those too-close-together brown eyes. Even that blue thing, Stitch, looked vexed. (Mertle had been telling herself for years that she didn’t know exactly what Stitch was, even if certain events during her childhood proved otherwise. Events and a talking dog who was probably asleep in her bedroom right now.) If Victoria hadn’t gone home so quickly after the show, she probably would’ve been annoyed for her creep friend too.  Some nights just went too perfectly. Upon emerging from the bathroom, the redhead found that everyone was staring at her. As well they should—she looked great. But it was a different kind of staring. There was something really concerning in the way Teresa was practically biting her lip off and the way Moses seemed to be struggling to say something. “What?” Mertle tossed her ponytail, hands on her hips. “What did I miss?” Her mother, eyes strangely puffy, pushed past Moses to put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. Mrs. Edmonds’ glasses looked foggy. “Mertle…sweetheart…” Was she getting all choked up? Why? Mertle’s eyes cut to Elena and Yuki and back to her mom. How embarrassing. Whatever it was, couldn’t it wait till they got out of the hālau first? Nobody liked a blubberer. Totally unprofessional. Her mom had always been just a little overemotional with, well, basically everything, and it got old fast. “Mom, everybody’s looking! What—” “It’s—Carl. It’s your daddy, Mertle.” Words blurred after that. Something about a phone call, something about missing the show tonight, something about “driving under the influence”. Mertle heard it. She just didn’t register what exactly had happened in the last twenty minutes. Her daddy couldn’t be gone. There was no way. He was rich; he owned a store, a resort, three convertibles. He was too important to be dead. As Mertle looked around, past her hysterical mother and at the remaining faces in the room, all she could hear was her own heartbeat. Everyone was still watching her, why were they watching her? She didn’t want to be watched. She didn’t want all the attention now. Not now. Couldn’t they take a hint? Wasn’t this one of those times where everybody was supposed to go away? Or just not be here? She hated the way they were gawking at her. Her daddy was

gone. What did that mean? Mertle felt it slowly sinking in further and further. Carl was dead. He died just moments ago. He was here then and now he wasn’t. Her face tingled. She knew she was about to cry, and she totally hated people seeing her cry. Didn’t cry often. She wanted her mom to give her one of those too-tight, really unnecessary, unwanted hugs, but everyone seemed frozen. Even Mrs. Edmonds. In that split second, Mertle looked at Teresa. Teresa looked away. Then Elena. She fiddled with her hair and glanced at the wall. Yuki met her gaze, just for a moment, and then she started fidgeting in her hula skirt, eyes downcast. The only person who stared right back at her was Lilo. Lilo was unashamedly waiting for Mertle to look at her, and the sympathy there, sympathy that was so clearly genuine, was almost enough to make teenage Edmonds gag. Without another word, she pushed past her mom, Moses, her classmates, and bolted out the open door into the warm night air. So there she was, barefoot, running through the slightly-damp path through the tropical woods to…she didn’t know where. Maybe the beach? Not home, no thank you. Mertle wanted to be alone, where those morons in the halau couldn’t find her and stand around being useless again. She didn’t know what she’d wanted them to do. Something, hello! Funny; she always knew what she wanted. Well, she knew what she did not want. What she didn’t want was...basically everything they’d just done. A whole lot of nothing. Nothing. That was what they were, after all, right? All of them. They were nothing. Not as important as she was. Not as talented, not as pretty. What had she expected? A posse wasn’t supposed to be a hug or a kind word.  They’d never mattered that much in her world before. Except when she needed someone to yell at or to agree with her. So why did their actions back there matter now? She was out of breath already. Really needed more exercise. Wasn’t a dazzling hula career enough? Okay, maybe not a dazzling career, not yet. But someday. And practicing for it was clearly wearing her poor, hard-working body thin. She paused, hands on her knees, gasping for breath. She must be tired from the incredible show she’d just put on. That was it. Not out of shape at all. No way, not her. Someday she would have a dazzling hula career; she’d be a sensation, and then… Dad won’t make it to any more of my shows. The thought crashed down on her like the waves she heard beating the surf off to her right, somewhere past the trees and the palmettos. The weight of what she had learned just moments ago was finally starting to make her ache, and Mertle slumped against the trunk of a palm tree. Tears ran down her nose, and she felt herself sliding down the trunk, hugging her knees as she crouched in the sand. Moonlight trickled through the branches and stars twinkled in the clear sky. Mertle didn’t spend a bunch of time outside, unless it was a weekend. She might have enjoyed the night wind playing with her ponytail. If her daddy wasn’t dead. He used to visit. When she was little. When she was 5, 8, even once when she was 10. He’d bring her expensive gifts from his store in Honolulu. She wore a bangle he’d given her now, right above the old charm bracelet on her wrist. It said Daddy’s Little Princess in letters that used to be hot pink. She had been young enough then that being a Princess seemed an achievable goal. Here in the present, it was for luck. Or maybe to remind herself he existed. Because until today, she hadn’t heard from him in three long, disappointing years. Hadn’t seen him in five. Why was he gone? She needed him! Without Carl in the world, she felt…it was like she wasn’t special anymore. Like she wasn’t important, like she wasn’t a star. Her daddy, when he had bothered to show up or call or write or send her presents, had managed every time to make her feel like she was somebody. She believed it, too, to this very night, because he told her so often when they were together. He told her how amazing she was, and how lucky, because she had him for a father,

and he could give her anything. Not to mention a mother whose job gave them whatever they didn’t already have. Now there was nobody to remind her how incredible she was. How incredible she just had to be. She would start to think it was all a lie, and she was just as ordinary and witless as any of those girls in that stupid school. Because the one person in the world who believed it as much as Mertle had was on the side of a road somewhere, never to open his eyes again. “It’s not fair,” Mertle sobbed. “It’s not fair, it’s not fair, it’s not fair.” She jumped when she heard someone behind her. “Mertle?” Mertle thumbed the moisture out from underneath her glasses. “Go away.” “I know how—” “I said go away, Weirdlo!” Lilo was quiet as she slipped her yellow duffel bag off her shoulder, letting it drop in the sand, kneeling beside the redhead. She was in khaki shorts and a red top. Must’ve changed while Mertle had been running. It looked hideous on her. “I know how you feel,” Lilo said almost neutrally, going on as if Mertle hadn’t snapped at her. Mertle refused to turn and look at her. She so did not need this, not right now, not from…it. “You? Puh-leeze. Don’t make me laugh.” “I do,” Lilo insisted. “You’re probaby really confused.” She crossed her legs to get more comfortable. “And scared.” Her voice got lower and she looked at the hands in her lap. “And lost.” Mertle rolled her eyes, but that made hot tears spill faster down her cheeks and she rubbed them off angrily, worried her makeup would smear. “What do you know?” “I know you’re really gonna miss him. You talk about him a lot.” “Yeah, right.” Mertle scoffed, almost laughing for real then. “He wasn’t even a good dad! He was never here. Why should I care?” “But he was still your Ohana, right? I mean...he was still your dad.” Mertle was quiet for a second, contemplating that. Yeah, he was still her dad. But even so, what kind of dad up and leaves for the big city when you’re 2? Or stays away for years at a time, just so he can expand some dumb store? But he’d still come by every once in a while. He’d take her out to get some of Luki’s shave ice. He’d watch her surf. He’d even taken her to get her ears pierced. And when she picked out her first pair of earrings and held them up to him, two little diamonds, he told her they were dull compared to… Mertle felt her chest heave again and she turned her body further away from Lilo, to shield the mess she was obviously becoming. Worthless. She was worthless now, because she did have him to tell her otherwise. Stupid man. Why had he done this to her? What was he thinking? Had he been thinking of her as he died? Had he been scared? He’d been all alone. Lilo put her hand on Mertle’s shoulder, and the bespectacled puddle finally craned her head around to glance at her. “Why are you doing this?” Mertle demanded, sniffling, voice harder than she thought it would be. Lilo didn’t retract her hand. “I lost my dad, too,” she reminded the girl. “I know what it’s like right after….” She didn’t finish that part. Closing her eyes as if going back in time for a moment, Lilo sighed very softly, and Mertle thought she’d never heard someone sound so tired. Then Lilo opened her eyes and caught Mertle’s gaze again. “Anyway. I didn’t want you to be by yourself.” She managed a smile. “Nobody gets left behind.” Mertle gawked at her. She’d gawked at Lilo Pelekai plenty of times, dozens, hundreds. All the time they’d known each other, Mertle looked down her nose at Lilo. She’d sneered and called her names for over ten years. When they were children, the Edmonds child’s sole purpose in life had been to make her rival miserable, because if someone else could be miserable, Mertle wouldn’t have to be. This too-creative, too-nice, too-weird native teen was a freak. An oddball, a dork, a loser, a total irritant. The fly at Mertle’s lifelong picnic. Lilo was gross, loud, pathetic, had terrible taste in fashion… And she was the only one who’d stayed. Yuki, Teresa, Elena, they’d all looked away. But Lilo...Lilo had stared back, because

something of merit was happening to Mertle, something that mattered. She’d run after the girl who had tried to drag her down with every breath she’d taken since they were five years old. She acted like Mertle was important. Like Mertle wasn't worthless. Like she cared. Like they were friends. And slowly, through her tears, Mertle smiled back.

[ikesenlemonadestandstories]

Level 13

IT’S A LEAP YEAR! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL THOSE LEAP YEAR BABIES WHO ONLY GET TO CELEBRATE ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS! Aren’t leap years wild? Can you imagine being born on a day that only pops up every four years?

Tagging: @loudartanimeeclipse​

Master List here or check the tag Ikesen AFK

Warnings: mentions of alcohol

Happy Reading, T~

Level 13

For a Friday, work had been incredibly slow, so slow you nearly blew your door off the hinges in your rush to get home and logged onto your game. There wasn’t anything crazy exciting going on, but you didn’t want to chance missing EdoPorcupine again. You were determined to sit around and wait for him to come on-line all day if it meant you could apologize for last night.

After what felt like an eternity on the loading page, you were finally logged in. Sitting around and waiting had sounded like a good idea, but the practical application was always messier than the theory. There was no guarantee that your new friend would even log on today, and if he did, you weren’t sure he’d want to talk to you after you didn’t show up last night. Especially when you had given no warning you weren’t going to make it, not that you had any way to actually tell him you’d be late, but still. You felt bad. 

Your quickly spiraling thoughts were interrupted when the list of online players to your right refreshed, and a little green bubble popped up next to EdoPorcupine5661’s name. Yes, excellent, now to jump on him before he could log off or disappear into a quest. 

I’m so sorry! ← WildCyt0m3rty 

EdoPorcupine5661 → What for? It’s not like I expected you to wait around for me forever.

Huh? ← WildCyt0m3try 

EdoPorcupine5661 → I’m talking about yesterday. I stood you up.  EdoPorcupine5661 → Sort of, I had a reason.

Well damn. I actually no-showed too. ← WildCyt0m3try Got stuck at work. ← WildCyt0m3try

EdoPorcupine5561 → Good. We’re even.  EdoPorcupine5561 → Shall we begin?

Yes please! ← WildCyt0m3try Lead the way Sensei ← WildCyt0m3try

EdoPorcupine5661 → Only if you never call me that again

Okay! ← WildCytometry What should I call you then? ← WildCyt0m3try

EdoPorcupine5661 → Edo

Saying you were struggling was the understatement of the century. As promised, the monsters in this field were manageable, and you’d be able to come back on your own and train your bow skills when EdoPorcupine wasn’t able to make it. That was nice and good, but the grinding was driving you insane. On any given attack you did, at the most, five damage; That’s if you were lucky or had a weapon advantage. 

The battle was literally dragging, and you felt bad that your friend was subjected to the torturously slow pace. He just kept typing, “it’s not like I’ve got anything better to do.” over and over again. At first, it had been a little off-putting, but the more it was used, the more you felt it was his way of not having to admit he was enjoying himself. 

Despite his generally sour attitude, Edo, as he’d requested you call him, was a surprisingly patient teacher. Giving you pointers and items to make sure you got the most out of the maps you were being carried off to. With a bit of practice, you were sure you’d have this new weapon’s stats up to par with your lance skill. 

With the monster maps all cleared out and your training bow nearly broken the both of you decided to stop the grinding and head off on a few quests with several others from Team Azuchi who had logged on throughout the evening. You were having fun and with some good back-up, were even able to use the steel bow you had picked up in an earlier raid in battle. A shining moment for you if you did say so yourself. 

OneEyedDrag0n → Would you look at how Kitten purrs. Proud of yourself over there?

Of course! It was a great shot! ← WildCyt0m3try

EdoPorcupine5661 → It wasn’t bad.

See! Wasn’t bad! That means I did great. ← WildCyt0m3try

4myLord → Looks like Wild’s got Edo’s sour personality down to a tee. 

EdoPorcupine5661 → Sour? Who’s sour?

B00kOfLife7 → He’s not sour, that’s just how he shows his affection. Isn’t that right @EdoPorcupine5661

EdoPorcupine5661 → No, I’m sour.

OneEyedDrag0n → You’d do anything to argue with him! lol OneEyedDrag0n → How’s that make you feel @WildCyt0m3try? Special?

Of course, then again, my mother always told me I was special. ← WildCyt0m3try

EdoPorcupine5661 → Something tells me that’s not what she meant.

Guess you’ll never know ← WildCyt0m3try

B00kOfLife7 → Why not? It’s an easy enough fix. You just have to ask your mother.

EdoPorcupine5661 → Except I don’t know her mother… EdoPorcupine5661 → It’s trouble enough knowing the rest of you lot in person, the last thing I want to do is meet a stranger's mother. 

OneEyedDrag0n → What about meeting...not a strangers mother?

EdoPorcupine5661 → If she’s anything like your mother, than no thank you.

4myLord → Fair point, but I’m sure @WildCyt0m3try has a very nice family

Thanks for trying to save my ego @4myLord, unfortunately, I have to report my family is the screaming the opposite of me. ← WildCyt0m3try

EdoPorcupine → Oh, so they are normal?

Terribly so. ← WildCyt0m3try

You were laughing out loud, you hadn’t had a conversation this crazy with online friends in ages. Sure the banter between Rose and Yuki was always exciting, but Kenshin or Shingen usually cut in and ended it quickly. This seemed to drag on for as long as it remained entertaining and light-hearted. From what you had gathered, everyone on Team Azuchi knew each other, having all gone to college together, the real kicker was that they had gone to the same university as you. Even crazier, you probably had seen a few of them around campus unknowingly, assuming they were your age. 

The plan was to log back on after you had finished your dinner and run through a few missions with Team Kasugayama. Rose had messaged you just before you had logged off, letting you know they had made plans to get on this evening. A large part of you wondered what sort of job Yoshi held that they had to start their team quests around 11:30p every other night, but that also wasn’t any of your business. 

“I’m here, are you guys ready to go?” You asked over the microphone.

“About time,” Kenshin mumbled behind a chorused yes from the rest of the group. Making you laugh. 

The communication lines were quiet for a long time, nobody really talking as they played through the more challenging map. Happy with the damage your lance wrought upon your enemies, you were beaming. This was so much more satisfying than your earlier grinding kills. 

“So, I see we’ve added some wings to the group?” You heard Yoshi ask through the mic. 

“See, and you’d know that if you had come to karaoke last night. Though, I’m happy to report that I’ve been pleasantly busy.” The unmistakable pride in your voice carried through the otherwise quiet chat. 

“Ah, I was wondering why Shingen hadn’t given me a hard time about that yet. They sent you to do the dirty work instead.” Yoshimoto laughed

“Nope. I volunteered.” You stated, drawing out the vowels in your response. 

“Either way, I quite like the aesthetic it adds, not only to your character but to the team as well.” Yoshimoto complimented. 

“Oh, I mean, I know I look good, but I'm happy it makes the team look equally as awesome.” You snickered into the mic realizing the two of you were in your own private chat window. 

“So humble.” There was a soft tisk to his voice that he tried to use to hide his own laughter. 

“And here I thought you enjoyed my confidence.” Choosing to sound wounded. 

“Oh, hush, I’ll have none of that.” Yoshimoto’s was scolding before it turned serious yet soft. “Your unabashed confidence is what makes you so stunning.”

“What do you want?” You rolled your eyes knowing full well he couldn't see you and continued to fight your way through a group of soldiers who had been hiding in a thicket off to the group’s left. 

“I want to know where you got that bow.” 

That explained the private chat. Yoshimoto wanted information, and he wasn't sure he wanted everyone else to have the intel yet. It was a well-known fact in your group that you were also a registered single player and often competed by yourself, but that still wouldn’t explain how you had managed to get your hands on anything other than a training bow. 

“A friend.” You answered as cryptically as possible. 

“Oh? I’m a friend, I didn’t give that to you.” Yoshimoto’s tone was suspicious.

“You’re right, maybe we’re not friends after all.” You feigned surprise and tried to bite back laughter when he scoffed audibly in your ear. 

“You’re something else. You know that?” He sighed as you snickered.

“I know, had a whole conversation about it today.” You couldn’t hide the amusement in your voice as you continued on. 

“Oh? Yukimura picking on you again?” Yoshimoto’s voice remained light as he teased.

“Not today, I’m actually on another team. Play with them when you guys aren’t around.” You stated matter-of-factly

“Cheating on us, are you now?” 

“I couldn’t help myself. If it makes you feel better, they’re definitely my side hoe.” You tried to remain as serious as possible, despite the turn in the conversation. 

“Alright, that’s it.” laughter filled the speakers of your headphones, and you found yourself laughing along with him. “How is it that I’ve not yet had the pleasure of meeting you in person?”

“You work terrible hours and never show up to sing with us.” You replied.

“You don’t want to hear me sing,” Yoshimoto assured you.

“And now I do.” 

“How about this? I’ve got work in a gallery late tomorrow night, stop by. I’ll see if I can pick you out of a crowd.” Yoshimoto suggested. 

“Sounds like my kind of challenge.” Excited, you agreed.