#he’s gotta have motives. he’s gotta have a motive that makes you understand why he did this.
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leonardalphachurch · 7 days ago
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temple is an unreliable narrator and is more at fault for biff’s death than he lets on/remembers: juicy. delicious. tragic. what’s the truth? does anyone even remember? how much blame falls on carolina? how much on temple? how much on biff? everyone has a different version of events and they’re all conflicting and no one knows what really happened except that biff ended up dead and temple can never, ever let that go.
temple is an unreliable narrator and is completely at fault for biff’s death and carolina had nothing to do with it: okay well you’ve made it even more boring than canon
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deadsetobsessions · 7 months ago
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“I can’t believe you’re squatting in an occupied house, Danny. That’s… actually isn’t that also breaking and entering? That’s a crime, isn’t it?”
“One, at least I don’t have to pay rent and/or utilities. Two, Tim let me stay. And three, I’m a vigilante. Breaking and entering is like the basics of being one. Also, they’re paying me now. This is a legit job now!”
Jazz sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Whatever, dumbass. Where is Tim, anyways?”
“He’s in bed.”
“Really?” Jazz raised an eyebrow and rested a hand on her hip. “Then what’s that?”
Danny whirled around, making eye contact with a frozen Tim.
“Ahah-”
Danny groaned, cutting Tim’s awkward laughter and no-doubt bullshit excuse.
“Kid, Tim, we talked about this.”
“It’s for the aesthetics!” Tim protested, the argument well worn, but obligingly stepping away from the window sill.
Danny shot Jazz a disgruntled look when she muttered, “Well, doesn’t that sound familiar.”
“It’s a school night, Tim.” Danny crossed the room, ushering Tim away from the door. The halfa could probably put down professional babysitter on his resume. If he could handle Tim “climb out of windows” Drake and Tim “sleeps in hard to reach places” Drake in the same day, he could handle anything.
Tim puffed up, like a disgruntled kitten. “Robin gets to go out on a school night! And he’s my age! Kinda! And at least I’m not fighting criminals!”
Again, this is an argument they’ve had multiple times.
“Not for a lack of trying,” Danny muttered, rolling his eyes when Jazz snickered. He made the mistake of looking down at Tim’s convincing little sad kitten act and sighed. “Alright, alright. We get two hours of batwatching, then you go to sleep.”
“Deal!” Tim cheered. Jazz grinned, mouthing ‘weak’ at Danny, who promptly made like his high school self and ignored her.
“Go get your jacket. And some thicker socks, you’re gonna freezing out there.”
“Okay!!”
When Tim was out of earshot, excitedly thundering down the lavish hallway, Jazz tilted her head back and laughed.
“Oh, shut up.”
“How the tables have tabled, huh, Danny?” Jazz snickered.
“You think you got jokes,” Danny pointed at her with a new mug of coffee. “Laugh it up, but don’t forget that you’re his older sister now too.”
Jazz paled. “Oh, shit.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Now you gotta deal with two of us!”
“Two of who?” Tim returned, bundled up in a fancy puffy jacket. Jazz cooed at him, kneeling down to zip his jacket up. Danny, echoing her, magically grabbed a scarf and wrapped around Tim.
“Us, her little brothers. Unfortunately, you’re now our little brother and that means Jazz is gonna mother you like you’re a baby duck.”
Danny ducked the half hearted smack Jazz sent his way, grinning at Tim. The kid had a self conscious smile on his face, bashful at the unprecedented (for him) attention and affection. Danny’s smile tightened when Tim looked at Jazz for confirmation (which she gave). If it weren’t for the fact that Tim loved his parents, Danny would have spirited (hah!) the kid away. He’s like a textbook case of neglect. It’s why he keeps trying to sneak out in ways that’ll easily get him caught. He’s trying to test if Danny would get mad and leave-
“Oh my god. I’m turning into you, Jazz.” Danny said, horrified.
“What?” Jazz narrowed her eyes once the statement sunk in. “What’s wrong with being more like me? I can actually process my emotions in a timely manner, thanks.”
Danny, stuck in the horror of understanding someone’s motivations and processing some of his own trauma, shuddered.
Danny picked up Tim and swung him onto his shoulders. “C’mon, Timmy. Let’s get out of here before Jazz gives us germs.”
“Oh, that’s real rich coming from the greasiest vigilante this side of the river.”
“Not true! Green Arrow’s greasier!”
“Eh, he doesn’t count. He’s in Oregon or something, right?”
“Who cares? I wanna see Robin!” Tim wriggled, placing his heavy ass camera on Danny’s head. “He’s a new Robin! The first one moved to Blüdhaven!”
“To be a cop, right?” Danny asked.
“Yeah. It’s… not great. And kinda ironic.”
“ACAB.”
——
Batman snuck closer to the glowing green figure that was glancing around the rooftops. He’s glad he sent Robin home hours ago, because variables in Gotham tended to be dangerous.
He dropped to a crouch behind the figure, who turned around as soon as he did, looking unsurprised. The being had enhanced hearing then, if not enhanced everything else.
“There you are!” The being scowled at him, but Bruce couldn’t detect any actual hostility. Only weariness. “I’ve been looking for you for ages.”
Nevertheless, he hadn’t survived this long by being careless.
“What is your business in Gotham?” He deepened his voice, adding enough gravel to sound mildly threatening.
The being shook their head, white hair unnaturally waving in the air. Like it was under water.
“I live here. I have a bone to pick with you.” Batman loosened his stance, readying to move.
“Can you keep Robin in on school nights?! If you can’t, can’t you make him go home sooner? My kid brother keeps trying to sneak out of the house to imitate Robin and it’s killing me! Do you know how many times I’ve had to stop him from climbing out of the window? We live on the third floor, man!”
A frazzled older brother. Batman-Bruce grimaced. He couldn’t stop Jason anymore than this being could. Also, “You live here?”
The being scowled, looking defensive. “Why, I can’t? Are you being discriminatory? Because I refuse to take shit from a grown man in a bat-sona.”
“…A bat-what?”
The being sighed. “Nevermind. Yes. I live here. My name is Phantom.”
“Don’t cause any trouble.” Batman warned before hesitating. The being was young, that was clear. He kind of reminded Bruce of Dick, and it made Batman’s tone soften. “And I will try. Robin is resolute.”
Phantom dropped his glowing face into his hands, a move Bruce often wanted to mirror.
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
——
Sorry guys I really like tired babysitter brother Danny and unnecessarily jumping out of windows Tim. This is before Tim decided to be a vigilante. This is after Dick moves out.
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dovveri · 4 months ago
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upskill from student to parent
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synopsis: one of your students has the most obvious crush on you, but you have the most obvious crush on his mother.
warnings: swearing? maybe idek AHAHA
w/c: 6.9k
a/n: kind of an homage to my fav person on this app @miinatozakiii ‘s first published work the kindergarten teacher sana 🙂‍↕️ happy late one year anniversary babe 🥰
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“alright kids, don't forget i'm seeing most of your parents tonight so if you want to make a good impression, you better start doing your homework because i know most of you don't!"
there are collective groans across the classroom as they pack up their things and leave, thanking you as they head out the door to their next period.
you giggle, recalling the days you were a student in their position, you rarely did your math homework as well.
"ms. l/n?"
you look up from your desk with a smile.
"i- um- i just wanted to s-say- thank you for this lesson. i was really- um- struggling with derivatives when you introduced them last time but you made it really clear this class."
you beam, appreciating the feedback, "that's great to hear hideki! if you have any more trouble in the future please be sure to let me know, i'll be happy to set up bonus small group classes or even individual sessions if you guys need the help."
"t-thanks ms. l/n. that's really nice of you."
"it's my job hideki." you smile, "did you need any help with anything else?"
he shakes his head shyly, hand at the back of his neck, "that was all! thanks again miss!"
"no worries, i'll see you tonight?"
he agrees happily, darting out the door with his cheeks flushed.
it wasn't the first time a student had had a crush on you. it was normally harmless. some of them had tried to confess to you over the years, usually waiting until after they graduated because they thought it’d be okay if you no longer had a student-teacher relationship. some of them would confess while you were still their teacher regardless, those were a little tougher because you had to continue teaching them and watch them pout and lose motivation to do their schoolwork and act awkward around you, no longer wanting to participate in class or ask questions if they didn’t understand something. you’d try to let them down gently, and if you noticed they were struggling with coursework, you’d pull them aside or ask another one of the teachers to check in on them.
most of the time though, they were just simple little crushes that would pass with time or after they moved out of your class. you didn't entertain them but it was cute seeing your students in their awkward teen years discovering feelings for the first time.
you stretch, yawning, but yelp when someone's finger jabs into your exposed armpit.
there's a burst of laughter and you frown, staring at the intruder.
"really nayeon?"
the english teacher rolls her eyes with a cheeky grin, "saw hideki on the way out. did he give you that confession note?"
"what confession note?"
nayeon hops a little, a hand covering her mouth, "oh shit."
you narrow your eyes. "tell me."
she grins, not really apologetic for having accidentally spilt her student’s secret, "saw him decorating a card and everything in english class today. his grammar was a little off so i just helped him correct it a little. oh ms. l/n. how i wish to be able to call you by your first name. how i wish to be able to hold you and-" she puts on an exaggerated romeo-like voice and pose, back of her hand coming up to her forehead.
you stand up, slapping her lightly with a blush, "why did you encourage him?!"
she shrugs with a laugh, "i'm an english teacher. gotta make sure the kids are using the language right even if it's for illicit love notes."
you huff, packing up your desk and getting ready to go to lunch, "can't he find a nice girl his age to be in love with? i'm sure he has so many options since he's the star player of the school basketball team and everything."
"something about you attracts the kiddies y/n."
you scrunch your nose, "ew. that sounds gross. i don't even like younger men."
"women?"
"no preference. just someone in the same life stage y'know?"
"wait should i be offended? how come no student has ever confessed to me? aren't english teachers supposed to be like a gay girl's awakening?"
you laugh, ignoring the woman's question, dragging her out of your classroom and to lunch together before you both have to attend to your kids again.
⋆✐ೀ⋆
you enjoyed your job, but parent-teacher interviews were probably your least favourite part of it. if you wanted to deal with parents all day you'd have become a primary school teacher.
there were all kinds of them, some who didn't show up, some who didn't care, some who cared too much, some who were clueless, and some who thought they could do your job better than you.
you rub your temples, grateful for the little 5 minute break you're afforded in between quick 10 minute interviews that would normally go on for longer than that. you blink around the room, the other mathematics teachers gathered in the same classroom, nayeon was down the hall with the other english teachers. you were the youngest of them all, there was a pretty big shortage of secondary mathematics teachers across the country, so it meant maths teachers were putting off retirement for longer so they can continue to support kids, but it still left a lot of gaps that could be filled to give your students the best education they deserved.
you've dazed off enough that you barely register hideki almost bounding in, still in his basketball uniform from after-school practice.
he grins, sliding into the seat opposite yours, "hi ms. l/n!"
you return the smile, "hey hideki." even though you knew about his obvious crush on you, he was still one of your favourite students, maybe it was because he had the crush on you that he was more eager to follow instructions and to prove himself and ask questions whenever he was confused that made him one of the easiest to teach.
and then a woman in a sleek beige coat next to hideki catches your attention. your gaze flicks over to hers. and it can't seem to break away.
she's the most beautiful human being you've ever laid your eyes on. her hair is dyed an autumn brown, wavy locks tucked behind ears, expensive gold jewelry adorning her neck, ears, hands. her eyes match the colour of her hair, a deep fawn brown you could stare into for hours. she's got the most perfect nose you've ever seen, you almost itched to measure it, find the angle of it, the way it led to her pretty lips, full and parted, inviting, pulling you in. and then you realise they're curling up slightly, and you snap your eyes back up to hers to see a mirthful glint in them.
you cough, blushing brightly, "h-hello mrs. hayashi."
"just sana is fine. minatozaki sana. i never married hideki’s father." her voice is silky smooth, there's a certain drawl to it too, it makes you want to listen to her voice on repeat, teasing out every inflection in tone.
you can feel your blush reaching the tips of your ears, "o-oh sorry! i didn't know i apologise!"
sana laughs, it's bright and airy, you don't think you've heard anything purer. "nothing to be sorry about. we broke up a long time ago. when hideki was still very young."
you nod, deciding you can't continue staring at her or you may just faint, so you look down at your files, shuffling them around with no purpose, just to give your hands something to do.
"so how's hideki doing in class?" you can hear the smirk in her voice, her attentive eyes watching as you fumble around.
"he's um- very good- he always makes sure to ask questions whenever he's stuck on anything, and he's probably one of my only students who keeps up with his homework."
"well that's good isn't it deki? what were you so nervous for?" sana teases her son as he blushes, mumbling something under his breath.
you speak up again, "nothing to be nervous about. hideki is one of my best students, he keeps up very well despite his extra curriculars."
sana snorts, "i wish we could say the same about his other subjects. it seems maths is the only thing he tries in."
"mom!"
"what? you heard what your english teacher said. you need to spend some more time editing your own work than you do shooting hoops."
you laugh, "i'm sure his english is alright. nayeon can be a pretty harsh teacher."
sana looks at you again with an eyebrow raised, you quickly look away. "just wait until you read some of his work ms. l/n. you'll be surprised."
hideki blushes again, deciding he won't be giving you that love confession note he has in his bag after all.
"is there anything else i can do for him then? any particular areas he may be struggling in or any recommendations of what we can implement at home to make sure his maths marks stay consistent?"
"homework really. maths is a very practical subject so the more practice he gets the better grasp he'll have. especially with strange or out-of-the-box questions exams may throw at him; it helps a lot if he's practiced with as many question varieties as possible, most people are going to get those 1 or 2 markers, but the bigger questions that really need you to apply the concepts you learn are where you'll start to see distinctions between the students that just study and the students that really have the aptitude and patience for mathematics."
"never was me." sana jokes.
you smile, still avoiding her gaze, your cheeks pink, "i'm sure you would have been a prize student ms. minatozaki."
"just sana." she has a teasing smile on her face.
"r-right. sana."
it's quiet for a few seconds, hideki looks between his mother and you, squinting a little in confusion.
sana coughs, beginning to stand and holding out a hand, "well it was nice meeting you ms. l/n. i can finally understand why hideki goes on and on about his gorgeous maths teacher."
"mom!"
you blush again, taking her hand, almost melting at how soft it felt against yours, forcing yourself to meet her eyes again to be polite. you have to bring your other hand to hold your wrist when you shake it, to support your jelly-like arm in her presence. "it was nice meeting you too sana."
she tightens her grip, smirking a little, "i hope this won't be the last i'll be seeing you. have a good night."
and with that she's off, hideki whining and complaining next to her about how she's embarassed him. it was a little funny considering their height difference, hideki was a basketball player so he had to be tall for his sport, and sana was just a few centimetres shorter than you, though her aura commanded attention, her posture was perfect, you're caught staring at the slight sway in her hips as she walks away, but you quickly reprimand yourself, blushing even brighter at having realised you were just checking out your student's parent.
god she had your mind a mess, and you had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time for this to happen.
⋆✐ೀ⋆
you were so out of your comfort zone. you barely knew anything about basketball. but nayeon just had to drag you to be co-supervisors for your school's basketball team since you didn’t have the funds for a real P.E. teacher. even worse, the parent volunteer just happened to be minatozaki sana, the parent you hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since your first meeting with her weeks ago.
nayeon noticed your odd behaviour immediately of course. so being the annoyingly loveable best friend she was, she made herself scarce, herding the kids away with every opportunity and trying to get you and sana alone as much as possible.
that’s how you were now stuck with the woman of your dreams, sharing a hotel room in the place you were staying for the duration of the games.
“are you sure you don’t want me to get another room? the individual room was originally supposed to be meant for you- i can’t believe nayeon let herself get sick and stole it from you.”
sana giggles, plopping down her weekend bag. “it’s alright ms. l/n. i don’t mind sharing rooms with a pretty woman like you.”
you blushed brightly. that was the other problem with sana. she was a flirt. every chance she got she’d make some sort of teasing remark on the way here, or brush a little too close than what was acceptable for friends, and you were barely even friends.
“j-just y/n is fine. i feel weird if someone my age is calling me by my last name like that.”
“how do you know i’m your age?” she smirks.
“o-oh! i just- i mean- i- i’m in my early 30s and you look quite young and but hideki is already 16 so i just assumed um-“
she laughs again, “thank you for the compliment. you’re right. i had hideki when i was 19. his dad promised to take care of him, provide for us, y’know… all the works. he couldn’t take it and left not even a year into hideki’s life. i ended up having to drop out of university and learn to balance work and a baby. my parents weren't any good either, said it was my fault for getting knocked up so early in my life and that i should've been prepared for the consequences."
you perch on the end of your bed, listening attentively while she unpacks her things, "i'm sorry you had to go through that."
she shrugs, "made me who i am today. and plus i have hideki now. and he'll always have me. what about you? any kids? partner?"
you blush as she turns back to you, copying your stance and sitting on her bed facing you. "no. i’ve always been around kids so there’s not exactly a ton of romantic prospects.” you joke.
sana laughs, “what about nayeon?”
you cringe immediately, “ew gross no. we’re just friends. there aren’t that many young teachers that aren’t already married and who aren’t spread all over the country so nayeon and i easily clicked because we’re similar in age and single. not that it’s difficult to get along with the older teachers there’s just some things that we’ll be able to do that they might not necessarily want to anymore… like drink or whatever.”
“are you looking for anyone then?” there’s a smirk on sana’s face that you know can only mean she’s up to no good.
“u-um- well- i mean- uh- like if it comes it comes i’m not actively looking for it. i’m happy with the kids even if i die old and alone because there’s always going to be more kids to teach so i’m never really going to be alone unless i quit or get fired.”
“i really admire teachers y’know. you can take care of a classroom of kids and offer them knowledge when someone like my ex boyfriend couldn’t even handle one child.”
while you were talking, you didn’t even notice that sana had moved onto your bed, sitting next to you, shoulders touching, eyes peering into yours.
you chuckle awkwardly, “w-well i’m actually not that great with younger kids.”
sana frowns, “don’t do that. bringing yourself down to defend a shitty man are both things i don’t want to hear. from what i’ve seen, you love your job and you really care about your kids. you should be proud of that. teachers don’t get enough of the appreciation they should.”
“t-thank you sana.”
“of course.”
it’s quiet after that, and more than awkward. you have no idea where to look, suddenly conscious of her body pressed against yours, fiddling with your hands, feeling sweat build up.
sana just watches you with a glint in her eye, observing all of your actions.
she breaks the tension that seemingly came out of nowhere first, “how do you feel about me?”
your eyes widen, not expecting such a straightforward question, “s-sorry?”
“you’re nervous. do i make you nervous y/n?”
your blush was pretty much permanently fixed on your face now.
“u-um-“
“it’s okay if i do. i just hope it's for the right reasons." she pouts. it's criminal. "you'd tell me if there was something else right?"
"r-right! yes of course yes-"
"good. so you're nervous because you find me attractive?" her pout morphs into a smirk within nanoseconds.
"um- i-"
"you said you'd tell me if it was something else remember?" and then she's straight back into a pout. it was giving you whiplash, the change in expressions, dizzying you.
"um- i- yes- you are- yes you are very pretty and-"
"so you want to kiss me?"
"um-!"
sana finally lets you go, laughing brightly and moving away to give you some space before you burst or melted.
"just joking y/n. i'm sorry you're just too easy to tease and your reactions are adorable!"
you can breathe again, the oxygen finally reaching your brain now that sana wasn't so close to you, and your lips turn downward, imitating her pout from earlier, "sana!"
she continues laughing, going back to unpacking her things while you collect yourself and think just how you were going to survive the two days away sharing a room with the potential love of your life who also happened to be a massive tease.
⋆✐ೀ⋆
thankfully, the rest of the night was pretty uneventful. you checked in on all the boys, made sure they had all had dinner and weren't planning anything irresponsible like a party behind your backs or anything. you also checked in on nayeon who in your professional opinion, looked absolutely fine, having ordered room service and was in one of the hotel robes with her feet kicked up enjoying a face mask and a bottle of wine all to herself.
sana also didn't try anything else when you retired to your own hotel room after doing the rounds on the boys' rooms again to make sure they were all in bed and getting the rest they needed before their game tomorrow. you're not sure if you were grateful or disappointed she didn't, but you quickly pushed her out of your mind, needing to rest as well before having to wake up early to take all the kids to the stadium.
you're knocking loudly on the last room you were meant to check on, annoyed the boys were taking so long, you were all meant to meet in the lobby 10 minutes ago for your bus to the stadium.
when you sigh, prepared to rap your knuckles against the door again, it falls away, revealing a distressed hideki and his roommate for the trip.
"ms. l/n! i'm so sorry we're late eric had some trouble um-" he looks behind him, "we're pretty much ready now! just got to grab some last minute stuff and-" he leaves the door open, continuing his ramble while you cross your arms, tapping your foot impatiently, watching the boys run around the room collecting last minute things and throwing them into gym bags.
by the time they're almost done, sana's snuck up behind you, peeking over your shoulder.
"deki! what are you doing? are you the one holding everyone up? what kind of example are you setting for your team if the team captain's late?"
you jump at her voice, not having noticed her standing right behind you. you turn, admiring her side profile, she's got her hair up today, but still looks as expensive as the first time you saw her.
hideki blushes at his mom yelling at him, picking up his pace a little and jabbing eric, telling him to hurry up.
sana notices you staring at her and turns with a smile, "hi y/n. missed you this morning."
you fluster immediately, snapping your eyes away, "u-um sorry! i uh- got up early and didn't want to wake you and decided to get breakfast early on my own before making sure all the kids were awake."
she pouts, "you should've woken me. we could've had breakfast together."
"s-sorry i'll remember for next time."
"next time? you planning on waking up next to me again y/n?"
you can hear the teasing tone in her voice without needing to look at her, "i meant tomorrow! tomorrow morning."
sana giggles next to your ear, relenting when hideki and eric finally finish up, slightly out of breath when they come up to you, hideki apologising to you profusely, almost bowing down in the hotel hallway while holding all his heavy gym bags before you stop him, embarrassed enough by his mother watching the interaction closely with a curious glint in her eyes.
by the time you get downstairs nayeon already has most of the kids on the bus, reprimanding the two late boys again before letting them go and telling them to get on the bus as well. she had claimed her sickness was miraculously cured overnight, and that all she needed was a good night's sleep in a hotel room by herself.
she had teased both you and sana, asking sana innocently if she'd want to change rooms again now that she wasn't sick, but sana had said it'd be too much work and she didn't mind sharing a room with you anyway. nayeon elbowed you making an exaggerated show of her eyebrows wriggling around when sana wasn't looking, winking and looking all too satisfied with herself. you ignored her, strutting ahead and onto the bus, crossing your arms and pouting.
sana comes up next, giggling at you and plopping down on the seat next to yours. thankfully, the bus ride to the stadium wouldn't take long this time, the ride here was almost 5 hours long, and sana had taken a liking to sleeping on your shoulder almost the entire way there. you were stiff and couldn't wait to fall into bed when nayeon pulled her sick move and ruined your plans of being able to relax, not possible in the presence of the other woman.
the kids are rowdy and energetic, hyping each other up on the bus. you have to tell them to quieten down a few times but you let them get away with most of what they do, smiling at the sight of them so eager for their game.
when you arrive, nayeon's the first to stand, using her loud voice and commanding attention, her voice that should've been at least a little hoarse from her apparent sickness yesterday.
"alright! remember you're representing your school district now! and you're sharing this space with other people so i don't want to hear you guys as loud as you were on this bus okay? i won't hesitate to bench anyone who fools around too much and that means you won't get to play and you'd have come all this way for nothing understand?"
nayeon really was strict as a teacher, but you knew she loved her job as much as you did.
the kids nod, determined to be good, adrenaline running from the excitement of almost getting to the court.
you step off the bus first, talking to the bus driver and letting them know when they can come back and pick you guys up to go back to the hotel. then the kids are hopping off the bus one by one, and you're making sure they don't run off or do anything stupid while waiting for everyone to assemble.
by the time the team is actually on the court and warming up, you're almost as excited as them, the atmosphere of the stadium hyping you up, sitting on the sidelines with towels and water bottles ready for their breaks. you had tried to study up a little on what exactly went on in basketball, the rules and the basics, the kids may not have a coach but you still wanted to be as supportive as you could even though your job only required you to supervise them safely between the venues and the hotel.
"have you come to a lot of these games?" you ask sana mindlessly, watching as the boys start doing practice shots and drills.
"yeah. i try to go to as many of deki's things as i can."
"that's very sweet. it's really good for the kids, when the parents show up to things they work hard for."
sana hums. "i try."
"he's lucky to have you."
"i think he may appreciate you a little more though." she teases, bumping shoulders with you.
you laugh, "he'll get over it. they all do."
"this has happened before?"
you shrug, "i swear i don't do anything out of the ordinary. maybe i'm just nicer than nayeon."
"so your type obviously isn't kids. what is it?" sana teases.
you blush, "i don't know. i don't really have one i think."
"oh come on. everyone says that. tell me the truth. i won't judge i promise."
you roll your eyes, smiling, "well... i think at this point in my life i just want someone who wants to settle down. i'm not that young anymore and i've already achieved what i wanted in my career so all i really want now is someone to share the rest of my life with."
"boring! c'mon gimme the juicy stuff. like personality, physical attributes." she pokes you with a grin on her face as well.
"fine fine. i guess when it comes to women i tend to like slightly older women, extroverted, good with kids obviously, i don't reaaaally care for all the physical stuff but probably someone around my height i guess."
"stand up for me."
you do as she asks, confused, then she stands up as well, stepping in almost eye-to-eye. you flush immediately. she brings her hand to measure the top of her head, knocking it against your forehead.
then she smirks, "so i'm pretty much your type then?"
you stutter, falling backwards and back into your seat, mumbling incoherently. sana giggles, sitting back down as well.
"if it's any consolation, my type in women tends to be slightly taller, good with kids, a little awkward, gets flustered easily, but loves her job."
you blink at her, still processing her words when the buzzer sounds signaling the start of the game.
sana winks, then turns her attention to the game, cheering on your school's team as they get in starting position. nayeon jogs over to join you both on the sideline bench, cheering as well. you put your muddled thoughts aside to focus on being there for the kids, but sana's confession? was it even a confession? never left the back of your mind.
⋆✐ೀ⋆
your school won. the boys are ecstatic, clapping each other on the back, streamers are thrown, the crowd is wild, loving the game they witnessed.
eventually, the stadium clears out while the boys cooldown. the janitors come and kick everyone off the floor soon enough, the kids still whooping and parading around their championship trophy, taking pictures with smiles all around.
you smile fondly as well, watching them leave the stadium, so proud of themselves. but then there's a cough behind you, and you turn, surprised to see hideki still there, not leading his team off on their victory lap.
"you okay hideki?"
the boy blushes, rubbing the back of his neck shyly, still in his team uniform, sweat running down his body.
"i um- i was actually wondering if we could talk?"
you frown, immediately concerned, "yeah of course. what's up?"
his eyes flit around, making sure the stadium is pretty much empty except for the janitors cleaning up after the game. and then he looks back at you, you're struck then how much he looks like sana, he has her nose, her eyes, you never noticed before but after spending more time with sana, you can start to see parts of her in her son.
he clears his throat again, obviously nervous, wringing his hands out, "u-um- so i promised myself that if we won this game, i'd finally be truthful to both myself and you. so um- ms. l/n... i think i'm in love with you!" he bows deeply with his confession.
you stand there, slightly in shock despite knowing about his feelings for a long time now. and then you feel terrible, having to reject him on what was supposed to be one of the highlights of his high school experience.
you tap his shoulder lightly, non-verbally asking him to straighten up, he flinches at the touch, eyes fierce when they meet yours.
"hideki... i'm sorry. i don't feel the same way about you. you're my student, i care about all of you equally, but never as more than a student."
his face breaks your heart, you see sana in him, it's almost like you made sana cry.
"is it my age? what if i graduated? would you be interested in me after i graduated?" he's desperate, reaching for any possibility where you could return his feelings.
you shake your head, offering a gentle smile, "i'm sorry hideki. i know you'll find the right person for you one day though. that person just isn't going to be me."
his head droops down, hair coming to cover his eyes as he stares down at his shoes, trying to hide his tears. "i understand. thank you for taking the time to listen to me ms. l/n. i'll get out of your hair now." and then he's jogging off behind you towards the exit.
you sigh, turning around, surprised to see sana there, frowning when she sees hideki in tears approaching her.
she looks between him and you in confusion, but hideki reaches her first. she cups his face, asking him what happened, but he refuses to speak, and sana brings him down into her hugging him and patting his back.
she glances at you then, still frowning. your heart sinks, not sure what sorts of conclusions she could be drawing, but knowing right now, it looked like you had said or done something that made her son cry.
she leads him away, you ache to tell her what really happened, but you know you should keep your distance for the sake of your student right now, you just pray sana doesn't think of you any differently.
⋆✐ೀ⋆
the rest of the day goes by in a blur. the boys go out for celebratory dinner. they notice their captain is a lot more down than usual, and they try cheering him up, playing games at dinner, laughing and teasing each other, but nothing seems to be working.
you couldn't help but feel a little guilty, and sana hadn't spoken to you since the game. you're not sure if it's on purpose or if she's just busy keeping the kids entertained and checking on hideki every once in a while, but not wanting to smother him with all his friends around. he doesn't seem to mind though, in fact he only responds to sana, even when his friends try and include him he stays quiet, picking at his food aimlessly.
when you get back to the hotel, you give a speech about how they shouldn't sleep too late even though you could understand their excitement still remaining from winning the championships, they still had to get up early tomorrow so you could take the bus back home. nayeon would normally give the speech since she was a little more threatening than you, but she was also currently wasted, having gone a little too hard on the celebrations with the boys. she was currently leaning on you, almost dozing off as you rattled off instructions and rules before sending them all off to their rooms.
sana's gone with them before you can speak to her, so you sigh, wrapping an arm around nayeon's waist and helping your friend back to her own room, setting her in bed and pulling the covers up, turning off the lights and leaving a cup of water next to her bedside for when she wakes up later.
you feel nervous going back to your own room, unsure of what sana thinks of you now.
you open the door, almost grateful to hear the shower on, indicating the other woman was cleaning herself up.
you anxiously start packing your things up, cleaning around the room a little and grabbing clothes for your shower.
the shower turns off and your heart rate increases tenfold. you still have some time before she comes out though, so you continue to busy yourself, cleaning anything and everything.
"y/n?"
you turn quickly at her voice, almost fainting at the sight of her wrapped only in a towel. you yelp, turning back around just as quickly, "s-sorry!"
sana giggles, padding up to her bed, "it's okay. i left my clothes out here."
you can hear the rustle of her towel being dropped and her starting to dress yourself. your face is burning up, trying desperately to clear your mind of thoughts of a very naked sana standing right behind you, probably watching you make a fool out of yourself.
"i'm dressed." she teases, plopping down onto her bed.
you turn with a sigh, but tense up when you realise her definition of dressed was a very thin camisole and shorts that really shouldn't be considered shorts.
sana smirks at your gaze, crossing her legs and watching the way your eyes follow the movement, drinking in the skin.
"so what happened with you and deki?"
your eyes snap back up to hers at the reminder, the guilt of it all coming back.
"i'm sorry- i didn't- i hope you know i didn't mean to-"
sana giggles, grabbing the towel to start drying her hair, "relax y/n. i figured as much. he wouldn't tell me what happened but i assume it had something to do with his feelings for you?"
you gulp, nodding, not trusting your voice.
"like you said at the game, he'll get over it."
"you're not mad at me?"
she frowns, "why would i be mad at you?"
"well i- i thought you were avoiding me at dinner and- i mean i did just reject your son-"
sana lets out a loud laugh, "i think i'd be more mad if you didn't reject him. and i wasn't avoiding you. were you looking for my attention y/n?" she teases, wringing out her hair.
"oh. i'm glad then. that you weren't avoiding me. i was worried." you mumble, ignoring her question, knowing she was just trying to get a reaction out of you.
she stands up, brushing her hair behind her shoulders, walking up to you slowly. "why were you worried?"
you focus on a spot on the hotel carpet, avoiding her gaze, "i didn't want you to think i was- i don't know- i just didn't want you to think of me differently i guess."
"why do you care what i think of you?"
you blush, "well- i mean- i- you're- you're a parent of my student."
sana hums, still moving closer at a painfully slow pace, "is that all i am to you?"
"uh- well- no... you're um- you're sana."
she giggles, now toe-to-toe with you. "i am."
you almost let out a gasp when her cool fingers touch your chin, tilting your head up slightly to look her in the eyes. her eyes search yours, then they move over your face, tracing your features. you lick your lips unconsciously, the tension between the two of you unable to be explained by a simple parent-teacher relationship, or even a friendship anymore.
"it's funny." her voice is lower now, spoken right onto your lips, there was no need for volume, you were only inches apart. "i almost wonder if my ex would've fallen for you too."
you're dizzy from being so close to her, mind playing catch up. "t-too?"
"yeah. hideki fell for you. i wonder if you could just have my whole family wrapped around your finger."
you gulp, not really following, just letting her do whatever she wanted to you.
she leans in even closer, eyes dropping to your lips.
"what about me?"
"w-what about you?"
"you rejected deki. how about me?"
you inhale shakily, "are you confessing?"
she smiles then, "was it not obvious?"
"no." you breathe out.
"why not?"
"you're too- you're unbelievable."
"what does that mean?"
"i literally can't believe you're real. that someone as perfect as you could exist."
sana giggles lowly at that, "there it is. do you know how long i've been waiting for you to just say how you feel about me?"
"w-what?"
"all that teasing, all the flirting, i paid nayeon to fake sick y'know?"
"you what?!"
she throws her head back, laughing fully now. your eyes follow the lines of her throat.
"deki talked about you all the time at home. i was curious to meet the maths teacher he was so obsessed with. and then i did. and you were just so adorable. i could tell you really loved what you were doing, and you really cared for all the kids. but i didn't want to ask you out in front of my son who has the biggest most obvious crush on you. so i resigned myself to thinking i probably wouldn't be able to see you again. and then you happened to be on this trip. so i tried everything i could to get closer to you, get to know you better, and you didn't disappoint. i can safely say i'm just as obsessed with you as hideki is, dare i say even more."
"y-you are?"
"mhm. and i knew you liked me too. you're almost as obvious as deki is." she giggles, "i was just waiting for you to do something about it. but you're too nice aren't you? didn't want anything that could be between us to affect your job and your relationship with the kids."
you hadn't even noticed sana had paid so much attention to you. she had picked you apart completely, you felt so exposed in front of her now, but it wasn't unwelcome, you were just embarrassed at the way you've acted around her, thinking how many times you've replied dumbly or said something stupid while she knew you had a crush on her. you cringe at the memories.
sana laughs again, poking at the scrunch in your nose, "so can you say it officially now?"
"say what?"
"don't play dumb with me. you know."
you whine, blushing still, but close your eyes, taking a breath again, "i like you sana. i think you're the most beautiful person i've ever seen and your personality and actions are just as consistent with your looks."
sana giggles again, and then all of a sudden, her lips are pressed against yours.
it's soft, sweet, she's curling a hand around your waist and the other around your neck. you weren't the greatest with words, that's why nayeon was the english teacher, but you try make up for it with your actions, pulling her into you deeper and wrapping your arms around her, smiling into the kiss.
sana returns the smile, reattaching your lips, kissing you easily, your lips slotting together with no rush, taking as much time as you wanted to explore each other.
that night, when you come out of your shower, you find sana curled up in your bed, patting the empty space next to her for you to squeeze into, making sure she had enough space so that she wouldn't fall off the edge. you find that she's a big cuddler, not that it should've surprised you, she was always a very physically affectionate person, and you were still getting used to being on the receiving end of all of it, but you adored it.
the next morning, you'll keep to your promise and wake sana up with a gentle kiss on her lips, brushing her hair out of her face and studying her sleeping features carefully, committing everything to memory, still in slight disbelief that such a woman felt the same way you did.
you talk over breakfast, finding yourself much more at ease now that you knew she knew how you felt about her. she still takes every opportunity to tease you though, loving the way you blushed and stuttered around her.
what's hard is deciding what to do after you get home. you still wanted to keep your distance from hideki so that he could get over you, and sana agreed, saying it would be best if the both of you kept your relationship a secret for now. she was almost excited, talking about how it would be exciting and fun to sneak around like kids again, having to hide your relationship.
she's right of course, but being with her specifically probably makes it ten times harder than it normally would. she'd come to your school with bunches of flowers and lunch, acting innocent and surprised when you have to hide her and find an empty classroom for you to spend the lunch date she springs on you. she'll never stop loving to tease you.
you finally tell hideki about 2 months into your relationship. he seems to take it okay, but when you're curled up in sana's bed later, she tells you he complained to her about how she 'stole his woman', and you both end up in a giggling fit, laughing at the turn of events. regardless, you're still grateful, grateful you were able to meet her, and somehow bewitch her into falling for you. you were the luckiest person alive, and only sana would disagree, saying that was only true for herself.
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kursed-curtain · 8 months ago
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Liveblogging in the tags? Me? All the time! Let's talky tollbooth ^^
King's Quest Fic: "Paths" (Part 3)
Previous instalments here
Perhaps a single sleep-in morning couldn’t fix everything.
In the three days after coronation, Graham racked up an impressive record as king. First, he managed to shatter an oil lantern in the oldest, yellowest, crispiest part of the castle archive, bursting with looseleaf waiting to be bound. They’d saved most of the stacks. 
He’d written greeting letters to his fellow monarchs, including  the queen of gigantic Serenia, the cloutiest player on the political stage. By some oblivious genius,  he accidentally filled the whole thing with scathing double meanings about their countries’ future relationship, with a postscript that amounted to a casual declaration of war. The uncomfortable scribe had said nothing to Graham, but rushed off to check the letter with Royal Guard Number One. You could have knocked the new king over with a feather when the guard scornfully read the worst passages back to him. 
Twice he groggily (and purely automatically) showed up for his old night shifts, embarrassing everyone. He was late for half the meetings on his agenda. One evening he signed nearly two hundred documents he was supposed to void, before someone stopped him.
But nothing compared with what came to be known in Mannerly Stove in years following as “The King Graham incident.” 
Graham’s century old carriage rolled up the switchbacks. He drummed his listless fingers on the window. He knew at least two shortcuts he could have taken, if only they had let him ride his surefooted Triumph. But his old buddy was not a suitable steed for a king, or so they said. 
He tugged at this collar. The carriage might have been spacious, if his honour guard hadn’t stuffed in with him. Did they think they had to form a defensive perimeter even inside the coach? The air outside was damply hot enough, more like the stillness before the summer storms than a September day. And inside with the five guards? Every inch of armour fogged up like a mirror after a bath. 
“I’m not quite sure what the point of this is - ouch!” His temple struck the window as the carriage lurched wildly onto its two right wheels. The brow of his crown dug bluntly into the same place it dug every time. 
“A little more caution on those sharp turns, Number Two?” the captain called, banging a fist on the ceiling.
“Righty-oh,” came their driver’s muffled voice.
The king groaned. He shoved aside his seatmate, who had toppled right over him. His sharp armour bits were all caught on Graham’s formal black and red outfit. “I mean,” he grunted, righting his crown, “I have been to Mannerly Stove. Every time I’ve been sent on a quest outside the kingdom, in fact. I get my lunch at the Olde Yarblesnoof. I know half the people by sight. Is this visit really necessary?”
Number One fanned himself with his notecards. His voice was flat and already tired. “Sir Graham visited. Sir Graham is not here today. You are Daventry.”
 “Yeah, but, to an ordinary villager -”
The guard’s tone grew sharper. “Ever have the landlord knock on your door up in Llewdor?”
Graham swallowed. It had been a long time. Yet he was astonished how clearly he remembered his mother panicking, plastering on a smile for him and his sisters, rushing them out the backdoor, and telling them to play by the brook or in the woods. Just not near the house. She’d pat her hair and set  her jaw, walking determinedly to the front door. He could not remember what the landlord looked like, except that he was really big. He had to stoop to get in the door. Graham frowned. “Yeah, occasionally.”
“It means a lot to an ordinary villager, wouldn’t you say?”
Graham didn’t answer.
Number One went on, a little less sharp, a little more didactic. “You are about a hundred times all that the landlord is, and more. So today you are going to calm their worries. You’ll smile and mingle, and let them show you whatever they’re proudest of - probably the Tickle Rock. You’ll declare three months’ tax forgiveness, and call for a cask of ale to be opened for the people. And all this will be code for, ‘You’re just as much a part of Daventry as the people down in the valley, Mannerly Stove. I’ll show you I’ll be good to you. You show me you’ll keep my mountain pass open, my only real road in and out clear of snow, catch my brigands, warn me of invaders, ensure food and tools and supplies flow into into my country without trouble, and keep me connected to the outside world.’ So yes, unless you fancy dining only on lavender for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the rest of your reign, we could call it necessary. ”
“But does that also mean - agh!” 
The carriage slammed to an abrupt halt.  Graham and all the guards on his side were thrown into the laps of the guards across the way.  The coach became a writhing tangle of arms, legs, and everyone’s favourite curses. Graham’s boot toe somehow caught on the overhead luggage rack, while his nose wedged in the crook of Number One’s elbow. He thought he heard the captain mutter under his breath, “Really?”Then at the top of his lungs, “Open the door, for pity’s sake!”
Someone found the latch. Half the guards tumbled out in a dust cloud.. Graham could not look anyone in the face as Numbers Three and Five extricated him, and lifted him out of the carriage like a child - into the midst of a throng of chuckling onlookers.
Get it together. Think of lavender for every meal!
Graham stepped away from the guards.  He reached desperately for his dignity, or even just his coaching. Something came to hand. He lifted his chin, clenched his teeth into the most carefree smile in his repertoire, and waved a great big wave at the crowd of a hundred or so. “What’s shakin’, Mannerly Stove?” he shouted cheerily. 
Number One slumped, but the crowd whooped and applauded. Some were still laughing, but that wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Imagine if everyone had fallen silent.
A man of great girth, with a pentagonal hat and chain of office round his neck, strode forward importantly. As he stepped closer, Graham recognized him as Hector. He was more or less mayor, but spent most of his time selling artisanal cheeses over the border. Graham had stayed overnight at his house and beat him at hangman, back when King Edward had sent him to defeat a banshee.
Hector’s grin was enormous, but his eyes were humbly downcast as he swept off his hat with a flourish, and sank to one knee. “Majesty,” he boomed. “Here is a day that will not soon be forgotten in our lowly township.”
Graham sighed, wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his cuff, and pulled out formality. “The pleasure’s all mine, Lord Mayor. And thank you all,” he said, raising his voice, “for the warm welcome. It’s my honour to continue the strong relationship between the throne and this good village.”
More cheers. Well, that wasn’t too bad. Graham  tried to resist, but he could not help sneaking a peek to see if Number One approved. But by this time, the captain was standing to inscrutable attention in a row with the other guards. 
So they began. Speechlets, bouquets, a whirlwind tour of the town which Graham honestly could have led himself. A headache began as he boiled alive in his expensive outfit, but he soldiered on, oohing and ahhing dutifully.
At last they took him over the crest of the road and down into the mountain pass itself. In the distance, Graham could make out a colourful blur (zards, was his eyesight worse compared to his last visit? No, no, surely not,) which  he knew to be the Serenian flag hanging over a small border fortification on the other side. Halfway between them, close to the mountainside waterfall, stood the first thing Graham did not recognize from before. Something glinting here and there with metal, and painted in red and blue.
“Er, what’s that?” he asked, as Hector led the way, walking backward.
“That,” said Hector with relish, raising his voice to be heard above the crash of the waterfall, “is the  reason we insisted your people schedule your visit for today. We only finished putting it together last night. The pride of Mannerly Stove. This way, sire. Only, keep to the middle of the road. Safer.”
“Safer?” asked Graham, but the crowd was already bustling him down the slope toward the object. As it came into focus, he could make out sandbags, gears, a series of weigh scale bowls suspended from chains, and a long winding slide, about the right size for a marble. But none of the bells and whistles disguised the thing completely.
 “A… tollbooth?”
Number One somehow shot him a pointed look, despite his eyes being disguised beneath his helmet. “A very fine tollbooth, I’m sure.”
“A groundbreaking tollbooth,” said Hector. “Like no one has ever seen before, my king. Let us demonstrate.” 
To Graham’s annoyance, the excited mayor yanked him toward the window by the wrist, where a giggling assistant demanded five shiny gold coins. A scowl escaped him at the price, but Number Three leant over his shoulder and murmured something about how after all, he was really just dropping the money back into his own pocket. She asked whether he were smuggling anything, checked something off a list, and  turned a crank. 
The striped barrier began to rise. There was a  shifting and creaking that didn’t seem to come from the mechanism, but out of the earth itself. Graham could have sworn he saw the pebbles on the road rolling slightly. For a moment, an unnaturally straight crack formed in a portion of the road, swallowing dust. Almost as suddenly it disappeared, and all went still. The barrier stopped, at full height.
“Have a nice trip!” the assistant rattled off. “Just have a word with the Serenians at the checkstop on your way through.”
Graham took a few wary steps over the invisible border, but it all seemed solid enough.  He threw an uncertain glance back at the beaming group. “But I don’t actually, right?”
Hector chuckled. “Better not. We’d give the Serenians a good gossip if we sent the king himself through. On foot. All by himself and unprotected.”
Indignation flared in Graham's chest unexpectedly. He was seized by an impulse to power-walk over the frontier and give the people of Daventry something to gossip about.  All by himself and unprotected, indeed. But he slapped that thought away, and ducked to slip under the re-lowered barrier.
The entire crowd gasped as one. The assistant’s mouth went round as an O, and the mayor waved his hands wildly. “No, no, no!” he cried. “Back up! Back up!”
Graham scooted backward, his black satin cloak billowing round. He instinctively checked the ground, but nothing seemed to be moving.
Hector placed a hand over his heart and  heaved a sigh of relief. “Never,” he said, articulating every syllable, “ever try to pass while the gate is still shut. Or go around it. Or climb over it. There are weight sensitive plates everywhere, and if you did -"
“Raise that gate again,” commanded Number One with a firm nod at the assistant. She hurried to obey. The road began groaning again.
“- if you did,” Hector went on, “the entire border defense system would be triggered. Walls, saws, spikes, you name it. And if something of sufficient weight passes over one of those plates, like a cart, it can even set off two small landslides to block the pass on either side.” 
“Retrieve the king,” said Number One hurriedly.
As the barrier locked into its highest position, Graham’s six guards charged forward. They seized him by the shoulders, and  precisely maneuvered him to the very center of the road. They all but shoved him back to the Daventry side, even as they tiptoed, lightly as possible, on their curly boots. “Excuse me,” Graham growled so the crowd wouldn’t hear. “I am perfectly able to walk.” He dug in his heels before he could collide with Hector.
“Landslides?” Graham said aloud, righting himself and shaking off the guards. “That seems like a lot.”
Hector shook his head and waggled a sensible finger. “Nature’s trap for intruders. You see,  a few months back, we had some trouble with bootleggers sneaking past this stretch of road. The late King Edward gave us a grant to tighten security. This Domino Effect Tollbooth was our most brilliant minds’ answer.”
Graham rubbed his chin stubble. “But I mean, smugglers aren’t limited to this route. You could actually sneak into the valley from any direction, right?”
“But NOT through Mannerly Stove,” proclaimed Hector, thrusting out his chest pompously, as though that settled the question. “But you haven’t seen the really droll part of it yet, sire. You might be thinking that an offender might get through the defenses anyhow. That’s why we installed these.” Hector indicated a row of thin, brass pipes protruding from the underside of the toll booth. “These swing out, and blast the scoundrel with sixteen bright colours of paint! Good luck blending in after that!”
“Wow.” Graham scratched his temple under his crown. “You figure it needs sixteen?”
“Naturally! Two or three colours could just mean housepainting, or an artist having a clumsy day. But the odds of sixteen? I think not. In fact, our designer’s original plan was for two-hundred-and-fifty-six colours, but there wasn’t room in the budget. But,” (his smile broadened again - how was that physically possible?) “if I may make so bold, things have been looking up since you got those treasures back. And we, we have full confidence you’ll make the very best use of them. You see, sire, the taxes your officials have us down for are shockingly heavy for such a small town. It's something I’d hoped we could chat about before you leave - possibly expanding the grant.”
“I see.” Graham couldn’t quite stop a smirk from creeping over his face. “So you can have the two-hundred-and-fifty-six colours.”
Hector bobbed the slightest of bows. “That would be a start.”
The smirk spread as he mirrored the mayor’s bow. “Of course. It’s so… great to know the kingdom’s money would be put to such excellent -”
A  gauntleted hand clapped over the king’s mouth. “Bless you,” said Number One brusquely from behind him. “Just as you say, sire. Great to know security is being taken so seriously.”
Really? In what world did Number One imagine that was subtle? 
Graham spluttered as the guard released him, but before he stepped away Number One poked him sharply between the shoulder blades. Muscle memory kicked in. Graham found himself straightening up and putting his shoulders back, as he always did on the training ground when Number One corrected his posture. Then he turned and glared, meeting the guard’s gaze. He deliberately slumped his shoulders and let himself fall into the easy bow-legged stance Number One was always giving him grief for. Zards; what was even the point of dragging him out here if they were just going to be embarrassed of his existence? Maybe they should just put the crown on Number One’s head and send him round to smile and wave at smug villagers. Stars knew he wouldn’t mind taking it off for a while. The headache was morphing from a gnaw to an ache.
Number One held his gaze. And Graham noticed suddenly that everyone had gone quiet.
Hector laughed nervously. “Perhaps your majesty is tired. The heat of the day, naturally. Maybe…” He glanced at the brook rushing by the wayside, and upward at the roiling foam of the falls. “I know just the thing to cool us all down. There’s a staircase carved into the rock that starts just over there. It leads up to a little cliff about halfway up the waterfall. The view is really spectacular.”
“Great idea!” Graham cut in. Anything to shift focus.
The slate-blue steps cut from the side of the mountain were puddle slick most of the way up, pooling mist into water.. More than once Graham nearly lost his footing and had to grab at the fiery-orange foliage of the bushes that lined the way. The second time, Number Two had to give him a shove to get his center of gravity back. 
“You all right?” he whispered in Graham’s ear.
“I’m managing,” he said, trying to put some pep into it.
But Number Two didn’t pull back just yet. “Don’t think about who’s watching,” he murmured. “Not us, not them. Just think about one day when you’ll be old and stuck in bed all day, and can't climb mountains no more -and have fun with it now. That’s how it’s done.”  He patted Graham lightly on the shoulder. “Sire.”
At length they reached the narrow shelf - Graham, the guards, and Hector, who immediately pointed out that you could see his house from there. In fact, Graham could see all of Mannerly Stove from there, and a good stretch of the kingdom below, decked out in autumn glory. He was fairly sure the shimmering bit of white light was the castle pinnacle. But it was the falls that really stole the show, rushing down in magnificent sheets, and casting up snowy white froth. Graham gratefully stepped into the spray and let it play over his face and hands. He rubbed the cool water into the corners of his eyes. Who cared that his good clothes got a trifle wet? Anyone with an ounce of compassion would give him this. He wondered what temperature the guards had reached in their armour, and whether they were envious.
Hector swept another needless bow. “I thought your majesty might find it refreshing. Now, while we’re up here, it would be a crime not to show you the Tickle Rock. How do you like that?” He pointed a brawny finger toward the cliff’s edge.
Perched near the brink sat the most top-heavy rock Graham had ever seen. As tall as he was, and rather wider than his arm span at the top, it dwindled to a narrow point at its base. He could have wrapped his fingers round the bottom. This, at last,  was something to see.
“Perfectly balanced, as you see,” said Hector, taking a moment to hold his handkerchief under the waterfall and dab at his forehead. “It was the pride of our village long before the tollbooth. So, you see, it can never fall down. It’s been here as long as anyone knows. When the winds blow, it rocks a little, but it goes on standing.”
“And it can never fall down?” Graham asked, genuinely enchanted for the first time since his coronation.
“Never.”
“That’s incredible!”
“Miraculous,” the mayor agreed. He considered a moment, then seized off his hat and held it under the water  to fill it up. “Stars bless us, but it is a hot day,” he muttered. “Yes, miraculous. It can never fall down, because if it did, we’d lose half our fame. Although if you come to think of it, the really miraculous thing, even more so than the Tickle Rock’s perfect balance, is that no idiot has ever climbed up here and given it a good…” He looked up from his hat, and froze. “Sir Graham! No!”
A shining-eyed Graham had closed the gap between himself and the rock. To Hector’s horror, even as the words formed on his lips, Graham raised his hand. Pointed a finger. And poked the stone. 
It wobbled.
“What?” said Graham, glancing back over his shoulder in honest bewilderment. “Didn’t you say it can never fall?”
The rock lurched toward the precipice’s edge.
Hector screamed. The crowd below screamed. Nearly every guard screamed.
Graham’s blood froze, and his stomach turned a cat’s cradle. “No, no, no no no no no!” Without a thought in his head, except that the Tickle Rock must not fall, he clambered to get a hold of it, catching frantically at the air. His arms closed round its sides. He heaved backward, realizing just a moment later that if the stone came with him, it would land on top of him. But it didn’t. It wedged itself on the end of his boot, just a fraction away from his toes.  It tottered - tottered further - and righted itself in his arms.
Oh, gods. Oh, merciful gods. That had been unthinkably close. He heaved a sigh of relief, and could have sworn that sigh echoed through the whole mountain pass.
Then something shifted, and Graham and the rock hurtled over the edge.
He cried out. For a moment someone seemed to be tugging at his cloak, but they must have let go. He pulled his arms free of the rock, and found himself spinning somersaults and cartwheels in freefall. The crown flew off his head.  He reached, reached for something to grab hold of, but nothing met his grip.
Then he thudded into the earth.
The wind was knocked out of him, but his arm raised itself on reflex. With perfect timing, he snatched the crown out of the air. Well, at least he had that.
Five spinning skies resolved into one as he gasped breath back into his lungs. Dizzily, he raised himself on one elbow. He was laid out on his back, mere inches from the shattered chunks of the Tickle Rock. And on the other side of him, the tollbooth.
The ground began to creak and rumble under him.
Graham closed his eyes. “No…”
He launched himself into a roll just as the ground beneath where had been lying fell away. From the breach burst a circular saw, spinning so fast it  screeched. He broke his roll just in time, for an identical saw split the ground and rose from the other side. Earsplitting bells and horns rang out. He staggered to his feet, only for something - a spinning jousting target? - to swing at his head. Throwing himself into the arms of instinct, he ducked and weaved as more and more threats appeared, some from the ground, some on metal fixtures that came out of the tollbooth, some from who could say where. He swerved to avoid a procession of five tremendous wooden mallets, any of which could have sent his head flying like a croquet ball. Finally, a great wall of black iron, lined at the top with vicious spikes, leapt out of the ground, cutting off his escape toward the Serenian side. Graham dashed wildly toward Daventry, even though the spikes of the second wall had already climbed a good three feet. Throwing all his momentum into it, he leapt wildly to clear the wall. But the spinning jousting target snagged his cloak, and threw him back into the middle of the fray. 
He flattened himself against the ground, covering his head with his arms, and waited for something to squish or slice or stretch him. Somewhere, the rumbling grew even louder, until it roared.
Everything stopped.
He waited, then waited longer. But nothing more came. Slow as molasses in winter, he got to his feet and looked around. The saws were still, the mallets had fallen to the ground, inert, and the walls, while very much standing, seemed to have reached their full height.
He tilted his head back to look up at the cliff. Only Hector remained by the waterfall. His eyes goggled out of his  head, but he said nothing. The guards were nowhere in sight, though he thought maybe he could just make out Number One’s voice raised above the crash of the water. “Pockets!” 
“I’m -” His voice sounded weak and hoarse, and not nearly loud enough to carry. He tried again, a bit louder.  “I’m here, Number One! I -  think it’s all over.”
A blast of neon yellow splashed violently into his face.
He shut his eyes just in time. The paints soaked him with such force it was hard to keep his balance. He gritted his teeth, folded his arms, and leaned against the metal wall for support. Just stand and take it, and think what on earth you’re going to say to them all.
When at last the paint melee stopped, he cracked an eyelid and looked down at himself. If he hadn’t needed glasses before, he certainly would after an eyeful like that. Lime green, sherbet pink, tropical orange. This outfit was single handedly going to set the royal laundry on strike.
A helmeted head popped over  the wall. “Sire!” cried Number One anxiously, already grabbing onto a spike to vault over. “Are you hurt?” 
The ground had already spat so many things out; if only it could swallow him. He forced a limp, rainbow-coloured thumbs up. 
Number One was there in a moment, seizing him by the elbows. “Are you hurt at all?” He sounded beside himself.
Graham shook his head, grateful that his sopping blue and white hair hung down over his face, so that his eyes were hidden too.
“Can you speak?”
“Uh huh.”
Number One’s grip relaxed, and if it was a wave of relief that washed over the guard, Graham could feel it roll over him too. Just for a moment. Because the next moment the grip turned severe. If Number One had been any stronger he would have crushed Graham's elbows as he leaned in and whispered furiously, “What in bloody hell do you think you’re playing at?” Then he stepped back, and shouted clearly, “His majesty is not seriously harmed. Numbers Two and Three, prepare the carriage to take him home at once. My lord mayor, on behalf of the royal guard, we are deeply, deeply sorry for this unfortunate accident. Numbers Four, Five, and Six, we’ll be here overnight to… deal with all this.” 
Up on the clifftop, Hector shook himself from his stupor. “Uh - uh - uh, well,” he stammered, “well, I don’t think anyone’s heading home tonight. The, uh, the rock was, um, heavy. The landslides, they worked perfectly, on both sides. So you’re probably stuck here until, um, we can get the rubble crew in.”
Number One twitched, almost imperceptibly. “How long will that take?”
Hector began twisting his hat into a helix. “I don’t think the team has been, um, precisely organized yet. We - we only finished the tollbooth last night. Um, there’s a signup sheet on the town board. Can someone run and check on that?”
The last time Graham had stayed overnight at the mayor’s house, he’d slept on the sofa. This evening the two housemaids rushed about in a frenzy to get the master bedroom ready. They changed out the bedding, set up a side table with a pitcher of water, mints, and a bell, and covered the floor and armchair with towels and tarps, so the splattered king could drip as much as he liked.
Exhausted, he eased into the chair sorely. If his muscles were feeling that fall now, what would they be tomorrow? As for the headache, it had apparently decided to split expenses and housemate with a few other headaches. But a splitting head and aching muscles were things he could get over. He wasn’t sure about the rest.
The wash stand was just within reach. A linen towel hung over the edge. Improper it might be, but his handkerchief was a sodden mess of paint. Graham grabbed the towel and blew his nose hard. Even the mucus seemed to have all sixteen colours in it.
Number One marched into the room with the most precisely by-the-book march Graham had ever seen from him, but he only stopped the door from slamming at the last second. He stepped carefully around the colourful footprints, placed his helmet on the dresser, and stared at Graham. He didn’t exactly look angry. Graham didn’t quite know what that look was, except that it was intense. “What are you?” asked the guard slowly.
Graham shrugged.  “An artistic masterpiece,” he said dryly.
“No. What are you?”
“I know. I know. I’m an idiot.” He dragged a weary hand across his face, and it came away purple and brown.
Number One took a step forward. “No!” He emphasized every word. “You are Daventry. Daventry! You cannot be Sir Graham any longer. You cannot be an island, or a maverick, or whatever you think you are. And you cannot be a rebellious schoolboy.” 
Couldn’t he give it five minutes? “It’s just when he said it couldn’t fall, I took it in the sense that -”
“Daventry tumbled and scraped its way down a mountainside today. Daventry fell on its face in the dust.”
“I was actually on my back…”
“Daventry walked away wet, unsteady, and foolish, gagging up paint in front of the whole town, who will spread it round on our side of the border and over it. And the fault is completely mine.”
That got Graham’s attention. He looked up. “What?”
“You are as far from ready as you could be. And you nearly got yourself killed today.” Number One looked as though he might go on, but he abruptly stopped himself. He seized his helmet up, replaced it, and muttered, “I should be publicly flogged."
This time, he let the door slam.
#- love the little intro sequence like a comical compilation of Graham as a little anticipation for the worst to come.#- Like these are bad but there's something worse he's done?? Spectacular I already want more#- we do funky things in our half-slumber and I find that he impulsively signed TWO HUNDRED before getting stopped was amazing#- GSHDGS ALL FIVE all five of them ok 'me and the Bois!!' :')) road triiip#- I can hear their voices so well it makes me so so happy you can't even imagine#- No1 setting the high expectations as always ^^#- and as always... Plans never go the way they're supposed to. ESPECIALLY when they're said out loud word-for-word#- (I feel that rock will have some significance) (rocks and their abilities to be big and heavy and roll a lot)#- YAYY graham you DOOFUS I'm so excited (graham you gotta practice your formal entrances! But you do keep a crowd hyped and that's good)#- mechanical tollbooth! I'm always so fascinated by the wild contraptions people make in this universe. So much prowess!#- GRAHAM graham buddy I adore your confidence so much but that's stupid confidence -wheeze- HAVE A BRAIN#- thanku No2 for the added 'Sire' at the end of that motivational sentence. Formalities hah#- GAH I KNEW IT !! ROCK AND ROLL!! GRAHAM NO-#- comically overexaggerated set of saw blades and hammers go!!!#- Mickey's comic prepped me for the ending scene and I'm just imagining that and all the lovely expressions as I read this#- gosh I adored this greatly. Now I understand why people have been so hype about it! My gosh! I love this ^^#- your writing never ceases to inspire me :3c I love reading to get a boost of inspiration. And I'm so so excited about this very very much#- You have nooo clue ;3#kings quest#friendo boosting#cool writing
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lazywriters-blog · 6 months ago
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Aventurine with an innocent darling who's very vulnerable to his schemes and doesn't understand his motives for gifting her a ring, necklaces, expensive perfumes, and dresses that match his preference, finds it hard to believe that he's doing all this for her without a reason.
Doesn't say anything whenever he puts his hand around her waist and drags her along with him anywhere and everywhere he goes, when he leans close she doesn't move back, in a way Aventurine would find her daring and bold, which he would like. A lot.
Seeing as she never declines or rejects him, his advances, his gifts, his messages, their intimacy, and his touch, he considers her his best friend.
Which in time would soften his heart, they would play games that were to her liking (because he would always have her lose to his bets and wagers) but if you look at it from a stranger's point of view, she's playing a dangerous game and she's falling right into his trap, wearing his gifts, following him around, it wouldn't end well.
So of course, someone would eventually warn her and tell her to stay as far away as possible from the IPC executive, which to Aventurine's dismay, works. She's playing distance with him and doesn't laugh or smile as much as she would have before everything she was told messed up her mind, runs home after he keeps insisting that she stay the night and they could have a sleepover, however, they keep drifting apart every time he gets too overbearing.
Everything she does hurts his feelings and drags him further down.
Losing someone who didn't have ulterior motives, who didn't want him to be their friend for his money, influence, his looks, his luck, makes him all the more clingy and desperate.
He wants her back, so the first thing he does is make sure everyone keeps their mouths shut and never thinks about influencing his best friend. Which works, at least for a while.
He's attached to her, he can't consider losing her after everything they've been through, so even if she doesn't realize it, the damage has been done, and she can never look at Aventurine the same. Surely, he will learn about it soon enough.
He could try manipulating her, but what's the use? They've lost their genuine friendship, and it drives him crazy, makes him bitter, and makes him want to do things to whoever dragged his darling away.
He might resort to desperate measures.
So now, he's doing everything he used to do but ten times worse, giving her endless rows of gifts, and spending an unimaginable amount of money on her in hopes they can rekindle their friendship.
But something is still holding her back.
"You should stay the night," he said in his usual light tone, taking a glance to gauge her response. She smiled nervously, and he knew she would decline.
"No, I gotta get home but next time surely," promising him her next time had gotten old, even though she had only stated it twice. He looked away for a moment, trying his best not to squeeze her shoulder.
"You know, you've promised me that twice already and it still hasn't come true."
"I know, I'm sorry. It's just... I don't want to bother you." she looked down.
"I wonder if it is because of those people. You can easily be manipulated, I've already told you that so many times, so why can't you try to form your own opinion?" he didn't say it in a belittling manner, nor was his tone heavy in malice but anyone could tell something was wrong.
Aventurine has never been passive-aggressive, at least not with her.
"That's... Kinda mean." she tried to pull his arm, trying to shrug off his touch but that didn't stop nor discourage him because he just laughed and pulled her back to him.
"I was just kidding! Surely you would have known that by now sweetheart." he also never called her 'sweetheart'.
She looked at him, his wide grin and beautiful eyes peering down at her had always consoled her but now it was telling her to run away.
But with how tight he was holding onto her, she feared it would be impossible to get away now.
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totallybakedcake · 6 months ago
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Imperfectly perfect
Sypnosis- You overwork yourself and your boyfriend freaks out. Pairing- Hoshina x fem reader
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Huff, puff,huff,puff. It was now a normal thing for you to gasp for breath and just hold your polearm till it formed bruises in your arms. You were just thinking about your training, nothing more.
You stopped as you heard Okongi say, "Kikoru Shinomoya, release force 70 percent."
"Platoon leader name released force 80 percent. That's the most release force recorded for a platoon leader. Platoon leader name, platoon leader name, can you hear me? Can you hear me?" Okongi spoke, trying to get you back to your senses. Concern was starting to take over her, as you could hear her practically start yelling your name.
"Name!" You felt like you were slapped back to reality. Looking up, you saw Kafka, Leno, and Kikoru looking at you with a look of almost desperation. Kafka was shaking your shoulders while the rest were calling out to you. "Did I zone out?" You spoke as a mere whisper as you felt a wave of pain coursing through your body. Leno spoke, "Platoon leader, name. We were all training with you, but after training ended, you were on the floor, zoning out. It had been 5 whole minutes until you finally responded back to us. You should definitely have a look in the medical room. This has been happening ever since we joined you in training."
"Sorry to bother you guys so much. I am going to go to the medical ward soon, just being prepared after it was said that Kaiju No. 8 was a daikaiju, and just stressing all over. I'm sorry, you gotta get going now."
The trio watched as you hurriedly walked away. I was trying to calm Okongi down as she scolded you. "The platoon leader should really take care of herself. Even if she has great abilities and all, she should start taking care more. Has she even told Vice Captain Hoshina about this?" Kikoru and Leno nodded in agreement before walking away for lunch.
You love Hoshina more than your own life, but sometimes you really cannot show your true self to him. Down the whole mask of an understanding and cool person you try to be. There are many things that are hidden deep inside your heart. There are some things that you cannot express to your dear Hoshina.
Name was taking quick strides to get to a place. She was trying to cover herself so no one could see her, but then she arrived. A traditional Japanese estate, it was adorned with lamps and cute statues. The doors and windows were huge when you turned to the left; there was even a pond in the whole area. You went towards the backyard to see the preparations already done.
There he was, Mr. Hoshina. The current head of the Hoshina clan, as well as Soshiro's father, He was already in a kimino with a katana in his hand. He looked towards you and said, "Let's start, name."
Flashback
"Soshiro, it has been almost a month with no improvements." You slumped against the wall, burying your head in your arms. You would cry at any moment. It had been almost a month, and your release force was just decreasing. You could lose your position as a platoon leader if this continues. Soshiro had been a witness to your breakdown. He tried many times to calm you down and motivate you, but now he needed a new method. He went towards you, gently placing you on the sofa as he kissed your temple and said, "Oh cupcake, why do you worry about your pretty head so much? It makes me feel upset too. How bout' I tell you a great plan that will work surely?" He was rubbing your back in a comforting manner as you peered up with puffy red eyes.
"Tell me." You spoke just like a sad child, glimmering with hope. Soshiro grinned. He loved this particular trait about you a lot. He leaned down and spoke in a teasing manner. "For that, calm down." Showing him a pout and a glare at the same time, he grabbed your hand and spoke. "My father is great at polearming and close combat too. How about you train under him? It will surely prove results." He spoke in a promising tone that made you obviously agree with it.
Back to reality, it really worked. Your capabilities as a platoon leader skyrocketed. You were so happy—too happy, in fact—that you almost suffocated the vice captain himself in a tight hug. He was just glad that you were back to your usual persona, nothing more.
But things started to go downhill after that. You started training a lot more. After all the new Kaiju threats, you had to. You would overwork yourself to the point that even drinking water or getting proper rest was a second priority now. You just wanted to be strong and protect Soshiro and others with your strength, nothing more. Did you tell Soshiro about this? No. Will you? Absolutely no. He will stop your training as a whole and will be extra protective of you if that happens.
You tried your best to hide all the exhaustion and pain your body had started to accumulate, and you showed signs of overworking, but still you tried to cover it up. No matter how hard you tried, Hoshina was destined to find out about it.
It was evening, and you were still training. You were still training and training before you felt pain in your nose. It was a nose bleed, the sixth this week. You just wiped it off with your hand before getting in a position where you could fight, but you felt someone grab your hand in a firm grip. "Name, that's enough." You looked to see Soshiro; his eyes were wide open, looking at you. You were sweating buckets as blood was smeared on your face. Small cuts and bruises were peeking through, which was making Soshiro more concerned as the seconds went by.
"Let's go home." Soshiro spoke in a demanding tone as he grabbed your hand and started to walk.
You, on the other hand, felt really dizzy; your head was spinning, and the moment you moved your body, it ached. Feeling all the energy drained out of you, black splashes appeared in your vision as everything went black. Soshiro's eyes widened as you fell into his arms, his body going completely limp. "Name, this isn't funny. I don't like this prank. Please wake up." He shook your body, but no reactions came from you. He cussed; he knew you were training hard, but to the point you passed out because of it was something he never imagined. If only he had been faster to catch on, this wouldn't have happened.
He scooped you up in his arms, cradling your exhausted form. He just wants you to be okay.
Fluttering your eyes open, you groaned in pain. Your head throbbed, your entire body was feeling different types of pain, and your eyes felt heavy. "Yer awake, how are you?" You turned your head to see Hoshina coming close to you, as he had a tray with soup. His voice was much quieter and calmer, the opposite of his normal cheerful self. His eyes were wide open, and you could see the bags under his eyes.
"What happened?" Was the first thing you said.
Hoshina's expression turned grim as she placed the tray down and sat beside you on the bed. "Name, you passed out from exhaustion. You've been pushing yourself too hard."
You tried to sit up and get closer to him, but dizziness fell over you as Hoshina pushed you back down, his grip on your hand getting tighter. "Promise me, promise me you will never overwork yourself like that ever again." He held out his pinky finger and looked at you with a soft gaze.
"I promise." You interweaved your fingers in his as he pulled you closer for a deep kiss. The butterflies were flooding your stomach as heat rose up to your face.
"I have forcefully given you a week to recover, so no arguing now." He grinned as you let out a scoff and pulled him for another kiss. "I wasn't planning too."
Soshiro fell on top of you as he wrapped his arms around your figure, trapping you in his embrace and peppering you with kisses.
Let's just say he spoiled you rotten this night.
Note- Aah I did it I uploaded this thing. It was super fun to write this. My next kaiju no 8 fic might take a while as the next thing I will upload is a windbreaker fic. I watched the whole anime 4 days and completed the manga very quickly too, exams are now coming and just school is just too much now so no new fics maybe.
Have a good day!:D
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lucystark12 · 4 months ago
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milevens are insane
warning now - i get extremely heated in this so if you're going to tell me to calm down leave. before any of you weird bitches tell me to go do something more productive or to touch grass- no. i'm fifteen, it's summer, and i'm a highly involved high school student. i'm not here because i have nothing better to do, i'm here because i understand good writing and am able to have hobbies ❤️
anyways
was on the mileven endgame hashtag just now and because i don't choose violence i wont be addressing any of them directly, but i will be addressing some of the ridiculous bullshit on there. term bullshit used intentionally
the love confession came as a result of mike "gaining the confidence" to tell el how much he loves her because he was afraid that he loved her more than she loved him.
are you listening to the words that are coming out of your mouth right now? i want to sit down and get a coffee with you and dissect what the fuck you meant by that. sure, right, yeah, he gained so much PRODUCTIVE confidence from his conversation he had with will where will was using eleven to mask his own feelings for mike. it makes so much sense narratively that this end all be all mileven event is sparked from will's feelings and not mikes! sure! right! this is such an idiotic piece of reasoning. you are literally saying that you are okay with your endgame ship only being endgame based on faulty communication and lies. are you joking? "you just gotta improve your motivation" ass piece of evidence
also, mike being insecure about loving her more than she loves him is complete, total, utter bullshit. el frequently expresses her love to mike via letters and youre here to say that mike would have any problem with doing the same thing if he were insecure about her love for him? that literally makes no sense. i wouldn't be afraid of loving somebody more than they love me if they are actively putting more effort into insuring me that they love me than i am to them. like, what does that even mean?
“Will Byers is a pathetic loser annoying character and contributed little to the plot of ST. "
yes that is a direct quote. no i'm not kidding.
what kind of fucking neanderthal watches stranger fucking things- a show about a kid who disappears- and thinks the kid who disappears isn't a central part of the narrative? the first episode of the goddamn show is called "the vanishing of will byers"! maybe this is hard for you and your confused brain to get your head around, but el and mike met when mike was out looking FOR WILL. mike and el are still together because mike gained courage from WILL'S LOVE FOR HIM. what a fucking idiot you must be. i would try to explain to you the myriad of other reasons why will is absolutely central to the plot of the show, but since the show itself has clearly gone in one ear and out the other, i probably wont be able to get through to you either.
“what if we learned to cope with world that doesn’t accept us as individuals by embracing each other completely?” said about mileven
um.. what. that's literally byler. closeted gay guys in the 80s. but sure, the ones that aren't being accepted are the two white and allegedly heterosexual individuals. the "world that doesn't accept us" in question is a few high school bullies in comparison with the stigmatization, violence, and ostracization that has longstanding been a part of what it means to be queer. be so serious right now. mileven is not important for being non conformist, the GAY SHIP IN THE 80S IS!!
“The only people who queerbaited, was byler fans themselves lmao.”
even if we're ignoring the horrible grammar there are still SO many things wrong with everything that was just said. what they're saying above for anybody who can't decipher the weird medieval english code this person is using is that bylers actively queerbaited themselves which inherently makes no sense at all.
below i have included the oxford dictionary definition of queerbaiting: "the incorporation of apparently gay characters or same-sex relationships into a film, television show, etc. as a means of appealing to gay and bisexual audiences while maintaining ambiguity about the characters' sexuality."
how is it possible that byler shippers themselves are the ones doing the queerbaiting? are we running the show? nope! before you come on and post something as offensive as this- which i will get into- at least make sure you know what you're saying. xoxo
to insinuate for even a second that mike wheeler not being gay would be anything other than deliberate queerbaiting is insane. there is something wrong with you. aside from the parts of the show where his queerness is deliberately alluded to like music, costuming, analogies, allegories, and set design, netflix has been, weather you like it or not, actively marketing in favor of byler and mike not being straight. all below come from official netflix accounts-
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how is this not queerbaiting? genuinely what are you on about. this is literally textbook.
“will is fruity but mike didn't like the fruit on his pizza”
you seriously are basing your argument about mike not being gay on him not liking fruit on pizza? you seriously think that some of the most commended and celebrated writers of the last decade would use symbolism involving a word that can literally be interpreted as a slur when their show has two characters who are canonically a part of the group affected said slur? are you fucking stupid? that was harmless banter used to communicate the differences in habitual action across the country. it wasn't the duffers trying to do for you what they do for us in deliberate, straightforward NON-OFFENSIVE symbolism.
i saw somebody claim that mike's character arc in season four was inherently about not believing in his self worth nor in his competency to be in a relationship with el
while i do for the most part agree with you, i'm going to ask you a question- mike was never anxious about his identity and self worth involving el before season four. why do you think that just came up now if not for the fact that he's been having insecurities involving his sexuality and romantic attraction to women as a whole? in my opinion, mike realized that he might not like girls in that way circa the end of season three- a realization that only festered and grew through the absence of not only the boy he loves that is causing this insecurity but the girl whom he is using as a way to say hey, i can't be gay, i have a girlfriend! mike was clearly going through some serious emotional struggles as we can immediately see in this scene with how suddenly awkward he is with will and the immediate emphasis that's put on the "from mike" on the flowers.
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i agree that his season four and part of his season five arc are about his feelings of insecurity about being in a relationship with el, however, i don't think he's insecure because he thinks she's better than him in the sense that she's some superhero, i think he thinks she's better than him because he knows that he'll never be able to love her the way she deserves to be loved. he's not going to outright come and say to will that he doesn't think that he can love her in the way she deserves to be loved. he's closeted. what he says in the van scene is the only way he knows to express his feelings. it's very similar to what will does in the same scene. it makes no sense for this insecurity to randomly manifest in him if it wasn't for an external factor that doesn't involve el, because nothing has really changed with the dynamic of their relationship other than the move. one could argue that mike is feeling insecure over el's supposed popularity she claims to have in her letters, but mike's arc has never been about caring about popularity in school. that's not something on his mind so much as the grand scheme of the world is. lets not forget that he joins hellfire in season four.
“When Mike didn’t say “I love you”, By*ers twisted it to their narrative. When Mike did say “I love you”, By*ers twisted it to their narrative.”
you literally sound like trump going on about the democrats. listen to what your saying right now. also, it's a ship name. there's no need to censor it you fucking weirdo.
wasted time building up mileven
i'm sorry, what build up? i'm confused. there's no "build up". THIS is build up:
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above is will, possessed by a monster who feeds off of those lacking love in their lives, only being able to be broken out of possession by a heartfelt monologue by the PERSON HE LOVES detailing how the best decision he ever made was to befriend him.
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above is will claiming he will never fall in love, then his love for one of the other main characters becomes a central plot point of the two seasons to come. joyce and i see through will and all of you weird milevens
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mike telling will how it's not his fault will doesn't like girls only after he loses the person he's been using to cover up his own insecurity about the same thing- not liking girls. suspicious.
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will's LOVE FOR MIKE being the thing to give him the confidence to help el SAVE THE WORLD, only episodes after we establish that mike is bound to be pissed that he was lied to. and theres no buildup? THERE'S REALLY NO BUILDUP?
if you don't see buildup i fear you are literally just a lost cause because it is so painfully obvious to anybody who made it past seventh grade english class that there is something deeper and more intimate than friendship going on between will byers and mike wheeler.
“Women can be independent while being in a relationship guys😭!!”
OBVIOUSLY! i am literally the biggest feminist on the entire western seaboard. i couldn't agree more with this, which is why we have arcs like nancy's where she actively becomes more independent while still maintaining a relationship with jonathan. the difference is that mike and el have been together since they were like thirteen. when el was immersed into the real world for the first time in season two she immediately leaned on mike for support in that. it's not that she can only be independent on her own, it's that mike is directly symbolic to her of a time when she was stumbling around the world with naivete and not quite knowing how to navigate that. by spreading her wings away from that relationship, it will not only give her independence, but also a way to see beyond the barriers of hawkins and a life where she was valued mostly for the qualities she brings to the supernatural equation. el's arc is one of my favorites. i would never claim such a thing and discredit the essence of what makes the emotions behind her character so interesting. she's somebody who was literally raised in a lab. she shouldn't be held back by somebody she is quite literally dependent on.
last but not least, i saw a post that said milevens always win.
"are you sure about that?" i ask, noah schnapp's most recent instagram post open on my phone, finn wolfhard's spotify playlist in my headphones, my mike holding will's painting funko on the desk in front of me, wearing a yellow shirt with a blue sweater over it.
thank u for listening to my ted talk 💙💛
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themildestofwriters · 4 months ago
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I'll never understand Tamlin antis who are so tied up in their hate for him they just straight up refuse to acknowledge one of the big twists of ACOWAR when interpreting his actions *during* ACOWAR.
Like, I'm not saying you have to like the guy, but G-ddamn. It's almost wilful ignorance how they ignore the fact that he was a double agent the whole bloody time.
There's also the fact that, quite clearly, in Feyre's narration no less, his motivations are further explained as an intense drive to protect his people from Hybern. Like, why are so many people caught up on the whole "He whipped his sentry!" thing when you have Feyre right there telling us that the only reason he did it was to prevent Hybern from thinking he was weak and therefore it would be better to conquer Spring rather than simply ally with it.
The book outright tells you why he whipped his sentry and yet this idea perseveres that Tamlin... what? Couldn't handle being questioned? I don't understand. The book tells us why he did it. Why are we still making up reasons for why he did it?
Tamlin is wearing a mask in ACOWAR. He needs to pretend to be a leal hound of Hybern's order. He can't do that, however, if he is constantly taking issue with everything Hybern does or wants him to do. If he wants to maintain his alliance, he needs to show himself to be strong in the way Hybern views strength. If he wants to be a double agent, he needs to earn their trust. He can't do either of those things if he's constantly fighting over tortured mortals and accused sentries.
It doesn't help that half the trouble Tamlin is having maintaining this mask is directly caused by Feyre putting him in situations where he must choose between the alliance and his status as double agent or doing the right thing in that moment. He wouldn't have had to whip the sentry if Feyre hadn't let Ianthe steal the keys (and, yes, Feyre *let* Ianthe do that, because she watched the whole thing happened and could have intervened at any time), and had Feyre not provoked Ianthe by committing Divine Fraud.
For as much as Feyre says she wishes she could have prevented the whole thing, she's lying to the sentries and she's lying to herself, because the sentry was whipped because that's what Feyre wanted. She wanted to destroy Tamlin's relationship with his sentries and this whole situation was all but set up by her for that purpose. Feyre gets to act like the champion for arguing against injustice — an injustice she let happen and provoked for her own ambitions — while Tamlin is condemned because whipping the sentry is the only way to protect his people from a worse fate, and the only way to continue his role as double agent (which played a major role in the downfall of Hybern itself).
I don't know. For people who seem to like the series so much, they seem awfully keen on just ignoring whole swaths of context so they can make up reasons to hate a fictional character. It's really annoying to, because they can't just be quiet about their fanfiction. They gotta bring it up everywhere, even in serious discussion about the series, and they'll insult you for your takes solely because Tamlin is "abusive," as if that changes anything.
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transmascaraa · 3 months ago
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Hi there !! I understand f you can’t write this since it’s a sensitive topic but can I req a lyney and aventurine x reader (separate) where they walk in on reader SH-ing? If you can’t write this thats alright, but instead can it be a fic where lyney or aventurine just have an injured reader (like they hurt their ankle or smth) thank you and have a nice day !! Take your time <3
multiple characters headcannons!
he won't let you be alone.
!SH warning!
characters: gi · lyney, hsr · aventurine x gn!reader
author's note: alright so this is a very sensitive topic so read it at your own risk if you're triggered by any of this :3 also i'm so sorry for literally DISAPPEARING i had no motivation + school started so i wanna write something rn just to give you guys SOMETHING😭
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♡ Lyney
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-if he saw you like just in your room doing that he would probably instantly freeze for a few seconds until literally TELEPORTING next to you and asking what happened.
-he'll take away whatever you used for it as he genuinely almost starts crying himself
-like seriously his eyes would be teary but he would try to not cry(it's a 50/50 wether he succeeds or not)
-"m-mon amour... why didn't you tell me or something.. i don't know.... archons— wait here, i'll bring the first-aid kit.." he's stumbling over his words because of how worried he is
-cleans the wounds and patches them up for you, then refuses to leave you alone in the ROOM for the next week or two.
-so fucking worried for you he texts lynette 24/7 telling her about your condition and how to help you in any other way
-he lets 'father' know that he can't do any missions for the time being and surprisingly, she understands and let's him take care of you.
⑅ Aventurine
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-(i hope he doesn't turn out to be ooc.)
-also immediately freezes but doesn't immediately rush next to you because of the shock, evident in his eyes
-"love, what.. what is this... i.. what happened—" and that's where he comes closer and takes the object away from you(you'll probably never see it again in your whole life)
-after he calms you down a bit, he gets the first-aid kit asap and patches you up carefully.
-first of all, he makes you rest for a bit, to take a nap before anything else.
-when you wake up, he tells you you're free to talk to him about anything and everything that was bothering you, hoping that he could be able to help in any way.
-although he doesn't start crying(like lyney), his heart still hurts a lot.
-it aches for you.
-he's wondering if he did anything wrong, to try and fix it immediately.
-he just wants you to be okay.
FINALLY WROTE SOMETHING
alright i like it
i wanna write for kinich but i gotta finish my reqs first🔥🔥
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reysdriver · 2 years ago
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One Call | E.M.
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Eddie calls you to pick him up from the police station — eddie x fem!hopper!reader fluff
warnings: eddie gets taken to the police station for peeing in the lake lol
words: 0.8k
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“Alright, you know the drill. Someone’s gotta pick you up; you get one call.” Your dad told Eddie, even though they had been through this routine before. “Your uncle again?”
Eddie shook his head. “Nah, Wayne’s out of town. Fishing trip with his buddies. He told me not to bother him unless it’s an emergency.”
“This doesn’t qualify as important enough to call?” One of the officers piped up. 
Eddie turned his neck to look at the cop. “Nope. This is just a normal Tuesday for me.”
Your dad held the phone out for your boyfriend. “Well, you got anyone else you can call?”
Eddie held back a mischievous grin, taking the phone. “I have one person I can call, but I don’t think you’re gonna be happy about it.”
✦✧✦✧✦
You rushed down to the station as quickly as possible, only making one stop along the way to grab a peace offering from Benny’s. Before going inside, you looked through the window to scan the tone of the building, making sure it was okay to go inside. 
You opened the door and saw Eddie in handcuffs at one of the officers’ desks, twirling a pen with his fingers. Before he got the chance to look up at you, your dad came out from his office looking surprised to see you. 
“Hey, kiddo, what are you doing here?” He asked. 
You held out the take-out bag for him. “I, uh, I brought you lunch.”
“She’s got ulterior motives, Hopper!” Eddie piped up from across the room. You turned and shot him a glare, along with a whispered 'shut up'. 
Your dad looked confused, now starting to understand the food you brought. "What's he talking about?"
There was an awkward silence as you tried to figure out how to word the reason you were really here. 
"Well, Dad, I'm also here to pick Eddie up." 
He dropped the takeout bag on the nearest desk and pointed an accusatory finger at Eddie, who sported a smirk. 
“This punk?” Your dad asked, raising his voice. “You’re friends with this punk?”
Much to your dismay, Eddie spoke up again. “Dating, actually. But I can’t believe it either, Hopper, honestly.”
Even in the tensest of moments, your Eddie still finds a way to flatter you. You wanted to smile and thank him, but then you remembered he was just brought into the police station and hadn’t told you why, so you stopped yourself. 
“Yeah, Dad, I am. And I know that you can’t stop me from bailing him out, so give me the form to sign.”
The officer whose desk Eddie was sitting at handed you a clipboard and a pen so you could sign and say that you would bail him out and keep him out of trouble for the time being. You flashed a cocky smile to your dad and started filling out the blanks. 
Your dad rubbed his forehead like he was tired of everyone around him—which he was. “Don’t give her the clipboard until I’m done scolding her.” He mumbled. 
“You know I brought him in for pissing in Lover’s Lake with his punk friends, right?”
You did not know that. But you weren’t going to let him win this round. 
“Oh, like Lover’s Lake isn’t already full of piss!” You countered.
“Is that really the hill you want to die on?” 
You forcefully handed the completed clipboard to the officer while rolling your eyes. 
“I don’t want to die on any hill, I just want to pick up my boyfriend!”
Eddie gasped happily as the man took off his handcuffs. “She called me her boyfriend.”
You had to admit, it made you happy too. Even though you were mad at everyone in the room, your angry expression morphed into a smile. “I know, it felt good to say.” You then turned back to your dad. “I’m going now. If you have more to say to me, we can talk tonight.”
With that, you and your boyfriend started walking towards the door. He opened it for you and motioned for you to go first. You started to walk out, but shot a glare at Eddie as you walked by. He messed up and he knew it. 
Before Eddie closed the door behind you, your dad shouted one last thing at you. “You know, kid, just ‘cause he’s out of trouble, doesn’t mean you are!”
You looked back at him through the doorway. “Oh, believe me, Dad, he’s not out of trouble yet!”
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miupow · 6 months ago
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what would a crave sookai threesome be like? please spill some thoughts I beg in my knees I love you
twilight anon 🍎
omg twilight anon… omg… i’m sorry it took me a bit to answer this ask i was gatekeeping it a little bit—
cw // nsfw, mdni! craveverse, werewolves!sb + hk, human fem!reader, rut cycles/mating cycles, panty stealing/panty sniffing, primal play, instinctual behavior, unprotected sex, creampies, breeding kink, 3sum, knotting, some cumplay, crave!sookai’s giant scent kink, this kind of breaks some canon but it’s okay because i’m not known for being consistent
you never understood why beomgyu and soobin were so inseparable, seeing how different they were within their pack… but you did understand the similarly close bond he had with kai. if you hadn’t known their pasts, you easily could have mistaken them as actual brothers; they always seemed so perfectly in sync with each others thoughts and feelings… especially when it came to you.
soobin and kai who always seem to be on the same nasty pervy page when it comes to you, who work together to get what they want…
kai who tricks you with his innocent sweet smile, who makes you think there really wasn’t any ulterior motive to him asking to help you with the laundry.. and kai who sneaks dirty pairs of your panties into his pockets when you have your back turned, for him and for soobin, perfect jerk off material for when they go into rut!! they can hole themselves up in their rooms and lose themselves in the smell of your cunt… they do it because they don’t want to scare you when their ruts hit, unlike their brothers..!! they’re really just gentlemen, even if they’re a little pervy ok !!
soobin who teaches virgin kai how to knot you <3 first time with you when he had his first ever rut it went a little sideways and he ended up hurting you accidentally :’( he was so upset !! so next time he has his hyung there to teach him how to breed you properly without going to far and hurting you !! soobin who cums hard all over ur tits as kai fills ur pussy up n knots u right <3 kai who can’t stop thrusting even when his knots popped and he’s locked inside, he’s too lost in pleasure n instincts, overstimulates both u n himself hehe just keeps cumming and cumming into ur womb until he can’t see straight <3 n soobin who slides his big monster cock in right after kai slides his out, gotta show him how it’s done properly~
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theemissuniverse · 1 year ago
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“GAME TIME” KENSHI TAKAHASHI X COMEDIC RELIEF READER
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SUMMARY : You always try to impress Kenshi (CONTEXT BECAUSE Y’ALL ARE GONNA COMMENT IT this is before Kenshi gets blind. So shut up) but he is not impressed by you
A/N : I’m lowkey bad at writing Kenshi so this is gonna be the last time I write a full fic about him for awhile
WARNINGS : none. I think
MASTERLIST 1 , MASTERLIST 2
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You didn’t believe you were anything remarkable.
You admitted that you were a lazy individual. That you barely wanted to put in the work. That you didn’t care about being the best.
It was always stuck in your mind from the dawn of time that you weren’t anything special by your family. There was nothing remarkable pertaining you.
That’s why you couldn’t understand why Liu Kang chose you of all people. Even Johnny Cage was a better fit than you. Any time you questioned Liu Kang he would just say, “time will tell.”
You never had motivation for anything. Especially because no one in your life had ever told you that they were proud of you.
At the moment the only thing at this academy that mattered was the people you were surrounded by.
Kenshi wasn’t necessarily naive but he didn’t really see you having a crush on him. I mean, he just didn’t think that he was your type so the thought never occurred to him.
You were glad of it too. You would be completely embarrassed if Kenshi had found out about the crush you had on him.
At the academy, your fellow Earthrealm friends: Johnny, Kung Lao, and Raiden noticed your crush. Johnny and Kung Lao would tease you about it while Raiden told them to stop torturing you but also encouraged you to just go for it.
“There goes your boyfriend.” Johnny said to you. A little too loud for Kenshi to hear.
When Kenshi walked over to you, he raised a brow and smiled. “Boyfriend?”
You started to nervously laugh. “He meant boy…that’s also a friend. He’s a little lost.”
“Sure…” Kung Lao mumbled which caused Raiden to hit him on the shoulder. “Ow!”
Kenshi gave Kung Lao a look before taking a water bottle from the table. “You guys are strange..” He told the four of you before walking away.
You watched him walk away and the turned your attention to Johnny with a glare. “Great. Now he thinks I’m strange. Thanks, Johnny.”
Johnny shrugged slightly. “If it means anything, I’m into strange.”
“And you’re strange yourself so that doesn’t really help your case.” Kung Lao told him.
“Ugh.” You plopped yourself sitting down at the table. “What am I going to do?”
“You could just make the move yourself and ask him out.” Raiden said as if it were obvious.
You gave him a look. “Do you want me to kill myself, Raiden?”
Raiden scratches the back of his neck. “I suppose not…”
“You just gotta impress him.” Johnny said.
“Impress him?” Kung Lao asked as if he was crazy. “He was in a gang! What more could you impress him with?”
While the three bickered about solutions, an idea came to your mind.
And you were prepared to see it through.
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You and Kung Lao were fighting each other for training but you (as always because you are lazy) were barely trying. Kung Lao was starting to get annoyed with you.
“(Y/N)! How are we suppose to take out bad guys if you’re just pushing and shoving them?”
“Ugh. This is too much work. I need a break.” Kung Lao rolled his eyes but let you. You were panting heavily. You felt as though you were going to pass out.
Kenshi walked by and the sparkle came to your eyes. The idea came to you again. “Hey! Kenshi!” When he heard you call out his name, he turned to look at you. “Watch this.”
Immediately, you grabbed Kung Lao by the shoulders and kneed him in the stomach. You then kicked him in the stomach, making him fall to the ground.
He groaned in pain. Kenshi chuckled but continued to watch. Kung Lao stood up from the ground, furious. “Hey! I wasn’t ready.”
You went to punch Kung Lao but he blocked it. You tried to punch him again but he blocked it too. You grabbed both of his arms and twisted them. You then with both feet, kicked him in the chest and did a backflip in the air before kicking him at his feet.
Kung Lao fell to the ground on his knees and you backhanded him. Making him fall completely down.
Raiden and Johnny stood there in shock as that had been the first time you had actually beaten one of them.
Kenshi nodded a little proud. “Impressive. But I bet you couldn’t do it again.”
He challenged you? You were willing to do anything that was going to impress him.
When you started walking over towards Johnny, he shook his head. “Oh no. I don’t want to-“
You ignored him and pulled him by the arm to bring him to the center. You kicked Johnny by the legs making him bend back.
Then you punched him in his chest with your left hand. With your right hand you grabbed his arm and twisted it. Then you head butted Johnny in the face. Johnny fell to the ground in pain.
This time, Liu Kang had watched and was pleasantly surprised. He stood next to Raiden. “Where did (Y/N) get the motivation?” He asked knowing you hated training and you were very lazy.
“To impress Kenshi, Lord Liu Kang.” Raiden replied.
“Ah. That makes more sense.”
When you had finished with Johnny, he clutched his stomach in pain. “At least you didn’t get my face.” He said in pain.
Kenshi again was impressed but he didn’t want to show it. See, unbeknownst to you, Kenshi wanted what was best for you and wanted you to take training seriously.
So in order to push you harder, he would barely give you your credit. “Interesting…but even I could’ve taken Cage. But I guess challenges aren’t your strong suit.” He said before walking away from you.
You stood there in shock. You were actually mad at him. Kenshi had never treated you like that before.
Raiden saw the look you had. You looked angry and sad at the same time. “Are you sad or angry?” He asked trying to see if he should hug you or give you your space.
Kung Lao and Johnny finally got up from the ground. “I gotta put on a Kenshi costume when I’m near you.” Johnny said while cracking his neck.
“Screw Kenshi.”
Everyone, even Liu Kang turned to look at you in surprise when you said this. “Did I hear that right?” Kung Lao questioned.
“Challenges not being my strong suit?! Oh I’ll show him. He doesn’t know who he’s messing with.” You punched your fist with your hand before walking away.
“This cannot be good.” Johnny said.
Liu Kang was the only one to pick up on what Kenshi was doing and he didn’t mind. As long as you were trying then he didn’t care where your motivation came from.
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Every time you looked at Kenshi it was just filled with rage. Every time. You were not only hurt but felt humiliated. So, you were going to be the best. No matter what.
You started taking training more seriously. You worked out every day. You made sure to concentrate on your inner peace.
But your inner peace was beating Kenshi.
That wasn’t enough though. Beating him just by simple hands was not enough.
You were going to beat him without your sight.
You had been training without using your sight and using your other senses for weeks and you thought you were finally ready.
Today, Kenshi was practicing with the gang and when you had showed up, you saw that Kenshi very easily beat Johnny.
“Is that all you got, Cage?”
You had never noticed how cocky Kenshi actually was and it made you roll your eyes some. You still stepped forward. “I thought Johnny wasn’t a challenge to you.”
Kenshi turned to look at you. When he had looked at you, your attitude was different. You weren’t the girl cracking jokes like Johnny anymore. You were serious. “I just needed a warmup.”
“Glad you had it.” You pulled out a blindfold from your pocket. “Ready for another challenge?”
Kenshi looked at the blindfold in your hand curiously before looking at you. “What might that be?”
You smirked when he asked. “I bet I could beat you blind.”
Kenshi couldn’t help but laugh at the challenge. “I respect you, (Y/N) but you cannot even beat me with your sight. What makes you believe you can beat me blind?”
“Because I have something you don’t.”
“What’s that?”
You placed the blind fold over your eyes. It was now at this point you were completely blind. You then got into your fighting stance. “Skill.”
Kung Lao, Johnny, and Raiden both ‘oohed’ in unison. Kenshi looked interested. He did have faith in your fighting ability but to go as far as you could beat him blind was insane to him.
Kenshi looked over at Liu Kang who seemed interested in this challenge so he turned back to look at you. “Well let’s see.”
He got into his own fighting position. There was complete silence. Kenshi was expecting for himself to throw the first punch but you threw it.
Kenshi blocked the hit. You tried to punch him again but he also blocked it. When you tried to kick him, he grabbed your leg and pushed you off.
He was already impressed. You were actually almost hitting him. Without your sight.
Kenshi tried to hit you but you blocked it. This continued for some time until you landed a hit on him.
You backhanded Kenshi across the face. His whole body swerved around and he felt at his lip. His lip was bleeding.
“No way…” Johnny mumbled. “50 bucks says (Y/N) wins.” He says to Kung Lao.
Kung Lao scoffed. “You’re on.”
Kenshi was severely impressed but he still didn’t think you could beat him. This time he would try harder. He got back in his fighting stance.
He immediately went to hit you. You blocked it. He went to sweep at your feet but you jumped over the motion. That’s when he took the opportunity to kick you in the stomach.
You fell to the ground and groaned in pain. You huffed out of anger. There was no way you were going to let him win.
You did a front flip to land back on your feet. You wiped your nose and motioned for Kenshi to come at you.
Kenshi did. He grabbed your right arm but you flipped him around and made him fall to the ground. He quickly got back up and kicked your right leg. He tried to hit you in the chest but you blocked it.
You did a spin kick and you almost knocked him to the ground. When you went to hit him, he blocked you with his hands. He shoved you away from him.
When Kenshi tried to charge at you, you swept his feet. He fell to the ground. You tried to stomp at him but he rolled the other way. Kenshi got behind you and put you in a headlock.
You elbowed Kenshi in the gut and flipped him over to the ground. You punched him in the chest when he was already down and he hissed out in pain.
Then you placed your foot on his neck. “Give up?”
Kenshi tried to move to see if he could get away from your grip. He couldn’t. Kenshi had actually been beaten by you. Blindfolded by that.
He let out a deep breath and nodded. “I concede.”
You removed your foot from his neck. The thought didn’t occur to you in the slightest what you actually did. You had done something all of them couldn’t.
As you removed your blindfold, your fellow Earthrealm friends walked over to you and cheered you on. “Alright, (Y/N)!” Johnny cheered.
“Very impressive.” Kung Lao stated.
“You did great.” Raiden said.
You looked at all of them confused. You didn’t think you did anything remarkable and you didn’t even do this to even be remarkable to begin with. “What? I didn’t do anything special.”
Johnny gave you a look as Kenshi stood up from the ground. “(Y/N)…you kicked Kenshi’s butt blind folded. You deserve your props.”
At this point, Liu Kang started to walk over toward you. “Johnny Cage is right, (Y/N). You’ve been showing an immense amount of skill these past few weeks.”
You still felt confused. Nobody had ever congratulated you before so the weird feeling in your stomach felt uncomfortable. “I was just doing something I was suppose to do. I’m nothing special.”
That’s when Kenshi stepped in. “You did what everyone couldn’t. You beat me. You did good, (Y/N). I’m proud of you.”
The words ‘proud of you’ snagged on your heart strings. No one ever in your life told you that they were proud of you.
As much as you appreciated it, it came out of Kenshi. The man in your mind, doubted you from the very beginning. You didn’t care to hear those words from him.
You threw the blindfold on the ground and walked away from everyone. They all watched as you disappeared.
Kenshi looked at the back of you confused before turning to his fellow Earthrealmers. “What did I say?”
Raiden saw the look on Kung Lao’s face and he shook his head. “Don’t tell him, Lao.”
“I can’t help it. I’m bad at holding secrets. It makes my stomach hurt.”
Johnny placed a hand on Kung Lao’s shoulder. “I got this.” He then turned to face Kenshi. “(Y/N) has a crush on you. That’s why when you said all that rude stuff about her, she tried so hard to prove you wrong. She did all of this for you. And you…hurt her.”
It all made sense to Kenshi now and he had cursed at himself mentally for not realizing sooner. He did notice you would act a tad bit strange around him but your personality was far different than anyone’s that was there so he just thought it was that.
But he did like you. A lot. That’s why he had done all this in the first place.
“But I do like her. That’s why I said all that stuff. To push her because she was the only one that wasn’t taking it seriously. I was trying to help her.”
“Well…” Kung Lao trailed off. “Congratulations because now you got a blind assassin if you need one but was it worth hurting her like that?”
Kenshi never met to actually hurt you. To push you? Yes. But to hurt your feelings? No. He liked you. He liked everything about you. Your awkwardness, your smile, your laugh, your jokes, the way you would nervously laugh yourself out of a situation, just you in general.
“I think it is best if you speak to her, Kenshi.” Liu Kang told him.
Kenshi nodded and walked in the direction to your room. Johnny looked over at Kung Lao. “You still owe me 50 dollars.”
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You sat in your room, writing in your journal. You started to feel bad for even beating Kenshi and you were confused. You were supposed to feel like you were on cloud nine but you just felt bad.
How could you erase this feeling within you?
You heard a knock at the door. You didn’t bother to get up. “Come in.”
The door opens and it’s Kenshi. You sighed some when you saw him. Kenshi closes the door behind him. “Can we talk?”
“You’re already talking to me so I guess.”
Kenshi walked over to the bed and sat at the edge. “You did great out there today. How did you train yourself to be blind folded?”
“I don’t know. It just happened…” You trailed off.
“(Y/N), I didn’t mean any of the stuff I said about you not being able to do it. Well, I mean I did but not like that. I was just trying to push you so you could reach your full potential because I believe in you. And because I have feelings for you.”
“Well so what? Because I did all that for you! And I don’t want to hear how sorry you are because it’s too late! And I don’t need any props! And my vision hurts from being blind folded! And-“ You cut yourself off when you realize what he had said.
Kenshi admitted he had feelings for you.
“I’m sorry, what was that last thing?”
Instead of saying, he showed you. Kenshi leaned over and kissed you. His right hand was at the back of your neck.
You felt stuck in the kiss. You were actually kissing Kenshi. Kenshi Takahashi. You had to be dreaming.
You kissed him back with your hand slightly on his chin. The two of you continued to kiss like you’ve been waiting for the opportunity.
His lips melted with yours. They felt just right with you. Like they were made for you.
Kenshi pulled away slightly and looked into your eyes. It was silent for a moment but then you started to giggle uncontrollably.
He couldn’t help but chuckle at your giggles. “You know I’ve been waiting to do that forever right?”
“Me too.”
“Do you want to have a picnic with me today?”
You cracked your knuckles and faked yawned some. “I don’t know. I’d have to check my schedule. I’m a busy girl.”
Kenshi playfully rolled his eyes. “Well, let me know when you can fit me in.” He gave you another sweet kiss on your lips before pulling away from you and walking out your room.
You heard some knocking at your window. You raised a brow and walked over to go open it. There was Johnny, Kung Lao, and Raiden. “So?!l” Johnny asked curiously, wanting to know what happened.
You rested your hand on your hips. “My life is not your personal soap opera.” But then you smiled and gave in. “He kissed me!”
The three of your friends cheered and high fived you.
Kenshi was great but you were so glad you had your friends by your side.
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fallen-gravity · 13 days ago
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All jokes aside, despite the fact that multiple sources of canon tell us that Maui struggles with being empathetic and understanding where others are coming from when it comes to their needs in the way of emotional comfort, I'm gonna come out and say it: Maui is actually very good with being empathetic, but only in a very specific kind of way that only resonates with Moana.
(some fun analysis, please don't tag as a ship)
Here's the thing! I've been listening to Can I Get a Chee-Hoo? a lot lately, and the more I listen to it the more patterns I started noticing, and the more you unpack those patterns the more you start to understand why it worked to lift Moana's spirits, despite her being unreceptive to everything else he tried.
Namely that he went after her sense of identity.
Self-identity has always been hugely important to her. He's gotta know that better than anybody, given how many times she told him in the original that she is Moana of Motunui, and he *will* board her boat and sail across the sea, yadda yadda, you all know the rest.
And here's the thing! That's not even remotely close to the only time where the importance of one's identity comes up! (He, uh, wasn't there for one of those times, because one of those times was right after he took off and left at the result of frustration with his own sense of identity, but I digress for that specific situation), but do you know what the important thing to note about those other times is?
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Both of those other times, she was reaching out and trying to comfort someone else by reminding them about their own sense of identity!!
I talked briefly about this years ago, but there's a tiny scene in the novelization for the first movie that's omitted from the movie itself. It's right after Lalotai, but far before Moana gets Maui to open up about his issues with abandonment. If I remember right, he's being a stubborn pouty mess about his hook not working, refusing to even get back on the canoe at all, and the way that Moana gets him to comply is with a speech that goes somewhere along the lines of "We will make it all the way to Te Fiti, and you will defeat Te Ka, and I know that because you are Maui." It's a tiny gesture, and nowhere near as sentimental as her later "You are not nothing, and maybe the whole reason the ocean sent me here is to help you see that”, (also from the novelization), but it works, because in that moment all he needs is that gentle push and a reminder of the strong and powerful person he sees himself as. It's not about how she feels about him, it's about him needing to have faith in himself. That's what works!! That's what motivates him to keep going.
The reason I bring all of this up is that Can I Get a Chee-Hoo? is his way of doing the exact!! same!! thing!!
The first line in the whole song!
You're down in the dumps, you think you're way off your game, but you can turn it around, just remember your name!
He's not calling out to some scared kid, he's calling out to the Moana he knows, the Moana who's unafraid to shout her name from the mountain-tops and not care who hears her! The Moana who stood her ground in front of the very same lava monster who took him down without flinching once! Maui doesn't need to say he's proud of her or that he believes in her, not directly, because this is his way of saying this is not who you are, you know who you are.
The whole song is calling out to that pride he knows she has for herself.
Who are you? Who are you gonna be?
He's not looking for a dramatic, over the top answer. He's only looking for things she already knows. She is Tautai Moana of Motunui, she's the human who restored Te Fiti's heart when he couldn't. She knows who she is! But she's lost her way, just as he had once, and this is his way of helping her help herself out of it. He makes a joke about their roles being reversed for the sake of quid pro quo, you helped me so now I'm helping you, but whether he realizes it or not, he's using her own words against her! "I know who you are. Do you? Do you remember who you are?"
He sings her praises, (literally), but none of them are exaggerated or overly boastful in the way he sings his own praises! (also literal). She's legendary, she's going to make history, but oh, you actually already did! I know your legacy! Everything beyond I know your legacy and your destiny and I know that you're great is only hypothetical to build her up! He never claims that she's going to destroy Nalo, or that she'll singlehandedly do anything impossible for a human, it's all can you imagine the stories they'll tell about you? because he knows that's what's important to her!
The reason it works is because it calls her to pick herself up, just as she had done for him. In the novel, where a song obviously needs to be replaced, it all boils down to the essentials of "...I’ve been low before, and I couldn’t see my path. And someone came along who I underestimated and she lifted me up. Someone I don’t want to underestimate herself right now.” It works because it's less about come on, we can fight this guy! in reference to Nalo and more about come on, I know you can believe in yourself better than that!
And perhaps the most important thing of all:
He uses her name.
It's established in the novelization pretty early on, even before they're reunited, that she misses him and all of the teasing and all of the nicknames that comes with him (not that she'd ever admit it out loud, she'd rather be caught dead). She's used to Curly, that name is second nature to her. She's annoyed by princess, but will still respond to it if he calls her by it. They're affectionate nicknames, by all means, but she knows Maui, and she knows he tends to fall back on teasing and jokes and avoiding the heavier topics.
When he calls her Moana, she knows that he's not messing around. He's not teasing her. There's genuine, serious truth to what he says.
Throughout the song, he uses nothing but her name. C'mon, Moana, you know you can do this. It's a lot different hearing I have faith in you, you're the bravest wayfinder there's ever been when it's attached to her own name. He isn't teasing her anymore, he's genuinely trying to reassure her of her identiy and her inevitable legacy and if all else fails then that's what I'm here for.
It works for her because he's demonstrating empathy towards the one thing that's more important to her than anything else. That's how she knows he cares. That's how she knows he listens.
tldr; Even though Maui isn't great at the whole understanding and empathizing with humans thing, the reason he's still able to resonate with Moana is because he's able to empathize with her in a way that others may not have been able to.
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jakef3ver · 2 months ago
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Nishimura Riki | NDA
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︎ ☁︎︎ Idol!riki x fan!reader | fem!reader
↯ fluff, crack, maybe suggestive a little more into the fic, use of social media (instagram, twt), reader is just a regular girl going to school and stuff
⚠︎︎ will contain mentions of alcohol consume later
-what the actual fuck just happened?-
You sit up in your bed, after hearing your phone’s alarm. It was 8 AM and you got a total of 3 hours of sleep after staying up WAYYYY too long.
“fuck no” you whisper to yourself, agitated at the fact you only got to sleep 3 hours.
But honestly, it was your fault to stay up this late.
Accepting your fate, you get out of bed and look for your work clothes before making your way to the bathroom to get ready for work.
Your motivation to actually do all of this? Easy. The Enhypen concert in two days, you and Alija got VIP and front-row seats for.
After arriving at the cafe, you quickly greet your coworkers and put on an apron, before really starting your shift.
Taking orders and preparing coffee from customers.
Everything was as usual until you saw something.
Or rather someone, entering the cafe.
You had to make a double-take before actually realizing who this is.
“no fucking way, oh my god” you whisper to yourself while quickly turning your body around. “this can’t be real, what the fuck” you hiss, before taking a deep breath to calm yourself down.
You turn yourself to the front again, to greet the newly arrived customers with a warm smile.
“Hey, what can I get for you?” You say the sentence you say to EVERY customer you greet.
Your hand slightly trembling as you wait for them to tell you their order.
“What do you recommend?” Jake smiles and asks, before looking up to the menu and then to his left side to Riki standing beside him.
“I- I like the frozen flavored coffee” You say, your voice a little nervous. “with mocha sirup” You add, after taking another deep breath.
Jake nods. “I’ll take that one then”
Your hand is still shaking as you write down the order on the display in front of you.
“Large or medium?” You ask.
“Large please” he says with his typical Australian accent.
As you note the order, Jake says something like ‘your turn’ or ‘now you’ to Riki in Korean. You couldn’t really understand what exactly he said, but you can understand enough to make sense of it.
As you look up again, Riki looks at you with a small smile.
“I want the same one” He starts “Just in medium please” he adds in the same cute Korean accent, you always hear when he says something in English.
You nod “Noted”
After receiving both their orders, you tell them the price and Jake pays for both drinks.
You quickly turn yourself around, to directly prepare their Coffees.
Your eyes are blown wide open, your brain not realizing what just happened.
Skillfully, you prepare the coffee without spilling anything, even with your hands still shaking.
“Here, two frozen flavored coffees with mocha” you state while handing Jake and Riki their drinks over the counter.
Your heart stops for a second as you feel Riki's fingers slightly brush over yours, leaving goosebumps all over your body.
“Enjoy, have a good day” You quickly say and throw a kinda awkward smile in their direction, especially to Riki.
Then you practically RUN to the back of the cafe where the room for brakes is, while telling your coworker you'll be back soon.
Barely reaching the destined room, you dial Alijas number.
And she directly picks up.
“FUCK ALIJA”
“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK JUST HAPPENED”
“Y/n are you okay, why are you screaming at me”
“NO”
“WHAT HAPPENED?”
“FUCKING RIKI AND JAKE WHERE HERE”
“I GAVE THEM THEIR DRINKS”
“AND FUCKING RIKIS HAND TOUCHED MINE ALIJA”
“WHAT IS GOING ON”
“WHAT NO FUCKING WAY Y/N”
“R U FOR REAL”
“YES”
“AND RIKI DEADASS SMILED AT ME”
“Oh my fucking god y/n”
“That's just crazy”
“Fuck oh my god” you let out a breath you didn't know you where holding.
“I gotta go again” you sigh, still full of adrenaline from the previous encounter.
“Dinner later? At mine?” Alija asks nearly out of breath as you.
“Shit yes please” you answer.
“See you later then” she says excitedly and hangs up.
After putting your phone away again, you take a deep breath and make your way to the front again, to finish your shift.
masterlist | previous | next
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tags: @d-dilemma @microwvdstrawb3rri3s
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theloganator101 · 2 months ago
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An Alastor Fan Rants about one of the Season 2 Leaks
I’m making this as a way to voice my opinions on the whole Alasor and Rosie leak alongside his backstory and just how it doesn’t work… and ruined Alastor as a character in a span of minutes.
So first off! Rosie being the one to own Alastor’s soul! Out of ALL the characters it could’ve been, they chose Rosie. A character who was rather chummy with Al and seemed rather nice, and gave NO hint or implications of this being a possibility. That shows how they just pulled this out of their ass and prove the theorists wrong that it wasn’t Lilith or Roo, both that would’ve made way more sense in terms of story.
And quite honestly, I didn’t really care who it could’ve been as long as the execution was decent enough. But that’s not what they did! And not to mention that the song that follows after Alastor’s backstory, after we learn he’s a poc and whatnot, the song itself feels very… racist and uncomfortable to sit through. How the lyrics are all you’re my pet and you have to do everything I say, like Vivzie… are you actively trying to get people pissed at you? You’re already in deep shit with being accused of being sexist and lazy with research, why you gotta add racism into the mix?
Like, I can ONLY see this working if it results in Alastor and Charlie growing closer together, like Charlie genuinely cares about him and doesn’t treat him like he’s a monster or a pet, to have him realize her kindness and accept it.
Okay, let’s step away from Rosie and talk about Al’s backstory, because it does a HUGE disservice to Alastor and what he’s supposed to be in Hazbin Hotel.
So from what we’ve seen of him before the leaks, he’s shown to be cunning and manipulative. Using his sharp tongue as a weapon and to be able to turn the tides in his favor, he had this air of mystery to him as to why he’s so powerful. So it leaves viewers second guessing as to what he’s gonna do and if he’ll go as far as to backstab the main cast in the process.
… Well FUCK ALL THAT!!
He’s a serial killer just because! No motive or anything, he’s in it for the lols! Oh and he contacted a demon (AKA Rosie) to give him power when he dies so he can continue his reign and all that!
Which… What the actual fuck is this?
This doesn’t sound like Alastor at all! He’s someone who would put in work for the things he wants, not just ask for it on a silver platter! And what about his mom and dad? Are they just not in the picture anymore when they could’ve been used effectively for how he turned out?
And it’s like okay, I can understand if when he did arrive in Hell he tried to rise up but got curb stomped by demons stronger than him and did way worse things than he did. Thus leading him to meeting Rosie and accepting the deal just so he can feel in control again like when he was alive, but this just feels VERY out of character for him!
Usually when a creator has a favorite character they tend to coddle them and give them what they want, so why does it feel like Alastor is getting the short end of the stick this season? Even more so than Charlie!?
It’s just… as someone whose favorite character is Alastor, seeing how things are gonna turn out for him this season is not giving me hope that this season will get better.
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briarmoon1015 · 10 months ago
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I think I’ve already confessed that I’m not a big birdflash fan, but there is something I really gotta point out because it’s bothering me.
I see a lot of people use specific comic panels to try and show how close these two characters are, but completely miss the whole point of the comic itself.
For example, I’ve seen a lot of people use panels from The Flash 1987 210, in which Wally reflects on his relationship with dick.
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The problem with this is they are literally cutting out the next part of the page that explains that they have drifted apart
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Wally is extremely different from dick, and once he takes up the flash mantle, it becomes clear that these two characters are on different paths. Wally wants to uphold the legacy of the flash, dick desperately wants to escape the legacy of Batman. Wally has a wife, three children, and a stable job. Dicks life changes at a moments notice, one minute he’s broke, one minute he’s rich, sometimes he has a job as a police officer, sometimes he’s dating one of his many red headed girlfriends, he’s the opposite of stable.
And that’s not to say the different characters can’t be friends or be together, but as this same comic shows, these two often struggle to understand one another once adults
Wally, after zoom caused his wife Linda to have a miscarriage, went to Hal as the spectre for help, which no one liked, including Dick. He is somewhat miffed Wally didn’t come to him, be he also sides with Bruce about how reckless and stupid the action was
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He definitely empathizes with Wally’s situation, but he’s not really there to give support. Later on, dick does start to get the point, and the two take down gorilla grod. Dick apologies for his actions and both agree to stay in touch more. Obviously every good friendship is going to have some moments of tension and disagreement, but I think this really shows why Wally and Dick fell apart as adults.
And this really is the crux of why I’m personally not a big fan or birdflash. These two characters are inherently different and it’s so rare for me to see any birdflash content that acknowledges this. They can be together in a way that acknowledges and builds off of this, but it really hasn’t been done.
More importantly, I’ve noticed that to make burdflash work, a lot of fans completely erase Wally’s character to ignore these differences. His own goals, his own backstory, his own relationships, are just gone so he can be with dick. There is never any acknowledgment of the canon of Wally’s own motivations, such as living up to the flash mantle, or any mention of his connections to characters outside of Dick.
Even more so, I think erasing the presence of his wife and kids from his life so he can be with dick is really hard on the character. Linda is so essential in Wally’s life. She is the character in which speedsters learn the importance of having a lightning rod. She is the one to often push Wally to keep going. His kids redefined his life. He literally broke the source wall in order to keep them in his life. These are essential relationships that are just erased from Wally’s life.
As someone who truly prefers Wally over Dick, it hurts to see a potentially good pairing erase the good aspects of Wally like this. There is plenty of erasure done to other dc characters because of how popular the Bats are, and this ship, at least to me, is one of the worst examples. These characters are different, and often times it makes it hard for them to understand each other. Ignoring that issue doesn’t make the ship good in my eyes.
Anyways, I really don’t want to poop on birdflash as a whole. It is by no means a bad ship, I personally just don’t really like it. It has a lot of qualities that bother me. Despite all of this though, I do love seeing people’s art of it and I actually do think it can work a bit better when they are young and apart of the teen titans. I also know as a halbarry shipper I’m throwing rocks in a glass house lmao. But please ship what you like, I really don’t care, I just needed to shout into the void about my feelings around it :)
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