#i guess now it works as an advanced comic for this year too

[yizhanfanart]

summer island treasure hunt (part 1)

Art by -木鬼- on Weibo

Translated by YizhanFanart

Source: https://weibo.com/2917062503/4953088542904229

-Please do not remove the credits-

[atlafan]

This is the teacher that kids either love or hate, there’s no in between. Mr. Styles has his quirks, and according to your niece, you either get him or you don’t. The annoying thing is, Mr. Styles teaches all of the science electives like astronomy, astrophysics, forensic science, marine science, zoology, and meteorology. These aren’t required courses, but they’re only a semester long. After completing biology, students can either take a full year of chemistry and a full year of physics, or they can do a full year of chemistry or physics, and two science electives. Or they can do four science electives.

Mr. Styles also is the only AP Chemistry and AP Physics teacher. There’s really no avoiding him. Some students accept this, and others continue to live in denial.

Many students know their strengths and passions. They were made to be scientists. Your niece, who loves science, is taking as many courses as possible to help herself out for college later on. She’s in AP Chemistry with Mr. Styles, as well as forensic science. Your niece loved Mr. Styles until he gave her an F for missing an exam. She had been out sick. She had a note from her doctor and everything! Your niece blubbered to you about it.

You know Mr. Styles. You work at the same school as Mr. Styles. You’re the music teacher. You typically avoid Mr. Styles. You’re in a completely different area of the school. Many students complain about him, but just as many praise him. But this time it’s personal. He made your niece cry, at school! You told her she could stay in your office for a bit to calm down. You were marching your way to Mr. Styles’ classroom. You didn’t care if he was teaching. You were going to barge in.

When you get to his door, you see him sitting at his desk through the little window. It’s a prep period. When you giggle the handle of the door, it doesn’t turn. So, you pound on the door with your fist while Mr. Styles takes his sweet time coming to open it.

“Miss-“

“Don’t even address me right now, I’m too mad.”

“I don’t think I know you well enough for you to be venting to me about something.” He says as he closes the door. “But I guess I can listen since I have time.”

“I’m here because you’re being an asshole to my niece. She missed school because she was sick and you wouldn’t let her makeup a test. That’s against school policy.”

“Not with AP courses.” He crosses his arms over his chest. You can’t help but feel frazzled at his attire. The dichotomy of him wearing a Disney shirt about love while he’s scowling is is almost comical. “If a student is sick on the day of the exam, then that’s it. They fail. They don’t get to try again.”

“How is she going to get into a good school if she has an F on her transcript?!”

“She’s not going to fail the class. She knew I had a strict policy. Also, I put out exam dates well in advance. She knew what day it was going to be.”

“She was sick!”

“Was she vomiting uncontrollably? Was she coughing up blood? Was she bed ridden? If the answer is no to any of those, then she could have come in to take the exam.”

“Right, so then she could get all of the other kids sick?”

“Masks are a thing. Plenty of students still wear them in the classroom. She could have come in for the exam and then left afterwards. Why do you care so much? You’re not her legal guardian. Her parents haven’t emailed or called to complain. At the mandatory parents meeting I run at the beginning of the school, I make it clear to the parents that I am strict for a reason.”

“My sister and brother-in-law haven’t called to complain because they don’t know about any of this. She came crying to me because she has no idea how to tell them because she knows she’s going to be asked if she knew it was an exam day. Which she completely forgot because she was sick and her brain was foggy.”

“She’ll have opportunities to make up her grade. Her participation counts for a lot and she’s always participating.”

“You don’t understand mental instability these overachievers have. I’ve seen that girl cry over an A-. Shooting her in the stomach would hurt less than getting a bad grade. Do you get off on being a dick?”

“You know what? This is my prep period, and I was busy.”

“Yeah, your door was locked.” You scoff.

“I always lock it. I don’t like when people filter in and out during my prep.”

“What if a student had an emergency and needed you?! Why are you even a teacher if you don’t care about students?! Do you have any idea how hard these kids have it? They don’t even teach them how to use computers anymore! No one knows how to touch type! Everyone assumes they have it easy, but they don’t. A lot of kids come to school because it’s better than being at home. You making it worse for them is a real turn off. I know you have students that adore you, but you also have students that would love the opportunity to spit in your food.”

“Are you done?”

“That depends, do you understand the points I’ve made?”

“Yes. You were very clear.”

“Are you going to take what I said into consideration as you’re teaching?”

“No.”

“You’re a fucking prick.”

“And you’re…” His eyes go up and down, checking her out. “It’s a good thing your room is on the other side of the school.” He shakes his head.

“Why? Afraid I’ll spit in your food?”

“No, in fact, I’d welcome your spit. I’d like it preferably in my mouth, but beggars can’t be choosers.” He shrugs and sits down at his desk.

Your mouth is agape. Did he really just say that to you?

“Are you serious?”

“Very.” He stands back up and saunters over to her. “If you’d like to cuss me out some more, could we do it over dinner?”

“I…”

“You never gave me a chance to take you out a few years ago. Remember that night we were both at that bar?”

“I do.” You nod as you blush. “But that was a mistake. I had a boyfriend…”

“Do you still?”

“No.”

“Alright, well, I would love to be in your presence again while you’re all fired up. Are you free Saturday night?”

“Pick me up at seven.”

“I’ll make a reservation somewhere I know we’ll be secluded so you can yell at me some more.”

“Stop talking before I change my mind.” You say and storm out of his classroom.

While you were teaching your sixth period choral class, Harry was teaching his forensic science class. Your niece got there a few minutes early to talk to Mr. Styles as he stood outside the class to greet the other students coming in.

“So…did it work?” She asked quietly.

“Like a charm.”

“She said yes?!”

“Mhm.” He grinned. “You must have put on quite the performance. She was really angry.”

“If you thought that made her angry, wait until she inevitably finds out that we worked together to trick her.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

[littlestpersimmon]

Even if I get paid by my industry job tomorrow I would still need to have three jobs bc my contract states that if the comic I'm working for ends up not getting published, I would have to return every single penny I make, yes even the advance, even if I have the story 100% drawn already. I was so taken aback I had to ask for clarification *twice*. They said this rarely happened, so I asked my two other friends who worked in the same industry if this was normal, and one of them was from Europe and the other was American (all three of us worked for the same American company) and they both said yes, this was in their contract too. So I guess it's not cuz I'm from the global south. Okay well guess what, both of those friends had comics they were working on, and it got dropped later this year, Literally whilst they were midway working and they didn't make a single cent lol. Why is everyone acting like I am crazy for thinking these kinds of contract are like. Absurd and predatory. I'm going crazy bc I'm always overworked and dying of poverty and anxiety bcos now I have to be an artist, an influencer or whatever, like I have to both work and work and then stay relevant when all I want is to just not starve to death and draw my gay little guys. This is so crazy. I don't want to exist like this forever. I don't want to continuously depend on the grace of my friends and my followers I just want to live!!

[the-la-mey]

Hello! I found your blog in Pixiv accidentally so I am sorry if that make you uncomfortable.

I love your works that I read them and reblog them when you post in tumblr. (I didn't leave my like in pixiv since I can't sure if you're okay with that so don't worry)

I read the au that abaout the brothers in human world as 7 mystery in school? Sorry I can't read Japanese so I might guess wrong.

And I adore the story about (Natsuki)夏樹 and Satan the most.

I am not sure about the ending but I guess they meet again after Natsuki confessed but the ending os not well?

Can I have the more after story about that please?

You have right to refuse ofc, thank you again and wish you have a good day🥰🥰

I don't keep it a secret that I have a Pixiv account, so it's not a problem.I am very happy!😆🎶

Thank you for reading even though you don't understand Japanese.It's long, but I'll write an explanation.

That comic is an imaginary version of what if they attended Japanese schools in a world close to reality.

Satan is a college student, and many other students like him and want to be friends with him.

However, he wants to spend time quietly, so he approaches and takes advantage of the quiet Natsuki.

When Satan is with Natsuki, other students are hesitant to talk to him.

Natsuki thought it strange but felt happy.

However, Satan suddenly tells Natsuki that he will be studying abroad. That was the day before he left.

From the beginning, Satan had no intention of graduating with Natsuki.

Japanese universities do not have a grade-skipping system, and in order to surpass Lucifer, Satan had to become a university professor at a young age.

However, he was worried that if he told Natsuki about this in advance, Natsuki would give up on their relationship with Satan, make other friends, and leave.

By being with Natsuki, Satan is able to spend time without unnecessary interactions with other students. He loved those days.

Satan knew that Natsuki had feelings for him, and also knew that Natsuki was too shy to tell him that.

Still, it would be boring to just say goodbye, so Satan suggested that he kiss Natsuki as a memory.

Natsuki was vaguely aware that Satan was using.

Natsuki nodded at the suggestion of kissing him, but Natsuki thought that Satan wouldn't do it.

Natsuki was hoping that once Satan left, leaving Natsuki alone, who was still nodding, Natsuki would be able to give up on the feelings for Satan.

But Satan thought that was a shame.

For Satan, the days spent with Natsuki were comfortable and had quite good memories.

If Natsuki completely gives up on Satan and is able to enjoy life without him, then only Satan will be unilaterally in favor of Natsuki.

That was an annoyance to Satan.

Satan is a troublesome man.

So, he dared to kiss Natsuki and left with the following words.

"See you first love”

There, Natsuki finally could see Satan's true nature.

Natsuki came to realize that Satan, who had seemed as gentle as an angel until then, was actually just a deceiver.

(In Japanese, angel and impostor have similar words.

It's “tenshi” and ”petenshi”)

For the first time, Natsuki was able to escape from Satan's intentions.

On the other hand, Satan, who left in style, was looking forward to meeting Natsuki again in a few years.

If Satan had planned it, Natsuki would have had complicated feelings for him.

Satan expected that if he showed off Natsuki's fake glasses hanging in his breast pocket and went to see, Natsuki would become distraught and cling to him.

However, when they actually met again, Natsuki was completely normal.

Satan thought it wasn't fun.

I realized that I had failed to respond to a request for an after story, so I would like to add this.(11:47)

From now on, they will be just friends, meeting up occasionally to update each other.

I think it's good that their relationship is neither love nor spouses.

It was fun because it was a different world from the original Obey Me story, and I was able to portray a relationship unique to someone who is not an MC.

Thank you for reading.😉💕

I'll also post the comic in case others see it.Readers are welcome to interpret Natsuki's gender as they wish.

[major-wren]

Sonic Timeline (?)

Okay guys.. help me with this. Is THIS the current canon timeline for the main-line games? I really wanna figure out some sort of standard main-line canon, so feel free to pitch your two cents in comments & reblogs.

Read below the cut to see the timeline I put together, based on what I'm pretty sure might be the official canon timeline we're in right now.

HEAVY SONIC SPOILERS WARNING

> Ancient times,

before humans or animal-folk existed: The "Ancients" (shown in sonic frontiers) have their planet destroyed, and escape to Sonic's world to rebuild, but are destroyed again. We do not know who destroyed them either times, but their cyber-world containing their memories are left behind along with the chaos emeralds.

>In Sonic Riders, they establish the "Babylonians," or "Children of Babylon." They are another ancient alien race with advanced technology, although Sonic's world was not their home, they just got trapped there by accident. They built the Babylon Garden, a floating island that was originally their space ship, but eventually it was all destroyed as a "punishment from the Gods." The Babylonians did not go extinct, but it seems that they evolved into the bird-like species that Jet, Storm, and Wave are.

> 4,000 years before the 1950s:

"The Fourth Great Civilization" existed and were able to harness chaos energy. They built a gizoid capable of destroying the world, which Sonic would later name Emerl. This Gizoid became too powerful and ended up destroying the civilization that built it.

> "Thousands of years" before Sonic Adventure

(unknown how many thousands): The last Ancient maybe evolved into Chaos? The echidna tribes exist now and live in harmony with Chaos and the little chaos, but one tribe becomes power hungry for the master emerald and Chaos transforms into his monster-form and wipes out the power hungry tribe to protect the emeralds (I believe that tribe he wiped out was the largest echidna tribe but not all of them). Tikal seals herself and Chaos within the Master Emerald. Also, when they were alive the echidnas painted a mural based on a prophecy of someone using the chaos emeralds to go super in the future.

> 1950's, or 50 years before SA2

(Assuming SA2 takes place in the year of its release date, 2001, and then subtract 50 years because Shadow said thats how long he was asleep.) Ok, 1950s: Gerald Robotnik's niece/granddaughter Maria becomes terminally ill with NIDs. He seeks government funding to find a cure but they only agree on the terms that he also builds a weapon for them. He agrees, and lives on space colony ARK with Maria to work on his creation. He researches the ancient echidna tribes and the chaos emerald, as proven by the structures he built on the ARK that are identical to the structures the echidnas left behind. Its also believed that he was inspired by the mural the echidnas painted of that prophecy that depicts Sonic's super form, and that's why Shadow looks like Sonic, especially with the red eyes and upturned quills that Sonic's super form has. The mural can be found in Sonic 3.

>Gerald makes contact with the black arms aliens race and strikes a deal. If they let him use their alien DNA, then he'll let them use Shadow to take over the world when their comet comes by again. He makes the lazer on the ARK to explode the aliens' comet when they come by again so that they can't actually use Shadow, then combines the black arms DNA and the chaos emeralds to make Shadow (and also adds part of Maria's soul somehow I guess). If you like to keep parts of the Archie comics, then it's implied Gerald personally raised Shadow himself alongside Maria, as he calls him son in the Archie comics.

>Gerald also finds the old gizoid I mentioned earlier. Upon learning of its powers, he fears what could happen if it's left unchecked and tries to build safety measures into it so that nobody can use it to destroy the world. Yknow, since it wiped out an entire civilization 4,000 years ago. Relations with G.U.N are rocky as they're beginning to fear Project Shadow, and to make things worse, Gerald loses control of the gizoid and it destroys part of the space colony. In order to fix relations with G.U.N and protect everyone from the gizoid, he tries to destroy its core but is unable to, so as a last ditch effort he puts part of Maria's soul in it. Seriously... how is he doing that??

>G.U.N fears the weapons Gerald is building (bio-lizard, emerl the gizoid, and Shadow) and decides to shut it all down. As they rush the space colony ARK, Maria is killed by a G.U.N soldier as she tries to help Shadow escape. Gerald is sent to prison island with an unconscious Shadow. He is allowed to continue working on Shadow under supervision in prison island but ends up augmenting Shadow's memory to make him believe Maria wants him to destroy the world, so he can get his revenge. G.U.N finds out hes double crossing them somehow and he is executed, and Shadow is locked away deep within prison island. The gizoid is also sealed away.

> 1990's, "classic" era

Young Sonic begins his adventures saving flickies from eggman bots. It's assumed Knuckles was also born at a similar time as Sonic, and that by now the echidna species has slowly dwindled down over time to just Knuckles. I assume that since echidnas lay eggs, that Knuckles wasnt able to meet his parents because they died before he hatched, or when he was super super young and had no memory. But also... let's not think about that too hard. Anyway, Tikal is still sealed inside the Master Emerald with Chaos, and the little chaos and flickies are on Angel Island too, so hes not entirely alone.

>Sonic happens to run by and save Tails from some bullies, and Tails decides to follow him and become his side-kick. On a solo adventure, Sonic then faces off with Eggman and his new robot Metal-Sonic, who are holding Amy hostage. Amy's fortune telling tarot cards told her she'd meet her hero in that location, and since Sonic saves her there, she decides to follow him too. Sonic then meets Knuckles, who has been deceived by Eggman. Eggman lied and said Sonic is trying to steal the Master Emerald, so Sonic and Knuckles fight, but when Eggman's lie is revealed Knuckles teams up with Sonic to defeat him. They all become friends and everyday heroes, going on adventures together, as well as Tails having his solo adventures and Knuckles has an adventure with Team Chaotix and Mighty the armadillo. (Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic CD, Sonic Drift, Sonic 3, Sonic Mania, Sonic Drift 2, Knuckles' Chaotix, Tails' Adventure, Sonic R, and Sonic Origins.)

> 1999, Sonic Adventure 1:

Eggman unleashes Chaos from the Master Emerald to take over the world, but Sonic defeats him. Tikal's spirit was also released from the Master Emerald when eggman shattered it, and so she commits to taking care of Chaos after Sonic defeats it, and Knuckles restores the Master Emerald. Sonic's growing up into his teens and becoming a hero on a bigger scale now (he is 15 at this point). Knuckles, Tails, and Amy seem comfortable working as a team now too.

> 2001, Sonic Adventure 2:

Eggman discovers Gerald's diary and wakes up Shadow 50 years after the ARK massacre so he can use Shadow to take over the world. Shadow double crosses him to completely destroy the world, killing everyone including himself and eggman, but after a heart to heart with Amy (who happens to say something similar to Shadow's key-phrase, Maria's last words), he regains his true memories and saves the world at the last minute through self sacrifice. Rouge also joins in this game, at first as a double spy working for the government, but throughout the game she begins to care about Shadow as she uncovers his past, and in the end she allies with Sonic team, at least on neutral terms.

> Sonic Advance 1 & 2:

In Sonic Advance 1, Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Knuckles all go on a classic adventure beating up eggman's bots in the familiar Greenhill zones. In Sonic Advance 2, Cream the rabbit is introduced and Team Sonic help save her mother Vanilla the rabbit from eggman.

> Sonic Heroes:

Shadow turns out to have survived his fall from space, and eggman has sealed him within his base with a guard robot named Omega. Rouge finds him and takes him under her wing along with Omega, forming Team Dark, although shes unsure if its the real Shadow or one of the robot replicas that eggman built. Neo-metal sonic is the big bad guy of this game but everyone defeats him together (team chaotix, team rose, team dark, and team sonic).

> Shadow The Hedgehog (the game):

The black arms return just like they said they would but Sonic crew defeats them with Shadow, who regains his memories with his friends' help. It's a good thing Gerald made so many video messages and diaries for people to find in the future lol

> Sonic Battle:

Eggman uncovers Emerl the gizoid, an ancient robot his grandfather Gerald discovered before him in the 1950s and gave a part of Maria's soul. Emerl is unresponsive though, so Eggman abandons him. Sonic finds him and brings him to Tails to fix up. Shadow attempts to destroy Emerl, saying something along the lines that Sonic (and bio-weapon creators) don't understand what its like to be a living weapon, that it's a life not worth living, and that he won't allow Emerl to exist knowing he has the capability to destroy the world, and also that no one else should have to live through what he has. Sonic protects Emerl and is adamant that every life has value and that he'll keep Eggman from using Emerl for evil.

>Everyone except Shadow decides to collect all the chaos emeralds so that Emerl can be reset through a key-phrase Rouge found, but there's also a chance he'll default to destroying the world if he's overwhelmed with power. Shadow refuses to give the last emerald in fear of Emerl losing control, but Rouge explains that Gerald gave Shadow and Emerl souls, so that even if someone tried to force them to destroy the world, their souls would prevent them from being able to do it. Deciding to trust Rouge and his shared soul with Emerl, Shadow gives up the last emerald and says the key-phrase (Maria's last words, which is also Shadow's key-phrase). It works and Emerl gains free will, but after a while Eggman captures him again and overwhelms him with power, which causes Emerl to lose control and attempt to destroy the world, forcing Sonic to fight him. Emerl self destructs as Gerald's last safety measure for if he is weaponized, ending his story there. Also, side note, Chaos is mentioned by Knuckles, meaning its still alive on Angel Island.

> Sonic Advance 3:

Eggman creates a new robot named Gemerl made out of the leftover data he could scavenge from what was left of Emerl after he self destructed. He then uses chaos control to break the world into seven pockets of reality so he can conquer it all and turn it into the Dr. Eggman Empire. Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Amy, and Cream all group up to fight the eggman bots, Gemerl, and collect the chaos emeralds. Once they have all the chaos emeralds, Gemerl betrays Eggman and steals the emeralds for himself to become 'Ultimate Gemerl.' Sonic becomes super and teams up with Eggman to defeat Gemerl, who explodes.

>Later on, while Cream and her mother are at the beach, they find Gemerl's damaged body on the shore and bring it to Tails. Tails repairs Gemerl and reprograms him to be friendly and non-violent. From then on, Gemerl lives a peaceful life with Cream and Vanilla in their cottage, and becomes Cream's protector. In a way, Emerl was able to be reborn into Gemerl and have another chance at life.

> Sonic Rush 1 & 2:

Blaze the cat is introduced when her dimension collides with Sonic's. Unlike the chaos emeralds, princess Blaze needs the sol emeralds to stay together or else her islands will drop into the ocean. Blaze, Sonic, and Tails fight the Eggman of her dimension to save their worlds. In the second game, Marine is added and they go on a pirate adventure when Sonic and Tails end up in Blaze's dimension. Later on in The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog, it is revealed that Blaze is able to open a portal whenever she likes so she can cross into Sonic's dimension to visit or help in bigger adventures.

> Sonic Riders:

I honestly haven't looked into the story yet, I think these bird people are like... the descendents of aliens or something?? Why are there so many ancient aliens in sonic lore. Well anyway, the Babylon rogues are introduced with Jet, Wave, and Storm. Also hoverboards exist.

> Sonic The Hedgehog 2006:

Okay so... Silver is definitely canon and still needs to exist because he's in the IDW comics, but... Is anything besides him still canon in this timeline? I mean, even if Elise is out there somewhere, do any of the characters remember her?

> Sonic Lost World, Sonic Colors, Sonic and The Black Knight, and Sonic and The Secret Rings:

Lost World introduces the Zeti aliens, and Colors introduces wisps. The storybook games further support/imply the existence of other timelines and dimensions, or maybe Sonic was just dreaming.

>I don't think it really matters exactly what order these games happen in, including Sonic Unleashed, as long as they happen before the events of Generations. By release date though, it's Secret Rings > Unleashed > Black Knight > Colors > Lost World. HOWEVER, release dates don't always matter, because writers have said before that release dates dont always line up with the story. For example: Sonic Battle actually takes place before Sonic Heroes, even though Sonic Heroes came out first.

> Sonic Unleashed:

Since the beginning of time, a god-like being named Dark Gaia has been sleeping within the core of the world and wakes up to shatter the world at a certain time every however many years, and each time Light Gaia would put it back together. I wonder if this is what keeps wiping out the ancient alien civilizations? Clearly the Ancients in Sonic Frontiers, the aliens from Sonic Riders, and "The Fourth Civilization" from Sonic Battle each had time to build up their civilizations to amazingly advanced technological landscapes, but would then get wiped out and the next civilization would have to restart.

>Eggman learns how to drain the chaos emeralds' of their power, and condenses their power into a lazer that he uses to shatter the world's crust in order for Dark Gaia to escape (but couldn't he already do that with the ARK's lazer?) He also drained Sonic of his super form, which turned him into a werewolf with stretchy arms for some reason, but only at night. Since Light Gaia was taken from the Earth's core prematurely, he is in a weakened state with amnesia, and follows Sonic around until he remembers his true purpose.

>The Dark Gaia absorbs whatever power was inside of Sonic that caused him to turn into a werehog, curing him of his curse, and then Light Gaia weakens Dark Gaia so that Sonic can defeat it in his super form. Light Gaia, or Chip, then helps Sonic return to the Earth's surface, and seals himself within the core once again.

> Sonic Generations:

Sonic is celebrating his birthday!! Which proves that he and everyone else have been slowly aging throughout their adventures. Suddenly, the "Time Eater" attacks, and scatters all the birthday party guests all across space and time. Sonic and Tails meet their younger selves from the past, and they all race through all of the adventures Sonic's been on to restore the timeline. They defeat the Time Eater, which is being piloted by eggman and eggman from the past, with the help of their friends and their past selves. Afterward Sonic and his friends return to the present, with the Sonic and Tails from the past. Sonic tells his younger self that he's going to have a great future, before sending him and the young past Tails off to their correct time through the remaining time portal. Current Eggman tells Past Eggman that he's yet to defeat Sonic, and Past Eggman considers getting a teaching degree instead like he had wanted. It's unclear if Past-Sonic will then go through all the same adventures, or if his time-travel hijinks opened up a new timeline, maybe even one where Eggman becomes a teacher instead! But probably not, lol. At the very least, it opens up a timeline where that Sonic gets deja-vu in all his future adventures leading up to the Time-Eater's attack.

> 2017, Sonic Forces:

Sonic is captured by Infinite and they have to open up a portal into a different timeline/the past to get Classic Sonic to help them save our Sonic.

> IDW comics:

Everyone fights neo-metal and the zeti aliens again, eggman lost his memory but then regained it, the whole zombot arc happened, and now Surge and Kit are on the rise. To those who have not read, I highly recommend at least reading up to issue #29.

> 2022, Sonic Frontiers:

Sonic Frontiers happens somewhere on this timeline... Maybe sometime after Sonic Forces but in the middle of the IDW comics. Sonic crew learn about the Ancients (mentioned first on the timeline), who supposedly are the ones who brought the chaos emeralds to Sonic's world in the first place. Also, the characters are all clearly growing older, as their voices are much more mature, and they each decide to commit to independent adventures to prove their growth. It's honestly really sweet watching Amy and Tails start out with literal child voice-actors, then seeing them grow into their new older voices. I assume Sonic is going from 15 (his last recorded age in SA2) to his 20s, which will probably mean we'll get more lore-focused games that hold space for an older audience while still keeping it kid-friendly.

...I think that's everything? Someone please fill in the gaps on Sonic Riders, I know there's 3 games for that series. I think the details on their alien race might be important if we want to try and piece together the first four ancient civilizations.

Also, someone please share what happens in Sonic Rivals (2006) because I'm not willing to watch like over eight hours of game play yet, but I know it has a big story that most fans aren't familiar with.

[inkfamy]

Issue 1 of Void Rivals was super fun, and in the time honoured tradition of following a comic as it releases I'm going to make some wild extrapolation predictions and hopes for the upcoming new Transformers continuity (focussing mostly on the Transformers, because of course, but also I really enjoyed this issue and I'm excited for the continuing non-Transformers story)

spoilers for Void Rivals #1 below the cut

First up wow, the art style and design in this issue is so pretty, I love how soft the colours are (I'll talk about the Rivals later)

I love that so far we have a nice reworking of the Fire In The Sky story: Jetfire is a scientist, and he managed to (presumably) crash and get stranded and stasis locked for millions of years. I like that he's very much in his G1 characterisation too, he's immediately very gentle and reassuring to Darak and Solila.

(also, moment of appreciation for this nice characterisation; science mind comes to the fore as he studies his own wear and tear and guesses that he's been down for millennia)

(additional moment to hoot in amusement as he immediately forgets about the little people and dashes off)

So making some extrapolations and guesses based on the tiny bit of info we glean here:

Jetfire is a scientist, and he crashed millennia ago, so

if we're borrowing the Fire In The Sky premise, is Starscream going to be an ex scientist again? Please let Starscream be a scientist again

The war between the Autobots and Decepticons has presumably been waging for millions of years, as per most other continuities

It would be neat to get an introduction to Cybertron as it is now and its state of affairs through Jetfire's frantic return (or attempt to return)

Darak and Solila are able to jump start(??) Jetfire with their tech which is fun and interesting (I am always a fan of "non-TF squishies can use their automobile/mechanical/science knowhow to do stuff to Cybertronians) BUT

(extreme leap) Darak specifically is inspired by Jetfire's abilitiy to transform and starts working on a way to use his and Solila's flight suits to repair their ships. Given how advanced their tech seems to be (and Handroid apparently being some kind of robo AI), does this mean we might be looking at a headmasters plot in the future?

We also got a nice author's note at the end of the issue from Robert Kirkman, which was an interesting peek at his own thoughts on the series. It was particularly interesting that he specifically mentions the 86 movie and Optimus Prime's death as both a key point in his experience as a Transformers fan, and as a lesson he took forward as a storyteller. (extremely tenuous extrapolation) While Kirkman isn't the main writer in the upcoming Transformers run, I wonder if this means we can possibly look forward to (dread?) some big character deaths and plot twists (not unusual for a comic series of course but also I am vibrating at high frequency). He also says that the Agorrians and Zertonians will be part of the EU, so super interesting to see how this is woven in with the TF story.

Moment after all this leaping to wild conclusions to appreciate Jetfire's design and his little kitty ears

So, Jetfire was there for all of 3 pages and then promptly dipped. I was expecting them to find him wrecked, but tbh I thought it would be at the end of the issue as a cliffhanger. It does sort of feel like he was just shoved in there (maybe to make TF fans buy into Void Rivals if I'm being affectionately cynical) very briefly, but I don't find myself minding too much since we're getting a new Transformers ongoing later this year (I don't mind when comics have a little thing that doesn't get explained until another series), but since the poster for Void Rivals shows Jetfire a) with an Autobot insignia [he doesn't have one in the issue #1 panels] and b) holding Darak and Solila, I am curious (but not holding my breath) that he might turn up again somewhere between now and October.

I feel like this post is getting overly long so I'm just going to bullet point some thoughts about Darak and Solila, their deal, and the things this issue seems to be setting up for the Void Rivals story:

I love Handroid so much, I don't care if it's the active tool of a Nefarious Regime

Neat parallel between the Agorrians and Zertonians and their apparently generational war, and the Cybertronians and their *waves hand*

Obviously someone(s) for some reason(s) have a vested interest in keeping the Agorrians and Zertonians at war, not learning about one another, and not getting a moment to even think about not killing each other

(another extreme leap) please give me Quintessons mixed up in the wars of multiple species across the universe

Mild disappointment that both aliens are just "slightly different coloured humans" in design but the moment they took off their helmets and looked at each other and saw they were the same was so lovely that I forgive it

I was expecting to be fairly disinterested in the non-Transformers plot, especially because GI Joe has really never called to me, but this issue really felt like a nice introduction, I'm definitely curious about what's going on between the Agorrians and Zertonians, what's going to happen when Darak and Solila inevitably manage to escape and are now known by both their factions to have worked with The Enemy, and also dying for more Handroid. Also I am shoving Jetfire content into my mouth and chewing frantically before anyone can take it away.

[ufonaut]

Hi! Been trying to calculate the birthyears of the OG JSAers for reference during my comic reading. While there's estimates, have you ran across any canon birth years for any of them? So far I've calculated Jay G. (1918), Alan S. (1916), Al Pratt (1920), and Johnny T. (1917). I know Wes & Charles are a little older than the others while Kent's aging was thrown off by Nabu (aged up in 1940) but the exact years are harder to pin down, though I imagine most were probably born between 1915 - 1921.

HEY NOW THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'M HERE FOR!! this made me very happy to read, it's exactly the kinda thing i spend ages thinking about all the time and i think you're only off by a couple years!

as far as i'm aware, the only jsaer with an exact birth date/year stated during the actual golden age is johnny thunder (07/07/1917) in flash comics 1940 #1, although he's later written as much younger and the majority of his stories treat him as a teenager. that being said, it's equally easy to make an educated guess about kent nelson's birth year -- his origin story in more fun comics 1936 #67 begins in 1920 and the doctor fate 1987 miniseries later states he was twelve at the time, which would make him born in 1908 (the same mini also states that nabu has kept him and inza frozen at twenty-one years old until his rapid ageing during the events of the story).

al pratt is a sophomore in college so i'd personally place him around 1921, while jay graduates in 1940 and that presumably places him around 1919. mcnider has to be at least 30, he's a well-established doctor by the time he's blinded so it's probably something like 1910 or earlier. i'd guess wes is somewhere around there too and rex is probably a couple years younger in his mid-to-late twenties as he's a college graduate and he's been working at banner chemicals for a decent amount of time by his first appearance in adventure comics 1938 #48. similarly, carter is a complete mystery but presumably in his mid-to-late twenties too since flash comics #1 calls him a 'collector and research scientist'. on the other hand, the spectre 1992 series has jim corrigan lying about his age to enlist in the first world war so if he's 17 in 1917 then that makes him born in 1900 and dead at 40.

as for alan, most of his golden age stories do emphasize his youth to the point that i believe we're meant to understand that his career -- and especially the very fast advancement of it -- is extremely uncommon for his age. we know nothing concrete about his past but we do know doiby dickles was in wwi and must be somewhere in his forties, we also know that alan is young enough to be his son so i generally see alan as born in 1918 and twenty-one at the time of the train crash in 1939 (the exact year of the train crash is also subject to some debate, i prefer this particular version that roy thomas suggests in the all-star companion because it gives him a decent chunk of time as a solo hero before the jsa but doomsday clock places it in 1940 as per cover date rather than volume date of aac #16).

i think the absolute best possible resource for the jsaer's ages is paul levitz's 'aging the all-stars' article from the amazing world of dc comics #16, this is as close as we've ever gotten to explicit canon confirmation of any of this and it makes for some easy math with 1976 as the present year he's using to determine all this. more to the point, he has alan as born in 1919 if he's 57 in 1976 so he's on board with the 20-21 age range for the train crash too.

hope this helped!

[laf-outloud]

To clarify, when I said Jensen is not a producer, I didn't mean he didn't hold the title or the job. He was given the title and the job, sure. But he has absolutely zero idea how to do it and (going by what I've seen) very little interest, humility, curiosity, or care to actually learn. Never mind the backstabbing part, keeping the idea from Jared was INSANELY stupid from a business perspective. Jared would've helped because he's incredibly generous. Of the two, it's Jared who is the producer. I remember at 2015 Comic Con when Jared was asked if he'd like to direct besides acting he said no, if he was going to do sth else it would be producing. All the way back in 2015 and he already knew what he could do. He's smart & self-aware enough to know his strengths and put effort into cultivating them. Jensen is a passable director who is better than passable when the camera is on Jared, maybe due to what seems like his own weird proprietary-ish obsessive love-hate, admiration-jealousy mess when it comes to Jared. He really should stick to acting & directing. He can make money and minions out of those. Friends, however? Not so much, but he doesn't seem interested in the ONE real friendship we've watched him benefit from over the years, so I'm guessing he's not worried abt friends. He's happy to play up for hellers then sulk when they fall for what is clearly an act, and he's never spoken up abt the hate Jared gets from vocal fans of Jensen. And how many vocal Jared haters has Jensen employed so far? Even creativity isn't his forte: Unlike Jared, Jensen never reads scripts in advance despite complaining (read: throwing ppl under the bus) later and for YEARS abt SPN plots & dialogue. He needs to shut up, stop thinking, accept directing and acting jobs that pay, and bask in the gross horny lies, er, "flattery" from his loon fans. As for Jared, I hope his sympathy, generosity, and kindness don't mean he ends up giving Jensen work on Walker or any other project Jared helms, and I hope Jared never feels he owes it to Jensen to help out by appearing on any fiasco Jensen decides to make. I'm so grateful Jared was never on The Boys or TW. He has ample sense not to, but we've seen how his kindness makes him continue to support Stands to help out. Jared's caption on the latest Instagram post was poignant. Slide through life with people who love you. Not "with good buddies" or "good friends" or even any indication to the bond he and Anson have after surviving that horrible crash. No. He chose to say "people who love you". It's sad that he now knows that there are others who don't and were only ever using him. Remember the cryptic Instagram post a few years ago on his birthday, when he said (paraphrasing here) that it was awful and some people were working against him? I thought it about someone behind the scenes. Now I think it must've been about Jensen. He wouldn't have sounded so hurt if it had been anyone else. Imagine rooming with your costar, discovering you have so much in common, building a beautiful cult show together, starting families and doting on each other's kids, all of it for FIFTEEN years, only to discover the dude you had to create boundaries with wasn't simply too controlling or obsessive because you were his most precious best friend, oh no. It was because he never had any friendship or love for you in the first place. God. I'm so glad he has his family and Gen and his kids and people like Anson. Thank you for allowing me to send you all this. You're a wonderful blogger with a good head on your shoulders and a heart in the right place. I respect you a lot because you keep your criticism where it counts. You don't make fun of people's looks (ppl we hate, like Dmitri, Danneel, etc), for instance. I love your blog. Have a good day or evening, laf-outloud.

Thanks for clarifying the producer part! I totally agree. Obviously, there were issues from even before the announcement, but the fact that Jensen admitted to sitting in his car while everything supposedly ran smoothly on set (and later finding out they had to do a bunch of reshoots), told me all I needed to know about his producing 'skills' early on. And if Jensen decides to continue directing, I hope he takes advantage of some of the directing programs studios offer so he can improve his skills.

I'm truly grateful that Jared's been able to experience a much healthier and loving environment around his family, his true friends, and his coworkers. Every time I see photos of him, he just looks healthier and happier than he seemed to be on the SPN set.

Thank you for sharing everything else, I really have nothing to add because you've said it so much better than I ever could, and especially, thank you for your very kind words! I may get salty sometimes, and don't always get things right, but I do try and stay fair, and I'm glad that you, and hopefully others, see that. Sending love back to you and best wishes for a wonderful weekend!

[gynandromorph]

i guess it’s time for a new year retrospective thing since it’s almost a new year

this year sucked and not even in like a notably bad way, it’s just one big haze of nothing where nothing matters and nothing has any meaning because there’s literally no break in between all the stress. groceries are as expensive as ever and they’re just gonna stay that way forever while the cost of living limit for welfare stays the same so now i’m stuck between being unable to afford food AND having no healthcare. mawkish continues to get older and she has more health issues. it takes up an unspeakable amount of my time and money, but she’s happy and not declining right now. every time she skips physical therapy for her arthritis due to a cancellation i can see how it affects her, though, so i don’t know if i’ll be able to cut costs there. a lot of this is about money, huh? i just feel like i can’t even DO anything without it. i can just Be At Home which just makes me feel like a wild animal pacing in a cage. i’ve been single for a while now and i’m REALLY feeling it and i know it’s partially my fault for not wanting covid more than not wanting to be lonely but like what the fuck would i do if i put myself out there huh? tell some girl i don’t have enough money to buy lunch or a coffee so we’ll have to just sit outside at a park? yeah i’ve sat outside at parks to meet and chat with people but as like a first impression it’s not great!!!

and my art has gotten worse, of course. it’s stiffer, and i feel on edge because my hand is either always on the cusp of hurting again or it IS hurting again. i’ve gotten it back to normal again, and then i slack off on my exercises and we’re back to square 3 (i haven’t gotten so bad that i go back to square 1) because the exercises themselves are wildly time-consuming and god knows if there’s anything i don’t have enough of it’s time. i hate the tablet i’m using and i can’t even find the old ones i brought with me because of the move, but even then they’re very small and that’s why i like them and it’s also why i hurt my hand in the first place. still, the curves this tablet makes are just not the same, there’s tons of issues with it that aren’t technically issues but certainly things that impact how the art comes out and how much i enjoy making it. not really related but about a week into the new year i’ll be getting a new computer, also, and a new desk chair, since both of those are fucking falling apart. i want to do other things that i’m not going to say here because if there’s one way to make sure you never ever do a project it’s just announcing it publicly before you’ve done literally any of the work. still, we’ll see if anything changes. it feels like it won’t simply because my brain is too depressed to do anything anymore and even when i do do the thing it turns out like shit or i don’t retain it at all. these are at least things that will not require the intense use of my dominant hand.

oh and the last huge negative is i just have like functionally no religious community now because this friend i made at my last synagogue was a great friend!!!!! super friendly!!!!!!!!!!! too friendly in fact!!!!!!!!!!! and i tried reasserting that i was not interested in a relationship multiple times, i tried tolerating advances i wasn’t going to reciprocate and it just kept getting more physical, eventually i decided to get my rabbi there involved and i gotta say the response i got was disappointing at best!!!!!! this was maybe like november 2021 but it’s literally functionally cut me off from that community altogether here because i wasn’t thrilled about the drop in covid protocols and i’m certainly not more enthusiastic now that i’ve been sexually harassed just to have it brushed under the rug knowing this is an all too common reaction for jewish authorities to have!!! i literally feel like i can’t say anymore about it besides that but hey it kinda sucks!!!!!!!

that’s it dude, that’s all, i started a new comic way later than i should have but i did start it, and i’m living somewhere that kind of sucks the soul out of me but i won’t be investing a lot of time and money into a move this year not only because it’s tolerably under my sister and her husband’s roof instead of my mom’s but because rent is too fucking high for me to jump ship too. sure hope 2023 is a great year cuz it’s the last one i’ll have as a 20-something and the bar is certainly low after this one, i can’t even be more thoughtful or humble about this retrospective, i’m so tired of feeling like shit and having functionally no way to fix most of these problems

[melishade]

Attack on Prime: Music and Dance

Main Story

(This is heavily inspired by the artwork of Hanji and Onyankopon dancing to the music playing on the phonograph. Go check out the picture here)

Hanji marveled at the comically large contraption sitting on the table in front of her. It was so oddly shaped and constructed. The giant golden horn, that almost looked like a flower took her attention the most. She placed her mouth towards the opening and made a ‘pop’ noise with her mouth. She heard a small echo of that same ‘pop’ coming back towards her.

As Hanji continued to mess with the device, Onyankopon walked into the room with a few records in hand. He was a little surprised to see Hanji acting like a curious child, playing with the device he brought in, but it made him feel...a little bit happy. 

Seeing the interactions that the Survey Corps and the Walls had with the Metal Titan, Optimus Prime, he assumed that nothing that they had to offer would surprise them and sweep them off their feet. Food was a good thing, but that was Niccolo’s department, and the titans apparently consume what essentially water. He thinks. Onyankopon had been wanting to discuss the technological advancements of the outside. He wanted to show how far the world had come in 100 years. But they didn’t appeared too shocked by it. No doubt due to the metal titans. Hanji would quite frequently default to Optimus to ask him certain questions. Apparently the Flying Titan thought that they were all inferior. He was advised to steer clear of him.

But the thought that nothing they had to offer could impress the island made him a little upset. Jealous even. He’s trying not to take it too personally. Optimus was a nice being, and he thought the same way as him. It was reassuring to here that an advanced being from beyond the stars thought the idea of different people existing was a beautiful notion. Even so, it just made him feel upset. Now seeing Hanji like this made him excited. He could share his knowledge. He could share what he knew.

“Having fun?” Onyankopon asked her as he walked up to both her and the device.

“Quite!” Hanji turned to Onyankopon with a smile, “It’s a giant, mechanical, flower!”

Onyankopon laughed at that. “I guess you could call it that. We call it a phonograph. And what it does is use vibrations to help play the music on this record.”

Onyankopon showed Hanji one of the records he had and Hanji took it from him. She turned the record around in her hand, inspecting it with curiosity. 

“It feels like it has bumps,” Hanji remarked, “But we’d be able to hear music on this thing? Like guitar?”

“Exactly,” Onyankopon nodded. “Do you want to hear something?”

“Of course!” Hanji smiled.

“So here’s how it works,” Onyankopon began, taking the record back from her and setting the others aside, “I move this aside.”

Onyankopon picked up the stylus gently and moved it to the side. “Then I’ll place the record here.”

The man placed the record on the turntable as carefully as possible. “Then I turn the crank to move the record.”

Hanji hummed as Onyankopon turned the crank to make the record rotate. “And finally,”

Onyankopon lifted the stylus and placed it on the spinning record. After adjusting the stylus a little to the right, Hanji jumped back a little to hear music coming out of the horn. That startled expression turned into on of delight as Hanji listened to the music. It was so melodious and upbeat.

“This is amazing,” Hanji smiled at Onyankopon, “But so unfamiliar. What is this music?”

“We call it ‘ragtime’,” Onyankopon answered, “Probably not very interesting-!”

“Are you kidding?! This is amazing!” Hanji exclaimed, “Most of the music I’ve heard is so boring. This is definitely something I can get behind. Thank you so much for introducing me to it.”

“Sure,” Onyankopon was a little flustered at this before regaining his composure.

“Is there a dance to it?” Hanji asked.

“You want to learn the dance?” Onyankopon asked.

“Seems like it would be fun,” Hanji smiled as she straightened herself out.

“Um...okay,” Onyankopon was not expecting this today, but he wouldn’t pass the opportunity. He straightened himself out as well before offering his hand to Hanji. She took it, and Onyankopon extended their clasped hands to their side before guiding Hanji’s other hand to his shoulder.

“Now what?” Hanji asked him.

“Well I’m going to step forward, and you’ll step back,” Onyankopon answered, “And our extended arms are going to swing up and down.”

With the music, Onyankopon stepped forward and Hanji stepped backwards. Although the scientist was stumbling a little with her footing, she still managed to step to the beat of the song. Hanji yelped in surprise as Onyankopon began to spin her around, but that surprise was quickly replaced with laughter. She bent back and laughed with delight as Onyankopon continued to hold and spin her.

“Commander?” a voice called out. The two stopped and turned to see the teens of the Survey Corps staring in the room in confusion.

“What’s going on?” Armin asked, “And what is that sound?”

“Guys, come on in!” Hanji smiled as let go of Onyankopon and pulled Armin into the room, “Onyankopon was just showing me music from beyond the walls!”

“This is music?” Connie questioned.

“Yes! C’mon!” Hanji beckoned before turning to Onyankopon, “Can you show us the dance again?”

“We’re probably going to need to move some stuff around,” Mikasa remarked.

A little while later, Optimus had arrived at the port with Levi in tow. The Captain had some errands to run and asked Optimus to accompany him. As Levi, exited Optimus alt mode, he heard something that sounded like a melody, followed by...laughter?

“Prime, do you hear that?” Levi asked him, causing the Prime to activate his holoform.

“It is...ragtime?” Optimus said in surprise.

“What?” Levi raised an eyebrow.

Optimus followed the music with Levi close behind. They entered one of the finished buildings on the port and walked down the hall to an open room. They looked inside and were stunned to see the Survey Corps learning to dance to the music, with Onyankopon’s assistance. 

“They’ve been slacking off again,” Levi sighed in defeat.

Hanji turned her gaze to see Levi and Optimus by the door and waved. “Levi! Optimus! Hi!”

“Four-eyes, what the hell?” Levi demanded as he walked into the room.

“Oh! Onyankopon was showing me this thing called a phonograph, and it plays music!” Hanji explained with excitement, gesturing to the device still emitting the music.

“Now we’re all trying to learn a new dance,” Sasha informed.

“I had to trade Eren with Connie because dumbass kept stepping on my toes,” Jean declared.

“Says the guy who can’t follow the damn rhythm,” Eren shot back.

“Hanji, work,” Levi reminded, ignoring the bickering.

“Hm,” Hanji thought it over, “We finish the track and head back.”

Levi just looked disappointed at her answer.

“Is this ragtime?” Optimus asked Onyankopon, earning surprised glances from the Survey Corps.

“You know what this is?” Armin asked the Prime. Onyankopon just felt a familiar, sinking feeling in his gut.

“I remember coming across this type of music when I was on Earth,” Optimus explained, “Although, it is not commonly listened to at the moment.”

“What kind of music do you have back on your world?” Hanji asked with curiosity, “Do you guys have dances too?”

“Music and dance on Cybertron was more exclusive to the elites,” Optimus answered her.

Onyankopon was surprised at that, and immediately lifted the stylus to stop the music. “Elites?”

“Cybertron used to operate under a caste system,” Optimus explained, “Depending on where one resided on that system, determined the type of luxuries and treatments one would receive. Music was not really a common staple on Cybertronian history. There was more of a focus on technological advancements. But the arts, music, and dance were given only to those higher up in that system.”

“...well that’s depressing,” Sasha stated rather crudely.

“That’s not fair,” Onyankopon declared, “Music is one of the many things that make a culture. How could they take that away from you?”

“The caste system on my home was corrupt,” Optimus explained, “I cannot explain the entire story as to why, but considering everything that has happened, I could afford to live without a few luxuries.”

Everyone was silent, somewhat sitting with the implications of Optimus’ words. Hanji then walked up to Prime with crossed arms.

“This is not a luxury,” Hanji declared before grabbing Optimus’ hands, “You’re learning the dance.”

“Holy shit! Wait!” Connie exclaimed while the others stared baffled.

“Commander, I am not well-versed in dancing,” Optimus warned, trying not to reveal how nervous he was at the idea of it.

“Neither are we, but we’re having fun!” Hanji exclaimed before pointing to Onyankopon, “Play the music and give tips!”

Onyankopon was startled but put the stylus back on the record.

“Commander-!” Optimus yelped as Hanji pulled him towards the crowd. Onyankopon was...stumped, watching Hanji give Optimus Prime instructions on what to do. Hanji quickly asked him for tips, and Onyankopon could only wordlessly give it. His mind running on auto-pilot. The Metal Titan didn’t know something. He actually didn’t know something. He thought an advanced race like his own would know about dance, but he didn’t? And now the people of the island were teaching him how to?! It...it was so surreal, but it was also...sad. That such an advanced race would still have their own conflicts.

Onyankopon watched as Optimus stumbled with his footing, causing the both of them to trip. Optimus quickly caught himself before catching Hanji before she hit the ground. Hanji was laughing with delight while Optimus breathed a sigh of relief, but Onyankopon could’ve sworn the titan looked...embarrassed?! 

“Perhaps I should remove myself form the situation,” Optimus insisted as he helped Hanji stand up fully.

“Actually, this is making me feel better about my terrible dancing, so can you please stay?” Sasha asked him. 

“Until the song is over,” Hanji suggested with pleading eyes.

“I...suppose,” Optimus relented, earning an excited clap from Hanji.

Levi walked over to Onyankopon as the dancing continued, the man noticing the Captain looking a little stunned at the sight before him.

“I’m sorry, Captain,” Onyankopon apologized, “I didn’t mean to take up time.”

“...it’s fine,” Levi decided, “I think you did something good here.”

“Really?” Onyankopon asked in surprise.

Levi nodded. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen smiles on those brats faces.”

Onyankopon looked back to see the Survey Corps still learning the dance and smiling with joy. The Prime was beginning to find his rhythm, much to Hanji’s delight, and Onyankopon’s lips turned upward. He...guess he did do a good thing.

(More Onyankopon centered than I anticipated, but he’s the only black character in the anime and he’s not a racist caricature, so my bias is shining through a little here.

Besides that, guess who just got 15,000 hits on Attack on Prime?! This gal! Hooray! And there will be an announcement coming up regarding the Winter Anthology I mentioned in an ask, so keep watch for that.

Oh and the dance I’m referring to is this:

[nothofagus-archive]

"Awka, page 60" (2019)

I'm cheating by adding a comic page here, but I'm out of town at my parents's, and don't remember what I had queued for upload. This is one of my favourite pages in the comic, and might share a few more of my favs. They're often the ones that have limited dialogue, and are mostly visual.

2022 has been a weird year. Probably better overall than 2020 and 2021, but crazy on is own right. This year my comics have slowed down a ton, but sadly, it's hard to not feel I'm feeding my hard work to AIs, in dA. regardless, I do want to keep uploading them, advancing on the stories, I just don't wanna force myself to do it, I want the right mood for comics back. I do have a small buff of completed pages, and I am considering an alternate tumblr account, just for comic pages, I've seen some other artists do that and it's pretty sweet!

From October to now, too much has happened. Work was intrusive as always, but also I've traveled, finished off some things in my house, repaired the fence plus some other mainteinance, helped friends move not once but twice (one of them on december 23th), and have been helping out a best friend who needs major surgery, which she is getting soon. 23th at night I drove to the family house, and will stay here at least for the first week of January. I've been sleping a ton at my family's house, and overall having a great time. It's just mom, the cat and I! Dad is out in a trip (my grandma is 90, and he's taking care of her) and so are my brothers, all of them will come here for New year.

So yeah. I want to get back to art, but I need to get my focus on its right place again. So far, the rest has been working wonders. I will be back to comics and art in general, hopefully during January.

Life uipdates are boring i guess! but it's what I have right now.

I wish you all a very happy Holidays! May 2023 be a better one ^^

[sweetescapeartist]

[Sorry in advance if this gets too long]

After your post about Sonic Frontiers, and especially after reading your favourite character is also Tails, now I'm curious about the rest of your "Sonic opinions". Have you considered posting more of your thoughts on the Sonic series as a whole? Not necessarily multiple posts, it could be just one post with a compilation.

Regarding Tails's role in the series, there have been a few debates for a while after most Sonic fans' disappointment at his role in Sonic Forces. The big problem is that there seems to be quite some overlap between "badass Tails" fans and those Gohan fans who think he was ruined during the Majin Buu saga (the Dragon Ball fandom's endemic toxic masculinity is also added to the mix), while other fans genuinely believe Tails is more compelling when he only fights through gadgets at most and strictly stays an underdog as the story focuses more on his friendship with Sonic and Tails being raised by him. I wrote a post with my thoughts on that debate the night before the Sonic 2 movie was released [https://mashounen2003.tumblr.com/post/678734119366213632]. This is indeed a very complicated topic, with both sides being a bit hypocritical sometimes.

On an unrelated note (sort of), I've been working on a summary of ideas for a Sonic fanfic... although I barely progressed on it this year; also, I must warn you it's not set in the videogames' universe but in the SatAM cartoon's universe with elements from the Archie comics, and the SatAM & Archie continuity isn't everyone's cup of tea. Anyway... Both your Dragon Ball posts and those of DBMeta inspired me for many things I already added to my story or I'm planning to add in later chapters. Sonic does take a lot from DBZ after all, so why not fully embrace that heritage while also applying those analyses of yours in order to provide a refreshing experience instead of the average crossover fanfic?

And that's it for now, I guess. I hope you're doing well, and feel free to answer whenever you can.

(You're okay. I'll try to keep my answer short since I am often ling winded.)

Spoiler warning... I didn't keep it short. 😅

I haven't really considered posting my thoughts on Sonic stuff because I don't really care for the series after Sonic Unleashed in 2008, then 2009 when Jason Griffith & the other Sonic voice actors were recasted. Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed & Sonic Mania were fun tho. Sometimes read the IDW comics too. Mainly after Sonic Unleashed, the series lost its charm for me. But I will keep it in mind to make a post(s) of my thoughts about the series.

Thats another thing... Making Tails and other not playable limits the storytelling. They cant be involved much in the story besides being a charafter Sonic bounces dialogue off of and has to save. These characters could save themselves. Heck! They have saved Sonic! Tails has done so multiple times. From the classic games to the Adventure games, Heroes, 06, spin off games, ect.

As for the "badass Tails" that some fans see? I don't see that and never saw that. That's an exaggeration. Tails was never a "badass." Tails falls under a different category of cool. Here's the thing about Tails that differs from Gohan; Gohan didn't want to become a fighter, Tails wanted to go on adventures. And furthermore, Tails originated as a high-speed adventurer & combatant of sorts. Sonic was fine how he was, but Tails needed something to make him stand out more. Later, to make him more unique, Tails was made into the brains of the group ALONG WITH his adventurous & combat experience. So we have Tails originate as a fighter, then become the tech-fighter who would often go on his own adventures when Sonic was on his. So thats one point I think we disagree on. I do not see Tails as a nerd Sonic. Imo, thats similar to saying Knuckles is a strong Sonic. These characters are unique enough and have their own personalities that they are not clones of Sonic. Tails being similar to Sonic is fine because brothers often share similarities. But they are still very different in tsrms of personality and gameplay.

The new stuff from 2010 to present that was written by Pontac & Graff is bad. It made Sonic, Tails, & Knuckles behave more like the Babylon Rogues than themselves. Th games of the 2010's stripped Tails of what was always an established part of his character and only left the "gadgets guy" part of his character. That's like taking away Knuckles strength or Sonic's speed. And they did so just to have tails sit on the sideline. This was because SEGA heard criticisms from critics and some fans that they hate "Sonic's stupid friends." so SEGA stupidly sabotaged their own characters. So how should Tails be? Like he was in Adventure 2, Heroes, the Sonic Advanced games, Riders & Zero Gravity, Sonic 06, Sonic Unleashed. Tails was not always playable but he was going on adventures of his own and just happened to meet up with Sonic sometimes. And he may have been scared of what are basically demons in Sonic Unleashed, but he fought Eggman robots right along with Sonic during the flying stages. And in the meantime he was gathering intel or actively helping Sonic when he was playable. They took away a critial part of Tails' character and that is just dumb. Sonic Movie 2 understands Tails much better. (Which is why Sonic Team is trying to make Tails like that now, which is simply who Tails was in the 2000's. In Frontiers, Sonic says to Tails that he is fast like him.and smart like Eggman. The games of the 2010's took the speed and aventure away from Tails and left him with only brains. The Sonic Movie 2 captures both his speed and intelligence. Sonic Team has lost their way and are now relying on a movie to correct their own characters...)

The love that Sonic Team had back in the day is gone. Its saddening. The characters were awesome back then! They were inspirational and relatable. I feel that things started going further south after Yuji Naka left and SEGA made Sonic Team release games before they were ready just to have a holiday release, & kept splitting up the team for stupid reasons.

Even with Frontiers, I felt that Sonic Team is trying to copy what made the recent Sonic The Hedgehog Movies so great. The Sonic Movies looked to Sonic's past in order to make an enjoyable movie for the fans. Why can't Sonic Team do that? Becauae the love isnt there anymore. Not like it used to be. Frontiers has Sonic dancing more, give him blue lightning and eyes temporarily turning blue, Frontiers has "Don't Stop Me Now" by Freddie Mercury for their launch trailer music because Sonic Movie 1 had a scene with that song in it.

I think we might be better off if Sonic Team just made a game based off of the Sonic Movies and written by somebody else. The characters and story would at least be fun.

And as a comparison, Luigi is more iddntical to Mario than Tails is to Sonic. Yes Luigi & others are playable while SEGA made the mistake of limiting their cast in most of their games after 2010. If SEGA wants to copy Nintendo, copy their usage of characters & use that to seel merch which results in more revenue. Dont copy Mario Galaxy like they did with Sonic Lost World.

I do like the SatAM Sonic series. I dont remember much of it but it was enjoyable and fun. A fic anout that sounds cool. I used to write my own Sonic fics & even had ideas for games. I might need to read more Sonic fics tho. Been many years since I read them. (One I remember was a Tails and Blaze adventure which made me ship the two lol.) Curious as to what you write. I wont remeber everything from SatAM but I can still enjoy it. And I'm also a fan of DBZ elements in Sonic. That why I liked the games up to Unleashed & Sonic X. They kinda felt like anime stories. Best of luck to you.

And lastly, Gohan is not a badass like many fans think. Those moments are when he is out of control and regrets becoming arrogant/too prideful.

Also, I'm working on "translating" the images of my Non-Self State post to Spanish. That way when you translate my post, its easier for you & you can use the images I'll send you. I'll let you know when I'm done. 👍 And once I send you the images, you can add a link to my post within your translation like this...

Gohan is a scholar who fights. He's not a badass, he's a powerful goofball. Which is basically like Goku & Krillin. Gohan actually takes aspects from both Goku & Krillin for his character. Thinking he's a badass or just a weak nerd is silly. Those are fans who only have surface level knowledge of the characters or are fans who have been misguided by the fandom's inaccurate and beta male ideas of what masculinity is. A man takes care of what's his & will do what he needs to do to protect them. Not simply "fight fight fight." (Most ppl in the DB fandom are illogical "beta males" who think they are "alphas" or are women who are fooled by their own illogical thinking that "beta" characteristics are desirable "alpha" characteristics. Kinda funny how backwards so many ppl are.)

So, unlike Tails, Gohan did not want to get involved in combat. He was forced into it while Tails made the choice to fight along Sonic. Neither are badasses. But both are reluctant to fight at times. They are peaceful people. I never seen either of them as badasses. Just intelligent people and intelligent fighters when they need to fight.

[taiblogcomics]

New Phone, Who Dis?

Hey there, physics-defying trash can lids. The spooky month may be over, but our look into the Goosebumps comics continues! If you aren't tired of them already, well... Honestly, maybe this one will tire you out, because it is a lot, dear readers.

Here's the cover:

This arc is titled "Download and Die!" As you might guess from that title, it's a modernised setting update of the "Say Cheese and Die!" concept. I hope that terrifies you as much as it does me. Goosebumps is always set in a quasi-'90s universe, and it's always weird when they try to update it. Remember when one of the HorrorLand books name-dropped the Wii and how awkward that felt? And now you wanna do an arc based around smartphones? Oh my land, I can't see this ending well.

Anyways, the cover seems decently ominous enough. But Slappy's the villain again, and the titular Creeps from "Calling All Creeps" are here too. That's the other problem with this story. On paper, a modernised "Say Cheese and Die!" concept does work. But now we're trying to stack several more series on top of it, and what was a flimsy base at best is all gonna come crashing down.

So we open with some kids on the first day of a new school year. Mitra and Kyra are buddies who share neighbouring lockers, to their excitement. Look, you have to find your own enjoyment in school. Another girl, a blonde who introduces herself as Flips, also sidles up, having a locker in the same section. Kyra cottons on to the unbelievable name of Flips, and deduces that she must be Flips1101101, on the Travelers of the Frost leaderboards. And even more unbelievably, she's right. That's some remarkable odds. Did you know any random placers on online gaming leaderboards who went to your school?

After Mitra's older brother, Merhdad the hall monitor, shoos the girls to class, they end up joining up for a team project. A project assignment, on the first day of school? I guess it's supposed to be an all-year assignment, because the goal is to make a computer program for a small business to use. Do they have programming classes in high(?) school now? And while they're friends, you can tell Mitra is getting a little jealous of how much attention Kyra is paying to Flips instead of her. Your standard best friend struggles in kids' media.

After giving the eyes to a girl across the cafeteria, then getting mad at Flips for taking her usual seat Mitra uses for staring at her, Mitra gives up and goes to the computer lab so she can copy the schedule to her phone. A group of jerks inside the lab, though, opens the door suddenly on her, knocking the phone out of her hands. And when it hits the floor, the jerks step out of the room directly onto her phone, cracking it fully. They taunt her, since her brother gave them a late slip earlier. This is their revenge.

And the cycle of revenge continues while the trio join in on gaming that night. Now that they're friends with Flips, they can play in her raid group or whatever. Flips also suggests they get revenge, while Kyra says to just tell a teacher. Mitra prefers Flips' plan, but little else is advanced in this direction. Next morning, though, Mitra finds a package on her doorstep. Opening it at school, it's a new phone. Her friends are suspicious, and Mitra likewise resolves not to use it (which is an astonishing amount of forethought for a set of Goosebumps characters).

That night, Mitra is already tired of missing out on everything online. What can I say, the internet world travels fast. She's probably already missed three new memes! So she loads up the new phone, which somehow has all her old data on it as well. Boy, if that's not enough to rouse your suspicions, perhaps nothing will. It's got apps on it that aren't going live for months, a million giga-pixel camera, and even a sticker-set that includes Slappy and Curly (not that she recognises them). Seems like a super-desireable and not-at-all cursed phone!

And so the school year progresses. Mitra ends up in the same drama class as that girl she's crushing on, whose terrible parents have named Weather. The jerks who broke her old phone keep signing up for the computer lab time, and thus there's no time for Mitra's group to work on their project. As revenge, Mitra snaps a photo of them, applies a sickening green filter to it, and adds some puking emojis. Isn't it weird, then, when a few minutes later, the bullies all start throwing up on the keyboards? Ah, there we go. It's not modern Goosebumps without a bit of throwing up!

Mitra also finds another app, some sort of Cookie Clicker-like about scaly lizard-like people delivering seed-filled cookies to various real-world cities. Mitra wonders if they'll reach her own city if she plays enough. Gee, I wonder where that foreshadowing could be going. That night, at a sleepover with her friends, she has a dream about her terribly-named crush Weather. Weather turns into Slappy, who demands the phone and throws her off a cliff. The girls all wake with a start to find a mysterious note also demanding the phone on Mitra's bed--and that Flips' hair was cut off in her sleep.

Again, lenient on a first issue because it’s mostly gonna be setup. We’ll do an in-depth analysis at the end of the story, but this first issue is fine. Here’s Mitra, here’s her relationships and troubles (bullies, annoying brother, the pressure of being the first LGBT Goosebumps protagonist), and here’s the first instance of the spooky setups for later. But again, like I said in the intro, this is piling too much into one story. The “evil camera what takes pictures and edits reality around them” is a fine concept to be advanced to the smartphone era, as evidenced by the filters and stickers she uses. But you heap that on with Slappy invading her dreams, and this Calling All Creeps plot that also kicks in late... And these aren’t even the only references to other stories that’ll show up! It’s too much, and the ideas should’ve been pruned back a bit. We’ll see how well it can juggle these various subplots in the next issue (hint: not very well!)

[oneinterests]

it’s been three months! time for a bookshelf update :D

i got another bookshelf!! and it’s already full lmao

i finally have enough room for my tlt shrine though, and i just wanted to show that off as well :) now the other books! this is going to be so long i’m sorry in advance, i have a lot to say i guess!

from right to left!

The Book of Bill & Journal Three- Alex Hirsch: these two are difficult to rate since they aren’t really stories? i had so much fun reading them though, i love gravity falls so much and finally having journal three after years of wanting it is very nice :)

The book of bill is more of an inside to Bill Ciphers mind, and the codes inside are fun to pick apart! also very much more horror themed then the show, the psychological torment on Stanford was so interesting and horrible to read. Five stars!

The Adventure Zone series- McElroy and Pietsch: i love this series so so much. i listened to the podcast when i was moving across country and it made me cry when i finished it. i was slightly disappointed in the recent comic, certain plot points i was excited to see were dropped. understandable since it’s hard to translate a really long podcast to a comic with a certain amount of time. This story is about a dnd campaign, the characters (Magnus Burnsides, Merle Highchurch, and Taako) race to collect artifacts with destructive powers before the world ends! it’s hard to explain fully, i highly suggest listening to the podcast! it’s very comedic but develops into a really great heartwarming story :) Four 1/2 stars :)

All You Need is Kill- Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Takeshita Obata, Ryosuke Takeuchi and Yoshitoshi ABe: my favorite movie of all time (Edge of Tomorrow) is based on this manga! time loops are my favorite and the main character is trapped in one during a war with aliens trying to invade earth. the movie and manga are both completely different stories, but i love them both either way! Five stars :)

Mob Psycho 100- One: i love this anime & manga. honestly i just wanted the first one on my shelf so i could read it or look at the art whenever i wanted. this story is about a middle schooler with psychic powers, and how he slowly learns lessons about how to be a good person. Five stars :)

His Dark Materials series- Phillip Pullman: Explained already :) first two books are the best, the third one wasn’t really my thing but i still love the series either way! Five stars :)

Bluebird- Ciel Pierlot: Explained already! four 1/2 stars :)

Delicious in Dungeon- Ryoko Rui: i love this story so so much, i watched the anime when the episodes were coming out and immediately after finishing all of the episodes they have out so far, i read all of the manga. in one night. This story is about a group of adventurers navigating a dungeon, when their healer Falin gets eaten by a red dragon. They race to save her before it’s too late, but also have to stop on the way to eat new foods and get to know the other people living in the dungeon! Five stars. :)

Salt Grows Heavy- Cassandra Khaw: Explained already! i need to reread this one soon! Five stars :)

This is How You Lose the Time War- Amal El-Mothtar & Max Gladstone: Explained already! i reread this one a little bit ago! i would love a sequel or more stories of Blue and Reds missions against each other. Five stars!

Godkiller & Sunbringer- Hannah Kaner: these books. it took me a while to start godkiller, i was hesitant to really get into it. i accidentally read the back of the second book and “spoiled” myself on the ending of the first book and i was very upset haha. it worked out really well when i actually finished it though! no spoilers, please read these books! i can’t wait for book three! These books are about the Gods, and how after a great war they were outlawed and hunted by Godkillers to stop them from gaining to much power. Kissen is one of the main characters, she’s a godkiller out for revenge on the fire god who killed her whole family. Everything changes though, when she meets Inara, a child whose soul is bound to the god of white lies. Five stars :)

When Among Crows- Veronica Roth: i picked this up on a whim! i thought the art on the cover was beautiful and the synopsis was interesting. the story though. fantastic and i’m so glad i picked it up. This books is inspired by Slavic folklore, Dymitr is trying to find the legendary witch Baba Jaga and meets and befriends various monsters on his way. But he’s hiding a dangerous secret from his companions, and the reason he’s trying to find the witch isn’t as straightforward as his friends think :) Five stars. :)

The Spirit Bares its Teeth- Andrew Joesph White: Explained already! i need to reread this one, i still can’t get over how much i love this book. Five stars. :)

The Employees- Olga Ravn: how do i even explain this one. i don’t even think i can. Thousands of humans and humanoids are. (drafted? forced? raffled?) to explore different planets on a spaceship (named the Six Thousand) sent far away from their home with almost no expectation to return. this book gives statements from some employees about what they’re feeling, and what they think about the strange objects they’ve found on the newest planet they landed on. slowly, distrust and anger spreads across the crew (especially through the humanoids) and revolt is starting. i believe it was page 99 that broke me, i had to put the book down and take a breather. it’s so good and strange, i found it hopeful but so soul crushing at the same time. i read it twice back to back and i still need to reread it again. Five stars.

What Moves the Dead- T. Kingfisher: this book. This Book!!! top three favorites of all time honestly. the gore!!! the plot twist!! the main character being non-binary was a surprise but a very very good one, and the explanations for kans language and background was so so good. Alex Easton is one of my absolute favorite characters at the moment. This story is based on Edgar Allen Poes story “The fall of the house of Usher” (which i haven’t read.. yet haha) it follows Easton as kan travels to visit kas dear friend Rodrick and Madeline, after Maddy tells Easton that she’s dying. The house is falling apart, and the hares aren’t acting properly, crawling on the ground and staring without fear at whoever comes across them. I looked over my shoulder a few times reading this book, it’s perfectly creepy and tense. I do have to say without spoilers, my favorite part was That Hare Scene. you’ll know the one :) Five Stars. Ten stars. i love this one so much.

What Feasts at Night- T. Kingfisher: the sequel to what moves the dead!! follows Easton and friends back to kans country to visit kans old hunting cabin for a little vacation. But the cabin isn’t being taken care of anymore, and the townsfolk are terrified to go anywhere near it. And Easton begins having very strange dreams about a woman, and the old spring house behind the cabin. this one was very good, i do wish there was more gore? but either way it was amazing and i hope there’s a third book with all these characters soon! Five stars! :)

The Murderbot Diaries- Martha Wells: Explained already! still amazing, i need to sit down and reread the whole series again soon!! Five stars. :)

[johannwolfgangvongoethe]

Further Umineko-ing. Again

episode 1, part 3

whenever battler is unavailable, kumasawa has taken the up the role of exposition and comic relief, which is nice. i like granny characters and id be interested to hear more from her perspective, since she is sly and nosy. being a maid really exposes you to a lot of dirty laundry.

a new plot point came up. i didnt initially take this one seriously bc of how stupid it sounds. apparently there is a SECRET FAMILY TREASURE OF GOLD hidden on the island somewhere. really not a direction i expected but suuuuure. physical 10t of gold somewhere. there is something deeply funny about the headship and possibly the pact with beatrice being tied to a little private family paperchase. fact of the matter is, kinzo is WAY too serious about being chuuni to lie about this. as unrealistic as having 10t of gold just sitting around somewhere is. its an almost cute touch that beatrice is the family's personal boogyman - an entity children get warned about so they dont stray too deep into the forest and stay out after dark. except shes real i GUESS.

well, thats ominous.

maria once again exhibits a scary amount of sincereness towards the topic, which on its own isnt that weird, since shes nine years old. she mentions she wants to grow up to be a witch as well. another thing to put a pin into.

(looks at krauss' hair colour) uh oh sisters

at the same time, the same discussion is happening between kinzos children. since it seems clear krauss has in the past misappropriated his fathers funds, his siblings are - loving as they are -, offering him a way out. they will not investigate further, should he meet the following conditions:

right, hideyoshi is there too. btw.

at this point its perfect to mention that eva's va, ito miki, is doing an amazing job. every word eva says drips with poison. and hideyoshi has a way of being extremely unyielding, while keeping a kind and sincere face and voice. probably explains while george is like that

worringly, krauss just accepts it instantly but remarks hes too poor to pay the 10% in advance. everyone hated that!!!! however, krauss did his homework too. evas husband is plagued by shareholders that want to dispossess him. rudolf somehow got himself in front of court, without the knowledge of his wife nonetheless. no idea what rosas problem is, aside from the fact that her siblings talked her into the contract and she has yet to make it. as it turns out. everyone is neckdeep in trouble and NEEDS MONEY RIGHT NOW!!!! (the game spells this out in caps) except for krauss. funnily enough. he would only need instant money, should he sign the contract.

so there is no upper hand to be gained or control to be had. they are ALL cringe.

(this is where hideyoshi finally cracks. he does not lose his temper but is visibly uncomfortable.)

the contract remains unsigned. also they got spied on. it turns out kinzo also tolerates kanon around him, if its to spy on conversations his children had. needless to say he finds this hilarious and he has other worries anyway. hes trying to resurrect beatrice with black magic fuelled by the risks hes taking in life.

this truly is like world's shittiest family get together over the holidays. except way more money is one the line. but the emotional exhausting and toxicity is very true to life. rich people probably live like this. horrid.

magic in this vn is built up on risks taken and wagers made. the smaller the possibility of success, the better. which is why kinzo encourages the gold hunt in the first place. the more people look for it, the more powerful he becomes. and then he can ??!??!? resurrect beatrice. im just accepting that. necessary plot device to keep moving.

nanjo has the kindest reading on the gold paperchase: kinzo might have put it together to force his children to work together in solving it, thus mending their relationships and becoming a happy peaceful family.

yeeeeeeaaahhhh no................. at least thats not his prime motive. it could still be a side effect though.

the riddle to get there is as follows:

KILLLLLLLL !!!!!!!! REND! MAIM!

so here we are. "my beloved home of old" might already be the island. or maybe its more metaphorical than that. it is currently october 4th in the game and i have read up to the afternoon. that COULD theoretically mean the a "first twilight" could happen soon. if that part of the riddle is already relevant at all. welp lets see

[ssamie]

10 things i hate about you

includes: oikawa tooru x reader, seijoh boys in some parts

— fluff, angst?, this was inspired by that one episode of "our beloved summer" lol, im gonna make u kind of like yeonsu which is the character from the drama and use a few scenes from it as well 🤝

— don't mind the random dates, i just had to put them for a certain part later on in the story. there might be some mistakes here and there, im sorry in advance.

— gender neutral pronouns, 6k+words

hq masterlist.        gen masterlist.         navi.

iwaizumi sighed for the umpteenth time as oikawa spiked yet another ball to the poor wall, which had to receive all the hits mixed with oikawa’s curses.

"hey" iwaizumi scoffed as he hit the brunette's head with his fist.

"agh" oikawa groaned as he dropped the volleyball he was holding and pushed iwaizumi's hand away.

"the hell's wrong with you?" iwaizumi snarled at him. "youre acting like you've lost your mind just cus you saw y/n again"

oikawa groaned in exasperation and annoyingly waved his hands around. "don't even say that name okay?" he said, making iwaizumi roll his eyes

"stop being immature. you're not in highschool anymore." iwaizumi said as he patted the boy's back

"immature.." oikawa muttered with a huff "y/n always said i was immature. god i don't even wanna think about them" he clicked his tongue

iwaizumi watched silently as his friend continues to mutter under his breath, stomping his feet unreasonably loud as he harshly throws his things into his bag.

"well, they were right." iwaizumi said, making oikawa snap his head towards his best friend with a comical look of betrayal.

"you're a grown man, huffing and sulking like a child because you saw your ex again." iwaizumi spoke with a sharp glare. "y/n's working with your team's sponsor so you either have to deal with it or get lost"

oikawa huffed at his friend's awfully blunt but unfortunately truthful words. "whatever. you're just like them, iwa." he rolled his eyes

"plus, aren't you my best friend?! you're supposed to side with me not y/n!" he said the name with such distaste

though it wasn't too hard for iwaizumi to notice his eyes softening into something more solemn despite his act.

"im not siding with anyone." iwaizumi said. "but seriously, it's been 5 years since you broke up. i know it affected you but you're doing much better now, right?"

"jeez, back in highschool, you two used to be all over each other that it honestly made me sick" iwaizumi chuckled

"you used to ramble to me how much you love them like the maniac you are. so the way you're acting now is a bit..." iwaizumi trailed off

oikawa frowned. "psh, who said i loved them? i don't love them.. i hate y/n.." he said, his voice growing smaller and smaller

"i hate y/n l/n so much" oikawa exclaimed with a puffed chest, but the waver in his voice completely gave him away

"in fact, i'll give you 10 reasons why. right now."

iwaizumi rolled his eyes "i'd rather not hear it" oikawa simply ignored him and closed his eyes, reminiscing on the past years he'd spent with them.

"okay! gosh, where do i even start.."

"reason #1 : y/n l/n is selfish."

iwaizumi didn't even bat an eye at this. "yeah, i guess they had their moments" he said with a shrug

"not just moments, iwa!" oikawa exclaimed. "they were like that all the time! jeez at that rate, i think they may have been born with it!"

oikawa chuckles sourly "do you remember that one time in highschool? gosh i can't forget it even if i wanted to"

03-05-XX - 7 Days Before Exams 

 you break away from your conversation with oikawa, looking back to meet eyes with one of your classmates sheepishly smiling at you.

"y/n-san?"

"what?" you responded, sounding a bit indifferent as you could practically hear the favor about to spill from her lips before she could even say it.

"well...you know those notes we needed for the test next week?" she asked as she pointed at the notebook on your desk, which ad the said notes in the open for her to see. "can you lend this to me? please! me and my friends will just take a picture and you can have it back!" she pleaded

you look at her and pick up the notebook, making the girl smile in triumph, holding her hand out expecting to receive it.

though what she didn't expect was for you to rip the page, crumpling it, and tearing it to small and unsalvageable pieces.

"there." you said. "you can take a picture of it if you want. though im sure there's no use for that anymore."

"if you wanna pass the test, then study and do your work like everyone else"

the girl scoffed at you, giving you a dirty glare before stomping away, muttering under her breath loud enough for you to hear, "gosh, i knew they were stuck up but i didn't know they were just a plain bitch. i have no idea why oikawa-kun hangs out with them"

you paid no mind as you gathered the torn up paper and place it in between you notebook pages.

"hmm" oikawa hummed, leaning on his desk as he stares at you with narrowed eyes. "what?" you asked, looking him in the eye as you cross your arms. "spit it out, stop being annoying" you mutter

"why did you do that?" oikawa asked with furrowed brows "she just wanted to see your notes"

"she wouldn't have to see mine if she had written her own, oikawa-san" you replied blandly as you pull out a book to read

oikawa huffs "well... you're right" he shrugged

"but don't go doing that again, kay?" he playfully scolds you, "what would they say when they find out that the oikawa tooru is dating someone that doesn't even share their notes?!" he shrieked in horror

"hm, then i guess you can date someone else that does" you said, briefly glancing at him as you flip a page in your book

immediately, his act fails, and he's linking your arms together and giggling cutely while he whines. "im joking!" he exclaimed. "but then.. if im the one who needs your notes, would you let me borrow them?" he asked

"cus i actually need them" he admitted with a cutesy grin "i didn't take any notes so.."

"no. you won't get any special treatment from me" you immediately turned him down

"geez" oikawa pouts. "you're quite selfish, aren't you?" he sighs

"that's why they never get along with anyone" oikawa tsks as he shakes his head. "i mean, who would want to be friends with someone with an attitude like that?!"

iwaizumi hums, "i mean, you dated them didn't you?"

oikawa paused, fumbling over his words as he tries to stay cool. "well, that's.. different.."

"they never got along with anyone, and they never ate with anyone before we dated and before they met the team, everyone would stray away from them.. " he listed out

"and its all because of one thing!" oikawa exclaimed. "it's the next reason on my list"

iwaizumi sighed in annoyance "are you really gonna list 10 things down? you're such a loser"

—

"reason #2: they have absolutely no social skills!"

oikawa laughed "gosh, compared to me, our social levels are just in such different heights" he sneered

"uhuh" iwaizumi muttered dryly, he was honestly considering just blocking his friend's voice out

"yeah! remember that one time after we won a match?"

06-14-XX - Match Celebration Night 

 "oikawa-san, i told you" you sighed "you can just celebrate with your team tonight, and i'll treat you to something else tomorrow" you offered

"y/n-chan~~ please just come with me!" oikawa pleaded, he almost considered getting on his knees but he was feeling way too proud after just winning a match to do that

oikawa frowned, feeling a bit hurt that you had no interest in celebrating his win despite knowing how hard he's worked for it. "why won't you come with me, y/n?" he asked with a disheartened tone in his voice

"it's just.." you mumble "it's not like im close with your teammates anyways. if i go with you, i'll be out of place. so just go without me, okay?" you said

you sighed as his frown didn't seem to fade away no matter what convincing you'd do.

"im really proud of you" you said, taking his hands in yours as you graze your thumbs over his slightly calloused skin.

"really? i couldn't tell" oikawa mutters

"i'll make it up to you" you promised. though he seemed a it unconvinced, he nodded anyways.

"okay." he muttered

although iwaizumi had thought of blocking him out, he couldn't help but be intrigued by oikawa’s stories "they were a bit unapproachable at first, i'd agree" iwaizumi nods.

"right?" oikawa scoffs. "and, that not the only thing i hate!"

iwaizumi sighs "oh, who would have thought?"

—

"reason #3: they try to win at everything. they have a useless competitive spirit." 

 oikawa clicks his tongue. "that trait of theirs was such a drag"

iwaizumi raised a brow at him. "aren't you practically the same?" he asked

oikawa scoffs in disbelief "no way! my competitive spirit comes in handy when im playing a match!" he defended

"but y/n..." he chuckled as he remembered a certain memory "they use it in stupid things."

08-23-XX - Anniversary Date 

"oh, i'll finish that for you if you want" he said, gesturing to your beer as he gulps down his in one go 

 you raise a brow at this "why?" you asked "you think i can't finish it?"

oikawa blinks at you "well.. you've already had a few, so i'll finish it for you incase you might have drank too much"

you pout at him "i can finish it though. i have a pretty good tolerance, you know? plus we're celebrating aren't we? we've been together for 2 years, so i'll drink about 2 more of this"

oikawa groaned "but babe-"

"nope" you cut him off "plus i bet i can drink more than you" you teased him

"this is our anniversary date, not a drinking contest" oikawa chuckled

"it could be if we want" you shrugged

"i really don't want a drinking contest though" oikawa says, biting back a smug grin as he peers at you "you might go crying if you lose" he teases you

you blink at his words and scoff. "we'll see about that" you said

"wait, i was just joking—"

oikawa shakes his head, chuckling lowly as he does so. "maybe that's why people hated them back then as well." he said 

 " 'as well' ? so you hated y/n even back then? is that what you're saying" iwaizumi side eyes him

oikawa scoffs with a smirk "ofcourse!"

"i think you're lying" iwaizumi says.

"im not! iwa-chan, stop making dumb assumptions. i still have more to list down"

—

"reason #4: they pick fights with everyone!"

"and reason #5: they're stubborn."

oikawa huffed at this, "gosh it's not like they can fight anyways" he said, waving his hands around for emphasis

"they're all talk! always getting hotheaded when they get into the smallest banter with someone"

oikawa scoffs "i mean, can't they see that they could get hurt from that?!" he exclaimed in distress

"then who'll have to take care of them? me!"

iwaizumi stayed quiet, his eyes followed oikawa, who was pacing around while muttering under his breath, way too distracted to follow up his reason with a story to reminisce on.

"just what would i do if they get into something even i couldn't handle? i mean obviously, i'd call you, iwa-chan, to punch whoever they are for me but you'd probably think im messing with you before you'd even believe i actually needed your help—"

iwaizumi cleared his throat, raising a row at oikawa, who was frozen in spot, looking a bit embarrassed.

"i-i mean.. sorry" oikawa sheepishly walked back to his seat beside iwaizumi. "was i rambling?"

it didn't take long for him to get over it though, "anyways, where was i?" he clicked his tongue.

"ah, the next reason"

—

"reason #6: they're self centered and likes to do anything they want!"

"there's many events to back this up, but this one time.. this one time!" oikawa gritted his teeth, an irked expression etching itself on his face

"gosh, i won't forget it. they were so confusing and inconsiderate." he said "and so unbelievably pushy."

09-12-XX - Break Up Trip

"stand there and smile" you said as you drag him infront of a nice scenery, holding up a camera as you gesture for him to stop frowning

"wait-" oikawa stammered out

"im taking it." you said as you clicked the camera, a subtle flash soon erupting from it. "don't blame me if you don't like it"

"is this really our last trip together?" oikawa asked, hurt and confused as you drag him away once again.

"what are you doing, hurry up we have to take more pictures" you said "then after that, we have to get some food, and take the train back."

oikawa blinked dumbfoundedly. "wait.." he called out, letting you drag him by his arm towards a smoothie stand

"is this really our last trip before you break up with me?" he asked once again

"here, we'll share a straw." you said, completely ignoring him as you placed the smoothie on the table. "we'll drink this, then eat something else. then maybe we can walk around before going to the station." you said with a hum, nodding to yourself as you go over your plans.

"y/n, are you really breaking up with me?" oikawa asked for the nth time that day. he was way too stunned and confused to even think of anything else or process the whole 'trip' you two abruptly went on.

"ah, the sun set way too fast" you pouted. "i guess we have to go to the station now"

oikawa jumped in distraught "then you'll break up with me?!" he exclaimed with dread

"oikawa-san." you stopped to face him, making feel atleast a little bit hopeful that you'd reassure him he's wrong.

"for an athlete, you sure are slow." you deadpanned. "walk faster please."

"so... are you breaking up with me?"

iwaizumi let out a hum of realization "ah, is that why you two suddenly disappeared that time?" he said

"yeah! they showed up unannounced after our argument and took me to a very solemn and infuriating trip, if you can even call it that!" oikawa whined

"but that's not all..you know what else i hate?"

iwaizumi closed his eyes and leaned back. at this point, he had already accepted having to listen to oikawa’s crazy stories. "jeez, how many are left?" he asked

—

"reason #7: they have no sense of romance."

oikawa's chest heaved as a frown was etched onto his face again. "i wondered how a person could lack so much romance in their life."

"i mean, haven't they atleast watched any dramas or read books other than textbook before?" he whined

"i remember that day exactly... oh how could i forget?"

04-01-XX - Cherry Blossom Festival

"aw, y/n-chan! cmon~" oikawa whined, clinging onto your waist while you simply shelve the books in peace

"it's the last day to see the cherry blossoms! it'll rain tomorrow, you know? and i didn't even come to see them once cus i wanted to only do it with you!" he exclaimed

you look back to see him pouting and batting his eyelashes at you, waiting patiently for your sweet yes.

"im working" he sighed dejectedly as he watched you pick up another stack of books to put in the shelves

"plus why would you wanna go anyways?" you asked "they're just useless flowers with bunched up petals that have no scent"

oikawa mockingly mimicked you "they're just a bunch of flowers with no scent!" he scoffed. "they're pretty flowers that your dear boyfriend wants to see!" he said

you turn to him, smiling as you giving him a light pat on his cheek "we can go next year" you said before walking away

oikawa huffed, watching your retreating figure with a glare. he punched the books in annoyance, but fixed them anyways as he heard you scold him from afar.

"you said that last year.." he muttered

iwaizumi chuckled as oikawa had a nasty expression upon reminiscing on the memory. "you could've asked me to go with you" he said

oikawa turned to him. "yeah, then you would've told me to get lost" he said

oikawa sighed, "how many do i have left?" he asked himself

—

"reason #8: they always have things to do and they only think about their self ."

10-14-XX - Regional Matches

the boys looked at each other, silently asking why their captain was muttering lowly to himself at the corner, seeming to be in such a bad mood despite having half the stadium cheering his and his team's name.

oikawa clicked his tongue in distaste, his glaring eyes were boring through his phone, straight at your caller id as he waits for you to pick up.

it was sixth call in the last thirty minutes, and you haven't answered even once.

"hey" iwaizumi nudged him. "you look like you're about to kill someone" he said

"hey, we're about to start so keep your head in the game, capt!" matsukawa chimed in as he gave oikawa a hard slap on his back

oikawa winced and put his phone away with a frown. "whatever." he said. "my head is in the game by the way"

"doesn't seem like it" iwaizumi said as he handed the brunette a water bottle. "ah, it's y/n-san isn't it?" hanamaki chimes with a smirk

"are you pissed cus they're not here to cheer you on?" he asked, making oikawa scoff. "ah, so you are" matsukawa chuckled

"dude, there's girls and boys here that are screaming their lungs out for you, don't get too hung up on y/n" matsukawa said

"maybe y/n-san is busy studying or working, as always. i mean they made it a pretty usual thing already. i thought you'd be used to them not attending most of your matches" hanamaki said

iwaizumi hit the both of them "shut up, will you?" he said

oikawa glared at them, throwing his bottle at the two, making them yelp. "don't talk about y/n-chan like that!" he scolded them

"sorry sorry~" the two chimed with a smile

oikawa frowned, "you don't know anything..."

oikawa dragged out a sigh, making iwaizumi eye him curiously. "what is it?" iwaizumi asked.

"if this is hard for you, then you don't really have to talk about it" he said to the brunette. "not like i asked you to, anyway" he added

oikawa meekly shook his head "no, im fine"

—

"reason #9: another thing i hate.."

oikawa trailed off, he was looking far away. iwaizumi wasn't sure where, to him, his friend just looked like his mind had completely wandered off.

oikawa scoffed to himself, a sad smile ghosting his lips as he muttered the following words,

"..is that only know a side of y/n which nobody else knows, and i can't help but fall in love"

03-06-XX - 6 Days Before Exams

"here." oikawa jumped at the sudden sound of your voice. he blinked dumbfoundedly as you stood before him, holding a piece of paper with tape plastered in almost every inch of it.

"um, what is it?" he asked as he took it from you. suddenly, he chuckled, smirking smugly as he pulled you down to sit with him.

"aw, y/n-chan! don't tell me it's a love letter! —"

you cut him off by snatching it and turning to walk away. "wait wait wait-" oikawa grinned as he pulled you back down to the seat "im just messing with you" he said

you rolled your eyes, smiling as you hit his shoulder. "youre so childish" you laughed

"this is the notes for the test" you said. oikawa looked at you in surprise and confusion "but i thought you got rid of it?"

"well, you said you needed it so.." you trailed off, averting your eyes out of embarrassment

"i tried to tape it back together last night but it might be too crumpled to be read, so i'll help you if you need me to"

you glance at him after not getting a response, fully expecting him to tease you. but instead, you saw him staring at you with a soft look in his eyes. he was smiling brightly, his cheeks blushing in a soft pink color.

"stop smiling like that, you look dumb" you mutter

oikawa grinned even more, watching you with a fond look as you pulled out your books, settling to study with him.

"i knew you couldn't resist me~" he cooed teasingly, inching closer to you to press a kiss on your cheek

you scoffed "no, i was just worried you'd cry if you fail. you're always like that"

oikawa hummed, not minding your harsh words as he pecked your cheek again. "that's the same thing~" he cooed

"don't worry y/n-chan, i know you love me. you don't have to say it"

"you're delusional"

"how mean!"

—

06-15-XX - The Day After The Match Celebration 

"oh! what's this?"

the boys huddled around a bench, aweing at the cake decorated with their team colors with a message written in the middle

"congratulations, seijoh" kindaichi read. "is it from coach?" he asked

"ooh!! there's drinks too!" matsukawa exclaimed "soda? nice" he said as he popped a can open and immediately drank from it

"senpai, it might be poisoned" kindaichi warned him. "if it is, then just let him be" hanamaki sneered

"what's happening?" oikawa asked as he entered the gym with iwaizumi. "hey, just cus we won doesn't mean you can slack off as much as you want" iwaizumi said as he picked up a ball to throw at hanamaki and matsukawa

"hey, it's not our fault someone left a cake for us! it just means we gotta celebrate more"

"it's probably from shittykawa's fangirls-" iwaizumi paused upon reading the name on the folded note by the cake "ah nevermind, it's from y/n" he said

oikawa perked up from the sound of your name. "y/n?" he asked

"yeah, the note says 'congrats. from, y/n'...yeah, thats all it says" matsukawa chuckled. "y/n-san sure is reserved, aren't they?" he mused

"anyways, tell y/n-san we said thank you" iwaizumi said as he took a slice of cake "tell them to come see us next time, as well"

the boys cheered in agreement, and the thought of his team wanting to hang out you almost made oikawa smile like a lovesick idiot, but obviously he couldn't do that or he'll never hear the end of it.

"hey, start practice without me. i'll come by later" oikawa said before running out the gym

he tried to rack his brain on where he could possibly find you, but it seems he didn't need to think to much as he spotted you seated on a bench under the shade

"y/n-chan!" oikawa called out as he ran towards you. "y/n-" he cut himself off as you wordlessly place a bag in his hands

"a gift?" he mused as he sat next to you, chuckling as he catches you discreetly taking glances to see his reaction to the gift

"oooh~ knee pads! how'd you know i needed them?" oikawa grinned as he pressed a kiss on your temple. "thank you, baby"

you smile shyly at the nickname "your old ones were a bit worn out.." you said. "but, i kind of messed up and somehow got mismatched ones" you said with a frown

oikawa just then took a clearer look at the gift. he hadn't even noticed that it was in black and white because of how happy he was to receive a gift from you.

"i guess i shouldn't have ordered online" you said with a look of distaste.

oikawa laughed, a light blush on his cheeks as he slung his arm around you. "don't worry about it!" he said

"shouldn't i exchange it? tell me honestly, i wouldn't even be offended!" you exclaimed. oikawa simply shook his head and slipped them on before you could take them back

"so, you gave my team a cake, huh?" he teasingly nudged you. "well.." you stammered in embarrassment

"you seemed upset that i didn't celebrate with them.. just take this as me celebrating with your team, kay?" you said

oikawa pouted "just with them?" he whined "what about me?"

you smiled at him before placing your hands over his eyes. "i didn't forget about you, of course" you said

you stare at him, admiring his beautiful features and the smile on his lips. "what? is there something on my face?" oikawa asked with furrowed brows

you lean closer to kiss him, pressing your lips on his as your hand reaches for his. he smiles as you pull away, tightening his hold on your hand.

"congratulations" you mumble "did i make it up to you?"

"mhm" oikawa hummed, his smile growing bigger and bigger by the second

"that's good." you sigh "now get back to the gym and practice. your teammates must've eaten the cake by now, i hope you atleast took a bite" you said

"oh, i didn't get to eat but that's fine" oikawa shrugged

"really? i made that though. too bad"

he froze at the new found information. "huh? you-you made it yourself?" he asked with a lifeless smile

"uh yeah?"

"i gotta go i love you thanks for your gift you're so cute for making that cake yourself see you later mwuah mwuah love you bye!"

it was amazing how much he could say in one breath, but you blink in confusion as he ran towards the gym, shouting at his teammates to 'leave him a slice or else he'll leave team and cry'.

oikawa didn't get to eat the cake that day.

—

08-23-XX - Anniversary Date

"stop swaying" you whine as you struggle to keep him standing on his feet. his arm was slung over your shoulder while the rest of his body weight is dragging you down, making you stumble around

"y/n-chan!! i love you~" oikawa drunkenly giggled as he leaned forward, puckering his lips for a kiss

this however, didn't go as planned, seeing as you two fell on the ground with a thud. thankfully the impact wasn't too bad

"geez" you sighed as oikawa continues to nuzzle into you as if you two weren't laying on the street like a couple of maniacs

you look down at him, smiling as you catch sight of his flushed face. "i love you too" you whispered

"you love me?!" oikawa excitedly exclaimed "wah! i only hear that from you like thrice every two months" he babbled through a series of hiccups

you roll your eyes at him, a smile of amusement grazing your lips as you caress his cheeks.

"you know what else?" you cooed, gently combing his hair out of his eyes

"hm?" he hummed groggily

"i totally won that drinking contest" you giggled as he whined "i let you win!" he says

"mhm, sure you did" you played along. you pulled him up to his feet, having to carry him on your back while he drunkenly rambles away

"let's go home, tooru. i'll take care of you"

—

11-06-XX

oikawa sighs as he caught sight of you standing infront a group of guys, a different team who had just played and lost against them.

"what are they doing now?" oikawa shakes his head as he quickly runs towards you, trying to pull you away before anything gets worse

"what's happening here?" he cooed in a 'friendly' tone, despite sending a glare at the boys before you

"ah so it's true, they really are dating you" one of the boys said, gesturing to oikawa. "hey oikawa-san, tell your s/o to behave. they're crazy" the boys snickered

oikawa glared at them, staring them down as he tries to bite back the curses itching to leave his mouth.

"who do you think you are?!" you snarl at them, much to their surprise "don't go around badmouthing oikawa and his team if you can't even win a match against them"

oikawa blinked dumbfoundedly, we're you really fighting because of him and his teammates? he felt a bit touched but still concerned, given that its only the two of you against a whole team of guys.

"learn to match your confidence with the skills you have. and given the results of the match just now, you don't have much skill in you anyway" you sneered

oikawa bites back a laugh at the sight of their dumbfounded and offended expression.

"okay, let's go y/n" he whispers to you with a chuckle. you glance at him and nod, taking his outstretched hand.

"don't talk like that about tooru again" you said to them "if you do, i'll have have to show you how crazy i get"

as you two walk away, oikawa looks back to send them a cheeky grin, matching it with a peace sign. "you heard them! it was a good game, see you around~" he cooed tauntingly

when you two get far enough, oikawa lightly punches your shoulder. "don't do that again, okay?" he says

you huff "i couldn't help it" you said. oikawa smiles as he ruffles your hair "but thank you anyway. you got in a fight cus of us, or me" he cooed

"i'll always defend you, tooru"

—

04-01-XX - Cherry Blossom Festival

oikawa had a grim look on his face as he watched you approach him. he'd been sitting outside a convenience store near your house for atleast an hour now, waiting for you to get home.

"how long have you been sitting there?" you asked with an amused smile as you simply stares back at you

"why are you smiling?" he sulked "was working and missing a cherry blossom date with your boyfriend that fun?"

you chuckle at the adorable pout he had, glaring at you as he crossed his arms to emphasize that he was upset.

"why are you so upset about missing one cherry blossom festival, hm?" you mused

oikawa scoffed "it's not just one.." he muttered. "were you really counting? you're so petty" you laughed

"did you just call me petty?" he scowled at you, sulking even more.

you smile fondly at him, fiddling with the hidden petals in your pocket before throwing them up in the air, letting them fall upon the two of you.

"we saw the cherry blossoms" you said

oikawa couldn't respond. he was too busy staring up at you with sparkling eyes. you looked so beautiful like that, having the pink petals fall all around you. it was magical, or atleast to him.

"next time we can see them fall from the trees, but you'll have to make do with that for now" you said

oikawa chuckled breathlessly "i think i prefer seeing them like this"

—

10-14-XX - Regional Matches

you pant heavily as you make a sharp turn along the halls, almost tumbling as you try to arrive before the match ends

"agh, why is this stadium so huge? where are they playing?" you groan, pulling out your phone and getting even more frustrated as you see the number of calls and texts your boyfriend had left you in the past hour

you abruptly stop as you catch sight of their white and teal uniforms on the court. you quickly rush inside, panting and trying to catch your breath after all the running.

just then coach nobuteru called you over, urging you to sit by him. "y/n-san did you just arrive?" he asked

"yes sir, im sorry" you bowed to him "i clocked out of work as soon as i can but i think i was still late anyways"

"it's fine, don't worry about it. it's only the first game" he chuckled as he patted your shoulder reassuringly. "oikawa-san had been in a bad mood since the start, so im gonna need you to cheer for him. we're gonna need him to focus if we wanna win" he said

you smile sheepishly as your eyes fall on him, he had such a deep scowl on his face. he looks so on edge as the rest of the team eyes him nervously.

"um.. how do i.." you mutter. coach nobuteru laughed "just scream, cheer, call out to him. any thing, really" he said

you nod, clearing your throat. "tooru!" you shouted, your face heating up in embarrassment as his head whipped towards your direction, followed by his teammates who simultaneously sighed in relief.

"this is so embarrassing" you mutter as you try to hide behind coach nobuteru, only for him to laugh and wave his hand to the boys, urging them to get back to the game.

oikawa locked eyes with you for a moment longer, failing to bite back a smile as you mouth a 'good luck' to him with a bright grin.

after the match, oikawa rushed to you, smiling brightly as you wipe away his sweat, mindlessly rambling about the game and even nagging him about the times he missed a hit.

"you came" he said with a happy hum "y/n-chan, im starting to think you enjoy playing hard to get" he teased

"hey!" you hit his chest "don't tease me! i messed up cus your schedule doesn't match with mine"

he chuckled "mhm" he pressed a kiss to your cheek. "stop that, you're all sweaty" you say as you push him away, trying to keep a straight face but oikawa could clearly see the corners of your lips twitching into a smile.

"thanks to you, we won!" oikawa cheered. "i didn't even play" you said in confusion. "you're my lucky charm! you didn't need to play, you just had to be here with me" he said

"so always be by my side, okay?" he nudged you

"of course, tooru"

—

09-12-XX - Break Up Trip

the spontaneous trip had come to its end as you both reach the station, and oikawa was still hung up and on edge about the possible break up conspiracy he had somehow thought of. “y/n-chan, is this really how we end?” he asked 

“hm, i shouldve taken more photos” you said, ignoring him once again as you looked through the photos youve taken throughout the day. “hey, stop ignoring me” oikawa whined 

you sighed, finally acknowledging his whining with an unamused look on your face. “oikawa tooru, are you an idiot or what?” you said. 

oikawa looked at you in surprise “...is..is that a yes? are you actually leaving me?” he asked warily 

you rolled your eyes, flicking him in the forehead as he winced. “you idiot.” you hit him lightly “why would we break up?” you asked, frowning at the thought

oikawa gulped, ”well, its just... this trip felt really ‘heavy’, if that makes sense.” he said. “it feels ‘heavy’ to be with me?” you asked with a frown. of course, he was quick to reassure you. 

“no thats not it! its just, we argued pretty badly before this so i thought you were just letting me enjoy before leaving for good” he explained. “ never know exactly what goes on in your head so it made me assume the worst.”

“so are we okay?” he asked

“you idiot” you huff as you take his face in your hands. “of course we’re okay.” 

“why would we break up, tooru? thats not gonna happen.” you said. you smiled at him, gently caressing his cheeks as he leans on your hands with a sigh of content.

“if it gets to that point, all you have to do is come to me. dont let me go. after all, i already told you right?” you said to him. 

“i’ll always be by your side, tooru.”

—

"reason #10: they throw me away so easily, while it's so hard for me to even let go."

iwaizumi gulped at the sudden confession. he didn't know what to say or do, understandably so.

oikawa looked down at the ring on his finger, a heavy feeling filling his chest as he fiddles with the silver band.

"i hate y/n l/n so much."

iwaizumi sighs, seeing oikawa’s eyes filled with such sadness despite his straight face.

"that's enough. go home" iwaizumi said as he grabbed oikawa's bag and threw it at him. "stop thinking about them. just go home and get some sleep"

oikawa sighed with a nod. "okay" he said with a meek wave of goodbye

"hey" iwaizumi called out just before he could leave the gym. "need me to drive you?" he asked, only for oikawa to refuse

"no, i'll walk" he said. "see you, iwa-chan"

oikawa left with his head hung low and his lips quivering. "oikawa tooru, you're such an idiot" he whispered to himself

he sighed again, dragging his fingers through his hair in distress as he tries to clear his head.

he decided to stop by a vending machine, getting himself a cold drink and gulping it at once. he mindlessly threw the can away and looked up at the sky. it had turned dark already, and the sky was littered with stars.

he couldn't help but feel grim as he came to a realization. he scoffed at himself, a bittersweet smile grazing his lips as he whispered to the night sky,

"i love y/n l/n so much"