#i think. i'm going to leave that list out for the next tournament just so the fans don't find it and get mad at me
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myths-tournaments · 1 year ago
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wait what's wrong with vivziepop
dsmp & vivziepop are not on that list for moral reasons I'm just a hater and find the fandoms beyond annoying
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Silas from sorcery of thorns
Murderbot from Murderbot diaries
Kelly Bennett from Heartsong
Jasnah Kholin from The Stormlight Archives series
Tori Spring from Solitaire
Cliopher Mdang from The Hands of the Emperor
St. Nicholas from The Tarot Sequence (thank you @wonkyjaw for mentioning this one as I don't think it was mentioned in the submission)
There might be more than this that i'm just less familiar with and weren't submitted with their orientation attached, but these are the ones that were specifically called out as aro or ace to me
Hey, I'm curious if it was intentional that there are no ace- or aro-spec characters in the tournament, or if it was just by chance? There's so few characters,that I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if you just genuinely didn't think of them or have any suggested to you. But it did standout to me, and I wanted to ask.
There are aro/ace characters tho??
I’ll add onto this when I get home again (left to grab food) and can control f the spreadsheet but I know Victor Vale from Vicious is ace and Neil Josten from All for the Game is aspec and I believe Frances from Radio Silence is aspec as well iirc but those are three just off the top of my head I know there’s a few more
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zaynontour · 9 days ago
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Even though I read plenty of fics and have been doing so since I first started in 2021, this is the first time I actually noted down the names of the fics as I read them this month. I’m so thankful to our fandom’s wonderful writers for sharing these with us and it is because I read so many that I wanted to start noting them down so I can remember them. I was debating posting the list but fics have always been a source of comfort for me and if you feel the same, maybe these can bring you some comfort too.
🎃 The Serpent and the Lion by louiseparker @louiseparker [212k]
Seventh year Hogwarts AU in which Harry Styles is an asshole Gryffindor jock with daddy issues, Louis is just trying to get through the year, and Liam, Zayn, and Niall rarely ever know what the hell is going on.
🎃 Tainted Saints And Velvet Vices by Toomanytears @toomanydreamers [126k]
A self-fulfilling Hogwarts AU in which Louis is new to seventh year and Harry is the resident devil-may-care Slytherin set to make his entire experience a living misery. Due to less than favourable circumstances they're forced to forge an unwilling, tentative relationship for their own survival. Repressed emotions, decidedly unromantic ballroom dancing, Triwizard Tournament tasks, creative jinxes and twilight flying above the Forbidden Forest ensue.
🎃 You Drive Me Round The Bend by TheCellarDoor [77k]
In which Louis is a spoilt rich kid who’s always on the phone while he drives and Harry is a struggling musician making his way down the mountain. It’s just a matter of time before they crash and burn.
🎃 but me, i'm not a gamble by orphan_account [33k]
A Posh & Becks AU in which Harry is a star on the stage and Louis is a star on the pitch, but they're both inexplicably terrible at articulating their feelings. In the end, it only takes a season's worth of failed matchmaking schemes, platonic dinner dates, road trip holidays, and one very convenient David Beckham cameo for them to figure it all out. And if Niall knew all along? Well, he at least has the decency not to be too smug about it.
🎃 The Lone Hydrangea by sarah_writes @lightwoodsmagic [77k]
The post Hogwarts AU where Harry's a florist, Louis' a muggle who edits fantasy books, and they both have no say in how quickly they fall for each other.
🎃 The Sunshine Stays by quickedween @becomeawendybird [15k]
It's three years after One Direction got back together, and Harry and Louis have just come off a world tour. They're enjoying a much more relaxed schedule the second time around, allowing themselves to bask in married life. Until, one day, Louis surprises Harry on vacation, and there are some surprising consequences.
🎃 House Of The Rising Sun by @itsmotivatingcara [100k]
Witch Harry/Vampire Louis. The Originals AU.
🎃 Something Like This by multicoloredme [150k]
After leaving his boyfriend, Louis is a little sore emotionally and is ready for a fresh start in a new city. When a coworker tells him about a couple friends looking for a new flatmate, he decides to go for it. Little does he know, that one of his new flatmates is the gorgeous, captivating guy he met at a party a few weeks ago. A New Girl/Grey’s Anatomy/Relief Next To Me inspired AU.
🎃 Say That You Can See Me (I'll Speak Up I Swear) by @coffeelouis [20k]
The liberal arts COLLEGE AU where Harry knows Louis as the best friend of the boy he has been hopelessly in love with for years now and Louis knows Harry as the boy he wished would look away from Zayn long enough to notice him.
🎃 Don't You Think It's Boring How People Talk? by wildestdreams @thelavendrhaze [80k]
A Gossip Girl AU where Louis is the king of the Upper East Side and Harry is the bad boy he loves to hate until a late-night limo ride changes everything.
🎃 Magical Soup by gloria_andrews @gloriaandrews [28k]
Slytherin prefect Louis Tomlinson's seventh year at Hogwarts takes an immediate turn for the worse when he's made to be potions partners with Harry Styles, Hufflepuff's resident heartthrob and class clown. Louis has always considered Styles to be a terrible show-off who coasts by on his charm and good looks, but the more they work together, the more he questions that idea. As term goes on, will Louis be able to admit to himself that he might actually like Harry Styles after all... and maybe, just maybe, as more than a friend?
🎃 King Of My Heart by wildestdreams @thelavendrhaze [80k]
A Red, White, and Royal Blue AU where Hollywood elite, Louis Tomlinson, finds himself falling for the closeted Prince of England.
🎃 And What If I Were You by @jacaranda-bloom [100k]
For Louis, will losing his sight give him the clarity to realise what is right in front of him?
For Harry, will losing the love of his life give him the strength to finally open his heart?
And can they find their way back, before they lose each other forever? A story of love. A story of loss. A story of fighting for each other, no matter the odds.
🎃 Tell me when you're ready (I'm waitin') by insufferablelovebirds [17k]
When Harry's love letters to his old crushes get sent accidentally, one recipient, Louis, offers to help him fake a relationship but it gets complicated when feelings get involved.
Or an au loosely based off to all the boys I've loved before.
Total Fics Read: 14
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a-shrieking-cloud-of-bats · 10 months ago
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A Handful Of Games I Played This Year
without major coverage that is
Neophyte
I've long since stopped trying to keep roguelites out of these lists because they are such a large part of the independent game scene and more importantly because no matter how much I stamp my feet and insist They're All The Same, I Do Keep Playing Them. So Neophyte is just that; a vampire survivors-esque roguelite where you're playin a little monk man.
You pick two spells/attacks at the start of the game and over the course of it gain stat bonuses, spell modifiers, defensive skills, ultimate skills, the works. It comes off as something of a combination of a roguelite, where you're building your character over the course of the run, with more of a vampire survivors gameplay loop where enemies spawn and you kill them. Kill all the enemies in a wave, get a set of prizes, repeat. It ends after... I want to say 9 - 12 waves, and if you win you get a prestige modifier that makes the next run harder. Simple. To be honest I think the game distills what a lot of people really liked about roguelites quite well, and it makes for a satisfying gameplay loop, if you're into that sort've thing.
Sorry We're Open
Sorry we're open is what I'm calling a corporate horror RPG where you play a manager of a retail chain. Over the course of a workday you encounter various paranormal entities with a slight retail twist, and using your party members (which are randomly generated and are capable of being replaced via hiring and firing), you beat em up. You use money from your job to use skills, and in the course of exploring the retail store you begin to unravel a bizzare eldritch corporate plot.
It all sounds more jokey then it is, and while I'd struggle to call it scary it kept my attention. In my opinion it ran a little long and the combat is a little loose with the amount of money it gives you so by the end of the game you're just spamming powerful skills and skipping combats and wondering why the combat is even in the game. The secret ending is a bit obnoxious too. That said I do think it tells a neat little story and while you're getting adjusted to the combat system it's quite satisfying. Made by the guy that made No Delivery, Oates, if you are familiar, another game I quite enjoyed.
Thunder Ray
Remember punch out? Super punch out maybe? This game isn't Exactly like that, and I wouldn't go in expecting Super Punch Out Two or anything, but it's a solid modern adaption. First person boxing game, you are Thunder Ray, world champion, who is abruptly abducted by aliens to compete in a galactic fighting tournament.
There's really not much more to say about it. If you're not familiar with punch out it's a first person boxing game where attacks must either be blocked or dodged and you gotta land punches and there's health bars and etc etc. Thunder ray is very similar to that, though it's a bit more heavy on the memorization and repitition of fights. It was apparently made by a mobile development team as a first effort at PC dev and it's quite good for a first timer! The visual style is fantastic and while it's not the longest game in the world I did enjoy working my way through it. More fights to come, evidently, as the story ends on a cliffhanger.
Escape from Terror City
Third person lightgun game. You will need a controller. You're a freedom fighter fighting an invasion force that's attempting to conquer a neutral planet that mines vital minerals for war efforts. While the developer of the game has invested much time into this setting and he has loads of games about it, I'm going to leave it at that. The plot isn't really a home run, and it's very formulaic, but I can't bring myself to bag on a guy that's making his own little personal worldbuilt setting that he made a website for and everything. Let's get to the actual game.
Third person lightgun game, so you're viewing the world from behind the player character. You will need a controller; I repeat myself for good reason, the game is God Awful on keyboard and mouse. You move your targeting reticule to select where you are shooting, hold A to shoot. Make your way through stages on rails, branching paths, five levels. Another simple one, reminsicent of old arcade lightgun games, though unlike beat-em-ups and shoot-em-ups, lightgun games never really got the cult following they did, so this is a bit of a rarity as far as I'm aware. I'm not gonna tell you the game is perfect, there's a bit of polish missing and the dialogue portraits range from passable to almost grotesque. But the majority of the graphical work in the game is solid, and while there's a few Weird Bits, I think it's a fun little romp. Again, not a long game.
The Stinger: Slightly more well covered games that I'm talking about anyway
Void Stranger
If you've been following this blog for any appreciable amount of time you know there was a period of time of about two months where I was religiously playing this game and it made me like chew my nails and bug my eyes out of my skull and everything. It's good! If you're into Sokoban (block pushing/tile replacement puzzles) with a dash of large scale overarching la-mulana esque puzzles. I stress the second part of that is not a massive part of the game; it is largely faithful to the sokoban genre.
Largely for the puzzle game player, I'd reccomend it more for the sokoban then the overarching puzzles (though if you can finish them and get past the puzzles in the main game there's quite an interesting little trail to follow there! I don't want to downplay that!), and if you're shooting for the large scale puzzles there's a few that make you take notes though, so I'd reccomend keeping some basic notes while you progress through the game. The story follows Gray, a lady in waiting for a king. I can't tell you anymore without spoiling anything. I've technically already spoiled you a little bit! The game does have a significant and compelling plot however, and I really enjoyed discovering it. There's not a part of this game that I don't whole heartedly reccomend outside of a few puzzles. I'd keep talking but I think I'd just sort've keep repeating myself and gushing about the game. Strongly Reccomended.
Do you remember why you're here?
Book of Hours
Another game I played a lot. You're an occult librarian maintaining an occult library. There's a lot to be said about the game world but the fun is in the discovery so I'll leave it at that.
It is quite literally a library management game and you do less handing books out then sorting your vast mansion of a library and studying eldrich secrets. Oddly comfortable, and not a game that pushes you very hard. If you're looking for something more along the lines of say, animal crossing, with a bit more of a Wizard flare then you can not go wrong with this. It's a solid bit of experimentation and I reccomend it. I can't even really talk about the mechanics very much because learning how things fit together is also a part of the charm. It's just sort've a charming wizardgame. I dunno.
Done
Get Out
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semie78 · 2 years ago
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Hey do you have any good Code Lyoko fics that focus particularly on angst or the trauma the Lyoko Warriors went through? I've been trying to find some good ones, I saw you mention a fic where Yumi went to therapy and I was wondering if there were any more fics out there thay examine the trauma the warriors faced.
I'm a week late but hello~ I have a few recs but not all of them fit 100% on examining their trauma, you might have read these already but I hope you enjoy them! (and if anyone has anymore pls share!!! I haven't gotten a chance to read much lately)
Out of Time by That_G3_Obsessive
Dr Elaine Charpentier was well-respected in her field. As one of the best psychotherapists in the Paris area, she was no stranger to strange and difficult cases. However, when fifteen-year-old Yumi Ishiyama came into her office with reports of troubles at school, something seemed off about the girl. For starters, no one had been able to find out what exactly the problem was. Well, if there was one thing Elaine loved, it was a challenge. She was determined to figure out exactly what Yumi's problem was... Whatever the cost. This is the therapy fic that anon mention if anyone is curious it's so good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And So They Lived by Sheep_with_teeth
He was staring out the window at the rapidly darkening sky when his phone buzzed, and his heart jumped into his throat. Adrenaline shot through him and then drained away, leaving him flushed and dizzy. U kn com bk now. It didn’t say XANA. It never does anymore. Now all his phone screen ever tells him is: You are a normal teenager, Odd Della Robbia. We’re sorry for any inconvenience that war over the entire planet might have caused you. Please get back to your regularly scheduled programming of being a dork with roommate problems. Another message popped up on his screen, a real one: Buy twinkies. This one is more light hearted and more odd/sissi focus and I definitely need to reread this again<3
Goodbyes by amorekay
"Did you read my diary?" Odd stills, and then turns his head toward Ulrich, frowning. "Yes," he admits, hesitantly, after a beat. A short but good one~ man I miss kay's fics <3 def check her other works too
You might need me more than you think you will. by amorekay
If Sissi's noticed that Aelita's nightmares have gotten worse steadily over the past week as she looks paler and paler in class, she's not going to admit anything.
Solace by dame_de_la_chance
Odd has been avoiding Jeremie for some time now, and Jeremie attempts to get to the bottom of his strange behavior. This fic man!!!! I love fics like these and even tho this fic doesn't mention it, if you like the garage kids plot with powers on earth chance has some other fics you can read like that!!
Old Habits Die Hard by BewitchingNotes
Everyone's having trouble grasping the fact that they aren't the Lyoko Warriors anymore. Sissi knocks Aelita down during gym and finds herself being kicked to the ground by Odd.
List by lunesolei
Here-in lies the twenty-five things Ulrich is unlikely to mention. Here-in lie the twenty-five things Yumi keeps quiet about. Here-in reside the twenty-five things Jeremie doesn't really disclose. Hear ye, hear ye, here-in are the 25 things Odd doesn't really bring up. THIS SERIES MAN IT'S SO AMAZING DEF ONE OF MY TOP CL FIC RECS I DONT KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT, EACH STORY HAS SUCH A GOOD FOCUS ON THE CHARACTERS AND IT JUST GIVES YOU A WHIPLASH OF EMOTIONS. It's currently on odd's chapter which has 5 chapters left then aelita is next, but yeah I really like this one everyone should check it out.
Saturday Morning Cartoons by YoshiStack
Their fight is over, but sometimes old habits still die hard. At least it'll make a great story one day down the line. Yoshi's fics >>>>> def read their other works!
Celui qui n’avance pas, recule by quiter10
Odd organizes a videogame tournament, Sissi gives the okay, and Jeremie reflects on the past, present and future—because whether he likes it or not, life goes on. Really great read love all the little details put in!
15 by YoshiStack
Kiwi has been a very good boy for a long time. He'll be 15 in June. I apologize this one is just pain B')
That's What Friends Are For by YoshiStack
In the aftermath of the Franz Hopper incident, the others realize they never got a chance to properly celebrate his birthday. Jeremy has feelings about it. And he's bad at feelings. kids being kids with a mix of pain my favorite B')
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tellthemeerkatsitsfine · 21 days ago
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I said I was going to make more posts about those ACMS 2019 streams, as I finished watching them a few days ago. Well, here's my main discovery from them. John Hastings, whom I'd not heard of until early in 2024, when I skimmed through the ACMS recordings, and came across a shouty Canadian. That's my sort of thing.
So I went and bought his stuff on Bandcamp. Which, to be honest, I didn't get around to listening to until he put a special on Youtube a few months later, and it got shared by some other British comedians, so I watched it, and liked it. I looked him up and learned he happened to be coming to my city that weekend to play my shitty local comedy club, so I bought a ticket, and then I listened to all his Bandcamp stuff within a couple of days, and then I went to see him live, and enjoyed it so much that I went back to watch him again the next weekend because he was headlining again. I then went through the rest of his specials on YouTube, his couple of ComComPod episodes, and before I knew it, I had accidentally become a fan of yet another shouty comedian. I don't want to be the type of person who's into shouty comedy. But to pull out some shouty examples I see in a quick glance at the names of sub-folders in the comedy folder on my hard drive - Dan Rath Desiree Burch Frankie Boyle Hannah Gadsby John Hastings John Robins Johnny Vegas Michael Legge Nish Kumar Phil Nichol Rhod Gilbert Tom Ballard Ian Boldsworth Sam Campbell, and I know he'd object to being included on this list but technically Stewart Lee does do probably at least as much shouting as someone like John Robins, ironic shouting is still shouting - the data says otherwise. I enjoy a comedian who will have a good shout.
(I've now come back after finishing this post, to put a "read more" here because this got longer than I expected. The rest of this post is more stuff about John Hastings, that's what you get if you click the link.)
Anyway, seeing him live was how I learned that he is not only Canadian like me, he is from my hometown. Those weekends at my local comedy club were homecoming gigs for him. He mentioned the name of the high school he went to, and I used to coach the wrestling team at that high school. When I was in high school (just barely after he was, I think I'm four years younger than him), my teammates and I used to compete against athletes from his school at local tournaments. Meaning one could argue that the British comedians at least have an excuse for why so many of them are into pretend wrestling, I follow international (actual) wrestling pretty closely and cannot name a single wrestler from Britain or Ireland because they barely have the sport there, so if they want to see any kind of wrestling, they have to pretend. While someone like John Hastings does not have as good an excuse for, for example, touring around with a pretend wrestler and calling the guy a "wrestler" while not adding the word "pretend" (and frequently even leaving out the prefix "pro-") in front of it, because I know he had other options. I have personally taught stuff on his school's mats.
This was interesting to me, the sporting stuff aside, because I have spent so much time memorizing all this stuff about British culture so I can get all their big and little references, not just dialect differences but things like brand names and geography and regional stereotypes and why they're all obsessed with private school. It's like a whole other language that I think in when listening to British comedy. And then I go out to local comedy and have to switch it around in my head. The references, but also the comedy style, and the overall approach to comedy as an art and as an industry. It's so different here, for all kinds of reasons that I've tried to explore in previous posts, the Edinburgh Festival is a massive factor in creating UK comedy as it is. I found it fascinating to listen to John Hastings on the ComCom episodes, as he's in the rare position of seeing both sides very closely (he grew up in Canada, did comedy here for several years before moving the UK, lived in the UK for at least 10 years, I think, and now is in America), and can make observations about UK comedy vs. Canadian comedy that ring so true to me. I can't get over how much fun it is to hear one comedian who can put all the UK references in his jokes that I've learned to get, and do local material in my own hometown that is also accurate, and talk intelligently to Stuart Goldsmith about the difference between what "alt-" comedy means here versus there, and then shout about trauma for a bit. It was clearly tailor-made for me.
But there is another thing about John Hastings that was also tailor-made for me. I enjoy the way he can embody/fit into both sides of the duality of my own comedy experiences, Canada and UK. But I also find it really, really funny when I get the relatively rare experience of seeing someone fit into both sides of another dichotomy of my own experience: the jock and the nerd, if I can reduce human beings to crude stereotypes from high school movies. I have spent much of my life as a jock among nerds and a nerd among jocks; in high school my friends had to plot their D&D campaigns in ways that didn't require my character to be there all the time, as I frequently missed their events while I was competing at major tournaments. While when I was at those tournaments, on my co-ed but mostly male team, I would get mild, all-in-good-fun mocking for being the only person there who liked to read and write poetry. I run a Tumblr blog about fairly niche nerdy interests, and yet most of my real-world friends are meatheads from the combat sports community. I use that pejorative word with affection, mostly, most of the time, not all of the time, some of them are actually assholes, lots of them are nice guys (most of them are guys, it's a very male-dominated sport). They're very separate things, and while I often make myself laugh at the cognitive dissonance involved in trying to reconcile these separate facets of life in my mind, I rarely see this dissonance depicted elsewhere.
Remember how this post started? There's been a lot of rambling since then. But here's a clip of John Hastings in those ACMS videos, shared via Google Drive because Tumblr won't let me upload a video that's over 10 minutes long:
Colt Cabana is an American pretend wrestler, and I guess he was doing a show with John Hastings that year, in addition to John's solo show, and to them both jumping on mixed bills like this one sometimes. They appeared together on ACMS a couple of times, and Colt Cabana appeared on his own several times, and I have to admit, it made me laugh every time. It was really stupid. I heard some people in those videos say that ACMS is not "lowest common denominator humour", and I would beg to differ, based on how much Colt Cabana made me, and the whole ACMS crowd, laugh just by getting on stage and reciting basic things he didn't understand. But it was funny.
That above video was one time when he and John Hastings showed up together, and did this little... sketch? Violence, a little sketch of violence. In terms of the most violence I've seen on stage, it's somewhere slightly beyond the time David O'Doherty beat up Jason Byrne while wrapped in bubble wrap, but not as far as the time they brutally ripped apart a cow. It's a bit of violence. But honestly, the violence wasn't even the part that made me laugh, or that made me remember this part enough to bother clipping it out and sharing it. It was all the dialogue in between. Because I know guys like that. I assume Colt Cabana was playing it up at least a bit, pretending to be more stupid than he really was, but also, I could believe that this was just him talking off the top of his head, because I do know guys like that. And I like guys like that! I like some of them. Some of them are pretty racist. But others are great.
What really made me laugh, in this video, was John Hastings so perfectly playing someone who's caught in between the meathead jock, and the intellectual comedy audience. And his reaction to just fall apart laughing at how fucking stupid it is. And he is caught between, which is fun. He's not above it all, he's also being stupid, no one is the high status in this act. I can't tell how much of it's a character for either of them, and I don't really care. They're playing it so accurately. This is pretty much how I felt when I dragged my friend/teammate to a Nish Kumar show once, and he was loudly asking questions (before the show, not during, at least) that made it clear he has never intentionally consumed art or any kind of British culture in his life, and that contrast was really funny, though I also wanted him to stop talking. What a niche experience.
So that's my ACMS post. The reason I'm making it now is that John Hastings has a new stand-up special on YouTube. He puts out a lot of stand-up specials, getting the number up so high by filming himself constantly, and sometimes splicing together stuff from different club gigs that run about 35 minutes (long enough to technically count as a special) but only burn about 10 minutes of material because they also use several nights worth of intros, audience work, etc. I've just realized I wrote "audience work" in that sentence because I was deliberately trying to avoid writing "crowd work", because I like John Hastings, and I do not want to like a guy who makes crowd work specials for social media. Which I don't! There is actual material in there. But also, that kind of is what he's doing, and he might be slightly breaking through my prejudice against that sort of comedy. He had a really interesting explanation of it on his second ComCom interview, about how this is how to get anywhere in comedy these days, you have to know how to work the system, and just because you're doing it doesn't mean your comedy has to get bad. I've got to admit, the first night I saw him live, he did mostly crowd work and it was very funny. The next weekend he got more actual material in, which was also very good.
I like the way he's good at doing both. And his YouTube "specials" give us a interesting basis for comparison on that. I am interested in the difference between North American comedy and UK comedy, and the difference between club comedy and Edinburgh hours (I guess I should say "festival hours", as you also see them at MICF and lots of smaller ones, and you also see them on tours so I should maybe just say "comedy hours"), and John Hastings gives us a cool way to directly compare those things. In 2023, and now 2022, he has videos on YouTube of the same material, performed as one full hour filmed in Edinburgh, and as spliced club nights filmed in Canada.
I find his club stuff sometimes funny, I did enjoy it a lot when I saw it live, but I do like the hours better, obviously. I think he's now got five full hours out - 2017 on Bandcamp, and then 2019, 2023, and now 2022 on YouTube:
youtube
The 2022 hour just came out today, and I watched it just now, and that's what prompted this post. And I had a bunch of stuff to say about that hour that is now far less fresh in my mind since I've been writing all this other stuff. I liked it. It was funny and sad, all the stuff you want in an Edinburgh hour. It was pretty dark, even for him. I'd read before that it was one of the multiple Edinburgh hours about Paul Byrne (Ed's brother), the comedy director who died in 2022, so I was expecting it to be sad. And that's definitely in there, the genuinely emotional dead friend stuff, but I was surprised that that only took up a minority of the hour, with the rest of the time being dedicated to other shitty things from a shitty year. It's a dark show. I enjoyed it. But I do like shouting in comedy. If you don't like shouting then you probably won't like this as much as I did.
...To be honest, it's gotten late and I'm tired so I think I'm going to cut this post off without going a lot farther into describing that show itself. Which I guess is what you're supposed to do, with shows that have just gone up, not spoil them too much. It's good, if you like shouty and dark and trauma-ridden and... a sort of mix of the really polished Edinburgh hour, with a more rough club set. Not rough as in "meant for aggressive crowds" (though I think he can also do that, separately), but sort of rough around the edges; it follows a basic narrative and has some depth and some themes but it doesn't feel really tightly put together, the way some hours do. If that makes sense. Not sure it does. I'm pretty tired.
Oh, if anyone does watch it and has a guess as to what name got bleeped out at 46:46, let me know. I have a couple of guesses, based on lip reading and context clues. I realize trying to guess some extremely minor comedian gossip is maybe too frivolous a thing to do in response to that highly emotional routine about a tragic situation, but, you know, I can be moved by emotional gossip and Google Andrew Maxwell's age at the same time.
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jafndaegur · 4 years ago
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Blue and Grey [where's my angel?]
Jumin x MC
a/n: Reverse Isekai. If you know the song; then you know the song.
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Where is my angel?
The end of a tiring day.
"Someone come and save me, please"
Is overshadowed by a sigh...
MC stared up at the ceiling, her phone held limply in her grasp. The Mystic Messenger app blinked sporadically with the "Normal Route" logo. Her lips wobbled and she hadn't realized the sob that wobbled in her chest. 
Everything had felt so real. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that she had spent eleven days with the most amazing people that she would know in her lifetime.
She fell in love with the most amazing man she would know in her lifetime.
Her breath quivered and a small squeak came out with her exhale. 
Living and in the flesh, Jumin had been real—every word, every touch, every bit. Same for the others. So why was it now that she suddenly woke up from the dream? Now the real world heaved a sigh and existed all around her as it had before the game. She didn't think miracles were real, but being transported into the world of the game had been a blessing. It saved her and in turn she was able to save someone she loved.
Except now.
MC turned off her phone, unable to bear the sound of the upbeat music or the warm yellow glow of the videogame.
Little time had passed since she'd been brought in and out from the videogame world, less than eleven days (probably less than eleven hours even). No one had worried about her, no one cared. She bit her lip and forced herself to not think about the near-empty contacts list on her phone.
She was forced back into reality and she would live. As she always had.
The color that had been so suddenly and vibrantly splashed into her life was striped away with the harsh scent of acetone and paint remover. 
She walked to work. Her manager greeted her with a practice smile and gave her the laundering list for the day. MC nodded mutely, pulled on her apron and went to the back of the dry cleaning facility. The party recipients were gone, and the lavish ballroom the RFA held their party in also dissipated. Only the sound of chirring machinery and the rustle of clothes, either in bags or not, now existed. MC stared at the rows of slowly shifting suits on the conveyor racks and wondered how often Jumin took his suits to a dry-cleaner. She momentarily fancied the idea of him just purchasing a new suit everytime he dirtied and old one—and she giggled. It was the first time laughing since she came back home. But the immediate pang in her heart at the idea of Jumin's bemused grin and his narrowed grey eyes caused her to swallow back a cry. Because he totally would find her notion silly, before saying something like "I only have the finest launderers in all of Korea dry-clean my suits. And I do leave a mean tip, if I say so myself, darling."
MC hated this.
She found that the world existed in faded hues of blue and grey. The sky glimmered in a dull linen blue, brushing up against the greyed horizon while the sun faded from view. Walks were the only thing MC found she could stomach after long twelve hour shifts. She hadn't the heart to delete the Mystic Messenger game, but she couldn't look at the sprites or the characters knowing she'd interacted with them as real breathing people. So it was a little comfort, but the cool breeze and the nighttime air in the city made her feel closer to her RFA friends even though they weren't there.
City nights in general made her feel closer to Jumin.
MC wondered if in some other universe, or world, or timeline, Jumin lived...missing her the way she missed him. He was far too expressive to be a simple videogame character after all.
She wondered if she was just a game to them too, a little person all coded up nice and neatly for them to choose their preferred routes.
A park between her work place and her apartment sat quaintly in the city. It was safe and hardly used at this time of night. For the past few months since returning, MC had made it a habit to eat dinner here, enjoy the night, and pretend she could see the stars. Tonight was no different. Pulling her thermos from her backpack and a bottle of water, she found a comfy spot on a children's jungle gym and sat down to eat.
Cars honked and neon signs buzzed. People walked on the streets. People talked loudly. She could hear it all from her little spot, and it felt almost nostalgic. For all the secrecy, Rika's apartment had sat in a fairly occupied part of Seoul, and from the little one bedroom MC had always been able to hear the city life.
She could hear it too, from Jumin's penthouse.
Closing her eyes, she tried to picture her friends. 
Zen was probably at rehearsals now. He worked late into the night, practicing, doing his best for whatever upcoming role he may be participating in. Jaehee was probably still at work too—although MC had thoroughly chewed Jumin out for working his poor secretary too hard—since she'd been allowed a revision of her schedule, late nights turned into noontime sign-ins for work instead of the usual eight o'clock.
Yoosung and Seven probably weren't doing too differently. Yoosung was probably causing another bout of sleep deprivation by playing a LOLOL tournament. Seven was also probably sleep deprived, but from doing secret spy stuff rather than having fun. She hoped regardless, that they were doing well.
And Jumin?
"And Jumin," MC sighed, sinking her head onto her knees and squeezing her eyes shut.
A deep and familiar baritone followed. "And me?"
She'd done this frequently, in her return. Imagine him there next to her, hear his voice, feel the ghost of his touch.
A warm hand gently rested on the top of her head, slowly smoothing out her hair.
She wrapped her arms around her legs. "You're probably at home, staring out at those stupid French doors in the living room watching the nightlife live on. Elizabeth the Third is probably at your feet, being the cute thing that she is before going off and finding something shiny that catches her eye."
There's an answering chuckle and her breath shatters in her chest.
Please, she begged. This isn't funny, this is just cruel.
There's quiet and the presence of the hand on her head gone. MC knew she was alone again. She won't go home yet, she needed a minute to collect herself. 
But then there's a shuddering breath and the most gentle murmur. "And if I were to say I'm beside you again?"
MC reeled back so terribly that she fell off the jungle gym. A sharp yelp escaped her as she landed on her tailbone and stars circled in front of her eyes. Hurried footsteps and the panicked shout of her name met her ears—she stared in a daze as Jumin hurried and crouched before her, worrying over her.
She gazed dumbly.
"My love, are you hurt?" Jumin's voice is urgent, and he gently lifted her arms, her ankles, twisting her shoulders, checking for injuries.
MC stares and stares and stares until she's squinting.
To his credit, Jumin bears her scrutiny without flinching. Just that same urgent and worried look.
"You're here." She finally breathed.
Relief visibly washed over Jumin and he relaxed. His hand, it's warm—so, so warm—gently cupped her cheek and MC leaned into the touch without question.
Jumin's nose brushed against hers. "I'm sorry it took so long."
"That's what you're apologizing for?" MC whispered, not knowing if she was supposed to laugh or cry or both.
A velvety laugh rumbled in his chest and he rested his forehead against hers. "Darling, I can't apologize for you being clumsy."
MC choked, shaking her head. Her hands tenderly cupped his face, thumbs sweeping along his jaw. Jumin closed his eyes and pressed a little closer to her, his breath feathering along her cheek with every heave of his chest.
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z-iridest · 4 years ago
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When You Call Him By His First Name- Yu-Gi-Oh! Edition (GN reader for the most part)
Yugi Muto
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You met Yugi on your first day of school when you were both freshman
You'd found yourself lost in the big school and ran into Yugi (quite literally)
He showed you around, and after a conversation about Duel Monsters, the two of you hit it off right away
But it wasn't until sophomore year that he asked you out (with a little help from Yami)
At first, he blushed dark red everytime you called him a pet name besides his nickname
But, after a few years of dating, he got accustomed to it (honey may or may not be his favorite for you to call him..... God knows he loves calling you darling.)
That brings us to the present day:
Yugi and you had been living together since senior year, and he always made it a habit to find little ways to express his love for you
Cooking you breakfast, surprising you with a hug from behind, cuddling, or surprise kisses, he did everything he could to spoil you rotten with affection
That was about when you saw the newest challenge on Tik Tok
You bit your lip, uncertain whether or not to do it.... Then you started watching the videos
One of the videos you watched was your best friend calling their s/o by their first name.... and it was hilarious
So, you decided to try it yourself
While the two of you were getting ready to leave for a tournament Kaiba was hosting, you looked for your deck. "Yugi, have you seen my deck?" You asked him, only to get silence. "Yugi?"
When you turned around, he looked confused, his head tilted to one side.
"Did I do something wrong?" Yugi asked you. You shook your head.
"No, why?" You asked, somehow managing to keep your composure despite the fact that you wanted to bust up laughing
"You called me by my first name.... You haven't done that since before we first got together." Yugi pointed out. A giggle slipped out, which made Yugi raise a brow before he realized what was going on. "It's a Tik Tok challenge, isn't it?" He asked before you lost your self control, laughing as you doubled over.
Yugi shook his head, trying not to laugh himself as he walked over to you before scooping you up bridal style without warning
The action he took resulted in a squeak out of you, your arms automatically wrapping around his neck. When you looked at Yugi, you found a smile on his face.
"You're lucky I love you, my darling." He told you with a kiss to your nose, making you giggle
Yami Yugi/Atem
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It took Yugi for this 5000 year old Pharaoh to figure out he had it bad for you
The longing looks whenever you'd walk into a room, the more he seemed to sweat with you around, the way his eyes would light up when you cheered him on in a duel, how flustered he got anytime your name was mentioned.
So, not unlike how he forced Yami to switch places when Tèa took him out to help him with his memories, he did the same thing by telling you to meet up with Yami after school
When you got to the meeting spot, you found Yami looking bewildered before he started yelling at the Puzzle, obviously not noticing you and having just been switched out with Yugi
"Hey! Yugi, I'm not... You can't.... This isn't a Duel!" Yami stumbled over his words, the moment you walked in on causing a giggle to slip out of you.
That giggle was when he finally noticed you, going beet red in embarrassment and waving awkwardly. "Hello." His greeting was just as awkward, shortly before you had asked him what he wanted to talk about. He had blushed and looked at his boots
"I just... Wanted to say..." His blush grew even darker, if it was humanly possible, before he looked at you through his lashes. "I really like you, and I want to know if you will allow me to be yours." Of course, you said yes, and the rest is history
Flash forward 3 years
Yami, aka Atem now, had gotten his memory and his name back, but instead of choosing to go to the Afterlife, he stayed with you.
He had told you that while he was happy to have his memories back, he still had many more memories he wanted to make with you
At the present day, the two of you had moved in together, and the gang had told you two time and time again that you guys acted like a married couple.
It made you blush, while Atem seemed to like the idea of calling you his wife (He even picked up the habit of calling you either wifey or his Queen of Hearts 🥰)
Since getting together, the two of you only called each other by pet names, two of the names Atem uses are the two I just mentioned. The others are baby, honey, sweetheart, darling, my love.... Yeah, that boy's a sap for you and he knows it
Meanwhile, you usually call him Baby, Honey, sweetie, darling, hubby, the list could go on forever.
Until the day you saw the newest challenge on Tik Tok.....
You knew it could possibly get you in trouble with Atem, but that was when the video you were just watching got sent to you by Joey, daring you to do it to Atem or owe him 30 bucks.
Guess what you ended up doing?
The two of you were cuddling on the couch together, and unbeknownst to Atem, your phone was recording everything.
His strong arms were wrapped around you, his head burried in the crook of your neck, planting little kisses there every now and then
"Atem." You spoke his name and had to stifle a giggle when he burried himself deeper into your neck. "Atem." You tried again, squeaking when he playfully nipped your neck, hearing a chuckle rumble in his chest. "Atem." You called his name a third time, causing him to look up at you with his head tipped to the side, an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face
"Why do you keep calling me that?" He asked you.
"Because that's your name, you dork." You replied, a giggle slipping out before it turned into a squeak as he shifted the two of you so you were laying on his chest.
"Nope, not to you, my Queen. Now, what's my name?" He asked. You folded your arms on his chest, laying your chin on top so you could see him.
"Baby. I love you." You answered, making him smile.
"Much better. I love you too, my love." He answered before kissing your nose and making you giggle. "By the way, tell Joey he owes you 30 bucks." His comment made you laugh as you stopped recording and you could feel him shaking in laughter with you.
By Ra, did he love making you laugh, he lived for the little moments like this with you
If only you knew about the ring in his pocket, and his plan to make sure that the little moments would keep happening everyday....
Joey Wheeler
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Now, for everyone's favorite Brooklyn Boy
Meeting him was.... Definitely a day to remember
He kept flirting with you (and failing miserably at dealing pickup lines), but it made you laugh
Not unlike Yugi and his s/o, the two of you connected with Duel Monsters (he may or may not have bragged that he taught Yugi everything he knew)
After a while of hanging out together, you found that Joey was actually charming and funny when he was being himself..... As well as cute when he was being protective of you if and when other guys made you uncomfortable
After a few months of knowing you, Joey asked you out
Over the next 3 years, you had no idea that he could get more protective than he already was with you, but you were wrong.
Next to Serenitity, you're the most important person in his life. If anyone thinks they could get away with messing with you, they'd have Joey in their face with the deadliest glare on his face and looking about ready to throw hands (You've had to drag him away from Kaiba a couple times)
As far as PDA went, he went with what you were comfortable with. If you were up for any PDA at all, he'd wrap an arm around your waist or hold your hand in his (he'd totally give you tiny kisses on your cheek, forehead or temple if you were okay with it). But, he would totally ask for permission though before showing any PDA
At home though.... Very different story. Kinda like a dog, he's really good at judging moods, especially when it comes to you. You're an open book for him. Down in the dumps and just got home? Joey practically launches himself at you to pull you into a big bear hug (can and will pepper your face in kisses until he gets a smile or giggle out of you)
Nicknames, though?
The second the two of you got together, Joey straight up started calling you "Babe", throwing the first name basis out the window. He has a different nickname for every mood too.... When you're calm or happy, the nickname is "Babe", when you're sad, it's " my Angel", When you're mad, he calls you "Firecraker", when you're excited, you're always, always "My baby", and so on
Your nicknames for him were always, Honey, baby, babe, darling, sweetie, etc.
About 3 years of dating, and 2 of living together, Tristan sent you a Tik Tok video, daring you to do the challenge in it. That challenge? Yeah, you're well aware of it by now....
You had no idea how Joey was going to react.... It made you a little nervous, to be honest
But, Tristan had insisted you pull it off, calling you a chicken
You were sitting on the couch, waiting for Joey, who was taking a while to grab the snacks. That was when you decided to just rip off the bandaid... So, to speak
"Joey, come cuddle me already!" You called him. You watched as he poked his head into the room, looking a bit confused.
"What'd ya call me, sweetheart?" He asked you.
"I called you by your name." You answered back matter-of-factly
"Nu-uh, you call me baby or any other pet name you got for me, but Joey is off limits. You're more special to me than dat, ya troublemakin' angel." Joey told you, making you giggle when he fluffed his collar just to make his point.
Hearing you giggle made him grin like a Cheshire cat and within seconds, he was curled up with you on his lap, the blanket draped over the two of you and his arms around you. Those big brown eyes stared lovingly down at you as the two of you cuddled together, his fingers running through your hair.
No doubt, this boy loved you to pieces. Nobody could call it just puppy love at this point...
Seto Kaiba
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Speaking of aloof and emotionally unavailable at first, that was what Seto Kaiba was to you when the two of you first met
But, the more time you spent around him, the more you realized the cold nature was a facade he kept up... A protective barrier
After 2 years of knowing him, there came one night that both scared you half to death and changed everything for the two of you.
You were heading home one night when you noticed you were being followed
You took the long way home, trying to loose them and ignoring them Cat calling you, but they wouldn't give up and it was starting to scare you
Eventually, the boys ended up cornering you, and just when you thought they'd get away with doing what they wanted.....
"Get away from them unless you want me to make your lives miserable." When they had stepped back from you, you caught sight of Seto before he walked up to you and wrapped a protective arm around you, the glare on his face ice cold as he glared at your stalkers with a silent but deadly final warning
"Kaiba..." You had started to thank him, but he stopped you.
"Call me Seto, and you don't need to thank me. Let's just get you home before those freaks decide to show their ugly faces again." He told you
Not too long after that incident, Seto asked you out (was totally talked into it and teased by Mokuba)
Fast forward 3 years
You help Seto run KaibaCorp (partly because you hate it when he stays up all night getting work done and partly because he's more cranky when you're not around him), and the two of you live together in the Kaiba Mansion with Mokuba
It took him a year before he started calling you anything beside your name, first calling you "Honey" (totally by accident when he was half asleep). After that came darling, doll, baby, love, sweetheart (he's a sucker for the classic pet names)
While the two of you were still getting to know each other, you had called him Blue Eyes as a joke, and it ended up sticking. It just carried over into the dating stage, changing to "Baby Blue". Other pet names you call him include, Love, Baby, Babe, Honey, Sweetie, Darling (Grumpy Pants to joke around with him when he's being cranky)
But, then Mokuba and you saw a Tik Tok challenge that Mokuba begged you to try (may or may not have given you a puppy dog pout)
Around the time the three of you usually took lunch, you peeked in his office to see him working. You softly sighed.
"Seto, come on, take a break. It's time for lunch." The glare he gave you sent shivers down your spine and made you want to laugh at the same time. He looked extremely done
"What'd you just call me?" He asked.
"Your first name, what did it sound like?" You asked him sassily back. He stood up and walked over to you, reminding you just how much taller he was than you. He leaned one arm against the wall, pulling a kabedon as he leaned close to your face
"You know what you call me, baby." He purred out, his voice low in tone and a smirk crossing his lips when he saw how flustered you were getting
You managed to stutter out a "Baby", making his smirk grow wider before his lips brushed against your own
That cocky Blue Eyed Bastard knew exactly how to make your heart race, and he takes great pride in doing it
Tristan Taylor
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For Tristan, meeting you was love at first sight.... Or rather, at first fall....
Tristan was so nervous about introducing himself to you, the boy literally tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face right in front of you
You had asked him if he was okay, and this cheesy flirt came out of his mouth: "Yeah, I'm okay, just fallen for you, that's all."
Cheesy pickup line? Yes, but Tristan's happy to say that it worked.
Fast forward 3 years....
Ever since the day he asked you out, the two of you stopped calling each other by your first names
For him, the nicknames you used were actually pretty limited: Handsome, Babe, and Darling were the only ones he'd respond to
For you, though, he has tons of nicknames (Goregous, Baby, sweetheart, to name a few)
So, when Joey showed you the newest Tik Tok challenge and begged you to do it, you got a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach
It actually took 2 days for Joey to finally convince you to do it (He bugged you until you agreed to)
You bit your lip the next day, not knowing how Tristan was going to react
It was early, your hair was a mess, and you were in one of Tristan's shirts and a pair of your sweatpants when you decided to get it over with
You rubbed your eyes from the sleep as you walked to the kitchen, able to hear Tristan cooking
Like every morning, you hugged him from behind, burrying your face in his back.
"Good morning, beautiful." He greeted you, turning to hug you. You smiled as he hugged you, hugging him back. While hugging you, he lifted you a bit off the ground, making you giggle.
"Good morning, Tristan." You smiled up at him, only for it to drop when Tristan looked worried. "What's wrong?"
"Did I do something wrong?" He asked. You shook your head
"No, of course not." You answered him
"Then why'd you call me by my first name?" He asked
"Because it's your name and I like it." You answered, smiling this time
"But, my name isn't Tristan to you. It's baby." He replied in the most adorable way possible, making you hug him again as you giggled
The embrace made him smile as he returned it
He loved the little moments with you
Duke Devlin
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That brings us to the ladies' man of Yu-Gi-Oh!...... Duke Devlin
At first, you didn't like his attitude and made every attempt to show him you weren't interested in a playboy
But, unfortunately for you, that made him only try harder to pursue you.... Until Joey and Tristan got it through his head that his usual flirting wasn't going to work.
Months after that day, you got to the Duke Devlin he'd been trying to hide and you liked what you saw.
After a full year of being just friends, Duke asked you out
Fast forward 3 years:
Duke loves you to death, and after becoming your boyfriend, he never flirted with anyone else but you ever again
His favorite pet names for you include, Player 2, Baby, Babe, Hot Stuff, Doll, the list could go on forever
You've always called him your Player 1, Baby or Darling
But, then Tristan dared you to call him by his first name to see his reaction
You automatically knew it wouldn't end well, as he would think he did something wrong
Hence your hesitation
But, you decided to get it over with when the two of you were cuddling. His face was buried in your neck as he held you in his arms
"Duke." You said his name, giggling when he only responded by burying himself deeper into your neck. "Duke." You tried again
"That's not my name, Prince/Princess." Duke told you, refusing to cooperate and making you laugh
"Then what is it?" You asked, only to squeak when he made you lay back on the couch with him on top of you
"You know what it is." He purred with a smirk, leaning close to your face with his lips inches from yours
"Baby, you drive me crazy sometimes, you know that?" You asked him before he finally kissed you and shifted so you were on his lap again
"Yep, I know. You do the same thing to me."
Ryou Bakura
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Did somebody say Cream Puff? That's right, it's Ryou's turn! ^.^
The two of you were both pretty shy when you met him, and the two of you clicked right away
Believe it or not, it took him 2 years to ask you out (Yeah, Yami Bakura forced him to, getting tired of hearing Ryou pine for you in his thoughts the whole time)
It took 5 years for the two of you to move in together, and by that point, both of you had abandoned calling each other by your first names
His personal favorite to call you is "My Love", "Dear" or "My Angel" while he adores being called "Darling", "Dear" and "Honey"
But, you saw a video challenge on Tik Tok that featured women calling their lovers by their first name instead of a pet name, you decided to try it....
If only you knew the reaction it would spawn....
You had just gotten home and couldn't find him anywhere when you decided to call him by his first name.
"Ryou? Where are you?" You asked. Ryou came running, looking scared.
"What's wrong? Is everything all right, you don't normally call me by my first name." He looked so terrified as he checked you for injuries, you felt so bad and hugged him, automatically feeling his arms wrap around you back.
"No, no, everything's fine, dear. I was just wondering where you were since you weren't there to greet me like normal." You told him
You eventually did tell him about the video challenge, just.... Later... After both of you had calmed down some
The two of you shared a good laugh over it
Marik Ishtar
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While it took 5 years for Ryou to get used to being affectionate, Marik adjust a bit more quickly....
It took 3 years of being friends for Marik to know how he felt, and since he'd had no romance experience before you, it took him 2 more to go on pet name basis with you rather than first names
His favorite to call you is "Sugar" followed closely by "Baby" and "Princess/Prince". Your favorite to call him is "Darling", "Prince Charming" (that nickname gets him blushing everytime), and "Baby"
About 2 years after that, the two of you moved in together (Our adorable Egyptian boy didn't want to spend one more day with you away from him 🥺❤)
Which brings us to the present day...
You were trying on a special outfit for a date night with Marik when your best friend texted you, daring to do the challenge in the video she sent. You watched it, an eyebrow going up when you realized the video was girls calling their boyfriends/husbands by their first name instead
"You look beautiful/handsome in that outfit." You heard Marik before you turned to see him, an adoring smile on his face as he stood in the doorway
Deciding to do the dare (you'd never hear the end of it if you didn't), you looked down at yourself
"You don't think it looks bad on me, Marik?" You asked in the shy tone you had always used when addressing him for the first time
Marik tipped his head to one side, looking a bit confused. "Anything you wear looks perfect on you, baby, but why'd you call me that?"
"What, Marik? It's your name." You answered, looking up at you and trying to keep a smile from off your face
"Not to you for the past 4 years, it hasn't." Marik answered, both his brows up at this point. That's when a sly smirk crossed his face, a smirk you hadn't seen in years
You took a step back, but it was the wrong move as Marik pounced, bringing you into a hug and littering your face in kisses, making you laugh. "Now, what's. My. Name?" He asked in between kisses to everywhere on your face but your lips.
"Darling." You pouted, finally getting a long sweet kiss to your lips from Marik
He gave you a cute smile when the two of you finally separated
"Now, let's get going, my darling Prince/Princess."
If only you'd known he'd be asking you to be his King/Queen that night....
Yami Bakura
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That brings us to the bad boys..... First up Yami Bakura
The second you met him, you started calling him by the nickname "Fluffy"....
Oh Gods of Egypt, he detested that nickname
But, Ryou wouldn't let him do anything about it, so he was stuck to listen as you referred to him as Fluffy the entire time
However.... The more you called him it, the more he didn't seem to mind much
In fact, 2 years after meeting him for the first time, he asked you out
But, don't think he doesn't have a nickname for you that he started using....
Dating you brought out a mushy side to him, much to his own disgust for the first few months, but he ended up loving when it made you blush, so the nickname he gave you stuck: his Lotus.
It went on like that for a while, the two of you bantered like an old married couple (5,000 years in that Millennium Ring is more than enough to make someone cranky as hell, let's be brutally honest here)
3 years later, the two of you were living together, and Yami Marik (Melvin) dared you to call Bakura by his name instead of the Fluffy nickname you had always used
Well, you had no idea how that was going to blow over with him, but you just shrugged and thought 'What the hell?'
You found Bakura in the kitchen and hugged him from behind. "Whatcha doin', Bakura?" You asked him before feeling him tense up in your arms. When you looked up at him, he looked in shock. "What?"
"You've never called me by my first name." He told you, looking down at you and shooting you a glare. "This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain dare now, would it?"
You blinked. "How do you do that?" You asked. He shrugged with a little smirk before suddenly picking you up, making you squeak in shock as he put you on the counter, standing between your legs.
"Only you get to call me Fluffy, my Lotus. Looks like I need to remind you of that." He purred deep in his throat with a smirk
Let's just say your voice was pretty hoarse the next morning..... 😳
Yami Marik (Melvin)
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And that now brings us to our evil Egyptian boy, Yami Marik (aka Melvin)
The first time he met you, you called him "Psycho", while he called you "Doll"
The nicknames stuck, and when you two started dating after 2 years, nothing really changed.... He just called you "Baby" every now and then while you called him "My Handsome Little Psycho" or "Babe"
After a year or so of living together, you got a text from Yami Bakura daring you to call Melvin by his first name
You had no idea how he would react, honestly you didn't want to find out
But, with some convincing (and may or may not have threatened a one way trip to the Shadow Realm for you), he convinced you to do it
While the two of you were relaxing together, you looked up at Melvin.
"You know I love you, right, Melvin?" You asked him.
His eyes automatically went down to you, an eyebrow raised. "Why'd you call me that?" He asked.
"Because it's your name." You answered before you yelped as he pinned you down
"No, no, no, doll, say my name..." He told you before kissing your neck, making you bite back a moan. "My real name."
"Baby..." You moaned out before Melvin smashed his lips into yours and smirked.
"Good girl."
Taglist: @vivinightingale @bisexualmattholtstan @wataponwrites
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renaxwrites · 4 years ago
Note
Hello! I'm anon, who always ask you about Nekoma manager! I have birthday on 20th of July. So can I ask you for scenario about Nekoma manager birthday? Something like: Nekoma team make surprise birthday party? And Miya, Oikawa, Kageyama and others manager fans and friends congratulate her? And if it's possible, can you send it 20th of July?
Manager’s Birthday
(Nekoma’s Manager Pt. 4)
a/n: omg happy birthday!! I don’t know who you are but ily and I hope you have a very great day this year!! Imagine sharing a birthday w Oikawa 👀 the power 😩 hope you enjoy lovebug <3 pt. 1 pt. 2 pt. 3 pt. 5
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“Rrrr, it’s not that freaking HARD!! Just swing, snap, GROCK!!” Yaku was on his last nerve as he tried to, once again, have Lev and Yamamoto through their mini tiktok choreo they planned for you.
Your birthday was coming up, and the team wanted to throw you a surprise party! They began planning after making sure you were gone from the gym. The problem was, your special day was already next week, and the stress of party planning was starting to show.
So a plan was set up. Operation: “get-as-much-info-from-y/n-as-possible-to-plan-the-party” was in commence.
You had had a girls’ night with some of the managers from another schools, and it was made their secret mission to extract as much info out of you for this party. But all they got was:
A humble, “Honestly, I would just want to hang out with my friends. It doesn’t even matter where. What matters to me most is my team, you girls, and those who helped me get to this point. I probably wouldn’t even be sitting here if it wasn’t for all these people...”
But after much pleading from the others, you also express “I do miss some that I haven’t seen in a while, though. Like the guys from the training camp! It’d be nice to see them again if I could.”
While you were busy being lost in thought, the girls around the table began relaying your wishes to their respected team. The surprise party was then set in motion.
The night before your birthday, they had practice, but “convinced” you to come the next day:
You: Practice in the afternoon? Why not in the morning? And...why do you want me to wear something “extra pretty?”
Kuroo: So we can greet our manager goddess when the sun is high, and kiss the ground you walk on in appreciation of you being alive another year. Why else?
You: Kuroo, you could have you simply said “just cuz”. Bye.
Once it was confirmed that you left campus, the team began a rundown of the preparations for your party.
“Alright, are all the guests confirmed for tomorrow?” Kuroo pulls out a list, ready to check off tasks.
“Yup! I wrote down the names so we know how many things we need based off of that,” Kai relays.
“Perfect. Yamamoto, how’s the catering?”
“All ready to go, captain,” Yamamoto reports.
“Alright, so Shibayama and Fukunaga, you two can help him with that. That just leaves the music and decor. Yaku and Lev, you two can go with Coach to go pick them up and hang them tomorrow in the morning. Got it?”
“Got it,” Yaku said as he hovered over Lev, who had just been kicked in the rear for almost spoiling the surprise to you.
“Kenma, how’s that playlist coming?”
“It’s done already.”
Kuroo puts the list down in disbelief. “How’d you get her music taste that fast? It takes me weeks just to make a playlist for myself.”
“You’d be amazed as to how many hours of music she sent me after I sent ONE text of ‘can you send some music recommendations?’” Kenma simply states.
“Sounds fair. Alrighty boys, rest up! We have a precious manager to surprise and pamper tomorrow!”
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“So you mean to tell me...these boys really went the extra mile to trick me today?! There’s no one here!” you cry out as you walk into the dark and empty gym. “Might as well just turn the lights on...”
You saunter over to the light switch and flick the power on. You almost pass out at the ginormous volume of the “SURPRISE!” that came right after.
“What the heck? You guysssss” you’re on the verge of tears as you take in the image before you. Everyone was here: your team, your friends, the players from the training camp...practically everyone you’ve ever had a conversation with.
Their were endless amounts of “happy birthdays” wished to you. A while later, the festivities were in full swing. Everyone began to mingle, giving you time to converse with everyone there.
“Hoshiumi! Sakusa!” You run up to the players who once stood up for you. “I haven’t seen you in so long! I missed y’all.” You give Hoshiumi a big hug. And knowing Sakusa’s boundaries, he gives you a light pat on the head, which you’ve grown to recognize as his way of a loving gesture.
“Nice to see you too. By the way, go collect your mans, looks like he’s already starting beef with the other setters,” Hoshiumi pointed out.
“‘My mans’? Starting beef? Who the heck-”
You turn to see three pretty setters being separated by Kuroo and Yaku. Way to start it off.
“By the rate you guys are going, I’m baffled you haven’t killed each other yet,” you laugh. Atsumu, Kageyama, and Oikawa all jump a bit in surprise.
One second of silence passes.
Immediately after, the three of them begin talking over each other, trying to get a word in on what their side of the story was.
You hold up a hand.
“I know it’s been a few months, but obviously this issue of ‘wanting to take me on a date’ isn’t going to be solved between you three, is it?”
They stared back at you. So was everyone else.
“Why don’t we take this to the court? What do you think, y/n?” You give Kuroo a look, and you instantly know what he’s brewing.
“I would be surprised if there wasn’t some type of match happening today. Everyone to the sidelines!”
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“Alright, so it’s a mini tourney between the setters! The rules are simple. Teams of three, one setter each team. To make it even, Kenma will have his own team too.”
“Why?”
“Shush, Kenma, we’re making it even. It’s going to be a basic bracket. One set. Two teams play, then the other two. The winners play each other, leaving one team standing. Prize? A date with y/n!”
“You’re really selling me off, aren’t you Kuroo?” you point out.
“Not if Kenna’s team wins, kitten. Yaku and I will be on his team, so don’t worry your pretty little head.”
A coin was flipped, deciding that the would face off first. Oikawa with Iwa and Matsukawa on one side. Kenma, Kuroo, and Yaku on the other.
Ultimately, the Nekoma side gave their all, and so did the Seijoh side. However, Nekoma has pulled the win. Oikawa sink to his knees in loss, while Iwaizumi apologized to you profusely for “that embarrassing piece of trash”.
The same situation happened with Karasuno and Atsumu. Kageyama chose Hinata and Tanaka to fight with him. Atsumu had brought his brother along, but also borrowed Sakusa for a third member. (“Atsumu you owe me a month’s worth of hand sanitizer.”)
The tension between the two setters was strong. But having more experience in tournaments allowed Atsumu to pull the win.
As Kageyama walked off the court, you decided to shoot him a text from the other side. He looks down at his phone, then at you, quickly replying.
You did great, Tobio-kun!
Thanks y/n. I’d still like to spend time with you, even if it’s not a date.
Of course! This match didn’t change anything :)
As Kenma and Atsumu’s team were getting ready to face off, a certain owl-head brought you a snack. “They had some popcorn over there, figured it was perfect for this show. Hey AKAASHI! Come over, Y/N and I have front row!!”
“Thanks Bokuto,” you munch on the treat nervously. You’d be lying if you were curious to see how this would turn out.
The match was long. No one minded, as everyone was invested in the ups and downs of each team. But in a shocking play, Atsumu was too quick for Kenma’s calculations. That point lead to their victory.
“Guess you’re on your own, y/n. I’d protect you further but my hunger overrules,” Kuroo shrugs and walks off to get one food.
“So, how’d I look?” Atsumu came over to you, smirking.
“Well, you beat Nekoma. I like to keep my promises, so plan us a date and I’ll go with you.”
“Sure thing, babes.”
“Isn’t it a bit early for nicknames?” you banter with the blonde twin.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it by the end of today. Happy birthday, angelface.”
374 notes · View notes
artificialqueens · 3 years ago
Text
Level Up, Chapter Thirteen (Branjie) - Holtzmanns
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“You know who this is?”
The boxer on Detox’s screen is pretty. Real pretty. Also one that Vanessa knows well, after watching videos upon videos of professional boxers that Brooke would send her for homework when she had first started training.
“Olivia Lux.”
Detox gives her an approving smile. “Ding ding ding. You know who else she is?”
“Who?”
“Your next opponent.”
Hold up.
“Wait, what?”
A/N: Hi, I'm still alive! Slowly but surely still working on this fic. If you're still here and reading and reviewing, I appreciate you tons. Hope you enjoy this chapter, things are starting to pick up. Thank you writ for betaing <3
Vanessa’s not sure what to expect when Brooke asks her to come to morning practice half an hour earlier than usual, but Detox in a bright yellow suit with her Louboutins dangling off the side of Brooke’s desk is the last on her list.
“Look who it is. The prodigal athlete herself,” Detox smiles as she flips her ponytail over her shoulder, and Vanessa can’t help but be impressed by her full face of makeup at six in the morning.
Brooke is an adorable contrast sitting next to Detox, the rumpled sweats and top knot pairing perfectly with the way she hides a yawn behind her hand. “I tried to get Detox to come by in the afternoon, I really did.”
“Please. I have a flight in two hours and a meeting in L.A. at two today with Serena,” Detox takes a sip of her coffee, her lipstick staining the edge of the paper cup. “This won’t take too much time, don’t worry.”
“Who’s Serena?” Vanessa can’t help the curiosity that brews in her chest with every word out of  Detox’s mouth.
“Williams, obviously. Who else?”
Vanessa whistles, shooting a look over to Brooke. “Damn.”
Detox has Serena Williams as a client? Serena Williams, one of the greatest female athletes of all time? How on earth did she agree to work with Vanessa, of all people?
Because of Brooke. Brooke, who’s currently resting her cheek on her palm as her eyes are fluttering while trying to stay awake.
“Anyway, it’s been a few months. We’re milking that meme of yours, it’s still going strong for now,” Detox hops off of the table, her heels clacking against the floor as she sidles up to Vanessa. “But it won't last forever.”
“Cool?” Vanessa’s not quite sure what Detox wants as an answer, really, though she doesn’t look too satisfied.
“Not cool. You need to keep the momentum going. Catch the low swinging vines while they’re still in reach,” Detox pulls out her phone, her eyes darting over the screen and Vanessa almost wants to climb on her tiptoes to take a peek, but then Detox turns her screen to face her. “You know who this is?”
The boxer on Detox’s screen is pretty. Real pretty. Also one that Vanessa knows well, after watching videos upon videos of professional boxers that Brooke would send her for homework when she had first started training.
“Olivia Lux.”
Detox gives her an approving smile. “Ding ding ding. You know who else she is?”
“Who?”
“Your next opponent.”
Hold up.
“Wait, what?”
Vanessa can’t help the panicked lilt in her voice as she takes a step back, her shoulder hitting the side of the doorframe. Brooke doesn’t look as freaked out as Vanessa feels, which makes no sense because Olivia Lux isn’t another run of the mill boxer. She’s a pro. One of the big ones. She’s at the same caliber that Brooke used to fight at. She has sponsorships and fans of her own, and a damn good left hook to boot. Good enough that she doesn’t even need a last name for everyone on the boxing scene to know who she is. The damn Beyonce of boxing.
How’s Vanessa supposed to fight her?
“This is how you’re going to keep yourself a household name. You’re entering the big leagues, kid."
“But...but…” Vanessa trails off, and maybe she’s fidgeting a little bit but she doesn’t exactly know what else to do, not when Brooke is looking perfectly calm about all of this.
“I’ll get in contact with Olivia’s agent and we’ll drum up some publicity, set up some interviews, get the internet buzzing. Should cause a spike in interest in you, no problem,” Detox types furiously on her phone as she stands up, twirling to face Vanessa. “What are you looking so terrified for?”
Vanessa can’t help but look at Detox as if she has two heads, because really, isn’t it obvious? “She’s gonna beat my ass up, that’s why! You want me to die on national tv for a second time?”
Vanessa’s already gone and humiliated herself enough. Facing someone like Olivia Lux right now sounds like an insane idea, it really does, when Olivia has a penchant for flashing her opponents a grin before absolutely pulverizing them.
“So dramatic,” Detox snorts, waving a hand airily. “I’ve seen your training videos and boxing matches. You’ll be just fine.”
“Fine?” Vanessa’s ready to launch into an explanation of how she’s not going to be fine, thank you very much, not with her level of skill but then there’s a hand over hers, and Brooke’s eyes looking at her all warm and comforting.
“It’s going to be your choice, whether or not you want to do this. Always your choice.” Brooke’s thumb rubs against Vanessa’s hand in small little circles and it slows her heart rate down just a bit, enough to keep it from taking flight. “But if my opinion matters, you definitely have the skills and drive to hold your own against Olivia. You’re better at this than you think you are.”
Vanessa lets out a shaky sigh. “Dunno about that.”
Sure, she can hold her own in the ring at an amateur level, in the easier tournaments where her competitors have a similar level of experience as she does. Someone like Olivia on the other hand, who’s trained for more than a decade and won enough belts to cement herself as a legend on the pro scene...Vanessa wants to cover herself in bubble wrap for protection at the mere thought of going up against her.
She really should have picked a sport like golf. Maybe bowling. Something a little less combat-filled if she has to go up against a pro.
“How about this,” Detox starts, standing up and pulling her trench coat over her shoulders, “give it a week. Think about it, decide, whatever. I’ll put some feelers out, and if you want to do it, we can get the ball rolling. If not, well, you’ll have to break into the professional scene some time or another, doll. Might as well do it at the peak of fame, no?”
“We’ll let her think about it,” Brooke cuts in before Vanessa even has to say anything at all, and she lets out a sigh of relief at the interlude.
Detox blows air kisses in their direction as she heads for the door, a perfect Hollywood caricature leaving in a cloud of perfume that makes Vanessa wrinkle her nose. Detox’s mere presence is an event in itself, one that Vanessa feels like she needs to catch her breath to recover from.
Brooke’s looking at her almost warily, her fingers tapping against the desk with a nervous energy. Quite bold for someone who’d probably do just fine against Olivia.
“D’you really think I’d be able to hold my own against her?” Vanessa finally gets out, because now that Detox isn’t here, Brooke will be honest with her, right? Not reassuring her just to look confident in front of Detox?
“Obviously,” Brooke says with an eyebrow-raise. “Like I said, you’re better than you think.”
“But that last match-”
“You think a pro boxer has never lost a match before?” Brooke asks, before letting out a sigh. “Boxing isn’t about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”
Vanessa scoffs. “You did not just quote Rocky Balboa to me.”
“Sure did. And it’s true. You’ve lost a match. Cool. Fifty fifty chance of that happening. So how are you going to come back from it in the ring? Are you going to let it keep you from boxing again?”
“No, not that, I just…” Vanessa trails off, trying to search for the right words, “how am I supposed to fight against someone like Olivia? Or try and stage a comeback against a pro?”
Brooke’s lips curl up at the edges, a smile on her face that Vanessa doesn’t quite understand. “Y’know, you’re technically a pro.”
“What? No I’m not. Gassing me up like that ain’t gonna work,” Vanessa scoffs, crossing her arms, but Brooke looks unfazed.
“The definition of a ‘pro’ encompasses someone who has sponsors, who accepts prize money. You’re there, aren’t you? Or did I imagine the billboard of you outside my subway station this morning?”
“Another one?” Vanessa squeaks out, because Jesus Christ. Detox never rests.
“You’re already a pro. And your skill level is rising to catch up with you, too. I really think we can get you to be a solid threat to her, Ness, I really do.”
The sincerity in Brooke’s eyes is almost jarring in a way, because Vanessa knows she’s not joking. Not that she’d joke about something like this, but...still. Brooke believes her own words.
“And you’re really not just saying that?” Vanessa mumbles, because it doesn’t hurt to check one more time just in case she’s going to change her answer.
“I’m really not. Like I said, you’re better than you think you are.” Brooke, to her credit, isn’t looking exasperated with her, despite earning the right to be, and instead, she smiles. “And if you really want to increase your chances of winning, I can always push you a tad harder in the gym, make your conditioning and strength workouts even more intense. Is this your way of asking for it?”
“Now hold on just a second,” Vanessa squeaks, holding both of her hands up in front of herself. “I’m a little too young to experience a heart attack. Still got a baby face and all.”
“You know, I bet Olivia’s pushing herself in the gym right this second,” Brooke says lightly, her smile growing when Vanessa huffs and crosses her arms.
“Well, when you say it like that-”
“Atta girl. Now come on,” Brooke says, sliding herself off of her desk and holding out her hands to Vanessa. “Time to sweat.”
“Lord, have mercy.”
Time is malleable in the professional sports world.
The seconds in between a knockout and the referee making the call can feel like hours, meanwhile months of training can feel like a whirlwind in preparation for a match that creeps up all too soon. Brooke is not sure how two months have passed since Vanessa’s signed on for the fight with Olivia Lux, how their training plan is reaching the peak in anticipation of the match that’s now only a few days away. Vanessa’s everywhere, across from her in the gym and on the advertisements lining the subway cars on her ride home. She’s there when Brooke closes her eyes to sleep and pictures drills in her head that she’ll try out the next morning in practice, and she’s also floating in Brooke’s consciousness when she’s yanked from her dream at 4:30 am by the alarm she’s set to get to the airport on time.
Their flight to L.A is this morning. The match against Olivia is tomorrow. Brooke’s certain that Vanessa’s more ready than she’ll ever be, if her grit at yesterday’s practice is anything to go by.
So why does Brooke’s chest feel full of knots?
The knots loosen a tad when she sees Vanessa stumble out of her apartment building in a losing battle with her suitcase handle, as the sun casts pinks and oranges along the sidewalk. Brooke hops out of the Uber that they’re sharing to the airport to help Vanessa haul the suitcase into the trunk beside her own, and the smile that Vanessa shoots her warms her up on the inside, despite the chilly morning bite in the air.
“Now tell me why we couldn’t book a respectable flight in the afternoon? Why the hell are we leaving at the ass crack of dawn?” Vanessa asks behind a yawn as the car starts to move, and Brooke lets out one of her own.
“Because we need time to drop things off at the hotel, and fit in a training session before weigh-in and media this afternoon, and not to mention heading to bed on time to get a good night’s sleep before the match tomorrow-”
“Oh, I’ll get a good night’s sleep after waking up this damn early, I’ll tell you that,” Vanessa grumbles as she rubs her eyes, and Brooke has to hold back a laugh when she tugs her hoodie over her head.
“Aren’t you used to waking up early for practice, anyway? This is only a couple of hours more.”
“I need every minute of beauty sleep I can get, with all those interviews Detox lined up for today,” Vanessa mutters. “You’d think this was the royal wedding or some shit. Two boxers, united in holy ass kicking, on this beautiful autumnal afternoon-”
“That’s the spirit,” Brooke snorts, leaning back in her seat.
There’s something about Vanessa’s presence that always soothes the nerves tingling along her spine, slowing down the thoughts in her brain that run too fast while on autopilot. Just a smile and a wisecrack from under Vanessa’s breath is enough to let Brooke exhale and relax her previously tensed posture. Even when Vanessa doesn’t believe it herself, she has the tendency to reassure Brooke that everything is going to work out. Or at least, as much that can be worked out when partaking in a pro fight for the first time.
Despite the unspoken pressure of what’s to come Vanessa’s still grinning, quips rolling off of her tongue that make Brooke crack up and cause the other passengers in the terminal’s waiting area to shoot them dirty looks. It doesn’t stop as they board the flight either, if Vanessa’s woop of excitement as they reach their seats is anything to go by.
“You mean to tell me Detox booked us in first class? Bitch, I ain’t ever even sat in Economy Plus before. Shit.”
“Perks of becoming a meme, huh?” Brooke asks, storing her carry-on in the overhead compartment.
“I feel bougie as hell now,” Vanessa whistles, though lets out a huff when the shelf is too high for her to slide her own carry-on bag into place.
Brooke grins, plucking the bag from her grip and pushing it in for her. “You didn’t feel bougie when Prada sent you a PR package last week?”
“Nah, but this is different, y’know? One of those things you always hope to eventually do, even when it feels far fetched. This makes it more real.”
Brooke gets it. She remembers first experiencing the perks of her dad’s success - the sponsorships, the connections, their move from their tiny apartment to a penthouse suite. It was the little things at the time that had made it feel real - like the fact that her dad had stopped buying the value brand juice boxes for Brooke’s lunches, and instead went for the kool-aid jammers that everyone else in her class was bringing in. The smaller, minute differences felt more significant, in a way, with the larger changes in their lives at the time more of a fever dream.
“What’re you gonna watch?” Vanessa asks, thumbing through the entertainment display on the seat in front of her. “I’m thinking Toddlers and Tiaras.”
“Seriously?” Brooke asks, raising an eyebrow on the overly hairsprayed child displayed on Vanessa’s screen. “That show freaks me out.”
Vanessa shrugs, crossing her legs on her seat. “That’s the beauty of it. Can’t tear your eyes from the car wreck.”
“I’m gonna stick with Nashville, I’m already in the middle of a rewatch, so may as well keep going,” Brooke shrugs.
“Ain’t that the show on country music? Lord Jesus, you are so white,” Vanessa shakes her head, tutting under her breath.
Brooke scoffs, crossing her arms. “It’s a good show! You can’t talk, not when you’re watching toddlers with spray tans.”
For as much as Vanessa defends her choice of show, she doesn’t watch much of it, not when Brooke notices her eyes slipping closed and her head starting to lean forward before jerking backwards every so often. The déjà vu that flares in Brooke’s chest when Vanessa’s head settles onto her shoulder is inevitable, when the movement mirrors their trip to that fateful tournament where Vanessa’s boxing journey completely changed trajectories. In a way, some things still haven’t changed - the way Vanessa’s eyelids flutter as she sleeps, the soft rise and fall of her chest. Vanessa snuggles in even more against her shoulder as she mumbles under her breath, and the wave of affection that goes over Brooke is the same as what it would have been on the way to that tournament.
She has to ignore Yvie’s knowing words that worm their way into her brain, the ones that have become more and more prevalent over the last few months - you’re into her, she’s into you, why don’t you just tell her how you feel? It’s that easy, and you won’t have to mope anymore. The words that she always scoffs out whenever Brooke has a faraway look on her face, or after Vanessa leaves their apartment after another movie night. Yvie’s perceptive, a little bit too perceptive for her own good, because she’s seeing things that shouldn’t even be there.
Brooke isn’t into Vanessa, because she can’t be. What kind of predatory coach falls for their student?
The way her heart flutters when Vanessa smiles at her is irrelevant, as is the way that she always puts on Beyoncé for their morning warm up just to make Vanessa happy. It doesn’t matter.
Because any coach would do everything in their power to make their athlete happy. It doesn’t mean anything more.
Besides, Vanessa doesn’t feel the same way. Not when her smile lights up her face with everyone she meets, not when her banter and jokes are the same with Brooke as they are with her other friends. She’s friendly and considerate and perfect because that’s just who she is, not because she has feelings.
Yvie’s often wrong, anyway.
Though it doesn’t stop Brooke from imagining what things would be like if she could press a kiss to Vanessa’s temple as she sleeps, or maybe rub small circles onto her palm with her thumb. Provide that reassurance for the fight ahead even while she’s asleep, keeping an eye out for her the way she deserves. Wrapping her arms around her at night because they can share a bed rather than have separate rooms and hey, Brooke would definitely sleep better if Vanessa was in her arms because she felt the same way and-
No.
She can’t.
Thoughts like that aren’t helpful, not when they have no realistic way of happening. Besides, Vanessa’s type is probably more towards the male athletes at the gym. She’s never indicated anything to the contrary, no matter what Yvie says.
Brooke really needs to stop her brain from running full steam ahead with unlikely scenarios that’ll stay fictional forever. Besides, there’s a fight to focus on. One that’ll be the biggest of Vanessa’s life so far. It would be selfish of Brooke to derail it because her heart flutters a little more than it should when Vanessa smiles at her, or speaks in that soft voice that she only uses when she’s feeling pensive, or-
Christ.
The pilot overhead announcing the impending descent and landing is almost a blessing, because it causes Vanessa to stir against her shoulder and Brooke can push away the idiotic thoughts threatening to take over her consciousness, and instead focus on how cute Vanessa looks when she’s blinking away sleep.
“We here already? That flight was five minutes long, max.”
“That’s what happens when you sleep the entire journey,” Brooke murmurs, resisting the urge to tuck a loose lock of hair behind Vanessa’s ear.
Vanessa yawns. “You make a good pillow. I swear, I slept like a baby. You take reservations for that shoulder, at all?”
“What, you want to rent it out to sleep on? That’ll cost you way extra,” Brooke replies, ignoring the longing in her chest that would gladly let Vanessa rest on her any time she wanted.
“I got venmo and cash app. Your choice,” Vanessa giggles, leaning back against her seat. “It’s part of coaching duties and all, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Coaching duties,” Brooke mumbles.
That’s all it is. It can’t be anything more, not when the chance of it ever happening is close to zero.
Brooke really needs to go back to thinking like a coach.
“Why don’t we live in L.A? We could go to the beach after practice every day if we wanted to,” Vanessa huffs out between breaths, before taking a swig from her water bottle.
The view of the parking lot from the hotel’s fitness room is a far cry from the ocean, but Vanessa remembers seeing a sign during their Uber ride earlier today indicating that they were near a beach. A girl can fantasize.
Brooke drops her hands, her boxing pads swinging slightly. “Two words: L.A. traffic. You’d also miss your mom and sister way too much.”
“I’ll give you that,” Vanessa concedes. “My sister? Nah. My mom, though? Neither of us would cope without each other fifteen minutes away.”
“I think that’s sweet, though,” Brooke smiles, before lifting her pads back up, an unspoken signal for Vanessa to go for another round. “It’s nice that you two are so close.”
“Yeah, until she’s poking around my apartment and folding the clothes piled on the chair in my room, and going on about ‘ay, Vanessa, you’ve folded your socks all wrong and did you call your Tia Luisa for her birthday yet? And don’t forget about dinner next Friday, you better bring the tostones because there’s no way I’m cooking absolutely everything, okay?’”  Vanessa tops off her impression with a snap of her fingers. “Nah, I love it, though.”
She really does. It’s nice, the way her and Alexis and her mom have remained such a close family unit, through everything. As much as Vanessa huffs and puffs when her mom begins a lecture two minutes after entering her apartment, she truly doesn’t mind.
“It means she cares,” Brooke grins. “C’mon, one more round and we’re done for the day.”
“Are you sure? Ain’t it not enough?” Vanessa asks, and she doesn’t mean to let her voice waver the way it does, but Brooke gives her that knowing look and grabs her shoulders in a way that tells Vanessa that she’s definitely noticed.
“What have we been doing for the past few months, hm?” Brooke raises an eyebrow, and Vanessa has to resist the urge to huff.
“Training.”
“And how many hours a day have we been training?”
“A fuck ton.”
“That’s what I thought,” Brooke shrugs, before her eyes soften just a tad. “You’re ready, okay? Even past the physical part of it. Do you think I’d make you write an analysis on Olivia’s fighting techniques just for fun?”
“I still can’t believe you made me do that,” Vanessa replies, wrinkling her nose. “I wasn’t my English teacher’s favourite in high school, lemme tell you that.”
At least Brooke hadn’t minded when Vanessa started her so-called paper with ‘let me tell you something,' or when she threw in some barbs about the weaknesses in Olivia’s fighting techniques.
“It did help though, I can’t lie,” Vanessa concedes. “Watching so many of her fights and breaking everything down.”
“You know how often I go on about boxing being as mental as it is physical,” Brooke shrugs. “No point in going into a fight without a plan. We’ve planned for months. You’ve worked on this plan for months. Do you really think you aren’t ready?”
Vanessa sighs. “It’s not that, I just…” she trails off, slumping slightly as the words she’s been trying to shove out of her brain fight their way to the forefront. “What if I lose?”
She’d lost her most recent match and became a meme as a result. What if her so-called career as a pro will be nothing more than getting her ass kicked and getting made fun of? Vanessa’s a sucker for punishment, sure, but she’s also not a clown.
Brooke shrugs. “Then we prepare for your next match. But what makes you so sure that will happen?”
“I mean, I got thoroughly whooped in my last match, and I haven’t fought since then-”
“Then what do you call our daily sparring where I really don’t hold back against you anymore, at all?”
Brooke’s revelation makes Vanessa pause. “Wait, really? You don’t go easy on me?”
Vanessa’s always thought that Brooke fought at an unattainable level as a pro - someone unstoppable, someone that Vanessa should aspire to be like. But if Brooke isn’t holding back against her anymore, then…
“As you’ve improved, I’ve pushed you harder and harder. You don’t think you’re still at the level you were at when you walked into my gym with press-ons, do you?”
The disbelief in Brooke’s expression is mixed in with pride and a twinkle in her eye - a look that Vanessa always strives to get out of her during training, one that makes her stomach flip in excitement.
“So what you’re saying is, I can whoop your ass,” Vanessa grins, and Brooke’s eye roll is immediate.
“I don’t know if I’d go that far. Olivia, though? More than capable of whooping hers. You’re ready, Ness. You really are.”
With the way Brooke is looking at her, part of Vanessa may be finally starting to believe it, too.
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sirixsconversations · 4 years ago
Text
strawberry lemonade • chapter two
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warnings: like one curse word? uh this is long so 😐
summary: after breaking up with your boyfriend of three years, you move out of your apartment as your best friend’s high school friend comes back to Japan for a “break”.
wc: 2k
|| masterlist || previous || next ||
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For two weeks, you learned that Tooru Oikawa was very very loud. Both of you were currently staying at Iwaizumi’s while the lease was being finalized. Thankfully, you and Oikawa both made a decent amount of money, so you both could afford a bit more expensive apartment. You remembered the qualifications that Oikawa had listed off the day after you decided to move in together. 
Three days earlier
“But y/n! I’m going to be home a lot, so wouldn’t it be better to have a larger living space?” Oikawa looked up at you with a teasing look in his eyes. 
“Why would we need a large, expensive may I add, apartment? I’ll be home a lot too, but It’s not like we’ll be throwing parties or cooking-”
“Oh I plan on cooking,” Oikawa exclaimed while grabbing your hands
“You know how to cook?”
“You don't?” 
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Fast forward a couple of days, and here you were, moving into a large, expensive apartment. Trying to drown out Oikawa and Mattsun’s loud laughter, you moved into the kitchen to go over things. 
Living with someone other than a significant other was hard work, no wonder why your parents didn’t want you to get a roommate off of campus in university. Sighing, you closed your laptop and got up to make some tea. 
Green tea was the one thing drink that didn’t remind you of someone. Hajime was coffee, strong and dependable. Kaori reminded you of iced coffee, like Hajime but she was sweet and cool. And of course, peach tea reminded you of him. He was calm, refreshing, and sweet. 
Your thoughts were shattered when a voice pierced through your consciousness. Oikawa. 
“You seem to be interested in that teabag, something wrong?” He moved to your left side and bent down to make eye contact. Flustered, you snapped out of your depressing trance. 
“Yeah! I'm just thinking about people and drinks,” you laughed the concern off and tried to reassure him. 
“Drinks? Do you want me to invite people here?” Oikawa seemed confused. Why would you suddenly want to drink?
You waved your hands frantically, trying to stop Oikawa from doing anything. 
“No! No, I was thinking about how drinks sometimes remind me of people,” you laughed as Oikawa cocked his head to the right, looking like a lost puppy. 
“Oh, I see! So then, what do I remind you of?” the confused face on Oikawa’s face melted into one of cockiness and teasing. Nonetheless, you answered his question. 
“Hm, strawberry lemonade.” 
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Iwaizumi arrived back home a few hours after the teabag incident and walked into a very intense Mario Kart tournament. 
“Come on y/n~ let me win once, please.” Matsukawa groaned out as you beat him for the fifth time that night. Oikawa simply chuckled before getting up and greeting Iwaizumi. 
“Iwa! When did you get here?”
“He obviously just did, idiot,” You rolled off of the couch before standing up to meet the two in the kitchen. Iwaizumi motioned his head towards your open laptop that had the details of the apartment displayed. As if he was stressed, he just sat down and sighed. 
He couldn’t shake that feeling. Why did Oikawa come back? He was doing perfectly fine in Argentina, he had won against his team during the Olympics even. So why the hell was he here? How did you end up moving in with him? He tried summing it up as the shock of the breakup clouding your decisions, but as he stared at you and Oikawa picking out a rug, he felt as though that wasn’t it. 
You were different. 
~
Hajime trailed behind you and Oikawa as you gleefully ran into the elevator, excited about finally moving in. It took a few days to move in, but with all of your and Oikawa’s friends helping, things went smoothly. 
“Oh just wait Iwa! We set up a little corner for you to stand in when we have friends over!” Oikawa teased Iwaizumi while you sent a short reply to Kaori. She and her girlfriend got into a little argument, so you were offering a piece of advice, although you felt as though you weren’t in the position to give advice anymore.
“Hey.” Iwaizumi poked your shoulder and gave you a look that was full of concern. He looked worried about something. 
“What’s up?” You asked the taller male, who was looking down at your phone.
“Are you texting S-” Your eyes widened as the name of your ex-boyfriend threatened to slip past his lips. 
“No! It was just...Kaori. I was offering advice,” you gave Iwaizumi an awkward smile as he apologized under his breath. Meanwhile, Oikawa was staring at you with curiosity. As he was opening his mouth to speak, he was cut off by the sound of the elevator dinging. 
“Hajime! Let’s go!” you laughed while pulling the dark-haired man out of the elevator and towards your new home. 
The apartment was large, to say the least, but it was perfect for you and Oikawa’s antics. The living room was spacious, and per request, there was a large kitchen for Oikawa to cook whatever he wanted. The two of you had your own rooms, of course. The third room was a study for you to work in, and for Oikawa to do whatever Oikawa wanted to do. Downstairs, there was a gym (which Oikawa enjoyed, although he would train elsewhere), as well as a small bakery across the street. Things were perfect. 
Iwaizumi left after thirty minutes, claiming “I can’t stand to be around the both of you”, which led to Oikawa calling a near-by pizza place. 
“I thought you liked to cook?” you teased the tall male, but he simply laughed. 
“My dearest y/n, how do you expect me to cook with only carrots and cream cheese?” He laughed, motioning towards the fridge that had yet to be filled. Rolling your eyes, you lay down on the soft couch and breathed out. Oikawa moved your legs so that they rested on his lap before closing his eyes. Looking at your conflicted face, Oikawa tapped your legs, trying to draw your attention.”
“You seem to be lost in thought a lot, does this happen frequently?” you giggled quietly at his joke but sat up. 
“No, I’m just..thinking that things are too easy right now. It seems like everything a week ago was so hard, and that my life was ending,” you giggled as Oikawa widened his eyes in concern. 
“So why did you even move out of your previous apartment anyways? Did something happen with your landlord or something?” Oikawa questioned as he moved to grab something to drink. You sighed and shook your head. 
“No, my boyfriend broke up with me,” you laughed as you watched Oikawa choke on his water. He set down the glass and rushed over to you, scanning your face for any signs of hurt. In the years that he had lived in Argentina, he had his fair share of relationships, and he knew that people were typically sensitive. But somehow, there was nothing there but worry. 
“Well! I'm sure that you don't need him anyway, he was probably a shitty guy anyways so-”
“Actually, he was pretty amazing. There wasn’t anything to hate,” Oikawa closed his mouth in thought and was about to reply with a snarky comment, but the door rang. As Oikawa ran off to greet the delivery man, you just stared at the back of his head. 
Was this the right choice?
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Across town, a man dragged his things into the house. He had been gone for the last three weeks, and all he wanted was to lay down with his girlfr-. 
Wait. 
The light-haired man sat down on the couch and remembered the words that were exchanged before he left. 
| Three weeks prior |
“....”
“y/n, I just don’t know what you want me to say-”
“Just go, okay?”
| Present time |
The man dug through his coat pockets before looking at his lock screen, not wanting to change it. He swiped up and looked for the one person that would always answer; you. 
Calling your number, he stared at the one thing that was left out on the counter. 
Peach tea. 
~
You and Oikawa were arguing over what to watch as a “celebratory moving day movie”, as Oikawa called it. 
“y/n, I have watched this movie every time that I’ve moved, trust me,” Oikawa whined as you held the remote out of his reach, making sure he wouldn’t put it on. 
“Why not Howl’s Moving Castle? When moving in with a new person, you need a new movie to watch!” you pouted. Oikawa huffed and crossed his arms. 
“I-I’ve never seen it,” he admitted under his breath. You widened your eyes and jumped on top of him. 
“What do you mean you’ve never watched it?! Are you jo-” you were suddenly cut off by your phone ringing. 
Although you changed his contact name and photo, the ringtone was personalized. Your blood ran cold as you picked up the phone. You shouldn’t answer, but you owed him after leaving abruptly. Covering Oikawa’s mouth, you picked up the phone. 
“Hi,” you answered, punching yourself mentally for being so awkward. Oikawa mocked you as you sent him a glare. 
“Oh god y/n, where are you? Are you staying at Kaori’s? I’m so sorry, I’m on my way-” you cut him off before he could go bang on your best friend’s door.
“Koushi, I'm not-”
“Koushi?! As in Sugawara Koushi?” Oikawa exclaimed with excitement. Your eyes widened as you felt your face go red. On the other end of the line, Sugawara stopped pacing around the living room and fell into a state of confusion as a familiar voice rang out from the other end. 
“Oikawa? You’re back?” You could feel yourself sinking into a state of despair as Oikawa laughed and took the phone from you. 
“Mr. Refreshing! Yeah, I'm back here while I’m on...break. How have you been? I haven’t seen you since-”
“I remember,” you could hear Sugawara’s laugh flow from the phone, and it made your heart hurt. You motioned for Oikawa to hurry up and give you the phone back, but he simply brushed you off and gave you the remote. 
“I’ve been uh, not well actually. Which is why I was calling y/n,” Sugawara sighed. Oikawa glanced over at you and waggled his eyebrows. You rolled your eyes, humored by the man’s idiocy. 
“Ah, I see! Anyways, I’ll let you get back to your call. I’ll have y/n give me your number later so we can catch up!”
“I’m not sure-” Oikawa handed you the phone, not understanding the context behind the phone call. You glared at him as he cheerfully watched the beginning of the film. 
“I’m sorry about that, he’s uhm, intrusive,” you apologized to Sugawara, but he just brushed it off. 
“It’s fine, I knew him from high school. It doesn’t seem like now is a good time to talk though, can we discuss things later? I’ll buy you coffee or dinner, whatever you want okay?”
“Yeah that sounds fine, I’ll talk to-”
“Are you okay y/n?” he asked hesitantly, knowing damn well that he had hurt you. 
“I will be,” you ended the call, and immediately pinched Oikawa. He jumped and sent you a glare. 
“Hey what was that for? I didn’t do anything!” you just rolled your eyes. 
“I hardly think taking my phone to talk to my ex-boyfriend counts as “nothing”, Oikawa,” you huffed. His eyes widened before standing before you in disbelief. 
“Mr. Refreshing is your ex?!”
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facts: 
- Sugawara is y/n’s ex ;)
- The former couple’s breakup was clean, but Sugawara didn’t mean to actually break up with y/n
- Oikawa is an amazing cook, im telling you. 
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a-heart-in-spades · 3 years ago
Note
It's the chanting that makes her realise something odd is going on.
"Oh, that's a lot of public." She can hear the panic in Spectre's voice. He's always had a bit of stage fright. Then she looks outside, and understands what he means. There are hundreds of Guardians waiting for the match to start. A number like this is normal for tournaments or special events, not regular, every day Crucible.
"Hey, Zip." She calls the Titan on her team, "Any idea what brought such big audience?"
"Well, it's not Shaxx's ress day." The Awoken mutters. When he looks through the window and he almost drops his gun. "Oh, boy."
"Who's the enemy team?" Spectre asks.
As the Team Leader, his Ghost has access to the name list. Zip looks at his tablet, then at Ayla, then starts walking backwards towards the door.
"Where are you going? Who is it?"
"So many folks means big bets are happening. I'm betting my monthly gains."
"On our victory, right?" She asks.
His mouth turns into a thin line. He doesn't say anything more before turning around and leaving the changing room.
"Zip! On our victory!?"
Ayla is tempted to throw her boot after him when Spectre interrupts.
"Wait, Wraith is calling. Maybe he knows!" And he passes the call to her comm without wasting a second.
"Enjoying your Crucible experience?" Wraith says as hello.
"It's not that bad. One more victory and I get that new sidearm Shaxx put as prize."
"And the public? I heard next match got a lot of people excited."
"HOW? You heard the gossip all the way in the EDZ, but us, that are standing in the middle of the Crucible, don't know what's going on." She says incredulously.
"Maybe because people are trying to keep it a secret. Everyone is laughing at the coincidence. I think they wanted to see the live reaction when you two realise you are against each other."
Ayla feels something sink in her stomach. The same feeling when certain EXO calls her kinderscout...
"You gotta be shitting me." She knows her voice sounds high-pitched.
"Nope."
"Does he know?"
"No idea. Maybe? Maybe not."
"I appreciate the warning." She tells him. "But I'll be fine. People are expecting what, me going berserker and straight up biting him or something?"
"Yep." He says, and she huffs in annoyance. "You say the same before turning in a report. And each time you go to the Hall of Guardians, stuff catches void fire."
"Ayla, 30 seconds." Spectre says, just as Wraith tells her not to die too much, and Bee chimes in to wish her good-luck.
When Shaxx calls the contestants to the arena, when the roar of the public is so loud it makes the walls shake, and among the four opponents in front of her she distinguishes a very familiar, very blue individual, Ayla smiles.
It's not a pretty smile. She feels purple and blue smoke burn through her limbs, barely contained in her excitement to fight.
After years of snappy banter and traded insults she can finally smack that insufferable face. The second the Shaxx screams the Crucible has officially started, she initiates the match with her Super ready, one Shadowshot hitting dead centre on Cayde's horn, and the scoreboard lights up in favour of her team.
She hopes every Guardian is watching. She will enjoy this.
skjdhfgasdf yeeeeees I love this so much.
It's not a pretty smile. She feels purple and blue smoke burn through her limbs, barely contained in her excitement to fight.
That line holds so much because it's exactly how she would feel in that situation and just, unf the thought of those two duking it out in crucible is delectable.
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ga-yuu · 3 years ago
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~Sweet Punishment~ Yoritomo Route
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(I know I already did the summary of this, but I just couldn't resist when I see Yoritomo.)
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The trees, dyed bright red and yellow, sway their leaves in the autumn breeze.
On this day, I was with Kagetoki-san and others, gathered in the hall by order of Yoritomo-sama.
Yoritomo: "Okay, everyone is here. I'm going to ask you a straightforward question. What does autumn mean to you?"
Yuno: "Autumn?"
Yoritomo: "That's right. Anything you can think of, I want to hear your thoughts."
(Autumn, huh? Let's see...)
Kagetoki: "Well... If I had to pick, I'd say reading. I love reading in the long autumn nights."
Tamamo: "I'm all for the food, of course. Sweet potatoes, mushrooms, persimmons, chestnuts, pears...the list goes on and on."
Yoritomo: "Chestnuts are good, indeed."
Yuno: "It would be fun to go chestnut picking together!" (Yuno is sooooooooooo cute.)
Shigehira: "Woah woah, don't deviate from the main topic."
(Oh, I shouldn't.)
I hurriedly kept my mouth shut, and my eyes met Shigehira-kun's.
Shigehira: "Is there something you want to do, Yuno-san?"
Yuno: "Hmmm.... I think I'll go for the plants. There are many medicinal plants that can only be found in autumn."
Yoritomo: "That's just like you. But none of them are the answers I'm looking for."
Morinaga: "Then, what does autumn mean to you, Yoritomo-sama?"
Yoritomo: "Training."
Tamamo: "It’s going to be a sweaty autumn then! I'm surprised to hear you say this,..... but what are you up to?"
Morinaga: "It's not too hot or too cold, so it's a good time to get moving."
Yoritomo: "Isn't it? So we'll have a martial arts tournament."
The air in the hall seemed to tighten at the sound of his dignified voice.
Yoritomo: " Of course, we’re not doing this just for fun. The purpose is to strengthen the martial arts skills of the entire army. The winner is determined by a winner-takes-all competition, and the last one standing is rewarded with rice."
Tamamo: "Rice..... I'll have chestnut, of course, but sweet potatoes are very good, too."
Yoritomo: "What are you trying to win? Anyway, this time, you all will be working behind the scenes. You too, Tamamo. Kagetoki and Tamamo, you will assist me in running the whole thing. Shigehira and Morinaga were entrusted with guiding the participants in their training."
Kagetoki, Shigehira, Morinaga: "Yes!"
Tamamo: "What, no rice for me? Well, we'll have a party later, won't we? Let's hope there will be some good food there."
Kagetoki: "It's more motivating to have a friendly competition than to just to train."
Morinaga: "It's like a festival, right? I can't take part, but it gets my blood pumping."
Yoritomo: "Isn’t it? It's time like these that we need these events."
(I guess that's why we're here now because we don't know when the war will break out.)
(....In his own way, Yoritomo-sama is thinking of his subordinates when he makes this proposal.)
(I also want to help.)
Yuno: "Yoritomo-sama, I also want to help."
Yoritomo: "You can. But you wouldn't listen to me anyway, will you?"
Yuno: "Yes, I'll do my best."
(Then I'll have to get more herbs than usual.)
(Oh, and I think I need a spared bandage. And ......)
As I quickly thought about my preparations, I felt someone pinching my cheek.
Yuno: "Yoritomo-sama?"
Yoritomo: "Geez, you're always like this. When it comes to working, that's all you see."
Yuno: "I don't want to hear that from Yoritomo-sama. Even Yoritomo-sama, works day and night....."
(Hm?)
Suddenly I felt some gazes on me.
The next thing we knew, everyone's warm eyes were on us.
(I shouldn't! They're all here.)
Tamamo: "They are fighting like couple and that they only have eyes for each other and their work....I'd say, but Yoritomo did it on purpose, didn't he?"
Yoritomo: "Yeah, because she looks cute when she fights back."
Yuno(blushing): "!"
(I've been teased..... How embarrassing....)
Shigehira: "Please do those things when you both are alone."
Morinaga: "I think we're done here, so we'll leave you to your business."
Kagetoki: "Please feel free to go crazy."
Everyone left, leaving me and Yoritomo-sama in the hall.
Yoritomo: "Hey, Yuno."
Yuno: "Hm?....Oh."
My arms were drawn and I lean on Yoritomo-sama.
My heart began to beat faster and faster at the thought of being in a place where I didn't know who could see me.
Yuno: "No. Not here."
Yoritomo: "It's all right, there's no one here at the moment. More importantly.....I'll ask you to help with the first aid necessities. I'd let you do it, but on one condition."
Yuno: "Condition?"
Yoritomo: "Yeah."
The sound of Yoritomo-sama's breathing gently tickles my ear....
Yoritomo: "Don't overdo and if you need anything, just ask. If you don't, I'll make sure you get what you deserve."
Yuno: ".......!"
Provocative words flow into my ears makes my heart beat even more wildly.
(it's Yoritomo-sama, so he's not going to go easy on me.)
(But, what is that punishment?)
A moment later, both hands were grabbed and put together, and restrained with one hand.
Yuno: "Eh----Hmm."
Without hesitation, my lips were sealed and my eyes widen in surprise.
I tried to escape, but he held me by the back of the head, and the kiss became more and more deeper.
Yuno: "Mmm.....Ha...ah."
I was struggling for air, but the kissing never stops.....
As I was finally released, I started to breathe.
Yuno: "Yoritomo...sama?"
Yoritomo: "It's not bad to show people that you're mine."
(You mean, if I break my promise, he'll do this to me in public?)
Yuno(blushing): "Please don't do that...."
Yoritomo(smiling): "That's up to you. If you understand, don't overwork."
Yuno: "....Yes."
(Because it's Yoritomo-sama, I'll definitely do it.)
(But I have to be careful about this.)
......................
Then a few days later.
I was treating the injured soldiers while Morinaga-san and Shigehira-kun were in charge of the training.
Tamamo was also present since he had some free time.
Yuno: "This is the end of the treatment of your injuries. Good luck with your training."
Soldier: " Thank you!"
As I was smiling at everyone's enthusiasm, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps.
Retainer: "Yuno-san are you here? I'd like to talk to you about the medicine you're preparing."
Yuno: "Yes, I'll be there soon."
I informed Morinaga-san and the others and hurried to leave the room----
Yuno: "Oh!?"
I bumped into someone at the entrance.
Yuno: "So-Sorry---"
???: "Are you okay?"
(Ah, that voice.)
Yoritomo(smiling): "Don't be in such a hurry."
Yuno: “Yoritomo-sama!”
I bow my head, a little relieved that the person I bumped into was someone I was in love with.
Yuno: “Sorry, I was in a hurry.”
Yoritomo: “As long as, you don’t hurt yourself, its fine. You seem to be very busy, is there anything you need help with?”
(Although Yoritomo-sama told me to rely on him.)
Preparations for the martial arts tournament had begun and Yoritomo-sama was busier than ever.
First of all, this is a job that I volunteered to help with.
(I can’t let Yoritomo-sama get me and I can still do my best.)
Yuno: “No. I am doing fine. Excuse me, I’m in a hurry.”
I acted brightly as I could and left the place.
Yoritomo(smiling): “........Geez.”
Yoritomo sees off Yuno’s back, proudly as if he is amazed.
Then, Tamamo and Morinaga who was watching them, comes by.
Morinaga: “Yuno has been working really hard lately, right?”
Tamamo: “She running all over the place more than ever.”
Morinaga: “Thanks to her, everyone’s spirits are up. They don’t even mind getting injured now that there is a cute girl to take care of them.”
Yoritomo: “I see.”
Tamamo: “Aren’t you jealous? You never know when some random man will come and challenge you for her.”
Yoritomo: “Her heart already belongs to me. If a man comes and challenges me, I won’t let him take her away from me.”
Morinaga: “As expected, you seem very confident.”
Tamamo: “..............”
..................
That night----
As I was preparing the medicine in my room before going to sleep, Tamamo came to see me.
Tamamo: “You are still working?”
Yuno: “Yes, just little more for tomorrow.”
Tamamo: “No way. You look very tired. Don’t push your limit. So that’s why.....”
Tamamo, smiles wistfully and claps his hands---
The next moment, he quickly turned into a cute little fox.
Yuno: “Eh, why did you change your form?”
Tamamo: “Touching me, who is super cute and furry, has a great soothing effect. Go on, fluff yourself to your heart’s content.”
As if to give everything away, Tamamo rolls over on his stomach. 
(Tamamo’s belly, looks soft and fluffy!)
The tempting offer makes my heart flutter, but the face of my Yoritomo-sama comes to my mind.
(Yoritomo-sama told me to rely on him.)
I feel guilty, but I can’t resist my greed. .....
I put Tamamo on my lap and boldly buried my face in her belly.
(This is....!)
Yuno(blushing): “Mo..Mofumofu...!”
Tamamo: “Isn’t it?”
(Hmmmm, this is going to be a habit.)
It’s the best touch I can imagine and I’ll just get hooked----
Yoritomo: “Yuno, I’m coming in.”
(!?)
Before I could reply, Yoritomo-sama opened the doors and entered my room.
Yoritomo: “........”  (Okay, so let me try reading Yoritomo’s mind:*pictures regular Tamamo and Yuno resting her face on his belly*)
Our eyes meet and we stopped moving for a moment.
(What should I do? I can’t believe that Yoritomo-sama saw me like this....)
Tamamo: “It’s a crime to interrupt the time of lovers. Good night~” (You LITTLE BITCH!)
Yuno: “Wait!”
Tamamo jumped of my lap and left the room.
Yoritomo(angry): “........” (mind reading: “I told her that she could rely on me and yet she went to Tamamo. But they’re just friends and I know Yuno would never cheat on me. But still she went to HIM instead of me. Looks like she’s really wants to get punished. You’re such a sly, you know.”)
Yuno: “I sorry. I’m really sorry.”
(He’s angry. He is really angry. I can feel it.)
The awkwardness in the air makes me look down.
 I clenched my fingertips in preparation for my punishment and was lightly popped when he flicked my forehead.
Yuno: “Eh...”
Yoritomo: “As I expected. It’s already late, finish your work and go to bed. If you don’t, then I’ll change your clothes and take you to bed.”
Yuno: “No need. I’m in bed! Already!”
Yoritomo: “Good.”
(I wonder if he would say something.)
(But,,,,you were so worried about me that you went out of your way to see how I was doing...)
Although I feel a little uncomfortable with the overly gentle attitude. But that was soon overridden by the joy that came from Yoritomo-sama’s thoughtfulness.
......................
Finally, the day of the tournament arrived.
(Okay, let’s do our best.)
Yuno: “Thank you for your hard work!”
Soldiers: “Eh....”
When I went to the waiting area of the first-aid team, I got a strange look from everyone.
Soldier: “Yuno-san, why are you here?”
Yuno: “Huh? What do you mean?”
Yoritomo(fake smile): “Ah, Yuno. I didn’t know you were here.”
At the appearance of Yoritomo-sama, all his men straighten their postures in unison.
Yoritomo(smiling): “I’m hoping you’ll join me in keeping an eye on everyone’s progress. As a reward for all the hard work you’ve done today, will you come and watch the game with me?”
Soldier: “Yes, leave the work to us!”
Yuno: “Er, well...”
Yoritomo: “Well, let’s go then.”
(Ah)
While I was hesitating, he immediately pulled my hand.
...............
We were shown to our seats, which were the best seats in the venue, giving a view of the entire arena.
(Is is going to be okay?)
He makes me sit down on the tatami mat, and I somewhat started to feel nervous.
Then Yoritomo-sama, who was sitting next to me, leaned close to me.
Yoritomo: “It cold today. Let me make sure, you don’t get cold.”
A knee cover was placed softly across my lap and Yoritomo-sama’s.
Yuno: “Thank you.”
Yoritomo: “It’s nothing to be thankful for. ....but it’s still a bit cold. Would it be warmer if I did this?”
Yuno; “!”
He hugs me around the waist and I leaned lightly on Yoritomo-sama.
At that moment, a buzz spread around us.
Yuno(blushing): “Yo-Yoritomo-sama?”
Yoritomo(smiling): “You’re very warm.”
(Yes, it’s warmer than before.)
As you can see, I’m embarrassed, so I try to speak up.
Maid 1: “Yoritomo-sama is so kind, isn’t he?”
Maid 2: “Yeahhh, I’m jealous.”
I hurriedly closed my mouth, when heard the jealous comments one after another.
(Somehow, we are just keep getting a lot of attention.)
(In this situation, I can’t say ‘let go’, can I?)
Yuno(blushing): “Mm, Yoritomo-sama is also warm.”
I smiled awkwardly and snuggled up to Yoritomo-sama quietly.
(I feel like, Yoritomo-sama....is little scary.)
(The other night was a bit of a let down, maybe there’s more to it?)
When I was suspicious of his overly gently manner, our hands came together under the blanket.
Yoritomo(smiling): “Your fingertips are getting warmer.”
With a warm, sunny voice, the tips of the finger rub together.
His gaze is filled with deep compassion....
(How can I doubt this kindness.)
When I thought about it, Morinaga, the referee, appeared at the game.
Morinaga: “Then, let’s start the first game, both teams come forward!”
The match starts-----
I was completely absorbed into the series of heated battles.
(Wow! That attack was very fast.)
As I leaned forward to watch the game, I felt a smooth stroke on the back of my hand.
Yoritomo: “This could go either way.”
Our fingers entwined and squeezed.
(What is  going on here?)
When I smiled back, Yoritomo-sama happily brought his lips to my ears.
Yoritomo: “Who do you think will win?”
Yuno: “Ah....Well...”
My back trembles when he deliberately sighed near my ear.
I ducked quickly, but the hands on my hips prevented me from moving.
Yoritomo(evil smile): “Oh, that was a brilliant one, right? Everyone is doing well, because of the training. How wonderful.”
Yuno(blushing): “Mm.....”
I can’t reply well, because he kept whispering to me near my ear and it felt ticklish.
(Is he teasing me?)
Yoritomo: “The next game is about to start.”
Yuno(blushing): “Oh! re-really.”
(Thank god, it stopped.)
I breathed a sigh of relief and I felt a hand on my thigh.
(Eh!)
I looked at the owner of the hand and he couldn’t have been more full of himself.
Yuno(blushing): “------!?”
Yoritomo-sama’s hand slid easily down my inner thigh, and I flinched at the strange power.
Yuno(blushing): “Wai...Wait...”
Yoritomo(evil smile): “Hm? Did you say something?”
Yuno(blushing): “No, What’s the matter with you?”
Yoritomo(evil smile): “You said you are too embarrassed to do this in public. It’s not a problem, if it’s hidden under the blanket, right?” (Geez, if Yoritomo had one of those small vibrators, he would have not shown any mercy.)
(That’s)
---------FLASHBACK-------
Yoritomo: "It's not bad to show people that you're mine."
---------FLASHBACK ENDS-------
(Although it’s hidden.)
I still think it’s too mean to bea simple teasing.
(Is this how he intends to punish me?)
(I wonder if he was still angry with me for because of that Tamamo incident.)
The moment I tried to open my mouth to apologize.
The hand that had been caressing my thigh, crept inside, splitting the gaps in my kimono.
Yuno(blushing): “!? A......”
I bite my lips in panic as he stroked my bare skin.
Yoritomo(evil smile): “Everyone is crazy about the game right now....If you raise your cute voice, they’ll notice you.”
(No doubt! You are still angry about the other day.)
I bring my face closer to his ear and whispered lightly.
Yuno(blushing): “I’m truly....very sorry. I’m reflecting on it, so please....”
Yoritomo(evil smile): “No, not yet. You’re too stubborn, so I won’t let you go that easily.”
Yuno(blushing): “Mm, ah.”
The tips of his fingers lightly scratched my inner thighs, causing me to gasp uncontrollably.
At the same time, cheers go up.
Apparently, the game is in full swing.
(But now, I can’t focus on the game.)
Yuno(blush): “Mm....oh.....”
A soft numbness runs up my back as my ear is bitten sweetly. 
Further more, when his hand moved between my legs, I quickly tried to stop it.
Yoritomo(evil smile): “You’re pretty resistance. But how long can you hold up?”
Yuno(blushing): “Ah.....not there....oh.”
(No matter how crazy everyone is about the game, no more....!)
Yuno(blushing): “Okay, I understand. I’ll take the punishment but at least take me to your room....!”
With tears in my eyes, I pleaded and finally his hands stopped.
Yoritomo(evil smile): “I’ll take that word for now. The rest will be in my room, okay...?”
Premium END  // Epilogue
This story event is in short the scenario of what will happen if Yuno and Yoritomo go to movie theatre. Anyways, I’ll only be doing Yoritomo’s route because I love him and then I’ll take a break until the next story event. Also I’ll be posting the collection events time to time when I feel like it.
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eryiss · 3 years ago
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Summary: Freed and Gajeel were total opposites in every way, only connected by the guild. When they were forced to train together under Makarov's orders, they expected antagonism and mistrust. Instead, they were given a lesson in how quickly opposition can turn to attraction. The issue: let the budding relationship simmer away, or let it explode. [Freed x Gajeel Multi-chapter]
Notes: Hello everyone. I’ve been wanting to write something longer for this couple for a while, and this idea seemed quite fun. I hope you all enjoy it and maybe I can convert some of you to living Freed x Gajeel. Happy reading.
Links: FFN, Ao3, Chapter List
Chapter One - Makarov's Idea
As he walked towards the guildhall, Freed kept looking up at the moon.
The nights sky was cloudless and gave him an unhindered view of stars and the moon. It was a beautiful sight, but made him frown a little. The moon was large and nearly in its fullest state, a concern for the time of year. It had been some time since the full moon had coincided with the longest day of the year, and it seemed like it was going to happen again this year. The brimstone in his blood seemed to fizz at the idea, and he quickly looked away.
At his side, Laxus bumped his shoulder to get his attention. His frown told Freed that the dragon-Slayer had seen his concern, and he smiled to comfort the man.
"Nothing to concern yourself about," Freed assured him. "I've got it under control."
"Make sure you do," Laxus instructed. "No missions until it's over, right?"
"Of course," Freed nodded.
Laxus seemed to think the matter settled at that, but Freed wasn't so sure. The entirety of the guild - or at least those not already on missions - had been called to the guildhall that night. Makarov hadn't explained why he wanted everyone present, but it was entirely possible that they would all be dragged away on a mission and that Freed would be forced to act as if everything was normal. So promising that he wouldn't go on any missions was more wishful thinking than anything else.
Still, if he did have to go on a mission, he could handle it. Six years ago, it had taken him by surprise. Not this time.
"Let's take bets," Bickslow, unaware of the hushed conversation, stated mischievously. "Fifty-fifty odds of it being either a world ending disaster we have to deal with, or some weird competition so he can perv on the gals again."
Laxus winced at the second option, but didn't deny it.
"It better not be the second one," Evergreen huffed. "But knowing him, it probably will be. So I'll put five hundred jewels on that."
"Nah, it's been too long since we all nearly died," Bickslow shrugged. "Five hundred on the world ending. You two sticks in the mud gonna get involved?"
Freed had stopped listening to their conversation moments before, and found his worries back on the sky. The full moon had been scheduled in exactly one week, and it meant trouble for him. He should be making preparations in case he lost control of himself; this was all a distraction. He should leave town, just in case.
His team looked at him in concern, but remained quiet.
As they approached the doors, Freed's mind remained preoccupied. A hand clasped onto his shoulder and jerked him back, and he realised it was Laxus. He frowned, only then realising he had nearly walked into Gajeel Redfox. The dragon-slayer glared at him, arms crossed to highlight his biceps. He didn't have much else than his physical strength, Freed supposed, so he had to show it off.
"Idiot," Gajeel spat at Freed, and Freed nearly scoffed at the hypocrisy of the word. If either of them was an idiot, it was not Freed.
Gajeel was walking into the hall before Freed could retort.
"God, who put a stick up his ass?" Laxus muttered as he shook his head. He looked down to Freed again, looking worried. Perhaps he hadn't believed Freed's assurances as Freed had hoped. "You need to go back? He ain't taking over yet, right?"
"No, I was distracted, that's all," Freed assured him, but none of his team looked happy. "I'm in control of myself. But I've got plans on how to approach the demon should I need them."
"Can we help?" Evergreen asked.
"I'll ask if I need it, but I don't suspect it'll happen," Freed placated them. They were still unconvinced. "You needn't coddle me, I'm fine. Particularly when there's apparently a fifty-fifty chance that the word is ending. Though, I'm putting five hundred jewels on the competition."
Apparently, the mention of gambling, broke the ice.
When they got inside the guildhall, it was more crowded than normal. All the tables on the lower level had been taken, and as such they were forced to climb to the S-Class balcony and sit there. None of them particularly minded that, and they waited for a short while for the rest of their guild mates to file in and settle, drinking and talking as they did so.
Eventually, Makarov walked onto the stage and stood before the crowd of wizards. After a few shouts for them to be quiet, the room fell into silence.
"Thank you all for coming," He began after clearing his throat. "I'm sure you're all wondering why we're here."
"For you to creep on us," Ever mumbled, and Bickslow snickered.
"Fairy Tail is a guild with its bedrock founded on the principles of friendship. We work so well because we work together. Whereas other guilds maybe have one or two teams, we have many," Makarov explained, gesticulating as he spoke. "It makes me so proud that you've forged these relationships and implemented them into your working lives. Your friendship and love allows you to work together to fight harder and become stronger, side by side as friends. I'm immensely proud of you all, but as of late I've noticed a problem with your work."
He paused, and Freed rolled his eyes. Everything was so dramatic with him.
"While you're very good at working with your own teams, you sometimes struggle working with the guild members you're unfamiliar with," Makarov continued, as if this statement were a tragedy. "And sometimes your teams won't be available, and I don't want you not taking group jobs because your regular team isn't around."
"Starting to think I bet on the wrong side," Bickslow grumbled, taking a drink.
Freed found himself only half listening. Whenever Makarov made an announcement there would be a lot of preamble that Freed didn't particularly care to listen to; not when he had bigger problems to deal with.
Perhaps, if his demon did become more powerful under the moon, he could rune himself into a cage of sorts. That might work, though perhaps physical manacles and shackles might be more practice. His team would be able to help with that, most likely. They wouldn't be happy about it, but Laxus had seen first hand what could happen when the demon was allowed to take over without restraint. He would understand.
No. He was worrying for nothing. The demon was under control now. Besides, he should be listening to his guildmaster.
"So, to broaden your opportunities, I've come up with an idea," Makarov grinned. "For the next week, you'll be split into pairs that you don't normally work with, and you'll spend all of that time training together. These partnerships will be random, and by the end of the week you'll be fighting side by side in a tournament to prove how well you can work together."
Hm, maybe a distraction would work better than restraints. Makarov's idea was flawed to the point of pointlessness, but a week of training might wear his body out to the point his demon wouldn't have the energy to take over.
"And, I'm sure you're all thinking why you should care about this, so there's a prize set up for the team who wins," Makarov was grinning wider now. "Fifty thousand jewels!"
That sent a rush of excitement and talking through the guild. Freed found himself wondering where the money actually came from.
"That's not all. The fights will be ranked on teamwork, cohesion and communication, and at the end of each fight you'll get points based on how well you did," Makarov was running his hands together. "And the team with the least points will have to do a punishment, and the winners decide what it is!"
"Goddamnit," Bickslow mumbled, handing money to Evergreen. "Always about punishments with him."
"If you knew that, then you should have bet smarter," Evergreen laughed.
Freed ignored his friends, leaning back and watching as Mirajane brought out a large, ridiculous top-hat. It wasn't difficult to guess that this was how Makarov intended to randomly choose the teams; pick them out of a hat. Maybe Laxus was right and his grandfather was turning mad, but he seemed to be enjoying himself so Freed had no place to complain.
He would simply drink his beer, watch the chaos unfold, and use the oncoming disaster as a distraction.
——
Gajeel swallowed down his beer with a scowl on his face. When Makarov had called this meeting, he had known that whatever the old crow had to say, it would piss him off. When Makarov had made his announcement, Gajeel had been proven right.
A whole week with some random wizard seemed pointless. Gajeel worked alone, and only teamed up with people when needed. This wasn't going to work.
Fuck, it was such a waste of time! He could be doing jobs and earning his rent instead of fucking around with a stranger, trying to embrace Makarov's ridiculous mantra about the importance of friendship. Or if he wasn't making money, then he would have at least liked to relax and take some time to rest. He didn't want to make a new friend, he wanted to eat, sleep and maybe find a guy to take to bed. None of that would happen with some Fairy Tail mage hanging around his neck.
"Our first team is," Makarov began as he rummaged through the stupid hat he'd had made. "Juvia and Natsu!"
Dammit! Juvia was one of the few people he could have tolerated. The other was the bookworm, and Makarov would probably say them working together wasn't in the spirit of things.
Still. At least the salamander had to work with someone who extinguished his fire. That was funny.
"Kickass!" Natsu yelled into the crowd, standing up and pumping his fist in the air because he lacked self control. "We're gonna dominate!"
They wouldn't.
"If you'd like to meet up and discuss your plans then now's the time," Makarov stated, and Natsu was making his way to Juvia immediately. "And now it's time for the next team up," He reached into the hat again. "It's Evergreen and Lucy."
No loss there. Maybe he and blondie could have been okay, but Gajeel wasn't pissed the chance was gone.
Lucy looked up toward the balcony and waved at Evergreen a little intimidated. Evergreen looked resigned, but after some nudging from Bickslow, made her way down the stairs and started to talk to the woman. Gajeel absentmindedly wondered if the two had ever had a conversation, because they looked awkward around each other; painfully so.
Fuck, that was going to be him, wasnt it?
Maybe he could convince whoever he was paired up with to lie and say they trained when they just spend the week alone. But then there was the tournament, and the threat of some random punishment, and Gajeel had already been humiliated after losing the guild-wide race and having to dress like an idiot; it wasn't happening again if he could help it.
"Next up," Makarov reached into the hat again. "Bickslow and Gray."
"Fuck yeah, some eye candy at last!" Bickslow yelled, and people laughed. Gajeel rolled his eyes, watching as Bickslow leant over the banister and looked towards his teammate. "Wanna make a deal, every time you strip, I strip."
Gajeel could see Gray avert his gaze as if bored, but he was red in the cheeks. They were even redder when Bickslow tossed his shirt towards him, both men now partially stripped.
Well, at least he wasn't with that idiot. The two of them would be a mess.
Many other teams were announced, and Gajeel found himself more and more annoyed each time. The partnerships made no sense, most of the time their magics wouldn't compliment each other, and Gajeel knew that it would end in disaster. At best, half of the partnerships might end up having a fight with each other, and at worst people would get hurt because they just didn't work. How the hell did Makarov think this was going to work out?
Maybe Gajeel should have slunk out and not attended the meeting. He was running out of money for rent, and his landlord was a bastard just waiting to kick him out, so it made sense for him to get a job. Maybe if he left now he could avoid it altogether.
"And next we've got Gajeel," Makarov shouted, and Gajeel cursed. "And Freed."
Oh fuck no. Absolutely fucking not!
Gajeel was not working with that stuck up prick. A guy like that had clearly never worked a day in his life, probably grew up in a fancy ass house and only got into guild work because it was a trend to slum it with the other wizards. Everything about Freed - holier than thou - Justine screamed pampered brat. He would probably throw a fit if he got dirt under his fingernails. He was the damn opposite of a man like Gajeel, and he knew he'd struggle not to murder the spoiled shit before the week was over.
Could he even defend himself? He had magic, but as far as Gajeel knew, that only worked when he had time to prepare. Hardly practical in the heat of battle, and what would he do without it? He wouldn't have the balls to use his sword as a weapon, Gajeel was pretty sure of that, and he looked like a gust of wind could take him out.
Fucking dammit. The salamander was better than this!
He damn near walked out of the guildhall then and there, because he couldn't deal with an egomaniac freak for a week. But, as he went to move, he saw the egomaniac freak walking towards him, and he was not going to allow Freed to think he was running away. He turned in his chair to meet the man's gaze but didn't make a move towards him. Freed could come to him, not the other way around.
Soon, Freed was in his space, standing above him. His expression was as unimpressed with the situation as Gajeel felt. At least they could agree on one thing.
He looked up to meet the mans gaze. Freed was… taller than he thought.
"I think it's fair to assume neither of us want to do this," Freed said rather than greeting him. Gajeel was right, he was a dick. "And I expect that the way I train myself won't be the same way you do, so likely there's a chance we'll come to blows, so I have a proposition."
Huh, maybe Freed was gonna suggest they lie and only pretend to train together. Gajeel would agree, but make Freed squirm first. "Yeah?"
"If we went somewhere and tried to train how we both normally do, it would be an act of futility," Freed explained. "We have six days to work together. I propose that for the first three days we train however I wish, and you follow my instructions. For the latter three days, we train however you wish and I will follow your instructions. That way, we both get three days of training ourselves in a way we know works, and the week won't be a waste of time entirely."
Huh.
That wasn't what Gajeel had thought, but he could deal with it. He had to admit, trying to find a way that would work for them both would not work, so this meant he'd at least have three days to improve himself.
"Fine," He grunted. "But I wanna go first. You're gonna drag me to some library or something like that, and that's a waste of time. Might as well make it a rest day after some actual working out."
Freed sighed, as if dealing with a child, and Gajeel nearly kicked him in the balls. "If you insist,"
"I do."
"Well then, I'll see you on Monday."
"Guess ya will."
That was it, and Freed turned to go back to his table. Gajeel emptied his drink, then grinned. Three days where the asshole had to do as he said; that was interesting. Freed probably spent his life being pampered and spoiled, but not with Gajeel. Nah, he was gonna work. Gajeel was gonna put Freed through hell and love every damn second of it.
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shyrose57 · 4 years ago
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Brothers anon back with a worked out timeline! And Misstressoffandoms sorry im responding so late! I completely missed your reply. Thats what I ended up doing but im hoping to eventually be able to completely copy those eailer asks and put them on my notes app.
When this gets a major update I'll resend if you want me too.
CURRENT AGES! (When they left Subbin)
Ran-19
Ranbob-26 (Previously 28 but decided to change it a bit, decided I didn't like the 9 year age difference between the brothers)
Watson-33 (Previously 35 but decided to change it a bit)
Jackie-16
Grievous-22
Benjamin-30
Cletus-24
Charles-25 (Previously 27 but decided to change it)
Isaac-29
CURRENT TIME LINE! (THIS IS NOT INDEPTH AND IS INSTEAD INTENDED TO GIVE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF EVERYTHING, DETAILS MAY BE CHANGED DEPENDING ON WHATS ADDED)
-Dream gets control of Ranbob and uses him to basically commit genocide in Mizu, Ran barely escapes. 
-After living alone for 6 years Ran arrives in Subbin, takes part in the Pit tournament, and gains a family. At the same time the fishermen find and rescue Ranbob, bringing him to their home.
-2 years past with Ranbob recovering and having a haunting, and Ran fighting while spending time with his own haunting. 
-Isaac manages to convince his group to go to Subbin even though Ranbob is a bit nervous, the fishermen join The Pit for the promise of money and fun. Ranbob gets pinned against Ran (doesnt know its Ran) and sees the King of The Hill is on with Ran at the top. Ranbob climbs up to see Ran there, he is shocked and approaches him with weapon dropped and shaking, Ran kicks him off the edge. Ranbob slams his head into the ground and dislocates his shoulder, rises up to see the King of The Hill dropping. Ranbob tries to talk to Ran only for Ran to run to him and slam him into the ground, yelling at and threatening him. He carries him over to the edge of the arena and at this point Porkius calls off the fight and the fishermen and Gladiators enter the arena to seperate them. Ran cursing out Ranbob as he gets dragged away. Ranbob gets treated in the medical wing as Ran storms about and the two groups talk and match everything up.
-Weeks past with incredible tension in the air. They decide that taking a trip may help and after getting approval from Porkius, manage to convince Ranbob and trick Ran to come along.
-After agurements and tense moments while in a carriage, they get out and walk to their next destination. A flower biome. Where they manage to relax and have fun for a few days before moving on.
-Next Watson leads them to a nearby waterfall he found with a tunnel behind it, the brothers get water splashed on them by Isaac and Jackie being idiots, and from dripping water in the cave, leaving Ran with burns to his neck and hands, while Ranbob has burns to his cheeks and also to his neck. The burns fade quickly with help of burn cream Watson brought with. 
-After they pass the tunnel they see a shattered Savanna, and decide to travel through it. Tension ramps up when both Grievous and Cletus almost fall off halfway up a mountain, and when Rans scowling and growling end up sending Ranbob so far away from him he almost walks off the edge. 
-Watson says the Savanna is to dangerous and leads them to a nearby roofed forest, where they have their first run in with Raq and learn that Ran is still being hunted. 
-After 3 morw run-ins with Raq they move to another forest, this time Oak, and stumble upon a village, where they stop for supplies. This is also where they learn of Kelalen, but the librarian they learned it from dismisses them as lunatics and to avoid them. Upon pressing for more info they find out it was like Mizu, to which Ranbob shows interest and excitement.
-They move on to a Tagia biome where everyone attempts to tame a wolf and fails, expect Charles, Watson, and Ran. Charles gets 4 dogs from this and is very happy.
-While running to shelter in a cave from a thunderstorm, the brothers lag behind the rest, and start to badly agure. At the end Ran shouts something that makes Ranbob stop, stare at him with teary eyes, and run away. Ran almost goes after him but doesnt and instead goes to tell the others. While Ranbob finds another smaller cave to hide it, and after some harsh words, everyone goes searching for him. Leaving Ran alone and leaving him with his guilt ridden, horrible feeling, and merciless mind
-They get Ranbob to come back to find Ran gone, at first almost no one wants to go after him. Saying how it's all his fault. But eventually they agree to look for him after the storm has passed. Its a full day until the storm passes and the gladiators have become very worried for Ran. 
-When they finally look for him, it takes them hours to find him. And they only find him when there's a sudden shout through the woods, leading them to Raq mid-attack on Ran, taking advantage of his distraction of being lost in his own mind. Sadly their a bit late and aren't able to save Ran from a blindness potion. But are able to chase Raq away. Ran suffers due to the potion, and everyone is distressed.
-3 days pass until they manage to collect themselves up enough to move, after Ranbob said that he believes the town of Kelalen is nearby, he believes traveling there is worth the risk.
-It takes a week to travel to Kelalen and at first they get turned away, before Lucia recognizes some features of Ranbob and feels bad turning them away when Ran is blind. So they get brought in and Ran gets cured. 
-They stay in Kelalen for 4 weeks (minimum, may be more later on, im actually thinking along the lines of months) where they learn more about everything and Foolish who is particularly interesting. And after a while and long conversations they say goodbye and continue on to their next biome, a snow biome.
-While in the snow biome they meet a particular old enderman who used to live with members of the SMP. He reveals his name as Edward and upon meeting Ran and Ranbob he makes the connection with them to Ranboo. And starts to happily tell stories and teach lessons. But when Ran leaves to go to bed, Edward reveals that Ran does love Ranbob, but is struggling with his own nightmares that make it hard for him to show it to Ranbob. Who hesitates believing him, but eventually does. From here on Ranbob looks at and thinks of Ran in a different view. 
-After the snow biome theres no real destination next on their list, so they decide to just explore. 
-3 months past before something interesting happens. Whenever they come across a village Jackie has formed a habit of asking them about Foolish, as he took a interest in him. And he eventually gets a village that goes "Yes Foolish is that way." And he excitedly drags everyone else with him to meet Foolish. 
-They get to Foolish's home and start exploring. Jackie is alone when Foolish confronts him and Jackie brings him to the others. Foolish isn't exactly nice at first but warms up upon seeing the brothers again, as he's reminded of Ranboo. Hes informed about Dream and he is horrified to learn that and offers his help, they decline beliving themselves already free of Dream. Just before the group leaves Foolish gives them access to his armoury, saying how he feels like they'll need it. Before Ran can leave Foolish gives him a special totem of undying, saying he truly means he'll help, and that he feels they may face Dream again. Foolish tells Ran to break it when they need help and he'll be summoned to them. Ran leaves disturbed.
-2 years have passed with the group and brothers getting closer, along with occasional attacks from Raq and other hunters. They head back to Subbin. Their goal of getting the brothers closer achieved. Their still not as close as they used to be, but their close enough they can joke around, be left in the same room together alone without someone being stabbed, and even hug. Though Ran still hasnt fully forgiven Ranbob yet, but he's trying his best. Their on their way back to Subbin when nightmares between the two start ramping up, and Ranbobs episodes where he tries to run back to Dream are also on the rise. Everyone is starting to suspect something is happening but isn't sure what and so try to move on. When next Raq attack he brings back up again, this time instead of focusing on Ran, they focus on Ranbob. When Raq is defeated and finally caught, they ask why, and Raq reveals that theres a person who put a high bounty on Ranbob. Raq dies from Ran and Cletus.
-Ranbob fears its Dream, the others comfort him saying Dream can't escape Mizu. Their wrong.
-They finally get to Subbin and things are normal for a while, until Porkius reveals that Ranbob probably shouldn't be alone for a while. When asked why he reveals that the bounty on Ranbob has been put back up in Subbin, although he's going as fast as he can to nullify it. Benjamin, Charles, and Watson go to the local bar where bounties are put. And sure enough there's one for Ranbob there.
-When they get back Ran reveals what Foolish told him about facing Dream. They realizie Dream somehow got out and is hunting Ranbob down. Ranbob is terrified but they manage to comfort him. And they come to the conclusion they need to fight Dream. They spend months preparing and training for it. 
-(This is the end bit and has yet to be fully figured out. So it'll be added in at a later time.)
Notes: During the whole time traveling, unless specified, Ran and Ranbob are far away from each other. Ran tending to be in the very front of the group with Ranbob in the very back. And whenever Ranbob got close to a gladiator Ran would growl at him to back off. 
If you have any questions feel free to ask! (And if I missed anything please tell me so I can add it)
And I wanna check, am I still ok to send these?- to like talk about my au or no?- I'm afraid I've overstayed my welcome honestly and if I did I dont want to annoy you and will stop! And if you still don't mind, is there anything you want me to change? In general?
This’ll be helpful for the future! Also, Charles has four dogs, that’s adorable. 
Of course you’re okay to send ‘em, I love reading these things! 
I will never be annoyed about getting to see someone’s cool ideas and see how they choose to build on them. That sort of thing is awesome, and I love seeing it, your AU most certainly a favorite in that like. Send as many as you’d like, and I’ll be all the happier for it.
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lupinblacktheone · 3 years ago
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What we want, have and need - chapter 5
Notes: This is the fifth chapter of the of the Lawrusso and Sam/Robby long fic that I'm posting on AO3 and on Tumblr. You can read the next chapters on AO3 or the previous chapters on Tumblr (prologue; chapter 1; chapter 2; chapter 3; chapter 4) I hope you enjoy this!
Rise and shine, LaRussos
There’s no one in the lab when Robby arrives. He uses the loneliness to improve his breathing techniques in the best environment available and gets so deep in meditation that he doesn’t hear as others come in.
“You have to convince my dad to subscribe the dojo on the tournament!”
Robby opens his eyes and turns his head, looking at Sam (she looks like the energizer bunny right now) as if she had just suggested him to ask Tory Nichols out.
“What for?”
“It’s the perfect situation for them to find out about our plan. They’ll feel both mad and proud.”
“Remind me to stay on your good side until my dying day”, Robby finishes his cappuccino. “Are you competing?”
With her brightest kind of smile, Sam shows a subscription form to the All-Valley tournament filled with all her basic information.
“This section requires a parental signature”, he points out. “How did you got your dad to sign it?”
“Let’s just say that I kind of ‘Veronica Sawyer-ed’ this thing”, she draws quotes in the air, laughing and puts the paper back in her bag. “If you want, I can work on your form as well.”
“Jesus Christ. You’re a little devil. Anyway, I’d like that. I just have to talk my sensei into letting us fight first.”
“I’m sure you’ll think of a reasonable excuse. You always do.”
Karate is for self-defense only, Daniel’s voice resonates clear on their ears. Well, if an opponent is ready to beat you up on a Karate tournament match, you should be able to defend yourself with Karate, right?
***
“Uh… Mr. L?”
“Yes, Robby?”
“Can you help me with something?”
“Sure. What’s it?”
“There’s this girl at school. We’ve been friends for a while now and I’d like to ask her out. I just don’t know how.”
“It’s quite simple. Just suggest you go somewhere you both like and then, when the time comes, you lean over and kiss her.”
“That’s really simple, but I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m pretty dumb.”
“Don’t sell yourself so short, kid. You aren’t dumb, you’re dense. If you remember the breathing techniques, you’ll be fine. And since you’re friends, she might take it easy on you and show some mercy.”
Believe me, showing mercy isn’t something that she’s being trained to do. Sam is an ironic and sometimes bitter person ever since she was born, although her father seems to be unaware of this fact.
“Sensei?”, Demetri appears out of nowhere with a clearly-more-important-than-Robby’s-matter question to ask Daniel. “About the tournament…”
“How many times do we have to talk about this, Demetri? The Karate I teach you is for self-defense only. Not to show off.”
Demetri’s head goes low.
“I’m getting worried about Demetri. This isn’t like him”, Daniel comments when he leaves. “Is there something happening at school?”
You know, just high schoolers being high schoolers and ruining each other’s lives for no reason.
“Maybe he thinks that if he fights in front of everyone, in a safe situation, people will stop picking on him.”
“Is that so?”
The sensei stops for a moment, all of his high school memories come to his mind at the same time. Johnny Lawrence and his friends wouldn’t stop harassing him if Mr. Miyagi hadn’t stepped it in and got Kreese to control his students.
“Do you know who’s picking on him?”
Robby’s brain formulates a complete list of who has even hit Demetri in West Valley. He nods and waits while Daniel keeps thinking.
“These kids know Karate?”, another nod. “Who teaches them?”
A quite gasp tangles in the boy’s throat. The only Cobra Kai who picks on Demetri every time he can is Hawk – whose loyalty to his dojo has been debatable lately. Despite that, Tory and Kyler are beating up every kid they can, of every dojo, indiscriminately. He would be doing the school a favor. And also, it’s not his fault that school gossip spreads quickly as hell.
“I think their sensei is John Kreese.”
“Are you serious?”
Johnny Lawrence screaming “an enemy deserves no mercy” to Bobby Brown’s face. Johnny Lawrence receiving orders to break Daniel’s leg. Johnny Lawrence being choked by his sensei.
Johnny Lawrence.
“Alright. I guess a tournament wouldn’t hurt, right?”
“You mean we’ll fight?”, an excited Demetri reappears out of nowhere.
“Only if you want to”, Daniel makes a sign so the class gathers around him. “I’ll get you the forms. You must have a parental authorization in order to participate. You got that?”
“Yes, sensei!”, the students answer together and Daniel opens a proud, wide smile.
“Good. Now, let’s get to work.”
Robby and Demetri are assigned to paint the pool house. Robby prefers to breathe in and out slowly and quietly while training, but Demetri has other ideas.
“How did you do it?”
“What?”, Robby’s eyes get off the wall.
“You got him to change his mind.”
“Oh, that. I just told him that Kyler’s gang keeps beating kids up at school, even though they know said kids are able to defend themselves and I suggested that you’d like to show off a little.”
“Very clever of you”, Robby winks, jokingly, going back to his breathing exercise.
Demetri watches the other boy moving with his eyes shut, controlling his breath and also painting perfectly. He tries to imitate it. Eight seconds pass by and then, his brush bumps into Robby’s sweater sleeve.
“I-I am so sorry”, he mumbles, reaching to clean up the spot.
“It’s ok”, Robby wants to sound calm, already thinking how to master new cleaning methods.
“If you want, I can have it washed.”
“No, it’s fine. I’d rather help you with the techniques. If you don’t get them right, you won’t win a single point in the tournament”, he takes his sweater off. “Close your eyes.”
Demetri reluctantly obeys. He glances at Robby’s muscles, turned and golden. A sketch of his pose, obtained right before the eyelids meet, is drawn on the dark room Demetri is seeing now.
Big, warm and gentle hands hold his shoulders. A deep and pleasant voice comes to his ears.
“Take a deep breath in. Hold it and count to four. Let the air out through your mouth. Repeat”, Demetri does all the steps as he’s told.
His hands clench at the side of his body. The warm palms go down to Demetri’s fingers. The voice reminds him to keep calm – now he finds more difficult to do it than when he was shaking and painting random sleeves.
“If you don’t relax and focus, you won’t be able to get the paint-the-wall move right and believe me, it’s very useful.”
Robby suggests that he pictures a happy place with someone he likes. Demetri puts an effort into the task. His childhood bedroom, with those yellow stars who glow in the dark glued on the ceiling, white clouds on the walls – as in Toy Story! – and lots of toys and coloring books around to entertain the child who lives there. His parents coming in to give him kisses and hugs.
He pictures himself as the happy kid he once was.
His father has the round brown eyes and the ears that Demetri’s little baby cells decided that he would inherit. From his mother, Demetri got the complexion and long shape. Remembering how certain it felt when they were together warms his chest.
“Good job!”
He can’t help opening his eyes when the voice comes to his ears. Robby isn’t around anymore and his wall is perfectly painted. Mr. LaRusso is standing by the door and he looks satisfied.
“You nailed the move, Demetri. Congratulations.”
“Huh… where’s Robby?”
“He left twenty minutes ago.”
“And you have been standing there for…”
“Twenty-one minutes. Robby got so proud of what you were doing that he called me to take a look at it. And I must say… he was right.”
“Thanks, sensei.”
“Now, please, go home. I have lots of things to do.”
The boy fakes a smile as the grabs his backpack and runs to the front door. Once he is alone in the dojo, Daniel takes a breath and does some kata before going out and meeting Sam in the kitchen.
“How was class today?”, she cracks open a bottle of sparkling water.
Daniel takes a bottle for himself and takes a big gulp.
“Amazing.”
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