#i want it to be obvious that bikes are one of his interests/hobbies

[hood-ex]

Dick: "I'm not going to pretend to be the best motorcyclist in this race."

Also Dick: wins against aliens, androids, and gods in the greatest and deadliest motorcycle race in the cosmos.

[vampiretendencies]

I can’t stop thinking about a blurb of JJ working on his bike and reader wants to spend more quality time with him so she joins in and tries to help but she’s not very good? So JJ is very patient and slightly teasing but shows her how he does everything and it’s just cute and fluffy? Love everything you write sooooo much!!!

warnings; fluff

pairing; jj maybank x fem!reader

authors note; now that you’ve sent this i can’t stop thinking about it either. i adore this request, hope u enjoy <3

The hammock is thick, knitted, and not close enough to JJ.

He’d insisted that you sit and look pretty in the shade, like the ‘otherworldly goddess’ you are. You were in his vicinity and that at least will have to suffice for the time being whilst he wrestles with whatever mishap has apprehended his dirt bike now.

Just observing him do so, was a pleasing sight— as he’s shirtless, his tanned skin begging to be touched. Abs adjusting to every bend and pull he makes to acquire the right angle whilst his chest flexes in unison. Shark tooth necklace dangling about in any which way. God. He shined with a gleam of sweat from the rays beaming wistfully on him. With a bandana hanging slack out of the many pockets on his cargo shorts. You really desired to drag you finger across each and every crevice that made up JJ’s built frame in front of you. That’s not even to count the way he chugs a beer down every thirty minutes or so— tilting his head back the slightest, making the locks of his hair follow, his Addams apple bobbed up and down with every gulp. If he missed his mouth you were lucky to see dribbles of it seep from the corners, and he’d just wipe it away with his wrist, like second nature, only to chuck the crushed can somewhere in the patchy yard.

With that being the view, one could merely imagine why you are so helplessly antsy in this damn hammock.

He’s tightening the bolt on his bike stand to readjust as he thought it was loose. Your jaw should’ve been on the floor with the way the veins in his arm bulged with every twist, instead you settled with salivating.

You getting up to muster a helping hand was the farthest thing from JJ’s mind.

But you do.

Because, if not physical interaction there’s quality time— and there’s never too much of that.

“J, do you need any help?”

“Yeah baby, you can go get me another beer out of the cooler-“

“No I mean like help, help.”

JJ thought he was in another dimension, that he was seeing double, or that the earth was about to swallow you whole. Help? His forehead is forming wrinkles at such a foreign gesture leaving your mouth, orbs glaring up at you standing over him in obvious perplexity.

“You wanna help me?”

JJ scoffs almost in disbelief, but there’s a partial laugh stuck in his throat. You offer him a tight lipped grin, as if to say you were being all the way serious. Sat on a flat makeshift old cardboard box so his khaki cargo shorts wouldn’t get covered in dirt and debris than they already were, he pats the open space encouraging for you to sit next to him.

There’s a wrench in his hand, the movements of his elongated fingers to the sliver wrench is writhing around the bolt in an effort to make the bike stand compact. With the bike lying on its side, it was of uncomplicated access for JJ to keep it intact. You lie your head mindlessly on his shoulder, perspiring but nevertheless still encapsulating a form of solace. Your hand gently smoothed over the coating of skin about his spine, persisting to delve into whatever it was JJ was saying.

“See this wrench right here?” He spoke, directing you with such ease, he feels the heat of your cheek rub against his shoulder, nodding your head yes. “Turn it, and then keep turning it until it’s tight enough okay?”

He drops the wrench into your palm, locking his fingers with yours for a split second only to slink an arm lazily around your shoulders. Part of him was elated at your sudden interest in one of his hobbies, the other part of him is wallowing in suspicion but, he won’t complain because it’s a little more time with you.

And he could always use a little more time with you.

Even a night apart is far too much to handle.

The cool metal is surrounded by your calloused digits, and JJ is already interjecting.

“Nah baby, that’s the wrong way, turn it towards me,” He chuckles slightly, mainly due to the fact that he just gave you exact directions not even a moment ago. It’s not frustrating though, no, it’s really amusement— plus, there’s a tiny frown plying to your features which he finds captivating.

Something that was miniscule to JJ, when you can’t even spin the wrench a notch to the left, almost like it was stuck. “Fuck! Why is it so hard to turn?!” You are muffled, gritting through your teeth, with a fully clenched jaw and it won’t budge. Though JJ, glides his finger tips up and down your arms, in reassurance that ‘it’ll happen’, even if it’s tomorrow at this rate.

“You’ll get it … just try again, pretty girl.”

He readjusts your grasp on the wrench, and you swat his hand away, trying to accomplish it on your own in this dire summer atmosphere.

“Don’t think you make a very good helper, baby.”

You shoot him a glare, knowing it’s fully said pit of love. He presses a wet kiss to your cheek, to compensate for his loving insult. It stains your the skin, as it’s sloppy and full of affection. Despite it, you elbow him with a nudge to his stomach and he’s winded, punishing him for pestering sweet nothings in your ear.

It took that last push for it to turn, and JJ is biting back his bottom lip in eagerness— the bolt anticipating it’s release. With a slight grunt, it’s turning, it’s turning, and it’s tight.

“Think I did it, J!”

“Tha’s my girl, did so good!”

[elaho]

Stardew Valley MBTI x Enneagram: Sebastian

Following my previous posts about the Stardew marriage candidates and their MBTI types, I've been learning more about Enneagram, how it pairs with MBTI, and how it changes some of the typical characteristics of each type.

The Enneagram and MBTI complement each other wonderfully, providing greater depth and understanding of how a person interacts with the world [Cognitive Functions] and their motivations why [Core Desire/Core Fear].

Here are my thoughts on Sebastian's MBTI and Enneagram.

Sebastian - INTP 5w4: “The Iconoclast”

“INTP 5w4 are very sufficient people. They pride themselves on being competent and self-sufficient. They strive to achieve this by gathering as much knowledge as they can. Thus, INTP 5w4 tries to avoid relying too much on others for anything. They are on a constant quest to discover as much as they can from the world and their various projects.” – Personality Hunt

Sebastian’s Core Desire: To be self-sufficient and significant

The core desire of the INTP 5w4 is to be self-sufficient. They want to stand out and be recognized for what they know and can do. Gaining knowledge and expertise is one way they do this, but they also want to be seen as unique and one-of-a-kind.

While Sebastian's core desire might not be obvious at first glance, after he gets to know the farmer a bit more, he starts to open up and share more intimate details about himself, albeit subtly. Apart from his dialogue, his chilly demeanour towards the farmer [at first] and his reluctance to attend community festivals indicate his desire for independence and individuality.

"If I just disappeared would it really matter?"

“I've always felt like an underdog. But the challenge will just make me stronger.”

“Once I've saved up enough money, I'm going to head out on my own... to the city and beyond. Just me and my bike.”

“I often felt unappreciated back home... but here I feel like I really belong. Thanks for making me feel welcome, Farmer.”

Sebastian’s Core Fear: Becoming incompetent [and needing to rely on others]

The core fear of the INTP 5w4 is becoming incompetent. They want to maintain their independence and live life on their own terms. They dread having their autonomy or identity taken away by depending on other people or systems for their needs.

For the same reasons why he doesn't share his core desire outright, Sebastian has difficulty sharing his weaknesses for fear of being seen as incompetent. However, once he feels safe sharing, we see him slowly reveal his fear of becoming dependent.

“You know, if I'd gone to college I'd probably be making six figures right now... but I just don't want to be part of that corporate rat race, you know?”

"Why ruin the potluck? Hmm… I guess some people feel liberated when the rigid structures of society break down a little. Maybe I'm weird."

“I wonder what's for dinner tonight... *grumble*” “I should learn how to cook. That would be useful.”

“I don't want to get soft now that I'm a married guy. Maybe I should start eating more hot pepper and working out? Just an idea...”

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

How Enneagram 5w4 changes typical INTP behaviour:

New Strengths

1. Interest in Art or Music

Because of their 4 wing, INTP 5w4s might be interested in art or music. However, whether it's a major passion for them or just a side hobby will depend on the strength of their wing.

We certainly see Sebastian's interest in music with his synthesizer skills; however, we also see art among his other niche hobbies, such as reading fiction, creating interesting snowmen, and even carving daggers out of obsidian.

Examples:

"I built a snowgoon but Demetrius made me get rid of it.” “Hey, me too. There's nothing like a good fiction to push the boundaries of the imagination.” “The show went well. I was kind of nervous beforehand, but once we went up on stage I just kinda got into the zone.”

“Is that obsidian? This is exactly what I've been looking for... I'm gonna see if I can shape it into a dagger.”

2. More Sensitive

Depending on the strength of their wing, INTP 5w4s might also have a sensitive side. This doesn't just apply to emotions, but a sensitivity to the environment and the 'vibes' it gives off. Thanks to their 4 wing, INTP 5w4s will likely have a more developed inferior function [Extroverted Feeling - Fe]; however, they will almost always put logic first.

Examples:

"Don't make fun of me... but I've never really had a girlfriend before.”

“Hey... It's been a year since we started dating, remember? It's been the best year of my life...”

“Demetrius has been all wound up because of [Maru’s] wedding, it's been pretty tense around the house.”

“My mom's freaking out, but I'm actually kind of enjoying this…I'm gonna stay here to try and keep her calm, though.”

“I come here for the peace and quiet.”

“I like winter but I do feel bad for all the cold animals out there. I guess they're used to it, though... like me.”

3. More Inclined to Learn on Their Own

Both type 5s and INTPs are passionate about learning, making the combination of both types make INTP 5w4s even more likely to dive into things independently and make tremendous progress. In fact, many self-taught professionals who have made major strides in their careers have been INTP 5w4s.

This is because type 5 wants to be self-sufficient and type 4 wants to be independent, meaning most 5w4s prefer to learn and obtain new information independently and without needing external initiative.

Examples:

"What are you trying to say... I need to work out? Well, I'm more of a 'nimble' guy... Maybe I'll read the first half.”

“I did some work on the laptop today. I was actually brainstorming some ideas for a game I want to make. With your farming income, I can afford to do what I want with my life. It's pretty amazing. Thank you.”

"I do freelance work as a programmer."

“*yawn*... I was up until 3 reading this new book...”

4. Outward Show of Affection

INTPs aren't the most natural or comfortable at outwardly expressing affection. Expressing affection or emotion can be challenging and awkward for INTPs due to Extroverted Feeling [Fe] being the lowest in their function stack. However, because their Fe is slightly more developed due to their wing, INTP 5w4s will be slightly better at it.

Sometimes this can take the form of writing or poetry, but regardless of the method, the partners of INTP 5w4s will certainly receive more outward expressions of love and affection.

Examples:

"Hey, another rainy day... perfect. You look cold... here, come closer.”

“Hey. Look at me. Never forget that I love you... you're everything to me. Now go make us some money.”

“Hey... come here. You look great today.”

5. More Isolated

INTP 5w4s are very introverted, even more so than 5w6s. Because of this, they tend to self-isolate frequently and require much more time alone than typical introverts. Because their minds are running at top speed 24/7, they need extra time to spend on their hobbies or interests or simply be alone to decompress.

Without sufficient alone time, they can become stressed, overwhelmed, or worst-case scenario, suffer a mental breakdown. This doesn't mean they don't need or want relationships, however. It simply means their introversion typically requires them to spend more time alone than with others.

Examples:

"I'm glad the path to the railroad tracks is open again. I like going up there when I feel like being alone...Which is often.”

"Why don't you tell me about your day when we're in bed tonight? I'm kind of busy right now..."

“You don't ever have to worry about me. I like to spend a lot of time alone.”

“The older I get, the less I'm drawn to the city. It had a certain mystique to it, once. But it turns out that was just a romantic fantasy. The city's so busy, so full of people... I don't belong there. I'm a loner.”

“I couldn't sleep last night so I went for a night ride on the motorcycle. I need to stay independent, even though we're married. That's just how I am. I still love you, though.”

New Weaknesses

1. More Detached

If INTP 5w4s don't find the right balance of alone and social time, they can quickly spiral from needing alone time to discarding their relationships entirely. This will ultimately cause harm to both the INTP 5w4 and those who care about them, sometimes causing irreparable damage.

On the other hand, sometimes INTP 5w4s can get so caught up in hobbies or intellectual pursuits that they forget to take care of practical things - like eating or doing laundry. While typical INTPs often struggle to meet their practical needs, INTP 5w4s increased tendency to detach makes this even worse.

Examples:

"I don't really need friends. You're the only person I need in my life. Is that weird? I guess I'm not like most people."

"When I take walks I do my best to avoid everyone. I hate being pressured into small talk."

“If you need to go see your friends in town, go ahead. I like being alone, anyways.”

"Sorry, I didn't make any dinner. We might have a frozen pizza in the fridge or something. I dunno, my mind was elsewhere. It's hard to remember to do chores...”

2. Extremely Stubborn

"INTP 5w4s will be a lot more stubborn than typical INTPs. 5w4s brings with it some core values that they live by.

Thus, INTP 5w4 will hold on to those values and resist any attempt to sway them. While this makes them less likely to be people-pleasers, it can also hold them back in many ways.

It might also make them believe that their point of view is always the right one." - Personality Hunt

Examples:

"Ugh... Tomorrow is the worst festival of the year by a mile. Just wait and see how stupid I look during the flower dance.”

“Oh... tomorrow's the flower dance, isn't it? Do we have to go? I hate wearing that ridiculous tight jumpsuit. Why does Lewis make us do this?”

[At the Flower Dance] “Ugh...” [At the Flower Dance] “I didn't come here by choice.”

[At the Flower Dance, Married] “Maybe we can sit this one out, since we’re old married people now?”

[At the Flower Dance, Married] “You're the only reason I came all the way out here...”

3. More Subjective

INTPs are typically rational people, but because of their wing, INTP 5w4s will look at things more subjectively than usual. Depending on the strength of their 4 wing, they may hold on to certain sentiments or ideas even after they've been proven wrong.

Sebastian seems to hold negative sentiments about living in Pelican Town; however, after befriending the farmer, he starts to see things from a different perspective, allowing him to start changing his mind about living long-term in Stardew Valley.

Examples:

"Out of all the places you could live, you chose Pelican Town?”

“You probably prefer the small-town life, huh?”

"Well, I'm trying to save up so I can move out of here. Probably to the city or something.”

“The city used to draw me in... but now I'm finding myself happier at home in the valley.”

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

INTP 5w4s as Melancholics

"The melancholy temperament is often a perfect fit for the INTP 5w4 because of their similarities. Melancholics are often described as intense, smart, and a bit pessimistic. INTP 5w4s are intense people. This is down to their analytical tendencies. The presence of their wing also makes them emotionally intense. However, this is suppressed." –Personality Hunt

Examples:

"I was thinking... people are like stones skipping over the water. Eventually we're going to sink."

“I dunno where I'd be without you... probably in a ditch somewhere.”

“Why does everyone like Maru so much? Sure, she's smart and friendly, but don't they realize it's all just an attention-grabbing scam.”

“What's the point of going outside? I've already seen it all.”

“I was *this* close to moping in bed the entire day. Kinda wish I had, now.”

“Nothing surprises me anymore... nothing makes me laugh. Yeah, I know... I'm being a little dramatic.”

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

Conclusion

Sebastian is an interesting character to analyze. His loner attitude and self-isolating tendencies were challenging for me to decipher. Was he just being this way to be 'edgy', to 'stand apart' from the crowd, or was his behaviour part of his core personality? After looking through the game events and all his pre- and post-marriage dialogue, I believe both sentiments are true.

Sebastian's Enneagram type 5 desire for self-sufficiency, his wing 4 desire for individuality, and his MBTI cognitive strengths as an INTP, all explain why he acts the way he does - at least, in part. His transformation in-game isn't as dramatic as someone like Shane; however, we see him open up more and start finding his place in the world - away from that dark, windowless basement and toxic birth family.

With support from the farmer, he becomes a more positive, more devoted and affectionate partner, who, paradoxically, starts asserting true independence [such as quitting smoking] without abandoning the connections that matter to him most.

Do you agree that Sebastian is an INTP 5w4? If not, what type do you think he is? Let me know your thoughts in the comments :)

--------------------------------------------------------------------- References:

Personality Hunt: INTP 5w4 - The Complete Guide

[tgmsunmontue]

It's all academic darlin' PART 5/10

12k+ Hangster AU. Updating 2-3 parts per week and will be finished by 31st January 2024. (Each part is ~1500 words).

Bradley is a professor but living his best life with IceMav parents. Jake is a pilot. Maverick sort-of tries (and fails) to play matchmaker, so he tries again. Touch of epistolary and sprinkling of one-sided unknown/mistaken-identity.

For the emails in this part (because bold (Bradley Bradshaw) and italics (Jake Seresin) aren't super obvious) the beginning and ending of emails are also marked with this: <>

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4

                The semester kicks off eight days later and Bradley is covering one of the freshman engineering courses for a colleague who has gone on sabbatical. Freshmen aren’t his favorite cohort of students, he prefers the more seasoned ones, the ones who have the end of their qualification in their sights rather than just starting out. Know how much blood, sweat and tears they’re going to have to put in to get the most out. His life falls into the usual rhythm of teaching-research-administration, with far too much administration for his liking, although he’s sure to stay on the good side of the engineering school administrators, who help make his life so much smoother in all respects.

                He has a fairly fixed routine, knows it’s entrenched in his upbringing, like the need for all his plates and mugs to match. He has quiz night with his colleagues and some postgraduate students every week, and they never allow him to duck out unless he’s sick. He goes rock climbing at least twice a week, sometimes three times. Runs three or four mornings a week. Plays music to unwind and because it forces himself to switch off other trains of thought; has a jam session with others every month. Goes hiking every other week. Mav has started joining him at either rock climbing or for the hike. He’s started joining Mav at the hangar occasionally, either working on a bike or some other piece of junk (and no Mav, my Bronco is not junk!)

                He has a meal box delivered every week on a Sunday night just before he usually heads out to Sunday night dinner with Mav and Ice. It’s meals for five nights, meant for two people. He just takes leftovers for lunch the next day except on the nights one of his friends comes over. He’s had a couple of long-term relationships and he knows Mav worries, but Bradley really doesn’t see it. Bradley likes his life. It’s over-flowing with friends and family. His job is interesting and challenging in equal measure. He’s well-liked and respected in his field, students from around the world want him to supervise them to do their own doctoral study, which is a huge compliment. He’s never had to put a relationship before work before, and while maybe with hindsight and the maturity that comes with age he was maybe a little insensitive about a couple of things he can’t go back and change things. He has his priorities and the people in his life know what those are. His hobbies and friends are important to him. His work is very important to him.

                He doesn’t expect to hear from Jake, although realizes he’s a little disappointed that he hasn’t. After talking properly with Mav he wants to meet the guy Mav knows and not what he suspects was a heavily curated version, although he doesn’t think the version that Mav knows is really the real one either. He thinks about it occasionally, a little puzzle in the back of his mind that he cannot ask Mav about, because he for sure as fuck would jump on any sign of interest and shove him in Jake’s path (again!) and he’s fine with his dad not being involved the next time he goes on a date.

                It’s a few months later when he opens his emails and spies the name Jake Seresin and it throws him a little, unexpected.

&lt;>Dear Professor Bradshaw,

I recently read your article about the mechanical and tribological behavior of particle reinforced matrix composites, particularly those used in aircraft structures for the less weight to strength ratio, low wear rate and high creeping behavior. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind answering some questions around the physical and mechanical properties, specifically the pros and cons between silicon versus titanium composites and the potential microstructure evaluation.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Lieutenant Jake Seresin<>

…             …             …

                Jake hadn’t known why Mav had given him the print-out of the journal article, he’d been too surprised at the time having someone waving him off as he deployed for seven months. A late deployment for reasons that were never explicitly explained but it’s what his orders were after he was physically recovered and undergone all assessments to ensure he was fit to fly. Some light reading material while you’re away… Mav had said, grinned, as he’d slapped the paper to Jake’s chest. Who even used paper these days? Trust Mav to print something out.

                It had taken him a couple of read-throughs to get to the end, the first time it had put him to sleep, but he’s sure it’s because he was so tired. Although Characteristics Study of Physical, Mechanical and Tribological Behaviour of SiC/TiB2 Dispersed Aluminium Matrix Composite isn’t his usual reading material. He had a couple of questions though, had seen the email address for the first author and just thought… why not? He had nothing to lose. Besides, Mav has recommended him to be a test pilot, and while he’s never had an interest before, if he does get into testing it would be good to understand more. Mav obviously thinks he should know more, or he wouldn’t have given him the article.

                So he shoots off the email, not wasting time with his actual questions incase the email goes to a dead-end and is never answered. He’s surprised he gets a reply within a day. Or what feels like a day on the ship, the rostered shifts making him lose time.

&lt;>Hey Jake, nice to hear from you. Glad you liked my article, surprised you even found it to be honest. Happy to answer your questions though. Do you want to do this via email, over the phone or in person? I always find in person a bit easier when I'm explaining complex problems. I've got some really good hands-on examples I can show you, happy to give you a private tour as well.

Let me know!

Kind regards,

Bradley B.<>

                Bradley. Another freaking Bradley. He wonders how popular that name is for him to have met another Bradley and now be emailing another one. Although he feels for this man, his parents naming him Bradley Bradshaw clearly wanted him to grow up and be able to take some hits. He reads the email a couple more times. It’s very familiar. Friendly. The temptation to shoot back an email brimming with innuendo is there, but he has no idea if he’s reading into something that isn’t there. He sits back and cracks his knuckles. This guy is a professor at SDU, there must be photos of him on the University website. Maybe that’ll help him determine how to reply.

                It doesn’t work though. He gets plenty of pictures, even some of Mav’s son which is fucking weird, but there are apparently more people called Bradley Bradshaw than he thought, although Bradley Shaw seems to be Google’s first fucking preference. He narrows it down by adding further criteria and finally ends up on the staff landing page listing the staff with little professional photos beside each one.

                Except for one Bradley Bradshaw.

                Instead it’s a picture of a fucking rooster of all things. The little cartoon one from Moana of all things, which he will deny knowing the name of with his last breath if he needs to. What kind of person doesn’t have a professional picture up? Okay, this one obviously. It makes Jake think he might be fairly young, or maybe really old? Fucked if he knows. He reads the little blurb and does some mental arithmetic and figures he must be around 40, maybe up to 45. He frowns, wondering how else he can find information about his personality and then he has an idea. He’s never used it, but he knows about Rate my Professor and he jumps into it, wondering what kind of information he can find. Maybe some idea about the guy.

Prof Bradshaw is a very good professor, he cares about student learning. While I found him to be a tough grader, he was engaging and thought-provoking. He constantly challenged us and didn’t take any BS.

Dr Bradshaw tends to give pop quizzes, so stay on top of the material. I liked his teaching style.

Would it kill him to dress properly? Demanding but fair. Somehow a hardass and a soft touch at the same time.

This was a difficult class, some classmates really struggled through it. Professor Bradshaw seemed to care about all students and went out of his way to help. His tests are hard, but he gives clear understanding of what he expects. The material can be really overwhelming and it’s hard to follow it, but I think if I’d had any other professor I would have failed.

Great sense of humor. Terrible taste in clothes. And facial hair.

He clearly enjoys teaching this subject and he wants his students to enjoy it just as much, which sucks when it’s a compulsory and you actually don’t want to be there. Respect for him though because he still helped me pass.

Demanding but fair. Show up to class, read the course materials and you’ll be fine.

Knows his shit.

Having a professor who is fluent in asl was a godsend. He went above and beyond to help me with my degree. He’s now one of my doctoral supervisors. Awesome educator and amazing person.

I know we’re not meant to comment on looks, but Prof B oozes confidence, and that’s attractive by itself. A++

               It’s that last comment that makes Jake grin slowly, think that this guy is maybe on the younger side.

&lt;>Hi Bradley,

Thanks for the prompt reply. I know I'm no expert, but I'd really appreciate your time. I'm not currently in the country, so we’ll just have to deal with emails for now. We can talk about that private tour and hands-on example when I'm back.

Kind regards,

Lieutenant Jake Seresin<>

                After he’s pressed send he feels a flush of unexpected embarrassment. That felt like too much. Unable to read the facial expressions, no idea if it was far too flirtatious, or just plain weird. He frantically looks for the recall button, knows he has about one minute to stop the message from going. He can’t remember where that particular setting is though and he stares at his screen. Okay. It’s fine. In his experience people who don't know they are being flirted with don't know. So hopefully there's no harm done. And if he gets a flirty reply? Well. He's okay with that too.

                He doesn’t have to wait very long.

PART SIX

[cardcaptor-lisia]

tagged by @deep-space-atomic-clock in this post, how fun! hi oz o/

Were you named after anyone?

for my first name noooope, my name being the same as lisia pokemon was an absolute coincidence, i was named after the lisianthus flower in reality!

my middle (bianca) i ended up picking myself bc i didn't have a proper one, so it is after the most important person in my life, though it's not completely her name exactly... i wanted a middle name and knew in my heart it would be after her in the end. if you know you know♡

When was the last time you cried?

i think two weeks ago when i was finishing up the cardcaptor sakura manga? a lot of parts in it really hit home to me in some ways, it's a special series to me for sure.

What sports do you/have you played?

when i was a kid i did a lot, probably because i was sickly so being active was important? soccer, baseball, flag football, basketball, some volleyball, and dance... wanted to play hockey badly but i was an undersized girl so i would have been eaten up i think. nowadays i don't really like doing much other than tennis, which i played for my high school for three years! (i also bike and roller skate but those are for transportation not sports)

Do you use sarcasm?

hmm, i'd like to hope i don't very often, but i make it really obvious when i am. i try to be more earnest than not though?

First thing you notice about people?

hmmm... probably what kind of clothes they're wearing? i'm into fashion and it's really neat to see people around wearing j-fashion, i instantly feel more comfortable around people who're brave like that.

Scary movies or happy endings?

happy endings!

Any talents?

hmm... i can speak japanese but i don't think that's a talent? i can cook and bake... i can play rhythm games at an okay level, too, i guess. i am also a magical girl but that doesn't count i think.

Where were you born?

i was born three months before my due date, though some would say in america, others would say in sootopolis city, it is up to you, reader, to decide which is true. o7

what are your hobbies?

similarly to oz i also really like tea!! it's fun to try different kinds, especially bc i grew up in a faith where tea wasn't allowed. i like flavored green tea the most? my big tip is that loose bags keep very well when placed in resealable bags in a fridge. i also have a crab shaped tea steeper it's one of the parts i like about tea

i also like studying the other languages of japan like okinawan and ainu! it's interesting to see how jp has influenced both of those...

i also like to cook and bake, too! i mostly try japanese recipes bc it's what i'm most knowledgeable about making. chahan is my fav ever..

Do you have any pets?

i do NOT sadly... i want a cat someday eventually though!

How tall are you?

despite the circumstances of my birth i'm 5'9... and forever underweight LOL. i've been told i have a 'short' vibe though... i don't like being tall but i know it is good for some reasons. maybe i'll shrink someday who knows

Favourite subject in school?

japanese! it's always been an easy A for me, so. aside from that i've always liked biology, science is a kind of magic too after all~

Dream job?

to be honest i'm really not sure! having a job where i'll be able to use my linguistic skills would be nice, but i dunno exactly. translating things is fun but it doesn't pay well... maybe being a tv presenter on NHK World showcasing different parts of japan...? i've always thought those shows were neat and i somewhat enjoy travelling, so.

ok gonna tag others because it seems that's what you do here, so sorry for the disturbance! please feel free to not do this i do not mind one way or the otherrrrr

@blxnc♡ @electrobiology @salon-maiden-anabel @torchickentacos @notwerewolf @zodiacoracle @runawaycarouselhorse hi!! apologies for the disturbance orz

[nora-xox]

Alright part 2 to my last post (Tr boys x cheerleader /Idol like reader) let me know if you want a part three and what characters.

This includes Ran, Rindou, and Wakasa.

I did my best lol Enjoy. Send more tokyo rev requests pls

Writing fluff two times in a row who am i😂😂 Also what the hell is up with the lack of Tokyo revenger Gifs

Proof read ~ Nope

Ran Haitani

· This man has showed up to your practice and just stopped it . He was sick of waiting since it had run over more then 40mins.

· Personal Shows are Required Ran will not drop it he wants to see what you were working on without all the others taking away the spot light from you.

· Will tease any chance he gets.

· Got costume choices coming best believe he's crashing that practice. He "persuaded" your teacher to go with his choice. He doesn't wanna see you in any crappy costume choices.

· Private fashion show for Ran of your new costume.

· Ran has brought Rindou to your shows both of them covered in clear signs of a fight.

· Ran loves when you cheer him on durning fights but he doesn't bring you to them on purpose. It more happens when you all are hanging out and then some idiots decide that fighting the Haitani's then and there is a brilliant idea.

· He will show off his strength and poor Rindou is dragged into showing off too because they are a team and he has to match Ran's energy.

· Your teammates thought he was scary but got over it since he became such a common occurrence in their lives that they are numb to Ran showing up in any state.

· He will be back stage once the shows over and is taking you away as fast as he can. For what you don't know but he does and you're along for the ride. He sat in those auditorium seats for to long.

· Drives you home after classes expects you to wait till he gets there. He is a Haitani after all his enemies would see you as a walking living weak spot for him so no late night walks home.

Rindou Haitani

· The calmer of the Haitani siblings.

· Rindou often asks if he can come watch your practice as a courtesy. he is gonna come anyway so might as well say yes.

· Ran teases both of you and treats you like another member of the Haitani family.

· Rindou has told Ran so much about you it freaked Ran in the beginning because Rindou wasn't acting normal.

· Rindou loves when you tell him about classes and wants to know the dates of any upcoming performance and will put them on his calendar.

· Ran know as well so that if they get into a fight on that day they don't toy with there enemies and instead get the fight over with.

· Just like Ran, Rindou has shown up to a show with obvious signs of a fight taking place before they got there.

· Rindou may miss a show but he will make it up to you.

· He loves that you cheer him on durning fights has brought you along because he wanted to spend more time with you and to show off.

· Rindou knows it's a risk but has given you means of defense like one of Ran's spare batons. Not like he or his brother would ever let the chance for you to use it arise.

· Dates will work around both of your schedules. You have a show tomorrow alright cuddles at his place he will drive you to the venue in the morning. He had a meeting bet late night drive after to get convince store snacks and talk at a park. (Ran may be third wheeling but oh well.)

Wakasa

· Best believe Wakasa doesn't act like he is all that interested in your hobby but he is.

· he wants to hear all about upcoming events. He may not make it to all of them but he will try.

· Benkei has heard so much about you he practically knows you.

· Wakasa meets you after practice and takes you on his bike for a small drive and then to your house (or his)

· Your teammates have gushed over how lucky you are to have such a hot s/o .

· Wakasa been to enough of your practices and shows that he has learned who's who from your retellings of your day and all the drama.

· He will be outside after the show by his bike to surprise you with flowers and praise for how amazing you did.

· if you ever do see Wakasa fight in front of you and cheer him on he will love it but he isn't one to go and instigate a fight or keep you near if one breaks out. He is more likely to tell you to run not wanting you to witness the violence he is about to commit.

· but if you do get the chance to cheer him on it will make him show off. Like he can't let his personal cheerleader down in on of the few instances that they see him fight.

· Benkei laughs so hard seeing the change in Waka's behavior since he's been around you more and now him showing off while fighting (👀 where did the wakasa he's used to go lmao )

· Wakasa has danced with you. He acted like he didn't like it but he did.

· He doesn't care what you both do as long as he get's to spend some time with you.

[holy-guacamoly]

Hi! Saw the headcannon thing and wanted to play! I’m okay with both nsfw and sfw.

My favorite character of all time is Levi 💕

Pronouns are she/they

Hobbies are reading, walking along the beach for beach glass, baking (or cooking in general), and riding my bike. (I love exercise, I’d go insane without it. I ride my bike 30 miles on my day off), I’m also learning Japanese in my spare time, also taking naps lol. Oh and I like tea!

Interests are anime (obviously), I like watching other people play videos games, I also love horror movies

My personality:

Quiet

Observant

Antisocial

Introverted

I tend to want to do things myself and not want help even though I’m tiny and struggle to reach or lift things

I’m a bit shy and awkward tbh

Thanks it! Thanks ahead of time lol 💕💕💕

Hi, lovely! Thanks for your request! <3 You ride your bike for 30 miles?! You are such a badass! Also, it's so cool that you are into horror movies! No scratch that, you seem like a cool person in general! ♥ Let's start with the obvious things. You and Levi love tea. That's enough to make this man develop a crush on you. No one ever appreciates the fine art of tea brewing as much as Levi. No one except you. Our captain doesn't even need to tell you how he likes his tea because you just know. It fills his stomach with butterflies. <3 ♥ Hear me out, Levi is actually terrified of horror movies. And he simply won't admit it. I mean this man has seen it all, so why would he be afraid of some fictional ghosts and ghouls? Right? He is constantly fidgeting in his seat, drawing nervous circles on your thigh as you watch some classics. I feel like he covers his ears because the audios make him so nervous. "You okay?" you whisper as you noticed Levi's slightly sweaty hand. "Why would I be, brat? This is just some stupid movie." A soft smile paints your lips as you watch your boyfriend's hectic eye movements. Without another word you get up and turn the TV off. "Hey, what the fuck. You wanted to watch that!" Levi exclaims, but his relief clearly shows. "I don't feel like watching it anymore. I've seen it a 100 times." Levi's gaze softens as he realizes what you are doing. You can see right through him and to his surprise, he doesn't mind one bit. ♥ Your first kiss was on the beach. I know it's cheesy but hear me out. Levi used to be the hook-up-kinda-guy and never developed feelings for anyone. But meeting you, hit this poor man like a truck and he desperately wanted to make things right. But how is this romance thing working? What do you show people that you are actually in love with them? Levi downloaded all kinds of social media to get inspired on how to confess his feelings. Your old man finally came across a TikTok Account (Yes he downloaded TikTok. He's that desperate) that talked about different date ideas. The deserted-beach-one seemed like the best option for your antisocial asses. lol "Is this okay?" Levi asks, nervously placing his hands on your waist. You nod, a slight blush painting your cheeks. "I just wanted this to be perfect. I know I am not exactly a romantic guy, but I heard people like this, so..." Your love is about to ramble about more nonsense but you shut him by crushing your lips onto his. "You talk to much, Ackerman." ♥ The both of you love to just enjoy each other's presence without much talking. It seems like you have a telepathic connection and a certain look is enough to hold a whole conversation. ♥ This stern fucker loves to hold your hands all the time! He always plays with your fingers and gently kisses your knuckles. When the two of you are cuddling Levi loves to bury his face in your hair. Something about your scent makes him all soft. ♥ Levi often lifts you up when you struggle to reach something on higher shelves. He isn't the biggest either but "teamwork makes the dream work" and as you balance on his shoulders, you seem like a normal-sized person lol. ♥ Levi defends you whenever you get shy or awkward. He instantly senses if something makes you uncomfortable and doesn't hesitate to take the lead. Afraid of making a doctor's appointment? Your man's gotcha. Uncomfortable with a big crowd? Levi shields you and pushes everyone away. NSFW ♥ Levi loves when you do Japanese dirty talk. There is just something about how it sounds that makes his spine tingly and his dick hard. ♥ Heichou isn't a man of big words but will get so emotional during sex. Drops a lot of L-Bombs and praises you to the max. Sometimes cries a little and needs a lot of aftercare. ♥ Definitely does this with your hands! He is very scared of losing you and holding you by your pulse, feeling your heartbeat makes him calm. "Promise me that you'll stay with me forever," he whispers, panting as he thrusts deeply into you. Your bodies are entangled in each other as you bathe in pure ecstasy. "Promise me that this will never end." As this plea falls off Levi's tongue he can't help but come undone, painting your walls white. ♥ Levi loves when you ride him, so he can scan every expression that washes over your face. Your pleasure is everything to him and he always makes you finish first.

In conclusion: You turned Captain Levi Ackerman into a softie. He finally has a reason to fight for.

[spicysoftsweet]

Chapter 2

Masterlist

To Kaksi’s dismay, Kumi truly meant it when she said she was staying away from Kazutora and his friends. It hadn’t completely been intentional - Kumi had started a cram school for two afternoons a week and joined a science afterschool club, two things that Kaksi had no interest in joining her in doing. On weekends, Kaksi spent time between Kazutora and Kumi, convincing the latter that things would be easier if they were all willing to play nice together as she hung around with the gang, but she was resistant.

Their friendship strained briefly, but remained stable.

Kumi did give in once, on a day Kaksi promised Kumi that Baji and Pah-chin would not be around for various reasons, to hang out with Kazutora, Mikey, Draken and Mitsuya.

At that time, she was shocked to learn Draken was in fact not Mikey’s older brother but about their age, that Mikey was as terrifying as he was tiny (but not terrible) and confirmed that Mitsuya was actually as kind (at least relative to the others) as he looked.

This time they were at an ice cream parlor, and Kumi found herself sitting by Mitsuya, engaged in conversation about his younger sisters over a vanilla sundae.

“I can come help cook sometimes if you want! I’m free Mondays and Thursdays,” she offered enthusiastically. Mitsuya offered a small smile at her suggestion.

She also found that Draken was much easier to talk to than she imagined, even if Mikey still made her somewhat uncomfortable with the way he looked at her impassively as if he was boring through her very soul every so often, still not saying anything. Kumi noticed that his gaze did linger quite a while on Kaksi, as she pouted at Kazutora who had contented himself with flicking ice cream at her face with his spoon.

It felt somewhere in between a forced integration of friends and advanced third wheeling, but at least this time she found pleasant company in Mitsuya.

She didn’t exactly keep her promise to him - instead of taking the time to cook with him, she brought over food her mother had made, and he taught her a little bit about his own hobby, fashion. He was designing uniforms and Kumi got to take a look at the black uniforms with yellow lettering, impressed by his skill and particularly the sparkle in his eye as he sewed.

She insisted on being there when the uniforms were introduced out of admiration, staying close to Mitsuya and not meeting eyes with either Baji or Pah-chin who, again, could just barely forgive Kaksi’s intrusion and absolutely did not accept Kumi’s. Thankfully, the unveiling of the uniforms did distract the two enough that Kumi and Kaksi eventually left without incident.

Months passed and Kumi, as Kaksi had desired, did end up developing some fondness for the gang’s antics, both witnessed in person or relayed to her by her friend (as long as she wasn’t told about any fights). Even Pah-chin seemed to tolerate her, as long as she made herself rare and quiet. Only Baji continued to scarcely acknowledge her, if not to glare or ask her if she didn’t have shit to do rather than hang around her friend’s friends and distract from gang business.

“Baji, we’re friends, leave her alone,” Mitsuya, tired of both the unnecessary antagonism and the fact that Kumi had gone from standing beside him to hiding behind him as they walked from the park to their respective homes.

Just the three of them were left at this point, and Baji scoffed in response, storming off ahead.

Kumi paused walking and Mitsuya gave her a cursory once-over before restarting his steps. He knew the direction to her house, having walked her back before and dusk was falling. She had the type of parents who were quick to be concerned, so he wasn’t sure why she was hesitating.

“I-is there something about me in particular he doesn’t like?” She finally spoke up.

Mitsuya wasn’t exactly sure either. The more plausible theory was the most illogical one - Baji had just decided he didn’t like her presence and was in no mood to budge on that perception. The second would be much more comprehensible in the grand scheme of things, but ridiculous when considering a person like him. He shrugged instead.

“Ignore him.”

Kumi frowned.

“Even Pah is nicer and I don’t even come around that often. Why is he so mad every time he sees me?”

Mitsuya considered her feelings but also the fact that his sisters were waiting for him.

“If you spend time worrying about what Baji is thinking, you’ll be wasting a lot of time, unfortunately,” he said, lightening the atmosphere with a laugh.

Kumi smiled in response to his laugh and resumed walking with him. The rest of the walk was quiet and on his way back, Mitsuya wondered briefly if Kumi’s obvious comfort with him above the others meant anything more than friendship.

He didn’t think so, and he also didn’t think he felt that way either, but it occurred to him that it might look that way. After all, despite the fact that Baji was the last one to leave the two of them, Baji’s house was very obviously in the opposite direction.

---

Seeing Kumi warm up to the boys was endearing. While they weren’t exactly all best friends, Kaksi was grateful to Mitsuya for welcoming her best friend so nicely. Especially knowing he was one of the few people that managed to somewhat keep Baji in line.

The girl didn’t have an easy integration back in herself when Kazutora’s friend circle started to grow due to her reserved nature. But having spent most of her time around Baji primarily because of his close ties to her childhood friend, she had no other choice than to learn to speak up for herself.

While she had suffered from his brutal way of speaking and wild behaviour, Kazutora had always been there to defend her, sometimes even starting to speak with his fists to her dismay. She quickly found out that the way these boys communicated their affection for each other was different from the way she would.

Still, it was never really a problem between the girl and her now boyfriend, and by extension, she managed to make herself a little place among the founding members of Toman. So she was happy to see that with some more time spent together along with Kumi, her best friend would soon be able to call all of them her friends.    

Nonetheless, it seemed like she would have to work a little harder to make sure the curly-haired girl felt a little more at ease around Baji.

Kaksi let herself get pushed gently by Kazutora sitting on one of the swings in the deserted playground where she had first met him. Baji kept them company, planning on spending some more time with his best friend after the girl would have left the two of them as dusk approached. Sometimes it really felt like she was actually the one third-wheeling but she didn’t mind at all.  

“What’s your problem with Kumi?” the girl asked, going straight to the point, brown eyes looking into Baji’s ones.

He rolled her eyes at her question as if the name of Kaksi’s friend was enough to put him in a bad mood. Kazutora meanwhile couldn’t help chuckling.

“She annoys me,” he answered matter-of-factly.

“Right.”

But Kaksi already had her explanation about the boy’s behaviour. So she laughed instead, exchanging knowing looks with Kazutora. Baji frowned, annoyed by not being able to understand the implications between their smiles and looks.      

“What?” he asked, voice already displaying his irritation.

Kazutora avoided his eyes, preferring to stay quiet for once.

“It’s okay to have a crush, Baji,” the girl teased with a smile.

Her boyfriend erupted in laughter at the sight of his best friend’s widening brown eyes.

“Shut the fuck up,” he barked at Kaksi. “As if I would like her!”

The baring of his fang-like canines and the reddening of his face didn’t exactly help his case.

“You certainly could if you tried to get to know her,” Kaksi insisted.

“I’m pretty sure Kumi doesn’t bite, Baji,” Kazutora encouraged, a teasing smile on his lips.

“I would rather die.”

Kaksi laughed, surprised that the boy didn’t try to push her off her seat. In all honesty, she was unsure about what was going on in Baji’s mind, he was unpredictable after all. But if her assumptions happened to be true then the boy would have to face those feelings eventually because Kumi wasn’t going anywhere and Kaksi was ready to tie them up together if it meant they would get along.

She had annoyed Baji enough for today, however, Kaksi decided, leaving the two boys by themselves. But not without giving a quick kiss on the cheek to Kazutora, making him blush and waving at Baji, making him stick out his tongue at her.

On the way home, alone with her thoughts as she walked down the sidewalks, the colors of the sky quickly changing, she was reminded of Mikey’s birthday approaching. She let out a little gasp, realizing she hadn’t bought him anything yet and she should write the date down as soon as she got home or she would be forgetting soon.

Kaksi wondered what type of surprise his friends were preparing for him. Kazutora hadn’t dared to tell her what he was thinking about, scared that she wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut and ruin the surprise. But the truth was that he didn’t want to deal with her disapproval and he figured only talking about it with his partner in crime would be his best option.  

He did however mention something about a bike and Kaksi was well aware of Mikey’s wish to drive a CB250T, something he had openly talked to her about in the few moments he felt especially talkative. Hopefully, his friends could find him a good secondhand one. That would be quite amazing.

---

The summer holidays just beginning, and without school or Kumi around, Kaksi had way more free time than she had originally anticipated. But confident about her upcoming tests results she figured she deserved a break. Like her best friend who would be off to America for most of the summer holidays, she wished she was able to travel too like she typically did this time of year. Alas, this summer she would be staying in Tokyo, which wasn’t half-bad.

In fact, it was quite pleasant now that her boyfriend and the gang kept her company, and when she wasn’t busy with her family and friends, she would dedicate her time to her latest hobby, bracelet making. It wasn’t something overly difficult to do and kept her well occupied, and plus, she enjoyed picking the prettiest shades of the many embroidery flosses she owned and trying new patterns whenever she could.

She was currently working on Mikey’s birthday gift, choosing four different shades of blue for his bracelet. Kaksi had gotten the idea finding a Taiyaki shaped charm while she had been out shopping with her mother, remembering Mikey’s fondness for those snacks. She was almost done, having prepared a small box she had decorated for him.

She was planning on filling it with other snacks the boy enjoyed, along with some pictures of himself with his friends that she had printed out. It wasn’t much but unsure about what else to offer, she thought it would be a simple but sweet gift for her friend.

Kaksi had known Mikey for quite a little while now, Kazutora having introduced them before the gang had even been formed. Yet she always felt some kind of distance between the two of them. While he had always been friendly to her, it felt like their relationship barely advanced as time passed. Regardless, polite smiles had turned into actual conversations over the years and the girl now felt close enough to him to get invested in his birthday preparations.

“Stop asking me what I’m going to gift Mikey!” the girl complained, over the phone, as she finalized her gift, her boyfriend on the other line.

“But I want to know!” Kazutora protested.

“Tell me what you’ll give him, then. It was only fair for Kaksi to ask after all.

“No,” her boyfriend replied, smiling at the other end of the line.

“Then I won’t tell you!”

The boy chuckled which had his girlfriend rolling her eyes, in annoyance.

“I can give you a hint though,” he said. “But you’ll have to give me one too.”

Kaksi stayed silent for a moment, thinking about her boyfriend’s proposition. She quickly came up with a simple hint that would be just enough to keep the mystery around her present.

“Alright,” she agreed. “Taiyaki.”

“Taiyaki?” the boy repeated, a little confused. “You are just going to gift him Taiyaki?”

“No, dumbass!”

He smiled, clearly picturing the look on Kaksi’s face by the irritation in her voice.

“But that’s my hint. Your turn now,” she urged him.

Kazutora stayed quiet, wanting to avoid giving away what he had planned while still giving enough information to make Kaksi envious.

“Whatever your gift is, mine is the best,” he said, proudly, a satisfied smile on his lips. “That’s my hint.”

The best? How could Kazutora be that sure? Judging by his behaviour each time Mikey’s birthday had been mentioned, he clearly had put a lot of thought into his gift and was convinced his friend was going to love it. That much Kaksi knew already.

“Unless it’s a CB250T, I doubt it,” she replied, confidently.

Kazutora’s eyes widened a little bit. He had said too much already. He stayed silent, a little too long, perhaps.

“Wait,” Kaksi spoke again, eyes widening and voice getting louder, in excitement. “You got Mikey a CB250T!”

“No,” he answered, honestly, well not yet. “And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you until his birthday.”

Kaksi sighed, a pout on her face.

“I can keep a secret, you know?”

Kazutora knew that, but he had to disagree, smoothly and unintentionally deviating the conversation to some regular bickering between the two of them. Little did Kaksi know, however, that she had in fact uncovered the mystery.

---

Kumi’s parents were on the stricter end of the spectrum, but the one thing she always appreciated from them was their willingness to indulge her very few wants.

She was blessed with exactly 1 hour to call her friend all the way in Tokyo, and did so at 8:30 pm, where she was almost tired out from a day of sightseeing and her friend would be just starting her morning. When Kaksi picked up after the second ring, she could hear the crunch of her friend’s favorite cereal and the local news her father constantly kept on 24/7 in the background.

It didn’t take long for the two girls to catch up on the few things she had missed.

“A bracelet?” Kumi asked in surprise once Kaksi told her about her new hobby and how she’d make a taiyaki-themed bracelet for Mikey’s birthday.

Kaksi nodded as though Kumi could see her while Kumi hummed, weighing the pros and cons as she was prone to do.

“Do you think he’ll wear it?”

The question seemed to annoy Kaksi. “Of course he will! It’s a gift!”

“I know, but Mikey seems to have that tough guy thing going on, even though he looks like a baby,” Kumi brought up. She considered her words for a moment once she heard Kaksi pause on the other line then backtracked. “Actually, I know he’ll definitely like it!” She said, laughing nervously. She then pivoted.

“I might try to get him a souvenir! Like a keychain or something, but it’ll be late… Is it weird for me to get him something? I’m not as close as you guys are, after all…” Kumi’s voice trailed off, noting something was wrong on the other end of the line.

Kaksi seemed to be holding her breath.

Kumi immediately worried that she had offended her.

“Kaksi?”

Kaksi let out a loud gasp and then a loud, strained cry.

“Kaksi!”

She could almost hear the sudden panic on the other end of the line, and confused, her heart started to pound. What was happening?

“I-I have to go, I’m sorry, bye Kumi,” Kaksi choked out in rapid, pressured speech, her voice breaking as she spoke.

“Wait, why?!”

Kumi heard the sudden dial tone betraying the loss of the line, redialed and redialed repeatedly to no avail.

[personuhh]

I want your input on how you guys think the P4 cast’s futures would shake out! I have a general idea of where I want things to go, but I think having input from everyone is important too. Any characters that I’ve left off (Kanji, the Dojimas, Yukiko, etc) already have pretty solid arcs planned, so don’t worry, I didn’t forget them.

There are a bunch of numbered questions to make it easier to respond to, I’d be happy even if you guys took the time just answering one or two! Thanks for your interest, and hopefully you guys find this an interesting read at the very least lol.

(I’ve grouped all of the questions at the end in case you want to see them all together.)

General Info:

The game is planned to take place in 2015, so everything will take place 3 years after Arena/P4DAN/Golden Epilogue.

Because it’s centered around Inaba, it will only focus on characters still in the town (so Rise, Chie and Naoto will not be playing large roles in the game).

Yosuke:

I’ve mentioned already where I see Yosuke in 2015 (directionless, just finishing college but still working at Junes) but I’ve also been tossing around a few ideas for future careers that I think would work for him. I think him being a mechanic or just generally handy with fixing things would be a good avenue to explore, not just because of his interest in motorcycles, but also because I think it would compliment his arc nicely; for someone who’s so afraid of screwing everything up, I think it would be good for Yosuke to realize that he’s really good at fixing things. it’s not too out of nowhere (he’s a broke college student, I’m sure he’s had to fix a leaky faucet in his apartment or something, and he must have tuned up and fixed his bike after he crashed it), and could be a thing he realizes (with Yu’s help ofc) over the course of his route that he just... never thought of as a legitimate skill before.

I’ve also thought about him joining the Shadow Operatives (Mitsuru’s team of shadow fighting elites, comprised mostly of former SEES members), which is usually my go-to when thinking about what his potential career could be, but in a lot of ways it feels like somewhat of a copout. On top of it glazing over Yosuke’s critical lack of personal identity, it also feeds into the idea that he isn’t anything special without his persona, which doesn’t exactly do much for character growth. I think it’s the most obvious and canon-compliant choice, and one that he would both enjoy and be good at, I worry about what it would mean for his character. Of course, Mitsuru recognizes his skills and would likely take him on no problem, and while I love the idea of Yosuke joining them and living a life full of excitement and badassery, I don’t think he needs to do much soul-searching to arrive at this decision.

So...

#1: What jobs and/or hobbies do you see Yosuke doing that utilizes his skills (either preexisting or ones you believe he could easily develop)? Thoughts on what I’ve said regarding his potential career?

Yu:

Yu has been giving me some pretty big headaches when trying to plot this game. Obviously, as the protagonist, giving him something interesting to do that also ties into the plot is important; which is why I’m leaning so heavily toward him working for the Inaba PD. It would fit with why he chooses to return to Inaba permanently, and would be plausible within the time period, along with obvious connections (Dojima) that could secure him a position within the force. My concern is that the game then becomes either too serious, or too heavily based around Yu as opposed to the rest of the cast. I definitely don’t want it to turn into yet another Inaba mystery, and choosing another profession for Yu would likely keep things a lot more lighthearted (if Yu’s working as an elementary teacher for example, the biggest problems he’s going to face are like, the stubborn kid in his class that won’t stop shoving pencils up his nose, maybe an angry parent, nothing TOO serious that requires a complex solution) and leave more time to focus on whichever route you choose.

HOWEVER, this job also would allow for easy cameos from outside characters (Naoto, Chie, Akihiko and the other Shadow Operatives) all of whom work closely with, or directly for the police. I just worry about it taking over and pulling the focus away from other characters. I don’t want it to be Detective Simulator: Persona 4 Edition, which is why I’ve also been throwing around other alternatives for Yu’s career (the obvious ones being teacher/daycare, and veterinarian) but it needs to be a job easily securable within the 3 year timeframe and a reason for him to move back to Inaba. If he’s still enrolled in college with the promise of a job at the end of it, there would be no reason for him to move and have to commute.

#2: Would you prefer Yu’s job be something more in the background rather than one of the major driving forces of the plot?

#3: Would you prefer Yu’s role be more of a player insert protagonist?

#4: Arena-style internal narration (first person, hearing Yu’s thoughts), or stick to P4′s approach (second person, slightly more objective)?

#5: Any suggestions for what you think would suit Yu as a career?

Naoki:

I’m completely fine having Naoki’s job staying as him just working at (and eventually inheriting) Konishi Liquors, but I think there’s still plenty to explore for his character outside of that. Because his SL focuses on Naoki grieving and Yu leaning not to treat him any differently, it doesn’t account for the rest of Inaba and how they treat Naoki. Small town reputations stick, and even if he’s managed to move past Saki’s death to an extent, everyone still knows him as the other Konishi kid, and I think he would really struggle to deal with that reputation. Even if he’s learned to open up to Yu, Yosuke, and a few of his school friends by the end of his SL, I can see him becoming incredibly jaded and growing tired of Inaba because he can’t manage to escape the public’s pity. I’ve thought about him turning to dangerous, risk-taking behavior and escapism as a result of this, but it’s pretty hard to change an entire town’s opinion of you and your family, and I don’t see where it could go from here other than him essentially running away from it all and giving up.

#6: Any ideas for Naoki’s route or character in general?

#7: Would you be interested in dating him, or would you prefer it either be platonic, or for him to be kept as a supporting cast member?

#8: Are you okay with heavy topics like (underage) alcoholism, or do you believe it would be better to avoid a plot like this?

Daisuke & Kou:

I’m honestly hesitant to include these two in the game at all, as I find it a little hard to believe that they’d stay in Inaba for that long.

#9: Any ideas for potential jobs that would keep them in Inaba?

#10: Would you prefer each of them to have separate routes, or have them grouped together?

#11: Would you be interested in dating them together, separately, or for them to have their route(s) kept platonic and for them be in a relationship with each other?

#12: Any general ideas for their route(s)?

Dates:

Since I have no set time frame for the game, I’m open to including all kinds of seasonal dates, festivals, and events (like Valentines or New Years, for example) and I’ll decide on a time of year based on that.

Aside from shared events between all routes, though, I’d love suggestions for some cute character-specific dates (eg. Yu takes Yosuke to a concert, Kanji and Yu go shopping for yarn, something like that). Please go ahead and be as random and specific as you want, it doesn’t have to be a massive event.

#13: Any general date ideas?

#14: Any character-specific date ideas?

Full question list under the cut:

Question list:

#1: What jobs and/or hobbies do you see Yosuke doing that utilizes his skills (either preexisting or ones you believe he could easily develop)? Thoughts on what I’ve said regarding his potential career?

#2: Would you prefer Yu’s job be something more in the background rather than one of the major driving forces of the plot?

#3: Would you prefer Yu’s role be more of a player insert protagonist?

#4: Arena-style internal narration (first person, hearing Yu’s thoughts), or stick to P4′s approach (second person, slightly more objective)?

#5: Any suggestions for what you think would suit Yu as a career?

#6: Any ideas for Naoki’s route or character in general?

#7: Would you be interested in dating Naoki, or would you prefer it either stay platonic, or for him to be kept as a supporting cast member?

#8: Are you okay with heavy topics like (underage) alcoholism, or do you believe it would be better to avoid a plot like this?

#9: Any ideas for potential jobs that would keep Kou & Daisuke in Inaba?

#10: Would you prefer Kou & Daisuke to have separate routes, or have them grouped together?

#11: Would you be interested in dating Kou & Daisuke together, separately, or for them to have their route(s) kept platonic and for them be in a relationship with each other?

#12: Any general ideas for Kou & Daisuke’s route(s)?

#13: Any general date ideas?

#14: Any character-specific date ideas?

[ellana-ravenwood]

Batfam moments I think about a lot and wish we'd have more stories of...

1. Bruce Wayne learning how to "dad" and making SO MANY MISTAKES. But we see him evolve over the years, and slowly getting used to it. He will always have communication problems, and have moments when he's a total jerk. Let's not forget he's only human, and we all have bad moments. Buuuuut, he’s the kind of father to go make a detour to buy his kids their favorite dinner (and yes, all of them, like before he comes home to Wayne Manor, I can see him go to différent take aways and bring back their favorite food haha). 

Or like, remembering exactly what they’re into lately and looking stuffs up on the internet to get up to date. I bet sometimes they’d talk about a band or video games and Bruce would be like : “Oh yes, I particularly like the battle mode of this blahblahblah” and they’d all be stunned haha.  I think he has a special way of loving. It’s not always obvious, out there right in your face, but it’s most definitely there. 

His children are his strength (as shown in many stories... In more stories in fact, that the ones that exists where he's a total dick to them). And he cares for them in his own way, which can sometimes appear cold and such, while it's just that he doesn't always know how to react. Like. We have to remember his background, it's not really surprising he has communication problems and such things. But he cares... So much. 

He's thé kind of dad that goes out of his way to please his kids, even if said kids don't even notice the small things he does for them because ya know, hé just does it and they're used to it and it's only as they grow up they truly realize how out of his way he went for them etc etc. À discreet , pure and différent way of loving. He knows them, hé truly does. “You don’t even know me !” one of them would say after a fight, out of anger, and he would answer : “I do.” confidently, and they’d be like : “PROVE IT THEN !” and Bruce would enumerates everything he can think of about them. Favorite color, favorite meal, favorite book, favorite tv show, hobbies, crushes, fears etc etc...Anyway. Yes. 

I just want scenes of him slowly learning how to be a father, and not being the best about it all the time, yet trying his best and it’s obvious he does. We forget sometimes what he went through, and what it truly means for him to adopt and take care of those kids. We forget often that he became Batman, mainly because he does not want any other kid to experience what he went through. Bruce as à father is far from perfect, and hé makes shit tons of mistakes, but he tries, and hé loves them deeply. I think that's why I really hate canon lately, they turned him into à mindless brute who genuinely abusés his kids. It's so, so, so bad, and goes against decades of stories. It's written by people that think "edgy" is à personality trait and what people nowadays love (which is totally false). I'm pretty sûre that for all the canon examples of him being à jerk to the Batkids, I can pull out about ten times more examples of him being à good dad. Again. He's flawed because he's human, and he's difficult to understand at times... But no one will ever make me believe he doesn't love his children with all his heart.

2. Young Jason being super surprised that Bruce is actually a very good cook because he always pictured filthy rich people never doing anything themselves...and Bruce being like : “You know, I was mostly raised by Alfred. Of course he would teach me basic house skills.” while flipping expertly the food in the pan. Alfred one day telling the kids something like : “Everyone always think Master Wayne is a bubbly idiot who cannot work his way around a house, but this is very wrong. He has been changing his own sheets ever since he was 7, and his parents already made sure that he would know what house work is, so he could treat the servants right by seeing how difficult it can be. When his parents died, I took care of him, and there was a long moment he would follow me around everywhere, maybe in fear that I would go, too...During those moments, I taught him a lot.” And then just Bruce showing à few things to his own kids, as à parallèlism to how him and Alfred were (and still are) ❤️.

3. A direct follow up of the one above, Bruce teaching his kids all kind of stuffs. How to play piano, how to fall without hurting yourself, how to cook, how to fight, how to ride a bike for those who didn’t know etc etc...A perfect mix of totally normal domestic stuffs, and of night vigilante stuffs. I bet he’d make up “escape games” for his kids on boring Sunday afternoons, because it’d develop a lot of their skills needed to be Robins (or whoever) AND is fun. I think the reverse totally works too, the kids teaching him things. Like, how to play that video game, how to use slang without sounding like an old man, how to paint his nails, blahblahblah. Just moments together, because they spend so much time with each others like, come on. They have hobbies too. And care about each others enough to want to know about it, and share stuffs etc etc. Growing together, ya know ?

4. More crossover moments with the entire family, not just one or two character : John Constantine being there to ask help for a thing (or not asking help but Bruce wouldn’t let anyone “tamper” with Gotham without him being there so...haha). Zatanna coming around to teach the kids some magic (just like her dad did with Bruce...not “real” magic but like, escape magic and all), or something. Green Arrow making à courtesy visit with his wife, son, and sidekicks. The Superfam and their strong bonds with the Batfam being shown more, and not always in that “rival” way. And like, all of them, not just one or two characters at a time. Sunday lunches at the Kent farm, gaming nights (to which Bruce is dragged to), friendly compétitions, blahblahblah.

5. “Baby” Dick having nightmares in the middle of the night of his parents’ death, and Bruce always being there. How Bruce understands and is always around for him. And reassures him. And on that note : I’m sure most of the kids have nightmares during the night, and Bruce becomes better and better over the years at soothing them. Oh also, if Dick, after he goes and lives in Bludhaven comes to sleep at Wayne Manor for any reasons and has a nightmare, Bruce will just automatically go to him...awkward and cute scene ensues haha.

6. Cass’ first words to Bruce. A very emotional scenes because...it’s the first time she speaks. And it’s clumsy and she’s not sure of herself, and her voice trembles a little. But she’s talking. I’m not sure what her first words would truly be, but most definitely something that touches Bruce. That move him. That make him realize how much he loves that kid.

7. Bruce taking Jason to a baseball game (pre-death Jason) for his birthday because that’s what the kid wanted as à gift. And then later, them going to a game once again after their reconciliation. A very big parallel between the two scènes ya know, as Bruce reminisces. Both end up with Jason hugging Bruce because his favorite team won. In the first scene it’s little 8/9 years old Jay excited and is all cute. In the post-death scene, it’s a grown up Jason who had been angry at Bruce for so long and finally forgave him, and who hugs Bruce without even realizing he does it, because he’s just happy...And it ends on Bruce’s face smiling like, he finally got his boy back.

8. Tim and Damian bonding. I hate it when they're only represented as hating each others 24/7. They had à rough start, sure. But they grew à lot... I just wish we could see them more actually learning to be brothers, accepting each others etc etc. Now of course they'd bicker. Like any siblings. But I bet they'd have à lot of common intérests and such. That they'd like to tease each others, but would genuinely like hanging out and all. 

Also Tim is à very understanding sweet person, hé might be annoyed with Damian at first... But he would be amongst those who get it, ya know ? Who gives him time/à chance ? Like Bruce at first did everything wrong with Damian. He was harsh and violent and used intimidation (things Damian was too used to...) thinking he needed that to get Damian to lose his old ways (until he realized how wrong he was and apologzed and took à gentler way...ah that was good shit right there, Bruce acknowledging it all and trying to be better... Not like this current canon Bruce who's an asshole and never suffers any conséquences of it...). Well I think Tim would be more understanding and realize... Damian is just à kid. And Tim is à big brother now ? His older siblings were there for him, it's time for him to be there too. Know what I mean ? So yeah. I wish we'd have more of them actually being brothers and bonding.

 Same for Dick and Jason. I wish we had more of them together before Jason's death, and after too... They've been brothers for à long time, their relationship from start to Jay's death to him coming back... Is so interesting. Also, same goes for Cassandra and any of them.

9. Tim getting genuinely interested about Wayne Enterprise, and going to work with Bruce. Asking à million questions and mimicking à lot of B's mannerisms. Dick never showed much intérest in the company, and Jason could've been à great "heir " to it all had he not die and all... I don't think neither Damian nor Cass would care much. But Tim ? First canonically he is interested. But even so, he's just that "type" of kid ya know ? I bet he'd be very excited about the charity side of it all, and find novel ways to to make the world a better place. After all Tim is thé only one of the Robins to not have à tragic background (at least at first, after je was also hit with loss and pain... ) when he first became Robin, and who helped Batman and all completely selflessly. Because it was the right thing to do, and for no other tragic reasons.

10. Damian learning/enjoying really normal basic things gives me life ? Like the boy grew up in such à specific environment, there's so many things he must've missed...Disney movies marathon, vidéo games, just having fun without any other purpose than to have fun (no training), knowing what it is to feel safe and warm... You know. I wish we'd just see Damian understanding and learning things he was just never given, that are just... Nice. Of course being Batman's son means his life can never be completely normal (and I'm not sure he could fully adapt to à normal life... People always seem to forgét the deep traumas he went through during his childhood, which is why he was how Hé was at first...aaaah Damian came à long way), but you know, hé can still expérience so many new things, with his siblings and all ? With his father who tries really hard ? With Alfred ? Just. Seeing truly Damian have that character development without backtracking on it all the time (you know how in canon stories he's à total brat, then gets better, then back to à friendless brat who hates everyone and so on and s forth :/). Seeing him wanting to become better, and actually having à nice évolution.

_____________________

When I'm sad, I like to headcanon scènes about the Batfam, stuffs I wish we could see etc etc haha. Here's just à few I thought about today. I just.. Love them so much, love to share my love for them, and néed to escape current canon a lot haha. Anyway. Here we are.

PS : Sorry for any typo, I wrote this on my phone, and since I'm French, the autoccorect is changing almost every English words to French ones and I might've missed à few mistakes it made ( which drives me crazy haha. And is why I only put 10 "scènes" and not more... Ah, for another post ?).

[bijvoorbeeldja]

Prompt: though sander thinks jens is attractive and vice versa there’s absolutely no chemistry there. the date is a massive flop but it’s okay bc sander’s more interested in jens slightly shy but adorable friend. after a while sander and robbe get absorbed in their own world and jens straight up leaves, amused and endeared. sobbe end up talking all night and when they start dating soon after, jens won’t stop bragging about how they set them up. it’s his proudest friend accomplishment lol

Here you go, @sanderrobbex! Next chapter coming soon <3

Chapter 1

...... 

Right now, Sander is regretting even saying yes to this date. 

He’s drowning in awkward silence at the bar, rubbing the condensation off his glass, trying to think of something to say.

When one of his school friends offered to set him up with Jens, a guy he met at the skatepark, he’d said yes. His friend showed him a picture, and sure, Jens was hot. And his friend had even said Jens thought he was attractive, too. He’d agreed to meet Jens for drinks, hoping that there would be some magical chemistry that would help his mind off Britt. They’d broken up months ago, but she was still trying to be involved in his life. He was sick of it. 

But now, him and Jens were staring awkwardly at the wall, trying to force a conversation that just wasn’t happening. They’d covered the basics: school, hobbies, friends. But everything they’d tried to connect over had just fallen hopelessly flat. They had nothing in common. There wasn’t even the hint of a spark. What’s worse, the two had had a deeply uncomfortable moment when Jens had discovered they’d shared an ex….Britt. Sander took another sip of his drink, just trying to give his hands and mouth something to do. 

Jens was clearing his throat, trying to subtly glance at his phone, likely checking if enough time had passed to make a casual exit. Sander groaned internally. This was a complete disaster.

Then, Jens phone buzzed. He glanced at it, hesitating.

“You can take it,” Sander offered, desperate for anything but the agonizing silence between them. “Seriously.”

Jens nodded slightly, then answered. 

“Hey, man,” he said, trying to talk over the noise of the bar. “Yeah, I’m here. You headed this way?” 

Sander heard mumbled speak from the other end of Jen’s call, hoping the call would mean the night could end, and he could go home, fall asleep, and forget this night ever happened.

“Yeah, I mean, we’re still here, but….yeah, yeah, okay, I’ll wait for you. Okay, bye.”

“Sorry,” Jens said, glancing at Sander as he stowed his phone in his pocket. “That was my friend. He was out at a party and wanted to bike home together. He’s on his way here.”

“Oh,” Sander said, nodding. “No problem.”

“I mean, it seems like we’re about finished, anyway,” Jens said slowly, hesitantly. “...right?”

Sander smirked. “Yeah, we’re finished.”

At that moment, he heard a voice behind them.

“Jens!” A boy, a little younger than him was approaching the bar, smiling. He was small, a little on the short side, and had on a dark green sweater and a brown jacket, both of which were swallowing his frame. Sander smiled at this. 

The boy’s wavy brown hair was sticking out from under his beanie, which he took off when he got close. It left his hair sticking up in places, tousled in a way that made Sander’s stomach flip a little. Who was he?

“Hey, man,” he said, slapping Jens on the shoulder. “You good?”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Jens said, turning then to Sander.

“This is Sander,” he said, motioning. “My...date.” His voice stuck on the last word a little, clearly struggling slightly with the whole idea. He knew the feeling. This night hadn’t done anything for either of them. Shame.

But now, Robbe looked at Sander, meeting his gaze with warm brown eyes. Robbe’s cheeks looked flushed, and Sander couldn’t tell if it was from the warmth in the crowded bar or the fact that they’d been staring at each other without blinking for several seconds. Then, Jens elbowed him.

“Oh, right,” Robbe said, glancing down embarrassed. “I’m Robbe. IJzermans.”

He reached out to shake Sander’s hand. Biting back a smile, he took it, feeling the boy’s small, warm grip. “Sander.” 

Robbe nodded, smiling again. 

“You here to rescue him?” Sander asked, trying to focus on anything but how nice the boy’s hands had felt. 

“Hey!” Jens said, scoffing. “I’m not that big of a jerk.”

Sander laughed. “I’m just kidding. But we don’t have to pretend there will be a second date. I get it. I’m not your type. Nor you mine.”

Jens laughed, looking noticeably relaxed now that Sander had eased the previously-unbearable awkward tension. 

“Yeah,” Jens said now. “I’m not really into artists. Even good-looking ones. But this guy here…” he slapped Robbe on the back, eliciting a deep blush from the boy.

“Jens!” He whined, shoving his arm away and looking down. “Shut up, please.”

Jens held up his hands in mock submission. “Okay, okay.” He started to put on his jacket, standing up. “Should we take off, then?”

But before he could stop himself, Sander was speaking, a weird, unexplainable part of him not wanting to let the boy leave. The small, angelic one with smile lines and hair Sander desperately wanted to run his fingers through. So shy. So adorable. He couldn’t take his eyes off him. God, what was happening to him?

“So,” he said, clearing his throat and turning his attention to Robbe. “You’re into art then?”

The boy blushed again. “Not really,” he said, shoving Jens again. “He was just being stupid. I mean, I do like street art, but I don’t even know if that qualifies…”

“Oh, street art. So you’re a vandal then?” He smiled wickedly at Robbe, who looked at him wide-eyed before smiling back. 

Jens looked between them, eyebrows furrowed. But he didn’t say anything. He just stood there silently for a moment, watching the two interchange. 

“I’m not a vandal!” Robbe argued back. “Graffiti is cool and there’s some really awesome stuff around Antwerp—”

“Well, I guess you’ll have to show me sometime, then,” Sander said firmly, staring at Robbe. “I’m not sure I’m convinced.”

Robbe’s mouth opened, but he didn’t speak. 

“You want a beer?” Sander asked Robbe now, already flagging down the bartender. 

Robbe just stared at Sander, wide-eyed and mesmerized. Jens just shook his head, smiling at them. 

“Hey, Robbe?” he said, snapping Robbe’s attention back to him. “I’m gonna head out.” 

“Oh, right,” Robbe said, turning to leave with him. “Yeah, sorry, we should go.”

But Jens grabbed his shoulder. “You should stay. Have a drink. I’ll meet you at home, okay?”

“Are you sure?” Robbe asked quietly. 

“Of course, man,” Jens said, zipping up his coat now. “Have fun.” he gave Robbe an obvious wink and turned, sliding between tables to the exit. 

Suddenly nervous now, Robbe turned back to Sander, sitting down at the stool next to him. He slid out of his jacket and took a sip of the beer the bartender had slid in front of him, trying to fight the dryness coating his throat.

Sander angled his body toward Robbe, leaning in, his voice low. 

“So, I guess it’s just the two of us, then.”

…...

[challengerbmxmag]

Interview: Peter Sutherland

This piece originally appeared in Challenger BMX Magazine Volume 2, Issue 1 Spring 2018. Read the PDF of this issue here. Purchase the physical copy of this issue here.

Peter Sutherland is a skier, surfer, MTBer, and artist living in New York City/Colorado. His work often takes the form of photographs with elements of sculpture. It’s probably a cliche in the Instagram era to say that someone has a knack for the overlooked but Peter has a great way of looking at the world and the subcultures he inhabits. Whenever I see his work in person or pick up one of his books, I feel like it was made by one of my friends.

What’s your involvement with cycling/bikes?

Low level BMX as a small kid then I skated, but I was Mountain Biking heavy through high school and college. Lots of single speed freewheel for the last 20 years I’ve been in NYC. I love being self propelled, not using gas all the time. I love the way I feel on any sort of board or on a bicycle.

Skeletor from Peter’s 2001 documentary, Pedal, about NYC bike messengers. Available for purchase here.

Just from following your work I knew you were interested in cycling but never really saw much related to BMX. But then I think I saw photos you shot of Grady Corbitt at Posh and maybe a photo of Edwin DeLaRosa in NYC. How much do you follow BMX? And did you ever ride BMX?

I was excited about BMX when I was really young, we lived in Michigan on a dirt road. When we moved to a place with a paved road (Colorado) I started skating. But early issues of BMX Plus! and BMX Action magazines were super inspiring to me. I think the bails always seemed too gnarly for me on bikes and skate bails seemed more manageable.

I loved that video you made with your bro kinda centered around a MTB trip. A lot of people make work that is inspired or semi related to their other interests.I feel like you do a good job of not being really obvious with your references/inspiration.Can you elaborate a little on making work that is inspired by your other interests?

Thanks. Yeah I think there is something about moving to NYC when I was still young and seeing art work in museums and galleries and then going back into the world and collecting images with that sensibility. Most of my work has an autobiographical angle, so I’m showing you the things that I am really excited about. Maybe it translates. Also none of us are really that good at MTBing so it’s all about the atmospheric stuff.

Would you ever want to swap your life as a pro artist with mtber, skier/snowboarder hobbies and be a pro mtber, skier/snowboarder, with an art hobby?

I have friends that are pro or were pro. I think it’s awesome but it’s hard to grow older and hang on to it. I feel lucky with the direction my life has taken, so I guess I wouldn’t trade. It’s just as fun to do all of this stuff on a non competitive level. I always feel like I’m expressing my self on a board or riding a bike.

I’ve always thought that it would be really easy to compare the art world with the BMX world re: someone working professionally:

Gallery representation is to sponsorship as solo show is to video part, etc.

Have you ever thought about that connection? I’ve never been a pro bmxer or a pro artist so I could be completely wrong…

Yeah I think that is correct, there is something about representation, all it really is is someone else saying what you do is good. It’s good to have that stuff but even better to just keep doing what ever it is you like. Sometimes all the galleries and stuff cloud up what you are trying to do. I’ve been on both sides where my art is worth nothing and I’ve sold stuff for a lot of money. Both are interesting. It’s hard to hold on to the second one.

I’ve really enjoyed seeing your work mature and develop over the years. I love the sculptural elements and move from straight photography. What prompted that?

I still take photos and believe in the strength of images, but I also get bored with the limitations and the ways people tend to present photography. It’s always about framing it and photographers being so precious about images. But when it’s loosened up and you can add in sculpture and cut your photos in half and light them on fire it feels way more open.

Favorite skate, BMX, snowboard, subculture graphic of all-time?

I think its the Mike Vallely barn yard board. It was a board I had and an early double kick type of board. A lot of the time it’s not about the graphic but more about the time in your life when you see it. There’s good graphics everywhere now but they don’t sink in as deep as they did when I was 12 years old and trying to varial flip on flat.

[msf-diamond-dog]

I SAID ANSWER ALL THE MF QUESTIONS BEECH DONT MAKE ME COME OVER THERE

Okie dokii

1. What’s one animal you wish you could have as a pet but can’t?

jellyfish

2. Favorite thing to wear to sleep?

Usually just shorts and a tshirt

3. What song really gets you going?

Right now, Lights Out by 3Teeth

4. Where do you usually eat your meals?

In my bedroom

5. Favorite meal: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

I dont eat breakfast or lunch so

6. Most embarrassing habit?

Bein an asshole

7. Chocolate or fruity candy?

Fruity

8. Soft or hard tacos?

Depends on the taco, man.

9. Worst way to break up a fight?

/ryan stiles voice/ you guys wanna stop a fight

10. Best thing to say in an elevator of strangers?

I aint talk to people

11. What color/design are your bedsheets?

Just gray flannel

12. Any hidden talents?

I aint even got any obvious ones,

13. Favorite thing to drink out of (mug, glass, etc.)?

I love a good pint glass.

14. Socks or bare feet around the house?

Barefeet

15. Favorite board game?

Candyland bitches

16. Do you sleep with the fan on or off?

Always on

17. Heat on or keep it cold with lots of layers?

Cold with lots of layers.

18. Do you sing in the shower?

Always

19. Favorite song to belt out at the top of your lungs when you’re alone?

Grave by Hellyeah

20. Last thing you cried about?

Anxiety attack a couple weeks ago

21. At what age did you first have alcohol?

21, didnt have any before then

22. Relationship status?

Single but into someone

23. What’s the most amount of money you’ve spent on a single item of clothing?

I dont spend a ton on clothes but I think I payed like 60 dollars for a band shirt once

24. What do you typically wear to formal events?

Nicer clothes than usual?

25. Favorite memory?

Just bein a chill happy kid honestly,

26. Gum or breath mints?

Gum

27. Favorite shoes?

Mah boots.

28. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

This whole how I look situation.

29. What is the natural state of your hair?

I gots a shaved head

30. Have you ever had braces?

No, wish I did though, I hate my smile

31. Most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?

Overdose.

32. Most embarrassing thing your parents have caught you doing?

I dont know really. I think I embarrass my parents more than the other way around

33. Last time you had an orgasm?

A couple nights ago

34. Celebrity crush(es)?

Legit dont have any. I have no connection with any of them so

35. Windows or Mac?

Windows

36. How old were you when you learned to ride a bike?

Uhhh 7. Our neighbor taught me.

37. Makeup or natural?

Both. Both is good.

38. What color do you wear the most?

Black!

39. Favorite season?

Winter all the way

40. Umbrella or rain coat?

I live in the desert and it hasnt rained in like 6 months so neither. Whenever it rains I just stand outside.

41. Have you ever fallen out of a tree?

Prolly happened as a kid but I dont remember. We had a tree we all used to love climbing at the house I was a youngin at.

42. First car you ever owned?

Same car I have now, my 91 Nissian Pickup.

43. What time do you usually go to bed?

Anywhere from 12 to 2 am.

44. Are you a competitive person?

Not really no.

45. Least favorite color?

Yellow

46. First pet you’ve ever owned?

A fishy

47. Sweet or salty?

Why not both

48. Favorite pasta dish?

Anything with basil and olive oil 👌

49. Favorite kind of chips?

Nitro Takis are the shit

50. Talk about something you’re passionate about.

Music. Nuff said.

51. What are some of your hobbies?

Music, video games, gunpla, legos, anything that kinda creative really

52. Caffeine? If so, what kind?

Monsters

53. Favorite kind of pizza?

Extra pepperoni with anchovies 👌

54. Fast food or sit-down restaurant?

Fast food. I dont like eating around people

55. Lots of acquaintances or a handful of close friends?

Close friends.

56. Something that ruins your appetite?

Being in a bad mood

57. Favorite labels about you?

Eh

58. Are you a religious person?

Not anymore. I grew up that way but organized religion always pisses me off. Im much more spiritual

59. Night out with a bunch of friends in public or night in with one friend having deep conversations?

One friend

60. What size shoe do you wear?

11 1/2

61. Favorite thing about yourself?

The fact most people cant read my sarcasm

62. Have you ever told someone you loved them first?

I dont think anyone has ever told me first

63. Have you ever had sex on the first date?

Kinda sorta?

64. Heroes or villains?

Maximals all the way.

65. Favorite fruit?

Prolly mangos or strawberries

66. Least favorite fruit?

Unripe melon.

67. Favorite vegetable?

Potates

68. Least favorite vegetable?

I like all the ones ive had Im not picky but the lowest prolly be carrots?

69. How many plates can you eat at a buffet?

Usually 2 or 3

70. Favorite dessert?

Whiskey

71. Do you play any sports?

No, never been my thing

72. Age you learned how to swim?

7 or 8 I think.

73. Tell a funny story.

My boss keep salt lamps in every room of his house "just in case" of rfid waves (???) but refuses to wear a mask when he goes out cause "theres no proof it does anything".

74. What’s one interesting thing about your culture?

How much closer the brown side of my family is compared to the white side

75. What’s one annoying thing about your culture?

All the gossip, man.

76. What job would you be terrible at?

Math teacher.

77. Would you rather watch a TV show or a movie?

TV shows

78. What’s your favorite compliment to give?

Anything that makes someones day a little better!

79. What’s your favorite compliment to receive?

I do not like receiving compliments i always feel awkward

80. Has your opinion changed on something recently?

Not that I can think of off the top of my head

81. Do you always order the same thing at a restaurant or order something different each time?

Usually the same thing

82. What’s something you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t yet?

drug

83. If you could learn to do anything right now, what would it be?

Record

84. Favorite physical feature about yourself?

Ew

85. Least favorite physical feature about yourself?

The whole the things

86. What’s one amazing thing you did that nobody was around to see?

Survived 👈👈😎

87. If you could change your height, would you?

Maybe, I feel pretty short

88. What’s something you would rate 10/10?

Holding hands

89. Heels or flats?

Why not platform boots

90. What’s something you wish you had more knowledge about?

Music

91. Would you want to be famous?

No

92. What’s something you would get arrested for?

Prolly trespassing

93. What’s your spirit animal?

Water bears 🤔

94. What’s the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to you?

Won tickets and got to meet Jonathan Davis so that was pretty cool

95. Are you the type to have an organized mess, or no mess at all?

Organized mess

96. Do you tend to make decisions based on the past, present, or future?

All of the above if able

97. Are you a planner or a more spontaneous person?

Planner

98. Thoughts on the oxford comma?

Important

99. What do you hope never changes?

How close the sun is to the earth

100. How would you celebrate your 100th birthday?

I aint ever wanna be that old.

Thank you Audi!!

[syms-things-5]

Clear The Area - Chapter Six

Previous chapter HERE

Warning: Mild language

Summary: Sarah’s parents make a visit, and not everyone is happy with Sarah’s choices.

Note: Sorry this took a while to get out.

CHAPTER SIX

There’s a couple of things you should probably know about Jocelyn and Noah Bernette.

The first is that they are salt-of-the-Earth people. They are friendly to anyone, heavily involved in their community, and they make regular donations to a charity that provides home improvements to families so they can live comfortably with a disability. They once spent a summer volunteering with Habitat For Humanity and have fostered approximately 18 cats and dogs over the past seven and a half years. Jocelyn regularly bakes cakes for their neighbours and Noah is obsessed with his garden and tending to the Norwegian Purple Heather he paid a fortune to have shipped over from Bergen. Politically, they are liberal in practically every sense of the word and up to speed with the latest democratic events. Seriously, you would have to work extra hard to trip them up if you wanted to hold any kind of debate with them.

Sadly, the Bernettes could not have children biologically for one reason or another. Jocelyn in particular struggled with that knowledge. She figured at the age of 34, with most of her friends now mothers and fathers themselves, a child was the obvious piece missing from their puzzle. Professionally, they were both pretty much at the top of their respective trees and they had no mortgage to speak of so naturally the only thing left to accomplish was raising a child. So, thereafter, followed several years of testing, waiting, waiting some more, then more testing, but the doctors couldn’t fathom why it just didn’t want to happen for them. There didn’t appear to be anything medically wrong with either of them. It was nature, they said, as though that was supposed to be some kind of comfort. Eventually, when Jocelyn reached her 40th birthday, she and Noah decided it wasn’t meant to be and opted to try a different route, though it wasn’t much easier being told implicitly that they were now too old to adopt a baby.

Which leads to the other thing you should probably know about them: they don’t like to be reminded that Sarah is adopted. It suits them just fine to block out the first 12 years or so before they met. It’s not to say they completely disregard her past of that they want to forget they couldn’t have children, it was more that on some psychological level Sarah had long since given up trying to understand, they felt more like a real family if they could continue to believe that they had always been this way, that it was fate they would find each other and live happily ever after.

Jocelyn wanted to experience sleepless nights from a crying baby wanting to be fed but instead she learned to deal with sleepless nights waiting to see if their runaway child was going to come home before four in the morning. They would argue about boyfriends they didn’t trust or buying a car they didn’t think she would look after. Jocelyn would later attempt to make the move from mother to best friend as soon as Sarah moved away to college, always planning meet-ups or sending her cut-outs in the post about make-up thinking she would be interested in them and they could perhaps bond over shared hobbies. She could finally empathise with her friends and neighbours about whether their children were surviving their studies. All stereotypical parental concerns and she embraced each and every one of them.

Noah on the other hand, a few years older than Jocelyn, was definitely calmer about the whole thing. He was glad they chose this option for them both because he reasoned he might be too long in the tooth to start changing nappies or teach another human being how to ride a bike given that he didn’t know how to do so himself. Instead, they could take what they had, what they both worked so hard to achieve, and help someone who hadn’t had the best start in life. Isn’t that they best way of helping your community?

Lisa once joked that she learned more about Sarah from one dinner with her folks than she had learned from Sarah herself over the course of knowing her for six months. But she couldn’t understand why Sarah had a particular desire to create a distance between herself and them, and from her seemingly healthy teenage years in a quaint town in Maine, a far cry from Michigan in more ways than one. Shanna didn’t understand either but Sarah wasn’t always forthcoming about her rationale even after knowing for as long as she did.

Sarah learned early on that it was best not to talk about her birth family. She was thankful to have Noah and Jocelyn steering her at a time when it would have been all too easy for her to go off the rails. Of course, she was thankful; who wouldn’t be, living that kind of comfortable life. She didn’t want to see ungrateful. It just never really settled within her. She always felt a little out of place and struggled to adjust to the wealth of positive emotions, love, and a somewhat material wellbeing she hadn’t experienced before. She provided the Bernettes with their missing piece and they wanted to reward her for that but she in turn felt like something was missing from her own identity and that feeling only grew as she got older. Increasingly, she felt like who was as a Bernette was not entirely in line with who she felt she was in the baseline of her DNA. At times she felt like she was merely living to someone else’s expectations so moving to Boston was something akin to therapy.

“And he just gave you this?!”

Jocelyn was stood by the wardrobe in Sarah’s bedroom. She usually did this under the pretence of casually catching up on life and everything else but realistically, Sarah knew she just wanted to snoop around in the hope of discovering hints of a boyfriend she’d been keeping to herself. Shanna was currently sat on Sarah’s bed, one leg tucked underneath and enjoying their relationship from a distance. She was wondering when she’d bring up Prince Greg as she’d dubbed him on account of his floppy hair. She felt like she knew more of Sarah when she was around her own family. It was kind of fascinating to see.

Jocelyn held the dress up in front of her, taking it in, gobsmacked. Sarah had never seen Jocelyn this excited before. To the untrained eye, it was just a simple black mini-dress; unclingy with loose full-length sleeves and a frilly detail around the hem. There was a silver thread woven into the stitching that caught the light if you were stood the right way. Chris was right; it was cute. Shanna suggested wearing it with black tights and those heeled boots that were her go-to date footwear. Her only go-to date footwear, Audrey would remind her whenever she managed to drag her into town for some shopping. Being overtly dressed-up wasn’t something Sarah was easily comfortable with and Chris knew this, so simple was definitely the way to go.

“Not exactly. It’s a loan. I’ll have to give it back afterwards.” Sarah pressed.

She was ready to get to the exhibition centre before it closed but Jocelyn didn’t seem in any particular rush. Her knowing Chris Evans was perhaps the thing Jocelyn was most proud of in Sarah’s life and she always managed to work in a conversation or two whenever she visited. Rather than be irritated by it, Sarah actually found it rather amusing. Chris seemed to have a sixth sense for guessing when Jocelyn was trying her patience, though, and played up to her a little bit so as to give Sarah a break. She once lost her asking him questions about the Academy Awards for nearly an hour. The amount of beer she had to buy him afterwards as a ‘thank you’ nearly bankrupted her.

“Well, you’ll have to make sure your hair and make-up matches. You can’t wear a dress like this with a ponytail.” She was speaking in what she assumed was a helpful tone. It was a good job she couldn’t see the face Sarah was pulling right now.

“Oh, between us all I’m sure we’ll be able to figure it out. I’ll have to do the same thing, too.” Shan was trying her best to act nonchalant in an effort to support her best friend. “I mean, it’s not often any of us get the chance to get dressed these days, really.”

“How lovely. You can borrow my emerald earrings if you like? They’ll bring out your eyes.” Jocelyn was more than a little eager now, no doubt buzzing at the thought of having her personal jewellery plastered all over Instagram. She zipped up the dress bad and placed it carefully inside the wardrobe while Sarah and Shan just smiled at each other knowingly.

As Jocelyn moved to the bathroom to wash her hands, they left the bedroom opting for the relative safety of the living room where Noah had set up camp alongside Chris and ESPN. He was a keen follower of most sports with golf a particular favourite. He was saving up for tickets to the PGA tour next year as a retirement gift to himself. Sarah knew Jocelyn wasn’t going with him but couldn’t be entirely sure he hadn’t invited Chris along in her place.

“What’s she mithering you about this time?” Noah asked, eyes glued to the TV screen. He didn’t get much time to sit and be still watching television at home so visiting his daughter was even more of a treat. If Sarah could survive being the sole focus of Jocelyn’s attention for hours on end, he would have happily left them to it for the afternoon and set up camp with Chris and a glass of Talisker.

“Nothing much, it’s OK. Are you ready to go yet? It’ll take about 20mins to walk there,” Sarah was hinting as heavily as she could now, short of jingling her keys in front of their faces likes they were cats.

“Sure, go grab your mom and we’ll head out. Have you had thoughts about dinner yet? Chris, would you like to join us?”

“Well, I was quite keen on seeing the exhibition myself actually but I’d hate cause you guys any problems with my being there.” He tried to casually shrug it off in a look she’d seen all too often lately.

“I’m sure we can manage,” Noah managed to tear himself away from the TV screen for his beloved Chris. “Is it a ball cap situation or more of a through-the-backdoor type of thing? I’ve never had to sneak around before. Could be fun?”

Sarah appreciated Noah’s casualness and evidently, judging by the grin spread across his face in that moment, so did Chris. He turned to look over the back of the couch at Sarah, silently asking her permission.

“Well, I did get a 4th ticket in case you or Scott fancied coming...” she offered. “I mean, I’m fine if you are?”

Chris gave her a grateful smile. “Give me two minutes and I’ll be right with you.”

*

For this time of day, the gallery was surprisingly busy but mainly full of people Sarah figured were die-hard fanatics of his art and who probably wouldn’t recognise Chris if he appeared in front of them dressed in his full Captain America get-up waving the American flag. As they passed by the smiling security guard. Noah wondered quietly to Sarah what the Venn diagram of McCurry aficionados crossed with Marvel fans would realistically look like. Given his nerdiness for all things mathematical, no doubt he’d have an answer figured out for them by the time they reached the Vietnam display two halls away.

“...and this was the photograph that started the Live Aid charity.” Jocelyn stopped in front of a small photograph, no larger than one you’d have in a frame at home yet unmistakeable on the wall alongside dozens of other images, Sharbat’s eyes piercing your soul. Walking slightly ahead of them, she’d somehow managed to link arms with Chris and was now acting as their defacto tour guide, explaining each piece to him in turn as though he’d never seen them before. Anyone who knew Chris properly would know he greatly enjoyed photography and was well read on the latest pieces. Nevertheless, he was still polite and nodded along as she enthusiastically spoke of the lens McCurry used to achieve the effects of his art.

As they moved through to the third and final hall space, things had gotten noticeable quieter as more people were filtering out. Noah and Jocelyn were deep in conversation with a local art student who had stopped to sketch a couple of pieces, and Chris seemed far more relaxed and happy walking around without his NASA cap on. No on had paid him any attention all afternoon, it must have been a nice change of pace for him.

Sarah lost track of how long she had been staring at a larger canvas piece of a bridge with a giant concrete hand underneath holding the structure up. The place was unknown and the image was photographed from high up, possible from a plane or helicopter. It was oddly serene even if the bridge had become overgrown with reeds and dirt.

“I think it’s meant to represent Mother Nature’s battle against Man,” Chris spoke quietly as he approached her from behind, standing to one side as she continued to stare at the image.

“That’s an interesting theory. Where did  you read that?”

“i happen to have an ongoing subscription with National Geographic.” Chris said, comically smoothing his beard in contemplation. Sarah almost believed him until she registered what he had said. Chris clocked her side-eying him. “Joss told me to tell you when she saw you looking at it.”

She smiled at him before turning back to the wall. “I think I want to visit this place one day. It’s like the complete opposite of Boston.” she mused.

“You’d never leave Boston. It’s in your DNA now. You’re officially one of us.”

“That’s....that sounds vaguely threatening.”

“You have leprechaun pyjamas and you’ve been drunk at Fenway. You pretty much tick all of the boxes.” Chris smirked and turned to walk away.

“How do you know I have those pyjamas?” Sarah followed behind him.

“I didn’t. You just told me.” Sarah punched him in the arm and Chris pretended to wince.

Noah had somehow managed to loop back around the bookshop from the start to purchase a couple of prints and a biography before joining them as they headed towards the exit. The rain had started getting a little heavier during the time they had been inside and Sarah chastised herself for ignoring Jocelyn’s advice to bring an umbrella with her. If there was one thing you could guarantee in even the nicest of Summers, it’s that Jocelyn Bernette always, ALWAYS, carried an umbrella in her handbag. Also, one of those waterproof macs that rolled up to the size of a dollar bill but she couldn’t convince anybody that they were a good idea.

As they gathered outside, Sarah gently pulled Chris back by his elbow. “Hey, there’s no pressure on staying for dinner if you’d rather head out or whatever. I think they were keen on you stopping out with us but I’m happy to make an excuse if you’d rather not.”

“What? No, it’s totally fine. I really like your folks. They’re fun and interesting.” Chris noticed Sarah’s look of skepticism. “Seriously, you need to chill. I’m having a good time. It’s nice doing normal things for a change.”

“In that case, I’ll let them know you’re up for a bike ride tomorrow. Dad wants to rent a tandem.”

“Are you....Are you being serious?” Sarah nodded. “Wow, they really go all out, huh? What are you gonna do while they do that?”

“No idea. Probably hold their bags.”

Chris laughed. “Man, those two are cute. I’d kill to be that dorky when I’m their age. You’re so lucky.”

Sarah considered his point for a moment, looking at Jocelyn waving her flip phone up in the air trying to get a signal. She’d lost track of the number of times she’d tried to convince her to upgrade, telling her they could stay in touch more easily with Whatsapp rather than pages-long emails once or twice a week. Sadly, this would turn out to be the last positive memory they would have of  their peaceful afternoon.

“Can I ask you something, but you have to promise not to get mad.” Chris posed an interesting question. How was she supposed to respond to that?

“I don’t get why you’re meeting Charlotte.” He could see Sarah about to protest and continued regardless. “I don’t see what good can come from this. You’ve tried it once before, it failed, and you didn’t leave you bed for two weeks. I was there, Sarah. It was horrible. I don’t understand why you would put yourself through that again.”

His tone was a little louder than he realised and placed a hand over his mouth, wiping at his beard as if that would somehow erase his words from having been spoken. Sarah didn’t know what to say. She was tired with a continuous feeling of frustration at having to explain away her decisions at every turn. She hadn’t mentioned meeting her birth mother for a while now but could sense the apprehension people had at the thought. If it wasn’t Chris, it was Shanna, and if it wasn’t Shanna, Audrey had kindly informed her she was taking an unnecessary risk although she didn’t put it quite so mildly.

“You don’t have to agree with me. I get that no one supports me here,”

“Oh, that’s unfair. Jesus.” He turned to face away from where Jocelyn was stood, only a few feet ahead of them but seemingly oblivious to their contention. “It’s not just you that this affects, you know. You seem to forget that.”

There was no mistaking his argument this time as he drew Sarah’s attention back in her mother’s direction.

“Have you guys been talking about this behind my back?” Sarah finally asked after what felt like minutes of silence. Noah was now indicating at something ahead of them.

Chris took a breath and Sarah could tell he was refraining from saying something he might regret. “No, we haven’t we’re just concerned is all. You don’t know her -”

“- hence why I am going to meet her.”

“- and you don’t know what she is after.”

She stood still as Chris continued walking but only getting a few steps ahead of her before noticing she’d stopped altogether. Jocelyn and Noah continued on ahead of them, enjoying the drizzly walk and the lights of the town and gradually getting further and further away.

“Do you not think it’s just what she wants to know who I am? What is it that you think she is after?”

“Sarah, don’t do this, OK? I’m not going to get into an argument with you about this now because I’m not going to say what you want to hear. I’m sorry.” He looked at her carefully for a second. “I just...I see you guys together hanging out and it fits, y’know? You’re so like them, Sarah. You think the same things, you like the same things. If I didn’t know you at all, I’d think you were the double of Joss. They’d be heartbroken if they knew what you were doing.”

Sarah couldn’t look him in the eye. The older Sarah would have possibly turned to run at this point, trying to avoid conflict at all costs, but they’d had spats before and Chris was nothing if not annoyingly unflappable. She knew he would tell her straight and as much as she might not want to hear it right in this moment, it was probably for the best.

He saw a flash of what looked like hurt cross her face. Now or never, he doubled down. “You wanted to know what I thought so I’m telling you.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned to make tracks but not before one last bash. “I think this is a bad idea.”

“Well, then it’s a bad idea I’ll deal with myself.”

*

[risottostitties]

I love your headcanon posts! what are some of your headcanons (backstory and personality) for the rest of La Squadra?

Oh boy, these got kinda long. I hope you enjoy my dumb rambling about La Squadra (also my bias towards Melone and Sorbet+Gelato is showing I’m so sorry) I added the songs I used for inspiration on Sorbet and Gelato’s stands so that’s something lmao

Also also I’m still trying to figure out formatting on tumblr I’m so sorry.

Also also also I have so many dumb headcanons for the inner bureaucratic workings of Passione and what each ‘position’ in the gang entails and how Passione became a dominant force in Italy and oops I’ve slipped them in here a bit my b.

Fromaggio

-        He got his start smuggling. Drugs, weapons, people, Little Feet made that a breeze.

-        The thought of being an assassin never crossed his mind, because it seemed like a lot of work. More so than smuggling which was basically just getting stuff from point a to point b without getting caught.

-        Fromaggio was a confident dude, laid back and easy going with an agreeable personality that most people enjoyed.

-        He’s not exactly details oriented though, and that’s what came to bite him in the ass.

-        He was working with one of the few groups not affiliated with Passione and it was only a matter of time before the operation was busted.

-        Fromaggio never really asked many questions about his jobs, nor did he care very much who or what he was smuggling. He met with a man in Malta seeking entrance into Naples and was willing to pay handsomely. So of course, Fromaggio agreed.

-        If he’d been paying more attention, he would have recognized that man as Prosciutto.

-        Fromaggio brought the assassin right into their main warehouse and it was game over from there.

-        Prosciutto took interest in Fromaggio’s stand and decided against killing the man, instead bringing him to Risotto to see what the Capo thought about his abilities.

-        When offered a choice between dying with the rest of his old associates or joining Passione, the choice was obvious.

-        He really, really enjoys gambling. Prosciutto supplements his income with Fromaggio’s gambling habit.

-        Fromaggio gets along well with all of La Squadra. He’s always been an agreeable dude and he’s willing to give just about anything a shot once. So he’s at least passingly knowledgeable about the interests and hobbies of other members.

-        Fromaggio, Prosciutto, Pesci, Ghiaccio, and Melone make up the main ‘kill squad’ of La Squadra where Illuso, Sorbet, and Gelato handle clean up and intel gathering.

 Illuso

-        Illuso does very little killing himself. For the most part, he deals with disposing of evidence. The mirror world is great for that.

-        Because of this he has the lowest kill count out of all of them.

-        He is Sicilian like Risotto, and they converse in Siciliano when it’s just the two of them. Neither of them is particularly chatty though.

-        Ghiaccio and Pesci didn’t know he was a member of the squad for weeks because he rarely ever leaves the mirror. He doesn’t even have a room in their hideout, he just sleeps in the room of whoever forgets to cover their mirror.

-        Most of the time its Pesci’s room because he feels bad

-        I hc him at about 27

-        He joined La Squadra after Ghiaccio and was more or less ‘gifted’ by Polpo because of his quiet demeanor.

Ghiaccio

-        He’s baby (24)

-        His first kill was at age 18 when he was working in a chop shop and beat someone to death with a wrench.

-        Melone was the one to bring him into La Squadra, his bike was getting some work done in the shop and he was there to see Ghiaccio snap.

-        Risotto wasn’t keen on letting someone so young join La Squadra and initially turned Ghiaccio away. Which pissed the boy off enough for him to seek out Polpo, demand a trial, and come back with White Album.

-        He had never skated in his life, but White Album gave him the instinctive ability to do so.

-        He can only skate while wearing White Album. Without it, he actually had to learn.

-        He reflexes and balance also improved greatly after gaining White Album

-        He’s the only one not ‘trained’ by Prosciutto, instead Risotto took over his ‘training’. The Capo wanted to personally make sure he was equipped to handle the life that comes with La Squadra.

-        Risotto and Ghiaccio are quite close. Risotto was initially intrigued by White Album and Ghiaccio liked Risotto the most because he was the only person who was careful with his words.

-        He’s got a keen eye for detail and an eidetic memory. He enjoys taking apart electronics and seeing how they work (and how he can improve them)

-        Ghiaccio enjoys working with cars, but doesn’t like all the oil and grease.

Melone

-        I hc his age at 28

-        He was always too inquisitive for his own good, and very curious as a child. Most people found him annoying

-        Melone has absolutely zero respect for personal space. If he likes you, he will hang off you without a second thought.

-        And if someone retaliates jokes on you he think’s its hot.

-        It is possible to make him angry, but he won’t let it show out of spite. You really gotta be angling for it if you want to piss him off, and if you’ve put in that much effort into getting a rise out of him he’s not going to give you the satisfaction.

-        His mom was like Giorno’s, a party girl who resented her children for holding her back

-        He has an older half sister who took care of him when he was younger. They were extremely close.

-        From her he learned to paint nails, braid hair, and they both really enjoyed looking at horoscopes and other astrology/pseudoscience things.

-        She was 10 years older than Melone, and when she married Melone went to live with her (he was about 12 at the time) and he never really got along with his brother in law.

-        Her husband was in Passione, a low ranking Soldato but an ambitious one. She was aware of her husband’s occupation but decided the risk was worth the reward (and the financial stability)

-        Her eventual pregnancy led to Melone’s fascination with pregnancy and childrearing.

-        She died due to complications with a late term miscarriage when he was 16

-        After this Melone and his brother in law stuck together. Melone joined Passione, receiving his stand from Polpo’s Arrow.

-        The pair of them had a pretty good scheme going on but eventually his brother in law bit off more than he could chew, and Risotto was called in to clean up the mess.

-        Babyface proved to be a challenge, and instead of eliminating Melone as he was working with the target Risotto decided to offer him a choice.

-        Self-preservation won out and in a show of loyalty Melone had Babyface kill his former brother in law. At best, he tolerated the man because his sister loved him and after she died he was a good meal ticket so when his life was on the line it didn’t take much prodding for Melone to turn on him.

-        It took a while for Risotto to trust him because of how easily Melone’s loyalties shifted but once that trust was earned Melone never gave Risotto a reason to regret it even if his impulsive decisions (such as dragging Ghiaccio into Passione) caused him some trouble occasionally.

Pesci

-        Pesci is actually, genuinely, a sweet guy. He’s respectful of his superiors, polite (if not a bit awkward) to strangers, will offer help if he sees someone struggling with a heavy bag or something on a high grocery shelf, the whole nine yards.

-        He has a habit of second guessing himself and apologizing often but is quick to offer reassurance to people if he sees they’re having a bad day.

-        He also has a hair trigger temper and killed a man by snapping his neck with his bare hands.

-        That’s what landed him in jail.

-        Its like flipping a switch with this guy.

-        Risotto personally bailed Pesci out of jail and brought him into his team because of his brute strength. It was novel, to see someone so capable without a stand.

-        He received his stand from Polpo’s arrow.

-        Pesci is the newest member of La Squadra, but not the youngest (that honor goes to Ghiaccio) and I personally hc him at 25

-        His ‘training’ mostly consists of shadowing Prosciutto and observing how he does things. There is a lot to be learned from watching another stand user work, even if their stands are vastly different.

-        He lacks real strategy, which is another reason he was teamed up with Prosciutto (who winds up ‘training’ most of the new recruits anyway)

-        He’ll be considered a full fledged assassin once he completes his first job on his own (with Illuso or Fromaggio tailing him to observe, depending on the abundance of mirrors)

Sorbet and Gelato

-        Of the two, Sorbet is the most talkative. He’s got a pretty good sense of humor, and a natural charisma about him that puts people at ease if they don’t already know him

-        Gelato and Prosciutto are both card sharks and they keep their skills sharp by practicing on each other.

-        While no one would call any of them selfless, they would lay down their lives for each other without hesitation.

-        They have so many words unique to their relationship that people listening in would assume they’re talking in code half the time.

-        Sorbet and Gelato are the oldest members of La Squadra. Sorbet was 36 when he died, and Gelato was 41

-        Sorbet got his start in Passione, Gelato was part of a ‘merger’ so to speak.

-        The previous syndicate Gelato was a part of was assimilated by Passione after Diavolo returned to Italy. He was familiar with Pericolo as they had been part of the same group.

-        Sorbet and Gelato both have stands, although they were both born stand users.

-        Gelato’s stand is called Mack the Knife and it allows him to eat anything regardless of size (and his stomach acid has a ph value of 1.3). On top of this, it also gives him sharp and study teeth. If for some reason something he eats breaks a tooth he has more in reserve, like a shark.

-        Sorbet’s stand is called Fortunate Son and essentially it hides the user and anyone they touch in plain sight. They’re not invisible, but you must be consciously looking for Sorbet in order to find him when Fortunate Son is active.

-        They joined La Squadra before it was ‘La Squadra’ Risotto (being green himself at the time) wanted more experienced people on his team but had little to no luck recruiting people until these two.

-        They’re well known in the gang for their unorthodox (putting it gently) methods of doing things and kept most people from approaching them.

-        Primarily they ‘interview’ people for information on Squadra targets, but those interviews always turn deadly.

-        While they enjoy killing more than anyone else in La Squadra, they don’t typically get kill jobs because they’re just good at interrogating people. They make do with that just fine though. Neither of them enjoys leaving loose ends.

-        Before Illuso joined, Gelato oversaw clean up and disposal.

[loverunderwater]

Falling Inn Love (2019) dir. Roger Kumble

summary:

When city girl Gabriela spontaneously enters a contest and wins a rustic New Zealand inn, she teams up with bighearted contractor Jake Taylor to fix and flip it.

1.5 stars

Spoilers, duh, but you can enjoy this movie even if you know exactly what’s going to happen next, just like how everyone who watched it for the first time did. In fact, you don’t even have to read this review to guess what happens in this film. Without reading spoilers beforehand, you could probably guess 90% of the unremarkable plot points in this predictable and bland rom-com.

My biggest general problem with Falling Inn Love is that every single character has absolutely no personality. On top of that, each aspect of their personality (or lack thereof) is pretty much only included for the sake of furthering the plot. I’m pretty sure if you took away the characters’ main defining features, you would have the amount of fucks the writers put into developing their characters. They’re just not appealing, relatable, or interesting.

For example, the main character herself. Gabriela’s entire backstory is that she broke up with her boyfriend Dean. That’s literally all we get. You could not ask me to describe what I think Gabriela’s views on orgies, communism, or vegans look like. I should be familiar enough with the character to answer at least one of those. If I had to, I’d say she appreciates vegans, but that’s only because her entire personality is green housing and renovations and clean solar power and energy efficiency. You could not tell me if she planned to secretly run away from home as a child, but at least I know she brings her iPad to dinner with her boyfriend to show him her closet renovation ideas. This is a biiiig example of characters only being the way they are in order to further the plot, but also an example of the writers’ irregularity of bringing backstory into the story. Gabriela’s save-the-planet can-do attitude is only ever applied to the inn, when she decides to stay and renovate it into a clean energy facility. Not when she’s driving her clunky, CO2-emitting van all around town to places to which she could easily walk, which I’m sure is like the top biggest tip to saving the planet—to walk, bike, or take public transportation. Minus ½ star for hypocrisy.

The one thing I could tell you about Gabriela, besides that she sure does love her solar panels, is that she has an awful amount of Main Character syndrome, where she believes everything is about her and the entire world rotates around her. I’m fairly sure that wasn’t the writers’ intention, but they sure projected a ton of pride and self-esteem onto a pretty lackluster character, making her seem conceited. When Jake bumps into Gabriela at the hardware store, she says, “Why are you everywhere that I am?” Seems like she’s got a lot of confidence in her importance and relevance to Jake for someone who has no personality!!!!! It could just be a small town and Jake’s just minding his own business and knowing more about home renovation than Gabriela, which she finds annoying because she’s a strong, independent woman who takes no shit from men.

Charlotte is probably the world’s most pathetic villain. Her hobby is owning a hotel filled with porcelain dolls that belonged to her mother and the stink of old people breath. That’s all we know about her. Oh, and she really, really, really wants to buy the Bluebird from Gabriela because she’s an inn supremacist and believes only she can host an inn that restores the value of tradition and honesty to society. It’s so sad.

Jake has no personality. His backstory is that his girlfriend died 3 years ago and so he’s reluctant to love. That’s a new one. I wonder where the writers came up with that. He likes possum taxidermy because it reminds him of his grandmother. He likes to help out literally everywhere, for free, because he’s just such a nice guy. That’s all there is to him.

Even in Harry Potter, where you could clearly sort each member of the Golden Trio into a very obvious stereotype, you could still find more in-depth characterization beneath. Remove Hermione’s book-nerd, know-it-all personality. Underneath, she’s still a sassy, exasperated girl who cares for her friends and would choose them over anything. She’s flawed, and will act on her annoyance in rash, but calculated ways. Remove Ron’s comedic best friend, runt of the pack personality. Underneath, he’s loving and loyal, and is tired of simply being seen as the nobody. Finally, Harry himself, who beneath the Chosen One archetype, is snarky and witty and driven. Though fairly common and typical, there are multiple layers to these characters, which you just don’t get in Falling Inn Love. But Han, you say, that’s the appeal of a rom-com. You get to see how characters react to specific tropes. Fine, but I raise you this: pacing errors and plot convenience (woo alliteration!).

Similarly to the previous point, not only do the characters’ personalities seem to serve no purpose but to create a coherent plot, but in fact, almost everything that occurs in this movie seems to just happen out of thin air. There is literally no reason or motive behind any of the plot points, which is an indicator of a very weak story. It’s as if the writers had two plot points laid out— “Jake and Gabriela kiss” and “Gabriela decides to stay in New Zealand because she discovers she loves the Bluebird inn”— and halfassedly crammed in as many of the most contrasting tropes as they could find underneath a Wattpad novel from 2013 titled Falling for the Jock. Minus 1 star for plot convenience.

Gabriela’s boyfriend Dean is a douchebag. He is always on his phone during dates, cannot shut up about his job (Man, that sure does sound like someone else we know) and is always having his manager make decisions for the both of them. But Gabriela doesn’t break up with him beacuase he’s inattentive and ignorant. She breaks up with him because he doesn’t want to move in with her. Not wanting to move in with someone is a perfectly valid opinion to have, and Dean even gives a good reason: he’s happy with the things are now. And sure, you could break up with a partner if you felt strongly enough about things, but it would have to be a mutual understanding, an agreement that your lives were being hindered by this decision, or a realization that you both want different things. When Gabriela dumps Dean, it is entirely her end of the rope that is left hanging. It doesn’t feel like a satisfying ending to the first chapter. It feels forced, and that’s because they need Gabriela to apply for the Win an Inn scam. If Gabriela had dumped Dean because he didn’t put enough effort into the relationship, at least we would have felt happy for her, knowing that she deserved better. But because she dumped him because he didn’t want to move in with her and her eco-friendly dishwashers, we’re left thinking, Wow, that was pathetic.

There’s also a scene where Gabriela’s close (and only?? we’re not led to see any of her other friends, but then again, maybe she has none) friend tells her to give Dean an ultimatum—that’s what she did to get her boyfriend to propose to her. This is supposed to look like bad advice from an unqualified friend, since later the same friend tells Gabriela that she’s attending couple’s therapy with her fiancée, because apparently forcing your partner to either marry you or break up with you could lead to trouble in paradise. Who knew? Even though the movie makes it appear that ultimatums are not what to do in a strained relationship, that’s essentially what Gabriela does internally to Dean. Move in with me or we’re done. Minus ½ star for hypocrisy.

Falling Inn Love is supposed to be an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story. But the pacing of Gabriela and Jake’s relationship is so out of control that it doesn’t seem realistic at all whatsoever. They go from being at each others’ necks constantly, always exchanging cliche retorts, to smiling lovingly at the other in the span of two minutes. Once again, nothing happens to spur on this change. All of the sudden, they’re acting completely civil to on another and now there’s a romance out of nowhere. It’s not realistic or believable.

The climax of Falling Inn Love was probably my least favorite part about it. After Charlotte’s creepy doll hotel is burned down, she, Jake, Gabriela, and the contractor meet to discuss the selling of the Bluebird. And oh boy. After 90 whole-ass minutes of Gabriela claiming she wants to sell the inn, she suddenly gives a Dramatic and Raw speech about keeping ahold of what’s precious to you. Actually, I’m not completely sure if that was she was talking about because it wasn’t worth listening to the entire thing. It was only like 20 seconds, but it was just like every other speech where the main character drastically changes their mind for the better. It was just sad. And after her motivational speech? Charlotte, after 90 whole-ass minutes of trying to buy the Bluebird and get Gabriela to forfeit her inn through most likely illegal manners, nods admirationally and tells Gabriela, “You’re one of us now.” Like, what even happened there? What exactly happened to make Charlotte change her mind? Wouldn’t she want to buy the inn even more now that she doesn’t have one of her own? I know no one with such high demands who would back down that easily, at such a lame speech. For that, Charlotte is a weak antagonist, and lowers the rating by ½ a star, because shouldn’t you despise the antagonist? Shouldn’t you have a little crawling feeling in your stomach whenever they appear onscreen. For me, that was true, but only because she looks like Hannah Meloche and her sickly, whiny voice made me want to throw myself off a cliff.

About halfway through the movie, Charlotte texts Dean from Gabriela’s phone, telling him to bring her back to America if he really loves her. Firstly, why doesn’t Miss Badass have a passcode on her phone?? But when Dean finally arrives to New Zealand to take Gabriela back, there’s no mention of the text. There’s not even a simple “How did you know when the opening launch party was?” “Why are you here? I did not invite you,” on Gabriela’s end, and a “You asked me to take you back, that’s what I’m here to do,” on Dean’s end. It feels like we didn’t get closure on something that was really hyped up to create suspense.

Again, nothing happens to make Gabriela change her mind about keeping the inn. even when Jake is whining to her about being authentic and real and keeeping the Bluebird for the first 7/8ths of the movie, she is adamant in telling him off. And… then nothing happens. Nothing remarkable shifts in their relationship. Nothing remarkable shifts in Gabriela’s daily life. The only thing we can assume is that Jake’s whining has started to borderline on manipulation, and Gabriela feels pressured to keep the inn if she wants to keep Jake. This would be supported by the fact that Gabriela and Jake began to ignore each other when their initial discussion about selling the Bluebird came to blows. Minus 1 star for unsatisfying conclusion.

This movie apparently really wants its happy ending, since almost everything in it is forced to get there. But I don’t know if there’s really much that’s that great.

Overall, I don’t hate Falling Inn Love because I watched it with my best friend over a FaceTime call and we were having fun. But I’m pretty sure if I had watched it on my own I would have clicked out of the tab about thirty minutes in.