#i want to say he's like a beloved weirdo in his class and school

[scaralvr]

myst !!! my beloved hfjfjhg,, i made something hehe <3

so,, modern au w/ scara, unsurprisingly (highschool au) ! also - pls imagine scara w/ glasses while reading. nd scara loves sanrio btw, im from mihoyo

your boyfriend, kunikuzushi is busy reviewing for exams. of course you'd know this, but your done with them already - being that you two are in seperate sections. all you have to do is wait. wait for kunikuzushi, wait for him to finish his exams. but you aren't going to do that, no.

crash !

oof...

,

the fuck?

uh-oh.

pfft, hi kuni.

,

[y/n]... i know your just here to see me - but please atleast ask my mom to come in instead of, y'know, sneaking in my home?

,

seriously? hah. you know your mom hates me..

,

and rightfully so? really, i love you. i do, plenty my dear, but the only reason she hates you is that your reputation is terrible.

ouch.

hey! i've got great scores, whats up with that?

,

not your grades. that may just be your only redemption to her, but being the "troublemaker" isn't helping you- mmph!

to you, people who talk too much (people = kunikuzushi) need to shut up. normally, you'd just tell him to zip it (said lovingly) - and he does after finishing his sentence. but how could you not have your chance at your boyfriend's lips after being in (need) want?

you just giggle at him, as if you didn't almost fuck up. kunikuzushi drags you to his room, away from the empty hall. you feel that he's about to scold you again, like a child bothering their parents.

so... love, what should we do?

,

watch me study or help me study.

,

can't we do something fun? please?

,

...

,

..fine, i've mever been able to convice you otherwise. i'll just find my notes.

,

what.

,

yeah?

,

"find your notes"? you don't have anything in your hands..?

,

i.. keep copies of my notes on my phone?

,

psh, weirdo.

,

anything you say i suppose, kuni.

after reviewing with your boyfriend and resisting telling him the exam results, he eventually falls asleep. while yes, it was fun sneaking in, having to hop of a roof knowing well enough that if you were caught you'd be crucified was not something you thought of - neither calculated before jumping off. coming to school the next day with a fresh scar on your cheek definitely worried your boyfriend. he can't stand people like you, yet he's taking his time and energy to make an exception for you.

after your scar's taken care of - with the help of his cute kuromi band-aid, you two walk to your seperate classes together.

! now playing: Let You Break My Heart Again [Laufey]

dear, why do you listen to sad.. love songs?

,

the hell you want me to listen walking with you? fucking daddy issues??

mmmmm the ending isn't giving but im just glad that i got to scratch that itch of menace s/o 🥰 -still with you anon

scaramouche is such a sanrio lover. i bet he watched all of the series and movies while enjoying every single second of it. i deem this canon. AND GLASSES SCARAMOUCHE I REPEAT GLASSES SCARAMOUCHE!!111!11!

[vermillioncrown]

do you know who else likes horoscopes and astrology? teenage girls. it’s my very strong held belief that the girls on shinchan’s class adore him. maybe in the first week the girls sat in front if him were gossiping with each other about boys, and one of them was complaining and the other scoffs “god, i bet he’s a libra” and shinchan snorts. thus quickly making it know to the entire freshman grade girls that shinchan is without a doubt the expert on the subject. they be making star charts and calculating couple odds, planning perfect days for outings etc etc. the girl next class who plays tarot and shinchan have a Reputation, they’re revered guides and advisers. one bad word out of shinchan’s mouth will tank any boy’s chance at getting dates (not only bc of the horoscope thing but bc actually shinchan is a very sweet weirdo who has a strong moral code). between shinchan’s army of devoted girls and his biceps, and later on takao, the boys of his class maintain a very health respect for him. and that’s wo even considering his basketball mythos.

i like the vibes of most of this, but i think there's more of a western, irreverent treatment of horoscopes + superstition going on in your depiction anon.

bc i'm diaspora chinese, i can't speak for japanese culture. but it's been kinda agreed amongst a lot of my asian friends (huge demographic where i grew up) that we're all culturally superstitious.

it wouldn't be a "ugh i bet he's a libra" type remark. the girls would be worried, full discussion "idk if B-kun is compatible... he's been blah blah blah..." and her friend might pull up the latest magazine and say "what was he, again? libra? we should consult. get his blood type, too?"

and our weirdo shin-chan wouldn't be able to help but "hmph. a libra with AB-blood type is highly untrustworthy. this will not end well for you" (it's also a thing to ascribe blood typing with personality typing, too)

first girl starts whimpering and is about to burst into tears, the other girls glare at shin-chan for being so tactless

=

but it plays out as he says. turns out, 'B-kun' was double-dipping girls from different schools.

=

the reputation evolves. if you can brave the cold tsun-tsun front that is shintaro midorima's everything (having takao around to shit on him helps), catch him on a good day, he will be willing to disseminate your horoscope concerns. but this is a guy who is not direct when it comes to helping people, believes in people needing to do their best to get the best payout (so if it feels like people are using him as lazy google rather than as a genuine in-depth resource he's not helping).

he shares an unspoken mutual respect with tarot-chan in the next class over.

=

eh he might see the type of things that the girls are devoted to (re: dating and love) as a bit frivolous, but he'll acknowledge the ones that are putting their full effort into success. there's understanding that develops.

he's like the class pet lmao.

after seeing him go through death without his lucky items and takao's very real fear that the shin-chan event horizon could also threaten his life, there is a very healthy respect for everything shintaro midorima. leave him to his own happenings. he's the class cryptid. the teachers might scold him but his classmates just deal with it. the boys start jokingly (but not really,, but what if...?) asking for shin-chan's blessings on things

"i am not a priest nanodayo" >:(

they have to rearrange the class display for the school festival because shin-chan got bad vibes lol

oh yeah, the boys are more secretive about it but they also ask for his consultations on dating compatibility - this one is even funnier bc takao basically sharks them for a consultations. and uses the money to buy the two of them snacks

[adhoption]

I’m reading another book with a protagonist in the ‘gentle giant’ mould, and I’m realising how it’s gone from being a something I vibe with to something that rubs me up the wrong way.

You know the type. The guy is a himbo. He’s built like a man-mountain, but he is generous and kind and considerate to the ladies in a setting whilst others aren’t. He’s in a world where strength is power, and plenty of men are willing to start fights, but he can step in and sit them down. He could beat everyone up if he wanted to throw his weight around, but he doesn’t. He only fights when he has to.

That’s pointed out like some sort of contradiction: look, this guy could be violent like the others and be great at it, but he’s decided to be good instead. Isn’t it great, how he's overcome his nature? Born into the body of a thug, but choosing to be a decent person? He is always pitted against cruel, bitter little men, and that contrast is also pointedly made. See, they are born into pacifist bodies and choose to be violent, whereas he is born into a violent body and chooses peace. Isn’t it a miracle?

Except that it’s really the other way around.

Perhaps it’s easier to be violent when you’re a giant, but it’s also easier to be gentle. If everybody already respects you as this hulking presence and backs down when you stand up to them, you don’t need to fight. People only need to fight when they aren’t respected as a threat, and need to prove it. When you’re walking around in a big happy cloud of strength and confidence, it’s also a lot easier to be kind and patient than if you were downtrodden and miserable.

I’ve always found that it is far easier to be magnanimous in victory than gracious in defeat. It’s much easier for the person in the privileged, happy position to extend a hand to the person hurting than the other way around. We cover that in social justice discourse all the time. It’s easier for the person on top of the oppression dynamic to say they are being rational rather than emotional. It’s wrong for them to tone-police someone who is understandably angry and fed-up with what they have to deal with every day, just because they’re shielded from those issues and can talk about them casually.

But it’s something that social justice adjacent spaces also struggle with. I’ve seen too many Hollywood actors paraded out to lecture men on how to be a feminist ally, as if these handsome, rich, famous guys have any shared life experience with the incels who actually need their words. As if they have any idea how their hatred is formed in insecurity and jealously, desperation for affection and validation life has never given them, when they have lived a life beloved and showered in more attention - including romantic and sexual - than they know what to do with. 

Or you get a similar thing with popular, mainstream celebrities coming out to condemn online trolling. It reminds me of a high school setting, where people are oblivious to the various forms of bullying. Imagine there’s one guy in a class who is perhaps neuroatypical, perhaps from a poor household, always seen as a bit shabby and weird. The other kids exclude him. The popular kid invites everyone in the class to a party apart from him. There is one empty chair in the classroom, and it’s the one next to him. Nobody wants to sit with him at lunch. At breaks they gossip in closed circles, occasionally laughing and turning around to look at him.

Nobody ‘bullies’ him in any tangible way that can be shown. But it hurts, day after day after day, being the creepy gross guy who nobody wants to talk to, the guy with no friends. Perhaps he starts acting out for attention. Perhaps, not able to be socialised properly, he lacks tact and hasn’t had his rough edges smoothed off by human company. Maybe he becomes a real edgelord and starts making offensive comments and lashing out because it’s the only way people will listen. He will then be called the class bully, when in fact the whole class are also sort of bullying him through exclusion.

Having some pop darling come out and criticise the online versions of these people is about as much use as having the high school prom king, the guy who hosted that party but everyone but one, come out and condemn this loner: the person people like him helped to ostracise in the first place as a weirdo who didn’t fit in. Again, they have no shared life experience they can judge them on, and coming out to gloat that they have the privilege to be magnanimous in victory is... well, literally adding insult to injury.

But that’s the dynamic stories seem to love. Villains who are pathetic and friendless and have no love in their life, small ugly men with a deformity or disability or just neurodivergence, compared to our hero who is handsome and popular and who then lectures the villain on the power of friendship! But he villain is probably the way they are because they have never been properly loved and always felt like an outcast. it’s criticising the upset loser by praising how well behaved the winner is, when it’s easier for them! In fact, if their lives were reversed, just as with the incel and the Hollywood hunk, they would probably have radically different attitudes and personalities.

I used to buy into the idea that this gentle giant was some sort of contradiction in personality and form, but as I’ve gained life experience I’ve found that the two are basically aligned. What would be more interesting is a character who is feeble, vulnerable, trampled by life, and who still finds the inner strength to be kind. A character who is judged and scorned and mocked and belittled, but who chooses peace. A character who is rejected and excluded, but who still chooses to smile and be friendly. 

That’s what takes real steel, to wake up every day and choose to be kind when you get nothing in return. Not being a strong, charismatic hero surrounded by love interests and sidekicks, getting patted on the back that they somehow manage to be a decent human being despite all of that privilege and love and validation. When that’s contrasted with those villains, it just feels like punching down.

[nolongeravalidhuman]

𝑻𝒐 𝑭𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔

𝑻𝒂𝒈𝒔: 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕(?) 𝑯𝒖𝒓𝒕, 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓!𝑫𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒊 𝑶𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒖 & 𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕!𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: 𝑺𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒔𝒂𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

𝑺𝒚𝒏𝒐𝒑𝒔𝒊𝒔: 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝑖𝑛𝑔

𝑨/𝑵: I seriously cant judge my own work, so I'm not sure if this is good, but this spawned from the idea that Dazai is a teacher, so yea. This is also kinda inspired by the song Egoist by flower, and a chapter from tbhk. Lastly, I put some of my feelings into this and so please be nice!^·^ enjoy!

⇥The peaceful lull of sleep left your body lethargic as the feeling of a thin object hits your head. You uncross your arms and look out the large window to the left of the classroom, but keep your arms folded, head laying on them.

"Say, y/n, are you awake? Bad question, I know I know, but it's the most usual, ya' know?" Sensei inquires and his ruler is still prodding at your hair, ruffling it up even further. The bandages uncomfortably prick your cheek but you ignore it. The sun fell, and the only thing remaining was the pumpkin moon, almost mocking in how far it was. 

Maybe you could reach it one day? "I won't inquire about you napping in class, it happens to the best of us, in fact, it happened to me quite often when I was still in school!" He chuckles seemingly in thought, but you ignore him. 

The chill and silence of the classroom make it clear it's only you two, so perhaps he was grading papers while you were unconscious.

A distant part of your mind thinks of what you could've gotten on the latest quiz, but the more logical part tells you it doesn't matter, it isn't like you did it. It isn't as if you did classwork, and it was a miracle you showed up to school. You seemed to be getting sick more often, which gave a good excuse on why you were absent, but no matter how many people you fool, the one person you can never fool is yourself. Why didn't you just drop already? Patience is important, mother always said, so perhaps you just hadn't gotten your "career call", the "fated work" you were to do for the rest of your life, but patience is worthless in the real world, not when you would get trampled on for showing emotions, not when you'd be spat on for letting others go first.

"Say, y/n are you not even listening to me? That's not very nice!" He pouted and walked so his waist was in your field of vision. I know, you wanted to say, but the world isn't nice, you also wanted to rebut. He crouched down so you could see his face, which lacked the usual bandages. His dark chocolate hair framed his face, and his abyssal eyes were an enigma; they never seemed to cease.

In the end, it didn't matter what you said now, not in the long run when you'd be forced to choose a job you didn't like, forced to fit into society like some puzzle piece with jagged edges. " Sorry Dazai-sensei," you mutter, then turn your head so you can see the exit door. 

It looked so enticing to just leave, but if you were to get up now and all this ended up being some sick fantasy--it wasn't night, it was still class time-- then you'd be outed as a weirdo more than you already were, transferring late in the school year. People would whisper about you when they believe you are not in earshot when in reality you were sitting right behind them.

"Aw no need to apologize y/n-kun~!" He singed, and then put himself in your view. "Well, then, now that we got all that put away, mind telling me why you were sleeping?" Immediately his eyes turned colder, and the room's temperature dropped, but it was only for a split second because now his eyes were laced with a strange emotion, one you couldn't name, but one that made his eyebrow crease, his eyes soften. They didn't seem so distant, you observed, now they looked a normal sensei's, not one founded in mystery.

 "It doesn't matter, I was tired." It did matter. You wanted so desperately to tell him what was wrong, how the anguish would never disappear, no matter what you did, how much you smiled nor how much you laughed. But you couldn't not unless he prompted; you didn't want to speak unless spoken to, but when asked, you remained quiet. Why? Why? You asked yourself; Why was life so complicated and full of contradictions? You wanted to be part of the friend group too, wanted to be invited to walk home with classmates, yet when asked, you deny. Was it because of fear? But what were you afraid of in the first place? Rejection? Humiliation? It didn't make any sense, none at all.

"I'd beg to differ, the health of a beloved student is very important in my opinion, and if you're falling asleep in class, that isn't very good." Compared to his usually cheery tone previously used, this was passive. He walked over to the large window that covered the wall and threw it open. The night air filtered through the classroom and you regretted numbly not bringing a jacket. The large moon taunted you, about how you'd never go far, how you were forever stuck in your one miserable spot for the rest of your life. "Humans were created with curiosity. If you don't exploit all your options, then you will stay stuck on the ground." Dazai smiled a grim, sardonic smile, that represented his view of humanity; selfishness.

"If you continue to wallow in sadness, your life will be miserable, y/n-kun. We all long for freedom, so why not grow a pair of wings and talk when you want to," he stepped on the window frame, " work what you want to," a breeze passed through him and fluttered his hair, which alerted you of how high up he was. This was the fourth-story of the building, so if he slipped then-, " and live how you want to live!" He finished and then plopped himself on the frame. The adrenaline slowly wore down, and you sat back into your chair with a dull thud. No matter how you looked at it, he was strange. Having a high chance of dying just to prove a point, "Dazai-sensei, why risk your life just for a showy performance?" "Hah, let's just say, I don't want to stay stuck here, on this earth." 

Dazai was strange, life was stranger, and this new resolve was strangest. You smiled, and for once it was true," okay sensei."

 What an eerie night this was. 

[3d-wifey]

hello could you please write something like "nagito x reader in a long-term relationship" headcanons? or kokichi(if you like him more). i would like to learn how would they handle it :3

A/N: Sorry it took so long...like, months long.

Warning: Nagito is his own warning

You're gonna have to constantly reassure him about wanting to be with him, regardless of how long you're together

I mean, why would a shining beacon of hope want to be with a disgusting, waste of space like him?

You guys could be together for years and he still wouldn't be sure if you were playing an elaborate prank on him. Honestly, he wouldn't be upset with you even if you were pranking him

Oh, no no no, he completely understands

A goddess like you wouldn't really want to be tainted by a ghoulish monster like him

And in his eyes, you can do no wrong

But, despite all that, he's a great boyfriend; completely doting, smothering even

He definitely bases his entire future around you

Wow, you're going to this college? So is he! What a completely coincidental coincidence 😀

You probably met in middle school

It was love at first sight for him

It definitely took longer for you. You didn't even notice he was in your class at first, but once you did, it was hard to ignore him

Partially because he was good looking, but mostly because he always stared at you hard as fuck

Him: "You're a benevolent deity for gracing us with your unfiltered beauty. I am humbled."👁👁

You: "Yall seeing this shit?" 😟

Straight weirdo behavior, he's nothing short of obsessed. But, for some reason, that does it for you

He's weird and you're even weirder for liking him

If you got into Hope's Peak together, he'd thank the universe for his, seemingly, overwhelming good luck. Especially after finding out what happened to the outside world

He'd somehow work you into every conversation, bragging about your elegance and beauty to anyone that'll listen. Your classmates are more than over it

You both look out for each other during the trials. Anybody tries to plant suspension on you, he'll somehow flip it on them. Anyone talks down to him, you're on their ass like flies on shit

You can't exactly stop others from plotting against you, so, to remedy that, you're together every second you can be

You could literally be doing chores and he'll be behind you like : 🕴🏻

Him: My beloved, my faith, my gleaming beacon of hope

You: 🧍‍♀️

Very protective over you

They can say whatever they want about him, but he will not tolerate any slander towards you 😤

All around, he's obsessed with you. Every waking thought is you. Nothing matters but you.

You are his hope.

[blueink-san]

TRIGGER WARNING: yandere, violence, blood

Yandere Izuru Kamukura X Reader

🎐

It was a chilly night as usual. On the same position you’ve been for the last 78 nights. On someone’s house. No, no, not just on anybody’s house. It was Izuru Kamkura’s. The Izuru Kamukura. Observing him at school isn’t enough, since you barely spot him around, and you have your own classes too. And what better idea to spend your free time watching over the man you obsess over? God, he’s so perfect you don’t even know where to begin. His perfection can’t be described by any word, and all you knew was that you loved him.

As usual, he was in his room, writing something on his notebook with one hand supporting his head, clearly bored of what he’s doing. What is he writing, you wonder. Could it be his entries of what happened today? Complaints of how boring everything was and uses writing to escape a big wave of boredom he experienced today? Or was it… about you?

Oh what heaven to be noticed by the Izuru Kamukura. To think that he would even notice you. Well, that doesn’t really matter, since you want him to notice you anyway. You need to be noticed. Or if this goes on any longer, the rope that hols you and your sanity together will snap like a twig perched on by an ostrich.

His cold, red eyes shot a quick glance in your direction. Afraid of getting caught, you withdrew your head from above, prohibiting him an access to your presence.

Aw man. His cold, red eyes. Looking as commanding as ever. It never fails to send shivers down your spine. The kind where it doesn’t need to force you, because you willingly submit to it. For him to look at you like that…

You suddenly heard a noise, but oddly enough, it wasn’t coming from his room. It was coming from across you.

You diverted to where the noise was. An animal? You hope so. That’ll be nothing to sweat about. But when you saw someone else emerging from the bushes, jealousy took over you and your face frowned. For all of the days you kept watch, you never thought that someone would begin to do the same. You thought you were the only one to do this. You thought at night, you can solo Kamukura. Have him all for yourself. Yet why is he here?!

Wrecker of plans. Annoying luckster. Clumsy motherfucker.

The most familiar white head popped from the corner. Who knew this creep was also spying on Izuru? He’s creepy. Kamukura doesn’t need him. In fact, Izuru doesn’t need anyone except you.

With anger and annoyance bubbling in your chest, you stepped down from the tree. You would think of the things you wanted to say. Rehearse it, so it doesn’t come off as rude. But with him, it makes it hard to turn your filter on. You wanted to personally lash your anger out at him. And that’s what the purpose of your knife is. You grip the hilt tightly on your back, trying to suppress all the emotions you feel at once.

You playfuly ran, trying to show an unharmful demeanor.  Greeting him in a hushed tone, you said, “Good evening, Komaeda.”

“Oh! Hi! What a coincidence meeting you here.”

God, you wanted to strangle him so bad. You nervously chuckled, “Right?”

“A bit odd that you are here.”

You’re the creep. Fucking weirdo! I’m only doing this for Izuru. Out of love!

“I wasn’t really doing anything…haha.”

“Were you spying on Kamukura?”

“N-no I wasn’t.” You started to nervously sweat.

He chuckled waving his hands sideways, “Ahaha! You don’t have to hide it. You were clearly creeping on Kamukura!”

Having enough of this light-hearted conversation, you felt your emotions take over you and your body as a whole. You grabbed Nagito in his collar, pulling him towards you and pushing him with all your might onto the ground.

“Listen here, you worthless idiot. I was not creeping. I was just observing, looking, watching out, protecting, anything your small brain can think of! I was doing it all for Kamukura.”

You finally draw the tool that you have been concealing from him all this time. You saw the terror in Komaeda’s eyes, vision focused on the weapon that you had above his head. You pinned his shoulder with your left and held the knife on your right.

You didn’t hesitate to plunge it to him right away. “THIS IS FOR CREEPING ON HIM! THIS IS FOR ACCUSING ME OF BEING CREEPY! THIS IS FOR BEING CLOSE WITH HIM! THIS IS FOR BEING YOU!” You synchronized tour stabs with everything you wanted a payback for. You had nothing in mind except for this man to finally lose his breath. You relentlessly continued your mutilation, plunging deeper and more, until you were satisfied.

For who knows how long, you finally got up, loosely holding the knife that was dripping with the crimson liquid. Coming down from your anger, you noticed what you just did. You made a total mess. You smeared the fine grass on Izuru’s backyard. You ruined it.

Anyway. Now that that bastard is gone, you can now go back on spying on your beloved. You climbed up the tree, being careful on your way up. Using all the four of your limbs and your eyes to your path. But before you could even reach the top, you heard a voice from above.

“I witnessed the whole thing.”

A cool night breeze gently blew. Oh god. He saw everything. You killed. Your god has seen you kill. Do you dare look at his eyes?

“You… interest me.”

[Log #2

9:17 pm, Wednesday, 09/01/2021]

-BlueInk-san

[himbeaux-on-ice]

Who are your top five NHL teams and why?

Ooooo this is fun! Thanks anon!

Short list:

Habs ❤️🤍💙

Pens 🐧

Canucks 🌈🌊

Caps 🦅

Leafs 🟦🍁🟦 (no really! I know I don’t talk about them much but its true!)

Over-wordy explanations/backstory for my relationship to each of these teams below the cut for those interested!

Montreal Canadiens. My dearly beloved Nana, who half-raised me, is a lifelong diehard Habs fan who grew up listening to their games on the radio and then later as an adult watching them duel with the Leafs on Saturday nights on a black-and-white tv (also a BIG Carey Price stan). Needless to say she rubbed off on me immensely, and I remember saying to myself at some point “well, if that’s Nana’s team, that’s gonna be my team too” and it stuck for life. I also had a friend in middle school who was a RELIGIOUS Habs fan who also worshipped at the altar of Jesus Price in those early 2010’s, so I heard a LOT about all of that every lunch break as he argued with friends who were Pens and Bruins fans lol. We went on the Bell Centre tour during the annual 9th grade French class trip to Quebec, and while I was mostly focused on getting to the gift shop to buy Nana a souvenir, I swear my friend’s eyes were the size of quarters the whole time lmao. (Would LOVE to go back now that I care a lot). Basically the Habs are the closest thing to a local NHL team our region has bc we get their broadcasts (though people choose their own team allegiances for various random personal reasons), and I grew up absorbing through osmosis both the legends of yore and the latest updates on whatever Carey and PK and the lads were up to. (Also I’ve been quietly in love with Price myself since at least the 2014 Olympics lol. My first best fav ❤️) Bottom line the Habs are My Team, the “I’m gonna be here even when it sucks, even when players move on, this is attached to me in a way I can’t quite explain” team that every hockey fan has in their heart. GO HABS GO!

Pittsburgh Penguins. If you were an elementary school kid in Nova Scotia when Sidney Crosby was first released and up through the 2010’s, you had two options: love him, or hate him, but you better accept you’re gonna be hearing about him a LOT. I settled on “vague fondness” and followed Sid from a newspaper-scanning distance and vaguely rooted for him because when he brought the Cup home it felt like we all won. And like I said, lots of passionate Pens fans in my grade school classes to hear from (he’s also the only non-Habs player my Nana likes lol). Then I got into hockey properly last year and learned about Geno beyond just knowing his name, and my chronic affection for large loveable Russians got combined with my longstanding vague “I hope the Penguins win” feelings and my “time to get the full story on the Sidney Crosby’s Penguins narrative I only ever watched from a distance” research, in a manner not unlike the creation of the PowerPuff Girls ([chemical X] etc etc lol) to create a potent adoration for this team that rocketed them to second place in my heart. Also the fandom is just so damn fun and makes such great content, and that definitely feeds my level of engagement with the Pens!! Sometimes, when I want an emotional pick-me-up I watch one of their last 3 championship films just to remember what joy and optimism is — I would love to be present as a real-time fan for another adventure like that. With how much I know about them and how much I care, they’re my #2 for sure. I love those flightless fucks!!

Vancouver Canucks. So I started watching live NHL hockey games last summer around I think game 2 of the Habs’ first round series against the Flyers (I saw Price’s “Miracle Save” on twitter while following along bc I was intrigued by the fact that they made it through the play-ins, and was like “OKAY NOW I GOTTA SEE THIS SHIT LIVE”). That was really fun! Riiiight up until the Habs got eliminated. :/ And I was like “well, shit. I’m enjoying this hockey thing too much to stop now. who else is still around I can root for?” And the Canucks were the last Canadian team still in it, and there was buzz about their miraculous first-round win but also uncertainty I believe Markstrom had *just* got injured. So I started watching, ended up witnessing the Bubble Demko Miracle unfold live, had my heart charmed off me by “whatever the hell those two lil blonde bitches have going on” and a delightful underdog story, and here I am. Hitched to the Canuck wagon whether I enjoy it or not. Here for whatever happens! (Doesn’t hurt that I love me some Elton John too 😉)

Washington Capitals. I’m a person who is more likely to be really engaged with a team that has super interesting personalities, characters, and narratives around it — and my GOD are the Capitals good for that. I absolutely definitely started down this road with that mic’d up video from the 2018 final of Ovi telling Nicke “after me, I give it to you baby!” re: the Cup. Like I can pinpoint that there was a day I saw that for the first time in a gifset, squinted at the screen, said “you’re fucking with me...”, went to youtube, watched it be for reals, and was like “well. now I need to know more about ALL this.” After watching games and learning more about the team, I really enjoy the Caps’ “big dumb found family of stone-cold total weirdos” energy, their fun collective chemistry, their Cup story, etc. And oh BOY the fandom is fun during game lb’s! I love all the in-jokes and player nicknames, our delight with the quirks of our colourful wonderful broadcast crew (shoutout Wine Uncles & Co), the way we cheer for record-breaking milestones like they’re a first NHL goal! Being a fan of the Caps AND the Pens can be a bit awkward sometimes, and the team certainly has its blemishes, but my heart is big enough for two Metro teams for sure, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Toronto Maple Leafs. So like, as you can imagine from my previously described upbringing in Hab Land, “haha Leafs suck” is a punchline I have long been familiar with and trained to recite. I got a solid 3 days of laughter and entertainment out of the whole Zamboni Driver Saga last February, oh boy did I ever. But the thing is.... I have the Leafs to thank for the fact that I watch hockey now. See, the entire reason I started paying proper attention to the playoff bubble last summer was because one day, I happened to see the phrase “WHAT IS HAPPENING” trending at 16k tweets on twitter, and clicked on it like “huh?”. Turns out the Leafs were in the middle of their miraculous 3-minute comeback against Columbus and the country was losing its mind. And when they won, I was like “huh... the Zamboni Team is doing THIS??? I may have to start paying attention to this playoffs thing, because if they go All The Way I think that might be the only thing funnier than the Zamboni Incident”. Aaaaand when they immediately lost the next game and were eliminated I was like “lol, sounds about right” and was then immediately distracted by news of the Habs winning the play-in round. So then I spent several months watching playoffs and forgetting about the Leafs. And then one day in early October, looking on YouTube for more hockey to watch after the playoffs ended, I stumbled across something called a Hat Pick, and boy I actually enjoyed this shouty man’s sense of humour and takes on the game... and then when I ran out of Hat Picks and Dangits I watched some Trade Trees, which pulled back the curtain on the business side of the game... and then I discovered LFR’s, which were good background noise for doing tasks... and then I was recommended the episode of the Steve Dangle Podcast about Mitch Marner and The List... and next thing I knew I was listening to more of this podcast, because I found Steve and the guys to be insightful and funny and there was no hockey to watch, and I was trepidatious about accidentally stumbling into the more toxic corners of hockey fandom if I branched out for other content... and, well. If you spend enough hours listening to people passionately analyze every facet of a team, shout and cheer over a team, make fun of that team, nearly cry over that team... it’s really REALLY hard to not start to care about it. Leafs analysis was basically how I learned most of what I’ve learned about hockey this past year! And kudos to Steve and Adam and Jesse, their passionate investment in the Leafs and great content has got ME invested in the Leafs mainly because I want to see things go well for them. I want Charlie Brown to kick the football! I love a triumph over adversity story! Also, I think if the Leafs did Do The Thing it would basically be the combination of “Cubs win the World Series” and “Raptors are the champs” and I wanna watch the city of Toronto go fully apeshit from a safe distance. I don’t adore many their individual players as much as I do some other teams higher on this list, and I still laugh far too much when things go super comically impossibly badly for them, but I am actually pulling for the Leafs!! I want to see it all pay off for them. I want them to go all the way. Gimme that “LEAFS WIN!!!” (Unless it’s against someone above them on this list lol)

[crazyyanderefangirlfan]

The Rabbit Of Night Raven. Chapter 2: Bring on the Mania!

Chapter 2: Bring on the Mania! Part 1

Sunlight filtered through the windows of Ramshackle and creating a mini spotlight for the two figures on the bed. Grim yawned and nuzzling against the pillow, having the most blissful dream.

"I will become the greatest *yawn* tuna wizard ever."

Valerie peeked inside the room, gushing at the sight of her adorable sleeping companios. She was already dressed and decided for those two sleep in a bit. She took out her phone and snapped a quick pic. Once she placed it back, time for more pressing matters.

"Grim, time to wake up. We have class." 

Howegroaned and turned away from her. The girl pouted, but luckily she had a backup plan.

"Fine, since you won't wake up. I'll just have to eat that premium tuna sandwich that I made for breakfast. I was gonna give it to you, but it looks like I have to eat all four sandwiches."

"NO!" Like a bolt of lightning, he ran downstairs and to the kitchen. Valerie chuckled. She idly made her way downstairs and found Grim hastily stuffing his face.

"Your gonna choke." She commented, he sent her a glare and snapped back a retort, but he ended up choking a bit. She quickly ran to his side and patted his back.  Eventually, he swallowed the rest of his sandwich. He panted heavily and gave the girl a dirty look. She responded with a sheepish smile.

"Eheh. Sorry, Grim."

"You better be! As an apology, you shall buy whatever I want at lunch!"

"Yes. Boss baby."

Grim jumped up and draped himself around her shoulders. She grabbed her stuff, bid the ghosts goodbye, and made her way to school. It's been a week since Valerie last saw Amane. She hoped he was okay and didn't get into trouble. 

Finally, she made her way to Main street where her first-year squad was waiting for her. Ace and Deuce were in the middle of another heated argument, with Jack trying and failing to break them apart. Epel looked like he wanted to join in but restrained himself. Sebek appeared to be looking for someone. He finally spotted her.

"GOOD MORNING, VALERIE!" The other boys winced at his volume but saw her too.

"Fuck Sebek, could you tone it down? My eardrums almost burst." Ace complained as he rubbed his ears.

"Good morning Valerie." Deuce offered her a sweet smile, which she returned.

"Morning, guys."

"You came just in time. I was about to smack their heads." Jack huffed, re-adjusting his bag. Epel waved at her. He blushed when she pecked his cheek, to which the other boys glared at him.

"Let's just go." Ace grumbled as he pulled Valerie away from the lavender haired boy. Lisha flew back to her head. As they walked through the halls, a random student walked up to them, specifically Valerie.

"The headmaster wants you in his office."

Valerie bit back a sigh. It was early in the morning, and the crow had another job for her. Her friends must have sensed her exasperation and offered to go with her.

"You sure? You guys might miss class."

"It's fine, princess, don't worry. Besides, we gotta hold you back in case you kill him." Ace teased. She smiled at that.

They stood in front of Crowley's office. Valerie took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for whatever bullshit Crowley has in store for her. She knocked. There was a muffled reply but took it as confirmation. Although this is not what she expected...

_____________________________

"What's up, Sugar tits!"

There stood Amane in all his glory. Dressed in a hot pink off-shoulder pleated blouse with white skinny jeans and a pair of beige suede ankle boots. Around his neck is a black choker with a gold heart and wearing a familiar smirk on his face. On his shoulder was a rusty-barred owl with a black ribbon around it.

Ace and Deuce paled at the sight of him.

"Amane!" She ran to him for a hug, who staggered from the impact but returned the hug. 

"The weirdo is back." Grim groaned.

“Who’s this.” Pointing at the bird.

“Its Lisha, the ribbon around her keeps her on that form.” The incubi answered.

"Okay, but what are you doing here?" She asked.

"I believe I have the answer to your question Ms. Kemonihito" Crowley spoke up. Oh yeah, she forgot about him.

"Mr. Mania, please wait outside with the rest of the first years." 

Ace and Deuce, trying to blend into the background as much a possible, stared bug-eyed at the headmaster. While the rest of their friends were confused about their behavior.

"He can't be THAT bad, can he?" Epel whispered to Jack, who shrugged.  They all stiffen when Amane's eyes fixate on them, and they could see why the Heartslabyul duo is scared of him.

His stare is fierce. Filled with uncontrollable hunger as he stared at their bodies, his gaze lingered at Jack and Sebek. Both were on high alert when they noticed his eyes on them. 

Epel trembled. His gaze was far more intense than Rook's, and honestly, he would prefer his Rook's stare over Amane's any day.

However, Ace and Deuce were praying to the great seven to give them the strength to survive another one of his 'flirtations.'

The heterochromia male gave them a lascivious smile. "Of course. I'm eager to meet her beloved friends." He strutted past them, not before giving them a flirty wink. The boys shuddered but followed him.

As soon as the door shut, Valerie faced Crowley.

"Now, to answer your previous question, Valerie. Mr. Mania would like to spend two days with you." She opened her mouth, but he cut her off.

"Normally, I would not allow this. But Mr. Mania has offered a generous sum of money, as well as advertising for the school to ensure more students enroll next year. So all I ask of you is to keep an eye on him, make sure he stays out of trouble, and not to harass others."

"Considering I never have a say in anything you ask me, I'll do it."

"Fantastic! I have already informed the rest of the teachers of Amane's presence. Aren't I gracious?"

'Graciously annoying.' But she'll keep that tidbit for herself. She excused herself and walked out of the deadbeat's office. However, she didn't expect the state of her friends when she left them with Amane.

Ace, Deuce, and Epel were behind Jack and Sebek. The three of them were shaking, clearly traumatized. Jack and Sebek's faces were red as apples, and their expressions were a mixture of embarrassment and indignance.

"Ehhh... What did we miss?" The boys snapped to attention. Never in their lives that they would be so relieved to hear Grim's voice.

"Valerie! He!... Never in my life that I have met someone so controlled by lust! How do you even manage with him!?" Sebek, at this point, was ready to pull out his pen and blast Amane to the farthest side of the school.

"Awww~ Poor little baby is shy~" Amane giggled, relishing Sebek's flustered face.

"So, what happened? Is he leaving?" Deuce didn't even bother to hide his hopeful expression. The rest of them perk up, silently praying for that to be true. Alas, fate is cruel. 

"Oh, no. Actually, Amane will be with me for two days."

Valerie failed to perceive the look of pure terror on her friends' faces, nor Amane's sadistic delight upon seeing them.

"What? Is that even allowed?" Jack narrowed his eyes, his ears were pulled back, and his tail is pointed straight outwards parallel to the ground.

"It sure is, you fluffy hunk." The wolf recoiled. Amane had another flirtatious smile as he eyed Jack.

"All I had to do is to give that crow some money, a bit of advertising, and I'm good to go."

Uhh. Of course.

[revchainsaw]

Coneheads (1993)

Another Entry from 1993. I'm leaning towards the thought that 1993 was a booming year for moviegoers. Unlike my previous review (Demolition Man), Coneheads is a movie that I am not visiting for the first time. I have fugue like toddler memories of the unforgettable silhouettes of these characters but I also have much more vivid memories of seeing reruns of this film on Comedy Central throughout my school years. Of Course, I can not hear Soft Cell's Tainted Love without thinking about this film.

The Message

Coneheads is a Sci-Fi Comedy exploring the American immigrant experience of a family of illegal aliens, but these aliens are of the extraterrestrial variety. All joking aside, that is how the plot presents it's central conflict as the INS is hot on their trail. The Coneheads are a nuclear family of aliens from the planet Remulak. Dan Aykroyd plays the father Beldar, he is employed most comically as a Taxi Driver and also by his home planet as the Time Keeper, whose job it is to inform the invading force of the most opportune time to conquer the earth. Beldar's mate and lifelong companion is Prymaat, played by Jane Curtin. Together they have a daughter, born of Earth, named Connie.

The first act of the film tells of the Coneheads arrival and stranding on Earth and how they are treated as foreigners and second class citizens by the people of Earth. However, they are never assumed to be aliens, just kinda freaky looking. Much of the humor comes from no matter how strange and unappealing they act the Coneheads kindness, hard work, and diligent behavior earns them the admiration and love of their neighbors and coworkers everywhere they go. Eventually Prymaat becomes pregnant and they give birth to Connie.

After a time jump, Connie has entered her teenage years and the generation gap and the culture gap between the Coneheads and their rebellious daughter begins to manifest. The Coneheads are loving parents and Connie a loving daughter and it's just so heartwarming to see such a functional relationship played out as they navigate these difficulties.

Unfortunately, the INS director who had once been on the Coneheads case early in their years finds that the unresolved investigation into these aliens has left a dark mark on his record and could be used to foil his political aspirations. Due to this realization his ambition towards these goals turns his apathy about the case to a dogged pursuit that would put Wile E. Coyote to shame.

Eventually the Coneheads are brought back in touch with the Remulak people and Beldar is forced to choose between his devotion to his culture and his people, and the life he has built for his beloved family as a citizen of Earth. Through some trickery and a decision to spare the Earth, Beldar becomes the anonymous savior of the Earth and the Coneheads are granted U.S. Citizenship.

With our Invader Zim's and Solar Opposites on our plates, does the Coneheads hold up as a satisfactory offering to the Cult of Cult?

Let's get to the Benediction.

Best Gag: 10 fingers, 10 toes, 10 inch cone

The Coneheads is sort of a one trick pony when it comes to humor. No one particular gag sticks out more than any other as most of the comedy tends to be, a Conehead does a weird thing and then people react either shocked or strangely unfazed. However, one seen has both reactions and a ton of that weirdness in rapid fire succession and that would be the birth of Connie Conehead.

Best Effect: Narfle the Garthok

At the climax of the film Beldar is set in colosseum battle against a creature known as the Garthok. The effect is a simple stop motion beast, and it certainly looks corny by todays standards. Even next to an old Ray Harryhausen film the creature looks cartoony. I think that's more than forgivable considering Coneheads is basically a cartoon. I want to take a moment to give props to the makeup department, at no point do i feel like the Coneheads do not look like aliens, they completely sell the very mild alien features that set the Remulaks apart from Earthlings, but these effects are just that, mild. I'm a monster loving boy and I gotta get my monster love out. I love the Garthok, and I may have to admit I've watched Coneheads a few times just to see the Garthok.

Worst Aspect: Just a Dash of Implied Racism

Racism is just an aspect of our culture. There's no pretending that isn't the case, and for that reason for generations racial stereotypes and observations have made it into our films. That is not to say that observations about race being made are automatically racist, however, I think there are some jokes about how the Coneheads are treated in the film, or the things they do that only work if you are familiar enough with racist caricature that the gag makes sense. Unfortunately, these few moments do not go so far as to subvert the gag. For instance, in a film where a black character is implied to be in danger because the police show up, would be an example of a racial issue that is implied because the audience recognizes the implications of how race is a part of American culture, but an implication that the hallways of a building where aliens live in smells funny or that aliens behaving like freaks is accepted implies that the audience thinks that foreigners smell strange or behave in freaky ways, and does not do enough to subvert these stereotypes. Do I think this was intentional or malicious? NO. But it is important to talk about. The filmmakers swim in the same cultural water as I, and the implied biases that you must understand to get some of the jokes are the same biases that are implanted in me. It's just important to note.

Best Aspect: It's All Love Baby

There is a lot of love on display in Coneheads. Beldar and Prymaat are supportive to one another and to their daughter. There is conflict and misunderstandings in the plot, but it shows that a loving family is not measured by a lack of conflict but by how they deal with their issues. Connie is a loving daughter. The friends and neighbors of the Coneheads are also incredibly kind and supportive of the young alien family. Ronnie, played by the ever endearing Chris Farley is so enamored with Connie that he openly accepts all of the weirdness and well intentioned abuse he suffers as a human trying to find an in to a Remulak family with open arms. It's a shame that so much humor in todays film comes from characters being awful to one another. It's refreshing to turn back the clock and enjoy a comedy that runs on such a warm hearted engine.

Most WTF Guy: Dan Aykroyd is a fucking Weirdo

Between Ghostbusters, Nothing But Trouble, and Coneheads I'm coming to realize just how freaking weird Dan Aykroyd is and I love it. This guys mind must be like an Adult Swim bump marathon.

Ambiguous Aspect: An American Tale

The humor of Coneheads is a fish out of water tale, and as such relies heavily on the cultural context of the American Dream and it's relevance for immigrants. In a way Coneheads can be seen as in dialogue with movies like An American Tale, Scarface, and many others. I was born in America, as a military brat, and I have lived in other countries but always on American military bases and where my status as an American was more of a benefit than a hindrance in my day to day interactions with citizens of whatever country I was living in. I have no personal context for these struggles or how the humor of Coneheads is in anyway relevant.

From where I'm sitting I really enjoy how the themes of the film explore the exploitation of immigrants. How Beldar has a genius level IQ and an absurd work ethic yet he is payed in peanuts and happily overproduces for his bosses. I appreciate the exploration of the cultural gap between immigrant parents and their bicultural children. I'd like to think, because I quite enjoy Coneheads, that this movie is sensitive and is presenting these issues in a sympathetic light instead of just using prejudices of "wacky foreigners" as fodder for cheap jokes, but I'm not really sure I'm the position to determine that.

At the very least it's something to chew on. If any of you in the congregation have read any articles pertaining to the subject of how the immigrant experience was portrayed in Coneheads please shoot me a link. I'm sure it would be illuminating to read. Perhaps I am over thinking things and maybe the film makers did not wish to have the movie picked apart, however, immigration is currently and has always been a sensitive and complex category of interrelated issues in our country and if Dan Aykroyd and the other writers did not want to dig into the subject maybe they should have steered clear of the topic in the script.

Summary

Coneheads will not likely be the funniest film you'll ever see. It's certainly a product of it's time and I'm not sure that even then it was for everyone. This is a heartfelt family story but it is also what happens when an SNL skit by a very strange and very high Dan Aykroyd is successful enough to receive a Hollywood budget and a feature length claim to your time. It's by no means amazing, but it is easy viewing. Good luck getting Soft Cell out of your head this week.

Overall Grade: C

[otomaticallyobsessed]

Quarantine Blues

Ok y’all so this is my first fic I’ve ever written... If anyone even reads this, feel free to give some feedback. I have some other fic ideas, and depending on how this goes I may or may not write those too. I think it’ll become obvious this is based off my real life circumstances - and I figured if the fic you need doesn’t exist, make it yourself right?

Karno x Reader, hurt/comfort

cw: depression, quarantine, some swearing

It was a dark, lonely night. I had been trying and failing to concentrate on my homework for hours, but to no avail. This quarantine was getting to me, seeping into my spirit and stealing away any amount of positivity and productivity I might have felt.

I am in my last semester of university. Actually, at this point I am only two weeks away from everything being finally over. But the pressure of finals, quarantine, and the reemergence of my depression is getting to me, and I am breaking down.

I sigh for probably the hundredth time in the last hour. I was getting nowhere, and the longer I sat here the more I wanted to just throw my laptop across the room, pack a bag, and go find some cabin in a woods somewhere and make my fate secluded from society.

I cast my gaze up to the night sky, trying to find some source of comfort. Immediately, my eyes are drawn to the familiar stars of the Cancer constellation. I sigh again, but this time not because of the homework.

Karno… I miss you.

I’m sure he is working harder than anyone in the heavens at the moment. I haven’t seen any of the Zodiac gods since this pandemic started, and I doubted I would anytime soon. I smile to picture Karno attempting to talk down Leon as he ripped into Zyglavis. Karno waking up Aigo for the thirteenth time that day. Karno staying up all hours of the day to make sure the department ran smoothly.

I couldn’t help but long to see him. He was always so calm, so reassuring. I could use one of his amazing hugs right now.

Ugh! Karno is working hard right now, so you should be too!

I shake my head to rid myself of thoughts of him. I didn’t want any of my wishes accidentally making its way into the department – Leon and Teo would never let me hear the end of it. And besides, I didn’t want to distract him.

I reopen my notebook, and glance back at my laptop. I really am trying to get something done, but I end up just staring at the computer screen for who knows how long. Eventually I groan and lay my head down on the desk. It was pointless.

“Well now, that’s not a sound I like hearing from you.”

I jerk up in surprise. “Karno?!” I frantically look around my room but no one is there. “Good gods I’m going insane.”

Two warm hands cover my eyes. “Well, I certainly hope not!”

I grab his hands from over my eyes, rise from my chair, and throw myself at him. “Karno!! Why did you hide?”

“I’ll admit, I thought it might be fun to play a joke. Maybe I’ve been seeing Ichthys too much. We’re all working together right now and its a little much.” He wraps his arms around me and holds me close to his chest. I missed his hands on my waist, and felt immeasurably more complete having him in my arms.

“Now, what has gotten my darling so upset I could hear her from the heavens?” I’m quiet for a second. Now that he’s here, I feel really silly thinking about telling him anything. I mean, he’s a literal god helping keep the world in balance, and I’m freaking out over a college final? “I tried to not call to you. I’m sorry if I pulled you away from something important.”

“Nothing is as important to me as you.” He whispers, making direct eye contact with me. He pulls away slightly, but only to guide me to my bed. He pulls me back close to him as we settle down. “Tell me what is wrong?”

“It’s silly.” “It’s not silly if it’s bothering you.”

“I guess its just… I can’t concentrate on anything. I can’t do anything right now either. I’ve been writing the same report for the last week. Usually something like this would take me three hours, not three days!”

“Why can you not concentrate?”

“The… uncertainty of the whole situation! This is an important coming of age time for me. Graduating college is huge for humans! And now everything is on lockdown, nobody is hiring, classes suddenly moved online, my work shut down… All within a week! And now its been six weeks, I’m still not recovered from the whiplash, and this room of mine has become a damn prison.”

He tugs me closer. “I’m so sorry, beloved. If you don’t want to worry about school anymore, you just have to wish it.” “You’re sweet… but I can’t do that. I have to do this work myself – otherwise I may have the degree but I won’t have earned it.”

“And that is why I adore you so much.” He pauses thoughtfully, then asks “Is this all that’s truly bothering you? Its certainly enough to have anyone rattled, but I feel like there may be more.”

I give off a mirthless laugh. I should have known he would notice something. He was too damn perceptive. “Maybe you’re right about that.”

“Mmm.” He acknowledges me, looking at me expectantly. His warm brown eyes show nothing but love and patience.

“Well… I don’t think gods deal with this sort of thing really but… Are you familiar with illnesses of the mind?”

“Well, I have heard of punishment cases of humans who have lost their grip on reality and hurt other because of it. Hue has mentioned though that are lots of different ways humans can be sick, physically and mentally, and that not all of them are so violent as those instances.”

I focus my gaze on the ceiling above me and take a deep breath. He waits patiently for me to say something. When I don’t, he prompts me, “I’m going to assume you suffer from an ailment of the mind as well?”

“It’s… humans call it depression.” “And what is it like?” “It can be different for anyone… But for me I can’t concentrate, and I just want to sleep all day. And all night. And just always. Always sleep. Because everything hurts, and I don’t want it to. I can’t even do the easiest assignment in the world! I can’t concentrate, and it hurts. I’m going to fail my classes and it hurts. I can’t see my family and it hurts. I can’t even take a fucking shower most days. And it hurts. Everything hurts. And it won’t stop. I can’t make it stop. I can’t make my brain shut up, and it just keeps telling me how shitty I am and-“

“Darling.” Karno calmly cuts me off. He’s taken my hand, and is slowly uncurling my fingers from my palms. I hadn’t noticed it, but I was clenching my fists so tightly that my nails had drawn blood in small crescent moons all over my palms. He rubs my back soothingly as he kisses away the tears marking my face. “How long has this been going on for?”

“All my life it comes and goes. Its… its been over a year since it’s been bad though. I was starting to think that maybe it was gone for good – it’s the longest I’ve been okay! I’ve been… good actually. I met you, I’ve made friends for the first time in my life, I’ve actually enjoyed school… But since this quarantine happened, its back. Its soul crushing, because now I know. I was naïve. It’s never going to go. It’s going to be with me forever.”

“Well. It’s a good thing I’m going to be with you forever too.”

I look up at him in shock. “Really? You don’t think I’m some kind of weirdo?” “You are a weirdo dear, but that’s because you don’t like spicy food. If we can get past that, we can get past anything.” I giggle a bit before he continues. “It breaks my heart to hear you’ve been dealing with this alone. But you don’t have to anymore, okay? Anytime you are sad, or lonely, I’m only a wish away.”

“But your work-“

“Let me worry about my work. As I said before, you are the most important thing to me.” As his words sink in, they fill me up to the brim and spill out as tears. “Please don’t cry anymore, my love. I’m here.”

“Can you just hold me?”

“Of course.”

I stay in his warm embrace, and close my eyes to inhale his scent. I could never quite place what he smelled like – probably something too divine for the likes of earth. It smells like citrus and… cinnamon, maybe. He runs his hands through my hair as I cry, and he murmurs soft words of comfort and love until I fall asleep there in his arms.

In the morning, my eyes are sore and puffy from the night before. I wake up warm and comfortable, and I realize Karno is still wrapped around me. Noticing I’m awake, he smiles gently “Good morning.” “You’re still here? I thought you would have left after I fell asleep?” He raises a questioning eyebrow. “Did you want me to?” “No!” I protest, probably a bit too quickly.

He smiles and gives me a soft, slow kiss.

“I do have to be going, my love. But I have a parting gift for you.”

“You do?” I look up at him curiously.

“Indeed. Do you remember my special power?” I nod my head, of course I do. “Well, I figured the least I can do is magnify your happiness, and productivity.” “But I thought that you could only magnify exiting properties… I don’t have either of those right now.” “Oh?” Karno smirked. “Then are you unhappy right now to see me?”

“No!”

“I know you, dearest. I know you are positive, and you are one of the most self-motivated people I know. They’re in there.” He leans over ad gives me a kiss on the forehead. Immediately, I feel a lightness and a warmth suffuse my body. “Remember my love, I am but a wish away.” He gently caresses my cheek, and I close my eyes to his touch. When I open them again, he’s gone.

I was sad to see him go, but no longer lonely. In fact, I felt better than I had in weeks. My love for him filled my chest until I felt like bursting.

Well then. Best not to waste a divine gift.

Time to kick an essays ass.

[iheardarumorxxx]

Midnight Sun, Chapter 1 - First Sight

Here’s the thing. I know what that title is implying (Love At), and I hate it. I hated it in Twilight and I hate it here. If you read Twilight, you know that it doesn’t live up to it’s weight.

This was the time of day when I wished I were able to sleep.

Literally how does Weirdo piss me off so easily with just 14 words. I thought being in Bella’s head was whiny and annoying but I feel like I’m gonna hate Weirdo’s head even more.

We get a full ass paragraph of Weirdo fucking emo whining about how high school is LAAAAME and BORRRING as if his white bread ass has any right to judge something like that. 

Half the sheep-like males were already imagining themselves in love with her, just because she was something new to look at.

... Excuse me, Weirdo, What the Fuck??? This quote is gonna be real fuckin’ funny real soon.

Rosalie's mind was a shallow pool with few surprises.

Nice try, Weirdo, but I’ve been inside your beloved Bella’s mind for three and a half books and happen to know for a fact that hers is the same way.

Their instincts told them what their conscious minds would never understand: we were dangerous.

Because I’m pulling all of my Twilight knowledge out while I read this, I’m calling immediate bullshit on this. Never once did we actually see any humans displaying unconscious effort to stay away from vampires in the Twilight universe. We were told they did, but everything shown was ‘Wow, they’re so hot and sexy and gorgeous and heart eyes emoji!!!1!’ So I don’t buy it. And if the people of Forks’ instincts are telling them anything about the Cullens, it isn’t that they’re dAnGeRoUS, it’s that they’re fucking rude.

He was picturing it - picturing himself getting up from his seat next to Alice and going to stand beside the little girl. Thinking of leaning down and in, as if he were going to whisper in her ear, and letting his lips touch the arch of her throat. Imagining how the hot flow of her pulsebeneath the fine skin would feel under his mouth...

Went ahead and kept that full for context so I could go ahead and just say WHAT THE FUCK JASPER, that’s a fucking PERSON. A HUMAN BEING. SOMEONE WITH A LIFE AND FRIENDS AND FAMILY. Sure, sure, wah wah vampire hunger bad, but between Weirdo going out of his way to call this poor chick a ‘little girl’ and Jas just having a cute lil murder daydream, the regards that the Cullens claim to have for human life seems a bit ‘protest too much’ if you ask me.

soothing his chagrin.

I’m excited to have my first chagrin, and in the first chapter no less.

"It helps a little if you think of them as people,"

See my above point about the Cullens regards for human life.

I never actually read the leaked MS manuscript when it was first out, so I dunno how much of this is edited/the same as that, but I gotta say that this attempt at making Jessica seem like the biggest bitch in the world doesn’t work when all that was ever shown of Jessica in Twilight was that she was a little bit of a gossip, a little bit shallow, but overall was very kind and welcoming to Bella when she arrived and tried to make her part of the group. Jessica was kind to Bella, who was kind of a total asshole to her right back to her. I don’t buy Mean Girl Jessica Stanley. I do buy high school girl Jessica Stanley with a few wayward shallow and even mean thoughts because she had a crush on Mike, who didn’t give her the time of day, but this feels like overkill. I guess I should just be fucking grateful that Leah isn’t in this story because I just know she would get a dump taken on her. Leah deserved a much better book. Anyway, I’m rambling, moving on.

What did she see when she looked at the strange, chalky-skinned family that was universally avoided?

Oh, ya know, just that you’re all alabaster skinned angels with perfectly swoopy hair and shimmering topaz liquid gold eyes that she wants to go swimming in. But thank you for actually fucking acknowledging that you guys are chalky pale. I’m not ready for all the alabaster purple prose yet.

Point of order on Weirdo’s little mind reading thing. Seemingly, he only hears passing surface thoughts, yes? There’s no deeper emotion behind them, he can’t really hear anything past what is immediately on their mind. And yet he judges all of the people around him on these surface level thoughts. Pretty much everyone has really mundane and inane surface thoughts. Things like ‘what should I have for dinner’ or ‘where did I leave that thing’ or whatever. He isn’t getting a full picture of people based on these surface thoughts but he judges them as shallow and boring anyway. Point of the tangent here: Edward Cullen is an asshole.

Her skin was so translucent it was hard to believe it offered her much defense from the outside world.

The implication of this is that Bella’s skin lets you see through it, which is a gross mental image. Translucent is not the word SM wanted there.

they would be just as petty and trivial as any human's thoughts.

Please see my rant above about Edward and surface level thoughts. This is exactly what I’m talking about.

Anyway, We’re about to go to biology class, so I’ll pick this up there so that this isn’t just one long ass post that people have to slog through. This turned from Liveblog into Recap and Critique, so... my bad if you didn’t sign up for that.

[strewbi]

Rosalie Ruins Dinner

a twilight fic in 2020

part 1

The trouble with this guy, Rosalie thinks, is that he really believes that being able to hear people’s thoughts is the same as understanding people. A man with the emotional range of a teenager who only watches teen dramas. That, she thinks, is what comes of going to and from high school and only playing the piano as a hobby. 

Rosalie left the house often, with her husband or not. She went to concerts, she visited museums, she joined local clubs, she signed up for interesting classes, she volunteered with that little charity group in town that collected formal dresses for underprivileged girls.

Hunger? She’d grown up having food tut-tutted out of her hands. Denying herself blood is nothing to being kept from the world and denying she wanted better.

And though she is smarter than surely anyone in the room, as she stands tossing a salad she can’t imagine enjoying she is baffled by the sixteen-year-old girl in her kitchen and the people, older than this child’s grandparents flitting around her play-acting as though she really were meeting her little boyfriend’s family. 

Rosalie understands most men on a forensic level. She had not figured children to be this man’s type, not when he had forgone women and men both for nearly a century and died a virgin. He scowls. Rosalie makes brief eye contact with Alice. Rosalie could do something about all of this. She could scream her head off, she feels the phantom scrape of it up her throat. This sour-smelling wet bowl of leaves could go right out the window, she could very easily toss the fork ended salad tong right into the little girl’s throat.

Edward growls subvocal, attention fully on her.

Good.

He’s in her face, wild, and just as suddenly Emmet, smiling, gentle Emmett is holding him back with one loose hand.

Is it hunger? Simple hunger that sets him sniffing at a young girl’s hair like a weirdo? Rosalie can smell her just fine and Bath and Body Works have yet to make a scent that truly compliments the body chemistry of anyone, much less a sweaty teenager. Edward thinks they’re monsters, creatures made of base urges. So is anyone, what is his excuse?

Her mind flashes with vicious and cruel memories, old enough to be dulled by a better life. A ruined wedding dress. Tearing hands. A young beautiful bride. Hunger and cruelty as human as greed.

She’s known this man since they were both actual teenagers. She knows he’s only self-flagellating so he can feel better when he goes ahead and eats a little girl’s life anyway. When he steals her time, her growth, her future, her body, her mind, the people she might know, and the relationships she might have.

Pretending to care wouldn’t make it better. He is a dirty old man copping a feel on a bus, he is a whistle in a dark alley. His monstrosity does not come from superhuman strength or the need for blood. His monstrosity did not come from being reforged by hellish magics into a ghoul with perfectly symmetrical features. He is exactly himself, as he would be without supernatural help.

He winces and turns to search out the girl’s face, to see what she must think of this strange unspoken conversation. Rosalie grins her real grin, the mean one. In addition to being a creep, Edward is also an idiot.

Emmett, beloved, good Emmett smiles the way he did when she watched him, human and smug with a winning hand. He hadn’t needed to ask what she was doing. He kicks out Edward’s legs from under him and sits on him. Emmett understands her completely.

Edward is...slavering. Throwing a fit as though he’s rabid. His legs scrabble on the floor, trying and failing to buck Emmett. Vampire strength or no, he’s a twig who died of influenza. It’s not about to work.

Carlisle and Esme speak to him, calling his name in gentle, calming tones. Sometimes when she thinks about her life she wonders what makes her feel the need to clean up this guy’s mess. Did a near-century of proximity really forge bonds so deep? People need to stop saying she’s not nice.

She presses her heel to his cheek and holds his face firmly to the parquet flooring.

“Would you collect yourself? You have a law degree. You’re ruining the floors.” His clawing hands stop.

“Where is she?” He says, panting indulgently.

“Why the hell would I know?” Rosalie says. 

He flails his skinny little bug arms around again and roars.

[secondhand-trash]

Freddy Freeman(Shazam!)- Art Exchange

A/N: Nobody asked for this but here is another fic I wrote out of impulse. This is inspired by something similar that happened to my friend and the biggest struggle I had when I wrote this was probably the fact that I have no idea how American schools work lol

Description: Drawing exaggerated pictures of your teachers is a part of high school culture and you had fully embraced it as a part of your school life. You just didn’t expect someone to actually see it, let alone replying to it with an even more comedic doodle.

Wordcount: 2166

Playlist:

Young Volcanos//Fall Out Boy

Check Yes Juliet//We The Kings

Something You Want//Against the Current

You couldn’t help it. Mathematics was boring and the teacher’s monotone lecture did not help keeping you awake at all. Scribbling on your desk was your last attempt at trying to stop your eyelids from closing and to your surprise, it worked. From that moment onwards, you always mindlessly dribble on the corner of your desk in class, occasionally looking up to pretend that you are actually listening. By the time you leave class, half of the wood surface would be covered in graphite strokes, most of which consisted of portraits of your maths teacher.

Sorry Mr Martin, but your round head and goatee was too cartoonish and easy to visualize.

Normally, you would make sure to erase all the doodles on your desk before leaving the room. But your friend had been rambling about this new movie and as you two continued with the conversation after the bell rang, you completely forgot about the markings on the school property.

Your mistake ended up being a delightful surprise for another poor kid who was stuck in the exact same situation as you did.

Freddy tried, he really did but he hated this subject with his whole heart. Why did the school think it was a good idea to ask you to calculate the volume of a pool when no person in their right mind would purchase a goddamn pool without knowing its measurements?

He was quick to notice that something was off about his usual seat the moment he walked pass the door. Taking a more careful look at the patterns on the desk as he sat down, he instinctively pressed his hand to his lips to cover up the snicker that would have drawn too much unwanted attention as more pupils started entering the room. On the corner of his desk was a figure that somehow resembles an egg but with a goatee. He didn’t have to take another glance to know that said egg was their beloved teacher, completely unaware that he had been immortalized in his student’s masterpiece as he handed out the new assignment.

Whoever did this was a genius, Freddy thought to himself as he scanned through the other amusing doodles on the desk. He reached into his bag and scrambled for a pencil, scribbling away while trying to surpress the large grin on his face.

“Mr Freeman? Mr Freeman, are you listening?”

Shit. “Yes Mr Martin?”

“Tell me, what is the answer to this question?”

“Oh crap.”

“What if he saw it?” You nervously said to your friend as you two made a turn down the hallway.

“It’s gonna be fine,” your friend said, clearing annoyed after hearing you went on about how much trouble you would be in if Mr Martin found out about the little artwork you made of him in class. Drawing in class, on school property AND making fun of your teacher? God knows how many days of detention this could cost you.

You sighed in relieve as Mr Martin did not even turn to look at you when you walked in. You walked straight to your seat to see that all the doodles were still there. Picking up an eraser to remove all hints of your crime, you noticed something that wasn’t there before. Right next to the egg(aka cartoon Mr Martin) you drew was the figure of a man being tied up. The corner of your lips tucked up into a smirk as you saw that the man was tied up by his very, very long facial hair. Whoever left this here clearly paid more attention to the teacher’s goatee more than they did to class like you did.

“Nice drawings, bought me more fun than maths ever did. Hope you don’t mind my little addition:)”

Looking at the scrawled handwriting below the figure, you grinned. You erased the existing drawings on the table and started making another one, all while thinking of a message that you could leave for the person who would be sitting there later on.

Needless to say, you were thrilled when you got back to the seat the following day to see that you actually got a reply.

You never thought that you would ever say this in your entire lifetime but you started really looking forward to maths class. Every time you walked into the classroom, you checked the table for new drawings and messages immediately and you were never disappointed. Your anonymous friend always pulled through and the stuff that appeared on the wooden surface only got weirder and weirder, so weird that you found yourself smiling uncontrollably when you look at them in class. (”What exactly are you smiling at?” “Oh, nothing. Just my love for algebra, Mr Martin.”)

Your friends teased you about it, saying that you looked like a fool in love when you grin at your desk. To that, you shrugged. You never showed them the doodles and you weren’t planning to, much to their curiosity and annoyance. Somehow, you wanted the whole exchange to be a secret between you and the other person involved. The idea that you had an unspoken bond with someone you had not met gave you an odd sense of excitement.

That was until one day you entered the classroom with your usual anticipation and found nothing but your own handwriting, not even a single word next to the lines you made.

You tried to continue leaving little drawings and notes here and there on your desk everyday but you were met with the same disappointment when you check in on the markings the next day.

“I don’t get it! What happened? They didn’t say anything, they just vanished like they fell of the surface of the earth! Are they ok? Are they angry at me for anything I might have done? Are they still alive? What if-”

“Can you please calm down?” You friend yelled, throwing the fork down onto the tray and earning the both of you a few glances from the people sitting near your table, “That person does not even know who you are!”

“Well, I know!” You snapped back, “But there must be a reason as to why they suddenly stop replying! It makes no sense!”

You friend rolled their eyes and continued munching on their food, deciding that letting you express your frustration might be a wiser idea than putting any form of rationality in your head.

Little did you know, the same conversation was unfolding in the far corner of the cafeteria.

“I should have left my number!” Freddy sighed, “And now there’s no way I would ever find out who my art buddy is!”

“I mean, I get your frustration but maybe don’t take it out on your food? The mashed potato is innocent, ya’know?” Billy said in amusement as his brother let out another muffled groan, “Mr Martin wouldn’t have forced you to sit in the front row if you at least tried to pretend that you were paying attention, just saying.”

“You are no help.”

“Have you ever thought of waiting before class starts to see who’s the one in that seat?”

“First of all, that sounds creepy.” The shorter boy folded his arms in front of his chest, “Second, what am I supposed to do after that? Walk up to that person and be like ‘Hey, I’m the weirdo who you had been bonding with through our mutual mocking towards our teacher, wanna be friends?’”

“I thought you want to know who the person is?”

“Well yeah,” Freddy said, "but the thought of actually being around them in real life kinda scares me. Can’t we just go back to how things used to be? When I can pretend to be cool by hiding under the facade of my excellent art?”

“How so very confident of you, if only you have as much confidence when you are facing real people.”

“What class are we having?” You friend asked, desperately trying to change the subject. Your rambling carried on after you two finished lunch and they were slowly losing patience.

“History.”

“Damn it! Really? I forgot about the essay we are supposed to hand in! I’m so fucked...”

You mockingly laughed, “Same, but the difference between me and you is that I was smart enough to check my schedule when I got to school this morning so I managed to finish it in maths class.”

Reaching into you bag, you search for your paper and your smirk slowly fade as you realized that it was no where to be found. “Shit, I must have left it in the drawer.”

“Ha ha, jokes on you. Now we can both get into trouble together.”

You glared at your friend, “I’m gonna go get it back.”

“Are you sure? I think class is about to start.”

“I’ll just say that my stomach hurts and I was at the bathroom. With the quality of the food they are serving here, I’m sure that no one will suspect a thing.”

Freddy mindlessly flicked his pen as he sulked in his new seat. Class was no fun and he could not get away with drawing in class anymore with the teacher right in front of him, watching his every move. He was bored out of his mind when the door opened, he looked up to see an unfamiliar figure standing under the frame. Was this person in his class?

“Sorry Mr Martin, I left something here and I need it for class.” The person quickly entered the room and walked pass Freddy after gaining a nod of approval from the teacher. His gaze followed them and his eyes widened in shock as the person stopped in front of his previous seat, pulling a few sheets of paper out of the drawer. He took a quick glance at the paper when they passed his seat again and felt a comforting sense of familiarity when he saw their handwriting. Freddy smiled, earning him a look of confusion from the maths teacher. “Honestly,” the man thought to himself, slightly regretting putting this kid in the front, “why did I decide to be a teacher in the first place?”

“Hey! Wait up!”

You turned around, the voice stopping you in your track as you were walking out of the school building. Not far from you was a boy walking towards you with a crutch in his hand, clearly trying his best to walk at full speed.

“Do you know him?” Your friend whispered in your ear and you slightly shake your head. As he walked closer, you recognized him as the person who was sitting near the door when you went to get your homework in Mr Martin’s room.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I know you?”

The boy scratched the back of his head, realizing that he might have confused you. “Oh, of course. I almost forgot that you don’t know yet,” he said, not looking you in the eye as he speak, “I used to sit at your seat in maths before I got put in the front.”

You beamed as you finally gathered what the boy was trying to say, “That’s you? So that’s why you suddenly stopped replying! Thank god, I thought you were dead or something.”

“No, not dead, just observed by ‘Mr goatee’ 24/7.” he said and you laughed. He reached out his free hand to you, “I’m Freddy.”

“(y/n).” You said and shaked his hand, “I can’t believe I’m actually talking to you in person. I’ve missed you... I mean, talking to you... Like, drawing ‘talking’...” You felt your face burn as everything you said sounded so creepy and you gave your friend a sharp glare as you heard the snickering.

“I missed that too.” Freddy looked right at you and you took the first proper look at him. With the sun and the grin on his face, it looked his eyes were twinkling. You cringed as the thought went pass your head and you felt like such a cliché. But this kid actually got unfairly pretty eyes.

“Now that we did the whole ‘awkward first encounter thing’,” He said and darted his gaze away from you again, “maybe we can hang out sometimes? I know this really nice comic book shop in town, if you’re interested that is.”

You smiled, “I love comics.”

His face lit up and you cursed yourself for being so quick to notice that. “So is tomorrow good?”

“Tomorrow’s good.”

“Cool, I’ll see you then.” He gave you another bright smile before leaving and joining another group of people that you assumed to be his family. Still grinning from ear to ear at what happened, you didn’t notice the sly smile on your friend’s face.

“Ooooooooo someone’s got a date.”

“Shut up.”

[gryffindorcls]

It’s You (Part 2)

This AU is based on a drawing made by the amazing @yunyin that you can find here.

Enjoy!

---

The emotional roller coaster Adrien had experienced over the past two days had been both exhausting and exhilarating. Not only had he become a superhero and gone to school for the first time, but he’d met the most incredible human being: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Now that he knew that his new partner didn’t hate him for something Chloe did, he could focus on everything that made Marinette wonderful. It had only been a few hours since he’d asked for her forgiveness by giving her his umbrella, but he knew that he wanted to give her so much more. He wanted to give her the world.

Okay, so knowing her identity wasn’t ideal, but he was so happy. Adrien was one hundred percent positive that he was shamelessly in love with her; however, he had no idea how to tell her.

“I’ll just have to wait until the time is right,” he decided.

Adrien sighed and wondered if that day would ever come.

Plagg groaned and emerged from the wastebasket. “Please don’t become one of those silent pining types. I’ve had at least a dozen of those, and they were all miserable before they finally made a move.”

He looked at his Kwami. “I don’t know if I’m ready to ask her out yet. Like, I want to show Marinette that I care about her, but we just met. I don’t want to come off too strong. I gotta be honest...I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

“No...I never would have guessed!”

“Hey! I’m trying. How can you expect me to figure out how to pursue a romantic relationship with someone if I’ve never really had friends before?”

“I think you just answered your own question.”

“Huh?”

“You should try being friends with her first. Build that bond of trust that I was talking about. Once you do that, I guarantee that you’ll find the courage to ask out your bug.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just be friends with her for a little while.”

“Just friends?” Adrien shook his head. “No, I don’t like the sound of that. Marinette is definitely not ‘just a friend’.”

Plagg crossed his arms. “Look, kid. Marinette is Ladybug, and you are her Chat Noir. The two of you will never be ‘just friends’; however, you really should get to know her first. Typically, my wielders spend time with their bugs before they reveal their identities because knowing who’s behind that mask makes this real, and that can be scary. Also, you two are going to see each other almost every day. There’s no need to go all out in one sitting because you will have plenty of opportunities to woo her. It’s not like you’re just going to see her during Akuma attacks and the occasional patrol...give it some time.”

“I still want to show her that I care.”

“You can do that by building a strong friendship.”

Adrien felt as if a thousand thoughts were swirling around his head at the same time. “Perhaps the right moment will come if I work on being her friend first. But I still want to do more. I want her to know that she’s special to me.”

“I think I want to give her something...you know...as a token of our friendship,” Adrien declared.

“People are usually pretty receptive to food...just like me...who’s still waiting for his cheese.” Plagg placed a paw on his forehead and pretended to swoon.

“No, she lives in a bakery. I want to give her something else, but I don’t know what just yet.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out, kid...right after you bring me cheese.”

Adrien sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll go get your smelly cheese.”

Leaving behind a smug-looking Kwami, Adrien padded across the room, walked out the door, and crept down the hallway towards the kitchen. He ducked behind a planter when he heard a noise coming from his father’s office. When he was sure that his father would not discover him, he continued on his journey.

“I’m going to have to start ordering cheese. Sneaking out of my room like this every night is too risky,” he thought, making himself a mental note.

Once he was safely inside the kitchen, Adrien opened the fridge and pulled out his Kwami’s beloved camembert. He scanned his surroundings before closing the refrigerator door and tucking the cheese under his arm. Before having the chance to make a move towards the exit, his eyes landed on a bouquet of roses in a vase.

“I know just what to give Marinette.”

Adrien smiled and pulled a red rose from the bundle.

***

Marinette woke up the next morning and groaned. “I messed up so bad, Tikki.”

Tikki flew over to her holder and nuzzled her on the cheek. “It’s going to be okay. Usually, we like to wait for our holders to get to know each other a little better before even considering a reveal, but we will make it work. Your new partner seems wonderful.”

“Yeah, he is, isn’t he?” Marinette smiled and blushed, “I can’t believe he goes to my school.”

“I can,” the red Kwami mumbled, “Master Fu definitely knew what he was doing this time.”

Marinette cocked her head to the side. “Who?”

Tikki’s eyes grew wide. “Uhhh...don’t worry about it. That’s a story for a different day. But...Adrien, huh? I saw the way you two were looking at each other yesterday.”

“I know...I know...but I think I have a problem.”

“What is it?”

“Every time I think about him, it feels like my brain is going to explode. He’s so kind and sweet. You heard me try to say goodbye to him yesterday! I started stammering. How am I supposed to fight Akumas with him if I can’t even talk to him?”

“You just need to get to know him.”

“How?”

“Why don’t you invite him over for lunch? Or you could hang out with him after school. Just spend time with him. Find out what kind of things he likes to do. It will get easier.”

Marinette sighed. “I’ve never felt this way before.”

The Kwami smiled. “It’ll be okay, Marinette. Falling in love is a wonderful thing. It’s scary, but it will change your life for the better.”

“I hope so, Tikki, because with Hawkmoth and his Akumas out there, I’m going to need some good changes in my life to balance out the stressful ones…but then again, this is really stressful. What do I say? I can’t just go up to him!”

“Sure, you can. He’s your partner, and now he’s your friend. I can guarantee that he would love to spend time with you. Plagg’s cats typically love being with my bugs.”

Before she could answer her Kwami, she heard her mother yelling from downstairs. “Let’s go, Marinette! You don’t want to be late for school!”

Marinette looked at the clock on her phone and began to panic. “Oh, no! I still need to brush my hair! If I go looking like this, Adrien is going to think that I’m a weirdo for sure! He’s going to take one look at me and decide that I’m too spastic, and he’ll never want to talk to me again.”

Tikki shook her head. “I’m sure that won’t happen. How about you just focus on getting ready and heading over to the school?”

With a frustrated groan, Marinette haphazardly finished her morning routine, gathered her belongings, and rushed out of her house. When the coast was clear, she bolted across the street and ran into the school’s courtyard.

By the time she made it to the classroom, she was out of breath and exhausted. She dragged herself over to her table and collapsed in her seat. When she looked up, two shining green eyes were looking at her with a worried expression.

“Are you okay?” Adrien asked.

Marinette felt her insides seize with fear. “I...uh...ko may...I MEAN...I’m okay...ugh.”

“That’s good to hear! I...um...I have something for you!”

“Y-you do?”

Marinette’s breath hitched as he held up a delicate red rose. She reached out her hand and took it. She was so nervous that she didn’t know whether to smile, laugh, or cry.

She looked at him with the calmest expression she could muster. “You didn’t have to get me a-anything. You already gave me your bumbrella....no...ugh...your umbrella.”

He frowned slightly. “I thought you would like it. I wanted to show you how much you mean to me.”

“What on earth did I miss?” Alya looked back and forth between Adrien and Marinette. “Didn’t you two hate each other yesterday?”

“No,” Nino piped in, “Marinette didn’t want to talk to Adrien because she thought that Chloe put the gum on your seat. I told him to go talk to her, but I’m sensing that a whole lot more happened between them yesterday than just a simple conversation.”

“Wait, are you telling me that Adrien didn’t put the gum on our seat?”

“Nope. It was Chloe. However, until two days ago, that girl was my bro’s only friend. Now, he has me.”

“Ahhh...that was very informative. I think I’ll have to keep you around. You said your name was...Nino, right?”

“Yup that’s me.”

Alya then turned to Marinette. “So, care to explain what happened yesterday? You can’t tell me that nothing happened because something obviously did.”

“N-nothing happened,” Marinette did her best to cover the blush on her cheeks with her hands. “We made up...that’s it.”

“Made up or made out?”

“ALYA!”

“I think I’m definitely going to like it at this school. Things just got very interesting.”

When Marinette looked up at Adrien, she saw him hang his head and turn around. Her heart sank. She was messing everything up again!

Their conversation ended abruptly when Miss Bustier entered the room and started to teach. That morning, Marinette found it impossible to pay attention to the lesson. By the time the class was dismissed for lunch, she was itching for another chance to talk to Adrien. (Well...try to talk to him.)

When the bell rang, she saw Adrien quickly pack up his things and begin to walk out of the classroom without looking at her. She grabbed her belongings and attempted to catch up to him. However, she forgot about the step next to her table and plummeted to the ground. She landed on her hip and let out a sharp cry. Within seconds, Adrien had turned around and reentered the classroom.

Kneeling by her side, he placed a gentle hand on top of hers. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Can you stand?” he whispered.

“Yeah, I think so. Don’t worry about me. I fall all the time. I’m hopeless.” Tears began to fall freely down her cheeks.

Adrien helped Marinette onto her feet. When she winced, he snaked his arm around her and let her lean on him. She gladly used him for support.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked with concern lacing his voice.

Marinette attempted to wipe away the tears. “I’m fine. I’m telling you...I really do get hurt all the time. I...I...I…”

When she started crying again, Adrien led her out of the classroom and into the locker room. He took her to a secluded corner and sat down with her on a wooden bench.

After a few minutes, Adrien finally broke the silence. “I’m guessing this has to do with a lot more than just falling down in the classroom.”

All Marinette could do was nod her head in agreement and bury her face in her hands.

“Okay,” he began, “Are you still mad at me? Is that what this is about? Because I’ll do anything to make you feel comfortable around me. Just say the word, and I’ll do it.”

Her head snapped up. “No...absolutely not! You’re wonderful! Why would you think I was still mad at you?”

“Well, you didn’t really like the rose I gave you.”

“Oh, no, Adrien! I’m so sorry I made you think that! I loved it...I...I’m just hopeless. I mess everything up! First, I reveal my identity, and then I don’t cleanse the Akuma. Now, I’m being so stupid that my partner thinks I hate him!”

“You’re not hopeless, Marinette! Did you not see how brave you were yesterday standing up to Hawkmoth? This was our first time being superheroes. We’re bound to make a few mistakes along the way. I definitely didn’t do everything right. We’re learning, and I know that we can do this...together.”

“You know...I almost gave up my Miraculous when I realized that I’d messed up.”

Adrien took both of her hands. “Marinette, I can’t do this without you. You are my lady...and I will always be your cat. We are partners.”

She smiled. “I think I’m starting to see that now. I guess I just feel like I can’t do anything right.”

“Learning who you are right away was the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. Don’t ever think that was a mistake. I think it was fate because now I have the chance to get to know you outside of the mask. I gave you that rose to try and let you know how excited I was to have you in my life.”

Marinette felt her cheeks begin to burn once again. “I...it...umm...stiss rice nose...I mean...uhh...it’s a nice rose. Thank you.”

Adrien’s brows furrowed. “Are you sure you’re not still mad at me? You seem to be uncomfortable.”

She sighed. “N-no. I’m sorry. It’s not you. I...I just...I getalittleflusteredsometimes.”

He chuckled. “As long as you’re not mad, I think that flustered is something that we can work with. What can I do to make you feel more at ease?”

“Tikki said that I should get to know you and that we should spend time together outside of school.”

“That would be awesome! But…”

Marinette hung her head. “Oh...you don’t want to.”

Adrien shook his head. “NO! No...not at all. That’s not it. My dad is just SUPER strict. Two days ago, he finally agreed to let me go to school. He doesn’t really like it when I leave the house. You know what? I’ll see what I can do.”

“Really? Well, if you’re free now we could get lunch together.”

“I’d love to, but my dad scheduled me for a photoshoot, and he has me missing school this afternoon. But...I can see if he’ll let me do something once fencing practice is over.”

“Wow...a photoshoot and fencing? And you’re Chat Noir? How do you function?”

“I also have Chinese and piano. My dad likes to keep me busy. If I ask Nathalie...oh, that’s my dad’s assistant...umm...if I ask her first, she may be able to convince my dad to let me come over.”

Excitement flooded Marinette’s brain. “Okay! Umm...how about we exchange numbers? That way you can let me know if you can make it tonight.”

Adrien grinned. “Sounds like a plan, my lady.”

She giggled and pulled out her phone. Once they had each other’s contact information, they parted ways.

It didn’t take long for Marinette to convince her parents to potentially have Adrien come over for dinner. She spent the rest of her lunch break in a happy haze.

When she returned to school, she found herself still unable to focus as she thought about spending time with Adrien. She wondered what kind of things he liked to do.

Her mind wandered. “He’s rich and famous. He probably likes cool stuff...oh, no...he probably likes cool stuff that I don’t have! No, Marinette...he’s a nice person. He’s also really cute...ugh...I hope I can actually talk to him...he’s going to figure out that I have a crush on him...he’s going to think I’m…”

A soft buzz in her purse caused her spiraling thoughts to come to a screeching halt. She surreptitiously opened the clap on her bag and checked the message on her phone.

Adrien: Guess what? You’ll never believe it! My dad actually said yes! I just have to leave by seven. Did you still want me to come over?

Marinette: Yes! I can’t wait!

Adrien: Cool. I’ll walk over to the bakery after fencing.

Marinette: Awesome! I’ll see you then!

The rest of the afternoon crawled by. At the sounding of the final bell, Marinette leaped out of her seat and zipped home. She wanted everything to be perfect for Adrien’s arrival.

***

Adrien quickly changed into his everyday clothes at the end of fencing practice. He couldn’t wait to see Marinette again. When he turned to leave, he was stopped by a concerned looking Plagg.

The Kwami crossed his arms. “Kid, are you sure the rose thing was a good idea? Aren’t you supposed to be working on being friends with Marinette?”

“Well, like I said before...I don’t want to be just friends with her,” Adrien stated plainly, “I care about her. We may be ‘just friends’ now, but I’m hoping that she’ll want to be my girlfriend one day.”

“But a rose? Aren’t you coming on a bit strong? Can’t you just use your words?”

“I can’t tell her just yet...I...she...I don’t think that Marinette can handle words at the moment. Trust me, I’d love to sweep her off her feet right now, but she doesn’t seem comfortable with me yet.”

“And the rose was supposed to make her feel more comfortable around you? Kid....”

“Well, I saw the rose thing in a movie once.”

“A movie?” Plagg cocked his head to the side.

“It’s something you can watch on a big screen or a moving picture box. It's kind of like watching a book.” Adrien clarified.

“My goodness the world has changed since I was last activated, but if a movie is anything like a book, what makes you so sure that your plan is going to work?”

“Well, it worked out for the guy in the movie, so why can’t it work out for me? The main character didn’t tell the girl that he loved her until the end, and they still lived happily ever after.”

“But that’s just a story.”

“Aren’t we all just walking stories at the end of the day?”

Plagg deadpanned. “You’re unbelievable.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. “Oh, and you’re not?”

“Fine. I’ll let it slide because you seem like you’ve been a little...sheltered. But trust me, giving a girl a rose doesn’t exactly scream ‘I just want to be friends right now’. And you’re right, your bug seems a little jumpy, so don’t be surprised if she stays flustered around you for a little while longer.”

“It’s actually kind of cute when she stumbles over her words.” Adrien sighed lovingly.

Plagg groaned. “Goodness gracious, kid. Just make sure you stay somewhat focused during Akuma battles. Don’t get Marinette worked up during a fight...it’s your job to make sure she stays safe so she can cleanse the Akuma.”

“I would never let anything happen to Marinette.”

“I know, kid. Anyway, I think it’s time for you to get going. It’s never a good idea for a cat to leave his bug waiting.”

Adrien beamed, opened his overshirt for Plagg, and rushed out of the locker room.

“It’ll all work out,” he thought as nervousness settled in his gut.

***

“Marinette!” Sabine called from the living room, “Your guest is here! I’m sending him up now!”

The teen took a deep breath and stood near the hatch. After a few seconds, a blond mop of hair peeked over the edge of the floorboards.

“Is it okay for me to come in?” Adrien asked tentatively.

“Yes!” Marinette squeaked, causing her partner to chuckle.

“The only other friend’s house I’ve been to is Chloe’s. Well...unless you count the times I went to my cousin’s house, but I feel like that’s not the same thing.”

Some of her nervousness melted away as her heart melted for the boy standing in front of her. “Oh, Adrien...no, it’s not the same. I’m sorry. However, you are welcome to come over whenever you want. Consider this a permanent invitation.”

He looked at her with wide eyes. “Wait...your parents won’t mind if I come over again?”

“Are you kidding? The second you leave, my parents will ask me when you’re coming back...and they’ll probably be asking me a few other things, as well.”

“Like what?”

“Oh...umm...n-never mind. Don’t worry about it...uh...GAMES. D-do you like gideo vames...I MEAN...video games?”

“I love video games! I have a whole bunch of shelves filled with them! Uhh...do you like them?”

She took a deep breath. “Yes, my dad and I play them a lot. Our favorite is Ultimate Mecha Strike III.”

Adrien’s face lit up. “Really! I love that game! I’ve only ever been able to play with people online. I’ve never played it with another person before.”

Marinette ran to her computer, grabbed a controller off her desk, and held it out for him to take. “How about we fix that today?”

“I’d love to,” he replied, taking the controller from her hands.

For the next thirty minutes, they sat in front of the computer playing round after round of Ultimate Mecha Strike. Marinette found herself on the winning side of most of the matches, and this seemed to make Adrien concentrate harder and harder with each passing second. She even caught a glimpse of him hunched over with his tongue sticking out from the corner of her eye.

“He’s such a dork,” she thought to herself.

After losing the current round, Adrien flopped his head back and sighed. “You won again! Wow...you’re amazing, Marinette. I’m so lame compared to you.”

Hearing the brokenness in his voice made her want to fling her arms around him, but she hesitated. “N-no...amazing? Me. No, you're so good. I mean, I'm the one who's not good. I mean... I'm lucky, that's all.”

“I don’t know…you’re really good at this.”

“And you’re really good at being a superhero. You were the one who told me not to give up. I would have given up my Miraculous if it wasn’t for you. Adrien, you did that. You are amazing. Besides, the only reason I’m winning is because I have a secret weapon.”

“Really? And what might that be?”

Marinette reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pink and green charm that was fastened together with red string. “Here...see? This is my Marinette Lucky Charm. My mom helped me make it when I was little, and I’ve been carrying it around ever since. How about you try playing a round with it?”

“A lucky charm made by Ladybug herself,” he chuckled, “I guess I’ll give it a try.”

Marinette bit her lip and began scrolling through the game’s main menu. Immediately after confirming her stage selection, the sound of a massive crash wafted into her room. Her breathing began to quicken.

“Another Akuma?” Adrien asked, shaking his head, “Something tells me that this Hawkmoth character is going to keep us busy. I guess it’s time to get to work.”

Marinette sighed. “Yeah, I guess it is. Let’s see what Butterfly Boy has in store for us today.”

“Butterfly boy...ohmygod! Good to know you have a sense of humor. I’m definitely stealing that one.”

“Be my guest!”

Adrien took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m so happy that you’re my partner. I know it’s only been a few days, but I already know that I wouldn’t want to do this anyone else.”

Marinette swallowed as she felt her cheeks grew warm. “I...wow...yanks...ugh...no. Let me try that again...thank you.”

“It’s okay. It’s just me...no need to get flustered. Just remember, you’re the amazing and incredible Ladybug, and I am proud to stand by your side.”

“Saying stuff like that is not going to help me calm down.”

“Then I guess we’ll just have to spend more time together so you can get used to me.”

“Then let’s defeat this Akuma...together. That way I can get back to...how did you put it…‘getting used to you’. Maybe if you keep saying stuff like that, I’ll be ‘used to you’ in no time.”

“That’s good because it would be a cat-tastrophe if you weren’t feline comfortable around me during a fight.”

Marinette threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, no...not puns! Anything but that! I get enough of those from my dad.”

Adrien grinned. “Hey, aren’t you the one who called Hawkmoth ‘Butterfly Boy’ about two minutes ago?”

“Touché. Fine...I’ll put up with it, but only because I secretly like puns.”

“Good because there’s purr-lenty more where those came from.”

“Just keep them off the battlefield, kitty. I’ll need a focused partner out there. We’ll have lots of time for jokes when we’re together outside the masks.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

“ Ready? Tikki, SPOTS ON!”

The bright, pink light from her transformation flooded her room.

Adrien let go of her hand and stared at her with a look of awe. “I don’t think that will ever stop being amazing to watch. I guess it’s my turn.”

His Kwmai zipped out from behind his collar and hovered in front of his face. “Whenever you’re ready, kid.”

“Plagg, CLAWS OUT!”

Once he was transformed, the duo climbed out the hatch and took to the rooftops. Upon reaching their destination, they were confronted by a translucent figure with long flowing hair. The Akuma held a glowing notebook in one hand and a dripping quill pen in the other.

“I am Revealer...come to me so I may make your secrets known.”

Using the pen, the Akuma shot a thick inky stream into the crowd below. The people who were hit became encased in black sludge and melted into puddles of muck on the ground. Revealer’s book lit up, and she cackled.

“What interesting secrets you all had locked away in your minds! Shall we read some? No...actually, I think I’ll wait until I have the two best-kept secrets in Paris before I read my book to the world. Come out Ladybug and Chat Noir! There’s no need to hide in your glass houses. All will be revealed eventually...so why not now?”

“Well, she’s clearly up to no good,” Chat commented while resting his chin against his staff.

Ladybug scowled. “I thought I said no puns during battle. We need to stay focused.”

“What if I said that puns help me stay focused?”

“Fine. Please just stay safe.”

“Well, actually it’s my job to keep you safe, so…”

“No! It’s our job to keep each other safe.”

“You’re the only one who can cleanse the Akuma.”

“But,” she paused before continuing, “I need you.”

Chat placed a hand on her cheek. “Tell you what. I promise to do my best to stay safe, but if it comes down to me or you...I will always have to pick you. I trust you to bring me back.”

She leaned into his touch. “But what if I can’t?”

“My lady, listen to me. Nothing in this universe can keep me away from you. We may get separated for a little bit, but we will always find our way back together. I trust you, and I need you to trust me to make sure that you can save the day in the end. We are a team, and we each have a role. I know what I have to do so you can do what you need to do.”

“That doesn’t stop me from worrying.”

“I know, and that’s why I trust you.”

“We can do this.”

“Yes, we can do this. Just like last time.”

Ladybug stepped away and turned her attention towards the Akuma. “Okay...I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. I would really like to be back in my room when my mom calls us down for lunch. We need a plan.”

Chat grinned. “I’m ready to hear whatever you have in mind!”

“Okay, I don’t know what her deal is, but there’s one of two places where that Akuma could be.”

“Should we try the book first? Even if we’re wrong, she won’t be able to read anyone else’s secrets...just turn them to...goo.”

“Actually, I don’t think they’re turning into puddles. I think they’re becoming a part of the book she has in her hand. The ink on the pages are the innermost thoughts of the people she hits. It must be a diary or something. But you’re right...we should go for the book first. Even if it isn’t the Akumatized object, getting rid of it will help us get to the pen. If the book gets destroyed, perhaps the people who get encased in that...stuff...won’t disappear anymore. Maybe they’ll just get really dirty.”

“Ew. Just the thought of that makes me want to take a shower.”

“Is that a model thing?”

“What?”

“Thinking about taking a shower.”

“Excuse me, but I’ll have you know that even though I’m a model, I take a normal amount of showers.”

“Noted.”

“Thank you.”

“Still, we can’t get hit. No one else can know our identities. That's a secret that should definitely stay between the two of us.”

“It’ll be okay, my lady. Let’s just get this done.”

The duo leaped into the fray and stood ready to strike. Ladybug hurled her yo-yo towards the Akuma and pulled the string taught once her weapon had successfully wrapped around the arm that was holding the book. To her chagrin, Revealer didn’t budge.

“Well, look who finally decided to join us. You can’t defeat me. You may as well reveal yourselves and hand over your Miraculouses before I force them away from you,” the Akuma declared.

“Hawkmoth will never win,” Ladybug said through gritted teeth.

As Revealer snapped her arm back, the spotted heroine went flying across the battlefield.

“My lady!” Chat screamed behind her.

Ladybug managed to angle her body in a way that caused her to slip past the Akuma’s grasp and safely retract her yo-yo. “Nice try, but my secrets are safe with me.”

“What about his?” Revealer pointed towards a Chat who was charging across the field ready to use his baton as a vaulting pole.

“No,” Ladybug yelled as she launched her yo-yo once again.

Before the wire had the chance to wrap around Revealer’s feet, Chat was caught in the path of the Akuma’s weapon. Ladybug stood horrified as she watched her partner disappear into a puddle.

The Akuma laughed maniacally as she flipped through the newly covered pages. “Ahhh...the purr-fect addition to my book.”

“Only Chat is allowed to say stuff like that! This isn’t over yet,” Ladybug growled, “LUCKY CHARM!”

A spotted roll of plastic wrap landed in her hands.

“You really think you’re going to defeat me with that? You’ll join your precious cat soon enough.” The Akuma sneered and lifted her pen towards the heroine.

Ladybug ducked and rolled out of the way as another inky stream came hurtling towards her.

“Without Chat, there’s no way to Cataclysm the book or the pen. I just have to figure out how to get them away from her.” She thought as she scanned her surroundings.

The Akuma flipped to the last page and grinned. “Oh, look...his deepest secret. Shall we read to find out what it is?”

“No!” Ladybug screamed, still unable to find a solution.

Revealer scowled. “There’s nothing good here! It’s all about some girl he’s in love with.”

Her heart sank. “In...love? But…I thought...of course not. I knew it was too good to be true.”

“Ugh...whoever this girl is, she’s all he thinks about. There has to be something here!”

Ladybug shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. Her eyes eventually landed on a row of lamp posts lining the road. While the Akuma continued to flip through her book, the heroine jumped across the street, unrolled the plastic film, and carefully wrapped between each set of posts. After creating her invisible web of clear plastic, Ladybug then took several steps back and turned her attention towards the Akuma.

“Hey!” Ladybug called out, “You want my secrets? Come and get me.”

Revealer’s head snapped up. “With pleasure. Your stupid cat was rather disappointing to read about. Hopefully, I’ll get something better out of you.”

The Akuma lunged towards Ladybug and slammed into the plastic wrap with a roar. The heroine breathed a sigh of relief as the book and pen flew into the road.

“Don’t touch that!” Revealer screamed, “It doesn’t belong to me. It’s my best friend’s diary, and I need to put it back before she notices.”

Ladybug picked up the book and ripped it in half. “I hate to tell you this, but getting Akumatized is kind of a public thing. I can guarantee that all of Paris knows what you’ve done by now. Besides, it’s not really polite to read other people’s secrets.”

“But she was writing things about me...terrible things. They were all filthy lies. I don’t know where she heard them. If she had a problem with me, she should have just talked to me. People shouldn’t keep secrets like that from the people they love. I wanted to write the truth in her book...that way she’d know. You should thank me. I just helped all of Paris learn a lesson in honesty.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Ladybug scooped up the pen and snapped it in half, releasing the cursed butterfly into the air, “You shouldn’t force someone to tell you something. It’s important to build trust in a relationship. Going through someone’s diary is not how you do that.”

After the Akuma was successfully cleansed, the evil magic melted off of Revealer, leaving behind a brown-haired teen.

Ladybug tossed the empty box of plastic wrap into the air. “MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!”

As the sparkling pink magic swirled around Paris, the girl collapsed to the ground and sobbed. Ladybug walked over to the discarded diary and pen and scooped them up into her hands.

She approached the girl and handed her the objects. “Here...these belong to you.”

The girl took the items and turned away. “Thank you, Ladybug. I’m sorry. I really messed up.”

“Thank you for the apology, but I don’t think that I’m the one who needs to hear it.”

“What?”

“Your best friend...go to her.”

“Do you think she’ll even want to talk to me again? She already thinks I’m a terrible person. This is just going to make her believe that all that stuff she heard is true.”

“It’s worth a try. Talk to her. If she really cares about you, she’ll listen.”

The girl offered Ladybug a weak smile. “Okay...yeah...you’re right. Thanks.”

“My lady?” a voice asked behind her, causing her to spin and lose her balance.

Two strong arms wrapped around her as she collapsed against a leather-clad chest. “Chat?”

“You okay there, little bug?”

“I am now.”

“I got hit, didn’t I?”

“Yeah. You went away for a little bit.”

“You brought me back.”

“Yeah.” She wrapped her arms around him. “My Lucky Charm was a box of plastic wrap, and I thought about those cat videos where their owners cover doorways with it.”

“You watch cat videos?”

“Yeah.”

“Does that mean you like cats?”

“Yes. I’ve always loved cats, but I think they’re my favorite now.”

“Good to know.”

Ladybug choked back a sob. “Chat, I’m so happy you’re back. You scared me.”

He rested his cheek on top of her head. “But you were able to save the day. If you’d been hit, that Akuma would still be terrorizing the city.”

“I know...but I still don’t like it.”

“I wasn’t lying when I said I’d always come back to you. We’re Ladybug and Chat Noir, the heroes of Paris. Nothing can keep us apart.”

“Yeah.”

“I hate to ask this, but...was my identity revealed?”

She shook her head. “Uhhh...no. We got lucky. Your secret wasn’t your identity...it was...ummm...about a...girl.”

His muscles tensed around her body. “D-did the Akuma say who it was?”

“No.”

She felt his body relax as he released a sigh. “Oh.”

They stood in a silent embrace until a loud beep emanated from Ladybug’s earrings. They pulled apart and looked into each other’s eyes.

Chat reached up and brushed a stray hair away from her face. “We should get back. I’m sure your mom will be looking for us to come down and eat pretty soon.”

She nodded. “You’re right. We need to go. Maman would definitely start asking questions if she came upstairs and saw that my room was empty.”

As the duo took to the rooftops, Ladybug’s mind wandered. “I wonder who Adrien is in love with.”

<---Previous    Next —> (Coming Soon)

AO3

FanFiction

[ankcna-blog]

hello guys !! i’m blaire, and i come to you with a VERY belated greeting !! i went to a skz concert a few days ago and as you would expect my life has been flipped upside down ever since !! but now that things are calming down, i’ve got things in order and would like to introduce you to my beloved weirdo kwanchai, more commonly known as dreamdrop’s choreographer KAI ! i’ve wanted to join you all for the longest and can’t wait to have some fun now that i’m finally here ! without further ado, you can find all his links here ( more to come ) as well as some important info about him below ! and of course, like this if you want to plot ! i’ll also be joining the discord very soon, so that’ll be an option too !

background !

from bangkok, thailand ! maybe it’s because of this he’s such a city boy and loves being around people, because that’s basically been his whole life ! in bangkok there were people around nearly all the time and now that he lives in seoul, it’s no different !

like his fc, he’s ethnically chinese but his nationality is thai ! honestly he feels more of a connection to his thai side because it’s the one he’s the most familiar with, though recently he’s been trying to connect with his chinese side. 

grew up around mainly girls, 3 older sisters and one younger ! his dad’s the only boy, but his parents are divorced. they still co-parented pretty functionally, though, so he mainly stayed with his mom and did weekly visits to his dad. he believes the heavy presence of females in his life is the reason he grew up to act a little more conventionally “feminine” and why he has such a high respect for women ! his sisters have always been .... v strong in comparison to him ojoijoijoij so it makes sense why !

his sister is the original dancer of the family, picking up ballet at only 5 years old ! she’s older than him so, wanting to follow in her shoes, he begged his parents to join as well !

his parents were v apprehensive at first, especially his dad, because they weren’t the most progressive and didn’t think a boy dancing ballet looed good. it took some convincing, but eventually they allowed him !

absolutely loved it, would come home dancing nearly every day. once they realized he was really enjoying himself and taking himself seriously he convinced them to add on tap and hip hop classes as well !

always been into american culture, he was always watching shows & listening to music from america, and that transferred into a general interest for the country ! so in high school, he studied abroad for a semester w / a host famiy !

this really helped his english skills and is the main reason he’s so fluent today, which definitely helps with his job ! it’s the reason he sounds less like a foreigner now when he’s speaking.

coincidentally, through america, he found an interest in korean culture ! his host family lived in california, which already was home to a lot of korean spots, but his host sibling was a kpop fan and got him into it ! so when he got back home to thailand he had gained an interest for it.

he started listening to a lot of the music, and at 17 made a very spontaneous decision to send in an audition tape to a company ! ( not noir, a smaller up-and-coming one probably ! )

he was .... incredibly shocked that he’d gotten in, but ecstatic for the chance to do what he loved ! not everyone was quite as ecstatic as him ... mainly his dad who thought his career choice was unfit for the one son of the family.

regardless, he packed up things and moved to korea, where he began to train to become an idol ! contrary to what he’d thought he kind of hated it lmao ! he had a super hard time trying to learn korean initially and didn’t deal too well with the stress of such a cutthroat environment. on top of that, he wasn’t favored by the company and they kept giving other trainees opportunities he didn’t have ! he didn’t like that because he felt he had the personality and drive, they just weren’t willing to take a chance on him. but he really loved the chance to perform alongside other passionate people and learn from them.

so it was a bittersweet moment when, at 18, he terminated his contract. he felt relieved with all that extra pressure off him e but was also sad to no longer be performing. he tried to lie and act like he didn’t to his family but eventually, they found out and his mom sent him back home to thailand. his dad was livid and promised that if he didn’t do something within 2 months to get a job he’d stop helping him out.

kwanchai wanted to keep dancing but still needed a job, so did the best thing he could think of ! a choreographer he’d met in seoul promised him a room in his house if he agreed to fly back to korea and start working as a sort of dance apprentice under him at a studio !

so, going back yet again, he agreed and made one of the best choices of his life ! he got a lot better and not only dance but teaching / choreographing it ! with this, he comfortably began to adjust to the country and learned a lot !

the more he was there, the more he realized how much he enjoyed choreographing ! his friend gave him the chance to begin creating dances from the studio and it was then he decided he wanted to do it as a career !

he didn’t want to feel like a burden at his friend’s for so long, so it was then he decided to apply for a job at noir as a choreographer, hoping to save up and buy his own place. he applied unsure if he’d really get it due to his short experience, but was ecstatic when he did !

the whole thing has proved to be one of the best choices of his life - he’s got a steady job that’s very fulfilling, he saved up enough for an apartment, and he gets to dance while maintaining the level of freedom he’d craved as a trainee !

personality / random tidbits !

his app summed it up well, he’s incredibly eccentric ! he’s just different in nearly every way and if told to do something one way, he’ll probably do it the other. 

his name is kwanchai, but ever since he was 17 he’s gone by kai, a shortened version of his full one ! it’s because it not only easier to pronounce for koreans but to his many american friends as well, and honestly it makes him feel less out of place as it’s a fairly universal name !

he’s super talkative, inherited from his sisters, but in turn is a very good listener ! so you’ll catch him either ranting about all his problems or listening to someone else doing the same.

naturally, he’s very fun and excitable ! rarely takes anything seriously, that is .... unless he’s dancing ! typically when teaching he likes to crack jokes and such to make the experience fun, but if it’s crunch-time he does a whole 180. when he has to he takes dancing very seriously, sometimes maybe even too much ! he may come off as controlling but in reality he’s just very passionate and a true perfectionist in terms of technique. 

speaking of dancing, seeing him do it is quite an amusing sight ! kind of like j-hope he’s always making noises when he does it, and always has some sort of noise or word that correlates with his dance move ! def the type to say “and jazz hands !!”

maybe it helps, maybe it sounds stupid ! but since he has such a horrible memory it does tend to help him out a lot.

his hair right now is dyed, and the best reference i can give you is the john’s banana video lmao !! he keeps it pretty short to keep it out his face when he dances, and tbh his hai is a different color all the time !

he has a food blog, “rate what i ate”, where he does food reviews for restaurants ! it’s really fun for him because he loves to eat and has a very strong opinion on nearly everything. muses feel free to come eat with him, he’ll never say no to a dining buddy !

aside from that he has general social media and an ig where he posts short dance covers ! thinking about starting a yt cover channel.

coffee is his everything. he’s got a horrible sleep schedule, staying up late and having to wake up early ! but coffee is the one thing that gets him through, and no matter what time of the day he can always be found with his favorite cup in his hand.

remember how his app said power poses ? well it’s something kai actually does ! every morning and before doing something important he stands in a power pose for 5 minutes, saying affirmations rather dramatically. that alongside his guided meditation obsession makes kai in the morning time quite the amusing sight.

he has a black bombay cat affectionately named luna ! she’s his daughter whom he loves very very much and would die for. a total sweetheart who will accept all love, muses feel free to pet !

even though he’s fairly happy somewhat out the spotlight, he still has the idol mentality, and definitely has the whole charming personality thing going on ! he’s a whole personality and it’s almost a sin he didn’t become a talkshow host, but i assume he’d have a small following because of it ! not dreamdrop level of course, but a little bit of recognition !

that’s all i can thin of right now, that and i don’t want to keep you all waiting for this intro for too long ! i’ll add more as i see fit, and again, i can’t wait to meet you all !

[laurel-dreams]

Everyone is here!

The rest of the day went smoothly, we were given our schedules and met the rest of the teachers. We did begin the actual lessons in math tho, but thankfully Monty was able to give me a hand with some equations. Once the recess bell rang i went to my locker to pick up my lunch and went back with the guys. They were taking to a blonde girl with green eyes. “But i do not understand.Why does Jerome want to be adressed as Jessica?”Her voice gave me chills, it sounded so robotic. “Because my name is Jessica now Penny! Could you please stop refering to me as a male? im a girl, just like you and Cindy.” my partner was trying to explain the girl her situation, but she seemed to have a hard timeprocessing it all. I don´t blame her to much tho, we all were slightly shoked when we saw Jessica. “I do not understand”The girl said again”Yet, if that is what Jerome wants, i will adress jerome as Jessica fom this point onwards.See you later, Jessica and other friends.”The girl left the scene” Well, that was really akward” said Buggs ”I know you don´t like explainig yourself Jess”It seems that Buggs and Jessica have known eachother for way more time, perhaps they went to the same school. Jessica sighted “Well,i guessrobots don´t really undertand all the “lgbtq+” stuff” “Yeah,I´m sorry about that”Added Monty” When I re-built her i didn´t think this typeof situation could happen” Cindy suddendly exclaimed “You didwhat? Dude that is quite impresive” I ageed. “Butwhy did she referedto you as “brother monty?” The ginger explained that the reason for that was just programing,Aparently he found her head laiyng on the ground and as he fixed her,sheprogramed her as a little sister so that she forgot all the things regarding her actual mother, he alsow managed to make her retain he rmemories of us. “I finished her a few years ago” he concluded. None of us knew how to respond. “So...does anyofyou know how the rest ofthe gang is doing?”Asked Cindy trying to change the subject.” Well the last time i cheked on them,Lily and Billy were studing abroad” I said” About that other kid, i have no idea of what happened” “Weird, as far as i remember you used to hang out with that other weirdo more that any of us” Buggs added. “ I bet they are just living life”Added Jessica. “Yeah,proba-” mony was cut off by some blonde dude who pushed him aside. “Get out of the way loser!” “i apologise for my brother attitude” Another guy said as he followed the bossy teenager. --------------------------------------- “I Can´t believe dad enrolled us in this fing highscool” Said Felix as he slamed thedoor of his locker. “Come on bro, it´s not that bad!” I said trying to lift his spirit up “Not that bad?Teddy we are surounded by this, scum!We were supposed to go to the HIGHEST MOST PRESTIGIOUS highscool in the country, yet here we are, surrounded by commoners.”I tried to think of a response to ease himupa bit” Wel.. yeah but dad said that by coming here we would be able to control the agency better, because of the..low class workers?” Yeah, that didn´t sound to good.”Guess what? Fo ronce in yourlife you are right my beloved brother. I will gain full controll of this idiots and father WILL be forced to see my prestigious ruling skills.Then I will inherit the company. And if anyone dares to stand in my way,they shall be eliminated.” After that discourse, he walked throw the halls probably plotting his idea, i was about to follow him, when a familiar voice stopped me. “Dude Felix needs to chillto like a six or so” A red haired guy was smiling atme while saying that “come on don´t tell me you don´t remeber your old pall Ozw-” “Ozzy!”I exclaimed as i huged him “Long time no see, how are you doing?” “Well,looks like i´m doing fine. I was about to go meet Carla and Penny, want to tag along?” I stayed in silens foramoment, not knowing what to answer, i had already los track of Felix and... “You know how independent he is, he´ll be fine.” I nooded at Ozzy´s words and we walked to were Penny and Carla were.Penny didn´t change that much, but carla´s hair had goten longer,she alsow began wearing glases to read aparently. “Wow Oz you were able to bring in one of the Huxley´s,congratullations” Her voice had alsow changed a lot, it was more delicate and soft, if those words could be used to describe a sound.