#i wish i had the energy to make comics... even strips or short little things...

[ghoulgeists]

Repostober day 12! Been thinking thoughts about Verana.... my old vampire oc.... she's a bartender I wanted to make a short comic about :3 this is one of my favourite doodles of her! And judging by the notes a lot of other people liked her too heehee

im a smidge late but happy tdov!

[fvrxdrm]

5 Times

Pairing: Damnation!Leon Kennedy x Reader

Warning(s): None

*****

4 times Leon didn't confess his love and 1 time he did.

One

It was the giggles that sailed upon your boat, the laughter, the smiles. You both saw the funny in everything and that was your bond. You could be serious too; you loved deeply of others more than what was generally accepted. So you guessed the humor was how you let out the tension that kind of love brings. In those silly moments you were perfect, and they were the sweetness you needed in rough times. That's what friends do, right? It's the love that makes doors in emotional brick walls, the love that makes everything possible.

That's what Leon always thought. It was so cordial and unique in a way that he felt like what he valued so much was somehow outlandish and alien. He couldn't distinguish what comes out of him whenever you were with him and every tingle that raises hills on his skin was a puzzle he was unable to solve.

"I'll see you around," you mumbled against his chest.

"Yep." Leon unwrapped his arms around you albeit slowly, reluctant for some reason, and smiled through his pursed lips. "I'll see you around."

He watched as you wended your way from his house and into your home, a teasing tug pulling his lips at the ghost of your own against his cheek.

Two

Under the dim lights and the colorful ornamentations, your raiment sparkled against the gleam, catching the eye of many guests, predominantly Leon. You looked like a princess wearing a headband that imitated a crown, a top and a pair of pants embellished with a winking glint that could be mistaken as diamonds from afar, and heeled leather boots that comically made you look tall. Your hair was in a loose and messy braid with a few strands hanging just beside your face and a light chain that twisted along your H/L H/C locks.

Leon was in awe, no doubt. His focus was glued to your appearance. Even when his friends were making random conversations with him, he found it unbearably hard to keep his icy blues away from you.

"You should just ask her out, you know. You've been staring at her with heart eyes the entire night," Chris spoke as he followed the trail of Leon's gaze towards you.

Leon broke away from his stupor and shook his head at the man's voice, his blood rushing towards his neck and face.

"What? No, no. You're mistaken. I-I don't like her like that."

"You sure? Last time we were drunk you were yelling about how much you love her right into my ear."

"We were drunk, Chris."

"And? What's that saying again? A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts?" Chris simpered as Leon's eyes widened in surprise.

"What? Th-that's not true!" He denied.

"Mhm, sure. Anyway, my girlfriend's probably looking for me now," the taller and bulkier man said. "At least ask her to dance."

As Chris' footsteps faded away into the beat of the music, Leon thought about what he had said.

Did he actually like her, or was it just something he was confusing himself with? Either way, you were still a treasured dear to him and whether or not his heart was romantically beating for you, he would still value you the same, although he would probably be a bit clingier if you did end up together.

For now, he'll just ask you for a dance, go with the flow, and see what happens.

Three

The night rode in on a horse of pure midnight velvet, beckoned by the stars under the glow of a full moon. As the colors of the day rested, perhaps dreamt of the morrow, the forest became its monochrome beauty, darkened greens and golds that made an ever-changing, ever-present puzzle, question and answer united.

Fire danced beside you as you and Leon laid against under the constellation of stars and talked the night away, smiling and laughing at every jest that was told.

It felt pleasant to be in his arms and he felt warmth as a wild heart beat in his bars.

"This one," you began, leading his fingers towards a raised and silvery part of your skin, "I got this when I was younger. I got stabbed by a pencil."

"A pencil?"

"Yeah. My friend and I got into a fight and it was buried, like, 3-fucking-inches inside of me. And holy shit, my teacher didn't fucking notice it while I was bleeding profusely. I was leaking hamburger helper!"

Leon busted a gut and pulled you towards him even more as he shook in laughter.

You went on and on about the most absurd things that had happen during your childhood until you lost all energy and eventually fell asleep in Leon's arms.

You looked peaceful, he thought. Your face was so serene as if nothing had really affected you in any way. The world was cruel, but you only sought for the brighter side and stood along it with your back turned to the hell it truly bore. Your lips were parted lightly, and hair just a tad bit messy from all the exaggerated movements you'd done while telling your stories and tossing your head back while laughing. A part of your skin was showing as your top rode up, and he couldn't the blush that crawled up to his face when realized his hand was rested on that patch of skin.

He smiled.

Maybe he did like you, or love you. If his admiration wasn't enough, then his heart reassured him.

Four

"Oh, fuck!"

You swam away from Leon as fast as your arms and legs could fight against the water as he chased you, muscles and quads aiding him. Compared to you, he was more skilled in this type of stuff while you had chicken legs with barely anything of assistance. So it was no surprise when he caught up to you with spider hands and wrapped his arms around your waist. He tickled your stomach, the bareness of it making the stimulation all the more patent and making you guffaw while squirming in his arms.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" You cried in between laughter. You turned around to face him when you felt his hands making a stop against the side of torso and looked at the wonders of his eyes steadily and intensely.

You didn't notice it, but Leon's breath hitched at the proximity of your faces, the hot air that flew out of your nose hitting the droplets on his face. You were in a daze. Both of you. It felt so intimate and bona fide that for a second that was your only reality.

Your fingers trailed up his chest, neck, and finally his cheek, and for a moment, your hand was still on his face with only your thumb moving to stroke the scar that was stripped away from his hair. Leon furrowed his brows. The inside of your lip was lightly bitten as you thought about your next action for a moment. But decided that fuck it, life is short. If he felt the same way than congrats! But if he didn't, well, it's either he'll pull away or kiss back with no purpose. And hey, what's the matter with making out with your best friend?

And so, you drew a bit closer, albeit rather slowly in case Leon wanted to pull away. But seeing as he was copying your motions, you saw his intention and pressed your lips against his in a shy lip-lock.

Five

Leon tugged on his tie as he looked at the people dancing around inside of the venue, his heart doing a little dance of its own when he saw you smiling with the crowd.

He blew a sigh, the breeze intertwining with the air. He could see the party from the balcony: flashes of different color schemes, the swaying of dresses as the women moved, the chattering of people as they drank the glasses of champagne. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe this was all about you and him; two souls entwined by love.

"I see you didn't invite me," a sultry and velvety voice said from beside him. He knew who it was and it didn't faze him anymore to see her appearing uninvited as she always did.

"What are you doing here, Ada?"

"What, I can't go see two of my favorite people anymore?"

"Well, it always ended in a mess, anyway, so what's the point." Ada chuckled in response and leaned back against the railing, the smile her giggling left still ghosting on her face. It was all jokes, fun, and games to her for a moment until she turned serious and gazed at you from a distance where you couldn't notice.

"Take care of each other, Leon. You both are worth more than what you give yourselves credit for," she muttered. "I wish I could've given her the life you're giving to her now. But I can't, and I'll remain like this until I die."

In the depths of her mind, Ada reminisced on the time when she was in Leon's position. She gave the love you needed and wanted, and cared for you in so many ways. But she was a mercenary, a wanted one at that, and she knew that one day, everything would be thrown into a void or burned until it turned to ashes. So, she broke what you had off and handed you to Leon where he could give you a better life.

Leon couldn't say anything. It seemed rude and odd but he remembered when you knocked on his door, drenched in rain water and sobbing everything from your chest. It hurt to see you like that. And so, he promised. He promised to be the best husband he could ever be and shower you with everything he could give you.

"Leon!" Your voice rang out as you ran towards him with a wide smile on your face, startling the both of them.

Leon turned towards where Ada stood but saw that she was gone as if she was nothing but an apparition that was made by his mind.

He was befuddled for a moment, pondering about his encounter with the woman, but found his heart racing as you came closer to him.

What transpired was long forgotten and all the world could see how Leon mimicked the smile that defined the joy you brought to him. He was just happy to share such a beautiful moment with you and he optimistically wondered about what was ahead of you.

He pulled you towards him and spun you around as he battered your face with kisses, whispering 'I love you's and so many more sweet nothings against your cheeks while you laughed in his arms.

Hidden within the shadows was the raven-haired woman, imitating their smiles as she watched the intimacy from afar. She felt like her mission was done and although it hurt, she was thankful for what she'd done. Leon was going to give you the life you deserved and he was going to fill the holes she'd left.

*****

This was rushed. Lol. And I'm using my phone. How was it tho?

This was the outfit I had in mind. Feel free to change it though.

[suneiaaa]

2022 recap!

Hey so I want to reflect about 2022 cause it's been one hell of a year. I do this for myself, but perhaps someone else is curious. I also want to bring back writing blog posts. I hope you'll excuse me if that's difficult and ends up being just a wish though, cause nowadays it's very hard to drop the phone and stop watching silly videos. I hate how our attention span goes off the window just like that. Actually let me make that a New Year's resolution: stop with the silly videos, thank you. The only reason I don't feel guilty about it is because I know it's the way social media is designed that manipulates our attention span left and right lol

Anyways,

2022.

In summary, I finished artschool, found my first industry jobs, moved into a new flat with my partner.

That was a lot of changes in a short period of time and I feel like I'm still recovering from/processing it.

_

In January, I was working really hard on the last 8 pages of Crow of Stone for one of my projects. That was the steepest learning curve up to that moment. From having to change the plot 7 or 8 times, to thumbnailing and scribbling, to storyboards, to handling critique and applying it, to being hella stressed out because perfectionism & still being unable to guess correctly how much information 8 pages can hold. Doing Comics Is So Hard, it's so much harder than you think!!!

I also put myself in charge of putting together the InDesign document of the zine Crow of Stone was in and that was really stressful FUCK THAT!!!:) We sold our zine at Comic BCN a couple months later, that was also a nice experience.

--

Then I got a chance to catch my breath but not really because that project ending meant the start of the final project And I Did Not Know What To Do Yet

I focused on adding some more pages to Crow of Stone and make it to the deadline of the International Comic School Contest of Clip Studio 2022 that is very long to write so from now on it'll be 'CSP CONTEST'. That was very important to me! I had always wanted to participate. I couldn't make it during 3rd year (my classmate won though!!) and this year felt like my last chance. So I did that. I had already given up on the idea of making something new with the time I had so CoS would have to do! You can read it here.

We were also Kindly Asked to participate in another scolarship (?) contest and had to create several comic(al) strips as entry. That wasn't too bad even though it didn't go anywhere lol

------

A NY WAYS, there went my time for the final project lol

It must have been April by this point. At first I wanted to create a storybook with my OC Neia but I struggled to give the story a... story.

My brainstorming for a new idea started. And it was a bit desperate. What did I want to draw? Should it be a comic? What did I like to read? Should I make something according to my inspirations? Quick, what are my favorite genres? Tropes? And most importantly, what do I want to tell? Etc. 

Lots of little drawings ensued.

And I finally came up with something that I felt was 'me' enough, and cool enough, and worth exploring. Llamadas Perdidas (missed calls, or lost calls.). The plot is STILL very hard to explain so I will translate it literally below and make of that what you will...

----

May. So my final project was pitching this whole thing. Thus creating a portfolio with the premise, plot, synopsys and sample pages. Just like with CoS, storyboarding was hard, thinking was hard. Time was almost up when I decided to pour all my energy into 6 pages. I was even finishing up the cover just a few hours before my deadline. 

That moment was fun, actually. I showed my work to my professor full of self doubt and wondering if it would be enough. He looks at me like girl this is fantastic sdhsjdhsjdh 

I had barely slept that day. On the way to school I found some broken glasses in a puddle and wondered, who could have lost their glasses like that? Flash forward and I'm home and I had taken a quick nap. And I can't find my newest, goodest pair of glasses. Before paranoia got the best of me I went outside and looked for them on the street (yeah I couldn't believe it either). Halfway to my school I gave up and went back home... And I found them before that: someone had left my glasses, intact, on a windowsill. On my fucking street. I had dropped my fucking glasses on my way home. Hah. I'll admit I cried a little bit.

---

June. As an extraordinary school thing, we were visiting a publisher's installations that day. When we met up with my teacher, for some reason, he said to me something like 'Thank GOD you're here. If you hadn't come I would have killed you. Are you nervous?'

And I said 'No?'

And he replied 'You better be'

Which puzzled me for a bit, but haha... During our meeting with the publishers they actually said 'Later we want to talk to X and Sun' and OH MY GOD was I fucking shocked (laughs)

Yes, they told me they Wanted To Publish Llamadas Perdidas. They saw my pitch and thought it was very cool. So I'll let you imagine the look on my face. Finishing school and already landed my first gig and as an author, no less. Man.

I spent several days being in a weird high and processing and I'll admit I haven't processed it yet. And thus I finished 4 years of art school.

---

I've written so much so from now on it'll be an actual summary.

Dealing with my first contract, panicking a little bit... On July I also received this good news: Crow of Stone had been awarded a runner-up prize in the Manga category of the CSP contest!

This was really great!! I fucking loved reading the critique and checking the other entries and I felt very proud...!

Also!!! They contacted me from ANOTHER publisher to work on another comic project. Since comics aren't well paid I took the job too :^) Freelancing in Spain is also hella expensive like you wouldn't believe soo... No, but it's also a good project and I'm glad I'm working on it as well! Can't talk about it yet.

MEANWHILE my partner and I were LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO MOVE IN TOGETHER!! Barcelona is so fucking expensive and it was straight out impossible to find anything decent. Even in the suburbs. So it sucked for a while... but eventually we decided to live in the small town we live in now. And we could find something pretty quickly :') And we moved in in August!!! WAHOO big lifegoal achieved :')

---

Fall. I've become a freelancer (oh god finances are such a headache...) and have been working on my 2 comic projects mostly. It took a while to adapt to like working everyday but I'm proud at how hard I've been working. Llamadas Perdidas is definitely the most difficult because I want to get it right/so many demons to fight and so much to learn. I'm also happy about the commissions I've been taking and love the style I developed. In December my art school and Clip Studio invited me to have a small panel at Manga BCN where I talked about Crow of Stone. I was honored & happy, especially since I met with my professor (the same I mentioned before) and he was very happy to see me and encouraged me a lot!

----------

That's about the major events that happened. My reflections? This year has been the steepest learning curve by far and also my most successful. I hope I can grow as an author and artist and keep flourishing. Also I literally just want to pay my bills with my work lol so there's my hopes and dreams. I haven't had much time to draw for myself, planning and drawing comics is super time consuming. But I didn't want to force myself too much and properly adapt to my new life (deadlines deadlines...deadliens...dead aliens...)

Videogame wise? I played Earthbound. It was the greatest thing I'd played in the longest time. Definitely a highlight. Triangle Strategy was cool too, but I hate Roland with all my heart. Xenoblade 3 was a good game but a disappointment story-wise. I had genuine fun being hyped for it, and playing too, though. So as we say in Spanish 'you can't take away the time in which I've been dancing'. Endwalker was fine though I like Shadowbringers a bit more x) OST wise this year was super fantastic. There were more games but I forgor. Oh yeah, Paper Mario was being great but it broke on me :( Also I became addicted to Eve and blame myself for not discovering him before. It's my fucking jam I admire him a lot.

To wrap up.

Wish me luck, I'll be working on comics all year, head full, want to maybe try streaming with the mic on,aaaaahhh thank you all for supporting me ESPECIALLY those who have been there for YEARS those who have commissioned me and just. Thank you! Happy New Year 2023, manifesting good mental health for all of us.

[anniesocsandgeneralstore]

Your Power Over Me: One - Beginning

Summary: this movie was not that great.....it had so much potential. But I’m going through some sort of weird JGL phase and I really like his character in this. Another cop but at least he’s not a bastard. His character has zero backstory besides loving and living in nola so I’m giving him a FAMILY BITCH. This’ll prolly take place right before the events of the movie. 

Pairing: Frank Shaver x OFC (Michelle Shaver)

Word Count: 1.9k

Warnings: mega fluffy so wooooo

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

Frank pulled up to the house and parked the car on the side of the street. It was late. Later then he said he would be. He definitely missed bedtime by now. Again. Third time this week. At least this time he’d remembered to shoot her a text. He sighed, pulling his hands over his face. He was so tired. He killed the engine but continued to sit there for a moment. 

What he saw tonight was indescribable. Unfathomable. That suspect…What he could do was beyond any normal human. Almost like he had….

Frank shook his head. No. If he thought about it too much it would make that next word a reality. Something that was plausible, tangible, something that wasn’t just on the movie screen or in the pages of a comic book. 

He got out of the car. 

The path that led up to the front porch was lined with purple flowers, freshly planted for the new, colder season. She had told him when she was working in the yard that day what they were. Something that started with an F — he couldn’t remember. His mind had probably been too distracted that day thinking about a case. He’d look it up later. The white paint of the porch was chipped, but the matching siding was pristine. Newly painted over after she finally convinced him that the periwinkle purple that the house was before was rather hideous. She wanted the front door untouched though, a bright turquoise blue. 

The house was dark and quiet when he came in. He kicked off his boots at the door, adding them to the pile of tiny sparkly slip-ons, pink Crocs, and flip-flops with the little elastic strap on the back to keep them on tiny feet better. The living room was speckled here and there by toys. She had probably given up on forcing the issue of cleaning when they were just going to get pulled out the next day anyway. He smiled. He hoped they had a good day — he wished he could’ve asked her about it. 

He stopped in Claudia’s room first. The bedroom had a pink haze, the little machine on her bedside table projecting hearts and unicorns on the ceiling to help her sleep. Claudia had moved into a big-girl bed just a few weeks ago. He thought she still looked so small in it. Wasn’t it just yesterday he could fit her entire body in one arm? Now she was old enough to sleep in a bed with no rails? The crib she had been using before was pushed into the corner of the room, waiting for the newest Shaver to arrive. 

God, he hoped it was another girl. He didn’t know if they could afford to buy all new clothes for a boy. 

Claudia was asleep in the center of the bed. Frank chuckled quietly to himself. Just like her mom. Pillow still at the head of the bed, curled in on her side with the blankets barely covering her legs. Her dark hair just like his in messy double french braids. He sat down quietly at the edge of the bed. He looked at her for a moment. 

When she was born, the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck. She came into the world bright blue and not breathing. The first time he saw her he had been so scared. Scared for her life, scared of failing her. And for a long time after, even when the doctors got her breathing and free of the umbilical cord, he only looked at her with fear in his heart. A whole life — his responsibility. But now he only looked at her with love. A love so strong he was sure it would make the wind change directions. Everything he did, he did for her. His little Claudia. 

Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her warm cheek. God, she got so sweaty at night. 

“I love you, Cloudy,” he whispered, “Sweet dreams.” 

He left her with one final kiss and the door cracked open how he knew she liked it. From the dark hallway, he could see that their bedroom light was on. He sighed. She shouldn’t have waited up for him. But he also knew that he was powerless to stop her. 

Michelle was sitting up on her respectful side of the bed under the covers. Her bright, copper hair was thrown up into a bun at the top of her head. She held a book, about halfway finished, in her hands. An empty mug that once was filled with tea if Frank had to guess sat on her nightstand. She smiled at him when he gingerly opened the door, a soft, tired thing that made him feel even more exhausted than he did before. 

“Hey, baby,” he sighed as he shut the door behind himself. 

“Hi,” Michelle whispered back. She closed her book and set it down beside her empty mug. 

Frank let out a long breath. He might have been in his house for nearing on five minutes, but he didn’t feel like he was home until he saw her. Then the more he looked at her, the more he thought about the things he saw that night; and the more he thought about that the more tired he became. He felt surprising tears prick the backs of his eyes. And she seemed to notice them, those unwanted tears that hadn’t even fallen yet, her face buckling in concern. 

“Frankie?” 

She moved to get up but he held up a hand. He groaned as he pulled at his nose, rubbed at his eyes. Trying to force the tears back and keep his head on his shoulders. He pulled off his badge and gun first, setting them on top of the dresser by the door. Then he stripped himself down to his underwear, leaving his clothes where they lay. He’d pick them up tomorrow. He slid in beside her on top of the covers, laying his head on her chest and placing a hand on her swollen belly. Michelle instantly wrapped him up in her arms, one hand running through his short hair. 

“Rough night?” she asked quietly, giving the top of his head a quick kiss. 

“Yeah,” he sighed. 

“Wanna talk about it?” 

“Not yet.” He pulled her a little closer. “Just talk to me for a little while? At least until the baby cries.” 

Michelle chuckled. “She’s not a baby anymore, Frankie.” 

“She’ll always be my baby girl.” He moved down and pressed a kiss to her stomach. “At least until this one gets here.” 

They had never discussed having a second kid. Both of them were perfectly content with the one — especially for financial reasons. But then Michelle’s period never came, she took a test, and sure enough, she was pregnant again. About five months along now. They were happy, Claudia was ecstatic to be a big sister. But they also had to live with the reality that Frank was an underpaid detective, Michelle worked part-time as a florist, and they lived in only 700 square feet of house. Things were going to be tight until Michelle could go back to work full time and Frank finally got that raise he had been promised. They had made it through worse. They could make it through this. 

“I don’t know — I just have a feeling this one’s a boy.” 

Frank looked up at her with a smirk. “A feeling? A feeling where?” 

“In my…Motherly instinct.” She hit him gently when he laughed. “You cops follow your gut — we mom’s gotta follow our instinct. Millions of years of evolution was not for nothing.” 

“Okay, fine.” He chuckled a few more times before he moved so his head was back on her chest. “How was your day?” 

“It was good. Worked today. Donna says hi by the way. First arrangement of the day was an apology. The client specifically asked for Star of Bethlehem and Ivy. Donna and I are sure he cheated. Then I did an anniversary piece with Eucalyptus, Scabiosa — they’re a dark dark purple flower, I think you’d like them — Sweet Peas, Spirea — “ 

“The guy picked up the car and threw it at us,” Frank suddenly spoke, eyes lost somewhere between the present and the past. 

He was sure that Michelle heard him, but she still asked, “What?” 

“Suspect robbed a pawn shop — we had him cornered in an alley. Then he picked up an abandoned car and threw it at us.” 

“Was anyone hurt?” she asked. 

“No — well, just the suspect. Next minute he was rolling around on the ground screaming his head off. Medical said that nearly every muscle in his body had detached from the bone.” He felt her shudder beneath him. 

“That sounds awful,” she whispered, “Must be some kind of new drug or?” 

“Nobody knows,” he sighed, “Captain didn’t even wanna talk about it when we got back to the station. We’ve been getting…A lot of weird calls lately.” 

Michelle adjusted herself so that she and Frank were laying side by side. Curled on her side and nose to nose with the man she loved. “Just stay safe…That’s all I ask.” 

“You know I do, baby.” He reached out and cupped her cheek. “Anything to come back to you.” 

“You’ve got a power over me, Franklin Shaver.” She smiled, her light brown eyes crinkling at the edges, and he could feel his heart lift in his chest. A weight lifting off of him. “You gonna hold it over me?” 

This, right here, was warmth and light and home. As long as she was there waiting for him, with open arms and a smile, nothing could get him down. No case could be too dark, too dangerous, too bleak. She was his source of power, his energy, his everything. What more could he possibly need than his family? 

“For the rest of our lives, baby.” 

The door creaked open. Frank instantly shot up in bed, that gut feeling taking over him as he shielded Michelle with one arm. But then he saw little Claudia standing in the doorway. Messy braids hanging limp on her shoulders, favorite blanket cradled in her arms, and chubby cheeks red with sleep. Her eyes were barely cracked open as she walked into her parent’s bedroom. 

“Cloudy, baby, what’s wrong?” Michelle asked as Frank visibly relaxed beside her. 

The toddler walked further into the room, to Frank’s side of the bed. She shook her head. “Daddy.” 

“You just want Daddy?” 

Claudia nodded her head and Frank scooped her into his arms. God, she was sweaty. “All right, let’s go back to bed, okay?” 

He moved to get up from the bed but Claudia began to fuss. Whining and kicking at him with her little feet. Frank held her legs down. “Nah-ah. Use your words.” 

“Stay ‘ere with…Daddy.” 

Frank looked over to Michelle. She had her head cocked to one side and a smile on her face. “I think someone missed you today.” 

“I missed you too, baby-girl.” Frank kissed the top of her head and tucked her into bed between him and Michelle. “Let’s go to bed and you can snuggle me all night long.” 

Frank got under the covers and Michelle turned off the light. Claudia burrowed herself into his chest, her favorite blanket tucked between them. Frank looked at Michelle one last time in the darkness. She had let her hair down for the night. Copper tresses hanging well past her shoulders and fanned out across her pillow. 

He had been so tired before. So drained of all energy. But now, laying there with his little girl against his chest and the love of his life beside him, he could feel all that energy coming back. The power he needed to get up in the morning and face another day of crime, cruelty, and corruption in New Orleans.

[thewritingstar]

Sleepover Secrets

This is my first commission and its for the wonderful and the lovely @gytech !! Thank you so very much for trusting me to write such a cute and lovely fic for you. It means a lot and it was super fun to write. I hope you enjoy and like this piece!!!!! -Star

Pairing: Jiroumomo (Jirou x Yaoyorozu) 

Fandom: My Hero Academia 

Rating: General Audience 

Word Count: 4313

-------

Jirou closed her locker with a hard thud. She didn’t mean for it to be that loud but today's hero training lesson really shook her up. She thought she was getting better with her technical moves but she had been beaten in nearly every match today and all she wanted to do was lock herself in her dorm room and busted out her newest cd of a rock and roll band she had been dying to listen to too. That's all she wanted. 

“You were really strong out there today.” Of course Momo would complement her. She could see how flustered she was and now Jirou had to keep her face cool enough so the gorgeous goddess like figure that was Momo Yaoyorozu didn’t see the blush forming on her face. 

“Oh um thanks.You were amazing, naturally.” She smiled back. 

Yaoyorozu finished hanging up her outfit all nice and neat. It always made Jirou laugh as she would tuck her scarlet red suit inside her locker while Uraraka would simply cram hers into that small space before running to the bathroom to empty her stomach. Yikes. 

“So Jirou.” Momo trailed off. “Do you maybe want to have a sleepover? I overheard some of the boys talk about having their own and I thought I would like to give it a try.” 

A small laugh came out of Jirou’s mouth. “Give it a try?’ She was met with a simple nod as they both finished smoothing out the skirts of their uniforms. “Wait. Yaoyorozu, have you never been to a sleepover before?” 

The much taller girl turned bright pink as she began to pack up her things. Momo was one to get flustered or overthink everything constantly but this seemed more, embarrassed? She began to fiddle with her hair tie as she began to pull back her dark locks.

“It's not like I haven’t been invited to them as a child, I just don’t think that maids pampering the guests and I really count as the true experience, yeah know?” It was almost comical of how rich Momo was and how often her class forgot it. It made a little bit of sense that she hadn’t had the true experience, after all living in a mansion was kinda like a permanent fort. 

“Well luckily for you. I am an expert. I’ll turn my room into a kick ass pillow fort and we can watch movies and have snacks.” 

“Pillow fort?” She turned her head almost like a cute puppy dog who just got offered to go on a walk. 

Jirous smile fell. “ Please tell me-” Another shrug and slightly embarrassed smile. “Alright, that's okay, it will be better this way. More of a surprise. My rooms a bit small but we can probably squeeze some more girls-”

Momo held up her hand and looked around as the other girls were starting to head out. Her voice was much quieter this time as if she didn’t want the others to hear. 

“Actually. I was wondering if maybe it could just be us?” Momo asked shyly. 

No matter how hard she tried, Jirou would not be able to contain the flush of red that spread across her cheeks. She didn’t know why she was slightly panicking. They were friends, best friends even and have hung out alone many times before. They studied, listened to music and occasionally fell asleep on the common room couch together, but for some reason, Momo asking it to be just them felt different. It was odd and was bringing up feelings she wasn’t sure she could handle right now. 

“Oh yeah of course.” Deep breath in. And out. “How about tomorrow?” That should be enough time to emotionally prepare. 

The bell rang through the locker room signaling it was time for them to head to their next class. 

“I’ll bring snacks.” Momo said happily as she took her bag and headed out. 

Jirou smiled to herself while poking her ear jacks together. Behind her she heard a coo and a giggle. Her eyes widened as Mina was practically glowing from hearing other conversations. 

“You two are super cute!” The pink alien giggled which made her face redden further. “Don’t be such a bashful doll, Momo is super into you!” Mina always knew the drama and could sniff it out like a little piggy with truffles. Of course she had seen through her face. 

A small pain of sadness ran through her. “She's not-” Jirou frowned but dropped the subject. Mina could sense the shift in mood and laced her arm through hers as they began to walk to English. 

“Well you still want to give her the best slumber party ever. I’ll help you set up tomorrow.” 

“Thanks Mina.” 

--

It was Saturday which meant no school and most importantly, the smartest and cutest girl would be coming over to spend the night. Jirou was bright and early to make sure she turned her room into a pillow wonderland. She began by stripping her bed clean and pulling all the extra blankets and pillows she had. 

The pile of supplies seemed small and weak. She remembers being able to create amazing forts with her cousins back home. The hallways would be lined with chairs as sheets were stretched and taped on while they crawled underneath. 

But now this was just plain sad. How was she supposed to impress her with just four blankets and five pillows? She couldn’t. 

A knock from her door interrupted her thoughts and she opened it while rubbing her eyes. “Mina.” She had almost forgotten that her friend offered to help her and with the way things were going, she was relieved to see the extra support. 

The bubbly girl, honestly who has this much energy in the morning? Came bouncing in with her hands full of blankets followed by a mound of pillows being carried by Hagakure. Another stack of blankets had fallen into the floor as Tsuyu dropped them off. 

“We are ready to help you throw the most amazing pillow fort party ever! Sucks that we can’t come but nonetheless, we shall be your faithful helpers!” Mina cheered and the door shut as the four girls got to work trying to figure out the best way to configure this. 

After a few hours of planning, blankets falling, pillows being thrown, a whole box of juice boxes and instruments being smacked down from the walls then shoved into her closet, the maze that was now a pillow fort was complete. 

The girls stood back and admired their work. A low whistle came from Mina as she patted Jirou on the back. “She’s going to love this!” Tsyu said as they began to leave just in time for the queen herself to arrive. 

Jirou sat in her new arranged room on the floor waiting and the realization that she was about to have the prettiest girl in her room by herself was kicking in. 

“What if she doesn’t like it?” Her eyes widened. “What if she doesn’t have fun and wants to leave?” All these thoughts began to corrupt her mind as she was playing out the worst case scenario. 

A polite knock at the door came and she picked her head up from her knees. She crawled through the massive fort, as massive as it can be in this cramped dorm room and answered the door. 

“Hey.” Momo said with a bright and beautiful smile. She was wearing a simple tank top and bottom set but Jirou knew it was made from imported silk. The light pink looked really good on her skin and she had to stop herself from checking out her best friend. Her dark long hair was falling freely on her shoulders. It was rare for her to not have her hair up but Jirou thought she looked really pretty with it down. 

She looked down at her own outfit. An over sized hoodie with her favorite bands logo and black fuzzy shorts. 

“Come on in.” She said casually and moved down to the floor to crawl. Momo followed and soon they were sitting in the middle of the pillow fort. 

“Wow, this is amazing.” Momo looked around. It was such a simple concept but she adored the domestic feeling it provided. She was used to the finer things in life but moments like these made her wish she knew more about the freedom of playing than learning about business trades. 

Momo was in awe as she saw the layers of blankets being taped to the walls and hung from the furniture. There were pillows everywhere on the floor providing them with a mass amount of seating options and she couldn’t believe she had never done this before. 

“It's really not but I hope you will have a good time.”

“Any time with you is good.” 

Jirou swore she saw a dust of pink on Momos cheeks. It was faint but the hope of her feelings died quickly as the other girl turned and pulled some items out of her back. 

“I brought some snacks!.” She laid them in front of her as well as two very expensive looking tea cups. She almost didn't want to touch them. 

Momo pulled out a thermos and began to pour. “I decided to go with a green tea and raspberry blend, something light but full of flavor. It comes from Spain back when my family visited there and the family that grows the tea leaves only makes ten batches a year because it's so hard to grow.” Momo stated and Jirou laughed as the dark red liquid filled the cup. 

Momo opened a small tin of cookies which she informed her were from Scotland and an assortment of chocolates and mixed nuts that came all the way from Belgium and different regions of South america. 

“Sorry if it's not enough.” she shuddered as Jirou bit into one of the chocolates and almost moaned at how creamy and delectable the taste was. 

“Are you kidding? These are amazing.” She said as she popped another in her mouth. “I only have some chips from the kitchen and you brought the entire world into my room.” 

A giggle came from Momo's mouth as she took a sip from her tea. Even in her pajamas, she still looked fancy.  “So lovely host, what are the activities for tonight?” 

“Well my lovely guest.” Momo laughed at this. “I thought maybe a movie or show, some card games, possibly a pillow fight if we don't take this all down with us and of course some gossip and girl talk. No particular order.” 

“Let's start with a card game.” Momo clapped her hands together before rummaging through her bag and pulling out a brand new set of cards. “I made these yesterday! I’ve been practicing on simple items and I hope they have the same texture as a regular set.” 

Jirou took the deck and began to shuffle. They looked like regular cards and had the same lightness as well. She always became amazed whenever she witnessed her quirk in action. She began throwing the cards back and forth until they had a good amount then set the rest in the middle. 

“Alright Yaoyorozu. Got any 2’s?” Jirou asked and a competitive game of Go Fish broke out.

After about six rounds of Go Fish, which Momo complained she only won two games and an unsuccessful round of Poker on Jirou’s part, the deck was tossed back into Momo’s fancy bag and ready for another time. 

“Whats next?” Momo asked and Jirou shrugged. 

“Your choice.” She gestured to her laptop that was ready to stream a movie, all the pillows and even a few coloring books that Mina had brought her. 

Momo thought for a second before looking around. “It might be a little too early for a movie.” The sun was beginning to set and Jirou agreed. 

“So what are you thinking?” She leaned back on her elbows and watched Momo’s ‘thinking’ face appear. 

Her eyes widened with a spark as a grin appeared. She crawled through the small opening on the other side. Jirou popped in another chocolate candy as Momo had disappeared, she could see her shadows moving and heard a bit of movement. 

“You know what I’ve always wanted to see?” Momo called out and even though it was a small room, it felt like she was miles apart from her. 

“What's that?” Jirou answered as she ate another one. Gosh these were amazing. 

Momo's head popped back into the fort and she scooted backwards towards her as she held something in her hands. 

“Oh come on.” Jirou laughed as she wiped her fingers clean. “Really?” She smiled as she took the acoustic guitar from her. 

“I’ve always wanted to see you play. Ever since the room tour I've been intrigued by your musical talents.” 

Jirou never thought that being able to play an instrument was something super special. Anyone could really do it and it wasn’t exactly the hardest thing to learn. The fact that Momo sat tapping her fingers in anticipation waiting for her to play and actually wanting to hear her meant a lot. 

She began to tune the guitar. She hadn’t played this particular one in awhile and she was thankful that she had soundproofed her room so that none of the other girls would hear her practically serenading Momo. The familiar strum of the guitar string brought her back to the days she would sit in her backyard and practice. She had always had a soft spot with the instrument. It felt the most personal and could help convey her feelings better than her other instruments could. 

“Any particular song?” She asked and Momo looked up and tapped her chin. 

“What about an original?” 

That wasn’t what she expected. It took her back as she nervously strummed. She wanted to protest and tell her that she doesn’t write her own songs which would be a lie because mom has caught her writing before. 

“Maybe the one you wrote in the park?” Momo added. 

Jirou has written many songs before, most rock and roll songs and occasional pop songs but that one, that particular one was a love song. The only one she had written. She didn’t know that Momo was standing behind her that day as she was busy scribbling down her thoughts. 

“I didn’t know you knew about that.” Jirou muttered as she hugged the guitar close to her chest. She was nervous to sing the song. It was personally and she was scared that momo would realize it was about her. But she shook off that thought and Momo settled down and stared at her like she was the most important thing. 

She began playing the song, the words flowing along like a river. She kept her eyes shut as she played and began to lose herself in the song. If she wasn’t striving to be a hero, she probably would have studied music instead. The thought of writing songs for someone or performing them herself was something she had always dreamed of doing. Maybe once she becomes a professional hero, she might also part time as a musician. 

She ended the song and opened her eyes. She was met with a small round of applause from Mom who looked like she genuinely enjoyed the performance. 

“That was beautiful.” She commended her and Jirou brushed back a piece of hair before setting her guitar behind her. 

“Thank you.” She replied. “I’ve never played any of my songs for anyone before.” 

“Well thank you for letting me be the first one then.” 

Jirou found herself blushing more today then she has in her entire life. She grabbed her laptop before flipping it open. “Movie time?” She asked as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. 

“Sounds good.” 

--

The movie ended and the girls decided to sit in a comfortable silence as they checked their phones. Mina had been texting her, asking her how it was going and telling her to relax. She turned off her phone before relaxing again and just enjoying the presence of her friend. 

“Who do you think would win in a fight? Denki or a jellyfish?” Jirou asked and Momo let out a  loud laugh and covered her mouth. 

“Denki.” Momo stated. And Jirou giggled. 

“I’d pick the jellyfish.” 

“That’s so mean!” But she continued to laugh anyways. 

“No different then when you asked if Kirishima could beat a shark.”

“Which I think he can.” Momo added and their giggle faded off. 

Jirou laid on her back facing the makeshift ceiling of the blankets and somehow began to count the number of dots on the pink blanket. Next to her was Momo who was laying on her side, finger toying with the frizz of the carpet. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Momo said out of the blue. Her tone was different from the previous rounds of asking. It was soft and hesitant as if she was running it over and over in her mind. 

“Yeah of course.” Jirou responded but never took her eyes off the blanket. So far she had counted twenty six dots. 

“Why didn't you go out with Denki?” 

She stopped counting and felt her body tense up. “I know he really liked you and you two seem like such good friends that I was surprised when you turned him down.” She continued. 

Jirou felt the fears she desperately wanted to avoid surface and she tried to keep counting. She was at thirty seven now. 

“ I liked someone else.” She said honestly and she heard Momo hum beside her. “Why do you ask?” She was met with silence. She took a chance and rolled on her side to face her. 

She was met with a pair of eyes that seemed to hold an uncertainty as she looked at her. Momo's mouth was slightly parted open as if she wanted to say something but she didn’t trust herself. A silent tension was formed as the pair looked at each other. 

“Jirou can I tell you a secret?” She asked and the other girl swore they could see tears forming in her eyes. 

She felt worried seeing her friend like that and moved closer. “Of course.” 

“Promise me whatever I say you will still be my friend?” Her eyes were now boring into hers. Almost like a plea. 

“Momo, you can tell me anything.” Her voice was softer than anything Momo has heard before. 

She turned her head and a single tear slipped down her cheek. “I’m gay.” Her voice was on the verge of breaking and she was terrified to look back at Jirou. She was scared that she would yell and be ashamed to be her friend or be mad for not telling her sooner. That fear of rejection played over and over in her mind and she was afraid that she made a giant mistake. 

Instead she was pulled into a hug. Her arms immediately tightened around her frame as the other whispered how proud she was into her ears and she finally let all the tension and fears flow free in tears. 

“Momo.” She pulled away and looked at her. “I will always be your friend, you never have to worry about that. You being gay wouldn’t make me care for you any less, plus I’m bisexual so I understand your fear of coming out. It can be scary but hey, I'm here for you.” 

Momo wiped her tears away and her lips curled up. 

 “Are you okay?” 

Momo only nodded. “Yes.” She took in another deep breath, calming herself down. 

“Can I tell you a secret now?” Jirous said cautiously and Momo shook her head as the other girl began to lean in closer. “I was afraid to tell the person I liked how I felt.” 

“I don’t think you should be.” The other girl whispered. 

They were meant with another silence as their noses touched and their eyes met with a secret plea from each of them. A small smile appeared on Momos lips as she nodded and felt a soft pair of lips touch her own. It was hesitant and slow. Almost like testing the waters before diving straight in. She responded to the kiss and accepted it as she kissed the other girl back. 

Jirou felt tears wet her cheeks as arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her impossibly closer. There was a rush of excitement as their lips parted and they each caught their own breaths. 

“Wow.” Momo whispered and Jirou nodded. 

“Wow indeed.” She laughed. 

“Want to know something else?” Jirou turned her head. “That song was about you.” 

“You, you wrote a song about me?” She asked and before she could respond, Jirou was pulled into another hug. “That makes it even more amazing.” 

They each could barely contain their smiles until Jirou suggested that they watched another movie. Their fingers slowly entered as the movie played and every so often one of them would kiss the other girl's cheek, making them blush profusely. 

Of course they had chosen a romantic love story and normally that wasn’t Jirous type of movie, she preferred action or even musicals, but as she watched the two characters fall in love on screen, she wouldn’t have chosen anything else. 

It was well late into the night as the credits began to roll and a yawn escaped both of their lips. They fluffed their pillows before laying their heads down and faced each other. Momo brushed a piece of hair out of Jirous face and kissed her hand. 

“I’m really happy you invited me over.” She said quietly. 

“Me too.” 

----

The sun came shining in and even with the mass amounts of blankets blocking the light, Jirou woke to a bright room. She rubbed at her eyes and looked to see a snoozing Momo. Even in her sleep she looked perfect as she hand her hands under her head and lips pushed slightly out. She reminded her of a sleeping princess, of course Momo was delicate and refined in every way of her life and it made jirou laugh a little making sleeping beauty flutter her eyes open. 

“Good morning.” Momo smiled at her. She sat up and rubbed away the sleep before stretching her arms out and tried to not knock the blankets down. They were both thankful her hair was down because her massive ponytail would have taken the fort down the moment she got in. 

Jirou grabbed her phone before looking at the time. “Wanna grab coffee?” She asked and Momo nodded quickly. They locked eyes for a second before the memories of last night came flooding back. 

A blush spread on Jirous cheek as she remembered their kiss and soon she felt those plush lips on the corner of her mouth. “You are so cute when you turn pink.” She barely heard Momo as her brain was trying to register what was happening. 

She grabbed the tips of her ear jacks and began tapping them together, a nervous trait she's had since she was a child but Momo thought it was quite adorable. “Um Yaoyorozu?” She asked. “Are we-”

“Oh.” Momo understood immediately. She picked up a brush and began to comb the ends of her hair. “I mean, I would love to. As long as you do that is?”

“Yes!” Jirou said maybe a little too fast for her own liking. “Coffee at ten?” She said before being met with a nod. 

Momo leaned in and kissed her again and jirou swore she saw stars. She never thought that all this mushy and gushy romance stuff would be up her ally but she was finding herself enjoying it with each press of the lips and the giggles that followed. 

Momo grabbed her bag before leaving to get dressed. “See you then.” She winked. 

Jirou heard the door close and grabbed her pillow before doing a mix of a scream and a cheer into it. She never felt this light and happy before and maybe she was still on the first kiss bliss from last night but she never wanted that feeling to go away. 

She got up and began to get ready, making sure she looked decent enough for her girlfriend. Girlfriend. The thought of holding her hands on their way to class and going on dates while they tell each other all their secrets and stories from their childhoods made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

She finished lacing her shoe before grabbing her phone and leaving her dorm room. 

“So how’d it go?” Mina had bombarded her right as she closed her door. 

Jirou couldn’t contain her smile as they walked down to the common room and told her everything, well mostly everything that happened. They entered the elevator and she swore Mina’s screech of joy could be heard all the way across campus and she made her calm down before the doors opened. 

They found the other girls sitting around a table and Momo was sitting next to an empty chair. Jirou sat next to her and Tsuyu smiled. 

“So Yaoyorozu, how was your first pillow fort sleepover?” The frog hero asked and Jirou could see her holding back a wide smile. 

“Amazing.” She said before pecking Jirou’s cheek with a kiss making the girl turn beet red. 

The other girls began to congratulate them and swoon over the fact that they were gonna be the cutest couple ever. Jirou met Momo’s beautiful brown eyes as they shared their own private moment and wrapped their fingers together. 

“Best sleepover ever.” Jirou whispered to herself as she joined back into the conversation. 

“Okay who would win in a fight? Bakugou or Godzilla?” Mina said as the table busted out laughing. 

--

I hope you enjoyed this! It was a pleasure writing and working with you!

Commission info here

[slothgiirl]

forever isn’t for everyone part 10

We all head straight to the hotel, just in time for the first interviews of the day; throwing Jamie and Miles to the wolves. It's a nice place, that we won't enjoy. Having lost a day means that after using the hotel for interviews, we'll have to run to the venue. Only Lucy and the two band members get off at the hotel. 

The rest of us, unlucky as we are, have to get and attempt a soundcheck down half our crew. It's hell. 

Made worse at the thought of Alex holed up in the tour bus as we rush around. Unbothered by work as he's just Miles' plus one. Having stayed up all night with Miles, playing guitar and making my head want to explode as I'd laid in my bunk, thinking about how deft his hands on the strings were. Working myself up and worst of all-- missing him. 

Lucy had been right. I text her as much only to hear a snort above me. Unhelpful in everything except gossip. 

By the time Miles and Jamie get back, having been grilled to hell and back, Jamie looking like the worlds most uncomfortable toddler who's cheeks have been pinch way too many times by strangers, most of the set up has been done. The California sun beating down on us as we enjoy munching on the food set up for us. 

It's one of those days when I could care less if it's any good. That fucking hungry. 

Miles keeps glancing down at his phone, a bundle of nervous energy instead of the usual chaotic energy. He reminded me so of the boys in school who would talk back to the teacher and cause riots of laughter among students. He gets up, grabbing another beer and pacing around the room before collapsing into a chair once more. 

It's making me nervous. 

"You alright Miles," I venture, when he sits down by me, frowning down at his phone. 

"Yeah. Yeah," he says dismissively, not bothering to look up from his phone. "Just peachy doll."

I roll my eyes, but persevere. Part of my job is too make sure the talent's holding up. And we might not be friends outside of work, but you can't live on the road for weeks with people and just not care about them. "You're calling me doll. Now I'm really worried."

He laughs humorlessly. "It's all right Ellie. Really."

"Is it Alex?"

Miles' eyes pierce my gaze, the goblin child mirth absent in lieu of surprise. "No. No. sort of." He glances down at the ground, at the carpet the color of cat vomit, whose original color had been lost to time. "He's just got a bit of a headache. That's all."

"Right," I reply, unconvinced by his slippery gaze and the airy tone. 

" 'm sorry about whatever happened between you two," he utters bluntly. "Say the word and I'll send him away.”

"You don't really mean that," I note, fiddling with my thumbs, unable to hold his gaze now as color rises to my cheeks, "or else you'd have offered at the start of the tour. Not two weeks before it ends in south america."

"Technically," Miles counters, pointing his finger right at me, "its just a break before the festivals.  I can make do with out 'im." 

"I highly doubt that," I remark. Everything's in order in the venue. I'll give myself this one night to skip the concert. While people watching could be fun, and there was nothing like the energy of a live band filling the venue with hundreds of screaming fans, I was a bit over it tonight. Having spent the majority of yesterday in the same confined area with Alex, and being careful not to make it too obvious I was avoiding him, had drained me. 

I walk out the door and into the warm summer night. It was a nice change from Utah. The city bathed in lights as the sun set. Just like that an entire summer gone by. Tomorrow was a second show. Then Pomona. Then San Diego  Soon we'd be in South America and then onto Europe. Miles had been wrong, there was only a week before Europe. 

I let out a breathe as I wish for the first time in my life for a cigarette. All this traveling with a rock band and I'd finally picked up some bad habits. I walk down sunset strip and right into a liquor, wishing I had thought to nick some of the cigarette boxes that filled an entire bowl backstage. Thank god for riders. And next year I'd be doing it all over again with another band. The thought filled me with dread. I'd gotten used to Nick and Jamie. To Ben and Miles who often ended up ontop of tables dancing and dunk and pulling Alex up along with him. 

As soon as I take a drag, I can feel the knot inside my chest begin to ease up. More and more neon signs light up. It's not Vegas, with its kitchy over the top theatrics, but Los Angeles feels like every noir detective movie I'd seen. It's so much like the grimy and cheesy eighties action movies set in these very streets. If not for the actual stale smell of actual garbage. The cars honking every five seconds.

Streets clogged like heart arteries with cars. 

I slip into the first bar I find that's playing loud music. The strokes. God, how I used to dance around my room to their music at one in the mornings instead of finishing my assignments. 

"What can I get for you," the bartender, young, maybe only a year older than me, asks in her vocal fry Californian way. 

"rum and coke," I reply. 

"I love your accent," she replies, already pouring out the cheap rum and coke. I set down a ten-er and find a seat in a small alcove, the crushed velvet seat smelling thickly of cheap beer and cigarette smoke. I slump in my seat and watch people come in and out. 

At least I'd seen the TLC Chinese theater on the way in. Even got a picture that wasn't completely blurry at a red light. Months into the tour and my will to go sight see was dead. My feet would not, refused to even think, of walking another two miles down to the famous street. 

I was almost for sure spending my week off curled up in my bed watching random reality tv shows. 

After my rum and coke I grab a cranberry vodka, feeling like a teenager who'd taken a juice box to school. 

The door opens and a familiar face walks in, already chatting up a girl. It's Alex, with the sort of charisma that takes weeks of hacking at his reserved nature to get through. The girl, a acid blonde, is eating it up, giggling against his shoulder as they order drinks. 

It's heartbreak all over again.  

Instead of doing the rational thing, and leaving before I cry in a random bar, I sit there and watch. Watch as he wraps his arm around her, curling his fingers around her waist. She leans into him, laughing loudly like all these Americans do. Stumbling a little as they take a table by the entrance. Alex smiles evenly, even as she wipes tears of laughter from her eyes. 

Shouldn't he be at the concert with his bezzie mate? 

I swallow back bitterness. It's been three months. Plenty of time to have gotten over him if I hadn't been on the road with him for all of that time. That was all. As soon as this tour was over I'd never have to see his face again. 

Even if I wanted to. 

Even if my heart still fluttered when he smiled softly, eyes sparkling with delight as he got absorbed in the conversation. In Miles and even Matt to some extent. He was charming despite his distant nature. The very picture of having your head in the clouds. The dreaminess only made him that much more appealing. I down the rest of my drink, feeling my throat burn, before resolving to leave. This was a sign I should go to the Chinese theater. Get a photo of me among the walk of fame. Why torture myself about Alex? 

He'd been an ass. I had to remind myself of that night, of the week leading up to it when he wouldn't even give me an explanation for why meeting up for breakfast was too much for him. 

When I look up, they're gone. 

I sigh in relief. 

The night in LA is less black, then a midnight blue. The light pollution illuminating even the grimiest corner. I start to walk in the direction of the crowd. Even at eight, the street was as busy as ever. Like New York, like London, this culture capital never slept. It eased any reservations I had about wondering alone at night in a foreign city. 

I'd just get a taxi back to the venue. 

I'm almost down to the light when two figures catch my attention out of the corner of my eye. Down a badly lit alley. There's a homeless woman sleeping at the entrance.

I stop and stare. 

Alex's auburn hair obscuring his features, but I'd know him anywhere. Know the curve of his spine, the way he carried himself, curled in on himself in a way that could only be described as dainty. His lips against the blonde's neck. It's salt in the wound that's been reopened. fuck. I should've stayed behind in Utah. 

I'm about to turn tail and run when my eyes focus on the blonde. Her arms held still by Alex's hands. Back against the wall. It's a red flag ringing in the back of my mind. The flag that my mothers had impressed into my little prepubescent mind, both of them telling me what to do if I ever felt uncomfortable with a man. Both of them biting their nails with each word.

I stride forward without another thought. Jaw clenching shut. 

It doesn't take long to reach them. But my shoe makes an awful crunching sound as I step on a discarded crisps bag. 

Alerting Alex. 

Words well up in my mouth. Stop. What the fuck are you doing. Alex. But they all die on my lips as Alex looks up, his eyes meeting mine. Instead of the caramel color I'm used to, so bloody fond of. . .his eyes like a pair of rubies met mine. A look of utter devastation crosses his fine features. "I can explain," he utters in a rush, lips stained carmine with blood. 

My brain short circuits. Not wanting to make the connection. Not wanting to hear it. I wish I'd stayed. I don't want to know. I don't. Fuck. Jesus fucking christ. 

My mouth can't form words. Can only look from Alex to the hands, still clasped tightly around the blonde. Her smile dazed as she sways, all her weight on him. Alex lets her go. 

She sways like the branches of a willow tree in the wind, almost falling over before the jolt of the fall kicks her back into consciousness. Her eyes widen as she looks at both of us for a tense second. Her mouth widens comically into an O before she screams. 

Alex moves, surging forward and pressing his hand to her mouth, silencing her scream before it can make its way out of the alley and into the trafficked street. He gazes deeply into her frightened eyes. "Forget this night. You had a drink with a stranger and then went home. Now go on. Run back home and sleep the night away." He wipes the last hint of blood from her neck before he lets her go.

Her gaze slacks as he speaks, until the fear retreats. And just like that, like malleable clay, she walks out of the alley, and off into the night. I watch her disappear around the corner. Still shocked silent. 

"El," Alex whispers sadly, much too close for comfort. Having crossed the distance between us while I was distracted. A mistake on my part. A primal terror surging through my mind, telling me to run. To get as far from Alex as possible. "Why'd you have to see?" 

His eyes still unnaturally red.

I shake my head slightly. Aware of his hand reaching for my cheek, frozen in the air, as if held back by some invisible force. "No." I shake my head much more firmly. I don't. I don't want to make the connection consciously that the back of my mind already has. That my mind is insisting of as everything off about him falls into place. 

Alex closes his eyes, taking a step back. "I can let you forget this all if that's what you wish." When he opens his eyes once more, they're back to his normal color. It eases a lump in my throat I hadn't realized had built up. 

This. . .this Alex I might be able to deal with. So much more familiar. If not for the blood on those lips I had spent so many nights kissing.

I rup my temples. "No. No. What the actual fuck."

"El."

"Stay the bloody hell away from me Alex!"

"El please," he pleads, arms held up in a calming motion as though I'm freaking out over nothing. Like he's not a v. . .no. I refuse to go there despite the evidence. "Let's go somewhere to talk."

"I'm not going anywhere alone with you," I spit, stepping back. Wanting to put more distance between us. Had he done that to me? How would I ever even know?

"Of course not," Alex replies, voice wavering, choked full of emotion as he continues, "somewhere crowded-," 

"So you can brainwash me!"

Hurt flashes across his eyes, "I would never hurt you," Alex insists. 

"You already did." I state. Because it had been three months. And Alex, my first serious adult relationship had just-I was left heartbroken. 

He closes his eyes once more sighing. I could run right now. But something more complex than simple fear roots me to this spot in the alley. Alex rubs the bridge of his nose before trying once more.

"El," he sighs with centuries of built up melancholia, "please just listen to me and then you can decide whatever you wish. I'll never bother you again. But El-," his voice breaks. "El I can't refuse for this to be my last memory of you."

My heart flutters, still longing for him even now. Even with the blood drying on his lips. And I can't help but say, "okay."

[bittysvalentines]

Blue Suits and Wedding Cake

From: @effyeahzimbits 

To: @karin848

Rating: T+

Pairings: Zimbits

Warnings: Jack is ill ☹ and one cuss word

Summary: Fevers can make you say silly things. Or give you the guts to ask something that’s been on your mind for a while.

Bitty absent-mindedly scratched the dog’s belly with one hand, his other scrolling through the Falcs’ Twitter feed. Even after he’d finished work for the day he liked to read through posts and replies and keep up to date. Jack teased him for it, but it just showed how much Bitty loved his job. Walking into an internship with the Falconers’ social media department straight out of college was a dream come true.

     Maddie rolled over and demanded more of his attention, nudging his hand incessantly with her nose until he gave up on Twitter altogether. He snickered and tossed his phone aside in favour of scratching both her ears, laughing as she practically melted against him. He paused the fussing only to snap a quick picture and send it to Kent, who promptly responded with five heart eyes emojis. The group chat they shared with Kent and his partner was mostly filled with photos of Kent’s cat and their dog.

     “We should take you out before daddy comes home, huh?” Bitty asked the golden retriever, now scratching underneath her chin. Her tongue lolled out comically, so he took that as a yes.

     The streets were quiet at this time of night, and the walk was short and sweet. Old anxieties died hard, and Bitty wasn’t comfortable lingering outside, even with a huge dog by his side. He walked to the small park at the end of their block, let Maddie do her business and then headed back home. Longer walks happened on his lunchtimes or days off, and the best ones were when he and Jack shared a rare day together. They’d pack up a picnic and drive out a bit until they found a strip of countryside and walk for hours, Maddie bolting ahead chasing birds and her own tail.

       They were home fifteen minutes later. Bitty hung Maddie’s leash up on the coat rack and noticed Jack’s game bag had been dumped by the shoe rack. He followed the trail of clothes, picking them up as he went, to their bedroom. Maddie beat him to it, and he found her shoving her nose into Jack’s waist as he attempted to undress. Bitty smiled fondly and kissed Jack’s cheek on his way to the laundry basket.

     “Good game, sweetpea.”

     “Thanks,” Jack yawned, obediently fussing the dog until she allowed him to take off his suit pants. “Did you watch?” He asked, though he already knew the answer.

     “I always watch,” Bitty replied with a lopsided grin, hanging up Jack’s jacket. “I thought you were going out for a drink afterwards?”

     “Didn’t feel like it. I’m tired,” Jack shrugged.

     It wasn’t often Jack went out with his teammates after a game, but he made an effort to do so at least once a week and would only miss a night if he was really feeling under the weather. Wearing only his underwear now, he crawled into bed with a contented sigh and pulled the sheets up to his chin. Bitty couldn’t resist coming over to inspect him like he did after most games, usually finding bruises and scrapes. He did look exhausted, so Bitty leaned down to kiss his forehead tenderly.

     “I’ll lock up and we’ll get an early night,” he promised, brushing his hair out of his eyes for him.

     “Sounds good,” Jack yawned again, smiling sleepily.

     Bitty finished their usual nightly routine by himself, turning off lights and making sure all windows and doors were safely locked. He returned to the bedroom a short while later to find Jack already asleep and snoring softly. Bitty stopped and watched him for a moment, thinking that he did look a bit peaky. Hoping it was just something a good night’s sleep would help, he stripped himself and tiptoed to bed. He scrolled through his phone for another half an hour or so before becoming drowsy enough to lie down and sleep. He curled himself around Jack’s chest and soon drifted off.

     He awoke to an empty bed and the ensuite bathroom light glaring in his face. He heard the toilet flushing and squinted at his phone screen for the time. After determining that it was the very early hours, he laid back down, waiting for Jack to come back to bed. When he didn’t right away, Bitty frowned and sat up, trying to peer into the bathroom.

     “Jack?” He called sleepily, rubbing his face. “Everything okay, honey?”

     He received a muffled groan in reply, which only concerned him further. He threw back the sheets and got up to check, carefully stepping over the dog on his way to the bathroom. Jack was slumped beside the toilet, his forehead resting on the cool porcelain. He looked exhausted and miserable, having obviously just thrown up.

     “Oh dear, sugar,” Bitty smiled sympathetically, crouching beside him.

     “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you,” Jack mumbled, throat scratchy.

     “Don’t be silly. Why didn’t you tell me you were feeling sick?” Bitty half scolded him, gently pressing the back of his palm to his clammy forehead.

     “Thought I was just tired. Didn’t feel that bad,” Jack replied, sounding like every word was wearing him out.

    Bitty tsked but didn’t tell him off, instead standing up to fetch him a glass of water. Jack accepted it with shaking fingers and a slurred thank you and sipped it with a pained expression. His face eased a little when Bitty pressed a wet cloth to his face, gently cleaning him up, and he smiled weakly.

     “Sorry I’m not so hot right now,” he joked, managing to laugh a bit when Bitty snorted at him.

     “About as hot as me when I caught norovirus that time,” Bitty reminded him with a smirk.

     He’d been bedridden for days last winter, moving only to run to the bathroom and barely making it in time. Jack had stayed with him as much as he could, and though he couldn’t do much, Bitty had been glad for his company. He was sorry Jack was feeling so ill, but at least he could return the favour.

    The water didn’t stay down for long, and Jack was soon hugging the toilet bowl again as he vomited. Bitty rubbed his back tenderly through it all, feeling useless. He wasn’t sure if it was a bug or food poisoning, but one thing was certain – Jack was going to need a few days off work. Bitty made a mental note to call HR in the morning and let them know. Luckily, he had a couple of days off himself, though he gave up his previous ideas of romantic picnic walks and catching a movie at the cinema.

     “Come on sweetpea,” Bitty murmured, nudging him after he’d been quiet for a few long minutes. “Let’s get you back into bed.”

     It was hard work, Jack was dead on his feet. He didn’t dare drink any more water, but he rinsed out his mouth and managed to give his face a quick wash. He collapsed back into bed, curling up tightly and burying his face into the cool pillow. Bitty could only help him feel comfortable, pressing kisses to his shoulder and stroking his hair until he fell asleep again.

     Bitty didn’t sleep well himself after that. He got up a few hours later, dragging himself up to get coffee and let Maddie out onto the balcony to pee. Jack slept hard, and Bitty didn’t have the heart to wake him. Once the caffeine helped him feel a bit more alive he grabbed the dog’s leash and his wallet, deciding to jog to the supermarket and kill two birds with one stone. He bought plenty of Gatorade and freeze pops, knowing that was all Jack was going to be able to stomach for a while. He ran back too; the exercise helping to wake his brain and burn off a little of Maddie’s energy until he could take her for a longer walk. She was used to running with Jack in the mornings, and Bitty knew his own jog paled in comparison.

     It was early afternoon when Jack woke up. He was still feverish and pale, and could barely manage any more than a few sips of water. Bitty switched Netflix on for him, but he watched it with listless eyes in between trips to the bathroom to empty his stomach again. When he flopped back into bed, Bitty let him rest his head in his lap so he could play with his hair. Jack pressed his nose to Bitty’s thigh and closed his eyes, silently pleading for his body to get its shit together.

     “I wonder if it was the fish you had at the restaurant yesterday,” Bitty mused, scratching soothingly at his scalp.

     “Probably,” Jack agreed, his throat so sore his voice was no more than a whisper. “Tasted weird.”

     “My poor man,” Bitty simpered, genuinely feeling sorry for him. It sucked being ill and not being able to do anything but wait it out. “I wish I could help.”

     “’S’nice just having you sit with me,” Jack reassured him, opening his eyes to give him a tired smile.

     Bitty returned the gesture, glad he could do that at least. It fell quiet between them then, save for the sounds of whatever documentary was playing. Jack half dozed, lulled by the hand in his hair. Bitty entertained himself with his phone, messaging their friends and updating Kent with pictures and texts. Kent sounded concerned, but Bitty persuaded him no to catch the next flight out. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d jetted to Providence on a whim and probably wouldn’t be the last either.

     It had been quiet for a whole hour and Bitty was sure Jack was asleep, so he was surprised when Jack mumbled something into his leg.

     “What was that, sugar?”

     Jack pulled his face back a bit, though he didn’t bother to open his eyes, only making himself more comfortable on Bitty’s thigh.

     “Marry me?”

     Bitty let out a thin, nervous laugh, his heart suddenly hammering in his chest.

     “Ask me again when you don’t have a fever,” he replied as smoothly as he could manage.

     Jack simply gave a half-committal hum in his throat and settled back to sleep again. Bitty shook his head and resumed stroking his hair, albeit with slightly shaky fingers. Once he’d gotten over his shock, he couldn’t help feeling amused. Jack probably wouldn’t even remember what he’d said once his temperature returned to normal.

     “Wouldn’t it be nice if he did though, huh girl?” Bitty asked Maddie under his breath. She wagged her tail at him.

     Jack gradually got over his food poisoning. It took a week or two for things to return to normal once more, though he was tired for a while after. Bitty didn’t mention his abrupt proposal, not wanting to embarrass either of them. The idea stuck fast in Bitty’s mind though, and he found himself fantasising about blue suits and wedding cake. He assumed Jack had forgotten all about it.

     A few weeks later though, he found that Jack hadn’t forgotten at all.      The End

Happy Valentine’s Day Karin! I hope you enjoyed the fluff. <3 Love, Effyeahzimbits.

[operationrainfall]

Title Super Crush KO Developer Vertex Pop Publisher Vertex Pop Release Date January 16th, 2020 Genre Brawler, Platformer Platform PC, Nintendo Switch Age Rating E for Everyone 10+ – Fantasy Violence Official Website

It might seem odd that Super Crush KO is the first game by Vertex Pop that I’ve reviewed for oprainfall. After all, I like retro, I like colorful and I like silly. These are all words I would use to describe other games by Vertex Pop, including We Are Doomed and Graceful Explosion Machine. After demoing Super Crush KO at a couple events, I knew I found the gameplay compelling. The question is, was this the next great indie experience? Or did Super Crush KO leave me hoping for more?

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I’m gonna go a bit out of sequence and say this – I absolutely adore the art style of Super Crush KO. It’s vibrant, popping with color and catches the eye. Normally such a bright palette of pinks, blues and greens would be jarring, but they mesh really well. When you factor in that color is well used to tell the story through dynamic comic book panels, it’s even better. That artistry also translates to the game itself, and you’ll rarely be bored by what you’re seeing on screen. Though it’s true some enemy models are pretty similar, there was enough diversity to keep me happy. Honestly, if I were just judging Super Crush KO on artistry, it would likely get a perfect score. However, I also have to gauge it based on other factors.

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Let’s start with the plot. I use that word generously, since there’s not much story to speak of in Super Crush KO. One day you wake up and some random alien girl, Ann, kidnaps your cat. You angrily put on your sneakers and jacket, and race after her. All that’s between you and saving Chubbz is Ann’s horde of robot minions. I’m not sure if she built the minions or inherited them, nor am I 100% sure how or why your cat was chosen. It’s also totally unclear why the main character of Karen is able to fight robots with seeming superhuman strength and skills gifted to her by eating random junk food. I hate to dwell on all this, but it stands out because the vague nature of the plot kept it from being a better game. I’m not saying every game has to make perfect sense nor take itself seriously, but I do feel what’s here would have been so much more enjoyable if it wasn’t just trying to be cute all the time.

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That said, the main draw of Super Crush KO is the combat. It’s a brawler with platformer elements. Each of the game’s 16 stages (plus 4 boss fights and one tutorial area) has you move from section to section beating the living hell out of Ann’s poor robots. You’re gated in areas until you beat them all, and besides that, you’ll find traps such as buzz saws that move on tracks, spikes, lasers and more to screw with you. You have a wide variety of attacks at your disposal, and most of them require energy. Once you run out, you can’t do anything other than standard punches and kicks. Thankfully, each time you destroy a foe, they’ll spill energy gems for you that refill your meter, letting you keep on the pressure. You’ll have aerial corkscrews, ground pounds, uppercuts and more to wreck them with, as well as a handy gun that has unlimited ammo, but which overheats quickly. Most important of all is your dodge, which lets you avoid projectiles and breeze past charging foes. Conceptually, it all works perfectly, and most of the time I found the combat quite fun. The tricky part comes when you factor in the game’s primary replay value, the Rank system.

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To get a perfect score on any stage, you’ll basically need to get through it all without getting hit once. That might not sound so bad, but things get fast and furious, and enemies constantly teleport onto the screen, often surprising you. It’s also frustrating that your main attack combo draws you closer to foes, sometimes resulting in taking accidental damage. I also found that the aforementioned traps were a huge hassle when things got heated, and I often would get hit by a poorly placed laser or moving buzz saw. Generally speaking, I got a rank of A or S on most stages, but getting that along with perfect combos in each section was very difficult. And what’s worse, all you get for a perfect score is bragging rights. I’m a big proponent of performance unlocking content, and wish there were bonus stages or bosses that could be attained by doing exceptionally. Or hell, even an alternate ending or customization options. Without those, the game is quite short, as I managed to beat it in about 2 and a half hours.

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Generally in games like this I love the boss fights, but sadly that’s not the case in Super Crush KO. Don’t get me wrong, they were fun enough and challenging, but they also were far too similar. Even the boss models are nearly identical, all humanoid robots who run around attacking, then summon more tiny robots when they take enough damage. I would have liked all the bosses more if they were all totally distinct looking and had totally unique attack patterns. As it is, it felt a lot like just taking on slightly more powerful versions of the same enemy over and over.

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While most of the controls work seamlessly for the Switch version, the gun was problematic. It couldn’t fire through platforms, and overheated way too quickly. More troublesome was that you have to re-aim the gun with the left joystick, but most of the movement is relegated to the directional buttons. I really wish you could shift the gun cursor around by tapping the shoulder buttons. More than once I would be firing, a foe would teleport behind me, and by the time I had reoriented the gun, I was taking damage. Another issue I had combat-wise was how easy it was to lose track of where foes are when they swarm you. Given that the only warning you get for a pending attack is a visual cue, this was an issue. I would have loved if there was a distinct audio cue each time an attack was pending, cause then even if I lost track of where the foe was, I could still react in time. And though I loved the Super Beam KO finisher, I do wish the meter filled much faster for it. Usually I’d be lucky if I could use it twice in a single stage.

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I really hate harping on what Super Crush KO doesn’t do well, because overall there’s a lot I enjoyed about the experience. Honestly, if this had been a Metroidvania that was much more spread out and had really intriguing boss fights, this would have been a tremendous experience. In many ways, it reminded me of Guacamelee 2!, just a stripped down version. As it is, it’s still fun, it just feels like a light experience that could have been so much more. For example, I liked the combat and I liked the platforming, I just didn’t like them together. If they had separate sections with stage hazards and combat, and they didn’t mix, the game would have flowed so much more fluidly. And while I did love the art in the game, the music and sound effects were a different matter entirely. At best they were muted, at worst they were forgettable bubble gum fare.

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In the end, Super Crush KO isn’t quite an indie classic, but it also has some shining points. Though the plot is almost non-existent, the characters are cute. The combat is amazing when it isn’t slowed down by some awkward design, and it can flow very well. And the art is tremendously engaging. While I do feel $14.99 is a bit pricey for a game I beat in a little over two hours, I still am glad I got to cover it. Vertex Pop has the bones of an amazing game here, and I’m hopeful their next title reaches its full potential. If you like cute and colorful games and don’t mind something short and sweet, then I’d check out Super Crush KO.

[easyreview cat1title=”Overall” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”3.5″]

Review Copy Provided by Developer

REVIEW: Super Crush KO Title Super Crush KO