#i’m still a cxs defender though

[ihavesomejays]

oomf died, what do i do -lu guang, probably

closeups under keep reading

[dangraccoon]

Enough Time

Day 14 ~ venom ~ (Alt. Prompt)

Tech

Word Count: 1641 Content: blood, gore (kinda), violence/fighting, poison, coughing up blood, dying, saying goodbye, near death experiences, brainwashing Mando'a: su cuy'gar - greeting, Hello! (you're alive) "Gar duur ganar nakar’mir ibac tekay gar ru’goorar garast at gar kyr’am" - you may have not known that since you threw yourself to your death "vod" - sibling/brother

Tech had never really cared for dirt. Unsurprisingly, it was an inevitable side effect of his work, and it wasn’t as though it truly bothered him if he did get dirty. 

But as he was now face down in it, blood dripping and pooling in it from the cuts and gashes his opponent bestowed on him, he found that there were many other places he’d rather be.

For example, his bed in his family’s house seemed a good option. Or, perhaps, the couch—if the lurca hound his sister picked up would allow it. His partner’s house or ship would do nicely as well, though he’d feel worse for bleeding on her possessions. He fought tooth and nail to get back here–couldn’t he rest now?

He blinked, the scars that stretched across the tender flesh around his eyes twinged. His family. His partner. Right. 

He pushed himself up, arms aching and trembling slightly. 

His opponent noticed. Damn.

“I’m sure your efforts could be considered valiant,” the clone assassin mocked. “Yet, I’m sure you know they are in vain.”

Tech chose not to respond. It wasn’t as though he could reason with his assailant. 

His stolen pistol lay in the dirt, the distance far too great to bother reaching for it, so he raised his arms, easily falling into a hand-to-hand stance. He’d been fighting this way all his life. 

The clone assassin’s face was hidden behind that dark visor, but Tech knew how it looked. It looked like every other reg that bullied him and his brothers. 

The CX tossed his blaster aside carelessly. “You are more of a fool than I was led to believe.”

Tech swung at him, cursing the way the CX dodged easily. 

“You can’t beat me,” he taunted, as his quick jab landed against Tech’s ribs. 

Tech groaned as he hit the ground. As he got back up, he spared a glance behind him. 

Numerous citizens of Pabu were still loading onto the ship Echo brought as their homes burned.

His eyes found his loved ones, all helping the others onto the ship.

“Y-you will…not harm… my people,” Tech growled. “You will not… harm my family.”

He advanced on the other assassin with a renewed fervor, blows meeting blocks. His rage–his desire to defend the people he loved–pushed him to be faster, hit harder, and show no mercy.

He began to grapple with the assassin, the two rolling across the cobblestone. 

He found an opportunity to kick the other off of him, the clone hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

Distantly, he heard an exclamation.

Omega, standing at the opening of the ship, calling something to the others.

“You are pathetic,” the assassin sneered as he used Tech’s distraction to slash at his arm with his concealed knife. “You were one of us! You had everything!”

Tech knew what that blade was coated in; he’d carried the same concoction before he awoke. 

Venom 72, he thought as the world began to spin. He had no time. He never had enough time. The citizens were still loading onto the ship. They had to get away or risk being shot down or tracked.

As the assassin rose to his knees, Tech charged him, kicking his helmet, swiftly removing it and revealing an irate reg. His blaster wasn’t far–he could end this madness.

He ran at it, grabbing it as he rolled, and steadied himself. Just as the reg stood over him, he pulled the trigger.

The clone flew backward, a hole between his eyes still burning.

Tech fought to catch his breath, pushing himself to his hands and knees, but his left arm went weak beneath him. He stumbled, barely managing to catch himself enough to fall on his back.

He heard more shouts, approaching. The familiar voices of his squad–his family–surrounded him.

Through wavering vision he saw them, forming a ring around him, weapons precisely aimed. Omega, Hunter, Wrecker, Echo, Phee–

He almost couldn’t believe it. “C-Cross,” he gasped, his helmet picking up and distorting his voice.

Tech’s twin looked startled.

“Friend of yours?” Hunter growled, his grip on his pistol tightening.

“M-my helm–... has voc-coder…’m Te– ha-voc t-t–”

Omega, ignoring the protests of the others, edged near to him.

“What did you say?” she asked calmly, her eyes wide.

Tech coughed. “Hav– havoc… two.”

Omega dropped her crossbow, falling to her knees beside him.

The others tensed as he reached for her. She groaned as she grasped the sides of his helmet, wrenching it off of him. His brothers exploded in various curses and statements of awe.

“Tech!” Omega cried, wrapping her arms around him.

“Maker, it’s really you,” Phee gasped, her blaster falling to the ground as she came to his side. Her hands–he’d nearly forgotten the warm, calloused texture– cupped her face.

The others quickly abandoned their weapons, all circling him. Their joy and relief flooded him but was stopped short as he coughed violently into the back of his hand. When he pulled it away, he saw the spatter of blood and tasted the rust in his mouth.

Omega’s eyes went wide as Tech’s vision spun.

“The v-venom,” he croaked, pulling his arm, fully numb forward to show the slash. “Th- oth’r …’sassin.”

“How do we reverse it?” Echo asked.

“C-can’t–”

“I just got you back, Brown Eyes,” Phee scowled, and Tech could see tears streaking down her face. “I’m not losing you again.”

“P– p‘gress’d too far,” he slurred. His hand reached out for hers. She caught it, squeezing gently. “Le’ me… go…”

“No,” Phee and Omega said in unison.

He watched as Hunter and Crosshair ransacked the body of the other assassin. Echo searched Tech’s own pockets.

He coughed again, doubling over. He could feel his consciousness waning.

Echo produced a wide-mouthed vial from Tech’s pocket.

“Is this it?” he asked, grasping Tech’s uninjured arm. “Is this the same stuff?”

Tech tried to answer but coughed again. He nodded weakly.

Echo ran toward the crowds of Pabu residents, all coming out to see the commotion. “Are any of you a healer or a medic? Or– or a chemist?” 

Tech looked up into Phee’s eyes. His vision was barely a pinhole now, but he could still make out that soft, warm brown. “Should–” he coughed again. “Have tol’ you…’m in l-love.”

Phee smiled through the tears she tried desperately to hold back. “Shh, I-I know, Tech,” she whispered. “I’ve always known that.”

“St-still should–”

“Shh, sweetheart, save your strength,” she pleaded. “You can tell me a million times when you’re better.”

He felt like he was coughing more than breathing at this point. As his lungs seemed to constrict more than they possibly should, he wished the vile substance had affected his mind more; being cognizant of everything that was happening to him and being near powerless to stop it was the perfect torture. 

“M-mega?” he rasped.

“No,” his sister cried. “You’re not leaving again– you can’t!”

“L-listen–”

“No!”

“Wrecker!” Echo shouted. “Grab him and get over here!”

Phee and Omega barely dodged the man as he scooped Tech into his arms.

“I gotcha, Techie,” he said as he began to run towards Echo, the rest of their family trailing close behind. “Echo’s got somethin’ to fix ya right up, jus- jus’ hang on.”

Tech tried to reiterate that it was too late. A few of the words that he’d expected to be his last echoed in his ears as he slipped from consciousness.

“There is no time.”

-

Not for the first time in his relatively short life, Tech was surprised to wake up.

Something in the back of his brain whispered against the panic beginning to rise in his throat. It’s okay. You’re safe.

No, that was incorrect; his brain wasn’t whispering to him. He knew that voice.

“Hu-Hunter?” he murmured, his vision blurry as his eyelids fluttered open. It was his room in their house on Pabu. 

“I’m right here, brother,” Hunter confirmed. Oh, his hand was on Tech’s shoulder. It was comforting. “How are you feeling?” 

Tech willed his supposedly brilliant mind to assess his state. “‘m I alive?”

Hunter chuckled quietly. “Yeah, T’ad’ika. You just managed to pull through.”

“Th-that is… surprising,” Tech breathed, earning a soft huff from his sergeant. “Where–”

“They’ve all got their ears pressed against that door,” Hunter smirked. They heard a few thunks and curses thrown. “We’ve been taking shifts sitting with you. Didn’t wanna overwhelm you with everyone right away.”

Tech nodded, wincing at the discomfort. 

“Yeah, try not to move too much,” Hunter cringed. “Your body’s still flushing out the toxin.”

“Right,” Tech said. “Think– I think I’m going to– to fall asleep.”

“That’s alright,” Hunter assured him.

“But they can… come in,” he said, his eyelids feeling extremely heavy. “Mi-missed you all.”

Hunter smiled and nodded. “Alright,” he said, raising his voice ever so slightly. “Come in– quietly.”

The door slid open, and his family piled into the small room. Omega pushed her way to the front, taking Hunter’s place at his side. Phee joined him on the other, taking his hand. He felt the bed shift under him as Echo sat. Wrecker stood at the end of the bed, looking like a bantha in an ordnance armory. 

Crosshair remained in the doorway.

Tech blinked lazily up at him. “Su cuy’gar,” he grinned.

Crosshair smirked. “Gar duur ganar nakar’mir ibac tekay gar ru’goorar garast at gar kyr’am. [You may have not known that since you threw yourself to your death.]

“Didn’t die,” Tech smirked. 

“Not for lack of effort, vod,” Echo chuckled. 

Tech half-chuckled as well, but he could feel his focus drifting in and out.

“It’s alright, Brown Eyes,” Phee smiled, her hand coming up to cup his cheek. “Rest now; we’ll be here when you wake up.”

It was the best sleep he’d gotten in a long time.

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Thanks for reading! - River

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[ohnobjyx]

Hi, im wondering about recent clip of D/D/U. I guess yibo is a playful person with his friends. I saw how he teased CX and being pampered by his U/N/I/Q hyung. Im rarely interact with ant!s but due to that clip (CX) all his cp fan happy while leaving hateful comment to B/X/G. Its hurt me when they so hateful to h-o-m-o but okay to h-e-t-e-r-o. Why oh why!?!?! This is only my sharing thought. I love reading ur opinions btw. BJYXSZD!!!

Hi, fabellevixxi95! They are talking about TTXS 200719′s episode, for those who are wondering when did this ask happen (yes, I know, I do answer late).

First of all, there are a lot of CPs featuring dd with a lot of people. His old bros from UNIQ, any female with whom he interacts beyond a “hi”, DZW, etc.

(There’s a really noteworthy douyin from DZW explaining the concept of “CP” to his mother: “when you’re very good bros, people start naming your friendship as CP, (...) like the one I have with WYB”. Golden).

I really can’t judge anyone for adhering to a CP, since it’s the same thing I’m doing, but leaving hateful comments, insulting, and outright refusing to back down and apologize for their insults is not right. Be careful of those people, sometimes they aren’t even fans, but antis trying to stir up problems. Don’t engage, block and report if they’re going against the guidelines of the platform they are in.

Okay, since that part is out now, I leave my thoughts about this CP under the cut.

Disclaimer: fake fake fake.

To be honest, I looked into dd-CX CP out of curiosity, to compare a little bit. I couldn’t even find the name of the CP at first, but it was apparent soon enough as to why: they use the same bjyx initials with the “xiao” being CX’s name. However “bjyx” as a CP name has long been taken over by bxg.

I think many people prefer him being with CX (or any other female celebrity actually) because of 2 reasons:

Homophobia. It was difficult for me to realize that a lot of people are lowkey homophobic. They won’t say “ew, gays”, but they’ll say “it’s obvious he’s with a girl instead of with a man, he can’t be gay”. They are much reluctant to admit the possibility of anyone being in a relationship with a person of the same gender, though they’ll often defend themselves with something along the lines of “hey, I have many queer friends, I’m not homophobic!”

There’s a type of fan (let’s call them gf-fans) that fantasize with the possibility of being their idol’s partner. This, in gg and dd’s case, happens much more often with female fans, who then will grasp at straws to continue believing that their idol is completely straight. Thus why they’re much more willing to see a CP with a female idol (when they accept that their idol might not be single): they feel much more identified with a female than a male.

There’s also a curious phenomenon with these “girlfriend-type” of fans: imo, they’re much more open to an hetero CP because they know it’s just rumours and that it’s much more likely to be false, so that fulfills their fantasy of maybe someday meeting their idol and making them fall head over heels in love with them.

(That’s why many bxg pay a lot of attention to what mtjj outright refuse to discuss about. Like hotpot).

It has often been commented that dd’s CP with CX is one of the most “solid” ones, even though CX has said:

She and dd had collaborated twice in a couple choreographies by the time she went for the first time (prior to dd’s birthday special in 2018) to TTXS, and she said both times they hadn’t said a word to each other outside of work.

She called dd “modern monk” in his birthday special last year, and said that he lacked interest in women.

They started to get along much better when they hosted a skateboarding variety show together in 2019, most likely due to shared interests and work related issues. That had to make the CP reach its peak, because I don’t think I’ve seen a lot of these fans nowadays.

(They got comfortable enough for dd to say that she is very heavy, because he couldn’t carry her princess-style, which she didn’t appreciate at all. Trust me, no idol would have liked that).

Dd started to treat CX as a friend, so it probably made people’s eyes fall out of their sockets, because his interactions with women are scarce and very controlled. It is to the point that some fans say he must be gay because of the nature of his interactions with women.

But... I kind of understand him? People tend to forget that he grew up in South Korea, at the age when boys and girls start to interact and make friends with people of the opposite gender. The majority of the boys usually play with other boys and most of the girls play with other girls, specially in countries so conservative as China or South Korea (it’s a generalization, but it’s what happens 🤷‍♀️).

So, at the age when boys and girls start to mingle, he was in South Korea, living in an all boys dorm and studying with other male trainees (from what I know, mixed dorms are extremely hard to find even for university students), in a society where skin touch between a boy and girl with no romantic relationship is frowned upon. I’m aware that there’s a spectrum of types of couples, but even holding hands is rare for some couples there (let’s leave the sexism that still exists in those countries for another day, but they certainly have room to improve in that issue).

Moreover, dd, for all he is bold when no words are required, is quite shy. He’s coming out of his shell, but many of his interactions with women come from a time where I think it was more shyness what made him “cold” (and many people had said that he’s shy rather than cold, and dd himself says “I’m a slow starter” meaning he needs time to be familiar with other people).

That’s why, from my pov, his stilted, uncomfortable interactions with women (in the past) steems from the environment he grew up in + knowing he’s being observed all the time. There’s a video of him dropping a pen, surrounded by girls in skirts in an event, and to pick it up, he drops carefully, facing away from the girls, and keeping his eyes locked on the pen.

(I’m leaving my own speculation about their sexuality for another post, but just as a spoiler, I’m between gay and bi, leaning towards gay for some reasons).

All in all, dd is a playful person with his friends. He has every right to be however he wants. The fact that he’s comfortable enough to tease his female coworkers is just proof that he’s grown out of his awkward phase and that he has found people he likes to work with, no matter their gender.

The fact that some people take friendship as a CP is a phenomenon that will gradually dispel once he works with more women. I really don’t understand the blind RPS with no real proof (beware of fanservicing), but I’m fine if it’s the CP of their project, ofc. So I hope the fans who want him to be straight because it fits their image of him or whatever reason can just accept that he’s living for himself, not for their fantasies. 

[sneezingpotatoes]

Part 2

Hey, you! Yeah, you! Read this! xd Also… hai cx

Reuben stood against the wall pretending to look through his charts while actually eyeing Lani as she clacked away on her keyboard. She looked worried, and overly concerned as she scanned her monitor. He couldn’t blame her though. He was also concerned about his own health. The longer the day went on, the worse he was beginning to feel. He had only finished seeing one patient and he already wanted to go home and sink into his soft mattress. The pediatrician let out a pained sigh followed by a few chesty coughs into the crook of his elbow and sluggishly walked down to the next office to check up on his new patient.

“Doctor Hyde?” The voice of a boy in his early 20’s was heard as the pediatrician peered through the office door.

Reuben gave a slight nod and offered a half smile as he applied a squirt of hand sanitizer and sat down in his rolling chair. He already felt drained and didn’t have the energy to pretend like he was feeling happy and cheerful.  The scent of the sanitizer teased his nose in an uncomfortable manner, making a shiver roll down his spine. It felt like any and everything could irritate his nose at this point. He shook his head, already getting annoyed with his condition and his overly sensitive nose.

“I’m sorry,” Reuben apologized in defeat, “I just need to sit here for a moment, please.”

It felt like everything was out to get him. His head felt stuffed full of cotton, the inside of his skull wouldn’t stop pounding and his stomach was definitely in knots. Alexander nodded in surprise as he watched Reuben drag out a long sigh and rest his head in his palms. Wet sniffles fill the air and bounce off of the office walls, filling the awkward silence between the two. The boy sat there curiously waiting, and wondering what was wrong with his doctor. After a couple minutes of silence, Reuben finally lifted his dreary head and grabbed a handful of tissues, instantly blowing into them, not caring about how gurgly and gross it sounded. He was starting to become internally numb towards the situation entirely now. He felt terrible and didn’t care about anything else anymore. He blew his nose again, a little harder this time and shivered from the tingling of the snot bubbles gurgling up against the rim of his nose.

“D-damn it, hHhUH…!”

He falsely allowed the curse to slip off of his tongue as his breath caught, face still buried in the handful of tissues. He could feel his own eyes involuntarily closing against his will, with his breaths gradually becoming more like rapid pants with each breath.

“Pahhrdon m-me hh-hihH!” Reuben sluggishly swiveled in his chair to the side and doubled over into the cupped tissues, squeezing his hands over the lower half of his face. “Ih’kshn!! I’GSHHN!!! ISSHH!! hHUH’ ISSh’u!!”

“Bless you…?” Alexander said nervously over the loud gurgling from Reuben’s nose blowing. He wasn’t even sure if Reuben had heard him say anything.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized again, sounding winded, and unsure if Alexander was the right person he should’ve been apologizing to.

Reuben blinked a few times, trying to regain his proper vision. He could’ve sworn he saw the room shift a little bit. And when did it get so hot in here all of a sudden? The pediatrician unbuttoned the top of his shirt and leaned back in his seat, overwhelmed and confused on what was even happening anymore at this point.

“Umm..?” The teenager scratched his head and approached the doctor, uncertain of what to do. “Are you gonna be okay? Should I get someone?” Silence. “Doctor Hyde?” No answer.

Alexander clumsily opened the office door and shouted for help, instantly attracting the attention of Lani who was just down the hall on the desktop computer. Without hesitation she ran down the hall into their office, only to be greeted by a passed out, and clearly overheated pediatrician resting in his chair.

…

“He’s gon… be fine… Probab… worked himsel… too har…”

“Ooh, than… oodness…”

Reuben awoke to massive amounts of pain. Pain that he had forgotten about. Pain that he thought was just a dream, but it wasn’t. It was indeed real. The bright florescent hospital lights greeted his fatigued and sensitive eyes, forcing him to squint and stir sluggishly awake.

“There he is! Welcome back Reuben.” A familiar female voice was barely heard on his right side through clogged ears. Reuben slowly turned his head to look at the woman, causing the damp towel to fall off onto the floor. “Hey, hey! Don’t move too much, you might hurt yourself! Not like you’ll listen to me anyway.” She picked up the damp towel, exchanged it for another cool towel and placed it back atop of Reuben’s forehead. “You really scared me, you know that?” She muttered as she tenderly held the pediatrician’s cheek. “Why didn’t you just go home when you had the chance?”

“Yeah, heh. You scared the both of us pretty badly. You know, passing out like that.” Alexander chimed, awkwardly.

The gentleman sighed, but remained silent. He could barely keep up with what they were saying and he was in too much pain to concentrate on anything else. The dry tickle in his throat forced him to jerk forward into a cupped hand and release a handful of rattling coughs. There it was again. The sound that made Reuben, Lani and now Alexander pause in shock.

“Reuben… You need to go home and get some rest. I don’t want this cold to get any worse than it already has.” She stopped to give Reuben another concerned glare. “I’ll take you home.”

For once, Reuben didn’t fight Lani. Whether he didn’t have the energy to clash with her, or he admitted to the defeat, or both, he didn’t know or care. All he knew was that he wanted to lay down and sleep. Sleep for days. Lani smiled at the pediatrician feeling relieved that he wasn’t going to fight her this time. A light chuckle escaped her lips as she lifted up the pediatrician to lean against her shoulders. His frame felt exhausted and warm, like an overworked car engine.

Reuben allowed himself to be led out of the hospital building and over to Lani’s car. The woman sighed from being both happy and worried with having the wonderful pediatrician leaning his torso up against her own. His beige bangs dangled in front of his clammy forehead with every step they took, allowing large clouds of vapor to form from the deep, long breaths that disintegrated in the cold winter air. Lani bit her lip, biting back the urge to glide her hands through his cold, damp locks, or the urge to wipe away the beads of sweat sliding down his clammy cheeks. The click of the passenger side door helps to bring her out of her own urges as she opens the door for Reuben so he can sit down. Instantly, the gentleman collapses onto the cold leather seat, allowing his eyes to finally close completely shut. Almost instantly, he fell into a light sleep.

 It was hard to keep track of time, seeing how it was much harder for Reuben to stay asleep in Lani’s car. Every time he closed his eyes and reopened them, he was in a different location from the last. He wasn’t sure how many times he had went through a time warp, but the final time he had opened his eyes, they were pulling into his driveway. A sense of relief crossed over him as he drowsily unbuckled his seatbelt and weakly pushed the door open.

“Hey! Wait up! Let me help you!” Lani exclaimed as she put the car in park and quickly unbuckled her own seatbelt, trying to catch up to the sick man before he completely got out of the car.

“There’s no need for that.” Reuben weakly replied, voice sounding smooth and calming. “Thank you for the ride, Lani. I can take it from here.”

Before Lani even had the chance for a rebuttal, Reuben closed the car door behind him and weakly started for his front door. At first, she gave him an irritated glare, wishing he would let her help, but soon after, her glare shifted into a soft smile as she shook her head, watching the sick gentleman reach the front door. He sure is something, she thought to herself before slowly pulling out of the driveway.

Reuben drowsily reached into his front pocket and grabbed his house keys, fumbling as he attempted to insert the key into the doorknob. Draco instantly sits up at the sound of the doorknob jangling. It was only 7pm, so no one that he knew of should’ve been at the door at this hour. He had major anxiety from his father, seeing how his own dad had broken into their home and burned their house down, killing his mother in the process a while ago. He was the reason he was out on the streets, why his hand was damaged, and why he started drinking like a madman. No matter where he was, he felt like his father was out to get him and that he was never safe. Even though he had made it out of the burning house alive, he had to go back in to try and save his mom, only for her foot to get caught in between the floor boards, and there was nothing he could do but watch the burning roof crumble onto her frail body in sorrow. He tried to quickly lift the burning plank off of her body with his bare hands, which is why his right hand was so burned and still slowly recovering. That’s why he promised to himself that he would always sleep near the front door on patrol in order to protect and defend those he held dear from anyone that tried to break in and cause harm.

Another soft jangle on the doorknob snags Draco out of his own thoughts as he swiftly swings himself up off of the couch, cautiously approaching the front door. A robber? He wonders to himself, heart slowly starting to thump faster with each possibility that popped into his head. A murderer? The rugged man instantly grabbed the knife off of his used plate and swung the door wide open, knife wielded and pointed directly at the fatigued gentleman.

“Oh, Draco, thank god…” The gentleman softly and exhaustedly muttered as he instantly collapsed into Draco without warning.

The rugged man instantly dropped the knife and froze from shock at the sudden embrace from the gentleman. He was so warm, like a nice, warm campfire in the middle of an ice storm. His heart began to race even faster from feeling the other exhausted male so close and resting in his sturdy arms. He looked down at the gentleman, past his disheveled beige locks, revealing a clearly overly exhausted pediatrician with his eyes softly closed, like his body had shut down right when he had entered the house.

“Tch, of course…” Draco mumbled as he wrapped Reuben’s arm around his shoulders, kicking his bag into the house and leading the sick pediatrician down to his bedroom. “Why the hell’d you go to work in the first place if you were this sick? Idiot.” The gentleman attempted to reply but all Draco heard were murmurs that were muffled into his chest. Something, something, patients, blah, blah. Draco grunted at Reuben. He wasn’t happy about the position that he was in, but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice anyway. Lirin had work today, and she was usually the one to close the bar at night. He didn’t want to pull her away from work just to do something that he was well able to do himself.

Absinthe revealed herself from behind the wall and instantly ran to greet her fatigued master, releasing concerned “meowrr”s as she trailed behind the two. Once she didn’t receive her routine greeting from her owner, she instantly slumped and pouted in worry, knowing that something wasn’t quite right. It felt as if Reuben had completely leaned into Draco and allowed him to somewhat carry/drag him down the hallway. Is he even walking at this point? The rugged man thought to himself with a huff as he swung the bedroom door open.

It felt odd, yes, that he was being held by another grown male so closely up against the rugged man’s chest, Reuben thought as he was heaved onto his premade bed, but it wasn’t like he disliked the feeling either. The worried feline hopped onto her owner’s bed and pawed at his arm, wanting at least some form of attention. With an exhausted smile, the gentleman brought up a shaky hand to gently rub the frail cheek of the feline, knowing how concerned the creature must’ve been feeling. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to sink into his pillows and mattress, feeling Absinthe curl up beside his waist. It was like he hadn’t realized how tired he truly was until he had allowed himself to actually relax and rest.

“Thank you, Draco…” The gentleman croaked between light coughs in his fist.

The rugged man sighed as he took off the gentleman’s glasses and placed them on the nightstand, avoiding the thank you he had received and brushed a hand through his black bangs, watching how pathetic the gentleman looked. His eyes trailed Reuben’s chest as it slowly inflated and deflated with weak, struggling breaths. It clearly looked like Reuben was in a world of discomfort, but Draco could hardly bring himself to ask the well-needed question:

“… Do you need anything?”

He grunted, feeling awkward and out of place; he really just wanted to bolt out of there and escape. Why was this so weird for him? He didn’t know. He had taken care of one of his friends before, granted he didn’t enjoy it but he had still done it without a problem, so why was it so challenging this time?

“Hhh-Hh…” The rugged man snaps out of his own pondering and retains his focus back onto the pediatrician, watching him instantly jerk forward with an agitated grimace on his face. “Eh’ktsh! Issh! EH’SHH! IESSHH!!”

He stood there and blinked in shock, being surprised by the sight of mist spraying from Reuben’s mouth into the dimly lit room from each sneeze. Normally Reuben was such a clean freak that he wouldn’t allow himself to sneeze without having a handkerchief or a tissue on hand. It was a weird thing to experience; the sight of something so out of character made Draco worry slightly. The light, pathetic coughs from Reuben made Draco’s stomach flip as he watched him lackadaisically wipe his nose with the palm of his hand and rapidly sniffle into it, before he dipped forward into a crunch again with four more unwanted sneezes.

“EH’SSH’u!! HhUH-I’SSH-I’ssh-IDZSHH’ue!!”  

Reuben coughed lightly again onto the back of his hand and winced at the pain in his throat. He was starting to feel light headed from not taking in enough air, not like he could’ve, seeing how his nose and throat wouldn’t allow him to even attempt to take in a proper breath. The gentleman naturally and foolishly attempted to take in a deep breath before harshly dipping his head into his chest.

“Ngxt! NNGt!! NGXXT’SSH!! HHUH’GDZSSH—I’GDSSH’ue!!”

The gentleman took in a desperate gasp in an attempt to catch his breath and actually breathe properly, but instead got interrupted by itchy coughs aimed into his hand again from the irritation in his sore throat. The overwhelming pain all over his exhausted body engulfed him and forced him to collapse into his bed, barely remaining conscious. Absinthe jumps from the sudden movement of her master and does her own examination of the sick pediatrician, pouting when she sees how sick her master truly is. She cautiously licks the beads of sweat off of his clammy forehead and cheeks before she paws at his arm waiting for a response.

“Wa… ter…” The sick pediatrician faintly croaked, voice sounding both dry and lost.

Draco’s heart skipped a beat or two before snapping back to reality. It looked like Reuben was knocking on deaths door. Without hesitation, Draco rushed to grab Reuben a cup of cold water and hurried back in fear that if he took his eyes off of him for too long, he would stop breathing. The rugged man carefully tilted the glass of cold water into Reuben’s mouth, allowing him to slowly drink the water while he was lying down, watching and making sure that he was still awake and actively swallowing the water. After Reuben pushed the cup away, signaling that he was finished, he attempted to sit up but Draco forcefully shoved him back down on to the mattress without thinking twice, causing Reuben to grimace and lightly cough, gasping for air.

“What the hell d’you think you’re doing?! Lay down and rest, you moron!” Draco erupted, not sure if it was in anger or if it was in fear, or possibly both. Reuben silently obeyed and listened to the riled up rugged man, as if he had a choice. He didn’t have to tell Reuben twice, seeing how he had already begun to bury himself into his blankets and shut his eyes.

Draco irritably sighed as he turned off the lights for the sick pediatrician. He himself was baffled at the fact of how Reuben wasn’t even near this bad last night… Unless he was really good at ignoring it? He audibly yawned and sat down in the lounge chair beside the sick pediatrician, watching the sick lump lying underneath the cover twitch from the rattling cough aimed into his mattress.

Reuben winced from the aches all over his body. He thought that falling asleep would’ve been a piece of cake, seeing how he was way beyond exhausted and so extremely sore that his body had to tap out and get some good ol’ R&R, but how wrong he was. The upper half of his face felt dense and clogged up with gunk making it impossible for him to breathe through his nose entirely, his head hadn’t stopped pounding from the moment he first woke up and his mind couldn’t decide if he felt cold or hot. The gentleman snuffled thickly out of habit, feeling snot still somehow making its way down to his upper lip, no matter how many times he tried to hold it back. He knew that there was a box of tissues on his night stand, but he was too absorbed into his own pain to care and brought up the palm of his hand to lazily smear the snot away.

Reuben gave a congested sigh as he heard Draco’s soft and nasally snores fill the room. The sick pediatrician felt envious that the rugged man could fall asleep so quickly and easily, and meanwhile he had to wait impatiently, feeling horrible and truly exhausted. He gave Absinthe a well needed rub, hoping it would shove away all of his anger and irritation before flipping sides and thickly snuffling one last time. His allows his mouth to slowly hang open from the need to take in air since his nose wasn’t willing to help in any way. Before he knew it, the gentleman took one last, deep inhale before entering his deep slumber.

…

Draco irritably stirs awake from hearing a snore far louder than his own and directs his drowsy glare towards the bed in which Reuben was sleeping. It was quite odd to hear anything from Reuben while he slept. He usually fell asleep quite quickly and you’d have to take a close up look at him to be sure that he was even asleep. He drowsily gets up and turns the dial on for the lamp closest to Reuben, cautiously trying not to wake up the pediatrician. The clicking sound of the dial causes Reuben to subconsciously flinch, disrupting his snoring pattern temporarily. A thick snuffle, a sluggish swipe under the nose and a slight shift in the blankets occur before the congested snoring resumed like there was never an interruption.

Draco’s stomach flips just by the sight of Reuben. Instantly, he shuffled his way to the restroom medicine cabinet, retrieving the thermometer and Advil before returning back into the bedroom. He was conflicted with himself, wondering why he felt so nervous and anxious about Reuben. Pushing those thoughts aside, he gingerly placed the thermometer underneath Reuben’s tongue and held the other end of the thermometer so that it didn’t slip out of his mouth. It was hard for Draco to stand still waiting for the thermometer to finish. He directed his gaze down at the sick pediatrician, taking note of the damp spot forming on his pillow case from how shiny and clammy his face was, as if he had been sweating ever since he had laid down. His lips were dry and chapped from him only breathing through his mouth all night. The rims of his nostrils and his upper lip stayed moist from the constant leakage of his clogged nose, and his eyebrows were furrowed, like he was in a world of pain and discomfort, even in his sleep.

The soft beep of the thermometer snags Draco’s attention as he cautiously removes the thermometer from Reuben’s mouth. He had a little over a mild fever, which was frightening; He definitely needed to try and bring that down. As he was about to leave to grab a damp towel, he heard the snoring pattern of the pediatrician shift into more of a mixture between an actual snore and a congested snort. He pauses and turns back around to watch the sick pediatrician have a rude awakening. It was like a tug-o-war between himself: one side wanted to stay asleep and the other side wanted him to wake up and do something about his overall well-being. He snored a little longer and deeper this time, and exhaled thickly, nearly chocking on his own sickly fluids. A duo of rattling coughs echo throughout the room, only to soon be replaced by another deep snore. A sudden pause occurs while his snores slowly become broken and out of rhythm. He subconsciously snuffles thickly and shifts around in his blankets, unaware of the persistent tickle demanding his attention.

“Ehh… H-hhuh…”

The rugged man subtly grabbed the box of tissues off of the night stand and sits them beside Reuben’s leg as he watched the sick man’s nose scrunch up and lazily wiggle from the irritating itch.

“Uh-hh… Hihk’DZsshh!!”

Draco flinches from the sight of sick that spews out of Reuben’s nose and glosses his chapped lips. The sick gentleman wakes up a little, being surprised by the explosion and the roaring tickle burning his nostrils. He barely peeks his fatigued eyes open, only to instantly close them shut, dipping forward into a partially cupped hand.

“Huh’Issh! ‘Ksshn! EHK’TSHn!”

Still half asleep, Reuben releases an audible groan at the increasing pain in his body. It felt like his body was on fire and that there was no way to extinguish it. He drowsily reached for the box of tissues beside his leg and clumsily grabbed a selfish handful before shoving them over to his face, instantly releasing a long, wet gurgling sound into them. No matter how many times he blew his nose, his sinuses still felt clogged and unbreachable. He aims the used tissues at the floor, and hits Draco’s pantleg in the process, not remembering where the trashcan was placed. The rugged man couldn’t help but grunt at the sick pediatrician.

“Dracgo…?” Reuben curiously and hazily croaked, instantly coughing into the blankets from how dry and agitated his throat was. “Whahd are you doi’g here…?” His voice was so soft and frail, like a child that had just been awoken by his mother.

Draco stood there dumbfounded at the question and gave Reuben a confused glare. He really wanted to yell at him for throwing his disgusting tissue at him, but he bit his tongue so hard it threatened to bleed as he remembered a similar event that he had done to Reuben before.

“How are you feeling?” Draco drowsily asked, voice still coated with sleep as he evaded Reuben’s question. Reuben blinked a couple of times, still trying to wrap his mind around Draco’s appearance before answering.

“I mus’ve angered the gods for how terrible I’b feeli’g at the moment.” He sighed, snuffling hard, only for all the gunk in his nose to hit a thick wall and remain unmoved. The only thing it made him do was cough into his blanket in return. “Do’dt even thi’k I slept at all.” He mumbled into the blanket as he sighed again. Draco snorted at the comment.

“Are you kiddin’ me?” He asked in surprise as he rubbed his face, trying to shake the sleep off of himself. “You woke me up, snoring like a congested moose. I thought we were about to have an earthquake.” Reuben subtly pulled the blanket over his head, feeling his cheeks start to turn a light shade of red from his embarrassment. He fell silent underneath the blanket, making Draco feel slightly guilty. He pulled the blanket from over the pediatrician’s face and gave him the half drunken glass of water from the night stand. “Don’t cover yourself in that blanket. You’re already running a fever and I don’t want you to overheat.”

Reuben weakly nodded as he attempted to drink the room temperature water, watching Draco step into the bathroom and return with a damp face towel. He gingerly placed it atop Reubens’ head after he finished drinking his water, allowing him to relax and fully enjoy the coolness of the damp towel.

“How’s that?” The rugged man asked out of curiosity.

“Mmmn” Reuben softly moaned in response as soft snores filled the room once more.

[sage-nebula]

for the meme uh... 12, 15, 16 (revolutionary and whispers if you don't mind both) and 36 owo

12) Who is your favourite character to write for? Why?

Mmm, it really depends on the fandom! Well, for the most part, at least.

Alan from the PokéAni is my boy, and I’d say that he’s also the easiest Pokémon character for me to write for, simply because we have so much in common and our thought processes are so similar. I once saw that someone said he’s hard to write and I just … mind boggled for a moment, because he comes to me so naturally. So Alan is definitely up there, in terms of favorite characters to write for. I adore him.

But that said, again, it can really vary by the fandom. In Yu-Gi-Oh!, my go-to is deifnitely Jounouchi, and I do love writing that boy. His snarky attitude and temper can make writing for him really fun, but at the same time, the love and devotion he has toward those he cares about (as well as how awful his life can be at times, even as he continues to push through it) can make writing for him emotional, too. But in the same fandom there is also Hirutani, and oh my god I adore writing for him. He’s so awful! He’s probably the most awful character I write for, and I mean that in the best possible way because he’s such a garbage person that writing for him is unbelievably fun. His depravity knows no bounds, and since I tend to write in very limited third-person (which can almost feel like first-person at times), that gets to shine through in the narration. Someone once tagged a fic I wrote from his POV with:

And honestly, what a compliment. I’m so proud. Honored. And glad to do it, because it was fun to get to write from the perspective of someone who is that fucked up, honestly.

Meanwhile, when it comes to Voltron, Keith is my favorite for reasons similar to Alan. Given that those two are so similar, it makes sense that I relate a lot to Keith as well, and thus his thought processes, actions, and dialogue come pretty naturally to me. Likewise, though I’m still getting used to him, I also enjoy writing for Lotor, particularly since his narration tends to be a lot more eloquent, which (at the risk of sounding arrogant) is actually one way in which I feel that I differ from Keith, and is something I often have to watch whenever I’m writing from Keith’s perspective. I don’t have to hold back when wirting Lotor, which can feel a bit freeing.

That said, honorable mention goes to Ezor, because wirting her dialogue is always fun. There’s an instance in my Big Bang where she’s going to get to quote a meme without knowing it’s a meme, and it’s going to make perfect sense in context, but also feel natural coming out of her mouth, and I can’t wait.

15.) If you write OC’s, how do you decide on their names?

Again, it really depends on the fandom!

For Voltron: Legendary Defender, most of my OCs are galra (and are in the Blade of Marmora because otherwise we’d have pretty much no Blade members to use for fics because the writers keep killing them all off, but that’s neither here nor there). One thing I’ve noticed about galra names (and the galra language altogether, tbh, but mostly the names), is that by and large galra names are filled with hard consonents and sharp sounds. Usually, with few exceptions, they’ll have consonents in the middle and end. To run through a list:

Zarkon

Kolivan

Antok

Ulaz

Thace (this counts, because the “e” is silent)

Regris

Lotor

And so on and so forth. “Krolia” does place emphasis on vowel sounds (the “o” in the middle and the “a” at the end), but her name seems to be the exception rather than the rule when it comes to galra names, and no, I don’t think this has to do with gender, either, because:

Zethrid

Ezor

Acxa

Narti

Trugg

Gnov

Ladnok

Even though Acxa’s and Narti’s names end with vowels, they still have those hard consonent sounds in the middle. When you say Acxa’s name, most of the emphasis is on the “kk-shhh” sound that the “c” and “x” make in the middle. Likewise, it’s the “r” and “t” sounds that get the most emphasis when you’re saying Narti’s name. Those consonents still stand out, moreso than they do for “Krolia.” 

So when I come up with galra names, I throw letters together in a way that places emphasis on hard consonent sounds in the middle and end (and sometimes at the start, but as we see with characters like Antok and Ulaz, that’s not strictly necessary):

Garus

Torvik

Pezak (note: I also chose this name for him because it reminded me of “pissant” and he’s an asshole who deserves it)

Didrin

Vidor

Mezri

And so on. That said, that’s just for galra. While it’s not too often that I come up with non-galra OCs for Voltron, I did have to choose a name for Keith’s dad for the very first fic I ever wrote, and since I’m sticking to the headcanon that he is Japanese until the writers explicitly say otherwise, I chose a Japanese given name for him to go with his Japanese family name of “Kogane.” For that, I went to my kanji dictionary to select a name, and I ended up choosing the name “Ryuuga,” which in this case is written with these kanji: 竜賀. The 竜 kanji means “dragon,” and the 賀 kanji means “congratulatory; joyful.” So his given name “Ryuuga” means “joyful dragon,” and put together with the kanji for Kogane (黄金) means “golden, joyful dragon.” I feel like that’s both a name a parent would likely choose for their child, as well as one that’s fitting for Keith’s father, at least in the sense that … well, a dragon would sire a boy as magnificent as that, am I right?

(“But why can’t Keith have a cool name—” Because Krolia named him because she heard the name “Keith” in an Earth movie and liked both the sound of the name and the character, that’s why. No kanji dictionaries for her, she names her children based off her favorite characters.)

For Yu-Gi-Oh, I did kind of the same thing, depending on the character. If the character was unimportant, such as the beanie kid from Hirutani’s gang or Anzu’s coworker at Burger World, I just chose a random Japanese name and called it a day. But if they were important, such as Honda’s sister Ayumu or when it came time to give Hirutani a given name, I once again went to the kanji dictionary and chose something meaningful. (Except for Ayumu’s family name now that she’s married; Sawashiro comes from a Japanese voice actress I like, haha.) So again:

Ayumu: 天由夢 = (heavens/sky + wherefore/reason + dreams)

Kimio: 王央 = (king + center)

I was particularly proud with “Kimio” for Hirutani, because when put together with the kanji from his family name (which reads as “leech valley”), Hirutani’s full name means “the king at the center of leech valley.” Fitting, don’t you think?

Lastly, in the event that I need to create OCs for Pokémon, first I decide if they’re going to have a type-specialty (and, in that, if they’re going to be a Gym Leader or Elite Four member or something) or not. If they are, then I choose something punny, as is series tradition. If not … I might look at a name dictionary, might not. It really depends on how important they are overall.

16.) How did you come up with the idea for Whispers in the Dark and Revolutionary?

For Whispers in the Dark, I think I mentioned it in another ask right before this one, but it was in response to a fic prompt meme. The meme had people send me ships and quotes that they wanted used in a fic for the ship, and someone asked for wishshipping with “don’t fucking touch me.” I remember sitting there for a moment, wondering how in the world I was going to make that IC. It’s just not something that Jounouchi or Yuugi would ever naturally say to each other. And as I tried to think up circumstances where it might occur, I remembered chapter eleven, and how Jounouchi had pretended to not know Yuugi in an effort to end the situation before it could escalate and keep him safe. And I wondered … what if he tried a different tactic? What if, instead of saying he didn’t know him, he instead acted aggressive and cruel in a bid to get Yuugi to stop caring about him and leave him alone, to keep him safe that way?

So I wrote the first iteration of the first chapter (as you know, I cleaned it up much later) based around that idea. But someone else had sent in a wishship request with “what happened doesn’t change anything,” and when thinking of a way to incorporate that … well, my mind was still on that canon divergence I had written for the other prompt, so I used this prompt as an excuse to write a “sequel” (actually chapter two). And everything flowed out from there.

As for Revolutionary, Keitor Week last October had “What If?” as the prompt for the last day. A person’s mind can go to many places with a prompt like that, but my brain jumped to “what if Keith was one of Lotor’s generals, and what if they were all the Paladins of Voltron instead of the ones we know?” I was really excited when I came up with this idea, and honestly really scared for a while that someone would beat me to it (but thankfully, though others wrote things along the lines of “what if Keith was one of Lotor’s generals,” making them the Paladins of Voltron stayed squarely in my court), and I was absolutely thrilled that so many found it as interesting as I did. Once I came up with the initial idea and started writing it out, so many other things came to me. Keith having his little line about how Earth, from what little he saw of it, was so unlike Revender planted ideas for that backstory in my mind. The idea for how they all came to bond with their Lions came to me. Their relationships with each other, how they came to bond with each other and join the team, what life is like on Hauli for Allura and Coran (because yes, I know that, too!), and also what happened to the Shiro, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk of that reality since Keith was not there to help them out … yeah, I know all of that. And someday, if everything works out as it should … hopefully I’ll get to share all those stories.

36.) Can you give us a spoiler for one of your WIP’s?

MMMM … okay. So, for this one for my Dual Blades that I’ve been working on since December (or late November, really), Keith and Lotor are sent on a mission to what I have been calling “space NYC” in my head, but is actually the city of Xandoorun on the planet Liindoryx. Because they’re undercover, they can’t go in their Blade uniforms, but they also can’t go their standard wear because:

Lotor is wanted by the Empire, and

Keith’s Earth clothes do not match Xandoorun fashion

As such, they have outfits prepared for them by various Marmorites (Garus prepares Keith’s, while Ilun and Vrek prepare Lotor’s). Here’s a brief excerpt (that may be cut from the final product) of Garus trying to figure out what Keith should wear while Keith is eternally exasperated because a.) they’re just clothes, and b.) oh my god stop fussing Garus:

The door no sooner finished clicking shut behind Lotor before Keithturned back to Garus (who, to Keith’s … astonishment or annoyance, hewasn’t sure which, was already examining a wide array of clothing spread outover the table on the opposite side of the room) and said, “I don’t really carewhat I wear. Just give me whatever so I can go.” He paused, then added,“Please.”

“It may not matter to you, but it does to me. It’s important that youwear clothes that are adequate for your mission.” Garus didn’t so much asglance back at Keith as he spoke, so focused was he on the outfits (three ofthem, Keith thought, but the way they were folded and stacked atop the tablemade it hard for him to tell which piece was supposed to go with whicheverother piece) spread out on the table before him.

“I’m sure that whatever you’ve picked out is adequate,” Keith said.

“I thought so too, at first, at least when it comes to these three,”Garus gestured to the clothes with a wave of his hand, “but now I am not sosure. Or rather …” He turned back to look at Keith at last, frowning. “Istill feel that these options are generically suitable, at least conceptually,in terms of both function and fashion. But now that I have you here, I’m not sosure that they are suitable for you.”

“They’re fine,” Keith said,and he was sure that he was failing to keep the impatience from his voice.“They’re just clothes. It really doesn’t matter—”

“It does,” Garus said, and Keith huffed. “Come here for a moment,please.”

Knowing that the sooner he cooperated, the sooner it would be overwith, Keith did as requested and crossed the room. When he did, Garus selecteda light grey-purple top from the table and held it up against Keith’s torso,humming a bit as he tilted his head, considering.

“This one is nice. I believe it would be a good choice,” he said, andhe stretched out the sleeve to hold it against Keith’s arm. “The material is abit … unusual for Xandoorun,given that it is the same material we use for our uniforms, eldravan steelwoven into the fabric and all, but I don’t believe anyone will notice unlessthey get close enough to touch. The sleeves are long and a bit loose; that willbe good for allowing you to draw strapped knives in a pinch. And I do believethis color is a good choice as well; it brings out your eyes.”

Keith was planning on letting Garus talk himself into a decision beforethat last bit, at which point he sputtered, “Brings out m—?! Who cares aboutthat? What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s a factor to consider,” Garus said, as he returned the shirt tothe table.

“No, it’s not. It doesn’t have anything to do with anything,” Keithsaid flatly. “I just need something to wear and it really doesn’t matter what,so—didn’t you tell Kolivan that you had everything picked out already?”

“Yes, and I do. I have it narrowed down to these three potentialoutfits. But I need to see you with them to be sure.” He paused, frowning as hetapped his finger against his lips, and then shook his head. “I think you willneed to try them on. I’m having a difficult time visualizing how they will fit.I need to see you in them to be sure.”

“I will try on one,” Keith said.

“You will try on all three. The last thing we need is to have yoursafety compromised because you were not able to draw a weapon in time,” Garussaid. He gathered the three selected outfits in his arms, and pushed them intoKeith’s. “Now, go on. You can change behind the textile fabricator.” Hegestured to the large machine in the center of the room, and Keith turned tolook back at it. So that was what itwas called. “You are small, so you should have enough privacy back there.”

Keith scowled as he turned back to Garus.

“I’m not small,” he said.“I’m of average size for a human.”

“Perhaps, but you are also galra, and by our standards, you are small.”Garus paused, and then pulled his tablet free from the carrying pouch he had hookedaround his waist. “I will make a note to have more protein added to your diet.That should help you grow at least a little.”

Keith could hardly believe his ears. “I don’t need—!”

“There! That should do the trick.” Garus finished whatever note he hadmade with a few taps against his tablet screen, and though he was smiling as hesucceeded in his (pointless, Keith swore) task, his smile faded into a sternerexpression as he looked up at Keith. “Now, please go try those on. We don’twant to keep Kolivan waiting for too long.”

[b1a4seeyou]

✨ (*⁰▿⁰*) and 📖 + 👀 I really like your blog! Your writing is amazing and you’re a very sweet person. Also we share a lot of interests (you’re one of the few people I know who love the Tales of Series) so I love seeing the stuff you reblog :D

SCREAMS!! OHMY, THANK YOU, BENI!! I rarely get compliments bc of my blog and contents but I really appreciate that you love them. cx. M-My writing?! Th-thank you! I’ve been a little slow on writing fics lately, thanks to school, but now that I’m free from that place even though for just awhile, I wanna try getting improve and write more. (۶•̀ᴗ•́)۶ And heck yeah! I was glad that I got introduced with the Tales of Series. Xillia 2 was the reason I got into it and was really popular in every game store I went so I just why not try it out? and bought the box set with a Ludger figurine and bam! I got into Tales of. I’m really glad you love my massive amount of content haha. I’ll answer under the cut since you ask for a story haha. xD

From this ask

✨ = a blog rate 

If this is for my blog, I’ll just give it a 9/10 because my blog is a big mess with random stuff I’m into. xD. But if it’s for your blog, then I’ll give a full 10/10! I love seeing your game reviews, which help me avoid or enjoy some of them, and your art, which I really, REALLY love to see every artist’s art. Everyone has their own art style, right? ;)

📖 = tell a story

Hmm….Oh, I got one! Since we’re both into the Tales of Series, let me tell you a dream I had with Sorey. xD. I still cant get over it since it was literally a day after I started playing the game and I thought that, maybe this could be a good fic? This is a little embarrassing but here’s what happened.

In my dream, I was my Xillia 2 OC. Saaya, I called her, but in my dream, I pronounced as myself, Eun. So it started with me meeting Sorey and the gang. We went to adventures, slaying hellions and at that time, I’d became his temporary squire! We were resting near a beach. Everyone was in the inn so it was just me and Sorey. We talked about personal stuff and he got tired so he slept on my shoulder. Just for awhile, he said, but god, he sleeps so cute. (/* ^*). Anyways, I started to have feelings for him and without thinking, I leaned to his face and literally kissed him, I MEAN I’M NOT LYING!! I REALLY DID!! Once I backed away a little, he just opened his eyes and said “I just felt something on my lips. Was it from you?“

I was literally blushing, I could feel face really burning, so I pushed him and ran away. He was really confused but he got up and went to the inn instead. He found the others eating and laughing. Everyone was like “Ay, Sorey! Where were you?“ but Rose and Lailah were the ones that asked “Wait, where’s Eun? Wasnt she with you?“ So he told everything what happened and everyone started to think deeply. Rose was the one that figured something out. She planned to tell every single member of the Scattered Bones to find me and once they knew where I was, they went to find me at this abandoned building. Probably a ruin in that game I guess? Sorey was about to get inside but Mikleo stopped him, saying he should stay here while the others go find her. A little hesitant but had to go with it so he stayed with Mikleo while the others go find me.

Once they found me, the girls especially, convinced me to come out because Sorey had something to say. But I refused so instead of running away, I attacked them immediately with daggers. They all were shocked but they had to defend themselves so they fought back while asking why. I think I said “I’m too dangerous and this is for his safety”? But everyone really begged me to get out. Mikleo heard the screaming and attacks so he told Sorey to stay put and went to help them. Once Mikleo saw what’s going on, he casted a simple arte and created a bubble to trap. Easy for the water boy, ay? Slicing the bubble with a dagger was useless so I gave up and they all gently brought me to Sorey. Mikleo popped the bubble and stood there, saying “I know I caused trouble up there so it’s better if you cut the squire bond from me.“ But Sorey just shook his head and said something like “I dont think being my squire is a bad thing. But I think there’s something more to it when it’s from you. So..“ He held out his hand and asked, “Should we get married?“

And I woke up, just after that proposal!! Oh boy, that was a ride there but can you believe this could be a good fanfic idea? I wish I could write a full complete one. It’s still in my draft but I just wish my writers block could go away. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this hilarious dream of mine. (0 w0)

[neuvis]

1-5 for eises, 6-10 for evina? :-0

1. What’s their full name? Why was that chosen? Does it mean anything?

Her full name is Aalis “Eises” Faust, though she really despises the name Eises. 

I went with it because originally Aalis was born in France some centuries ago so I just looked up “Old French names for girls.” She was also originally part German so I just looked for a cool sounding German surname pfft. Eises was chosen because she has ice powers, and “Eis” is German for ice.

My story doesn’t take place in Earth anymore though, but after having her as my oc for 6 years I just couldn’t bear changing her name, so now it’s stuck cx.

2. Do they have any titles? How did they get them?

I don’t have a word for it yet but it’s a title for people that are kind of like nurses but know enough fighting to defend themselves and their fellow nurses.

3. Did they have a good childhood? What are fond memories they have of it? What’s a bad memory? 

Not really. She was homeless growing up so her childhood was just feeling hungry, cold, and over all uncomfortable most of the time. It wasn’t ALL bad during this time. She was best friends with Maurice and Kohta, so she had a few fond memories of playing and eating with them. 

Bad memory is literally the rest of her young years after she turns 14 thanks to Vantis.

4. What is their relationship with their parents? What’s a good and bad memory with them? Did they know both parents? 

I’m still figuring that out (I just changed her story ok). She might not have any relationship with her parents whatsoever though, as in, never meeting them. 

5. Do they have any siblings? What’s their names? What is their relationship with them? Has their relationship changed since they were kids to adults?

Not by blood, but she sees Maurice and Kohta as brothers. Maybe Julius too. Even as adults they���re still pretty close. 

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate?

A very good student ! But she was also a pretty big brat so she was kind of intimidating. She finished Elisia’s equivalent of high school and moved on to work at the Hestria.

Her favourite subjects were anything relating to computers. Her least favourite were history and math.

7. Did they have lots of friends as a child? Did they keep any of their childhood friends into adulthood? 

Nooot really since she was kind of mean and selfish. 

8. Did they have pets as a child? Do they have pets as an adult? Do they like animals? 

No pets, but she really does love animals.

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals? 

Yesss animals ADORE her

10. Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or want any children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as a godparent/babysitter/ect?

She’s a little iffy on children if they’re misbehaved or scream a lot (she really doesn’t like screaming or certain messes). Most children tend to be afraid of her because of how she looks. 

She sees Hyac as her son and she loves him to death. She’s the kind of mom that’d let the kid do (mostly) what they want and give them sweets whenever. 

[kholoudnine]

Blogging For A Dummy

Hey guys.

So I haven't been very active of a blogger in a few years, at least not anywhere I would ever advertise it. Since I was very little I've had a big respect for bloggers actually, a strange truth about it being that I felt like blogging was just another way of writing, like my books or my poetry or my music, the only way that I could be listened too.

So I was drawn to it. I think the first blog post I ever did was when I was maybe like eleven, my mum had pretty much just discovered the blogging scene and what the internet is so she wanted to make money off it in some way and share our family. It didn't feel as genuine to me as it should've, though. While blogging felt like a way to be heard, not all blogging really appealed to me. I didn't want social medias because social medias were fake to me. They were overly happy, or they were overly sad. They were overly toxic, or they were drowning you in positivity, at least this was my exposure. While I have nothing personal against these types of bloggers and media users nor the audience which consumes their content, none of the idea of that is me. I don't want to write all happy things and be pretty and perfect and face tuned as has been suggested of me, as people I knew had been. Though I noticed over recent years that I'd gone towards a different extreme, sadness. Most of my work was written during anxiety attacks, or rage, or after an accident, or tragedy. I never smiled. Now, I will not say that writing sad things does not help me, it does, tremendously actually. But, I came to the conclusion maybe about a year ago that it was almost all of my work. I love my work, I do, no matter what it is, but when I can go back to the sad moments, and I can't think of any happy ones, that's a problem for me. I think part of that stemmed from not writing everything, and I mean everything. I almost felt ashamed for a while about feeling emotion. Like it was a bad thing or like if I am happy then it somehow discredits my sadness. I know where this comes from, but as my grandmother would say, that it another story.

I started to notice things about myself that I did not like, I let toxicity in within a heartbeat but shied away from happiness. If I met a decent person it excited the hell out of me, but it didn't take me long to decide to quit on it or that it wouldn't last. "I always doubted the longevity of friendships" is a quote from my own book, I know how snooty right? I'm that "quotes himself" guy now, but it's one of the thoughts Mikayla has that is probably closest to myself. I have thought that before, I've lived like it. This sort of pessimistic notion did nothing more for me but make me wary and more inclined, or should I say lightly obsessed, with watching my back about people. It also made me too accepting. I would accept bullshit relationships and abusive friends for the sole purpose of, if I'm not going to get any better than what is the point? I would use them to fill time essentially and just to have someone to talk to, which, isn't really better of me and it just made good friendships harder.

Now I've seen on twitter all day for the past two or three weeks "fuck fake friends" "when I learn how to stand up for myself it's over for you hoes" "my friends are so fake" "what's real friends?" "everybody's fake now" over and over and over again. All over my feed. In fact there is this one account of an influencer who pretty much only posts about people in his life being fake and untrustworthy. It's kind of one of the saddest things to me, fake friends and back stabbing and mean spirited comments are pretty much expected. All over Instagram comedy you see people getting cheated on to the point it almost seems expected in a relationship. While I know I might seem dramatic to say and point this out, we all go on social media a lot, let's be frank, if you're reading this post you at least are around one person who always talks about or quotes social media. This is the norm of social media. Meaning, this whole "no one can be trusted" narrative is what you're constantly and consistently exposed too. I don't want to perpetuate the expectation of failings and heartbreak, not exactly the positivity and realness spread I was hoping for, though I would actively believe it in my one personal daily life. It's not a positive thing, and nothing good really comes from it, it's extremely lonely to feel you'll never have real friends, and it opens up all sorts of doors for abusive relationships may those be platonic or romantic.

Another thing I noticed of myself was an insistent defensiveness, and while I can't hate myself for being that way, it wasn't healthy. In my poetry workshop a few weeks ago, the beautiful Miss Ebony Shun pointed a phrase out for me that was probably the best call out I've ever gotten. "You expect rejection. Expect acceptance." As usual, she was right, and that's a part of self growth I really want to work towards. I've been rejected by few, so thanks to that coupled with my belief that I'd always be let down by other people, I expected that same rejection from everyone else. It works in multiple scenarios.

Someone is hitting on me? I expect danger, I expect that it's someone who doesn't truly care about or respect me. It's someone I should defend myself from. So I must immediately act as such to protect myself ahead of time.

Someone wants to be my friend? I expect disappointment, they're not actually going to like me. It will be a very shallow friendship. I will put a lot into it and they will not even text me back, but I will accept that if I let it get to that point. So I should defend myself, and be as closed off as I can, and show nothing of myself. Do not talk. Make no connections.

I want to attempt to show people my art? I expect rejection, I will be told I am not good enough. I will be sent away and they will not hear me out on it for give me actual feedback for improvement. My singing sounds like whining, and my drawings are done by a five year old, nothing I write is as smart as it thinks it is. I should defend myself, avoid shows. Avoid letting people I will ever see again see my work, hide behind anon blogs and webposts no one's gonna find.

See? Bad. I have reasons, but it's still bad. Finding the reason to the problem should not excuse it, it should help heal it. Now don't get me wrong, I still struggle with these negetivities, daily, but I don't plan to stay that way now. Being conscious of them as problems, are my first step.

Next thing was to figure out how. How do I write anything happy? What the fuck is happy? Can I not swear? Can I not cry when I write it? When do I write about happy things? What the hell even makes me happy? Writing makes me happy but apparently it's all sad, so. This is a trap. Surely happy writing is reserved for freakin' crazy people and Mary Poppin's. It's all clear to me.

After that prompt breakdown and a few shitty one lines that did not sound like any Stiles I'd ever known, I realized something very important. I am a human being. I feel more than just happy cx and sad xc.

(My use of early 2000's emo/scene kid emojis is not apologized for. I concede no apologies for that.)

So when I started to realize that I started to realize another important and fucking obvious fact: I'm a blogger. I have a been a blogger for years, it's just, the only time I've ever been actually ya know, honest and happy while blogging? Was anonymously. I've had blog diaries, I've had poetry blogs, I started a review blog (twice?), I even just posted about my life in general, and what all of those blogs had in common besides nobody knowing who I was, is that I was honest on them, and they were actually entertaining to me and whoever was actually following along. I kept up with them more and so much better.

Once I realized that? I realized I could do this stupid melliniel social media thing, just without being sad, anxious, and pissed off all the time.

Blogging isn't happy or sad or scary or contentful to me, it's another form of art. (Also my way of attempting to smash the patriarchy and end humanities more trivial yet stupidly prevalent problems one human rights campaign and rally at a time, but ya know, art too.)

So here I am, blogging. Most of my posts will probably be like this one, start with a topic, run through my thoughts and experiences. Others will be fashion orientated, like the one I plan for how I'm going to pick my Bookfest outfit and fill with pictures of what I wore. Other's will be short stories or poetry. Others will be how to's on things I do. Like how I make my weird herbal teas or how I write songs. Some will be funny, some serious, others will be about the campiagnes I support and organize. With any luck, I'll post twice a week at very least, though I have no set days yet.

If you like what you see, and you'd like to see and hear from me more often, you can find my books on Amazon and my social medias posted below. Feel free to leave comments or suggestions about something you wanna see from me.

Until next time,

Peace, love infinite, and smile.

Nico.

[horrible-monstrosity]

BOKU NO ACADEMIA, BEAST NO ARS, BRAND NEW ANIMAL,  WHATEVER, IT'S A REVIEW

Well first of all the show immediately shits pant with the opening sequence- like any mediocre smallbrained bit of writing that involves species or transformations it just slaps a 'HURR DURRR GENES LMOA" on there. It then follows up with a bunch of intermixed images of animals that aren't really used in the show like dinosaurs and fucking coelacanths, when most of the animals are normal shit like mammals and small lizards, in a way that implies hybridization in some kind of patchwork frankenstein-ian fashion... but nothing of the sort exists in the show. It doesn't even properly match whatever the fuck the main character's powers are, as she also seems to just turn into generic normal animals when she's not just... stretchy. Better yet, it implies a much more interesting scenario than the show actually has- one where instead of ordinary animal species, the characters are hybrids. Perhaps as the result of recent desegregation between animal species, the latest couple generations are all sorts of strange hybrid animal species on a wider scale than ever seen before, and the plot deals with the tensions between various animal factions as the social order is upheaved. Make our main character a non-obvious hybrid, whose tanooki genes give her limited shapeshifting powers to begin with, an innocent country bumpkin who came to the shiny big city with dreams or some shit only to be hit by culture shock and end up familiar with the grimy underworld. Great plot right there, no need for offscreen human blamesinks, and it even improves the wackyness levels by allowing weird fucking hybrid characters.

anyway... The feel of the show is actually pretty good during the earlier, quieter scenes, like when nooki girl is heading to the city, but you just know that's not gonna last with Trigger at the helm. The scene with humans attacking her already feels forced, shallow, pointless and ham-handed. I can't help but notice the poster that says 'let's hold hands' has 'beast rights' written on the bottom- so which is it, equality or special treatment? I bet even studio Trigger themselves don't know. There's scenes where the animation framerate shits the bed and seems to only have keyframes drawn, no in-betweens, and it looks really amateur and cheap. Better yet a lot of the backgrounds during the festival are completely still, making the scene look absolutely lifeless. For a studio that got famous on it's le wacky lively western-inspired animation, this is really kind of sad. Like, sadder than this mediocre work already is on its own. Reminds me of how everyone was cheering "muh hand-drawn robutts!!" during Franxx and maybe Griddlemang but then Promare just cgis the backgrounds and robots like completely. Or Gridmangle having just supremely shitty-looking traced cgi backgrounds for some of hte more painfully generic locations.

lolthief. humunz bad beastmunz gud but the second you get to beastmantown you get your wallet the fuck stolen. Another reason they should have just canned the human-vs-beast aspect and just went with inter-beast-species conflict. If they're going to rip off of Beastars they might as well actually commit to it. Or just, you know, not write like complete utter fucking retards, but thaaaaat's Trigger for ya

The wolf-vs-other guys fight just dragged on way too long after it established what it needed to- humuns bad, you can blame humunz for everything beasts do wrong, wolfman sooper strong badass who hate hoomanz we get it, and it didn't do anything well or interesting enough to justify its existance as a show-off setpiece.

And already I'm thinking, story woulda been fine if the girl was just a tanooki with tanooki powers from the start who had lived among humans for a while, and not some wacky superpowers special case. Or if they had done anything at all with the hybrid animals thing from the opening sequence make her just the person around with the most hybridizations or some shit rather than some walking mystery box. And that way, her defending the dudes with her tail powers would be something she knew how to do and not just... why does she know how to do this if she's still convinced she's human? And the idea that beastmanity is contagous just gives humans even more reason to be justified in hating and ostracizing beastmen.

Beastman society is terrible, no one even bothers to remember yesterday, disputes are settled with violent fights in broad daylight, pickpockets everywhere, no wonder humans want to be rid of these fuckers. Beastmen form gangs and beastchildren are retarded little illiterate shits but the real problem is hoomanz who victimized them... offscreen sometime in the past. meh. What a limp, unoriginal, unconvincing story. and then the madam fucking sells the fucking children without a singke fuck given pfgpprhpfpgdfpsdf so sympathetic much vitcims of human wow. andnthey aren't even victims of humans apparently, they're just normal orphans. holy shit how is this so bad, trigger wha're you doing The animation is fucking shitty here. Tanooki gril doing a le wacky sproingy squash-and-stretch animation because triggur watched a didney toon once while the scene would work so much better with something more somber is par the course for triggril, but I was not expecting her arms to go from normal to full noodle-stretch COMPLETELY OFF-CAMERA. And somehow she can't tell she's grabbed onto another beastperson and not a fucking lever. Even if she can't tell the size of what she's grabbed because her arms are stretched out, the softness, texture, shape, materials, everything should be obviously not a lever. Just have her say she grabbed the driver guy and yank him around deliberately instead of whatever the fuck this shit is where she has no idea what she's actually doing but some contrivance (him holding onto the controls with a fucking deathgrip the entire time somehow) makes it work out anyway. Retarded Trigger humor during a dark, depressing serious scene, just what we needed And again, this would have worked perfectly fine if stretching and shit was just part of the tanooki powerset in this world, and stretching that far was just the limit of her power, or even if this was tanooki powers but she was still not expecting she'd be able to do that. Or, since the kids make fun of her and call it disgusting even though she's saving their damn fucking lives, have her not want to do this move unless she really has to because she herself thinks it's kinda gross. So you can show her determination in that scene, that she was able to put that aside

and the reason you can tell she's a human is she's a decent person and not a piece of shit like the beasts psdfpfspgdfbehc5vhjth cx   w5f6r5e hah fugk lol

suddenly she bird, and even though she was freaking out over just being able to stretch just before this she makes no comment on it. Like, this is... the first time she's actually turned into another animal (the ears don't count because even if they're supposed to look like bunny ears or some shit they just look like her normal ears stretched out to catch more sound, which is how ears work after all) and there's just no fucking comment on it. Her entire powerset just changed or was recategorized in this moment and all it gets is a throwaway gag. what the fuck? "erhmagerd a smartphone it's been so long!!!" you just lost yours like a couple days ago on the way to the city wtf you mean

wolfboi smellz so good he can read the display on the timebomb, somehow what happened to the scentless bombs from episode 1? it barely amounted to anything then, but this episode acts like it was never a thing and the lack of smellz this time is some completely different scenario.

[cursed-ice-spirits]

Ethren & Diego & Ben 👀👀

OH THREE AT ONCE LOL

Ethren Whitecross

First impression: Ethren seems to be a very interesting character. I think I remember hearing about him in the first year fic and... he’s quiet and determined but also hates bullies, since he stood up for Ben on the train. I like him, I would like to know more about him.

Impression now: Broody bastard who cares about his friends and Merula and the straight friend we love to make fun of him for lol.

Favorite moment: Giving Merula Batman the cat. Enough said. Idea for a story: Either Ethren and Rebecca arguing about the Obliviation or.... Ethren finding Rebecca after her hellish stay with the Caldwells CX 

Unpopular opinion: Can’t think of anything right now

Favorite relationship: Oh this took a while but... Skylar and Ethren. Their friendship is just.... so sweet I can’t help it.

Favorite headcanon: I’m personally amused by how he doesn’t handle magical creatures very well lol. Half tempted to introduce him to the thestrals that live by Rebecca’s home.

___ Diego Caplan

First impression: He’s a bit arrogant. And flirty. But also... surprisingly nice? He didn’t take too offense to us beating him from what I remember.

Impression now: Still the same impression but I want to get to know him! JC needs to stop reusing characters and focus on the newer ones.

Favorite moment: Not much to choose from but when we first met him is what stands out to me.

Idea for a story: Velia knocking Diego out during Year 6 and... that’s a secret from there :P

Unpopular opinion: I can sorta understand where he’s coming from when it comes to Cedric. Now, here me out, but I mean, come on. A first-year just comes out of nowhere and throws around a few spells and suddenly, he’s the greatest thing ever? That has to be jarring, especially for someone like Diego. I don’t know, maybe he thinks it’s stupid, maybe he’s actually jealous, maybe he needs some way to prove himself despite knowing it’s stupid, hell maybe he’s disgusted at how everyone seemed to hover all over a tiny eleven-year-old but... yeah if I was admired for something and then someone new comes along and all the attention is on them, I’ll be pretty stunned and hurt as well. I don’t know

Favorite relationship: I don’t think I even need to say anything lmao. But Diego and Rebecca haha. Rebecca wouldn’t want someone like Ben, since she’s too harsh and too jaded for someone like Ben and they’ll clash too much with new Ben. She needs someone to keep her on her toes and also stop her from throwing her life away

Favorite headcanon: Personally it’s a mix of my headcanon of a charismatic and charming pretty boy to @hogwartsmysterystory‘s headcanon of him being a jerk. I also headcanon him to have a bit of a black and white view of the world, hence the insults toward Merula. Of course, Rebecca will firmly open his eyes to the grey parts X3

__

Ben Copper

First Impression: He’s a coward but maybe he’s like Neville and he’ll grow into it. He’s also very... shady in some parts of the story? Should keep an eye on him.

Impression now: ...Okay yeah, asshole. I know he’s trying to be a protector but to me, he’s just coming off as less kind and more stupid.

Favorite moment: Not really sure? Probably when he’s trying to be braver. Never been proud but... ugh.

Idea for a story: YEAR 4 KISS!! And I’m not saying any more lol.

Unpopular Opinion: I’m sorta a mix. On one hand, I’m happy he’s trying to be brave and a protector even though he’s going through the wrong way but on the other hand... he’s also too aggressive, too reckless. I... think he’ll get himself severely hurt if he continues this. I’m not angry, I’m not sympathetic, I’m just concerned on the path he’s going on.

Favorite Relationship: No clue to be honest oof.

Favorite Headcanon: I personally headcanon to have a crush on Rebecca XP She doesn’t show her true self most of the time and the way she defended him, the way she spat at those who mock him, that’s why. She just cares in her own way. Obviously that crush faded but jsndfdgfg.

[robertkstone]

Quick Take: 2017 Mazda CX-3

It’s a strange thing, being excellent at a useless skill. Talent, regardless of purpose, is inherently impressive, but sometimes it can leave you searching for the point. I ran into this conundrum while driving a 2017 Mazda CX-3, one of the best cars in the subcompact crossover segment.

Both on paper and in person, the CX-3 is a tidy little package. It’s as sharply styled as its brothers and sisters, especially with its scaled-down, diminutive proportions. The plastic wheel arches, more upright rear hatch, and what seems like a shorter front hood make the CX-3 more cohesive than the Mazda3 hatch, which itself is no Aztec.

Inside, its more Mazda magic, as usual. The Japanese automaker has a penchant for developing tight, clean cabins that, despite the use of fairly conventional plastic trim, manage to feel and appear more expensive than they really are, at least by a little. Mazda thinks that Driving Matters, and it shows in the driver-focused interior touches, including the aggressive steering wheel design, motorcycle-style linear tachometer, and short-cropped dash.

Supposedly, this is considered a crossover, but from behind the aforementioned wheel, it’s nearly as engaging as its ground-hugging hatch brother. Steering is weighted and quick, and does a great job at washing away the CUV stain that comes with a taller ride height. Brakes are similarly engaging, with a firm pedal and fabulous bite, at least considering the segment.

No matter the trim level, each CX-3 arrives with a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder, putting down an adequate 146 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque. This gumption is sent to your choice of either the front or all-four wheels, managed by a snappy six-speed automatic transmission. With a 0-60 mph time around the mid-eight-second range, it isn’t quick, but it’ll get you to where you need to be.

Handsomely cute and fun-to-drive, the CX-3 is engaging enough to make your Baby Boomer aunt rave how “zippy” her little SUV is around town. It’s affordable as well, with prices that begin right around the $20,000 mark and climb up to just beneath $30,000. Mazda–great job. I enjoyed commuting and tossing the itty-bitty CX-3 around my neighborhood. For those looking for a subcompact crossover that won’t suck your soul out through the business end of a straw, hop in a 2017 Mazda CX-3.

Why would you, though? Contrary to what your dealer might tell you, it’s not based on the Mazda3, but instead the much smaller Mazda2. Because of this, it’s much smaller inside–rear passengers are squished, losing 0.8 inch of legroom, 4.0 inches of shoulder room, and 0.4 inch of headroom compared to rear passengers in the Mazda3 hatch. Don’t for a second think it swallows more of your goodies, either. Lined up next to the hatch, you’re missing out on a whopping 7.8 cubic feet of storage with the seats up and 2.6 cubic feet with the seats down. Ground clearance? Exactly the same as the Mazda3.

As far as I can tell, the only defining, defendable reason for jumping from the hatch to the CX-3 other than “I want it” is that you have a burning need for all-wheel-drive, a configuration not available on the Mazda3.

I’m no dummy. It would be foolish to blame Mazda for entering a highly competitive segment that’s still in the midst of a land rush, and it fits right in next to its compatriots, which include the Honda HR-V and Chevy Trax. Plus, some people just “want” a crossover, despite having their head stuck firmly in the sand. All things considered, Mazda created what is possibly the best looking and most dynamic little crossover you can buy today, but like the world record holder for fastest Rubik’s Cube solve or Donkey Kong speedrun, why bother.

2017 Mazda CX-3 Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $20,900 (base) ENGINE 2.0L DOHC 16-valve I-4/146 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 146 lb-ft @ 2,800 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic transmission LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD SUV EPA MILEAGE 29/34 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 168.3 x 69.6 x 60.7 in WHEELBASE 101.2 in WEIGHT 2,809 lb 0-60 MPH N/A TOP SPEED N/A

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from PerformanceJunk Feed http://ift.tt/2w9Fgvi via IFTTT

from PerformanceJunk WP Feed 3 http://ift.tt/2w2zz3R via IFTTT

[jesusvasser]

Quick Take: 2017 Mazda CX-3

It’s a strange thing, being excellent at a useless skill. Talent, regardless of purpose, is inherently impressive, but sometimes it can leave you searching for the point. I ran into this conundrum while driving a 2017 Mazda CX-3, one of the best cars in the subcompact crossover segment.

Both on paper and in person, the CX-3 is a tidy little package. It’s as sharply styled as its brothers and sisters, especially with its scaled-down, diminutive proportions. The plastic wheel arches, more upright rear hatch, and what seems like a shorter front hood make the CX-3 more cohesive than the Mazda3 hatch, which itself is no Aztec.

Inside, its more Mazda magic, as usual. The Japanese automaker has a penchant for developing tight, clean cabins that, despite the use of fairly conventional plastic trim, manage to feel and appear more expensive than they really are, at least by a little. Mazda thinks that Driving Matters, and it shows in the driver-focused interior touches, including the aggressive steering wheel design, motorcycle-style linear tachometer, and short-cropped dash.

Supposedly, this is considered a crossover, but from behind the aforementioned wheel, it’s nearly as engaging as its ground-hugging hatch brother. Steering is weighted and quick, and does a great job at washing away the CUV stain that comes with a taller ride height. Brakes are similarly engaging, with a firm pedal and fabulous bite, at least considering the segment.

No matter the trim level, each CX-3 arrives with a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder, putting down an adequate 146 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque. This gumption is sent to your choice of either the front or all-four wheels, managed by a snappy six-speed automatic transmission. With a 0-60 mph time around the mid-eight-second range, it isn’t quick, but it’ll get you to where you need to be.

Handsomely cute and fun-to-drive, the CX-3 is engaging enough to make your Baby Boomer aunt rave how “zippy” her little SUV is around town. It’s affordable as well, with prices that begin right around the $20,000 mark and climb up to just beneath $30,000. Mazda–great job. I enjoyed commuting and tossing the itty-bitty CX-3 around my neighborhood. For those looking for a subcompact crossover that won’t suck your soul out through the business end of a straw, hop in a 2017 Mazda CX-3.

Why would you, though? Contrary to what your dealer might tell you, it’s not based on the Mazda3, but instead the much smaller Mazda2. Because of this, it’s much smaller inside–rear passengers are squished, losing 0.8 inch of legroom, 4.0 inches of shoulder room, and 0.4 inch of headroom compared to rear passengers in the Mazda3 hatch. Don’t for a second think it swallows more of your goodies, either. Lined up next to the hatch, you’re missing out on a whopping 7.8 cubic feet of storage with the seats up and 2.6 cubic feet with the seats down. Ground clearance? Exactly the same as the Mazda3.

As far as I can tell, the only defining, defendable reason for jumping from the hatch to the CX-3 other than “I want it” is that you have a burning need for all-wheel-drive, a configuration not available on the Mazda3.

I’m no dummy. It would be foolish to blame Mazda for entering a highly competitive segment that’s still in the midst of a land rush, and it fits right in next to its compatriots, which include the Honda HR-V and Chevy Trax. Plus, some people just “want” a crossover, despite having their head stuck firmly in the sand. All things considered, Mazda created what is possibly the best looking and most dynamic little crossover you can buy today, but like the world record holder for fastest Rubik’s Cube solve or Donkey Kong speedrun, why bother.

2017 Mazda CX-3 Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $20,900 (base) ENGINE 2.0L DOHC 16-valve I-4/146 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 146 lb-ft @ 2,800 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic transmission LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD SUV EPA MILEAGE 29/34 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 168.3 x 69.6 x 60.7 in WHEELBASE 101.2 in WEIGHT 2,809 lb 0-60 MPH N/A TOP SPEED N/A

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from PerformanceJunk Feed http://ift.tt/2w9Fgvi via IFTTT

from Performance Junk WP Feed 4 http://ift.tt/2w2zz3R via IFTTT

[jonathanbelloblog]

Quick Take: 2017 Mazda CX-3

It’s a strange thing, being excellent at a useless skill. Talent, regardless of purpose, is inherently impressive, but sometimes it can leave you searching for the point. I ran into this conundrum while driving a 2017 Mazda CX-3, one of the best cars in the subcompact crossover segment.

Both on paper and in person, the CX-3 is a tidy little package. It’s as sharply styled as its brothers and sisters, especially with its scaled-down, diminutive proportions. The plastic wheel arches, more upright rear hatch, and what seems like a shorter front hood make the CX-3 more cohesive than the Mazda3 hatch, which itself is no Aztec.

Inside, its more Mazda magic, as usual. The Japanese automaker has a penchant for developing tight, clean cabins that, despite the use of fairly conventional plastic trim, manage to feel and appear more expensive than they really are, at least by a little. Mazda thinks that Driving Matters, and it shows in the driver-focused interior touches, including the aggressive steering wheel design, motorcycle-style linear tachometer, and short-cropped dash.

Supposedly, this is considered a crossover, but from behind the aforementioned wheel, it’s nearly as engaging as its ground-hugging hatch brother. Steering is weighted and quick, and does a great job at washing away the CUV stain that comes with a taller ride height. Brakes are similarly engaging, with a firm pedal and fabulous bite, at least considering the segment.

No matter the trim level, each CX-3 arrives with a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder, putting down an adequate 146 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque. This gumption is sent to your choice of either the front or all-four wheels, managed by a snappy six-speed automatic transmission. With a 0-60 mph time around the mid-eight-second range, it isn’t quick, but it’ll get you to where you need to be.

Handsomely cute and fun-to-drive, the CX-3 is engaging enough to make your Baby Boomer aunt rave how “zippy” her little SUV is around town. It’s affordable as well, with prices that begin right around the $20,000 mark and climb up to just beneath $30,000. Mazda–great job. I enjoyed commuting and tossing the itty-bitty CX-3 around my neighborhood. For those looking for a subcompact crossover that won’t suck your soul out through the business end of a straw, hop in a 2017 Mazda CX-3.

Why would you, though? Contrary to what your dealer might tell you, it’s not based on the Mazda3, but instead the much smaller Mazda2. Because of this, it’s much smaller inside–rear passengers are squished, losing 0.8 inch of legroom, 4.0 inches of shoulder room, and 0.4 inch of headroom compared to rear passengers in the Mazda3 hatch. Don’t for a second think it swallows more of your goodies, either. Lined up next to the hatch, you’re missing out on a whopping 7.8 cubic feet of storage with the seats up and 2.6 cubic feet with the seats down. Ground clearance? Exactly the same as the Mazda3.

As far as I can tell, the only defining, defendable reason for jumping from the hatch to the CX-3 other than “I want it” is that you have a burning need for all-wheel-drive, a configuration not available on the Mazda3.

I’m no dummy. It would be foolish to blame Mazda for entering a highly competitive segment that’s still in the midst of a land rush, and it fits right in next to its compatriots, which include the Honda HR-V and Chevy Trax. Plus, some people just “want” a crossover, despite having their head stuck firmly in the sand. All things considered, Mazda created what is possibly the best looking and most dynamic little crossover you can buy today, but like the world record holder for fastest Rubik’s Cube solve or Donkey Kong speedrun, why bother.

2017 Mazda CX-3 Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $20,900 (base) ENGINE 2.0L DOHC 16-valve I-4/146 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 146 lb-ft @ 2,800 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic transmission LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD SUV EPA MILEAGE 29/34 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 168.3 x 69.6 x 60.7 in WHEELBASE 101.2 in WEIGHT 2,809 lb 0-60 MPH N/A TOP SPEED N/A

IFTTT

[eddiejpoplar]

Quick Take: 2017 Mazda CX-3

It’s a strange thing, being excellent at a useless skill. Talent, regardless of purpose, is inherently impressive, but sometimes it can leave you searching for the point. I ran into this conundrum while driving a 2017 Mazda CX-3, one of the best cars in the subcompact crossover segment.

Both on paper and in person, the CX-3 is a tidy little package. It’s as sharply styled as its brothers and sisters, especially with its scaled-down, diminutive proportions. The plastic wheel arches, more upright rear hatch, and what seems like a shorter front hood make the CX-3 more cohesive than the Mazda3 hatch, which itself is no Aztec.

Inside, its more Mazda magic, as usual. The Japanese automaker has a penchant for developing tight, clean cabins that, despite the use of fairly conventional plastic trim, manage to feel and appear more expensive than they really are, at least by a little. Mazda thinks that Driving Matters, and it shows in the driver-focused interior touches, including the aggressive steering wheel design, motorcycle-style linear tachometer, and short-cropped dash.

Supposedly, this is considered a crossover, but from behind the aforementioned wheel, it’s nearly as engaging as its ground-hugging hatch brother. Steering is weighted and quick, and does a great job at washing away the CUV stain that comes with a taller ride height. Brakes are similarly engaging, with a firm pedal and fabulous bite, at least considering the segment.

No matter the trim level, each CX-3 arrives with a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder, putting down an adequate 146 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque. This gumption is sent to your choice of either the front or all-four wheels, managed by a snappy six-speed automatic transmission. With a 0-60 mph time around the mid-eight-second range, it isn’t quick, but it’ll get you to where you need to be.

Handsomely cute and fun-to-drive, the CX-3 is engaging enough to make your Baby Boomer aunt rave how “zippy” her little SUV is around town. It’s affordable as well, with prices that begin right around the $20,000 mark and climb up to just beneath $30,000. Mazda–great job. I enjoyed commuting and tossing the itty-bitty CX-3 around my neighborhood. For those looking for a subcompact crossover that won’t suck your soul out through the business end of a straw, hop in a 2017 Mazda CX-3.

Why would you, though? Contrary to what your dealer might tell you, it’s not based on the Mazda3, but instead the much smaller Mazda2. Because of this, it’s much smaller inside–rear passengers are squished, losing 0.8 inch of legroom, 4.0 inches of shoulder room, and 0.4 inch of headroom compared to rear passengers in the Mazda3 hatch. Don’t for a second think it swallows more of your goodies, either. Lined up next to the hatch, you’re missing out on a whopping 7.8 cubic feet of storage with the seats up and 2.6 cubic feet with the seats down. Ground clearance? Exactly the same as the Mazda3.

As far as I can tell, the only defining, defendable reason for jumping from the hatch to the CX-3 other than “I want it” is that you have a burning need for all-wheel-drive, a configuration not available on the Mazda3.

I’m no dummy. It would be foolish to blame Mazda for entering a highly competitive segment that’s still in the midst of a land rush, and it fits right in next to its compatriots, which include the Honda HR-V and Chevy Trax. Plus, some people just “want” a crossover, despite having their head stuck firmly in the sand. All things considered, Mazda created what is possibly the best looking and most dynamic little crossover you can buy today, but like the world record holder for fastest Rubik’s Cube solve or Donkey Kong speedrun, why bother.

2017 Mazda CX-3 Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $20,900 (base) ENGINE 2.0L DOHC 16-valve I-4/146 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 146 lb-ft @ 2,800 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic transmission LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD SUV EPA MILEAGE 29/34 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 168.3 x 69.6 x 60.7 in WHEELBASE 101.2 in WEIGHT 2,809 lb 0-60 MPH N/A TOP SPEED N/A

IFTTT

[jesusvasser]

Quick Take: 2017 Mazda CX-3

It’s a strange thing, being excellent at a useless skill. Talent, regardless of purpose, is inherently impressive, but sometimes it can leave you searching for the point. I ran into this conundrum while driving a 2017 Mazda CX-3, one of the best cars in the subcompact crossover segment.

Both on paper and in person, the CX-3 is a tidy little package. It’s as sharply styled as its brothers and sisters, especially with its scaled-down, diminutive proportions. The plastic wheel arches, more upright rear hatch, and what seems like a shorter front hood make the CX-3 more cohesive than the Mazda3 hatch, which itself is no Aztec.

Inside, its more Mazda magic, as usual. The Japanese automaker has a penchant for developing tight, clean cabins that, despite the use of fairly conventional plastic trim, manage to feel and appear more expensive than they really are, at least by a little. Mazda thinks that Driving Matters, and it shows in the driver-focused interior touches, including the aggressive steering wheel design, motorcycle-style linear tachometer, and short-cropped dash.

Supposedly, this is considered a crossover, but from behind the aforementioned wheel, it’s nearly as engaging as its ground-hugging hatch brother. Steering is weighted and quick, and does a great job at washing away the CUV stain that comes with a taller ride height. Brakes are similarly engaging, with a firm pedal and fabulous bite, at least considering the segment.

No matter the trim level, each CX-3 arrives with a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder, putting down an adequate 146 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque. This gumption is sent to your choice of either the front or all-four wheels, managed by a snappy six-speed automatic transmission. With a 0-60 mph time around the mid-eight-second range, it isn’t quick, but it’ll get you to where you need to be.

Handsomely cute and fun-to-drive, the CX-3 is engaging enough to make your Baby Boomer aunt rave how “zippy” her little SUV is around town. It’s affordable as well, with prices that begin right around the $20,000 mark and climb up to just beneath $30,000. Mazda–great job. I enjoyed commuting and tossing the itty-bitty CX-3 around my neighborhood. For those looking for a subcompact crossover that won’t suck your soul out through the business end of a straw, hop in a 2017 Mazda CX-3.

Why would you, though? Contrary to what your dealer might tell you, it’s not based on the Mazda3, but instead the much smaller Mazda2. Because of this, it’s much smaller inside–rear passengers are squished, losing 0.8 inch of legroom, 4.0 inches of shoulder room, and 0.4 inch of headroom compared to rear passengers in the Mazda3 hatch. Don’t for a second think it swallows more of your goodies, either. Lined up next to the hatch, you’re missing out on a whopping 7.8 cubic feet of storage with the seats up and 2.6 cubic feet with the seats down. Ground clearance? Exactly the same as the Mazda3.

As far as I can tell, the only defining, defendable reason for jumping from the hatch to the CX-3 other than “I want it” is that you have a burning need for all-wheel-drive, a configuration not available on the Mazda3.

I’m no dummy. It would be foolish to blame Mazda for entering a highly competitive segment that’s still in the midst of a land rush, and it fits right in next to its compatriots, which include the Honda HR-V and Chevy Trax. Plus, some people just “want” a crossover, despite having their head stuck firmly in the sand. All things considered, Mazda created what is possibly the best looking and most dynamic little crossover you can buy today, but like the world record holder for fastest Rubik’s Cube solve or Donkey Kong speedrun, why bother.

2017 Mazda CX-3 Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $20,900 (base) ENGINE 2.0L DOHC 16-valve I-4/146 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 146 lb-ft @ 2,800 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic transmission LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD SUV EPA MILEAGE 29/34 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 168.3 x 69.6 x 60.7 in WHEELBASE 101.2 in WEIGHT 2,809 lb 0-60 MPH N/A TOP SPEED N/A

IFTTT