#if anyone has opinions or edits please share its all in good fun and i loved the responces on the last one of these lol | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

tittyblade · 4 years ago

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tumblr etiquette 101

a list that is nowhere near exhaustive, from yours truly.

First off, welcome! Whether you’re a twitter veteran looking for anything but whatever twitter is, or a new user just done signing up, glad to see you in our ranks beloveds! Welcome home. Refer to this quick tour to make sure your fandom experience (or tumblr experience in general) is a positive one!

Disclaimer: I know it’s long, but please try to read or skim through til the end if you’re new here! This is by no means meant to be a rule book (for the most part lol), only a guide to help you get settled easier!

1) Your blog

This is where people will see and interact with you, so put some effort into it!

Try to choose a name (url) that’s simple. You can see it as your brand, it’s how people will perceive you and remember you. If you’d like to interact with other users here (and not use the site just for the content) it’s better to have something short and sweet, preferably without spaces. (Of course, these are only suggestions.) Rest assured, you can change it literally any time you want.

Have a theme. Utilize the tool that lets you edit your blog’s color or the font of your bio! You can make it match your profile picture, or your blog if it has a theme of its own. Make it feel homey :]

Fill in your bio. People will be checking out your profile probably more often than you think. Don’t leave it empty! Put in any information you’re comfortable with sharing and isn’t too personal (like your age if you’re a minor, or other TMI that can be found on other people’s carrds). It’s always better to add a name/nickname people can use to refer to you by, but feel free to use your blog description to shitpost still.

You can have an intro post. More often than not, you’ll see a blog have a pinned post, a post permanently appearing at the top of a blog until you pin another post or unpin it. You can make one of those, if you’d like to introduce yourself in more length, link any other socials or a carrd, and show others visiting your blog how you tag things so it’ll be easy for them to navigate. Not an obligation.

Keep your anonymity and your safety. It should go without saying, but there’s no harm in repeating it just in case. Your comfort, privacy and safety has the utmost importance. Don’t share any information you don’t want to. Don’t share your age if you’re a minor, or any other incredibly personal info. I’d encourage you to go by a nickname that’s not your real name, (blog name, your brand, remember?) since there’s safety in anonymity, and that’s lowkey one of the big deals of tumblr, but that’s up to you still.

Choose what you want to be visible. Your liked posts and who you follow are all things you can set to keep to yourself and hide from the publics eye, how handy! You should go through all the setting while you’re at it, set it to your comfort.

Side blogs are a thing. You can have multiple blogs that you can use for different things (see: different fandoms, art blog, etc) to keep them organized or away from your followers. Just remember that the replies and off-anon asks you send will be from your main blog, as well as where you follow other blogs from.

2) Interacting with others

You’ve set up your account, now comes the fun part!

Follow to your heart’s desire. If you care about others seeing who you follow, fear not! In tumblr, usually only two types of blogs keep their following visible to others: newbies, and big blogs using it to point people on other good blogs’ direction. Just turn it off, and go ham following people.

Customize your dashboard. Gonna mention just two things here: this is another reason why it’s really important that you follow blogs without sparing, your dash will collect dust otherwise; and you should turn off “best stuff first” in your dashboard settings, to have a better community here and all.

Follow tags. You can set it in your settings that posts with your followed tags appear on your dashboard.

You can check the og post for edits and context. When you see a reblogged post you don’t understand the context of (or don’t recognize the character in case of fanarts), click on the profile so it will take you to the original post. From there you can check the original poster’s tags to get the context, or see if there have been any edits made to the post, since when you edit a post it doesn’t update any past reblogs.

Send people asks... This is how you make mutuals, people! Do it off-anon if you’d like them to know your blog, or anon if you’d rather not! (You can still end your messages with a signature to show you’re the same person, -[name] is one example.) Send them nice messages, ask their opinion on something, discuss things, or just straight up shitpost lol. Go wild. The sky’s your limit and it’s definitely more than 280 characters.

...and let them ask you! You can set your preference in the settings, do it on desktop tumblr to access more settings tho! What you can customize on mobile is limited (like letting people ask you things anonymously, that’s only on desktop settings). In my personal opinion, it’s always better to tag their username (or a nickname you give them, if they’re a friend) on that post, since you wouldn’t want your interactions with your friends to get buried in your blog forever.

Comment on posts. If you have something to say but don’t want the post to appear on your blog you can add a comment. The owner of the post will get a notif for it, but for anyone else you need to tag them.

For the love of god, reblog. People will only see your liked posts if you have it visible to public and they specifically go on your blog to look at them. You like something? You reblog. It’s already hard for posts to circulate properly, if you don’t reblog them literally no one will see them. If not for anything do it for the artists. Just hold and drag on mobile to fast rb.

3) Your Posts

Finally here! Don’t be a lurker, post and engage!

Make use of “read more”. If your post is long, add it. That’s what you clicked on earlier to expand this post. On desktop leave an empty line and you’ll see three dots appear, and on mobile type :readmore: on that empty line.

Draft a post to come back to it later. Pretty self explanatory.

Queue your post. Whether it’s your own post or you’re reblogging, make use of the queue feature to a) not spam reblog and fill up the dashboard of people following you and b) keep your blog active while you’re gone. Mess around in the settings, it’s fairly easy to set up.

Schedule your post. Same as queueing, the only difference is you get to choose the exact time your post will go up. Handy if you want to schedule a post for certain dates like april fools, or 5 years in the future for some reason.

Format your texts. You can do all kinds of fancy stuff here (that’s a link, try pressing on it). Twitter doesn’t have this, make use of it. Changes depending on whether you’re on mobile or desktop. (Desktop has less features.)

Check your stats. If you’re trying to understand the algorithm better or want to look at some pretty graphs you can get your data on that on desktop tumblr.

@ people in comments. You’ll get all the notifs when people comment on your posts but they won’t see your reply unless you tag them in your message.

4) Tags, and tagging a post

This is where my earlier statement “this isn’t a rule book” stops being applicable. It’s not a war crime to go against these, I won’t come chasing you (don’t take my word for this) but you’ll work up a bad rep. Just saying lol.

Do NOT crosstag posts. It’s really tempting to add unrelated tags to increase your posts’ interaction, I know, but that’s not what tumblr is about. Don’t be a dick and make other communities’ experience worse for them.

Always tag your posts with “crit/critical/discourse/etc” if it calls for it. There’s no exceptions to it. This is the reason you see people migrating to tumblr. Let people enjoy things.

Don’t main tag a critical/negative post. If your crit post is about “Thing”, you add the “Thing critical” tag, but not the “Thing” tag. People block crit tags if they don’t want to see it, don’t shove it in their faces by main tagging it.

If you don’t want to see something, just block it. Another reason why people are able to survive on tumblr. You don’t start discourse, you don’t make call-outs, you block. You can find something for every community you can think of if you go looking for it. The worst of the worst probably won’t ever appear on your dash, but if you’re worried or feel the need for it, you know where the block button is.

Feel free to shitpost or ramble. More often than not you’ll see people rb a post with a comment, and their elaboration will be in the tags. The tags are only visible on your profile and the notifications of the owner of the og blog. Just a thing people do.

Reblog artists’ posts with nice comments in the tags! Commenting on a drawing is usually done through the tags (Not an obligation, again, just a thing people do. Feel free to add your comment on the rb itself if you’d want other people to see it tho!) and leave nice messages for the artists! It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

If you have more than a single follower, always use the common tw warning tags. You don’t need to tw everything, but tw’ing some common things is the bare minimum human decency. Keep it safe for others.

Tag a post “long post” if it’s really long. Pretty self explanatory. Don’t make people scroll through all that please lol.

You can use them to organize your blog. This is more of a pro tip, if you’d like to not miss a post in your blog, cause they will start pilin’ up soon enough.

#Liveblogging is pretty fun. If you’d like to talk to people during streams, don’t forget to add the relevant tags still! Again, you won’t show up on people’s dash otherwise.

Whew! That got out of hand. Hopefully I didn’t bore you too much. Check out blogs like @heritageposts and @hellsite-hall-of-fame to honor our past o7. @mcytblr-hall-of-fame too maybe :eyes:. Anyways, don’t forget the most important rule of them all:

Enjoy your stay! You’re meant to have fun on here while also making friends (if that’s your thing). Just be kind and respectful of others, you’ll get the hang of the rest! <3

#mcyttwt #mcytblr #dream team #dream smp #mcyt #dsmp #tumblr #how to tumblr #gonna tag ppl now so more users will see it lol #dreamwasteken #georgenotfound #karl jacobs #technoblade #sbi #twitter #twitter discourse #sbitwt #sleepytwt #sleepy bois inc #HOLY shit this took so long omg my back literally hurts rn #the fuckin lengths i go to make sure tumblr doesnt get tainted w twt LMAO #anyways if youre seeing this you should follow me look at how sexy i am i spent the last 2+ hours typing this goddamn list out #also: ignore how i literally sound like its 2014 at some parts here lol i tried my best #also ignore how wack the paragraph breaks are tumblrs formatting hates me and its 4 am im too tired for this #third also: some bits here are supposed to be ironic keep that in mind pls #rolan.txt #long post #save #yes im tagging my own post as save what about it

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zechleton · 3 years ago

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Ranting and Raving About Magic in 2022

I haven’t written about Magic in ages, so what better way could there be to get back into the habit that a stream of consciousness spiel about the 2022 announcement?

Strap in, folks, because this is going to be long and poorly edited.

Actually, it’s not that long, about 1500 words. It might feel longer, though.

Neo-Tokyo or something idk

As one of the five people on r/magictcg that didn’t want to return to Kamigawa in standard set, I have to admit this one looks surprisingly awesome. The couple of pieces of art Wizard shared looked fantastic, as usual, and I’m a sucker for that blue/pink colour scheme. I’m not a huge fan of time travel as a story telling device but since the Magic story has always served the card game, using tropes I don’t enjoy is far from a deal-breaker. Yeah – I’m cautiously optimistic about this one.

Someone Made Elspeth an Offer she Couldn’t Refuse

Obviously, we know much less about this set. Still, it sounds right up my alley. I’m curious how Wizards is going to make Magic meets The Godfather work, but the good kind of curious. On top of that, I’d really like to have some more shard-based commanders on Arena for Brawl, and I assume we’re the “three-colour demon crime families” isn’t referring to clans (triome?) again after leaving Ikoria behind. Also, come on, how can you not love the sound of demon crime families?

Glory, Glory, Dom United!

There is a part of me that gets nervous about nebulous concepts like design space whenever we go back to an old plane again. All these crossovers (more on those later) take on a different appearance when viewed through an “are they running out of ideas” lens. Still, Dominaria was fantastic, by far the best “return to” set – though I’m hoping Innistrad claims that throne in a few weeks. With that in mind, I’m expecting Wizards to knock it out of the park with DU, just like they did with Dominaria.

The Nostalgia Wars

I might scoff somewhat at Magic’s storyline sometimes, but I’ve read the stuff that people think is good. I own both collections of the Artifacts Cycle. They all pale in comparison to good fantasy, but they’re not bad, and they hold a special place in my heart from when I was more invested in stuff like lore and story. The point of that ramble? 2022, more than ever, is Wizards’ mining the seemingly neverending mineral that is nerd nostalgia. It further adds to my “are they running out of ideas” worry, but I can’t say the nostalgia hit/psychological manipulation isn’t working on me. Hell, Return to Return to Innistrad has me more excited than any set for a couple of years now so I guess I’m part of the problem.

Uncaring

The phrase “not for you” is thrown around distrubingly often in Magic circles nowadays. Unfinity, however, is decidedly not for me. And that’s fine.

Dungeons And Dragons Battle for Baldur’s Gate Commander Legends I Think That’s The Whole Title But Maybe I Missed a bit I’m not Sure

Yikes, what a mouthful. I hate the title, both its length and unwieldiness. I don’t really have much interest in the set either. Commander Legends was a neat idea with a lot of flaws. Adding crossover flavour from another IP I have little-to-no interest in isn’t helping matters, though I appreciate that Adventures in the Forgotten Realms was super popular. For me, AFR was pretty much just a core set without any of the usual references to sets I do know and care about. Another “not for me” release.

Double Trouble

Hmm. I’m torn here. As a primarily limited-focused player, Masters sets have been some of my favourites ever. Original Modern Masters is still one of my in my top five sets of all time, and I have fond memories of almost all of the others, too.

Original Double Masters, though, was a victim of apathy brought on by the never-ending deluge of Magic product being released nowadays. I have never even seen a booster of this product, much less opened one. Without looking it up, I can’t even tell you if it was hurt by the pandemic or not, because there’s just way too much fucking stuff nowadays. I don’t know what else to say.

Oh, hang on. Was this the set with a $100 VIP Booster? Hahaha, fuck off.

Jump Around

The original Jumpstart was surprisingly enjoyable on Arena. I never wanted to play it more than a few times, and sometimes you got packs that relied entirely on your opponent getting mana screwed, but those few times I played it were pretty fun. I think putting stuff like obvious eternal format staples like Alosaurus Shepherd in a set like this is some extremely anti-consumer bullshit, but as a play experience it was an interesting mesh of draft and sealed. Not as much fun as either of those, but close enough that the novelty carried it into the “pretty fun, actually” camp. I expect more of the same – I’ll probably do a few runs if I have gems or gold spare.

Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40K Commander et al

Really, this is the bit about all the crossover stuff.

Another vomit inducing title and one that has left me with some introspection to do. Like many people, I find a lot of this crossover stuff distasteful, but I can’t really say why. The fact that the Street Fighter one – an IP I have some amount of investment in – seems less egregious than Warhammer of D&D makes me think that I don’t necessarily object to crossovers on principal. Does my dislike come from the fact that, so far, all of the other crossovers don’t involve properties I care about? Maybe. Even the mechanically unique line of text that pissed off so many people when the Walking Dead set came out doesn’t bother me that much, because Commander is a format I can take or leave.

The Fortnite one rubs me a different wrong way, though. Partly, it’s the sheer fucking inevitability of it all. Of course a popular part of the nerd sphere will have a crossover with Fortnite because that’s just the world in which we live. Partly it makes me feel old, uncool, and excluded, like all the other crossovers I don’t care about, sure. But there’s something more visceral about Fortnite. It’s fucking everywhere and I resent feeling like I have to have an opinion about it. Still, I don’t really have strong opinions about most of the other crossovers, so why this one? I really don’t know. Maybe this is one “this isn’t for you” too many from a game that has been part of my life for over 20 years.

I haven’t bought a single Secret Lair, but I’m generally willing to accept that they’re a bonus product that isn’t needed by anyone but is wanted by some. Hell, if they put out Secret Lair: Snapcaster Mage with good art (at last), I could probably te tempted into picking one up. It would be against my better judgement, though. Something about all these “not necessary but also don’t miss out, aren’t they cool, spend more money please” products rubs me the wrong way. Playing Magic and hating capitalism are difficult interests to reconcile. That’s it. That’s the tagline for this article.

Oh, right, it’s just a blog. Never mind.

Oh, God. The Fornite Secret Lair is going to be the Snapcaster Mage one, isn’t it?

Then there’s Lord of The Rings. My pal Kristen will be thrilled about this, was my first thought. I’m less enthusiastic (shocker, right?), but at least LOTR makes sense as a thing to crossover with. I mean, apart from the obvious business sense. It doesn’t have any guns and it isn’t an obnoxiously ubiquitous battle royale FPS, so that already puts it ahead of two of the other three crossovers. Indeed, without LOTR, you can make a reasonable case that MTG would never exist in the first place. Personally, I view LOTR in the same way I view The Beatles – they were important, and worthy of respect, but have been surpassed in every way since.

And the movies are better than the books. There I said it.

Regardless, this one is fine, actually. I still don’t particularly care for crossovers in general, especially as the setting for a standard set, but at least it makes sense this time.

Shut up Already

Alright, I hear you. I know a lot of that was negative towards the end, but I want to reiterate that a lot of the stuff happening in standard sets next year is really exciting, if a little unoriginal. The crossover/sellout stuff and the interminable deluge of FOMO-driven products is worrying and disappointing, but I guess we just have to try and ignore the ever-increasing number of “not for you” products and focus on the stuff we do like. Seriously, Neon Destiny looks amazing, and I don’t even like anime.

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thedykeprincess · 4 years ago

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So you were disappointed in Throne of Glass...

(DISCLAIMER: This post does not intend to offend anyone who loves ToG. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and likes and dislikes and is allowed to express that. This post is meant to share books that have similar qualities to ToG for people who were disappointed in the series, like myself, but anyone who does like ToG can absolutely find great recs here! However, if you don’t want to hear anything ToG critical I recommend skipping over this post. Thank you!)

So last week I finally got rid of all my ToG books. I was mostly relieved that I now have more room on my bookshelf but I also felt a little sad. It was a series I really enjoyed when I first read it two years ago, and on some level it will always have a special place for me. It was one of the many books that got me back into reading after a five year slump, it’s the reason I became friends with the wonderful Nicole (@/rainbowbooktheif on Instagram) who was the first person irl to make me feel less alone as a bookish nerd, and it, unintentionally, helped me hone my critical reading skills. However, I slowly began to care less and less for the story and characters as the series progressed and ended up not reading the last two books because I just stopped caring. I wondered why a series that I loved so much in the beginning went down hill so fast for me, but in the process of falling out of love with ToG I realized I wasn’t the only one who felt this way about the series! The lack of diversity (and misrepresentation/mistreatment of diverse characters when they were there), sexism, lazy editing and lackluster world building, among other things, came up many times for me and other former ToG fans when discussing why we became disappointed in the series. But the pitch for the book (badass morally gray assassin taking down a tyrant king for her freedom, so cool!) and some of the elements (romance, female friendships, magic, trials) sounded so amazing even though in the end it was executed poorly. So, I decided to compile a list of books that I have read and loved that have some elements and themes of ToG. This list is by no means exhaustive and is limited by the books that I have read (which is not many when you look at how many books exist in the world) so I would love to see your recommendations! Please feel free to add onto this post any recs that you have! Now onto the list!

1) Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I read this book the summer before I started ToG and completely loved it. It was one of the early books that got me back into reading and it was honestly the perfect book for that. It was exciting and I couldn’t put it down. It follows an assassin for a tyrannical king who begins to realize her own gifts for killing are more then she ever thought they could be. Cashore does a fantastic job developing the lead character Katsa and the ways that she dolls out information to the readers slowly is impeccable. While this book is technically the first in a trilogy of books taking place in the Graceling world, it can be read as a standalone fantasy (which I feel like are very rare). Another part of this book that I really loved was the romance. I usually don’t read very many straight romances (due to the sexist/problematic aspects many of the ones that I’ve read have) but the relationship between Katsa and Po is honestly a breath of fresh air when you’re used to a lot of toxicity and sexism with cishet romances in books. The two take care of each other and their relationship is very balanced. There are no gender roles pushed on either of them and they truly grow to become a team throughout the story and it’s wonderful to see! I would consider Katsa and Po, while canonically cis (there isn’t any explicit queer rep in this book), both quite androgynous characters who often express themselves in a fluid manner which I really appreciate. Over all this is an amazing classic YA fantasy that everyone should check out!

Synopsis: “Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.

She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.”

2) Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

This book is the first in a five book series about three royal sisters raised to battle it out for the throne. I must admit the first book in the series is a little lackluster due to the fact that it’s setting up a lot but the second book just blows everything out of the water in a fantastic way. This series is dark and bloody and intriguing. I got completely hooked on this series and it brought out a lot of emotion to the point where I was gasping and shouting and throwing my book around as I was reading it (I got very invested)! I think that’s one of the things SJM can do well is get you hooked on her characters and Kendare can do the same (if not better). I love the dynamic between the sisters, this book does a great job at exploring the darker side of familial and female/female relationships (mostly platonic.. there isn’t very much queer rep unfortunately) that I really appreciate. The magic system and wolrdbuliding are also something that I enjoyed and I though was quite well done. Kendare does a good job at weaving in worldbuilding and magic system seamlessly into the story and I love that so much. Three Dark Crowns is just a fun and exciting series that I think anyone who loves fantasy YA should check out!

Synopsis: “ In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown. “

3) The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

So a little disclaimer, this book is one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. I read it over the span of a few months last summer (its a long one guys...800+ pages) and it was one of the greatest, most well thought out fantasy books I’d ever had the pleasure of reading. I loved the characters, the world, the plot, the magic system etc. I loved everything! There’s some great political intrigue, dragon riders, epic battles, prophecies, weddings, funerals, romance and just general badassery and kickassery happening. Shannon clearly put so much time and effort into this book and it shows. That kind of dedication that shows is something that I really appreciate in a book, especially a fantasy book. Another aspect that I loved so so much is the diversity in this book. It came so naturally and didn’t at all feel like tokenism. The characters, with their differing genders, ethnicities, sexualities, ages, and nationalities etc, and their relationships with each other are truly what made the story. This book also has one of the BEST f/f romances I’ve ever read (as a queer woman I really loved that representation so much and felt very connected to both of those characters). Priory is a long one but if you have the time I highly recommend it.

Synopsis: “ A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep. “

4) Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

As a queer woman, I’m always a little on edge when someone mentions f/f friendship in a book. This is entirely because of the erasure many many f/f romances experience when they are just brushed off as friendships (we’ve all heard the term “gal pals”). It’s frustrating and even though I love a good f/f friendship when the f/f romances get erased and replaced by friendships it gets exhausting. However, Truthwitch is a true f/f friendship that I can fully get behind! Dennard is an author that I had been following for writing tips for a while before I finally picked up her book. I knew that she’s someone who is invested in making her series diverse, even if she herself doesn’t fit into those categories, and accepts criticism because she want’s to do her characters justice. That’s something I really appreciate seeing from white cishet authors and is one of the reasons I picked up Truthwitch. It’s so much fun and the heart of the story truly is the relationship between the two leads Safi and Iseult. Their friendship reminds me a lot of my relationship with my friends. Books about f/f relationships (romantic or otherwise) are few and far between so I really love that this book exists. Strong platonic relationships are so often pushed aside for cishet romantic ones so it’s SO refreshing to see a series where the book would not exist without Safi and Iseult’s bond. They are truly soulmates and their relationship with each other is the most important one in their lives and that is just beautiful. Not to mention this book has got an awesome magic system and is building up to an amazing fantasy series! There’s pirates, priestesses, princes and, of course, witches! It’s loads of fun all around!

Synopsis: “ Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch. “

5) Monstress by Marjorie Liu (Writer) and Sana Takeda (Illustrator)

Another disclaimer! This book is my favorite graphic novel, period. There is really nothing like Monstress out there and I think that it’s criminally underrated. Liu and Takeda are the perfect combo of writer/artist to make this GN come together. I’m constantly in awe of the world, characters, and story Liu built and the frankly stunning art Takeda creates to go along with it. It’s steampunk and dark and dirty and beautiful. The lead character, Maika, is one of the few truly morally gray characters that I’ve read. Her decisions will make you question if you’re a good person because you still love her despite the fact that she just killed that guy... and that guy... and those other guys. This graphic novel series is very reflective of the dark animes (like Tokyo Ghoul and Castlevania) that we are seeing more recently and I personally believe Monstress would make a fantastic animated series if it were ever to get an adaption. This book has also some great representation of queer women (Maika herself is a queer, disabled, WoC). It’s totally the norm for the world and all of the lead female characters are queer, which I just love. This story has amazing woldbulding, magic, characters etc. It’ll give you everything from giant dead gods, to talking cats with multiple tails, to demonically possessed teenage girls who need to eat people. It’s honestly amazing. (I would give a major trigger warning for blood/gore so as long as you know you can handle that I think you should check it out!)

Synopsis: “ Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900's Asia, in a richly imagined world of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both and make them the target of both human and otherworldly powers. “

6) The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

I never thought I would love a cishet romance as much as I love this one but here I am. The Bridge Kingdom is not really the kind of book I would normally pick up but it was on sale on kindle so I thought “why not!” And I was not disappointed. This story follows the assassin princess, Lara, who was raised to be married off to her fathers rival kingdom and kill the king. However, things get sticky when she begins to actually fall for the king and starts to realize that her father isn’t exactly who he says he is. Not only was this romance steamy as hell (this is an ADULT book folks so there are some explicit sex scenes, beware) but the world is super cool. The political intrigue was something I really enjoyed and I loved to see the world unfold from Lara’s eyes. I also totally loved Lara’s character. She’s complicated and cutthroat but ultimately want’s to do what’s right and is a character made to change and develop. I usually don’t go for that character trope that Lara fits into (beautiful and badass and despite being the MCs they somehow end up being very bland...) but Jensen managed to create a very mature and ever changing version of the YA trope that I ended up loving completely. If you love steamy fantasy romances with cool worlds and intriguing characters this is absolutely the book for you!

Synopsis: “ Lara has only one thought for her husband on their wedding day: I will bring your kingdom to its knees. A princess trained from childhood to be a lethal spy, Lara knows that the Bridge Kingdom represents both legendary evil - and legendary promise. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom controls all trade and travel between lands, allowing its ruler to enrich himself and deprive his enemies, including Lara's homeland. So when she is sent as a bride under the guise of fulfilling a treaty of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture the defenses of the impenetrable Bridge Kingdom.

But as she infiltrates her new home - a lush paradise surrounded by tempest seas - and comes to know her new husband, Aren, Lara begins to question where the true evil resides. Around her, she sees a kingdom fighting for survival, and in Aren, a man fiercely protective of his people. As her mission drives her to deeper understanding of the fight to possess the bridge, Lara finds the simmering attraction between her and Aren impossible to ignore. Her goal nearly within reach, Lara will have to decide her own fate: Will she be the destroyer of a king or the savior of her people? “

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timelordthirteen · 4 years ago

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In All Things 25/?

Mr. Gold/BelleFrench, Explicit (eventually)

Summary: A Rumbelle arranged marriage AU.

Chapter Summary: The morning after the party, Gold and Lady Ella have a talk over breakfast, Lady Ella is a goddamn delight, and I do some blatant foreshadowing. :)

Notes: The conversation in this chapter was intended to be a bridge to what I really wanted to get to, but Ella ran away with things because she is so fun to write. Apologies that this chapter isn't longer, this is probably a huge mess because it was edited late. I'm curious if anyone will notice the blink and you'll miss it thing I slid in here...

[AO3]

Gold went to bed not long after Belle left him in the library, having waited several minutes, until he was sure that she had made it all the way upstairs to her room.

The evening had been much more enjoyable than he’d anticipated, and indeed more than it had been for him in some time. He could only attribute that to Belle’s presence. Most people who lived in the area were no doubt as excited to see the new Lady Gold as they were for a party. Of course once they met her in person, she won them over as easily as she had him with her charm, grace, and beauty. It only made what he’d done worse.

His thoughts had kept him from falling asleep for some time, but he had, unfortunately, awoke early to an agonizing pain in his leg. He felt he rather deserved it, both for dancing quite a bit more than he should have, and for his having committed Belle to a life she would likely come to resent.

If they had been simply indifferent to each other, it might have been more manageable. He could have accepted their marriage as a useful and satisfactory association for both of them, but she had been so determined to be kind and to befriend him. He’d told her she was the most beautiful woman in the room, and he’d meant every word of it. Last evening, with her twirling and smiling so radiantly, he could only admit that his plans made him the worst sort of man. In truth, he might end up being seen as no better than the likes of Milton in her eyes, and the idea of it pained him far more than his leg.

Countess de Vil came into the room as Gold shifted in his seat, trying in vain to find a position that would relieve his aches. She made a face at the windows beyond the breakfast table, her eyes narrowing in the morning light and her face contorting as if in pain.

“Feeling a bit worse for wear?” he asked.

Lady Ella waved a hand at him and walked around the table to take a seat with her back to the double doors leading to the patio. “I’m perfectly fine, dear.”

He let out a short, bemused scoff. “Clearly. I’m sure it’s just the morning sun reflecting off the snow and ice, and not at all your enthusiasm for my wine last night.”

She shot him a glare and reached for the teapot, filling her cup almost to the brim and forgoing any milk or sugar. “So, about your lovely bride...”

“I’m sure she’ll be down soon.”

Ella selected a pastry with peach jam and sat back in her seat with a smirk. “That’s not what I was going to say.” He looked at her sideways, busying himself with spreading butter over a piece of wheat toast. “Truthfully, Gold, when did you become a fan of matrimony again? Lady Belle is pretty to be sure, but -”

Gold rolled his eyes. “My reasons are my own, thank you.”

“- was she really that bad off that she needed your money?” Ella continued, ignoring Gold’s interruption entirely.

She took a large bite of her pastry, pausing to lick some of the peach from her thumb, and then kept talking. “Of course that’s what everyone has been saying, but I think there’s more to it. Are you afraid you’ll need someone to look after your son? If so, you could have hired a governess to do that, and for far less than bailing out old Maurice I should think.”

“Ella...” he warned. “Please, this is not the time or place.”

Ella popped the last bit of fluffy pasty in her mouth, her eyes narrowing at Gold as she chewed. “Well, there has to be some reason you’ve suddenly married after spurning every other option available to you, and why you’ve chosen a woman fresh out of an engagement of her own, which, I will add, was rather abruptly - and possibly scandalously - ended.”

The lid of the teapot rattled sharply as Gold brought his fist down on the table. “That’s enough!”

The Countess sighed, not the least bit startled by his outburst and lifted her tea. “I don’t give any of that nonsense with Sir Gaston any credit,” she said, gesturing with the cup, “and I don’t mean to pry, but -”

“Oh, yes you do mean to,” he said wearily, sagging back against the chair as he rubbed at his knee.

“I don’t like to hear my friend’s name being raked through the mud by the gossips.” A moment later her hand, warm from holding her cup, covered his, and he sighed, finally meeting her eyes. “Just put my mind at ease and tell me there’s nothing to it.”

He flashed her a smile and nodded. “I promise, there’s nothing to it. And I’ve heard enough of it to know what they’re probably saying.”

“Good,” she answered with a tight squeeze of his fingers and a smile. “Because I rather like your Lady Belle. She’s delightful, and I’d be very disappointed if I had to hate her on your behalf.”

Then she took two slices of bacon, sliding them onto her plate with a fork, and sat back in her seat. “I heard you were at the palace last month. What was that about?”

Gold waved a hand and made a face. “Just some business with the King.”

“Like paying off Lord Maurice’s debts?”

He shook his head. “Countess, I believe you’re about to overstay your welcome.”

Lady Ella threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, when do I not, darling?”

“When do you not.... what?”

Gold and Lady Ella looked to the doorway to see Belle, who smiled at them as she entered and took the seat across from Gold.

“Put her foot in her mouth,” Gold said with a smirk.

Belle’s eyebrows lifted, but she said nothing as she poured herself some tea.

The Countess gave Gold yet another glare, and then smiled sweetly at Belle. “When do I not make a marvelous spectacle of myself, of course.”

“Is this a trick question?” Jefferson asked.

Everyone turned to look at him, and he pushed off the doorframe to saunter into the room. He was without his usual jacket, and seemed to be fighting to get the cuffs of his shirt buttoned. Lady Ella, Gold, and Jefferson shared a hearty laugh, and Belle sat back in her chair, holding her teacup to her lips as she looked on.

Jefferson joined them at the table, and there was the usual light conversation that had filled their mornings for the last few weeks. Belle was keen for the Countess’ opinion on the matter of a woman running an estate, which Lady Ella was all too eager to lay out for her in detail. She went so far as to relay the story of having to sort out her late husband’s investments and the problems with some accounting irregularities.

“I’m afraid I know how you feel in that regard,” Belle said, exchanging a look with Gold. “Seems we’ve both had our share of irresponsible finances.”

“That’s men for you,” Ella sighed, “can’t be trusted.”

Gold rolled his eyes. “Present company accepted, of course.”

Ella laughed again and then pushed to her feet. “Well, thank you for a lovely celebration as always, but I should be off. It’s a long ride back home.”

Belle’s eyes widened at Lady Ella’s attire. Long gone was the elegant gown of the previous evening, or the day dress she’d been expecting, and in its place was a set of well fitted riding leathers, complete with knee high boots.

Belle stood slowly, the surprise almost making her forget her manners. “You’re riding, Lady Ella?”

“Oh, yes,” Ella said, grinning. “I always do. Best cure for what ails me after a party is fresh air.” Then she paused and gave Belle a wistful look. “And I adore it.”

Belle smiled widely. “As do I.”

Ella’s face lit up and she moved around the end of the table to take Belle’s hands in hers. “Oh, well then, when you visit we must go for a ride together! I have a gray gelding named Jasper, just turned four. He’ll be perfect for you this spring, very docile.”

Belle could feel Gold’s eyes on her as her lips curved. “If it’s all the same to you, Countess, I’d prefer to ride my own horse.”

“Of course!” Ella said, giving her hands a squeeze. “As you wish, darling, you’d be my guest after all, and I am never deficient in what is owed to my guests, am I, Gold?”

“I would never suggest such a thing,” he replied, hiding a wince as he pushed to his feet, leaning heavily on his cane. “Come, Ella, let me see you out.”

Ella gave him a short nod and then stepped back from Belle.. “It was lovely to meet you, Lady Belle.”

Then she offered a short bow, in the manner of a gentleman rather than the curtsy expected of a lady, much less a Countess, and Belle’s amusement grew. Though she did not know Countess de Vil all that well yet, the blatant eschewing of societal norms in such a way, and her intent to ride her own horse back to an estate she rightfully owned, could only be described as delightful.

In turn, Belle inclined her head towards the Countess, and smiled. “And you as well.”

Gold exchanged a look with Jefferson, that was bemused to say the least, and then followed Lady Ella out of the room. Jefferson and Belle went back to their breakfast, which suddenly seemed much more reserved and sedate than before. Her intention to ask Jefferson why he seemed so rushed this morning, was forgotten as her mind whirled with thoughts of Lady Ella.

Belle had always been frustrated by the role impressed on her by the world, and the lack of agency and freedom that came with it. The Countess was a woman who seemed to care for none of it and to do exactly as she pleased, while maintaining the whole of her title and power in the process. Lady Ella de Vil was definitely someone with whom she wanted to become better acquainted.

Gold and the Countess walked in silence to the wide front entrance of Thornhill.

The cold winter air felt pleasant against his face, and though he did enjoy Lady Ella’s company, this seemed to be one of the times where he was anxious for her to be on her way and to have his home back to normal again.

“Look, Ella,” he said quietly, “you’re not entirely wrong in your assumptions, but there are - there are other things in play right now. I need to keep things close, do you understand?”

Ella waved a hand at him. “Oh, you know I just enjoy teasing you, Gold. I know full well you’re scheming something, you always are, just be careful.”

He gave her a wry smile. “I know how to handle the royal court, and the King.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Her look was pointed, making his eyes narrow as he regarded her. “I’m talking about your Lady Belle.”

Gold frowned and planted his cane in front of him. “What about Belle?”

Lady Ella sighed and looked over to where the coachmen were loading the last of her things into the carriage “Just - just make sure you know what you’re doing,” she said finally. Then she turned back to Gold. “She’s a delightful young woman and it would pain me to see her hurt. Or you for that matter.”

He huffed and tipped his head back. “Ella...”

“I’m serious!” she insisted, taking him by the arm as she came closer. “The heart is a volatile thing, Gold. You know that.”

His eyebrows lifted as he fixed her with a flat look. “There is little danger of any hearts being broken, I assure you.”

A soft snort escaped her and she patted his arm before letting go. “I’ll remember you said that.”

He smiled. “You always do.”

The coachmen brought over Lady Ella’s horse as they talked, and stood holding the reigns at the bottom of the front steps until she came down. The horse, a broad, jet black Friesian mare, nudged the Countess, and she gave her muzzle an affectionate rub. She moved to the side and mounted the beast in one, rather elegant, motion, and Gold found himself wondering at how Belle might look on such a horse. He had the fleeting idea that he might buy her one if she wanted it, but then she had her own horse, which she was no doubt missing, and he determined that bringing it to Thornhill would be a far better option. He would write to Desmond about it, and see if it were possible to do before within the next fortnight.

The clack of hooves on the stones shook Gold from his thoughts, and he noticed Ella staring down at him with a bemused expression. “I’ll be back at court in two weeks,” she said, “for the New Year’s ball. If I hear anything interesting, I’ll let you know.”

Gold tilted his head and started to smirk as another idea came to mind. “Perhaps I’ll be there as well.”

The Countess grinned devilishly as her horse pranced impatiently next to the steps. “Well, you do have a new wife to show off...”

He shook his head and raised his hand, giving her a small wave. “Good bye, Lady Ella.”

Her head dipped as she flashed him one last cheeky smile. “Gold.”

He stayed outside for several minutes after the Countess and her carriage had passed through the gates of Thornhill. The contrast of the warm, bright sun and the cold, crisp air was oddly soothing. The heart is a volatile thing, Gold. You know that. And he did, all too well, just as he knew the pain of it being broken. It was why he had decided to marry the way he did. It would ensure his son’s future without any other entanglements on his part. Lady Ella might be perceptive, and she liked to tease now and then, but on this he had decided that she was simply wrong.

#rumbelle #rumbelle fic #belle x mr. gold #arranged marriage au #in all things #my rumbelle fic #fic

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ehbunnehsblog · 4 years ago

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So someone made this post I thought was really cool and I wanted to answer it the person who made the post goes by @buh-beep so please go give that post a like and follow them with all that said here are the questions

1. What is the oldest doll you own?

Probably my Beautiful Crissy doll from 1968 although that may not be the date for that exact doll she is pretty old. She was made by the company ideal.

2. What is the doll you got most recently?

My Bratz Collecters Yasmin from 2018 by MGA. When I lived with my mom she bought her for me I think she gave me a card and we got it. I don't have her or any of these dolls anymore since I don't live with my mother for personal reasons.

3. Favorite Type of Doll?

Hands down Bratz. They have been my absolute fave since I was a little girl and i still love them their fashion, makeup just everything really is iconic and I really believe that they might have the same impact as Barbie once I get older. Now if we talk about favorite lines? That will have to be for another time.

4. Least Favorite Type of Doll?

Pinkie Cooper. It's cute I had one but I was just not interested in the dolls sadly I definitely think it was an interesting idea though and its probably perfect for some people I just never knew where she would fit in with my other dolls. Also when I saw my cousin and his ex they had stuff for me and for some reason I could only take two things home and my mom sorta had me take her home when I could have had a Hannah Montana doll so rip :p

5. How many dolls do you own?

Zero now rip but honestly idk. I had mostly Bratz and sorta collected but now I might genuinely try to collect them.

6. What is a doll you had and wish you still did?

Tan Bratz Passion 4 Fashion Cloe. I still really wish I kept her but I was going through this dumb phase where I just stopped caring about my dolls and we had this science project in school and I did mine on hair dye and dyed her hair using some fruit or something and gave her away. If anyone knows where I can get her (hopefully for cheap) please tell me I really loved her she was also one of my friends absolute favorites.

7. What does your wish list look like?

A lotta Bratz mostly but that would be a very long list so to save you the details two of the series I want are the Tokyo a Gogo dolls, Formal Funk and Flashback Fever.

8. Prettiest Doll you Own?

Honestly have no clue all of them are gorgeous but I think one of my prettiest is definitely Rock Angelz Sasha I would love to own more Sasha dolls shes so gorgeous.

9. Ugliest Doll you own but love anyways?

I don't think I own any ugly ones really just ones that had messed up hair so I don't really have anything to add here. Actually hmm maybe my first edition Cameron and Dylan Bratz dolls they are still cool though.

10. Cutest Doll you own?

Either my Barbie Peek a Boos or my Mindy Mint Chocolate Chip Yummyland doll. I love Bratz but I really wish I saw more cutesy but fashionable dolls I believe they should bring back Yummyland dolls they smell so dang good and because kids love slim maybe they could add a small bottle (in a shape of a drink) that smells nice too? Idk lol.

11. Biggest Doll you own?

A Barbie doll that is I believe 28" in size after that I would say my Beautiful Crissy Doll and than my Yummyland doll.

12. Smallest doll you own?

All of my Barbie Peekaboos and Polly Pockets. Since Polly came back I think Mattel has the perfect chance to bring back Barbie Peek a Boos. They are pretty small so I kept them in a basket I am used to the size of Bratz I find them easier to hold over Barbie Peek a Boos or Polly's.

13. What doll in your collection is worth most?

Hmm probably Beautiful Crissy tbh I wanted her because when i was in grade 8 i watched these old vintage commercials on YouTube and i saw her and i just thought she was one of the most gorgeous dolls. I don't have her now because again shes at my moms but I don't think I could sell her shes just really cute and I think dolls from that time and older are special and tell a story and show a different time.

14. Doll you will never buy and why?

Lamilly and American Girls. I know these dolls especially American Girls are very popular for a lot of people but I am not really into dolls that are supposed to be like me I like fashion dolls mostly or really cutesy dolls. I think American Dolls are pretty iconic in their own way but I just can't see me owning one and for Lamilly same deal I feel like its trying to put down other dolls and make Lamilly seem superior and I just don't dig it. I don't like Barbie's a whole lot but I dislike like Lamilly I think it's a good message but it just feels meh? Idk other dolls I will never own are Blythe's I have this thing with dolls with eyes like that and I think it would probably spook me a bit.

15. Strangest doll you own?

Pinkie Cooper hands down. Again she just doesn't fit anywhere and shes so odd and really stands out from the others not that that's always a bad thing but as someone who is mostly into Bratz, Monster High and Ever After High she just doesn't go anywhere although she would probably fit in maybe with the EAH dolls. Another is probably the big Barbie like I didn't want her I just got her as a Christmas present one year and yeah that's that.

16. Biggest Doll Related Regret?

Giving away that Cloe doll I will always regret that also almost wanting to sell my Bratz and not bringing my dolls with me when I left my moms and went to my dads. Also I just wanna say my dad is the coolest and one day we had a nice convo about toys and stuff it was pretty rad.

17. What's the most important aspect of a doll in your opinion?

I just want to say I absolutely love this question this is the main reason why I wanted to make this post. I believe the most important aspect is if the owner finds joy in that doll because if you don't we wouldn't have so many people collecting dolls and dolls wouldn't be sold. I think dolls are very important and can build up good skills. Another important aspect is if you can pose the doll and depending on if it's a fashion dolls is if it has good clothes and good fabric all of these are so important but as long as people find joy that's the most important.

18. What's your doll related pet peeve

People are gonna hate this and I apologize but I find it difficult to watch or look at people changing the dolls like not in clothes changing but repaints it's cool and some of them are absolutely gorgeous but sometimes I have a bit of a pet peeve of them mostly because I am so worried that I will never find those dolls because people use them and repaint them. Their aren't many Bratz repaints though so I don't get bothered too much and when they do repaints they make the faces so pretty and I would love for MGA to use some of the screenings some of these people use because they look so good.

19. When did you start collecting dolls?

This might be an odd opinion but I think that anyone can be a doll collector even if they don't mean to be like for me I don't call myself a doll collector but I sorta am? Even though I never meant to be but now I do want to collect but it started with Bratz when I was young but now I want to take it a bit more seriously.

20. Have any doll related stories?

Well I never first fought anyone I was way too young lol but I do have two good stories number 1 is on Christmas a few years back my grandparents before they both passed bought me a Holiday Yasmin doll from 2007 don't know how they found it but they did and I loved that doll but again at my moms rip another one is one Christmas I got two of the same Bratz Cade dolls and for the longest time I thought it was Dylan because the doll looked exactly like Dylan does in the movies and shows lol! I might go into more stories on my dolls because there are a few that I really like.

With all of these questions answered I will once again ask people who see this to go like and follow @buh-beep who made the original post. This was intended for doll collectors I believe personally I don't call myself a collector but as someone who loves dolls I thought this would be fun and it really was if anyone wants to this I suggest it. Its really fun and I like sharing this stuff with you guys.

☆With all that said I hope you liked this post. Please give me a follow i post a lot of stuff like this☆

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m00nlitknight · 5 years ago

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Hello. I really like your previous works. Can I make request, please? Reader's been in relationship with whole gang for a couple of months. Everything was ok but Henry got jealous and started to ruin her relationship with rest of the gang distancing her from them.

ofc!! ✨ i don’t know if im really happy where i left off with this, so if you’re interested i could potentially make a part two? i’m pretty happy with some parts of it ngl, but that might be my 4am brain talking lol;;

warnings: usages of slurs / degrading terms ( light, but still present ). mentions of frick fracking. possessive behavior. none else to really talk about. pairing: poly!bowers gang x reader / henry bowers x reader extra ( edit ): feel free to look through my masterlist for other bower’s gang/reader works, and have a fantastic day!

vindictive.

The relationship with the infamous Bowers’ Gang began in what you could only describe as a fictional scenario. You’d always been known as one of the kindest individuals in your classes, a large soul and absolutely heart-warming and dazzling smile. The reputation, though humbling on the darkest of evenings, felt strenuous to keep up. It was suffocating, sometimes, when you wanted nothing more than to fade in the scenery, or to say no to a request from someone. Being the school doormat gave you an easy pass to adoration, but a hard road to doing whatever anyone wanted.

That’s what confused you about the sudden interest of the gang. Sure, you had been paired up once or twice with them for class projects, shouldered the entirety of the workload; but everytime they hardly batted an eye your way. Except for Vic, but he always seemed to be a bit more socially adept then the other three. So it was only fitting that the initial interest came from him, one day after your shared class he approached you, and asked if you’d ever want to hang out.

Obviously, you said yes, and reaped the immediate consequences. Practically the next day after his query, people began to look at and treat you differently. No longer was there an affectionate warmth in their gaze, reserved exclusively for you, instead replaced with a brief flash of fear before morphing into a bout of confusion for how to tread the situation. You didn’t mind it, or at least on the surface you didn’t. The validation found in your peers suddenly being ripped from your grasp was a bit whiplash inducing, not that you could really do anything about it.

The initial hangout, which you look back at fondly as your first actual date, was a casually dressed affair. He took you to get milkshakes, which you indulged in the city’s center and poked fun at the Paul Bunyan statue, then took you to go thrift shopping. It was that day you’d found your new favorite sweater, called ‘hideous’ on many occasions by the likes of your mother and peers, and a cute denim skirt.

It didn’t take long for Henry himself to nearly shoehorn himself into your relationship with Vic, apparently prompting Belch to ambush the two of you on your second date. The Trans-Am’s engine was unbearably loud, coming up behind the two of you holding hands as Henry hollered something you couldn’t quite make out.

Five months down the line, and half-way through Junior year, a heartfelt outpour from the entire gang; and suddenly you’d become the apple of all of their eyes, so to speak. Most of the time, your interactions were soft with all the boys, cuddled up with them all -- your personal favorite being Belch, he knew just the position for you to be putty in your hands; Patrick on the other hand did everything in his power to make you squirm while in his grasp. He’d simply cackle at your protests of his wandering hands, then proceed to mock the tone of your voice.

Though, from the sidelines, you were mostly able to ignore the fiery glares thrown by Henry. No matter how much attention you gave him, how many times you’d let him leave unsolicited hickies on your neck in plain sight to be hidden from your mother, or held him after a rough night.

He’d never said thank you or praised you for anything, which left you devoid of where you stood with him. If he hated you, would you even be around the other three? Wouldn’t he have been completely blunt and outright with it? The creeping worry manifesting itself in your gut grew with time, and with time you began to give him more of your attention to try and sedate it.

Inside the labyrinth of his mind, Henry’s opinion of you began as negative -- the ambushing of your and Vic’s date was a stunt to try and drive you away from the gang in entirety. But you just came the fuck back. Loyalty was written all over your features, as was inexperience. With time, the faint flame of interest that licked the recesses of his mind fanned themselves into a stronger blaze, and suddenly the shared attention you had been giving the gang was like gasoline.

He played himself off as distant, instead replying to the work you put in with brief hand holds or an arm thrown around your shoulders to show possessiveness around school. Being calculating obviously wasn’t his thing, nor was being patient.

He took your first kiss, and one of his first, one night while alone with you, the second month into the relationship. Pussyfooting around the more carnal aspects of a relationship wasn’t something he typically found himself doing, but he knew that Vic or Belch would have his head if he rushed things too fast. In the end, though, it drove him to wanting more.

Physical affection was kept behind closed doors, and he couldn’t be sure that your intimacy was only reserved for him, considering you never sported any other markings or called out the name of any of the other members while you were with him. It inflated his ego to astronomical levels, and it killed him that he couldn’t flaunt it in his friend’s faces.

Regardless, he wanted you to himself and himself alone.

-----------

“Good morning!” your voice cut through the mid-morning drowsiness of the boys sitting in the parked Trans-Am on the curb in front of your home with steely sharpness, but a welcome smile finds its way onto Belch’s face.

“Morning, gorgeous,” he says from the driver’s seat. “Hop in.”

“Can do!” your morning pep leads to a foot on the tire and hauling yourself into the car by means of the roof, and plopping directly in Patrick’s lap - eliciting a hearty grunt and smirk from the boy.

“You’re awfully full of life this morning, feels shameful to waste this energy on something so innocent as breakfast,” he all but purrs as he tugs you further into his grasp while the car lurches forward and en route to the typical Saturday-morning hangout spot.

“Ew, Pat,” Vic cringes over to his friend and you, true malicious intent absent. “It’s fucking brunch time, let ‘em wake up first, will you?”

His question is answered by a cheeky nip to your neck, causing you to squeal.

In the front seat, Henry broods silently. On the radio plays one of Belch’s cassettes which goes unlistened, and a favorite of his; ...And Justice for All by Metallica. The playful tone of your voice and Patrick’s advancements manage to leave a sour taste in his mouth, even though he made the extra effort to brush his teeth this morning.

The meal goes relatively uneventful, though your wandering eyes, half-lidded and vixen-esque, irritate him further. Vic has an arm around your waist, and Belch holding an unoccupied hand under the table. If he’d thought any better, Patrick was all but devouring you from across the table. It was an affection-filled scene, which made the poor diner waitress visibly uncomfortable.

After breakfast, Belch drops both you and Henry off at your home, currently unoccupied by your mother who has work. “Bye, we’ll be seeing you guys later!”

“Henry, be nice to ‘em, will ya?” Belch booms from the window, around Patrick climbing into the front seat like an animal.

His request is met with a smirk from Henry, who pulls you into a passionate but short kiss in front of the trio. “As nice as I can be.”

It leaves you immediately flustered and giggling as you’re pulled into your own home and leaving the other three in a vague state of confusion. The engine faded away in the distance as you moved toward your house, a mess of giggles, flushed cheeks, and a downcasted gaze. Henry’s smirk is short-lived as his expression shifts back to neutrality. He watches you walk through the door and shift to the side to take off your shoes, opting to keep his own on. The brief and blissful silence is broken by his voice, laced with the undeniable edge of his ire. “Who’s your favorite?”

The question hangs in the air, souring the atmosphere directly as it leaves his mouth. You freeze at the words, mid finangling your shoe off as you turn to look at him with a confused, and slightly hurt, expression. “Huh?”

“Don’t play fuckin’ stupid. Who’s your favorite?” He takes a step towards you, which you subconsciously shrink back from.

“I-I don’t have one?”

“God, maybe y’are fuckin’ stupid. There’s four of us and y’mean t’tell me not ‘a one of us sticks out more than the others?”

A blush spreads across your features, an involuntary testament to your unease and outright lie. Your eyes dart to look anywhere but him as your body betrays you, petrified in intimidation. “You,” murmur with a gentle voice and laced with a lack of thinking.

He leans down to your mouth, quickly overtaking your personal space and invading your nostrils with his scent -- cheap body spray and masculinity. It’s nearly intoxicating. “What was that?”

“You,” an utterance with little more force, the action of taking a lungful of air simply too strenuous.

“Mind tellin’ me why I feel the least love then?”

You almost want to deflate at it, even if the hands wrapping around your shoulder feel like nothing short of a tender moment. All the time you’d spent with him, all that you’d given to him, and he still felt overshadowed?

“I…”

“Or, is it jus’ that you’re an attention-seeking slut?” The words cut deeper then he’s capable of understanding, and the sick smile curling onto his lips and the whispered tone feel vastly different then what he’s actually saying.

You’re rendered speechless as he takes you closer to the couch, dragging you into a straddling position on him. “Show me what I was missin’ at brunchfast then, huh?”

Wide-eyed and bashful you stare. What are you even supposed to do? He leans into you, peppering your throat with kisses while his hands wander up and down your sides. Instinctively, your hands move to run through his hair and he nearly purrs at the contact and looks up at you with an intense, baby-blue gaze.

“Who’s your favorite?”

“You,” sighed out as he starts sucking on your neck and rubbing at your hips.

“Say it,” a rough voice reverbs through him from his chest, and he relishes in the affection of your gentle hands. You’re his. His.

“You’re my favorite, Henry,” your voice tightens when he starts to suck on your collarbone.

---------

He’d managed to cut your afterglow short in the early evening, badgering you to call Belch and tell him not to drive you to school for the next week. You did it, albeit with a bit of confusion, and feeling vague sadness when Belch’s tone took a nose-dive into disappointment when the subject of the call was revealed. For the next week, you couldn’t look any of the gang in the eye, instead taking to marinate in your own shame and blatantly avoid them.

#henry bowers x reader #it 2017 #it 2017 fanfiction #reader insert #henry bowers imagine #henry bowers #bowers gang x reader #bowers gang imagine #poly bowers gang #belch huggins x reader #vic criss x reader #patrick hockstetter x reader #writing.txt #i hope this is ok! thank u for the req :')#Anonymous

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qqueenofhades · 4 years ago

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I'm going to start this off by apologizing for how long this is probably going to be. And please feel free to delete this if it is too dumb or annoying But to start off the story I have been building in my head and have a few pages written now started in my head as a fanfic until it grew a life and a story of its own. (Not in the same vein as 50 shades I swear) So now I have been editing around the bits of what it started as a fanfic of and trying to make it more my own original thing. 1/3

The problem now comes in when I look at the literally hundreds of books/tv shows/movies I have read and watched over the years and my big fear is that in trying to make my story more original I worry that I'm just stealing from the other books, shows, and movies that I read and watched over the years that have just been filed back in the corners of my brain. And being raised in a weird school system and being taught that plagirism is the absolute worst thing you can ever do in writing. 2/3

It is basically making me want to throw my rough draft pages into the trashcan to never look at again and it has also left it very hard for me to read or watch anything new in all of this free time of quarantine because I worry that it will just influence my own story. Or I will see a better line and be like "well they wrote this type of story better than I could so mine is pointless". So I guess what this all boils down too is, is this the imposter syndrome that I see everyone talk about? 3/3

Oh honey. First of all, deep breath.

Next of all: absolutely NOBODY ever writes anything that is truly, utterly original. Even if they put some kind of new spin on the tropes or do it from a new angle or anything like that, all of humanity is drawing on the same basic literary architecture and telling narratives that have the same essential beats and structure. (Frankly, when anyone writes anything SO AVANT GARDE ORIGINAL, it’s usually turgid, deathly dull, and unreadable, at least in my opinion). Tropes and cliches are tropes and cliches because they work: they’re all part of the same storytelling kit that we all use and are proven effective ways to create drama, advance character conflict, provoke a response/emotions in your reader. Of course, if it’s nothing BUT unreconstructed tropes, that’s less good, but on their own, archetypes are not evil! They do not mean you’re a lazy writer, and they aren’t something that should Never Ever Be Used. Tropes are fun. We like them because they work. So you don’t need to reinvent the wheel of storytelling, and you shouldn’t feel that pressure to do so.

Everyone, as I said, engages in this kind of creative commerce, and by nature, stories will have common themes with each other. When in doubt, just channel your inner Mediocre White Man: mediocre white men get paid zillions of dollars to turn out absolute turds, and nobody thinks they shouldn’t, so why shouldn’t you do that with something that is almost guaranteed to be better? You have to read other stories and expose yourself to other narratives, both because a) it’s fun, and b) it helps you learn to sense how a story works, the parts that it puts together, the dynamic and technical aspects of good writing and narrative tension and character development, and to see which parts you want to learn and emulate, and which parts you want to improve on.

Trust me: the audience out there isn’t thinking “well this one author wrote this kind of story already, so nobody can ever write this story again.” Witness the thousands of identical and derivative mass-market fiction types that get published every year; even literary fiction and genre/sci fi/fantasy/horror fiction has recognizable and classifiable subgenres. They exist so people who like one book can eagerly go out and get books that are similar to it; readers LOVE having new options to suggest (and they may amass a huge pile on their bedside table that they really do not need to add any more books to, not that I am, uh, speaking from experience here or anything). You might discover, as almost everyone does, that there are authors or books out there that you like better than others, but that doesn’t mean that those authors you don’t personally prefer should just stop writing. There’s a huge literary market precisely because people do love books and stories and if they find something they like, will read it over and over. It’s like fanfic in that sense: just because someone wrote a coffee shop AU or whatever doesn’t mean that nobody can ever write a coffee shop AU again. We all bring our own perspectives and influences and preferences, and so nothing is exactly the same.

If you’re just ripping off huge chunks of someone else’s writing verbatim, and copying character names/plot beats without giving credit: then yes, obviously, that is plagiarism. But just allowing yourself to be influenced by stories you like (and to consume those stories, especially with all your quarantine free time when you’re probably climbing the walls with boredom otherwise) is absolutely NOT plagiarism, and you should not feel guilty about doing it. If you’re stressing over it to the point where it’s making you unable to do any work on it at all: again, take a deep breath, hit pause for a bit, reorient yourself, watch or read some things you enjoy, think critically about why you enjoy them, and decide how and why you want to apply them to your own work. You already transformed a fic into an original story -- that’s great! You clearly have thoughts and ideas about what makes this particular narrative go, and why you wanted to change the characters from the models you started with. That is the essence of transformative creative work, and of all storytelling everywhere. That is a GOOD thing! I’m excited that you’re doing it! People who might read your work are excited that you’re doing it!

So all this is to say: chin up, channel your inner Mediocre White Man, remember that everyone has done the same thing, has the same anxieties, and worries about how to shape their story, and it’s really okay. Art exists to comfort us in hard times like these, to be shared, to be enjoyed, to be transformed and replicated and critiqued and remade, and that is the essence of humanity and our love for these particular kind of stories. You can do it. It’s okay.

I believe in you. Hugs.

#writing advice #anonymous #ask

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rwby-ask-central · 4 years ago

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A Talk About The RWBY Community

I’m going on a rant, but I’m doing this because I care. So please...read carefully, think critically, discuss politely.

First, my history with RWBY. I love RWBY. I loved the work Monty did on several projects, both through RT and his own work. What caught my eye with RWBY at first glance was the badassery! When the Red trailer dropped, I couldn’t stop showing it to everyone! I thought it was so cool. Then White dropped, and it lured me in because Weiss and her trailer seemed so mysterious. Then Black dropped and I felt bad for the would-be Villian, Adam. Finally, Yellow dropped and it was so catchy, fun, and upbeat compared to the rest. Volume 1 came out and I was so interested in the world!! The animation had no real impact in my eyes, so long as it didn’t hinder the story.

Next, where I noticed issues. I don’t recall noticing any issues until Volume 3. Up until that point, I wasn’t really involved in the community. At most, I had seen some memes and silly compilations that came from bloopers. Volume 3 was where I saw people complaining about Bumblebee and starting ship wars. Nothing is WRONG with having ships, but we have to remember that everyone else has an opinion and that it’s all fun and game. I didn’t have any real issue with Bumblebee, but I wasn’t crazy for it either. I recall seeing several posts talking about “yes” or “no” to if bumblebee was actually a thing, and it got intense. We’ll never know unless we saw the RWBY bible for ourselves in its unmodified, original state.

As time moved on, I got less and less involved with the community. Between attacking other shippers, demanding things from RT, bullying other fans of the show, controversies behind the scene, I got exhausted from being a part of the RWBY community. I still watched the show and had my own thoughts on things, even if they were never shared. If anyone attended the Volume 5(6?) Theatre premier, I’d like you to recall a small clip that played before the first episode where Kerry had come to tell us that they heard our feedback about the fighting and choreography from Volume 4, and they were fixing that. I remember a lot of people demanding more action and better scenes, but not offering full critiques on what was good and bad. Volume 4 was slow on combat, fair enough, but the combat was done fairly well considering they lost their lead animator and hardest worker. On top of that, I thought the quality of the story skyrocketed in volume 4 because of all the little details we saw. An overarching goal, character growth, etc.

Where is this all coming from? Well, after volume 4, I’ve tried to stay as far away from the RWBY community as possible. Despite this, I met my closest friends through RWBY. Aside from the Vic incident, I stayed away until today. I was browsing YouTube where I saw a video of someone covering drama that happened because an artist put Ruby in a maid outfit. It sounds silly, but this actually kinda hurt me. People were fighting tooth and nail, even trying to get the artist’s twitter account taken down. I’m ashamed to want to be engaging with people about RWBY if this is how they act. Monty always stressed to be kind to others and enjoy life, instead of fighting.

Why is this important? Guys, at the end of the day, it’s a fictional show full of fictional characters in a fictional world. We love these characters, some of us heavily relate to them. I know I relate to Weiss more than I was comfortable with at first. We see something in these characters and may often forget that they aren’t real. This community should be positive. It should be upbeat and happy, supporting one another. We all come here because we LOVE RWBY, not because we get to bully others or move the show in a way we want. I hate seeing people fight. I love the show, and I want to find so many friends that love it for what it is. I’m not saying they have to share all my views, I’m not saying they can’t critique the show. What I’m saying is that I want to know there are fans out there that accept the show for what it is and are kind enough to others that open discussions about the show won’t divide us.

Closing thoughts? Art is tricky. It’s a creative medium where people go to express certain ideas. Beyond that, I don’t want to draw lines in the sand between “good” and “bad” fans, but I’ve never wanted to accept that some fans weren’t open to discussing the show in a fair, open way that allows for both parties to walk away with new perspectives. For instance, if I post that I really love the idea of White Rose being a ship, I’d like people to just be silly and laugh with me about “what-ifs” and share their own ships. If I post a critique of a character, I would expect it to be a thought out and meaningful evaluation of the character. And I would PRAY that any responses are also well thought out and meaningful.

Please, be kind to others and keep moving forward.

Edit: There are some details about my life and involvement that I’ve left out for the purposes of remaining anonymous, so if there appear to be things that don’t exactly align, that’s probably why. Otherwise, feel free to ask as long as it helps understand the bigger picture

#rwby

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dumbassscout · 4 years ago

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i see a lot of 13 yr olds on tumblr these days, so id like to share some advice i wish i had known using tumblr at age 13.

this is also probably not an original idea from me lol, someone has got to have done this before. i would usually put this under a cut but ive decided not to for now

be aware that this site is like NOTORIOUSLY harmful. you may think you’re above it or too mature for it to hurt you, but trust me, you aren’t. since you will probably not be stopped by that warning, maybe take some precautions/keep some stuff in mind to stay safe.

i had tumblr savior for my first experiences with the site. im pretty sure it still works and it’s regularly updated, so take a look into that. it blocks posts with certain keywords from being seen on your radar, and can also push/allow posts with other keywords to always be shown. i would advise getting it or a similar extension to custom block triggering/harmful content.

don’t put other/more popular users in your fandom/community on a pedestal. they’re people behind a blog, just like you are. don’t feel intimidated by the people in your own community, they are just people the same way you are a person. they can mess up at times, and so can you.

making friends is a great thing on this site, but keep an eye on new online friends’ behaviors. it is exciting to meet new people, but you want to be aware of toxic friends. same goes for your mutuals. overall, keep people on this site at an arm’s length until you’ve gotten to know them enough personally to know that they’re genuine people. as you get older you can relax on this, but as a young teen it’s better to be hyperaware than to be blissfully ignorant as you get hurt.

onto more broad things, your theme doesn’t have to be perfect. you dont have to make a custom html/edited html website theme for your blog, you can leave it as tumblr default. if you enjoy organizing that, then by all means go ahead! but don’t feel like it is necessary for your blog, most of the time you will get a new theme set up and check on it on a month and find that it actually looks terrible to you. if you’d rather just have it as a basic/default site, then that is perfectly normal.

your blog’s theme/topic is your choice, and can be uniquely you. some people have many blogs for many things, just a few, or just one with everything. it is up to you how you want to do it! the themes you choose, topics, are up to you. fads and trends are cool but finding what works for you personally is way more fun. your blog is supposed to be fun. you are supposed to enjoy using tumblr. don’t compromise that for a trend. make your blog(s) however you want, however it pleases you. it can feel pressuring to have a perfect blog, but it’s better to just make your appearance the way it would make you happy.

also, tag systems are awesome! but they are not necessary unless you’re tagging trigger warnings. always tag those! but i know a lot of people have personal tagging systems to organize their blog, which is totally cool! but again, personal tag systems are not necessary, and if they feel unnecessary to you, don’t use them. but again, tag triggering content, especially if you are asked to.

archiving/deleting/creating new blogs is a whole other process. some people like to start with a clean slate every time they switch to a new fandom, and let their old user be archived or deleted. this is perfectly respectable (and probably the right thing to do) personally, i just switch my blog over to whatever im feeling that month and people can unfollow if they no longer enjoy my blog (i dont have that big of a following on this blog). it’s really a personal decision, and if you want to restart your blog you will know when to/if you want to.

reblog art, but never “repost” it. aka dont take the image and post it on your own blog, just reblog it from the original poster. its common sense but not everyone knows? idk

if you end up having some or many followers, make sure to check yourself. appreciate your followers, respect them. they are people with blogs. just like you. don’t let a high number inflate your ego way out of proportion, it’s easy to fall into that sense of power.

respect people’s pronouns. even if you for some reason have a disagreement with them, or you don’t understand why/how their identity works, just use the correct pronouns that they ask you to. it costs you zero dollars and zero cents, and is incredibly respectful

as a young teen, don’t get involved/let yourself get buried in tumblr-wide discourse. examples of this include the bi vs pan debate, flag discourse etc. most ppl who i know who were attentive to things similar to that at a young age ended up being affected negatively by it. pay some attention to what pertains to you and also pay attention to what you can identify as right or wrong, but don’t let people’s opinions on your dash influence you in times of discourse. go and look at both sides of those kinds of debates if you’re interested, and form an opinion from there.

speaking of which, sometimes people will just post their takes on literally anything and youll come across it. take everything with a grain of salt unless there is links to proof (if applicable, not always needed). sometimes bad takes just havent had someone to reblog and disprove yet.

speaking of discourse, there is always discourse on this site in every fandom, every community. form your own opinions always, but keep your moral compass in mind. don’t compromise your morals and sense of right and wrong to enjoy certain fan-media. if something seems off, it probably is.

people make mistakes, and if someone did something kind of shitty/had a terrible take/belief (not irredemably shitty, those ppl do not need ur attention) and they genuinely apologize for the shit they did and learn from it, move on. leave some shit in the past, holding grudges isnt good for your mental health and people change. but again, always take things with a grain of salt.

you dont need a high follower count to get traction on your posts. it might help, but you can have a low follower count with high interaction or a high follower count with little to know interaction. the best advice i have is to tag what it is relevant to, whether it’s a fandom, aesthetic, etc and people who regularly check those tags will find it.

if you ever get anon hate for some reason, just delete it from ur inbox n move on. ppl who send anon hate want to see you post it and respond to it. if they said some really really MEAN shit though, it may be best to talk to a friend about it for comfort, or take a break from tumblr for a hot min. most importantly, report it, close your ask box/change it to no anonymous asks.

if at some point you choose to voice your opinion about a highly debated topic at the time, be aware that people who disagree might attack you for it. be aware, and be safe about it.

a lot of people swear by xkit. i have never used it in my life, but from the looks of it, it makes using tumblr so much more bearable. it breaks sometimes with tumblr updates, but apparently it’s worth it. again, look into it, but it’s not necessary to use the site.

do niche shit. start sideblogs without a plan in mind. make aus, make art, make writing, or make nothing at all. reblog the things you love wherever you want them to be reblogged. comment on people’s creations if you love them, they probably would love to hear how much you enjoyed it. appreciate how wonderful the better part of this site is, enjoy the free access to view and appreciate others’ creations and ideas.

i would put a lot more on here, but i feel like 20 is probably too much already. if anyone has anything to add, definitely rb with ur addition

overall, do the things you love on here, keep yourself safe, and be respectful of others.

#i dont shut up

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yuthoe · 5 years ago

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Schedule Changes (PENTAGON: Adachi Yuto)

HELLO, IT’S 12:48AM AND I COULDN’T HELP MYSELF.

I had to churn this out because it won’t leave my head. I’d like to thank my irl friend @shiiiiiiiiinwun for inspiring me to write this collection (yes, I’m gonna be doing one for all of ot9). And for someone who’s been watching anime since she figured out how to use the internet, you’d think I could’ve come up with better names, and faster.

EDIT (06/29/20): Hi! it’s my first time making an edit like this, so i’m kinda insecure abt it lol, i hope it’s okay. this is the 2nd yuto version i did, so it’s slightly better than the first one. tumblr rlly doesn’t want us to go overboard on image size huh

WARNINGS: n/a; some angst, maybe? who’s proofreading idk her. WORD COUNT: 3,314 it’s so fucking long.

---

Minister Sakaguchi,

Unfortunately, Her Majesty will not be available for your meeting today at 3PM; urgent matters have arisen that need her immediate attention. If you would like to reschedule with her, please reply to this email.

Thank you very much for understanding.

Regards,

Y/N L/N

Secretary to the Queen

You sigh, wondering if the email you’ve typed is in the appropriate tone that won’t offend Minister Sakaguchi; in all the years you’ve been working for the royal family it doesn’t get easier writing and replying to the emails of government officials, invitations to interview Her Majesty for magazine features, requests to attend public functions like galas and balls. The ridiculous amount of mail she gets, that are automatically forwarded to you, is mind-boggling, in anyone else’s eyes. It doesn’t surprise you anymore, though.

The queen as a monarch takes the backseat to running the kingdom, to any foreigner that decides to take a look at articles from international news sources. Her name isn’t mentioned as much as the king’s when it comes to referencing big developments in the state. Rather, the local newspapers and online sites have her name and face on some article at least once a week. The queen takes care of the little things, smaller projects that delve more into social welfare than her husband’s institutional programs. She is a strong advocate for women’s and children’s rights, as well as a figure in health outreach programs for the poorer sectors of society. Her compassion and dedication to her job is what made you want to work for her; she was like a role model to you, along with her husband.

It was a stroke of pure luck that got you this job; your first day as the secretary for Minister Yamazaki turned into you being his substitute with only a day’s notice. He had gotten sick with the flu and you were immediately thrust into a role you knew almost nothing about. So you took all the files related to the subject of the meeting and studied up on them the night before, turning up the next day and pulling out opinions as if you yourself spearheaded the project. The queen, upon finding out that you were new, was so impressed and had talked to Minister Yamazaki (who was still in his sickbed) over the phone about enlisting you under her employ.

It’s been five years since then. Five fast-paced, fulfilling, exciting years working closely with the royal family. At this point, your relationship with the queen is more of a friendship than strictly professional, and you’re grateful for it. The people you interact with on a daily basis are mostly considerably older than you--ministers, program leaders, the palace staff--and the talk is all business. So you’re grateful for your weekend teatime with the queen, sometimes with her children joining you, who are some of the only people your age you talk to on a regular basis, apart from the younger maids and kitchen staff. The afternoons out in the garden are the queen’s time to unwind and review everything that happened the previous week, as well as scheduling the succeeding weeks. The stress of planning therefore comes to a head on Saturdays so the week can sail by calmly.

Today is one of those Saturdays. Minister Sakaguchi had scheduled a dinner meeting with the queen yesterday--something about the upcoming fair for disenfranchised women, although you suspect Minister Sakiguchi will try to sneak in pitches for other programs she has in mind. The queen had agreed, so you penciled in the meeting into your schedule. However, the queen seemed under the weather when she came out earlier, that you had advised her to cancel it, assuring her that Minister Sakiguchi would understand.

The queen takes a sip of her favorite rosehip and lemon tea, fingers delicate on the porcelain, and you send the email, huffing out a sigh. You place your phone facedown on the glass table and take a sugar cookie from the plate. “Just sent the email, Your Majesty,” you say. “Now you can just focus on resting tonight.” You smile as you take a bite.

Your boss smiles as she replaces the teacup on its saucer. “Thank you,” she says, relaxing against the lounge chair. “To be honest, I didn’t think Minister Sakiguchi would talk so much about the fair anyway. She probably suggested a meeting to tell me more of her ideas for the women’s sector.” You smile. Bingo. “Is anything else scheduled for tomorrow?”

You glance at your open laptop, as well as the printed-out spreadsheet on your lap. It’s an organized mess of colors and times and places and people. “Just the charity gala tomorrow night. I’ve coordinated with Subaru and she said the king will be late by an hour. Will you go alone?”

She tilts her head in thought and hums. “I don’t want to be late. Is there anyone available?”

You click through the several pinned tabs on your laptop to the tab for the royal family’s shared schedule. “It seems Princess Akari is free, as well as Prince Yuto,” you say after a moment.

“Ah, Akari will be busy designing something for the fair, I think, so maybe she won’t want to go,” the queen muses.

“So you’ll just take the prince, then? I’ll contact Daiki and ask him to notify the prince.”

“No need,” a deep, disembodied voice comes in from somewhere in the hedges before Prince Yuto pops his head into view. He walks towards the table as you clear up a space for him, closing your binder and putting that on top of the clipboard among other printouts on one of the spare chairs between you and the queen.

The prince strides across the grass in his black dress pants and long-sleeved shirt, to greet his mother. He places his hands softly on her shoulders and leans down to give her a kiss on the cheek. The queen smiles and accepts the kiss, patting a hand over one of his; her mood instantly lifts, and her posture relaxes further. As the youngest son, she dotes on him a lot; he in turn always keeps his mother company and can rarely be seen in public not by her side or his father’s. You think their relationship is sweet, and so do the many news articles posted online about it.

Prince Yuto takes a seat on the only empty chair and fixes himself a cup of tea while saying, “What’s the gala for?”

“The orphanages in the farther provinces,” the queen says as she takes a saucer and stacks it high with dark chocolate-coated cookies, pushing the small plate at her son’s direction. “Some dignitaries from other kingdoms as well as celebrities will be attending. And I will announce the new scholarship program for our state schools. There’s a chance your father won’t make it, so I’d like a companion.”

“Of course I’ll go with you, Mother,” Prince Yuto says after swallowing a bite of cookie. He turns to you. “What time is it?”

“Call time for the royals and major government officials is 7PM, and the program starts at 7:30. I’ll contact Daiki with the details as well,” you say.

The prince shakes his head, but there’s a smile on his face as he turns to the queen. “It’s such a shame, I thought you two were talking about Y/N transferring to my office,” he jokes. It’s a bit that he’s brought up many times before, and both you and the queen take it as a joke since you figure he just wants someone closer to his age with more experience than Daiki, who is about four years older and has only been working with him for two years.

The queen lets out a laugh and takes her teacup again. “What’s the matter with Daiki? He seems to be doing a good job.” Her eyes meet yours as she takes another sip, glinting in amusement.

Prince Yuto is smiling his bright, beautiful smile that the camera loves as he looks fondly at his mother. He probably got wind of her feeling run-down and hurried here to try to distract her. You know the queen is the most important person to him, and the queen may not know it, but it’s obvious to everyone else. “Well, as you know, Y/N is better,” he continues, “and Daiki-san is a stick-in-the-mud.” The teasing makes you huff out a laugh, immediately raising a hand to cover your mouth; Daiki is truly a stick-in-the-mud, even more than you are.

The queen laughs boisterously, throwing her head back. “Oh, you’re such a jokester, Yuto.” She sighs, fully relieved, and you’re thankful he decided to stop by. The queen finishes her tea and says, “Well, this was a fun teatime. I have some paperwork I have to sign, so Y/N, you may go.” She turns to her son. “It’s so nice of you to stop by, sweetheart,” she says, and leans down to drop a kiss on the crown of his head. “I’ll be seeing you both.” The queen glides away, and you briefly wonder how she can walk that gracefully in heels over damp, unpaved grass--but then you remember she’s the queen and has been doing this for years. She turns around the corner of the hedge and disappears.

You sigh and shut down your laptop, gathering your stuff as you message Daiki about the charity gala. You slide the laptop in your bag, and put all the printouts in order into a folder, before slipping everything else inside. You’re just about to get up to leave before Prince Yuto’s voice stops you.

“You sure you won’t consider transferring to my office?” you hear the prince suddenly ask. He’s looking at you, piercing eyes that make everyone in the kingdom, young and old, swoon. And if you didn’t talk to him everyday and your self-control had been any less, you would probably give in to whatever he wanted.

So you try to mask your rapidly beating heart behind a fond, teasing smile. “Well, I don’t really have a say in it. Don’t think the queen wants to let me go, anyway,” you say, taking a proffered dark chocolate-covered cookie from the prince and biting into it. The rich, slightly bitter punch of the chocolate explodes on your tongue.

The prince looks at you with a small smile. “I was serious, you know,” he says simply. “I mean, you won’t be as busy so you’ll have more free time, and the stuff I do is just small, as a minister for cultural arts. I split it with another person.”

You’re already shaking your head. “I like my job. I love working for the queen and seeing the results of what she’s done. You know she’s been my role model since I was a teenager, so this is a dream for me. And as much as I want a break sometimes, I can’t let this opportunity go.” You sigh, heart heavy now, and stand. “I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

He stands with you. “I know I’ve told you to call me just ‘Yuto’ before, didn’t I?”

“But decorum--,”

“Yeah, fine, practice etiquette in public, but when we’re alone you can just call me by my name.” You don’t answer, and hesitantly purse your lips. And then the prince begins to pout. “Come on, if you don’t wanna work for me, at least call me Yuto.” He presses the tips of his index fingers together and says, “I miss you,” so cutely, with his big puppy dog eyes and hilariously deep voice that’s sorely out of place for the cutesy thing he’s trying to do.

You have to laugh, bending down at the waist and steadying yourself with the table as you cackle. “Fine, fine,” you relent. “I’ll call you Yuto in private from now on.” You heave your heavy bag up onto your shoulder with a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

***

“You look beautiful tonight,” someone says behind you. You turn carefully, eyes meeting Yuto, in another black ensemble: turtleneck under an overcoat with black dress pants and boots. His hair is slicked back artfully, apart from the stray locks of hair that insist on falling over his eyes. Simple, but very handsome; the paparazzi and journalists must be having a field day with that outfit.

And you look down at yourself: standard black satin-and-chiffon off-shoulder gown that you usually wear to these types of stuff. Your shoes are your everyday pair, and you’re thankful that the dress comes all the way to the floor because they are getting scuffed at the tip. Your hair is wavy, the result of sleeping in a braid through twelve hours, but you manage to tame it into a loose bun that’s mostly out of your face. The only accessory you have is the necklace you’ve worn since your mother passed down to you six or seven years ago. Makeup is minimal because you are here to assist, not be the center of attention. Everything you put into your appearance tonight is just to make sure you look clean and professional. And invisible.

You roll your eyes at the prince. “Your Highness, I look like this everytime the queen needs to go somewhere fancy. I don’t think ‘beautiful’ is the right word.” You know he means well, but you’re just plain, from your shoes to your face to your position in society, you’re just simple, unremarkable.

The prince furrows his brows and takes his place standing beside you. “You are, though. You may not see it, but I do.” He casts you a quick glance before turning his focus to the stage, where a popular singer is performing one of her new songs onstage as an opening act. “And those photographers over there see it, too.”

You whip your head at him before scanning the event hall for any cameras pointed at you, heart pounding hard in your chest. You don’t spot any, but you still say, “I think you had better take your seat, Your Highness. I bet those people just want to make a scandal out of nothing.” Prince Yuto may be the youngest out of the royal children, but that does not mean he is risk-free. He is being trained for the position of Minister of Culture and the Arts; he has a large following of young people who look up to him as a leader and as a person; he is one of the most important people in your life, and you can’t bear for anything bad to happen to him.

The work tablet you brought is getting crushed in your folded arms from how tight you’re clutching it. “I’m going to find Daiki--,” you say softly, making to leave, but getting stopped once again by the prince.

He’s holding one of your arms gently, but strong enough to pull you back beside him. “It’s okay,” he says. “Let them. It’s fine.”

You pull your arm away. “Your Highness, it’s not fine. You can’t risk a scandal blowing up on you right now. Everyone has eyes on you, even if you don’t think so.” You’re worried. The last thing you want is for him to get in trouble because of you.

The prince sighs. “Y/N, there’s not gonna be a scandal if we’re actually together.”

You take a moment to think. “What? You want us to pretend to be a couple? I don’t think it’s a good idea; people might get the misconception that you’re slacking off, or--,”

“No, I mean--,” he sighs frustrated, more at himself than at you, but he keeps his composure and his face remains stoic; you both are still in public, after all. “I’ve wanted to tell you this for a while now, but I just didn’t know how to say it, and I certainly didn’t plan on telling you at a charity event where hundreds of people could hear.” He’s rambling--a sign that he’s nervous, unprepared.

Prince Yuto takes a calming breath before fully facing you. “I like you, Y/N,” he says softly, aware of the number of ears that are possibly listening in. “I’ve liked you since the day you started working for my mom, and I liked you even more the longer you stayed. You’re a hard worker, you’re dedicated to your job, you genuinely care for the queen and the things she does for the people. And I’m thankful that I got close to you as much as I have because you do mean a lot to me. I know I don’t show it, because I’m not sure how to show it, and I don’t know how you would react to it. But I do like you. Very much.” He releases a breath and looks you in the eye. “So will you try? To be with me?”

All this you take in with wide eyes and a shocked-open mouth. You know the prince is not the most outgoing person; he’s most relaxed when he is with people he knows, which are limited to his family and their secretaries, along with some of the senior palace staff. You’ve never seen him in a pickle of trying to get someone’s attention, but you do remember him offering to carry your heavy work back once or twice and you insisting on carrying yourself; him telling you that you look beautiful even if you wear the same plain things all the time; him giving you a box of (really expensive) chocolate for Valentine’s Day on the excuse of “I gave all the royal family’s employees chocolates”; him giving you a piece of his favorite chocolate cookies, even though you’ve never seen him offer them to anyone else.

All this time he’s been telling you how he feels and you’ve never noticed. And you yourself can’t even tell him the same because you don’t want to risk the prince getting hurt, you getting hurt, the queen getting hurt because of your selfishness. Your work is important to you, and you can’t jeopardize it for your happiness.

But here he is, Prince Yuto. Being brave enough to know the uncertainty of what lies ahead and being prepared to face it, if you answer him; if you push aside your fear of messing up and tell him you like him back; if, for once, you look to your heart instead of thinking of your work.

He stands tall beside you, an imposing figure of grace and compassion. A man people look up to. A leader who is innovative, yet respects traditions. A role model for young people who are inspired by his music, his acts of service to everyone. A son that is loved by his parents, a brother that is loved by his siblings. A friend who listens and is always there, but always pushes you out of your comfort zone.

How can you not fall for him?

How can you say no, when everything around you points to yes?

You’re nodding your head before you know it, still too shocked to properly process the last five minutes. “Yes. Yes, I’ll try being with you.”

The blinding smile is back, and you can’t help but return it. The prince nods, unable to suppress the grin on his face and gestures to the audience, milling about finding their tables. “I’ll be on my way, then. Find my mother.” He clears his throat, fidgets about with his coat and pockets. “Good luck for the rest of the night,” he says with a nod, before leaving.

You just curtsy, still beaming and your heart is drumming in your chest like crazy, but it feels light. Like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders and you can take flight at any moment, straight into his arms.

#pentagon #pentagon yuto #adachi yuto #pentagon adachi yuto #pentagon yuto scenario #adachi yuto scenario #pentagon scenarios #pentagon imagine #universe net #uninet #fic: mine #fic: not spicy #fic: yuto

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strawberella · 4 years ago

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Task 1. Module 4: Take a Selfie

Do your selfies reflect or mirror who you really are? Why or why not ?

No it does not. It is only a copy of what I look like from the outside, like physically but not my whole being. If one of my friends or just someone who knows me sees this selfie they would be immediately be reminded of me because this photo reflects my physical appearance, specifically my face. If I posted those selfies I took in any of my social media accounts, my family or my friends would comment and share their thoughts about what I look like in my photo. It could be either be a negative or positive feedback since I can't control what and how they think about my photo. Yes, the photo is me but not who I am. The totality of my being cannot be captured by a mere photograph. It may however capture some aspects of myself but not everything because it is just a copied version of myself and it isn't the real me. The photo I took is a distorted version of me since I have used several filters to make it look good, if I took the filter off I wouldn't even have the guts to post it. Having to post my selfies means I am going to war and my ultimate weapon are the filters so I am ready to accept any objective opinions about my face. Even if the word itself says "self-ies" which refers to your self-portrait photograph I still think that this isn't enough to say that it reflects who I really am. Photographs are stationary, it is just there to capture a moment of what you are doing and not you whole life story.

What do you do to make your selfies more appealing/pleasing/attractive?

As a sociology student, I know for a fact that everything is just a social construct but then I still comply with societal standards so that I would not be considered as "other" or deviant. This standards wasn't a big deal to me back when I was in elementary, high school and senior high school since I believe that I am in line with the beauty standards set by the society. Even If I don't have a fair skin I still managed to look appealing since I had a smooth skin and my pimples just appears once in a blue moon and if they did so, it would be in a place that is unnoticeable and they would just be very small in size. However, when I entered college and the stress and lack of sleep really took a toll on my skin and I started to have pimples on my face and my self-esteem spiraled downwards. To be able to make myself better and make myself look "appealing" again, I joined the trend of using filters and editing the selfies I take in order to look more presentable and likable. I have unconsciously and consciously succumbed to the standard set upon by society and I hate it. The angle and the lighting also becomes a factor since my face isn't symmetrical I must find the right position to take a selfie. But who made these standards? Those who are in the position to make meanings and those who have the authority to associate anything to something. We as a society have collectively agreed upon these set of standards so it has now became the norm, in order to maintain their social supremacy and the status quo we were all made to believe that this is what it should be.

Would you consider selfies a fair representation of yourself? Why or why not?

I am going to say a hard no for this one because how I am as a person and my selfies doesn't really match with each other. It's like whenever I take a selfie I make this another part of me that I think would suit the taste of anyone. I would often portray myself as cute or bubbly in my pictures when in reality I am very far from being cute and I am no fun at all. Just like any other netizen I have internalized the double standards so much that I became so aware of what I post and what not to post. The screen of my phone has offered me a protective bubble to be able to literally filter out the bad side of myself to be able to show all the butterflies and rainbows part of me. These selfies represent me in a way since it is my face but I cannot directly say that its is a fair representation of me. Most of the camera apps in smart phones nowadays has a built in filter feature, and this in a way encourages us to use them even if we don't really need it. I think when it comes to selfies two o of the three representation theories can be used to examine it. Intentional because I have my own agenda as to why I posted that selfie and that is to earn compliments and validation. Furthermore, it can we can also use constructionist since my intentions of posting the photo can be interpreted in various ways by the people who may be able to see them, they can express their perspectives by using language or emoticons.

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talpup · 5 years ago

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Erase the Shadow: 12

Summary: Despite sharing dreams with Teris for as long as he can remember, Aizawa Shouta never believed in soulmates. That was until he met Teris in the real world on his first day at UA. Trouble is, Teris doesn’t know anything about their shared dreams. And the one time Shouta tried to tell her, he nearly lost her completely.

Five years after graduating from UA, Shouta still believes Teris is his soulmate. But things have only gotten worse. Teris moved to another town shortly after graduation. And now she’s dating his best friend Yamada Hizashi.

Please remember, this fic is rated explicit and has warnings of sex, violence, and other possible triggers.

***If you prefer reading off AO3 here’s the link for that: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22027552/chapters/55261261

If you enjoyed reading this at all please comment and let me know. Since I post for free, think of it as nice way of leaving a tip. And since comments are the only thing that encourages me to keep editing and posting, it’s also a benefit for you.

Thank you to those who have left hearts. And a VERY special thank you to those who have recently left comments or re-blogged. They REALLY mean a lot.

As always, an extra special thank you to @inorganicone2230 for their encouragement and friendship. Also for them helping plot bunny this story out and reading through a piece of this chapter before its posting. This fic was my personal guilty pleasure, and without them never be getting posted.

12.1

“Babe! Do you really have to go on patrol tonight?” Hizashi was getting ready to go to a party the radio station was putting on and was still trying to convince Teris to accompany him. “You’ve been livin’ here for almost a year and still haven’t met anyone. Everyone at the station is startin’ to think you don’t exist.”

“I’m an underground hero, Zashi. It’s better if people don’t know I exist.” Teris replied from the en suite bathroom.

“But you wouldn’t be going as a hero, Babe! You’d be going as my girlfriend.”

Teris pulled up the other bra strap and sighed at her image in the mirror. She could hear the hurt hidden beneath her boyfriend’s cajoling whine.

Damn it. Was she really that bad a girlfriend? Why was it that she couldn’t go a single day without proving to herself and Hizashi just how terrible and unworthy she was of him? It was a wonder he had stuck with her this long. It wasn’t as if she were anything special.

As much as she didn’t want to meet a large group of loud, extroverted people, Hizashi was right. She had been living with him in Musutafu for nearly a year and one of his greatest excitements, other than living and working together, had been that she would meet his friends and colleagues at the radio station.

Grabbing the dark grey shirt of her hero costume, she exited the bathroom. “You’re right. I’m sorry, Sunshine.”

“Does that mean you’ll come?”

Teris gave a scoffing chuckle at Hizashi's theatrical pouting expression.

“Please, Ris Wren. It’ll be fun. I promise. And if you hate them we can leave early and have the rest of Saturday night to ourselves.”

“I can’t, my Love. I’m scheduled to do patrol.”

“So call in.”

“Eraser’s counting on me.”

Hizashi ducked and turned his head, hiding his frown. “Eraser will be fine.”

“I have no doubt he’ll be fine without me. But he was gonna introduce me to this CI that’s apparently a wealth of information.”

Hizashi lifted his head, green eyes fixing on hers. “You’ve been working every other weekend with him for how long and you still haven’t met all his contacts? Sounds like he’s holdin’ out on you.”

Probably so he can claim that there’s still a reason for you to do these stupid joint patrols with him, he thought sullenly. He really should've pushed Teris harder on cutting down her patrol hours before Nemuri had the chance to suggest Teris and Shouta team up.

Teris stepped closer to him, explaining. “The underground doesn’t work the same as regular heroing.” Her hands trailed up his chest. “People in that life are skittish. It takes time for someone new to prove themselves and gain their trust. Honestly, I’m surprised Shouta got this woman to agree to meet me so quickly.”

Hizashi perked up at that. “Woman?”

Teris rolled her eyes. “Oh. Now he’s interested.” She gripped his shirt and tugged him closer. “You’re taken. By me. Remember?”

“I remember that greatest top hit every millisecond of the day, Ris.” His arms snaked around her waist, knees bending to better line up their hips. “But, Eraser? Working with a woman?”

Teris tired to ignore the tiny swell of jealousy at the thought of Eraserhead working with another woman.

She fiddled with his shirt collar. “I wouldn’t call it working. She’s a CI. It’s not like she does jobs with him.”

“Still...” He kissed a trail from her cheek to her neck, rubbing his semi-hard cock against her. “Don’t CI’s usually require payment for their information? And not always in cash.” He nipped at her neck. “I wonder how he pays her.”

12.2

Hizashi's words stayed with Teris as she walked with Eraserhead down a narrow pass through between buildings.

“We usually don’t meet at her place of work, but I think she wanted the extra protection the bouncers bring when meeting you.” Shouta gave a small, sideways smirk expecting Shadow to scoff at the thought of her being a threat to a possible informant.

When she didn’t, his lips thinned. It wasn’t that Shadow was distracted. He would have called her out on that. But she had been distant since the first moment they had greeted at their usual meeting spot.

“What do you pay her in?” Teris asked, softly.

She kept her eyes straight ahead, focusing on him out of her periphery. She didn’t want him thinking she was bothered.

Why did she even care how Shouta paid the dancer, come call girl? He was a grown man and could do whatever he wanted. It wasn’t as if he were her boyfriend. No, she told herself. But if the woman’s to become my CI, it’s something I should know.

That’s right, she reason. She wasn’t asking because she was worried and jealous. She was asking because the woman would likely expect the same sort of payment from her and she needed to know if she could, or was willing to deliver.

“Various things depending on the level of information and her mood.” Shouta answered.

She wouldn’t even glance at him. Had he done something wrong? He reminded himself that he was introducing her to a new CI. One that had helped him with many a case, and could do the same for her. It was logical that Shadow would be focused and not in the mood for friendly banter. He shouldn’t read too much into it.

Teris’ thumb rubbed against the dull obsidian point at the end of one of the metal knuckles bars. She carried two of them. Each of the slender ‘u’ shaped weapons had one long end slipped in the front pocket of her black jeans. The other long silver line merely appearing an adornment to the average eye.

Eraserhead’s words looped in her mind. Various things depending on… her mood.

Would someone who was paid for sex want sex as payment? She glanced at Eraser and swallowed. She was with Hizashi. She really shouldn’t care how Eraser paid his CI’s. She needed to focus, not wonder if this woman sought sex from Eraserhead as payment.

Would Eraser even agree to such a form payment if asked? He didn’t have a girlfriend...

Stop it! She silently scolded herself.

Shouta stopped in front of a door with no handle. “We’re here.”

He looked at her, gauging her readiness. Why did she look distracted now of all times?

“You ready?” He questioned, lowly.

Teris tried to ignore his deep rumbling voice and inhaled deeply, staring at the metal door.

“Yeah.” She exhaled.

Shouta saw her focus return. He waited a beat, making sure. Finally he took a fortifying breath of his own and knocked the short coded beat into the door.

They were shown to a rather spacious dressing room.

For a moment Teris wondered about privacy, thinking the room was for all the dancers. But she quickly took in the single vanity and comfortable lounge seating, and realized this was all for one person.

“Big Boy’s gonna stay by the door if that’s alright with you, Eraser.” Said a feminine voice from behind a dressing screen.

“Whatever makes you comfortable.” Shouta said, his deep rumbling voice a stark contrast to the high sweet one that had just spoken.

Even her voice was lovely. Teris quickly shooed away the troublesome thought.

She noticed the name above the vanity mirror. “Your name is Delphin?”

“Eraser didn’t even tell you that much?” The melodious voice questioned. “Why am I not surprised. The handsome devil doesn’t easily give out information. He only seeks it. Yes. I’m known as Delphin. I took the name based off the pretty but deadly little flower cluster Delphinium. And you are known as Shadow. Correct?”

“And I thought you said Eraser wasn’t good at giving info.” Teris’ smirk cut short when a lacy bra was flung over the shielding screen.

She stole a glance at Eraserhead, upset at her own gladness when she saw his head tilted and lowered, black hair curtaining off any hope of a view.

“Oh, Eraser didn’t tell me.” Delphin said, pulling a silk robe from the screen. “You were clocked the moment you moved into town. Well, at least the moment you started patrolling here. Your darkness quirk had quite a few folk worried.” She stepped out into view. “They thought you were working for this Void that some are whispering about.”

Teris blinked at the woman. She was… beautiful. Hell. If Delphin asked her for sex as payment she, at the very least, would be tempted to consider it.

Delphin glanced at Shouta, red lips turning up into a smile. “But when you started working with Eraser here. Most peoples concerns were put to rest.”

Shouta lifted his head. “Most?”

“Come now, Eraser. You know people aren’t won over so easily. New opinions take time to form. Trust must be earned.” Delphin caught the slight pinch of worry in the Erasure Hero’s brow. “You can’t make everyone fall in love with Shadow. No matter how cute she is.”

The furrow between Shouta’s eyebrows deepened a fraction, but a fraction was all Delphin needed. This would be fun.

“Come. Sit. Let me and your partner get acquainted. Delphin looked the female pro hero over as they all made their way to the small sitting area.

She was a pretty thing, even in dark grey and black with no make-up. Delphin could tell her clothes weren’t picked for the purpose of flattering. But since they fit properly, unlike Eraserhead’s baggy garb, the hugging jeans and cotton, scoop necked tee definitely did flatter her heroes body.

“So this is who you’ve been ignoring me for, Eraser.” Delphin saw the barest tightening in Shadow’s shoulders.

Oh. This was definitely going to be fun, she thought.

Shouta opened his mouth to reply that Delphin hadn’t left any messages on his work voice mail saying she had information worthy of a meeting. But before he could make a sound she went on.

“Not that I blame you. Pretty, new hero comes to town. No doubt you’ve been showing her everything Musutafu has to offer. Tell me. How just how well do you two know each other? How deep does the partnership go?”

Teris stared. Was this woman capable of making every sentence she spoke have a sexual connotation? She’d hate for Delphin and Hizashi to meet. The two would no doubt have a blast trying to out do each other.

“That’s not your concern.” Shouta told.

“Protective, are we?” Delphin played, her laugh as clear and beautiful as a crystal.

Teris had never felt so dull and ugly in her life; and given all the reprimands she received as a child about her habits and state of dress, that was saying something.

“You know I don’t tolerate personal questions.” Shouta stated, without emotion.

“Oh! So your dealings together are personal are they? Should I be jealous?”

“I don’t see why. Our contact is work based and both party’s can end the deal at any time.” Shouta said of his and Delphin’s agreement.

Delphin’s sparkling eyes raked hungerly over him. “But one can derive so much pleasure from work, Sugar. Wouldn’t you say?”

“I find fulfillment in my work.” Shouta admitted.

“Do you find fulfillment working with me?” She asked, voice as smooth as silk.

“You provide good information.” Shouta replied, oblivious to Teris’ rising ire.

It wasn’t that he didn’t catch Delphin’s suggestive teasing. He wasn’t an idiot. But he was use to her ways and, tiresome as all of it was, at least Delphin wasn’t as blatant or forward as Ms. Joke.

“Only after sufficient, satisfactory payment, Handsome.” She turned her shimmering eyes to Teris. “Has he ever drilled you for information? He can be rather ruthless. Can’t he. Then again I like at man who knows what he wants and is willing to work long and hard for it.”

“Are we gonna get to the point of this meeting anytime soon?” Teris questioned, shortly.

Surprised by her sharpness, Shouta looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Don’t like being ignored, Sweetness?” Delphin asked. “Then again I know all about Eraser and the point of tonight is to get a feel for you. To decide if I like you enough to let you use me too.”

Shouta swallowed. A flash of an image shot through his mind before he could stop it. It made his blood pump with desire and possessiveness.

Shit. He knew how Delphin talked and teased. Why hadn’t he thought that she would do the same with Shadow? Not that being prepared would have made him feel any better about the woman talking to his Love that way. Still, that didn’t explain Shadow’s annoyance with Delphin.

“It took me a long time to let Eraser tie me down and pump me for information.” Delphin continued.

Teris gritted her teeth. The woman was trying to toy with her. No. She was toying with her. Because you’re stupid enough to let her, she thought. Some hero your are. Letting a possible CI get to you like this.

If Delphin had been talking about any other hero Teris wouldn’t have cared. But Eraserhead was different. Eraserhead was Shouta. And Shouta was-- Not yours, she reminded herself harshly.

How is it that you don’t like it when Hizashi uses terms of ownership, but are sitting here wanting to claim a man that you have no right to try and claim? Shouta's not your boyfriend. He’s your boyfriend’s best friend. You’re such a hypocrite. You’re an idiot hero, and terrible girlfriend.

What kind of person desires their boyfriend’s best friend? You don’t deserve anyone. But you certainly don’t deserve someone as sweet and caring as Hizashi. He was either blind or kind enough to date you in the first place, and here you are nearly three years in your relationship with him wanting Shouta.

Do you really think Hizashi would stay with you if he had any idea how you felt about his best friend? You sick, disgusting fuck. No wonder your family didn’t want you. They might've said they disowned you because you wanted to become a hero; but let’s face it, they were looking for an excuse. You were a disgrace of daughter. Just like you’re a disgrace and despicable girlfriend. You lost your name and your family to be a hero, and here you sit being a discredit to that as well.

“So tell me, Shadow. What kind of hero are you? You must be something special to get the normally lone Eraserhead to team with and vouch for you.”

Short as the meeting was, Shouta was glad when it was over. He didn’t think himself a jealous person. He had managed to tolerate Hizashi hanging all over Teris without hitting him yet. But Hizashi was his best friend. And Delphin’s constant subtle sexual turn of phrase set his teeth on edge.

Shouta and Teris got to their feet.

Big Boy, who had silently stood at the rooms entrance, opened the door.

“Eraser. Stay a moment more if you would.” Delphin smiled, coyly. “I have something special for you that you’ve been wanting. Something that you’ll pay me real good for.”

Shouta glanced at Shadow, inciting Delphin to tell Teris.

“Oh, you can wait out in the hall or go get a drink at the bar, Sweet One. Big Boy will make sure they know it’s on me.”

The way Shadow paused and looked at him out of the corner of her eye told Shouta that she wasn’t keen on leaving him alone with Delphin. But Shouta trusted Delphin well enough to be comfortable. He had been getting intel from the woman for a couple years. He knew she wouldn't try anything.

He gave Shadow single nod.

Teris reluctantly followed the large Bouncer out of the dressing room.

As soon as the door closed Shouta questioned. “What do you have?”

Delphin noted how he didn’t step back to the sitting area. He probably didn’t want to leave Shadow alone out there for too long. A smart, all be it protective, move on the hero’s part.

She rose to her feet. “You asked me to keep an ear out for this Void people are whispering about.”

Shouta’s eyes met hers as she stepped to him.

Despite his studied efforts, Delphin was able to see the hungry hope he felt for any sliver of information. It wasn’t his fault. Eraserhead was rather good at hiding his emotions. He was excellent at it in fact. It was one of the main reasons she continued their agreement. He was a challenge that kept her people reading skills sharp.

“What have you learned?” Shouta asked, not liking how she entered his space.

“Aren’t you going to ask me what this information will cost? You usually do.”

“What do you want?”

“Since you brought me that cute hero to play with, and this is clearly something important to you. Why don’t we call it even.”

Shouta's eyes narrowed. “Even the smallest information costs with you.”

“Fine then. Since you insist. How about forgiveness?”

“Forgiveness?”

Before he could wonder what she wanted forgiveness for, Delphin kissed his stubbled cheek.

It was closed mouth and quick, but purposefully messy.

Shouta jerked his head back, scowling.

He didn’t step back or push her away; but the tension in his body told her that she had crossed a line.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Delphin lied.

Far from pacified by her apology, Shouta frowned at her.

She stepped back out of his space. “It won’t ever happen again. I promise.”

“If it does, our arrangement is over.” He told flatly.

Delphin swallowed.

Okay, maybe she had misjudged Eraserhead this time. Yes, she had expected him to be upset; but she hadn’t thought that he would threaten to end their bargain. He must’ve liked Shadow far more than she thought.

“I swear, Eraser. I’ll be good.” Delphin ducked her head and pouted, a contrite look that always worked on lesser men.

Shouta sighed roughly, well aware that she wasn’t truly sorry. But so long as she didn’t do it again he would let it slide. Forgiveness was an easy price to pay for any information on the Void.

“What do you have?”

“Turns out that this Void has someone with a sleep or dream quirk working for them.” Delphin told.

Shouta felt stupid that he had never considered such a thing. If the Void had someone with a somnambulist type quirk working for him it would explain how he was able to enter his and Teris’ shared dreams. He would have to look at the quirk registry and see how the various somnambulist quirks worked. Maybe even met and ask Nemuri. Though he would have to be careful if he did. He didn’t want to chance Nemuri learning about and getting involved with the Void.

“I really am sorry, Eraser. I know I overstepped. I swear I meant nothing by it.”

Shouta’s neck stiffened at the memory of the pecking kiss. “No need to mention it again.”

“If I get anything else I’ll call and leave you a message.” Delphin promised, wanting to make amends.

Eraserhead was more than a fun visitor that kept her people reading skills well honed. He was one of the few people she saw that didn’t want her for sex. She doubted the man had ever looked her over with anything more than an initial appraising glance to make sure she was well and not a threat.

Shouta opened the door just as Teris got slapped across the face.

He rushed over to her, while another man pulled the attacking woman back.

“Fucking Slut! He’s mine! Bitch! Get your own man and stay away from mine!” The woman raged.

“You best leave.” The Bouncer told, already crowding them in effort to usher them out the back door they had entered through.

Shouta wrapped a steadying arm around Shadow’s waist and led her down the hall.

Once outside, he stopped. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” In truth Teris was still dazed by what happened, but that wasn’t what Eraserhead was asking.

“You’re bleeding.”

“What?” She lifted her hand to her stinging cheek.

Shouta grabbed her hand before she could touch and smear the blood. He moved her to a small, low crate beside the door.

“Sit down.” He helped her sit and squatted in front on her. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’ve been hit harder, Eraser.” Teris said, more embarrassed than hurt.

Shouta's heart squeezed.

He knew she had taken harder hits. Much to his distaste, he had seen it happen during their patrols. It was something that stayed with him. Though he was able to lock the images and guilt that came with those instances away.

She looked down at his still holding hand. His skin was warm. Fingers calloused. Touch gentle but firm. Just as she had imagined.

“Looks like the bleeding stopped.” He commented, worried eyes focused on her cut cheek.

Her fingers began to close around his. No! This was wrong. She pulled her hand out of his and tried to stand, but Shouta stopped her.

He had been about to apologize when she pulled her hand away, but then she started to get up. “Stay.”

His hands hovered over her, afraid to touch her and cause further offense.

Teris’ eyebrows furrowed in question.

“We need to disinfect that.” He explained.

“It’s a scratch, Eraser.”

“It still needs treating, Shadow.”

They stared at each other.

It was clear from his expression that he wasn’t backing down, so Teris gave in.

She relaxed and Shouta opened a pouch on his utility belt. “Stubborn.”

The word was mumbled so softly that she questioned. “What?”

“What happened?” He asked, pulling supplies out.

She eyed him pretty sure that wasn’t what he said. “Some guy started hitting on me.”

Shouta needlessly busied himself with the alcohol and antibiotic packets. “What did you say?”

“What do you think I said? I politely told him I wasn’t interested. And when he kept on, I told him to get lost.”

She normally would’ve said she had a boyfriend; but since she was on patrol, details like that were guarded.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

“I can handle myself, Eraser.”

Shouta smirked at that. He lifted a hand, tucking her hair behind an ear, better exposing the scratch on her cheek. “Sure looks that way.”

Teris rolled her eyes.

His hand remained. Her hair was so soft. Focus, he scolded himself.

His fingers trailed the line of her jaw.

Her eyes fluttered closed. Try as she might to hold still, her head slightly tilted into his touch.

Not wanting to pull away, Shouta, used his teeth to tear open the alcohol swabs foil lined packet. With his other hand, he pulled the swab free.

He caught her chin between his fingers and gently guided her face closer. “You alright?”

She opened her eyes. How and when did he get so close? That’s right. He had moved her. And like putty in his hands she had went easily. Too easily.

“Yeah.” She breathed.

Shouta's thumb lightly brushed beneath her lip. “This might sting a bit.”

It was silly warning to give. Small as the scratch was its cleaning likely wouldn’t cause her any discomfort. But he was doing everything he could to extend this moment.

She was so close. He could feel her breath on his face. It was the most glorious feeling in the world, to breath the same air.

“I’ll be fine.” She whispered, eyes locked on his.

“Will you?”

Would either of them be fine without the other? Everyday was more difficult than the last. Try as he might to hide his feelings he couldn’t help but think he was failing miserably.

He had told himself that he would wait. That he would let Hizashi ruin things with her and then take his chance. But nearly three years later, Hizashi and Teris were still together. He didn’t want to betray and risk losing his best friend, but…

A breeze ruffled Shouta's hair.

Something on his cheek, hidden by his dark, wavy locks, caught her eye. A flash of color that shouldn’t be there.

Teris’ hand lifted, tucking back his hair. For a moment her heart squeezed, thinking he had been hurt. But the red was too bright. Realization dawned. Her heart clenched for a completely different reason.

At Teris’ contact, a soft groan sounded from the back of Shouta's throat.

It was one thing for him to touch her, but this… That single touch felt so much better than he ever could’ve imagine.

Too soon, her hand pulled away.

She rose to her feet and stepped to the side.

“Shadow?” Shouta stood and stepped after her. “I’m sor--”

“You got lipstick.” She muttered, unable to look at him.

Why did her heart ache so much? She was with Hizashi. She shouldn’t care.

Shouta heard the crack in her voice. His hand raised to his cheek. Delphin, he thought. Her lipstick must’ve transferred when she--

“She kissed me.” He tried to explain.

“Whatever you do with your CI’s is your own business, Eraser.”

“Shadow. No. It’s not like that--”

Her phone rang.

“I gotta take this.” She said without looking at the screen.

Shouta watched her step further away. He wanted to explain. Wanted to tell her that he hadn’t expected the kiss. That he hadn’t wanted it.

It turned out the call had been important. One of her former students needed her help.

Teris quickly explained that the student would have graduated last year if it weren’t for the Hero Commissions order and that the young man said he was injured. Lucky for them, he had moved to Musutafu soon after the Hero Commissions order and wasn’t far away.

Teris had tried to talk Eraser out of going with her, but Shouta insisted on accompanying.

He didn’t like the idea of her meeting anyone, even an ex-student, alone. More than that, something about this wasn’t right. Why wouldn’t the young man simply go to a clinic?

He had a feeling that Shadow wondered that same which was why she had fought so hard against him going. But Shouta could be just as stubborn as Teris, and in the end the two were walking to the given address.

The walk gave Shouta time to think, and he came to a realization that excited him with gladness despite the circumstances.

“This is the address.” Teris said, turning into a small run down apartment block.

The unlatched apartment door swung open at her knock.

“Sensei?” A voice called cautiously from within.

“Kiro?”

Teris entered, Shouta at her heels.

“Sensei! I—I’m sorry. I heard you accepted a position at UA and didn’t know who else to call. I was wounded but can’t go to a clinic. They’d ask too many questions. I’m sorry, Sensei. Please. Help.”

While the young man talked, Shouta gave the place a cursory check. He peeked over the bar style counter-top into the kitchen, and then in the bedroom before closing apartment door and locking it.

“It’s clear.” He told Shadow, who was already looking over the young mans injuries.

“Sensei. Wh—who’s that?”

“A colleague.” Teris answered simply, urging the young man to sit. “It’s fine, Kiro. What happened? Why can’t you go to a clinic?”

“You’ve turned vigilante.” Shouta stated, dark eyes on the young man.

Kiro stared at the man’s unfriendly expression.

Teris paused in her assessment. “Kiro?”

“I—I—I’m sorry, Sensei.”

Shouta moved by her kneeling frame. “Shadow. We need to leave.”

Teris turned and looked up at him. “What?”

“A former student of yours turned vigilante. You can’t be here. You could lose both your hero and teaching license if they found out.”

“We can’t leave him. He’s injured.”

Though he felt for her and the young man, Shouta's expression remained dispassionate. “Are his injuries life threatening?”

Teris’ sense of failure and concern for her student mixed with her earlier jealously at the lipstick on Shouta’s cheek.

“Are we heroes or not?” She snapped.

She took a steadying breath. This wasn’t Shouta's problem. He could get in trouble just the same as she. He shouldn’t be here.

She turned back to Kiro, dismissing him. “You should go, Eraser. I don’t want you getting in trouble over this. Leave. Please.”

Shouta ground his teeth, exhaling through the nose. He had said she could get in trouble. He wasn’t concerned about himself.

“Help him.” Shouta told her, fighting a growl. “You,” he pinned the young man with a brooding glared, “don’t say a word. Unless you want to see your Sensei in trouble, don’t tell us what you were doing or how you got those wounds.”

Teris worked quickly. As much as she wanted to ask Kiro questions, she didn’t. Eraser was right. The less they knew about what happened the better.

Soon she had popped Kiro’s dislocated shoulder back in place, cleaned and steri striped two deep, sizable puncture wounds, and wrapped an ugly looking burn after applying ointment from the small first aid kit she carried on her belt.

The moment she was done, Shouta had a hand on her arm, tugging her to her feet. Once she was standing, he moved to the door unlocking and opening it.

“Thank you, Sensei. I’m sorry.”

Teris looked away from the young man’s watery eyes and exited without a word.

She didn’t know why he had apologized to her. She was the one who should’ve apologized. She wondered how many other students of hers, effected by the Hero Commissions ruling, had turned to vigilantism. Had she failed all of them?

Shouta paused just outside the door. “I’ll be right back. Gotta use the bathroom. Stay here.”

He left Shadow outside and stepped back into the apartment, closing the door.

Before Kiro could fully rise to his feet, Shouta was pushing him back down with a heavy hand. He didn’t know what the young man’s quirk was, and doubted that he would use it, but his hair rose, eyes burning red as he activated his own quirk.

“You’re going to listen. And listen well.” Shouta rumbled, the barest hinting of the anger inside him edging into his voice.

Kiro nodded, fearfully.

“Lose her number. Shadow’s not your Sensei any more. And when you find yourself in trouble again, don’t you dare think about calling her for help. Lacerations and dislocations will be the least of your worries if you do. Understand me?”

Kiro nodded again.

“Answer properly.” Shouta's hand tightened on the young man’s tender shoulder.

Kiro squirmed in pain, his hand futilely trying to pull Shouta's off.

“I’d answer fast. Your shoulder’s about to dislocate again. If it does, who won’t you be calling?”

“Teris Sensei!”

Shouta blinked, deactivating his quirk. “I told you she’s no longer your Sensei. Don’t make me repeat myself. I don’t like it.”

He released his grip and patted Kiro’s throbbing shoulder.

“It wasn’t suppose to be like this.” Kiro called after the retreating hero. “I was suppose to be a pro hero. The Hero Commission took that away from me. Made me waste three years of my life. I would’ve done whatever stupid test they wanted to prove myself so I could graduate and become a pro. Instead they said we all had to start over again. As if private heroics teachers weren’t previously seen as qualified, and trusted to teach us. It isn’t fair.”

“Life’s not fair.” Shouta said, thinking that if it were Teris would remember their shared dreams and they would have been happy together since their days at UA. “Heroing is dangerous enough when you have support and back-up you can call on. Being a vigilante might seem the answer. But it’s not. You have three options. Find something else to do with your life. Retake the hero course. Or continue down this path and find yourself dead or in jail within the three years it would’ve taken you to redo the hero course. The choice is yours.”

12.3

Their patrol time was almost over so Shouta decided to simply call it an end.

Teris didn’t put up much of an argument, proving just how upset she was. Though Shouta couldn't say if it was solely from learning that a previous student of hers had turned vigilante, or if it also had something to do with what he had recently figured out.

She liked him, romantically. It was the only logical reason for her earlier jealousy. And she had been jealous. He would’ve been able to reason what he saw away if it had simply been Delphin’s word play. He had done so before with various looks and touches Teris had given him. But when she had seen the lipstick on his cheek…

Displeased as he was by Delphin’s pecking kiss, he was grateful for what it had brought about. The sure realization that his Love loved him in return.

Sadly, the knowledge didn’t allow him the freedom to do anything about it. She was still with Hizashi. But the fact that Teris wanted and cared for him gave Shouta hope that she and Hizashi might not be together much longer.

He told himself that he would have to tread slowly after the two broke up. He had suffered through the near three years of Teris and Hizashi's relationship because he respected both of them. He didn’t want to lose his best friend. He told himself that when he and Teris got together, he would mindful. He didn’t want to rub his relationship with her it in Hizashi's face the way Hizashi had unknowingly done with him.

There was a subtle smile on his lips as he walked beside her. Teris had told him he didn’t have to walk her home, but he had insisted. Even though their patrol had ended early, he didn’t want their time together to end.

“Do you think it’s my fault?” Teris asked, voice cutting into his thoughtful planning.

Shouta’s eyes turned to her.

He took in her lowered head and slumped shoulders, and immediately scolded himself. How could he be so selfish? While he had been pleased and excited during their walk to her and Hizashi's apartment, Teris had clearly been blaming herself for the turn one of her former students had taken.

“No. Not in the least.” He said, firmly.

Teris sighed.

She wasn’t sure what she had wanted him to say but that wasn’t it. One thing was certain. If the ‘tell it like it is’ Aizawa Shouta was sparing her feelings, then Hizashi and Nemuri wouldn’t give it to her straight either. Not that she would readily tell them that a former student of hers had turned vigilante.

“Hey. Listen to me.” Shouta reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping them in front of the apartment complex.

“Shouta. I just--”

He stood facing her, hands on her shoulders. “People make their own decisions. You can’t control them.”

No, she thought. But I could have taught him better. If she were half the hero ethics instructor Shouta was, than maybe--

“It’s not your fault Teris. You didn’t buy and persuade the Hero Commission into making that decision. You didn’t encourage Kiro to turn vigilante.”

No. But I could have done more than try to keep tabs from afar. I could have called. Checked in on him. On all of them. I just felt so guilty that I--

“Do you really think he would have told what he was doing?” Shouta asked.

He knew her well enough to know exactly where her mind would go. He knew that her favored private pastime was beating herself up.

Shouta's hand cupped her face. “Look at me.”

He gently turned and lifted her head, waiting for her eyes to follow.

“How long have you known me?” Shouta asked, when her gaze finally met his.

Silently he wished that she would say, for as long as she could remember; but he knew it was a silly hope.

“Near twelve years.”

“And in all that time have you once known be to lie to spare someones feelings?”

She shook her head.

But this was different, she thought. Shouta had--

“Ignore that inner argument in your head and answer me, Teris.”

“No.” She swallowed.

“No what?”

“You’ve never lied to spare someones feelings.”

“Then, special as you are, why do you think I’d start now?”

“Special?”

If he hadn’t so recently realized her feelings for him, Shouta likely would have lamely flustered his way around the telling slip. Instead, this newfound knowledge gave him a surety with her that he had only ever shown in their shared dreams.

“You have no idea how special you are.” He told, thumb caressing her cheek.

He wanted to go on. To tell her just how amazing and special she was. How treasured and precious she was to him. But he didn’t. He had patiently waited this long for friendships sake. He could hold out a little while longer till she was no longer with Hizashi.

At least that’s what he thought.

His mouth, on the other hand, had other ideas. “You’re amazing, Teris. Kind. Tenacious. Generous. Smart. You bring people up. Make them better. You make me better.” His cradling hand moved, tucking her hair behind an ear. “I hate that you think so little of yourself. That you can’t see how wonderful you truly are.” His knuckles smooth down her cheek. “You’re beautiful, Ris.”

He glanced down at her lips, and found her staring at his when his eyes lifted.

As if by some silent accord they both inched closer.

The tips of Teris’ fingers brushed the top of his hero costume.

Moving a bit more sure than her, Shouta's other hand slid down her arm.

Teris’ gaze met his.

Shouta tilted his head.

Her eyes fell closed, lips parting softly.

Shouta felt the first whispering touch of her lips.

Teris’ phone rang.

Her eyes snapped open.

She pulled back, cursing under her breath.

“Ter--” Shouta tired.

“It’s Hizashi.” She said, taking another step back.

What had she done? No. She hadn’t done anything. They hadn’t done anything. But you would have, she thought. If Hizashi hadn’t called. You would have let him kiss you. No. She had been moving in just the same as Shouta. It would have been a shared, mutual kiss.

Fuck! She was such a horrible girlfriend. Shouta was wrong. She was a terrible person.

“Teris. I’m sorry. I didn’t...” Shouta fell silent.

There wasn’t much he could say. He couldn't tell her he didn’t mean it. That would be lying, and he wouldn't lie to her.

Teris stared into Shouta's eyes. Eyes that were filled with want and concern. Eyes that likely mirrored hers.

She hesitated, wanting nothing more than to step back to him and bridge the gap between them.

The sound of Hizashi's ring tone stopped, his call going to voicemail.

“Shit.” She muttered, stuffing her hand into her pocket and taking out her phone.

She took another step back. She needed to get away before she did something that couldn’t be undone.

“I--I gotta go.” She said, turning away.

“Teris!” Shouta called after her.

He could’ve easily caught up with her hurried steps, but he didn’t give chase.

12.4

Hizashi wasn’t drunk but he had had enough drink at the stations party to feel good. That good feeling evaporated the instant he turned the corner and saw Shouta holding Teris by the shoulders. Her head was down and at first he thought she was hurt or upset.

He had taken a step intent on comforting his girl but then Shouta cupped her face and…

Hizashi had watched in breathless heartache. Waiting. Hoping. That Teris would slap Shouta's hand away. That she would back away from him and leave. But she didn’t.

Hizashi took another step, intent on pulling his girl to his side and challenging Shouta. He wanted to yell at his best friend. To hit him. Teris was his girl. And Shouta was his friend. His best friend. But his whirling mind thought better of it.

Teris was accepting of Shouta's touch. Her sweet, beautiful face was moving closer to Shouta's at the same rate as Shouta's was moving toward hers. She wanted Shouta to kiss her. More than that, she wanted to kiss Shouta.

I think I’m losing her. The words he told Nemuri a couple months back floated through his mind.

Would this be how he lost her? What if he went over there and blew up at Shouta for making moves on his girl and Teris pulled away from his side and moved to Shouta's? What if him going over there and confronting this was what caused her to break up with him? He couldn’t have that. He couldn’t lose her. He would come up with a way to keep her. But first he had to stop this.

He quickly pulled the phone from his pocket and blindly called her.

He heard his ring tone echo across the quiet street as it played from her phone.

Teris pulled back. It looked like Shouta was apologizing. She turned and rushed away.

Hizashi was able to breath again.

He watched a left alone Shouta. It looked like his friend was upset and berating himself.

Good. Hizashi thought. Shouta should be mad at himself.

It was bad enough that Shouta had entered Teris’ dreams and had been caught watching his girl countless times. But this… To try to kiss her.

He wondered if it had happened before.

No. He told himself. Teris would've said something. She would’ve stopped patrolling with Shouta. Her constant self deprecation and sense of unworth wouldn’t have allowed her to look him in the eye if she were seeing Shouta on the side.

Still, Hizashi couldn’t help but imagine the two of them hanging out, snuggled up together at some cat cafe instead of patrolling. Would they lay in each others arms in Shouta's apartment on Friday nights and listen to his radio show, laughing and making love to the music he played?

Hizashi shook his head trying to expel the image from it. But it didn’t go away. Instead it kept on playing.

Nemuri's advice echoed in his mind. You should share her.

Could he share her? If it meant keeping Teris he could. He would do anything to keep her. Shouta was likely desperate enough to go along with it. But would Teris agree?

Damn it! He didn’t want to share her. Teris was his.

Then another thought came to mind, brought on by a different memory.

Teris had been having a sex dream and practically said Shouta's name. Once awake, she had claimed she hadn’t remembered her dream. Well I guess it couldn't have been that good. He had replied.

What if Shouta really wasn’t that good in real life? Hizashi had never seen Shouta so much as flirt with someone. Shouta certainly had never had a girlfriend. Considering how little the man went out and that Shouta had never hinted at any escapades, it was highly likely he was still a virgin.

Hizashi knew that he was a great lover even without his vibrating tongue. If he could show Teris that Shouta was a clumsy virgin fool…

A plan began to form. And while far from pleased, Hizashi did feel better as he entered his shared apartment with Teris.

#bnha #aizawa shouta #shouta aizawa #eraserhead #hizashi yamada #yamada hizashi #present mic #yandere hizashi #yandere #my hero academia #erase the shadow

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