#is saga supposed to be taller? well she is now

[000yul]

dusks

[irinapaleolog]

IN RISE OF SKYWALKER, REY AND BEN SOLO ARE MORE IN SYNC AGAINST PALPATINE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOW

In her 25-year career as a stunt double and now stunt coordinator, Eunice Huthart has helped embody some of the most memorable genre action sequences in cinematic history. Her work is featured in huge films like Children of Men, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Justice League, and she’s been the personal stunt double for Angelina Jolie since Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

An integral member of the global stunt community, Huthart is also a crucial member and voice in the vanguard of women injecting their perspectives into the action oeuvre.

Most recently, Huthart acted as stunt coordinator for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, executing every aspect of director J.J. Abrams' vision, from Rey’s initial training sequence all the way to her final showdown against Palpatine with Ben Solo. With her support team of stunt professionals and fellow coordinators, Huthart used her decades of experience and creativity to craft set pieces that would make their own memorable impact, but also help cap an entire saga.

Audiences always remember an epic ending, so SYFY WIRE asked Huthart to break down Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Ben Solo’s (Adam Driver) momentous confrontation with clone Palpatine in the Sith chamber on Exegol in the last act of Rise of Skywalker.

From the advance prep with the actors to the grace notes that add emotional depth to the physicality, Huthart takes us through it all ...

PLANNING THE FINAL SHOWDOWN

"[From the start], J.J. had mentioned to me that he wanted the end scene to be so memorable, so I was just working on stuff. At the time, it [involved] Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) but we weren't allowed to even say the word. We would get in so much trouble.

He even had a code name, 'Thirteen,' and you were always supposed to use the code name. But I would forget that. [Laughs]

I'd be chatting with J.J. on a set and I'd be like, 'Oh, J.J., I had this great idea for Palpatine where he comes through that...' And then the whole set got quiet and would be staring at me. And I'd be like, 'Oh, bollocks.'

We were conceptually thinking of stuff way, way, way before we even started rehearsals for the movie. In January 2017, we had about a month of conceptual design. J.J. just left me to my own devices and we would design the moves and some kind of different strategies for the characters. One of the things I wanted to deliver is that Rey and Kylo Ren (Driver) progress with their Jedi powers. So we just accentuated that just a little bit more, which J.J. embraced.

What we did with Daisy is we made her lighter on her feet. We wanted her to be grounded, but we wanted her to be a lot lighter on her feet. I made her watch things like middle-distance runners to see how they move and how they just look so light when they run.

With Adam, he’s got a very unique stance. His hips are really tight, actually. I think it's from being tall for a lot of his life, so he must always be hunched looking down or trying to match people's height. We loosened up his hips so that he would look [even] taller, and [we set] his shoulders back. We were working on back exercises with his personal trainer, Simon Waterson. We were working on getting his stance looking different.

Then one of the other things we did is we made the lightsaber lighter in weight than what they were used to. So in their movements, all of a sudden they were moving this lightsaber very quickly, a lot more [quickly] than what they were in the other two movies. It was those subtle differences we wanted to embrace."

BEN SOLO'S BIG MOMENT

"I kept on at Adam saying, 'When you are Ben, how are we going to do it differently?' He's like, 'You got to give me time, you got to give me time.' In the meantime, we went back [to plan]. Because he was Ben, we threw in a few Easter eggs emulating things that Han Solo (Harrison Ford) did in some of the movies.

I think it was a bit of all of them, really. J.J. wanted a version. Adam wanted a version. I just wanted to pay homage. All I wanted is that when Kylo was Ben, that there was something slightly different about him. Just in his costume as well, it helped it a little bit. It was the undershirt so it looked a bit different and it made him look lighter. I think we did something different with his hair as well. So just that nuance to the eye would have made a change, and then Adam just did his own thing.

We did say, 'How about when Harrison does this and when Harrison did that in that movie, should we put [it] in?' Which he did.

I'd say it was predominantly Adam, really. He really researches his character. He comes in very, very well prepared as an actor, which again just makes my life very easy. I'd say that was all Adam, with me and J.J. maybe adding a little bit of salt and pepper, that's all."

THE DYAD IN TANDEM

"We considered [the dyad] all the time with each of [their] choreography. That was J.J.'s vision from day one.

Even in the very, very first draft of the script, that was always his vision, [that their styles] were always going to be intercut. We knew that. We just considered it when we were doing the choreography.

It was quite an easy process because we fully understood the vision that J.J. wanted. And I always knew the editor is just going to enhance it. You know, the impact of it is going to be so well-told on the screen.

We did [the separate fights] with the doubles. At that point, it was hard getting the actors because filming was so intense for both of them. So we did it with the doubles.

It was a well-worked-up sequence and it was planned that way. The plan worked well."

PALPATINE DRAINING THE DYAD

"I mean that was just all the actors, really. At that point, it was easy for Daisy to be exhausted. It was virtually the last day of filming, as well, so it was easy for Daisy to be very exhausted.

Whenever we choreograph a fight and whenever we're going through the beats, we're always very clear on where the character is and how much energy the character is bringing in. And that's where J.J. is great because he has a great manner in which he explains to the actors exactly what he envisions the character to be, and what they're doing. So it was very little from me, if I'm honest. It was a great compilation of J.J. directing the guys.

For example, while we were rehearsing, we would put Daisy and Adam — but on separate occasions — in a harness and we'd have a push-pull kind of thing. We'd have them fighting against that push-pull and saying, “This is the exhaustion you should be feeling at the end when you drop to your knees and you're done. This is how empty you are at that point.”

And they love it because they just embraced anything that we wanted to bring them so that they knew where they were with the characters. So, we did do R&D work with them, but I have to say, they were so good that they always found it, if that makes sense."

[oveliagirlhaditright]

Not Such a Small Little World - A Sora, Riku, and Kairi Friendship Fic

(Part 1 of what I’ve written for Sora’s birthday.) Summary: A Sora, Riku, and Kairi friendship piece. Sometime after the next saga--when the trio actually gets some peace--they all hangout at Riku's house, like old times... but fight over what they want to do, as friends do. And through it all, Kairi has a certain epiphany about Sora's worries.

Kairi’s PoV While at the mall with her two best friends, Kairi looked at this "Lollipop Chainsaw" game. And despite how macabre it was, she couldn't help finding the pairing there kind of cute... Maybe as a Princess of Heart, she was just hardwired to like anything with romance. And while Riku was by Kairi’s side—checking out other video games—it was only Sora who noticed that she was holding the game up to the light with a reverent look on her face. And he came abreast her the moment he did, it seemed to Kairi. "I didn't know you liked that game," Sora said with an amazed lilt to his voice, as he put his hands behind his head in his trademark gesture. Kairi giggled. There was just something about seeing Sora in that pose, that always cracked her up. "One of my favorite parody editors made a video about Lollipop Chainsaw… and I liked it enough to give the game a go," Kairi said as she put a hand on her hip. Then, reluctantly, she placed the game down… almost feeling sad about it, which was ridiculous since she already owned it. Riku—who had come into the conversation somewhere during the middle of it—grinned, as he ruffled Kairi’s hair some (something that Kairi pretended she didn’t like, but really she did): "This game fits the princess. Doesn't it, Sora? I can just see her poppin' some gum and being cheerleader-like while fighting in a stronger manner than anyone else." And at this, Kairi couldn't help but to blush and bow at Riku for his compliment. She was still new to the Keyblade, after all. So any praise like this made Kairi's heart soar… and made her think she didn't quite deserve it. "Yep! I'd sure say so!" Sora joined in with the attempted ego-boosting now—making Kairi feel even more humiliated, as he handed one of the Mario games where you played as Princess Peach to her. “Sora, what-“ Kairi started, because while she thought she knew where he was getting at with this—that she was as strong as they eventually made Princess Peach in some games—there was another way she could’ve been taking it, too. And seeming to realize that, Sora scratched his cheek a bit awkwardly and decided to go another route. "I would've gone with Tales of Vesperia, since Estelle's a lot like you in my opinion… But that game’s still Yuri’s… and Kairi, what I’m trying to say here, is that one day the game is going to be yours. I just know it.” Kairi grinned widely—fully appreciating Sora’s words and kind gesture now—but also wanting to get the focus off of her some, she decided to move the conversation to another topic. "So, what are you two shopping for?" But the moment the words left Kairi's mouth, she already figured out the answer when it came to Sora; he was holding the item he’d come here for in his hands, and it was a Naruto game. Riku just shrugged and pulled out what he'd been hiding behind his back... and he seemed a little bit embarrassed about it, if Kairi said so herself. "I bought a Dating Sim..." And instead of commenting on that, like she really wanted to—though it seemed Sora was about to speak on it, with the way he leaned towards Riku with a cheeky look on his faced—Kairi made the decision about how they should spend the rest of the day for them. "So, I say we go over to Riku’s house and play a lot of video games, like we did in the early days of our friendship. Sounds good to me! Sign me up! Maybe it’ll even inspire my fighting some!” So that was how the three friends found themselves on Riku’s balcony: their old hangout. And Kairi was about to put one of the video games in for them, but Sora stopped her as he came forward and put a gentle hand on her wrist. “Actually, Kairi… I feel like we should watch something instead. Maybe something we’ve all already seen. Because, to be honest, I want to enjoy this new Naruto for all that it is, and I know we’d just talk over it. And I’m sure Riku feels the same way about his lovey-dovey, kissy-kissy, game, too.” And as Riku started chasing Sora around the balcony then—threatening to throw him off of it—Kairi set to work finding an anime they could all watch together. And almost instantly, her fingers found “Cardcaptors”, and she sighed. “You guys are gonna wanna watch Cardcaptors, huh?” Kairi asked as she looked over her shoulder, to see that Sora and Riku had finally settled down on the couch and were watching her in an expectant manner. “Even though this weird version of it killed some of what the original—‘Cardcaptor Sakura’—had, by doing things like increasing Syaoran’s—I’m sorry. ‘Li’s’—role? “It did do all of those things,” Sora said, as he fist bumped with Riku. “But it made a cool anime even cooler, because he’s the best.” "...I guess I can give you that. And I assume every boy in the world feels that way,” Kairi said surprisingly bitterly… almost wondering if this hangout was a good idea, if they were going to be arguing over this fandom. She hung her head and had to fight against putting a video game in, after all. "...But since you guys love me—and can respect that I think they downplayed Sakura to do this—can we watch something else?" It was then that an answer to all three's prayers arrived, in the form of Riku getting a package dropped off at his house downstairs, that he quickly went to retrieve... a package full of anime stuff, since he was subscribed to a company that gave him new content of it every month. And what was this, that Riku was showing them now?! Some sort of anime and manga named "Tsubasa", that had Syaoran and Sakura as the main characters?! Kairi was ripping the items out of the box they’d come in, and eyeing them immediately—as she tried to figure out just how much the gods of Olympus must have loved them all, to make this a thing. "Well, there you guys go," Kairi laughed, as she handed the manga to Sora and the DVD to Riku (having to knock "The Third" DVD out of Riku's hand, so there was room for it). "There's a Cardcaptor Sakura spinoff, where Syaoran is the main character. Now, this I can get behind, since it respects the original writers' wishes. So, let's watch away." …But half-way through, they couldn't do so anymore. The boys missed the humor from Cardcaptors and/or Cardcaptor Sakura: whichever. And Kairi felt the show was somewhat slow. "…Even from the little I remember of being in your heart, Sora... I don't think you wasted so much time exploring every nook and cranny of a world on your first journey…" I have an idea," Riku said, as he gave the kind of small smirk he’d always worn before suggesting they do something that would get them all into trouble. Kairi's breath hitched in her throat. "…Why are we even trying to watch anything, anyway? Most of the times we played some sort of game together: video game or other. So why don’t we do that now?" Kairi thought that was a fine idea; she had many pleasant memories of playing Monopoly with Sora and Riku... as well as Life, even though those boys had always somehow beat her at that. She always won at the Barbie Rapunzel game she made them play with her, however. But somehow, she thought that they wouldn't appreciate that suggestion now… "I know!" Sora exclaimed, as he clapped his hands together. And Kairi, jokingly, was tempted to ask him if he had been spending more time with Tifa Lockhart or the London Tipton girl they’d just met, because they were both known to do that. "Why don't we go out and buy that 'Boxers and Briefs' game? It's supposed to help friends get to know each other even better, in an amusing way." Kairi was down for that (and she tried to discreetly let him know this, in handing him his favorite orange soda when his first can went empty). But really, she was always down for any of Sora’s ideas. But Riku seemed dubious… as he tried to act like he was above Kairi and Sora, Kairi guessed, by eating orange candy instead of drinking pop with so many calories. "It sounds like that 'Would You Rather' game. And we can easily make up questions for that ourselves. So, Sora... why even bother spending munny on that rip-off game, then?” "To... uhh, celebrate us all finally being together on the Islands again?" Sora asked, as he jumped atop a pizza box to try and stand taller and make them buy into his point that way. He seemed cute like this, to Kairi. Like a little kid play acting for the first time… which sounded a little condescending, but she swore that it wasn’t! Especially since she was on his side! Or maybe… now that Kairi thought about it, mayhap Sora looked more like something else she knew about… "You look like that lovers’ statue from Olympus, that you said Meg hates," Kairi laughed. But Sora was instantly retorting. “I do not! If anything, I look more like Meg when she grabbed onto the statue to keep from falling. Not the statue itself.” Kairi really could’ve argued the point… but since Sora still knew more about Olympus than she did, she decided to drop the issue and return to the matter at hand: “….I think we should play this game of Sora's, Riku. Who wants gross things—like ‘would you rather have a ton of bandages ripped off your hairy skin or lick a dirty one?’—when I’d like to believe this similar game has better questions?" Riku seemed like he was about to say something—perhaps to argue with Kairi, that he thought this new game would be much worse—but Sora gave him a look, Kairi saw, so he zipped up his mouth and threw away the key. And smiling at Kairi then, Sora muttered, “So ‘Boxers and Briefs’, it is.” But by his tone, he almost seemed sad by her agreeing now and at first, she couldn’t figure out why. But then she did. "Unless... unless it isn't," Kairi said, feeling as though she'd just had an epiphany as she pulled at the fuzz on the orange blanket atop her. She'd been desperate for this hangout because she'd wanted a normal night with her friends again more than anything...  and was Sora the same way? "…Sora, you’re really not fighting for that game itself, are you? You’re worried that we don't know each other anymore?" Kairi asked as she put a comforting hand on Sora’s shoulder and snuggled a bit closer to him. "I- I guess?" Sora admitted, but he seemed to think it was shameful to do so. Because almost immediately, he'd clapped a hand over his mouth. But then, sighing, Sora continued on after Riku shot him a look this time. "I mean, how could I not? We've all been to so many worlds lately, but without each other. I wanted to make sure we haven't lost track of who the others are. Even though we didn't play this type of question game back in the day, we would play things like 'Trivial Pursuit' and I wanted to recreate that… and more." "We do still know each other, Sora," Riku promised, as he also got closer to Sora and slapped him on the back. "I know you hate Mr. Sanyee with a passion... that Kairi wishes we'd bake bread at school every day, and you guys know how I love to grill food. You two are the chefs, but I'm the griller. None of that has changed. "But if you're really worried, Sora, I'm willing to put my love for grilling aside and cook with you guys. Why don't we make pizza like we used to with Sora's mom all the time?" "You guys-" Sora started with tears in his eyes. And he was clearly so moved, that Kairi was sure he'd be the one to give Riku the affirmative. But when he instead seemed too choked up to, Kairi went on ahead with it herself. "Let's do it, Riku!” …And while Riku threw flour at Sora, Sora cooked up a mean sauce, and Kairi amazingly found some black truffles to put atop the pizza, she reckoned the three of them had never had a more magical time: even amidst all the normalcy. “Small little world”, her foot! Author's Note: I swear I wasn't bashing any of the fandoms referenced in this story. I just needed to give them all different opinions on things. Also, full disclosure... I haven't played Lollipop Chainsaw or any of the Princess Peach games. And Riku being rich, and with a balcony, is based off the manga. I swear I didn't include Tsubasa as a joke, since Sora's Japanese VA is also Syaoran's Japanese VA, but it still works well for one. And I also just realized it's funny that Kairi likes Lollipop Chainsaw, when Sora almost had a chainsaw in KH. Yep.

[what-inthe-goddamn]

Thank you for doing my request about teenage courier walking away from the gates to the strip. I love it! Can we do a sequel where the companions react to the couriers returning more mature and prepared to face Benny like a year after walking away and going to Utah. That’s if your not busy?

Arcade Gannon: The Courier passed his mind every so often. He hated to see someone so young go back on the road, especially since he couldn’t go with them. The followers needed him too much. Arcade would hope that they were alright. God only knows what they’re facing out there. He wasn’t very optimistic about them coming back, the weight of going after Benny must have been too much. He honestly couldn’t blame them. Julie called him over to the neighboring tent, saying someone asked for him. He couldn’t think of anyone asking for him by name. Half the people he deals with bareley remember theirs. But who does he see when he steps into that tent? No one other than the Courier themselves. They had grown taller, their face was slightly thinner, their bright eyes now squinted with focus. “Are you hurt?” was the first thing he asked them. “No. But I had a question for you…” Arcade was offered to go back to the Strip. To help them with Benny once and for all. Arcade had to consider it for a few moments. He sighed and shrugs. “Why not? It was getting boring around here…”

Craig Boone: Boone didn’t think of the Courier much after they left. The occasionally passing wonder of what they were doing, but nothing more than that. A knock on the door of the sniper’s nest startled him. Boone opened it up to find the Courier, who he didn’t quite recognize at first. The sun had tanned and roughened their skin; they were a bit taller too. They asked him if he wanted to help them get back at Benny. He almost didn’t believe they were seriously going to go through with it until they passed the gates themselves. He saw that look in their eye as they walked towards the Tops’ doors. They were ready to finish this.

ED-E: The little bot would have followed them all the way to Zion had they let ED-E. But he was left at the Mormon Fort, much to Arcade’s dismay. The days passed, then weeks, and finally it had been 372 days since they Courier had disappeared. On that 372nd day, ED-E sensors picked out a familiar figure walking towards him. “I’m ready, little buddy.” The Courier said, leading the happy little bot out of the fort. He hovered next to them towards the gates of The Strip, finally passing through them.

Raul Tejada: Everyday was the same since the Courier up and left him at the front door of the Tops. Raul only had his shack to go back to, and that’s were had been since. The only thing he could do to kill time was read and tinker with the odd machine he brought back home from scavenging. For a year or so it went on like this. That was until a person approached him while he was just coming back home. He didn’t recognize them due to the mask, but their voice struck a chord. “Six?” He brings them in and asks them question after question about where they’ve been what they’ve been doing. Six tell him their ready to go back to the Strip and asks if he wanted to go with them. Raul wouldn’t pass up that opportunity to the world.

Rex: It seemed like decades had passed since Six dropped him back off to the King. He still missed them terribly to this day. On one day he heard the door swing open, not lifting his head up to see who it was. That was until two familiar boots had stepped up to him, and the voice of the Courier called to him. Rex jumped up into Six’s arms and licked their face happily. Six assured him they were back for good. Rex diligently followed them to the gates of the Strip, this time the Courier seeming more determined to pass through them.

Rose of Sharon Cassidy: She can’t believe that kid left her there like an idiot. Didn’t matter how much she tried, Six turned tail and wussed out. Now she was left to pick up odd jobs to make back all that money she spent on that damn passport.  She wasn’t making that mistake again. Cass finally got some time to herself and settled at the bar one night. Not even halfway into her drink, somebody steps into the bar and makes their way towards her. “Thought I’d find you here.” Cass snapped around to bark at them when she saw who it was. That damn kid! But they looked different… “You’ve gotta be shitting me…” Six sat next to her, hopefully explaining themselves for what they pulled at the gates. They actually went to Utah! Whatever happened their must have roughed them up a bit. The Courier was sporting a couple new scars, and a cold look too. “I’m back for Benny.” Cass thought they were joking. “That’s real funny, you gonna dip again?” she snarked. It took some convincing, but if they were really gonna go into Tops and hunt that checker-coated bastard, she might as well help them raise some hell. Been waiting nearly a damn year for this.

Veronica Santangelo: Who cares if they left? She’s going to have some fun! The touring of Vegas wasn’t as fun as she hoped it would have been, but of course Six was supposed to be her buddy in this. Instead, they ditched her. Oh well. Three casinos, two new dresses, and one year later she spotted a familiar person hovering near the entrance of the Strip. Was that… Six?! Veronica dashed over to them and scooped them up into a hug. “Where have you been?” she asked them. “You’re taller than me now!” After berating them with questions they sheepishly stated they were back. “You’re finally gonna whack Benny- “, she was shushed by them. “Yes. You in?” they whispered. Veronica considered it. What’s the harm in making a little trouble, especially for a jerk like Benny?

And so the saga continues! If I’m gonna be honest I was nervous to go into the Tops to face Benny. After going to his room I must have reloaded my save 15 times cause I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to kill him in his sleep or let him go. I let him go in the end only to find out he was captured at Caesar's tent. Good going Benny.

[elle-eedee]

dcom daddies: ranked

whats up sluts i’m here to give you the content you did NOT know you needed: a foolproof algorithmic ranking of a mild selection of disney channel dads!

beast (descendants)

hotness scale: extremely tall (over a foot taller than me! this is Very Important to the scale) and he seems to be a mere thread’s width away from Unhinged at all times, which i love. i also think it’s very sexy of him to still have such a monstrous way about himself (what with the roaring and the growling) 20something years post-curse.... makes me wonder very vividly if such energies carry to the b*droom........ *clears throat* 10/10

quality of character scale: it eternally amuses me that beast seems to learn almost Nothing over the course of this trilogy. he’s literally pro-isle the ENTIRE time jsjdndjdjd..... not great considering it puts him directly at odds with his son (and, like, with social progress) but he Does seem to act the way he does with the kingdom’s safety in mind! plus when he’s not accidentally supporting magical fascism he’s super dorky. i love his goofy dance moves 7.5/10

total score: 17.5/20...... with this score alone you can tell this system isnt rigged bc if i had it my way he’d be winning

hades (descendants)

hotness scale: i hate his party city clown wig but i’m a total sucker for guys in makeup (EVEN THOUGH A DECENT SHADE OF LIPSTICK WOULD HAVE BROUGHT HIS ENSEMBLE TOGETHER. WHY DID THEY PROPOSE IT ON THE CHARACTER DESIGN WALL IF THEY WERENT GONNA FOLLOW THROUGH!!!) and i think the fact that hes Very Sleepy and doesnt own a dog makes him my dream guy 9.5/10

quality of character scale: he literally sings a song about how cool he thinks it is that he’s a shitty dad............ but he DOES come through when his kid needs him, so that’s nice i guess. i would have liked to see more of him but i’ll settle for reading and writing intricate fan works that delve into a hypothetical personality for him that’s mainly conjecture 7.25/10

total score: 16.75/20 i wanna see him in some preppy auradon clothes

jafar (descendants)

hotness scale: i wish i had nicer things to say about this man. he just....... bears so little resemblance to the original jafar it makes me :( maybe if he was more gangly, or if he carried himself w the same potent gay energy that og jafar has? itd also help it he wasnt a racist caricature. 4.5/10

quality of character scale: again, very much a racist caricature. jafar doesnt steal!!! why would This be what he chose to do with himself! but he does seem to be, perhaps, the least bad of the core four’s parents, which counts for something i suppose. 3/10

total score: 7.5/20 sorry bud

dr facilier (descendants)

hotness scale: listen. it’s dr facilier. what am i supposed to do, NOT give him a perfect score on the sexy scale? 10/10

quality of character scale: he just loves his daughter and wants to make sure she’s getting what’s hers!!!!! his dynamic with celia makes me really happy they seem so fun! though i guess you could argue it sucks that he’d send his darling babey dohter to do errands for big mean scary hades considering that Everyone on the isle seems to quake at the sight of him. but im sure facilier only does that to ensure that celia can hold her own! 8/10

total score: 18/20 and it’d probably be higher if we’d seen more of him

mr smee (descendants)

hotness scale: not only does this man fuck, judging by the ages of his kids he fucked RECENTLY. get it baby live your truth 7/10

quality of character scale: he seems to be SO kind and sweet to his baby sons..... holding their little hands and such!!! and judging by how nervous the kids are i’d imagine it was primarily smee’s idea for them to go to auradon. extremely noble sacrifice for their benefit even though he’ll miss them 10/10!!!!!

total score: 17/20 i want to kiss his hand, if he’ll have me

zevon necrodopolous (zombies)

hotness scale: every time i look at this man i think of this post. he’s the perfect amount of frumpy for my tastes and his voice is so unique!!!!! i’d let his z-band malfunction so he could *** ** ***** * ******* **** 9/10

quality of character scale: really really cares about his kids and wants them to be safe!! he raises his voice once which im not a huge fan of but i suppose it was justified given the circumstances. also that shot of him goofing about with d*le in the end scene shows remarkable capacity for forgiveness after decades of trauma and discrimination! what a guy. 9/10

total score: 18/20 an absolute dilf!!!!!

dale (zombies)

hotness scale: looks like an uncrustable. 0/10

quality of character scale: a fucking cop. die bitch! 0/10

total score: 0/20 get in since you wanna act clown

coach jack bolton (high school musical)

hotness scale: honestly pretty young for my tastes. and i literally Always swipe left on athletes, so..... fine looking, but not for me. 5/10

quality of character scale: obviously he grows as the series progresses but i feel like jack is Always in the way of troy getting what he wants, which sucks. i like that he’s kinda goofy on his off hours with his family exactly as much as i Hate how much he yells when hes on the job. i do wish we lived in the timeline where he and miss darbus actually had that duet about their disagreements, though. 5/10

total score: 10/20 truly an Average dcom daddy

vance evans (high school musical)

hotness scale: due to personal reasons i will be having bad taste. however, this man’s fashion sense in IMPECCABLE. i mean, the colors??? the unbuttoned collar???? come on now. there is also the gratuitous use of the d-word to consider......................... anyways 7.5/10

quality of character scale: it’s hard to tell how much of his interest in furthering troy’s career is out of sincerity and how much of it is sharpay nudging him. but either way the result is a man who supports his daughter unconditionally! he could be nicer to ryan, though (plus he’s an evil capitalist) 6/10

total score: 13.5/20 i feel like he and fulton have had Relations

mr gifford (lemonade mouth)

hotness scale: listen, i’m a simple guy. i see a basic-looking man pursuing age gap romance in the midst of a mid-life crisis, i support him unconditionally. also i am just Really vibing with that oversized denim shirt on him!!! there’s an egregious amount of arm hair poking out that just works. good for him! and this is a small moment but i’m very flustered over his natural Touchy Feely instinct after wen pokes out his eye... however: man has no eyebrows. 8.5/10

quality of character scale: i’m not a child of divorce so i don’t know how this stuff works, but i feel like he springs a lot of major decisions on wen? not ideal. on the other hand, we DO stan that he has sydney move in before they’re married. this is not a christian home!!!! 6/10

total score: 14.5/20 probably my favorite lemonade mouth dad, but mostly because he’s like the only one paid any attention by the narrative

mr banjaree (lemonade mouth)

hotness scale: men really have beautifully sculpted noses and we just let them, huh. i’m definitely overusing the word Handsome in this list, but in this case? i’m justified. mr banjaree’s beard suits him SO well and his hair looks so soft...... and we love the implicit cleanliness of a man who wears socks in the house! 8/10

quality of character scale: i super SUPER dont agree with this man’s Smothering-Adjacent Methods (and also i know firsthand that strict parentage just drives kids to be more rebellious, lmao) but all things considered he really just wants the best for his family PLUS he’s willing to meet mo halfway at the end! :’) 6/10

total score: 14/20 the way i feel about him is the way i feel when i get crushes on pastors in that You Are Complicit In My Trauma But We’re Gonna Kiss About It way

mr delgado (lemonade mouth)

hotness scale: OOOOH GLASSES! 5/10

quality of character scale: it’s sort of implied that the Wacko Energies of charlie’s family are mostly the fault of his mom so it’s cool of this man to distance himself from that. he is, of course, still complicit in Whatever The Hell Her Deal Is unless he is constantly fighting with her offscreen 6/10

total score: 11/20 would have loved to see more of him

mr yamada (lemonade mouth)

hotness scale: another chapter in the saga of unbuttoned collars! doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to show off his strengths but i appreciate that he is not the thinnest dad in town 6.5/10

quality of character scale: WOW fuck this guy. very dismissive of stella’s aspirations!!!!! i don’t like that he feels the need to talk Over her to her mom when he’s asking about her vegetarianism. dude she is right there.... however it’s a lil touching when he holds her guitar up at the end, so... 4/10?

total score: 10.5/20 *thinks about his slightly protruding tummy in his last scene* *thinks about his slightly protruding tummy in his last scene* *thi

bob duncan (good luck charlie: it’s christmas!)

hotness scale: in keeping this Specific to the feature-length xmas special, i will say that bob duncan is QUITE handsome! disappointed that he was wearing a shirt in the scene at the pool.... ill bet if this movie came out post-workout/makeover he’d have been shirtless >:/ i feel robbed... spare tummy, sir? spare tummy? additionally i love a man who rolls up his sleeves AND a man who stans kaiju movies!! also i love that he, quite literally, canonically fucks 8.5/10

quality of character scale: he’s about as charmingly incompetent as he is in the show, but the difference here is that he literally did not do a damn thing wrong! all he wanted to do was be civil with his inlaws and he frankly deserves MUCH better. its clear from his banter with the kids that he loves them very much (also i love how frequently he feels the need to jump/dive for things in this movie. silly slapstick icon) 8.75/10

total score: 17.25/20 this man’s mere presence oozes nostalgia

jerry russo (wizards of waverly place: the movie)

hotness scale: this man was MADE for me. the bottomless collection of hawaiian shirts....... the TWO tummy out scenes..........the fucked up evil thing his voice does when the kids try to steal the spellbook!!! he really has it all. also i love that he is truly just trying to have some beach intercourse 9/10

quality of character scale: i love that even when he doesn’t remember the kids he still maintains a little dadly rapport with them? the instincts...... it’s also incredibly good of him to relive his decision to give up his magic without hesitation once he realizes the severity of the situation :’0 10/10

total score: 19/20 i’ve never seen an episode of the show but im really about to start

neil morris (dadnapped)

hotness scale: handsome....... mr morris makes me feel simultaneously like a sapiosexual AND a morosexual because although he completed enough schooling to become a dentist, he also threw it away for a writing career like an absolute champ. also i find it unbelievably charming how Along For The Ride he is about the idea of being kidnapped. a man after my own heart 8.25/10

quality of character scale: this is a tricky one...... neil DOES show active concern for his daughter’s safety when push comes to shove, but he also has my least favorite type of redemption arc: “you THOUGHT i was neglecting you, but actually i was thinking about you the whole time and just never expressed it! we good?” so like. bleh. but he’s pretty mild mannered which i deeply appreciate in a man! 6.5/10

total score: 14.75/20 maybe talk to your daughter instead of writing a macgyver ripoff, dumbass

major joe mason (princess protection program)

hotness scale: prime dad bod, very believable for his line of work. also he has such a Gentle Way about himself when he’s around princesses....... i love all the hand holding when he’s escorting rosie. absolutely my type 8.75/10

quality of character scale: gosh.... where do i even BEGIN!!! his whole dynamic with carter is so ideal... i was apprehensive at first because his job would require him to be Absent a lot of the time, but upon reflection it’s clear that he’s raised carter well enough that he can totally trust her to be on her own, and also she’s only sad to see him go because she sincerely enjoys his company. everything about his profession is so noble and i love the way he can carry himself as casually or as politely as a given situation calls for. worst thing he does is say “i might have to stop calling you ‘pal’” because his daughter is wearing a pretty dress. i wish he was my dad but i’ll settle for him being my husband 9.75/10

total score: 18.5/20 i almost made a ppp self insert this morning specifically for Him

ted thompson (zapped)

hotness scale: athletes arent sexy!! this guy’s face screams The Only Websites I Know How To Use Are Facebook And Reddit and also he’s a dog person BUT he is sporting quite the tumbey if i do say so myself and for that i shall let him live. 4/10

quality of character scale: ok i know the whole point of this movie is Boys Bad but i hate men who are loud and i hate dads who get Weird about the inherent femininity of their daughters. when he calls zoey “sport” and then cringes like he’s made a mistake? dumb and unnecessary. HOWEVER all of his efforts to bond with zoey are really really sincere. like when he fixes her music box? that has NOTHING to do with the app he just Does It!!!! the movey mightve rubbed off on me a little too much but there are multiple ways to show love and just bc im not used to his way doesnt mean it has no worth! 6/10

total score: 10/20 mr thompson sir im sorry i doubted you at the start of the film

rob adams (radio rebel)

hotness scale: this man dresses 5-10 years younger than he looks and i respect that for him. but i was expecting him to be a bit more of a slimeball considering how tara talks about him in the opening scene... and you guys know how much i love slimeballs. regardless, pretty handsome! 6.5/10

quality of character scale: it’s nice that he goes to such a Public and Corporate effort to connect to his stepdaughter! even if it’s in a way that financially benefits him, it’s pretty clear that he cares about this family and wants to do right by them. nothing exceptional, though 7/10

total score: 13.5/20 i GUESS i’d be down to smash if he asked

ralph bartlett (read it and weep)

hotness scale: ok i was gonna say something mean about the fact that he’s balding but honestly he has really nice arms........ in addition he’s really quirky and optimistic which i am going to admire into my grave!! when he gets excited about having customers during the finale his voice quirks with an almost charlie day-esque charm. handsome. ALSO he calls jamie “princess” which is!!!!!!! something 7.5/10

quality of character scale: the way ralph parents his kids is Very 2000s in that he kinda babies his daughter but gets to pal around with his son, but i guess both dynamics come from a place of love and he could be doing much worse. plus he’s an honest hardworking small business owner! i support him 7/10

total score: 14.5/20 i would definitely go out for pizza with him

dr james hartley (how to build a better boy)

hotness scale: THIS. THIS IS WHAT DCOM DADDIES ARE ALL ABOUT. gosh..... this is truly the Most dad ive ever seen in my life. i love how his hair is always mussed..... how he’s so Desperate to relax that he falls asleep after Fifteen Seconds of smooth jazz..... and also. like. hes a scientist?? hello??? pretty sexy of him. i want to give this man the relaxation he deserves 10/10

quality of character scale: ok so,,,...,, kinda fucked up that he lied to his whole family (with the possible exception of his wife—sidenote, WHY did they make dr hartley married? his wife never comes up except when bart says she’s out of town. let him be single so i can slide into those dms) and EXTRA kinda fucked up that he works for the government? what a scab. BUT it’s very very clear that he cares about his kids (and gabby) and prioritizes their safety above all else! also, did you SEE how happy he was when mae won homecoming queen....... he loves her so so so much! :’0 8.5/10

total score: 18.5/20 i thirst tweeted about this man and roger bart replied ‘Aw, thanks!’ so i dont know where to go from here

[athanasia-istolla]

Interview: Sindri Istolla

The following is done in a present state/day style: Oct 19th 2019/Unknown Hydaelyn date.

► Name ➔ “Sindri Rianorix Istolla be m’ full name, not dat anywon uses such.”

► Are you single ➔ “Mm if ye mean am I not see’n anywon, den yee. Tis long since dat’a been elsewise.”

► Are you happy ➔ “A’times, yee. Tis not always easy. I hath my health an me life. The Shroud itself be kind ta me even thou som folk be not.”

► Are you angry? ➔ “Angry? Non non.. Frustrated perhaps at current, but such wilt pass once dem false wanted posters be delt with.”

► Are your parents still married ➔ “When saw em last, yes.. I dun think much could’a shook dat bunch’s unionship even after all dis time.”

NINE FACTS

► Birth Place ➔ “mm such thing, is knowledge for the trusted only..”

► Hair Color ➔ “Most be silver with streaks o black.. Tis ma natural colour despite de questions o who I see ta get it done… all most non believe me thou.”

► Eye Color ➔ “Hmm ma eyes be bit complex.. Da outer lens is Dune-gemed Lilac, such be all dat most see at first glance, in part o how large they are. Yet past such lay a shifting teal-violet set o limbal rings o’ sorts. Tis not supar hard ta see, more easy at night thou. Last me sclera is dark, bu’ with how large de dune lens is, tis unnoticed by near all. If one was in ma life oft enough, eventually would see both o such thou.”

► Birthday ➔ “Thirteenth Moon of the Sixth Umbral Moon (13/12), T’was so early that day the sun had not risen yet”

► Mood ➔  “Perhaps a bit uneasy. Feels like some’n coming.. Yet tis hard ta discern when an if such be related ta thee fake posters.”

► Gender ➔ “Female.”

► Summer or winter ➔  “Winter. Aside de lovely delights of the season, cozy hearths, the quiet snow brings to de world.. The stars hang longer over head.. Tis peaceful to bundle near a soft fire an gaze upon the astronomic gems.”

► Morning or afternoon ➔ “If ye mean when to wake.. Just ‘fore dawn.. The stars still littering the sky.”

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

► Are you in love ➔ “Love? Non.. perhaps hav’ a crush or three.” soft shy chuckle “But non, not love.. Not yet at least.”

► Do you believe in love at first sight ➔ Rumbles an amused chur as she smiles. “The fates work in many ways.. I have yet to personally experience such depth of sudden infatuation. I would personally be cautious of such. Yet I would not say such be impossible.”

► Who ended your last relationship ➔ “If by such yet again ye be speak’n o the intimate type… Circumstance.. Events beyond our control.. Despite the effort against such. I doth not know if she survived the raid.. An I was likely sold off too quick if they had mounted a rescue.. Twas a very long time ago now..”

► Have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔ “Am sure I likely hath broke a few in my home lands.. An perhaps some of these ones.. in the past at least. I can say such was not out o ill will nor intentional thou.”

► Are you afraid of commitments ➔ “Hmm non.. Tis not commitment I fear, tis abandonment, an what I can contribute being ‘enough.’ I know well I can’t provide all things, even the instances I wish to thee core I could. Tis hard ta find those who understands such.. While I am not opposed at all to Monogamy in the ‘right’ circumstances. Polyamory-esk dynamics feel more natural to me. T’was very common in my home lands. I’m.. still healing from things, I’ve made much road, yet still be more a head. ‘Someday’ I hope to share thine life with anothers again..” Chuckles “course such whimsy talk.. Who knows.. ‘Someday’ could start tomorrow if the fates align.”

► Have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ “Doth this include Crypts an Elementals?”

► Have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ “Recently? Not any am aware of.. I mean, tis part o the name no? If they be do’n it right am not supposed ta be know’n ye?”

► Have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ “Oh ye.. T’was a very long time ago now though..”

SIX CHOICES

► Love or lust ➔ “Both.. Ye ye I know it says choices.. Yet both share a common base.. Passion.. An I rather adore passion.. In all things, not just the tango twix two or more.”

► Lemonade or iced tea ➔ “While can’t say I’ve tried iced-tea.. Lemonade is much too sour usually fer me. So tea.. With the promise ta try it iced come thee summer months again.”

► Cats or Dogs ➔ “I’m one who rather likes all nature.. If I must chose, Cats. They be far more self sufficient an tis quite lovely ta have a purring snuggle bug close while read’n.” 

► A few best friends or many regular friends ➔ “A few best/close companions.. Much as of course one would have other degrees of relations.. A core few dear faces is preferable..”

► Wild night out or romantic night in ➔ “Am a bit o a quiet one on de whole. Yet night outs can be quite delightful.. Hmm will go with night in, this time.” Softly chuckles.

► Day or night ➔ “Night, especially a clear night with a new moon.. Stars as far as you can see.”

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

► Been caught sneaking out ➔  “Of course, who hasn’t when young.. Even then I was.. Enamored with the astral.. Twas hard not to sneak out with ma scope on dem new moon nights.”

► Fallen down/up the stairs ➔ “Gehh.. course ye got’a ask som’n like dis.. Ye.. both.. more den am gonna be admit’n..” Her features bronzen with a lil pout.

► Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ “Ye.. more den once..”

► Wanted to disappear ➔ “There were times.. In de past.. Am sure in some.. Most would have wanted the same..” Glances away, her tails coiling tighter around her hips as she hugs a length o one to her chest to suppress a tremor.

FOUR PREFERENCES

► Smile or eyes ➔ “Eyes, there is.. Much one can glean from a simple quick glance from the eyes..”

► Shorter or Taller ➔ “Oh dear.. Make’n me out ma self hm? Taller.. Am quite petite.. Four-Fulms an Three-Ilms tall at most, while I do enjoy huggling de even smaller den myself.. Tis hard not to be bit captivated by a taller lass.” Her features bronze again whilst she wiggles a little in her seat.

► Intelligence or Attraction ➔ “mm Am gonna cheat again an say both.. While I do lean towards a captivating mind.. Tis much said for there to also be de draw of the physical.. Perhaps tis a balance or one o em ratio kind’a things?” Grins a lil.

► Hook-up or Relationship ➔ “Mymy ye are a nosy bunch ne? Ye gonna ask for my diary next?” Chuckles through an amused rumble. “mn I’d say there be a place for both.. Yet I do lean more to relationships.. An such things have numerous degrees to them.. Yet something.. I guess that doesn’t leave one feeling.. Used o sorts.. Am sure some could argue there is “fun/good” ways of that feeling.. I’ve.. only experienced the darker side o such thus far.”

FAMILY

► Do you and your family get along ➔ “Yee, we did quite well on de whole.. Course we had our disagreements and such, what fam doesn’t.”

► Would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔ “hmm before these lands.. No.. it was a good life.. Even when we disagreed I was never treated ill or harmed.. An I could tell.. That they honestly thought they were doing the best for my sake.. ”

► Have you ever ran away from home ➔ Laughs softy “Guess you could say such in away.. Certainly wasn’t intentional.”

► Have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ “Non, not in de way yer asking at least.. There be an ‘o age’ passage with my kin.. Live off the lands on our own till our ink finish take’n root.. Mine took bout four full cycles.. Folks were very relieved when I returned ta em.”

FRIENDS

► Do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ “Non non.. I’ve more aquatencies and trade contacts den friends currently.. I wouldn’t say hate but.. Thinking on it, perhaps a bit of wryness o one fellow.. Am doubtful they be give’n me the right return on some the crystals I sell em.”

► Do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔  “mn again I don’t really have at the moment.. Tis certainly a few acquaintances I’d like to get to know better.. Some.. much better.. I will admit to shyness an caution, despite my friendly demeanour.. Have been.. Betrayed more than few times.”

► Who is your best friend ➔ “Currently I don’t have someone I’d consider such.. Perhaps someday though.”

► Who knows everything about you ➔ Those lilac gemed eyes cast down a bit. “Saga did.. I know not if she lived through the raid on our village. Lady Lena as well, that was less willing of a conversation, despite my gratitude for being saved, in some sense, from de slave fight pits in Ul’Dah. I feared she’d sell me right back to the nearest auction if she knew it all.. or kill me herself. Yet she didn’t.. What more, made me da Head o house Attendant’s second & de attendant/body guard of her only heir, her daughter. Both Ladies of Bloodlion passed in the calamity.”

Tagged By: @kyrie-silverwings

Tagging folks mostly to share the info cuz I have barely anything for Sindri up lol Shy flail. No worries if you’ve already done it: @tsukikotanshi @lulu-ffxiv @az-ffxiv @under-the-blood-moonlight​ @fair-fae @purple-salt-mage @othard @alun-ura @cheche-dotharl​ @paleshadeofrose​ @clouded-vxle​ @trishelle

[kzesl]

Kdrama: Moorim school-thoughts

I have a lot of feelings about Moorim School: Saga of the Brave, and guess what? I’m going to share. Fair warning, this post is probably going to be a jumbled mess. Like me. I’m a jumbled mess. Spoilers ahoy.

Meet everyone at the school. They all look dorky. Headmaster in the middle, students on the left and teachers on the right, with some overlap.

How I got into this one? I watched Secretly, greatly (ouch, my feels. I could write a long post about it. Stop me. Please.) and then I decided to see what else Lee Hyun Woo has acted in. Because he was an adorable badass in it, and I am weak.

Objectively speaking, Moorim school is not very good. I, however, don’t watch things objectively. Why be objective when you can be subjective? Right? Right. This is not a kdrama that I would recommend to anyone who has never watched a kdrama before. This is a drama for those who like certain, specific things in their dramas. I enjoyed it. Even though I had to increase the speed at times. I use Super Netflix extension occasionally, I admit.

What is it about?

This is the IMDb summary: Moorim School isn't focused on high academic scores. The school teaches students virtues including honesty, faith, sacrifice and communication. The teachers and students at the school come from different countries with their own stories.

These are the four main characters, from left to right: Wang Chi-Ang, Shim Soon-deok, Yoon Shi-Woo, and Hwang Sun-ah.

The intro is a bit misleading. It makes you expect badassery and mysticism, and instead you get a bunch of dorks arguing about who gets the bed with a good view though the window.

It starts with a man protecting a little girl, and fighting off a bunch of mean looking men, dressed in black (gasp! Bad guys) in the woods. The fight scenes are not exactly good. They make me cringe. It’s not high production. However, not every series can be like K2 when it comes to fight scenes. It’s a bit bad, because the series focuses on martial arts quite a bit, but eh. They managed to convey that the man protecting the girl is a badass. Let us move on and not mention the quality of action scenes again. He fights the bad guys off and hides with the girl behind a shield that he raises by activating magical symbols. (Magic is never explained. Everyone just accepts its existence. It’s not taught at the school either. It just exists and no one questions it.)

Then we jump to eighteen years later.

People are preparing for a concert, but the main star, the most popular member of k-pop group Möbius, Yoon Shi-Woo, is sleeping instead of rehearsing. He gets chewed out, but he is not overly concerned. He’s got bigger problems, like the splitting headaches and wonky hearing.

Next we meet Wang Chi-Ang, who is spoiled, sheltered momma’s boy, who only wants to make her happy and his father, the chairman of the Shang Hai group, proud. He’s in the city to go to the concert, because his father’s company is sponsoring it. Shi-Woo is a model for their company.

Shim Soon-deok is a resourceful young woman who is working hard to support herself and her blind father. She sells food at the concert, and she works at a chicken place. She also attends Moorim school. The ladies are badass in this series. Which is nice.

Hwang Sun-ah is Soon-deok’s friend and Shi-Woo’s biggest fan. She calls him my Shi-Woo (headcanon: she is the founder of his fan club. It is a secret she will take to her grave, because it feels a bit awkward when certain truths come to light. Headcanon 2: Shi-Woo knows, but lets her think he doesn’t.). She had to sneak out to go to the concert, because her father, the headmaster of Moorim school is overprotective.

There are a couple of shirtless scenes and Shi-Woo has a Very Important Necklace, which we know because the camera focuses on it a lot.

Chi-Ang and Shi-Woo are accidentally given the same room at a hotel. Oh, no. Who’s going to be the one to leave?!?! Chi-Ang attempts to throw his weight around and refuse to sponsor Shi-Woo, because everything is a competition for that man and he has to win. But Shi-Woo is unimpressed and uninterested and like cool, whatevs, day off.

That’s Shi-Woo there, in white. No fucks given. Can’t win against someone who’s not playing, Chi-Ang. Now this says a lot about their future relationship. Chi-Ang always tries to win, and Shi-Woo always refuses to compete.

The concert goes okay, until there is an accident on stage and Shi-Woo almost gets injured/dies because a piece of equipment starts falling on him and he doesn’t hear everyone shout at him to move because of the wonky hearing. He slows the equipment down with his surprise magical powers and Sun-ha manages to save him. She tells him to go to Moorim school, but doesn’t tell him how to get there (who needs directions, anyway).

Both he and Chi-Ang end up there in the end. Chi-Ang because his father insists (he has nefarious plans) and the girl he likes goes to the same school, and Shi-Woo because he wants help with his hearing. There is a possibility that he will permanently loose it and music is all he has. He is an orphan who has no one else in this world since his manager/father figure turned out to be all about the money. Also, the relationship he has with the rest of his group seems strictly professional. And Möbius was the name he used for himself before he was even scouted. So it predates the group. (I want to read a fic about group feels, or an AU where they are actually close.)

Also, the shield magically comes down when they come close to the school for the first time, and that was not supposed to happen and everyone is concerned. But that relates to the plot and the plot is a bit meh. I’m here for the relationships anyway. (Sigh. The plot had potential.)

Things happen, and I won’t go into detail, but the two of them get expelled, go on a quest, get accepted back into the school and become friends. BFFs.

The school teaches cooking, martial arts, manners (I think), dance (?), meditation, and no other subject, it seems. It is a very weird school, and the professors are weird and nothing makes sense, but okay. Not many things about this series make sense. Moorim was created to ensure world peace, apparently. And it’s a martial arts school, primarily, but they are more focused on teaching good values. There aren’t that many students in this school, and they are from all over. I’m not sure how students are actually recruited. The school is a secret. Are they scouted? Are they those connected to Moorim? Or those who get lost in the woods outside of the school? Who knows. Not me. They also seem to struggle financially because the heating is off. Why else would everyone sleep pretty much fully clothed?

The other students in the school get some screen time, but their characters are not all that well fleshed out, so I found myself not caring too much. It got a bit better in later episodes. One of them keeps badmouthing others in English, for some reason. It’s not like on one understands him. Everyone understands him. He just likes speaking English, I guess.

There is a mysterious man in a coma, villains, a magical key split into three pieces that can lead to unlimited power, reunited families, surprise siblings, etc.

Also, let’s ignore how quickly some people became good at martial arts. Now, I’m no expert, but I have a bit of experience in martial arts and I have known some extremely talented individuals, prodigies, but even they needed more than two months to get anywhere. I’m going to leave it at that. Magic is real in this universe. It’s magic. Problem solved.

The part I like the most about this series is the relationship between Chi-Ang and Shi-Woo. They start off as roommates who don’t like one another, so they fight a lot. It changes, but- Now I’m all for men being shown as having other male friends they can have healthy relationships with, someone they could lean on and cry in front of, if necessary, without toxic masculinity getting in the way. Let men be friends, yeah? And I’m not one who immediately sees gay in everything. But, those two guys have the hots for each other. They’re all: I came back for you/I stayed for you/I miss you/You mean more to me than unlimited power/You’re so cool-No you are/Don’t smile, I might start liking you.

Ahem.

They like the same girl (Soon-deok). Which seemed very hard for them, but I believe that was the best thing that could have happened to them. Soon-deok kept refusing Chi-Ang, and she was very clear about it. She drew the line at one point, and he made me very uncomfortable when he outright told her that he doesn’t care about her lines. This could have turned very ugly if his rival had been anyone other than Shi-Woo. He threatened to destroy Shi-Woo more than once, and he came close to irreparably destroying their relationship, but in the end he didn’t. Because Shi-Wook had so much faith in him, he couldn’t bear to. Again, if it had been anyone else, he wouldn’t have even hesitated. (Hmm, imagine a Dark AU. So many possibilities. )    

I have the urge to write fic. Sigh.

Also, at one point the students have a party and Möbius’s song plays in the background and no one teases Shi-Woo about it or peer pressures him into doing his part of the song or the dance, or even looks at him while smirking. WTH. Come one, guys!

Back to the two leads. It’s an interesting dynamic they have. And although Chi-Ang is taller, physically stronger and more imposing, it’s Shi-Woo who’s actually in charge. And I’m not going to tell you to get your mind out of the gutter, because that’s exactly where mine is. And Chi-Ang looks like he might have a serious praise kink. Besides, we have seen that Shi-Woo is not shy about going after what he wants. As we saw with the two kissing scenes with Soon-deok, he is quietly assertive. Unlike Chi-Ang, who is more… bluster and need for attention.

Shi-Woo started as this arrogant, irritable superstar, but it didn’t take him long to shed that behavior, that image. As if, all this time, he was just waiting for a moment out of the spotlight, for a place where he can belong. He seems like one of those people who were born knowing which lines they are not willing to cross. His urge to harm someone is his greatest fear, because he is aware of the damage he is capable of inflicting.

Chi-Ang had different masks. He too knew loneliness, but his was of a different kind. While Shi-Woo was not protected enough, Chi-Ang was sheltered too much. His mother dotes on him, and his father adores him, albeit in his own, extremely unhealthy way. It was clear to me from the start that his father loves him. It seems a significant thing that he is the son of a mistress and not legitimate, but his father has made no attempt to hide him. He provides for him, protects him and spoils him. He has no kind words for him, though, and his lessons are poison, but he tried to make his son strong. Which is what he values. And he has used him. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t love him. He just doesn’t know how to love properly. 

Chi-Ang takes after his father in many ways. We see that the most in later episodes. But he has people who have faith in him, and who are willing to tell him off. He is aware that he is wiling to cross too many lines, lines he shouldn’t. He is gray, and will probably always struggle with himself. He seems like a puppy most of the time, but when he is serious about something, his determination is a scary thing.

Shi-Woo would make a more terrifying villain, though. He wouldn’t become one, precisely because he terrifies himself when he thinks about what he could do, if pushed enough.

I could talk more about this series. There are quite a few touching moments I could cover, and also a lot of ridiculousness and wth moments, but there is a reason I didn’t do a recap of every episode. I don’t have time. Besides, I wrote all of this just to get it off my chest, because I have no fandom friends to discuss stuff with. It is sad.

Also, I should have broken up the text in this with a few more photos, but I’m tired.

[the-first-date]

A conversation with Ashley Pecorelli [25/F/Brooklyn]

Madge Maril: So, first things first, tell us a bit about yourself — hobbies, job, dog.

Ashley Pecorelli: Well! I am a queer mental health counselor-in-training (and hope to make mental health resources accessible to LGBTQ adolescents)! Besides REAL hobbies which I definitely have (?) I enjoy watching Property Brothers with my lil dog, Mitski, thinking about the Twilight saga at all times, and using The Sims to cathart. It is way harder than I thought it would be to write something about myself wow.

MM: Real Tinder bio hours.

AP: So my Tinder bio was most recently (I guess still is) a transcript of the ticket girl video, specifically when she says that she called the police station to see if she could serve jail time instead of paying the ticket. It says all you need to know about me.

MM: I'm going to find this video and hyperlink it. Did tinder work for you? I guess "work" being that you are now in love, as I gather.

AP: https://youtu.be/EujUx_82Bxs one step ahead of you. So I guess Tinder did "work" for me! Although honestly I never felt that it was overtly working against me because when I started using it in earnest, I really wasn't looking for something in particular.

MM: Ooo, I've never thought about tinder working against us. Though I definitely think it has for me before. 

AP: I started using it right after I got out of a long, damaging relationship, dated around a bit and had fun and didn't have fun and then found someone who is also With Her (Ticket Girl). How do you feel it worked against you? 

MM: Oh no, you're turning the table!

AP: Oops.

MM: Honestly, I can readily admit that I download tinder A. way too fast after a breakup and B. to get compliments from men. I just swipe and swipe and swipe.

AP: True, it's honestly the ultimate game. Total sensory overload in one sense but in another sense also total sensory deprivation.

MM: Oo yeah. For me it's complete escapism, and I only really responded to people who were treating it the same way. So no good. But — what inspired you to first start looking for something in particular? I.e. what do you think inspired you to really pursue finding someone?

AP: Honestly, I truly did download it way too fast after a breakup, like the same day hahaha. But I guess for me the breakup was more a final escape and the first time I felt any sort of emotional (and sexual, sadly) agency, so once I got out I wanted to start exploring that as quickly as possible. I really didn't know what I wanted until I started seeing people and seeing things I did like and things I didn't — but the truly WILD thing was, even when a person and I truly just were not a good fit, I saw what healthy romance and sex is SUPPOSED to look like and understood that I had previously had no idea what the bare minimum level of being treated like a human is. Which is pretty sad and dark! But was also really exciting, to get crushes or feel NO spark or make out with a woman in a bar or have someone listen to the album you recommended them.

So all of that, the good and the bad and the platonic and not platonic, was great, in retrospect. But then I met my current partner (lol) and realized that it could be way more than just the bare minimum, and could be something I really didn't think existed. Not just love (because somehow I've never doubted love's existence) but true understanding. 

MM: Damn. Thank you for sharing that. Let's talk about those interactions — the dates. The million dollar question: What do you wear on a first date?

AP: Hell yeah now the JUICY BITS. So on a first date, I typically try to look hot (obviously) but also somehow represent myself to the other person in almost an experimental way. Like I try to put on something I myself would feel really awesome in, and if for whatever reason that's not their idea of hot, fuck them! That's my whole mentality anyway. 

My favorite first date outfit has been my black vintage T-shirt with two dragons dueling over a castle, knotted up to show a bit of not abs-abs, high-waisted black jersey peg pants (that feel like pajamas), chunky black platform boots, and whatever big weird earrings I bought on my most recent whim. If they don't like the dragon shirt, they ain't shit.

MM: Black jersey peg pants? What are peg pants?

AP: It's actually these very particular pants from ASOS.

MM: WOW these are the pants of dreams.

AP: SO comfortable, SO flattering — basically have the look of something Audrey Hepburn would wear but way more accessible and comfy.

MM: The pockets! The high rise! The cropped cut! I get it. 

AP: SO GOOD right???

MM: Do you think you also factor in what the person you're going on a date with will find hot? Do you take into account their age, gender, all that? 

AP: Oh, totally. Honestly most especially with other women, but people of all genders for sure. I think when I go to pick something out I kind of picture what I know about them (however little) and what their sensibility might be when it comes to style and aesthetics and ~hotness~. I also think the more I have felt unsure about someone or the way things are going, the harder I try to almost make up for it.

MM: Completely agree. Dating women ups the ante.

AP: It totally does! And then I think about her and wonder if she's doing the same thing.

MM: Do you wear perfume or makeup on a first date, too? (Also yes... I mean if we're all thinking it then SHE has to be thinking it, too. Right?)

AP: Yes! I wear whatever my signature scent is — I say this because I always have one, but it evolves every so often. My favorite one for over a year now has been from & Other Stories. Makeup wise, I just try to look like what I would look like on the hotter end of the everyday spectrum. Basically meaning... the addition of foundation and multiple shades of eyeshadow. It's taken me a long time to get to this point, but I've become kind of obstinate in that only I am allowed to be mean and critical to me. I can be as mean to myself as I want but either you like what you see or you don't! (Please like me.) 

MM: And that's reflected in your makeup, you think? More so than the clothing? Drop the & Other Stories fragrance name!! 

AP: Okay so it was Fig Fiction, which was such an amazing beautiful warm awesome scent! They discontinued it though (the last time I found it I bought three bottles). Now I use Sicilian Sunrise, which is pretty similar! 

I think yes, more reflected in makeup. Simply because I am almost always going to dress in a way that makes me happy (if I've done laundry recently) but I'm not always going to put on makeup, so the makeup should just be closer to what you're gonna see all the time.

MM: Ok, so then the makeup is on. And the T-shirt and peg pants are on. Is it always the chunky black platform boots? Why? Because that's a constant power move IMO.

AP: The chunky black platform boots are truly ideal for many reasons: They're cute, they're sturdy, they subtly make me three inches taller (I need every inch), they'll hold up in rain or snow, and they'll allow me to do some damage to your face if you turn out to be a creep. And (drumroll) I got them on Poshmark for $10.

MM: No!! Do you know the brand?

AP: You're not gonna believe this but H&M. I do not shop at H&M for many reasons and would NEVER buy shoes from there but I took a shot on these because they were secondhand and they've held up impressively well. Almost everything I own was thrifted for financial and sustainability reasons, but these are truly a marvel.

MM: What does that word mean to you, specifically? Sustainability.

AP: Honestly I do not feel qualified to talk about sustainability at all! But to me, it's complicated. I grew up in a lower-class, financially insecure family while most of my friends were wealthy, so my family would either buy clothes secondhand or from a discount store. As a kid, this was really embarrassing to me to not have a closet full of Limited Too or Abercrombie, which obviously feels silly now. I'm still working class and financially insecure, so it's very difficult for me to buy from stores or brands that (at least claim) to ethically produce clothes because they're generally really, really expensive. That's the case for most of this country, including many people who are way worse off than I am. Thrifting is good for me because it allows me to get clothes when I need them at a low cost while also reducing environmental impact, but I don't think it's reasonable to make a judgement call on what any one person "should" be doing in the name of sustainability. Any one person can do whatever is comfortable to them, we can all try within our means! But at the end of the day, the real damage (and real opportunity for impact) is coming from big corporations and the government's actions. I don't think you can truly think about whatever sustainability means if you're getting mad at someone for shopping from a retail chain because it's all they can afford. Okay that was a lot and I have no idea where I was even going with that, sorry! I feel in many ways not educated enough to have feelings about this.

MM: Don't apologize! There's no set definition for the word, it's unique to all of us. And the Limited Too envy was real. 

AP: Omg especially when they had the matching outfits for you and your Build-A-Bear... I wanted it so badly. BIG topic.

MM: I can't believe it's been an hour!! I'll wrap this up so you can get back to your sorbet.

AP: Omg it has, wow!!

MM: Final q: Did your last first date go well?

AP: My last first date ended with plans to watch the Star Wars Holiday Special together. This year we're going to watch the Star Wars Holiday Special together in our new apartment. I'd say it went okay!

MM: AWW. On that exceedingly wholesome note — thank you for chatting!

AP: Of course! My pleasure! 

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball 127

Funimation designated episodes 123-153 as the Piccolo Junior Saga, which is appropriate enough, I suppose, but it feels more like five distinct acts.   They tie into one another, but they don’t quite feel like a single storyline either.  The first act was more of an epilogue to the King Piccolo arc, with Goku asking Kami to restore the Dragon Balls so Piccolo’s victims can be revived.     Now, we’ve moved on to a new act, which features Goku’s training for the 23rd World Tournament.  

These next six episodes are all pure filler.   In the manga, the story just flashes forward to Goku meeting everyone on Papaya Island on the day of the tournament.   The anime went and fleshed out just some of what Goku’s training was like, as well as the training Krillin and the others went through down on Earth. 

The first time I watched these episodes, I felt frustrated with the pacing.   For one thing, I was hoping they would jump ahead a little and show Goku getting taller and more Sean Schemmelly as the years went by.   Instead, I’m pretty sure all six of these episodes focus on the first month or so of Goku’s progress.    And Goku doesn’t make a lot of progress, which is rather frustrating in itself.   Most of these episodes involve Popo trying to teach Goku something, and then pointing out that he hasn’t actually learned it.   However, as I watch these episodes again, I’ve begun to notice that maybe Goku was getting more out of this than I realized.

The main theme of the training is that Goku relies too much on his eyes and ears, and this causes him to make too many wasted movements.   Popo wants him to clear his mind, in order to discover a new way of perceiving his surroundings.    Only by doing this can he hope to become as “quiet as the sky”, which will help him move “faster than lightning.”

But it’s a lot easier said than done.   Popo keeps having Goku meditate, but his thoughts keep drifting to other things.   At one point, Popo thinks he’s gotten the hang of it, only to realize that Goku has drifted off to sleep.

Back at Kame House, the boys do a lot of sparring and just hanging out being bros. 

Bulma asks Puar to put suntan lotion on her back, but Oolong takes it from Puar, and Master Roshi takes it from Oolong, and then Bulma finds out what he’s up to and smacks him.  So does Bulma just live here now? 

Back on the Lookout, Popo challenges Goku to catch a cat wearing a bell, while wearing a blindfold.   Goku think’s it’ll be easy, but he gets confused very quickly.

Because Popo has a bell of his own, and he was jingling it to trick Goku about the cat’s whereabouts.

Goku’s kind of annoyed by this, and Popo just keeps telling him that if he clears his mind, he’ll be able to see through such simple deceptions.   I notice that the common thread with a lot of these lessons is that Popo keeps telling Goku what he needs to do, but he never bothers to explain how to do it.   

Goku then asks what sort of training Popo did under Kami, and Popo warns him that it’s intense.   Goku wants to try it anyway, so they head inside to a special room in the palace.

Goku’s mission is to fetch a crown from the top of Mount Thunder.   I guess they couldn’t call it Thunder Mountain because Disney would sue.

To send him there, Popo uses some machine that shoots multi-colored beams of light everywhere.   He says it allows Kami to go to different places, but it sure doesn’t look like it.

Goku makes it to the top of the mountain easily enough, and the crown is just sitting there waiting for him.

But when he puts it on, it sets off some sort of booby trap that causes lighting to strike him.

Somehow, this doesn’t kill him, and he ends up landing at the base of the mountain, in a stream.

He wakes up to find himself in the home of a girl named Chu-li, who lives with her mother and a bird named “Pippi.”   Everyone pronounces it “pee-pee”, though, so I’m just gonna call the bird that.  

Chu-li’s mom says that whoever gets the Holy Crown will become the strongest man in the world, which only makes Goku want it more.

He stays up late trying to figure out the problem.   His only chance is to dodge the lightning, but to do that he’ll have to move faster.

The next day, Chu-li climbs on the roof trying to find Pee-pee, and Goku has to help her get down.

Then Pee-pee comes back, much to the surprise of Goku and Chu-li’s mother.   Goku asks how she knew the bird was coming, and Chu-li says she could sense its presence.

Goku realizes that he has to do the same thing in order to avoid the lightning, so he goes back up Mount Thunder and tries again.

This time, he tries to clear his mind, like Popo wanted, so that he can sense the lightning before it reaches him.

And it works!   He manages to dodge the lightning.... once.    When he stops to celebrate his achievement, he gets zapped all over again.

[joyfulsavagery]

Free Prompt #6: Spanked

I feel like I have to explain this one. I was originally going to use Merriam-Webster's word of the day, Umbrage, but then I ran a Duty Roulette with friends also doing the challenge and a dumb joke turned into a dumb dare and now here we all are! <:D

Don't worry, part of the dare was that it couldn't be NSFW.

--

"MA!" came the indignant cry. "MA! BATZORIG HIT ME!"

Altanchimeg set aside the pair of breeches she'd been patching with a frown and watched her son strut up to the ger with a supremely self-satisfied grin etched into his sun-darkened features, his bluish skin turned nearly purple by Azim's heavenly rays. Batzorig had hit his growth spurt, his stature rising taller, horns growing longer, and scales coarsening. Usually, Altanchimeg was pleased to see her son becoming a young man, almost as much as he enjoyed the newfound strength of suddenly being the larger sibling by far... But, as evidenced by the loudly protesting body tucked under one arm, his pinned and struggling sister was having a decidedly harder time dealing with the situation. Their mother drew a fortifying breath to deal with this latest catastrophe in the saga of childhood.

"Well," she began. "You gonna tell me what this's all about?"

"She was slow," replied Batzorig smugly, as if that explained everything. Before he could continue, the flailing little figure cut in with words of biting wrath.

"You put me on down, you dag! I'll kick your arse clear to Reunion!"

"You shouldn't hit a girl no matter the reason, Batzorig," Altanchimeg sighed with infinite patience. "And ladies don't talk like that, Delger."

"I ain't a lady, I'm a GIRL!" shot back Delgernandjil hotly.

Altanchimeg shook her head with a smile. "Ain't that the truth. Now, do you two want to tell me what-all this's about? AFTER you put down your sister," she admonished the taller child.

"You and I know she'll just attack me if I do, ma."

"Then don't do things that make her want to attack you. Give her here," she said opening slender arms to accept the wildly kicking girl. She got off a good one on her brother before the pass was complete and stilled into a spitefully satisfied smirk upon hearing him grunt. Delgernandjil settled down once on her mother's lap, not willing to test her strength - though not much of a fighter, Altanchimeg was a daughter of the Steppe. None survived long there without a touch of iron in them.

"Now. You hit her 'cause she was slow. That don't tell me much, Batzorig. You want to come on out with the rest of that story?"

"Slow sheep get a swat on the hind," he explained, mimicking the gesture with an invisible shepherd's crook. "She was gatherin' wool. Meant a tease, might've clipped her a bit rough. Sure didn't mean no harm, but she wasn't keen to listen."

A pink tongue shot out at his account, prompting Altanchimeg to suppress another sigh. So it was bruised pride, and little more. She hadn't been certain whether or not to be worried when they'd first arrived, but she trusted her son's temperament. Though he had a stripe of the wicked in his sense of humor (which he probably got from his mother, she was loath to admit), he was a level-headed soul.

"D'you think he was trying to hurt you, Delger?" she probed.

"Prob'ly not," admitted the girl grudgingly.

"You think you could forgive him if he says sorry?"

"Maybe," she sulked, childishly clinging to the last vestiges of a tantrum she knew she'd soon have to give up. "If he gets right down to his knees."

The soil priestess turned a perhaps-too-cheerful smile on Batzorig. This was between siblings, for now. Her smile deepened as the lanky youth settled into a kneel in the scraggly grass and reached a hand out to rest on his sister's head, wearing an indulgent smirk.

"Sure am sorry about that, Delger. Think we could cut out whallopin' each other for now?"

"Yeah maybe," she bit out, "but you gotta take me huntin' with you and pa next time!"

"Hunting...?" he asked, caught off-balance. He turned a look to his mother, but she only shook her head and continued to smile. "Aw, c'mon now Delger, you know a baras wearing a bell starves."

She sat up stock straight, insisting. "I'll be real quiet this time! You GOTTA!"

Batzorig sighed. "Ain't up to me. Ask pa. What he says goes."

"YEAH!" she exulted, exploding from the confines of Altanchimeg's embrace to throw a rough hug around her brother's shoulders. "I'm gonna ask him RIGHT NOW! You're the BEST!" The dark-scaled youngster was already on her way out towards the grasslands, calling over her shoulder in a fit of excitement that had completely washed away her earlier pique.

Mother and son traded a look. Delgernandjil's mercurial nature was nothing new, but that made it no less confounding each time she switched tracks without a moment's notice. Batzorig dusted his knees and stood.

"Suppose I'd best get back to the sheep?"

"Suppose you'd best."

The trousers found their way back into Altanchimeg's hands to resume their patching. Maybe her father was right. Their little sparrow's joy was as brilliant as the sun, and her temper just as hot. She only hoped one day Delgernandjil would find companions as able to handle her as her brother.

[cressasdbfanfics]

The Derailed Date

Paring: Goku and Chichi 

Words: 3,009

Summary: A date night doesn't quite go as planned. But Chichi handles it. And Goku likes what he sees. Takes place not real long after the Buu Saga. 

A/N: Thanks to @jadefyre for the beta read!!!! 

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12580831/1/The-Derailed-Date

Archive of Our Own: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11561145

The Derailed Date

"So, Goku…" Chichi trailed off as she hung the last sheet up to dry on the clotheslines. "We have the house to ourselves all evening. What do you want to do today?"

I shrugged.

Gohan decided to go spend the hot summer day with Videl and Goten left for a sleepover with Trunks soon after Gohan. It really had been a long time since we were truly alone in the house together.

Chichi folded the last piece of dry laundry into the basket and carried it inside. But not before throwing me that look – the one with her eyebrow slightly raised and wearing a small smile and her teeth tugging lightly on her lower lip.

I swallowed, a little bit of heat flooding my cheeks as I followed her inside and upstairs to our room where she proceeded to sort the clean laundry into stacks for each of us. When she was through with that, she gave me orders to put each stack of the boys' laundry on their beds for them to put away when they returned.

That gave me a little time to think of something to do for her. Just the day prior, I had sold another huge load of vegetables to the local market and came home with a lot of money.

When she opened that envelope, a huge smile lit up her face and before I could blink, she was on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against mine, but for only a brief moment since the boys were watching.

Her good mood carried into the next day and I was determined not to destroy it.

We had the money. Maybe a night out was a safe bet – even though she didn't normally like having money spent on her. But sometimes she'd make an exception.

She hummed a happy tune while she dusted some pictures on our dresser and headed downstairs to dust the rest of the house.

"What do you think of going out tonight, Chichi?"

She stopped dusting and turned toward me with an eyebrow raised. "Out?"

I squirmed on the spot. "Well… yeah. I was thinking we could get dinner…?"

Her skeptical look brightened into that same smile she wore when she opened that envelope. "That would be lovely, Goku! I'll call that new sushi restaurant and make reservations."

She kissed my cheek as she breezed past me and carried on with her dusting.

Before I knew it, it was early evening and time to get ready. Chichi liked it when I wore something other than my gi so I pulled on jeans, a black button up shirt, and black tennis shoes, leaving Chichi to get ready alone.

About an hour later, she finally came down stairs. And my jaw dropped.

Her hair was half down, half up and tumbling over her shoulders in glossy, loose curls that covered the thin straps of the ice-blue dress that ended just above her knees. She was a little bit taller all of a sudden and I looked down at her feet to see strappy, light pink high heels.

She giggled and waved a hand in front of my face. "Ready, Goku?"

I swallowed and nodded as she left a quick note for the boys on a side table. We stepped out into the warm air of early evening.

"COME TO ME, FLYING NIMBUS!"

Funny. My voice broke a little bit there. Probably something to do with the way she looked.

A moment later, the little yellow cloud zoomed in for a landing, stopping neatly right in front of us.

I helped Chichi get comfy and hopped on in front of her so she wouldn't get cold. It was a warm night, but Nimbus liked to fly high. Sure enough, she leaned into my back and sighed contentedly.

My face heated up a little bit.

We flew in silence toward Satan City, seeing the first distant lights after only about forty-five minutes. We flew in low over the outskirts and Chichi shifted so her chin rested on my shoulder.

"We should land here, Goku. The restaurant is close and I don't want to make a scene."

I agreed and moments later, our feet touched cement and I waved Nimbus off.

I glanced up and down the mostly empty street. One direction marked the entrance to a quiet neighborhood, the other brightly lit and bustling with activity. Chichi took off at a fast walk toward the bright lights and loud noises of the city and I kept pace behind.

A block or so down the road, she pointed across the street at a fancy looking sushi restaurant. We crossed the street and stepped inside where the hostess greeted us with a smile and took us to a table for two.

Flipping through the wide selection in the menu, the restaurant obviously specialized in sushi but had all kinds of other stuff, too. Including a very yummy looking teriyaki plate.

Chichi looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "Let me guess. You're going to order everything."

I chuckled. "How'd ya know?"

She peeked at me over the top of her menu, dark eyes crinkling. "I'm your wife. I know everything."

I laughed again.

Our server walked up to us with a smile. "Welcome! What can I get you to drink this evening? Miss?"

"Iced tea, please," she said.

"And you, sir?"

I glanced up at him. "Make that two. Thanks."

The server jotted down our drinks on his pad and left.

I looked around at the expensive looking decorations while Chichi flipped through the menu once more and set it down.

"What are you getting, Chichi?"

She smiled at me. "Sushi."

A moment later, the server returned balancing a tray on one hand with two glasses of iced tea.

He handed one to each of us, set the tray down on an empty table next to ours, and took out his notepad. "Have you both made your selections?"

Chichi nodded with a polite smile and placed her order and handed her menu to the server who then looked at me. "And what would you like, sir?"

"The teriyaki plate–" I ran my finger down the list "–plus all of this, please."

The server looked baffled, to say the least.

"Seriously. I want all of this," I repeated.

His eyes grew wide. "But… sir… that would feed a table of…" He trailed off, factoring everything together and continued, "At least eight!"

I chuckled as I handed my menu to him. "Yeah. I know."

He tucked it under his arm and frantically scribbled in the rest of my order in his book, and walked away shaking his head.

Chichi raised an eyebrow. "Eating lightly, I see."

I shrugged. "Guess so. I'll eat all that and see if I still want some more later."

She shook her head and sipped her tea.

About ten minutes later, the food began arriving. Chichi's colorful sushi plate was placed in front of her first and then my teriyaki plate was placed in front of me, a line of servers delivering the rest of my order and piling it on a larger table next to us. I supposed it was lucky they weren't very busy that night.

In the time it took Chichi to eat what she wanted of her sushi plate, I was starting on my fourth course, a very fancy looking sushi plate of my own. She passed me her leftovers and I grinned at her.

She giggled and shook her head.

It wasn't long after that I finished off the last plate and decided I'd had enough. I wasn't stuffed, not like I'd normally be at home with her cooking. I was just satisfied.

The server returned and handed me the check – and it was then I noticed the small crowd of slightly frazzled looking restaurant staff standing off to the side and watching us with wide eyes. "Um… here you are, sir. Is there anything else I can get either of you tonight?"

Chichi shook her head and smiled at him. "No, thank you. We're quite finished."

They all looked relieved.

I paid our bill – Chichi reminding me to tip them – and we left.

I glanced down at her as we walked deeper into the city. "So… now what?"

"Well, why don't we walk around a little bit and see what we see? I'd like to do a little bit of shopping, too."

I shrugged and nodded.

I followed Chichi as she zipped in and out of bright and colorful storefronts, constantly adding to the growing stack of boxes and bags in my arms – while I was still trying to figure out how her feet weren't killing her from all that walking in those shoes.

After a long while – and the umpteenth store – she yawned and checked the time. "Oh, it's getting late. Let's go home."

I nodded. "Okay. I'll be right back. I gotta go pee."

She frowned. "Goku! You can't just announce that!"

But she followed me to some public restrooms where I stacked our stuff out front and rushed in.

While washing my hands, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end and my senses instinctively reached out for Chichi. Her energy spiked and I ran out of the bathroom to find her in a ready stance and surrounded by five huge thugs.

Skimming their minds, I bared my teeth at the horrendous thoughts they had about her and at their lust and anticipation. The unspeakable things they imagined doing to her made Master Roshi look like the picture of innocence. The only outward signs of their intentions for her were their sickening smiles and how they ogled her like she was a piece of meat.

My hands clenched into fists and a low growl slipped out before I could stop it.

I had half a mind to jump in and rip them a new one before they had any chance of attacking her just for so much as thinking about her like that.

But Chichi looked focused and confident. It was her confidence and skill – and their sloppy postures – that held me back.

They had maybe three minutes. Tops.

I grinned. No one had noticed me so I ducked into the shadows.

And then – on some unspoken signal – they lunged for her and she bounded into the air, sailing over their heads, their outstretched hands grasping at empty air before they collided with heavy thuds as Chichi landed lightly a short distance away.

The thugs disentangled themselves and stared around, confused.

She kicked off her shoes with quick flicks of her ankles and crossed her arms. "Come on, boys. Get it together, now."

One pointed at her. "There she is!"

Chichi's taunting smirk as she slid into another stance several strides away from them had my heart racing.

They charged like so many angry bulls and Chichi just looked bored. She shook her head and darted forward, taking them all by surprise with her superior speed and agility, hair fluttering about wildly behind her as quick, powerful blows landed hard in their guts, using their own momentum against them. The one furthest back in the group saw her coming and cocked his fist. But Chichi's finely honed reflexes kicked in and she went down, shooting a leg out and tripping him up.

And once again, all five goons were a confused tangle of limbs on the sidewalk as she brushed loose strands of hair out of her face.

I wiped away the bits of sweat beading on my forehead with the back of my hand. Nights got cooler. Not hotter. I undid a button on my shirt as the biggest of them all recovered first and charged her, his eyes burning with murderous rage and hatred.

Chichi took several steps back and took a quick, calculating glance around, her eyes flashing when her fingers met the solid brick wall behind her.

Her hand went to her mouth in mock fear. "Oh, no! I'm trapped! What's a woman to do?"

I bit back my chuckle as the thug grinned wolfishly and kicked in a burst of speed, sure he had her cornered. But she was ready. With perfect timing, she sidestepped him, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, and pivoted, driving him into and through the brick wall with every ounce of her weight adding to his momentum. Chunks of brick flew everywhere.

He was down for the count and I cut off my cheer by biting down on my fist.

Chichi smirked, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and motioned for the others. "Next!"

Only, their attention was no longer on her.

I followed their gazes, catching a glint of metal from a pitch-black alley. I locked onto Chichi's energy as the bang reverberated through the area and plucked the bullet out of the air. Chichi gasped after the fact as I let the bullet fall harmlessly to the ground and I jumped to the shooter's location, snatching the gun out of his hand.

Clenching my fist, I crushed it into an indistinguishable ball of metal – the only hint of what it was being the tang of gunpowder and the acrid bite of singed metal hanging in the air around it. I turned my attention to the gunman, whose blood drained out of his face, his eyes wide as I handed the hunk of metal back to him.

"Y-you-you're not human… are you…?" he stuttered.

I smirked and shook my head. "As a matter of fact, no, I'm not."

And then – holding back because I didn't want to kill the guy – I knocked him out and threw him at his friends. The group scattered, ditching their downed comrade as they took off in five different directions.

I raised an eyebrow and jumped to each one, knocking them unconscious one at a time, too. I gathered their limp bodies and threw them in an unceremonious dog pile next to their friend and placed myself right back at Chichi's side.

The thugs taken care of, I grinned at her.

She glared at me – her arms crossed and her left eyebrow twitching away, a vein pulsating in her forehead. "I know you've been watching me."

Busted.

I winced. "B-but… you had it under control. They weren't any match for you! And I even stopped that bullet!"

Her eyes narrowed further.

I swallowed, grasping around for something to say that wouldn't set her off. The fight replayed in my head – along with the way she expertly used the one huge goon's weight and momentum against him.

I grinned and winked at her. "You were incredible, babe!"

Her frowned softened just a little bit as she whipped out a handkerchief and pressed herself into me. "Ugh, Goku… you're drooling." She reached up to wipe it across my mouth at the same time I put an arm around her and slid it down to her backside.

She glared at me again, so I kissed her.

When I pulled back, her frown melted away into a little smirk, her cheeks slightly flushed.

I released her. "Let's go home."

I hollered for Nimbus, gathered our stuff, and took off.

Chichi moved out into our yard lit only by the dim light from the windows. She motioned for me to join her, and shifted into a stance.

I grinned, my heart galloping wildly in my chest and settled into a stance a few steps in front of her. "You may have brought down those thugs easily but you'll never touch me, babe."

She raised an eyebrow. "We'll see about that."

And then she surged forward, long hair flowing behind her, eyes focused and calculating, knife hands shooting for the crook of my neck. I hopped backwards, easily side-stepping her every hit, blocking others with my forearm and still she was relentless and never lost her cool.

Twisting to the side, I blocked her kick, her ankle locked in my grasp, ready to yank her off balance. Her eyes widened when she realized her error. But then the breeze shifted, her delicious scent distracting me – until the air whooshed out of my lungs from her well-placed kick to my gut, which she followed through with sweeping my legs out from under me.

I stared up at her from flat on my back in the dewy grass of our front yard. She grinned smugly down at me, her face flushed and breathing hard. I was, too, but for an entirely different reason.

"That was careless, Goku."

She looked very proud of herself, her arms crossed and her chin held high – as if using her scent against me was her plan all along.

I smirked and – moving far faster than she was capable of tracking – reached up to grab her wrist and pulled her on top of me. Her startled yelp echoed through the trees and we were nose to nose.

She glared at me. "Now, that wasn't fair!"

I grinned, an eyebrow raised. "And using your scent against me was?"

I had her there. She pursed her lips and I chuckled and leaned up to kiss my clever wife, getting another good strong whiff of her one-of-a-kind, irresistibly sweet scent, my hands moving to explore her strong body on their own.

She gasped when I pulled the dress up enough to expose her butt, yanked it right back down with a red face and hissed, "Goku! Gohan will be home very soon!"

I chuckled and murmured, "You started it. But okay, let's take this somewhere else."

We did, finding a secluded pond we had visited a few times before. It was definitely a night to remember.

[mooitstimdrake]

tagged by @islandoforder​ (good timing okay I was looking for another reason to procrastinate)

RULES: Share 11 facts about yourself, answer 11 questions provided by the tagger, tag 11 awesome people and leave 11 questions for them to answer!

11 Facts

my hair is currently bleached blonde

I have two kittens living in the next room over

I am currently taking private driving lessons (and have been told I’m actually a r good driver, even tho I don’t feel I know what I am doing)

I have bought and played Dream Daddy: a Dating Simulator

I have watched Castlevania three times now

in addition to Buzzfeed Unsolved, I watch/listen to 4 other creepy youtube channels (and even bought merch from my favorite of them)

I have grown closer to my sisters this summer

I’m thinking about getting a tattoo

my 12-year-old sister is going to be taller than me before my 21st birthday :(

I tend to have really mundane dreams, for example I dreamed about scrolling through tumblr on my phone, and drinking lemonade (two separate dreams)

the two classes I really wanted to take this summer (a Shakespeare class and an American History I class) were cancelled and I’m still salty about it

11 Questions

What’s your favourite tv show? excluding Netflix shows (Voltron) and anime (My Hero Academia) I guess...??? actually I don’t r know, I don’t watch a lot of tv?? I don’t want to say How to Get Away with Murder because I think they have made Many Mistakes and I Am Angry...oh! I liked American Gods a lot

How many languages can you speak? just one lmao, but I took three different languages throughout school (Italian, French, and Latin) but I’m bad at languages so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Where would you most like to visit? that’s a tough question since I’ve barely been anywhere?? I like amusement parks a lot, so Bush Gardens or Universal Studios has always sounded like a lot of fun, but if it’s more about experiencing a new place, um, maybe Italy? or Greece? they sound really beautiful

Who’s your favourite artist? what kind of artist are we talking about? because I have to tell you I’m not familiar with too many artists, and I’d probably name either a comic book artist?? Marcus To or Dustin Nguyen have always been two of my favorites. I love Karl Kerschl’s style. Also Jamie McKelvie and Fiona Staples have beautiful styles, but my high opinion of them may also be due to their super quality comics (The Wicked + The Divine and Saga). Also J. H. Williams III (Batwoman from 2010-2015) does absolutely GORGEOUS art

Do you support any sports teams? I suppose I support the major baseball and football teams of my region (Red Sox and Patriots) but that’s more due to the more zealous fans in my household you know?

Favourite food? recently I’ve come to realize it’s pizza. I feel like it’s a stereotype that college students love pizza but I mean. I could eat it every day. I want to eat it every day. I prefer either a buffalo chicken pizza or a cheese pizza topped with onions and peppers

What’s the last song you had stuck in your head? Human by Rag n’ Bone man has been a constant for the last couple of weeks

What should you be doing right now? my oral communications videos :/ I need to record two 4-minute videos by tomorrow at 6pm. it’s r nbd I just have to sit down and do it

What’s your fave big franchise? ohhhhhhh my god that’s difficult. um? I really don’t want to say MCU, but it’s not DCEU either? maybe Star Wars?? I’m pretty excited for the next Star Wars movie. Harry Potter is p great too (tho I don’t particularly care for the new installments??). So I suppose I’m saying Star Wars?

Any tattoos (currently or planned)? oh!! well. I’ve been thinking about getting a trail of cat paws along my left shoulder?? and possibly bats on my right?? and I think maybe something behind one of my ears?? oh and possibly something on my collarbone. I wouldn’t want anything too big, just small things here and there

What three things would you want with you on a deserted island? okay so when I first approached this question I was an asshole about this BUT UPON REFLECTION I’ve decided that the best things to take with me would be 1) a water filter, 2) a book (but which book??), and 3) my CAT because I adore her and at first when I considered taking one of my sisters I realized that  I don’t think I could get along with either of my sisters, just the two of us, for an extended period of time in isolation, and I lowkey think one of them would kill me so. I’m better off taking my cat, who I love and who loves me and who I will never grow tired of. plus she could hunt dinner for the both of us

My Questions

If you were to make a new blog dedicated to one single thing (fandom, hobby/activity, etc) what would it be?

If you could have any kind of animal as a pet, what would you have?

Who was your favorite teacher and why were they your favorite?

What’s your guilty pleasure (and I’m challenging you not to say some kind of food)?

Favorite pizza topping?

What’s the last thing you bought (that wasn’t food)?

 What upcoming movies/tv shows are you looking forward to?

Any recommendations (this could be anything just throw your best pitch at me)?

What’s your favorite thing to wear that you own?

What was your first pet?

If you could learn any language, what would it be?

I’ll tag @bi-dominusrex, @pagesofkenna (even tho calyx just tagged you lmao), @keyith, @dickqrayson, @reedroad, @oh-mother-of-darkness, @youreagalrakeith, @jaaaaaaaaaws, @cynessie, @orollyitstimdrake

[calciseptinefic]

solo and pair

Yuuri!!! On Ice || Victor Nikiforov/Yuuri Katsuki || Hasetsu, Part X notes: also available on ao3. warnings: allusions to polyamory

.

part ix

.

A month after Victor's injury when the cherry blossoms bloom, Nishigori and Yuuko quietly marry in a small ceremony at Yuuri's family inn.

"God," Nishigori swears as he and Yuuri wait. They are on the elevated porch on the backside of Yutopia, where the building opens up to a small rock garden and a proud sakura tree that twists pink over the neutral gray stones. "I'm so fuckin' nervous."

Nishigori fiddles with his plain cufflinks. He is dressed in a nice black suit that emphasizes his wide shoulders and powerful thighs. Unlike Yuuri's, Nishigori's suit is new; Yuuri has worn the same jacket and straight-legged slacks to formal events since he was fourteen.

"Dumb, right?" Nishigori mumbles, as though trying to justify his nervousness. "I've performed in front of an audience for years. In front of strangers. I never got stage-fright. But now? When all I'm gonna do is exchange rings and say I do?" He snorts. "I'm terrified."

Yuuri hums, unable to respond. He is oddly nervous as well, though he cannot tell if it is because of his empathy for Nishigori or because any sort of formal event gives him anxiety.

"I mean, it's just my family. Her family. You." Nishigori's broad hands tremble as his fingers twist and twist and twist his cufflinks around. The fidgeting is so contrary to Nishigori's normally confident character that the need to comfort him wells up inside Yuuri. It is not something that Yuuri does often or does well, so when he puts his hand on the curve of Nishigori's bicep, he does so stiffly.

"She's your soulmate," Yuuri says, as it is the deepest comfort he can imagine. "You're meant to be."

Yuuri does not know how he expects Nishigori to react, but it definitely is not for Nishigori to bark out a laugh. The sudden, sharp noise startles Yuuri and his hand jerks away from Nishigori's arm.

"Sorry," Nishigori laughs when he sees the shock on Yuuri's face. "That's just so you, you know. To bring that up."

Yuuri's shock becomes confusion. The transition must show plainly because Nishigori laughs again, though this time less harshly.

"I know how you feel about soulmates," Nishigori elaborates. He deliberately taps his stomach, just to the side of his belly button where his mark rests. "And I'm not saying that it's not… fate or destiny or whatever, but it's… I don't love Yuuko because she's my soulmate. I love Yuuko because she's Yuuko."

Unsure of Nishigori's distinction, Yuuri haltingly says, "But she is your soulmate."

Nishigori is quiet for a moment as he regards Yuuri. Then, abruptly and seemingly non-sequitur, he admits, "I was jealous of you."

"What?" Yuuri asks.

"Before Yuuko and I matched," Nishigori clarifies. "Well, I was jealous after for awhile after that too. You were—you are—a much better skater than I am and Yuuko was—is—so proud of you. It felt like… it felt like all she ever did was talk about you and how good you were. Are. And after we matched—well, not all marks are romantic, and not all matches are good matches. Our dynamic didn't really change and Yuuko—you know she doesn't put a lot of stock into the whole mythos, especially considering that her parents aren't matched."

Yuuri blinks. He knew about Yuuko's parents—everyone did— but he had not known how Yuuko felt about soul marks. Now that he thinks about it, Yuuri cannot recall a time outside her match with Nishigori and her manifestation that she spoke about them.

"I used to have nightmares that you would manifest with the same mark." Nishigori chuckles in the easy, self-deprecating way people joke about old fears. "I would dream that we would go to a mark inspector and find out that mine was actually the wrong color or was smaller on one side, and that you and Yuuko were the right match. That's why I was such a dick to you when you manifested. I knew you had this big-ass thing on your chest, but a part of me felt like I needed to see it to be sure."

Unconsciously, Yuuri presses his palm to his sternum, where the center of his mark is concentrated.

"It's—" Yuuri tries to say. "It's not—"

"I know," says Nishigori gently. "For awhile I thought you might reject your mark and—well, Yuuko and I talked about what we would do if you wanted to…"

Nishigori stops to gesture meaningfully between him and Yuuri, and it takes a moment for Yuuri to realize the implication. When he does, he turns bright red and gasps an involuntary, "Oh."

Then, after another moment, Yuuri says, "Oh."

"Yeah," Nishigori affirms. "Yuuko and I haven't changed our minds, but we both know it's… hypothetical. You just—you've always treated your mark with such reverence that we knew you would never accept anyone but Vi—but your, uhh, your match. So. We never…"

Nishigori shrugs. In the wake of his confession, Yuuri has never been more painfully aware of how much taller and bigger the other man is. Even at seventeen, Yuuri still hasn't hit his finally growth spurt; he is short, thin, and bony, with narrow hips and stick-like limbs. His hard-earned muscle is sparse next to Nishigori's power and his angles look awkward when compared to Yuuko's curves.

"Oh," Yuuri says for a third time.

"I didn't meant to make you uncomfortable," Nishigori assures. Yuuri's face, neck, and ears are on fire. "I just wanted to…" Nishigori heaves a sigh. "I don't know what I wanted."

Nishigori's fingers are back on his cufflinks and—when Yuuri dares to glance at his expression—there's a blush on the flat planes of his face that matches the cherry blossoms and the color of his soul mark. It makes Yuuri think of when they were children, when Yuuri still struggled not to cry every time he fell, when Nishigori dragged him up from the ice and said a little nastily, "It's not a big deal."

There had been pink on Nishigori's cheeks then, too.

"Thank you, Takeshi," Yuuri murmurs as he presses the tips of his fingers to Nishigori's heavy knuckles. The touch is light, more of an impression than a sensation, but the bareness of it still pacifies Nishigori's agitated hands. "I'm glad you told me."

Their gazes meet. Nishigori's eyes are darker than Yuuri's—so brown they are almost black—but in the spring sunlight Yuuri can see the normally invisible edge where Nishigori's iris meets his pupil. Perhaps this is why it is not hard for Yuuri to hold Nishigori's stare. Yuuri can feel the heat lingering beneath his skin, but it is inconsequential to the warmth in his heart.

"Yeah," Nishigori says. "So am I."

.

Yuuri and Nishigori fall into silence after the confession. It is oddly comfortable, given the nature of what has been said. Yuuri never thought he would be on the receiving end of such affection, as his short stature, his long hours at the ice skating rink, and his anti-social nature aren't conducive towards popularity.

It should unsettle him.

It does not.

The quiet is interrupted an indeterminable amount of time later, when Nishigori's second oldest brother, Takeru, taps on the wooden frame of the shoji screen behind them. "Hey," he says. His voice is as deep as Nishigori's. "We're ready. Are you?"

Next to Yuuri, Nishigori inhales. Shakes the nervousness from his shoulders. Exhales. Says, "As I'll ever be," and grins when Takeru smirks at him.

The ceremony is held in a banquet room on the first floor, where the sliding doors are opened to the new green of spring and the cumulus-dotted blue sky above. Most of the family members have already been seated on metal fold-up chairs that Yuuri and Mari arranged that morning. Their murmured conversations come to a halt as Nishigori and Yuuko approach from opposite sides of the hallway, and meet.

"Hi," Nishigori whispers, low enough that Yuuri—who trails closely behind Nishigori—has a difficult time hearing it. "You look beautiful."

Yuuko is dressed in a traditional shiromuku, a white silk kimono embroidered with white cranes in flight. Her hair is up in an elaborate series of curls and accented with a golden wisteria hairpin that hangs down the side of her face and neck. She is as beautiful as Yuuri has ever seen her, but it is the glowing radiance of her smile that outshines everything else.

"I'm happy," Yuuko whispers back.

The ceremony itself does not last long, as it is neither religious nor traditional. The eldest Nishigori brother, Takeda, a lawyer who lives in Saga, is the celebrant. His speech is original and unfamiliar, removed from the common ordinations recited in movies and on television shows. The word 'soulmate' is only used once and given no significance, but that hardly matters when Nishigori and Yuuko cannot look away from one another.

Yuuri's throat tightens constricts when they recite their personalized vows. Nishigori's is about his vague hopes for the future that he hopes they'll build together while Yuuko's is an anecdote about the first time she realized she loved him. It surprises Yuuri when Yuuko talks about something he remembers. They were children then, before any of them manifested, and Yuuri had always thought Yuuko had been annoyed with Nishigori during the train ride to one of their competitions.

Love, Yuuri supposes, is odd like that.

.

When their vows are finished and they exchange rings, Nishigori and Yuuko end the ceremony with an unprompted kiss. It is short, tender, and difficult to watch. Yuuri almost looks away—but then Nishigori pulls away, bundles Yuuko into his burly arms, and lifts her off the ground. She shrieks at the unexpected motion and grips his shoulders.

"Takeshi!" she squeals.

Nishigori laughs and spins Yuuko around as effortlessly as though they were on the ice. The weighted edge of her shiromuku nearly clips one of their relatives in the face.

"Alright, alright," Takeda says over the minor chaos. "Takeshi—bring your wife over here. I need you to sign this certificate so I can register your marriage with municipal office."

After the ceremony, the two family migrate into the main area of the inn. Yuuko's family is much smaller than Nishigori's. Yuuko is an only child, as is her mother, and her father's twin brother is unmarried. Nishigori, on the other hand, is the youngest of four, and in addition to his mother and father, he has three sets of aunts and uncles, several cousins, his maternal grandparents and his paternal grandmother, a sister-in-law and two nephews. Yuuri is the only person in the group who is not related to the newlyweds by neither blood nor marriage. For a moment, Yuuri stands at the threshold and stares at the sea of faces, unsure of where he should sit.

He is saved from his indecision when a petite hand curls into his own.

"Come on, Yuuri," Yuuko encourages. "Sit with me and Takeshi."

Yuuko does not wait for Yuuri to respond. She simply tugs him into motion and guides him to the square, center table. The navy cushion she sits down on has been at Yutopia for as long as Yuuri can remember.

"I didn't say it earlier," Yuuri murmurs once he also sits down, arranging his limbs into the smallest and least awkward configuration he can manage. Then he bows his head and says, quite formally, "Congratulations on your marriage."

Yuuri's words are meet with silence and—after several painful seconds—Yuuri lifts his head to meet Yuuko's eyes. He cannot decipher the emotion he sees nor understand why Yuuko sounds a little sad when she says, "Oh, Yuuri. Always so polite."

It baffles Yuuri, yet before he can begin to parse out the meaning of her words, Nishigori jostles him.

"Don't overthink it," Nishigori warns as he plops down on Yuuko's right, directly across the table. His smile is wide and captivating and warm. "We're here to have a good time, and that's it."

"A good time," Yuuri repeats somewhat cautiously. He looks between Nishigori and Yuuko, then further out at their families, and they beyond that, to Mari leaning against the doorjamb in her maroon work clothes. Her gaze is faraway, but Yuuri thinks that, if she caught his stare, she would give a small, encouraging nod. So Yuuri breathes deep. Steadies himself and his nerves. Says, "I can do that."

"Thatta boy," Nishigori cheers.

.

part xi

.

[geeky-galpal]

Happy Birthday, Regina Mills

Regina’s birthday was February 1st, and I had this fic in my head: Regina and Maleficent having sex on her office desk to celebrate.

Sadly, life got a little in the way, and it took me longer to get to it than originally expected. Luckily, it’s still February for a few more days at least. Soo... consider this a belated birthday present?

4K words and 2.5K of those words are pure desk sex. Before and after the smut, be weary of some angst.

If I’ve still kept you interested, read at AO3 here or below the cut! 

TW: brief mentions anxiety and panic atacks, at the beginning and end of the fic.

(as always, my gratitude to @oparu who is the greatest beta and quite possibly the greatest human walking this planet, more broadly)

February 1st.

Regina swipes the date on her phone’s home screen and rolls her eyes.  She had gone out of her way, for once, finally, to mark her birthday as special. She had cleared her schedule. She even relented after some insistent prodding and allowed Henry the day off from school. They were going to continue their decade-plus tradition of funny face pancakes and this year, in honor of it being their first collective birthday spent with Maleficent in the house, add to it by spending the entire day together teaching Mal the finer points of the Skywalker Saga.

 She was supposed to not had to take off her pajamas or comb her hair. It was supposed to be the three of them. Perhaps, a phone call to the Charmings in the afternoon, a FaceTime with her sister and niece. Quiet. Peace for 24 hours. That was all she wanted. AND STILL THE UNIVERSE SAW FIT TO DENY HER.

 Fitting.

 It’s fitting that just as Maleficent woke her up before the sun rose and the first bird chirp, determined to start their day together naked and wrapped in each other, warm beneath her down comforter-- just then the main line pipes would freeze and break open in the mines. It’s fitting that as she was climbing her way to the most delicious of orgasms, clenched around Mal’s fingers and mouth on her breasts-- that’s when her phone buzzed with Emma’s voice on the other end.

 “Happy Birthday, Regina. I, ugh, I freaking hate this. I do. But, well,…. ”

 For everything she has done and the pain she has inflicted time and again in her life, it’s fitting that she wouldn’t be granted this moment of peace.

 She earned this karma the hard way. It was her price to pay.

 She rolls her neck from side to side. On top of everything else, she really shouldn’t be spending the day lost in the depths of self-loathing. But, that is her way, wasn’t it? One thing piles on another and she takes it all.  It’s barely noon and her back is one giant knot. Everything hurts.

 She slides her chair away from the desk and tries the deep breathing exercises she has been practicing with Dr. Hopper.  Posture straight, feet planted, air in through the nose, in to her diaphragm, hold for 5 seconds and push it back out through her mouth. 1…. Breath in,  2…. Hold it, Hold it, 3…. Out through pursed lips, like a balloon letting out air, 4.... Again.

 Fuck.

 This isn’t working.  This is the start of another long, dark, bad afternoon. She just knows it. It’s not full blown yet, but she knows her symptoms. The weight between her shoulder blades is crushing, the tightness in her stomach and chest that twists on itself. At the realization of what’s to come, her heart starts to speed a little, skipping beats out of rhythm. It’s a train coming right towards her and she can’t seem to find her way off the tracks.

 She should call someone. She should, at the very least, not be alone.  Dr. Hooper has been working with her on this. She’s deserving of love, others will be willing to support her, that’s what he would say right now. And it’s her birthday after all.

 Mal pops into the front of her mind.  Mal cozy at home with Henry on the couch. They decided not to watch the movies without her, but Henry had somehow successfully persuaded his way out of school for the day regardless.  They are probably indulging in some truly bad cable television right now. Or maybe a game of chess, Maleficent has been teaching him the finer points of the game recently. He hadn’t beaten either of the yet-- but with each game he was getting sharper, closer…

 She grips the phone in her hand. OK, it’s ok. You can ask for help from your family. This isn’t weakness. This isn’t defeat.

 She flits the phone between her fingers, shaking her legs and tapping her heels against the floor. She worries her lip a little and works up the strength to tap the call button.

 “BBBZZZZZ…. Mayor Mills, you have a lunch appointment”, her receptionist interrupts her thoughts on the intercom.

 She leans over and taps the button: “I can assure you, that as I was NOT supposed to be in work at all today, I have no such thing”

 Then, she hears Henry’s laugh.

 Her heart leaps at the sound. She doesn’t know exactly what’s happening, but if Henry is about to barrel in here, she needed to take these last seconds and at least wipe the tears that were threatening the creases of her eyes.

 She stood up and smoothed dress, just in time for the door to open. Henry, jovial and bundled up from the cold, his nose and cheeks flushed despite the stripped scarf he has wrapped tight. Not more than two steps behind him comes strolling Maleficent, her grey trench coat buttoned to the top, leather gloves clutching… is that a picnic basket? Of all things?

 “What in the world??? How? HOW?” Her voice cracks a little, as she fights back against the rollercoaster of emotion battling inside of her.

 “Hey Mom! Did we surprise you? We got you good, huh?” He turns to Mal and then back to her, smiling wide his eyes dancing, “I Told You She Wouldn’t Expect it!”

 She plasters a smile on her face to match her son’s and Henry comes into her arms, tucking his head down on to her shoulder.  Her eyes meet Maleficent’s. Crap. Mal isn’t buying this rouse for a second. Regina immediately can tell, she knows. 

 Still, by the time Henry pulls away and faces them both again, their silent moment interrupted, Mal has already steeled her face back to neutral. And for that Regina is supremely grateful.

 She sets the picnic basket down on the table as if nothing has happened, removes her gloves, and claps her hands together. “Young Mister Mills here started planning this little escapade almost immediately after you left this morning. We had hoped that by lunch you would have gotten the worst of the emergency under control…”

 “I called Granny’s and had her put away three orders of roasted butternut squash soup, two bacon grilled cheeses, and a salad before she set the diner up for the lunch rush. And then I went over to Grandma’s and borrowed the basket and picnic blanket! After that, things pretty much took care of themselves. OH! Doc’s Dime Store had the plastic spoons and forks and stuff. We also got these…” Henry pulls out the most juvenile birthday hats that Regina has ever seen.

 There seems to be three of them stacked on top of each other, turquoise with red pom-poms on the top and gold fringe along the sides. Each with different cartoon animals printed on the front. A lion, an elephant, and a monkey, from what she can see. Henry is nearly bouncing up and down like a jackrabbit as he unpacks the basket. He’s taller than her now but in this moment she can see him- and he is still 5 years old. Pure kinetic energy.

 Mal takes two of hats out of Henry’s hands and stretches the elastic of one of them around her head, leaving the tip a bit askew atop of her blonde hair, slicked back into a bun. She looks positively ridiculous, particularly because she is taking herself so seriously.

 “It was explained to me that these head pieces are traditional for marking birthdays in this realm”

 “Yes, they are…. For small children”, Regina cuts her eyes at Henry. To his credit, the boy holds out a full two beats before laughing. She can’t help it, she laughs along with him. For the first time since this morning, she can feel tension begin to genuinely leave her body. The joke slowly dawns on Maleficent, and she joins in.

 “Ah, I see. Well, nevertheless,” Maleficent dramatically bows before her, the other cone hat outstretched as an offering in her hand. “Your Majesty.”

 Regina curtsies before accepting her cone-shaped “crown”, fixing it to her head. She bends down to grab Maleficent’s face in her hands, pulling her up for a chaste kiss. Well… mostly chaste. She hears Henry clearing his throat before they break apart.

 Her not-so-little boy is smoothing out their blanket on the floor and organizing their lunch containers. She sees him reaching into the basket with a mischievous smile, pulling out a box of chocolate frosted donuts. Their special treat. One of them, it seems, comes with a singular birthday candle.

 “So mom, are you going to take off your heels and join us on the floor? Or are you too busy for Operation: Yogi Bear?”

 “Yogi Bear?”

 Henry smiles broadly, “Yeah, remember, from the cartoon? Because he eats all the picnic baskets.”

 Regina once again feels tears pricking at her eyes, and she can only hope that they are seen to Henry as tears of joy. They came to her aid, a fierce dragon and brave Prince. Her own little band of heroes. They didn’t even know they were saving her, but they came anyway.

 And in that brief moment, Regina is sure she has never felt more cherished or loved.

An hour later, they had finished their picnic.  Laughter and the comfort of soup brought the welcome respite that Regina needed; she had even convinced Mal into a joking foot rub as they all exchanged donut bites And those few extra hugs from Henry before he left to answer the call of his yet un-played video games at home really hit the spot. For just a little while, it was the three of them in their own bubble, away from the world.  

 But now, their little bubble has popped.  Maleficent is cleaning up their mess and Regina finds herself once again fighting that aching feeling in her stomach. She reels at the thought of the rest of her paperwork, threatening to drown her, and endless stream of phone calls that await her. Her anxiety rising.

 Regina can feel Maleficent looking at her, tilting her head as she decides how to best approach.

 “Do you want to talk about it yet?”

 Regina demurs, tucking loose strands of her hair behind her left ear. She goes to her desk and busies herself stacking and restacking her papers, hoping that Mal will drop it. She couldn’t ask for more from her, she… just couldn’t. Not after everything Maleficent had already done.

 Mal sets aside the rest of the takeout containers and rises to join her, bending over the desk just enough so that her long elegant fingers still Regina’s wrists, holding firm.

 “Do you want to NOT talk about it?”

 Oh.

 That.

 Well, yes.  That is something she could use right now. A way to release her anxieties, a body to work her frustrations out against. That is what Maleficent is offering. She doesn’t have to talk, she can just be. Maleficent will do this for her.

 Her pulse is already starting to thud for an entirely different reason at just the thought. She licks her lips and whispers, “Lock the door”.

 “Oh, and. before you do, tell my receptionist to take the half day.” Regina’s stomach goes hot as she waits for Mal to return.

 She has no idea what she said to Brooke, but when she re-enters the room, Maleficent is positively wolfish.  The mood between them already changed, the air thick with anticipation. Mal bares her teeth more than she smiles in Regina’s direction.

 “Now, that’s taken care of. There’s no one around”, she locks the door with a flick of her wrists and glides back across to where Regina is perched against her desk.

 “If you only knew …” she uses her full lips to pull at the skin of Regina’s neck, “how many times I’ve wanted to have you right here, on this desk”. Mal’s lips go from probing kisses to prolonged sucks, dancing against her pulse. Regina hums as she continues, “You have no idea…. How many times I have wanted to just bend you over…”, Mal reaches behind her then, grabbing her ass, “…and have my way with you.”

 Regina whimpers at the thought, pressing and releasing her thighs together for friction as she feels her wetness build.  Damn, she didn’t think she would be this wet this quickly.

 “So you’ve fantasized about this, before? Whose birthday present is this supposed to be, anyway?”

 “You’d rather I leave and let you work?”, Mal teases while her hands travel up and down the curve of Regina’s ass, caressing the hem of her dress.

 Regina pushes her away mockingly, “Don’t. You. DARE.” She laughs as she lets Mal lift her properly onto the desk. She ruches her dress up and wraps her legs around her waist, pulling them closer together until they are flesh against each other and Maleficent is groaning against her neck.

 They stay there together, making out like teenagers as opposed to old lovers, tasting each other’s skin and swallowing each other’s sounds, limbs intertwined. Soon, Regina’s hands are traveling underneath Mal’s blouse, growing firmer with each pass, making their way to her front, where she begins to knead her gently over her bra.

 Maleficent pulls back, smirking as she begins to unbutton her shirt. Regina leans back to watch, breath ragged, hands firm behind her on the desk.

 Then she reaches forward, entranced, trailing one finger against Mal’s soft skin, as it is exposed, button-by-button.

 Mal exhales a breath that Regina hadn’t realized she was holding and the quiet sound of it only spurs Regina on. Her mouth moves to replace the feather-lite caresses of her finger, forging a new path of kisses from one swell of breast to another. Her teeth catch the bra strap on Mal’s shoulder, pulling it further and further down, before letting it snap back against her. Regina’s lips never stopping their work, massaging the smart new red mark she caused from pulling the elastic.

 Mal moans at the sensation and reaches down, placing a warm palm against her cheek and Regina moves to kiss it, taking in the comfort it offers.

 “Thank you, for this. You are so beautiful,” Regina whispers into her skin. She reaches behind to unhook the clasp of Mal’s bra, sliding the garment off and blindly throwing it to the side. Running her hands against the warmth of Mal’s back, she focuses her efforts on the taught nipples in front of her, sucking and pulling at them with her tongue until she can hear panting above her and feel Mal’s nails digging at her shoulders. The sharp sensation causing Regina’s hips to roll instinctively.

 Maleficent must have caught the change in movement, because she adjusts an arm down between them, allowing her hand to rub over Regina’s crotch. Regina releases Mal’s breast from her mouth moans, deep and throaty. Mal’s presses harder and rubs again. Slow, firm passes. Up and down, gathering the wetness in her panties. Regina’s hips begin rocking into the touch, widening her knees as much as her dress will allow, granting Mal better access. Her eyes drop to watch the movement as Mal continues to rub, and Fffuck that feels good. It feel so good, so good, it’s the exact pressure she needs. Her breath hitches.

 “Tsk, my little queen, you are so wet, aren’t you?” Regina doesn’t feel a need to respond; she knows Mal already has her answer. Maleficent bends down and licks the shell of her ear, “Tell me, Regina. What do you want?”

 Mal’s fingers zero in on her clit, toying and playing with it through the fabric of her underwear. Her thighs are trembling. “How can I make you come, right here, on your desk? Tell me.”

 She could come like this. Just like this, if given a few minutes longer.  And, if Mal insists on talking like that, well, she might never remember how to string together words into a sentence ever again. Her tongue peeks out to wet her lips as she tries to catch her breath.

 But, even that moment of relief was short lived as Maleficent moves to nip at her neck and--- FUCK. Slip a finger beneath her panties, ghosting around her entrance as she continues to leave a wet trail of kisses over her shoulder and…

 This isn’t fair. Mal isn’t playing by the rules.

 “I…. I... I want your mouth,” Regina finally puffs out. And with a sudden burst of strength she didn’t know she had left, she found herself disentangling from Mal, just for a moment, so that she can stand, even if on very shaky legs.

 She catches Maleficent’s eyes, watching her bite her lip as she reaches to unzip her dress. They get rid of the clothing together, dropping it onto the rug beneath them. Mal’s fingers hook into the sides of her panties, dragging them down her legs until she able to kick them off.  Then her bra.

 She’s pushed back on to the top of the desk, a little roughly actually, but she rushes to assure Mal that it is ok. Nothing’s wrong. She wants it just like this.

 Her nipples are hard, and Mal presses them with her thumbs and forefingers-- squeezing lightly, giving gentle, twisting tugs that have Regina inhaling deeply and squirming.

 For a minute, they just allow themselves to kiss, enjoying having connection with one another. Hot and heady, tongues sliding, breath quickening, teeth clashing before they break into smiles against each other’s lips. Intimate. Mal gives her one last deep kiss, before making her way down.

 She closes her eyes as Mal starts planting kisses around her navel, dropping slow tortuous kisses all over her lower stomach. Then from hip bone to hip bone, pressing her tongue in against soft skin that makes Regina moan, “God. Keep. GOING”. Sweet presses of lip and warm, wet swirls of her tongue across the tops of Regina’s thighs before finally, mercifully, heading towards her clit.

 Regina lifts her upper body up a bit, using her arms as back support for her shaking abs. The strain is worth it; the sight of Maleficent between her thighs always makes it worth it. She watches as Mal slowly kisses closer and closer to where Regina is so needy for her. SO CLOSE, she just needs her tongue a quarter inch down and left.

 And she knows that Mal knows this. Mal knows her body better than anyone, in any realm. She’s doing this on purpose- to torture her.

 As if on cue, Mal chuckles against her before sliding her tongue just where Regina was silently begging for it, running wetly along her throbbing clit before she narrows her tongue into a flicking sensation as she licks. Regina exhales, jerking her lips towards her.

 Another slow lick across where she is so sensitive, so ready, and another sharp flick. Regina whines before she can stop herself, laying back and mussing her fingers into Mal’s hair.

 “You’re that close already?? Really?”

 Regina pinches the bridge of her nose, her eyes screwed shut. “What do you think? After everything you’ve put me through??”

 Mal pulls her head away slightly, enough to look up at Regina with feigned innocence.  Her already deep-set green eyes gone purposefully doe-like and blinking.

 Regina bites back laughter, but otherwise doesn’t dignify the fake incredulous with a response. She dances her nails back along Mal’s scalp and tips her mouth back down on her. Mal’s palms once again settle at the hinge of her thighs, before sliding down to spread her even more, giving Mal more direct access to her clit. Regina lifts her hips forward a little. Mal flattens her tongue, lapping steadily at the sensitive knot now fully exposed to her. Regina absorbs every fire-bolt of pleasure as it radiates out from where her tongue touches, spreading down her thighs, up her belly, to her fingertips and toes.

 Mal moans softly against her, the vibration of it makes Regina’s thighs clench. God, she loves this woman. She loves everything about her- especially now. There has never been a moment when she was between her legs that Maleficent hasn’t made Regina feel like the most desirable woman in the world. Not one. It’s as true today as it was all those years ago.

 Mal looks at her then, as if she can read her mind. Hell, after the many years they have spent together- perhaps she can.

 “You are truly incredible,” she moves her hands to slowly glide over Regina’s belly, one arm gently wrapping around Regina’s waist to pull her closer to the desk’s edge while the other slips between her thighs.  She’s stroking her, palming the wetness of her lips between her fingers as she lightly toys with her clit.  Nothing too intense- for the moment- but enough for Regina’s eyelids to flutter and pleasure to skate through.

 Then from the corner of her eyes, Regina sees that the wolfish grin has returned.

 Maleficent grips her thighs and pushes them higher, bending Regina nearly in two, the stretch of it just this edge of unpleasant. Her tongue slides lower, circling her opening and then entering her. The strong, fluttering pleasure of it is less precise than the attention to her clit, but it never fails to set her off all the same. Her stomach clenches, her shoulders grind against the wood of her desk, her fists clenching and unclenching without anything to hold on to. Her neck is going flush and -----oh fuck, oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck----

 That’s it. Mal is fucking her with her tongue in earnest now, Regina reflexively pumping her hips to match her thrusts. And then Mal’s thumb finds Regina’s clit again, rubbing it roughly and a bit raw and God, this is good. Hmmmhmm. So good. Mal’s pressing harder with her thumb now, tighter circles, and Regina feels it- she’s going to come, she’s FUCK she’s right on the edge--

 Then Mal replaces her tongue with two of her fingers, pressed inside just where she knows Regina needs it. Regina vaguely hears past her own thudding heartbeat to Mal’s comment about how wet she is before pulling out and adding a third. All she can do is nod. Because she is, she is so wet.  And she feels amazing. And so ready for what’s about to come. And she and Mal have had a lot of adventurous sex in their lifetimes, but this moment- spread naked on the edge of her desk in the middle of the afternoon, practically dripping onto her own carpet as Mal fucks her three fingers deep- this is definitely shooting right to the top of their metaphorical “Greatest Hits” list.

 Regina’s breasts rise and fall as she struggles to catch her breath. Mal’s tongue is back on her clit, licking in time with the rhythm she is setting with her fingers. And then Mal wraps her lips around Regina’s clit and sucks as deeply as she can. Her fingers firm as they thrust in-and-out. Just like that Regina’s orgasm takes her.

 EVERYTHING is on fire and yet she is trembling.  Her hips buck, stuttering out of rhythm and her head snaps back with a loud moan against her desk. Fireworks, exploding off of every nerve ending. Her mouth falls into a slacked O as Mal continues to pump her through the jolts of pleasure that are consuming her, extending her sensations out just a bit. Then, finally, Mal lowers her legs and moves her mouth to kiss the tender skin of Regina’s abdomen, her fingers slowing- but not leaving her- as Regina comes back down from her high.

 Pleasure burns through her. She lifts her forearm to cover her eyes and can’t decide if she wants to laugh or cry. She’s stuck somewhere between the two. She feels utterly spent. Her throat scratchy and her back already beginning to ache from the unrelenting stiff, wooden desk surface.

 Mal raises herself from between her legs and together they both collapse, Mal’s long frame weighing on Regina’s torso.  She’s safe with Mal, like this. Her twisting anxiety exhausted, defeated. Replaced with heavy, relaxed limbs and deep meditative breaths. For a few long minutes, all they do is listen to the slowing of each other’s pulse. Hands rubbing soothingly up each other’s sides.

 She can feel Mal smirk against her skin, “Well... that was quite the lunch”

 Regina rolls her eyes at the innuendo.

 Mal sits up, tracing her fingers along Regina’s stomach. Regina smiles, curling in to the touch,  “So my love, do you want to talk about what happened today?”

 Regina sighs. “It’s just... “ she can already feel her eyes tearing up, “I feel silly saying this, but I felt so alone. It’s not just the work, or having to come in on my birthday, those are objectively small things.”

 “It’s that you finally allowed yourself to be celebrated in a way that felt honest to you, for just a moment. And--“ she waves her hands in the air. “All of this happening felt like affirmation that you didn’t deserve it.”

 Regina lays her head in Mal’s lap, allowing Mal to play with the edges of her hair, “You understand.”

 “Mmhmmm. I doubt there are few who understand that particular pain better than I do. We are similar in many ways; you and I. We’ve been broken. And as such, we built walls, fed isolation. We have made others to feel the pain we feel. We... enabled each other through a lot of that, I regret... And now... now, we are trying to learn to heal those wounds.” She pauses, “It’s a long way back from these mistakes. I know that I haven’t figured it all out yet, and you haven’t either.”

 Regina silently nods, in agreement.

 “But, little one?

 “Hmm?”

 “This, I know is important: This long journey you are on. You are not on it alone.”

[isakvaltzrsen]

92 TRUTHS

I wasn't tagged but this seemed fun lol. let's do this. 

rules: once you have been tagged you are supposed to write 92 truths about yourself. at the end, choose however many people you want to tag!

LAST

[1] drink: sprite  [2] phone call: my mom  [3] text message: best friend [4] song you listened to: it was on the radio and UGH I CANT REMEMBER THE NAME THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING  [5] time you cried: ugh i cried so much this week and that's so rare, i hate it so much 

HAVE YOU EVER

[6] dated someone twice: no [7] been cheated on: no [8] kissed someone and regretted it: yes omg [9] lost someone special: yes  [10] been depressed: yes [11] gotten drunk and thrown up: no i'm so proud lol

LIST 3 FAVOURITE COLOURS

[12] blue [13] pink [14] green

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU

[15] made new friends: yes thankfully  [16] fallen out of love: no [17] laughed until you cried: yes!! [18] found out someone was talking about you: yep but whatever [19] met someone who changed you: hmm well, people change people all the time even when we don't notice so i'd say yes.  [20] found out who your true friends are: kinda i guess, i just realized who was worth the effort 

[21] kissed someone on your facebook list: yes 

GENERAL

[22] how many of your tumblr friends do you know in real life: none sadly :( [23] do you have any pets: yes my beautiful dog  [24] do you want to change your name: no, i actually love my name 

[25] what did you do for your last birthday: i celebrated with my friends then with my family over a dinner party (sorta) [26] what time did you wake up: 7:30 why is life so hard  [27] what were you doing at midnight last night: sleeping lol

[29] when was the last time you saw your mother: she came into my room to say goodnight  [30] what is one thing you wish you could change about your life: I'd like to be less shy because I love meeting new people but I don't know how and sometimes appear to be rude. Also, if we're in the subject of talking to people, it'd be great if I could learn how to speak to boys, because at the moment I am physically unable to say a word to them.  [31] what are you listening to right now: silence lol actually i'm hearing the sound of my typing  [32] have you ever talked to a person named tom: yes! which is cool because tom is not really a brazilian name, but i met one a few weeks ago lol  [33] something that is getting on your nerves: i'm kinda annoyed at some friends of mine because they're really negative and kinda mean, and i don't really know how to include myself in some of their conversations, but they're like my best option?? which kinda sucks of course.  [35] elementary: done [36] high school: done [37] college: hopefully next year if i can get in  [38] hair color: dark brown [39] long or short hair: long [40] do you have a crush on someone: WHY [41] what do you like about yourself?: at the moment this is hard. [42] piercings: no [44] nickname: not really, just li sometimes [45] relationship status: lol [46] zodiac sign: capricorn [47] pronouns: she/her [48] fav tv show: this is so hard, but let's go with friends or b99 [49] tattoos: no [50] right or left handed: right

FIRST

[51] surgery: never been through one  [52] piercing: -  [53] best friend: carol (i'm still friends with her isn't that beautiful)  [54] sport: ballet  [55] vacation: don't remember?  [56] pair of trainers: seriously?

RIGHT NOW

[57] eating: nothing [58] drinking: nothing [59] I’m about to: take a shower then read a little [60] listening to: nothing [61] waiting for: vacation [62] want: to get into college, to fall in love, to make new friends, to stop being so stressed out [63] get married: yes please [64] career: doctor

WHICH IS BETTER

[65] hugs or kisses: both [66] lips or eyes: eyes, but then again, smiles are everything [67] shorter or taller: taller [68] older or younger: older [69] romantic or spontaneous: both [70] nice arms or nice stomach: stomach, i love food [71] sensitive or loud: i'm a loud person however there are sensitive required moments of course  [72] hook up or relationship: relationship (but who knows i've never had one) [73] troublemaker or hesitant: troublemaker always (but with a good heart)

HAVE YOU EVER

[74] kissed a stranger? yes [75] drank hard liquor? yes [76] lost glasses/contact lenses? no [77] turned someone down: yes [78] sex on the first date? what's date  [79] broken someone’s heart? i'm not sure [80] had your own heart broken? yes [81] been arrested? no [82] cried when someone died? yes [83] fallen for a friend: yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN

[84] yourself? i'd like to think so. sometimes i do. [85] miracles? depends of the definition. religiously no.  [86] love at first sight? i believe in feeling an instant connection, wanting to get to know that one particular person, chemistry, attraction, etc, but not love. [87] Santa Claus? that'd be great honestly [88] kiss on the first date? yes [89] angels? not really

OTHER

[90] current best friend’s name: hmm, julia, thainá, isabella, bruna, leticia, raquel [91] eye color: brown [92] favorite movie: how can i answer this? let's go with about time, harry potter saga, captain america civil war, just because those were the first ones to come to mind. 

I'm tagging @nefertiris, @wearejustreallyinsync, @bellamyblak, @njmphadora, @nessa007, @rafaelsolano and @zacbartowskii plus anyone who wants to do this (or is just really bored like i was lol) 

[infinitehouseofbooksya]

BLITZ - Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know Of)

Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know Of)by F.J.R. TitchenellGenre: YA Horror-ComedyRelease Date: April 4th 2017 Summary: The world is Cassie Fremont’s playground. Her face is on the cover of every newspaper. She has no homework, no curfew, and no credit limit, and she spends her days traveling the country with her friends, including a boy who would do the chicken dance with death to make her smile. Life is just about perfect—except that those newspaper headlines are about her bludgeoning her crush to death with a paintball gun, she has to fight ravenous walking corpses every time she steps outside, and one of her friends is still missing, trapped somewhere in the distant, practically impassable wreckage of Manhattan. Still, Cassie’s an optimist, more prone to hysterical laughter than hysterical tears, and she’d rather fight a corpse than be one. She’ll never leave a friend stranded when she can simply take her road trip to impossible new places, even if getting there means admitting to that boy that she might love him as more than her personal jester. Skillfully blending effective horror with unexpected humor, this diary-style novel is a fast-paced and heartwarming read.

Advance Praise:

“Heartbreak, humor, a very large number of crushed skulls and even romance ensue . . . . Readers who don’t mind a little brain spatter on the windshield will be happy they took this particular trip.” —Kirkus Reviews.

“You know when you read a book about teens and you think the author just didn’t get it? Well, F.J.R. Titchenell gets video gaming, paintballing, Vespa riding, teenage tomboy angst, true love, the uses of theater paint—oh, and killing zombies.” —Lehua Parker, author of the Nene Award-nominated Niuhi Shark Saga.

“The story is fast, filled with dark humor, and lots of blood and guts.” —All Things Urban Fantasy.

Buy Links:

Amazon (Paperback)

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iBooks

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Smashwords

Indigo

Books-a-Million

Indiebound

Excerpt 

The day’s first light made it possible to see the few small columns of smoke rising from the houses that were burning unchecked, without interfering with the starkly perfect outlines of the patchwork power outages.

It reminded me a little of the mornings after bad earthquakes or storms, with one important difference. All of those mornings had been the calm after, when the damage is assessed and rebuilding begins.

This was what you would get if you took one of those mornings, shrank it down, and sprinkled it with monster insect larvae. The whole valley still wriggled, not with normal, productive human activity, but with continuing disaster.

From the mountain police station’s height, I couldn’t see every detail of the walls and windows and gardens that had been torn apart in the single-minded attempts to reach the live people barricaded beyond. I could see the movement of the bodies that were doing the tearing. It was that same determined, methodical destruction from the broadcasts, heedless of the rule that said bad things were supposed to be gone when the sun came out.

The police presence was still visible too, but it was sort of like a spiderweb in the path of a garden spigot, impressive only in its optimistic persistence. The little clusters of blue lights stood out against the sea of red because, oh yeah, here’s the important part: The streets were completely, bumper-to-bumper, Super Bowl stacked parking lot packed.

I’ve been late for school more than once because just one traffic light was out, or one road was blocked with accident debris, or someone was getting busted on too public a sidewalk, begging everyone to slow down to stare.

All of those things were happening fifty times over at once in the valley that morning, and that’s why, even though the car’s aging GPS might theoretically have been able to lead me home, I turned back onto the road leading back up the mountain, back in the direction of the campgrounds and resort.

Well, “turn” is actually an excessively graceful word for what I did. It doesn’t quite conjure up the grinding sound of the few seconds between finding the reverse and noticing the parking break, or the screeching flash of sparks when the bumper clipped a metal gate on the way out, but the end result was mostly the same.

My chosen route wasn’t completely abandoned, but most of the other cars I passed were headed down instead of up, or pulled over to the sides, either with their hoods open or with their occupants simply staring at the bleak scene below. I passed them with the siren on, trying to look taller, wishing I’d taken a uniform shirt to cover my stained, grey tank top, but no one looked at me closely enough for it to matter. A sight that might have raised eyebrows on any other day was just part of the chaotic background noise now, a minute scrap of help already claimed by someone else.

Really, considering the fact that this was

1: My first time driving alone

2: My first time driving practically at night

3: My first time driving mountain roads

4: My first time driving during a state of emergency

5: My first time driving on roads full of human-sized walking obstacles that don’t try to stay out of your way, and

6: My first time driving, ever,

I think I did a pretty good job.

In a way, my lack of conditioning actually seemed to be an advantage. I’m pretty sure most of the other people out driving had figured out what the zombies were, but some old, irrevocably instilled instinct made it really hard to run them down. One guy coming down the other lane in front of me swerved so hard to avoid one that he drove headlong into the face of the mountain. I didn’t mind accelerating when it ran out in front of me and ripped off one of my windshield wipers, but I couldn’t help muttering under my breath as I did so, “seventeen.”

Seventeen murders, if people wouldn’t admit that these things weren’t alive in the first place, or just one instance of manslaughter if they would, I counted off in my head, plus escaping police custody, grand theft auto, driving without a license, oh, and plain old grand theft if you counted Suprbat and the rest of the stuff on the passenger seat. And I was pretty sure that precisely not a single one of those things would end up mattering.

One way or another, life was definitely never going to be the same.

But like I always do when annoyingly big, smothering thoughts like that one start creeping into my head, I looked extra hard at the moment right in front of me, and I was getting all ready to pat myself on the back for finding the resort safely, with all four tires intact and two hubcaps still in place, angled neatly between the white lines and everything, when I gave the brake an extra tap, only it turned out not to be the brake, and the world disappeared into darkness and stars as the airbag claimed the space I’d been sitting in.

About the Author F.J.R. Titchenell is an author of young adult, sci-fi, and horror fiction. She graduated with a B.A in English from California State University, Los Angeles, in 2009 at the age of twenty, is represented by Fran Black of Literary Counsel, and currently lives in San Gabriel, California with her husband and fellow author, Matt Carter, and their pet king snake, Mica. The "F" is for Fiona, and on the rare occasions when she can be pried away from her keyboard, her kindle, and the pages of her latest favorite book, Fi can usually be found over-analyzing the inner workings of various TV Sci-Fi universes or testing out some intriguing new recipe, usually chocolate-related.

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