#it was SUCH an incredibly strong impression. I still can't quite shake it.

[notbecauseofvictories]

Today, the gorillas were clearly very frustrated in being cooped up inside. (Unlike me, they could not check their phones and realize it was 30F out there; they just kept running up to the glass door---open during the summer---and slapping it with their palms.) And this frustration resulted in a lot of engrossing activity! The two youngest played with each other for a bit, then one started messing with some of the loose hay and the other switched to bugging the giant adult male. The adult male ignored him as best he could, then started a kind of hide-and-chase game. One of the adult females was working out some frustration on the loose hay and an empty plastic food container.

At one point, I had wedged myself in a sort of corner with my camera, but one of the younger gorillas noticed me, and before I could blink he was dangling from the ropes directly in front of me, staring. And I---

I said hello and waved. Like this was a toddler I caught looking at me in church. I waved and then wondered why I’d done that, but truthfully that was my first instinct.

I try not to humanize animals (it’s not useful or accurate) but it was very, very hard not to see something decidedly human in those gorillas. And I felt strangely uneasy walking away, out the doors, and into the sunlight.

[animehouse-moe]

Overtake! Episode 1: The Man Who Races

I really like cars, so of course I'd like racing. I heard of the concept for Overtake! and was immediately on board, then I saw the previews and was a bit more apprehensive. But, I watched today's episode, and I'm very surprised. Lots of great stuff to chat about. If you were on the fence like me though, I'd say to watch it.

So, obviously, the racing. That's what I'm here for. It's what I was concerned about, and for very little reason it seems as the execution on it is impressively good.

Working with CGI you need to understand the flexibility you're given to convey that three dimensional space. Troyca grasps that very quickly and uses all the tricks in the book to make things look great through this stretch.

The use obstructions like the fence to mask detail, as well as shots that aim to follow the subject so that they don't appear perfectly still in the scene. Following that up they make use of "camera shake". That is the movements are non-linear, they overextend on their panning or rotation and have to come back in slightly. It's a simple detail but important to add to the believability. The depth of field/focus shifts also help with that a great deal. They even mix in 2D shots of the characters driving for extra effect.

I think the only thing I really say is somewhat subpar is the visual information with the cars. Initial D/MF Ghost understood the assignment and added visual effects to denote the pace of the vehicles. Not that they feel slow, but that they feel too clean in some shots.

Anyways, the 3D racing is incredibly good and features some really great work throughout.

Of course, as an episode it's not all about racing (though a lot of it is), and not all of it is 3D. There's a lot of impressive work on the 2D front as well, and the direction very strong throughout the episode. Lots of use of space and perspective that provides very strong and standout scenes and layouts.

Personally speaking, I think I got a little tripped up by the 3D aspect of this series, so I wasn't expecting the level of quality apparent in the 2D animation, which was a considerable mistake. It's not balls to the wall 24/7 or anything, but there's a lot of character acting that really has effort placed into it.

That's enough about the production though, let's start into story. I think... it's okay. I don't have anything that really grabs me by the collar right away, but I can feel the potential. Koya's afraid of taking pictures of people due to a traumatic experience of his past. He can't find a reason to further explore his passion, and Haruka is the catalyst for that passion. It's somewhat straightforward, but aside from a sort of grating exposure to Koya's trauma, I can sense a good bit of potential.

Also surprisingly, Overtake! fits in a sizeable chunk of information regarding how formula racing works. It's not too heavy, nor does it take ages to explain. It might make the first race seem a little convenient, but it does a good job of covering quite a bit of information both with exposition and just plain old exposure. The idea of using Koya as a vehicle for viewers to understand the sport was a good idea.

All in all, it was a good series to cap off this Sunday with. Lots of energy and excitement, and pretty clear dedication to the sport of formula racing. Intense action and pace as well as emotional beats and character driven stories being set up. I smell quite a bit of potential for this series as a racing anime, which is great to see considering how dry the genre has been for so long now.

[deke-rivers-1957]

The Greatest Hero in the Empire Part 9

I don't know how much time has passed. Unlike the last time I had to wait for the empress' request I'm a complete wreck. I eat, serve the guards, and wait in silence. I think I'm heartbroken. Every period of time that could be a day that goes by without a word just eats me up inside.

I'm dedicated to the empress but I just can't get over what happened. Am I gonna be punished or not? I entertained the empress with my body. Outside of killing her that's the worst thing a slave can do. I can't let anyone know how I feel. They'll kill me for sure out of disgrace. I want to know what's gonna happen to me now before I completely lose my mind and start to cry.

"On your feet slave. The empress requests your presence."

It takes everything in me to not run to her chambers in tears. I might get an answer after all this time. If she's alone I won't be punished. If she has a guard or a group of men I'm going to die.

I can see the doors to her chambers and I feel sick. I have to know soon but I'm so scared about what's going to happen. I might even faint from how sick I'm feeling.

As soon as the guards open the door I walk in and immediately fall to my knees. A man's in the chambers with the empress. This is it. I'm going to die. I bow my head to the floor hoping that my complete obedience would be enough. If the empress sees my dedication maybe she'll give me a merciful death.

"Stand tall. I brought a tailor as a mere loincloth is no longer fitting for someone of your status."

I might actually die today. If she doesn't order my death the stress of not knowing what's going to happen is going to kill me. I still do as she says and stand up tall. I have to pull myself together as I know she can that I'm shaking. I also need to ask what she means before I have a heart attack.

"Wh-what do you m-me-mean my em-emp-empre-empress?"

I'm having a very hard time talking. It's a good thing she already knows I'm mute. I just can't let on that I'm nervous. Slaves can't show emotions.

"You are to be fitted with some new clothing. Tailor you brought some samples but tell me whether the slave can even fit in them just by looking at him."

My heart breaks. She referred to me as a slave. Sure that's what I am but I was hoping that she'd use my name like she did before. Is this what she thinks of me? A nameless slave? I have to keep a blank face though as this tailor looks at my body. It's incredible how I have to look down at him yet he's in a much higher position than me. He looks surprised and I don't know why.

"Well, my Empress’ slave is a rather large man, but he is extremely well-muscled. With proper adjustments he will be able to fit in this attire well. But he is so incredibly broad-shouldered and... strong and impressive to look at, that we'll have to have several sizes altered to fit him. The man is simply massive. It is impressive just to look at... he is certainly unique and not comparable to any size or shape I have ever seen."

I don't quite understand everything he said. I think he's just surprised at how big I am. I have noticed that I'm not like most guys. I seem to tower of them and carry things that would take 2 or more people to carry. I never realized that it could be possible that people could be looking at me because of it. The empress did say my body excited her so was that why?

"Have your samples be used elsewhere. You’ll have to take his measurements tailor."

Maybe this is a good thing. The empress doesn't seem to be angry that I'm not normal. I try to calm down and think happy thoughts. The tailor grabs some sort of thin string and wraps it around my arms and different parts of my body.

"Now tailor what are the slave’s measurements? He looks about 185 centimeters tall."

The empress must have some plan if she wants to know just how big I am. Maybe this is something I should be proud of. I've never really had anything to be proud of as a slave before.

"He's easily 185 centimeters your majesty. It's going to take a few days to make something fit this size and shape, but we have the necessary materials and the proper equipment. The clothes will be ready in three days, Empress."

The tailor actually wants to make clothes for me. The empress wants me to have clothes to wear. This is a very kind gift for her to give me. Maybe this really will be a good thing for me after all.

[quarthly]

Twilight characters as random animals that I think are oddly fitting

(Also yes, I am roasting the animals as well)

Edward: He would be a Cheetah. Now I know, seems like a cop out just because of his speed but hear me out. Cheetahs are, at face value, pretty cool. They used to be my favorite animal as a child, but then I grew up.

Cheetahs, through no fault of their own, are severely inbred. Now thats mainly because of poaching, but the cheetas anxiety also comes into play. In captivity, cheetahs are usually given emotional support dogs. I will admit it is cute but it negatively affects the population. Excluding one in the wild, cheetas can be to anxious to breed and thats not good for conservation efforts.

Cheetahs can hit up to 80 miles per hour in a couple of seconds. They are designed for fast running and agility. Their claws are similar to that of a dogs for better traction and they have elongated spines for longer strides. They have a thin build, long legs and a long tail for balance.

This has downsides though. Many times after making a kill, it will get stolen for them by larger predators. Thats right, they get absolutely bodied by the other animals. I should probably make these shorter but I'm on a rant now, so I guess this will be semi educational.

Throughout the series, we see Edward over estimated his abilities and value, constantly getting bodied by others. He's essentially a perfect mormon, though thats on S'meyers. He constantly judges others, dehumanizing them to their baser flaws, without doing any self reflecting. Him viewing himself as a monster doesn't really count to me. While he definitely hates himself, the only thing he is truly demonizing is being a vampire.

Bella: Picking up from Edwards, Bella is a Chocolate Labrador. Yes, she is his therapy dog. I feel like this is really fitting for her. I know Golden retriever would make more sense, as thats the most common breed for service animals. However, I kind of focused on her appearance. Only at first though! I just know that Edward raved about her human qualities and that would pass over as animals as well. Her chocolate eyes and brown fur, very average and boring. Thats essentially Bella. Even Edward wasn't into her until he got a wiff. Labradors a very loyal dogs and while they have more personality than Bella, I just couldn't shake it. Their also very stupid. Ok that's kind of mean, they're not stupid but when it comes to love, then yeah they are stupid.

I used to have a lab, loved him to death, but god he was something else. Very much danger prone, from their own stupidity or their lack of survival instincts. I know that labs are almost aquatic. They love water, swimming, all that jazz. We can just say that bella has a few screws loose in her dna and is just "not like other labs."

Rosalie: Now she was hard. There are quite a few animals that I think would fit for her. I'll list the other ones, but that one I went with is the Swan. Like Edward, seems a little on the nose, but I have my reasoning.

I was going to pick a predator for her, as she is shown to be very vengeful and viscous. I would have pick some type of cat, most likely a purebred, from a rich family. It could still work, but the swan just speaks to me on this one.

Swan's are known for being beautiful, graceful, and are pictured as the symbol of love. They are also very vain. Edward constantly brings up Rosalies vanity. She was constantly valued for her beauty as a human, so of course that crossed over in the transformation. She was raised to be married into wealth, she was used as a bargaining chip to increase the family's standing.

Rose has a very strong character and makes her opinions known. She's assertive and aggressive at times. She's not afraid to get dirty.

Swans mate for life and like geese, are known for being great parents. I was also going to choose geese as an option for the maternal instincts. I was wary at first because swans can be really aggressive. Like actually, you think geece are bad? Yikes bestie...

I was conflicted because swans are known for drowning dogs and sometimes people. However, I can actually see Rose drowning Bella. It's not that unbelievable lmao.

Emmett: Now this one is just ironic. I only associate him with bears. Its inevitable, but picking a Grizzly or Black bear is too obvious. So I went a slightly different route...

So I was going to pick the Sun bear just because of looks alone. Like, I'm not exaggerating, it looks like someone wearing a bear costume. I don't think it fits him but I know for a fact that he would dress up as a sun bear and sneak into a zoo to see if anyone would notice. I'll put a pic of it here

Like look at this thing. I have no words...

Anyway, what I picked was a Sloth Bear. Now Sloth bears are mostly nocturnal, which either way works consider vamps don't sleep. Their diet is also odd but honestly so is the cullens. They're native to the Indian subcontinent, and are known for being aggressive towards humans. Its said that for the most part they're pretty calm, so I think its just fear of humans that make them act aggressively. Honestly, that's a good thing because they are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red list.

They have some similarities with sloths, which is where they get the name. They have long claws and unusual teeth. They are known to hang upside down from tree branches, and is described as having a messy appearance. Honestly, Emmitt has a messy personality. Sorry bestie but you're a lot of work.

Now heres the biggest reason for choosing this bear. Aside from Baloo from the jungle book being a sloth bear, they are known to run fades with Tigers. Honestly, how fucking badass is that!? Now I don't think there are recorded instances of a Sloth bear killing a Tiger, but when push comes to shove, they can hold their own and I find that incredibly impressive.

Carlisle: This one was somehow the easiest as well as the toughest. I know Owl seems like the obvious choice, and I can see it. However, I believe Carlisle values emotional intelligence as much or if not more than academic intelligence. He is so charismatic and values other's above himself. He might not be as Saint like as Edward thinks, but he does try and I think he genuinely cares about others. For that reason alone, I choose a Elephant.

Elephant's are very social animals and are extremely intelligent. I could rave about them for ages, I love them so much.

Now elephants live in a familial unit and are usually matriarchal. Bulls usually are on the outer edges of the herd or form little groups with other males. Honestly, they're not that bad aside from when their in musk.

In the group of males, the elder ones will teach the younger where to get the best food, water, how to use things as tools, and every other thing that will increase their odds of survival. This is really cute to me tbh, they do this because the females usually choose the older males because they've proved that they are intelligent and strong, that they have survived and will continue to for awhile. Teaching the younger males these things are to make the odds of them getting chosen to mate more likely. The whole unit just reminds me of a father that has to deal with rowdy teens.

Carlisle likes to take in strays, he might not have a herd but he will make one and teach them to thrive. That's how he envisions it anyway. He just has a found family and is trying his best.

Esme: Now this might seem like an insult, but I promise it's not! This is in no way misogynistic. I love cattle and ever since I took animal science in highschool, I have appreciated these grass puppies like they deserve. Call me Castro because I love cows.

Yup! I chose a Cow for her. Specifically a beef cow. That might sound weird but its because beef cows have higher maternal instinct than dairy cows. I'm thinking Scottish Highland based on vibes alone.

They are nicknamed the Gentle Giants of Scotland. Super maternal and sweet and ugh look how cute they are!

Esme came from a abusive marriage and had just lost her child, she was depressed and desperate. Her changing was, in a way, salvation. She just fits in. She adopts all these strays along with him and will protect them to the death. She might be gentle by nature, but don't fuck with her family. She lost her first one and she isn't going to lose this one.

Alice: She's an odd one. There are so many possibilities and maybe I'm biased, but I feel like she would be a Crow.

Ok listen, I'm definitely biased but it just feels right. Crows get a bad rap, they are so cool! They are so intelligent and have the ability to actually sit and think about the past, prest, and future. I forget what its called, but this was only seem in humans! Maybe other apes, I can't remember exactly, but either way its awesome. They do live in groups, or murders, and remember people and faces. They remember locations and are able to pass down information through generations. They essentially have their own language! They are able to use tools too!

Alice's story is really sad. When we first meets her, it revolves around the death of her mother and her institutionalized. She was essentially tortured and forgot everything from her past. All she had was the future and even that wasn't constant. Crows a often viewed as omens, they are associated with death. I personally believe that instead of being the cause, they just know something is going to happen. They are very inquisitive and can be creative.

If you befriend a murder of crows, sometimes, depends or the group, they will bring gifts. Its can range from food to shiny metals and colorful plastic. Hell, I think I've seen a post of one stealing things from people just to gift it to their human.

Alice's love language is gifts. Even if they are focused around fashion, she still goes out of her way to get something that will look good and at least be a little comfortable. By that I mean she tends to forget peoples comfort zones, but she means well.

Jasper: Honestly not to sure what to put for him. I know a predator would be more fitting, but for some reason I can see a donkey working. I know, seems like I'm clowning on the confederate. Fair, but I'm serious about the donkey thing. Honestly, it would be perfect if it wasn't a herbivore. Porcupine would also work.

Being a predator would make more sense. Given his backstory and his characterization, it wouldn't make sense for him to be a prey animal. Usually I wouldn't count this, but given his gore filled past and trouble with the diet, it seemed fitting.

I see him as a Big Cat. Honestly, vamps in general just give cat vibes. Jasper though especially have some cat like qualities, which originates from hunting and being a soldier.

I specifically see him as a Mountain Lion. Aside from him being blonde, he just has the predatory stealth to him. In midnight sun, we see him use his gift to make the nomads overlook him. He's honestly really powerful.

Mountain lions are known for being stealthy with an air of grace and power to them. They are stong animals. And I mean strong. They can jump 40-45 feet.

They're very elusive and quite. They stalk their prey and tend to attack from behind but don't think they won't hold their ground if need be.

Jasper was changed during the Civil War and forced to fight in the Newborn wars. He was a soldier as a human and as a vampire. He's able to feel and manipulate others emotions. He's covered in scars and is very intimidating.

He still struggles with the diet and honestly I hate how the others handle it. Like they have no room to talk. I don't want to defend the confederate but it just pisses me off. He has to deal with his hunger on top of everyone else's. Like damn, besties always on edge! Everyone doubts him which I don't think helps any.

Also, Mountain lions and Cheetahs can purr!

@aquanova99 I'll do a Volturi one too. That one will be fun lmao

[ssamie]

five. “team manager”

kozume kenma x fem dazai!reader

(bsd x haikyuu)

tw: mentions of suicide

masterlist.      suicide freak!

"this is the girl from yesterday" kuroo muttered 

it's been a day since the shrooms incident, and it's safe to say she's left a very weird first impression on the boys 

"hi~" she cooed with a wave 

today, she was looking more presentable. wearing the nekoma girl's uniform, with bandages framing her body, all except for her hands and face.  "i couldn't shake her off" kenma said with a sigh as he tried to wiggle his arm free from her grasp 

she simply chuckled and hugged his arm even tighter.  "sorry for the rather strange interaction we had yesterday" she apologised with a sheepish grin  "there was a small flaw in my plan, which led to that.." 

kenma rolled his eyes at her words.  he was the one that had to make sure she didn't accidentally jump off a cliff in her state yesterday.  he had to get her calmed down, and ended up calling a man called kunikida for help since he was in her emergency contacts. 

"what's your name?" kuroo asks with an amused grin 

"l/n y/n. nice to meet ya" she answered 

"so l/n-chan~" kuroo mused "anything we can help you with?" 

"i wanna be team manager!" she exclaimed with a dumb smile on her face 

some boys perked up at the mention of a manager, some pondered over it, while kenma simply let out a loud groan. 

"hah? you? manager?" kenma scoffed and pulled out his PSP  "you'll just try to kill yourself with the nets or something" he muttered with a huff

"eh? do you really have no trust in me kenma?" she sulked  "i mean, i probably would but still!" she huffed 

nekomata stepped forward and smiled at her "why would you like to be our manager, l/n?" he asked. she blinked and pondered over it for a while "hmm, volleyball is something i wanna try i guess." she said 

"but i don't really wanna play. i'd rather manage from the sidelines" she hummed  "so it would be a pleasure to work with you all" she said with a sly smile

she then looked at nekomata and tilted her head to the side, sending him a close eyed smile and holding her hand out for him to shake. 

"if you'll have me, of course" she added in a polite and soothing tone 

nekomata studied her, then her hand, as well as the bandages that ended just a little bit past her wrist. the old man chuckled and shook her hand. "well then, welcome to the team" he said with a laugh 

she smirked and nodded.  "glad to be here" 

"have i ever told you how incredibly intricate looking your fingers are?" she asked out of the blue.  kenma glanced at her as he drinks from his bottle, brows furrowing from her rather strange observation. 

"um, no?" he answered hesitantly 

she simply hummed and studied them even further, making him gulp. kenma looked at his hands, feeling slightly anxious. he then shoved them in the side of his shorts. 

"stop looking at them. it makes me nervous" kenma complained sheepishly 

she chuckled and pulled his hands out of his makeshift pockets. "dont be" she cooed with a smile "you hands are so.. delicate, so soft" 

kenma blushed as she started tracing circles over his palms, whispering sweet words and nothings as she does so. 

"so.." she trailed off, looking at him through lidded eyes, a flirty smirk etching itself on her lips. "s-so..?" he questioned 

"would you strangle me with these fragile, delicate fingers?" 

"ha? 😃" 

kenma stared at her while she stared back. she simply smiled at him as she continued to draw shapes on his palm.  "what the hell are you talking about?" kenma deadpanned 

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS!!" taketora shrieked. they all looked over to him as kenma raised a brow "can't take what?" he asked 

taketora ignored him and sprinted straight to y/n "l-l/n-chan! why him?!" he shrieked  "why not me?! i can give you my love!" taketora cried "let me love you!" 

she simply stared at him as she drops kenma's hands on his lap. "love..me?" she questioned with a blank smile 

taketora rushed over to her and showed her his hands "i have hands and fingers too!" he exclaimed  "i can-" 

"i don't think she meant she wants kenma to choke her during sex, yamamoto" kuroo intervened 

"yeah. she wants me to kill her." kenma bluntly spat out 

"hai!" she exclaimed "but either one is fine." 

kenma's brows shot up as he snapped his attention towards her. "huh??"

"hm? is there a problem, kenma-kun?" she chuckled “yes. there's a problem, and it's a big one." kenma said "im not gonna choke you during se-" 

"l/n!" nekomata called out, effectively cutting off kenma 

the (h/c) haired girl perked up and walked over to the man "yes?" she asked "so? did you jot down anything while watching?" nekomata asked. the older man patted the spot next to him on the bench, urging her to sit next to him. she hummed and pulled out a notebook. 

"well, may i just say" she started "these boys are very impressive." 

"i don't usually have the motivation to do these type of things but i wrote down everything i've observed" she said "i do hope it's enough" she chuckled as she sat down next to nekomata 

"well then, let's see it" nekomata said as he ushered the boys over to them. "well then, these are my observations, as well as teeny tiny little advices" she says

she handed kuroo the notebook. the captain skimmed through the pages with a look of interest. "okay let's- eh?" kuroo sweat dropped "this is never-ending, l/n-chan" he chuckled 

kuroo flipped through the whole notebook, laughing as he saw each page filled from front to back. "that's a crap ton of info!" taketora exclaimed 

"how'd you even get all of that over a silly practice game" yaku asked, a look of amusement and curiosity lacing his features. 

she shrugged nonchalantly and fiddled with her hair "dunno" she cooed "i guess it comes naturally" she said "i have a job quite similar, so breaking down your attacks and the way you move or play is quite easy" 

nekomata hummed in delight "ah, so we're you a manger before as well, or..?" he asked 

"nope! i'm a detective!" she grinned 

the team stared at her and smiled, same as you would when a child says something crazy or stupid. she immediately snapped her head towards kenma, smiling excitedly as she awaits his reaction 

"are you impressed? will you go on a double suicide with me now?" she asked with a grin. kenma stared at her, unmoving, as he looked her up and down. 

"no." he answered 

she immediately deflated and sulked beside nekomata. "i-i see." she sniffled "i understand" 

"that's nice, l/n-chan!" yaku exclaimed, obviously unconvinced that she was a detective "really nice. it's good to have dreams!" he said as he patted the girl's back

she blinked as she looked down on him. "eh? no, i mean like im actually a detective" 

"i mean i get that you don't think so" she laughed "i may not look much, but im an operative of the armed detective agency" she said.  her playful smile dropped, and was replaced by a stoic look as she showed them a badge 

"eh? seriously?! that's so cool!" lev says as he excitedly jumps up and down 

"heh. right?" she grinned as the other boys starts freaking out 

kenma simply narrows his eyes and clicks his tounge in distaste. "so what about it, kenma-kun? won't it be cool to die with someone like that?" she asks cheekily 

"no" 

"but-" 

"no" 

"fine" 

"no- oh." 

"you'll fit right in, l/n" nekomata said with a laugh. he waved then goodbye before stepping away. kuroo approached them, fanning himself with the notebook as he slung his arm around her shoulders 

"so, l/n.." kuroo said "whyre you so obsessed with having a double suicide with our kenma?" he asked.  kenma sighed and pitched his nose bridge with dread "please don't ask that. she'll-" 

"oh my! i thought you'd never ask!" she said dramatically as she waved her arms about

"committing suicide alone?" she started "oh my, that's so passe kuroo-san!" 

"i've come to realise, that if i were to die.. i will die alongside a beautiful man or woman!" her eyes sparkled as she gawked over kenma, who was looking very unamused at the moment. 

"and i found the most beautiful boy there is! what else could be better than this?" she exclaimed with teary eyes 

"ah, double suicide.. what a sweet ring it has!" she exclaimed "in comparison, it feels so empty to bid this world farewell all by my lonesome self!" she hugged kenma and nuzzled her cheek into his pudding-like hair. 

kenma merely froze as he felt his arms and body get squeezed by her. she was surprisingly strong and had a vice grip on him. "please let me go." kenma muttered 

"no" 

the boys watched the whole withing with varying reactions. most of them were worried for her mental state and well-being, while the others were amused. the 'others', being lev. it still kinda hadn't hit him that she was a suicidal psycho. 

"hmm, you're right, l/n-senpai! it'll be sad to die alone" lev agreed with a thoughtful hum 

"see! he sees the problem with it!" she said 

yaku immediately intervened by kicking lev in the back of his knees, making him fall forward. he also snatched kenma away, making her whine. "give him back!" she yelled. “take me away" kenma said 

yaku huffed and lightly flicked her in the forehead. "the real problem here is the fact that you wanna commit suicide!" he exclaimed 

"double suicide" she corrected. 

"that's not any better!" 

[hardforbenhardy]

the perfect gift | benxfem!reader

summary: the first time ben is meeting your parents, and you are nervous. but not as nervous as you are to give ben his present

warnings: intense fluff so prepare yourself coz ben is a d o r a b l e in this

based on two prompts: "that's what your wearing?" and "i tested positive"

word count: 4.5k

thought i'd do a little christmassy themed oneshot considering it was ... yakno... christmas; it’s been in my drafts for a while so there’s no better time than the present (no pun intended😊) i had fun writing this so i hope you have fun reading it! :)

Christmas had always been the same; through the 27 years of your life, you stuck to your traditions. You would always spend the time with your whole family, with the traditional Christmas roast and gift-giving. You loved it; you were extremely close with all your family, and spending time with them was always cherished since it only happened twice a year. However, there was one part that you couldn't stand. The worst part of it all was the fact that every year you were the only adult who was yet to find a relationship. All your siblings, your parents, aunt and uncles, grandma and grandpa, even some of your older cousins; they were all coupled up. You had even tried to convince them one year that you had finally found yourself a man; of course, you had simply bribed your best friend to pretend to be your boyfriend for the one day. He, however, was not as good of an actor as you thought he would be - caving in after only 3 hours in the household by accidentally spilling that he was in fact gay.

Though, this year you didn't have to pretend; you had finally found a man who you truly loved. He was the spitting image of what you considered perfection and you were sure he was the one. You and Ben had taken your relationship quite quickly, you had only been together for 10 months and yet you had already moved into a house together and adopted a small puppy. Though, you didn't see it as a particularly bad thing; you knew for certain that he was the man you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, the man you wanted to start a family with, grow old with. And you were also pretty certain that you were that woman for him; I mean, that's what he told you every single day. Every morning as you sat around the table to eat your breakfast; every lunch time when you'd facetime him from the office; every evening when you were snuggling in bed and he just had to mention it, which of course often led to more. You were absolutely hooked onto him, like a baby to a bottle; you simply couldn't resist him. So showing him off to your family was assuredly what you were most looking forward to this Christmas. You had already met Ben's family, and so it was now his time.

The two of you were about to leave to drive down for Christmas Eve, and the nerves were beginning to set in; what if they didn't like Ben? What if they thought you were both moving too fast? What if the nieces and nephews didn't want to play with him? What if they all took one glance at Ben and thought he could do better? You saw Ben as an angel, but you didn't know about them; after all, your mother had always wanted the perfect step-son.  She had been pretty adamant about it from the start. Nevertheless, you brushed the nerves off and paid attention to curling your hair. Your concentration was broken, however, by the sight of Ben entering the bedroom in the reflection of the mirror in front of you. You grinned widely at the sight before you, or rather behind you, as the strapping blonde man strode in wearing what you noticed to be a rather formal suit considering the fact you were only attending a Christmas dinner with your family. In fact, it was extremely formal considering the fact you were only attending a Christmas dinner with your family; meaning you couldn't help but giggle.

"That's what your wearing? Baby, we're going to my parents for Christmas, not a wedding!"

"What? I wanted to impress them!" He exclaimed rather seriously, which made you chuckle before standing up off the little stool to walk towards him to give him a small peck on the cheek; which funnily made him blush like a madman. That was something you loved about Ben; he seemed like every day he saw you was as if he was seeing you for the first time again. Somedays, he acted like a horny teenager who couldn't resist your touch. Other days, he acted like you were made of glass, as if you were the most precious, fragile thing on the earth which led to being peppered with little kisses and hugs of every form whenever he saw you. And other days, he acted like he was made of glass, and would blush or smile every time you even placed a gentle finger on him; and you had a strong feeling, this was one of those days. "I mean, what if they don't like me, or they don't think I'm good enough for their daughter? What do we do then? Because I love you, I really really love you and I want to spend my whole life with you but I can't do that if your family doesn't like me because-“

"Baby, I know they're going to love you, okay. Maybe not as much as I do, but trust me; my mum is going to take one look at you and she'll treat you like the son she never had. You look gorgeous, and as much as I am admiring the way you look in this suit, you need to change. Swap the shirt and tie out for a tshirt, and the tapered pants for some of your nice jeans." you encourage him, stroking his upper arm lightly and smiling up at his face which looked extremely defeated. You could sense the anxiety emanating from his body, he was just as nervous to meet your parents as you were for them to meet him. But you didn't tell him that, because you didn't want to worry him anymore than he already was. He simply nodded, taking a deep breath and unsleeving his arms from the blazer so that he could unbutton his shirt. You pushed his hand out the way and did it yourself, after seeing the way his hands were pretty much shaking. He still preoccupied himself, beginning to pull his trousers off to fasten the pace, as he knew you needed to set off soon to make it in time.

Once he was dressed in more appropriate clothing, which you deemed suitable for a first impression, you were finally able to leave for your parents. The car journey over there was a little less stressful, as Ben had began to calm down and forget all about his little moment in the morning. However, as you stood outside your parent's house, your own nerves began to set in. You had arrived a lot later than you expected to, having been stuck in traffic for a lot of the journey. Your hand trembled as you went to ring the doorbell, Ben stood a step behind you so that your parents would be able to greet you first. The door swung open after a few seconds, revealing the bright cheery face of your mother.

"Darling, hello! It's lovely to see you! Come in, come in!" she cheered, stepping to the side to allow you and Ben to enter. You gave her a warm hug as you walked in, in which she responded with a small kiss to your temple. Your father entered the room too, a smile emerging on his face, and you couldn't help but laugh as you noticed the apron he was wearing; it was the same one he wore every single year, with an awful christmas pun which to be honest was not a suitable apron to wear around children.

"Mum! Dad! I've missed you so much! Sorry we were late - the traffic was awful" you squealed, pulling your dad in for a hug as well, until you looked to the side to see Ben standing there incredibly awkwardly as you greeted your parents. "Mum, Dad, I'd love for you to meet my boyfriend, Ben"

"It's nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs LN. Thank you for having me, especially during a time which is meant for spending time with family" He greeted, holding his hand out to shake my fathers, but rather he pulled Ben in for a hug. You then realised you had completely forgotten to mention to Ben quite how open and friendly your family were, meaning he had quite a shocked reaction to the sudden embrace.

"Please, call us Lydia and Michael. And you are part of this family Ben; any friend of YN's is a friend of ours, lovie. Now why don't the two of you head up to your room and settle down - that way, you'll be awake in time for tomorrow morning when the kids come up and completely wreck your lie-in!" Your mum whisper-yelled, chuckling as she handed your suitcases over to your dad to help you haul them up the flights of stairs to your old childhood room that you and Ben were planning to stay in for the next two nights. Admittedly, you were a bit embarrassed considering you knew your mother hadn't changed anything about your room since you were 18 and moved out to University, so you were in for an awkward and humiliating moment when Ben first saw the posters of Roger Taylor and Queen all over your wall like you were some kind of crazy fangirl. Which, of course, you were but you didn't even think about having to explain that until now.

After a good 10 minutes of Ben laughing at your seemingly-passionate devotion to the band, you had finally settled down in your bed, which was thankfully a double. It was rather cold, being wintertime, so you and Ben were cuddled up extremely close together under bundles of blankets in an attempt to keep some warmth between you. You spent a majority of your nights curled up like this, Ben's touch providing a haven for you. And just like every other night, you ended it with the same words.

"I told you they'd love you, you practically had my mum wrapped around your finger!" You grinned, poking Bens stomach jokingly as he released a low chuckle at your point. He knew you were right, because you had mentioned that your mother was often more removed from people if she didn't like them.

"Okay, okay; I was worried for nothing, I'll admit it! But I had every right to be!" He defended himself, his warm breath on your shoulder sending shivers down your spine. You couldn't help but cuddle closer, wrapping your arms around his torso and place your head in the nook of his shoulder.

"I know, I know; I really do love you Ben"

"I love you too"

*****

You were woken by the feeling of a small body pouncing onto your stomach, shouting and cheering filling the otherwise silent room; "Aunty Yn, Unca Bwen! Wake up! It's Christmas Day! And Santa's come!"

You chuckled, partly at your nieces urgency to get downstairs and open some presents, but mainly at Ben's low groan at being woken at 7 in the morning. Your heart softened at her reference to Ben being her Uncle, and not just a random man who had joined the family for the day. You urged the 4 year old to move off you so you could climb out of bed, grabbing the dressing gown screwed up in the floor and pushing your arms through the sleeves. "Lilah, give us 10 minutes and we'll be right down, okay?"

"Okay!" She squealed, wrapping her tiny arms around your legs before running off to shout to her brother Jackson that you'd be down in "twen" minutes.

"Baby, wake up" You whispered, shaking Bens arm lightly and kissing his forehead, only to hear him grunt and roll to face the other way. "Tired"

"So am I, but it's Christmas hun; come on, I want my presents!" You giggled, giving him a shove and jumping out of bed to tie the newly-clad gown. Ben pulled himself off the mattress and lugged over to the en-suite bathroom, mumbling that he was taking a quick shower before they head down. In the meanwhile, you busied yourself with helping your mum out in the kitchen to prepare Christmas dinner.

"Is Ben not joining us this morning?"

"He's just taking a quick shower, he'll be down soon" you explained, chopping the veg; you found yourself grinning at the mention of his name. Of course, your mother noticed this.

"You seem perfect for each other, you know. He seems like a very lovely lad too; your father and I are very happy you have found yourself someone" She smiled, elbowing your side a little which made you chuckle and grin widely; you were extremely happy that your parents actually accepted Ben into the family so unquestionably, and liked him. "So when can Michael and I expect more grandchildren!"

You saw the question coming; there was no doubt that your mother loved being a grandmother to Lilah and Jackson. But they were getting older now, Jackson being 7 and Lilah being 4, and Lydia desperately wanted a baby to care for. So, your next words came like a haven to her.

"What if I have reason to believe roughly 9 months?" You mumbled, placing your hand on your stomach and looking up at your mum with nervous eyes. Her own eyes widened in shock and happiness, taking in your words.

"You mean? You're pregnant?" She whispered, not wanting the rest of the house to hear. You nodded, worried your mother would think you and Ben were moving too fast, having only been together for roughly 10 months. "Darling, oh my gosh, that's amazing! I'm so happy! Does Ben know?"

"No not yet; in fact only you know. I was planning on telling him today, and the rest of the family, but I'm seriously beginning to second guess everything; what if Ben doesn't want the baby? I mean, we're not even married and Ben is always away for press tours and filming. What if he thinks we're moving too fast? I don't want to scare him away-" You stumbled, tears beginning to brim your eyes. Whether it was the hormones or your nerves you didn't know; but it was most likely a mixture of both. Your mother hushed you, rubbing your arm in a way to calm you down as she understood you tended to over worry about a lot; and of course, this is an extremely reasonable thing to worry about.

"Lovie, look; you will not scare Ben away. I see the look of lust in that boys eyes when he looks at you, and I can tell just how much he really loves you. This is a big thing, of course it is, but you need to tell Ben; whether you plan on keeping the child or not. He deserves to know, and if he turns you away then he was never a gentleman to begin with. You have this whole family to support you the whole way, but at the end of the day; it is both yours and Bens decision" She comforted, her words calming you a little as you realised she was right. You couldn't just not tell Ben, it was his child and you were a couple. And, to be completely honest, you were excited as hell to start a family with the man you considered the love of your life. The only reason you were hesitant with this was because you and Ben had literally never spoke about having children or starting a family, so you didn't have his opinion on the matter to fall back on. The moment between your mother and you was interrupted by the man himself, hugging you from behind and pressing a small kiss to your neck.

"Hiya love, everything okay?" He muttered, his arms wrapping tightly around your waist as you continue to chop the carrots as you were before the conversation with your mother. You hummed, leaning back into his touch, hoping he hadn't heard the previous conversation between you and your mother. You felt the smile on his lips against your skin, and he tucked his head into your neck.

"Why don't you go and meet my siblings huh? I'll be in in a few minutes, just finishing up with this" You suggested, to which he nodded and placed a small kiss to your temple, before walking into the living room to join your family. You could hear the loud voices of your older brother, Sam, and his wife greeting Ben from the other room, and painfully worried that Ben wouldn't get too nervous as your brother tended to be quite boisterous at times. In fact, your whole family did; which was extremely different to Ben's family who were much more calm and collected. Although by the sight you received entering the room a few minutes later, you were immediately filled with joy; the sight of Ben sat on the living room floor, cross legged, with Lilah on his lap and Jackson sat beside him, as he read them a story Lilah had begged him to. You were a little confused as to how he was getting on with them all so well; Lilah didn't usually warm up to people so well unless she had been properly introduced. And your mum was usually very judgemental of your boyfriends that you had brought home before. And your brother was often extremely protective over you. And your sister would most likely try to steal any guy you brought home and have him for herself.

You can't help but admire the way he is around the 2 children; it's as if he's done the whole parenting thing before. Lilah was smiling so widely, you thought her face was going to get permanently stuck like that. The two were amazingly engaged as he spoke the words on the page, acting out the story with little actions and different voices,  making sound effects when needed. Your brother's wife, Sophia, walked up to you with a small grin on her face before mumbling "You've got a good one there, don't ruin it" in your direction as she passed by to enter the kitchen. At the sight before you, you realised exactly how correct she was. You had got someone in your life who you could never lose; you'd be a fool to ruin what you and Ben had. So of course, you began second guessing telling him the news once again. If you told him the truth, he may leave and then you've lost him for good. But seeing just how well he was around the children and how engaged he was, you actually considered that this was a good idea.

The time came to finally exchange presents; no doubt after the children had nagged the adults for 20 minutes straight, asking "when can we open them?". The children spent the most time opening presents, getting excited after each one and showing it off to every single adult in the room. You were sat on the small armchair; well Ben was, and you were perched on his lap, an arm around his neck and head rested on his shoulder. You were admittedly beginning to grow impatient at telling Ben the news; as much as you didn't want to tell him, waiting to do it was becoming painful because it only gave you more time to re-evaluate your decision. Thankfully, your mother had finished giving everyone her gifts, so it was the end and you could give Ben his. You rushed out of the room to where your coat hung up, pulling out a small box that was wrapped in paper and had a bow placed on the top. Ben noticed the box and furrowed his brows, even more so when you went to hand it to him.

"YN, we agreed we weren't doing presents this year?" he questioned, hesitantly taking the box from your hand, almost as if he expected it to explode in his hand. You nodded your head a little, understanding his confusion. Honestly, you forgot that you had agreed to not give each other presents this year because you had spent quite a lot of money so far on your relationship, first buying the house and then investing in a pet.

"I-I know, but you wouldn't have got any other gifts, and I think you'll like this one" You mumbled, urging him to open it and trying to hide your nerves from Ben as you knew he had a strange talent of noticing when you were hesitant to do something. He was like a human radar; he knew when you were happy, sad, angry, nervous, excited. He had a mental notebook of all your habits for each emotion, so he could probably tell that you were absolutely bricking it right now. But you assumed that he just thought this because you were nervous he wouldn't like the gift; which you were, but he didn't realise why. He took his sweet time opening the present, unwrapping it slowly considering he had all eyes of the room on him at that moment, alongside the glare of a camera that your mother had pulled out in excitement of the moment. As he opened the flaps to the small cardboard box underneath the wrapping paper, his eyes widened and his whole body froze. You can't deny, so did yours. He slowly pulled out the small stick out of the shadows of the box to reveal two small pink lines on the small screen.

"A-are you... is this real?" he mumbled, looking up to meet your eyes. You saw the tears beginning to pool at the bottom of his eyes, and you saw a glint of happiness. You nodded, awaiting his reaction.

"I tested positive."

You didn't know if this was a good reaction or a bad one because he didn't really show much emotion on his face. That was until a giant smile stretched across his face and his hands dropped the box so that he could wrap his arms around you. It was rather sudden, but he took you into the tightest hug you'd ever felt; his head rested against your shoulder and you felt the tears of joy seeping into your jumper. You obviously hugged back, relieved that he was actually happy about this.

"I-I'm gonna be a dad? W-We're gonna be parents?" He continued questioning, unable to believe any of this was true because he didn't think contentment like this could exist. You could barely speak your own words, only having the ability to nod and cry as well as Ben.  The whole family was now cheering with you, Lilah jumping on your lap to give you the biggest hug she possibly could, exclaiming that she couldn't wait to have a little cousin she could play with. Well, you assumed that's what she said, considering most of her words were indistinguishable.

"I can't believe this, this is the best day of my fucking life. God, we're gonna be parents in 9 bloody months, love. I love you so much, and you too" he gushed, tears brimming in his eyes once again and also yours. He bent down and gently kissed your practically-non-existent bump as he whispered "and you too" and you couldn't help but admire how well he took the news; you certainly didn't expect this much of a reaction from him and you felt a little stupid for ever second guessing yourself. Of course, being the bundle of nerves Ben tended to be, started questioning everything; "How far along are you? Have you been feeling ill? Because I'm sorry if I haven't been much help to make you feel better but I don't recall hearing you being sick of anything in the mornings so I don't know-"

"Ben, I've been fine so far; I'm only a month along and I've only had two instances of morning sickness, both of which you weren't home for so you don't have to worry. I suppose I've felt a little under the weather recently but nothing that I couldn't cope with." You explained, which brought comfort to Ben as he knew you weren't suffering too much in the time being. Though, he had heard of how harsh pregnancy can be for some women and he prayed to the Lord that you would not be one of the small percentage.

*****

After finding out the exciting news, Ben had been non-stop protecting you like you were a piece of glass; not that he didn't before, he just did it a lot more intensely now. Every time you tried to sit down or stand up, he would help you so that you didn't 'strain your back'. Every time you went up the stairs, he would walk right behind you. Every time you yawned, he asked if you wanted to go to bed and insisted you had an early night so that you and 'bean' were well rested. Oh yes, and he had nicknamed the growing child 'bean'. You, thankfully, now found yourself wrapped up in the covers of your duvet after a long Christmas day and could not wait to fall asleep. Ben had jumped in beside you and cuddled close so that he could rest his hand on your stomach and head on your shoulder. You were so close to being asleep, until Ben decided to create conversation.

"You know, I thought your boobs had gotten bigger, but I didn't want to mention it in case you thought I was complaining" He mumbled into your neck, which woke you up immediately. You slapped his arm and chuckled loudly, making him wince in pain a little.

"They've also gotten a lot more sore so no touching. And alongside that, I constantly need to pee, very gassy and am continually getting mood swings; so good luck for the next 9 months because you're officially dating a zombie" you countered, making him chuckle gleefully. He didn't care how disgusting or gross you may have seen yourself; you were still beautiful to him and he was going to let you know that every day.

"A gorgeous zombie who I love very very much and is literally bringing my child into the world; with my help, of course." He smirked, making you roll your eyes because you completely understood what he meant by 'his help'.

"I'm so happy that your happy and I can't wait to have a family with the love of my life"

"And I can't wait either" He grinned, feeling happiness he had never felt before in his life. Now, all he had to do was propose; luckily, he'd been planning it all along

[fotfotssmile]

My Little Mochi 💉

Chapter 8: Sweets and Smiles

I looked down with a small smile as I felt Jimin's small, chubby fingers interlock with mine. He clung to my side as we made our way through the hurricane of people. I found myself tracing light circles in his palm and it was really working. I felt him loosen up slightly as we walked closer to the sweet shop. It was quite a mission as I had Jimin on one side and on the other I was carrying several bags full of the newly bought clothes for Jimin, whereas Jimin was just carrying one small bag that had a toothbrush, deodorant, and a bottle of water he wanted. I suddenly felt a large knock against my side and I felt Jimin's hand slowly slip away from me in the middle of the crowd, followed by a loud gasp and when I looked down to my side he wasn't there, nor was he behind me, and nor was he in front of me. I started to panic as I looked around frantically unable to see him due to the amount of people in the crowd. "Jiminie-Hyung?" I called out getting a few stares as I felt my heart race the longer I was away from him. "Jiminie?!" I raised my voice as I started to barge my way through the crowd, a few strangers replying with a cold 'Watch out' or 'Piss off'. "Jimin-Hyung?!" I searched around vastly, but I couldn't hear a reply due to the rowdiness of the people around me. I shoved my way through the crowd and I finally escaped the mess. I continued to scan the area in hope to see his mop of blonde hair. "JIMIN!" I cried out incredibly worried and concerned. I mean I was practically useless in the sense of I had no idea what to do in this kind of situation, and not mention Jimin's child like behaviour. He was vulnerable and innocent anyone could have taken him at that moment, and he wouldn't even think twice about it. Plus he was irresistible to any persons eye...I lost my cool when all of a sudden I caught a glimpse of Jimin's light blonde hair. When I started to head in the direction I realised it was definitely Jimin, but he was not alone. "JIMINIE?" I called out to him and he turned his head to face me, tears in his eyes, shaking violently, just like what happened early hours this morning...Then the person he was with grabbed his wrist and I found myself sprinting over to him. By this point I had chucked the bags somewhere under a bench hoping they would be safe enough until I took Jimin back.

"Come with me, now" A low toned male voice spoke out and when I reached them Jimin looked scared out of his mind.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I grabbed hold of the males wrist tightly and he just looked at me with a furrowed brow.

"This boys mine." He sternly replied and I just shook my head squeezing his wrist tightly causing him to let go of Jimin's wrist, pain evident on his face.

"I don't think so." I answered back, the grip I had on his wrist getting tighter, which made him whimper slightly. He tried to break free from my grasp, and I could tell he was angry by my actions, but I didn’t care. It looked like he was going to hurt my Jimin, and I refused to let that happen.

"...S-sorry" He apologised shaking his wrist in hope to make me let go.

"That's what I thought." I glared at him and he looked down at Jimin before looking back to me with a sigh.

“My mistake..." He huffed and I twisted his wrist slightly and he only cowered in response.

"Get lost!" I yelled letting go of his now slightly crushed wrist. Without hesitation he shot off in the opposite direction and I sighed in relief thankful that I was still quite strong as a person. I then gasped before turning to look at Jimin. He just watched as the creepy stranger ran away in fear, and I pulled him into my arms tightly. "Oh thank god...I thought I lost you..." I felt a sense of relief as I held him in my arms and I could feel his hands slowly reached up to grip on my shirt.

"J...Jungkook...kookie..." He sniffed and I nodded into him as I made sure nobody else could touch him.

"It's ok...I got rid of that jerk...he's gone I promise" I sighed softly stroking his back.

"You...you saved me..." Jimin stopped shaking as much as he hugged back and I could feel the warmth of his breath against my neck...

"I'll always save you ok?" I pulled away, but kept my hands on his shoulders making sure he was looking directly at me.

"I thought he was going...going to hurt me..." Jimin shivered and I shook my head with a serious expression.

"Nobody is gonna hurt you, not while I'm here" I reassured and he quickly turned away from gaze.

"T-thank you...umm...Jungkook?" He started and I continued to stare at him unable to take my eyes of his every move. The way his hands moved down to his front, the way he fiddled with his thumbs, the way his hair fell perfectly, the way his eyes were swollen, and even down to his luscious lips that were slightly parted as if begging me to smash mine against them...

"What is it Jiminie?" I asked closing the space between us and I could see the blush rising from his neck and I couldn't help but chuckle for a brief second, before Jimin raised his hand and pointed straight ahead of us. I followed his finger and he pointed to the smallish building that read 'Busan's BonBon's' "You want your sweets" I couldn't help but chuckle as after what happened the only thing on his mind was those sweets. "I suppose a deal is a deal. Come on then" I picked up the bags once again before I started to walk towards the sweet shop, but Jimin took hold of my arm and when I turned around he was looking down as if something was bothering him. "You ok Jiminie-Hyung?" I asked a little concerned.

"Umm...Can...is it ok to hold...your h-hand" Jimin stuttered out and I rolled my eyes before interlocking our fingers, and the smile on Jimin's face made it all worth it.

As we walked into the sweet shop, now hand in hand, I noticed a few strangers eying us up. I guessed it was because we kind of looked like a couple. I mean our hands her enclosed in each others and the way Jimin was leaning against me a little, if I was watching us right now I would assume we were together.

"Jiminie-Hyung, what sweets do you want?" I asked before letting go of his hand to stand in front of him. He looked down at my hand before looking to the large jar of lollipops behind the the counter. "You want some lollipops?" I checked and he nodded in response. I made my way to the counter before taking out my wallet and the girl behind the counter was extremely pretty. She had this intriguing vibe about her which made me use my charming smile. "Hey!" I caught her attention and when she looked up she didn’t seem all that interested, but when she looked down to Jimin her eyes sort of sparkled.

"Oh hello!" She responded with a sly smile. I suddenly felt Jimin press himself up against me harshly.

“It’s ok Jiminie. I’m going to get you those lollipops” I reassured, but he seemed so distracted by the girl behind the counter.

“Jiminie? What a positively precious name!” She beamed, and I nodded in response. “How may I help you Jiminie?” She averted her eyes straight back to Jimin, who just clung onto me desperately.

"I was just wondering if I could get some of those luscious looking lollipops behind you" I continued to smile and she giggled a little before taking the jar of lollipops and opening it in front of me.

"How many would you like sir?" She asked biting her lip a little.

"I'll take 20, oh and please Jungkook is my name" I stated and she started to count out 20 lollipops and I noticed her eyes scan me up and down before using the same sly smile as before.

"That's 20 lollipops...so that's £10 if you may" She held out her hand and I placed the £10 note lightly in her hands before she handed me the bag of lollipops, all the way through this transaction we never broke eye contact.

"Thank you" I nodded with the same smile as before. I was about to turn away when the girl took ahold of my shoulder.

"This is for Jiminie. Looks like he could use a little extra something to remind him to smile." She scrambled under her desk before pulling out an extra large lollipop. "My names Lisa...” She smirked, but there was something about that glint in her eyes. The way she stared at Jimin, it wasn’t sweet, nor was it innocent. I took the lollipop and handed it to Jimin, but he refused to take it. I sighed and turned back to Lisa.

"Thank you Lisa..." I grinned, but before I could say anything else, Jimin was practically dragging me away to the door. Once we were out of the shop I did a triumphant scream before holding the bag of lollipops to Jimin. "Well Jiminie-Hyung these are yours!" I continued to grin, but the look on Jimin's face didn't seem to impressed. Instead of taking the bag of sweets he just pushed them away. "These are yours Jiminie, take them!" I urged but he just shook his head with a frown as he looked up at me. "What's wrong?" I asked tilting my head to the side a little confused, and he just shrugged his shoulders. "I just bought you your sweets...it's time to go now" I added and he shook his head before crossing his arms. "Jiminie-Hyung we can't stay here forever" I chuckled but he didn't respond. "Jiminie, come on" I tried to take hold of his hand but he just glared up at me. "Jimin we need to go home. It's getting late"

"Don't wanna." He simply replied and I frowned shaking my head a little frustrated.

"Jimin, I just bought you all this stuff now we need to go home." I sternly stated.

"I never asked for this stuff." He added in a rather aggressive tone.

"Well do you want me to take it back?!" I frowned feeling a little annoyed by his antic.

"Don't care." Jimin shrugged his shoulders as he continued to glare up at me.

"You're like a child!" I sighed and he just stomped his foot as if he was about to have a tantrum. "Fine. You wanna act like a child then I'll treat you like one." I groaned before placing the bags on the floor. Jimin looked up at me a little confused and then I crouched down grabbing his thighs and hoisting him up over my shoulder, causing him to let out a small yelp. Now the next bit I wasn't quite sure why I did it, but my hand moved over his butt and I slapped it enjoying the whole thing a little too much as I heard Jimin whimper unexpectedly. I picked up the bags using my free hand and started to walk to the car park like this. At first Jimin was flailing his arms and legs aimlessly, but he eventually gave up when he knew I wasn't going to let him down. I didn't even care how many people had witnessed what just happened I was smiling like an idiot just chuckling to myself as I carried him over my shoulder all the way back to the car. All that was running through my mind was how surprisingly light he was, and how easy he was to pick up and sling over my shoulder, almost like I had done it before and it was just a daily routine...

Once we reached my car I gently placed his feet back on the ground. "Anything to say?" I raised my eyebrows and he just shook his head whilst looking down at the ground "That's what I thought. Now let's get home" I nodded and he nodded back before slowly entering the car....

8/💉

[outpost-31]

AND here's Narancia. Connected to this one since it's the same ask

shakes him like a rain stick

[Not Spoiler-Free. Long post, under the cut]

First Impression: I thought he was.. interesting . And did not mistake him for a girl like alot of people did /j

I learned later that he wasnt just a wild card but an amazing character with incredible presentation. and also some of his moments are really adorable but that's not the main point

COME ONN

Separately from that issue though, excuse that, I cant actually recall much of what I thought about him. But he was one of my very first favourites in the part and I got attached immediately. His display of character near immediately in his introduction is just a plus that got me fascinated REALLY quickly

Impression Now: I consider him a son. A brother, even

I don't know quite how to explain it but compared to alot of the people in part 5 his personality captivates me one the most. His immaturity and knowledge compared to everything else about him are a stark contrast that make me spin him in my brain like a horse constantly because he's genuinely so fun

His very powerful stand, his strong dynamics with other characters, his quick thinking even in drastic extremes and intense resilience (CUTTING OFF HIS OWN TONGUE TO FIND SQUALO AND TIZIANO. LIGHTING UP AN ENTIRE BLOCK TO DRIVE FORMAGGIO INTO THE OPEN). He is so fucking cool.

His backstory is incredibly heartbreaking but the way it openly affects him after in so. bites him bite bite bite rip. His hesitance to leave Trish and immediately jumping in after because she was just like him.. Tears. His relationship with Fugo. Love him. Even his stand also presenting his immaturity due to his rough past by being a TOY plane over anything else. man

Favourite Moment: I can't choose. That scene on the boat with Mista and the chocolates is sweet though. THE BOAT WITH HIM LISTENING TO MUSIC. He has alot of badass moments too but of those my personal favourite is still the tongue thing like. jesus dude

Idea for a Story: 50 more scenes of Narancia just being sent out to do chores like shopping. Because I feel thoroughly robbed of him trying to go buy makeup (and the fact he remembered everything Trish asked him to get :) ) /j

Unpopular Opinion: Uhh I'm not sure I have anything particularly unpopular. It is a bit sad how I'm a bit hesitant to call several of his moments cute/adorable because of how rampantly hes infantilized in fanon just for being immature or slightly childish (same with Doppio)

Like I won't go on a tangent about his character but I'm always plagued by thoughts that people will think that's the way I am. When I am NOT. It feels.. Gross for more than just the babying (ableism again maybe but it could be several things)

Favourite Relationship: Ok I could rant about his dynamics with Mista and Fugo for 20 minutes but I won't this one's also getting long. but they are my absolute favourites. besties. all of their scenes as 2 or the whole trio are hilarious. fugo constantly thinking about him in phf. etc etc. love it smm

love homies to lovers so naramis makes me giggle but it's not a ship I'd die for, just a fun concept

Favourite Headcanon: I don't know how to explain it and it's only something I partially believe, but I'd like to think he was temporarily recruited into La Squadra when he first joined Passione due to joining behind Bruno's back, and just switched over when he had the opportunity or due to some other issue

To be fair it does cause some issues (eg formaggio fight, they did kindof seem like strangers or atleast somewhat unfamiliar) but it is a concept I enjoy even as a hypothetical

As for something that could be more canon.. Love the people [me] who draw his eye that had the infection cloudier/differently coloured than the other. I've always stuck firm to the belief that even though he didn't lose the eye, thankfully, his vision in it is still.. Bad, and he had the infection long enough to leave lasting damage to it regardless of the surgery

ok ^_^ narancia or triesh TRISH I MENAT TRISH

I'LL DO BOTH. Trish first but I'll do Narancia too seperately!!

Both are beloved though

[Not Spoiler-Free. Long post, under the cut]

First Impression: I, like alot of people I think, didn't immediately like her at introduction. Because the real beauty of her character comes later. But even at the start she still caught my eye

Being that the whole rude snobby thing seemed like an act to protect herself in this situation since she began to quickly open up later, she is amazing and I adore her. The complexity of that fuels me. However when I DIDNT know it was a defense mechanism it kept me from getting attached immediately because it. kindof worked for that purpose?? she wasn't exactly too rude or harsh, just blunt, but because of that it did take me some time to realize how great she was.

But even in her first few minutes of being introduced she's still hilarious and badass and there was still the charm of that which got me attached. Turning Narancia's switchblade back around on him, namely. Even if his guard was mostly down.. Good for her. 10/10

Impression Now: Unfortunately like 90% of the teen girls Araki writes, she suffers from sexualization and Written By Araki syndrome and it wounds my soul. That I will openly complain about because come ON, but she has captivated me completely otherwise.

Her determination and complete resilience. Her competence and bravery in the Notorious BIG fight despite just having discovered her power in both eternally trapping an unkillable relentless stand and ensuring everybody on board landed safe. Like come on she's so cool. and adopting the catchphrase of her mentor/father figure..

Alot of her character is genuinely so tragic and like alot of things in part 5 I wish her past (eg her childhood with Donatella before she became sick) were more elaborated on and shown but I cannot complain too much. She stayed strong and the amount of ass she kicked even with the help of others is commendable.

Favourite Moment: ok obviously the end of the Notorious BIG fight because her strength and perseverance genuinely have Bruno in Leone in awe of her for a moment but! that speech she gives in.. I think the Clash/Talking head arc about her father.. Fucking love her she's so good

Idea for a Story: Despite my adoration I don't really have one. Trish stays in the mafia post-VA and becomes bffs with the survivors AU. But also I want to listen to her songs from PHF oh my God

Unpopular Opinion: Despite not having anything wrong with it I don't think Giorno and Trish is a good ship ok ty. personal preference but if there is anything I know about Giorno it's that he doesn't like women and the opposite for Trish/ j

But in all seriousness uhh not exactly an unpopular opinion but as for Diavolo I genuinely do not think she got anywhere close to the closure she deserved. Her last moment seeing him was possibly just him being thrown into a canal- I feel like she never got proper justice for all of what happened to her or closure for any of her feelings (especially with the loss of half the group and the man that could be considered her father figure). He technically was brought to justice, yes, but. I feel like for her it was never really wrapped up. She didn't get answers. Relief. Nothing, really

Godd FUCK part 5's ending I enjoy part 5 but omfg

Favourite Relationship: God there's alot to talk about but this one is already getting long I won't say much. I love her and Bucciarati sm, it's the kind of comfort she never previously got, and since she and Mista were starting to warm up to eachother I wish we could've gotten a look into that friendship some more. Sibling-Type dynamic

Her many parallels to Giorno fascinate me too

I don't really have anything for her ship-wise

Favourite Headcanon: Spa days with Mista. They do their nails and face masks together and gossip and watch movies. sometimes they'll rope Fugo or Giorno in /j

[skyflamedragon]

The New Fairy Tail

Guild Battle Arc

Chapter 13: Battle for Number One

Hikari yells, "I am sick and tired of you talking about genetics and being born better! Just because your parents are strong doesn't mean a damn thing! The one thing I hate more than being called midget is spoiled brats like you." Brazz snarls, "Well then fairy, come dance with the devil!" They both let out two monstrous roars before lunging at each other.

*We pan over to the fight with Namika and Lucio. They have paused hearing the battle going on not too far from them. They are both worried about their comrades*

Namika is the first one to speak, "Seems as though those two are giving it there all, how about us swordsman? Should we kick it up a notch?" Lucio snaps out of his worried state, "Yes I guess it is time to take it to the next level." Lucio puts his two swords away and focuses. He summons not a sword, but a pair of gloves and puts them on. Namika curiously asks, "What trick do you have now?" Lucio puts his hands up, "Oh these? They're a little help so I can utilize my trump cards to their full potential." He then begins to walk forward, "I must thank you and your guild, you guys gave me the motivation to increase my training; if I hadn't, I wouldn't be able to use these two blades together."

He suddenly lunges at Namika as a sword appears in his hand and he makes a slicing motion. This happens in just a few seconds, and Namika is barely able to block in time. She feels an incredible amount of heat coming from the blade. She jumps back then immediately lunges forward. Lucio puts his other hand up and a sword flashes into existence to block the hit. Once Namika makes contact, she can tell this is no regular sword; it feels as though she was trying to cut into a steel wall, or something even sturdier [N/N: adamantium, anyone?]. She jumps back to a safe distance. We can see clearly that he is holding two Shaolin Nine Ring broadswords, one all black with gold rings, the other all red with yellow rings.

He twirls both then refocuses his grip. Namika smiles, "So, this is your strongest?" Lucio grins, "Almost. Still gonna be awhile 'til I can finish this." Hearing this, Namika cannot hold back her grin, "Well, I guess it's time I pull my final blades, too!" She then puts her blade close to her face and begins to chant to it. Once she finishes, she pulls her hands away from each other, and the sword follows the motion. She is now holding Dual Blades of Chaos. They are average sized swords, not small like in the stories. Lucio is quite impressed, "So that's why they say your blade is able to kill gods." Namika chuckles, "You've heard the legends? Then you know of my blades, but what about yours? I have never heard of a blade that solid or a blade that hot?"

........

"Ohohoho, this is too rich! You won't fight me, so I get to toy with you. Run my little toy, run!" Jarvan is running as fast as he can, making quick turns down alleys to try and shake her, but nothing is working. 'I can't keep this up, eventually she will catch me, then I'm doomed,' Jarvan thinks to himself panicking. Just then Jarvan trips on a barrel in the middle of the street. Jaina looks on in glee, "Finally! It's time I flattened this bug!" She summons a huge rock and makes it hover right over Jarvan. He knows it's over, there's no way out.

Right before it crushes Jarvan, it is blown to pieces by a green beam, then a red beam blasts the rock Jaina is sitting on. She falls out the air and lands with a thud on the sidewalk. "You know, we kinda consider him a little brother..." one girl's voice says, followed by another voice that says, "Yeah, and we don't take kindly to people who pick on our little brother." Both Jarvan and Jaina look up to see Chrissy and Rose standing on a nearby rooftop.

Annoyed, Jaina snaps, "Great now there's two more flies to annoy me; they're multiplying!" Chrissy looks over at Rose, "Isn't this the witch that our fair lady hates?" Rose looks over and squints, "I think it is. What do you think she'll give us if we beat her?" Chrissy ponders this before saying, "I don't know...maybe it'll be like last time." They both get devious looks on their face that makes Jarvan and Jaina uncomfortable. Jaina begins to ask, but Jarvan immediately responds, "You don't wanna know."

...................