#like admitting the radio stuff was her way of expressing affection and she mentioned her past partners to tease august idk man??

[bloomingsalma]

if a character in a fictional romance is/was a fuckboy, i need them to be falling to their knees and becoming a complete simp over their love interest. i need to see you become a lovesick idiot who suddenly has no idea how to act around the person you like and who is a complete embarrassment to watch. these are non-negotiable rules

[not-all-dead]

"It’s not a surprise when the Chief of Police comes out. There have been betting pools for years, and the announcement is met with mostly indifference. What is a surprise, however, is the interview that comes out alongside the announcement. The interview that is complete with a photoshoot of Lin Beifong in civilian clothes, talking about the challenges of her position. No one can remember the last time the Chief has given an interview, and the photo becomes the talk of the town."

How do you think the interview goes? What would Lin say?

link to (what i believe was) the original post of this! with some amazing art that VERY much helped me write this :DD (by @mgthejerkbender)

i was originally just gonna write a dialogue or notes for this but uh- i got a little carried away so here’s a 3687 word fic of the interview oops

CW: implications of past trauma (mentions of r@pe/s*xual assa*lt, public humiliation, not graphic at all), homophobia, sexism

fic under the cut :)

Lin walked into the room in a soft green turtleneck and dark brown pants that almost looked black without the light. There was sound equipment set up all over the place, with two armchairs in the middle of it all. A desk sat over to the side, a typewriter and paper sitting atop it. Quite a few people were rushing around, making sure that everything was in place for the broadcast. She watched a young woman sit at the desk, prepping the typewriter to transcribe the entire thing.

“Oh good, you’re here,” Lin turned to see a man in his early forties standing with a small journal behind her.

He wore a plain suit with a pale orange tie, his greying hair slicked back neatly. His eyes flitted around the room, checking things briefly for himself before focusing on Lin. He opened the notebook to a page about a quarter of the way through and smiled at Lin, nodding at the chairs behind her.

“Care to sit?” he asked, moving toward the chairs.

She took the seat farthest from where they’d just been standing, shifting to get comfortable while she waited for him to sit and get things rolling. She didn’t want to admit it, but her heart was racing. She hadn’t done anything like this is ages, especially not so casually. The topic of discussion also made her nervous, both because her job was something she rarely spoke of with anyone outside a professional context, and because of the announcement that would come with the interview. She’d encountered plenty of bigoted people in the past, and had no doubt that her officially coming out would only press them to question her position more than usual.

She picked idly at the fuzzballs on her turtleneck until the man sitting beside her cleared his throat. Her head snapped up to look at him, her body tensing briefly before seeing that he was testing the microphones. She sighed and relaxed slightly, speaking into the microphone placed before her when the sound technician prompted her to do so. Once everything seemed to be in place and ready to go, the broadcast started.

“Welcome, listeners, to tonight’s special program. I’m your host, Kaja Posicopolis, here with our esteemed Chief of Police, Lin Beifong. So, Chief, how are you on this fine night?” he started, putting on his radio voice.

“Good, I’m good,” Lin responded, leaning slightly forwards in her seat.

“That’s good to hear. I think I’ll launch right into our questions if you don’t mind, we’ve got a lot to get through tonight,” Lin nodded when he looked over to her, giving him the go ahead.

“Why don’t we start with something positive. What’s your favourite thing about your position as Chief? What about the job brings you the most joy?” he turned to watch her while waiting for her answer.

She looked at the floor for a moment, thinking before speaking.

“I think I’d have to say getting to help people. Ever since I was young I’ve wanted to protect others as much as possible, and being Chief makes that a lot easier and a lot more… legal,” he joined her when she chuckled lightly, but her smile only lasted a moment.

“Of course, I’m not perfect, and there are always times when things go wrong. I can’t say that those times don’t affect me, but I try to think of the people we as a force have helped over the years and that keeps me going,” she took a deep breath and looked to Kaja as he glanced at his notepad.

“That leads right into my next question; how do you do it? Not even your infamous mother was Chief for as long as you’ve been, and her time was already impressive. You’ve given so much to Republic City already, why, and how, do you keep giving?” there was a look of wonder and admiration on his face when he finished the question.

“I grew up in Republic City. It always has been, and will be, my home. And who doesn’t want to protect their home? I think that as long as I live here, I’ll be working to do anything in my power to help the city. I hate watching neighborhoods suffer… actually, I’m working on a plan with President Moon at the moment with the hopes of helping out the poorer parts of the city, providing homes for the homeless, all that good stuff. I just want to see Republic City thriving, and I want to help it get to that point. As I said before, it’s my home; everyone here is part of a community, a family, if you will, and that means everything to me,” Lin leaned back, resting against the cushion behind her, setting her right foot on her left knee.

“That’s a beautiful sentiment, thank you. I love the idea of the city being one big family, and that project sounds like it’ll be very good for the future of Republic City,” Kaja turned his gaze back to his notes, stopping the conversation briefly.

“The next question I have here is less uppity; what has your biggest struggle been with regards to your job?”

“That’s a hard one,” she paused. “I’ve had many struggles with work over my years as Chief, but I think of everything that’s happened… being a woman, and a queer one at that, has definetly taken it’s toll. Other things have been more directly challenging, but that’s been present since day one.”

“Would you care to elaborate on that?” he prompted leaning slightly towards her.

She inhaled and held her breath for a split second before sighing lightly.

“Sure, why not,” she gave a small smile to Kaja before starting.

“When I was much younger, just starting out in the force, I could already see the inherent bias against women that so many male officers held. My mother wasn’t immune to their verbal attacks, though she would give them a good… sparring match, lets say, if they ever so much as laid a finger on her. After a few times, that generally stopped happening, but people would still talk. The number of disgusting, awful things I heard coming from some of those men…” she huffed and shifted in her seat, putting one elbow on her armrest and resting her head on her hand.

“Anyway, I started to pay attention to every little thing. I noticed how many male politicians talked down to my mother, and not because of her blindness. Even a few of the men on our own council at the time would treat her as less-than for no apparent reason.

“I saw it happening in my own life and career, too. How my male counterparts got the promotion before I was even considered, despite performing just as well as them, if not better. How I was never asked for input on supposedly collective decisions or plans, and if I was or tried to interject, I was almost always dismissed. It seemed like any man of higher or equal rank to me thought I was some… assistant to bring him coffee and reports and not do any actual work.

“Seeing that attitude so often pissed me off. I made it my mission to prove myself beyond what was necessary. I wanted to show them that I could do anything they could just as well, sometimes even better. My work paid off eventually and I began to climb the ranks, not letting myself rest for a second. And I wanted to help people as well, of course, but it started out more as wanting to teach those bastards a lesson,” she moved again, uncrossing her legs and leaning forward on her elbows.

“Once I became Chief, a lot of people seemed determined to put me down. Practically every man, be he politician or merchant on the street, told me something insinuating that I was handed the position just because my mother was Chief before me. Every time I wanted to yell at them, to show them records of how hard I’d worked to get there, how much harder I’d had to work than most of my colleagues. With the politicians and other major figureheads, how much harder I’d had to work than they probably had.

“It was frustrating, but I got used to it. It was a constant that came with working a so-called, and I’m not making this up, it’s been said directly to my face before, ‘Man’s job’,” she stopped for a moment and looked over at Kaja, who was staring at her in disbelief.

She couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at his expression before looking back down and continuing.

“There was also the issue of my queerness,” she shook her head and took a deep breath, sitting back as she continued.

“I started working as a proper officer when I was about eighteen. Within my first year working, I was-,” she closed her eyes and clenched her teeth for a second.

“I had an encounter with a man, an older officer who was overseeing the training group I was a part of. He tried to initiate certain… activities with me, none of which I wanted to partake in. I did manage to get rid of him and filed a report against him, but it wasn’t the last time it happened.

“I was a pretty regular customer at a few of the underground bars for people like me at the time. I did my best to hide my face when I left, but there were always times I was careless, or somebody saw me in the seconds I let my guard down. Usually it was no big deal, but occasionally it was someone from work. Once, it was that man.

“He found me at work the next day and asked me about it. Yelled at me, really. He tried to make it seem like that’s why I’d denied him, and the names he called me weren’t pretty to say the least. He started to physically attack me, throwing punch after punch and not giving me the slightest chance to fight back.

“After that day, I stopped going to those bars altogether. The first time I went back to one was actually just a few years ago. I started dating Tenzin a few years later, and though people weren’t so outwardly expressive of their opinions on my relationships, the disapproval was still present.

“By the time Tenzin and I split up, I think some people still suspected my queerness, but it wasn’t a widely adopted theory. I had my fair share of men approach me, some with better intentions than others, and turned down most of them. Some of them didn’t react all that well, and I ended up filing several more reports. I don’t think any of them actually got charged, though.

“I entertained short romances with some men, some women too. Nothing stuck, not really anyway. I kept every relationship very quiet, including those with men, just for the sake of privacy. When I was with women, it was also to avoid getting hate-crimed, but I really did prefer to keep at least some things private.

“In the context of work, there were also challenges. That first superior to try getting at me like that must’ve talked, telling anyone who would listen about my excursions to the underground bars. People looked at me oddly in just about any shared workspace there was, though a few times I made friends because of it. Those were always good times, even if few and far between.

“Some people just gave a judgemental stare or vaguely rude comment every so often, but a few others took it further. Much further,” she looked up to the ceiling as she recalled another story.

“I had a supervisor when I was probably about, oh, twenty seven or so. He was a few ranks below my mother, and I one below him. He decided that one day it would be absolutely hysterical to cover my desk in obscene printed images of women I didn’t recognize, along with toys of a certain nature. I was mortified when I came in and saw the spectacle. The worst part was that almost everyone working in that part of the building at the time laughed with him, and those who didn’t weren’t exactly helpful.

“I didn’t come back to work for a week after that. It was awful, his stupid prank making me so shamed of who I was, who I loved. I know now that my loving both women and men isn’t a bad thing, and is simply part of me. It was harder to accept that, to accept myself, when I saw people like him in positions of power over me.

“I kept working though, and there was never an incident quite like that one again. A few others were more directly hateful than most, but it was easier to deal with. As with people treating me as less because of my gender, I got used to it,” she turned to Kaja, a hint of guilt on her face after talking for so long.

He shook his head, disbelief still spread across his face. His eyes flitted back and forth between floor tiles as he searched for the right words to respond.

“That sounds awful. I’m so sorry you had to deal with people like that,” he looked back up at Lin.

“So am I,” she scoffed, her fingers picking at her turtleneck again.

There was a small silence before Kaja looked back down at his notepad and then at the clock on the wall.

“We’ve got enough time for one last question, so is there anything you’d like to tell young women and queer people living in the city?” His expression was almost hopeful now, desperate to end off on a lighter note.

Lin smiled in amusement at him before looking down at her hands, fiddling her thumbs in her lap. After a moment, she looked back up at him and started speaking again.

“Absolutely,” she began, her gaze drifting around the room and landing on each individual at least once.

“To all the women working your asses off in the workforce: stand up for yourself. Don’t let any man devalue you because of your gender. Be the best you can be and wipe the smiles clean off their faces as you do it. Start your own businesses, get that promotion, set goals for yourself and fly past them. You can do just about anything you put your mind to, despite what many men might say,” her voice was strong, almost commanding as she began her final statement.

“And to all the young queer people out there; you are so, so strong. Keep loving each other, keep being yourselves. I know how awful people can be, but their opinions do not define you. You are perfect exactly as you are, and nothing can change that. It might seem like it’ll never be true, but I believe we will live in a time when acceptance is the norm. I believe that that time, with hard work and patience with those who need teaching, will be here soon.”

“Perfect. Thank you so much for your time, Chief,” Kaja said, looking at the clock again.

“Thank you for having me,” Lin replied, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

“And with that, folks, we wrap up today’s special broadcast. I’ll be back in the studio tomorrow resuming our usual radio program. Until then, I’m Kaja Posicopolis, and this is eighty six point four, your favourite music station,” Kaja finished, staying silent for a few seconds until a man from across the room nodded at him.

He rolled his head around and got up from his chair, setting his notepad down behind him.

“How are you now?” he asked Lin as he stretched his arms out and cracked his back.

Lin scoffed and stood, going through a couple of her own stretches. She straightened her shirt and tucked a few stray hairs back before responding.

“I feel like I just stood naked in front of the entire city,” she said, unable to hold back a small smile when Kaja laughed.

“Well, we’re about to expose you even more. You ready for the photo shoot?” he grabbed his notebook and pen and closed them, watching Lin for an answer.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Lin sighed before following him out of the room.

They walked down several long hallways, eventually coming to a large open room. The walls and floor were a pale grey cement, and there were expensive looking lights set up all over the place. A dark green upholstered bench sat to one side of the room, a tall light shining down on it. A few people saw them coming in and rushed around, turning off almost every other light. One of them knocked on a door that was on the other end of the room, calling for someone inside.

“This seems a bit excessive,” Lin muttered, her eyes wandering the room.

“Only the best for you, Chief,” a man said from somewhere in the shadows.

Lin glanced behind her only to see Kaja talking to someone near the door. When she turned back to where the voice had come from, she had to bite back a laugh. She tried not to, but couldn’t help smiling at the absolute glow that radiated from the man in front of her.

“You like my outfit?” he asked with a grin, twirling around for her.

He had on bright red fit-and-flare pants with a stripe of gold sequins down their side; a matching red low-cut tank top; a purple feather-covered knee-length jacket; gold sparkly platform shoes that made him tower over Lin more than he already would have; and a top hat that belonged with a businessman’s black tie attire.

“It’s incredible,” Lin chuckled, crossing her arms casually over her chest.

“You look sharp yourself today, Chief,” he said with a grin, taking a few steps towards her.

Before she could object, he pulled her into a tight hug. His arms squashed her face against his lower chest, making Lin painfully aware of the extent of their height difference. She laughed and patted his arm, thankfully getting him to release her.

“I’m assuming you’re the photographer, then?” she asked, grinning up at him.

He nodded enthusiastically and spun on his heel, walking back into the darkness. She heard a couple of small crashes and a string of profanities before he came back, a large camera and it’s stand filling his arms.

“Uh- where am I going?” he asked Lin, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

She let out a small laugh and stepped towards him, placing her hand on his arm. She guided him towards the bench setup, stopping them near where the light stood.

“Thank you, thank you!” he exclaimed, setting down the camera’s stand first and then fastening the camera to it.

“Of course,” Lin breathed, suddenly nervous to have her photo taken.

The photographer immediately noticed her mood change and put his hands on her shoulders.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make you look,” he closed his eyes and blew a chef's kiss to the side.

Lin nodded and took a deep breath, filling her lungs as much as she could before letting it all out. The photographer made a few adjustments to the camera stand, making sure it would stay while he got her in position, and then led her to the bench. He sat her down in the middle of it and walked back to his camera, dragging the stand loudly over so he was more to her right.

“Don’t be so stiff,” he called, looking at her through the viewfinder and flapping his hand in the air.

“Just- pretend I’m not here, you’re just sitting at home listening to the radio.”

He stepped back from the camera and watched Lin as she settled her head on her left fist with her right elbow on her knee. The photographer gave her a big thumbs up, calling “Much better!” and going back to looking through his camera.

He shifted it a few times before taking any photos, wanting to get it right in as few shots as possible considering the price and rarity of film in stores. Lin looked at the camera for the first few, looking away because of her boredom growing steadily. When he seemed satisfied with the shots, he took the camera off the stand and walked over to the bench.

“Room for another?” he asked, not letting Lin answer before settling himself beside her.

The images printed slowly, one at a time. After each was out, he placed them in the shadow under the bench to protect them from overexposure. Once the last one printed, he reached down and grabbed the first. It had settled well, the colours coming out nice and bright.

“It’s perfect,” Lin gasped, staring in wonder at the photo that managed to make her alright with how she looked out-of-uniform.

The photographer grinned at her, holding the photo up.

“I agree,” he said proudly, forgetting his other photos and standing.

Lin watched as he brought the photo to Kaja, engaging the shorter man in a quick and lively discussion before handing off the photo and walking back. He grinned ear to ear at her, and she sighed before relenting and giving a small smile back.

“Nervous, Chief?” he asked, standing before her with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket.

Lin chuckled and shook her head.

“I just haven’t done something like this in ages… or ever, really,” she said, her hands moving to grip the edge of the bench.

“Hey,” the photographer moved to place a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to look up at him.

“You’re doing great, Chief, trust me,” Lin let out a breath and really smiled at him this time.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, meaning it with every ounce of her being.

[dabi-drift]

Yaoyorozu, Bakugou, Compress x S/O {Valentine’s Scenarios} - Incomplete

If you want any characters adding here or to anything else I write, just drop me a comment or an ask!

Momo Yaoyorozu:

♡ La douleur exquise: the exquisite pain, unrequited love…

♡ This was perhaps the most appropriate summary of your emotions. You loved this girl, this sweet, gorgeous young woman, with all your heart, all your essence. But would she ever return that love? You watched her interactions with Todoroki and Jirou…it was more likely that she'd develop feelings for one of them.

♡ What was the point in all this pining? Not that you could help it, of course. You would've given anything to break free from the stifling jealousy, the borderline worship.

♡ It wasn’t obvious. You were the type so often described as a 'Kuudere'; your face very, very rarely betrayed your heart. But Momo…she made heat rise to your cheeks and butterflies flutter in your stomach.

♡ She was breath-taking, indescribable…incomparable.

♡ You noticed the way she captured everyone's attention, how she did it so innocently…you couldn’t help falling for her.

♡ You didn’t think she'd ever accept your advances, so you stayed at a distance. You became friends, but refused to take it further. You wouldn’t even try. You weren't willing to lose her.

♡ So when Valentine's came, you were extremely ill-prepared. Ashido asked if you were giving chocolate to anyone, and with your usual stoicism, you said no. For a split second, she seemed disappointed. Was the idea of love really that tempting to her? You would never understand that girl. Love wasn’t always something to flaunt. It hurt. A lot.

♡ Now, you weren't going to lie - you had briefly considered making Momo some chocolate with your sub-par skills, but that'd be too desperate…right? You could've waved it off as friendly, but if she was the only one to receive it, would she truly believe that?

♡ You sighed, busying yourself with school and listening to the mindless chatter of your classmates. Lunchtime approached, and you decided to sit alone. On the roof, of course (when is the roof ever not mentioned). You had to admit, all the happy couples sent you a slight wave of nausea.

♡ You were just wondering, ‘Why couldn’t you and Momo be like that? Why did love have to be so complicated?’

♡ Well, at least your food was there for you. As you began to eat, the last thing you expected was a polite little knock at the door. This was the rooftop - unexplored territory to the average student - no-one needed to be so gentle. You didn’t respond, thinking it'd been either the wind or your imagination.

♡ The door opened.

♡ It was Momo, all worn-out and blushy.

♡ Your heart rate picked up, and all potential words died on your tongue. Why did she hold such power over you? And why, why was she so damn cute?

♡ You wanted to turn her away, but a strange determination was burning in her eyes. In her hand lay a small box, complete with a ribbon and label.

♡ She moved toward you slowly, legs shaking. She presented the box to you.

♡ "I-I made these for you! Please accept them!"

♡ Although it floored you, how could you possibly refuse her?

Atsuhiro Sako/Mr Compress:

♡ His dramatic flair will certainly bleed through to this special day.

♡ This man 100% sat down and learned as many expressions of love (in different languages) as humanly possible; the more poetic the better. Obviously, he uses them at every opportunity, but on a day such as this…it was bound to be more heartfelt (I mean extra).

♡ He was forever going over-the-top, no matter whether it was your birthday, Valentine's, Christmas or anything in-between. He didn’t care for the tradition of men waiting until White Day to return gifts - he wanted you to experience the most amazing day, feel all the love he poured into you. He actually went to the trouble of purchasing (not stealing?? Man's dropped being a villain to officially become your biggest simp) everything he gave.

♡ Let's face it, the lure of thievery was strong, but his devotion to you was far, far stronger.

♡ You'd never professed to be a hero, but…you weren't a villain, either. You appreciated honesty and decency. Y'know, normal stuff - core values that villains were often shown to be lacking. So for Atsuhiro to break from his criminal tendencies, even for a moment…it meant that you were respected, cherished beyond belief.

♡ He hoped to prove as much, with each new dawn.

♡ But today, society had provided a legitimate excuse for Atsuhiro to flaunt his love. He'd organised the entire day, ensuring radio silence on the League's part. His plans wouldn’t be ruined by other obligations. Your importance surpassed theirs, tenfold. He couldn’t (nor did he ever wish to) fathom a world without your radiance.

♡ You were everything he never thought he'd find.

♡ This man will absolutely take you for a fancy dinner (PLF funded, of course), ending the night with a kiss beneath the twinkling stars - the ones he can't help but compare you to. In truth, the thousands upon thousands visible amid the partial cloud-cover, paled when judged against you.

♡ How did he ever win over such an otherworldly beauty?

♡ That thought was reoccurring. But it didn’t matter. It never would.

♡ "Tu sei un dono del cielo, e tu sei tutto quella che voglio."   *You are a gift from Heaven, and you are everything I want.

♡ "Voglio passare la mia vita con te."    *I want to spend my life with you.

♡ Get used to these more intimate phrases he's sprinkling into conversation. He might slip up a few times, but you'll never realise. And what does it really matter? The sentiment speaks with far greater clarity.

♡ He's a romantic at heart.

Katsuki Bakugou:

♡ Oh, your heart yearned for Bakugou's love. You couldn’t really understand it, given his attitude and that apparent God Complex. Unfortunately though, your rationale was side-lined in favour of this pursuit.

♡ Valentine's seemed like the perfect time to expose your feelings, but you just didn’t know what to do! While you stared at him a lot, you didn’t hang around the Bakusquad, and you couldn’t recall ever hearing him confess to liking something.

♡ That's where Midoriya came in. He was the ultimate treasury of information about the explosion boy. You just knew he'd have the answers. You spoke for a while in the dormitory's common room, Midoriya's notebooks spread across the table. By nightfall, you'd acquired knowledge of practically every inch of Bakugou's life. You wondered for a moment if that was a breach of privacy, but…oops?

♡ You settled on Mountain Climbing gear - Mountain Climbing, as Midoriya explained, was a favourite activity of Bakugou's. He gave you measurements, just in case you bought any clothes (how the hell did even know them), and walked you through the things Bakugou definitely wouldn’t turn down.

♡ It was gonna be a bit costly - good thing this boy was so intoxicating. 

♡ It sort of felt like trying to buy his affections, but even if he issued a fierce rejection, you'd still insist he take all the stuff. You didn’t hike, so what use would it be to you?

♡ You were determined to show your love, to prove you'd be his perfect match, far worthier than anyone else!

♡ When you'd collected everything (and thrown in a few spicy chocolate treats), you wrapped it up and steeled your nerves. The day of reckoning was fast approaching, like a herald of ruin. This could make-or-break your heart.

♡ Midoriya gave you lots of encouragement, but every time you saw Bakugou in the interlude, your smile faltered. What if he really did reject you? What if he hated you?

♡ Bakugou being Bakugou, he received letters and confessions of love on a daily basis. He never reciprocated, and he always complained - they were too desperate, too annoying, too…anything! He just seemed to hate love - the very concept! It was disheartening.

♡ But you wouldn’t give up.

♡ You wanted this boy, more than life itself. You wanted to be the one he held dear, the one he protected and grew jealous over.

♡ It was a fluffy fantasy. But hopefully, hopefully, reality would prove sweeter.

♡ The morning of Valentine's descended, and you caught him just before school. He would've walked with Kirishima, but said boy dismissed himself with a smile. He'd been clued in, you supposed.

♡ Bakugou tried his usual 'What the fuck do you want? How dare you address me directly, you piece of shit idiot', but you weren't letting him. He hadn't even realised the date, but when his gaze drifted to the items in your hand, he froze.

♡ You were in the middle of "IgotyouthisandIhopeyou'llbemyvalentinebutIreallydon'tknowit'sfinetorejectmeIjustwantedyoutoknow-".

♡ You saw the blush climbing his neck. You saw it settle on his cheeks. You heard him stutter, for the very first time. He was struggling under his contradictory thoughts of: My long-time crush actually feels the same way! And, I have a fucking reputation!

♡ You took pity on him, swallowing down all your nerves and stepping forward.

♡ You kissed him.

[eatfishies]

unexpected visitor

summary: You and Yamaguchi planned a surprise for Tsukishima on his birthday. note: time skip! tsukki and yams. this is a fic for the hc i did on long-distance relationship with tsukishima. fem! reader, she/her pronouns.

word count: 1,149 words warnings: none genre: fluff arthie’s note: i’m soo sorry for posting this late (╥﹏╥). i hope you can still enjoy this fic even tho tsukki’s birthday had passed.. nevertheless, i wrote this when i was stressed out haha so i hope it turns out good and that all of you like it too ^^ i got no time to edit a picture of tsukki so i’ll just put a gif of him instead ~ anyways enjoy!! (ﾉ´ з `)ノ ↳ back to main masterlist »»————-　♡　————-«« Yamaguchi hastily searched for the familiar face that he had become acquainted with. The crowds of people coming out of the gate, rushing towards their loved ones with joyful expressions. Throughly scanning the sea of people, he spotted the person he recognized and immediately trotted to her. Warm arms engulfed around his body, all of his worries diminished away as soon as he laid his eyes on her. Pulling apart from their clutch, he smiled at her tenderly. “Welcome, Y/n. Tsukki will be over the moon once he meets you.” She grinned, “I’m glad that I’m finally here.”

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆ He rolled his eyes in frustration, gazing at the amount of workload he has to complete. It’s exhausting, he’s drained and tired. All he wants to do is go home yet he’s stuck in the office, doing paperworks. Not to mention, he came here straight after volleyball practice when he got the notification from his manager, demanding him to come here urgently. “Oh! You’ve already done a lot! Nice work, Tsukishima-kun.” His co-worker praised, patting his shoulder. Mumbling a thanks, he quickly got back to work, wanting to finish his tasks so that he could get back home and rest. Turns out; work ended on 6PM instead, with his manager dumping more work onto him, blabbering about how tidy and organized the paperworks are when Tsukishima’s the one to do it. Internally cursing at his manager, he packed his things, ready to leave. The skies were fading into dusk as people on their work uniforms scurry onto the train, worried that they’ll miss it. He got inside of the packed train, hugging his bag closely to his chest. Feeling annoyed, he turned up the volume of the song higher to shun out the voices of the busy world. Finally arriving at his stop, he found Yamaguchi waving at him enthusiastically. Tsukishima sauntered over to him, “What are you doing here?” Smiling sheepishly, “I just wanted to pick you up from work!” The glint in his eyes indicates that he’s hiding something from Tsukishima which in turn makes the taller man, stare at him apprehensively.  “Okay, thanks.” Was all that Tsukishima said as Yamaguchi lead the way to his car. He kept on rambling about his day while Tsukishima hummed, nodding his head once in awhile to show that he’s paying attention even though weariness clouds his mind. Once in the car, Tsukishima fell asleep, dozing off to the soft melody that came out from the radio. Yamaguchi eyed his friend, feeling quite bummed at the state of Tsukishima. Nevertheless, he mustn’t forget that tomorrow is a special day and someone very dear to Tsukishima is here to cheer him up. 20 minutes later, they arrived at the restaurant that Yamaguchi had made a reservation for the celebration. He shook Tsukishima lightly who fluttered his eyes open sleepily. Coming out of his daze, he glanced at the building around him. “Where are we?” “We’re here to eat, of course! My treat since you’ve had a long day today.” Yamaguchi smiled as Tsukishima thanked him, wiping his glasses away from the fog that misted due to the air conditioning. Entering the restaurant, they made sat down on the regular booth that they’ve always occupied whenever they dine out here. “Did you forgot...?” Was what Yamaguchi asked after they ordered their food.  “Forgot what?” He replied, raising a brow. Tiredness still evident in his system as Yamaguchi sighed. “It’s your birthday, Tsukki!” Realization hits him, “Oh.” His head bowed down in embarrassment upon not remembering his own birthday. Yamaguchi chuckled, “That’s okay. You’ve had a tiring day today so I don’t blame you for forgetting it.”  Clearing his throat, he gazed around his surroundings, eyes widening when he noticed a familiar figure 3 seats away from them. Shaking his head in denial, he thought to himself. Stop thinking it’s her, you idiot. She’s miles away from you. Yamaguchi saw the gleam in Tsukishima’s stare when he thought it was her— unaware of the person he longed to see is actually hiding in this restaurant.  The food arrived and they quickly stuff their mouth, hunger overtaking the tiredness. Relishing on the delicious dishes, they managed to finish all of their meals clean. “Let’s go. I’m stuffed and I’m ready to crash into bed.” Tsukishima said, patting his stomach. Yamaguchi gave him a nervous smile, “Um.. yeah.” That made Tsukishima skeptical of what was going on but he decided to not question it any further due to exhaustion. It wasn’t until she appeared, holding a strawberry shortcake and smiling at him, making his heart flutter.  “Happy birthday, Kei.”  Scrambling out of his seat, he embraced her after placing the cake down. Tears ran down his face although he wasn’t sure if it’s tears of exasperation or exhilaration.  “I’m so happy to finally see you, Kei.” She confessed, making him cried even harder. It was rare of Tsukishima to display his emotions out especially in public however after years of longing to meet the person he loves— he knew it was bound to come out. Yamaguchi grinned happily at the sight of his friends, applauding himself internally on making this surprise successful. He wanted more than anything to see Tsukishima happy. ⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆ After numerous begging from Yamaguchi’s part (Tsukishima refuses to beg so he made Yamaguchi do it instead), she’ll spend the night at his house; that will eventually led to her staying for a longer period than promised. Tsukishima laid his head next to her’s, caressing her hand softly. “I can’t believe you’re really here.” He admitted, feeling as if this is a dream and if he’ll blink, she would disappear. “I can’t believe it either, honestly.” She squeezed his hand. “Remember when we used to make promises to see each other even though we live in different countries?”  A wide smile spreads across his face as the memory plays inside his head. “Yeah. What’s even more crazy was the fact that we met on Twitter.” “And now, we’re here.” She beamed at him, staring into his eyes, full of affection and adoration sheen forward. Mimicking her happiness, he stroke her face, feeling his heart swell at the person in front of him. Words could not even describe how ecstatic he is upon finally meeting the love of his life. He still couldn’t believe that she’s really here— warm and loving and real. Oh how, he dreamt of this happen millions of times already. Never would’ve he imagined that he would fall in love with someone; especially being in a long-distance relationship. He pulls her in, kissing her tenderly and soft. Pouring all of his love onto her, never wanting to let go of the person he cherished so much for. This was truly the best birthday he had ever had in his life; he made sure to thank Yamaguchi for making this happen too.

[argumentl]

The Freedom of Expression Ep 9 - Housewives living in Yamagata prefecture referred to prosecutors for insulting Kawasaki Nozomi.

K: Hi, This is Dir en grey's Kaoru, getting started with another episode of The Freedom of Expression. Joe san,Tasai san, welcome.

J, T: Pleased to be here.

K: Ok, so today's theme, Joe?

J: Yes, lets take a look at this news. 'Insult to Kawasaki Nozomi. "She gives me the creeps". Housewives in Yamagata prefecture referred to prosecutors....

A 39 year old woman from Yamagata and a 45 year old female medical worker from Osaka are being referred to Tokyo area prosecutors by Harajuku police station. According to staff at Harajuku police station, the pair are suspected of exchanging insults like "She gives me the creeps" about Kawasaki on an online public parenting platform between the 8th and 9th of April. They both admit to the charge.'

Just from reading this, being referred to prosecutors for saying 'she gives me the creeps' is a bit..

T: Well, yeh, but if you look in more detail, over three years they actually wrote on this parenting forum stuff like, 'She should miscarry' or ' 'she's creepy', also 'she's insolent', 'lets set fire to her house', *1, quite extreme things.

J: So we don't actually know thier reason for writing this stuff do we?

T: They wanted to send a message to Kawasaki Nozomi's husband's blog, but they were blocked, or unable to do so for some reason, im not sure. This made them angry and they directed thier rage towards his wife.

J: They probably shouldn't target his wife, and getting that upset because they couldn't send a message..I don't really know.

K: Its not very clever, right?

J: Yeah, its really not.

T: Also, 'defamation', I havn't heard this in a while.

J: Yeh, well Kawasaki san probably felt some damage to her honour, and in reality, if they come near her house, its coming close to interference in her business. The police probably thought this kind of 'defamation' was grounds for referrering the case to prosecutors. Another possibility is that  Kawasaki san hired a lawyer, who may have said they same thing....So, this happened on an online forum? I think we talked about this happening with someone else before, but how far can slandering be forgiven? I mean, in this case its being reffered to prosecutors, so, well, when does it become a crime? I think this is a really difficult point. This kind of thing hasn't been made clear in detail, but it may have similar requisites as harassment. But like, how far do you have to go for it to be sexual harassment?, how far to..???*2. This type of thing isn't specified in criminal law. I think this is a problem that will have different interpretations, that will change depending on the information. So, Kaoru, as an artist with your name and face in the public eye, you must get lots of supportive messages. But at the same time, you probably also get some not so supportive messages. How far can you tolerate those? Of course, even one nasty thing can hurt, but what what would you consider worth talking to the police about, for example?

K: Well, I havn't had anything as bad as this, but...???*3 seems creepy to me.

J, T: For sure 

J: And in this case, Kawasaki san hasn't even done anything! She's just in the wrong place. Right from the start its like, 'Why me?!'

K: Yeh, cause she's pregnant isn't she?..with that..its scary isn't it?

J, T: It is.

T: So, Kawasaki san is a former AKB 48 member, and after she quit, she started up her own company and was quite successful, she's been categorized as a winner, there might be people who are jealous of her. But to this extent..?

K: Well, they wrote it thinking that they wouldn't be exposed, didn't they?

T: Do people get exposed?

K, J: They do.

J: But why would they intentionally write this on a public forum? Wouldn't you normally spout your jealousy at a bar or something, after a few drinks?

K: But this is the same as that.

J: They simply write it?

K: I think so.

J: Like a kind of public execution?

K: No, I don't think they are thinking that much about it.

T: I think people need to be more aware of how scary SNS can be.

K: People are writing stuff with no thought, so i also think its ok to ignore it really. Its a person writing wierd stuff off the cuff, its all over...I mean, recently.???? There are tonnes of people writing stuff without thinking. And then people see all these comments just like that...writing just like that, and seeing just like that. Strangely, you need to be able to ...???, and you need to be able to brush it off . You'll still always encounter SNS or online info, thats how I feel about it *4.

J: I see.

T: There have been sucides in Korea, famous people have committed suicide, because they got affected by what people wrote online. So it happens in other countries too.

K: Well, it does affect you, the first time you see it.

J: Well, yes. When I do radio I get called all kinds of names *the others laugh*, recently, ive gotten, '????', to one of my shows. And these people get carried away, right, so it just increases more. They just come out with insult after insult*5, like 'are you still at it?!' ...well, i think, at least they are listening, so im kind of thankful.

K: Yeah, yeah.

J: Like, im just always talking, it could be kinda annoying, so if theres someone out there listening, im grateful. *T laughing*

T: Doesn't it bother you, Joe?

J: Not usually, no. But sometimes they hit in a sensitive spot, right? *K, T laugh*

J: It shouldn't be a big deal ...but....right? Some people will even cry on the train home. Even though it hasn't been a big deal until now, some people will cry about it. Especially if im also having a tough time with work or personal life, it stings.

K: Well, you are only human.

J: Right.

Kami: It happens to me too.

J: Oh, Kami's here.

Kami: Yeah, that happens to me.

T: You're not bothered by that though are you?

J: Yeah, you're a god.

Kami: Well, they say im no big deal, unreliable, or useless or something like that, loads of things are said about me...'you cheater ' and such.

T: *laughs*

J: You cheater?

K: Cheater..? What did he do?

J: Yeah!

K: No, I havn't done anything! I havn't done anything. Maybe its because, they'll give thier shrine donation but I don't do anything in return.

J: Oh, that more like a case of money trasfer fraud in the end?

Kami: Well, yeah.

T: Are you doing well at your part time job   Kami?

Kami: Yeah, im doing well.

J: Are you?

Kami: Yeah, I am, i am.

T: A pseudo account...

K: He's writing on one, right?

Kami: No, if stuff happens to my displeasure, I'll give out bad luck..as a fortune.

K: Did you say, 'I'll give out..' *laughs*

J: Kami, you're scary.

T: He is.

Kami: The people who insult me will go home with bad luck.

J: But there must be people all over the world saying stuff about you..

Kami: Yes, yes, yes.

J: It must be tough to search online for yourself?

Kami: Yes, that is tough.

J: Right?

K: He said once before that he searches for himself online, didn't he?

J: He did..I wonder how many hits you get per day with the god hashtag?

Kami: There are people saying this god is good, or that god is good, or there is only one god, or stuff like that. I don't even know which one they mean.

K: But aren't there many gods, but one in charge, right?

Kami: Who's in charge..im not sure.

*everyone laughs*

J: He doesn't even know?! Maybe you're a cheater because you're not even real?!

Kami: Some people say that about me.

J: Ok, prove to us now that you're real. At least, show us something that you've achieved. If not...if i mention it now, we've never seen you in person since the start, you just came down from the sky, and we just thought you were a god.

K: He just came all of a sudden, right?

J: Right! We've don't even have any proof that you're a god. We've had no choice but to believe you.

Kami: I'll refer it to prosecutors.

J: Eh? What do you mean?

T: Scary!

Kami: As defamation.

*laughing*

J: Oh, if we say stuff about you?

Kami: Yes, yes, its defamation. Bad luck for Joe.

J: Eh? Really? ...by the way, how for would you tolerate people badmouthing you, Kami?

Kami: Badmouthing?

J: Are there any insults where you think, 'This is really awful!'?

Kami: No, the things that are said about me are, im no big deal, that im unreliable, not in existence, or useless. That type of thing..'he's a cheater' and such. 

J: I see.

T: Now that you mention it, thats sometimes said about Tokyo Sports too.

J: Yeahh

T: 'Go under'.

Kami: Yeh, its like Tokyo Sports.

J: Do people really say that to you? But you said before, right? Apart from the date, everthing is false. *everyone laughing*. Thats amazing, you can sell papers and make money like that? Is Tokyo Sports originally just like fake news?

T: Well, people all over the world like a good story don't they?

J: I see. Well, it excells in the field of sports newspapers. Tokyo Sports has tonnes of fans, doesn't it?

T: Yeah

K: Tokyo Sports is like, the different one.

J: Yes, its different.

T: Well, im grateful..

J: Really!

T: On the other hand, we aren't respected. The level of respect we get is really low. *the others laugh* But I want to keep eating, so I'll recommend it.

J: Ah, ok. Are you hiring..at Tokyo Sports?

T: No, not really.

J: You're not?

Kami: A normal newspaper puts articles out, right?

T: Yeah.

Kami: But Tokyo Sports is creative.

J: Ahh, yes. They are stories, right?

Kami: Very much like a god.

J: Tokyo Sports like a god?!

T: Will you come and work for us, Kami?..hourly rate 25% bonus.

J: Ohh, 1250yen!

K: What will you make him do?!

Kami: Hmm, hmmm.

T: He could start with cleaning the toilets.

Kami: A night shift would be more money. *laughs*

J: Kami, how about cleaning Tokyo Sports' toilets?

Kami: It would be an outrageous guy who makes a god clean the toilets.

J: No, that would be the real Toilet God*6.

K: ?!...You were aiming with that!

J: Err, yeh...kinda.

*everyone laughing*

K: It seemed on purpose

J: No, no, it just came to me. I thought it would be too good.

T: You sounded serious.

J:I've been exposed...I took a deep breath before I said it. My shoulders moved.

K: His face looks so camp now....Ok, well, lets finish up here. Err, everyone, please subscribe  to this...show?

J: This channel.

K: Please subscribe to this channel..See you next time.

*1 Im not massively good at Japanese slurs.

*2,3 Couldn't catch these bits.

*4 He spoke so fast it all kind blurred onto one, difficult to understand.

*5 He's running off a list of slurs which his listener sent to him. Im not advanced enough in Japanese slurring to grasp each individual one.

*6 There is a toilet god in Japanese folklore, have a google :)

[emybain]

A “Bear”y Good Surprise

appreciate the pun lovelies. i didn’t sleep last night because i wrote this (and some other stuff...(; ). check for background info here written at 1am i think. 

ao3

It was the perfect gift.

At least, Adrian thought so. He had spent over a month working on it, and it came from the heart. Since their six month anniversary, he had been brainstorming gift ideas for their next anniversary, which would be one year. Even though they had agreed on no gifts, as nothing could truly represent their love for another, Adrian still wanted to give the love of his life something that would mean something to her. Nothing materialistic or showy. She didn’t like those kinds of things. After searching and searching the internet, as well as snooping around her apartment for anything personal like photographs, Adrian was still at a loss for what to give her. Not knowing what else to do, he called up the person who was the closest thing Nova had to a father, Leroy Flinn, A.K.A ex-Anarchist. The middle aged man now lived a life in solitude outside of town, though Nova visited him often and made up excuses to see him. He always insisted that he enjoyed his new life as a hermit, being able to live in peace and experiment without interruption, but that never fazed Nova. 

While Adrian wasn’t close with Leroy, they were now friendly with one another and Leroy seemed to accept that his daughter-figure had fallen in love with everything she was raised to hate. The phone conversation started out awkward, but upon mentioning trying to find a special gift, Leroy was quick to make suggestions. Nova had inventions, blueprints, books, and other belongings down in the subway tunnels before they were confiscated by the Renegades. This got the wheels turning in Adrian’s head; he could get that stuff back to her safely. But...she was owed that, and it wasn’t much of a gift. In fact, Adrian was surprised that the Council, who wasn’t so much the Council these days due to the reforming government, had yet to return her items. Or that Nova hadn’t gone in herself to retrieve them. 

He brought this up to Leroy, who thought in silence for a bit. Adrian almost thought that he had hung up when he mentioned a bear of Nova’s. Adrian perked up. Her father had gotten her a stuffed bear when she was very young, and Nova had brought it to the tunnels with her as a reminder of her family. It wasn’t something she talked about much, but Leroy knew of its existence. It used to sit on her work table and be her company while she would tinker with inventions. Leroy wasn’t sure if she had it still, or if it ended up being confiscated with the rest of her things. Whatever the case, it surely wasn’t in great condition. According to Leroy, Nova always wanted to get it fixed up properly and cleaned, but she never had the time or money. 

That led to Adrian straight to the Renegades Artifacts where he knew her items still sat. It took a while, but with the help of Snapshot, he managed to package up all of her belongings and load them up in his car. All of this had to be done in stealth mode, as Nova was at Headquarters that day presenting a proposal to Adrian’s dad, Captain Chromium. Then after that, it took about an hour to sort through the boxes. There weren’t many, but he and Snapshot didn’t know what all was Nova’s and what all belonged to the other Anarchists. He did find the bear, or what he assumed was the stuffed animal; it was the only one amidst all of the tools and weapons and clothing and other things. It was ratty and missing both of its eyes and there was a tear in its neck, causing a great loss of stuffing. What must’ve been a bow around its neck at one point was now a stained and brown tattered mess. Its nose had seen better days. An ear was missing. 

It was perfect. 

But even now, as Adrian tried to unlock the door to his house, with Nova’s arms wrapped around him from behind and her lips leaving tiny kisses on the back of his neck, he was nervous. He surprised her with a fancy dinner, telling her beforehand to dress nice. He picked her up from her apartment that was only a few blocks from his house, and she managed to blow him away with her attire. She managed to make a simple jumpsuit look like a million dollars. It was a dark turquoise, loose fitting on the legs with a v-neck and spaghetti straps. Adrian had to restrain himself from kissing her all over the second he laid his eyes on her. She knew how it affected Adrian, too, and seemed to like sauntering about in the thing all night just to get a reaction out of him. Damn her. 

She protested against a nice dinner, but Adrian could tell she enjoyed it. He was aware how she hated being treated special, but things like this were an exception. After dinner, they drove around for a bit, just enjoying one another’s company and the music playing on the radio. Then finally, Adrian convinced her to come back to his house for a few minutes. Say hi to his parents and to Max and have some quiet time in his basement. It didn’t take much begging, either. 

The front door opened, and Adrian announced their return. From upstairs, Simon greeted them and said they would be down shortly. 

Nova walked in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck, craning her neck to look up at him. Her soft, content expression warmed Adrian all over, calming his nerves just slightly. “Thank you for tonight,” she murmured, kissing him gently. He returned the caress, hands going to the curves of her hips. “I loved every second.”

He smiled against her lips. “Happy anniversary, Nova.” The first of many, hopefully, he thought as she tugged him down once more to kiss him, this time much deeper and more passionate than the last. He couldn’t allow himself to get distracted; he had a job to do. However, Nova’s lips were very, very enticing. He shouldn’t be surprised; Nova was good at everything, including kissing. 

Adrian wasn’t sure if he should’ve thanked or cursed his family for choosing that moment to all come downstairs.

“That’s another dollar in the jar,” Max said with a fake gag. 

Nova was the first to pull back, yet she took her sweet time. It was funny how much she had changed in the time they had known one another. When they first got back together, she was always embarrassed if they were caught in a moment, even if they weren’t kissing. She still liked her privacy, and occasionally got embarrassed if it was a stranger, but around their friends and family, she seemed to not care about being caught. Sometimes, she acted smug. 

“Hey, Max. How’s the new Battlefield game treating you?” 

He shrugged. “Good. You still haven’t lived up your promise to play with me in the zombie mode, though.”

She smiled. “Next weekend?”

“Deal.”

They exchanged greetings with Simon and Hugh, chatting for a few minutes. Adrian’s dads had grown to really love Nova; he could tell just based on their expressions and mannerisms with her that had changed and evolved since the Supernova. The feeling was mutual, although Nova would never admit it out loud. Both his dads had even helped Adrian gather supplies and tools for the stuffed bear. Speaking of…

“Well, I wanted to show Nova what I’ve been working on downstairs before I take her home,” Adrian said, narrowing his eyes at both his parents. They seemed to take the hint, and as they parted ways, Hugh clapped a hand on Adrian’s shoulder.

“She’ll love it, don’t worry.” Hugh winked, and Adrian tried for a smile. 

Adrian cleaned his room for the occasion, making sure it was extra tidy for her. Nova didn’t mind a mess, but this was important. He wanted this memory to last, and a dirty room didn’t belong in it.

“What did you want to show me?” Nova swung their joined hands lightly, looking around his room for an easel. “Is it in your studio?” The jungle had disappeared when Adrian neutralized himself over a year before in the fight against Ace Anarchy, leaving him with his boring art studio again. He kept meaning to redecorate the walls. Maybe he would have Nova help him sometime. 

“Actually,” he began, leading her over to the couch and sitting her down, “It’s in here.” From beside the couch, hidden behind the side table, he pulled out a large box wrapped in a silvery paper and tied with a red bow at the top. He placed it in her arms, heart racing.

“Adrian,” she groaned, eyeing the size of the gift. “I thought we agreed upon no presents.”

“I know, I know.” He sat beside her. “But...don’t think of this as an anniversary gift, okay? I wanted to do something nice for you...from the heart. I know you don’t want anything fancy or expensive.” He inhaled a shaky breath and took one of her hands. “This is because I love you with all I am and all I will be.”

She gave him a long look, conflict written in her features. Finally, she shook her head and closed her eyes with a resigned sigh. “I love you, too, babe.” And with that, she carefully undid the bow and tore the wrapping paper, pushing both aside to stare at the box. 

“It’s not a crock pot.” He laughed at her confused expression. “That’s just all I could find to hold it.”

The corners of her lips lifted up, and she looked like she wanted to say something sarcastic but held back. She opened up the box and peered inside, pulling out tissue paper and at last, a brand new bear. 

“What…?” Her nose scrunched up and she examined the stuffed animal. It had two button eyes and a newly sewn on nose, as well as two ears, a freshly washed exterior that took time and some replacing to make fluffy again, and stuffing to make its belly full again. To top it all off, there was a big, shiny blue bow tied around its neck. “Wait…” she brought it a bit closer and sniffed, her frown growing as she sniffed its coat once more. Adrian bit back his grin. Her eyes widened suddenly with recognition and she gasped. “Oh my skies,” she cried out, clutching the bear to her chest and burying her face in it. He heard, “It’s D…” and then incoherent words.  Adrian placed a hand on her back as her shoulders began to shake with silent sobs. After a moment, she blinked at him through the tears that were ruining her eye makeup. “Are you serious?” She gasped for air and tried for a smile. “I smelled him and I knew exactly who he was. He still smells like Papà’s cologne and that stupid tobacco scent that’s been on him since day one. How….how? How did you get him?” 

Adrian explained to her the past month of getting her things back and the process of fixing the bear, all while she tried to listen to him and hide herself in the soft bear at the same time. When he finished, she just stared at him in amazement. Her bottom lip trembled. 

“All that...for me?” 

Adrian blinked. “Nova, you’re worth the world.”

She kissed him through the tears and shakiness. Adrian let his fingers grab onto one of her curls. 

“I love it,” she said when they pulled apart. “I love you, Adrian Everhart. I’m...I’m at a loss for words.” She sniffled. “Thank you. So, so much.” She cradled the bear in her arms, admiring his new look while attempting to wipe away her tears. 

Adrian placed a kiss on her temple, wrapping an arm around her. “What’s his name, by the way? Leroy didn’t tell me.”

Nova smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. “Dolly Bear. Papà gave him to me for my third birthday. He’s...he’s one of the last connections I have with my family.” Her face crumpled a little again. “Adrian, you have no idea how much this means to me. I love you.”

“I love you, Nova Artino.”

The kiss this time was much slower than the ones before, although the most intimate. Nova ended up staying much, much later than originally planned, but Adrian wasn’t complaining. Not in the slightest.

[deanie1987]

Mostly positive thoughts about Shameless 10x11 Location, Location, Location

This wasn’t my favorite episode of the season, but I really enjoyed it. As always, I wish we could have gotten a little bit more in the way of emotional scenes/real in depth dialogue, but clearly this is not the show for that anymore. But I’m going to be positive and there was a lot to like in this episode:

The general nonchalance and irritation with which both Ian and Mickey registered the fact that Terry was outside of the house screaming his head off. Then the fact that Mickey told him that he was irritating everyone LOL.

This episode was full of great line readings and one of my favorites was the way that Mickey said “I DEFINITELY love one.”

I thought Terry’s line “it does if it falls on a dick” was kind of funny. I’m not proud of myself.

I loved how Ian was trying to get Lip to talk about the move to Milwaukee and then trying to get Lip to talk to Tami about it as well. He mentioned it a couple of times and was trying to be supportive of the move. Either the self-help books he read in prison really helped or that boy has been in therapy and didn’t tell anyone about it.

Along those lines, I appreciated that Ian seemed a bit concerned about Lip and the move. He was clearly thinking about it and distractedly playing with his ring right after Lip left. It reminded me of when he was in prison and worried about Lip, Tami and the baby and the way he looked last week when Lip made his announcement. I don’t know if Cam does this on purpose, but it seems like he has different mannerisms or facial expressions for different characters. The way he smiles at Mickey or the softness of tone he uses for Mickey, for example, was different than the softness he used for Monica.

I loved seeing Mickey at home in the Gallagher kitchen and interacting with the various Gallaghers. It has been one of the things that I’ve wanted most this season and I’m trying hard (and pretty much failing) not to be bitter that it took until the second to the last episode of the season. The promo for next week and the thought of season 11 helps though.

Another great line reading with Ian’s “what is happening?” and literally every single facial expression that he had during all of the wedding vendor scenes. From the eye-rolls to the stunned expression to the warning glances to various shop clerks and finally trying to limp after Mickey on the way to the caterers and his increasingly exasperated YESes as Mickey barked out questions about the infamous chairs.

I liked Sandy in this episode. I liked her being on Mickey’s side and I like her offense at Ian’s seeming indifference and incompetence. She and Noel play off each other well. I loved the line readings of “I can see why you called me” and Mickey’s sincere “thank you.” My favorite thing, however, is the disdain that she and Ian seem to have for one another. When Mickey asked about Ian’s ring, the way that Ian kept glancing guiltily at Sandy as he answered made me laugh. He’s like, “not only do I have to deal with Mickey but now this judgmental bitch too.”  LMAO!

As much as the groomzilla stuff was played for laughs, I loved that Mickey took all of it extremely seriously. He has opinions about stuff, he’s clearly done his research and he wants the best for his big day. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he has thought about his wedding day with Ian before. He knows what song he wants, he can envision how it looks and I love that he is focusing on the “atmospheric” stuff like candles, music, flowers, etc., rather than the more practical stuff like food and drinks. Mickey is an artist after all.

I wasn’t sure how to feel about Mickey as Groomzilla when we first saw the preview but I totally get it now, and as per usual, Noel played every between the lines note perfectly. Mickey seemed unbothered by Terry after their altercation but his increasing stress level and emotion was palpable. After everything it took to get himself and Ian to this point, obstacles keep getting thrown in his way and by the time they’re sitting at the Alibi he is overwhelmed and anxious. Noel conveyed both the humor of the situation (I cracked up everytime Mickey threw down his pen in annoyance and every time that he shot Ian an exasperated look). But he also conveyed the anguish that Mickey must have felt as he tried to do something meaningful and joyous and NORMAL. People in love plan wedding everyday, why can’t Mickey? Why does everything have to suck?

And I appreciate the patience that Ian had with him and the way that it slowly dawned on him that Mickey really did care about all of the wedding stuff AND that he was more affected by his dad than he was willing to admit. And I liked that he was willing to indulge Mickey on his plans but also gently remind him of why they were there. Because they’re Mickey and Ian.

I will admit that I am not a Bon Jovi fan and I often run my car off the road trying to turn the radio station should Living on a Prayer or Dead or Alive come on. I also don’t reeealllly believe that of all of the hair band power ballads that Mickey could choose from he would pick a Bon Jovi song. BUT I will admit that the lyrics do fit and the scene itself was sweet. The singer was terrible but that somehow made it better. As cute as Ian’s gesture was, I was still a little underwhelmed. Maybe it’s just that seeing Ian so much more expressive toward Mickey is still new to me and I notice it more, but I sort of felt that Noel underplayed this scene just like the proposal. Or at least the version that made it air. I wanted to feel more from this scene than I did. Is it just me? I think it might just be me. And it makes me a little nervous for next week because I really want tears and heartfelt vows and not misdirected emotion and 100% shenanigans.

As for everyone else, Liam was better this week. I’m so glad that the show remembered that he is only a ten year old kid, who misses his siblings and his father. I don’t know if the actors who played Debbie and Carl were better at that age or if it was the writing or a combination of both, but I still don’t feel for Liam the way that I felt for them for whatever reason and I wish I did.

I didn’t mind that Lip, Ian and Mickey let him ride the L to find Frank on his own because Debbie was running a daycare at that age, Ian was 4 years away from having sex with his boss and god knows the kind of stuff that Lip and Fiona were dealing with at that age. They shield him and encourage him where they can but he’s one of Frank Gallagher’s kids and in their view, he should be able to ride the L by himself to the nice side of Chicago without holding anybody’s hand. The fact that Lip told him to check in once he got there is probably more than any of the other kids got at that age.

Lip getting cold feet makes perfect sense to me as did all of the reasons he gave Tami. Lip doesn’t ever want to leave the Southside of Chicago. That has been hammered into our brains since season 1. He says he does and I think a part of him WANTS to want to leave, but he doesn’t really. He has always liked being a big fish in a little pond and he has always liked succeeding without having to make an effort. That’s who he is and his story with Tami could really be interesting, because for the first time, he has a real reason to try to work things out with a woman who is “forcing” him to better himself. And he has a reason beyond himself to want to do it. It is an organic and interesting dynamic and I hope it goes into season 11. I also see Tami’s side as well. I like her and I like her with Lip and I think that the actress is good enough to go toe to toe with JAW. All of this makes me very happy.

Frank’s screen time continues to be ridiculous. How many times did we need to see Frank walking nervously down the hallway looking for a ghost. I didn’t even hate his scenes this episode but there were soooo many of them in a time when that time could be spent elsewhere.

I’m glad Carl is trying to do good, but I don’t care. Debbie looks good in that tux, but again, I don’t care. Kev’s line reading of “do you even lift, bro” was funny. Vee looked incredible doing her plank on the keg. But...you guessed it...I don’t care.

The promo for next week looks INCREDIBLE. I have a tiny bit of hope that outside of Lip, the majority of the storyline will be the Gallaghers trying to white trash the shit out of this wedding and I hope that everyone will be involved. There is a lot of plot to move on that score and there are some things that I really, really want to see happen in the next episode (which I will probably post about later), so I’m trying to keep my expectations low.

[quickeningheart]

Eight

   "It's all good, huh?"

   Alley tipped her head back to meet Stoker’s amused gaze over the back of her chair. "It would be, except Charley forgot to mention her supercomputer's possessed," she grumbled,  glaring sulkily at the lines of foreign text flashing across the monitor. "I don't even know what I did! I just opened what was supposed to be a spreadsheet file and next thing I know..." She trailed off and shrugged, gesturing helplessly at the screen.

   “Hmmm…” Stoker leaned over the back of her chair, eyes intent on the monitor. The fur on his arm tickled her neck as he reached past her to tap a few keys, and she leaned away to give him more space. A warm, strangely familiar scent hit her nose, musky and sweet. It reminded her of horses and hay and sun-warmed fur, and she found herself inhaling deeply.

   He noticed, glancing at her with a raised eyebrow as a small grin twitched his mouth. “Something smell good?” he asked, voice low.

   She scowled. “Just thinking you smell like a horse stable,” she snapped, attempting to cover her embarrassment. “Do you bathe regularly on your planet?”

   His expression shuttered. “Actually, water is pretty scarce on Mars, no thanks to the stinkfish. Portions are strictly rationed, and baths are considered a luxury. We get by with what we have.” His voice held no anger, but Alley knew she’d just been thoroughly chastised, and she ducked her head, blushing to the roots of her hair.

   “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I didn’t—”

   “Ahhh, now isn’t this interesting,” he cut in, completely ignoring her pitiful attempt to apologize. “Somehow, you’ve managed to access a Martian programming file.”

   She hesitated, wondering if she’d misheard. “A … what now?”

   “See all this text?” he tapped the screen. “This is incomplete Martian coding. Looks like the beginning of a program, but there are parts missing. Here … and here… Looks to me like our Charley-girl’s been a busy little bee.” He chuckled. “The rookies always brag about how smart that lady is. I think they were understating. She’s a technological genius.”

   “Wait…” Alley rubbed a hand tiredly over her face. “Pretend for one second that I have no idea what you’re talking about. What’s this mean? What’s she been busy at?”

   “I’ve been attempting to build a two-way communication system,” Charley said from behind them, making Alley jump. She leaned over the desk, tapping a sequence out on the keyboard. The monitor flickered and went blank; a moment later, the regular desktop came up. “I’ve got the basic communication coding down thanks to the guys' bikes, but you’re right, Stoker, it’s incomplete. I need to study something a little more advanced than the bikes for what I want to accomplish.”

   “You’re trying to build a communicator strong enough to reach all the way to Mars,” Stoker reasoned. “That’s why you asked me to bring some ship communication components next time I dropped by.”

   She shrugged. “I know it’s hard on the guys, being stuck down here without any way to contact Mars, always waiting for some communication from home. I can tell they’re restless. They worry about what’s going on up there. I figure maybe if they could talk to their families and loved ones, it’d help. Even if they can’t leave Earth, at least they’d feel a little closer to home.”

   “But, wait,” Alley interjected. “How can you do that? I mean, wouldn’t NASA or someone pick up on the radio signals or whatever?”

   “And there’s the trick of it.” Charley nodded. “But the mice have been studying Earth for decades without anyone being the wiser. They’ve come and gone, and have always managed to evade Earth’s detection. They have ways of … cloaking the signals so they don’t get picked up. I’m sure if I can get a look at their technology, I can copy it well enough to build a makeshift communicator of my own. The guys do have a small port unit that can receive messages and orders from Mars. My plan is to build on it, so they can send them back without detection, as well.”

   “Wow,” Alley breathed, deeply impressed. “You really are a genius.”

   “That’s if I can get it to work.” Charley smiled wryly. “My Martian coding isn’t up to standard yet, I’m afraid. It’s pretty slow going. The war might be over before I can even get it up and running.”

   “Why not ask the guys for help?”

   “Well, it’s sort of a surprise. They have no idea I’m doing this,” Charley admitted.

   “Then I’ll help you out,” Stoker offered. He chuckled at her dubious look. “Don’t worry, I can keep my mouth shut. They won’t get a peep outta me.”

   “That’d really be helpful. Thanks, Stoker.” Charley beamed at him. “My hope is to be finished with it by Christmas. I figure it’d make a hell of a gift.”

   "That it would," he agreed. "In exchange for my help, I want to be there for the unveiling. I'd love to see the expressions on those punks' faces when they get a load of this."

   "So you're plannin' on sticking around for awhile?" Charley asked.  "It'd be real nice to see you, but won't HQ get a little pissy if one of their best guys ups and disappears on 'em?"

   "I told 'em where I was goin'. They can't complain."

   "Uh-huh." Charley smirked at him. "Knowing you, you probably just tacked a note on the door before taking off. 'Gone to Earth. Be back soon!' Am I right?"

   He grinned. "It's almost spooky how well you know me."

   "Oh, it's no mystery," she snorted. "I practically live with a trio of Stoker-clones. If I haven't figured out what makes you macho mice tick by now, I don't deserve to be called a genius."

   Stoker winked and chuckled before heading back to his bike.

   As soon as he was gone, Charley gave her cousin a hard pinch on the arm. "Ow!" Alley yelped. “The hell, Charley!" She glared and rubbed her abused bicep. "It's not like I knew you were hiding some big secret in this thing!"

   "That's not why I pinched you. You promised, Alley."

   "Promised what?"

   "To treat my friends with respect. That includes Stoker." Charley lowered her voice. "I heard what you said to him, and if I heard, that means the guys probably did, too. Retired or not, Stoker is a well-respected general, and insulting him in front of his subordinates is demeaning!"

   "Come on, I'm not deaf. You guys have been goin’ at it all morning," Alley protested.

   “That’s different. Teasing and good-natured banter are fine. Deliberate insults are not.”

   "I didn't insult him."

   Charley raised an eyebrow. "So telling him he smells like a stable was a compliment."

   "Yes," Alley replied pertly.

   "On what planet?" Charley threw her arms up, and Alley pressed her lips together to keep from grinning.

   “Remember Pop-pop Davidson's horse ranch in Montana?"

   Charley blinked down at her cousin, nonplussed. "What's that got to do with anything?"

   Alley leaned back in the chair. "Those summer visits we used to have when we were little kids. Well, when I was a little kid, anyway. Fishing and swimming and horseback riding… And remember how he always let us sleep out in the horse stables, up in the hay loft? We'd pile all those hay bales together and make blanket forts and mazes out of 'em, and tell each other ghost stories. Yours were always way scarier, though."

   Charley’s expression softened. "Wow. I haven't thought of the ranch in years. That brings back memories. Those were great times, huh?"

   Alley smiled wistfully. "Yeah. Those trips were always my favorite vacations, getting to hang out with my cool older cousin. I was so mad when the family sold the ranch after Pop-pop died."

   "Well, our dads weren’t exactly the rancher types,” Charley replied with a laugh. “And they had the garage to run, after all. Couldn't just drop everything and move out to the country. Selling it was the reasonable thing to do. ‘Sides, that money helped Uncle Chuck start his business in Florida, right?"

   “Sure, I know that now. But I still miss those days sometimes.”

   Charley pursed her lips. “That’s all well and good, but I still don’t see how the ranch relates in any way to the current topic."

   Alley squirmed, embarrassed. "I'm saying, I always thought the stables smelled good. Clean hay and horses and fresh air. Like good memories. That's what … Stoker smells like. And that’s why telling him he smells like a stable wasn’t an insult." She felt herself blushing as a delighted grin slid over her cousin's face. "And if you ever tell him I said that, I'll kick your ass."

   Charley held up her hands, her expression oddly coy. "I won't say a single word," she promised, sounding way too innocent.

   Alley's eyes narrowed, and then she huffed and let her head drop onto her crossed arms. "He's standing right behind me, isn't he?"

   "Well, not right behind you. He's actually about five feet back and a little to your left."

   She lifted her head to glare. "And it would've killed you to let me know he was listening?"

   Charley grinned, winking at the tan mouse. “I figured his poor ego needed a bit of soothing after that bawling out you gave him this morning.”

   “How thoughtful of you,” Alley muttered. “Gimme your truck keys. I need to head to the school for that paperwork and stuff.”

   “What about the filing?”

   “It’s almost done. I’ll finish when I get back.” Alley held out her hand.

   “You’re not fooling anyone, you know.” Grinning, Charley dropped the keys into her open palm.

   Alley chose not to dignify that with a response. She grabbed her messenger bag off the back of the chair where she’d slung it and made a beeline for the door, pausing just long enough to shoot Stoker a threatening glower. “It doesn’t mean anything and I don’t wanna hear one word about it.”

   He held up his hands in mock-surrender, affecting a serious expression. But he couldn’t quite hide the grin twitching at his mouth as she turned on her heel and stomped out of the garage to the truck parked around the side. He glanced at Charley, smirking. “What was that you said about me losing my touch?” he teased.

   Charley laughed and threw a rag at his head.

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