#oh my god I can't handle bus rides

[slackergami]

Months ago, anon asked me if I've been to Macau. To celebrate my bday, I went to Macau for a quick day trip but I had no itinerary planned and my chronic headache cut the trip very short 😂 so I went to the Ruins of St. Paul's, grabbed some almond cakes and took a cab to The Venetian for window shopping and checked out the casinos (I'm too dumb to gamble dw).

[princess-of-the-corner]

God I forgot about Qilin. Cool asfk akuma, arguably one of Gabes best designs, dragged down by the fucking ticket inspection and bringing in the goddamn army. (As well as how the episode felt like it was written avid ACAB Enthusiasts)

my problem with the episode is that it's a bit all over the place in a few spots like.

Firstly take this with a grain of salt because I'm white af

Okay. This is supposed to be an episode about racism and the cops being harder on minorities. But it doesn't.... come across that?

The ticket inspector was initially doing his job. Sabine didn't have a bus ticket. Yes it's because Mari got off the previous stop with the tickets, but if he handwaved everyone who said 'oh I totally bought a ticket but I lost it'.......

Now he does get unreasonable after that, accusing her of being hostile, having her arrested instead of just printing a ticket, etc. But this is also a show where the 'you seem to have broken a law so you immediately get arrested' is not out of place. (I mean sometimes it is BUT it's a 'what works for the story' thing). Doubly so as the target audience is children who sometimes do think 'oh god oh god I sneaked one extra candy they're gonna send a full swat team and arrest me and I'm gonna go to jail!!'.

Then you have the whole thing of literally all the cops showing up for one lady and then the Akuma and then the cops ignoring LB and CN in favor of blasting the Akuma with weaponry despite months of the Heroes handling this on their own. Which at first seems out of place until you remember episodes like Rogercop where all the cops weren't mind controlled they just went 'yeah I guess the obviously Akumatized(controlled by supervillain) cop in a mech suit is in charge because the mayor, who he kidnapped, said so. Time to arrest the Heroes!!". So while it hasn't happened in a while, cops just acting Like That™ aren't out of place in this world.

And like. The ticket inspector is a rando who is only seen here going against Sabine, but we have no idea how he'd act with a white guy breaking the same law. And Roger has been shown to be corrupt as hell toward white people(specifically the Couffaines who as far as we know are white). So it doesn't quite get the message across that this is out of the norm.

Then you have Marinette having to apologize to the ticket inspector who, at this point, is now much more reasonable of 'well she did technically break the law by riding the bus without ticket or ID, but given the circumstances we'll let it go' but Mari insists on paying the fine like he was in the right.

Honestly I feel like this episode suffers from not being direct about what the issue is. Yes it's implied that it's a racism thing, yes most of the audience including the kids will probably pick it up. But when you give that much wiggle room on 'what is motivating this character's actions', then combine it both with stuff that's /supposed/ to be extreme but is par for the course in the series and the protagonist apologizing to the guy who instigated all of this.... it gets very mixed and it can get lost and make people who do see the allegories wonder if they're just reading too much into things.

And I don't know exactly where to place the blame on. Did the writers pull back to try and make the situation more 'relatable to everyone' thus making it relate to no one? Was it a bigger thing of the studio or S&P saying 'hey you can't depict real racism in a kids' show'?

I mean either way there's some blame on the writers for the other flaws like Mari apologizing and undercutting anything the ticket inspector did wrong. But still.

[pttucker]

[I've become the retired SSSSS-grade Son Wukong!!] Haven't I seen that many 'S' letters somewhere before? Even though I knew I was being taken for a ride here, I still tapped on the info tab of this chamber. And that's when I saw its introduction. – Introduction: Only I know the end of the Journey to the West.

Wow, what a totally not at all familiar title and plot.

Oh man, but them saying that they had someone they wanted to play Sun Wukong but he got delayed. 😭

And then the loooong pause after Dokja gives Sooyoung his new Modifier.

Am I reading too much into this or did they totally set this story up in the hopes that Dokja would fill the role that's so obviously his? Is Sooyoung surprised that it's not Dokja? Did her Predictive Plagiarism tell her this was the best way to find him and she's wondering what went wrong? Is the pause because she's upset and trying to decide if they should just go without him?

Or does she know it's Dokja and is wondering if he's lying or if he got a new modifier or is she deciding if she should call him out or just go along with it or...?

Ugh, both her knowing and her not knowing make sense.

It soooo seems like they have to know, though. I mean my goodness if this isn't straight up yelling directly in Dokja's face idk what is:

(This small stone monkey had a nasty habit of sacrificing himself to save other people, and many of those who received his unwanted rescue attempts ended up with psychological scars.) (Gods and Buddhas of the heavens all criticised him for it, yet that dumb rock-for-brains continued to throw his life away to save other people over and over again.) N-no, hang on a minute here. (The heaven's Great Jade Emperor and Buddha felt that they could no longer accept such actions from Sun Wukong anymore and imprisoned the Monkey King inside the stone crate under the Marble Mountain.) (And our story starts from there.)

...especially after Jihye literally said that they should bury him in a coffin and leave him there until the scenarios are over. They may not be able to do it in real life but at least they can play pretend!

But despite those harsh words they're so gentle and caring with him? 😭 Literally Dokja's job is to do nothing but rest and relax and let his companions handle things (for once).

I stepped forward and spoke up. "Both of you, please hide somewhere. I shall handle this." If my memory was working fine, then one of the players took on the role of the 'Tang Sanzang's White Dragon Horse'. I was pretty sure that he was the one behind the current event. Seeing that the kids were participating in this Story chamber, the rest of the players should also be from , but if someone with ill intention had somehow butted in here… "…We told you, you just stay on the bus."

Oh man, look at Dokja immediately going right back into protector mode and even assuming that maybe someone had infiltrated the story. And the sass they give him in return! Saying he can't even afford proper clothes for himself but wants to save them? And Yoosung's scary little smile?

THEY HAVE TO KNOW RIGHT?

Is this their way of showing him that they can handle themselves so please trust them to do so? Maybe some kind of angry "stop treating us like children, we are going to be the ones to save you"? An even angrier "how dare you save us when you can't even take proper care of yourself"?

And maybe also their way of letting him just rest finally? After all, how is Dokja to deny them taking care of him when it's literally the plot of the story they're enacting?

Also there's this weird little exchange:

– This way, he'll trust us more, you dummy. What will you do if he decides to wreak havoc later? I felt goosebumps break out on my skin. – …You're actually scared of him? Look at his current state, will ya?

Why would they assume some random stranger is going to wreck havoc??? In fact, who is the one person they know who regularly wrecks havoc for everyone around him? Also, the whole "look at his current state." Dokja assumes they're just talking about his shabby clothes or something but they're definitely talking about how weak he is right now, right? Like, I don't think Dokja was able to fully recover back at Secretive Plotter's place because last we saw he was only like 38% healed. (Yet another reason for his party to pamper him right now.)

Gilyoung and Yoosung are definitely saying "we can totally take Dokja right now he's so weak, if he starts to act up we'll shove him a box somewhere before he causes his usual mess," right???

Ughhh but everything also makes sense if they don't know.

Sooyoung would know that such a story would (and does) appeal to the Great Sage because he also wants to just have a nice relaxing time where he doesn't have to save anybody and is pampered by this companions. And of course a story mirroring the Demon King of Salvation's story in any way is going to draw attention, both from the Great Sage and the general public, as we literally just saw with both the Earth news and the news here. (And Sangah! Sangah is back!!!!!!!!! We actually get to see her again!!!!! And this is the story she's drawn to!!!!) And Dokja himself points out that by doing all of the work of the story, they'll ensure that Kim Dokja's Company gets all the story shares.

...Actually, you know what, just the fact that those are all Dokja's observations and reasonings makes me 100% believe they absolutely know it's him because Dokja always, always, always does exactly this every single time people try to help him or show that they care for him. He always assumes they have some ulterior motive and that they're doing it for their own gain. He never thinks that people are there for him. He is the most unreliable narrator ever when it comes to his own story.

If Dokja believes they're doing it for themselves then they have to actually be doing it for him.

They MUST know.

[seraphiism]

❀ ﾟ. ༄ ┊ 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐔𝐒 𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 !

characters : childe / itto / thoma fandom : genshin impact

↬ childe ࿐ ࿔

so maybe there isn't an official college etiquette rule book, but you're 99% sure this can be classified as a violation. you glance around the lecture hall for the third time in the past two minutes-- nineteen, twenty, twenty-one vacant seats-- yet this stranger is sitting right next to you.

weird, yes, but whatever. maybe he won't do this again next class. you can deal with it for another hour. hopefully.

--until he starts talking to you, and god, it's like you're having a fever dream. not a single introduction shared between you two-- and somehow, within the span of a few minutes, your mind shifts from 'who the hell is this dude?' to 'who cares, i need to focus on this physics lecture' to 'you want to fist fight who now? did you just say god?'

"but anyway, that's my theory on that. get what i'm saying?"

you stare blankly at your notes, notice how the writing has gotten progressively worse the more you listen to this mysterious classmate and his weird rambles. it's undecipherable at this point. scribbles, really.

"i am so sorry," you start, the words more drawn out than intended as you figure out the politest way to approach him, "but do i know you?"

the redhead watches as you massage your temples as if it'll rid of your headache, grinning when he realizes that he, is in fact, the headache. he slides his notes over to you, perfect and pristine ( which invokes an ungodly rage in you, because how did he even manage to jot all that down and spew such utter bullshit all the while? )

"i'm childe. you're welcome, by the way."

↬ itto ࿐ ࿔

it's storming, and here you are, running for your life across campus without an umbrella. ( it's also eight in the morning and you overslept, so all in all, you think this monday is an ominous warning for the week to come. )

"you there!"

no. okay. you lied. that voice is an ominous warning. you halt in your steps, blood running cold at the brisk command. you turn on your heel with a vague guess of what you expect to see-- someone intimidating, naturally, but the man before you screams terrifying. a booming voice, red markings adorning his face, and an intense expression you can't quite decipher.

you don't think too hard about it because he's suddenly charging towards you, and in all your horror, you can't seem to budge the slightest inch despite the harsh downpour.

--then he stops inches before you, holds his umbrella over your figure to shield you from the weather.

"oh." you're breathless, staring at the other with both gratefulness and absolute bewilderment. "you scared me."

he blinks four times, thinks about how he approached you, and comes to the realization that it wasn't the most optimal approach. itto knows he can come off as scary and he's sure the fact that you're absolute strangers doesn't help.

there's a sheepish smile on his face as he says his apologies; you think it grows wider when you tell him it's okay and thank him instead.

"don't worry," he says fiercely, "i'll walk you to class. i won't let this rain hurt you."

your brows scrunch the slightest bit in confusion, but you're almost inclined to let him accompany you because of the fervor in his voice.

"thank you--"

"itto."

you smile.

"thanks, itto."

( it turns out that he always acts like that. you're not sure why you thought it would be a one time thing. )

↬ thoma ࿐ ࿔

one in the afternoon and there are no open seats on the campus bus, much less any open space. you're squished between the wall and a stranger, hands aching as you cling onto the overhead handle for dear life ( because you suck at balancing and you would die if you crashed into anyone. )

you're too focused on trying not to fall to notice that the person in front of you is frowning as he looks at your trembling hand. the bus ride is a long one, unfortunately, and he wonders how long you've been hanging on like that. surely your hand must ache.

he almost smiles, amused at your efforts, although his concern grows. thoma is good at many things, distraction one of them.

"i'm thoma." he speaks up out of nowhere, capturing your attention as you finally look up at him. you're a little thrown off at the random initiation, returning the formalities as you introduce yourself. his lips curl faintly as he hears your name; you're suddenly too aware of the close proximity the bus capacity has forced you into.

"i don't mean to intrude," he speaks in gentle tones, "but you might hurt your hand if you don't relax it a little."

you have already-- just a bit ever since he began talking to you-- but you look at your hand, grimace at your knuckles before loosening your grip. thoma seems entirely relaxed, unconcerned with the possibility of losing balance at bus stops. you, on the other hand--

he seems to read your mind. the blithe smile grows a little bit more.

"if you stumble, i've got you."

"if i stumble, then you stumble."

"that's alright." thoma responds with such genuine enthusiasm and reassurance that you're not sure what to do with yourself. "i'll catch you."

( yes, you do manage to let go of your death grip. and no, you do not stumble, much to thoma's relief. )

[yuichi-ro]

a/n: oh my god I can't believe I never thought about Hanma 'n Baji sharing their first kiss I'm so fired - #haajee.♡ supremacy cw: Baji's POV mostly, polyamory, fluff, this reads like Baji x Hanma but it's a poly ship with reader, unedited, idk it is what it is ok word count: 2.3k ──────────��───────

Butterflies swarmed Keisuke's stomach when he looked past the tall man in front of him. Head tipped to the side like a curious bird to see the one thing missing. He finally had to asked.

"Wait....where's your bike?"

Shuji scratched at the nape of his neck with nothing more than a casual shrug, "Let y/n borrow it to pick something up. Thought I'd bum a ride off you. Is there a problem?"

Quick to answer he shook his head, "No. It's fine."

His friend smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets to turn the lining inside out with a grin, "No money for a bus. You're not going to make little old me walk now are you?"

Keisuke rolled his eyes and turned towards his own bike, "What already acting like a senior citizen and can't get around without help?"

"An entire year older," Shuji lamented with false emotions, "It so tiring and boring being this old. Especially when you youth just won't respect your elders."

A derogatory snort left Keisuke as he ventured back to his bike. Slinging his leg over it with a look back at Shuji, "Are we going or not?"

Palming the back of his head with a gleeful grin. Shuji held him still as the monstrous man got his legs situated on either side of the back of the bike. Sliding comfortably into the groove of the seat with most of his torso pressed to Keisuke's back, "Drive slow I'm ever so much older than you now a days."

Brown eyes rolling to the back of his head Keisuke made a point to rev up the engine louder than normal before taking off. Swallowing them up in the sound of the motor.

Maybe it was because of his antagonizing mannerisms. Or just because Keisuke always felt like he either needed to shut up or show off in front of him. But whatever it was while they were alone. He always had to admit Shuji gave him an eerily similar feeling to what you use to do to him. At least with the rumble of the engine he could pass his thoughts on without focusing on them. That was until he felt the curl of Shuji's arms around his waist.

Sure he'd sped up. They were really only going in a straight line. Neither of them wearing a helmet as they made their way out of the city. But this was the first time Keisuke recalled ever being held onto. At least not by Shuji. Once or twice he'd sit behind him but it was like he hardly knew he was there with how far he'd lean back. Now though he was very aware of the man's presence behind him.

Even with the vibrations of the bike surging through his hands. He could feel the slow rise and fall of Shuji's chest against his back. Each man wearing a thin t-shirt. His arms loosely around his waist when the unthinkable happened. He leaned down closer to Keisuke's sitting height and rested his chin on his shoulder.

Aware for a split second the stop to his heartbeat. Keisuke fumbled in his mind but when he registered still riding the bike he was thankful at least he didn't swerve or anything. Muscle tense with a white knuckled grip on the handle bars. A stark contrast to the burning color blooming on his cheeks. He wasn't going fast enough to blame it on the wind. Knowing very well Shuji could probably see his blush.

"You drive much better than y/n does." Shuji's voice mumbled right next to his ear. Keisuke couldn't help the shiver it sent down his spine. That he contradicted by squeezing his handle bars tighter and trying to focus. Shuji either didn't notice or didn't care, "Though, to be fair, I never let her get on a bike. You were the first one to do that."

Surprised, Keisuke didn't recall you ever saying anything about being an inexperienced rider. In fact you never said anything about never riding before. He turned his head a little to catch a glimpse of Shuji, "Wait- You never let her ride?"

"Nah." He shook his head still holding onto his waist and leaning into him, "Too dangerous."

"But you have two helmets."

"What's a helmet gonna do if that idiot gets her leg snapped in half?"

"So you just...never let her ride with you?" Keisuke was a little astounded at the fact you felt like such a wild card in your time together when Shuji was in prison. Only to find out he was far more strict about things that Keisuke ever imagined.

"Nope." He answered with confidence, "Kept gang stuff 'n friend stuff really separate. Better that way. Now though, guess I really only have friend stuff."

Keisuke ran his thumb along the plastic of his grip, looking down for a second before looking back up at the road laid out before them, "So we're friends?"

"Hah-" Shuji's chest rumbled with the derogatory snort that left him, "What'd ya think we were? Pen pals?"

"Well no!" Keisuke felt the return of the burning cheeks. He huffed and revved his bike louder just to make a point, "I just- Shit I don't know."

Very clear laughing from behind him. Keisuke hunkered down with a growing frown on his face. Eyebrows dipped in a scowl and Shuji's mocking laughter behind him.

"I like you," Shuji settled down from his laughing fit. All at the expense of Keisuke's sliver of dignity as he huffed and growled, "You're fun to be around."

Sure he might have meant for teasing. But the way Shuji held his waist. Leaned into his back. And sat so comfortably behind him. Keisuke had to wonder if he meant more than just for entertainments sake.

Those thoughts dashed though when both men arrived at the shrine everyone agreed to meet at. When Keisuke rolled to a stop and he and Shuji kicked their legs out to steady the bike. He realized you weren't there yet. Leaving just the two of them at the shrine.

"What time did you tell her?" Keisuke unbuckled the blue helmet he kept slung around his neck but never used.

"Normal time." Shuji unsaddled himself from the back of Keisuke's bike.

Realizing that the connotation of just saying normal time had no quantitative measurement. Keisuke groaned and shook his head, "So you didn't tell her a time."

Shooting him back a cheeky grin, "What, afraid to hang out with me now?"

His turn to roll his eyes. Keisuke figured that when Shuji said he liked him. It must have been just to torture him. And as he rested his helmet on his seat Keisuke reasoned that seemed fair since he did kiss you more than once at this point. Unaware of Shuji's feelings on the matter. He figured his cross to bare was being Shuji's jest.

Approaching the shrine where Shuji stood. He noticed the water feature much like the one Toman use to gather at. Little bamboo cups and everything. Keisuke looked down at the dark reflection of the water shaded from the spring sun.

To his surprise, Shuji was standing right next to him. Staring down at the water just as he was. Both of them catching each other's eyes in the still surface.

"...I never properly thanked you for taking care of her while I was locked up." Shuji spoke quietly, while only looking at his friend's reflection.

"Seems a little late for that don't you think?" Keisuke snorted as it'd been well over a year now since Shuji was out of prison.

Shrugging he broke the stare only to turn around and lean back into the edge of the bricks, "Never found the right time to say it."

Keisuke brought his eyes from the reflection to look at the real Shuji sitting right next to him. Eyes fixated on the profile of the taller man next to him. It was honestly a little true as the dynamics of their relation never were set in stone.

While Keisuke felt like he knew everything about Shuji second hand from you. He had no idea what Shuji might have known of him. Certain you told him about the antics while he was locked up. It left him wondering the personal take Shuji had on him. If he actually liked him or simply tolerated him as a thanks for befriending you after everything went down.

Even now as an older version of himself, Keisuke had a hard time telling what was right or wrong with everything happening.

"...are you mad at me?" Keisuke broke the silence.

Shuji had slipped a cigarette from his pack but stopped mid way to look over at the dark haired man, "What?"

That sounded stupid. He re evaluated how to say that, "Crap- I mean- For kissing her. Well that and- I guess being friends? Shit this doesn't make sense hold on I mean-"

"She's nice to kiss, isn't she?"

Keisuke stopped. A little stunned on what Shuji just popped off and said. His brows furrowed a little and his cheeks dusted with color. But Keisuke pursed his lips and grumbled, "....yeah."

"Glad she did it." Shuji smiled as he brought the cigarette to his lips.

"What?"

"Well she doesn't normally do what I tell her to do." Shuji talked with the unlit smoke between his lips, "That was a one in a million chance she'd actually listen to me when I told her to kiss you. Guess she really wanted to!"

You had mentioned that Shuji told you to kiss him. But part of him always felt like you must have been joking. Now as Shuji very clearly outlined it as truth. Keisuke really only had one question to ask him, "....have you kissed her before?"

Taking the cigarette out of his mouth. Unlit and everything. Shuji tipped his head back to look at the bright blue sky above them and drawing out the silence, "....of course I have. Who do you think my first kiss was?"

Why he'd thought your kiss might have been your first. Keisuke always reasoned you and Shuji were close. But now he didn't quite know what to do with the knowledge that the kiss you shared with him wasn't the only one. It felt selfish but at the same time Keisuke couldn't drop the fact Shuji was the one to suggest you kiss him.

"If she kissed you then she really likes you." Shuji interrupted his thoughts, "I just gave her the extra little push to do it. Since you seem pretty cool anyways."

"Cool?" Keisuke echoed like an idiot.

Shuji shrugged and smiled over at him, "I like being around you. So she picked a pretty good one."

Completely mixed up on the messages he was sending. From the way Shuji held onto him on the ride up here. To the teasing and joking that pushed his buttons. Keisuke couldn't understand this feeling clawing at his throat that seemed so familiar yet so distant to him. Like he'd experienced it before but couldn't comprehend what it was telling him.

And before he had to figure it out himself. Shuji solved it for him.

Leaning down just a hair. In the tight space under the shrine's water feature. Shuji with the faint smell of tobacco on his lips from his unlit smoke. Pressed those same lips tenderly against his own. Nothing like when you'd kissed him. What they shared though was the soft fullness that left Keisuke unaware of how much he was leaning into it just as Shuji pulled away.

Stunned Keisuke mirrored by Shuji's shit eating grin. He blinked half a dozen times before realizing that what he felt was the same yearning he had for you. Understanding that what quelled it was simply another kiss. One that Keisuke initiated this time.

Grabbing a fistful of Shuji's zipper and yanking him to him. There was a moment of thought that kissing another man is what made him feel so weird. But with how similar it felt to kissing you. Keisuke could only reason that it was the right thing to do.

And when their lips met again. Shuji's smirk dying down to allow him to press into the kiss. Keisuke felt the quieting of his racing thoughts and that constant guilt he had. Everything in him becoming as still and serene as the surface of the shrine water behind the two of them.

When Keisuke finally pulled away he was ready to sputter out an apology with cheeks as red as a fresh sun burn. But got quickly cut off when Shuji stuffed the unlit cigarette in his lips and reached down to take Keisuke's hand in his own, "What are you sorry for? I kissed you."

Seeing his hand fit like a glove in Shuji's larger one. Keisuke spread his fingers and let them lace between his. Never knowing what it felt like to hold someone's hand that was bigger than his. He stared down at it without realizing the rumble of a second motorcycle coming up to park right next to where they were.

And before he realized it Keisuke saw you dismount Shuji's bike with a bag in hand and a grin on your face. Not even registering that he was still holding Shuji's hand in front of you.

"Shuji you ass," The clank of bottles in the bag made Keisuke jump and jerk attention to you coming up on the shrine, "You told me lunch time not god damn brunch."

Like a gut reaction Keisuke guilted himself into trying to yank away from Shuji. That was a failure though as Shuji hoisted his hand up to wave at you with the two of them still holding hands, "I didn't wanna go to the store see you did just fine!"

Your grumbling as you approached, Keisuke wondered did you not see their hands? But one tell tale glance at the hand hold and Keisuke clammed up when you looked at him grinning.

"H-He started it!" Keisuke huffed and pushed all the blame over to Shuji who finally let his hand go. Not without letting out the most abrupt laugh at his friend's panic.

"Started what?" You tipped your head genuinely confused.

"The kiss- Hand holding! Bike ride here!"

Keisuke's slur of words clicked in your head what he meant. And you tossed a look over Shuji's direction, "Looks like you took your own advice!"

Confounded on your weird exchange. Keisuke looked at you then looked over at Shuji who was smiling with the cigarette still in his mouth, "What can I say, I just give really good advice."

Blinking like none of this made sense, Keisuke looked back and forth a dozen times before looking at your finally, "You're not, mad?"

"For what?"

"We kissed I thought we-?"

"Did you like kissing Shuji?" You point blank asked.

There was some turmoil in his thoughts. Unsure yet how he felt about it. But as Keisuke recalled the buzz on his lips and how wonderful it felt that he actually went back and kissed him again. All he could acknowledge was an overwhelming yes.

Yes he liked kissing Shuji.

A grin almost as mischievous as the taller of the twos. You step closer and leave a peck on Keisuke's lips like you'd done half a dozen times now after the first kiss. Just as wonderful and sweet as he recalled. The feeling was different than Shuji's but the yearning was still there.

"If you like kissing him, then just do it." You rustled around in the bag you brought and pulled out one of the ramunes that he vividly remembered drinking the first time all three of your hung out, "Do what makes you happy. Because the both of you make me happy."

Keisuke took the bottle with the brush of his fingertips against your grip. Feeling his spine tingle and he looked over at Shuji. Who was just as full of the devilish grin. He winked.

Do what makes you happy? Keisuke couldn't deny, doing just this made him the happiest man alive.

[realityescapee01]

Scott McCall x reader imagine

If Stiles has a Lydia Martin, Scott has Y/N L/N. A long time crush.

"Go get the girl!" -Stiles pushed Scott.

"I can't. I don't think I match up to her."

"What do you mean?"

"She's smart. And I'm..."

"You're smart, Scott!"

"Really?"

"Well, not as smart as Y/N." Scott slumped his shoulders. "But you're not dumb, Scott."

"That's very comforting, Stiles. Thanks." -Scott as sarcastic as he can.

"You're neighbors, like literally next door. You have a motorbike. Use it as an advantage."

The school day went on with Scott trudging behind Y/N far enough not to be creepy and not to get noticed. Stiles walking with him.

"I have a plan, Scott. Y/N huh?... She's... cute. Shorter than you." -Stiles enumerating. Then held his hand up to your estimated height and compared it to Scott's. Y/N would be up a little over Scott's chin. "Oh, perfect hugs. Her face would be at the crook of your neck, her arms up around it, then your hands on her ass."

Scott was visualizing everything Stiles was saying and then some.

"Oh god! You're thinking 'it'? You're a pervert!"

"W-What?!? You fed me those images!"

Scott was busy arguing with Stiles as they walk, that he didn't realize Y/N stopped walking and was talking to someone. Scott ended up bumping onto her, hard. Y/N almost falling over. Scott caught her, his strong arms around her waist, holding her still. Both of them almost falling over. Scott stepped one foot forward to steady them both. Y/N has her back on Scott when he bumped on to her.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" -Scott straightened up, taking Y/N along with him. He then proceeded to pick up her books.

Y/N just stood there, blushing. She was shocked, really. And also the fact that Scott's body was so close to hers. And the fact that she started crushing on the lacrosse captain about half way through sophomore year.

Scott gave Y/N her books and apologized again. Seeing Stiles behind Y/N, with a thumbs up. So that was the plan.

Y/N looked up at Scott. He looked so different compared to their freshman year. The two of them being next door neighbor meant that they saw each other grow up. And Scott grew up well. He's got this new hairstyle. New clothing style. And great body... wait...

Y/N blushed harder as she mentally scolded herself. Also remembering their bump a while ago.

"It's okay." -Y/N took her books and hurried into their next class.

---

"What kind of plan was that, Stiles?!?" -Scott flopped onto Stiles bean bag seat.

"It went well." -Stiles sat beside Scott.

"Well... yeah." -Scott got this smile on his face. And Stiles knew something was up.

"That look... what is it???"

"It's just... when I bumped onto her and held her to steady both of us... her... is so close to my..."

"Come on! Just say it!"

"Her butt was pressed onto my crotch."

"Oh my god! Pervert!"

"You're the one who made me bump into her!!!"

"Fair enough, yeah." -Stiles admitted to it. "But you liked it anyway."

Scott just put on a goofy smile.

---

Y/N was running late today and missed the bus. She cursed as the bus sped off without her.

"Hey." -Scott stopped in front of her, on his motorbike.

"S-Scott. Hi."

"Come on." -Scott held out a spare helmet to Y/N.

Y/N hesitated for a moment. But took it anyway. She had a hard time getting on the motorbike. After finally getting on it. She held onto Scott's shoulders.

"On the torso, waist or hips, is a better handle." -Scott told Y/N.

"Oh... sorry. I don't ride bikes much." -Y/N did as told.

She lowered her hands on Scott's waist. Scott started the the engine and they drove off. Scott could sense Y/N's uneasiness. And also they're running late. He needs to go faster.

"Y/N, we need to go faster, or we'll be late."

"Okay."

Scott smiled and sped up. Y/N tightened her hold in Scott's waist. Scott went even faster and Y/N needed a better grip. She brought her hands up onto Scott's torso and leaned on his back a little bit.

Scott was thankful they have a helmet on, because he was smiling like crazy as they pass the school bus over. And Stiles's Roscoe too.

Stiles gasped and grinned. "Oh you fuckin' smooth, Scott."

-+-+-complete-+-+-

more on my master list here

[babyboyblasty]

CHAPTER 10:

"You look nice, Deku" Uraraka smiled, her hands held behind her back as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet in a childish manner, looking at her green haired friend. "Is there anyone in particular you're trying to impress?" she gave him a knowing look that Izuku stuttered and blushed to.

"No! O-of course not" he immediately denied and averted his eyes when that only seemed to make Uraraka's smirk widen. Izuku knew he was a terrible liar and Uraraka could be very scary sometimes. "But um, hypothetically speaking.. if I /were/ trying to impress someone- which I'm not- but hypothetically speaking do you think they'll.. you know. Be impressed? Hypothetically."

Uraraka looked her friend up and down. Izuku's fashion sense has definitely improved since the beginning of their first year. Both Tsuyu and herself had made sure to teach Deku and Todoroki a thing or two about dressing themselves since they were completely clueless sometimes. Midoriya was wearing brown, cuffed corduroy pants with a forest green oversized short sleeve button up, a lighter green long sleeve underneath that to create layers. The red shoes were never going away though and Uraraka gave up in trying to get him to wear another pair of shoes. He looked good and Uraraka noticed how his hair was a bit neater too so he obviously put a bit of extra effort into trying to style his curls. In fact, looking around the common room it seemed that Deku wasn't the only one who put a little extra effort into their appearance today. Half the boys there looked like they were going off to a party instead of a casual class outing. Even Iida looked like he was trying out a new hairstyle. No glasses either.

"Umm, Uraraka-san?" Izuku waved his hand in front of the girl's face to get her attention. She zoned out for a bit there and she blinked, turning to face him again.

"Oh, right! Well, /hypothetically speaking/ right?" she smiled and he nodded, "I think they'll be very impressed." Deku beamed and her eyes shifted to Todoroki who was just arriving downstairs. "Oh, look! There's Todoroki-kun. Let's go talk" she grabbed Deku's hand in hers and took him with her. He looked very good! Todoroki's aesthetic was more of a simplistic/classy style with neutral colors. This time he decided to switch it up and was wearing a white t-shirt with an unbuttoned, loose fitting pale blue and white striped dress shirt over that. He had black jeans and white sneakers too. He looked very good. "Oooo~ is there anyone /you're/ trying to impress, Todoroki-kun?" Ochako teased.

"Yes."

Ochako didn't expect such a direct answer but giggled anyway at her blunt friend. Deku on the other hand didn't find it as funny.

"Is Bakugou here yet?" Shoto changed the subject and looked around the common room but didn't spot the explosion quirk user anywhere. He felt a little disappointed.

"No, Kacchan isn't here. Neither is Kirishima-kun" Izuku really tried to keep the bitterness out of his tone. He knew that they were best friends but did they really have to be glued at the hip 24/7? Deku doesn't like the way he starts to feel when he thinks of those two together but he can't help it.

"Oh" Shoto mumbled. There was an awkward silence where no one said anything for a few seconds until Uraraka couldn't stand it and broke it.

"So how are you feeling, Todoroki-kun? Are you still tired or are you feeling a bit better from earlier?" Ochako questioned. That got Izuku's attention and he turned to Todoroki with a curious expression. Was he sick? Todoroki didn't mention anything to him today. He wondered why he didn't tell him.

"I feel better, thank you. I'm excited to be going out with my friends" he smiled briefly and Izuku returned it. After that things started to go back to normal as they talked about what stores they wanted to go to and if they had anything in particular they wanted to buy. The common room was filled with brief conversation before the 'ding' of the elevator was heard and everyone turned to look at a nervous Kirishima standing on the far opposite side of a bored looking Bakugou. Izuku felt a knot form in his throat and Todoroki felt his heart skip a beat, their faces heating up a little at what girl Kacchan was wearing. He looked good. Hell, even if he was in his normal body and wore that he'd look good.

"You're here!" Mina rushed forward to hug her two friends in a crushing hug which Kirishima gladly returned. The girls may or may not be feeling smug at how everyone reacted to seeing Bakugou. Yeah, they did that.

"I said I would go with you extras, didn't I? Now let go, pinky" Bakugou groaned. She smiled wide before stepping back.

"This'll be so much fun!" Mina jumped up and down.

"Everyone please form a single file line for attendance! As class president I must make sure everyone is accounted for before we vacate school grounds" Iida made sure to grab everyone's attention by speaking loud and clear as well as waving his arms about. Where he pulled the clipboard from no one knows but Iida started to check off names in the class roster to submit to Aizawa sensei once they come back in a few hours. "Alright. Everyone is here. We can go now" he nodded in confirmation.

The class had to take the bus to go to the mall so Iida stayed by the door until everyone was inside before going in himself. Bakugou was planning to sit with Kirishima but the redhead as soon as he was in the bus went and sat beside Sero instead. Katsuki was confused since they always sit together and even Sero was looking between the pair in confusion. "You don't mind, right Bakubro?" Kirishima awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. Bakugou just shrugged and moved on to find an empty seat to which Kirishima let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"What was that?" Sero questioned once Bakugou was out of earshot.

"What was what?" Kirishima turned to him.

"That. You always sit with Bakugou so why all of a sudden did you decide to sit next to me? I don't mind but I was a little caught off guard, man. You know, you've been acting weird ever since the night we played games in my room. Is everything cool?" Sero had an idea of what was happening but he wanted to hear it from Kiri himself.

"Yeah, everything's good. I just need to sort some things out for myself first" he explained and Sero nodded, leaving it at that. Kirishima appreciated that about Sero. He knew if it was Mina or Kaminari they wouldn't stop pestering him about it. Kirishima just wanted some time to hopefully figure out why he was all of a sudden feeling so weird around Katsuki.

On the other end of the bus, towards the back, Bakugou found an empty seat. Everyone else seemed to be already sitting with someone else but he didn't really mind it. Once seated, Bakugou put his elbow up on the edge of the window and looked outside. He felt someone slightly tap his shoulder though and looked up to a shy Koda. 'May I sit here?' he signed and Bakugou raised an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes and signed back 'go for it' and Koda smiled a little, quickly sitting down beside Bakugou. Aizawa did mention that because of his quirk, he may experience hearing loss in the future if he didn't take the proper precautions so Bakugou has been taking JSL classes from Koda since the beginning of their second year and developed a somewhat mutual understanding with the guy. He really wasn't all that bad, just a little quiet. And while they weren't friends friends, Bakugou knew that if he ever needed a quiet place to study or just hang out for a bit without talking, he could go to Koda's room. The same went for Bakugou. If Koda ever wanted to spar or wanted pointers to help in improving his fighting skills, Bakugou is available.

Now that everyone had a seat, the bus began to move. The ride was going to take approximately fifteen to twenty minutes so he just wanted to use the break to relax. Bakugou could tell Koda wanted to say something based on the way he would look at him every few minutes but then look away though. "What is it?" he finally asked a little less than halfway into the trip and Koda shook his head. "I know you want to say something, now what is it?"

Koda looked hesitant at first but then signed 'how are you feeling?' with a sincere look. Maybe if it was someone else Bakugou would have told them off for getting into his business but Koda was someone who earned his respect and admiration throughout their time together in UA and who he saw as an equal.

"Why do you ask?" he asked instead, a bit defensive, and Koda responded by signing 'this is a big change and I was just wondering how you were doing.' Bakugou shrugged. "It isn't something I can't handle. Besides, today is the last day of the quirk so I should be back to normal by tomorrow morning" Bakugou mumbled, adding in a "thanks" as an afterthought. Honestly speaking, Koda has been the only one who's asked him how he felt about this whole quirk situation. The rest of his classmates all just seemed to be having fun with it and while he didn't mind, it was nice to be asked.

'You're always welcome to come hang out with me and my bunny if you ever need quiet time,' Koda offered. 'He told me he misses the angry blonde boy with the warm hands" he joked. Bakugou smirked a little with a "tch, sure whatever. Tell 'im I miss the furball too" leaving his lips. After that Bakugou and Koda fell into a comfortable silence where Bakugou closed his eyes to rest for the few minutes they had left on the bus ride.

Everyone else in class 3-A never thought they'd see the day where they all wished they were in Koda's place. The anivoice boy was sitting perfectly still so as to not wake the pretty blonde that had leaned his head on the other's shoulder sometime along the trip and was now sleeping peacefully on him.

[word count: 1775]

( this fan art isn't in correlation with the story chapter but oH MY GOD LOOK HOW PRETTY GIRL BAKUGOU IS- 😩)

[johns-prince]

TW for eating disorders, etc.

John OP here. Thanks for the beautifully written answer. I appreciate the honesty and in fact, you make very good points. I doubt I'd be the best influence on someone like John when it came to body image because we seem too alike in that department. I was a teenager in the size zero hysteria of the early 00s and this probably shaped my sense of aesthetics. I'm more relaxed about that now but my eye still responds to a certain look on people. I can't help it. I had my own "Fat Beatle" episode and I could tell how it all changed when I shed the weight. It didn't really matter how or whether I was miserable, I just looked the "right" way and people would let me know. It's possible I projected it all on poor John. But I know he'd relate to that in many levels.

I'm not a fan of the "rat man" thing either. I know people mean well and I try to look at it with humor but it does bother me. Mostly because the stans of the other boys are very positive about them and I'd like that for John too. His looks were a major part of his struggle so I know he'd be crushed watching everyone praising his mates (especially Paul) while he gets to be the fucking rat, you know? As I have mentioned before, you can feel it even on fanfiction. Even the writers who seem more John inclined will go on for pages about how pretty Paul (which he is, of course) and how lucky John was to be with him. Like it was a favor or something. That when the stories don't keep pushing that tired trope about Crazy John crushing on pretty but Immovable Sexuality Paul. That's not really my cup of tea tbh.

In the end I'm just happy to start this discussion

with intelligent people who will bring their opinions to the table respectfully. I hope my previous comment didn't trigger anyone or came across as worse than I hoped. If that was the case, I'd like to apologize, it really wasn't my intention.

Darling, don't fret. You've really nothing to be sorry about. One reason why I relate to John is because I have issues with bulimia to this day, and can experience hardcore body dysmorphia at the worst of times dues to my insecure and self hatred towards my body. I get it.

I remember that, vaguely at least, the whole size zero thing. I do, that was such a strange phenomenon, because it takes a certain body type to fit it naturally, or... Y'know, starving yourself.

Anyway, I think we all sort of project on our favorite boy, and we all sort of see ourselves in them too. You wouldn't be the first, and certainly won't be the last.

Yeah, I completely understand how you feel. Maybe I'm just overreacting, maybe I don't have a sense of humor, but I'm inclined to feel protective over John, and I feel like if you know about John's insecurities and struggles with himself in regards to his physical appearance, why... Would you yourself find it a silly and relatively harmless thing to apparently joke about calling him things like that, idk like I said I don't see anyone else really making such snide comments and quips when it comes to the other three. So at what time did the bandom just agree it was an acceptable thing to do towards John?

Whatever, people can do and say what they like y'know free country an' all, but I don't have to approve of it or like it.

Real talk, I low-key I am guilty of writing in that way but I primarily do it as if John feels that way, or thinks it, or feels it. Due to his insecurity and self doubt, the fear that he'll always be abandoned by those he holds dear and loves, the fear that it's all just too good to be true for him-- that's why I ever write a scene when it comes to Paul, that it's just John's way of thinking, not seeing his own worth, and ends up sort of idolizing those individuals (listen John once compared Paul to a religion that he knew/had so I feel like he idolized and saw Paul in this 'oh God he's too perfect oh no' sort of light, which both terrified and fed into the 'paul's going to leave me one day he'll figure it out that he doesn't need me I'm not enough' sort of mindset too) he just had a bit of a habit doing that to those he held intimately dear, until... They let him down or proved his insecurities and doubts right, that in the end they all leave him and don't actually love him. It's a cruel self fulfilling prophecy in a sense, since John, either consciously or subconsciously, put relationships and people through tests to see if they could withstand him and his antics, if they'd stay loyal, if they'd still love him. Sometimes he'd just push people away, and then feel like they just up and abandoned him...

I'm rambling. Anyway the point, your point, still stands! Their relationship shouldn't be written as one doing the other a favor for liking them and being with them! Maybe in reality people did think Paul was doing not only John a favor for being his partner but also a favor to everyone else, because John had Paul and Paul could be seen as the one handling John's lead. It's kind of like how some peer at John's art school thought Cynthia had done them all a favor for taking John.

I don't like that. John isn't some problem to be passed onto someone who must then bear the burden of him. That's just... Wrong. And I think both Cynthia and Paul would think so too. John could be challenging but geez, it shouldn't be made out like anyone who loved John and wanted to be around him and be with him was just some sort of favor to the world or to him.

If anything John and Paul were both extremely lucky to have found each other-- it's not exactly common for soulmates to find each other, especially at such a young age? Please. Most of us will never, which is common.

Like the crushing went both ways lol if anything it's Paul who crushed first-- while John never mentioned it, Paul had brought up how he'd noticed John long before meeting him at the Fete. They had even briefly talked at a newspaper shop which Paul had been working at. He'd see John on the streets, he'd notice him riding on the top deck of buses, or in line at the fish and chips-- he'd try and steal glances at John when he'd notice him on the same bus! Paul was instantly drawn to this tough looking teddy with big sideboards and greased hair and the drainies and a roguish air about him. He was like a schoolgirl with a crush, and he didn't even know this boy. Yet.

If anything it's Paul who noticed John first, and started crushing on John first. Then they finally were introduced at the local Fete, and that was it for both of them.

And let's be real John might've been a bit crazy, but Paul loved him, loved his touch of crazy. And Paul might be immoveable heterosexuality, but that goes straight out the window when it comes to John, and only John it appears.

So yeah, I get where you're coming from, and your grievances and perspective.

I'm glad you decided to share it with me! Sorry about my rambling (• ▽ •;)

[estrxlar]

The Ghost Of You

01 - You’re Familiar

This chapters songs:

Daughter Of A Cop; TV Girl

I Hope To Be Around; Men I Trust

Weird Fishes/Arpeggi; Radiohead

—

— Y. L. Perspective

My breath got louder and louder each second I ran. With my bento box hitting my hips, bag tossing around, and my skirt flying up, there was no way things could get any worse.

But luckily just around the corner, I spotted students climbing onto it, which made my feet run even faster.

Near late on my first day? Damn, Y/n, way to start your year.

   Just then, I heard the sharp hiss of the engine, sending me faster towards the vehicle than I had been pacing myself before. But still, the driver was ignorant, obviously not caring how much I needed this. It wasn't like my parents would take me anyways.

"WAIT..! PLEASE WAIT!" I started on the side of the bus, running side to side with the wheels. After a few seconds of loud disruption, it finally stopped. The break was hard, and students inside were heard making remarks of protest.

Sure, I felt bad for the people who had to get a brake check, but I on the other hand was completely out of breath and near dead. Couldn't they spare me?

"I'm, I'm so.. I'm so sorry I.." My breath is short, and loud while I breathe in and out, trying my best to try and explain my tardiness to the driver. He simply sighs, gesturing for me to seat myself already.

While I stumbled down the aisle, I received a few weird glances from fellow students. Some familiar and some new. I couldn't tell if it was because of my reputation, or because I looked like a hot mess. Either way, it was too early in the morning for one to give a damn. And so, I seat myself next to another student, finally resting from the marathon I had just run.

I sighed, rolling my head back, and placed my fingers on my temples. 'I probably look like a mess right now.' I thought, letting out a huge sigh. Once I sat my fingers back down onto my lap, I observed more of the people I was surrounded by.

Some third years I was familiar with, a few that wouldn't dare speak to me, and some that were strangers. Other second and first years I didn't know at all; throughout high school, I thought it'd be best to stay hidden and introverted, especially if I were to become popular in the music industry. Lots of young stars still went to school, and usually got dirt easily thrown onto their title and that's exactly what I would avoid this year.

Bringing me back to reality, I capture a peek coming from the boy I was seated next to. He had fluffy gray hair and seemed just as tired as me. But the bus was so dark, I couldn't completely make out his features.

"Something wrong?" I said to him.

He jumped a little, adjusting his eyes back down to his phone. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to stare. I just- I think I know you from somewhere."

"Lots of people know me, buddy—" I lifted my head, facing him. 'Hey, this guy does pretty familiar. But there's no way I'd forget a face like his. Then again, I have the memory of an 80-year-old woman.' I think to myself, examining his features in an awkward mood.

"Wow, it is you. (Y/n), it's been quite a while!" He smiled widely, reaching a hand out to me. I only froze, too confused to comprehend the situation. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you're doing well!"

"I-Im sorry?" I question, wondering why a stranger would confront me this way. But something was off— I knew him, I just couldn't remember where from. Maybe from previous classes, or from a concert?

He turns slightly, growing a smile on his pale face. "I was trying to figure out if it was you or not, but it is! It's great to see you're better. How are you?"

"Who are you?" I ask back, a bit frightened.

"Uhm, well, I sat next to you in math class during my first year. Remember? I was a little ditzy, kind of annoying, I never shut up about volleyball..?" He asks, hoping to get a hint of nostalgia. "Come on, you've gotta recognize me, right?"

"Wait, Sugawara!" My finger jumps out, pointing to his sitting figure. "I'm sorry I couldn't recognize you! It sure has been quite a while. But I definitely remember you, now! You were one of the people who talked to me during my first year.. thanks for that. Anyways, how've you been?"

"I think that's my line, L/n." Suga pats my shoulder, then places his hand onto his lap. "You've changed so much! I've gotta know how you're doing!"

"I-I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing in your perspective, but thanks anyway. I've been doing just fine." I explain before a yawn escapes my mouth. Sure, this conversation was energetic, but I certainly wasn't.

"Again, so very sorry for being so forgetful. I don't remember much from first year, especially not anything in math, but I sure do recognize you now." I say, hoping my rudeness from before wouldn't have any effect on how he viewed me. Not that I cared, of course.

Luckily, Sugawara was forgiving that day. With a wide grin, he replies, "No need to apologize. People change drastically during high school; we're no exceptions. Although, I would've enjoyed being mutuals with you throughout most of it! I wonder why I haven't seen you around until today... I believe the last time we had talked was around the last day of first year."

"Yeah, we didn't have any classes together. If we had, I'm sure we would have stirred up a discussion. You seem very kind. " I gently smile, rubbing the nape of my neck. I tend to forget any bad memories, and the beginning of high school sure was a fat one.

"What a shame, you too seem wonderful.." He comments, gazing towards me for a split second, before reverting his focus. "A-anyways, it's a bit of a surprise I saw you here. Have you always ridden the bus? I usually take it in the mornings as well."

"I've actually just moved into this neighborhood. My parents work more hours than ever, so they decided it's best if I'm closer to school so that I can get to school and back quickly." I explain, tapping the sage green bento in my lap, before setting it on my side.

Sugawara nods, understanding the circumstances. "That makes sense. I'm sure you'll enjoy it now that you've got a friend in the neighborhood. Although, a girl like you must be quite familiar, right?"

'Is that intended to be disrespectful, or am I just tripping?' I think to myself, asking him to spell out the meaning of that remark. "I'm sorry, what? A girl like me?"

"Oh, crap! I didn't mean that to sound rude— I meant because of your band! I understand you guys are the talk around school, considering you're getting pretty popular in the field."

A sigh of relief leaves my lips, preparatory to my correction. "Oh, my band. I'm not sure I necessarily make friends, more like connections and acquaintances. Only a couple of students know about the band, and usually just the down-low ones. But enough about me, what about you, hm? I assume still volleyball obsessed."

I had obviously steered in the wrong direction with our conversation, for Suga's aura quickly altered at the mention of the sport. "Eh, I'm not as excited about it as I used to be." He says, along with a hint of dissatisfaction in his raspy voice.

"No way. What happened to cheerful Sugawara who asked me, the lamest, to join the girls' team?" I ask, hoping a bit of that childish personality was still inside the older version of Suga. The one which was taller, more masculine, more of a man than before.

"Honestly, can't tell you. 'Teams has been a mess ever since I've joined." He leans back in his seat, stretching his arms out, before placing them around his neck from behind. "We're hanging on my a very thin thread."

"Dang, that really sucks. You never know, things can always turn out better." I say, doing as he did, and resting against the leather seats.

"Yeah, of course. I guess it's pretty hard to keep going after so many fails, haha." A sad chuckle leaves his mouth, as he sighs.

"Anyway, nice talking. I'm outta take a quick power nap; I barely got sleep last night. Mind waking me up when we get to school?"

"Yeah, of course," Sugawara replies. With that, I'm left with laying music in my ears like always, and nodded off to slumber.

—

"Hey, sleepyhead. We're at school," I hear someone say, feeling a tap of a cold finger on my nose. Almost immediately, I shoot up from my position, standing directly above Sugawara while students leave the bus with their bags, having loud discussions of excitement. Was there anything more embarrassing than falling asleep on someone who ghosted you as a friend?

"Dear God, I'm terribly sorry." I panic, brushing down my blue skirt. "That happens on rides, it was a mistake."

"Oh, it's no big deal! Don't worry—" Suga chuckles, standing up from sitting. But before I could let him talk anymore, I started making my way towards the exit of the bus.

"Uhm, I've gotta go! Great talking, though. I'll catch you later, have a good day," I mumble, before frantically leaving the vehicle. 'What a morning.'

— K. S. Perspective

Before I could grant Y/n a polite goodbye, she'd disappeared in just a few seconds. But even so, the measly to,e I'd discussed with her was quite enjoyable. I couldn't believe how much she'd changed.

Long ago, the beginning of high school, Y/n was the type of girl you could barely see, as if she were invisible. I think the only reason I ever even noticed her was because we were seated next to each other in math class, and she immediately caught my attention. But thank goodness I had at least tried making an effort to talk to her, or else we wouldn't have had our conversation this morning. But it wasn't her fault she was so gloomy; supposedly she had lost someone close to her the year before.

Although our talk was brief, it still meant a lot to me. Especially since I was informed that she was finally happy. Looking down at the seat she used, there was a small box with a handle at the top, and a few anime stickers covering it.

'Is this what was making that loud tapping noise on the way here?' I asked myself, examining the box more. Small initials marked 'Y.L.' We're at the bottom, informing me it was Y/n's. At first, I considered handing it to our bus driver, but for the few years I've known him I learned he doesn't return lost things. And so, I leave the bus with it in my hands, ready to start my morning.

"Suga!" I hear a familiar voice call out to me. Looking up, I see my friend, Daichi, and another fellow behind him, Tanaka. The two of them jog towards me, with their scarfs unfolding in the wind. Both I had met in volleyball, and they've been my buddies ever since.

"Hey, Sugawara!" Tanaka exclaims, roughly slapping my back. The bento tosses in my hands, thankfully not spilling onto the floor. Unfortunately, he notices the box and snatches it right out of my hold. "Wow, feeling a bit girly, are we?"

I laugh in response, quickly taking it back. "It's not mine, it belongs to the person who sat next to me today. Hopefully, if I see her again I can give return it."

"Hopefully?" Daichi teases, as we all begin our walk towards the school doors. "Do you know her name?"

"Yeah, her name's Y/n. Know her?"

He lights up at the mention of their name, replying "Oh, I know her! That girl you never shut up about I in first year, correct?"

"Ha, yeah."

Tanaka doesn't understand, digging deeper into the situation. "What?! I've never known good ole' Suga to genuinely have feelings for a girl, unless it was some fling."

"I don't! I used to. There's a difference." I say, as we enter the building.

"If she rides your bus, then why don't you just give it to the driver? She'll probably go looking for it later at the end of the day. That is unless you wanna see her again.." Daichi teases me.

"You see, I would. But the bus driver is sort of a thief, and this girl has had a rough morning as it is. I just wanna be nice." I explain to him. Though a part of me did want to see her again and hope that we could talk longer than we did before.

"Sure you do," Tanaka says, patting our backs. "Listen, this is my stop. I'll catch you guys at practice?"

"Sure thing, bye." We say our farewells, and make our way towards the third-year halls. "What about you, Daichi? Got anything exciting happening this hour?"

"If stressing about volleyball counts, then yes! Most definitely.." He says, clearing his throat. "Watch, like, two people show up."

"Actually, Kiyoko informed us in the group chat that we've got at least four! That's better than last year, right?" I try my best to cheer him up, but it only made him even more nervous. I couldn't blame him. Too much was even more of a burden, but too little was a disappointment and would leave us exactly where we left off.

"It's okay, Suga. I have a lot of faith in our team. I know it's been rough lately, but as long as we try our best, we'll work this out." Daichi smiles, turning towards a separate hallway than mine. "I'm off to homeroom. See you later!"

"Yeah, see ya!" I'm left by myself, giving me more time to focus on what should happen today. - 1st, I have to go through each class and say hi to a couple of familiars, and hopefully not see anyone I've had a conflict with.

- 2nd, I had to give Y/ns bento back to them, but that could only happen if we happened to have a class with each other before, or if we had the same lunch.

- 3rd, volleyball tryouts were this afternoon. I had to make sure and represent myself as a role model, and make it clear I was vice-captain. I wanted nothing more than for the new players to feel safe.

But internally, I knew none of those plans would work out. Especially if I wasn't focused on them. Currently, all I could think about was Y/n, and how refreshing it felt to be around her again. When I was first around her was at the same time when things in my life started to fall apart, and my little crush on her made me feel better about it all. I guess you could say she was my comfort corner, even if she talked to me only once or twice during the week. And sometimes on her bad days, I would be able to at least get a laugh out of her, even if it meant making a complete fool out of myself.

All I wanted was for her not to harm herself or feel lonely, which took a quick turn towards me once the year had ended. Not only had my thing for her end, but my family soon fell apart after my mother had passed away. Of course, I still had my responsibilities like volleyball club and helping my younger sister and my father get through it. But it seemed that everyone would do their own thing, so I did the same. And for a while, I was lonely and didn't cope with the loss very well. Just like Y/n, I distanced myself.

This went on throughout my entire second year of high school, while she on the other hand started to get her life together. She started her band, made and covered a couple of songs, and finally healed from her hard year. Honestly, I didn't even really believe that she was in such a good state, but I was proven wrong today. Ultimately, she truly inspired me to pick myself up and start fresh. And now that she popped up so suddenly, I was back to square one.

'It's been a while, Y/n'

—

HEYYY SHAWTYYYS.

Give me notes.

SO, I've finally rewritten the first chapter of my fanfiction!! It took a while, but I did it. If you didn't know, I started this story about eight months ago, and I had no writing experience. Now that I'm reaching the climax of this story, I decided I should edit the chapter, especially since they sucked ass! Nothing much was changed, just far more detailing and extra feelings.

Overall, thanks so much for reading the first chapter. Please vote if you enjoyed it!! It helps others know that it's worth reading. And if not, no worries. Thanks anyways. I love you all so much!

- your friendly Suga simp

[gardenflowerswriting]

The Girl Below

Bucky Barnes x F(Reader)

A/N: AHH!! My first Bucky thing! I hope you enjoy this. The first part is story line, but then it gets SMUTTY so be warned!! The next part won’t be as smutty maybe, but who knows.

*and if read more is not there, I’m so very sorry, I’m on mobile and have no control of that right now.

You ran out of the busy diner, your curls moving with you as you clutched your purse. "Y/N!"

You didn't want to turn around, everything in you wanted to keep walking about the Brooklyn lights, but you knew if you did, you would regret it more. You felt the rush of Bucky coming ahead of you, his stupid smirk on his face as he walked backwards, "I don't want to talk James," you scolded him, and used his first name. You only used his first name when you were mad, or in bed.

[[MORE]]

"Come on doll," he reached for your hand but you pulled it away.

"No! Don't 'doll' me! How could you not tell me you joined the war? We planned our future and you join the freaking war?!" You yelled at him, stopping to get your point across.

You had a few eyes look your way, but you didn't care. Your date was supposed to be magical. You dressed in a white dress with red rose flower details on it. It was a respectable length, covering your chest, as your hair set in the easy curls almost every woman wore at the time. To top it off, you wore soft blush and read lipstick. Bucky took you to the movies, and then the diner to eat fries and talk. But little did you know your talking would lead to him telling you he left for the army in a week. A fucking week. You wanted to deck him in the face, that's what you wanted todo.

"Doll," he walked towards you, "you know i have to."

"No you don't!"

"Yes I do! Everyone I know has enlisted-"

"Not Steve," you mutter, crossing your arms.

"Okay, Steve is different." His eyes scanned over your body, "you can't stand like that long baby, you know what it does to me." You looked down to see your hands pressing your breasts together, and the hem of your skirt riding up.

You scoffed, "You're disgusting James Buchanan Barnes."

You darted past him, "oh come on." You only flipped him off, not caring about the judgmental look from bystanders. Bucky only gave them his soft smile.

“Don’t ever come by my place again Bucky. I mean it!” You marched your way home, ignoring your mother who asked about your date and running to your room. Your tears welled in your eyes as you felt like you were left by the love of your life. He was gonna leave you and die. That's how every girl in that city had their lives played out. No one made it back. Not like they said they would.

A knock on your door made you look up to your mother, "y/n? Oh baby." She fell to the bed beside you and began to brush your hair, "what did he do. Did he break my baby's heart? I'll murder him, you know that."

"No," your tears fell onto her night gown, "he's-he's going into the war and didn't tell me. He didn't tell me and now he's gonna die!"

She sighed, "shh baby girl, he is not worth this pain."

But he really was. You knew him since you were a child, being he lived above you. He would climb down the fire escape and "hang out" with you. One time, you let him into your room and the teenage hormones led the way. It was like every make out session you had before. He unbuttoned the top of your dress, letting it pool at your waist, as you ran your fingers through his perfectly jelled hair, ruffling all the time he put into it.

"Bucky," you moaned as his mouth latched on to your breast. You sat in his lap, legs crossed around his back as you hands locked on his shoulder and neck, pulling him into you. "Bucky," that was when it turned into something more, "bucky I want you to fuck me." Your words were not that of a ladies, but they got your point across.

He pulled away and furrowed his brows. "What?" He wasn't displeased, just shocked.

You held his cheek in your hands, "I-I want you to be the first one to have me. The entirety of me."

His eyes danced back and forth in your own, "you sure?" You nodded your head. Slow, but sure. "Okay," his face seemed to be as scared as yours. Now he took his time, laying you on your back, his face lower down your body, he undid each button with care, allowing for your dress to be folded open.

He marveled at your body, as his fingers skillfully undid your garters from holding your stockings. You felt yourself blush as his eyes looked into yours, he rolled the material down your leg, kissing the exposed skin. “God your beautiful,” he muttered as he kissed his way to be level with your underwear. When he kissed the white, lacy material, he hooked his fingers in and lowered it down your legs. Exposing your sex to the cold brisk air created from the window he had climbed into.

You could see his eyes on your pussy, "Bucky," you gripped his head, wiggling your hips, "do something?"

He laughed, “little Miss Impatient.” You only frowned and watched as he placed sweet kisses on the inner part of your thighs. His hands reaching to rest your legs above his shoulders. And, in a matter of seconds, his tongue ran up and down your mound leaving you heaving from the inside out, “god your soaking. Did I do this?”

You could feel his fingers slid in, the burn only made you feel more excited. "Bu-Buc, fuck," you grunted as he pushed himself deeper into your cunt. His blue eyes looking up to you with the playboy shade they always wore. "Bucky, I think, I'm- oh god, I'm gonna come."

"Come doll," his words added vibration to your core and you felt like you were falling off a bridge into an endless pit of joy.

Your head pushed into your pillows, making your breasts stand at attention. He took that advantage and connect his mouth with your nipple. "Bucky-" his hand continued to rub your clit, overstimulated, you tried pushing his away, "Bucky it's too much!"

You squirm under him, he released your nipple with a pop and grinned, "we haven't even gotten started doll."

You rested your forehead on his bare shoulder, "h-how did you learn to do that?" You felt the beads of sweat on your face.

He smiled, "I- you pick it up." You rolled your eyes at him, but he just kissed into your neck, “Come here.”

He rolled into his back and picked you up with him. You were straddling his hips as his hands found their place on yours. He pushed himself up to kiss you passionately, until you leaned back and felt he was harder than you had ever be aware of. Granite, you only had make out seshes as frequent as you could, he always had one on by the end of it. It made you think of how he “handled” it. Your mind went to dirty places, thinking about him moaning your name as he tried pulling an orgasm out. God. The thought made you wetter.

He pulled away from you, and you felt yourself pout, “what? What is it?”

“I-I don’t have a condom.”

You stared at him, “what?”

“I don’t just caring them around with me.”

“Well you should!”

He laughed, “yes cause every girl I see is gonna want to jump on me.”

You rolled your eyes, “well, can you, or we could go upstairs to your room? You should have some there, right?” Now you were desperate.

His scratched his head, “yeah. . .yeah let’s go there.”

“K,” you hoped down from him, grabbing your dress from the side of the bed to wrap it around your naked body.

He didn’t care to grab his shirt, he only took your hand and kissed your hard, “you sure you want to do this.”

You bit your lip, nodding against him, “my mom won’t be home for another two hours.” He smiled and guided you to his room as you stepped on to the cold fire escape.

It wasn’t unfamiliar, the smell felt nice, and you couldn’t help but giggle at the amount of books stacked in his desk. He looked up at you, seeing where your gaze fell and smiled, “aye, don’t judge.”

He turned back to his room, shuffling through his desk and drawers.

“I just didn’t think you were a reader,” you took your time slipping off your dress and sitting on his bed.

You saw he picked up a container from his drawer, “well, when you-uu,” his eyes fell in your naked figure. The sun leaving gleaming spots on your skin, you couldn’t help but blush as he looked at you.

“Come on,” you reached for his free hand pulling him to the bed.

He kissed you as you head him undoing his pants, and felt the rough material against your skin as they slid down to the floor. You pulled at the waistband of his pants, making those come down to.

Finally you looked down to his yearning tip pressed against his stomach. Your eyes widened at the length, “Bucky,” you couldn’t tell if that was a moan or actual fear. Your eyes danced in his, “are you sure it will fit?”

He smiled kissing down at your neck, “doll, it’ll be okay.” You nodded against his reassurance. “I wanna watch you ride me, and make that pretty face moan.” You felt hot as his words slipped from his mouth. He never talked this dirty, but it felt warm. As you propped yourself up, he pulled a tan colored condom out, slipping it over himself. You watched with hungry eyes as he pumped himself a few times, then motioned for you to sit in him. “You’ll tell me if it hurts, right?” You nodded your head and felt as he aligned himself to your warm slit. He teased you, rubbing the top of his head against your clit until your whined.

“Bucky!”

He laughed, “Okay, you ready?” You nodded, your hands resting on his bare chest as you prepared yourself.

You could feel him slipping into you, “James,” your voice a soft moan.

“Does it hurt?” He stopped abruptly, and you felt the lack of motion between your demanding legs.

“No! No, please keep going.” It burned, but it was nice to feel his long cock stretching you out the way he did. Once he was fully in, you bounced off him lightly, still riding the pain out with his pleasured moans.

His hands dug into your hips with power, “fuck doll, you’ll make me come in two minutes if you moving like that. . . You’re so fucking tight!”

You felt one of his hands slip across your hip bone, and his thumb rub circles against your clit. “Bucky!”

You could almost see stars as he thrusted into your sweet spot, your pussy clenching around him.

“Fuck,” he let out a whispered moan as you began milking him of everything he had.

You leaned into his chest and kissed him hard, “I love you bucky.”

He smile against your lips, “you know I love you more.”

[patrickdelacrz]

All The Small Things

It's the mundane things we often take for granted, and also the things we miss the most.

I was talking with one of my friends recently and we were just reminiscing the old normal and what we miss from it.

"Oh man, just the thought of commuting, seeing you guys is such exciting stuff."

"Right?! Just riding the bus and getting milk tea."

"Well, think about it. Those are all pretty mundane, everyday stuff we used to do. Yet it's the things we miss the most."

It got me thinking that the things we miss the most from our old normal was the regular routine, the things we often see or do but never really acknowledge or notice. Since we see it everyday, we get to the point of taking it all for granted really. We had this mindset of just getting to the next step, but never really savoring what the last step meant. We were all so fast-paced, one project after another, until one day, everything stopped. Everything has changed. And we miss everything.

I recently watched this fun zombie film called Zombieland. The first one, back in 2009. Haven't watched the sequel, but I will soon. Still got lots of time anyway. Hahaha! Back to my point, in Zombieland, well there's zombies. That's pretty obvious from the title and how I described it. Sorry, anyway. In stories like this one, an apocalypse has occurred and the people inhabiting its environment have been shellshocked and are now terrified for their own lives, always on the run, never really rested. To the point that one of the protagonists, Columbus, has devised a set of rules in order to stay alive amidst the pandemic, I mean, the apocalypse.

Some of these rules were meant for survival like rule #1 which is cardio, or #31 checking the back seat in case of valuable materials or the occasional zombie waiting to eat you. Other rules were meant not just for surviving, but for living. To be completely human. And that's rule #32, enjoy the little things.

In one of the scenes in the film, the four protagonists stop by an antiques shop, a very clean, well-preserved antiques shop. Nothing was broken, and sure a zombie popped up but that was handled pretty easily. Columbus and Tallahassee get into a bit of a playful fight and accidentally break one of the knickknacks. It's like a switch was turned on in their heads to break more, and break more they did. It was a sight to see the four wreak havoc on a little shop and just have huge smiles plastered across all their faces. I like to imagine the director tell the actors to just go wild, go ham on this scene, and it sparked joy in everyone's hearts, including mine. The scene ended with Columbus's voice over saying the 32nd rule. Enjoy the little things.

In a time of either zombie apocalypse or medical pandemic, the little things are still here. They just changed entities. From the past, with the old normal, having haircuts was a bliss and I miss it so dearly. I know a looooot of men would agree with me on this. Commuting for me was so joyful because of the adventure, the people you'd meet, and the destination you have plotted. I really can't do any of those now, but that doesn't mean blessings are entirely gone. I remember about a week ago, my dad brought home food from Jollibee. Burgers, fries, iced tea, and by God's grace, a sundae. What a big joy it was to eat some fast food, since I rarely get to eat that stuff now.

It's so funny that in the past with the old normal, I would kill for authentic lutong bahay (home-cooked food). Now? I would kill for fast food. Yet the fact I have food on the table, what a small and huge blessing! I've got a portable air conditioning unit that helps me stay cool amidst this summer heat. And I have WiFi that helps me stay connected to so many people, from old to young, and in whatever aspect I need nourishing in. Just the little blessing as well of sharing my thoughts on a platform such as this, is so mind-boggling for me and it's already sparking joy.

It's in these small moments of life you feel most alive. The quiet can be so loud and deafening. The small can be so huge and ginormous. The small spaces we reside in can be the biggest room in the galaxy. The extraordinary still occurs at times, no doubt, but the ordinary is every moment. Grab these moments today. Grab these moments here. Hold on tight. Own it.

I'm grateful for you.

P.S. Can you do me a favor? Try to list down 10 things you're grateful for this very day. It produces a heart of gratitude and invites you to a moment of meditation on the past day. You'll be surprised on what you might realize. Once done, send it to a loved one. Share the joy!