#or the rivals aren't MEAN anymore like the hell are you talking about the last time we had an exclusively duck rival was Silver

[yusuke-of-valla]

Not to be the "haunted by bad takes" person but I'm still thinking of the person who said that Pokemon Scarlet and Violet was the same as every other game in the series because it's still just fighting gym leaders, getting badges, and then becoming champion/the YouTuber that said Scarlet and Violet challenges are easy because the game is basically just a boss rush and like.

I mean if you don't like or don't want to engage with the other 2/3rds of the main story whatever but you don't then get to act like they don't exist

[storyhuntress31]

Irina's gaze fixed upon him, focusing and tried to made the slight blur she suffered from since her head hit that pipe, go away for a second. She wanted to see him as clear as possible, his eyes, his face...she felt the urgent need to engrave every single inch of him into her memory and never forget him. Her body, had other plans tho. As battered as she was, the blur on her sight should be the last of her worries right now. Her punctured lung and broken ribs reminding her through constant waves of excruciating pain, how critical her current state just was. Yet, her grab on Jean's sleeve gained some strength, relief filling her body at his presence, her will to fight and survived, reignited.

"But it may be the end, Kirschtein. I want to make it. I truly want...just don't know if my body will be so supportive of my will in this state..." A wave of pain rushed through her body and she trembled. "Anyway...why do you care...So...much? Aren't we just...rivals...?" She managed to ask. She noticed his composure breaks a bit. He was just as aware about how bad the situation had become.

Still, the firmness of his voice, sparkled resolution within her, the way his hand lingered on her cheek for just a moment, was just what she needed. She looked into his eyes and saw the tide of emotions rushing through him just like a tsunami. She then lifted her own hand, placing it over his, her eyes never leaving his. "Yes, Sir." She obliged.

This time, she was absolutely aware that his tone was not admitting a reply. He was indeed there to save her and knowing how extraordinarily stubborn and determined he was, after all the time they had ( forcefully or not) spent together, she knew it better than to contradict him in these occasions.

" You are still a terrible liar... You know that, right?" She remarked smiling weakly. " We should work on that once we get back to the headquarters....Kirschtein." She said, opting for truly belive what he was saying. That maybe this wasn't the end, that she wasn't gonna die. And that they would make it to the medical point. The way he lifted her up, mindful of all her injuries, still light as a feather, with the utmost care in the world as if she would break at any moment, truly got into her. It felt as if he truly, sincerely, cared for her in a way deeper that she had ever dared to think about. "Am I too heavy...?" She asks, her voice a low wishper as her breath shortens, sending pain all over her body. Exhaustion taking all over her making every little move she made like pure torture by now.

"Did you just made me a promise....?" She asks, trying to connect herself to the living world, trying to gain some time with him, a soft smile painting her face at the thought. " my sarcastic brain?" She looks at him for a second " the one that always counters back at you with... Smart replies you can't stand? That brain? Thought you couldn't bear it..." She admitted, nothing but sincerity coming out of her mouth, pain and will to survive leaving no room for filters or masking her feelings. "Why is it that you hate me so much as to expose me the way you did with all our friends...? That hurt like hell, Kirschtein. But I don't resent you... I just can't and I know I can't resent you...because it's you. That is the only reason. It's...it's that stupid? Why are u helping me now...?" She asked confused. "Both seeing who will become the best soldier sounds...just so good...I just want to understand why are you so mean sometimes...so caring and sweet others..." She forces herself to keep thinking and talking to avoid the knock out.

Yet, every single step felt like the worst of tortures. And at some point, her body just collapsed. She lost control of it, falling into the ground and trembling. She still managed to take a discarded smoke gun and fired a string of red smoke from their position, in hopes of them being seen from the medical area. She couldn't stand it anymore. Her body betrayed her in the worst moment. She needed answers....she looks at Jean, trying to calm herself. Being in his arms felt like heaven. " this...may be... Our last moment together... Jean... Would you just be so kind for once to give me some answers? Please..." She practically begs " If I have to go... Last thing I would want to take with me is your voice. So please..." Her trembling hands lifted to his cheek, in a desperate attempt to feel him closer, Craving his touch. "It's cold...it's really cold...." She mumbled, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth, due to internal bleeding. " Please...I don't want to go...I want to stay with you..." She says, noticing how her consciousness slowly fades away, still, she tries to resist. She wants to stay by his side even if just for a few more seconds.

@shiiptowreck

[evilkitten3]

#naruto#*grips your shoulders*#tell me more for the love of god#that chunin exam flashback wrecked me in real time

ohohohohohoho

my biggest piece of evidence is this:

people start talking about sakura's crush on sasuke and ino gets upset.... at sasuke, not sakura. unfortunately, i haven't been able to find the raw of that part of that scene, and i don't own that volume yet, so i can't say for sure what it says in the original

anyway, we first see ino at the end of the wave arc/start of the chuunin exams arc, but we don't really get to meet her until team seven shows up for the first part of the exam

ok, so this is the sasuke to sakura's naruto, easy enough to understand. what's interesting here, though, is that ino might be looking at sasuke, and talking to him, but what she accomplishes is irritating sasuke - and, more importantly, getting sakura's attention.

ino is very, VERY invested in sakura paying attention to her.

this scene is an excellent example of that (and a personal fav bc of the light leeten hint that i can see~). lee's just gotten his ass kicked for sakura, who is of course grateful, and we're shown naruto's very blatantly jealous reaction (and if you're a leeten sucker like i am, tenten's more subdued jealous reaction). but ino? ino doesn't bother playing that game. ino goes directly (i initially wrote "straight" but. there's nothing straight about that girl lmao) to what she knows will work: yelling, and offering to fix up sakura's hair for her

but at the same time, ino is afraid of sakura surpassing her - if they aren't rivals for sasuke's affection, then what reason does sakura have to stay in her life? they aren't friends anymore, they're rivals, and so long as they're on equal ground, ino won't have to worry about sakura leaving her behind

(it's hard to read, but fortunately the site i found that one one transcribed it lol)

アンタ誰に向かって口きいてんのか分かってんの!!　図に乗んなよ　泣き虫サクラが―――!!

basically, "don't you understand who you're talking to? deon't get carried away, crybaby sakura!"

the scene where sakura says she wants naruto and sasuke to watch her back is pretty well known, but what's interesting is how frequently "watching sakura's back" shows up in relation to ino.

at the very beginning of their fight, we're shown the two of them facing off - and we the readers are the one's "watching [sakura's] back"

when we look into ino's memories of sakura, we see ino in that position (could not find the raw for this scene either)

ino wants sakura's attention, she doesn't want to be watching her back, she wants to see sakura looking at her

this actually manages to make a comeback during the war arc, in spite of,,,, everything,,,, when inoichi dies and uses his last words to ino to discuss her feelings concerning sasuke and sakura. i don't have the image available on my laptop, but i do own the volume, so i can share some of the dialogue

いの・・・お前は山中家の紫の花紋・・・萩の花言葉通りに育ってくれた・・・・・・”前向きな恋”・・・でしょーー・・・・・・萩の花言葉はそれだけじゃない・・・・・・父さんが何より誇りに思うのはお前の友に対する・・・”想い”だ。お前はキレイな萩の花を咲かせて見せてくれた・・・

"ino... you are the purple [word that means both flower pattern and is a homonym for family crest but i think here means both] of the yamanaka family... you grew up the same way as the bush clover in hanakotoba... 'forward-facing love'... right? ......that isn't the clover's only meaning in hanakotoba... more than anything, what dad is most proud of is you facing your friend... it's "[word that means love/heart/desire/feelings/etc written with a character that has connotations of heart-felt]". you let me watch a beautiful clover flower bloom..."

there's a lot of flower language stuff and bc it's manga words meaning multiple things in ways that don't translate great into english so i'm gonna wrap this up (i've been writing this for like. two hours now so. i am kinda tired and my cat wants food lol) but ino is gay as hell and no one is changing my mind on this that girl is a lesbian to her bones

genuinely my belief that ino was never really interested in sasuke and actually liked sakura the whole time is so deeply embedded in me that every time i read a fic where ino is just as sasuke-crazy as sakura, i have to remind myself that. technically that is the case

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Help me Obi Peach Kenobi, I need your opinion on a veeeeeeeeery unimportant topic.

In my last Ask you talked about Jikook's chemistry

And also how a lot of people don't see it. And on Tumblr I've seen: 

people that blatantly ignore it (which is so grotesque to me, I don't have further think on that)

and people who say "Jikook were very close till 2019, but not since then. Their moments just don't do it for me anymore"

So I've just wanted to hear your thoughts on the "Jikook aren't as close anymore (aka since 2019)" narrative?

Why I am asking for your opinion on this:

I value your opinion. You are someone where I think, the balance of the force is with you

you've been a BTS for quite a long time, much longer than me. 2021 has been the first time I've experienced BTS and Jikook content live and not just from watching past content. So I fear maybe that plays into my perception

while you enjoy Jikooks relationship, it's not a big focus for you. So there's less confirmation bias involved

Ask 2: Do you think the way ppl see jikook changed cos of the pandemic? Jikook used to be like sirens blasting

LOOK AT ME I'M FRUITY

NO MANGO.

Now they're very calm I almost don't notice them.

Ask 3: The way the fandom ignores jikook irritates the hell out of me. Some Armys are like sheep that do whatever big accounts tell them even if it means not seeing jikook giving hickeys. I'm not a shipper but I almost want to become one to negate the effect of Army always pretending jikook doesn't exist.

**

(...No mango? Really?)

Hi @guacamoli-avocadorado 💜 and Anon(s)!

I decided to group these very differently written asks together because I think they all pose similar questions. I’ll try not to ramble.

A couple years ago, I used to have this same debate with a joker friend on Twitter. In fact she’s the person that convinced me to join Tumblr where she said a bigger jikooker community was. Let’s call her A. I remember she had a theory that the way the fandom relates to jikook has changed dramatically since 2017, and she explained there are three or four groups of people in the fandom who react to jikook in particular ways.

1. The homophobic subset of the fandom. There’s no getting around it - many people are homophobic, either due to cultural upbringing such as the traditionally religious, or some other prejudice, and in a fandom as big as ARMY many of which are from conservative Asian cultures, there’s bound to be thousands like this.

2. The non-homophobic subset of the fandom that notices or suspects jikook but says nothing either out of respect or out of an inclination to protect them. (As a non-shipping rapline bias who had just started asking explicit questions at the time, she placed me in this group). Jikook can be as affectionate as they want with each other and it can be explained away as skinship or something permissible for idols to do - I’ve seen some jikookers refer to this as a glass closet. Some non-shipping people in the fandom see this, occasionally joke about jikook in this way, but try not to excessively draw attention to jikook given LGBT+ rights are frankly non-existent in Korea.

3. The rival shippers. Throw in the y/ns who sometimes overlap with the homophobes, the taekookers, yoonminers, etc. These are basically other shippers who may or may not see jikook, but clearly have an interest in dismissing anything jikook do.

4. The people who just don’t care. For them, out of sight is out of mind, and even when in sight, the interpersonal dynamics between the members is just not something they care about. One of my closest ARMY friends (Minimoni bias) is exactly like this. I could gush from now till tomorrow about jikook and the most she’ll do is have a slightly amused look on her face. It’s not that she hates jikook or hates shipping, she’s simply not interested in it.

**

At the time, I argued with A that there are more sub-groups (in group 4 for example there are anti-shippers who actively squash down any mention of interpersonal chemistry because they think it distracts people from the music and cheapens it. They’re like music purists or something lol, but some of them also overlap with group 1 and so they have an added interest in dismissing any chemistry at all). But looking at all your asks, I’d say these four groups broadly explain the reasons the fandom reacts to jikook the way they do.

@guacamoli-avocadorado , I think in addition to all these, the sorts of people to say they no longer see jikook since like 2019, are a particular type of shipper. These are people who I think need constant stimulation, they ship actively (and I’d argue in borderline unhealthy ways) and need a constant drip feed of content. The reason I say it’s borderline unhealthy, is because I think these are people who run the risk of seeing BTS more as objects than as real people with real lives which include other people besides Jimin and Jungkook.

Because a lot did change for BTS and jikook in 2020. Many pairing moments usually come from on stage interactions on tour and the Vlives that would happen right after, Run BTS moments, off the clock sightings in tour locations, and so on. Since 2020, first with the pandemic and then their hiatus, nearly all of these opportunities have whittled down in frequency, and in some ways have almost dried up. So people who forget that after the cameras turn off, BTS still exist in each other’s lives, and that even with reduced on camera instances jikook still maintain a consistency their fondness for each other, those people then come online to complain about jikook either not being as close or jikook not even being close at all anymore.

It’s basically bias - a form of binary confirmation bias where the absence of constant evidence negates every possibility. The annoying thing is that, it’s actually true that jikook’s relationship has changed, but it’s also true that it hasn’t really changed all that much either. Jimin and Jungkook are two individuals, adult men with different friend groups and different personal and career goals. As they mature, so will their relationship. As time passes we get glimpses into what that looks like, but based on what I’ve seen, the chemistry, fondness, and deference between them hasn’t worsened at all. It’s taken on a slightly different shade, but the Busan Bros have not slowed down their shenanigans.

I remember in 2020 when people were saying they had broken up (I’m not certain they’re dating, but I do remember seeing this theory all over based on an ‘out of sight out of mind’ rationale), and we later learned Jungkook had been getting drunk with him privately and spinning a grown man around bridal style.

I don’t know when people will learn to live and let live with jikook. They haven’t slowed down in 10 years, with the cameras rolling and the cameras off. Their relationship might have indeed changed since 2019, but not in any meaningful way that negates their love and respect for each other.

Whether or not some people see it has more to do with them and their bias, than anything jikook may or may not be doing in their personal lives.

[stuckysdaughter]

Ben Barnes Secret Santa 2021

Summary: My Secret Santa gift for all-art-is-quite-useless! An enemies to lovers with the wonderful Billy Russo!

TW: light smut, 18+, some cursing, mentions of blood, injuries, mentions of guns/shooting

Tagging: @the-purity-pen @all-art-is-quite-useless @rachlovesactors @eginv-blog @my-day6

------

You and Billy Russo really don't get along, no not at all. He rubbed you the wrong way, and vice versa. You didn't understand how Frank could put up with him. Alright, you understood that there was a special bond between the Marines. But that doesn't mean you have to have the same connection!

******

You met at Karen’s birthday party. She was one of your oldest friends, dating back to sophomore year in high school. You wouldn't have missed this day for the world.

"Y/N, c'mere, I want you to meet someone!"

"Comin'," you shouted back from the kitchen where you were refilling your glass.

You saw a man standing by her, and you knew this was another attempt for a setup. Karen had been trying to set you up with her friends or Frank's friends since your last breakup, and the last one was a horrible disaster. You had a sinking feeling this one would be too.

The man had dark hair, styled to perfection. It had to be, since he was the only one wearing a suit, pretentious ass. He turned around to face you, and you were met with pitch black eyes.

"Y/N, this is Billy. Billy, this is my best friend Y/N."

He flashed you a charming smirk, and you instantly remembered all the stories you were told about him. His way with the girls and the speed at which he went through them. No way, uh uh.

"Pleasure to meet you, Y/N."

"You as well, Billy. But sorry, not gonna happen."

His face contorted into shock and then anger, "Excuse me?"

"Karen is clearly trying to set me up with you. I've heard all the stories, I know how you are with the women you're with if you can even call it that. So sorry, but no thanks."

Karen looked uncomfortable, and you knew you were right. She tried to set you up and you tossed out that idea at first glance. Karen also knew about Billy's temper, which was only rivaled by your own. She slowly backed away from you both, and silently excused herself.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what I did to solicit this, but I assure you whatever it is, it's wrong."

"Oh really?" You were just adding fuel to the fire now, egged on by his growing anger. "So the stories about all the one night stands aren't true? Or how you were with that Agent Madani until she got in your way?"

His jaw clenched, and a muscle in his cheek twitched. "Well then, sweetheart," he leered at you, "Let me tell you all the things I've heard about you."

Oh, shit.

"Is it true that your longest relationship was a year? And that you broke it off because you couldn't stand him any longer? Or is that just a lie because I'm pretty sure if I were him, I'd leave as fast as I could."

His smirk grew as he watched you stew in anger. You weren't going to make a scene, not now, not on your best friend's birthday. But you sure as hell couldn't be around this asshole anymore. Shaking with pent up hatred, you left him there, and found some of your other friends to talk to.

******

You ran into each other a few more times the following weeks. Each time neither of you spoke to each other unless you had to, followed by some sort of jab. It became a game of yours, to see who got the last word. Your friends were getting tired of it, because they could clearly see you were attracted to each other. You weren't going to deny him his looks, he was admittedly a handsome man. But, you weren't going to fall for his charms and his lies, not like those other girls.

This time, however, was different. It was late evening, and you were about to turn in for the night. You put on your pajamas, and wiped off the light makeup you wore. As you were finishing your nightly routine, the doorbell rang. You weren't expecting any visitors, especially not at this hour, so you grabbed the baseball bat you kept close by just in case. Looking through the peephole of your door, you saw it was Billy.

What the fuck, what is he doing here?

Then you got a closer look at him, and how he was leaning to one side. You noted his ruffled hair as you opened the door, and you saw the blood streaming down his leg.

"Oh my God, Billy, are you alright? Get in here, let me look at that."

You ushered him into your apartment, and you saw he was limping, favoring his left leg. You led him to the bathroom, and turned around as he slowly cut his dark trousers for you to get better access.

You saw the bullet wound and you fought the urge to puke. It looked like he had managed to take the bullet out, but stopped after that. You were by no means a doctor, but you knew it at least needed to be cleaned and wrapped.

You grabbed the nearest thing of gauze bandages, and a ratty washcloth. You dampened the cloth with water from the sink, and started cleaning the area around the wound. Once you could see what you were looking at, you realized it wasn't as bad as you originally thought. It was in the meat of his leg, but it didn't appear to have hit anything important. It was also done bleeding, except for the occasional dribble. When you were sure that it was sufficiently cleaned, you wrapped his leg with gauze and taped it.

"There. I still suggest you go to the hospital and get it looked at, but I guess this will do for now." You looked at him, and said, "I suppose I don't want to know how you got this, correct?"

Billy just sighed, and looked down at the floor. "I don't think you do, no. I'm sorry to just show up here, but your place was the closest."

"Don't apologize," You leaned back against the wall. "Being a nurse wasn't on my list for today, but I'm glad I could help." There was a moment of silence before you spoke up again. "That doesn't mean we're friends, just to be clear."

He laughed, and a grin rose to his face. A genuine grin, one you'd only ever seen him give to Frank and Karen. "Wouldn't dream of it, princess."

******

After that day, something between the two of you changed. It was still tense, but in a different way. Like you both wanted to say something, but was holding back. You still fought at every chance, but it was lighter, less fierce. You weren't sure what exactly brought on this change, but you knew it had something to do with that night.

Frank and Karen were just waiting for the two of you to admit how you felt. They knew you were perfect for each other, they just didn't plan on how stubborn you'd be. This time they'd get you together, once and for all. They invited you both over to their place for dinner, hoping that this time you'd finally say something.

It was near the end of the night that you had a moment alone. The couple went to wash dishes, and you and Billy went to the living room to sit and wait for them. You shared the small couch, your legs just barely touching.

"Y/N-"

"Billy-" You laughed, and turned to face the man. "You first."

"Ok," he paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "Y/N, there's something I've been meaning to say for a while now, I just didn't know how to tell you."

"Ok..."

"I really like you, Y/N. I don't really know what this is," he gestured between the two of you, "But I'd really like to take you out sometime. If you'll let me, that is. I know how you feel about my personal life."

You were shocked, unable to form any words. But stronger than that was your pure joy at what Billy just said. It made what you were about to say so much easier.

"Billy, I don't know what this is either. But what I do know, is that I really like you too. I'd be honored if you'd go out with me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

Billy wasted no time, pulling you close into a kiss. His hands cupped your face, as your own wrapped around his neck. He pulled you onto his lap, and his hands went up the back of your shirt.

"Wait, wait," You pulled away for a moment. "We're still at Frank's place."

Billy blushed a deep red, as he seemed to grow more aware of his surroundings. "Right, yeah we are."

You quirked an eyebrow as you met his dark gaze. "My place?"

******

You kicked the door closed with your heel as you stumbled into the room. You had made your hasty goodbyes, missing the look the pair flashed each other. Now that you reached your apartment, his lips were once again on yours. It felt like you were on fire, warmth spreading throughout your body.

You reached the bed in no time, excited for the pleasure that awaited you both. Clothes were flying everywhere, off faster than you thought possible. You both climbed on, and you went to lower yourself to press your lips to his hardened length. He stopped you before you could, though.

“Ah ah, princess. Tonight is all about you. Come here.”

He motioned you over to him, and grabbed hold of your hips to pull you close. You were sitting on his lap now, and you could feel his erection throbbing beneath you. He kissed you with a passion you had never felt before, and it took your breath away. He pulled away, and drew his attention to your breasts. He took one into his mouth, and massaged the other with his hand. Billy took extra care to give equal attention to both, not wanting you to feel slighted by his affections.

When he was satisfied with his work there, he pressed feather light kisses in a trail down your stomach. As he kissed your body, he lowered his own, until he was lying underneath you. You were already wet with anticipation, and when Billy saw he gave a wolfish grin.

“So wet for me, already, princess?” He licked along your slit, gathering some of your juices on his tongue. “You taste so good, darling. So sweet."

Your lover continued his ministrations, and you were so lost in the pleasure already. He had just barely started and you were already so close. Billy tightened his grip on your hips to keep you steady above his face. Once you were situated, he swirled his tongue around your bud before plunging it into your cunt. His tongue found the right spot with the ease coming only from years of practice. You cried out in ecstasy, Billy moaning at the sound. Your hands were tangling in his hair, urging him on.

He picked up the pace, going faster and harder. He took out his tongue, and quickly placed his lips on your fold. He sucked on it like he needed it to survive, and you knew you were close.

“Fuck, Billy… I-I’m gonna…”

“Let go, Y/N. Cum for me.”

You released on the spot, Billy lapping up your juices, not losing a drop. He worked you through your high, helping you come down from it, until you were panting big heavy breaths.

Billy sat up, and wiped his chin with the back of his hand. Your cum was down his face, but he still licked his fingers clean with each swipe. He met your eyes as he finished sucking on his fingers, and you rushed over to claim his lips with yours. You could taste the remnants that were on his lips.

He pushed you onto your back, and lined himself up with your entrance. With one thrust, he was seated all the way in you. You nodded your head quickly, letting him know you were ok to continue. He then started moving inside you, soaking up the moans that were slipping past your lips. Faster and faster he went, and you once again felt your arousal approaching.

"Ohh, Billy..."

"Fuck, Y/N..."

Within moments, you both were coming, highs overtaking you. He pulled out of you, and flopped down beside you. Panting heavily, he pulled you close to him so your head could rest on his chest. Billy pressed a light kiss to your hair, and gently ran his hand through it.

"Billy?"

He looked down at you the best he could. "Yes, Y/N?"

"This isn't like the stories I've heard about you, right? I didn't just become another notch in the bedpost?"

His answer came quick. "No, darling, no. I want to keep seeing you, keep doing this. As long as you'll let me."

You smiled, and curled back into his chest, content for the first time in a long while. You really hated that damn Billy Russo. But you also loved him with your whole heart, the same way that he loved you in return.

------

THE END

Author's Notes: Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope you liked this fic, I spent a lot of time on it. It was harder to get the reader's voice on this one, since I don't naturally pick fights with people like that haha. And I am not a nurse, so please don’t quote me on how to clean wounds like that. I used the almighty google, but again, I’m not a nurse. But, I am proud of this one, and I hope you all enjoyed it. I hope you enjoyed your gift, @all-art-is-quite-useless! I tried to follow your requests as close as possible. Let me know if anyone wants to be added to the taglist, or if anyone wants me to write something specific. Requests are open, I've got one or two going at the moment, but more are always welcome. Happy Holidays, everyone, and enjoy the rest of the 2021 Secret Santa Celebrations!!

[ticklishfiend]

A Little Nervous (My Hero Academia)

Lee!Kaminari / Ler!Bakusquad

A / N : these prompts were absolutely adorable, thank you guys so much for them!! this was a cute fic to write lol, a little longer than my last one but hopefully you still enjoy!! and thanks for all the prompts i've been receiving recently, i've seen them all so far and they are all so cute and i'm so excited to get to them!!

Summary : After seeing Bakugou getting tickled by Kirishima, Kaminari can't help but feel a little...jealous. His friends aren't stupid, though, and they pick up on it right away. Once he explains how he's feeling, they're more than happy to help him feel a little better :)

Word Count : 2798

REBLOGS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!! MWAH <33

. . .

This is so stupid. So fucking stupid. This should NOT be affecting him as much as it was. But, despite his internal fight against it, the feeling of ghost tickles spreading mercilessly throughout his torso as he watched Kirishima squeeze up and down at Bakugou’s sides would just not let up. He was practically squirming in his seat listening to the boy’s cackles and curses to, “JUST FUHUHUCKING STOP ALREADHEHEHE!!” It wasn’t fair! How come the guy who hates getting tickled is being attacked in just the way Denki wants it for himself.

The Bakusquad had all been chilling in Bakugou’s room together (well, more like everyone burst in there and refused to leave, though Bakugou didn’t put up too much of a fight to get them to) and were all each doing their own things. Sero had been watching an anime on his phone, Mina was teaching herself a TikTok dance off to the side, Denki was playing on his Switch, and Kirishima and Bakugou had opted to watch a movie on the blonde’s laptop. Everything was seemingly pretty calm, no one yet to cause much of a ruckus...until Bakugou wouldn’t stop calling the movie Kirishima had picked out “stupid and not fucking scary,” to which Kirishima decided the best course of action would be to tickle him until he apologized for being so mean.

Which is where they were now. Mina scolding the boys for being too loud so she couldn’t hear the music to keep up with the beat, while Sero just laughed and cheered Kirishima on from the side. Denki was practically vibrating from his spot on the floor. He had been feeling pretty, um…”touch starved” the past few days anyways, especially after seeing Midoriya get gang tickled by his own group or friends days ago, but now this?! This was too much. He couldn’t take it. He just couldn’t.

“You’re way too ticklish, Bakugou, it’s fucking hilarious,” Sero spoke snidely from his spot on the orange beanbag across from Denki, Bakugou throwing his own rage-filled fit on top of the bed from the raven-haired boy’s teasing. Sero grinned widely as he looked over towards Denki, expecting a snarky comment from the blonde as well. But...all he got was a pair of wide eyes that immediately avoided his gaze, his cheeks flushing pink as his hands seemed to grip even harder on his gaming console. Sero’s brows furrowed. “Denks, you good man?”

“You’re way too ticklish, Bakugou, it’s fucking hilarious,” Sero spoke snidely from his spot on the orange beanbag across from Denki, Bakugou throwing his own rage-filled fit on top of the bed from the raven-haired boy’s teasing. Sero grinned widely as he looked over towards Denki, expecting a snarky comment from the blonde as well. But...all he got was a pair of wide eyes that immediately avoided his gaze, his cheeks flushing pink as his hands seemed to grip even harder on his gaming console. Sero’s brows furrowed. “Denks, you good man?”

Denki froze a bit, still not looking over towards Sero as he let out a little nervous chuckle. “What, me? Good? Oh, yeah dude, I am tooootally good. A+ over here, no need to fret one little bit, ha!” Denki laughed awkwardly before just falling into an uncomfortable silence again. Everyone in the room’s attention was suddenly on the blonde, and not the angry one.

Kirishima spoke up, a little worry in his voice. “Are you feeling sick, bro? I know you short circuited during training today, is it still making you feel-”

“No! No, I promise I’m all good! It was just...uh…” Denki internally cursed at himself for not shutting up when he could. He could’ve just left it at being good! But nooo he just had to feel like he needed to explain himself!

“Just what?” Mina prompted, grabbing her phone from it’s previously propped position against Bakugou’s dresser and sitting criss-cross over beside Denki.

Denki blushed, he couldn’t help it. He felt so exposed right now, and he was worried there was no getting out of this...but...part of him hoped there really was no getting out of this.

The blonde whined, covering his flushed face with his hands after sitting his Switch down on the floor beside him. “I caaaan’t...it’s embarrassing…” Denki spoke in a low, whiny tone.

Bakugou made a scoffing sound from his place cuddled into Kirishima on the bed, Denki peering through his fingers slightly to look at him. “You think we give a shit, Dunceface? These morons and I know practically everything about you already.”

Kirishima beamed beside him. “Yeah! This is a no judgement zone, brother! Whatever goes!” Sero and Mina nodded their heads with approving smiles, looking back over towards Denki.

The boy whined one final time behind his hands before bringing his knees up to his chest, setting his hands on top of them like a prop. He peered over his knees like a child. “Well, it’s just that...when he - or when they both - or, more like when Kiri did it to Bakugou, but - or, I don’t know, I can’t say-”

Bakugou groaned loudly, cutting the boy off. “Spit it out, Sparkplug, I’m not listening to you ramble all night long!”

“But I can’t say the word!” Denki grumbled, his fingers tangling in his hair in frustration.

“Well, he said something about Kiri and Bakugou. Is this about Blasty getting tickled?” Mina asked genuinely, but it only made Denki blush even brighter and cover his face once again with a muffled whine. “Wait, is that it? Can you not say tickle?” Denki groaned even louder.

“Stooooop…” he muffled his gripe into his palms, but to say he wasn’t loving this attention despite his reactions right now would be a complete and total lie.

“Aw, you can’t, can you? Why not? Do you not like tickling?” Mina asked, leaning forward towards the boy in curiosity. Denki just shook his head slightly.

“No, that’s...that’s not it…”

“So you...like it?” Sero asked with a small smirk, leaning his head down and towards Denki to try and make eye contact with the boy whose forehead leaned against his knees. Sero’s eyes met the blonde’s, who only froze up at the smirk the raven-haired boy gave him. “Oh that’s it, huh? You like being tickled?”

“I...I mean...maybe a little,” Denki muttered in a barely audible whisper, but it was more than enough for his friends, who now all had growing smirks on their faces.

“Aw, Denki, if you wanted us to tickle you you coulda just said something, man!” Kirishima beamed before hopping off of his spot on the bed (much to Bakugou’s now cold displeasure). In a quick motion, Kirishima grabbed Denki around his waist, the blonde letting out a surprised yelp as he was lifted off the ground and thrown onto the bed haphazardly with a huffed “oof” sound.

“Blasty, grab his arms real quick!” Mina called from the floor, her and Sero both rising from their spots on the ground and walking towards the bed with a now furiously blushing Denki on it. Bakugou just rolled his eyes and, with a displeased grunt, grabbed both of Denki’s arms, holding them above his head as he laid with his back pressed against the bed.

“W-wait, you don’t have to-”

“Shut the hell up, Sparky. If we didn’t want to, we wouldn’t do it,” Bakugou grumbled, though the small smile on his face did not go unnoticed by the pinned blonde underneath him. “You wanted us to tickle you? Fine. But remember that you practically asked for this.”

“Aww, look at him! He’s getting all embarrassed!~” Mina cooed, wiggling her fingers in the air as she got comfortable on Denki’s left side, Kirishima taking his right while Sero prompted to sit himself down on his calves, effectively pinning the boy completely to the bed.

Denki couldn’t help the nervous outpour of titters that escaped from his belly, his eyes wide as the three soon-to-be ticklers all teased their fingers in the air above him, wiggling them in a teasy taunt.

“Oh gohohod-” Denki whined, squirming under them as their fingers inched closer and closer to his wiggling body. Mina lifted up his shirt just above his lower ribs, the cold air making him yip in surprise, making the others chuckle.

“We haven’t even tickled you yet!” Sero laughed, rubbing his palms over Denki’s knees and thighs, and though the action was non-tickly in itself, Denki couldn’t help but jump in anticipation at the sensation.

“Stohohop saying the wohohord!” Denki fussed through his giggles, internally begging them to just get on with it already.

“What word? Tickle? You don’t like when we talk about how ticklish you are? How you can’t handle a couple tickly tickles?~” Mina teased, finally wiggling just her two first fingers against Denki’s bare right side. This sent a jold through his already overly-sensitve body, the anticipation just making it worse.

“AH! Wahahait!!” Denki pleaded, even if he didn’t mean it one bit. He couldn’t handle waiting anymore. He needed this, and he needed it now.

“Aww, no more waiting, Kami! I wanna hear you laugh for real now!” Kirishima smiled before fluttering at his left ribs just underneath his armpit, and Kaminari let out a flurry of panicked giggles that could rival that of an overly-excited child. Mina followed suit, pinching at his sides in a gentle, but oh oh so tickly way. Sero prompted to wiggle his fingers just barely on the underside of his knees, which drove Denki up the fucking wall.

“OH GOHOHOD! OH PLEHEHEASE! IT TIHIHICKLES!” Denki cackled, throwing his head back practically onto Bakugou’s lap, who only smirked down at the hysterical boy under him.

“You’re fucking ridiculous, Pikachu. This ticklish? For real? They’ve barely done shit to you,” Bakugou got in his share of teasing, which only made Kaminari’s giggles seem to raise up an octave.

“STAHAHAP TAHAHALKING! MAHAHAKES IT SOHOHO MUCH WOHOHORSE!” Denki screamed when Sero started pinching at the tops of his knees. His laughs were sporadic, high-pitched and panicked, though very obviously excited. “SEROHOHOHO!”

“Aw, whatsa matter, Denks? Your knees a bad spot for you?” Sero asked, using one hand to squeeze his knee while the other fluttered on the underside of it. “Tell me, which is worse: the squeezing or when I use my nails?”

“I DOHOHON’T KNOHOHOW! JUST STAHAHAHAP!” Denki cackled in mirth, lying through his teeth as if he really wanted them to quit their teasy actions. They all saw right through him, luckily, and continued on their tickling rampage.

Kirishima used one hand to spider and pinch at his ribs, while the other started wiggling gently over his lower belly, teasing the boy infinitely. Mina cooed as her side squeezes made him shriek like a child, finding the ever growing blush on his cheeks to be as endearing as ever.

Bakugou decided he really wanted to get his hands in on this torture before it ended. He quickly pinned Kaminari’s hands underneath both of his knees, leaning his body over just enough to stretch his arm out and press two fingers into his lower belly, effectively moving Kirishima’s own teasing fingers out of the way. “Hey, Sparks; wanna see my favorite way to murder someone?”

“NOHOHO! BAKUGOHOHOU! DON’T DO IHIHIT!” Kaminari already knew what was coming, and this was something he knew he couldn’t stand for a second. He wasn’t going to make this out alive, and it seemed Bakugou was going to make sure of that.

“Too late. I wanna see you scream,” Bakugou smirked, and with that, vibrated his fingers into Denki’s tummy relentlessly, drawing screaming belly laughs out of the boy in milliseconds. He was in absolute stitches, writhing underneath their touch, screeching and hollering like he was literally being murdered. The squeezing on his knees made him arch his back, but that only brought his belly closer to Bakugou’s merciless fingers.

Mina moved her evil, evil acrylics up to Denki’s armpit, and that’s the moment he knew he was absolutely done for. He couldn’t take it, he could see the light and it was surrounded by wiggling fingers and teasing voices.

“Aww, look at him! He’s loving it!” Kirishima beamed, squeezing into his ribs like playing a piano without direction.

“I know, right? He looks so cute like this!” Mina cooed digging a thumb into the pit and effectively causing Denki to jolt hard underneath them, his laughs turning gutteral but still somehow panicky and excited.

“YOU GUHUHUYS SUHUHUCK! IT’S SOHOHO BAHAHAD!” Denki convulsed when he felt Bakugou use both his hands to dig small circles into his upper hips.

“Yeaaaah but you like it, don’t you?~” Sero teased, continuing his assault on one knee while leaning back to scribble over one of Denki’s socked soles, the foot wiggling around frantically but not enough to evade the ever so tickly touches of Sero’s fingers.

“PLEHEHEHEASE! OH GOHOHOHOD AHAHAHA!”

“I wanna hear him say it! Say ‘I like being tickled,’ and we’ll quit!” Mina beamed.

“I CAHAHAHAHAN’T SAHAHAY THAHAHAT! YOU DON’T UNDERSTAHAHAND!” Kaminari felt tears prickle at the corners of his eyes that were squeezed tightly shut, his body flailing uselessly under their pin.

“Sounds like you’re gonna die one hell of a death then, huh?” Bakugou chuckled, squeezing the boy’s hips mercilessly and causing him to buck like bull.

Kirishima chuckled. “He probably just doesn’t want it to end yet. Is that it, Kami? You want us to keep tickling you forever and ever and ever”

“OKAHAHAY! I LIHIHIKE IHIHIT! PLEHEHEASE! IT’S SO BAHAHAD!” Kaminari pleaded as he felt both of Sero’s hands return to his oh so sensitive knees.

“Nooo, that’s not what we want, giggle-bug! You gotta say the word too!” Mina giggled.

“Aww, giggle-bug is such a cute name. We’ve gotta start calling him that all the time,” Sero chuckled.

“NAHAHAH! DON’T DOHOHO THAHAHT! IT’S STUHUHUPID!”

“Yeah? Well so are you,” Bakugou smirked before leaning in close to Denki’s ear, his breath tickling him way more than it should have, causing him to yip and scrunch up his neck. “-giggle-bug~”

That was it. That’s what did him in officially.

“ALRIHIHIGHT! OKAHAHAY! I LIHIHIKE BEING TIHIHICKLED! PLEHEHEASE! I CAHAHAHAN’T!” Kaminari screamed, before all the hands on his body suddenly stopped their tickly torment. Bakugou backed off completely, moving himself off of Denki’s arms so the boy could bundle up into himself, while the other’s kept their hands on him comfortingly. Sero moved off of Denki’s legs, the blonde curling up into a giggle ball.

“Chrihihist…” he giggled into himself, wiping away a residual tear.

“You okay, babes?” Mina asked comfortingly, a smile laced in her voice that made Denki more relaxed than ever. He smiled up at all of them, the blush still having yet to leave his cheeks.

“Yeah...yeah I’m...thank you guys…” he let out one last giggle as all his friends (besides Bakugou, who rolled his eyes with a grin) all awed at him. Kirishima and Mina pulled him into a tight hug, Sero following before Kirishima pulled Bakugou into it with them (though he didn’t put up a fight, instead wrapping his arms around the huddle with a straight look on his face.)

“Anytime, Denks! That was so much fun, we’ve gotta do that again sometime!” Kirishima smiled brightly as they all pulled away from the hug. Kaminari was obviously still a little embarrassed, scratching at his neck sheepishly with a chuckle.

“So you guys don’t...care? That I like that?” Denki asked with insecurity laced through his voice.

“Sweetheart, with all due respect, it’s fucking adorable. If anything I’m thrilled you like it cause that just means I get to do it to you that much more,” Mina smiled, the hand on his shoulder rubbing him soothingly as he melted into the touch.

“Same here, man. It’s cute as fuck,” Sero chuckled, ruffling Denki’s hair playfully. “Alright, now...who wants to watch a movie?”

“Oh, oh, I say we watch Little Mermaid!” Kirishima raised his hand like a child in class, which only made Bakugou scoff and shove at his shoulder with a scowl.

“Uh, fuck that! If we’re watching any princess movie it’s gonna be Mulan,” Bakugou said, the others looking at him in a momentary shock that he would actually suggest any princess movie at all. He looked back at them blankly. “What? She’s a fucking badass and you all know it.”

“Mulan it is, then,” Mina smiled, hopping off the bed to grab Bakugou’s laptop. They all curled in together on Bakugou’s not-very-big dorm-sized bed, their closeness and warmth practically melting all of their bodies as they watched the movie together that night. Denki was huddled in the middle, cuddled close by Mina and Sero. He had never felt more loved and comfortable in his life, the smile on his face evident of this as he drifted off into the happiest sleep he’d had in a while.

. . .

A / N : hopefully you guys enjoyed that!! if u did pls reblog it, it helps my fics reach other ppl who might be interested in reading!! love u guys, thanks for all the support!! much love <33 xx

[jaex2]

Failing | Yoongi Imagine

I was listening to the song "I Wanna Know" by The Hunna and was instantly inspired to write this AU. It's such a bop, I encourage you all to listen!

Preview: You've been feeling neglected, and you're ready to give up. But, Yoongi doesn't give up easily.

Genre: Mafia/gang AU, some angst and fluff

Warnings: Nothing much, mentions of violence/drugs

****

You were fully aware things had not been going well the last 6 months. The gang had lost some valuable hideouts to rivals, a couple members defected, and some profit loss. When things aren't going the way Yoongi wanted them to, everyone around him paid the price. You couldn't remember how many people you've watched him verbally degrade and physically slap around.

You were lucky enough to have the prestigious position of being his girl, so he didn't do anything that drastic to you. It was more like...emotional warfare. He came to bed late, left early, and probably had only spoken two or three sentences to you recently. And they weren't exactly warm and fuzzy.

You didn't require much affection. You knew getting into this lifestyle you weren't going to get a boyfriend who brought you home roses and took you to nice restaurants. Those things didn't matter to you anyway. The only thing that did was him.

It was Friday evening at about 10pm when there was a light knock on your door.

"Come in?" You said hesitantly, confused who would be knocking on the door.

"Hey." Hoseok's voice rang out as he slid the door open.

"Oh, hey." You half smiled; it was really the best you had to give anyone these days.

"I hadn't seen you in a few days, I got nervous." He admitted sheepishly, standing in the door way.

"Yeah, I haven't wanted to be around anyone. Is Yoongi around?" You asked cautiously, though you knew the answer.

"He left around 7pm, saying he had to take care of something. Just took a couple guys and one of the cars." Hoseok shrugged, looking as defeated as you felt. He sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed next to you.

"Don't take it personally. I haven't seen him for more than five minutes in the 6 months." You replied.

"Wow, really?" Hoseok looked shocked. "I always figured you were his weak spot."

"I used to be, but I don't know whats happening. He doesn't speak to me, hell he doesn't even look at me if he sees me around the compound." You spat, clearly feeling the emotions you'd been shoving down rising up.

"You've never called it a compound before." Hoseok pointed out. Fine, technically it was a mansion. But it was the main base for the gang, as well as where you resided with Yoongi.

"I can't call it home. He's what makes it home. And he's not really here." You said. "I can't take it anymore."

If you were a crier you'd probably be crying, but this life had hardened you.

"I think I'm going to leave." You finally said.

"That's crazy, Y/N." Hoseok retorted, practically choking on his saliva.

"Is it? Would he even notice?" You replied, looking at him.

"Of course he would. And how would you even get out with all the guards? And where would you go?" Hoseok looked slightly panicked.

"Pretend you didn't talk to me tonight. You can't be liable for knowing information about me if I'm successful." You stated, standing up. "Just go."

Hoseok stood up with you, and stared at you hard for a few moments. "Don't do this to him."

"He's fine." You crossed your arms tightly.

"We both know he wouldn't be...It's just a phase." He tried to defend his best friend and boss.

"6 months isn't a phase! I was patient. The first few months, I figured he'd snap out of it. But it's been half a year. How much of my life am I supposed to spend being ignored by the man I love?" You asked softly, avoiding Hoseok's gaze.

Without another word, he nodded slightly and left your room. He couldn't bare the idea of saying goodbye and he was hoping you would calm down and change your mind.

You felt a moment of bravery after finally getting your feelings off your chest. You grabbed a bag out of the closet and starting shoving clothes into it. You couldn't think clearly on what you needed. You looked around the room frantically, trying to figure out what to take. Your head was so foggy with sadness and fear that you couldn't collect yourself enough to form a plan.

The door crashing open caused you to jump and drop the bag, spinning to face the bedroom door.

"Y/N." Yoongi said flatly, looking down at the bag.

You swallowed hard and couldn't find words to spit out. What were you going to say? You were caught red handed.

His eyes never left the bag.

"What are you doing?" He asked, low and stern. Still not meeting your eyes.

You started to stutter out an answer but he cut you off.

"You...were going to leave me?" His eyes snapped up to meet yours. He tilted his head to the side, and waited for an answer, no emotions on his face.

"Yes." You answered, regaining your composure. You straightened your shoulders and stared him down confidently. Now wasn't the time to come off weak.

To your surprise, he chuckled lightly. You watched him carefully.

He grabbed the picture frame off the table next to the door and threw it, the sound of the glass shattering made you jump.

"Yoongi..." You warned, trailing off.

"It's been almost three years, and you're going to leave over a rough patch?!" He shouted, and you were sure the whole compound could hear him.

"A rough patch!?" You yelled back, your fiery spirit matching his. "It's been 6 months! How long did you expect me to deal with this shit?"

"Deal with what?! You live comfortably. You don't have to work. You have more money then most people ever see in their life." He explained, exasperated, fists balled up at his sides.

"Well, I don't care about any of those things! All I wanted was you to love me!" You screamed at him.

He span around and punched the wall behind him. You heard a crack, presumably his knuckles, but he didn't falter. He leaned his forehead against the wall and punched it one more time. When he retracted it you could see the blood dripping down his fingers.

"All of this...because you think I don't love you?" He whispered. He turned around and there were tears in his eyes. You had never seen Yoongi cry. You don't think anyone had.

You swallowed all the mean things you had to spit out the moment you saw tears dripping down his cheeks.

"Why do you think I've been so absent? It's because I was failing, Y/N. I was failing you and everyone that relies on me. How could I face you when everything I promised could've been lost? I put my head down and went to work to preserve our future. I'm sorry that that was uncomfortable for you, even though I was the one risking my life day in and day out so some day I would be able to look you in the eye again!" He shouted, stepping towards you, grabbing your face with his hands. "Those were all things out of love for you, whether you're strong enough to acknowledge it or not." He growled, his face inches from yours.

You breathed out, locking eyes with him. "You could've included me! I would've been there for you." You exclaimed, wrapping your hands around his wrists and pulling them off your cheeks.

"I had to do a lot of dangerous things. You think I was going to put you in harms way just so you could feel needed?" He spat. "That's immature thinking. I did what I did to protect you. And if you hate me for that, that's fine. At least I know I kept you safe." He sighed in defeat, his tear stained face making your breath catch in your throat.

Everything about you wanted to be angry and stand your ground...

You opened your mouth to speak, but he beat you to it.

"Do you know what I'd have to do if I ever lost you?" He asked, stepping towards you once more, but keeping his hands to himself.

You hesitated before speaking. "...tell me."

He reached for your hand and took it in both hands.

"I'd have to destroy everything that reminded me of you. I'd burn this place down." He looked up at you, the connection you two had always had making itself known with a gravitational pull you couldn't resist. You took your free hand and grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him to you, crashing your lips together. He immediately responded, grabbing your face and deepening the kiss. Every emotion you felt in the last half of a year poured into the kiss. It was rough, needy, passionate. He pulled away and inhaled.

"Yoongi. You need to either live life with me by your side, or spend the rest of your life wondering where I am. I'm not asking you to drag me into every fight and drug deal. But you made me strong. You toughened me up. So embrace it, and let me be with you." You explained, hoping your words didn't fall on deaf ears.

He stared deeply in your eyes, before exhaling slowly.

"Fine." He agreed stubbornly. "You don't get to leave, then." He huffed, crossing his arms. You giggled, you knew you are the only one who ever saw him with his guard down.

He reached out a hand to you, and you obliged, giving him your hand. As soon as he did, he pulled you towards him and wrapped one arm around your waist, and the other hand resting on the back of your head.

"How did you know I was packing?" You asked into his chest.

"Hoseok is my best friend, not yours." His chest rumbled with a chuckle.

"Damn it."

[ofeliaslullaby]

Fleabag Season 2: A Discourse on Love

Finally caved and watched season 2 of Fleabag. And I say caved as if I haven't been waiting for this show to come back for a solid 2 years...but I was saving it for a day when I truly needed something to rival my own stuff. I knew Fleabag would, because it had when the first season premiered in the US. The poetry of the show really has a way of putting some things into perspective. Season 1 seemed like a discourse on friendship, grief, guilt and self-worth. Season 2 felt like a discourse on love. There will be spoilers.

Firstly:

This season was a love story. Not the storybook, happily-ever-after love (There are no happily-ever-afters in Fleabagland, just there-will-be-pain-but-it-will-get-better-afters), but love in all it's grotesque complexity. After watching the season I took the "this is a love story" opener to not just be about Fleabag's ironic love for the Catholic Priest, but loving yourself (Belinda's monologue, Claire's haircut, Fleabag's new care for herself), familial love (Fleabag's relationship with her sister and father), Martin's love for Claire, and Claire's love for her work and Klare (Claire/Klare will never not be funny and cute). And the Godmother "loves" the Father and art but really I think she just loves attention and the idea of eccentrism.

The first episode hits you hard. It takes place over a year after we leave Fleabag at the end of season 1, and she's doing well, as is the guinea pig café. She is seemingly no longer blaming herself for Boo's death, no longer using sex as a form of escapism, and genuinely valuing herself. We once again get to voyeur through some of Fleabag's life moments. When it all kicks off we go from insufferable family dinner/engagement party for the Dad and the Godmother (who I didn't even remember were not married) with the Catholic Priest they got to marry them, brother-in-law Martin who we despise and the sister we haven't spoken to in over a year; to a tragic and intimate scene in the restaurant bathroom between the two sisters, and almost immediately back to the awkward dinner table where all hilarious hell breaks loose. This formula continues, as it did in the first. If you're not laughing, you're wanting to cry. Such is life, I suppose.

You get a little more context this season behind Claire and Fleabag's relationship. Like all relationships its complex (I feel like there were times when it felt like my relationship with my older sister), but there is love there. So much love. In the bathroom scene in the first episode it is obvious Fleabag is concerned for her sister, while her Claire is distraught, embarrassed, and eventually we come to find out relieved. When they get back to the table and Martin makes remarks that are clearly only hurting the Claire's feelings, Fleabag intervenes because she loves her sister and doesn't want to see her suffer anymore that night. Championing Claire to leave Martin (was rooting for this), that was love. It was obvious Martin loved Claire, he says as much in the scene, but they were not right for each other. Just because you love someone doesn't mean you're meant to be (something we get shown more than once in the finale). A defining moment in their onscreen relationship is when Claire says to Fleabag that the only person she'd run through an airport for is her. A few episodes before this scene we'd learned that what always looked like disdain on Claire's part was jealously and resentment stemming from her own feelings of inadequacy. By the finale I feel like Claire had gotten over some of those issues. When she leaves the wedding for the airport (guess there was someone else she would run through an airport for), I was cheering for her. Phoebe and Sian have so many dynamic scenes together that wouldn't work if the two didn't have amazing chemistry. I love them as sisters, and I love the characters' relationship.

Speaking of chemistry:

Of course, Fleabag would fall in love with the emotionally unavailable. Phoebe and Andrew's chemistry is so good. They played easily off each other's quirks and The Priest sees Fleabag in a way the other characters aren't able to (he notices her zoning out/fourth wall breaks). I could've watched this relationship play out for years. But alas, some things aren't meant to be.

It was obvious the two would end up together, just as obvious as it was that they were never going to last, as friends or a couple. When Fleabag breaks the fourth wall early on she says "we'll last a week". They're both a little dysfunctional, and we never fully get to hear why The Priest is the way he is (he always gets cut off when he tries to explain his past, only getting as far as "When I was a child..." and that he wasn't close to his mother). Through their relationship though, we see that even though it's been some time Fleabag is in fact still coping with the death of her mom and Boo. I feel like part of what she was looking for in their relationship was reassurance, as she turned to the Bible and prayer (something she would never have done previously, as an atheist), where she would normally have only turned to sex and alcohol or other ways to harm herself. When she and The Priest finally do have sex, we the invisible friend have our view almost immediately cut off. Has Fleabag ever done this? She usually narrated her sexual exploits. I feel that adds to the fact that this intimacy with the Priest was love, not a means of escape like the other times.

What I said earlier about the Godmother I say with a tiny grain of salt because I do realize that it's all subjective. We only see Fleabag's point of view. However, she's still the worst. She collects "friendships" like commodities and talks about them in terms of listen descriptors, most clearly shown when she introduced people in the finale. There is no real redeeming of the Godmother for Fleabag after she went from being the Mother's "best friend" to the Father's special someone. And it's hard to tell if the Father really loves her or if he's afraid of her/afraid of being on his own. Fleabag has a lovely heart to heart with her Dad (which acted also as a callback to a scene a few episodes earlier at the mother's funeral) in the finale where in a foreboding moment he says to her "I think you know how to love better than any of us. That's why you find it all so painful." Fleabag replies to us voyeurs tersely, "I don't find it painful". She definitely did. Look at the way she dealt with Boo's death. Yes, there was guilt, but she loved her. She loved her mother and having to see her Godmother with her Father, and being told snyly says she modeled the bust after her mom, her reaction...that's pain from love. We know Fleabag's love and grief for her mother were just as strong as the love and grief she had for Boo. In a flashback scene to after her mother's death, she tells Boo she doesn't know what to do with all the love she felt for her mom and how painful it is. Boo says to give it to her, she'll take it. Boo was a real one. I don't remember Fleabag breaking the fourth wall in these flashback moments (maybe I need to watch it again), but that got me thinking that we're probably taking the place of Boo. The person she lost who shared her laughter, her love, and her grief. We're her echo.

The final scene is heartbreaking to watch play out. You kind of know it's coming especially during his wedding speech, which he seemingly recited to her. The whole season spanned such a short period, but there is an immediate investment in what could be between these characters, and for the Priest this was the only real way this could end. There was no way he was leaving the priesthood. He warned her and thus we were warned, but we don't listen when it comes to the things we want. I was sad for her and him, but as Brittany Howard sings out to the credits (and The Priest's fox-foe pursues him); with a shake of the head that says "you don't need to follow me" and a wave goodbye we, the invisible friend, are reassured she's going to be alright. This was a wonderfully poignant way to end the series. It basically ended as the pilot ended, Fleabag on her way with the stolen bust of her mother in hand. I don't think it could've ended any better.

*I've had this in my drafts for maybe six months, started a new blog, decided to finally edit and post it. If you're reading this I hope you enjoyed it. -S*