#please let me know if any of the above info is incorrect
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redwolf17 ¡ 1 year ago
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Buyer Beware: Don't Get Scammed on Hozier Tickets!
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Tickets went on sale today for Hozier's 2024 Unreal Unearth US Tour. I'm already seeing people in the tag talking about trying to get marked up resale tickets from scalpers, which is totally understandable, but BEFORE YOU BUY, please read this heads up!
Hozier made most* US venues using Ticketmaster** restrict the ticket transfers. Tickets can ONLY be transferred through TicketMaster's fan to fan exchange, and only for face value. A lot of artists have done this lately; if scalpers know the tickets can't be sold for a profit, there's no point having bots snatch up all the tickets.
But seatgeek, stubhub, vividseats, and other sites already have tickets listed???
Yeah. Yeah, and they had tickets listed yesterday too, BEFORE ANY TICKETS WENT ON SALE. Those tickets did not exist! They did not have them!
If you already bought a ticket, you were paying them in hopes they would snag tickets today and then pass them to you for an upcharge. The same goes for any tickets listed now; at best, you're making the seller an interest free loan which will probably not get refunded until the day before the concert when they are forced to admit they don't have tickets for you.
So how can I get a ticket?
From what I can tell, the Ticketmaster fan to fan exchange usually opens a week or so after tickets first go on sale. To get tickets, you'll need to keep an eye on your venue and watch for tickets to drop as people realize they have a conflict and need to sell their tickets. Yes, this may make it harder to find a ticket in supply, BUT you will only end up paying face value plus the TM fees.
————
*Not including New York and Colorado, who have laws that keep venues from restricting ticket resales
**I don’t know about the non-Ticketmaster venues, but they likely have a similar fan resale policy in place.
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striveattemptfail ¡ 2 years ago
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in prime earth canon, jason todd (NOT red hood) was* publicly known to be alive
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red hood: outlaw (2018) #32 (ID in alt text)
considering that jason todd was the official owner of the iceberg lounge during this time, it's likely he acquired the lounge legally and thus can be inferred that he had to be declared legally alive to do so
which brings me to my point:
i've seen a lot of people writing/speculating the difficulties and limitations jason experiences bc he was declared legally dead after ethiopia, which is all well and good, and is fantastic fodder for angst
but i've been wondering if this was bc people are actively ignoring canon (valid) or simply didn't know that at one point* jason was publicly alive (also valid, bc following comics is a shitshow lol)
please reblog to increase visibility! the whole point of this poll is to gauge how many people know this, so i'd love to see this post reach as many people as possible. thank you~! 😅🙏
(* big disclaimer under the cut!)
note: all of this info is as of may 2023. i am only one human so it's impossible for me to read every comic jason has been in since rhato (2016) and remember every single thing that happened. if anything i said above the cut is incorrect now, i apologize! /o\
for reference, as of creating this poll i've read:
red hood and the outlaws (2016) #1-26
red hood: outlaw (2018) #27-52
task force z (2021) #1-12
batman: urban legends (2021) #1-6 – cheer pt.1-6
the joker: the man who stopped laughing (2022) #3-5
i haven't read a lot of other important runs like death metal (2020), three jokers (2020), robins (2021), etc. if jason (NOT red hood) was declared dead once again in any of those, that is the reason why i used "was" in the very first sentence of this post and reiterate that he was alive at least for a limited period
my bad that i missed his second legal death tho LOLLL
i'm also aware that red hood (NOT jason) was known as "dead" by others after task force z (even though he clearly didn't die). that said, in the little i've read of tj:tmwsl, it seems that 1) not everyone knows red hood is actually alive, and/or that 2) red hood died at all. again, if red hood is generally known to be alive after tfz, that's on me
if there's anything else i've missed, let me know!! i'll update/reblog this post for as long as the poll is up (-u-)b
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kordeliiius ¡ 5 months ago
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Short signal boost for mutuals in Gaza!
Taking the time to write another post for a few friends whom I've been signal boosting consistently; however, donations have been becoming less consistent. Below I'll add everyone's names, handles, donation counter, and campaign link!
Ahmad Al-Turk @ahmadturk00 @aseelalturkk Law school graduate from a family of 7 (including 2 parents, 4 adults, and 1 minor). 1,286 / 70,000 GBP
Abood Mushtaha @aboodmush Former digital marketing student and service worker now currently isolated from his parents and siblings. Looking to raise 10,000 EUR minimum to leave with one other person. 13,670 / 20,000 EUR
Shahed Abumousa @drshahd @shahdhatem Dentistry student from a family of 7 (including 2 parents, 3 adults, 2 minors). 13,525 / 40,000 EUR
Let me know if any of the above info is incorrect
Please share! @ibtisams @90-ghost @nabulsi @sayruq @palipunk @el-shab-hussein
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1mlostnow ¡ 4 months ago
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𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞!!
Hi!! I’m Evan! This is Intro Post IV.
- Red text is primary information, things that I’d like to bring attention to, or just things I’d like to elevate above the others
I’m genderfluid, I only use he/him, I don’t have a label but I mostly like guys, and I’m a minor!!! If you’re 18+ feel free to interact but please don’t DM me or send asks.
[spotify] [insta] [wall of text] [tone tags] [ppth staff]
This intro post is incredibly long so I put primary info before the cut ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ I love using those faces
Apologies if the red or the Blinkies are hard on the eyes :<
Other Blogs ⇩
EvanRadio : @evan-radio
Poetry and Writing : @1mfoundnow
House MD [B. Corcoran] : @head-of-forensics
House MD [G. Kramer] : @plastic-surgeon-gabi
Blinkies below the cut and throughout intro :>
Table Of Contents ⇩
1. The Basics
2. Fun Facts
3. My Resume
4. Primary Music
5. Guide To Tags
6. Hobbies
7. Other Media
8. Kinnie List
9. Primary Fandoms
10. Cast List
11. Outro
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[ The Basics ]
- I absolutely adore nicknames, feel free to call me anything you want; chances are I’ll be fine with it
- pretty basic DNI -> homophobes, transphobes, racists, xenophobes, proshippers (wincest ಠ_ಠ)
- feel free to interact or spam (the good kind), my notifs are off so you won’t be bothering me at all!! Feel free to do asks or anons as long as yr a minor, I love love love answering asks. I promise I’m not scary, I don’t bite (anymore lol)
- I would prefer it as a personal boundary that you don’t DM me unless you truly deem it fit, those 1 on 1 situations tend to be incredibly uncomfortable for me. If there’s truly something you’d like to speak to me about in private, go for it.
- I love my mutuals to death. Whether we talk every day or haven’t spoken once, ily :)
- I greatly appreciate tone tags!!! There is a list at the top of this intro with a tone tag guide!
- CDT timezone, typically active from 7 AM - 12 AM (this will change to 6-8AM and 5-11PM soon)
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[ Fun Facts ] + notes
- my car’s name is TOMATER (all caps)
- im the ninth wonder of the world
- I love doing little drawings
- if you want one just ask (examples at end)
- once again I love love love my mutuals
- Richard Cameron defender for life
- theme changes often
- ADHD & severe social anxiety
- if you ever draw anything for me I’ll love u forever
- The Man Who Would Be King (6x20) is the best SPN episode and nobody can convince me otherwise
- if I don’t respond I swear I’m not ignoring you!! Chances are I said ‘I’ll answer later’ and then forgot—just @ me!!
- if you ever have any corrections for one of my posts (typo, incorrect facts, hurtful language) please please let me know whether it be public or private, as the last thing I’d want to do is upset anybody.
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[ My Resume ]
- Professional Ghostbuster, Midwestern Cowboy, Supervillain (for the fits)
- Bug you put in a jar with sticks and leaves and a few holes in the lid so it can breathe kinda guy yk?
- Weird kid and loser for life (I’m happy this way)
- I believe I’m incredibly funny (tell me if I’m not)
- Most sentences have bonus sentences (for the thoughts that didn’t fit into the sentence right)
- hot feral scientist
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[ Primary Music ] + fav song by each (‘m basic wtv)
- AJJ -> Getting Naked, Playing With Guns
- Cage The Elephant -> Spiderhead/Halo
- Car Seat Headrest -> Life Worth Missing
- David Bowie -> Rebel Rebel
- Radiohead -> Karma Police
- Seb Lowe -> The Man, The Myth
- The Front Bottoms -> Be Nice To Me / More Than It Hurts You
- The Smiths -> Pretty Girls Make Graves
- Vundabar -> Worn/Wander, Sad Clown
- Will Wood -> Memento Mori
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[ Guide to Tags ]
- #evan speaks -> yapping time, applies to majority of my posts
- #evan rants -> I’ve got a lot to talk about!!
- #evan draws -> I draw :3 some art at the end
- #evan can’t vote -> US politics (doesn’t come up that often, but still)
- #evan loves his mutuals -> y’all are my best friends and ily sososo much
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[ Hobbies ]
- Occasionally crocheting
- Reading and writing
- I play alto sax in marching band (never rains on the *redacted* 🫡🌧️)
- loveeee art so much, specifically pencil drawing and painting
- idk if music counts as a hobby (listening+playing)
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[ Other Media ]
Shows -> Supernatural, Sherlock, House MD, My Babysitters A Vampire (Rory my beloved), Scooby-Doo, Over The Garden Wall
Movies -> Dead Poets Society, Ghostbusters, Velvet Goldmine, The Truman Show, Goonies, Stand By Me, Saw Franchise, IT 2017
Others -> Homestuck, The Secret History, getting into newer classics (highschool english class books tbh), I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream
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[ Kinnie List ]
Steven Meeks (DPS), Castiel (SPN), Richie Tozier (IT), Truman Burbank (TTS), Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters), Adam Stanheight (Saw), Henry Winter (TSH), Will Graham (Hannibal)
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[ Primary Fandoms ]
Supernatural, Sherlock, Dead Poets Society, Homestuck, Ghostbusters, House MD
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[ Cast List ] <- y’all are like my family ily
@pingunaa @ghostboyhood @wordssricochet @poetsinnyc @meekspeaks @midwest-quill @yourfavvgal @alightelixe @lv3buzzz @craicapparition @asclexe @lefthandedspaghetti @notcatseatheadrest @wilsons-three-legged-siamese @de4d-poet-kisser @cherrishnoodles @blakenation1 @desire-mona @prettypinkbubbless @sesamie @hemlocksloadofbull @mighthavebeenmurder @tired-and-bored-nerd @neil-perrys-suicidal-tendencies @sillyhyperfixator
^^ if we ain’t close like that lmk and I’ll take you off dw ♥︎ and if I somehow missed you please please tell me and I’ll fix it right away, there’s some people I was gonna add but I wasn’t sure if we were friends like that yet lol
Outro!!
If you made it to the end of this thank you thank you thank you so much it means the world to me.
I can’t add more photos, so I’ll make and link a separate post with my art, so you can decide if that’s something you’d be interested in!!!
[ art here!! ]
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mlmshipbracket ¡ 1 year ago
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ROUND THREE POLLS, NOW LIVE!
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You will find the updated bracket for round three match-up's above and a complete list of the links for round three polls below!
INFO
ROUND THREE POLLS BEGIN NOW! (July 20th!) POLLS WILL LAST FOR A WEEK SO GET THOSE VOTES IN! Round 3 polls end on Thursday, you have until then.
Same information as before applies!
Feel free to include your own propaganda (in the reblogs, comments, or tags) for which ships everyone should vote for and hype up your favorite ship if you want them to win! Feel free to add text, art, or videos to your propaganda as well!
Fanart is included in this bracket and throughout the polls. Please check out the artists who created these beautiful pieces. Let me know if any artist credits are incorrect or if you know the name of the artist for those pieces marked unknown.
Remember, get those votes in people. Reblog, comment, tag. Get as many others to vote and get your favorite ship to Round Four!
ROUND THREE POLLS!
Sam/Max vs Link/Sidon Kravitz/Taako vs Shinji Ikari/Kaworu Nagisa Touya Kinomoto/Yukito Tsukishiro vs Naruto Uzamaki/Sasuke Uchiha Fakir/Mytho vs Teddy Altman/Billy Kaplan
ORIGINAL BRACKET [HERE] RULES [HERE] ROUND ONE POLLS (ENDED) [HERE] ROUND TWO POLLS (ENDED) [HERE] >>> NEXT ROUND (ROUND 4) POLLS (ENDED) [HERE]
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sourwormsaresour ¡ 3 years ago
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idk if anyone has talked about this but I feel like no one has pointed this out yet. 
So, this fucker right here: 
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Do you know why he’s named “chocolate” and how this food is associated with this character? 
Let’s start with how chocolate is made. The cocoa tree that produces cocoa beans and ultimately chocolate is very finicky with the environment it needs to thrive in; you need a very warm, humid climate year-round where it can also be protected from strong weather like harsh sunlight and heavy winds. That’s easily done within the rainforest where the weather is naturally maintained and surrounding trees can protect the cocoa tree from weather or in farms where these trees will be grown with other trees that will provide them with the protection they need. Alternatively, you can create a warm and humid greenhouse instead where the tree can be under constant surveillance to maintain its environment. The greenhouse approach is often seen in research to find ways of growing chocolate in other places around the world and hopefully making the approach affordable and sustainable enough to use over traditional methods. 
Here’s what the lab used to cultivate cocoa trees looks like. It’s called the “International Cocoa Quarantine Centre” and is based in Britain. 
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Another factor in growing a cocoa tree is elevation. Ideally, you should be between 30-300 meters (about 100 to 1000 feet) above sea level or at least under 600 meters (about 2000 feet), which is considered low elevation. In general farming, lower elevations will create sweeter fruits that can ripen faster; the downsides of farming at such a level is everything being prone to rot faster, including the plants that bear the fruits themselves (specifically their roots). Farmers in low elevation need to consider factors like lower ventilation and lack of natural drainage, which can cause rotting.  Because of how complicated the conditions for cocoa trees are, it can get costly to grow and maintain them. One way to alleviate the cost of maintaining cocoa trees (besides exploitation of workers and unsustainable farming) is by tree grafting. This technique is commonly used in creating more trees in general and especially common in the chocolate industry. Grafting involves simply taking parts of a tree and attaching it to a tree that is genetically similar and doing so helps grow new cocoa trees, control the quality of the cocoa beans, and reduce cost of production overall. 
Here are some of the things that can happen if you don’t grow your cocoa tree properly. Unfortunately, some of these issues are unavoidable; why they happen and how to prevent them remains unknown and researchers are still trying to find answers that can explain why it happens and how to prevent or resolve them. 
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After years of growing and waiting for the tree to mature and produce pods, we finally have cocoa beans to harvest and make chocolate. Creating chocolate itself involves a controlled form of rotting we know too well: fermentation. Disclaimer: some say fermentation is the opposite of rotting because it prevents decay but others say fermentation is defined as a controlled form of decay while rotting is defined as uncontrolled decay. For this post, I’ll stick with the latter definition. Fermentation allows us to get stuff like alcohol, yogurt, and kimchi by breaking down items, essentially making them decay and rot, to create new items by using microorganisms like bacteria and yeast to perform the process. Before cocoa beans turn into chocolate, they need to be fermented for a certain amount of days- no more and no less than necessary. It’s not going to be like wine such that aging the product will make the quality better. Over-fermenting leads to a waste product that’s just completely rotten, moldy, and just unusable in the end. And like any type of fruit, the cocoa pod will ultimately ripen and rot after it falls off the tree if it’s not used over time. Improper fermentation will also cause mold to occur, causing the beans to rot than ferment. Mold can also be caused by moisture coming in contact with the beans. Unlike cheese or meats, the mold on cocoa beans can cause long-term health issues if consumed. What we end up getting after fermenting, roasting, and grinding the beans is a pure cocoa paste or “pure chocolate.” Once the chocolate is made, it cannot get moldy; it can develop a mold-like appearance called bloom but that’s safe to eat and technically not mold. However, if you separate the cocoa powder from the paste, that can mold if it comes in contact with water.
Look at how moldy these cocoa beans can get: 
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Pure chocolate has health benefits like providing antioxidants, being a major ingredient in skincare as cocoa butter, and reduce health issues. However, the chocolate we’re all used to eating is some cocoa paste with added ingredients (milk, nuts, fillings, etc.), and these ingredients are the things that end up turning chocolate into unhealthy food. You can eat pure cocoa paste, but it wouldn’t be defined as chocolate and it won’t be as tasty; even bars labeled "70% cacao" have added ingredients to it. One particular ingredient in chocolate that is a great example of how it makes chocolate unhealthy is processed sugar. Sugar itself has addicting properties and is unhealthy for many reasons, yet it’s a huge part of why we love to eat chocolate. It’s also why we have to eat chocolate with added ingredients in small quantities despite the health benefits chocolate has- the benefits and the downsides cancel each other out (i.e. pure chocolate prevents tooth decay but sugar causes tooth decay, chocolate lowers blood pressure yet sugar contributes to health issues that can cause higher blood pressure). The development of chocolate as a sweet candy in today’s world rather than a healthy ingredient also plays into this.
Based on this info, we can see how chocolate shaped Cioccolata as a character and his Stand’s abilities. The mold and rot aspect of Green Day is easily explained with the fermentation process and how the process of chocolate is susceptible to mold up throughout. Green Day’s functionality working only when victims are underneath Cioccolata is because cocoa trees require lower elevations to thrive and how lower elevation increases chances of rot in produce. The constant surveillance and maintenance of cocoa trees in a laboratory setting can reference Cioccolata finding pleasure in recording his victims’ misery, his “research” in torturing their bodies, as well as the intense and detailed work that comes with studying and practicing medicine. The tree grafting in the chocolate industry connects to Green Day’s second ability that allows it to dismember and reassemble Cioccolata with mold. It also connects to Ciccolata’s sadistic nature when it comes to manipulating his victims’ bodies and the brutality of his Stand’s mold being able to break people’s limbs apart (think Sorbet’s 36 frames, Gelato’s possible taxidermy when he was discovered by Formaggio, and how bodies affected are easily snapped apart when mold gets on them). The dichotomy of chocolate as healthy food and junk food also relates to Cioccolata as a character who should have been good (because he’s a doctor) but does more harm instead. The role of sugar in chocolate plays into that as well, but it’s especially related to how sugar cubes are used to control Secco and Cioccolata full name in JORGE JOESTAR is Dolcio Cioccolata (literally “sweet chocolate”). Hell, I can go on about how Secco’s name has a connection to chocolate too. 
I’ve seen how characters in VA are shaped by the food they’re named after, down to their Stand abilities, so it’s nice to see that Cioccolata follows this too. Let me know if you guys have other information that can add to Cioccolata’s characterization. :)
Btw this is based on some Googling I did, which involved reading a few papers that came up on search and a Chocolate tour that I did when I was in Guatemala last month, so please let me know if the information is incorrect or add with your findings to correct it. 
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arandompostarchive ¡ 4 years ago
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Inure - Ch. 1
SAVED WORK
Summary: To some, The Specter is a serial killer. To some, a hero. But to everyone, you were entirely a mystery. You had no history, just a list of victims a mile long. No matter how many people searched your name, they could find anything. If only they had the spelling right. Now, you’ve come across some unfortunate information that drives you out of your usual shadows and into the path of the Avengers. Including two of the more reclusive members of the team. And it’s hard to pick only one of them.
***
The man ran through the hall, his footsteps echoing throughout his house. He tried to navigate the dark halls, too scared to turn on lights or stop and think. He turned every so often, hoping your figure wasn’t behind him anymore. But it always was. He was panicking, you could tell. He could feel sweat stick to the inside of his white button down and the creases of the dress pants he had yet to take off.
He tried to avoid the small side tables and expensive foreign vases that lined his hall. He had managed to trip over a few tables though, knocking the glass onto his floor, shattering it. Each time he’d whisper a soft curse. There was glass beneath your shoes that probably cost millions of dollars. You found it funny. Even now, running for his life, money was still at the back of his mind.
He ran into the next room he saw, his office. A closed off space with nowhere to run. He turned around, looking at each wall. You could hear a string of curses fall from his mouth before he turned to you.
His small study still had a lamp on, the room dimly lit with the yellow-tinted light.
“Please, what do you want? Money? I can do that. Hell, I can get you your own house! I’ve got connections. I can find people for you! Other people! Please, don’t.”
Now, most people would feel bad about this. Chasing a man through his own home with certain ill intention. But you had seen his life. You’d seen what he does to people. He’d tear apart families, kidnapping people and selling any drug he could find. His hands were soaked in blood, something you could understand. But while you had killed, you picked your victims well. They were the most guilty people you could find. Murderers, kidnappers, kingpins, anyone who managed to escape justice.
Some called you a serial killer, a term that wasn’t exactly incorrect. Some thought you were a vigilante, which also wasn’t wrong. But no matter what, everyone was silently grateful for everything you did.
You always found a new target. From whispers on the street, other criminals, cops who needed a break, sometimes Nick Fury himself would send you a case file or two. You had seen it all, people with souls blacker than night. And this man was no different.
“I don’t want money, Laurence. You’ve killed innocents. You’ve let people die. You’ve heard them beg for mercy and have granted none. Why would I give you a luxury you haven’t given any of your victims?”
The man stuttered. His eyes darted around, frantically trying to find something. Maybe a weapon or just an idea of how to get out of this mess. He suddenly spoke, his voice shaking and cracking. “Because I have information! There’s this man who’s building some huge weapon. Probably wants to take New York out. He could start wars with this thing, yeah? It’ll kill millions in a heartbeat. I know what he’s got! I know what he’s doing, I’ve met the guy! I’ll tell you everything.” He spoke quickly, hoping to finish before you decided to end him. “But not if I’m dead.”
You scoffed. “Tell me, why on Earth would I accept the pleas of a dead man?” You asked. It was a real question, despite your sarcastic tone.
“I’ve got the info! He was chatting with some friends of mine, gave ‘em a whole file about it.” He reached toward the desk and pulled a file off of it, showing it to you. It read “SPECTR2” on the front in small, black script. Your eyes widened and you grabbed the file from him.
He watched as you read over it and confirmed his theory. He was right. Whoever this man was, he had the real thing.
“Alright, fine.” You said, accepting his offer.
“Oh thank god! I knew you’d be reasonable, you’re all about ‘the greater good’, yeah? I’ll tell you whatever you want, lady.” He said, relief washing over his features.
You smiled. “Yeah.” You held the file at your side. “Thing is, I know all about this project already. I don’t need you.”
The panic quickly spread across his face again and he racked his brain for something else. “C’mon, don’t I get something here?” He said, glancing at the walls to find some kind of weapon.
You sighed. “Fine. I’ll make your death quick.” You said, taking out one of your swords. He only had a minute to react before he was already dead. You had gotten used to the sight of death, though it wasn’t your favorite thing, there was something satisfying about knowing you had avenged people in some way.
His blood had already stained the carpet he had surrounding his desk and leaked along the cracks of the wooden floor. You groaned at the thought of cleaning your shoes after this and sat down at his desk chair, looking for any other info on the man starting up Project SPECTR again.
***
“So you want us to team up with some psycho killer?” Tony said, leaning back in his usual chair. The meeting room was packed, each member of the team, and some newer additions, crowded together at one table with Steve stationed at the front.
“She has information, Tony. She says lives are in danger.” Tony looked at him ridiculously.
“I’ve got my share of psycho’s on this team and now we’re working with another?” Tony gestured to Bucky and Loki’s side of the table. He got a glare from Nat and he only shrugged his shoulders in response. “Her terms are insane! She wants immunity for every crime she’s done or ever will do. That doesn’t sound insane to you? What if she’s got some master plan and we won’t be able to arrest her for it?”
Nat looked between Steve and Tony. It was obvious they weren’t getting anywhere.
“She’s got info we need. If she wanted to enact some ‘master plan’ she’d just use whatever death machine she’s got, not tell us about it. If she’s serious, we’ll hold up our end. If she’s messing with us, we won’t and we’ll lock her up on site. But if she’s really found plans for what could be the world’s next terrorist attack, we at least need to see her proof.”
Tony looked to Nat, “She’s basically holding the world hostage! Either she gets to do whatever the fuck she wants or everyone dies. We’re really letting that slide?”
This time Steve spoke, though he glared at Tony a bit for his cursing. “I didn’t say I liked it. She’s put us in a tough situation. And Nat’s right. If she’s lying in any way, we’ll lock her up. We’ve got to living lie detectors at this table.” He gestured to Loki on one side of the table and Wanda on the other. Tony only rolled his eyes, silently accepting the argument.
“Are we sure about this? I mean, if she’s telling the truth, then we’ve got some sociopath with a death ray somewhere. But what if she’s lying? She’ll be in the compound. Even if we can lock her up, what if we aren’t able to before she accomplishes whatever task she’s trying to?” Sam said as soon as the room had quieted a bit. A few team members nodded along, considering the possibility.
“We have to take that risk.” Steve said.
***
You strode into the Avengers’ compound, appreciating the space. It was larger than what you were used to. You had jumped from house to house, staying away from law enforcement. If all went well though, you wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore.
There were a few Avengers there to greet you. You had recognized them from the news and you were interested in seeing Natasha here. Among them, you saw Tony Stark. You’d recognize him a mile away. He looked different from his father, though he had the same sarcastic look on his face. You considered punching him now, maybe giving him a serious injury. But, sadly, there really were lives at stake.
Captain America stepped closer to you, holding out his hand. You took it hesitantly, the gloves of your suit meeting his hands. You appreciated the hood of your outfit now with the light reflecting off of windows and into your eyes. It was at least a little bit of protection.
“Specter. Good to meet you. I’m Captain Rogers, just call me Steve.” The other Avengers stepped to his side, making you slightly uncomfortable with how close they were. You couldn’t show it though. You had to be steeled, show no fear. Especially since you were in the lion’s den.
“This is Natasha, Tony, and Thor. We’ve got a meeting room just this way.” He got straight to business and began leading you away. You were careful to let the four Avengers go in front of you, and you were certain at least Natasha had noticed this action. Tony kept glancing back to you, slightly nervous. You could accept that. You felt nervous too, though you had gotten good at concealing your nerves, even before you had ‘died’.
You entered the room which had all of the other Avengers in it as well as five empty chairs. You were seated at the end, directly next to Natasha. Steve settled himself in the end chair right next to you. You looked at the rest of the group who were all doing a terrible job of pretending not to stare at you.
“Alright, Specter. Should we call you Specter?” You nodded, letting Steve continue. “Your conditions are questionable to say the least. We need to figure out if you’re actually telling the truth about this weapon first.”
“That’s fine,” you began, “I’d do the same.” You opened up your file, noting how there was a small camera above you, casting a picture of the file onto a board at the front of the room. You smiled at the innovation, curious about how exactly it worked. It had been a while since you’d gotten to appreciate technology, and where better than the home of a Stark.
“This is a real file. I worked on this project years ago. It was meant to help heal people. Stitch them back together, even when they were on the brink of death. But it malfunctioned. I can tell you this is real. Check any references you like, though it’ll be hard to get your hands on. We never made digital copies, this is our original paper.”
Tony squinted at the paper, seeming confused by it.
“And by we, you mean…?” Another man trailed off. You recognized him as Hawkeye, though you hadn’t memorized their actual names.
“Me and Howard Stark. We worked on it back during the war, it was like our pet project.” Tony seemed less confused now.
“That was over half a century ago. How exactly are you standing here?” You sighed at Hawkeye’s question.
“It’s a rather long and annoying story. Let’s keep it simple and say I’ve effectively scared off death.”
“Guys,” Tony said, still looking at the projection of the file. The room turned to him and you were thankful for whatever subject change he had to offer. “I’d love to say she’s full of it, but I know my father’s handwriting. That’s his signature too at the bottom.” As he pointed the small camera zoomed in. You’d have to ask him about the technology’s design later. Assuming this actually went well. You slightly cringed at the thought of speaking to a Stark again, but you’d manage for the sake of a new discovery. “Hey, Friday?”
“Yes Boss?”
You heard a woman’s voice in the room that didn’t belong to anyone present. You quickly figured out it was an AI system Stark had made.
“How well does that match Howard’s handwriting?”
There was a beat of silence before the AI, Friday, spoke again.
“It’s a perfect match.”
The team didn’t seem to know if that was good or bad.
“So there’s really someone set on ending humanity?” A man said across the table. You remembered his moniker being something bird themed, like Hawkeye’s, but it wasn’t coming to you.
“Believe me, I wouldn’t be anywhere near this place unless absolutely necessary,” You said. The Captain glanced around the table and the group seemed to silently make their decision.
“Alright. We’ll meet your terms, but understand that you must stay here through his whole process. No ���missions’ of your own.” You thought over his offer. It was slightly tempting. Though you’d miss your little hunt for criminals, it would be nice to have a house for longer than a week.
“Fine. But you can’t bind my powers or spy on me or some bullshit.” The Captain nodded, agreeing.
Suddenly, you were a temporary Avenger.
***
“I don’t like her. She’s too calm. We’re facing a giant death machine and she’s completely stone faced.” You could overhear the conversation from where you stood outside the Avengers common area. Natasha had offered to show you around and you had denied, instead accepting a map and list of locations you’d be interested in.
They were sitting around in a circle of couches, all facing each other. Some of the members seemed distracted. Like one with long hair who was slowly stroking the spine of a book he carried in his hands and another with a striking metal arm. You had to admit, the team was certainly good-looking.
You continued to listen to the conversation, though you had lost a bit of the argument when you retreated into your thoughts.
“What can we do? I’m hardly happy about this, but she’s holding the world hostage, like you said. Millions might die if he didn’t have that info.”
“And what, we’re trusting a serial killer? She’s murdered who know’s how many people and we’re supposed to just sit here and fucking sing Kumbaya?!” Tony said. You could see his point. You wouldn’t trust you either.
“Many of us have killed.” Loki said, offering some perspective and hoping someone else would continue his point. He was still on ‘house-arrest’ and was hardly considered trustworthy. Stark wouldn’t listen no matter how silver his tongue was. But the others seemed to at least consider his words with the exception of Hawkeye who seemed upset that he even had to hear Loki’s voice.
“He’s right Stark. I’d hardly say my hands are clear, but here I am.” Natasha added, taking up Loki’s silent offer to continue his argument.
“I’m not okay with this. She’s absolutely mental. I can’t find anything on her besides media speculation. SHIELD didn’t have anything on her, despite the fact that she’s a well-known criminal and she’s got no history. No names attached, nothing. Just media speculation which is all made up. I checked.”
You took this time to walk out from the hall, the click of your shoes making the group look up. “It’s because you have the spelling wrong.” The entire team looked nervous at being caught. “Don’t feel bad. Of course you’d talk about me, I’m a stranger in your midst.” That seemed to calm some of them down, though they still looked wary of you. Stark was the first to speak.
“We’ve got the spelling wrong?” He asked.
“I’d expect so. You’re spelling my name as ‘Specter’, a ghost, like the media does. Try S-P-E-C-T-R, you’ll find a little more.” You before turning and walking out of the room. While you weren’t excited about opening up your backstory, it’d make this whole ‘trust’ thing a lot quicker. And if you were going to get anywhere, there’d need to be some sort of trust.
***
Project SPECTR - August, 1940
Howard Stark and Dr. Y/n L/n began SPECTR in August of 1940 and have been working on it for three years now.
It’s expected to help Allies win the war, though Dr. L/n believes it could— and should— be used for other purposes. There have been several malfunctions so far and I am unsure how they will continue. Stark has been promoting the idea among generals and strategists, despite the lack of finished product. Dr. L/n suspects it will not be finished by the time Stark suggests, in two weeks. She has told various generals not to expect anything in two weeks, though all generals seem to unfortunately favor Stark’s estimates. They plan to run a test run in one week and fully activate the machine. Both Stark and Dr. L/n hope it will be completely stable for at least ten minutes.
There was a messy signature at the bottom, though Steve identified it quickly as ‘Margaret Carter’.
They read through a few other files, and learned more about the original project. Reportedly, there was a severe malfunction, resulting in Dr. L/n’s death. Peggy had shut down the project immediately after, despite Howard’s begging that it would still work. There had apparently been a rift in their friendship over Dr. L/n’s death.
It also said that the Doctor’s body had disappeared in 1992, only weeks after Howard’s death, which had sparked a few conspiracy theories for those aware of her connection to Stark and Carter, two famous names. She was a leading scientist and was making seriously impressive strides. Stark was disappointed she had died so soon. He couldn’t help but wonder what she would’ve done.
“Is that Specter?” Sam asked about the Doctor working on the project. Though the team seemed unsure of the answer, Steve responded.
“It must be. Why else would she draw our attention to this. She’s got personal experience with whoever is trying to restart the project, though I’m not entirely certain why a machine to heal people will be turned into a new weapon.”
The team tossed theories back and forth and you listened in, smiling when a few of them guessed right. You slipped away soon after though, heading down the hall to the training room.
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berrykook ¡ 4 years ago
Text
bloom (demon!y!hs) (nsfw)
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do not read if you are not into yandere fic! hs is a demon jackass pls save urself!
in which hoseok finds you in his garden and his love begins to bloom
contents: demon!yandere!hoseok, kidnapping, manipulation, oral (f receiving), sex!!! i gotta spoil it they fuck! and hoseok kinda says some...sub stuff idk :/
word count: 5.2k
a/n: thanks for the requests ! <3 i got off track from building this universe and i ended up sorta negating the law that demons and angels can’t interact buttttttt reader still kinda has a moral dilemma ? >.<
IMPORTANT before they start fuckin, reader has a moment of confusion and suspects that hoseok has intentionally magically warped her mind into consenting but that’s not the case reader is just dumb! thank u also i don’t know much about flowers or hell so i’m sorry if any info is incorrect :( lmk and i will fix immediately (and let’s pretend hoseok’s dog is a girl bc i didn’t know that until googling it for this fic)
and mb that this is coming a month after i said it would :( school is beating my ass hard anyways pls enjoy
*☆*゚ ゜゚*☆*゚ ゜゚*☆*゚ ゜゚*☆*゚ ゜゚*☆*゚ ゜゚*☆*゚ ゜゚*☆*゚ ゜゚*☆*゚ ゜゚*☆*゚ ゜゚*☆*゚
Hoseok once had a mother a mere three-thousand or so years ago and she named him well. His name fell off her tongue in a major key and rang across acres and through caverns. She never failed to say his name in gargantuan font to be heard across nations; the syllables “Ho-seok” had chimed through shadowy deserts of Hell, Heaven, and Earth for as long as he lived. Hoseok was always big and known - a beacon of diabolic energy; it was his birthright.
His mother was long gone, but remained in a photograph which he always kept on his person (demon?). It was supposed that even immortals had to walk forward into new lives after some time. His father had been around for around one hundred years after, and his sister had moved on when he was barely a thousand. The only companion of Hoseok’s, the only one left, was a shih tzu who followed him even when he treated her with indifference. Hoseok had great power and an abundance of Earth men who sold him their souls, but the loneliness which plagued him was indescribable.
“News for you, my Lord. Taehyung has declared he is but one sure meeting from stealing the Park soul for work to complete in the Circle of Fraud. He has said to be back in less than a fortnight.”
The assistant, doe-eyed and snake-tongued, stared at the wall behind Hoseok as he recited the news from one of hell’s most talented demons, who was currently on a sabbatical to inspect the soul of an Earth man with an itch to be with a woman he saw on the train a year prior. Taehyung had come bustling into Hoseok’s quarters one day, spewing gibberish about the perfect human to become his next target. Hoseok’s chest twinged a bit when Taehyung explained that this Park Jimin schmoe had been stalking this woman for months and was willing to practically sell his soul to be with her (enter Taehyung). “How wonderful,” he said wistfully, yearning for a perfect confidante like this Jimin character had found. At Hoseok’s glassy expression, Taehyung had to withhold a shiver.
Hoseok took a long moment to respond. He stared at his assistant, wondering if he, too, yearned for such a dream, or if perhaps he had even already found his match made in hell. The assistant’s nose twitched like a rabbit.
“Thank you, Jungkook. You may go,” Hoseok said apathetically. He robotically spun on his heels and exited Hoseok’s office with heavy footsteps. Hoseok stretched in his chair, debating if he should charm the assistant’s feet to grow dead and swollen and moldy to teach him not to walk so damn loud all the time.
The shih tzu yapped happily around Hoseok’s feet as he slowly rose from his desk to stare out the window to his left, which displayed miles and miles of lush greenery and delicate flowers of all colors. He conjured the garden around when his sister passed on. She, too, had an infatuation for infatuation and longed for a faraway place to water a romance. Once, they peeked into their father’s seeing portal as children and stumbled upon two lovers in a field of flowers.
(Hoseok did not possess his own soul, but if he did, it would be prickly and tar-like and scary. He was on the cusp of royalty in the underworld. He was evil.)
Still, Hoseok clutched the memory of those lovers in the flowers with tight fists. How magnificent it was to just be in the shadows of lovers. Oh, how the feeling crawled over him like a crowd of tarantulas. He was evil, and was sure he would never experience such a joy. At least he had his garden.
Hoseok felt your presence before his foot even touched the grass that day. He froze in the doorway for a moment, closing his eyes to sense where the intruder was. Within seconds, he discovered your exact location within the field that went on forever. He let out a breath as his feet hit the ground, now teleported a thousand miles from his home. He opened his eyes and choked for a second. His senses were going haywire - the grass was a million shades greener and the flowers seemed to bloom bigger before him. It was beautiful.
As soon as you became completely engulfed in the sickly red hot aura, you went ramrod straight and dropped the bundle of flowers in your hands. It filled every one of your pores and poured down your intestines like lava. You did not even get the chance to gasp - after the instant it came, it burned too much to inhale or exhale. You stared forward straight into the field, wondering how this spirit did not wilt all of the garden. You didn’t dare look in the direction it was coming from.
“What are you doing here?” Hoseok spoke finally after a long moment of thick silence. The typical malice in his tone had completely vanished. He was sure now - he loved you. “Angel...are you lost?” He thought about kneeling to get on your level, but hesitated, awkward in his actions. What was he supposed to do with his hands?
Slowly, you trailed your eyes over to where those awful vibrations were originating from. Your stomach twisted when you saw him simply standing five meters away. You became filled with an indescribable dread. A demon, horns and all, staring at you and speaking with tenderness. You began to blubber immediately.
“I’m so, so sorry, I-I was just looking for a f-f-flower I heard you had, oh, dear God, I’m so sorry!” You were inconsolable, dropping your head towards your knees in surrender. Just feeling him that great distance away put you in shambles. You were young and naïve, but you knew what happened to Heaven’s Souls that were caught sneaking in the Circles. Your cries only worsened when his aura became stronger and more painful with every footstep. You suddenly felt an overwhelming warmth on your back and your cries immediately halted like magic.
“Don’t cry anymore.” His voice seemed to boom even when he was trying his hardest to keep it soft. “Nothing is going to happen to you. Speak freely...tell me how you arrived here.” His hand trailed up your back to rest on your neck. He wanted nothing more than for you to relax against him.
“I-I was...searching for a flower. I had heard about a secret garden in the Fraudulent Circle...one with every flower to have existed. I-I’m so sorry. Please, have mercy!” You began sobbing again into your hands, holding them close to your face when you felt his gentle touch around your wrists. “I only died just last year…I don’t want to vanish, please!”
Your wails struck a tune in Hoseok’s ribcage like a kalimba. He grabbed your fearful face in his hands and wiped your tears with his thumb. You held your breath in shock at how gentle he was.
“Not a single soul has trespassed my garden and escaped vanishing.” Your bottom lip wobbled at that, and he ran a thumb along it to still it. “But you...sweet angel...I couldn’t dare do that to you.”
Your mind raced, knowing how clever demons could be and especially such a powerful one like him. He was devastatingly handsome - if you were still on Earth, you would have melted right into his hands.
His smile is twisted. “Lover...do you know who I am?” He stared down at you in admiration, rising a bit on his knees to hover over your face.
Slowly and fearfully, you shook your head. He pressed a ghost of a kiss on your lips as he turned to your ear and whispered softly, “Ho-seok.”
The hairs on the back of your neck stood straighter and your whole body erupted with goosebumps. You stared at him with wide eyes.
Hoseok. A name you knew of well, even when you were human. Hearing him whisper that name into your ear like that made your knees shake a second more rapidly. It felt as though the blue skies above had darkened into a hellish black hole. He chuckled at your terrified expression, smoothing your hair back with a burly hand.
“Are you scared?” He couldn’t help himself from asking. Your glassy eyes made him both sad and also weak-kneed. He decided in that moment that he especially loved to tease you.
You nodded again and Hoseok cooed, playfully squishing your cheeks a bit.
“You’re such a young one, aren’t you? Just a baby,” he mumbled, running his hands along your cheekbones, through your hair, across your forehead. Chills continuously crawled up your spine as he fawned over you like some sort of doll. You understood where you were going before you began your trip, but you truly felt it now - this was Hell.
“There is no reason to fear me. I couldn’t hold any malice toward a soul so beautiful...even better that you are an angel. I can easily arrange a place for you in my fortress if you so please.” Something in his tone warned you that it didn’t matter what you pleased. You gave a small nod, letting him take your hand in his. He held it to his face, inhaling deeply and pressing wet kisses along your forearm. “Really? You don’t mind sharing a space with a big, bad demon like me?” He chuckled darkly against your palm and you bit your lip nervously.
“No,” you murmured quietly. He was tricking you. You could feel it in your bones.
He smiled widely, also seeing completely through you. He knew then that he would need to put in some work to turn you over. He placed a hand on your back once more and leaned to bring his forehead to yours, and in less than a second, you had found yourself teleported to a cozy study with velvet carpets. Your stomach turned with anxiety at the thought of your friends and family not knowing where you had disappeared off to - you weren’t even sure if you were still in a Circle of Hell or some other evil place. Hoseok stood up slowly and brought you by the hand to behind his desk, perching you on his lap. 
“Tell me, angel, where are you from?” He conjured a brush out of thin air and ran it through your hair like he would a doll. You clenched your fists in an attempt to get your voice under control.
“I was told that I was the last of my family to die. They’re all up in Heaven, waiting for me.” Hoseok began to brush your hair slower. “B-But, it’s...fine, I guess,” you added quickly. The last thing you wanted was for Hoseok to grow suspicious of you. “I just...wanted to find a type of camellia. I love flowers,” you whispered. The feeling of his breath on your neck made you embarrassed. He laughed.
“Camellia? You should have just said so,” he beamed. Suddenly, his arm wrapped around your front to reveal the red blossom you had pain-stakingly sifted through the fields for. A soft gasp escaped you as Hoseok placed the flower in your hands, then wrapping his hands around your wrists. He seemed to like having that hold on you.
“Oh, it’s beautiful! It’s just how I pictured it,” you whispered in awe. You turned in his lap to face him, doing your best to ham up the performance to give yourself the best chance of survival. “Thank you, Hoseok.” You hoped that his doe-eyed expression so close to your face would not make your own expression drain of color.
“You’re welcome, darling...I can call you that, can’t I?” He leaned in closer to your face and you squeezed the stem in your hand to force yourself not to move back.
“O-oh...I suppose so, sure…” you said coyly. Hoseok’s smile grew wider and he slowly leaned in more, further and further, until his lips were pressing a kiss to your cheek. Your hope for escaping was decreasing exponentially as he continued to fawn over you and kiss your face. 
“Darling, tell me more,” he mumbled against you. “Talk to me about this afterlife in Heaven of yours. I want to know everything.”
You were sure that he was able to find out anything he wanted with just a lick of his magic, but you indulged him anyway. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s heaven, isn’t it? It’s...wonderful, actually. I missed my family for so long on Earth that it’s an indescribable feeling of being reunited once again.”
You did not lie - Hoseok would likely pick up on that before you could even pull the words from your throat, so you did your best to make your reality sound like something you held onto dearly. In truth, it was Heaven - nothing more, nothing less. Your entire family, along with every Godly person you had ever known was there to keep you company as you filled your days with...whatever it was you wanted to do. Heaven held your wildest dreams. 
Going spelunking to the Eighth Circle of Hell was the most interesting thing you had done since you died, but you knew that staying was out of the question, right? 
The needle of your moral compass twitched slightly.
“I...I miss them,” you mumbled sadly, playing with your fingers like a child. Hoseok remained silent and your heart picked up a beat as you couldn’t yet tell if he was seeing through you. He turned his head away from you, biting his lip.
“I see, angel...you would like to go home, wouldn’t you?” He looked to you again, reaching to cradle your face. You felt a profound force pulling you to lean in closer. Something about him felt right, and you were beginning to feel disgusted with yourself for it. His thumbs stroked underneath your eyes as he looked at you sadly. Your heart stirred unwillingly.
“I suppose I should...shouldn’t I?” You had to refrain from smacking yourself as the words tumbled out of your mouth like an avalanche. Ever since you were a young human girl, you had been warned of a demon named Hoseok and his tricks. You slept with a night-light for several years from the gruesome stories of him that lingered around your shoulders for long nights. You feared him, but a prickling feeling in your sternum somehow drew you closer. He pushed a strand of your hair behind your ear.
“Sweet angels like you belong in Heaven. You have your afterlife and I have mine,” he sighed wistfully. You leaned forward to rest your forehead against his. 
There was no explanation for this unsolicited adoration blossoming in your chest. You were never one to fall in love easily, but it felt like the walls were going to close in on you if you didn’t give in. Yes, you were fully suspicious now that Hoseok had done something to your mind to make it melt in such a way, but it felt so good that you didn’t attempt to fight it. Hoseok grinned widely, itching to use his magic but ultimately restraining himself.
You were correct from that first moment he appeared behind you - you were completely and utterly hopeless.
“Besides, who would want to stay with such an ugly, evil demon like Hoseok?” He scoffed, looking away from you pitifully. You gasped and dropped the flower so you could tenderly hold his face in your hands.
“Don’t say that!” He grinned sheepishly under your gaze. “I just...I was just saying...um,” you stumbled over your words, trying to remember why exactly you had to leave him here. Your family was waiting for you in Heaven, but they suddenly seemed so miniscule compared to Hoseok. You were torn between completely rejecting him and his demonic nature, and attempting to understand that nature and understand the soul he is. His aura had changed totally since you first felt it - you now could only feel the love he had for you. It was absurd.
“You don’t remember, baby?” Hoseok laughs and your blush deepens. “I thought you were so eager to get back home...can’t you make up your mind?” Hoseok continued to tease you, which made you feel as if you were up in flames. Your mind raced, unsure of what was happening. Hoseok was now kissing the pads of your fingers. He moved so slowly, but you felt as if time was advancing more quickly by the minute.
“My head is...foggy. I don’t know what I want,” you mumbled, grabbing his hand to place on the back of your neck. He smiles widely.
“I think you know exactly what you want.” Hoseok took one of your hands to place on his chest. You immediately started rubbing it, up and down in slow strokes. “Such a good little angel...you always have been, haven’t you? Married a good man, lived honestly as a florist...you’ve been so good…” Hoseok held your face by your chin and slipped a thumb into your mouth to run along your lower set of teeth. “Why don’t you let yourself run free for a night? Be a little bad?”
He slipped his thumb further into your mouth and you leaned forward so it would reach toward the back of your throat. Hoseok moaned at the feeling, smirking evilly. “Darling...don’t you want this?”
You closed your eyes and hollowed your cheeks, letting the pad of your tongue be pet by his thumb. He released it from your mouth with a wet pop.
The burning in your sternum spread like wildfire through you, and you knew then that you had to let yourself smolder. You had already thrown caution to the wind when you decided going to a flower field in Hell was more fun than being around the people you had already spent a mortal eternity with. Something about his aura had your head reeling and your core dripping.
Fuck it. You were already caught in Hell.
“Yes, Hoseok. I want this.”
Hoseok leaned in to place a tender kiss under your jawline and when you opened your eyes, you found yourself teleported into a King-sized bed with a thick red velvet comforter. Hoseok hovered over you, still suckling on your neck. Like a virgin, you fiddled with your hands for a moment before hesitantly placing them on his shoulders.
Hoseok chuckled lowly, pulling away to look at you and push your hair behind your ears. “You’re nervous. Don’t worry,” he murmured. He placed a kiss below your right ear and sent a quaking shiver through your spine. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Hoseok grabbed both of your hands by the wrist and held them slightly above your head against the fluffed pillows. Whatever sex dungeon he had teleported you to was perfect - the cool feeling of the velvet against your skin and the aroma of Hoseok’s devilish aura made your knees shake. Hoseok noticed this and ran his hands up and down your thighs slowly, lovingly. “You’re shivering,” he laughed. You turned your flushed face away from him. He continued to laugh at you softly before turning your face back towards him with his pointer finger. “I already told you once. If you wish to leave after this, I’ll send you back to your place in Heaven without hesitation...there’s no reason to be scared because I will do anything you ask.” He kisses you deeply on the lips. “That is how I feel for you, just after this short time together.”
His attention on you felt thick like molasses. He made you feel as though you were the center of the universe. This was wrong, and you felt it deep within you. Knowing this, you reached up to capture his lips once again and palm his cock through the dark silk of his pants.
Hoseok moaned happily and continued to kiss you again and again for what felt like forever. His tongue lapped over every crevice of your mouth at a painful pace before finally moving his hand to slowly thumb your clit. His movements were agonizingly slow - you assumed he wanted to preserve this moment before he sent you on your way home.
You let out a deep sigh into his mouth as he slowly, but harshly, stroked your clit and fingered the opening of your pussy and just a touch from your ass. He smiled over you as he watched and took in every facial expression and inhaled each breath of yours.
“Does it feel good? Please, please, tell me,” he moaned. You stared up at him in disbelief - he seemed on the edge of orgasming just from seeing you in pleasure. You had barely done anything but stroke his cock through his pants. “I need to hear you tell me it’s good.”
You smiled smally, reaching up to grab at his chin. “Yes, yes. You’re doing so good, Hoseok.” You fought back a giggle as he practically rolled his eyes back into his head at your minimal praise.
“Angel...please, let me eat you out...I promise I’ll do good, please just give me the chance…” He began rutting his hips against one of your thighs and you laughed out loud. At the sound of your laughter, he whined pitifully. 
“Are you sure you’re from Hell?” You laughed as he buried his face into your stomach, embarrassed. “Just get started so you can fuck me already.”
Things quickly took a turn for the stranger as Hoseok buried his face into your pussy and made completely lewd sounds of pleasure from this. He seemed to be enjoying this more than you and it made you feel both embarrassed and hot. The feeling of control made your lips tilt up in a sick smile as his grip on your thighs tightened with each moment.
“Y-You’re doing so well,” you mumbled after several minutes of Hoseok eating you out while trying not to cum in his pants. “S-so, fuck, good.” It was an odd game that Hoseok was playing, but you followed along gleefully. At your praise, he moaned loudly into your pussy and sent a shiver of pleasure up your spine. “C-come here,” you instructed, reaching to pull his head up towards yours. He let out a pant as he dragged himself up towards you, knuckles holding himself on the bed shakily. “Will you fuck me?”
Hoseok bowed his head to place a kiss on your sternum. “Anything for you,” he whispered, almost hissing like a snake. He guided your hand to stroke his cock for a bit, all while he loudly expressed and moaned for you. Heat continued to rise in your cheeks - Hoseok was scandalous.
“S-sweetheart, fuck, we have to start before I come all over your thighs.” You both laughed and he gripped your neck possessively, pressing a sweet kiss to the corner of your mouth. 
The pressure of just the first stroke had you rolling your head against the satin pillows. Hoseok seemed to be handling it in a worse way, as it looked as though he could already be finished in just a quick moment. You gripped his neck and pulled him closer before whispering to him, “How do I make you feel?”
Hoseok growled for a moment, before whimpering and burying his face into your neck. “Y-you’re a princess...fuck, fuck, I fucking can’t...a queen,” he moaned.
You threw your head back again as he picked up the speed of a jackhammer. He dove into you so deeply with such vigor and passion that you had no doubts he wasn’t mortal. Nobody but him could drill into you like this.
Hoseok reached down to get a grip on one of your thighs to perch on his shoulder. You moaned unashamedly and it made his pace jolt for a moment.
He continued fucking you relentlessly, occassionally turning his head to nip at your thigh. You turned your head to bring your gaze to the mirror in the corner of the room, proudly displaying Hoseok’s muscled back and his cock slipping in and out of you. You let out a breathy laugh and Hoseok began fucking you with everything in him.
“You like seeing yourself getting fucked? You look radiant,” he growled, pounding into you so hard you were bumped by the headboard. At a loss for words, you nodded, once again reaching up to hold his neck tenderly. He smirked down at you. “Ready?”
You let out another laugh, nodding eagerly. He smiled softly, too softly for a demon, and placed on hand on your pussy and one on your breast, all while keeping his inhuman pace fucking you. Just the touch of his hand on your clit had you in tears, but his skill in rubbing it tenderly had you screaming out. At the first sight of your tears, Hoseok came inside you almost immediately. The sounds filling the room were lewd, and the feeling of his cum filling your pussy and getting all over your thighs and ass held the same sentiment. Ever so slowly, he stopped pumping and delicately brought your leg to rest on the stained velvet. He kissed your lips slowly and lovingly for several minutes before wrapping you in his arms and just holding you close.
“You are perfect,” he spoke softly after the long silence. You drowsily looked up at him for a second before looking away shyly. “Tell me what makes you happy, and I will give it to you.” Another slow kiss to your lips. “Anything you’d like.”
You kissed back with hesitance, now eager to make your way back home after being held and kissed by him for nearly an hour of cuddling.
“I’m happy with the camellia.” You smiled and pressed a kiss to his jawline before rising slowly, looking around the room for a door.
Hoseok chuckled darkly, rising as well and holding your waist to bring you onto his lap. You protested, flushing deeply when he still planted your bare pussy onto his legs and let his remaining cum from inside you flow out back onto him.
“That’s not what I meant, darling.” He brushed a piece of your hair behind your ear and admired you closely. You looked away, twiddling your thumbs. “What is it that you would like in our living quarters? Would you like the flower shop from your mortal life, or perhaps the home you raised your children in? I could conjure another garden at the drop of a hat, sweetheart...anything you would like.”
His stare on you intensified as he spoke. Your heart rate picked up once he said “living quarters,” and you begged it to slow so he wouldn’t notice.
“O-oh,” you stuttered after a long moment. He kept running his fingers through your hair and it sent chills down your naked spine. “I’ve got everything I need at home...don’t you think it’s time I get going?”
You looked at him coyly, hoping he would keep his promise of sending you home afterwards. He laughed breathily and kept a large hand cradling the back of your head.
“You didn’t think I would actually let you go, baby?” Hoseok laughed out loud, throwing his head back. He pressed an urgent kiss to your lips. You did not return it. “You’re mine, even if you didn’t have my cum dripping down your legs. You were mine the second you set foot in my garden.”
You looked to him carefully and let out a nervous chuckle. The temperature in the room began to rise, though you stayed still on his lap. Hoseok’s smile deepened.
“I have to go home,” you whispered after another long silence. At this point, you were dripping sweat while Hoseok remained unbothered. “You said you would take me home.”
Somewhere inside of you had clearly known all along that making a deal with Hoseok had no way of ending well. You knew he would torture you and eat your heart for breakfast because Hoseok was a demon and that’s what demons did, and especially ones of his calibre - yet, you stayed. You knew he would end you, and you stayed.
“Darling...you’re so sweet.” He leaned in to whisper into your ear, “and stupid.”
In the blink of an eye, Hoseok had transported you to the desk chair in his office. He had dressed himself in a fine suit and yourself in a ruffled dress so white it hurt your eyes. You noticed now that his office was also decorated in that heavy red velvet. It made your stomach churn.
“If you really would like to go home, the door to my garden is here. I told you already.” He rested his hand on the doorknob and looked to you with heavy eyes. “I love you.”
You held back a scoff, knowing that he wasn’t asking, but demanding you to go past the door. For some reason, his last confession of love was more bone-chilling than the others. He opened the door for you and towered over you as you cautiously took the first step onto the soft bed of grass below.
A feeling not unlike what you felt when you first encountered Hoseok’s aura ran up your leg and struck your entire body. Immediately, you rebounded back into Hoseok’s office and dropped to your knees as the burning made you feel as though your flesh was dripping off the bone. You cried out as you repeatedly ran your hands up and down your arms and legs, reassuring yourself that they were still there. Hoseok let out a booming laugh.
He bent to sit cross-legged on the floor with you.
“It’s not real, baby. You’re just imagining it. See?” Hoseok grabbed your wrists gently and placed your hands on his face. “Look at me. You’re safe,” he chuckled. You still had to take a moment to catch your breath.
“I have to go home,” you sighed, exasperated. Hoseok smiled again, grabbing hold of your wrist again to caress it tenderly.
“Listen carefully, darling.” He pressed a soft kiss to your forearm. “I don’t want to have to say this again. You’re mine. I own you.” He intertwined your fingers. “I could rip your heart out in a second. I could feed you to my dog. Feed you to the assistant.” He ran a hand through your hair and lovingly held your trembling chin. 
“I could make you vanish with the snap of my fingers...now, or later if you want to act up.” You looked down in shame and he immediately grabbed your face again to bring it to his. “Take one step outside that door and I’ll have you up in flames. I could have your head on a fucking stick, baby.” Suddenly, he cooed, wiping a tear from your eye. “You are home. You were meant to get caught in my field. I was meant to meet you, and love you. I love you. Sweetheart?”
His hand that was holding yours suddenly contracted, squeezing your bones with a sick snap and pop. Through your cries, you sobbed out, “I love you too.”
He smiled sickeningly, planting another kiss on your forehead. ��Remind me your favorite flowers. We can keep them in the bedroom.”
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mearchy ¡ 4 years ago
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Nicolò di Genova - Sword
Today I, a history nerd and relative newbie to the TOG fandom, want to talk about Nicky’s sword. Warning: This post is long.
(ik there are some history-centric TOG pages out there that may have covered this much better than I will, so feel free to leave a link!)
Okay, so just to clarify, we are talking about this thing:
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In both the comics and the movie, Nicky’s sword appears to be a two-handed longsword (theoretically, longswords are two-handed while broadswords are not but a lot of people ignore this so... whatever). It has a T-type looking flared pommel and a curved quillon with a pointy bit in the middle (quillon is the crossbar above the sword grip, pommel is the flared part at the base of the grip). 
The implication, which I have seen expanded on in a lot of fics, is that this is a 1099-era sword that Nicky is fighting with, that is representative of the time period he comes from. (I would like to note that this is true for Joe- his kilij scimitar is in fact, a historically accurate weapon that would have likely been used in Jerusalem during the First Crusade. Kudos to Rucka for not just choosing the more well-known scimitar blade types, or following Wikipedia’s shitty and incorrect assertion that the kilij was solely an Ottoman blade. Then again, getting it right could have very well been an accident. ANYway.)
Here’s the issue: Nicky’s canon sword doesn’t really... exist? Historically speaking. To start with, Crusaders didn’t use two-handed swords. In fact, the two-handed longsword as we know it wasn’t introduced until at least the late 13th century, if not well into the 14th. Most Crusaders of Nicky’s time would have likely fought with a one-handed “arming” sword, which looked something like this:
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(This specific example is 12th century but it fits the bill for style of 11th century swords as well.)
One-handed swords were a necessity because sword battles were almost always fought with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, unless you were cavalry in which case you held on to the damn horse with your other hand. Fighting with a shield as a common practice was discarded later on, towards the 15th century, as plate armor became more common.
Also... arming an entire army with swords actually was very expensive, but I’m trying not to overcomplicate so let’s assume that because Nicky had a higher rank than the average soldier (in comic canon), he would have been supplied with a standard arming sword of the period. If you’re looking to write a historically accurate fic, know that the ordinary civilian soldiers probably would not have all had their own standard-issue arming swords. Many would have had... polearms. And stuff. 
I wish I could give you any kind of estimate about the real time period Nicky’s canon sword comes from, but when I tell you that I dug deep into my reservoirs of sword knowledge, that I spent hours going through museum archives for any kind of extant sword that perfectly resembles what he uses... it just... it just doesn’t really exist. 
Here are some leads, in case you care to pursue them or spin a story out of them:
Most non-decorative two-handed swords from Western Europe date to the 14th through 16th century and generally have straight quillons that are much longer than Nicky’s, and the blades are longer and thinner, meant for piercing armor with direct thrusts. Here is an Italian version of the two-handed sword that exemplifies this.
This German 14th/15th century sword is two-handed, and has a very vaguely similar pommel shape, but the blade width and quillon are off.
European hand-and-a-half swords like this are dated to the 14th-16th century, and have mid-sized hilts, and they can also have slightly wider blades and T-type pommels. However, ones with curved quillons are considered highly unusual.
As you can see, the biggest obstacle to a perfect match seems to be the artistic liberties taken with the quillon on Nicky’s sword, which I totally respect, although it does make it difficult to create a convincing backstory for it. Also, I’ve been characterizing his pommel as T-type even though it’s not really that, because I can’t figure out a more accurate categorisation. Again, that exact pommel... doesn’t really exist in historical swords 
It is worth noting that in the movie, when the camera pans in the mine that Andy says they’ve kept their stuff in since the 1150′s, we catch a brief and badly-lit glimpse of THIS:
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WHICH IS, IN FACT, A CRUCIFORM ARMING SWORD WITH A DISK POMMEL THAT HAS THE EDGES CHAMFERED OFF AND A STRAIGHT QUILLON. I.e., a historically accurate late 12th-13th century Crusader sword. Still not quite on beat for the First Crusade but much closer to the correct era. Did someone doing props on set sneak this in here for vague historical accuracy? Was this Nicky’s sword during like... the Third Crusade? Did it become unusable from age but he kept it stored for sentimental value? I will let the fic writers decide... 
Ok that’s it for now. If you want me to actually cite my sources for more of this info, I can. 
PS: I haven’t read the comics all the way through yet, and I am also just some nerd who likes history and does research in my free time. If I missed anything or if any of my information is inaccurate, please argue aggressively with me and send me anon hate over it (not kidding :)!)
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seokiloquy ¡ 4 years ago
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Paradise - Tendou Satori
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AU: Regular/University 
Fem! Reader
Word Count: 3.2k+
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            The wind blew quickly through the trees outside the Sendai City Gymnasium. Boys of various statures stood in groups around the area wearing distinct uniforms that separated them from the rest. Amongst the mayhem of excited volleyball players, a girl stood gripping a binder to her chest. As she typed quickly into her phone the girl’s nose scrunched before looking around the main lobby of the building. Walking up to the fold-out desk by the entrance, she approached the two girls handing out pamphlets.
           “Have either of you seen a group of adults, wearing the same jacket as I am?” She asked, pinching her white jersey.
           The girls pause for a moment, their brows pushing together before handing her one of the pamphlets from the table. On the inside was a map of the building as well as a list of teams that would be participating. One of the girls stood up from her seat and leaned over the table.
           “Ya, I think I remember them talking about going in the middle of the stands to see everything,” she said pointing to the East side of the building.
           The girl nodded and gave the two a nod of thanks as she tucked the map into her binder. Huffing, she walked past the bustling players in the direction of her group.
           “Coach! You said to meet you in the park!” a yell rang above the voices in the stadium grabbing the attention of players and viewers alike.
           “Ah, (L/N). Sorry about that. The wind started to pick up and we decided to head inside. At least you found us. Do you have the info?” the man said. He wore a matching white jacket with the word ‘coach’ trailing down the side of his arm in red letters.
            “I do. A thank you would be nice, I’m the one that called all the schools to get their student information. That’s your job, Ito!”
           Ito chuckles but says nothing more as he leads (L/N) to their seats. With the binder tucked under her arm, she slips her hands into her pockets and takes a seat next to the other coaches and administrators to watch the players warm-up. As the whistles blew for their minute warning before the started, the head of the program spoke up.
           “Johzenji doesn’t have any third years, but keep an eye on their players for next year. Do you all have their papers?” Kawasaki asked as he spun a pen between his fingers. After receiving confirmation he went on, “Okay, one person per team for today. (L/N), you go with Ito. We will all watch the last game together and discuss it later when we go to eat.”
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           “Eh? Wakatoshi, do you recognize those jackets? I haven’t seen them before.”
           Wakatoshi looked to where his teammate was pointing. A group that dispersed themselves along the edge of the stands were wearing white and red jackets that he wasn’t familiar with.
           “I’m not sure, Tendou. Go ask the coach.”
           Pouting, the third year swung his legs in the direction of his coaches, humming a dejected tune as he went. They sat on their designated bench talking to each other slowly as they watched their opposing team warm up. Washijo’s stare deepened the lines on his face and as he shifted his gaze towards the spiked redhead the teen shivered. Instead of speaking to the old man directly, Tendou turned on his heel to look at the team’s assistant coach.
           “Hey, Saito,” he started, swinging his arm to point at one of the people in the jackets. “Who are those guys? I’ve never seen them before.”
           Saito adjusted his glasses before staring up into the stands.
           “Ah,” he paused, “I believe they are the ones from the volleyball program at Miyagi University. They’re scouting.”
           “Scouting?” Tendou blinked.
           Washijo tightened his arms across his chest with a huff, “Those idiots don’t know what to look for, they search for outliers.”
           Saito let out a weak laugh wincing internally. I went to Miyagi U.
           “Washijo, you do know Miyagi U is home to one of the top teams in Japan. It wouldn’t be wise to put incorrect information in the minds of your subordinates.”
           Tendou slouched, waiting for the younger coach to continue.
           “Tendou, they’re looking for talented players to give scholarships to. If someone gets one they either get to pay less for university or get to go for free so long as they abide by the rules of the scholarship.”
           Tendou didn’t say anything at first but gave a small grin with a huff as he bowed to his coaches, “Let’s be sure to with this round then, hmm?”
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           “So, (L/N), what did you think of the players today?” Kawasaki asked before taking a bite from the meat that was laid out in front of him.
           The group ate in a small restaurant with people talking loudly over their meals about whatever was going on in their lives. Separated from the crowd -as per the admin’s request- they all sat lazily around a table with their shoes off and jackets draped across their shoulders. The thin paper wall didn’t do all that much in terms of blocking the sound from coming into their little alcove but muffled it enough to decrease the likelihood of distractions.
           Unzipping the top of the collar of her jacket, the girl smiled. “Everyone was amazing, so I’m really happy I got to come and watch. I wrote down some of the players that I thought stood out.”
           Reaching for her binder, the (H/C) pulled out a small notebook. She flipped the pages before handing it over to the volleyball admin. As he turned through the pages, Kawasaki took note that the student in front of him had taken during the girl’s tournament as well. Looking at the list of players of the boys she had seemingly kept her eye on, one seemed to stand out.
           “Tendou Satori from Shiratorizawa? What made him pique your interest?”
            The girl rubbed her thigh, letting her tumb dig into the muscles that froze in position. Taking a bite from the food on her plate, she used the opportunity to think of a justified answer.
           “Satori is sharp, he may not be a prodigy but he’s honed his reaction time to the point of a sword. Outstanding middle blockers are hard to find because they blend in so much. They aren’t flashy like most of the people you scout. But when you find a passionate blocker or any player for the matter, even if you’re just observing from the sidelines their energy becomes contagious.”
          “Satori? Are you familiar with him?” Ito asked as he set his chopsticks down.
           The girl gives her coaches an awkward smile, “Ah, not really. We were acquainted with each other in elementary school. He’s hard to forget, but I doubt he remembers me.”
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            “Ah, Tendou!” Saito yelled out to the third year as he ran around with his teammates in the large gym of Shiratorizawa, “There’s a letter here for you!”
           Tendou stumbled as he tried to stop his momentum looking over with a tilted head. His coach wore a large smile as he waved a thin folder in the air. The sight only confused him more. He took hold of the white binder and read the words that were written in bold red print along the front of the cover. His confusion isn’t eliminated when he opens the mail up though. He looked up at Saito.
           “I didn’t even apply. I never planned..”
           Saito’s smile dropped when he saw the look of distress that tore on the typically happy boy’s face, “Satori, I know your plans for when school is finished. But I think that this would be a great opportunity for you. You’ve always called it your ‘paradise’”
            “Tendoou,” Ushijima had walked up behind the middle blocker with his hands flat at his sides, “why don’t you call them?”
           Tendou hummed before asking Saito if he could take a moment and collect his thoughts. It was just over a month ago after they lost their match against Karasuno. He remembers laying down on the glossy wood floor of the large gym, twisting his hips and pushing his crossing knee into the floor along with the rest of the team for their cool down.
           “I’m going to quit volleyball after high school,” he said to Ushijima, “I’ll be watching you on TV and brag that we were best buds.”
           He bit his lip as he looked at the binder in his hands, reading through the various sheets that had been presented to him.
Dear Mister Satori Tendou,
           Congratulations! On behalf of Miyagi University, I am pleased to offer you admission to the Volleyball (Athletic) - Competitive Sports and Health program.
           He looked at the page on the inside cover.
Dear Mister Satori Tendou,
           In recognition of your outstanding academic and athletic achievements, you have been selected and offered a Full-Ride Scholarship award to Miyagi University.
           Tendou looked at the personalized contact information at the bottom of the papers and picked up his phone.
           The volleyball division at Miyagi U was situated in one building. It had excessively large gym floors, that in all likelihood could hold four courts each when there were only two on either side. Between the gym space for the two teams was a raised flat platform for viewing practices at a higher angle that was supported by a mostly glass room that was used as an office for the coaches so they could still see the players while doing work. On either side of the partial wall, the two teams were stretching after a long day of practice when the phone in the office rang.
           “(Y/N),” called Ito as he stood with the other coaches on the platform, “Could you get that?”
           (Y/N) sent a thumbs up in the coaches’ direction, knowing that they were discussing the applicants they received for the program. Picking up the phone, the player continued with stretches as she talked.
           “Miyagi U Volleyball Office, how can I help you?”
           “Uh, hi. I received a scholarship from your program when I didn’t even apply? I just wanted to ask some questions about it?”
           “Ah, of course, could I get your name?” (Y/N) asked as she reached for a pen and paper.
           “Tendou Satori.”
           “Ah! Satori. From Shiratorizawa Academy,” she smiled as she quickly noted things down.
           “Do you know me?”
           “Well, somewhat I guess. I’m (L/N), 1st year at Miyagi U. We met in elementary school, and I was the one that put your name forward for a possible scholarship. So, Congratulations.”
           At his end of the line, Tendou began picking around stray pebbles as he combed through his memory for the name (L/N). He couldn’t remember much about elementary school except the times he played volleyball but Tendou wasn’t able to think of a reason to not believe the girl on the phone.
           “Sorry, I don’t remember much about elementary school. But could you explain this scholarship thing to me?” He asked.
           She noticed that his voice had a way of picking up and dropping as if his vocal cords were a roller coaster.
           (Y/N) smiled into the phone trying not to laugh at the thought, “Don’t worry about it. Anyways, scholarships from my program go out to about six people every year, they are either partial or full-ride scholarships depending on the group. Students don’t apply for these scholarships because they are scouting scholarships. They are chosen by the coaches after watching games and deciding who they want on their teams, so no application is required.”
           “And you put my name forward?” Tendou paused, “Why?”
           There was a bit of silence on your end as you thought of an answer. Tendou waited patiently hoping that your response could brush away the stress that had been building on his shoulders.
           “Well, I only gave a recommendation. Our school looks for special talents, and it was my coaches that chose you. But, as I watched from the stands, I could see just how happy you were to be playing and the passion you put into it. Like you were in your little world. I want to keep watching you play.”
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           When Tendou’s parents found out about the scholarship they were, to his surprise, ecstatic. Although his family wasn’t low on money, Tendou had planned to start working after high school and not spend money on university. His parents were initially against the idea.
           “What are you waiting for? Accept it!” His mother yelled at him.
           So, come April, a week into spring break, Tendou was standing at the main entrance of Miyagi U’s campus with a feeling of nostalgia as he remembered his first day at Shiratorizawa. With a suitcase at his side and a bag on his back, he takes his first step onto the school delicately placed bricks.
           “Hey! Satori! Glad you could make it!”
           Pausing mid-step, he turns his head to the call of his name with his brows pushed upward, “(Y/N)?”
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           “Okay, Line up!”
           Midway through April came the new year and with it came new teammates. Tendou wasn’t used to being separated from Ushijima, who was currently attending a school in Tokyo. But despite his immediate qualms about attending university, all his teammates shared a similar goal, making it easier to get along with them. Though a few did occasionally send him teasing glares as retaliation for beating them in previous years.
           As he stood in line with the rest of his teammates and listened to his coach -Honda- explain the warm-ups that would be led by their captain, Tendou looked through the glass walls of the office to where the girl’s team stood. (L/N), who was now a second year, smiled up to her coach as she went through the same spiel that Honda was doing for their first years. Trying to keep his head tilted towards his coach, Tendou let his naturally wide eyes wander in the direction of the female wing spiker.
           “Tendou, pay attention,” His teammate whispered as he dug his elbow into the red-heads side, grabbing his full attention. “We’re warming up now.”
           Tendou nodded quickly before looking back through the glass walls. The girls had already started.
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           Only a few lights were left on in the gym. Focusing solely on the boy’s side where Tendou was hard at work. Despite being a middle blocker -and a good one at that- all players need to be well rounded enough to stay on for a full rotation. As Tendou was on his own, he worked on his serves continuously until he had to collect them all again.
           “Looks like everybody left for the party. Mind if I join in?”
           Coming out of the office, likely walking through from the girl’s side, (L/N) stands on the edge of the court with her bag lazily hanging off the tips of her fingers. Letting the bag drop, she lifts her hand, asking for a ball. Catching the ball as it flew in her direction, she ducks under the white line of the net.
           “Scared, Satori?” She smiled.
            From where he stood in the center of the court, he could see the change in his perspective in his mind. After regular midnight practices in an empty gym with no one but themselves to keep each other company, a once acquaintance turned stranger had transformed into his greatest ally. Looking at her now, the regular gym lights seemed to act like a spotlight giving him tunnel vision. Tendou gave her a curled grin.
           “I understand you (Y/N). I have no reason to be scared.”
           Practicing spikes and blocks gradually turned into a poor attempt at a 1v1 game that ended with them dropping to the floor in front of the net (She had won 17-15). Panting heavily with their limbs spread wide the two of them looked up at the lights that seemed to become brighter as time went on.
           “It's 11:48 pm. Jeez Satori, you truly are a monster.” (L/N) laughed.
           “I used to hate that nickname,” He said joining the girl in her fit, “But now I think it makes me even more intimidating.”
           That didn’t help to quell their laughter.
           “Intimidating? Satori you are the most childlike person I know, like a cute kitten knocking things over.” She panted.
            “Cute eh?”
           “Shut up.” She laughed again.
           “(Y/N), what did you think of me in elementary school?”
           The girl sat up, crossing her legs with a groan and turning to face the thin boy who still laid flat on the wood floor.
           “I didn’t know you well, no one did. But, I always thought that your talent and drive to play volleyball was admirable, something to see, you know? Either way, I don’t think either of us would be here now if you had never picked up a ball.”
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            “MI-YAGI DAIGAKU!”
            The first official game of the year in Miyagi U’s official stadium had members from every sports team come out to support the boy’s team. Rivalling schools screamed at the top of their lungs, trying to drown out the other team’s support with their yells. The girl’s team sat in the front row of the seats, leading chants as they pointed fingers across the court to their enemy. (Y/N), although she chanting along and partaking in school spirit, kept her eyes on the game, focusing on a particular middle blocker who was easily staring down his opponents.
           The game was at match point with Miyagi U in the lead, but the points kept climbing and with it the chant of players’ names grew louder. Every play was a chance to win. The ball soared over the net into arms the opponent’s libero, sending it directly to the setter with perfect accuracy. On the other side of the net, the players in Miyagi’s white jersey shuffled to their defensive position. Tendou, along with the front line Setter and Wing Spiker, set up a triple block to go against their Ace’s accurate spikes. Tendou watched the setter carefully along with the other wing spikers. Seeing his eyes dash across the net, Tendou followed, taking his two teammates with him. Coming off the Setter’s hands the ball followed the same path as Tendou towards the Ace’s oncoming spike. Mid-air, the spiker looked over the net for an opening only to make eye contact with an ecstatic looking Tendou. The ball hit the court.
           As everyone cheered (Y/N) took her vice grip off of the railing before running down to the entrance of the gym. Tendou was celebrating with his teammates, who weren’t afraid to smack his back or ruffle his hair within the chaos. (Y/N) easily caught his attention though -along with everyone else’s- as she screamed out his name while barreling toward him. Tendou, surprised, opened out his arms to catch the hyper girl before she fell.
           (Y/N) threw a toothy grin up at the younger boy as he easily carried her around, “You’re a monster, you know that?”
           Tendou only held her tighter.
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I like to think that (Within the AU) players that come from schools with a particular talent, Date Tech and Ubugawa for example, are the ones that typically get scouted to Miyagi U. But prodigies like Nishinoya, or quirky players like Tendou and Hinata do as well. - Bacon
Posted: 02/07/2020
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collegestudentvevo ¡ 4 years ago
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a thought on cancel culture
inspired by this post from @veraiconcos
i think we should cancel cancel culture. it’s become so toxic and overused that it doesn’t do it’s intended job anymore. i also believe that “cancel” has become so much of a buzzword it doesn’t have a proper meaning either.
i think it is completely necessary to hold celebrities accountable for their actions but to also remember that they are human and by no means perfect. we forget that celebrities are also people who are bound to make mistakes. but how they move forward from those mistakes is very telling about the people that they are. 
as explained in the post i linked above, matthew gray gubler is a celebrity who is by no means perfect. he has made mistakes and he has said things that we would now consider “problematic” or something we should “cancel” him for. he has previously used the r word and mentioned in a poem that he is “dubious of lesbians” which has been interpreted different ways. i have my thoughts about those actions of his but i am neurotypical and i am not a lesbian so i don’t have a place to speak on those actions publicly. i will say that the word “dubious” is defined as “unsettled in opinion, doubtful” by Merriam Webster’s Dictionary. which i interpreted to mean that he does not anticipate being in a relationship with a lesbian, therefore making sense to me, but i also think it wasn’t needed to be said in the poem. again, that is not for me to decide. it is for the lesbian community to determine the value of that statement. here is another post listing things matthew has done that may be considered problematic. 
tw // SA
there also have been sexual assault allegations made against matthew, that i have heard of. i also was told that the woman who made those allegations said that they were false. but i have no receipts on this information so if anyone has info or links regarding this, that would be greatly appreciated if you could send it to me or reply to this post!
i would also like to mention, that as a victim of SA, i will always stand on the side of victims and survivors. first and foremost, we need to believe women, victims, and survivors before coming to the defense of the accused.
back to celebrities and cancel culture in general
i believe that to some extent, cancel culture has been used for good. especially cases in which racism, sexism s*xual assault, homophobia, transphobia, etc. have played a part in certain celebrities’ lives. some people refuse to educate themselves on the matters at hand and i don’t think anyone should continue to “stan” or support celebrities, groups, etc. that uphold values like that. i don’t believe anyone should support celebrities, groups, etc. that have beliefs and political values that don’t align with their own. some people say that they like to “separate the art from the artist” but i don’t believe that that is possible in today’s day and age. if i listen to an artist like xxxtentacion or whatever the fuck his name is, who has multiple r*pe and p*dophilia accusations against him (i believe) i am indirectly supporting him. streaming his music on spotify gives him streams which translates to a certain amount of profit. giving streams and support to artists like this, tells them that they can still be successful, even after doing the terrible things that they’ve done and refusing to apologize or change their actions. 
but there is a time when cancel culture is used far too often. if someone says something slightly wrong they get canceled almost immediately. for example, demi lovato had a finsta account on which she was presumed to be making fun of and tearing down selena gomez. i did not see the actual posts or account, only screenshots, but i agree, tearing down other women is not acceptable. but demi wasn’t doing this in the public eye and she did address it afterwards. although i’m not sure if we got an apology, she addressed it and her actions have shown growth since then. 
i think the important thing to remember is that we are all human. we all make mistakes and what matters is that we learn from them. we all (including celebrities) need to take accountability for our mistakes and to also take the time and resources we have to constantly be educating ourselves on issues in other communities that we may not be privy to. a big example of this is the black lives matter movement. i am a firm believer and support of the movement as i believe everyone else should be. and if someone doesn’t know or understand what the movement is about, they need to take matters into their own hands and educate themselves on the systemic racism in america, the problems with the police force, right wing arguments, left wing arguments, etc., etc. no one, and i mean NO ONE has an excuse to not be educated. yes, make a mistake but make sure you learn from it. when someone tells you that you said or did something wrong, offensive, incorrect you need to listen to them. listen to their story and to why they are upset about what you said/did. then, take it upon yourself to further educate yourself on the issue.
cancel culture has been blown out of proportion and the fact that “cancel” is such a buzzword nowadays i do believe that it has lost its meaning.
but. if a celebrity does something that a group says is offensive or problematic, we need to listen to that group. we can’t excuse behavior just because we think “he would never do that!” or “he’s so sweet i can’t imagine him ever saying something like that.” just because it’s hard to believe doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. at the same time, we need to allow celebrities to atone for their sins. celebrities need to be allowed growth as well, just like anyone else.
the issue of cancel culture is complicated and complex but it’s worth talking about. if i made a mistake in this post or in any of my posts please let me know! if i ever did something that was offensive or rude or anything that may be negative, i want to know so i can learn from it. i think everyone else should hold that belief as well. 
i could probably talk about this for years but thank you if you read my thoughts on this.
one last thing: i love matthew gray gubler. and as i said earlier, he is not perfect. i would love for him to apologize for everything he’s done wrong in the past, but i’m not even sure if he realizes or remembers doing those things. that doesn’t excuse his lack of apology, but we don’t know how he’s changed since then. he seems to me to be a person who tries to be kind to everyone and to stand up for what is right. but, we, as fans, are not a part of his personal life. we do not know the true matthew gray gubler, who he is on a daily basis. we can ask for him to speak up on issues or to apologize for saying a word or something in that vicinity, but we don’t know what he does in his own time. i don’t think we can expect him to broadcast his every move and every political belief and every value. i just think that is unrealistic. we won’t know where he stands on every topic ever, we just have to trust that he would do the right thing and if proven otherwise, we take it from there, i think.
these are certainly just my personal thoughts and by no means are they not flawed. i think there will always be flaws in arguments about topics like these. i think all we can do is try and learn and expect those we look up to to do the same.
i love you all. treat people with kindness :)
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fairycosmos ¡ 5 years ago
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I’m not trying to dump my problems on you, but I really need to get this out. I’m 21 and I’ve never been in a relationship and I’m super confused about my sexuality...... idk if I’m asexual/gay/bi/straight or whatever I literally have no clue and I’m scared of people and intimacy and I can’t imagine myself being in love and spending the rest of my life with someone
hey, you’re not dumping your problems on me at all. and it’s really ok not to know! i understand that it’s confusing and painful and there is stability in being able to find an identity that ‘fits’ you, but getting to that point is not fast or easy for most. and while that’s frustrating, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you at all. i promise. even if you do eventually come to some personal conclusions, sexuality is a fluid thing for a lot of people. it’s not always definitive, or like 100% certain. above all, there’s truly no wrong answer or way to feel. if you’ve never been in a relationship then it’s no surprise that you’re unsure about who/what you like, because you have no points of reference. i want to stress that it’s veryyyy normal to be single in early adulthood. i know it seems like literally everyone else in the whole world had some amazing love story in their teens/college years but seriously, it is so so common to be inexperienced at your age. your brain is just making you notice those who are in relationships more because you crave it. but my older sisters has friends who are in the same boat as you and she’s 22. if you want my initial suggestion, i think it’d be a good idea to focus on why you’re so scared of intimacy and love before you focus on who you’re attracted to. because once you’re actively trying to cope with those feelings of doubt and insecurity, you’ll be able to put yourself out there a little more, which may result in the answers you’ve been looking for.  the natural progression of your life may offer a lot of solutions. taking care of yourself and your own mental health must come before love, or looking for it, even though thats way easier said than done…..but remember, there’s no incorrect self. try to block out the world and what it’s telling you you should feel, and go off of whats in your heart. if it’s still just unclear, that’s alright. it just means you’re not ready yet, and there’s truly no rush. anyway, i think your anxiety and the critical way in which you view yourself is stopping you from being able to explore the idea of dating all together. you think everyone sees you the way you see yourself, so you think you must be some unlovable thing….but that’s not true at all. sometimes our minds spin us these false narratives when we’ve been hurt in the past, or when we’re dealing with unacknowledged mental/emotional issues…..your brain is bullying you, and you cant trust everything it tells you. no matter how true it seems. i really believe if you work on getting along with yourself, even if it feels completely ridiculous and fake at first, then the rest will follow. do you think it’s possible that you could talk to a professional about this? (after this pandemic, of course.) it can be anyone, maybe your doctor could refer you to a therapist, or if there’s a counseling service in your area? or a support group for ppl who are struggling? i have a very limited perspective of you, but to me it looks like your low self esteem/ your low self confidence is what’s igniting all of this. you’re scared of people so you can’t even begin to imagine who you’d enjoy spending your life with. but you CAN get help for that. you CAN talk about it and learn how to come to terms with it. you have to believe thats true for you. i get that it’s an extremely daunting idea, and you don’t have to do anything right now. but please keep that thought in the back of your mind no matter how much you want to push it away. you are not alone, and you don’t have to carry the weight of this as if you are. there’s also a lot of info online, lgbt forums/forums of people dealing w self hatred that may be of some comfort, and of course there’s always the option of calling a hotline if you want further advice. you see, you’re not trapped. and you don’t have to have this all worked out any time soon. but if you start making small and healthy changes to the way you treat yourself, then i think that’d be a really great step in the right direction. and more and more growth will spring from it. even if it just looks like complimenting yourself in the mirror, or repeating self affirmations or journaling and giving a voice to your feelings. these techniques aren’t supposed to solve everything, they’re just supposed to help. anyway, i can really really relate to what you’re dealing with, like i literally….i know im bi, but i cant imagine ever letting anyone touch me ever again. i’d just feel bad for them having to look at my face, having to be around me….that’s not healthy though, and i know that if i want connection THAT badly, i’m going to have to work on letting go of those unhealthy mindsets to some extent. even if it takes months, or years. but lets do it together, ok? one day at a time, working with whats in our control. if you need a friend or someone to talk to, dont hesitate to hmu. and i apologize for how long it took me to reply. im sending a lot of love, i hope you and your family are safe/healthy rn 💖
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mlmshipbracket ¡ 1 year ago
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Welcome to the Semifinals!
ROUND 4 POLLS ARE NOW LIVE!
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You will find the updated bracket for round four match-up's above and a complete list of the links for round four polls below!
INFO
ROUND FOUR POLLS BEGIN NOW! (July 28th!) POLLS WILL LAST FOR A WEEK SO GET THOSE VOTES IN! Round 4 polls end on Friday, you have until then.
Same information as before applies!
Feel free to include your own propaganda (in the reblogs, comments, or tags) for which ships everyone should vote for and hype up your favorite ship if you want them to win! Feel free to add text, art, or videos to your propaganda as well!
Fanart is included in this bracket and throughout the polls. Please check out the artists who created these beautiful pieces. Let me know if any artist credits are incorrect.
Remember, get those votes in people. Reblog, comment, tag. Get as many others to vote and get your favorite ship to Round Five (The Finals)!
ROUND FOUR POLLS!
Link/Sidon vs Kravitz/Taako Naruto Uzamaki/Sasuke Uchiha vs Teddy Altman/Billy Kaplan
ORIGINAL BRACKET [HERE] RULES [HERE] ROUND ONE POLLS (ENDED) [HERE] ROUND TWO POLLS (ENDED) [HERE] ROUND THREE POLLS (ENDED) [HERE] >>> NEXT ROUND (ROUND 5) POLLS (ENDED) [HERE]
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unofficialkfamtranscripts ¡ 5 years ago
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King Falls AM - Episode 10: Medium Rare
View on Google Docs
Summary: September 15, 2015 - Sammy & Ben welcome in studio guest, medium Miss Olivia DuPont, however a miscommunication of her talents brings up some painful memories that both Ben & Deputy Troy wish to forget.
[podcast intro music]
Sammy [agitated] I’m not gonna debate you ma’am, I’m just trying to say that gravity really isn’t something that’s up for discussion, sheesh.
Ben [amused] Don’t take it personally. Mrs. Bodenheimer told me in third grade that she didn’t believe in air.
Sammy …conditioning?
Ben Oh, no! Air. In general. She thought oxygen was a satanic fairy tale concocted by God-hating scientists.
Sammy [disbelieving] Yet she was in charge of educating you and hundreds of other youngsters.
Ben College diploma goes a long way in a little town, buddy.
Sammy Alright, well up next we’ve got a pretty interesting visitor coming in studio with us.
Ben Hopefully so!
Sammy O— you don’t know her?
Ben I do not, but she sent us a ton of emails during the electrolocaust and said she was a big fan.
Sammy All of them say she has a special talent she’d like to share with us and the listeners
Ben Absolutely, and she’ll be coming up after a word from our sponsors.
[dramatic eerie music]
Announcer On the season premier of the nation’s number one paranormal investigation show: Mission Apparition. [theatrical crash] Dan and the team find themselves in a sticky situation. [static]
Dan [echoing] They had to shut this place down after all the accidents. This is Tanner’s Taffy factory and it’s been abandoned since 1991. [static]
Announcer …or has it?
Dan There’s, uh— God there’s a lot of EVP activity around [walkie talkie sound] Larry, Larry I’d think you better go.
[theatrical crash]
Dan [walkie click] [hushed] Larry? Larry! [walkie click] Larry go!
Larry [creepy, ascending, violin-screech sound effects] [through walkie] I see the lights, man, I see it
Dan Larry move your ass!
Announcer It’s another can’t-miss episode from the show that doesn’t miss a thing when it comes to the extraordinary: Mission Apparition
[News music]
NEWS ANCHOR Season premier, tonight at 9pm on King Falls Channel 13.
[KFAM theme]
Ben That is- ridiculous.
Sammy We’re live, Ben.
Ben I know! It doesn’t change the fact that “Mission Apparition” sucks as much as the channel that shows it.
Sammy It sounded pretty interesting to me.
Ben Dan and Larry from that show? wouldn’t know what to do in a haunted situation to save their lives. Stupid meters and light particles, [“stupid voice” imitation] “oh hey I know! let’s shoot some night vision so everything looks pretty scary and suspect!” Idiots.
Sammy You don’t have to get hot about it.
Ben Oh, I’m just fine, Sammy. I’m simply saying, Mission Apparition is a dumb show Made by dummies For dummies.
Sammy Ladies and gentlemen, please be sure to direct all your hateful tweets to @kingfallsam and we’ll make sure Ben answers each and every one.
Ben Get at me twitter! #bringit
Sammy *laughs* On a different note, we have a guest in studio with us tonight. She is a self-professed medium—
Olivia [slight South African accent] Miss Olivia DuPont. Heh, see I knew it was coming.
Sammy [laughing] You’re good Miss DuPont. So Ben tells me you emailed us in hopes of coming on the show?
Olivia I was very eager to come visit my favourite late-night AM talk show and maybe help some people with some closure along the way.
Ben Thanks Miss DuPont, we are happy to have you.
Olivia Oh, please call me Golden Owl. *Who-whoo who-whoo!*
Sammy Ummm…
Olivia *Laughs* What a hoot and riot, you should have seen your face Sammy. Please, call me Olivia.
Ben Ha. S- soo… um, you aren’t from King Falls, is that correct?
Olivia That is, I live a few towns over. Up in Big Pine. That’s where my shop is as well.
Ben I love Big Pine! I- I used to go camping there as a kid! It’s beautiful and so laid-back.
Sammy Laid-back? I didn’t know it got slower then King Falls!
Ben You’ll have to excuse Shotgun Sammy here, he’s a Big City guy.
Sammy Anyway, so how did you find out that you had this talent, Olivia? That you were a medium.
Olivia Oh, from a very young age. My parents were veterinarians and we lived in an apartment above their office, so I used to hear- so many lost souls. Day in and day out.
Ben Lost souls? Wh-why were these people hanging out at the vets?
Olivia [confused] People?
Sammy I’m sorry, Olivia. Maybe we’ve got our wires crossed here. We were under the impression that you were a psychic.
Olivia [firmly] Medium. Psychics are low life charlatans.
Sammy I’m sorry, a medium.
Olivia A medium is someone whose 6th sense is so in tune, so aware, that a bridge is made to the other side, in which we can communicate with our loved ones.
Ben Uh, but- but again why were the souls of people hanging out at your parents’ vet office?
Olivia *scoffs* What does this have to do with people, Ben?
Sammy Okay, this bridge that you’ve-you’ve built to the other side. Is it not for people?
Olivia [laughing] Heaven’s no!
Ben I’m lost.
Olivia Well I’m- one of a kind, I get human interference from- time to time, you know [long-suffering] a mother looking to reconnect with her kids, a brother that died in the war. Ugh. I ignore that. This is about our deceased loved ones. The furry kind, or feathered! or what-have-you.
Ben Wait. You talk to dead pets?
Olivia Harsh, but not incorrect Ben.
Ben [growing slightly frantic]Oh, no, see I-I-I booked you so we could talk about your gift and take some calls from the listeners, but—
Olivia We can take calls Ben.
Sammy So, to be clear, you have contact with human spirits and you just toss them to the wayside to talk to Fido.
Olivia *laughs* Anyone can talk to deceased humans, Sammy, especially here in King Falls. This place is beaming with activity- even the two of you could do it if you tried. But nobody talks to our long-lost pets.
Ben I’m sorry, this isn’t what we were looking for Miss DuPont.
Olivia Golden Owl. Hoh, excuse me boys *loud sigh* this one is coming on strong! MMMOOooo MMMrrrr… Moo. *loud sigh* Sorry boys,[solemnly] that was- that was a rough one. Cassie the Cow was crying out. She lived in one of those factory farms and she- *deep breath* was using me to tell the world about her last days in the Cowschwitz[sic].
Sammy Okay folks, we’re sorry. Just give us a minute or two so we can uh… So we can get this—
Olivia I seeee… a dog? forgive me- AAAOOOoo AWAWWOOooo ARAwwo *growls*
Ben [Irritated] Okay, I think we’ve heard enough.
Olivia Wolfington?
Ben This is insane.
Sammy [seriously] Wait. What color is the dog?
Olivia Black— oh a little-bit of brown. He looks like— a lap dog perhaps? Uhh…
Sammy A terrier!
Olivia Oh, of course, I can see it nowww. He’s just wagging his tail, so happy, chasing his ball- Oh! Ooh, he’s mounting your Teddy Ruxpin bear[1].
Sammy That’s him! Oh my gosh!
Ben [incredulous] Wolfington the terrier? Come oonnn.
Sammy That’s my dog, Ben! He ran away when I was in grade school.
Olivia Woof! RUFF! Ruff-ruff-rUFF! Oh. He wants you to know that he’s fine Sammy, Wolfington had a good life. He isn’t mad that you only ever shared your veggies at the dinner table.
Sammy [entreating] Heh, it’s all I could do little buddy! my mom was always watchin’!
Ben Sammy?
Sammy Uh, *clears throat* I mean, y-you know that’s- that’s good, that’s real good Olivia. Uh, thank you.
Ben What is going on here?! Snap out if it, Sammy, this is obviously a con. Facebook info- or something.
Olivia I seee—  [whispered] what is it? Is it a bird?
Ben [mocking]Cuckoo. Cuckoo.
Olivia Is it a tiny… monkey? No— no no, dig deeper. Marsupial!
Ben You aren’t buying this, right?
Olivia I feeel a- a naame… Serendipity?
Ben [shocked] What the Hell?
Sammy Ben, you alright over there?
Ben I’m- fine. Um. Go on, Golden Owl?
Olivia Is it a… sugar glider!
Ben It is! Serendipity the sugar glider! Oh man.
Sammy You can’t be serious, Ben. Your parents bought you an exotic animal and the best name you can come up with is “Serendipity”?
Ben [defensive] It came already named, man, and No, for the record? we found it. There was a travelling zoo that came through the Falls. And the day after, my friends and I found a box, down at the fairgrounds, and inside? there was little Serendipity, looking back up at us.
Olivia He said he’s sorry that he couldn’t stay. He wishes he did, that mean man with the badge- well, [softly] and you know how that goes.
Sammy Uh, how what goes? What happened?
Ben [upset] I don’t want to talk about it.
Olivia He forgives you Ben.
Ben [forcefully] Golden Owl I said I’m done! Let’s Take some callers.
Sammy Ben, I’m sorry, but this seems like—
Ben [distressed] Why don’t you pry your fingers- into the open wound- of my heart, and dig it all out, Sammy? Sweet Jack in the Box Jesus.
Sammy … You’re right, I-I’m sorry Ben. Well, King Falls you’ve heard Serendipity’s story, now let’s hear yours. 424-279-3858. We are live with pet medium, Olivia DuPont a—
Ben Did he live a good life? Olivia? W-was he happy, like Sammy’s puppy?
Olivia Do you not know?
Ben Know what?
Sammy I’m so confused here.
Olivia Serendipity was a bit of an outlaw. Sugar Gliders are illegal to posses in the tri-state region because of the ’72 Sugar Flu outbreak.
Sammy Seriously, okay guys, I just pulled up Sugar Gliders on the googs, adorable!
Ben They were still illegal. My mom tried calling the travelling zoo but to no avail. And it wasn’t like I didn’t want to keep Serendipity, I loved the little guy but, one of my backstabbing “friends” from school said something to Bodenheimer … I-I don’t want to talk about this.
Sammy They took him away?
Ben Mrs. Bodenheimer did. She took him to the office, and I never saw him again. She said she was going to make sure he got back to the zoo, di-di-did he, Golden Owl?
Olivia MMEEEEOOOOOWWW MEOOOWWW *hisses* Sorry, a calico is summoning me.
Ben Cut the crap! What’s this about the man with the badge?
Olivia [nervously] O- of course I’ve just heard this second-hand. Ben— I mean who’s to say exactly- what happened? It- you know, it’s from a different perspective then we can understand.
Ben What happened?
Olivia Serendipity- bit the man with the badge on the drive and- was tossed out the window. Into the river. Then- eventually down the falls. *chitters and hisses*
Ben That son of a bitch, w-wha-who’s name was on that badge?
Olivia It’s murky. Hard to grasp. Serendipity is jumping from nether tree to nether tree- Oh! Oh! I think I have it. [straining] G. U. N. Oh, I can’t see- D?
Ben [angrily] I knnnew it.
Olivia Take it with a grain of salt Ben- I mean, it’s just one version, from [laughingly] a marsupial no less.
Ben He was an awesome. possum. I-I gotta step outside for a minute [chair squeak].
Sammy While Ben takes a little break, let’s take a few callers.[door closing] Give us a call King Falls. Let’s talk about your dearly departed, uh, pets.
Olivia I’m ready.
Sammy Line 4, you’re live with Sammy and Miss Olivia DuPont.
Troy Gosh darn it, Sammy, I’m really sorry to hear about Ben’s little buddy.
Sammy I’m sure he’ll appreciate the kind words Troy, I’ll be sure to pass them on buddy .
[police radio can be heard faintly in bg]
Troy [solemn] I’ve got a confession to make that I ain’t proud of. I… I was the reason for the demise of little Serendipity. Such a sweet little fella. I just didn’t know he get taken away, y’know? For good.
Sammy Wait. You’re the reason Serendipity was taken away?
Troy Ah hells bells Sammy, I was the one that rolled over on Ben but— I didn’t mean for the little furry guy to get taken away! It was just a real kerfuffle on this end.
Sammy This explains so much.
Troy Me and Ben was best buddies coming up, Sammy. I didn’t want to tell on him, but little Serendipity got frisky one day at lunch and sh[bleep] on one of the teacher’s Mexican pizza. Tough ol’ Bodenheimer cornered me ‘cause she thought he was mine. Ben ain’t never gonna forgive me and that’s deserved.
[door closing]
Sammy That’s all in the past Troy. I’m sure- someday –
Ben Sorry about that guys. Some-someday what?
Sammy Oh, uh- y-you know- we-we’re just taking calls from listeners right now Ben. On the line we’ve got- Troy.
Troy [mournful] Hey Ben. Man I was listening to the program tonight, when I heard Miss DuPont pontificatin’ about the dead animals and su—
Ben [Hastily] Now’s not the time Troy, especially from you!
Troy I’m hurtin’ something awful about Serendipity, buddy. How many times do I have to apologize to make it right?
Ben Loose Lips Sink Ships, Troy, the ship of friendship. Have fun on the SS Backstabber. [click, dial tone] Line 1, you’re live on King Falls AM. Prepare your tissues.
Ron Boys, I won’t keep you long. This question is for, Golden Owl? is that right?
Olivia Yes.
Ron Before my question ma’am, you might want to work on that name. It might just be me, but it sounds like a sophisticated lemon party for birds.Not that I’m against that sort of thing. Sh[bleep] even last night—
Sammy Ron Begley, ladies and gents.
Ron Alright I get it, enough foreplay. Brass tacks Miss Owl, how does it work if you didn’t particularly own the pet, but you saw it as a kid, grew up near it, fed it, maybe had a puff the magic dragon relationship with it.
Ben He wants to know if you can tap into your unending source of pain and find Kingsie’s parents. Maybe tell us how they were, harpooned by Japanese tourists in front of Kingsie as a baby and made into sashimi.
Olivia Mr. Begley I’m not sure if that’s really in my wheelhouse, but perhaps if you introduce me to this Kingsie you’re referencing?
Ron Well hell yeah! How can I get a hold of you to make an appointment?
Sammy All of Miss DuPont’s information is on our website Ron, or you can check it out on twitter at—
Ron Yeah yeah, @, ampersand, hashtag, underscore, exclamation mark dot dot dot King Falls dot net. Shut your sweet little trap Sammy! I got it! I’ll be in touch soon Golden Owl. [mildly exasperated] But seriously, work on that name
[click, dial tone]
Ben Other than, re-breaking everyone’s hearts, Olivia— what do you get out of this?
Olivia I’m sorry for the troublesome story, Ben. Not all of them -hardly any of them- end so badly.
Ben So I’m just the lucky one.
Sammy Ben—
Ben I’m so glad to hear that not everyone’s pet got thrown out of a moving car and into Peace river and down the falls by Sheriff damn Gunderson. That’s the silver lining, right?
Olivia If it’s true.
Ben [skeptical] You get a lot of lying cats and dogs in your line of work, Olivia?
Olivia [awkwardly] Not— to my knowledge.
Ben He did it.
Sammy Okay, let’s not go making accusations it could have been any number of deputies, maybe even from a different county, I mean who can say?
Ben [insistent] It was Gunderson, I just know it. He literally damn near spelled it out! Ask him to spell out the rest, Olivia.
Olivia He saysss, *sigh* Golden Owl, your business license is up for renewal, so don’t rock the boat?
Ben BULL!
Sammy *clears throat* Olivia, we’re gonna take another phone call here in a minute. Perhaps, uh, before that you could give us a light-hearted example of a run in with someone’s, uh, expired creature.
Olivia Well, there was this one encounter with Bruce the Stingray.
Sammy [incredulously] A stingray. Now, what’s a dead stingray got to talk about?
Olivia Well, Steve Irwin[2] for one.
[KFAM outro]
[Credits]
REFERENCES:
[1] Teddy Ruxpin - Teddy Ruxpin is an animatronic children's toy in the form of a talking 'Illiop', a creature which looks like a bear. The creature's mouth and eyes move while "reading" stories played on an audio tape cassette deck built into its back.
[2] Steve Irwin - “The Crocodile Hunter” was an Australian zookeeper, television personality, wildlife expert, environmentalist and conservationist. Possibly best known for the show “The Crocodile Hunter” (1996–2007), an internationally broadcast wildlife documentary series, which he co-hosted with his wife Terri. They also co-owned and operated Australia Zoo, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of the Queensland state capital city of Brisbane. Steve died on September 4, 2006, after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
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bonesandblood-sunandmoon ¡ 4 years ago
Text
Someone who I overlapped undergrad years with wrote an article about why they’re done with acting, and I just wasn’t prepared for all this stuff to get dredged back up from undergrad. I tried to leave a supportive comment that didn’t come across like I was making it all about me, but I’d like to get some of this out here. (Feel free to hit J and skip.)
I was a non-acting major, so I had far fewer acting classes (and unlike them, did not get put into an acting studio). This means I truly didn’t share their experiences around lack of casting for each semester’s productions, but I can remember:
The suggested sources for looking for a monologue didn’t have any trans experiences, let alone one I could theoretically be cast as.
I sort of had a few queer and GNC options, but I couldn’t even find binary trans characters at that time.
Ultimately, it didn’t really matter if I chose a differently gendered part for the Shakespearean monologue because I wasn’t an acting major (and I didn’t need to be concerned that there weren’t really roles “for me”).
Outside of acting:
I used our school’s system for indicating a preferred name so it would show up on the roster. Please stop deadnaming me in your class, Instructor.
Yes, I put a sign with my preferred pronouns on a sign above my desk.
Yes, I put up a sign above my desk indicating today is the TDoV but you shouldn’t expect anyone to come out or look a certain way.
Yes, I put a sign above my desk saying that you should still use someone’s pronouns even when you’re upset with them because I’m passive-aggressively sending a reminder to that Person in the shop.
The utter dysphoria shitshow of working in a shop that views physical strength and height as an advantage, so certain people get routinely delegated to the ‘not quite as important’ tasks. (Every task is important! Yeah, but you just asked me to babysit the 1392ers who are doing an “easy, time filler” task of sorting gel and gobos. Again.)
I have such a clear memory of that Person asking a cis guy to be on standby for when I wasn’t going to be able to fly that lineset out while out of weight because that Person was standing underneath the flyrail (literally right below me) and misgendered me.
The incredibly alienating experience of a higher up waiting for me to leave the room to ask my roommate if I was having any issues with rooming arrangements during the summer season. (Her: Why would I know? Go ask them.)
Fun fact: The bathrooms in hotels are gender neutral by default. Having a double (separate bedrooms and bathrooms, shared living room and kitchen) with a cis woman is less Othering than asking me if I want a single away from everyone else. It would’ve been more helpful to check about the public bathroom situation, tbh.
Someone decided it was going to be, like, a fun debate to talk about how grammatically incorrect singular they/their pronouns are? While we were chilling around a fire after work and supposedly bonding.
Reluctant shoutout to that industry professional invited to participate in the summer season, who misgendered me like 5 minutes after being introduced. (The ALD/ME who knew me from undergrad and quietly informed him of my pronouns during our first break was a godsend.) He didn’t make any other mistakes, but it was hella awkward having to figure out how to come out on the spot with someone much higher up on the food chain (Lighting Designer).
Very reluctant acknowledgement to the SM also invited to participate, who was being informed of my pronouns by the ALD/ME and said, “Oh, Lord, one of those” while I was returning to the booth and putting my headset back on. This is supposed to be in industry professional I’m to build contacts with???
I left a suggestion in the exit survey for that summer season to add pronouns to the info provided about the company(*), especially for the people only coming in for one of the three shows and didn’t really have a chance to do “let’s meet in person and force me to come out to everyone on my own” take three. Last I heard, it hadn’t been implemented.
(*) I can provide the name I want referred to as. I have to provide a cell phone number and email address. It would be incredibly helpful to be able to provide my pronouns in the company directory for others to be able access before we meet.
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themattress ¡ 6 years ago
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Ah, see, a chapter from this crappy book was put online.
Many comments down below argue against it, point out what’s wrong with it, and deconstruct its main thesis....but I feel I can do it better, so that’s what I’m going to use this post to do.
When I played Kingdom Hearts II for the first time, one moment stuck with me above all else.
Wow, OK, so this one moment (the Sora/Riku yaoi bait moment) stood out above all other of the many magnificent, memorable moments in the game to you, did it now? Goes to show where your priorities are, and they are NOT where most KH players’ are. But yeah, you’re such a KH “expert” whom we should totally take seriously. After all, you wrote a book! 
Before the final string of boss battles, after reuniting with Kairi—a brief hug and the murmured words “this is real”—Sora prepares to continue his trek through The World That Never Was to find Xemnas. Ansem, tall and ominous in his black coat, watches this exchange from a dozen feet away. Silently, he turns and begins to walk away, only for Kairi to run after him and demand, “Riku, don’t go.”
LIE! This is NOT how the moment went at all. The hug was not “brief” - Kairi throws herself at Sora out of pure emotion, hugs him, says “this is real”, and then Sora, recovering from the surprise, closes his eyes dramatically and emotionally as she hugs Kairi back, tightly. This shared hug lasts long enough for Donald and Goofy, our resident in-game Sora/Kairi shippers, to nonverbally react to it with happiness. This moment is given respect and weight, and it only falls flat for you because you don’t care about Kairi or Sora/Kairi.  Sora also does NOT “prepare to continue his trek”, he and Kairi both only get snapped out of the hug when “Ansem” tries to leave. Also, let’s see how long it takes for you to gloss over Kairi’s role in making the reunion happen, even when you admit Riku would have left if not for her. 
(Btw, the hug and Sora crying on his knees both lasted the same amount: 20 seconds.)
Sora spends every free moment he has in Kingdom Hearts looking for Riku, inquiring with everyone he meets about his whereabouts and lamenting his absence.
LIE! This is NOT what Sora does with “every free moment” he has. There are other friends he genuinely wants to catch up with, other people he doesn’t particularly need to help but does, mini-games he wants to play...oh, and after Kairi is kidnapped, he also asks about her in addition to Riku, even to the point of getting on his knees and begging Saix to take him to her. Nobody’s arguing that Riku isn’t very important to Sora, but you are very deliberately and dishonestly slanting things to make it look like he’s all he cares about to boost your argument.
But the moment Kairi speaks Riku’s name, Sora’s face twists, displaying a confusion and pain we haven’t seen before. 
LIE! Sora’s face is first one of “WTF!?” surprise, and then of just-plain incredulous confusion - he doesn’t immediately believe that “Ansem” is Riku and is likely wondering if Kairi’s lost her mind. And really? We haven’t seen these expressions from Sora before? You need to replay this game which you believe yourself to be such an expert at that you write a book about it.
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A slow, almost mournful song plays in the background as Sora closes his eyes, and looks past Ansem’s guise to Riku, the friend he has so desperately searching for. 
Aaand you neglect to mention that it’s because of Kairi’s powers that he is able to look past Ansem’s guise to Riku, and that as the song plays in the background, we see all three friends joining hands. Heaven forbid you imply that Kairi means anything to Sora and Riku.
Taking Riku’s hand in both of his, Sora falls to his knees. “It’s Riku. Riku’s here!” he cries, weeping and visibly shaking. “I looked for you! I looked everywhere for you!” The scene reminds me of a moment earlier in Kingdom Hearts II, where Saix kidnaps Kairi. Saix calls Kairi “the fire that feeds Sora’s anger,” assuming that harming the girl will rankle Sora, leaving him emotionally vulnerable. This statement is wildly incorrect: Sora’s fervor for Riku far outweighs his fervor for Kairi—or for anyone else in the game. Riku is Sora’s fire.
LIE! The scene it SHOULD have reminded you of is when Saix tells Sora that he has Kairi, at Hollow Bastion. Sora pleads with him to take him to her. Saix asks if she’s that important to him, and he replies “Yeah! More than anything!”  Saix says “Show me how important” and Sora...falls to his knees, pathetically prostrating himself before Saix, whimpering “Please.” 
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When Saix then replies “No”, Sora jumps up, visibly shaking and with a sob in his voice as he yells “YOU ROTTEN...!” Very clearly, Kairi IS Sora’s fire just as much as Riku is, and harming her WILL rankle him and leave him emotionally vulnerable, which it did seeing as he had to fight his way through Heartless, despite knowing the consequences of doing so at this point, in order to reach her, and when he saw Kairi again he got distracted and was ambushed by Heartless that Kairi has to rescue him from. Leaving this info out is dishonest as fuck.
Sora and Riku’s reunion is the big emotional payoff of Kingdom Hearts II, while meeting up with Kairi doesn’t even get a fraction of this attention.
Because Sora and Kairi’s reunion in the original Kingdom Hearts was already ITS big emotional payoff. It receiving as much attention this time around would make no narrative sense given that Kairi was only until recently safe and sound, whereas Riku has been missing and presumed dead for a long time, and Sora never got to fully reconcile with him before this happened. You need to consider the context when making your conclusions.
That’s because there is no traditional romance in Kingdom Hearts.
LIE! See here. Note that it includes Sora/Kairi and Roxas/Namine.
Rather, we get a picture of intimacy between two young men, two best friends. It’s exceedingly rare that any kind of media portrays non-romantic love between two boys so deeply
Except for literally almost every shonen manga/anime/game in existence ever, you clod.
As Kingdom Hearts’s main storywriter, Tetsuya Nomura seems keen on positive portrayals of male intimacy. He worked on the main premise of Final Fantasy VII, which featured a handful of close and complicated relationships between male characters. Cloud’s relationships with Zack and Sephiroth—two former brothers in arms—color our experience in his shoes. In Final Fantasy VIII, the rivalry between Seifer and Squall is borderline flirtatious, with Seifer’s antagonism towards Squall nearing obsessive. These male relationships would continue to play a role in future Final Fantasy games even without Nomura’s involvement—the camaraderie between Braska, Auron, and Jecht in Final Fantasy X, for instance, or the budding mutual reliance and respect between Snow and Hope in Final Fantasy XIII.
Nomura DID have involvement in Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XIII, you CLOD!
The relationship between Sora and Riku is not the only intimate male friendship featured prominently in Kingdom Hearts II. There is also the bond between Axel and Roxas.
Oh, boy. Now you open up THIS can of worms. Why am I not surprised?
Throughout Kingdom Hearts II, we see the same flashback a handful of times: Roxas walking away from Axel and saying, “No one would miss me.” “That’s not true!” Axel shouts behind him, then drops his voice and murmurs, “I would.”
Um, we literally only see that flashback twice, and the part you referenced just once.
After encountering a brainwashed Roxas in Twilight Town, he is saddened to hear that his friend does not remember him. He becomes increasingly upset when Roxas continues not to cooperate with him, and in Roxas’s second fight with him it feels as though his anger is turned more on himself than on his former comrade. 
You just point out that Axel becomes increasingly upset when Roxas does not do what he, Axel, wants / needs of him, without considering at all whether it’s what Roxas himself wants / needs. That’s not a good thing. And no, Axel’s anger is absolutely on Roxas in the second fight. There is a glimpse of self-loathing as well, but he is able to overcome it and perform his duty as an assassin, willing to kill his friend so that he can avoid punishment from Xemnas. 
When we watch Roxas’s flashbacks of Axel pleading with him not to leave the Organization, we hear the sorrow in the latter’s voice as he says he’ll miss Roxas. Counter to everything the Organization has been led to believe, Roxas inspires true emotion in Axel: friendship, sorrow, understanding, compassion, love. If Nobodies can regrow their hearts, what emotion more powerful than love can jumpstart their reconstruction? Roxas is the driving force behind Axel and influences his every decision, even when Roxas no longer exists as a separate, complete human being.
First off, who said Nobodies can regrow their hearts? That’s not part of KH2.
Secondly, while it’s true that Roxas inspired those feelings in Axel, the fact that Axel lacks a heart means that he still is completely self-centered about them. Roxas himself is not Axel’s driving force, AXEL is Axel’s driving force. That’s the fundamental point of his character: that he pursues his own agenda above all else, and Roxas now being the main component of that agenda doesn’t change this. Your romanticized, whitewashed view of Axel is not canon.
While he calmly accepts responsibility for NaminĂŠ from DiZ
He accepted responsibility from RIKU, not DiZ, who wanted them dead. Clod, clod, CLOD!
Axel’s behavior shows that he sees his self-worth only within the context of his friendship with Roxas. Without Roxas, Axel does not value himself or his own existence, as evidenced by his readiness to sacrifice himself to save Sora.
This is partly true, but you’re a little off the mark. Axel doesn’t value himself only because of Roxas personally, but because of how Roxas makes him feel. Roxas inspiring feelings within him makes him feel like a complete being, like he has a heart. And like he says, Sora makes him feel the same way, so if he wanted to, he could have just stayed alive and stayed with Sora in order to get his feelings fix. The reason he sacrificed himself was because he had realized at last that his selfishness was wrong, that friendship is a two-way street, and after having screwed up with Roxas to the point of trying to kill him, he now wanted to redeem himself by giving to Roxas (and thus Sora): giving his life. This was a redemption, yet you’re skewing it to be “There’s no reason to live if I can’t have my boyfriend Roxas back!”
We never see this level of emotion in Sora’s reunion with Kairi.
You do remember that Sora pretty much killed himself to save Kairi in the first KH, right?
Roxas, who you were just talking about, wouldn’t have been a thing without that happening?
Are you that misogynistically averse to Kairi that you zone out whenever she’s a factor?
Sora crying for Riku, Axel crying for Roxas. The boys are the only ones who cry because their vulnerability is tied up with their dependence on each other. These are the believable relationships. These are the characters whose relationships players are never supposed to doubt. The emotion is raw and crystal clear in both of these scenes. We never see this level of emotion in Sora’s reunion with Kairi. It just isn’t there.
So boys crying ultimately places these relationships above all others, and every other relationship in the game (Sora/Kairi, Roxas/Namine, Roxas/Hayner,/Pence/Olette, Sora/Donald/Goofy, Mickey/Donald/Goofy, Mickey/Riku) can all be swept aside as irrelevant, doubtful and not believable because no visible tears are shed? That’s your argument?
Part of what makes Roxas and Axel’s relationship so beautiful is this outright rejection of their Nobody nature—they feel for each other and they let each other know it.
Here’s the problem - aside from that Axel crying scene which was not in the original version of the game, we actually NEVER see Roxas truly let Axel know that he feels for him. We literally NEVER see their friendship. It is a totally informed statement. We only see Roxas leaving and coldly saying “no-one will miss me” to Axel, and Roxas fully remembering Axel and being touched but still surprisingly blasé over what looks like (and originally WAS) Axel’s death in front of him. Yet this one-sided relationship is one of “the believable ones” to you?
And OK, let’s move away from KH2 and bring 358/2 Days into the equation. Even in that game, Roxas’ feelings of friendship toward Axel, while undeniably sincere, are nowhere close to the intensity of Axel’s feelings of friendship toward Roxas. Roxas actually has stronger feelings for Xion, and is willing to sever all ties with Axel, TWICE, because of something bad he does to him and Xion. This is not the paragon of m/m love you fangirls make it out to be!
Also, Roxas is 15. Axel is in his 20s. Just pointing that out.
Which is why the game’s ham-fisted implications of a romantic love triangle between Riku, Sora, and Kairi are so unconvincing. 
WHAT romantic love triangle!? There isn’t one at all in KH2, and in fact there never was one in the original game! It was always Sora and Kairi who liked each other that way. The official Character Report book confirmed that Riku did not like Kairi that way, knew Sora did and teased him about it, often acting as a potential romantic rival just to push Sora further and make Sora stronger - he’s the big-brother figure, it’s what he does. He only became posessive of Kairi and fought with Sora over her after he thought Sora abandoned him for Donald and Goofy (and the Keyblade). It was basically his way of saying “you throw away our friendship, then I take away your friendship / romance with Kairi, and she’ll stay MY friend!”
The implications are unconvincing because they’re a product of your deranged mind!
While the narrative wants you to believe these two are destined to become lovers, any implied Sora/Kairi mutual affection comes off simply as friends bound together by happy childhood memories. 
Right, because the Paupu Fruit (called “so romantic” by Selphie) is totally just a friendship thing, Sora killing himself in order to save Kairi and Kairi being able to bring him back because they are that close (in the present, not just in “happy childhood memories”) is totally just a friendship thing, the whole plot of CoM hinging on Kairi as Sora’s most important person (which he later re-iterates to Saix) is totally just a friendship thing, Sora imagining himself and Kairi in place of Jack and Sally slow-dancing is totally just a friendship thing, Sora and Kairi’s connection being able to bring Sora and Riku back home is totally just a friendship thing, Xion having Kairi’s face because Kairi is Sora’s most precious memory is totally just a friendship thing, this is totally just a friendship thing...I could go on. You. Are. DELUSIONAL.
Riku and Sora spend all of the first Kingdom Hearts looking for this girl, but at the start of Kingdom Hearts II it’s clear they are more invested in one another.
Which is probably because their goal in the first game was completed and Kairi is safe and sound on Destiny Islands at the start of KH2, while Sora and Riku are still in precarious situations. Once Kairi is put BACK in danger, Sora and Riku both become invested in her as well. Your constant lies by omission are bordering on sociopathic now!
Kingdom Hearts II begins with Kairi on Destiny Islands without Sora and Riku. Despite Sora’s promise during the ending events of the first Kingdom Hearts that he would find her again, he has still not returned home or even bothered to contact Kairi. 
LIE! His promise was NOT “to find her again”, he knows where she is, his promise was to come back to her with Riku, something she agreed to since, contrary to hateful fangirls’ portrayals of her, she cares about Riku too. At the end of KH2, he is finally able to keep that promise, plus the other promise of returning her lucky charm to her once his task was complete. Why the fuck would he return home without Riku, thus breaking his promise?
Instead, his search for Riku led him to Castle Oblivion and the events of Chain of Memories
Which, as mentioned above, his feelings for Kairi were instrumental to.
Meanwhile, that someone else is hopping from world to world looking for Riku, taking no time to stop by Destiny Islands to let Kairi know he’s okay. Everywhere he stops on his journey, he asks the same question: Has anyone seen Riku? Why not ask for directions back home to Kairi? Despite the game’s flashbacks and shoddily shoehorned-in visions of Kairi, she’s just not Sora’s priority.
Because, again, he KNOWS Kairi is safe on the islands so she’s not a priority, and his promise was to bring Riku back home so that the three of them could live happily together again. Why the fuck would he ask for directions back home when he’s made it repeatedly clear that his objective is only to return once he has Riku back, since that’s what Kairi wants as well? Also, once Kairi is kidnapped, she DOES become his priority and he asks about her / a way into the Nobodies’ world to rescue her just as much as he asks about where Riku is.
Sora’s constant search for Riku makes it clear that this is the relationship we need to be paying attention to. 
No, it’s ONE of them. Kingdom Hearts is made of MANY important relationships. His constant search for Kairi in addition to Riku once she’s kidnapped shows that his relationship with her is another one, and Donald and Goofy’s continuing quest for King Mickey shows that their relationship with him is another one. And let’s not forget the core one of Sora! Donald! Goofy!
You pushing Sora/Riku as the end-all, be-all is your agenda, not the game’s.
If there is supposed to be romantic love between Sora and Kairi, it’s not present in the writing. 
LIE! I’ve already pointed out why.
Their reunion is brief, and their conversation is clipped and bland. Kairi tells Sora she came looking for him because he never came home, and Sora’s reaction lets us know that he knows he screwed up. Sora apologizes to Kairi, and even as she hugs him, his response to her presence is anemic compared to the complete emotional breakdown he has when Riku is revealed.
This is your take on it, not a fact like you are presenting it as. Other views may differ.
Even after Riku’s abominable behavior, and even as he spends a majority of Kingdom Hearts II desperately avoiding Sora, his friend is still overcome to the point of tears when they meet. Sora does not rebuke Riku, he simply asks him why he has been avoiding him.
Um, yeah. That’s Sora. That’s his character, very easily forgiving. So what?
Sora is a benevolent guy throughout these games, but it’s not like him to give a free pass to his opponents.
LIE! See Maleficent and Pete, Axel, Beast when he’s under Xaldin’s control, Riku in the first game, Riku Replica in CoM, “Ansem” at the end of KH2...heck, he’s even OK going up and talking to Hades to sign up for the Paradox Cup even after all the shit Hades has pulled. He also is known to give opponents chances to back off and survive, like Vexen and Demyx.
Despite the atrocities committed at Riku’s hand in the first Kingdom Hearts, Sora still sets out in Kingdom Hearts II passionately searching for the lost Riku. He is the only one who gets Sora’s all-encompassing forgiveness.
Yeah, because they’re best friends, close as brothers. And they already had the start of a reconciliation at the end of the original game, when they closed the Door to Darkness. Exactly what’s your argument here? That if Kairi was to inexplicably go evil, Sora wouldn’t give her a pass or forgive her? Because if you believe that, then you’re a (bigger) dumbass!
The final boss sequence of Kingdom Hearts II could have easily pitted Sora solo against Xemnas.
Um, why? The previous final bosses didn’t have him go solo. Why would this?
One of Xemnas’s most common attacks involves grabbing Sora with an electrical field and holding him in place while he slowly drains the boy’s health. During these segments, players are given full control over Riku as he makes his way across the battlefield to rescue his friend. “Rescue” is even the word used for the command you must input to free Sora. It’s one thing to have these boys tell each other how they feel; it’s quite another to see them act it out in a climactic battle sequence.
Rescuing your friend is now apparently a big, earth-shattering deal. Um, OK.
You realize any character can rescue one another in battle, right?
The team-up offers an insight into the dynamics of their friendship. Giving Riku more of the heavy lifting in their combo attacks—breaking the buildings and hurling them at Xemnas as well as having to rescue Sora from the electrical attack—sets him up as the more protective of the two. Sora is active while Riku is reactive, and in the same way he spends all of the game trying to avoid Sora, he spends the final battle allowing Sora to set up powerful attacks for Riku to execute. And by having Sora be incapacitated and requiring rescue says something about how the developers want players to view their relationship. In the end, Sora will always need Riku. Riku’s presence makes Sora more confident, makes him stronger and more sure of himself. We see more of this feeling in Dream Drop Distance, where Sora fails his mission and needs Riku to bail him out, but the first seeds sprout in Kingdom Hearts II.
FUCK OFF. You’re falling into the common “seme/uke” yaoi stereotype for Riku and Sora here. For as much as you disparge Kairi for needing saving by Sora (while ignoring the times she saves him), you seem to actually get off on the idea that Sora always needs saving by Riku. I highly doubt the developers wanted you to think about the relationship like this, Nomura even said the main reason it happened was just because a lot of fans back then wanted to play as Riku, the same reason Reverse/Rebirth mode happened in CoM. Ironically, by the time of 3D, Riku’s popularity in Japan had died out, and the game didn’t sell so well.
Setting the boys up as partners in the final boss fight—literally your final act as a player—telegraphs to us that the game is about Sora and Riku’s friendship.
No. It’s one of the big themes of the game and what takes precedence in the last act, but to say that the ENTIRE GAME is about it and ignore all the other rich content that is packed into the game does it a disservice. I again ask why you even wrote a book about this game. Was it just to push your personal fangirl fantasies? We already have Tomoco Kanemaki for that!
You can’t tell either boy’s story without the other.
Tell that to CoM and 358/2 Days...or this game, where we hardly see a “story” for Riku.
Their friendship, Sora’s desire to find Riku, and Riku’s desire to protect Sora by only helping him from the shadows, is what drives the story forward and what lays down the game’s emotional foundation.
Really? Because it had nothing to do with Roxas’ story, or Axel’s story. Or the story of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. Or Organization XIII’s plans. Or Mickey’s own quest and connection with Ansem the Wise. Or many events in the Disney worlds. Or...yeah, you get the message. Once again, you simplify a wonderfully complex, multi-layered game and boil it down to a yaoi story. I doubt you’d BE a KH fan if not for the yaoi-bait given this pattern of behavior. I hate to play the “True Fan” card, but...you’re not a True Fan. You don’t get it.
Following the final battle, as they sit on the edge of oblivion, Sora and Riku confess their feelings to each other.
And you deliberately phrase it romantically. More lying.
This climactic scene isn’t Sora and Kairi confessing their love
You realize that 1.) There’s still a series to go for that to happen, 2.) Nomura doesn’t want romance and shipping to be the main focus, and 3.) We actually get a credits scene where Sora sees that Kairi has returned his feelings with the chalk drawing on the cave wall.
We see her again in the very last scene welcoming Sora back to Destiny Islands, but the sweetness of her homecoming words is outshined by this exchange between the boys on a dark beach.
Which is a fact, not at all an opinion. And this is not sarcasm, not at all!
They’ve won the fight, and they don’t know if they’ll be able to return home. 
And who ends up being the catalyst for them coming home and not dying? KAIRI.
While Riku and Sora are not in love, the boys’ friendship is one of the deepest and most moving relationships of any kind that I’ve seen in a video game. And part of why it works is because it’s not a romance. Without sexual tension or expressed desire of any kind, these relationships appear as the deepest forms of male intimacy: mutual dependence, connectedness, and respect.
LMAO! After all this, you’re now trying to claim you’re not a yaoi fangirl and that you understand and accept that Sora and Riku are not in love and their feelings not sexual!? 
You aren’t fooling anyone, Alexa. You’re the typical obnoxious, toxic KH yaoi fangirl. Own it.
Kingdom Hearts II is the tale of these broken bonds becoming whole and being used as power against the creeping darkness. As Sora says in the first Kingdom Hearts, “My friends are my power.” Kingdom Hearts II proves that for Sora and Riku, this will always be the case.
And for Sora and Kairi, and Riku and Kairi, and Sora, Donald and Goofy, and Mickey, Donald and Goofy, and Mickey and Riku, and Riku and DiZ, and Roxas and Hayner, Pence, and Olette, and Roxas and Axel, and...OK, I’ve already made this point before, I’m done now.
Bottom line: this so-called fan lies with reckless abandon, omits key facts, presents her opinions as truth, and completely maligns the entire rest of the game just to prop up the one aspect she feels dominates all others and that other players should feel the same way about it as she does. To all True KH Fans, avoid her, her book, and future writings like the Plague!
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