#so I'm going to get caught up on some work

[kwaggysshardmindemporium]

There were a few things this time five years ago when I was still working at Walgreens that you couldn't just grab and carry around. IIRC the security shelving was on the expensive ass shaving razor cartridges and baby formula. (We were a really low theft store; literally every other store I went to help out at had cough syrup also behind a lock and key at minimum.) We were just starting to install those security shelves on other shit as I was getting a new job.

And like, the theft we had was never on the stuff they were putting locks on. It was basically always just food. Some kid comes in a steals a candy bar tier stuff, not even like people are shoplifting because they're starving. The other thing that was super high theft? The knee/arm/leg etc. brace products. Oh and makeup which like obviously it's massively overpriced and tiny. Our item counts on the stuff that's all locked up now were basically always accurate or off by maybe like one.

(This turned into a bit of a ramble story so I'm adding a cut.)

That's not to say we didn't have any theft problems though. Notably we had this group of three dudes who seemed to think they were criminal masterminds. They'd come in, start shopping around. One of them would go over to the fridge, then find me or whatever other manager was on duty and ask them to check in the walk in freezer if we had more of something out of stock. The other two would grab up whatever they thought they could pocket that would resell to whoever the fuck was buying their shit. It was not subtle, but they were aware that the rules about customer service would prevent us from doing shit to *prevent* this and also about half of management self included did not really give a fuck. (Personally, I appreciated that there was at least an *attempt* at craft and that they were always pretty polite and if something tripped them up they wouldn't get aggressive or anything. As far as thieves go, pretty alright bunch for the most part.)

Then one night they tried to like, run a Payday mission on our ATM? I was off duty that night so I only heard about this later, but apparently they decided to try for a big score. They did the same play, but instead of pocketing stuff they tried to drill into thr ATM to get the cash box out. This uuuuuuh... did not work. They had no idea what they were doing, and the ATM was literally adjacent to the front register, so upon the cashier returning from whatever thing they were asking them to look for they were immediately caught. And then upper management formally filed for a restraining order so these dudes weren't allowed in ever again.

And to be clear, while I say store management didn't care about this, the actual boss of our store HATED these dudes. Wanted them gone. Had been asking corporate what she could do about this for literal years. I started working at this place in 2016, under this very boss. She had already been trying to do something about this for some time from the moment we met. Overall, this store probably lost thousands in cost (not potential profit, cost) from these guys doing this. Corporate didn't even pretend to care. But the second they try to grab a couple thousand from the other corporation paying them to keep an ATM in the front? As nuclear an option as they have without sending these days to straight up jail.

>go to cvs for toothpaste and cold medicine

>hit button for employee to open the toothpaste case

>grabs it before i can

>"i have to hold this at the front for you until you check out"

>go to cold medicine aisle

>ring bell for employee to open the cough medicine case

>nobody shows up

>ring again

>nobody shows up

>check case

>case is unlocked

>take cold medicine and go to check out

>grab toothpaste from unmanned register

>have to use self checkout

>scan cold medicine

>"age verification needed please wait for employee"

>employee comes over and cards me and then leaves

>finish self checkout

>walk through literal piles of discarded receipts at exit door

another beautiful non hostile day in our great country

[itwasntimethatdidit40]

Eyes on the Mirror - part 1

Pairing: neighbor!Frankie Morales x f!reader Rating: +18, NSFW Words count: 2631 Summary: You're at a turning point in your relationship with Frankie, he tells you that his mother insists on meeting you. Tags/Warnings: POV second person, no use of y/n, reader wears dresses, heels and uses make-up, no other description of her is given, no mention of her skin tone and she doesn't blush, no description of her hair, Frankie can lift her but he’s a hunk of a men you know, mention of food, established relationship, enemies to lovers, smut, fluff, kissing, mention of unprotected p in v, nipples play (f receiving), oral (f receiving), fingering (f receiving), panties in mouth (don't know how it's called in English, I just know that I like it lol), Frankie is our canon PEK and also the perfect boyfriend okay, mention of being caught (well, to be more specific, to be heard lol), pet names. Let me know if I forgot something and I'll add it right away. A/N: This has been a long journey and I think it took me longer than expected. Second part is coming tomorrow. It's an emotional work, it's smut, but it's smut with feelings and I think I put a lot of myself into it. So I ask you to be especially delicate. This Frankie is the same guy from You look like a fun place to sit and Give me more Anyway, let me say a few thanks because I can't believe I had two people volunteer to be my beta, I'm very lucky. Kate @aurorawritestoescape and Ally @arcanefox207 The fact alone that you took some time to read and proofread my stuff is so important to me and you have given me so many helpful suggestions and advice, I am very grateful ❤️ Thank you Odi @joelmillerisapunk , to let me blather, to cheer me up, to always have the right words, I don't know how you do it, you're literally a gem ❤️ We’re going back to the emotional unavailable men agenda asap but for the moment I hope you’ll enjoy my lover boy neighbor!Frankie who is crazy about his girl 🥰  English is not my first language, any mistake is still on me, so if you come across one I’m very sorry. Frankie Masterlist ⎮ Masterlist ⎮ part 2

You and Frankie have been together for four months now, and you’re incredibly happy. Your neighbor, the man you spent a year hating, revealed himself as the best man you’ve ever been in a relationship with. 

You haven't said “I love you” to each other yet, you're taking it slow and you're perfectly fine with that, you know you have strong feelings for him but you don't know if he's ready to say it and the last thing you want is to ruin the best relationship you've had because of words said too soon. 

So you respect his timing without forcing his hand. And still you often think you don't even really need to say it, all you really want is to keep being with him, the man who can make you laugh in a second, with whom you like to do everything from the most mundane things like grocery shopping and running errands, to talking for hours and sharing everything with him, cooking, going to parties and concerts, even bickering. 

And sex. 

Oh, Frankie is a fucking magician. 

The most shockingly fiery and at the same time sweet lover you've ever had. 

You feel you can be yourself at all times with him, he knows your flaws and frailties and accepts them. And from where you were starting out it already feels like a considerable accomplishment. You never thought that the man who used to spend time judging you, once you penetrated his armor, was actually such a tolerant and nonjudgmental person.

You haven't moved in together, but you spend almost every night together, and yet, you are still trying to navigate your relationship without making the other one run off before taking the next step.

So when Frankie tells you that his mother would love to meet you, you get a little scared but you try to put on a good face.

"You really don't mind?" he prods you. 

You can never hide anything from him; Frankie has an ability to read your mind, the talent that you had never found in a man. 

His eyes scan you and he has a cunning little smile as he’s standing on the other side of the table, eating the eggs you prepared for him. 

“Yeah, don't worry, it's okay,” you nod, your movement a little forced, and Frankie notices it. 

“You're nervous, huh? Look it's normal,” he tries to reassure you, his hand slides across the table until it meets yours. 

He squeezes it gently and then intertwines his fingers with yours. 

“I'm sorry, she's been nagging me for at least a month now, I've managed to keep her at bay until now but she grilled me yesterday and told me that she was expecting us for dinner on Friday.”

“Yeah...I just feel a little pressure, you know, but it's okay,” you admit.

“Babe, she will like you very much, I'm sure.”

You look into his eyes, those big eyes the color of coffee and chocolate, and the comfortable glow they give off immediately takes away part of the weight you feel on your chest. 

“Are you sure?” you murmur.

“Of course!” he smiles at you, ”Well, you're a little sassy but...”

You slap his hand “Frankie! You're not helping me!” you complain. 

“Come on, I'm kidding. She’s going to adore you, I have no doubt about it,” he chuckles.

“Mmmm we’ll see” you still mumble with uncertainty.

"Come here," he says softly. 

You get up and walk over to him before he welcomes you on his lap and you wrap your arms around his neck. He rests his forehead on yours looking into your eyes and repeats softly, “she will adore you…not as much as I do but she sure will”

The thing is this with him, he's been circling around that word for weeks, so you're pretty sure he's going to confess sooner or later.

"What if she doesn't like me?" you ask him and bite your lip, looking at him expectantly.

“Uh, I don't want to stop fucking you, you know... so, you'll have to stay in a clandestine relationship while I'm dating a woman, personally chosen by my mom.” 

You kiss him, muttering “god, you're so...” 

He giggles and asks "what am I like?" tightening his grip on your waist a little tighter and pulling you closer to his chest, your tits pressed against him. 

“An incredibly lovely fucking bastard.”

________________________________________

You are in the kitchen preparing dinner, which in your case means putting take-out pizza on plates, as you hear Frankie come in. 

“Hey, are you here?” 

He gave you his keys a few weeks ago to make it easier for you to get around.

“In the kitchen!” you shout to him. 

You hear his footsteps approaching from the hallway until he comes in with a bag. 

“Hey, baby.” 

You walk up to him to give him a kiss, he immediately puts down the bag and hugs you tightly. “mmm I missed you. What's for dinner?” 

“Pizza,” you tell him smiling through your eyelashes and stealing another kiss, his beard tickling your cupid's bow pleasantly “And I was thinking about…uhm…your cock for dessert.”

He squeezes your butt, chuckling, “So eager, huh?”

“For you? Always,” you purr, looking into his eyes, veiled with desire.

His stomach grumbles slightly making you giggle, “Do you want to eat first?” 

“Uh, no,” he whispers, and as he does so he slips two fingers under the straps of your dress and pulls it off, letting it slide to the floor. 

You're in your panties in front of him, no bra, he looks at you spellbound with a smirk that unknowingly puckers his lips, "do you know how beautiful you are?" 

His eyes move from your face down to the crease of your neck, your cleavage, your breasts, your stomach, slowly, as if he is drinking from your body, the source that keeps him alive. 

He takes his time, still hasn't touched you but you'd swear you've never felt more caressed than now, nurtured, sensed, accepted in your body's every disheveled and flawed manifestation.

You could swear you could moan from that alone.

When his hands approach your hips you want them so badly that you instinctively lean into them to meet his palms, the warmth of his skin welcoming you.

You cling to his broad shoulders, bringing his body closer to yours.

He lifts you up as if you weighed nothing and lays you on the kitchen countertop, next to the sink. 

Your legs hang over the edge as he commands, “open wide, baby,” and settles in between, still fully clothed. 

“Frankie, please.” 

“You know what I like?” he asks with a smirk, ”the way you light up as soon as I touch you. God, it drives me crazy the way you instantly become a needy little animal, you know that?" 

You feel your eyes heavy and your voice shaky as you repeat his question, “You know what I like? The way you know exactly what I need.”

He smiles, leaning down to your neck to bite the soft skin over your pulse point and soothing it right after with his warm tongue. 

He lowers himself onto you, leaving a trail of kisses on your beating chest, pausing on your tits and spreading his lips over your nipples, first one and then the other, caressing them with his tongue, swirling it around. You moan with each touch, tilting your head back as he sucks them harder, his beard pinching you gently, his warm lips enveloping them.

You pull his cap off and sink a hand into his dark curls. 

He knows you so well, it is as if he has memorized your every little reaction and in his mind has written himself a manual on how to make you completely lose control. 

He continues to work on your nipples, grazing them with his teeth, licking them up and down with his tongue, sucking them between his lips, hard and covering them with his saliva. His tongue goes around your areola, returning to your little pebble every time you pull his hair a little harder and mewl.

He suddenly leaves your tits and returns to your neck, you groan in disappointment but his tongue immediately soothes you trailing up to your jaw and licking over your lips, inviting them to open for him and dragging you in a sloppy, feral kiss that leaves you breathless.

His hips are rocking into you, brushing over your damp underwear while you wrap your legs around his waist, pushing him against your core.

His eyes are dark with lust as he moves one of his hands over your soaked underwear, brushing your folds with his knuckles, “I’m going to make you scream my name so loudly, baby”

“That’s exactly what I want,” you prod him, biting down softly on his lower lip. “Do your magic, Morales.” 

You loosen the grip of your legs, gently pushing his shoulders to invite him to lower himself, and Frankie grumbles jokingly, "bossy". 

He kneels in front of you holding his hands down on your back, just above your butt and pushes you toward him, you falter for a moment balancing on the edge of the counter but his grip is strong and secure.

You run a hand through his curls, tugging slightly.

He licks a strip over your panties, taking the fabric between his teeth, without stopping to look at you. 

A fucking tease. 

He stills for a moment and then kisses your clit. 

Then he moves his flat tongue flat down, almost to your tight hole and then back up, again and again, lingering on your clit with quick flicks of his tongue.

The fabric of your panties is wet with his saliva as a new stream of pleasure floods you, soaking them even more.

“Oh fuck, yes,” you holler.

He looks at you mischievously. “Thinking about it… we should take some measures to make sure you stay quiet, honey, you know?” he nods to the half opened window right behind you. 

You glance back and then blurt out, “oh, whatever, let them hear us.”

Frankie chuckles at your impatience. “Do you really want to put on a show for the whole neighborhood?” 

“There are curtains, they can't see us,” you frown

“But do they need to hear us?” he says as he pulls off your panties, sliding them down your legs.

He sniffs them for a moment- “fucking sweet, darling” - while you wonder what he's going to do, then rolls them and stands back up, sneaking his hand behind your neck and looking at you authoritatively, his lips pursed in a smirk. 

He runs his thumb over your mouth, stops in the center and pushes gently, silently commanding you to open it. The moment your lips part he thrusts your panties into your mouth. “That's it, good girl” he coos.

It’s so wrong, keeping your panties in your mouth like that, your tongue numbed with the taste of it and your body tense under Frankie’s gaze. But also fucking right. 

He graciously holds his power over you, always considerate of your need while he plays with your mind in a delicious nasty way. 

He caresses your cheek, moving down to the column of your neck, wrapping his fingers around it, “Don't try to take them out or you won't get what you want,” he gently orders.  “Can you behave for me?” 

You nod.

He gives you a smirk and gets back on his knees and admires your glistening pussy for a moment. “Always so fucking wet for me,” he whispers before sinking into you again, licking and sucking on your clit and down on your folds, his nose hitting your most sensitive part. 

When you’re basically dripping on your inner thighs, he slides two fingers inside you, so easily moving over the spot he knows makes you see double.

His fingers are inside you up to his knuckles when he curls them, pushing and grasping.

You are thrown into a frenzy almost immediately as he gently hits you with his fingertips again and again, sucking avidly on your clit as you’re stifling your moans by clenching your teeth on your panties.

He laps at your folds so thoroughly, then goes back on your bundle of nerves, sloppy wet noises fill the air mixing with your gasps as he scissors and pushes into you.

He hums against you, whines evenly, you watch him through your eyelashes as he palms himself from above his jeans, seeking some relief.

He doesn’t stop until he feels your legs shake and your stifled mewls trying desperately to get out of your throat. 

Your orgasm crushes over you like a wave, leaving you quivering and breathless.

He gets back up and removes the panties from your mouth, kissing you with his mouth still smeared with your essence. 

 “You’ve been so good, baby.”

You pull him by his shirt protesting, "You haven't got anything yet, though.”

“That’s not a problem, hun, we can eat something and then you’ll eat me. Dessert, remember?” 

You giggle “deal.” 

You steal another kiss from him before slipping your dress back on and setting the table. 

As you eat you notice the bag he left in a corner by the kitchen door.

“What is that?” you ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I almost forgot, it's a gift for you." 

You squint your eyes “For me? You didn't have to!”

Frankie smiles “I saw it in a store and thought of you. Open it.” 

You get up and go for the bag, not before giving him a kiss.

When you open the bag you find a dress. 

Very simple, black, not too low-cut, with a tulip skirt. 

As you're looking at it, leaning it over your body to see the length, Frankie suggests that you could wear it to his mother's. 

____________________________________________

“Are you ready, honey?” 

Frankie's voice is muffled by the bathroom door as you're finishing putting on your lipstick.

“Almost, you just need to help me with the zipper.”

Frankie opens the door and peeps into the bathroom.

He stops behind you, admiring you in the mirror as you stand there with your lips parted, leaning slightly over the sink, your legs slender from your heels, you wear the dress he bought you, unzipped at the back.

“Jesus, you’re a vision,” he breathes. “Maybe we should skip dinner at my mom’s.” 

He approaches you and settles his big hands firmly on your hips. 

“Come on, Frankie, be serious,” you giggle.

“I'm serious,” he replies in a rough, deep voice.

He leans down to leave a trail of kisses down the exposed skin on your back, his soft lips send shivers down your spine and you are almost on the verge of giving in. 

You set your lipstick down on the sink countertop and turn to look at him pouting

"You can't do this to me now, you know we can't skip it.” 

“Well, it might help you relax though,” he continues to flirt, his lips curved into a little smile.

You’d fall for it any other day but not now that you’re trying to figure out how to impress someone you don’t even know. 

Frankie told you something about his mom, how protective she is and overall pretty conservative, you’re the exact opposite. 

You don’t know why he stays so positive about the dinner, you’re pretty sure she will hate you.

One look from you is enough to let him know how nervous you are.

Frankie leaves a light kiss on your shoulders and says. "Okay, I'll behave, turn around." 

He pulls up his zipper looking at you in the mirror, “Anyway, I wasn’t lying, you look really beautiful.” 

You smile softly, feeling your heart fluttering.

general tag list: @baronessvonglitter , @milla-frenchy , @thundermartini , @harriedandharassed , @almostempty let me know if you want to be added or removed and I’ll do it right away. Thank you so much for reading!

[moodymisty]

Author's note: Feeling Night Lordish today <3 I'm not happy with this one, but I wanted to just finish it and work on requests.

Relationships: Shang/Fem!reader

Warnings: Vaguely nsfw, Shang uses derogatory language but you're very much into it and he knows it, Armor kink, Kind of voyeur? It'll make sense

Shang has a secret, and Sevatar has spent weeks figuring out what it is.

The Equerry was quite good at covering his tracks however, and it had taken quite a long while for Sevatar to wait for a slip up. If it wasn't for how keen the Prince of Crows is, Shang could very well have kept it hidden forever.

He tails Shang briefly, and in his security the equerry doesn't seem to expect it. He walks all the way throughout the pitch black halls of theNightfall to the neglected Librarium, and heads inside. Sevatar lingers by the entrance to listen, cloaked in darkness still. He doesn't risk getting any closer yet.

Someone else is in there already however, he can hear the heartbeart. It's quieter, only one- it's a baseline.

The Librarium however means it's more than likely not a serf. The rustling of fabric that isn't coarse and ragged supports such a thing. Sevatar picks a moment to slip inside the Librarium fully, disappearing into the darkness beyond the dim few candles that are still burning ever after so much neglect. He sees you huddled at one of the tables closest to a batch of old candles, and his suspicions are all proven.

It's one of the remembrancers.

Sevatar is confused for a moment, though he supposes Shang might have some business with you all as equerry. It however still seems off for him to come all the way out of his way here just to speak to a single one. Why wouldn't he just summon you to him?

Though Sevatar doesn't need to keep himself wondering for much longer, as Shang approaches you from behind. You don't hear him coming- Shang's blended into the darkness enough that your less than keen baseline senses don't even realize a Night Lord is descending upon you until he speaks.

"Busy?"

You suddenly turn and a deep inhale is caught in your throat, the chair you were sitting on skidding across the floor as the back of your legs push it away. Your heart has suddenly revved up in terror, but when you turn and see Shang, the expression that blossoms on your face is...

Joy?

"Shang!"

The armored Night Lord approaches closer and quickly you're trapped against the table, enveloped in his shadow. In one fell swoop he grabs the back of your thighs and plops you on the table, bringing you up closer to his face. If he hadn't, he would tower over you in his armor so much so that looking down on you would require a near hilarious tilt of his head.

You gleefully let yourself get thrown about, putty in his hands. Sevatar can see his gauntlet dig halfway up your blouse, firmly gripping your ribs.

"I'm going to rip their eyes out if one of them leers at you again."

Sevatar watches. He wonders who them is. One of his brothers, is his first guess.

"Don't you leer at me, Shang?"

You say it with a smile, letting the Night Lord lower his head deep into your personal space. You wouldn't have a choice to refuse- Shang is your master and more powerful than your delicate body to an unfathomable degree- but Sevatar finds your enthusiastic consent interesting.

"Perhaps," He says, his lips coming to rest just brushing over your own.

"Though I remember you saying that it makes you wet."

The look you give the Night Lord is cruel within itself. Pure unending want. The smell that begins to radiate from you is more sickly sweet than the wine that Sevatar gag at in the Terran Palace, bottles popped by the Phoenician Fulgrim himself.

"It does."

The noise Shang lets out is nothing short of an inhuman growl, holding your body tighter. The fear you feel of him only seems to make your body run hotter, as Sevatar can see your breathing pick up pace as your chest rises and falls beneath the fabric of your clothes. If your heartbeat is ringing in his ears, in Shang's, it must sound like a clock tower ringing midnight.

"You little Terran whore, do you know how many of my brothers I have to beat and kill to keep them from tailing that sweet little cunt of yours around and trying to get a bite?"

His mouth latches to your neck just underneath your jaw, your head tilting to let him access the pulsing veins. His tongue glides across your skin as he bites and kisses your neck; Your hands grip at his armor trying to find stability, gasping as he bruises your skin with intensity. Eventually they slip into his hair, fingers knotting into the pitch black strands.

"When, when will you be out of your armor again?"

You're mewling, and even in the pitch dark no less than a hundred feet away Sevatar can smell that you're still getting even more riled up. He isn't even pushing on them, but your thighs unconsciously spread wide, ready for him. You're either well trained- a mind broken baseline or Nostroman whore, or...

You want him.

The feeling Sevatar has in his chest is, unfamiliar; Watching you pull the Night Lord closer instead helplessly sobbing and crying while attempting to push him away.

"Soon. You can wait, you're not starving. Keep that cunt of yours under control or else you're going to have a squad of men wanting to tear it apart."

You whine, and again ever louder when Shang grips your hips, pushing his thumbs into the soft fat of your hips just above your groin. It makes you writhe helplessly underneath him, as he hisses at you.

"Even if they won't get to, because it's mine."

His lips roughly meet yours, a ruthless aggressive kiss broken up by his growling voice. Muffled against your skin it's a bit harder to hear, but he still manages it.

"Once I am out I was intending on fucking you within an inch of your life whether you wanted it or not."

You mewl for him, and even Sevatar can admit that the sound is delicious; Like squeaky, active prey. You attempt to pull your body closer to him, hands still deep in his hair. Shang sighs.

"I must return to Kurze. He'll return from his gallery soon."

Your hands linger on him, and the look of blissful stupidity you had on your face fades to one much more lucid and becoming of your station.

"I'll miss you."

Sevatar feels that thing in his chest twist tighter. The shadows around him almost seem to shake at his loss of concentration.

"Why do I think you're just missing one part of me, you hungry little bitch."

You pout at him, displeased by his overt implication; Your lips shift with a search for words.

"I'll miss you, Shang. I-"

Shang leans closer to you and your voice fades to something Sevatar can barely hear, but you do say something. He leans away once you finish, and his expression is much more neutral. The way Sevatar is used to seeing his ugly, scarred face; Stoic.

"Stay out of their sight."

You nod. Shang leans forward and kisses you again, a hungry gesture that has you moaning into his mouth. But the act itself is still, soft. Sevatar has never seen anything that gentle from one of his brothers- they don't even handle their few possessions with such care.

It, feels wrong.

Shortly thereafter Shang removes himself from you and pulls from your personal space, as much as your weak little limbs try and hold him close.

Sevatar moves to slip out before Shang does, but he catches the forlorn look on your face as this brief moment is cut.

When Shang finally leaves the librarium, he comes face to face with Sevatar a short ways down the hall. Sevatar can tell by how Shang reads his expression, that his knowledge of what transpired is obvious.

"You should keep out of equerry business."

Sevatar laughs, a full belly laugh that reverberates in the hall and mocks Shang to an insulting degree.

"Baseline cunt is equerry business? I was unaware."

Sevatar makes a crude mention of you, and he can see Shang bristle instantly. It's even easier to piss him off now.

"I didn't think you were so low as to go around peering in on others."

Sevatar crosses his arms. The plates of his armor softly knock against eachother.

"If you mind your business, I didn't see a single thing."

The equerry sneers and raises his voice, but it only makes Sevatar laugh. He couldn't find this intimidating now when not minutes ago, he was damn near trying to croon at you.

"You intend to threaten me?"

Once again the first captain laughs, rolling his eyes. The display Shang is putting out now is embarrassing for a Night Lord of his reputation, compensating for being caught in a situation far less that becoming of him.

"No. I am telling you. Stay out of my business, and I will not inform Kurze."

Sevatar isn't stupid. He knows that Kurze would love nothing more than to find a weakness in any his sons he could exploit, especially for a son such as Shang, who Sevatar knows the Primarch already sees as weak.

You would be gone in moments- stolen away and Shang would be forced to know in detail every disgusting and inhuman thing Kurze did to you. If he wasn't forced to watch it.

Judging by how possessive Shang clearly is over you if the mere idea of another's eyes on you sets him off, Konrad could quite easily break the man in one fell swoop- if he wanted.

If he knew he could.

Shang's nose twitches in his sneer. Sevatar hit a nerve; A deep one, the inkling that his affinity to you goes deeper than carnal is more than obvious. And he knows Shang will be easily manipulable because of it.

He could get another fresh cunt, if he wanted. No one would stare if he found a random serf and dragged them back to his quarters. But he wants you specifically, and Sevatar finds that interesting.

Not enough to pursue, but, interesting none the less.

"Very well."

Shang curtly decides to take his leave, pushing past Sevatar to make his way towards the front of the ship. Presumably to return to Kurze's side.

But for a moment Sevatar lingers in the comfortable pitch black of the hall, and considers going to speak with you.

A word lingers on Sevatar's mind.

They can't. Sevatar knows they can't, and Shang is merely indulging in some more primal part of his brain he and some other astartes have managed to unlock. Nothing more.

Sevatar moves on, wiping it all from his mind and returning to his duty. He'll honor what he said, as long as Shang does as well.

[fourkisses]

i stare at the crash (it actually works) ✷

a cs55 written-smau where . . .

carlos signs with porsche after getting ditched by ferrari only to find himself in a heated rivalry with his new teammate. oh, and did i mention she's also his ex-girlfriend?

pairing: carlos sainz x fem!porsche driver!reader

warnings: it's very long. also, cuss words. a lot of cuss words.

a/n: buckle up your seatbelts because this will take a wild turn wink wink

ᯓ★ PART FOUR: THE GRANDEST MASTERPLAN YET

lando calls for backup . . .

the grid added to their stories!

Golf de Monte Carlo | 8:43 AM

“The fuck is he doing here?”

You have unintentionally thought that one out loud. Lando told you that it would be just the usual gang coming today (a.k.a. the Twitch Quartet plus Lils), so you don't really get why your teammate is here.

"Really, Y/N? No hi, hello, welcome, here's some water because I am absolutely sure you two are parched from the intense heat of the scorching sun?" Lando replies sarcastically as he and Carlos get down from the golf cart parked in front of you.

You roll your eyes at the Brit before throwing a water bottle at him and Carlos that, of course, they both catch. (Drivers and their stupid reaction times.)

"Yeah, Y/N. No kisses on the cheeks?" Carlos playfully adds before unscrewing the bottle cap.

"Oh, I'm sorry Carlos! I totally forgot!" You flash him your prettiest smile. "Do you want it to be from my left fist or my right?"

Charles tries to shut his mouth, but he can't help himself and lets out a giggle. After that incident on the jet, he (aside from Lewis and Nando) is the only person to know what really transpired between the two of you.

You, however, are not enjoying even just a second of this shit. You turn to glare at the Ferrari driver and magically, his laugh somehow turns into a fake cough.

George was the first one to ask a sensible question in minutes. "So, Lan, how do we get on with this exactly?"

Lando, the ever dramatic, claps his hands before replying. "Well, since we are kind of a large crowd, I reckon it would be best if we play in teams, yeah?” he nods, as if he's delivering a presidential speech. ”The teams are gonna be Lily and Alex, you and me, and Y/N and Carlos."

“What about Charles?” you ask. “Can't I be paired with him instead?”

Lando looks around and counts one by one. Two, three, five, six, seven. Damn. They're missing a person to make it even. He clearly hasn't thought his grandest masterplan through.

"Ah, Charles! Well, actually, Charles will play by himself today.”

The Monegasque's face contorted. He pointed at himself. “Me?”

“Yeah! You told me earlier!”

“Eh?”

Lando widened his eyes at the Ferrari driver. Just go with it!

Oh. Charles gets the hint and plays along. "Oh, yeah! You know, I'm in my strong, independent era, that's why!” He smiles right after, proud of himself for pulling it off.

“Well, if that's the case then I'm going home. I'm sorry but if Carlos is my teammate, then I'm not playing,” you announce. It's one thing to be with him on the track. But being with Carlos even in your leisure time? Too much, guys.

Your announcement elicits quite a diverse reaction from the group, including but not limited to:

Carlos rolling his eyes. "As if I want to be your teammate."

Charles sighing. I am a child of divorce.

Alex and Lily whispering quietly among themselves. Do you want to get out of here and just stay in bed with Izzy the whole day?

George trying to eavesdrop on the couple. What is an Izzy?

Lando, however, is calm. Zen-like. He is unmoved, not even one bit.

“Are you sure about that? You haven't even heard of the prize yet," the brit says in an enticing manner, wiggling his eyebrows in the process. Lando may have been caught off guard seconds ago, but he wouldn't allow anyone to fuck up his grandest masterplan yet, no. Not even you. This is the ace in his deck that he absolutely can't wait to deal.

As expected, everyone looks at him in confusion. Even the guys who are part of the quartet that knows about Lando having a grandest masterplan is just as clueless as you.

“What is it?” you ask with both arms crossed, heels tapping the grass in anticipation.

Lando smiles widely. Very, very widely.

“Pole position in Zandvoort, courtesy of Max Verstappen.”

Holy shit.

This time, Lando's announcement elicits quite a diverse reaction from the group, including but not limited to:

Alex cheering inwardly. Good thing I have an amazing girlfriend who just so happens to be a professional golfer.

George groaning loudly. “Hey Albono, can I team up with Lily instead?”

Carlos wanting nothing but to punch a wall at the moment. “I would rather take Lando as my partner.”

You wanting nothing but to punch Carlos at the moment. “I would rather take Lando as my partner.”

Charles, however, is worried about a different thing.

“Hey mate,” he whispers in Lando's ear, “did Max really say that?”

The brit smirks in response, confident of his plan. “He actually hasn't. . . yet.

“But don't you worry a thing, Charlie boy! I'm sure he will, although I specifically need you to ask him."

“Err, I guess I could do that, but I'm not sure how he will agree with such . . . request.”

Lando pats the Ferrari driver's shoulder. “Do you trust me?”

“Honestly? No. But go on.”

“In situations like this, we need to bribe Max with something in exchange for what we want. And, among all of us, you're the only one who has a material worthy enough to offer to the champ."

"I'm not sure I follow," Charles responds.

"The power lies within your phone, Cha! Quick, do you have it with you right now?"

Charles nods and pulls his phone from his pocket.

"Okay, good. Now, can you please open your Instagram? I want you to do something very, very important. . . "

a few moments later, on twitter . . .

an hour later . . .

“Just hit the damn ball!”

You can't help but roll your eyes at your teammate's comment. “Can you shut up for at least five seconds?”

“Santo Niño de Atocha, we've been here for five minutes!”

You fall deaf to the Spaniard's complaint. Sure, you have been "fixing" your position for a while now, swinging the club multiple times but not hitting the ball (yet), shifting your weight from one foot to another, shuffling forward, then backward, then forward again, but hey, you're just preparing for a successful shot!

The rest have already moved ahead, leaving you and Carlos the last pair to be at the tee box. He blames it on you for not striking. You blame it on him for not letting you concentrate.

"Do you want me to help you?"

"Do you want me to swing this at you instead?"

"I'm pretty sure we would have a higher chance of winning if I do so, Y/N."

"I know how to play golf, okay! My ex-boyfriend used to bring me to these places," you snap back as you reposition your golf club, slightly swinging it back and forth to get the position right.

"You mean me?"

Oh. Oh shit, yeah. He's the ex-boyfriend. But hell, he absolutely doesn't need to know that he's that ex-boyfriend.

You stop what you're doing to look at him sideways. "Sainz, I am going to hold your hand while I say this," it's just a little white lie, you swear, "but you're not my only ex-boyfriend." (He's absolutely you're only ex-boyfriend.)

He stares at you with a rather unamused expression, not buying the lie you're trying to sell him.

Still, you frown in his direction, fully committing to the bit. "I'm so sorry to break it to you, but sweet pea, you're not that special." You nod at him a couple of times. It's okay, bud. You're gonna get past this.

Yet Carlos didn't seem to be affected by the jab. He just shrugs his shoulders in response and waves you off, gesturing you to continue what you're supposed to be doing.

Brick. Ice queen or whatever. You shift your focus back to the little white ball perched in front, eyes in slits as you examine it. God. Such a small item to be stressed at. Okay. Just. . . calm down. You have zoomed through circuits at insane, almost ungodly speeds. This is nothing. Just breathe in and breathe out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

You tighten your grip to the metal rod you are holding as you lift it and coil your body. "Here goes nothing," you mutter under your breath, silently hoping that you're not going to embarrass yourself in front of the cockiest man to have ever walked this land. Then, with eyes closed, you swing your golf club forward, striking the ball.

Except . . . you didn't. You anxiously open your left eye only to see that the tiny white dot of menace is still there where you last saw it.

You hear a snicker behind you. You roll your eyes so far back you see for a split second all the emotions that control your one hell of a brain. "Shut up, Sainz. I don't want to hear a word about it."

"Ay, I wasn't going to say anything!" Carlos answers defensively, arms in the air, his shit-eating grin still plastered on his face. He walks towards his golf bag and pulls out a club. "Although I just have to mention, you definitely called the wrong ex-boyfriend to teach you golf, don't you think?"

Ugh. You slump down the grass beneath you. See? The cockiest man to have ever walked this land!

Golf de Monte Carlo | 2:34 PM

"Where did it go?!"

Your voice echoes through the vastness of the golf course.

Carlos absolutely has no idea.

He shouts back at you. "I absolutely have no idea!"

Why the fuck would you think he'll know where the ball you just hit would go? He shakes his head in disbelief.

He watches you as you walk further down the fairway to look for your golf ball, dragging your golf bag along with you. He already told you earlier to carry it on your back but you replied that 1) your shoulders are already sore from carrying the entire face and personality of the Porsche F1 team and that 2) he should mind his own business.

Unbelievable woman, Sainz thought.

You two are in the green now, where the hole is situated. Both of you are close to finishing the whole game, actually, with this hole being the 18th and last one. Carlos fixes his stance before swinging his golf club with just enough force to send his golf ball towards victory. Finally.

"Hey! Sainz!" he hears you shout. "I can't find it!"

He puts his club back inside his bag before walking towards your direction. "Maybe it got lost in the rough!"

"The what?!"

"See that?" he says as soon as he reaches you. He points at the area that has taller, unkempt grass compared to the one you are standing on. "Considering your golfing abilities, it's highly probable that it went there."

"How am I supposed to get it out then?"

Carlos is surprised that you didn't fire back after his subtle insult. "Eh, just pick it up with your hands."

You absolutely heard that dig but hey, the past four hours with him wasn't actually that bad. Sure, there was bickering here and there, but nothing too serious or personal. For the first time in years, you start to think you're finally coming around regarding the situation you and Carlos are in.

"But isn't that against the rules?"

"Ay, it doesn't matter! You already lost anyways," he reveals as he looks back at the tall flag that marks where the hole is, signaling that his golf ball was already in there.

"What do you m- hey! We're a team here!" you exclaim at him when you realize what he meant.

Carlos scoffs in amusement. So now you claim you two are teammates after your public disdain for him earlier?

"I thought you said you don't want to play when I'm your teammate?" he counters, the hint of bitterness in his voice unintended but clearly evident.

"Really? We just finished the whole thing and you're asking me that question just now?" Wow, so much for thinking maybe you two can finally be civil.

"I'm just saying! I'm simply restating what you said earlier," Carlos defends himself, trying to salvage the conversation and save his ass.

“There's literally no need to bring it up and attack me, though,” you say as you walk away from him and towards the area where your golf ball might have landed. "Stop acting as if you weren't sharing the same sentiments earlier."

Carlos follows you from behind. Point taken. “Okay, I'm sorry,” he pleads, stopping his tracks about a meter from where you are standing. He didn't get a response as you choose to ignore him and instead continue to scour the grass for a circle of white that might be peeking through.

Found it.

"Hey, Y/N. I said I'm sorry."

You hold the golf ball in your hand as you turn to face him, nodding in acknowledgement. "Just. . . next time, don't dig up shit that's already dead and buried. You always do that, you know. It's childish," you say before walking towards your golf bag.

Now Carlos is the one who feels offended. What do you mean I always do that? And childish, me, really? You can't even talk to me without saying a cuss word every five minutes!

Lost in the heat of the moment, Carlos blurts it out before even thinking of it: "Oh yeah? Well, if you really don't want me to dig up shit, then stop doing shit that needs to be buried in the first place."

His words stop you on your tracks. You look back, jaw dropping. “Excuse me? What the fuck is your problem?”

“No, Y/N! what the fuck is your problem?” Carlos fires back, his voice sharp, his frustration spilling over.

“Oh, don’t act like you don’t know what my problem is,” you snap, your tone cutting. “Because I assure you, you are very well-aware about it!”

Carlos lets out a scoff, crossing his arms defensively. “Really, Y/N? Is this still about Ferrari?”

You don’t respond. Your silence is answer enough.

“Dios mío,” he mutters, exasperated. “That was almost five years ago! Can’t you still not—”

“And so what if it’s about Ferrari?!” you shout, stepping closer as you point a finger at him. “You ruined us just so you could sign with that damn team!”

“God, they already dropped me, Y/N!” Carlos yells, throwing his hands up. “We’re teammates now, for fuck’s sake! Why are you still so affected by it?”

You let out a humorless chuckle, cheeks flushing red with anger.

“Why am I so affected by it? Nice question, Sainz! What if I also signed a contract behind your back and didn’t ask your opinion about it?” you shoot back, your voice rising with every word. “And when you questioned me, I told you you were unsupportive of my dreams, accused you of being jealous, and then left—just disappeared. And a week later, you found out I told the fucking tabloids I'm single now?”

Carlos stiffens, his face paling.

“And then, four years later,” you continue, your voice breaking but relentless, “I show up in front of you and act like nothing ever happened between us?”

You take a deep breath, trying to steady the anger threatening to consume you. “Is my reaction justifiable now?”

Silence. The tension hangs heavy in the air, suffocating. Carlos looks down, refusing to meet your gaze, his expression unreadable.

“You know, for the record, Carlos,” you say coldly, the words biting, “we are not teammates.”

He looks up, eyes red. “Partners trust each other. You clearly didn’t.”

You turn and start to walk away, each step heavier than the last, leaving him standing there.

“Yeah, we’re not.”

You stop, his words freezing you in place.

“Partners support each other,” Carlos adds, his voice hollow, bitter. “You clearly didn’t.”

He lets out a short, empty laugh, one that carries no humor, only pain. “God, I just really wanted you to be happy for me that time, Y/N.”

A single tear slips down your cheek. Then another. And another. The world around you blurs, your chest tight with the weight of the moment.

He walks away, footsteps fading into the distance.

You stand there, frozen in time.

And suddenly, it's like four years ago all over again.

← previous part next part →

[dreadnoughtus101]

Fossilized

Tsukishima Kei

"Ooohhh I was thinking about reader! who works at the same museum as Kei (timeskip) and their coworkers and are forced to work together and were an annoying thorn in Kei’s side (obv pookie is in denial duh) 😒" -@livelovelaughgeto

______________________________________________________________

"I think the easiest thing is for everyone to pair off and work on different sections together, it'll go by faster."

The museum had just gotten a new shipment of decorations that needed to be up by the weekend. Your manager was pairing everyone off to work together so it would go by faster.

"Tsukishima and y/n, you guys can take over the herbivore exhibit."

You glanced at him to see him roll his eyes and nod silently.

You recalled your first day, where he was supposed to show you around and teach you everything. You two had hit it off at first, cracking jokes and having genuine conversation. You remembered how at first, it was his eyes that captivated you. The beautiful gold reflecting in the light was enough to make you smitten. His snarky comments that made you giggle, he was never explicitly mean to you. It was after the few weeks you two shared that he grew distant and cold, bitter towards you as if you had done something wrong.

It hurt at first, you longed to hear his voice again in a tone that didn't convey pure distaste towards you. Every time you walked past him, you waved, crackled a smile, tried anything to get his attention, but he never reciprocated anything, so you gave up.

You weren't sure what his problem was, but today was the day to find out.

· · ────────────────── ·𖥸· ────────────────── · ·

Walking side by side with the boxes of decorations in our hands, you were able to take in his height, he had to be at least six feet tall. It was quiet, only the sounds of feet shuffling, you trying to keep up with his pace as he walked ahead of you.

"Do you have any plans this weekend?" You were looking up at him, trying to break some of the ice. To nobodies surprise, he only side eyed you before responding with a sharp "No."

You nodded, "Me either," to which he said nothing. While you didn't expect him to immediately open up to you, you were waiting for some sort of explanation as to why he's been nothing but rude to you. He never bothered to say anything more than he had to, never speaking unless spoken to, he was never the type to ask how somebodies day was or what their plans were for the weekend.

· · ────────────────── ·𖥸· ────────────────── · ·

Unboxing all of the packages, you tried to figure out which one of you would do what. "Maybe I can put together the new fossils and you can hang up the wall art..?" You looked at all the fossils that had to be put together. He spared a glance in your direction, "Sure, you're too short anyways." His tone only showing annoyance, he picked up some of the paintings and walked off without a word, looking at where the best place to put it up would be.

Sitting alone on the floor, you stared at the instructions that made absolutely no sense, trying to figure out how to put the thing together.

"How is this supposed to go together?" You mumbled under your breath, you were still stuck on just the leg.

"What are you doing?" Tsukishima asked with that judgmental tone. The first time he's ever initiated a conversation with you. "I'm trying to put together the new Parasaurolophus we have." It felt humiliating to have to explain yourself.

"So why is it's leg attached to it's arm?"

Jaw hung open, you looked at the monstrosity you accidentally created, he was right.. you somehow put the arm into the leg. You were so caught up in your own daze that you didn't notice exactly how wrong it looked until someone else pointed it out.

"Move." He said, pushing you to the side and sitting down fixing it, taking it apart to put the right parts together. Now standing over him, you watched his face contort to what appeared to be only pure focus. He bit his lip while reading the instructions, "They're quite clear, how did you manage to screw it up so bad?" The utter confusion in his voice only hurt you even more.

"I-I don't know.." You were stumbling over your own words in shame by now, what was meant to be a time to put up simple decor turned out to be a moment of pure humiliation. He turned and looked up at you, his golden eyes meeting yours. It was as if he looked into your soul for only a second before turning back with a huff.

It instead seemed that now the roles were reversed, he was the one putting together the new displays while you put the decorations up. It was a nice silence, the warm kind that you don't ever seem to think twice about, before he spoke up, "Do you even know how to put those up correctly?" You sighed and looked at him from across the room. "Do you want to do everything?" There was a hint of sadness in your voice this time, something he hadn't picked up previously. "I'm just making sure I don't have to go behind everything you do to fix it." You looked at him with your arms crossed, "Why are you acting like I'm such a thorn in your side?"

He jumped a little by the frustration in your voice. "What are you talking about?"

You scoffed, looking at him in disbelief, except he didn't even notice because his back was still turned against you. "You won't even look at me," You felt a little edge in your voice now, unable to hide how frustrated you had been this whole time, "And all you do is criticize everything I do. Why don't you help me instead of judging me?"

He finally turned to look at you and realized your face had turned a slight tint of red and there were tears starting to cloud your eyes. "I've been nothing but nice to you, Tsukishima, yet every time you see me, all you do is act like I've done nothing but wronged you."

He felt too embarrassed to look you in the eyes, his head hung low and his ears were red. "I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"No, fuck you, Tsukishima."

You left, going home early, claiming to have a stomach bug.

He didn't see you again after that, he walked by your usual areas, the department you usually lingered around, but he never saw you.

Days turned to weeks, turned to months. He still hadn't seen you, until one day he briefly spotted you around the corner.

He ran to catch up to you, "Y/n." he called, his voice raised slightly higher than normal. You stopped in your tracks to look back at him, surprised he had managed to notice you this time. "Where have you been?" he was searching your eyes as if the answer lied beneath your surface.

"Around."

"Where? I've looked everywhere for you."

"Why were you looking for me?" Your brows furrowed.

"I just wanted to apologize."

"You already did."

Your voice was shallow, missing the usual friendly tone you always had. It was enough to make him wince as if your words caused him physical pain.

"Y/n, listen, I'm sorry." You could see he was genuine, something new for him. "I thought you were too busy ignoring me, now you're the one apologizing?" You knew your words were cutting deep, a part of you hoped they were. You wanted him to feel the hurt and confusion you did.

You didn't let him find a response before you walked off, letting him wallow in the heavy emotions in the air.

· · ────────────────── ·𖥸· ────────────────── · ·

You were walking home, the easier choice as opposed to taking the bus due to how crowded it would get, when you heard footsteps behind you. Turning around, you saw none other than Tsukishima, again.

"Are you following me home?" You looked at him with horror, "No, y/n, just let me explain." He let out a small laugh when he saw how horrified you were. "How did you know where I was going?"

He rolled his eyes, "You never noticed we always leave in the same direction after work?" a brow raised, genuinely surprised you hadn't.

You shook your head, embarrassed by your accusation.

"Y/n, please let me explain." He started, you only nodded while watching your feet as you walked.

"I was embarrassed." He spoke low, as if he was worried someone would hear. This is what caught your attention. "Of talking to me? Being my friend?" He shook his head, "It's hard to explain." It was your turn to roll your eyes now.

"Either explain or I go straight home." You felt annoyed by the constant circles you two were going in. He'd be nice and let you in, only to randomly shut down and ignore you. It was a loop that you weren't sure would end.

"I like you, y/n, and I don't know how to cope with that." There was a shake in your voice, his eyes refusing to meet yours. "What?"

"Why didn't you just say so?"

"What was the point? We're colleagues, it's awkward." He was trying to brush it off, play it off as if he didn't feel like his soul was being chipped away every minute that went on without you reciprocating it.

You took a deep breath before deciding how to respond, the sound if your inhale only made him more nervous, unsure if you were gonna tell him off and leave him standing alone on the sidewalk.

"What if I said I liked you too?" This felt silly to say, it felt like you were in high school again, confessing your crush to another boy. You knew your cheeks were red, blushed by how nervous you felt.

He stopped in his tracks, slowly turning to face you.

"Just because you like me doesn't mean you treat me like you hate me, Tsukishima." You faced him, looking up at him for any sort of window into his thoughts. His face was a similar shade to yours, was he just as nervous?

"I know, which is why I'm sorry. I want to make it right." He sounded formal, sincere, this was him trying to prove that he meant it.

"How?" You were curious as to what his plans were.

"Can I take you out tonight?"

"Where?"

"Wherever you want."

[meowstoptalking]

The LaDS Boyos as Pokémon Trainers

(aka Meow can't stop coming up with ideas for LaDS x Pokémon crossover posts because she fucking loves LaDS and fucking loves Pokémon)

Xavier ⭐️

・simultaneously the best and worst (laziest) Trainer you've ever met

・you have no idea how the hell he made it through the Trainers' School

・it's not that he's dumb, it's just that he's...really nonchalant about everything?

・Groudon and Kyogre could be engaging in yet another catastrophic battle right now and he'd just be like "All we have to do to stop them is summon Rayquaza, right? Well, I'm sleepy, so... Let's go ahead and get this over with."

・there's a rumor that he's beaten the Champion of each region in battle over 100 times each. you didn't believe it until you experienced his team's power for yourself

・of course, just experiencing his team's power doesn't confirm anything, so you decided to ask him if the rumor was true. his response? "Is it? ...I don't remember."

・can't cook for shit and yet his Pokémon still adore him

・his favorite types are Psychic and Fairy. for some reason, he is especially fond of Pokémon that can learn Teleport

・has a one-sided rivalry with Jeremiah which he always uses as an opportunity (excuse) to show off to you

・frequently falls asleep in the middle of battle and yet somehow still manages to defeat his opponents

・the regions' villainous organizations are massively Xavierphobic

Zayne ❄️

・wanted to work as a Pokémon doctor, but you somehow convinced him to take the path of a Trainer instead

・tries to avoid battle as much as possible since he can't stand seeing Pokémon in pain

・his Pokémon are somehow still really strong

・will tend to your Pokémon's wounds after a major battle

・will tend to your wounds, too, if you have somehow sustained any

・other Trainers tend to underestimate him because of how little he battles, but he's actually quite the formidable opponent

・in Multi Battles, prefers to act as support rather than attacking opponents directly. will apply buffs and healing to your Pokémon at every opportunity while also applying debuffs to opposing Pokémon whenever he can

・is stupidly good at cooking and will cook for your Pokémon (and you)

・his favorite type is Ice, but he tries to keep a balanced team

・his humor is as dry as the fucking Haina Desert

Rafayel 🐚

・somehow manages to balance being a Trainer and a Coordinator at the same time, but tbh he'd much rather be a Coordinator

・no, seriously, Pokémon Contests are quite literally his favorite thing to do in the Pokémon world

・loves dressing up his Pokémon, and his Pokémon love being dressed up

・is also quite fond of the Pokémon Musical

・other Trainers tend to underestimate him as well, which is usually their first mistake

・their second mistake is believing that he'll actually fight fairly (he won't)

・his Pokémon are strong enough that he doesn't really need to use underhanded tactics to win, and yet he does anyway

・the reason for this is that a long time ago, one of his very first Pokémon partners was mortally wounded in a battle that he also lost, and so he vowed to himself that he would never lose a battle again, if only to keep his Pokémon partners safe

・wants to keep you safe as well (moreso than anything else in the world), and will literally step in to battle for you if the fight is not going in your favor

・his favorite types are Fire and Water, and he is especially fond of fish Pokémon

・has caught a Legendary Pokémon or two

Sylus 🪶

・every villainous organization's leader wishes that they were this man

・literally took control of a whole entire island by just showing up one day and asserting his dominance

・his men operate in the shadows, doing all sorts of nefarious deeds, as villainous organizations' henchmen do

・Onychinus is all just an elaborate scheme that he uses to keep an eye on you

・has a mechanical Murkrow named Mephisto, who basically works as his eyes in the sky

・often compares you to cat Pokémon for some reason???

・his nickname for you is "Skitty"???

・you don't know he's weird

・his favorite types are Dark and Dragon

・has mostly bird and dragon Pokémon on his team

・don't tell anyone but he low key wishes he had a Liepard

[pokepollsters]

Lumi Plays Pokémon: White 2 Bug Monotype Run- Part 1

It's finally time! I've been excited to get this started, and after a little waiting, today was the day I could get started.

So very quickly- the rules:

Only Bug type Pokémon can be used in battle (beginning once the first one becomes obtainable)

I can use non-Bugs for HMs

I'm playing on set mode for extra challenge

And that's about it!

So- after answering the age old question, I got the run underway. This may be long, so it's going under the cut!

So after naming myself Lumi, I had the first big question of the run- what to name my rival? Well, it took some thought, but there's no bigger rival to a bug... than a boot.

Some more cute cutscenes later (I love this game!) I had to pick a 'starter'. And considering the type I've been tasked to use, the choice was obvious. I picked Tepig.

Why Tepig, you may ask? You might think that I should've gone with Oshawott, so Boot ended up with Snivy, which is weak to Bug! That was my first thought too, but the actual better choice is Tepig.

The rival in BW2 has the same team by the end of the game no matter the starter, with just the starter itself being different- and the type of elemental monkey they get. If I pick Tepig, Boot gets the only version of their team that doesn't include a Fire type. And besides, Sewaddle is super effective on both Water for Oshawott, and Grass for the eventual Simisage.

Anyway, I defeat Boot, go through some more cutscenes before I'm finally let out of Aspertia City! Alder tries to train me up in the next town, but no, I'm making a beeline for my real starter! On the second route, after Tepig (named Oinkers) takes care of the trainers in the way, I can finally properly begin the run.

Here's Oinkers catching his replacement. Sorry Oinkers. (Except actually the nature on that Sewaddle wasn't great so I caught a second!)

I decided to name my Sewaddle Teabag. It was a name put forward by @haveyouusedthispokemon, albeit somewhat jokingly I think! I liked the thought of this lil bundle of leaves wrapped up in a lil bag, and then getting dunked in water- Teabag will be my answer to Water types after all!

The lil man in question.

I got Teabag up to level 5, the level a starter should be, and then boxed Oinkers so the run could properly start. Teabag wasted no time making quick work of the remaining trainers on the route, good job buddy!

I grinded him up to level 8 to get Bug Bite before I headed to Floccesy Ranch and fought Boot again! It was no problem for Teabag. 2 Bug Bites and he was done.

Then some more training at the ranch, followed by a first encounter with Team Plasma.

Finally, we went back to train with Alder, then returned to Aspertia City, ready for the gym.

I'll need name suggestions for Venipede too, so please let me know what you think I should call it! Hope you're excited to hear about this run, I'm very excited to get this going. Part 2 coming soon!

Teabag is sitting at level 12, and I'm confident he can handle it! Next time I play, we'll be getting a gym badge and then another team member- Venipede!

[kit-screams-into-the-future]

another post for @bttfjanaury! this one's @itsthemorph's mermarty au and very predictably i got carried away with it LMAO.

yap session and bonus stuff below the cut:

once again i came up with an entire backstory for this au, and if i were a fanfiction writer i would genuinely consider writing it since it's a lot less visually comedic than the weredoc au (and comedic in general, it's played a little straighter than "man turns into dog and is thoroughly inconvenienced by it") (unfortunate [in reference to visuals] bc i enjoy drawing mermarty a great deal more than weredoc GBJKGJ) bc i really like the premise but i'm pretty bad at fleshing out a narrative in enough detail to last the whole story so bullet points it is:

doc has decided to take a break from his time-travel-related research and go on vacation! the fresh coastal air might jostle a couple ideas into place, and while he is a nuclear physicist and not a marine biologist he wouldn't mind checking out some of the local aquatic life

and by local aquatic life he meant like normal fish and stuff. a nice mollusk or two even. so when he ends up fishing an entire boy out of the water instead he's understandably very shocked

before doc can move past the "where did he come from??" thought to register his more fish-like qualities, the boy makes a run (a swim?) for it. fortunately or unfortunately for doc, he ends up being able to register the fish-like qualities after all since he gets dragged into the water along with him. the moment doesn't last too long, though, and the fish-boy is gone as soon as doc realizes the guy has a fish tail instead of legs

doc gets back on the dock (haha), thinks about the whole ordeal for a bit, and decides that the best course of action is just to assume he hallucinated the whole thing in a fit of heatstroke or something like that. he's here to relax and get his thoughts in order so he can continue working on his time machine! there's no time to investigate fairy-tale creatures or whatever supposedly living off the coast of california!

it's not shown in the comic but i imagine doc has a little portable radio next to him as he was fishing, so some time passes before he catches a glimpse of something shining in the water underneath the dock

he looks through the cracks in the dock and lo and behold, it's the same boy from earlier! doc greets him, and the boy immediately disappears under the water. doc thinks he's scared him off until a few minutes later where he pokes his head out and says hi back

they get to chatting and doc learns a couple things:

1. his name is marty!

2. he was trying to get doc to realize that he forgot to put bait on his hook but got his hand caught on it, and was trying to get his hand unstuck from the hook without ripping it open before doc ever had the chance to see him, which he obviously failed at

3. both the being seen and ripping his hand open, because in his haste to get away after being seen by doc he ended up doing that anyways. so there's like a lot of blood coming out of his hand now? but like don't worry about it. it'll be fine. he thinks.

4. he really likes whatever it is that's playing on the radio

doc insists on patching up his hand and initially marty refuses but lets him do it eventually, and marty tells doc that for a land dweller he's actually surprisingly nice. doc says nah anyone would want to help out someone hurt, especially if they're the one's who caused it. and marty's kind of confused by that because his family's always warned him of how dangerous humans are, which he kind of never thought too hard about until now where his time off this particular coast has really proven them correct, because he's encountered a bunch of humans over the past couple weeks and they've all tried to kill him or catch him. doc's the only one who's actually bothered to say hi!

after learning that particular not-at-all-concerning tidbit, doc asks him to elaborate because there's a lot to unpack over there, but someone else walks onto the dock before marty can get a word in and he takes off

marty does not return, even once the other guy leaves, and when doc packs it up to return to the place he rented out for the vacation he overhears a conversation among a group of men about spotting something weird in the water earlier and that it kind of looked like a mermaid? and that if any of them manage to catch it they'll all be rich as thieves. and another guy in the convo goes no you're thinking of rich as kings, you're mixing it up with a different analogy. and the first guy goes no i'm not i said what i said

so now this vacation is doing anything but clearing doc's mind. he's really worried about that little fish guy

there's a couple more ideas i had but halfway through writing out this bullet list i've realized that if i were to actually write this as a fanfiction, i'd probably want to keep those a surprise. so what i just wrote out is kind of the equivalent of one chapter

edit after thinking about it a bit more: since most humans have been trying to kill him, marty really has no incentive to let a guy know that he's wasting his time fishing with a baitless hook. so a. he's still pretty optimistic that most humans aren't out to get him, even if his experience off this particular coast says otherwise, so he was trying to be nice anyway or b. (which i think is a lot funnier) he has started to pull on people's lines as a way to fuck with them. i think if i wrote this i'd change it to this one

i based mermarty off of a guppy fish! specifically this kind of guppy fish:

i was searching up kinds of fish and he just had the vibe of this thing. although now i think i should've made him a flying fish instead. for the pun

alternate ending to the mini comic:

the other one makes a little more sense since just approaching a guy whose species doesn't know about your existence unprompted is pretty stupid even for marty (and also i thought it was funny that the hook didn't have anything but doc ends up catching something anyways) but i still think this one's funny too

[spiritofrainbursts]

Back from the Shadow Realm ( A Long Awaited Update)

- Designs not yet finalized -

- Update below the cut -

Good evening to one and all!! Welcome to the first ever Fur & Fun Friday! So in case it weren't already apparent my account recently got banished to the shadow realm as of a result of handing out invites for a Secret Santa I've been helping @head---ache out with ever since offering to help run the project back in December and wound up deactivating as a result because I didn't feel like dealing with Tumblr staff and felt it would be easier to start from scratch again so I could kick off the new page with a long awaited update regarding the future of my work. Hopefully this doesn't happen again so I don't have worry about my content gaining zero traction nor go through the hassle of creating a new account for the up tenth time, ah anxiety ye heartless bitch, but if it does then I'll be sure to get off me ass and bug the help desk next time around.

With that being said the short of it is that ya'll probably won't be seeing any art from me for awhile starting Pride Month at the very latest depending on whether or not I can get some smaller projects such as updating my Dragon, Sonic, and never before seen Poke sona's designs done and out of the way before then. Why? Well for whatever reason, whether it be the insomnia that has plagued me since senior year of highschool or the mental health issues I've unfortunately have had to deal with over the years as a result of unwanted drama, some of which was admittedly on me and too anyone who may have been caught in the crossfire at the time it all happened truly from the bottom of my heart I'm sorry if I said or did anything to hurt you and hope that wherever you are that you're living your best life regardless of whether or not you decide to forgive me for my past actions or not and hey even if you don't than that's ok too, it's no skin off my back, or even certain events from past that have come back to haunt me with a vengeance over the years, something I've only recently come to terms with thanks some personal growth on my end that has allowed me to feel the happiest I've felt in awhile even if I don't have a lot going for me right now, for the past few years now I've had some kind of weird creative burn out that has made it difficult for me to sit down and draw as much as I used to which in turn has caused a severe decline in content on my end. As a result as soon as I complete my previously forementioned projects I shall here by be going on an indefinite hiatus so I may use the time to create a content buffer and get back in the swing of things. Once I do I'll be sure to set up a new side blog to share my work on a semi regular basis again and hopefully when I do I can start bringing in some income in the form of merch as well as potential adopts so if you'd be interested in receiving some prints and/or characters from me then be sure to be on look out for that as well as a couple of secret projects I'm hoping to start production for in the coming months hue hue 😉 Until then however you can at the very least expect to start seeing some written martial from me throughout the course of this year starting with my contribution for Kat's Secret Santa event come Valentines Day so be sure to keep an eye on my Rainburst Studios tag in the near future and be sure to follow me on my new A03 for updates! (Just a heads up that I'll be changing my user back to Spiritofrainbursts on there come Wednesday as I changed my mind last minute lol Also I lied you'll technically be seeing a fic from me before Valentines Day even if it's a reupload of an older one shot I never got a chance to finish, and never will or at least as is, for archival purposes.)

Welp that's all from me folks so if you have any questions feel free to send them my way via the inbox otherwise 🎶 SO LONG AND GOODNIGHT 🎶 cause this girl needs some 🎶 SLEEEPP 🎶 (Yes that was an MCR joke. Deal with it cause I've gotten deep into their music as of late and intend to start making a crap ton of jokes based off their songs alongside some other rockbands and/or rock music I enjoy such as Crush 40 or Carry on my Wayward Son by Kansas.)

[beef-brisket]

Adam sighed and sat at his desk, pinching the bridge of his nose. Lucifer stood in silence, Ozzie's words echoing in his mind.

Adam: ...Lucifer. can I ask you a question?

Lucifer looked up at Adam: Yes, my king.

Adam: Do you know how old I am?

Lucifer: Well... if Ozzie's nine and a half thousand years.... then, you would be... I'm not sure.

Adam smirked, his golden eyes staring into Lucifer's: I'm nearly 108,000 years old. Humanity is really nothing but a blink to me. Michael and Samael are the oldest archangels. Humans can even begin to comprehend their age.

Lucifer had to sit down. Adam wasn't wrong about the competition part. Lucifer didn't even know how to imagine that length of time. He couldn't fathom what living to that age would be like.

Adam: Ozzie's... lived through a lot of my... partnerships. And by my poor judgement, I allowed him to get close to a lot of them. Making their absence a lot harder than it needed to be. Lucifer. You're different. I can tell that, and you fought my influence for so long, that is one thing that caught my eye. But... Ozzie's not wrong. To an extent. He could have worded it much, much better. But he chose not to, most likely for personal reasons.

Looking down, Lucifer felt the energy shift around him. Within a second, his head was being lifted by Adam's finger. He had such a warm smile that it melted nearly all of Lucifer's dought. Nearly.

Adam: Things aren't meant to last forever. Humanity, Eden, Earth, souls. Love. That's what makes these things special. I adore you, Lucifer. And I've adored others. As you have, I'm sure. There's nothing to feel worried or panicked about. Even angels aren't meant to live forever. One day, the end catches us all. That's why each day should be celebrated. This child-.

Lucifer's eyes went to Adam's stomach, and soon, they were followed by his hand.

Adam: Is a creation of both of us. Once our love dies, this one will go on. And I'm not saying we're over. I could be talking about next week, or thousands of years from now. I don't expect you to stay with me forever, Luci. Nor Charlie. You two are humans. No matter what forms you take here, that's what your souls are. Humans live fast and die faster. You're allowed to leave and discover your place here. I don't expect you to stay in my palace for eons. Or the Lust Ring, for that matter. So, in saying that. I want to devour you, while you're mine~.

Blushing madly, Lucifer didn't know where to look. At their child, who was loving so much under his hand, or the sinful look in Adam's eyes.

Adam: But! That'll have to happen after I catch up on some work~. So, make yourself at home!

Lucifer watched as Adam walked back to his desk and snapped his fingers. A good three stacks of paperwork appeared on his desk.

Lucifer: ...Adam?

Looking up, Adam smiled at Lucifer: Yes, pet?

Lucifer: ...I love you.

Adam: And I love you~.

I am CRAVING some demon nun!Adam right now!

Help me, Things! 😫😫😫

Okay, I can help you.

*Cracks knuckles*

What about Demon Nun Adam x Human Priest Lucifer. Like maybe he's losing his faith a bit but is sticking with it for his father.

And Adam is the new "nun"

[hyacinthleaves]

can you do Eva and Mark (seperate) dating hcs please? also it’s totally fine if u only do one! I didn’t see it but might’ve overlooked if there was a limit to how many characters we’re allowed 😭

BRUH I GOT AN ASK WITH LIKE 10 CHARACTERS THAT REALLY PMO. My limit is 3 though I'll prolly highlight that later so you're cool

Mark Berskii:

Another one that normalcy hates to see coming

I feel like you can get a BIT more PDA out of him than Damon tbh

And I'm only saying that because we're yet to see him actually like anyone even as a friend so how would we know tbh

He'll get so embarrassed but like please hold his hand or at least lock pinkies

A relationship that thrives off of hate. A couple that hates together stays together

And when I mean hate I mean not literal anger obviously just strong judgement

You'll probably have to be his voice at the beginning

He'll make up for it in other ways but at the start it's just gonna be like that

There will definitely be a lot of moments where he sticks up for you though and that would honestly surprise everyone

He'll then go back to normal and act like nothing happened

Another quality time warrior. Perhaps you hang out with him while he's making music

He may or may not ask for your opinion (prolly not. just because he's a bit embarrassed) but either way your presence is appreciated

I think you'd generally have to be very understanding to be with him. He's a man of few words so you'll have to work with that

Please compliment him a lot. He'll act like he doesn't like it, and it makes him uncomfortable, but he'll warm up to it in the end so it's worth it

Speaking of warming up, I feel like he runs a little bit cold. Please hug him or cuddle him. SOMETHING to raise his body temperature

I'm thinking of random gifts he would get you, and I was thinking about a crocodile beanie to match his alligator one THAT WOULD BE SO CUTE

He's another protective one. It takes a bit to reach that point because he does believe you can handle a lot of the situations you're in but he might even lean towards possessive a little bit

A solid 7/10 bf. That self-esteem needs a BIG boost

Eva Tsunaka:

MY SHAYLA 😭😭😭

Hot take but I think she loves PDA

I always start like this because I think it's funny but I think it would actually help her self esteem by a lot because other people can see how much her partner loves her

This girl needs a hug just in general please give her one

I would say she's another quality time warrior, which she is, but I feel like her main love language is actually words of affirmation

She's surprisingly great with her words and can be really good at expressing herself (in low stress situations...)

This is random but I remembered one of the gifts that she likes is the faux piercings. Someone PLEASE write a fic about you helping her pick some and putting them on her

She's possessive and protective. She will NOT let anyone hurt you by any means

Sometimes when you're wrong she'll just act like you're right because she loves you. She will literally bend her logic to make your argument make sense

Whenever she can't do that she'll at least act like you're partially correct because she loves you so much

She gets a little embarrassed every time you mention that you caught her smiling

Surprisingly enough everyone I've covered so far has been an indoors dates person

Would streaming/playing a game with you count as a date? To her it does

If not then movies always work

Please just cling to her and make her feel appreciated

I feel like she's not too big on giving kisses but if she does it's probably in the morning and it's just a kiss to your forehead or your cheek

She's a 7/10 gf. She has her rough spots but they're not entirely awful... yeah

[quirkwizard]

Final Note: A Look at the True Ending of My Hero Academia

Wow, Hori. Way to ruin my heartfelt review of the final few chapters of your series. It was very inconsiderate of you to put this out.

Okay, but seriously, I was not expecting this to happen. When I had heard that Volume 42 was going to have a lot of new pages added, I thought there were just going to be more extras. Stuff like little notes and character profiles. Imagine my shock when we get a whole additional chapter for the proper finale of the series.

I am only writing about one chapter here. In spite of the fact this is ending the series, there's only so much I can cover here. So this is going to be a lot shorter than some of my other mega posts. More notes and a few longer tangents then the bigger analysis I had written about on the final arc and the epilogue.

And yes, I am using the fan translations here. Normally, I'd wait for some official translation to come out, but going by what people have said, these translations are pretty close to what's going on in the manga. Plus, the last volume isn't likely to come out until October and there is no way I am waiting that long to talk about this.

Duds and Duds: The Final Stitch-Part 2

Let's get something simple out of the way first: new looks.

-Nejire got one of the more improved looks. The spiral gauntlets and leggings are simple additions, but really add a lot to her look.

-I guess Present Mic's hair works like a tree. It grows as he ages and if you cut it, you can tell how old he's gotten by the rings.

-Best Jeanist, how did you get a hair cut that somehow even made you look like even more of a complete fop? And why the laces? Why do the jeans have laces in them?

-I'm mixed on Mirio's new look. The ones on his legs are kind of silly, but very fitting for him. I also miss the visor he had on as well. However, I cannot accept the pompadour as a part of his appearance. I'm sorry, but it just looks silly.

-Kamui Wood's new look is simple, but amazing. The narrower eyes look more menacing, the branches around his mask forming a makeshift crown, the wreath of leaves around his head to give him this regal look. It's great, no notes.

-The Ketsubutsu Schools kids got some minor touch-ups to help them stick out more, such as Shikkui's more rap artist-inspired look and Tatami's arm sleeves. It just makes them look less generic. Yo Shindo caught me off guard though. Maybe it's the cow-lick or hair dye, but he looks like an entirely new character. Like I swear his face changed shape too.

-I think Tamaki just won me over. No joke, he actually may have gotten one of my favorite looks. The all-black look with the hood gives this monstrous appearance. The teeth on the hood is not only amazing appearance, but a really cool reference to how his power works around eating. The little bendy straw on his costume is amazing as well. It's both a cute detail and a practical part of the costume.

-Juzo, Setsuna, and Kendo didn't have much going. Maybe a few minor design choice changes that don't hurt anything. Same with Tetsutetsu, but I really like his sharper hair and larger eye accents. Just something about them made him pop out more. I like Manga's drawing tablet as his chestpiece. It's a really cute design for his character.

-Seiji looks even cooler now with his sharper features. Inasa is more of a sidegrade. The Slimy Shadey hair is really odd, but I do like the goggles to help fit in with his steampunk look. Camie I'm the most confused about. Why does she have feathers in her cap? Is that a reference I'm not getting? Maybe to a superhero or mythological figure?

-Monoma has the worst design out of anyone here. I don't even know where to begin with him. The clock earrings are dumb and just seem like they'd get in the way. His gloves are actively keeping him from using his Quirk. And do I even need to say anything about this hair cut? I can't believe Hori turned Monoma into an e-boy.

-Fat Gum is a bit of a downgrade for me. The all-black look doesn't suit his more welcoming brand and personality. Plus, the "M" and "G" in the middle of the "F" already present on his chest just look really out of place. I just think it worked better with the "F" and "G" on his old costume. They just fit a lot more seamlessly into his overall look and helped break up all the yellow with some white.

Meet Up/Catch Up

Now to talk about certain changes to Class 1-A. Yes, I'm dedicating another list segment to this. I have a lot of thoughts on it

-Wow, I really don't like Sero's peach fuz mustache. It looked bad in the helmet, and it's even worse now. It just looks so wrong on him.

-I despise Iida's half buzz, though I will admit that's more than everything ruining that hair cut over the past seven years.

-Nighthide is such a terrible hero's name. I'm not sure if that's just bad translation, a lack of creativity, so simply an in character choice for Shinso to be bad at naming stuff. Just like his mentor.

-Kirishima threatening to scratch the hood of Bakugou's car is one of my favorite jokes in the series. I know it's only part of the fan translation, but I'm going to be disappointed if it isn't in the official one.

-I like how Hori basically had Denki and Jiro look into the camera and confirm they are not dating. Right after confirming two characters getting together that nobody cared about but him. 

-I have once again been vindicated by canon. Iida is in fact faster than Bakugou. The manga out-and-out said it. All the power scalers out there can turn on your badge and calculators.

-Hey, look at that, a billboard with Izuku's face on it. It's almost as if he hasn't forgotten about it over the last couple of years. Maybe Hori wanted to make it extra obvious for some of the fans.

-I appreciate how not everyone is a pro hero by the end and some of them are still sidekicks. Any other author would have had it, so all the students are pros with their own agencies, but it's realistic not every one of them would have the want or ability to become a proper pro. I'm honestly surprised which ones are and aren't though.

-I'm kind of amazed that my guess of the rankings of the heroes ended up being so spot on. Pretty much all of them ended up in the brackets. I would have guessed where they were. Even some of the reasoning was spot on, like Bakugou's terrible people skills still getting in his own way a lot of the time. The dark horse of all this was certainly Shoji. I assumed that he would have fallen in the rankings due to spending so much time trying to deal with the heteromorph situation, but I guess that ended up helping him in the long run.

Missing Invites

So one complaint I've heard about this ending is how focused it is on Class 1-A and especially Uraraka and Izuku. Which I can kind of get. It's just that, as the final chapter in this entire story, it carries a lot more finality to it. So, if some character isn't given any attention, chances are they are never going to get it. I can understand the desire to see other characters. Like I wanted to at least get a look at how All Might and Endeavor were doing. Even if it's only one panel, it would have been nice how things were for them eight years on.

However, I do think that misses the point of this chapter. Because a lot of this chapter is around to act as an epilogue to the main cast of the series and to show us the future that they were and are still fighting for. As well as to tie up Izuku and Uraraka's arcs and to affirm what the story is about and what messages are. Anything that isn't focused on that feels more like a nice bonus rather than something integral we needed to see, such as getting to see the Big Three as heroes. A lot of the characters and their arcs were wrapped up already. As nice as it would be to see where they ended up, you don't really need to.

Ships Docked

Look, I'm glad there weren't a lot of ships got together within the final act. If we're being honest, a lot of the ships that people love didn't have a strong foundation in canon. So I didn't really want or expect an "And then everyone paired off and had a kid" ending that people were wishing for or dreading would come to pass. Considering that there hasn't been much in the way of personal relationships for more than 1-A as a whole, instead of pushing 1-A more as a larger unit of people that help and support one another rather than focusing on individual pairs, it would have been very jarring.

That being said, it's hilarious how, in a fanbase as famous for shipping as this one, there are only three canon pairings at the end of the series. Maybe four depending on how you interpret Gentle and La Brava's ending. And two of them were for ships nobody cared about. There was Shindo and Tamati, a pair that you'd only know was a couple from the databooks. Then there was Kuroiro and Komori, a connection that only had the faintest of set up in the databooks, a brief exchange during the Joint Training Arc, before being pushed front and center in the very last chapter. And of course, there was... we'll get to that, trust me.

Ghosts of Shipping Past

So you're telling me that Izuku got pushed to Uraraka by Bakugou and Toga pushed Uraraka to Izuku? Bakugou and Toga, who are the most popular pairs for Izuku and Uraraka respectively, are literally pushing Izuku and Uraraka together. And that's what ends up making them confess to each other. If I didn't know any better, I would say this is a Supernatural finale level of spite on Hori's part. That he got so tired of people harassing him and his staff about shipping and had this part sketched out to specifically make people upset about it. 

And if Uraraka is seeing Himiko and Izuku is seeing Tomura, does that mean that they are both being haunted by them? Fanfic writers, this is a golden opportunity here to make a comedy fic. A newly minted hero couple try to live their lives while being haunted by the ghost of their archenemies. What, is Himiko going to be cheering Uraraka on about getting together with Izuku and that she should take him right now? Meanwhile, Tomura's haunting Izuku about how he should grind out another level in League of Legends before doing anything else?

Odds are LeMillion to One

I'm still pretty mixed about Mirio becoming the Number One hero. I guess it feels like such a big deal to get the top spot only to have it fall to Mirio. And I'm not saying that to slam Mirio. I do like Mirio. Mirio is one of the most heroic figures to come out of UA, if not the whole series. It's just odd to me because Mirio feels like such an afterthought. Outside the Yakuza Arc, he hasn't had much going on with him, let alone an arc where it feels like a proper conclusion. I suppose it's to show the change in things. How the greatest hero in Japan isn't this invincible pillar, but this jokey guy that can hang out with kids and make a fool of himself.

I guess that has less to do with where Mirio ended up and more about how little presence he had in the story. Looking back, I do think that Mirio's presence and momentum were put to a grinding halt because he lost his Quirk. That Horikoshi just wasn't sure what to do with him once the Yakuza arc was done. Because when I try to map out Mirio's character and his arc, I struggle to understand where it was going and how it ended up here. He's introduced as the guy who seems like the best "One For All" candidate on paper. Then it's shifted to being more about carrying on Sir Nighteye's successor. I know I'm getting way off-topic here. It's just been something that's been on my mind ever since I read the chapter.

Temperate

Shoto is great in this chapter. I've always stood by the idea that part of Shoto's arc in the series is about him trying to define himself as a person. Away from all his family and the baggage that came with it. From trying to accept his power as his own to riding himself over the demons of his father to finally being able to be his own person. Saying that he just wants to do something because he wants to do it. It's also a good contrast to how Enji was. Instead of obsessing over the same thing that destroyed his family, once Shoto got as high as he felt he could go, he instead turned to something new that he wanted to try. For no other reason than he simply liked soba and thought it would taste better with something he made. 

I also really like how they tie this into the idea of heroes having more free time and becoming less and less needed. That now heroes have chances to take care of themselves, stop worrying about everyone else, and have lives outside their work. Again, that's something I feel like didn't ring as true with only Chapter 430 as context. We never got to see anyone besides Izuku working in that chapter. And since he was a teacher and not a pro hero, it didn't feel like what Hawks did came to pass outside of maybe a few lines. So I'm glad it got some focus on Shoto and his own arc. I think it's a excellent note to end his character on. I'm glad that it was more overtly finished as opposed to the single panel we got for it in Chapter 430.

Blast Back

So, after all that, what do I think about Bakugou's ending? I think it's an effective bittersweet ending to his character. He reminds me a lot of veterans after a war. And I'm not just saying that because he was in two wars for his life, both of which he technically died in, though that is part of that. It's more about the mindset and character of Bakugou. He's a man who defines himself by his ability to fight and win. Now the world is coming to the point where those aren't as valued, and he lashes out because of it. He tries to find that drive in other people like his sidekicks, but none of them have it anymore. He tries to reignite that rivalry with Izuku, only to find that he's moving on with his own life. 

It's like a natural expansion of his failure to move past his mindset earlier on in the series and how obsessed he was with being the best, only now it's twenty times more depressing. It's an interesting way to end his character. Bakugou got what he wanted, but realizes how little any of it really means. Which isn't to say it's a sad ending. Bakugou was able to complete his arc and come out the other side a better person. That is a more worthwhile reward than any kind of ranking. However, I do think there is some hope for Bakugou. Considering how much of the chapter is about people trying to live their lives outside of being a hero, I prefer to think that he would eventually do the same.

Weightless Burden

Out of all the characters, Uraraka needed this chapter the most and easily benefits the most from the extra focus. There's just a lot about her character that felt unfinished otherwise. Like with a lot of stuff, it does help that we get to see Uraraka in action and helping people with their Quirks. It helps clear the air about what exactly Quirk Counseling is and how it's going to affect people from now on. That what Uraraka said wasn't just hot air, and she did help people. And that, yes, what the League did and went through was important. It helped push people to make changes later to keep something like this from ever happening again.

More importantly, we get to see her dealing with her emotions. I feel like an underrated part of Ochako's arc was her being more honest about her feelings. We got a lot of her trying to understand people and the importance of reaching out with Toga. And without that part of her arc completed, it seemed like a part of her story was left unfinished. I like how it gets so much focus in this chapter, with Uraraka basically being literally haunted by her feelings, both metaphorically and literally. All in all, I like how Uraraka was handled in the final chapter, and I think this is a good end for her. If only there wasn't something that overshadowed her entire storyline in the eyes of the fans.

Within Reach

I feel so vindicated by this whole chapter. Besides all the claims people made about Izuku being disproved, it retroactively makes Chapter 430 better. I was always fine with Izuku being a teacher. I felt it was a very natural place for his character to end up in hindsight. It's something he has the skill to do, especially in a place like UA with his observational skills and hero knowledge. However, it can still feel jarring with just Chapter 430. Izuku's dream was to be the world's greatest hero. He did achieve that, but it was never mentioned that he wanted to be a teacher. Having Izuku say that was what he wanted and enjoys doing is very important. It helps add a lot of validity to this writing choice and shows how much Izuku has grown into wanting things outside of hero work.

More importantly, I feel like this works much better as a finale for him. While Izuku working with Dai about his Quirk did work as showing Izuku's change in mindset, I don't think it was as satisfying of an ending. It worked to tie up some of the thematic ends to the story and Izuku, but it did not work as well for an emotional climax. Because Dai was just some nobody we hadn't met before. Now, we get a lot more proper closure with Izuku and the rest of the cast. We got his final moments with All Might and Aizawa, but not much else. Now we finally get closure with all of his classmates, Bakugou and Uraraka included. And it gives us time to show him enjoying stuff outside of hero work instead of just being told about it.

Car Bomb

Alright, let's disarm this first bomb. The car ride.

Speaking of growth, it is not out of character for Izuku to reject Bakugou's offer. It has been over a decade since Izuku has been in middle school. He has grown a lot over the year the story takes place in. Shoot, he's probably grown a lot more since then as well. My point is, this is not the same Izuku at the start of the series. He would not freak out over signed All Might merchandise. Izuku and All Might have been friends for a decade. He would not jump at the chance to work under Bakugou as a sidekick or with him as an equal. Izuku does and should have a life outside of Bakugou. Izuku does not owe Bakugou anything for helping to make him a suit. It was a group effort with Toshinori and the rest of Class 1-A, and I really doubt Bakugou would even want Izuku to join just because Izuku "owed him one".

I bring this up after talking to Izuku and Bakugou on their own because both are important parts of why this section of the story was done this way. Izuku out and out said that he wants to be a teacher over a pro hero. Being a hero is important to him. It lets him spend more time with his friends, and he gets to help people, but it doesn't define his life any more. He's doing what he wants now. He doesn't have that self-destructive heroism as a part of him anymore. His wanting and choosing to be a teacher is part of that healthy selfishness I was talking about before. I honestly think that him working with Bakugou would undermine that part of the ending. That he'd go back into hero work full time and have it take over his life rather than focusing everything on teaching. Shoot, it even ends with Bakugou telling Izuku to think more for himself.

And I think a lot of this comes down to people overestimating Izuku and Bakugou's connection and its relevance to the overall story and underestimating their own growth. Bakugou is Izuku's rival, and they play a part in each other's story, but their rivalry is of minor note to the greater story. This isn't like Naruto and Sasuke, where the two main rivals are of vital importance to one another's storylines. It's more like Ichigo and Yuru, where the rivalries are far less prominent and only occasionally cross over. It was more that Bakugou's own arc was heavily tied to Izuku, but Bakugou's arc was only part of what was going on in his own story. Specifically, the part of Izuku training to be a hero and how they both learn from one another. However, that part of it is done because Izuku found a life for himself outside of hero work, leaving not as much for Bakugou. Which is why I think the ending seems sad for Bakugou, even though I'd describe it as more bittersweet.

Holding Hands? How Scandalous!

All of this chapter aside, let's get into the real meat of this and defuse the second bomb. There were a lot of fans that were upset about this. Let's remove the good chunk that were simply upset their ship didn't become canon and focus on some real issues people have with this.

No, this isn't a fake-out. This wasn't made by Hori's assistants, generated by AI, or whatever other piece of cope you've heard online. This did happen, it is canon, and it is romantic. And yes, them holding hands is supposed to be romantic. Not only would it be out of character for these flustered nerds to do anything more implicitly romantic, but them holding hands ties a lot more into their characters. Them grabbing each other's hands is an integral part of their connection and growth. It's to show the two are connected and understanding one another. It ties back to the idea of reaching out being about understanding someone and part of why the two do it so much together. By them clasping hands at the end, it's to show the bond the two have made and how close they are now.

No, Uraraka getting with Izuku is not something that was forced into the story, nor was it something that came out of nowhere. Uraraka's feelings for Izuku have been set up ever since she was introduced. It started out as a crush but was slowly reinforced and built up between the two's appearances, both apart and together. Having her get with Izuku ends part of her arc as well. One of the biggest points of Uraraka's story is how bad it is to repress your feelings and not be emotionally open with the people around you. This is contrasted by Toga, someone who was hurt by that same repression, yet now was totally honest with her feelings. It's why Uraraka said that she admired Toga as a person for that honesty. Shoot, it's why Ochako confesses her feelings for Izuku in that fight. Something people seem to be forgetting. Uraraka pushing down her feelings wasn't the end of that plotline, it was merely another plot point in her story that culminated in this confession.

No, this doesn't devalue or reorient Toga's story to be about the two of them. Toga has always played a major role in the romantic connection between Izuku and Uraraka at various points in the story. There's a reason why Izuku keeps getting brought up whenever Uraraka and Toga fight each other. However, that was only a part of her character. Toga's story was all about trying to be understood for who she was and trying to find happiness in her life. She got that when Uraraka was willing to bleed and die just to try and reach out to her. And Toga's story was over when she died and saved Uraraka's life, living life as she chose to till the very end. Izuku and Uraraka getting together does not ruin that. Her usage here is more about her manifesting due to Uraraka's unresolved emotions. It's why Toga only shows up when Izuku becomes more active in her life. Again, it goes back to that whole thing about Uraraka admiring Toga for being so open about her feelings.

No, the fact that Uraraka ends up with Izuku does not devalue her character in any way, shape, or form. Her getting with Izuku is part of her story, but that's it: part of her story. She can still be her own person with her own life outside of Izuku while being in a happy relationship with him. They aren't mutually exclusive. Uraraka has this whole other arc she goes through with Toga that is integral to each character and the story overall. For the past eight years, Uraraka was and still is a pro heroine who helped countless people with the expanded Quirk Counseling program. That part was well established before the relationship was resolved. Because that's just as important to her story and character as the romance with Izuku. That doesn't go away because she updated her status to "In a Relationship". It doesn't automatically reduce her to a housewife. I'm sick of people saying this, and it's a frankly disgusting way to look at her character.

Epilogue to the Epilogue

So what do I feel about this ending? It was nice, and I am glad that we got it. I am someone who defended the original ending and have only come to appreciate it more as time has gone on. That being said, it did leave me with this feeling of incompleteness. Like the overall picture was there, but there were fragments of it missing. And in those fragments, people started filling holes with their garbage ideas. I do think that Chapter 431 filled out some much-needed holes within the first finale and ends the series on a good note.

Heck, Hori was able to fix and cover a lot of the problems I had with Chapter 430. The fact that Izuku wanted to be a teacher seemingly coming out of nowhere? Settled and expanded upon that he always wanted to be a hero as well as a teacher. The lack of any real final moments between Izuku and Bakugou? That was settled pretty well with the two of them in the car. The lack of resolution regarding Izuku and Uraraka? One of the main focal points of this chapter and what we ultimately end the series on. It feels more complete, if that makes any sense. And I'm glad Hori got this opportunity. Few authors ever get the chance to make a recovery like this, and fewer still are able to pull it off.

I will say that now I'm less worried than I was before. When I ended my review of the final few chapters, I talked about how much the general perception of the series would have been tainted by the ending. I feel like most fans are a lot more agreeable with this than they were on Chapter 430. I still stand by the fact that it was ruined by leakers and the general anti-hype tainting any discussion people could have about it. And it wouldn't have stung so if all of the obnoxious memes and straight-up lies surrounding the ending weren't out there.

Will My Hero Academia live on? Oh, I'm sure it will somehow. Maybe Shonen Jump will force the hand of one of their many mangaka into making a sequel series. Maybe it will live on through merchandise sales, spin-off light novels, and however many movies they decide to make about it. I know for certain it will live on. In us. Countless characters, stories, and art pieces that we all made because of it.

I started this series right around the same age as Izuku. Some young kid who was quiet, socially awkward, and obsessed with superheroes, knowing all sorts of trivia about them. So naturally, I was drawn to series where the protagonist was literally me. Yet what kept me was the story, the worldbuilding, the characters, the art, and, of course, the power system. But the thing that resonated with me more than anything was the message: anyone can be a hero as long as you choose to be one. Now that the series is over, here I am again. At a similar age to Izuku. I wonder if I've grown as much as he has. All I know is that My Hero Academia will always have a special place in my heart.

Sure, there were ups and downs throughout the story. Yet, in a strange way, I appreciate that as well. This story helped me a lot when it came to my critical thinking with the media I interacted with. It made me think about and reconsider what I was watching and reading over and over again. It helped me overcome my gut reactions to events and how those reactions would stick with me. It helped me think more and more about the actual message and meaning of it. Not what I thought the story was saying, but what the story was trying to tell me. It made me reconsider parts I despised and helped me appreciate what I enjoyed so much about this story.

Most of all, it inspired me to create this blog and to meet all of you. It filled me with so much creative passion that I couldn't help but share it with all of you. Was it hard? At times. But there was always the feeling that what I did inspired and helped the people see the series in a new light. I've had so many people talk about how much they love my blog, how they are excited to see me post, and how much they want to use my Quirks for their stories and characters. I've even had people say to me that what I did helped them think about stuff critically, and they were inspired to make their own stories all because of what I did. That means so much to me. More than you could ever imagine.

And now it's over. I'm left to wonder what I will do with myself and this blog now that it's done. I suppose I'll have to figure that out soon enough.

[twopoppies]

hi! im a new larrie and ive been reading a lot of your and other accounts masterposts but there are still some things im kinda confused about.

regarding bbg, im really confused on why B and her family would even agree to it in the first place. like when (or if) bbg ends and its revealed F isn't actually L's son, B and her family are going to receive sooo much hate so idk why they would even agree to be portrayed as the "villains" in L's life.

when B and her family were shitting on L and saying he was like his bio dad, was that also part of their plan? I feel like those things come from genuine anger and idk why they would agree to make L look bad.

some stunts still confuse me. like with holivia, she was in a relationship with Jason and the media made it seem like he was desperate to get her back, so was he also willingly participating in this stunt? if he was, I have hard time figuring out why lol. or with Caroline flack, she received a lot of hate bc of their age difference so why would they agree?

these are just some of the main things ive been wondering lol. thanks!

Hi darling. I'm glad to hear you're looking into things and thinking critically. I'll answer your questions, but these are my opinions. None of us know for sure why any of these people did anything.

I think when Briana and her family agreed to this, it was originally just to make some fast money. I really don't think it was meant to even get to the point of having an actual baby being used, and it certainly wasn't meant to last for 10+ years. I've said I think Louis doubling down on being a dad is because of some sort of legal issues that have complicated the matter. I think the Clarks/Briana are caught up in the same problem. I believe that they were initially sold the idea that Briana would be the baby mama and then Louis would say he took a paternity test and oh, it's not his kid. Louis would have his profile raised and Briana/the Clarks would get a bunch of money (the Clarks appear to have filed for bankruptcy the year BBG started, and Briana clearly spent all of her money on plastic surgery).

The Clark family and Briana were loose canons and posted all sorts of ridiculous stuff in the first five years. I don't think anyone was really in control of what they were doing. Certainly not Louis, who was pretending BBG didn't exist, and not Simon/Syco/Sony because they started the whole thing to tank Louis' reputation/punish him/get rid of Larry support, etc. If there was anger there it was more likely to do with wanting more money.

As far as Jason Sudeikis is concerned, it's possible Olivia blindsided him (given the fact that he was still referring to her as his partner so close to the debut of holivia). IMO, anything that was made to look as though he wanted her back, or anything making him look like he'd been cheated on, was dirty PR. Jason was the only one who came out smelling like roses. His show was more popular than ever, he won a bunch of Emmys, and he was on the covers of magazines... all because he was positioned as this "poor guy who is just taking care of kids while his ex cheated on him and is a floozy running around with a younger man." It was a PR war between his team (the same one currently representing Justin Baldoni) and hers (who is known to be equally as aggressive).

Caroline Flack worked for Simon Cowell/X-Factor when she was involved with bearding Harry. I'd imagine it's not very easy to say no to Simon when he's in a position of control over you. Also, there was way less public hate for the age difference at the time. Harry was treated as a sex object who loved older women practically from day one, and barely anyone batted an eye. As to why she continued to pretend she dated Harry, I have no clue – it could have been a contract she was unable to get out of, or maybe she liked the attention it brought her (especially as he became more and more famous). There's just absolutely no way that was a real relationship. Even if you don't think Harry and Louis had a long-term love affair, Haroline was in 2011. Take a look at any video of Harry and Louis from that time – it's so obvious they were besotted with each other.

[sonofatoasterwaffle]

surprise self-rec time! pick 5 of your favorite things you’ve written and share them here, then put this in the inbox (anonymously or not) of your fellow writers to spread the positivity and help celebrate already written fics :)

oooh fun!!

1. Always, Everytime 

They don’t do this all the time. Buck isn’t always in the mood to pick someone up and Eddie… well, for Eddie, sex is a sometimes thing. They’d spent hours talking about it, trying things out. It all worked, just to varying degrees. Everything works with Buck. But this. This is great. OR Eddie doesn’t necessarily care who Buck sleeps with as long as he comes home when he’s done

nobody really likes this one but the mutuals and the other aces, but the fact that other ace people saw themselves in this fic will sustain me probably for the rest of my life.

2. motel stay on a weeknight (it's a contrast love)

Buck really thought that this detail to Austin would be the perfect time for him and Eddie to stop dancing around this. To fall into bed together in a cheap motel room and use the excuse to wake up too close and let it happen. Of course, then he opens the door to two goddamn queens. Summer of Buddie 2024 Week 5: Break the Cliche: Too many beds

this fic has such a place in my heart cause i wrote a fair bit of it on a road trip in Turkiye and yet it still came so easily to me. it turned out cozy and reminds me of my SPN days when most fics took place in a motel room.

3. i'd shout it from the rooftops

Buck can’t even deny it. He’s freaking out. Hard. “Public record, Buck.” Eddie is hissing through both hands planted over his face. Under them, Buck’s sure, his cheeks are bright apple red. Because they really, really should have paid more attention. It’s just that everything is so new. And finally being allowed to touch Eddie is such a fucking headrush that Buck can’t seem to keep his damn hands to himself. Nor does he seem to be able to keep his filthy fuckin’ mouth shut. Not even on camera, evidently. OR Buck and Eddie dive head first into their honeymoon phase, take a page out of Buck 1.0's book, and remember their shiny new body cams- in that order.

I just really love this one. my first real dip into some degradation kink.

4. where the lovelight gleams

Buck winks when he catches Eddie watching him. “What?” he asks, amused. Eddie flushes, caught in the act. He contemplates tossing out a quick nothing, or a throwaway line about being tired, but Buck is here, in his teenage bedroom, and that feels important. Too important to obfuscate. “I’ve got a boy in my room.” he says, sounding almost as incredulous as he feels. It’s as ridiculous out loud and it was in his head, but Buck lights up anyway. “Eddie!” He exclaims. “You never had a boy in your room before?” Buck’s eyes go twinkly and mischievous. Eddie should be scared. Instead, he’s getting hard. “Oh we are so fixing this.” OR Buck and Eddie take Chris to El Paso for Christmas. Buck takes the opportunity to help Eddie make some better memories there.

okay, i know it's a lil Christmasy, but i loved how cozy this one turned out and also i just really love hating on Helena Diaz.

5. sweet like honey, tastes like home

“Eddie,” He says again, pulling back to look at Eddie’s eyes, trying to see if he’s there, if he’s doing this for real. “You’re–” Concussed. Bleeding. Scaring me. “Buck,” Eddie begs, fingernails digging into Buck’s shoulders, eyes wide and imploring. “Thought I wasn’t going to make it. Thought I was going to die before I got to, please–” Eddie doesn’t ask. He never asks. He’s asking now. OR Eddie has a close call at work that ends with both of them bleeding and desperate for each other in more ways than one.

AKA the blood kink fic. I am actually REALLY proud of how this one turned out. I feel like I accomplished the freak4freak I was going for. Also this one is SO CLOSE to 1000 kudos, I'm vibrating with excitement.

thanks for the ask, Charlie!!! <3

[kupidachillea]

I'm not sure if you write for him, but if you don't feel free to ignore and delete this ask/req!

Antinous with a fem reader hcs PLLLLLEEEEEASE 🤕🤕

like she's rlly enamoured with him!!

Antinous x Fem! Reader (Hcs or Imagines)

Author note: (Art belongs to @Duvetbox on YouTube). This is mainly going to be Epic! Antonious, not the Odyssey because I am still yet to properly read it.

CW (Content warning): None really. It’s mainly fluff, might be a bit out of character (sorry for that😭).

⚔️- You were a simple hand maiden working at the palace. You didn’t do much besides help the queen and occasionally the prince of Ithaca.

🏺- You were around the same age as Telemachus himself, so you knew very little about the king. Just as the prince. All you knew is that Penelope, your queen, missed him dearly and was longing for him.

⚔️- Of course with the King of Ithaca missing this brought its own problems. Such as the suitors. Many came to try and win the favour of the queen and try to convince her to give up hope of her husband returning.

🏺- Trying to court and sway her to make one of them her husband and the new king. It was tiresome to say the least.

⚔️- At first you didn’t know what to think, but as time went on it was starting to get irritating. Men constantly in the grand halls. Some being rowdy and others trying to pick a fight with Telemachus.

🏺-You could definitely understand Penelope’s annoyance with them. However, something weird started to happen.

⚔️- One suitor that caught your attention was a man named Antonious. He was sort of like the ringleader for the suitors and you had to admit he was quite handsome.

🏺- His physique wasn’t half bad either. With that string jaw line and that smug smirk of his. He was just so…pretty. And though you will admit he is a bit (if not a lot) of a bully to Telemachus, he still seemed to be a fine man.

⚔️- Sometimes you’d catch yourself staring only to snap out of it before anyone noticed. You’ve never been courted before so that’s why it surprised you when suddenly out of the blue Antonious started to pursue you!

🏺- You were ecstatic at first! You felt as if Aphrodite herself granted you this favour and that Eros shot you with one of his golden arrows..however it felt too good to be true.

⚔️- You started to grow cautious each time he would speak to you. Because it didn’t make sense. A suitor? Going after a handmaiden? It sounded ridiculous.

🏺- What if Antonious was just using you to get to the queen? That was a possibility and a good point but you couldn’t help swooning each time he talked to you. His tone slightly baritone and melodic. It made you melt. You got butterflies each time.

⚔️- You were embarrassed to say you were catching feelings. And Antonious noticed it too. That was his goal anyway, he noticed you exact time he came around, and he felt something click in his brain.

🏺- The only reason he showed up to the place anymore was just to catch a glimpse of you while you were working. Trying to talk to you each chance he got. And each time he talked to you, he found himself more attracted to you.

⚔️- It got to the point where he just said screw it and started to pursue you, with your enthusiastic permission of course.

🏺- The other suitors were confused but Antonious paid them no mind.

⚔️- At the end of the day he was more concerned with winning your hand than explaining himself to the others

🏺- And of course he did. You were absolutely smitten with Antonious. So much so that you finally allowed him to start courting you properly.

⚔️- He gladly accepted, constantly showing up to the place with small but sweet gifts for you that he knew you would like.

🏺- And while Queen Penelope was surprised by the sudden change in behaviour she allowed the man to court you, much to your surprise and excitement.

⚔️- At least he had decided to leave the queen alone at least.

[iminyourwallsbabe]

Thinking about Viktor's life story, it's really crazy.

Like I was listening to St. Chroma the other day and that song is about making a life out of nothing starting at the very bottom and making out of there yourself. But what I like about it and why I don't think it's corny like a lot of other songs like that, is that it's so fucking stubborn. Yk? It's like FUCK YOU, I can do this and I dare you to try and hold me back cuz it's not fucking happening.

You know who that sounds a lot like?

Like let's just think about this. He's a boy from the undercity, his parents are probably dead, he has a disability he probably had to deal with and make accommodations for by himself. Given what happens to most people from Zaun and how they live, the odds say he was cooked from the start. He could've been dead or in jail by then. The second someone instilled the idea in him that he could be more than that though, he took it and ran with it. He was like, alright, if I have it in me to go after anything, I'm gonna be a scientist.

So from that point on, he put in the work. Probably twice as much work as someone from Piltover would have to do if Jayce's recreation of his life was any indication. He was probably doing all of this hungry, in pain, and with a million other ailments. I think for him though, instead of doubting whether or not he could he wondered how long it would take. Would be doing this for decades? How much of his life would he spend trying to make it there? Would he live to see it all amount to something? That's why when Jayce presents his ideas and he gets ahold of his notes, Viktor immediately gets in on this. It could be a world altering discovery, it could be bullshit, he doesn't have the time to pass up the opportunity. If he wants to be anything more than an assistant, he has to be bold. He has to have the audacity.

That's really what it is at the end of the day, that's what got him where he wanted to be. The fucking audacity. I mean think about it, this guy from the undercity that people probably don't trust already is about to go behind the council's back to do some potentially life threatening experiments with the guy who blew up a building and almost killed several children. Who does he think he is?

This is why he tells Jayce "When you want to change the world, don't ask for permission", because the truth of the matter is, and this applies to real life as well, the people sitting in the chairs in the council are not going to let you manifest any dreams that don't fit their world view. You can keep fighting them about it until your face turns blue, but more than likely, they're not budging. If you're really about it, you just have to do it.

This mentality bleeds into everything he ever does. There's so many times in just the first few episodes where he's asked "are you sure about this?" and he straight up just says "lol no this could probably kill us but fuck it, we ball". He doesn't wait for anybody, not society, not safety, nothing. He's the definition of a man of progress, it's his entire life. But it's not just the world he wants to make better, it's a personal thing as well.

Every step of the way, he wants to become something greater. He started out as a regular undercity boy, then he became a student, then he worked his way up to becoming the assistant to the dean of the academy, who it may serve you to remember is the head of the council. Then, he became a real scientist, just like he wanted. That wasn't enough though, it wasn't enough to just *do* science, he had to do something with it. Keep pushing it until it could do the most good it could do. Then, he got sick. Or his sickness caught up to him at least. His time was limited. It only made him more focused on progress. How much can I do with what little time I have left? Can I extend that time? Can this magic or this shimmer make me the healthiest version of myself that there can be?

That's why it was so devastating for him to lose Sky. She was the first person to directly be harmed by the thing he created, at least the first person he saw. She lost her life in his pursuit for greatness. Say what you want about how obsessed he is with the idea of evolution and growth, but you can't say he was ready to give up the people he wanted to save in order for it to happen. At least, not yet. That's when he thought it was the end of the road, that he'd gone too far. He had to stop here. His solution to that was gonna be doing a backflip off a building, but you get the idea.

That's really why the second season isn't super surprising in retrospect. I mean we can blame the hexcore for some of it, I think it took some of his humanity but a lot of those ideas were his own. And I think he meant what he said when he said his path and Jayce's path diverged when he was brought back to life. He was supposed to die, the hexcore was supposed to be gone, this pursuit was supposed to be over. He felt like Jayce just didn't know when to stop and it was interfering with the well being of humanity. And I think he took that and his own failures to heart, prompting him to find a way to try and take that out of the equation.

Anyway r.i.p Viktor you would've loved Chromakopia