#something about superpowers and how they work to the best of in universe understanding

[someone-always-cares]

chapter 5, page 79

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[image description: an sac webcomic page. "hold on, stay still for a second". rami says, as he puts his hand close to lewis, the angle making him almost look like he's cupping lewis's face, as lewis stares back at him with very wide shining eyes. he then rips off the duct tape off, lewis jolting and making a weird face, the panel borders shaking from the shock, before lewis makes a different face like a grimace or like a cat would make after smelling something foul right before slapping the shit out of it. "sorry. you alright?" rami asks, holding a swiss army knife down near lewis's bound arm, the knife already out. "i- what- i will be? not important. what the fuck are you doing here??". lewis replies. "saving you, apparently. and your friend- sorry i'll get to you in a minute" "no really, why the fuck are you here? how did you find us? why did you come?" lewis says. this last panel is entirely black, aside from the speech bubbles. "you're the one that sent me the location. Is your friend concussed? They're not responding to me. Or you. And are either of you injured in general?" rami responds. "What? I don't think either of us are. And no, she can't hear you, just wave or something. Uh, not with the knife, like a friendly not about to kill you wave, like-" lewis's rambling is interrupted. "It's pitch black in here? Waving won't help?" end id]

edit: a bit late but forgot to mention: next con i have is on june 1st, at animangapop cardiff! feel free to say hi if you're going!

i've always gone back and forth internally if rami's supervision gave him better night vision or not but i'm going to go with yes, it does. lewis also has better night vision on account of his eyes being cat-like. jade has normal human vision unfortunatly. on the bright side (pun not intended), she can make her fingernails glow.

also, thought on book cover? tried a few ideas and this is what i came up with

[id: concept a book cover. mostly sketched, styalised like a corkboard with various photos, pins, ect. the front side (right) has a piece of torn paper with the title and a couple stickers, one star and the other rami's logo. below is a drawing of rami surrounded by eyes. the spine has a strip of washi tape, blue with star patterns, with the title and a "1" at the bottom. the back (right) has a few photos of various panels from chapter 1 and two, a top corner of a missing poster, a business card for iris's ice cream shop, pins of mindforce's eye, and pride pins of the asexual and transgender flags, and lastly a scrap of notebook paper with eye doodles (like iris's eyes), rami's logo, titled "blah blah blah" and placeholder text of the bee movie script opening. red string is scattered around. end id]

note: the panels featured will be redrawn (for the cover. the actual pages will not be) and the one on the front is just a placeholder. not sure what i'll change it to, but something with both rami and lewis.

so, this is fashioned similar to the back of the flyer i use to advertise my comic at conventions, it allows me to show off multiple things, allows me to put in easter eggs and similar, and it feels right, yknow? it looks like the same board i use for story planning, concept art, to do lists, and trinkets for conventions, ect.

i look up and i see my corkboard covered in all that, so it feels like me. like i'm already pouring everything i have into my comic, why not this? also, red string murder board. thematically appropriate, and similar to the one omen has. expecially fitting since they appear end of chapter two bonus pages, which is where issue 1 of the physical book ends (not including bonus pages)

anyway would love to hear your thoughts!

more rambling under the cut

keep jumping from task to task. eg started planning the cover. jumped from irl task to task and then got back but then needed to figure out 100% how big the book is page-wise, because spine width

so i go do the bonus pages first but despite me collecting all the stuff for that before i keep finding more. because i have been making pages for 7 years and worked on it for longer with just having them as ocs roatating in my mind

and, yknow, i am not an organised person at the best of times. and over the past 10 years, not much has been the best of times. so you can imagine the chaos i've gone looking through. most of it isn't too recent, because turns out i had a lot more time working to draw when i was still in school. and also right after school. also 2020.and most of it is bad due to me improving my skill over time! which is good but still. going to have to carefully pick out what to use

also unrelated but i want to make one of the exclusive kickstarter print rewards foiled because i just love how they look. specifically i want to do one of tsunami and the foil (silver or holo) being the sparkles his water does because it'd look cool!

[superectojazzmage]

X-Men works best, I feel, when writers understand on at least some level that it's really basically a cyberpunk/biopunk horror story that just happens to also be a superhero comic.

X-Men is the story of the world entering a new epoch where any random person on the street might randomly get superpowers - ranging everywhere from green hair to mind control - simply because they happened to win(?) a genetic lottery as part of a cosmic process programmed into humanity in ancient times by ineffable star gods. All around you are people who are ostensibly still people, but are also inhuman entities with alien powers who are gradually developing their own subculture that tells them they are the future dominant species destined to replace mankind. Many of them are just normal folks... but just as many see you the same way ancient homo sapiens saw neanderthals.

X-Men is the story of fear and hatred rising in the hearts of men in the face of that new epoch. Corrupt humans and mutants alike use bigotry and xenophobia to divide the two peoples, pushing them into a war not just for politics, but for evolution and the planet themselves. Mankind begins altering themselves and building machines of death to keep up with the mutants, in the process creating a third race of humanity; transhumans and robots, that in time come to be no different from the mutants, superpowered monsters of society's own making that see the humans as flatscan wastes of genes at best, oppressors to be destroyed at worst.

X-Men is the story of humanity fighting amidst themselves in their senseless darwinistic war while their world tumbles through a swirling universe of terrifying eldritch threats. Out in the stars and spiritual dimensions are alien empires once like us now advanced beyond comprehension, legions of magical wonders and nightmares in equal measure, lovecraftian machine hive minds that eat planets, demons that feast on our sin, cosmic entities that have as much in common with us as we do ants.

And above it all, X-Men is the story of how recognizing each other's humanity, of embracing love instead of hate, may be the only thing that ensures even a hope of survival in the face of the unimaginable, mind-breaking horror of a world entering a new era whether it's inhabitants like it or not... or perhaps, the only thing that decides whether or not we deserve to survive.

The best X-Men writers are the ones who recognize this. Chris Claremont, Johnathan Hickman, Grant Morrison, Kieron Gillen, etc.. The writers who recognize that there's something profoundly and utterly, existentially TERRIFYING about what the series really boils down to (a self-defeating war between mechanical and genetic evolution with normals caught in the middle that may be the extinction of all three races) and reflect that in the aesthetics and tone by emphasizing a cyberpunkish vibe.

Emphasizing that this is a world where people - willingly or not - alter their bodies like mechanics alter cars and any random person you see on the street might be a mutant or Sentinel or something that can kill you with a look, and that random person is probably hiding from something even worse that wants to kill them just for being born.

[luthordamnvers]

I still think I need to watch the entire show again, but I'm gonna try and collect some very scattered thoughts because the ~discourse is appalling, tbh.

Idk who needs to hear this, but every single marvel project has been about the widening of the marvel cinematic universe. And it's fucking insane, that people are reducing this show as "just a way to get Wiccan" when it was so much more, especially for a show that wasn't even supposed to exist. It was a show spearheaded by a showrunner who initially pitched it because she loved Agatha, and Kathryn's portrayal of Agatha. One that happens to be a woman, btw (one that happens to had been at the forefront of both Captain Marvel [Uncredited] and been responsible for the first past of Black Widow [Story by, credits]).

Don't get me wrong, the MCU certainly has misogynistic undertones, the fact that we had to wait to have a woman led movie, or a movie director, as long as we did is a travesty. That without even going into the intersectionality that we are still missing in the wider MCU. And one that's inherent in the comic book world, if we are being honest. But guess what, THIS is the type of show that changes that narrative.

The fact that wandavision is still regarded the best Marvel-Disney+ show. So good that got an spin off focused on "a nanny". Show that delivered on a show being about her, and yet not the entire story, with outstanding narrative, direction and storytelling. And some swats of fandom are diminishing it left and right. The dudebros because it was about a woman, about a middle-aged woman, about a queer middle-aged woman. And others in the fandom because it wasn't as queer as they wanted, or focused on what they wanted.

And let's be honest, I'm amazed the show was as unapologetically and canonically queer as it was. Thanks to the efforts of Jac, Kathryn and the team behind it.

Agatha is based on a character that's been around for 50 years, and has being nothing but a nanny/governess for superpowered kids because she happens to be a witch, until relatively recently. Even when we had had part of her back story for decades, she was never that important, and she isn't even evil. Dare I say, she hasn't been that relevant until her run with the Scarlet Witch, and Kathryn Hanh's interpretation of her.

Agatha All Along, is not only an spin off of Wandavision, but also part 2 of the whole story. OF COURSE, Billy would be a very important part of her story, something that was touched upon in WV, but was also part of her (and I'm using this word very loosely) redemption arc.

She shared a kinship with Billy in WV, because he was magick. She wanted to understand how he worked, because she knew what Wanda did, and she wanted Wanda's powers. The fact that she could identify Billy immediately, even when she hoped it was Nicky, was important, but people were to busy whining about Billy having an episode. One episode that was also relevant to the ending of the show. And the full arc of the saga's mythology.

Is the show perfect? Not at all. Did I enjoy the heck out of it and can appreciate what it actually did? Absolutely yes. Can I appreciate how GOOD it was at storytelling? Hell yes.

It was a show absolutely centered in women. Good women, bad women, women of color, old women, younger women. The one man was a queer, three-year old in the body of a 16 year old. And mind you, this character has been making queer history, since his very recent creation (2005). This show is unapologetically queer, we had a huge ass Trans flag that said Protect trans kid in huge black letters being very prominent in the shots. It's HUGE, and not even by marvel/disney standards. The show had nothing to do with coming out, or acceptance, or people dealing with phobia. It was about queer people existing and being queer. Hell, you could make a case that they were saying "being a witch" is an allegory of being queer.

Every single member of the coven could be queer. They hinted at it with Jen, at the very least.

Let's talk about the rest of the coven. Who for me were the absolute highlight of the show.

Alice, generational trauma, the protection witch. The most tragic to me. She saw her curse, as a lie. As something her mother made to neglect her. And yet she couldn't keep a job, she resented her mother, and she had to be reminded of her every moment because her mom was a famous Rockstar. She goes to the road, she comes to terms with her mom's love for her, how her mom's version of the ballad was a protection spell, as much as Alice hated it, and she manages to defeat her curse. She protects her coven. Only to immediately die. Her dialogue with Death was devastating:

Alice: That's it? That's all the... That's all the time I get? Death: If I had a nickel... Alice: This can't be the end. It has to be the beginning. I finally broke the curse. I mean, I can really do something with my life now. Death: You're a Protection Witch. Alice: Yeah. Death: You died protecting someone. You ready? Alice: No.

Heart wrenching, unjust, and beautiful.

Lilia, who was plagued by the gift/curse of seeing her and others destiny. Ignoring it for over half her life, staying stagnant, because she was reeling from the fact that she saw the death of her family, her entire coven, she told them and it changed nothing. She was chased out of villages because she could see the tragedies coming. Who refused to be with a coven, love a coven because the heartbreak of losing her first was too much. Who decided that cheap tricks, was better than seeing the tragedies coming, and refused her gifts. She hated the appropriation of her culture, but when the time came, she accepted it, and moved on. She goes to the road, and finds her coven. "I needed you, my coven." And she died, going back to the start, because she'd rather relieve it all again, the good, the bad and the ugly, that keep neglenting herself. "I loved being a witch".

That without going into the absolute masterpiece that was episode 7. Pulling a non-linear story, as solidly as they did, is certainly not easy. And they did it, beautifully.

Jennifer, who was magick-bound for over a century, to the point that she doubted her knowledge and herself. And yet she made a name for herself, she was a successful entrepreneur (she cheated a little, but you know capitalism is the true villain here). A black woman who was outstanding at her craft, healing and being a midwife, to the point that she became an inconvenience to the fragile, egomaniacal, white men in the medical field. Where they sought out a way to stop her indefinitely. And yet she kept going, and survived. Even at the end of the road. She looked at the person who bound her, and said: "I deny your power over me. You hold nothing." And she unbounded herself, and got out. Not because of Billy or even Agatha but in spite of her. Jennifer survived, just like she has been doing for however many centuries, and she flew towards the sunset. Because 'She's the path ahead'. The growth she had, from being selfish the first few episodes, because that's how she survived, to screaming for Lilia when she decided to stay behind. Jennifer clawed her way out of the road, the bound. And she deserved it.

As for Billy... he's so much like her mother. He accidentally created the road, because he's equally, if not more, unaware of his powers as Wanda. Wanda at least thought she got powers from Hydra's experimentation. Billy isn't even supposed to exist. Billy who was "10 years old" but, realistically like 2 weeks old. Who got thrown into the body of this guy, who he doesn't know, and who doesn't even knows himself, because he doesn't remembers, with powers he doesn't quite understands and then he starts piercing moments of his life together, because he feels this massive hole in his being. And finds his answers on Agatha. He truly believes the road is real, that can take him to someone who while not have the answers, might feel the same way as him. Who was his other half, he doesn't remembers it, but he feels it.

His magick, is like Wanda's, Chaos magick, it manifests without his real knowledge or intention, but by his feelings. He created the road, with all the knowledge he thought he had, the road follows the rules Agatha and Nicky created when they made the ballad. Even if he doesn't know it.

Is the show about Billy? Not necessarily. Billy is important to Agatha, because Billy is Agatha's son now. Not by blood, not even by magic, but by choice. As much as she denies it, her "calculated risk", had something to do in the way she saw Billy, and how she wanted to protect him, in a way she couldn't protect Nicky.

And finally, Agatha. Agatha who built a reputation of killing all her covens. Starting with her mother's. Because her mother sentenced her to death, because she was born evil. And she took that and ran with it. She connived, and betrayed, but she survived, something she's extremely proud of. Do I wish we had seen more of her past? 100%. I wanted to know how she got the Darkhold, how she actually met Rio, how they fell in love. Does not really knowing diminish her storyline? Not at all. Because what we got was really nuanced, and it's going down the hill with people focusing only in the romantic relationship aspect. If anything, I think this is being reductive of Agatha, not Billy. The fact that she needs the love interest for people to focus on her, regardless if that love interest is a man or a woman.

But even then, what did people think it would happen? Agatha Harkness had a romantic relationship with Death itself. It was never going to be a romance, it was always a tragedy. Death who took her son away, Death who gave her time with her son, but never specify how much time. Who then followed her around, torturing her with its presence, and we know Agatha is resentful and can hold a grudge.

Death who kindly stopped for her.

Rio knew Agatha would always resent her, even when she gave Nicky more time, because at the end of the day, she would always had to take him away. As much as it was a kindness to let him be born, to take him while he and Agatha were asleep. She had to take him anyways, and Agatha would never forgive her.

Agatha letting the witchfolk think that she exchanged her son for the Darkhold, or made a deal with Mephisto, and saying it was because "the truth was much worse" had nothing to do with *our* perception of worse. But hers. A powerful witch who couldn't save her son, a woman who couldn't keep her son alive. A witch who let her lover take her son away. Using her son to lure more witches. Then using the song, that her son lovingly created for themselves, to lure even more witches to their doom, just for her to be more powerful and keep living (and potentially still looking relatively young). A song that was special to them, corrupted, because she wanted more power and killing witches, something she knew Nicky didn't like. Witchfolk thinking Agatha got the Darkhold trading her son, was better than what she thought of herself.

She saw Nicky in Billy, how he didn't like killing witches (as accidentally as Billy did), how he mourned, how he somehow still believed in Agatha, even with his barbs at her.

She sacrificed herself, not necessarily because of Billy. But because of Nicky, her boy she couldn't save. And yet here is another boy she loved, not the same but very similarly, one she could save.

Billy didn't manipulate her, (and even if he were to, Agatha would probably be proud of him for that) he's been consistent in wanting to understand Agatha. He's curious. Hell, he didn't even need to come back for Agatha, he had gotten out (wherever out was for him) but he came back, because he cared about Agatha. And if some people can't see that, because he happens to be a he... well, no matter what had happened in the show, those people wouldn't see it any other way.

Agatha becoming a ghost, and immediately seeking Billy, because she loves him, and she likes the way he sees her, not good or innocent, but knowledgeable, and with the potential to do good. And she sees Nicky in him, and his potential too.

There is so much more analysis, and I might share more thoughts later, but for now, this is it. I still wanted more, Agatha's story with the Darkhold, the Salem seven, more of the coven, yet not necessarily for the show or the episodes to be longer, but I would love to see if they expand on this, on another spinoff.

[creampuffqueen]

I wanna hear more avatar headcanons! From the novels or just the avatars themselves! I loved reading your kavik and yangchen hcs 🥹🫶🏻

ahhh thank you!! i'm glad you like my random thoughts lol 🫶

here are a few more random thoughts i've been having that i just haven't quite made into posts yet (mostly yangvik because i love them but some other avatars as well):

yangchen is actually a terrible cook 💀 she's basically always had people taking care of her so she never really needed to learn! she can make a good cup of tea and that's about it. she regularly burns rice. she's also just generally bad at remembering to feed herself. kavik, who is a decent cook, is largely the only reason she remembers to eat

as for the other known avatars: kyoshi is by FAR the best cook. she's genuinely good at it. aang is a very close second. roku, kuruk, and wan are all average at it. korra has been banned from every kitchen in republic city

yangchen and kavik both strike me as people who really enjoy physical touch. they both really enjoy cuddling with each other, even before their relationship turns more romantic. acts of service is also a major love language for them

i also feel very strongly that they never used typical labels for their relationship. they usually referred to each other as their 'partner', occasionally 'lover', but most often just continued to use 'companion'. these vague labels frustrate scholars to no end, and today in the atla universe nobody can agree on the nature of their relationship. which is exactly how they wanted it lol, they were extremely private about their relationship

yangchen does have the iconic crooked smile that all the avatars share, but it only comes out when she's well and truly happy about something

her laugh is the same way. she has a very convincing fake laugh, as her real laugh is kind of 'ugly'. it's some kind of snorting, wheezing sound that kind of sounds like she's dying but is also absolutely adorable. yangchen hates it. kavik adores it, and will make an absolute fool of himself trying to hear it

yangchen is a massive, merciless flirt and takes great pleasure in seeing just how red she can make kavik's face turn. but on the rare occasion kavik gets enough confidence to flirt back, she turns into a total mess

pik and pak's favorite place to sleep is right on top of kavik's face

because of how hard she works herself, yangchen often falls asleep in the strangest places. if she's actually tired, she can fall asleep literally anywhere. it's simultaneously a superpower and a massive annoyance

a somewhat sad/bittersweet headcanon i have is that yangchen dies first. i've seen a lot of people saying that she lives to 150 but i can't find a source for that anywhere so i'm choosing to ignore it. yangchen has already watched too many loved ones die, she doesn't need to see kavik die before her as well. they both live very long lives, but kavik outlives her by a few years. after yangchen's death, he returns home to the northern water tribe

at one point, only a few months before his death, he is out for a walk when a little toddler wanders up to him all alone. he chats with him for a few minutes until the boy's parents find them and thank him for watching over their son. 'kuruk, what have we told you about wandering off like that?' the mother asks. the toddler waves goodbye, and kavik walks home feeling oddly contented. he never meets the boy again, and he dies well before kuruk is revealed as the avatar, but he feels a sense of peace from the interaction, knowing deep down that yangchen has made it safely back into the material world

when kavik dies, he wills his bone necklace to kuruk's family. they don't understand why until kuruk's sixteenth birthday. (SERIOUSLY THEIR NECKLACES LOOK ALMOST IDENTICAL ITS WILD)

that's all the thoughts i can scrape up off the top of my head, but i'm just generally thinking about avatar characters All The Time lmao. thank you for asking!!!

[theamityelf]

Hello, I really like your kamukura outbreak au, and so the post about izuru being interested in their differences caught my attention.

What IS their differences, weakness/strength wise? I like to imagine that makoto is surprisingly the best fighter (his luck ruins everyone's plans) (Speaking of does mahiru have a luck talent?) Izuru is an all rounder (he hates that fact for some reason), and nagito is the best cook when he wants to be due to his experiments (also the smartest, despite his hijinks) . Togami is physically the strongest.

This is a great question, and I think your proposed answers are also great. (I was mainly talking about differences in ways of thinking and personality, but this is also great to explore!)

First of all, you bring up a good point about luck, because I like to think luck, as in the metaphysical force that just kind of canonically exists in the Danganronpa universe, is different than luck as exhibited by Izuru Kamukura, just because the idea that Hope's Peak was able to brain surgery Luck into someone for some reason passes the limits of credibility for me. My thought is that Kamukura's "luck" is just a combination of Ultimate Clairvoyant talent and Ultimate Analyst talent, where subconsciously he'll just kind of know what to do in a lot of situations without having to process why he knows it.

The lucksters already have their actual luck and these talents. I feel like Nagito is able to use this to utilize his luck as an even more terrifying supernatural weapon than it already was. He masters the pattern and is able to expertly manage the circumstances he creates for himself to direct his luck where he wants it, and then he becomes more interested in trying to do the same with Makoto's luck.

Nagito's luck is almost like the group's taste of routine. They operate within his luck the way they operate within the weather; it's something that can be charted and predicted and, to an extent, harnessed. Makoto's luck is the group's taste of chaos. They simply never have any idea when or how it's going to kick in. Its effects are stimulating; Nagito is the main one actively trying to understand it. Izuru is lowkey studying it, but he isn't making as big a deal about it as Nagito is. And Makoto, Mahiru, and Byakuya aren't studying it at all.

The other Kamukuras don't have as much of a supernatural influence over luck, and since they all have the same talents, the differences there are mainly in how quickly/easily things come to them.

I'd say Mahiru is the quickest and best at spatial reasoning. Her original self was a photographer, so she has a great sense of spacing and movement and how objects interact with each other. Again, these skills used to be for timing photos, but now they make her great at mechanic work, engineering, lock-picking, etc.

Byakuya is the quickest and best at making good, efficient use of all his resources. The Ultimate Affluent Progeny, and the guy who (in another universe) saw a murder being covered up and thought "Okay, I have an extension cord, some dead classmates' handbooks...", is really good at keeping in mind everything at his disposal and intuitively knowing how to put all of it to good use. If Mahiru is the fastest at picking a lock, Byakuya is the fastest at figuring out what in this room can best be used as a lock pick. He can kill you with things you didn't even see on that table.

Izuru's superpower, kind of like you said, is his general competency. He's reliable. If there's anything you want done well, he's the one most likely to do that. It's partially a matter of his temperament– not as erratic as the others –and partially a matter of his perfectionism. Mahiru can probably fix a machine the fastest, but she might not care all that much about the machine's long-term performance. Nagito can probably figure out most puzzles fastest, but once he does, who's to say whether he'll find it more entertaining to confuse things rather than bring them to the most efficient and satisfying solution. Izuru gets things done, well. If he fixes your car, everything about your car is fixed.

And Makoto's social skills are the best. Well, not his social skills; Nagito is the friendliest and best at carrying a conversation. But Makoto cares deeply about others and making things easier and better for them, so while his actual charisma isn't on Nagito's level, he's endearing and people really like being around him. His willingness to solve any problem they have no matter how long it takes, and his tendency to say really insightful things in a soft, almost toneless voice, are really effective.

And there's some angst there, as far as his close friends from before missing the old Makoto but loving the new Makoto, and everyone he meets now just adoring him. I could see someone like Kyoko or Chihiro thinking that it's somewhat of a betrayal to old Makoto to be excited about all the things this new Makoto can do for them, thanks to the traumatic procedure that was done on him against his will.

Makoto from before was a great friend, but he wasn't someone who could and would stop what he was doing at any given time and rewire the electricity in your room. Makoto from before could help you deal with your problems or think positively about your problems; this Makoto can solve your problems and doesn't really care what happens to him in the process, except insofar as his loved ones would be affected by it. Old Makoto brought out the best in people; this Makoto might inadvertently reward a lot of vices just by being so willing to do and be what others want. (Fortunately, his arc is rediscovering his sense of self and manifesting boundaries.) I'm just saying, if someone wanted to start a cult around him, it wouldn't be hard.

But back to the Kamukuras and their differences, lol.

Their differences in body shape influence their respective fighting styles; the shorter ones are better at slipping through gaps and getting behind people, the taller ones are better at gaining leverage and subduing people.

[katerinaptrv]

What if in another universe Babe meets Charlie way earlier, while they were still orphans at the foundation, how what this change things?

I am writing this inspired by all the Pete/Way/Kenta past interactions speculations.

To those who saw Kiseki Dear To Me Ai Di/Chen Yii vibes, but without all the unrequited love misunderstanding part. Babe knows from the beginning Charlie is his mate even if he is too young to understand what that really means.

Babe is eleven and Charlie is six here, I totally made it up so it probably does not reflect how it is in canon.

A Different Start

Babe was living at the foundation for a few years now and he knew it was not the best place to live but at least he had a rough under his head, clothes, food and Tony would reward him with gifts and benefits if he worked hard in improving his abilities. 

He knew he was lucky to have known his superpower and that other kids were not much so, he could hear the cries of others in the rooms. It used to bother him a lot when he first moved but he learned to block them by now, he did not really interact with any of them since most kids are kept apart. Only the kids that do not know their abilities are put together sometimes to see if they trigger each other's power.

That would all change that day, his acceptance of this situation, his indifference for the others,  he just didn’t not know it yet, an core event that would lead to a chain reaction that would completely change the direction his life was heading towards. In another universe this event only happens in later in his life, but in this one, one of Tony’s employees is to slow in leading on of the crying children back to their room and Babe path crosses with one of them, but this was just not any kid, and while he usually look forward and ignore it when that happened this time was different.

The smell makes him stop, in a house full of Alpha retching smell everywhere or sometimes omegas sickening sweet ones, this one was just so good and drowned all the others. Once the sense was on, the others came back in and he heard the piercing cry of the child screaming like there was no tomorrow. It hurt his ears. He turned to look at it and realized the smell came from him. He was a small child who could not have been more than 5 or 6 years old.

The child full of tears turned to look at him and then his alpha was right awake and roared clearly in his head: Yours, protect. Babe did not know what that was about, his alpha did not talk much with him until this day but he was told to always listen to his instincts.

- I’m Babe. What 's your name?

- Charlie.

- Why are you crying?

- I don’t want to go back to my room, I don't want to be locked in there again.

He could see that Tony’s guards were lost in what to do in this situation, Babe was known to be Tony’s favorite and that did allow him to have some perks that other children did not.

The commotion got Tony’s attention and he approached the children, suddenly having an idea he asked Tony.

- Dad, you told me I could ask for something for my hard work on training, I want him.

He could see Tony was intrigued in his sudden interest in another child, one so much younger than him at that.

- I don’t know Babe, Charlie is an orphan at the foundation and a very misbehaved one.

He knew exactly what Tony meant by that, he meant that Charlie had not displayed any powers yet and was most likely being punished for it like the other children in this situation and right there he knew exactly what to say to convince Tony.

- Maybe I can help him be better behaved.

Tony was indeed very intrigued to his favorite most powerful adopted special Alpha sudden interest on this child, Babe did have heightened senses, maybe he sensed something in the other Tony did not, so he decides to play along and see what happens. 

So, that day Charlie was moved to live in Babe’s room with him and that changed everything.

[ohnoitstbskyen]

Would I be able to ask what is your opinion and thoughts of representations of Plurality (DID, OSDD, Etc.) in media?

I feel like people like us are both severely underrepresented and severely misrepresented in a negative light and are often used as a narrative device to do "oh wow this person is secretly evil half the time because ooooh scary second personality!".

I just highly respect all of your analyses and wanted to see if you've collected any thoughts on this!

Also as an after note (even if you don't reply to this) I wanted to thank you for all of your work on Youtube and various platforms, it's very nice to have someone who examines different media in a positive way with an open mind! It makes me (a transfem disabled person) very happy and makes me feel like there's a safe space even for someone like me in the league community.

I don't know enough about plurality as a set of psychological diagnoses or experiences to feel comfortable framing any kind of authoritative opinion on it. I defer to the opinions of people who either have lived experience or have done more substantial research.

But if you're asking, and you want me to express my best understanding, I'll give it a shot.

My opinions on it aren't especially deep or insightful, I think. As you say, in character design it has this really unfortunate Jekyll and Hyde baggage which is difficult to dismantle and which you always struggle against when trying to tell stories about it. Most people's point of reference for DID would probably be something like the Gollum/Sméagol system, or horror movies like that M. Night Shyamalan film Split. It is habitually treated as essentially a kind of demonic possession, and conflated with what I would consider very Christian ideas of sin and virtue.

Even on the positive end, I believe it tends to get exoticized, where a character might have several distinct personalities each of whom has distinct sets of superpowers or abilities, which... I mean I guess it's nice to frame it as a form of empowerment and something positive rather than horrifying? But it still kinda reinforces this idea that DID is some sort of magic, or a fantastical condition, like being bitten by a radioactive spider or transformed by alien space rays. I feel like it still sort of dehumanizes the condition, turns it into something other than just another way to go through the human experience.

And I don't know how you untangle those things - Jekyll and Hyde and its derivative narratives are compelling because the experience of not being in control of your own worst impulses is a near universal human experience. The experience of wearing multiple masks and faces in multiple different situations and grappling with existential questions of selfhood between them is a universal human experience.

So that's probably a kind of story that we're going to keep telling, it is a human need to express human experiences. But telling those stories shouldn't tar the experiences or nature of plural people by association, it shouldn't be necessary to exoticize or demonize these things to frame a compelling narrative about them.

What exactly the positive middle-ground between these things looks like, I don't know - again, I really don't feel like I have a strong enough foundation of knowledge to speak with authority, but a good place to start is probably with plural people creating stories about their experiences, and the rest of us taking our cues from that.

(Idly, if anyone has a book or comic recommendation for a story that does plurality well, do let me know in the replies.)

[p-receh]

I agree with everything non said but i think they missed a few points.

Its not that no creator can make anything perfect (while yes that is true since we're all human)

But its more of what the medium and genre the creator is trying to portray/show

You can't tell a horror/gorey themed and focused show to be more child friendly, that breaks the whole purpose.

Similar to how you can't tell a child friendly show to have heavy topics/themes that are 18+

People think that children should be exposed to those things to learn and while yea i agree to some extant, those same people seem to not realize the impact it could have to those childrens mental development.

But that topic is not the vocal point of this.

What i am trying to address is creators focused genre (you made a great point in the notes of monsta PSU universe being catered to specific audiences)

It is obvious, so so obvious that bbb is supposed to be a comedic feel good show, and that fact is actually part of its charm. Its why people remember so fondly about the old bbb series

And monsta has a story to tell, they gave a story that focused more on chatacters relationships and humor (og bbb series).

People wanted a more plot driven nerative and when it was given (galaxy series).

People are now upset because they want a character focused nerative and when that was also given an attempt (Fang's and Hang kasa's backstories)

People are now complaining its not enough and it should've been in the show not in comics

People are now complaining your show is boring, doesn't have depth, too child friendly, too many ads, and it should be this or that

People want more

And more

And more

Season 2 is already set in stone. We already know the story its going to tell. Yet theres still complaints it should go in a different directio- oh no wait you have to stay FAITHFUL to the comics. Do it exactly like in the comics but add this and that

These are people.

Stop treating them like workers and act as if people know best or they are now the boss.

Critics are fine, no show is perfect. But the moment it shift from "hey this is great, sadly it seems to be too A and B. Maybe you can...." and changes to "stop doing this and start doing this and this and that"

Thats a problem.

This is in no way directed to you or the anon, take your time with your AU, i do have a question. Do any of the power spheres still exist in your AU?

Another anon! Yes you

ARE

RIGHT!

'But you don't understand! Why they not incorporated some of the scene from this issue!

'Why they make it too childish? Isn't this a bit weird for the future series?

'Why they put too many ads? One is enough right?

'Why they still kept Papa Zola? Where's the action?!

'Is Monsta now discrediting the Kokotaim gang with this issue? Why only Fang got his background character development?!

'Why—

Why this and that did not matter when it's already been published publicly. Have you noticed how many times Monsta correcting their mistakes in the past for make this series a better show to please everyone? Rebranding their logo, reorganize how each chapters work and sensible? Boldly to make a deeper story and in depth situations from a simple show with just a basic troupe : 'a child that has superpowered friendly assistant for an adventure' ? We got lots of show with that btw, Doraemon and Pokémon being one of biggest example.

Uuuuuuurh I got carried away.

Some complaints are valid not gonna lie, but at the same time, it makes no sense when people wanting this and that, and this, and that.

In the end they want what they see and demand to do the same. And worse made a petition to authors for begging something what the fans want, not what the creators think.

It's... It's really unhealthy...

Like I said, Monsta did great job to expand from one series into other for catering different target audience. But they still linked into one grand show for a family show.

And as I said before, Monsta tried to use a marketing strategy that's different from the usual one for different demographic target area.

Risky for sure but hey, you cannot apply everything from every country culture to yours anyway.

Aside from that.

Oh oooooooooooooooooooh you're the anon that asking me about the power sphere! Innalillahi I forgot to answer you! I'm very sorry, anon! T^T

Where's the power spheres in this AU you ask?

Hmmm...

"it doesn't make sense...! You promised to keep power sphere save! People trust us! We trust you!"

"HHA HA HA! What I did, young man, is only to gather and reinvent of what my people stupidly use in that sizable sphere."

"What...?"

"Oh you don't know? Such a shame, your kind are using it worse than ours, don't you think?"

"Hey don't you dare—!"

"Do you?! With all the proof I gave to you, you are still defend it?!

I had hopes from you, _____..."

😉

[amadwinter]

✨✨✨✨🫱Care to share🫲✨✨✨✨

The message was sent to you because someone loved your writing and stories. ❤️

▪️What are your writing suggestions for newcomers, or what would you have liked to know when you first started?

▪️How do you write different personalities and perspectives? Could you explain how you came up with the manner you written your favorite or any character?

▪️What do you do when you have writer's block?

▪️How do you come up with new ideas and develop them?

▪️Any messages for your readers or fellow writers?

You are welcome to answer if you have the time and desire, or you can simply respond to the questions that come to mind.

💐Thank you for your work as a writer and as a member of this fandom!💐

🧡🧡🧡 Gosh thank you anon! It really made me smile to receive this.

That's a long list of questions, but I'll try my best to answer them all.

What are your writing suggestions for newcomers, or what would you have liked to know when you first started?

It doesn't need to be perfect. In fact, aiming for perfection is an exhausting endeavor. Whether it's characterization, canonical details, length, description... Just do your best. And push yourself a little beyond what you think your limits are on occasion. Your first attempt may not end up how you want it, but you'll get better the more you write.

How do you write different personalities and perspectives? Could you explain how you came up with the manner you written your favorite or any character?

I really like finding out what makes a character tick. Why do they think like they think, how do they see the world, how do they see themselves. I find the broad parts that I can personally identify with, and draw upon my own emotions and experiences to put myself in the mindset of that character.

Like Anakin Skywalker is a temperamental fascist with superpowers who used to be a slave. I can't really identify with any of those things. But fear? Anger? Loneliness? Grief? Yeah, I can get those. I can also understand the panic when it feels like your emotions are crushing you and you can't get out from under their weight and all you want to do is scream out to the universe but you don't think anyone will hear you.

It's funny, because I think I'm better at writing Anakin's POV, yet I relate far more to Obi-Wan temperamentally than I do Anakin. Something something it's easier to put yourself in someone else's shoes than look into a mirror.

What do you do when you have writer's block?

Scream? Okay but no really what I do is I open up my document and just try to plug away at it. Sometimes I'm successful, sometimes I'm not. But I know that if I never even try, I will never be successful. Sometimes, I'll move onto a different project for a time and see if I have success there. But if I stay away from a project for too long, it gathers dust and I feel terrible about it (RIP my current WIPs).

It really helps that at any given time, I'm balancing a few different fics at once. And sometimes it hurts.

How do you come up with new ideas and develop them?

Ideas come randomly and frequently, from watching TV or movies, reading, things seen online, or just life. But I write them all down, even if nothing ever comes of them. Writing them down is important, because they may not be anything now, but they can grow into something over time.

I toss and turn these ideas over in my brain, and when I think I've got a good one, I open up a blank document and start jotting down all the relevant thoughts in my brain and working them into an outline. It might take some time for it all to come together, or I might get sudden, intense inspiration and it all comes out at once. It really depends on the idea.

Any messages for your readers or fellow writers?

I love the Obikin fandom. I've never been into a fandom as deeply before, and I don't know if I will ever be into another like this after. We're not without our issues, but looking upon other fandoms (or even other ships within Star Wars), we've got it pretty good, all things considered.

I'm here because of what I love, and I'm glad to have met others who share similar sentiments. I'm also really glad that I can pay it forward by running an event (with my bestest best co-mod).

I published 30 Obikin fics last year. I can't wait to find out how much I'll write this year :)

[cienie-isengardu]

Hi! I love your blog and particularly your Anakin/Vader meta stuff! I have a (imo) fun question for you: what would a team up between Batman and Vader look like? How would they regard each other? I’m imagining them forced to help each other rescue their kids or something, lol. I was inspired by your posts from the comics and then the meta about Vader and his relationship with stormtroopers vs officers.

Cheers!

Thank you! ♥️

Oh that is an intriguing but also tough question to which I feel the answer will depend a lot on the setting. Going with the rescue kid scenario, Batman thrown into the Star Wars universe or Vader into Gotham build totally different circumstances.

Both characters have their specific modus operandi that may easily clash and both are difficult to work with to begin with, but I feel that Vader thrown into Gotham would be easier to cooperate with as he has zero interest in taking over the city. The major problem will be to pursue Vader to not kill everyone that threatened Luke’s life but beyond that the city and its citizens have not much to offer. Earth technology is pretty outdated compared to star wars reality and even if some weapon was a marvelous exception, Vader has little regard for technological terror, as was seen with the Death Star. He may be interested in magic and superpowers as I believe this could be the closest thing to his understanding of the Force but without the Emperor around and with no one to butt into his family relationship, the trip to Gotham could be actually quite refreshing experiences. Vader on his own, without Empire to worry about, Palpatine’s spies lurking in the shadows, rebellion to eliminate or political rivals to kill? Yeah, sounds like a dreamy holiday and a good opportunity to connect with his son. 

(Anyone remember “Savage Heart” comics in which Vader spent some time in the wilderness and along the way became leader of an animal predator pack? I kinda feel like being in Gotham could be similar in regard to evoking “family” emotions in him, just him and the little group he is bound to protect.)

If Luke’s life was in danger, there was no Palpatine to use his fatherly feelings against him - and even if there were stormtroopers/members of 501st Legion accompanying him, leaving them behind to deal with the matter at hand alone fits perfectly Vader’s operating methods. In that scenario, with Vader being on totally unknown (neutral) land and free to openly do things he normally couldn’t due to his Sith apprentice status and obligations to Empire, I think Vader could be more likely to humor Batman (and Luke) about their cooperation. Of course, the inevitable clash between them would come down to the no killing rule of Batman because Vader is the pragmatic type that has no hesitation about eliminating enemies for good. Dead enemies can’t hurt you and leaving madmans like Joker alive is asking for trouble and this is one thing I don’t think Batman and Vader will agree anytime soon (though a part of Anakin may be impressed by Bruce’s indomitable resolution and iron will to not break this rule even when Batman lost so much already, especially when he lost a son - Jason - because of Joker. At the same time, Red Hood is definitely on board about killing the villains so I guess Batman is going to be pretty busy with keeping Vader AND his wayward son from reducing Gotham underground into ash. And in general, Luke and Jason and their difficult relationship with fathers wouldn’t be an interesting part of Bruce and Anakin’s teamwork?)

At the same time, there are a lot of things Vader could be impressed about Batman. The skills of a “powerless” human who dedicated all his life to self-improvement and who is capable of going head to head with metahumans. The iron will and stubbornness that keep Batman pushing beyond his limits to finish the “mission”. The smartness and genius mind. The dedication to fight crime even - especially if - it is against the best interest of corrupted politicians. Because this is what Jedi should be; this is what Anakin hoped Jedi would be when he dreamed about being one of them. Batman is the type of superhero who goes against criminals and those in power alike and is not afraid of breaking the comfortable status quo. And Vader likes hard-working, thinking outside the box, dedicated and capable people. Batman on another hand, without any Empire or Rebellion around wouldn’t know what Sith is and what a true evil he is capable of, so unless Luke fills gaps in his knowledge or Vader went on full dark side rampage, there is a chance he would give Vader a small benefit of doubt. As in, the dangerous man is here truly to save his estranged son and be off once the boy is safe and sound without causing unnecessary chaos and death. Though seeing Vader in fight may be an additional reason to send him back as fast as possible to whatever reality he came from.  

Of course, working with Batman or Vader is not an easy task as both are pretty stubborn, brilliant yet very difficult men but also both are capable of working “with the enemy” if the situation calls for truce. I personally think that if not openly challenged, they could actually find a common ground relatively easy.  Because whatever people think about Vader, he can be pretty cool-headed and cunning without brutality - he just prefers to deal with things in less complicated fashion (and who can blame him with a master like Palpatine who loves scheming and psychologically messing up people?) And really, despite the rigid moral rules Batman follows, he is pretty respected even among villains and the secret agency/agents. Over the years he built a specific “understanding” with some of them, like Ra's al Ghul, classic Amanda Waller, the head of Suicide Squad (or Predators) so I think this isn’t far stretching idea that given a time and opportunity, Batman and Vader would fall into similar category of mutual respect, as Vader is closer to the type of villains capable of truly respecting certain people than to obsessive madmen like Joker. 

Which is why I think Vader and Luke showing in Gotham is the easier scenario. However Batman (and any of his kids) thrown into the Star Wars universe creates additional complications whose level will increase the closer to Coruscant they showed up. For one, here Vader is tied to his duties to the Empire and thus under Darth Sidious’s watchful control. Which I believe wouldn’t allow Vader to openly team up with Batman because a) Bruce would quickly figure out Empire is the corrupt government that should be taken down or at least fight against and b) saving Luke is Vader’s personal goal that isn’t exactly safe for him, because again, Palpatine has his own plans in regard to young Skywalker and Vader is treading on thin ice between loyalty to Empire and sabotaging his master. 

So to team up with Batman to save Luke, Vader would need to use all the cunning skills and his trusted agents he possesses to not draw Palpatine’s unnecessary attention to himself. Of course, the farest from Coruscant, the easier to do so, but if Batman landed on Coruscant and started there causing problems for Imperials (and well, he would, wouldn’t he?) then catching Bruce and actually making a deal with him without Sidious’ knowledge would be pretty challenging. Batman could easily be seen as a rebel agent albeit I think his no killing rule is enough distinct trademark to catch Vader’s attention - attacking imperial soldiers and/or successfully stopping imperial operations without killing any trooper in the process is not the typical rebels’ modus operandi (and I’m not saying it as criticism toward Rebels, just stating a fact). Which gives Vader an interesting angle to seek said “enemy” and figure out how to use it for his own purpose (saving Luke). Anakin could be dispatched by Palpatine to deal with an annoying problem or Batman’s tactic could simply have caught Vader’s attention and I guess in the case of those two running into each other, an interesting battle of skills and wits would follow as in sw universe Batman has better understanding of Empire’s inhuman crimes thus a solid reason to not trust Dark Lord of the Sith on his trail. So as much as siding with Rebels feels the natural outcome, Batman’s no killing rule always included even the worst villains so he is not one to assassinate / make a coup on imperial high ranking officers. And well, wouldn’t it be funny if Batman became a target for both Empire and Rebels, as he is not there to kill anyone or let anyone to die on his watch and get into both sides’ operations on daily basis and no one have a fucking clue who this man is and what is his problem?

(Also, how far Batman goes with the no killing rule when dealing with the Empire? In Gotham there are possibilities to keep the worst villains under sort of control and sure Arkham Asylum isn’t the 100% safe place for that as serial killers / seriously mentally ill people managed to escape from there but it provides an alternative to sentencing someone to death. Meanwhile in the Star Wars universe defeating Imperial officers does not remove them from the rank and it is not like Batman can abduct them and put them in prison as the Empire's hold on the galaxy is tight. Would he stop a rebel attack to save Vader if he was meant to die in said attack? I kind of think Vader in Gotham would feel much better than Batman on Coruscant or any planet under imperial occupation.)  

At the same time, if Vader knew Bruce’s kid(s) was kept in imperial custody or alternatively, he was the one holding Batman’s family to force him to save Luke from imperials/bounty hunters/whoever else - and Batman as the unpredictable, unaffiliated agent is a good choice to bring enough chaos to keep Vader out of Palpatine’s radar -  the deal could go in both ways. On one hand, Vader changed his deal with Lando in TESB and was willing to kill Boba Fett in Enemy of the Empire (though once there wasn’t reason to fight over he did not bother to kill Fett anymore), on another the tie-in material provides many examples that he can respect his agreements and the let you alive after job done right is in fact a real option. Frankly, Vader has a very straightforward attitude when it comes to making a deals, as he openly states he may kill you if he won’t be satisfied with the outcome, as was seen with Dengar in Payback from Tales of the Bounty Hunter:

Dengar raised his hands in surrender, leaned back to the wall of his cell. The constriction released. "If you're going to kill me, get it over with! I've got nothing to lose!" Dengar shouted. "But I won't make it fun for you!"

"I'm not the Emperor," Vader said ominously. "I don't kill for amusement, only when it serves my purposes."

Dengar smiled. "Well, then we have something in common."

"It appears that we have more than one thing in common" Vader said, "we both want Han Solo?

"Unfortunately," he continued, "I have an Imperial Death warrant against you. I cannot revoke that warrant, but I am willing to consider a reprieve."

"Under what conditions?" Dengar asked.

"I will let you live, to hunt for Han Solo. Once you find him, you bring him and his friends back to me, alive. After that, if I am well pleased, I may spare you. But if I am not pleased by your performance, I will give you time to run. Then my hunt begins."

Darth Vader threw Dengar a blaster, just as Dengar had given one to Kritkeen. Vader's meaning was clear. If Dengar failed in this hunt, Darth Vader would become the hunter. The monster who had destroyed the Jedi Knights would be on Dengar's tail. Dengar licked his lips, thinking that if Vader hunted him, Dengar would at least show a good accounting of himself. (Tales of the Bounty Hunters)

or that death may happen, eventually anyway as Vader said to Nas Ghent (it’s not the Emperor’s attention you’ve earned — it’s mine. I’m not here to kill you, though I might… eventually.)

Working for Vader was a hazardous job. Some offered their service to the Dark Lord of the Sith ‘freely’, in return getting protection for others, like Jix Wrenga or Wyl Tarson did. Some were spared even though they ultimately betrayed Vader like clone veteran Hock Malsuum or captain Luca did and were still left alive. So even if Batman and Vader at some point decided to outsmart each other - and I think the betrayal would be a matter of time as both characters are pretty stubborn about their beliefs and bringing order to the galaxy is definitely not the same as equal justice for everyone - they still could part on relatively good terms. Especially if Batman bothered to save Vader or his men at some point, as Vader takes deeds like that into account. 

So, in general, I imagine teamwork between Batman and Vader as an interesting if not an intensive experience, mainly for the clash about no killing rule and in general extreme different morality of those two, but also both care a great deal about their families so in the right circumstances begrudgingly they may join forces to solve their common problem. The fact that both are the serious, no-nonsense type of characters probably will help a lot but like I said, the shape of their interaction will depend on the universe in which they met. Gotham for Vader is like a nice vacation because there is no Palpatine to worry about for a while and he may be in enough good humor to not kill people on the right and left (to Batman and Luke’s approval). Meanwhile, the Star Wars universe seems like a politically ruthless game for survival that may put Vader and Batman on collision in a more direct way than the first scenario and thus backstabbing and using others as a tool to do dangerous bidding is more likely to follow. Not necessary enough for Vader to try kill Batman on purpose (because again, once there is no more reason to fight, Vader is not always interested in his “enemy's" death) but for sure to treat the other man as potential danger to his own well-being. The Star Wars universe - and its residents - is just a much darker place than Gotham City, or so I think.

[moniecraft]

Navigating the Online World: Your Digital Skills Guide

Welcome aboard the digital journey! In this blog post, we're breaking down why having digital skills is like having a superpower in today's online universe. Let's keep it simple and explore how mastering these skills can open doors to exciting opportunities.

Digital Basics: Your Online Compass

Think of digital skills as your compass for the internet. Just like you wouldn't go on a road trip without directions, navigating the online world without digital literacy can feel a bit lost. So, start with the basics – understanding how to use the internet, navigating websites, and being comfortable with digital tools.

Digital Skills for Everyday Win

1. Work Wonders:

Digital skills are like secret tools that can boost your career. From managing spreadsheets to creating eye-catching presentations, being tech-savvy is a game-changer at work.

2. Side Hustle Magic:

Ever thought about starting your own thing? With digital skills, you can! Whether it's selling handmade crafts online or offering freelance services, your skills can turn hobbies into a side hustle.

3. Connect Anywhere:

The world is your oyster when you can connect with anyone, anywhere. Digital skills make it easy to communicate, collaborate, and share ideas, whether you're working with a team or chatting with friends around the globe.

Showcasing You Online

1. Online You 101:

Want to stand out online? Digital skills help you create a digital version of yourself that shines. From setting up a simple website to making your social media pop, you can showcase your talents for the world to see.

2. Share Your Story:

Love making videos or writing? With digital skills, you can share your passion on platforms like YouTube or Instagram. It's like having your own stage to tell your story.

Learn as You Go

The cool thing about the online world? There's always something new to discover! Use the internet's superpower of endless knowledge to learn new things. Online courses, YouTube tutorials, and blogs are your best friends for learning on the go.

Conclusion: Your Digital Adventure Awaits

So, there you have it – your guide to navigating the online world with digital skills. It's like having a trusty map for your digital journey. Embrace the basics, use your skills for work and play, showcase the awesome you online, and keep learning. The online world is full of possibilities – happy exploring! 🌐✨

[skylarmoon71]

Savitar (Flash) : Fanfiction - Chapter 9

“This is (Y/N). My cousin. (Y/N) these are my friends and coworkers. There’s Hank, Wu, Rosalee, Monroe and Captain Renard.”

You smile, giving them all a little greeting.

“You missed Adalind. Kelly decided to go to work with his mother today.”

“That’s fine. I still can’t believe you have a son. It’s so great.”

There’s a little girl on the couch smiling.

“This is Diana, my daughter.” Renard states. You smile at the girl, and she walks over.

“Nice to meet you Ms. (Y/N).”

“Nice to meet you too. Oh my goodness you’re so beautiful.” 

Her smile gets brighter as she does a little twirl. Her eyes move to Savitar. He’s been doing his best to go unnoticed. You realize it’s a bit selfish to be dragging him around and putting him in these situations, but you really want him to open up. Even if it’s just a little.

Diana walks over to Savitar. Her eyes are fixated on his scar and Renard raises his hand to gesture her back.

“Diana, it's impolite to stare.”

Savitar looks down at her.

“Are you sad?” She asks.

He’s not sure how to answer the question. Sad wasn’t the word he would use. She’s looking at him so earnestly and when he kneels to her height, you’re a bit impressed.

“I’m not sure.”

That’s probably the most honest he’s been.

Everyone is a bit silent. Diana reaches her hand out, placing it on his right cheek. He doesn’t understand why the gesture calms him so much. She smiles.

“Don’t worry, Ms. (Y/N) loves you too.”

Her statement makes your eyes widen, and Savitar swallows, looking up at you. Diana pulls her hand away, moving back to Renard and he picks her up.

“You can’t just go around touching people okay. Always ask for permission.” She nods.

“Sorry Daddy, I will. “ She looks at Savitar.

“I’m sorry Mister.”

He stands upright.

“It’s alright Diana. Thank you.” He gives her a smile.

“I’m going to step outside. It was nice meeting all of you.” That’s what he says as he turns his back. The door closes behind him and you’re not sure what to say.

“Well, that was a bit strange. Even by our standards.” Wu states. You’re not sure what he means by that, but you’re a bit concerned about Savitar.

“Would you excuse me, I’m going to check on him.” Nick nods.

“Of course, we'll be here.”

You head on after him and Renard looks at Diana.

“Did you see something Diana?”

She nods.

“Mhmm, he has superpowers that make him really fast. It also made him very sad.”

They aren’t sure what to make of the statement.

“Great, I hope he’s not another big bad.” Monroe says. Rosalee just runs a hand down his shoulder.

“We’ll be fine. We’ve survived much worse.”

Boy did they know it.

~

Savitar had taken a seat on the steps of the porch, eyes fixed on the sky.

“Hey, need company?”

He glances in your direction, then looks down. You sit. Although you’d formulated an entire speech in your mind, it feels useless now. What can you really say? It feels a bit difficult to articulate the right words. Especially after what Diana said. You’ve been trying your best to be a good friend. To help him. Regardless of the feelings you have. He needs guidance right now.

“I don’t expect anything from you Savitar.” You finally get yourself to say it.

“We’re both in an awkward position. The only thing that I want right now is your happiness. Not hurt or pain or a need for revenge. When you look at Barry or Iris or even Team Flash, I want you to be okay. With them, with me.”

You hope that you get your point across. He finally turns to you, truly looks at you. Those eyes, they do something to you. It’s not pity, or hate or even anger. You can’t explain what it is. Because it’s not something you’re used to.

“Were you aware that in other universes, Barry Allen doesn’t end up with Iris West.”

That’s not what you expect him to say.

“I..I don’t follow…”

His hand slides over, and when he places it lightly over yours, you’re a bit distracted.

“On earth 2, Barry Allen is in fact married to Iris West. It’s fate. We’re destined to flock to that love. But there are so many universes. Iris West isn’t just one individual being. There are many different versions of Iris West for Barry Allen. Various names, faces, identities. There’s a universe out there where Barry finds his personal version of love. His lightning rod. My lightning rod. “

You aren’t sure what to say.

“I guess I just hope that someday I’ll figure out who that person is for me.”

His hand tightens just a little over yours, and you find yourself unable to properly breathe.

The door behind you opens.

“O-Oh, my bad. Nick was just getting a little worried. I’ll leave you two alone.” Monroe ramblings awkwardly, closing the door and Savitar pulls away, standing up. He looks down at you, extending a hand.

“Let’s get back in there.”

You just nod bashfully as you stand, taking his hand. 

[writingmochi]

lissie love ~

i apologize for my absence, i have been resting well these past few days…

oh no, i am sorry to hear that social media has such a strong effect on you… i know that there are so many platforms and so many people. it is almost overwhelming, seeing that humans as creatures are not meant to interact with so many people at once…

that is actually very clever on your part. there is a reason for everything ~

i agree wholeheartedly. it works very similarly in both cases. and that is an interesting quote, worded somewhat quirkily, but true nonetheless. everyone has that interest where they dedicate themselves entirely and i think it is rather neat that way. we all share that in some small way ~

it is especially true in k-pop, considering how complicated the lore can get these days. i myself am still not very good at understanding k-pop lore… the stories get too complicated for me and i need it explained secondhand to truly grasp it… do you have a favorite storyline from a k-pop group?

signed, 🩻

lissie: i'm sorry for the late reply, x-ray!

yeah... i've spoken about this with smiles when i did my anon reveal so I'll try reiterate it here. since i used social media from when i was 6 years old (my mom made me a facebook page so i could play games), it's been a part of my life that just makes me sick, especially with the so-called "innovation" that is just tech companies copying each other. i tried to erase my real identity from the internet as best as i could and let my internet persona/brand flourish instead. reasons as to why can be summarized into: i'm tired of seeing too much information and i don't wanna compare myself to others. building boundaries and quitting some social media that i use helps me to heal in a way...

aww thanks for that actually! i'll try my best to structure my stories in the most optimal way!

about the "everyone is a nerd of something" comment, i just think that it is much more fascinating when you try to plunge into the fandom yourself. but in order to do that, you have to have an open mindset too of course before you decide if you wanna join or not. i used to be in toxic fandoms before usually in kpop fandoms and i realizes that i like my position better as a casual listener sometimes fan in certain situations, like me with txt in a way where i don't follow each of their activities, watch their vlogs, etc and just be there for the music, to do, and live performance if it's worth it for me to go

i thought about it that way because i used to have a parasocial relationship with kpop idols (i think i still have the residue of it too right now) but it is not as strong as years ago because, ngl, i'm sick of being known as the kpop girl. and at the right time, kpop is introduced to a younger audience who, i'm sorry to say this, is much more susceptible to the toxicity of both the fandom sphere and the internet (possessiveness, parasocial relationship, ddos attacks, defensive behavior that might be too much, etc). because of that, i realized it is my time to actually venture out of the kpop bubble and ignite more interests. that's why i've been most attracted to geeky stuff like dungeons and dragons, indie video games, and even cinema where i found out about festival films that are much more exciting than blockbusters playing in the theater.

i would say that my favorite kpop storyline as of recently is ateez's. i like how creative it is with the theme of struggling people turned musical pirates turned revolutionary anarchists with the theme of music being the thing that set them free. for clean storytelling, i would also say bts hyyh storyline that spans from 2015-2019-ish i forgot. it's the first "mainstream" kpop storyline because, before them, most groups have an interesting concept that doesn't have any storyline (exo with superpowers and b.a.p as aliens coming to earth) and bts universe is pretty grounded if you remove the time travelling stuff. loona's lore is another one that i love because it connects member's concept and sound, subunits' concept and sound, and then the whole group's and its combination. other notable ones are onf, billlie, and nct 2018 & 2020

kpop lore is a double-edged sword in my opinion. you could make it right and make it connected to the group concept and each of their releases while sometimes you might do it too much that it actually turns people off. for this i use ateez and enhypen as examples. i always think that ateez's pirate/anarchist concept is blend so much into the branding of ateez like music video, merch, promotion, and it blends in well that it lets the group experiment with genres that could be implemented into the concept. while in enhypen's case, i think the addition of the storyline is too jarring in a way. we knew they're orphaned/runaway vampires based on given-taken but then why did they go to supernatural school for drunk-dazed and tamed-dashed to then abandoned that to make them be a rebellious vampire group for blessed-cursed and future perfect before returning back to their more vampiric twilight-esque concept for bite me? it doesn't flow well at all if we compare it to ateez's treasure, fever, and the world series

other than that, the concept of enhypen's storyline is not as blurry as ateez because the company is making intellectual property out of this. that makes it feel disconnected from the group instead of making the group inherit it. enhypen doesn't fully capitalized on the vampire concept because hybe is too ambitious by making ips out of their groups (bts with hyyh n chako, txt with star seekers, enhypen and &team with dark blood, le sserafim with crimson heart). i now know that hybe sees their groups as cash cows while kq sees ateez as an investment. also, you don't hear people utter the words "enhypen is the vampires of kpop" like how people say "ateez is the pirates of kpop"...

[thegirlwiththeblush]

My One Constant

Kate Bishop x Female Reader

 Word Count: 2.4k

Shared prompt with @vorsdany​

Summary: Told from Kate’s perspective and taking place in the family Christmas scene in Hawkeye episode 6, Clint forces her to confront feelings. 

a/n: I’m sorry for how terrible and cheesy and self-indulgent this is, I quite literally have a toothache and I’m not sure if it’s from writing this or all the energy drinks and candy I’m consuming.

Paulo Coelho once said, “Life is the train, not the station.” I think my life is prime evidence for this.

I’ve stopped by many varying but equally shocking ‘stations’ over time. Witnessing a herd of cybernetically enhanced beings invading earth and taking my father’s life. Discovering my mother was working under a crime lord to pay off family debts. Training under the world’s greatest archer, who I had previously believed had saved the world, only to learn I’d heard the twisted version of the story.

Needless to say, my life has been far from predictable, and wildly inconstant.

Now, I’m not saying this to sound like a huge downer. These events only serve to make me more grateful for the one thing that hasn’t ever changed: my best friend.  

I’ve known my best friend since childhood; she knows absolutely everything about me, even the most shameful qualities, and has stayed close in spite of it. Living in a universe like this one, with superpowered and supernatural beings, I’m always half expecting her to get unjustly murdered or possessed or something of the sort. But somehow, I’ve been lucky enough to keep hold of her all this time. She’s been with me through good and bad, thick and thin, and I’d give my own life to keep her safe.

So I’m sure you can understand why I’ve begun to develop feelings for her.

Having worked with Clint so much lately, he’s heard everything there is to know about my best friend. He may as well have met her already with how much I go on about her, and he’s definitely figured out about my crush. I know he gets kind of bored with my rambling, but occasionally, I swear I could see a hint of an amused smile pinching at his mouth. The only input he ever has for me is the obvious point that I should discuss my feelings with her, but of course, I always shyly but loudly disregard him. I don’t want to risk losing our friendship, the one constant, but Clint doesn’t seem to understand this. How could he? His life is all taken up by his wife, and kids, and superheroes and villains, and trauma, and all that fun stuff.

He’s invited me to his family home for Christmas, which means a lot, considering I have no real family to spend the holiday with now. He tells me I should invite her; her family are difficult to get along with, and she’s mentioned on multiple occasions that she’d rather spend the day away from them. I’m still torn. What if she feels awkward and unwelcome, and associates me with those feelings? What if she figures out that I’m attracted to her and leaves abruptly? There are so many worst-case scenarios, and the chances of avoiding them seem so slim.

But my growing addiction to her presence forces me to ask her anyway.

I pass on the invitation during our weekly catch-up in town, while we’re seated in a cozy café. The radiant smile she responds with warms my insides, despite the wintry chill passing through my coat. She puts her mug of hot chocolate to stand and embrace me tightly, and the somewhat unnecessary affection fills my stomach with butterflies. I bite back a nervous laugh as she sits back down and heartily agrees to come.

“I’ve heard so much about this Barton guy,” she adds, “it only seems fitting that I finally meet him!”

“I don’t talk about him that much,” I protest in vain.

“Kate, you’re practically in love with him,” she retorts with a giggle.  

I have to laugh along with her nervously before my expression reveals too much. If only she knew how much Clint knew of her.

On Christmas morning, I spend far too long deciding what to wear. I berate myself inwardly for acting like a middle school girl with a crush, before picking out a fairly plain but tidy red and black open sweater, over a black shirt tucked into jeans. Sometimes ‘simple’ goes a lot further than overdressing.  

Listen to me, talking like I understand fashion.

After a certain getaway incident with Clint, I don’t trust myself near the steering wheel of any car, so I entrust my friend with the role of chauffeur. She pulls up in her car, and goes the whole nine yards, climbing out to open the back door for Lucky.

“Oh, how kind of you,” I say in a posh voice, earning a laugh from her. She fakes taking a top hat from her head and bows deeply, pursing her lips comically. She’s incredibly adorable, I can’t stand it.

After securing Lucky in the backseat, we clamber into the front and turn the stereo on to play the trashiest Christmas songs we can find. Sitting next to her, screaming along to the music, I feel so safe. I know she doesn’t see this as any more than the homely platonic feeling, and I’d never expect anything more from her. Still, I have this unnerving suspicion that I’ll never find anyone who makes me feel so at ease, and who draws me in so irresistibly.  

We pull into Clint’s driveway, and spot him standing outside, waiting for us with a small pile of presents in his arms. He gives a small wave as we park, and I return the gesture with perhaps a little too much enthusiasm. I hear her laughing softly next to me at my excitement, and smile to myself. At least she doesn’t find my pep as irritating as Clint seems to.  

As I help Lucky out of the car, he looks my friend up and down respectfully. “So, this is her?” he says with a slight smile. “About time I met you.”

They formally introduce themselves while I watch fondly, like a proud parent. They know so much about each other already, all because of me.  

After greetings have been fully exchanged, he gestures toward the house, surrounded by abandoned bicycles and outdoor chairs. “Let’s go in and get warm.”

As we follow him to the front door, crunching through the gathering snow, I voice the doubts I’ve kept down until now. “Hey, are you sure this is okay?”

“I’m telling you,” he says over his shoulder, “they’re very excited to meet you.” He swivels his head between the two of us. “Both of you. They love to meet new people.”

I feel a reassuring hand on my shoulder and turn to see her smiling at me confidently. She knows when she’s welcome, and she wants to make sure I do, too.

Just before we reach the door, a small boy comes bounding down the stairs, crying, “Daddy!” He throws himself at Clint, who stacks the presents in one hand as he holds the boy close. “Hey, buddy, merry Christmas!” he replies, and looks up to see two more adolescents waiting for him at the top of the stairs with excited declarations that he’d made it and kept his promise. He hands off the presents for them to carry in, hurriedly introducing us as we all scramble inside.

I pause to take off my shoes, and she does the same, both of us leaving our woolly socks on.

“I hope they like us,” I murmur nervously.  

She smiles fondly up at me. “Well, if they don’t like you, they’re crazy,” she states softly.  

I raise an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”  

She chuckles, almost in disbelief. “Who wouldn’t like you, Kate?”

Before I can question this, she puts a hand on my back and gently pushes me toward the door, Lucky eagerly racing ahead of me the moment I get his leash off. The kids emit cries of adoration as he makes himself at home amongst them. “The dog is so cute!” The youngest one, Nathaniel, looks up at me, grinning. “What’s his name?”

“That’s Lucky,” I respond warmly, inadvertently grabbing the attention of an older woman who had been embracing Clint.  

Clint turns round, suddenly recalling our presence. “Oh, right, yeah,” he chuckles softly. “Brought home a couple strays.” He introduces each of us in turn with a sly smirk at his own joke.

Closing the door behind the two of us, I give my sweetest and most confident smile to Clint and his wife, Laura. “Hi,” I say shyly, before I feel a hand sneaking into mine. She, too, beams back at them, squeezing my hand gently to remind me she’s there.

“Welcome, Kate,” Laura said kindly, coming over to pull me into a hug. “So good to have you!”  

After embracing my friend, she pulls away to look us both up and down. “Are you two... together? Or...”

“Oh, no!” I hastily intervene, my nerves kicking up a notch. Instinctively, I pull my hand away and rub my neck with it instead. “Just... best friends.”  

Laura’s expression is dubious and concerned, but she nods and says, “Well, lovely to meet you both!”  

I sneak a glance at the girl next to me; her mouth has turned down slightly at the corners and her eyes are devoid of emotion. Have I made her uncomfortable? Has the thought of being my girlfriend made her sick? How do I fix this?  

I follow the rest of the family to the living room, trying to ignore my racing thoughts.  

But as we tuck in to Christmas lunch and watch as the kids open presents, I can’t disregard the tension growing between the two of us. Sure, she puts on a very good show of being cheery and joining in the rambunctious whoops of delight; but having known her for the majority of my lifetime, I know something isn’t right with her.  

But I have no choice but to play it off for now. That is, until Clint calls the two of us out, requesting our help.  

We follow him out to the woodshed, where he turns to face us, his expression as somber as ever and his hands stuffed into his pockets.  

“You are lucky my family are not as good at reading the room as I am,” he begins, “because that was painful.”  

The two of us glance back and forth, between Clint and each other, feigning ignorance.  

“What do you mean?” she says, bewildered.  

Clint rolls his eyes, the cheesiness of the entire situation getting on his nerves. He turns to me, exasperated. “Well, you seemed awfully happy that Laura thought you were a couple.”  

I open and close my mouth several times, making flabbergasted noises in an attempt to play it off. I hadn’t looked happy, had I? Had I really been smiling? Come to think of it, I recall the temperature of my cheeks rising slightly...

“What do you mean?” I protest, shutting my train of thought down. “I just found it funny, that’s all-”

“Right,” Clint interrupts, before turning to face my friend, nothing more to say to me. My petty excuse had probably done all the talking necessary. “And you,” he continues. I feel the girl next to me stiffen. Damn it. What have I done, bringing her here, having Clint and his family make these statements right in front of her? She’d probably rather be at home with her overbearing family than here next to me.  

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you,” is all Clint has to say to her. He nods at us both, and finished with, “I’m leaving you two to sort things out, you’re not coming back inside until this whole woeful sappy mess is dealt with.”

He stalks back to the house without another word, leaving us shivering and alone.

We stand in silence for what feels like hours. Where the heck am I supposed to begin?! I’m standing in front of the sweetest, most beautiful girl I’ve ever known, who is probably thinking about how much she hates me, with all these accusations piling up-

“I understand if you hate me.”

My eyes widen and I raise my head. She kicks a rock at her feet, her arms folded around herself. Avoiding my gaze, she adds, “I get it, really; you deserve better.”  

Taking a moment to kickstart my vocal cords, I murmur, “What?”  

She finally looks at me, her eyes watering; whether it’s from the cold or emotion, I’m not entirely sure.

“I really like you, Kate,” she continues. “I didn’t know how or if I should tell you. I mean, we never really talked about boys, but I assumed you still liked them. And besides, it’s not like you’d get feelings for your best friend, especially not when you hang around super cool people like Clint every day.” She shuffles her feet shyly as she looks away again.

I blink rapidly in shock. Before I know what I’m doing, I unwrap my arms from myself, place my hands on her cheeks, and kiss her softly. It’s only half a moment, but she’s even more perfect than I’d always hoped. Instinctively, she moves her head toward mine as I pull away, her doe-eyes full of astonishment.

“In all of this...” I wave my hands around for emphasis, “madness, you’ve been my one constant. If it’s gonna be anyone, it’s... it’s you.” I take her hands; now it’s my turn to nervously avoid her eyes. “You don’t have to be, cool, or superpowered, for me to care about you that way. And honestly...”  

Taking a deep breath and summoning up the necessary courage from God knows where, I blurt out, “I’d love to be your constant, too.”  

Wait, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever said. That doesn’t even complete the sentiment-

Before I can amend it, she’s grabbing my waist and pulling me close, and the shock of it topples us both into the snow, giggling and kissing softly. She whispers softly in my ear, “You already are, you silly goose.”

This is equally stupid, so I feel a little justified. She does make the stupid seem so adorable, though.

I hold her close for a moment longer, sharing body heat with her, before saying, “We should probably go back inside, huh.”

“Poor Clint will be relieved at the lack of tension,” she laughs.  

Helping each other up, we walk back to the house hand in hand, leaving a temporary mark in the snow of something far more permanent.

[imaginethathaikyuu]

kinktober - day one

akaashi keiji - friends to lovers 

kinktober faq kinktober prompt list  

NSFW warning featuring: fingering, dry humping, first time together, unprotected sex other tags: lots of exposition, too many words, years long pining, accidental almost confession, emotional real one, mentions of characters having previous partners, oblivious reader, hidden feelings, slight angst, oh no there’s only one bed!  fem reader

word count: 7380

-

Akaashi Keiji knows everything. 

At least, he seems to. 

You realized this only a month after knowing him. He turned around to you, the girl who sat behind him in biology, and gave you one look before saying, “You have no idea what this lesson is about, do you?” And you laughed, because it was so absurdly true, while Akaashi turned his desk around and introduced himself as your study partner. 

You still don’t know how he knew you were struggling. You thought you hid it well, but his eyes must have caught the poor grade on the quiz the teacher returned to you the week before, or the way you seemed to immediately sulk the moment you walked into the classroom. He could see everything you tried to hide - even things you couldn’t see yourself.

And he wouldn’t let you get away with anything but a stellar grade, so study sessions became routine for the two of you - a friendship was destined to bloom, and fast. 

He was too observant for his own good, which was something you learned while watching one of his volleyball practices. He had been inviting you to come watch after study sessions for awhile, but it took you a bit to work up the nerve to walk into the giant gymnasium filled with boys you didn’t know. 

As you watched him play, you saw his superpower: Akaashi’s eyes were everywhere at once. On the ball, on his teammates, on his opponents, on his own feet - he always knew where everyone was at any given moment, all while somehow managing to spare you a few knowing glances during the mess of the game.

You never knew how he did it, but you figured you didn’t have to know. It was because he was Akaashi, and that’s it. 

But you questioned why no one else seemed to notice it. His excellence was obvious to you, but even his closest friends seemed to gloss over it. 

Keiji stood out to you, while to others, he was just Akaashi. Quiet, reserved, sometimes as blunt as a hammer, Akaashi. 

He didn’t care, though. Akaashi thrived on being in the background - he didn’t need any of the attention or recognition you wished to give him. And maybe he loved his friends more because they left him be. 

Those friends of his, however, all shined just as bright as Keiji did, and were never shy about it. You look back at getting to know them all as a highlight of being in high school; despite never feeling like you belonged in their friend group, you were always happy to be with them. 

Keiji pushed you to get closer to the three boys, Tsukishima, Bokuto, and especially Kuroo, right from the first day you met them. They were playing a friendly volleyball game with a few other boys you never really met, and you quickly learned you had no reason to be nervous to meet them. 

It was easy to let go and goof off, because that’s all any of them were doing, anyway. 

Just because it seemed like fun to get under Kuroo’s skin, you decided to antagonize him a bit. “So, Nekoma’s mascot is a cat, correct?” 

Kuroo immediately grew defensive at your tone. “Yes - what do you have against cats?” 

“Nothing, nothing! I like to think of myself as pretty cat-like, actually.” 

“Show him your claws, Y/N,” Keiji chimed in. 

“They’re nimble, and sneaky... and lazy. Something that owls aren’t - just saying. Seems pretty fitting when comparing your team to ours, don’t you think?” 

“Akaashi, you better get your cat,” Kuroo grumbled, with a sly smirk that never seemed to leave his face. 

“She’s just a kitten,” Akaashi replied, winking at you and immediately taking your breath in a way you’d never felt before. “Not my kitten, though, so you’re on your own here, Kuroo.” 

That’s when the first wall came up. You didn’t notice it, not yet, or even realize why it had been built. But as soon as your heart sank to your stomach and erupted into butterflies all because of Keiji’s flirtatious gesture, that wall arose. 

And many would follow. 

On the walk home from that practice, you noticed every glance he sent you. Every time his shoulder touched yours, you felt it amplified. Your knuckles grazed his and you looked down at your hands - his much bigger than yours, your fingers raring to wrap around his. And they were going to, either out of curiosity or the blatant need to touch him or both, until he stuffed both of his hands into his pockets and away from your potential grasp. 

You shook your disappointment off and reminded yourself of what the two of you were: friends. Just friends. Friends only hold hands sometimes, and it’s not on walks home or during study sessions or any of the times you found yourself wanting to hold onto him. 

“Kuroo likes you,” Akaashi said out of nowhere. And you laughed. 

“You think so?” 

“I’m pretty sure.” He sounded distant, his gaze was head on. “Maybe you should give him a chance.” 

You laughed again and said, “Maybe,” even though you knew you’d never entertain the thought of going out with Kuroo. 

Not with Kuroo or anyone else, but you wouldn’t understand why for a long time. 

Two years of friendship had come and gone in almost an instant, but every day with Akaashi was memorable in that easy familiar way only he could offer. He truly was your comfort - everything you needed in a friend, Keiji had. Being so close to him was a blessing, you knew that. 

When the two of you ended up choosing the same university, you almost wanted to cry, because you knew nothing could quell your fears of what’s new better than Keiji’s all knowing familiarity. Having your best friend by your side during times of change would make everything easier.

But it was a different story entirely when you became roommates with him. The apartment you shared was small but homey; it had all the comfort you had in your friendship with him, and you thought nothing could be better than that. 

It was more than that, though. Months went by of seeing him every day, and it felt like that comfort was leaking through the floor every time you saw his bedhead or heard him singing in the shower or watched him pull another girl into his bedroom. 

It wasn’t like the latter was an often occurrence, but just the thought of him being with someone made your stomach turn. But it gave you the idea of seeking your own partners, which was something you hadn’t done in years, and it quickly spiraled into an unhealthy habit. 

You longed for familiarity, to be touched by someone you knew. You were desperate for comfortable vulnerability, and you never found that with a stranger in your bed. So, you decided to seek out someone familiar. And when the person in bed with you was an old friend, a realization dawned on you. Rather, it was offered to you. 

“What are you doing, Y/N?” Kuroo mumbled, and you did nothing but send him a questioning glare, one he scoffed at. 

The two of you had done nothing so far but send a few flirty texts and then sit on your bed; he hadn’t even kissed you yet. You weren’t sure how you felt about it - you weren’t sure if you even wanted him to kiss you. 

“I’m not the one you want here, idiot. So why am I the one you brought to your bed?” 

“I don’t know what you mean,” you replied honestly. “Are we going to -” 

“No, we aren’t. Are you really that dense?” 

“What?” 

“Look,” Kuroo said, standing up and pinching the bridge of his nose as if he was annoyed that he had to be saying this. And while you watched him, you noticed this was the first time you ever saw him without his signature grin or sly eyes. “If I was a shitty friend, I would have fucked you back in high school, alright? I mean, come on, I had the chance. But I care about Akaashi too much to ever do that with you, and I know you don’t actually want to fuck me.”

You stood up, too, facing him head on. “What does Akaashi have anything to do with fucking me, Kuroo?” 

“Everything, idiot. I know you probably think you’re good at hiding it, but everyone knows you’re as in love as you could possibly be with that smartass.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you said, because you didn’t, but Kuroo wasn’t having it. 

“Well you’re the only one you’ve convinced. And, for the record, this isn’t going to help you get over him.” 

Still, you didn’t get it. You couldn’t see it - you refused to. 

“You’re off limits, dude, Akaashi told us himself.” 

“Then why are you here?” 

His annoying grin was back. “To see how delusional you really are. And give you some advice. Just admit it to yourself - you’ll feel better, I promise.” 

Keiji was your best friend, and that was it. 

This wasn’t some story of years long pining and unrequited love. 

Was it? 

But you thought about it, for just a moment. You thought about being in love with him. 

And then you couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

You decided, right then and there, that what Kuroo said wasn’t true; admitting it to yourself didn’t make anything better. In a lot of ways, your friendship with Akaashi thrived on your special feelings for him, and it relied on those feelings staying secret to both of you. 

You couldn’t even finish the conversation with Kuroo. He swore not to tell, because you made him, and that was it. 

That’s when the second wall came up, then the third, then the fourth. You were trapped inside of them. Hiding, only hiding, and safe from anyone who could see you or your heart. 

You denied it still, even though Kuroo knew, just to convince yourself he didn’t. No one knew but you; the only one who knew the password to that door was you. You could be hidden, safe, and protected forever, because you made it that way. 

Keiji would never know, and everything would stay okay. 

Everything but you. And that security wouldn’t last, because a storm was brewing. 

But you were content. What you had with Keiji was always enough for you - you had enough. You saw him every day. You got to hear his laugh on the good days and hug him on the bad ones; you got to have coffee with him every morning and secret late night snacks too many midnights. Sleeping alone was fine. Not getting intimate moments was okay. What you had was enough. 

It seemed like the more you recognized your feelings for him, the more of Keiji you saw. You were still getting to know him after years of calling him your best friend; you were noticing his habits that you never saw before. He mumbles to himself while he cooks; he picks at his nails when he’s nervous; he overthinks everything, even the smallest decisions. 

The latter had always been obvious, but you had never realized it until you lived with him - until you really started to love him. 

Every day, you learned something new about him. And every day, you loved him more, in ways you didn’t even know you could. Ways that made it hard to love him from afar.

Months of your love growing during your first year of university seemed to go by too quickly, and soon spring break was fast approaching. A trip with old friends to a lake house was planned months in advance, and both you and Keiji were excited to see the three boys again. 

But when you arrived at the old looking house that evening you were met with knowing eyes and a sly grin that hadn’t changed since high school. 

“There are only four beds,” Kuroo announced, “and five of us.”

“That’s alright,”  Keiji started, but he was interrupted by Bokuto’s loud laugh. 

“Oh, I guess we’re sharing a bed, four eyes!” 

“I’ll suffocate you in your sleep,” Tsukishima said, meaning every word he said in a way that made Kuroo cackle. 

Keiji looked at you. “You don’t mind sharing with me, do you?” 

A million thoughts ran through your mind, but you only shook your head. You didn’t voice any of the concerns you had for yourself. 

“No problem.” 

He gave you a grin. “It’ll be like our high school sleepovers,” and then he took your bag and left to find your shared room. 

You remembered the last sleepover you had with him and your heart raced just thinking about it; you spent half of the night pretending to be asleep, and the other half watching Keiji’s sleeping face and wondering why laying next to him made you feel the way it did. 

This would be the exact same, except now you knew why your heart would be pounding. 

Kuroo was still laughing, but he was looking directly at you. “Are you sure it’s not a problem?” 

“Shut up, Kuroo.” 

He kept laughing, and it left Bokuto scratching his head. “What’s going on? Why are you mad, Y/N?” 

“Because Kuroo is an asshole -” 

“Hey now, I’m doing you a favor here!”

“...I still don’t get it.” 

“You never will, Bokuto,” Tsukishima commented. 

You decided to leave Kuroo laughing on his own - you shouldn’t let him get under your skin, because that’s exactly what he wanted to do. He was doing this on purpose. Maybe he thought he was helping you out, but he was only making things harder for you. 

You weren’t going to let him win. You were going to have fun on this trip while keeping our secret seeled, and nothing would stop you - not even Kuroo attempting to play matchmaker. 

The late arrival called for a quick dinner and a nighttime bonfire to kick off the vacation the right way; the boys were all too excited for the night and had gotten the fire started before you could even finish unpacking your bag. 

When you stepped outside, the cool air hit your skin and froze you all over - you expected low temperatures, but not that. 

“It’s cold!” you called out to the boys who were all sitting around the nearby campfire. 

“That’s why we have a fire, moron!” 

“It’s still cold,” you argued, even though you knew it was fruitless to fight with Kuroo.

“It’s alright, you’ll warm up,” Keiji told you. 

“Go warm her up, Akaashi!” 

You ignored Kuroo’s comment - you were not in a good place to be entertaining that thought, not when you’d be in bed with Keiji in just a few hours. 

Keiji seemed to ignore it, too. “Here, I saved you a seat.” He patted the vacant spot on the bench next to him, and you sat down. “You didn’t bring a jacket, did you?” 

“It’s inside,” you replied. “But I’m fine.” 

He didn’t even listen to your response, he was already pulling his hoodie off and giving it to you. 

“Are you sure?” you asked, holding it in your lap.

“Yes,” he replied. “It’ll keep you warm - you need it more than I do.” 

“How romantic,” Kuroo butted in, and it was only now that you noticed the beer in his hand - as well as the few empty cans next to him. 

Drunk Kuroo is always worse than Sober Kuroo, even though you could hardly believe he could ever get snarkier. It was like alcohol made him open his big mouth more, and it always made you nervous. Even though you knew he’d never say anything about your secret while anyone else was around, any time alcohol was involved made those chances go up.

“Just being nice,” Keiji said, obviously playing in to Kuroo’s banter. “I don’t see you offering her your jacket.” 

“Hey, I just don’t think you’d like it if I gave your girl my jacket, would you?” 

Keiji laughed at his slurred words and directed his reply at the group rather than to Kuroo, “He’s only had five beers and he’s already stuttering.” 

“We’ll see if he makes it to six before passing out,” you said, and while it made the others laugh, it seemed to rub Kuroo’s drunken fragile ego the wrong way. 

“I can handle my alcohol just fine, thank you.” 

Bokuto butted in, “Are you sure about that?” 

“You’ve been a lightweight since high school,” you added. 

Everyone laughed, Kuroo included. With his next words, he must have thought he was playing along with the joke. That you were all in on what he was about to say next. That they would have no repercussions, they would sting no ears. 

But when he said them, it sounded like a smack of thunder. 

“Yeah, and you’ve been hiding your feelings since high school - some things just never change, Y/N!” 

You could hardly hear Bokuto saying, “Feelings? For who?!”

“For Aka -”

“Kuroo.” 

You stood up. Keiji’s forgotten hoodie fell out of your lap and landed on the ground. Everything was quiet save for the fire cracking and the pounding of your heart. 

Your eyes said everything you needed to tell Kuroo. He stared right back at you, his face white as snow and his mouth hung open as he choked back his words. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. It was the calm before a fast approaching storm, one you couldn’t run away from. 

“You weren’t going to say Akaashi, were you? Surely not…” 

Kuroo turned his head to look at Bokuto, seeming to have no clue what to say. You kept staring as he shook his head, not having the courage to say anything else. 

“Pretty sure he was,” Tsukishima said.

“Oh. Shit.” 

You could have denied it - you didn’t. You could have been angry at Kuroo - you weren’t. You could have explained this away as him being drunk and talking out of his ass - you couldn’t. 

You didn’t dare turn to look at Keiji as you stormed toward the cabin. You refused to stay and let this situation become worse than it already was. 

You could hardly hear the words Keiji had for Kuroo, but they were something like, “Why the fuck did you do that?” and if you had been any less upset you would have been worried for how angry he sounded. 

You didn’t know what would happen next. If you thought about it, you were sure you’d fall apart, and that was the one thing you couldn’t let happen. You had to hold yourself together, you had to give this situation the benefit of the doubt. 

Maybe if you could just lie down and sleep before Keiji comes inside, you could wake up in the morning and everyone would act like nothing happened. Just because your secret is out doesn’t mean it was over - you could wait out this storm. 

That’s what you were doing when Keiji came into your shared bedroom. You lied in bed as Keiji slipped in, your back to him and the blanket pulled up to your chin. And, just like at those old sleepovers with him, you were pretending to be asleep.

You had to be good at pretending if you wanted to stay best friends with him. To be as close as you are, with the feelings that you keep for him, you learned how to hide from Keiji. And you had gotten good at it, too - at least, you liked to think so. You were sure he wouldn’t catch you awake. 

You tried not to think about what happened earlier. You tried not to dread what was coming if he knew you weren’t actually sleeping. 

Minutes passed and Akaashi stayed awake. Then, he looked over to you. 

“I know you’re awake.” 

Everything felt frozen, just for a moment, but you didn’t move. You kept your breathing deep and steady, you lied still. 

He reached a hand out to you, fisting your shirt into his palm. His thumb grazed your lower back, skin he exposed from grabbing your shirt. 

“Stop pretending. You’re bad at it.” 

It was like the world stopped spinning. Your world, anyway - the one you had made up in your head. The world where the only things Keiji didn’t know were all the things you were trying to hide from him; the world where, despite never being a good liar, you were good at lying to him. 

But that wasn’t the same world Keiji was living in.

“I know,” you replied, voice cracking through the words. 

You were sure he didn’t mean what he said in the way you felt it sting your chest, but it didn’t matter. Years of learning, hiding, pretending were all culminating in this moment, and if you weren’t careful you’d end up losing it all. 

His hand moved from your back to holding your side. “Will you look at me?” And you didn’t have a choice, because he was turning you to lay on your back, anyway. 

So you looked at him, because it’s what he asked you to do, and you felt the first crack in your poorly built foundation when you realized how close he was to you; then, he put his hand on your side and pulled you even closer.

It’s like he was looking through you. 

“I should tell you something,” he said, and you had some idea where he was going with this but you didn’t want to find out. No part of you wanted to hear what he was about to say. 

“You know… I already knew, Y/N.” 

There it was: the collapse. 

You couldn’t look at him anymore, so you closed your eyes and tried to keep pretending, even though you had nowhere left to hide. 

“Yeah.” The hand on your side was hot and heavy and hard; you hated how much you loved being touched by him, even right now when your made up world was ending. “I know.” 

“I’ve always known.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

You were so close to letting go, to breaking down in the pile of rubble. But you had built your house of lies on unsteady ground, after all; what else did you expect to happen other than this destruction? 

You wanted to cry. You didn’t. You couldn’t be angry at yourself or upset, because you saw this coming. After all, Keiji knows everything. He sees things you don’t even know are showing - he’s been able to read you like a book since before he even knew your name. 

Of course he knew. You were stupid to ever think he didn’t. 

He whispered your name, and then you felt him kiss your forehead. 

“I’m sorry,” you said again, meaning it with your whole heart even though you knew it wouldn’t change anything. 

“I should tell you something else,” he said, and it was quiet, like he was telling you a secret only you could know. He was treading carefully, choosing his words particularly - he didn’t do that often. You felt him bunching your shirt up in his fist again, you heard him sigh loudly. “I don’t even know how to say it.” 

The tears were finally slipping free as you began to understand what he was getting at, so you pulled back. You didn’t need him to pity you. 

“It’s fine,” you insisted, trying to push him away. He wouldn’t let you. “I know - I’ll get over it - you don’t have to tell me - I already know.” 

“No, you don’t - you don’t know, Y/N, please, just come here.” 

“Keiji -” 

“Let me show you.” He wasn’t speaking quietly anymore - this wasn’t a secret anymore. “I can’t explain it - let me show you, Y/N - please.” 

“Show me what?” 

“That I feel the same,” he said, pulling you back into his arms. 

For a second, you thought you misheard him.

And then, he kissed you. 

Soft, sweet, new lips were on yours, taking your breath as if he needed it to breathe himself, then breathing a new life into you that you never knew could be alive. It was like striking a match, flicking a lighter, starting a fire; you watched the rubble of your once hidden love burn, all at the hands of Keiji. 

At first you didn’t even know how to kiss him back. It was too much, too bright, too hot - and then, you couldn’t stop kissing him. You anchored your hands on the back of his neck and held him against you, silently begging him to let you take all that you wanted from him. 

You kissed him like you’d never get the chance to do this again, because you were sure you wouldn’t. This hardly felt real, let alone something that would ever happen more than once. So you savored it, you memorized this feeling so you could relive it in your dreams forever. 

A whimper reverberated through your throat and against Keiji’s lips and the feeling made him kiss you deeper, like he was searching for a way to get you to make that noise again. As the kiss got deeper, a natural progression came over your position; before you could realize it, Keiji was on top of you and lying between your legs. 

His touch was hotter than a flame and yet you couldn’t get enough of it. Every time his tongue brushed against yours, it took a part of you with it, and you were ready to give him all of you. 

And then, he stopped kissing you. 

He pulled back only slightly, and when you chased his lips he pulled back even more. You opened your eyes and stared up at him, at his blushed cheeks and pink lips and beautiful eyes. You could see the cogs in his mind turning and for a second it was like you were seeing a part of Keiji he’s never shown you before; the veil of his all knowing gaze was being dropped, only because he was letting it. 

Because all this time, Keiji was hiding, too - hiding in plain sight. You always thought he treated you the way he treated everyone else, that he knew everything about everyone, but it wasn’t true. He only knew all of your secrets because he took the time to find them. He only saw you for who you really were because he cared enough to know. And, unlike you, he was a good actor; good at pretending you weren’t special; good at building walls that would stay up until he was ready for them to come down. 

And with his next words, he made them shatter. 

“I love you.”  

You kept staring at him, trying to figure out if this nervous boy on top of you really was Keiji. 

“Really?” 

He nodded. 

“Say it again.” 

“I love you.” 

You brushed his hair out of his face and rested your hand on his cheek, still completely in awe of him, and this was all too much for you to believe. “Is this a prank?” 

He laughed at you, and his nerves seemed to melt away. 

“Damn, you caught me.” His forehead fell to rest on yours, your noses brushed. “No, it’s not a prank. I love you.” 

Somehow this intimacy felt all too foreign and way too familiar, all at once. It was overflowing, your heart was racing, it was hard to breathe, tears were falling from your eyes. 

“Say it again,” you whispered, begging him to assure you of this - to make you believe it. 

And he wiped your tears away as he told you, again, “I love you,” and the kiss he placed on your cheek seemed to make you weep even more. “And I should’ve told you sooner. I’m sorry, Y/N, I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” you replied immediately, “I love you, too - it’s okay.” 

“It’s not okay.” It was obvious, now, that this had been bothering Keiji for longer than you could ever know. “I just… wasn’t ready. Especially with volleyball, and then moving, and then starting university, I just - I never had enough of me to give to you. And you deserve all of me, not just what’s left of me at the end of the day - I don’t know. I’m just… sorry.” 

You didn’t know how to reply to that in a way that was good enough - all you could think to do was kiss him, because you finally could kiss him, so you did. And it was the same as your first: hot and sweet, familiar and foreign, intimate and overwhelming. 

And the more you kissed him, the more it stirred something up inside of you. He wasn’t holding back - not after holding back for years - and it was like he was trying to get any reaction he could out of you. You hooked your legs around his waist and pulled him closer than he’s ever been, and the way it felt to have him pressed up against you sent chills across your burning skin. 

You pulled back from the kiss just to take a breath. “Say it again,” you mumbled, because you weren’t tired of hearing those three words yet. A part of you still didn’t believe them.

Instead of saying them, though, he let his kisses trail down your jaw and onto your neck. You could feel the vibrations of his voice when he spoke, “Let me show you.” 

And you knew what he meant, but you teased him anyway, “How do you want to do that?”

His hips seemed to move on their own free will, thrusting against you as if he couldn’t stop them. And it proved that he was just as in over his head as you were; you liked that. You liked knowing you weren’t the only one in a daze. You liked having this effect on Keiji. 

“However you want,” he said through a dry throat. “We can do anything you want.” 

“I just want you,” you told him honestly. You had no other choice anymore - the truth was all you had left. 

“You have me,” he replied. “I’m yours - just let me show you.” 

Your next kiss was interrupted by his shirt coming off, then yours. You felt his bare skin against yours and you were sure this was enough, that you were content with just this. This feeling was all that you needed. 

“You’re pretty,” he whispered to you as his eyes scanned your bare body, and it left you shaking in anticipation as his lips made their way to your chest. “The prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.” 

Your eyes couldn’t leave his face as your fingers carded through his hair; you felt his hands travel the length of your body, and every kiss he left on your skin felt like it was touching your heart - all you could do was watch. 

His hand moved lower, his fingers were teasing the edge of your shorts, but he hesitated to cross the barrier. You grabbed his wrist and pushed him across it, showing him that you couldn’t wait for this. 

That’s all Keiji needed to understand how far you were willing to go with him. His skilled fingers worked against you, slipping into your underwear and touching you exactly where you needed them to, and it was better than anything you could ever dream. 

And he did it like it was easy, like he’s spent years getting to know your body and he was doing what he knew would work. Like this was routine rather than your first time. 

This sure as hell felt like it was your first time doing this; you had never felt so sensitive or open or vulnerable. But you had never been touched by a man you wanted so much; you never thought you’d feel his fingers spreading you open or see him on top of you - this is something you’ve only done in daydreams, and now it was real. 

For the first time you were vulnerable and okay with it. You were letting him have all of you, and you trusted that he would treat you right. And he was. Maybe it was your love for him or the disbelief of the situation or both clouding your judgement, but you were convinced that his fingers felt better than your own. 

“Is this okay?” he asked in a whisper, and you replied with a moan that you couldn’t hold in anymore. He laughed, “Does that mean yes?” 

“Keiji, please don’t tease.” 

“I’m not teasing yet,” he replied with a few kisses along your jaw. You felt his fingers moving more, moving toward going inside, but he hesitated. “Y/N…” 

You were pulled out of your daze for just a second as you looked up at his furrowed brows and half lidded eyes; his face left you wondering what he was about to say next. 

“I really like the sounds you’re making,” he said, “but if anyone hears we’ll never hear the end of it.” 

You laughed, because you had completely forgotten that you and Keiji weren’t the only two people in the world - let alone this house. 

“Right,” you breathed out. 

“I’ll give you anything you ask for, but you…” 

Two of his fingers slid into you, and you held back a gasp. 

“...have to stay quiet. Can you do that for me?” 

You nodded, trying your best to take deep breaths rather than let your voice out. 

“Yeah?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” you replied, giving another nod. 

“Good,” he said. 

His fingers curled, and you covered your mouth with your palm. 

“Stay quiet,” he said, even though it felt like he was doing everything he could so you’d do the opposite. His fingers curling into you were begging for a reaction, and it was hard not to give him one. “Fuck, you’re so hot.” 

Keiji’s hips were moving again, thrusting against your leg like he just couldn’t help it. You wanted to give him more but you couldn’t - your hands were busy covering your mouth and holding onto the sheets for your life, and so all you could do was watch him grinding against you. 

“You’re one to talk,” you replied, making him laugh. 

Both of you looked down and watched; the curl of his fingers moved in time with his thrusts against you - every time they came forward, you felt his length sliding up your thigh. And when he pulled back, his fingers straightened out. 

You’d give anything to have more. “Keiji,” you started, but you just couldn’t get the words out. 

He said them for you as he pulled his fingers out, “Can I fuck you?” 

You had no other answer besides, “Please,” and you were ready to beg for it if that’s what it came to. 

He started to pull his boxers off, but again, he hesitated. The arm he was holding himself up with was trembling, his breathing was unsteady, his entire body seemed tense. Keiji was hanging on by a thread. 

“Are you sure you want this?” he asked.

You were taken aback. “Keiji…” 

“We don’t have to do this now - is it too soon? Are you sure you want me?” 

It was hard to listen to his voice when it sounded so honest. 

Your hands took place on either side of his face, ensuring he would look at you while you spoke to him. 

“Keiji… do you want this?” 

“More than anything,” he replied. 

“I can tell,” you joked, and he rolled his eyes at you. “I’ve wanted you for longer than I can remember - I don’t think it’s too soon. But we can wait if you want. There’s no pressure, okay?” 

“I don’t,” he said. “I can’t wait - I’m so hard it fucking hurts - I just don’t want you to -” 

“You think too much.” 

He laughed. “I know.” 

You let your hands travel down to his chest, hoping you got through to him. “Don’t overthink it. I want you to fuck me, Keiji,” and your hips thrusted against his as if to convince him of how badly you needed it. “Sooner rather than later.”

It seemed to be good enough, he seemed to believe you, because now he wasn’t hesitating to take off his shorts and yours. The view it gave you struck a burning desire like no other - now that you could see all of him, you couldn’t handle not having all of him. 

And he was raring to give himself to you, coaxing his cock inside of you until you took it all, and both of you felt like you were about to explode. 

“Oh, fuck,” he moaned, and the volume of his voice pulled you back down to the real world. 

“Stay quiet,” you reminded him, giggling because the tables had turned on him. 

“I know,” he said with a nod. “You just feel so good - you’re so fucking tight -  I can’t believe this is happening - oh, fuck, it’s too much.” 

“Move, Keiji,” you whined, bucking your hips up to try to feel anything, and he cursed under his breath when he pulled back to watch your desperate attempt at fucking yourself with his cock. 

“You can do it,” he teased, pulling his hips back a little more so you had more room to move. “Keep going - fuck me like that, kitten, don’t stop.” 

You were dying to feel him meeting your thrusts, because this wasn’t nearly enough, but you loved his teasing. 

“That’s it,” he said, “that’s my girl. Taking me so well, fuck, you’re perfect.” 

He couldn’t take it anymore, that was obvious as his thrusts started. He took a hold of your hips and held you in place so he could take you at his own pace, and he was everything you could ever need. 

Your love for him was spilling from your lips and he was doing everything he could to keep you saying it, bringing you higher with every passing second. Feeling him between your thighs and inside your walls was intoxicating. It was everything you hoped it would be, simply because it was Keiji. 

“I’m close,” you said as if he needed a warning - he could probably already tell. 

“Quiet, kitten,” he said to you, bringing your lips up to his for a kiss. “These sounds are for me - don’t want anyone else hearing what’s mine. Be a good girl for me.” 

“I’m trying,” you replied, and he cooed at your whining. 

“I know,” he mumbled, and just by the sound of his voice you could tell he was liking this. And he was going to make it harder for you when his hand trailed down your body so his fingers could circle your clit. 

He kissed you hard to stop any sound you were about to make and you were grateful for it. 

“I want you to cum for me,” he said, “and I don’t want you to make a sound when you do.” 

“Keiji -” 

His hips and fingers sped up. “I’m serious. Come on, kitten, be my good girl - make me proud and stay quiet while you’re cumming all over my cock. You can do it, I know you can.” 

Any trust he had in you staying quiet until the end was completely misplaced - you knew that when his hand clamped down over your mouth. You didn’t try to hold in your voice at all, and Keiji was having just as much trouble, burying his face into your neck to muffle his noises the best he could. 

It didn’t matter if anyone else could hear you; to you, nothing else mattered but Keiji. He was the only other person in your world, the only person your body would ever scream so loudly for. As long as it was him bringing you to this euphoria, you didn’t care who else knew about it. 

Let your friends give you hell for it, let Kuroo say I told you so - you’d deal with the embarrassment in the morning. That moment was worth it. 

The soft kisses he was leaving on your neck in the wake of hitting your peaks helped you float back down easily. It was like being woken up from a dream, one where the only thing you could remember was how pleasant it was. 

“You were not quiet,” Keiji laughed. You felt your cheeks swelling and heating up in embarrassment. 

“I couldn’t help it…” 

“It’s okay,” he replied. “You still made me proud.” 

He lied next to you and pulled you close, and you convinced yourself that you were going to be there in his arms forever. If you were, you’d have no complaints. 

A quiet moment passed, and you couldn’t stand the silence. “How was… that?” 

He pulled back to look at you with wide eyes, as if he didn’t expect you to ask. “What do you mean?” 

“Was it good? Did you like it? Was I -” 

“It was perfect,” he said, biting his lip and looking up at the ceiling as if his high hadn’t completely worn off. “It was everything. Don’t get all shy and insecure on me now that you know I love you back.”  

“Shut up,” you said with a laugh. “I’m just making sure.” 

“Do you need me to prove it to you again?” 

“Maybe.”

“I’ll make sure you stay quiet for me this time, then.” 

Whether or not the two of you were successful in your attempts to keep the noise down was up for debate, but by the end of the night, neither of you cared. 

And the next morning, when you forced yourself to leave Keiji and the warmth of the bed, you found Kuroo pacing outside of your door. 

“Y/N.” 

“Hey.” 

“I’m sorry - I’m so sorry - what I said last night was way out of line, and I don’t expect you to forgive me for it -”

“It’s fine, Kuroo,” you said, because it was. If you were being honest, after the night you had with Keiji you had completely forgotten about what Kuroo said. 

“It’s not fine,” he argued. “I shouldn’t have done that - you trusted me not to say anything about your feelings, and then I did. I fucked up - why aren’t you pissed right now?” 

Before you could start to think of a reply, the door behind you opened. Keiji’s bed head popped out. 

“Can you guys be quiet?” 

“Sorry,” Kuroo immediately replied. 

Then, Keiji turned to you. “Can you come back to bed? It’s cold.” 

You nodded, and Keiji went back inside, and the moment you looked at Kuroo’s face, you knew he’d figured things out. 

“Did you guys fuck?!” 

You had no response. Keiji, however, called out a simple, “Yeah,” leaving you covering your face in embarrassment. 

“Holy shit. I -” 

You went back into your bedroom before he could even finish his words, slamming the door in his face so he couldn’t finish his boasting. But you heard him say, “You’re welcome!” before finally trodding off, and you shook off your embarrassment as best as you could. 

The breakfast you needed minutes ago was long forgotten as you looked at the view in front of you of the boy who was yours. Keiji was waiting for you with sleepy eyes peeking up at you from soft sheets, a grin on his face, and his arms open. 

He didn’t have to say a word - you were in those arms in seconds. Both of you released a sigh of relief; Keiji was warm again, and you were being held by him again. 

“Finally.” 

“I was gone for, like, two minutes, tops.” 

“I don’t care,” he replied. “It was long enough that I got too cold without you here.”

You felt like you should have more to say, but you didn’t. 

You’d spent years hoping for a moment like this. It was as soft and golden and happy as you’d ever dreamed, and moments like those didn’t need words. You knew how Keiji felt, and despite all your attempts at hiding, Keiji knew how you felt, too. 

And in that moment, when the two of you were lying in the afterglow of intimacy from the night before, finally knowing is all that mattered. 

 - 

tune in tomorrow for kinktober day 2: royal 

[thatiranianphantom]

the awful ratings on rvd can be attributed to various things. first, removing everything that was familiar for the general public (aka the couples) and second, the writing that seems to be dragged out because they don’t know what to do anymore. don’t get me wrong, rvd has never been a good show but at least you could appreciate the craziness on S1-S4 plus the couples, they had a good balance between craziness, mysteries and romance. despite the writing being super inconsistent i still feel every season it reached a conclusion, if you know what i mean. the villain lasted one season, the plot quiet of closed and next season opened with a new thing and it was still pretty weird. the show at least committed to being weird.

S5 was dark and lifeless and it reached not conclusion, it didn’t move those characters forward and all the arc conclusion for the characters it might have reached were erased by the finale. it was not new or "fresh" it was lazy because the time skip was used to wash their hands on bad writing, it was boring and quiet frankly, it didn’t feel like the characters.

i'm trying to think about what exactly did rvd do for the characters last season and i'm empty handed. BA had one of the most sincere conversations they probably ever had about why they don’t work together and that archie will always love verconica but by the finale it didn’t matter. we lost screen time on them. veronicas plot did not move at all last season. betty’s plot did not move at all. we are still stuck on TBK. jughead's plot was unnecessary, the aliens/mountain men plot was useless and did archie do anything important? i can’t even remember. it was a waste of a season.

now you have the supernatural and universes because it seems roberto and the writers missed sabrina but they ruined that show too so they want to make rvd supernatural. it feel like it was the writers project rather than something to do for the audience you still have left. season 5 ended up making everyone run away and now no one understands what happening anymore. you can tell the season 5 finale was changed last minute by how inconsistent it was because the network gave roberto the okay for the "5 episodes event" when it was time to film it, but you guessed the whole of s6 it’s just the event that was supposed to be only 5 episodes because they don’t know what to do anymore. they are dragging the plot for the special event + superpowers. i know secretly the network is crying because they shouldn’t have approved that event and let roberto just film the finale he wrote originally which obviously was VA/BH/CH. like, the fact that the perfect for you duet was teased to be a BH duet ever since s5 started filming but it was changed in the worst way possible last minute and even roberto admitted he had to convince Cole because he was given more signing parts than he originally agreed with like – the couples that exist right now were supposed to be temporal (for the event) but we are now stuck with them because the writers don’t know what do do anymore.

You said it, anon. S5 was the killshot for this show. It was a boring slog of misery porn for absolutely zero payoff. In fact, people dragged themselves through s5 only to be slapped in the face at the end.

So people left in droves, and as much as they are desperately begging for viewers back, they're gone for good. The best they can hope for is to limp to the finish with a pathetic number of viewers, and I feel no sympathy. They made their beds.

Also, good point that they desperately need a new plot. They've been recycling the same plot for 2 seasons now, and let's be real here, NOBODY cares about saving Riverdale. They may have once cared about TBK, but they dragged it out too long and now people's interest has faded. And now we're getting Vale 2.0, with entire episodes dumping more and more plot on it, and you just know this show won't make the climax of this plot satisfactory. I am more than bored, and that was the one thing RD never was before. Say what you want about it, but it was never boring.