#there's always that one commentary where i lose my mind huh
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Seraph of the End - Takaya Kagami/Yamato Yamamoto Vol. 21-22: A Commentary - The One Where I Lose my Mind.
-"the guinea pigs gather" lol what a title. but i'm sure it's accurate.
-amazing. a tiny yuu with past!ashera. the plot thickens. yes. give me more drama.
-i hope that when it's important, we'll get a timeline-for-dummies summary/reminder. although so far i haven't been disappointed on that front.
-the way noya reacts to shikama successfully making a grown-up yuu and a grown-up mika, smh. i understand his reaction, but it's like he’s talking about machine models or sth.
-"how to tame your yuu: a guide by mika."
-i can't BELIEVE THIS ISN'T ANIMATED, AT THE VERY LEAST THE VAs WOULD NAIL IT!
-"i have a reason to live. i have you, mika" asdfkjdsg yuu
-it's intense, i can only read so much at a time. i WANT to read more, but i get overwhelmed, either with tension or with lore.
-can yuu's lil horn break? from falls and such?
-but like. the fact that The Mika is drinking The Yuu's blood must mean something, right? it must add something New and Special to that equation, whatever it is and whatever they are, right?
-MIKA SUCKING HIS BLOOD FEELS GOOD TO YUU?! yuu. yuu, please.
-uh. i'm glad mika thinks yuu tastes good. and yuu likes that. hmmm.
-oh shut up, ashera not-possessing yuu and being half-yuu and protecting yuu and protecting mika because yuu is telling him to do so, shut up shut up they are all so sweet shut up i love them
-when ashera says that yuu "he says... you... family..." MIKA ON THE NEXT PANEL AHAHAHA, he looks like 'bitch yeah i'm family'
-YUU, SAY "FUCKING THANK YOU, ASHERA, FOR REPAIRING MY HEART BEFORE BEING SUPPRESSED."
-i'm sorry, where tf is krul, is she still running?
-kimizuki: "yuu is there? idgaf." also kimizuki: "yuu is there and CRYING? we're getting there NOW, not taking no for an answer, THIS IS A FAMILY EMERGENCY, PEOPLE!"
-okay, obviously i don't believe mika will die, but damn this is intense, i'm tense.
-KRUL! KRUL IS HERE! YES! SHE'll... DO SOMETHING, IDK!
-that ferid on the cover of vol.22 is such a whiplash from the drama i've been experiencing with mika.
-okay, seriously though, how are we saving mika from this...?
-oh man, we're in "if mika dies, yuu dies" mindset, yuu? oh bb. please someone resolve this quickly, i can't stand seeing yuu like this for more than a couple pages.
-can we stop this, this hurts. please make it stop. wdym "i love you," mika, JUST COME BACK ALREADY
-WHY ARE FERID AND CROWLEY BANTERING, CAN WE GO BACK TO MIKA
-sooo… ferid was a child murderer. okay. no more lore, i'm still on mika.
-dude, this is cruel. so many chapters(=months) until the real-time readers got to know about mika's fate. on a side-note, i really like the drip-feeding of the lore in the manga. just enough to be informative and intriguing, without being confusing or chaotic.
-what a crime that this isn't animated.
-WHAT DID YOU INJECT INTO MIKA, GUREN?! HOW DEEP DOES THIS PLAN GO?! WHOSE PLAN IS IT AT THIS POINT
-WHAT DOES IT MEAN! WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT MIKA IS TRANSFORMING INTO A BLACK DEMON (and will his eyes now be blue or red)
-tsk. bb yuu and bb mika are adorable. just let them be happy, dammit.
-mika is the definition of "head empty, just yuu."
-OH MY GOD, not that i don't appreciate this imaginary bb yuu and bb mika conversation, BUT MY GOD JUST SHOW US MIKA! WHAT IS HAPPENING TO HIM! PLEASE! (their ahoge are so complementary)
-STOP MAKING MIKA SUFFER! WHY CAN'T HE HAVE NICE THINGS
-NO! NO DARK AGES! PLEASE! WHAT'S HAPPENING TO MIKA IN REAL TIME, IN THE PRESENT!
-i like how when yuu's crying, he has snot running down his nose. what a great little detail.
-hey, krul. hey. you're family now, hey. yuu says so.
-yuu and ashera have developed such a lovely dynamic, i can't even. i do want to see more of them in the dark ages.
-EEEEE, KRUL AND ASHERA SEEING EACH OTHERRR
-WHAT THE, MIKA IS SHIKAMA DOJI'S SON?! WHAT?! WHAT?!?!?!?! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT??? A GOD'S(? god-like entity's?) SON?! WHAT?! Hnnnnnngh??? -(is it a prerequisite for shikama doji-related people to like yuu? ‘cause mika… and shinoa…)
-vol.22 was wild.
#seraph of the end#owari no seraph#owari no serafu#seraph of the end manga#manga commentary#there's always that one commentary where i lose my mind huh
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Malaysia 2016
-Cause I want to see more of Nico Roseberg
-The Malaysian circuit is so aesthetically shaped
-Mercedes 1-2
-“Lewis Hamilton: Second man in history to have a hundred starts from pole”
-Red Bull row 2, Ferrari row 3, Force India row 4
-Now that’s a lineup
-“Plenty of fans here for Nico Roseberg” Yes, me too
-I forgot how bad radio clarity was in 2016
-Massa just didn’t start the formation lap?
-Palmer losing power too?
-“The engine switched off” And Carlos?
-Oh no, Max and Sebastian making contact?
-Sebastian out!
-Wait he made contact with the Mercedes??
-Nico p21? What?!!
-Max: “Sebastian is crazy” Haha I missed him being a menace
-The thing about these 2016 races is that there is guaranteed to be a safety car, virtual or otherwise
-“Carlos Sainz restarted his own car” let’s go baby!
-*sigh* I already miss the leaderboard
-So cool watching Checo and Kimi race each other
-Nico overtake masterclass?
-Woah! Alonso up to p10! Didn’t he start last?
-Yay Nico p12! “Not too bad a recovery”
-Red Bull team drama incoming?
-Ah Grosjean out
-“We think he’s been told not to continue dissing the car” Already predicting the swear ban, they were ahead of their time fr
-Nico: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I’m getting the positive” So much sass
-Force India double stack!
-“Nico Roseberg having a little go on Nico Hulkenburg” Aaah who do I root for??
-Nico R back to points!
-I really miss the leaderboard
-“There goes Roseberg, down on the inside on Perez” p8!!
-“Mercedes Achilles heel is when they’re running in dirty air”
-Aw Kevin out
-Kimi vs Max!
(Watching Kimi race it out with anyone is always very fun, but apparently these two have been clashing for a few races now.)
-Haha, nvm, he’s in the pits. No battle here
-Oh? Max leading? Red Bull 1-2?
-I asked for it the last race I watched, so this is great!
-Never mind, Daniel pitted and now we’re back to Red Bull sandwich with Lewis in the middle
-Tracking the drivers with these old graphics is so hard
-I’m surprised Nico R has been stuck in p5 for a few laps now.
-Haha Romain’s “Yeah thanks” after being asked how he is, was cute
-Oh Max now pitting?
-Where are the Force Indias, I feel like they just dropped down all of a sudden
-And Carlos too
-“Verstappen and Hamilton: Story of the rest of the race isn’t it?”
-I mean only if Max goes past Daniel- which he could, with the new tires, but let’s see
-“Roseberg can’t make an impression on Raikonnen” How???
-“With a race like this, he surely would be out of the championship lead wouldn’t he?” Boo
-Oh he pit. Perez is through
-“The guinea pig Nico Roseberg” Huh, where did that come from?
-And Perez is gone
-Nico is back behind Kimi in p5
-“Fernando Alonso defending from Carlos Sainz” Let’s go Spaniards
-“Blue flag!”
-Go Nico (H)! He’s in the points!
-A moment of silence for Carlos, who’s out of the points
-Ugh James Vowles mentioned
-How is Nico (R) still p5
-Okay not him getting past Kimi as soon as I said that
-He did make contact tho :/
-Red Bull teammate drama incoming pt2?
<pause>
-That was amazing!
-I haven’t really seen Max and Daniel battle it out like that before!!
-“From the scene of Multi 21, can Christian Horner give a Multi 333?” Yeah no
-Aww young Gasly
-“It’s Lewis Hamilton! It’s a fire!”
-Lewis: “Oh no! No!”
-What the hell? That was so sudden
-“The ever reliable Mercedes engine has forced Hamilton out of the race” That must be devastating
-Red Bull double stack?? Now?? Crazy!
-Oh dear, another Haas has retired
-I’m convinced Lewis’ bad luck came from James Vowles being mentioned over the commentary
-*sigh* Roseberg 10s penalty
-At least my Red Bull 1-2, Maxiel dream podium is back
-I don’t care which one of them wins at this point, as long as it stays a 1-2
-“Do Red Bull feel that actually there’s a sense of justice to Daniel Ricciardo winning today, given what happened in Spain?”
-What happened in Spain?
-Also do the teams really care about poetic justice
-“Does Max Verstappen care?” I mean, I don’t think so
-“Good strategy for them today” Williams??
-“The gap for the championship will be 23 points for Roseberg going into the next race” Yay!
-Have a drink, 11 laps to go” Drinking a warm drink while driving hundreds of kilometers per hour really does not sound fun
-“Okay Roseberg has a 10s time penalty for the collision, you know what you need to do, stay within 10s and we go to the podium” Ha
-Just now noticing how weird the rear wings of these cars look
-Mark Webber somewhere cringing over the fact that they keep bringing up Multi 21
-Oh, Nico’s made it to over 10s?
-Ohmygod Mark Webber is at the race?? That’s hilarious
-Daniel win!!! Let’s go!!! I miss him so much!!!!
-Red Bull 1-2!!
-“Best of the rest after the Mercedes drivers. Number three in the championship battle”
-“Max has turned up and moved the game forward.”
-My favorite teammates fr
-Ohmygod he hasn’t won since 2014?? This win is so sweet then!!! Let’s go!!!
-“The first team other than Mercedes to get a 1-2!”
-Ayy not bad for Force India as well! Nico p8!
-Oh Lewis in his interview sounds so sad
-“I just can’t believe there are 8 Mercedes cars right now and only my engines are the ones that have been going this year. Something just doesn’t feel right” Oh?
-Wow he really sounds defeated
-Aaah Daniel happyyyy
-“Well, I need a drink. Thanks guys! We did bloody good!”
-“One of the most popular man in the paddock and on the grid” Yes baby!!
-“Embraces for Verstappen and Ricciardo” ❤️😭
-(✨post-race Max✨)
-DR: “Told you I’d win one” 😭
-CH: “Thanks for keeping it clean” haha
-Gotta admit Nico going from p21 to p3 was really cool
-Aww Pierre looking on at the podium
-Haha people waving their shoes
-Aaaah the shoeyyyy
-“I just wonder where it goes from here, for the shoe” ahahaha
-Ohmygod they all did it!! Max and Nico too!! Haha!
-Ahaha Mark mentioned Multi 333
-Threw away the shoe too!
-Aww Daniel almost being emotional
-I like these three on the podium. Very fun.
#formula 1#f1#formula one#malaysia 2016#malaysian gp 2016#daniel ricciardo#max verstappen#nico rosberg#kimi raikkonen#valterri bottas#checo perez#fernando alonso#nico hulkenberg#jenson button#jolyon palmer#carlos sainz#marcus ericsson#felipe massa#daniil kvyat#pascal wehrlein#esteban ocon#felipe nasr#lewis hamilton#esteban gutierrez#kevin magnussen#romain grosjean#sebastian vettel#pierre gasly#mark webber#multi 21
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For the commentary ask game this fic from your whumptober Is the latest living rent free in my head
Another bolt of lightning cracked open the sky. Flashing through his eyes as memories surfaced. The shadow of pain exploded through his right arm as he held it. He could feel Fi pulsing calming thoughts on his back. The gentle strumming of the goddess harp flowed through his ears as she tried to soothe him.
He had to stand up. Please. Sky. Stand. Up. Maybe you should breathe. Deep breaths Sky.
He couldn’t, he couldn’t as much as he tried. He couldn’t.
The rain battered him more and more, soaking his clothes, and weighing him down like a boulder was forced on his chest. Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder rolled across the air as the storm continued in intensity. The sky blackened more as lightning continued to flash in his eyes. The scars on his right arm flared as he could feel the burning.
“My hate… never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end.”
No…
No no no no. He was dead. Demise was dead. He couldn’t be speaking. His breathing quickened as his body began to shake. Please. Please.
A sound in the distance. Four feet, running.
“Sky?”
A voice broke through the rain. The sound of Hooves as something galloped across it. There was something else as well, but he couldn’t quite make it out.
“Sky? Where are you?!”
Who could that be? It didn’t sound like Twilight, and he was one of only a few of them who could ride.
“Sky! Sky can you hear me!?”
Time. Time had come looking for him.
“Sky?! Oh, Hylia above! Sky!”
He couldn’t look up, he was so cold. Fear had crept into the deepest depths of his soul. The lightning, the flashes, the pain. Demise would come for him. He felt himself shiver, his hair sticking to his face as the storm continued its never-ending assault on his mind and body.
He heard a transformation, a second form appearing in the rain. Lantern light illuminating the area around them. “Sweet Ordonia…” The rancher's voice was quiet, not usual for him.
Oh man, living rent free huh? Are you thinking how i could continue it? Cause I am.
Stormy Skies, Panicked heart
This is easily one of my faves!!!!!!!! Thanks for your interest, oh I'm excited to get into this one!
Okay, Okay. So I love this piece in general, and it's probably one of my fave if not my fave Whumptober story that I did this year. Like oh man I love it.
This particular passage, I'm gonna explain in the two half's. The bit with Sky on his own. And the bit where he begins to hear Time and Twilight looking for him.
This is a long one again! And is a little all over the place cause its more rambly than my normal answer posts. Because I am chaos. So we go for the feed saver again :)
Alright, We begin!!!
So Sky's section.
We should all know by now how much I love bullying the boy. The sweet Blorbo beloved. And this is another example, yes Sky is a god killer, Yes he's arguably the most powerful of the chain, only possibly matched by Time if someone had to try. But the man is still going to have some form of insecurities. Much the same with Legend. Storms are always a good one to work with generally because you can do a lot with the descriptors to change the feeling. I love working with weather in general, but I don't do it very often cause it's easy to lose your footing. (Or at least I know I can get carried away when using them.)
My thought process went to, how can I make this show how afraid. Something that shows just how afraid he is of what Demise did to him. Just cause demise died and he didn't, the Link that went into that fight was not the same one that left it. The scars on his arms and across his body are clear examples of that.
I am in the camp of Sky's Triforce Symbol being on his right hand, and that also being his main hand in combat. Unlike the others. who all have it on their left. So the scaring on his arm caused by the energy and pure power and hate that he would have had to fight during his fight has left magical scaring on his arm that flares in thunderstorms.
What's going on in Sky's head?
Well, thats in the passage. It makes the writing a little confusing to follow, I've been told in the past, but it shows precisely how muddled this storm has made him. Flipping from what is the narrator to his mind and back again, I hope makes you think more and more.
In the last section, I tried to make the sentences a short as I could. As his panic and fear reach what I would dictate as the peak during this story. He is afraid, he is lost and he needs help.
Now we get Time and Twilight
Fun fact, when I originally drafted this, I had Time and Wild/Warriors looking for Sky. It seemed like a weird combo but it was mainly cause they could all ride horses. I switched to Twilight relatively late in the draft as I felt it just worked better. Wolfie is fast, and Time with Epona would know the field better than anyone else. Wolfie is also a wolf. And you know. Is a good boy and can find things with scent.
It was also changed cause I wanted more interaction with these three. They need more.
This second section is more broken up than the first part, as to distinguish the thoughts to the narrators. Sky's thoughts are also a little more put together. As the voice breaks through the rain which essentially makes a curtain. Then the lamp light to make that break a little clearer.
Now, Sky recognises it's Time. Thats on its own between two patches of dialogue, both of which are from Time. The next form of movement is a shiver. where he was shaking before. It brings him back to his reality. He's cold. Stuck in the storm. As he's on the ground. Weighed down by fear.
Now Sky is still not out of the woods. He is still gripped by panic and fear, but something in him feels a little safer. And so lets them do what they must.
Generally, I've tried to leave this Fic a little open-ended, so I could continue it. (Mainly cause after the shenanigans that were whumptober I need to write me some fluff.) And this fic is the perfect one to do so!
I think thats everything? Any questions please ask!
Oh, this was fun!
Thanks for the ask! I love talking about my works!
#Aj beloved!#Corner answers with major#This was fun!#I'll do it more#i love it#A look into my chaotic thought process while bullying the blorbo#>:)#Stormy skies#writing#creative writing#ask box game#Writers commentary game#ramble corner with major
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Top 10 favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! Gx duels
I love Yugioh! Gx! I love Yugioh! Gx!I love Yugioh! Gx! God, I freaking love Yugioh! Gx!
Love its weird cast of characters, I love its weird idea of a school of duel monsters and secret cults, and evil space lights, I love its over-the-top boss monsters that all look like the coolest toys on the planet, and I just love, love, love its duels!
I suddenly got in the mood to talk about Gx so, why not talk about the duels I like the most?
10. Jaden vs. the Reaper hand
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This is a duel that's interesting because of the themes around it. The game itself isn't really that memorable, the antagonist of the episode simply has an OTK deck that burns the opponent once the conditions of his spell are met but Jaden finds a way to interrupt him.
No, the actual cool thing about it is the message. The guy Jaden is facing has been winning all his latest duels, but he wasn't winning with his own efforts, nor was he winning in a particularly enjoyable way. He was basically being given an "I win" button, and after facing Jaden, who is a guy that enjoys his duels regardless of winning or losing, he makes the realization that "Oh, yeah... Yu-Gi-Oh! is meant to be fun while playing it, isn't it?"
I feel like this duel works as a nice commentary for the split from casual to meta players. Do you play because you just want to win, or because you wanna get the chance to use the cool cards from your deck and do cool combos with them?
Idk, I just find it interesting and kinda relevant.
9. Jaden vs. a deck-out deck
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This is exactly what it sounds. Jaden is faced against a guy that has a deck-out deck and forces Jaden to be creative with his strategy in order to overcome this challenge.
This is similar to his duel with Bastion where he loses the ability to use fusion and the fun is in seeing how he will get out of the situation, and the way he does it is so freaking enjoyable.
He basically pulls a huge combo consisting of E. Hero Electrum of all things, alongside de-fusion and quick-fusion in order to make his opponent deck out instead. It's just glorious.
8. Jaden vs. Zane
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This is basically Jaden vs. Cyber End Dragon. The entire duel Zane just keeps fusing, re-fusing, reviving, taking away and pulling back his big-ass robot hydra as if it was a yo-yo and Jaden needs to keep finding ways to trash it over, and over, and over again.
It's like fighting a boss in a video game with multiple phases and seeing how long you can last.
The duel ends with a pretty cool final clash of Shinning Flare Wingman duking it out with Mecha Ghidorah after pulling some quick spells that raise their attack to some absurd numbers. It's honestly such a cool moment that I'm shocked they haven't made a card out of it yet like they did with these.



Maybe one day...
7. Syrus vs. Zane
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This one is interesting.
Syrus has always been recognized as one of the weakest duelists in Gx and one who was very insecure around his brother, so seeing him go at it against Zana was very cool to see.
You keep looking at who he was at that point and who he used to be early on, and you can't help but go "Sniff, sniff... That's my boy! They grow up so fast!"
Like, keep in mind, this dude wasn't even able to play a casual duel with Jaden without having self-doubt, and here he is, giving everything he has, all to save his brother.
It's just such a nice display of character development, and Gx is full of that stuff.
6. Jaden vs. Aster
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This is the duel where Jaden got the absolute living sh*t beaten out of him.
Jaden had several duels where he lost to a stronger opponent before, but this was the first time where it felt like the dude was just ridiculously outmatched.
Everything he tried the opponent would just go "lol, nope!" as if this was... a game... Huh...
There is just something strangely enjoyable in seeing everything Jaden used ends up crashing and burning and makes you realize he still has a long way to go.
It's kinda of a Empire Strikes Back moment where the heroes get their asses kicked so hard that you just can't wait to see how they'll get their payback.
5. Jaden vs. Fake Yugi
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Unpopular opinion time: I think the final duel of Jaden vs Yugi freaking sucks... I didn't find the combos they used that interesting, I felt Jaden was being a tad too one-sidedly crushed, and a lot of the old-school cards Yugi used just weren't that interesting to me.
The duel vs fake Yugi though? I loved that.
What I like about it is that they actually used Yugi's cards in a way that made sense for the game, and in a way that made them look strong and cool. Like, they make Kuriboh look like the coolest freaking thing cause that monster stopped Jaden's moves about 4 or 5 times.
And the whole duel was just that, just watching these old Yugi cards that you think didn't age well but because they are being used at the right time it makes them all look effective.
Not to mention they bring out Yugi's coolest monsters! Chimera, Black Luster Soldier, Balck Magician of Chaos, and they give them new updated effects to make them feel fresh.
It's just a fun duel that shows how nostalgic cards can still be awesome.
4. Bastion vs. Chazz
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The one time Bastion was cool.
This is the duel where Chazz steals Bastion's deck only to find out he has six other decks, all focused on different playstyles and strategies.
The best way I can describe this is... This was the duel where they made being a nerd look fun and cool.
Building a bunch of decks with different themes sounded really fun, making a whole deck based on chemistry with a boss monster that's a giant dragon made of water sounded really fun, trying to create a deck that represents your personality sounds really fun, and having a deck specifically designed to counter your opponent... honestly sounds kinda douchy... but fun!
This duel makes you want to play the game, cause it makes it look like a fun time... At least it did to me.
3. Chazz vs. his brothers
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This is one of the most cathartic duels ever.
Chazz is given a condition that he must face against his brothers for the sake of the academy in a duel where he's only allowed to use monsters with low attack points against them who have access to super big fat attack point dragons.
Keeping in mind, the show had established that Chazz has a sorta of abusive relationship with his family where they keep gaslighting him to feel like he's inferior for not having as many achievements as them.
This is the equivalent of watching a kid who used to be bullied by his older sibling having to fight against them in order to protect his new friends from them, all while having his hands tied behind his back, while the siblings all are equipped with massive bats...
And of course, Chazz completely destroys them, and of course, that felt absurdly satisfying.
Let's pick this apart a little, a victim of bullying facing his former bullies, in order to protect his new found family, forced to fight with an unfair disadvantages, and he still manages to come out on top, not just that but with an overwhelming victory.
How's that not awesome?
2. Zane vs. Yubel
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I love this duel.
On one side, a demon possessing a student in order to get him into bdsm clothing, on the other, a guy with a heart disease that could kill him at any moment while carrying a giant leather jacket in the middle of the desert, both of them trying to tear each other apart with their big FU dragons with 4k attack.
This duel is awesome because you really feel like these two are legit trying to kill each other. Every attack feels relentless, every move feels like it's taking a lot of risk on its user, they both feel like they're putting everything on the line to win.
And the way it ends is just so perfect as we slowly realize who's going to win with "bewildering duel" playing in the back while Zane gives his final words right before his body finally fails him.
So good!
1. Jaden vs. Crowler (rematch)
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Another duel that's just perfect.
A rematch that mirrors the first duel of the series to show how far both characters have come.
Jaden who used to play just for the heck of it now is playing in order to carry the hopes of everyone who puts their faith in him, while his teacher who at first played just to show his superiority and get rid of someone he used to see as worthless now duels with anticipation and curiosity to find out how his student will get out of his predicament.
I freaking love how midway through the duels all the students who were watching start getting so sucked into the game that they forget what was at stake and just start rooting for both sides. I always appreciate it when the anime makes playing the damn game look actually fun.
The way it ends is just brilliant, showing both sides using the same monsters and strategies from their first match, to show how far they've come but still being true to the dueling styles that feels right for them.
And then we top it all off with every single student doing the "Gotcha!" gesture that Jaden always uses, showing how much he influenced them into also learning to just enjoy the moment.
This duel captures everything that's great about Gx. The character growth, the great chemistry between the cast, the awesome monsters with awesome effects, the heart and emotion underneath it all, and of course, the fun factor.
I love Yu-Gi-Oh! Gx so much!
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This is still just a half formed thought but @pebblesrus got me thinking bout The Pool Scene and Eliot viewing his body/safety as something to physically exchange for that of others, combined with the commentary about how Eliot was counting the seconds Hardison was without air, like
There's still the thrum of angry tension stretching out from Hardison between them through the night, during Flores's call, on the way in and through the airport... Eliot isn't avoiding Hardison's angry gaze, but he's not seeking it out either. It burns under his skin, a hot coil of discomfort and the sinking sensation of having ruined something unless he manages to make things even.
At some point midflight, Hardison gets up to pace near the bar (because it might have been last minute, but he's NOT gonna make the team fly coach - even though he's still upset with Eliot and may have thought about it for a minute). Eliot follows a few seconds later and catches Hardison on the way back, quickly shoving him into the small lavatory and locking the door behind them.
"Man! What the hell! If you don't get your hands off me, I-"
"One minute, nineteen seconds." Hardison stops flailing against Eliot's grip around his wrists and just... stares, incredulous.
"...what?"
"You were without air for one minute, nineteen seconds."
"...you were counting." It feels a little like a question, although it isn't. Not really. Eliot's grim expression softens often imperceptibly. Hardison would've missed it if they weren't crammed so tightly in the small bathroom. Eliot answers the non-question anyway, voice uncharacteristically gentle.
"Course I was."
Hardison tumbles that around in his head for a bit. Of course Eliot was counting. Probably to know when it was too dangerous anymore to stay in character. Hardison knows how important it was to gain Moreau's trust at the time. In his head, he knows that. Knew it, even then. He was just... so afraid, at almost drowning, and angry at the secrets Eliot was keeping... but he was counting. He would've gone in for him, if he needed. Blown the whole damn thing.
Yeah the situation just sucked all the way around, sure, and yeah Alec's still a little pissed - why wouldn't he be! He's got the right! - but Eliot was counting. That means even though he'd had to put Hardison's life at risk, he was willing to risk even more - his own safety, the entire con - to pull him back out if needed. That was something, right? That was still-
-Hardison's too busy turning the pieces around in his own head to notice Eliot shifting his grip from Hardison's wrists to his hands. Tugging them closer. Pulling them up.
Alec snaps back to the present when his fingertips graze the warm, flushed skin of Eliot's neck.
"What-"
"One minute, nineteen seconds." Eliot suddenly presses Hardison's hands tight around his throat, guiding his thumbs to the appropriate hollows beneath his jaw.
"You... you can't be fucking serious!"
He tries to pull away, but Eliot's grip holds fast.
"Damnit Hardison," his growl comes rough, grating, as he puts pressure on his own windpipe through Hardison's palm. "You were right! Okay? I risked your life. For one minute and nineteen seconds. So that's what you get. Just... just do it, man! Get it over with, then we're even!"
"Even-... man, do you not realize how fucked up this is? I'm not... I'm not doing this!"
With a growl, Eliot tears his hands away from Hardison's, and Alec snatches his newly freed palms back to his chest. Eliot clearly wants to pace, but can't in the cramped room, so he settles with carding his fingers through his hair.
"Then what the fuck else do you want from me, man!" His voice already sounds ragged, even with how short of a time Hardison (or rather, Eliot by way of Hardison) was pressing around his throat.
"I just wanted you to be honest with us! With me!" Hardison slumps back against the far wall, anxiously rubbing his jaw as he tries to find the words. "Alright, look, I get it, what you had to do at the pool. I do. That doesn't mean my being upset about it is just gonna... go away!"
"I know that!"
Hardison flinches as Eliot slams his fist against the side wall. He knows the strike wasn't meant to be pointedly 'at' him, that in such a small space there's not a whole lot of room to safely lash out in when feeling cornered, but it was still too close to him for comfort. Eliot clocks the flinch, and for a moment the frustration on his face morphs into a clear expression of the guilt he's been masking since the pool.
"I... I'm sorry. I didn't... fuck, I'm sorry," he pulls away, shrinking in on himself like he does on the grift, trying to consciously make himself seem smaller. "I just... I just don't want to have ruined us, man. Whatever is we've got... you and me, this team... I just wanna fix what I broke. I want us to be good."
"We are good, man," Hardison cautiously steps forward. He thinks to put a hand on Eliot's shoulder, but that's too close to his throat at the moment, so he goes for the outside of his arm instead. "You don't gotta... let me hurt you to make things even. That's... I don't know where the hell you learned that, but I don't like it. I'm not gonna do it. You just... you just gotta let me feel my feelings for a bit, okay? We'll get Moreau, and that'll feel fucking great, and have a little party, and everything will be fine. "
Eliot looks up at him and the ragged, raw desperation in his gaze about knocks Hardison back against the wall.
"...that's it?" Eliot's almost laughing, with a dry sarcastic bite behind his tone that makes him sound unhinged... well, more unhinged than usual. Although, he did just ask Hardison to choke him, so Alec figures we're not exactly working with the usual state of mind here.
"It's that easy, huh? You just... say we're good, and we're good?"
"Uh, yeah." Hardison shakes his head, tightening and loosening his grip on Eliot's arm in what he hopes is a soothing pattern. "That's how normal feelings work when somebody you care about pisses you off. You talk your shit out, it hurts for a bit while it heals up, then you're good. I don't know who fucking taught you you had to pay for-"
Oh. Oh but then it hits him. The dots finish connecting and he's looking down at Eliot, who's been strung tight and volatile as a clumsily stripped live wire ever since they closed in on Moreau, and in that moment Alec knows who taught him that.
He steps in close, carefully taking the back of Eliot's neck in a gentle grip, and ducks slightly to even out their gazes. Eliot’s whole body is tensed so hard he's almost shaking with it, but his eyes start to lose their sharp edge with Hardison's easy hold.
"I need you to hear me, Eliot. If I say we're good? Then we're good. No strings attached, no games, no doing any 'favors' for me first to prove any kind of loyalty or whatever. You know I don't play that shit. Yeah? You hearing me, man?"
Eliot's body starts to lose a bit of it's tension. A hesitant nod starts, but stops early. Hardison's seen Parker do that before, when she's too nervous to fully commit to a new idea even if she wants to, so he softens his tone and backs up a bit like he does with her.
"You hear me, babe?"
"I hear you," the reply is soft, almost embarrassed, and Eliot's eyes dart away. Hardison let's him go, indulging the gruff 'pretending to shake off the touch' Eliot does a second too late to be any kind of believable, and respectfully ignores the clearing of his throat and wiping at his eyes.
"We, uh..." Eliot turns to the door, fidgeting with the handle for a moment. "So, we'll talk. In San Lorenzo. When it's done?"
"When it's done."
Affirmation granted, Eliot darts out of the room. Hardison takes a few more minutes. Washes his face. Processes all the data thrown at him in the past few minutes as much as he can before filing it away for later. For 'when it's done.'
BONUS:
I feel like later, when they have their actual talk and Moreau is dealt with and both parties are a little more calm about it, Eliot is still like okay, I hear you, I understand that you don't need this to feel like we're square... but I do. Please.
And this time, knowing a little more of the whole story, Hardison is more comfortable accepting that like you know what, okay. If this is what you need, now that we've talked it out in a much less charged scenario and I can trust that you're in (more of) your right mind about this, okay. So long as you know I don't need this, that this is for you, and that if you need to stop early you swear you'll tell me.
Eliot probably rolls his eyes a bit at that like c'mon not even a full two minutes of getting choked out? He's had to go [absurd amount of time] without air in [equally absurd situation] in [obscure country], he'll be fine.
So Hardison sets a timer, and gently presses Eliot up against a wall, hands wrapping round his throat, Eliot's hands around his wrists - the deal is that he holds on for as long as he's good, if he let's go then so does Hardison - and he starts pressing in.
The whole scene is far softer and more intimate than either of them expected. They keep crazy intense but somehow still gentle eye contact almost the entire way through - the only exception being when Eliot's eyelids start to flutter a bit near the end, his grip loosening but not letting go - and when the time's up Eliot almost doesn't want Hardison to let go. He didn't even know that was a Thing for him. It had never been like that before, and like he said it's hardly his first time being choked... but something about trusting Hardison with that level of control... it makes him realize he maybe likes it a little too much. Putting his actual life in Hardison's hands in such a very physical, tangible way.
It kind of scares him, to be honest, how easily he'd be willing to let him do it again. And thinking about Hardison always leads to thinking about Parker, and thinking about Parker always leads to thinking about Parker's hands, and he realizes that he'd even trust "I hang off buildings by my fingertips" hand strength Parker to do it too... maybe even gets excited at the idea of it...
...and realizes he's well and truly screwed.
#eliot spencer#alec hardison#eliot spencer x alec hardison#precursor to the#leverage ot3#Moreau's mindfuckery
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* Kurtis Conner Sentence Starters *
Been on a Kurtis Connor youtube video kick lately and since his commentary can be pretty funny, I figured I’d make some sentence starters from his dialogue. ( This is just a couple videos worth, but I may make other parts later. )
As always: These have been modified for cohesive and sensical use. Feel free to change anything within these that you see fit to make it work for your muse & the receiver’s muse !
Recommended For: Any muses/plots/timelines.
Trigger Warnings For: Swearing & Innuendo
“ I’ll be in Heaven ... no, I’ll be in Hell while some fuckin’ demon sets me on fire, and I’ll be like ‘ See this shit ? Cringe ‘. “ “ ... It was like the cringe grand central station ... “ “ Then the country boys come up and they’re like ‘ Yeehaw, fuckers ! ’ “ “ Actors are usually, like, really cool people and never a chore to be around; just think of any theater kid you ever met ... Super cool and not annoying, right ? “ “ Well, I guess regular movies are just really long POV videos. “ “ First off, eye contact -- went on just WAY too long, oh my god. “ “ I guess I am a country boy at heart, damn. “ “ If someone I don’t know makes eye contact with me for longer than, like, five seconds; I’m kinda nauseous. I don’t like it at all ! “ “ That almost put me in a fuckin’ coma, dude. “ “ Eye ... needa ... Contact ... my doctor ! “ “ Dude, I just filmed a fuckin’ banger bro, it’s just a slapper of a tikkytok ! -- Dude, I need a fuckin’ sick caption for it dude ! “ “ Oh great, it’s just you staring at the camera and smirking ... again. “ “ I said -- I compensate you handsomely: I’m handsome and that is your compensation ! “ “ It says: #POV - You are the ant looking for food in the bathroom and you see this human. Then you catch feelings. “ “ When I saw that I was like: ‘ Okay -- this guy wants to fuck ants ‘ ... “ “ Yo, I gotta see them ant tiddies up close ... Yeah, what that thorax do though, huh ? Hey Ma, I’ve seen a bugs life ... now it’s time for a bug’s sex life ! “ “ That gives me the right to say, [ name ], likes to make sweet passionate love ... to insects ! “ “ It’s just weird to me -- emotionally lip syncing a song ? That’s ... that’s not acting ! “ “ Is that a puka shell necklace bro ?! For some reason, that would make this video better and that’s rare. If a puka shell necklace increases the quality of a video ? Uh oh ... “ “ Please tell me I’m hot. Please tell me I’m hot. Please tell me I’m fuckin’ hot ! “ “ Am I jealous ? ... Yes. Yes, I am. “ “ Ants are kinda thicc though, I’ll give ‘em that. Ants are thicc. “ “ Look at me now ... buying a handsome tiktoker’s onlyfans ... FOR RESEARCH ! “ “ The idea of an indoor boyfriend, wow, that is really funny ! “ “ That would be a miserable life if you were the indoor boyfriend. You’d just stay inside all the time. “ “ I’m going to meet my outdoor boyfriend, I’ll be back in a few hours. “ “ I don’t want to be an indoor boyfriend anymore, what can I say ? “ “ I’m losing my indoor mind, outdoor boyfriend, why can’t I ? “ “ I needed to complete the trilogy ... the tri-lie-gy. “ “ We’re going to look at lies people told on the internet for attention. “ “ No one year old baby is going to wake you up crying ‘ I wanna go to work for you ! ‘. No, they’re gonna poke you and be like: ‘ Me hungy and bored, give me hotdog and also my iPad ! Now, bitch ‘ ! “ “ The kid obviously didn’t want the work uniform on. “ “ We’ve all been to an aquarium where the tanks were just open and you could toss your food in there. It’s not like there’s huge fucking glass walls in there between and the rare fish species or anything. “ “ Long story short, a fish ... spit water ... into my mouth. It was, like, super hot ! “
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Original Cursed Thoughts
Ok wait, I’m having so many thoughts….SO MANY that I’m actually posting on here, on my utterly blank page, live, for the first time EVER. So Hi! (I’m scared!)
These are just my own thoughts as someone who has taken a few days to fully absorb this whole situation (I always need a little time to get the thoughts in order). Also despite living here for a while, I have no idea how this site actually works, so bear with me.
Stay with me. *rambles incoherently for a few pages*
\\what if\\...what if this whole fucking thing was part of the Jackles (and Daneel) long con? WHAT IF. *This* was, in fact, the plan. I mean I fully understand that not everything here could have been planned to go off the way it did, but there’s a part of me that’s like, huh, this is so something I would do...
Ok, let’s throw some spec in here for fun. Let’s assume that the J2 fallout has been slowly happening for years (I think we have enough receipts for that). Jen has put up with J*red’s nonsense for years, he loves the boy, that’s his brother, and one of his closest friends, the one that knows him soooo well, who knows him soooo well...but, there’s a limit. THERE IS ALWAYS A LIMIT (and those of us who are…like me [read:JensenCoded]; the limit is where we just snap. It’s not necessarily loud, or violent, but it’s a “cool, thanks, I’m done, now” and it’s immediate and almost always final). Ok, so let’s run with the spec that Jen is just sort of *done* with JPad. He KNOWS this boy’s penchant for effing losing his mind about stupid sh*t on social media – PUBLICLY and without forethought to the consequences. This is TYPICAL/KOWN behavioural patterning.
Moving on.
Jenneel named their company….CHAOS MACHINE. This is not an accident - They f*cking changed it at the final hour (like who even does that?!...yeah, that’s what I thought). Especially! if we consider the from>>to on that one….way too much to unpack there, and others have, I think, already done a pretty good job on the spec there.
So they have an idea. They have MANY ideas. But they have a great starting point….how do they launch it? This is so calculated. ugh, this whole thing is calculated. And dare I say it? Perfection.
It’s the end of June. #happypride (parallel here – go nuts, I’ll wait. Pick as many as you’d like – but Jensen “Dean has no taste, clearly” Ackles did not do this by accident)
They announce a story that will INCENSE the fandom - #John Winchester’s A+ Parenting …. #Jary – seriously…They KNOW. They know what the fandom thinks – “that’s your problem [fandom], you have no faith….” [come and warm yourself by the fire with me].
They do not tell J* (do we need commentary here? I don’t think so, this has been run over with a bulldozer)
Fandom initially loses their minds over the material [#TRENDING]
J*pad predictably loses his mind publicly
Fandom loses their collective minds AGAIN #J2 FALLOUT [#TRENDING]
(Misha – hit the reset button!!) – #boom Bathtub “Misha #Chaos Collins” does not have that nickname for no reason….#goodboy (aside: 4lw I love you)
Jensen – (*lemme just quote this fascinating article talking about how much/why the fandom hates JW…) #CANON, I GOT YOU. [#TRENDING]
(Misha – send the sauce babe) - #TEXT! refer to #7 for further information.
Jensen “I’ve been more active in the last 3 days than I’ve been in forEVER on SM”…having fun at the links with Karl talking about “staying out of the weeds”, at a party, and screaming into a mirror (half naked at 3am, “just trying to cope”)….[#TRENDING] (hot damn boy, that photo was… #help) – “Subtext is really getting its day in the sun”….
What did ALL OF THIS DO PERFECTLY??? CHAOS. Absolute f*cking Chaos. What’s the name of their company? This is Chaos Machine, and I think it was executed PERFECTLY.
And how many birds has he Effing shot out of the sky with this week long party?
J2 fallout confirmed and out in the open (we knew it already, of course to some extent), but now it’s out there, in public, and of course they will be professional at Cons – they have contracts. I have no concerns about them being normal at Cons. (although what I wouldn’t give for more cockles content….I’ll manifest that over here in my little corner of the world)
Hey while we’re at it let’s, by doing the above, let’s shoot some W*ncesties out of the sky, and just get them off the board. *because*
Launch their company in the most chaotic way possible, hence absolutely annihilating the chance that anything they do in the future won’t catch media attention
Lost the trust of the fandom (you never lost me baby, I swear), and then proceeded to get the part that mattered back within 24 hours! (the POWER this man has!)
Trended this thing like a KING. For DAYS!
Guaranteed that there is not a person in the SPN planet/universe who does NOT know about this.
God, this is gonna be fun. I, for one, cannot wait to see what comes next.
In conclusion, just my thoughts. I think this has been a mostly calculated move from the start (with the occasional wild card).
Honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. There is a reason I will live and die in this dumpster…#chaos
#jensen#jensen ackles#daneel#jenneel#misha#misha collins#cockles#jenmish#j*red p*dalecki#chaos machine productions#chaos machine#j2 fallout#just my thoughts#walk with me#marketing gold#launch#first post#new but not actually new#cursed thoughts
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ok ok I love drag me headfirst (fearless) so I've picked from there. and i adore this scene with you know REVELATIONS and such. sorry that this was probably a little while ago to think about.
“Dance with me?” Blaine asks, grin bright and beaming.
Hell, Blaine could ask him to jump off a bridge, and as long as Blaine’s hand was in his, he’d do it. Kurt can’t stop the corner of his mouth from twitching, and then Blaine is full on grinning, reeling him in and tugging him close.
You lift my feet off the ground, spin me aroundYou make me crazier, crazierFeels like I'm falling and IAm lost in your eyes, you make me crazier, crazier, crazier
Every passing second, it’s getting more and more difficult for Kurt to ignore the pounding in his chest, or the buzzing, almost shakiness in his arms as he wraps them up around Blaine’s neck.
“Can I kiss you again?”
“Huh?” Kurt says, voice a little out of breath and dazed.
“I feel like Taylor has some songs about kissing at parties. You know, full experience, and all.”
Kurt finds himself nodding, although he certainly can’t think of any off the top of his head. Truth be told, he can’t think at all when Blaine is pressed up against him like this.
His eyes dart to Blaine’s lips and then his eyes, scouring his face for any sense of hesitance but find none. Then, Blaine pulls them together, and Kurt’s mind goes blank, all he can think about is the gentle push and pull of his best friend’s mouth on his.
The moment Blaine pulls away and slowly opens his eyes is the moment Kurt realizes something he can never tell: he’s hopelessly in love with Blaine.
“Shit,” Kurt whispers.
Blaine knits his eyebrows together. “What?”
Kurt just shakes his head and pulls Blaine in, until their lips are touching once more. Blaine moves a hand to the back of Kurt’s neck and pulls him closer, as if they aren’t close enough already, as if he can’t get enough of Kurt, breathing him in.
AHHHHHH THANK YOU! I actually loved writing Drag Me Headfirst because it might be THE most self indulgent thing i have EVER created ajshahshs
The DVD Commentary:
I knew I wanted to use “Crazier” even though it’s not technically on the fearless album because it IS a waltz which gives it that “sway”-y feel to it and I was like “oh yeah they can SLOWDANCE TO THIS”
God they are so stupid. They are just. Absolute fucking idiots and I know I’m the one who wrote them that way but at what cost???? Blaine is literally smiling like an IDIOT, finding an excuse to dance with you, and asking to kiss you and you’re just like “damn I wish he liked me” what kind of fuckery????? Honestly though I can’t even say anything because I’m the same way—I cannot take a hint for SHIT and I think a lot of people can’t either so I was like. Let’s lean into that. See what it looks like from an outside perspective. Ladies: we’re idiots your honor
THE “Oh.” MOMENT—in a friends to lovers AU, I am a HUUUUGE slut for that italicized Oh. moment!! bc like they’ve been besties forever so what makes it FINALLY click? I think it’s always gotta be something really stupidly fucking obvious (a kiss in this case) or something really subtle (like in HS when Tao buys Elle’s drink after she transfers).
But then oh no we’re not done fellas because as anyone who has ever had a crush on anyone ever can tell you—ITS THE PITS. The mortifying ordeal of being known and all that jazz! So I like to lean into that mortification and a thing I really enjoy writing is when a character is like “Omg I love them. FUCK.” because like yes I love love and I think it’s fantastic but the scariest thing about realizing you have something precious is realizing you could LOSE it so that’s where Kurt’s “Shit.” comes from lmao
And then my favorite moment in this scene is actually right after that when Kurt shakes his head because AS I was writing it I literally made myself cry with laughter at my own stupid jokes because I said: “NOW WE DONT HAVE TIME TO UNPACK ALL OF THAT” aloud to an empty room which is Normal Behavior of course.
I just really enjoy the progression of “Wow Blaine is such a good friend for kissing me. Oh, fuck, I’m in love. Nevermind, we’re going to ignore this.” I think in the moment it comes off as romantic and maybe even a little bit angsty, but honestly the whole thing is based off the humor and ridiculousness of it all which I guess you can’t have one without the other!
Thanks so much for sending this in jas!! It was so much fun! :D 💞💞
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Imagine being the Goodfellas' favorite waitress at their favorite diner.
So here's the original birthday imagine I had planned for @michaelvronskysupremacy ! Hope you don't mind if I stay your idea!! And I hope you have a wonderful birthday, friend, happy national Susie day!! 🎉❤️🎉❤️🎉
You picked up a waitressing job at this little diner in Brooklyn to help pay your way through college, and at least once a week, a big group of tough guys came in, and they always wanted you as their waitress
They're kind of loud and like to stay after closing sometimes, but the diner made great money off of them and they left excellent tips; they practically paid your college tuition with their weekly visits
You weren't sure why they only wanted you to wait on them, and you weren't sure who it was that always asked for you, but they seemed kind of secretive and like they didn't want their business getting out
Not that they talked much business when they were there
They mostly joked around and played cards in between snacking on burgers and pizza and fries
Eventually you got to know all the guys pretty well; you also quickly learned their orders
Typically as soon as you see then coming, you start working on their drinks: a few of them want coffee and water, Henry always wants a coke with a cherry in it, Carbone wants lemonade, Tommy sneaks in whiskey to put in his coffee, and Jimmy gets a strawberry milkshake and he always steals the cherry from Henry's coke even though he gets one with his milkshake
They're all pretty cool but you can tell there's a special bond between Henry, Tommy, and Jimmy
Henry always looks like he's observing and learning from everyone, Tommy is the loudest and the class clown, and Jimmy is quiet, but when he says something it's always just right whether it's supposed to be a wisecrack or just commentary
You've probably spoken with Jimmy the least, and that makes him mysterious to you. He really only talks to you when he's greeting you or ordering, but he always has his eyes on you. This doesn't make it past you though; your eyes tend to linger on him as well.
One night, the guys were in an intense round of cards when you walk over to check on them
Tommy is being more boisterous then usual because he's losing, and when the next round of cards gets laid on the table, it only gets worse for him
Jokingly, he grabs your arm, shouting something about you being "bad luck" for him, but it nearly knocked you over
Within a second, Jimmy slid out of the booth, pulling Tommy off of you
"Don't EVER lay your hands on her!" Jimmy yells; you had never heard him raise his voice in anger before
"Jimmy..." Tommy says softly, "it was a joke, I wasn't gonna hurt her!"
Jimmy tightens his grip on his friends shirt, shaking him a little, "Well you almost did! I swear if you ever touch her again, I'll kill you."
You're in shock
"Aww, you got a little crush, huh Jimmy? You wanna give it to the little waitress? Show her what your little Jimmy can do?!" Tommy is brave making jokes when Jimmy is already nearly choking him, but all the other guys giggle quietly, trying to contain their laughter
"Don't talk about her like that," Jimmy's jaw tenses up, and he gets right in Tommy's face; everyone goes completely silent hearing the dark tone in his voice
"Um, Jimmy?" you whisper quietly, lightly tapping his shoulder
He turns to you and his face immediately softens as he drops Tommy on the floor, "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" He grabs your arm to look to any bruises
"I'm okay! He didn't hurt me"
"Are you sure?" He turns you around and leads you away from their table, "I don't want any of my guys to be responsible for causing you any trouble."
Jimmy leads you over to the diner bar, picking you up and plopping you on a stool effortlessly
He places a hand on your thigh, stroking his thumb just under the hem of your skirt, "What can I do to make it up to you?"
You pause for a moment and place your hand on his, "Take me on a date."
A deep blush creeps across Jimmy's neck and cheeks and he looks down at the floor
You lean in closer to him and lightly joke, "Are you telling me a big bad guy like you is scared of taking a little college waitress out to dinner?"
He looks up at you for a moment before suddenly crashing his lips into yours
You stay like that for a moment before he pulls away; he slips a stack of cash into your hand and motions to the table where he had been sitting, "Keep the change. I'll pick you up Friday at 7."



#happy birthday susie 🎂🎉#happy birthday to you#robert de niro#imagine#robert de niro x reader#robert de niro imagine#jimmy conway#goodfellas#jimmy conway imagine#jimmy conway x reader
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Gone- Part two of heartbeat
It has been two months. Since the accident you haven't found the courage in yourself to visit her. Her side of the bed lays the same, edge of the covers curled down slightly because according to her "it looks nicer" and a few knickknacks spread over her side table. The stub of the concert you went to on her birthday last year. A strip of pictures of you too when you nudged her into a picture booth at the carnival. A stack of notes that you both wrote each other. Her socks are still on the floor from the night before the mission. Her pillow still fluffed.
You haven't cried yet. According to Steve's whispered conversations with Tony it means your still in stage one of grief. Denial.
That's not true though. Your girlfriend isn't dead so what are you grieving? She's in the med-bay laying on the same cot. In a coma not gone. What's done is done though so you quit moping around your shared room and go down to the shared floor to see the mission board.
Frowning you tap Steve's shoulder.
"Why am I not on any of these missions?"
He hesitated before answering.
"Look, I know you wanna go distract yourself but this isn't healthy. You need to go see her. This isn't right"
You scoff before looking up at him. "This isn't right. My girlfriend is in a coma. To hell with what's right or wrong here and who, says I haven't gone and seen her huh?"
"I do." Tony speaks up from where he was sitting watching you argue back and forth together. "Your name has never been checked on the sign in sheet on the med-bay. On the last two missions you went and stitched up your injuries yourself and, avoided going into the med-bay even when there was a chance that you could see Peter's next invention." Wanda looks up at you too. "I agree with Tony. You haven't been down here for anything besides the mission board. You turned down every offer to watch a movie or to even cry. I get this is affecting you but you need to stop losing yourself in missions. It isn't safe"
You threw your hands up "I don't need to go see her. I know what she looks like or have you forgot that I was with her when her heart flat lined. Or when she lost so much blood that the first thing they did was get a bag of it and replace it every 20 minutes because it was that bad. Or I forgot did you see her basically say "HEY guess what I'm okay with dying for now really its fine" with the last breath she had? Have you ever thought that the reason I haven't gone to see her is because she is going to look the same as when she died and I can't stand it. That I can't let myself cry because I know as soon as I start start I don't know if I'll ever be able to STOP because I know she's gone. And all I've got left is her voice in my head" Your voice breaks in between each sentence and you begin to cry, for the first time in those few months you finally let yourself feel everything while you sink to the ground. Steve wraps you in a hug and Wanda gets up to join. Soon enough your wrapped in the midst of everybody, warmth and comfort flowing through them and trying to console you.
You end up pushing back from their hug in an attempt to pull yourself together a couple minutes later.
"I'll go visit her later" You don't think that they believe you but Tony nods and speaks for what seems like all of them.
"Of course. We'll be here if you need us"
You make the lengthy trip back to your room and decide to change into something comforting. The black hoodie that Natasha used to live in when she was upset pierces through your mind. You see it laying on a chair still wrinkled from the last time she wore it. You get an idea and instead of wearing that you choose something simple.
As you hesitate instead of going down to the med-bay immediately your eyes land on a picture framed on the wall. You were kissing her cheek and her cheeks were red. It was a couple months after you had started dating. It effectively reassures your decision as you bring the sweatshirt with you. You take the elevator down to the med-bay praying for nobody else to hit the buttons between floors. You write your name on the sign out list outside her room and walk in.
She looks better than...then. Her arms a static by her side and the heartbeat monitor is beating readily. You don't say anything to her yet, simply walking over to the attendant and asking if its okay to move her around yet, pitching your idea with a hopeful look in your eyes. When she nods you take that as cue to walk over to her.
She looks so.. peaceful. Ethereal almost. The smudged dirt had been moved from her face. Red hair lay out on her right shoulder and a cast on her left ankle. Two bandages were on her right arm and you're sure that if you lifted her shirt you would find more, all stab wounds and scratches leading to blood loss..
You nod at the nurse in the room waiting for them to leave before you step over to her leaning her forward and putting the sweatshirt behind her. Satisfied with the placement you lean her back and weave her arms through the sleeves. You step over to her leaning her forward and putting the sweatshirt behind her. Satisfied with the placement you lean her back and weave her arms through the sleeves. Satisfied with your work you lean back and appreciate that she looks a little bit more.. human. You take a seat next to her.
"Hey Nat. Uh you probably can't hear me. But um. You lived. Your still alive. Sorry for not visiting. I um. I don't know what to tell you. I've been doing okay. I was in a mission and I got stabbed carelessly a week ago but that's it." You hold her hand, waiting for a twitch or a shudder like it says in all the story books. A lover holds the other and magically wakes up.
"I could really use you around." Your voice shudders in between words. "Things haven't been the same. I miss you. Things are crazy."
You lift her hand up and press a kiss to the back of it. "Come back to me please. Come back like you always promised you would." You press one final kiss to her forehead and get up and leave waiting waiting WAITING for her voice to call out and tell you that she's here and alive and okay.
It never does.
You exit the Med-bay slightly nauseous and feeling worse than when you came. You wish it were like all the books you read. All the romcoms you watched with her.
"I still don't understand why we're watching this again." Natasha comments. It was some romcom that she wasn't that interested in. Instead of watching it she was watching you. Smiling when you smiled giggling when you yelled out commentary. "are you even watching it?" you ask her for the 4th time when she got caught looking at you.
"I am I promise." She brings your hand up to her lips a habit she had.
Not risking getting caught again she looks at the screen.
"Wait so she's just gonna wake up? That's like 2 gallons of ketchup blood she lost and she's just gonna wake up because he asked her too?" she yells outraged. You giggle at her expression loving the playful side of Natasha you got to witness. At least give her something to wake up too? The nurse is hotter then he is goddamn it and doctors should be offended, they didn't need to do anything it was his voice that woke her up!"
"Hey!" you pout "What about me"
"I never said you weren't hot" She protests when you move from where your cuddled into your side. You pretend to be mad and stay on the end of the couch until out of nowhere she plops down ontop of you, peppering your face and neck with kisses "I" kiss "love" kiss "only" kiss "you" kiss "Capice?" Kiss.
"Capice!" You giggle trying to squirm away from where she was attacking you with kisses. You end up creating a schedule of visiting her every other day. Soon enough that turns into every other week. You never stop though until your sent on a month long mission. It dawns on you then that just because your world stopped moving, everyone else's never did.
You take one last glance around the room, memorizing every detail before walking to the quinjet. Hopefully, something would change when you came back.
#Natasha x reader#Black widow x reader#angst#natasha romanoff#gender nuetral reader#no fluff im sorry#Heartbeat#Pt. 2
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Digimon Data Squad Dub Comparison Episode 5 - Digital World, Here We Come!
This is a companion to my commentary on the original Japanese Digimon Savers! Reading my commentary on the original version of this episode (which you can find here) is recommended before reading this dub comparison.
Original name ~ Dubbed name
Masaru Daimon ~ Marcus Damon
Yoshino Fujieda ~ Yoshino “Yoshi” Fujieda
Tohma H. Norstein ~ Thomas H. Norstein
Captain Rentarou Satsuma ~ Commander Richard Sampson
[Since several characters share the same name between the original and the dub, quotes from the dub will always be in italics, while quotes from the original will not, in order to distinguish them.]
A fun thing the dub does with recaps is that the narration is done by one of the characters, commenting on the events of the episode in-character. This time, it’s Thomas. (It’s actually usually Thomas, far more often than it really ought to be, but it makes sense for this one.)
Recap Thomas: “Marcus couldn’t take orders if he were a waiter in a restaurant.”
The in-character-ness of these recap lines helps add a little more flavour to the recaps than the original has, which I appreciate.
Recap Thomas: “So in order to clean up Marcus’s mess, I took it upon myself to disobey orders…”
Thomas definitely did not do this out of believing this was solely Marcus’s mess and he was simply being gracious enough to clean that up for everyone. But, it does make a lot of sense that he might frame it that way when describing the situation to somebody else rather than admit that he felt like he’d failed, so I don’t mind this at all.
Agumon: “Quiet as a sleeping mime!”
Agumon how do you know what a mime is
Yoshino: “What are you doing.”
~~~~~
Yoshi: “What are you doing?!”
Alas, Yoshi’s delivery of this line is very much loud and frustrated, rather than delightfully deadpan at their terrible stealth skills.
Masaru: “Tohma did a Digital Dive? Damn it, he got away before us!”
~~~~~
Marcus: “Thomas did a Digital Dive?! I’ll teach him to be sneakier than me!”
He was definitely sneakier than you, Marcus.
Yoshino: “Before?”
Agumon: “Nothing, he’s just talking to himself.”
~~~~~
Yoshi: “Huh?”
Agumon: “Aw, don’t be jealous.”
Though I enjoy the “sneakier” line, as a result we do lose the fun bit where Masaru accidentally pretty much told Yoshino his intent to follow Tohma, and Agumon awkwardly tried to cover for him (and Yoshino didn’t really notice anyway because she was too busy worrying about Tohma).
Yoshino: “Doing a Dive when the equipment hasn’t even been tested on humans…”
~~~~~
Yoshi: “What was Thomas thinking, going into a Digital Dive when it hasn’t even been tested on humans yet?”
Yoshi isn’t mentioning this specific equipment and appears to be saying that any Digital Dive has never been done with humans before. …But then again, she probably doesn’t know any better.
Masaru: “I’m just going there to settle my fight!”
~~~~~
Marcus: “I’m not gonna let Thomas finish the fight that I started!”
Marcus brings up the notion that this is partly about not wanting Thomas to steal away his fight a little bit earlier than Masaru does. (Even though this can’t have always been about that, because he didn’t even know Thomas had gone over there too until Yoshi told him.)
Yoshino: “You’re just going to make things worse!”
~~~~~
Yoshi: “You’re just gonna make things worse for me and everyone else at DATS!”
The dub apparently had some extra lip-flap for this line and filled it with Yoshi making a pretty relevant point about who’s going to have to clean up their mess.
Agumon: “I’ll help you break it ‘til it’s fixed too, Boss!”
Here’s some fun oblivious dub-Agumon snark-that-isn’t-snark.
Yoshino: “Return to where you first entered by 0500. That’s where I’ll bring you both back.”
~~~~~
Yoshi: “Make sure both of you are back to your port of entry by 0500. Otherwise I won’t be able to bring you back.”
In the dub, apparently the time limit is for Yoshi being able to bring him back at all, rather than the implication I took from the original that this is mostly about her not wanting Satsuma to learn that this ever happened. I guess it could be reasonable to think that the return-transfer without any actual equipment on the Digital World side has to happen within a certain time window after the initial Dive or the signal’s too weak?
Masaru: “Bah, it’s like having a curfew.”
~~~~~
Marcus: “Oh boy, it’s like havin’ a curfew again.”
Heh, that added “again” makes it even clearer that Marcus has definitely had curfews before.
Agumon: “Aniki, I’m kinda nervous…”
Masaru: “Don’t get scared now, idiot.”
~~~~~
Agumon: “I’m getting’ kinda scared, Boss…”
Marcus: “N’agh, don’t be a big baby.”
Bah, the dub loses the interesting nuance of Masaru calling him an idiot for getting nervous and instead turns this into a very simplistic and derogatory “being scared is for babies”.
Agumon: “You sure this is okay?”
Masaru: “You think I know?”
~~~~~
Agumon: “You sure this is safe?”
Marcus: “Let’s find out.”
I am also sad at the loss of Masaru letting slip a tiny hint that he isn’t sure about this at all. Marcus’s line does have a non-enthusiastic, very firm “shut up and stop trying to make me freak out” tone to it, which is better than it could be, but still.
Agumon: “Aniki… You’re the one who’s upside-down.”
Masaru: “I knew that.”
~~~~~
Agumon: “Boss, you’re the one who’s upside-down.”
Marcus: “I see.”
The dub goes with the “I see” translation of what Masaru said in Japanese rather than how the subs interpreted it, and I approve.
Masaru: “So this is the Digital World…”
~~~~~
Marcus: “Wow… My first time in the Digital World!”
You… you talk like you’re planning on making coming here a regular thing, Marcus. (I mean, he will be, but he shouldn’t have any reason to believe that right now.)
Agumon: “It’s my first time seeing it too.”
~~~~~
Agumon: “It’s mine, too.”
…Though I guess this was just so Agumon could say the same thing about it being his first time here despite having less lip-flap to say it with.
The BGM cue is weirdly sinister leading up to Agumon telling Marcus to come over and see something… because it’s about to go to a commercial break. Cut back from the commercial break and Agumon’s just pointing out some perfectly non-threatening Digital World weirdness. The troubles of having to fit in more commercial breaks than a show was originally written to have.
Agumon: “Look, Aniki! They’re here, too!” [some Airdramon fly past in the sky]
Masaru: “They’re flying!”
Agumon: “And them!” [some Tsunomon bounce past nearby]
Masaru: “They’re bouncing!”
Agumon: “And them!” [some Pyokomon walk by]
Masaru: “They’re walking!”
~~~~~
Agumon: “Look, a flock of flying dragons!” [some Airdramon fly past in the sky]
Marcus: “You don’t see that every day.”
Agumon: “Or them, either.” [some Tsunomon bounce past nearby]
Marcus: “Wow, they’re cool!”
Agumon: “What are they?” [some Yokomon walk by]
Marcus: “Walking plants!”
The original bit here always struck me as weird, the way Masaru was just excitedly exclaiming “they’re verbing!” at each Digimon. Possibly it sounds more natural in Japanese somehow? But either way, the dub did well to change this to remarks that are a lot more sensible for Marcus to make.
Yoshi: “‘Forget him. Let him figure out how to get back on his own.’ I mean, what’s stopping him from just saying that?”
Yoshi actually tries to do an imitation of Marcus’s voice for this bit. And she gives it quite the moody tone, because she is understandably rather frustrated at the thought that Marcus might really just ignore finding Thomas. It’s pretty great.
Lalamon: “You’re over-thinking it.”
~~~~~
Lalamon: “Marcus would *never* say that!”
Lalamon in the dub is somehow way more sure of this and sounds like she’s trying to defend Marcus, which doesn’t really seem right.
(Marcus does in fact then deliver the line with a bit more pointed emphasis than Masaru, who was just being unbothered and nonchalant, so I guess Yoshi was somewhat right to imitate him saying it like that.)
The BGM while Marcus and Agumon explore the Digital World is not remotely equivalent to the original’s Main Theme that evoked the sense of discovery and exploration. Instead this BGM just seems to want us to feel like this is ominous and alien (even though the Digital World really isn’t that alien at all).
Agumon: “I feel like I’m having déjà vu, Boss.”
Marcus: “How would you know what that means?”
Exactly, Marcus! Agumon knows way too many terms that he shouldn’t know; apparently the dub finally felt like lampshading it for once. (Though honestly, déjà vu is more reasonable than most, because it’s not an inherently human concept.) This isn’t going to stop them having Agumon continue to do this, of course.
Sampson: “What are you doing?”
Yoshi: “Just helping the hopeless. Why does this stuff always happen to me?”
I approve of Yoshi complaining even more about always having to be the one to clean up after those idiots.
Kudamon: “Looks like you are searching for something, but just what are you searching for?”
Yoshino: “Um… A rich bachelor! …Just kidding… La… Lalamon…”
Lalamon: [slowly backing away] “I think I’ll stay out of this…”
~~~~~
Kudamon: “It looks like you’re searching for something. What exactly?”
Yoshi: “It’s, umm… mm… An earring! That’s… it…! Right… Lalamon…?”
Lalamon: [slowly backing away] “I think I left my bathtub running…”
I approve of the dub changing this joke to not be about Yoshino apparently looking for romance (although, since she was joking, that doesn’t necessarily mean that she actually cares about finding a rich bachelor just because she’s a woman). Lalamon’s bathtub comment doesn’t make any sense, of course, but it doesn’t need to since this is just a comedic excuse.
Masaru: “Doesn’t matter where this is! Let’s go, Agumon!”
~~~~~
Marcus: “Now’s our chance! Let’s go!”
Lost that line in which Masaru is either still straightforwardly ignoring the terrain, or only trying to tell himself to ignore the terrain and the fact that Drimogemon is at a huge advantage here.
Agumon: “Aniki!”
Masaru: “Idiot, don’t get scared over something like this!”
~~~~~
Agumon: “We’re done for!”
Marcus: “Don’t get all melodramatic on me now, Agumon!”
The dub takes away the fun nuance of Masaru’s opinion about getting scared again… but at least this dub line is still perfectly reasonable in its own right.
Agumon: “At least we had these soft rocks to break our fall.”
This sounds like another obliviously-not-snarky Agumon line… but surely he has to know that the rocks aren’t actually soft? (Maybe this is just the dub writers taking a shot at the fact that they somehow didn’t get badly hurt from that fall, which is fair.)
Masaru: “What’s this? Does that mean the same thing happened to you?” [he and Agumon burst out laughing] “I see, you’re just like us!”
~~~~~
Marcus: “Hold it. So basically, you were outsmarted by a giant gopher.” [he and Agumon burst out laughing] “Get a load of the ‘genius’!”
Ugh, nope, I don’t like this version. Masaru’s line made a really clear point of him realising that Tohma is just the same as him. He’s not shying away from the fact that he fell into Drimogemon’s trap as well, and he’s not looking down on Tohma; he just suddenly finally feels on the same level. But Marcus completely avoids mentioning that he and Agumon met the same fate, and instead this is all a mocking “ha ha, look at the genius being an idiot”, trying to drag Thomas down and feel above him.
In the original, Tohma’s leg injury was visibly bleeding, but the dub edited the blood out because I guess even a small patch of blood was too much for the dub’s censors. It’s still reasonable that Thomas could have some kind of non-bleeding injury like a sprain, but it does mean that the shot focusing on his perfectly unhurt-looking leg as Marcus realises he’s injured looks kind of silly.
Tohma: “Stop that. I don’t need you to help—”
Masaru: “When you’re a man… When you’re a man, there are some things you just have to *do* despite yourself.”
~~~~~
Thomas: “Let go. Whatever help you have to offer, I don’t need—”
Marcus: “Yes you do. Wake up. Put aside your stubbornness for once and let us help you.”
Don’t really like this either. If the dub had removed the manliness mention like it insists on doing and otherwise kept Masaru’s general sentiment intact – he’s putting aside his stubbornness because this is the right thing to do – I’d have been basically okay with this. But instead, this is putting the focus entirely on Thomas needing to put aside his stubbornness. It comes across like it was easy for Marcus to help Thomas without any kind of hesitation, almost like he didn’t even have any stubbornness of his own to put aside in the first place.
(And this is despite the fact that Marcus was being more of a dick to Thomas than Masaru was just a moment ago.)
The change in sentiment also doesn’t quite fit Masaru’s expression, which is one of firmly declaring his manly principles. When he’s making a point of offering help like this, I’d have expected Marcus’s expression to be something a little softer.
Agumon: “You’re making me cry, Boss!”
Agumon’s moved response to this – exactly the same as in the original – also doesn’t fit quite as well here when it’s not in response to any kind of manly principles and making compromises to do the right thing on Marcus’s part.
Masaru: “Let’s get outta here first. Then we can think about other things.”
~~~~~
Marcus: “First we need to get out of here. After that, we can start arguing again.”
Marcus bringing up the arguing is fine, I guess, since that is definitely what he’s thinking, but I did really like how Masaru didn’t even outright bring it up while they were in this truce situation of needing to work together.
Masaru: “It’s that way.”
Tohma: “No, it’s this way.”
Masaru: “Why?”
Tohma: “I’m not like you. If we move around randomly, we’ll never get out of here.”
Masaru: “But why?”
~~~~~
Marcus: “Let’s go this way.”
Thomas: “No, that way.”
Marcus: “How come?!”
Thomas: “Don’t argue with me. If we go with your no-plan method, we’ll never get out of here.”
Marcus: “Just say how come!”
In the original, Masaru was genuinely just wondering why, but in the dub, Marcus’s tone is notably angry and argumentative. Thomas’s “don’t argue with me” is also harsher, but then it’s kind of called for with Marcus’s tone.
Masaru: “Hey, you’re pretty smart!”
~~~~~
Marcus: “Hey, maybe you are a genius!”
This is still Marcus acknowledging Thomas’s intelligence for the first time, but I like it less because he mentions the genius thing. For one, it really doesn’t take a literal genius to think to mark their path with something, and this is just making Marcus seem stupider for him to think it does. But mostly, I really liked how Masaru acknowledged Tohma’s smarts on a regular down-to-earth level that he himself could understand and relate to, which doesn’t work when Marcus still makes it about him being a genius.
Tohma: “As I said, I’m not like you.”
~~~~~
Thomas: “Compared to you? Believe me, it doesn’t take much.”
This and the earlier part of the argument loses the bit with Tohma still trying to make the point that he’s not like Masaru despite Masaru having started to see them as similar earlier, because the dub messed up that part earlier. Instead, Thomas is still just implicitly calling Marcus stupid.
Agumon: “Aniki… When are we gonna get outta here?!”
Masaru: “Don’t worry! Keep up your spirits and we’ll use it to work this out somehow!”
Tohma: “Spirit has nothing to do with it, but we *are* heading up.”
~~~~~
Agumon: “Boss… When are we gonna get outta here already?!”
Marcus: “Stop complaining and think positive! We’ll get outta here soon!”
Thomas: “Being positive has nothing to do with it. However, we *are* heading towards the surface.”
This is almost exactly the same – “spirit” and “positivity” mean basically the same thing in this context. But I did like Masaru saying that keeping their spirits up will help them to escape in and of itself, which Marcus didn’t say. Masaru’s not wrong to say that! If they didn’t believe it was possible to get out, it’d be a lot harder for them to do so.
Masaru: “You’re really unbearable.”
Tohma: “You too.”
~~~~~
Marcus: “You know, you really are a downer sometimes.”
Thomas: “You too.”
The original made sense as both of them agreeing that the other’s opposite attitude can be frustrating for them personally. But Thomas agreeing that Marcus is also a downer kind of completely contradicts the part where Marcus was literally just encouraging them to stay positive.
Satsuma: “Hurry!”
~~~~~
Sampson: “No excuses, just do it! Hurry!”
This is as Miki and Megumi are trying to find Marcus and Thomas’s Digivice signals but are struggling because there’s too much static. Which isn’t an excuse; it’s a legitimate reason why this is taking so long. There’s no way they’re deliberately slacking off and making excuses to do so, so Sampson comes across as a lot more unreasonably harsh here. It’s still easy to read it as him only being harsh because he’s worried, but still. Chill, Sampson, they’re doing their best.
Masaru: “Hey, are you okay?”
~~~~~
Marcus: “Hey, what’s the matter *now*?!”
As Tohma tries to walk back from the opening to the big cavern without Masaru but stumbles due to his leg injury, Masaru is just checking if he’s okay – but Marcus is being a jerk and acting like Thomas has been constantly making up reasons to complain. As if Thomas wouldn’t have been stoic and refusing to complain about the pain the whole time, and as if Marcus wasn’t just willingly helping him with this exact problem. Geez. Dub, stop making Marcus more of a jerk, especially when it doesn’t even make any sense among the rest of his actions here.
Thomas: “Earth to Marcus! Didn’t you hear me when I said the caves are unstable?”
I do enjoy this English-specific way for Thomas to get across his frustration at Marcus ignoring how it’s dangerous to fight in here. (And implying that he lives on a different and very fighty planet to everyone else is fun too.)
Masaru: “I’m not gonna run or hide! A man takes his fights head-on!”
~~~~~
Marcus: “A real champion doesn’t run and hide! Let’s meet the enemy head-on!”
Since the dub insists on removing the manliness, changing it to “champion” and keeping the rest of the sentiment intact is just about the most adequate thing they can do here. But it still loses that delightful connection this kind of thing has to all of Masaru’s other manly principles (such as helping out people who need it even if you don’t really like them!), and it makes it seem like his fighting thing is just about winning rather than that it’s connected to this concept of being a good person in his head.
Gaomon: “Master!”
~~~~~
Gaomon: “Thomas!”
Sometimes Gaomon yells “Master!” on its own with no other dialogue, and since that’s two lip-flaps, the dub can’t replace it with “Sir!” – so instead they have to have Gaomon use Thomas’s actual name in these instances, which gives a bit of a different feel.
Masaru: “Yo.”
~~~~~
Marcus: “…Hi there.”
Marcus’s line as he reaches the Drimogemon’s head is a lot more nervous in delivery, which is less fun than Masaru’s audaciously bold “Yo.”
Thomas has a comment specifying that the colosseum is made of ice. Its composition is never actually stated in the original and I assumed it was crystals, but I guess ice works, too? …Maybe not, though, because you’d expect GeoGreymon’s attacks to melt it, and they aren’t shown doing so. And digging through ice would probably be a lot easier than crystals and maybe still possible for Drimogemon.
…Oh dear, they cut out the brief moment of impact when Marcus punches Drimogemon. Apparently that’s too violent or something, a guy punching a huge cartoon mole. While I think this is the first time this has been done so far (unless I wasn’t paying attention in the earlier episodes), this will be happening a lot. It’s really quite bewildering to me why the dubbers have been required to cut the punching out of this anime which is a lot about its main character punching things. If the execs don’t want punching in their anime, why the hell are they licensing this anime for their channel?
Unlike in the original, the dub’s evolution music does play while they evolve their partners. Rather than being used to highlight triumphant moments, it feels like just an obligatory fanfare of evolution. It even essentially plays twice, starting in the exact same way as each of them begins their DNA Charge – though in fairness, the second loop of it has some extra elements and layers added to the music so that it isn’t completely repetitive.
Thomas: “Wait!”
Marcus: “What now?”
Marcus’s delivery of the “what now?” is amusingly deadpan and sounds so Done with Thomas constantly coming up with new reasons why he can’t just fight the thing, and damn it, it made me chuckle.
Thomas: “Marcus! Do you remember the last battle?”
Marcus: “The last *what*?!”
Marcus’s response here is weird. Why would the mention of a battle be the part that he’s questioning? Since that doesn’t make any sense, the only way to read this is that he’s being pointlessly argumentative again.
To make up for the dub’s unyielding insistence on only using the evolution music for literal evolutions rather than triumphant moments, at least they use Probably Marcus’s Theme for the actual victory moment, which has a similarly triumphant sort of mood. However, it does kick in a bit later, only when they begin to attack, rather than as soon as Tohma decides to try the Masaru-like strategy, which is a bit of a shame.
Tohma: “Their combined powers enhanced each other and became amplified to more than before!”
~~~~~
Thomas: “With their powers combined, I wonder how much the strength of their attacks increased by?”
Since Thomas phrases his line as a question, it reads a lot less like a metaphor of him and Marcus working together. I… don’t know if the dub writers actually realised this was a metaphor in order to keep the line sounding like that.
Masaru: “Did you see that?!” [he starts laughing]
~~~~~
Marcus: “He’s an egg!” [he starts laughing]
Masaru is laughing out of exhilarated excitement at their win, but Marcus meanwhile just sounds like somehow the fact that Digmon is now an egg is the most hilarious thing ever. Uhhhh? You’ve seen Digimon turn into eggs when they’re defeated before?
This also has a bit of a different tone in the dub because the triumphant music has ended and there’s no BGM here, while Believer is still wrapping up at this point in the original.
Speaking of BGM, the heartwarming acoustic guitar version of Probably Marcus’s Theme plays during this scene where he and Thomas officially become friends, and it’s cute.
Masaru: “Nah, that was just spirit!”
~~~~~
Marcus: “Nah! That was absolutely pure luck!”
It wasn’t pure luck, though! There was deliberate strategy involved of directing Drimogemon towards the surface and then towards the colosseum – he even mentioned that he was looking for a suitable battleground. It wasn’t something he had planned from the very beginning when he jumped down and was instead improvised as he went along, but calling it luck is completely wrong. Masaru’s a lot more appropriate to call it “spirit” – he used his spirit to make those in-the-moment decisions!
Marcus’s laugh here again sounds like he finds something weirdly hilarious, rather than that he’s just being an excited dork.
Thomas: (How do you make the illogical logical?)
Come on, Thomas, the illogical is logical! All you gotta do is make it so! Obviously Marcus doesn’t even worry about how, that’s completely the opposite of the point there.
Agumon: “Aniki’s got himself another follower!”
Gaomon: “Master is no follower!”
~~~~~
Agumon: “Looks like the Boss has got himself another employee!”
Thomas: “Let’s not push our luck.”
I am sad that they took this sentiment away from Gaomon. Let him be a good dog who can’t see his Master ever not being a master!
Satsuma: “As members of this organisation, you must uphold the rules!”
[pause; everyone looks ashamed; Satsuma turns his back to them]
Satsuma: “You four… Well done in returning.”
~~~~~
Sampson: “As members of this organisation, you must follow the rules! I have only one more thing to say to you two!”
[pause; everyone mumbles in nervous anticipation; Sampson turns his back to them]
Sampson: “…Well done. It’s good to have you safely back home.”
I like the presentation of this moment better in the dub! The added angry-sounding “I have one more thing to say,” like he’s about to reprimand them even more and then subverting their expectations works well to make the sudden praise and concern for them hit harder.
Overall differences
This one’s very similar! A lot of the stuff I pointed out here is really quite minor stuff, and some of those minor changes – not all, but a higher proportion than usual, I think – were lines I actually kind of liked a little more in the dub. Wow. (Though there are of course still some minor things I like less, such as the usual Marcus being more of a jerk.)
The only real significant differences I want to note are the changes to Masaru’s “You’re just like us!” and “When you’re a man, there’s some things you just have to do despite yourself” lines. Those are some of the most important lines in this episode in showing why Masaru begins to bridge the gap between him and Tohma, and the dub watered down that interesting nuance quite a bit.
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Empathetic Chapter 12
Pairing: Bakugou Katsuki x Reader
Summary: After your mom, the number 1 hero in America, gets offered a teaching position at U.A., you two pack up your things and head to Musutafu, Japan to start a new life. Pressure for you in America was at an all-time high, and now you’re in Japan, where almost no one knows you, or your family’s past.
This tale starts on your first day of class where your new teacher decides the best way for you to fit in is to fight against the strongest person in your class: Bakugou Katsuki.
Warnings/Genre: This piece will feature some angst and reference to an abusive parent, if you are ever worried about other tw’s feel free to send me an ask and I will let you know. There will also be fluff, slight angst, pining, and slowburn.
A/N: No clue how I got this chapter out hella fast despite losing it all, but it was so fun to write lol! I hope you guys like it, please send me asks with feedback! I’m really excited for the next chapters!
(masterlist)
Once you heard the click of your door gently closing, you released a breath of air you didn’t know you were holding. You looked to your ceiling as your heart raced with your brain actively trying to calm it down.
Your phone was still vibrating, but you knew it was a call this time. You didn’t have the nerves to answer it, however, and simply looked at the various texts Ashido had sent you. The first was from around noon today:
I’m on my date with Kirishima right now and I am freaking out!!
She vaguely narrated her emotions before a more significant one showed up at 2:00pm.
Where are you?? I want to tell you and Hagakure everything!!!!
You smiled, happy you were now included with her list of what you assumed was best friends. Just before you got home, she texted you a series of question marks.
????
Where are you!?!
And then the flood of texts when you came home.
Were you??
Omg
Were you really went on a date with Bakugou?
Sir explodey???
Why did you not tell me about your date with Bakugou!!
You smiled fondly at your friend’s jokes and knew the rest of your night would be filled with her and Hagakure. Genuinely, it was exciting to know you would spend you night with the two excitable girls. Not only were you ecstatic that you could hear about Ashido’s actual date today, but your stomach flipped at the idea of finally telling them about you and Bakugou.
If there was even anything between you and Bakugou.
It felt a little wild that your relationships with your classmates had grown so much so quickly. You spent a moment reminiscing about living in America and how much time you really spent by yourself. It definitely helped that you lived in a dorm with them too.
Drawing yourself away from your thoughts, you texted her back:
It wasn’t a date!!
But I am on my way downstairs rn
You hastily changed out of your nicer outfit and into shorts and a sweater, something perfect for the sleepover vibes you were hoping for today. Only for a moment did you debate taking out your earbuds; you did not want to become stressed by overthinking. They really were hurting at this moment and you were sure everything would be okay.
You took your earbuds off and placed them into their case that had been in your backpack. You then pocketed the case in the front pocket of your sweater. Just in case. You ears thanked you as you rubbed them and you tried your best to ignore the thoughts rushing into your head.
You can do this, you told yourself. Half of it was because of your classmates thoughts rushing into your head, and half was because of the nerves you still had from today. It had been quite some time since you went a long period without earbuds and you feared getting a headache, but the risk was well worth it considering how your ears were begging for a break.
You took in a deep breath and told yourself to finally go!
Slowly and quietly, you opened your door, almost afraid that Bakugou would be watching you.
With no one in sight, you rushed down the stairs, the adrenaline pumping through your veins made an elevator ride seem like the worst and longest possible thing. You fled down the stairs, running on the tips of your feet to make the least amount of noise.
Once downstairs you rushed to your friends with a beaming smile.
“Hi!” You exclaimed as you plopped down onto the couch.
“Well aren’t you smiley,” Hagakure immediately commented, making heat flush up your neck.
You couldn’t help it. You had a great day with Bakugou and a productive one to boot. That and you were about to spend the night with your current closest friends. Although you started out wanting to just forget your feelings, you could absolutely get used to the way he talks to you and time you spend together.
You replied to Hagakure’s comment by just deepening your smile and shrugging. “Ashido! You have to tell me how it went!” You looked to the pink girl, who had a grin just as wide as yours. That’s a good sign. That and she wasn’t currently crying in her room. “Should we get snacks and go up to someone’s room?” You suggested.
“Yes!” Ashido replied, “That sounds perfect!” The girl immediately stood up and practically skipped over to the kitchen which was still occupied by students.
Each of you moved around silently. You grabbed three cups and a bottle of soda while Hagakure and Ashido grabbed their desired snacks to bring from the pantry. You were still quite full from your late lunch, but knew that this night would go long.
As your hands held onto the cool glass cups and plastic bottle, you imagined how tonight would be going.
It will be great! You decided as Ashido and Hagakure walked out of the pantry with two bags of chips and a box of fruit gummies. You felt the giddiness in your stomach rise as the girls approached you. Silently, you all walked to the elevator, arms full and eyes shining.
“We can go to my room,” Ashido explained as she reached out to press the appropriate floor.
The same floor with Kirishima and Bakugou, you silently noted as the doors closed and the elevator began to rise.
When the doors opened to your and Ashido’s floor, the first thing you saw was Bakugou walking towards you. Shock ran through your veins as the three of your exited before the doors closed and then stood still. It must have been quite the sight to see the three of you, practically in pajamas with hands full of snacks.
If it wasn’t clear from that image that you three were going to be talking about boys the whole night, then Bakugou sure must be an idiot.
“Tch,” He scoffed as his hand found the doorknob to Kirishima’s room.
Wait, you thought and you quizzically stared at him. Were he and Kirishima also going to talk about girls?
At the very least, you were sure that they would be talking about Ashido.
Bakugou gave you a knowing smirk. Looks like those two idiots finally got together, huh? Surely you helped them.
Your eyes widened. No one had noticed you weren’t wearing your earbuds yet except for Bakugou.
Obviously I can see you without them, you idiot. I’m always looking. His eyes squinted at you and silently gasped in response.
The blond barked out a small laugh, before opening Kirishima’s door and leaving you three in the hall like dumbstruck idiots. You knew he was directing his laugh at your shocked face, but the girls probably just thought it was at their wild appearance.
“Weird,” Hagakure laughed as she became the first to start walking to Ashido’s room. You and the pink girl followed quickly behind.
Once inside, you all immediately dropped the snacks off on the bed and desk. Before anyone had a chance to speak, Ashido turned to face you.
“Before I get started,” She began, “I just have to say…
You gulped down the lump in your throat. From her thoughts alone, you could tell she was upset and hurt.
“How dare you not tell either of us that you were going on a DATE with frickin’ BAKUGOU??” Her anger roared through the room and you were sure Bakugou could hear his name being spoken.
“It wasn’t a date,” You responded meekly, knowing full well how it looked when you walked into the dorms, a smile plastered on your face and Bakugou held the door open for you.
Ashido scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Sure it wasn’t,” She accused, sarcasm dripping off every word. “We will get to you later, missy,” She promised before jumping onto her bed and grabbing a bag of fruit snacks.
“Anyways,” Hagakure spoke, breaking the silent tension that had formed. “Please! Tell us about your date with Kirishima!” She practically begged as she sat down at the desk and began pouring herself a drink.
“Well,” Ashido giggled, “If you insist.” The smile on her face that had been there since you met her downstairs was a clear indicator of the results. You, however, still wanted to hear every juicy detail she could remember.
You sat down on the bed across from Ashido, certain this story would be long enough to hurt your legs if you stayed standing.
“I asked him Friday night if he wanted to go out. Well,” She corrected, “I texted him. Let me show you.” She whipped out her phone and moved so all of you could read it. Despite this, Ashido read it aloud as well.
“Hey, Kiri! And then a cute heart emoji.” She pointed at the emoji on her phone. “I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch tomorrow or Sunday? I found this new café a few blocks away from school and really wanted to try it out with you!”
“Then he said…”
“Sure! I would love too! Sunday works best.”
“Then I said—”
“Ashido, we can read it,” Hagakure sassed. You sincerely didn’t mind her reading the texts, it was a cute commentary addition.
“Shush!” Ashido retorted before turning back to her phone, not letting Hagakure get another word in. She pressed her off button and the screen went black. She moved to be sitting normally again and continued, “So anyways we set up a time. And we were having great conversations on our walk. I had decided from the very beginning to bring up dating him after we leave the café. So, we just chat and it’s nice and he’s so sweet and cute and—”
“Ashido,” You interrupt, unable to hide your laughter and her rambling. The girl stopped and looked at you, her eyes wide as if unsure why you stopped her. “You were getting off topic.”
“Oh!” She exclaimed. “Sorry! Anyways, we get there, and it turns out it wasn’t just a normal café, it was a cat café! So, we buy an hour and get our drinks and snacks and it was so much fun. Seeing him with those cats was like, amazingly adorable.” She stops talking for a moment to eat some of the fruit gummies. “Also! He literally bought all the drinks and food and he refused to take any of my money which was so sweet. And I feel like he kinda knew? Like, he knew this was more than just two friends hanging out.”
“What do you mean by that?” You asked before getting up to pour yourself a glass of soda.
“Like, he seemed so nervous an quiet at the beginning, but luckily he started warming up after he saw all the cats. Except a couple times he would get super silent and just look at me with this wistful smile. It’s hard to explain, but yeah.”Ashido described. “Oh, and I wore this really cute dress and sneakers with some clips in my hair and he complimented me with this goofy smile on his face. Even he dressed up nicely in a red, short-sleeve button up.
“Oh, wow,” Hagakure mumbles. “So when did you tell him?”
“After the hour was up, we decided to not pay for another hour and just go,” Ashido explained, “They were also super crowded and busy. However, instead of just heading back home we walked to the nearby riverbank and sat on the grass hill. It was so amazing because it was covered in flowers and the sun felt so nice. Kirishima looked so great. Honestly, we ended up taking some photos because it was just a gorgeous time of day.”
“Okay? But when did you confess?” Hagakure repeated. She was getting quite impatient and wiggling around in the chair.
You laughed as Ashido shushed her. “Let me be happy!” She retorted with a glint of humor. Despite her tone, it was clear she didn’t mean anything horrible and you laughed even harder.
“Fine,” The invisible girl groaned and pouted in her chair.
You were tempted to retort and tease Hagakure about Ojiro, but decided not to change the topic when you were getting to the most interesting parts of Ashido’s story.
“So anyways,” Ashido began once more. “When we were done taking photos, we just started talking about this or that, it was very pleasant. Like, he was telling me about his goals after school and he seemed so excited and passionate, it was great.” She paused for a moment and looked at each of us before continuing. “All of the sudden,” Her voice grew louder and her wide eyes put you on the edge of your seat in anticipation.
This has to be the moment! You thought.
“A cart ran by with roses and Kirishima jumped up immediately and ran to buy a half-bouquet. It was like out of a movie!” Ashido exclaimed, her hands coming up to touch her cheeks as they grew a deeper shade of pink that her typical skin tone.
“Awww” Hagakure sighed.
“I know!” Ashido exclaimed. “So after he gave me the flowers, I was blushing so much and I could barely talk and when I said that the flowers were pretty he was like ‘yeah, pretty like you’!” I was literally screaming on the inside.”
It felt like you had butterflies on the inside of your stomach from simply hearing about Ashido’s date. It was so much sweeter than yours, despite you still being happy with your day. Ashido and Kirishima had known each other for years too, while you and Bakugou knew each other for a week. In fact, your day with him wasn’t technically even a date.
“Kirishima is so sweet!” Hagakure gushed while you simply smiled at your friends.
“So did you confess after?” You inquired while Ashido showed off the roses now in a vase.
“Okay, okay,” She fumbled and she put down the vase and got back onto the bed. “I basically didn’t have any words. I did not expect him to be so romantic so all I could get out was a small thank you. He was super red too which was a good sign. I was trying to get up the courage to say something more, but then he started talking.”
“Oh?” Hagakure added, her commentary working well with the story.
“He confessed!” Ashido practically screamed.
“He confessed?” Both you and Hagakure questioned. You stood up from your spot in shock and Ashido followed.
Her energy was at a high as she rapidly nodded, “Yes!”
“Oh my goodness,” You added, completely shocked that Kirishima could build up the courage and also happen to do it at the same time Ashido wanted to. You could not help but think about Bakugou currently in Kirishima’s room. You wondered what the story sounded like from Kirishima’s point of view.
Was he also nervous and getting of topic? Or is he already done with the story?
You were sure whatever the answer was, Bakugou was already over it.
“It was so sweet and I feel like I blacked out,” Ashido continued. “He talked about our friendship and how he admired me and how that admiration slowly turned romantic as we got older. He ended it by saying he wanted to finally be the manliest he could be and actually tell me how he felt.”
“So sweet!” Hagakure added. “Very Kirishima of him.” She giggled at the idea of the scene, but Ashido seemed as happy as could be.
“So what did you say after?” You asked, silently hoping that their date ended with a sweet kiss.
“I started stuttering, but I was eventually able to say that I like him back,” Ashido explained. “Honestly, it was a bit awkward. That was mainly because both of us were smiling like idiots though. He was so cute,” She said for almost the fifth time that night.
“That really sweet, Ashido. I’m glad you guys finally admitted it,” You encouraged. “I’ve only known you for a short time, but it was clear you guys are really cute together.”
“Thank you, (Y/N)-kun,” She smiled before reaching out to give you an awkward hug over the pile of snacks.
“How did the date end though?” Hagakure asked as you both broke apart.
“Ah, yes!” Ashido exclaimed, as if suddenly remembering something important. “We started talking about it all and agreed to go on another date soon but keep things pretty quiet. Like, we aren’t going to hide anything, but we aren’t going to sit everyone down to just tell them.” There was a brief pause, “Well, except for you guys.”
Both you and Hagakure laughed at that.
“And Bakugou,” Hagakure added, which was something you were thinking, but did not want to bring up.
They are accusing me of dating him and I would hate for these teasing jokes to get to him and hurt the small amount of friendship we currently have, you thought as you laughed at Hagakure’s addition.
“Anyways, we eventually walked home and just talked about random things. The conversation started getting back to normal, but halfway through he held my hand and it was so cute!” She explained. “I hope everything can stay normal, just with more romance.”
“Did he kiss you at the end?” You ask, unable to help it anymore.
Hagakure laughed at you and Ashido shook her head.
“No, there were a lot of people outside, so it just didn’t feel right. I think he kinda wanted to though,” She explained and shrugged. “I’m not upset about it,” She smiled brightly, “I’m just happy we finally admitted it.”
You smiled silently at your friend, not quite having the words to tell her how happy for her and proud of her you are.
Hagakure, however, had much to say. “Oh, my god!” She began her speech. “I am literally so happy for you guys! You are both so cute together, like literally from day 1 at U.A., you two have been the sweetest friends! I cannot wait to see you guys in public. Kirishima is already so red around you that a quick kiss on his check with make him turn as red as his hair!”
“That I help him dye,” Ashido interjected, a wide smile spread across her pink cheeks.
“Exactly!” Hagakure exclaimed while wiggling around in the seat from happiness.
As a comfortable and happy silence filled the room, you each took this opportunity to grab some food. You poured yourself and Ashido a drink while Hagakure opened a bag or chips and Ashido ate more fruit snacks. Once you sat down, you phone buzzed and Hagakure and Ashido glanced up at you. Although you couldn’t actually see Hagakure…
“Probably my mom,” You mumbled, hopefully answering their silent question.
They look away and you handed Ashido her drink before grabbing your phone off the soft mattress. You tried to be as silent as you could when it was Bakugou’s name flashing across your screen instead of your mom’s.
You looked up to the girls who were staring at their own phones and unlocked yours as silently as you could.
Shitty hair is literally running through a pros and cons list of texting pinky…I’m sure your night is just as miserable considering how loud pinky and whatever her name is can get.
You stared at it, trying to figure out just how to reply. You bit your lip, wondering whether to laugh and joke along with him or defend your friend.
You tested out a few different options before finally sending:
I think it’s cute…and I’m not the type to complain about having friends who actually talk to me.
You listened as closely as you could, not sure how this comment would come across. If you paid enough attention, maybe you would be able to hear his thoughts.
Is that a quip at me? You heard a voice that you hoped was Bakugou. It definitely matched to most compared to the other voices in this house you could currently hear. Or is she just trying to share more?
You heard a bit more of his thoughts before you pulled away, not wanting to intervene too much into his privacy.
Eventually, your phone buzzed once more.
I am.
Your heart dropped slightly at the short comment. But another text suddenly came in.
As far as I think, all those other extras share way too much about their personal lives.
Other extras.
Other extras?
What does that mean?
Testing the waters, you put something a bit risky.
I’ll make sure not to share my person life with you now lol
You felt so incredibly nervous about your text and the ‘lol’ at the end felt so cringey as you stared at it.
Nah, you’re fine. For now.
You smiled brightly, you couldn’t help it. That was definitely a good sign and you knew it. You felt like such an idiot as you began typing out your reply.
“Excuse me?” You heard a critical voice say from above you.
You looked up to see Ashido and Hagakure in front of you. You shockingly looked at them, wondering what they could need.
“You sure are smiling like a fool for someone who is just texting your mom!” Hagakure accused you.
“Uhh,” You stumbled, not sure what to say.
Before you could get any words out, Ashido snatched your phone out of your hands and ran across the room.
“Oh my god!” She gasped while reading over the short conversation. “Bakugou!?” She exclaimed while turning to phone to show Hagakure.
You didn’t even try to snatch it back because you knew full well that they would find out eventually.
“Oh my,” Hagakure finally spoke. “This is,” She paused and looked at you before looking at Ashido. “Is this?”
“L/N-kun and Bakugou flirting? Yes,absolutely” Ashido rapidly nodded before tossing the electronic device onto the bed. “I’m literally not even mad at him bashing us, especially me and Kiri. I’m just happy that he finally found a girl to like.”
“We should have known too,” Hagakure passionately added while you watched their conversation unfold. “They even went on a date today.”
“It wasn’t a date,” You finally interjected.
“Oh, it wasn’t a date!? Sure, it wasn’t,” Ashido replied with an overly mocking tone.
Hagakure was busting up laughing at this point and was unable to say anything else. Nevertheless, she was trying. “I can’t—I can’t—Oh my—"
“Guys!” You pouted, interrupted the two girls. You took this opportunity to grab your phone off the bed and take your place it into your sweater pocket. “Let me explain,” You pleaded.
Both girls suddenly stopped the smiles, giggles, and teasing. Silently, they sat in their respective seats and waited for you to explain yourself.
“So,” You began before taking in a deep breath, “Yes, I do like Bakugou—”
“I knew it!” Ashido exclaimed.
You squinted your eyes at her in critique. “You knew? Since when?” You questioned, knowing full well that she did not know. She had only known you for a week and only saw you and Bakugou interact once.
“Uhh, today?” She offered, “When you came home with him today?”
Hagkure snickered at Ashido’s response which received her a light smack from the pink girl.
“You guys ready to listen?” You asked, interrupting the snickering clients.
“Yes!” The replied in unison. They sat down and looked at you with anticipation.
“Okay, so,” You thought over your next words carefully. “I don’t know what it is about Bakugou that makes me like him. It’s kind of just everything?” You bit your lip, “Like, he’s super hot.”
“Ew,” Ashido groaned, “You can’t say that about him!”
Hagakure laughed even harder than before considering she wasn’t nearly as close to Bakugou as Ashido was. “He is pretty attractive, Ashido. You have to admit.”
“Stop!” Ashido exclaimed. “Bakugou is literally like a dad, he can’t be hot.”
You laughed at Ashido’s comment, her humor helping you relax more. “Just relax, Ashido! I’ll stop talking about how,” You paused, “You know, he is.”
“Thank you,” She replied.
You smiled before continuing your story. “I’ve talked to him a few times over the week, and it is obviously not perfect. Sometimes though, he just says all the right stuff and it makes my insides twist. Like today, we went to his costume designer’s place because I simply mentioned to him that I wanted to change my costume up a lot. And then he took me to one of his favorite food places.” You smiled at the memory. “It was a really nice day, but obviously not as cute or romantic as Ashido’s date.”
Ashido shrugged, “That’s just how Bakugou is though! Like, me and Kirishima have known each other for years! Bakugou is warming up to you after only a week while it took him months to even consider Kirishima a friend.”
“Very true,” Hagakure interjected. She was enjoying the story, but Ashido knew much more about Bakugou than her, making her opinions not as pertinent.
“I think,” Ashido continued, “You and Bakugou have a lot of potential. In fact, now that I know you like him, I can pay so much attention to your conversations. I’ll be like a spy, I can analyze everything!”
You chuckled at your friend’s excitement, feeling great about telling your friends about your crush on Bakugou. At the same time, though, it also felt silly having a crush on him. You bit your lip while telling yourself not to become too preoccupied with the blond when each of you cared more about becoming heroes.
“And those texts are the first thing I want to analyze!” Ashido explained, “So gimme your phone!”
“No, you don’t have to,” You bashfully replied, not sure if it would be right to allow them to see texts from Bakugou when he thinks it is just her.
“Aww, come on!” Hagakure pressured. “I saw some pretty flirty stuff in those texts!”
“Maybe,” You continued, “But Bakugou is a very private person, you know?”
“True,” Ashido spoke, “But he doesn’t have to know!” The grin on her face was wicked and you could tell she wouldn’t let this topic go.
“Okay,” You gave in, “I’m sure it’ll be fine.” You pulled your phone out of your pocket and unlocked it. The texts between you and Bakugou popped up and you passed the phone to her.
She began reading it out loud because it was difficult for all three of your to read it at once.
“First off,” She said, beginning her analysis, “Just him initiating a conversation like this with you is big! He almost never begins conversations.”
“Not only that,” Hagakure added, “But he was trying to find common ground with you. That can be pretty big for Bakugou.”
“And,” Ashido exclaimed, as if just thinking about this “He even said he doesn’t mind you talking about your personal life while he doesn’t like hearing about others.”
Hagakure giggled, “Ooh la la! Sounds like Bakugou is in love.” She emphasized the word ‘love’ and elongated it in a teasing tone.
Ashido began chuckling along with Hagakure while you felt your cheeks turn red. “You guys are just jumping into things,” You insisted while taking your phone back. “I’m just going to take things slow.”
Since their laughter had died down by now, the girls nodded along with you.
“I think that’s smart,” Ashido agreed. “It’s hard to know how he will react in a romantic situation.”
“You know what might be fun,” Hagakure begins. You each look to her, awaiting her thoughts. “Since we know Bakugou is still in there, we could try and sneak up to the room to hear what they are saying about you guys.”
Ashido immediately had a mischievous smile appear on her face. She almost looked like a Cheshire cat and you knew what was next. “Why would we have to sneak up to overhear them when we have L/N right here?”
“Oh my god, that is so true!” Hagakure exclaimed while shaking here arms in excitement. You could tell she turned to look at you and she asked, “So, what do you think?”
I think it’s a bad idea, but I really want to do it, you thought. You took a few beats to think over all the possibilities that could make it a good or bad idea. You looked to Ashido’s excited face and knew Hagakure must feel similar despite not being able to see her either.
“Okay,” You finally said, effectively giving in.
You almost talked yourself out of it. However, this wasn’t something you did often, it definitely wasn’t going to become a habit, and you were a teenager with a crush who simply wanted to have fun?
“Yes! Yes, yes yes!” Ashido exclaimed while Hagakure got up and began dancing around the room.
You laughed loudly at your two friends, enjoying their humorous actions.
“Okay, okay,” You sheepishly interrupted, trying to calm them down. “I’ll need you guys to chill a bit to hear.”
Ashido saluted you and Hagakure laughed before doing the same, at least you could tell from her moving clothes. The two girls then sat down and awaited your next words.
You, on the other hand, focused your energy on the voices surrounding you. Your head, at this point, didn’t hurt at all, and made you feel even more confident about your decision to take out your earbuds. You had gotten very used to hearing people’s thoughts, but not at all processing the words they were saying.
Suddenly, Kirishima’s prominent thoughts came into view.
Today was so great. I think I’ll take her bowling on our next date.
“Kirishima is planning your next date,” You mindlessly spoke, too focused to watch Ashido. You did, however, hear her shrill scream and the excited thoughts rushing through her head.
“What about Bakugou?” Hagakure asked.
You barked out a laugh once your were able to hear Bakugou;s thought clearly enough. “He’s thinking about how you and Kirishima are absolute idiots…but he’s still happy you guys got together.”
“That’s so sweet!” Ashido exclaimed.
“Aww, nothing about you?” Hagakure asked.
You shrugged your shoulders and focused more on your friends. “I really doubt that he talked to Kirishima about today.” You smiled to try and assure your friends. “I don’t need him to think about me all the time.”
Ashido smiled, her eyes filled with a kind of pity you weren’t sure you liked. Despite this, you knew she had good intentions at heart, and you grinned back as she patted your shoulder.
“Anyways,” Hagakure spoke up after a pregnant pause filled the room. “Let’s talk about something else, this conversation is totally not passing the Bechdel test and I am over it.”
You nodded in agreement and grabbed a handful of chips before sipping on your drink. “I could show you guys the sketches for my new hero costume,” You offered.
Ashido grinned widely, “Yes! You can put on your current one and show us the new sketches.”
“Oh god,” You exclaimed, “My current one is so ugly.”
“Well now you have to show us,” Hagakure laughed.
“Okay, okay! I’ll be right back then.” Happily, you stood up from your seat on the bed and made your way to your bed to grab your hero costume, computer, and sketchbook. A wide smile was spread across your face and you clumsily handled all of your supplies.
Today was a great day, you thought as another person’s own thought rang through your ears.
Fuck, why was today the best day I’ve had in a while? You heard Bakugou’s voice ring through your ears before you reopened Ashido’s door.
#my hero academia#boku no hero academia#bakugo#bakugou#bakugo katsuki#bakugou katsuki#bakugo katsuki x reader#bakugou katsuki x reader#bakugou katsuki imagines#bakugo katsuki imagines#bakugo katsuki fanfiction#bakugou katsuki fanfiction
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For the DVD commentary:
"That was great," Techno tells him. He's still breathing hard. Wilbur still seems winded, too. His hair is plastered against his scalp, damp with sweat. Techno runs his clean hand through it, and Wilbur hums.
"Thank you, m'lord."
Techno sighs.
"You just did it again," he points out. "The whole point was that you stop." He pets Wilbur's hair again. Wilbur tips his head to press it into Techno's palm.
"Forgive me," he says. He cranes his neck to press a kiss to Techno's wrist.
"You've got to stop apologizing for me being good in bed."
"Forgive- ah." Wilbur giggles. He shakes his head, rubbing it against Techno's palm. Techno scratches carefully at his scalp and Wilbur lets out another satisfied hum. Techno watches in bemusement as Wilbur blinks sleepily: once, then again, with a shake of his head. His forehead creases minutely as he starts to lift his head from where it's cradled in Techno's palm. Techno wraps his other arm around Wilbur, holding him close.
"Settle," he says firmly. "I've got you." Wilbur goes stiff in Techno's arms; Techno scratches at Wilbur's scalp again. After a moment, Wilbur melts, relaxing and butting his head back against Techno's palm.
It reminds Techno of Phil, after he’s been put through his paces. Something in him always hums with satisfaction at being able to send people to that soft, quiet place. It's a humbling amount of vulnerability, even after all this time. Techno suspects it's not a space Wilbur has spent much time in. It's certainly not a safe state of mind to have around a master.
Techno pets Wilbur's hair gently, hiding his smile in Wilbur's curls when he wiggles contentedly against the sheets. Slowly, he comes back to himself, and it strikes Techno all over again how self-contained Wilbur is, how little he gives away. Still, when he looks up at Techno moments later, with clear eyes and a faint smile, he says "Thank you, Technoblade," and Techno can't help but feel like they’re getting a little closer to somewhere better.
oh man you went right for a good one huh.
First mention of this scene in the DMs is from back in september:
[cee: hornyposting incoming:
cee: techbur scene where techno doesn't let wilbur come until he uses techno's name instead of a title
cee: i am losing my fucking goddamn mind over 'techno is trying really hard to give wilbur some positive and reaffirming 'free person sex experiences' and wilbur just doesn't get it because why would he?']
I have a lot of feelings about techno and wilbur's connection in this fic, as people who have been shaped by their respective experiences belonging to other people. (note: obligatory 'this applies to dream too' but it affects them both fairly differently. we'll get into it later.) a lot of feelings about techno having convinced himself that he's....more or less okay, having built himself a pretty decent life in his years being free, and then Wilbur and Dream came along and stirred up a whole bunch of shit.
but yeah this scene is really fun re: techno trying to push wilbur outside of the things he thinks are hangups from being a slave, and wilbur simultaneously trying to please techno and stick to the manners that have been trained into him.
also yes wilbur has dropped somewhere subby here and this bit- 'Wilbur blinks sleepily: once, then again, with a shake of his head. His forehead creases minutely as he starts to lift his head from where it's cradled in Techno's palm.' IS him realizing it and trying to pull himself back together, and Techno not only notices it, but pushes him deeper into subspace. Techno feels big and soft and dommy and protective and he has absolutely pushed Wilbur past a boundary and then dropped him into a space where he can't protect himself. Good stuff!
A couple of final notes-
I tried really hard here to emphasize Wilbur's body language being a little more expressive here, when he is usually putting on a very careful performance around Phil and Techno, and that being specifically because Techno's pushed him so far.
Also, this is just another edition of me having a 'person a has bad/unfulfilling sex experiences and person b takes that as a Personal Affront' kink. I do that a lot. I did not notice I had done that here until the day before we posted the chapter. There will be more of it before this fic is done.
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Leading Lady (Spencer Reid x Reader)
chapter five- multitude of realizations
wc: 3.2k
summary: you realize your true feelings for Spencer
a/n: hope yall like! this is one of my fav chapters haha
chapter index: chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4
-
As you walked back into your dressing room, you couldn’t help the smile on your face. Sure, there was a murderer after you, but this crush you had on Spencer was honestly just as exhilarating. You had come to terms with the fact that you had a crush on him when you were watching Gilmore Girls earlier on Netflix and he was making commentary on the characters and the books Rory was reading. When he spoke, you were more interested in what he had to say than in the actual show. Although the two of you had only known each other for a couple days, spending all of your time with him had bonded the two of you in a way you hadn’t experienced in months. Once inside the dressing room, you made small talk with your fellow cast members.
“So, Y/N, when are you and Matt gonna hook up? I’m getting bored, I need a showmance,” said Caroline, the actress who played Fantine.
“Ah, I’m sorry but the Y/N ship has sailed! I’m actually seeing someone now,” you said with a smile, the words feeling genuine.
“Oh my gosh. Spill!” yelled Caroline.
“Well, his name's Spencer,” you shyly told her and the gathering crowd of your female castmates. “He’s staying with me for a little bit while he’s in town, he’s actually here tonight!” you told them as they squealed.
“We have to be introduced!” Caroline shouted, and you laughed.
“Okay, okay! I’ll point him out to you during mic check but that's all until after rehearsal,” you said with a grin before sitting down at your mirror and beginning the makeup and hair process.
-
After finishing getting ready, you headed out to the stage for mic check. You waited for a couple minutes with the girls, pointing out Spencer for them to gawk at and whisper to each other while he was mindlessly focused on a thick book. As if he felt the prying eyes of your cast, he looked up and shot you a smile and an awkward wave before focusing back on his book. A few minutes later, Matt walked on stage, slightly out of breath and not in his costume. You could overhear him talking to your director, apologizing for his lateness. Once he noticed you he greeted you with a tight smile and walked over to you, the girls whispering on the other side of the stage, still pointing at Spencer.
“So, a boyfriend, huh? Didn’t think our Y/N could pull it off,” Matt said in a teasing way.
“Wow, news gets around here pretty fast,” you replied, looking up again to Spencer at the back of the auditorium to see he was already looking at you. He seemed a little off… you didn't want to assume he was jealous but you were talking to your cute costar so maybe he was just getting a little too deep into his role of boyfriend. Your exchange with Matt was brief, your director wanted to get the show started as soon as possible. Once John called for places, you snuck back around through the lobby to sit with Spencer. You sat down next to him and he greeted you with a smile.
“Hey Spence, sorry that took a little longer than expected, our Marius was a little late,” you explained. You noticed he didn’t reply- he was just looking at you with a goofy smile. “What?” you asked.
“O-oh I’m sorry, it's nothing,” he said, a blush creeping on his face. “It’s just, not many people call me Spence,” he confessed.
“Oh! I’m sorry, did you not want me to call you that? It’s okay I can jus-” he cut you off.
“No! No, it's really fine. I… like it,” he said, looking down and twiddling his thumbs. As the pit orchestra began to play the opening number you settled into your seat with a smile on your face. The two of you watched the first couple songs, Spence occasionally whispering facts about the history of France in your ear and each time he did you smiled and nodded, occasionally asking questions but mostly just basking in the moment. You noticed that you had to go on soon so you excused yourself and ran into the lobby to head back to your dressing room.
Once you got inside you rushed to make sure you were ready to go on. As you frantically checked your makeup and looked for props, Caroline, who’s character had already died, started to talk to you.
“Girl, that boy is in love with you already,” she said, focused on the bag of chips in her lap. This made you stop everything you were doing.
“Im sorry. What?” you asked, not sure if you were hearing her right.
“I said what I said! Let me tell you, while I was trying to die on stage, I kept getting distracted by the two of you being all cute back there! The way he looks at you… i’ll just say, if someone looked at me like that, I wouldn’t let them go,” she said nonchalantly. Obviously she didn’t know that Spencer sharing your feelings was news to you. You couldn’t deny the chemistry, but you thought you were just imagining his lingering glances and soft smiles. It excited you as much as discouraged you, though. Falling for one of the FBI agents in charge of your case just wasn't right! And if he were to reciprocate those feelings, he could get in trouble at work and that was the last thing you wanted. You didn’t have much time to dwell on this, however, because you were about to go on stage.
-
As you acted and sang your heart out, you kept taking glances to see Spencer’s smiling face in the back of the auditorium. As your biggest song, On My Own was coming up, your nerves picked up a little bit- it was your moment alone on the stage and you couldn’t help it. As the opening notes began to play, you took a deep breath and sang.
And now I'm all alone again
Nowhere to go, no one to turn to
Without a home, without a friend
Without a face to say hello to
And now the night is near
and now I can make-believe he's here
You always resonated with these lyrics. You often felt very alone and it was difficult for you to open up to others. That was, until Spencer came along.
On my own, pretending he's beside me
All alone, I walk with him 'til morning
Without him, I feel his arms around me
And when I lose my way I close my eyes and he has found me
When you and Logan, your ex that you used to live with, broke up, you felt really hopeless. You tried not to let a man decide your happiness, but the two of you were long term and he had helped you through your father's passing. When he moved out, every waking moment was spent missing him.
And I know, it's only in my mind
That I'm talking to myself, and not to him
And although, I know that he is blind
Still I say there's a way for us
There was no way that someone like Spencer liked you. You didn’t feel worthy of it. You didn’t think you deserved to be loved, much less even liked, but even you couldn’t deny that there was chemistry
I love him, but when the night is over
He is gone, the river's just a river
Without him, the world around me changes
The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers
That feeling of comfort that you had grown accustomed to around Logan returned when Spencer started to sleep on your couch. You didn’t believe in love at first sight, but this wasn’t that. It was an opportunity for a deep connection, something that you wanted to build on. Not some cringey story about mommy and daddy meeting eyes across the room and falling right then and there. Sure, Spencer was pretty much just your type looks-wise, but when you talked to him you just appreciated him as a person.
I love him, but every day I'm learning
All my life, I've only been pretending
Without me, his world will go on turning
The world is full of happiness that I have never known
You were over Logan. You didn’t realize until now that you had been sulking the past few months because of him, but there was a new light in your life. As you began to sing the last few lines, you made direct eye contact with Spencer, tears brimming in your eyes. These tears were real, caused by a multitude of realizations.
I love him
I love him
I love him
But only on my own
Shit. You really liked him.
-
After what felt like years, you had changed back into your clothes and took off your makeup, anxious to see Spencer and to hear his opinion on the show. You were trying to slyly sneak out of the dressing room before Caroline grabbed your shoulder and whipped you around. You sighed, knowing what was about to happen.
“You’re not getting off this easy! You said I could meet your new beau and I'm not leaving until I do!” she said with a smirk. You sighed, anxious at this being the first time you and Spencer really have to put on an act as “lovers”.
“Fine fine, just come on,” you sighed, leading her to the lobby where Spencer was waiting with his book in his hand, facing the opposite direction and talking to someone. Talking to… Matt. Oh jeez. You picked up your pace so you could greet Spencer, tapping him on the shoulder. He whipped around and when he saw you, his face broke into a joyful smile.
“Hey! You were amazing!” he exclaimed as he pulled you into a hug, genuinely excited. This surprised you but it didn’t take long to melt into it. Matt cleared his throat next to you and you let Spence go with a blush.
“Sorry. Spencer, this is Caroline. She plays Fantine,” you introduced the two. Spencer waved hello, not making a move to shake her hand. You wondered why, but you ignored it.
“You were really great too!” he told her.
“Thank you! So, this is the famous Spencer, huh? Y/N was telling us all of the hot goss about you two,” she said with a smirk.
“Hot goss?” Spencer said with an inquisitive look, you elbowed Caroline in the ribs.
“Uh, anyways we should get going,” you said, trying to usher Spencer out the door.
“Hey hey hey, not so fast!” said Matt, you cursed at him under your breath. “Our Y/N finally gets a boyfriend and we don’t even get to see them kiss?” he asks, a bit of a harsh edge to his voice. You didn’t think he was mad or jealous at first but this behavior was a little weird.
“Now why do we need to do that?” you asked with a harsh tone, Spencer tensing up beside you. You felt bad that he was in this position.
“I mean.... I kinda wanna see it too…” said Caroline, you elbowed her again. Spencer leaned down next to your ear.
“Y/N, it's okay. Kissing is actually safer than giving someone a handshake, the amount of pathogens that pass is staggering,” he whispered. This spouting of facts only made you want to kiss him more, but you really didn’t want to make him feel weird.
You sighed and turned to face Spencer, placing a hand on his cheek as he leaned down. You felt really guilty, you couldn’t believe that your first kiss with Spencer wasn’t even real or voluntary, but you didn’t want to seem suspicious. He closed the final inches between you two and you both shut your eyes, savoring the few moments your lips were together. He melted under your touch and it seemed like the world stopped spinning for a few seconds. You pulled away and looked him in the eyes, a soft smile on his lips as he straightened out. You had a goofy smile too before realizing your anger for the two dummies next to you.
“Happy?” you asked them harshly before grabbing his hand and leading him into the cool outdoors. No matter the temperature outside, your face was burning.
“I am soooo sorry, they're so annoying and i jus-,” you begin to profusely apologize before he cuts you off.
“Y/N, it's okay! R-really. I knew that pretending to be your boyfriend might lead to something like this,” he reassured you, slightly nervously. You sighed in relief and the two of you silently began your walk home, both trying to hide the smiles creeping on your faces.
-
You unlocked your door while laughing at a joke Spencer was telling about existentialists and lightbulbs. Honestly, it kinda went over your head but his pure joy after telling the punchline was enough to make you smile.
“Thanks,” he said, looking down. You were confused.
“For what?” you said, still smiling at his joke.
“For laughing at my joke. The last time I told it, all I got was silence and looks of confusion,” he said, embarrassed. “B-but, if it makes you laugh, I know it's good,” he said, more quietly. Your heart could burst.
“Well, no problem. And, hey, if this whole FBI thing doesn’t work out, at least you know you have a career in comedy!” you joked, and he laughed, accidentally knocking your script off the table. The two of you bent down to get it at the same time, hands brushing. You apologized to each other and laughed it off, before Spencer just grabbed it. You both stood up as he placed it on the table. You stood in silence for a minute, both contemplating that moment, but it didn’t last for long once you heard the familiar sound of Spencer’s phone ringing.
“What's going on Morgan?” he asked after picking up his phone. As he listened to Morgan talk, you could tell that he wasn’t saying ‘Great news Reid! We caught the crazy guy! Now go sweep Y/N off her feet!.’ In fact, as Spencer’s face fell, you could tell it was the exact opposite. He hung up the phone and began pacing around your small apartment.
“What is it, what's going on?” you asked, panic rising as you followed his pacing.
“There's been another victim. I need to get down to the station, it's pretty late so I can try to get someone to stay here with you, let me just ca-” you cut him off.
“I don’t mind coming with you to the station, I might be able to help,” you offered, already grabbing your purse.
“Are you sure? We might be there for a while,” he warned.
“As long as you guys have a coffee machine, i'll be golden,” you smiled, despite the situation. He nodded and grabbed his messenger bag filled with files and stormed out the door, you followed him down to the car. Wordlessly, he hopped into the driver's seat, you in the passengers and the two of you sped off to the station.
-
You entered the station and were greeted with the expected hustle and bustle. You were glad for some familiar faces, though. Morgan walked over to greet you two, looking surprised but glad to see that you had come along too.
“Hey guys. Good to see you, Y/N,” Morgan said, resting a hand on your shoulder. You felt Spence stiffen besides you, but you brushed it off. “Reid, Hotch needs you to look at some crime scene photos with him and Prentiss. Y/N, would it be okay if you talked with JJ and Garcia on video chat in the break room? She’s gonna do some background checks on anybody you came into contact with recently. We’ve looked at everything, we’re willing to do anything at this point,” he said, seemingly desperate.
“Of course, anything to help,” you smiled, waving goodbye to Spencer before heading to the break room where JJ was talking with Garcia already on video chat.
“Well there's our favorite thespian!” said Garcia through the screen, you could hear her smile.
“Hey Pen,” you laughed and sat down across from JJ.
“How was your rehearsal?” JJ asked. You couldn’t help but smile, thinking about your “exchange” with Spencer.
“It was… good. Really good,” you told them, honestly.
“Hmmm.., it seems like there's something you're not telling us,” hinted Penelope. It was incredible how these people could so easily read you already, and Pen wasn’t even a profiler. You had felt immediately connected to them, though, so you didn’t mind it.
“Ugh, okay. Don’t freak out, or at least let me explain before you freak out, but… Spence and I… kissed,” you confessed. JJ looked shocked, Garcia was already begging for details.
“Listen! It was because of the cover we have going, I told my castmates that he was my boyfriend and this one guy basically demanded that we kiss and I didn’t wanna seem suspicious, so…” you trailed off. JJ’s surprised face morphed into a big smile.
“Um, okay! First of all, kinda icky that that guy forced you to kiss, but besides that… how was it?!” Garcia asked, with even more energy if possible.
“I don’t know! It was… just for the cover. But, it was nice,” you blushed and the girls squealed. You continued, “I don’t know, Spencer’s just really great and I've only known him a couple days. I felt bad that he had to kiss me,” you confessed, still feeling a little guilty.
“I’m sure he didn’t mind the kiss from a pretty girl, especially if it was you,” said JJ.
“What do you mean, especially if it was me?” you asked, and JJ looked like she didn’t mean to say that.
“Ugh, okay I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I have a feeling Spence is crushing on you,” JJ told you, your mouth was agape.
“Y/N how could he not! You’re gorg, talented, and a damsel in distress! I mean you're a strong independent woman who doesn’t need a man, but guys go nuts for that savior stuff,” Garcia explained and you laughed.
“I guess that's good,” you said, your smile faltering slightly. “It’s not like we can really do anything about it, though. I mean, wouldn’t he get in trouble or something?” you asked.
“Maybe, but we’re always rooting for his happiness, and you might be it. We wouldn’t want to get in the way of that,” JJ said, sweetly. You had to take a minute to process this. Once you had, you decided to move on to the background checks, forgoing the gossip for now.
-
The background checks had taken a couple hours, especially because of the occasional gossip break, but everyone you mentioned seemed to be clean. Exhausted, you found an empty desk and curled up onto the chair, resting your head in your arms on the desk. You were drifting off to sleep, almost unconscious when you felt the warmth of a sweater on your back and a kiss on your head.
-
taglist: @mcntsee, @diesinspanishbcimhispanic, @chickens-are-life, @rexorangecouny, @ceeellewrites
#spencer reid#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid fanfiction#spencer reid fluff#spencer reid/reader#spencer reid angst#Criminal Minds#criminal minds fanfiction#criminal minds reid#criminal minds spencer reid#derek morgan#emily prentiss#aaron hotchner#hotch#penelope garcia#jennifer jareau
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Liability
Summary: The one where your best friend of years and love of your life is getting married and wants you to be the maid of honor. Luckily for you, the best man is not exactly happy either.
Pairing: Taehyung x Reader, Jungkook x Reader
Tags: Romance, Humor, Fluff, Angst
A/n: if you enjoy this, please comment and reblog. It really means the world to me and keeps me going!
Part 2: If one thing had been different (1/3)
(Fanfic masterlist)
(support me on my ko-fi <3 )
(<<<Part one)
The weeks leading to the wedding day felt like a fever induced nightmare, hazy and blurry, filled with stomach aches and anxiety nausea. You threw yourself into work, typing until the tips of your fingers were calloused and your wrists hurt, only leaving the office when the janitor kicked you out with a broom to the butt.
You couldn’t avoid Taehyung. No, that would lead to questions with painful answers or over complicated, dead end lies. So you were avoiding yourself - filling every single second of your schedule with some sort of meaningless task, only resting when your body was exhausted enough to not even bother dreaming.
Sunken cheeks and eyes with purple galaxies around it, you carried yourself like a ghost from place to place, saving up energy for the days when you had to try wedding cakes and pretend that you weren’t going to throw them up later, when you agreed with whatever flower or fabric Haewon chose, holding back your real opinions out of spite, wanting to keep the details of the wedding you’ve planned since you were twelve to yourself.
You already stole the groom, you thought bitterly to yourself while sipping whatever champagne they offered at the venue at 2 pm on a Tuesday, you’re not stealing the lilies too. “No, yeah” you’d end up saying “roses are definitely the way to go.”
Taehyung didn’t notice your sudden introspection, didn’t bat an eye at your pale skin and bitten nails, blinded by Haewon’s ever growing brightness, both riding the newly-engaged high. At this point, you were comfortable on the sidelines, happy at their obliviousness. People in love were easy to fool - you had been fooling yourself for years.
In the first few wedding planning appointments, it was just you and Haewon. She wanted to choose the dress first and the process had a strict “no guys allowed” policy. So you followed her from store to store, accompanied by her supportive mom and overly critical friend, running your hands through dresses you were pessimistically sure you’d never get to wear.
“I still think this is too soon.” Aera, Haewon’s college friend, said in one of the dressing rooms, legs crossed and tapping her heel. Aera was nice and friendly, but vocal in a way that was starting to get to your nerves. Although both of you weren’t happy with the wedding, her approach was to complain her way through it. Yours was to pretend it wasn’t happening, hoping everything would be over.
“I know, Aera” Haewon replied, barely bothering to look at her friend, eyes fixed on her image in the mirror, shining in a lace dress “you have mentioned several times before.”
“But yet you’re still going through with it.”
You rolled your eyes, but didn’t say anything, just like you wished Aera would. Haewon saw your annoyed expression through the mirror and winked at you, amused at your annoyance. “Yes, Aera” she said in the same patient tone a person would use to explain something to a child “Funnily enough I don’t need your approval on all my decisions”.
“I’m not saying you do” Aera was not letting go and you wished for the millionth time you could leave or at least get a pair of earphones “but it is my job as your best friend to give you unsolicited advice. You have only been with Taehyung for like, a year and a half? And your career is just starting to pick up too! Is he really worth it all this…”
“As the groom’s best friend it is my job to tell you to not finish that thought.” you warned, voice still monotone and calm. You didn’t want to start anything with Aera, but you already hated this wedding enough on your own, you didn’t need her help “Look, I’m sure Haewon appreciates your input and how much you care, but if she’s not gonna listen to it then you should support her either way, not try to convince her to leave my best friend everytime we get together.”
Aera didn’t say much after that. She didn’t seem upset or chagrined, more deep in thought than anything else. All her commentary from then on revolved only around the dresses and so the fitting carried on quietly and without further problems.
Later, when the sun was getting down and you were just getting ready to leave the store, Haewon pulled you to the side gently before you had the chance to escape. “Hey, I just wanna thank you for today” she said, closing the door behind her in one of the rooms filled with white gowns “I know Aera can be too much sometimes and I know she didn’t mean to insult Tae or anything…”
You waved her off, avoiding eye contact “It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I get it, really, she’s just looking out for you.”
Haewon had smart eyes, you’ve always thought so. Her stare made you feel exposed, vulnerable, never 100% comfortable. “Taehyung cares a lot about what you think, you know” she sat down in one of the couches “If you said something to him, like Aera’s been saying to me… I don’t think he would’ve gone through with it”.
You wished people would stop telling you how much power you had over this wedding. It felt like the universe was tempting you, giving the opportunity to stop it, to have it your way. But in the end, you could never bring yourself to purposefully get in the way of Taehyung’s happiness, even if for a second you thought you could make him happier.
“I wouldn’t do that.” you ended up saying, crossing your fingers over your lap.
“I know that. Well, now I do.” your heart stopped for a second and silence hung like a death sentence before Haewon continued “You know, before I dated Taehyung I dated a guy for a little over a year and I really thought he was it for me. But he had this best friend and they went way back, just like you and Tae, and I would get so nervous around her. It always felt like a competition, always felt like a pick-your-favorite game that I never won” you didn’t say anything, couldn’t even if you tried “They started dating a week after we broke up.”
The story is so similar but so different at the same time - how many times had the world created variations of the same heartbreak?
“When Taehyung first told me about you, I almost broke up with him” she continued, voice a little quieter, a bit more strained “I thought it would be the same thing all over again. But I just liked him so much.”
You closed your eyes, thinking that maybe you could pretend for a couple of seconds that you weren’t your awful self, someone who spent so much of their times daydreaming of scenarios where you got to be happy and this girl didn’t, where you were the one that got the guy and she got her heart re-shattered.
“And when I first saw you…” well, that probably gave you some peace of mind, you mused bitterly to yourself, nothing to fear here, just a depressed, teletubbie-looking chick “I thought it was a lost battle already.”
If life had a soundtrack, the sound of a scratched vinyl would play loudly enough to scare every bride in the store.
“What?!” you exclaimed, eyes flying open in surprise.
“You are so great, Y/N” Haewon’s tone was so soft “and it sucks that you don’t see yourself the way literally everyone else does.”
Who the fuck is everyone else, you thought, but didn’t say anything, please send them my way.
“You’re so funny, so warm and smart and when you talk everyone in the room listens” she must’ve read the confusion in your face, the absolute bafflement, because as she continued, exasperated “Taehyung cares so much about you and I just thought… I could never really compete with you.”
Huh.
It almost made you laugh, the sick irony of it all, the ridiculousness of this race you both created and then stopped running, thinking the other would inevitably win. How much time you wasted torturing yourself nitpicking everything Haewon had that you didn’t, not thinking that perhaps she was going through the same thing.
“But you’ve never made me feel like I was losing, Y/N.” Haewon grabbed your hand, interlacing your fingers together “You’ve always been so kind and welcoming to me and I’m so thankful for you not making this feel like a competition. For allowing me to be happy with Taehyung.”
The cheap champagne was swirling in your stomach and you felt like throwing up, but what else was new?
“I just want him to be happy.” you had been holding these words close to your chest, repeating to yourself like a mantra. And though it didn’t bring you much peace, it seemed to be enough for Haewon.
“Thank you” she repeated, giving you a hug and a watery smile.
“You’re welcome.” you awkwardly patted her back, hoping she wouldn’t start crying otherwise you would too “Now that I know how important I’ve been to this relationship, don’t expect any wedding gifts from me.”
“You already told me you got us a mini bar.”
“And I’m keeping it to myself. I’m gonna fill it with skin care and alcohol.”
Haewon shook her head “God, you sound just like Taehyung.”
You know the saying, you thought while walking out into the street, still hand in hand with her, like repel like.
#bts#bts fanfic#bts scenarios#bts imagines#bts angst#kim taehyung#taehyung#taehyung fanfic#V#jeon jungkook#jeon jungguk#jungkook#jungkook fanfic#bts fluff#bts romance#wedding au#bts x reader#bts x oc#bts x you#taehyung x reader#taehyung x y/n#taehyung x you#jungkook x reader#jungkook x you#jungkook x y/n#x rede
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All You Never Say - Part 4a
Mr Mikael and Mrs Esther Mikaelson and Dr Grayson and Mrs Miranda Pierce request the pleasure of your presence at the wedding of their children:
The Hon Elijah Edward Mikaelson and Dr Katherine Elena Pierce
On the twenty-third of June, twenty-twenty one, 1400h at Ely Cathedral followed by a reception at Mikaelson Manor, Ely Cambridgeshire
Dress: White Tie
23rd June 2021, Mikaelson Manor, Ely Cambridgeshire - 8:47am
“What do you mean the beagle ate the wedding cake?” Caroline hissed, shutting the door behind her so as not to alarm the bride on her big day.
“Well, I can detail the stages of destruction, but yes, the Mikaelson's beloved pet dog decided to taste test the cake early, long story short.” Caroline was certain that the housekeeper’s use of “the Mikaelson’s beloved pet dog” was clearly by design.
Caroline was all for adorable dogs, especially those that were photogenic for the wedding album like Tully, but not those who scoffed the cake before the ceremony had even begun. Especially given that extra amount of fondant and extra tier which cost the earth.
But given the way Tully looked at her with those imploring, brown eyes and the telling evidence of frosting smeared across her chops, she was close to calling it a day.
Who needed cake anyway? It was worth way too many calories and most people would be so drunk that far into the festivities it wouldn’t even matter, right?
“So, I see you’ve met our cute but pressing problem.”
Caroline turned to see the best man in all his glory. And by that she meant those unkempt curls, sly grin and a fitted, tank top that should be illegal given those arms on display.
Was this their thing? Just running into each other partially clothed. She looked down at her ensemble self-consciously glad for the shorts, t-shirt and the Maid of Honour monogrammed robe that she greedily pulled across her chest.
“Our problem?”
“Because a problem shared is a problem halved right, wedding buddy?”
“Wedding buddy? Oh, you mean the same guy who wanted to document the lost ring for speech fodder?”
“It was a joke but clearly you don’t know what that means, grouchy.”
“Oh, like that time you let your dog, albeit cute, eat the wedding cake before the ceremony. I only hope the Bride and Groom figurines are still firmly intact at least?”
“Well, their passing was most definitely mourned,” Klaus noted. Caroline was trying to be mad, but he was doing that thing where he looked cute so as to avoid her wrath. Bastard.
“So, what you’re telling me is that we have no cake or cake topper and the wedding is due to start in 5 hours?"
“I mean there’s some cake left, albeit a mess, but if the guests want to eat it off the floor...”
“Yeah, I can see the Prime Minister doing that. You are not helping, Mikaelson. Look, I’ll call the baker, they must have a back-up cake on hand, otherwise why are we paying them such an exorbitant amount? I mean it’s a cake, like it’s hard to bake one of those,” she rambled, the reality of the situation making a sudden and ugly appearance.
“Okay, I didn’t want to tell you this because you are clearly already upset but the baker has no wedding themed alternatives,” Klaus explained, shooing away both the guilty canine and her loyal housekeeper in the process, no doubt by design. This was not the news Caroline wanted to hear and clearly he knew it.
“What?"
“You are not going to lose it, not on my watch, Forbes.”
“I am not losing it,” she hissed, finally finding her voice. “But she is your dog and that makes you responsible for my mood.”
“She is a Mikaelson, I mean expensive taste comes with the territory,” Klaus replied. Caroline, meanwhile, felt the brief spell he had over her lift.
“Can you please stop offering up annoying commentary? We have an emergency, one that needs to be rectified STAT.”
“What I didn’t get to say was that the baker has two other cakes on hand.” Caroline’s ears pricked up, maybe all wasn’t lost.
“I’m listening,” she murmured.
Klaus pulled his cell from his pocket and swiped through his phone. “These are the options.”
He leaned in closer so she could see the photos but in the process his arm grazed hers and she was momentarily blindsided and not focused on the pressing emergency. It reminded her so much of two years ago, when she’d felt his arm encircle her waist and pull her towards him.
Caroline told herself he must have been dreaming at the time but that didn’t take away from how it had felt. It felt good, really good.
“Alright, love?” She looked up into his blue eyes, only deciding too late that it was a bad idea. A very bad idea.
“I’m just shocked by...” she paused, her eyes hurriedly flickering to his cell screen. “Congratulations on your Retirement, Bernie?”
“I’m sure we can change a few letters around or something,” she gave him a look which plainly said it wasn’t going to happen. “Right, here’s the other one."
“Happy 6th Birthday to our Unicorn Princess? Don’t think Kat would mind being called a unicorn princess at all but not sure about Elijah...”
“Well, what suggestions do you have, Forbes?”
He had a point, there were none that forthcoming but then it hit her.
“The bomboniere.” Caroline was surprised she thought of it given she was so caught off guard by his close proximity and the unfolding situation.
“The what?”
“I don’t have time to explain wedding terminology right now, I have a bride to reassure that everything is peachy. Just meet me in the kitchen in twenty minutes and put some clothes on while you’re at it.”
“Only if you do,” he smirked. Caroline didn’t wait before slamming the door in his smug face.
There were so many things to reconcile with Klaus Mikaleson and not just her feelings. Last night they’d shared more than a sandwich in the kitchen and two years ago...well that was another story.
Perch, Los Angeles CA - 14 February (two and a bit years earlier)
Caroline felt like she’d finally hit rock bottom.
Not because it was Valentine’s Day.
Or that she was single.
That wasn’t the worst part of her predicament. She was currently...well, before she could lament her situation a bell rang out, breaking Caroline from her regretful thoughts. She didn’t have time to bid Phil the Chiropractor farewell because a burly looking brunette appeared immediately in his place.
“Tyler.” Apparently there was no need for an actual greeting or for Caroline to ask his name in the first place. I suppose they only had two minutes so he was getting straight to the point. Caroline couldn’t blame him given how painful this whole thing was.
Caroline was going to kill them. First Bonnie, who wanted their apartment to herself tonight so she could cook a romantic dinner for current boyfriend Jeremy. Clearly he hadn’t been present at her most horrific of food failures given they were still dating.
They’d been living together since Bonnie relocated to Los Angeles nine months earlier and Caroline was enjoying rooming with her best friend again after so long. Then she got a boyfriend, even if he looked twelve, and Caroline was relegated back to her usual existence. It wasn’t like Caroline wanted or needed a boyfriend because her schedule was busy enough.
Which took her to the second person she had to blame. Lexi. Her colleague and friend, who decided they should spend the evening speed dating so Bonnie could “get it on with her boyfriend” as she put it. Caroline figured the fact she’d already signed them up weeks earlier and only asked right before a deposition hearing were the main reasons why she had no choice but to agree.
Now, here she was, pretending to be interested in Tyler and shooting deliberate looks in Lexi’s direction who seemed unaffected given the way she was attempting to read her guy’s palm. Smooth.
“I don’t think I got your name?”
“Huh?” She looked into his warm, brown eyes feeling guilty she’d been blatantly ignoring him.
“Your name?” Before she could reply, she heard a very familiar voice call out her name.
Then he appeared in all his gorgeous goodness, his ability to wear a suit had not waned since they’d seen each other last at a mutual friend’s engagement party. Why he was here of all places, she had no idea.
“Caroline, sweetheart.” Sweetheart?
“Do you know this guy?” Tyler asked, the confusion obvious. She didn’t blame him.
“Of course she knows me, I’m only her boyfriend.”
Her what now? Caroline was too shocked to speak let alone reprimand him for being a presumptuous idiot.
“You have a boyfriend? Then why are you here?”
“I’d like to know the same thing, mate,” Klaus agreed, his hands crossed over his chest. Caroline was madly trying to crawl under the table just so everyone would stop looking at her like she was some two-timing girlfriend.
Lexi meanwhile seemed to be enjoying the entertainment from afar, raising her champagne glass in salute, even if she had no idea what was happening. Caroline wasn’t enjoying it at all. She wanted to scream at him for being such an ass but at the same time a rescue from this situation was an equally enticing prospect.
“I…”
Before she could find the words, he found them for her.
“It’s my fault, sweet cheeks,” he implored, pushing past Tyler and placing his hands in hers. Caroline was trying to ignore the electricity it generated but also the horrible pet name he’d bestowed. Like he couldn’t have come up with something normal? “I neglected you and for that I am so sorry but just know that I will love you, always and forever.”
Was he kidding? Next thing he’d be pulling out a cracker jack bracelet or resembling any one of the romantic leads in a Nicholas Sparks adaptation. Caroline made a note to tease him about his taste in movies and television later.
However it seemed their audience didn’t mind one bit. Women and men nearby were more interested in fawning over the scene playing out than resuming speed dating. Even their organiser seemed transfixed.
She hated him, especially for interrupting her night and being the smug pain-in-the-ass she knew so well but she needed to get out of there fast and he was her ticket.
“Honey bear,” she cooed, noting the slight twitch in his jaw. Caroline knew he was trying to withhold his signature smirk. But why did he have to smell so good withholding it? His hands were still firmly intertwined with hers too. “You took me for granted, so why should I forgive you?”
Now he was trying to contain an eye roll, only someone who’d known him for that long could tell. And she was loving every moment especially if he was going to crash her speed date and embarrass her in the process.
“And for that I am eternally sorry, baby cakes.” Caroline had to really try not to dry reach. “But you are the one for me. We are destined to be together forever, like soulmates.”
As much as she wanted to draw this out and force him to eat those horrible and predictable platitudes, this show needed to end. Now. Given Tyler’s defeated expression she knew it wouldn’t be too difficult to transition to the bar and to a much-needed straight vodka on the rocks.
“You were an imbecile, Mario, but I’m willing to consider a reconciliation if you stop being an asshat and promise to worship me forever.”
Before she could relish in her response and the slight tugging at the edges of his crimson lips, he’d pulled her up and moved them towards the direction of the bar. No doubt because her demands were slightly out of the question and he was starting to feel embarrassed himself. Served him right really. Given half of the people were entranced by their conversation and the rest were clearly dubious she decided it was good timing to high tail it out of there.
“Worship you forever, someone clearly has tickets on themselves,” he muttered, gesturing to the barman. “And who is Mario? I so do not look like a Mario.”
“Says the man child named Mario who called me sweet cheeks and baby cakes."
“I was clearly being sarcastic,” he shot back, gesturing for a shot. “What was honey bear all about then?”
“You barrelled into my life uninvited, and last time I checked you don’t live here.”
“I'm in town for business and was having dinner with colleagues. Had I known it was going to be dinner and a show I might have arrived sooner.” Caroline chose not to respond immediately, just drank her vodka in one, long gulp. “Someone is thirsty.”
“I need to drink to deal with you.”
“Says the girl speed dating,” he whistled. “I mean you can be difficult and kind of abrasive, Forbes, but I never thought you’d speed date in a million years.”
“I am only doing this for Bonnie because she wanted the apartment to herself to cook for her date and then my friend Lexi signed me up without telling me,” she rambled.
“She’ll have another vodka,” he gestured to the barman. “So, I take it this boyfriend hasn’t sampled Bennett’s cooking yet? I just hope you left the fire extinguisher in plain view.”
“That’s what you took from all of this?’"
“I feel like if I delve too deeply I’ll be too immersed in all the Rebekah type drama and we both know that is not my thing.”
“I’ll be sure to pass on your best wishes to your sister,” she growled. “So, why involve yourself and embarrass me like that in front of total strangers? Let me guess, you’ve got no one to play with and were bored?”
“Don’t underestimate my ability to find a playmate, love.” The way he drawled “playmate” was making places below feel like they hadn’t in a long time. So much so that she didn’t even try to bite back. “Anyway, I thought it would be fun,” he teased, his left dimple making an unwanted appearance at that exact moment. “And I could tell you you needed rescuing.”
“I’m not some damsel in distress you need to save, Mikaelson,” she argued.
“Says the girl who looked like she’d rather be anywhere but here,” he shot back. “So, you’re welcome.”
“Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss!” The patrons began to chant and tap their glasses, Caroline only just realising they seemed to have an audience of very interested speed daters watching their every move.
“I’m going to need more vodka,” she muttered, “But not here.”
Roosevelt Hotel, Beverly Hills - 2 hours later
“So, this is where you bring all your playmates?” It was the first thing that came to mind when Caroline spied the king size bed taking pride of place in his suite. They’d spent an hour at 25 degrees, the hotel’s poolside bar and were now in his suite.
Inexplicably.
Okay, maybe not so inexplicably.
Caroline wasn’t one to go to a guy’s hotel room - especially this particular one - but between the vodka buzz and the fact Lexi had picked up and Bonnie was enjoying her night in their apartment there wasn’t much choice about where to go.
The vodka had helped loosen her usual inhibitions and, although she’d never say it aloud, Caroline was enjoying his company. Although, if anyone asked about this temporary bout of insanity she’d blame the alcohol.
“ Says the woman who was questioning the existence of said playmates only a few hours earlier.”
“So, you won’t mind if I do this?” She stated, not bothering to ask his permission as she discarded her heels and jumped onto the perfectly made bed. He stopped what he was doing momentarily, his eyes transfixed on her short, black dress and bouncing, blonde waves.
“I’m going to have to tip the maid extra now,” his voice was low, husky almost.
“Maybe she deserves it,” Caroline shot back.
He didn’t respond immediately, just shrugged off his suit jacket and loosened his tie. She was watching him do it like it was in slow motion. Then he rolled up his shirt sleeves. Who knew forearms could be so...appealing?
Caroline was starting to think that she was entering some sort of alternate universe she needed to escape, if only just to keep her sanity and self respect. I mean he was Klaus Mikaelson and she wasn’t one of his “playmates.” Not by a long shot.
“Drink?”
“Water, please,” she replied immediately, he cocked an eyebrow as if to say she was no fun. “I’m a cheap drunk, what can I say? And who knows what else I might trash in this place under the influence?”
He seemed to accept her response, busying himself with drink preparation. “So, why exactly did you go speed dating in the first place?” He asked, filling a tall glass with ice cubes.
“I told you,” she panted, finally tiring of the activity and making herself comfortable on the expansive bed. “Bonnie…”
“I heard that version,” he pressed. “But I want the real one.”
He passed her the water and made himself comfortable on the bed, his aftershave combining with the dizziness and messing with her overall composure.
“It’s Valentine’s Day, and maybe you don’t understand, but spending it alone can kind of suck,” she confessed. “Especially when your roomie kicks you out of the house.”
“I just hope you kick Bennett out on Halloween as payback.”
“You like Halloween?”
“You have no idea, love,” he chuckled. “No rose petals or corny ballads, just blood, guts and general mayhem.”
“Noted.”
“It’s just this ridiculous Hallmark Holiday,” Klaus offered, stretching out further and grazing her legs in the process. “It creates unrealistic expectations.”
“So, it’s Hallmark’s fault?”
“Hallmark is the tip of the iceberg,” he explained. “Every candy company, every florist, every jeweller and don’t even get me started on those terrible things they call romantic comedies.”
“You don’t like romantic comedies?”
“I try to steer clear for my own sanity, Caroline.”
“Not tonight,” she murmured, an idea suddenly coming to mind. “If I’m forced to stay in this mediocre hotel with you then...”
It was a lie and they both knew it but suddenly the less tipsy version of herself felt like she needed an excuse to stay the night with her best friend’s brother in such close quarters.
“I demand a movie marathon.”
“Terminator, Rambo, Rocky?”
“It’s Valentine’s Day, Mikaelson,” she shot back. “And I happen to know there is a marathon on television tonight.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me?”
“I’m deathly serious,” she answered. “But before we start, I’m going to need some popcorn and a shirt.”
“You want my shirt?”
“Not the shirt you’re wearing, lover boy, don’t get so excited. But I can’t sleep in this dress.”
His eyes seemed to linger a little too long on her body and Caroline was trying to do everything in her power to remain calm. Luckily he broke the silence not too long after.
“I’ll get you a shirt, but I’m not going to enjoy these movies at all, understand? I am only watching these ridiculous excuses of cinema because you’ve taken my television hostage?”
2 hours later…
“So, the apparent “virgin who can’t drive” ends up with the step brother? I mean I’m not surprised given the poor and predictable plot but is this kind of union legal in the state of California?”
“For the fiftieth time, he’s not related,” she growled, throwing a few popcorn kernels in his direction. This is about Cher realising that material things in life aren’t everything.”
"Whatever you say, Forbes. Although, tell me after this movie ended she ditched the mansion, the jeep, the designer plaid and knee sock combination outfits and moved to the Valley?”
He was annoying but also eerily observant.
“Yes, I mean maybe? People with money can change.”
“They’ve clearly never met Mikael or Esther.”
He said it quietly but Caroline couldn’t mistake the pain in his voice. She knew about his difficult past but they’d never been close enough to discuss it and given they were lying in the same bed it didn’t seem like the best time to open that pandora’s box.
“Do I have a great choice for you next,” she promised, her eyes sparkling, hoping to lift the mood.
2 hours later…
“Are you crying?”
“No, for the last time I have allergies, Caroline.”
“Inside?”
“The pollen level was high today and the doors in these rooms are forever opening and closing. Maybe the maid doesn’t deserve such a big tip after all.”
Maybe it was cruel, but it was on television and there was no stopping the effects of the Notebook on even the most emotionless male.
2 hours later…
“I thought I’d seen everything,” he scoffed, stretching out tiredly. “She paid a guy to be her wedding date?”
“Not just anyone, he’s hot.”
“He’s an escort.”
“I think it adds to his overall appeal. He knows how to treat a woman because of his experience.”
“And how many escorts have you met?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Wow, if you ever show up to a wedding with a stranger, I’ll be asking for their credentials,” he joked. “Wait, you think he’s attractive?”
“Didn’t I just say that?”
“Each to their own I suppose, but that aside, the whole premise is just unrealistic.”
“It is a movie.”
“Yeah, a romantic comedy,” he shot back. “Case closed. Now, can we please sleep already? I think I deserve it after that marathon effort.”
“Fine,” she conceded, leaning across to turn off the lamp. “I have to say your shirt is very comfortable.”
“It should be," he replied, snuggling into the covers. “That’s my lucky Ramones t-shirt.”
As her head hit the pillow, Caroline was wondering why he gave her that particular shirt to wear. She couldn’t deny just how good the worn fabric felt against her bare skin and how the faint hint of his aftershave consumed her senses.
Sleep was immediate.
When she woke up the next morning and felt his arm encircle her waist and pull her towards him Caroline relished in the feeling. She assumed life would go back to normal but for now she was happy to live in the moment. It was probably better that way.
Read on AO3 HERE
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