#yeah yeah it's not that simple. still. don't ruin the joke it was so funny in my head

[mourn-and-watch]

cannibalism is defined as the act of consuming another individual of the same species. according to cullen rutherford, mages aren't people and shouldn't be treated like people, that is, they're not the same species. therefore, anders is not a cannibal. case closed, charges dropped

[gothamite-rambler]

A Phone Call from Jail - Kylar Got his Ass Beat Again

Wayne Manor - Study - Night

The dim light of the study casted long shadows across the room. Bruce Wayne stood alone, gazing out the window, mentally preparing for his nightly patrol as Batman. The tranquility was quickly interrupted by his cell phone ringing.

Bruce (furrowing his brows): And just like that… the moment is ruined.

Feeling a sense of unease, he answered the phone and was greeted by an automated female voice.

Automated voice: This is the Gotham City Jail. You have a collect call from—

The voice cut off as a familiar one interrupted, laced with guilt.

Jason (on the other end of the line): Um, Jason Todd.

Bruce's brows furrowed in confusion. Jason had gone six months without getting arrested and had sworn he would try to avoid ending up in Gotham Jail. He had to pay five hundred dollars for it, but still.

Automated voice: Do you accept the charges?

Bruce (irritated): Do I accept the charges? What the hell? Is this a joke?

Jason (shouting): Say yes Bruce! It's your son!

Bruce stared at the phone, insulted that he was being yelled at when he had to go out to patrol as Batman in an hour. He rolled his eyes believing his son's claims.

Bruce (annoyed): Yes, I accept the charges. Jason, explain.

Jason: Bruce… um, loving father of mine, um... funny story… me and Dick kind of ended up in jail as you heard and it's not a big deal what we were arrested for. Can you, uh… come get us and bring… bail money?

Bruce (concerned): Why do you need me to pick you up from jail? How did you both get arrested? Are you in your suits?

Jason (angry): We're not in our suits, you dumbass! The... business suits are at home, okay? When can you get here?

Bruce pulled the phone away, slightly irritated.

Bruce (aggravated): A simple no would have sufficed. Before I drive down to jail, start explaining why you and Dick are there.

There’s a pause, and Bruce can almost hear Jason debating with himself.

Bruce (demanding parent voice): I'm not leaving until you explain why you got arrested. Tick tock, detective.

Jason groaned knowing Bruce wasn't kidding around.

Jason: Well… long story short, Tim was dealing with this asshole homophobe at work. I talked him… for the sake of this recorded call, just know I ‘talked’ to him. He left Tim alone for a few days, but I guess he has a screw loose and decided to confront Tim while he was out to dinner with us. The guy was calling him a bunch of awful names—saying his reputation was ruined at work because people found out he was the one who left a slur keyed into Tim's car and a lot of words even I wouldn’t say—and then he ended it by calling Tim a dirty… bundle of sticks. Yeah.

Before Bruce could respond, the phone was wrestled away and another voice entered the call.

Dick (enraged): He called him a slur, that slur, so we beat his ass accordingly!

Jason jumped back in, a hint of admiration in his tone.

Jason: I will just take the phone back. What he said was true and man we... we kind of lost it. Surprisingly, Dick did the most damage.

Dick (in the background): This is stupid! How come we get arrested for doing a civic duty?

Jason: Would you sit down and breathe or something? Christ.

Silence fell as Bruce processed everything he had learned, his hands clenching as anger and worry swirled inside him. He was unaware that any of this was happening, but he knew how Tim liked to downplay issues, even when cases like this were anything but trivial.

Jason (confused by the long silence): Bruce… you there?

Taking a deep breath, Bruce spoke, unable to hide his irritated but steady voice.

Bruce: Just counting to ten so I can calm down. Why didn't Tim tell me any of this?

Jason: He... he didn't want to make the workers think he was running to his father for help. I don't get it, but you know how Tim is. Don't tell him I said this either, but it actually has been affecting him. A lot.

Bruce (struggling to keep his voice steady): I will... reassure him I'm here to help later tonight, thank you telling me this. Last question what was the worker's name?

Jason (disgust in his voice): Kylar.

Bruce felt a tightening in his chest hearing that name. Kylar has been hired on and Bruce saw him as one of the weaker workers, and now he had a better reason to fire him.

Bruce: Hn, that guy? I never liked him. He’s fired. I’ll make sure he’s personally escorted out of the building, and if he tries to harm Tim—

Jason (reminding his father): This is a recorded line.

Bruce (exhaling to calm himself): Right. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.

Jason (a hint of relief): Cool.

With the call ended, Bruce slipped the phone back into his pocket, considering the whirlwind of emotions stirred by the conversation. As he stood there, reflecting on his sons’ reckless yet fierce protectiveness, he felt a mix of pride and frustration. The loyalty they displayed, despite their complicated pasts, only deepened his care for them.

With determination, Bruce left his study, knowing that night would be about more than just bailing his sons out of jail. It would be about setting boundaries and ensuring Tim felt safe at work.

Stepping outside, the cool night air rushed to greet him. Gotham sprawled across the horizon—a city of shadows and complexities. As both a vigilante and a father, he had to tread carefully.

His stride quickened, fueled by a protective instinct. The Batfamily always found trouble, but he would fiercely defend them, no matter what.

Don’t Mess with Tim Drake or his family will deal with you: Kylar

[yanderes-galore]

Could I request prompts 7+4 from the obsession prompts list by asirensrage for Stu Mqcher please and thank you? Also hope you have fun writing!

-🧀

Sure! @okchijt helped me out with the plot for this ^^ They are a huge help! It's been awhile since I've seen Scream... so I'm sorry if plot points seem rushed.

Prompts Here

Yandere! Stu Macher Prompts 7 + 4

"You really think they're going to keep me from you?"

"If they touch you, I'll kill them. It's that simple."

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Violence, Murder, Blood, Manipulation, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Sadism, Slightly spicy if you squint, Forced relationship.

Something doesn't feel right. You cared for Stu, cared for him enough to come to his party. At first, you were indeed having fun being around him.

You try your hardest to just enjoy the party Stu threw for the school closure. After all... maybe you needed a break. The murders in town were stressing everyone out.

Stu stuck around you for the most part. He was, as always, clingy and touchy with you. Yet he kept slipping away at odd times, leaving you alone before coming back

Something felt off whenever he left. Whenever he left your side someone else left the party. It just felt... strange.

You just about have enough with your anxiety when you learn of the principal's death like all the rest...

The murderer is here... you need to leave.

You shakily leave your spot, hoping your friend Stu leaves on his own. Your anxiety doesn't settle as you wander down the hallways of Stu's home. Someone has to call the authorities... someone-

You scream loudly when something wet grabs your mouth and drags you into a room. The door is shut and blocked by a figure in a black cloak and white mask. You stare like a cornered sheep as the killer stands in front of you.

Was... was that blood around your mouth!?

"P-Please don't kill me!" You cry, tears streaming down your face. "I'll do anything! Please...!" The stress eats away at you as you cower in the room. No escape... you're dead!

But all you hear is laughing.

It's not mocking... it's like what you'd hear after some joke. It's genuine. Genuine enough to make you doubt yourself for a moment....

But you definitely taste real blood around your mouth.

You pause, time seeming to slow as the figure in front of you removes their mask. Your breathing stops when you realize it's... someone you know. It's Stu...

You hope it's all a joke.

"Hey there~" His tone is oddly happy when he's greeting you, like he isn't dressed in a costume covered in blood. "Sorry for you finding out like this and getting the surprise ruined... but you were going to leave before the big event!"

"Big... event?" You whisper, fear still evident in your tone.

"Well, yeah? I didn't have time to get dressed properly so the reveal didn't go as planned...." Stu sighs, speaking to you calmly as if this was some sort of play rather than reality.

"Do you think this is funny!?" You whisper, Stu only giving them a smile. "They're really dead, aren't they? This isn't some prank?"

Stu just laughs again.

"S-Stu..." You try to plead, "C-Can't you let me go? I promise I know nothing... I don't know what's going on! Please... let me live... you should run, the cops could get you, yeah?"

Stu merely gives you a playful look, not caring what you say. He merely laughs again, finding the situation funny before coming closer.

"You really think they're going to keep me from you?" Stu whispers with a few giggles. He corners you expertly until you're pressed against a wall. It's like he's done it countless times before.

Your situation seeps in more... you feel yourself begin to come undone due to the fear.

Stu notices you break when he corners you, the entire situation amusing him. He smiles and pulls your chin up to look at him. You're just so cute when scared.

"What I mean is there's no need to beg..." Stu elaborates. "I don't plan on killing you... I may play rough, baby, but I won't end your life, okay?"

The fear renders you frozen as Stu grins. He carefully strokes your head, the blood on his gloves hands smearing into your scalp. He chuckles when you flinch away.

"Billy's probably having fun with Sidney... why can't I have some fun with you?" Stu whispers in your ear. "No one else can have you... none of your friends... none of the cops... no one...."

Stu moves your face to gaze at him, blood staining your skin.

"If they touch you, I'll kill them. It's that simple." Stu states with a grin.

At this point... you feel yourself break. All of this was planned from the start and Billy was in on it. Perhaps one way or another Stu was going to trap you.

There's nothing you can do now...

You only try to not make any noise as Stu holds you with a lovesick smile on his face.

[kerubimcrepin]

An analysis of That One Moment from Wakfu OVA - Book 2, Ush

Technically, this post is a part 4 of my liveblog, but still...

Today we will be talking about the interaction that I am most mentally ill about in the entirety of Wakfu.

Before I go completely off the rails: I think it's cute that despite everything, Keke still cares a lot about Ecaflip and Ecaflipus, and Atcham still cares about killing people for wronging him.

Things have changed after six centuries, but they're still just themselves. Anyway.

There is so much happening here. SO much. Let me break it down point by point:

The most obvious one: by addressing them as kids, he pulls his "I am roleplaying as your father for these strangers who don't know anything about our weird familial situation, and you will obey me" card. This is important because:

Kerubim and Atcham know how much Joris cares about the Brotherhood of Tofu and their opinions of him, to the point of going a little bit crazy at the thought of offending Yugo and Adamai.

So, even if him pulling the "I'm your dad" card is a bit egocentric, they can't say anything about that openly — because Joris would be so, so sad if everyone in this room knew he lives with his dad for 600 years now. He'd be so mad too, because "papychaaa, chaaaoncle stop embarrassing me in front of my friends!"

We KNOW Kerubim cares about not embarrassing Joris — because in the Dofus MMO he won't shut the hell up about his 20-30 dead loved ones from 200 years ago, says a Singular Thing about Atcham, and absolutely nothing about his very much alive son/fake dad, at best managing a little "we all want someone small in our lives..."

In my opinion, while some families are built on mutual roasting, the Crepin-Jurgen household houses three people with very fragile senses of self-esteem, so anything resembling roasting is usually light, exclusive to when they're all alone, and never about things that they actually hate about themselves ("short, weird, ugly, hypocrite, weak, overthinker"; "ugly" (some bald jokes allowed, but it depends on the mood); and "narcissist who kept his son in a hazardous environment for the first 7 years of his life and gave him 30 mental illnesses").

Besides the fact that Keke and Atch care about Joris making friends, — for the three of them (but especially Joris and Atcham), feeling belittled is the easiest way to ruin a relationship irreparably. If you insult them, it's just over. And I don't mean it in a funny-haha cutesy way. Sometimes, people actually dislike when they are insulted repeatedly about something they legitimately hate about themselves, and, y'know, hate everyone who hurts them this way? And you will not believe it, but people who actually care about them know and respect that. Because they love them.

So yeah, the three of them are all creatures of pride, and they respect that about each other, — which is why would never put each other in a position where they might get laughed at. (like suddenly revealing the Dad Roleplay and "600 years of living with his dad" sort of interpersonal lore)

However, being creatures of pride, I don't think Kerubim and Atcham are happy about Joris doing this. Especially because of the next point: Joris uses his position as their roleplay-dad and Asocial Son/Nephew Who Needs To Impress His Friends to essentially force them to let him go into a battle alone. Essentially, this line is translated as "you have glass bones and paper skin. you can't follow me because I said so, and you can't protest without looking weird." into Normal Human Tongue.

Joris does this for a very simple reason: they are weak (though so is he), and he's scared — he loves them! It's normal that he doesn't want to see them be hurt! Even if they have multiple lives, but they're not infinite lives, and it doesn't make every time they die NOT scary and traumatizing! He wants Kerubim and Atcham to go and rest, and he's also excited that they're finally meeting his friends.

However, unlike them, he only has one life — and they hate to see him hurt just as much, if not more, considering how much more danger he's always in:

They would really rather not leave their p'tit Jojo Joris alone with things they know are dangerous, — like Ush, — while Joris is weakened. No matter how much he wants to fight Ush one-on-one.

So, they refuse and even joke about him in the most subtle and funny way: using his own little game to make fun of him, and completely refuse his offer of leaving to rest in Sadida Kingdom, — coupled with an overexaggerated little shrug, and rubbing their statuses as so-called "sons" and "father" in his face.

These three come up with very elaborate rituals to communicate things that take normal people like ten seconds.

[jelzorz]

158.

"Hey, you know how to pick locks, right?"

It's an odd thing to ask. Callum's always been weird like that, Rayla supposes, and usually his weird questions are related to magic, and Xadia, and elven script and Rayla is (generally) happy to oblige. What can she say? He likes to learn, and the lilt in his voice and the light in his eyes and the excitement in his smile is endearing, and she's never been particularly good at saying no, at least not to him.

But this one is weird because it's not a Xadia thing, or a magic thing, or an elven script thing, and when he asks, he's not nearly as upbeat about it. At first, she doesn't get it. It's a useful skill to have, and a fun skill to master—it's like a puzzle but more fiddly, and Rayla had taught herself years and years ago because she didn't like it when Ethari and Runaan tried to keep her out of places, so of course she learned (in part) to spite them. Callum's never really had the same restrictions because he's a prince, and all he has to do to unlock anything is ask, usually, and yet—

"Can you teach me?"

"Er. Sure?" Rayla tilts her head at him curiously. "You planning a heist or something?"

Callum chuckles a little. "Or something," he says cryptically. "What, you don't think I can do it?"

"I don't think it's your style," says Rayla. "You're a prince and high mage, why on earth would you need to know how to pick a lock?"

He smirks then. "Ancient tomes, forbidden libraries, old abandoned ruins, jellytart runs... All sorts of reasons. Just feels like a necessary skill for adventure, y'know?"

Rayla laughs at that. "I mean, I guess. How often are you intending to break into forbidden libraries and old abandoned ruins?"

"As often as I need to, thank you very much. I have a whole life of adventure ahead of me, and I'll be damned if not being able to pick locks is the thing that stops me."

Rayla shakes her head at him, trying not to laugh at the way he wheedles. She was never going to say no, and he knows it, and he's far too smug about it for it not to be funny. For a second, she actually forgets that it's a weird thing to ask and teases him back: "Fine, but you'll have to ask Opeli for the handcuffs. I'm sure she won't wonder why you want them."

Callum snickers loudly at that, and it's that simple, that easy, just jokes between the two of them about a skill they don't really need, until later, when Rayla's showing him the mechanics of a lock and a thought occurs to her that reminds her why the whole thing feels a bit off-kilter.

"You know, we've only really had problems with locks, like, twice," she muses. "There was that one time Opeli arrested me, and then that time on Sea Legs, but I mean, you managed fine."

Something flickers across Callum's face. His smile twitches, falters, and if Rayla didn't know him so well, she might have missed it because she can see how hard he's trying to make it less of a deal than it is.

"Yeah, well." He shifts uncomfortably, the memory just as unpleasant for him. "I don't want repeats. I don't want anyone else trying to feed you to any sea leviathans."

"Somehow I think that was a one time thing." Rayla pauses, her smile fading a little as she fiddles with the manacles on his wrists. "How'd you get out of the chains Finnegrin put you in anyway? You apparently didn't pick them."

There's a pause. Callum looks away, and the whole world stills as the realisation dawns over Rayla, as cold as the way her blood froze in her veins that same day.

"...Callum."

"I had to do," he says quietly. He meets her gaze then, and the storm in his eyes makes her intestines writhe like snakes. "I couldn't let him hurt you."

Rayla says nothing for a moment, fingers hovering over the chains locked around his wrists. Her heart thumps heavily. Her breath shudders out. "Well," she says after a moment. "I guess we have to make sure you don't end up in that position a third time."

"You're not angry?"

"I don't know." She touches his hand then and finds herself relieved that it's still warm under her fingers. She doesn't know how to feel about it, but they're both alive and they're both safe so... that must count for something. "It doesn't matter," she says in the end. "I'm just... Glad we're okay. You won't do it again anyway."

Callum looks up at her. "Won't I?"

"No." Rayla hands him the lockpick. "I won't let you."

[bigskydreaming]

The Vampire Daniel Molloy, when Louis asks what he's looking forward to most about the next stage of his newly immortal life:

Hmm. With how much my maker already complains about me ruining his life and how every day I give him a new reason to regret ever siring me, if I had to pick just one thing, I'd say the thing I'm most looking forward to is when I hit vampire puberty.

Louis: ....

Daniel: Vampire puberty's when the really wild superpowers kick in, right?

Louis: I suppose technically that's not....inaccurate.

Daniel: Hey, what are the chances of me getting the 'set shit on fire with my brain' thing you've got? Can you even imagine how much that would piss him off? His disappointment of a fledgling having the same gifts as the ex who dumped his ass....oh, man. C'mon now. I bet I could do some real damage with that.

Louis: Actually, while we're near the subject: would you please stop introducing yourself as 'the reason your vampire parents got divorced?'

Daniel: No, Louis, Louis! You're not getting it, see....the thing that makes it funny is its true.

Louis: You've really decided to lean into the whole 'second childhood' angle, huh.

Daniel: Mmmm. And just think. If you'd turned me fifty years ago when I first asked, I'd be well past this stage by now. And also still twenty. And hot.

Louis: Ahh. Its like that, then, is it.

Daniel: Oh, only a little bit. Really though, its like, every day I discover a new way to make Armand rue my very existence all over again, and maybe I'm just a simple man with simple needs, because that's just....very fun for me. I mean, there's just something extra validating in knowing the guy you're all "fuck that guy, I hate him, he sucks" about hates you waaaay more than you can be bothered to hate him. Because then its like you win the feud, right? You still get to hate that guy, which is great, because fuck that guy, he sucks, but you also get to know your very existence drives him way crazier than his ever makes you, and I mean, let's be real. Who doesn't like winning things?

Louis: Well I'm so glad you've found something that gives you a sense of purpose at least. Its very -

Daniel: Yeah, yeah, immortal blood drinkers need hobbies other than mass murder, it keeps the body count low and is good for the environment. Relax. I know. I literally wrote the book on it. You were there.

Louis: That's what you got out of it?

Daniel: Why, did you want me to fixate on your sex scenes instead? That seems weird. A little narcissistic even. And at the risk of self-awareness, when I'm the one -

Louis: Right. Well. I just wanted to make sure you had something to focus your energies on. It can all be a bit overwhelming at first and with your level of public attention at the moment, its very crit -

Daniel: Nope, all good here. Got myself a steady supply of Deadbeat Dad jokes that make my maker's eye twitch - apparently base word play is "gauche" or some shit - ugh, my god, its like nothing I do is ever good enough for him, and I only ate one of the editors on my shitlist to test drive my shiny new murder skills. He had this thing about Oxford commas, used to bug the crap out of me. Its like we get it, you hate them. They're literally dots on a page, they can't hurt you, can we please move on....

Louis: ....

Daniel: Louis, I'm kidding. Look, you don't have to worry about me. I already decided I find emotional evisceration way more satisfying than the physical version. Less clean up and it lasts longer anyway. I'm not going to get myself into trouble by cosplaying as Jack the Ripper where paparazzi can catch me red-fanged, and even if I do, I hereby absolve you of all responsibility. You can stop mother-henning me, you didn't turn me, you literally said no when I begged you to, its the whole reason I have eternal wrinkles instead of youthful tautness.

Louis: Not gonna let that one go, are you.

Daniel: Gimme a few centuries and ask me again. I'll let you know then.

Louis: Mmhmm. So this was....memorable and we definitely won't be doing it again. But you do seem to have things figured out so I'll leave you to it, then.

Daniel: Wait, Louis, don't go! Don't you want to hear my five-century life plan for annoying Armand into an early retirement mausoleum? I made visual aids!

Louis: Goodbye, Daniel.

Daniel: Fine, leave then! I don't care! You're not my real dad anyway! Et cetera, et cetera!

[sapphic-agent]

ummmmm your tv show gif tag is how I discover you like Ouran High School Host Club??? PLEASE share any headcanons or rants or thoughts or anything!! I was feral over that show in middle school!!!

Stoooop ily so much����

It's a rite of passage to watch Ouran in middle school and form an unhealthy obsession with it. It's a prerequisite for high school I don't make the rules.

It's so funny because I only get into Ouran because of a crossover fic I read. I was only reading the fic because of a really niche anime I was into and that happened to be one of the only fics for it at the time since it just wasn't a popular show. To summarize, me being an oddball who watched shit no one else did and read fanfic I definitely wasn't supposed to led me to Ouran.

(Who let me have unrestricted Internet access)

I will say, I don't have much to say about Ouran. I've never read the manga and I was never really active in the fandom. It's always been a comfort show, one I rewatch when life gets too shitty.

If I have any thoughts at all it's that OHSHC is genuinely the funniest thing I've ever watched in my life. Almost ten years after I watched it and I still crack up at nearly every single episode. My absolute favorite episode is when the hosts ambush Haruhi at her house (the poor girl was actually happy for once and those damn rich kids ruined it😭). The interactions between Tamaki and Haruhi were also on point that episode.

I always appreciated that Haruhi wasn't really sexualized. Infantilized maybe at times (but, like, that was the joke), but they maintained that she was a simple girl who didn't really like or dislike femininity. She just... Was. And the other hosts still liked her. It was just nice that there was never a huge change to her looks or personality (yes I know the first episode but a) she was posing as a guy and b) she looked similar in middle school she just couldn't afford the Ouran uniform), they loved her for her.

Tamaki's backstory always gets me emotional. The last two episodes are just masterpieces to me. I would sell my soul for another season or even just a movie.

So yeah, those are my thoughts! Maybe I'll make future posts when I find the time to rewatch. I tricked my guy friend into watching a few episodes but he's a pussy who can't handle the twincest. Men🙄

[saraakpotter]

i can't love you (Mike Wheeler x reader)

summery: he loves you, but you can't hurt your sister. genre: angst warnings:Brief spoilers for season 2 but it's really not a lot. tell me if i missed anything :) a\n: well, i hope you like it. maybe i'll do a part two, tell me if i should. btw the story isn't set in season two but you can imagine it when ever you want<3

"i sound crazy don't i?" El said as she laid on your bed and hugged a pillow.

"yes, yes you do" you said chuckling and laying next to her "but that's the point of love, isn't it?"

"wow....that was so cute"

"i know, i heard it on TV" you joked and you both laughed

"but seriously" she said as she stopped laughing and sat straight "i love him. i really really love Mike Wheeler"

"i still don't get why you won't just confess to him"

"confess to him?! are you out of your mind?" she said looking alarmed

"yeah, why not? i'm sure he will like you back" you said as you sat up straight.

"he would, probably like me back. there is a 50% chance he won't. no, no, no, there is a 70% chance he won't"

"can you stop with the numbers? you are being dramatic. he would...." but your speech was cut off by your dad, Jim Hopper's voice.

"girls, dinner!" he called and you took El's hand.

"c'mon, we can't talk about your complicated love life with an empty stomach" you teased as she rolled her eyes playfully.

✶----------------------------------✿--------------------------------------✶

".....she is the most beautiful girl i have ever seen! she is smart, funny, hot, sarcastic, we have shared interests...." Mike said as they all sat in his basement.

"okay, Mike, we get it! we have seen her a million times before" Lucas said cutting him off

"yeah Mike, you should quit rambling" Will said as he chuckled

"i'm not rambling!"

"yes, you are. it's always: y\n Hopper this, y\n Hopper that" Dustin teased mocking Mike and then making kissing noises making everyone laugh except Mike

"yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. not that you guys would shut up about Suzie and Max" Mike said rolling his eyes

"hey! they are our girlfriend's. if you just tell y\n how you feel, we will stop teasing you" Lucas said making Mike roll his eyes again

"yeah like it's as simple as that"

"it is! look, Mike, y\n had been our friend since we were 5. telling her how you feel isn't that hard"

"yes, it is. it may ruin our whole friendship if i tell her how i feel and she doesn't feel the same"

"that's the most ridiculous thing i've ever heard" Dustin said "of course she likes you back!"

"you're supposed to say that because you're my friend"

"maybe, but deep down, we both know i'm right"

Mike knew he was right. he should just stop being scared and tell her how he feels.

✶----------------------------------✿--------------------------------------✶

you were laying on your bed. weeks had past since the day El told you how she feels about Mike. she honestly didn't know how to feel.

you thought about the day your dad brought El home from the jungle. you were surprised. you and everyone else thought she was dead but she wasn't. you remembered how you really saw each other as sisters.

you can't ruin that. you can't break her heart. no. no matter how hard you've fallen for Mike Wheeler. you can't.

✶----------------------------------✿--------------------------------------✶

you heard a knock on your room door.

"come in?"

the door opened revealing the one and only, Mike Wheeler.

"hey, y\n\n"

you smiled widely but it quickly faded when you remembered the promise you made to yourself. you tried to bring back the smile.

"hey Mike"

he took a deep breath and sat next to you on your bed. he could practically hear hi own heart beat of how fast it was beating. he scratched the back of his head and exhaled before speaking.

"umm....y\n, there is something i needed to tell you. something that's been in my mind for a while"

"what is it?" you felt a little worried

"i.....well.....i....can you promise to not get angry? or think it's disgusting?"

"i won't, Mike, promise. just tell me what's wrong?"

"i.......i have feeling's for you. more than a friend, kind of feeling. I've been trying to find the right words, but nothing seems enough. I love you. I've loved you for as long as I can remember."

"you what?" you said not believing what you just heard. he can't have feeling's for you. he.....El loves him. and it doesn't matter if you love him because El does!

"i love you, y\n. i always have" he said looking for a positive reaction in your eyes.

you sighed. you wanted to say it. you wanted to say those 3 damn words back. but you couldn't. you couldn't hurt your sister.

"Mike, i....."

"Just tell me you feel the same, please" he said as you hide from his gaze. "do you feel the same?" he muttered. he already knew the answer but wanted to ask.

you wanted to kiss him. kiss him right there, not caring about what would happen next but you couldn't.

"Mike, I… I can't. Please, leave. just go" you said your voice barely above a whisper.

"y\n, please.....i......"

"mike, leave......please"

Mike sighed. he could feel his heart break and got up to leave but before opening the door he turned to you

"Why won't you let me in? I thought we shared everything. Why is this different?"

"Mike, please. things are not that simple"

"So, what? We just pretend this never happened? We just go back to being friends?"

"yes"

Mike sighed feeling tears as he turned back.

"This isn't fair. But if it's what you want… I'll go. But I'll always love you."

he walked outside the room and closed the door behind him. the door made a small noise as it was closed.

you didn't hold back tears anymore. they fell as you finally whispered: 'i love you too' to yourself.

(part two?)

[mdhwrites]

You are so right when you say that TOH always tries to separate itself as being different or better than other fantasy shows or kids' shows while not actually doing anything particularly special. Your blog is what made me realize that this aspect of TOH more than anything else is what frustrates me about it. Because honestly I don't need kids' cartoons to be amazing and groundbreaking. It's great when they are, I love Steven Universe which I think took way more risks than TOH did and was way more unique. But I also had a lot of fun with MLP which in the balance was a pretty generic kids' cartoon. I found it entertaining and comforting and I liked the characters, but it was a pretty simple show. But MLP also never really asked you to think it was anything else. It knew what it was, it was good at what it was, and you could take it or leave it. Meanwhile TOH simultaneously refuses to accept that it's fundamentally a pretty basic kids' fantasy narrative, while also refusing to take any real risks with its storytelling that would push it beyond being a basic kids' fantasy show. So there's a disconnect between what the show wants me to believe and what I'm actually seeing on screen. And that disconnect is the source of my frustration with the show. I do still think it's fun. But it frustrates me. And I like reading your blog because I feel like you've helped me put into words some of the reasons why. 🦎

So this strikes a cord with me that makes me want to ask a question back: When did a good story stop being enough for people? I'm going to go WAY left field for my example here. Like... Maybe ruin my credibility left field for this one but it's the one I always think of with this. Why were we all too good for the Emoji movie? I saw it WAY after it came out because my parents have On Demand and told me they liked it. So I was like "I mean, worse case scenario it's probably laughably bad. May as well try it while I'm living with them." And it's not a bad movie. Like at all. Is it better than TOH? Probably not but I don't know how much worse I'd consider it either in hindsight. It does a LOT with its gimmick, is pretty fun throughout the whole thing and actually has a good theme for the concept of emojis with the idea that... Yeah, one emoji is really hard to express complex feelings with and what succeeds at the end of the day is someone breaking their singular emotion into something grander than that. Their self expression mattered and their want for expression played into the grand problem that was going to get them all killed. Is it groundbreaking? God no. This concept isn't anything new, it's not done in a particularly special way, none of its twists are novel, even when done well, and its humor is nothing to write home about. It's got some good jokes, it's got some bad jokes. Overall though... It's just a solid, basic story told well. This is actually like 90% of the success of Hi-Fi Rush's story. That game has about as basic of a plot as you can get without devolving into "Save the princess" with only two real twists, neither of which are that huge, even if they're fun. However, that story takes its gimmicks and runs like hell with them and does a really good job of telling a story about a group of rebels coming together, growing and beating the bad guy. I would say the only 'brave' thing about is that the first two characters in the band of rebels are kind of assholes but lovable ones and that's hardly a risk when one of Marvel's most beloved series right now is Guardians of the Galaxy. But it works. It uses its tropes well, it's incredibly charming and the cast is incredibly likable. It also knows when to stop being funny for a moment of humanity, unlike Marvel movies, and gut punches you a couple times with the subtle but definitely there growth of the characters. Both of these, in the elements that work for them, because there are parts of the Emoji movie that are not good, have a common trait. It's actually the trait that most makes me think that I, as a writer, couldn't ever make something that truly feels like TOH. Sincerity. A lot of basic stories when told well shine through with their sincerity. It's part of why a remake of something can feel so much more lifeless going through the same plot beats because those small changes made to 'modernize' or have 'meta commentary' etc. like that (think the majority of Disney Live Action remakes) aren't sincere. They're calculated, smug and obnoxious oftentimes and not nearly as heartfelt as the original pieces' choices. Another example but not animated: John Wick. On paper, it's a bog standard revenge story. In practice, that movie is going so hard, committing so full force to EVERY creative decision it has and not blinking at anything that could even be considered silly, while recognizing when it's going for a silly tone, that it is my FAVORITE action movie. Period. And again, above anything else, sincerity to the tropes of John being this mythical figure, the fun of all the fights it can show, etc. like that is what sells that movie. God I wish I liked 2 or 3. What a fucking waste 3 was. In my opinion. So yeah, I agree. I don't know why TOH decided it had to be so smug and egotistical and what not about its tropes when sincerity is enough. ... ..............

Okay, I have to bring up the other side of this coin, partially because I'm writing this while building up to Crises Girlfriends' original release.

Sincerity is great. What the fuck is the marketing pitch for sincerity? I've been pushing the fact that Crises Girlfriends is from someone who actually has these issues, that it tries to handle depression and the like better than most media because it's kind of the marketing point. I'd MUCH rather just tell you "I think I did a great job with the characters, their development and their relationship" and just sell you on it being a good romance but... What makes it special versus any other romance title out there? I'm not actually even going to use TOH as my flip example for this. Yes, a LOT of people use TOH's subversive element to sell it, just like Warrior Nun's community only ever let me know it was gay, but I've got an even older example: Gravity Falls. It took me FOREVER to hear someone say literally anything about the characters in that show. Before then, all I heard about was the mystery. How amazing its little Easter Eggs were. And why not? I've seen a couple episodes. It's a pretty damn good, but not special, modern fantasy show that's taking after stuff like the Spiderwick Chronicles. So if a fan wants to tell me why I should watch it over, say, Randy Cunningham, why not go with the genre blend that is actually pretty different for a kid's cartoon. I feel like that's probably at least half the reason people kept calling TOH horror at one point and I'm happy that stopped.

With all of that said, there's still a difference. Gravity Falls' mystery doesn't actively mock the tropes it itself is using. It is genuinely enjoyable, even if you don't care about the mystery and the mystery is more than just a marketing gimmick. For Crises Girlfriends, I literally have chapters dedicated to teaching some of the lessons I've learned in therapy that have helped me and make sense for the characters in question to get better. You can call these gimmicks but it's more that the concept is being properly used. That's where TOH, and the Disney Live Action remakes frankly, fail. The marketing gimmick IS the substance. They want you to post on Twitter about how bold it is for Disney to be doing X. That it's not like other shows. That it's not like the old Disney movies or fantasy movies in general that you know. Which is frankly hilarious when people try to say TOH was shortened because it doesn't fit in with the Disney brand. Laughing at itself while actually being as corporate and bland as it's trying to claim it's not is an entire branch of Disney. People have been eating up since Frozen though.

This actually led to me commenting on Twitter a while back that if the 90s were the age of irony as I've been told, the 2010s, from Disney to Game of Thrones, etc. like that might be the age of subversion. Where the story be damned, so long as we can claim to be more clever than we actually are, that's what's important. So long as we do something the audience isn't expecting. And it started in earnest with Frozen because... I'm sorry that movie is good, perfectly fine popcorn, but not the god damned masterpiece that it was heralded as when it first came out and I feel like a lot of the narrative praise for it was specifically because it was mocking Disney narrative tropes. It did so well though that it sent ripples out though. Some are doing it smart, some are not. I bet Rise of the TMNT is the way it is because the team being actually good warriors that feel trained by a proper master is what's expected so leaning on the teenage side and them not being the best, but not bad, is subversive theoretically. Subversive in a way that is actually useful for new stories and ideas to be told though. It's a smart way of doing it. Meanwhile, TOH asks the bold question of "What if the pointless romantic subplot in most fantasy stories was gay?" And then puts it in a world where a gay romance will be treated the same way as a straight romance. The point is it's not clever. But it sure is good for making posts on Twitter, isn't it? Frankly, there are a lot of elements to TOH that I think are chosen partially for social media bait and a LOOOOOT of them have to do with Hexide. That is a different blog. And hey... If you want someone who's sincere... Well, here are my normal links because it's still my job. I just wish I could tell you a better pitch than my goal is to just make a good story. Before anything else, that's all I want to do.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead, If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

[analexthatexists]

Limitations

A short skit between Hex and Ink

———————————————————————

“…Hey, Hex! Can we talk? Just for a second?”

“Huh? Oh! Haha, of course! I’m just surprised you thought I WOULDN’T want to!”

“Haha, yeah, it was a little funny to ask!…”

“Hah…yeah… why… exactly did you seem a little unsure about talking to me? (His eyes are doing that thing again… makes his emotions such a dead giveaway!)”

“Alright, well…hmm… you know we’re pals and all, right buddy?”

“Pssh, why wouldn’t I? You’re acting so weird, man…”

“Well! Well, uh… I need a favor from you. A nice, simple favor between friends. Can you do that?”

“Favors? Really? Well alright, I guess one teeny tiny favor couldn’t hurt! Just don’t make me try to calm one of Error’s tantrums! Hahahah! Alright, alright…Watcha got?”

“So, I need you to- yes? -do a better job of- better? I can do better, ok -not messing with the- what? -stability of the multiverse?”

"...Pfft, haha, okay, okay, uh, You're kidding me, right? You're usually better with jokes, Ink! This is just sad."

"Hah...I...I'm not joking, Hex... I uh...I mean it. This is becoming a problem. You're a great variant, you really are. Just... your whole antics are a little...tiring. I don't think I can keep asking you to tone it down without making my own tone serious for once. That make sense?"

"..."

"Hey, don't go all silent on me! You've got to admit that what you're doing isn't, you know, cool? At least to the Multiverse and me? Especially in the long term?"

"...yeah right... 'Least I'm not actually, you know, destroying AUs or genuinely hurting anybody. I thought you were on board with my shenanigans, but now you're just acting like DREAM!"

"The 'shenanigans' that you pull can cause entire AUs to go offscript... or even... self-destruct... Don't you realize that!?"

"THE LITTLEST things can set these places off! What, are we ruining a timeline right NOW just by being here!? Haha, I mean, come ON! Can't a little fun be present in this world drowned in rules and balance?"

"...It's not fun having to clean up messes that people like YOU make, Hex."

"So what? Not like cleaning up messes is going to stop them from being made. Why don't any of you realize that?"

"...Hex, you- No, no. YOU know that, don't you? You know this is all a lost cause, and yet you still choose to TRY and make sense of nonsense."

"..."

"...Well? How close am I? 70%? 80? Full one-hundo? Deciphering people like you is fun, you know! You guys are like Rubix cubes! Haha!"

"...Pfft....Hahaha!"

"There we go! Finally, snapping out of that balance talk... It feels good to laugh, doesn't it?"

"...Ah...Hex, you really do know how to irritate me..."

———————————————————————

This isn't the first time Ink has had to talk with Hex about stuff like this. Hex knows what he's doing, but nothing Ink says is likely going to stop him. I do wonder... when is enough enough?

[nathaniel-donovan]

Her sarcastic response had him grinning from ear to ear, laughing as he did so, finding her funny and it's one of these moments that he was reminded of why he liked her and why they got along so well. "No no... no, I'm talking capes. Capes." he thought to say twice, treating her as if she had lost the plot and not him. "Superman's cape is useless." which led to why she'd let herself down with one. It was such a stupid topic of conversation he couldn't quite help the smile across his features, feeling the hint of innocence from it all. "Yeah." he says without missing a beat, "I'd ask her how high." he was joking, softly talking over her in some senses and yet he was still listening. "Oh yeah, sure, all I ever dream of. Might even grow my hair out..." he lightly smirked, feeling himself settle back into the couch as he laughed.

"Okay... sure we're all quaking." he sarcastically says in response to it being over for everyone once she (as he heard it) did some exercise. He chuckled softly, his brow arching briefly at Cole's mention. "Oh yeah, guy's godly for sure." He approved, knowing that his brother was drop dead gorgeous - Nate felt like he was one of the many hype men for Cole and he wasn't even ashamed. "Nah, I wouldn't be either." mad at herself. She liked what she liked; who cared.

The way their theme of conversation was taking a very real dive downwards, wasn't something he was surprised by, he had in every sense asked for it. He hadn't just asked her how she was doing to get back a simple response, or to hear the same things she told everyone else. He asked because he cared and every part of him wanted her to feel better. Sure, that was a long shot, something so far out of reach and yet? That didn't mean she couldn't be sad with other people. He knew all too well how keeping a shit load of things to yourself, could fucking ruin you, and so that's part of the reason why he liked to softly encourage other people to talk. He was always drowning but that didn't mean he couldn't lift somebody else out of the water.

He frowns, knowingly trying to offer her those small touches of comfort with the way he's softly brushing his thumb against her skin, he wants to be the friend she needed. Chloe disagreeing with him was expected and still, he sighs quietly. "You're where he'd want you to be." right here. He wasn't quite sure how she'd take that, especially knowing that she thought she wasn't doing anything. He got it, he did. Yet from that perspective of being a brother himself? He wouldn't want his sister searching high and low, he wouldn't want them to lose their light in the process.

The moment she pulled her hands away from his own with that little force, he felt a need to reach back out for them and yet he doesn't. Maybe if her actions were gentle he might have done, but he didn't want to overstep as that wasn't his place. He got her fear and it almost pained him to see her cry, more so with that very knowing fact of him not being able to do anything for her. But they said it was healthy to cry, right? "We don't know that." he speaks quietly, could Jasper be lying in a ditch somewhere? It had been a thought that had crossed his mind and it was one he'd never tell her. "I am." that's in response to him taking care of himself, so be it a white lie, yet this entire situation didn't need to flip onto him. "I know it's not my job to make you feel better, but I want to. I want to help you, Chlo, like you'd do for me." he knew if roles were flipped, she'd be doing the same, so why couldn't he? He wanted to reach for her and he doesn't, knowing she had created that space and he respected it. "We're always looking, but if you want to, we can do that together?" if it would make her feel like she was doing something, though he knew she'd only feel disappointed when she'd come home with nothing. "Or if you just need to come here and cry? I'm here for that too."

Chloe narrowed her eyes at him, looking at him as if he suddenly had grown two heads and had proclaimed he was going to destroy the world. "You pick that one as the odd one out?" She asked. "Because Superman has the same powers as us? Sure, I flew to the shop yesterday to get some milk and then boiled my water with my eye lasers." The conversations like these were too easy to get lost in. Talking about nothing and everything seemed to be a safe space for the both of them and that could last for hours. "If Edna said jump off the bridge, would you? Or do you just want to be her? What about knee cap surgery? If they make people taller, maybe if they shaved off some of your bone..." The actual image of Nate being around five feet popped into her head and she couldn't stop herself from grinning. Give him a bowl haircut, some thick glasses, and he easily could become the embodiment of Edna.

"Me? Sell myself short? Kim says I just need to lift dumbbells once in a while and I'll have an ass like her. Just you wait until I pick one up, then it's all over for everyone." Not that she would have ever wanted to look like a Kardashian. Chloe didn't think badly of herself, maybe just more of the kind who blends in. But she didn't mind that at all. "I go fall for a guy with nice jaws, though. It's always been a curse. I mean, have you seen Cole's?" Chloe paused, shooting a look at him and then bursting out in a laugh. "Of course you do, but... I'm a sucker for those. I'm not even mad at myself for that."

The conversation was taking a turn, she could feel it and it wasn't even something she was able to escape. There were those few people in her life who were able to get the honest reaction out of her just by a few words. Will always managed - that guy had some magic powers about him, so it wasn't once that she bawled her eyes out to him. Nate was another person who could just ask how she was doing and she'd tell him. It was probably the way he asked? Or maybe it was because she knew that he really wanted an honest answer.

"I know." She answered, taking in a deep breath. Her eyes still couldn't look up, but she placed her hand over his, offering him a tighter squeeze. In a way, it was calming because it offered the support and it offered her the promise of a safe place.

Though Nate would have been better than her if one of his siblings were missing. If it was Logan, if it was Lydia - he wouldn't have stopped. He would probably have lost himself, and probably was still losing himself because of Cassie. But with Cassie, he knew where she was, if the other two were lost... He was already going through so much. Chloe brushed her thumb over his palm, nodding - to him or to herself, it could have been either. "I don't think it's very normal." She finally said. "Because I'm not doing anything. Because I'm just... Here. There are a number of possibilities of where he could be, and I'm just here."

Chloe harshly pulled out her hands from his grasp, turning herself away from him. "I'm living, while he could be lying in a ditch somewhere?" Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she moved quickly to brush them away. She felt embarrassed at how little she was doing. Embarrassed that she was so fucking useless. "I don't want to use you. You have enough things going on. It's not your job to make me feel better. You have to look after yourself."

[ccristata]

Just Because You Know My Name, Doesn't Mean You Know My Story

Jake "Hangman" Seresin/Original Wife!Character

Word Count: 794

Some things are best kept secret, but it's not always for the reason you think. One conversation leaves Crissa questioning everything while her husband and his friends laugh in the background.

Ok, the title and summary are so much more dramatic than the actual story. This is literally pure fluff and comedy. Companion piece to Somebody Come Get Her... but you don't need to read that one to get this. Also my research consisted of two Google searches so I apologize for any Navy/Ship inaccuracies.

Masterlist

Archive of Our Own

“And joining us for the legal side of things is Ms. Crissa Seresin.” The admiral’s voice was calm and sure, completely unaware he had just ruined years of careful planning and chosen sacrifices in one simple introduction. Crissa put a small smile on her face and simply nodded in acknowledgement, not betraying anything.

Her husband and his friends were all clustered by the door of the mess when she walked in. She sent them another small smile.

‘You okay?’ Rooster mouthed at her. Her expression warmed at the looks of concern they were all trying to hide from her.

“I’ve been called worse.” She responded dryly, eyebrows quirked in subtle amusement.

Before anyone could respond, the group’s attention shifted to the Chief Petty Officer who stopped just over Crissa’s right shoulder.

“Seresin and Seresin, isn't that crazy?” Crissa braced herself for whatever out of pocket comment was coming. It’d be in bad taste for the aviators to shut it down which left her as the best option.

“Have y’all met before?” He sounded genuinely curious. Or really committed to the bit.

“Once or twice.” She tested the waters with a half smile.

“Well I’m watching you two,” He wagged his finger between Crissa and Jake. “You’re from Texas right?” Jake nodded his affirmation. “Well, I don’t need any funny business and you know how families are in the south.” He started laughing and didn’t notice the entire group freeze as they processed the joke. 

Crissa’s eyes widened before she slowly responded.

“Oh I, I wouldn’t know… I married into it.” Suddenly the big secret being revealed was a better option than whatever this was.

“Ah, so I guess I have nothing to worry about.” The man was still chuckling at his jokes. Crissa started smiling again but her eyes looked a little panicked. She glanced quickly between him and Jake trying to process how the man was so very lost between point A and point B. Her husband and the aviators around them were all stifling laughter.

“So where are you from then?” 

Crissa blinked a couple of times.

“Uh… well my dad was in the Army so all over,” she recovered quickly, “But my family is across the south.” She braced herself for the next joke.

“They have any funny sayings?” He seemed like such a nice guy and Crissa was about to choose some funny story about her grandfather to smooth things over but the thought popped into her head and was too good to pass up.

“Yeah, they’ve got a couple.” Truth. “But uh, something my grandmother liked to do was mash two sayings together.” Lie. “It’s always more comedic but uh, strangely insightful.” She furrowed her brow in mock seriousness. “You know, like… ‘So close and yet you can’t make a horse drink.’” Perfect execution. She kept her expression earnest waiting for him to clue in on the joke. They could all laugh this off and shake the uncomfortable confusion. A couple of the aviators stifled laughter but Morrison just furrowed his brow and slowly nodded.

“I’ll have to think on that one. You all have a good night.” He still seemed lost in thought as he walked away. Crissa’s eyes flew open in shock.

“You too.” Hangman called, mostly keeping the amusement out of his voice. Crissa turned to him completely stunned. They were locked in a silent staring match for a solid minute before Crissa turned and sank into the nearest chair. 

The spell broken, the aviators burst into laughter and crowded around the table she was at. Coyote patted her back as she buried her face in her hands.

After another moment, Crissa brought her head back up to stare helplessly at her extremely amused husband who was slouched into the chair across from her.

“Did- Wha-” Her eyes darted across the table trying to process what had just happened. “He heard the last name, looked at us, and his first thought was incest?!??!??” 

Jake watched her hands dart between her face and her hair before finally scrubbing across her face. All pretext of the smooth lawyer was gone and it amused him even more.

“That just happened!” She looked around the table for confirmation, desperately hoping to not find it.

“Ahhhh, it did.” Bradley was all but wiping tears away as he calmed down from the laughter. 

“So close. And yet. You can’t make a horse drink.” Chuckling at the end, Coyote upped the humor with his emphasis. Crissa groaned.

“This is what I’m saying! I’m meaner than people think because I’m so dry they just think I’m being honest!” She sat back in defeat.

“Oh you poor thing.” Javy’s mock sympathy was much more mocking than sympathetic. Crissa flipped him the bird with a grimace.

[anti-katsuki-lounge]

This post is about MHA fandom in general. But I think these types could be found every where.

Dekucchan's loyal followers and the dudebros are heavily damaging this fandom's image.

Okay I really don't know much about the MHA fandom because I don't interact with anything outside of my interests, but it seems chill to me. Well except for the fact the types of people I listed above ruin the whole experience.

No, I don't want to hear that Izuku is straight for the billionth time. Like it makes more sense if he's aroace because other than finding some girls attractive, has he ever felt romantic and sexual towards any of them? Yeah I thought so and no finding someone does not mean that you have a crush on them. Please stop confusing them. Actually I can go ahead and say that almost everyone is aroace and I would still have a valid argument because there are only select few individuals who care about romance in the first. But yeah know they won't like this headcanon because it has do with the infamous alphabet mafia.

Nor do I want to hear that (specific ship) is canon for some reason. I don't care whether you are bk//dk or one of those "canon ships" preachers like Td//mm. I can tell when people are joking and when people are serious. And it's not as if iz//ch dudebros don't do this either. Like good for you for liking the canon pairing, but that does not make you better than anyone else. It did not give you the right to act like a bitch and whine everytime someone has different tastes.

Though I do hold some sympathy and understanding for bk//dk shippers. I mean atleast they don't make hateful comments on other ships. Well if you exclude Dekucchan's give mind because they are a whole another category in the fandom.

But dudebros are just miserable human beings. Oh, are you mad that people have different ship preferences? Must suck being the only "sane" people in this fandom. These people really think they are doing service to the fandom by spreading by toxicity. The first thing they need to do is learn that there was never any ship threats made by those who ship any gay ship. Like they don't have any source for this claim, yet this is still discussed by them.

People grab onto this baseless argument and justify why they hate the MHA fandom. Like there are many other reasons why you would possibly hate a fandom, but this is the one you decide to preach? I know you can formulate a better reason than this.

And it's so funny seeing occasional Dekucchan bk//dk and the dudebros discourse because my thoughts are that they both suck. Like I'm a shipper, but you don't see me having discourse with someone with the intention to put them down. I have ships that I dislike a lot too, but I don't invade these ship spaces to spread my negative views. It's not that hard to say in your own lane.

I 100% agree with all of this. While I rant about the BkDk Stans the most, the truth is that they’re not the only toxic part of the fandom. The IzuOcha Dudebros/Stans are toxic too, perhaps the second most toxic group in the fandom. There are portions of the MHA fandom that are great. You got the people creating content that expresses their love for the series/characters/world. You got the people who offer legitimate criticism and analyze MHA who are great to talk to if you wanna learn how to write. Sadly they’re drowned out by all the Stans/Dudebros/etc. It should be simple to stay in your lane. You like BkDk? Have fun with your ship. Like IzuOcha? Feel free to write fanfics about it. Wanna headcanon Izuku as part of the LGBTQ+ community? No one should stop you. Want to only consume content where Izuku’s straight? There’s a wide selection to chose from. Point is that, like you said, people should learn to just vibe in their own lanes. As a Katsuki anti, I avoid content with Katsuki because I don’t like him (unless it’s something a friend/mutual created cause I wanna support them). People who like Katsuki likewise will avoid my blog because they don’t want it to hear someone complain about him. There’s a mutual respect there despite neither of us actually interacting with each other. They can like him in peace while I can rag on him to others who don’t like him (or the curious Katsuki fan who wants to see the other side). Sadly the Stans and Toxic Antis will invade spaces and cause trouble just cause they can’t handle an opinion. Same goes for the IzuOcha Dudebros and any other toxic character/shipper Stan.

[redjaybathood]

Jason gives up on gotham and moves to metropolis to become a doctor (sorry it's not crazy but I'm mostly running on fumes)

Yeah, no, I get you. Besides, you think your idea isn't crazy enough? Well, we just have to make it crazier then.

First things first. When does Jason become fed up with Gotham? I'd say: about the time he almost bled out in the ruins of his old apartment building. He couldn't stop the bleeding himself, but he did manage to make one call: to 911.

Of course, after he had gotten medical attention, there was also police who came looking. So leaving Gotham was a necessity on several levels.

He chooses Metropolis because it's a city Bruce likes the least. Also, it has a good residency program, something to think about on the later date. It also is huge, and there are a lot of weird people, but normal-weird, not "paint the walls with your intestines" weird. So Jason figures he will fit.

Funny enough, he enrolls into the school under his own name, having faked only some of the documentation and backstory. He's looking forward to settling in for a long run, so it's best if his lies were mixed with half-truths. Easier all around.

He's not worried that Bruce will look for him. Both of them can go on pretending that Red Hood died that day, by fire or water. And for the police, what he's got would be enough.

Thing is: after the initial setup - college money, apartment to rent, books, necessities - his stash of drug money isn't looking too good. Seeing how he had to leave most of it back in Gotham and won't be getting anything more.

So he's going to be broke, in the near future. Yeah? No, Jason finds a job. He's EMT now, got his 170 hours of training course, certification. Currently, he's interning with a real nice crew.

Amina Franklin, who, by coincidence, also moved from Gotham, but 10 years earlier; she was stalked by a Russian mobster and had to leave (of course, there's more to it than that, her being the sister of Wayne Franklin/Grotesk, a great inventor of medical robotic technology and a vigilante). She's the paramedic.

Davis Bloome, EMT. Local boy. Never been outside of Metropolis, he will tell you. Grew up in foster care. Could really use friends and some therapy. (It's Doomsday, but Jason doesn't know it yet)

Cody Driscoll, the driver. Seems like has a story to tell, but jokes that then he would have to kill you. When you buy him a drink, would tell you about how he was abducted by aliens. (thing is, Jason believes it)

And it's all good right up until the second week Jason is riding along, the ambulance is hijacked with Jason still in it. He's being held at a gunpoint and made to stitch a gang leader's gunshot. And he can, probably, kill all of them before they notice, but he also totally cannot do that, because there would his civilian life go. So Jason has to allow himself to be kidnapped.

Meanwhile, Cody decides to rescue Jason himself, Amina goes with him just to make sure he won't get himself and Jason killed, and Davis, you know. He has his difficulties connecting with people. But with those particular people, he has rapport. He established a system that is actually very simple. If they do something, he's doing it too, as not to seem and feel out of place. So when everyone goes to rescue Jason? This means that Dooms fucking day goes along to rescue Jason.

Even if even he doesn't yet know that he is the Doomsday.

Look, this idea is so huge, I cannot actually write anything, even a scene, because I don't know characters that well, or how Metropolis operates. But what can I add, it's this:

- besides the hot action scenes, there's human interest stories; little things, like how Jason rescues a person who OD'd, and how it affected him; Davis somehow ending up being the one who talks down a suicidal teenager; Amina having to attend to a teenager who acted as a vigilante and got really badly beat up by criminals.

- there's also a mystery where they step by step finding out new stuff about each other, and sometimes it happens very fast, like Davis turning into this huge monster and eating the criminals who kidnapped Jason, and Jason teaching them how to clean up a scene of murder, and Amina being non-fazed by the whole thing. And Cody, who was indeed kidnapped by aliens, dated one, was on a team with like a lot of them, is looking into all of this and being: how am I the only normal person here? I don't like it;

- there's a subplot where Amina succeeded in proving that a corporation stole her brother's inventions - the last way to restore at least some modicum of justice for Wayne unless she becomes the vigilante herself, of which she - not a fan. Gang helps!

- there's a subplot where Davis tries to figure out his mysterious past and the whole people eating monster thing. He succeeds and even figures out how to control it. Gang helps!

- there's a subplot where Deathstroke comes a knocking for Cody. Cody, being pretty content with his life in Metropolis, knocks him the fuck out. Gang helps!

- there's a subplot where Jason struggles to juggle school and the job and his new friends/family/crew, all the while staying out of the way of local reporters. Which is difficult, seeing as his job puts him often to the same places where the story is. And he somehow gets involved in another hostage situation; bank robbery; regular robbery; cat burglary, and many more. Gang helps!

[albertasunrise]

It's Yours - Chapter 8

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

Summary: You and Javier have been sleeping together for almost two years but after his name was leaked by the papers, he is sent home for investigation. You remain behind with Steve to catch Escobar but when he’s finally dead, you decide to go after the man you’ve fallen for. You don’t like what you find when you finally reunite with him.

Warnings: Fluff, Unprotected Sex 18+

Relationships: Javier Peña x Reader

~

The Murphy’s stay with you, helping you plan your simple wedding. Connie and you had managed to find a dress that you didn’t feel like a whale in and Javi and Steve had managed to get the church booked on short notice, much to Chucho’s delight. Neither of you is particularly religious but Chucho is and it meant a lot to him that you’d agreed to have a church wedding.

‘So you promise you’re not going to leave me at the alter.’ You tease as the four of you sit around the fire pit, you cuddled into Javi’s side with a blanket around your shoulders.

‘Ha, you’re funny.’ He grumbles, rolling his eyes at Steve when the man chokes on his beer ‘There’s one major difference between you and Lorraine.’ He states and you all look at him with a bemused expression ‘You’re actually pregnant.’

‘What?’ Connie exclaims as Steve spits his beer in surprise.

‘I’ve never told anyone this but the reason I left her at the altar was that I’d learned she wasn’t actually pregnant. She’d told me she was and I’d proposed thinking it was the right thing to do.’ He clarifies as he takes a swig of his beer ‘We had an argument the night before and she blurted out that she wasn’t. Ate me alive. I realised on the day that I couldn’t go through with it. Couldn’t marry someone who'd lied to me.’

‘Shit, Javi I had no idea.’ You say as you rub his arm affectionately.

‘Yeah well, neither does anyone else.’ He states ‘I never told anyone the truth. Let her look like the victim. She lied but she didn’t deserve to be ruined because of it.’

‘Ever the hero Peña.’ Chuckles Steve as he salutes his partner with the neck of his beer bottle.

‘Yeah well. Easier for me to be the bad guy.’ He shrugs as he places a kiss on the top of your head ‘Plus I didn’t deal with the situation right. I shouldn’t have just left her at the altar, should have broken it off face to face.’ He concedes, the four of you falling into a slightly awkward silence.

‘Well as lovely as this has been, I need to get to bed.’ You state, rubbing your bump ‘Plus these seem to be playing soccer or something.’

‘Oh my! Let me feel!.’ Squeals Connie as she leaps to your side, placing her hands on your belly ‘Oh wow.’ She looks at you with comically wide eyes ‘Wow they’re really going for it.’

‘Take after their father.’ You chuckle ‘He fucking fidgets too!’

‘Hey.’ He groans as he taps you on the arm ‘I do not.’

‘Well, you do.’ You giggle ‘But it's cute.’ You finish as you give him a wink.

‘Right well. See you two in the morning.’ Says Steve as he pulls Connie up and into his side, waving at you both before leading her up to the main house.

‘Time to get you to bed.’ Javi says as he scoops you into his arms.

‘Damn right.’ You chuckle ‘I’m in desperate need of sleep.’

‘Oh, you’re not going to sleep yet.’ He growls as he carries you inside, laying you down on the plush couch.

‘Javi, what are you doing?’ You giggle as you watch him strip himself out of his clothes.

‘I’m going to you cum with my fingers Hermosa.’ He starts, his eyes turning black with lust ‘Then I’m going to make love to you.’

You shiver at this, watching as he stalks towards you like a hunter stalking its prey. He makes quick work of your leggings and panties, leaving you in just your oversized t-shirt that's outlining your prominent bump. He kneels, on the couch, between your spread legs, smashing his lips against yours as his fingers tease your entrance and groans at how aroused you are, making it easy to slip two thick fingers into your, hot, wet, heat.

‘Fuck Javier.’ You moan, throwing your head back as your eyes flutter closed.

He curls his fingers perfectly, fingers brushing against that spot inside you that makes your toes curl. He’s relentless. You know exactly what he’s trying to achieve and you know he’s going to achieve it. His arm threads behind your back and pulls you closer, grounding him as he continues his maddening pace.

‘Javi-.’ You whine and he knows what you're trying to tell him,

He presses his thumb to your clit and that's all it takes, your release gushing over him, and you practically scream from how hard he’s made you cum.

‘Well done baby.’ He coos as he pulls you into a soft kiss,

‘Where do you want me.’ You pant against his lips, your own pupils were blown with want.

‘Stand up.’ He whispers against the shell of your ear and you oblige him, grinning as he stands and pulls you flush against his chest ‘Turn around and bend over.’

You shiver at his commanding tone, biting your lip as you do as he asks and grab hold of the arm of the couch for support.

‘So beautiful.’ He praises as he lines himself up with your entrance, moaning as he slides in with ease ‘Fuck.’ He groans, seating himself fully inside of you.

He starts a slow, languid pace that has you moaning loudly, your hips meeting his thrusts. You remain in this position for a while, the lounge filled with the sounds of skin slapping against skin and your combined moans of pleasure. He praises you as he fucks you, his hand cradling your bump as he edges you both towards your peaks, smiling as he feels one of the babies kick.

‘I don’t think they like it when I fuck you.’ He chuckles and he pulls you flush against him, the new angle making him hit that earth-shattering spot again and again.

‘Fuck baby.’ You whine as you let your head fall back against his shoulder.

His hand snakes around your front and cups your sex, his middle finger then rubbing circles around your clit. You reach behind you, grabbing a fist full of his hair as he brings you closer and closer to that release that you so desperately crave. With a few sharp thrusts you cum together, turning your head to kiss him sloppily as you swallow each other’s moans.

‘Better?’ You ask breathlessly, looking up at him with a blissed-out expression.

‘Much.’ He replies as he grins at you, spinning you around so he can pull you into a languid kiss ‘Let’s get you cleaned up and into bed.

‘Let's.’ You agree, feeling your exhaustion take hold.

~

‘Chucho this is delicious.’ Groans Steve as he shovels down his omelette enthusiastically, eyes closed in euphoria.

‘Well, there’s plenty more.’ The older man chuckles as he watches the blonde eat ‘Everything ready for the wedding?’ He asks, turning his attention to you and Javi.

‘More or less.’ You reply ‘Dresses are sorted, suits are sorted. Flowers are being delivered on the day.’

‘Si’s offered to cater the event for us too!’ Adds Javier excitedly and he’s closing the bar so we can hold the reception there, opening the garden up for us too.’

‘That man is too nice for his own good.’ Chuckles Chucho ‘But it is kind of him to do that.’

‘It is.’ You reply, a small smile crossing your lips as you look at Javier ‘He’s been incredibly kind. Considering everything.’

Silence washes over you all again as you finish your breakfast, Steve going up for seconds and thirds. The Murphy's then offer to do the dishes which after a strong protest on your's and Javier’s part, you concede and they get to work like a well-oiled machine before rejoining you at the table with fresh cups of coffee in hand.

‘There is something that I want to give you.’ Says Chucho suddenly as he places a small box at the centre of the table ‘Go ahead open it.’ He says as he points at it with his chin.

Javier does and his brows furrow in confusion. Inside lay a single key, nothing attached to give a clue as to what it may be for. It looks a little like his key but it also looks like the key for the guest house.

‘Pops. What is this?’

‘The key to this house.’

‘I have a key.’ Says Javi, still confused by what this meant.

‘I know pendejo.’ He grumbles, rolling his eyes at his son’s naivety ‘It's the meaning behind the key. I’m giving you this house.’

‘What? Chucho No.’ You protest.

‘The guest house was meant for me eventually anyway.’ He states, shrugging his shoulders ‘You’re going to need the extra rooms with the babies on the way and from the sounds of it you’re not going to be stopping at these two.’

You notice Javier’s cheeks flush and you giggle, remembering his drunken declaration at your engagement party that he was going to have ‘so many babies with you’ as he put it.

‘I want you two to have the house.’ He continues, giving you a warm smile ‘There’s plenty of room here and you can expand if needs be. With me living in the guest house you’ll have someone nearby to babysit. This is my gift to you. Please accept it.’

‘Pops.’ Javi chokes ‘I don't know what to say.’

‘How about thank you.’ The man jokes, smirking at his son.

‘Gracias.’ Javier says with a nod before pulling his father into a tight embrace ‘Muchas gracias pops.’

‘Yes. Thank you, Chucho.’ You concur ‘This is the best present anyone could ever give us.’

Javier clears his throat as he looks at you and then your swollen belly.

‘Okay… Second best.’ You correct yourself, rolling your eyes at him.

~

Your wedding was over in a flash and suddenly you were Mrs Peña. You’d spent your wedding night testing your new name on your tongue before Javier made love to you over and over, well into the early hours of the morning. As you lay there watching your new husband sleep you smile and think about all the things you’ve been through together. You’ve suffered so much but in the end, it was all worth it. Javier Peña was your husband.

‘You know it’s rude to stare.’ He grumbles, eyes remaining shut but a smile tugging at his lips.

‘Well, I can’t help it.’ You reply ‘My husband is just so fucking sexy.’ You finish, smiling sweetly at him.

‘Oh is he indeed?’ He probes, brown eyes peeking through the cracks in his eyelids ‘Why you up so early?’

‘Babies are kicking up a storm.’ You reply, eyes drifting down to your bump and you chuckle as you see the skin move with their ministrations ‘I guess I should get used to no sleep.’

Javi shifts himself so his head is laying just beneath your bump, placing soft kisses on the underside of it before smiling sweetly at you.

‘Now you two are keeping mummy awake.’ He mumbles against your skin ‘Why don't you both settle down so she can get a little more rest now. How does that sound hmm?’

Your eyes grow wide as you feel them still and you look at Javi and grin, smoothing your hand over your swell as you watch him crawl up the bed towards you.

‘Okay, how did you do that?’

‘Clearly, I’m already the favourite parent.’ He says, flashing you a cheeky grin.

‘Clearly.’ You reply, rolling your eyes at him before allowing them to drift shut, your exhaustion taking hold.

You wake a few hours later the smell of pancakes and your stomach rumbles. Getting up and out of bed you pull on one of your oversized shirts and make your way to the kitchen where Javi is serving up fluffy pancakes with an array of different toppings covering the table’

‘What’s all this?’

‘Breakfast for my pregnant wife.’ He states, smiling as you kiss him sweetly.

‘Oh.’ You reply as you grin at him ‘And what did I do to deserve this?’

‘Just being perfect.’ He replies, shrugging his shoulders ‘And saying I do. That was the main thing really.’

‘Well, it was hit and miss there for a moment.’ You say, winking at him ‘But in the end, I couldn’t say no.’

‘Well, I’m glad.’ He replies, pulling you into a passionate kiss ‘I was thinking we could go to that shop today that I told you about. Start picking out some things for the babies’ nursery.’

‘Oh yes!’ You exclaim excitedly ‘I think that sounds like a splendid idea.’

‘Connie and Steve are here until the weekend and he’s offered to help me paint the nursery before they leave. I thought we could do the room half and half. Like one-half pink and one half blue sort of thing. Doesn’t have to be those colours but you catch my drift.’

‘I like that idea.’ You reply as you stab a mouthful of pancake onto your fork ‘I trust you to pick out the perfect colours.’

‘Good.’ He beams back at you before serving up some food on his plate.

~

The baby shop was beautiful. You’d wanted to buy the whole shop but Javier had managed to talk you round. You purchased two, matching, white cots. A changing table and a vast array of stuffed toys that Javi was now in the process of stuffing into the bed of his truck whilst you watch him work with admiration. Connie had asked you not to go over boards as she wanted to arrange a baby shower for you, she'd even stole your address book to get the names and numbers of your closest friends. Friends you may have forgotten to tell about the babies... and the wedding.

‘Well, thank goodness they deliver the furniture.’ He states, wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand ‘Don’t think I could have got much more back there.’ He finishes as he secures the tarp over the top of the toys.

‘What can I say?’ You reply, shrugging your shoulders ‘These two wanted them.’

‘Oh they did, did they?’ He asks, quirking an eyebrow at you ‘Or was it your inner child that wanted them?’ He pushes as he wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you close, kissing the tip of your nose affectionately.

‘It was the babies.’ You confirm ‘Definitely the babies.’

‘Liar.’ He says with a grin.

‘Javier?’

This new voice takes you both by surprise and you turn to see a blonde woman stood across from you, her expression a little hard to read.

‘Lorraine.’ He replies, nodding his head at her.

‘I heard you got married.’ She starts, eyes flitting to you ‘You must be the woman that finally managed to tie this man down.’

‘I guess so.’ You reply, turning so you can shake her hand.

‘Oh, I hadn’t realised that you were pregnant.’ She says as her eyes grow wide at the sight of your growing bump ‘When is it due?’

‘They.’ Corrects Javi ‘And in around 3 months.’

‘Well, congratulations.’ She says sweetly ‘Children are the best blessing of all.’ She finishes before starting to walk away 'I suppose I'll see you at Danny's wedding next week?' She says, turning her head to look at Javi.

'Yeah.' Javier replies plainly, watching as she then disappears from view.

‘So that was Lorraine.’ You state and Javier nods.

‘That was Lorraine.’

‘She’s not how I imagined her.’ You confess as you turn back to face him.

‘No?’ He asks as his head shoots back in surprise.

‘No.’ You reply, shaking your head ‘Not sure why but I never pictured her blonde.’

Javier chuckles at this before unlocking the truck and opening your door, holding your hand and helping you climb inside.

‘Come on Hermosa.’ He says and he climbs into the driver's seat ‘Let’s get you and your army of fuzzy friends home.’ He finishes as he smiles sweetly at you.

‘I told you it was the babies!’ You whine ‘If anyone's starting a teddy militia it's them!'’

‘Can never be too prepared I suppose.’ He says with a wink ‘Even if they can’t utilise their forces for another 3 months.’ He finishes and you poke your tongue out at him, grinning when he throws his head back and laughs.

~

Chapter 9

[pixelwisp-archive]

Itadakimasu!! | Part 11: I'm Sorry (Written Chapter)

word count: 3.1k

The Mixtape: Thinking of you | CA, 1979

The music that pooled out of Onigiri Miya was anything but what you expected.  A small smile crept up onto your face - despite your best efforts - and with a featherlight touch, you crept into the restaurant, silently thanking the soft jazz for drowning out the creaks as you pushed the door open in search of a certain chef.

Osamu stood at the sink, hands working some leftover dishes from the work day. He hummed softly along to the music, and it surprised you just how nice  he sounded - how his deep hum complemented the honey voice that dripped through the speakers; rich, thick, and soft like velvet. You padded into the kitchen, clutching the wine and apron closer to your frame so as not to bump it on anything that could give you away, and allowed yourself a few minutes to listen and appreciate before ultimately ruining the moment.

“I didn’t know you could sing, Miya.” You brought a hand up to suppress a giggle as he stiffened and dropped the plate he had been washing with a loud clatter. Osamu bowed his head and cleared his throat, loud enough to drown out the music for a brief moment before it ultimately pervaded the kitchen once more. He grabbed the nearest towel to dry his hands before reaching for the remote, the music ceasing with a quick click. Once he turned around, your eyes immediately fell on the dusted pink that settled onto his cheeks, and you did your best to ignore the warmth that ignited in your chest at the sight.

"So, Etta James, huh?" Osamu coughed awkwardly, turning his attention back toward the sink to finish up the last few dishes that lingered in the basin.

"Ya know Etta James?" An affirming hum left your lips as you placed the bottle of wine and your apron on the island, eyes flitting over the rustic kitchen in search of wine glasses.

The kitchen was a decent size, the bright wooden counters and cabinets a stark contrast to the dark iron of the appliances, but it complemented each other and suited the space well. The soft ivory paint on the walls kept the overall area from being too loud compared to the rest of the restaurant, and you wondered if Kita was behind the greenery that added a lush, vibrant addition to the otherwise plain shop. Your eyes landed on a modest pile of cookbooks stored neatly in the corner, and you let out a huff of victory as you made your way over to the wine glasses that sat in a windowed cabinet above them.

"My parents were big fans, they've always had a funny fascination with America," you explained, and from the corner of your eye you saw him nod. The two of you relished in the, for once, comfortable beats of silence that followed, and you were surprised when he - for a second time since you had met him - decided to be the one break it.

"My Ma used to have this busted up, old, mix tape that she would play every night when she made dinner. Got it at a flea market when she spent a semester abroad in California. She always talked about how she wished she could visit again." The fondness in his voice made your heart squeeze. You busied yourself, listening intently as you placed two wine glasses onto the counter and filled them generously. "Eventually the cassette broke from years of abuse, but I managed to find the songs and make her a playlist. She still listens to it, every night, and I guess I got so used to it that it feels almost...wrong, to cook without hearin' it in the background, even though I'm not home anymore." You slid one glass over to him and he raised a brow at it, a soft smile pointed your way.

"I think ya skimped me a bit," he joked, and you chuckled sheepishly, a hand coming to scratch the back of your neck.

"What can I say, I like my wine." He chuckles as you reach for the small remote. 

"You didn't have to stop it, you know. I love me some Etta," you said, and his smile widened ever so slightly as you pressed play, the smooth voice fluttering through the speakers once more, softer this time as you adjusted the volume. You lifted the wine glass to your lips, taking a tentative first sip. The second the bittersweet liquid hit your tongue, you closed your eyes and sighed into the familiarity. It flashed you back to Tokyo; the seemingly endless nights on the balcony with Tendou and Semi, your drunken laughter rivaling the music in volume as Semi sang along with fervor - but, really, does anyone sound good when they're nearly a bottle deep?

Reality slammed into you like a meteor, and you were instantly struck back into the present moment, meeting Osamu's eyes as he watched you curiously. You felt the warmth crawl up your neck from the embarrassment, and you cleared your throat in the hopes that you could divert his attention to literally anything else.

"So,  are you gonna teach me how to properly make some Onigiri tonight?" His eyes fell on the apron you brought, the one he gifted to you, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise as his lips settled into a playful smirk.

"Who said anythin' about 'teach'? I said I'd show ya how I make it; I didn' say nothin' about teachin' ya."

"And miss out on learning how to make Onigiri Miya's signature dish? No way." Osamu scoffed as you grabbed your apron and began tying it around your waist. His arms folded in front of him, his lips a thin line. You couldn't tell if he was thinking or already disapproving.

"This was meant to be an apology, you know," he started, but you cut him off.

"I know! And what better apology than by helping me perfect my shaping?" The resigned sigh that followed meant a victory for you, the grin proof enough for both of you that you had won. "So, what are we making today?"

"I figured I'd keep it simple tonight. Ya like fatty tuna?" Of course you do.  Who doesn’t? "Great, let's get started then."

To be honest, you weren't expecting Osamu to be as patient with you as he was. Even though you were decently acquainted with the 'art form' that was Onigiri (as so eloquently and dramatically described by Osamu), you decided to entertain him and pretend to struggle with every step - over shredding the tuna, spilling the spices, adding too much mayo - in the minor hope that you could catch him stressed and maybe a bit frustrated - but to your somewhat disappointment, mostly pleasant surprise, every effort to get at least a furrowed brow or a groan was met with a warm smile, sometimes a breathy chuckle, and a strong pair of arms gently guiding you through the correct steps.

It was as equally frustrating as it was endearing.

"Now ya wanna dip yer hands into the dish of water I left on the side for ya, yeah, great, that's it - now grab a pinch of salt - not too much, just a pinch, and ya wanna rub it into yer hands to prep for the rice."

"What if I have a cut somewhere?"

"Do ya have a cut?"

"Well, not that I know of, but what if there's a cut I don't know about?"

"Well then I guess we'll find out soon, won' we?"

You huffed, but nonetheless pinched the tiny mountain of salt and collected a modest amount before tentatively rubbing it into your hands. Your shoulders were stiff the entire time, prepared for the sudden sting on the off chance the salt decided to acquaint itself with an unknown wound on your hand. You heard Osamu stifle a laugh, and your eyes met his as he smirked at your cautious form.

"Stop staring at me, focus on your own stupid rice ball." He laughed - loudly, beautifully - and you felt your hands tremble the slightest bit as you tried to put all of your focus on making a stupid, dumb triangle out of some stupid, dumb rice.

"Need some help?" You merely grumbled in response as the little bundle of rice and filling crumbled in your hands, despite your feeble attempts at shaping it. He set his own, perfectly shaped, onigiri aside and scooched over to you, his arms reaching around your form, chest pressed lightly against your back. "Yer pressing in too softly, so the rice isn't holding. Cup yer hands like this-" he cupped your hands within his own "-just like that. Now press a little firmer, like this." You were trying your best to pay attention to what he was showing you, you really were - but you couldn't help but marvel at how soft his hands were. You expected them to be rough; calloused from years of cooking, volleyball, and the handyman side hobby, but clearly that wasn’t the case. What kind of lotion did he use to make them feel so smooth? Probably some fancy homemade Aloe Vera lotion Kita made for him, you thought with a scoff.

This new revelation had also made you hyper aware that your hands were not, in fact, soft - countless burns, cuts, and other various acts of carelessness in the kitchen have given your hands a battle worn texture that no amount of hoity toity, all natural Aloe Vera would be able to soften up. He must have been cringing inside just having to touch the absolute burlap that is your haggard looking, stupid hands, oh god-

"Nice job, yer doin' great." The gentleness in his voice plucked you from your inner turmoil, effectively grounding you back to the task at hand. What was once a crumbling mess of rice and tuna now stood a beautifully crafted onigiri, the plump triangle nestled snuggly in between your hands. A gasp left you as you beamed at the finished product, and you whipped your head toward him, twisting slightly within his grip so you could face him properly.

It was then that you realized just how close he was to you.

Whatever words you had planned to say to him died in your throat as your brain tried to comprehend why the hell his face was so close to yours. Osamu seemed to be in a similar state of shock, eyes wide and mouth emulating a fish, opening and shutting when the words weren't coming to him. From the way your own mouth gaped, you imagined you shared a similar expression.

Simultaneously, almost comically, you separated yourselves and severed eye contact, Osamu finding something above you particularly interesting. What exactly, you weren't sure - you were too busy eyeing every minute detail of the remarkably plain tile flooring.

Like an awkward embrace from an old friend you never truly vibed with, the uncomfortable silence settled between you two once again.

It would have almost felt nostalgic, if you didn't hate it with a seething passion.

'And my arms need someone, someone to enfold'

The playful jazz number cut through the silence, and you mentally cursed Etta for clearly not reading the room - your arms were certainly not looking to enfold anybody at the moment, and you imagined it was likely that Osamu felt the same.

You spun back around toward your work station, a quick roll of your shoulders the only indication that you were gonna keep working, because you sure as shit didn't trust whatever would have come out of your mouth had you chosen to open it. Lucky for you, he seemed to get the hint and moved back toward his own work station, making quick work of shaping what he had left, while you continued to struggle, albeit far less than before.

Not a word had been uttered in the moments that followed, the music filling the awkward rift that split between you.

To be honest, you felt guilty that nearly every interaction between you two inevitably dissolved into a dense, unbearable tension; the once lighthearted mood suddenly cracked open like a fault line, the quiet settling between you like dust, and it always felt so thick that trying to bring the moment back its old, enlightened state seemed to take such an immense amount of effort - effort that neither one of you appeared to want to put forth.

You wondered if Osamu shared a similar sentiment.

While you finished up the last of your onigiri, you allowed your attention to flicker to Osamu as he eyed the leftover tuna filling with seemingly great interest, brows furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line. You watched as he scooped the mess onto his finger, putting obvious effort into keeping it balanced as he brought the teetering pile to his lips. Right as he went to close his lips around his finger, the tiny mountain fell, smearing onto his chin and landing on the counter with the saddest little ‘splat’ you'd ever heard. The disappointment he exuded at his misfortune is what ultimately broke you, and you laughed - a bright, gleeful sound that dispelled the suffocating air in an instant, and made you feel like you could finally breathe again (which was ironic, considering how out of breath you were from the incessant giggles that sprung free with absolutely no regard for your lung capacity).

Your hand flew to your mouth in an (admittedly failed) attempt to stifle yourself, as well as possibly save the last shred of rapidly waning dignity Osamu was probably holding onto for dear life. You folded in on yourself, laughter bouncing off the restaurant floor and - again, probably - stabbing directly into Osamu's crumbling pride.

Just as you opened your mouth to apologize, Osamu's loud, beautiful laugh cut through your own, and at the sight of his uncharacteristically bright smile, accompanied with the little smear of mayo on his chin, you realized that, maybe, probably, he was actually doing just fine; and that this - laughing with him - was something you'd never been given the chance to do before, and you'd be lying if you said it wasn't something you wished you could do more often.

You hoped that, maybe, Osamu wanted that, too.

"So, I take it they didn't teach you how to make onigiri at your fancy schmancy culinary school?" He smiled as you bit back a groan. It was embarrassing, how ugly your onigiri looked next to his. Sure, you were joking about your incompetence in the beginning in the hopes to rile him up a little; but when it came to actually forming the balls, well - there's a reason the spite onigiri you made were small and round.

"You win this time, rice man." He boldly plucked one of your creations and plopped it onto his plate, while you opted for one of his. You knew yours were gonna have too much mayo and way too much seasoning, and you weren't about to subject yourself to that.

You took a bite out of the rice ball and audibly moaned - how is something so simple so delicious? He chuckled, lazy smile draped across his features as he watched you eat. The little sparkle in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by you, and you felt a tiny tug on your heart at how excited he was that you were enjoying his food, even if he wasn't being outwardly showy about it like you tended to be.

"'This time'? Does that mean we're doing this again?" You reached for another one of his as you hummed to yourself.

"Hmm, maybe. Maybe I'll force you to bake me some macarons." You were kidding, of course - you wouldn't wish that upon even your worst enemies - but the way his eyes brightened and he agreed with a small but noticeable lilt to his voice had you wondering if maybe making macarons wouldn't be all that bad if you made them with him.

He bit into your onigiri, taking a far more generous bite than you would have, and you snickered at the obvious attempt to conceal the grimace he had involuntarily made upon swallowing. The way he tiptoed around his critique of your failure was incredibly endearing ("It's not bad, just...mayo-y." "You don't have to eat it, you know." "No no, you worked hard, I'm gonna eat it."), and you felt the first little crack form in the walls you had begun to keep up around him ever since the curry incident.

The longer you enjoyed the food, wine, and - surprisingly - company, the harder it became to ignore the guilt that had settled onto your heart earlier in the evening. What started off as a mere twinge had become a sizeable weight in your chest, growing each moment you spent with him that didn't make you want to launch him off the summit of Mount Fuji.

"I'm sorry," you said, quiet and out of the blue. He shot you a confused smile.

"Pretty sure that's my job right now," he pointed out, and you offered a meek chuckle in response.

"I shouldn't have sold the dessert onigiri. Seeing just how passionate you are makes me realize the gravity of what I did. My ego was a little bruised and instead of being an adult about it, I openly insulted you and Kita by making a mockery of your business. I took it too far, and I'm really sorry about that. I'm sure it goes without saying, but I'm gonna stop making them so you don't have to worry anymore." He was quiet, staring at you in a way he hadn't before, and it made you feel far too exposed, playing with the rice crumbled on your plate as you waited for a reaction.

"I'm sorry, too. I only said those things because the idea of you expanding yer menu terrified me. Yer an amazin' chef, and I honestly think ya could run me out of business one day." His voice was soft, too; and you felt the crack grow considerably wider, your vulnerability peeking through pinched brows and hands that you couldn't seem to keep still. "I've always wanted to open up a location in Tokyo, and expand the menu. Onigiri made sense because it's always been a source of comfort, but as much as I love makin' em, there're others things I wanna make, too."

The air between you was...light. The weight that usually settled itself into your shoulder blades seemed to have dissipated, and you couldn't tell if it was the wine, the time, or Osamu. Maybe it was all three.

"I...I like it better when we don't hate each other," you said.

"I never hated you," he said.

"I never hated you either," you admitted.

"Does that mean we can stop pretending we do?" He looked you, and you saw hope.

You smiled.

"Yeah," you said. "We can."

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Fun facts -

Osamu listening to old 60′s love songs just did something to me ok, especially my girl Etta

Kita is 100% responsible for the plants 

Osamu’s mom kept the tape, even after it finally broke beyond repair. It reminds her of Osamu’s father, who she met that summer in Cali

he was another exchange student from Japan. They had a summer fling and inevitably said their goodbyes when the summer was over and he had to fly back home.

They ended up bumping into each other a year after she moved back - and fate has been a big theme for the Miya’s ever since. 

Osamu has always felt a little funny about it - it feels too convenient, and he doesn’t like the idea of not being in control of his own path.

He thought your ugly rice balls were disgusting, obviously, and he was sure to eat his own after the first one lmao

A/n - when you haven’t updated in so long you have to look at past chapters to remember how you formatted 😭. BUT ITS FINALLY DONEEEE, this chapter KICKED my ass oh my god but it feels so good to be finished and we’re finally moving into new territory~ I’m very excited for the next few chapters!! I hope you guys enjoy this latest chapter, please don’t be afraid to shoot me messages if you have questions!! I have a LOT of behind the scenes content that doesn’t make it into the fic sometimes and I’m always eager to share 🤩✨💛

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